บท 86: Chpater 86: She deserves better!
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Leaving his bag with Xenovia and waving off Irina's concerns, he revved his bike back to life and sped towards the town shrine.
The ride over was a silent one, filled with his own musings and questions. 'Why am I even bothering with this? What does Akeno want to discuss that's so confidential?' he pondered.
Arriving at the shrine, he parked his bike at the foot of the staircase that led up to the main building. The sun was already setting, casting a warm, orange glow on the surroundings.
He ascended the steps and saw the shrine standing at the top, shrouded in a serene tranquility.
His eyes darted around, eventually settling on Akeno, who sat on the uppermost step leading into the building.
She was dressed in a traditional Miko outfit, the garb of a shrine maiden, which struck him as somewhat odd given their context. But then, he recalled her fighting Yubelluna in a similar attire.
"Hyoudou-san, thank you for coming. I wasn't sure you would," Akeno greeted him, her voice tinged with genuine gratitude.
He cut to the chase, "So, what's this about?"
Akeno hesitated, her eyes downcast, as if gathering her thoughts. When she finally spoke, her voice carried an unusual note of vulnerability. "You're aware that I'm a half-breed, right? I was half human, half fallen angel before Rias reincarnated me as a devil. In a way, I feel we share some common ground."
"Yeah, it must be rough being a half-breed among devils, especially when the other half of you is a fallen angel," Issei mused, a touch of empathy coloring his tone.
Akeno's eyes met his, shimmering with a blend of sadness and gratitude. "You're right. Before joining Rias and her peerage, I was largely ostracized. But with them, I found a sense of belonging. Rias could've easily scorned me, given her status as devil royalty and my impure lineage. But she didn't. She accepted me for who I am, and I will always be grateful for that. She's a good person, Issei, and I'm glad you were there to help her against that creep, Riser Phenex. She deserves better."
Issei let out a resigned sigh. "Are you trying to convert me here? Is this about getting me to join the Rias fan club?"
Akeno shook her head, her expression softening. "No, that's not it. I didn't bring you here to change your opinion about devils or Rias. I wanted to talk to you, person to person, about what it's like being a half-breed in a world that doesn't always understand or accept us. You mentioned earlier that you have more affinity for fallen angels than devils. I find that intriguing and wanted to know why."
"They may be vain and self-absorbed, but at least fallen angels don't have the same hang-ups about lineage and social status," Issei replied, his words carrying the weight of personal experience.
"Fallen angels are cruel, malicious beings," Akeno asserted, her voice tinged with a complex mixture of self-reproach and simmering anger. "I should know. I'm one too, or at least I used to be. And my father is one."
Issei regarded her skeptically, unimpressed by her sweeping judgment. "How do you figure that? From what I've seen, the fallen angels in this area aren't really any worse than you devils."
"We devils don't specifically target innocent people," Akeno argued softly, her voice tinged with a sorrowful conviction. "Some of the local fallen angels have been collaborating with rogue members of the church. They recently came close to abducting a nun who possessed a twilight healing sacred gear. An insane exorcist wielding an Excalibur fragment has also been going around assassinating our clients. They're both connected to the fallen angels and have hurt many innocent lives. That's just what they do."
Issei pondered for a moment, recalling specific past events. 'So they've connected the dots on Freed and his Excalibur rampage. I wonder if they'd recognize Raynare if I mentioned her.'
Acknowledging Akeno's concern, Issei shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, that exorcist, Freed Sellzen? Yeah, I took care of him. He's not a concern anymore."
Akeno's eyes widened in disbelief, "You... killed him?"
"Yeah," Issei confirmed, a shadow of solemnity crossing his face, "I couldn't just stand by while some psychopath was running rampant in Kuoh, hurting people."
Akeno studied him with renewed interest, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I have to admit, I was concerned your human friends might be implicated, especially since they're also exorcists and you've shown a certain affinity for fallen angels. But it seems I've misjudged you. Can you elaborate on your relationship with fallen angels?"
Issei sighed, dispelling the tension that had built up. "Look, saying I'm on 'good terms' with them might be a stretch. My interactions with fallen angels are largely indifferent, much like how I deal with you devils. I've met a few that I don't despise, but for the most part, I steer clear of them. There's no clandestine alliance or anything; you can rest easy."
Akeno nodded, her eyes softening. "I see. I appreciate the clarity. You're a lot more reasonable than I initially thought."
Issei's brows furrowed, annoyance creeping into his voice. "So was this all you wanted to talk about? You emphasized the importance of this meeting, and you assured me it wouldn't be a waste of my time. Why couldn't this conversation have happened back at school?"
Akeno sighed, her demeanor becoming noticeably more serious. "No, the previous discussion was more to assuage my own curiosity and to gauge your reaction before broaching the subject I truly wanted to discuss. I wanted to ensure you wouldn't storm off in anger after hearing what I have to say next."
Issei felt a knot of tension tighten in his stomach, his curiosity piqued. "Alright, out with it then. What's so important that it couldn't be discussed in the light of day among our peers?"
Akeno looked at Issei with a blend of seriousness and concern that cut through the lingering tension between them. "Grayfia was doing some deep investigation into Vali Lucifer, and she discovered something startling. Vali isn't just a high-class devil half-breed; she's also the White Dragon Emperor—or I suppose, the White Dragon Empress."
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