Chapter 43: To the Underworld, GO!

Two days after it was decided we'd head to the Underworld, we set off.

Our first stop was a train station about a fifteen-minute walk from my house. We were dressed in Komaou Academy's summer uniforms—apparently the best attire for traveling to the Underworld.

But why a train station? That question nagged at me as I followed Rias to the station's elevator.

"Issei, Asia, Xenovia, and Miu, get in first," Rias instructed. "I'll go down with you."

"Go down?" I echoed, confused.

This elevator only went up, didn't it? Miu seemed to share my confusion, a question mark practically hovering over her head.

"Come on, stop blinking and get in," Rias said with a wry smile, beckoning us.

Fine, I'd trust Rias. I stepped inside.

"Akino, handle the others," Rias called.

"Got it," Akino replied.

The elevator doors closed. Rias pulled a card from her skirt pocket and swiped it across the electronic panel. A beep sounded.

Then—

Clunk.

The elevator started descending!

There was actually a down?! It felt like something out of a wizard movie.

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to reveal a vast, artificial cavern.

Whoa!

An underground hollow right beneath our town? I had no idea this existed!

Soon, Akino, Azazel-sensei, and the others joined us.

"Everyone's here," Rias said. "Let's head to Platform Three."

Following her lead, we walked to the platform, my eyes wide at the surreal surroundings. Everything felt new and astonishing.

Whooosh.

A whistle blew, and the train lurched forward. Rias sat in the front car, as was customary for the master, while we retainers occupied the middle and rear cars. Miu, being a tourist, didn't have to follow the same rules.

The train's interior was luxurious, like a hotel suite I'd only seen on TV. A few minutes after departure, we were gliding through a dark tunnel. Azazel-sensei, seated further back, was already snoring.

"How long's the trip?" I asked Akino.

"About an hour," she replied. "This train crosses dimensional barriers officially to reach the Underworld."

"Huh. I thought we'd use a magic circle," I said.

"Normally, yes," Akino said. "But new demons must enter through the official route at least once, or face penalties. You've already done that, right, Issei-kun?"

"Yeah, when I was taken to the Underworld hospital," I said. Rias had handled the paperwork through Sirzechs on my way back.

"Then you can use a magic circle anytime," Akino said with a smile. "Would you have preferred that today?"

"Nah, this is cooler," I said. "Feels like a real journey."

"Fufu, true," she agreed.

"Still, getting punished for not using the official route sounds intense," I said. "What about when I was rushed to the hospital?"

"That was an emergency, so you're fine," Akino assured me.

Phew. Getting punished for no reason would've sucked.

Akino placed a hand on her cheek, giggling. "In your case, Issei-kun, you might get in trouble for inappropriate contact with your master."

"What?!" I yelped.

Was that for real? I'd touched Rias plenty—her breasts, her thighs, even rubbed oil on her at the pool! Getting arrested the moment we arrived would be a nightmare!

As I panicked, Akino climbed onto my lap.

"Akino-san?!"

"Touching your master might be an issue," she purred, guiding my hand to her thigh. "But skinship between retainers? Perfectly fine. Like this—"

My hand grazed her thigh, the sensation electrifying.

"Deeper..." she whispered, guiding my hand further under her skirt.

That's forbidden territory! Was this okay?

Just as my fingers brushed fabric, my arm was seized. Miu and Asia gripped me tightly.

"No further, big brother," Miu said sternly.

"You'll turn into a pervert, Issei-san," Asia added.

Ow, ow! Their grips were like iron! Since when were they this strong?

"Oh, a little perversion is healthy for a boy," Akino teased.

Wait, did that make me a pervert? If it meant touching Akino, I could live with that!

I glanced at Koneko-chan, expecting her sharp comeback, but she was staring out the window, lost in thought. What was up with her?

The car door slid open, and Rias appeared. "Akino, what are you doing?"

Her eyebrows twitched as she saw Akino on my lap, my hand still under her skirt.

This was bad! A red aura radiated from Rias.

I tried to pull my hand free, but—

"Was my body not to your liking?" Akino said, pouting.

Don't say that! It's not like I wanted to stop!

As I floundered, Akino pulled my head into her chest. My face was buried in her breasts—soft, fragrant, divine!

"Just some retainer skinship," Akino said cheekily.

"Akino, enough—" Rias started, her voice sharp.

"Princess Rias," a voice interrupted. An older man with a white goatee appeared behind her, dressed like a conductor. "While communicating with your retainers is fine, we need to complete the formalities."

"Sorry, Reynaldo," Rias said sheepishly.

"Ho ho ho," the man chuckled. "To think the little princess is now caught up in romantic matters. Longevity has its perks."

Reynaldo removed his hat and bowed. "Greetings, new retainers of the princess. I'm Reynaldo, conductor of the Gremory private train. A pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Issei Hyoudou, Rias-sama's soldier," I said.

"I'm Asia Argento, a bishop! Pleased to meet you!" Asia chirped.

"I'm Xenovia, a knight. Looking forward to working with you," Xenovia added.

The new demons introduced themselves. Akino had slipped back to her seat, looking slightly reluctant. Her seductive attacks were relentless—I could barely keep up!

Reynaldo's gaze shifted to Miu. "And this lady? Not a demon, I presume?"

"I'm Miu Hyoudou, Issei's sister," Miu said, bowing. "Rias invited me to sightsee in the Underworld."

Reynaldo nodded. "I've heard of you from the princess. Thank you for looking after her. Please continue to do so."

He pulled out a device, scanning Asia and Xenovia with a monitor. "This confirms new demons," he explained. "Issei-sama, you've already completed the process, so you're exempt."

The device beeped approvingly for Asia and Xenovia, then turned to Miu and the sleeping Azazel. "To sleep so soundly on a train of a former enemy faction," Rias said, laughing.

"Ho ho ho, the fallen angel Governor-General is quite at peace," Reynaldo chuckled.

Forty minutes after departure, an announcement echoed: "Arriving shortly at Gremory Territory. Arriving shortly at Gremory Territory."

"Look outside," Rias said. "You can open the windows now."

I slid the window open, and a breathtaking expanse of nature greeted me—mountains, a distant town. "Whoa! This is amazing!" I shouted, unable to contain my excitement.

The scenery felt oddly nostalgic, like the landscapes from my travels in another world. Miu, gazing out, wore a wistful expression.

"Wonder how everyone's doing," she murmured, likely thinking of her demon friends from that world.

I'd brought Miu to this world for her safety, but it meant tearing her from her friends. Without communication between worlds, it was natural she'd feel anxious.

I patted her head, whispering, "It's okay. Alice is probably handling things. She wanted peace between humans and demons."

Alice, a princess and my comrade in that world, had dreamed of ending the conflict between humans and demons. Even if humans defeated the Demon King, history showed the cycle of vengeance would continue.

But if the three factions here could unite, I believed Alice could achieve peace there too.

"Yeah," Miu said, smiling faintly.

Minutes later, another announcement: "Arriving at Gremory Manor. Thank you for riding."

"Get ready to disembark," Rias said.

The train slowed and stopped. Following Rias, we stepped off—except for Azazel-sensei.

"Not getting off, Sensei?" I asked.

"I'm heading to the Demon King's territory for a meeting with Sirzechs," he said. "I'll join you at the manor later. Go greet everyone and settle in. Training starts after."

Busy guy, being a Governor-General. I'd forgotten about the training with all the scenery.

"See you later," I said.

"Say hi to my brother," Rias added.

We waved, and Azazel waved back. The rest of us stepped onto the platform.

"Welcome back, Lady Rias!" a chorus greeted.

Fireworks exploded, soldiers fired rifles into the sky, and a band struck up a triumphant tune. Talk about a princess's welcome! Even the castles in the other world weren't this grand.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm home," Rias said, beaming.

A silver-haired maid stepped forward—Grayfia. "Welcome back, Lady Rias. I'm glad you arrived safely."

"Good to see you too, Grayfia," Rias replied. "You look well."

"The carriage is ready," Grayfia said. "Please board for the Gremory Manor."

The "horses" pulling the carriage were massive, with gleaming eyes—nothing like normal horses. We're riding those?

"I'll ride with Issei, Asia, Xenovia, and Miu," Rias said. "They're new to this."

"Understood," Grayfia replied. "We've prepared multiple carriages."

The ride was smoother than expected, thanks to paved roads. A massive structure loomed into view.

"What's that castle, Rias?" I asked.

"That's the manor," she said. "Our destination."

It was stunning, surrounded by flower gardens and ornate fountains. We disembarked, joined by Kiba and the others from another carriage.

Servants lined the red-carpeted path to the manor. "Please, enter," Grayfia said.

As we walked, a small figure darted toward Rias. "Big Sis Rias! Welcome back!"

A cute red-haired boy hugged her. "Millicas! You've grown," Rias said, embracing him.

"Who's that?" Asia asked.

"This is Millicas Gremory, my brother Sirzechs Lucifer's son," Rias said.

Sirzechs's kid—Rias's nephew! The current Demon King system used inherited titles, so he carried the Gremory name.

"Millicas, say hello," Rias prompted.

"I'm Millicas Gremory. Nice to meet you!" he said.

"I'm Issei Hyoudou, Rias-sama's soldier. Good to meet you, Millicas," I said.

His eyes sparkled. "You're the Issei Hyoudou? I'm a fan! Can I shake your hand?"

A fan? Of what? I hadn't done anything to earn that.

No reason to refuse, so I shook his hand. "Yay!" he cheered.

I wanted to ask why, but Rias led him ahead. I'd ask later.

We climbed the stairs, and a stunning woman appeared—gorgeous, with ample curves, looking strikingly like Rias but with flaxen hair and sharper eyes. Her sister?

"Issei, staring at my mother won't get you anywhere," Rias teased.

Mother? She looked Rias's age!

"No way! She's a total beauty!" I blurted. Her aura felt youthful too. How?

"Demons can alter their appearance with magic," Rias explained. "Mother prefers looking my age."

That explained her looks, but her youthful energy?

"Greetings, Rias's new retainers," the woman said. "I'm Venelana Gremory, Rias's mother."

She studied my face. "You're Issei Hyoudou, yes?"

"You know me?" I asked.

"I watched your Rating Game with Riser," Venelana said. "And you're quite famous in the Underworld."

"Famous?"

She signaled a butler, who brought a newspaper. "'Three Factions Summit: Peace Broker, Rias Gremory's Soldier, Issei Hyoudou!'" she read. "Defeating Kokabiel and the legendary White Dragon Emperor to thwart terrorism—your feats are known across the Underworld."

A huge photo of me in armor dominated the front page. Shocked, I snatched the paper.

"WHAT?!" I shouted, my voice echoing through Gremory Manor.