"It's been a while, hasn't it? The last time must've been... hmm, summer, maybe?"
"It has. Thanks for coming today."
Rias was the first to greet her, and after that, everyone else followed with their own hellos. The only one who seemed a little tense was Ravel.
Right—this would be the first time Ravel and Kunou have met face-to-face.
"This is our first time meeting in person, isn't it? I'm Ravel Phenex. Since we both plan to support Ikki-kun in the future, I hope we can get along."
Ravel's greeting was polite and dignified—just as you'd expect from a noble.
"Mm. If Ikki chose you, I'm sure you're the right person. And there's no need to be so stiff. My position as the 'official wife' is really just for show—there's hardly any real difference in standing. If we don't get along, Ikki will be the one who suffers."
"Hehe, you're absolutely right. Then once again, pleased to meet you, Lady Kunou."
"Likewise, Ravel-dono!"
With that, the tension in Ravel's posture seemed to fade, and the two golden-haired girls began to chat with genuine smiles.
"Hey, Ikki—how the hell is Kunou so wife-material at that age?"
"Probably a mix of culture and upbringing. I mean, Ravel's a noble too, and she's got that vibe."
To be honest, when I imagine this kind of setup, I usually picture some kind of historical drama—the kind where a harem turns into a battlefield for the title of First Wife.
A life surrounded by yandere wives... Yeah, I'd probably end up with holes in both my body and my heart.
Compared to that, the sight of these two blond beauties smiling warmly at each other was nothing short of heartwarming.
While I was silently appreciating the peaceful atmosphere, Kunou—having wrapped up greetings with Ravel—turned to look at Ophis.
"That girl over there... she's the one you wish to enshrine as a Dragon God, yes? Aside from the Red Dragon Emperor, I don't sense any other dragon auras."
"Yeah. Her name's Fis. Be nice to her."
Issei, standing next to Ophis, introduced her that way. Naturally, he couldn't just go around calling her "Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God," so for public interactions, she was going by "Fis."
It works well enough as a nickname, anyway.
"Mm. I am Kunou. Pleased to meet you!"
"...Mm. You too."
Kunou ran up to Ophis and greeted her with a carefree, childlike smile. Ophis, in response, gave a faint smile of her own.
It might've been her first time experiencing a completely pure interaction—no ill will, no hidden motives... well, except for maybe Le Fay, though she's a bit much sometimes.
With that settled, we decided where on the rooftop of Issei's house to place the shrine. Kunou's attendants—who also happened to be skilled craftswomen—started reviewing blueprints that matched the available space.
Not that we were starting from scratch; they'd brought multiple ready-made plans and just picked the most fitting one.
Next, we headed to the underground training room to prepare materials. There was plenty of space to work down there.
"Well then, Ikki. Let's see you conjure a proper tree!"
"You got it. Everyone, step back a little."
At Kunou's request, I channeled senjutsu into my wooden sword. Since we didn't need it to grow upright, I aimed the transformation sideways, growing it directly into a massive tree.
Once the size looked right, I stopped the flow.
"Is this good enough?"
The craftswoman gave me a thumbs-up, so I released the tree. At that moment, Xenovia stepped forward.
"Alright. I get the honor of making the first cut."
She wasn't wielding her usual Durandal, but a ceremonial sword prepared specifically for this. If we were regular humans, we'd need a saw or something, but since we're part of the supernatural world, slicing through the tree with a sword was faster and more efficient.
Following the craftswoman's instructions, we began cutting the tree, processing the lumber according to the blueprints, and constructing the shrine's base on the rooftop.
Of course, for the more delicate work that required true craftsmanship, we left it to the professionals. But we handled as much of the heavy lifting as we could ourselves.
At first, most of us couldn't even use the tools—they were holy items imbued with sacred energy, which devils can't normally touch. But Rossweisse managed to contact a former colleague in the Norse world who taught her a technique to allow devils to handle them safely.
Kunou, being a Youkai, didn't seem to have a problem with it—which makes sense, I guess. Youkai are weirdly ambiguous when it comes to holy stuff. Foxes, for instance, are often revered as gods.
Come to think of it, holy tools really are like cousins to holy swords. I guess it makes sense... still feels weird, though.
Anyway, by the end of the day, we'd finished most of the woodworking, assembly, and base construction. The torii gate and shimenawa rope were to be made by specialists and would arrive the next day—so today's work wrapped up there.
Even if we forced it and finished now, it'd be late at night, which wouldn't be ideal for a shrine debut.
That evening, we held a welcome party for Kunou at my house.
It made more sense for her to stay here—her fiancé's home—rather than next door at Issei's. If she stayed there, people might start fantasizing about some dramatic love triangle.
Kunou greeted my parents with the elegance of a true princess—though I did have to stop her at the last second from walking out with her fox ears and tail still showing.
She still wore her shrine maiden outfit, but between that and her polite manner, my parents seemed to think she was some refined girl from Kyoto. That's fine for now... though I wonder if I'll ever be able to properly explain who she really is.
Mom prepared a delicious meal for our big group, and after dinner we all headed to my room.
My newly remodeled room is ridiculously spacious, so fitting everyone wasn't a problem. Plus, I've got games and stuff.
We spent the evening chatting, playing cards, and going head-to-head in a chaotic fighting game. After a while, Kunou took Ophis out of the room—and when they returned, both were dressed in Kuoh Academy's girls' uniforms.
"Ikki! Look, I'm wearing the uniform!"
"You look cute, Kunou. Fis, it suits you too."
Kuoh Academy's uniforms are stylish to begin with, and they really bring out the charm of beautiful girls.
Besides, when a girl shows you a new outfit, you always compliment her first. That's just basic etiquette.
"But where did you get those?"
"Oh, we bought them online. Apparently, these uniforms are super trendy among young women in the Underworld! Mother got them for me!"
"Oh my~ Fufufu. It seems the popularity started when the Gremory and Sitri teams began wearing these during Rating Games. Now, in the Underworld, they're seen less as school uniforms and more like battle costumes... or cosplay outfits."
"Wait, seriously, Akeno-san!? Our school uniforms are battle cosplay now!?"
Even Issei was stunned—and so was I. The Underworld really is starved for entertainment, huh? Once something catches on, it spreads fast.
I guess the uniform Fis is wearing is a spare.
"I've already told Mother that when I become a high schooler, I'll enroll in Kuoh Academy! I'll make sure the uniform fits me perfectly by then!"
"You're really planning to come to Kuoh?"
"That's right! Kuoh accepts supernatural beings and those with powers, and more importantly—it's the school you attend!
Plus, if I get to lodge at your house, Mother says I can use my JK (high school girl) charm to seduce you into submission!"
...Seriously, Yasaka-sama, what are you teaching your daughter!?
"H-Hey now... even if that's the plan, it's not like I've made a move on Shirone or Ravel either, and they're under the same roof."
"Mother said, 'By the time Kunou becomes a high schooler, those three will already be fair game. Ikki-dono's self-restraint will be long gone—so just push hard and it'll work!'"
"WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY IS THAT, Yasaka-sama!?"
Just how far into the future are you trying to calculate my emotional state!? And is that really something you tell your daughter!?
...If a kid really came into the picture, it'd ruin her whole high school life.
No, I'm fine. I can hold myself back. I have to.
"So you don't deny you'll make a move on us someday, Ikkisama~?"
"Well, we are your future wives. It's only natural."
Yeah. Honestly... if I don't do something by the time we graduate, I think my brain might just melt from sheer restraint.
After that little emotional rollercoaster, the night wound down. Everyone returned to their respective homes (mostly Issei's) to rest, ready to gather again tomorrow and finish the shrine.
After bathing (the girls used the large bath, I used a private one), I waited in my room. Then, just as I expected, the girls all came in one by one.
There's just something about girls fresh from the bath that boosts their charm by, like, 30%.
This time, Kunou joined too.
"Fufufu~ Now the whole gang's here! Ikki and all his fiancées, together at last! I've always wanted to sleep with everyone like this~"
Right, we had talked about that before the battle with Loki... and Ravel confessed shortly after.
We didn't sleep right away, of course. We chatted about the recent Underworld incident, and at Shirone's request, Kunou called her "big sister," which sent her into a cute, excited frenzy.
Eventually, Kunou drifted off, her breathing quiet and steady—and with that, everyone else slowly fell asleep too.