The bell rang for lunch break. Judai got up from his seat and quickly left the classroom, having received a message from Rias. Aika watched him go, a small, unspoken invitation dying on her lips.
'I'm not that beautiful… not compared to the two Onee-sama,' she thought, a pang of self-doubt settling in her chest.
Before she could dwell on it, the three perverts approached her table. Matsuda opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
"Go bother someone else. I don't want to be a loser like you guys," she said flatly, gathering her things and walking away without a second glance.
The trio stood stunned by her unexpected hostility, a side of her they'd never seen.
"Did something happen between her and Judai?" Issei wondered aloud.
"Probably," Motohama said, patting a deflated Matsuda on the back. "Sorry, man."
"Shut up," Matsuda muttered. This felt worse than a rejection; he hadn't even gotten a chance to try.
Meanwhile, Judai arrived at the rooftop. Only Akeno was there, waiting with a playful smirk.
"Come here, Judai. Sit next to me," she called, patting the spot beside her.
'What is she planning now?' Judai wondered but complied, taking a seat.
"Ufufu~" Akeno smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She won't know what's coming."
"Did you use Rias's phone to message me?" Judai asked, already suspecting the answer.
"Yes, I did. And…" She pulled out her own phone and called his. His flip phone buzzed in his pocket. "Save that number."
"Alright," Judai said, shaking his head in amused resignation. He saved her contact.
"Here, I made another bento. Just for you," Akeno said, presenting a neatly packed lunch.
"Thank you."
"How was sleeping in the clubroom?" Akeno asked, picking up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks and holding it out to him.
Judai opened his mouth and accepted it. "It was fine."
"How is the food?"
"Well, sushi isn't really my thing, but it's good," Judai answered honestly.
Akeno nodded, filing the information away as she took a piece for herself. "What kind of food do you like?"
"Fried food with spice. Like Korean spicy chicken."
"Then I'll try making it sometime."
"You don't have to."
"It's fine. I like cooking for you," she said, her tone softening slightly.
"Okay…" Judai wasn't sure how to respond to that.
He decided to shift the conversation, asking something that had been on his mind since he first sensed her unique energy.
"If you don't mind me asking… are you half-Fallen Angel?"
Akeno's hand stilled. She looked at him, her playful mask slipping for a moment. "How did you know?"
"I can sense the energy in your body."
"Yes… I am," she admitted, her gaze dropping slightly.
"Cool."
"Cool?" Akeno repeated, surprised.
"Yeah. I remember this one character with one black feathered wing and a nodachi. He looked pretty cool."
Akeno blinked, processing his reaction. "Do you… not hate Fallen Angels?"
"Well, I hate them, especially the blonde one. But not you."
Akeno's cheeks flushed faintly. She hadn't expected that. She quickly composed herself, curiosity taking over. "What did the blonde one do to you?"
"She killed me."
Akeno's eyes widened. "Then how are you still alive?"
"I revived myself. No big deal," Judai said casually, as if discussing the weather.
Akeno stared at him, genuinely shocked. 'Rias was right,' she thought. 'He really does have a Longinus. I've never heard of a Sacred Gear that can do something like that.'
"I'm curious, how does this whole 'Devil' thing actually work?" Judai asked. Since becoming more attuned to Maryoku, he'd begun sensing more Devils around the school.
"We make contracts with humans. Through those deals, we gradually gain more power," Akeno explained.
"Oh, so it's like a normal contract system," Judai nodded.
"You could say that," Akeno said with a light chuckle.
"Then do you work under Rias?"
"Yes. We're part of her Peerage, essentially, we are her servants."
"Isn't that just slavery?" Judai asked, his expression turning serious.
Seeing his reaction, Akeno remembered Rias's earlier warning. 'She was right.'
"Can you disobey your master if she asks for something you don't want to do?"
"No," Akeno said, anticipating where his questions were leading. "But Rias isn't like that."
"I know she isn't," Judai agreed. He'd seen how Rias treated her Peerage members more like family or friends.
But another question arose. "What about other Devils whose masters do treat them horribly? Are there cases where someone leaves and gets hunted down?"
"Yes… Those are called Stray Devils," Akeno confirmed quietly.
Judai shook his head. "I guess humans and Devils aren't so different after all."
He let out a tired sigh.
"Are you disappointed in Devils?" Akeno asked softly.
"I guess I am, a little. You all seemed so kind and… normal. I forgot we were talking about actual Devils." He looked up at the sky. "But I suppose there's a good side and a bad side to everything."
Then he turned back to Akeno, deciding to lighten the mood with a more personal question.
"So, how long have you and Rias been friends?"
Akeno smiled, grateful for the shift in topic. "Since we were children. She saved me when I was being chased and nearly killed."
"So she brought you into her Peerage to protect you."
"Yes. I was very lucky to meet her. The Gremory Clan believes servants are family, and she's always treated me that way."
Just then, the rooftop door swung open. Rias stood there, holding a bento box, her expression a mix of surprise and mild irritation.
"What are you doing, Akeno?" she asked.
"Getting to know Judai a little better," Akeno said cheerfully, wrapping her arm around Judai's and hugging it close.
Rias's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Judai. "You promised we'd hang out during lunch. So why are you here with Akeno?"
"Well… she tricked me into coming here using your phone," Judai admitted.
"What? Akeno!" Rias said, disbelief clear in her voice.
Akeno was taken aback that Judai had just told the truth so bluntly. In response, she squeezed his arm even tighter.
"Judai-kun, you really shouldn't have told her that."
"Well, I kind of had to," Judai said, hiding a wince as her grip tightened. He did feel bad for making Rias feel left out again.
"Akeno," Rias said firmly.
"Yes, Rias?"
"Judai is mine. I met him first," Rias declared.
Judai blinked, surprised by her wording. Even Akeno looked momentarily stunned.
"Is that a confession I hear?" Akeno teased, a smirk spreading across her face.
"Shut up," Rias replied, her cheeks flushing slightly.