After settling the matter of adventurers, Asahi gestured to Alise, Kaguya, and Ryuu with an outstretched arm - a silent invitation to join him.

“Ha, Husband-kun wants a steamy foursome in the middle of the day. As expected of my lewd Husband-kun, he knows how to take full advantage of his power.”

“S-Shut up, Kaguya. You’re the one with lewd imagination. Asahi will not do that!”

“Alise, you’re just too innocent.”

“No, I’m a perfectly normal woman!”

Kaguya’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she relentlessly poked fun at Alise who retorted to Kaguya with a red face. Ryuu stood nearby, her eyes shining with affection as she gently touched the collar around her neck, a secret reminder of the bond between them.

“Master…”

“This horny elf.” Asahi chuckled. “All three of you come with me.”

Asahi grabbed Alise and Kaguya by their wrists and pulled them out of the room. Ryuu tiptoed out, eyes darting around in fear. He opened the door to his bedroom and gestured for them to sit on the bed. The three of them squeezed onto the quilted mattress.

“Let’s talk about your performance yesterday.”

Kaguya’s eyes widened as she flashed a look of betrayal. “Husband-kun entered sensei-mode. I thought we were having a foursome…”

His brow twitched. “I’ll have the foursome after I make some private memories with Ryuu and Alise. It’s too soon for them to do that.”

“We made plenty of those, right?” Kaguya smiled. “I got lots of praise for my diligence.”

“Yup.”

“Private memories…?” Alise tilted her head until the realization dawned on her and her eyes widened. “Y-Yeah, we should do it your way…”

Ryuu meekly nodded, then her brows took a serious frown. “I underperformed against Aimi. She read me perfectly… Am I that easy to read?”

She received a nod from everyone in the room, making her sigh. “I knew I could have done so much more. I should have bought time and avoided one-on-one engagement with Aimi.”

But her pride got the best of her. Aimi had taken full advantage of her stupidity to eliminate her from the fight.

He chuckled and rubbed her head. “It’s not your fault. Adventurers don’t specialize in combating other humans but monsters. Aimi also went through elite training in fighting people to qualify as my bodyguard. She has been flawless in her job so far.”

(Aimi will be more deadly after her racial change.)

‘I can’t wait to see her changes.’

Ryuu slowly lowered her eyes and spun her body around, eventually settling her head on his lap. Alise let out an audible gasp of shock at Ryuu’s boldness, while Kaguya revealed an amused smirk.

Ryuu’s face turned red. “This is my reward for going against Aimi. I didn’t have anything against her. I was there to support others… that calls for some reward, right?”

“Neither did we,” Alise retorted. “Asahi, you better reward us.”

Kaguya’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she formed an imaginary O with her fingers and moved her index finger suggestively in and out of the shape. “My door will be open tonight, Husband-kun.”

“Yes, My Princess.”

Alise pouted, envy apparent on her face. “Asahi, take me on a date after making Astraea-sama happy. If you–”

“You’re so aggressive these days,” he remarked. “Sure. I’ll make it a perfect date.”

Alise's face flushed red. She quickly rose from the bed, stretching her arms. “Goodbye. I'm off to my morning duties. See you soon!”

To dodge his inquiry and hide her embarrassment, she rushed out of the room, her footsteps echoing through the hall.

“Alise is so dumb it’s brilliant,” Kaguya said. “Are Ryuu’s ears soft? She never lets me touch them.”

“They are,” said the young man, who was quietly rubbing Ryuu’s elven ears. “It’s soothing to touch them like this.”

“Hmmm, can I–”

“No,” Ryuu replied before Kaguya even finished asking her question. She shut her eyelids, avoiding the glum expression Kaguya had on her face as if to stop further inquiries about her ears.

He leaned down and kissed Ryuu’s forehead. “You’re so cute. Your date is after Alise.”

Ryuu’s red cheeks loosened as a smile crept over her face. “I don’t need a date…” she shook her head. “You can use the time to teach me something.”

“Are you sure?”

Ryuu nodded. “I’ll not rest easy until I’ve reached Grayfia-san’s level.”

“Wait, so no sex until you’ve accomplished your goal?” he asked with a heartbroken look. “I was looking forward to our first time…”

“I-I never said that.”

She stopped mid sentence and gazed at him. His lip curled into a smirk, and she could almost feel his thoughts, as though he was gloating and silently saying, “I got you.”

She once again realized how easily she could be fooled by others. Looking at the happiness on Asahi and Kaguya’s faces, she didn’t mind being a little gullible. Not one bit.

(My love, I’m sorry to interrupt you. We have a fallen angel guest at our palace. You’ll want to see him.)

‘Azazel is getting restless with me holding power over both Heaven and the Underworld.’

(Indeed. They know if a war broke out, their race would be all but finished.)

‘Tell him to wait for some time.’

***

Baraqiel was a warrior first, then a vice governor second; it didn’t bother him when he had to stare at the wall for so long that his steaming hot tea turned cold. Instead, he was fascinated with the authority of the Devil Emperor that could change the entire landscape of the Underworld.

The brunette woman standing nearby cut a striking figure, with a tall, statuesque frame and a gentle, warm smile. Everywhere Baraqiel went, his stern face and determined aura scared women off, but this maid seemed to radiate an air of strength and elegance, as though she belonged to some higher class of nobility.

In fact, she was Venelana Gremory, from the extinct household of Gremory and now a regular member of Asahi’s castle. She was handling the maid work today while the rest of the palace was lost in preparation for the wedding.

Venelana noticed Baraqiel's gaze and inquired, “Can I help with anything? Do you perhaps need a refill?”

Baraqiel exhaled, shaking his head. “I was just thinking about the Emperor—the Devil, some people call him. What kind of person is he?” A small smile tugged at his lips. “There are a lot of stories about him out there, so I don’t know what to make of it all.”

Baraqiel decided to scout for information from the ‘palace maid.’ It was better than blindly trusting the wild rumors surrounding the Devil Emperor.

Venelana felt a pang of nostalgia as Baraqiel’s question brought back memories of the days when she used to spend hours musing about the stories that circled around Asahi. But as much as she had tried to grasp the truth, none of her thoughts came out true.

Venelana's eyes twinkled. “If I had to sum him up in a few words, I'd say he's a gentle… but eccentric man,” she said fondly. “Very eccentric, always pushing the boundaries of societal expectations. He never followed the rules or fit in with tradition. An eccentric gentleman.”

“Eccentric in what sense?”

“He prioritizes his desires over others, and he stays true to his beliefs, even if they are twisted in favor of his closed ones. That’s how I see him…”

“Twisted? You are confusing me with your analogies. A man who is extremely selfish shouldn’t be ruling the masses.”

“He rules with his iron fist.” Venelana shook her head. Hearing a certain someone’s voice outside, she giggled. “You should find more about him yourself.”

Baraqiel squinted as the door opened, and a young man no older than twenty came into view. He was dressed in a dark shirt with palm trees fanning across the fabric, and a pair of loose-fitting dark shorts that ended just above his knees. His dark hair was unkempt, and his hands were in his pockets, putting his casual demeanor on the front.

He was anything but the fierce devil in Baraqiel’s mind. The Cadre, who was known as Lightning God, seemed to be struck by lightning once he felt Asahi’s aura.

Meanwhile, Asahi observed Baraqiel’s shocked face and shook his head.

‘How the hell did this serious man awaken a masochist side?’

The man who would go on to marry Shuri Himejima and become the father of Akeno Himejima had determination. During his life with Shuri, he would awaken to the passion of masochism. The side Asahi wished he never knew about.

(Mother and daughter are sadists, and father is a closet masochist.)

‘The S Queen.’

He shook off the thought of meeting Akeno or Shuri. He’d need to wait at least four hundred years before they’d be born.

(A suggestion, my love. You can create a world with the main timeline and grab Sirzechs from there.)

‘Ohhhh. Nice. Don’t sync the time with my worlds. I’ll explore it when I feel like messing with Ddraig from their world.’

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of male and female Ddraig yelling at each other.

Meanwhile, Baraqiel stared at Venelana. He had told her to set an appointment for a meeting between the Underworld, Heaven, and Grigori. She instead summoned the Devil Emperor.

Venelana patted Asahi’s arm. “Your Imperial Majesty, look here.”

Asahi was stunned as soon as he turned to her. He was so focused on Baraqiel that he didn’t notice Venelana’s maid attire. He leaned in and squeezed her butt. “It’s superb. I really want to throw you on the couch and fuck you from behind.”

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty, not now!”

Baraqiel cleared his throat to bring them out of their world. He tried to give a polite smile, which came out incredibly awkward. 

Asahi strode across the room and hopped onto the chair with ease. Crossing one leg over his knee, he leaned backward and smiled. “Speak up, Vice General Baraqiel.”

“I won’t take much of your time… Your Imperial Majesty. Governor Azazel sent me to appoint a formal meeting between the three factions. You can decide the time and place if you wish.”

“You guys are truly desperate.” Asahi chuckled. “Don’t worry, though. I don’t have any plans to fight your race. We’ll be at peace, well, unless you start a war.”

Baraqiel scratched his cheeks. “Azazel won’t believe my words.”

Due to his inability to differentiate sarcasm and truth, Azazel never trusted his words. It was a miracle he was sent alone for the task.

“I guess an official meeting would be better to pacify his concerns.”

Baraqiel nodded. “Very much.”

“Sure. I’ll send an invitation when I’m done with my wedding. Until then, don’t bother me.”

“My Lord.”

Grayfia arrived at the door, signaling a cue for Baraqiel to take his leave. Venenala guided Baraqiel to the door while Asahi listened to Grayfia’s concern.

“My Lord, you haven’t selected your suit.”

“You guys need my input?” Asahi raised a brow. “You know I’m not picky with clothes. Throw any formal suit at me, and I’ll wear it.”

“But…”

“Fine. I’ll check the design.”

Grayfia was mildly interested in the wedding but Astraea and Gabriel were counting seconds to the date. Showing more consideration would make them happier, with that thought, he went to find a slick design that matched their style.

‘One more day.’

“Your Imperial Majesty, that.”

“No, no, look at that, Your Imperial Majesty. The collar is so elegant. That minimalistic design will suit you.”

Lilith and Venelana chartered excitedly around him, pointing out the various items that they thought would suit him best.

“Your Imperial Majesty, that silk collar,” Lilith said, hovering her finger over the screen on the laptop. “Look at the cut — it’s so elegant. The minimalistic design would suit you.”

Venelana nodded in agreement, her bright eyes twinkling with excitement. “And the color looks good on you! You really should try it on. You should try this one.”

The pair of devil milfs surrounded him like a flurry of birds, distracting him from making a choice. Serafall joined him before long but he never took her choice seriously. Yeah, her love for cute things seriously hindered her perspective.