One Piece : Wild Hunt

Without considering his response, Thomas replied, "Even," while Caenis, Astolfo, and Atalanta all replied, "Odd," at nearly the same time.
Adopting a slightly apologetic expression, Benienma removed her hand from the cup, muttering, "Forgive me, Master..." as she revealed the sum of the die to be odd.
As it didn't really make a difference, Thomas shrugged his shoulders, responding, "It's no big deal," before sitting back to observe the rest of the round. He was technically the only man participating in the game, so he benefitted more from losing than winning.
Shaking up the die a second time, Benienma questioned, "Odd or even?" prompting everyone to respond, "Odds," simultaneously. This repeated six more times, causing Thomas to suspect foul play until Atalanta made the first mistake, choosing odd when the total was even. In the subsequent match, Caenis didn't even wait for Benienma to ask, slamming the table in front of them as she shouted, "Odds...!" with a victorious grin.
Though she had been planning to let Caenis give her response first, Astolfo's expression morphed into a frown when she heard the bronze-skinned woman's choice. She was certain the result was even, so Caenis had either gotten lucky or intentionally thrown the match to ensure she would be among the candidates to be chosen for a command...
Demonstrating that Astolfo's intuition was correct, Benienma revealed the result to be even. Instead of appearing excited, however, Caenis adopted a grimace, muttering, "Bullshit..." before slumping back onto the sofa and crossing her arms. The latter hated losing, and the thought of being able to tell everyone else what to do excited her. In other words, she had just gotten 'lucky' to guess incorrectly.
Despite realizing that Caenis hadn't done anything wrong, Astolfo didn't want to reward her, stating, "Well, since I won, that makes me the Master. As for my command...how about we start things off tame? Atalanta, you must let Ma&mdash;I mean, you must allow Tom to use your lap as a pillow. He is always giving you headpats, so this is your chance to return the favor."
Without moving from her spot on the floor, Atalanta patted her thighs as she said, "I don't mind," in a curt tone. A thigh pillow was a lot tamer than what she was expecting, so she didn't even bat an eye as Thomas rose from the sofa and spread his body across the ground, culminating in his head coming to rest on her lap. Instead, she began combing her fingers through his hair, warning, "Don't get too comfortable. If you fall asleep, it will make things awkward for everyone."
Instead of responding to Atalanta's words with his own, Thomas just smiled before closing his eyes and enjoying the rare opportunity. Atalanta was one of the girls he had all but given up on as, without some kind of gift from Heaven or, far more likely, one from Hell(Zelretch), he couldn't imagine beating her in a footrace. She was his fastest Servant in terms of raw Agility, and she would only get faster as she Ascended...
Just as Thomas was beginning to feel like he might actually doze off, Astolfo said, "That should be enough for a first-round penalty command. As we progress into the later rounds, we can extend the time up to seven minutes."
Furrowing her brows, Atalanta looked like she wanted to say something but ultimately kept silent as Thomas rose to a seated position, remaining on the floor instead of returning to the sofa. He was feeling a little tipsy after several drinks, so he didn't feel like moving back and forward between the couch and floor if it turned out his next penalty also involved Atalanta.
Misinterpreting Thomas's thoughts, a faint smile adorned Atalanta's face as she moved to sit next to him. She didn't lean against him or anything, but her action was overt enough that even Thomas noticed it, prompting him to raise his brows slightly.
Realizing that her Master wasn't returning to the couch, Benienma began the second round. This time, Thomas managed to endure until the fourth set of rolls, but that was only because he waited for the others to respond before giving his answer. Caenis eventually called him out for it, however, so he was forced to play 'fairly' for fear of being labeled indecisive and a coward...
After a startling twenty-three rolls, Caenis emerged as the round's victor, jumping to her feet and pumping her fist as she shouted, "Fuck yeah! You little shits are in for it now...!"
Pointing to Atalanta, Caenis's expression revealed a hint of the 'tyrant' she was known to be in her previous life as she declared, "Your haughtiness pisses me off. Even with cat ears and a tail, you act like you're better than everyone else. For the next seven minutes, I want to see you acting like a cat in heat."
Narrowing her eyes, Atalanta looked like she wanted to protest but didn't. Instead, she looked toward Thomas for several seconds before suddenly leaning her head against him and nuzzling his arm. However, before she could continue the act, Caenis promptly pointed out, "I've never seen a cat that wears clothes..."
"Caenis..."
Disproving of Caenis's behavior, Thomas frowned as he asserted, "You're taking things too far..."
Blinking in surprise, Caenis responded with a confused "Huh?" before furrowing her brows deeply as she added, "It's just acting like a cat for a few minutes. I'm not asking her to impale herself on your dick or anything. Besides, Astolfo mentioned that stripping was fair game. I haven't broken any rules, so don't look at me like that..."
Before Thomas could offer a counterargument, Atalanta surprised him by saying, "It's fine." Then, without another word, she allowed the clothes to dematerialize from her body, revealing her lithe and athletic frame in all its naked glory. There wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere on her petite frame, but what truly surprised Thomas was her rather prominent patch of green and wheat-colored pubes. Like the hair atop her head, it grew wild, free, and much thicker than the average woman...
While Thomas entered a momentary daze, Atalanta suddenly got on all fours, crawling across his lap and rubbing against him as a dull, almost mechanical "Nyaa..." emanated from her throat. When he failed to pet her, she doubled back and lowered her head, nuzzling his hand until Thomas raised it. Then, like an actual cat, she rubbed against his hand, crawling across his lap a second time before repeating the process.
Though most girls in her position would have phoned it in, Atalanta was like an actual cat, waiting until Thomas had caressed her several times before she began 'kneading,' focusing on a very specific area of his body. A few seconds later, she brought her face to his bulge, tentatively sniffing it for several seconds before nuzzling against it with her face and nose...
Freeing Thomas from his stupor, Atalanta smacked him in the face with the tip of her tail, prompting him to resume petting her. Her back would arch like an actual cat whenever he caressed near the base of her tail, so Thomas instinctually focused on that area, causing her to lower her head and raise her butt. If he didn't know she was capable of behaving like a perfectly ordinary, albeit aloof woman, Thomas would have thought she was genuinely possessed by a cat...
Since Caenis wasn't keeping track, Astolfo counted the milliseconds until seven minutes had passed, shouting, "Okay, that's enough..!" the moment time was up.
As if a switch had been flipped inside her brain, Atalanta raised her face from Thomas's crotch and materialized her usual outfit before returning to her position at his side, completely stone-faced. A hint of red colored her cheeks, but as she had downed a whopping eight pints of wine, the blush had been present even before she started behaving like a cat.
Clicking her tongue, Caenis crossed her arms and muttered, "Just when it was starting to get good..."
Ignoring her newly acquired nemesis's remark, Astolfo adopted a forced smile as she prompted Benienma to begin the third round. This time, she sped things up considerably by intentionally calling the wrong result on the very first roll. What she never anticipated was Atalanta inadvertently doing the same, promptly pitting Caenis and Thomas against one another.
Adopting a toothy grin, Caenis asked, "Would you rather I get the next roll correct or incorrect? After rubbing her face and nose against your dick for a few minutes, I imagine our little feline friend is eager to continue where you left off..."
Though she furrowed her brows, Atalanta didn't refute Caenis's claim. If it were just her and Thomas present, she would have taken their little play 'a lot' further. Not the furthest it could have gone, but she certainly wouldn't have stopped at just sniffing him. She could smell Thomas's arousal even at a distance; nuzzling against him directly had the tip of her tail twitching in 'frustration.'
Returning a smile, Thomas replied, "I don't know what kind of command I would issue, but I would rather you didn't just let me win. Let's play things out and see how they go."
Shrugging her shoulders, Caenis responded with a lazy, "Suit yourself..." before shifting her attention to Benienma. However, when the latter was finished mixing up the dice, she remained silent, allowing Thomas to call out, "Odds." This could be seen as 'letting' Thomas win, but, as it was the only way he stood a chance at victory, Caenis regarded it as leveling the playing field.
Hearing her Master's reply, the tensions in Benienma's body waned, her head and shoulders slumping as she reluctantly revealed the sum to be even. She allowed herself to think, albeit for a brief moment, that Thomas might be able to secure a victory.
Contrasting Benienma's reaction, Caenis adopted a mischievous grin as she remarked, "Looks like your luck held out. As for your command..."
Since she could tell Atalanta 'wanted' to continue, Caenis dismissed that idea, shifting her attention to Astolfo as she mused, "Why don't you and Astolfo here have a dick measuring contest? You've both changed a lot in the past year. This is a good opportunity to compare your growth..."
Though Thomas furrowed his brows slightly, Astolfo's expression became wide-eyed and full of excitement. She was starting to believe that Caenis had forgotten their little 'deal,' so a mixture of relief and unbridled nerves washed over her as she bounced to her feet and exclaimed, "Let's do it...!"
Exhaling a faint sight through his nose, Thomas suppressed his inhibitions and pushed himself to his feet. It wasn't like this was the first time he was seeing someone else's dick, so, after a moment of hesitation, he removed his belt and dropped his trousers.
Since she was wearing a skirt, Astolfo only had to remove a pair of black lace panties, tossing them to the side before staring Thomas directly in the eye and asking, "Are you ready...?" with a nervous quiver in her voice. In response, Thomas looked to Benienma, prompting the petite sparrow to exhale a slightly exasperated sigh before turning around.
With Benienma facing away, Thomas removed his boxers, revealing his fully erect cock. It hadn't been that long since Atalanta's little 'play,' so he was rock hard despite his efforts to calm down using a discreet breathing technique.
Seeing how much Thomas had 'grown' over the past year, Astolfo's eyes widened as she swallowed audibly. He had to be around 24-25cm, so her voice squeaked slightly as she remarked, "It looks like you've got me beat by around twenty-five centimeters..."
Before Thomas's brain could process the meaning of her words, Astolfo raised the hem of her skirt to reveal a perfectly smooth, visibly glistening slit. She had followed through on her plan of having Asclepius change her gender and had spent nearly a year as a bonafide female.
Taking advantage of Thomas's stupor, Astolfo raised her arms over her head and let her clothes dematerialize, revealing a lithe, athletic frame not all that dissimilar to Atalanta's. Her breasts couldn't even pass the marker for a B-Cup, but they were clearly the mammaries of a female as she struck a pose, provided a playful wink, and squeaked, "S-Surprise~!"
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(A/N: And then they fu&mdash;had a very long and meaningful chat.)

After recovering from a prolonged stupor, Thomas met Astolfo's gaze and asked, "Seriously? For how long...?"
Instead of answering, Astolfo responded with a playful, "Who knows~?" before donning a black, side-tie bikini and adding, "Looks like you won the contest. Would you...like a reward...?"
With Astolfo shifting her gaze to his cock, Thomas felt his throat tense as he defied the urge to answer in the affirmative. He wanted to, but he and Astolfo needed to sit down and have a long talk before they did anything overtly sexual. They had grown fairly close over the last fourteen months, so he felt like he would be doing her a disservice if he suddenly started acting like a sex-starved monkey just because she had a slit between her legs...
Closing his eyes, Thomas took a deep, steadying breath, holding it for several seconds before exhaling. Afterward, he smiled faintly and replied, "Maybe some other time. We need to talk first..."
Exhaling a faint yet visibly relieved sigh, Astolfo returned a smile as she replied, "That's probably for the best. Still, now that my secret has been exposed, you should expect me to be 'a lot' more affectionate. If I have to keep holding back, I might go crazy..."
Nodding his head, Thomas adopted a faint smile. However, before he could offer a verbal response, Caenis chimed in to say, "Save the chit-chat for when you're alone. We're currently in the middle of a game, and I'm not done venting my frustrations."
While fixing his clothes, Thomas asked, "Frustrations? Did something happen...?"
Directing her gaze to Atalanta, Caenis revealed, "I have to deal with this little shit staring at me with contempt every time I return to the women's cabin after having sex. And don't even get me started with that tangerine bitch..."
Without being prompted, Caenis added, "If she's going to keep getting in your way and trying to turn others against you, we should leave this ship, sail ahead, and let them figure things out on their own. If that isn't an option, you should at least stand up for yourself and put your foot down. If she can't show you a basic amount of respect, answering her questions and providing information to her makes you a patsy. Do you have any idea how annoying it is for us to see you waiting on that dumb bitch when she hasn't done a damn thing to earn your favor...?"
Blinking in surprise, Thomas looked to Astolfo, Benienma, and Atalanta, asking, "Do the rest of you feel this way...?"
Adopting an awkward smile, Astolfo replied, "I don't feel as strongly as Caenis, but seeing her walking all over you and the rest of the Straw Hats is kind of annoying. I understand she needs to take command since Lucy doesn't know how to manage a ship, but..."
Piggybacking off of Astolfo's words, Atalanta curtly appended, "She is very bossy and does whatever she wants..."
Nodding in affirmation, Benienma added, "She acts like the Head of the House despite possessing no vested power or authority. If Master were to marry her in the future, Benienma has no doubt she would try and dictate how you live and interact with others, dechi."
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "That ship has already set sail. Unless something pretty drastic happens in the future, I can't imagine being in a 'committed' relationship with Nami. If things with Yamato don't work out, I will probably return to Alabasta and assist Vivi as a Minister or something similar. Who knows, I might even become King..."
Though he wasn't entirely sure how it happened, Thomas wasn't so dense that he couldn't realize that Vivi had developed an inordinate fondness for him. She seemed to regard him as the savior of her people, and, thanks to the miracles of Magecraft, he could remedy most of her country's issues. To that end, it could be argued she only cared about him because of what he could offer her, but that was pretty much how most women chose their partners...
Hearing Thomas mention becoming King, Benienma's eyes practically lit up as she stated, "Benienma approves of Lady Vivi as Master's Seishitsu. Alabasta shall become the first of Master's territories, dechi."
As Benienma interpreted Thomas's 'dream' of wanting to stand at the pinnacle of the world as a matter of status, not just strength, she was determined to make him into a ruler. They already had plans to overthrow the World Government and depose the Celestial Dragons, so it was only 'natural' that the person responsible for their downfall would ascend the throne in their absence. After all, without a powerful and just leader, the world would quickly succumb to anarchy.
Following Benienma's statement, Caenis caught Thomas by surprise as she crossed her arms and remarked, "It's not a bad idea. If the people of Alabasta are suffering to the point of rebelling against the family that has ruled them for generations, circumstances must be pretty dire. If you can supplant yourself as a messianic figure in their hearts, you could become 'more' than a mere King. The belief of ten million faithful is enough to earn you to the status of a God..."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas asked, "Seriously? I know that 'belief' is one of the pillars of Magecraft, but isn't that a little exaggerated...?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Caeni replied, "During my era, the population hovered around 8-10 million. That was enough to sustain several Gods, so you can easily achieve apotheosis with the faith of ten million. The caveat is that your power would be limited beyond the borders of Alabasta. Did that horse bastard explain to you the concept of Enthronement? Generally speaking, Gods can only exercise their true power within locations where the belief in them is strongest. That's the reason Temples and Holy Lands exist."
"So, you're saying all I need to become a God is to put on an act...?" asked Thomas.
Shaking her head, Caenis asserted, "It isn't an act. You perform miracles, and the masses reward you with their faith. Accumulate enough, and you become a Deity out of their unified desire to continue benefitting from the blessings and guidance you provide. At least, that's how it's 'supposed' to work. There are exceptions to every rule and more than a few beings that can 'subsume' the Divinity of others. Demons, Devils, and monsters are a good example."
Adopting a vicious smile, Caenis added, "That's where Heroes come in. A lot of Gods are too chicken-shit to fight their own battles because even a minor mishap could cause people to lose faith in them. They treat Heroes as their pawns, hoarding the credit when they succeed and pinning all the blame on them when they fail. It's pathetic."
Narrowing her eyes, now containing a faint red glow, Caenis said, "If you become a God, don't become the type that relies on others to ensure your status. No matter how much power is vested in you, never let it go to your head. Any power that is 'given' can always be taken away, so if you truly wish to stand at the peak, you'll need to be able to stand on your own..."
No longer in the mood to play, Caenis rose to her feet and said, "I've lost interest in drinking. I'm gonna take a swim around the island, maybe hunt a few Sea Beasts."
Without waiting for anyone to respond, Caenis made her way over to the mast and climbed up through the hatch leading to the deck. In her wake, an uncomfortable silence permeated the men's cabin until Astolfo forced a smile and asked, "Should we continue with just the three of us...?"
Before Thomas could respond, Atalanta suppressed her more animalistic urges, rising to her feet as she said, "I should be keeping watch to ensure the enemy doesn't attack while our guards are down."
Though there was a damp outline of her butt on the wooden floor when she rose, Atalanta maintained a mask of calm as she leaped up through the open hatch. She also felt like she could use a dip in the sea, but she didn't like getting her ears wet...
After eyeing the spot where Atalanta had been seated, Thomas raised his head only to find that he was now alone with Astolfo. Benienma could disappear as quickly as she materialized, so she quietly excused herself when Thomas wasn't looking, scampering off to prepare a hearty meal so that he and Astolfo could have some privacy.
Preempting anything Thomas could say, Astolfo asked, "Want to stick it in my butt...?"
"..."
Undeterred by Thomas's silence, Astolfo adopted an awkward smile as she revealed, "I know you want to talk, but I don't have much to say. I didn't really put a lot of thought into becoming a girl. I just wanted us to be able to spend time together without you being uncomfortable. As for whether or not this is permanant, I'm not really sure. All I know for certain is that I want to do naughty things with you..."
Punctuating her words, Astolfo pulled the strings keeping her black bikini bottoms in place. Threads of clear liquid briefly connected her glistening mons to the piece of fabric, coating her thighs with a tremendous volume of fluids the moment she removed it.
"..."
Seeing Thomas staring intently at her crotch, Astolfo covered it with her hands, feigning bashfulness as she turned her body to the side and said, "I would have gladly let you use my front a few months ago, but I'm afraid you might break it at your current size and girth. I'm pretty confident with my butt, though..."
Turning around completely, Astolfo bent over before using her index and middle fingers to pry open her exceptionally clean-looking anus. It was a pretty shade of pink that defied all reason, but the most surprising thing was how 'easily' Astolfo pried it open...
Divulging the reason, Astolfo began panting as she revealed, "You aren't the only one who's been training this past year. Now, please jam Master's massive cock into Astolfo's little ass-pussy. If she has to wait any longer, her heart won't be able to take it..."
Though he internally remarked, ("What the actual fuck...?"), Thomas made his way over to Astolfo, placing his hand on her smooth bottom. It wasn't nearly as firm and elastic as someone like Caenis, but the texture was in a league of its own, almost like her skin was made from satin.
Instead of asking Astolfo if she was sure about what they were about to do, Thomas removed his trousers and inserted his cock between her thighs, lubricating it with her voluminous love juices. She wasn't the only one that had been holding back the past year, so he only hesitated for a brief moment when he pressed the tip of his glans against her 'bussy.' As he did so, Astolfo took matters into her own hands, pressing her weight against him and gobbling up his cock in one fell swoop before turning to face him with a mischievous look as she said, "Om nom nom..."
Feeling something 'snap' within his mind, Thomas placed his left hand on Astolfo's hip as he said, "You damned Succubus..." before pulling back his hips and thrusting into her with enough force to send a ripple through her body. A deep, throaty, and ostensibly theatrical-sounding moan emanated from Astolfo's throat as he did so, but the pinkette wasn't pretending. Part of her 'agreement' with Caenis included letting the latter use a strap-on to fuck her in the ass, so she had been anticipating Thomas's intrusion to the point of losing sleep. Now that he was finally inside of her, tears began to well in the corners of her eyes due to how happy she was...
To make it clear she wasn't in pain, Astolfo stared directly into Thomas's eyes as she pleaded, "Please stop teasing me...Astolfo wants Master to fuck her so hard she can't even think straight..."
Though Astolfo's sudden shift to third-person left him feeling all kinds of ways, Thomas decided to focus on the task at hand, saying, "Then give me your hands..." before clasping her wrists and going to town on her for the better part of twenty minutes...and that was just round one...
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(A/N: Asstolfo be like, "I didn't wait a year just to have a conversation...")

Shortly after departing the girl's bathroom, Thomas found himself nearly face-to-face with a glowering Igaram. The misshapen man was just over 7'1''(218cm), so they were roughly eye-level as he gestured towards the back house of the tavern, asking, "Care to see some of our finer brews...?"
"Sure, why not?" replied Thomas. He imagined Igaram was thinking he was attempting to take advantage of Vivi and Alabasta's predicament for personal gain. However, as their nation was doomed without external aid, they didn't have much choice but to rely on outsiders.
After passing through a kitchen area and descending a flight of stairs to a large wine cellar, Igaram turned to Thomas, staring daggers at him as he asked, "Who are you? What are your intentions toward our Princess...?"
Hardening his gaze, Thomas replied, "If I had any 'intentions' toward her, I would have acted upon them last night. Now, before you ask any other stupid questions, know I don't appreciate being interrogated by someone I'm trying to help..."
Narrowing his eyes, Igaram reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of iron-rich red sand, demanding, "Then show me you have the power you profess. If you truly possess the ability to make Alabasta's land arable, I'll have nothing else to say on the matter..."
Inserting his finger into the clump of sand, Thomas used Reinforcement Magecraft to convert it to rich, mulchy soil in less than a second. Igaram's eyes widened as he did so, a subdued, "Remarkable..." emanating from his throat before he coughed a few times to cover it up. Then, with a serious countenance, he declared, "I will defer to the Princess's judgment on this matter. Tell me what you require."
As he had already formulated a plan with Vivi, Thomas replied, "For now, you should continue to act as a member of Baroque Works. We'll pretend to tap out prematurely tonight, so you can order your men to attack once night falls. Once the dust settles, we'll oust the Millions and Billions from the city while taking you and the other Frontier Agents hostage. Once the higher-ups learn we're occupying the city, they'll invariably send someone to 'deal' with us. Depending on who they send, we can drastically reduce the strength of Crocodile's executive forces."
Nodding his head in approval, Igaram remarked, "It's a sound plan. That is, assuming you and your ilk are as capable as you purport them to be..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas left Igaram at a loss for words as he replied, "The strongest people in Baroque Works are Sir Crocodile and Daz Bonez. We already know the weakness of the former, and the latter is no match for our crew's First Mate, Roronora Zoro. As for Miss All Sunday, you can just leave her to me. Anyone ranked lower than them barely even qualifies as fodder."
"..."
Though he felt Thomas was being a little presumptuous, Igaram decided to trust in the former's assertion, responding, "Very well. Just know that I won't be pulling my punches. We need to make things convincing, just in case things go South and you're not nearly as powerful as you claim..."
Understanding that Igaram just wanted to punch or shoot him with his shotgun saxophone, Thomas resisted the urge to roll his eyes, narrowing them as he stated, "I give at least as good as I get. Be careful you don't hurt yourself..."
"Hmph...!"
After snorting through his nose, Igaram walked past Thomas, stating, "I hope you know what you're doing..." before making his way up the stairs, leaving the latter alone in the wine cellar. Thomas eventually followed suit but not before picking up a large keg to justify his visit to the underground storage area. It weighed close to 300kgs, but he was able to heft it onto his shoulder without straining himself in the slightest...
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With nothing else to do until sunset, Thomas spent a few hours hanging out with Caenis, Astolfo, Atalanta, and Benienma after apprising them of the situation.
Though men were prohibited from entering the women's cabin, it was a one-way street as the girls were allowed to come and go as they pleased. Thomas and Zoro didn't really care, but it had caused Usopp a great deal of stress as he wasn't very good at dealing with women. It didn't help that everyone but Astolfo practically ignored him.
Fortunately, Usopp wasn't present, so Thomas didn't have to worry about the long-nosed man staring at him as he sat nestled between Caenis and Astolfo. The latter was snuggling against him while squeezing his arm and rubbing her cheek against his bicep, but Thomas didn't mind. He felt like a substantial weight had been removed from his shoulders after confiding in Vivi, so he was in too good a mood to let Astolfo's gender perturb him. So long as she didn't take things too far...
"Astolfo..."
Despite several light warnings, Astolfo's finger invariably found their way to Thomas's inner thigh, a playful smile developing across her face as she mused, "You're alone with a bunch of cute girls. Just drinking is bland. We should liven things up so that you're properly 'motivated' before going into battle..."
Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Thomas was about to reject the pink-haired imp's proposal when Caenis supplied, "It's a good idea. Back in my day, soldiers going into battle would spend the hours before eating, drinking, and fucking freely. Only the Fates knew when they would meet their end, so they made the most of what could be their final moments."
Smiling wryly, Thomas removed Astolfo's hand from his semi, remarking, "I have no intention of dying anytime soon..."
Instead of getting upset, Astolfo grinned like a mischievous succubus as she appended, "And we have no intentions of letting you. All I'm saying is that we should spice things up. You know, like playing a drinking game? If we set some ground rules and ensure things are fair, even Atalanta should be willing to play with us..."
Hearing Astolfo's words, Atalanta's brows immediately furrowed. She had acquiesced when Thomas arrived with a barrel of wine and asked if she would like to join them for a few drinks, but there was a reason she was seated away from the rest of the group. She became clingy and enjoyed cuddling when intoxicated.
Before Atalanta could refuse, Astolfo's smile became wry as she implored, "Come on, Lanta. You allow Master to caress your head when he restores your Mana, don't you? This isn't that different. And besides, there's no one around to judge us..."
Raising her hand, Caenis adopted a wolfish grin as she teased, "I wouldn't say that. I can be pretty judgmental when I want to be..."
Adopting a pouty, almost teary-eyed expression, Astolfo looked to Caenis as she said, "You're not helping..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Caenis replied, "I'm not in a hurry to lose the 'exclusivity' I enjoy. If our Master isn't ready to fuck you, suck it up and find a post to sit on. Trying to force the matter by relying on others is just pathetic."
Though her response wasn't 'meant' to be harsh, Ceanis's brash words caused Astolfo to tear up legitimately. She was hoping the others would support her, so she couldn't help feeling betrayed. Fortunately, just as the first tears were about to fall, Atalanta exhaled a sigh and said, "I'll play..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone.
Bouncing back immediately, Astolfo was all smiles as she replied, "That's great~!" in a cheerful tone. There were still traces of tears at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away before looking at Thomas with visibly glistening, unrepentantly expectant eyes.
Suppressing a sigh, Thomas adopted a faint smile as he asked, "What are the rules? I will have to refuse to play if it's too risque..."
Understanding Thomas's concerns, Astolfo's smile became even more radiant as she replied, "We'll have Benienma act as an impartial 'dealer.' Since each of us has quantifiable Luck Parameters, it wouldn't be fair if we took turns rolling dice or playing cards. We also know she won't cheat, so she's the best person to play the part. You can always reward her by letting her wash your back or something later."
Though she initially wasn't interested in Astolfo's proposition, Benienma's eyes lit up at the prospect of washing Thomas's back. One of the official duties of a Kosho was cleansing their Lord's back, so his refusal to let her do so caused her a considerable amount of frustration. She even offered to violate bathroom etiquette by wearing a swimsuit, but her Master was obstinate over the most insensible things...
Seeing Benienma 'glaring' at him, Thomas nearly refused to participate on the spot. The petite sparrow was the one who undressed and cleaned his body when he lost consciousness, but he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of letting her join him in the bath. He might relent if she 'only' washed his back, but his instincts told him she would want to ensure every part of his body was squeaky clean...
Not wanting to waste Atalanta's kindness or quash Astolfo's excitement, Thomas exhaled a faint, ostensibly defeated sigh through his nose as he replied, "Fine. But if things get out of hand, this is the last time we play a drinking game for the foreseeable future. Now-"
Before Thomas could ask what the rules were a second time, Astolfo pounced on him, throwing her arms around his neck as she exclaimed, "Yay~! Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" before pressing a prolonged and somewhat sloppy kiss on his cheek. Then, after alighting from the sofa, she excitedly explained, "The rules are simple! Benienma will roll dice within a cup, and everyone will guess whether the total value is odd or even. If you guess correctly, you get to move on. If there are only two people left, the first person to state their guess gets priority. The last man or woman standing becomes the Master and gets to command two of the eliminated players to engage in an 'activity' for between 3-7 minutes. Any questions~?"
Raising her hand, Caenis adopted a cheeky grin as she asked, "What are the limits as far as orders are concerned? I'm down for anything goes, but Atalanta might get butthurt if I ask her to sit on our Master's cock."
Furrowing her brows, Atalanta asserted, "I will only offer my virginity to the one who defeats me in a footrace without relying on external aid or underhanded means..."
Rolling her eyes, Caenis maintained her smile as she retorted, "We both know the Priestesses of Artemis were into pegging. Taking it up the butt isn't the same as relinquishing your chastity."
"..."
Instead of refuting Caenis's words, Atalanta turned her attention to Astolfo to see what she had to say. She would never admit it, but the thought of doing 'butt stuff' had crossed her mind a few times over the past year. Thomas was kind and considerate, so she sometimes felt she owed him more than just permitting him to touch her ears.
Unfortunately, while she was the closest thing Atalanta had to a friend within the group, Astolfo wasn't aware of the dichromatic cat girl's desire to repay Thomas's 'kindness.' She was ultimately just using the game as an excuse to expose her 'secret' to Thomas, so she raised her finger and assured, "Though stripping is allowed, let's limit touching to over the clothes, or, at the very least, panties. If the game proves enjoyable, we can always play with fewer restrictions in the future. Now, unless there are more questions, shall we begin~?"
With no one else having anything to ask, Astolfo whipped out the cup of dice she had prepared in advance, entrusting it to Benienama. Then, with bated breath, everyone watched intently as Benienma gave the tiny cup a good shake, covering the top with her hand as she asked, "Odds or even? No changing your minds once you decide..."
...
..
.
(A/N: A variation of the King's Game, a common theme within my novels xD...)

Chapter 44: Improv