The Cursed, Ch04: Awakening

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Marethyu, Beans, Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers, the Cursed

Chapter 04: Awakening

 – Rias Gremory –

As they reached the occult research clubhouse, she sat down in the armchair with a groan. It had been an excellent training session with Sona's Peerage, but she was glad it was over.

Samuel's time bubbles meant that they had so much more time than she'd initially thought, which was going to be a massive boost to their chances. Riser's information would be laughably out of date, even if he learnt about Samuel and his ever-growing powers.

They were going to win.

"Great work today, Samuel," Rias praised, giving him a beaming but tired smile which he returned. "You're going to be in such high demand when word about your time bubbles gets out; I can think of so many people who'd give their right arm for one."

"It is certainly a good idea. I'm still trying to work out how I want to approach being a devil, but having more contracts is never going to be a bad thing," Samuel said with a slight smile on his face. "You did equally well today, Lady Rias. I did fear you would slack off, as your mother has made it clear that you can be quite slothful at times."

Maou damnit, what was her mom telling him?! I mean, her mother wasn't wrong, but why was she being slandered to her new Bishop? She pouted, seeing him give her a tiny, teasing grin. In truth, she was pleased he was already getting comfortable teasing her like this.

"I couldn't slack off when the rest of you were working so hard, and it's just Rias," Rias replied, making him smile. "Still, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Koneko is a beast when you are buffing her."

"She is certainly enjoying Call of the Wild, or maybe it was just the promise of me making her some brownies if she did well?" Samuel wondered, rubbing his chin as he moved behind her chair. She looked up at him curiously, eyes widening as his hands came to her shoulders. "Forgive me for the impertinence, but you look like you could do with relieving some tension."

As he spoke, he started to gently massage her shoulders over her top, getting a surprised moan of pleasure as his skilful hands worked out the knots that had developed, kneading her body.

"Oh wow, is this another power you have?" Rias asked, making him chuckle.

"No, I took a course as a masseuse years ago; it was a surprise for my girlfriend at the time," Samuel explained, making her hum in satisfaction. Leaning back, she closed her eyes in relief as Samuel gently massaged her. 

"Lewd," a deadpan voice said, making her eyes snap open. In the doorway, Koneko was watching them with a blank expression, a bag of crisps in her hand as she slowly munched on them.

"There's nothing lewd about a shoulder massage," Rias defended, giving her Rook an annoyed look at the interruption.

"I think she was talking about the way you were moaning," Akeno added from behind Koneko with a massive grin on her face. "So our magic man has magic hands? I don't suppose you're willing to give me a back massage, sensei? It gets strained carrying these babies around all day," Akeno said with a lewd smile, grabbing her massive breasts with both hands and shaking them slightly as Samuel's gaze remained fixed on her face.

"If you are capable of behaving professionally, I'd be happy to do so," Samuel said, not rising to her teasing. So, never, then? 

Koneko paused, looking up at Akeno, who was still pushing her chest forward to show off her breasts, before frowning. Swiping her hand through the air, she made Akeno yelp in surprise as Koneko phantom-slapped her breast.

"Cow," Koneko said simply, turning and walking away as Akeno rubbed her breast with a mixture of surprise and pleasure. 

"Now that's not fair; just because you're flat doesn't mean-" Akeno started, yelping as she was struck again. "Oi, stop that. Sensei didn't give you that to attack us, you little-" 

Watching her queen chase after Koneko, Rias giggled slightly as Samuel continued his tender massage. A back massage did sound nice, and if she didn't think it would make Samuel uncomfortable, she'd take off her top and bra to be able to feel this better, but she restrained herself, for the time being. Not everyone was as comfortable with nudity as her.

Far too soon, he stopped, making her pout slightly, although it quickly changed to a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Samuel, I needed that. Though I fear you've lined yourself up for quite a bit of trouble with Akeno," Rias joked, making him chuckle.

"I believe I can handle Miss Himejima. Now, I promised a certain girl some brownies, and I always keep my word," Samuel replied with a small smile before he gave her a slight, almost mocking bow and turned to leave in the direction that Akeno and Koneko had gone in. 

He definitely knew that she didn't like him being so respectful, but she had a feeling he was enjoying poking fun at her position as his 'king'. If it meant he was more comfortable here, she'd take some light teasing. She lived with Akeno, after all; she had taken far worse.

– Samuel Morgan –

I am fully aware that Rias doesn't like formality, but that's the point. She has virtually total control over me; she could order me to stop at any moment. Instead, she just takes it all with only some cute pouting.

Showing Koneko how to bake, I plan out my coming days in my head as I make her the chocolate brownies I used to bribe her into taking training more seriously. It's Friday night, and I start my first day as a teacher on Monday. Two days to go, and I dislike wasted time. 

With some liberal application of my time bubbles, giving me some additional practice with using them in a non-combat environment, it isn't long before Koneko is sitting at the table with her plate of brownies. It takes some additional bribes to make sure she is willing to share some of her gooey treats with the others, but Koneko is a straightforward girl. 

Out of all the Peerage, I do believe that she is the least problematic to deal with. 

Patting her head, she gives me a tiny smile as she pushes her head against my hand, her ears popping out of her hair. I gently scratch one of them, reminding me of the cat I had growing up as she purrs lightly. 

Feat Achieved: Gain Koneko's Trust (One Roll Granted)

Result: Junk Astral Plane, 1 Pity Point Granted

[Terrain: Grasslands] - Junk

A vast grassland containing some mundane animals that are native to the environment.

My eyes open slightly, blinking in confusion. A junk roll just granted me a massive grassland in a pocket dimension? How strange. Oddly enough, it also offers an opportunity.

If I want to flee Rias, I have to stay uncaptured for an entire year. This Astral Plane could provide me with that hiding place if I'm willing to spend an entire year within it with no one but some deer and rabbits as my company.

If I thought Rias was trying to trick me into thinking she was kind, I would consider that, but I'm starting to believe Rias really is what she appears on the surface. I have to remind myself that she is a teenager, even if she is a devil.

The members of her Peerage don't feel like supernatural beings; they just feel like teens. Kiba feels more mature than the rest, but he's still just a teenage boy. I caught him mentally stalling because Sona's queen seemed to be trying to flirt with him awkwardly.

Seeing a pair of 'devils' stutter and fail at flirting made me realise just how human they could be, even if they are both reincarnated. Sona seems far more mature than any of the others, but she still reminds me of a nerdy teenage girl trying to act like an adult and only sometimes succeeding.

Calling it for the night, I head to my room and pull out the Tome of Roots. With [Wisdom of the Archmage], I should capitalise on my magic, especially since Koneko is classed as an allied beast.

The Tome itself is undeniably fascinating. I can't say I ever saw myself becoming a Druid, but I have always loved the outdoors, and the explanations of nature magic have me enraptured as I read page after page.

It isn't long until I find my next spell, a rather odd one at that.

[Racial Transformation (Minor): Animal Kinship]

Perform a ritual to grant minor animalistic traits, enhancing the target and allowing them to be affected by Beast spells.

Curious. Racial Transformation is a somewhat intimidating prospect, but being able to enhance myself alongside Koneko is a useful tool. My [Wisdom of the Archmage] assures me that it is safe and that I can undo the transformation if I so desire, making me nod as I make my decision.

Sending a message, it isn't long until a knock on my door gets my attention, and I call for them to enter. I have to admit, my attention is briefly distracted as Rias enters the room. Having gotten changed for bed, Rias is dressed in just a pair of shorts that don't even reach her mid-thigh, and a tank top. Her lack of a bra is apparent, and her long, pale legs are on full display as the shorts tightly cling to her curvy hips. She clearly notices my lapse in concentration but she just gives me a soft smile.

"Ah, I'm sorry if I interrupted your sleep, Lady Rias," I say, making her shake her head.

"It's fine, Samuel; I was just scrolling the Devilnet anyway," Rias says smoothly. "You said you wanted help with something?"

"I have learnt a new spell, a ritualistic transformation that should allow me to be targeted by my own beast spells, but I have to admit that I am reluctant to perform it without someone else well-practised in the magical arts watching," I explain, making her brows furrow in thought. "I am almost entirely sure that it would succeed, but I don't want to risk anything on an 'almost'."

"I agree, that's definitely wise. In truth, I don't think I'm the best person to watch over you during it either. I'm decent with magic, but most of my skill lies in the Power of Destruction, not rituals, and this is beyond me," Rias admits after a moment, raising my opinion of her slightly as she admits her own lack of talent. "Leave it with me; I'll arrange for someone we can trust to be present during the ritual," Rias promises, giving me a soft smile. "Thank you for bringing this to me."

I just return her smile as she looks around the room.

"I see you've already started to settle in; we're probably going to take a shopping trip to the Underworld soon since you don't have many belongings. Maybe we can get you some decorations. This room is quite plain," Rias mumbles, rubbing her chin as she examines the bare walls.

I have to remind myself not to stare when she turns around, her shorts fighting for their life to keep her bubble butt contained, making me shuffle in place slightly to hide a growing tightness.

"That would be appreciated, but it is hardly a priority. I tend to keep my rooms fairly plain," I explain, making her smile.

"We have time, far more than I expected, thanks to you," Rias says with a pleased smile. "It'll be good to let you get a better idea of devil society beyond just your books, after all." 

Hmm, I can't say she's wrong. You can only learn so much from books and browsing the Devilnet. 

"True enough," I agree. "I would like to see more of the Underworld; I didn't have a chance to leave Lord Lucifer's manor before I was transferred to your Peerage and returned to the far more familiar human society. That was all I wished to discuss, and it really could have waited until tomorrow. You didn't have to come running."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm always happy to listen to any issues you guys have. Honestly, I wish the others would come to me more," Rias mumbles, a slight pout on her face. "It's my duty to make sure you're all taken care of and happy, so let me know if you need anything."

"I will, Lady Rias," I agree, making her pout only grow.

"Rias. Just Rias," Rias stresses. "You don't need to be so formal with me."

"I'll keep that in mind," I agree, pausing. "Lady Rias."

Her groan gives me a hint of pleasure, but I hide it well as she gives me a dirty look.

"Goodnight, Sammy," Rias fires back, making me briefly frown as she smirks triumphantly. Fair play. 

"Goodnight, Lady Rias," I retort, a momentary silence filling the room before she giggles and gives me a wave as she leaves my room.

Chuckling to myself, I go back to my reading, checking the time. I don't have to be up early tomorrow, so I can afford another chapter or three.

[Astral Improvement: Wildlife Sanctuary]

You can spawn in a Wildlife Sanctuary within your Astral Plane, a large stretch of land that will encourage the native animals to gather and breed, increasing their growth rates. It also allows the spawning of more dangerous animals than are usually found in whatever region it is placed in.

Hmm. I can use that, especially with my new grasslands. Checking that my door is locked, I slip into my Astral Plane and start preparing. I don't plan to tell Rias about it, even if I do think she can be trusted. It's my getaway plan, after all.

– Rias Gremory (Next Morning) –

The Great Satans were incredibly powerful beings, the heroes who had thrown down their predecessors and brought the devils into a more civilised time rather than their violent past. She, like so many others, looked up to these seemingly all-powerful beings, even when she grew up personally knowing all of them.

But by the Maous themselves, they could be so damn embarrassing sometimes.

"Please, you don't know how hard it is! The pile never goes down; I just want to spend more time with my son! You can help a poor, overworked father, right?!" Sirzechs pleaded, hugging the clearly dumbstruck Samuel's legs. "I don't wanna do paperwork, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!"

Grayfia facepalmed as she watched her husband make a fool out of himself, and Rias sighed deeply.

"Yeah! Being a Satan is way too much work; I just wanna work on my show!" Serafall begged, hugging Samuel's other leg. "I can pay; name your price; just give me the magic time bubble! All this paperwork is cutting into Sona cuddle times!"

"I am truly sorry about this, Mr Morgan," Sona sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I made the mistake of asking Serafall for help finalising the minutiae of the contract we discussed yesterday. I had foolishly hoped that my sister could act professionally for once in her life."

"I don't need to act professional, Sona-tan! I just need the anti-paperwork magic bubbles!" Serafall whined, rising from her position on her knees before she just jumped Samuel, his face dragged in between her breasts thanks to the magical girl outfit she was wearing. "Pleeeease, Sammy, do you have any idea how much paperwork comes with being in charge of all our foreign affairs?! I don't have free time anymore; it's not fair! Why is the only reward for all my hard work more work?!"

"It's called being a responsible leader," Sona scolded, trying to pull her sister away by her twin tails, making the strongest female devil yelp and pout as her eyes watered. 

Yeah, this was the Great Satans she knew. 

Grayfia moved forward, grabbing Sirzechs and yanking him back to his feet as he brushed himself off, acting like he hadn't just been embarrassing himself as he cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, the utility of your time bubbles is most impressive, and I'm sure you understand the benefit of having the Great Satans themselves as your first clients," Sirzechs said imperiously. "Please? Ajuka and Falbium want one as well; Ajuka could get a lot more done with twenty times the time, and Falbuim… huh, why does Falbium want one?"

"So he can sleep for twenty times as long," Serafall pointed out. "But yes, this is for the good of all devilkind! Hey, wanna join my peerage? I can make it worth your while~"

Rias' eyes widened, but Sirzechs spoke up as she started to panic.

"Oi, no poaching," Sirzechs warned, making Serafall shrug with a pout.

"Myuuu~ I had to try," Serafall said shamelessly.

"My apologies, Samuel. The temptation of 'wasting' less of their time doing paperwork was too great for them," Grayfia explained, rubbing her forehead as she gave the pair of overpowered idiots an annoyed look.

"It's perfectly fine, Lady Grayfia. I can only imagine how much work comes with their station," Samuel replied, making her smile at him slightly. "I planned to offer them eventually anyway; I see no issues with the Satans… cutting the queue somewhat. There has to be some benefits to their positions, after all."

"Exactly, we work so hard!" Serafall agreed, nodding rapidly. "So many meetings and reports; I spent all day yesterday just reading all the reports, and the pile was just as big when I was done! It's not fair; nobody told me I'd have to do so much work when we took down the old meanies."

"I bet the old Satans never had to deal with paperwork," Sirzechs grumbled. "But I disintegrate one pile of paperwork, and suddenly, I'm the bad guy."

Samuel blinked, and she could mentally see him reevaluating the pair of overpowered devils in front of him.

– Samuel Morgan –

The pair of incredibly powerful devils look at me with hope and desperation in their eyes, seeing me as their saviour from the one foe that can't be bested by sheer power alone. As a teacher, I understand entirely. I fully plan to abuse my time bubbles to handle grading, going over homework and dealing with lesson plans myself, and I only have a school to look after, not an entire civilisation.

I have access to one hundred bubbles at any one time; how often am I going to use that many anyway? Plus, I discovered something last night. Powers and Perks can be upgraded by accepting a quest.

I was going to go for Edict first, but it appears my Time Bubbles are going to be in extremely high demand. My research shows that a clan called the Agares have a similar power, but it requires mana to maintain and doesn't last indefinitely like my own bubbles. It's a constant drain to try and keep it up, whereas I simply set and forget. 

Upgrade Quest Accepted

[Temporal Tempo - Bubble Quantity]

Objective: Defeat ten enemies by trapping them within bubbles

Objective: Spend at least one hundred hours inside the bubbles

This single quest will increase my limit to five hundred bubbles, more than I can ever see myself personally needing. 

"I still owe you for restoring me to life, Lord Sirzechs; as such, I would be honoured to give you one of my bubbles indefinitely," I say, giving him a respectful nod. I may not be thrilled by my current position as Rias' servant, but I am happy to be alive. I chose to roll that curse; it is irresponsible and childish to blame anyone else. "In fact, I can quite easily spare four of my bubbles indefinitely without it particularly inconveniencing me, and would be happy to supply each of the Satans a bubble at a location of their choosing."

Serafall lets out a cheer, breaking free from her sister to dive me once again as she pulls me into a hug, pushing my head into her cleavage. 

"Aww, you're such a good boy, Sammy," Serafall praises. I do not respond, as any words would be muffled by the unwilling motorboating I'm currently performing from her excited movements. "Don't worry, we'll make it an official contract. It'll look great on your record; not many can say they contracted with each of the Satans, certainly not so early!"

What will soon be less than 1% of my Temporal Tempo's usage going towards making me valuable to the leaders of Devil Society is more than a fair trade; my record looking better and helping me become a high-class devil faster is an additional bonus that I'm happy to accept.

"Milly is going to be happy to know I'll be able to be home more," Sirzechs says happily. Milly? That would be Millicas, the son of Sirzechs and Grayfia. I've heard of him, but didn't have the pleasure of meeting him while I was at their estate. I am reasonably sure that Grayfia sent him to stay with his grandparents while I got settled in, just in case I proved dangerous. I respect the decision to make sure her son wasn't near me until they were sure I wasn't unhinged or holding a grudge over my resurrection. "Though I do believe it would be better if we arranged for a regular payment for each bubble. We can hash out the finer details later, but it would be a little embarrassing if we ran afoul of my own anti-corruption and bribery laws," Sirzechs jokes, making me blink in surprise. Devil Society has those?

"Is me giving Sona two bubbles an issue?" I ask, making Serafall beam with a smile.

"Oh, no. She's not a government figure; that's fine," Serafall explains, which makes sense to me. "Though she could pay you back with a date, I know a great restaura-oof, why did you do that, you meanie!"

Sona glowered at her sister, a slight blush on her cheeks as she extracted her fist from Serafall's stomach. 

"Any remuneration will be discussed between me and Professor Morgan; you won't be needed for that discussion," Sona growls, giving her sister an annoyed look before she turns her glare to her Queen, who was giggling in the background.

"Myuuuu~ Sona-tan doesn't need me," Serafall whines. "Sona-tan doesn't love me anymore!"

Serafall starts to cry, making Sona flush in embarrassment as she tries to comfort her sister. As an adult myself, I can see the crocodile tears for what they are and respect Serafall's dedication to embarrassing her sister.

Grayfia is quietly scolded by an unrepentant Sirzechs. I get the feeling that she takes his position far more seriously than her husband does. The quote about great men and the women behind them comes to mind.

Feats Achieved: Gain a contract with the Satan Lucifer, Gain a contract with the Satan Leviathan, Gain a contract with the Satan Beelzebub, Gain a contract with the Satan Asmodeus. (Four Rolls Granted)

And then I get the reminder of just how important these two goofballs actually are. 

Rolling. Result: Epic Perk, Legendary Power, Epic Power, Common Astral.

Ah, an excellent set of rolls. Very appreciative to see that.

[Aura] - Epic Perk

You have a small energy field that is the manifestation of your very soul, both increasing your physical strength and protecting you from blows. Having Aura allows you to gain a Semblance, a unique power, and awaken Aura in others.

The energy field itself doesn't quite feel like it is 'epic' in terms of power, but the knowledge that enters my head of how to awaken the Aura of other people likely merits it. That's not even mentioning that I should develop a secondary power, my own Semblance. The issue? A flash of soft blue light gets the attention of everyone in the room, my Aura becoming visible for just a moment before it fades.

[Mine, Mine, Mine!] - Legendary Power

You have the combined strength, speed, and durability of everyone within a twenty-five-meter radius around you. This caps out at Legendary in rank.

I immediately feel my body become infinitely stronger, but then, of course, it does… there are three obscenely strong people currently in the room with me. Sirzechs, Serafall and Grayfia are all staring right at me. I am likely still weaker than them, but I feel like I could wrestle a god at the moment.

[Pleasure Bursts] - Epic Power

You can send out a wave of sensations into those around you in short, powerful bursts, causing spikes of positive emotions or physical sensations to flood your target.

Well, that one I am less sure about. It's rather lewd, but I suppose I could use different positive emotions than pure sexual pleasure?

[Terrain: Tropical Island] - Common Astral

A large tropical Caribbean island filled with the appropriate wildlife and flora.

Well, now I have a vacation spot if I decide to flee.

"Samuel?" Rias asks, worry clear on her face.

"My apologies, Lady Rias; my powers appear to have developed again. That flash of light was my 'aura', a physical manifestation of my soul that serves as a shield and protects me," I explain, deciding that it's better than trying to lie with so many people watching me. "It also grants me a bonus to my strength and can, in turn, awaken a 'Semblance' in time, a unique power that comes from my soul."

"Man, you're weird," Serafall helpfully says, making me chuckle. "Powers don't just randomly grow; you're supposed to train."

"My power disagrees. Perhaps the most interesting part of my 'Aura' is that I have learnt how to awaken it in other people, granting them their own Aura and Semblance," I explain, seeing them all freeze. Another item I can trade for future contracts.

"Is it difficult? Or something you can only do so many times?" Sirzechs asks, and I shake my head calmly.

"It drains my own Aura to do so, but it will be restored in time. Having my Aura drained does not seem to be dangerous, even if it completely empties my reserves," I explain, seeing the shock on their faces. I truly am an out-of-context problem for them, aren't I? "In addition, I gained a power that grants me the combined speed, strength and endurance of everyone in a radius around me, though it does have a cap. A cap I hit immediately due to the presence of two Satans and Lady Grayfia," I say, flexing in curiosity.

"Hit me," Serafall says, making me blink as she moves in front of me with a smile. "You heard me; I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

"Just do it; she won't give up," Sona sighed, clearly curious herself.

Well, I won't refuse a Satan. My fist moves far faster than I knew was possible, striking Serafall directly in the stomach as she is blown back, colliding with the wall of the occult research clubhouse and going through it as she flies out of the room and rolls across the ground outside, my eyes widening in shock at the sheer force with which I just punched a Satan.

"...oops," I simply say, the room going silent before Sirzechs starts chuckling.

"Well, she quite literally asked for it. We'll make her pay for the repairs, don't worry," Sirzechs says, waving off my concerns as Serafall skips back into the room without care and clearly utterly unharmed.

"Oh wow, Sammy, you hit like a dragon. Not as strong as me or Zeccy, but still damn strong," Serafall praises, reaching up and patting my head. "Are you sure you don't wanna join my Peerage?"

She sounds like she is joking, but I can tell she is very serious as Rias steps between us.

"Lady Leviathan, please don't poach my only shot at beating Riser," Rias says, pleading slightly as Serafall pouts again.

"Ah, fine~ I'll behave… until the engagement is handled. Then it's open season on Sammy, and I can be really tempting when I want to be," Serafall teases, and once again, it's obvious that she's serious, but Rias just laughs.

"If Samuel wants to join your Peerage once this Riser mess is dealt with, I'd be sad to see him go, but that's his choice. Don't expect me to make it easy to steal my Bishop, though, not even for you, Lady Leviathan," Rias retorts with an easy smile on her face.

"Oh, I prefer it when it's a little hard," Serafall replies before she jumps forward with a yelp, looking around in confusion. "Did someone just kick my booty?"

Koneko turns her head to the side, looking at the wall and whistling. 

"Myuuu~ Koneko is a bully," Serafall giggles. "So that's your little phantom strikes thing that Sona was talking about?"

Sona blushes at being caught gossiping, but I can't say I'm surprised. She has a duty to her sister; it was inevitable that word would spread.

Koneko grabs me and pulls me away from the Satans over to the couch, making me sit next to her.

"Ours," Koneko warns, flicking her finger as she makes Serafall blink from being flicked on the forehead. 

"Now, now. When he's my Bishop, you can still see him. Surely, when he's done playing around in Kuoh, he might be interested in coming with me to play some more mature games," Serafall asks with a sly smirk, moving forward as she slips into my lap, her knees at either side of my legs, her ass pressing down hard on my lap. "What do you say, Sammy? Interested in working under me? I don't mind being under you if you prefer to be on top~"

She leans in far too close, her breath on my lips as she smiles at me with hooded pink eyes.

Her temptations are interrupted as Sona grabs Serafall by her twin tails and simply pulls her out of my lap, making Serafall go from temptress to whining baby in an instant as she complains about how mean Sona-tan is being.

I may have gulped, making Rias giggle oddly enough as I force myself to calm down.

"Perv," Koneko accuses, and I'm not sure if she's talking to me or Serafall.

"Was that all you developed this time?" Sirzechs asks, making me shake my head. He always seems like he knows more than he's saying, and that's intimidating, to be honest.

"I also gained the power to cause bursts of positive emotions or sensations," I admit, hoping that's enough and Rias doesn't push for more. 

"Ara, ara~" 

"Damnit, Akeno," Rias mutters, nudging her Queen, who is currently looking at me with an intrigued gaze. "Maou, Samuel, your power is absurd."

"I'm starting to realise that," I admit, making her chuckle. "But first, Koneko…" I say, getting the pouting cats' attention. "Hang onto this for me, okay?"

Patting her head again, I grant her [Mine, Mine, Mine!] as her eyes widen. I'm not a physical fighter; even the massive increase in strength and speed doesn't change both a lack of talent for and, more importantly, a lack of interest in melee. I am a caster; I've come to realise that. I prefer to alter the battlefield with [Edict] and heal and buff my allies rather than fight on the front. 

Koneko pauses, looking over to the side as she throws another punch.

The room goes silent as another wall is blown to pieces, the force behind Koneko's phantom blow practically exploding it.

"...I'm not paying for that one," Serafall says immediately, making Sirzechs snort.

Koneko looks back at me before she moves in and gives me a brief (but almost painfully tight) hug.

"Thank you," Koneko whispers, so quiet that I can barely hear her as she mumbles into my chest.

"You're most welcome, Koneko," I say, patting her head again.

"Your power truly is fascinating," Sirzechs admits. "I've never seen such a smooth transfer of power before; I couldn't even tell when you granted it to Koneko. And you can take it back just as easily?" 

I nod, making him hum.

"I genuinely have no idea how your power works. I've never seen anything like it," Sirzechs says, shrugging. "I can hear Ajuka pulling out his hair as he tries to solve this mystery already. He never did like powers he couldn't understand. As for me? I'm happy to shrug and let Devilkind benefit from it."

"I almost pity Riser, but he has always been a little cocky, so eh, maybe a Kitty beatdown will give him some humility?" Serafall shrugs. "And anything that frustrates Ajuka is fine with me; it's always funny to watch him get all grumpy."

Sirzechs snorts, not disagreeing.

"Lady Rias, with your permission, I'd like to awaken your Aura first," I say, rising as she blinks before she beams at me. "I feel like it will be best to do this with several far more experienced witnesses to confirm that it is safe."

"Of course, I'd be honoured," Rias says with an excited smile, approaching me. "How does this work?"

I can see the other three adults watching us carefully, a small smile on Sirzechs' face. 

"Just remain still, please. My power granted me the knowledge of how to do this," I explain, getting a nod from her as I place my hand on her shoulder, my own aura becoming visible again as I start the chant. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul and, by my shoulder, protect thee."

As I speak, I push my aura forward into her body as she gasps, enraptured by the sensation, and I hear her breath catch as a deep red light flares around her. My power claims that no one else will be able to awaken Aura, even knowing the chant, so I don't need to worry about other people working it out.

"Oh, wow…" Rias mumbles, looking at her own Aura shield before it fades. She turns back to me, seeing me pant slightly as my Aura briefly flickers before it becomes solid again and fades away. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine; I just need to catch my breath," I reply, giving her a calm smile. "I plan to awaken the Aura of the rest of our Peerage as well, but perhaps later."

"Of course, take all the time you need," Rias agrees, giving me a beaming smile as I catch my breath. I see the envy on Sona's face and make a decision.

"Lady Sona, if you are interested, I am willing to awaken the Aura of one of your Peerage as a gift and, to be perfectly honest, to advertise this skill more for when I start accepting contracts," I admit, making her eyes widen as she smiles back at me.

As I expected, Rias just looks happy that I'm willing to give this to her friend, giving me a soft smile.

"For that? I'd wear a t-shirt with your contact details for all my public appearances," Sona admits, making me chuckle, seeing Serafall's pleased look. "There are members of my Peerage that would benefit from it more than me, but I am going to do the sinful thing and be greedy."

"That won't be necessary, and we are devils, after all," I say, approaching her. Placing my hand on her shoulder again, I start the process again. It's tiring, but not so bad that I can't easily repeat it as my soft pastel blue Aura awakens Sona's own darker, ocean blue, the young girl gasping at the feeling.

"I might just have to throw my hat in the ring for the competition to steal you away from Rias," Sona admits shamelessly, getting an 'oi' from Rias, who she just smirks at. "All is fair in love and war, you lucky bitch."

Rias, in an act of incredible maturity, sticks her tongue out at her friend, making me chuckle. 

"I don't suppose you have one more in you, do you?" Sirzechs asks, making me blink as I turn to him. Isn't he already powerful enough?

I'm getting tired, but from the last two, I am relatively sure that I could easily do another without issue, having a sixth sense of how depleted my internal Aura is. 

"I do, Lord Lucifer," I say, approaching him. "As I said, I still am indebted to you for bringing me back, so this is a small step towards repaying that debt."

– Rias Gremory –

She was pretty certain that Sirzechs was joking, but Samuel took it seriously as they watched him start the chant again. The first sign that something was wrong was the blast of dark red energy that burst from Sirzechs, engulfing Samuel's soft blue in an instant as Samuel dropped like a puppet with its strings snipped.

Sirzechs caught him, and his eyes widened, but after a moment, the flare of light faded, and Sirzechs let out a sigh of relief as he placed Samuel down on the couch.

"He's asleep, as far as I can tell," Sirzechs reassured them. "It appears that awakening my aura was a little more difficult for him. He'll just need to keep that in mind in the future. Whether it is my age or power, I don't know, but it's something to be aware of."

"Did it work?" Grayfia asked, making Sirzechs nod as he closed his eyes and focused. Around him, a thick translucent red shield formed, far denser than hers or Samuels. 

"Serafall, be a dear and hit me, would you?" Sirzechs asked, a blast of powerful ice magic flying towards him before he'd even finished the sentence. The room shook as it struck, making her fear for the stability of her clubhouse for a moment, but they all watched as the spell that would have killed her in an instant harmlessly shattered across Sirzechs immensely thick shield.

"Oh, phooey. As if you weren't already bullshit strong," Serafall pouted, making Sirzechs chuckle to himself. "Our solution to paperwork better wake up, Zeccy, or we're gonna find out just how strong that shield of yours actually is and- Koneko, where are you taking him?"

They turned, watching Koneko pause as she went to walk out of the hole in the wall with Samuel over her shoulder.

"Time bubble, wake up faster," Koneko pointed out. "Duh."

Huh. The training ground wasn't far; Koneko might be onto something. 

— Bonus Scene — Rias Gremory — Later

It was becoming clear she was going to have to fight off damn near everyone with a stick to keep Samuel in her Peerage.

Serafall, Sona… and even Sirzechs was starting to look like he was having second thoughts about giving Samuel to her. Something told her that if he'd known how Samuel was going to develop, he'd have kept Sam for himself and just had him grant her Peerage a couple of powers and awaken their Auras.

What a powerful man she'd found herself blessed with, powerful, kind and generous. 

Stroking Samuel's hair, she smiled as he breathed softly, lying on a bed that seemed out of place in the middle of the training ground. Someone had to stay with him, and she wasn't going to leave his side until her bizarre bishop was healthy again. He seemed fine, if just utterly exhausted. If he weren't better come morning, the best doctors in the Underworld would have a new patient.