Later that afternoon, Dee decided to take matters into her own hands.
She found Akeno sitting on the wooden porch, folding paper cranes.
Dee sat down next to her. She didn't beat around the bush. She was very direct.
"Akeno,"
Dee said casually, leaning back on her hands.
"You love Elias, right? Like, really love him."
Akeno froze. Her face turned as red as a tomato. She dropped the paper crane she was holding.
"I... I..."
Akeno stammered, looking down at her lap. She felt so guilty.
"Dee-nee san, I'm so sorry. I know he is your boyfriend. I never wanted to come between you two. I just... I can't help it."
Dee smiled warmly. She reached over and gently patted Akeno's knee.
"Don't apologize,"
Dee said.
"I'm not mad at all. In fact, I came here to ask you a question."
Akeno looked up, her violet eyes full of confusion.
"A question?"
"Yes,"
Dee nodded.
"Do you want to be his girlfriend, too?"
Akeno stopped breathing for a second. She stared at Dee to see if this was a joke.
But Dee's dark eyes were completely honest and kind.
"Can... Can I?"
Akeno whispered, her voice trembling.
"You really don't mind?"
"I really don't,"
Dee laughed lightly.
"I have loved Eli for a very long time. I know what a great guy he is. He protected you, and you adored him. I think you two would be wonderful together. Plus, it will be fun having a sister to share him with."
Akeno couldn't hold it in anymore.
Tears of pure joy spilled down her cheeks. She threw her arms around Dee and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you!"
Akeno cried happily.
"Thank you so much, Dee!"
Dee hugged her back, gently stroking her long dark hair.
"You're welcome, Akeno. Welcome to the club."
A few minutes later, Elias walked out onto the porch.
He saw Dee and Akeno sitting together.
They were holding hands and giggling like best friends.
When Akeno saw him, she jumped up. She ran over, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her happy face in his chest.
Dee just winked at him from the porch.
"All sorted out, Eli!"
Dee cheered.
Elias stood there, holding Akeno while she hummed happily against his shirt.
He blinked. He looked at the sky. He looked at the two beautiful girls smiling at him.
He had spent days worrying about this. He thought there would be crying, jealousy, and broken hearts.
He thought it would be a huge, dramatic mess, just like in the movies back in Ohio.
Instead, it took exactly one simple conversation to fix everything.
Elias let out a long, quiet sigh and gently wrapped his arms around Akeno's shoulders.
'Wow,'
Elias thought to himself, a small, relieved smile creeping onto his face.
'Everything went so smoothly. I guess in this crazy world of Angels, Devils, and Gods... I am the weird one.'
Akeno went to school the next day.
Kuoh Academy was a big, beautiful school, and she loved being there.
In the normal flow of time, things would have been very different. If Elias had never come to this world, Akeno would have lost her mother.
She would have been a sad, lonely, and hunted girl. To survive, she would have been forced to become a servant to a powerful Devil named Rias Gremory.
But Elias had changed everything.
Because Elias fought and bled for her family, Akeno was free. She was just a normal student who got to go home to her mother and father every single day.
Even though Akeno was not Rias's servant, the two girls were still very close friends.
Rias Gremory was the most famous girl in school.
She had long, beautiful crimson hair and was actually a high-class Devil princess.
A while ago, Rias had sensed Akeno's strong magic.
She had asked Akeno to join her Devil peerage and become her servant.
Akeno smiled and politely refused.
"Thank you, Rias,"
Akeno had told her.
"But I already have a family to protect me."
Rias had respected her choice.
They didn't have a master and servant relationship, but they became best friends anyway.
During the lunch break, Akeno went to the Occult Research Club room to visit Rias.
Usually, Rias was confident and cheerful. But today, the crimson-haired girl looked deeply troubled.
She was staring out the window, her shoulders slumped.
"Rias?"
Akeno asked softly, walking over to her friend.
"What is wrong? You look very sad."
Rias let out a long, heavy sigh. She looked at Akeno, her blue eyes filled with worry and frustration.
"It is my family, Akeno,"
Rias whispered.
"They are forcing me to marry someone. His name is Riser Phenex."
Akeno frowned.
"An arranged marriage? But we are just in high school."
"It is an old Devil tradition,"
Rias explained, rubbing her forehead.
"Riser is an arrogant, cruel man. I do not love him. I do not want to marry him. But my family will not listen to me."
"Can't you fight it?"
Akeno asked gently.
Rias shook her head.
"The only way to cancel the marriage is to beat Riser in an official Devil battle called a Rating Game. But Riser has a full team of experienced fighters. My team is too small and too new. We are not strong enough. I am going to lose, Akeno. I am going to lose my freedom."
Akeno's heart ached for her friend.
She knew what it felt like to be trapped and afraid of a powerful family.
She remembered when the Himejima clan had come to take her freedom away.
But then, Akeno remembered what happened next.
She remembered a teenage boy standing in the dark garden, taking on the deadliest magic in the world without flinching.
She remembered the boy who could adapt to anything, who couldn't be killed, and who always kept his promises.
A tiny spark of hope lit up in Akeno's violet eyes.
"Rias,"
Akeno said softly, reaching out to hold her friend's hands.
"Don't give up yet."
Rias looked at her, confused.
"What do you mean? I don't have anyone strong enough to fight a high-class Devil."
Akeno smiled. It was a proud, confident smile.
"I know someone,"
Akeno told her.
"He is the strongest person in the world. He beat the Elders of my clan all by himself. If anyone can stop this arranged marriage, it is him."
Rias blinked in shock.
"Who is it?"
"My big brother,"
Akeno said happily.
"Let me talk to Elias. Maybe he can help you."
[email protected]/jelopy_jelopy
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