CH27: Aftermath

Moka wasn’t entirely thrilled with my clone’s antics. Raven sat on the couch off to the side while Kurumu glared at her. Akasha couldn’t get enough of the situation because she giggled every time Moka growled. Raven, for her part, didn’t say a word while my vampire paced a hole in the floor. AFO was still out there, but this was more important than some random human with strange powers. I believed her.

AFO had already vanished from my senses, so there was no telling where he went, but I was sure he would stay in the country. He would eventually slip up or step on a powerful god or devil's toes. Once that happened, he wouldn’t be my problem anymore.

I glanced over at Ruby, bound and gagged as she struggled vainly to get out of her bindings. Moka followed my gaze and sighed.

“You will prioritize using your clone ability to give us attention. No enemy, opportunity, or event that doesn’t have something to do with us will ever be prioritized. You will give me your blood four times a day for the next six months, and I’m not sucking your dick again until you make it up to me. I expect a family home capable of housing our extended family and private tutors. You will make money needed to show that no other family is more powerful than ours. We will be beyond reproach in power and wealth.” Moka said.

“You remind me of Issa; it's so cute.” Akasha.

Moka blushed. “Mother, not now. I’m disciplining my unruly mate for the actions of his clones.” She turned her attention back to me. “I don’t mind if you sleep around. It’s a mark of status so long as it's discreet. Still, it doesn’t add another woman to our relationship without my approval. The only reason we aren’t done is that a clone did it.” Moka sighed. “But now that I’ve had a good look at her, I may have approved regardless.”

“Thanks, that’s so reassuring,” Raven said.

Moka’s eye twitched, and I stood up. I grabbed my angry vampire girl and hugged her tightly. “I know you’re mad, but we’ll get through this. Have a little faith, I’ll be more careful from now on about my clones, and we can build a screening process.”

She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard enough to shatter an elephant’s spine. Tears welled up in her eyes, and I knew it was getting too much for her. What Moka needed more than anything was rest and to let her anger cool.

“So, you’re like a witch,” Yukari said.

Raven seemed to try to pull back on her sarcastic tone. “Sure,” Raven said.

I made a cross sign and summoned three shadow clones. They appeared out of a cloud of smoke before opening the door and leaving the house. Moka glared at me as they shut the door behind them.

“Don’t freak out. I’m sending them to secure wealth, check on some spies, and see about a little revenge on my brother. I’m assuming the redhead automatically fails your test.”

Moka seemed to think about it for a second. “She brings with her devil nobility and the ear of the current Lucifer. Adding her to your harem would be beneficial. Any children with her would be half devils with the potential to have the power of destruction. The baggage she comes with from such an arrangement isn’t ideal, but we don’t have much else on our plate. It would be great revenge on your brother.” Moka said.

“You can’t let him do this, Moka. If you let Arakan continue like this, he’ll take over the world.” Yukari said.

She looked around, and only Raven seemed to raise an eyebrow.

“Oh no, he’s going to marry some important people, the horror,” Raven said.

“Can’t any of you see he’s becoming a dark lord?”

“I’m a dark lord,” Akasha said.

Kurumu coughed. “It's dark, governor, now. The dark lord title makes people think of bald snake sorcerers.”

I brushed my hand through my brown hair and thankfully didn’t feel anything come loose. “I’m not going bald, and I have nothing to do with snakes or magic,” I said.

“What will happen when you run into someone who opposes you? You’re going to fight them and drag Moka into the battle.” Yukari said.

Moka snarled. “I’m getting sick of your obsession with me. Yukari, I don’t like you like that, and I never will. My outer self chose not to see what you tried to do when Arakan wasn’t around, but I remember. I would have already shown you your place if you were a boy.”

“Relax, Moka, she’s just worried about you, and children aren’t exactly rational no matter how good they are at schoolwork.”

Kurumu spoke up. “She’s trying to be a home wrecker. I only tolerated it because outer Moka did. But I think we should call it to a vote. Should we allow, her to continue associating with us or ban her from confidential information. You only allowed her to join for a potential connection to a dragon dung supplier. It’s been a month, and she’s made no progress. What is she contributing at this point?” Kurumu said.

“I’ll don’t have a dog in this fight.”

I opened my mouth and thought about it. “She’s out; there is no reason to interact with her outside the newspaper club. Unlike Gin, she wasn’t contributing anything and refused to help Kurumu study.” I said.

“Of course, milk tits and the future dark lord wouldn’t want me around talking sense. Moka, we can get away from them and be happy without all the fighting.” Yukari said.

Moka rolled her eyes. “And like that, you misunderstand my very nature. What you value isn’t what I value. Fighting is in my blood, and someone who can bring in interesting fights is a worthy mate. But, unfortunately, you've overstayed your welcome and failed to provide any benefit. So from then on, we won’t have anything to do with you outside the newspaper club.” Moka said.

Yukari burst into tears and fled to the bathroom.

Raven looked up from a book she was reading. “Harsh. Should I expect the same treatment if I prove useless?”

Kurumu snorted. “Ruby didn’t get free on her own.”

Yukari suddenly looked very concerned, and everything clicked. She knew about my summoning scrolls and was in the right place to hand one off to Ruby. The plan ending in an AFO with magic added to his already vast arsenal must have come from Yukari.

“I vote she be shunned,” Raven said without preamble. “Treachery can never be forgiven if they betray you once; they will again.”

Yukari started crying, and I didn’t feel bad at all. She caused untold pain because of her childish crush. I wasn’t in any mood to comfort her.

Akasha frowned but made no move to comfort Yukari. It was clear where the winds were blowing.

“I don’t feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as her. So maybe she should go sleep on the bus or something.” Kurumu said.

“Let her sleep in here. I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on her. There are some things I need to plan out for my future training schedule. Now that I have shadow clones, training techniques myself is counterproductive. The only thing I need to train is my body.” I said.

Kurumu smiled. “Let me help you out with that. Make me a shadow clone, and I’ll help you train some of your best skills.”

The other girls perked up at that, and I summoned three more shadow clones. The skill was getting easier to use, and so was my chakra. When I had time, I needed to get a handle on all of the chakra exorcises and nature transformation. I didn’t have the skill chakra control yet, but it was only a matter of time. I had the equivalent of a biju’s worth of chakra, and it was growing.

While I would love to pound my girls, I had work to do. Shadow clones allowed me to move from a passive training position to an active consolidating position. There were weapons to grab, goddesses to screw, and divine treasuries to raid. I might even robe hades while I’m at it I’m sure that old god of the dead and wealth had a fortune hidden away. I could also gain powers, like unbreakable skin from the river Styx, armor made by the dwarves, and runes.

I decided on a three-step plan. First, I would find the items I needed; second, I would send enough shadow clones to secure them; third, I would put them in my inventory; and last, I would dispel them. While that may sound simple, it wasn’t. I might only be able to manage the theft once, so I needed to ensure I could get everything I wanted in a single move.

Quest: Grand Theft Pantheon

Find and steal the best items from each pantheon before they can defend themselves.

Bonus?

Bonus?

Bonus?

Reward 15Gocha, 2 elemental skill tickets.

Failure: A war against the pantheons.