[Let's go.]
With a grave voice, an angel was forcibly taking a boy of about three or four years old somewhere, holding his hand. Judging from how every other angel made way for him, he must have been a rather high-ranking angel. The little boy looked back with teary eyes.
[I don't want to go… I… want to stay here.]
[Don't whine. Cheon.]
[I don't want to… I don't want to go… If I go… I can never come back here, right? Then… I'll never be able to see Xxxx again, right?]
The boy tried to yank himself free with a face that said he didn't want to go, but the male angel's strength didn't budge. Just then, a girl came running from behind, reaching out her hand toward the boy.
[Don't go!! Cheon!!]
[Xxxx!!]
[...Cast a barrier so she can't come out.]
[Yes, sir!]
At the man's words, the angels guarding him created a large, transparent yet solid barrier in front of the girl, and she collided with it as she ran. Holy power was the girl's worst enemy, and because of it, her cheek and hands were bleeding; but to her, the pain of losing the boy before her eyes hurt far worse. She pounded on the barrier with her bleeding hand and cried out.
[Cheon!!! Cheon!!!]
[Xxxx !!]
[….. If that girl is your lingering attachment… then it can't be helped.]
The man let go of the boy's hand and slowly approached the girl. The boy realized it. That if he didn't go, the person he cherished most would die… The boy ran to the man and grabbed his collar.
[I was wrong!! I… I'll go. So… please… don't lay a hand on … on Xxxx !!]
[!! Cheon?]
[….. You should have said so from the start. Let's go.]
[No… No!!]
The girl tried to break the barrier. But it was far too strong for her to break. Powerless, and grieving the loss of the boy, her tears wouldn't stop. She kept calling the boy's name as he grew distant. The boy looked back and smiled at the girl calling his name.
[!? Cheon?]
[Take care. Xxxx.]
[Cheon!!!! Cheon!!!!]
===========
"Ugh…"
Issei woke from a nightmare. When he opened his eyes, it was 4:30 am… A cold sweat was running down him, as if the heat of the nightmare still clung to his body, and tears were falling from his eyes. Issei smacked his forehead and grimaced.
(…That dream again?)
"Of all things to dream… the worst."
(But who's the girl that shows up in that dream?)
"She was a childhood friend… no, maybe I should my sister… Not my real sister, but… the daughter of the place that took care of me until I was four… something like that."
(Hmm… that so?)
"Issei!!"
Someone called to Issei from outside the window, but he ignored it and tried to crawl back into his futon. Then there was a tap-tap at the window; when he looked over.
"…"
"Ufufufu, Issei-kun… wake up. President herself says she'll personally train you."
A woman with black hair in a ponytail… Akeno, wearing Kuoh Academy's girls' uniform, smiled as she spoke, and Issei was dumbfounded.
"Excuse me, but… this is the second floor, you know…? Himejima-senpai, do you want it getting out that you're a devil… or what?"
"Issei-kun… that's so cold… What's with 'Himejima-senpai'… Call me Akeno-nee(big sister)."
'…That thing back then left such a strong impression I can only say it's impossible… It's not coming out, okay?'
(…Anyway, that woman… looks like she won't leave until you come down…)
Forced by Akeno, Issei scratched his head, got up, and went outside in simple clothes. Akeno and Rias, each with a bicycle, were at the entrance. And they started running through the neighborhood. It had been like this for a month. Issei had keenly felt his weakness in the fight with Raynare and wanted to train alone, but Rias and Akeno coming every morning was annoying.
'Ah, what a pain.'
"Come on, get motivated. I'll add ten laps of dashes later."
"Yeah yeah."
"Get motivated, Issei-kun."
Rias and Akeno cheered Issei on. Not that it helped at all, but Issei handled the ten extra laps of dashes without much trouble, and Rias looked a bit surprised that he wasn't even short of breath.
'He ran nearly forty kilometers from morning and did over three hundred dashes, and he's still fine. Just what is this kid…'
"Next is push-ups."
When Issei got into push-up position, Rias and Akeno climbed onto his back and hips. A question mark floated over Issei's head.
"…President."
"Mm?"
"Your butt feels a little softer than before… Did you gain weight?"
At those words, Rias's face flushed hot, and she smacked Issei's rear hard enough to make a sharp smack-smack sound. But Issei did his push-ups with a straight face, and Rias fumed at the sight. She had raised the training level far higher than last time hoping he'd show some strain, but he handled it like it was nothing.
'…I thought he'd at least whine a bit… but he's doing all of it? His mouth is still foul, though… To utter something taboo to a girl… From tomorrow, etiquette lessons before training might be better.'
"45,681, 45,682, 45,683…"
Issei had passed forty thousand before he knew it. He was starting to sweat a little, but he still looked composed. As Rias slowly realized that hearing him whine was a pipe dream, she sighed. As he was about to hit the goal of fifty thousand, Rias started to get up, then Akeno, who'd been on his back, simply toppled sideways and pressed herself against his back, which made Akeno's soft chest flatten against him. She set her hands on his shoulders and blew lightly on his neck.
"Fuu♡"
"!? W-what the…!?"
Issei, who hadn't shown a flustered expression until now, jumped up completely flustered, and Akeno chuckled at his reaction.
"Issei-kun was so reliable, I got a little excited. And with that sweat-smell… I almost pounced. On. You. ♡"
(…She was enjoying it… and she openly says she almost pounced…)
Ddraig, too, was quite shocked by Akeno's allure, and Rias wore a very exasperated expression at it. Still, seeing Issei fluster like that, she couldn't help a small smile.
'I've never seen Akeno get this close to a guy. And to say something like that… Has she really taken a liking to this kid?'
"Issei, from the top again."
"Excuse me, Himejima-senpai… please get off."
"Issei-kun… 'Himejima-senpai'? That's so stiff. Call me Akeno-nee ."
The author… almost got swept away by Akeno's cute whining… but Issei turned his face away and ignored it. To be honest, saying his heart didn't skip a beat would be a lie. He did feel it flutter a bit, but he soon returned to his usual face and said:
"…No."
"Issei-kun…"
(Cheon… it's troublesome, so just call her neechan or whatever.)
'…No. Calling her that when she's such an S is a bit…'
(Then call her Akeno-senpai.)
"…Akeno-senpai."
"I'm happy, Issei-kun."
When Akeno tried to hug him again, Issei quickly slipped to the side. Akeno looked quite disappointed at that, Rias smiled wryly, and thanks to Akeno clinging, Issei had repeated the forty-thousand-plus push-ups eight times. He wiped his sweat and plopped down on a park bench.
"Phew…"