A few hours after leaving the Hyoudou household, we arrived at our destination.
Just to be clear, I didn't break the sound barrier, okay? I stuck to Japan's speed limits like a law-abiding citizen. Mostly.
The inn was a classic wooden structure, steeped in traditional Japanese charm. It wasn't rundown—more like aged with character, exuding a timeless elegance. You could feel the history in its walls.
"Look at that sea!" Miu exclaimed, pointing excitedly. "It's gorgeous!"
"It's my first time seeing the ocean in the human world!" Rayvel added, her eyes sparkling.
"Nice view, right?" Alice chimed in, grinning.
While I checked us in, the three of them were already buzzing with excitement, soaking in the scenery.
A staff member approached. "This way to your room, please."
We followed her up the stairs and down a long hallway, passing plenty of tourists along the way. And, uh, we were getting a lot of stares. No surprise there—Miu, Alice, and Rayvel are drop-dead gorgeous. The guys we passed couldn't help but gawk.
Alright, Issei, stay sharp. Gotta make sure no creeps try anything. Protecting my crew is part of my job as their leader!
The room was exactly as advertised in the pamphlet: a pristine Japanese-style space with fresh tatami mats, a TV, a fridge, and a low table. But the real showstopper came when we set down our bags and opened the sliding door at the back.
"Whoa!" we gasped in unison.
There it was—an open-air bath with a stunning view of the ocean. The scent of cypress wood wafted through the air. We had this beauty all to ourselves for the day! And, hold up… doesn't this mean we could do mixed bathing? Miu's already grabbing my hand, and the thought of soaking in a hot spring with these girls is a whole new level of thrilling!
Mom, you're a legend. Thank you for winning this trip. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude!
Okay, calm down, Issei. It's barely past noon—way too early for a dip. Bath time can wait.
But man, I was already counting the seconds.
Later That Day
We decided to save the bath for after dinner, which left us with some time to kill. So, we settled in to relax.
And now…
"Checkmate, Issei," Alice smirked, leaning forward. "Admit defeat already."
"Oh, come on," I shot back, grinning. "A game's not over till it's over."
She scoffed, tossing her hair. "Big talk, but look at this board. You're miles behind. Think you can actually win?"
I flashed a cocky grin. "Watch me. I've got… a trump card."
Our eyes locked, sparks practically flying as Alice and I faced off. I raised my hand dramatically, ready to unleash my ultimate move.
"Take this! The legendary Draw Four!" I slammed the card down with a flourish.
Alice's jaw dropped. "No way! How many do I have to draw?!"
Miu counted calmly. "Let's see… mine, Rayvel's, and now that one… ten cards."
"Ten?!" Alice wailed, her face crumpling in despair. "I was one card away from winning!"
We were playing Uno, the ultimate road trip classic. Since this trip was about bonding as the Red Dragon Emperor's retainers, I'd brought the deck along. After changing into our yukata and soaking in the room's vibe, we kicked off an impromptu Uno tournament.
The turn order was Miu, Rayvel, me, then Alice. Miu and Rayvel had already hit Alice with a Draw Two and a Draw Four, and my Draw Four pushed her from one card to a whopping eleven. Talk about a comeback!
I'm not sure about official Uno rules—probably a thing—but we were playing with our own house rules, and it was chaos in the best way.
I laughed triumphantly, pointing at Alice's bloated hand. "Told you, it ain't over till it's over!"
"Ugh, you're laughing like some cartoon villain!" Alice groaned, glaring at her cards. "I'll make you pay for this, mark my words!"
She played a card, and the game continued—Miu, Rayvel, then back to me. Things were looking good. Too good. I glanced at my hand and smirked.
"Here's a little something… Skip!"
"You monster!" Alice shrieked.
"Muahaha!" I cackled, fully embracing my inner villain.
Miu and Rayvel exchanged amused glances, chuckling at our theatrics.
"After this, we're playing ping-pong!" Alice declared, pointing at me. "Ping-pong, you hear me?"
And So…
"Hiyah!"
"Take that!"
As per Alice's demand, we kicked off a ping-pong tournament in the inn's first-floor game room. Our match was intense—way beyond human limits. Passersby stopped to gawk, muttering things like, "Whoa, what's with them? That's insane!"
Well, yeah. We're demons, and not just any demons—we're a cut above, thanks to our training. The paddle, table, and ball were all reinforced with Miu's magic to keep them from shattering under our supernatural strength.
"Go, you two!" Miu cheered from a massage chair, munching on black sesame ice cream from the gift shop.
"This is delicious," Rayvel added, lounging beside her, savoring her own ice cream.
Talk about laid-back!
But, uh… Alice's yukata was starting to slip from all the action. Her pale skin peeked through—her neck, her collarbone, a glimpse of thigh. It was dazzling. Eye candy overload!
I must've been staring, because Alice smirked. "Not bad, huh? But how about this?"
In a flash, her movements shifted—faster, sharper. She unleashed a monstrous smash, the ping-pong ball rocketing past me with a whoosh, slicing through the air.
"Hey, you cheated with lightning magic!" I shouted.
"When you fight, you put everything on the line!" she declared, striking a dramatic pose.
"That sounds cool, but it's just cheating!"
"Teehee☆" she stuck out her tongue.
This girl… she's playing dirty! Does she want to win that badly?
"I didn't raise you to be a cheater!" I teased.
"I wasn't raised by you!" she fired back.
I turned to grab the ball—and froze. It was embedded in the wall.
"Whoa, hold up! How hard did you hit that thing?!"
"Oops, maybe I overdid it," Alice said, scratching her head sheepishly.
"Don't act all innocent! If the staff sees this, I'm the one getting chewed out!"
"The retainer's mess is the master's mess!" she shot back, grinning.
This girl! Trying to pin it on me?!
There was only one thing to do. I bolted to Miu, who was still chilling in the massage chair.
"Miu, please! Fix it with magic before we get caught!"
Back in the Room
"You two went way overboard," Miu scolded, hands on her hips. "Having fun is great, but there's a limit."
"Sorry…" Alice and I mumbled, sitting seiza-style on the tatami.
Ugh, the two oldest members of the group, and we're getting lectured like kids. Miu's coming off like the responsible mom here.
She glanced at the clock. "We killed some time, but it's still a bit early for dinner."
"Yeah," I said, scratching my head. "Maybe we hit the bath early?"
"Sounds good," Miu replied with a grin. "You're joining me, right, Onii-chan? I'll wash your back."
"Oh? Then I'll wash you," I teased, pulling her onto my lap as I sat cross-legged. I started tickling her through her yukata.
"Eek! That tickles!" Miu squealed, squirming and letting out soft giggles. Her flushed cheeks and playful resistance were too cute.
But one thing was bugging me. "Hey, Miu… you're not wearing anything under that yukata, are you?"
She blinked, tilting her head. "Nope. Why?"
Called it. Just like that school trip—she goes commando under her yukata. Probably thinks it's the "authentic" way.
I sighed. "Miu, at least wear underwear when you leave the room."
"Huh? Why?"
"Think about it," I said, leaning in. "If your yukata slips, some random guy might catch a glimpse of your… you know, assets."
Imagine if Miu had been playing ping-pong earlier. With all that movement, her yukata would've been flapping around, exposing her bouncing chest, the sweat trickling down her cleavage, her smooth skin, those perfect pink—stop it, brain! The thought of any guy but me seeing that… unacceptable!
"Just… do it, okay?" I said firmly.
Miu laughed. "Alright, if you say so. I don't really want other guys seeing me either."
That's my girl.
As we were goofing around–
"Tch, you two never change, do you?" a voice interrupted.
I looked up to see two women in yukata standing in the doorway. One had long blue hair, the other fiery red—both total knockouts.
…And also people I see every day.
"Tia?! Ignis?!" I blurted. "What are you doing here?"
Ignis is usually by my side, so that's no shock, but Tia? And why are they both in yukata?
They plopped down without a care. Tia scanned the room. "Nice place. The view's not bad either."
"Yeah, but—hold on," I said. "Why are you here?"
Tia smirked. "I heard this was a bonding trip for the Red Dragon Emperor's retainers. Figured we'd join in."
Ignis nodded enthusiastically. "We're not technically retainers, but Tia's your familiar, and I'm your sword, so we count, right? Also, I really want crab!"
There it is. Crab's the real motive. Typical Ignis, driven by her stomach.
I didn't mind them joining—honestly, it's great—but there was a problem. "Look, we booked this for four. The room's for four, and we only have food for four. If you stay, what about dinner?"
Tia grinned slyly. "No need to worry. We booked our own room."
"What?!" we all gasped.
Miu and Alice shot me questioning looks, but I shook my head. "First I'm hearing of it!"
Ignis raised her hand. "My idea! Tia's covering the bill, though~"
"I've got plenty saved up," Tia said coolly. "It's nothing."
"Yay!" they high-fived, clearly hyped. Ignis is always like this, but seeing Tia so pumped was rare.
Rayvel gave a wry smile. "I didn't expect you two to show up."
"We're just joining for dinner," Tia said. "We'll sleep in our room. Gotta give you young folks some… privacy, right?" She and Ignis exchanged suggestive smirks.
The girls' faces turned beet red, especially Rayvel, who looked like she might faint. These older sisters, always so composed.
"Alright, you're in," I said. "I'll ask the staff to bring your food here."
"No need," Tia replied. "Already handled."
"Wow, you're fast!"
Ignis munched on some tea snacks from the table. "So, what's the plan till dinner? Tia and I were thinking of hitting the footbath outside."
A footbath sounded nice. I slapped my knee and stood. "Alright, let's do it!"
And so, with Tia and Ignis crashing the party, our bonding trip got a bit livelier. We left the room, headed for the footbath.
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