Harbinger of Ruin: Ch.34

“So, nothing is wrong?”

“Your injuries are fully healed, your mind is still stable and you can still use your Sacred Gear, yes?”, Azazel asked and I created a holy-demonic dagger in response, to which the man nodded as he stood up and cracked his back.

“Then you're in perfect health, which is a bit surprising with how you reacted after I passed out.”

“Oh, you mean with the convulsing and the blood and everything?”, Rias asked with a thin smile aimed at me, to which I shrugged as Azazel snickered.

“Like I said, I needed immediate power to defeat Katerea and if anything, I took care of a powerful opponent that we don't have to worry about right now.”

“Yes, but that is also the problem. You took out a Satan's descendant on your own. Do you understand what that does for you?”

“Make me feel better?”

“It means the higher-ups of your society are now focused on you and that means that your every move will now be monitored by those that were already curious about you.”

“That and there was a letter for you this morning.”

“What does it say?”, I asked, to which Rias gave a shrug while teleporting the letter to her hand and handing it over.

“Well, my job is done so I'll leave you two lovebirds to your business.”

“Tell the others they can come in now,” Rias spoke as I cut the envelop open with the dagger I had made earlier, dismissing it while taking out the letter and opening it.

To Yuuto Kiba, Knight and Beloved of Rias Gremory

Your actions in the execution of Katerea Leviathan, a descendant of the original Leviathan, as well as absorbing a fragment of Ophis' power, has garnered the attention of the Elder Council.

You have been placed under immediate observation and evaluation. However, we do not wish to alienate a young man who has the potential to rise to greater heights.

Therefore, you are hereby summoned to attend a formal hearing before the Council of Elders in one week's time. Attendance is not optional as the hearing will determine whether or not you are eligible to continue under House Gremory's protection.

We shall also evaluate the level of danger your new powers are to us and any possible changes to your status within our society in the Underworld.

Finally, from this point forward until further notice, you are not allowed to utilize Balance Break or any power derived from the Ophis Snake unless it is an emergency.

On behalf of the Elder Council

Lord Zekram Bael, Lord Chancellor of the Elder Council and Elder of the Great House Bael

“…Did they really just slap a restraining order on my power?”

“They did and it does not surprise me, especially with who wrote it.”

“Is he someone important?”, The name wasn't one I knew from the anime, but even just the sound of it was enough to make my skin crawl and the last name Bael...wasn't that Sairaorg's last name?

“To call him someone important is equal to saying that my brother is just slightly stronger than the average devil. Zekram Bael is the first devil to be created by Lucifer and his wife Lilith. My brother and the other Satans may rule the Underworld officially, but he is the one that truly makes the decisions.”

'Oh, so he's like the Illuminati, then…and he wants to talk to me. Well, isn't that just bloody lovely?'

“Any pointers on how to handle him?”

“He is my ancestor, but I've only met him once and I'll tell you this. Don't try to lie. He's had over ten thousand years to learn every lie and way to deceive the other person.”

“Okay, just be honest. I…I can work with that,” Still, if the most powerful man in terms of political power has his eyes focused on me, then there are most definitely hundreds of other noble devils that are doing the same.

“You're taking this better than I was expecting,” Rias murmured even though her voice sounded a bit tense after the letter and I smiled as I leaned back in the chair and wrapped my arm around her.

“I would have been a lot more worried if they had said that I would be executed, but this…this is more like I'm grounded.”

“Grounded by the some of the most powerful devils in our society.”

“Eh, semantics,” I answered as the door opened, smiling at Akeno's narrowed eyes and Xenovia's frown while Tsubaki just looked ever-so-slightly displeased.

“What's this we hear about being grounded?”, Akeno asked and I held out the letter, letting her take it while Xenovia and Tsubaki read it with her.

“…A trial? You stopped a bit threat…and you're the one being put on trial?”, Akeno asked as I smelled the scent of sulphur and heard the static building up, Xenovia's holy energy flowing from her form while Tsubaki had a frown on her face.

“This is political fallout, isn't it?”

“Yes, I expected it to happen, but I had expected brother and the others to have mitigated the damage before it could happen,” Rias spoke with a smile and I rested my head against hers while the others sat around us.

“So, what do we do now? Wait around and hope that they don't decide to execute him?”, Xenovia asked and the girls grimaced while I heard a growl echoing from Rias.

“Let them try and they'll see wo quickly I can erase them from existence. No one takes what's mine.”

“Rias, that's sweet and all, but let's not try and declare war upon the most politically-powerful people in the Underworld.”

“And my brother and his close friends are the strongest beings in the Underworld.”

“Besides, they won't take what's ours,” Akeno spoke with a smile as she rested her head on my other shoulder and I blinked as Xenovia and Tsubaki placed cushions on the floor in front of me before sitting down on them.

“There's more than enough room on the sofa.”

“Yes, but it's not close to you,” Xenovia murmured as she rested against my leg, Tsubaki smiling and shaking her head as I looked at her.

It was at this moment that the door opened, Raynare walking in with a clipboard before she looked up as we all looked at her.

“…You guys need a moment?”

“No, we're good, Raynare. What's wrong?”

“You know, from this point, you really look like a crime boss or a sultan with a harem of women at his command.”

“He is. Now, what's the matter?”, Rias asked and Raynare shrugged before looking down at the clipboard.

“With the battle of Vali and Issei having destroyed most of the school, the Prez wants to know if you want any new additions or if we should keep the school the same way.”

“Better security systems for the girls bathrooms so Issei and his gang doesn't try and peep again,” Rias answered before she looked at me as I smirked and Tsubaki giggled.

“What's so funny?”

“You haven't heard? Motohama and Matsuda were expelled because a certain someone caught them with pictures of the president and the student council as well as plans on blackmailing them and Issei to do their bidding,” Tsubaki explained, to which the redhead blinked before slowly looking to me as I shrugged.

“Lady Sona wanted a way to get rid of the two and make sure that Issei becomes a better guy so I told her to leave it to me.”

“…What pictures are we talking here?”

“Can't we just say pictures?”

“What pictures, Yuuto~?”, She whispered as she placed a hand on the side of my face and I kept my breathing even as she trailed her finger down my jawline.

“How about I don't say anything and in return, I can take pictures of you in cosplay?”

“Done,” Rias agreed instantly and the others couldn't help their giggles when I let out an exasperated sigh.

On the inside, though, my inner cosplay fanboy was dancing for joy as I now could see a beautiful girl being a model for me…which sounds a bit scummy now that I think about it out loud…

'I can feel scummy because I'm a devil, right?…Yeah, let's go with that.'

“So, I should cancel that order?”

“No, keep it. At least this way, we can be sure that no one will peep ever again.”

“Got it. I'll leave you and your harem to your business,” Raynare spoke with a teasing smile as she walked out before she turned with a blushing glare at my next words.

“Oh, just wait until I catch you, Asia and Issei together.”

“T-There is nothing between us.”

“Uh-huh. Like I said, just wait,” She huffed as she marched out, Akeno giggling as the doors snapped shut before I looked to Rias as she smiled at me.

“So~ When are we having the cosplay event?”

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'Well, I wasn't expecting it to be today,' I thought with a blink of my eyes as I sat in one of the training rooms, which had been refurbished into a photo studio.

There were lights, a few different cameras that I could not make head nor heel of and both the floor and all of the walls were a bright white. On top of that, there was also numerous Gremory crests on the walls and the floor in front of me.

“Huh, wonder if that's how she'll be able to change the area behind her like a green screen,” I muttered before turning my head as the door opened, but I couldn't help my jaw dropping at the stunning sight in front of me.

For a brief moment, I thought I was in a different universe as Rias entered with a slight sway to her hips and a seductive look in her eyes.

She was dressed in a very risque witch's garb that kept her abdomen and the bottom portion of her chest exposed as well as having only a long black loincloth and a pair of thigh-high black boots to cover her lower body.

Combine that with her red hair being braided, the black witch's head on her head and the sceptre in her right hand, it looked as if Irene Belserion from Fairy Tail had stepped through the door with a teasing smile.

“So~ Irene Belthezar, the Mother of Dragons. Think I pass?”, She asked as she turned around, my breathing hitching slightly as I found out that she was only wearing a black thong behind the loin cloth and nothing else.

Looking back up at her face, I saw the pleased smile on her face before taking a deep breath and giving a shaky exhale.

“Not…I can't even lie. That's pretty damn good,” I answered and she giggled before she walked over to the wall opposite of me and snapped her fingers.

I raised an eyebrow as the crests shimmered before the walls rippled, hundreds of holographic dragons taking form around her while she looked at me with an expectant smile.

'Well, time to see if I can do this or not,' I thought as I walked over to the first camera, lifting it and adjusting it to bring Rias into sharp focus.

She stood tall with her sceptre angled slightly forward, flickering embers of the Power of Destruction forming around her while the Gremory crests let out a slight breeze and the lighting turned a blood red.

In combination, as I took that first photo, I found myself staring at regal power wrapped in elegance and with hints of the seductive temptress she is.

“Smile or serious?”, She asked, cocking a hip and shifting her stance even as I continued snapping photos.

“Both. Give me a look like you're about to burn down an empire,” I spoke, watching her eyes narrow while her lips curled into her signature dangerous smile that could eradicate entire countries.

Surprisingly, the room shifted as she moved closer, giving me the opportunity to circle around her and angling for shots all over. The centre platform she was on even began to move like a treadmill and she walked, each step powerful and unleashing bursts of flames from the dragons that illuminated the area around her.

“…Holy shit, you are amazing,” I murmured as I lowered the camera, Rias' serious face shifting as she giggled and shrugged.

“I try.”

“Where'd you even get the outfit?”

“Made it myself. I've always had a hand for sewing and Mother was more than glad to help me learn the proper etiquette of a lady.”

“The enchantments?”

“Father. I asked him to make them for me and I helped a bit with the projection magic.”

“…Your father helped oyu make this?”, I asked as I looked at her, to which she giggled as she nodded while looking over her shoulder to help me snap a seductive shot.

“Yes, he thought that this would help 'strengthen our bond', but I just think he wanted more Yuuto Grande for it. He did say that it would make you blush and I think he was not lying.”

“Oh, I was blushing.”

“Considering you haven't moved from the back, I'd say you're more than blushing,” She answered as she looked down and I followed her gaze to where her cosplay was having an effect of me.

“Well, in my defence, it is a beautiful sight,” I answered as I looked at her ass before narrowing my eyes as she shook it with a giggle and sat down on the throne that formed from the platform.

“I know it is, but let's not get distracted, my love. Now, let's get a few more shots,” She said as she turned the throne, one leg over the other with the sceptre floating horizontally behind her and her face settling into a stoic yet cold look.

Taking a few final shots, I smiled as I lowered the camera and she stood up, quickly trotting over while taking the camera to look at them.

“Oh, wow~ I don't blame you for what happened,” She murmured as I stood behind her before I gave her a flat stare as I felt something pressing against my groin.

“Really?”

“Hey, I didn't say I would stop.”

“Oh, would you look at that? They've only been alone for a few minutes and they already want to do the dirty deed?”, Akeno's voice spoke up and I turned before my mind went blank at the three walking in.

First was Akeno, her long black hair partly styled into long twin tails with black ribbons while the rest swayed loosely behind her.. Dressed in a deep red turtleneck, a black skirt and long black stockings under brown leather flats, her surprising aqua-blue eyes stared at me with amusement as she smiled.

Next was Xenovia, dressed in a white military uniform with the jacket open to show off part of her cleavage and Durandal held over her shoulder as well as her sharp blue eyes matching the slight frost that Tsubaki was making below her feet.

Speaking of the girl in question, I was stunned silent as she walked in with her black hair pulled back and hanging behind her. She had on a long salmon skirt decorated with green seaweed and red-and-yellow flowers. Her hips were partially exposed by the skirt's daring cut and she was wearing a navy-blue leather vest that was partially zipped with a V-neck that left nothing to the imagination.

With her high-heeled pumps, the white sunglasses with orange lenses and the pink backpack on her back with only the one strap she was holding, I had to admit that I could feel most of my blood flowing south when Rias had to pull me back with a giggle.

“I think the surprise work, girls.”

“Oh, it definitely did.”

“This…this is a surprise…for me?”, I asked, keeping my breathing steady as Rias nodded while the girls stood with smiles

“Yeah, you did good during the battle and you took out a Satan descendant. While we don't know if they'll reward you for it, we most definitely want to give you a great reward.”

“Now, we were told that we could tease a very handsome man so…”, We watched as Akeno walked to the centre before spinning on her heel, revealing to us all that she was not wearing anything below her skirt.

“Why don't you start this photo shoot, handsome?”

“…This might be the greatest day of my life.”

A/N: A bit of a horny chapter here, but it's good for character development…I think.

Anywho, next chapter: Meeting the big bosses.

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

Ba-Bye~!!