If we reach 100 power stones, there will be extra chapters.
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Yue stopped watching Rias's training for a moment and turned toward Yuu.
"...Akeno's holding back. Why?"
He followed her gaze to where Akeno was practicing her lightning abilities. Sure enough, she was restraining her movements. Like she was fighting with one hand tied behind her back.
Today marked the tenth day inside Égida. And apparently, Yue had noticed that Akeno didn't seem to have any intention of using her full power.
"She's got trauma from her past."
"Trauma?"
"Yeah."
Yuu nodded slowly, leaning back against the tree trunk.
"Akeno's a reincarnated devil. She used to be half-human and half–fallen angel. And even after reincarnating as a devil, she still carries that fallen angel blood inside her."
Yue looked at him with curiosity, waiting for him to go on.
"After watching her mother get killed right in front of her eyes, and her father being unable to save her… Akeno started hating the Fallen Angels. Since that same blood runs through her veins, she developed a deep self-loathing toward her own fallen nature."
It's the kind of trauma that doesn't fade easily.
"Because of that, she refuses to use that side of herself. The power of her fallen angel blood stays sealed by her own will."
Yue looked at her from afar. Akeno was laughing at that moment as she fired lightning toward Rias.
It looked like Akeno was having a tough time, even though she always smiled like a dependable onee-sama, or acted seductive and flirty around Yuu.
Even though that usually annoyed the little vampire, there was a hint of pity in Yue's crimson eyes now.
"Yuu, do you plan on helping her overcome her trauma?"
"That's my job, isn't it? To solve my followers' problems and make them happy."
"Mm..."
"But only when the time's right. You can't force that kind of thing. She's gotta reach the point where she's ready to face it."
Yue understood perfectly. After all, she'd had her own traumas to overcome in the past.
After that, the two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the three girls continue their training.
After some time, Yue parted her lips again.
"Yuu… do you plan to bring your other Pathstriders into this world to train?"
He shook his head.
"For now, it's better if they focus on surviving in their own worlds. Once they get used to fighting, I'll bring them here."
Then he turned his head toward Yue.
"You wanna meet them?"
"Nn~" She nodded softly.
Yuu got up from the ground and called out to the girls.
"Rias, Akeno, Koneko! Yue and I are heading out for a bit."
Rias turned, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"Where are you going?"
"Just… outside. Keep training. We'll be back soon."
"Alright. Be careful."
Akeno waved with a teasing smile.
"Ufufu~ Have a nice time together~"
Koneko just nodded, though her golden eyes watched him with mild suspicion.
'She probably thinks I'm about to do something inappropriate.'
At that moment, Yuu took out a silver ring from his pocket, with a perfectly cut crimson gem in the center. The ruby emitted a soft glow.
He handed it to Yue.
She looked at it for a moment, her crimson eyes widening slightly.
"...It's a proposal."
At her confident words, Yuu smiled.
"You can think of it that way. Would you like to be my wife, Yue?"
Yue's eyes shone brightly, and with a soft pink blush tinting her usually pale cheeks, she nodded eagerly.
"Mm~!"
The emotionless mask she usually wore shattered completely, and the pure happiness on her face scattered the shadows lingering in Yuu's heart, just a little.
'Ah...'
Yue didn't take the ring from his hand. Instead, she extended her left hand toward him, fingers slightly spread.
"Yuu... put it on."
He knelt down on one knee and gently took her hand. It was small, soft, and fit perfectly in his.
He slid the ring onto her ring finger slowly, making sure it fit just right.
'Umu. Perfect fit.'
It looked like it had been made just for her. Because it was.
Yue stared at her finger in fascination, turning her hand to see the ring from different angles. Then she pressed it against her breast, holding it close.
She could feel Yuu's warmth through it. He'd made this ring while thinking of her. The ruby reminded her of her own crimson eyes, and inside the band was a single engraved word: "Yue."
The name Yuu had given her. Her new identity. Her existence.
"Besides being a marriage proposal, this ring also serves as a key to enter and leave this world. You can travel to Égida whenever you want, without me having to bring you."
Yue didn't seem to care much about that detail. What she clearly did love was the marriage part. And she was obviously happy.
Very happy.
She looked at Yuu fondly and licked her lips with a soft "Fufu…"
Oh no.
He recognized that expression. It was the same one she made when she was hungry. Though this time, it clearly wasn't normal hunger.
She often crawled onto his lap and sucked his blood, and afterward, she'd stay pressed against him, her face buried in his chest. Or kissing him deeply.
'And considering we just got engaged…'
She was definitely going to be more intense than usual.
Knowing that this little vampire was about to pounce on him, and probably do things that weren't exactly appropriate in front of the others girls, he quickly grabbed Yue's hand.
"Let's go."
And with a thought, both of them vanished from Égida.
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When the light faded, they were standing atop a ruined building.
The place was empty and silent.
Yue couldn't care less about the surroundings. She didn't care that the world was on the verge of destruction, nor about the ashes falling from the sky.
She pushed him down onto the concrete, and before he could even blink, she was sitting on his lap, staring at him with glowing crimson eyes.
"Yuu..."
Murmuring his name seductively, she leaned in close, licking her lips and narrowing her gaze.
"Yue..."
"Nn. Now."
Her fangs extended slightly, gleaming faintly in the dim light filtering through the gray clouds.
"I want... to taste my husband."
'Husband, huh…'
That word felt strange. It was the first time Yuu had experienced it, but he liked the way it sounded.
He smiled and tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck.
"Alright. Go ahead."
At his invitation, her fangs sank into his neck, and he felt the familiar sensation of his blood being drawn out.
It was strangely pleasant. Like every sip she took deepened their connection even more.
Yue drank slowly, savoring every drop. Her hands clutched his shirt, and her body pressed even closer to his. Every so often, she even moved her butt over his lap.
After a few minutes of muffled moans as she drank his blood, she finally stopped.
She pulled out her fangs and licked the wound, sealing it instantly.
Then she raised her face to his, her lips stained with his blood.
"Yuu... you taste better than before."
"You always say that."
"Mm. Because it's true."
And then she kissed him.
Between soft kisses, she moaned and murmured in a breathless voice.
"Ngh~ Yuu~ I wanna do it now... I wanna ride you... I wanna make you mine, and you make me yours... but let's do it somewhere special."
Somewhere with just him, and her.
"Alright. We can do it later."
Then she kissed him passionately. With all her being.
And he kissed her back just the same.
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