Rias could barely process what she was seeing.
In front of her stood Akira—his body drenched in blood, his breathing ragged, wounds visible from head to toe. Just what kind of enemy had he faced to end up ?
She still hadn't fully grasped how powerful he really was, but from what he had shown, it was clear that Akira's strength could rival that of a High-Class Devil. Perhaps... he was even stronger than her, though Rias hated to admit it.
And that terrifying wave of magic earlier—overwhelming enough to make even her freeze for a second—it hadn't come from just anyone.
For such an immense force to appear in a quiet place like Kuoh... it made Rias deeply uneasy. Her territory was no longer under her control.
"...I'm still too weak."
The words escaped Akira's lips in a hushed voice as Akeno supported his broken body.
If what had just happened could even be called a battle, it was more of a one-sided demonstration. Azazel hadn't fought seriously at all. He had only toyed with Akira—testing him, observing the fusion of Sacred Gears.
The difference in their strength was immeasurable—like a mortal standing before a Maou-tier existence.
"Akira..." Akeno whispered, her voice filled with worry.
She wanted to comfort him, to say something—anything—that might soothe him.
But how could she say he was strong, when he stood there half-collapsed, drenched in blood?
Still, the encounter hadn't been meaningless. Just as Azazel vanished from sight, a notification echoed softly in Akira's mind.
[You have obtained 5% Template Inheritance!]
A full five percent increase.
It seemed to be the result of facing off against Azazel. Though the Governor-General had chosen to retreat, it couldn't be called a win. But Akira hadn't lost either.
In fact, every wound on his body now was the result of pushing his own power far beyond its limit.
If not for his Perfect Form, his body might've crumbled apart long before Azazel even touched him.
With this, his Template Inheritance progress had reached 43.1%.
Though it had passed the 40% mark, he didn't unlock any new skills. His strength had increased slightly—but nothing game-changing.
Akira figured the next big breakthrough might come at 50%, or perhaps even later.
During this time, several of his injuries had already begun to heal. He no longer needed Akeno's support to stand.
"Akira," Rias asked, her tone firm. "Who did you fight just now?"
As the ruler of this territory, she had to know.
"Azazel. Governor-General of the Fallen Angels," Akira replied.
Rias stiffened. "Azazel? Why would he appear in Kuoh? And even end up clashing with you?"
"I'm not sure. But I think... it was because he saw me kill one of his Fallen Angels here."
"You killed a Fallen Angel in this city?"
Rias pressed her hand to her forehead. "You really are something else..."
She didn't even know what to say anymore.
Though Kuoh was her territory, she had known for a while that Fallen Angels were also active here.
No matter how tightly one tried to control a region, there would always be interference from other powers. This town was no exception.
She wasn't particularly fond of the Fallen Angels skulking around, but her position as the sister of a Maou meant she couldn't act recklessly.
One misstep, and war could break out between two races.
The words hung in the air.
Akeno, who had been silently standing beside Akira, visibly flinched.
Even though she had severed ties with her father long ago, Azazel had come to see her on several occasions. They never met face to face, but she knew—he was watching over her.
Azazel had never tried to hide it. In fact, he had almost openly admitted their relationship more than once.
And now... Akeno was convinced.
Azazel had come to Kuoh because of her. Because she existed here.
Because of her, he had encountered Akira—who had killed one of his subordinates. And because of that... a battle broke out.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt disgusted with herself. With the Fallen Angel blood flowing through her veins.
Her very birth had doomed her mother—slaughtered by her own clan because she gave birth to a "half-breed."
And now, the person she had just started growing closer to—Akira—had nearly died fighting her father's superior.
All of it, to Akeno, felt like a long chain of sins and consequences.
"I'm sorry..." she murmured.
Her voice trembled as she lowered her head, still holding Akira upright.
"Huh? What are you apologizing for?" Akira asked, confused.
"It's my fault... all of this... it's because of me..."
"Akeno, what are you talking about?"
"It's all my fault. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
She kept apologizing, her shoulders trembling.
Akira looked at her, bewildered. None of this had happened in the original storyline. His fight with Azazel was entirely of his own making.
So why did she think she was to blame?
"Hey, calm down. It's alright, Akeno."
Now the tears were falling. Quietly, drop by drop, they rolled down her cheeks.
Everyone nearby was caught off guard. Especially Rias.
She had never seen Akeno break .
"Akeno, what's going on?" Rias asked.
"Azazel... He must've come to Kuoh because of me. I'm sorry..."
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Akira and Rias exchanged glances.
And then, understanding dawned.
Akeno was the daughter of Barakiel, one of the top officers among the Fallen Angels. Practically Azazel's right hand.
Given that, it did make sense for Azazel to come here to check on her.
"Hey," Akira said softly. "This wasn't your fault. Azazel came because I killed Raynare—one of his subordinates."
"Of course. He didn't come here because of you. I killed one of his officers. Then I killed three more Fallen Angels right in front of him. That's why he came after me."
Whether that was entirely true or not didn't matter. What mattered was calming Akeno down.
This sadistic woman—known for her playful cruelty—was actually extremely fragile.
Especially when it came to emotional wounds... she was more vulnerable than anyone.
Her mother's death had haunted her since childhood.
Because her mother had refused to kill her—a child born from a Fallen Angel—her own relatives had murdered her.
And Akeno had never stopped blaming herself.
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