The Truth and Saving a Nun

Despite the injuries to his face and some of his teeth being knocked out, Freed still laughed seeing this interaction, "Ara~? Do you two know each other?!" he roared out some laughter and I nearly lost control of my strength for a second, hearing him.

Amidst the laughter, Asia covered her mouth a little, trying to block the scent of blood that filled the room. "What...what are you doing here, Akira-kun...?" she asked, almost as if she was scared of what my answer could be as she saw the corpse.

It was a valid worry, but for some reason, her even thinking I was the one who hurt that innocent man...hurt like hell.

"Yeah, yeah, Mystery Man, why don't you tell her why you're here and what you were going to do here~?" Freed once again piped up and I slammed him even harder into the ground, the wooden floor finally giving way.

"Shut up. Just, shut the fuck up," I sighed, suddenly feeling drained.

Looking up at Asia, I could see the worry getting even stronger in her eyes. Sighing again, I averted my eyes for a second before meeting her green eyes, "I'm a Devil, Asia," I said, knowing that right now I had to be truthful. At least this time I got to tell someone before it was released into the media by someone I trusted...

Asia backed up a bit, not in fear, but in disbelief, "A devil?" obviously, my kind demeanor had clashed very heavily with what she'd been told about Devils, "Akira-kun is a Devil?" she seemed to becoming progressively more filled with disbelief.

But I couldn't blame her. I understood somewhat what she was going through. I felt the same when I discovered that Ryo was Satan...It's a mind numbing situation, is how I'd describe it. But at the same time...I felt the same dread I'd felt when Ryo told the world that I was a Demon--No, I didn't care that he'd told the whole world. I couldn't have cared less. It was Miki that I cared about. I didn't want her to think I was a monster.

...The same applies here. Who knows what Asia has been told about Devils? She could think I eat people, for all she knows.

"Why...why are you two fighting...?!" Asia spoke urgently with a disbelief ingrained deeply into her voice. Freed, who I'd been holding against the floor, slipped from my grip and scuttled backward away from me while cackling at Asia's question.

I...I didn't care that he'd gotten away, honestly. I was still a bit shell-shocked that Asia had seen me acting so brutishly. Anyone else and I wouldn't have cared. Not in the slightest. But someone like Asia...it wouldn't be wrong to say it made me very self-conscious about how I should act. I guess this is my trauma acting up, huh? Not wanting someone to think I'm a monster.

"Well, well, if it isn't Asia-chan~!" Freed sleazy voice sounded out as he stood up and waved around his light sword in a frantic dance, "This our job - both mine and that shitty Devil over there! We, as Envoys of the Church, kill people who've gone astray and made deals with Devils like him!" he pointed the sword at me before maniacally smiling and carrying on, "While he, his job is to lead humans astray and kill the Priests and Exorcists who try to stop him!"

"That's a pile of bullshit!" I refuted angrily, gritting my teeth. I felt my claws scratching into my skin as I clenched and relaxed my fists, "If you hadn't killed an innocent person, I wouldn't have tried to attack you, even if I did know you were an Exorcist!"

"Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies~!" Freed shouted in a sing-song voice, though it sounded kind of like a screeching bird, "He's lying, Asia-chan. He's trying to lead you astray!" with this he charged right at me.

His speed was fast for a human, but nothing compared to my reflexes.

His sword thrust harmlessly traveled past my torso and I sent out a counter punch that got him right on the face. Both his momentum and my strength worked against him and he was sent flying backward toward the wall behind him, hitting it with a dull thud as a small crater was formed on the stone wall.

While he was down, I didn't let down my guard but I held out a hand to Asia.

"Asia...I know you shouldn't believe a word I'm saying, but please come with me. That Freed is working with Fallen Angels and I suspect that they have something bad planned for you. So please take my hand," I begged Asia and she seemed to be knocked out of some kind of trance. She looked at my clawed hand and seemed to flinch but nonetheless, she saw the sincerity in my gaze and heard the same in my pleading, so she outstretched her hand.

Though I moved before she could, charging next to her and summoning my Boosted Gear, blocking the light sword with both my arms put into an 'X' shape. "You bastard...Why are you trying to attack Asia? Isn't she on your side?" I asked, grunting as the light sword cut into the gauntlets. The gauntlets being connected to my nervous system meant I could feel things through them but also meant that I could feel pain through them.

And despite the light sword not doing much damage, it still hurt like hell. Even with my resistances.

"Well~" Freed balanced his chin on a finger while pushing down aggressively with his sword. His face was morphed into a thoughtful expression but then it twisted into his usual sadistic one, "She was about to take the hand of a Devil and be led astray! It's my duty as an Exorcist of the Church to make sure that doesn't happen!"

Growling, I brought a hand down before curling it into a fist and covering it in fire before slamming it into Freed's gut, sending him flying back into the same place in the wall as before. This time, however, he went through it.

Not turning my back to the hole and therefore Freed, I still spoke to Asia who was behind me, "Asia...I...Just stick behind me, okay?" I gave her a sidelong glance and a smirk before I lifted my hands and flooded the hole with flames that burned so hot that if Asia weren't behind me, she'd probably have gotten burnt just by being in the same room as them.

A red flash came from behind me and I felt multiple familiar presences.

"Fudo-kun! Are you okay?!" as I'd stopped the flames, Yuuto came up to me with his sword out and a worried expression on his face. I gave him a nod and a smile before motioning behind me.

"This is Asia Argento. She's someone the Fallen Angels plan on using. I don't know what for, but I'm going out on a limb here, so protect her for me, would ya?" I laughed seeing Yuuto go serious and standing next to Asia. Though when he saw she was nun, he looked a bit...hurt? Probably something to do with his past.

But seeing he was still doing it, I walked over to the hole in the wall and looked through it, my eyes being able to easily see in the dark.

"Tsk!" I clicked my tongue, letting my transformation fade as I turned back to see Rias, Akeno and the others all looking at me, "He got away. I don't know how he survived the fire...but he did. Sleazy bastard," I spat before walking over to Asia and looking to the others but mainly at Rias, "This is Asia Argento. She's the Sacred Gear user that Fallen Angel with Raynare spoke about, so I feel like she's an integral part of the Fallen Angel's plans. It would be in our best interest to protect her until the Raynare has been dealt with," I reported this in a orderly fashion, keeping it to the point, before I gave a slight cough and finished with some advice, "Rias, I'd recommend asking your brother to ask the Fallen Angel leaders if they sent Raynare here with the orders she thinks she has. Either way they should deny it and we'll have enough reasons to storm the church and get rid of them," I spoke out my advice on what we should do next, my years in the war against Demons really showing.

Rias nodded with a small smile as she came up to me and reached up and pat my head, "Good job, Akira...I've already asked my brother the question through Communication Magic, so we should get the answers soon," she smiled more and more as she continued, her pride of me bloating more and more and she finally turned to Asia, "Hello Argento-san, my name is Rias Gremory. I'm a Devil, just like Akira. We'll be putting you in a safe house in Kuoh Town and my brother will send over bodyguards for you, okay?"

But upon hearing what Rias said, Asia jumped in fright before quickly rushing to my side and holding onto my arm like her life depended on it, "I want to stay with Akira-kun!" she yelled, her eyes teary and full of fear, "I'm sorry, I know you mean well, but Akira-kun is the only person I trust right now!"

I could understand her fear and just smiled wryly at Rias who seemed a bit stunned, "I was gonna say Rias...wouldn't it be better to keep her near us? We'd be able to deal with the Fallen outside of the Church if they came for her and we'd be on home ground so we'd have the advantage...and I don't have a problem with sleeping on the sofa so she can use my room," I tried to convince Rias but from the slight pout and the little bits of jealousy in her eyes, I knew it would be hard.

But to my surprise, Akeno came to the side of Asia and pulled her from my arm and into her very generous buxom. She smiled at the cute Asia before looking to Rias, "Akira has a point, Rias...Keeping her close would allow us to protect her easier--and look at how cute she is? She's like a cute little sister-type fufu~!"

Seeing Asia looking to me for help, I just smiled before patting her head and looking to Akeno, "Akeno...I think you're making her uncomfortable," I said and Akeno pouted a little before letting Asia go. Asia looked thankfully at me before turning to Rias with hopeful eyes.

Hearing my reasoning, Akeno's backing of my point, and Asia's pleading whittled away at Rias' serious face and she sighed before looking a bit sulky, "...Fine. But you owe me, Akira!" she said but I had to quickly interrupt her.

"Rias, I can sense the Fallen Angels coming," I said and Koneko nodded to affirm my status with her peculiarly enhanced senses.

"Okay," she nodded before looking to Akeno, having lost her sulky face and going back to her serious mode, "Akeno, prepare for the jump," with this, Akeno lost her playful attitude as well and held up her hands, a red magic circle appearing and spinning and rotating around. It soon settled on the floor and all of us were in it, including Asia.

Just as the red flashed, I put my hand on Asia's head and smiled down at her. But it was at that point that I realized neither of us had traveled with the rest.

"...That air-headed master of mine forgot to mention that it couldn't transport people outside of her peerage, didn't she? I'll have to flick her forehead really hard when I get back..." I grunted before kicking the front wall of the house out and picking up Asia in a bridal carry. She let out a cute yelp and I looked down at her with a careless smirk, "We're going back to the house the long but scenic route, okay?" and with that, I released my wings and we were off.

A few light spears were thrown at me but the aim was shoddy at best, so I wasn't hit even once.

I just got to enjoy the experience of flying with Asia, showing her Kuoh Town in a way she'd never seen before.

. . .

"You stupid master."

"A-Akira, I'm sorry--Ow!"

"Irresponsible and air-headed master."

"Moo! Akira, stop it--Owowow!"

"Forgot-about-a-very-important-mechanic-regarding-her-magic-circle-like-an-idiot master."

"...I'm-I'm SORRYYYYY!" Rias, with a remarkably red forehead from all the flicking, was now sobbing with teary eyes as she held onto a piece of my bloodied shirt like some kind of child but it did succeed in diminishing the last bit of my anger toward her. Seeing her sobbing and knowing that I'd disciplined her enough, I pulled her into a hug which she quickly reciprocated, snaking her arms around my back and hugging so tight it was like she wanted to merge us into one being.

"You messed up today, Rias. If I wasn't strong enough and didn't react quick enough, Asia could have been taken away and I could have been hurt or worse, killed," I softly said and all she did was nod her head against my chest which was quickly becoming wet with tears, "You're lucky it was me who got left behind and not some weakling," I smiled before doing something on instinct that made my brain almost stop after I realized what I did.

I kissed her head.

Not too bad. But definitely something that you didn't do to just anyone.

Rias froze before her head shot up and looked up at me, her blue-green eyes having an almost scary look in them, "I want another one," she said, her eyes staring into mine with a stubbornness that I'd only seen a few times from Rias.

"W-what?" I asked, trying to play ignorant not wanting to get Rias hooked on another thing from me. She already had the hug thing where she wouldn't go to sleep unless I hugged her. So I didn't want to add another thing like that.

Though, I feel like I just don't want to admit something about how I feel toward Rias, the girl who'd been there for me in the first few dark days of me being in this world.

Anyway, I hadn't meant to kiss her head! It just sort of happened! It felt like the right thing to do.

"That thing you just did to my head - do it again," she said, her cheeks blushing quite heavily by now. But knowing I couldn't worm my way out of it, I just bent down and laid a kiss on her forehead.

And before I knew it, she was gone, running toward her room. Leaving me there like an idiot. Though that didn't last for long as I saw Akeno down the corridor, laughing at me with her hand covering her mouth--

...And a magic circle recorder posed in front of her.

Seeing that I saw she stopped laughing, the magic circle appeared and she started to speed walk away. I stayed still for exactly a second before running after Akeno, "Get back here Akeno! You better delete that recording!"

"Fufu~ Only if you give me the same treatment you gave Rias~!" she retorted, laughing as she jogged away. Despite my outward annoyance, I felt happy. Happy that I was free enough to act like this with people I like.