Azazel (2/2)

[Occult Research Club, Kuoh Academy]

I-I must have misheard him, right?

There's absolutely no way.

"L-Lord Azazel, you're only saying that to scare us, right?" Kalawarner asked, trembling with worry.

Even the devils, who had their powers on full display, had long since extinguished them and stood in shock.

"Oh, I'm not joking." He spoke with a smiling face, watching me lose my composure at his words. "Given what they've done and the pain they've caused you, it's only right that they serve under you to make up for it, right?"

No, not right.

Absolutely not right.

I am not taking the supernaturals anywhere near my mom.

I'm not stupid enough for that.

"We cannot allow that," Rias was quick to object. "Those two are the very ones who nearly killed him, and now you want us to let them be his maids?"

Despite the tension, Azazel remained in his joking mood—the same mood he'd been in since he arrived.

"If you're uneasy with him having both of them, you may take one and let him have the other."

"L-Lord Azazel?"

I could see that they were heartbroken.

I recall hearing Raynare yell that she was doing it all to please Azazel when I first saw her in her Fallen Angel form.

And now the same Azazel was passing them to us to serve us.

He was treating them as objects he could simply gift to anyone.

"That isn't what I meant…" Rias was baffled by what he said, and Sona was too stunned to even speak.

This man was adept at getting people to agree with him.

But I wasn't just going to go along with his plan.

"You do realize that they tried to kill me and attempted to steal Asia's Sacred Gear, right?" I couldn't help but be amused by the man's way of thinking. "They left a mess behind, including that Freed guy who hurt Asia. And you want me to take them in as… as my maids?"

Heck, I'd rather clean and cool myself than have two potential threats walking around my house.

And despite everything, despite the worry I felt,

The man was cheerful.

"I understand your concerns," he said with a smile. "You wouldn't want them near your loved ones, and you're right to worry about having supernaturals in your neighborhood."

"Then—"

"But you shouldn't be worried," he continued in a surprisingly calm voice. "They wouldn't dare use their powers to harm you or your family. If they use their powers at all, it will only be to make jobs easier for you."

I saw Raynare's lips moving as if to complain, but Azazel turning his head toward her silenced her. "Isn't that right, girls?"

Absolute demon.

He had them swallow their objections with just a glance.

I could see their dismay and protests in their eyes, but their mouths? Absolutely shut.

Instead, they nodded reluctantly.

I could even see them clenching their fists behind their backs.

"That is still not safe, Lord Azazel." Finally, Sona spoke up. "They've already gone against you once and caused trouble. What if they do it again and harm Reo?"

They couldn't harm me.

I had assessed their threat level.

{Threat: Ignorable}

After I acquired Barrier Magic and Advanced Sixth Sense, the threat level of many supernaturals decreased significantly. These two Fallens were now much easier for me to handle.

"I am not worried about myself; I am worried about my mother." I felt my fists clenching without realizing it. "What if they try to harm her?"

"If they do anything, even entertain any idea of harming a single hair on an innocent's body," the man said with a smile that was the most terrifying I had seen in a long time, "they would suffer a fate worse than death."

Instantly, a chilling pressure spread around the room—a controlled pressure. We could all feel it. The devil heiresses even exchanged worried glances, but the pressure was not directed at us.

"Is that understood, girls?" he asked the two Fallens, the pressure from his magic strong enough to force them to their knees.

"Y-Yes, sir."

They had no choice. That pressure alone could kill a low-level Fallen or devil. This man was both scary and strange.

"See?" The moment the girls agreed, his face softened, and his voice turned cheerful again. "They've promised not to do anything. They will instead be working for you, helping you with your chores, and all that without you having to spend a single yen."

He was offering me free maids?

"Having two Fallens at his house, especially when his mother doesn't even know about the supernatural, is worrisome," Rias said, rightfully concerned. "Isn't that too much?"

"Don't worry about that either," he countered. "They may be foolish, but they still have functioning brains. They will make sure not to display any supernatural activity in front of your mother, right girls?"

"Y-Yes."

"They will help make your mother's life easier and assist in protecting her from threats." As he said this, he drew my attention.

"What do you mean by that?"

Surprisingly, instead of smiling and joking as he had been, he put on a serious expression.

"You may be a part of the supernatural world now, but you are still human. And your mother is a human without powers." His voice grew grim, a sudden shift from his previous tone. "The supernatural world is ruthless, Reo. The enemies you make in the future, even unintentionally, are cruel. They won't hesitate to target your family."

"That…" I felt my face frown. 

This was a concern I had at the back of my mind—my mom's safety. I hadn't considered it much because I was too absorbed in understanding my powers and this world.

Maybe I had failed to consider the most important thing: the safety of my mother.

"Of course, they are not the strongest." He glanced at the girls. "They are foolish and weak."

I could see the two of them looking sad at this.

But even they knew he was right. They were weak.

"But it's always better to have someone who can at least stand to protect the people you care about, even if they are weak," he explained. "They can at least ensure your mother's safety and help her escape from danger."

That…

I wasn't sure.

I felt guilty for not considering such a critical issue earlier.

"We can have people scout his neighborhood," Rias suggested, but Azazel instantly shook his head.

"It doesn't matter how many scouts you have when the enemy can teleport right into his house." This immediately silenced the two devil girls. "In those situations, only those closest to you can help."

He was right.

If I wanted my mother to be safe, I needed people with powers around her 24/7.

I took a deep breath.

"Can you take responsibility if they try anything?" He was a leader of a faction, a position beyond my comprehension.

Rias and Sona looked at him.

"Leaders of factions cannot make empty promises, Lord Azazel," Sona reminded him. "If they do, it can lead to wars."

War.

A supernatural war.

I could only imagine how terrifying that would be.

"I am well aware," Azazel reassured. "And yet, I am willing to make this promise."

But why?

He certainly had a hidden agenda. But what was it?

"I promise, on my name, that they will try to protect your mother with their lives."

For now, my mom was my priority.

It was risky, but for a Fallen Angel leader to make such a promise…

It carried weight.

"Make sure you think it through, Reo." Sona warned, but I had already made up my mind.

I knew Raynare and Kalawarner were prideful and unpredictable. But they seemed to fear Azazel more than anything else.

And I recalled that Raynare wanted to please Azazel. If he wanted her to protect my mother…

It meant she would do it for him.

Rias and Sona couldn't provide such maids or guards; they were short on people themselves.

So this was the only option.

"Alright." I said, "As long as they can protect my mother, I agree to have them as my maids."

"Perfect!"

I hope this isn't a mistake.

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