Steam rose lazily into the night air, carrying the subtle fragrance of minerals and enchanted herbs infused into the water. The moonlight above cast a silver glow over the hot spring, making the surface sparkle like stardust.
The rejuvenating effects of this hot spring surpassed even those born above the greatest nexuses of magical ley lines.
Its waters did more than soothe fatigue—they healed and revitalized the mind, body, and soul. Merely soaking in it for a few minutes was enough to cleanse away impurities, sharpen the spirit, and even elevate one's magical potential.
Such was the mystical blessing of the "bath" within their home.
Rias leaned back against the smooth rocks, her scarlet hair fanning around her like silk in the water.
She exhaled a long, contented sigh.
"This feels… heavenly."
Beside her, Akeno stretched languidly, her generous curves rising above the water before sinking back down with an almost teasing grace. She closed her violet eyes, letting the warmth seep into her skin.
"Mmm… I could stay here forever."
Aika floated lazily on her back with a silly grin, splashing water with her hands.
"Right? This is like, peak luxury. No hotel in the world could top this!"
Erika had her hair pinned up in a high ponytail, sitting upright and soaking with a serene smile.
"It's nice to relax… even if just for a little while."
C.C. leaned against the rocks with her usual unbothered expression, though the faint flush on her cheeks betrayed how much she enjoyed the warmth. Semiramis, ever the empress, rested with perfect posture, her pale skin glowing under the lantern light as if she were a painting come to life. Albedo, on the other hand, practically radiated satisfaction, as if she considered even the hot spring itself another gift from Yuuji to bask in.
Xenovia rested her arms over the edge, a small smile tugging her lips.
"I didn't think places like this could really exist before. To live here every day… it feels like I've stepped into a dream."
Meanwhile, on the shallower edge, Asia and Koneko weren't as relaxed.
Asia's cheeks were pink as she stared at the sight around her—the sea of bouncing, floating breasts that all seemed to gleam in the moonlight. Out of habit, her hands rose to her own chest, cupping the modest swells under the water. They weren't small, but compared to Rias, Akeno, or even Xenovia… she felt her confidence deflate.
Koneko, beside her, looked even more conflicted. Her golden eyes narrowed at her own flat chest, her tiny hands pushing against her pale skin as if sheer willpower could make them grow faster. Her soft pink nipples peeked above the water for a moment before she sank down, embarrassed.
She glanced once more at Aika and C.C., then at Semiramis and Albedo, their impossible figures highlighted by the spring water. Her fists clenched under the water.
'…Does Yuuji-san like them big too?'
Being around such a bountiful and tall mountainous range, she felt truly insecure about her body.
With Issei and the other boys, she had brushed it off as simple perversion. But Yuuji… he was different. He was kind, powerful, and gentle. Someone she admired greatly and… held a special place in her heart.
And surrounded by women who were all beautiful in every way she wasn't.
She bit her lip.
'…Nee-san's chest is big. Mine will grow too. I just have to wait…'
Across from them, Rias opened her eyes, breaking the stillness. Her crimson gaze softened, but a shadow crossed her features.
'…So it wasn't a dream after all.'
She had almost convinced herself that closing her eyes would make the sight vanish—that she was simply overtired.
But no. Right in front of her, splashing in the spring, was a little girl with jet-black hair and expressionless dark eyes: Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God.
And she wasn't alone. Three other little girls joined her, giggling and swimming around.
The white-haired one shimmered faintly like a prism, her pale skin and white hair reflecting rainbow light with every ripple of water. The dark-skinned girl with hair like the night sky sparkled as though stars were caught in her strands. The last one, with platinum hair and delicate features, swam silently around.
Rias still couldn't fully believe it, even though Aika had introduced them already.
"Slimes… and a sword spirit."
She murmured to herself. The kind of beings she had only heard in stories, now playing in a hot spring before her eyes.
She exhaled again, this time a little heavier. Akeno tilted her head, her wet hair clinging to her cheek.
"What's wrong, Rias? You look like you're carrying the world on your shoulders again."
Rias shook her head.
"I'm fine. Just… overwhelmed. Today has been… a lot."
Her fingers trailed through the water, crimson nails shimmering under the lantern light.
"First, the summit was attacked by a descendant of Leviathan. Then, I saw Yuuji-kun stand against Vali as if he were a child. And now… this." Her eyes swept the serene paradise around them.
"It's almost too much to take in."
Akeno giggled softly, her lips curling into that playful smile.
"I know what you mean. I was stunned when I first came here too. But… it grows on you. If I could, I'd move in permanently."
Rias turned toward her, surprised.
"…Really?"
Akeno nodded, her smile softening.
"Yes. It feels safe here. Peaceful. Like I can finally rest without worry." She tilted her head toward Xenovia.
"And this one's already living the dream."
Xenovia laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.
"I still can't believe it myself. But I'm grateful. To be welcomed here… it feels like a blessing."
"Don't make it sound so dramatic." Aika waved her hand lazily, still floating.
"It's fun having you here too! More people makes it livelier!"
Erika, who had been silent, finally chimed in with a small smile.
"And it's good to have a training partner. The others are too busy with their stuff."
Xenovia smiled softly, her heart warmed by the friendships she had found with such extraordinary people.
For just a moment, a wild thought crossed her mind—she was grateful that the church had excommunicated her. That painful severance had given her the courage to follow her heart, to be with Yuuji, and to remain here.
She shook her head with a quiet chuckle before letting her body sink deeper into the spring. The heat seeped into her muscles, melting away exhaustion and pain as though they had never existed, as if her grueling training with Erika earlier had been nothing more than an illusion.
Suddenly, splashes echoed across the bath, drawing everyone's eyes toward the source.
There, Ophis, Alice, Aria, and Est had all stood at once, their small, smooth figures gleaming under the steam. Each of them turned sharply toward a single direction, their gazes unerring.
"...Yuuji is cooking."
Ophis's nose twitched faintly, her delicate senses picking up the unmistakable aroma of Yuuji's cooking even through the fragrant haze of the hot spring.
"Uhn~! I smell cookies, cakes, and a bunch of other stuff!" Alice chimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. Her long white hair shimmered faintly, reflecting a rainbow glow as her emotions spilled over.
"Master's cooking…" murmured Aria. Though her face remained calm, her star-speckled hair glimmered brilliantly, betraying her anticipation.
"...I'll help Master cook," Est declared before dissolving into particles of light, returning swiftly to her spirit form so she could rejoin Yuuji at once.
"Me too…" Shadows gathered around Ophis's small frame before she vanished without a trace.
"Master, I'll help you cook too~!" Alice floated lightly, folding space around her to propel herself forward with incredible speed.
Aria, inheriting Yuuji's physical prowess, simply vanished in a burst of sheer velocity. Though both girls wielded the same powers gifted by Yuuji, they each expressed them in their own preferred ways.
Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Asia sat frozen in shock.
How did they know Yuuji was cooking? And how could they disappear so suddenly?
"Don't mind them too much. It always happens," Erika said with a casual wave of her hand.
"I hope he makes pizza…"
"I'll tell him."
Albedo rose gracefully from the water, droplets cascading down her voluptuous body like glittering stars. Her sultry smile never faltered as she declared, "I'll be excusing myself to help my love with dinner."
"Mm~! Thanks, Albedo~!"
The others let out small laughs, tension easing as they leaned back into the warmth once again, letting the spring carry away the last of their fatigue until it was time for dinner.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Rias and her peerage had come with expectations.
They still remembered the feast Yuuji had made for them before their Rating Game against Riser. Even with only modest ingredients, that dinner had outshone the grandest banquets of Lucifaad's palace.
But this… this surpassed imagination itself.
Tonight, Yuuji had cooked with ingredients so rare and exquisite they would be called "legendary" across the realms. Meats from mythical beasts, herbs and vegetables imbued with miraculous vitality, spices no tongue had ever tasted before.
The very first bite left them speechless. Words failed them. All they could do was keep eating in stunned silence, savoring every bite until they were satisfied beyond fullness.
After Dinner.
Lelouch, Satoru, Tatsuya, Kiba, and Issei excused themselves. Kiba wanted to tend to his swords, while Issei waddled off to collapse on his futon, groaning that he was too stuffed to move.
However, the girls, dressed in night-wear yukata, lingered. Tea was poured, laughter flowed, and the atmosphere felt warm—like a circle of old friends.
"So?" Aika leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "How was everything? Did you have fun?"
Rias and her peerage smiled earnestly.
"The food was incredible," Akeno sighed dreamily. "And the hot springs… I feel reborn."
"That's because they make you cuter," Aika teased, her eyes darting toward Asia.
"Especially you. I bet you could catch Issei's attention now~"
"E-Eh?!" Asia blushed furiously, hands clutched to her lap. "R-Really?"
Aika smirked, winking.
"Of course. You should've seen how mesmerized he was when you stepped out of the bath."
In truth, Issei had been equally stunned, if not even more, by the sight of Rias, Akeno, Albedo, Xenovia—and yes, Aika herself. After all, as a breast lover, his eyes naturally gravitated towards the bustiest girls.
But Aika spun her little white lie for the sake of the innocent girl's courage.
Asia's timid face lit up with newfound hope.
"I-I'll do my best, then!"
The teasing soon turned to Rias.
"And you, Rias," Aika leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. "You stayed in the springs the longest. Hm~ I wonder… who are you trying to be more beautiful for?"
Rias's cheeks burned crimson.
"I-I just enjoyed the comfort, that's all! N-Not because—!"
"You kept splashing your face with the water." C.C.'s deadpan remark landed like an arrow.
"T-That's—!"
Erika laughed lightly, trying to ease her.
"Don't worry. We all did the same when we first bathed here. Albedo especially."
"Of course," Albedo interjected proudly, her voluptuous figure shifting as her black-feathered wings fluttered.
"After all, I must be at my most perfect state before I offer my body to my love~!"
"Fufu~ Then maybe I should go back in too," Akeno added with a teasing lilt. Her violet eyes sparkled as her lips curved in a playful smirk. "So I can be even more beautiful… for when I sneak into his room~"
"A-Akeno?!"
"Ufufufu~ I'm just kidding. Or… am I~?"
Rias could only glare, blushing furiously. She wasn't just angry at Akeno's shameless teasing—she was frustrated with herself.
Because she had noticed.
Akeno had been growing closer to Yuuji. She clung to his arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he… he looked at her with eyes so gentle, so full of quiet love.
Rias's chest ached with envy. She wanted that too. She wanted to stand at his side and be seen with that same warmth.
Her eyes drifted unconsciously across the room.
There he was—Yuuji. Sitting casually with the four little girls nestled against him, their eyes wide as they watched anime flicker across the holographic screen of his supercomputer. He laughed softly, the kind of laugh that made her heart flutter.
And she couldn't stop herself from imagining…
What it would feel like to be in his arms instead.
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!