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….
"You..." Rias stared at me, her fork suspended halfway to her mouth. "You were able to take it out? A Fallen Angel?"
"I wouldn't exactly be sitting here eating chicken if I hadn't," I said dryly, taking another bite. "Oh, and for the record, it wasn't just a Fallen Angel. He brought a rogue exorcist with him. I killed them both."
The dining room went dead silent. Akeno stopped chewing, her eyes darting toward me, while Rias slowly lowered her fork, the gravity of the situation fully setting in.
"So," I continued, gesturing vaguely with my knife. "I suggest you guys start taking your contracts in pairs. If Kalawarner and Dohnaseek were coordinating with stray exorcists, they aren't just messing around. They're organized. You need to be, too."
Rias crossed her arms, her pride flaring up as she tried to regain some control over the conversation. "I know what happened with Kiba earlier wasn't our proudest moment, but the rest of my peerage is incredibly strong, Shiro. You don't need to worry about us." She offered a triumphant, confident smile.
I just looked at her. "Even Isabella?"
Rias's smile vanished instantly. She opened her mouth to argue, realized she had absolutely no defense, and closed it again, looking thoroughly chastised.
Before the tension could get too heavy, a soft, sultry giggle broke the silence.
Akeno covered her mouth with her hand, her violet eyes curving into crescents. "Oh, my. You're watching over little Isabella like a protective older brother. That's actually incredibly sweet, Shiro." She gracefully picked up her fork and finally took a bite of the food on her plate, humming in genuine appreciation at the taste.
Rias cleared her throat, clearly eager to change the subject. She shot me a knowing smirk. "Speaking of which, what exactly is your relationship with Isa?"
I turned to Akeno, completely ignoring Rias's bait. "You're right. I am watching out for her. But we don't have any kind of secret relationship. She just happens to be my first actual friend since transferring to Kuoh Academy. That's it."
Akeno leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. Her gaze turned heavy, lidded with that signature, dangerous flirtatiousness. "So you're just friends." She reached across the table, her cool fingers lightly brushing against my cheek. "In that case... I think she might face some stiff competition later on. Fufufu."
If I were a normal, thick-skulled anime protagonist, I would have turned beet red and completely missed the implications. But I wasn't an idiot, and my Gamer's Mind kept my heart rate perfectly steady. I knew exactly what Akeno was doing. She was probing, testing my boundaries, and seeing how easily I could be manipulated by charm now that intimidation had failed.
I calmly reached up, gently caught her wrist, and moved her hand away from my face.
"I'm flattered, Akeno," I said, my voice polite but firm. "But I'm really not in the mood to flirt right now. I'm just tired."
Akeno blinked, a flash of genuine surprise crossing her features before she masked it with a soft smile. "Of course. My apologies."
I stood up, gathering my empty plate and Akeno's. I carried them to the sink, quickly washing them down. When I turned back around, both Rias and Akeno were standing by the front door, watching me with a quiet, attentive focus.
I dried my hands and walked them to the entryway.
"Thank you for the meal, Shiro," Rias said softly, stepping out onto the porch. She looked back over her shoulder. "I'll... see you tomorrow at school."
I gave a single nod. The girls turned, and I quietly shut the door, finally alone.
…
The night air was cool as Rias and Akeno walked side-by-side down the quiet suburban street, the glow of the streetlights casting long shadows behind them.
"Well," Akeno murmured, her hands clasped elegantly behind her back. "That was certainly an interesting meeting. Did you learn what you needed to about him, Buchou?"
Rias let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her crimson hair. "Indeed. I still can't believe it. He truly doesn't possess a Sacred Gear. But that completely fails to explain how he's gotten so strong, so fast. The power he wields... it's unique. It doesn't feel like Devil magic, and it certainly isn't Holy. It's raw, terrifying, and completely foreign."
She clenched her fist slightly. "If I had been able to reincarnate him like I originally planned, he would have been an absolute force to be reckoned with."
Akeno didn't reply immediately. Rias glanced over and noticed her Queen was smiling, not her usual, sadistic smirk, but a genuine, soft smile.
"What are you thinking about, Akeno?" Rias asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Oh, nothing really," Akeno said, her violet eyes half-lidded as she looked up at the stars. "I just think it's kind of sweet, is all."
"What is?"
"Him," Akeno replied. "Think about it, Rias. He doesn't trust us at all. He had every right to be furious with us, and he was. But despite all of that, despite me literally firing a lightning strike at his chest... he still restrained himself. He let us into his home. He cooked for us. And his only real demand was that we protect Isabella."
Rias blinked, processing the thought. She slowly nodded. "You're right. He was something else entirely when his magical aura flared up like that. He could have destroyed the room, but he held it back."
"Indeed," Akeno hummed.
She kept her composure perfectly serene on the outside, but internally, her thoughts were spinning in an entirely different direction. The sheer density of Shiro's lightning, the way it had effortlessly swallowed her own magic, was intoxicating. He was strong, fiercely protective, and completely immune to her usual teasing.
For the first time in a very long time, a faint, dusting blush formed on Akeno Himejima's cheeks.
….
Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 10+ Chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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