[9] Taking Asia to my home

The sun was setting.

The glow of the evening light painted the road in vibrant colors.

"Combat is so exhausting, isn't it?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha rubbed her sore shoulders, feeling like her entire body was weighed down with lead.

Koneko-chan was so small and cute—but so violent in battle.

Should she say… as expected of a senior devil?

"This is just the beginning."

Kuroki Ren said, "And cheer up. We've got other things to do."

Utaha asked curiously, "What else?"

"Find a nun."

"Eh? My devil master, are you already going after nuns now?"

"It's not like that."

Ren explained, "She should be connected to those Fallen Angels."

If he remembered correctly, that was indeed the case.

But with the world being the way it was, he couldn't be entirely sure.

"Uh..."

Utaha blinked, pointing to the side:

"Are you talking about that girl?"

"Hmm?"

Ren followed her gaze, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Damn."

Standing there was a girl dressed in a nun's habit, with dazzling golden hair.

At that moment, the girl was staring longingly at a hamburger shop, constantly swallowing her saliva.

This girl… might be surprisingly easy to read.

Utaha's eyes flashed as she looked at the young nun.

Realizing that Kuroki Ren had no ill intentions toward the girl—and already embracing her role as his queen—she decided to help him out of the situation.

Taking a few quick steps forward, Kasumigaoka Utaha offered warmly, "Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Eh?" the girl responded.

Kuroki Ren saw this scene and nodded in satisfaction.

Not bad!

Kasumigaoka Utaha was already a qualified peerage queen.

...

The sky gradually darkened.

Inside the hamburger shop, Kuroki Ren and the two girls sat facing each other.

On the table, besides hamburgers, there were also various snacks.

Looking at the food in front of her, Asia looked a little conflicted.

Although she was very hungry, it felt a bit awkward to just sit down and eat with strangers.

She wanted to leave, but she was truly starving.

"Don't just stare, eat something. It's on me."

Kuroki Ren looked at the girl, whose emotions were written all over her face, and said with a hint of amusement, "Or are you saying you think these are junk food and are beneath you?"

"No, how could I?"

Asia shook her head flusteredly, then whispered, "Then... then thank you."

After speaking, Asia picked up a hamburger and began to eat.

At first, Asia ate in small bites, then faster and faster, her cheeks puffed out, her face full of satisfaction:

"Delicious, it's really too delicious."

Utaha subconsciously asked, "Have you never eaten a hamburger before?"

"No."

Asia shook her head. "The Church doesn't have things like this, only bread."

"..."

Utaha fell silent.

What kind of life had this girl lived?

Was the Church really that harsh on nuns?

It wasn't until Asia finally couldn't eat anymore that Kuroki Ren said, "Asia, can we talk now?"

"Ah! How do you know my name?"

Asia's eyes widened. "Have we met before?"

"Today's the first time we've met, but I just know."

Ren said, "A nun who can heal others—you're probably the only one, right?"

What?

This, this, this, this, this!

Asia was stunned at first, then her body began to tremble slightly.

Could it be that the two kind people in front of her were also Fallen Angels?

She had just escaped…

Unconsciously, Asia's expression turned sorrowful.

This must be because her faith wasn't devout enough, and the Lord had sent down punishment.

What is this girl even thinking?

Looking at Asia's wonderfully changing expressions—

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't do you any harm."

Ren explained, "We're not from the Church, and we're certainly not Fallen Angels either."

Asia was startled for a moment, then her pretty face flushed completely red.

Asia Argento, what are you thinking? How could you suspect the benefactors who gave you food? She reprimanded herself.

"Master is right, because we're devils, you see."

Kasumigaoka Utaha revealed a classic villain-like smile.

"D-De... devil?"

After being hit with one shock after another, Asia's body completely stiffened.

"My my, why are you scaring her?"

Shaking his head helplessly, Kuroki Ren said,

"Although we are indeed devils, we truly mean you no harm."

Meeting Ren's sincere gaze, Asia gradually calmed down.

If it was this person... then he could be trusted.

For some reason, that thought naturally surfaced in her mind.

"Master, why weren't you this gentle with me back then?"

Utaha muttered a little jealously.

Couldn't this Master speak normally?

Why was it that when he was with her, his head was always full of dirty thoughts?

"Is that so? I thought you liked that kind of communication."

"Perverted Master, do you have some misunderstanding about what 'like' means?"

"Why didn't you say that when we were replenishing each other's magic?"

Upon hearing this, Utaha's cheeks flushed red, but she couldn't refute it.

In her mind, all she could see were the scenes from that time.

Ren glanced at her in surprise.

Why did it feel like Utaha's usual sharp-tongued retorts had lost their edge?

However, the most important matter right now was Asia, so Kuroki Ren turned back to her and continued, "You must be homeless now, right? If you don't mind, I still have a spare room at my place."

"Really?"

Asia's eyes widened, filled with joy and disbelief.

Ever since being expelled from the Church, she had been wandering without a home.

Those words were just too overwhelming for her.

"Of course!"

Kuroki Ren smiled slightly.

...

At Kuroki Ren's house!

After answering a few questions, Asia had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Utaha sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at Ren with a surprised expression: "It's truly unexpected. My perverted Master actually isn't doing anything?"

"What do you think I would do?"

"After all, she's a beautiful young girl. At the very least, I thought you'd forcefully make her your peerage member."

Ren took a juice from the refrigerator, took a sip, and said, "Her faith in the Lord is very strong—it's not that simple."

Thinking back on Asia's experiences, Ren felt a bit conflicted.

He admitted he wasn't a good person.

But he also believed he hadn't sunk to the point of having no bottom line.

Besides, a so-called peerage member meant nothing if it wasn't of her own will.

Looking at Ren, Utaha felt like her understanding of him had been refreshed.

Her Master was really complicated.

But somehow… that just made him even more attractive.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should rest first."

Kuroki Ren stretched and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

Utaha asked subconsciously.

"Nothing much. This is my childhood friend's territory—since I've gotten some intel on those Fallen Angels, how could I not take action?"