Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
After making his three proposals to Sadao, Tatsuo did not stay at Villa Rosa Sasazuka much longer. Though, he did leave Lucifer and Olba for Sadao and Ashiya to deal with. However, he did not leave by walking through the door. Instead, in a display of his power that left all three demons dumbfounded, Tatsuo tore a hole in space that led to the Penthouse's living room and walked through it. Then, with a smile on his face, he waved at the three dumbfounded demons before letting the tear close.
"Welcome back, Tatsuo-Sama." Tio said as Tatsuo turned away from where the tear in space used to be. "I take it you had a nice trip."
"I did." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "Aside from talking to Chi-Chan, I also talked to Maou-San about the concert. And it looks like he'll be going, too. Though, I might have to lend him some money to get him a decent outfit."
"That's wonderful." Tio said happily. "That means that all of your friends will be there to see you perform."
"Well, not all of them." Tatsuo said while scratching the side of his head. "Although, I'm not sure if me and Harima-Senpai can be called friends. But he's not gonna be there. Then again, he definitely would not fit in there. I mean, he really does give off that delinquent vibe, you know?"
"Ah… Harima… That's the one who has a crush on Yakumo-San's older sister, correct?" Tio asked after taking a moment to remember who Tatsuo was talking about.
"Yeah, I had to beat him up after he attacked me thanks to a misunderstanding." Tatsuo replied with a smile and a nod. "But we got along pretty well after that. Haven't seen him since then, though."
"I see." Tio replied. "Well, according to Kasumi-San, he attends Yagami High School. So, I'm sure you'll see him again once the school year starts."
"Yeah, I probably will." Tatsuo replied with a knowing smile.
'Hell, for the first day, he might even be in my class.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'From what I remember, he skipped school so much last year that he got held back. Though, he did somehow manage to convince the teachers to let him into the second year by the second day.'
"We're back~~~!" Mai shouted from the elevator, pulling Tatsuo out of his thoughts.
A moment later, as though she already knew exactly where he was, Mai came running into the living room. She then threw herself in Tatsuo's direction with a perfect Lupin Dive.
"Tatsu-Kun, your Mai-Nee missed you~~~~!" Mai shouted while airborne.
Sighing at Mai's usual antics, Tatsuo opened his arms wide, looking like he was about to catch her. However, just before Mai could reach him, Tatsuo [Blinked] away from where he stood, reappearing on the couch next to Tio.
*Bang!*
"Ow~~~~~!" Mai groaned as she picked herself up from the floor while rubbing her reddened forehead. Then, she turned to Tatsuo with tears welling up in her eyes. "Tatsu-Kun, why did you dodge?"
"Because this is getting old." Tatsuo replied bluntly. "I understand that you like me, Mai-Nee. But can't you go about showing it like anormal person?"
Instead of replying verbally, Mai's hand dropped from her forehead. All the while, she stared at Tatsuo in disbelief. Then, after a moment of silence, her shoulders dropped, and she stared at the floor while she absent-mindedly drew circles on the floor with her right index finger.
"Don't you think that was a bit much, Tatsuo-Sama?" Tio asked while looking at Mai with sympathy.
"Probably." Tatsuo agreed. "But it was necessary. Although I like Mai well enough, she has to understand that I already have a girlfriend. So, acting the way she does is really disrespectful. Not only to me, but to Violet, too."
"I suppose." Tio replied, still looking at Mai with sympathy.
"That's good, Tatsu-Chan." Sumire, [Blinking] into the living room with a thoroughly exhausted Ayane draped over her left shoulder, said in a proud tone. "You have to lay down boundaries."
Sumire then turned her attention to Mai, who looked even more downcast after hearing what Tatsuo and Sumire had to say. She then softened her tone as she continued.
"Of course, this could all be settled nicely if you'd just accept the idea of a harem." Sumire said in a gentle tone. "Then again, getting all the girls who seem to have feelings for you to agree will be a monumental task. But I know you can handle it."
This time, it was Tatsuo's turn to let his shoulders drop. As someone who had lived as a human for most of his life, not to mention his last life, a harem sounded great. But he knew that it was not as simple as telling a bunch of girls and women that he liked them. But on the other hand, his dragon half, greedy and lustful, was jumping for joy at the thought of having more women to himself.
Meanwhile, a glint flickered in Mai's eyes. Unfortunately, no one, not even Sumire, who knew her the best, knew exactly what that glint represented.
At the same time, Kasumi, who had been out gathering information with Mai, walked into the living room. And when she saw the situation in the room, she froze momentarily. Then, she, like Tatsuo had done not long ago, sighed as she continued walking forward.
"We're back." Kasumi said in her characteristically soft tone.
"Welcome back, Kasumi-Oneesan." Tatsuo said with a smile, pushing the thoughts of a harem to the back of his mind for now.
"How'd the investigation go?" Sumire asked, sounding so casual that someone would think the answer did not actually matter.
However, if one were to look into Sumire's eyes, they would see that she was completely focused on Kasumi's next words.
"Um… Before I answer that question, Sumire-Sama…" Kasumi said, her words trailing off at the end as she pointed at Ayane. "What's wrong with Ayane? Is she okay?"
"Oh, there's no need to worry about her, Dear." Sumire said with a smile as she reached up and patted Ayane on the butt with her right hand. "She's just tired. We had a few rounds of intense sparring. But you'll find that she's grown a lot in such a short time."
"I see…" Kasumi muttered, a worried expression still on her face.
And when Kasumi saw Tatsuo snickering at Ayane's situation, she had the feeling that Tatsuo was the reason for Ayane's current state. But she decided to keep that thought to herself.
However, if Tatsuo knew what Kasumi was thinking, he would put on an affronted expression. Although he was, in fact, the reason for Ayane's current state, he had no intention of taking responsibility for her not being able to control the words that came out of her mouth. Especially when he did not even goad her into saying what she did to Sumire.
"Anyway, onto something more important." Sumire said as she moved to the couch and laid Ayane down on the unoccupied portion, resting her head on Tatsuo's lap. "How did the investigation go? Were you able to find anything?"
"Lucky little thieving cat." Mai muttered enviously with her eyebrows twitching when she saw Sumire lay Ayane on Tatsuo's lap.
"We were, actually." Kasumi replied with a nod. "Through our spies in the DOATEC Japan Branch, we found that Miyako, Fame Douglas' former mistress, was hurriedly making arrangements to receive a number of people from the DOATEC headquarters. Though, they did not have a definite time of arrival."
"However, judging by how careful Donavan usually is, we've made the assumption that they will arrive tomorrow at the latest." Mai, slipping into her work mode, replied solemnly as she picked herself up from the floor. "And even if our assumption is wrong, taking some additional time to prepare for what he's planning is never a bad thing."
"Good." Sumire replied as she stepped towards her favorite recliner. "Then, I want eyes on all the possible arrival locations that they could use. As soon as they disembark, I want to know exactly how many people they've sent to ruin Tatsu-Chan's concert."
"Understood." Mai and Kasumi replied solemnly in unison.
"But for now…" Sumire said, her solemn expression turning cheerful. "Let's start getting dinner ready. I won't be able to see my Tatsu-Chan for almost two days after Ayane-Chan and I leave for the Mugen Tenshin Village tomorrow morning. So, I'm gonna give this dinner everything I have."
As she spoke, Sumire clenched her fists in front of her chest. Then, she hopped up to her feet before rushing towards the kitchen, taking Mai and Kasumi by the wrists as she went. Clearly, the two of them had been drafted into helping with dinner preparations.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo and Tio watched Sumire go. Then, Tatsuo turned to Tio with a questioning expression on his face.
"You know, wouldn't it make more sense if someone else made dinner for Mom and Ayane-Neechan?" Tatsuo asked curiously. "I mean, they're the ones leaving, right? Isn't that how it usually goes?"
"In most situations, you would be correct." Tio replied as she opened her fan and used it to hide her smile. "But Sumire-Sama's love for you can't be compared to normal people. Pampering and cooking for you is something that brings her great joy. I would imagine it stems from her long separation from you in the past. So, when you think about it, this makes perfect sense for her."
"I guess you're right." Tatsuo replied with a shrug.
"Sadistic, demonic woman." Ayane groaned unconsciously from Tatsuo's lap. "So, what if you taught me a new movement technique, there was no need to beat me up like that for telling the truth."
Tatsuo could not help but start laughing when he heard Ayane talking in her sleep. Then, as Ayane curled up like a cat and made herself more comfortable, his smile unconsciously softened as he started to rub her head, which made her expression soften, as well.
After that, with Tatsuo and Tio chatting while Ayane slept on Tatsuo's lap, time passed quickly. Eventually, Sumire, Mai, and Kasumi finished cooking dinner in what seemed like the blink of an eye. And when they called the other three to eat, Tatsuo had to wake up Ayane.
"Hey, Time to eat, Nee-Chan." Tatsuo said while gently shaking Ayane's shoulder.
"Hmph! I don't wanna spar with that monster anymore." Ayane muttered as she turned over and buried her face in Tatsuo's stomach.
Seeing this, neither Tatsuo nor Tio could help laughing. However, Tatsuo knew that he had to wake up Ayane, despite her protests.
"There's no more sparring." Tatsuo said as he continued to shake Ayane. "But it is time for dinner."
"Mmm… Apple Pie.' Ayane muttered, not moving away from Tatsuo's stomach.
"Oh, I forgot about that." Tatsuo said in an amused tone. "But I'm sure that's cold already. Instead, it's time for a real meal, Nee-Chan."
Groaning at the continuous shaking, Ayane eventually opened her eyes and turned her head to look up at the person who would not stop shaking her. And when she saw that it was Tatsuo, she frowned immediately.
"Why are you so close?" Ayane asked disgruntledly.
"I think you should check your own situation before asking that question, Ayane-Chan." Tio said in a tone filled with mirth.
Blinking her eyes at Tio's comment, Ayane slowly turned to look around. And when she realized that she was lying on Tatsuo's lap, she sat up immediately before reflexively throwing a punch at Tatsuo.
*Smack!*
"You took advantage of me while I was sleep.' Ayane practically growled, her punch caught and grasped firmly in Tatsuo's hand.
"Nope." Tatsuo replied nonchalantly. "Mom put you down here when she came upstairs with you. I had nothing to do with it."
"Then, why didn't you stop her?" Ayane asked, the frown still present on her face.
"Oh yeah, like that would have worked." Tatsuo replied with a shrug as he released Ayane's fist. "By now, I've realized that if Mom wants to do something, the only thing you can do is just let it happen. I really don't wanna see her pouting and tearing up because I refuse."
Hearing that, Ayane knew Tatsuo was telling the truth. Then, she took a deep breath before sharply turning away and heading towards the kitchen table. Meanwhile, Tatsuo shrugged his shoulders again while Tio used her fan to cover her face. Tio then spoke just as Ayane reached the living room's entrance.
"Ayane-Chan is so cute sometimes." Tio said with a giggle. "She obviously like the lap pillow. But she's too proud to admit it."
As Tio had no intention of keeping her voice down, Ayane naturally heard her. And when she did, she stumbled slightly. Then, after getting her footing straight, she turned and glared at Tio, which only made her giggle even harder. She then shot a glare at Tatsuo.
"I hope you're not putting stock in the words of such a pervert." Ayane barked.
Then, without another word, Ayane spun around again and speedwalked out of the living room.
"You're right." Tatsuo said, addressing Tio after Ayane was completely gone from the living room. "She really is cute sometimes."
"I know." Tio replied as she stood up. "Anyway, shall we join the others for dinner? I'm sure your mother is getting rather impatient by now.
"Sure." Tatsuo replied as he stood up, as well.
Then, as soon as both were standing, Tio hooked her arm around Tatsuo's as they walked towards the kitchen table. And when Mai saw the two walking together so intimately, she could only bite her nails in envy. Though, after Tatsuo made his stand on her overly affectionate advances clear, she decided not to throw a tantrum.
After that, dinner seemed to pass quickly. When it was done, Mai was tasked with washing the dishes while everyone else returned to their own bedrooms where Ayane started packing what she would need for the two day trip with Sumire, Kasumi got back to working on her homework, Tio did whatever a masochist of her level did, Sumire completed some work she needed to complete over the next two days, and Tatsuo sat in front of his piano. Though, he did not start playing.
"*Sigh* I can't wait until tomorrow morning." Tatsuo muttered to himself while running a finger over the top of the piano's keylid. "Not being able to chat before bed really feels weird. But now, I don't' know what to do with myself."
Reaching that point, Tatsuo turned towards his closet where all his forging facilities were stored.
"Hmm… I could make some gear for Ayane-Neechan, I guess." Tatsuo muttered to himself. "She's the only member of the family I haven't made anything for yet, after all."
With the decision made, Tatsuo headed into his closet. And because he was so bored, he decided that he would not simply use [Alchemy] to make Ayane's gear. Instead, he would hammer metal, stitch fabric, and cut leather the old fashioned way.