1,098Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu
– Akane –
The relentless glare of the sun pierces through the window, hitting my eyes and prompting a fatigued groan to escape my lips. I scowl, reluctantly peeling my eyes open and squinting against the harsh light. As I push myself into a sitting position, I instinctively rub my eyes, and after blinking a few times, I take a moment to gather my bearings and assess my environment.
I quickly notice that I'm back in my room—the one in Kuoh town; however, it takes a little longer for the implications and the events leading up to this moment to fully register in my mind.
Why do I feel so sluggish? I don't know why, but this doesn't feel like waking up from regular sleep. My head is pounding for some reason, and I really want to go back to bed, knowing damn well that that won't be happening.
"Good morning." Lucifer greets me, materializing in front of me.
"Mhm…" I mumble and yawn. "What time is it?"
"Seven thirty in the morning." He answers, glancing at the digital clock on top of the drawer next to my bed.
"Ugh, what the hell. It's too early to wake up." I complain, lying on my back again. "Fuck that. I'm skipping school today."
"Already going back to sleep?" Lucy asks in amusement. "Don't you think you've had enough?"
"Shuddup. A gorgeous princess like me needs her beauty sleep." I murmur, covering myself with the blanket. "I can worry about whatever tomorrow."
"Is that so?" He hums. "And here I thought you'd start celebrating your victory."
As I'm about to ask him what the hell he's talking about, realization hits, prompting me to leap out of the bed with eyes wide in shock. I don't know why, but the first thing that came out of my mouth was a question I very much knew the answer to.
"Did I win?!" I question, but before he can answer, I bring up my stat page, and my face breaks into a huge grin. "Hahaha! I won! I won! I'm the best!"
All the fatigue I felt before vanishes in an instant at the wonderful news as I energetically jump around my room in joy. Lucifer chuckles at my childish reaction, but I don't give a fuck about that. I'm the fucking BEST, and I just proved it to the whole goddamn world!
Even though the odds were stacked against me— even though I was against the favored winners of the tournament— EVEN THOUGH I decided to play with fire and motivated the 'strongest' with everything he could want, I still pulled through and proved nobody could put me down. I'm the greatest in this new 'talented' generation by a LONG shot! It's not even close!
I tempted fate, broke it in half, and turned it into my bitch. There's NO feeling in this universe could compare to this. Not even devouring souls. God, it's like I really am the center of the universe. I knew I was perfect before, but this is somehow beyond what I expected from myself. Somehow, I exceeded my own expectations.
And now, all those points are mine. Holy shit, I feel like I'm about to pass out from joy seeing everything coming together like that. Watching all of my stats jump by a thousand each is by far the greatest thing ever. It's the biggest boost I've ever gotten.
[Essence of the Demon Lord] – Perk – 2500 CHA
With such force within, a fragment of your soul has gained a powerful essence. This is only the beginning…
All villain-type entities will be far more likely to serve you under the right circumstances.
All villain-type subordinates become empowered when they fight with you.
All villain-type subordinates are immensely loyal to you.
You strike fear in the hearts of hero-type entities standing against you and weaken them.
Note: This perk can change depending on the user's current alignment.
[Demon Champion] – Unique Title
Through a set of trials and challenges, you've far more than proven your strength and wit to a society of demonic beings, and beyond mere respect, you've also gained their adoration. Demons idolize you. Whether that's good or bad depends; only time will tell.
Passive: All demonic entities will usually view you in a positive light and won't look down on you if you're not one of them unless you've done something to warrant such a response.
Active: All demonic skills and spells come naturally to you and are 50% easier to learn. All demonic skills and spells deal 25% more damage.
Note: Unique Titles can evolve and change under specific circumstances.
All of these are just what I hoped to see. Demon Champion won't be of any help right now, but it's huge for the long run. It is also worth pointing out that it is upgradable. Also, once I get my hands on Demonic Magic — after upgrading my Devour skill — and then get Blondie's portal power, mastering it won't be as hard.
I could also just steal her power without getting demonic magic first. I don't want to limit it to the clan trait called 'Hole'. I want something stronger. Something more versatile and better. And last I checked, system magic surpasses everything in this world as long as I level them up appropriately.
But that's for future Akane to decide. Right now, I'm just confused as to why I didn't get any perk for reaching 5k in strength, which is a huge milestone, by the way. I'm pretty sure that's low Satan-class level. I guess 2.5k is the final milestone perk? That would make sense. They're called 'Essences' and getting all seven of them will net me a new perk.
And I just have the LUK essence remaining.
Yup, winning this tournament is just the best thing ever to have happened to me.
"Akane?" I hear my mother call out, making me freeze. "You okay in there?"
"Uh, yeah." I clear my throat as she opens the door. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"Naw, I woke up like ten minutes ago. I was just surprised by your shouting." She waves it off, leaning against the doorframe in her bathrobe and smirking at me. "So, how's my little goblin feeling today~?"
"I told you to stop calling me that or else." I scoff playfully. "But, well, I'll let it slide. I'm feeling too victorious to be getting mad at your dumbass."
"Haha, that's the cutest in the world, alright. Winning that tournament made you real famous, y'know?" She giggles. "Anyway, since you're awake early, wanna grab a bite before school?"
"Sure. I'll just go wash up and meet you downstairs." I accept her offer. "What about Asia?"
"Still asleep," Mizuki answers. "She, uh, might've accidentally drank a little too much last night during the celebratory party."
"What?" I blink. "Asia had alcohol?"
There was a party? Why didn't anyone tell me?
"Ah, right, you were asleep at the time." She mutters. "Some of your friends convinced her to have a few drinks since it's legal in the underworld."
"Are you serious? How can you be so irresponsible? Asia is already vulnerable enough sober," I scold my own mother with a glare, making her shuffle awkwardly. "Why weren't you there to stop her?"
I internally wonder why I care about that so much for a split second, but that quickly flies out the window once she responds.
"…Promise you won't be mad."
"You were drowning in booze, too, weren't you?" I accuse. At her silence, I can't help but sigh deeply. "You're an embarrassing alcoholic. You shame our family's name."
"I can't help it!" She whines with an exaggerated tone before clutching her chest dramatically, playing a bit. "I was so proud of you, my beloved gremlin, for showing the world what you're made of! I had to drink in your honor!"
At any other time, I would've found this act of hers annoying, but considering my mood, I can't help but snort in amusement.
"Valid point." I shrug. "You're lucky you gave birth to me."
"Mhm! Luckiest in all the realms! Everywhere I go, everyone looks at me, green with envy, saying things like 'Gah! I wish I had a gremlin-like daughter like her!' And things like that!" She adds. My expression twitches at her constant use of 'gremlin'. "Ah, if only she didn't act like a rabid gorilla half the time."
"Fuck you say?"
"I said if only she loved me as much as I loved her." She sniffs. "Alas, tis only a one-sided affair. Such a cruel world we live in."
"You have five seconds to get the fuck out of my sight before I shove my foot up your ass," I warn her half-jokingly. "Five—"
"Whoops, would you look at the time?" My mother checks her nonexistent watch. "Better get ready before it's too late! I'll wait for you downstairs~"
She rushes out of my room and sprints to her room as she giggles to herself, having 'successfully' annoyed me. And she calls me a gremlin. She's over forty years old, yet can't even act half her age.
…At the same time, I don't know why, but something about it makes me feel something resembling relief.
"You don't seem as mad about these antics of hers as you usually do," Lucifer says, seemingly very entertained by my mom's dumb acts.
"I don't care what she does. I just won a tournament," I say quietly with a satisfied sigh, sitting on my bed again. "But really, was there any doubt?"
"Some, I suppose," Lucifer admits. "That… maneuver right at the end caught me off guard. You kept saying you had a 'secret weapon' to use against the dragon boy, but I certainly did not expect you to do that. Nor did I expect it to work so well."
"Ah…" My face glows as I remember what I did to Ichi. "Well, it worked, didn't it? That's all that matters. I'd rather not think about it."
Lucifer chuckles at my very obvious embarrassment. I'm not going to lie; that took considerable courage from me, and I might've almost choked. Kissing him is one thing; kissing him in front of the whole world is an entirely different story.
I knew it would work since not even he would expect something like that, but it was still very embarrassing. Also, missing the chance to see his face right after was painful.
Also also, I might've gotten him in trouble for doing that. Low-level errand boy kissing the daughter of a yakuza legend? He might just be fucked there. Granted, I'm the one who initiated it, but I don't think they're gonna care.
But it's okay. I'm going to take responsibility and protect him. Probably. I mean, what are they gonna do if I tell them to fuck off? They'll obey me with their heads down like dogs. Unless the order was from Daigo, but I'm sure I can convince him to fuck off too. Politely, of course.
Also, I just woke up from a mini-coma after getting my ass handed to me, as much as I hate to admit. Thankfully, the high I'm feeling from winning the tournament far overshadows the annoyance I feel for losing a fight I was ready to lose anyway.
However, the frustration is still there, and now that I think more about our battle, it's only growing.
Let's be honest: if this were a real fight to the death, I would've won in an instant. After all, during the beginning of the battle, I was trying to avoid killing Ichiban— that's how deadly my ice magic is. Ichiban is strong because of his adaptability, so all I need to do is kill him before he adapts.
I was trying to find a way to knock him out without dealing too much damage and wounding him because even though we have a thousand healers on standby, I don't want to look like a psychopath. Unfortunately, that balance was too hard to strike, so I chose the original plan.
It worked out in the end, and that's all that matters to me. I seriously deserve a vacation after this. Nobody else could've pulled off something like this. I'm just that special~
"Anyway, knowing and proving I'm the greatest in the universe makes me feel a little peckish," I say. "And you know what someone like the great Akane Amamiya deserves?"
Lucifer pauses before making a fantastic guess.
"Chocolate-based breakfast?"
"Precisely~" I giggle. I deserve all the sweets in the world. "Now you're learning~"
"Seeing you enjoy food so much makes me feel a little jealous, I'll admit." He sighs regretfully. "I never imagined losing my sense of taste could be so difficult."
Poor guy. Oh well. Better him than me.
Living without chocolate sounds like an utter nightmare.
– Sona –
Reading through some of the reports given to her by the yakuza stationed in Kuoh, Sona couldn't help but sigh. Now that the treaty had gone through, her workload here had technically lessened since there weren't that many problems anymore, but at the same time, the Tojo clan had decided to put much more trust in her taking care of the town, meaning she and Rias needed to take their jobs a lot more seriously. And since they hadn't been in Kuoh for a few days, work had begun to pile up. She was behind.
Sona admittedly liked this development—having to do actual work and have people depend on her to make decisions. It was good practice for when she returned to the underworld to do her real job as a heiress and eventually head of the Sitri pillar. It was hard and time-consuming, but that was what she'd always wanted to do anyway. She knew what was waiting for her.
"Ah, Amamiya-san. Good morning."
"Morning, Tsubaki. Only you and Sona here today? Where's the rest?"
…That was until today.
After the tournament finals wrapped up yesterday, life very quickly shifted back to its usual routine. Sona, Rias, and their human friends returned to Kuoh, where they began preparing for school the following day. The excitement of their little break had come to an end, and now they were back to balancing their studies and preparing for their upcoming exams. Besides their work on taking care of the town, of course.
But for Sona, it wasn't as easy to adapt as she thought. Even though it was supposed to be— they'd only had three days off for Lucifer's sake. And she never had any trouble changing routines or anything like that before. It should never be this difficult for someone like Sona.
…But she just couldn't forget what she'd witnessed during her match with Rias.
"They're taking the day off, I'm afraid."
"All of them? How did that happen?"
"As embarrassing as it is to say, they had too much alcohol."
The scene of Akane manhandling the one who was supposed to be the strongest in the entire tournament kept replaying in her head over and over. Sona just couldn't make sense of it, no matter how hard she tried. She even lost sleep over it.
Thankfully, during the party, she managed to keep her mind off it for a bit. Her high of winning against Rias, as well as seeing her team celebrating their victory, helped her ignore that nagging feeling of inferiority lurking within the back of her mind.
But not for long, as when she was in bed and alone with her thoughts, they returned tenfold. Sona tried to ignore them— she truly tried, but she just couldn't. Her confusion would turn into frustration and anger at herself. And she couldn't understand why either. It wasn't like it had ever bothered her that Akane was stronger than her.
"Ah, that's it? Who cares. You girls deserve the whole week off after that great play."
"You're too kind, Amamiya-san. But I don't think we would've done it without you."
"Obviously. I was the key to victory, but credit where credit's due. You all did well, too."
"Hahaha, never change, Amamiya-san."
But not to that degree. She thought to herself. Am I just… that weak?
The thought made her stomach turn, but it just… didn't make sense to her to feel that way. Sona had never been particularly power-hungry in any way. Sure, she'd known power was important if she wanted devils to follow her, but it had always been a 'need', never a 'want'.
And now… all she could think about was trying to keep up. Not surpass Akane or something ambitious like that. Indeed, Sona was desperate to just be on the same level. The mere thought of being left behind made her feel terrible. It wasn't just frustration or fear.
It truly made her enraged, to the point of feeling like she was wasting her time at school despite knowing how important her job was.
Each time she thought about her achievements, she realized that she would always play second-fiddle or mere dead weight. Against Kokabiel? David, Kasuga, and Akane had taken center stage. She'd barely done any damage and had ended up incapacitated. The tournament? Akane had done all the work. Invasion? She couldn't even prevent Shalba from kidnapping her dearest friend. The finals? The catalyst of her feeling this way to begin with.
But at the end of the day, she knew that this anger wasn't directed at Akane. Because despite everything, Akane had put her trust in Sona, which was what helped her realize that this problem was her own and no one else's.
Right…? In reality, Sona felt very conflicted. She knew it wasn't Akane's fault, but still…
Sona sighed to herself. No, she couldn't think like this. Blaming Akane for this— it wasn't fair. This twinge of resentment… it meant nothing. She shouldn't dwell on those poisonous thoughts any longer—
"OI!" Her crush yelled, slamming her hand on the table in front of Sona.
"Eeek?!" She yelped and flinched in surprise, looking at Akane as she quickly readjusted her glasses. "A-akane?! What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to visit and say hi?" She responded with a snort. "Honestly, what's with you? I've been calling for you for a while."
"A-ah, is that so?" Sona cleared her throat and quickly recomposed herself. "Sorry. I was just… distracted, I suppose."
"Distracted is one way to put it," Akane said before smirking and leaning closer. "I wonder what you're distracted by, though~"
"Nothing," Sona replied, though not in a way her crush expected, as a frown took over her face. "It was nothing important."
Akane blinked and straightened her back.
"You alright?" She asked, giving Sona's hand a quick glance.
Sona caught the glance, and when she followed her sight, she saw how hard she was gripping her pen, prompting her to relax.
"Yes." Sona nodded, realizing how she must've sounded just now, so she quickly tried to say anything. "It's just… the realization that I'll be doing paperwork for the rest of my life."
"Heh." Akane snorted. "I don't know what you're complaining about. It suits a nerd like you."
"I'm not a nerd."
"You're wearing glasses even though you don't have any problems with your eyesight."
"It's called fashion."
"Yeah, fashion for nerds." Akane chuckled. "Though I like it better on you anyway, so I guess you're right."
Sona blushed.
"I-I see. Thank you for the compliment, I suppose." Sona said just as her glasses were snatched by her human friend. "H-hey! What are you doing?"
"Hey, Tsubaki, how do I look?" She said, putting them on. "Am I as nerdy?"
"Stop that." Sona frowned. "Give them back already."
"Well…" Her queen paused, taking a good look. "I think it suits you."
"Pfft, no way." Akane scoffed, taking them off. "With my hair the way it is, I look like a complete loser with no friends."
"So nothing's changed, then." Sona snarked, snatching the glasses back and putting them on.
"Says the girl in love with me," Akane said as casually as one possibly could, making Tsubaki's eyes widen and Sona's heart skip a beat.
How the hell did she know?! It wasn't like Sona was obvious… right?
"I-I-I am NOT in love with you!" Sona denied, her face going red. "Stop making things up!"
"It's not like it's anything new." She added with a shrug, making Sona pray for the ground to swallow her right now. "Everyone knows it already."
Everyone?! Sona thought, growing more and more embarrassed. How?!
Sona glanced at her Queen, who gave her a panicked look, making her realize that, yeah, she had NOT been subtle about her feelings at all. Even Tsubaki knew? Was she seriously that obvious? But why didn't anyone— why didn't Akane say anything about it?
Had she perhaps been waiting for Sona to shoot her shot? Was that really it, and this was her way of hinting at it? But wasn't Akane in love with Ichiban? She'd seen the recording of the match earlier today— kissing him as a distraction move, which may or may not have made the poor devil heartbroken.
…This was going to sound wild, but could she be trying to build some kind of mixed harem? While pretty rare, a woman building a harem wasn't exactly unheard of. If she acted the same way toward Sona as she did with Ichiban, then that made this theory more probable.
Sona didn't mind it all that much— it was pretty normal in their culture, so if that was really the case, then… should she confess? But would she get rejected? Sona didn't want to make their relationship awkward if she did misunderstand the signs.
But at the same time, Akane wouldn't have hinted at it if she was going to reject her, right? She was kind of sadistic sometimes, but she wouldn't do anything that cruel. Right? Right. They were friends, and Sona trusted her wholeheartedly.
So, if that was really her chance, then… Sona had to do what must be done. She had to be transparent about her feelings.
She had to confess.
"…A-Akane, the truth is, I—"
"I mean, who isn't in love with me?" Akane snorted. In an instant, Sona's anticipation was replaced with immense annoyance and exasperation. "I bet even your sister fell for me too."
"Enough of this!" Sona yelled, feeling the blue-balls of a fucking lifetime. "For the last time, the world doesn't revolve around you!"
"Um, yes, it does?" Her infuriating crush responded in an incredibly aggravating, matter-of-fact tone. "I'm literally the main character and the chosen one."
Instantly drained out of her will to argue, Sona covered her face and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Tsubaki's barely contained laughter wasn't helping her mood.
"…Go back to your class." She said.
"But the bell—"
The bell rang.
"Huh, great timing," Akane said cluelessly. "Well, I'll be going now. Wanna hang out at our usual spot later after school?"
After playing with her nerves like that, Sona truly wanted to tell her to fuck right off and hug the nearest cactus.
"…Sure." She sighed again.
But she was hopelessly in love.
– Ichiban –
Staring at the plain white ceiling of his apartment, frustration and anger bubbled within him. The memory of their painful loss replayed in his mind over and over, and each moment intensified his irritation. He just couldn't shake the disappointment of falling for Akane's ridiculous trick. Seriously? That was how they'd lost?
Of all the ways they could've been defeated, All these hours preparing, planning, and theorizing of what her supposed 'secret weapon' could've been, it was a kiss. A stupid fucking kiss that completely blindsided him and his entire team. Something so simple yet so utterly unexpected from Akane.
He thought she'd made some powerful weapon like her armor without anyone knowing. Something that might rival his Balance Breaker and maybe dwarf it in power. Ichiban had been so worried about her making something that might defeat him that a mere distraction never crossed his mind.
And for it to work so well that it left him stunned for more than five whole seconds… Ichiban felt ashamed of himself. He'd failed his team because of a stupid kiss. Had he been more resolute, he would've recovered faster and knocked Sona out before Rias had been defeated.
Although Rias didn't blame him, nor did she try to, saying she should've expected the Anti-magic grenade Sona had, considering who she was teaming up with, Ichiban still felt largely responsible for the loss. They'd had everything they needed to win, and yet they'd blown it.
One might wonder why he would care so much about a tournament that they never really needed to win in the first place, but losing despite so many advantages made him seriously upset. Maybe it was his competitiveness or unwillingness to lose to Akane, of all people. He didn't know.
He sighed deeply, calming his nerves.
Ichiban knew he should let it go. All things considered, it wasn't serious. It was, at the end of the day, a fun final match of a fun tournament that they didn't know they could enter to begin with. Besides, they made a great show for the whole world to see.
"It's just a game if you really think about it," He muttered quietly. "It's in the name, too. 'Rating Game'. So who cares if we lost?"
He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or not, but it was pathetic. He couldn't imagine the look on Arakawa's face if he saw Ichiban right now. All sad and depressed. He shouldn't let the little things bother him.
…Oh, who was he kidding? He just lost his chance with Akane! That challenge she gave him— how could he have lost the opportunity to experience something 'better than stripping' as she put it? Was she even serious when she said that?
She couldn't have been messing with him then, right? Unless she was just that confident she'd win? Would she have gone through with it had he won? Ichiban would never because his dumbass had blown it. He fucked it all up.
Goddamn it. He clicked his tongue. And not like she made it any easier.
Each time their eyes would meet, Akane proceeded to give him the biggest, smuggest grin she could muster, and it pissed him off to no end. She fucking KNEW how he was feeling and wanted him to feel even worse. She never directly approached him to make fun of him, but she didn't need to.
That fucking smile did all the work.
This only made him realize that he needed to take his training even more seriously. Seeing Akane easily keeping up with him was eye-opening, to say the least. He couldn't let her enjoy victory for too long, or her ego would overtake the Earth and crush them all under its weight.
And, well, remembering what that robot had done during the invasion worried him immensely.
These Amon people… they could disable Sacred Gears. Just what the hell was he supposed to do against that? Without Ddraig, Ichiban was barely at the level of High-class. Which was nothing to scoff at, of course, but compared to his peers? He was an ant.
He couldn't let something like that happen again. He'd been so powerless that he couldn't even take care of a single robot. What use would he be without the Boosted Gear? Just what was he without it?
It gave him immense power, but was relying on it this much wise?
Of course not, partner. Ddraig told him. The Boosted Gear is merely a weapon, but what use is a weapon without a skilled user?
But what am I supposed to do? He responded. I'm not… good enough without it.
So? Be good enough without it. Ddraig snorted. What we experienced during that battle has never happened with any of my past wielders, but perhaps it was for the better that it happened to you.
Ichiban blinked.
What do you mean?
Is it not obvious? Now you realize that, as much as I hate to admit it, the Boosted Gear is only half of what makes the user. He explained. The other half is the user themselves.
Ichiban quickly understood what his partner was saying.
"The stronger I am, the better the Boosted Gear becomes." He said out loud.
Precisely. Ddraig confirmed. An ant boosting itself a hundred times still won't make it half as strong as a low-class. But a mighty dragon boosting itself once…
"Makes it twice the powerhouse." Ichiban clenched his fist. "I think I get it. I just have to get better at other things like ki control, right? That way, I have more than just the Boosted Gear to rely on, like Touki or my own raw strength."
And Ichiban knew it was possible. He'd seen Sairaorg do that exact thing. He might be a devil with a more durable body, but he was talentless when it came to magic, just like Ichiban. All he needed to do was continue and intensify his training.
He needed to get better at using his ki and find a way to minimize the energy he'd lose when activating Touki, like how Sai did it. During their match, Ichiban felt like he was wasting his energy a hundred times faster than he was. If Ichiban were to somehow refine it to a point where it just became his base state…
Ichiban also knew that Sairaorg had refined his technique to a point where his Touki was a lot more powerful than his or Akane's. He should ask Mizuki to teach him advanced ki techniques. Or he could train with Saejima again. He was sure that a legendary yakuza like him would know a trick or two.
Thinking about it this way, it was no wonder Ichi felt like he was being left behind. He still had so much more to learn, which excited him.
He couldn't let a loss or two bring him down like that. He was Ichiban fucking Kasuga— he'd lived in fucking Kamurocho most of his life. Ten minutes in that godforsaken town was so much worse than any of the stuff he'd experienced outside of it. This was nothing.
As that thought crossed his mind, someone knocked on his door, making him blink. Ichiban quickly got off his bed and went to the door, and when he opened it, he saw Akane standing outside, proudly puffing her chest and smirking.
For a split-second, he regretted tempting fate, but a small, reasonable part of him made him think that maybe she wasn't here to be an annoying piece of shit.
So, as he went to ask what she was doing here, she boldly and bluntly claimed:
"I have come here to make fun of you for losing."
Ichiban promptly shut the door.
But Akane acted fast and put her foot in front of it, preventing him from closing it.
"Fuck off!" He yelled at her, struggling to keep her out. "I'm not in the mood for you right now!"
"Tough." She snickered before forcing the door open and pushing him inside. "My royal decree demands that you let me in!"
Ichiban scowled at her as she closed the door behind her. His scowl then dropped as he sighed deeply, rubbing his temples tiredly. Well, it wasn't like he could've stopped her. It was probably for the better. Having her make fun of him in front of other people would be a much worse alternative.
"Whatever." He said, preparing for his pride to be shattered once again. "Just get it over with and leave already."
"Nice place." She spoke, ignoring him as she walked past him, scanning the tiny apartment. "Kinda small though, ain't it? Kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom."
"I'm sorry for being poor." He responded dryly. "Not having a job isn't easy."
"But you do have a job." She blinked, glancing at him. "Are you not getting paid for being my bodyguard?"
"Uh… I mean, I get a monthly allowance from Arakawa-san?" He rubbed his neck. "I wouldn't call it being 'paid' though."
"Damn. The yakuza are assholes, huh?" Akane said, walking to his bedroom. "Don't worry, though; I'll get that fixed soon."
"Get it fixed?"
"Anyway, what kind of porn mags do you have?" She asked, checking under his bed.
"Wha— Hey, stop!" Ichiban's face went red as he tried to stop her. However, she just snatched one and dodged him. "I said stop!"
"Oh." Her eyes went wide as she took a good look at some of the definitely not-doujins he put under his bed before she snickered to herself. "Big butts, big tits, mostly wholesome imagery. Besides the suspicious amount of cow-print bikini based porn, you're so vanilla~"
"Please leave." He said.
"But I guess that makes sense. I never took you for some hardcore porn addict like Issei. Did you know that he used to watch porn with his friends?" She responded, completely ignoring him. "Unless you're hiding the real material somewhere else?"
"Don't you think you're violating my privacy here?" Ichi quickly gave up on stopping her, knowing there was nothing he could do. "How would you feel if I did that to you?"
"I don't watch porn since it's for losers who can't get laid, but if you really wanna know, I'm into femdom."
Ichiban wasn't sure what to do with that information.
"I'm not asking about—" His blush intensified, but he managed to stop his brain from making really funny but distracting images. "Can you please just do what you're here to do and piss off?"
"Hm? Oh, you mean that thing about making fun of you? I wasn't serious." She blinked and threw the doujins away. "I actually came here because I heard there was a party last night."
"Yeah. You missed out, by the way." He nodded. "But what about it? What does it have to do with anything?"
"Well, since I couldn't attend that one, I thought I'd have my own type of party." She continued, her face breaking into a smirk as she took two wine glasses and a very expensive-looking bottle of champagne out of her not-inventory. "You in?"
"What the—" His eyes widened. "Where did you get that from?!"
"Remember the resort in the underworld?" She said. "Well, let's just say that they won't notice a bottle missing."
"Haha, holy shit!" Ichiban couldn't help but laugh, his attitude doing a complete 180. "Fuck yeah, I'm in! I never had anything like this before!"
"Knew it. That's why I came here." Akane giggled, handing him the bottle. They sat down opposite each other next to the floor table. "C'mon, pour the winner a glass~"
"Aye, aye~" As he was about to do so, he paused. "Wait, but we're back in Japan."
"So?" Akane raised a brow. "Who gives a fuck if it's illegal? It's not the first time we've broken the law."
"Fair enough." Ichiban shrugged, pouring each glass for her and himself.
As he set the bottle aside, he grabbed his glass and raised it, clanking it with hers.
"Kanpai!"
Slamming her glass on the table, Akane scowled deeply.
"What the fuck is his problem?!" Akane questioned, face slightly flushed after a few rounds of drinking. "Is he just an ass for the hell of it?!"
"That's not it. Calm down." Ichiban tried to soothe her, now realizing that maybe he shouldn't have talked about the Arakawa Family captain in front of her. "Look, he's an asshole, but he's still loyal, and Arakawa-san trusts him."
"I don't give a fuck. That doesn't give him the right to treat you like shit." She scoffed. "What's his name again? Sawashiro?"
"Y-yeah."
"Right, I'll remember it." She said. "I'm beating him up when I see him and have him kicked out of the clan."
"It's really not that serious," He sighed.
"Yes, it is. Nobody fucks with my things and gets away with it." She insisted. Things? "Don't worry, Ichi. Your beloved goddess is here to save and protect you."
Ichiban rubbed his eyes tiredly, although he was equally embarrassed and happy seeing how much she cared about him. Granted, calling him her 'thing' was a little weird, but it was just her way of showing affection.
It hadn't been long since they'd started drinking, only maybe an hour or so, but it barely felt like a few minutes. Ichi himself wasn't really drunk as much as he was a little tipsy, but he couldn't say the same for Akane.
Honestly, this conversation with her made him realize that Akane was a massive tsundere. They say drinking made people more honest, and Ichi couldn't deny that after today. She wasn't all that different from her usual self, but his best friend seemed a lot more agreeable and truthful with alcohol in her system.
So when she had him talk about himself and how he'd met Arakawa, when the conversation shifted to Sawashiro — Arakawa's asshole captain — she'd gotten visibly upset. Obviously, the man wasn't some evil, abusive bastard, but he was still a bastard in his own way.
From the way he spoke to Ichiban — constantly calling him an idiot, useless, and a lot worse — to the way he generally treated him, even refusing to train him properly. Ichi didn't like him at all, but because he was his direct superior, Ichiban could never talk back.
All he could do was lower his head and apologize, even if he wasn't in the wrong.
When he'd first gotten accepted by Arakawa, a part of Ichiban had thought that this was Sawashiro's way of testing his patience, but two years later, that seemed a lot less likely. The guy was just an ass.
Though credit where credit was due, he did his job pretty damn well and was intensely loyal. He was Arakawa's captain for a reason. It wasn't Ichiban's place to complain about someone like him when he wasn't even officially part of the family yet.
But he digressed. Akane looked like she genuinely hated him.
"Yeah, thanks. I guess." He said.
"You 'guess'?" She pouted. "What's that supposed to mean? I want real praise. Tell me how much you like me and how great I am."
Ichiban sighed.
"You're the greatest, most beautiful, and coolest girl in all the realms." He said. "And you mean a lot to me."
"Uh-huh. That's good." She then gave him a cheeky grin. "But do I mean more to you than Arakawa?"
"That's— I can't answer that." He said. "You both saved my life, y'know? I can't say which of you means more because both of you are two of the most important people in my life."
"Boring~" She rolled her eyes. "I bet you like me more, but you're embarrassed to say it."
Ichiban didn't say anything.
"But tell you what. If you tell the truth—" Akane's smirk turned sultry as she leaned forward. "I'll give you a little reward~"
"That was the truth." But he was unfazed. "I like you both equally."
"Oh really?" She purred, approaching him like a tiger would its prey. "Are you sure?"
Suddenly, Ichiban felt a chill go down his spine.
"Y-yes." But he remained firm.
"Even if I do this?"
Before Ichiban could ask, Akane pounced, smashing her lips against his. The vivid sensation he'd felt during the match— it came back a thousandfold as he felt her tongue invade his mouth, and it felt like heaven.
It was truly a sensation like nothing else, and with her deepening the kiss like this, making it so very intimate and pleasurable, Ichiban wanted to feel it forever. Kissing a girl was like a dream come true, but kissing someone as drop-dead gorgeous as Akane?
He loved it. He loved her. But because he loved her, he couldn't let this continue on any longer. So unlike last time, Ichiban composed himself very quickly and pushed her off, confusing her greatly.
"I-I can't do this, Akane." He said. "Not when you're drunk. I can't take advantage of you like this."
Instead of snapping her out of it, this made her double down and kiss him again, shutting him up as he felt her hand trail over his chest and crotch, shocking him greatly. Ichiban didn't understand what was going on, and as she backed away, he was going to push her off again before she spoke.
"Don't underestimate me, Ichi. Do you think I'm some kind of lightweight? It'll take way more than half a bottle to make me drunk." She scoffed, sitting on his lap and unbuttoning her shirt. "I'm pretty sound of mind, y'know?"
"T-then, why are you doing this?" He asked, trying to keep his eyes off her breasts.
"What, did you forget about the competition we made between us?" She asked with an amused snort.
"I-I thought I lost?"
Akane's smirk widened.
"Did you?"
"Yes?" He blinked, trying really hard not to stare at her in her underwear as she threw her shirt away. "I lost the match."
"You moron." She giggled, unclipping her bra. "The challenge wasn't to win the tournament."
Ichiban's willpower drained in an instant as she threw the bra behind her, and he stared at her breasts bouncing free from their confines. Big. Soft. Flawless. Pretty pink. Everything he could've hoped for ever since she'd sent him that lewd image. Was this a dream? Had he died and gone to heaven or something?
"It was to 'defeat me'." She said. "And last I checked, you did just that. Or am I wrong?"
"Wait, for real? T-then that means—"
"Now it's time to do my part of the deal." She added with a smirk. "C'mon, don't be shy. Give 'em a squeeze~"
With her permission, Ichiban hesitantly cupped her soft breasts in his hands, kneading them gently. It was even better than he could've imagined as his fingers sunk into pillowy flesh. Still unsure if he should do this or not, Ichi gave Akane a quick glance, seeing her smirk with a face almost as red as his.
At this point, he couldn't really just reject this blessing she gave him. Otherwise, he'd be an idiot who deserved to die a virgin. So he continued to play with her unbelievably squishy tits, feeling as if all of his dreams were being fulfilled at once. It wasn't like hers were small by any means, either. They were pretty damn big.
"How does it feel, Ichi?" Akane asked. "You enjoying yourself? Actually, don't answer that. I already know~"
She rubbed his hardening member under his pants with her hand, making him flinch. He quickly realized that, even through clothes, having someone else touching him there felt entirely different from what he was used to.
Akane laughed at his reaction before she went for another kiss. This time, Ichiban was ready for it and accepted it without a fight. She didn't know if it was his feelings for her or if she was skilled, but it felt indescribable for him.
"Hey, Ichi," She whispered in his ears after backing away. "You wanna see something better?"
He couldn't answer her question before she moved, pulling him up and pushing him onto his bed. Akane then took off her pants and underwear, standing right above him. Ichiban was frozen in shock as he saw pussy, her fluids of arousal trailing down her inner thighs.
And he didn't know what about her standing there looking down on him with her glowing red eyes that got him even more excited, but damn if it weren't a sight he'd never forget. Even though it barely took a second as she quickly sat on his lap, it felt like an eternity.
Anticipation only continued growing as Akane pulled down his pants for him, grin widening as she grabbed his rock-hard cock, rubbing it against her wet slit. She kept teasing him, looking him right in his eyes with an almost sadistic smile.
"W-waitwaitwait— don't you think we've skipped a few steps?" Ichiban said, still not sure if she was even sober. "I-I mean, what comes after kissing— I thought maybe a date or two?"
"Are you fucking serious?" She snorted in amusement. "It's like you want to stay a virgin forever."
"That's— no! Obviously not!"
"Then just relax and let me take care of you." She said, leaning for another kiss. "You don't have to think about anything else."
At the same time, she guided his hand to her boobs, letting him squeeze and knead them to his heart's content. If she really was serious about this, then who was he to argue? She didn't exactly act drunk.
So she really felt the same way about him, didn't she? Ichiban felt his heart swell at the thought. He wanted to jump and yell in celebration, and he would've done so had he not been busy enjoying her perfect breasts.
"Ichi." She whispered suddenly as she kissed his jaw. "Do you love me?"
Her question surprised him, but at this point, he could never deny it.
"I do." He whispered back.
"Mhm, that much I knew." She responded. "But how much do you love me?"
Ichiban paused.
"I-I guess I wanted to go out with you? Y'know, dating and all that." He answered. "But I always thought it would ruin our friendship, so I never—"
"Would you die for me?"
"E-eh?" He blinked.
"I said, do you love me so much you'd die for me?"
Ichiban was caught off guard. He didn't expect a question like that while she was grinding on his twitching member. He wasn't sure if this was some kind of test from her or not, so he answered truthfully.
"Yes." He said. "If it ever came down to it— if it meant I'd save you and keep you safe, I'd die for you with a big smile on my face."
His answer seemed to have pleased her as her grin widened. She then whispered something else in his ear.
"Good boy~"
For some reason, unlike every other time when being called a 'good boy' would piss him off, this genuinely felt like being stuck by lightning as he shuddered, every hair on his body standing on end. He didn't know what the fuck she was doing to him, but it was working, and Ichi wasn't sure if he liked it.
She then pointed his painfully hard cock at her entrance, slowly impaling herself on it. This was it; Ichiban was going to officially lose his virginity to the hottest person he'd ever met.
This might really be a dream, after all.
For the first time, as she shoved his whole member into her, Akane moaned. God, he didn't know if every girl felt the same, but she was so warm and incredibly tight that it was a miracle he didn't immediately cum.
But that wasn't going to last as his friend (girlfriend?) started to ride him like there was no tomorrow. She didn't slowly work her way up with her pace— she just started to bounce on him like he was going to disappear the second she stopped.
And as unreasonably good as it felt, this was torture at the same time. Ichiban did NOT want to cum so soon. That would be utterly petrifying and might just destroy his relationship with her. If it didn't, his pride as a man would surely be in shambles.
So, he did everything in his power to resist. Even as she tightened around his twitching member like it was about to cut it off. Even as the sight of her bouncing breasts was captivating beyond anything he'd ever seen in his life. Even as the sound of her moans was like angels playing a symphony in his ears.
He never thought she could even make noises like that.
But even he wasn't immune as he groaned and grunted, putting his hands on her impossibly soft rear as he tried to match her pace. Despite it making him cum faster, he wanted to at least make her orgasm first, and at the rate she was going, he wasn't going to stand a chance unless he moved too.
"O-Oi, relax!" He grunted. "I'm not gonna last if you keep—"
"Shut up," She growled.
Before he could respond, Akane then leaned down and silenced him with another kiss, and Ichi returned the kiss as he thrust into her as hard and as fast as he could, making her moan into his mouth. Something that seemingly pissed her off as she put a hand on his neck, creating an ice collar and chain, which surprised him immensely.
And as he stared at her face, he saw the big, insane grin on her face as she rode him even harder.
"Stop the tough act, Ichi." She ordered with a commanding air surrounding her. "Trying to get me to cum first because otherwise, it would hurt your ego? Idiot. You think I care about things like that?"
She pulled the chain, forcing him up as she put her left hand over his cheek. Her red eyes were wide and staring into his, the blue pupils of her yokai heritage glowing softly.
"I know you want it." She whispered. "You want it oh so bad~"
With her demanding and weirdly crazy but sexy attitude, Ichiban was rapidly approaching his limit.
"So do it. Be a good boy and do it." She panted. "Cum for me~"
And Ichiban proceeded to cum the biggest load of his life into her, almost passing out right there and then at the otherworldly pleasure. Thankfully, Akane came almost at the same time, shivering and quivering as a low moan escaped her mouth.
"H-holy fuck…" He breathed.
Ichiban never knew he was so into this kind of thing. The whole femdom thing always seemed painful and uncomfortable, but this… was different. Again, he wasn't sure if this was because of his feelings for Akane or if she just showed him some kind of kink he'd never known he had.
But he was for sure a changed man. After all, he'd lost his virginity.
There was the thought of massively fucking up, seeing that they were having sex raw, and he'd come inside her, but it was fleeting, as Akane didn't let go of the chain. Instead, she gripped it harder, and after a minute of resting, She gave him another smirk, telling him she wasn't done yet.
"I'm going to wring you dry~" She promised.
Jokes on her, though.
He was as into this as she was.
– Akane –
You know, if it's any other time, I'd say that I might've jumped the gun a little. It was never like me to throw myself at someone like this — I was still a virgin myself until a few hours ago — but honestly, I just couldn't take it anymore.
Because despite my low libido, I've figured out a very odd quirk about myself. Seeing my massive jump in power turned me on more than anything I've experienced before. It took me a while to realize it, but looking at Ichiban at school just made it that much harder to ignore.
It was a mixture of sexual need brought upon by the power I gained and immense frustration that, despite winning the tournament, I technically lost our fight. That weird emotion kept intensifying the more I stared at him. I wanted— needed to make things right and prove my superiority, which would be easy to do in a fight now with my new strength.
But I was too horny to start a fight, so I went with the alternative. Technically, he completed the challenge I had set for him, even if he didn't realize it. And, well, I may or may not have underestimated just how much I needed this. When I said I'd wring him dry, that's exactly what I did. I rode him until he started shooting blanks.
It might sound really dangerous and irresponsible, but not really. One thing I noticed a while ago was how I never had my periods, so when I asked, the Game said that Gamer's Body makes it 'unnecessary.'
Basically, I can't get pregnant.
Which is a huge relief, honestly. Not having to go through that every month sounds like the perfect trade anyway. It's not like I ever cared about having kids.
But I digress.
Sitting on the bed's edge, I look at the sleeping Ichiban contemplatively as the full moon shines through the window. But now that I got it out of my system, a part of me thinks that this was a big, big mistake.
I sigh to myself in frustration.
Because I… think I may be growing more attached to him. I already know that I like him — as much as I hate that stupid, weak feeling — but now…
As I continue staring at his sleeping form, I slowly realize what I need to do. Seeing that Game won't do its job any time soon, I think I'll need to figure out a way to live with it. And I don't mean ignore it until it becomes a problem. I just have to make sure it doesn't really bother me anymore.
This means I have to change my mentality toward these things. Instead of viewing Ichi as a friend or lover, he's simply mine. He doesn't need a label that sounds soft. He's just mine and mine alone, no more and no less.
He belongs to me. He's one of my things. And I have to make him realize that. Make him give himself to me. Make him only look at me unless I say otherwise. Make him worship me. He's already on the way to doing that with how he claimed he'd die for me.
But I won't let him die. I'd never let him die. If he's this precious to me, then I'll keep him around for as long as I can. So because he's mine, it's my responsibility to make sure he's safe and protected. Because last I checked, I really hate it when fuckers mess with my things.
Just as how I'd be upset if someone broke my tools, I'd be mad if someone broke him. But not just him. My mother, Akiyama— anyone who's able to make me feel things like this will automatically become my property, whether they know it or not.
That way, I won't be distracted by these weak emotions. This isn't something silly like 'love'. It's just how anyone would react to having their things messed with.
"I don't care how much you look up to that Arakawa person," I mutter quietly, still staring at him. "I'll ensure you won't want to serve anyone but me."
I trace a gentle hand over his cheek, giving him a smirk.
"And you'll love me for it."
The lengths she'd go to to avoid having to love someone like a normal human being makes her pathetic in a very tragic way.
Check the pa tre on to see the beginning of the next arc