Chapter 115

The Underworld.

Akeno and I were in a small room in the same Gremory mansion. We were the only ones here, since Rias, after taking us here, left almost immediately, I understand, back to Sirzechs.

There was a cheerful silence between us. While Akeno looked like she was gathering her thoughts and building up her will, I just sat back and sipped my hot coffee. I was somewhat okay with the setting, I mean, the relative peace and quiet, but I'm sure that wasn't the case for Akeno.

Frankly, I don't understand her zeal for me. I mean, she has a crush on me, that much is obvious, but not love. Well, or so I think.

Love is too complex a feeling to come about because of just one incident and a few words. I mean, ALL I did to earn her 'love' was to open my eyes to her family situation and allow myself to be hugged, and that out of surprise, and not return the hug to her. Such single-mindedness simply did not fit with all the events surrounding her.

I took a deep breath and looked at Akeno, deciding to start the conversation myself, since her preparation had already taken too long. With something different, let's say.

- "Your actions are rather unusual, Akeno-san," I said, receiving a look of incomprehension at that, "I'm talking about the fact that you didn't tell Rias about that conversation in the garden. Your reaction to what I said in Sirzechs's office about her was limited to a shake of your head in humility, not regret or guilt. Why try to keep her naive when you can open her eyes with just one conversation?"

- "I'm... afraid she might... break." After a moment of silence, Akeno replied with a touch of sadness in her voice.

 - "Hmm? What's more?"

- "After that prank of yours, Rias started to change. You can't see it, but she's become very strict now. Not to us, her own entourage, but to herself. Sometimes she doesn't sleep or eat for days to improve herself. Rias truly believes that this way she can take care of us and protect us. Instead of getting better all together by spreading the load evenly, she... sacrifices herself for us."

- "Excuse me?" I wasn't really surprised.

- "She hates the idea of forcing us to train the way she does. She doesn't want to see the black circles under our eyes, the bloody calluses on our hands, the gaunt bodies from skipping meals, and the loss of consciousness from the depletion of our magical powers. So, Rias puts herself through it, so that we can live... happily. Even her family, including Lord Lucifer, hasn't found out yet."

I stared into Akeno's face, trying to find traces of a lie, even though I realized it was impossible for me to lie. At least for someone like her.

Now that Akeno had told it, Rias did indeed have circles under her eyes that were hidden under her makeup, and she looked thinner than usual. I didn't pay much attention to it since I thought it was just lack of sleep or something. However, if it's exactly as Akeno said, then....

- "That's a pretty stupid decision." said the demon Bael in my head.

- "Indeed," agreed Gremory, "It would create an unreachable gap between her powers and those of her retinue..."

- "...and that means less teamwork, less trust and confidence in each other, as well as in themselves..." Agares added.

- "...and in the end, the descendant of Gremory and Bael will consider the members of his retinue too weak to give their best..." Phenex added.

- "...hence, to avoid endangering them with enemies and her own strength, she will fight alone..." Belial joined in

- "...and someday her body and mind will fail her owner at the most crucial moment," Goetia finished in a thoughtful tone, "What will you do, Romani? This isn't exactly what you wanted."

I frowned.

The way I called her, specifically Trophy... Rias is bent on proving my opinion wrong, that I was wrong. And her demon pride under the pressure of that word causes her to push her limits, regardless of all sorts of consequences.

In doing so, she does not wish her retinue to be victimized by her pride and blunders, and so, she becomes one herself. Rias wants to prove her worth, her independence and her will, while making up for the wasted years of her life with the cost of future ones.

And I would call this desire commendable, but not with such consequences. On the one hand, it could be detrimental to future events, but on the other... it's her choice. The dilemma before me is, to put it mildly, a difficult one.

- "And that's why you're afraid that your words will finally kill her, isn't it?" I asked, to which I received a short nod.

- "Yes... And even I found out about it quite by accident," Akeno answered, "Can you... can you do something about it, Sensei? If it's me or someone close to her who brings it up, then..."

- "This will sow discord between you two, and Rias will continue to do what she did because of her demon pride. Issei, Kiba and so on will repeat her actions with the same consequences, just to avoid being a burden, right?" I said, to which Akeno agreed.

I didn't think I'd have to get involved in something like this when I realized the topic, but there's nothing to do. Of course, I won't order or force her to stop, but outlining a possible future picture is still worthwhile. Really, if it didn't involve Issei in any way, I wouldn't lift a finger.

- "Okay, I'll do it. Just call the phone when she starts her 'training'," I finally said, to which Akeno smiled beautifully and gratefully, "And when you asked her to hold me back... That was the reason, I guess?"

- "It was the main one." she answered honestly.

- "I see," I nodded, "In that case, will you answer my other question as honestly?"

- "Sure."

- "If I bolted on this request of yours, how would you feel about it?" I asked, to which she looked at me in surprise, "You've said many times that you want me to see you as a woman. A love interest that I would be interested in. However, would that have continued if my reaction had been, shall we say, negative to you?"

- "No," she replied almost immediately, to which I raised an eyebrow, "You are not prone to lying to yourself or others, and your words match your thoughts. That time you explicitly said that you were helping us because your goals aligned with ours. That is, your words imply no promise of help and building false hopes on it if it ceases to be so. And that's been the case from the very beginning of our interaction, when I fell in love with you."

- "Even so?"

- "To you, we're... just casual acquaintances. And people from the outside will definitely call you an insensitive narcissistic bastard, that you don't have a heart in your chest... However, that's not true. Everyone who has even glimpsed the interaction between you and those people in your home clearly understands one fact."

Akeno stopped and smiled.

- "Everyone in this house is a family. A real one, where everyone in it cares for each other, however different they may be, and is not afraid to show or hide a part of themselves that they consider shameful."

Well, I suppose that's true. Take Archer and Gil, for instance. One and the other find each other annoying and unpleasant. However, when the occasion calls for it, they'll have each other's backs and act cohesively as a team.

The same goes for Artoria and Morgan. Their history of confrontation is anchored in the Root itself, but now, though they bicker like ordinary relatives, they will work together in a moment of need in a way that no modern trained group could.

- "And you want to be a part of it, huh?" I grinned, realizing where she was going with this.

- "Yes. I want to be in your arms when I need comforting. I want to hear your raw but honest commentary when I make a mistake. I want the chemistry that you have with your family."

- "You have a father, and a living one at that, don't you? He'd be happy to give you both at the lift of a finger. Why are you looking for all this from me?"

- "A father is one thing, but a lover is another, Sensei. He won't even listen to the one I'm arguing with, he'll just take my side. You'll only do the latter, but you'll also speak up where I'm wrong, if that's how it works out. And I want to be with you... Believe me at last!" loudly shouting the last phrase, she said and waited for my reaction. I took a deep breath and freed my hand from the cup of coffee.

- "I believe you, I really do..."

- "Then...?!"

- "But your closeness for some reason unknown to me brings discomfort or even rejection, something on a subconscious level, I would say. It's not your fault, obviously, however under the current circumstances even trying to build a relationship with you is rather... unpleasant, pardon the wording. I hope you understand my point of view." I said, to which Akeno... didn't look offended.

- "Under the current circumstances, right? And if someday things become clear and something can be done about it, will you accept me?" She asked hopefully.

- "Yes," I replied calmly, "At the very least, I'll try. But is that really okay with you? You're going to spend hell knows how many years just to be with me? Wouldn't it be more efficient to find someone else?"

- "Demons, and the Fallen, live a long time, Sensei. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes." She said confidently, to which I raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

Well, let her do as she pleases. As long as she doesn't regret it, after all, it'll be her own choice. Uh-huh.

-0-

A/N: How's the chapter? Give us your opinion. You may well be able to influence future chapters.

My P.a.t.r.e.o.n: P.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m/mirzael

You'll be able to read more chapters there.