It has been a few days since we formed the anti-terrorist organization DxD.
To get familiar with each other's current abilities and combat styles, those of us who could would gather for training sessions and mock battles.
Of course, with everyone having their own duties and responsibilities, this kind of gathering probably won't happen too often moving forward. Still, interactions between powerful individuals have proven to be stimulating and beneficial.
That said, we're still students. Training is important, yes, but enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of school life and taking time to recharge is just as vital.
And so, just like any other day after classes, we all gathered in the clubroom to hang out and relax.
Our usual training schedule involves early morning workouts and more intensive training on holidays. When there's no devil work to be done, we unwind with shopping, games, or light physical training after school.
Everyone's serious about becoming stronger—because if we don't, we die. Simple as that.
From the original story, I know that Trihexa eventually revives, leading to a prolonged battle in a sealed dimension involving major gods and demon lords. To stop that from happening, we need to take out Rizevim by the end of the year at the very least.
Even if we manage that, we'll still have to deal with the top-tier Evil Dragons—Ajuka Dahaka and... Apophis, I think? Both of them are "Let's go destroy another world! YEAH!!" types. So we'll need to take them out too... This is seriously overkill!
What makes it even worse is that we don't even know where the enemy is. With the whole world's forces searching for Rizevim's base, the fact that it hasn't been found speaks volumes.
…If we did know where it was, I'd happily suicide bomb the place.
Well, worst case scenario, even if Trihexa revives, we do have a backup plan... I guess. But still, preventing it is better.
For now, let's focus on trying to take Rizevim down—he'll likely attack Heaven around Christmas.
But enough of that gloomy talk about the future.
Back in the present, everyone (except the teachers) was gathered in the clubroom. Just as Akeno-senpai was about to bring out some snacks, Yuuto suddenly spoke up.
"Actually, I baked a new kind of cake today. Would it be alright if I served it?"
Yuuto enjoys baking as a hobby, so he sometimes brings cookies or other sweets. With Rias-senpai being a high-ranking noble and Yuuto having such a refined personality, the quality of his desserts is consistently top-tier.
"My, my—Yuuto's new cake? How exciting… President, is it alright?"
"Of course. I'm looking forward to it too."
The cake he pulled out from his pocket dimension looked like a cross between a mille-feuille and a sponge cake, with crispy pastry layers, fluffy cream, and stacked sponge.
On top, beautifully arranged slices of orange with the peel still on added a touch of tartness and elegance.
"Wow, it's so cute~!"
Asia's eyes sparkled at the vibrant and artistic presentation.
"Hmm. As always, Kiba, your baking skills are far beyond what any student should possess."
"Yeah, yeah! And it looks delicious too~!"
"Usually, I avoid making cakes that are difficult to slice cleanly. No matter how pretty it is, one cut with a knife and it's ruined. But..."
While preparing the plates with Akeno-senpai, Yuuto explained:
"...That won't be a problem anymore."
He then conjured a small magical sword—specifically designed to slice cake.
When he cut into the cake with it, he didn't even need to apply pressure. It slid through the layers like butter, keeping the fluffy cream intact and not disturbing the form at all.
"Yuuto… Is that a vibrating blade magic sword?"
"Exactly. Their abilities allow me to create higher quality swords based on how detailed the image in my mind is.
"Thanks to Ikki's suggestion, I created a high-frequency vibrating magic sword. To refine the concept further, I looked up videos of industrial vibrating knives online. That's how I discovered they're used for cutting soft things like cake too. So I had to try it!"
Back during the training camp for the Riser fight, even Issei and Asia were doing magical cooking as part of their mana control training, so using a magic sword to slice cake isn't all that strange, really.
Everyone received a perfectly cut piece of the cake. We dug in right away.
...
But then, everyone's faces twisted into awkward expressions.
"...Hey, Yuuto."
"...Yes?"
"You've probably noticed already, but… even if the knife slices it perfectly, once you stick your fork in, it still gets smashed to hell."
It's not like it's unusual for a cake to lose its shape while eating it. Normally, no one would care. But since Yuuto had been so proud of how cleanly it cut, seeing it fall apart just made us feel this weird sense of melancholy.
Kuroka, Shirone, and Ophis, however, continued eating silently. For those three gluttons, taste was all that really mattered.
"Don't let it get to you, Kiba. It tastes amazing!"
"Exactly. And now that you know the problem, you can just fix it next time. Like, maybe make the cake shorter so each slice is bite-sized."
"Y-Yeah, you're right. I'll try that next time."
As we continued enjoying our peaceful daily life, I happened to lock eyes with Shirone—but she quickly turned her gaze away with a quiet "Tsk."
When I glanced over to Ravel, who had just wiped cream off Ophis's mouth, she too avoided eye contact right after noticing me.
They've both been acting like this since yesterday—dodging conversations, replying with flustered "I-I-It's nothing, Ikki-sama!" or even running away without a word.
I can't think of anything I did to deserve this. They're not openly hostile, but… despite avoiding my gaze, I can feel them sneak glancing at me.
The rest of the group also seemed a bit confused by the strange atmosphere.
If it were near Christmas, Valentine's, or even my birthday, this might feel like a romantic setup. But it's the end of November—there's no event, and their behavior is way too obvious to be a surprise.
"Nyahahaha~!"
...Well, narrowing down who knows the truth isn't hard. But getting them to talk? Yeah, not happening.
=======
Eventually, Friday night rolled around with no real progress.
With the Japanese school system's two-day weekend, and our club activities tied to our devil work hours in the evening, Friday nights are pretty chill for us. It's basically TGIF—though I hear that term's kind of outdated now.
I was just about to sleep when Kuroka and the others entered the room.
If the guys at school found out I was sleeping in the same bed as a bunch of beautiful girls, they'd hunt me down alongside Issei.
While I was pondering that, Shirone locked the door and cast a barrier.
Ravel followed up with another layer—her arm even lit on fire for a second. Was that... a forbidden spell barrier!?
Then Kuroka added a third and final, ultra-strong layer.
Wait, what? What's with these fortress-level defenses?!
Kuroka sauntered over with a teasing tone and purred:
"Hey, Ikki. Remember the promise we made in the vampire town?"
You mean the reward for knocking out the evil dragon-possessed vampires with delayed knockout spells?
"Wasn't it something about helping you test a new magic spell?"
"That's right~! A brand-new contraception spell I poured my heart into~"
...Wait, WHAT!?
Before I could even react, Kuroka pushed me down onto the bed, crawling on top of me with a mischievous grin and glinting fangs—like a predator about to feast.
"W-Wait… Contraception!? HUH!?"
"Ikki, you rejected making babies with me before because, as a student, you felt it was your duty as a man not to start a family until you could support one, right? Then, when you finally got some money, Shirone and Ravel got involved too. And you didn't want to risk their school life being ruined if they got pregnant, so you held back from all of us.
"So! I made a spell just for you~ A safe, side-effect-free, guaranteed no-babies spell that lets you go wild without worrying~!"
"You spent months making that kind of lewd spell, you damn horny cat!?"
Okay, I snapped a little. But I deserve to.
"Fufufu~ That's what you get with a sexy nekomata! I poured hours of calculations into this spell to make sure Shirone couldn't possibly get pregnant even by accident~"
That's the kind of confidence you should throw into a dimensional rift!
But then Shirone and Ravel crawled over, both blushing deeply.
"I-Ikki-sama... we're ready. Kuroka-san told us a few days ago that the spell was complete, and we've come to terms with it."
So that's why they've been acting so weird the past few days! I thought Kuroka knew something, but she's the main culprit!!
"Ikki-senpai... I may still look small, but I can… do it! I can even hold my adult form for a whole night if needed! I love you, Senpai! I want to feel you even closer to me!"
Oh no. This is bad. My brain's overheating from their words and the situation. With things going this far, it'd be shameful as a man to walk away now.
I sat up and kissed each of the three in turn, then gently pushed Kuroka down onto the bed.
Her half-loosened white kimono revealed a lot of skin—and it looked ten times more seductive than usual.
"I'm taking all three of you as my brides. I won't stop halfway—just so you know."
They looked a little surprised for a moment, then narrowed their golden eyes.
"Fufu~ That's the manly side of you I love, Ikki. Come, my darling~"
"We may still be lovers, but shall we enjoy the privileges of husband and wife tonight?"
"For once, I'm grateful for Kuroka-sister's… enthusiastic nature."
And so, in the gentle darkness, our relationship moved one step forward.
=======
The ringtone of my phone rang just before dawn. Groggily, I picked it up.
Rias-senpai's voice came through:
"Ikki, what's going on? Morning training has already started, but you, Shirone, Kuroka, and Ravel haven't shown up. Did something happen?"
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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