Chapter 136: The corpses creep you out

"Ah! M-my belly is about to break! I can't fit any more in! Nyaaan!"

"Nyaah, I-I'm about to breekh… my midsh turning into muuush… Meow!"

"I'll get pregnant! I'm going to be pregnant for sure! Nooo~ Don't pull outt~Please cum mooree~ Nya~"

"More effort! Meow!"

"I'll get pwegnaanth! I'm goooing to be pwegnant for shuure! Noooo~ Please cum in me more~ahn~ nyaa~"

"Meow! Good! Now, do it with proper expression!" Kuroka coached Koneko who was sitting on a chair and wiggling about while Kuroka was waving her finger in the air like a teacher trying to lecture a rowdy student. A allegory which didn't hit too far off it's mark as Kuroka was training Koneko on art of dirty talking and Senjutsu.

Or more specifically, on dirty talking and the ability of Transformation, which naturally unlocked over time as a nekoshou grew older and more powerful, but Kuroka was forced to push the process faster than usual by using the two's Senjutsu to channel the life-energy of her little sister in order to force the abilities to unlock faster.

It was quite harsh on both Kuroka's and Koneko's bodies, as the process required the two of them to join their life-energies through Senjutsu so that Kuroka could mold it, but Kuroka knew that there was no other way- Koneko's body was ill-prepared to her heat

At least, as it was, anyway.

"I don't wannaa… I just want to have seex… I don't care with whoo… I want a baby… nyaan… If hentai-Ise or hentai-Momon is not around, I wonder if Yuuto-kun or Gasper-kuun is arouund…"

"T-that won't do! That definitely won't do!" Kuroka felt her heart skip a beat in sudden fright- It was clear that Koneko was 'not at home', so to speak, and right now her instincts put words in her mouth, specifically as Koneko's heat had lasted for quite a while now and it had only grown in potency over time, not in small part due to being teased multiple times with a 'prize'. 'If Momon-sama… No, if the Supreme Being hears Koneko speaking like that… S-she's going to be a goner! No! I refuse! I will not fail this task, master!'

"Only Momon-sama can help you with that! Other men uh… h-have problems getting it up when it comes to nekoshou! They can't help you! So don't even try! Mrrooww..." Kuroka put an ultimatum on the table, causing Koneko to wilt a bit and pout. "N-now, to Transformation! This is important, so pay attention! First, you need to concentrate and bring forth your Senjutsu, no matter how little you've trained it, and then I'll take it into mine and guide you…"

"N-noo… I… I won't! I won't use Senjutsu! I won't have it break out of my control, and hurt people I care about! Nyan!" Koneko's rational self seemed to break through her lust-daze for a moment to make a resolute statement, the conviction and strength of which would have normally made Kuroka impressed and proud over Koneko's capabilities and growth, but at the moment Kuroka had no time for such considerations.

So, instead, Kuroka deployed another card from her deck of dirty tricks, namely… "But if you use Senjutsu, and succeed in Transformation, then Momon-sama is going to screw both of us until our heads turn silly and our bellies are full of his white stuff~"

"E-ehu… B-b-but…"

"Just think of his big, juicy meat going in, and then going out, and then going splurt splurt and your belly going 'boing boing' and your head going 'nyaa, nyaa, ahegao, mrroww…'"

Kuroka saw as Koneko's heated lust-daze practically stabbed her rational self in the back with a sledgehammer, causing Koneko's resolve to break apart like the spine of her rational self.

"I'll use Senjutsu, but only if I get screwed silly! You promised! I'll hate you forever if you lied! Nyan!" Koneko pointed a finger at Kuroka while she struck a fatalistic pose, and Kuroka in turn nodded in relief as it looked like the little sister's prolonged mating instinct overpowered her sense of 'self' for one last time.

"In that case, follow my lead, and feel what I do…" Kuroka drew from her Senjutsu to form a wave of energy, which she connected with Koneko's Senjutsu. '...I'm sorry, Koneko-chan, but this is the only way for both of us to survive…'

.

.

'Well then…' Momonga sweated internally as he put Velenala into a straight-jacket as Momonga's follow-up question of 'what exactly where you thinking, my lady?' to the screaming, murderous and terrified woman had resulted in the woman starting to claw her eyes out while trying to 'present' herself to him… Which, simply put, had not helped Rias's growing hysteria.

Momonga plopped the tied-up Venelana to a nearby couch and then went over to Grayfia to administer a few drops of black tears on her throat with a pipette… Only, it looked like Millicas was about to intercept him as he saw the black liquid in the bottle.

"It's a healing potion- See?" Momonga was running dangerously low on patience on the account of his exasperation, and it must have shown in his voice while he put a drop of the black stuff on Millicas's head before he could dodge.

"I… I apologize, Momon-sama… I was, um, just… T-thank you for saving Grayfia-okaasan!" Millicas seemed to realize his position and backed away while bowing deeply. "V-Venelana-obaasama snapped, and… and… S-she would have killed Grayfia-okaasan! I'm grateful that you decided to intervene, and, um… I'd be grateful for you healing Grayfia-okaasan…?"

The boy's tone dwindled a bit, albeit on a hopeful note and Momonga sighed at him. "It's alright, you can ask about it, but I was going to heal Grayfia anyway…"

"Thank you, on the behalf of my mother, my lord." Millicas seemed to calm down while Grayfia stirred and sent Millicas a warning glare from the ground. However, it looked like Millicas either chose to ignore Grayfia's glare or didn't notice it.

"It's alright. Please look after her." Momonga decided to play the merciful lord as having a cooperative hostage would benefit him more than a one that sought to fight him in every turn. "I feel as if it would be best if Grayfia-san was removed from this… scene… while I talk to Venelana-san about what just happened."

"I see. Of course. A-are you going to hurt Venelana-obaasan? O-or Rias-oneesama?"

"No, I'm not going to hurt her… And Rias is my wife, so that should not even be a question." Momonga reached to rub his eyebrows in annoyance… At least for a while, before he realized that the situation was quite optimal as far as Millicas went. 'Right, so the tall tales of… I suppose Lady Phenix, who had talked to Venelana, also reached Millicas as well… And this pretty much confirms that Venelana also knows I'm the 'supreme being' and has told Rias, Millicas and Grayfia, and this also gives a good indicator as to why exactly Venelana is screaming in terror in a straight-jacket. [Ancient Evil] seems to be quite a potent ability, actually, even if it is prone to friendly-fire…'

Momonga glanced at Rias who had sat down on the couch while giggling and holding her head, a manic expression on her face while her red hair was loose and was splayed on the back of the couch like a waterfall of blood. 'The fact Rias seems to be just giggling in an insane manner is good, as I'm fairly sure she'd have tried to confront me directly if she believed the rumors… Haa… Hmm… By acting dramatically differently to the rumors I can improve the effect of my good acting as the higher the contrast, the more striking the difference becomes. The question is- Does Millicas believe the rumors?'

Momonga glanced back at Millicas and analyzed his hopeful expression, and came to a conclusion that while the boy might have heard the rumors he likely hadn't believed them. '… Well, I suppose this kind of gradual introduction is better than a full-on reveal as that would risk a huge shock, which could in turn spark a revolution… After all, breaking the status quo becomes much harder once the status quo gets properly settled in…'

"'One'? Can you get here? Please see to the needs of the people here and lead them to somewhere where they can get fresh air and see to their needs." Momonga called for one of his maids, who appeared almost instantly albeit with a hard-hat on her head as he recalled that he had ordered the maids to repair the damage Albion had caused.

The maid seemed to remember the hard-hat as soon as Momonga saw it and she swiped it off her head while blushing to her eyebrows. "Y-yes, master! Ahem, if lady Rias, and you two, followed me, please."

Momonga sent a sideways glance at Grayfia and noted that the maid was giving him a lethal glare as she got up slowly and moved after Millicas, who had bowed to Momonga and had gone to help Rias up. However, while Grayfia's exterior posture was quite cold, she couldn't hide the fact her face was pale and her hands shook just a bit- Enough for Momonga's [Actor] to pick up the fact that the maid was still angry, but the anger was slowly being eroded by time and was turning more and more towards terror. It was clear to Momonga that Grayfia had 'got' the message that Momonga intended to send to her through instructing 'One', a Cherubim Gatekeeper, to watch over the group- That was, that Grayfia was still very much a hostage and her worth as one was waning quickly now that Sirzechs was gone, and it only took a handwave from Momonga for both Grayfia's and Millicas's heads to roll.

Granted, if Momonga did order that, he'd have to face Rias's wrath so he was probably not going to be doing that anytime soon, at least unless the two compromised Momonga's cover in a way that wasn't beneficial to him, but Rias's current state must have registered to Grayfia and make her reconsider trying to drive insane the only reason she and her son still remained alive. And 'One's presence would dissuade her from trying to resort to more physical stratagems.

'...Haa, I feel as if the devil's politics is starting to rub off on me…'

"You'll make a fine Maou yet, not-really-god-of-lewd."

'Ddraig… Please…' Momonga sighed at his ever-present voice-in-the-head and nodded at 'One' as she led the others out of the room, leaving just Momonga and Venelana in the victorian-era decorated tea room.

"Ahem." Momonga coughed to his fist.

Venelana let a quiet whimper of terror while she had huddled herself into a ball on the couch, constrained by her strait-jacket.

'Right, this isn't working…' Momonga took a look at his 'character sheet' to re-check the effect of [Ancient Evil] and read again its passive effects. 'Hm, I'm guessing that 'Terror' is a local effect as it doesn't quite fit the effects of Fear, nor is it Madness… That being said, it doesn't exactly look as if Venelana's 'Terror' is a debuff that is timed, but rather it's working as long as she sees me as a hostile, evil creature… Well, that doesn't really help my self-image, but I guess a harsh truth is better than a comforting lie…'

"...Pfft, hypocrite."

'I am a hypocrite. I know, I don't care. Now shut up, Ddraig, I'm thinking."

"Have you tried talking it out with Venelana-chan over there? It seemed to have worked for those blonde girls of yours. I recall that you tried to essentially pat her head politically and then say that she did good, seeing that she pledged a chunk of Gremory House's resources and manpower to your cause, but I'm guessing that something like that probably won't help her view of you." Ddraig supplied. "Your 'I'm-a-good-honest-guy-no-really-don't-look-into-that-back-room-over-there-ignore-the-blood-stains' facade probably isn't helping the issue of communication, you know? If your rambling just now is accurate then she knows that you are, er, whatever you really are, you know?"

'So, you're saying that I should invoke my Chuuni for her like Lady Phenix? Honestly, having one of her kind is too many already…' Momonga sighed, causing Venelana to cover her head with her hands while whimpering weakly as if she was a beaten dog.

"Sure, if that's what you want to call it…"

Momonga reached into his inventory and threw a [Scroll of Remove Fear] on the air, causing the effect to land on Venelana. '...I don't actually have many of those as I resist fear by race and Fear has a limited time effect so I didn't bother stocking up on them outside occasionally using them on allies, but it looks like 'terror' is something along the lines of Fear that is constant while the item causing terror is present… Er, well, that's just normal regular terror as emotion, it's just that [Ancient Evil] makes it cripplingly powerful. Hopefully this will allow her to at least converse normally before [Ancient Evil] ticks again… I wonder how the Elder Lich- erk, Overlord General is doing with the task of making more scrolls…'

.

.

A roughly human-shaped stranger clad in a burlap cloak and hood walked on cracked pavement of a huge human city in a continent that was called 'America', while he was carrying a rough burlap bag.

A scroll had been cast, causing the stranger to walk in the crowd unseen, although the crowd meant that he had to keep his distance from the humans who were in various states of psychosis, or other mental illnesses that caused them to fling their clothes aside and act like beasts more than people.

The Overlord General didn't understand the point of it all, but it didn't matter. The ultimate goals and methods of the Supreme Being were unfathomable to all but Him, so all the Overlord General could dream of understanding were the scraps of the hints of the orders that he had received as a pawn of the Great Game.

However… He had failed a part of that mission.

The onslaught of Titans had caused Olympus to crumble and fall, and while Hades had apparently survived the battle, he was in such a poor state that the energies of the Greek Underworld wouldn't help the Overlord General in his task of undoing his failure- That of allowing Katarea Leviathan to die in the process of destroying the core of the Greek Pantheon.

'I was able to convert her to the Supreme Being's loyalties using that artifact He gave me, while he took away the tool I had used until then… Which means that He was planning on taking Katarea to further his own goals once her usefulness had run to an end for me. Which means… I need to find a way to revive her…' The Overlord General moved to a alleyway in one of the great human cities, as wretched as it was currently, and waded through a mountain of garbage that had accumulated during the 'festivities' outside. Unfortunately the physical contact broke his [Scroll of Obfuscate]'s effect, meaning that he had to break another stone tablet that he had made in the Greek Underworld and which he had imbued with the spell- While the Overlord General had learned that spell through 'leveling up', he lacked the classes to actually cast the spell unless it was through a Scroll.

'Hm… It seems that the rumors were true. Which also means… Master knows that I failed to ensure that Katarea would survive the conflict, if he sent this one to Human World so it could revive her. Or it was sent here to spread the word of the lord, and the fact the Angel created a huge ruckus across this land was a coincidence that allowed me to find it…And the Angel would find very receptive audience after what I did in that coast... Yet, there are no 'coincidences' when it comes to the Supreme Being's plans, in other words, he knows… But instead of reprimanding me, or discarding me, He has given me a chance to undo my failings…' The Overlord General wiped its skull-face with his sleeve to clear it of imaginary tears of gratitude while it peeked out of the alleyway and to a park, on the center of which a building-sized Angel floated a few feet off the ground and was radiating holy energies all around it. '...That holy energy will be a problem if I try to get close to my fellow servant… But I'm high enough 'level' that I shouldn't evaporate instantly. However… '

There was a huge crowd that had gathered in and around the park, which made approaching the Angel difficult without bumping into people, and bumping into them would break the Scroll, causing the Overlord General to become visible, and that would most likely result in violence. Violence that he couldn't afford, as he was ordered to avoid killing the followers of the True God and he had precious few abilities that would not kill someone as weak as a human upon being subjected to it.

However, as soon as the Overlord General thought about it, he withdrew back into the alleyway in order to bang his skull against the nearby brick wall in frustration- At least until [Emotion Suppression] brought him back to sanity. 'I am such a fool, for even entertaining the half-thought that something the Supreme Being planned had such things as 'coincidences'... Indeed, Undead would cause a huge panic… And just like before, just like that plan the Supreme Being made for that gathering of Three Factions, my undead make the perfect foe to rally against… rally under His banner. Indeed, the crowds are planned to be here as well, as it would block me from entering the Angel's presence undetected…'

The Overlord General started to realize that the seemingly coincidental pieces were starting to once again fall into perfect harmony- Only, he had been blind to see it. 'In other words, I need to draw the crowds away, and by doing so using Undead, I would not only show that the threat of the 'hostile undead' is ever-present therefore the mortals needed protection, but as I am under the order of avoiding killing the 'faithful to the True God', I can't generate too many casualties during my distraction-strike… Which would make a stark contrast to my strike against the 'heretic' humans at the coastline cities, where the sudden attack managed to devastate a few massive cities in just a few days… Therefore, if a similar strike landed here, at the heart of the faith in the continent, yet it was repulsed with ease, it would lend credence that the True God protects his flock… And give me an opening to approach the Angel for the resurrection of Katarea, as well as give me a vector to deliver her to Him, should he deem that her role in my retinue is done… Hehe…'

The Overlord General cast [Gate], and walked through it to the outskirts of the 'blessed' city.

"For the Supreme Being- Charge, [Undead Army]! Leave everyone standing!"

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.

'...Well, that lich-erk, Overlord seemed to take my orders quite literally, and I did order it to keep a low profile and just keep making scrolls, so it should be alright…' Momonga nonetheless felt a bit uneasy over letting his summons out of his eyesight for long, and decided to contact the Elder- Overlord General as soon as he managed to put out the ever-present fires in his immediate circle of 'friends', 'loved ones', 'business partners' and 'potential enemies', even if he recognized that taking care of all of those might take some time.

So, he figured that he'd get a chance to contact the summon in the next moth or so.

Indeed, one of said time-sink problems was currently shaking in her dress in front of Momonga while trying to drink tea laced full with anxiety medication.

Momonga had offered Venelana some tea while removing the straight-jacket that the woman after the Scroll had helped calm her down, and she had pulled out the bottle of pills instantly upon being freed and being presented with something to drink, and instead of adding one or two to the cup, she had turned the bottle upside-down on the teacup and then threw them down her throat in one go. The rest of the pills in the medicine bottle, that was, while she started to sip from the teacup with shaky hands.

"So… About that just now." Momonga tried to open the conversation 'normally'... Only for him to stop as he realized that he couldn't afford to act 'normal' now. 'Haa… Chuuni is a-go.'

Venelana shuddered a bit as Momonga's expression changed drastically after he used a few anti-spying scrolls and put the anti-spying counter-kill ring to his finger.

"...It is not yet Grayfia's time to die." The Supreme Being spoke with a soft, calm tone as if he was talking about the taste of the tea on a calm afternoon date while he let a tiny part of his [Aura of despair-I] to start to radiate out- Something that he could afford thanks to the scrolls blocking outside spying. "I am… upset with you, Venelana."

'I feel so dirty…'

"...Come on, it wasn't even that bad mate. I rate it… eh, six out of ten movie villains. On Serafall scale of 'magical girl movie villains'."

'That doesn't make it any easier…'

"A-ah- I… It was… that was… S-she, it's that…" Venelana seemed to be impacted by the calm tone quite bit as her eyes started to waver around the room, as if she was a cornered animal looking for escape. And then she swallowed hard, closed her eyes for a brief second as if she was recomposing herself with what remained of her calm, and nodded slowly while her eyes were still closed. "I am sorry, my lord, but I acted in your best interests regarding your safety. A traitor like Grayfia deserved only death. I could not hold back my blood once I realized that Grayfia has been working against us- ahem, the previous government of devils from the very start, resulting in the deaths of my son and husband…"

"I see… And you decided to take… hm, let's call it 'justice' to your own hands instead of telling me? Tsk, tsk… I believe that we had a… arrangement?" Momonga let his sentences draw out to put pressure on Venelana. 'Corny, overacted chuuni worked for Ravel and the others, but I should probably use something more insidious-feeling against Venelana as while she does have that temperamental side, she seems to be much more rational… So she might not go along with 'overacting', but something more cunning would probably help against her...'

"Y-yes, my lord… I…" Venelana gulped while her eyes were still closed. "I… I'd… I want to ask something, if I may?"

"I'll grant you this boon. But know that your… position… is weakening by the moment." Momonga leaned back to appear more confident than he was, feeling as if he was counting too much on [Actor] and [Ancient Evil].

"...Rias told me that Zeoticus and Sirzechs couldn't be resurrected… Were you telling her the truth?" Venelana shook just minutely, albeit Momonga could tell that the feeling was equally anger and fear as opposed to just terror from earlier.

'Erk, should I tell her that I could technically resurrect them if I had a body to work with? Yet because I don't have either's body, I can't resurrect them just now? On the other hand, the former would drive home the point that Venelana was alone and on my mercy, and the latter would give me a carrot to dangle in front of Venelana to make her easier to work with… Ddraig, advice. Momonga leaned further back on his seat while placing his elbows on the armrests of the chair and fingers against each other in front of him as if he was contemplating some sort of dark scheme. Although, most of the pose was [Actor] sitting on the reins and Momonga telling it what to do.

"Dunno."

'Very helpful, thank you.'

"Go get 'er, tiger."

Momonga sighed both externally and internally. And then moved to damage control as Venelana froze still from hearing the sigh. "Venelana, Venelana… My, you've gotten greedy. You're here, trying to excuse your actions just now, and you're already asking for such a boon… Very well. I'll tell you the truth: They will not be resurrected."

Venelana took a sharp breath in response. "I-is it because of me? Have I failed you?"

"That is a total of three questions, Venelana. I only gave you one." Momonga reminded gently, but with a tone of underlying aura of dread- Or at least he hoped that it would sound that way. "Tell me, if you are prone to such lapses of judgment as that which happened ten minutes ago, as well as that which you did just now, tell me: Why shouldn't I… re-educate you… like I did for Seekvaira?"

Venelana took a sharp breath in again, and shook to the core for a brief moment… Before she steeled herself, likely thanks to the near-overdose of anxiety medication and the Scroll Momonga spent on her. "I'd rather die."

"That is not a option you have. Even if you did, I would bring you back." Momonga sweated a bit internally as he realized that he might have pushed Venelana a bit too hard, and lumping the leadership of Gremory House to Rias might not end well considering that unlike Ravel, Rias wouldn't have a skilled advisor in the form of her mother if Venelana killed herself in a manner that wouldn't leave a corpse behind. "However… There is a way for you to redeem yourself."

"You have my house at your command, if not through me then through Rias… You have my soul, willingly or not… What more could you want of me?" Venelana froze still. "Is it my body? You told me to leave you when you took Caitlin… So is this my time to join you in bed?"

"..." Momonga sighed internally, but was very careful not to do that externally. "...Is that all you are, then? A slab of meat?"

"...I have little else left, my lord." Venelana opened her eyes finally, showing that they were glazed over and empty as if she was dead internally while her body still lived. "Ah, of course. I still have my vengeance that I need to complete against that bitch who infiltrated my family, beguiled my son, and stabbed him in the back the first chance she got in order to serve a stronger lord. Or are you saying that I should forgive Grayfia for what she's done? For what she's taken from me? From Rias? From my son?"

'Erk… I'm guessing Grayfia did something to set Venelana off… I should interrogate her as well, later.' Momonga cringed internally as he realized that Grayfia might not have been as passive as he had thought her to be. However, he needed to find out a covert way of asking Venelana as to what exactly she had found out about Grayfia. "Hm… So, as far as I see it, you have two choices, as opposed to what you claim. So, either become a slab of meat in my bed, like your fellow noble lady of a house of Phenix, or you'll forgive Grayfia. I'll be generous and grant you a choice in this matter- So which one will it be?"

Venelana sent Momonga a sharp glance, as if she wasn't expecting Momonga to say that.

'...Now then. She'll forgive Grayfia, and I can ask her as to why exactly she was so… haa… ' Momonga got halfway into his internal sentence before he felt like covering his face as he had been too absorbed in maintaining his 'calm and cunning' 'Supreme Being' facade to remember that he was in ero-world, and normal conventional 'sense' wouldn't make sense here. '...Of course.'

Venelana was pulling her dress off in front of Momonga, and Momonga could only feel regret.

"...Well, you got results. Not exactly how one would normally go about it, but hey, results?"

'I really don't need your remarks right now, Ddraig… Help me get out of this mess, please.'

"You could just tell her that she's butt-ugly and that you don't want anything to do with her?"

'Realistic solutions, please. She thinks that I'm the Supreme Being so I can't just tell her 'no' after I gave her a choice…'

"And you are not that Supreme Being?"

'...Fine, point.' Momonga's internal conference came to an end as Venelana sat on his lap, clad only in thigh-highs.

The woman looked quite determined and utterly revolted as she sat, making Momonga seriously doubt the action he was about to take.

'Perhaps flattery will work?' Momonga sweated internally even if he acted the role of a bemused 'dark lord' on the outside. "Fascinating. Your spite of Grayfia's actions is enough to throw you into this fate when the simple option of forgiving her is available. I may have underestimated you."

"Grh- khah, ahem. Thank you for your high praise, my lord. While you were the instigator, it was Grayfia's decision to betray all of us… To stab my son in the back, just as if she stabbed her previous masters… And to that end, I would encourage my lord to be careful around her." Venelana seemed to swallow a spiteful response with practiced ease, but Momonga managed to pick up on it nonetheless- Which told him that the woman must really despise him as it seemed that with Momonga working to control his [Ancient Evil] and Venelana's near-overdose on anxiety medication she managed to regain a modicum of her earlier calm. "Just as Grayfia betrayed her old masters, her old family for us, and us for you, she will betray you once she finds a new fancy."

"...Heh. Indeed. Did you think I wouldn't have thought of that?" Momonga answered while his mind locked up a bit. It seemed that Venelana had expected that answer and looked a bit conflicted, as if she was torn if she was happy over the news that Momonga had supposedly a plan for getting rid of Grayfia in place, or upset that her news didn't cause him to enact those plans on the spot.

'G-Grayfia was on my side? Wait, that can't be it… Actually, she's been around a lot, and she did get 'saved' by Serafall from that battle in the human world, and even though Beelzebub was the one who backstabbed Sirzechs, Grayfia did that suicide in front of me at the same time… Was that something she counted on, that I'd resurrect her or something? Why would she need to suicide in front of me? Was that some sort of ritual?' Momonga was contemplating the possibility that Grayfia was actually the real actual Maou, but in pretend, and Sirzechs had been just a cover-up for her, much like how Momonga had used the image of Supreme Being to do his own actions. '...There are a lot of holes in that theory… There's no way Grayfia banked on the chance that I'd revive her- Unless she knew that I'd know that Rias would be upset if she died so I would feel compelled to revive her to appease Rias so that she could in turn influence the Gremory family…'

'At the same time, back in that room when that impostor-thing attacked us, Grayfia was the one attacked… Actually, if Grayfia's body wasn't actually her 'real' body but rather something like a puppet for that tentacle-thing, a lot of things would start to make sense…' Momonga started to piece together a possible story from the seemingly random events that seemed to line up in odd coincidences. 'And when I went to save Venelana I went there to pursue 'Peroroncino' due to information Grayfia fed me… Which ended up in me saving both Venelana and Millicas… In other words… Have I been played by Grayfia from the very start?'

Momonga started to feel a creeping sense of paranoia slowly spreading through his mind, but the recent events that had resulted from him jumping on his paranoid instincts stayed his hand before he would have sent a [Message] to 'One' to have her lop off Grayfia's head without further ado, even if the paranoid part of his mind told him was exactly what Grayfia was banking on.

"Or that's just a regular coincidence. Dunno, you have that mind-reading spell so what if you used it on Grayfia?" Ddraig interjected.

'Hm… I should take Rossweisse out on a date or something and then tell her to stay on the standby if something happens while I rummage through Grayfia's head… It's been a while since I talked with Rossweisse, and even though we were on good footing back then, she's been converting those valkyries and the rest of the Norse to my side, which also exposes her to their counter-propaganda which might have reduced her loyalty to me if she's brought to the propaganda of her countrymen…' Momonga made a quick plan and slotted a date with Rossweisse to his near-future plans, as he had to take a tour of the 'conquered' Devil Families's lands soon anyway or he'd face a risk of revolt due to the public image of the supposed 'True God' hanging around too much in the Phenix territory while his followers fought and bled. 'I need to bring Grayfia with me as well, to keep an eye on her… If she's what I think she might be, then leaving her alone here would give her a lot of opportunities to set plans in motion.'

At the same time, Momonga had another, slightly more pressing issue that was pressing her lips against his. 'The fact Venelana despises Grayfia that much is a definite clue that she's not happy with me either, and the fact she chose to give her body to me instead of forgiving Grayfia also tells me that she won't be forgiving me anytime soon, even if killing her husband wasn't exactly intentional order… But I suppose that excuse wouldn't find much purchase in her.'

"Ever tried using both of your, erm, 'skills' in unison? That lover and ancient evil thing you keep naming? From what I gathered from your ramblings one means you create affection and pleasure and the other does the opposite, more or less." Ddraig noted. "I read from one of those manga's you gave me that there is such a concept nowadays as 'mindbreak' so…"

'...'

"I did read that! Well, it may or may not happen, but erm… It'd probably sort of help with the whole thing of previous ties and so on… Seemed to work for that blonde lady of yours." Ddraig was looking at Momonga a bit warily after he had realized that he had been caught in the moment and had suggested something outrageous.

'...Fine. Ero-dragon.'

"If it means that you won't start an apocalyptic war that ends everything then I'm fine with being an ero-dragon. But relatively contained wars with a lot of pretty explosions would be nice if possible, thank you."

Venelana's eyes widened as Momonga grabbed her and swung her down against the couch, and pushed his lips against hers. "My, perhaps you have potential… Venelana Gremory. Or Venelana Bael, as I believe you were before marrying?"

Venelana's eyes opened in sudden panic as she must have made some sort of connection, but it was too late for her as Momonga had used [Break Item] on his suit-

The meat, now no longer contained in his pants, sprang up and rested against Venelana's stomach, causing her eyes to widen for a moment before she squeezed her eyes shut in clear disgust and fear, all the while her expression tightened and her body language loosened, clearly conveying that Venelana was not enjoying the moment and was very much 'letting it happen' as opposed to that being something she desired.

Momonga paused as he started to feel really slimy over the whole situation, specifically once Venelana turned her head away and slumped down lifelessly on the couch. 'Erk, t-that's… U-umu, Ddraig, I don't think your plan is going to work… I'm not sure I can take Venelana against her will…'

A part of her that was the avatar 'Momonga' agreed, considering that [Control Amnesia] would be an easier option to lobotomize Venelana if she needed to be rendered alive but as a non-threat. Or, the rational part argued, it could be archived by going through with the action Ddraig suggested anyway despite Venelana's non-verbal protest, but the latter option was very much fought over by what the remained of Suzuki Satoru's old sensibilities.

"Lord Momon! Are you here?! There has been a development-!" A voice came from somewhere behind Momonga alongside a bang of a door being thrown open, and the voice came to a stop all of a sudden as whoever entered saw the situation Momonga and Venelana were in.

Momonga sighed in happiness internally as the interruption gave him an excellent excuse to jump ship from his previous plan that had taken an unpleasant turn.

And so, he instantly dropped his 'dark lord' act and instead embraced the more 'normal' persona he liked to wear around the house. 'Sheesh, I'm wearing those personas as clothes already… This can't be good for my sanity…' "Hm… Alright, Venelana. We'll continue our talk later. And who are you? I hope something important is happening if you have to just barge in without knocking, you know?"

"I was… um… part of the retinue assigned to you, my lord?" A woman with fox-like tails coming from under her ridiculously skimpy 'maid' outfit seemed to be disheartened for a moment before Momonga made the connection. "And, ahem, I asked where you were because I couldn't find you anywhere, unusual, and I was told that you were here but I couldn't hear anything so I figured that… Ahem, anyway, there has been a serious development! It's about-"

"Ah, you are one of those, umu, kitsune who Yasaka assigned to assist me, yes?" Momonga waved his hand while using a silent [Create Item] to re-make his earlier Sirzechs-like dress, if only in black and violet with white detailing as his earlier 'avatar' colors had seemingly become the Church's colors of choice, and Momonga had decided to add some white in there as well in order to not make the 'real' Angels suspicious over the colors. "Please fill me in on what is happening as we walk."

Momonga motioned for the maid to walk ahead, and she nodded seriously before spinning on the spot and beginning to walk in brisk pace, while her tails caused the back of her skirt to flip up with each step, showing to him that the assigned 'maid', or rather the Kitsune Geisha-Assassin, was going commando.

Momonga felt the urge to cover his face with his hands as his sins were brought to light once more, but he resisted the urge with practiced calm.

The door closed behind the two, leaving Venelana to stare dumbfounded at the door, still clad in nothing but thigh-highs.

.

.

Roughly five minutes and a quick explanation later:

"...Wait, Yasaka is in a coma? Something happened in the Human World when I restored the sun?"