First Demonic Dragon

Chapter 1066: Seeing Old (and New) Faces

Abaddon was used to doing favors for people already, whether it was little things for his mothers or running across Tehom to find Thea, the closest incarnation of Publix fried chicken.

He never considered doing things for others to be a burden, as he thought of it as an expression of his love for his family.

But Abaddon did not necessarily love Shin. At most, he had learned to accept his continued presence in his home.

As such, he was going to make the act of doing him a favor extremely uncomfortable.

“I’m kind of all-powerful, you know?” Abaddon folded his arms haughtily. “Shouldn’t you be asking me for favors on your knees or something?”

Shin narrowed his eyes at him in response. “…Know what? I’ll just wait for Lailah or Lillian to wake up instead.”

“Fat chance! Don’t ask my wives for anything, you goddamn comic book rip off!”

“I should have just gone to them in the first place. At least they’re nice to me.” Shin’s lips turned upward into a punchable sneer. “Jealous?”

“You standing near my wives just makes me uncomfortable. You look too much like one of the plugs in our nightstand.”

Sometimes, if Shin watched Abaddon and ignored his unfair appearance, he could almost forget that he was sex personified.

Almost…

That time, he decided to let that crude comment on his appearance pass and instead decided to get to the heart of the matter.

“Then do me a favor so that I don’t look like this anymore.” Shin finally said. “Make me a new body.”

Abaddon had started to pull a cigar out of his pocket, but he dropped it on the ground when Shin finally got his question out.

“…What?”

“I didn’t stutter.”

“You might as well have. Don’t tell me our jokes have finally gotten to you and you’re sick of it? Because you know it’s only going to get funnier if you get sensitive.”

“I’m not worried about you and the rest of the fire-breathing idiot crew.”

“Mateo doesn’t breathe fire.”

“It’s just that since I’m… seeing Miss Lusamine now, I thought it would be nice to have her touch skin that I didn’t fabricate in a lab.”

“He’ll be really offended if you tell him you thought he could breathe fire. He thinks it’s an inconvenient power.”

“Are you even listening to anything that I am saying to you right now?”

“Partially. I’m mostly trying not to picture you holding hands with my Aunt.”

Abaddon thought Lusamine deserved to be happy, and if she was ready to settle down, then he certainly wasn’t going to be the one who stood in her way. However, that didn’t mean he understood her tastes.

In the back of his mind, he was aware that everything wasn’t for him to understand. People’s romantic attachments were their own to form and enjoy.

But he had trouble putting that belief into practice when it came to Shin Nagumo and his Aunt Lusamine.

“Why would you come to me for this..?” Abaddon rubbed his head.

Shin made an uncomfortable expression as if saying his next words would destroy his soul.

However, he pictured Lusamine’s smiling face in his mind, and suddenly it all seemed less difficult.

“…You know, just because you’re… you.”

Shin changed his mind. This was a level of bloody torture that even hell wouldn’t employ.

Abaddon raised a brow.

“L-Look, Abaddon, we all know I don’t look like the sort of man who would be with someone like Lusamine.”

“Not unless you were really rich and she was having trouble paying for college.”

“I will shoot you in the face.”

Abaddon wasn’t intimidated, but for the time being, he did stop making jokes since he could tell Shin really seemed to be bothered.

The portion of his face that was still human was turning redder with every second that went by.

“Look, I just… want to kind of measure up, you know? Maybe look a little younger? And you know… *ahem* handsome *ahem* .” He coughed.

Abaddon stared at Shin for a long time.

For a while, the cyborg thought he was going to laugh or make another joke at his expense. He braced himself to have to make good on his earlier threat.

“…Fine.”

Shin blinked.

He waited and waited, but Abaddon didn’t make a move.

“…Well?”

“What?”

“Do it.”

“Remember where you are, Shin Nagumo. I am all-powerful here.”

Shin looked down at his hands.

Slightly pale and calloused. Just the same as it was before he made his decision.

Abaddon created a mirror just in front of his face. Shin’s eyes widened in surprise.

He was himself again. Right down to the white shirt and brown trenchcoat.

“This… isn’t an illusion?”

“I’m not all that good at those, so no. It isn’t. Though you’re welcome to go and search your nooks and crannies for accuracy.”

Shin didn’t need to go that far. He was already noticing a problem with Abaddon’s handiwork.

“I did say to make me look younger, didn’t I?”

“Apparently, my aunt likes you quite a bit the way you are. Grey-haired and on the verge of death.”

Shin reached for his holster.

“Oh, calm down. No one knows attraction better than me, remember? If you want to avoid getting laughed at, then just don’t stand near Satan or something, I don’t know.”

Shin remained understandably shocked by the ease with which Abaddon had complied with his request.

“…Thanks.”

“Fuck you, I’m telling everyone you came whining about this to me at two in the morning.” Abaddon pulled out his phone.

Rolling his eyes, Shin started to walk away when he suddenly bumped into something metallic and cold.

Himself. Although lifeless and unresponsive.

“…Why’s this still here?” He knocked his double against the head.

“Did you think I was just going to willingly give up my opportunity for metal man jokes? Absolutely not.”

Shin narrowed his eyes again.

“Belloc has me reading this comic he likes called Lookism. It’s the same concept but a little different. Think about it real hard, and you’ll be able to swap bodies at will. Keep the spare in a closet or something, I guess.”

Shin was surprised at just how accommodating Abadon was being. Or at how easy this all was for him.

Maybe now more than before, he was beginning to understand just how outclassed he was every time that the two of them fought.

Beyond that, it seemed silly to think that he was outwardly malicious. As powerful as he was here, Abaddon could have killed him anytime that he felt like it, and Shin wouldn’t have even known that he was dying.

“…You’re a good man, Abaddon.”

“Obviously.”

Just like that, Shin was ready to take back everything that he said.

–

“Babe. Babe, wake up.”

“Ugghhh…”

Abaddon opened his eyes groggily and came face-to-face with Valerie’s exposed chest. The sight was almost enough for him to forget how tired he was.

“Hello..” Abaddon placed his head between her breasts. His eyes shut once again, and he began snoring lightly.

Valerie gently pried him from between the warmth of her bosom. “Hello to you too. Sleep well?”

“Better if you put my head back…”

Valerie almost obliged. “As nice as that would be for both of us, I can’t have you going back to sleep on me again. We have some things we need to do, don’t we?”

Abaddon started to remove his boxers.

“No- I mean, yes, but also no.” She stopped him. “We gotta figure out how to get your body under control, right? I wanna take a look at you before the trial today.”

“Trial..?” Abaddon asked sleepily.

“Yes, trial.”

“Oj..?”

“No, not Oj. The man who kidnapped your daughter.”

For the first time, Abaddon seemed to regain some life in him. If only because of the massive amount of spite coursing through his veins.

He sat up slowly and realized that Lailah was also awake. She sat on her knees while holding a cold, wet towel in one hand and a can of nevi’im redbull in the other.

“…You wouldn’t have.” Abaddon sounded betrayed.

Lailah shrugged as she put the towel away. “You don’t respond to the sweet way, we have to wake you up the hard way. Still love you though, honey.”

“Is that what you call it?”

Lailah kissed him on the lips as if she knew that it would make up for almost assaulting him with cold water in the morning.

…It was a lucky guess on her part.

Now fully awake, Abaddon surveyed the rest of the room and realized that most of the girls were still asleep.

The only other wife who was up was Izanami. She waved at him from across the bed with Odessa and K’ael on her chest.

“I would get up to kiss you all as well, but… these babies are a fair bit heavier than I remember…”

If Izanami was unable to make the trip, then the others had no issue in going to her.

Abaddon hovered above his wife and children and brought his lips to hers.

Izanami didn’t even care why her husband suddenly looked like he was in his late teens. She was just glad that his lips were still the same.

“Surprised you’re awake… You usually have as hard of a time getting up as Bekka and I.”

Izanami smiled wryly in the dark room.

“A bit difficult to sleep when you’re being invoked every hour… On a completely unrelated note, my parents want to visit.”

Abaddon was starting to think that those two things weren’t unrelated at all.

damn literally every game yesterday was a cupcake game. I lowkey picked a good week to give up football

…We’ll see what happens next week tho.