[Romani Oyama]
Behind the occult research club, I was in a situation that was, at the very least, strange.
"Akeno-senpai, is this really necessary?" The question slipped from my lips as I manipulated my demonic power, all while a black-haired girl sat mounted on top of me.
And again, I had nothing but a pair of boxers covering my body.
For some reason, I still couldn't quite wrap my head around, Akeno had chosen this particular training method.
Her voluptuous body was in perfect contact with mine. Her round bottom pressed against my groin, making my champion harden instantly. The sensation was almost maddening as it aligned between the luscious curves of her rear, nestling there as if it had found the place it had always been searching for.
"My, my~! You need to be able to manipulate your demonic power even under intense pressure…" The words slipped from her lips in a seductive whisper, while a red flush spread across her face.
The inconsistency was comically obvious: even with her cheeks ablaze, she began swaying her rear in a sinful manner, grinding against my lap. The friction of her fleshy backside against my hardened member was a kind of refined torture I was fairly certain the Church would not endorse.
Isn't this a little too much?
Wearing nothing but boxers, my member throbbed quite visibly as I fought to focus on the flow of demonic energy that was supposed to be circulating through my body.
It was absolutely impossible to ignore the soft sensation of her pressing against me.
"Akeno-senpai… this is…" My words died when her hips rotated in provocative circles, driving my member even deeper between the warm curves of her rear.
"Ara! Ara! Roman-kun," she tilted her head slightly, her long black hair sliding over her shoulder. "If you can't handle a little pressure like this, how are you going to face real enemies?"
I doubt a real enemy is going to grind in my lap.
Even so, biting down hard on my lip, I tried to direct my attention to my demonic power as Akeno continued pleasuring me with her rear.
After a few minutes of this pleasurable torture, my demonic energy finally began circulating through my body in a controlled manner, brushing aside the external interference with a stability that even I was surprised by.
"My, my! Congratulations, Roman-kun!" Akeno rose from my lap, turning to face me.
Her eyes dropped for a few seconds to my friend standing at attention inside the boxers, and her face took on an even deeper shade of crimson.
Well… that was indeed a little embarrassing.
Putting on a calm smile I didn't actually feel, I rose from the floor without bothering to hide my erection, simultaneously dispersing my demonic power. Thanks to Akeno's "orthodox" training method, I could now conceal my demonic power at will. The pleasurable torture had, in its own way, borne fruit.
Not that I could complain much about Akeno's impromptu lap dance, if I'm being honest.
"So my little kouhai really has nothing little about him." Akeno raised a hand, lightly covering her lips with her fingertips, her eyes glimmering with satisfaction.
Seriously? A pun? My eyes rolled as my arm dropped limply to my side, returning to my usual lazy posture.
"Well, well! For a job well done by my Roman-kun, I, your senior, will grant any wish of yours!" Akeno raised her hand in a victorious gesture, giving her enormous chest a proud smack, sending those mountains of creamy flesh shuddering violently.
"So… what does my Roman-kun want his Akeno-senpai to do?"
This girl is going to make my balls explode someday. A dry smile drew itself across my lips as I observed her serious expression. She was definitely being serious. Naturally, my thoughts wandered for a moment into considerably less chaste territory… however, there was something specific I wanted.
"Well…" I raised my hand slowly, scratching my cheek.
"Come on, speak up! Your senpai will grant your wish." Akeno leaned slightly toward me, giving me an unobstructed view of the deep valley between her breasts.
"Go on a date with me?"
My eyes drifted from the valley of her chest to meet hers directly.
Silence.
Akeno blinked several times, appearing deeply surprised by my request.
"Seriously!?" She tilted her head to the side, expression puzzled.
"More serious than an acute myocardial infarction."
In my previous life, I had never experienced a date with a girl. So why not take this opportunity with a senior who acts like an older sister, right?
Akeno was still staring at me in surprise, but a moment later, her cheeks turned a deep shade of red as a smile slowly formed on her lips.
"A-Alright." She placed her hand over her lips, suddenly assuming that expression of a pure lady. "T-Then, I'll leave all the arrangements to you, Roman-kun."
"Of course, leave it to me." I smiled at her, which somehow made her face turn even redder.
Huh? My shameless senior actually looks cute when she's playing the pure lady, doesn't she?
As that thought crossed my mind, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of red hair strands at the club window. When I looked directly, there was nothing but the glass reflecting the interior light.
Strange.
✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧
So it seemed I had a date scheduled with a girl. Considering my previous life as a loner, that was a pretty big step for someone like me.
Dragging my feet back home, a faint smile appeared on my lips as I tried to keep my eyes open.
But planning a date was harder than I expected. With my usual laziness, I decided to think about it later.
In the meantime, releasing a wide yawn, I moved my body toward a nearby alley.
Why?
Well, for the simple reason that someone was following me. Scary, right? Nah! Actually, this was kind of fun. I finally had my first murderous pursuer.
Something was definitely wrong with me.
Setting aside my questionable mental state, the only reason I noticed I was being followed was thanks to Akeno. Because of her training, I could now perceive the energy surrounding me with keenness. And that energy was definitely not demonic.
After all, demonic power was chaotic and dense. The energy my pursuer wasn't even bothering to conceal felt more natural… could it be mana?
Not entirely certain, I simply smiled and walked deeper into the alley, ensuring that my mysterious pursuer and I were the only two living souls in the area.
Yawning, my steps halted, and my stalker's footsteps stopped as well.
"Well, we've reached our destination, Mr. Stalker…" The words left my lips as I turned around. However, upon seeing the face of whoever was following me, my eyes blinked in disappointment.
"Issei Hyoudou!?"
Exactly. My pursuer was none other than my perverted classmate. So he possessed mana? That was a little surprising. I had thought he was just an average harasser at Kuoh Academy.
"I'm not your stalker, you filthy devil." Issei raised his hand to his chest, throwing me a look of pure hatred.
Devil!? Oh! In a single day, Issei Hyoudou had surprised me twice. I had to give him credit for that.
"How do you know I'm a devil?" I asked curiously, tilting my head to the side.
"What? You're not even going to try to deny it?" A mocking smile rose on his lips.
"Nah! That sounds like way too much effort." I moved my arms, shrugging. "Besides, since you're a stalker, you must already know that denying it would be pointless."
"I AM NOT A STALKER!"
"Well… you were following me in the shadows, staring at me intensely during class… a few times I even heard you murmuring my name while sleeping on your desk. Although I don't play for your team and prefer women, thank you for the feeling, but I cannot return your sentiments." I couldn't help but reject his confession before he even had the chance to make it, to spare him the embarrassment.
"I hope we can just be friends." I raised my hand, offering a faint, listless smile. Man, I was good at breaking hearts. Should I open a course?
"…"
Issei Hyoudou slowly blinked his eyes, looking completely incredulous.
"What did you just say?"
"Dude, just accept it. I don't want your love." Some people are really too stubborn.
"Go fuck yourself." Issei raised his hand, pointing in my direction, overflowing with hatred. "I'm not in love with you!"
"Wow, how rude." With a lazy smile, I twirled a strand of black hair around my finger. "Then why do you keep staring at me?"
"Because I hate you." The mana in his body began increasing dramatically.
My eyes half-narrowed, noting that he possessed a considerable amount of mana.
"Hatred!? Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?"
"Exaggerating…" he smiled maliciously as he raised his hand, massaging his neck. "You, you second-rate random, don't you think it's perfectly normal to have contempt for an NPC who doesn't even exist in the original work, surrounded by my women?"
Random!?
NPC?
My women?
This guy doesn't happen to suffer from protagonist syndrome, does he?
"This is a warning…" Issei moved his hand, throwing a violent punch at the wall, burying his fist deep into the concrete. "Stay away from Rias Gremory's magnificent breasts, from Akeno's splendid breasts, and from Koneko's small and beautiful breasts. They will be my future wives."
Silence.
The smile disappeared from my lips. Huh? Honestly, why am I bothered by him talking about the girls that way?
Why the hell am I bothered by that?
I asked myself this with complete seriousness, waiting for a reasonable answer. Some rational justification I could catalog and file away in the recesses of my mind.
Concern for people in the same group? Basic sense of decency? Natural protection over allies?
No answer came. The only thing that passed through my mind was a single, primitive, and unsettling word:
Mine.
My eyes blinked in absolute surprise, noting the possessive word crossing my consciousness.
But before I could absorb this new side of myself that I hadn't even known I possessed, Issei Hyoudou's voice completely cut through my thoughts.
"So, devil, I am the protagonist of this world." He pulled his fist from the wall, fragments of concrete falling from his knuckles. "I hope you got the message, and stay away from my women, or else…" his eyes half-narrowed as his mana intensified further.
"Just shut up." I raised my hand, passing it through my hair, releasing my demonic power. "Protagonist!? My women? You're just a delusional guy." I smiled as the air around me suddenly grew colder, small ice crystals forming.
"You… I have a system… I own a Sacred Gear, the Longinus."
"Enough stalling. Let's just kill each other like proper men." Ignoring his words, I simply raised my hand, creating a purple ice lance pulsing with demonic power. I let a savage smile form on my lips as I moved my arm, hurling the lance at full speed down the alley toward the guy who fancied himself the protagonist of the world.
Author's Note: Issei has officially revealed that he suffers from a terminal case of Main Character Syndrome. Unfortunately for him, Romani's response to long speeches about destiny, protagonists, and "my women" is usually violence.