I took a deep breath.
"While the wilderness and a nice mansion at the top of a mountain are nice, it does feel good to be home sweet home!" I said, sighing. It was already dark outside as Serafall and I arrived in front of the Namikaze residence. "Tomorrow's the big day."
"Yep." Serafall agreed, hugging my arm in between her bosoms. "But…No matter what happens, I'll still be by your side. Your friends won't leave you and neither will I."
"One question though, Serafall."
"Yeeeeees? Teehee." Serafall giggled in a way that sounded suspicious. Serafall was awful at being sneaky.
"Why did we have to walk all the way here from the train station rather than using a magic circle like Rias and the others?" It was an honestly practical question. I mean, after our training camp ended, we all took a train back to Kuoh Town. Then Rias took her servants and just left. Serafall absolutely INSISTED that she and I walked home. I mean, Asia lived with us. Why couldn't we just go with her? Part of me suspected she wanted to sneak in some extra "nookie time", but all through the trip, she never once suggested anything of an ecchi-nature.
I was thoroughly confused as to my master's intentions. While some would suspect she just wanted to exercise, I believe my master is already in the best shape. Her body certainly spoke volumes about her health. Her sexy…sexy body…
Damn. I really gotta get my mind out of the gutter.
"Don't worryyyyy." Serafall said, trying to assure me, only making me more suspicious. "Just relax and let your guard completely down. Trust me. Everything will be perfectly fine once we get home!"
Naturally, that only made me raise my guard higher. Serafall was nice and all, but she was horrible at being subtle. When it came to matters of lesser importance, she was horrible at keeping secrets. I suppose that was one of the reasons I loved her. While I still acknowledge that hidden side to her, that hidden side I accidentally brought forth due to my scorning of her, I'd still like to think of THIS as the true Serafall. This adorable, lovable, kissable Serafall whom I deflowered—
… OK, I admit that sounded a little wrong when spoken aloud.
"Know what?" I asked rhetorically, sighing. "I'm just gonna walk through that door and get whatever's inside over with." I pulled my housekey out of my pocket and made my way to the door, unlocking it, and then opening it.
First thought: Dark.
The inside was pitch black. I could've sworn that I saw some lights upstairs on. Naru-nee wouldn't be asleep this early. I blinked twice, squinting so I could make out a few hidden forms hiding behind various pieces of furniture. Just because I could see in the dark, it didn't mean I could easily identify everything in the darkness. I stepped inside, squinting even harder to try and make out the figures who have dared to invade my home when—
FLASH
"""WELCOME HOME!"""
The lights turned on almost immediately and the previously hidden figures leaped out, causing me to jump. I had to restrain myself from attacking the people in the house on instinct. If I had been only a little slower, I might've seriously injured somebody.
Hey, cut me some slack! In my line of work, just about everything that jumps out of the darkness probably wants to kill me!
I stumbled back, reeling from stopping my potential attack, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the sudden light that blinded me.
"Eh?"
"Welcome back, Harutoooo-senpaaaaai!" I felt a weight slam into my chest, almost knocking me off my already unstable balance. I looked down at said "weight" who was currently snuggling against my chest, an incredibly relieved and pleased smile on her face. She had forsaken her usual student uniform and twin tails in favor of a nice, blue dress and a pony tail.
I patted Ruruko on the head, smiling softly. "Hey, Ruruko. Been a while." My self-proclaimed alpha smiled up at me before standing on her tiptoes and planting a soft kiss on my lips. At least… that's what I thought it was. Then Ruruko wrapped her arms around my neck and forced us into a much deeper kiss, inserting her own tongue into my mouth. She entangled my own tongue in our passionate embrace once I recovered my wits enough to return her affection, wrapping my own arms around her. It was only after a few seconds that I noticed that Ruruko seemed to be eying Serafall fiercely. At first I thought Ruruko was mad, but then I realized it was a challenging look.
This was Ruruko's attempt to prove dominance.
… Auuuu. Now I don't have the heart to tell her that Serafall and I did the deed. It would crush her… in a comical way. Ruruko would be miffed that someone beat her to the punch, but I don't think she'd outright hate Serafall… I think. I'm trying to be optimistic here. With any luck, she'd never even find ou—
"Don't bother tryin' to intimidate me, Ruruko-chan. Haru-tan and I have already become lovers!"
While I remained perfectly calm on the outside, my thoughts were:
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Inhale.
—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I'm so fucking screwed! Ruruko's going to castrate me, murder me, reattach my things, and then resurrect me using necromancy just so she can castrate and murder me again! I had initially intended to give my first time to Ruruko as a romantic gesture so she wouldn't go berserk crazy jealous if I attempted sexual relations with other girls in my harem! She's going to kill meeeee!
"I figured."
… Eh?
Rather than the intense freakout I had fully expected, Ruruko seemed horribly calm.
"Er…what?"
Ruruko shrugged. "I admit the thought crossed my mind. Even if you were angry with her… I mean, you ALONE with Serafall for ten days in a mansion secluded in a forest on a mountain? Considering your true feelings for her, I figured you would do something." She then crossed her arms, closing her eyes in thought.
"So…you're NOT going to castrate me?"
My alpha shook her head. "No…I admit I'm a little upset, but I love you far too much to hate you simply because you gave your virginity to someone else."
I was taken aback by how well she was taking this. I smiled, mentally berating myself for underestimating Ruruko's maturity in response to a situation like this.
"Oh don't even try it!"
"You can NOT take the high road here!"
I was brought back to reality by a familiar yet unexpected voice across from me, standing somewhat behind Ruruko. I blinked.
"Momo? Tsubasa!?"
"A-Ah, g-good evening, my King." A shaky voice greeted. I turned to see another shocked and horribly confused Karlamine who seemed like she had just been slapped in the face. She wasn't really all on the need to know basis concerning my harem. As far as she knew at the moment, Ruruko was my girlfriend and I outright admitted to cheating on her. I would have to ask Senpai or someone to 'explain' this to her.
"What are you guys doing here?!" I couldn't hide the shock and surprise from my voice.
Momo pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "How rude, Haruto-chan, not to even notice us!"
Tsubasa nodded in agreement. "Yes. After all the trouble we went through throwing you this party, you don't even acknowledge us." I raised an eyebrow before looking at the table behind them upon which laid a neatly made cake with words written in icing that read "Welcome Back!".
Smiling apologetically, I bowed my head. "Sorry about that…"
"I have to agree with Hanakai and Yura here, Namikaze-kun." I jumped again, showing even more surprise as my familiar Senpai walked out from behind a corner, her arms crossed. "You are Onee-sama's Queen. If you plan to partake in the political world of the Devils, you had best be more aware of your surroundings and those who stand around you." And yet more wise advice from Sitri-senpai.
I frowned. "I understand Ruruko, Tsubasa, Karlamine, and Momo, but what are YOU doing here, Sitri-senpai?"
Senpai seemed amused by my question. "Is it so wrong for me to greet Onee-sama and her most precious servant after they returned home after ten days?"
"Awwwww! So-tan missed us!" Serafall cheered, preparing to launch herself at her sister in a surprise attack hug.
"But really… it is good to see you are back, Namikaze-kun." Senpai admitted, averting her eyes either due to embarrassment or pride.
I looked around the room, looking at the sparse yet affectionately set up party decorations. Even Sitri-senpai admitted to missing me…
I found myself grinning to myself. "I see…" Everyone was here for me… It only hardened my resolve to see the Gremory-Phenex Rating Game through even more. "It's good to be back!"
"So-tan! So-tan! So-tan!" Serafall suddenly appeared by her sister's side, waving her arms frantically while smiling. "So-tan! So-taaaan!"
Senpai sighed. "Yes, Onee-sama?"
Serafall continued jumping up and down like a child hyped up on tons of sugar. "I have the bestest news! Haru-tan is my most adorable Queen again!"
"Amazing, Onee-sama." From the oddly deadpan tone Senpai had, I gained the faint suspicion she had heard that news before, perhaps several times if it was from Serafall. Calling her little sister to cheer and celebrate sounded like something Serafall would do.
"Yes yes!" Serafall continued cheering. "And also Haru-tan and I became the bestest of lovers too!"
I still felt the odd desire to pinch my master's face with an expression of disapproval on my face for saying such things so casually. It was not behavior befitting a Maou-sama.
"I KNOW, Onee-sama." Senpai said, clearly tired of hearing such things… wait… what?
"What do you mean 'you know'?" I asked, my eyes wide.
Sitri-senpai rubbed her temples, sighing, seeming even more tired. "Well, when you receive at least twenty calls at 4 AM in the morning with an excited woman telling you in the same exact words every time that her most beloved servant popped her cherry, you kinda can't forget it. The information is permanently burned into my brain." Clearly Senpai does not like knowing about the sexual pursuits of her sibling… I mean, who does? "If it wasn't bad enough, Onee-sama decided to use communication magic circles when I was in the middle of Student Council matters with everyone in the room. The situation was not helped when Nimura became enraged and threw a chair out the window in a fit of anger."
"Yeah. Hahahaha!" Momo burst into laughter. "You should've seen her! She was a raging monster! She went batshit crazy when Leviathan-sama's voice came out of nowhere screaming 'I got to f*** on my Queen's c***'! I never saw Ruruko actually froth at the mouth with rage! When she actually started wrecking the room and throwing furniture out of the window, we were all like 'Wah!'!" Momo was clearly enjoying herself at the expense of Ruruko, whose face had been flushed red.
"S-Shut up, Stupid-Momo!" Ruruko shrieked at the girl with the snow-white hair. "It's only natural for me to get a little jealous about Haruto having sex and giving his virginity to another girl!"
Momo did a dry spit-take, having tried and failed to suppress further laughter. "'Jealous'? No no no! Jealous is when you start checking your boyfriend's phone to see if he's been seeing other women! Jealous is when you start using your body to further keep him under your spell so as to prevent him from even looking at other women! Jealous is when you start stalking him after school everyday, learning his address by heart and sometimes sneaking in through his bedroom window when he's either sleeping or not around to snag one of his shirts that you keep around just to sniff every now and then—" I sweatdropped. No. That's being a stalker. "Smashing every piece of furniture not nailed to the ground and then tossing it out the windows which you thoroughly shattered is just overkill."
"Yeah, it seems, nowadays, since you became a Devil, it's rare we can actually keep the windows in the Student Councils unbroken." Tsubasa-chan noted with an amused smile.
"That's not something to be amused about." Sitri-senpai scolded.
"Seriously, did NOBODY hear that part about Momo snagging and sniffing Haruto-sama's shirts? Am I the only person hung up on that?" Karlamine asked, wide-eyed, apparently not aware that these kinds of conversations are actually pretty normal for us (as disturbing as it is).
Of course we ignored her and her perfectly rational and logical response.
"Hey hey! Why is everyone treating me like I'm not here!?" Serafall shouted before pouting adorably. "I'm being totally cut out of the conversation and it's making me sad!" Then she jumped at me, wrapping her arms around me and hugging my arm in-between her breasts. "Haru-taaaaan I think I might need you to make me feel better." She nuzzled her face against mine, purring contently.
"Oi! Don't even think about seducing him again!" Ruruko shrieked, her pony tails standing on end as her bright-red face also expressed her rage along with her embarrassment. "You already had sex with Haruto! I'm his Alpha so I was already supposed to have first crack! You took that!"
"Sorry, Ruru-chan." I felt another pair of finely-shaped bosoms envelop my other free arm. Momo winked at me before turning and smirking at Ruruko. "In harems, it's 'first-come-first-serve'! So if you wanna get on Haruto-chan's jock, then you'd best get to seducing him as soon as possible" Momo, still smiling, turned to Serafall. "Leviathan-sama, if I may be so bold, would you mind me joining the love-making session between you and Haruto-chan?"
"Hmmmmmmm… OK. But Haru-tan plays with me first."
"What!?" Ruruko screamed, her eyes opening so wide that they bulged out of her skull. "No fair! You can't just form teams like that!"
"All's fair in love and war, Ruruko." Momo hugged me tighter.
"Do I get a say in this…?" I asked, feeling rather uncomfortable that Serafall was planning threesomes without my consent. It's not that Momo isn't sexy and all, but rather that I have yet to form a bond with her strong enough for her to be considered a full-fledged harem girl.
"So…are you guys going to have intimacy? Coz I can just come back later."
I felt my face burn as I recognized the familiar voice. "N-Naru-nee!?" Standing against the wall opposite us, having blended in with the background, was my Onee-sama.
Naru-nee smirked. "Hey there. I'm almost insulted that you didn't notice me until now. Your 'harem girls' are one thing, but your dear ol' sister? I'm hurt, Haruto. I really am."
I paled, realizing how easily Naru-nee heard every last word that was spoken. "U-Um… h-how long have you been listening?"
Naru-nee, still smiling mischievously, placed a hand on the side of her face. "Since about around 'Haru-tan and I already became lovers!'. Just before that."
… My sister just heard me talk about having sex with Serafall… and further sexual escapades with some of the girls in this room.
Dear Satan, kill me now. It feels like I'll die of embarrassment!
"I—"
"No no," Naru-nee said, waving off my attempts to explain. "I expected that you would graduate from being a virgin with a hot babe, but to think you snagged yourself a whole harem…" She stared at me before giving me a thumbs up. "Way to go!"
… Naru-nee, you are not a normal sister.
"When Asia-chan came home earlier, telling me that she and the others were preparing for your return, I thought the party would be boring as Hell," Naru-nee admitted before grinning again, feeling amused at my expense, "but this IS pretty fun!" I shot her a tired glare, blushing again.
"Shut up!" I said, trying to keep from getting into a real fight with Naru-nee in front of the others. "I—Wait. You said Asia was here?" Naru-nee nodded in response. "... where is she?"
Naru-nee then stepped to the side, revealing not only Asia, but also Jack curled up in balls on the ground, their faces beet-red again.
"T-Those images…H-Haruto-s-san's noises…"
"S-So th-that's w-what being O-Onii-chan's l-lover is like…"
"Ah. It appears that, while preparing to greet you, our discussion has triggered a sort of post-trauma stress disorder flashback." Sitri-senpai noted with her usual serious expression. She then turned to me with a questioning look. "Just…Just what did you and Onee-sama do to cause them to react in such a way?"
I didn't even realize when Serafall had disappeared only for her to reappear at Senpai's shoulder, a cheerful yet perverted look on her face.
"Why, So-taaan? Could it be my adorable So-tan is finally ready to embrace her beloved Onee-chan's eternal love and endless affection like Haru-tan has?"
"No!" Sitri-senpai raised her voice to reject Serafall's proposal.
Serafall hugged my unwilling Senpai who looked embarrassed and that she'd rather be anywhere else. "Come oooooon, So-tan! It's really fun! Just ask Haru-tan! Come oooooon! If you want, I'll even bring in Haru-tan so you can also have some 'sexy time' with him too!" Serafall then began bouncing excitedly on her feet. "Oh wow! The thought of being in the same bed as So-tan and Haru-tan at the same time has gotten me so excited again!" Judging from the way her face began to turn a deep red color, I assumed she meant that in a different way than the usual meaning of 'excited'.
"And with that, I'm going to take my leave." Senpai said, adjusting her glasses while trying to maintain an expression of dignity (and adorably failing due to the blush on her face from embarrassment). "I simply wished to confirm that you and Onee-sama arrived home safely, Namikaze-kun. I wanted to be sure you two had not done something untoward in a vain attempt to escape from the wager with Riser Phenex." It was when the joy and happiness drained out of the room that Senpai realized her error and had an expression that made it look like she was resisting the urge to face-palm over her own actions.
Ruruko clenched her fists at her sides, her head hung in sadness and anxiety. Tsubasa bit her lower lip, a pained expression on her face. Momo crossed her arms under her breasts, turning away from everyone. Karlamine clearly didn't understand what was going on, but also seemed somewhat downtrodden by the bitterly sad atmosphere around her. Asia and Jack just stared, doing their best to suppress tears (When they recovered from their "traumatic" flashback, I have no idea).
I felt Serafall hug me from behind.
"... er… Should I leave…?" Naru-nee said, her voice almost entirely ignored due to the inappropriateness of how bluntly she broke the silence. "... coz it kinda feels like you guys are about to have a moment, and I'm not quite sure it's my place to be here."
Ignored.
I placed a calm hand on one of Serafall's arms that was wrapped around me.
Then I grinned.
"Geez! Why is everyone being so sullen already?" I asked, maintaining a gleeful expression despite the heavy weight of the atmosphere around me. "The game hasn't even started and you guys already assume the worst!" I threw a defiant fist into the air. "We may not know what tomorrow may bring, be it blessings or tragedy, but we must never forget what it means to be alive. No matter how bleak things may become, as long as we still live, we'll always retain the chance to change it. Besides…" My grin changed into a more gentle smile. "... I believe, no matter what, Issei will pull through and smash that damned Yakitori into next week!"
"Haruto…"
"Haruto-san…"
"Onii-chan…"
Everyone stared at me in shock, no doubt surprised by the fact I was still so chipper despite the fact I was the one of this group whose fate depended on the outcome of this Rating Game.
Then laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" It was Naru-nee, clenching her sides as she burst into laughter. "I really don't know what the Hell is going on, but that weird speech Haruto gave was hilarious as Hell!" Naru-nee wiped a tear from her eye before placing her hands on her hips. "Like I said, I don't know what's going on, but isn't this supposed to be a party?!" Naru-nee walked over to me, separating Serafall from me and throwing an arm over both of our shoulders. "So whatever is going on tomorrow, let's put it off and party 'til we're purple tonight!"
The others looked at one another, uncertain to the cheerful responses given by Naru-nee and I.
"Well… if Haru-tan wants to party… Then let's party!" Serafall, while initially uncertain, was pulled in by our undefeatable cheer.
"Well… I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Alright then! We'll give Haruto-chan the best party ever!"
"Yeah!"
One by one, the others began to be swallowed by the new mood and thus the party commenced.
Naru-nee brought out a small karaoke machine we had stored in the closet and Ruruko and Karlamine sang an excellent duet. Tsubasa and Momo seemed to be arguing about something related to their busts judging from the fact they seemed to be constantly gesturing towards their chests. Serafall was traumatizing Asia and Jack in a way that caused them to revert to their curled-up state. I suspected it had something to do with the subject of sex due to Serafall's expression and the way Jack and Asia looked like blood would explode from their faces.
Everyone was taking part in the festivities in some way, having fun… well, everyone except—
"Sona." I called my Senpai by her first name in order to get her attention. She sat on the stairs, just watching everyone else. She looked out of place, but more like it was an intentional position she had put herself in. "Whatever happened to 'this is where I take my leave'?" I smiled slightly, remembering how my Senpai had previously announced her attempted departure.
Senpai sighed. "Yes, but now that Onee-sama has gotten excited about this party, I had best stay to make sure she does not go too far with her excitement."
Without invitation, I took a seat by Sona's side. We both watched as Naru-nee started chatting up Serafall, discussing something that was making Naru-nee happy as Hell (My strange urge to pinch Serafall's cheek as punishment seemed to grow a bit stronger for some reason though).
"They seem to be getting along well." I noted, still smiling. "It's good to see that our Onee-samas are getting along with one another."
Senpai just stared, her mind clearly elsewhere. "Yes. I suppose you're right…" I frowned at Sitri-senpai's absentmindedness.
"Something wrong?"
"No." Was her response. "I just can't help but feel strange. Despite the serious situation, your words have allowed everyone to let go as if no responsibilities existed in this world. To be able to just let go and have fun… Sometimes, I think I feel envious."
I blinked in response, confused by Senpai's response. "What do you mean?"
"I can't really explain it." Senpai explained. "I just can't help but feel sometimes that I take everything far more seriously than everyone else, and I end up feeling left out as a result. I enjoy things such as games and competitions, but that is more me being competitive than anything. I've been to gatherings and balls before, but I—"
"have never been to a 'just let loose and have fun' kind of party?" I guessed, attempting to finish her thoughts.
She nodded. "I just can't help but find it weird. Like now, for instance. You've been bet by Onee-sama, but you still found it within yourself to not only forgive her but even treat her so casually like before. Even though your fate lies on the outcome of tomorrow's battle, you still maintain such good cheer. Are you not worried?"
"Never said I wasn't."
Because of the abrupt bluntness of my response, Senpai was caught in a state of surprise. "But you—"
"I said I believed that we could always change things and that I believed Issei would win. I never said I wasn't worried." I clarified. "But, you gotta learn to accept the inevitable. It scares the hell out of me, the possibility of being taken away from all you guys, but… if I only focus on the bad here, then I'll never be able to see the positive. So even if there's the possibility that Rias will lose and I'll be made into Ravel's servant, I'll hold out the hope for tomorrow. I believe that, no matter what, Issei will pull through. It's important to know and accept responsibility, but you just gotta learn to let loose. Stop worrying about everything and just go with your instincts."
"I do not know how." Senpai admitted. "I'm always focusing on my responsibilities and/or competitions. I gain some entertainment from various activities, but I do not know how to just let go of those things and have true fun like you and everyone else do."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Sona, you haven't been listening. It's not about thinking. It's about gut instinct and partying til your purple! Let me show you! Come on! Let's go get our party on!"
Without waiting for a response, I grabbed my Senpai's hand and led her back to the fun parts of the party. She wasn't the "let loose and have fun" type, but in a party, nobody should be left out. I dragged Senpai over to the other girls, forced her into a casual discussion that involved school and Student Council (I think that's 'casual' for Sitri-senpai). I dragged her to karaoke at one point and made her sing an awkward duet with Serafall (which Serafall thoroughly enjoyed). Then we all enjoyed some delicious-tasting party food.
I gave her the full party experience that she desired to feel.
By the end of the night, when Senpai left, she said nothing to me, but she gave the slightest of smiles. Serafall and I bid everyone good night as they departed the Namikaze household. I got a peck on the lips from Ruruko, a kiss on the cheek from Momo, a shy hug from Tsubasa, and an awkward and incredibly nervous handshake from Karlamine who seriously seemed to regret her choice in farewell. They all left and we all cleaned up the house, going to bed soon afterward.
Completely disregarding Naru-nee's rule, Serafall snuck into my bed again. This time she was joined by both Jack and Asia.
As they snuggled against me, all of them stark naked. Asia had said something about not wanting to lose to Serafall I think and she just showed no shame in getting naked. I felt both happy and guilty for that.
I stared at the ceiling, pondering tomorrow.
"Tomorrow… Everything will be decided tomorrow…"
"Haruto-san?"
Eh? Asia?
I looked to my right to see that the blonde former-nun was staring at me with worried eyes.
"You still awake?" I asked her, the answer being more than obvious.
"Yes… I've also been thinking about… tomorrow." The adorable nun gained such a worried look that looked out of place on her face.
I gently pet the back of Asia's head, pulling her closer. "What's wrong?" She was trembling.
"…. I can't stop shaking when I think there is a scary battle waiting for me…When I go to fight with the others, Haruto-san won't be there with me…" Asia hugged me tighter. "It scares me… the possible outcomes… It just scares me too much."
That's right. My fate may be riding on tomorrow's battle, but Asia and the others would be the ones actually fighting. Whatever stress I feel, it's probably ten times worse for Rias and her servants. Rias' servants are fighting with not only a friend's future but also that of their beloved master. They have to deal with that kind of stress while actually fighting.
"Haruto-san…"
"Yes, Asia?" I asked, worried for the Bishop of Rias Gremory.
"I don't want you to leave. I'm afraid." The way Asia was holding onto me… like she was afraid I would turn into a dream and vanish in an instant.
"Don't be. You're not alone." Asia looked up at me in surprise. "Me, Issei, Akeno, Rias, Koneko, Naru-nee, everyone. No matter what happens we'll all be by your side. I won't leave you alone, I promise."
Tears started to form in the former nun's eyes, but she smiled slightly, somewhat relieved of her previous mental burden.
"It's like you said before, Asia, the others will be right with you, fighting in that Rating Game just like you. They'll be counting on you, but they'll also be there to protect you. So don't be afraid."
Asia nodded. "I know that, but… still…"
"Then try this." I said. "Whenever you're feeling afraid, or when you feel the need to cry, you just gotta turn to face the world and smile as if to say 'Screw you world! You can't get me down with something like this!'—?Like this." To provide an example of what I was trying to tell Asia, I pulled a big goofy grin, goofier than even Issei's.
"Heehee!" Asia blushed while she giggled at my purposefully stupid expression.
"There's that beautiful smile of yours." I noticed, happy that Asia was no longer in the somber mood she had been in before. Asia blushed more deeply. Then she started snuggling against me again.
Auuuu! Asia can be so cute sometimes!
"Ehehehe. I'm not scared if I'm with Haruto-san after all….. Can I stay like this? Just for tonight at least?"
"Sure."
"… Can I stay with you forever from now on?"
I nodded. "Of course. I promised I would forever be by your side. That is what I vowed to you, Asia."
"Good." She said, looking ready to cry (from happiness this time) yet again. "Hearing Haruto-san say that, it makes me happy." She leaned her head on my shoulder, using me as a pillow. When Asia's breath became smaller and smoother, I knew she had fallen asleep…
That made one of us.
I tried to act brave, but I really was worried. Part of me had absolute faith in Issei, but the other fully expected the worst case scenario.
And the thought of everyone worrying so much… the fact they would be fighting soon.
Sleep, in my case, didn't come for a long time.