After a few minutes and some discounts due to Akeno having bought a considerable amount of clothes, everything was settled. The Queen used a magic circle to teleport everything away and they began to leave the boutique.
A breath of relief escaped the redhead as he felt like having finally escaped a death trap. "Oh my, was I that demanding?" And Akeno saw to it with her usual smile.
"You know what you did, woman."
"And what did I do? Was it something bad?" The sugar in her tone could fill a mine. Then Akeno got closer to his ear. "Are you going to… punish me?"
However these words had the opposite effect of what Akeno intended. "You are really on the offensive today." Shirou grew confident, already used to her antics during the days he taught her. "Anything… special happened?" But he wasn't lowering his guard anymore.
Still Akeno pouted and began to walk towards the edge of the floor. "Maybe~ What do you think? Something special happened today? Or over the last few days?"
"Say what you need to say, Akeno. We can't have a conversation if you are dodging the question."
"I am dodging the question? I?" She huffed but still smiled.
This time Shirou wasn't going to have it. "If you need to talk about what I have been doing, say it." His eyes were firm but he wasn't going to push. Not her. "If not, we can just enjoy today." From his perch he could see all of Runeas. "There is a big town to explore, after all."
Part of him expected her to reply or even pull him somewhere they could have a private conversation. "We have a few hours and we are in a tower filled with boutiques…" Still Akeno's eyebrows danced and Shirou raised one of his own.
"What about we just fly around and just look at things…" He would let her do things at her own pace but not allow any more teasing. "I think I had enough boutiques for one day." The Mage offered his arm and Akeno giggled.
Flying together was rather easier than either of them thought it would be; everytime it seemed that Shirou was going to fall Akeno was there to pull him back up and most of the time they landed in a place of another for some window shopping.
The ice cream parlor they found was interesting, a literal waterfall of ice cream took over multiple floors, some sports stores had Rating Games memorabilia and even some shirts with the top Gremory Peerages.
None of them was in the top 10, not even top 100, but they also found some merchandise with Chibi Rias on it which had them both taking all sorts of pictures and buying some for everybody.
Their next stop was a library to get Medusa new to read before dropping by the stadium with the giant screen where Shirou grew curious to know how the Rating Game he saw last time ended.
He had no idea who won the Day Long War, as it was called, but apparently it was a hard contest and a close match. Still he was interested in other types of Rating Games so asked a little more out of curiosity. While hearing about them was different from simply reading it in Rias' books, Akeno grew bored quickly and had no problems in pointing that out.
"We probably are not going to play most of them." She remarked while they walked out the place. "The special rules are mostly used to give some balance for the lower ranks at best."
"Because of power, right? Devils are more interested in big confrontations over gimmicks."
Akeno tapped his nose with a giggle. "Right on the money, Shirou-kun. That is why either it is always team combat or individual combat in the top tiers. Nobody wants the No.1 to not be the strongest they can be." After thinking a little she added. "But even then the judges may decide to add a rule or another to spice things up."
"Sounds fun but some of these rules are a little… restrictive is too much of a strong word."
"That is right, you haven't watched any match other than ours versus Riser." Akeno realized with a smile. "Don't worry about it. Both sides need to agree with the kind of game they are playing for the sake of fair play… At least fair play where a rule doesn't overwhelmingly give one of them an advantage." She noticed his raised eyebrow. "Some tournaments see that one of the sides have no chance at all and the judges change things a little to make everyone look good."
"Lords and Ladies?" Shirou asked with a smirk.
"Lord, Ladies, Heirs of the Pillars, it is a delicate balance." She came closer to make sure not many heard him. "Same reason that Rias had a parade; to keep the population happy and show that the leadership is still the best possible. It helps the factions too."
"Factions?" Shirou could feel a headache coming.
"Oh, you know, politics." Akeno could sympathize with his plight. "I heard you met Sairaorg the other day, right? The Bael Clan is the leader of the Great King Faction, the strongest one with as much influence as the Four Maou." Then she waved her hand away. "But forget about it. I am seeing something interesting there."
"With you that can be either good news or bad news." Akeno slapped his shoulder which only made Shirou grin.
What she saw was a tower the size of a small building with 'zoo' written on the front in bold English. If the word already didn't give enough a hint of what it was despite its location, then the caricature of a giant bunny, bear and lizard together gave out the right idea.
When they arrived inside they discovered the zoo wasn't in the building but there was a huge array of teleportation circles ready to take them to the right location for a fee.
Much to Shirou's amusement Akeno had almost a childish excitement that she tried but struggled to hide. The crack on her usual calm demeanor actually had Shirou moving swiftly to pay for their entrance before she could change her mind. The smile she gave him after made the whole day more than worth it.
When they were teleported, both expected to end in an area close to Runeas at the farthest and the darkness of the area indicated just that.
Only for Akeno to hum and place a finger on her chin. "We are in the Dimensional Gap."
"We are?" Shirou looked around and saw many devils, mostly young adults but there were some families with children, looking around. "It feels like the Underworld to me."
"The 'flavor' of the area is different. Try to focus more on your nose, you will be able to tell."
Hearing her suggestion Shirou did just that but soon shook his head. "Don't know what you are feeling differently but to me it is mostly the same."
He could practically see a light bulb turning on above Akeno's head. "That is because you have never been here." She realized with a grin that she failed to hide with her hand. "So, Shirou-kun, this is your first time in a Artificial Space."
"Artificial- Like the ones used for Rating Games?"
"My, my, full marks." That was where Akeno was familiar with the area, she could feel that the flavor of mana was more 'artificial' from her perspective. Mostly it wasn't that she could say they were in the Dimensional Gap as she could claim it was an area created by devils. "But since this is your first time, let's do things slowly~"
A deadpan stare from the redhead made the Queen giggle more. "So this is how you guys have zoos, in the Dimensional Gap." Looking around he could only see the 'night sky' and boundary fields all around. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Same to say every Rating Game arena is dangerous… besides the games themselves, I mean." No way devils would let the dangers of an unknown dimension ruin their fun. "Why don't we explore a bit while you try and get a feel for the place." Her indicator touched his nose. "I am sure if you try hard enough, you will be able to feel the Chaotic Energies around us."
Except that Shirou didn't bother to try and concentrate on going past the protections the devils erected on the area, he knew that Akeno was better at noticing such things so he let it go and tried to enjoy her company.
But there was still a distance between them that both were aware and neither wanted to be the first to bring it up. Shirou tried it earlier but the Mage saw Akeno's hesitation and retreated almost immediately. The dance couldn't go on forever, both of them knew it and the Mage was losing his patience because he could see the damage spreading.
A part of Akeno, that part that she fought to remain buried, got dragging her feet down while her conscious thought kept insisting on pushing forward. Things were getting worse and the Mage knew it was partially his fault.
So while they walked around and saw the terrors and wonders of the Underworld the redhead paid close attention to every single one of Akeno's reactions.
To the childish glee, the spikes of excitement when an animal brushed against the boundary fields separating them and the visitors. Unlike zoos on Earth there weren't signs to not feed the animals, the boundary fields kept them apart. It would take a huge amount of force to break them as some of the creatures, like a nest of giant serpents, could demolish buildings with ease but not those protections.
While walking around the two fell in a comfortable silence despite the emotional distance they kept. All Shirou did was follow Akeno's steps as the woman followed her whims.
The deeper they went into the zoo the less devils they saw as some took flight and watched the animals from above. They just walked from one place to the next, Akeno excitement fading little by little.
When they stopped in front of a cage with giant bears with horns, things changed as Akeno took a few steps to rest her head on his shoulder. There were some bars marking where the boundary field began circulating the area and so Shirou placed a hand on them and slowly turned to the Queen.
"What are you waiting for?" She asked him with a smile, their faces close. He could smell her and the look she was giving was the sort that could turn men mad. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
"Do you just want a kiss?" His tone was calm and he was smiling but it was a sad smile that had her frowning. "Are you sure that is what you want?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Her hand held the sleeve of his coat. "We are here, alone. We could use some… exercise." Slowly her hand began to play with his chest. "If you feel a little shy, you could raise a boundary field and nobody would bother us."
That suggestion made Shirou chuckle. "It isolates sound, we would still be seen."
"Kinky."
"Akeno…" There was much affection in his tone but also a warning. "Don't push things you aren't ready for."
"And Xenovia was ready for them?" She turned to look at the bears.
"Don't compare yourself to her, that isn't fair."
"I know you for longer-"
"I meant it isn't fair to you." That made her pause and Akeno separated with a wince. "If you want to talk, we can talk. But this also doesn't need to be anything more than an outing or a date if you prefer." When her eyes moved away from him, Shirou got close and held her hand. "Please, don't be afraid."
"I am not afraid of you."
"No, you never were. But you fear for me." Placing a hand on her face, Shirou removed it quickly, knowing she wasn't ready for such intimacy. "It is like there are two Akenos; one that is always out and about and another that you fear more than anything. You are afraid that she will hurt me." The ravenhead winced and this time he touched her cheek and turned her eyes to him. "But she is just as kind, as brave and as beautiful as you are."
Akeno blushed and turned around. "There is no other 'Akeno' and I want this." Turning back to the magus she embraced him and hid her face in his neck. "I want to be loved by you, for us to be together. I don't mind being the mistress but- but- I don't want you to leave me."
Hugging her back, Shirou began to pat her head. "I would never do such a thing. The world can fall apart but I will make my way to you as long as you want me." They stood like that for a while before he spoke again. "All I want is for everyone to be happy but my loved ones more than most and I love you-"
"But you aren't in love with me."
"I can be if you want… the problem is that you aren't ready for it." He wanted to be delicate but when he felt Akeno stiff Shirou knew there was no turning back and he needed to be as honest as he could. "You aren't ready for this kind of commitment, Akeno. Not while you run away from yourself."
"I am not running. I am here. I dragged you around and I know you want me." Flushing but determined, their eyes met again. Then her most casual smile revealed itself. "Don't say you don't want to, your eyes were practically eating me back at the store. You find me pretty-"
"You are beautiful and calling you one of the most beautiful women I ever met will never be an exaggeration." His sudden statement shut her up. "But that isn't the problem."
"But I want it…" Akeno said firmly, her embrace growing stronger. "The warmth and love. I want it all."
"Woman, what makes you think I won't love you even if we never sleep together?" That made Akeno pause and Shirou chuckle. "I am strange. My soul is strange and I can't help with the feelings I have. My soul is a World and it has a place just for you." After his most sincere smile he stepped back and she stood there, shocked. "But what you want and what you need aren't the same thing."
"Why are you stopping me? Am I not pretty enough?" She moved to hold his hand
"Beautiful enough to make my knees weak. You know that." He held her easily and smiled calmly. "But what you aren't asking isn't the love you want."
"I want to love you and for you to love me."
A roguish grin spread on Shirou's face. "I know you already love me. And for you, I would do anything." Akeno approached for a kiss but Shirou held her back. "But if you love me for who I am, why are you asking me to do something I never would." When she was about to talk he tightened his grip. "I will never force someone I love to do something they aren't absolutely comfortable with."
"RIas-"
"Rias was confident and once she realized her truth she understood our only challenges would be external. Thanks to her I can let my World be filled with love for all who love me. And she approves of you." Shirou added before Akeno dared to suggest her friend was the one in the way. "But she also knows you have things you must face for this, for us, to work. If the man you want to love would force you to be with him without you being ready… I am not that man and wouldn't approve of him."
As he already made a place for her in his heart Shirou wouldn't hesitate to fight for her happiness even if it wasn't with him. But neither would he allow any other she chooses to treat her with nothing short of love.
And to him true love wasn't dragging the person into something they weren't ready for. "You need time, you need to meet the other Akeno and understand that she, you, would never hurt me… Unless we agreed on a safe word first, of course."
The way Akeno blushed and looked to the side was nothing like her and she knew it but her heart was hammering her chest. "You had no problems with Xenovia…"
"With how confident she is, can you see her doing anything with any doubts? That is why she left the Church and pledged herself to me; because I can't lie." Shirou's smile still was gentle as Akeno turned around, clearly conflicted. "Yoruichi is similar to Rias." He added, making Akeno almost jump in surprise. "All confidence but always knowing that our relationship can bring up some challenges. Nothing we are afraid to deal with but between us there is no conflict of any sort. Everytime she drops by we do our best to enjoy the moment before she has to run back to work. Can confirm Koneko deals with the same problem."
Akeno's shoulders began to shake as she was holding back her laughter. "Speaking about other women like that… You are a terrible date."
"I am who I am and if you really want a relationship we need all cards on the table. Both from me and you." Shirou approached and stood just behind Akeno, hands on his sides. "Things with me are complicated, with us all. Including you. Don't think what you have is simple nor that I would leave you just because… because you are part fallen angel." Her shoulders showed how uncomfortable she was with the open declaration. "I can love you just as you are if you want and are ready for it. If you meet the other 'Akeno' and accept her."
Patiently the Mage stayed silent as the Queen seemed to relax. "Fufufu, here I was, trying to do something impulsive and you just threw a bucket of water in my head."
"I am all about impulsivity but never if it is going to hurt someone I love."
'He just had to say the right words, didn't he?' Akeno wanted to be mad, frustrated and sad. She wanted him to pounce on her, to make love and laugh after. She wanted many things.
But she knew deep down that Shirou was right, she wasn't ready for any of it.
She still forced herself to push. "We have hours before the arena opens and there are plenty of motels around Runeas." Akeno saw some during their game of tag, having used it to scout the area.
If everything went as planned, Shirou would say 'yes'. "Look me in the eye and say that is what you want." Instead he challenged her and she took a deep breath before turning.
Then she stopped the moment she saw those eyes, the same eyes full of resolve capable of staring down a dragon and challenging the strongest of the fallen angels. In that moment Akeno knew he also saw something, something he didn't like, something she didn't like and wanted to deny it was there.
But it was there. "It isn't fair." A tear dropped from her eye, one the redhead didn't hesitate to brush off.
"We make things fair but it takes time." When Shirou smiled, Akeno smiled back. "Now, do you want to go back to the Vault?"
Surprising herself, Akeno shook her head. "No. I think I want to finish this…"
"Date. It is a date." He said before she could name it anything else. "I hope… the first of many?" When their fingers intertwined, Akeno giggled a little. "I will take that as an 'yes'."
"Sure but you better not think I am giving up just yet. Let's see how long you can resist… my assets." She did a small jump that caught his attention, showing that she knew what boys liked.
"Hehe, great. I will be waiting for you anyway."
A moment after Akeno let out a sigh. "You can be really frustrating when you want to be, Shirou-kun."
"That is one of my best qualities." Her pout just made his smile bigger. "Maybe you are… thinking too much?"
"Not this again…" Akeno began to massage the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Hahahaha. Do you want the answer?" She stopped and all her attention was on him again. "Do you want the answer?" He repeated with confidence.
"You knew it all this time?" If her hand wasn't busy with his she would have punched his shoulder with all her Rook strength.
Noticing the ball of feminine fury growing, Shirou smirked. "Pretty sure so did Souji, Sirzechs and pretty much every veteran warrior in the audience that day." He remarked, making Akeno's eyes grow wide. "Look, this is the sort of thing that can be good for you to figure out for yourself but do you want me to tell you?"
Curiosity grew, suppressing the fury. "How would it help?" Before he could reply she rested a finger on his lips. "You know what, don't tell me. If you all already know that I have to figure it out."
"To be fair, I know you can do it. The answer is simple and not that deep." Then an idea crossed Shirou's mind. "Do you want a tip?" Her head tilted in such a cute and innocent manner he almost gave in then and there. "Just to put you in the right direction."
Her smile was gentle. "Fine, a hint. But a really small one!"
"A small one, I promise." When she nodded, Shirou's mind began to work in earnest to fulfill the request. Simple would be best, he decided. "You know how I fight, right?" Akeno looked at him like he called her an idiot. "Sure you do and here is the hint; remember how I fight and how I do not."
Seconds passed as his grin grew prideful. "That is it?" His companion on the other hand sounded frustrated. "That makes no sense."
"It will make sense once you figure it out."
"But you- how- I…" If anything Akeno's confusion was just amusing Shirou. "There is no way that is useful, no way. 'How I do not'? That is easy; you can't use that much magic, you can use every weapon you have ever seen-"
"That is the right track."
"-neither use elements unless it is with swords. No familiars either nor you are a martial artist, you do use Ki… Is that it? I should learn Ki."
"That wouldn't be a bad thing but you don't have the mentality for it." She blinked in surprise and he shrugged. "Fighting Spirit needs you to actually enjoy fighting to an extent and you kind of like the pain part, not much the fighting." She blinked again but nodded in acceptance.
Not realizing he wasn't pushing the real issue anymore, that enjoying fights wasn't really the main factor. Technically not a lie so he could get away with it.
"Right, no Touki for me… But still-" Akeno interrupted herself when she saw his face. "Okay… Maybe I need a bigger hint."
"Hmm, maybe not. You just have to remember the whole hint." Shirou playful reply only earned him a stare. "Come on, Akeno, you are a smart girl. You can figure that out."
"... Are you teasing me?" Then she smiled and stepped closer, to his credit the redhead didn't retreat. "My, my. I am a bad influence."
"Nah, you are great." Then he turned around and playfully added. "Remember miss Akeno, the whole hint. But don't try to think too much," Shirou looked back with a gentle smile, "the answer is simpler than you think."
While he was repeating his words there was a meaning behind them mixed with the absolute certainty that Akeno could figure out the puzzle. That was flattering on its own right and did the trick.
"Yes, sensei~" Then she giggled and hugged his neck. "But we still have a few hours before our unscheduled visit. What do you want to do?"
While some of her usual teasing was there, the fake lust was absent as the question carried a curious tone and innocent desire with no further implications.
Both laughed and went on to what they expected was a relatively normal day, happy to just be in each other's company.
Meanwhile a crow watched all the events, hidden behind a tree with giant birds that should be able to devour it whole. None dared to try because that crow had already dealt with one of them.
Permanently as the hole in its stomach indicated.
…..
[Explosion!] Announced the Boosted Gear as Issei launched himself to his opponent with all his might to secure a quick victory.
Unfortunately for him his opponent was a dragon and the punch did little but force the creature to take a step back before retaliating with a wall of flames that Issei could not get away.
A scream of pain escaped the Pawn's lips as he fell on his back and began to roll to put out the fire while struggling to let his power out. What was left of his Kuoh Academy uniform, resistant to many things including elements, gave away to leave him only with a pair of shredded pants, his last clothing in the forest.
His training wasn't like his friends with breaks and teachers around to help when needed, at least directly. As the Red Dragon Emperor, Issei was given to the best teacher he could ever have; Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon himself.
Yes, he did have another teacher who was around from time to time who had his own body and could be giving more direct lessons but that wouldn't help them. Both that teacher and Ddraig agreed into something wholeheartedly; to grow strong like a dragon, Issei needed to survive as one.
Then he was thrown into a situation where he would have to struggle far more than anyone else with the possibility of fighting 24/7 if he wasn't careful and disobeyed the rules. Rules that his teacher imposed not only on him but on all dragons on the huge forest that was the size of a country.
In that forest there were hundreds of dragons and Issei's training involved living like a dragon.
Took a few moments for the flames to get put out, time where his guard was low. [Duck!] At this point there was no thinking for Issei anymore, when Ddraig spoke he just acted.
A tail as thick as a motorcycle passed over his head and crushed some trees as the brown dragon moved in his four legs to quickly turn and keep attacking Issei. Only for the Pawn to attack first, his heel making contact with the dragon's forehead with all the power the Red Dragon Emperor could muster.
A roar of pain left the dragon's mouth as a wound began to form on his brown scales. He wasn't the strongest of dragons but his opponent wasn't supposed to be one and so that should be impossible.
Now the young dragon knew that regardless of appearances of the wings Issei presented his nose had been right; he was facing another dragon, he just was having a hard time accepting it.
Issei could see how the eyes of the giant creature, eight meters tall and with wings twice bigger than the Pawn, grew sharp and more attent. It wasn't the first time he saw a dragon taking him seriously and Issei already knew the real fight was about to begin.
A fight for territory, a fight for treasures, a fight for resources that had rules imposed by a bigger dragon but nonetheless all dragons were allowed to partake.
For they were dragons, peace was never an option.
Both sides unleashed their powers to warn any other dragon to not intervene or become their mutual enemy. Dragons only listened to power and theirs sent a pretty good message.
'Don't get in the way!' Their auras resonated before Issei jumped high, channeling his mana in his sacred gear to generate a sphere just in front of it.
Power that shone brightly before unleashed. "Dragon Shoot!"
His opponent failed to dodge as a dragon stature most of the time restricts their agility. Indeed he was one of the youngest, by far not the strongest and yet his muscles could still overpower and take over dozens of cities. If left alone to his own devices that dragon could do a considerable amount of damage even in the Underworld.
However his opponent wasn't a common devil and so the blast not only connected but it hurt the dragon and threw him on his back. His long neck extended with a roar of fury that unleashed a flamethrower against his enemy.
Already more used to flying, a necessity for these kinds of battles, Issei managed to dodge comfortably as mana gathered in front of the Boosted Gear once again. The small sphere moved with him, just above his knuckle, as the fire followed his flight pattern. Hyoudou was growing more skilled at fighting in the air so the flames failed to touch him.
His concentration also wasn't breaking even as the dragon stood on his legs and threw more fire in his direction. The flamethrower grew bigger than the dragon's head but the Pawn wasn't phased at all, just focused on the task at hand.
"Dragon Shoot!" The blast was unleashed in the dragon's direction and it moved his wing for a hasty defense.
When the smoke disappeared and more fire was thrown, Ddraig decided to comment. [That one isn't flying any time soon.] Both could see the gaping wound in the wing. [Not that he is much of a flier since he just throws fire around. Pathetic.]
'Didn't Shishou say that a dragon's fire is his pride?' Ise asked nonchalantly as he easily moved around and prepared another shot. Only for Ddraig to weaken his connection to the Boosted Gear. 'Hey, what gives?'
[Well, since you are talking so much about pride, use your fire. Hahahahahaha.]
"Fine." Swallowing his fear, already used to Ddraig's demands, Issei dive bombed to ground level before charging straight to his opponent. The brown dragon saw the maneuver and began to focus his fire more to not risk damaging his territory. 'If I turn into a crisp I blame you.'
A laugh was all the reply he got.
Still the big creature which claims the forest home reduced his rate of flames even more and began to spit fireballs in Issei's direction. The dodge was rather clumsy but successful but temporary as more fireballs ment he had nowhere to run. Quitting wasn't an option either so he focused on Boosted Gear, using it as the tip of a spear to pierce through the flames.
The dragon obviously saw him coming so he stood on his hind legs to use his claws to tear his challenge apart. He knew to not kill the devil turned dragon in front of him but no rule stopped him from leaving him mostly dead.
It was not to be as Issei's fist connected as he slipped through the dragon's fingers. The huge creature took one right in the chin and fell on his back again. Worse, in one of his wings, the one already injured.
None of that was relevant to Issei who knew that the fight wasn't over, dragons didn't give up even half dead and his victory needed to be definitive or else his opponent would keep coming.
So he focused on his flame, the fire Ddraig had lit the moment their souls intertwined. 'I'm a dragon. I'm a dragon. I'm a dragon. I'm a dragon. I'm a dragon.'
Feeling the power of his challenger raising the brown dragon looked down with its large neck to see the absolute focus on Issei's expression. The brown haired youth was about to do something and so he raised his arms to cover his face.
When Issei shouted he unleashed his fire, a fire that carried all his might and power.
And little focus or practice as some embers left his mouth and a puff of smoke followed after some coughing.
Both combatants stop to look at each other as Ddraig grumbled in frustration. [What in the pits of hell was that?! That was so weak, partner. So weak! You were doing better lighting up fires back in the vale.]
"That was my first time doing it in a fight-" He had no time to defend himself when the dragon below him used his claws to send him away. Ise ended up breaking some trees as his opponent slowly turned and prepared another fireball. 'Fuck!'
[He is coming again, you better not lose.]
'We had a good place back there! If we waited Shishou for another session-'
[That is not how a dragon does things. Now stop whining and move!] Too late, the fireball hit and Issei screamed. [For the love of Ophis, focus. You are stronger than this hatchling, the stronger dragon. Your size doesn't matter, only your power!]
Remembering his lessons and the many burns he had over the last week, Issei let his mana involve him, his skin ignoring the flames as he charged again with his legs instead of wings.
More flames blasted in his direction but Issei just punched them to show his opponent who was the superior dragon.
Later he would admit he was getting too used to a dragon's way of thought nervously.
Still the message was received and the brown dragon began to retreat as he threw more fire Issei's way. Each flame would be enough to melt steel many times over and yet it was still not enough to stop the Red Dragon Emperor's assault. How could it be since over the last few weeks he had to grow used to worse?
Compared to the fire from an older dragon, Ddraig was right in calling this one a hatchling. Not even counting on the other young dragons that Issei had to face while clawing his way out of the vale and inside the forest proper. Or the many other dragons still in the woods, some even watching their fight.
No, Hyoudou Issei wasn't going to lose to a weaker flame and even if he didn't know how to use his power properly he was already the stronger dragon of them both.
He had to be for his dream. "I AM A HAREM KING!" The declaration shocked the woods and his opponent froze in disbelief.
[You are still on that?!] Deep down on the devil's soul, a dragon facepalmed. [Whatever works I guess…]
'Shut up, Ddraig! We have been here for weeks! Weeks!' A loud boom was heard when his fist connected with the dragon's cheek. 'Weeks alone, with just you or Shishou. Weeks without Asia, Buchou, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan or Xenovia. Weeks without a girl's breasts!' A flurry of high speed punches was unleashed, the brown dragon had no defense. 'This is torture!'
[... You do realize that some of those are in bed with the redhead… Literally, right?]
'I just want to see them! Better! Any girl that isn't a dragon!' A nightmarish memory surfaced as Issei paused and shivered. 'Anything but another dragon…'
[You don't know how to appreciate true beauty.]
"Shut up! I'm not into scales!" Issei declared loudly as he glared at the Boosted Gear. "I'm going to get strong, so strong that I can have my own harem. Screw Shirou and his, mine will be bigger!"
[Happy that you are still motivated. I still say that some of the ladies around here are finer than any devil you will ever meet.] Ddraig would have loved to have been free to roam that forest.
"Maybe for you." Issei commented with anger and a glare as the female dragon form didn't appeal to him at all.
"Uh, excuse me…" A young voice spoke respectfully despite the growl and the brown haired devil looked down to the brown dragon. "You won but could you- Maybe you could…" As a dragon, making a request was hard and humiliating. But unfortunately his challenger didn't get the hint. "Could you please get down from me."
Noticing that he was standing on the dragon's belly, Issei scratched his cheek nervously. "Right, sorry." He jumped off as his opponent began to turn around, any hostility gone. "So, I win the match. This section of the forest is mine." It was the third time Ise made that declaration.
"Yes, I lost." The dragon growled in frustration but didn't move to attack. Instead he tried to open his wings to leave only to find that he couldn't. "Shit."
"Hey, you alright-"
"No, don't you dare. You already won." The brown dragon glared at the Pawn who took a step back. "Don't humiliate more than this." Focusing his energy on his wing, the dragon felt his flesh reteaching itself but it would still take some time for him to be able to fly again. "You had beaten Proudfire, right? Did he manage to get his territory back?"
Quickly Ise's nerves settled and he nodded. "Right, no he didn't beat me. He tried a couple of times." Not that the Pawn really knew the former owner of his territory name. "You can move there, no prob."
That was how things worked in dragon territory; you won, you kept all treasures of the loser but if they were still alive then they could come back for a rematch and if you lose then you had to give it all up with no complaints.
In that particular forest there were no treasures unless one chose to challenge the older dragons, those who made deals with devils or brought some from Earth when they moved in the Underworld.
But the forest itself was a treasure, the best stretches of land had many kinds of animals that could be hunted and different fruits that the owner of the area could claim exclusively as their own.
Except one particular fruit, Dragon Apples, those could be found everywhere in the forest and were the main source of nutrients for all dragons. Their taste was awful though so they still fought for the best areas to get better food or to grow strong enough to be recruited in a peerage if they fancied leaving.
Most remained as dragons were prideful creatures who refused to just bow their head to anyone weaker than them. They fought each other, competing for territory, mates and the best food.
For apex predators on that forest could only be dragons as that was 'Dragon Nation', Draconis, a huge chunk of the 'civilized' Underworld that belonged to a Ultimate Class devil who was also a dragon.
As the winner Issei took the area of the brown dragon and obeying the rule of Draconis he owned the land until he left or someone took it from him. There was also a clause that forbade killing and gave both fighters a period of grace of 2 days before they could be challenged by another dragon.
So the brown dragon, who Issei didn't even bother to ask for the name as Ddraig didn't consider it worth knowing, began to walk away between the huge trees of the forest.
"Yes, another win!" Issei celebrated whilst punching the air. "Just a few more and-"
[Then maybe you will fight someone worthwhile?] The Red One commented sarcastically. [Or do you keep fighting hatchlings?]
"'Hatchlings' my butt! Every single one of them could eat me alive in one bite!"
[Not their fault you are too small for a dragon.] Neither could disagree with the statement. [But you are already stronger than most of them. Look at yourself, partner, a few wounds but still ready for more.] There was a shade of pride in Ddraig's voice.
Enough so to make Ise blush. "Yeah, I got a lot stronger right?" Examining the Boosted Gear, the Pawn smiled. "This was totally worth the heart attacks, the fireballs, being throw to my death from a mountain taller than the clouds-"
[Kukukuku. You learned to fly, didn't you? At least that was a problem solved.] The feelings of glee and amusement vanished. [But partner, it is time for you to stop punching below your weight and start going after the tough ones around. I can feel them, watching, waiting. Instinct demands us to fight and yet they hold back because of Tannin's orders.]
Tannin, the Reincarnated Ultimate Class devil responsible for Issei's training. He was once a pure dragon and still is considered as such for his power and pride.
While he accepted being Reincarnated nobody dared to insult Tannin by not acknowledging he was a dragon first, devil second.
Not only they would have a furious giant bipedal lizard, for he looked absolutely the part, going after them with flames hotter than lava but his reputation amongst devils also was nothing to scoff at.
Fact was that not all Reincarnated devils could easily rise in the ranks, it took time, power and respect to reach even Middle Class. Tannin was promoted to Ultimate on his power alone and then he got to work making a place where dragons could live without fearing extinction.
Not because they were being hunted but because if there was a type of being in all dimensions who liked to pick fights they were undoubtedly dragons. That and also because they needed to eat a lot to survive or eat certain foods to get the proper nutrients; Dragon Apples were almost extinct on Earth but not in the Underworld.
In fact Issei was informed by Azazel that Tannin not only was the best devil to train other dragon-like beings but also that his territory was the best place to grow Dragon Apples as in fact there were plenty of them even before the Underworld began to expand.
Remembering the giant dragon, bigger than any other he had seen in his days in the forest, Issei nodded. "Thanks to Shishou we can take our time. I better make something for him later."
[I refuse to let you make an offering to another dragon!] Ddraig screamed so loudly that Ise almost fell on his ass. [Do you know how humiliating it is with you just picking fights with weaklings? If you start offering stuff to other dragons that are not your mates they will say I lost my edge.]
'But it's to thank Shishou for his lessons… no matter how painful some of them are…'
Ddraig grew mute before growling. [Grr… No, I refuse. Sure he is helping you, partner, but the best way you can show your appreciation is by defeating him in combat.] Ise was sure the dragon would be blasting fire into the sky if he wasn't just a soul. [That is the best way to show a parent that you are a big dragon now, pick a fight with them and take their treasures. Ah, if I just had any children…]
When the Pawn was about to complain he felt his stomach ache just before it let out a loud growl of its own. "Maybe we can talk more after dinner… or is it breakfast right now? Time here is weird."
Another thing that Ise had to learn was how to hunt which depending on the area he was in was extremely hard or easy as a breeze. In fact the first territory he technically held, because no dragon wanted it, was a vale just outside the forest where there was a pond and giant insects.
That was it, nothing else worth of note was present on the vale and no real food either. While in a decent place for his first few days of training, the boy had to live with dirty water and eating bugs or just eat Dragon Apples to survive.
If asked Ise would say that the bugs tasted better than the apples but eating both together was the best way to get his fill and heal from his wounds as anyone with draconic energy healed faster when consuming one of the Dragon Apples.
Fortunately for Issei he didn't feel tired and his wounds were minor, enough so that sending his mana on them would have him healed in a couple of minutes. It was a technique that Ddraig insisted that he learned and while it wasn't as fast as Twilight Healing or EM it was still ideal in the wilderness where he was mostly alone.
But despite his injuries Ise wasn't going to stay still, Ddraig wouldn't allow it and neither would his desire. 'Get food, get stronger, get harem. Get food, get stronger, get harem.'
[Sad thing is I am already accustomed to your mantra at this point… I swear no other partner I ever had was so driven and so perverted.]
'Get food, get stronger, get harem. I am going to be a Harem King and nothing is going to stop me! Nothing!'
[Hog to the left…] Considering how distracted his partner was and how much he needed to eat, Ddraig had no problems in giving a fair warning.
And sure enough there it was a giant hog, the size of a car, to their left.
Hog noticed devil, devil noticed hog. Despite its tusks, it lived in a forest of dragons and knew from watching other animals getting devoured that it had no chance against the usual residents.
However Ise wasn't a dragon as far as it was concerned so the hog prepared to fight until he saw the brown eyes growing wide and saliva dropping from the boy's mouth before he gulped it back and just stared at the hog.
That was when the hog knew it was dead.
"MEAT!" The giant trees shook with the roar of a starving dragon as it finally had a decent meal.
…..
Finding the Underground Arena wasn't hard once Shirou managed to find the casino close to the center of the town.
The problem had been finding the casino itself and it was already the middle of the day when they found the right building, much to Akeno's amusement who suggested they asked for directions more than once.
Shirou needed directions but was a little too embarrassed to ask for them since there was more than one casino in Runeas and he had no clue what was the name of the place. Eventually he caved once they ended up on the completely wrong side of the town in the wrong casino.
At least the people there were kind enough to point them in the right direction after Akeno cleaned a table in blackjack. "All thanks to my lucky charm~" She claimed with a kiss on his cheek.
His face was the same color of his hair but nobody noticed it thanks to the hood.
Still they got the right directions and were going to arrive in the right alley a little later than Shirou planned. "Well, can't say we didn't explore." He said jokingly as Akeno giggled and stepped up to the wall. "It was fun."
"That it was." Her smile was gentle as she felt the spells hiding the elevator. "But now, business faces." From a magic circle Akeno retrieved her favorite ribbon and began to tie her hair. When she noticed an arched eyebrow the Queen shrugged. "Most of Lakmia-sama's employees may recognize me like this so you don't need to just announce who you are from the get go."
"I can handle it."
"I know, but you don't need to." After her hair was on her usual ponytail another magic circle appeared on her hand. "Besides, the date is over so time to get my 'work hair' on."
"'Work hair' huh?" By her smile he knew it wasn't just that. "Don't you mean 'my favorite hair'? Something on those lines?"
"Can't it be both?" Her smile was the same as always, her usual demeanor shining through. "The loose hair was for the date because I thought you liked it."
"Hmm, it looked pretty on you." As they stepped inside Shirou chuckled. "But this one? That is more 'you' if you catch my drift."
"Oh my~ Do you want to keep the date going?" Akeno certainly was interested. However she knew it probably wouldn't happen. "Depending on Lakmia-sama's request we may be here the rest of the day and while the Underworld doesn't have a… traditional afternoon, we may be here until pretty late."
"Who knows? This will be my first time hearing a client's request." Shirou shrugged, uncertain. "But I don't want to stay around here for long."
The elevator moved and Akeno didn't hide her confusion. "What do you mean? Something wrong with the place?"
Took a few seconds for Shirou to reply. "Let's just say that Lakmia didn't give Nero a good impression." Her head tilted again and he chuckled. "That was the name I was using and, long story short, I don't plan to stay here more than I need to." He smiled sincerely. "So maybe we can continue our date. If you want."
"Mmm~ I will think about it. Fufufufu." Akeno replied almost immediately.
"Sure, sure. Leave a guy hanging…" Yet his smile didn't diminish until the elevator door opened.
Standing there was the same guard Shirou saw the other week, the exact same man. He turned to them and raised an eyebrow. "Names."
Either way Shirou pulled off the hood, much to Akeno's surprise, and replied. "Emiya Shirou here to pay a debt with Himejima Akeno as his escort." While the man stood there in shock he looked at Akeno with a smirk. "You forgot that I am blunt."
She smiled. "Or perhaps too sharp." Yet the Queen raised a hand and showed her magic circle which calmed the man down. "Is that enough proof of our identities? Or should we go wait for Lakmia-sama at her house?"
"Of course not! I mean…" The man was panicking a bit as he feared turning them down, the Matron would kill him if he did. Yet he had recovered from his stupor quickly. "Pardon me but the Matron didn't know about your visit."
Akeno motioned to Shirou with a confident but gentle expression. "His schedule became open recently. You must understand that the Mage of Swords is quite busy, after all."
"Understandable but still protocol-"
"Oya, if so then we don't know when it will be the next time that Shirou-kun will be available anymore as he is close to a breakthrough in his work." Shirou did his best to keep his lips sealed, both to not give away Akeno's game or to laugh at the face the other man was making. "Nevertheless, if she is too busy…"
"Not at all! I am sure the Matron is going to receive you, just give me a moment to inform her of your arrival."
The man was sweating cold, exactly what Akeno wanted. "That would be lovely and I understand our visit must be announced so if you could go and inform her of our arrival."
"Of course, milady." The devil didn't bother to ask anything else, he just turned around and ran as fast as he could off the tunnel.
Akeno was polite enough to hide her laugh with a hand while Shirou had no such reservations. "Hahaha. You are really a devil."
"And proud of it." Her shoulders were still shaking when she held his arm again. "So, since you have been here before, mind showing me around?"
"Not at all but shouldn't we wait for them?" Yet they were already walking towards the entrance proper.
"Lakmia-sama knows me and I am not that hard to find." She pointed to her hair and Shirou offered a hum of understanding. "Neither are you. But that will give us sometime to take a look… Unless you want to make things easier for them. If so, we could just go to the bar."
It showed how bad of an impression Lakmia made when Shirou moved to the stands. "Nah. Let's check the arenas first."
Clearly he didn't want that meeting and not because he was going to sell a sword. Fact was that Lakmia was a little too rude for his tastes in asking for one in the first place when the information they had wanted at the time was to catch a criminal.
Such disregard for right and wrong just tickled the Mage in the wrong way so the only reason he was there was because of his own conscience and not respect. Lakmia may be a Gremory but in a short conversation she became his least favorite one.
Regardless he was willing to keep his word even though he didn't like it, that was why it took some convincing for him to return.
Push came to shove Shirou didn't plan to make any particular powerful sword full of abilities and the like. No, he planned to make an excellent one that would last centuries with proper maintenance and that was it. No magic spells, some mana channeling and extremely sharp, a back to the basics in a sense.
But that was for later, with Akeno by his side the redhead felt himself relax amongst the cheering of hundreds watching the fights and rooting for their favorites. There was only one happening at the moment and it was a struggle that neither side seemed willing to back down.
Still he also remembered about his companion. "It is rather loud, isn't it?!"
"More than I am used to!" Akeno shouted back as her eyes looked lost on the crowd. "Never been in a place like this!"
"This is my second time!" Shirou joked as they finally found some seats in the middle of the crowd. "Have you ever watched anything like it?!'
"Only when Luvia and Rin spar!" Despite the comment Akeno could say this sort of event was more interesting in her eyes. "Rating Games certainly aren't like this."
"Did you say something?!"
"I-" Before a reply the crowd stood up as one of the fighters was thrown on the ground and his opponent jumped on him, sitting on his waist before starting to deliver a flurry of punches with brass knuckles.
It seemed to everyone that the fight was about to end as the first fighter began to bleed all over the arena and lose teeth during the onslaught. In a Rating Game such a situation would have already been resolved with magic in most cases but none of these warriors were good at it.
There were fights the judges would stop in Rating Games to avoid death or brain damage but nobody was interrupting this one and the crowd called for more blood, the clear victor happy to comply.
He kept punching and punching and punching, for a moment it was like the downed devil was completely knocked out with the winner lost in a frenzy.
While growing up in the Underworld, Akeno had the opportunity of watching many Rating Games with Rias, escorted either by her friend's parents or brother. She saw some gruesome fights before with lost limbs but never like this. Not with someone so outmatched still being practically punched to death.
And she liked it, even getting up and cheering loud with the crowd when the winner let his prey go and raised to show the world his bloodied fists.
Quickly a squad of devils dropped down to check the defeated warrior and a thumbs up announced he was still alive. Relief poured in the Queen's heart as the defeated was battered and bruised but even when he was raised to be carried the man didn't look truly broken.
Oh, he was hurt and missing a lot of his face no doubt and it would take some time before he would be able to fight again but still in the ravenhead's eyes that was a person who suffered but suffered with a purpose and would soon be back for more.
'Pushed to the brink but not killed.' Akeno could say she liked that a lot.
"Looks like another fight is about to start." Shirou commented in a slightly lower volume and pointed to the side. He also noticed how some of the security checked some of the attendants, either asking them to leave or escorting those who refused. "And they charge per fight too." A hand sized his and he had no time to comment as Akeno began to drag him.
"We are here on business so we don't need to wait for anything." She said confidently as they quickly walked around the arena to a seat closer to the action of another fight about to begin. "So let's get somewhere better this time."
While not having expected that sort of reaction, Shirou went with the flow. "Want to get something to eat first?"
"And miss the fun?" Akeno wanted to see a fight start, to see how it developed. 'I don't want to miss a detail. I want to see everything!' The ravenhead didn't know where those feelings were coming from.
But they were always there, that impression and desire to see pain but not a pain born of torture or cruelty. Instead it was a voluntary pain, a pain that promised something better after all of it. A struggle that tickled her fancy, a fancy she knew well enough, and that touched her heart.
A desire started to bloom in her chest, a desire Akeno never knew she could have as two women stepped forward to the battlefield.
Both were much taller than her and more muscular, now that Akeno was closer to the arena proper she could also feel their power and without a shadow of a doubt the Queen knew she was stronger at least mana wise.
However a part of her felt meek as both giants, dressed only in workout clothes, strode to the battlefield with a confidence that the Queen found exuberant and showed that neither feared defeat.
Soon a prompt announced the names of the fighters as Constance, brown eyes and golden hair with a smaller stature, and Gertrude, red fiery hair with eyes like rubes, bigger with muscles popping off her neck.
Holograms proudly introduced them with their stats and records indicating they had at least a thousand fights between the two.
They were veterans in the arena and there was no favorite winner as the odds of the fight were still in flux.
A countdown began.
There was no signal to start but the loud cheers worked well enough as one unarmed woman, the redhead, faced the other who had a mace.
Contrary to her previous expectations they didn't clash immediately and instead magic circles popped around the fighters. It was common for magic to be used as the opening salvo. Blasts of power followed soon after with the blonde woman managing to chip in some damage at the redhead's aura.
Her reaction was to laugh loud and let more of her power out, her magic circles fizzling as her main focus was her powerful muscles.
Gertrude, the more muscular of them both, took the attack head on as Constance stopped the explosions and changed her focus to her weapon. Already the Gremory Queen could tell that Gertrude was weaker magically but her defense was far stronger than offensive. Which could also be used offensively like when the woman charged shoulder first and hit Constance on the side.
Akeno could feel their mana clash as their auras contested with each other and the smaller woman triumphed using position to spin in her tiptoes for a kick on Gertrude's back. The giants flew away but quickly opened her enormous wings to recover, being met with a foot to the face.
With her own wings Constance kicked the woman's body a few times before creating another magic circle with her mace and using it to unleash a huge blast of fire that consumed all of Gertrude's body.
It had no effect as the huge woman flew off the fire with a feral grin on her face. She grabbed Constance's leg and slammed her on the floor four times in quick succession as the blond tried to kick her hand away. When that failed she tried to balance herself with an arm to stop herself from crashing again but Gertrude pulled her up and punched her in the abdomen.
Constance let out some vomit as the attack broke her aura with pure brute force. It didn't matter that the blonde was more skilled with mana, Gertrude was just far stronger.
"Excuse me, Mage of Swords, miss Himejima." Akeno's fun was interrupted when a small boundary field surrounded them and the tall man with a suit revealed himself, lowering his head in respect. Already she could tell the center of the boundary field was on her seat. "The Matron is ready to receive you now."
Akeno's face fell as she realized the fun was over and Shirou was quick to notice. "Say, do you want to wait here until I am finished with this meeting?"
"Can I? I mean…"
"Just stay here and have some fun. You seem to like it." Shirou chuckled. "Who knew that Himejima Akeno, Kuoh's Onee-sama, was a fan of MMA or the devil equivalent of it."
"Prat." Still Akeno was chuckling as the redhead stood up. "Anything happens you call me, okay?"
"No problem." The Mage of Swords departed and the boundary field fell just in time for more cheering as the fight grew more intense.
The man in a suit cleared his throat before speaking again. "It may not be as easy to find her later." He should know, having to fly around the arena a few times with his coworkers to locate the duo.
"We will manage." He was confident his meeting wouldn't last long enough longer than the match.
At least he hoped so as they kept walking at a fast pace towards the VIP area, passing by many rooms with locked doors until they arrived on the last one right at the end of the hallway.
Much like the elevator a magic circle was required to open the door and when it did Shirou was met with a room that would fit perfectly in a palace.
There was a chandelier, a dozen different kinds of foods on a huge table at the corner, several types of wine, six guards, at least four butlers and Lakmia herself posing on a small table with her legs crossed and a look he recognized from Rias when he arrived in her office a certain day.
While his lover had his blood boiling in the past, present Shirou just raised an eyebrow. "You didn't need to do all this."
"But of course I did. You are the Mage of Swords!" She said with a grandeur while standing up and her arms held high. "Restorer of Caliburn, Victor over the White Dragon and the person who helped take the Gremory into new heights." As if on cue her butlers and guards applauded. "I just wished you had warned me you were coming in advance so we could have made better preparations." Two cups were swiftly poured with wine as the Matron approached him. "Please, come and join me in savoring these delicacies."
"You don't need-"
"I insist." Lakmia offered him the cup but Shirou pushed it back, making her frown.
"Look, I came here because my… knight made a promise. There is no need for all this, just for you to tell me what kind of sword you want. The more specific the better, of course."
Lakmia stopped and looked at Shirou with some concern and deep confusion. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?"
Deciding to be polite, Shirou shook his head. "Not really. I just am not used to this sort of thing."
"With someone like Rias-"
"I mean I don't like this kind of thing." Letting out a sigh, the magus shook his head. "Titles, conquests, never got used to them. I would be happy with a forge, a kitchen and the people I love." He confessed with a shrug before looking to the side. "Besides, I doubt you and I could eat all this food."
Lakmia looked like she had been slapped. "Since I didn't know what you liked I had the chefs doing a little of everything." She turned around and placed the glasses on the table. "Perhaps things would have gone smoothly if we had scheduled a proper meeting or I had asked my niece exactly what you liked." She gave Shirou a side glance and spoke before he could try to formulate a reply. "Then again, you just came here to know what kind of sword I want and I just got over excited. You see, I am a big fan of your work." When she turned the woman had a look that could melt hearts. "And your blades, even if just one, are perfect for my collection."
"Thanks for the compliment…" The reply was as sincere as possible.
"Well earned in mine and many of your clients' opinions." Moving quickly Lakmia took her seat and motioned for Shirou to do the same. "Please, there is no need to rush. Just a few drinks and bites while we talk should be no problem."
'Maybe I misjudged her." Still the Mage couldn't stay for long. "Akeno is in the arena as well and I don't think I should stay for long."
"Just a few minutes while we hash out the details. No more than ten, I promise." Clapping her hands soon, the Matron had a plate with food being placed around the table for her to pick. "Just sit down, eat with me while we discuss. I promise to not bite unless you want."
Internally Shirou was screaming in a panic but his face remained set in stone. "Eating without my date would be bad form…"
"A true gentleman. Then just drink a little and watch me eat. I don't mind." And so Shirou sat down and immediately had the glass of wine shoved back on his face. "Go on."
Taking a small sip the magus planned to avoid talking about the drink itself. He was never a drinker anyway so he lacked the experience to know if the wine was actually good or not.
So he came back to something which made him comfortable. "About the sword; do you have any idea of which kind you want?"
"A saber but built more like a fencing sword, extremely sharp tip and just a slightly sharp edge with the proportions of a rapier." An arching eyebrow had her smiling. "There is nothing more elegant than a sword to me, the perfect weapon for a noble; fierce but not cumbersome, always at hand to strike yet also safely stored by one's side even without magic. For those with the skill, at last. Over the years I have amassed what I like to believe is the biggest collection of swords in the Underworld with dozens of each type and examples of smithing from all dimensions." Then her smile turned lopsided. "Unfortunately I had never the pleasure of having a Noble Phantasm which reminds me-"
"No."
"I thought you would reject it but please, don't blame a girl for trying." Lakmia commented with a shrug, her smile beautiful again. "In either case, ever since you appeared and started selling commissioned works I may have been planning to pest my niece into putting my name at the top of the list." Which was hard with Rias avoiding the Underworld. "But I watched many Rating Games with your work and those swords never failed to impress."
A little embarrassment was more than expected for Shirou. "You are exaggerating."
"Maybe but I became a fan of your work and dreamed of having your work as my main sword. Oh, how I wish I had one of them in the Civil War~" Already she could see herself in a battlefield surrounded by the corpses of her enemies. "Nevertheless," clapping again, her servants brought out a couple of swords and presented them for inspection, "these are my favorite blades over the years. Please, study them to make me the last sword I shall hold for eternity." Her smile was as gentle as it was bloodthirsty. "But of course, unless you offer to make me an even better one in the future."
A quick glance had already registered the weapons but he still stood up and studied the weapons closely, holding each and every one in his hands before returning them. There were 6 swords to inspect, all small and more or less the size of Lakmia's arm. Some were heavier than others but two were light and the ones the woman used the most.
She wasn't lying as he saw the lives those weapons took during the war as well as Lakmia's fighting style even if most of the moves she made in battle was chaotic in his eyes. Yet the memory of the weapons showed her dance had meaning and purpose.
To utilize the Power of Gremory to its fullest.
Suddenly he felt arms around his neck and it took much of Shirou's will to not react. "Do you like them?" Lakmia whispered in his ear. "I would be happy to show you my full collection if you want to drop by. Stay the night."
'Well, this is the first time a girl is coming after me to make her more swords.' Shirou let out a sigh and shook his head. "Akeno is still waiting outside." Problem number one with the number two being the eyes in the room still watching them. "And I really, really should get back."
"Really a true gentleman." Lakmia stepped back and sat back at the table. "But I still have a few minutes. Say, can't I convince you to make me more than one sword?"
"I fear not. This is my last commission, per say." At that moment the glass in Lakmia's hand almost cracked. "After hearing what some people did with my swords, I am not comfortable just selling to strangers anymore."
"But that- The Gremory-" Quickly the Matron recomposed herself while raising her hand to stop her servants from interfering. "If you so wish, sure. Those are your creations and in the hands of criminals they are far too dangerous." Her smile was as honest as she could manage. "But we could hardly be called strangers now, no? You are practically part of the family from what I hear."
A sincere smile grew in Shirou's lips. "Sure, maybe in the future I wouldn't mind but for now I am working on some other things. Who knows, depending on how the last work goes I will even stop making swords entirely." He played it as a joke.
Lakmia took it very seriously. "You are the Magician of Gremory. You need to keep making swords so our Clan maintains the position Rias managed to afford us thanks to them." Suddenly Shirou felt a familiar feeling of danger in the air even if the woman's face gave nothing away. "Your swords gave our Clan great prestige, prestige that has Lucifer himself backing us for more than just being a former Gremory. You cannot ever stop making swords."
A heavy silence descended as both redheads stared at each other as Shirou felt an underlying threat from Lakmia's words.
Cautiously, the Mage began. "I don't believe the Gremory is so desperate they need me that much."
"There are lots of politics happening in the background that you don't know of and for the first time the Gremory is close to the top of the food chain and not because Sirzechs is the Maou."
"Great, then Rias will keep you there."
"Not without you and not with the bad blood she managed to cultivate by rejecting Riser. Many vultures are waiting for the chance to bite the Gremory's carcass the moment we stumble."
"But you won't stumble and recent events just made me wish to keep a tighter control on who gets what." It was the only way he would be comfortable with his work again. "Besides, the Gremory has excellent smiths as well. I bet plenty of them also deserve the title of 'Mage of Swords'."
"But what about your Noble Phantasms? You studied Bakuya and Caliburn. Are you telling me the swords you can make now aren't better than those you made in the past?"
"They are and I will choose who to give them to. Give, not sell."
Both sides said their piece but none realized they were missing parts of the conversation between each other. Either way Shirou wasn't willing to entertain Lakmia anymore and the Matron herself was already making plans to convince the Mage to sell more of his work.
However she recognized the eyes of a man who never would back down. "Maybe I overworked myself too much. You are the Magician of Gremory and all you do is for Gremory's sake as well."
"For Rias and her family's sake."
"Indeed. Say, when you believe my new sword will be ready?"
Blinking at the sudden change of topic, Shirou was happy to accept it to have a more pleasant conversation. "For the moment I have a lot of work piled up but making your sword will be simple enough. Just give me a week and I will have it delivered."
"No, that won't do. You are the Mage of Swords." Her tone was firm again and Shirou feared he made a mistake. However, her smile was mischievous. "I can't let you go without a glimpse of my collection. Let us schedule a day, you call me when the sword is ready and we spare a couple of hours for you to check it at your leisure."
Seeing an olive branch, Shirou nodded in agreement. "I don't see why not." To make sure things ended in a better note he picked up his glass and held it gently. "To your future sword."
"To our future…" After a clink Lakmia began to drink her wine slowly.
For his part Shirou didn't hesitate to swallow it all in one gulp before placing the glass on the table. "Bah."
"You really don't drink much…"
"Yep. Never got the appeal." When someone was about to refill his glass he shook his head. "Always preferred tea."
Lakmia nodded with a smile. "Understood. Then I will have a pot ready for when you visit my state. Just remember to send a warning." Waving his hand one of her men stepped forward. "He shall escort you back to Akeno."
"Thanks again for the drink and sorry for not staying longer." Shirou followed the security guard all the way back he came.
When he left the room it grew colder as Lakmia's eyes had a hint of steel in them. "Hmm, I don't like this. All that potential for profit being wasted…" She studied her wine for a moment as all remained quiet. Then she threw the glass at the wall and the other devils almost jumped in place. "Why can't he see his actions are going to damage the Gremory down the line?!"
Many wanted to say something but they wouldn't, not with Lakmia who was quick to judge and quicker to push those who displeased her. Worse yet was that even those who wanted to escape the Matron's grasp couldn't. They had no power or resources to escape once they became her toys.
And toys they all were in every sense, less valuable than the woman's swords but still valuable to her regardless. They lived well and in Runeas they were practically kings.
Kings who bowed to an almighty empress who may forgive but never forget, plenty of those who lost her favor ended up having to crawl back on their knees.
She was also greedy and refused to share. "Rias… Most people know you favor Destruction but Luck gave you the finest treasure." Lakmia held her cheek with her hand. "Shall I steal it?" Licking her lips, the idea was far too appealing for her tastes.
…
Back at the arena Akeno watched almost in a trance as the fight between Gertrude and Constance reached its climax. Both combatants still had mana to spare but the magic circles were completely gone in favor of defense.
In Constance's case it was because she had no choice as Gertrude was always on her, grabbing, punching, kicking, anything and everything to keep the blonde on her reach and punish her in the worst ways possible.
Powerwise Akeno was sure Constance was stronger but Gertrude's aura was more stable and seamlessly absorbed most of the hits while maximizing her blows to the point that holes began to cover the area.
Finally Constance managed to get a break but let out a strong blast on the ground to kick up dust and rocks enough to steal Gertrude's sight. It was only temporary but the reprieve allowed her to fly away from the more muscular woman. Then she turned and created 3 magic circles on her mace to blast Gertrude's location in a last ditch effort to win.
And Akeno knew it was a last ditch effort. 'Her body can't take any more punishment but she isn't giving up.' The thought was thrilling but the match was about to end, the result clear for the Queen even as the crowd proclaimed Constance's win. 'Here comes the train~'
Because the mass of muscle that was Gertrude with veins pulsing with power emerged from the smoke with a laugh. They collided and no matter what Constance did she couldn't fight the bigger woman off, her weapon falling and the power around it disappeared. She kept hitting the bigger woman's back with her arms, failing to put any mana behind the blows.
Constance was panicking and so did the audience when they noticed the fighters were going right in their direction.
Akeno almost wished she was sitting on that side. Almost.
It was fast and as soon as Constance's body collided with the stands it was over, of that Akeno had no doubt even as she could only see Gertrude's back.
Then the giant woman stepped back and the audience turned to check as Getrude celebrated even if there were no judges to call the match. Despite almost being crushed, the moment the winner raised her arms in triumph, most of the audience applauded or shouted in celebration as the fighter laughed and flew back to the arena to bask in her victory.
Either way the fight was over and a desire took root in Akeno's mind.
"There she is. Just where I left her." Shirou showed up with a man in a suit in tow to whom he quickly turned to with a smile. "See. Not a problem."
"I must admit you are navigating the Underground Arena well despite it being your first time, lord Emiya." The man bowed to him and then Akeno. "You two are the Matron's guests and there are still plenty of fights today. Please, if you need anything, just call for us."
"Actually, can I ask a favor?" Akeno's voice pierced any other noise as she stood up with a grin. It was a grin Shirou knew very well and it usually spelled trouble so he was afraid to ask.
Unfortunately the man beside him didn't know the danger they were in. "But of course, I am under orders to fulfill yours and the Mage of Swords' any request. Say the word and it shall be done."
"Great, can I join?" The Queen's excitement was palpable as the man stumbled to understand the request.
"Akeno, join what?" Shirou asked carefully as an innocent smile grew in her face. When she opened her eyes and looked to the side, he followed and quickly understood. "You are kidding me…"
"Come on, Shirou-kun. It looks so fun."
"This isn't like Rating Games, Akeno."
"Oh, I know." She sounded way too excited about it. When she looked back to the security guard he also managed to understand what she wanted. "Well~"
"I- I- well- There are no rules to say you can't and you need to register yourself and-"
"Do I get to fight today?" A single step with a lot of intent told the man how excited she was at the prospect. "Do I?"
"Yes?" Shirou facepalmed at the reply as Akeno looked way too pleased with herself. "I will- You need to get in the program and we need to check if there are any spots for fights today… Maybe if someone gave up?"
"Lead the way…" Akeno sounded gentle but it was an order the man saw no choice but to follow.
The trio quickly made their way to the reception of the arena, Shirou's confusion growing. "Are you sure you want to do this? These people aren't joking…"
"Shirou-kun, you know how I am, right?" Better than most and they knew it. "Well, after the date today, I am feeling a little 'S' if you caught my meaning." Licking her lips, Akeno felt a tingle in her body as Lightning was prepared to be unleashed. "And this looks like a place where I can mix business with pleasure."