Other than the dramatic visuals, there was no pain.
Still groggy from sleep, Rod's mind took a moment to catch up, then clarity hit.
There was no way the problem was his.
With his current physical conditioning and reflexes, the instant he sensed hostile intent, his body would respond automatically. The classic "pillow-side knife incident" scenario? Absolutely impossible.
If it wasn't him…
Then it could only be Lavinia.
At that moment, the girl was sitting upright on the bed, clearly flustered and at a loss.
Rod took one look and immediately understood.
He just hadn't expected that even in a supernatural world, girls still had to deal with that monthly visitor.
It had been years, and this was the first time he'd encountered it here.
"Go wash up," Rod said calmly. "Though… shouldn't you be keeping track of this yourself?"
He genuinely couldn't imagine how Lavinia had managed in previous years if she simply forgot about it. What if it happened mid-battle? That would completely mess with your mindset.
"I know… I just forgot."
When it came to everyday matters, Lavinia was as absent-minded as ever.
Thankfully, once reminded, she snapped out of her daze, hurried out of bed, and slipped into the private bathroom attached to Rod's room.
Rod shook his head helplessly. After cleaning himself up, he went downstairs and told Raynare to prepare some brown sugar water.
"Hmm? Did something happen to Miss Lavinia?" Asia asked after finishing her prayers.
"She lost a little blood. Nothing serious," Rod replied casually.
"Lost blood? Was she injured?" Asia immediately stood up. Any lingering trace of resentment she might have harbored toward Lavinia vanished instantly, replaced by pure concern. "I'll go check on her! My Sacred Gear can help!"
"Don't. She's already taken care of it," Rod said quickly, stopping her. Then he paused, briefly wondering whether Twilight Healing would even work on menstruation.
"…Oh. Alright." Asia sat back down, though her eyes remained fixed anxiously on the stairs.
Soon enough, Lavinia came downstairs, fully dressed.
"Miss Lavinia! Rod said you were hurt. Where? Does it hurt? I don't know if I can help, but-"
"Thank you, Asia, but I'm fine now."
As she spoke, Lavinia shot Rod a faintly resentful look.
That man could really say anything with a straight face.
Just then, Kuroka yawned and stretched lazily.
"Oh right, Master I forgot to tell you something, nya. Shirone devil master said she'll be visiting tonight, nya~"
"Rias?" Rod guessed immediately.
There were only two possibilities.
Either she was coming to confront him,
Or she had thought things through and decided to change.
Most people Rod bluntly criticized, Akeno, Koneko, eventually acknowledged their shortcomings and chose to improve.
But Rias belonged to the rare minority.
She possessed an exceptionally strong sense of self. Without the cushioning effect of protagonist aura, it might even come across as excessive self-assurance.
She wanted to win everything on her own.
In many areas, she succeeded.
But in the most crucial matters, she failed spectacularly, while still maintaining unwavering confidence.
Rod didn't dwell on it.
He'd find out tonight.
"Brown sugar water's ready~" Raynare chimed cheerfully, carrying a steaming cup over.
"Miss Lavinia, drink up. Master personally ordered me to make it."
"For me?"
Realizing that, Lavinia felt a quiet warmth in her chest.
Considering her condition, Rod decided to temporarily suspend her focused training on her Longinus.
Besides, even without training, the progress bar had already climbed to eighty-five percent. The arrival of Balance Breaker was just around the corner.
As for what form it would take, Rod wasn't worried. Just as Lavinia had once advised him, let it unfold naturally.
...
Night fell.
Even after dinner, no one knocked on the door.
"You're sure it's tonight?" Rod asked Kuroka skeptically.
She had been glancing toward the entrance every few seconds.
"Shirone said yesterday they'd come tonight, nya… Did I hear wrong, nya? That's impossible. Cat ears are very sensitive, nya…"
Despite her insistence, the lack of any sign made even her begin to doubt herself.
"So… maybe the day after tomorrow, nya?"
"That shouldn't be wrong," Raynare added. "I heard it from Baraqiel's daughter too. They said they'd visit around dinner time."
She had even prepared extra dishes for the occasion.
Now everyone was full,
And not a single shadow stood outside the door.
Strange
Even if something had delayed them, they would have sent word.
But there was nothing.
Not even a familiar.
Just as Raynare was thinking this, a decisive voice suddenly rang out beside them.
"I know, nya! It must be because Master's words were too harsh, so she's standing you up on purpose to get back at you, nya!"
Rod fell silent.
Anyone else might do something like that.
But Rias wouldn't.
For all her misplaced priorities, she cared deeply about her family's honor. Of everyone present, she was the most serious when it came to maintaining her house's reputation.
While they were still debating, Kuroka's ears twitched sharply. She turned toward the window.
"I'm sensing a really strong aura entering Kuoh Town, nya! And… my little sister's there too, nya?!"
Her tone changed instantly.
"It smells similar to Raynare and the others… So is it a Fallen Angel, nya?!"
The moment she said that, the fallen angel trio's faces drained of color.
A powerful Fallen Angel aura,
Who else could that be but a Fallen Angel executive?
Had their departure from Grigori been discovered? Had someone come to drag them back for punishment?
The three of them began trembling involuntarily.
Rod, however, opened the system map.
A bright red marker was moving along the edge of Kuoh Town.
Several green markers, friendly units, were clustered nearby.
Rod frowned.
This didn't match his expectations.
Originally, Kokabiel would have made a dramatic entrance, descending with a throne, sitting in the sky as if the world were his stage, graciously proposing a "game" for the protagonists' amusement. Before that, he would even have paid Rias a courtesy visit.
Now, there had been no greeting.
And judging by the markers, the two sides were already engaged in battle.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out:
[Current Mission Boss Has Spawned]
[Objective: Defeat Fallen Angel Executive Kokabiel]
[Rewards scale according to damage dealt to the Boss. The higher the damage, the richer the reward.]
Rod's eyes sharpened
Finally, the event boss had refreshed.
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