The next morning… well, it was only three in the morning, so I suppose it was still technically night.
After being ambushed by Ignis, I had been narrowly rescued by Miu and the others, who had come running when they heard my (rather undignified) screams.
Because I'd been turned into a girl, things had almost spiraled out of control. Akeno and Raynare were about to jump on the bandwagon with Ignis, and it nearly turned into a disaster of epic proportions.
In the end, it was Miu, Rias, Asia, and Rossweisse who stepped in to stop them. Thanks to those four, my "purity" remained intact. In that moment, I made a silent, solemn vow to pamper the four of them with everything I had later on.
Anyway, after the chaos subsided, I ended up sleeping in the same room as Miu.
Looking at Miu's sleeping face now, the conversation I'd overheard from Mom and Dad yesterday came flooding back, and I felt a lump form in my throat.
The depth of the love Mom felt when she brought me into this world. The care they both poured into raising me. And the quiet, constant anxiety they felt while waiting for me to come home. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude, but also a pang of guilt for the constant worry I caused them.
But as Ignis said, if simply showing them my smile is an act of filial piety, then that's what I'll keep doing. Given my position, I know I'll have to walk into dangerous places again. Even so, I want to return to them every single time as if nothing had happened. I reaffirmed that resolve in the quiet of the room.
And there was one more thing.
Hearing Mom call Miu and the others her "daughters" made me as happy as if it had been said to me directly.
Both Mom and Dad have always had a soft spot for the girls. Ever since Miu joined our household, they've doted on her as if she were their own flesh and blood. The same goes for Asia, Rias, and everyone else. I knew that.
Yet, the emotion from last night hadn't faded one bit. It sat right there, warm and steady in the center of my chest.
I reached out and gently stroked Miu's black hair as she slept soundly beside me. It was as silky and beautiful as ever. More than anything, her sleeping face was just... peaceful. Seeing her like this every morning has become my greatest source of healing.
After a while, Miu's eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Mm... Big Brother...?"
"Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No... it's okay. But... it's only three o'clock, isn't it? Isn't it a bit early to be up?"
"Well... yeah. I guess so. I just couldn't really sleep..."
"Is it... because of what happened yesterday?"
"...Yeah."
As I nodded, Miu pushed herself up to face me. She wore a smile that was impossibly bright for the hour.
"I was so happy... when Mom called me her daughter. I already knew, deep down... that both she and Dad saw me as family, even without a blood connection. But hearing it out loud like that... it meant everything to me."
"Me too. Getting to see the depth of their feelings like that... it really hit me. To be honest... right before Ignis started her nonsense, I was actually in here crying by myself."
"Eh...?" Miu blinked.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my cheek and lowered my voice. "A grown man, crying alone in his room. It's pretty pathetic, right? But I couldn't stop the tears. Happy tears, mostly..."
"It's not weird at all," Miu said, shaking her head cutely. "I cried too, remember?"
She gave me a comforting look. "Parents are such a huge presence, aren't they? They might not always say it, but they're always watching over us."
"Yeah. You know... I've been through a lot, and I thought I'd grown up compared to how I used to be. But yesterday made me realize I've still got a long way to go. I've trained, gotten stronger, seen the world, and I can think about complex things now... but at the end of the day, I'm still just a kid."
That was the truth. No matter how big I get, how much power I wield, or how sharp my mind becomes—to my parents, I'll always be their child.
I sprawled out on the bed, staring up at the canopy. The residual warmth of the bed and the smooth texture of the sheets felt incredibly comfortable.
"I don't think I can ever truly catch up to Mom or Dad as I am now," I muttered. "If we ever do catch up, I bet it'll be when—"
"—When we become parents ourselves, right?" Miu finished for me.
I nodded once. "Probably. When that time comes, I think we'll finally understand how they feel. What it truly means to be a parent."
"I don't know if we'll ever be as 'great' as they are, though," Miu teased with a wry smile. "Our parents are a pretty tough act to follow."
"No kidding."
We both shared a quiet, sibling-like laugh. Miu shifted closer, nestling against me and using my arm as a pillow. Then, with a look of absolute sincerity, she spoke.
"I'm so glad I became a daughter of this house. To be Issei's sister, and Mom and Dad's daughter... But, listening to Mom yesterday gave me a little bit of a selfish wish."
"A selfish wish?"
Miu looked me straight in the eye.
"I want to become your wife and have your baby! And then, I want to show Mom and Dad how happy we are. I know I've said it before, so it might not sound new, but I really mean it. I want to become even happier than I am now and show them our smiles."
"...I see. Yeah, you're right."
Between my parents, Irina's father, and even Barakiel-san... it felt like everyone was pestering us for grandkids lately. For the first time, I felt like I truly understood why.
I took Miu's hand in mine.
"I feel the same way, Miu. And... do you mind if I say something too? This might also sound like old news, and I know I've said similar things before, but..."
"What is it?"
We gazed at each other. I leaned in closer, my voice soft but steady.
"Miu... let's get married. I love you. Truly, deeply love you."
"....! Yes!"
Miu's eyes grew misty as she nodded with a radiant smile. We both wanted to repay our parents, and I knew now that the best way to do that was to show them our happiness.
Miu wiped her eyes, giving a little huff of a laugh. "Geez, Big Brother. That was a bit of a sneak attack."
"W-was it? I feel like I've been saying things like that for a while now..."
"It's different when you look me in the eye and say it properly. Especially when it's from the person I love most. Oh, and make sure you do that for Rias-san and the others too, okay? It wouldn't be fair if it was just me. They all love you just as much."
"Ahaha... I plan to. I mean, I can't let the girls take the lead all the time, right? It's not very manly. I need to step up and tell them myself... eventually."
Miu smiled warmly at my blushing face.
After breakfast, Asia and I headed out to a specific location.
Hidden beneath Kuoh Town was a vast, subterranean space. Within this domed cavern, protected by heavy magical barriers, sat a large, round object—a dragon egg.
This egg belonged to a rare species known as the "Rainbow Specter Dragon," which had been entrusted to me by Tannin-ossan.
According to him, the atmosphere of the Underworld was detrimental to the egg, so he decided to keep it in the human world where the air was cleaner. Specifically, he chose this town because it's one of the most heavily guarded places on Earth.
The D×D members took turns checking on it. Today was mine and Asia's turn... but we weren't the only ones there.
"I never would have pegged you for the babysitting type."
Standing before me was Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, currently hugging the massive egg.
"I have never raised a child. I am curious."
To be honest, Ophis came here every single day. The combination of the keywords "Egg," "Hatching," and "Dragon" had piqued her interest. Despite her eternal existence, it seemed she had never actually witnessed the moment a dragon was born from an egg.
"Hee-hee-foo... Hee-hee-foo..."
I wondered who on earth taught Ophis the Lamaze breathing method. Also, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to do that before the egg is laid, not to the egg itself...
"..."
There was one more visitor in the cavern.
Sitting a short distance away, wrapped in a black coat, was a man who kept a steady, silent gaze on Ophis. Crom Cruach was here as well. Apparently, since he found out Ophis was frequenting this place, he had started coming along to observe her behavior.
...From a distance, it just looked like a strange man staring intently at a young girl. In the normal world, someone would have definitely called the police.
However, since he had Tannin-ossan's permission, his presence wasn't considered a problem. Though he was once our enemy, talking to him had made one thing clear: this Evil Dragon is a dragon through and through. He isn't like Grendel. He simply lives for his own freedom and seeks to understand where the dragon race is headed.
He's still a bit of an enigma, though...
Asia walked over to Crom Cruach. "Um, excuse me. Please, have this if you'd like."
She pulled a bunch of bananas from her bag. They were the same kind Ophis always carried around for snacks. She usually gave them to Fafnir or the four Evil Dragon brothers...
I wondered if Asia had developed some strange mental equation that "Dragon = Bananas."
...Then again, there was that other gluttonous Hero staying at my house. He was usually right there next to Ophis, stuffing his face with bananas too.
"They're called bananas. They're very tasty," Asia said with a smile.
"..."
Crom Cruach accepted the bananas in silence, looking slightly bewildered by the polite young girl in front of him.
After handing them over, Asia gave a polite bow and returned to my side. "I've been coming here with Ophis-san quite often lately," she told me.
The two of them had become quite close. When we visited Heaven, the topic had come up—Asia's talent as a "Dragon Subduer" was becoming legendary. She had contracts with Dragon Kings and could even tame Evil Dragons. Since only dark gods or evil deities had managed to command Evil Dragons in the past, Asia's talent might actually be on a divine level.
Asia herself probably just thinks she's making friends. But then again, maybe it's her very purity that draws the dragons to her.
Thinking of dragons, one concern came to mind.
"...How is Fafnir doing?"
The Golden Dragon King had been gravely wounded protecting Asia during the battle in Heaven. He had shown me the true meaning of a Dragon's Wrath for her sake.
However, after enduring Rizevim's relentless assault, Fafnir had fallen into a deep, comatose state. Thanks to Asia's healing, his physical wounds had closed, but...
Asia shook her head sadly.
...Still no response, then. Everyone assumed that he wasn't answering Asia's summons because his consciousness hadn't returned yet, given the severity of the damage. It made sense.
But then, Ophis spoke up.
"No need for worry. Fafnir is fighting."
"He is a Dragon King. He is not the type to retreat," Crom Cruach added with a serious expression—while still holding the bunch of bananas.
Asia and I looked at each other, total blanks in our minds. We had no idea what these two dragons were talking about.
Fafnir is fighting?
In his current state? How? And where?
If he was going to bare his fangs at anyone, it would be Rizevim, the one who hurt Asia... but there was no way he was engaging him right now. He shouldn't have the strength for that.
While I was lost in thought, the clock struck noon.
"It's about time for lunch," I said to Ophis. "What do you want to do? I think it's spaghetti today."
After giving the egg one last, lingering pat, Ophis came trotting over to me.
"I will not miss a meal."
Good grief, our Dragon God is quite the glutton...
Though, I suppose that's part of her charm. She really is our household mascot. I lifted Ophis up and sat her on my shoulders.
"When I do this, you really do look like a kid."
"I like it here," Ophis murmured.
Oho, so the Dragon God approves of the shoulder ride. I'd done it a few times before, and now she seemed to prefer it even over sitting on my lap.
I turned to see what our other Evil Dragon guest was up to, but...
"Wait, when did he leave...?"
Crom Cruach was gone. I guess as soon as he saw Ophis leaving, he decided to clock out too.
"Shall we go, Asia?"
"Yes!"
We made our way out of the cavern.
For the record, Crom Cruach made sure to take his bananas with him.
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