Harbinger of Ruin: Ch.35

“Well, I can say that that was most definitely the best hour of my life,” I murmured as I sat at my desk, one screen showing every photo while the other played some soothing music in the background.

My attention was focused on the screen in front of me as I looked through the photos, hearing Akeno letting out a giggle as she helped Rias unbraid her hair.

“I'm glad we exceeded your expectations,” Akeno teased as she delicately undid the last of the brain before brushing out Rias' hair with ease as the girl in question smirked.

“Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't faint with how flustered you were.”

“It wouldn't have been professional of me to do so.”

“You did drop the camera three times.”

“Three and a half. The last one was more of a fumble,” Xenovia answered as she walked into my room and I turned my head to see her wearing a gown that wasn't even fully closed while she sipped from a can of soda.

“That half wouldn't have happened if a certain someone didn't try and let me show her how to take photos.”

“Hey, you looked like you were getting tired,” Akeno spoke with an innocent smile as Tsubaki sat beside me, casually flicking through the photos before she turned her head with a raised eyebrow.

“So putting your behind against his crotch and then making him try and take a photo like that was you trying to learn?”

“He didn't seem to mind it.”

“Oh, I did not.”

“You sound just like Issei,” Rias said as she walked over, wrapping her arms around me from behind while looking at the photos as I stopped at the group one they did.

“This one is probably my favourite.”

“The only one where all four of us are turned around and we had Tsubaki lift her skirt slightly? I can see why,” Rias spoke with a smirk, giggling as Tsubaki just blushed as Xenovia and Akeno walked over to look.

“Huh, Tsubaki, minimize the photo,” Akeno spoke and the bespectacled girl did before I shrugged as the photo was still there, just as my background now.

“…Really?”

“It's a photo of four beautiful women that are also my girlfriends and who I adore above all. Why wouldn't I do it?”

“Only 'cause it's you,” Tsubaki murmured as she leaned against my shoulder while Xenovia hummed as she brought the photos back up.

“If it was anyone else, they would be smacked for it.”

“We could do that and it probably wouldn't be enough to stop him.”

“Oh, I would just return it with a spank. …Akeno, drop your hand,” I spoke as I glanced at her and she pouted as she lowered her hand while Rias giggled.

“You know, if you keep spoiling us like this, we might get used to it.”

“Is that a bad thing?”, I asked and she hummed as she pulled me into her cleavage and rested her chin on my head.

“No, it's not bad at all, but you're setting a high bar for yourself,” Akeno answered and I rolled my eyes when Rias shrugged before speaking.

“With how his potential business opportunities are going, I think he can handle us. Besides, Yuuto has always been the dependable type…even when he's ogling us through a lens.”

“You're telling me that you wouldn't ogle that?”, I asked while landing on a photo of Akeno and Tsubaki posing together, Tsubaki helping her keep one leg up and revealing a bare ass cheek for the world to see.

“As sinful as ever,” Xenovia drawled as she moved to sit on the bed, Akeno walking over to sit down beside her and get Xenovia's help in combing her hair.

“You can't say that while you're in a devil's harem.”

“Yet, I was not the one who froze every time I simply unzipped a piece of clothing.”

“Oh, that was for you and for the certain someone who decided to test how flexible she was in a skirt that was a lover of physics,” I said while looking pointedly at the ravenette next to Xenovia, who gave a pleased smile at my words.

“You got a good sight.”

“It was a good one, I'll say that,” I answered before blinking as the click of a camera went off, looking at Rias who lowered her phone while smiling softly at the photo she had taken.

“And now I have my own wallpaper for my phone.”

“Oh, you haven't had one yet? We've all gotten one of him shirtless.”

“Oh, only shirtless?”, Rias asked with a sly smirk, the other three looking at her before turning their gaze to me as I blinked.

“…If it helps, I got one of her too.”

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“This is about to be a very hard time for me,” I murmured with a frown as I stood in front of the Municipal Castle in Lilith, watching as devils passed by me with curious looks.

It loomed over me like a colossal fortress, its dark spires reaching up high and thirty two crimson banners embroidered with the sigils of the remaining 32 Pillars fluttered in the slight breeze.

At the very top of the fortress stood a singular gargoyle, perched like a demonic sentinel with his eyes locked onto the entrance.

“You're sure you wish to go in alone?”, Rias asked, Sirzechs and Grayfia looking as concerned as she did even though the latter hid it better. I smiled at their concern before nodding as I looked back at the entrance.

“This is most likely a test to see if I can stand on my own two feet since I am to be your husband to be should our love life go well. That and if I mess, they can't pull you into the mess.”

“I'm your King and your beloved girlfriend, Yuuto. They're going to try and pull me in, but I'll stay my hand. If they try to hurt you, though…”

“Rias, let's not start any wars just yet. If anything, Zekram will find your attempts more amusing if anything,” Sirzechs spoke up and Rias huffed as I smiled.

“I'm not here to intimidate anyone, but if they think they can take my beloved for a fool, they'll soon learn that I'm not the same little girl that was scared of being in meetings with them.”

“Well, at least I found my getaway card if I need to use it,” I spoke with a smile, squeezing her hand softly as she smiled and moved closer to give me a soft kiss.

It was a chaste one as she pulled back, smiling before standing back beside Grayfia and her brother when the latter nodded.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, I think I'll need it,” I muttered as I began walking up the steps, watching the two guards at front not asking anything and simply open up the large obsidian doors.

The inside was cavernous that was lined with silent guards at the walls, my footsteps echoing as I passed under an arch that had the names of the Four Original Satans before I looked back down as someone spoke.

“Incredible, isn't it?”, The middle-aged man spoke, his violet eyes staring up at the stone arch while his black hair was slicked backwards.

“It is. It's not many times that one gets to see the great arch.”

“Indeed. Ah, where are my manners? You must be here for the…”

“Hearing with the Elder Council.”

“Ah, right. Right through this door,” The man spoke with a smile as he walked through the large doors to our right, the guards bowing and opening the doors to let us two walk in.

Thirteen thrones were arranged on a raised platform in a semicircle, each throne raised higher and higher until the one at the very centre overlooked the others.

“Great King Bael,” The devils seated on twelve of the thrones spoke as they stood up and bowed, keeping my shock hidden as I watched Zekram walk away from where he was standing beside me and ascending the stairs to the tallest throne.

As he turned and sat down, I immediately noted the shift in his behaviour, his gaze stoic yet commanding as I walked forward to stand on top of the crest in the centre of the room.

“Yuuto Kiba. Knight of Rias Gremory, Slayer of Katerea Leviathan, Bearer of the Infinite Dragon God's fragment,” Zekram began, listing off titles that made me a bit confused at just how they were formed while the room went silent.

“You stand before us not as a criminal, but as a variable and as we all know, variables can be quite dangerous.”

“Indeed, Lord Zekram. He has disrupted the order we so painfully worked upon for centuries,” The Elder two seats from Zekram spoke up, his hair a dark grey and his eyes a greyish black as he leaned forward in his throne.

“By defeating Katerea, you removed one of the greatest threats to our stability, but you did so without our command, obtaining power not of devil creation.”

“I did what needed to be done, my lord. If she had continued to obtain the power of the Ophis fragment, Katerea Leviathan would have caused unneeded destruction that I prevented. If that upsets you and your system, my lords and ladies, perhaps it is not I that is in need of rethinking,” A few of the Elders murmured to each other at that while others looked amused or offended by my words.

However, Zekram didn't look phased at all as he simply raised his right index finger, making me stifle my grimace as the room went silent immediately.

“Quite bold, Yuuto Kiba, but your response is not unexpected. However, that is not what we are here to determine today. What we need to determine is simple. Are you an outlier and a threat to the well-being of the devil race or are you an asset to our cause?”

“And what is your cause, if I may ask, Lord Zekram?”, I asked, watching curiously as the group stayed silent while he man smiled.

“The preservation of our race. In a world that is fractured by the fall of the old rulers, the treachery we battle within our government and with growing anomalies such as yourself showing up every day, we tread a delicate path between progress and annihilation,” As he spoke, the man rose from his throne, slowly walking down the steps while his gaze was kept focused on me.

“We do not fear change, Yuuto Kiba. We fear uncontrolled change. While commendable in the end result, your actions tore down long-laid foundations. To some, you are a hero. To some, you are an image of what they can achieve, but to others,” He trailed off while glancing at a few Elders, my eyes narrowing as some of them smirked while others looked away with frowns.

“You are a weapon that could one day be pointed at our race. Tell me this. If your love for Rias Gremory were to be used against you and someone were to deny her, would you kneel and accept it for the sake of diplomacy or would you take up your sword?”

“Diplomacy, my lord.”

“And what if they were to threaten her?”

“Then they, along with their house and any allies that stand with them, will not live to see the next day,” I answered bluntly, hearing a few Elders gasp at my answer.

Zekram, though…the man laughed, a low chuckle that echoed in the chambers like that of a king that was pleased at the quick answer.

“I understand that. There is nothing I have not or would not do for my house. Very well, Yuuto Kiba. From this day forward, you are to walk amongst the common populace as a High-Class devil, but remember that we still have our eye on you.”

“…Apologies, my lord, but did you say…High-Class?”, I asked, wanting to be sure as Zekram smiled before nodding.

“I did. Whether it was a fluke or not, you did kill Katerea Leviathan, an Ultimate-Class fighter. While you do not have the political power at the moment, you will in time when you marry Rias Gremory.”

“And what if our relationship doesn't end well?”

“Then, we simply strip you of your titles and toss you out to rot,” Zekram answered like it was nothing as he turned and walked back up the stairs, my body still stuck in hsock from the man's declaration as he sat down with a smile.

“However, this freedom is not without its fair prices.”

“I expected that, my lord. What is the price or prices that I must pay?”

“It is simply one. I wish for quarterly updates on the evolution of your body through the Ophis Fragment. It is not often that a devil, let alone a reincarnated devil with a Sacred Gear, gets to hold a fragment of a Dragon God's power.

You are most likely the first in our recorded history, Yuuto Kiba, and I will not allow such a development to pass unnoticed.”

“And if I do not do so?”

“Then, you will be considered a rogue agent and we shall deal with you accordingly,” The same grey elder from before spoke up before Zekram's presence rippled through the air and silenced the devil.

“Careful there, Lord Vassago. We do not threaten guests in my home,” The devil spoke and I watched in awe as the elder bowed before Zekram turned to me.

“Besides, I doubt threats would work on you.”

“They would not, but I do not wish to be your enemy either, Lord Zekram. The tales I heard of you and your power are more than enough to keep me complacent.”

“Just the exaggerated tales of old, I assure you,” The devil spoke, but I could catch the glint of old power in his eyes and bowed my head.

“If it is information you want, then I will keep you updated on a quarterly basis. However, I do so for the safety of the people I care for, not because it is demanded of me.”

“Spoken like a true devil who understands leverage. Very well, you are dismissed, Yuuto Kiba.”

“A good day to you, my lords and ladies of the Council,” I spoke with a deep, respectful bow before standing up straight, immediately turning and walking out the doors and making my way to the exit.

It was only after I was out of the castle and caught sight of Sirzechs and the others that I relaxed, feeling my hands shaking and exhaling slowly as the three walked up to me.

“Yuuto!”, Rias cried out as she tackled me in a hug and I didn't mind it as I wrapped my arms around her and felt my mind calm down.

“It was that stressful, huh?”, Sirzechs spoke with a knowing smile and I nodded before shaking my head.

“It was and there were a few things that happened.”

“Such as?”

“I've been promoted to High-Class by Zekram himself,” I answered, watching as both Sirzechs and Rias blinked at my words while even Grayfia looked surprised.

“He what?!”, and it didn't take long for my girlfriend to voice her shock, making me chuckle as she pulled back to see if I was joking.

“He said I didn't have the political power of a High-Class devil yet, but being responsible for Katerea's death meant that I needed to be rewarded accordingly or else he'd lose face with the other devils.”

“Of course, that's why. Well, that's more of a jump in ranks than we could have expected. This means you can finally start your own peerage if you so choose.”

'Oh, right. I forgot that's also there. Wait, but most of the good pieces have been taken already. Damnit, if only I was here a few years earlier,' I thought with a subtle sigh before smiling as I saw Rias' frown.

“You know that you're stuck with me until the day that we die, right? That's even more so if we get married.”

“I know, but now that you're a High-Class devil, you'll have more responsibility, which means you won't have much more time for us…and for me…”

“And when did I say I wanted more responsibility?”, I asked with a raised eyebrow, making Sirzechs chuckle as Rias blinked.

“B-But…you're a High-Class devil now…”

“Yes, and I'll still have thousands of years for more responsibility. I'm still a young man and what this young man wants to do is take his girlfriend out on a date if she'll let him.”

“…There's a showing of Grave of the Fireflies in the theatre today.”

“Is it a horror movie? You know I don't like horror.”

“Well, not really, but it's anime so I think you'll like it.”

“That's all you had to say. You two want to join in? It's on me”, I asked as I looked to Grayfia and Sirzechs, the silver-haired woman going to speak before she stopped as she saw Sirzechs' smile.

“You're the one who said you wanted to relax more.”

“Very well, but only for the one movie.”

“Of course.”

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“Setsuko~!! Noooo~!!!”

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In a vast dimension filled with every colour in existence, a being floated, its eyes closed as its body shrunk down from that of a gargantuan black-scaled dragon to that of a small girl.

Her black hair hung to her waist and her body was covered in a frilly pink gothic dress, the chest exposed with her nipples covered with black strips of tape while her eyes focused on the figure she saw through the dimensions.

Ophis, the Infinity Dragon God, had not expected to find that one of the humans with those trinkets they call a Sacred Gear had managed to survive one of her snakes integrating with their bodies.

She had seen the results of her power boosting the Sacred Gear and had deemed humans no more than fodder that she could use against the Red One of Dreams, but with this new development, there may be hope for her army after all.

“Firstly, I must tempt him to my side. It is time I visit the Human Realm again.”

A/N: Ophis is on the move~!! A bit of a bonding moment with the harem, Kiba meets the elders and Ophis is finally making her move.

Next chapter: Training With Swords

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!