Under the gentle flow of Rian's energy, Akeno began to feel a power she had long rejected—one she had buried deep within—slowly awaken inside her.
It manifested like white lightning: sharp yet soft, warm yet brimming with immense destructive potential.
A perfect duality of contrasts—yet to her, it felt utterly natural.
In that moment, Akeno was pulled back into her past.
To the days when she was just a child—living with her mother and father in a simple yet blissful life, before tragedy tore everything away.
She remembered the deep love she held for both of them.
Especially for her father.
Baraqiel—the humble Fallen Angel whose black wings once appeared magnificent in the eyes of little Akeno. Those wings had once filled her with awe. With pride. And a longing—one day, to have wings just like his.
All of it—the sounds, the memories, the feelings—echoed once more within her mind.
An echo from the purest part of her heart, long buried beneath fear and hatred.
"This… this is my true voice?"
"So this is what it feels like… Father, I used to love your wings so much."
"I see now… I wanted to be like you."
"But after Mother was gone… I began to hate you. I hated myself… and I hated this world."
"When in truth… I was just afraid."
"Afraid of being alone."
"Afraid of losing everything."
"And all this time, I blamed the Fallen Angel side of me… but what I really hated was reality itself."
"But now…"
"Maybe… I don't have to hate this power anymore."
"Maybe… I just need to accept it."
"Thank you, Rian."
Akeno fell silent.
Her eyes remained closed, but from their corners, a single tear slipped free—not born of sadness, but of truth finally acknowledged… and accepted.
Within the warmth of Rian's energy—within his calm, non-demanding guidance—Akeno slowly began to embrace the part of herself she had always rejected.
The black wings she inherited from her father, the power she once despised yet secretly admired, now felt lighter… almost beautiful.
Her body trembled softly. Her heartbeat steadied, calm and rhythmic—like the pulse of a soul finally making peace with itself.
As Akeno drifted deeper into her feelings and memories—coming to terms with her past and accepting the side of herself she had long denied—Rian still held her from behind.
His eyes remained closed, focus unwavering as he maintained a steady flow of energy, guiding her through the darkness, helping her synchronize with the Fallen Angel power that had lain dormant within her.
A faint furrow formed on Rian's brow. Inwardly, he murmured, "The duality of her energy… astonishing. Holy, demonic, and magic, all fused into one. This handsome man can't help but wonder—just how powerful will Akeno become in the future?"
In this state, Rian could almost feel—as if by touch—the sheer density and magnitude of the dormant energy within Akeno.
If he were to estimate, her attributes would read something like this: STR: 35 | VIT: 35 | AGI: 35 | INT: 70—a total of 175 attribute points.
A few moments later, still holding Akeno from behind, Rian sensed something changing within her body.
There was movement—something new beginning to awaken and grow from her back.
Slowly, two additional wings emerged, joining the ones that were already there: one demonic and one fallen angel wing, both unfolding gracefully from either side of her back.
With this, Akeno now possessed a pair of demon wings and a pair of fallen angel wings—a perfect manifestation of the balance between the two forces within her.
Crik… Crik… Crik!
At that same moment, streams of white and golden lightning began to course over her body.
The twin energies danced along her skin, forming intricate patterns of light and power—beautiful, untamed, and alive. Yet, despite their intensity, not a single spark harmed Rian.
Rian remained calm, allowing the phenomenon to unfold so that Akeno could grow accustomed to the newly awakened Fallen Angel power within her.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the white and golden sparks dancing through the air gradually subsided, fading in harmony with the dimming flow of blue energy emanating from Rian's body.
"Haah~"
Both Rian and Akeno exhaled deeply—almost in unison—as if they had just awakened from a long, intense dream.
Slowly, their eyes opened. Akeno sat still, her gaze distant, silently sorting through the storm of emotions she had just experienced.
Meanwhile, Rian's eyes turned toward the pair of Fallen Angel wings and the pair of Devil wings now resting gracefully on her back.
"Beautiful wings," Rian thought to himself. "But… not complete yet. They can still grow beyond this. Still, for now… this much power is enough."
Rian let out another quiet, imaginary sigh. It wasn't for dramatic effect—it was because he still couldn't use the Cursed Reverse Technique.
Rian knew very well that holy energy was somewhat similar to the energy of the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Both carried a positive energy charge.
If only he could already use the Cursed Reverse Technique, Rian would've been able to guide Akeno to fully awaken her Fallen Angel power.
Then, Rian released his embrace and stretched his slightly stiff body.
"I didn't expect that," Rian muttered, turning toward the shoji window where the gentle light of dawn began to seep through. "It's already morning… judging by the air temperature, I'd say around four o'clock?"
He let out a long sigh and lazily massaged his temples. "Hhh… because of this, I skipped my skincare routine. My face feels like it's screaming right now."
But before he could continue his next complaint, Akeno suddenly turned around and, without warning, threw her arms around Rian in a tight hug from the front.
Rian's body tilted back slightly, losing his balance from the sudden move, until they both fell backward—Akeno landing right on top of him.
Akeno's face flushed, a soft blush coloring her cheeks as a happy smile graced her beautiful features.
"Fufu~ you always make me fall… and this time, quite literally, huh?" she whispered, tightening her embrace. "But… just for now, I don't want to get up yet. Is that okay?"
Rian didn't answer right away.
His right hand slowly rose, gently stroking Akeno's head, while his left arm wrapped around her, returning the warmth of her embrace.
Akeno's expression softened, almost peaceful, as if she were resting in the safest place in the world.
Rian let out a quiet chuckle. "Don't say that. Remember? We still have to go to training, right?"
Though his words sounded teasing, his tone remained tender.
His right hand stopped stroking her hair and instead pulled her closer, fully embracing her. He gently swayed their bodies in a slow, rhythmic motion—responding to Akeno's affection with sincere warmth, free of haste or hidden intent.
"Akeno-chan, wanna know something?" Rian murmured while still holding her, rocking her lightly. "I… don't really mind staying like this. Being hugged warmly and letting you be a little spoiled."
Rian stopped gently rocking Akeno's body and added softly, "But if this goes on too long, you might get addicted… and end up depending on me too much."
"I know that," Akeno replied quietly, her eyes filled with a deep, tender emotion.
She slowly loosened her embrace and lifted herself slightly to meet Rian's bright blue gaze. "But… I don't really mind if it means being your mistress."
Rian exhaled softly, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Then, Akeno leaned closer, inch by inch, closing the distance between their faces—her lips moving toward his.
But before they could touch, Rian's right hand rose and gently stopped her, his palm covering her lips.
"Don't do that, Akeno," he said quietly but firmly, his eyes still warm as they met hers. "I'm not the kind of man who kisses a woman just because the moment feels right. If we're going to kiss… the time has to mean something."
Akeno froze for a moment, caught off guard.
Once again, the mood she thought she controlled had been completely turned around—leaving her the one being teased instead.
Rian slowly raised his right hand, reaching behind Akeno's head with a gentle yet steady motion. His face moved closer… then softly pressed a light kiss against her left cheek.
Cup.
"As a return for your sincerity, Akeno," Rian said with a faint smile, "this handsome man will give you… a kiss on the cheek."
After that, he slowly pulled back, shifting away from the compromising position that, from another's point of view, could easily be misunderstood.
Akeno remained silent. Her right hand rose to touch the cheek he had just kissed, as if trying to process what had just happened. Her face grew even redder, but the smile on her lips was tender and genuine.
"You really are… unique, Rian," Akeno finally whispered. "I can never quite understand what you truly are."
Rian stood up, stretching lightly once more as he rolled his shoulders with a relaxed expression. "Well, we'd better get going. The others have probably been waiting for a while."
Still smiling, with a faint blush lingering on her cheeks, Akeno slowly rose from the floor and gave a small nod.
With a bit of focus, her pair of devil wings and fallen angel wings gradually faded away, retreating back into her body.