Ichigo sat at a small table as he ate himself a bowl of chocolate ice cream, which was damn well deserved in his opinion!

He had crushed an army of fiendish monsters for their newfound Fallen allies (incidental terraforming aside), he had damned the souls of numerous rogue Sinners (making the universe a safer place), he had beaten the crap out of an ancient Demon and helped seal it away, and he got the ball rolling on Sirzechs’ somewhat dastardly plan to lure the Old Satan Faction into a trap! As far as Ichigo was concerned, his incursion into Malebolge was a resounding success!

Even if it was somewhat annoying.

“Quite pleased with yourself then, beloved?”

Ichigo craned his neck to the side to see his girlfriend sauntering up to him with a teasing smile; her bare legs catching his attention as she wore nothing but a loosely tied short, black silk robe.

“Damn straight,” he said.

Tiamat let out a low laugh and took the spoon out of his hand, never breaking eye contact with him as she put a small mouthful of chocolate in her mouth and then leaned in to kiss him. Instantly, Ichigo closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around her lithe waist, even as he tasted cold sweetness on her tongue.

Their abrupt make-out session ended quickly, and his Dragon King slid herself onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You’re in a good mood,” he noted with laughter in his eyes.

Tiamat nipped at his throat with her teeth. “I am glad to have my personal heater back.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes even as he leaned forward and left a lingering kiss on her cheek. Then, murmuring against her soft skin, he said, “I wasn’t even gone for a full day.”

But Tiamat said nothing more and proceeded to close her eyes and rest her head against his shoulder. Ichigo gave a quiet chuckle and then returned to his ice cream. Though he would occasionally alternate between feeding himself and sharing with Tiamat.

Several long minutes of quiet contentment passed, and Ichigo allowed his mind to drift towards a near blank state, where his thoughts lulled and fell into his own consciousness. These moments of serenity were all too rare these days, what with him having turned the bulk of attention to war and politics.

But on that thought, Tiamat suddenly spoke up. “And what do you intend to do next in your war?”

He gave her an inquisitive look. “My war?”

“Yes,” she said, a lone sapphire eye opening to peer up at him. “Your war. You and the other horrors you are enthroned alongside. Lest you forget that you are putting down a rebellion and silencing a challenge to your rule.”

He stared at her for a second before giving a light shrug. “Yeah, that’s fair. Well… I think, for now, Falbium and I have pushed hard enough to where the Old Satan Faction will have no choice but to launch a counteroffensive. Which means Sirzechs’ bait will be all the sweeter. As for immediate concerns, well, the Youth Rating Games are in a few days. I’ll give Sirzechs and Sera’s little sisters’ peerages one final push before returning my full attention to the Civil War.”

He let out a thoughtful hum and then ate another mouthful of ice cream. This particular batch was really good; he needed to give his personal chefs a raise.

“Oh right,” he said suddenly, remembering a few other things on his to do list. “I’ll probably make some time to go see the Yggdrasil sapling. And I need to take care of the matter of Katerea in custody. Well, I don’t need to, but I’d rather put an end to that loose string.”

Tiamat lifted her head off his shoulder and gave him a heavy look. “You mean to pursue the Eternal Dream’s matter then?”

Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement. “Not instantly, no. But it has been a while since Thor left Yasaka with that message for me.” He frowned as he thought back to that conversation with the three of them. “Hard to believe that was only a couple of weeks ago. Feels like it’s been forever. Time’s flying by.”

She let a small purr, even as a hint of gravity entered her voice. “War warps perception.”

“In more than one way,” Ichigo agreed grimly.

========

Sona let out a pained groan as she landed face first onto the hard ground. Which left her feeling a strange mixture of confusion, vexation, and stark fear. Because last she remembered, she was just finishing up breakfast with Tsubaki, Rias and the rest of their group in their rundown house.

“Gah! You berry-headed idiot! Be gentle with my Sona!”

She blinked twice before an exasperated understanding settled in. She knew that voice too damn well. Pushing herself off the ground, she looked up to see – yup – her older sister running towards with tears of concern brimming in her eyes.

“Sooooo-tan!”

She let out a long-suffering sigh as the walking calamity that was her older sister engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug and began to wail. “So-tan! I haven’t seen you in weeks! It’s not fair! What cruel world we live in that I am denied your soft touch!”

“Lady Serafall?”

Through her sister’s unreasonably powerful embrace, Sona managed to see an equally flustered and confused-looking Rias kneeling not too far away. Wait, Rias was here as well?

But as Sona struggled to take a breath and she began to suffocate in the too tight embrace, her older sister’s hands began to wander unnecessarily. “Huehuehue! You’ve seemed to have grown up more!”

Feeling a great surge of rage swell up within her, Sona mustered all her strength and shoved her hands into her sister’s face, pushing herself free.

“Get off me!”

“Waah! So-tan, don’t be so mean!”

And as she began to struggle against her significantly stronger, literal Demon of a sister, a third, much deeper voice broke into their scuffle.

“Sera, stop being such a gremlin.”

Sona’s head jerked up as she looked at the tall and lean form of Lord Ichigo standing a way’s off, dressed in a navy-blue jacket with white fur lining the collar and similarly colored blue jeans.

She then looked down and realized she was still in her sleepwear, a loose and baggy T-shirt and short shorts.

Instantly her cheeks flooded with heat, and she shot up embarrassed as she began to sputter. She wasn’t the only one, as Rias was even more scantily clad; wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt that only managed to reach her thighs.

“L-Lord Ichigo!” Sona spluttered as she did her best to hide her poorly dressed self behind her sister. “What- what are you doing here?”

And not a beat later, Rias added. “Wait… where is here, actually?”

And as Sona’s brain struggled to make sense of the sudden appearance of the two Crown Princes, she registered Rias’ question and realized the strange place where they were all standing. The ground was a bizarre mix of swirling dark purplish colors, and perfectly flat as far as the eye could see. The sky was a lighter shade of lilac and seemed to have that same same swirl-like patterns: it reminded her of several colors of paint being mixed.

Lord Ichigo stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked over towards the three of them, even as her older sister stood up with a vehement expression and pointed angrily at her fellow Satan.

“Hold up berry-head! Don’t you dare interrupt my agreed upon time with Sona!”

Lord Ichigo rolled his eyes. “We didn’t agree to anything, you vertically challenged walking headache.”

“Hey!”

“You just tagged along when you overheard me talking with Nalentia.”

Sona blinked as she heard the familiar name. Nalentia? As in Nalentia Purson? The wife of the current Pillar Lord Purson who was also her cousin on her mother’s side?

“I-I’m sorry,” she said with a small bow. “But I am very confused.”

“Me too,” Rias said quietly from beside her.

Lord Ichigo gave a small sigh and then said, “Well, for starters, sorry for teleporting you here without warning. As for what’s going on…”

He trailed off and looked to the side, and both she and Sona followed the Demon Lord’s gaze to see a gorgeous Devil with heavy and long blonde-haired tied in a high ponytail. She was dressed sharply and wore a hunting costume of high boots, tight pants and a brown vest over her blouse. And then there was the longsword strapped to her back. But what struck Sona most was the quiet weight that surrounded the woman - a powerful aura that was as sharp as a razor and decidedly lethal in its flow.

Sona looked on curiously as she recognized this as the very woman in question: Nalentia Purson.

The powerful Devil walked over to their group and, with an amused smile on her pink, glossed lips, gave a crisp bow. 

“Young lady Gremory,” and then she turned toward Sona, her smile becoming a touch more affectionate, “young lady Sona. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Sona and Rias both returned her bow and Sona said, “You as well, my Lady.”

Lady Purson’s smile widened and she said with a soft sigh, “Children really do grow up fast. It hasn’t even been a decade since I last saw you and already you stand nearly as tall as me.”

Sona withheld a nervous laugh. A decade was more than half her life… but than again, for a Devil like Lady Purson who was several centuries old, it was probably no different than a few weeks gone by.

“Nalentia here,” Lord Ichigo began, catching all their attention, “has agreed to help with your training. Be sure to thank her properly for volunteering her time. Speaking of time, no doubt you’ve noticed the really weird looking world we’re all standing in. This is one of Ajuka’s time-dilated dimensions: a standard day in the Underworld is exactly one week in here. Which is also the amount of time you’ll be training in here.”

Rias looked surprised and then asked, “The tournament is in a few days, can’t we spend all of that time in here?”

Lord Ichigo raised an unimpressed brow and both she and Rias wilted just a fraction under his gaze. “Time-dilated dimensions aren’t exactly cheap, Gremory. I’m generously paying for this out of my own pocket. Just as Nalentia is generously spending her own free time.”

“Oh...," Rias said, shrinking back.

Sona held back a wince at the unsaid rebuke given to her best friend.

“Looks like there’s still some entitlement that needs to be beaten out of you," Lord Ichigo said with a touch of censure. "I’ll be sure to schedule more bouts with Saviġuk later.”

Rias jumped, panic spreading across her face. “No! I’m sorry! It won’t happen again, I promise!”

Sona quickly intervened on her behalf and asked Lord Ichigo and Lady Purson, “So Lady Purson will be personally instructing us for the whole week?”

“Not quite,” Lord Ichigo said as he crossed his arms. “Nalentia will only be helping you, Sitri.”

They both looked at him in surprise, and Sona could tell that Rias wanted to say something dearly, but the earlier threat from the Prince had wisely rendered her silent. Lord Ichigo then waved his hand and a series of magical interfaces appeared as his side. As he scrolled through them, he said, “Based on all of your individual evaluations, Sitri, you’ve made remarkable progress. Raw magical power, casting speed, adaptability and critical thinking under stress: you’ve scored well above the baseline for a High-class Devil of your age demographic.”

Sona perked up and beamed. Scoring high on tests was her biggest dopamine rush! Not that Devils had dopamine…

“That being said,” and Lord Ichigo’s sudden heavy tone significantly dimmed her smile, “you are sorely lacking when it comes to mobility and physical prowess. And, while you are a wizard-technique type in the Rating Games, your weakness is still rather glaring. That’s where Nalentia’s guidance will come in.”

“That’s right!” And Sona nearly jumped out of her skin at her older sister’s excited yell, even as the Demon Lord teleported to Lady Purson’s side and threw an arm around her waist. “Len is one of the most capable sword masters in the Empire, she could even give berry-head over here a run for his money!”

“I would never compare my lowly skills to His Highness’s legendary swordsmanship,” Lady Purson said with an easy smile, though Sona noted she returned her sister’s embrace and put her own arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders.

But her sister waved the other Devil’s words away dismissively. “Bah! What legendary swordsmanship? All he does these days is make big explosions!”

Lord Ichigo merely rolled his eyes and did not deign to respond.

Taking it all in stride, her cousin continued and said, “We will mainly be working on using magic to amplify your physical prowess through passive channeling rather than actively casting augmenting magic. Given both Lord Ichigo’s and Lady Sera’s high praise for your fine control of magic, I should think we won’t even need the full duration of the week.”

“Many thanks,” Sona said with a bow, before hesitatingly adding, “cousin.”

Given that Lady Purson’s smile widened, Sona rightly deemed that she could forge a strong familial connection with the much older woman.

“Umm, Lord Ichigo…?” muttered Rias, nearly as quiet as a mouse.

And as the unasked question hung in the air, Sona could see something close to pity entering the eyes of the Lord Wrath.

“As for you, Gremory…” Lord Ichigo trailed off with a sigh.

“You will be left in my care, my dear.”

And the breath in Sona’s lung went ice cold as from the corner of her eyes she saw alabaster white arms encircling around her friend’s shoulders. Rias went dead stiff - all the color draining from her face - and, as Sona slowly turned her head, she saw a tall woman in a midnight black dress with the most vibrant red hair she had ever seen. Even more so than Rias and Lord Sirzechs.

And there was something deeply unsettling about this woman, a sense of inherent wrongness that pervaded off her form and it genuinely hurt Sona to look at her. As if there were invisible tendrils of the very concept of horror that coiled about the red-haired lady and prodded into Sona’s eye.

“Gremory.”

Sona flinched as Lord Ichigo’s stern voice broke her from the spell of fear that ensnared her mind, and as she looked down, Sona realized her entire body was trembling.

She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves; nonetheless she still took half a step back as that thing which had grabbed Rias tilted its head eerily and gave a low laugh.

“Apologies, my Prince,” the creature masquerading as a woman said with a faux coo. “I lost myself in affection for my darling granddaughter.”

Sona blinked slowly with a dawning horror, her lips parting as realization set in cold.

Granddaughter? Lucifer preserve us…

This was Gremory, the original Gremory. One of the Seventy-Two Pillars of the Ars Goitia and one of the first Demons who were the progenitors of the Devil race. But what was one the ancient ones doing here with… oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

Lady Purson took a step out of her sister’s half hug and gave a sharp bow at the waist. “It has been a long nine-hundred years, my Duke. I am glad to see you returned to the Underworld once more.”

Gremory sunk herself so that her cheek was pressed against Rias’, who was looking near ill at this point, and the Demon let out a deep, unsettling hum. “Paimon’s child, if I recall?”

“Yes, my Duke. I am honored that you remember me,” Cousin Nalentia said with an assured and polite smile.

The Demon Duke let out another laugh, physically causing Sona to recoil as the sound itself grated against her ears.

“You lie as well as your father.”

Lady Purson’s smile turned awkward but then, before anything else could be said, a tremendous weight fell on Sona’s shoulders and the entire dimension began shaking violently. She nearly lost her footing and was forced to widen her stance to keep herself standing.

In a single instant, the purples and lilacs of Lord Ajuka’s time-dilated dimension were instantly dyed a harsh and searing pink, and all that unpleasantly hued light was filled with a deep, abiding sense of ripping rage and slaughter. Sona felt as if every particle in her body was about to be torn apart and her very soul extinguished under the weight of the unexpected murderous intent.

“Hey.”

Sona turned slowly.

Her face morphing horrified and shocked as she realized the source of the unraveling of both her mind and the reality around her was her own sister. She watched with abated breath as Serafall stood unnaturally still even as her eyes glowed a feral pink, her beautiful face a frigid mask that radiated dread fury.

“Watch yourself.”

And it was in that moment that Sona was reminded of something she frequently forgot...

That the annoying, overly clingy, having-no-sense-of-personal-space, bubbly older sister of hers was a Demon King who could wipe out entire worlds in her irate fury. Because Serafall Sitri had long ago been consumed and replaced by Serafall Leviathan...

Serafall the Slaver, the Serafall the Strife-Giver, Serafall the Passion-Thief: the Lord of Shattered Hearts and She Who Greets With Winter.

The Sin of Lust had ensnared countless hearts from all those who laid eyes on her. How many families and relationships lay broken in the discord her sister provoked with a twinkle of her eye? How many lives burned away as they gave into slavish and mindless fanaticism, begging for scraps of her attention? Sona had seen it time and again - her sister smile and laugh so readily, so easily: all the while sowing devotion and adoration in the hearts of billions. And in the very next breath she reaped it all in a heartless harvest.

Too few, far too few, realized the full horror that was Serafall.

What greater victory was there than to make your enemy love you?

Behold the Tyrant who adorned the Gates of Hell with Love.

And like a blade through the heavy dark, Lord Ichigo’s hand fell on her sister’s head as he calmly said, “That’s enough, Sera.”

Instantly the calamitous furor shattered, the colors of the dimension returned to their norm and her sister looked up at her fellow Crown Prince with a pout and a scowl that could only be described as downright cute.

“Wat! I was being prudent!”

“Uh-huh,” Lord Ichigo said, sounding utterly unconvinced. To which her sister grabbed his arm, hugging it to her chest and proceeded to blow a raspberry at him.

Shaking his head, the much taller Sin then said, “Gremory has promised to be on her best behavior. Isn’t that right?”

The ancient Demon righted and pulled herself off of Rias, to which her best friend let out a huge sigh of relief. And then Gremory put a hand over her heart and gave deep bow to both Crown Princes.

“Of course. You have my word, my Lord Lust. I only have the children’s best interest at heart.”

Her sister narrowed her eyes and said skeptically, “What heart? And what word? I’ve met dirt worth more than your word!”

“Sera,” Lord Ichigo warned.

“Fine, fine! Shutting up!” Her sister grouched as she looked away with a huff.

With another deep sigh, Lord Ichigo waved his hand again and the magical interfaces that had all her notes on them flickered and shifted. “To get back on track, Gremory – sorry, Rias – your own progress has been no less satisfying. But, like Sona here, you also have some glaring vulnerabilities. Specifically, we need to work on your control and help with your ability to adapt to various potential limitations you may encounter. I get that you’re a wizard-power type in the Rating Games, but your lack of technique is almost insulting given your heritage.”

“Ba’al and his lingering influence,” Gremory sneered, a hint of ire creeping into her voice. “Sorcery is a multifaceted, ever mutating art that is malleable and adaptive. There is more to it than throwing it about like some savage and his rock.”

Rias’ cheeks dusted pink, but internally Sona did agree with the older Gremory. Magic was an incredibly versatile thing and more than once Sona felt that Rias often took that for granted. Which wasn’t entirely her fault, Sona reasoned. It wasn’t an unexpected outcome when someone as young as them was gifted such an incredible ability like the Bael family’s signature Power of Destruction only to become overly reliant on it. It was more a failing of Rias' teachers... or lack thereof, she rationalized.

But then, that was the blessing of having the guidance of one of the Crown Princes of Hell.

Lord Ichigo had, through his own unusual and often brutal methods, given them the push and edge that they needed to hone their strengths and work over their weaknesses. And, despite his less that hospitable actions in Grevex, Sona knew that she and Rias were deeply indebted to the Demon Lord.

And to think they were only a few months under his wing! They still had more than nine years to go. The realization lit a fire of ambition in her eyes; the heights she could achieve under his tutelage were beyond anything her own House could provide!

“Well, anyways. Sera and I should both be going.” And as Sona turned towards both Sins, she realized her older sister was looking at her with warm approval. “Be sure to pay close attention to your personal tutors while you’re in here. You have one whole week to work around your weaknesses, don’t waste it. Gremory, Nalentia, I leave them in your capable hands.”

And all four of them gave sharp bows as the two Satans vanished from sight.

=======

Ichigo walked through the streets of Fellgrand with Sera on his arm - a subtle push of magic ensuring both Sins were ignored and avoided by the numerous pedestrians.

“I’m still annoyed with you for not letting me train Sona myself,” Sera said. Though none of her usual childishness was to be found. Instead, she wore a mildly bored expression as she looked out absently into the crowd.

Ichigo stared at her from the corner of his eyes. “We had a deal. You both agreed to stay out of everything so I long as I acted as a shield for the girls and their peerages.”

Sera rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I remember. Mind you, I’m still not fully comfortable with leaving them alone with Gremory.”

“You’d be a crap sister if you were,” Ichigo said dryly. “But Gremory knows better than to anger you, me and Sirzechs all at once. Besides, Nalentia is there. She may not be as powerful as Gremory, but she’s resourceful enough to keep them both safe. Not to mention, I can feel that old thing’s sincere desire to help Rias.”

Sera scrunched up her nose. “That, I don’t doubt. Gremory’s obsessive care for her family is legendary. What worries me is Gremory’s definition of help is definitely not the same as ours!”

Ichigo pursed his lips, but after a few seconds he shook his head slowly. “My sixth sense is saying this won’t backfire on us.”

“It better not!” Sera exclaimed hotly. “That’s my favorite sister! And my favorite cousin! And my favorite pseudo-niece!”

Ichigo gave her a questioning glance. “What do you mean favorite sister? I thought Sona was your only one?”

Sera shook her head, her twin tails swaying with the movement. “Nope! Daddy has a few other bastards running about the Sitri territory. I keep an eye on them from a distance, but they’re nowhere near as cute as my So-tan!”

Ichigo shook his head in exasperation: Devils and their insane family dynamics.

“Anyways,” he said, trying to get back on track, “Rias does need a better grasp of magical theory, you know? And aside from Sirzechs himself, Gremory is unquestionably the best teacher for her.”

“Well, that’s true,” Sera admitted begrudgingly. “On the subject of that old thing, what is going between the two of you?”

Ichigo frowned and looked down at his fellow Sin. “What do you mean?”

Sera rolled her eyes. “Berry-head, please. I don’t need to be the Sin of Lust to realize Gremory was practically undressing you with her eyes the whole time! She wasn’t exactly being subtle about it. If So-tan and little Rias weren’t so scared out of their minds, even they would have noticed. Hell, knowing Nalentia - and trust me, she’s a bigger gossip than me - this time next week, half the Empire will be convinced you’re bedding Sirzechs’ grandmother.” 

“Oh. Great. Lovely,” Ichigo said sardonically. “Just what I need on to top of every-fucking-thing else.”

“Oh, don’t be such a grump! It wouldn’t even be the worst thing people say about you! Most of the Empire is still convinced Sirzechs is having an affair behind Grayfia’s back with you.”

“That’s because you keep telling everyone that!” Ichigo yelled angrily. “It didn’t help you wrote those fucking Sinful Strawberry books and then made an entire franchise out of them!”

“Oh, come on! Are we really having this argument again!?” Sera groaned into the sky. “You don’t seem to complain when cashing in all those royalty checks!”

“You know what? No, we’re not having this argument again!” And Ichigo held back the urge to shove Sera into oncoming traffic as she let out a triumphant ‘huehue’.

A few minutes of silence passed between the two Sins as they continued their invisible stroll through Infernity’s largest megalopolis. And even in that moment, Ichigo kept a passive awareness over every corner of his kingdom, making sure there was nothing unsavory happening in light of the ongoing conflicts.

But his attention was brought back to the pedestrian filled street as Sera said, “So?”

“So, what?”

“You and Gremory, what’s going on? Spill it!”

“Nothing is going on, you gremlin. Sheesh, they should have given you the Sin of Gossiping.”

Sera gave him a suspicious look. “Really?”

“Really,” he replied dryly.

“Really, really?”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Okay, first off, even if there was something going on, it’s literally none of your business. Secondly, no.”

She continued to look at him skeptically before she suddenly began to gesture wildly with one hand. “Then if you’re not boinking her, why the Hell are you willingly allowing that walking horror to stay with you!?”

“Boinking?” Ichigo repeated with a disbelieving stare. “What are you, twelve? Also, she’s not staying anywhere near me. I’ve spoken with her a grand total of four times now. The first time she came to ask to go with me to Malebolge, then there was actually going to Malebolge, then asking her to tutor Rias, and then just now.”

But despite his words, Sera still raised a questioning brow. “And the reason why you allowed any of this to happen instead of telling that old fossil to jump back into its pit?”

Ichigo went quiet for a moment, even as his mind brushed up against the countless strands of Destiny that were woven around him and beyond. “Remember that sixth sense I talked about?”

Sera immediately frowned. “Berry-berry, while I’m far from the most accomplished diviner, I know enough to tell you prescience isn’t an exact art and shouldn’t be fully relied upon. Unless you’ve gone fully divine without the rest of us noticing and are currently creating miracles.”

“Nope, not yet,” Ichigo said shaking his head. “Just a hunch. A really strong hunch she’ll have her uses in what’s coming. And in fairness, it did work out pretty well with that whole fiasco with Ipos.”

Sera let out a defeated sigh. “Well, so long as you’re sure.”

Ichigo nodded and then, rather abruptly, asked her, “Wanna get lunch?”

“I’d love to!” She said excitedly, her mood immediately brightening. “We still need to discuss the back and forth between us and the Fallen after recent events! And I’d rather do it over a platter of sushi instead of out on the street like this!”

Ichigo let out small laugh. “You got a restaurant in mind? Or do you want to go to my place?”

“Uh, your place, duh? Your chefs are too damn good! Then again, they’d have to be with your glutton of a dragon consuming a king’s ransom at every sitting!”

Ichigo laughed louder. “Don’t let her hear you calling that.”

=======

A few hours had passed after Ichigo had his business lunch with Serafall, in which he spent half the time wishing himself into an early grave as - somehow – the short Satan and Tiamat began discussing sex. Namely, sex with him.

Honestly, in hindsight, Ichigo realized he should have known better.

Modesty and shame were concepts that Tiamat cared little for and Sera… well, Sera was fucking Sera.

He could only blame himself for allowing the Primordial of Chaos and Fertility to dine with the literal Sin of Lust. The mortification of that lunch would probably haunt him for decades.

However, in the time since, Ichigo had returned to his office and had a few clones going through Sona and Rias’ respective peerages and assigning them their own training routines. They only had a few days left until the tournament and the subsequent chaos that would quickly follow afterwards.

Speaking of peerage members...

Ichigo lifted his eyes from his desk towards the very nervous and uncertain face of Akeno Himejima - Rias’ Queen. And Baraqiel’s daughter.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” She asked quietly.

Instead of answering her, Ichigo folded his hands before his face and stared at her, he stared into her very soul. He had said it before, all of Rias’ peerage were tainted with past traumas. All of them had deeper fears and insecurities that were inching towards resentment and hate. All except Akeno.

Because she had long since already submerged her heart in enmity and bitter rage.

And, while he was certain that Rias, given time, could be the balm to soothe her servants’ inner turmoils, he was somewhat doubtful she would be able to do so fully with Akeno. At least, not in a meaningful way when considering what was expected of her as Sirzechs’ sister.

But he pushed thoughts of Rias aside and focused on the teenage girl before him. Ichigo had read over the Devil-Fallen hybrid’s file numerous times and, more importantly, took in the full weight of her soul with his Sin.

Akeno’s abandonment and anger issues would not be resolved with ease. 

He stood to his feet and then pointed to the seating area of his office, where several comfortable couches were carefully arranged. “Have a seat.”

She didn’t move at first and only did so when Ichigo himself walked towards a single seater and motioned for her to follow.

“Would you like something to drink? Tea? Juice?”

She shook her head as she sat down. “No, sir.”

Ichigo settled comfortably as he leaned back into the cushions, and then he met her eyes, causing her to look away and blush simultaneously. Her reaction nearly made him roll his eyes in exasperation, but he kept himself from doing so. He wasn’t an idiot: he was more than aware of the girls’ and their crushes on him. He just made a conscious effort to not acknowledge it for both his mental health and to avoid that particular nuclear fallout with Sirzechs and Serafall.

Then again, he had to concede how the current situation looked. He, an older and powerful government official, was alone in his office with a teenage girl who very clearly had a crush on him. Add to that the fact he was literally her legal guardian… it was practically one of Sera’s cheap smut books.

Pushing all of that aside in his mind, Ichigo said, “Well, to get right to the point, I’m currently making training arrangements for everyone in your peerage to help isolate and rectify your individual weaknesses.”

Akeno looked slightly surprised and her mouth parted in a small ‘O’ shape.

Ichigo waved his hands, once more summoning numerous magical screens and interfaces, each one showing reports, evaluations and numbers. “I’ll be honest with you, Himejima, as far as stats go, you’re exactly where you should be. Magical ability, physical prowess, combat tactics and versatility: you’re the complete package as a Queen. Hell, you’re as strong as some High-class Kings at this point.”

Her eyes widened and she stared stunned for a brief moment, but then she quickly bowed in and loudly said, “Thank you, sir!”

“That being said, there’s always room for improvement,” Ichigo said pointedly.

Akeno nodded eagerly. “Yes, of course, my Lord! I am always striving towards self-improvement!”

Ichigo let out an approving hum and said, “That’s good, because looking through all the compiled data has led my office – that is to say, me and the numerous people in my employ – to unanimously agree that your combat ability can increase several times over if you did just one thing.”

She looked incredibly shocked, but then that all too natural hunger for power inherent to the Devil race shone in her eyes and she practically vibrated with giddiness in her seat.

“What?” She all but demanded, before remembering who exactly she was sitting across from and then blushed in embarrassment. “Ahem… my Lord.”

Ichigo withheld a snort of amusement before plainly stating, “Stop holding back.”

She blinked at him and tilted her head perplexed. “Sir? I-I’m not quite sure what you mean? I’ve always given it my all in all of our exercises. And I’ve thoroughly dedicated myself to expanding my demonic powers and my knowledge of magic.”

For a moment, Ichigo said nothing and once again settled his sight onto her soul and the cold resentment deep within.

Leaning his cheek onto a fist, Ichigo leveled her with a stern look. “Himejima… why aren’t you using your Holy Lightning?”

And just like that, the cold erupted from its hidden depths, pain and anger immediately churning frenetically through her mind and spirit. And with it, Akeno’s face fell flat, her expression turning frosty and a hint of cautious anger beginning to lace her aura. Ichigo had to consciously push his Sin down lest he passively stir her into an outrage.

The young girl worked her jaw, even as on her hands began to absently play with the long strands of hair from her ponytail. She sat a little straighter, and her voice came out harder. “I’ve long decided to put my past behind me. That part of me no longer exists. I only wish to live my life as a Devil now.”

A practiced answer, Ichigo deduced. One she must have given multiple times in the past.

“While I can sympathize with putting the past behind you, outright denying it and dismissing it is completely foolish,” Ichigo said flatly. “Especially if it’s to your own detriment.”

The anger in her aura immediately sharpened, and a strong hint of steel entered her eyes.

“I...,” and as she drew out the word, Ichigo could see her hesitate and bite back an angry retort. He knew it was only the understanding and fear of him keeping her from saying something exceptionally rude. “I strongly disagree, sir. And I don’t think it’s been detrimental at all. Quite the opposite.”

Ichigo raised a questioning eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes, I do,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Hmm, that’s interesting,” Ichigo said lightly. “Because, not just me, but every Satan and multiple top Rankers in the Rating Games gave the opinion that had you used the Holy Lightning you inherited, you would have easily eliminated Riser’s Queen and would have removed her Phenex Tears from the match. You could have then gone on to aid Rias, with your Holy power being enough of a detriment to actively work against Riser’s regeneration, and have ended the game with your peerage's victory. It was, unquestionably, the deciding blunder of the match.”

Akeno looked at him as if he had struck her, and Ichigo fell silent, allowing her to stew in the revelation. Though he watched with a hint of pity as her eyes fell to the ground and she stared vacantly in disbelief. He gave her a moment to think, as her eyes glazed over and she replayed that Rating Game in her mind. Nearly a minute passed, and when Akeno’s fingers slowly curled into fists and the anger in her expression turned self-deprecating, Ichigo briefly closed his eyes in a silent sigh.

He then said, “You did manage to utilize it in the battle against Kokabiel, which was absolutely the right decision, but afterwards, you went right back to sealing your power away.”

“I-,” she trailed off as her face cycled through rage, heartbreak, resignation and then anger again. And at this point, the black stains in her psyche were practically calling out to his Demonic senses.

"You don't understand," she said through gritted teeth. “I just – it’s not something I want.”

“I do understand. I - ”

“No! You don’t!” She shouted as she jumped to her feet and glared at him heatedly. “You don’t get it! You don't know! I hate it! I hate everything that it stands for! You have no idea what it feels like hating a part of yourself!”

The atmosphere in his office became electric, and Ichigo quietly noted the flickers of static crawling across his skin as the girl's magic flared out and colored the area in her rage. And as she stood there seething and breathing heavily, Ichigo stared at her quietly, allowing her to breathe and stew in her roiling emotions. Then, very slowly, he held out his hand and Zangetsu burned its way into existence.

Immediately Akeno recoiled, backing away several steps in horror as his soul-sword’s power pushed against her and blanketed all of Infernity.

Akeno’s gaze flickering in fright between the sword and him. “I-no! I’m sorry! Please, I didn’t mean to-”

But Ichigo waved her off. “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you.”

But she didn’t seem to hear him and continued to pedal away in terror until she tripped over her own feet and fell down. Though Ichigo caught her with his magic and floated her back over to the sofa, even as he gingerly laid down Zangetsu on the coffee table. All the while, Akeno eyed the demonic sword with a wary eye.

“His name is Zangetsu,” Ichigo said with evenly. “Terrifying, isn’t he?”

And in response to his word, the sword let out a flicker of mad power, stifling the room with heat and malicious energy. And Akeno quickly drew up her feet and flinched back into cushions.

“Oi, knock it off,” he said sternly to the sword, before setting his gaze back onto the frightened teenage girl. “Himejima…”

But she ignored him and continued to lock her eyes on Zangetsu, her fear of the blade's power ensnaring her mind and keeping her unaware of the world around.

“Himejima,” he repeated, a touch of magic entering his voice. “Look at me.”

She did briefly, for a second, before flashing her gaze back to the sword and then to him again.

“Relax,” he said again. “You’re perfectly safe. Take a deep breath for me.”

Akeno looked at him doubtfully, and he could still see the stark fear running wild in her eyes, but after a few seconds passed, she closed her eyes and listened to him, taking in a deep calming breath.

“Like I said, terrifying, right?”

Akeno let out a heavy breath and nodded slowly.

“I’ve been dealing with that," and he jutted his head towards the sword, "since I was fifteen, years before I reincarnated as a Devil.”

Akeno’s eyes widened in surprise, and Ichigo could see her trying to work out how he could have possibly borne such a monstrous sword before he had been reincarnated. In fairness though, the first time he had drawn Zangetsu, the Zanpakutō was nowhere near as powerful as it was now. No, just like him, Zangetsu had grown immensely powerful over the years… it was the one constant headache in his journey through the supernatural.

“Can’t tell you how much I hated the thing back then,” Ichigo said as he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees with a rueful smile. “I used to fight it, and I mean actual literal fights. I used to delve into my soul and do my best to beat the ever-living crap out of my own sword.” Rather wisely, Ichigo decided not to mention he still did so. “And I hated him. I hated what it represented: that something like that was a part of me, that it existed inside of me. Because then what does that say about me? That something so violent, so malicious and bloodthirsty is a reflection of me?”

Tentatively, Akeno reached over to one of the pillows sitting on the couch and slowly dragged it into her arms, squeezing it tight against her.

Ichigo let out a small smile and then dismissed his sword, drawing it back inside of his soul.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. And Ichigo knew she was hesitating out fear, her self-preservation warring with her desire to communicate effectively with him. Thus, he gave her a soft smile and motioned with a small tilt of his head that she was free to speak.

“It… it’s not the same thing,” she said in a quiet voice.

Ichigo nodded his head in understanding. “True, and life experiences between two different people rarely are. But I can tell you what is the same: trying to deny a part of you exists. Trying to bury it as deep as possible and hating yourself for even having it.”

Akeno squeezed the pillow harder and drew up her knees, folding in on herself.

Seeing her response, Ichigo gave a small sigh. “Look, kid, the whys may be different, but I’ve been there. And I know what happens in the end. You just end up hurting yourself. You end up stifling your own growth and progress and in that process, unfortunately, the people around you get caught up. Just like what happened with Riser.”

And Ichigo thought back to his numerous fights with Zangetsu during his substitute Shinigami days, back when his power fluctuated so wildly that he could never gain a proper hold on it. He was so consumed in actively working against Zangetsu that he never thought to work with it. Because he had been afriad to admit that he enjoyed violence and fighting more than what a normal human should...

And he had suffered terribly for it.

Not just the psychological pressure of losing himself to his own self-loathing (and to his inner Hollow) but the actual consequences of his power being so erratic and unreliable. More than one Arrancar had kicked his ass because of the turmoil within himself. Whereas, had he actually taken the time to actively accept and effectively commune with Zangetsu, Ichigo was confident he would have crushed the Espada with ease.

But pushing old history to the side, Ichigo said, “You said you wanted to live as a Devil, right?” And at her slow nod, Ichigo then asked, “What’s the biggest hurdle in a Devil’s pursuit of power?”

“...overcoming yourself,” she murmured.

“And what happens to Devils who fail to overcome themselves? Who are, in turn, overcome instead?”

She hesitated, but finally she said softly, "They become strays."

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, and then he gave her a kind smile. “Would be a damn shame if a pretty girl like you ended up being hunted and put down.”

Akeno instantly blushed and looked away from him.

While he knew it was rather dishonest of him, Satan wasn’t above using a schoolgirl’s crush if it meant helping him get what he wanted. And what he wanted was for Akeno, and all the teenagers put into his care, to flourish and grow strong. And not just for his sake or the sake of the empire he reigned over, but for themselves.

Because he had been there himself. Lost and thrust into an unknown world surrounded by hostilities he both did and did not recognize.

Ichigo briefly looked down at his watch and realized the hour. He then pushed himself off the sofa and rose to his feet, saying, “Look, I don’t expect you to find some life-altering epiphany in the span of a single conversation, so I’m going to send you back to Grevex and give you some time think things over. When you feel like talking again, send me a text.” He then frowned and gave Akeno an inquisitive glance, “Meril did give you all my number, yeah?”

At her nod, Ichigo said, “Oh good. But don’t take too much time thinking; you do have a tournament coming up in less than a week and the rest of your friends are currently training their asses off as we speak.”

He then offered her his hand, and she stared at it for a full second before she timidly reached out to grab it. Akeno used it to pull herself up to her feet and she dropped the pillow she was hugging back onto the sofa.

At the same time, Ichigo ran his other hand through his hair, and his expression became one of equal measure exasperation and sympathy. “Hey, I get it, discussing trauma with the walking-calamity that is Satan isn’t on anyone’s to do list. And, if I’m being honest, I’d much rather you have this conversation with a professional psychiatrist. But we don’t have that kind of time.”

And he was being honest. Ichigo would much prefer all of Rias’ highly traumatized peerage to get counseling. Sadly, Ichigo knew all too well that supernatural inner demons – pun intended – could not simply be talked away. Direct and brutal confrontations were, unfortunately, the most efficient way to deal with mental blocks related to magic and myth.

Not to mention, Akeno was about to be thrown into a highly vicious gladiatorial tournament that served as both a cultural and biological outlet for their species’ more violent inclinations. She didn’t exactly have the luxury to go through months of counseling sessions.

“I don’t need therapy.”

He was taken out of his thoughts and Ichigo looked down to see the slightly angry pout on the young girl’s face as she shyly averted her gaze

He let out a small snort. “Kid, I’m the literal embodiment of Anger and Hatred. If I say you need therapy, you need therapy. But enough of all this. Eat something and then get some rest. I’ll talk to you later.”

And before another word could be said, he waved his hand and teleported her away.

Ichigo then took a deep breath and ran both hands through his face as he suddenly felt so very tired. Fighting was so much easier thanguidence counseling. This wasn't something he was used to; being the one on the other end of illuminating talks. It was times like these he really missed having Old Man Zangetsu in his soul...

‘You did well, beloved.’

And Ichigo immediately perked up as he felt the soft patter of falling water in his mind. ‘Hey there, beautiful.’

‘Though not with eloquence, you spoke truly and fairly. From her reactions, I surmise your words had the intended effect,’ Tiamat said.

‘You think so?’

‘I do,’ and her approval rang crystal clear in his mind. ‘You will make for a fine father.’Her words froze him in place, his hands going rigid at his side. And because she was in his mind, because he could literally sense the conviction in each word she spoke with, Ichigo felt a rush of warmth and love pool into his soul.

Motherhood itself had just given him the nod of approval.

‘I… thanks.’

Her laughter chimed like wind in his head, and he felt a shade of her arms wrap around his neck. ‘I love you, little one. But go, you have other dread matters and things of dark import to concern yourself with.’

And even as her tender touch receded from his mind, Ichigo couldn’t help but stand there and smile stupidly.

But, nevertheless, she was right. There were other matters for him to go deal with. Because there was still one last, flagrant issue with the Gremory Princess’ s group he wanted to take care of before the Youth Rating Game Tournament.

Her pervert of a Pawn and the Emperor in his soul. ======

Omake: Rias let out a loud sneeze followed by a deep, mucus riddled sniffle.

"Oh, honey," Akeno said pityingly. "You sound awful."

"I know!" She responded with a groan, her voice pitched low and nasally. "I think I caught a curse at work. That ass Crammik was coughing through my whole shift!"

Akeno leaned forward and put the back of her hand on Rias' forehead. "Well, the good news is you don't have a fever. But you should probably get an appointment with a shaman anyways. It might get worse."

Rias shook her head in misery. "I can't get days off from work. Besides, it's not like I can afford to see one. We don't have health insurance!"

Akeno pursed her lips and crossed her arms angrily. "You know, making us pay for rent and groceries is one thing, but Lord Ichigo should really be getting us insurance! He's our legal guardian!"

Rias let out a huff. "Satan sponsored health insurance? Yeah right! What do you think this is, Heaven? There was even a recent bill in the Parliament of Hell to increase health insurance premiums. The literal wording was "to maximize misery and brew resentment in the general populace.” The only reason it didn't pass was because they couldn't agree which insurance providers would be allowed to reap the most profits from taxpayer funded programs."

Akeno gave a shrug. "It does kinda make sense. Compassion and empathy for the poor, the downtrodden, and the ill aren't exactly Devil friendly sentiments. It would be unreasonable for the ultrawealthy to give up a portion of their enormous wealth for the less fortunate."

"Exactly!" Rias nodded sagely. "Wealth is meant to be hoarded selfishly, not spent on bettering society in a systemic, holistic approach! The rich get richer and the poor and working class get exploited to generate more wealth for those up top! As Lucifer intended!"

 "But economics aside, you really should do something about that curse," Akeno said.

Rias let out another loud sneeze. “Urgh… yeah… I’ll pick up some over the counter anti-curse talismans from the apothecary after work.”

=======

A/N: Hey look! I finished a chapter early for once! First time for everything, eh?

This was a very fun chapter to write. It was a stark departure from the several previous ones where Ichigo was throwing around his power and mythic weight as Satan. Here, I got to revist Ichigo as a leader and a guide. And, as Tiamat noted, the nascent flickers of fatherhood he is building as an adult.

Sera, as always, is a delight to write. She's so fun and chaotic, perfect gremlin older sister energy. And I finally got to showcase her as a Sin instead of background political force/comedy relief. She really is her own kind of horror.

I also really enjoyed writing the Akeno scene, there are a couple of powerful parallels between Ichigo and Akeno when you look at them as characters.

Anyways, have a lovely week, will see you soon!