18 18

'Note to self. Doors have locks for a reason,' I scold myself.

"Did you know I could hear her two hallways over?" the velvet voice of Chisato says.

'Note to self number two. Learn that goddamned silencing ward, stat.'

I look at the still slightly spasming Shizuka and sigh. She's catatonic and of no help.

Sigh. "I won't say, 'this isn't what it looks like,' because it totally is, but believe it or not, I didn't come here expecting this. I actually came here to see you, Miss Hasegawa."

"Funny, but I don't think our relationship has advanced to this stage yet."

"And I'm very aware of that, which is why I only came with some cupcakes I baked. I offered one to Miss Marikawa while we awaited your return, and this is the result. I had no intention of this happening."

"You may wish to take your finger out of her asshole when saying that, Mr. Toujou," a hint of sarcasm tinges Chisato's dulcet tones.

"She has a shockingly strong grip; it may take a moment," I say. I know I have super strength, but I'm loathed to damage such a perfect ass. Especially since I want to keep it, even if she's not super useful in a supernatural sense, but I can fix that over time.

As I remove my finger from the sexy blonde's derriere, she moans softly. I manage to lift her into a princess carry and lay her on one of the beds. I rebutton her shirt and straighten her skirt, Chisato watching me the whole time. I brush a strand of hair out of her face, a silly satisfied smile on it. My abilities must have been working overtime on her, or maybe because she's a normal human and doesn't have any resistance to supernatural abilities.

I walked over to the sink to wash up. I look in the mirror over the sink as I scrub my hands and see Chisato looking at one of the cupcakes. "They are quite good, and I swear I didn't put anything in them. Other than ganache, that is. I've seen people have strong reactions, but Miss Marikawa's was the most intense I'd ever seen... or experienced," I say, mumbling the last as I dry my hands.

I dry my hands on a towel and walk back over to Chisato. She's sniffing a cupcake as though trying to detect what's in it. I pick one up. "They're perfectly safe," I say and take a bite and swallow. "See?"

I can feel a warm rush of energy spreading out through my body. It's pleasant, and I feel a little refreshed, but it's not really like a stimulant, though. It just leaves me with a pleasant feeling. Chisato looks at me and frowns slightly. "And where did you get these?"

"I made them this afternoon, in the Cooking Club."

She focused on the cupcake a moment and then took a bite. Her focused look becomes one of surprise. "Amazing!" she says.

"I'm glad you like them. They're to thank you for taking care of Mio the other day and for the good advice. I really appreciate it."

She grins. "You really care about Miss Naruse, don't you."

"Of course. Mio is a good person, if a bit of a tsundere, and she hasn't had it easy recently. She's had to deal with some harsh realities and cope with some significant changes in her life. If I can help her through it and be a pillar of support for her, why wouldn't I?"

"She's lucky then."

"Well... I'd like to think I would treat all my friends and allies well. The same would go for you, Miss Hasegawa. There isn't anything I've done for Mio that I wouldn't be willing to do for you."

'For, with, or to, for that matter,' I think.

"If you ever need me for anything, don't hesitate to ask."

She looks at me for a moment, and then her grin broadens into a smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Toujou," she says. She glances over to Shizuka and then back to me. "What are you going to do about Miss Marikawa?"

I shrug. "Far be it from me to deny a sincere expression of one's feelings, but I also know that she may have reservations... considering. I'll let her decide how she wants to deal with this." Pfft. Like hell, I would.

"Pfft. Like hell, you will," she says. My eyes widen. I'm not shocked that she realizes it, but that she read it the same way I did. Maybe it's because of what she is.

I chuckle. "Well, I guess I can't fool you. You're right. She started it, but now that I've got her, I'm not going to let her go."

"And the others?" she asks. "Mio and the other one from your class."

My face settles into a smirk. "Yuki. Well, I'll say this. I won't ignore someone's feelings, and I'll do my best to answer them. If you're mine, body, and soul, I'll hold on to you," I say. Dropping the smirk, I look to Chisato. "Forever."

"I suppose it's not like harems are a foreign concept in this world, but you're starting a little early. Keep going like this, and your harem may become enormous."

"Hmm... Maybe I'll be the new Harem King then."

She sarcastically drops into a curtsy. "Your majesty."

"It's good to be the king."

We share a laugh at that, but only to maintain the pretense. I'll be visiting the nurses' office more often, I think. I wonder how Maria and Shizuka will get along?

.

.

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I finally arrive back home and kick off my shoes at the door. "Mio. Maria. I'm home."

Maria's head pops around the corner. "Welcome back, big brother. Did you miss me?"

"Of course. I always want to be around my cute little sisters. Where's Mio?"

Maria gets a pensive look. "She's in the other room, but she seems a little off. Did something happen at school today?"

"Is she angry?" I hope she's not still holding on to that from this morning.

"No. More like depressed. Were you flirting with more girls this morning?"

"I was making allies."

"Were they pretty?"

"Very."

"Powerful?"

"They have potential. Do you think Mio's feeling inadequate?"

"Probably."

"I'll talk to her," I say and start towards the living room. As I pass Maria, I hand her a box of cupcakes. "By the way, I made cupcakes today. Maybe we can have some after dinner."

Maria takes the box but has a funny look on her face. She starts sniffing and comes closer to me. Eventually going so far as to sniff my crotch like an over-excited dog. "Uh- Maria? What are you doing? Do I need to get a leash for you?"

"Maybe later. You smell like the love juices of a woman... and vaguely like a cat?" she says with a questioning lilt at the end.

"Ah. Yeah, is it really noticeable? Will Mio smell it too?"

She shrugs.

"Alright. I'll change really quick and come back down," I say. "Tomorrow, Rias and her peerage are coming over for dinner to meet the two of you. I'm going to cook for all of us. Before that, there are things we should talk about. I want to minimize the surprises for Mio and you."

"Is it bad?"

"No, but there is nuance to it, and I don't want misunderstandings. I expect Mio to be upset by it. So, I'll try to explain it in a way that quells any misgivings. I'm destined to fail this, but I'll stubbornly try anyway."

"It involves another girl, doesn't it?"

"Several. They're our best chance to keep us safe. Think you can help me smooth it over?"

Maria looked a little concerned. "You aren't going to abandon us, are you?" she asked.

"You know the answer to that, or else the curse would have activated," I say, rolling my eyes at her.

She breaks out the puppy eyes. I love and hate the puppy eyes. "It's still nice to hear it once in a while, big brother."

Sigh. I lean over and take Maria's face in my hands. I brush my thumb over her pink lips. "Maria. I will never abandon you or Mio. No matter who stands with us or against us. I will fight to keep you safe and happy. I dream of us spending our days in bliss and our nights in ecstasy. I adore my cute little sisters."

I notice the Master-Servant brand around her neck activate and flare a deep violet, different from the hot pink of the curse. If I remember right, this is the bond advancing, showing the trust she has in me. That reminds me of something that I need to do. I smile gently and pull her into a brief hug.

I pull away after a second. "Now, let me go change."

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Pulling a shirt on, I enter the living room where Mio and Maria are talking, or I suppose they were talking until I came in and suddenly went silent. I flash a grin, and for some reason, Mio's cheeks turn pink. I'm guessing Maria had been suggesting her own creative brand of group bonding. I really missed out in my last life not having a succubus wingman.

"Sorry to interrupt. Do you two need some more time?" I ask.

"Nope," Maria says, a lascivious grin stretching across her face. "We were just discus-"

"Maria!" Mio interrupts.

"Pfft. Well, is it okay if we talk for a few minutes? I want to clear some things up and make sure we're all okay and on the same page."

They both sit a little straighter. They look eager, like they've been hoping for this conversation. Sigh. "I guess I should have done this earlier. Sorry, you two. I got a little wrapped up in my own little machinations, trying to figure out ways to make us stronger and safer, and I didn't consider your feelings very well. So, for that, I apologize."

"It's okay, big brother," Maria says. "We trust you."

I see Mio's fingers clench at that. You might trust me, but Mio is still scared and doesn't know where she stands.

"Mio," I say, and she jerks a little. "How do you feel?"

"I feel..." she says hesitantly.

"Scared? Nervous? Angry? All of the above?" Her shoulders sink a little, and her head hangs so we can't see her eyes. "Useless?"

A tear slides down her cheek. "You're not," I say. She looks up her nose and eyes pink and the question plain as day on her face. "Mio, before all this happened, you were a normal high school girl with a loving family. It's been just over six months since that was all stripped away, and you've been on the run the entire time."

Maria nods along with me. Mio brushes the tear from her cheek. I make fun of Mio for pretending to be a princess, but she really has had a ton of shit dropped on her in a short amount of time. Murdered foster parents, magic, demon lords... sexual awakenings. "Honestly," I chuckle. "I'm incredibly proud of how well you've stood up to this. You have strength in you, Mio. It's one of the reasons I wanted to help you so much."

"We each have our strengths, but there are only three of us right now. No matter how strong we are, there are a lot of forces aligned against us. We need allies. It's that old adage about how a single stick will break where a bundle will endure. We need them for many reasons.

Maria's taught you the basics of magic, but she's a fighter, not a mage. My first goal is to get people who could teach you more about your magic. I want you to be able to protect yourself and the people you care about. Once you have enough control, you'll be able to suppress your aura, and demon beasts won't be as attracted to you, and we can get the hero clan off our back.

Until that happens, we also need more help to keep the demon beasts attracted to you away from the local population. Allying with Rias Gremory and her peerage gets us both of these and a lot more. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. We'll inherit some of their problems, but they'll help us with ours as well. Manpower is a big problem for us. Having four- technically five more people having our backs will help."

"What sort of problem of theirs will we inherit?" Maria asks.

"Well, some of the same we have, actually. They are short on people as well. Hell, originally, Rias was only interested in me because she thought she might be able to recruit me into her peerage."

"I don't get this whole 'peerage' thing; what is it?" Mio asks.

"Short and dirty version. Devils have a low birth rate, and after the last war, their population was hitting a dangerously low level. They created mystical artifacts that allow powerful devils to empower subordinates and also resurrect non-devils into devils. These are called Evil Pieces, and they look like chess pieces. Each piece grants a different benefit to the devil that is imbued with the piece. Rias is the king of her peerage, and the others are her subordinates."

"Are there any controls for the king in these pieces, like with the Master-Servant Pact?" Maria asks.

"I'm not sure. There are some secrets that no one really knows about them except maybe their creator, but he thinks it's more interesting to let people figure it out. I can tell you that some rebel against their 'masters,' though, so if they do have controls, they're not as tight as the Master-Servant Pact."

"Can you tell us about them?" Maria asks.

"Rias's queen piece, Akeno, is an elemental magic-user. I've asked her to help Mio improve her magic. She's quite talented, and her queen piece grants an overall boost and incorporates the benefits of the rook, bishop, and knight pieces," I say. I look over at Mio. "I'll tell you this now; she's going to be tough on you. She can come off as very nice but make no mistake, that girl has a sadistic streak. Maria loves you and wants to protect you, so she's always held back a little. Akeno doesn't know you yet; she only knows that you're new to this and assumes you're weak. You're not, so you have to be ready to show her that."

I hold Mio's gaze for a moment before she nods. Refocusing on Maria, I say, "There is someone for each of us to train with as well, Maria. Kiba is Rias's knight and sacred gear user who'll be able to help me with my swordsmanship, and Koneko is a rook and has a similar fighting style to you. Rooks have a boosted strength and defense, so she should be a good match for you. It should all be helpful to both sides."

"So, I interrupted when you were explaining the problems of theirs that we're supposed to help them with," Mio says.

"The most immediate problems are that Rias's peerage is incomplete. I'm planning on helping her to recruit a few more. I have ideas for another knight and a bishop piece. I've also warned them about an upcoming threat already, so they should be preparing for that, but we'll likely have to get involved as well."

I sigh in my head. I know the next part is going to piss Mio off. She'll get mad, and she won't acknowledge why. "The other major event is that Rias has been betrothed by her family to a giant douche against her will. That giant douche happens to be a member of the family that took a grab at Mio when we first met..."

I debate my words. "Because this is technically an internal matter, it would be difficult for us to intervene on her behalf with only an alliance between us," I say. Mio is obviously not fully following the train of thought, but Maria's realization is beyond the dawning stage. "Her best bet to win her freedom is to challenge the douche to what is called a Rating Game. It's basically a mock battle with safety nets built in between peerages. It's used as a contest and a way to settle disputes."

"Okay, so we're going to help her peerage get stronger so she can beat the creep?" Mio asks.

"If only it were that simple. As I said, Rias's peerage is incomplete and wouldn't normally even be allowed to compete, especially since her entire peerage is still considered minors as far as devils are concerned."

"Wait. They're kids?"

"What? No. They're around our age, but in devil society, the age of majority is twenty-one. Regardless, even if we trained with them, even if I could help her fill her remaining slots, it is doubtful that they would be a match for the Riser peerage alone. Anyway, I want a shot at them to see if I can find out about why they're interested in you, Mio."

"So, how do we get in the fight?" she asks.

"Normally, we couldn't, but if Rias and I have a 'common cause,' we may be able to petition for our two 'peerages' to work together for the game," I say with liberal use of finger quotes.

"So, what's our common cause, other than wanting to beat up a creep?"

Maria has been silent this whole time and is just grinning like a demon at me. Appropriate since she is one. "Rias and I will claim competing interests since herandIareengaged..." I say rapidly while looking away.

Mio blinks, and Maria covers her mouth, trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Mio asks, a dangerous look in her eye.

I sigh. "It's just on paper and just to help her get through this problem, but Rias and I are... technically, engaged."

"What!" Mio shouts, leaping to her feet. "Y-You can't marry her! You don't even know her!"

"Hahaha. Oh, I hope we get an invitation to the wedding!" Maria chortles. Now, you've done it, little girl. I'm nipping this shit show in the bud.

I stand up, pumping every drop of seriousness and intent that the Mask of Thespis can grant me, and glare at the two of them. "Oh, you'll get an invitation, alright. In fact, you'll both be in the wedding party... as brides." That shut them up. Dumbfounded shock is their only expression. "Did you two really think that with how much I care about you that I would stand to be separated from you? That I'd let you go? What's the vow? 'Til death do us part? Well, 'Death' had better be prepared for an all-out war if they think they can keep me from you."

I could see Maria's pulse in her eyes. She was stunned and processing slowly. Mio, you could knock over with a feather. I had expected Mio to flat-out reject it with her trademark princess routine, and I thought Maria still had a ways to go before she understood that she is worthy of being loved even. Had I pushed them further than I thought I did? Do anime girls fall in love too fast?

I had considered making a smart-ass comment here, but I suddenly thought that would be in poor taste. I had wanted to mess with them a little, but seeing their reaction, I no longer had that thought. Don't get me wrong; I'm a long way from marrying anyone. I had always included these two in any plans for the future, but I really thought they wouldn't be this far along that route yet.

We stared at each other for a moment, and I decided I needed to break the tension as I open my mouth to say... something, "Ding dong!" the doorbell rings.

I roll my eyes. "What the hell!? Another cliffhanger? Didn't we just do one recently?"