High School DxD: Return of the Crimson Dragon Emperor

Chapter 190: Chapter 182: Crisis of the Red Dragon Emperor’s Retinue!?

It happened a few days after I underwent the ceremony and officially ascended to the rank of high-ranking devil.

”Good morning, Issei.”

”Morning, Rias.”

Even after my promotion changed my status, our morning greetings remained as familiar as ever.

The breakfast table was set with a Western spread today—bread, ham and eggs, salad, and soup. Man, having so many people pitch in really expands the menu! After a grueling training session, my stomach was growling, and everything looked downright delicious!

No, scratch that—it was delicious!

Grrrrrrumble...

A loud, unmistakable growl echoed from my gut.

Rias let out a soft chuckle. ”My, Issei, are you that hungry?”

”Haha... yeah, I guess so. Training really takes it out of me, you know?” I scratched the back of my head.

”Even after your promotion, you’re still diligent with your training,” Rias said, her tone approving.

”Well, daily practice is what keeps me strong!” I grinned. Some things don’t change, no matter how high you climb.

”Good morning, Issei-san,” Asia chimed in. ”Breakfast is ready, so please take a seat.”

”Thanks, Asia!” I plopped down at the table, where Xenovia and Irina were already seated.

That’s when my eyes met Reyna’s.

Her face flushed bright red, and she quickly looked away.

”...”

Lately—well, ever since the day after my promotion—Reyna’s been acting like this. She barely talks to me, and whenever I get close, she turns crimson and bolts. It’s been... awkward, to say the least.

Xenovia, noticing the tension, raised an eyebrow. ”What’s wrong, Reyna? You and Issei haven’t been getting along lately. Did you two have a fight or something?”

”N-no, it’s not like that! Not at all!” Reyna stammered, waving her hands frantically. She was tripping over her words, clearly flustered.

I racked my brain. A fight? I don’t remember anything like that. I hadn’t done anything to upset her, and she hadn’t done anything to me either. Honestly, I was completely clueless.

Maybe it was time to address this head-on. ”Hey, Reyna,” I said, leaning forward. ”If you’re avoiding me, I’m guessing I did something to cause it. If I hurt you somehow, I’m sorry. Just tell me what’s wrong, okay? I don’t want things to stay awkward between us. It’s not good for either of us, especially since we live together.”

I meant every word. Seeing her every day but having her avoid me? It stung. I wanted to fix this, to stay close with Reyna. If I messed up, I’d make it right.

Reyna hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. ”Um... it’s not really something to talk about at the breakfast table, with everyone here. And, um, I think it’s something you wouldn’t want everyone to know about, Issei-kun...”

Something I wouldn’t want everyone to know? What could that be? My secret stash of adult magazines? Nah, that’s old news—everyone already knows about those. Heck, the church trio even came to me once, holding one of my magazines and asking what certain words meant. Talk about embarrassing...

Xenovia was practically sparkling with curiosity, Asia and Irina were blushing but listening intently—it was chaos! Still, I couldn’t think of any secrets I was hiding. ”I don’t mind,” I said. ”Just tell me.”

”...Are you sure?” Reyna asked, her voice trembling.

”Yeah. Look at everyone’s faces—they’re dying to know. Might as well get it out now.” I’d learned from experience: keeping quiet just leads to more grilling later.

”Okay... I’ll say it then.” Reyna took a deep breath, steeling herself. ”I... I saw something.”

”Saw what?” I asked, tilting my head.

And then—

”...I saw you, Issei-kun... with Miu-san and Alice-san... doing that...”

Crack.

The air around the breakfast table froze solid.

My brain short-circuited at her words. Wait... Reyna saw what? The three of us... doing that? As in—

”WHAAAAAT!?” I shouted, my voice overlapping with the others’ cries of ”EEEEEH!?”

Reyna buried her face in her hands, her ears bright red. Was she serious!?

”When!?” I demanded.

”...The night after your ceremony...” she mumbled.

No way. She definitely saw us! That night, Miu hadn’t put up a soundproof barrier because we thought everyone was fast asleep. I hadn’t sensed Reyna’s presence at all!

”They were so... absorbed in each other, they didn’t even notice me watching,” Reyna continued, still covering her face. ”I ended up watching until morning...”

Until morning!? No wonder she looked so sleep-deprived that day!

”I saw it too,” Ophis added casually.

”Even you, Ophis!?” Kids shouldn’t be watching stuff like that!

”Every time I see Issei-kun, I can’t stop thinking about it...” Reyna admitted, her voice small. ”That’s why I’ve been avoiding you...”

Well, yeah, no kidding! I’d be embarrassed too!

”Issei,” Rias said, her smile terrifyingly calm. ”Care to explain?”

”Yes, I’d like to hear the details,” Akeno added, her own smile equally menacing.

Their gazes were intense—scarier than anything I’d faced before!

”Why didn’t you invite us!?” Rias and Akeno demanded in unison.

Invite you!? What are you even saying!?

”I’m ready to offer my purity to Issei anytime!” Xenovia declared.

”Me too! I’m prepared to give myself to Issei-kun whenever, wherever!” Irina added.

Guys, you can’t just say stuff like that at the breakfast table! And Akeno, ”anytime, anywhere”? That’s... uh... implying some wild possibilities. But if I acted on that, Barakiel would fry me with a lightning bolt for being ”impure”!

”Reyna, why didn’t you tell me when you saw it!?” Xenovia pressed.

”I got caught up in the moment and... well, it was morning before I knew it,” Reyna mumbled.

You were that engrossed!?

”Mom, can you grab the morning paper?” Dad asked, completely unfazed.

”Here you go,” Mom replied, handing it over.

Seriously, Mom and Dad? Your son’s in a crisis, and you’re worried about the newspaper!?

”Everyone, calm down! Let’s just cool off for a second! Miu, Alice, help me out here!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the dining room.

But then I realized—Miu and Alice weren’t there.

”Where are they?” I asked.

”Haven’t seen them,” Rias said, frowning. ”It’s unusual for Alice to sleep in like this.”

For a moment, I wondered if Ignis was up to something, but he was sipping tea elegantly across the table, so it wasn’t him. Miu and Alice had been struggling with mornings since becoming devils—nothing major, just yawning a bit more. But for Alice to not show up at all? Maybe she stayed up late.

”I’ll go check on them. You guys start eating,” I said, standing.

”You’re running away,” Ignis teased.

I ignored him and headed out.

First, I checked Miu’s room—empty. My room, too. That left Alice’s room.

”Alice, Miu, you guys there? Breakfast’s ready,” I called, knocking on Alice’s door.

”...Big brother? Sorry, Alice-san and I aren’t feeling great...” came Miu’s weak voice.

”Not feeling great?” Frowning, I opened the door.

There they were, Miu and Alice, lying in bed, wrapped in blankets. Their faces were pale, their expressions strained.

”Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, rushing over.

”...We’ve been feeling sluggish since this morning...” Miu murmured.

I placed a hand on their foreheads.

”Whoa, you’re burning up!” Their fevers were intense!

Hack, hack! They were coughing, too.

This was bad—

”DOCTOOOOOR! CALL AN AMBULANCE!” I yelled.

”Big brother, calm down! It’s just a cold!” Miu protested.

”No way! You’re this hot—you’re going to the hospital now!” I clenched my fist, guilt washing over me. How could I, their King, not notice my own retinue suffering? I was a failure!

I could try calming them with magic, but with symptoms this bad, it wouldn’t fix the root issue. What if it was some rare disease?

”Miu, Alice, hang on! I’ll get help!” I bolted out of the room, faintly hearing Alice mutter, ”...Idiot,” as I left.

”They’ve both caught a cold,” the doctor said after examining them at the Gremory territory’s hospital. ”It’s a type common among devils, especially reincarnated ones.”

A devil-specific cold, huh?

”What’s the treatment?” I asked.

”Same as for humans—medication and rest. I’ll prescribe some cold medicine, and they should recover soon,” the doctor replied.

Phew. Just a cold. I’d panicked over those high fevers, but this was manageable.

Rossweisse entered the room. ”Doctor, Issei-kun, they’re awake.”

They’d passed out from their fevers on the way here, but it seemed they were coming around. We moved to their hospital room, where they were sitting up, chatting with Rias and the others.

”How’re you feeling?” I asked.

”A bit better,” Miu said, looking guilty. ”The fever’s gone down. Sorry for worrying you.”

”Don’t sweat it.” I ruffled her hair. Their complexions were better, and their foreheads weren’t as hot.

The doctor checked their pulses and vitals. ”Everything looks fine. I’ll prescribe a fever reducer. Rest for a couple of days, and no strenuous activity—including late-night exercise,” he added with a wink.

Miu and Alice blushed, gripping my sleeve tightly. The room went silent as Rias and the others stared at us.

”Uh, that was a joke!” the doctor said, but the mood was already frosty.

I groaned inwardly. Not this again! We’d just been interrogated about this at breakfast!

”Also, everyone living with them should get vaccinated. This cold can spread to devils,” the doctor added, and the nurse began administering shots.

When it was Miu’s turn, her face went pale. Her arm trembled as the nurse held it.

”Miu-chan, what’s wrong?” Alice asked, concerned.

Miu curled up, shaking. ”Um, could you stretch your arm out a bit?” the nurse asked, looking troubled.

”Noooo! I hate needles!” Miu cried, tears in her eyes.

Oh, right—Miu’s terrified of injections!

BOOM!

A surge of magical energy erupted from Miu, shattering a vase and cracking the windows. The room shook as her power went wild.

CRASH!

”Gah!” The doctor slammed into the wall, foaming at the mouth. ”Someone get a doctor—oh, wait, that’s me!”

”Aaah!” Asia screamed.

”What now!?” I turned.

”Asia’s skirt got blown away by the wind!” Xenovia shouted.

”It flew out the broken window!” Irina added.

No way! I spun around to see Asia, her pink panties exposed for all to see. This was bad—if anyone else saw her like this...!

”Eek!” Reyna yelped next.

”Now what!?”

”Reyna-senpai’s clothes got torn to shreds by Miu-senpai’s wind magic,” Koneko reported calmly.

Sure enough, Reyna’s outfit was in tatters, her ample chest on full display. What a sight!

”Calm down, Miu!” Rias shouted. ”If you can handle an IV, a shot’s no big deal, right?”

True, but the IV was done while Miu was unconscious. It’s the moment the needle goes in that freaks her out—a classic fear.

I had to act. Back in middle school, Miu nearly lost control like this, but I knocked her out before it got bad. Time for a repeat.

”Sorry, Miu,” I said, then gently tapped her neck with a hand chop.

Her body went limp, the magical storm subsiding. Everyone sighed in relief, slumping from the chaos.

”Issei,” Rias said sternly. ”As their King, you need to help Miu overcome her fear of needles. This could be disastrous otherwise.”

”Haha... yeah, got it...” I muttered.

After Miu got her shot while unconscious, I apologized profusely to the hospital staff and our club members.

Back home, Miu and Alice were resting in Alice’s room for convenience. As their King, I took it upon myself to care for them, with everyone else pitching in.

”How’s the fever?” I asked.

”The medicine’s helping,” Alice said, coughing. ”My head’s still fuzzy, though.”

She was right—her cough lingered. Rest was the best option.

I poured tea into a cup and handed it to her. ”Stay hydrated, okay?”

”Thanks... it’s nice and warm,” Alice said, sipping.

”Man, both my retinue members catching colds at once,” I said with a wry smile. ”Guess we need stricter health checks.”

Alice tilted her head. ”I heard it’s a devil-specific cold. Where’d we pick it up?”

”Oh, that. The doctor thinks it’s from those merchants we summon to the basement. The virus might’ve stuck around from when you were human and triggered after you became devils.”

”Makes sense,” Alice said. ”Maybe we should make the merchants disinfect first.”

”Yep,” I chuckled.

We laughed, and I was just glad she was feeling better.

”Let’s wipe off that sweat,” I said, grabbing a cold towel and gently wiping Alice’s face.

”Mmm, that feels nice...” she murmured, closing her eyes.

”Brings back memories of Mom doing this when I was sick,” I said. ”You’re sweating a lot, huh? Your clothes might be soaked.”

”Yeah, I’ll need to change my underwear later...” Alice said.

”Rias and the others can help with that. They’re all pitching in to take care of you guys.” Mom was probably making porridge for them right now.

”All done,” I said, pulling the towel away—only for Alice to grab my hand.

”What’s up? Need something?” I asked.

She shook her head. ”Wipe my body, too... I want you to do it.”

”Me?” I pointed at myself, and she nodded, her face flushing.

”Do it... please,” she urged.

”Uh, okay. Can you take off your pajamas?”

”...You do it,” she said softly.

Whaaaat!? Why was she being so forward—and clingy!?

”Please...” Her eyes were misty, pleading.

How could I say no to my adorable Queen? Taking a deep breath, I reached for her pajama buttons, undoing them one by one. Her smooth, pale skin came into view, and the heat radiating from her sent my heart racing.

I slid off her bra, and her breasts bounced free. Wait a sec...

”Did they... get bigger?” I asked. After our match with Sairaorg, I’d noticed a slight increase, and Alice had been thrilled. But now? They seemed even larger.

”Y-yeah... a bit, since... you know, that night,” she mumbled.

No way! They grew after that? I was overjoyed—tears of pride welled up! Sure, they weren’t Rias or Miu-level, but I was thrilled for her!

As I basked in the moment, Alice wrapped her arms around my neck. ”Wanna... do it again?”

”Huh?”

”If you want, I’m ready...” she whispered.

Ready for what!?

”I’m okay with it, too, big brother. Anytime,” Miu’s voice chimed in.

I whipped around—she was awake! And half-naked, her pajamas off!

”You’re sweating, too! You’ll make your cold worse!” I said, grabbing a towel. ”Hold on, I’ll wipe you down.”

”It’s fine... I’ll probably sweat more soon anyway...” Miu said with a sly grin.

Wait, was this happening!? Were they serious!?

”You guys are sick, but you’re awfully lively!” I stammered as both clung to me, topless.

”Big brother...”

”Issei...”

They leaned in closer—

Click.

”Issei, the porridge is—huh?” Rias stood in the doorway, tray in hand.

”Rias-neesama!? Issei-san!?” Asia gasped, right behind her.

Here we go again. One by one, the others filed in, their jaws dropping at the sight.

”Another late-night exercise session!?” they chorused.

Needless to say, I got another round of interrogations.

Oh, and one more thing—I caught their cold and ended up being nursed by the girls in nurse outfits.

--+--

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