Chapter 52 – The Tension Draws Near
As always, life at Kuoh Academy went on as usual for Akira. Classes proceeded like any normal day, but his mind was drifting elsewhere.
Schoolwork was hardly a challenge for someone who had once lived as an adult before arriving in this world. Even if his body had returned to a fifteen-year-old's, his way of thinking—his instincts—remained mature.
Yet, this morning's unexpected encounter with Himejima Akeno continued to echo in his thoughts.
A stunning woman like Akeno approaching him so directly... it wasn't something he'd ever imagined happening in his life—past or present. And what disturbed him more than anything was the realization that he hadn't rejected her.
As a man—and more importantly, as someone who had once been a grown adult—Akira understood exactly what kind of temptation he was facing.
Akeno, after all, was the kind of woman that many men could only dream of.
And so, the entire morning passed with him barely listening to a single word in class.
"Shin-kun, someone's here to see you," a classmate called out as the lunch bell rang.
"Hm?"
Snapping out of his daze, Akira turned toward the doorway—and there they were. Two very familiar figures: Koneko Toujou and Asia Argento.
Asia had recently enrolled at Kuoh Academy and was now in the same class as Koneko. Wearing the school uniform that complimented her small frame, she looked every bit like the gentle and adorable girl Akira had come to know.
"Senpai. Buchou wants to see you," Koneko said in her usual flat tone.
"Rias is calling me?"
"Yes. She's waiting in the clubroom."
"…The Occult Research Club, huh? Alright, let's go."
Though puzzled as to why Rias would summon him in the middle of the day, Akira followed Koneko and Asia toward the old school building that served as their base.
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"Buchou, we're back," Koneko said as they entered the clubroom.
"Thanks, Koneko-chan," Rias replied with a nod.
The moment Akira stepped inside, he noticed something odd.
Everyone was already there—Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno, Yuuto Kiba, Koneko Toujou, Asia Argento, and himself. The entire core peerage had been assembled.
But the atmosphere was… different this time. There was a tension in the air, subtle yet unmistakable. Rias herself looked far more serious than usual.
"What's going on, Rias? Calling me in like this during lunch?" Akira asked calmly.
"One of my brother's familiars just visited," she said quietly.
"And?"
"Riser is coming."
"…Your fiancé?"
"Yes."
Her face grew stiff. Even though Rias had already made her decision to reject the arranged marriage, the fact that Riser was on his way still weighed heavily on her.
His reputation in the Underworld was no joke. In the Rating Game, he was nearly untouchable—his immortality made him virtually unbeatable under the game's mechanics.
Rias knew Akira was strong. But facing an enemy who, by the rules of their world, simply couldn't be defeated… was another matter entirely.
And after what happened that morning with Akeno, things had become more complicated. Akira had clearly shown that he wasn't indifferent to Akeno's feelings.
If Akira ended up hurt because of this engagement, it would create a deep emotional rift—not just between him and Rias, but between him and Akeno as well.
"Akira… I need to ask again. Do you still want to go through with the deal we made before?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"If you want to back out… I'll pretend like none of it ever happened."
Rias glanced toward Akeno for a moment—and just like that, Akira understood.
This wasn't about herself. This was about Akeno. Rias didn't want her best friend to suffer because of a decision she had made.
That kind of selflessness raised Akira's respect for her. Willing to sacrifice her own plans for the sake of her peerage... That was the mark of a true leader.
"If you really marry Riser… what happens to Akeno?" he asked, voice firm.
"I don't know… Why do you ask?"
"Just give me your honest guess."
"…Knowing Riser, Akeno would likely become his concubine. In the Underworld's legal system, if I marry him, my peerage becomes his property—whether they want it or not."
It wasn't just speculation. That was the harsh reality of how Devil society worked.
Familiars reincarnated through the Devil Reincarnation ritual were treated as possessions of their Master.
"I won't let that happen," Akira said quietly, but with unwavering conviction.
"Akeno belongs to me. There's no way I'd hand her over to a man like him."
"…Akira…"
Akeno, standing just a few steps away, froze in place.
Her eyes widened. Her body trembled slightly.
It hit her harder than she expected. No matter how strong a woman might seem… words like those, spoken from the heart, could pierce through anything.
"…So that's your answer," Rias said softly, a small smile curling at her lips.
"Looks like Akeno wasn't wrong to hope."
Even though she knew Akeno had orchestrated this morning's little "incident," Rias didn't resent it. If anything, she was quietly happy—for both of them.
Koneko and Kiba, standing nearby, exchanged glances and looked toward Akira with renewed respect.
Koneko in particular had once been uneasy around him. She'd seen firsthand how brutally he had destroyed a Stray Devil. That memory had cast a shadow of fear.
But now… that image was fading.
A man who stood up for his comrades—who declared, without hesitation, that he would protect Akeno—was someone worth respecting.
"When's he arriving, Rias?"
"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a few days… Or maybe even in the next few seconds."
She let out a small sigh. "Grayfia only came to warn me. She didn't give a clear schedule."
"I kind of hope he shows up soon," Akira said with a faint grin.
"I want to see for myself—just how impressive the 'Phenex' bloodline and their so-called immortality really are."
But before the tension could ease, a cold, arrogant voice echoed from the front of the room.
"Hmph. A mere human dares compare himself to the pure-blooded Phoenix lineage? Don't overestimate your worth."
Everyone stiffened.
In the center of the clubroom, a glowing magic circle ignited on the floor. The symbols and patterns were unfamiliar—not Gremory in origin.
A wave of intense heat and high-class Devil pressure flooded the space.
The guest had arrived.
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