Akeno was nowhere to be found in the underworld. So Altair had to return to the human world, to probably the only place he knew she would go. And he saw her.
The woman was wearing a priestess kimono. The lower half was a deep red, like freshly spilled blood, while the upper half was white.
Altair knew a few things about her, although it wasn't really that she had told him. It was through the system that he discovered she was a fallen angel reincarnated. Given the hatred between Fallen Angels and Devils, for one of the former to decide to reincarnate as a devil, many things must have happened. One is that she was forced, but considering the love and loyalty Akeno felt for Rias, that was impossible.
Another was that she had fallen from grace, finding no other salvation besides being reincarnated. It was a possibility, but from what he knew, Akeno had been converted as a child.
'What could a child do to fall from grace?'
Altair laughed a little, knowing that adults could use children to vent their frustrations. Sometimes, they blame them for the sins of their parents.
"Altair-dono," Akeno greeted him with a polite smile. She seemed a little embarrassed. She had always been the type of person who remained composed, regardless of the situation; an outburst on her part made her uncomfortable.
"Akeno... you know that outside the dormitory, there's no need to call me that," Altair pretended to be lighthearted. There was already trust between them; there didn't need to be formality in their conversations.
"Ara~," Akeno laughed beautifully. "What do you think of my kimono?" The girl twirled around for him.
"You look like a beautiful priestess. A little more time and you could have me praying to Shinto gods," he said, flattering her.
She rewarded him with a laugh, unimpressed that he found her beautiful. But still happy. Altair understood her; if someone told him he was handsome, it wouldn't be surprising. It's not just ego.
'A priestess's outfit... why?' Altair wondered; he had thought about that before, but it never seemed to be an important matter. There was no connection between devils and the Shinto pantheon beyond agreements.
"May I ask you something, Akeno?" Altair didn't want to be impertinent despite wanting answers. If not today, then it would have to be later.
"My mother... she came from an ancient clan of Shinto mystics. They... are usually completely devoted to the Shinto gods," said Akeno, starting to explain, as if she already knew what Altair's question would be. Her voice was melancholic as she looked at the shrine, as if a part of her soul wanted to drag her mother there with her.
Altair remained silent, just walking beside her. Akeno linked her arm through his before they began walking through the shrine.
"My father... he..." She hesitated to speak. "He was part of the supernatural world, but not the Shinto pantheon. The Himejima family disapproved of the union. No. They hated it. Mother was banished," she explained. Altair noticed how her tone was honeyed when she spoke of her mother, while it was sharp when she spoke of her father.
He caressed her back, trying to make her feel comfortable enough to talk. She seemed delighted as she smiled, a tender smile.
"For a while, things were good. It was just my mother and me; he wasn't around much, as he was busy with his faction. Ahhh," she sighed wearily. They both walked over to a wooden bench, looked at the landscape, and nature calmed the moment. "But one day it changed. He disappeared for a longer period of time," she said. Altair could see the sadness leaving her body.
"Did he abandon you?" Altair said, perhaps a little insensitively.
"Yes," Akeno didn't seem upset. "That wasn't the bad part, no. The bad part was the Himejima family," she said with hatred. "They didn't like me being alive. They started chasing us, attacked our home, and forced us to flee. I don't know how long it was; it's hard for a child to keep track of time," she added, a little distracted. "Eventually, they found us. They took my mother away," her voice was sad. Altair felt a slight burning sensation on his skin where she was caressing him. "I am so—"
"It's okay. It barely hurts." Altair dismissed it; skin regenerates over time. But he was a little surprised that she could hurt him. "The Himejimas... is that why you hate your power?"
"No. The lightning comes from my father. He decided to abandon us. He formed a beautiful family and grew bored with it." Akeno spat. "After my mother's death, Rias found me. She made a half-breed her queen," she told Altair, a little embarrassed.
"Half-breed?" Altair asked.
"Yes..." Akeno said as she stood up. She turned around, the top of her kimono falling from her shoulders, leaving her back bare. "See?" she said, a membranous wing sprouting, accompanied by another feathered one.
Those wings revealed her heritage as a Fallen Angel and her reincarnation as a devil. In their own way, they had a certain beauty.
"I see. Your father was a Fallen, huh?" Altair said as he stood up. Akeno trembled slightly. "Are you okay?" he asked, recognizing the tremor as fear.
"Do you hate me?" she asked.
"Huh?" Altair was genuinely surprised by that question.
"The fallen tried to kill you... they..." she didn't know what to say.
Altair approached her and put his hand on her neck. She continued to tremble, more and more violently.
"Do you think that because you're a Fallen, I'll hate you?" he asked as he slowly caressed her.
"Isn't that so?" She turned around, a little surprised. "Even I hate that part of myself," said Akeno.
"I've known for a long time that you're a Fallen," he confessed. Akeno's face flushed a little.
"Was it Rias?" There was a hint of pain in her voice.
"No, it wasn't Rias. I just know things," Altair explained quickly. "Judging people by their race... that's racism, you know?" he joked a little.
"I don't judge—"
"You judge yourself," Altair interrupted her. "I'm also a half-breed. My father... shit, my relationship with him is bad. Should I rip out half of myself so you don't hate me?" he asked.
"I don't hate you," Akeno said quickly, as if the idea were horrible to her.
"I'm like you," Altair said. "Half of me comes from a man I hate. Shit, the reason I'm strong is because he passed his race on to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you, Rias," Altair found his own words somewhat fascinating. It was as if, in addition to saying them to her, he was saying them to himself. "I hate my father. But to hate what he passed on to me, what I can't change, would be like spitting on everything I've achieved because of it," he said, perhaps lying a little.
His father had made him a devil, giving him the sin of lust. And little else, everything he achieved came from the system. But if his words made Akeno feel better, he would say them.
"It's not that simple," said Akeno.
"I know," he had had difficulty accepting being called by the surname Asmodeus. But he accepted it because it would bring him a benefit. "But to hate something about yourself... something so powerful, you only hurt yourself and those around you," she heard, then glared at him.
"Hurt them?" she asked, confused and with a hint of anger.
"You haven't had to fight for your life, Akeno, not after..." Altair said, he interrupted himself, not wanting to say 'After your mother got killed'. "I'm not going to pressure you to use it. But I hope you never find yourself in a situation where you wonder, 'Things will be different if I used my power?'," He told her. He couldn't pressure her to change her mind, but perhaps telling her the consequences might change her mind.
"You're stronger than me, you'll be there to defend your lover, won't you, Altair-chan?" she said flirtatiously as she hugged him.
"Whenever I can," he replied, putting his arm around her waist. "I hope it's always," he replied, hugging her back.
Although Akeno wanted to return to her usual flirtatious attitude, she couldn't. She lost herself in the embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around Altair's neck. She trembled, and Altair felt a bit of wetness in his chest.