Scattered Cherry Blossoms Universe, Human World, Japan, Kuoh.
While training with Scáthach, ti passed quickly. After the round of sparring, The Immortal Witch gave everyone a few hours to sleep and recover, marking the end of a twenty-four hour block. So, they all hurried into the recreational building, which was within the ti dilation region, to do just that. Then, when it was ti to start again, the group fell into a particular training pattern.
First of all, since it had already been decided that they would spend eight hours in real ti, sixty four hours in dilated ti, training each day, Scáthach broke each training session into two twenty-four hour blocks and a sixteen hour block. Luckily, the first twenty-four hour block was already used up for today. And the second was about to begin.
Each twenty-four hour period would begin with eight hours of energy control training. Then, they would get an hour to rest. After that, four hours of technique training followed by another hour long break. After that, they would do four hours of sparring. And once the spars were finished, they would get six hours to sleep.
As for the sixteen hour block at the end of each training session, that would be specifically dedicated to strengthening the physical body. Weight training, stamina training, training reflexes, etc. And that training would last for ten hours. After that, the group would get another six hour rest period before they went back to the Human World.
And when you consider that the training session started around four in the morning, by the ti they were done with all that training, it was only noon in the Human World. Which ant that the people who stayed behind were getting ready to have lunch while waiting for everyone to return.
"I still find it hard to believe..." Rhea muttered after taking a sip from a teacup. "First, we get proof of worlds outside the Dinsional Gap. Not only that, we got visitors, too. Then, we find out that Great Red can overlay her powers over dreams over the real world to create spaces with ti dilation. *Sigh* So much has happened in such a short ti."
"On top of that, my little fox seems to have a crush." Yasaka added with a smile. "And to think, I always thought I'd end up like Irene, sharing a man with my daughter in the future."
"*Sigh* Can we please not talk about that?" Venelana muttered. "It's depressing. I still haven't been able to get Rias to agree. On top of that, I haven't been able to crack Jas' defenses either, yet."
"Well, can you bla them?" Leona asked with a grin while breast feeding Aaliyah. "I an, you did just kinda drop the bomb on them out of nowhere. I actually feel kinda bad for Jas and Rias."
Reaching that point, Leona's usual smile turned into one filled with malice.
"Plus, the look on Sirzechs' face was totally worth it." Leona continued vindictively.
"And just whose fault do you think it is things ended up like this, Leona?" Venelana asked in an exasperated tone.
"Yours?" Leona replied in an innocent tone while tilting her head cutely.
In response, Venelana could only sigh in exasperation while Rhea and Yasaka giggled at her expense. Even the stoic Grayfia and the close to emotionless Zest could not help but curling the corners of their lips in amusent.
As it turned out, Venelana, Rias mother, after almost a thousand years of marriage to her ex-husband Zeoticus Gremory, Rias' father and the head of the Gremory Clan of the Underworld's 72 Pillar Houses, had fallen out of love. And Zeoticus' feelings were mutual. Yet, they still considered each other their best friends. So, they decided that if Venelana found a man with whom she would like to be with, they would end their marriage on friendly terms.
And as it just so happened, Venelana ended up taking a liking to her daughter's childhood friend co fiancé, Jas. However, instead of explaining sothing of such great importance to all the parties involved, naly, Jas, Rias, and Rias' elder brother, as well as one of the current Great Satans, Sirzechs Lucifer, Venelana made the mistake of listening to Leona, who was even more of a prankster than Jas, and sprung the whole thing on them out of the blue. And although Jas', Rias', and Sirzechs' reactions were hilarious, Venelana is still stuck in a strange situation with Jas and her children. Though, she gave little consideration to Sirzechs' opinion on the matter.
As for why Leona wore such a malicious expression when she brought up Sirzechs, it was because of sothing that happened a while ago when Jas was rewarded for his ritorious service in protecting a school full of young Devils, as well as capturing a Devil fugitive, Grayfia's younger brother, Euclid Lucifuge.
During the award ceremony, Sirzechs, being controlled by his pride, purposely did sothing to humiliate Jas while during the award ceremony, which led to a duel between him and Jas, the outco of which knocked Sirzechs off his pedestal as the Underworld's strongest Devil, caused his marriage with Grayfia to end, and led to Jas being nad the Fifth Great Satan.
And although most of those involved in this incident had forgiven Sirzechs for his mistake, Leona, as wrathful as she could be, had not. And because he publicly humiliated one of her children, she doubted that she ever would. Even if she could be cordial when they t in person.
"I still don't understand why you ever thought it would be a good idea to take advice from Leona on sothing so important." Rhea said while rolling her eyes.
"Hey! I resent that remark." Leona protested. "I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of making serious, well-inford decisions."
"Yeah, but when was the last ti you did that?" Rhea shot back.
In response, Leona only looked away, putting on her innocent smile, while whistling a little ditty that made Aaliyah smile
*Flash!*
Before the subject could continue, however, a flash in the corner of the living room drew everyone's attention. However, when they noticed that only one person had returned, they knew that those training in the Dinsional Gap were not back yet.
"Hmm? Where is everyone?" a tall, dark-skinned man standing at 6'6" tall with dark red, spiky hair, a circle goatee of the sa color, and pink eyes asked after his [Teleportation Magic Circle] faded away.
"Oh, Cass, welco ho." Leona said with a bright smile on her face. "I guess you finished the work he assigned you, huh?"
Hearing the slight disgust in Leona's voice when she ntioned "him," the man, Cassiel Alaverus, Leona's husband and Jas and Aaliyah's father, could only shake his head. He knew why Leona sounded that way, after all. And it did not make things any better considering that Cassiel was a mber of Sirzechs' peerage, one of his [Bishops], either.
"Yeah, I'm finished." Cassiel replied with a smile as he approached his wife and daughter. "Sirzechs even said I would have the next six months to rest. So, I'll be here with you for the ti being. Though, I'll have to make daily trips to the Underworld to manage the Estate, too."
"Ah~~~!" Aaliyah sighed like an old man after taking a swig from a beer after a long day at work after releasing Leona's nipple. She then smiled happily at her father who was standing nearby before laughing happily.
"You heard that, too, Liyah." Leona said happily as she adjusted her clothes, putting her breast away quickly. She then grabbed a nearby towel and threw it over her shoulder before raising Aaliyah and burping her. "Daddy's gonna be ho for a while. Aren't you happy?"
"Ehehehehe!" Aaliyah laughed happily while Leona patted her on the back gently, yet firmly. "Hehehe--- *Burp* Heheehe!"
After burping, Aaliyah continued to laugh. At the sa ti, she reached out to Cassiel, signaling that she wanted him to carry her. Naturally, Cassiel obliged with a wide smile on his face, bouncing his daughter in his arms while turning to look at his wife again.
"But you never answered my question, Leona." Cassiel said. "Where is everyone. "Well, everyone that's supposed to be here, anyway. I an, all the college kids should be here at this ti, right? Well, other than Jas and Flora."
"Well... about that." Leona said with a sheepish smile on her face. "So, we kind of owe Jas an apology."
In response, Cassiel tilted his head in confusion, an action that Aaliyah copied after seeing her father while giggling happily.
"What do you an?" Cassiel asked in a concerned tone.
"Oh, this is gonna be good." Venelana said while watching the married couple.
"Yes, let's see how Leona explains this one away." Rhea added.
Yasaka only smiled mischievously, her ears twitching in anticipation while her tails swayed back and forth.
"So... Um... Rember when I sent you that ssage about Jas going crazy because he said he received a chat group full of people from other worlds?" Leon asked with that sa sheepish smile on her face.
"Yeah, I rember." Cassiel replied. "I rember saying that you shouldn't write it off because Jas would never lie about sothing so important. If it was just a wild idea, he would have written it into one of his manga instead."
Hearing that, not only Venelana, Rhea, and Yasaka widened their eyes in surprise, but Grayfia and Zest, who did not change their expressions, looked at Leona with skepticism, as well.
And when they all looked at Leona, they could see a blush of embarrassnt covering her cheeks, sothing that none of them thought was possible due to how shaless Leona was.
"Well... Um... You see..." Leona said while avoiding eye contact with Cassiel. "I thought it would be funnier if you thought he was losing it, too. So, I kinda told him that you didn't believe him either and that you suggested he go and have a magical CT scan to make sure he was not being manipulated..."
In response, Cassiel could only stare at his mischievous wife with his mouth agape. However, his daughter in his arms thought his expression was funny. So, while giggling, she playfully patted his face with her little hands.
"Leona, how could you?" Cassiel asked in a dumbfounded tone.
"Like I said, I thought it would be funnier." Leona said while turning her head even further away from Cassiel's betrayed expression. "Anyway, so of those friends Jas ntioned ca over because Scati offered to train them when Jas went to another world to help one of them. And right now, they're training at the Team DxD base. By the way, all the high school kids will be skipping school for the next few days to take advantage of the opportunity. Ah, right, and Kunou seems to have a crush on Tatsuo, one of the people who ca to visit. And---"
"Hold on! Hold on!" Cassiel said, lifting one hand to stop his wife while carrying his daughter in the other. "I have a question. And this is pretty important."
"Yes?" Leona replied while tilting her head innocently, thinking that she had managed to divert Cassiel's attention from her joke gone wrong.
"Tell again, why do WE have to apologize to Jas?" Cassiel asked, shattering Leona's hopes. "I an, I didn't do anything wrong."
"I know, right?" Venelana added in a tone filled with schadenfreude. "I an, he was actually one of the few who trusted Jas' claims fully."
"Seriously, what do you call this?" Rhea asked, completely unconcealed amusent dancing in her eyes. "Getting hit by a stray while lying down, right?"
"Seriously, Leona, have you no sha?" Yasaka asked in a feigned tone of astonishnt. "To think you would ask your loving, caring husband to apologize for a situation you put him in, yet he had no part in... For sha."
"For sha, indeed." Venelana and Rhea added in unison.
Leona could feel her eyebrows twitching at the way her three girlfriends were adding fuel to the fire. However, the way her husband was looking at her as if he were an abandoned puppy really put the nail in the coffin.
"*Sigh* Fine..." Leona muttered while lowering her head with so guilt in her expression. "I'll tell Jas the truth. And sorry for what I did, Cass."
Hearing that, Cassiel's expression vanished as if it had never been there. He then reached out with his free hand and pulled Leona into a hug, which made Aaliyah giggle happily.
anwhile, Leona could only blink her eyes in surprise when she saw Cassiel's quick change of expression. And it took her a few monts to realized what happened.
"Wow! He got ." Leona muttered in a shocked tone.
With that, Venelana, Rhea, and Yasaka laughed at Leona's expense. However, before the conversation could continue, a [Communications Magic Circle] appeared next to Rhea's ear.
Taking a quick look at the circle, expecting it to be from her husband, Dante Sitri, Rhea's expression turned confused when she saw it was from the Sitri dical Center. Then, with that sa confused expression on her face, Rhea injected a bit of her Demonic Power into the magic circle and listened to what the person on the other side had to say.
And as ti went by, Rhea's complexion grew more and more pale, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Then, by the ti the magic circle was dispelled, on top of being pale as a sheet, Rhea's eyes were filled with unshed tears, as well.
"Rhea, what's wrong?" Venelana asked while reaching out and taking Rhea's hand in her own.
Rhea did not answer imdiately, however. Even though she wanted to, in order to vent her emotions, she just could not form the words. Instead, the only thing she could do is let the tears pooling in her eyes slide down her cheeks.
*Flash!*
A few more monts passed. And just as Rhea finally opened her mouth to speak, the group who had been training in the Team DxD Base teleported into the living room. Yet, when they felt the atmosphere in the room, they remained silent. So, they were all able to hear Rhea when she finally said what she heard from the [Communications Magic Circle].
"Dante... he... he..." Rhea said, her voice shaking heavily with every word. "he's... falling victim to the Sleep Disease... One of the servants found him in a coma in his office. And when they took him to the dical Center, the doctors said it was the early stages of Sleep Disease. Although he shouldn't have completely succumbed yet and should wake up in a few hours to a few days. It's only a matter of ti before he falls asleep and never wakes up again.
With that, the room fell into a somber silence before it was broken by a barely audible whisper from the closest person to Dante Sitri in the room, other than his wife, Rhea.
"No way..." Sona whispered in a despairing tone while she lost balance as her legs gave out.
Luckily, Jas was nearby to catch her. Jas then turned to look at Tatsuo with a solemn expression on his face.
"Hey, Tatsuo, you think that would work?" Jas asked in a serious tone.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Tatsuo replied in just as serious a tone. "But it definitely wouldn't make things worse. So, it's worth a try."
While most of those present were confused by Tatsuo's and Jas' conversation, Aletia and Tio understood where they were going with this, as they knew about the reward Tatsuo received for completing the last [Dinsional Chat Mission].
anwhile, Tatsuo and Jas nodded at each other before Jas turned to look down at Sona, who was leaning in his arms. Then, he turned his gaze to the distraught Rhea, who was being consoled by Leona, Venelana, and Yasaka.
"Well, I don't wanna get your hopes up." Jas said, his voice cutting through the solemn atmosphere. "But... There might be sothing we can do about this... More specifically, sothing Tatsuo can do about this."
Hearing that, as if grasping at straws, Sona and Rhea snapped their heads in Jas direction. anwhile, everyone else turned to look at Jas, as well, hoping to hear Jas' explanation, too.
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