Capítulo 140: Chapter 13 - Part 1 - Even Dragons Celebrate Christmas!
Third Person Point of View
…
"Aerendyl Liaris, Radelia Vaqirelle, you two have been ordered by Phumera-sama to journey to the Draconic Deus to assist Qlippoth in their upcoming operation," said Yve.
The two elves of the Eradicators stared at her. Both had different reactions. Rank 8, Aerendyl Liaris had a grin on his face. He had heard many rumors about the outer god and Middleman. He wanted to see how he would fair—because of his personal belief, and how he was raised, he believed that he had a chance against the outer god. This was even after being told by fellow elf and rank 10, Radelia Vaqirelle.
"Are we traveling alone or are we allowed to bring some of our subordinates?" asked Aerendyl.
"Bring as many as you want. Sacrifices are expected in this operation, so if you both lose your lives, replacements are ready," said Yve.
Aerendyl expected this and wasn't bothered by it. He was just exhilarated that he had a chance to fight the outer god. However, Radelia felt uneasy. She didn't want to die. She had worked her way up here from nothing and didn't want all of it to go to waste.
Her father sacrificed his life for hers and now she would die? Radelia didn't like it, but at the same time, the word of Phumera was absolute and there was no way she could say no to this.
"Yve-sama, may I?" Radelia asked and Yve nodded.
"While I am prepared to die, if there was a chance of surviving this operation like Sekudia from the Ueboros, then what would happen?" she asked.
Yve nodded and said, "Well, if you somehow survive your encounter with the outer god, your rank may increase and other benefits will be given to you. As of now, Sekudia has been placed at the 7th seat of the Eradicators as you two know."
"I see…" Radelia wanted to live, she had to survive. She felt like she hadn't done enough in life, so she wanted to come back alive. But…
"When does it start?" asked Aerendyl.
"Soon. I will give you the details at a later point, for now…you're both dismissed," Yve said and teleported away.
"Heh. You'll die and I'll live, I'll make sure of it," said Aerendyl as he blasted Radelia with his own aura. The woman in question also used hers to fight back. The two glared at each other before Aerendyl left.
"Asshole!" screamed Radelia before she turned around and left.
…
"Prince, it's been confirmed that at least two Eradicators and their subordinates will be joining the operation. Along with a few more prototypes, super devils, evil dragons and super vampires," said a devil.
"Uhyahyahyahyah! Perfect! This should make things easier, for both me and Promestein~" he said with joy. Rizevim had managed to get some sleep over the past couple of months, but it was only limited to four hours, rather than his usual 8 or 12. Because of the curse that Aaron had put on him and Euclid.
Euclid himself…had his curse removed, per Grayfia's request. Even though he had done evil, Euclid was still her younger brother and she didn't want him to suffer even in his own dreams. Reluctantly, Aaron conceded and removed it. But his powers were still sealed and he was locked up in one of the Underworld's prisons.
Rizevim on the other hand had multiple experiments done on him by the Seekers of Truth, the Evie faction and even the Phantasma. Even after all of that…he only got back 4 hours of sleep time before the nightmares came back and forced him to stay up. But for him, it was enough.
Rizevim summoned 'light' from his right palm and grinned. 'Thanks to my father, I was able to access the Lucifer Clan's own ability…! I did wonder why I wasn't able to use it, but I guess he did that on purpose. How sly, kuku~' he thought and grinned at the devil in front of him.
[Demonic Brilliance of Evil Light] that is the trait of the Lucifer clan. It is unknown as to why Rizevim, Razevan or Vali didn't inherit the clan's trait. However, now it was certain…that the original Lucifer somehow performed a technique that prevented future generations from acquiring said ability.
He pointed his palm at the devil and then he was annihilated by a powerful black-blue-white light. Rizevim grinned and then laughed. "Even though I'm not going there myself…my body double should be enough to show them how serious and powerful I am~ Uhyahyahyahyah~!"
…
"It seems like Sakata Kintoki did not show up in the Shinto realm, why?" asked a male figure.
"According to reports…he went to the Evie's world to gain some power and more advantages. You know how he is; he doesn't tell anyone what he does," said another.
"Hmm. However, he needs to be disciplined once he comes back, if he were—"
"It wouldn't have mattered. The Battle Gods prototypes were useless, along with the vampires. Valentina managed to escape, but she's suffered some trauma and is now rebuilding herself in isolation."
"Minamoto no Raiko, and the Valkyrie Rossweisse, they were the ones who defend that realm…we will leave Raiko to Kintoki then, perhaps their past may make her hesitate. He will be stronger once he returns. As for the Valkyrie…I have my plans."
"Well, it doesn't matter—the remnants of the Connected Harmony still hold grudges, so we'll keep fueling them with fire until then," said the male figure with a smile. "You're going to try to capture her parents, aren't you? For the Valkyrie I mean~"
"…You're detestable you know that?"
"Kuku~"
…
Jin Skyward's Soliloquy
…
A month passed since those attacks, the new alliance between the Chinese Pantheon, Shinto Pantheon, the Five Principal Clans and the West and East Youkai Faction spread cross the supernatural world. Many were skeptical that it would work, but once they found out that the Chinese Pantheon joined the DxD Alliance, then their doubts vanished.
Currently…I was out on a date with Lisa. I suggested that we go to a different country, or even a different part of Japan, but instead she opted to go three stations away to a random town and have our date there.
My friends, Higuro (Najima), and Kikijo (Kouta)—I started calling them by their given names instead of their surnames. Both of them insisted on it, so I went with it. According to them, because of what we did…those two finally got laid and they thanked me for it.
Although after that incident I felt like all three of us became closer so it wasn't such a negative thing. But they are getting a lot of hate from other lonely guys in our year since these two were quite famous in their own right. Even though I never kept up with it, they were kind of seen as delinquents before I came to the school.
So the fact that they're a lot more chill now shocked a lot of people. That also explained why they were pretty tough and good at fighting; they had their fair share of fights with various people around Kuoh and beyond.
I also informed the DxD Alliance of a potential operation the Khaos Order may do in the future that will probably involve all of the supernatural world and the human world—so quite literally a world war on both worlds…as to how they'll do it—I had no idea.
But I've increased the number of [Hyperbolic Regenerative Chambers], and also created even more shadow soldiers. The numbers have reached 100 trillion. I think that's more than enough, right? I hadn't made any new Electa, but we're doing well.
I also got an update from Antares about my new home in the Dimensional Gap. It's around 74% complete. With the help of Claudira everything had gone smoothly and without any hiccups, so they got a lot more done in that time.
Over the month, the Khaos Order wasn't silent either. They did small attacks that I let the other members and groups of Team [DxD] take care of. Most were in the human world, a few in factions and pantheons I hadn't been to before and…
I let Haru, Yoru and Medusa participate in these around twenty days ago. I had a sparring match with all three of them and they had powered up considerably, so I deemed them ready to participate, but I also added extra protection to them—so a few shadow soldiers in their shadows.
"Hey, would that look good on me~?" Lisa asked as she pointed to the window. Beyond it was a beautiful looking purple dress with some necklace and other accessories for it. I glanced at it and then at Lisa.
"Yeah, it would suit you. Let's go in and I'll buy it," I suggested and she happily pulled me in. Once inside Lisa practically pranced her way towards it and then walked into the dressing room to get changed. I stood outside waiting.
"Are you on a date?" asked the worker.
"Yep."
"She's hot man, you're so lucky," he said with envy.
"Yeah. She's great," I replied not really paying attention to him. The only thing I wanted to see was Lisa in that dress. I meant my compliment earlier, she would look great in it…this guy beside me was practically drooling waiting for Lisa.
December—Christmas was a month away, and I was looking forward to it and was also nervous…an attack will surely happen in heaven. But we've also been talking about a small 'project' for the town of Kuoh, and Team [DxD] will be involved.
But they also wanted to get into contact with Santa Claus, so I was going to try to go back to the North Pole, and where Antares' base was located was near enough to his. I'm traveling there with two others so meeting Saint Nicolas is bound to be interesting.
I also contacted the newly formed vampire faction and they were on high alert. I also added even more shadow soldiers over there, so any kind of attack that's attempted there, I'll be alerted immediately.
My thoughts were interrupted when Lisa came out of the fitting room. Lisa came out in a purple dress. It had several flower patterns around it. She also wore purple flowers in her hair. I could count around three of them, another one by her hip and had some kind of arm/wrist accessory near her elbow.
If I was being honest, I couldn't help but be amazed at how she looked. What she wore prior was something a bit more normal, but still made her look beautiful, but this…
"Holy shit dude…" the guy muttered beside me.
'Yeah, no kidding…' I thought and took a step forward and gentle grasp her hands. Lisa blushed at this gesture.
"Fufu, I take it you approve?" she asked while looking me straight in the eyes.
"Yeah I do. You look gorgeous Lisa," I replied and stared at her.
"Get a room! Tch…!" the man complained behind us and walked off. I didn't think he'd get that jealous.
"Ara~? He seems jealous, fufu. I'll go get changed and we can pay for it," she said and left for the fitting room. I was left there to stand and wait.
'One down, a buttload left to take on dates…' I thought and sighed. The girls are understanding that I didn't have much time to take them on dates. However, I did make up for it by spoiling them as much as I could while in our home or outside of it.
But today, I finally got started with Lisa. I can go down the list of everyone else after this. I still have around a month after all. Unless something else happens…wait no, I shouldn't jinx myself. I shook my head and Lisa came out of the fitting room and we made our way to the counter, paid and left.
We had been in this town for around an hour. We've mostly walked around and checked out the shops. But since it was near the middle of the day, our next stop was...
"Oh, how about that?" Lisa asked and pointed to a nearby family restaurant. I was expecting her to be more…I guess high-class in terms of wining-and-dining, but I'll take it.
"Are you sure? We can always—"
"It's not my intention to extort you for your money, Aaron. I'm here because I like you," she said in an indignant tone.
I couldn't answer her, but at the same time that wasn't what I meant. I just wanted to give these girls as much luxury as possible. However, at the same time, in the back of my mind…I do sometimes think I may be going a bit overboard with it. It's clear that they just want to spend time with me and do normal things with me.
[B-a-l-a-n-c-e~,] said Ddraig.
'Yeah, yeah, I know…' I replied. Not just in the other aspects of my life, but also…this. How did I even manage to keep my relationship with Aoife going? Or did we not get too far into life back then for it to get to this point? …I'm saying this even though I've only been in this universe for barely a year (not including the [Pocket Dimension] stays).
I suddenly felt her pinching my cheeks. I glanced at her as she looked annoyed at me. "Don't think about anything else during our date, certainly not other women either…"
"Yes ma'am," I said and gave her a salute that made her laugh. We entered the restaurant as it had a modern design with plenty of open seats. Even though it was the afternoon not many people were here to our surprise, although it was a relatively small town, so it made sense.
We walked up and placed our order. We found a spot and waited there with our number. It felt strange. The times that I've gone to restaurants that were a bit more high-tech in the supernatural world, so having to deal with it like this just felt like a jump to the past.
"What should we do after this, A-a-r-o-n~?" she asked as I felt her foot land on my thigh.
'This woman…' I gave Lisa a look that told her to stop, but she didn't. Her foot slowly moved to my crotch, but I put my hand on it and gave her a light pinch. She puffed her cheeks and took her foot away. "There's a time and place for everything, but not now" I told her.
"…Hmm? That's from Hokemon right?" she asked.
What? H-hokemon? Is that this world's 'Pokémon'? She's pulling my leg, right? I'm pretty sure it was called something else…she saw my confused look and elaborated.
"You know, the popular game, manga, and anime. It's been running for a long time now, even longer than…" she stopped herself from continuing and had a gloomy look.
"It won't matter, Lisa. You'll be immortal soon enough," I told her and laughed. But she didn't answer me, so I looked back at her and she was blushing. "Oh c'mon…is the Purple Rose going blush at that?" I asked.
"Hmph. I'm still a maiden you know?"
"Even though you flirt like a crazy woman at times?"
"I'm merely teasing them! …Oh? Are you a little jealous?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"…No? What you do in your own time is none of my business. We're not even in a relationship," I said and shrugged. Again, she crossed her arms and looked annoyed and hurt at me. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be that dickish. Maybe…I was a little jealous."
She smiled, got up from her seat and joined my side and started to rub herself against me which as a bit troublesome since I saw someone coming over with our food. They finally got here. A bit irritated by what she saw, she thanked us and left with our number.
We ate our food while we made light chatter, Lisa occasionally teased me by feeding me, threatening to put her hand on my crotch or some other scheme she thought of. The pace she goes on at times is a bit beyond me, but I don't hate it. Though since our home is chaotic 99% of the time, I'm already used to it.
…
Once we were outside, after we had lunch—
"So, love hotel, right?" she asked 'innocently' and blinked at me rapidly.
"…No? Jeez, Lisa you're pretty aggressive today," I said to her and pulled her away. There was a small library and museum here, so I thought she'd like to go there. However, I know we already have that infinite library, but it wouldn't hurt right?
"Maybe I am…ah, can we go to the aquarium instead? I've read up on certain fish recently and I'm curious if they have any of them…also were you trying to bring me to a library and museum?" she asked and squinted her eyes at me.
"Uh…maybe?"
"While I wouldn't mind going there, you really need to improve the places you bring women to, Aaron. I know I picked a small and boring town, but geez…!"
"And this is why I offered to bring you to a different country, or even somewhere else in Japan. We could have gone to more noteworthy locations," I replied, but she just pulled me away from the aquarium.
We paid and ventured in, as cliché as it was…there were quite a lot of people here, even more so with couples walking around. I guess we wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb then. We walked through a dark corridor which was illuminated by small blue lights. We eventually came to a large open area with glass everywhere. All around us were all types of fish swimming around.
Lisa pulled me to a certain spot where she looked at the fish swimming around. I glanced at her and she seemed to be eyeing a particular fish. When I followed her sight, I saw that she was looking at a red fish.
"It's called Red Sea bream. It's a traditional fish in Japan that is considered good luck and is reserved for special occasions like weddings and the Japanese New Year. The red scales of the fish are thought to ward off evil spirits, so the sea bream are treated with respect. Sea bream are pinkish to red with a lighter underside and a darker tail fin. Most are in the 12–28-inch range, but some can get almost 4 feet (1.22 m) long. The Japanese name for sea bream is madai. They can be found off the coast of southern Japan down to the South China Sea," she explained.
"Red Sea bream, huh? Maybe I should try cooking one in the new year then…" I mumbled to myself.
Lisa nodded and then looked at another fish. "That's called the Japanese Puffer fish. It doesn't look like the regular one, doesn't it?" she asked. I followed her finger and…yeah it resembled nothing like the puffer fish I knew.
"You may have seen pictures of puffer fish with large spikes all over their bodies, but the Japanese puffer has smooth skin without spikes. They are, however, very dangerous if eaten…deadly even! Puffer fish have a toxin in their organs, mostly the liver and ovaries, called tetrodotoxin, which is poisonous to humans. Specialized chefs have figured out a way to prepare the puffer fish safely and it is another expensive delicacy called fugu in Japan."
"Fugu…I'll take a look at that then once I graduate. Hopefully I can ask someone to teach me how to cook it," I said to myself.
Her next move was to pull me away again. We looked at more fish and she explained them to me. I knew Natsume liked fish too, but I didn't think Lisa herself liked them this much either. Unless she's just this excited because she recently read about them.
…
Around an hour later we left the aquarium. Lisa was satisfied with it and even bought a small red sea bream plushie. For the rest of our date, even though it was one I wasn't totally satisfied with since I wanted to take her to a different place, it ended. We watched a film, went to a park where there were also couples and families there.
Then she tried to drag us to a small district with a bunch of love hotels, but I quickly pulled us away. There was a small amusement park, but it was closed for the day so we cut our losses and ended it at a small lake front.
The day was ending as the sun was going down on the horizon. Lisa had walked further ahead of me, like in the park, there were couples and families here to enjoy the end of the day. Lisa skipped, hopped and pranced in front of me as she hummed a tune to herself.
I silently followed her, also enjoying the calming atmosphere at this lake front. In the distance there was a small little resting area with a 'floating' roof above it. On the side dangled vines and different types of flowers.
The closer we got to the area, the fewer people there were. It felt like they were leaving the park and didn't want to stay here after dark. As we walked past a group of teenagers, we overheard their gossip.
"Hey, did you hear the rumor about the park recently?" one of the girls asked.
"No, what is it?"
"They say a monster roams it at night, that's why everyone starts leaving around this time. Because once it gets dark out…the strange and scary moans start," she said and giggled.
"M-moans? M-monster…?" the other asked in a shaky voice.
"Yep. I heard it too; we came here two weeks ago at night and we heard really weird moaning. Not like sex or anything, but really low and raspy. We obviously ran away scared hehe," she told them.
"Eeep! I don't wanna be here then! Let's leave!" the other said and the rest agreed with her.
When I looked back forward Lisa had come close to me and pecked my nose. "Fufu. It looked like you're interested in the rumor, Toole-sama~" she said and winked at me.
"Well…urban legends can be usually be explained…in my previous life at least. But since it's all real here…do you want to stay and check it out?" I asked.
"Our nightly adventures~! Though I wanted it to be a bit more romantic," she said. "But alright~ I'd like this day to last a little longer." She then went beside me and hugged my arm.
We finally reached the resting area and we unanimously decided to wait there until the sun went down. But from the looks of it, it wasn't going to take too long.
After around an hour of waiting, and Lisa nearly stripping twice, we started to hear strange moans and groans all around the park. We had spoken about this to each other earlier, so I left Lisa there and activated the [Communication Function] on our rings. Next, I left the place, but…once I arrived outside, I didn't hear any sounds, just the usual nightly traffic and people.
However, once I stepped back inside, it was almost deafening. [Lisa, I don't hear it outside, but when I step into the place, I hear it. How about you?]
[It's still as loud as ever…no, I believe it's actually getting louder. Can you come back?] she asked and I agreed.
I then flash-stepped back to the place and she was there sitting looking uncomfortable, and it's as she said. It had become stupidly loud; the moaning was to the point where you would normally just leave the place if it got this loud.
"I'll go and locate it then. It has to be supernatural, no doubt about it," I told her and quickly scanned the lakeside. Once I found it, I turned towards it. "It's in the middle of the lake…"
I put my hand out and a figure shot out of the lake. This in turned made the screaming stop. The figure that I had pulled out had an ox's head, a human body, sharp fangs and a slender tongue. 'It's definitely a youkai, but…' I then used [Observe] on it and to my surprise it was a hybrid of a devil and an ox youkai.
"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" it screamed and tried to lunge at us, but it couldn't move because I held it there.
A sigh escaped Lisa's lips as she checked the ring with her own. "Ara, a hybrid that doesn't talk? What should we do with it?" she asked. "Kill it, capture it, or let it go? Has it killed anyone yet?"
"Good question…" I checked and it indeed has taken lives. There had been a few unexplained disappearances in this town and the next one over. This thing has targeted normal humans and weak supernatural beings. I told Lisa about this and asked, "What's your verdict, Lisa-sensei?"
She put her thumb down and said, "Guilty! Off with its head~!"
I chuckled and closed my fist. In turn the hybrid that floated above that lake was slowly crushed, its cries and wails of agony were slowly muffled. After I did that, the thought crossed my mind about finding out about how it ended up like that. However, I shook away the thought, I can't go checking everything's background because I felt a bit of regret after killing it…
"…Well, I was hoping to end this date on a more…I guess, romantic note, but—"
"Stop overdramatizing everything," said Lisa before she turned me around and kissed me. She had been aggressive the entire day so I wasn't that surprised. So I also kissed her back.
"Lis—" our kiss ended and as I was about to say her name, she stopped me and put a finger on my lips.
"Ah, ah~! I want another one, and you can take me to another place, and maybe then we can make it official. Ufufufu~" she said with a teasing smile.
"Is this karma?" I asked and sighed.
Instead of answering me, she sat on my lap and faced me. "Ara? You and Rias-chan had this kind of relationship for the longest time you know? But I can understand your frustrations, but…how about this? We are official but not at the same time—I just want one more date before I let you hit it~" she explained and brought my face into her chest.
"That's some twisted logic, but sure…I'll try to take you on another date soon, though I have others to take first," I replied into her chest.
"Fufu, then it's decided, I'll be in your care from now on, Aaron-sama~!" Lisa then hugged me tighter…no, she was trying to suffocate me with her chest.
…
We were at the closing ceremony of the second semester…meaning, Christmas was just around the corner. We were back in the stuffy and humid gymnasium as we listened to—oh, no, never mind someone just passed out. Also, both of my friends looked pale and out of it, and if I hadn't held on to them, they would have surely passed out by now.
A month had passed since my date with Lisa and she's been a lot more open with her love for me, and I to her. But I haven't gotten time since then. A few developments happened during that time... Okay, I lied. I traveled to Kyoto and the Shinra clan with Tsubaki, but that wasn't considered a date.
A few things happened there, and our relationship moved forward. Now onto the Khaos Order. Despite the fact that they didn't launch any attacks, I suspect they are preparing to launch a Christmas attack, I have also informed the alliance about this, and everyone is prepared, especially Heaven.
Theodora…tried to take her own life multiple times and has basically been put in a coma to prevent her from trying to kill herself multiple times a day. I've also checked the cube that Natsume and Kanami gave me. It was basically a floating fortress like the one in Prawia that Raiko and the others destroyed.
The letter Rose gave me too, I read it. Now I haven't met up with this Valentina Vordenburg. However, I have contacted her via a private channel and we planned on meeting once I graduate, or at least sometime after the new year. However, she has agreed to keep me updated on the inner workings of the Vampire faction of the Khaos Order.
In the next few days, I'm looking forward to meeting Saint Nicolas, or Santa Claus and forming a small alliance with him and his…erm, group/faction and having them join the DxD Alliance. Suzaku and Lavinia insisted on going with me, along with Gabriel and Rias.
Akeno wanted to come, but apparently Shuri needed her for something…something or other about our wedding in the future, so she gladly went over there. Apparently, mom wants to talk to them about it separately, so Asia, Lavinia and the others will be speaking to her down the line.
Also…Ingvild's tour in the Underworld is going to start soon. I'm paranoid about it, but I have enough protection on her that nothing bad should happen. Even though they told me to calm down, not stress and have a balance…the closer it got to the time, the more stressed I became.
Cúntóir still hasn't finished analyzing the crystal. I don't know what the hell Nyarlathotep did to it, but fuck me it's strange not speaking to her. It feels like I lost a part of myself when she's not speaking to me.
"Jin…Jin…Jin!"
"H-huh?" I replied and looked around. Apparently, the assembly was done and everyone was making their way out of the gymnasium. "Oh, we're done. My bad I spaced out," I told them and we walked out.
…
"So you'll be busy the entire Christmas holiday, huh? The club and other stuff…wait you're going to start construction on the restaurant, aren't you?!" asked Higuro.
"Haha, yeah I am. Both the club and my own restaurant will keep me busy," I replied.
"We're still getting those discounts, right…?!" asked Kikijo.
"Yes, yes, you are. Hurry up, your girlfriends are waiting for you," I said and nodded my head to the entrance. Both Sakura and Yua were there.
"Oh, shit—well, see you starting next semester then! Ah…our last one together," said Kikijo in a disheartened tone.
Higuro also shared the same sentiment and I just smacked them on the head. "We'll be in the college division and I have my restaurant, just stop by there if you wanna hang out. Now stop being sad idiots and go," I told them and they cursed at me, smiled and left.
"I swear those guys are a handful at times," I mumbled to myself. Today, the 20th of December, a few days until Christmas and when the attack happens…I'll go to Santa tomorrow instead to save time…
"Is something wrong, Aaron?" asked Ingvild as she stepped beside me. Even though it's the last day of classes, the devils headed to their respective clubs one last time.
"No, it's nothing. Let's go join everyone else at the club. We'll have a meeting tonight, though you may not be involved in it, so you don't need to join…"
"It's fine. I'm ready with everything on my end. My tour starts tomorrow and will last until the 28th," replied Ingvild.
I nodded and we left for the club. On our way there we met several other people and wished them a Merry Christmas.
…
In the evening of the same day, a few representatives of each group of Team [DxD] attended the meeting. It was to discuss the project we have planned. I sat at the top and read through the plan.
"And for that reason, we will be handing out presents to the entirety of Japan on Christmas Eve. I'll personally run this by Saint Nicolas and if he agrees, he'll have one less country to give presents to saving him time."
Rias nodded and continued for me. "This town is a symbol of the peace in the supernatural world. More than that, though, this town is an important place for the people living here. We have been using their soil for most of the time we have lived here, so it's natural for us to celebrate Christmas with and for the residents. However, due to the Dual Dragon's presence, the other leaders of the DxD Alliance requested we do it for the entire country instead of just Kuoh."
Irina raised her hand and said, "That's right! Heaven, the Underworld, Grigori and the multiple other factions and pantheons we're allied with will help supply the presents we'll be giving out!"
"Can we use reindeer?" asked Asia
"Can they even fly?" questioned Xenovia.
"We can cast magic on them, Xenovia," said Griselda and she nodded with an 'ah, that's also an option'.
Azazel then stood up. "Since the one who proposed this was Michael's Ace, Irina-chan and also Heaven's residents, why don't we head to Heaven, like…right now!" he suggested.
Normally he wouldn't be allowed to go back. However, I did do a few things here and there, so most fallen angels can now go to heaven, including devils and other supernatural beings. Of course, they'll be under supervision though.
Everyone gathered around us and Griselda started handing them IDs for identification. I've been up there plenty of times and I'm basically seen as another 'God of the Bible', so they tend not to bat an eye at me anymore.
Once they put the IDs around their necks a holographic golden halo appeared above their heads. The church trio, minus Irina became ecstatic at this.
"Asia, we're like angels!" exclaimed Xenovia.
"Yes, it's such an honor!"
"Fufu! Let's do our prayers then, before we go to heaven!" Irina suggested and so they did.
…
I had mostly teleported directly into heaven most of the time in the past and never used official channels so…when we did, it felt strange. We teleported there using a magic circle prepared by Griselda and Dulio. Once at the gates of Heaven, we passed through a door—however, on the way there we passed by clouds and bright lights.
"You haven't used this way have you yet, Aaron?" Griselda asked beside me.
"No. I just teleported directly into heaven, even during my first visit, Michael skipped all of this," I replied.
Once the doors opened, everyone was greeted to First Heaven. Buildings, and white paved roads were visible as far as the eye could see. Above us were also floating buildings on clouds. Dulio then went on to explain how Heaven worked. There were seven levels to them—he did this for the ones who didn't know.
In our large group, composed of various factions and pantheons, we walked through First Heaven together. Irina suddenly pointed at a floating building in the sky.
"That's the building that we, the [Brave Saints] gather in if we're needed for a mission," she explained. She then pointed up and added, "Michael-sama and the other Seraphs are further above us. They live in Sixth Heaven."
"Azazel and the Fallen Angels before they fell lived in Fifth Heaven," I added. "That's where the [Brave Saints] system was also created."
"Heaven which is commonly referred to exists in Third Heaven. It's the largest floor. It's so vast that it is said that you can't tell where it ends," explained Griselda.
"Fourth Heaven is also known as Eden's Garden. I guess the story of Adam and Eve is famous for it," added Irina and then everyone looked at me.
"What?" I asked a bit confused by their reaction.
"Fufu, would Jin try to add Eve to his harem if given the chance?" asked Akeno.
"I wouldn't—"
"Yes," they all answered unanimously. I was stunned by this.
[Bahahaha! I agree with them Partner, you'll put on the 'Toole Charm' and somehow get into an all-out brawl with Adam because of it,] said Ddraig as he continued to laugh.
Everyone laughed at me and we joked around until we made it to Sixth Heaven, also known as Zebel. The door opened and we stepped through, it had been a while since I've been here, so…I guess Altaria and Layla had finished it's remodeling and reconstruction per my request.
Everything here had been reinforced by a custom metal, stone, and wood I made. It should be the hardest in the multiverse. I hadn't given a name for it, so…
"Michael-sama is waiting this way. Jin had ordered the Sixth Heaven to be reconstructed a few months back, and we finished not too long ago, so you would need to be a multiversal-class being to destroy anything here," explained Griselda.
"You were really worried about it, weren't you?" asked Natsume as she looked over at me.
"…I can't afford not to," I replied. When we finally entered a building, we found several people waiting for us inside. The Four Great Seraphs, Layla, and Altaria.
"Mich—"
As Griselda was about to call for him, both Gabriel and Layla flew towards me and I caught them. Since Christmas was just around the corner, she had been called back up to Heaven to help with even more work. While Layla was capable, she was beginning to be overwhelmed by the amount of work she had to do, and Altaria had even more trouble because she was the leader of them. Michael was the face of the organization.
"Welcome Team [DxD] and Azazel to Heaven. To some it's your first visit, to others not so much. I hope you enjoyed your short journey here," he said to us. The two angels who tackled me were just rubbing their heads into my chest.
"Sup, Mikey," greeted Azazel. Both Uriel and Raphael shot him a dirty look which made Azazel stick his tongue out at them.
Lavinia who had been beside me nodded along with them, almost saying 'I know how you feel'. Suzaku hadn't joined us tonight. She, like the other clan heads were meeting tonight and for the next few days with the Chinese gods, Shinto gods and Yasaka and Nurarihyon. She became even more busy during Christmas, but promised that she'd make it back for Christmas Eve.
"What are your impressions of Heaven so far?" he asked the rest of the team.
"Divine!" Xenovia and Asia happily shouted.
"It feels like paradise. If human souls come here after death, then they'll surely be happy," said Rias. A few others also agreed with her.
"Well, most go to hell, so don't count on it, Rias," I added and snorted. Even Michael chuckled at this dumb joke I made, though I was partially serious.
Altaria stepped forward and spoke. "Some of you may not know me, but I'm Altaria. Jin-sama created me just before your summer holidays and I have been here since. I mainly reside in Seventh Heaven and look after the two systems that Jin-sama altered," said Altaria.
"I would also like to thank all of you for your hard work over the past year. It has been filled with many shocking events and no one would have thought that in only a year a new alliance would be formed in our world and unite us all. So for now…please relax and have a good time here." Altaria then bowed, the same with Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.
"…However, I would like to inform you all with something, unless Jin-sama has already done so?" she asked me and I shook my head.
Michael this time said, "Recently…there have been incidents that involved the staff of the Church, they have been attacked. Not only are there fatal casualties among the leaders of the Vatican, but there are also those being killed among those with prominent positions in other branches. We are still investigating the incidents in order to find more accurate information, but it seems like there are the presences of Evil Dragons being caught. So it's most likely—"
"So they're making their move, huh? Qlippoth…" I muttered and everyone became tense.
Michael nodded. "It's exactly what Jin-kun said, as well as the potential operations we are aware of. If the Church is being targeted then there is a chance that Heaven is next. However, since Team [DxD] is heavily involved with many things in the supernatural, I would like you all to be more cautious even during the holidays," he told us.
"Don't worry about it, I'll have their back, Mike," I told him and the other two male angels behind him wearily smiled at me.
…
After that brief meeting everyone in the team was allowed to go exploring Heaven. Since they were part of Team [DxD] they had a lot of freedom, albeit they couldn't access certain areas. Like Fourth Heaven or Second Heaven.
I was left with Lavinia, Gabriel, Layla and Akeno as everyone had scattered since they wanted to explore more of Heaven. However, as we walked around…
"Ah…J-Jin-san…!" a woman shouted my name. In front of us was a beautiful young woman with an enormous chest who wore a black sister outfit. She had ashen blonde hair and mesmerizing gray eyes with a tint of blue.
"Ah, Mirana~!" Gabriel greeted her as she let go of me and flew over to her [Ace].
Mirana Shatarova, Gabriel's [Ace] and a nun from the Russian Orthodox Church. I knew about her, but I officially met her when I came back up here to fix the Sacred Gear system, and caused that world-wide miracle. So we're acquainted.
"…G-Gabriel-sama, are you on break right now?" she asked.
"Mmm. Jin made some Android fairies earlier so they've taken over our jobs for the time being," she explained to her as they came over to us.
"It's been a while, Mirana. I take it you're well? How's your family?" I asked her.
"I'm fine…thank you. My family is also fine, b-but I'd like to thank you for that donation again. If it weren't for that, they would probably be homeless, so thank you again!" she said and bowed which made her stupidly huge breasts jiggle.
"Don't worry about it, are the rest of the [Brave Saints] here?" I asked. Dulio walked off somewhere with Griselda following while scolding him about being a proper [Joker] and sub-leader of Team [DxD]. I tried to help, but Griselda can be quite intimidating when she wants to be, so I let Dulio deal with her…
"Not all of them, but there are a few more, most are around," replied Gabriel.
"U-um…" Mirana looked up at me expectantly and I wearily smiled. I reached out and started patting her on the head—in turn she practically melted and started drooling. I have no idea why this is the case.
She was nervous and pitiful when we first met, so I did what I do when the girls were sulky. I either embraced them then spoiled them, or patted their heads. Since I wasn't close to Mirana, I chose the latter and…well, this happened.
So, I walked around with all of them while we caught up. Gabriel was just tired that she had to do all of that work since the start of December. Layla was also exhausted so I spoiled her a bit as we stayed there. However, we eventually had to leave, much to both Layla and Gabriel's dismay. Mirana also looked a bit upset, but wished us well.
…
Once we were back in my home, I made my way to the hallway entrance. Griselda and Dulio decided to stay in Heaven and help out since it was quite stressful up there. Both Griselda and Gabriel offered to bring back my Android fairies so I left them up there to help them more.
However, once we arrived at the front entrance…
"Greetings, Team [DxD]," said a man.
"Papa!" Irina shouted and ran over to him and embraced him.
"Oh, my angel! Are you doing okay?" He asked her.
I see…so it's Touji Shidou, Irina's father…so that means…damn, I'll just need to assign someone to be with them since I won't be there. Wait, this is a good opportunity. I'll just leave an avatar with them and have them as…
They came over to us and Touji offered me his hand. I reached out and shook it.
"I'm Touji Shidou, Irina's father. Thank you for taking care of her, Jin Skyward-kun."
"Jin Skyward. It's a pleasure to meet you, Touji-san. Irina's an energetic girl so it's a welcomed presence in my home."
He grinned and pulled out a bag. "I've been assigned to help Team [DxD] with this project, so…I brought souvenirs. "Well, I was the one to propose it to Michael-sama, and then my little angel was the one to bring it up to all of you~" he said proudly.
"Ugh…I thought I was going to die," grumbled Azazel as he teleported in. He had stayed behind since he was talking to the rest of the Seraphs, though he didn't seem that happy about it. "Hmm? Oh, you must be Irina's father, right? I'm Azazel."
"Oh, if it isn't the Governor. I'm Touji Shidou, I have the role of being both a pastor and an agent of the Protestant Church. Thank you for looking after my daughter too," he said and the two of them shook hands.
After the greetings we made our way to the meeting room to discuss more about the project. In short, my avatar, Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Rose, and Touji Shidou will go to a different town to get more presents. While I, Lavinia, Suzaku, Gabriel and Danu will go to the North Pole.
Rias who was set to come with me received a call about something in their territory. I offered my assistance but she'll be bringing her peerage with her to deal with it. It was devil business and they wanted to bring their ratings up, so I backed off.
…
The next day, everyone was set to leave around ten in the morning after we all had breakfast and got ready. Since a lot of things were happening in the coming days, I had all my Electa on alert. This included the Pleiades who were usually just stuck patrolling the area around my home, so some of them were happy about that. Though I plan on moving them to my new home in the Dimensional Gap once it's finished construction.
The various other groups also left my home as they were called away for something or other. Including the rest of the Slash/Dog Team. Since Lavinia already left, she didn't need to go, much to her delight.
Suzaku managed to join us after I created an avatar for her too. That avatar was currently attending the meetings for her. Admittedly, she confided to me that she didn't feel right using them since she wanted to be there herself. However, she also said she wanted to keep 'fighting' for that 'spot' against Lavinia.
Her desire for that overshadowed the meetings…I guess? As everyone was ready, I walked over to my clone—the female version, Kei Ōzora. "Look after them, alright?"
"Of course, that's only natural," she replied and we fist bumped.
"I never saw this before and it's a strange feeling," said Touji as he stared at my female avatar.
"You'll get used to it. Anyway, good luck, and try to come back to me in one piece," I said before I teleported to the North Pole.
…
Kei Ōzora's Soliloquy
…
Once Boss left, I turned back to everyone else. It seemed like they were looking at me for guidance so I nodded. "Let's use the train then, it's only two train stations away."
With that, we silently made our way to the train station, paid for our tickets and waited. We, the avatars are already hardwired to not be romantically affectionate towards Boss' women since he's a bit overprotective of them. I may be an avatar, but strangely enough Boss also gave me my own consciousness.
I myself should be around the same level of power as Boss, and I should have access to all his abilities, but…since I have my own consciousness, I also have my own preferred fighting style. I had a sword that I liked using, and see myself more as a swordswoman than anything.
The train eventually arrived and we got on it. Everyone was speaking to each other, and Touji Shidou asked about, but…
"Kei-chan, right? Have you met everyone else here before?" Touji asked me.
I glanced at him and nodded. "I've met most of Boss' women and friends before, they're also privy to me, so please don't hesitate to ask me any questions. I'll also do my utmost to protect you all, otherwise I wouldn't be able to face Boss if I failed," I answered him.
We had gone to a section where there weren't too many people. At this time of day, it's usually packed, but surprisingly there weren't many here.
He nodded and started asking me a bunch of questions, as did everyone else. I answered them to the best of my ability.
…
We arrived in the town and made our way to several shops that could potentially have decent items to give as gifts. If I remember correctly, this is the town that the Boss beat that delinquent, right? Well, whatever…
Once we arrived at another store, Touji Shidou said, "I'm sorry for having you all do this during your precious time."
"Oh no, please don't worry! This is a nice change of pace!" said Asia.
"Asia's correct. Most of the time we're just training, venturing out to Kuoh, relaxing at home or trying to get Jin's attention, so being out in a different town is an excellent change of pace," added Xenovia.
Xenovia was changing like Boss predicted. Since she was going to be running for presidency, she needed to. Irina was looking around the store until she found what she wanted.
"Next are costumes! …Kei-san, please come with us, we all need your input! Papa you can go to the men's section!" said Irina happily. Touji Shidou looked a bit dejected though.
"…Okay?" I replied a bit confused by this request. I was dragged to the women's section and stood around as they all headed to different spots to get costumes. They're definitely going to ask me—
"K-Kei-san, w-will Aaron like this…?" Rossweisse asked me as she showed me a very lewd and revealing Santa costume.
"What about this, Kei-san?!" Asia Argento also asked and had an even more lewd costume.
"How about this?" asked Xenovia…what she had was just a string piece…all she had was just a Santa hat!
"U-uwaa…X-Xenovia that's a bit too much," said Irina as she hid a normal-looking enough Santa costume.
"Do you want me to be honest?" I asked them and they nodded. "Boss would say yes to all of them, though…if your end goal is to have sex with him then you'll just end up naked in the end. But if it's for seduction, then yeah all of those will be fine."
They blushed and were about to say something, but I put a finger up stopping them. "He'll like both trousers and a skirt, but if you want the full effect, for the thighs, stick with the mini-skirts. If you want to show your ass to him in something tight, then trousers," I added.
They seemed to understand their bodies' advantages and looked at the costumes they had. They then scattered away…I did give decent advice, right…?
…
Not too long after we paid with Boss' card and stood just outside the store. We were under a roof since it had started raining earlier.
"If [Joker] Dulio were here, he would get rid of this weather for us," Xenovia said sarcastically.
"I can do that," I told them and put my hand up, but Touji Shidou stopped me.
"It would be wise not to do that since there are normal people in this town," he said.
"Mmm." I nodded my head in agreement and stopped what I was about to do. I was about to relax when I felt a powerful hostile aura being sent towards us. I wasn't the only one who felt it as the rest of Boss' women noticed and we looked to our right.
Touji Shidou became confused and asked, "What's wrong, everyone?"
"Papa, there's an enemy…!" said Irina. I looked back at the store and put the owner and other patrons to sleep.
A man with an umbrella was walking towards us with a sword in his hand. "Everyone, get ready," I told them and they did. Xenovia pulled out [Ex-Durandal] and I pulled my own sword out.
However, as we were about to move forward, Touji Shidou started to shake. "N-no…it can't be…how are you…?!"
"It's been a while, Shidou-san, or should I call you, Office-Chief Shidou now?" the man asked. He didn't wait for an answer as he attacked us!
The man increased the aura of the sword he was holding. The aura coming from him wasn't normal. It felt like something out of this universe, so I stepped in before anything could happen. I left my spot and gave a swift and single strike. When I turned around his arm had been cut off with the sword…but…!
His arm intently attached itself back to him and he continued his charge towards everyone.
'Shit! I shouldn't—'
"Yaegaki-kun?!" Touji shouted. "I thought you were—"
<< Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!>> an ominous voice barked as the man Yaegaki slashed down at all of them.
Rossweisse created several defensive magic circles and Xenovia sent out a power slash towards Yaegaki. The circles and slash blocked his attack, but…
"Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi was supposed to be broken and was in the middle of restoration!" shouted Irina.
<<My hatred and the evil intent of the legendary Evil Dragon, [Venom Blood Dragon] Yamata-no-Orochi, possessed in this sword—I shall use this to give punishment to all of you!>> he screamed.
I dashed back and blocked the sword with my own. "Not unless I'm here!" but eight dragon-like heads left the sword and tried attacking everyone else behind me. I moved at the speed of light—and turned around to quickly slash apart the dragon heads, but…!
One of the heads detached itself from the lines instead of being cut. It also passed through Rossweisse's magic circle shocking us both, the rest of the heads also instantly regenerated. It made its way to Touji Shidou and bit him in the shoulder and then—
"Separate it! It's going to use a [Dragon Shot] on him!" I screamed.
Rossweisse turned around as did everyone else. First, she instantly used her [Ultra Instinct Sign] and separated the head and Touji Shidou. Next was Asia and Xenovia who healed his shoulder and Xenovia slashed the head apart.
Irina had been too shocked to move at what had just happened. I clicked my tongue and tried to slash his head off, but instead I hit darkness. He had vanished and teleported to one of the rooftops. I looked up and chased after him.
"Are you sure you shouldn't be tending to that man's wounds? That poison has been amplified by another universes curse and poisons you know? You better get the Middleman, otherwise he'll die soon," he said.
I did a powerful thrust towards him, but he had already vanished…! "Fuck!" I screamed. Did I fail?! Aren't I an avatar?! Shit I should stop…! I jumped back towards him as Asia tried her best to heal Touji but it wasn't working.
His veins had started to turn purple and began to glow. His face was also blue. Irina had frozen in shock. 'Cúntóir's busy and Boss is at another location…I can't fuck up now, let's do this…!' I screamed in my head and rapidly stabbed certain points around Touji Shidou's body.
Once I did, the poison and curse stopped circulating around his body, but this is only temporary. "Let's bring him to Heaven. Layla and Altaria are exceptional healers and may be able to find a cure."
"What about—"
"Cúntóir is still not responding since she's still working on the crystal we found a few months back," I told them, but finally—
"Papa!!" Irina screamed as power erupted from her body.
"Irina—"
As I was about to stop her outburst, Boss had showed up and hugged her from behind, which also forced her to fall asleep. Boss looked at us then at me…he felt very calm. No...I need to explain myself…
…
Earlier
Jin Skyward's Soliloquy
…
We had arrived in the realm of Saint Nicolas or Santa Claus. It was…well, a very Christmas-y, and Christmas themed place. Christmas lights and decorations adorn the trees, there are hundreds of houses adorned with lights and decorations. Reindeer are everywhere and there are other monsters as well.
I wasn't expecting to see so many different youkais here. However, there were the typical 'elves' here, but they weren't like the ones I'd met before. When I used [Observe] on them, they were a subspecies of Elves.
We got plenty of stares as we walked through the town. However, it was quite obvious where his home was…a large mansion-like house with 'Santa Claus' written above it was quite an indicator. We quickly arrived at what I perceived to be the center of the town.
In the middle of it was an enormous Christmas tree that towered over every other building except for Santa's own mansion. All around the tree were various presents wrapped in different colors of paper and there were also vendors around it, selling cookies, milk, and various Christmas-themed foods.
I felt a tug on my arm and looked at Gabriel. "Can we…?" she asked while looking at me and the food stalls.
"Sure thing, go ahead," I said and she happily flew over to the stalls. Danu followed after her like a dutiful mother and joined her at the stalls. They spoke to the elf manning it and they went to other ones and slowly bought food and milk in plastic bottles.
"I never thought I'd get to see Santa Claus in person," said Lavinia.
"Mmm. Even though my clan didn't speak much of him, when I went to normal human schools, they spoke about him a lot. I also found out she was real a few days later. Apparently, he only gives presents to good children. Naughty or lewd children don't get anything," explained Suzaku.
"…Am I part of the naughty list?" I asked with a chuckle.
"Well…you are a pervert, but…you do a lot of good. Is it possible that they cancel each other out?" Lavinia wondered as she tilted her head in thought.
I shrugged and said, "Who knows? But we discussed that…I'll be the 'draconic reindeer' in my invisible [Juggernaut Drive] bringing Team [DxD] all over Japan so we can drop presents in all houses…"
Yeah…that was the plan. I would go into my [Boosted Gear] [Juggernaut Drive], turn invisible and become a glorified transportation device. I offered to just make robot reindeer with jet boosters that we could all ride, but that was rejected, and they wanted with some…er, well, I don't and didn't understand their logic behind it…
But it was a unanimous vote, so I'll be a draconic reindeer for the night of Christmas. Hopefully, we'll get it down quickly and just party the rest of the night away. Well…we'll have the new years after that, so it'll be busy.
I have to give Santa props. He had to do this all around the world in just a couple of hours? He better be moving at the speed of sound or light…
"Mmm-mmm!"
I looked back up and saw Gabriel and Danu came back with a lot of bags. They had embarked on a mini shopping spree and they were filled to the brim with various foods. Gabriel herself was eating a cooking, once she swallowed it, I summoned a handkerchief and wiped the sides of her mouth.
"Did it taste good?" I asked. But instead of an answer, Danu reached into one of the bags, pulled out a cookie and offered it to me. I opened my mouth and took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "…Not bad, maybe I'll add this to my menu," I said and analyzed the cookie.
The two stored the bags in their rings and gave the rest of us some snacks as we made our way to Santa Claus' home. It didn't take us long since the closer we got to it, the more crowded it got. However, the main entrance to his home wasn't full of it. It was another gate filled with elves running back and forth from it.
There were two guards at the gate. As they began to speak, I summoned my [Boosted Gear] and they instead saluted me.
"Dual Dragon Emperor! Mr. and Mrs. Claus are expecting you, please go ahead!" the guard on the right shouted and the gates opened.
I thanked them, gave them some food and drinks and we started walking up the long driveway. Nearer to the door, we could see a lot of movement inside the home. However, using a bird's eye view I could see another building attached to the home and it looked like it was the workshop where everything happened.
As we arrived at the front door, I pressed the bell and it rang. A few seconds later, a lady opened the door. She looked to be a woman in her mid to late twenties. She had long gray hair, light red eyes, and wore a long red coat, white gloves, black stockings, a green bow and a red Christmas/Santa hat and red boots.
"Hello, we're—"
"Ah! Middleman! We've been expecting you, come in!" she said and welcomed us in. We entered their home and the interior was quite large, and at each corner of the house were stacks upon stacks of presents.
"I'm sorry for the mess, this time of year…we get really busy," she explained and gestured for us to sit on the sofa in their living room.
"Please wait here. I'll go get my husband," she said.
As she left, I used [Observe] on her and found that her real name was 'Carol Claus'. I'd imagine that Santa would be 'Nicolas Claus' since people sometimes call him 'Saint Nick'. Everyone started looking around the room and it almost felt like we were in some kind of Christmas-esque museum with the amount of Christmas decorations around.
No, this should just be normal décor for them, right?
"I've never seen this much Christmas décor before, especially in just a single room," said Danu.
"You guys celebrate Christmas, right?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yes. I believe most of the supernatural celebrate Christmas in Ireland, maybe a few don't but…they may have their own equivalence," she explained.
"Do you personally celebrate it, Danu?" Gabriel asked the goddess then hugged her arm.
She smiled and said, "Up until ten years ago, I didn't…but after that, I started to, even if it was just a small celebration by myself. This year will be the biggest since I get to celebrate it with you all." Danu started petting the angel on the head making her purr like a cat.
However, as we were about to continue our conversation, we heard a door open and a booming 'Ho-ho-ho!' echo in the room. We turned around and saw a very buff man enter the room. The image of a cheerful and chubby Santa Claus in my head was immediately shattered.
[Holy crap he's buff and muscular!] shouted Ddraig.
'No kidding…' I replied and got up.
"Middleman and Oppai Dragon! It's a pleasure to meet you! I've heard from Michael, Azazel and Altaria! You want to form an alliance with me? May I ask why? My group isn't exactly tailored to be fighters," he said.
"Apart from gaining fighters from every faction and pantheon when they join the DxD Alliance, we also want to unite the supernatural world. Each one can provide something useful other than fighters…"
"And what would that be?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Instead of giving him an answer the conventional way, I decided to sing some lyrics from a famous song.
"He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake…" I sang and then stopped. The room fell, but Santa himself was grinning at me.
"Goodness grief, I didn't think a famous human song would be used against me. What makes you think it's real, boy?" he asked again.
"…Call it a gut feeling, because you somehow know what presents kids want for Christmas…so the alliance wants your top-notch info gathering skills," I told him.
"Ho-ho-ho! You're an observant boy, aren't you? Well, we have been seeing a few strange lurkers around our realm recently. The only reason they leave us alone is because of your subordinate's own realm, so I'd like to thank you for that," he said and bowed. "But…let's see, I guess I don't mind being in the alliance!"
I nodded. "Great. But there is something else we want to discuss with you. It's about the Christmas project…and how that will play out."
"Hmm-hmm. I have heard a short summary from Michael and Altaria. I don't mind, it will save me time during those few hours. However, you will need to use a device I have to distribute the presents to the correct household, and the list for the entire country of Japan," he told me. "Come, follow me to my workshop…ah, honey can you prepare some snacks for us?" he asked his wife.
"Of course, dear. I'll be done in a jiffy, good luck everyone~" she told us and we left the room and walked through a long corridor made of wood.
"I'm guessing the list is fairly extensive?" I asked.
"That, it is. Normally without my sleigh and reindeer it would take the average person much longer to do this. However, if it's you and Team [DxD] then I won't need to worry about time," he said and laughed again.
We ultimately arrived in another large building, but this one was a lot louder than where we met Carol Claus as there were loud machinery everywhere. The place was also filled with the elves we saw earlier. Even though the environment looked stressful, they all had smiled on their faces.
"As you can see, it's very stressful, but this is the only month we work in the entire year, and we do our best. All the other months we spend preparing the necessary materials to use for gift wrapping and also food for everyone to eat throughout the month," he explained.
I see. That makes sense…it's a lot better than just sitting around being lazy like some strange works of fiction I read in my previous life.
Many elves ran out making toys and then wrapping them in presents. Some were done on a conveyor belt and others by hand. I would think the more 'delicate' presents were done by hand while the common and 'mass-produced' ones were on the conveyor belts.
Nicholas went over to a small desk area and pulled a drawer open. He rummaged through it for a few seconds before he pulled out a scroll. He came back over to us and handed it to me.
"This contains all the names for the Japanese children. Oh, and make sure you don't open it now. It's quite long so it will just roll all the way to the other side and through the door, around the building and back behind you…four times over."
"That's a lot~" said Lavinia as she poked at the scroll.
"When do you start writing on it, Santa-san?" Suzaku asked. "I would image the month before? Or during December itself?"
"I'm also curious about that!" said Gabriel as she put her hand up. Danu nodded along with her; truth be told I was also curious how that worked.
"Children can change their minds throughout the year. After all, how do you decide what the 'real' gift to give them? Also, how about parents who buy those gifts for their own kids? I mean, not everyone believes in Santa, much less the supernatural," I said and he agreed with me.
"Hmm. Well, I decide what their real present is through…their honest thoughts and feelings! Children may not be the smartest, but they're generally honest—so in their own rooms at night or throughout the day, they'll say it to themselves or write it down. That's how I know what to give them—it's their deepest desires in their hearts. 'I want a puppy' or 'I want this model train!' However, as much as I like to, I cannot help them when they ask me to cure their parents of a disease or have their mommy and daddy to love them."
He looks at the elves still working and added, "It breaks my heart that I can't the terminally ill too. I may be able to find out most things in this world, but…when it counts, I am powerless." The regret in his voice was understandable.
Everyone looked at Santa sadly, but I asked, "How DO you actually hear them?" He looked at me and then at Danu.
"Why don't you ask the Primordial Goddess there? She can hear the wind after all," he said and smiled.
"…I see. So you have your own version of it? …Perhaps when they mention the word 'Santa' or 'Saint Nicolas' that you hear their deepest desires for Christmas after that?" asked Danu. "Much like how the wind, earth, and plants tell me anything I wish to know after speaking or listening to them."
Santa clapped and nodded. "Bravo, that is exactly it. One month of the year—it's a month where I can try to make a difference in people's lives. But…" He looked at me and put a hand on my shoulder. It was strong, yet frail—the grip he had told a story…maybe I could ask him about it in the future.
"Miracle Dragon—that's one of your new monikers, is it not? You caused a miracle a few months back and I wanted to thank you for that. Many of the former cancer patients with those types of diseases started asking for other types of presents. I felt a lot of relief back then and even now."
I couldn't imagine the burden Santa carried. Now that I think about it…it's a pretty painful and shit job. Having to listen to children's sorrows, griefs and impossible gifts they want, like getting rid of cancer, or stopping the abuse they're receiving from their parents or worse…
Then having next to no power to do so…that would eventually get to your head, wouldn't it? Just like the 'Make a wish foundation', terminally ill children would probably ask for something like that if they knew they were dying. They're humans, they can't do anything—it's probably a gut punch for those who really care.
"…Santa, do you have a list of children that have asked for that kind of thing? I know I did that miracle a few months back, but I'm just curious…"
"That I do, lad. One moment," he said and turned back to his desk. He again looked through his desk and pulled out another scroll and handed it to me. "Suzaku, was it? To answer your question…it happens all year round for me. I just need to listen."
"I see…" replied Suzaku, looking sad like the rest.
"Lad, that list is as long as the one I gave you earlier. Why did you ask for it?" he asked.
"…Well, I might as well cause another Christmas miracle…right?" I asked with a small grin. "I'll take a look at it a different time. So, where's this machine you said that we'll need?"
"Ah yes, come with me. It's out near my real sleigh. The one you probably saw was just for decoration," he said and started walking away. We quickly followed after him and arrived outside.
We saw the famous sleigh he used and there were jet boosters at the back which was surprising. "You use boosters on this?" I asked.
"I'm usually able to fly at very high speeds with these. That's how I can move from country to country in just a minute. The reindeer are in their own area, relaxing and getting ready for the big day that's not too long away. Now then…it's this," he said and pulled out something from the sleigh.
It was a medium-sized metal thing in the shape of a box. It had an antenna at the top with two buttons. The left one was 'scan' and the other was 'distribute'.
"It's fairly simple. You put the present you want to 'scan', then press it. Once you have done that, press distribute and they will teleport to the appropriate house. Of course, if they left any milk and cookies for me, it'll teleport to a box I have in the sleigh."
"Now, before you ask, for the parents that don't believe, the box will also have an effect where it'll put a false memory into their heads. So this won't cause any panic or alarm, it would be a hassle, yes? Oh, I guess I skipped over that question earlier, sorry about that," he said and laughed.
He frowned and added, "I only have one of these though and it usually—"
"You won't need to worry, may I?" I asked and he gave me the metal box. I quickly analyzed it without Cúntóir's help and created a copy. I handed the original to him and checked over our own.
"Ho-ho-ho! So you can do something like that, wonderful! I don't need to worry about needing to create one that will take weeks on end," he said and laughed again.
"Well—" I—no, we all suddenly felt a surge of power…it's Irina…? What happened? "I'm sorry, Santa, we'll come back soon, something just happened!" I shouted at him scaring him a bit.
"E-eh? Uh…s-sure, t-take care!" he replied hurriedly.
I threw the device into my [Inventory] and I teleported away first, worried about my junior.
…
Once I arrived at the spot, I saw Touji was injured and my avatar, Kei looked horrified and pissed off. I immediately reached out and hugged Irina. Her emotions were all over the place, so when I hugged her, I also forced her to sleep.
"I'd like to know what happened," I asked them. "But first…let's return home." After that, I informed everyone at home that we'd be going back and not to come over here.
Once we arrived at my home, the girls followed suit as they asked what had happened. I gave them a brief summary. We brought Touji to a spare bedroom and I immediately analyzed the poison in him. Luckily for me, it was the same poison that was used during the Halloween event. However, instead of slow acting, this version instead destroyed his body as soon as it was injected into him.
If Kei hadn't done what she did, Touji would most likely be dead by now. This was a combination of Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi evil intent, a curse, and a poison from the Phantasma's universe.
Irina was still asleep and I had placed her in her room. I was going to ask the girls about what had happened, but first…
"Grayfia, Yuri Alpha, can I leave his care to you too for now? I've removed the curse, evil intent and poison from him," I asked.
"Yes, of course," they replied and I felt Grayfia's hand on my back. "I'll be back soon."
I made my way to my office, that's where my avatar was waiting at. Once I arrived, she immediately stiffened. I sat across from her on the couch and asked, "So? What happened?"
"…I messed up. But…why? Why did you give me my own consciousness? Wouldn't it have been better to create me like the other avatars you've sent to school when you needed to do a request?" she asked in frustration.
"…You are me, and I am you. You're aware of my plan after I evolve, correct?"
"It's about that…? Are you saying that you're giving me a test run for that?!"
"Yes. You'll be subjected to different scenarios in the future, and you'll need a clear head to get through it all. It's fine to have a fighting spirit, but…keep it inside, and use it at the right times. Don't let it make decisions for you…and don't become arrogant just because you have access to my powers," I told her.
She gripped her thighs tightly and gritted her teeth. "…Maybe I was being arrogant. The thoughts of 'Boss' women are here and I have his powers, this will be a piece of cake' ran through my mind and look at where it got me."
Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back on the couch. "We were just lucky that it didn't end in an even worse way," she said in a tired voice.
I got up and put a hand on her shoulder. "You and another one will be sent to different ones. He'll also have his own personality, but for now…"
She nodded and vanished. Her memories and experiences flooded back into my head and I sighed. "What in the world did you tell them about the costumes…?!" I half-shouted and facepalmed.
I sighed again and looked at the door. "Alright…I guess it's time for them to learn about the past of Kuoh," I mumbled to myself. I hadn't told them about it. I thought it would be better for them to learn about it from Zekram himself rather than me. I also didn't want to get questioned as to how I knew about it since it was top secret.
…
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