12 Chapter 12: Collide with the hostess

"Um, Rias-san?"

"..."

"Surely you know that a sudden pain is easier to endure than one that is prolonged by wait and dread, specifically if it is beneficial in the end?"

"..."

"Perhaps, are you familiar with the expression 'Tie a milk tooth to a door and slam it shut'?"

"..."

"Are you perhaps angry with me?"

"...!"

"I'll take that as a yes. Very well." Momonga managed to only barely dodge a spoon thrown at his head, and decided that it was a clear enough sign that Rias wasn't in the mood to chat.

The two ex-Peerages, now fused into one existing Peerage, had gathered into a living room that was considerably larger than the relaxation room they had been in before and sported a full-sized table with soft, if not as comfy, chairs. The relocation had been mostly because the relaxation room had smelled of burnt flesh, and some of the carpets had spatters of smoke and associated organic 'splash' from the two murders and resurrections that had happened in it.

So, while the service staff was working on making the room less morbid the group had relocated and Momonga had asked for some refreshments. He intended to have a tactics discussion and go over the abilities of everyone present, but the mood around the table had been decidedly… heavy… ever since the maid carrying tea and other drinks had left.

Overall Momonga considered the operation to acquire the Peerages to be a nearly perfect success. Firstly his theory had worked, secondly he had discovered two things when Xuelan had kicked him- firstly that raid members could deal friendly fire, and secondly that his [High-Tier Physical Immunity] wasn't working as it was supposed to- or rather, his body didn't fill the requirements for the ability to activate.

He had a feeling it might be the case before, when he had to restart his organs and heal damage caused by Rias's hugs, but before ascertaining her level, he couldn't tell if she was just so strong that her 'attacks' bypassed his physical immunity or if the ability was malfunctioning.

Luckily however his overall 'level' was high enough that, while he couldn't outright ignore low-level attacks, the health damage dealt by low-level attacks versus the health he had was still quite disproportionate to the point he wouldn't need to worry about getting killed by a low-level mook unless he turned over and allowed them to wail away at him for a year or two. However, it would mean that crowd control abilities could pose a threat, so he needed to adjust his tactics accordingly until he managed to discover how many of his abilities had malfunctioned and how to reactivate them.

The only thing that prevented him from declaring his operation to be a complete success was the fact that most of his new raiding party, or Peerage, was eyeing him with degrees of wariness or outright fright and hostility. Which, to be honest, Momonga couldn't understand.

After all, he had reached a solution where everyone got the chance to join a Peerage and avoid being condemned to become a Stray, and thus be executed. Something as insignificant as having to die once and resurrect afterwards seemed almost childishly easy solution as opposed to being condemned to a permanent death.

So, why was the white-haired cat-girl staring at him from behind the swordsman with such terrified eyes? Why was the swordsman's eyes filled with loathing and hate, when he thought Momonga wasn't looking?

So, why was the violet-haired woman alternating between staring at a cup of tea in her hands and stealing wary glances at Momonga?

So why was the chinese-dress wearing woman staring at him with hatred in her eyes?

So why was Rias completely ignoring him and only tossing her neck when he tried to talk to her?

So why was the nun-turned devil praying from the bottom of her heart with a shaky tone, wincing in pain each time she spoke the taboo word?

And why was Akeno keeping herself between Rias and him to the point it had been somewhat awkward to try to talk with the red-headed girl, as the raven-haired one had effectively blocked the sight of Rias completely?

'Oh…' Momonga realized that he had possibly discovered a reason for at least the last of the mysteries. 'I suppose Akeno would be quite possessive of Rias. After all, if she was dating Rias and Rias had been forcibly married to me… would that count as netoratto, or whatever that porn Peroroncino was talking about? Wait, hold on, wasn't Rias in love with Issei, or was I wrong? Is this one of those love triangles I've heard about? But there's not two looking for one, but one looking for one looking for another… a love cycle? Love L-curve?'

"Haah…" 'I'll have to make arrangements. I'm guessing that Lady Phenix has arranged me and Rias to share bed, but perhaps I could arrange Akeno to have a room next to us, then I could make a hole in the connecting wall and push Rias through it so she can spend the nights with her lover… er, assuming Rias reciprocates the feelings. I'm honestly surprised I didn't have to deal with these kinds of problems when I was leading Ainz Ooal Gown... But I suppose not many of our Players had to worry about dramatic love lives…' Momonga shook his head, causing the white-haired girl, Koneko, to jump a bit on the far side of the table.

"Issei was better when he was hentai…" the girl mumbled under her breath but Momonga could pick it up, if barely.

'Ugh, did I ruin my reputation that badly by resurrecting Yubelluna and Akeno?'Momonga cringed a bit. 'Ah well, what's done can't be undone. Operation: Salvage Reputation is a go.'

"So, uh, I was planning on discussing our respective abilities, strengths, weaknesses and so on." Momonga opened the discussion, causing roughly half the occupants of the room to jump, and most of the half to flinch.

Surprisingly, Yuuto seemed to be acting normally after the whole scene in the other room. Or Momonga had thought the boy unaffected, but he managed to lock eyes with the boy and discovered a look of pure hatred that was hard to describe. However, the boy got the expression in his eyes quickly under control..

'Right, I'm guessing he has some sort of personal trauma with resurrections…'Momonga cleared his throat, to another chorus of flinches. For a moment he wondered if this was what CEO's felt when they addressed 'lowly' project workers after the latter failed to meet some unreasonable deadline the former had set. "...But it seems that we may have to work on our team communication and trust first. I'll start. Can someone point out something that's wrong with our communication?"

He looked over his Peerage for a while, going from person to person with his gaze and receiving either a stare or flinch in turn.

"Well, I guess that it should be obvious." Momonga finally answered his own question. "So, let's start with introductions. I'm Issei Phenix. I suffered amnesia during a 'Rating Game' and my life before that is a mystery I'm trying to unravel. From what I've been told I hold a piece of a Phoenix's soul. I fight with fire abilities at range." 'Eh, I think that's a decent enough cover story…'

He looked at Yubelluna expectantly. "Well then, Yubelluna-san. Could I trouble you to introduce yourself?"

The woman opened her mouth, closed it, shuddered and then started to go over her name, abilities and gave the Peerage an extremely brief overview of her life until present, most of which had been spent either in Riser Phenix's bed or following the man.

'Hm, a bomber… Interesting. I should be able to forge her into something like Peroroncino, battlefield role-wise. A long-range artillery piece is always useful, even if you have to have someone keep an eye on them in case an enemy infiltrator can get to them and take them down.' Momonga nodded at the violet-haired woman and glanced at Xuelan who just stared at him with defiance. 'I kinda wish I hadn't used a Pawn on Yubelluna, since it'll be largely useless for her as she won't be entering enemy territory to make use of the abilities it confers, a Bishop would have been much more useful, or a Knight… Oh well, it's not like I had much choice. Having a good healer is important, so Asia's Piece is secure, and I have no clue how useful this 'Gasper' is… Eh, spilled milk.'

Yubelluna placed her hand on Xuelan's, causing the girl to look away and begin her own introduction, revealing a similar backstory as Yubelluna and causing Momonga a twinge of sympathy as he started to figure out what kind of a man Riser had been. Namely, a beauty scout and a pervert with a harem.

'Well then, Xuelan is basically a brawling tank. Shield tank would have been optimal but I don't know how the battlescape forms in here so perhaps I should reserve judgement until I figure out how locals fight battles for real…' Momonga sighed once again at his lack of battle experience with the abilities in the world he had found himself in. "Well, then… next…"

One by one the people present introduced themselves, some more and some less, and it turned out that getting Koneko to answer anything other than 'No' had been the hardest. Specifically as her extended answer in its entirety was 'leave me alone'.

Asia had, in turn, broken down completely after getting her name and role out and it had taken Koneko braving out from her place behind Yuuto and hugging the little nun to stop her from falling into a catatonic state.

"Haah…" Momonga rubbed his eyebrows. "Well then, now that we are more or less introduced, maybe miss Akeno could explain why you all are so incredibly uncomfortable right now?"

Akeno lifted her sleeve over her mouth, seemingly seeking for the right words to say. Finding none, she glanced back at Rias as if seeking for help, and found some.

"You literally killed two people who agreed to be your Peerage. One of whom happened to be my best friend." Rias gave 'Issei' a dirty look. "And you had no qualms or problems doing so. Just, point, boom, dead. No hesitation, compassion… do you even have a heart anymore, Issei?"

'Oh.' Momonga was baffled for a moment before he felt like whacking his head against the table. 'It seems I didn't use appropriate expressions at the right times… I thought it would be a joyous occasion, a chance to avoid excommunication and permanent death for the simple price of a single death and resurrection. And then a chance to be a part of a raiding party, er, Peerage… I must have projected my own feelings onto the situation. For some reason they think that it would have been a sad situation…'

"Well… I thought it was a joyous occasion." Momonga told the group honestly, then flinched as the Peerage seemed to take the words the wrong way. "I mean, a chance for you to avoid lasting death and join a Peerage, er, until you find someone you'll treasure, umu, and can transfer to someone else's Peerage, I guess. I didn't mean killing you two was a joyous occasion. I merely didn't think of it that way."

He felt like that adding a chance to 'escape' would ease the Peerages feeling of being trapped, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Of course, he'd never agree to a Piece trade unless it'd give him a more useful Piece in turn.

"...You'd transfer us elsewhere? Separate us from each other?" Akeno's words were slow and were laced with an underlying tone that was bordering panic while her hand searched for Rias's. "After we swore to be in your Peerage?"

Momonga tilted his head in confusion before he realized it. "Ah, no, I'm generally speaking against slave trade."

The words were not what the Peerage had been waiting for, apparently, based off of their looks of despair.

"Huh, so that's what we are, then… Slaves..." Yubelluna traced her finger around the rim of her tea cup, her gaze seemingly spiritless and desolate. "...While I feel you may kill me for uttering this, Issei-san, it seems you have inherited some of Riser-kun's worst traits."

Momonga cringed both at the words and their delivery. "N-no, that's not what I…"

Feeling that a change of subject would be fruitful, Momonga turned his look at Yuuto. "...I guess you don't approve of my methods?"

"Were you absolutely sure your 'method' would work? Did you test it somehow first?" Yuuto seemed quite calm and collected as he asked a completely reasonable question. "Did you happen to ask your 'subject' for their consent, with them fully knowing what you'd do?"

"Er, no. It was half an experiment, but I had asked the creator of the system if the individual elements would work." Momonga admitted and sighed at the hostility in Yuuto's gaze. 'Oh come on…'

"I'll warn you, Issei-san... if you decide that we are your test subjects to be played with, I may have to re-tell you the part of my story where I escaped a human-test laboratory of deranged researchers by killing them all. Based on what I've seen, I doubt I'm going to survive raising my blade towards you, but I won't become your test subject to be played around with." Yuuto's tone was flat but his intention was clear as day even if the boy seemed dismissive on the outside. "That is all."

"Haah…" Momonga resisted the urge to slump against the table. "Koneko?"

"Hss."

"Right. I guess Xuelan shares Yubelluna's opinion?"

"...Correct."

"Well, I must have broken some sort of speed record for being a King who is hated by their entire Peerage for trying to save two girls otherwise destined for the axe." Momonga groaned, then realized that he had spoken it aloud and dodged a fork sent by Rias.

"Can you stop pretending self-pity? It's pathetic." Rias practically growled at him, surprising Momonga from the venom in her tone.

"Right, I'm guessing that this conversation can only get worse for everyone from here on out." Momonga slapped the table lightly as he stood up, causing everyone around it to turn wary or back away. "No, I did not imply I… you know what, I'll see if I can negotiate some arrangements with Lady Phenix."

Momonga groaned as he left the room, feeling thoroughly like the antagonist of a movie or a game. 'Operation Salvage Reputation: Utter failure, all assets lost with all hands on deck. Ugh… I suppose this is a good chance to find more about those [Sacred Gears] those two mentioned… I wonder if Lady Phenix would be more receptive for questions?'

.

.

"That was… scary." Koneko said what everyone had been thinking ever since the start of the 'meeting'.

"Yeah... " Asia piped up. Her introduction had been brief, mostly because she had collapsed into a nervous mess soon after getting her name and her [Sacred Gear] out, and it didn't look like she'd recover anytime soon. "New Issei is… odd."

"I'm not sure we should call him 'Issei' anymore." Akeno said what Rias had been thinking. "I don't think I see any similarities between the two, except for the physical look."

"It wasn't this bad earlier." Rias tried to defend her now ex-crush. "I mean, even after the Rating Game. I wonder if the Undead attack caused something to awaken inside him that made him this… callous?"

"Well, whatever it is, it's making my skin shiver whenever I look into his eyes." Yuuto added his opinion. "There's no warmth there. When we introduced ourselves I could have sworn he wasn't thinking about us, he was compiling our abilities to be slotted into battle roles."

"Wouldn't that be the purpose of this meeting?" Yubelluna came into the conversation. "This Issei of yours is… intense, and not in a passionate way, unfortunately, but rather as a strategist. I doubt he sees us as anything more than walking weapons."

"I'm not sure you would have liked the Issei we had before any better." Rias sighed. "He was…"

"I know what he was, I saw him before the Rating Game ended. Although I doubt he could tell the colour of my eyes nor my hair, his attention seemed to be somewhere else entirely." Yubelluna rolled her eyes. "Still, that kind of person, while unpleasant at times, at least is honest with what he wants and appreciates. This Issei-sama seems… cold and detached. Like a void that neatly arranged everything it touches into tools or crushes everything that is useless to him."

"A Void... Come to think of it, Tannin-sama and Beelzebub-sama found out from Issei that between teleporting to Phenix's bath and to our fireplace, Issei had teleported to the Interdimensional Gap and met with the Great Red… do you think the Great Red messed with Issei's head?" Rias suddenly realized a potential source for the coldness of Issei's actions and possible reason why his current behaviour was so far from both Issei and Riser. "It… it would make sense. After all, Issei isn't acting like the old Issei or Riser, but… well… it was said that the Great Red is a destroyer, it claimed itself to be 'the World Eater' and… Beelzebub-sama seemed to think that the Great Red had sent Issei to fight this 'Supreme Being' that had sent the undead to attack us."

"Ah…" Yubelluna's eyes widened. "Well… I suppose that would explain why he's so obsessed with being a battle commander. If that's what the Great Red had inscribed him to be, a living weapon against the undead…"

Rias suddenly felt the urge to beat her head against the table, and she embraced it. "Stupid, stupid, stupid… I never considered… There's no way anyone could be like that naturally… why didn't I even think about, even consider the chance that someone had messed with Issei's head…"

"It actually makes even more sense since Issei was panicking hard when the undead attacked and we fought that undead knight… we were on the verge of being defeated until something snapped in in Issei, mere seconds before we would have died." Akeno's eyes widened as well and she lifted the sleeve of her shrine maiden's dress to cover her shocked expression. "He was horrified by the undead before that, until something just 'flicked a switch' and he turned into a cold destroyer who burnt his enemies with fire…"

Rias picked up where Akeno left. "...And if the Great Red imbued Issei with something like a remorseless destroyer's mindset, to arm him against the undead who use terror and fear as their weapons..."

It seemed that the new information was spreading ripples of doubt around the table.

"He's still in his 'combat mode'." Yuuto concluded, a pained expression spreading on his face. "...I must agree with Rias. I feel particularly foolish, for I had fallen into a similar battle-trance before I was found by you, Rias-san. I should have been able to see the signs. He genuinely felt no fear or remorse for his actions, and was confused by our hostility for what he believed to be, and in the end technically were, beneficial actions… After all, Yubelluna-san and Akeno-san are no longer in danger of being declared a Stray. There wasn't even any lasting damage, outside psychological damage- something I doubt he even considered into the equation due to his battle-trance."

"..." Koneko's eyes turned from frightened and hostile to confused.

"Ah… May the Lord- owww- watch over Issei, for we have failed…" Asia murmured while keeping her hands together.

"...I don't really understand why you'd cosplay as a nun in the Underworld of all places, but could you at least refrain from using the name?" Xuelan asked, holding to her head with an annoyed expression. "No offense."

"A-amu... " Asia seemed offended but nodded nonetheless. "I'll.. just… say it less loudly…"

"Fine, sure…" Xuelan rubbed her neck while glancing at Yubelluna. "So, what you're saying is that Issei-san is in dire need of getting his tension bled out of his system?"

"That seems to be the case." Yubelluna sighed heavily. "Listen, Xuelan-chan… I'm really not ready to jump into someone's bed just yet, so can I ask…"

"Excuse me, are you already arranging someone to go and molest Issei while his wife is present?" Rias growled, causing Yubelluna to jump a bit.

"A- oh, sorry, I… ah, I must have slipped back into the mindset we had in Riser's Peerage…" Yubelluna waved her hands in denial in front of her face, causing Rias to sigh heavily.

"He really was scum, wasn't he…"

"I disagree, he was a intense, arrogant and sometimes overly passionate person, but he valued his Peerage!"

"Stockholm syndrome."

"Frigid bitch."

"Excuse me?" A vein popped on Rias's forehead while a small black flame appeared above the tip of her middle-finger which she had extended at the other woman.

"Do you want me to turn that messy mane of yours into a shining landing strip? I have just the thing." Yubelluna brought forth a metal sphere with a magic circle.

"R- Right, let's just all calm down…" Yuuto tried to step between the two women to calm the suddenly escalating conflict, and was hit from both sides at the same time.

"Ufufu, I think we may need to find cover." Akeno laughed into her sleeve as she reached to grab Asia and she, as well as the other still conscious occupants of the room dove out of the way as the two enraged girls went at it.

.

.

"Are we under attack?" Momonga asked when the floor below him shook as he stepped out of Lady Phenix's quarters, having successfully and incidentally crashed Lady Phenix's and Sirzech's meeting just in time to prevent the tense meeting from devolving into a bloodbath. He had barely caught words that sounded like 'stray' 'execution' and 'repercussions' before the two had stopped staring at each other as if gazes could kill.

It seemed that Sirzechs had latched onto the suggestion to move Akeno's room next to the one assigned to Issei, and for some reason the suggestion had caused Lady Phenix to develop a sadistic smile while Sirzechs had a relieved expression.

At that point Momonga didn't even want to know what was going on with the two, and was frankly speaking relieved to get out of their presence before anything crazy would happen.

Momonga looked around as the floor shook again to see that the service staff had gained resigned expressions while they started to gather construction equipment and trash bags. "Um…"

"Ah, this is quite normal whenever Rias-sama is in the house, Issei-sama." a elderly-looking butler informed Momonga. The man was clearly some sort of veteran, based off the number of scars criss-crossing his face. "Young mistress, well, young lady Phenix has quite fiery temperament and is prone to… conflicts of authority that lead to conflicts of physical nature."

'...Rias is prone to sudden bouts of violence even in home?' Momonga felt sweat drip down his back. '...Is she a domestic abuser? And now she hates me because I killed Akeno… and she's Lucifer's sister so there's nothing I can do against her, really...'

For some reason Momonga's marriage was starting to look bleaker by the second.

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