Akeno poured the steaming tea with her usual grace, her movements elegant and deliberate. The sound of the liquid hitting the cup was almost hypnotic in the quiet shrine.
"Here's some tea," she said softly, her voice carrying a note of calm that contrasted with the faint tension in the air.
"Ah, thanks a lot."
I lifted the cup and turned it three times, just like I had seen done before. One, two, three. The scent was rich, but the first sip hit me with an unexpected bitterness. My expression must have given me away because Akeno covered her mouth, chuckling quietly.
"It's bitter, isn't it?" she teased, her violet eyes glimmering with amusement.
"Yeah, it's not exactly what I expected," I admitted with a smirk.
The mood was light, but something about Akeno's gaze changed. Her eyes lingered on me, the warmth fading, replaced by an emotion I couldn't quite name.
"Did you… work with Michael-san on the sword present here?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes," she nodded gently, her tone steady. "In this shrine, the specific modification ceremony for Ascalon was held. It was… quite an experience."
"I see," I said, admiring her calm demeanor, unaware of the storm brewing inside her.
After a moment of silence, Akeno spoke again, her voice lower and more fragile.
"Can I ask you something, Ise-kun?"
"Of course."
She hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. "Do you… hate fallen angels?"
Her words froze me for a second. I didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I know what she is trying to say.
Akeno didn't wait for my reply. Instead, she stood slowly and turned her back to me. Then, without a word, two wings unfurled from her back.
One was the dark, leathery wing of a devil. The other, pure black feathers—fallen angel wings.
The contrast was jarring and yet… strangely beautiful.
"I was born between the leader of the fallen angels, Barakiel, and a human," she said, her voice trembling faintly as she looked down. "These are my wings. The wing of a devil and the wing of a fallen angel. I possess both."
Her hand reached back, gripping the black feathers tightly, almost as if she wanted to rip them out.
"They're dirty wings… wings that don't belong anywhere," she continued bitterly. "While hating these feathers, I met Rias and became a devil. But what was born after that was even worse—a creature with both fallen and devil wings. A more disgusting being."
Her laugh was soft, but it carried pain.
"Fufufu… I suppose it suits me, doesn't it? A woman with tainted blood in her veins."
I stood, watching her in silence. The way she said it—self-loathing hidden beneath a layer of practiced humor—it hurt to hear.
"How do you feel, Ise?" she asked suddenly, turning to face me. Her eyes shimmered faintly with unshed tears. "After hearing that? You hate fallen angels, right? They killed you once, they killed Asia-chan once, and they tried to destroy this city. There's no way you can hold any good thoughts about them."
I walked closer to her, my footsteps echoing softly against the shrine floor. She looked down, her hands still clutching those black feathers like they were a curse she couldn't escape from.
For a long moment, I said nothing. I just looked at her—at the woman who smiled so brightly every day, who teased everyone in the club with her confident charm, yet was carrying this deep wound inside.
Finally, I spoke quietly, my words steady but carrying a faint smile.
"Akeno-san…"
She lifted her gaze, her expression uncertain.
"I don't find you disgusting," I said. "Actually…" I took another step closer, my tone becoming playful. "I find it very sexy."
Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting that. A breathless laugh escaped her lips, breaking the tension that had been suffocating us both.
"Sexy…? You really are hopeless, Ise-kun."
"Maybe," I shrugged, smiling. "But I mean it. Your wings, your strength, even your pain—it's all part of who you are. And that's what makes you… Akeno Himejima."
She blinked, her lips curling into a gentle smile, and for the first time since showing her wings, her eyes softened.
"...You always know how to say the right thing," she whispered.
"And contrary to popular belief, I hate Fallen Angel. My first time was with a fallen angel."
"What?" Akeno said.
Oops, I said something I shouldn't have.
~~~
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