The return train.
I was being pressed by my untouched school homework.
That's right! I had been busy since coming to the Underworld, but I had completely forgotten about this.
Fucking Torturous.
Furthermore, thinking back, didn't I spend the important summer of my second year of high school on a mountain with a dragon?
Well, the good thing is, I got a fiancé. But it seems only Rias knows about that, since none of the girls asked me about it. And I am smart enough to stay silent for the time being. I should tell them after I reach the human world, where I can easily run away after saying it.
But I did have some amazing experiences during my time in the Underworld. And I had done various studies. I was strong—in terms of power. However, in the case of opposing teams who took greater control than us, no matter how great our power was, we would lose depending on the tactics used.
...If I'm also going to play the games as a [King] in the future, I have to start thinking about tactics and the like right away...
Because, no matter how great my power was from the legendary dragon, if I recklessly plunged forward and fell into my opponent's tricks, it would be an immediate game over! If I were taken out as a [King], my team would have to resign! Though I should have won overall in power, I still lack in mind games.
I spoke to Rias, who was sitting in the seat in front of me.
"Rias."
"What is it?"
"I told you before that I want to form a peerage of my own, right? So what is your opinion?"
"Why do you ask?" Rias asked me.
"Well, you never give your opinion. Believe it or not, I love you a lot, so it would be good to hear your opinion," I said.
Rias is the first woman to make my heart skip a beat, even though I didn't know if it was an involuntary reaction from Issei's side or not. Even if it was from Issei's consciousness, it changes nothing.
Rias listened to my words and showed a very surprised expression, but she soon smiled. She leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.
"The first time, you said you loved me. It seems the summer training camp was a success. Meeting other devils in the Underworld seems to have been a big plus for you. And for your question, after reincarnating you into a devil and after mingling with you, I know that you are not someone who likes to get ordered around; in fact, I feel that whenever I tell you to do something, your face makes it clear that you don't like it. I also thought that you would try to kill me and become a stray devil, just so you can be free from me," Rias said with a smile.
She smiled just like always, a smile I've seen a thousand times, but for some reason, I thought it was an unusual smile, a smile that was beautiful unlike any other, which made my heart start beating like a fucking steam engine.
"Sorry about that," I said, then a thought came over me: "Wait, if you think I was dangerous, then why did you get close to me?"
"I don't know," Rias whispered. She put her elbow on the table and supported her face with her hand and looked at me with those bluish-green eyes. "When you saved Asia from the fallen angels, I thought you weren't so bad. And when you defeated Riser without caring for your own life just to save me, what I saw at that moment was a dragon who wished to fly high but was chained to the ground by a weak master."
Rias then continues, "My dream was to get my freedom, and you, along with the rest of my peerage, helped me achieve it. And if your dream is to form a peerage, then I am happy to help you achieve it."
In the Highschool DXD community, Rias is called the spoiled princess, but looking at her now, I can't help but disagree with it.
Suddenly, Koneko appeared there...and sat down on my lap!?
I couldn't understand what was happening, but Koneko had sat down on my lap and was twitching her cat ears.
"Koneko...?"
I timidly looked at her face, and then,
"Nyan♪"
She smiled with a smile across her whole face. Yeah. With just something like that, my brain flew off.
Asia had teary eyes, Rias scowled with narrowed eyes, and Akeno was giving off pressure with a silent smiling face, but...
Yeah! Cuteness is justice!
Like this, the train headed to the human world we lived in —.
The time in the Underworld has been fun. It was a summer vacation I didn't think I would forget for my entire life.
As the train arrived at the underground platform on the human world-side, I stretched myself.
~~~