While there was still a day left before the meeting of the Biblical Factions, Kiyoshi was going to settle his relationship with Akeno. During the parents' day, Himejima often cast her glance in his direction, but she never dared to approach and talk. So the young man called his friend and invited her for a walk. The half-demon appointed the ill-fated park with a fountain as the meeting place — it was just right for Zankoku's purposes.
Kiyoshi and Akeno arrived at the meeting place at the same time, which made both of them smile.
— Hello, little Akeno, — when they approached each other, the young man spoke first. — It's been a while since we met like this.
— Yes, it's been a while, — she said with slight sadness. — It's been a while since the Rating Game against Raiser, — after a short pause, Himejima changed her mood, a sweet smile lit up her face, — so let's enjoy this evening.
Zankoku was pleasantly surprised. Akeno began to behave more reservedly compared to her previous behavior — before, the girl literally clung to him, and now she stood unobtrusively next to him. The blond decided to encourage his friend.
— Then let's go, — the guy's outstretched elbow instantly found itself in soft captivity. After walking for a couple of minutes in comfortable silence, the half—demon asked a question: —What did you do after the failed wedding? Was there anything interesting?—
— Well... — the girl drawled, putting her finger to her lips. — Rias and Issei confessed their feelings for each other, however, I don't think their relationship interests you, — the brunette said with a smile.
— True, — Kiyoshi grinned, — this topic does not bother me. Better tell me, did you learn any lesson after losing to Phenex?
— Yes. It turned out to be a painful lesson, — Akeno now looked very serious. The feelings of helplessness during the wedding preparations will motivate the girl for a long time. If not for Sirzechs Lucifer's manipulations, she and her "King" could have become a bed warmer for Riser. —I was able to persuade Rias to start training with her entire retinue. At first, it even worked out, but...— a heavy sigh escaped her. — After the first week, she devoted less and less time to training, and soon returned to her usual regime: fulfilling contracts, eliminating rare apostates. The rest of the time, she either slackers or flirts with Issei.
— It seems that life teaches this fool nothing, — the half-demon said with disdain. — Besides, she drags all her servants to the bottom, in addition to herself.
— That's not entirely true, — Akeno clarified her words under the skeptical gaze of the young man, — Asia continued to train hard in addition to me. Even Hyodo joins in sometimes, though he does it to stare at my body, — the half-demon couldn't help but chuckle at the reason, — so it's all about motivation. If they wanted to get stronger, they would train like Asia does.
— I see, — Zankoku drawled. — It's stupid, but to be expected. What about the new girl? — the guy asked. — I didn't expect to see an exorcist among the demons.—
— You're probably talking about Xenovia, — the mention of his new comrade brought a smile to Himejima's face. — I completely agree with you there — none of us expected something like this. But she came to us and said that she wanted to become a demon. A brave, but sometimes stupid girl.
"So she decided to become a Gremory figure herself. This redhead has phenomenal luck, considering the Red Dragon Emperor in her retinue," — Zankoku thought as they approached the center of the park.
— And how does the former servant of God feel in her new image? Was she able to taste the demonic life and go over to the dark side?
— You have some jokes, Kiyoshi, — Akeno smiled wryly. — Quarta-san has fit into our team quite well. Of course, there are some hitches, but she quickly adapts to her new life. More...
— What is it? — Hearing his friend's hesitation, the half-demon felt a slight curiosity.
— Eh... She just chose the birth and upbringing of a child as her new goal in life, — the brunette covered her face with her hand, remembering how much of a headache Xenovia had caused her with her antics.
— Let me guess: the owner of the red glove was honored to become the father of the child? — Seeing Akeno's pained expression, Kiyoshi confirmed his guess. — Although there is nothing to choose from — he is now the only man in the Gremory retinue.
— No, Issei is not the only guy. She also has the — Bishop-dhampir, who was locked up until recently — this information was unexpected for the half—demon. — Now Gasper-kun is with us.
— So that's how it is — after these words the conversation died down. Everyone was thinking about their own. The silence dragged on until Zankoku noticed the change in his friend.
Now Akeno was mired in worries about what had happened. A casual mention of her comrade's death caused the storm of feelings that had haunted the girl since her loss in the rating game. Thoughts about her weakness and worthlessness filled her head.
— Hey, Akeno, wake up, — a familiar voice and a slight shaking brought her out of her thoughts. Noticing the conscious look on himself, Kiyoshi let go of his friend's shoulders. — Listen, it's not your fault what happened. The enemy you faced was several orders of magnitude superior to you, the fact that only one person died is already a miracle.
The blond's clumsy attempt to calm the girl bore fruit. Himejima focused on the half-demon's words.
— Upon arrival at the academy, I did not immediately enter the fight, but watched what was happening for a while, — Zankoku admitted. — I do not want to insult the memory of your comrade, but "Knight" Gremory clearly had some problems with his mind. He fought like a man possessed, and believe me, I know what I'm talking about, — When Murasame gets the chance to "have fun", he acts exactly like Yuto Kiba. — If you just rush at the enemy, not paying attention to anything, the outcome is obvious.
— Did you see all this?
— Yes.
— So, you could have saved him? — the brunette said quietly, almost whispering, but her question was heard.
— I could, but why would I do that? — the half—demon asked calmly. — For me, he's just a stranger. One of the hundreds of ordinary people I see walking the streets all the time. For example, like that couple we met a minute ago, — the young man nodded towards the people walking away. — If you were in danger, I would have intervened.
— But you still intervened! — Akeno started screaming, without even realizing it. — Why not earlier?!
— Because of the conditions of the lords, I had to protect Rias, — the young man said tiredly. He had already realized that he would have to face his friend's hysteria, — otherwise, I would have waited for a suitable opportunity to attack Kokabiel. If you are so worried about the lives of your comrades, then why didn't you protect the blond yourself? — Kiyoshi decided to throw Akeno off track. As they say: the best defense is an offense.
— Me? — the girl was surprised by the question. — I am not as strong as you. And I do not have such a strong Sacred Gear.
— But, as I heard, you have the power — Lightning of Light, inherited from your father, — having said this, the half-demon watched Himejima's shocked look. — As you can see, I saw not only your struggle, but also heard interesting things.
— No! I will not accept this man's power! — the brunette exclaimed furiously. — I hate fallen angels, and the fact that their blood flows through me!
— So what? — Unlike his interlocutor, Kiyoshi spoke in a calm, firm voice. — For the sake of protecting those dear to you, you could have swallowed your pride and selfishness. Using this power, you could easily defeat Riser's entire retinue and himself. As Hyodo found out, Holy Power works great on Phenexes, — taking the girl by the chin, the half—demon did not give her the opportunity to look away. — If you had used Holy Lightning, the result of the battle with Kokabiel could have been completely different.
— No! I... I... — Akeno, unable to withstand the pressure, burst into tears. Kiyoshi simply pulled her into his arms, allowing her to release the accumulated stress. Finding a bench nearby with his gaze, he sat down on it, sitting his unresisting friend on his lap.
They sat like that for the next twenty minutes. Zankoku continued to gently stroke his friend's hair even after she stopped sobbing. After another five minutes, the brunette's quiet voice rang out:
— S-sorry for my words and thank you, — Akeno managed to calm down, but she was not going to leave the warm embrace of her beloved.
— It's okay. I can understand you.
— Listen... if I really used Lightning, do you think I could have saved Kiba? — Her voice trembled slightly as she asked this question.
— I don't know, — such a simple answer made Akeno turn her surprised gaze to Kiyoshi's face. — I can't see the future, so I don't know, — the half-demon explained his answer. — Maybe you succeeded, or maybe, on the contrary, with your power you could have made Kokabiel become serious and then it would not have been limited to one death.
— I see, — the girl muttered quietly, burying her face back into the half-demon's chest.
— But what I know for sure is that you need to accept your power, — gently pushing his friend away from himself, the blond continued to speak, looking her straight in the eyes. — If not for someone, then in spite of and out of spite.
— What do you mean? — Himejima asked, uncomprehending.
— You hate the fallen, right? — having received a nod in confirmation, the guy continued. — Imagine: cries of pain and pleas of despair, an angry but helpless look directed at you, while you continue to slowly fry the fallen with your Holy Lightning, — Akeno closed her eyes, drawing this picture in her mind, which caused a sadistic smile to appear on her face. — Now imagine the shock and disbelief when your victim learns of his general's ability, which you use to cause the fallen angels as much suffering as possible, and not for protection, as they are used to seeing.
— Ufu-fu-fu, it sounds very tempting, — all the melancholy disappeared from the brunette. — Only it is hardly feasible, in connection with the imminent signing of the peace treaty.
— Exactly! I didn't take that into account, — the half-demon fell silent, thinking about solutions to this problem. — There's nothing to be done about it, — Zankaku gave his verdict, — we'll have to be content with other races for now, or look for apostates.
— Why do you say "for now"? — the blond's slip of the tongue immediately attracted the girl's attention.
— Because peace won't last forever. Besides, no one knows how things will turn out in the future. Maybe the peace treaty won't work out and a new war will start, — the young man suggested, — or you yourself will become a apostate.
— I don't think I can become a apostate, — Himejima shook her head. — Because of the figure inside me, without the demonic energy from the "King", I'll turn into a crazy monster, — just imagining herself in the place of that mutated demon sent shivers down her spine.
— Indeed, an unpleasant prospect, — agreed Kiyoshi. — Then you need to quickly become a high—class devil. Free yourself from the Gremory influence and get your set of evil parts.
— Yes. This is the only option for me.
— Then the development of your power will speed up the increase in rank. Train hard and soon you will get away from your stupid "King", — the young man decided to give even more motivation to his friend. — Also, with the help of Lightning, you have the opportunity to defeat Barakiel.
— How? He is a ten-winged fallen one who has been using this power for more than one century, — Akeno looked at her capabilities realistically. — Even if I train for decades, his lightning will surpass mine many times over.
— I do not argue, but you can neutralize the effect of Holy Lightning on yourself. Barakiel's main weapon will be useless against you, — the brunette really liked this prospect, — and when you become much stronger, you will be able to decide the fate of your father. Whether he lives or dies, — the half-demon whispered like a tempting snake, — will depend only on your choice, — leaning back on the bench, Zankoku continued in a normal tone, — Only Grigori will not forgive the death of his general, but these are trifles. You can simply get rid of these crows.
Akeno imagined the moment of triumph over her father, when he begs for forgiveness. She liked this picture, but she doubted whether she had enough determination to kill Barakiel, so the girl asked for advice:
— And what would you do in my place, Kiyoshi? — Himejima asked timidly.
— Me? — this question was a surprise for Zankoku. After thinking for a while, he decided to tell his friend his secret. — You know, I really was in a similar situation and solved the problem at the root, — he demonstratively ran the edge of his palm across his neck.
— When? — the brunette was surprised. — I haven't heard of the Phenex clan being attacked.
— No. My biological father has nothing to do with it, — the blond refuted the girl's thoughts. — His only involvement in my life is seducing Keiko and conceiving me, which suits me just fine.
— Then this is...
— That's right, this is my so—called mother, — the mention of this woman still disgusts Kiyoshi. — From an early age, I lived with my grandparents while Keiko kept her distance from me. Seeing this, her parents decided to change the relationship between their daughter and me, — Himejima listened attentively to the revelations of her beloved, — but nothing worked out for them, ha-ha! — the young man couldn't help but chuckle briefly. — On the very first day, my "beloved mother" made it clear that she didn't need me. For this woman, little Kiyoshi was a mistake and the cause of all the troubles in life.
— How is this possible?! — Akeno couldn't understand such an attitude towards her own son. For her, a mother should always cherish her child.
— Something like that, — the half-demon shrugged. — The following years, we pretended to be a happy family in front of Keiko's parents, but as soon as we were alone, all the falseness disappeared, — Kiyoshi got close to the biggest secret of his childhood. — At the age of six, when I again spent the night at this woman's house, Keiko got very drunk. She had some problems at work because of which they threatened to fire her. In an alcoholic fit, she dumped all her problems on me and even blamed me for them. Ha, funny, isn't it? — the guy asked ironically. — But that's not all. When she completely emptied her reserves, "mother" — he specially emphasized this word, — decided to let off all the steam on me. A six-year-old child became an excellent punching bag for her.
Akeno began to sob. She couldn't even imagine what her beloved had gone through.
— Now, now, don't cry, — Zankoku began to console his friend. — The end of the story is near, — the half-demon continued the story. — Later that night, when I woke up from a strong hunger thanks to my regeneration, I found this woman on the balcony. She was standing there, leaning on the edge, smoking a cigarette. Keiko's carefree look really pissed me off at that moment — I decided to take revenge! — an evil smile appeared on the blond's face. —Quietly sneaking up on her from behind, I used my inhuman strength to throw the drunk and unsuspecting bitch over the railing. Ha-ha-ha! — The cheerful laughter did not fit with the story at all, but for Kiyoshi, these were happy memories. — The face she made when she saw me. And how she screamed until her brains spilled out onto the asphalt. Aha-ah-ha!
— So you killed your mother? — Himejima couldn't understand the feeling she was experiencing now. She frowned, digesting what she heard.
— Yes. This is my answer to your previous question, — the half-demon flicked the girl on the forehead with a smile. — If I were you, I would kill the parent I hated, but you are not me, so you will have to make the decision yourself, without relying on someone else's opinion.
— Okay, — she rubbed the bruise with displeasure. — That's what I'll do.
— Since we've sorted everything out, it's time to end our date. The sun has already set.
Hearing the blond's words, Akeno turned her attention to her surroundings. The last rays of the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon. Darkness fell on the park, dispelled by rare lanterns. And there were only two of them here because of the barrier Kiyoshi had put up. They were sitting on a bench, huddled close to each other.
— Y-yes, it's time, — she quickly left the guy's lap. — I hope this is not our last meeting.
— Don't worry. I won't disappear like last time, — Zankoku ruffled his friend's hair, bringing her out of her bad thoughts. — So we'll see each other again soon.
— I'm glad, — the girl's face lit up with a smile. A blush appeared on her cheeks when she decided to confess: — Kiyoshi, I love you!
— I know, — after a short pause, the half-demon gave an answer. — This is not the first time you've told me this, but my answer has not changed, little Akeno. For me, you are still a close friend, and not a love interest.
— I understand, but as I said before, I won't give up. So it's only a matter of time until you love me back, — Akeno said this in a confident tone. She believed in her words.
— Hah, then I can wish you luck in such a difficult matter, — this tone of her friend caused a smirk to appear on Kiyoshi's face. — See you later, Akeno.
— Yes. See you later.