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Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the reviews!!!!!
Bout to upload like crazy!!!!
Over-editing is a b.i.t.c.h!
I run it through the editor plenty of times, but still feel like something's wrong!
And I add so much when the chapter should end already!
I really gotta work on that...
I'm opening a pa.tr.eo.n or a k/o/f/i to support when I hit 1mill views on this
just to make sure I don't lose focus. No paywall either btw,
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-Michinaga Mansion-
-It's Sunday Morning, Baby~-
"Rise and Grind baby, tahahaha~"
I woke up to the kind of softness that could convince even the most hardened of no-sleep all-nighter champions to give up and pledge eternal loyalty to nap-time.
The mattress beneath me wasn't just soft, no, no, no.
---This thing grabbed me. Like, it cradled my body and gently hugged my cheeks like some over-affectionate cloud with hands.
It wasn't just a bed. It was an experience.
And I'd never get tired of it.
"Forget a King-sized bed, this is an emperor-sized bed," I muttered into the pillow. "No… kingdom-sized, even."
The sheets were silky enough to slide across my skin like they were teasing me to stay. And if I didn't know better, I'd swear they were enchanted to prevent productivity.
But then my brain kicked me awake.
Today was the day I'd be training with Rias and pals.
"Guooooogggghhh....!" I groaned.
Dragging myself free from my bed's embrace, I pushed up with all the resolve of a soldier going into battle.
Time to shower and get ready---
-click-
"You're supposed to knock, Sebas-chan."
The door creaked open, and in walked... not Sebas?
Floating in languidly, like someone moving underwater, was Sadako, my ghost maid.
Long black hair trailing like ink in water, her pale face expressionless as ever, yeah, that was her.
Sadako blinked at me. or… maybe not blinked. More like… shifted. "Sebas... told me to wake you up for breakfast... she said in her classic monotone.
"...Right." I nodded slowly. "Guess I'll shower then."
And so I did.
The shower steamed up almost instantly, warm water cascading over my body and all. I couldn't help but flex a little after catching a glimpse of myself in the foggy glass.
Dark black hair damp from the water, and red eyes glowing faintly against the shower's mist. All belonging to a toned body that was mine. Handsome? Yeah. Intimidating? Maybe? Who knows.
-whipsshhh---!-
I struck a pose just because I could.
Stepping out, I grabbed a towel. and soon enough, Sadako was already floating closer, helping me with her usual eerie efficiency
And after a short while I was fully dressed.
Well, it wasn't anything special other than a white linen shirt and light brown pants, making me look like I was descended from old nobility.
'What's next? Managing my estate? Sailing on a yacht?
"Crazy, huh? Me, living like this… a giant mansion, a ghost maid, a fallen angel butler. If I told my past self, he'd check me into therapy." I couldn't help but laugh.
Sadako tilted her head, murmuring. "…I can't believe it either... I used to live in a haunted house... and then a well...."
"…Come again?"
Her face didn't change one bit as she said that. "A haunted house... Old, creaky floors... Broken windows... Lots of screaming tourists."
"I see." I was lying. I didn't see or understand shit.
Sadako's monotone voice carried on, unaffected. "Anyway, Daichi-bocchan… Perhaps you should consider interacting more with the human world... Having a healthy balance between supernatural and regular life will benefit you..."
"…Who are you, and what did you do with my creepy busty ghost maid?" I stared at her.
"I am still me..." Sadako tilted her head. "But I am also very smart... Like a psychic... I can even foretell the stock market..."
"…Uh-huh." I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes..." She nodded. "That is why I was always in a haunted house... Waiting for the market to crash..."
I squinted at her, not sure if she was serious or if ghosts just had a terrible sense of humor.
Probably both.
Still, I exhaled and gave her a nod as I patted her on her head. "...Fine. I'll keep that in mind."
With that, I finished getting dressed.
"Breakfast time," I muttered, heading out of my room with Sadako floating silently behind me.
It painted a funny picture, like we were characters from some kind of bad horror parody movie in the early 2000's.
"Yes... Breakfast time..."
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-Michinaga Mansion Dining Room-
Breakfast smelled criminally good.
It was a hodgepodge of Eastern and Western culinary meals. Soup, rice, fish, meat...
All of it was laid out like Sebas was auditioning for the title of 'Iron Chef: Fallen Angel Edition'.
"Thanks for the meal." I gave thanks for the food. I was Japanese now, of course.
Sebas himself, of course, sat with us at the table, as I made sure to have him do, otherwise he would just stand at the side.
Kuroka lounged lazily next to me, tail swishing with amused little flicks as her golden eyes twinkled.
Across from us sat Riku, who probably thought of Kuroka as some cosplayer, since he was freshly back from Akihabara, an otaku's mecca. And since he stopped by to hand me some merchandise, I invited him to stay for some breakfast.
And then… there was my maid and Daigo, my crow.
"caw!"
(I. Am. Here!)
Yes. Daigo was sitting on the table eating.
While having your 'help' eat at the same table as you might tick off some rich folk, I think having my pet crow would give them an aneurysm.
But me? I didn't care that much about it.
"Man," Riku started between bites. "Akihabara was paradise, I swear. "Wall-to-wall anime merch. I almost spent all my savings on a life-size Morrigan Aensland plush."
"Oh, the character who's more popular than the franchise she's from.--- Wait, life-size?" I stared at Riku in mock horror. "Why the hell would you need a life-size plush of... Oh."
"Uh, wait! I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!" He hurriedly replied.
Kuroka leaned forward as her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Nyahaha~ What are you two talking about? It sounds fun!"
Sebas muttered something about "uncouth conversation at the table", but none of us paid him much mind.
"Oh, and by the way..." Riku quickly changed the subject. "...I got adopted, you know. By this nice married couple that always wanted a son."
"Which now makes me Riku Oda."
"Oda!?" My eyebrows shot right off of my head. 'Seriously?'
"Wait, hold on. Wouldn't that mean that we aren't orphan bros anymore?" I smiled. "Honestly, I dunno what I should do with this info. Should I congratulate you? It feels kinda funny though."
"Like saying 'Hell yeah, bro. You made it out of the orphanage!', like that?" Riku asked.
"Haha! Yup! But that's because the orphanage wasn't bad at all, though..."
"That's because of your donations, Daichi."
"That's true... But..." I added slyly, "Doesn't that mean you're now vulnerable…"
"Vulnerable to what?"
"Vulnerable to your mom jokes?"
"Hey! Don't even start!"
I shook my head, chuckling at Riku's new dilemma. But when the laughter faded, a thought crept in.
If Riku had parents now, what did that make me? From the outside, it probably looked like I was adopted by some rich old coot who promptly kicked the bucket and left me his mansion, servants, and money.
---Which was only half wrong when you take into account the original owner of the mansion decades ago...
Some rich family that died out or something, I dunno.
Riku chewed his food thoughtfully before asking, "...But what about you, Daichi? Forget adoption, what would you do if you found out that you had a family?"
I didn't even hesitate. "I already do. The orphanage back then, and now… you guys here."
That landed, rather profoundly among my breakfast seatmates.
Sebas froze mid-sip of tea, with a look of devotion in his eyes. And Kuroka's smile softened, her ears twitching as she gave me a long look.
"I will definitely cherish this praise till I die, bocchan!"
"Aw, Shucks. How sweet, Dai-chan, nya~"
"caw!"
(Good! Good!)
That's a long time to cherish something, Sebas. Especially when considering the lifespan of a Fallen.
And Kuroka, simple words like that shouldn't get you all giddy.
Daigo the crow did what crows did. Cooed? Cawed? I dunno.
Sadako, however, paused, then lowered her fork with her eyebrows furrowed in a rather determined expression despite still having her usual blank face. "...Thank you. I will take care of the pantry in return... And make sure nothing goes to waste..."
"No. No overeating. We're all gonna starve, and you're gonna turn into a fatty." I shook my head firmly. 'Seriously, what is with her?'
Riku laughed, but after calming down, he looked at me again. "Seriously though… what if your family was a big deal? Like, one of those powerful clans in manga, all about legacy and bloodlines?"
"You're bringing this up a lot, Riku? Are you trying to tell me that you found your real parents right after you got adopted? Cuz' that would be pretty awkward." I asked as I narrowed my eyes. But seeing Riku deny it, I then thought some more about what he was asking.
"What, like some secret family with all the clichés? With arrogant parents and relatives tossing me aside because I didn't have the special sauce that made me one of them?"
Riku nodded. "That, exactly that!"
In my head, I thought about a certain red merc with a mouth I'd already referenced twice. Any more, and the joke would officially become stale bread. So instead, I just shrugged.
"Yeah, nah. I don't have time for that crap."
We both laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls like a private joke against fate.
But deep down, a tiny voice whispered--- 'No way, right? No way I'm the long-lost son of some exorcist clan or abandoned young master.'
No build-up, no foreshadowing. Just… nope.
Besides, if I had to deal with a room full of arrogant OC NPCs shittalking me nonstop? My blood pressure would definitely skyrocket, and my hands would start getting real twitchy, just itching for a force multiplier in my hand.
After a while, breakfast slowly came to an end.
And man was I satisfied.
"Seriously, Mr. Sebas. This was amazing. I could hardly stand right now." Riku forced himself up, stretching as the food settled in his stomach. "Alright, I'll head out. Later Daichi! Thanks for the food, as always!"
"See ya around." I waved at Riku as Sebas guided him out, while Sadako tended to the dishes.
After breakfast, we would move to the backyard where my personal-personal workshop-slash-explosion hazard, complete with a barrier to keep regular humans from noticing, was.
---And then the door opened again. And in stumbled Roygun Belphegor.
She had a loose shirt over her frame that couldn't stop her body's peaks and valleys from protruding outwards, and had her pinkish hair tousled like she had just rolled out of a pillow fight.
'She's a looker alright. Like a decadent Onee-san that made you want to do... doujin-things to her while she slept.'
In doujins, though. Not in real life. Because that's a crime.
She rubbed her eyes, and her voice sounded erotically husky due to her just waking up. Roygun shuffled closer, leaning toward me. "...Why'd everyone eat without meee~?"
"Oi." I pointed at her face. "Brush your teeth before trying to get in my personal space."
Roygun smirked, waving it off as she dropped lazily into the chair beside Kuroka.
"Devils like me don't have that problem, you know."
Kuroka grinned, tail flicking as she greeted her cheerfully. "Morning, Roygun~ You missed a pretty good meal, nya."
Sebas turned his head toward Sadako, arching a brow. "Why did you not wake Roygun-san?"
Sadako froze.
"...I forgot."
"Daichi-bocchan, since she's a spiritual lifeform and doesn't really need sustenance of food to survive, I suggest banning her from food till she gets it right." Sebas plainly said.
"Yup. Effective immediately." I nodded.
"Shit."
"Huh, what did you say?" I raised an eyebrow. Did I hear that right?
"...Ah, eto... bleh...?" She lazily put one of her hands on her head.
"Do you even know where that reference is from?"
-sigh-
Man. This breakfast was as surreal as ever, I tell you.
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-Backyard-
The Michinaga Backyard was already humming when we got there.
The invisible barrier shimmered faintly at the edges which were my handiwork that blocked the place off from regular people.
To the outside world, it was just an empty patch of land. To us? It was a private training ground where fireballs, spells, and the occasional stray explosion could fly without some poor civilian filing a noise complaint.
I was dressed rather lightly, of course. Training shirt, sweatpants, stuff that was easy to move in.
Essentially, the kind of clothes you didn't mind getting torched by a stray magic circle.
And by the time I arrived, Rias and her peerage flashed into my existence via a summoning circle.
"We're here!" Rias herself, had long crimson hair shining in the morning sun, and she had her uniform swapped out for a red tracksuit with white highlights as she stood at the front with her usual mix of regal calm and genuine excitement.
"Morning~" Akeno, however, was beside her with a polite but mischievous smile in the same outfit as she waved at us with that kind of smile that made you wonder whether she was planning to heal you or zap you.
"Nn. Glad you're here." Shirone, on the other hand, nodded as she stood near a practice dummy with her arms folded, and her blank cat-like stare on full display. "We could make quick work and flay that turkey alive if you're on our team, Daichi."
"Good to have you on our side. Looking forward to working together!" And Kiba greeted me with his knightly politeness, reliable as always like an old-school F*rd 2x4 pickup truck.
"What a quaint little team you've got here, Gremory~" Roygun walked out with an identical outfit like mine as she gave Rias' peerage a good once-over.
You might be wondering if I have a wardrobe of identical clothes if Roygun and I were wearing the same thing, and the answer would be yes.
And then… my eyes flicked between Kuroka and Shirone.
They weren't glaring at each other. No open hostility, no raw tension like in canon.
But there was a little something. Distance isn't the most accurate word, but neither is it entirely inaccurate.
Kuroka's golden eyes softened whenever she glanced at her little sister, tail swishing almost nervously, but Shirone, while not avoiding her, couldn't help but respond rather weirdly.
It wasn't anything like hate or dislike. But just… a little bit of awkwardness.
Well, it wasn't my business to meddle(lie), at least, not yet, but who knows? Maybe this training sesh will sort that out as well.
I shook it off and smiled, lifting a hand in greeting. "Yo."
"How's your hand-to-hand, Shirone? Not slacking off, are ya'?" I asked Shirone.
"Hah. You wish." Shirone replied as she clutched her gloves.
"We'll see, Shirone-chan~" Kuroka got ready as well. "Bring your best, okay, nya~"
"Hmmn, the sister of Maou Lucifer... I'd love to see how strong she is~" Roygun smiled.
Rias turned, her smile brightening as she stepped forward. "We're ready when you guys are!"
"Oh, us?" I smiled. "We're pretty much always ready, 'perfectly ready' even."
And with that, the real fun started.
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Next Chapter: 027: Ecchi Young Man And Friends VS Tomato Princess And Friends
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Trivia Time! (Againx26!!)
Did you know(ofc)
Seiyuu Time!
For Koneko 'Shirone' Toujou, we have two notable VA/Seiyuu...
We have Jad Saxton (ENG) who also voices:
Arnett McMillan (Freezing!) sigh...
Carla (Fairy Tail) The White Cat that hangs around Wendy is fine too...
Komoe Tsukiyomi (A Certain Magical Index) Komoe-sensei
Syria Ootsuka (Maken-ki!) ifykyk
Akatsuki (Log Horizon) cutiepie-assasajin
Mary (Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash) This Isekai was too realistic to become popular...
Kanna Kamui (Dragon Maid) Kawai daughter, but not on Renge Miyauchi's level
Megumi Tadakoro (Food Wars!) Best girl, no questions asked.
Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War) Fun character, I like her.
Itsuka Kendo (MHA) Carrying Class B on her back.
and...
Ayane Taketatsu (JP) who also voices:
Arisu Maresato (HOTD) Daughter-chan in a zombie world
Leafa/ Suguha Kirigaya (SAO) Is cousin-chan legal?
Kotori Itsuka (Date-A-Live) 👀👀👀👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️
Ui Wakana (My Wife Is The Stu-Co President!) anime titties in the late 2000's was crazy
Nino Nakano (The Quintessential Quintuplets) The actual worst girl of this anime.
Hikari (Divine Gate) The anime where the OP was better than the anime itself.
Hotaru Shidare (Dagashi Kashi) Cute girl in a cute anime about sweets.
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