Without saying a word, Rian gently draped the coat over Akeno's shoulders.
"You must've been waiting for quite a while," he said in a warm tone. "It's not good for a girl like you to stay out in the night wind too long — you might catch a cold."
Akeno froze for a moment, surprised by the gesture.
Her hand once again covered her mouth, cheeks slightly flushed. There was a soft thump in her chest she couldn't ignore.
Of course, Rian knew perfectly well that devils didn't catch human illnesses like colds or fevers.
Their bodies were far stronger, highly regenerative, and certainly not affected by a bit of night air.
But Rian's words — that teasing, modern-human style of speech — weren't born of naivety.
What he said wasn't out of genuine concern for her health; it was an expression of care, wrapped in his usual charming, playful tone.
Simply put, Rian was seizing the moment — but in a way refined enough to be charming, not inappropriate. And Akeno knew that perfectly well.
She didn't protest, didn't scold him, and certainly didn't respond with sarcasm.
The proof? She allowed the gesture to linger, accepting his attention not as a devil, but as a woman being genuinely appreciated by a man.
"Fufu~ your thoughtfulness is… quite dangerous, isn't it?" Akeno teased softly. "Are you always like this, or are you just pretending?"
Rian grinned casually, eyes still forward. "Does it really matter whether it's natural or not?" he replied lightly. "Everyone has their own style. I'm just… adapting to the situation."
Akeno's gaze softened a little. She glanced at Rian briefly but said nothing.
Only a faint smile remained on her lips as their quiet footsteps carried them deeper into the serene temple.
***
Moonlight gently slipped through the gaps of the shoji windows, blending softly with the dim glow of a lantern perched upon the table.
That warm radiance bathed the shrine's interior — a room filled with the faint scent of aged wood and the stillness of the night.
Inside, Rian and Akeno sat facing each other on floor cushions atop the clean, warm tatami. A simple wooden table separated them — low enough to keep the intimacy of silence intact.
On the table, aside from the softly burning lantern, rested a tray carrying a teapot and two cups, each placed neatly before them.
Thin trails of steam rose from the tea, weaving into the air and deepening the calm that contrasted the cool night outside.
Now, Akeno began to tell her story. Her face was shrouded in quiet sorrow.
Her voice trembled faintly as she revealed the truth behind her hatred toward the Fallen Angels — and, most painfully, toward herself.
All of it traced back to the tragedy that had befallen her parents.
Akeno began her tale — her father was Baraqiel, a Fallen Angel who served as the Vice Governor General of Grigori, one of the key figures among his kind.
Her mother, Shuri Himejima, was a shrine maiden from the renowned clan of exorcists — the Himejima Clan.
Across the table, Rian remained silent. He listened to every word with steady, unjudging eyes.
From time to time, he lifted his cup, taking a slow sip of the warm tea — not merely to chase away the chill, but to give himself a quiet pause to absorb the weight of her story.
It all began when Baraqiel, gravely wounded in an incident, was found by Shuri. Despite his origin — a Fallen Angel — Shuri tended to his wounds with genuine compassion.
As time passed, the bond between them grew, slowly blossoming into love. A love that defied the laws of both heaven and earth — the union of a Fallen Angel and a human of a sacred bloodline.
And from that love, Akeno was born.
But the world refused to bless such a union.
The Himejima Clan branded Shuri a traitor, condemning her for falling in love with what they deemed a filthy being.
In the end, Shuri was killed right before young Akeno's eyes — a memory carved so deep that it never faded.
From that day onward, Akeno began to despise half of herself.
She hated the Fallen Angel blood flowing through her veins.
She hated her father, Baraqiel, for failing to protect her mother.
And she hated the world itself, for stealing away the only light she had ever known.
In his mind, Rian let out an imaginary sigh.
"So… it's about family again, huh? Just like Koneko-chan…"
A faint, knowing smile formed in his thoughts.
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to help Akeno reconcile with her father, too."
Just as that thought settled, Akeno's story came to an end. She took a slow sip of her tea before lowering her gaze toward the tatami floor.
Her eyes were empty, yet deep — the kind of silence that carried the echo of pain long buried, now forced to surface once more.
Seeing that expression, Rian understood without needing a single word. He rose quietly from his seat and stepped calmly to Akeno's right side.
Without a word, Rian sat down beside her—close enough to show that he was there, yet leaving just enough space for Akeno to breathe through her emotions.
With a gentle motion, he patted her back softly. The touch lingered, turning into a slow, comforting stroke.
"…I'm sorry," Rian said quietly, his tone softer than usual. "I didn't mean to reopen an old wound… especially by making you speak about it yourself."
Akeno turned toward him, her eyes still dim but now carrying a flicker of surprise—as if she hadn't expected comfort to come from him of all people.
Rian met her gaze with a warm, steady smile.
"But… you know," he continued, his voice low yet firm, "your opponent this time is the Phoenix family's Peerage. Judging from how he looked down on you all… I'd say he's got more experience, huh?"
Then his expression turned serious, the warmth in his tone sharpened with conviction.
"But you—and everyone else—clearly don't agree with Rias' engagement to that guy, right?"
"As long as there's still a chance to break it… why not fight for it?"
Rian's smile tilted slightly, his voice steady and full of quiet confidence. "And if that Phoenix guy refuses to admit defeat later… don't worry. I'll be the one standing at the very front."
He raised his right hand, moving it slowly toward Akeno's face. His fingers brushed gently against her cheek, just beneath her eye—softly, as if wiping away invisible tears.
"You know… how strong I am, right?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
"So… don't cry anymore," Rian said softly, his tone warm and reassuring. "Don't let yourself drown in the past, Akeno-chan. This world can be cruel—you probably know that better than anyone."
His blue eyes met hers—clear, calm, and sincere. "You hate your power because it reminds you of your pain. But isn't that pain also the reason you've become this strong?"
Rian let out a quiet breath. "You don't have to like that power. But you can choose to use it—for something, or someone, that truly matters to you. Now… it's time to use that strength."
Every word Rian spoke left Akeno speechless. Her eyes trembled slightly, her lower lip was bitten gently, and both hands clenched tightly in her lap.
A subtle blush spread across her face—not merely from embarrassment, but from emotions she could hardly put into words.
"…You… you're right," Akeno whispered, her voice as soft as the night wind brushing through leaves.
Finally, a single genuine tear slid from the corner of her eye. It wasn't a tear of sadness, but a release of the burden she had carried for so long.
Seeing this, Rian remained silent. His right hand, still resting lightly on her cheek, gently wiped away the tear.
He looked at Akeno for a moment… then, without hesitation, lifted a finger to his lips and licked the tiny droplet he had just brushed from her cheek. His smile tilted, confident as ever.
The gesture made Akeno's heart race instantly. A deep flush spread across her face, reaching even to her ears.
She quickly turned her gaze elsewhere, trying to hide the storm of emotions nearly exploding within her because of the handsome man before her.
Yet beneath her flustered reaction, a gentle warmth began to grow in Akeno's chest.
Not merely from embarrassment, but from a sense of safety that had somehow quietly taken root whenever she was near Rian.
Noticing the shift in Akeno's expression, Rian's confident smile softened. It was no longer mischievous or teasing, but warm, sincere, and full of understanding.
"Akeno-chan," Rian spoke softly, his tone calm and reassuring, "now… may I see… your Fallen Angel wings?"