Human World, Japan, Kyoto, Youkai Sub-Dimension.
"Well, I guess I'll take Ayame somewhere to rest." James said as he lifted the unconscious Ayame into his arms.
"Kunou, Sweetie, could you show James to the guest rooms?" Yasaka asked as she turned her attention to her daughter. "Also, why don't you show him around while you're at it?"
"Okay!" Kunou said excitedly as she stood from her seat. "Come on, Onii-Chan, let's go. Let's go."
Smiling at the energetic little fox girl, James secured his hold on Ayame then followed Kunou as she left the room.
"Lancer, I think you should go with them." Leona said with a smile.
"Huh?" Cu Chulainn exclaimed in confusion.
"I think now would be a good time for us to have some girl talk." Leona said, maintaining her smile. Then, a hint of mischief flashed in her eyes. "Unless you'd like to participate."
Seeing the mischief in Leona's eyes and feeling the ladies' stares prickle his skin, Cu Chulainn shook his head frantically and spoke as he hurried to follow James and Kunou.
Once James, Cu Chulainn and Kunou were gone, the atmosphere in the room changed. Slowly, Leona lost her smile as she ran her gaze over the three women she had just met today. Even though Yasaka and Shion were more powerful than Leona, they both felt uneasy from her gaze.
"Now, I think it's time to get down to business." Leona said as she placed her elbows on the table and interlocked her fingers. Then, as she rested her chin on her interlocked fingers, she asked. "So, Lady Yasaka, would you mind if I asked, why did you bring these two to meet with my James?"
Yasaka, impressed that she had been seen through so quickly, felt a little uncomfortable with the way Leona was talking to her. However, she also understood the weight of a mother's love. She would probably be even more overbearing if she knew that someone had ulterior motives for her daughter. And it could not be denied that there were ulterior motives behind Shuna and Shion's wish to meet with James.
Shuna was also feeling uncomfortable from Leona's gaze. She felt as if she was being seen through. As if all lies would be exposed. As the princess of a race of youkai, she had been taught not to reveal her everything, regardless of the situation. However, her instincts were screaming at her that keeping secrets would not end well for her in this situation. Shion, on the other hand, was growing angry at the disrespectful tone the woman in front of her was using to speak with her princess.
"Leona-San, I can assure you that there is no..." Yasaka said, trying to deescalate the situation. However, before she could get far, Shion had reached the limits of her patience.
"How dare you take such a disrespectful tone when addressing the Princess, commoner!" Shion said while standing from her seat.
"Oh." Leona said without much interest. "You mean the princess of a people whose entire fighting force is still alive because my son allowed them to be?"
Hearing that, Shion's anger only grew. Noticing this, Leona finally looked in her direction.
"I would suggest you sit down and not do anything stupid." Leona said calmly. "I did not come here with hostile intentions."
"Shion, sit down." Shuna said calmly. "Everything Leona-Sama has said is true. Even if it is unpleasant to hear."
"But, Princess, she..." Shion tried to object before being cut off.
"Shion, that's enough." Shuna said, a little more sternly.
With that, Shion reluctantly closed her mouth and took her seat once again. Meanwhile, Mizore, Moka, and Flora were stunned into silence by Leona's change in attitude. Not to mention the pressure they were feeling from her. Even if it was not directed at them.
"That's the real Auntie Leona, right?" Mizore asked while looking at Leona with awe in her eyes.
"I... think so?" Flora replied unsurely.
"It's crazier than what James told us before." Moka said with confusion.
"Right..." Flora said with disbelief in her tone. "I would have never thought things would be like this when her switch flipped."
"Yeah, James' stories didn't do it justice at all." Mizore said while shaking her head slowly and smiling wryly.
At that moment, Leona looked in the whispering girls' direction. As her eyes left the three Kyoto natives, her atmosphere changed back into her usual jovial, teasing demeanor.
"What's wrong, girls?" Leona said with a big smile and mischief swirling in her eyes.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." x 3
'This is unreal.' the three girls thought simultaneously. 'Who is Auntie Leona, really?'
With that, Leona turned her attention back to Yasaka, Shuna, and Shion. Her atmosphere turning back to the no nonsense atmosphere she had just a moment before.
"So, would it be too much to ask to have my first question answered?" Leona said as she narrowed her eyes.
"*Sigh* The truth is..." Yasaka said as she decided to just tell the truth. However, she was interrupted before she could even begin.
"Lady Yasaka, I think it would be best if I explained." Shuna said calmly with a smile on her face.
Hearing Shuna interrupt Yasaka's explanation, Leona turned her gaze in her direction. Then, she raised an eyebrow as she saw the calm smile on Shuna's face. It seemed... relieved for some reason. Needless to say, Leona was curious to know why that was.
"Please, go ahead." Leona said while gesturing for Shuna to continue.
"The truth is, after hearing that James-Sama and his companions were the ones who defeated the rebels insighted by Kotengu, I was curious. Shuna said calmly before taking a sip of her tea. After setting her teacup back on the saucer, she continued. "Then, when I heard that he also ordered to spare as many of the rebels as possible, I wished to join his peerage to repay the grace of sparing my people."
Before she could explain further, Shuna was interrupted by Shion slamming her palm onto the table.
"Princess, why would you willingly subordinate yourself to another?" Shion shouted angrily. "You are princess of the proud Oni Tribe."
"The proud oni tribe who had more than seventy percent of their fighting force defeated by one man." Shuna said in rebuttal to Shion's outburst. "This will be the last time I say this, Shion. Sit down."
Dejectedly, Shion sat once again.
"For a reason like that, James would never accept you into his peerage." Leona said calmly, having not paid any attention to the other oni woman's outburst.
Shuna nodded her head in agreement. Then with a sweet smile she spoke.
"To be honest, if he had been the type to accept a reason like that, I would have most likely retracted my offer." Shuna said while raising a hand to her cheek. "But after meeting him, I knew that he was different."
"Oh?" Leona raised an eyebrow in interest. "You could tell that from the short time our group as interacted with you?"
"I'm not sure how much you know about youkai." Shuna said, not answering Leona's question directly. "Youkai who use Senjutsu, to be more precise."
"I'll admit, not much." Leona admitted. "I haven't been part of the supernatural world for very long, So, most of what I know is related to devil society."
"I see." Shuna said while nodding understandingly. "Well, one of the abilities Senjutsu users gain is the ability to feel the emotions of those around them. And, after sensing James-Sama's emotional state I was surprised at his cheerful aura. It feels strange to describe a devil like this, but he feels like a ray of sunshine."
"Well, James is only half-devil, but I know what you mean." Leona said with a slight smile.
Smiling in response, Shuna continued.
"Also, when I found out about his peerage and its members, I could feel that as a leader, he seemed special." Shuna said with a smile that morphed into an expression of determination. "It made me feel as if James-Sama was someone worth following."
"You're quite the good judge of character." Leona said with a brilliant smile on her face.
Hearing that, Mizore, Moka, and Flora nodded in agreement.
"I will not allow it." Shion shouted angrily. "As the Princess personal guard, I will not allow her to subordinate herself to someone else."
"And who are you to decide for her?" Leona said scathingly. "As a bodyguard, your job is to protect her, not to decide for her, I'm amazed you still have a head on your shoulders for overstepping your boundaries so many times."
Knowing that what Leona said was correct, Shion's anger grew once again. Unwilling to admit her wrongs, she locked her killing intent onto Leona. Surprisingly, Leona was unbothered. Before she could make any other moves, however, she froze. Why? Because, resting on her right shoulder was James' katana, Ochiru Sakura.
"I'd suggest you calm down, Dame Shion." James said in the coldest voice any of those present had ever heard from him. Then, like Leona had before him, his demeanor changed to his usual cheerful attitude when his attention turned to his mother. "Mom, what happened?"
'Yeah, they really are mother and son.' Everyone thought when they saw the quick change of expression.
"Well, the short version is that Princess Shuna wishes to join your peerage." Leona said while gesturing to the surprised Shuna. Then, gesturing to Shion she continued. "And her bodyguard is against it."
"Oh, I see." James said, maintaining his smile. "And why was she aiming her killing intent at you, Mom?"
"Because I let her know about herself and she wasn't happy to hear the truth." Leona said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Shion lowered her head, growing angrier because she could not refute Leona's words.
"So, she's a short-tempered muscle head." James said as he withdrew his sword and sheathed it.
A moment later, Kunou and Cu Chulainn entered the reception room. Seeing the tense situation, they were confused. They, however, proceeded to take their seats quietly.
"So, why are you so against Princess Shuna joining my peerage, Dame Shion?" James asked curiously as he also took his seat.
"Because she is against swearing fealty to another." Shuna answered instead of Shion. "She is unwilling to make another her target for protection. As she intended to follow me into your peerage if I joined it"
To that, Leona sneered.
"This woman thinks too much." Leona said without sparing Shion's feelings. "Do you really think you could protect James from anything that he couldn't' handle himself?"
Once again, though unpleasant to hear, Leona's words were true. James, an advanced-level, ultimate-rank being, outclassed Shion, an advanced-level, high-rank being, by an entire rank.
"Besides, you seem to misunderstand something about my son." Leona said with a smile. "He doesn't require your fealty. Though he couldn't avoid getting it from Ayame."
"Mom's right." James said with a smile. "Although you'd have to renounce your oath to Princess Shua, there's no reason she couldn't' remain your primary target for protection."
Hearing that, Shion opened her eyes wide.
"But why would I have to renounce my oath if I do not have to swear fealty to you?" Shion asked in confusion.
"Because my orders would still need to be followed over hers." James shrugged as he answered the oni woman's question. "As the [King], I'm the leader or commander of the peerage. So, I can't have any conflicting orders among my subordinates."
Shion, nodding in understanding, contemplated Shuna's decision once again.
"But you made one more mistake." James said with a smile.
"Shion raised her head in confusion and looked at James.
"You just assumed I would accept both of you into my peerage." James said while looking at the princess and her bodyguard with a deadpan. "Why does it feel like you were choosing to join my peerage and not appealing to me to accept you into it?"
At that moment, Shuna and Shion froze. Shuna, as a member of the Oni Tribe's royal family, was used to everyone around her catering to her wishes. And Shion, who had been protecting Shuna for the last decade or so, never considered that anyone would deny her request. So, for both of them, the thought that James might not accept them into his peerage never crossed their minds.
*Slam!*
"You wouldn't dare..." Shion said after slamming a palm on the table and standing up. However, she was forced to stop.
James, with his eyes narrowed, released his aura. With his aura released fully, a red armored tekkou with golden accents and a green jewel adorning the back of the hand appeared on James' left arm.
[Boost!]
"Believe me when I say this." James said with a bit of coldness in his tone. "There is little I, James Alaverus, the Red Dragon Emperor, dare not to do. And unfortunately for you, denying the request of a princess from a tribe of people I could destroy single-handedly does not fall into that category."
Seeing James display, Yasaka was shocked, Kunou thought James was cool even if a bit scary, Leona felt proud of how her baby had grown up, Cu Chulainn felt as if he had fallen further behind, and Mizore, Moka, and Flora were excited. Shuna and Shion, however, were terrified. Especially Shion, she finally realized she could not afford to antagonize the man in front of her. And the revelation that James was this generation's Red Dragon Emperor made it even worse.
Then, James retracted his aura, dispelled the [Boosted Gear], and put on a friendly smile. After all that, he spoke.
"Besides, my peerage is more than just subordinates to me. They're family." James said with a smile. "I know next to nothing about you. Why would I accept you into my family?"
After stopping to think for a moment, James continued with a slightly put off expression. "And before anyone mentions Ayame, she was quite the weird exception."
At the same time in one of the guest rooms of Yasaka's residence, the unconscious Ayame shuddered and her face reddened.