A sliver of morning light peeked through the half-closed curtains, casting a glow across the quiet room.
Birds chirped faintly in the distance, and the world outside was slowly waking up.
Arthur groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open with the heavy weight of sleep still tugging at his thoughts.
He blinked a few times, his vision adjusting to the dim warmth of the bedroom.
The ceiling above him stared back blankly, but something was different.
For some odd reason, his body felt... lighter.
He lifted a hand to his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before glancing to his left.
The sight made his heart skip a beat for a moment.
Lavinia.
She lay there quietly, her face buried gently into the crook of his neck, her blonde hair cascading across the pillow and his chest.
Her breath was slow and even, warming the side of his neck with each quiet exhale.
Her arm was wrapped loosely around his torso while her bare legs tangled with his beneath the thick sheets, skin pressing against skin for warmth.
Arthur blinked again, and his mind began catching up with reality.
He turned his head toward the nightstand and checked the small digital clock.
8:47 AM.
(So… it wasn't a dream.)
He looked back at the woman still sleeping peacefully beside him, a soft smile playing at her lips even in rest.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed from the morning air and the warmth of their shared body heat.
Arthur exhaled slowly, lying back against the pillow and staring up at the ceiling again.
(So that's what sex feels like… To think I missed out on a lot of things during my college years.)
He felt his face heat up as memories from the previous night played back vividly in his mind.
Her breathless moans, her trembling fingers gripping him, the way she screamed his name between kisses, and how she clung to him like he was going to disappear if she let go.
He rested a hand on his face and groaned, feeling the slight soreness in his hips, his back, his everything.
(Holy shit… I really went all in, huh? How the hell did I have it in me to go so many rounds…?)
Arthur chuckled quietly to himself, a mix of embarrassment and pride swelling in his chest.
The soreness in his body wasn't painful; it was a strange kind of satisfying.
His thoughts were clearer now, as if the tension and noise inside him had been melted away.
(So this is what they mean by post-nut clarity…)
He ran a hand through his messy red hair, still feeling the faint chill of morning against his skin where the blanket didn't fully cover.
(But damn… we didn't use any protection yesterday… What if she's pregnant now? Am I… gonna be a dad?)
The thought hit him like a brick.
He stared wide-eyed at the ceiling for a moment, then glanced down again at Lavinia, still cuddled close to him, completely at peace.
(…I mean, I don't mind taking responsibility. If it happens, it happens… But still, I kinda wanted to enjoy this second life a bit longer before settling into the whole 'dad' thing.)
His train of thought stopped short as Lavinia stirred beside him.
She let out a quiet hum and pressed closer, her body sliding against his as she nuzzled deeper into the side of his neck.
One of her legs curled over his, seeking more warmth.
Arthur blinked in surprise, then smiled softly.
He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then slowly ran his hand down her back in a gentle caress.
"Good morning… my Lav."
He whispered.
Lavinia hummed again, her voice soft and velvety as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her blue gaze met his, sleepy but bright, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Good morning to you, darling."
She murmured back.
They stared at each other for a long moment, saying nothing more.
Arthur leaned in and kissed her again, softly, lovingly, with all the affection he could muster.
Lavinia responded immediately, her fingers rising to brush his cheek as their lips moved together in slow sync.
When they finally pulled back, their foreheads rested together as they both took quiet breaths.
Lavinia leaned her head against his shoulder and slowly traced little circles across his chest with her fingertip.
"You okay?"
Arthur asked softly, looking down at her.
She nodded against him and hummed again, a sound full of contentment.
"Mhm..."
He let the silence linger a bit longer before grinning.
"Wanna shower together?"
Lavinia's smile widened faintly.
"Mmm…"
She replied again, which Arthur took as a yes.
With a bit of effort, Arthur sat up, careful not to disturb her too suddenly.
The blanket fell away, revealing the scarred but lean muscles of his body.
He glanced down at her, still lying lazily with one arm over her eyes, a tiny smile on her lips.
Without warning, Arthur leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.
"Ah!"
She gasped in surprise as he lifted her into a bridal carry with ease.
He grinned down at her as she blinked up at him, then let out a small, playful laugh.
"You're surprisingly light, you know that?"
Lavinia rested her head against his shoulder, eyes half-closed again.
"It's more like you're surprisingly strong."
She murmured, letting him carry her without resistance.
Arthur carried her across the room.
The door to the bathroom creaked open as he gently pushed it with his foot.
As the door closed behind them, the sounds of moaning and water splashing could be heard from the inside.
They didn't leave the bathroom until it was almost 10:00 AM.
DxD
Some time later.
Amidst the damage still littered across the area, scorch marks, cracked ground, icy puddles now melting into mud, stood Arthur, alone.
Before him stood a tall marble pillar, old yet sturdy, partially entwined by the tree's roots.
Arthur approached it slowly, he raised his right arm and placed his fingertips against the cold surface of the pillar.
Then, with nothing more than a simple flick of his finger, the marble burst apart with a thunderous crack.
*Boom!*
The pillar exploded like glass hit by a sledgehammer, shattering into a pile of white rubble and dust.
Bits of marble flew in every direction, some skidding across the ground while others embedded into nearby trees.
Arthur stared at his hand.
His fingers were unscathed.
"...What the hell?"
He muttered.
He turned his gaze slowly across the training yard.
Five more identical marble pillars were reduced to similar piles of broken debris.
One after the other, each had been shattered by the lightest of touches.
"What the fuck is happening to me?"
(Fascinating.)
Ddraig's voice echoed in Arthur's mind, clearly intrigued.
(You've grown significantly stronger. But it's not just your power that has changed. Your aura… your body… they're shifting. Becoming more draconic than yesterday.)
Arthur looked down at his hands again.
His nails had darkened, black, glossy, and sharp like obsidian claws.
He flexed them slowly.
"I noticed it earlier. After I got out of the shower with Lavinia, I saw myself in the mirror. My canines were longer and sharper. My pupils shifted, turning to slits. And my hair grew just a little, but enough to notice."
He touched the ends of his red hair, still damp in places, now brushing closer to his shoulders.
(Your senses are changing too, aren't they? Your senses and reflexes heightened. Something inside you is changing. Your Dragon Heart is responding.)
Ddraig continued.
Arthur exhaled slowly. His breath came out cold despite the warmth of the day.
"You think something triggered it?"
(Possibly. Tell me, did anything stimulate your Dragon Heart recently? Something emotional, or instinctual.)
Arthur paused.
His mind flashed back to last night, making his face flushed red as his eyes widened.
"Oh…"
He muttered.
(Is there something the matter, Partner? You're unusually quiet.)
Ddraig asked again, his tone edging toward amusement.
Arthur turned away from the shattered rubble and started walking.
"I don't want to talk about it."
He muttered.
(Heh. So you have finally done it. Congratulations, Arthur. You're a man now.]
Ddraig chuckled deeply.
Arthur tried to ignore the echoing laughter in his head as he made his way toward the main building.
The halls were empty for the most part, the sound of clinking silverware and conversation echoing faintly from the cafeteria ahead.
When he stepped inside, the warm smell of food hit him immediately.
Across the room sat Heracles, Georg, Cao Cao, and, surprisingly, Regulus.
The lion spirit was resting beside Georg, who was sipping on a cup of tea.
Arthur made his way over, his expression returning to calm as he approached their table.
Heracles was stuffing his face with plates of food.
Cao Cao cut a neatly sized piece of schnitzel and raised his head when he saw Arthur.
"Ah, there he is. Afternoon, Arthur."
Cao Cao greeted, raising his fork slightly.
Arthur gave a small wave and smiled as he sat down beside them.
"Afternoon, guys. Lavinia told me she's not joining us. She's resting for the whole day, because... uhh… reasons."
He picked up a glass of water and drank, trying to ignore the stares from his friends.
Heracles didn't miss a beat.
"So, how was the baby-making session last night?"
Arthur nearly spat the water across the table and coughed violently.
Georg sighed, setting his tea down with a shake of his head.
"Heracles, could you not be so… blunt? Some things deserve privacy."
He muttered.
Then Georg turned to Arthur, adjusting his glasses with an air of curiosity.
"But… you were using protection, weren't you?"
Arthur stared into his glass in silence, trying not to show any emotion.
Before the subject could spiral any further into something Arthur desperately wanted to avoid, Cao Cao cleared his throat.
"Anyway, how long are we staying here in Grauzauberer?"
Arthur mentally thanked him for the deflection.
"Probably a month or two. It depends on how fast we progress with our magic training, mastering our Longinus, and other factors."
He answered, placing the glass down.
Georg sipped his tea, then spoke again.
"That raises another question I've been meaning to ask. What will you guys do after this? Where do you go from here?"
He said calmly.
Arthur leaned back in his chair slightly, his eyes half-lidded.
"I intend to continue my quest."
He said.
The others looked at him with mild surprise.
"Your quest? This is the first time we're hearing about this."
Cao Cao asked.
Arthur nodded.
"I'm planning on finding all Longinus users. And some Sacred Gear users and strong fighters along the way."
A beat of silence passed across the table.
Georg frowned slightly.
"For what purpose?"
Arthur reached for a roll of bread, broke it in half, then glanced over at them.
"Let's just say… I need us to be united when the time comes. Something big is coming that I can't explain at the moment. Something that would affect the whole world."
He said quietly.
He looked at Georg specifically.
"Georg, if you're free tonight, you and Lavinia will be having a meeting at my place. We'll have a group discussion. There's something I need to share to all of you."
Georg raised an eyebrow, clearly curious, but nodded without argument.
"Very well. Tonight it is."
Heracles asked with a smirk.
"Now that's pretty ominous. Are you planning some kind of rebellion, Arthur?"
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Let's just say… in the future, the world's about to change."
DxD
Hello readers!
Had a good night's sleep?
...
You had?
Good for you... BECAUSE I DID NOT!
So you better be giving me all your Power Stones before I consider committing a war crime on the Moon.
Thank you everyone and see you later!