The door to the room creaked open slowly as Shin Akira stepped out.
Even though this wasn't his first time staying in an unfamiliar place, the fact that this was the Gremory residence still made him feel slightly out of place.
In the living room, Rias Gremory and Himejima Akeno were seated together on the sofa, seemingly watching a TV show. However, neither of them looked particularly focused on the screen.
When Rias noticed Akira's presence, a flash of surprise crossed her face.
"Huh? You're already up?"
"Yeah… About last night—thank you for the trouble."
"No worries. It wasn't a big deal. But… are you still set on refusing to join my peerage? If you joined, you wouldn't have to worry about Azazel anymore."
"There's no need. I'll deal with him myself."
Rias let out a short sigh. His rejection, though expected, still brought a slight sting of disappointment. This was supposed to be her final invitation.
Noticing that Akira was awake, Akeno stood up and made her way to the kitchen. She returned shortly with a plate of food. Considering the time, it was more accurate to call it lunch than breakfast.
"Thank you," Akira said with a warm smile as he accepted the plate.
Akeno gave a soft nod in return. "Hm~."
They exchanged glances and smiles, but a subtle distance still lingered between them.
Neither of them could be considered more than acquaintances just yet. The time they had spent together was far too short, and there were still many things left unspoken between them.
Akeno might have been touched by Akira's actions—but it was admiration, not romantic affection.
After finishing his meal, Akira looked toward Rias with a serious expression.
"Rias-senpai, I have a favor to ask."
"I want to fight your entire peerage… excluding Kiba Yuuto. That includes you as well, Rias-senpai."
Rias furrowed her brows. "Eh? Why would you want that?"
"I want to grow stronger through combat. Especially against you, Rias-senpai. Your Power of Destruction is… phenomenal."
"…Personally, I don't mind. Akeno probably wouldn't either. But as for Koneko… I can't guarantee anything."
"Thank you for understanding, Rias-senpai."
"It's fine. Who knows—maybe I'll need your help with something even more troublesome in the future."
"If that time comes, I'll do everything I can."
Rias gave him a faint smile. The "troublesome" matter she referred to wasn't just annoying—it was complicated, dangerous, and heavy with responsibility. Akira still didn't know much… and it was too early for her to tell him everything.
"By the way, Rias-senpai… do you have time now?"
"…Don't tell me you want to fight right now?"
"That's exactly what I mean. After my fight with Azazel, I could feel… something. A glimpse of a breakthrough. And I want to use your power—and Akeno's—to help me reach it."
Rias stared at him for a moment before speaking in disbelief. "You really are a monster, aren't you?"
Akeno's eyes sparkled with subtle admiration. To sense the threshold of advancement after just a single battle… that went beyond mere genius.
As a daughter of the Gremory Clan, Rias inherited the Power of Destruction from her mother. Raised within one of the most prestigious devil families, she had reached the rank of a High-Class Devil at a young age, thanks to exceptional guidance and abundant resources.
Akira, on the other hand, was a human. With two Sacred Gears and a terrifying amount of talent, he was even younger than Rias and already possessed this level of strength. Now, he was only one step away from a breakthrough.
"In that case, let's change locations. This is still part of the city. If we start a battle here, things will get complicated fast. I know a place that's perfect for this."
"That place, right? Rias?"
With a calm expression, she stood up and raised her hand. A blood-red magic circle formed in the air before them.
It was the teleportation sigil of the Gremory Clan—something only members of their noble bloodline could use. A special privilege granted to devils of noble rank.
Just like Sona Sitri, who had her own teleportation circle as the heir of the Sitri family, Rias invoked her clan's sigil with practiced ease.
In the next moment, their bodies were engulfed in magical light and vanished.
At the outskirts of Kuoh Town, in a remote mountain area, stood a grand villa owned by the Gremory family.
Akira, Rias, and Akeno appeared on the villa's spacious front yard, surrounded by quiet, dense forest.
This villa belonged to Rias. Maintained regularly by maids from the Underworld, the place was always ready for her to visit whenever she pleased.
"Teleportation magic is really convenient."
"If you joined us, you could use it anytime you like."
"Even so… I'll have to decline, Rias-senpai."
Rias clicked her tongue lightly. She already knew what his answer would be, but it still managed to irritate her a little.
Under Rias's lead, the three of them made their way to a wide-open field behind the villa.
The area was clearly built for training and sparring.
"This is the place. Since we're up in the mountains, there's no need to worry about being seen by humans."
Rias explained as she glanced back at Akira. Akeno simply smiled—this place was quite familiar to her. She often visited during the summer thanks to its cool, refreshing air.
[Status: Transfer Student of Kuoh Academy]
[Rank: Tier-5 (Equivalent to High-Class Devil)]
[Template: Enkidu (43.1% Synchronization)]
[Noble Phantasm: Chains of Heaven]
[Talents: Consummated Shape, Beast King's Intuition]
[Skills: Blue Lightning Light, Aura Detection]
[Equipment: Boosted Gear]
Synchronization rate: 43.1%. Only 6.9% more to reach the 50% mark.
Rias was a High-Class Devil. Akeno was likely somewhere around Mid-Class. If he could defeat both of them, his strength would no doubt skyrocket.
Once he reached 50% synchronization, he might gain access to even more of Enkidu's powers.
"Rias-senpai, Akeno… I'm ready."
Akira took a deep breath, clearing his mind and focusing completely on the battle ahead.
But then, Rias narrowed her eyes and spoke in a teasing tone.
"Wait a second. Why do you call me 'senpai', but you just say Akeno's name so casually?"
"Eh? Is there something wrong with that?"
"We're friends now, aren't we?"
"Then just call me by my name."
"Hmm, that's much better."
Akeno chuckled softly as she watched Rias sulk like a pouting child.
It had been ages since she last saw this side of her friend. Probably not since her usual rivalry with Sona Sitri. Who would've thought that part of her still existed?
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