One-Punch DxD: NEO

Chapter 17: A Day of Respite

Sheesh, I originally planned to post this chapter when I post chapter 18 on my , but it's kind of long overdue so I've decided to post it now. My co-writer, Lord Vader/i4md347h is kind of out of his element for the time being, so show him some love and support, folks. :)

On that note, chapter 18 is on the way, as well as the official opening act for Excalibur arc. Look forward to it.

Early in the morning past midnight where the starlit sky hovered above Kuoh, in the newly renovated Hyoudou Residence, Akeno Himejima clad in a simple white robe, was making her way from her assigned bedroom towards the bedroom of a certain boy that she had been fancied as of late.

She had memorized the room's location easily enough, and the trip was uneventfully quiet with silence in the luxurious Victorian hall of white plaster and glass chandeliers. However, she did not expect to find her junior standing outside Issei's door with a scowl on her face.

"Koneko-chan?"

The petite Rook turned with a mild surprised expression before she nodded in return, "Akeno-senpai. Good morning."

"Good morning. What are you doing?" Akeno trailed off before she noticed the pillow that Koneko was hugging, her pajamas, the cat ears that crowned her head, and the fact that she was standing in front of Issei's room.

"Oh, my. I guess both of us have the same plan in mind." Akeno smiled in amusement as Koneko's face grew a faint shade of red. Koneko slid her pillow over her cheeks to hide her blush.

"...There is one problem." Koneko put her embarrassment aside as she opened the door slightly ajar, to show her senior what prevented her from walking in.

Akeno peeked to see through the small opening, and she blinked at the sight of Rover sleeping by the foot of Issei's king-sized bed. In addition, considering the larger room size, the dog had no reservation about his own size, as Rover was roughly around the size of a polar bear - big enough to be imposing, yet still enough to move around the mansion's interior unhindered.

The queen pouted when Rover seemed to notice her peeking as his head perked up, yet he did not make any sound, simply content with watching the door.

Akeno retreated, and Rover returned to rest his head on the floor immediately.

"This is troubling, indeed" Akeno whispered.

Koneko conceded, "Looks like the mutt won't do anything other than watch as long as we don't walk past the door."

The mutt was guarding Issei like a dragon to its treasure horde, and the two had to bypass the dragon somehow without waking Issei. The only irony was that the dragon belonged to the dragon-slaying knight in this scenario, guarding him from the maidens seeking to claim a spot on his bed.

"...Do we have any treats?" Akeno asked, remembering Tsubasa's words of wisdom.

Koneko narrowed her eyes slightly before she turned around, "I'll see what I can find in the kitchen."

Akeno nodded, "Good luck, Koneko-chan."

The Rook then walked away and Akeno watched her disappear at the stairs leading down. She took a peep inside the room again, and as she expected, Rover was already honing at her again with its six red eyes.

"Just you wait. We will overcome you." Akeno whispered her promise to the dog, while making sure that the dog's eyes met hers.

Downstairs, Koneko quietly checked the fridge of the expansive, luxurious kitchen. The refrigerator was premium grade, large enough to feed twenty families at least. She opened the lower section, cool air breezing over her skin as she checked the meats for anything Rover liked.

Now that she thought about it, what was Rover's favorite type of meat? Koneko never gave the mutt much thought since it nearly ate her and kind of traumatized her during training camp. Still, it now lived with her, so she hoped that she could find something tasty enough to bribe that beast.

Looking at the fridge, Koneko caught sight of a name. There was a section of the meats with the label 'Rover' stickered onto the food shelf.

"...That was easy." Koneko commented as she pulled open the drawer and looked inside, seeing the various meats within, from the usual steak-like slabs to cutlets. She could smell the spices emanating from the meats as the scent hit her nose. There was even one in a bag with the tag 'in case the dog is missing' and another labeled 'Reward meats'.

Koneko smiled a little at seeing Issei's diligent care for the monstrous animal. She hoped that he would treasure her the same Koneko shook her head as the blush came over her cheeks; she should return to the task.

As she reached out to grab one, she heard something that should not have been present.

"Good moooorninnnng~" Said an eerily familiar voice so close in Koneko's ear, his white face ominously looming over her shoulder.

oXo

"MEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Back upstairs, Akeno was alarmed by the shriek that came from downstairs, followed by the noises of several furniture being smashed. In an instance, the entire house was woken up by the commotion and Koneko's voice. The Queen herself was already leaving Issei's room in gusto.

"Ahahahahaha! Try harder!"

In the kitchen, everyone had gathered and seen Black dancing around Koneko's enraged swinging fists, her calm stoic face twisted by unexplained wrath.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Both Koneko and Black paused at Issei's incredulous voice. They turned to see the sleepy and unamused expressions of the others.

"It's three in the morning! What the fuck are you two doing!?"

Koneko frowned as she glared at the black dwarf. She quickly construed an alibi as she pointed at Black.

"He squeezed my tail It hurt."

When eyes turned to Black, the creature pointed a finger at her.

"Lies! I caught her stealing from the fridge!"

Then eyes turned towards Koneko, who gained a faint blush on her face. "...I just wanted to grab something from the fridge."

"You're no night owl, kitten." Black retorted.

"...Black, Koneko is living here, remember? Technically, she is free to take what she wants from the fridge if she's hungry." Issei retorted with a frowning face.

"She was rummaging through Rover's meat section," Black argued.

Issei's unamused frown disappeared when Black's words clicked. Everyone's eyes, sans Akeno's, changed expressions as they looked at the Nekomata with confusion.

"...Koneko? Did you really rummage through Rover's meats?" Issei asked with suspicion.

Koneko's blush deepened as she could not bring herself to meet everyone's gaze.

"...Are you that hungry? Wait, is she usually this hungry at this hour?" Issei asked as he turned to Rias, who only shrugged with equal facial confusion.

Issei swore that Koneko was more of a sweet-tooth than anything else. Issei trailed his eyes to Akeno Who looked away from his questioning gaze.

"...Akeno?"

"Hm?" Akeno hummed with a feigned innocence. "I'm as confused as you are, Ise-kun."nove(l)bi(n.)com

Akeno's signature smile was already suspicious enough. Issei was acquainted with her personality very intimately; not on that level but close enough. But he did not have proof to call her out, so he simply narrowed his eyes at the seductive Nephilim before shifting his attention to Koneko.

"...Koneko?"

Koneko bit her lip as she looked down in shame, her white bangs covering her eyes. "...I wanted to lure the dog away from your room."

Issei creased a brow. Rover walked out between Issei's legs, whining as he tilted his head at the cat. Koneko simply laced a narrow gaze of envy.

"Why?" Issei asked.

He looked at Black. Black was squinting at him. He looked as if he was screaming at Issei with his eyes.

"Oh." Issei widened his eyes upon finally getting the message.

""Whew""

Issei missed Tsubasa and Akeno giving a heavy huff of relief, upon seeing that there was hope for his dense head.

Issei ran his hand on his face, having no idea of how to react at the prospect of a girl wanting to share a bed with him. Scratch that - Issei had shared the same bed with Tsubasa back in his middle-school years, then again, it was because they were good friends who had known each other for a while.

At least, he thought they were still friends No, maybe something else. The kiss during the Rias' victory party was still fresh in his memory, and he did not want to become something like those dull cliche characters from the harem anime the perverted duo made him watch before - the one with a head so dense that it would take a punch from his father to break some sense into that noggin. It was no longer funny when the girls kept failing to convey their feelings to those guys through subtle hints. It was like they were actually pretending to be dumb after so many episodes to run away from all the drama to keep the peace in the most cowardly manner.

Actually, why did he think of those harem animes in the first oh, he already found the answer upon remembering Rias' kiss. He preferred not to contemplate this train of thought further or else he ended up in a rabbit hole he would not come out of.

Back to Koneko - Issei did not think the time he had spent with the girl would warrant her to share a bed with him.

"You could've just told him to sleep out the room or something." Issei looked down at Rover, seeing the dog huffing at Koneko.

Koneko stared at the monster dog, now puppy-sized, as it sat on his rear and looked up at Koneko expectantly.

Koneko's eyes fell flat, "Do you honestly think the mutt will listen to anyone other than Mrs. Hyoudou, Asia-sempai, and yourself?"

"Did you even bother to try in the first place?" Issei shot back with a raised brow.

Koneko opened her mouth to retort but she slowly closed her jaw when she realized that she had not even once tried to command Rover to stop even the time during Training Camp. That one time when the dog got close to her, she was scared stiff.

"I'd rather not have him around." Koneko averted her eyes slightly.

Rover paddled towards Koneko and looked up at her, sitting on his hind legs. The girls watched as Rover attempted to cajole Koneko with puppy-like tactics, which everyone found amusing.

"Really?" Issei broke a smirk. Black was already snickering, nudging Koneko's leg with his elbow.

"I think this is a good time for you to overcome your trauma then." Issei concluded as Rover walked up to Koneko and placed his front paws on her shin.

Koneko could not hold down her grimace as she stared at Rover's six eyes. In her mind: fire, a monster and a giant maw littered with fangs. She broke off eye contact with Rover and walked away.

The rest simply stared at Koneko walking upstairs. Rover whined, looking dejected as Issei reached down and patted his head.

"One day, buddy. One day."

Right now, Issei was filled with yawns and the need to sleep called him back with a vengeance, a feeling shared by many others.

The fact that it was the weekend saved the occupants of Hyoudou Residence spared them the timely burden of class and schoolwork, leaving them much time to stretch their limbs and destress themselves in their morning rituals.

In addition, today was the day Issei must take Tsubasa on their promised date.

Frankly, Issei was not sure how it would turn out. He had to punch his last date out of commission for her trying to kill him. Hopefully, this one would not end with the other revealing herself as a Fallen Angel assassin in disguise, or any Devil version of Raynare.

"See you there, Tsubasa." Clad in the previous clothes he wore when he dated the fallen angel, Issei went out the door first.

"Be there when I get there," Tsubasa winked back with smarm.

The plan was for Issei to head to the meeting place, the fountain which Raynare tried to kill him, strangely enough, and Tsubasa would follow after since she needed time to prep herself as it was her first actual date. Issei never thought that he would have more experience on a date than a girl, though.

After Issei disappeared from the entrance, however, in a sudden full twist, Tsubasa turned around to Haruka, Black and Rover behind her, two of which smiling in amusement, and completely broke down in panic.

"Oh, no, no no no no... What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?! I'm not ready for this, I'm not ready for this, I'm not ready for this! I'M NOT READY!" Tsubasa was starting to hyperventilate as she held her furiously blushing cheeks, her tomboy face becoming absolutely adorable like a maiden's.

Haruka and Black blanched while Rover tilted his head in confusion. From all that confidence, they did not expect to see the frightened girl beneath the shell of false courage.

"The fuck? Are you seriously chickening out after all that?! What happened to the quirky girl that asked him out in the first place?!" Black retorted.

"I said that to make him feel better during the training camp! Oh god, how did it come to this!?" Tsubasa shot back.

"Huh?! Then what about when you reminded him during the party?! You even pecked him on the cheek!" Black recounted.

"I took a couple glasses of wine and champagne there, okay? I was drunk!" Tsubasa defended further.

"You're telling me that you got brave from two drops of fancy wine? You're a fucking lightweight?!" Black scoffed with mockery at Tsubasa. "Well, too bad then! The ship has sailed and you can't get off! Now do all of us a favor and don't get all cute on us! The kid's waiting, and you have a date to fulfill!"

Tsubasa wanted to jab back at the dwarf, but he had a point; Issei had already gone out and she had to catch up to him. Taking deep breaths, she nodded to herself, "Okay. Okay, I got this, I can do this. I can do this Wait, what do I even have to wear for a date again?" She asked herself as her face broke down in panic once more.

Seeing the younger girl needing aid, the older woman sighed.

"Alright, sweety. Let me get the other girls. We will see if they can help." Haruka consoled.

Tsubasa nodded sheepishly as the matriarch left upstairs, leaving her alone with Black and Rover staring at her.

"...You really dug your own grave, huh girl?" Black commented at Tsubasa with unamused expression.

Tsubasa had no words to respond as she buried her face into her palms, and exhaled all of her emotions into her hands.

oXo

Issei sat on the fountain's edge, staring at the clouds in thought while listening to the calm waters flowing behind him.

"Now that I think about it, my new crazy life started with Rias here I think." Issei muttered to himself as his mind wandered to his beginnings.

He was contemplating whether it truly started with Rias or Asia. Actually, it was more likely Asia since she attracted Diodora to his home. Rover nearly ate that one guy after saving his mother.

And that did not include the other craziness that started years ago that forced them to move out of Kuoh.

Still, he could not imagine that the turn of events led to him being targeted by Devil assassins from the bastard's Peerage, finding and beating the shit out of that rapist, and then somehow taking the Peerage for himself against his will maybe.

"What has my life become?" Issei asked himself.

His mother was elated with the new additions and definitely bribed by the expensive house makeovers. That fiasco with Riser then somehow led to even more girls living in his home, one of which he promised to date with.

He was still wondering if Rias was still plotting a comical, cute scheme to turn him into a Devil. If he did turn into a devil, he wondered what kind of Devil powers he might get. Still, he preferred to remain human if he ever wanted to surpass the wall of unfairness that was his bald father.

Moving on, where was Tsubasa? More than twenty minutes passed and she was taking her time.

Speak of the devil, a familiar voice was suddenly heard, "Ise!"

Issei blinked as soon as he turned towards the source of the voice. It was Tsubasa, alright - but he did not expect the way she appeared.

Tsubasa herself was not the kind who cared much about her looks as long as she was healthy. Despite her boyish looks, Issei had to admit that Tsubasa was already good-looking even without make-up.

However, she managed to stick to her style - she wore a pair of jeans that perfectly hugged and outlined her legs and hips, a purple blouse with a few upper buttons intentionally loosened, revealing some skin around her neck; she also sported a black choker on the said neck and silver charm-bracelet on her left wrist. Her looks were completed with a pair of black boots, as well as a light make-up with her pink lips layered in gloss.

Overall, Issei had to say that Tsubasa was looking downright sexy.

"Wow, you look pretty good." Issei complimented with a stupefied look on his face.

"C-Caught you off-guard, eh?" Tsubasa replied with a confident smile, while she herself was struggling to fight down the blush that crept up her face.

She was failing, and before Issei could have seen past her bravado, Tsubasa quickly turned around. "C-Come on, days wasting! I have some places in mind!"

Issei softly snorted in amusement as he took a step to follow his date, who was now blushing like mad and her expression was a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

"So, where to first?"

After Tsubasa had left for her date, it left Haruka the window she needed to finally commence her super-secret plan.

Ever since Asia entered their lives, fortune upon fortune befell the lonely matriarch, bringing more potential daughters and extravagant renovations that would make the neighbors stare with envy.

However, it did stoke her flaming spite for the one with the word 'goat' at the latter half of his infamous title when she learned that Azazel was stinging her husband's pay after asking Rias about her family's revenue. Rias' answer nearly gave Haruka a heart attack when she revealed her family's wealth.

She would make sure Azazel would pay his due, either in money or blood.

As for her plan, it was simple - gently 'interview' the new girls in her home. She refused to allow girls she did not know under her roof. How else could she tell if the girls were real or some shapeshifting doppelgngers or whatever, with nefarious intentions towards her and her son's lives?

Haruka had already interviewed Catherine, Amanda, and Zama when Issei and Asia were at school. So far, they were but poor girls with harsh pasts, wishing to start anew; if Issei was willing to help them, then she was happy to support her son.

As for her current list, Haruka spotted her first target: Koneko Toujou; the cat girl was watching television with a pack of pocky sticks.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly at the sight of feline ears and tail on the girl's body, and Haruka admitted that Koneko was downright adorable, though she could be cuter if she were to smile more.

Preparing a plate of cookies and biscuits she had baked beforehand, Haruka entered the living room and joined Koneko, sitting beside her.

"Hello, Koneko-chan. Mind if I join you?" Haruka cooed with her motherly tone, smiling with warm radiance.

The girl seemed slightly startled by her presence as she paused her munching. She shifted awkwardly on her seat while nodding politely at the older woman, "Mrs. Hyoudou."

"Just call me Haruka, sweetie. Care for some more?" Haruka offered a plate of fresh-baked sweets.

Koneko was already salivating at the sugary goods, and she swallowed her drool before it leaked out further.

"Awww, you're so cute!" Haruka spoke with amused giggles as Koneko blushed in embarrassment, but she gradually took several pieces as soon as Haruka set the plate on the table.

As Koneko nibbled the cookies, Haruka started her plan.

"Koneko-chan? Are you interested in my son?" She asked with closed eyes and a smile. She decided to broach the subject directly.

The question caught the girl off guard. Koneko choked on the food and rapped her chest a few times to force the food down her throat. Haruka's smile only grew wider as she giggled.

"E-e-excuse me?" Koneko asked with a flustered expression while clearing her throat.

"Awww, so cute! So? Want to tell me what you like about him?" Haruka asked.

Koneko's cat ears fluttered as she hugged her knees in an attempt to hide her blushing face.

"Come on, Koneko-Chan. You don't need to hide yourself. Mother is here to listen~" Haruka chimed joyfully.

Koneko remained curled, her face behind her knees in a personal uncomfortable silence. Haruka waiter with patient expectations.

"I um" Koneko fidgeted left and right with adorable unease. "Ise-senpai. Gave me courage" Koneko began with a meek, yet audible voice.

Haruka remained silent, letting Koneko find her words to articulate her feelings.

"I um I was scared. I was scared of my past for so long I even forgot that I was scared about it. Rias gave me a home - a family. But after that I tried not to look back because I don't want to feel it again to face myself."

Koneko's ears twitched as her blush grew in color.

"But Ise-senpai" Her lips then gradually grinned into a fond smile.

"Ise-senpai accepted me when I couldn't even accept myself. He wasn't scared, and he helped me stop being scared of what I am. He helped me to accept who I am. What I am and I" Her blush suddenly intensified and she covered her face with her both hands, letting out a soft purr.

Haruka nodded; while she had more questions, she believed those questions were no longer necessary as she did not detect any malicious intent from the girl before her. Sure, she was curious about the details of her past trauma, but the downline was that Issei had saved her, and for the time being, she was practically crushing on him hard out of gratitude.

For all intents and purposes, perhaps Koneko was simply too young and in love to have any ulterior motives towards her family.

"It's okay, Koneko-Chan. Let it out." Haruka nodded sagely as she relaxed, patting her head in the process.

It took a while until Haruka was able to leave Koneko on her own after comforting her. She then focused her mind on her next target - a certain Queen who happened to just return back after volunteering herself to do grocery shopping.

The two laughed as they exited the arcade game, Tsubasa brushing her hair off her side as she stared at Issei with a suppressed blush when she realized that she was having fun with her date on activities that transcended what best friends do.

Their first visit was towards the market square where Issei pulled Tsubasa into a window displaying various dresses. Tsubasa wasn't sure as she wasn't fashion savvy like the rest of the girls, but she at least had fun trying out the different dresses, a few she bought on Issei's dime.

She even managed to tease Issei by pulling him through the lingerie and swim-suits section. Note that she was embarrassed, but Issei's reaction made the whole thing worth it.

The second stop was a cafe where they would try various sweets, catering to her sweet tooth as they discussed mundane matters like how Black now shadowed Saji like an evil spirit in the StuCo office.

It was funny since Black 'seduced' Sona further to the dark side with his skills in manual labor, his unfair amount of clones boosting her work efficiency through the roof much to Saji's dismay.

She had no idea how he was being conditioned now. The rest of the StuCo were currently urging Sona to spare them once they saw how Black treated Saji.

Their third visit was an arcade where they tried various games, one in which Issei won her a stuffed teddy bear. They danced on Dance Dance Revolution, fought each other in classic Street Fighter, and shot zombies in Left 4 Dead.

It was a fun experience Tsubasa never knew was there until she tried it.

They took their date until they arrived at the edge of the town, where the trees were thick and away from prying eyes. It was the time for Issei to show Tsubasa what he had learned from the demons of Kyoto.

The two stood in silence amidst the edge of nature. Issei looked at Tsubasa as she looked away, her furious blush still there.

"So What'd you think?" Issei asked.

"Um, uh, y-yeah! That looks pretty awesome." Tsubasa replied while looking away.

Issei's body was 'glowing', as his frame emitted an eminent white aura.

"I mean our date so far." Issei chuckled.

Tsubasa's red color reached her ears. Issei could feel the shame radiating off her.

"Oh um it's"

"Unexpectedly fun?" Issei answered for her.

"...Yes." Tsubasa sheepishly admitted.

When Tsubasa took on the date, she expected everything to go awry, but she never knew that it would turn into something more. And all she had to do was to take the first step

"And now my Touki?" Issei asked about his Touki, his Ki aura.

Tsubasa blinked at him, noting the glow on his body, and she nodded, "Err, yes. That's actually pretty cool. What does it do?"

"Basically, the tldr version, it boosts my strength, speed, and defense. It also offers protection from attacks as well." Issei said as he dispersed his Touki.

"Technically, there are two ways to learn this. One, study and practice your energy manipulation skills, or train your ass so hard it comes out just like that. According to one Youkai I know, that is."

Issei still didn't know why excess effort would result in Touki in the first place, but he could not complain about the benefits of hard work.

"But why didn't you use Touki during training camp?" Tsubasa asked.

"One, if I did, I might cripple or kill you guys. Like Black said, I don't know how to control my might that well." Issei explained, though a glint flashed in Tsubasa's eye as she raised a brow with radiating skepticism.

"Really?"

"I know that look. Let me guess, you want a demonstration?" Issei asked, knowing Tsubasa's stubborn curiosity.

"Damn right I want one. You think you can boast your might and just get away with it with a shrug? Yeah, I don't think so." Tsubasa replied with an eager grin.

There was no way out of this - Issei thought to himself as he took another breath to prepare himself. The white glow returned, enveloping Issei's frame as he walked towards a nearby tree.

"Watch closely." Issei pressed his palm on the tree.

Tsubasa quirked a brow for a moment before the tree suddenly exploded, the sound of snapping bark catching her off guard.

"Whoa?!" Tsubasa stepped back as she saw a crude hole through the wood as the tree groaned before it topped down, crashing with a great noise splashing the dirt.

Issei did not do anything but merely pressed his palm against the bark. Yet, the result was as if he just smashed the said tree.

"Wow so you weren't spouting hot air after all. Holy hell, you got to teach me that." Tsubasa demanded with awe as she ran towards the stump, eyeing the uneven splinters of the tree.

"Told you. This is a basic Ki strike technique if you're wondering. Truthfully, this is a sloppy one."

"How the hell is that sloppy? You broke a tree in half!" Tsubasa shouted.

Issei knew why she would ask that.

"It's because I'm not that refined in the technique. Normally, I'm supposed to punch a hole in that tree without breaking it half, but I can't seem to do that yet." Issei explained while Tsubasa looked up with interest.

"...Oh," Tsubasa perked at the explanation. "So, in short, the perfect utilization is through a controlled amount of Ki Not just simply pouring out as much as you can dish out?" Tsubasa asked.

"More or less, yes. The discipline of martial arts that employ Ki is to use minimum efforts to achieve maximum results. Even then, an exposure of even a meager amount of foreign Ki can cause serious damage when you're not careful. If you look back to the Rating Game, that's what Koneko-chan more or less did to her opponent, though there is one guy that showed me a more extreme version"

"Oh? Like?" Tsubasa rose, looking at Issei with interest.

"That guy used a variation of the technique to reduce everything around him into powder. Dirt, trees, rock, everything. Like a small mini-nuke." Issei clapped his hand together and spread them apart for emphasis.

Tsubasa blinked once, twice, at Issei before replying, "I'm having trouble imagining what happened there."

"Yeah, can't blame you for that one." Issei shrugged. "I asked around for anyone else that can do that, but they keep saying 'it's impossible' in Kyoto No, more like improbable, unlikely."

"...Then how did that guy pull it off?" Tsubasa asked.

"Don't know, he showed it to me once and I kept trying to replicate it without avail, but moving on. Anyways, back to why I didn't use it in training camp - by improving your basic physiques, one can improve the amount of Ki they can utilize. Be it magic or whatever other form of mystic arts, tapping into foreign energy will be considerably easier when you have a body strong enough to reign those energies."

Tsubasa hummed in thought as she tapped her chin.

"Alright, I get the basics, but I'm here to learn youkai stuff. So, are we going to get to the part where I start shooting Ki blasts or what?"

"Hah! Yeah, this isn't Dragon Ball. Technically, some can do it, but don't expect something like an exploding mountain or a busted moon. It isn't that easy, or else the world would go poof already by early Vegeta."

Tsubasa only chuckled in return.

"Hah! Fair. So we're starting now?"

"You got it. Come on, we can sit under that big tree over there. There is something that everyone has to do before they start with anything more advanced." Issei beckoned her to follow him.

She carefully made her way from the walls surrounding the estate, until she managed to land on one of the window sills - Sheesh, the devils actually replaced the mansion with something bigger.

She really could not understand where the hell the devils got the wealth or resources to produce such lavish architecture in one night.

Now, to peek inside, she decided to peer through the windows from the back.

Hopefully, they have something nice and tasty in the fridge for her to snack on on her way out.

She prowled around the mansion until she found hot steam drifting out an open window.

Finally, an opening.

With a cheshire smile, she easily snuck through, bathing in hot air as she landed inside with grace.

Nya?

Kuroka was surprised to see most of the girls, her sister included, together within the lavish marble hot spring. Kuroka felt a little envious as she felt the lure of joining them. She wanted something like this.

"So, how was your day, Asia-chan?" The one with long black hair asked as she ran her hand through her silky follicles.

"It was fun, Ms. Akeno! We went to this diner where Ms. Catherine, Amanda and Zama's old colleagues are working."

Kuroka watched in a mild amusement as the girls began to chat among themselves, sans her younger sister. She mostly kept to herself, washing her naked body with spring water, only replying in earnest when addressed to.

The black cat allowed herself to relax on her spot, ensuring her presence's shrouding via Demon Arts. Right now, all she wanted to see was her sister, who was in the middle of talking with the redhead.

Her smile grew when she saw her keeping her true form outside of the Rating Game - the last she heard that Koneko was fighting for her King while suppressing any suppressing any hints of her true heritage from trauma.

Kuroka knew that forgiveness for her action was beyond her, but she was still happy to see her quieter younger sister looking more lively.

She snapped out of her muse topped when someone entered the bath.

It was the human owner of the house. Her towel barely covered her body, but that was not what caught her by surprise. The rest of the girls' reactions were more open.

The redhead and her Queen looked alarmed, the other girls looked horrified, while her younger sister abruptly stood up to stare at the matriarch.

Kuroka could not believe that someone as motherly as her would be carrying evidence of horrible injuries under her clothes.

Various scars covered her right side - old, cauterized skin splotching her right shoulder, signs of formerly gouged flesh on her waist, a line of burn marks across her shoulder from her shoulder to her hip, barely touching her heart.

Kuroka wondered if she carried some internal injuries, but considering her affiliation with the supernatural, such a worry should be for naught.

"Ma'am what are those" The redhead tried to formulate her words, but she could not say anything more as her expression looked conflicted.

In return, the woman's own expression turned slightly somber as she trailed her fingers on her scars.

"Oh Don't worry. They're from a misunderstanding with unfortunate people. Long ago."

She ended with a small smile. Despite her light-hearted tone, the girls knew that it was a cue for them not to ask further, as the human began to wash herself with water.

Despite her words, the timid blonde stepped out from the spring towards the human, and before the latter could have asked, the former had already knelt before her and activated her Sacred Gear; the rings on her fingers glowed in green light.

Kuroka knew the younger girl was trying to heal the scars, but she knew better; scars were not supposed to heal, even with the power of a Sacred Gear.

The younger blonde's eyes began to brim with tears when the scars failed to show any signs of improvement. Soon, the woman's lips grew into another smile as she reached out and held the younger one's hands.

"Asia-chan, it's okay. Mother is alright."

"But But!" Asia wanted to insist, but she knew deep down that scars do not heal.

"Shh Come here." The woman shushed softly as she pulled the younger girl into a hug. The girl silently sobbed as the woman ran her hand on her head.

The mood dropped considerably as if an iron ball was added to the atmosphere. Kuroka wondered what happened to the woman that left her with such injuries. That linear mark across her body looked like it came more from a sword than a laser.

"Rias. Ravel." Haruka addressed the noblewomen in the room.

Ravel flinched when the mother called her name. Rias snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing her name.

"I wanted to ask both of you this question for a while, but Rias, are you interested in my son?"

The redhead was not prepared for the sudden topic-shift. But under Haruka's scrutiny, she felt compelled to say something in return.

"I." At the same time, Rias also suddenly felt nervous that she could not properly form a reply.

On her spot, Kuroka craned her head slightly, her ears perking with interest.

"I keep hearing about my son complaining about you trying to turn him into a demon. Is that true?" Haruka asked.

"Well, err" Rias found her anxiety rising, as she looked left and right. "I've been Looking for prospective members to complete my peerage"

Akeno and Koneko were not making eye contact with Rias. Neither of them wished to aid her in dealing with the matriarch.

"My, my Is there no other interest involved? Or is it just business?" Haruka asked as she slowly opened her eyes. The way her eyes peered through those thin slits was starting to seem dreadful.

Rias rolled her eyes nervously as her fingers played with the tips of her hair to distract herself. "Well. I guess it was originally business, but. We got closer. At the very least, I see him as a valuable friend."

Deep down, Rias prayed to whatever deity that devils worshipped that her answer was satisfying.

"A friend...?" Haruka asked again. Mostly as if she was testing Rias.

At this point, Rias swallowed a lump as she contemplated for the best answer. But as she considered her current standing with the boy in question, she felt her face getting warmer.

"I appreciate the lavish gifts and your support for my son's endeavours. But allow me to remind you of this."

Haruka's eyes were opened. There was an aura behind them that instilled fear into them, an oppression that they could not defy.

Akeno felt cold in the hot bath.

Koneko felt her fur standing on edge, a feeling shared by Kuroka.

Ravel felt uncomfortable by the current atmosphere Haruka's emitting.

Even Asia was affected as she felt a chill in her spine, as well as the other three former holy maidens.

"Please. Do not do anything to upset my son. He considers you as family, Rias. Do you want to know what happens when you betray your family, deliberately or not?"

On cue, Rias caught something at the corner of her eye - the smiling visage of Black was peeping from the door briefly before disappearing. Even Rover's growl and barking was also heard from outside the window.

The girls returned to regard Haruka, who was smiling, yet it was unsettling.

"...I promise that Heaven or Hell won't save you from us."

Rias felt the lump in her throat coagulating, refusing to go down no matter how many swallows she attempted.

Nonetheless, she nodded without breaking her eye contact with the matriarch.

The said matriarch then turned her gaze to Ravel, who, without being told anything, quickly nodded so fast that her head might have fallen off.

The silence remained for a good few moments. Noticing that the mood had become too sombre, Haruka decided the next course of action in order to lift everyone's spirits up again.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's not stay in the hot bath for too long, shall we? Who wants to see a picture album of my son when he's a toddler?" Haruka's question certainly garnered several bright curious looks from the girls.

Feeling that the main event was over, Kuroka decided it was time for her to leave. However, when she turned around, she noticed that the growl she heard earlier was awfully familiar.

She glanced down, and she found three pairs of red eyes were regarding her from the ground. She could not believe her eyes as she stared at the abomination that tried to eat her before.

No, no, no. What the hell is that thing doing here?!

Kuroka felt her hairs standing up in that thing's presence. She did not want to be chased by that thing again. That thing always knew where she was despite her attempts to hide herself with the Demon Arts.

Rather, Kuroka glanced back into the room, where her younger sister was bathing; they were sharing the same living space?! This creature was a guard dog?!

She should escape while she still can. The thing was eyeing at her with a certain hunger she rarely had to face, and it terrified her.

"Tsubasa, feel the core of the energy in your stomach." Issei advised Tsubasa.

"I'm trying but I just. Can't. Get it!" Tsubasa retorted as she shifted her lotus position to make herself more comfortable.

Issei sighed as he watched Tsubasa shaking in her struggle, quivering eyes and trembling brows with increasing frustration boiling under her skin.

"It's supposed to be no different than tapping into your demonic power, though it's different than Ki. Come on, just take your time and keep your cool. Anger lead-I mean, for beginners distorts your control and focus, according to that one youkai."

Tsubasa opened her eyes and glanced at Issei.

"You nearly referenced Star Wars, didn't you?"

"Ehhh maybe." Issei veered his eyes away. "But yeah, it is true. Strong emotions tend to disrupt the progress of beginners. It is only after one cements a strong hold over their Ki should emotions like anger boost your fighting power, if only somewhat. That is why you get to see those with natural holds over their Ki get empowered by anger while others well, shoot fumes like in many anime."

Tsubasa gave a throaty hum, her frustration simmering.

"Fine." Tsubasa closed her eyes and attempted the process again.

Issei allowed Tsubasa to continue her progress as he resumed progressing his Ki manipulation.

What Issei wished to work on was his inability to control his Ki past the point of thrusting his energies in a volatile fashion.

He lacked fine control over his power, something he definitely inherited from his father, and something he wished to surpass. Right now, he felt like a mere brawler with a good sense for combat rather than a skilled fighter.

Time went by, and when Tsubasa finally had enough and opened her eyes, the sun had nearly set. She took a glance at the boy next to her, who was still maintaining his meditative position.

As Issei breathed in and out, Tsubasa could practically see his Ki fluctuating while coating his body like a veil. His eyebrows scrunched up as he took deeper breaths, and Tsubasa found the fluctuating aura began to simmer down.

Feeling bored from just watching, Tsubasa then waved her hand before Issei's face, expecting a reaction from him. When he was not perturbed, a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

Tsubasa scooted and positioned her face next to Issei's ear, before she blew softly; the gentle brushing air from her lips caused Issei to shiver.

Issei slowly stirred, but still immersed in his mediation. Tsubasa's impish smile widened as devious thoughts wormed in her head.

She moved to his other ear and gave it the same gentle blow, eliciting a similar response as earlier. Then, she began to lightly poke on his cheek, twisting in circular motion along the way.

"Stop it." Issei grumbled, his eyes still closed. "Aren't you supposed to be meditating?"

Tsubasa smirked as she continued twisting her finger.

"What? I am meditating."

"Liar. I know you're there."

Tsubasa merely chuckled in return as she retreated. She looked up and noted that the sky had begun to darken more. "Shouldn't we call it a day for now? I'm getting hungry."

Issei sighed as he got up, stretching his arms in the air and cringing his neck.

"Yeah, I guess it's time to head back." Issei performed his stretches, pulling his arms left and right. "But back on topic, you still haven't made progress with your meditation?"

Tsubasa sighed as she shook her head.

"I seriously can't connect with it like you do. At this rate, I might have to learn Touki the hard way."

Worse, Tsubasa had no idea how much she should train until her own Ki manifested itself. Not even Issei knew as the process was different for every person.

"I guess. Well" Issei hummed in thought. "There is one method but I haven't mastered it myself."

"What is it?" Tsubasa tilted her head in curiosity.

Issei contemplated for another moment before he shrugged, "Y'know, what? Give me a sec."

Tsubasa blinked as Issei walked a few steps away from her. Issei then held up a stance that was unfamiliar to her.

His fingers straightened, wrists bent in right angles, as he gently veered his arms as he bent his knee. Tsubasa watched Issei flick his hands in swirling patterns with fluidity, hands curving smooth round angles with grace. She watched as he exhaled, before switching into a firmer stance, a form with his fingers coalesced into a spear, both arms angularly bent, a stance ready to lash his fists at anyone.

She could see a mild blue glow emanating from his hands, a faint sense of ki. She also noted that somehow, his movements were akin to a liquid, but something was off. It felt like rough thick liquid like sludge trying to trickle down a slide before it became rigid as Issei's fluidity fell short.

"Goddamn it, I still can't pull it off." Issei sighed as he looked up with palpable frustration.

"Okay. So what were you trying to do?" Tsubasa asked.

"Hah... There are some martial arts that help you grip a feel of your Ki. What I did are basic stances to one of them." Issei explained.

That was something Tsubasa really wished to hear before she wasted her time meditating.

Tsubasa hummed for a second before she replied, "To be honest, what you did earlier seem. Like you're fusing Tai Chi with Jeet Kune Do. What is that?"

"It's one of the styles my uncle suggested. Apparently, it was called Flowing Water - Rock Smashing Fist."

"Huh, that's one long name for a style." Tsubasa retorted.

"I know. I just called it Water Rock Smash instead. But since you mentioned it, it does look like Tai Chi meets Jeet Kune Do." Issei returned with a small chuckle.

Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard and both teens froze up. Issei blinked a couple of times to find that the noise came from Tsubasa, whose hand was clutching her stomach and her face was gradually turned red.

"Whoops, sorry about that. I forgot someone's hungry." Issei said with another chuckle.

"And whose fault is that?" Tsubasa replied with a pouty glare.

"...Maybe it's because of your lack of stamina?" Issei returned with a playful grin.

"I'll show you stamina!" Tsubasa returned the grin in kind as she sprung and tackled Issei to the ground. The boy allowed it as the two stumbled downhill together, laughing along the way.

The two finally stopped, regaining their breaths. When they regained their senses, both realized their current positions.

Issei was crouching on fours, with Tsubasa trapped between his arms beneath him, eyes locked on eyes and noses were barely a centimetre apart. So close were their faces that either could feel each other's breaths.

Mouths shut, Issei took in the sight of the girl under him. When Tsubasa met him earlier, she was already looking sexy, but the sight before him looked so vulnerable.

Tsubasa could not ignore the size of Issei's broad frame at such close distance. He had been muscular in the right places and proportion, but being trapped between his limbs She was not sure if she could escape if the boy tried anything.

Her breath stilled when she noticed Issei subtly lowered his face, as if his eyes were drawn into hers. Issei could feel the temperature on Tsubasa's face slowly rising, yet it only compelled him to draw closer.

The girl shut her eyes close, surrendering herself under the boy's mercy, their lips were about to brush one another.

MEEOOWW!

However, a black blur slammed into Issei's cheek, knocking him off of Tsubasa. Tsubasa waited for the kiss that never arrived.

"...Eh?"

Tsubasa opened her eyes, and Issei was no longer atop her.

Looking around, Tsubasa saw something bursting into the scene unannounced. Another one joined the former, one with a familiar barking she knew all too well.

"What the-!? Rover?!" Tsubasa exclaimed at the dog that ran towards Issei, sliding to a stop as it blinked at her.

Its eyes laid on Issei as its owner was nursing his head.

"Ugh My head What on earth - Hm?" Issei felt something nice and soft on his head.

The familiar black cat was hiding on his hair. Its hazel eyes were trained at his dog who was barking, which the cat returned with her own hiss.

"Isn't this your cat?" Issei asked, looking up.

He could barely see the feline perching his head.

Tsubasa got up on her knees and inspected the kitten.

"Yeah, it is What's this one and your dog doing, though?"

Tsubasa noticed its distress with the dog present. Tsubasa cooed the cat to calm down, rubbing its soft head before picking it up into her caring arms.

"Knowing Rover, I can guess what happened. Rover, don't chase the cute harmless cat." Issei called his dog. The dog whined for a moment before it shrunk to puppy size. However, Rover kept barking, huffing and growling between Issei and the cat in Tsubasa's arms, as if the dog was trying to convey something.

"I know you want to play with him her but she's just a cat." Issei soothed Rover despite not understanding Rover's barking communication, running his hand on its rough hide. Eventually, the dog gradually calmed down under Issei's care and treatment.

Meowwww

The cat mewled as it looked at the two. Its cheeks were puffing for some reason before it flicked its head away with a mewling huff. For some reason, it looked offended.

Both Issei and Tsubasa stood there, cradling their respective pets in their arms. They stared at each other for a second before descending into giggles, which grew into laughter at the absurdity of their current situation.

When they calmed down, Issei smiled at the girl, "Should we grab something to eat?"

Returning the smile, Tsubasa nodded and walked ahead, "Yeah, let's."

Hope you like it! I shall be waiting for your reviews! Again, it's overdue, but I'm looking forward to spend this 2021 with y'all!