If "Witch's Night" didn't recruit only female mages, its membership would likely surpass even the most orthodox "Magician Association" in a very short time.
Even with the women-only restriction, estimates suggested that within a few months, the scale of "Witch's Night" would expand to the point of overtaking the "Magician Association" anyway.
Of course, the expansion of "Witch's Night" was something that came later as far as Sai Akuto was concerned.
On Akuto's side, he was waiting for the final move into his new dorm.
Inside the old school building, in Rias Gremory's room.
Rias was wrapped from head to toe in red, one-piece stockings, leaving only a gap no larger than a few square centimeters. Akuto remained intimately joined with her, discussing the precautions she needed to keep in mind while he was away.
By now, Rias already knew that Akuto had the ability to travel to other worlds, and she also understood the responsibilities he carried.
So even if she knew Akuto's trip might bring back many more beautiful girls, she still supported him going.
At this point, even though she and Gasper had completed the cultivation of "Fate Overlap," that "Super Maou-class" battle power still wouldn't be able to help Akuto all that much.
Speaking of cultivation, Rias suddenly remembered something extremely important.
"Akuto-kun, can you tell me something? Other than Gasper and Sami, who else can I achieve 'Fate Overlap' with?"
Yes. Just as Rias said, besides Gasper, she had also achieved "Fate Overlap" with Sami.
Of course, her compatibility with Sami wasn't as high as it was with Gasper's, so the "Fate Overlap" between Rias and Sami was only temporarily achieved through Akuto's efforts.
At this moment, lying on Akuto's other side was a 25-year-old Yumi Kiba, wearing a white-stocking nurse outfit, her lower belly slightly swollen as she slept deeply.
…
"Mm… from what I've observed, it should work with Koneko, Akeno, Gasper, Yumi, and even Asia." Akuto raised an eyebrow and listed several more candidates.
As the heroine in the original storyline, Rias possessed extraordinarily strong fate-power. In the original plot, there were many people who formed bonds with her, so she truly could cultivate "Fate Overlap" with many individuals.
"All of them are my peerage? Is there anyone outside my peerage? Preferably someone stronger than me…" Rias paused.
"Stronger than you…?"
In Akuto's mind, the image of Maou Alice surfaced—features so similar to Rias, and a presence even more intense, leaving a deep impression on him.
However, in the very next second, the name that came out of Akuto's mouth was someone else entirely.
"Would Venelana-san count?"
"Huh? You mean… Mother-sama?!"
"A-Akuto-kun! What are you thinking?!"
Rias admitted that Venelana's strength was above hers. If she could achieve "Fate Overlap" with Venelana at the peak of Maou-class, the upper limit would certainly be higher than it was now.
But… but still. How could that be possible?
The moment she thought about achieving "Fate Overlap," and the idea of being on the bed together with Venelana and Akuto resonating in unison, Rias's sapphire-blue eyes couldn't stop trembling.
"Cultivating 'Fate Overlap' means becoming Akuto-kun's woman… How could Mother-sama possibly cultivate 'Fate Overlap' together with me?"
Even so, because Rias was still maintaining a direct physical connection with Akuto, Akuto could influence her emotions through touch.
At this moment, while Rias's mouth spoke words of refusal, under Akuto's influence, her mind involuntarily conjured an image of herself and Venelana tangled together.
"Tch—"
A soul-deep tremor unlike anything she'd felt before crashed through her. Rias's eyes quivered continuously, her gaze gradually turning moist.
Watching Rias's trembling eyes, and feeling the changes in her breathing and pulse, Akuto smiled and asked back:
"Rias, what exactly are you imagining? When did I ever say that cultivating 'Fate Overlap' requires you to become my woman?"
"Huh?"
Akuto's words made Rias freeze on the spot.
Indeed, Akuto had never said anything like that.
"Ghk…"
Realizing she had misunderstood him, Rias's already rosy face instantly turned bright red, and she curled into Akuto's arms like a little hamster.
…
Now, as long as she thought of Venelana, the scene of herself and Venelana tangled together would replay in Rias's mind.
Each time it replayed, Rias would tremble in body and soul, and that was also why Akuto's sensations kept shifting.
"Oh, right. Akuto-kun, after you come back, aren't you going to attend that gathering for the younger generation?"
Rias decided to change the subject to steady her surging emotions.
"Yeah. What about it?" Akuto smiled and held Rias even tighter.
Rias's eyes rolled up reflexively for a moment before she finally came back to herself, then she shot Akuto a helpless glare.
"Nothing much. It's just that Mother-sama has already reported to the retired heads of the Gremory line that you have the ability to break the Gremory family's 'single-heir' destiny."
"And my grandmother is the representative the past heads chose. The other heads aside, my grandmother will definitely come out to meet you."
"After all, the moment I graduate, I'm marrying you right away, Akuto-kun."
When she said the word "graduate," Rias's expression turned a little awkward.
In a week or two, once exams were over, it would be summer vacation—meaning she was exactly one year away from graduating.
Yet Akuto had spent only two months (one year by dungeon-world time) to surpass even the Chief God level.
Back when Rias had asked Akuto to help her resolve her arranged marriage, she never imagined she'd end up drawing the rarest UR card in the world.
All she could do was quietly thank her "Gremory bloodline" for its built-in "early maturation" talent.
…
"Your grandmother… meaning Venelana-san's mother… ah, I remember. Her name is 'Kiess,' right?"
Akuto recalled it clearly. Not only had he seen Rias's grandmother in the original storyline, he had known long before that Rias's grandmother was named Kiess Gremory.
Because Kiess Gremory was a character who had appeared in the original plot.
In the original plot, Rias's grandmother, "Kiess Gremory," once claimed to be Rias's half-sister, "Nias Gremory," causing some trouble for the household servants.
As for her appearance, because devils lived extraordinarily long lives, Kiess still looked young.
The most distinctive point was that unlike Rias and Venelana, who usually wore their hair down, Kiess tied her red hair into a single ponytail behind her head—fresh, yet still noble.
…
"That's right. Grandmother-sama's name is Kiess." Rias nodded.
Akuto's ability to remember the names of successive Gremory heads wasn't, in fact, due to the "respect" Rias had assumed.
What Rias didn't know was that Akuto's habit had always been to remember all information about women he might become involved with, as well as those he already had become involved with.
So considering that the Gremory family itself was a powerful "aggregate of fate," Akuto felt it was necessary to remember the names of the Gremory heads.
…
"Come to think of it, most of the past heads of House Gremory seem to have a '-s' sound in their names." Akuto remarked on the pattern he had noticed.
The first head: Runeas.
Rias herself: Rias.
Rias's older sibling: Sirzechs (or "Alice").
The only exception was Rias's mother, Venelana.
But Venelana had married in from another Maou family, hadn't she? Even after changing worlds and changing bloodlines, her name was still Venelana.
…
"Akuto-kun, have a safe trip." Rias still clung to Akuto, as if she intended to keep him inside her embrace until the very last moment.
"By the way, Rias. Before I leave, there's one last thing I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"If you really want to raise your strength through 'Fate Overlap' with someone stronger, then I recommend you cultivate with Maou Alice."
"Maou Alice?" Rias tilted her head. She couldn't understand what Akuto was talking about.
"Maou Alice is the current Lucifer Maou, and… your older sibling."
As he said that, Akuto completed the pre-travel condition settings.
A flash of flowing light.
Akuto vanished before Rias's eyes, leaving only Rias, her mind hollowed out into endless emptiness.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]