[28] : [BONUS] - You All Know What I’m About to Do, Right?

~ This is Bonus Chapter after Reaching 100PS. Im still Posting Another one today!

~ Thank you!

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Becoming a member of the Gremory family… as a Devil's servant?

The question came so abruptly that it completely blindsided the blonde nun—she had zero mental preparation. Sitting on the couch with wide eyes, Asia looked like a startled kitten, blinking in bewilderment.

"Huh? M-Member…? What does that mean?"

"It means becoming part of our family," Akeno answered smoothly. She sidled closer to the boy on her left, sliding herself until their waists practically touched and their shoulders leaned together.

"Oh, right—there's one more thing we forgot to mention, Asia. The Gremory household… are all Devils."

Whoosh—

With those words, to prove her claim, Akeno offered a playful smile and made a small gesture. A moment later, two bat-like black wings appeared on her back.

One of those wings was in plain view for Asia to see, while the other snaked behind her—draping itself over Keikain Bokue's shoulder and pulling her body even closer to him.

From the other side of the couch came Rias's mildly annoyed voice.

"Akeno, your wing is jabbing into my space!"

"Ah—sorry, sorry. I was just trying to show Asia, but it sort of—"

Still smiling, Akeno didn't withdraw; she looped both arms around Bokue's, her soft voice dropping.

"Anyway, let's scoot over a bit. Devil wings might not be a main weapon, but if I accidentally brush someone, it can sting."

With that, she pressed her well-endowed figure against Bokue's arm, pulling him closer.

This move caused the red-haired girl's temple to throb with visible frustration.

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Meanwhile, on the opposite couch, Asia finally caught up.

"So that means… Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai and Koneko-chan are all… Devils?!!"

"Yes, that's correct."

Half her weight resting on Bokue's side, Akeno answered with an easy nod.

"What about Bokue-san, then?!"

"I'm just human," Bokue said.

"O-Oh… that's a relief…"

Asia let out a tiny breath of relief—then realized how that sounded, guilt flickering across her face. What do I mean, "that's a relief"?! That line of thinking was exactly the mindset the Church had pounded into her: to loathe devils on principle.

In her old congregation, if you didn't spit venom whenever devils came up, your loyalty was questioned. Even she—a steadfast believer—had been exiled as a heretic simply because her power could heal devils, too.

Yet here was a human Onmyoji, living in friendly coexistence with pureblood devils.

Is this Japan's exorcism culture being super open-minded, or did the devils already conquer Japan in secret?

Asia felt her head spin.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, in Onmyoji circles, I'm also considered half a heretic."

Bokue gave an unconcerned shrug.

"Sure, mainstream Onmyoji tradition is all about fighting monsters and curses. Even some Elders in my family cling to that 'Humans versus Demons' mindset. But I had some experiences when I was younger, so I base my friendships on a person's heart—not on species or affiliation.

"Seriously, look at Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine. They have the Eastern High Commander of Japan's Youkai—she's a Nine-Tailed Fox who literally partners with the official meteorological bureau for weather patterns. You don't see Onmyoji storming the shrine to kill her, do you? They can't just pick easy targets and ignore the ones they fear.

"At the end of the day, you can't rely solely on which 'side' someone belongs to. That's not how real trust works."

"Exactly."

Seeing Bokue wrap up his rant, Rias, now in a slightly better mood, chimed in:

"And for example, Akeno used to be a shrine maiden—but now she's my 'Queen.'"

"Q-Queen?" Asia gawked. "So Akeno-senpai is your… wife?"

"Not that kind of queen!" Rias blurted, waving her hands. "I mean Queen as in a chess piece. We Devils assign roles to our servants using chess: I'm the 'King.' Akeno is my 'Queen.' Koneko is the 'Rook.' Sure, in many devil families, the King is male and their chosen Queen is female, and they sometimes marry. But it's not mandatory. My brother and I certainly don't do that."

"Your brother…?"

"Akeno?" Rias gestured, letting her friend explain.

Akeno took over gently. "Sirzechs-sama—the President's older brother. He's one of the Four Great Maou in the Underworld."

The Four Great Maou?!

Asia's green eyes went wide. "Wow… I never knew Rias-senpai's brother was such a major figure…"

"Anyway," Rias pressed, "it's like if I were a students president, Akeno would be my vice president, Koneko my captain of the sports club, that kind of thing. In Western chess terms: King, Queen, Rook, Knight, Bishop, and so on.

"So if you joined us, Asia, you'd likely take the 'Bishop' role. That way you could see Bokue all the time and support him in battles—like healing him if needed. We'd never cast you aside like your old church did."

Of course, none of them had ever actually seen Bokue injured…

"Never Gonna Give You Up~"

From nowhere, Bokue hummed that old-school tune under his breath.

"...."

Next second, Akeno giggled out loud and pressed a finger to his cheek, halting him before he went further.

That comedic beat unavoidably cracked the serious mood. Rias couldn't help rolling her eyes, while Koneko turned her head, hiding a tiny smirk behind a snack.

Asia—unaware of the meme—just blinked in confusion but said nothing.

"So… if I joined, I could fight with Bokue-san…? I see. Alright, but… I need time to think about it."

"Of course," Rias said graciously.

As the conversation was winding down, Bokue suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out, reading a short text from Saeko Busujima:

—[Could we meet after your club activities end? I need to talk to you.]

—(Attached was a selfie of her waiting at the school gate…)

Looks like the Jujutsu Association finally decided on something…

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