DxD: Getting Into Shape 5.5

The forest echoes with the sound of battle as we fight against the dungeon boss. I wasn't sure what to expect from the boss, but so far it's definitely been unlike any boss fight I've done before.

The Emperor Boar, as [Observe] tells me its title is, is a tanky son of a bitch. His maximum health is five hundred thousand. His attacks are dangerous, but thankfully they're also simple and easy to avoid. Though the smaller boars he summons are very dangerous thanks to their numbers.

Still, the group is holding up well, and I haven't had to interfere directly. The only thing of note I've done is transport Asia to wounded party members when their wounds prevent them from getting to us quickly. Thankfully, this has only happened twice. Once when a smaller boar snuck up on Kiba and gouged his leg before he dispatched it, and another time when Rias was bowled over and trampled and had some difficulty getting back up.

Each time I'd pick Asia up, teleport us to the wounded person, apply [Void Beam] to keep us safe while Asia heals the person, and then teleport us back to safety. Most of the time, the wounded came to us to have their minor wounds healed. Their natural HP regen, boosted by my perk, took care of the truly minor ones before they became an issue, but sometimes they would be severe enough to not be healed within seconds and become a nuisance, though not severe enough that they couldn't make their way to us on their own.

I still don't like seeing my girls wounded like this, but I know I can't coddle them. Getting hurt is a natural part of fighting, and they have to learn to fight, to protect themselves. This is a safe place for them to get hurt. I have Kronika's gem ready to use, along with all of my most powerful potions, my sensu bean, and a few other useful items. I'll use whatever I need to keep them safe.

Thankfully, it's not needed, because all of them are doing incredibly well. This boss fight is the perfect way to show how much they've grown.

Rias swaps between clearing the small mobs and chipping away at the boss using her Power of Destruction. I've taught her all five attacks that I had originally envisioned, and she's making use of them well. The fourth one is Destruction Missile. Where Gatling focuses on speed and Scattershot focuses on number and area, Missile is a supercharged version of Rifle that moves slower but is much bigger, hits harder, and even tracks the target somewhat.

The fifth technique is Destruction Beam, and it's the only one that isn't a variant of the Destruction Rifle. It's essentially a copy of my [Void Beam] but made with the Power of Destruction. It hits fast, and it hits hard, and most importantly, it has penetrating power. It's not as good as my [Void Beam] though. Is Void more powerful than Destruction? Or is it just because of the difference in magic power? I can't be sure without more data.

She's using the Destruction Beams to clear the smaller boars and then peppering the boss boar with Scattershots and Missiles depending on how close she is. She's easily doing the second most damage to the boss and is primarily focusing on it.

Akeno is doing something similar, but opposite. She's using her magic to damage both the boss and the smaller boars, but most of her focus is on the smaller boars. She's doing an incredible job switching things up, throwing every element at the enemies to see what works best. They all work equally well, as far as I can tell they don't have any particular elemental weakness or resistance, but she does a good job selecting her spells based on how many she's attacking at a time, and making sure to do as much damage to as many enemies at a time.

She holds Azal's staff in her hand, boosting her strength considerably. It's a good thing she's being so strategic with her spells because each one costs her a lot of mana.

Kiba started out the battle similar to Akeno in that he cycled through a bunch of elemental swords to probe the boars for any weaknesses, but didn't find any. So he made a new sword, one that very much looked like a cleaver and it tore through the smaller boars without issue. In his other hand, he held a short and stubby sword that looked more like a hunk of unworked metal than a sword. But every time he stabbed it into the ground, the very earth moved.

He's using both to great effect. He zips around the battlefield, cutting through the smaller boars to reduce their numbers, stopping only to use his other sword to shift the ground to trip or pen in the boss boar, aiding his teammates who are attacking it directly. It's creativity he didn't have before, and his sword skills are sharper and more efficient.

Koneko is attacking the boss directly. Her attacks don't do much to the massive creature, but her strength rivals it, despite their size difference. She burns through her stamina, empowering herself with Touki to stop the boar in place or divert it. A couple of times she's worked together with Kiba to unbalance it and knock it over, though it gets harder to do that as the boar learns their tricks. She's probably the biggest reason the boss boar has barely been able to damage us.

Though Aika is definitely the second biggest reason why. She still hasn't learned any offensive spells beyond the Dark Missile, but she uses the one she has to its greatest effectiveness, targeting the eyes of not only the boss boar but the smaller ones all around as well. A huge number of shadowy blasts shoot from her staff every minute, and almost all of them hit their target. The missiles themselves don't do much damage against the hide of the boars, but against their eyes it not only does moderate damage but blinds them as well. Any that Aika blinds are easily dispatched by Kiba shortly after and the boss has barely been able to see at all since the battle began.

Asia is helping a little bit by throwing in a few barriers here and there and using the plant life to trip up the boars, but they're too strong for it to be very effective, and they break through both. She is keeping herself busy by healing though, and I've even let her dispatch a few boars that get close to us with her light sword. She grimaces whenever she does so, but it's always replaced by a look of determination, so I keep letting a few through for her.

Finally, there's the star of the show, Atsuko. I told her to go all out in fighting the boss, and she took it to heart. Right now, she can maintain eight boosts nearly indefinitely, depending on her level of activity. Nine boosts drain her in just over a minute, even without any exertion on her part. We tried ten boosts, and she was able to reach it, but at that point, her stamina drains too fast. Even with the use of stamina potions, it's not realistic for battle.

But at eight boosts, the occasional stamina potion, and a Knight promotion, she has done by far the most damage to the boss. Her ax has torn its hide to shreds as she zips around it. Her flying is still too poor to handle the kind of maneuverability she needs for a fight like this, but plain old running enhanced by her new grapple hook does a good enough job.

It's extremely impressive to watch. Her DEX is higher than mine, and it's honestly difficult to keep track of her. She uses her speed and her grapple hook to launch herself at the boar, ax flashing out and cutting deep into its hide, causing it to roar out in pain with each strike. I'm glad we spent all of yesterday practicing how to move with it because this fight would be going much slower without it.

Speaking of how long this fight is going. I check the boss's health and see that it's just below 25%.

"Atsuko!" I yell, making sure she can hear me with [Sound Domain]. "It's time! Go all out for one big attack!"

"Got it!" she says. "Kiba, Koneko, hold it still!" Her two peerage members nod and start to work as I hear Atsuko boost again. She grapples her way into position and takes another stamina potion off of her belt, and gets ready to drink it. As Koneko and Kiba corral the boss into position to flip it over again, Atsuko boosts four more times, up to her maximum of twelve. Her eleventh boost is almost long enough to drain her stamina, and I can see her shaking, but she timed things perfectly. She drinks the stamina potion right as her gauntlet declares her next boost, topping her off, and then a second later it calls out again.

"EXPLOSION!"

I watch as Atsuko's already ridiculous stats double, far eclipsing anything I've seen. Her lowest stat is just under seven thousand, and her highest, her DEX, is over fourteen thousand.

Right on time, a slab of earth juts out of the ground right beneath the hoof of the boar, lifting it partially up. Koneko dashes in, aura shimmering around her body, and leaps upwards into it, fist extended. For a moment it teeters, and I fear it won't be enough, and then a barrage of Dark Missiles from Aika slams into it, and causes it to tip over onto its back.

Atsuko, her stamina already half empty, doesn't hesitate. As soon as it's still she rushes forward with a wordless yell, ax brandished. She reaches the boar in less than a blink of an eye and swings.

I don't think any of us expected what happens then. There's a sound of rushing air and shrieking metal, and then everything explodes. The boar is completely bisected as a sharp wave of force travels beyond the reach of the ax that Atsuko swung, and so is half of the forest behind it. The air is whipped into a frenzy and for what feels like minutes but is only seconds, the sound of crashing trees echo as they fall to the ground, their trunks obliterated.

We all stand still in shock as a huge swath of dense forest turns into a mess of fallen trees and dirt. It's only Atsuko collapsing that snaps us out of it. We all rush towards her, but it's Asia and I that arrive first as I [Void Travel] the both of us to her.

[Observe] tells me what I already suspect, that her stamina is just drained. She's still conscious even. She's missing some HP as well, but not enough to make me worried.

Asia, who is working on healing her already, confirms it. "She's fine," Asia says as the others approach us. "She just exhausted herself, though she did have some signs of muscle damage and aggravated ligaments. But I'm taking care of those now."

I sigh in relief, and I'm not the only one. "Holy shit Atsuko," I say to her with a grin on my face. "I know I said to go all out, but that was insane."

She smiles tiredly. "Hehe," she laughs. "I haven't used that explosion thing since that first time. I wanted to see what I could do now."

"Truly it was a splendid blow," comes another voice, deep and tinny. I blink, and I feel everyone's shock as they look down at the gauntlet form of the Boosted Gear, whose gem just lit up with the words that were spoken.

"Ddraig?" I ask.

"Yes, it is I, the Red Dragon Emperor," he calls out with more energy. "That magnificent attack managed to fully awaken me from my slumber. Truly, I seem to have found myself an excellent host this time."

Atsuko smiles tiredly. "Hell yeah you did, I'm the best host ever…" she trails off and falls unconscious. I guess even with equipment restoring her stamina and Asia healing her wounds, it's hard to ignore a body saying that you pushed it too hard and it needs to rest.

"Hmm, she is still young and inexperienced though," Ddraig says. "And this is the first time I've had a Devil as a partner. No matter. I shall rest now as well." And just like that, the gem goes dark, and then the Boosted Gear itself dematerializes.

As a group, we stare at the now sleeping Atsuko, a little stunned. "Well, that happened," I comment.

"I didn't realize she was already attuned with her Sacred Gear that much," Rias comments.

"She mentioned the other day she had seen him in her dreams," I admit. "But I did expect it to be a bit longer before he started talking. But that move she pulled off just now...Yeah, I'm not that surprised it woke him up."

"Yeah…" Rias agrees as she looks at the destruction her attack caused. It didn't clear the trees out, but it did turn it from a nice forest to a tangle of wood and dirt.

I hear Koneko suck in her breath. "Her weapon," she says, and I look down at Atsuko's other hand, where she still grips her ax. Or what remains of it anyways. It's almost in one piece. The majority of it is still attached to the handle. But the head of the ax is splintered, and the entire thing is warped and cracked beyond repair.

"So that's what that sound was," I comment. "That's a shame, but it's fine. I'll get her a new weapon before the rating game. I'll see if I can get a sturdier one." Though where I'm going to get something like that, I have no idea. I have an enchantment for repairing weapons, but none that make it more durable.

I pick up Atsuko's unconscious form and turn to the group. "It's a little early, but I think we can call it there for Dungeon training and go get an early lunch."

"Are you sure?" Akeno asks.

I use [Observe] on everyone, noting their levels.

<------>

Rias Gremory

Level: 194[50%]

Race: Devil

HP: 8,790 (5,538 per minute)

MP: 10,470 (314 per minute)

SP: 8,400 (252 per minute)

CON: 293

STR: 280

DEX: 273

INT: 349

WIS: 337

CHA: 389

LUK: 558

<------>

<------>

Akeno Himejima

Level: 181[81%]

Race: Reincarnated Devil(Half-Fallen)

HP: 8,850 (5,576 per minute)

MP: 12,360 (371 per minute)

SP: 8,670 (260 per minute)

CON: 295

STR: 289

DEX: 297

INT: 412

WIS: 405

CHA: 224

LUK: 205

<------>

<------>

Koneko Toujou

Level: 165[9%]

Race: Reincarnated Devil(Nekoshou)

HP: 14,640 (9,223 per minute)

MP: 4,350 (131 per minute)

SP: 14,670 (440 per minute)

CON: 488

STR: 489

DEX: 275

INT: 145

WIS: 160

CHA: 162

LUK: 123

<------>

<------>

Yuuto Kiba

Level: 163[12%]

Race: Reincarnated Devil

HP: 8,370 (5,273 per minute)

MP: 4,110 (123 per minute)

SP: 11,250 (338 per minute)

CON: 279

STR: 375

DEX: 548

INT: 137

WIS: 122

CHA: 173

LUK: 111

<------>

<------>

Atsuko Hyoudou

Level: 155[34%]

Race: Reincarnated Devil

HP: 9,180 (5783 per minute)

MP: 8,940 (268 per minute)

SP: 9,456 (5965 per minute)

CON: 306

STR: 307

DEX: 304

INT: 298

WIS: 299

CHA: 349

LUK: 324

<------>

<------>

Aika Kiryuu

Level: 155[25%]

Race: Reincarnated Devil

HP: 8,700 (5,481 per minute)

MP: 17,250 (647 per minute)

SP: 4,860 (146 per minute)

CON: 290

STR: 162

DEX: 163

INT: 575

WIS: 575

CHA: 164

LUK: 164

<------>

"Yeah," I say, grinning. "I think we've gotten everything we need out of here." The quest didn't mark itself as complete, but I'm guessing that's because the Rating Game isn't actually here yet. That's fine.

As I bring us out of the dungeon, I idly look over the loot and notice a few interesting things.

Emperor Boar Hide x10

Hide made of tough fur. Highly resistant to physical and magical damage.

<Gacha Token x5>

<Special Dungeon Key>

<Hate Crystal>

<The opposite of a Heart Crystal. Use to lower a target's Affection by 25. Can't lower a target's Affection below -100. Only affects targets below 50 Affection.>

That last one is certainly interesting. My gut reaction is that it's trash but...no. This has potential. If I play my cards right, this might be exactly what I need to secure my plans. The hide, the gacha tokens, and the second Special Dungeon Key are also nice.

I set Atsuko down in a chair outside of the lodge house and start pulling out sandwiches. "Just because we've finished up in the dungeon doesn't mean we're done for the day though! After lunch, we'll have one last session of individual training, and we still have a strategy session and good old-fashioned working out after that. Tomorrow is your rest day, not today."

There are determined nods from everyone before they all rush towards the sandwiches, the pile disappearing in moments.

Just a bit of training left, and then the Rating Game will be here. I shake my head. I can't let myself get distracted by what's to come. There's still plenty to take care of before then.

-x-

Once again I teleport in behind Kuroka as she spies on us, but this time she just tenses up instead of reacting more violently.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that," Kuroka complains as she turns to face me with a glare.

I pull out a plate of curry. "Even if I bring food? I just finished making it, haven't even served the others yet."

She glares at me for a moment, but I see her nose twitch. "Fine," she accedes and grabs the plate from me. "I guess I can forgive you."

I chuckle as she eats. "I just wanted to thank you for the Senjutsu tips you gave me. I know it was simple, but it really helped with Koneko's training today."

"I saw," Kuroka comments, handing me back the already empty plate. "I had to observe from a little further away while you two were meditating and working on her Touki so she wouldn't sense me."

"We were also working on mine," I claim. She raises an eyebrow at me. "Or trying to at least. I know a few techniques that use life force, but it looks like proper Senjutsu is still out of my reach."

She shakes her head. "Unless you've focused heavily on your physical abilities and some sort of martial arts, most races find it very difficult to use any form of Senjutsu, much less Touki."

"But not Nekoshou, right?" I ask. "That's what Koneko said when we talked about it just earlier."

"Just look at Shirone," Kuroka says. "Basically no training and her Touki increases her speed and strength by what...at least twice?"

"Right around that yeah," I reply. "Well, that's fine. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to manage it."

She shoots me a weird look but then looks away with a shrug. "You're welcome to keep trying I suppose. I honestly have no idea how hard it might be for you."

It shouldn't be hard at all if I can convince Koneko to help me, but I'll worry about that later. "Besides giving you some food and a thank you, I wanted to make sure to let you know that today was our last day of training. Tomorrow we'll be back at Kuoh to rest for a day, and then Monday will be the Rating Game. I don't know if you have a way to view the Rating games, but if you do, that's when it'll happen."

"I don't, but it's easy enough to get a recording afterward. Even non-official games are recorded and stored somewhere I can access." She explains.

"Look forward to that then," I say. "The Peerage they're going up against doesn't stand a chance against them after this training. Koneko might not be the star of the show, but with the plans we have, she'll have a chance to show off."

"Mmm, good," she replies, tail swishing. "If she's strong and happy, that's enough for me." She gives me a sideways look. "Speaking of happy, don't think I didn't notice how close the two of you were while meditating."

I smile. Koneko had insisted on sitting in my lap while meditating, claiming it helped her focus better. To her credit, it didn't make her meditation worse, though I'm not sure if it actually helped.

"Ever since our talk she's been a lot more touchy-feely," I explain. "Which I'm happy to accept. She's cute, and she's a good girl."

"Ahh, my poor Shirone has been seduced by such a bad man," she teases. "At this rate, she's going to end up having kittens before I do."

"I have brought you dinner twice now," I reply with a grin. "I'm ready for the chance to 'get rough' with you any time now."

Kuroka laughs. "No, I think I'll let Shirone have the first go." She looks up at the sky and sees the setting sun. "Besides, I don't have time to play around right now. I'll see you around sometime Axton. Just remember, if Shirone isn't happy when I do see you, I'll make sure you're not happy either." She winks at me, her threat completely at odds with her tone of voice.

But I don't drop my smile. "Of course," I say. "I'll see you later, try not to be too jealous of your younger sister."

She ignores that last sentence and disappears with a magic circle. I look at my phone to check the time. Two minutes until the dessert I prepared in celebration for tonight is done baking. With a nod, I teleport back to the kitchen.

-x-

The final strategy meeting of our training camp is basically just a refresher where we once again go over all of the information on Riser and his Peerage and the multiple plans we have to deal with him.

It's pretty boring, but most of us are paying close attention, not wanting to screw up things right at the end. However, there are two notable exceptions. The first is Atsuko, still a little worn out from the Dungeon. Her brow is furrowed, but her eyes slowly grow more glazed throughout the meeting as she struggles to take in all the information at once.

The other exception is Koneko, who has once again claimed my lap, but this time she's fallen asleep. Rias pauses when she notices, but just shakes her head and continues, ignoring the sleeping girl. I don't do anything about it either though, and instead continue to make it look like I'm paying attention to Rias, though my mind is busy planning the things I need to take care of later.

At the end of the meeting, I speak up. "Alright guys, I know it's late, and I know you're all probably tired, but we have one last push before training is over. So let's give it our all for our last bit of training, okay?"

Everyone agrees and heads back out to start their strength training. Everyone except Rias and Koneko. Rias and I look down at the still sleeping Koneko and then look at each other.

"Honestly, I expected her to wake up when I started talking," I admit.

Rias shakes her head. "When Koneko naps she can sleep through anything," she explains. "Was her individual training hard today?"

"Maybe?" I reply with a small shrug. "We mostly worked on her Senjutsu, so it wasn't very physical, but it definitely used up a lot of stamina." I sigh. "You go ahead and start your training. I'll wake her up and see if she's up to more training. I know what I just said earlier, but it'll be fine if she misses this last bit, especially if she's too tired. Though she might just be taking a nap because she felt like it."

Rias nods. "Alright, I'll leave it to you. I'll see you later for the massage then."

I nod, and Rias leaves, leaving just me and Koneko in the room. Wilhelm is still back at my new mansion, getting things prepared there. I had to purchase a cell phone for him to use and explain how to use it, but he's smart and he picked it up pretty quickly.

Kuroka's words earlier are still present in my mind, and they make me wonder if maybe Koneko is ready to take another step forward. So, after confirming that no one's nearby with [Void Detect], I don't wake up Koneko. Instead, I shift into a more comfortable position and start using my lewd skills.

I go ahead and use [Erotic Dreams], unsure if it'll work on a nap. I don't detect any immediate difference, and even after a few moments nothing changes, but I don't know if that means anything. I then use [Erotic Pierrot] to very slowly increase her arousal as I pat her on the head, focusing on the base of her soft ears.

I patiently do this for several minutes, slowly increasing her arousal. She starts fidgeting in my lap, still asleep, but moving. And her movement set off a reaction of my own, my pants stiffening as her rear grinds against my dick. I ignore that though and just keep petting her.

Eventually, she stirs more, and she stretches as she wakes up, her back arching and her arms thrust upwards. She looks around, confused. "Everyone else left?"

"A few minutes ago," I said as I continue to pet her. "We finished up the strategy meeting and they've started their training."

"Mmm," she replies, leaning back against me, clearly having no intention of getting up soon. As she shifts though, she pauses. She rotates her hips a little, and it's clear that she just now noticed the thing poking into her from below. "Pervert," she chides me. But she doesn't move.

I stop petting her and instead wrap my arms around her. "I am, a bit," I admit. "Do you hate that part of me?"

She doesn't respond immediately, and I can see her cheeks blush slightly. She shakes her head. "It's okay. You're...private, about it. Don't bother others."

"I try not to," I agree. "Though when a girl as cute as you fidgets around on my lap, this happens. I can't really control that."

Her cheeks redden some more. "I did this?" she asks, her voice quieter, and she fidgets some more.

"You did," I confirm. "I hope you don't mind. I like it when you sit on my lap, and I wouldn't want to drive you away."

She shakes her head again. "It's fine." She's quiet for a moment, but then suddenly she shifts in my lap, forcing me to spread my arms as she turns around to straddle my lap instead of sitting with her back to me. I look down at her, still dressed in her workout gear of a simple t-shirt and compression shorts, face slightly red and tail swishing.

"Do perverted things make you happy?" she asks nervously.

"They do," I answer. "And they make my girls happy too."

"...do you want to do those things with me too?" she asks after a moment. I can feel the nervousness, determination, and arousal all battling inside of her.

I smile at her. "Very much, but only if you want to."

+9 Affection with Koneko Toujou

In place of a reply, she simply leans towards me, wraps her arms around my neck, and brings her lips to mine. My hands go to her waist as I kiss her. Her small and soft lips press against mine in a deep kiss and she presses herself against my chest.

After a few heartbeats, she pulls back, breaking contact. "I do. A little."

"Whatever you want to do, we can," I say. "I'm not in a rush, just do what feels right to you."

She nods and then kisses me again, this time her mouth is open and her tongue slips into my mouth. I don't hesitate to pull her closer to me, my erection pressing up against her crotch, and meet her tongue with my own. I feel her hands reach up into my hair, her fingers getting tangled, and every time our lips break contact momentarily so we can take a breath, she lets out this adorable little noise. It's like a cross between a meow and a moan, and it makes me want her more.

But as nice as things are progressing, that isn't in the cards for tonight. She eventually pulls back more, breathing slightly heavily, her face flushed. I can tell her arousal is higher than ever, but there's nervousness there too. A lot of it.

"Why don't we stop there for right now?" I suggest. "Like I said, there's no rush. We can pick back up again at any time."

She looks unsure, her desire and nervousness fighting against each other, but eventually, she nods, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"The others are still doing their strength training, if you want to join them and take your mind off of things," I suggest. "These feelings can be a bit overwhelming if you're not used to them."

She nods gratefully and climbs off of my lap. She starts to leave, hesitates, then gives me a kiss on the cheek before she runs off and out of the lodge.

As much as I would have liked to keep playing with Koneko, I do have some work to get done. With a sigh, I use [Dungeon Traversal] to enter the normal Forest dungeon.

Just like I hoped, I find a new face waiting for me in the safe room, though the shape it comes in does catch me off guard. Instead of a person, I spot a tall mushroom with a face reminiscent of an old woman. If the Zombie dungeon had the Merchant from Resident Evil 4, then this is probably another video game merchant. With that train of thought, it only takes me a moment to place her as Elizabeth from the Dark Souls DLC. [Observe] confirms it.

<------>

Elizabeth

Race: Dungeon Vendor

???

<------>

"Greetings traveler," she says as I approach her. "Was it you who slew the terrible Guardian of this place and freed us? You have our deepest gratitude."

"It was no problem at all," I reply, mentally mashing the A button in my head in an attempt to skip past the dialogue.

"As a sign of my gratitude, I'd like to offer you my services," she continues. "I have many things for sale, and I'll offer a fair price for goods of your own."

Oh good, she's not too talkative. "I would appreciate that," I say, and the Vendor window appears in front of me.

Unlike the Mailman's shop, I can sell pretty much anything in my inventory to her for Hunie. So I take the chance to dump all of my useless dungeon drops and other items I'll never use. Though some of the more esoteric items, like the Deck of Many Things, I can't sell to her. In fact, anything I got from the Gacha isn't sellable. Annoying, but understandable.

Still, I clean up my inventory and then open the buy menu. Just like I had hoped, since this dungeon is a tier above the Zombie dungeon, I can buy both Minor and Moderate Catalysts, and I can buy more of the Minor ones than I can from the other dungeon. I don't have enough Hunie for it though, so I sell more ingredients and less useful items until I do.

I exit the dungeon with a less cluttered inventory, 500 Minor Catalysts, and 300 Moderate Catalysts. I don't hesitate to merge those into higher-tier catalysts, winding up with 52 more Ultimate Catalysts, which brings my total up to 68. One short of what I needed to make what I have planned for Rias and her Peerage, and many short once I add my own equipment

I glance at the time. I only have about an hour and a half before they finish up their strength training, I can grind some more enchanting catalysts in that time. With a sigh, I enter the Hardmode Forest dungeon. I can do the fastest farming here.

[Void Beam] slices through the air as I speed into the forest. So little time, and so much to do. It's a good thing I don't need sleep.

-x-

Of all the girls I regularly make out with, none of them enjoy it as much as Asia seems to. Though right now, it's hard to tell how much of her enjoyment is from the kissing and how much is from the rest of it.

She currently is supported only by her bare back against the wall and my hands on her ass, holding her up. Her legs are wrapped around my back, keeping me close enough that I can only pull back a few inches before I thrust back into her. Her arms are wrapped around my neck, more holding herself close to me rather than supporting herself.

She moans into my mouth every time I thrust into her tight passage. Even after having sex a few times, I still can't fit all the way into her, and I probably never will, but that's fine. Her tightness is incredible, and her lips are sweet, and her skin feels so good under my hands.

Our lips break. "Axton!" she cries out. "I'm almost there!"

In response I speed up my thrusts, pushing deep into her, the head of my dick kissing the entrance to her womb as I pound her into the wall. She lets out a cry and cums, convulsing around me.

"Oh God!" she cries out as she climaxes. "God it feels so good!"

It only takes a few more thrusts for me to cum as well, and grunt as I thrust deep into her, depositing every drop of my semen straight into her womb.

We both pause a moment, resting as we come down from our climaxes. Though we don't change positions, and I remain hard, still deep inside of her.

"I think that feels better each time we do it," she says, face flushed but smiling.

"That's you getting more used to it," I reply. "And us trying new positions."

She nods. "We'll have to keep practicing then," she says eagerly, and I laugh.

"As much as you like," I agree. "I'm not sure if we'll have more or less free time after today though. Now that training is done, we'll be going back to school soon."

She perks up at that. "Oh, I can't wait! That will be Tuesday, right?"

"So long as something doesn't happen during the Rating Game that delays things," I say. I pause. "I hate to cut this short, but Akeno is on her way now. We should probably get cleaned up."

She nods. "Okay." I give her one last kiss before I step back. We carefully untangle from each other, and we both shudder as I pull out of Asia. By the time Akeno arrives, both of us are dressed again and Asia is walking out of the door, waving goodbye.

Akeno walks in just a few seconds after she leaves. [Empathy] is picking up a lot of activity from her, more than normal. Arousal, determination, and nervousness all at once. She closes the door behind her and drops her towel, exposing herself. Like always, I take a moment to appreciate the sight of her nude body.

"No massage today," she says, tone authoritative. "There's something I want to do today. Lay down on the table, face up."

This promises to be interesting. "Sure thing," I agree easily. I stash my clothes in my inventory and lay down. My dick is still hard from my fun with Asia, and it stands at attention now. Akeno climbs onto the table over me, starting from my feet and dragging herself along my penis as she pulls herself level with me.

She lowers herself on me, and I feel every hot inch of where our skin touches, from her boobs that are pressing into my chest, to her flat and toned belly pressing into my own, and the way my erection rests on her already wet pussy. She moves her lower body slightly, stimulating both of us.

"You know, I had a dream last night," she starts, voice husky.

"Was it the fun kind of dream?" I ask like I don't already know.

"It was," she confirms. "In fact, I've been having those kinds of dreams during the entire training camp. Which is entirely your fault by the way. All of those massages and fun we have right before bed is corrupting me."

"You're welcome," I say with a grin, and she chuckles.

"The dream I had last night was a little different though," she continues. "Before they were pretty much just us doing the same things we did in here, maybe a little different here and there. But last night, the dream went a little further."

"How much further?" I ask, curious.

"You didn't stop at just teasing in my dream," she replies. Her movements are getting more pronounced, and her arousal is increasing. "In my dream, we didn't just grind like this. You shoved your dick in me and filled me up."

"And what do you think of that, outside of the dream?" I ask.

"I think," she says as she sits up, lifting herself off of me but offering me an excellent view of her body. "I think I don't want it to be just a dream," she finishes. Then, with a quick movement, she grabs hold of my dick, lifts up her hips, lines herself up, and then drops down on my dick, taking in the entirety of my dick in a single motion.

She lets out a loud cry, a mix of pain and pleasure. Even for a Devil, it's a lot to take in with such little preparation. But I'm too distracted by the sensation to think much on it. Akeno's insides are warm and inviting, and I can feel every clench and twitch of her walls around me. A groan escapes my lips, barely audible to even my own ears.

"Fuck, Akeno," I say, voice tight from the sudden pleasure.

She's breathing hard, chest heaving. "That is...my intention…" she says between breaths. She takes a deep breath and then lifts herself a few inches up before dropping down again. She lets out another noise of pleasure, and I enjoy the way her tits bounce with the movement.

"How does the real thing feel, compared to your dream?" I ask her.

"It's so much more," she replies, slowly repeating her movement. "The dream can't compare to this intensity."

Good to know. I would be annoyed if [Erotic Dream] was just as good as having sex with me. So long as it gets them interested, then that's enough. As she lowers herself again, I thrust upwards to meet her. Her moan is decidedly higher pitched this time, and she looks at me in surprise.

"You'll need to move faster than that if you want to really feel what it's like," I say.

Her expression grows determined, and she starts speeding up. Before, each bounce was slow and deliberate, but now she's starting to find a rhythm as her pace increases. Her massive tits bouncing in front of my eyes are too alluring to pass up, and my hands reach up to start groping them. She moans even louder in response, and her insides writhe as she cums.

The sensation pushes me over the edge, and I cum as well, painting her walls white. She flops down on top of me again, sweaty and breathing hard, but a strong feeling of arousal and joy coming from her.

<+9 Affection with Akeno Himejima>

"We finally did it," I say after a moment. "That was a lot of foreplay that led to this moment. But I guess it just made it all the more satisfying."

"Why are you talking in the past tense?" she asks as she raises herself up enough to look at me. "After all this, you think just one round is enough?" My dick twitches in response, and she smiles widely and starts moving again.

She wrings two more creampies out of me and three more orgasms for herself before I sense Koneko approaching and she agrees to stop for the night. She leaves me laying on the table, out of breath and still erect, covered in her sweat and juices, as she strolls out the door naked.

I only have a moment to catch my breath, use [Clean Body] on myself, and then get dressed before Koneko arrives. Her face instantly goes red and her arousal spikes as she enters the room and smells the room. Considering the fact that Rias and Kiba are the only two people I've massaged and not had sex with, the smell of sex is strong enough for it to be heavy even with my sense of smell.

"Pervert," she says, but there's no bite to it, and she instantly starts stripping, not waiting for me to turn around.

I smile in response. "Guilty as charged," I agree. Considering her actions, I don't look away from her as she strips. She blushes even deeper but doesn't stop, stripping all of her clothes, even stepping out of her panties and putting them on the pile. I smile wider. "Go ahead and lay down and we'll get started."

She nods and lays down, and I do as I said I would and start massaging her. Of course, I use [Touch of Pleasure] and [Increase Sensitivity], but otherwise I stick to the actual massage. Her muscles are sorer than anyone else's besides Kiba and maybe Atsuko, the three of them being the melee-focused ones.

"Is this the last one?" she asks.

"The last massage?" I ask. "It's the last one tonight if that's what you're asking." She shakes her head. "Then the last one I'll give you?" She nods. "It's the last one in this room probably, but I'll give you a massage whenever you want one," I say. "I enjoy it almost as much as you do."

I can feel a surge of relief come from her, but the conversation dies there. After a few more moments, I decide that this is the best time to bring something up I've been waiting to ask for a while now. Or rather, it's my last chance if I want to do it in time for what I have planned.

"Koneko," I start. "I actually have a favor to ask. A sort of weird one actually." She moves her head slightly so she can look at me out of the corner of her eye, a questioning look on her face. "Can I have a sample of your fur?"

She pauses, and [Empathy] picks up a jumble of emotions, and I'd be worried if they weren't so muted. As it is, it seems she's mostly just confused. "Why?" she asks.

"Senjutsu," I answer simply. "I think I can use a potion made with a bit of your fur to help me learn how to use it." If I could replace my dependence on [Void Blood] with Touki, and increase my stats without locking off my Void skills, it would be a massive boost to my combat power. I'm not suited for spell-slinging, but the Void skills I have complement my fast-paced fighting style extremely well. Half of them are more utility or movement-based anyways. Not to mention all the other Senjutsu techniques that it would unlock. I can possibly skip over the Ninja class, which I've had my eye on, by just unlocking Senjutsu this way and learning those techniques.

That same jumble of emotions, but a bit less chaotic this time. "How?"

Hmm. I think I can trust her with a more detailed explanation. Her Affection is above 90, and Koneko is a quiet girl who won't go spreading my plans in the short time left before I implement them.

"By becoming part Nekoshou," I reply, and she tenses slightly. "Not fully. Probably it'll be less than a quarter, but I'm very willing to bet that that'll be enough." I continue massaging her, moving down to her legs. "I know this might be a lot to ask you, considering everything about your past, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

She doesn't respond for a good while, and I can feel her emotions shifting as she thinks about things. I finish her massage, and she sits up to face me.

"Okay," she replies. "But I want something."

"Anything within my power, I'd do, even if you were just asking and not offering your fur," I agree.

"I want cookies," she starts. "And more baking lessons."

"Done and done," I reply. "I have plans tomorrow, but I just got a new place and I'm told the kitchen is very nice. We can make a whole bunch of cookies soon."

She nods. "One more thing," she says, blushing. "I want a special massage." She reaches up and lays her hands on her small breasts. "Here," she specifies.

I smile and lean down to kiss her on the lips. "I'd be happy to do that."

She relaxes a lot as I kiss her, and I can feel her anxiety leave her as I pull back. She looks up at me. "Knife?"

I hand over my Hestia Knife, and she moves her tail to her lap. I try not to get distracted by her bare legs and where they meet. This is important. "How much?" she asks.

"Just a pinch will be enough," I say. "A handful of short strands." She nods, and carefully uses the knife to cut off a few of the hairs from the tip of her tail. I pull a vial out of my inventory and hold it out for her to drop them in, and I take back the knife from her. Both go back into my inventory.

I lean down and kiss her again, this time slipping a bit of tongue into her mouth. Her hands press against my chest, clutching at my shirt. After a moment, I pull back, and a thin strand of saliva connects our mouths for an instant before it breaks. "Thank you," I tell her. "I promise you won't regret it."

She nods, fully believing me. "Now, turn around," I say. "This sort of massage is best done from behind." she blushes but does as I say.

I increase the effects of both [Touch of Pleasure] and [Increase Sensitivity] as I reach around her and place my hands on her chest. My hands are still covered in a small amount of massage oil, and I make my first goal to rub in as much of that into her tits as I can.

Her back arches, pushing into my chest, and she lets out a small noise of pleasure. I take my time, rubbing every inch of the soft and inviting flesh of her tits. I run my fingers in a circle, tracing the edge of her areola, and she shivers.

"I'm sorry," she says. "They're small."

I lean down and kiss the back of her neck. "Don't apologize for that," I tell her as I cup her breasts, holding the entirety of them in their hand. "Whatever their size, I love them. Besides, I've heard small breasts are more sensitive." I increase the effects of the erotic skills as I say that and then I run my fingers up her tits, catching her erect nipples.

She lets out an adorable moan of pleasure. She turns to face me, face red and eyes hungry, and I kiss her. We make out deeper than we have before while I continue to play with her breasts, splitting my time between massaging the sensitive skin and lightly tweaking her nipples.

Her hands reach up and cling to my arms, nails digging into my skin, but not drawing blood. She's squirming now, and her tail is swishing frantically between us. My own erection throbs, and it's all I can do to not take things further.

I'm only vaguely aware of it when one of her hands drops from my arm and down to her lap, but I definitely notice when her arousal spikes and she moans into my mouth as she starts touching herself, her legs spread slightly.

It only takes a few seconds for her lips to part from mine so she can moan loudly as she cums. Her body twitches under my hands and her wail fills the room as her climax washes over her. As her orgasm finishes, she slumps backward leaning on me and breathing heavily.

"I think I'm a pervert too," she admits as she catches her breath.

I kiss her on top of her head, between her cat ears. "And that's perfectly okay," I assure her. I check her with [Lewd Scouter].

<------>

Koneko Toujou

Arousal: Moderate

Perversion: Moderate

Affection: 92

Orientation: Straight

Fetishes: Voyeurism, Smell, Breast play

<------>

She's gained a few new fetishes I see. And her perversion has gone up.

"Axton," she says, turning around again. "I love you."

I smile at her. "I love you too Koneko." She smiles back and hugs me. Asia, Akeno, and Koneko. Those are the girls I managed to seduce during this trip. Rias is close as well, and Atsuko and Aika were already mine. Yeah, this training camp was totally worth it.

-x-

Late at night and in my bedroom, I look down at my Omni-Ring, now filled with the Ultimate tier of nearly every enchantment I could put in it. Which is a lot.

My HP, MP, and SP now regenerate at an actually insane rate. Each of my stats are increased by a flat 100. I can see through illusions, my damage is increased when my health is low, I can tell when someone is lying, I get mana back equal to the amount of damage done to me, I receive fifty percent less damage, I receive even less Light, Dark, and Fire damage, I can't lose the ring, the ring repairs itself, I can now see even in pitch black conditions, and I can fly. That last one is especially exciting, and it's crucial for the upcoming fight.

Though I did discover that items in the Omni-Ring don't stack. And in fact, I can't stack enchantments at all. I can't place two of the same one on one item, and wearing two items with the same enchantment only applies the stronger one, or else my LUK would be boosted by 110, instead of 100.

I take a look at my stats, and the perk I got earlier for reaching 1000 STR.

<------>

Axton

Level: 287

Class: Hollow Knight(87/100)[4%]

HP: 12,660 (464 per second)

MP: 51,760 (2,933 per second)

SP: 33,120 (1,546 per second)

CON: 633(733)

STR: 1004(1104)

DEX: 1199(1299)

INT: 1294(1394)

WIS: 1175(1275)

CHA: 469(569)

LUK: 571(671)

<------>

<[Heart Engine] - Increases maximum Stamina and Stamina Regen>

Not quite as useful after the enchantments I just added, but I'll take it. Seeing my level reminds me that I never investigated the trait I got at level 75 of the Hollow Knight class.

<[Pure Soul] - You can shape and control your soul directly>

The Hollow Knight class is definitely weird. Nothing but traits. First, it was the ability to empower my skills with Soul. Which is useful, but not something I've used much. I don't like how tiring it is, and it makes me nervous. Even with the second trait that recovers my Soul when I attack enemies, I'm still hesitant to experiment with it.

The third trait is even weirder, but also makes the most sense. Complete protection from mind control and possession, geared towards protecting from Divine beings. Considering the being that this class is based on, it only makes sense.

The Hollow Knight was born amidst thousands of siblings from the joining of two Pale beings. While their exact power is unclear, these Pale beings were likely at least semi-divine. However, their children were corrupted by Void while they were still in their egg, resulting not in a Pale child, but something that is both Pale and Void.

The Hollow Knight was chosen from all of them as a Pure Vessel, and his purpose was to contain another divine being, the Radiance. The Radiance sought to control the minds and bodies of everyone, infecting them with her light. The Hollow Knight was created to contain that.

No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry out in suffering. Those are the words spoken by the father of the Hollow Knight, the Pale King. The Radiance could be contained by a being made of Void. A mind where it could be trapped, and where the host was immune to its power.

That was the idea at least. It ended up not working out like that, but whether the idea was flawed from the start or if the Hollow Knight himself wasn't suited for the task, or something else ruined things, isn't clear.

Still, with that in mind, it's only obvious that protection from divine control and possession comes with the class. The rest of the traits don't make much sense though, not at first. But they're all focused on Soul, and using Soul, the magic system of the Hollow Knight game.

Not only is Soul something that the player character, the Ghost, used, but so did the titular boss, the Hollow Knight, though you only see it properly when you fight the version of him not infected by the Radiance in the DLC.

So I guess rather than giving me the specific skills and abilities you get from the game, the class is giving me the broad abilities of the Vessels.

That does make me wonder what the last trait will be though. With Pure Soul, I can theoretically recreate any of the Soul Spells shown in the game, and whatever else my imagination can come up with, though with a hefty Soul cost. What could be last?

And what even is Soul anyways? It took me a lot of meditation to even find my own Soul, but it's still strange to me that it's not something that the Game keeps track of. I don't have a Soul Points bar below my MP, and I get no feedback on my status when I use up my Soul. But it has an unquestionable effect on my skills.

"Uhh, Axton?" I hear Kyu say, pulling me from my thoughts. Kyu and Yua are with me in my room tonight, also preparing for what I'm about to do. I look at Kyu with my head tilted, and she just points at the door.

I turn and see myself there, leaning against the closed door, grinning, and with eyes filled with swirling Void.

"The Man in the Wall," I greet him casually. "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again."

"Because of the shiny new defenses around your soul?" he asks. "I'm not nearly so easy to get rid of."

"Wait, is this the bozo that was messing with the Game?" Kyu asks. "God, he is creepy." Yua is silent and watching. I can feel her confusion and nervousness through our bond.

"Did you hear that Champ?" The Man in the Wall says, looking at me. "She called us a bozo."

I frown. "Not sure why you're trying to imply we're the same person when we definitely aren't."

"Ah, but aren't we almost?" he asks with a grin. "After all, you've used my power, and some of me is part of you."

"Not enough for you to call us the same person," I shoot back. "Even if you like to take on my appearance and you've dug around inside my head."

He shrugs. "You can see things however you like, but actions matter. Like the one that you're about to take." I tense, and he laughs. "Did you think your thoughts were hidden now that your soul is better protected? I'm afraid the link between us is too deep for that. While it's true, I can't interfere with you directly anymore, but you can't hide from me either, not so long as you're connected to the Void."

"What do you want?" I snap at him.

"Oh, nothing much," he replies. "I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not your enemy. In fact, you could even consider me an ally of sorts. I just wanted to wish you good luck, and to let you know that I hope you succeed in your endeavors."

"That'd mean a lot more if your smile wasn't so creepy," I reply. "But message received, thanks a lot, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

The Man in the Wall chuckles. "Very well. I'll see you again soon, Champ." With a blink, he vanishes.

"Papa, who was that?" Yua asks.

"A voyeur with too much time on his hands and no people skills," I reply. "Don't worry about him. He's a creep, but he probably won't do anything. Though I'm surprised he appeared here, outside of the dungeon and in view of other people."

"When you said he was creepy, that is not what I was expecting," Kyu complains. "Like holy shit, that dude sent shivers down my spine with every word." She sighs. "You were right about it being impossible to tell if he's on your side or not. He says he is, but the way he talks throws everything he says into doubt."

"Which is why I've been trying to pretend he doesn't exist," I say. "I'm glad he can't mess with my soul or the Game anymore, but the fact that he can still read my mind is...unsettling."

Kyu shakes her head. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure what we can do to prevent that. Other than doing what he said and cut off your connection to the Void. But that would have some serious consequences. Like, crippled soul consequences."

"And therefore not an option," I say with a shake of my head. "Not unless the situation with him gets really bad. My connection to the Void is far too useful."

She sighs. "Yeah. You're probably right. It's best to ignore it and hope it doesn't come to bite us in the ass later." She looks at me. "You had just finished getting ready before he showed up though, right?"

"One moment, I have some Gacha tokens I haven't used yet," I say, turning back to my inventory.

<Ring of Life>

<When the wearer's health falls below 5%, teleports them to a predetermined safe location>

<Covetous Gold Serpent Ring>

<Increases chances for all loot drops>

<Neutralizer>

<Negates all resistances and weaknesses of the holder.>

<Ovengut Tonic Water>

<Permanently increases CON by 50>

<Portable Cooking Pot>

<A medium-sized pot with a cover that can be used to cook non-living things. It does not require a fire but instead will keep itself at the perfect temperature for cooking whatever is inside it.>

Damn, nothing amazing. I was hoping for something good to help with what I was about to do, but oh well. They're still nice. I learn the enchantments for the first three and leave the other two for later. The Ovengut Tonic Water I'll give to Atsuko, and the cooking pot will probably be used in the future.

"Alright, now I'm ready," I say. I turn to face Kyu and smile at her. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time to get some rest, and then we'll have that date tomorrow."

She glares at me. "You fucking better. I'm tired of waiting. And I swear to god, if you die, I'll find some fucking necromancer or something and force them to revive you and punish you in all sorts of ways. I'm not going to have my date ruined by you dying, understood?"

"I love you too," I reply easily. She crosses her arms and looks away. I turn to Yua instead. "Come on Yua, let's go."

"Yay, it's time for a hunt with Papa!" she yells. She climbs up to the shoulder, standing on it on two feet now, dressed in her newly enchanted armor. I might be taking her with me, but I'm making sure she's prepared as well.

I turn to Kyu one last time. "I'll see you in just a bit."

She sighs. "Good luck. Have fun dragon hunting."

I grin and pull out an item from my inventory.

<Right to Challenge(Ender Dragon)>

<When used, teleports you to a Boss Arena with just you and the named boss. Can only be exited when the boss is defeated. Bosses grant special loot.>

The item itself looks like a thick piece of paper. At the top it says "Ender Dragon" in bold font, and below it is a picture of the Ender Dragon. At the bottom is a seal. I place my thumb on the seal, the entire paper goes up in a purple fire.

In less than the blink of an eye, the room around me is replaced by a chaotic nothing. Below my feet is a square platform made of reflective black stone, and maybe fifty feet in front of me is a floating island made of a strange yellow stone. The island is massive and populated by black towers and humanoid figures. I avert my eyes quickly, not looking at them directly.

Something made easy by an ear-shattering roar that rings out, drawing my attention upward. There I see a massive black dragon soaring above the island, wings beating heavily. I steel myself and then use [Observe] on it.

<------>

Ender Dragon

Level: 1,524

HP: 539,000

MP: 311,500

SP: 888,500

CON: 2,156

STR: 3,554

DEX: 1,578

INT: 1,246

WIS: 1,108

CHA: 899

LUK: 201

<------>

The Ender Dragon roars again, tilting its wings as it changes direction, heading straight for us.