Things have settled down in terms of monster attacks. A few days have gone by since Lala's introduction to the 'harem chamber' that she snuck in under the foundations of your garage HQ. Though in other ways things have gotten increasingly chaotic and out of hand. Your baseball stadium rescue has resulted in a media tumult – with hundreds of journalists descending on the city to try and find the identity of the mysterious superhero.
There are TV specials, round the clock talk show speculation, and people painting murals of you onto the side of local apartment blocks to celebrate your actions in rescuing the people at the game. There's a veritable Harem Hero frenzy ongoing. And Mitsuru is more than happy to stoke the flames of that frenzy.
She summoned Venelana Gremory using the Sledgehammer (without your knowledge) and attained her assistance in spreading the word about her new toy line, released to coincide with the trend. She didn't just want to conquer the store shelves, she wanted to conquer the multi-media landscape! You've started to overhear her speaking with producers and licensors about new products, comic book tie-ins and potential lawsuits from the people whose intellectual property you are now plucking characters and concepts from.
There's just one problem with that – Mitsuru has not only hidden her identity, but also the location, registration and finances of your new 'company.' It's a black box from which no information can leak or escape. The government doesn't even know who you work for. Plus, the rather tenuous legalise theory that you aren't really selling other people's ideas. Mitsuru had quietly shelved the replica cards and replaced them with non-copyright infringing alternatives. Some of them are more obvious than others.
The first one-hundred-thousand-dollar cheque slid into your bank account with little fanfare, after bounding between various proxy accounts intended to protect your identity. It's even more than Mitsuru initially suggested, pushing upwards into the one-hundred-seventies. Suddenly you don't need to worry about rent or your expenses anymore. It's both liberating and constricting. What are you going to do with so much cash? Rias had some good ideas. Why not live it up a little with a flash car and a new, larger apartment?
And thus, the apartment search begins. You know that Lala has the ability to add compressed space rooms to any building – so space may not be such an important factor. You're just looking for something more liveable, and maybe a little impressive so you can feel like a big shot. With such a huge amount of liquid cash on hand, you can pay the down payment for pretty much any available apartment in the city. Sans the ones constructed to launder dirty money in the downtown district – doomed to never be lived in.
You created a shortlist of several that catch your eye, all of them offering premium perks like an underground parking space, a private elevator, and panorama views of the district they're located in. Many of them have been built in speculative locations close to the garage and by the waterside. The attempted gentrification of the former industrial and shipping area hasn't been doing so hot – so there are plenty of bargains to be found.
Having sent a message of interest to one of the estate agents involved, you received a response from them promptly. They couldn't show you around in person, but they would leave a spare key under one of the potted plants in the outside hallway for you to use. If nothing else it should provide a fun diversion to see how the 'other side' lives. You walk through the abandoned warehouses and industrial yards to an area that has been flattened and landscaped into a new high-end business and residential area.
The building you seek towers above the others. A reflective monolith of glass and steel – an overcompensating construction that seeks to be the tallest around. You walk through the repaved courtyard slash park and into the cold embrace of an empty skyscraper lobby. There isn't a soul to be seen, but the lights are on and the doors still open so…
Screw it. You ignore the potential for this to turn into an avant-garde horror flick and swagger to the elevator. The agent said the double-layered apartment was on the thirtieth and thirty-first floor, and inhabited half of the building's footprint in the process. You can't imagine the size of the place until you see it with your own eyes.
Up and up you go. A sassy saxophone melody plays over the elevator speakers during the trip. The reflective steel doors slide open and reveal a beige hallway. On either side of you are two black doors, with numbers printed onto them. You're looking for 312. A pair of vases stand guard on either side of the wooden laminate door, under the left is the key you were promised.
"Alright, no axe murderer just yet."
The door unlocks with a satisfying clunk, swinging open to reveal a fairly lavish entry hallway into what is a truly gigantic luxury apartment. These are the real high roller suites, mainly designed for investors to buy and sit on for a stupid length of time without ever once opening the front door and using them for their practical purpose.
On the immediate right is a cloak room to store coats, umbrellas and a veritable landslide of outside shoes. You kick off your own dirty beaters and leave them by the front door so you don't spoil the lovely white-marble floor. You're spoilt for choice on where to start your inspection, but a rumbling from your pocket momentarily distracts your attention.
It's Akeno, wondering if you're free to spend a little time with her. As usual, this simple request is accompanied by an image of her posing in a full-body mirror with no clothes on. Does she think she needs to pay you in nudes or something? You fire off a message asking her to get dressed. What's the harm? You summon the Sledgehammer using your bracelet and summon Akeno from her world. The busty sadist appears wearing a flattering white blouse, jumper and long black skirt. She looks very mature in this new casual outfit.
"Hello Akeno."
"Fufu, hello husband!" Akeno leans up and plants a friendly kiss on your lips. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the apartment you're in. "Hm. Is my dear husband seeking a new home?"
You and the girls already talked about the money situation. "Kind of. I got curious about how far my new-found wealth can go. This is the first place I've checked out."
"Ara, it is rather bare, isn't it?" Akeno comments, craning her head upwards to look at the tall glass windows that look out over the water.
"All of these modern buildings look like this. They need something… more personable."
Akeno nods, "I much prefer the way that Rias styled our clubhouse. It's very comfortable and warm. These big bald windows need some lovely crimson curtains, don't you think?" The gothic stylings of DxD's clubhouse do have a certain appeal. You're going to have to redecorate no matter which building you choose in the end.
The main living area is huge – featuring a built-in kitchen area, dining table and depressed seating area with an equally large flat-screen TV built into the shape of the indentation. Huge roof to floor windows give a semi-impressive view over the bay of the city. Heck, you can see the baseball stadium from here. You and Akeno wander around the place, providing commentary and ideas for what you'd like to do with it. The room that is most exciting to her is the master bedroom, which takes up a large chunk of the second floor. A half-wall allows you to see through the very same windows.
"What a wonderful love nest," she giggles, "I can just imagine us lavishing you with affection on a big, emperor size mattress while we watch the sun set."
A what? You don't even know if they make beds that big.
There are several other mostly empty rooms intended for whatever use a rich man can think of. It's so sprawling that you're already running low on practical ideas for what to use them for. Akeno does her level best to try and make up for it. "Fufu, this would make a wonderful dungeon. We can punish the naughty girls in your harem, and have a little fun together." She trails her pedicured nails down one of the empty walls and flutters her eyebrows, essentially begging you to ascent to the concept.
You don't know where to start with something like that. "Uh, I think I'll leave the dungeon design to you then – Akeno." She responds by planting another kiss on your cheek and hugging your arm like a doting housewife. She can be a real sweetheart when she tries. She also manages to restrain herself from asking for a quickie with you. And by 'quickie' you mean three hours of marathon sex like what always seems to happen.
"How many places did you look up?"
"A few, more apartments like this and some bigger houses out in the suburbs."
"I'd love to come with you. Shall we?"
You smile and shepherd her back towards the entry hall, "Of course, whatever you want." There are a few more places you're planning on visiting today – so having Akeno for company sounds like a great idea. Otherwise it's going to be very dry and boring, oohing and awing at whatever absurd architecture the rich and powerful have decided to construct in an affront to good taste.
Maybe a gothic twist is just what one of these breezy, oversized homes need.