"I am saying this for Ray's sake, not for my sake", Elysir frowned.
"It is hard to believe that mother-in-law and you would agree that this is necessary. Where is Reina-sama?" Yasaka spoke this time with squinted brows; she couldn't believe her pacifist mother-in-law had agreed with Elysir on this conversation.
"I am Reina... I am Elysir, do not ask foolish questions and stick to the topic at hand".
Her ambiguous answer, her fluster, gained Yasaka and Haku's attention.
"This conversation doesn't make sense. None of us is trying to get more attention than necessary; we are all aware we have to share, none of us is an attention craver!" Anna-chan let go of her snacks and finally raised her voice.
Even though she was among the younger side of the group, they still had to shut up and listen to her. She was Ray's crush!
"None of us is an attention-craver, huh? I don't know about that, Anna-chan" Elysir looked at Tsunade, who looked away in contrast. The Sannin never thought that her little fit rant would end up with such consequences.
And now, she was being accused and placed on the spot.
Grayfia wanted to hit the iron when it's hot. After all, she had already noticed Tsunade's jealous tendencies. She stood up next, "Tsunade-sama".
"..." The Sannin glared at her, ready for it.
"If you do not think you can share master's love, respectfully, you should retire".
Grayfia didn't cut around the bush, "We all love our master, we are all willing to compromise..." Then her aura as a Devil Queen flared up.
"And we are all willing to die for our place in master's heart. If you can't handle that... there is no place for you here".
The sannin stood up, her Rinnegan taking place. Elysir tried to pull her back to her seat, but Elysir got her hand slapped, much to everyone's shock.
!!!
Tsunade thought about Ray, about his smile, about their time together... about what he did for her. She may have been aggrieved, upset... but it never crossed her mind that she'd leave his side.
"I will kill everyone here before I retire, Grayfia"
Those words came from the bottom of her heart; she didn't give time for everyone in the room to react to that threat before she continued spitting facts, "Besides, you are a married woman who is having an affair with Ray, you're the last person who should be telling me whether I have to retire or not".
*RUMBLE!!*
Forget about releasing aura. Grayfia's hand directly materialised some crazy void icecle. She wasn't going to take those words, especially when she was put down in front of the rest.
A kunai came out of Tsunade's sleeve, ready for Grayfia to make a move.
Elysir sighed, and so did Yasaka and Haku; they leaned back... whatever happens, happens. After all, they do agree with Tsunade on this one.
"Please calm down, both of you. Affair or anything... I don't quite understand what the problem is, but... my dearest loves both of you, seeing you fight is the last thing he wishes, and I also don't wish to see it" Galadriel realised she had to mediate.
Both women looked at Galadriel, the cutest creature in this room, after Hannah and Anna, of course.
"I challenge you to a duel", Grayfia said finally.
"I accept. If I win, you have to leave this family," Tsunade countered in a way that made the maid frown and almost lose her decorum. Whispers began.
"Change your condition, Tsunade. I summoned everyone today to conscientise you; in reality, none of us has the right to throw anyone away," Elysir said, "Not even me".
"Then if I win... You have to divorce Sirzechs Lucifer and come live and serve as a maid in this house," Tsunade grinned, hoping that Grayfia would fall for that trap.
A maid can't serve two masters. If she said she also couldn't voluntarily leave Sirzechs' side, then she'd expose her devotion in front of everyone. Amaterasu and Yasaka praised Tsunade's politics internally.
Of course, Grayfia also understood the predicament she had been put in. However, she merely smiled and removed the void icecle from her grasp.
"I accept those conditions. Similarly, if I win, you have to give up your job as a Hokage and abandon your world to live here".
"Y-You... I accept"
"Two weeks from now in the underworld".
"Then that's settled"
Not in the mood to stay, Grayfia bowed to everyone and left the hall.
When Tsunade took back her seat, she found everyone looking at her as if she had sinned; she had caused division in the family.
"You all got him for so long while I was on the sidelines, where is the justice there!?".
"If you want to chase after your foolish dream of being a hokage or whatever, that is your business! We are all aware Ray's time is limited, we go to him when we want him... and you want to harness his attention for yourself, who do you think you are?!" Rias wasn't having it.
Once she voiced her opinion, agreeable whispers began. Tsunade saw that everyone was going against her.
"Galadriel, what is the solution?" Yasaka asked her.
"E-Eh?! Me?".
The Midnight Elf pointed at herself in confusion, as if she were the last person they should be asking.
"You're the oldest one among us and the most rational, it is natural I'd ask for your opinion," Elysir mumbled, hiding the shame of not acknowledging that the oldest one here was actually herself.
"S-Somehow, being the oldest here doesn't feel like a compliment, dear~" Galadriel smiled, always an optimist.
"Ray loves older women, so I don't think that's a problem~", Yuna giggled. She and the elf faction had remained silent till now, but when she spoke... they were facts.
"That's right, master is a pervert-nya, but... isn't Ophis the oldest-nya?".
"But she has the mindset of a kid, she won't come up with any reasonable solution".
Hannah looked at Ophis with starry eyes, yet another one like herself. The dragon growled a little, but didn't deny.
"I don't quite understand it, but I am not leaving my baby!" Hannah said.
A row of chatter and complaints, auras flaring up. It was a disaster.
"Everyone, please..." Galadriel cried comically.
"You should all know that we are all sharing a lover, so we have to be friendlier with one another. It is not a matter of Ray loving all of us. We also have to love each other... we are a family and we have to discuss things this way before any spark of dissent flares".
Her soft-spoken, elfic tone, the translucent hair swaying back and forth... eventually, Anna couldn't hold back, she walked up to Galadriel and hugged her.
"Oh dear~" Galadriel accepted the hug kindly and put Anna on her lap, unaware that she was just being seen like a gigantic snack. The yokai was broadly accepted in the Elf side.
"Anna-chan~"
"Anna~"
"Anna-chan~".
"Oh my god, there they go again..." Rias rubbed her forehead, exasperated, while Akeno giggled in a fit of 'Ara-ara'.
"I believe it is fair for Tsunade-san to spend enough time with Ray to make up for what she lost. I personally am happy just talking to him every day, knowing that he's happy. I don't care who he is intimate with," Galadriel said.
"It is the same for me-nya, I can wring master dry at school so there is no problem-nya~".
"You're not supposed to be doing those things at school, Yasaka," the headmistress said, upset but blushing; those words were directed at herself, too. The cat stuck out her tongue; she had no intention to stop.
"I don't care either as long as I can get him when I want him" Solution shrugged her hair.
"I am too busy to be having dates and all that nonsense. All I want is to sleep with my husband when I feel like slumbering, of course, I also want my baby, that's all... I don't care who he is, intimate or whose attention he incurs so long as I get what I want... and what I want I will get by myself" Amaterasu looked at the room, "Even if our numbers were to triple, it would still not be an issue to me. I will be taking my leave too, I have a meeting with the Olympians".
Amaterasu departed.
"Ummm... as long as Ray is happy, I don't really care? Why must we all spend equal time with him? When I ask him for something, he gives it to me... we went on a date the other day when I asked him. I am happy the way things are," Aqua mumbled.
"I just want to sleep with my baby", Hannah said ambiguous words once again.
"I just want Snacks~" Anna stated her wishes.
"You all are not serious", Tsunade sighed. She couldn't believe she was sharing her man with such an odd bunch; nevertheless, she also felt relieved that this odd bunch was filled with women who had pure hearts and intentions.
'You're such a lucky little bastard, Ray. '
"When Ray can grace us with his presence, we will take advantage of sating all our needs. That's all there is to it~".
Anna Blair decided to leave first, not before walking to Rias's side and inviting her to come to have a stroll in the city of Yggdrasil, since the latter was still her King, even if they didn't usually act like it.
Soon, only the most powerful and influential remained... all of them glaring at Tsunade together.
"Do you have to be so jealous all the time?~" Haku smirked.
Tsunade bit her lips, "I want my lover to be mine, what's so wrong about that..."
"Nothing, but he is not just your lover; the sooner you understand that, the easier it will be for all of us. Ray loves you a lot, Tsunade... don't cause trouble," Elysir mumbled, and her body began to dematerialise. She thought their meeting hadn't reached any big conclusion since no one had left, but in the end... this is the result she expected anyway.
"If no one is going to retire, then I'd better not hear issues like this in the future... it is the best for you all to remember that it wasn't Ray who wished for this arrangement; he didn't pursue any of you. He and I were happy enough together just the two of us until he allowed you all in his heart and decided to take responsibility for it"
Having dropped those words, Elysir disappeared, going who knows where.
Yasaka and Haku looked down. They had been there from the start... so they knew.
Albedo decided to make some tea, and both women looked at Tsunade, who crossed her arms and evaded their gaze.
"You're not going to make me apologise for loving my man..."
"You get to spend more time with master, you happy now?" Haku hissed.
"Happy..." Tsunade harrumphed.
Albedo returned holding four cups of fragrant tea. Tsunade enjoyed the scent and asked what was in it, since she had never smelt a tea so desirable.
It smelled so nice that they saw a figure creep up the entrance of the kitchen, sniffing and sniffing.
Ophis came into the room, took a seat and yanked away Yasaka's tea.
"..." The Kitsune's brows twitched, but seeing the woman's belly, she didn't dare say a word.
"Delicious", Ophis mumbled and continued to have her tea with eyes closed, not minding anyone in the room, not even the person whose tea she stole.
"It is a legendary herb called Plamoris. It was a high-ranked treasure in the tomb of Nazarick. I don't have much of it left, so enjoy it until it lasts," Albedo mumbled and passed her tea to Yasaka discretely.
The Kitsune gasped, her tails wiggled and looked at Albedo as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
"T-Thank you, dear" (Yasaka)
"You're welcome" (Albedo)
"You think right now is a special moment, so cute~ if I didn't know any better, I would think you're not a slut" (Haku)
"Thanks for your kind comments" (Albedo)
"Why didn't you serve tea when we were all sitting in the hall?" (Tsunade)
"We don't have that many cups, unfortunately" (Albedo)
"There are more women than cups in this house? Fufu, master is a beast~" (Haku)
"That's why we need a maid in this house to make it feel more like a home. Once I defeat Grayfia, I will make sure she does her job properly" (Tsunade)
"I do have to commend you, because of Millicas, Ray doesn't pressure Grayfia into leaving Lucifer, it was about time one of us did something about it" (Yasaka)
"It is an insult that I stilled my heart to forget about Dan, only for Grayfia to hang around Sirzechs like it is normal. How can Ray accept that?!" (Tsunade)
"Master loves us too much. He thinks having all of us is a privilege, so he is willing to make concessions. Besides, Grayfia serves solely as Lucifer's assistant and Millicas' mother; they don't have the kind of relationship you think" (Haku)
"Are we really gossiping like grannies right now?" (Tsunade)
"Aren't we all grannies at heart?~" (Yasaka)
"I most definitely am not" (Albedo)
"I am not!" (Ophis)
"You are, Ophis-sama. There is no need to by shy about it, you're a big pregnant granny dragoness~" (Haku)
"I am not!" (Ophis)
"Hai hai, you're not~" (Haku)