Ch 93: BBQ party.

'That didn't go exactly as planned…' thought Noah with a nervous giggle, looking up from the six grills surrounding him as he flipped burger patties and kept an eye on the dozens of skewers and scores of sausages and other pieces of meat and vegetables grilling away.

Somehow, the relatively modest BBQ party he had planned had turned into a social gathering. 'modest' and 'relatively' being the key words. Present were the normal residents of the mansion, Noah, Alice, Claire, Hisui, Rui, Asia, Kaede, Suzu, Irina, Xenovia, Reina, Lizel, Miyabi and Miyako. Maria, Iris and Layla had been invited as a matter of course.

He had also invited the Thunder Gods, and they all came. Shikoku, Rairen, Jaku'un, Jouryuu, Naruhime, Kuusetsu and Fukuma.

But Noah got the idea of inviting his whole squad as well, Kyouka, Shushu, Himari and Nei, so that Rairen could apologize for his previous attack and let bygones be bygones.

And that was the start of his complete loss of control over the size of the event, when he called Ren Yamashiro for permission to invite his squad for a barbecue and to request that a few members from other squads cover the seventh's dormitory in their absence. It was something that could be done on occasion, as long as it didn't become too frequent and the members benefiting from it returned the favor. And during the call, he had casually mentioned that the Thunder Gods had been invited.

Hearing this, Ren had decided to invite herself, as she wanted to meet them in person and learn more about Aizen. And she had brought along all the Chiefs with her.

For some reason he didn't quite understand, Yachiho and Maia, the cool intellectual beauty who was Himari's oldest sister, had tagged along. Noah hadn't bothered asking and simply increased the amount of food he was going to cook.

But since Suzu and Kaede, who had just become Rias's second Knight, were present, it would have been unfair not to invite the rest of the peerage, so Rias, Akeno, Yuuto, Tosca, Koneko and Kuroka were also present. Gasper had not come. Rias told him the shy vampire almost fainted when he heard about the number of unknown people that would be there.

And there were more! After seeing the people present, Rias had asked Noah if she could invite a few key people as well, as it would be a good opportunity to exchange information and form connections.

At this point, Noah had given up on the whole thing remaining at a manageable size, so he simply nodded along. Grayfia, Venelana, Rias's childhood friend Sona Sitri, her big sister Serafall, Sona's Queen Tsubasa, and even Gandou Barbatos, the Headmaster of Ginsei Academy, had graced his modest household with their presence.

Venelana, Serafall and Gandou, three of the five Great Satans, currently chatting in his garden with Ren. It felt a bit surreal to him.

Then Lizel suggested he invite Stella and Neith, and he approved. Stella had been in the US and was jet lagged as it was evening over there, but she still came, as such occasions to socialize with the Great Satans were rare even for a celebrity like her. Neith had hurriedly declined when he mentioned the number of people present.

At this point, there were enough people mingling in the garden and around the pool to account for a marriage gathering, but nearly all of them were women, and all of them were gorgeous.

And to top it off, Seifuku had summoned herself, something Noah didn't know was possible. She came dressed in a casual but elegant cerulean blue dress and told Noah that she wanted to eat some meat as well. Being an avatar of the goddess who had created the world, she almost instantly became the center of attention. All the Chiefs and the Great Satans were listening to her respectfully as she told everyone a few amusing anecdotes about feuds between the gods, interesting details about some of the worlds she had created, or unveiled some of the reforms Noah would want to push through once he became strong enough.

And Noah had taken charge of the grills.

He didn't actually mind being put aside as he still didn't like being in the spotlight, and seeing all those beautiful women take pleasure eating his food warmed his heart. And there was almost always someone coming to him to talk a bit whenever Seifuku was eating or simply observed the others. He even wondered if Seifuku hadn't come to do him a favor and take most of the social pressure off his shoulders.

Overall, everyone was having fun. In the first hour of so, the people present had tended to remain grouped with people of their factions, but they had started mixing together into small groups, trying to form connections.

And from what he could see, Nei and Reina were very good at it, even if they weren't aware of it. They were just too adorable. Koneko would also be, if not for her being shy. She stayed by Kuroka's side as they chatted with Hisui, Yachiho and Himari.

Kaede came to him.

"Master, do you wish for me to relieve you?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine. Maybe a little later. I'm the one who decided on a BBQ and invited everyone, so I should bear the bulk of the work. Besides, you know I like it when you girls eat my food."

"Sure. It reminds me of Asuna. It's too bad we haven't found her yet." nodded Kaede.

"I'm sure she's fine. And I should go to Soul Society in about two weeks. I'll search for her then."

Kaede smiled. "We look forward to seeing her again, and who know how many more residents to our mansion will come with her?"

She laughed softly as she took two plates full of cooked meat to carry them to the tables.

As she left, Rias came to him with Akeno, Sona, Tsubasa, Grayfia and her mother Venelana following her.

"Noah, tell me your secret!" demanded Rias.

"Which one?" smiled Noah.

"Tell me how you made this chicken meat so tasty. What spices did you use?" she asked as she waved the meat skewer she had in her hand.

"I take it you like it?"

"Yes! I'm not leaving without the recipe!"

"Rias and I can't decide." said Sona. "I believe you marinated the meat with a bit of honey, turmeric and coco milk, among other things. Rias think the taste comes from something else."

"Rias is correct. Do you like it?"

"Yes. Those chicken and beef skewers are exceptional. To a degree I do not understand." nodded Sona.

Noah smiled, then talked as he placed slices of cheddar over the dozen burger patties on the grill.

"My ability to use my mana to generate food allows me to replicate any food I ever tasted. The secret of those skewers is that they aren't made of chicken and beef. These are Nepenthes meat, and Taurus meat."

"Nepenthes?" asked Grayfia. "Is that some relatively unknown kind of bird? And Taurus must be some obscure beef race."

Noah smiled as he started to prepare the burgers assembly, creating fresh salad leaves and sliced tomatoes.

"These are from my previous world, Grayfia-san, and you won't find any in this one. The Taurus are essentially like minotaurs, standing on their hind legs, but far too stupid to be comparable to people. There's no way I'd consume meat from a sapient being. As for Nepenthes… They are monsters looking like a cartoonish version of a carnivorous plant, with rough tentacles for feet and arms, and a huge maw on top of their cylindrical body. They are ugly, but their meat makes up for it."

Rias lowered her gaze to stare at the skewer in her hand, as if she regretted learning about the meat's origins. The hesitation only lasted about three seconds, however, before she bit into it to make her point.

"Doesn't matter, tasty food is tasty." she said as she chewed.

"Rias-sama, you shouldn't speak with your mouth full." admonished Grayfia with a frown.

"And it's healthy." said Noah. "My food is guaranteed without parasites or added chemicals. Before I got the ability to purge parasites, I had given up on eating salmon sushi because of the high risk of getting unwelcome guests in my body. Now, that won't ever be an issue anymore."

"That's good to hear. But I assume from what Seifuku implied that you intend to do something about the world's food production?" asked Venelana.

"Yes, Venelana-sama. The industrialized nations are overly reliant on fertilizers and insecticides. They cause an acidification of the oceans that kill reefs, and I shouldn't get started on the overfishing, or the consequences of killing bees. I am thinking about returning to a medieval style agriculture where farmers would rotate different kinds of crops over a piece of land, and let it unexploited a year every few years to give the soil time to regenerate. That being said, I am not an expert in agriculture, and if there's a consensus against this idea, I do not mind listening to the opinion of experts. But in the end, we still need to use less fertilizers, do something about the bees, and make food healthier in general."

"I do not see farmers agreeing with this." pointed out Grayfia.

Noah shrugged as he took the cheese-covered patties out of the grill and assembled the burgers.

"I plan to break up the large industrial farms to a more human and familial level and impose minimum prices for the retailers that will buy their produce. The farmers will benefit a lot from that. That should make up for the lower volume of production, as far as their profitability is concerned. Of course, they won't want to give up on abusing fertilizers, because why not have their cake and eat it too, but they will turn more reasonable once I get the governments to fine them for it. Or it might be simpler to put a large tax on fertilizers to make their use in large quantities unprofitable. That's another good thing, as the production of fertilizers causes a lot of pollution. Not to mention the danger when stockpiles of it explode."

"…I can see the logic, but I am not certain the math will check out. You do not want to cause a famine. I suggest you consult with a lot of experts before you run with it." said Venelana. "And what about the underworld? What do you intend to change?"

Noah smiled, as he suspected that this was the main reason Venelana had come to speak to him.

"The biggest issue in my book is that too many devils, especially among the nobles, are intensely selfish and lack even basic empathy. The Gremory family's way of dealing with their subordinates is a model I would like the others to follow. I have no definite plans right now, but I am thinking about requiring all young devils from noble families to work in the retail or service industry for at least a decade, without being subsidized by their families. There's nothing like experiencing life with limited resources and being forced to be polite with customers of all kinds to teach arrogant jerks some empathy for the people who work those jobs. Maybe all politicians in the human world should be forced to do the same, too."

"I'm also not very satisfied with the lack of opportunities for low-class devils to rise upward in the social hierarchy, and establishing some schools to allow their potential to shine would help. But if you're asking me if I intend to upset the existing hierarchy with the noble families and the five Great Satans, or start a revolution, the answer is no."

Sona perked up as expected. Noah knew from the fiction that creating such a school was her dream.

"…I see." smiled Venelana. "The school idea has a lot of merit, and I could live with the idea of Rias working in the service industry for a while."

"Mother!" protested Rias.

"What? Do you think that working in a fast food restaurant is beneath you? A few years is nothing for us devils" asked Venelana with a grin.

Rias started fidgeting.

"Well, not exactly, but that wasn't the future I envisioned either, I need time to get to terms with it."

Noah smiled gently. He had better use for Rias than attending a counter, such as having her help heal and cure people, and she would likely like it better too. But he didn't want to outright say that he intended for her to become one of his subordinates in front of her mother.

"Well, this aside, Noah, could you make some clothes for me, too, pretty please?" asked Rias, making puppy eyes at him.

Akeno had come to the party wearing a white shirt and tight, black leather pants, no doubt knowing he would notice and appreciate it, and Rias had commented how well Akeno's new clothes fit her.

"With pleasure. But to be fair with Akeno, the same rules will apply. You will have to model them for me, and I might take a few pictures. I'm speaking about pictures of you in full outfits, not underwear. I may also add a few things I'd like to see you in. I think you'd look great wearing the Ginsei Academy's uniform, for example."

"I'm fine with it, as long as you do not spread the pictures. Thanks." nodded Rias with a grin.

"Akeno mentioned that the clothes you made had special properties, making them automatically adjust to the wearer, even better than made to measure, and that she will never need to wash them. Could I ask for some, too?" asked Venelana with interest.

"Of course. Actually, I intend to soon trade some of my favor to Lilith for an upgrade to my ability to create items. With it, the clothes will be more resistant to damage, and I will also be able to add a self-repair property. The clothes will look brand new even after decades of regular use."

Noah's item creation was considered by the system to be at the beginner level. With it, he could make items with some magic enhancements, but couldn't make a sword much more resistant to damage than one mode of steel, and the magic properties were rather limited. Upgrading the ability to normal level was the next thing on his to-do list. It would cost him 20 000 Yin Points, but the armor and weapon pieces would be a lot better. And after upgrading further to the Advanced, then Master level, Noah's creations would at least be able to parry hits from Shinigami captains or Arrancars without shattering after just a few impacts, like what had happened when he fought Ulquiorra and Grimmjow.

Noah train of thoughts was interrupted by a notification, telling him he had gained 50 Yang Points. It seemed Kalawarna had accepted her fate at last.

Pushing it aside, he refocused on Venelana. She really looked like her daughter, looking just barely older, and with the same extremely attractive body. The differences in their physique were that Venelana had violet eyes and brown hairs ending slightly past shoulder level, while Rias had blue eyes and her signature long crimson hairs. She was smiling, but her eyes had the same calculating gleam that Fubuki had when she observed him.

Noah finished the burgers, put them on a plate, and extended it to them. Akeno and Sona took one with muttered thanks.

"I will take you up on this offer later, then, Noah." smiled Venelana. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go speak again with some of your guests. This opportunity is too good to pass up."

"Of course."

Grayfia nodded to him and followed her Mistress.

"Thanks again, Noah. Once we're done with the Rating Game, I'll start choosing some clothes." grinned Rias.

"Yes. I should have upgraded my item creation sometimes next week, and I'll start of making a set of armor to everyone for the Game. With our peerage, Riser doesn't stand a chance."

"With you alone, Riser and his whole peerage wouldn't stand a chance, you mean. But let us do our part, okay? We have trained hard for this, and we aren't fragile flowers needing to be protected."

"Sure. If you wish, I'll only act to deal with Riser himself. And I won't go for an early conclusion."

"Thank you."

"And if you wish to deal with Riser, I do not mind just watching, you know? With one of my sealing weapons, you can just pummel some sense into him while I watch the show."

Rias laughed softly at the idea, while Sona raised an eyebrow.

"Sealing weapons?"

Noah took his spear from his inventory and showed it to Sona. She experimented with the blade, confirming that she couldn't use her demonic powers while she was touching it.

"That is quite impressive." she said as she gave him the spear back.

"Just a small trinket, compared to the weapons I'll be able to produce in the not-too-distant future." shrugged Noah as he kept an eye on the meat and flipped the skewers and sausages, before putting fresh burger patties on the grill.

On the side, Suzu and Kaede were creating more bottles of various drinks to keep up with the demand.

"I look forward to seeing Riser's ego taken down a notch or three. I, too, find him irritating." said Sona.

"…I almost wish I could have found you before Rias did. You would have been a great asset in my peerage."

Noah grinned as he looked at her.

"Well, there are still spots available for my future peerage, if you are interested. I could use a good strategist in my budding faction."

"…I get the feeling that your faction is going to become the world's prominent power. And I'm happy that you recognize my ability. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing for me… I'll think about it." mused Sona. She looked him up and down once more, then walked away. Tsubasa smiled to him as she bowed her head and followed her King.

Normally, Noah would have seen her last comment as a red flag, as he didn't want people joining him to be motivated by a thirst for power and authority. But he had the advantage of knowing what she was like in the fiction, and knew she was a good person. She wanted power not for herself, but for reforming the underworld, and her objectives largely aligned with Noah's.

"Ara ara, even Kaichou is going to join Noah's harem." softly laughed Akeno.

"Her, and most of her peerage." predicted Rias.

Today was a bit of a wake-up call for her, as she realized that she would have to share Noah with even more people than she previously thought. She felt a bit of pressure, and decided that after the Rating Game, she would be more proactive.

Noah grinned, but his face became more serious when Ren, Fubuki, Tenka and Kyouka came to him.

"This is excellent meat, Noah, worthy of a high-end restaurant. Thank you for inviting us." said Ren.

"I am glad you like it, Commander." smiled Noah.

Ren silently looked at Rias, and the crimson haired princess took her cue.

"We'll talk again later, Noah." she said as she and Akeno returned to mingle with the others.

Ren nodded in thanks to Rias before turning her attention back to Noah.

"Meeting with the victims of Aizen's experiments, as well as Seifuku, has been very enlightening. And very worrying. We now know much more about Aizen and the combat power at his disposal, and about Yhwach. The Anti-Demon corps is completely outmatched by those enemies."

Noah nodded quietly. Seifuku had not bothered hiding much about what she and Noah knew of the enemies that would soon appear, even listing each and every one of the Arrancars and Sternritters and their individual powers. And there were a lot of scary stuff there.

"I cannot disagree. At the same time, being outmatched means that those guys won't consider the ADC a threat, and thus won't act against it."

"Yes. But that only holds true if Soul Society, with your help, I presume, manage to defeat them. And being helpless at someone else's mercy and hoping not to be noticed doesn't sit well with us. We didn't join the ADC to cower under a rock and hope someone else shoulders the burden of keeping Japan's citizens safe."

Noah nodded again, and Ren took a deep breath.

"Which is why, some drastic measures are needed. Noah Enfield, as the Commander of the Anti-Demon Corps, I order you to do whatever it takes to share your powers with all the squad Chiefs, at the minimum, and later with any squad member who is willing."

Noah wasn't that surprised, as he had seen it coming. Maybe this was what Seifuku was angling for with her previous openness. He glanced at her direction for a second, and she was looking at him, a smug smile in her face.

Noah looked back at Ren. Her expression was unwavering.

"Commander, you are basically ordering me to take over the Anti-Demon Corps."

"I am aware of this. The take-over will have to be unofficial, as we still have an image to uphold to the public, and any …not kid friendly… action taken in the course of our duties will have to remain strictly private."

"I won't do this kind of things with anyone who is unwilling. I think Varvara, for one, hates my guts, even if I'm not certain why." said Noah, glancing at the white-haired Chief sitting at one of the tables. Even now, she was glaring at him. Though her obvious resentment toward him didn't stop her from nibbling away at one of the burgers he had made. Noah found it cute.

"I'll convince her." shrugged Kyouka. "She likes me very much. That is why she doesn't like you."

Noah nodded in understanding.

"We discussed this a few minutes ago." said Ren firmly. "Some may be reluctant, but they agree that this is necessary. Even Varvara has acknowledged it. It is better than being at the mercy of an opponent who has none, and sacrificing ourselves in the line of duty isn't new to us."

"Commander, assuming I transfer my powers to you all in time, do you intend to actively participate in the conflict against Aizen and Yhwach, or is this more of a precaution, for the ADC to be ready in case Soul Society would fail?"

"…We haven't yet made a firm decision on that. That will depend on how many of us can compete with that kind of opponents, and if Soul Society is willing to accept our help in the first place. But at the very least, we want to be able to defend Japan and the rest of the human world."

"Very well. After the rating game next week, if you are still willing to proceed, I will start with you, Commander. You are the strongest of the Chiefs, so upgrading your combat potential first make sense."

"Good." nodded Ren.

Ren, Tenka and Fubuki walked away in Seifuku's direction, and Kyouka sighed.

"There goes my dream of taking Ren's position."

"I'm sorry about that, Kyouka." Said Noah as he lowered his head.

"It's fine, really. I mostly wanted the spot because I wanted to make a few changes in the ADC. But if you gain influence over Ren, you can have her implement those changes instead. The one thing I most wanted out of our initial agreement was to gain the strength to kill the Horned One."

"What kind of changes?"

Kyouka looked around, making certain no other Chief was listening, before she spoke with a low voice.

"The biggest one is that I want to ADC to stop supporting the Onmyoji Agency. It's an old organization, whose goal is to create anti-hollow weapons. But the few rumors I heard about it spoke about some very unethical things going on over there. Rumors that make me think they would just love getting their hands on the Thunder Gods to experiment on them."

"…I see." said Noah somberly. "We'll investigate this in the near future."

When Kyouka left, Noah had to throw away most of the meat for being decidedly on the burnt side.