Kazuki, who had left the VIP room after Akeno and Baraqiel, found the two of them arguing in the elevator hall.
"Let go of me!"
"Calm down, Akeno. I simply want to talk with you."
Baraqiel took Akeno by the arm and spoke to her. But—
"Don't call me so casually."
Akeno shot Baraqiel a glare filled with anger. Her expression was hard and cold to the core. Even so, perhaps thinking that since she'd stopped, they could talk, Baraqiel released her hand and straightened the collar of his suit.
"What is the meaning of you meeting with that man, 'Guyver'?"
…He meant Kazuki. Well, as a father, it was only natural to be concerned when his daughter came out of a hotel with a man.
"Isn't that my own business?! I don't owe you any explanation!"
"Akeno… But isn't he the fiancé of your master, Lady Rias?! You aren't planning on becoming his mistress, are you!?"
"What of it? Rias will be the first wife, but Kazuki is already the head of an aristocratic house. He's allowed to have multiple wives. Even if I'm the second or third, as long as he loves me, I'll be happy."
"Unacceptable! There's no way I'll let my precious only daughter be given to some womanizing scoundrel!!"
"Why do I have to be told that by you of all people!? I love him, I love Kazuki! And just now, we were making love plenty at the hotel!!"
"What!?"
Baraqiel was struck speechless by Akeno's confession. 'Damn, now I really can't show myself now.'
"You wretch… To lay hands on a daughter before her wedding… I will never forgive you!!"
Whoa, Baraqiel was so angry that he was discharging electricity. Kazuki didn't want to get even close.
"Akeno! And you as well! To lose your chastity before marriage—your mother would be weeping in her grave!!"
"Don't arbitrarily put words in my mother's mouth! She would forgive me if it were with Kazuki!!"
Akeno didn't back down an inch against the enraged Baraqiel. Just then, Akeno's gaze met Kazuki's exactly. He was stuck, unable to come out.
"Kazuki!!"
"Nuu!? Eavesdropping is shameful… Have you no decency!!"
Joy and revulsion, two extremes of emotion, were directed at Kazuki.
"Oh, Baraqiel-san? 'Eavesdropping' is a misunderstanding. If you're going to argue in a place with this much foot traffic, people are going to overhear whether you like it or not. If you need to discuss private matters, please put up a soundproofing barrier or go into a room."
"Hmm… You insolent…"
Baraqiel gnashed his teeth in frustration at Kazuki's sound logic. Taking the opening, Akeno hid herself behind Kazuki.
"I haven't properly introduced myself yet. Nice to meet you, Baraqiel, executive of the Grigori, 'Watcher of God's Children.' I am Rias Gremory's pawn and head of the Fuwa house, Kazuki Fuwa. I look forward to knowing you."
Kazuki gave a formal bow as an aristocrat.
Then…
"I am bound to your daughter—Akeno—by our vows for the future. I look forward to working with you, Father-in-law."
This time, he greeted him as Akeno's boyfriend. And then…
"Ghh—Who's your father-in-law!? There's no way I'm handing my precious daughter over to a skirt-chasing bastard like you!!"
A thunderous roar shook Kazuki and left his ears ringing. But he wouldn't back down either.
"This isn't about handing her over. Akeno is already my woman. Even if you are her father, you have no right to lecture me when you weren't there for her when it mattered!!"
Kazuki deliberately struck at Baraqiel's old wound, provoking him.
"Ghh, you bastard!!"
Taking the bait, Baraqiel's fist flew toward Kazuki's face. The fist wreathed in lightning would surely annihilate him if it landed. Kazuki worried he'd gone too far, but the fist stopped just short of him, caught by someone else's hand.
"Hey now, just because the kid hit a sore spot, this isn't like you. Calm down a little, Baraqiel."
"Azazel…"
Yes, the one who'd stopped the enraged Baraqiel's fist was Azazel. He'd easily stopped that lightning-wreathed punch. Impressive as expected.
"…That said, at this rate, you two won't be able to settle this. Come with me. I'll let you fight it out to your hearts' content."
Azazel passed between them and pressed the elevator button.
"…Very well. He talked quite big. I trust you won't run?"
"Bring it on. I'll teach you some better manners."
Kazuki glared back at Baraqiel, who was glaring with a furious expression.
"I'll crush you!!"
And so Kazuki came to fight Baraqiel…
"How did it come to this…"
Akeno held her head in the special training area on the fourth basement floor of the apartment building.
The newly built special training area was a facility created using the technology of Rating Games so that it wouldn't be destroyed even if Kazuki, Issei, and Yumi fought at full power.
Built in another dimension, it was boundlessly vast, and since Sirzechs and Azazel themselves had layered multiple barriers over it, it was unbelievably durable. It had been specially bestowed upon them in recognition of their achievements in the "Diodora Rebellion," and among the younger generation, only the Gremory household and the Bael household possessed one.
Thanks to it, Kazuki and Issei were overjoyed to be able to use their full power, and they trained here whenever they had free time.
Now, four people were present: Akeno, Kazuki, Azazel, and that man—Baraqiel.
Kazuki and Baraqiel stood facing each other, a considerable distance away from where Akeno and Azazel were.
She knew how strong Kazuki was. But Baraqiel was also the Fallen Angels' foremost combatant. She didn't think Kazuki, who had defeated many powerful enemies, would lose, but he wasn't an opponent Kazuki could beat unscathed.
"Honestly, why did Kazuki have to provoke him like that…?"
"You don't get it, Akeno!! Kazuki's trying to fight for the sake of you and your father."
Azazel added to her muttered words. She understood fighting for her sake, but for the sake of her and her father…
"What do you mean?"
"Well, that's… Ah, here they come."
When she asked, Azazel evaded the question. And then the two clashed.
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