Chapter 51 – Morning Temptation
"Mm~"
The sun had just begun to peek through the gaps in the curtains when Akira slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the soft warmth of a brand-new morning.
But within seconds, he realized… something was wrong.
His hand was touching something strange—something soft, smooth, and undeniably warm. The kind of sensation that made every nerve in his body react very inappropriately for this early hour.
In a flash, he threw off the blanket—only to be met with a sight he never expected to witness this soon after waking up.
A girl—no, a stunning woman—was lying beside him under the same blanket.
Her long, dark hair spread like a waterfall over the pillow. She wore a loose, white nightgown that revealed more skin than it should've, thanks to her somewhat disheveled sleeping posture. The whole scene was like something straight out of a romantic fantasy—a dangerously vivid one.
"…Hm? Morning already?" the woman murmured groggily as she sat up. Her gown slipped slightly off one shoulder, revealing far too much of her bare skin.
She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Akira unintentionally took in the view—and immediately felt his blood boil.
"G-Good morning, Akira-kun~" she said with a soft, teasing smile.
"A-Akeno… Could you please fix your clothes first? And… this is my room. Why are you even here?!"
The woman—Himejima Akeno—only smiled more mischievously.
"Because I don't accept this," she replied sweetly. "I was supposed to be first. But somehow, you ended up dating Rias. I'm not just going to sit back and let that happen."
"Fake relationship," Akira said flatly, already exhausted.
"That doesn't change the fact. And besides…" She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his skin. "Your first night still belongs to me, doesn't it?"
Before he could respond, Akeno suddenly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him—stealing whatever protest was forming in his throat.
Akira froze, his body reacting purely on instinct. The situation was far too intimate… far too real.
"You're still so stiff, huh? But I like that," Akeno whispered playfully, her seductive grin nearly breaking his mental defenses.
"S-Stop it, Akeno…"
His face flushed deep red, and his whole body trembled from restraint.
Right now, he couldn't afford to get out of bed.
He never wore pajamas—just his underwear. In this situation, with Akeno sitting right beside him and his body reacting that way… if he stood up now, it'd be a social disaster of apocalyptic proportions.
Meanwhile, Akeno stared at him closely. His handsome face paired with those long, emerald-green strands falling over his shoulder gave off a strange, quiet allure.
There's an old saying that most women have a hint of hidden bisexuality.
Among girls, things like hugging, leaning close, or even casual kisses weren't unusual. But if a guy did the same, the line was obvious and immediate.
And right now, with Akira looking the way he did—half-awake, flustered, shirtless—he was just too tempting for Akeno to ignore.
"Come on, Akira-kun. Let's get up. Rias will be here to call us any minute now."
"Then you go first."
He wasn't planning to be the first one out from under the blanket. He needed time—time to calm down.
Of course, Akeno realized the reason almost immediately. The way his hands clutched the blanket so tightly, that anxious yet curious glance—it was all too easy to read.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open.
"Akira, have you seen Aken—"
Rias Gremory stood at the entrance… and froze.
There he was—Akira, shirtless, his lower half covered only by a blanket, his cheeks flushed scarlet.
And beside him, Himejima Akeno, wearing a wrinkled nightgown, her face equally red.
"…Sorry to intrude."
With an icy tone and a blank expression, Rias quietly closed the door and left without waiting for an explanation.
"Rias! Wait! It's not what it looks like!" Akira called out, scrambling upright.
Too late. No matter what he said now, nothing would undo what she had seen.
"My, my~ We've been caught~" Akeno sang with a bright smile.
"Don't joke around! You planned this, didn't you?!"
"Of course. I admit it's selfish, but… even if it's Rias, I didn't want to lose to her."
Akeno rose from the bed, tying up her hair with a ribbon and fixing her nightgown.
She knew exactly what she'd done. She'd crossed a line—overstepped her bounds as Rias's closest friend.
Rias had chosen Akira first. But even knowing that, Akeno simply… couldn't hold back.
She wanted him—before Rias did.
Outside the room, Rias leaned against the hallway wall with her eyes closed. She'd heard everything. Every word. Every breath.
She knew Akeno had said those things for her to hear.
But Rias understood. Akeno had confessed before—that she was starting to develop feelings for Akira.
And as for Rias… she couldn't say she truly loved him. Their relationship was more of a decision—a strategy, with maybe a touch of genuine interest.
Now, Akeno was simply moving ahead of her.
And Rias… could accept that.
— — —
Later, Akeno stepped out of Akira's room.
By the time Akira got dressed and finished his morning routine, he made his way downstairs to the dining area.
There, he found both Himejima Akeno and Rias Gremory—two women who usually felt more like sisters than rivals—seated at the same table.
But today, the atmosphere between them was different.
A quiet, almost imperceptible tension hung in the air—like a thin mist you couldn't see, but could definitely feel.
— — —
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
In the Underworld, within the grand estate of the Phenex family—one of the main noble households among the 72 Pillars.
"So you're telling me that my fiancée is now… intimately involved with a human?"
Riser Phenex sat atop the family throne, his expression clearly one of discontent.
Standing beside him was a breathtaking woman in a form-fitting maid outfit, tailored in the luxurious style typical of devil nobility.
Anyone would be furious hearing their official fiancée was getting cozy with another man—especially a prideful young noble like Riser.
"Yes, Young Master," the woman responded respectfully.
This was a standard relationship between high-ranking devils and their familiars. A familiar turned devil through reincarnation wasn't an equal—they were personal servants. Only a few, like Rias Gremory, treated their peerage as family.
Riser Phenex—Rias's official fiancé—was the third son of the Phenex family, pure-blood devil aristocrats, and one of the most prestigious among the 72 Pillars.
In the Underworld, Riser was quite well-known. His abilities in Rating Games weren't to be underestimated. Thanks to the regenerative power inherited from the Phoenix bloodline, he was nearly unkillable in battle.
Match Record: 11 Rating Games—8 wins, 2 losses, 1 match terminated.
Even the two losses weren't due to skill. They had been politically orchestrated outcomes for the sake of family alliances. In other words, Riser had never been truly defeated in a Rating Game.
The reason was simple—his immortality, amplified by the game system's rules, made his regenerative abilities practically invincible among devils of his tier.
"Yubelluna, prepare everything. We're heading to the Human World."
"As you command, Master."
Yubelluna responded without hesitation. As a devil reborn through the Devil Reincarnation ritual, her loyalty was absolute. For her, Riser's will was law.
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