Scarlet 48 (Patreon)

Scarlet 48

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

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In all honesty, I never college much thought, but now I found myself contemplating the matter seriously as Sitri looked over my shoulder.

“Tokyo University has the most appeal, but with your grades you should be able to attend any that you wish. Even medicine.”

“I’m looking for a job that can give me some leverage. Especially in Kuoh, since this land is acknowledged as Sitri and Gremory territory.”

“Ah, human political leverage would be nice to have. We make do with light hypnotism, but having a solid paper trail would be very helpful. Do you have any business ideas?” Besides action figures? None. Not only that, but while I had some clear predictors thanks to having lived a previous life, my guesses at the future were becoming more and more difficult as time passed and the ‘future’ got more and more different from my world. Not that I was going to complain about a world without Endbringers. “My family and Rias’ can easily prop up even the most mediocre of ideas, but something grand will be very helpful. We can shield you from any corporation, too.”

I hadn’t paid much attention to products and fads back home, only enough to know that investing a lot into computers paid off a lot, which led my family to its current financial surplus. But, how do I go about leveraging that into more money and fame as a human being? Nowadays, the smart-phone thing was getting pretty big and so was the internet, and I had little reason to doubt either’ll stop growing any bigger. Maybe, I could find something along those lines?

“I’ll probably look into something that can piggy-bank off of the current internet and smartphone craze.” My memories turned towards using my old power to gather loads of information and offset feelings into the swarm. Maybe, lots of the new smart-phones could send information into a big computer or server for safekeeping? Memory was an issue, right? “Can you get me a few contacts with software and mechanical engineers? Let’s turn your funds into assets and explore first.”

“Logical. I like it. You have my support.” That was a pretty quick agreement on Sona’s part, but if my family had a fortune equal to a country’s GDP and a territory nearly the size of Japan, I’d be fast and loose with my money, too. Rias’ family had a bit more money than Sona’s, but they handled a territory that was the size of Japan. That’s if I’m remembering correctly. They might have larger territories and more money than I recall. “I’ll have some family friends look into the matter and start the process. I look forward to seeing you live up to your potential, Ise-kun.”

Sounds like a marriage proposal instead of a business one, honesty.

Well, someone’s been pretty quiet the last couple of minutes.

Human thinking is boring.

I couldn’t disagree.

Sona brushed a lock of hair behind her ear before crossing her arms over her chest. A frown flitted across her face, and it deepened when she looked at the clock.

“It seems our time on education is at an end for the day. We’ll have to return to this tomorrow.” Sitri closed her books up and so did I. Just as we did, the rest of the Occult Research Club filtered into the club room. Rias greeted me with a smile and plopped down on my lap, while Akeno pouted at her ‘spot’ being stolen. Asia scampered over to my left and pouted at Rias. Ah. So, this is what living feels like. “Rias. How goes the talks in the Three Factions meeting?”

The Three Factions were holding a conference on the subject of the recent attack on Kuoh, while the school itself was being rebuilt. Through magic, everything that was damaged was fixed, but that’ll be revealed to the public once the conference is over. A lot of the initial conference was people just feeling each other out. It’s been three days and serious talks were just starting.

Personally, I thought they were wasting time.

Thousands of years of bad blood and violence, Taylor.

Okay, they were going a lot faster on their timeframe than I thought, but still…

Well, I agree a little. They should just go out back and punch each other until they make up.

Unfortunately, they’re not a bunch of Shonen protagonists who’ll get over stuff by just fighting and venting.

Too bad, huh?

I prefer to think that one of them should just win forever and make it so nothing wrong ever happens again.

Yet, you somehow believe that you’re a proponent of peace.

“Hey, Ise-kun.” Rias smiled and greeted me, while Sona rolled her eyes from across the table. The Occult Research Club usually met in the afternoon, after school, but with school postponed we were meeting earlier for ‘study sessions.’ The facility might be gone, but we were still learning and doing school work from home. “Oh? Are you already going off to college?”

“I decided not to waste time. Actually, from how it looks, college will give me a lot more free time.” I could put as many classes into one day as possible and essentially free up time. Time that I could use to train and work on behalf of Sona and Rias. “Why don’t you do the same?”

“But, what about a wonderful high-school romance? Or, perhaps, you’d like to dive into more adult things that much sooner?” Rias pouted, but her smile turned impish. That suggestion was enough for Akeno to huff and pluck her off of me. She gave Akeno a triumphant look. “See! I can be just as seductive as you, Akeno!”

I was wondering why she was acting the way she did.

“All I see is wasted potential. You didn’t even grind your thigh against him. You trapped him beneath it, instead.” Akeno took Rias’s seat on my lap and I blinked at the difference. Rias had been very cute, but Akeno was instantly lewd as she wrapped and pressed herself against me. Her chest, legs, and cheek all molded against my body. A winning smile formed on her face instantly as I felt a flush on my face. “See? You made him smile, but here I am making him very, very excited~.”

Rias was taken aback by the statement and tried to bicker back, but Asia tilted her head.

“But Ise-kun blushes and smiles when I’m on his lap all the time?” Asia mused while placing a finger against her lips and looking upward. She looked my way, as Akeno and Rias looked at her then at me. I felt a sweet break on my back. “He also laughs a bit weird, too, and hugs me really close…”

I intervened before things could deteriorate—

“You’re all different in the way you all do things. There’s nothing to be competitive about. You’re all great!” I shot them all a beaming smile—

“Pervert.” Koneko launched an attack my way and stabbed me straight through the heart with a look of disdain a moment later. She took the farthest seat away from me, on the sofa opposite of me with a table between us, but still leaned away while holding her bento box. Augh, my heart. It’s been shattered into a million little pieces! “Die.”

Help, however, came from the most surprising source.

“Now, now, Koneko-chan. Ise-kun is being upfront and honest with things and by Devil standards he’s being very good.” Kiba smiled at me, and I gave him a grudging nod, which he laughed lightly at. He poured everyone tea as we all took proper seats around the table. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed ikemen gave Koneko’s hair a quick ruffle. “In fact, since he’s a Dragon, he’s been very controlled, no?”

“…I guess. Still a pervert.” Koneko took back the demand that I cease existing, which allowed me to breath again. She returned to her food and disregarded my existence. What a lethal little lady. “Mhm.”

“With that out of the way, you had an update for us, Rias-sama?”

“Yes. Thank you, Kiba-kun.” Rias nodded and opened a magical circle from which she produced a simple letter, which was already opened. “My brother sent me a small notification of the proceedings. Everything is going well. A truce is being formed and a testing ground for future peace is being established in Kuoh. Representatives of all Factions are being sent here to protect one another… or hold each other hostage.”

“If you do nothing, we do nothing, and everyone stays happy?” I asked.

“Just so.” Rias nodded and Sona pushed her glasses up. “Sona, did Leviathan-sama tell you anything?”

“Her treatment of me was suffocating, but I managed to pry some information from her, yes.” Sona sniffed and huffed, but it was obvious she didn’t mind her sister’s coddling. Her words didn’t match the calm expression on her face, like she was content her sister was here. “The belief of the Three Factions is to foster unity amongst the new generation and create an example of peace that all can see. Kuoh will be that place… and Azazel has taken on the responsibility of funding and protecting all those in Kuoh, even while most Fallen will be restricted.”

“Ah, his faction’s reparations will be a loss in power.” That was a pretty massive change. Azazel was the leader of all the Grigori, meaning that he was the strongest of their people. If he was here, protecting the project, he’ll be under constant surveillance from the participants and he won’t be able to support him people in a sudden fight. “I guess that it’s a decent way of payback for nearly killing us.”

“Ise-kun, you need to be more open minded.” Rias chided me and wagged her finger. She leaned forward a bit while she did, so I was completely enraptured by her words. Yes, your bounciness. I’m listening with all my heart and soul. “Azazel-san came forward and admitted his mistakes as a leader and is now repaying us by giving us his protection. He’s a being on par with a Satan… perhaps even two!”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he almost got us killed… but, it’s also true that he’ll be keeping that from happening for a couple years from now on.” I didn’t take the threat to my life from one of Azazel’s subordinates lightly, but I wasn’t going to complain about him protecting us. This was like if Alexandria, Legend, or Eidolon decided to come protect a city personally after one of their subordinates messed up. No one’s going to complain, especially if they apologized. “I won’t make any trouble, I promise.”

You say and think all of that, but you and Azazel are practically best friends already.

He’s a man of vision, taste, and with a lot of advice that can get me what I want. Why shouldn’t I go out of my way to be his friend?

Also, just because we’re friends, doesn’t mean that I can’t be pissed when he’s fucked up.

In fact, I have a greater right to be angry at him as a friend!

Hm. I suppose that makes sense. I didn’t have many friends myself. Only rivals and potential mates. If I did though, I wouldn’t let them get away with messing up. How they do is a reflection on me, after all.

That’s right. Allies and friends reflected the person. If I let Azazel do whatever he wanted and get no shit from me, that would reflect poorly on me. I’d lose anyone’s respect if I did that.

Sona clearing her throat got my attention.

“Ise-kun, did the Welsh Drake have something to share with us?”

“Oh? Nah. He’s just making commentary.” I shared my connection to Ddraig with them as a sign of trust. I should’ve done it sooner, since everyone respect the thoughts and strengths of a Dragon that fought God. “He thinks it would be best if everyone just fought each other with their fists in the rain until everything got solved.”

I didn’t say anything about the rain, but that would be pretty cool.

“Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple. Centuries of grudges cannot be solved by mere fistfights.” Sona sighed and crossed her arms. “So, we must confront an issue: Azazel will be present on our territory for the foreseeable future. That will attract attention. The near-success of our deaths will also send a message to all the warmongers: someone nearly succeeded in setting of another Great War on their own.”

“Indeed, while we must be victorious at every opportunity. They only need to win once.” Rias nodded at Sona’s statement. A frown crossed her features, before she suddenly sighed. “We have need of a deterrent, Ise-kun, and you’re our best candidate.”

That was a surprise.

“Me? Why?”

My question earned me a few raised eyebrows.

“Ise-kun, you’re a user of a Longinus and you’ve fought against Devils and Grigori of immense power as a human. Not only that, but you’ve slain many Fallen on your own. There are survivors of the battle on the school rooftop and they’re spreading your name across the world.” Right. I guess some of the people I fought in the school survived. That was a surprise. I thought that I’d done my best to make sure that I didn’t have any future problems from my antics there. “There is also the fact that you are still growing in power. Those coming after us came only after making sure my sister and Rias’ brother couldn’t come to our aid instantly. So, we need someone that they can’t confront on the same level as my sister.”

“Which means making me strong enough to replace them, or at least make them think twice.” I get it. This was like having a reputation back home. Defeating a big-name villain skyrocketed someone’s fame all across the spectrum. They received better deals from the Protectorate, while getting respect or fear from the villains. Fighting against the Fallen as a human with a Longinus, it looked like, was my rise to power in this world. Now, you have to worry about people wanting to take you on just because of that power, though. Yeah, that was an issue. “Alright, I’m in. I need training, power, and assets. If you’re all willing to help me get stronger, then I will.”

“Good, good.” My answers got me smiles from all over the room. However, Sona sighed once again before speaking. That worried me just a little. “I’m afraid that you’ll be quite busy for the next couple of days, so rest this evening. The break before school resumes shall be used to build the groundwork for your increase in strength.”

None of that sounded bad, and no reason at all for Sona to sigh, but she noticed my curious stare and elaborated.

“My sister will be training you. Please, don’t think less of me for having an elder sibling such as her.”

“Why would I think that?”

Shockingly, no one answered.