"Not a chance! What do you take my lust for?!"
At the very least, I think it's something completely unnecessary in a place like this…
Remembering that moment when my desires clashed head-on with reality, Issei slumped his shoulders and lost all his energy as we returned to our seats.
"I-Issei? Are you alright?"
"Rias… sorry. I'll just think about the greatest boobs in Heaven later…"
"Nyahahahaha! To think you could actually control him this cleanly, no surprise coming from a long-time acquaintance since middle school!"
Kuroka was barely holding back her laughter as she watched Issei sink into a low mood. Well, if you spend your life constantly restraining a bunch of perverts, you eventually learn how to pull their reins.
Normally, Rias and Akeno would be comforting Issei by pressing him against their ample chests, but even they seemed to be holding back here in Heaven.
"Oh? Isn't that the Occult Research Club? Ah, right, you were coming to Heaven today, weren't you?"
"Dulio. Finished your walk?"
The one who appeared after Gabriel was Dulio, the leader of D×D.
"Walk"… he means one of his usual food tours, or did he go somewhere like the Third Heaven?
Well… no point in digging deeper.
"Michael-sama. I'm sorry for taking a break at such a busy time."
"Not at all. In busy times, rest is necessary. And you will be helping with the Christmas present deliveries, correct?"
"Of course. Leave it to me. I'm good at delivering gifts. I can't help much with preparations, but I'll make up for it on the day!"
The Joker of Heaven seemed just as busy as expected.
Information about Kriem's remnants of Klypoth was gradually being uncovered, and disturbances were likely occurring in various regions.
"Michael-sama, should we discuss that matter as well?"
Griselda stepped forward and made her suggestion. Michael nodded.
"Yes… it would be best to inform you. Churches around the world are being attacked one after another. Not only headquarters, but even senior members at branch offices have suffered casualties. The attackers remain unknown, but traces of Evil Dragons were found at the scenes…"
"Qlippoth… right?"
At Rias's deduction, Michael nodded.
"Yes. We cannot be certain, but it is highly likely. Since their target seems to be church-related individuals, the Kuoh Town church may also be targeted. Please remain cautious."
With that warning, our time in Heaven came to an end.
========
After finishing our business in Heaven, we returned to Issei's house via the teleportation room beneath it, using the Heavenly elevator.
"Riassss! I-IkkI is bullying meee!"
The moment Issei was released from the "ban on lust zone" (Heaven), he immediately ran crying to Rias, but we ignored him and began sharing impressions of Heaven.
Seriously… he's still hung up on that?
"Ara ara… still, it really was a wonderful place. Seeing it in person is very different from imagining it."
"Yes. It was unfortunate we couldn't see much, but I never imagined I, a pure-blooded demon, would enter Heaven…"
For reincarnated devils, Heaven might be something they can vaguely imagine visiting after death but for Rias and Ravel, born as pure blooded devils, it was likely something they had never considered at all.
"If I had to say, I was curious about 'Zebel,' where the Seraphs reside. It would be fun to recreate that white palace as a cake."
Yuuto's comment sounded just like him, given his passion for sweets.
A castle cake did exist in the human world… but imagining a devil biting into the Seraphs' residence felt oddly questionable.
Eventually, Issei recovered thanks to Rias's chest and we headed to the living room.
At the door, cheerful voices could already be heard.
Inside, Issei's mother was chatting with a brown-haired man in priest-like attire.
"Hello everyone. Sorry for intruding."
"Papa!"
Irina literally jumped at the man.
"Ah, my angel! Have you been well?"
"Of course, Papa!"
"This is my father, Touji Shidou. He works at the church's UK branch, but today he came to Japan to work with me. Let's make this Christmas great together."
So he was the one who proposed the Christmas present distribution plan.
A priest… or rather, a pastor.¹
Before further discussions, it was already dinner time, so we all decided to eat at Issei's house.
The renovated mansion-sized house had a large kitchen, and Rias, Akeno, and Asia helped Issei's mother cook while the dishes quickly piled up.
The boys handled serving and cleaning.
With that many people, the kitchen was too crowded for more cooks anyway.
"I wonder… with this many women around, I hardly ever get a chance to cook. Maybe I should try cooking with Ravel and the others sometime?"
"Ikki… you can cook?"
"Alright, Issei. Let's go deeper into your perception of me for a second."
What an insulting guy.
I mean… I wasn't that bad. Right?
For example, back when I trained in mountain survival with Kuroka, I even tried various recipes from cookbooks at home. I wasn't a master chef, but I definitely knew the basics.
"I'll say this in advance—I've studied cooking at least to a decent level. I can handle basic seasoning at minimum."
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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