Bab 13: Interlude
I felt her realize the same thing that I had—that Master was broken, and that he could not be fixed. Silent tears traced down her cheeks as she cried.
Master carried Ruby over to me, and soon we were both crying. Master used out new Bond to console us with comforting emotions, stroking our heads and murmuring in a soothing tone.
I leaned into his hand, sniffling softly.
After we had calmed, Master left to clean up in the boy's bathroom. I decided to use this time to get to know my new Soulmate.
Ruby spoke before I could, picking me up and setting me on her lap. "I don't think you understood what you were doing when you first accepted his Claim."
"And you did?" I challenged, my tail lashing in irritation.
She snorted. "Please. I knew exactly what I was getting into. But when I was faced with Millicas's offer, I made a decision. I would rather be in slavery to a power I knew than be trapped for eternity, or risk my life to an unknown."
I blinked. "What? Why?"
"Spite, mostly. My Pride hated my imprisonment, and the weaklings who did it to me. But also, because it prevented me from getting my vengeance on Albion."
She hesitated, then sighed. "In truth, accepting Millicas's Claim was an emotional decision. My grudge against Albion took my life, my family, and my friends. I refused to allow him to take my future, too. I realized when I saw his aura that Millicas would be the kind of person to prevent such a grudge from taking anything more from me, so I chose to stand by him."-
I nodded slowly. "All right, then. How is this going to work?"
"This… what?" She asked.
"Relationship. This relationship." I clarified, berating myself.
She blinked. "I assumed that we would be sharing Millicas."
I frowned. "Share?"
She looked embarrassed. "W-well, at least that's how it works in the Dragon culture. A powerful Dragon would fight multiple females into submission with the intent to Claim them."
I tilted my head. "But Master would never hurt me."
She nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. He didn't fight me, either. But that's not the point. What I'm saying is, powerful Dragons are known to Claim many Mates to satisfy their urges."
"And what about the Claimed? What happened to them?"
"Well, either they would fight for dominance, or… um…" She flushed. "W-well, we do share every feeling, so they started to fall for each other."
I frowned, my Gluttony giving a vague twinge. "What do you mean?"
Ruby began explaining the intricacies behind intra-personal Bonds. I was mostly ignoring her, instead focusing on the warmth that filled me as Ruby spoke. I leaned over to kiss her, hoping that the feeling would get better… and it did, swelling inside and making me feel utter bliss. -Like the world could end, right then, and I would have no regrets.- Then the kiss broke, and the feeling faded, leaving me empty.
"Wh-what?" Ruby squeaked, her face bright red.
I smiled. "Okay. I think I understand, now."
A knock at the door discouraged any further conversation. A loud squeak came Ruby, accompanied a spike of embarrassment through our fledgling Bond. She set me on the bed, rushing to brush out all the wrinkles of her dress. A moment later, the door was opened. A flustered Ruby stuck her cloaked head through the door. "O-okay. W-we're ready!"
After breakfast, Master took us to the edge of the Sea of Red. I suspected he wanted to show off, but I wasn't certain. I blinked. 'Right. Soul-Bond. I can just check.'
I pressed my mind against his, listening in. Sure enough, he was trying to show off. I blinked as a wisp of thought caught my attention. {Yep. I'm a Greed. This... is going to take some getting used to.}
'…He's a Greed, too? I'm probably a part of his hoard, then. Hmm… -sounds good to me…-' I stifled a purr at the thought of the kind of attention a Greed would give me…
I was yanked from my thoughts by Ruby's gasp of shock. "That's the actual Tree of Knowledge!"
Master sighed. "You were in there this morning, and you just now noticed?"
She turned to stare at him. "Wait. You can Teleport into God's own treasury? How did you get past the defenses?"
He grinned. "Like this." I raised his arm, and the Sea parted, leaving dry land behind.
I giggled slightly at the shock flowing through the bond. "H-how?" She spluttered in shock, "The Tree of Knowledge is supposed to be guarded by an insurmountable force, and no less than a god-level spell would qualify. How the hell are you doing that?"
"Oh, this?" A large hand formed out of the water, waving at Ruby. "I cast the spell in the first place, silly. And I don't know about god-class, because I've seen some pretty wimpy gods. I just call this kind of spell 'World-Class'."
I felt proud of my Master as Ruby gaped at him. "'This kind of spell'? As in, you have more than one?"
Master nodded, radiating smugness. "Three complete spells, and a fourth in progress. But if it makes you feel any better, this," He gestured to the sea, "took out my magical core and Circuits for just under a month."
She stared for a few seconds more, then turned away, grumbling about overpowered redheads. She apparently didn't see the irony in her words.
Master and I started walking down the path I had made, prompting Ruby to yelp and run after as the path began closing behind us. Once we were far enough, the water closed above our heads, as well, creating an underwater bubble. We walked until we reached the entrance under the 'roots', and then we rose.
Once we were in the Library, Master turned and pointed to a bag of cookies laying on the floor near the Gate seal. "See? There's your bag of cookies from this morning."
She immediately rushed over and grabbed them, sho-ving one into her mouth. Master raised an eyebrow, a mental spike of irritation drawing my attention. "You wouldn't happen to love strawberries, would you?"
She made a face. "Eew, no. Bananas are much better."
Master froze, radiating despair. {Fuck you, Adonai. Fuck. You.}
"Especially that banana pudding that a nice maid made me, that stuff was great."
Master turned away and began forming a Gate. "Wait here, I'll be back soon. Shirone, would you mind teaching her how to Gate while I'm gone?"
I shook my head. He smiled. "Thanks, Shirone."
Without further ado, he stepped through the Gate.
I turned to Ruby, smiling slightly. "You took snuggle time with Master away this morning."
She froze. "…Mercy?" She asked weakly.
I just smiled wider. "Don't worry. I'll just snuggle with you, instead. You can multitask, right?"
Fifteen minutes later, Master returned, introducing us to a boy named Issei. He briefly explained the three Factions, and I was promptly alerted to Issei's motivations. "I could have a Harem?"
Master sighed. "Yes, you could. Being a Devil also allows you to become mostly immortal, which means you can enjoy your girls as young and beautiful as they are for the rest of your life."
I blinked. That did not make sense with Master's character. 'It must've been a joke.' I realized.
Of course, Ruby hadn't known Master long enough to know that, so she took his words at face value. {WHAT are you DOING?} She sent, her eyebrow twitching.
{I taught him how to troll people, and turned him into a career troll. His method is acting like he's 'obsessed with Oppai and wants to become Harem King'.} Master sent in reply. {Trust me, I would never allow anyone that perverted to be anywhere near the two of you.}
Apparently realizing what he had said, he paused. {Holy shit, that 'second Sin' thing is intense. Sorry about that.}
I blinked. 'Ah, right. He's a Greed now.'
Much to my amusement, Ruby was most definitely not offended by the possessiveness lacing his voice. She 'meeped' and spent the next few minutes hiding her face under her hood in embarrassment.
Master just sighed, and returned to his conversation with Issei. "I'm sorry, Issei, but you're going to have to find a different Devil to turn you. I believe that one troll per Peerage is the upper limit. If you want to join a Peerage, I'd suggest just staying in Kuoh Town until high school. When a Devil visits town, act normal, but allow just enough power out to catch their eye."
He nodded. Master finished with, "…Then find one of their Contract fliers, and allow some other Faction, like the Angels or a Fallen Angels, to kill you. If you use the flyer to summon the Devil you baited, they'll show up and revive you with a Piece. Of course, I can give you a Timed Heal gem to save you if the Devil doesn't show up."
Issei blinked. "I have to die?"
Master nodded once. "The simplest way to trick a Devil is to make them think that they're getting more than they're giving."
Issei nodded slowly. "…Okay. Good to know."
There was a pause, broken by Ruby. She sighed, standing up and brushing off her ruffled skirt. I followed suit with my drab summer dress. "So… where are we training?" She asked.
Master grinned evilly. He reached into his waist pouch, pulling out four identical doorknobs. "Here, everyone take one."
Once we had all done so, Master continued his explanation. "There are two halves of the knob, each painted a different color. The groove painted green is full of Nature Chakra, and the groove painted yellow is Modified Gravity. Don't use the yellow one until you can stand at least fifty times earth's gravity, otherwise you'll probably explode or something."
I immediately called bullshit, so I checked the bond. Sure enough, he wasn't serious in the slightest. The Gravity world was set to safe levels by default.
"To use them, place them on a vertical surface with one of the sides facing up, and twist. For now, let's go for the Nature one." I walked over to a nearby wall, and demonstrated.
We walked into a large deciduous forest with a clearing in the center. In the center of the clearing was one enormous oak that dwarfed all the rest, easily topping eighty feet. A small creek encircled the base of the oak, burbling merrily.
Master turned to us and gave us an evil smile. "You know, I never formally said this before, but WELCOME TO HELL."
Over the course of the next six months, we fell into a routine. We would use our Doorknobs to enter our rooms of choice, train until lunch, talk for a while, then continue training until dinner. We advanced quickly, each in our own field. Master in his varied skills, Issei in his Touki, I in my Senjutsu, and Ruby in her scythe mastery.
I knew it couldn't last forever, and I was right. Soon enough, Grayfia decided that we should be given lessons for surviving high society. Ruby and I hated them. Since we were preoccupied, Master and Issei eventually found someone else to hang out with after dinner.
Today in particular, Master had gone out trolling with Riser and Issei. I felt his random spikes of amusement through the link as Grayfia droned on about table seating and flower arrangement.
Near the end of the night, I noticed a spike of concern over the link. I immediately checked to make sure he was all right, which he assured me he was. He explained how Ravel Phenex had been kidnapped a month prior, much to my alarm. {Didn't you give her a Guardian configuration, though?} I sent, sharing his concern.
He 'nodded'. {Riser said that she never takes it off.}
I shared an amused look with Ruby. "Clueless idiot." She agreed fondly.
{Where are you now?} I sent.
He seemed embarrassed. {I'm… uh… lost.}
{Don't worry, then. Ruby and I will be fine by ourselves.} I sent back, giggling.
I turned back to Ruby. "Girl's night, then?" I asked.
She nodded. "Works for me. Card games?"
I shrugged. "Sure. Let's go to the sitting room."
She gave me an amused look, charging a transportation circle. "I'm slightly disturbed by your level of obsession with Millicas."
I frowned, stepping out of the circle and curling into one of the recliners. "I love him. Is that so wrong?"
"You sit in his chair and steal his shirts so that you can breathe his scent." She deadpanned, gesturing at my position on Master's recliner.
I flushed. "I miss him…" I murmured bashfully. "I can't sleep without his scent comforting me."
She sighed. "I get it, it's just…" She looked uncomfortable. "Isn't that a bit unhealthy?"
I tilted my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Her shoulders slumped. "He's slowly breaking us, even if he doesn't mean to."
I blinked. "What?"
"We're in contact with his Distortion 24/7 now. Even that is enough to make us less than sane, but added to our personalities? Shirone, you're almost completely broken."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "Explain."
She sighed. "Only if you promise not to hold it against me."
"I would never."
She grimaced. "All right. What would happen if Millicas died?"
I froze. 'Master… dying? Nonononononono. Then I'd be alone, and Home would be gone again, and Master…' I recalled all the little things I couldn't live without. The soft smiles whenever our eyes met. Him ruffling my hair whenever I got a question right. His way of absently stroking my head whenever he was concentrating on something. I shuddered. 'No. Master can't die.'
Ruby noticed my vacant stare and sighed. "That's why I told Millicas we'd die if the Claim was ever broken. The reason that Claiming is so final even for a free race like the Dragons is that your lover becomes your life. If Millicas ever died, we'd resort to extreme measures."
She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I'd probably sacrifice my life killing whatever bastard killed Millicas, and you'd…"
She hesitated. She didn't have to finish the sentence. We both knew I would have very little to live for if Master died.
I sighed. "Is that such a bad thing, though?"
She leveled an even look at me. "Think. How Is Millicas most likely to die?"
'Protecting us.' I realized with a start. 'But… even if I survived…'
Ruby sighed again. "See? Broken. You literally cannot live without him. I'd give it a week, tops, before your mind shatters."
I flinched, drawing away from her. As much as I hated to admit it, she was completely right. "And what about you?" I whispered.
She gritted her teeth. "If this were my old life, I would feel nothing for him. But… as… it is…" She hesitated. "I'm not the Red Dragon Empress anymore. I'm just a little girl who's discovering what 'love' is. Truth be told, I would probably lose all the sanity I have left. I threw my lot in with him, tied my future to his. I've never felt more alive. But, to have all that taken away from me, I would snap like a brittle twig. I would create an ocean of blood in my wake, not caring who I killed as long as I got to whoever killed him."
She paused. "To give one a taste of the fullness of life, only to tear it away… it is the cruelest thing you can do to someone, especially an immortal."
I simply nodded. We sat in silence for a while, before Ruby pulled a deck of cards out of her cloak. "Look at us. We've forgotten why we're here! Now, what game?"
We played several games of war until late that night, when Master finally wandered back to his room. We were in the middle of a game, so we decided to finish before going back to the room.
Or, that is, until we felt Master's spike of panic and his ))Thought Acceleration(( activate. I dropped my cards and shot to my feet. I rushed back to our room, Ruby running ahead. By the time we got there, Master had already left. We sat on the bed, waiting for him to contact us.
Moments later, I felt Master's soul shift, signifying the use of his Reality Marble. Ruby and I exchanged panicked glances. We were calmed by a mental nudge several seconds later. He sent over his memories of the situation, which had apparently grown far beyond a few events. I mean honestly, an Evil Piece extraction? The things Master got himself into…
{Well? What do you think?} He asked, sounding concerned.
{Go for it.} Ruby responded immediately. {You've more than proven that you can handle two girls, so I doubt a third will be too much more taxing.}
{No more than ten.} I quickly sent.
He snorted. {You'd have to move heaven and earth to get me to take on more than five. Any more than that, and I'd stop being able to give you each the time you deserve.}
I smiled in approval. 'Good.'
A few seconds later, the Bond flared to life.
I don't believe in them, but, somewhere, there are gods. Hiding inside of their own heads, using all of their might trying to stop their own eardrums from pounding out the sound of your name.
I saw Gilgamesh as a young girl, learning to fight. She ducked and wove, her hair leaving golden trails in her wake.
You are lightning trying to tame thunder, leaving split second scars against the sky, as if you were breaking the skin of something that won't die.
I watched Ravel training her magic. She wasn't the best at it, but she refused to give in, standing time and time again to try once more.
My first instinct, is the same as my second. I fight my instinct long enough to realize that I won't win. I give in, surrendering to an impulse, somewhat believing that my imprisonment will not involve torture, if I can confess everything I know.
Gilgamesh stared at her kingdom, her treasury full of all the world's riches, yet felt empty.
I know… nothing.
Ravel stared as her brother Ruval effortlessly outpaced her hardest efforts, gaining the praise she so desired, yet lacked.
I bring an emptiness to your need, like a dog laying a skeleton at your feet, bone by bone. I lay stone all around you in a circle, as if any moment you will burst into flame and warm us long enough so that I can tell you my ghost story.
Gilgamesh stood before her people, yet for all their praise, believed none of it. She only wished for one honest voice, an anchor within the bedlam. After her only friend had passed, she had no one.
But part of me still haunts my memory. It throws chairs against my mirrored mind, cracking the reflections in which I once thought I would find answers.
Ravel, even though she was cared for, never felt loved, or safe. Until one day, when her brother brought home the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. "This is for you," he had told her, "Millicas made it himself to keep you safe."
So I sit before flowers hoping they will train me in the art of opening up. I stand on mountain tops believing that avalanches will teach me to let go.
A young King approached her throne, despair tinging his expression. "I wish to bargain," he said. And then, much as her only friend had done, he fought her the point of exhaustion, seeing her at her weakest, yet laughing it off in the thrill of a good fight.
I know nothing, but I am here… to learn.
They wished to know him, and so they would. And perhaps… they would find what they sought.
I blinked, but maintained my link with Master, trying to see the girl's reaction.
She squeaked and turned bright red. "Th-that was my first kiss…"
Ruby burst out laughing and sent {Don't feel too bad, the Fool got mine, too.}
"And mine." I said to no one in particular.
Master sighed looking at Ravel… Gilgamesh… her. "Look, can I just call you Gil? I'm tired of differentiating between the two of you when you're the same person, now."
She nodded shyly. "I-if you really want to that is. Consider it a favor from the King."
I blinked. That was absolutely adorable.
Master smirked, leaned over, and picked her up in a bridal carry. Sure enough, her face turned a deep red, to match her eyes. Smiling happily, he created a Gate back to our room and sat down on the bed with her on his lap. We quickly piled on as well. Poor Gil squeaked in embarrassment and buried her head in his chest.
I thought it was cute until my cheeks began burning from Gil's embarrassment. Master smirked at me. "W-why am I in your room?" Gil stammered, face still buried in his chest.
Master sighed, and began to explain what a Claim was.
One five-minute explanation later, and Gil was much calmer. "So, for the Soul-Bond to 'set' properly, I have to be in physical contact with you for the next eight to ten hours?"
He nodded. She sighed, nuzzling into his side and yawning. "This isn't too bad, I guess. Be glad, for you are able to share bed-space with one such as I!"
I checked the link, but thankfully she wasn't serious. Master was musing about how her arrogance was just something from Gilgamesh's personality that she unconsciously picked up. She was apparently just going through the motions at this point, 'old habits die hard' and all that. She was actually thrilled to be sharing a bed, like she had with her brother when she was young.
I smirked. 'I am so going to snuggle her.'
Master lifted Gil off of his lap and yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know about you girls, but I'd like a little sleep before we have to get up for breakfast."
He laid down on the bed, and I immediately climbed onto his chest. 'New girl has to pick her own spot. This one is mine.' I grumbled to myself.
I slowly drifted off to sleep.
I woke, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I turned to look at the blonde's sleeping form. Gil slowly woke, and she sat up. yawning and stretching.
I felt the singing in her mind, the desperation to experience that feeling again… and I moved. The next moment, I was kissing Gil, and the feeling was back, lighting up my mind with beautiful lights, making me feel wonderfully content. It sang through my soul, promising that everything would be okay.
I would do anything for that feeling, I decided, absolutely anything.
Master woke beneath me, and Ruby seemed to be telling him something. I didn't really care what it was, right now. I finally broke off the kiss, glowing with satisfaction. Gil seemed to be pure embarrassment at this point. "Y-y-you mongrel!" She squeaked. "You dare besmirch me with your lips? I, the King of Heroes? K-know your place, knave!"
"You enjoyed it!" I pointed out smugly.
"A-as if I would enjoy such a sub-par kiss!" She spluttered, bright red.
I pouted, turning to Ruby. "Does this mean I don't get another one?"
Ruby sighed. "Ask Millicas."
I turned the full power of my cuteness onto Master. "Can you please tell her to let me kiss her?"
He grimaced. "She loves a good competition. Try challenging her to a game."
Ruby smiled. "Winner gets to demand something of the loser?"
Gil grinned. "Very well. If I win, you must not bother me again… a-and you must acknowledge me as Millicas-sama's First Wife."
I gave her the tiniest of smirks. "If I win, I can do anything I want with you, whenever I want. And, I get to choose the design of your new Guardian configuration."
Gil twitched. "V-very well. Choose the competition, mongrel, so that I can prove myself superior!"
I pulled out a vellum scroll that I had pilfered from the writing desk moments earlier. "Sign."
Gil did so without question. I widened my smirk. "All right. We'll do something simple. So simple even a 'mongrel' like me can do it."
Gil nodded imperiously. "Very well. Speak."
I held up my arm. "Arm-wrestling. No restrictions."
She agreed, much to my hidden glee. We approached the desk, locking hands and waiting for our cue. "Begin."
I promptly used my Touki to smash her hand into the desk with no remorse at all.
I considered for a moment, before picturing the adorably tsundere girl in multiple different outfits. 'A choker like Ruby's? No. A red bow, to match her eyes? No… It should probably match her hair, so something gold.' I immediately pictured Gil with twin tails tied with black ribbon, a maid outfit, and a slave collar.
I turned to face Master, grinning triumphantly. "She'll be having a slave collar. A thick golden one, complete with a chain and obedience runes."
The poor boy choked in surprise. "E-excuse me!" Gil spluttered, "What?"
I smirked. "Your new Guardian configuration. It's going to be a slave collar."
"I never agreed to make that." Master pointed out desperately. Gil and I ignored him.
Gil coughed, flushing a brilliant red. "V-very well. Let it not be said that the King does not uphold her vows."
"Is anyone listening to me?" Master complained. There's no way I'm making something like that. I don't even know how you managed to convince me to make those." He made a vague gesture towards our configurations.
I smirked. 'And now for my trump card.' "If you don't, we'll revoke snuggle time."
He froze. "Fine. I'll do it. But remember, I'm only doing this because Gil is okay with it."
Ruby smiled softly. "We know. You would never make us do anything that we don't want to, unless it's for our own good."
Master smiled back, turning to Gil. "All right. Since I'm using Denial anyway, I might as well make you some new clothes. What do you want?"
She looked confused. "Denial? What's that?"
'Oh, this is going to be good.' Master smirked. "Oh, nothing. Just the Creation branch of the First Sorcery."
She froze. "Bullshit."
Ruby snickered. "Kingly bullshit?"
Master shot Ruby a look, before explaining. "No, I actually did master the First Sorcery. I just can't use it easily, or often."
She blinked, then sighed, her forehead creasing in thought. "I do not feel comfortable dressing like Gilgamesh, so I will wear…"
Master nodded. "Got it. Now, stay still." He closed his eyes.
A moment later, golden light surrounded Gil and solidified, revealing her in a purple dress and a golden collar. She squeaked, flushing and grabbing the collar. It was engraved with an elaborate labyrinthine design of black lines that snaked around the entire thing. I could see Gil's blush intensify when Master opened his eyes to look at her.
{No! Don't look! This is not befitting of a King!}
{Look at me! I'm yours, now, Millicas-sama!}
The two voices fought for dominance, confusing me slightly. Why were there two separate voices? No wonder Gil was so conflicted.
I blinked. '…Is she a dom or a sub? Because I think she's a sub. How does that make sense?'
I considered the memories of the two that I had… ahem… acquired from Master's mind. Apparently, Gilgamesh was apparently obsessed with superiority, while Ravel was happy to be useful… in any way possible.
I decided that I preferred a nice submissive to an annoying dominatrix.
Master interrupted my thoughts as he began to explain. "That collar is based off of Command Spells. It allows for absolute Commands, even at the expense of the laws of reality."
He pulled back his sleeve, exposing a golden chain around his wrist. A quick glance told me that Ruby and I had identical chains around ours. He held up his arm, and tiny red lines glowed on the chain.
"By order of Command Seal, appear by my side!" He called.
The black lines on the collar glowed red, and she vanished. An instant later, she appeared by his left side. Master turned deadly serious, looking each of us in the eye for a few seconds.
"This is NOT a toy, do you hear me? This is a dangerous magical device that is coded only to us, and with very good reason. This collar could be used to Command her to end her own life, and she would be forced to do so. You must both promise me that you will never Command Gil to do something that she wouldn't normally do, barring unique circumstances."
I nodded. '…You know, I think this thing could be fun.'
Master became cheerful once more. "Good! Now, let's get ready for breakfast!"
He left the room, closing the door behind him. I immediately turned to my new lover. She was still bright red and holding the collar. I grinned, walking up to her and grabbing the chain of the collar. I leaned over and whispered, "Would you like me to kiss you?"
{W-what? No! Never!}
{Yes, please!}
I suppressed the first voice once more, and leaned in to kiss her. She happily leaned into the kiss, allowing me to tug on her collar and humming happily as my Gluttony-induced feelings rushed through the link. {You'll be a good little sub, won't you, love?} I purred through the link.
{Y-yes mistress.} She answered, shivering from the sensations her words caused. {I-I'll do anything.}
{Good girl. Master will be pleased.} I smirked, breaking the kiss.
She hummed happily, snuggling into me. {Millicas-sama loves you very much, mistress. I can feel it.}
{Neither Gilgamesh or Ravel were ever in love, were they?}
{No, mistress. Ravel fell in love with the boy who cared for her safety enough to give her a priceless necklace, but she never knew him. Not really. Millicas-sama is the first one we've… I've… ever loved.}
{And me?}
{I love you too, mistress. Can you please kiss me again?} She pulled away, a pleading look in her red eyes. I was surprised by the change from her normally haughty personality.
I smiled. {Sure.}
{I feel like I'm watching two addicts share a needle.} Ruby deadpanned. {It's really kind of creepy. If Master weren't so absorbed in his own thoughts, he would have noticed it by now.}
I ignored her, leaning over to kiss Gil again. She reddened, but allowed me to pull her close again.
A moment later, Master opened up the door. He glanced at us, and sighed. "Try not to do that in front of my family."
A vibrantly blushing Gil pulled away, and coughed into her hand. I could feel 'Gilgamesh' retaking control. "Ahem. A-after due consideration, I have come to a conclusion. If I am to appear before your family as your Claimed, I must do so properly, so as to not shame you. It is my duty as King to teach you how to properly appear, especially if I am to become your lover."
He snorted. "You… don't know who my family is, do you?"
She nodded. "You are Millicas Gremory, are you not? I assume you are a branch member of the Gremory family in low standing, or at least judging by your secondhand items and clothes."
I deadpanned at the boy. 'You really should've seen that one coming.'
"What?" he grumbled, "There's no way I'm living in one of those echo chambers, and if I asked Mother for a lamp, she's probably buy me some millennia-old masterpiece I'm terrified to touch lest I break it. I'll keep my stuff, thanks."
Gil just looked confused. "Am I missing something?"
Master smirked. "Just wait. You'll get the joke eventually. Now, how would you like to be presented?"
She frowned. "Call me Ravel Phenex. If you explain the circumstances in which I was captured, as well as how you used logic to pinpoint my location, we could—"
"I'm gonna have to stop you there. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a guy who got lost." He interrupted, raising a hand to halt her words.
She looked irritated. "What do you mean, you don't know what I'm talking about? You just spent the past five minutes thinking about it!"
He shrugged. "My Dad lost track of me, so I got lost, and just so happened to find where you were. Right, Gil?"
She blinked. "I see. How unfortunate. I take it you are quite talented at 'getting lost'?"
He nodded. "All of my Peerage members so far have been found by me when I 'got lost'. Sometimes I even wind up in the middle of an active battlefield when I 'get lost'."
She smiled. "Of course. So, you got lost, found me in some strange building, somehow resurrected me with no knowledge of my heritage, and wandered back home?"
He smiled back 'innocently'. "I'm glad you remember." Walking over to the circle, he offered Gil his elbow. "Well, we might as well."
She gracefully walked over and wound one arm through crook of his elbow, ballroom style. I ignored societal norms, instead electing to jump onto Master's shoulders, wrapping my legs around his neck. Ruby just rolled her eyes and took Master's free hand, giggling at our antics.
I picked out a Danish pastry and sat on Master's lap.
"All right," He began, "so the only allies we have as of right now are under ten years old. While Thought Acceleration and special circumstances have made us mentally triple our age, the fact remains that no one listens to us. You'd have to be batshit crazy to listen to a bunch of little kids when they tell you that the world is ending…"
"…So, we find someone who's batshit crazy." Ruby finished, catching on.
"Exactly. In this case, Ajuka Beelzebub and possibly Azazel. We have three options when we go to them. First, we can explain to them how we've been training in secret, and show them what we can do. Second, we could appear in disguise and offer to work with them. Third, we could offer to work for them and then show them our disguises."
Gil looked confused. "Why would they care about our disguises?"
He pointed to Ruby. "She disguises herself as 'Ddraig's human form'." He pointed to me. "She disguises herself as a full-grown Nekoshou." He pointed at Gil. "You disguise yourself as Gilgamesh of Uruk, who's still alive because she found eternal youth."
"And you?" Gil asked.
Ruby began to grin. "Yeah, Millicas, who will you be?"
He froze. "He does not exist."
Gil just looked even more confused. "Who doesn't exist?"
"No one." He replied quickly.
I looked up at him, smirking. "Oh? Will we have to tell her, then, Master?"
He winced. "No. Please. He's dead to me."
Gil sighed. "Just tell me, already."
"…I'm… The Red Man." He admitted grudgingly.
She blinked. "What? You are?"
He nodded grudgingly. She gaped for a moment, and then burst into giggles.
"Y-you actually punched Falbium Asmodeus in the face for being too lazy!" She said through peals of laughter, "And stole Serafall Leviathan out from under the noses of the Old Satan Faction! A-and t-then—" She stopped talking as the giggles intensified.
"'I AM NOT A GOD, JUST A MAN TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD!'" Ruby shouted, laughing.
Master groaned. "Stop…"
I smirked. "'I am not a crook!'"
"In my defense, I did just get done accidentally breaking half a million dollars' worth of glass windows." He pointed out, sighing.
"You drop-kicked Tannin the Dragon King through a mountain!" Ruby called through giggles.
"WELL HE FUCKING DESERVED IT!" He shouted in irritation, his cheeks flushing slightly.
After the giggles died down, I considered the options. Finally, Gil spoke up. "I think we should do a reverse option three. We shall walk in with our disguises, introduce ourselves, and then drop them. By allowing them to see our power before our weakness, we'll be 'putting our best foot forward', as they say."
He nodded slowly. "That would make sense… but we'd need more than just our group. I'd like at least eight people, minimum. We could recruit Issei and Riser, but they should stay in disguise and wear masks. If this goes south, we don't want to drag their families in, too."
I blinked. "Aren't the bird and the pervert already in disguises? You showed them how to cast illusions in order to hide the results of their training, remember?"
He nodded. "Issei makes himself look like a skinny brunette, and Riser makes himself look like a sleazy blonde playboy. In their case, their real faces are their disguises. They just drop their normal disguises, make themselves look older, and presto! Instant disguise."
"Like I'm doing." I noted.
Ruby interrupted. "Wait, what does 'Ddraig's human form' even look like? I never bothered with one before."
Gil sighed. "Can someone please explain what she means by 'I' and 'before'?"
Master sighed, sending over the requested memories. As he did, I glanced through the memories I had 'acquired' from Master. I found some girl named 'Miia' that fit Ruby's intended character, and so I spoke up. "Try looking like this."
Master winced. "Are you trying to get Azazel killed? He'd perv on her in a heartbeat."
"Not if her big, scary Dragon fiancé is there to keep him away." I said, grinning.
He seemed to catch on, and he returned my grin. "I see. And I take it you'd like to have her 'big, scary Dragon fiancé' cop a feel himself, just so that you can feel it through the bond?"
I nodded. "I would indeed." 'See? He can be trained.'
"I'll do it…" He leaned over and whispered to me, his breath tickling my ear. "…but only if the fiancé has a pet cat, too." He sent me a picture of a young woman with blue eyes and straight silver hair that went well past her waist. She was clad in silver armor, and wore a purple-striped dress underneath. The image also featured my pet collar, with a purple leash fastened to the clip.
'Gaaah! No fair!' I mentally complained, my cheeks warming. 'I just got it under control, and then he goes and does that! Damn it, now I'm blushing again!'
I buried my face in his chest. "Pervert." I muttered, my cheeks still hot.
"Only for my girls." He replied warmly, stroking my hair.
I heard Gil cough into her hand from behind me. "I-if you two are finished, can you please return to topic? Your embarrassment is making me blush."
"Yes!" I shouted, startling everyone. "That's how it feels!"
Master snickered. "All right, Gil, sure. I believe we still need two more people for the plan to work, and I know just where to find them."
I smugly sat on Master's lap, a purple leash hooked to my collar.
{I was joking about the leash, you know. And I don't think it was very nice of you to make Gil show her collar, as well.} Master sent, seeming embarrassed.
{I'm a cat. I don't have to be nice. And you promised to grope Ruby if I did this.} I returned, imitating a smirk.
{And Gil?}
The 'smirk' intensified. {She did promise to let me do anything I wanted to her, and I wanted some eye candy before the show begins.}
He sighed, my breath tickling the back of my neck. {…Are you a Lust?}
I blinked. {Hell no! I'm a Glutton!}
{…Of what?}
My cheeks burned as I flushed bright red. {…My bondmates' attention…}
{…Huh. I wasn't expecting that. When did that start?}
I sent him several memories, giving him time to process them.
{I see.} He sent, an odd tone in his 'voice'.
He turned me sideways on his lap, lifting my chin and lowering his face to mine. As he kissed me, I felt the feeling come back, roaring through my mind and making me relax into Master's embrace. My mind slowly turned to mush, and I began to purr as he broke the kiss.
When I next came to, Master was stroking my head from atop a crystal throne. The throne was on a raised dais, with a staircase leading to the floor. To my right, Ruby stood in Ddraig form, her red scales flashing. To my left, Gilgamesh's graceful form sat on the arm of my throne, sipping from a glass of fine wine.
Gil stopped drinking for a moment, listening as Ajuka continued, "…should speed the process tremendously if you were to find some way to merge the two, yes?"
{Hey, Ruby, Gil said that I was a lover worthy of a King, right?} Master sent, his mind outlining his plan.
She grinned, exposing her sharp teeth. {She did indeed. Are you suggesting what I think you are?}
He shrugged. {It fits, doesn't it?}
Gil promptly turned a vibrant red. "W-what? A-as if I could take Pride in something so insignificant!"
I smirked. Oh? And if it's so insignificant, then why were you using the bond to listen in on their conversation? Were you jealous of Ruby for being the first person Master spoke to?"
"O-of course not!"
"Oh? Then what about your dream? Is not the First Wife the one who Millicas turns to first?"
Gil paused, and then coughed. "Well, yes…"
"And don't you have to be a lover before a wife?" I continued, smirk widening.
Gil considered this, then, blushing bright red, exclaimed "Very well! I shall become the best lover Millicas-sama can have!"
'Aaand, there's the sub I was expecting.' "And the rest of your bondmates?" I pushed.
The poor blonde King now resembled a tomato. "E-eh? I-I s-suppose…"
"Then, would you allow us to belong to anyone else?"
She paused, then burst out "O-of course not! As King, I cannot trust another with the care of my lovers!"
Master sighed. {Sneaky kitty… you just want her to want to kiss you.}
I flushed slightly, snuggling into Master's chest. {Attention feels better when they're willing…}
I returned to the conversation, my face still red. "…Then what's the problem? You wish to keep us safe and unharmed, as well as to be our lover. All you need to do now is to take Pride in it."
Ajuka sighed. "I feel as if I missed part of that conversation."
"Yeah, you did. We have a Soul-Bond. It was the cost of reviving her." Master replied sheepishly.
He nodded in understanding. "I see. Well then, I suppose you should return us to the real world once more. Miss Ravel, are you in need of a cover story?"
She shrugged, her blush fading. "I suppose. I don't know enough about the Pieces to make a convincing lie."
He smiled. "Well, then, why don't you tell the truth? After all, Millicas did use his soul to bring you back to life, did he not? And, as a result of this, you are in a Soul-Bond with him."
Gil nodded seriously. "I see. That is indeed what happened, and it would be dishonorable for a King to lie. My thanks, old Maou."
He nodded once, then turned to look out over the kingdom once more. "The Kingdom of Dreams, hmm? So, you would be the King of Dreams?"
Master nodded. "So I have been called by my subjects."
'Eeee! Master is so cool when he's like this!'
He turned back to Master, and bowed. "Well, then, the Lord of the Flies greets the King of Dreams. I do hope that our alliance will be a productive one. But now I wonder…" He smirked slightly. "Does any soul count, or only human souls?"
Master grinned. "Lucifer is a bitch, Beelzebub is a prick, Asmodeus is really annoying, and Leviathan is a baby. Oh, and God is totally a troll, he just prefers to make suggestions and let others troll themselves."
He paused. "…Excuse me?"
"You'll find out eventually. Just use that." I didn't know what that was, so I ignored the statement.
Ajuka sighed. "Very well. Now, how do you plan to bring us back?"
Master smiled. "Like this."
Colors shifted, blurring and moving positions. And then, the kingdom vanished, like it had never been there in the first place. Master was no longer a King on his throne, he was just a six-year-old boy with a white-haired Nekoshou on his lap.
Ajuka blinked. "Huh."
Master just smirked. "Thanks, Uncle Ajuka! Later!"
He lifted me onto his back and raced out of the room, holding Gil and Ruby by the hand. Rider barreled after us, laughing and dragging poor Minato along with.
The door slammed shut behind us, leaving the shell-shocked Ajuka behind.
Five minutes later, we were in Norway without the slightest clue how we got there. I sighed. 'I really should've seen this coming…'
I glared at Gil, who was sleeping in my spot. 'I knew helping her cute side take over was a bad idea. Now she's mooching all my snuggles!'
Ruby quietly reentered the room, closing the door behind her. She had appropriated several pillows, and she began using them to pad the head of the bed. Once she had finished, she picked me up and set me in the bed. She climbed in after me, and began snuggling me. I decided that Ruby-snuggles were the more pressing matter, and elected to ignore Gil for the moment. I was soon purring and burying my head in Ruby's budding chest.
I felt Master set Gil next to Ruby on the bed, before catching the tell-tale flash of a ))Requip(( taking place. He picked up Ruby and me, before snuggling us. I sighed in contentment, a purr rumbling in my chest.
Life was good.
I woke the next day to sunlight streaming through the window. "Shirone." Master whispered, pulling back the sheets. "Ruby. It's time for breakfast."
"M'not hungry." I groaned, reaching blindly for the sheets that had allowed passage to dreamland. "Giv'm back."
Ruby just yawned and grabbed me sleepily, happily cuddling me in lieu of the sheets.
I heard Master sigh. "Do I need to start kissing Gil?"
That caught my attention. "Kiss?"
He sighed again. "You'll just go back to sleep if I do."
"No I won't." I replied, looking up at him.
He brushed my hair out of my face and kissed me, my Gluttony-induced euphoria waking Ruby. I just allowed Master to keep kissing me.
I pouted as Master broke the kiss. Gil coughed into her hand. "Ahem. We should head to breakfast."
Ruby nodded furiously, her face still red from the kiss. "Yes. Breakfast. Breakfast is good."
She got out of bed and grabbed her cloak, pulling out one of the Requip gems. A second later, she stood in her normal outfit and was placing Crescent Rose beneath her cloak. I just yawned, still purring, and snuggled into Master. He sighed. "Shirone…"
I groaned and shook off the last of my bliss, allowing my mind to clear. I felt an ache where it had left, slowly growing and becoming slightly painful. I felt my head throb and my chest constrict, as I fought down a burst of nausea. -I need more. More.- More.
'No, bad girl. We need breakfast.'
-No. More. Need more.-
I remembered what Master had told me about dealing with the 'comedown', as he called it. Distract yourself. Don't chase the feeling. Take it easy.
I took a shaky step onto the floor and began changing, pulling off Master's baggy shirt and reaching for my regular shirt. I could feel Master eying my breasts as I did. "Pervert." I accused, lacking any acid to my voice. I was honestly fine with him looking, I was just giving him crap for it.
He just smiled, before getting ready himself. Once we were all done changing, we teleported into the Phenex family dining hall.
Riser appeared a minute later without his disguise on. He wore his typical blue uniform jacket and slacks, his boots polished and his white hair messily done. He smirked, seeing the lingering blushes of Gil and Ruby. "Did you have to kiss them awake?" He asked, before dodging a dozen assorted weapons. "What? Everyone knows how hard it is to wake them up, and it's not too hard to figure out how you manage it."
Master smiled. "You finally taking off the illusion?"
Riser scoffed. "Hell no. If they aren't able to see through the illusion or the act, then they aren't worth taking seriously."
Gil huffed. "I see that you still haven't matured very much."
He grinned. "Says the girl who gets pithy whenever I mention the size of your—"
He dodged again, laughing. Master sighed. "Don't worry, Gil. Even if Shirone and Ruby are bigger than you are now, doesn't mean they always will be."
She just glowered at him. "And how would you know that for sure?"
"Remember my 'vision' of the Red Dragon Emperor?" He sent an image of Ravel's older form, as well as a few images of her in hot springs. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Gil coughed, her cheeks flushing. "I-I see.
I turned to Master, tilting my head inquisitively. He sighed and sent an image and a set of numbers. 'B67-W57-H73? That's about 65A, right?' I frowned. "But I'm already bigger than that, and I'm still growing."
Master coughed, blushing. "I… may have had something to do with that."
I stared at him. 'He blushed? But that almost never happens.'
He sighed. "Look. Your future self was insecure about her height, so I gave you milk to help you grow. It didn't occur to me that it might have a different effect."
"She certainly grew, alright." Ruby muttered, glancing at her own modest-sized breasts. "How big is my adult form, again?"
Master sighed. "Image, or three sizes?"
"Both." Riser, Ruby, and I replied in unison, all for very different reasons.
Ruby, Gil and I promptly glared at Riser, who shrugged. "What? She's hot and cute now, so I know she's gonna be a bombshell when she's older. I'm a healthy teenaged male. Besides, I know she could shred me if I looked at her wrong."
Master smirked, giving him a thumbs-up. "Issei would approve."
Riser grinned back at him, a gleam in his eye. "Issei does approve. I figured out how to set up mental links, and he's just as curious as I am."
Master nodded in approval. "Good."
At our confused look, he shrugged. "What? I hoard you girls, do I not? What good is a hoard if you can't show it off to others? I might not have much, but I do have some Pride left in me."
Gil sighed. "So you're showing us off?"
He nodded. "Shamelessly. I'm going to do the same thing when we go to tonight's formal ball and party, too. I'm going to proudly kiss each and every one of you in front of the entire crowd. You're beautiful, and I want everyone to know that you're mine."
The girl flushed, sputtering in embarrassment. I smirked. "And what about that picture?"
"And the sizes?" Riser called.
He grinned, sending a mental image of Lilith Asami through the bond. Out loud, he called to Riser "Bust 89, Waist 55, Hips 89."
Riser whistled. "Nice. That's what, E, F cup?" He paused. "Correction, that's a 70H in Japan."
Master raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Riser shrugged. "Telepathic link with Issei, remember? Even if the whole thing is an elaborate trolling technique, he still knows his shit. He just fed the numbers into his friend Motohama and instantly got a size. In case you wanted to know, that's a 28G in America."
"Thank you for that." I replied drily. "My life is now complete. I know my fiancé's future bust size in three different measurements."
Ruby, still flushed, seemed to consider something for a moment. "Instantly, you say? As in, no time calculating? Can he do that with people, too?"
Riser paused, then nodded, grimacing. "He's called the 'Three Sizes Scouter', apparently."
Out of nowhere, Master added, "And his other friend is obsessed with the materials of girls' clothes. He can tell you, from a glance, the exact size and elasticity of any given girl's outfit. He can even mentally recreate the girl with different outfits on."
Now looking perfectly serious, Ruby turned to Riser and spoke in a commanding tone. "Tell them to open a dress or bra shop."
Riser looked confused. "What?"
"Good, cheap dressmakers are hard to come by. If one can measure without a tape and the other can design without a model, then they can easily start their own dressmaking business. They could even get famous. Imagine a dress shop where you can get measured instantly for free, and then can be sold the best possible dress for their figure. Bonus points since they can offer the dresses at cheaper prices."
Master raised an eyebrow. "They get to perv on girls, and get paid for it. Lovely."
She sighed and smacked him lightly. "Get over it, mister overprotective boyfriend. He won't be looking at us until he learns some professionalism."
Master snorted. "Them? Professional?"
"They'll quickly learn that the reputation of their shop decides the number of customers. If they want more customers, then they'll act professional. And they'll eventually learn that all girls have the same basic parts, and cease being so enthusiastic." She replied easily. Then, flushing, she continued. "B-by the time we need dresses, they should be fine."
Curious, I peeked into her thoughts and saw her planning our wedding… and our honeymoon…
I smiled. 'Mmmm… honeymoon…'
A moment later, a large magic circle blazed to life across the hall from us. From the circle stepped Lord and Lady Phenex. Lord Phenex wore a red suit and shoes, emphasizing his blue eyes. His wife wore a matching dress and white formal gloves. Their blonde hair was the same shade as their children's', glistening in the morning sun that leaked through the windows.
Lord Phenex spoke up first. "I take it you all have proper attire for Ravel's formal ball? We are going to be announcing her engagement today, you know."
I smirked, glancing at Gil's blushing face. 'Heh. Adorable.'
"I know. Your daughter hasn't stopped thinking about it since she found out." Master replied.
Lord Phenex nodded, sending Gil a glance filled with amused fondness. "I see. You know, if anyone else had said that, she would've lit them on fire."
Master nodded, still smirking. "She knows I can and will grab her and snuggle her wherever. If she did try to do that, I would just make sure to snuggle her until her embarrassment outshines her anger."
'I would join you.'
The man smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Good. Our daughter needs someone who can call her out on her antics. Just make sure that she's always that focused on you, and she'll be yours forever."
"Dad!" Gil squawked, scandalized.
He just laughed. Lady Phenex spoke up next, rolling her eyes at her husband's sense of humor. "Well, as long as you have formal wear, I can rest easy. You do all have some, yes?"
The girls and I all nodded. She smiled in satisfaction. "Good. The ball starts at four, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Now, let's eat."
I clung tightly to Master's side, scaring away the hussies with my sharp glare. Master sighed, leaning down and kissing me. I flushed, but welcomed the kiss. I quickly melted into the kiss, purring softly and cuddling close to his chest. Master eventually pulled away, and I sleepily allowed him to wrap my arms around me. 'Master… mmm…'
{…Your obsession gets more disturbing by the day.} Ruby deadpanned.
{What's the problem?}
{...Weren't you just plotting to kill several dozen people?}
I sighed. {I didn't actually kill anyone.}
{This time.} Ruby retorted.
I shrugged. {It's not the killing that's the problem, it's taking care of the bodies afterwards.}
{You've done some really disturbing things in order to 'please Master', you know.}
I bristled. {H-hey! I'm still the one he just kissed!}
She froze. {…Damn it, why am I so jealous?}
{You said it yourself. You're still a little girl who's never felt love before. Of course you feel jealous of me. But don't worry, you can kiss him all you want later.}
{At what cost?} She asked cautiously.
I grinned. {You have to help me with Gil.}
{'Help you'? How?}
{Well, all I want is to let her adorable sub side take over. That's all.}
She blinked. {…What's in it for me?}
I mentally shrugged. {I'm a masochist with a pet fetish. If she allows herself to become a sub, you're almost guaranteed the position of First Wife.}
{Why would you let me do that?} She asked in shock.
I flushed slightly. {U-um… pet fetish, remember?}
{Define 'pet' for me, then.}
{As a pet, I am myself, but my primary purpose is to serve as a source of pleasure and enjoyment for my Master. My own desires take a back-seat to anything that is preferred by my Master, but I can still express emotions that a submissive would not admit to.}
I 'sighed'. {When I am pet, such as when I am completely indulging my Gluttony, my emotions are simple. My happiness, sadness, shame, and anger, can be freely expressed without fear of disappointment. It means being safe and protected but also loyal to the point of aggressively guarding my Master. I'm very protective of the people I like, even as a person, and being a pet exacerbates that feeling.}
{TMI.} She deadpanned. {Though, I should've known better than to ask you when you were high.}
She blinked. {Wait…how do you even know what all those pervy things are?}
{Devils hit 'maturity' much faster than other races, even without Thought Acceleration. You wouldn't believe what they have for 'children's shows'.} I sent her a few examples, feeling her cringe slightly.
{I thought Master was joking when he complained about 'Oppai Dragon'-type shows.} She said weakly. {What even is the Super Maou-D Gang?}
{Don't. Ask.}
{So… you want me to treat you like my pet?} She asked dryly.
{Yep!} I replied cheerfully, ignoring the sudden change in subject.
{…You do realize that me being First Wife means I might get more… attention… than you do, right?}
{I can feel everything you feel. Everything.} I replied, smirking. {I'm not too worried. Besides, I'm still on his lap most hours of the day, while you're at the library. When you're not around, I can take care of him.}
{Wait. We're fucking thirteen. Why the hell are we even talking about this?} She complained, trying to hide her embarrassment at the images my words provoked.
{If we want to avoid big fights amongst each other, then it's best to plan ahead.} I replied easily.
I promptly returned to enjoying Master stroking my ears.
I heard a foggy voice through the haze of bliss. "Sh…ne… talk… okay?"
I just mumbled something and tried to remember how to breathe again. Once I was decently sober, he repeated, "Shirone, I'm going to go talk to someone, okay?"
I nodded. "'Kay. Later."
I wandered over to Ruby, grabbing her by the arm. "Kiss me." I almost demanded, feeling my Gluttony slip out of my control.
She sighed, pulling me into her arms and holding me still. I began to shiver, the sensation of loss coming over me as I became increasingly desperate. "Please!" I begged, my body's shuddering becoming painful. "I need…" -More. More. MORE!- 'Anything. I'll do—'
"Shhh… Calm down, love. It'll be over soon." She murmured, refusing to let me go.
I gradually relaxed, feeling my muscles ache. "It's getting worse." I whispered, regaining control. "I can't do this for much longer. I might snap."
She sighed. "I warned you when I saw you becoming addicted. Millicas's Marble is slowly effecting all of us, and you're no exception. Back then, something could've been done. Now, it's out of my control."
I whimpered. "But I need it. Ruby, please. Kiss me again."
She shook her head. "No, love. I can't."
I sighed, the emptiness finally becoming almost bearable. "Okay." I whispered. "Are you sure there isn't anything?"
She hesitated. "Well… I think that there might be a way. But it'll take a while."
"What?" I demanded.
"A Claim is just an incomplete form of the Mating ritual. If Millicas were to complete the ritual, the Bond might become complete to the point where you wouldn't get the same effect from our attention."
"Meaning?"
"You might never 'come down' again."
'…No. No. I can't… no. That's cruel to even think about. Never feel this way again, only feeling the bliss? No. Don't. Please. I don't think I could ever give that up. It's too good to be true. What's the catch?'
I shuddered as the alternative occurred to me. "B-but… if it doesn't work… and we have sex…"
"The addiction gets worse." She affirmed. "Like going from smoking to heroin. You would spend the rest of your life chasing that first high, willing to do nearly anything to achieve it. Or… you won't be affected at all anymore, and you won't ever have to worry again."
I felt a spike of pain at the thought of abandoning the euphoria. -Nonononono. IneeditIneeditIneedit-
"Ruby, please." I begged. "Kiss me."
She paused, then allowed me to pull away and leaned over to me. She gave me a light peck, not enough to do much but take the edge off of my emptiness.
I sighed. It was still enough. "Thank you."
She smiled. "It's okay."
"I love you." I told her honestly.
"I love you, too." She replied, her cheeks pinking slightly.
I let go of her hand, and turned to socializing to distract myself. Sometime later, Master approached us through the crowd. As he finally reached us, Lord Phenex cleared his throat.
"May I have your attention, please?" He called, silencing the guests. "We have gathered here today to celebrate my daughter's thirteenth birthday. However, I have an announcement to make." He paused. "I have secured for my daughter a marriage contract with a prominent family."
Murmurs raced through the crowd. He continued. "I am pleased to announce the engagement of Millicas Gremory and Ravel Phenex. May this marriage secure a better future for Devilkind!"
He stepped down from his metaphorical soapbox, returning to socializing. I could hear doubtful murmurs in the background, questioning the wisdom in 'Ravel' marrying such a 'talentless waste of space'. I took a mental list of faces. 'I guess I'm going to be busy tonight... now, how should I track them down?'
Master just grinned and grabbed Gil by the waist. He leaned over, kissing her soundly on the lips. A few seconds later, he broke off, leaving Gil red-faced and panting. Her blush only deepened when she noticed all the eyes on them. "W-w-what—?"
Master smirked. "Mine." I heard him whisper in her ear, before stepping back. She just blushed brighter.
He turned to Ruby, still smirking. "Your turn!"
We left before Master did, changing out of our heavy gowns. We made idle chatter of our time at the ball, taking our time while changing.
"… And I swear, before Millicas made a point to kiss me, it was like every other person I spoke to was eying me like a piece of meat. I mean, just—"
We all froze as Master sent us a wordless warning. His mind vanished a moment later. We waited patiently, knowing that if Master had enough time to warn us, he had enough time to get away.
Eventually, his mind stirred. {Girls?}
Feelings of relief flooded through the bond. {Are you alright?} Gil sent worriedly, concern flowing from her words.
{I'm fine. I let myself get captured to see what they wanted.}
Gil began scolding him for not letting us in on his odd plan. Master listened until she was finished, and then patiently replied. {And what about staying in character? The instant I took that guy out, I admitted to being stronger than I let on.}
This gave her pause. While she was formulating a response, I opened the link up further, allowing us to use my senses as well as he could.
Moments later, he heard footsteps. "Is he awake?"
"No."
The unfamiliar voices sounded in the silence, making me tense slightly. "I don't know why we're even guarding the brat. He's just some worthless piece of shit. The only thing he's good at is getting lost."
He smirked to himself. {True, but I am magnificent at getting lost. It's an art form.}
Ruby snorted in laughter at his errant thought.
The other voice replied, "Protocol, mostly. He's still the son of the fake Lucifer, even if he's wimpy."
I frowned. {Fake Lucifer? Must be the Old Maou Faction. I should've known announcing 'Ravel's' engagement to me would ruffle some feathers. I'm just glad they decided to take it out on me, instead of my girls.}
{As are they.} Ruby pointed out in amusement.
He waited for the guards to speak again, but they seemed content to sit in silence. He sighed. {All right, girls. Looks like we're not getting any more out of them. Tell my father I'm safe, and cut off contact for a while. I'm going to go get lost, and I don't know how lost I'm going to get. I'll be back in a week for sure, any longer and something went wrong.}
{All right. Be safe.} Ruby whispered, before disconnecting. I quickly followed suit.
I opened my eyes, glancing around the room.
"So… what are we supposed to do while he's gone?" Ruby asked casually.
I smirked. "Hey, Gil, do you mind if we have a talk?"
She nodded slowly. "Sure. What about?"
"It… may be something personal."
She coughed. "I-it's all right. We are lovers, after all. It's only fair for me to tell you about myself."
I smiled. "Which of your lives did you get your sub kink from?"
She froze, her face turning bright red. "Wh-what? W-why would you…" She paused, her face glowing, and considered the question. "W-well… both, really."
"Even as Gilgamesh?"
She sighed. "W-well, to tell the truth… My fantasies have always involved being pursued, captured, restrained, enjoyed by and submitting to a worthy Dominant male." She paused, her red eyes flashing. "The key word is worthy—someone who is naturally dominant, honest, knows himself, appreciates my adoration and service and is worthy of my trust. A lover worthy of a King."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what appeals to you about submitting to Master?"
She coughed. "I-I tend to over-think everything. I can get stuck in a worst-case scenario or processing loop over most any decision. So, simplifying my life by devoting myself to Him, as His submissive, allows to me make all decisions based on what pleases Him. Again, this only works because I judge Him as wise, just, fair and trustworthy."
She paused, sighing and looking away. Her face was volcanic red. "I-I see my submission as my gift to him. He protects me, takes care of me and supports me in everything I do, big and small, in return I make it my mission to please him in any way I can. And by pleasing him, it makes me feel happy."
I blinked. "Okay, then. Why do you want to be the First Wife?"
She sniffed haughtily. "It befits a King, does it not?"
Ruby finally spoke up. "So, you're saying that you only want the title?"
She considered this, before nodding. "I suppose. A King such as I could not settle for anything less than the best."
Ruby smiled softly. "So, why not? I mean, you're the only pureblooded Devil here, so you would be the only acceptable candidate. You can officially take the title, while I take the responsibilities."
Gil smiled. "This is acceptable."
I smirked. "Well, then. I suppose you should start in on your duties, right?"
She looked confused. "Duties? What duties?"
Ruby and I exchanged a glance. 'I suppose that crazy woman's lessons are actually good for something, then.'
{Hey, girls, are you there?}
A voice tore me from my sleep. I yawned, using Thought Acceleration to catch up to him.
{All right, so you know Asia?}
She's that nun you told us about, right? The one with Twilight Healing?} Ruby sent back. She paused. {Wait, you're in Italy? How are you still alive?}
{Oh, that? I just kinda… figured out how to hide as a human without setting off the System.}
{What about Asia?} I sent, ignoring his smug comment and Ruby's shock.
{Ruin all my fun, why don't you? Anyway, yeah. I'm sitting next to her on a park bench after a few hours of exploring. I asked her out to lunch to thank her for all the help. Now she's asking if it's a date.} He sent over a picture of a pretty blonde nun in the light of the afternoon sun.
{Yes.} Ruby and I replied simultaneously. For, uh, reasons.
'I have no regrets… hehehe.'
Gil spoke up next. {I'm fine with it. Her modest attitude would help me balance out these perverts. Honestly…} I could hear her mental sigh echo through my head. {If I weren't here to stop them, they probably would've… well.}
{They certainly would've. Thanks for saving my sanity. Remind me to kiss you when I get back.}
I could feel her blushing as she coughed into her hand. {Ahem. V-very well, if you insist.}
He raised a mental eyebrow. {Really? Why the sudden change of pace? Normally, you splutter for a while and refuse. Then I have to track you down and kiss you in front of as many people as possible.}
I smiled. 'Good times, good times.'
{W-well, if I am to be the First Wife, then I must take my duties seriously, no? T-that is the only reason.} She replied quickly.
{She does actually like kissing you. And she realized that Ruby and I have spent more romantic moments than she has, so she wants some more time to herself.} I added, amusement coloring my tone.
{I know she likes it. I would never force her to kiss me otherwise. And Gil, you do know that you could just ask for more time with me, right?}
{W-what King would lower themselves to begging for attention?} Gil replied haughtily.
{One who's head-over-heels in love with—ow! Fuck! Gil, what the hell?} Ruby replied teasingly, cut off by Gil kicking her in the shin. Hard.
{Drama aside, how am I answering the adorable nun?} Master interrupted drily.
{Three definite yeses. Shirone and I want… ah… snuggles, and Gil wants another modest influence.} Ruby replied.
He sighed. {Right. Snuggles. Sure. All right then, I guess I'm keeping her.}
Later that night, I felt my Bond hum to life.
How to be a person.
A little girl with blonde hair woke up in an orphanage. Her mother was nowhere to be found.
Step one. Find your voice. Know that not all languages contain words. Your voice could be music, it could be dance. It will be what expresses you most sincerely—your voice is an art. If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.
A young Asia knelt at the altar of a church, smiling and praying.
Step two. Apologize, you will not always be right, you will not always be wrong, but you will hopefully always be learning. Atonement is a sacrifice of pride. An explanation of why you did what you did or said what you said will not vindicate you. If the cost to heal someone is only your pride, then apologize and be grateful that you received peace at such a bargain.
Asia was trying to break up an argument between two other children, and failing. For the first time, she hated her shyness.
Step three. Forgive, and realize that some are still learning. If forgiveness is not possible, then think of everything you have ever wanted to be forgiven for but weren't, hold that uneasiness in your mind until you feel your desire for absolution becoming a wish, realize you can grant this wish for others. If you are waiting for forgiveness, be prepared to wait, be prepared to stand in the path of time and wither. Respect that forgiveness is difficult, not all trespasses are equal, and not everyone will heal according to your schedule.
She watched as Mother Meridea calmly and easily broke up the argument, but did not make either boy apologies. Apologizing, the Mother said, was never something that could be forced any more than you could force someone to forgive you. But, she continues, if Jesus could forgive all the sins of the world, then why couldn't they forgive each other.
Step four. Know that love is a vulnerability, but not a weakness. Love is the volunteer that raises its' hand and steps forward without needing to be rewarded. Love is a currency that functions in reverse, because the only way to be wealthy with it, is to give more of it away.
She loved others all her life, refusing to keep any love for herself. Until one day, when she met an odd boy who listened to what she said, and felt like home. On that day, she decided to be selfish for the first time.
Step five. Don't laugh to fit in. Laughter should be honest, if there is no sincerity in your joy then your happiness will be a forgery that fools only yourself.
On that day, she laughed, both at his jokes and his personality. She wasn't laughing to make someone feel better, but out of pure happiness. There was no worry, no sadness, no fear, only joy. This, she thought, must be heaven on earth.
Step six. Try... the tiniest dream that you try to make happen is worth more than the biggest dream you never attempt.
She smiled to herself as he offered to let her spend eternity at his side. He looked sad, as if he already knew she would deny him, but he wanted to offer anyway. She decided in that instant that she would do whatever it took to stay by his side, to stay by her own little slice of heaven.
I 'watched' as the previously shy nun unexpectedly leaned closer, deepening the kiss. She wrapped her new wings around him, humming in satisfaction. He waited for her to pull away before asking, "What was that for?"
She smiled, her green eyes glowing with happiness. "Don't worry, Mister Fool. You don't ever have to let me go. I'm yours now, remember?"
He raised an eyebrow. "O…kay?"
{Don't mind him, Asia.} Ruby sent. {He doesn't know what we saw when we opened the bond.}
She giggled, burying her face in my chest and humming happily. {He loves you all very much. I can feel it inside me, and I'm not sure how much of it is even mine. I'm pretty sure I could kiss you all, right now. Mmm…}
He sighed. "You know that you're going to be absolutely mortified when you calm down, right?"
She hummed an affirmative, snuggling deeper into his chest. {Worth it.}
He sighed, picking up the angel and walking to the Door. She adjusted her wings to continue holding me. "Let's Gate home, okay?"
She nodded deliriously, pulling her smiling face away from his chest. "I love you." She told him determinedly, looking him dead in the eye. "A-and even if the love is not all mine, it will be one day. I can guarantee it."
He sighed, placing a Gate seal on Asia's bed. He opened a Gate into his room and stepped through, closing it behind him. Asia's new wings curled tighter around him as they stepped across the hole in space. He walked over and sat on the bed, being careful not to disturb her sensitive wings.
A moment later, we arrived. "Evening, girls. Say hello to the snuggle Angel. Right now, she's out of character, but in the morning, she's going to be extremely shy."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "The snuggle Angel?" She eyed Asia's position in Master's arms. "Well, it seems to fit. Just make sure to keep those wings hidden in public, okay?"
Asia nodded, not releasing her wings' hold on Master.
He sighed. "Asia, at least let the others climb in bed, too. Then you can be on one side and put your wings around all of us at once."
Her eyes widened, and she finally let go. "Okay!"
I pulled off everything but my underclothes, slipping on one of Master's shirts and laying down on his chest. Once we were all situated, Asia closed her wings around us, blanketing us in soft white feathers. We were all fast asleep within moments.
I didn't even kill a single person.
Master will be so proud
A/N : Girls Have been hiding how his actions affect them, because they know his Wrath will trigger if he learns of others badmouthing 'his' girls.
He will then proceed to challenge the first offender he meets to a grudge match in full view of the whole Underworld, and messily dismantle them. Piece. By. Piece. And then he will heal them and send them on their way, waving cheerfully.
The girls are obviously trying to avoid bloodshed as much as possible, and thus keep Millicas in the dark about more than you'd think.
And now you know why I call him an Unreliable Narrator, yes?
I would like to state here that the Soul Bond is not as all-consuming as Millicas believes it is, and it does allow for some secrets. Imagine having several radios playing in the background as you live your life. If one gets too loud, it draws your attention, and if you want, you can listen in to one if you temporarily ignore the rest.
He is indeed breaking them, even if he doesn't realize it.
Each girl is somewhat aware of how obsessed they are becoming, but don't care for various reasons. The biggest of these reasons is simple.
In effect, the girls are anchors, keeping his fragile sanity together. His entire soul revolves around the concept of 'Dream'. This means that he is slowly drifting, his mind dispersing into 'reality' when he suffers any trauma. He already lacks most of his morals to begin with. Do you think it's normal for a three-year-old to kill first, ask questions later? The girls know they are anchors, and try to keep in contact with his mind 24/7 in order to keep the 'cracks' from worsening.
Yes, they are keeping him sane, but it's also slowly affecting them. Distorting them. As they spend more and more time in his mind, they are slowly losing their morals and becoming more susceptible to their Sin. I tried to show this with Shirone's growing attention addiction.
His soul may be a Dream, but not all dreams are nice and cheerful.
As previously stated, he is not The Red Man because of his hair.
There is a VERY GOOD REASON that all the Maou know him by reputation.
Finally, the reason he has such a bad reputation is because he hasn't done anything. Normally, at the first sign of talent, the general public decides on a 'title' based on that talent. Rias is treated normally because she openly flaunts her Power of Destruction, and was thus deemed 'the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess.' Millicas, despite being the son of a Maou, has shown no talent whatsoever, so his 'title' is something like 'The Useless Heir'.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone