XVII

Akeno arrived at Issei's door at nine fifty-five. She had no interest in possible further punishment for being late. She waited outside his door counting the passing seconds. She had decided to dress simply. There was no point in dressing seductively if Koneko was going to be there. Instead, she wore soft, pink cotton pajama pants with little puffball sheep scattered across them and a white scoop-neck tank top without a bra. The outfit was soft and comfortable and probably just what she would need after tonight's ordeal. He said come at ten sharp. He didn't say I could come early… I'd better wait. When the clock struck ten exactly she knocked on his door.

"Come in." came the soft command from inside.

Akeno pushed the door open and stepped in. She froze for a moment as she felt her power drain the moment she entered the room. Her eyes traveled jealously across nekomata Koneko snuggled up on Issei's lap.

Koneko calmly turned her head toward the door. Her eyes blazed furiously when she met Akeno's gaze. She couldn't shake the thought that Akeno might have purposely led her to sabotage Issei-sama. Now that they were face to face, the very idea infuriated her. Her tail stood straight every hair standing on end. She hissed barely above a whisper.

She's really upset. Akeno noted. Did Issei say something to…?

"Close the door, Akeno." Issei ordered.

"Yes, sir." She replied automatically turning to obey.

Koneko's left eyebrow raised, and she cocked her head to the side curiously eyeing Akeno, but she said nothing.

Akeno turned back to the cuddling duo on Issei's bed waiting for her next order.

"Do you have anything to say to, our guest?" Issei asked pointedly.

"Yes, sir." Akeno blushed turning her eyes to Koneko's. "First, though you probably won't believe me… I really am sorry for what I did to you. I have no excuse for myself. It was purely motivated by selfishness, and I feel terribly ashamed as both your friend and upperclassman."

Koneko's tail softened into a gentle curve. Her eyes still displayed anger, but the admission had a positive effect at least Akeno noted.

Issei nodded. "Well said." He stroked the top of Koneko's head softly addressing her. "Koneko-chan, I do believe that Akeno is sorry for what she's done to you and to us. And if not, she will be very soon." Koneko and Akeno shared a glance both gulping in the shared understanding of what that meant. "She agreed to invite you to see her pay for her transgressions which she is submitting to somewhat willingly in hopes that you will see that she is truly sorry and might forgive her."

Koneko turned to Issei and nodded her understanding.

Issei continued, "That's up to you to decide, but I hope you'll at least consider it once she has been sufficiently disciplined."

Akeno blushed again. Her eyes flicked from Koneko to Issei. She forced herself to breathe slow and deeply.

"Issei-sama… may I cast a sound barrier?" she asked tentatively.

"Hmm. Well as you're aware, Koneko-chan's spanking this morning wasn't very private." Koneko's face flushed. "So I'm not sure how fair that would be."

Akeno's eyes widened in disbelief. She hung her head only partially surprised. Everyone will hear me being punished. Akeno trembled at the thought. How can I show my face after this? She watched Koneko tug on Issei's sleeve and look up at him. They exchanged a few words and Issei nodded. Wha-what's she going to do to make this worse...? She wondered.

"Go ahead and tell her," Issei encouraged Koneko.

The catgirl turned to her and explained, "I asked Issei-sama to let you cast the barrier…." She trailed off shyly. "He…he said it was okay if I wanted you to." She finished.

Akeno stood enveloped in shock.

She sniffled and fell to her knees humbled by her junior's generosity, bowing her head to the floor. "Thank you!" she cried unable to hold back a little sob of relief. "Thank you, Koneko-chan! I won't forget your kindness. I…" she closed her eyes. "I don't deserve it."

Koneko nodded her acceptance. "I know how it feels to know that everyone knows…" A tear of shame slipped from Koneko's left eye, but she quickly swiped it away.

Unadulterated guilt sucked Akeno's breath away. Her cheeks colored and she hung her head. Her punishment that everyone heard… was my fault."I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" Akeno repeated.

Issei motioned for Akeno to cast the spell. She turned, summoned her magic and in moments had cast a powerful barrier that would prevent anyone outside from hearing what happened within Issei's room. She turned back toward the bed.

Issei nodded.

"Alright," Issei conducted, "Let's get started, no point in drawing this out." He squeezed Koneko's shoulder gently and whispered something to her. Koneko nodded and slipped off his lap landing lightly on her feet and padded off to Issei's desk. As she pulled out the chair and slipped into it, Issei looked up at Akeno, held his hand out to her and crooked back his index and middle finger twice gesturing for her to approach.

With each step, Akeno's heartbeat quickened. Her breathing grew quick and shallow. Her stomach fluttered as he reached out to her. She took his hand and obediently stood at his side.

"Good girl." He whispered so only she could hear it.

Akeno's heart fluttered now too. He was encouraging her because he approved of her decision to make this up to Koneko.

"Stand still." He ordered softly as his thumbs slipped into the waistband of her cottony pajama pants. If he was surprised to meet bare skin, he didn't show it. He grasped the elastic band and slowly tugged them below her waist unhurriedly pulling them over the curve of her hips and rear, and lowering them toward her knees. The soft fabric gradually revealed even softer, creamy hips and thighs.

Koneko's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Akeno's bare thighs beneath her pajama pants. Hmm, maybe she does understand some of what she put me… us through. She had to give Akeno a little credit. It took guts to deny herself the tiny hope of softening the blows with panties.

Issei couldn't help admiring the shapely hips. Her pubic hair was entirely shaved allowing just a glance of her sex visible between curvy thighs. In just a minute those luscious curves will be lying across my lap! He reached up and took her hand gently tugging her forward.

Akeno submissively tipped herself over and gracefully lowered herself onto Issei's knees.

Koneko gasped at the still very well defined crimson stripes evident on Akeno's cheeks and down the backs of her thighs. Though she had seen them earlier, the bright lighting in Issei's bedroom revealed just how severely she'd already been chastised. Issei flashed her a sadly sympathetic smile. He too was wondering how much those welts would contribute to her upcoming punishment.

Koneko wrung her tail tightly as she watched Issei settle Akeno into a very familiar position. One that would put her off balance and render any attempt at escape futile. His hand lowered onto her firm, reddened cheeks and began to caress them in small slow circles. Koneko remembered how the motion awakened the nerves under her bare bottom and sent tingling jolts of anxiety through her.

Akeno gulped, looked up and found Koneko's eyes. "I'm sorry." She mouthed.

Before Koneko could respond, a harsh palm crashed solidly into the center mounds of Akeno's rear. She squeezed her eyes shut; her body jerked forward in response to the pain and surprise.

Koneko stared enthralled as Issei's hand whipped through the air almost too quickly to see and clapped hard into both of Akeno's cheeks. His hand sunk in sending ripples through her skin. The depression reformed into rounded cheeks white from the impact then faded to a slight pink just in time for the palm to zip through the air and collide with the same skin turning it a hair pinker.

"Ouch!" Akeno gasped as the hand came down again this time directly assaulting one of those long, red stripes.

Each time Issei's hand delivered another punishing blow, Koneko's tail snapped rigidly in her hands. The scene of discipline gripped her; she found herself strangely unable to look away. Akeno danced on Issei's lap her cries growing more insistent with each slap. Koneko couldn't believe how much of Akeno's bottom Issei's hand could cover in one smack. She absentmindedly, reached a hand back to her rear remembering how Issei's strict hands had cupped almost her entire cheek with each lick.

Issei unsatisfied with the results so far began aiming powerful strokes into the belt marks on her thighs. Akeno burst into tears as Issei spanked those angry weals one, two, three, four times in the exact same spot, singling out the tender areas that drew a stronger reaction from his hapless target.

Each time Issei targeted her thighs, Koneko winced, slowly drawing her tail up to cover her eyes. She was quickly building sympathy for the squirming, sobbing girl. She noticed with each slap, Akeno jerked forward, and her breasts swung freely under her shirt. She felt a strange tingling in her own rear as well as she remembered the effects of those stinging smacks. Her stomach began to flutter in fear of finding herself over Issei's lap next even though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong.

She watched glistening tears spill from Akeno's eyes, flow down her cheeks, and drip to the carpeted floor. Issei was merciless and emphatic with each stroke, delivering measured and purposeful pain to his charge. Koneko blushed as Akeno's violent rocking on Issei's lap caused her right breast to slip free of her top. Issei didn't notice though far too focused on the task at hand. He ignored her sobbing. He ignored her pleading which had begun several moments ago as well.

Issei grunted with the effort as he peppered Akeno's backside with quick hard slaps. The red handprints were beginning to fill in the creamy lines between the stripes left from her earlier whipping.

"No! Ouch! Please, Issei!" Akeno urgently begged as the cascade of punishment fell again and again driving her passed any hope of dignity.

His heavy palm swept from below walloping the lowest part of her cheeks and the tender joint between them and her thighs.

"Owww! I'm s—sorry!"

He turned his hand and immediately brought it down like a crash of thunder across her upper right cheek.

"I—I'll be g-g-good—Ow-ow!—Ouch!—Please!" she pleaded through a torrent of painful cracks covering her left and right cheeks.

Finally when Koneko thought she couldn't stand to watch anymore, Issei's hand seemed to fall in slow motion. When it met her tender skin, there was no explosive cry of pain, no gunshot echo. He was caressing her sore cheeks. She sighed in relief. She couldn't wait for Issei to comfort the poor girl.

Akeno wept freely.

Issei's hand moved to her back gently rubbing helping to console her. After several moments, he lifted her gently to a sitting position on his knee and hugged her holding her loosely to his chest. Her arms slipped around his neck, and she drowned his shirt in her tears.

Koneko noted with surprise that Issei wasn't praising her for being strong. Or telling her all was forgiven. She felt sad for Akeno. Those words had given her strength and closure while he comforted her.

Issei continued to rub her back and hold her until Akeno's sobs had quieted.

"Is lying to me ever okay?" He asked her gently.

"N-no… master." She replied quickly in a whisper.

"Master?" Koneko wondered.

"Are you ever going to lie to me again?" He insisted.

Akeno felt like a scolded toddler as she repeated, "No, sir. I'll be good."

Issei nodded his approval and kissed the top of her head.

"Good girl." He praised her. "You've done very well so far."

Koneko and Akeno's ears perked up at the words 'so far.'

Akeno pulled back from him searching his eyes.

"That was for lying to me this morning, dear. For that, you are now forgiven."

Akeno gulped at the implications.

Koneko froze as she reached the same realization. Her punishment for what she did to me hasn't even started yet!

Fresh tears bubbled up in Akeno's eyes. She leaned forward and despondently hugged Issei.

"I'll be…be good." She promised desperately.