Rias took a moment to process the information. She looked at Rhode with a complex expression.
This was getting tricky. The man had solved the Fallen Angel problem that had been giving her a headache, contacted her directly using a flyer, and then laid all his cards on the table. While Rias suspected Rhode was still hiding things, she knew better than to "strike a smiling face." She couldn't exactly invent a reason to kick him out of town. Rhode was an unaffiliated free agent; acting against him would be bad for the territory's development and give the Gremory family a bad reputation.
While Rias contemplated her next move, Akeno, who had been maintaining a cold face, finally reached her breaking point.
"You may stay here if you wish, but these Fallen Angels must either die, be handed over to us, or leave Kuoh Town immediately!" Her eyes were incredibly sharp, her gaze cutting into the three Fallen Angels like daggers.
Raynare and the others didn't know how they had offended her specifically. But facing the glare of a Devil, they naturally glared back. They feared Rhode, but that didn't mean they feared the local Devils.
"A mere Low-class Devil has no right to speak here, does she?" Raynare narrowed her eyes, a cold sneer playing on her lips.
"Whether I have the right is not for you to decide!"
As she spoke, a layer of violet demonic power surged over Akeno's body. Accompanied by a sharp crackling sound, a lightning orb condensed with powerful energy formed in her hand. Raynare didn't back down, manifesting a Light Spear in her hand, looking ready for a fight. The atmosphere in the living room instantly became explosive.
"Enough!" Rias barked. "Akeno, stand down."
Only then did Akeno reluctantly withdraw her lightning and demonic power, though she continued to glare death at the trio. Raynare and her group were still baffled. They had trespassed on Devil territory, sure, but they hadn't actually done anything yet, had they? Their target had been a nun, not a Devil—was there a need for such theatrics?
"My apologies, my member was a bit overexcited," Rias said, her voice turning crisp and professional. "However, there is a reason for it. Due to past events, Akeno has a deep-seated hatred for Fallen Angels."
Rias knew she was in the wrong and apologized straightforwardly. But just as she was about to add a stern warning about Rhode disciplining his "slaves," Rhode let out a soft chuckle.
"It's fine. After all, I am aware of Akeno's past."
"Hmm?" Both Rias and Akeno were stunned. Even Koneko and Kiba only knew fragments of Akeno's history; the full truth was known only to the two of them.
"Himejima Suzaku is a dear personal friend of mine," Rhode said.
Lavinia, sitting nearby, looked like she had just seen the "Old Man/Subway/Phone" meme. You only met Himejima Suzaku a few days ago! How did you suddenly become 'dear personal friends'? If you're her friend, what am I? What am I?!
Still, Lavinia was becoming accustomed to Rhode's talent for bold-faced lies and kept a calm expression.
"Himejima Suzaku? You know my cousin Suzaku?!" Akeno's expression changed instantly, her voice trembling with shock.
She couldn't help it. While Akeno hated the Himejima clan, she had experienced a sliver of warmth within that family. When she was young, Suzaku would often visit the shrine alone to play with her, bringing snacks and toys from the outside world. When the "bad people" of the Himejima clan tried to provoke Akeno and her mother, Suzaku would step in to drive them away.
To Akeno, Suzaku was the only person in the entire Himejima clan worth remembering—her only relative she actually called "Onee-sama." But due to the clan's isolationist policies and her own restrictions regarding Kyoto, they had lost contact for years. It had been so long she was starting to forget what her cousin even looked like.
Akeno quickly regained her composure, suppressing her emotions. "How can you prove it?"
Rhode casually tossed a letter across the room. Akeno caught it, her eyes widening at the elegant handwriting on the envelope. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, she opened it and read the contents.
Minutes later, Akeno let out a long, shaky breath. She tucked the letter away like a precious treasure and bowed deeply to Rhode.
"My apologies. I was extremely rude just now. I didn't realize you were truly a friend of Suzaku-oneesama. Please forgive my disrespect."
As she bowed, her figure shifted slightly, the school uniform accentuating her curves. Rhode nodded. He really wanted to drop the classic "it's common sense to show your chest when apologizing" line, but there were too many people present, so he refrained. There would be plenty of opportunities later.
At the same time, Rhode received a system notification.
[Quest: Deliver the Letter — Complete]
[Target: Deliver Suzaku Himejima's handwritten letter to Akeno Himejima.]
[Reward: Hand Sanitizer x10]
Rias was equally surprised that Rhode was a friend of Akeno's elder. Seeing the situation, she relaxed significantly. If he was an acquaintance, there was no need for such high alert. She might not fully trust Rhode yet, but she trusted her own peerage members implicitly, especially Akeno.
"Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, we won't overstay our welcome. I hope you all have a pleasant time in Kuoh Town," Rias said, standing up to leave.
"Wait, one more thing," Rhode said.
"What is it?" Rias asked, puzzled.
"Let's exchange contact info. I'm currently acting as a free agent. If you have any trouble that needs solving but you can't handle it yourself, I can step in—for a price, of course."
Rias hesitated for a few seconds. A human offering to solve problems for a Devil? Isn't that a bit backwards? Still, for the sake of politeness, she exchanged contact information and gave a courtesy response about contacting him if needed.
"We really should be heading back now, Mr. Rhode," Rias said, preparing to activate the teleportation circle.
"Wait."
"?" Rias tried her best to maintain her usual smile and tone. Can't you just say everything at once?
"I just wanted to ask Koneko—you should have a sister named Kuroka, right? What's your impression of her?"
The names made the group freeze. He even knew about that? Koneko's background wasn't exactly a secret, given the massive scandal it had caused back then. A servant killing their master and fleeing was rare. As the sister of a Stray Devil, Koneko had been caught in the crossfire and faced execution until Rias stepped in to save her.
Hearing the name, Koneko's face twisted into an expression of indescribable pain.
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