Chapter 24 - Aika’s Shock, Mittelt’s Jealousy, and Malrik’s Lessons

The streets were quieter now, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights as Aika and I walked side by side.

She hadn't said much since my little reality-breaking revelation, but I could tell her mind was racing.

Her arms were crossed, her brows furrowed, lips pursed as if she was trying to process the impossible.

Then, finally—

"Wait," she said, stopping in her tracks. "You're telling me that Rias and Sona—the Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri—are actual devils from powerful noble families?"

I smirked. "Yep."

Aika blinked.

"And that Akeno, Tsubaki, and even the freaking Student Council are also devils?"

"Mm-hmm."

Her eye twitched.

"And you're telling me that angels, fallen angels, exorcists, and even actual gods exist?"

"Yep," I said, popping the p.

Aika stared at me.

Then she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

Then exhaled.

Then inhaled again.

Then—

"Okay, yeah, I need a second."

She turned away, pinching the bridge of her nose.

I grinned, watching as she went through all the stages of supernatural grief in real-time.

First came disbelief, her logical mind refusing to accept what I was saying.

Then came curiosity, her brain wanting to deny it, but the puzzle pieces starting to click into place.

And then, finally—

Excitement.

"Okay," she said, taking another deep breath. "This is insane. Like, actually crazy. But…"

She turned to me, a glint of intrigue shining in her eyes.

"Kinda cool, too."

I chuckled. "I figured you'd say that."

Aika tilted her head, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Alright, hotshot. You've been holding out on me all this time, so now I gotta ask—what are you?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully.

"A devil? A half-god? Some secret royal with a tragic backstory?"

I laughed. "Nothing that fancy."

Then, flashing her a smirk, I raised my hand.

A familiar golden light flickered into existence. Arcane symbols spun in intricate patterns around my fingers, pulsating with raw energy as a glowing metallic bracelet materialized in my palm.

Aika's breath hitched as she watched, eyes widening in stunned disbelief.

I casually held out the newly-forged bracelet to her.

"Just a human," I said, grinning, "with a really broken Sacred Gear."

Aika hesitated for a moment before reaching out, touching the cool metal with tentative fingers.

The craftsmanship was flawless, far beyond anything man-made. Runes glowed faintly along the edges, giving off a gentle, pulsing energy.

She turned it over in her hands, still struggling to believe what she had just witnessed.

"Okay," she muttered, staring at me with wide eyes. "Yeah. This is definitely not normal."

I smirked, shoving my hands into my pockets as we continued walking.

"Welcome to my world, Aika."

And with that, the supernatural veil over her reality had been lifted.

For better or for worse.

—————————————

The walk home had been eventful, to say the least. Aika was still wrapping her head around the whole "angels, devils, and gods exist" bombshell I had casually dropped on her.

She had taken it surprisingly well, but that was before she saw where I lived.

The moment we turned onto the private driveway leading up to my estate, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Her jaw dropped.

Her eyes widened.

And then—

"Hold up—THIS is your house?!"

I glanced at the massive mansion ahead—sprawling gardens, marble pillars, a literal fountain with a golden dragon statue—and shrugged.

"Mansion," I corrected with a smirk. "And yes. Billionaire parents, remember?"

Aika turned slowly to face me, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish trying to process what the hell was happening.

"You—You live in a freaking palace!" she finally managed. "And here I thought you were just some rich kid—not the secret heir to a kingdom!"

I chuckled. "Technically, it's just a family estate. But yeah, I guess it is kinda big."

"Kinda big?!" Aika gestured wildly at the multi-story luxury mansion sitting on the hilltop. "Malrik, this place is so big that it probably has its own zip code!"

Before I could fire back with another witty remark, the front doors of the mansion swung open with a dramatic creak.

Out stepped a familiar blonde.

In a maid uniform.

Aika blinked.

I smirked.

And Mittelt… glared.

The tension in the air crackled immediately.

Mittelt's piercing blue eyes flicked between Aika and me before she finally settled her full glare onto the girl beside me.

Aika, still caught between awe at the mansion and confusion at the suspiciously aggressive gothic maid, simply stared back.

Then—at the exact same time—

They both pointed at each other.

"WHO IS THIS?!"

I bit back a laugh.

I should've expected this.

Mittelt crossed her arms, her bat-like fallen angel wings flickering into existence for a second before she retracted them, clearly making a point.

Aika, to her credit, barely flinched.

"Malrik," Mittelt hissed. "Who is this girl?"

"Malrik," Aika asked at the same time, voice flat. "Why the hell do you have a maid?"

I sighed dramatically.

"Alright, alright, let's clear this up before you two try to throw hands."

I turned to Aika first.

"Aika, this is Mittelt—a fallen angel who tried to kill me. So, in return, I turned her into my personal maid."

I turned to Mittelt.

"And Mittelt, this is Aika—a friend from school who I just told about the supernatural."

Aika squinted. "Wait. She attacked you… and you just hired her as a maid?"

I grinned. "Well, I didn't want to kill her. So I figured I'd do something more productive."

Mittelt scowled, her cheeks faintly pink as she averted her gaze.

"Tch. I didn't agree to this," she muttered, though her tone lacked real venom.

"Yet here you are," I shot back smoothly. "Wearing the uniform and everything."

Mittelt flushed darker, instinctively grabbing the edges of her skirt as if she had just remembered what she was wearing.

Aika stared at the scene, rubbing her temples.

"You're… ridiculous," she muttered.

"Yes," I said proudly. "Yes, I am."

Aika just sighed again, clearly done with my nonsense for today.

Mittelt, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes and gave Aika another once-over.

There was something undeniable in her gaze—not just suspicion, but competitive energy.

Aika caught it.

Her lips curled into a smirk, eyes flashing with her usual teasing sharpness.

"Ohhh, I get it now," she said in an exaggerated, knowing tone.

Mittelt bristled immediately. "Get what?"

Aika grinned, stepping closer. "You're mad because you think I'm moving in on your territory, huh?"

Mittelt's wings flared slightly before she retracted them again. "Wha—That's—! Don't be ridiculous!"

Aika giggled. "Oh, this is fun. I like you already, Mittelt-chan~."

Mittelt turned red. "Don't -chan me, you damn human!"

I sighed, watching the two go back and forth like a comedic duo straight out of an anime skit.

Yeah.

This was definitely going to be a problem.

——————————

The three of us sat in the spacious living room, a scene that would have looked completely normal… if not for the fact that one of us was a former fallen angel assassin turned reluctant maid.

I leaned back into the luxurious leather couch, casually watching as Mittelt set a tray of drinks onto the coffee table with a practiced grace that totally didn't match her scowling face.

She straightened, arms crossed, wings twitching slightly as she glared at me.

"Here. Your damn tea," she muttered.

I smirked, picking up my cup and taking a slow sip, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You seem to be enjoying your new job, Mittelt."

Mittelt's eye twitched.

Her fingers twitched.

Her entire existence twitched.

She let out a low growl, grabbing a nearby throw pillow and launching it at my face.

"Shut up, you damn human!"

I caught it with zero effort, laughing.

Aika, meanwhile, was watching everything with an obnoxiously smug expression.

"Well, well, well," she mused, sipping her drink. "Look at you, Mittelt-chan~. You're settling into the role quite nicely."

Mittelt's face darkened instantly.

"Don't -chan me!" she snapped.

Aika giggled, clearly having the time of her life.

But then, she turned to me, setting down her cup with a pointed look.

"So, magic," she said, leaning forward. "How does this work?"

I arched a brow, switching gears.

"Magic, huh?" I mused. "Alright. First thing you need to know—it's not like in fantasy movies where you just wave a wand and yell some nonsense. Real magic is based on formulas, energy flow, and mathematical principles."

Aika's face immediately shifted from interest to mild horror.

"Wait. Hold up." She raised a hand. "You're telling me magic is just fancy math?"

"Pretty much," I said with a smirk.

Aika groaned. "Ugh. I didn't sign up for homework."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mittelt smirking.

Her triumphant grin screamed:

"You're struggling? Figures."

Aika noticed.

She glared.

Mittelt tilted her head mockingly.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Can you two focus?" I said, shaking my head. "Aika, do you want to learn magic or not?"

Aika huffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. Teach me, oh wise magic nerd."

I grinned. "Good. First lesson: Energy Control."

Mittelt groaned, flopping onto the couch.

"Great. Now I have to listen to you lecture, too," she muttered.

I chuckled.

Oh, she had no idea how long this lesson was going to be.