Beyond Critical - Chapter 9.1 (Patreon)

"You're staring at him again."

Rias jumped lightly at the teasing whisper that tickled her her and whirled around, her Queen and best friend hopping back from her with an amused giggle.

"How many times have I told you not to do that." Rias huffed, rolling her eyes.

Akeno just shrugged impishly, "You're tea is ready Rias." she merely replied with and gestured to the middle of the room where the rest of her peerage sat on a set of luxurious green couches around a mahogany sitting table.

Well, all but one of them at least.

Two…actually.

"Buchou, you're staring at another guy!?" Issei panicked at the mere mention of another man having her attention.

"Issei-san!?" Asia yelped at his panic and looked at him worriedly.

It was kind of cute.

Koneko outright rolled her eyes as Rias made her way over to sit down in the middle of one couch beside her, directly across from her pawn, "Something like that Issei," she smiled at him, "Though, it's more of him being a possible recruit for my peerage alongside you."

Though, she was leaning a lot more towards the definitely lately. Over the past two weeks, since Asia had joined her peerage, Kaito Evander's magic power had grown rather substantially.

He was well on the level of a low-class devil when it came to magic power alone.

"Someone a lot less annoying than a stupid perv like you thankfully." Koneko snorted.

"Urk!" Issei grasped his chest as if she physically struck him.

"By the way Koneko-chan," Akeno tapped her chin as she made her own wave over, "Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on him right about now."

Koneko merely shrugged, "Yuuto-senpai is taking over for me right now, I'll go back later," the white haired girl replied, "The smell of dragon around here is way too strong now, it's making my nose all clogged up."

"Ah…my bad?" Issei laughed lightly, "Sorry about t-

"Not you perv," Koneko rolled his eyes, "I'm talking about the guy I'm keeping an eye on. The scent of dragon coming off of him is totally overpowering now, if I get too close to him I can't smell shit besides him."

"It's that strong now, huh?" Rias mused with interest. She could feel his magic power, but Koneko was the only one that could detect his scent thanks to her….heritage.

She would have to make a move soon. Sona had approached her last night for a discussion regarding the boy. His power was growing at such a steady and impressive rate now, that she wanted to approach him herself.

…But Rias wondered, was Sona even capable of making him a part of her peerage now? She had a lot less pieces than Rias herself did after all currently, at least when it came to recruiting stronger people.

"Do you think our initial thoughts were wrong and it's not a Twice Critical he has?" Akeno posed the question to Rias, "The scent of dragon is usually a good indicator of the type of dragon Sacred Gear a human has, but his scent is now stronger than Issei-kun who has the Boosted Gear."

Koneko nodded as she took a bite of a biscuit, "…The only dragon scents I've smelled stronger than from this guy, is from actual dragons and not even by much." she added.

Completely oblivious and with the conversation going entirely above his head after he recovered from Koneko slamming his pride, Issei slurped loudly on his tea.

Her attention drawn to him, something else occurred to Rias, "…Koneko, didn't you say he dislikes Issei?" Rias asked.

"…Huh?" Issei stopped and gave her a confused look, "Who doesn't like me?"

"That's putting it mildly," Koneko snorted, "The only reason he's not beat the shit out of the perv multiples times is cuz of the annoying glasses getting in his way."

At Koneko's words, Issei froze, "….EVANDER?!" he practically shrieked, "That damn muscle gaijin pretty boy?! That's who you want to recruit? Please tell me it's not so buchou!" Issei sputtered in a panic, giving her a pleading gaze.

"Someone wants to hurt Issei-san?" Asia bit her lip and gave the boy a worried glance, "Is he a bad guy?"

"Yes, is there a reason he seems to have a grudge against Issei?" Rias asked.

A dragon scent stronger than Issei who was this generations Red Dragon Emperor. Stronger magic power than him that was constantly growing. And an apparent grudge against her lovably goof ball of a pawn?

….Could Kaito be….the Vanishing Dragon? The White Dragon Emperor of this generation? The one born to oppose the Red Dragon Emperor and fight them to the death in every generation they met?

The greatest rivals in all of history.

"It's cuz the perv perved on a bunch of girls in his club and got them to quit," Koneko revealed bluntly, "Then tried to perv on his pal, that Uzaki chick with the huge rack a bunch of times."

…Ah…perhaps not?

It was still a possibility of course. Though, it was definitely not a reason to dislike someone over. It was hardly a big deal to see someone naked. She never really understood why humans got so bent out of shape over something like that.

"Hey, I couldn't help myself okay!" Issei sputtered, "Her oppai are massive! As big as buchou's and cuz she's as short as you they look even bigger on her! I'm only a man!" he defended himself passionately.

"Eat shit and die loser." Koneko scoffed, turning her nose up at him and looking away.

Issei practically curled up in despair over her words, "…Why you always gotta be so mean Koneko-chan?" he sniffled.

Well, she had a reason for Kaito not liking Issei, but she couldn't truly rule out that he wasn't the White Dragon Emperor.

If he was, she definitely wanted to recruit him. If she had both of the Heavenly Dragons' in her peerage, no doubt in the future she'd definitely have a shot at standing at the top of the Rating Games.

…She'd need to be careful though, she couldn't have him joining if he was just going to end up trying to kill Issei or vice versa.

'Sona's already known to him, so I suppose I should introduce myself.' Rias mused. It wouldn't do for her to let a repeat of what happened with Issei occur.

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"You know, dad went gaga again last night over you." Yanagi was grinning at him as they left through the school gates of Kuoh Academy, hands clasped behind her back and walking backwards.

"When is he not going gaga over something?" Kaito snorted, raising an eyebrow at him, "And stop that, walk properly, what if you fall?"

"Eh it's fine, I'm the goddess of gravity, physics is my bitch," Yanagi waved him off by talking rubbish, "But anyway I'm talking real gaga, he had tears of pride in his and everything, said you were doing pull ups with hundreds of pounds strapped to you."

Oh…right…that.

Kaito grimaced as he remembered. Since his physical base strength had increased so much thanks to his little dragon organ stunt, it was getting harder and harder to push himself at the gym.

Especially when there were people around watching and he couldn't just load up all the heaviest weights and stack them.

So, he'd taken to wearing multiple of the weighted vests and bracelets and such Muscle Garden had in stock and went about his work outs with them out to make things even harder on himself.

Drag-So-Ball training at its finest.

Last night Fujio had come across him as he decided to tie a few of the heavier weighted plates to himself as well.

While doing pull ups and after admonishing him for how dangerous it was, the muscle loving patriarch of the Uzaki clan, decided to stick around and hype him on.

…At one point even jumping on his back and getting Kaito to carry him through the pull ups as well.

"Really, with how proud of you he was, you'd think you were his son as well as Kiri," Yanagi snorted, "And I think it's made Kiri jealous, or that might have been cuz of all the girls getting interested in you now and he decided he should go to the gym."

"He wishes." Kaito rolled his eyes. Not that he would have really been all that opposed to having Fujio as a father. The man was a goof, but he was a good father to his children, unlike the deadbeats he had for parents.

He didn't bother thinking much about Kiri's ambition for going to the gym. It wasn't the best thing to influence improving yourself, but it was better than nothing and maybe in the process he'd learn to do it for himself and not girls and get girls as a by product.

Good for him though.

"Dunno, what if cuz he likes you so much, he tries to get you to date me so he can get us married and have you as a son?" Yanagi grinned at him impishly and waggled her eyebrows.

"Then I'd tell him to talk to you about that," Kaito deadpanned back at her, not falling for her schemes this time, he was too used to her teasing over this, "That's not his decision to make."

"Pfft, you act like you wouldn't jump at the chance to date me," Yanagi stuck her tongue out and paused in her steps, unwinding her arms from behind her back to cross them under her chest, 'inadvertently' pushing her breasts up, "I've caught you checking me out when you thought I wasn't looking, you totally think I'm hot."

This girl…

Just because he was being respectful of her because they were friends and trying to to moon over her like a horny monkey and taking the thought of dating her actually seriously in the future…

Well, putting that side, he was still a guy, a very healthy guy. And well, to be perfectly honest, while her teasing had flustered him before-

That changed when he got the memories of his other self. Who was not a virgin unlike him and was very 'experienced' with the opposite sex.

He'd just had a lot more on his mind than that for a while.

"And the floor is made of floor," he deadpanned, "What does me thinking you're gorgeous have to do with it being your choice and not your dads to date me?"

Yanagi paused and stared at him. Or at least he thought she did, he couldn't tell with her eyes hidden under her bangs.

She wasn't quiet for long, "Ah, so you admit it!" she chirped happily, all toothy grin, "Maybe I'll let you take me out on a date then? Or, I could come over and cook for you, ya' still haven't invited me over to your place after all."

…That would be a problem.

Considering he currently had another girl already living with him right now. Who had been living with him for the past two weeks actually.

He didn't exactly have the best excuses prepared to explain Irina living with him right now.

There was only one option to that, deflect, deflect, deflect.

Take her mind off of coming over to his place.

"A date sounds good," he shrugged, smirking at the much shorter girl, "Maybe we could go to the beach, I wouldn't mind seeing you in a bikini."

"Wait…." Yanagi peered up at him through her bangs and she sounded very confused. Again though, it was rather hard to tell with her bangs hiding her eyes, "What about the whole thing where you didn't want to date until you could actually had something to offer."

"Maybe it was the armani?" he answered vaguely, with a shrug.

Satanael's pants and shoes indeed fitted him, and he looked good in him. With a set dark sunglasses and a simple plain shirt, he could pass off as some rich fuck when wearing them.

Which funnily enough, made him way more hyped to have in his possession than currently having a dragon slaying Holy-Demonic stored in his soul.

"Armani?" Yanagi stared after him, lost as he walked past her.

To be exact.

Quite a bit had changed in the last two weeks. And not only because of Irina living with him. Though, he wouldn't deny he was enjoying it.

Beyond the fact that Irina was both a sweetheart and eye candy of the highest order. She was also, amazing when it came to baking.

Like Kaito didn't know it was possible to use protein powder in place of flour to bake cakes. But to thank for for letting him live with her, Irina had taken to baking him loads of amazing food packed with protein using his protein powder.

It seemed such a simple thing, but the way his world had changed so quickly, made him think differently.

…He wasn't some weakling anymore. While he was hardly a big shot in the supernatural world, he was far above your typical human. Why would he need to be content with simply living near the poverty line and struggling?

When he could just take what he needed from those undeserving of it? Maybe it was his other self's mentality becoming more one with his own, or maybe it was a side effect of becoming part dragon.

But he had a girl living with him to more or less provide for, and he had Yanagi who he hadn't been confident in truly pursuing before because he couldn't provide anything for her.

But, why exactly did he need to conform to that now?

The answer was, he didn't.

The only problem, was finding the specific people loaded to the gills who didn't deserve that money they had. Like a gang or two. Though, he wasn't aware of any yakuza or the like operating out of Kuoh.

He'd find some close by at some point though he was sure. It was just a matter of tracing the right rumours and such.

Honestly, it was such a simple thing he didn't understand why he'd never thought of it before. He'd take what he needed from those who didn't deserve it, and he wouldn't need to worry about living in Kuoh beyond the Uzaki family.

Yanagi caught up to him a second later, "Well, be vague if you want, see if I care, bleh!" she stuck her tongue out at him again, "But the beach huh? I always knew you were a perv. Though, it's not exactly the best weather for a beach, we could hit up some hot springs though, or rather you could come with us. Dad got a bunch of tickets to a swimming pool hot spring thing not that long ago, we were planning on going this weekend."

"That's less me taking you on a date and rather you treating me though," Kaito pointed out, because it bore being said, it after all, went against the point, "But if your dad's fine with it, I don't see why not." he added, as they arrived at the cross point where they would split up to head for their respective homes.

"Awesome, I'll let dad know then!" Yanagi cheered happily, before- "It'll be fun, I'll show ya' sweet cheeks!" she chirped and slapped him on the ass.

"…Wut?" he stared after her blankly

She looked over her shoulder at him cheekily, big toothy grin and all, and right at that second, her skirt lifted up as if a gust of wind just appeared at the right time, showing off her perky pale backside and pink thong to him.

Kaito used leer.

It was super effective.