Underworld, Gremory Territory, Alaverus Estate.
The young devils were expected to show up at the Council's meeting room in the next two hours. After leaving the Gremory Estate, James, Leona, and James' peerage returned to their home in the Underworld. After a night's rest and a relaxing day, they cleaned up and changed into the clothes they picked out for the banquet.
"So, what was that about training under Master?" James asked as Leona looked over the outfit he had chosen.
Standing in front of a full length mirror with Leona circling around him, James wore a three-piece black tuxedo. With a black three button blazer over a midnight purple vest with cherry blossom petals decorating its front and a white Mandarin-collared dress shirt underneath that, black pants with a midnight purple stripe on each hem and black gator skin dress shoes.
"I didn't really think it was important." Leona said off-handedly. "Besides, what does it matter for a housewife like me to have training like that?"
"*Sigh* Mom, you made it obvious earlier." James said in a small voice. "You've done quite a few jobs for Big Sis Grayfia over the years."
Leona only smiled in response.
"Okay, I get it." James said, raising his hands disarmingly. "I'll let it go."
"My baby is so smart." Leona said happily.
Rolling his eyes, James turned away from his mother and walked out of his bedroom.
"Let's go." James said with a smile. "The others should be ready soon, too. I mean, I basically forced the girls to start getting ready an hour and a half before I started."
Leona giggled at her son's antics, then she caught up to him and they walked down to the living room together. When they arrived, Cu Chulainn, Dante and Lady were already present. Cu Chulainn and Dante wore tuxedos in the same style as James. With the color schemes changed to match their tastes. Instead of midnight purple with cherry blossoms, Cu Chulainn chose a solid navy-blue while Dante chose red. Lady, on the other hand, wore a beautiful, ankle-length, sleeveless, white evening gown that exposed her entire back and white high heels that showed off her toes.
"Lady, I must say, you look spectacular in that dress." James said casually as he walked into the living room with a smile. "And as for you two, the saying is true."
"Thank you." Lady said just as casually.
"What saying?" Dante asked. "Clothes make the man?"
"You know good and damn well James isn't going to say anything that tame, Dante." Cu Chulainn said in response.
James nodded in agreement with Cu Chulainn's statement then continued. "Fine feathers make fine fowl."
In response, Dante frowned, Cu Chulainn sighed while wearing an expression that said, "I knew it," while Leona and Lady smiled. A moment later, wearing a purple, ankle-length, sleeveless, evening gown with a black belt wrapping around, and drawing attention to, her slim waist, a diamond cut-out over her chest that showed a generous portion of her breasts and cleavage, and black heels that matched the color of the belt, Scathach walked into the room and took everyone's breath away.
"Damn, Scatti." Leona said playfully. "Are you trying to find a husband at this gathering? With a dress like that, you'll have to beat them off with a stick."
"Would a spear do?" Scathach asked as she materialized one of her crimson-red spears.
Immediately after that, Cu Chulainn and Dante turned their heads away in fear. James, on the other hand, nodded in approval.
"That crimson red spear adds a nice finishing touch." James said while nodding at his own fashion sense. "Either way, you look more gorgeous than usual tonight, Master."
"My disciple has quite the silver tongue." Scathach said as she dematerialized her spear. "That skill must make it much easier to control a harem of young temperamental girls."
Cu Chulainn and Dante looked at James as if he were not human after hearing his and Scathach's conversation.
"Why are you two looking at me like that?" James asked with confusion in his tone.
"You can't be human." Cu Chulainn and Dante said simultaneously.
"I thought that was established, like, 145 chapters ago." James said with a confused expression. "I'm a half-devil."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Dante asked.
"145 Chapters?" Cu Chulainn continued.
"I'm not sure, actually." James said while he scratched the side of his head. "I just felt like that was something that needed to be said."
Because of that statement, the room fell into a short silence that was eventually broken by the other girls making their entrance. Mizore, Moka, and Flora wore outfits identical to Lady's in sky blue, teal, and royal blue, respectively. Ayame and Shuna both wore formal kimonos in white and pink, respectively, with cherry blossom petals embroidered around the cuffs. And finally, Shion wore an outfit almost identical to James. A black tuxedo with midnight purple vest and stripe on the hem, and a white Mandarin-collared dress shirt. The only differences being that there were no cherry blossom patterns on the vest, and the shirt was unbuttoned, showing off a sizeable portion of her breasts and cleavage.
"I gotta say, if they give out awards for best dressed and the like, You and your peerage are shoe ins for it." Leona said with a smile and a thumbs up. "But I think you'd better get going. I can only imagine the fuss those old devils will cause if you're the last to arrive."
"That makes me want to arrive last more and more." James said with a bloodthirsty smile.
"Wait until the meeting actually starts before causing trouble, please." Leona said while rolling her eyes. "After that, go wild."
"Roger that." James said with a smile.
After that short conversation, James' peerage gathered around him. Then, James snapped his fingers and a teleportation magic circle appeared beneath them. Then, a moment later, Leona was alone in the Alaverus living room.
Underworld, Satan Territory, Capital city, Lilith.
Outside of the venue, Rias, Sona, and their peerages had just arrived. Rias, wore a beautiful crimson red evening gown that matched her hair, while Sona wore a black evening gown that highlighted her slender figure. The rest of the members of their peerage were also dressed for the occasion, with tuxedos and evening gowns being the norm. Akeno, however, was wearing a black formal kimono.
Shortly after they arrived, James teleported in with his peerage. When they arrived, they immediately began to mingle with the other two peerages.
"Hey, good evening, everyone." James said with a smile. "Oh, and Issei, I'd suggest you keep it in your pants with my [Queen], she may kill you faster than I can save you."
James last sentence was said after he noted that Issei was staring directly at the diamond cut out over Scathach's breasts. Realizing who he was staring at, Issei quickly turned away.
"Why did you have to remind him?" Scathach asked casually. "I wanted to see if I could spear one of his eyes. Then, see how long it took for him to notice that it was gone."
Hearing that, Issei shuddered in terror.
"I'm sorry, Master Scathach, I meant no disrespect." Issei said, bowing ninety-degrees at the waist.
"It's alright, I was only partially serious." Scathach said while waving her hand dismissively.
'Partially serious?' Everyone thought simultaneously.
"Anyway, let's head inside." James said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Then, as if it were natural, Rias and Sona linked arms with James, and they all made their way inside the banquet hall. Which just so happened to be the same circular hall James and his peerage gave their reports in when they rescued the yuki-onna from the stray fallen angels.
After they entered the banquet hall, the room fell silent for a second. Especially when they saw Rias and Sona clinging to James. But the silence was quickly broken by loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Rias, James!" A tall, handsome, young man with black hair and violet eyes said as he approached the new arrivals. "it's been so long, how have you been?"
"Sai!" Rias exclaimed happily. "It's good to see you, too."
As Rias spoke, she released James' arm and drew Sai, or Sairaorg Bael, her maternal cousin, into a hug. After hugging Rias, Sairaorg stepped in front of James and reached his hand out for a handshake. Accepting the handshake, James smiled and spoke.
"It's good to see you again, Sairaorg." James said with a smile. "And it looks like you've grown stronger. Intermediate, ultimate-rank, huh? Not bad."
"I wish I could say the same for you, James." Sairaorg said while patting James on the shoulder with his free hand. "But I can't even feel your aura right now. So, I don't know if you've grown at all."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure everyone will know, soon." James said with a mysterious smile.
After releasing the handshake with James, Sairaorg then turned his attention to Sona.
"It's nice to see you again, as well, Sona." Sairaorg said in a much more subdued tone.
"Likewise, Sairaorg." Sona replied with a smile.
Seeing the lukewarm attitudes Sona and Sairaorg were showing, Genshirou asked Tsubaki a question.
"Is it just me or do those two not get along very well." Genshirou asked.
"It may look that way." Tsubaki said while adjusting her glasses. "But I assure you that they get along well."
"Then, why do they seem so awkward?" Momo asked, curious about what they were seeing.
"It's because there was a time when Sona asked Sairaorg if he was gay." Akeno said, inserting herself into the conversation. "With the way that Sairaorg used to always ask James to spar, Sona thought Sairaorg was vying for James' attention, too."
"How do you even know that story?" Sona asked incredulously. "None of you had even come to the Underworld by the time that happened."
Then, Akeno, Tsubaki, and Koneko pointed at James.
"He told us." They all said in unison.
Sona then turned her glare at James.
"What?" James asked with a smile. "It was funny."
With that, Sona just slumped her shoulders and let it go. Sairaorg on the other hand laughed uproariously.
"You may be the only one who can get Sona to backdown like that without a fight." Sairaorg said, patting James on the shoulder while he spoke.
James only smiled in response. Then, they continued to chat as they made their way deeper into the banquet hall. Eventually, they split up and began to mingle with the other young devils and their peerages. There were also some older devils in attendance, who showed up to get away from their official duties for a while. Eventually, James heard a familiar voice just as he finished a conversation with a devil who was also interested in swordplay.
"Lord Alaverus." Ravel Phenex, wearing a maroon evening gown said as she approached.
"Ravel, I thought we agreed to drop those stiff formalities." James replied with a helpless smile.
"Yes, I forgot." Ravel said with a blush. "It's nice to see you again."
"The feeling is mutual." James replied. "So, how is the trade with your mother going?"
"My mother and older brother completed the trade a few days ago." Ravel said with a happy smile. "I'll be attending your school as a transfer student at the beginning of the second term."
"Well, that's good to hear." James said with a smile. I bet Sona will put you in the same class as Koneko, Gasper, Mio, and Maria. So, it should be easy to adapt."
"That would be helpful, but I'm not so sure about the cat girl." Ravel said.
"I'm not a cat girl." Koneko said, appearing out of nowhere. "I'm a nekomata."
"They might as well be the same thing." Ravel said stubbornly.
"James-Nii, this fried chicken girl is being mean." Koneko said, hugging James' arm as she did so.
"*Sigh* I guess it's natural that cats and birds don't get along, huh?" James said to himself as the two younger girls argued.
Eventually, Ravel was called away to speak with one of her father's friends. Then, Koneko disappeared as if she had never been there. James just shook his head at the result. After that, he walked around the hall and mingled with the other young devils.