Ravel and the girls were now sitting at a table beside the pool. Each of them had a milkshake in front of them and they were drinking it happily.

“I know I shouldn’t drink this, but it is so good.” Mami said in ecstasy. ​​

“True that, this will go straight to my waist, but I just can’t help myself.” Kiyoharu said as she drank some of her milkshake, a happy expression on her face.

As for Ravel, she just mumbled.

“Uhum, yeah sure.” She said as she kept staring to the side. More precisely, she was staring at Soma who was in a beach chair sunbathing.

Kiyoharu just rolled her eyes, there were some napkins on the table so she took some and gave them to Ravel.

“Here, to help with all you drooling over Soma there.”

“I, I was not doing something so indecent like that!” Ravel said, turning to her friend who was just giving her a knowing smile.

“Ssuuurreeee, I totally believe you, or I would if I was stupid or blind.” Kiyoharu said and Ravel spluttered.

“It is quite obvious, Ravel-chan.” Mami said as she took another sip of her drink, a light smile on her face at the other girl’s reactions. Ravel really was quite the cute tsundere.

Ravel just sighed hearing this and calmed down, drinking her milkshake.

Mami shook her head at this and spoke.

“But it surprised me, who would have thought that your brother is like that, Ravel-chan.”

“Please don’t mention him, I am already embarrassed enough without a reminder.” Ravel said in irritation at the thought of her brother.

“To think your brother would be such a chuunbyo despite being an adult.” Kiyoharu said in mirth. “I mean, screaming he would ‘burn Soma’s face-off with my great immortal flame’, I didn’t know how to react to that.” Kiyoharu said with a chuckle and Ravel just played it off.

“My brother was always quite a unique individual.” Ravel said, hoping the others wouldn’t realize what exactly her brother was wanting. He really wanted to burn Soma right then and there, even if him still going through his Chuunbyo phase and saying such things like ‘great immortal flame’ was very much embarrassing.

“Unique is one way of saying it, even if I must say that he is quite, um, protective of you.” Mami said as she pointed to a window up in the mansion where Riser was staring down at them, and specifically at Soma sunbathing, in utter hate.

“Leave it be, brother will calm down eventually.” Ravel said, hoping it was true.

It was at this point that Soma turned on the chair, his backside now up as to make sure to get properly tanned on the back as well. Ravel’s eyes turned almost instantly at it and stared with what anyone could call hunger at what she was seeing, something that Riser noticed.

Kiyohary turned to Mami and asked.

“Want to bet how long until Ravel’s older brother comes here to make a ruckus again?”

“I bet he will do so in the next three minutes.” Mami said.

“Okay, I bet he comes within the next minute.” Kiyoharu said and it was true, Riser came literally running with Yubelluna and Karlamine behind him trying to catch up. In his hands was a towel as he did not want to keep seeing his innocent and pure little sister basically eye raping Soma’s body.

Nope, she was a completely innocent, pure, and kind little girl that knew nothing of lust or carnal desires, had never had a single indecent thought, and would stay like that until her wedding night if it was up to Riser, possibly until after that as well.

When Riser reached Soma he was about to speak when Soma spoke first.

“Dude, can you go a few steps to the right? I am trying to get a tan here, if you don’t mind.”

A vein popped in Riser’s head as he heard this blase answer and glared down at Soma.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Someone stopping me from getting a uniform tan, so what?”

And would you look at that, that vein had two more friends show up.

“Out! Get out, I won’t have someone like you acting like this in my house!” Riser said and Soma turned his face to look at him.

“Dude, chill the fuck out. I am just enjoying the sun a bit, why don’t you just do the same? The temperature is great and you seem like you could use a tan, skin this white looks good on girls but you should try and get some color.”

Riser looked like he wanted to explode until Yubelluna spoke up.

“Darling, why not? Today is a good day anyway and I would like if you had a light tan, maybe you would have a different taste in those parts and I would like to learn that first hand.” As she said this the glamorous purple licked her lips and Riser’s explosive mood changed almost instantly, his lower head leading him around as he coughed in his hand.

“Well, if you say so dear. But still, we should kick him out.” Riser said and his Queen shook her head as she approached him and whispered in his ears.

“Darling, you could use this as a chance. If you show off in front of your sister now you could make her realize how other boys are not good enough and dampen her thoughts on those sorts of things. It would be better if you do this than if she finds someone where you can’t see, maybe that little knight of little red would have such thoughts one of these days after all.”

As Riser heard this his gaze turned very cold before he nodded reluctantly.

“Very well, I will do what you said, dear. Let’s go, I need to get a proper swimsuit to let me show my magnificence properly.”

“Yes, yes, you go ahead to do that. I will just go have a quick word with Ravel-chan before going to change as well.” Yubeluna said before making a sign while Riser wasn’t looking, Karlamine seeing the sign gave a thumbs up secretly as well.

These signs that Riser’s Peerage created was an internal affair between the girls with the objective of letting them communicate without their king’s notice, and the message this time was quite simple.

‘Stall our doofus.’

With orders received Karlamine accompanied Riser, already knowing the best way to ensure that she could stall for enough time. That it would mean she would get the D back in the changing room was merely a good bonus.

Seeing her king go Yubelluna moved to speak with Ravel, the girl had observed the whole situation and as her brother’s Queen came closer a big smile blossomed on the young Phenex’s face.

“Big sis, thanks.” Ravel said, earning a smile from Yubelluna. The older female was really like an older sister to Ravel and she honestly wanted only the best for the younger girl.

After looking to make sure her King was far enough away from this place Yubelluna talked to Ravel.

“I will do my best to distract your brother so go on the offensive, your target seems the type that needs you to be aggressive to go anywhere.”

“I, I, I have n-no idea what you are talking about, big sis.”

Yubelluna just sent a condescending smile at her.

“Greek good body getting tanned right over there with white hair and blue eyes, you have quite the eye I will give you that. Just a tip, someone like that will find someone very soon and if you are too slow and don’t try hard enough you will become a +1 instead of the number 1.”

As she said this Yubelluna turned to Mami and Kiyoharu, noting that the two were human but she could sense both had Sacred Gears. After a moment Yubelluna thought that, if anything, this friendship she was developing might be a chance considering Ravel could decide to become a King of her own in the future and, if that happens, having potential recruits that she is already friends with beforehand would certainly help her. Besides, she thought with amusement, if Ravel likes the hunk guy over there and, if the two did get together, Ravel could just add him to her peerage where one could support the other. Basically, like what happened between Yubelluna herself and her dear darling/king.

“You all are more than welcome, I hope you two can be good friends to this girl right here. She is a bit of a tsundere but please be patient, it is a disease really.” Yubelluna said jokingly, much to Ravel’s annoyance and anger.

“I am not a tsundere!” Ravel said in irritation.

Kiyoharu put her hand on Ravel’s left shoulder, Mami putting one on her right.

“Don’t worry, we accept you as you are, being tsun tsun and all that.” Kiyoharu said.

“We understand, don’t worry.” Mami said.

The two had teasing smiles on their faces as they said this, making Ravel look from one side to the other in consternation.

“Being a tsundere has its own charms, Ravel. Don’t worry, you are fine as you are.” Soma said, still laying on the pool chair turned his face to Ravel’s direction and sent her a thumbs-up as he said this.

Ravel’s eyes began to swirl as she decided to take a tactical retreat, jumping right into the pool and splashing everyone as she did so. The other girls all laughing at this and soon Ravel was laughing as well, they were all enjoying themselves.

///—///

After about twenty minutes a much more calm and refreshed Riser had returned to the pool.

“Now, let us show Riser’s superiority!” Riser said, some more of the girls of his peerage beside him as he called those who wanted to come as well.

“Yes, Riser-sama.” Karlamine said, her toned body in display under the sports one piece swimsuit that showed off her back.

“The sun looks too nice to be in the room anyway.” Siris said, a small smirk on her face as she looked up. She had a simple two piece blue bikini that showed off her body quite nicely.

Yubelluna just smiled, she was wearing what could generously be called a string bikini considering how little it actually covered.

Riser smiled widely and took a step forward… and almost missed a step there when he saw his little sister putting tan oil on Soma’s back, the two talking and Ravel flushed immensely while Soma just talked as if normal while feeling the younger girl’s hands massaging his back more thoroughly than she really needed to.

“You, you, keep your hands away from my sister!” Riser shouted and Soma just glanced at him from the chair and answered.

“Sure, but pretty sure the one using the hands here is her and not me. If you want me to reverse that I can, but later. There is still a bit for her to finish.” Soma said and Riser felt like throwing a casket at this.

Ravel, meanwhile, had a blush that was going atomic and slapped Soma on his back.

“Stop playing around like this. And besides, I am only doing this on a dare.” She said and glared back and Kiyoharu and Mami, the first waved back and the second just smiled sweetly and full of innocence.

Ravel was really wondering if making friends like this was any good, because right now it really didn’t feel so.

“I will have you know I am 100% serious, even if maybe we should leave this sort of talk for later. Irrate pipsqueak coming.” Soma said as Riser was coming right at them.

Ravel turned to it and saw Yubelluna giving her an apologetic smile while Riser tried to look intimidating in front of Soma.

… He failed.

“You, what makes you think you even deserve to act like that in front of my sweat and innocent sister?” Riser said, earning a face plant from Ravel who felt like he was actively trying to embarrass her with the way he was acting.

“Dude, chill. We were just talking, and I have not forced her to do anything anyway.” Soma said, waving off Riser, much to the rich prick’s irritation. “Besides, what makes YOU think I don’t deserve to act like this with Ravel? She is a friend and we are not doing anything actually bad, and, even if we were, I still would be more than good enough to anyone.”

“Who you think you are to speak like that, as if you deserve to act like this to my sister when you are just, just-”

“Just the second in line for head of the Hanakai family, a multi-million dollar multinational company. I know, how could someone like me EVER be worthy of someone else. Oh, how poor a peasant am I.” Soma said very much mockingly, but no less true. He IS the second in line for the Hanakai family which is a multi-million dollar pharmaceutic company with deals all over the world and ties with several governments worldwide. From the perspective of humans, you would be hard-pressed to find someone he was ‘not worthy of’.

Riser shut up but his face grew hot in pure anger and he wanted to burn Soma right then and there, but he had better self-control than to actually do that to a normal human who, as far as he could tell, had no direct contact with the supernatural.

“Even so, I refuse to accept you close to my sister.”

“Well, tough shit. She is my friend and I give just about zero fucks to your approval.” Soma said dismissively.

“L-Let’s fight! I will show to everyone here you are not good enough!” Riser said to which Soma just raised a brow.

“You know that even if I were to lose I wouldn’t give a single shit about it and just keep being friends with Ravel, right?”

“What? Afraid to lose to those better than you?” Riser said in mockery.

“Where is it?”

“Huh?”

“Where is the person you said is better than me in whatever it is that you are speaking about?”

Riser just stared in wonder at this human who was even more prideful and boisterous than him, not knowing how to deal with someone that was like that.

On the side, Karlamine wanted to find a sword to cleave this prideful human in half for acting like that towards her king, while Siris just wanted to go and enjoy the pool already and Yubelluna was containing her laughter at her darling’s expression.

Meanwhile, on the table, Mami turned to Kiyoharu and questioned.

“I didn’t know Soma-kun was this, how to put it?”

“Brash, blunt, prideful, annoying, infuriating, arrogant, entitled, kinda dumb sometimes, wilful to the extreme, you can choose any of them and you would be quite right.” Kiyoharu said with a shrug. She has been with Soma for over a week now and she had a decent grasp of his personality by now.

“It is sort of amazing that you are actually friends with him if he is like that.” Mami said.

“Well, he is not perfect or even all that decent and normal most of the time. But, he is a friend I feel I can rely on.” Kiyoharu said, a smile on her face as she turned her eyes for a moment to Mami when the girl wasn’t looking. Kiyoharu’s gaze turning sharp and cold for a fleeting moment before becoming friendly again before anyone could notice, the only traces of it being the tightening in her hands as she pressed the cup she held firmer.

Meanwhile, Riser was trying to decide what he could do to make this insufferable human back off from his sister, even if it wasn’t really Soma coming onto Ravel but that was all beside the point.

“Regardless of anything else, let’s bet! If I win you will back off for good from my sister.”

“Fine, I will humor you, but I have no intentions of actually doing what we agree on forever. Maybe, say, a day or two when I personally won’t start interactions with her.” Soma said and Riser nodded, sure that if given even one or two days away from Soma Ravel would stop acting in such a way towards him. “So, what you want to compete against me in? Not in looks I hope, I honestly doubt you would win without paying the judges.”

Ravel was honestly amazed, she has NEVER met someone that was even more full of himself than her brother and she wondered if he could actually back up his bravado. Thinking for a moment Ravel couldn’t help but point out.

“And what if you win, Soma-kun? What you will want?”

Soma put a finger on his chin in thought before smiling.

“How about that, the next time I come over, he won’t make a nuisance of himself? It is simple enough to do I believe and I would like to come over some other time, the pool is great.”

Ravel smiled widely at his words and turned to her brother who had an expression like if someone made him eat a lemon from how displeased he was at the thought of this cur coming to his home again, but nodded nonetheless.

“So, what you want to compete against me?” Soma questioned.

This was how a series of competitions started.

Poker.

“Royal flush.” Soma said, showing off his cards to Riser’s two pairs.

“Better of three!”

Piano.

“And this is how you play Welcome to the Jungle with only a piano.”

“Grr, better of five!”

Ping Pong.

“Three sets of 10-0 games, I believe this makes it my win.”

“I won’t accept it! Better of seven!”

Painting.

“This painting of Ravel shows off her impressions, details, cuteness and what I could out of her. I think that if put in the market it would cost about-”

Riser looked down at his own painting and rip it in half before yelling in frustration.

“Better of nine!”

Yubelluna, wanting this to stop already, spoke.

“Darling, shouldn’t this be enough?”

“No, I refuse to accept my loss! I know, let’s do one more game to decide it all.”

“Sure, what you have in mind?” Soma said, smirking all the while. After thousands of years being surrounded by his teachers and always having trouble to measure up to them in their respective fields, it was DAMN great to actually be able to flex in someone like he was flexed on for so many, many, many, many years.

“Drinking! We will go out in the town and we will drink! The first one to pass out drunk loses, that is what we will be doing!” Riser said, confident in his chances of winning.

Soma smirked and said.

“I am a minor, if you know somewhere where I can drink like that in town then I wouldn’t mind accompanying you.”

Riser stopped for all of two seconds before nodding.

“I know of at least 12 clubs that can fit it. Let’s do this!” Riser said and went to search for his keys, it was already night by now anyway so there were no issues regarding this.

Soma turned to his friends.

“Shame I won’t be able to find out who will win this, but tell me all about it later okay?” Kiyoharu said and Soma gave her a thumbs up.

“It was… interesting to meet you like this, Soma-kun. Hope we can talk more later if possible.” Mami said.

“Sure, that will work for me, even if I don’t think the situation would be quite like this next time.” Soma said with a chuckle to which Mami nodded her head and smiled sweetly.

As for Ravel, she didn’t know what to say so Soma moved forward first and spoke.

“I had a great day, even if it didn’t go quite as I expected. Hope there will be a next time, if you would have me.”

“Y-Yes! Definitely, we will have a next time!” Ravel said excitedly and Soma nodded at her in time to hear Riser shouting about coming already as he wanted to show how better he was at partying than Soma.

Having finished his goodbyes Soma went to the car where Riser was, it was time to see who between them could party best.