Chapter 61: When You Protect

Ichigo lay perfectly still, staring at nothing in particular while being acutely aware of two very important facts.

The first was that he was probably the luckiest bastard alive.

The second was that if he moved even a millimeter, he’d wake up the two utterly gorgeous naked women he had just spent the best night of his life with.

Ever so carefully, he turned to his left where Yasaka was curled against his side, tucked into the crook of his arm as his hand lay gently on the curve of her hip. Almost instinctively he rubbed his fingers across the smoothness of his wife’s skin. Her face was pressed to his shoulder, warm breath ghosting over his skin, and her lips - soft, idle, and utterly unconscious - were latched to his collarbone with faint, languid determination. Not biting. Not kissing. Just… there. Comfortably occupied.

Ichigo had to clamp down on a laugh before it could escape him. But his chest still rumbled faintly from mirth, and Yasaka shifted, murmuring something incoherent against his skin.

Even asleep, he thought, she can’t escape that fetish of hers.

He tilted his head just a bit more to look down at her, golden hair spilled across his chest, one of her hands fisted lightly in the sheets near his ribs as though she feared he might vanish if she let go. Over the years, this had become one of his favorite things to do, waking up before Yasaka and basking in those unguarded expressions as she slumbered.

There was no haughty regality in her across her brows. Nor the shy and innocent looks mixed with coyness that immediately jumpstarted his aggressive devilish nature. No, just the warmth of dappled sunlight and the naked vulnerability that mesmerized him every morning he woke with his wife in his arms.

Damn did his Yasaka look cute as hell when she was sleeping.

Carefully, very carefully, Ichigo turned his gaze to the right.

Tiamat had claimed that side of him with far less subtlety.

One arm was locked around his bicep, fingers curled possessively as though she had every intention of never letting go of him again. Her breath was slow and even, cool against his shoulder, and sometime in the night she had tangled one leg over his hip, thigh pressed firmly between hers. His hand was also trapped there, palm warm against bare skin, pinned by her weight and the unmistakable intent of a woman who did not enjoy relinquishing what she considered hers.

Another frequent sight of many mornings he had woken to in the Underworld.

Ichigo closed his eyes and exhaled slowly through his nose.

Last night had been wild… no, beyond wild. His wife and his girlfriend had done things, unspeakable things across not just the bedroom, but through dimensions. He and Tiamat had introduced Yasaka to their “paint the sky” play they often partook in in more adventurous experiments. And – fucking Lucifer – the Sun hadn’t even gone down when they started. Amaterasu probably had a front row seat as he and Tiamat defiled her High Priestess in her domain of the sky…

Oh well, that’ll teach the Celestial Sun to stick out of his business from now on.

Ah.

And then there was later in the night where Yasaka and he had brought Tiamat down under the bowels of Yasaka’s palace. It had been quite the conversation when Ichigo had discovered that Yasaka enjoyed being tied up in her own tails… introducing Tiamat to that kind of play was something he had never dreamed of.

Well, actually, no. He had dreamed of it. He just never had the courage, nor the foolishness, to try and share his sex life with Yasaka with Tiamat. There had always been an unsaid mutual agreement to keep his respective lives with his two loves separate. Unless circumstances demanded otherwise.

A part of him now wondered if this was going to be new status quo from now on. He certainly wouldn’t mind having a regular ménage à trois like they did last night. And with that thought, Ichigo had to peer over the two heads of gold and white as he felt himself harden in anticipation.

He let out a leaden sigh… damn his devilish urges. It was like being a teenager all over again.

He quickly dismissed his lusty thoughts and set his mind back to the dynamics of his ‘fairy tale’, as Grayfia-nee liked to put it. Yeah, Ichigo would love it if this became the new norm, and not just for the mind-blowing sex. He always wanted Yasaka and Tiamat to get along. He had always wanted something more than just a formal accord and delicate balance between the two powerful women.

Was it selfish of him? Oh, yeah, absolutely. He had enough self-awareness to acknowledge the stress of their three-way relationship was solely his to bear. But, hey, Demon. He didn’t really have to follow human social conventions now, did he?

All that mattered to him was that Yasaka and Tiamat were happy. If they were happy together, and that became a regular thing, all the better.

And it was then that the first note of sourness twinged in Ichigo’s mind since he had awoken this blissful morning. Because, again, he realized that none of this would have happened if not for that bastard Tsukiyomi.

Fuck, Ichigo may actually owe the Shinto Moon a debt.

Ichigo supposed he could do his best to chuck him into Hell as painlessly as possible… which, admittedly, was a moot point once he actually was in Hell. Eternal damnation and torment and all that, after all.

Speaking of unpleasant things, Ichigo’s mood further darkened as he realized he couldn’t stay much longer. He needed to recover fully, and the fastest way to do that was to re-seal himself inside his inner sanctum.

Which led to a dilemma. Getting out of bed without waking the two beautiful naked women lying on top of him.

And, as far as dilemmas went, it was arguably the single most wonderful dilemma of his life. But it’s a dilemma, nonetheless.

Part of him, an increasingly persuasive part, suggested that he should simply stay. Let the world wait. Let the Empire and Khaos Brigade and the endless cascade of responsibilities fester for another day. The universe had survived worse. Ichigo had survived worse.

Alas, the more responsible part of him, however, reminded him that his body was still unstable, that he really, really needed to get back to one hundred percent for the safety and security of countless souls. Not to mention that there were dozens of things he needed to take care of before he was sealed back inside the Irameron to finish healing as a Crown Prince being absent for weeks rarely went unnoticed or bode well.

Reluctantly, duty won in Ichigo’s mind.

So, he set his prodigious talents and mind into solving his most fortuitous dilemma.

Intangibility was out. The moment his shoulders lost substance, both Yasaka and Tiamat would drop straight onto the mattress, and the resulting indignation would be… loud. Holding them in place with magic wasn’t any better. Yasaka would feel it instantly, and Tiamat would feel it even faster and they would both wake up and that would lead to another long and heartfelt conversation.

And the thing was, Ichigo couldn’t just wake them and go, hey, thanks for the threesome, gotta run!

Lucifer, they’d strangle him on the spot if he tried something like that.

He was, in short, trapped.

Ichigo stared up at the ceiling for a long moment before a sudden epiphany hit.

“Oh, Hell yeah,” he murmured under his breath. “We compromise on the best of both worlds.”

He drew in a slow breath and let a fraction of his demonic essence spill outward. It curled out of his mouth like smoke, red and black ash swirling together in a lazy spiral before drifting away from the bed. The cloud thickened, condensed, and then, quietly and deliberately, resolved itself into the shape of a man.

Namely, him.

The clone looked down at himself, flexed his fingers once, then turned a flat stare back toward the bed.

‘Oh, fuck you,’ came the immediate mental transmission. ‘You stay here cuddling with two beautiful naked women and you send me to run all the errands!?’

Ichigo kept his face neutral, but inwardly he snipped back in annoyance. ‘Just shut up and go!’

The clone snorted. ‘No wonder Zangetsu is always attacking us; imagine being such a big asshole, even you don’t like you.’

Before Ichigo could respond, the clone’s gaze flicked to the nightstand and Ichigo felt the tug of telekinesis as his phone lifted silently into the air.

‘What are you-,’ Ichigo began mentally, but the clone leaned over the bed, angled the camera just right, and snapped several pictures in quick succession.

Ichigo widened his eyes in confusion.

‘What the Hell are you doing?’

“For posterity,” the clone whispered out loud, snapping one more photo for good measure.

Ichigo paused, then relaxed.

…Okay, yeah. Fair.

The clone smirked, slid the phone into his pocket, and stepped away from the bed. With a last look that was equal parts envy and irritation, he dissolved into shadow and slipped through the door without a sound.

For his part, Ichigo lay there for a moment longer, listening to the soft rhythm of breathing on either side of him, before closing his eyes again.

With considerable care, he hugged Yasaka a bit tighter against him and leaned down to give Tiamat a soft kiss on her head.

Yeah… just a bit longer.

------

As clone Ichigo manifested on the other side of the door leading to Yasaka’s bedroom, thoughts seething jealous, the sun was well on its way up. A pair of maids approached him as he made his way down and through the outer hall. Their bows were crisp and smiles perfectly polite.

“Good morning You Highness, shall we have breakfast prepared?”

Ichigo shook his head. “No, I’ll eat with everyone else once they’re awake.”

They bowed again and withdrew without comment.

Ichigo headed for the gardens; he needed a quick walk to sort out his thoughts and promptly decide his immediate course of action for the rest of the day so that his main body could re-enter the Irameron without distraction… after the lucky bastard was done with his cuddle-fest with Yasaka and Tiamat.

It should have been me!

The palace grounds were quiet at this hour, dew still clinging to stone and leaf, the air heavy with the promise of summer. Ichigo walked slowly, hands in his pockets, letting his thoughts catch up to him at last.

Tsukiyomi’s face rose unbidden in his mind. The blinding light of hostile divinity and mystical sear of his own flesh was a sharp memory still. The sensation of being torn apart from the inside wasn’t something he would ever forget. And then there was the Divine Dividing host, Vali Lucifer’s, betrayal to consider as well. According to the rest of the Satans, the Fallen were caught off guard just as much as they had been.

Azazel had sworn a series of grim, magical oaths that he had nothing to do with the treachery and that the White Dragon had gone rogue, apparently having secretly allied with Khaos Brigade unbeknownst to anyone.

Ichigo clenched his jaw.

Revenge would come; he had no doubt about that. And it would be brutal and hellacious.

And yet, Ichigo was forced to acknowledge one, painful truth: that he could have kept all of this from happening had he not been so irresponsibly reckless.

In hindsight, drawing on the power of the Fourth Dimension had been beyond stupid of him. He knew damn well how much energy it drained from him, even then, using a technique he had not fully mastered when he had no need to, was monumentally stupid of him!

Katerea was already beaten, never mind that she was much weaker than him to begin with. There had been no genuine reason nor excuse for doing something as foolish as weakening himself just to use a brand-new toy against an already defeated foe. He had preached to Sona and Rias that they should always be prepared for the unexpected in the chaos of the battlefield and there he went, leaving himself vulnerable to that exact thing he was trying to instill in his own teenage wards.

He knew what it was, of course.

He would like to blame his Demonic nature. He would like to blame the inherent arrogance of a Demon, so comfortably nestled in its own power, but Ichigo knew the truth. This was something he had been struggling with for many years now.

It was his own damn ego.

His mind flashed back to that first moment he had used his Bankai in battle against Byakuya… so many years ago now. He could have ended that battle right then, Byakuya had no idea what he was capable of at that moment, but he threw away the element of surprise and gave away his speed instead of landing a definitive blow that would have decided the battle right then. All because he wanted to crush the pride and honor of a man he deemed had decided to kill his own sister.

And just months later, his final battle with Grimmjow: the grueling back-and-forth in Las Noches, and the sheer thrill of battle, of having a worthy opponent to unleash those darker urges he had pushed onto Zangetsu and pretended were never his to begin with.

He exhaled slowly and took in the sound of chirping morning birds.

Peach blossoms drifted across the surface of a narrow stream as he passed, petals getting caught in ripples and spinning lazily in the current. Ichigo watched them for a moment, his eyes serene and unshaken, and then, with a great sigh, he leaned his back and looked up into the clear blue sky.

“I haven’t grown up at all,” he muttered.

He owed them better.

He had a family.

He had a father and two little sisters who waited with bated breaths for his phone calls. He had a wife and daughter. And an ancient and profound love that was the other half of his mind.

And not just his immediate family, but the hundreds of millions who lived under his banner in Infernity. The billions more across the Devil Empire who would feel the consequences of his mistakes long before they ever felt his victories.

“So fucking stupid,” Ichigo said as he put his hands into his pockets and glared down at the grass.

And yet…

Using that power had felt right. He didn’t know why, but in that moment, tapping into Time itself and manifesting some sort of compelling, primal authority of lightning had felt so damn perfect. The rush of exhilaration he had felt, the sheer joy of the moment…

Dammit.

He really needed to get a grip.

But then, quite suddenly, music drifted through Yasaka’s garden: soft, deliberate and threading through the air like an invitation. Ichigo looked around confused. Who would be playing music in his wife’s private garden at this time in the morning?

He followed the sound through the trees until the pavilion came into view. The same one where he had the heart-to-heart with his two loves, the same place that led to last night’s – ahem - celebration.

Ichigo peered through the bright sunlight and the dark shadows cast under the pavilion, and he was surprised to see a woman sitting there, fingers dancing across the strings of a lute.

His gaze narrowed as he beheld hair so black it seemed like ink and a pair of mesmerizing green eyes slit like a snake’s.

Ichigo stopped short, recognizing the figure. It was the courtesan, the same one who had stepped out of the painting in that room he had confronted Akihiko in months ago. But wait… what was she doing here?

“Kikyo?”

She looked up, a smooth and warm smile playing on exceptionally pale lips. She rose gracefully and bowed.

“My lord, it has been quite some time.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked, brow furrowing.

“Playing music,” she said with a sweet smile.

He scowled despite himself. Yasaka was not going to like this one bit. Some idiot noble’s son must have tried to curry favor with the pretty courtesan by granting her access to Yasaka’s private gardens.

He loved his wife, but she was definitely a classist, a spoiled princess through and through. There’s no way she would appreciate a courtesan in her personal garden.

Well… he’d deal with that conversation later.

“You look happy, my lord,” Kikyo observed.

Ichigo blinked at her in surprise, broken from his thoughts at her sudden proclamation. He then studied her for a moment; and still he could see the ancient weight he’d sensed before clinging around. Some remnants of power from long ago.

“I am,” he said softly.

Her smile grew wider. “I’m glad.”

They stood in silence for a beat.

“If you would indulge me, my Lord, do you think happiness,” Kikyo asked softly, “is found in small moments, or do you think the span of a collective, a grand narrative?”

Ichigo considered her words for a moment, and, honestly, somewhat taken off guard at the sudden philosophical query. Finally, he decided, “Happiness is subjective. It’s whatever you make of it.”

Her smile dimmed, and she regarded him carefully. And there was something in the greenness of her eyes that belayed an intenseness. And it was in that moment where she fixed her gaze at him, Ichigo realized the birds had gone silent. But then Kikyo smiled once more, “How very wise of you, my Lord.”

“And you? Are you happy?” The question slipped out before he could stop himself and he winced almost immediately. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask something so personal.”

There was a twinkle in her eyes, something profound yet oddly warm. “You are oddly kind for one of your kin, my Lord.”

Ichigo opened his mouth but took a moment to consider his words. “I’ve seen where people who aren’t too kind end up. A little kindness goes a long.”

“I am inclined to agree, my Lord,” she said gently. “And allow me to offer some kindness of my own. It would be best if you returned, for it would be most unfortunate to be found with a courtesan after the night you had.”

Strangely, Ichigo found a certain heat touching his ears. Yeah, Yasaka would already be upset enough to learn that a courtesan somehow ended up in the inner palace. But said courtesan spent time with her husband right after he walked out of her bedroom?

He’d be toast.

“Sound advice,” Ichigo muttered as he turned around to leave. However, he stopped mid-stride and turned around, giving her a baffled look. “Wait, how would you know what kind of night I had.”

Her lips curved - near seductive, dare he say? “Signs one learns to recognize in this trade, my Lord.”

“Right…” Ichigo wisely did not decide to pursue that line of conversation and left the smiling snake-woman.

He had errands to run.

------

While his main body was still vexingly nestled in Yasaka and Tiamat's embrace, the fragment of Ichigo's psyche slipped from the gardens of Kyoto and back into the depths of the Underworld.

 He always appreciated the air in Infernity. Not in the sense of quality or humidity or any other such weather like mundane things; but rather, the sheer sense of belonging it gave him. Which wasn't surprising because it was his realm; an extension of his very mind and will. For Ichigo, stepping into Infernity was like wrapping himself in a warm cocoon that was the very idea of home. It felt so... natural.

Ichigo quickly settled into his office, sitting relaxed in his chair behind his desk and leaning back. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and allowed the energy of the realm to connect to him. Feeding the pulse of magic that that ran like massive currents through the realm sustain and strengthen him. And from far below, beyond the dark depths, he could hear the Irameron beckon to him, the font of his infernal power.

In the moment, he indulged himself, and widened the psychic tether to his main body, allowing the mystical energy to flow through and nourish his true self. However, after several long moments of basking in his dark power, Ichigo pushed himself to get done the things he needed to. It’s why he had created this avatar in the first place.

He slowly took out the phone he had taken from the main body, before scrolling through his caller ID and stared at his phone for a brief moment before tapping the name he was searching for; thumb hovering just long enough for a familiar knot of anticipation to settle in his chest. After everything he had been through the last several weeks, it was remarkable how an interdimensional phone call was probably the most mundane of things.

It rang twice.

“Onii-chan!” Yuzu’s voice burst through the speaker, bright and warm enough that Ichigo felt his shoulders loosen without him meaning to. “Where have you been! You haven’t responded to any text or calls in the last two weeks! I thought—”

“I know, I'm sorry,” he said quickly, smiling despite himself as he leaned back into his chair. “I’ve been busy. You good?”

“Hmph! I’ve been busy too! Not that you would know mister-I’m-going-to-ignore everything!” she gruffly. Well, as gruff as Yuzu could ever sound. “How are you? Are you okay?”

Ichigo let out a slow breath. “I’m fine. There was an issue and I couldn’t check my phone for the last few weeks.”

“What? Why?”

“I, uhh, got separated from my phone. It took a couple of weeks for it to get back in my hands.” Which wasn’t entirely untrue. He was stuck inside the Irameron while drifting beyond Time simultaneously. He didn’t exactly have his phone on hand in a Hellscape pocket dimension.

“…you’re so clumsy, Onii-chan.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “I’m not, stuff just… happened.”

That earned him a soft huff of disbelief. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true,” he replied, amused.

There was a brief shuffle on the other end, the sound of movement, and then Yuzu settled. “So, summer break’s started. Karin’s out shopping for groceries – we had no milk this morning because we ran out yesterday, so we ate rice for breakfast, which was not ideal because I’m trying to watch my carbs, - and Dad’s at the clinic dealing with patients right now. He also said something about having drinks with friends tonight… I didn’t know he had friends.”

Ichigo let out a thoughtful hum. Was his father spending time at Urahara’s shop perhaps? Hopefully, he wasn’t being roped into some new scheme of the eccentric shop owner. Speaking of which, he wondered if Rukia took his advice and followed up with Hats-n-Clogs.

But Ichigo returned his focus to little sister on the other line. “And what about you. What have you been up to?”

“Nothing much,” she said. “I’ve been helping around the house and hanging out with some friends from school. We went to karaoke yesterday. This summer break has been mostly quiet and noneventful. By the way, are you planning on coming home soon?”

Ichigo paused for a moment and thought it over. There was so much going on right now in his life, what with the renewed war against the Old Satan Faction, Khaos Brigade and the brewing Shinto Civil War… at the same time, this recent brush with mortality had put some things into perspective for him.

“Yeah, I’m planning on coming around soon. Not too sure exactly when, I’ve got somethings to clear up on my schedule, but I definitely want to swing by for your summer vacation.”

“Really?” And it touched his heart how delighted his little sister sounded at the news.

“Really.”

“You better!” she said, a level of youthful severity entering her voice. “I’ll hold you to that!”

They lapsed into an easy rhythm after that, trading small updates back and forth. Yuzu told him about a new café that opened near the station and how Karin pretended not to care but kept dragging her past it anyway. Ichigo listened, occasionally chiming in and giving heavily edited and downplayed events from his ‘work’ and the things he did. All the while, the weight of everything else fading just a little with every normal detail.

Then Yuzu’s voice dropped suddenly, conspiratorial.

“So,” she whispered, and Ichigo knew that tone well enough to brace himself, “how’s your girlfriend? Are you still together?”

Ichigo had to keep himself from snorting. Tiamat had left one hell of an impression of his sisters, and not the best one. Unfortunately, Yuzu was still a bit prejudiced towards his lazy and rude dragon.

“Yes, we’re still together,” he said with a touch of amusement. “And she’s doing fine. Just asleep right now.”

“Still?” Yuzu said, a judging tone coloring her voice. “It’s almost noon.”

“Yeah…,” Ichigo replied, shaking his head. If he had a bloodstone for every time Tiamat napped a day away, heedless of everything around her… well, he’d be even richer than he already was. “I think she spends more time asleep than awake at this point.”

“That’s so… unproductive,” Yuzu said ruefully. “I hope you’re not lazing away too, Onii-chan.”

“I wish,” he said dryly. “I’ve got so much on my plate these days, sometimes it feels like I need multiple mes to get things done.”

They laughed, and for a moment Ichigo found himself staring at the far wall of his office, realizing just how relaxed he felt. He was still glowing from the outpouring of love he had received from Tiamat and Yasaka, and having this conversation with his little sister was only furthering that warmth in his heart.

On a side note, his Sin was quite unhappy at the moment.

“By the way,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Got any plans for the break?”

“Mmm, Karin and I talked about going to beach, though we haven’t really made any plans. Just kinda floated the idea.”

“Beach sounds fun,” Ichigo said. “Heck, let’s do that. When I come visit you, I’ll take you two to the beach.”

There was a pause. “When?” Yuzu asked, hopeful but trying not to sound like she was pushing.

He winced inwardly. “Soon, I promise. Like I said, I can’t give you an exact date yet, I’ve got a lot on my plate, but I promise I’ll come by while you’re on break.”

Her relief was immediate and unguarded. “Sounds fun! I can’t wait!”

Several more minutes of conversation between them passed, and eventually, Yuzu sighed. “I should probably get going. I’ve got errands to run before Karin gets back and complains about being hungry.”

Ichigo let out a chuckle. “Tell her I said hi.”

“I will. You better call more often, mister!”

“I will,” he promised. And he meant it.

“Love you, Onii-chan, bye!”

“Love you too,” he said quietly.

The call ended, and he set the phone down, it left the room a little too silent afterward. Ichigo put his elbows on his desk, leaned forward and shut his eyes, the image of his two sisters sitting firm in his mind’s eye. For a few seconds, he just sat there, letting the echo of her voice linger.

Family, he needed to survive and stay strong for the sake of family. The one he had been born into in Kakakura Town, and the one he had found here in the supernatural.

Ichigo took in a deeper breath and nodded to himself.

Right, he had settled things with family. Now he had to deal with his other responsibilities. Those of reigning Demon Lord with his own sovereign realm. And at once, the warmth and comfort of his sisters and Yasaka and Tiamat fell to the depths of his soul, and in their pace rose the black tide of his infernal mantle.

Eyes flashing crimson, Ichigo called.

“Meril.”

And though his voice was even and soft, it still carried through the eddies of magic within the citadel of Iravex, undoubtedly reaching his secretary’s ears.

The stone floor in front of his desk rippled and a soft, blue magical circle formed, and Meril rose from it a moment later, looking as pristine and immaculate as always. She bowed immediately, sharp and dutiful, but Ichigo noticed the faint hitch in her movement, the brief pause before she straightened.

She was worried.

“Welcome home, my Prince,” she said with deference.

Ichigo smiled at her, deliberately warm and lax. “Hey there Meril, glad to be back.”

She nodded her head carefully, but her sky-blue eyes lingered on him longer than usual, scanning his face, his posture, and Ichigo immediately understood she was subtly trying to check for damage that might not be obvious at first glance. Sirzechs and the others had let him know that there were rumors aplenty circulating through the Underworld right now. Everything ranging from him being on death’s door to simply away on vacation.

As such, he could hardly blame Meril for her display of concern, Infernity had been rocked somewhat by his injuries. Not to mention, nothing had been communicated to her, the Satans had decided to keep his recovery on a strictly need to know basis. Meril did not rank high enough in the Satan’s immediate circles to warrant being told such critical intelligence.

A part of him did feel bad for leaving her in the dark, but such were the decisions that had to be made in high-stakes politics.

“If I may ask,” Meril said after a moment, hands folding together in front of her, “are you… well?”

Ichigo leaned back slightly in his chair and regarded her thoroughly. He could hear the restraint in her voice, the care she was taking not to overstep. She had always been good at that, good at maintaining a friendly demeanor while also retaining loyal devotion. Meril was his vassal, and she took great pains to not cross any lines that would jeopardize their professional relationship.

And out of respect for her dedication, Ichigo allowed that formality, that he personally cared little for, to remain.

“There’s been concern,” she continued carefully. “Your absence coincided with several… disturbances. Magical surges and unstable phenomena across the realm. People are talking.”

A part of him felt amused. In fairness, people were always talking when it came to Crown Princes in the Empire. He remembered one time he had taken Tiamat out to get ice cream in Fellgrand. He had been astonished when hundreds of fanatical cultists had gathered and started kowtowing while he and Tiamat shared a sundae.

Tiamat, of course, took it all in stride. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Well,” Ichigo began lightly, “the official story is that I was in another reality hunting sinners as usual.”

Meril didn’t respond, she merely continued to look at him through her cool and collected gaze. But then Ichigo caught a flash of hesitation within her eyes, a barely perceptible pause before she inhaled again. His eyes then fell to her fingers and the way pressed together against her palms just a bit tighter.

“And unofficially?” she asked, voice lowered.

Ichigo smiled, this time more faintly, and leaned forward until his forearms rested on the desk. He met her gaze directly.

“Unofficially,” he said, “Someone put me in a very, very bad mood. And it was safer for everyone if I was not directly in the Underworld while I sorted through some personal matters.”

She immediately bowed her head and nothing more.

“I see,” she said.

Ichigo smiled, this was one of the ways Meril reminded him of Grayfia, which wasn’t surprising given the former had studied under the latter at one point: but Meril knew when to run with his bullshit.

Ichigo let the moment pass, then exhaled slowly. But his gaze lingered on her as his thoughts shifted, moving past the immediate conversation and toward the broader reality she represented. Meril wasn’t a Pillar descendant. She didn’t have a great name shielding her or centuries of political inertia behind her. She was born into House Abraxas, an Extra House, with far too many siblings and far too little influence.

Meril’s position at his side wasn’t just a simple job for her, it was security and insurance. Her continued presence at his hand guaranteed his protection in the hyper-stratified caste society of the Devil Empire.

In other words, she was another one of those countless souls who relied on him. One of those who needed him whole and strong to continue their way of life, safe and secure under his shadow.

Ichigo then closed his eyes and made a show of extending his senses, allowing the entirety of the realm to filter through his thoughts and be very real inside of his mindscape. Every step, every breath and every action taken within the realm was brought to his attention as he was made hyper-aware of all things inside of his domain.

And he poured his own energies back into the realm, reaching to his main body to provide the bulk of power as he fixed fissures caused by earthquakes, restored forests that had been blown down and struck by storms, and pushed the thunderous seas back and allowed land to reclaim its place under the Underworld sky.

The damage to the realm wasn’t significant, thankfully. But it was noticeable. Luckily, he’d be able to fix the bulk of it within the net several hours before he returned to rest in his inner sanctum.

“Thanks for handling things while I was gone, Meril,” Ichigo said. “I appreciate it.”

Meril blinked, clearly not expecting that.

“Actually, now that I think on it,” he added, “double your end-of-year bonus. You deserve it”

Her mouth parted slightly before she caught herself. Surprise broke through her composure for just a second before she bowed deeply.

“Thank you, my Prince,” she said earnestly as she fell into a bow. “Your words do me a great honor!”

Ichigo waved his hand. “You earned it.”

She straightened, still visibly processing the turn the conversation had taken.

“That being said, I do have something I need for you,” Ichigo said. “I want the nobility of Infernity assembled. One week from now.”

Meril’s brows knit together. “All of them?”

“Yup.”

“Of course, it will be done,” she said carefully, “It’s been quite some time since you’ve convened your vassals in full. It would do well to-”

“Meril.” Ichigo cut her off with a pointed look. “All of the nobility.”

She blinked hesitantly. “…sir?”

“I’m being literal,” Ichigo said firmly. “Every noble in Infernity. No exceptions.”

He watched her absorb that, saw the flicker of surprise before discipline reasserted itself.

“Anyone who doesn’t show up,” he continued evenly, “I will kill them personally. If they try to run, I will come after them. No matter where or with who they take shelter with, I will find them, I will hunt them down and I will unleash Hell.”

Meril stared at him openly now, and as Ichigo gave her a gentle smile, he could sense the lance of raw fear suddenly spike in her heart.

“A part of me is still kind of in a bad mood, if it isn’t obvious.”

Meril gave a full bow at the waist, “I will see it done, my Prince.”

Ichigo nodded. “Thanks, Meril. You’re the best.”

Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, Meril summoned her magic circle and sunk back into the ground, no doubt to carry out his orders.

And when she was completely gone, Ichigo leaned back in his chair, the warmth from moments earlier draining away. His thoughts turned inward, sharpening, narrowing around a familiar name.

Zekram Bael had been allowed to fester in his territory for far too long.

Ichigo had been content to ignore the Great King, but if he felt like picking up ancient grievances and trying so artlessly to move against him and those close to him, Ichigo wouldn’t hesitate to strike without mercy. Even if he couldn’t outright kill the old monster, he could damn well remind him that Ichigo was more than capable of raining literal Hell on his head.

Again, Grayfia-nee’s wisdom shone. If he wanted to live peacefully as Kurosaki Ichigo, then he needed everyone to be terrified of Satan.

In one fluid motion, Ichigo stood from his desk and walked towards the great bay windows and the balcony behind. Normally he kept the balcony doors always open so that Tiamat could come and go as she pleased.

With a motion of his hand, the doors opened, and Ichigo walked out and peered down at the expansive courtyard of the citadel. Folding his hands behind his back, he once more connected his mind to the near endless currents of magic that ran juggernaut-like through the realm.

Time to stop dicking around and go on the offensive.

And with that lone thought, Ichigo touched upon the psychic weave that he shared with the other Sins, reaching out to one psionic line that was almost obnoxiously ostentatious in his mind.

And as soon as he touched that thread, he was blasted with Serafall’s voice in his head. ‘Berry-berry! What a surprise! I thought you’d be sealing yourself up!’

“In a few hours,” he responded while rubbing his forehead. Even mentally Sera was loud and boisterous. “Listen, I need you to forward me everything the Ministry of Intelligence has on House Lucifer, particularly the youngest, Vali.”

There was a brief pause, but then Sera’s voice echoed near giddy in his mind. ‘Oho! We’re planning some revenge, I see! I love it!’

“I also want everything we have on Albion and the previous wielders of Divine Dividing and all their capabilities.”

‘My, my. We’re not doing anything by half measures are we? No more blasting in swords blazing and doing homework later? Has my precious littlest brother finally grown up?’

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Just get me what I want, Sera.”

He heard a mental raspberry being blown at him, but she quickly followed up with: ‘Aye-aye! But Berry-head, do take this seriously. The boy has inherited the Lucifer family’s immense magical prowess and has a Longinus on top of that; one he reportedly has a high mastery of. All intelligence points to him being as powerful as a genuine Satan.’

“Which is why I’m talking to you right now,” Ichigo said pointedly.

‘True! Oh, but can I get a favor in return?’

Ichigo immediately grimaced. Sera’s favors were often of the embarrassing kind. He was not making another calendar again!

‘Hue-hue-hue!’ It was amazing how much Sera managed to make herself sound like a creepy old man inside of his head. ‘Get me some photos of Sona-tan! I need me my fix!’

He rolled his eyes. “You are such a creep. Just come visit her yourself, I’ll allow it again.”

Sera’s cheers echoed loud in their shared mentalscape. ‘Yay! Thanks! I’ll get you that intel within the hour!’

And with that, the bubbly Leviathan’s presence dissipated from his mind. With a heavy sigh, Ichigo shook his head. He was an older brother himself, but in no way did he understand the near obsessive fixation Sirzechs and Serafall had one their younger sisters. It was honestly disconcerting.

But he pushed that commonly occurring grumbling away and moved onto his next task. He had to summon Sylvanna and Bennuides and check up on the ministries he was (technically) in charge of and give any pertinent orders.

Sighing to himself for the umpteenth time in the last hour, he briefly reached out mentally to his main self to ensure that everything was passed on, but as soon as he did so, he became hyper-aware of what the bulk of his existence was doing.

And Ichigo’s eyes went wide in outrage as he froze stiff.

Tiamat and Yasaka had woken up and had collectively decided to pick up where they left off from last night’s most wondrous sexual escapades?! The rest of him was getting a second threesome experience in less than twelve hours while he was stuck in the Underworld playing politics and bureaucracy?!

The sheer unfairness of it all!

It should have been me!

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A/N:

Alternate Chapter Title: It Should Have Been Me!