[17] : Akeno: I Was Here First!

Aside from the little incident on his way to school, the morning passed peacefully.

By the time afternoon rolled around, it was once again time for club activities.

Before leaving his classroom to head to the old schoolhouse, Bokue Keikain took a quick look at his phone.

Yesterday, after wrapping up the matter with the Special-Grade Curse, he and Saeko Busujima had exchanged contact information—on the assumption that if he really could destroy Sukuna's fingers, the Jujutsu Association would undoubtedly take notice once they heard about it.

But since it was now afternoon and he still hadn't received any messages, it seemed the Association's higher-ups were probably still arguing things out. Most likely, nothing unexpected would happen today.

❁❁❁❁

Sure enough, at the old schoolhouse—

Just like yesterday, the familiar reception room found Rias, Akeno, and Koneko already waiting there, enjoying some casual afternoon tea. Hearing footsteps from behind, Rias turned her head and caught sight of Bokue entering. A bright smile lit her lovely face.

"Good afternoon, Bokue. Come sit—"

She tapped the empty spot beside her on the sofa, indicating he should sit next to her.

But as soon as Rias spoke, Akeno—seated on the opposite couch—lifted her hand to her cheek and giggled softly.

"Oh my, President. You really do like Bokue, don't you? Always wanting him right there by your side."

"Uh—?!"

Rias clearly hadn't expected such a direct comment from her best friend. Her cheeks instantly bloomed with pink.

"C-Cut it out, Akeno! I just meant the seat next to me was open, and it's easier if Bokue sits here. You've already got Koneko on your side, so if Bokue also sat there, it'd look like a boss lecturing two employees or something."

"Ara, is that so?"

Akeno, still wearing that serene smile, turned her gaze toward the white-haired girl at her side.

Koneko: "..."

If Akeno-senpai usually gave off a warm big-sister vibe, right now she was radiating a weird, silent pressure. In situations like this, there's a saying about "wisely giving way to spare trouble"

The petite girl needed less than a second to make her decision. She raised her hand.

"In that case, I'll move over by President Rias. Bokue-senpai can sit here."

"Ah—don't bother! Really, it's fine!"

Rias—watching Bokue get half ushered, half escorted toward the other side—almost stomped her foot in exasperation. She stood up from her seat, motioning with one hand for Koneko to remain where she was, while her other hand grabbed Bokue's shirt sleeve as he came closer.

"We'll just do it like this, okay? Akeno, if you want him so much, he can sit with you tomorrow! Seriously..."

Crackle!

Like static sparking on a dry winter day, a tiny flash of white popped between Rias's fingertips and Bokue's sleeve. The red-haired girl let out a small cry, releasing his shirt at once.

"Eek—what was that...?"

She stared at her hand in confusion, shaking it like she'd been scalded. Akeno shot to her feet, eyes widening in surprise.

"That looked like...Holy power? Bokue, did you stop by the church today or something?"

"Church? No, I didn't."

He was just as puzzled. He'd never practiced any faith—certainly not gone to a church for prayers. But then he recalled something from that morning...

"Oh—actually..."

Bokue made a small fist and tapped his palm, describing the moment he helped a blonde nun pick up her headscarf earlier.

Akeno leaned in to examine the sleeve. "Indeed, there's a faint trace—so weak you almost wouldn't notice—but it's definitely holy energy. For humans, it's harmless; you probably couldn't even feel it. But for us Devils, it's Highly unpleasant. Even being near a church is uncomfortable for a Devil, so I'd guess you accidentally picked up a bit of Holy power when you touched the nun's headscarf."

"Oops—my bad."

Understanding now, Bokue pressed his palms together in apology. He channeled golden Spiritual Power around himself, instantly purging every wisp of sacred aura.

Meanwhile, with the situation clarified, Rias sat back down. Reflecting on what just happened, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"That is strange, though. Ordinarily, only Higher-level clergy with real abilities get items infused with Holy power. They usually serve important roles in the Vatican or major European churches, performing miracles and gathering faith—ranking above most local leadership. So why would someone like that be assigned here...to Japan?"

"Good question," Bokue replied with a shrug. "I asked, but she didn't really want to talk about it."

Then he noticed Rias was still rubbing her hand. "By the way, are you okay? Did it burn?"

"I'm... hmm, not exactly fine—"

She nearly said "I'm okay" out of habit, but then she shifted tactics. Smiling sweetly, she lifted her hand to show slightly pink fingertips.

"Look, it's a bit swollen. I hear humans sometimes use saliva on an injured area to help it heal. You wouldn't abandon me now, would you...?"

Her eyes glimmered with suggestive warmth, and she brought her hand so close to Bokue's lips he could feel the heat of her skin. This was heading down a reckless path fast—but across from them, Akeno gave a pointed little cough.

"Ahem. President, aren't we forgetting why we asked Bokue to come? Didn't we promise to discuss official business once he was here?"

"Ugh, Akeno, you...!"

Flustered at having her rare opportunity thwarted, Rias shot her friend a mildly annoyed look. Then she cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"Fine, we'll start with the main issue—"

"Last night, we detected the presence of Fallen Angels near Kuoh Academy."

"We don't know exactly who they are or what they want, but keep your eyes open for the next few days."

❁❁❁❁

At the same time, in a hillside church northwest of Kuoh Academy, rays of afternoon sun shone through lofty stained-glass windows, illuminating the towering European-style architecture.

A long-haired woman stood on a raised platform; Great, Dark Angel Wings extended behind her, clad in minimal attire that highlighted her curvaceous figure.

She was addressing the small group assembled below.

"You all understand the plan, right? Over the coming days, our mission is simple—wipe out every Devil in this city. Leave nothing behind!"

"Understood!" (x3)

"Heehee, got it~"

Their voices overlapped in varying tones of confirmation. Satisfied, the dark-winged woman nodded. Then she leapt lightly from the platform, landing among them.

She approached one figure—a shy, Gold-haired nun, head bowed more than anyone else—and ran her tongue over her lips, eyes gleaming.

"You're on board, too, aren't you, Asia? Don't worry. God brought us exiles together here so we could face trials and earn our way back into His embrace. You do understand that, right?"

"I... yes, I understand..."

❁❁❁❁

Update Schedule: 21 Chapter/week.

Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter