A few days passed, then weeks where the school routine in Kuoh had become somewhat predictable. Classes, homework, breaks with his friends and girlfriends... everything flowed like that of any normal student. However, the nights were another story.
Every early morning during the Dark Hour, Daniel and Tamamo went out to face the Shadows emerging from Tartarus, silently watching over the others, who were still unconscious in their coffins. It was a constant struggle, but for the two of them it had become a kind of habit... one that brought them even closer.
Now, with the month of October halfway through, Daniel was lying in his room, in silence, reflecting.
In just a few months, his life had changed radically. The battles, the discoveries, the supernatural world... and his girlfriends.
Alya, Hikari, Hibiki, Sakura, Raynare, and Tamamo. All so different and special, and yet, each of them had managed to win a part of his heart.
—I never imagined all this would happen... —he murmured with a smile as he looked at the ceiling.
Then, his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, a small smile appeared on his face.
—Dad? Mom?
—Sonn! —exclaimed the cheerful voice of his mother—. How are you? Time for our bi-weekly call, huh?
—Mom! I'm fine, really... everything's going well.
The conversation flowed with laughter and jokes, as it usually did with his parents.
He hadn't told them anything about his girlfriends yet, and he certainly didn't plan to today. But then, Tamamo, who was listening nearby, perked up a mischievous ear.
With her most playful smile, she approached from behind Daniel, sat next to him, and leaned close to the microphone.
—My love... have you told them yet how you make me scream at night?
Daniel froze.
On the other end of the phone, there was silence. Then:
—Who... is... that? —his mother asked in an inquisitive tone... but full of contained emotion.
—I-It's a friend! A VERY jokey friend! Don't pay any attention to her!
But Tamamo had no mercy.
—Oh, come on, don't be shy. While we're at it... shouldn't you also tell them I'm not the only girlfriend?
Daniel turned white as a sheet.
—...What? —his parents said in unison.
—Mom, dad, I... can expla—
—Daniel Alejandro Hernández Rivera! —his mother's voice thundered forcefully—.
Sweetie, we love you very much, but you'd better be home next week for the Day of the Dead.
—Y-yes, of course... just for that?
—Don't play dumb, you little rascal, we know you.
You bring all your suitors, you're not hiding any! If you do, the punishment will be legendary.
Click.
The call ended.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone, staring into space, unable to fully process what had just happened.
—...I'm dead —he murmured.
Tamamo, on the other hand, was doubled over laughing on the floor.
—That was glorious! Their voices, your face! Aaahhh, I'm dying!
Daniel looked at her with dramatic coolness.
—Tamamo...
—Huh?
—For the rest of the week... you're grounded. You can't sleep in my bed.
Silence fell abruptly. Tamamo blinked.
—...What?
—You heard me. Tails out of the bed.
—N-Nooo!! That's inhumane! Cruel! Daniel, please! I'm sorry!! It was just an innocent joke! Don't leave me alone in the other freezing bed!
Tamamo clung to him like a punished little girl, with dramatic tears in her eyes, while Daniel ignored her with a small, satisfied smile.
—We'll see how long you last begging...
The days passed quickly, like a gust of wind before a storm.
And for Daniel, that storm had a first and last name: his mom and dad.
The fateful date was approaching, the trip to Mexico was just around the corner and with it... the dreaded official presentation of his harem.
—Damn it, why didn't I say I only had one girlfriend? —Daniel thought as he walked through the halls of Kuoh Academy.
The memory of the call haunted him like a formless shadow, but with Tamamo's mocking voice echoing in his head.
Knowing he couldn't magically disappear (though he'd like to), he took the proper step: requesting formal leave of absence.
Knowing that not only he would be attending that trip, but also Alya, Sakura, Hikari, Hibiki, Tamamo, and even Raynare (who, though she wouldn't admit it, had already packed), he needed to cover the formalities.
He entered the student council room and was received by the always elegant and analytical Sona Shitori, who raised an eyebrow upon seeing Daniel's tense face.
—Is something wrong, Hernández-kun?
Daniel took a deep breath.
—I'm here to request a week's leave of absence... for me and my girlfriends.
Sona blinked once. Then, again.
Alyssa, her queen, who was next to her, tilted her head with interest.
—Any problems?
—...My parents want to meet all my girlfriends. —Daniel said, his voice dry, as if each word hurt.
—It'll be during the Day of the Dead celebration. You know, tradition, altar, offerings, food, and now... a deadly interrogation.
Sona lowered her glasses with one hand, clearly processing the scene forming in her mind.
—I see... it's an important occasion, both culturally and... personally.
—I grant you the leave, Hernández-kun. But I want to maintain contact if any supernatural phenomena occur.
She took out a circular magical seal, adorned with infernal symbols engraved with a touch of elegance.
—With this, you can communicate directly with me or Rias. It works even outside Japan.
—Thank you, president! Seriously, you're saving me.
—Good luck... —said Sona, though a hint of morbid curiosity flashed in her gaze—. I hope you come back in one piece.
Upon leaving the student council office, Daniel just murmured:
—That doesn't sound like support... it sounds like a death sentence.
That afternoon, after school, Daniel and his girlfriends gathered outside the school.
Suitcases ready, passports kindly forged by demonic connections (courtesy of Grayfia), and a lot of tension hanging in the air.
—I'm so excited! Mexico sounds like a country full of romance, fire, and spicy food! —Tamamo said with overflowing enthusiasm.
—I want to try the tacos... —murmured Hibiki with shining eyes.
—I hope your parents don't hate us... —said Sakura, nervous.
—What if they want to separate you from us? —questioned Alya, frowning.
Daniel just swallowed, sweating cold sweat.
—Girls... of all the battles I've fought so far... this will be the hardest one.
And so, with feigned nerves of steel and a forced smile, Daniel Hernández set off on the journey to his home country, not knowing if he would return alive... or forced into marriage.
The plane soared through the skies at a constant speed, leaving Japan behind to venture into Latin American lands.
Destination: Mexico.
Reason: a family trial that would make even a god nervous.
But during those hours of travel, Daniel had something he rarely had: time to be at peace with his girlfriends.
The triple seat where he sat became a field of tenderness.
Alya settled next to his right shoulder, her eyes closed, enjoying her partner's warmth.
Hikari and Hibiki took turns playing with his hair or resting their heads in his lap.
Tamamo, in playful kitsune mode, had wrapped herself in his coat as if it were a little blanket and was softly purring.
And in the seat facing them, pretending not to be aware of what was happening, Raynare was flipping through a magazine with so much anger that the poor magazine was trembling.
—Jealous? —Tamamo whispered with a mischievous smile from the other seat.
Raynare huffed without turning around.
—Of course not. I don't care if that idiot lets himself be smothered by all of them. I don't care!
Daniel just smiled. He knew that attitude well.
Raynare was already more inside the group than she herself wanted to admit.
But among all the loving interactions, there was a small group gathered in the back of the plane:
Sakura, accompanied by Hikari, Hibiki, and Alya.
Sakura was breathing heavily. Her face was flushed, her hands clenched against her chest, and her heart pounding like a war drum.
—Are you sure? —asked Hibiki.
—Yes! It's time... I don't want to keep hiding what I feel.
—We support you! —Hikari said with an encouraging smile.
—It's now or never, Sakura. —Alya added, taking her hand to give her courage—. This is your chance.
Sakura nodded and stood up, walking towards Daniel with nervous steps. He saw her approach, and though he tried to smile, he noticed the tension in her gaze.
—Everything okay, Sakura? —he asked, curious.
The girl nodded... and without waiting any longer, she leaned toward him, took his face in her hands, and with a trembling but determined voice, said:
—Daniel... I love you too! I don't want to keep pretending we're just friends or allies! I want to be part of your life, like the others... as your partner!
The plane seemed to freeze. Tamamo raised an eyebrow in surprise. Hikari, Hibiki, and Alya held their breath from behind.
Raynare turned slightly, with a glint of expectation in her eyes.
Daniel looked at her in silence... and then smiled.
A calm smile. Warm. Genuine.
—Sakura... thank you for trusting me.
—And yes. I want you to be part of this. Of us. Of me.
Sakura stood still for a second... and then burst into tears of happiness, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him hard, with sweetness, with pent-up emotion.
The kiss was long, sealing their promise.
Timid applause from the others mixed with giggles and tears.
As they separated, Sakura let out a nervous laugh.
—Sorry... I didn't mean to cry.
Daniel stroked her hair affectionately.
—Don't cry. You're already part of the mess I am... and I'm not letting you go.
Tamamo sighed with tenderness.
—Oh, how sweet... though you're still grounded —she reminded him with a mischievous wink.
And so, the journey progressed.
With a new official member in the harem.
With a love strengthened by laughter and tears.
And with a storm... waiting upon landing.
The plane touched down smoothly at Mexico City's international airport.
The sun shone brightly, and a warm breeze greeted the travelers.
Daniel took a deep breath. He was home... though that didn't mean he felt safe.
—"Last supper, last breath?" —he murmured to himself, with a drop of sweat on his forehead as he descended from the plane.
Around him, his girlfriends were getting off the plane as if walking onto a runway: elegant, smiling, and excited for what awaited them.
—It's so different from Japan! —Hikari commented, amazed.
—There's so much light and energy here! —added Alya, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Tamamo, dressed in a summer dress and sunglasses, walked with a calm expression... though in reality, she was memorizing every part of the airport as if it were a battlefield.
—So... your parents are that intense? —asked Sakura as she adjusted her cap.
—They're going to love us, you'll see —said Hibiki, smiling confidently—. What could they possibly have against cute, adorable girls like us?
Daniel didn't respond.
Instead, he carried all the girls' luggage by himself, using his Armament Haki to withstand the weight and a bit of basic physical reinforcement magic. He looked like a pack mule, but a more elegant one.
—"My shoulders are screaming, but my soul fears my mom's reaction more..." —he thought.
And then... the signal appeared.
A loud, familiar voice echoed in the waiting area:
—DANIEL, SON, WE'RE OVER HERE!!
—You look taller on video, kid!
Daniel's parents were there. His mother, with a sweet smile but eyes sharp as knives, and his father, with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow, like someone already prepared to give someone a talking-to.
Daniel swallowed.
—"And so began the end."
He turned to his girlfriends and, with a resigned tone, pointed to where his parents were.
—There they are... you go first. I'll catch up. I'm... dealing with logistics —he said, lightly waving a suitcase with the strength of a tired titan.
One by one, the girls stepped forward, introducing themselves with a charming smile... and a lethal phrase:
—Nice to meet you, I'm Hikari, your son's girlfriend.
—I'm Alya, also his girlfriend.
—Hibiki, a pleasure... Daniel's girlfriend.
—Sakura, delighted, I'm Daniel's girlfriend.
—Raynare... Daniel's girlfriend —she said in a neutral tone, though her cheeks blushed slightly.
—Tamamo no Mae, future divine wife of your son's soul, pleased to meet you —Tamamo added with her usual mix of mystical seriousness and supernatural mischief.
With each introduction, a small vein became more pronounced on Daniel's parents' foreheads.
The mother's smile grew tenser...
...and the father had already taken out his phone, apparently to "schedule an emergency family meeting with flip-flop included."
Daniel arrived at the end of the parade, carrying the suitcases with a nervous smile.
—Hi... dad... mom... so good to see you!
Silence.
—Son —his mother said, smiling with an unsettling warmth—. Good to have you back safe.
—Yes —his father added, in a grave voice—. Let's go home... we have a lot to talk about.
Daniel could only nod.
The sentence had been pronounced.
The execution would be slow.
And the witnesses were all his girlfriends.
—"This is worse than facing Angra Mainyu..." —he thought as he got into the car with resignation.
The drive from the airport to Daniel's house was, for most, a fun journey, full of laughter, curious questions, stories about how they met, and complicit glances among the girls.
For Daniel, however, it was the longest ride of his life.
Sitting between Raynare and Tamamo, while Hikari, Hibiki, Alya, and Sakura laughed in the back with Daniel's mother, and his father drove in silence, Daniel could only sweat cold sweat every time one of them opened her mouth.
—I met Daniel at school, he was all serious, but so cute~ —Hikari commented, smiling.
—I fell in love when he defended me from some jerks who wanted to bother me! —added Sakura excitedly.
—Ah, but I was the first to share a bed with him —Tamamo boasted with a dangerous smile.
Daniel's parents' eyes slowly sharpened with each story.
—"God... forgive me for my sins. Especially for my successes..." —Daniel thought, plastered against the car door as if he could escape through it.
Finally, they arrived at their destination: a large, beautiful house with ample grounds.
The effort of Daniel's parents had borne fruit: their home was warm, spacious, and built with love and effort.
—Welcome! —Daniel's mother said, now with a calmer smile—. Make yourselves comfortable, girls. Your rooms are ready, there are enough rooms for everyone.
The girls got excited and began distributing their suitcases while Daniel helped organize them.
But just when Daniel thought he was safe...
—Daniel —his father said in a calm voice, a voice that was *too* calm—. Come with us for a moment, son.
—Yes, champ. We're going to have... a little chat —his mother added, already pulling him by the ear.
Daniel was comically dragged by both parents into a closed room, while Tamamo waved her hand with a malicious smile.
—Cheer up, my love! Don't forget to mention the good stuff in bed! —Tamamo shouted mischievously.
Door closed. Silence.
And then... the sounds of exaggerated fighting, cartoonish blows, comical shouts, and dramatic phrases!
—SEVEN GIRLFRIENDS, DANIEL?! —AND ONE OF THEM IS AN EX-FALLEN?! —AND ANOTHER ONE IS A MYSTICAL THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD FOX?! —THERE ARE ALSO ANGELS, CLONES, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!
Daniel, half dragged on the floor, raised his hand as if asking for a last wish.
—T-They're all consensual! T-They all love me, really! And I plan to marry them all... someday...!
The silence was immediate.
The parents looked at each other.
They sighed.
—You plan to marry them all?
—Yes —Daniel said with conviction, now sitting formally on the floor, somewhat bruised—. That's always been the goal. I don't want to play with their feelings. I can't.
Daniel's parents were silent for a few seconds... and then, they both nodded.
—Well —his father said, crossing his arms—. If you're going to do it, do it right. No playing with the girls' hearts.
—And remember that now, it's not just love... it's also responsibility. If you ever hurt them... you know what happens —his mother added, with a dark aura behind her.
—I know... I know... —Daniel responded as he sighed with relief, feeling he had at least survived the first round.
Upon leaving the room, the girls greeted him excitedly, asking what had happened.
—Let's just say... I survived the board meeting —Daniel said with a weak smile.
Tamamo, without remorse, winked at him.
—You look more handsome after a battle.
Daniel just sighed while they all hugged him affectionately.
The trial was over...
but the Day of the Dead had only just begun.
The days leading up to the Day of the Dead were calm and endearing.
Daniel, in the company of his girlfriends and family, took the time to strengthen bonds with each of them. They helped clean the house, prepared the altars, placed marigold flowers, and shared stories alongside Daniel's parents, who were growing fonder of their future daughters-in-law with each passing day, though a vein still twitched on their foreheads when they kissed in front of them.
Each night, the girls took turns spending time alone with Daniel, enjoying the calm of those days. However, there was someone who, despite always being close, hadn't had her moment with him... and that feeling grew like a burning knot in her chest.
Reynare.
The reformed fallen angel had spent days watching as everyone received kisses, hugs, and sweet words from Daniel, while she... just observed from the shadows of the living room, or pretended to read, or went to bed before the others.
But inside, every affectionate gesture that wasn't directed at her... hurt.
And she couldn't take it anymore.
That night, while Daniel was sitting in the backyard, contemplating the candles on the family altar, Reynare approached him silently. Her face was serious, but her cheeks were slightly flushed.
—Daniel... —she said, capturing his attention.
—Huh? What's up, Reynare?
She crossed her arms, but her gaze trembled with something more than pride. It was pent-up desire, accumulated jealousy, and a determination she could no longer suppress.
—I'm going to be direct... I'm sick of just watching you kiss the others. I'm tired of pretending I don't care. I want to be your girlfriend too.
Daniel's eyes opened wide in surprise. He hadn't expected a confession like that, so blunt, so intense... but before he could articulate a word, Reynare grabbed his shirt and kissed him forcefully.
It was a wild, passionate kiss, full of emotions held back for too long.
Daniel was paralyzed at first, but slowly his arms moved, embracing her gently, returning the kiss.
The kiss lasted what felt to Reynare like a delicious eternity.
When they separated, her lips were slightly trembling and her breath was ragged.
—Now I'm part of your harem, Daniel. And I won't accept a "no" for an answer.
There was a silence... and then, Daniel smiled softly.
—You know it was never a "no" —he said as he enveloped her in a warm, deep hug—. I was just waiting for you to be ready to say it.
Reynare blushed intensely, hiding her face in Daniel's chest as she hugged him back, finally feeling that warmth she had so desired.
In that instant, she was no longer just a redeemed fallen angel...
she was another girlfriend. One more that he loved.