NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Harsh Reality
Though they didn't need to meet for Vahn to expel everyone from the Corridor, he and Koneko arrived at the encampment set up at the end of the Floor to get a few hours of rest before the conclusion of the six-and-a-half-day farming and training session.
"Welcome back, Goshujin-sama," said Tsubaki, awaiting Vahn and Koneko at the ending zone's entrance at Sona's request, offering a courteous bow as they arrived. Vahn paused for a moment when he saw her, but that was to be expected since Tsubaki was wearing a dark pink leotard reminiscent of a bunny costume with pale pink frills, burgundy stockings with a garter belt, matching gloves that extended to her biceps, a frilly choker set with a red gem, and pink heels.
"I'm back..." affirmed Vahn, offering a curt nod and allowing his gaze to briefly take in Tsubaki's appearance before stepping past her, prompting her to rise and follow dutifully behind him. What awaited him inside was a sight that understandably had Issei salivating as every girl present, even Asia, was walking around in lingerie-like outfits. In fact, Asia's outfit was arguably the most daring, consisting of a frilly white apron, white panties, matching stockings, and white heels without a bra as she helped Kiba and two members from Sona's Peerage prepare food.
"Nn...looks like I'm overdressed..." remarked Koneko, backflipping down from her perch atop Vahn's shoulders. In actuality, her outfit was already plenty scant, but it became exponentially more so when she removed her dress, requiring Issei to cover the lower half of his face with his left hand and apply pressure to his nose to prevent it from bleeding.
Before Vahn could ask Koneko if she was okay walking around topless, Sona, wearing a pumpkin-orange bustier top with black trim, matching panties, a dark grey choker, garter belt, transparent grey stockings, and green heels, approached him to proffer, "Welcome back, Goshujin-sama. We have drawn a bath and are currently in the process of preparing your meal. Shall I keep you company until then?"
Feeling several gazes on him, Vahn turned his head to where Issei, the red-haired member of Sona's Peerage, and a boy with short, somewhat spiky blonde hair and grey eyes were sitting. Issei's gaze was fixed on Koneko until the red-haired girl mentioned something to him, causing him to laugh and scratch the back of his head, but the blonde-haired youth, who Vahn had learned was called Senshirou Saji, was staring directly at him with a pouty frown.
"Goshujin-sama need not concern himself with extraneous affairs..." said Sona, her violet eyes firm and determined. She was well aware that Saji had feelings for her, but while she had high hopes for him and his Sacred Gear, he lacked the talent and intelligence to fill the position of her future partner. He would at least need to be able to defeat her in a chess match, but unless she allowed him to win, that would never happen. After all, she had been a Grandmaster since the age of seven and was widely regarded as the most intelligent Devil born in the past five hundred years...
"I don't want to make Saji-kun feel bad or resent me..." confided Vahn, his smile and tone apologetic as he knew Sona was making an earnest effort to appeal to him.
Exhaling faintly from her nose, Sona decided to tell Vahn the same thing she had told Saji, specifically, "My status as heiress of the Principality of Sitri does not afford me the leeway to choose my partner carelessly. Saji-kun possesses tremendous potential, but the Sitri Clan does not want for powerful fighters. What I require is someone with exceptional genes or a partner who can contribute to the expansion and prosperity of my domain and its more than twenty million residents. Saji-kun became a Devil for his younger siblings' sake, and his love, while genuine, stems from feelings of gratitude and indebtedness. I need a partner who can stand as my equal or above me...someone I can lean on rather than having to look after..."
As everyone present could hear Sona's words, Saji's expression sank, his body deflating like a balloon. He knew better than anyone that he wasn't worthy of Sona, but since he was confident no one would ever defeat her in chess, he felt he had at least a few hundred years to become worthy of her. The existence of Vahn and his anomalous, balance-breaking abilities was something he could never have predicted...how was he, a previously ordinary human, supposed to compete against someone who could create a game-like dungeon where magical items could be harvested like wheat from a field...?
"Make no mistake, I do care for Saji-kun..." said Sona, reaching up with her right hand to adjust her glasses as she stated, "But it is the affection one might feel toward a younger sibling. I wish for him to be happy, but I am not obligated to take personal responsibility for his happiness..."
"And you think I would make a more suitable partner...?" asked Vahn, still feeling sorry for Saji but sympathizing with Sona's point of view after his many conversations with Rias. Only a few hundred High-Class Devils were responsible for sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of lower-ranking Devils and Demons, so things like love and romance almost never factored into their decision to wed. Even Rias had been engaged to a man she despised, and if not for his arrival in the Record, she might have been forced to follow through with their engagement for the sake of her people.
Nodding without hesitation, Sona firmly asserted, "The value of this place is beyond astronomical. Even if you could not grow stronger, just granting us access to the Corridor obligates us to provide remuneration or service of the highest caliber. Then there is your capacity to contract and nourish multiple High-Class Devils with your seemingly limitless life force...letting you slip through my fingers a second time would be exceedingly remiss of me..."
'Devils have it rough...' thought Vahn, appreciating that Sona thought so highly of him but feeling bad that she felt compelled to choose him over Saji for the sake of her people. Unfortunately for Saji, he also felt that the livelihoods of her people were more important than the happiness of one person, so after a moment of deliberation, he nodded, affirming, "I would have you keep me company..."
"It would be my pleasure," responded Sona, cupping her hands together in front of her and offering a bow before approaching and linking her left arm through Vahn's right, guiding him to the area they had cordoned off for the bath and a makeshift lounge. Tsubaki followed close behind them while Koneko, after concluding she had probably monopolized him more than she should have, made her way over to where Issei, Saji, and Tomoe were seated. From her perspective, Saji was a pervert in the same vein as Issei, so while she would never allow either of the boys to touch her, she felt it might improve their spirits if she allowed them to bask in the glow of her topless form for a bit...
...
..
.
"So it is possible to get a reaction out of you with this homely body and appearance..." remarked Sona, her expression and tone flat as she stood in front of a seated Vahn, dancing and swaying her hips in front of him as Tsubaki sat behind him, sitting on the back of the semi-circular sofa they had prepared but effectively sitting on his shoulders with his head resting against her crotch, massaging his scalp and temples with her fingers.
Confused by Sona's words, Vahn tilted his head slightly and remarked, "You know, I've never once thought you were ugly, Sona. It's more like I didn't know what to think at all back then..."
"You say that..." muttered Sona, placing her hands on Vahn's knees and parting them so she could lean back, shake, and grind against his bulge as she pointed out, "But you definitely fell for Rias the first time you laid eyes on her. So, what was it that captured your fascination? Her breasts? Her child-bearing hips and thighs...?"
"Her hair...?' responded Vahn, voicing the response like a question as he wasn't entirely sure of the answer himself. He did, however, think Rias's hair was really beautiful, so much so that he felt compelled to help take care of it...
"Her hair..." repeated Sona, placing her weight against Vahn and slowly swaying her hips from side to side as she reflected on his answer, finding it reasonable. The descendants of House Gremory were known for their ruby-esque, deep crimson hair, but as she had grown up seeing it nearly every day, it didn't possess the same allure to her as other people.
"Alright, then..." said Sona, rising to her feet, turning around, removing her right heel, placing her foot between Vahn's legs, and narrowing her eyes as she declared, "Then let's make a few things clear...since my standing is higher than Rias's, you have three options. You can marry us both, but you would need to become my Prince Consort, making Rias your second wife. Second, you can take Rias as your first wife and not wed me, keeping our relationship purely contractual. However, if you choose that route, you will need to be open to the idea of me associating with other men..."
Seeing Vahn immediately frown at her addendum, a faint, amused smile adorned Sona's lips. His reaction indicated that he had already accepted her proposal in his heart, so while they weren't truly competing, she felt she had won over Rias just a little. After all, Vahn may love and adore her more, but from the moment they got married, she would evermore be his first wife, and he, her husband...
Undoing the tiny clasps keeping her panties in place, Sona provided Vahn an unobstructed view of her cleanly shaven and visibly wet slit, the fluids signifying her arousal causing her inner thighs to glisten as she revealed, "The third option is refusing to associate with me altogether, but I get the impression we're past that point..."
Tearing his gaze from what was now firmly encoded in his mind as a very rousing sight, Vahn looked up at Sona and asked, "You want to have sex right now...?"
"Who said anything about having sex...?" asked Sona, her smile gaining a hint of playfulness as she half-turned her body to let him see the hot tub behind her as she appended, "We could also take a bath. The decision is Goshujin-sama's to make..."
Seeing Sona run her right hand from her lower abdomen to the center of her thighs as she spoke, tentatively tracing her slit with her middle finger, Vahn had a pretty good idea of which option she would prefer. Thus, after 3.07 seconds of deliberation, he promptly unequipped everything he was wearing, slipping into his provisional status as the duo's Goshujin-sama as he ordered, "Tsubaki, erect a soundproof barrier..."
"Yes, Goshujin-sama..." responded Tsubaki, applying a second layer of soundproofing to the barrier already present, sparing Vahn the potential awkwardness of being informed it was in place.
"Excellent work..." said Vahn, nodding approvingly before adding, "Now prepare me for your Mistress..." while holding Sona's gaze. He felt it would be crossing a line of roleplay if he asked a prospective Princess like Sona to prepare him herself, so he held her gaze as Tsubaki sat beside him and tied back her long black hair into a ponytail, ensuring it wouldn't get in the way as she lowered her head and began bobbing it up and down. What he didn't expect was that, while holding his gaze with similar intensity, Sona would start to ready herself, unabashedly exhibiting how she masturbated with minimal change in her expression but growing desire in her eyes...
"Shall I continue...?" questioned Tsubaki, raising her head after thoroughly lubricating Vahn's little brother. She didn't have any practical experience, but the research material she used suggested that some men preferred to release their seed at least once before moving on, ostensibly to limit the possibility of conception and ensure they lasted longer during the actual event...
"No, but I appreciate your willingness..." responded Vahn, adopting an appreciative smile as he extended his hand to caress Tsubaki's head. The unexpected gesture caused a hint of red to permeate her cheeks, but her characteristically stoic expression didn't fluctuate as she straightened her back and maintained her bearing. She was there to support her Mistress, so after she and Sona exchanged slight nods, the latter climbed onto the sofa and positioned herself in a way that permitted Vahn an up close and very personal view of the result of her preparations before she gradually lowered herself onto his lap...
...
..
.