Chapter 15: The Pressure Before the Storm
The ceiling of the Gremory medical wing was surprisingly boring. I'd been staring at it for a week. When I finally discharged myself, the gossip mill provided the highlights: Rias Gremory had played the part of the devoted nurse until the very second my eyes twitched open.
Then, she vanished.
I figured she was just flustered. After all, a high-class noble kissing a Pawn in front of half the Underworld hierarchy isn't exactly in the "Devil Etiquette" handbook. So, I went back to my routine. Or rather, I stopped it.
The Day the Pawn Vanished
I didn't storm out. I wasn't heartbroken. I just looked at the massive stack of "Post-Riser" paperwork, watched Issei trying to figure out why his arm was glowing green, and realized: They've got this.
I skipped the club. I didn't offer a single sarcastic comment. I didn't flirt with the President. I just went home.
Issei: "Hey, Asia? Is it just me, or is the room, like... way too quiet? It's like the background music stopped."
Asia: (Fidgeting with her crucifix) "Motohama-san went home early again, Issei-san. He didn't even say goodbye to the President..."
Across the room, Rias was vibrating with a visible, suppressed energy. She had three phones on her desk, a letter from her brother, and a headache the size of the Underworld.
Rias: (Internal Monologue) Issei is leaking dragon aura, Riser's family is sending legal threats, and Sirzechs won't stop teasing me about 'The Black Knight.' And him? He's just... gone? Did I forget to thank him? No, I kissed him. Does he want more? Or did he decide he's done with me?
She wasn't used to him not being the anchor. He wasn't the loud one, but he was always there. And without him, the room felt like it was losing oxygen.
The Crack
Rias finally broke. She bolted to my apartment, her mind spiraling through a hundred different apologies. When she found my door locked and the lights off, the internal pressure reached critical mass.
Rias: "Avoiding me? After everything, you're just going to avoid me?!"
She didn't cry. She punched.
CRACK.
The concrete next to my door frame webbed out in a perfect circle of Gremory-branded frustration.
Rias: "Stupid... oblivious... reliable idiot!"
Tea and Teasing
I arrived twenty minutes later, carrying a bag of groceries and feeling significantly more relaxed. I found the cracked wall. I also found Akeno, who was sitting on a magical stool she'd manifested, sipping tea.
Akeno: "Ara, ara~ Someone had a very 'expressive' conversation with your architecture, Motohama-kun."
Motohama: "I can see that. Did she leave a bill, or is the structural damage my bonus for the month?"
Akeno: "Neither. You're coming with me. Stress relief is mandatory for Pawns who make their Kings punch buildings."
She dragged me to a nearby café. I didn't resist; it was easier than fighting her.
Motohama: "Okay, Akeno. I've been dragged, I've been fed, and I've been stared at. So, why exactly am I here? If Rias is mad that I skipped the paperwork, she can send a formal summons."
Akeno: (Setting her cup down with a soft clink) "She isn't mad, you silly boy. She's terrified. Usually, people only notice thunder after it strikes. You? You're more like the pressure before the storm. When you went quiet, the whole club started suffocating."
Motohama: "I was just giving her space. She's got enough to deal with without me hovering."
Akeno: (Leaning in, 70% teasing, 30% sincere) "Space is for planets, Motohama-kun. For a girl in love, 'space' just feels like a very long goodbye. She realized today that you aren't just a piece on her board. You're the floor she's standing on. It's hard to walk when the floor decides to go shopping."
The Voice of the Void
Crom Cruach: [Cackling in the back of Motohama's mind] "Oh, this is exquisite! The King is smashing masonry while the Queen is lecturing you on 'emotional atmospheric pressure.' My previous hosts died in glorious battles against gods. I get front-row seats to a Devil Soap Opera."
Motohama: (Internal) Shut up, Crom. Go back to being a dormant fragment of ancient evil.
Crom Cruach: "Ancient? Yes. Honest? Always. And honestly, boy, you Devils are pathetic. You build these 'Peerages' like families but understand each other less than the worms in the dirt. Your King is emotionally blind, your Red Dragon is a loud-mouthed peasant, and you? You're a strategist who forgot that the most important variable in any plan is a woman's ego."
Motohama: (Internal) I didn't forget anything. I just didn't expect her to hit a wall.
Crom Cruach: "Because you're arrogant! You think your 'calm' is a gift. It's an insult! If I were her, I wouldn't have punched the wall. I would have punched those glasses off your face just to see if your eyes can actually show a flicker of panic."
Motohama: (Internal) Keep talking, and I'll start using my demonic energy to fuel a very annoying internal radio that only plays pop music.
Crom Cruach: "...You wouldn't dare. Even a dragon has limits, boy."
Next Step: Would you like me to outline Chapter 16, where Motohama finally confronts Rias about the cra
cked wall and her "confused" feelings?
So what u think will happen next comment if u want to know