Scarlet 46

Scarlet 46

…

Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

…

For some reason, I was invited into watching the meeting between the three most powerful factions on the planet.

It would be odd if you weren’t invited. You have me.

True, but I was also independent.

…You’re literally laying on Rias Gremory’s lap and staring straight up at her boobs.

What does that have to do with anything?

Somehow, even though I’m in your head, I don’t know if you’re messing with me.

“Good job, Ise-kun! You accomplished your mission with fantastic results!” Rias smiled. I could tell from the sound of her voice. I certainly could see the smile. The view was fantastic enough, though. I really needed to find out who made these uniforms for Kuoh academy and shake their hand. They’re worth honoring. At least, don’t drool. I can’t make any promises. “And, you resisted offers for all the women you could want! Amazing!”

“Normally, I’d say that’s the norm, but Issei-san has been beholden to his lusts for as long as we’ve known him.” Kiba, why are you talking? You’re interrupting my lap pillow with my very attractive and smoking hot Devil girlfriend with a tremendous chest. Are you into being NTR’d? Did you never go after Rias or your fellow Peerage members because you’re into watching? I’ll have to think about our relationship if you are. You’d like him more if he was, huh? No comment. “Despite all his talent and intellect, his lust has guided him more often than not.”

“But he hasn’t allowed that to sway him from what’s truly important, no? He has a line that he doesn’t want to cross and won’t… until someone tempts him properly.” Akeno giggled and moved in to serve tea right in front of Rias. For a brief moment, my vision was dominated by two pairs of magnificent boobs almost individually wrapped in white, striped blouses and framed by a short shoulder shawl from the top and a corset-like best from the bottom. Ah, bliss. You know, it’s strange, but your attraction to boobs feels more like faith than lust sometimes. If there was a church for boobs, I’d be the first convert. Hell, I should make the church, if it doesn’t exist. Please, don’t. “Ufu-fu. I wonder if I can manage it, and survive his ire.”

Akeno’s husky giggling was cut off by a visceral comment from the only individual remaining in the room: Koneko.

“Pervert.” The word struck like a knife to the chest, but I withstood it with a few breaths and basking some more in the glorious sight above me. However, my plan to just take the hit and recover backfired. “Big-breast pervert.”

That statement was something that I couldn’t allow to persist.

“No. Not just big boobs. All boobs are great.” I defended myself and arose from lying down on the sofa. Rias pouted and patted her lap for me to return, but I had to make a stand. Not just for myself, but all men in the world. “Don’t believe their lies. All boobs are great. In fact, every girl has their own charm. Those who refuse to acknowledge that need to just be guided back into the light… or they’re just handsome bastards who can get whoever they want.”

“I almost thought that you were going to say something perverse, yet insightful there, Issei-san.” Kiba sighed and shook his head.

Sometimes, I’m proud to be with you. Sometimes, I want to crawl beneath a ground and die.

They weren’t the target of my speech, but it seemed my words were ineffectual as Koneko just shook her head and went back to eating her lunch.

Meanwhile, Akeno took a seat to the left side of the couch that I’d been laying on and immediately took hold of my left arm and leaned against it.

“Ara? So all boobs are great, Ise-kun? Still, though, I’m sure that you have preferences. The greatest amongst equals, won’t you say?” Akeno pushed her Akeno’s against me until my left arm was all but ensconced and enraptured in her embrace. My stress, my worries, and my concerns began to fade in an instant. Yes. This was perfect—no! I had to make a stand fulfill my duty as a man who would guide all other men to the light! All boobs are good boobs! “What do you think about mine? Whose is better?”

“Ise-kun!” Rias took the offensive and took hold of me. In an instant, my face was buried in her chest. What was I thinking about again? What question did Akeno ask of me? Everything was so soft, perky, and smelled really good too. Is this Heaven? Heaven’s chaste. This is better than Heaven, then! By your standards, yep. “What do you think, hm? I’m very proud of my body!”

No thoughts.

Head empty.

Only boobs, cute girls, nice smells, and boobs.

What about the other parts?

Everything’s great, but boobs are the best!

Ddraig sighed in my head.

Call me when this reward is over.

M’kay.

…

“Remove that filthy smile off your face, please.”

“There’s nothing filthy about my smile. It’s the smile of a content and happy man.”

“If that’s contentment and happiness, then monks have a lot of questions to answer.” Sona reached over and pinched my cheek. I let go of the smile I’d been holding since I’d gotten rewarded and refocused on the situation at hand. I was having tea with Sona as a brief moment of rest, before we went ahead and started hosting the massive meeting between ‘world’ leaders of the supernatural variety. Sona wore the uniform, as usual, but it was freshly cleaned and ironed. She looked sharp. “Please, pass the tea. I am in need of some calming moment and good news… and something to distract myself with. What are your thoughts on Kyoto?”

“It’d be better if it was held by one person, so we should look into making that happen. Either by killing one of them, or just getting them to work together. It’s a fight waiting to happen.” I gave my opinion on the matter evenly. After a nice, late morning with Rias and Akeno, I was ready to get to work. I’d also slept soundly the previous night, and had my fill at dinner for the first time in a while. It’s difficult to get enough food in me outside my home. “Is your sister willing to take one of the leaders out?”

“One of the leaders? You have no preference? I thought that you would.”

“I decided against meeting with… Yasaka? I’d have favored her too much, if we met in person.”

“I congratulate you on managing to think ahead in order to control your lust.”

“Thanks, it was pretty hard.”

Sona chuckled and took a sip of tea. We were near the Occult Research Club’s little mansion outside the school. Behind the little mansion itself was a well-tended garden, which also had a gazebo where people could sit and just spend time relaxing. I was sure that I looked out of place, given that I was taller than most of my peers and wore my hair long, despite following most of the school’s other regulations. Sona, however, didn’t look out of place holding fine china across a tiered tray of snacks and light foods and drinking tea in the garden.

Dragons are supposed to be dwelling in mountains surrounded by gold and treasure and food. So, for you, I guess you’d have a mansion somewhere secluded filled with women and food.

Sounds like paradise.

Not my style, but you’re hoarding something, and protecting it with your power, so I can’t complain.

“Conversing with the Great Welsh again?”

I wasn’t even surprised the Sona figured it out.

“Yep, he’s cool. Mostly likes reading manga nowadays, though.” Most of the movies are garbage and take too long! "He has a lot to say about cinema.”

“Normally, I’d advise against listening to a creature of such power and might, but Sacred Gears are bound through similarities between wielders and those entrapped within and you work together very well.” Sona nodded, more to herself than anyone else, and refocused on me after putting her teacup down. “I have been looking into methods to reverse the changes to your body, but I can see that you have no intention of doing so.”

“It’s an equalizer. This world’s dangerous, and I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll just have to live with the consequences.”

“Living with the consequences of being a Dragon in the shape of a man?”

“There’s a first time for everything. No offense, but it’s a better option than having my soul bound to someone else, even if I like them.” Sona blushed at those words, and I blushed too when I realized what I said. Of course, you get embarrassed when you say something decent. Shut up, or I’ll read a dozen NTR doujins this evening. Shutting up.  “Besides, sometimes allies are better than soldiers? I’m deniable, I have my own motives, and I’ve got my own agenda, so if there’s anything you need that you can’t do…”

I trailed off.

“I see. You intend to be another form of asset, but one as worthwhile to have as a member of a Peerage. No. You already are.” Sona muttered to herself, but I picked up on it. My hearing was exceptional nowadays. Sometimes it was a curse. Walls were just too thin now, but that was beside the point. “I see. Still, don’t you think that you’re sacrificing too much? What of your future? Though you aren’t a Devil, you are no longer human.”

I had memories of a past life, and I was born with a Dragon and a weapon that could kill a god in my arm.

“I was never normal to begin with, and I would be a target no matter what I did.” The simple calculus behind the situation was brutal. Staying a normal human with all that was happening around me would be suicide. No matter what, I had to prepare, to change, and to train in order to survive the hand I was dealt the moment I was born. Crying about unfairness was just a waste of time. All that I’ve done to myself was just making sure that I could live with the life I’ve been given. This transformation was just another step, so that I could live and not just survive. “My intention is to grow in power until I can live in peace. I want to have enough power that everyone looking my way will think twice.”

Influence, respect, infamy, deterrence, whatever you happened to call it, I knew very well that having enough power and achieving enough things resulted in a lot of fights won before they even began. If everyone in the world thought that they could have a piece of me, then more attempts will be made on my life more often than not. The people who I’m close to will be in danger, too.

So, my simple goal was to be stronger than the vast majority of people, and to be strong enough that those in power couldn’t afford to fight me without exposing a weakness to their enemies.

After that, I can live.

“It’s a worthwhile goal, and one that I can respect.” Sona pushed up her glasses and cleared her throat. A second later, she extended her hand out towards me. “Knowing that you have no ulterior motives, besides gaining a harem atop what you desire, I’m willing to work with you. Not just as a Not just as an employer, but as a de facto ally. Your enemies shall be mine, and mine yours, within reason, naturally.”

I didn’t hesitate to take the offer, even if I was literally shaking hands with a Devil.

That would be a lot more foreboding, if you weren’t dating that Devil, her friend, her friend’s best friend, and—.

I ignored Ddraig.

…

I was walking on the way back home when I found my walk interrupted by someone I didn’t expect.

Azazel, the Leader of the Grigori, and the man who Kokabiel had been under before going renegade with the intention of reigniting a war between all three factions. He a maroon long-sleeved collared shirt and matching pants, with a tie and a jacket over his shoulder. He had a front fringe that was a light brown, bordering on blonde, but the hair on the rest of his hair was black, and he had tanned skin.
I put my guard up.

I wish you did that because he was a threat and not because he looks like an NTR antagonist.

I always knew you inserted into the dude who get NTR’d.

Shut up, Taylor!

“Yo. Man, I see why Vali’s feeling all antsy. You’ve got a lot of power for a human, Issei Hyoudou.” He was a block away from my house, but with the range of magic and the amount of firepower Fallen had, that much distance barely mattered. “Now, now. I’m not here to make any threats. In fact, I’m here to offer an apology. A lot of this kicked off because I wasn’t minding my subordinates, until loads of them from all over the world started flying towards Kuoh to join Kokabiel.”

Oh, huh.

That was surprisingly reasonable, but I didn’t lower my guard. This guy was stronger than Kokabiel, and I wasn’t able to kill that guy while supported by two Peerages and risking everything.

“I don’t hold a grudge for that. Though, I do wonder what’s keeping you so busy.” I tried to make small talk, but the moments the words left my mouth, I realized the hidden insult. I was ready to take back the words, which insinuated the very power entity in front of me was incapable, when the guy actually took my question seriously and ran a hand against his beard.

“Well, over the last couple months, I’ve been doing cosplay scenarios with my harem. I made a whole simulation room for the office setting, while my wives played the employees. We got a bit too into it, and I told no one to bother us, until everyone started trying to start a war.”

It took everything that I had to not… accept his apology and ask to shake his hand with complete understanding.

“That’s… reasonable, I guess.” It sounded amazing and I was ready to forgive him for nearly starting a war. I wanted details, desperately. How’d he pull it off? How much money did he need for such a lifestyle of debauchery? All these questions ran in my head, and innumerable plans filled my brain to achieve a semblance of what he had, but I held back and bit the inside of my lip to stop myself from looking weak. “If that’s all—

“Hm? Really? I thought you were a fellow man of culture? Are you telling me you’re not interested in getting some tips and advice from a man who’s made his own, willing harem of over a hundred ladies, all of whom are very happy?”

Taylor—

“Please teach me your ways, sensei!”

Dammit.