"How can you still sleep at your age?"
Akeno was stunned by Rod's sudden reprimand.
"Well, I…"
She opened her mouth, unsure how to respond. After a moment of hesitation, she finally organized her thoughts and said helplessly, "We have trained. Whenever a stray devil appears in Kuoh Town, Rias leads us to deal with it, and we fight together to improve our coordination. We do get stronger, but the progress is slow. Even if each of us can defeat one of Riser's peerage members in a one-on-one fight, the difference in numbers still can't be overcome."
"You call that training? Fighting stray devils in your own territory is like catching mice in your own house."
Rod finally understood where the problem lay.
The issue wasn't simply that they were weak, it was that they were weak yet never seriously tried to improve. They merely guarded their small patch of land, occasionally "catching mice" and calling it training. Only when a powerful enemy appeared did they realize their team would collapse at the first charge.
Rod recalled that in the original storyline, it wasn't until after the three-faction summit, during the summer vacation, that Rias's group finally went to the Underworld for real special training, significantly improving their overall strength. Before that, they had simply muddled along.
Even then, Rias's Power of Destruction hadn't improved much. Compared with Sona Sitri's diligence, the contrast was striking, if not for the heroine's plot advantage, she would have been completely overshadowed.
"You…"
Although Rod was a friend of Akeno's cousin, being spoken to like this still made her feel embarrassed.
If it weren't true, she could have easily refuted him, but the problem was that they had been trying in their own way.
"Do you think I'm wrong, and that's why you're angry right now?" Rod asked.
"I'm not angry."
Akeno's smile faded, though anyone could see she was sulking.
Even though she was one of the heroines, Rod showed her no special treatment.
"From top to bottom, all of you, except Yuuto Kiba, have problems. And Rias has been spoiling you far too much."
Akeno was about to retort when Rod suddenly said something that left her stunned.
"If you truly believe you've tried your best, then why do you refuse to accept the Fallen Angel bloodline within you? And Koneko is the same, she's a nekomata, and a rare one at that, yet aside from the brute strength granted by her Rook piece, I've never seen her use any yokai techniques."
"nya?!"
Kuroka's ears perked up immediately. Any mention of her younger sister instantly caught her attention.
"My bloodline…"
Hearing Rod bring up the past she least wanted to recall, a dark expression appeared on Akeno's face.
"That filthy Fallen Angel blood, I want nothing to do with it! If it were possible, I'd remove that disgusting thing from my body!"
Hearing this, the three Fallen Angels listening nearby immediately felt displeased.
What do you mean 'filthy'? Even if it were filthy, it's still far nobler than you devils!
"But you do have it," Rod continued calmly. "And despite possessing that power, when Rias faces difficulties, you refuse to use it. Or is it that deep down, you actually want Rias to marry that turkey, and protecting her is just an empty slogan?"
"That's not true!"
Akeno lifted her eyes fiercely, staring straight at Rod.
"Rias saved me from assassins. She's my best friend. How could I ever watch her marry someone she hates?"
"Then why not use your Fallen Angel power?"
"I…"
"So the bond between you isn't that strong after all, just plastic sisterhood, huh?"
Akeno's anger flared instantly. Plastic sisterhood? She and Rias were closer than sisters. But just as she stood up, ready to rebuke him, she suddenly realized, Rod wasn't entirely wrong.
She slowly sat back down. The anger on her delicate face faded, replaced by worry.
"Why did you stand up?" Rod asked lightly.
"I… I was just stretching because I felt stiff from sitting too long!"
She had nowhere to vent her frustration. Rod's words were harsh, but she couldn't find any real flaw in them.
Thinking carefully, she wondered, was she really just a "plastic sister" as he had said? Watching her best friend's forced marriage while doing nothing, helplessly claiming she had no power?
No. She did have power.
Akeno knew better than anyone the strength flowing in her blood. Even a mere trace of it had allowed her to wield powerful lightning abilities, earning her the title Priestess of Lightning. If she fully accepted that bloodline, her lightning power would undoubtedly grow to a new level.
Yet whenever she remembered what she and her mother had suffered in Kyoto, and how that man never appeared, she felt nothing but hatred toward the blood flowing in her veins. After all, the hardships she and her mother endured had all been caused by that very "heretical" lineage. If they had been ordinary humans, the Himejima family would never have persecuted them like that.
"Mr. Rod, I've already taken up enough of your time today. I should be going."
After letting out a long breath and regaining some composure, Akeno bowed slightly before leaving.
…
After she departed, Asia's face showed clear concern.
"Will Miss Rias really have to marry someone she doesn't like? That would be so sad…"
The three Fallen Angels didn't respond, though their expressions made it clear they didn't particularly care, what did a devil family's affairs have to do with them?
Lavinia spoke calmly, as usual. "I've heard about that girl from Suzaku. Her father should be the Fallen Angel executive Baraqiel, so there must be considerable power hidden within her."
"Baraqiel?!"
Hearing that name, the three Fallen Angels were instantly shocked.
"That woman just now was Lord Baraqiel's daughter?!"
"Oh no… if Lord Baraqiel finds out, will he make things difficult for us later?"
Ignoring their unease, Rod could tell from Akeno's attitude as she left that she had taken his words to heart.
"Hey, nya! If Rias marries someone else, does that mean I can take Shirone back, nya?" Kuroka asked excitedly, her eyes shining.
"No. Koneko is her peerage member. If Rias marries into another family, Koneko will probably have to go with her."
"What? That's impossible, nya! I'll never let Shirone marry someone else, nya! Don't stop me, I'm going to kill that turkey right now, nya!"
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