[I'm going to take the 1st and 2nd off, have to spend it with the family]
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(Visual: Maou Alices — appearance can be imagined as Princess Alices from The Eminence in Shadow.)
Watching the stunned Maou Alices and Grayfia, Akuto spoke slowly:
"Sorry, Sirzechs-sama—I don't like sculpting men. So I made, from my own imagination, a Rias who might inherit the Maou's seat one day. Please accept it."
With that, Akuto used the excuse of "I still need to deliver Rias's figure to her in person" and took his leave first.
…
Gazing at Akuto's retreating back, Alices and Grayfia exchanged a look, their expressions faintly complicated.
"Grayfia, what do you think?" Alices asked softly.
"I believe Akuto-kun has already seen through your true identity, Alices. Otherwise, there's no way the figure he kneaded would look exactly like you."
"No, that's not what I meant," Alices shook her head.
"The moment I saw the figure, I already knew Akuto-kun had recognized who I really am."
"What I want to ask is… do you feel Akuto-kun doesn't want to inherit my position himself, and instead intends for Rias to inherit it?"
Rather than the surface-level message, Alices had been wondering from the start if there was a deeper meaning behind Akuto's words.
From her observation, Rias's power had leapt forward ever since being with Akuto—she was already close to Maou-class.
To become Maou before adulthood—if Rias kept training after she came of age, she could at least reach a level close to Serafall and the others.
By then, Rias really might inherit my Maou seat.
Of course, Alices's ideal successor was still Akuto. She just wasn't sure whether Akuto's phrasing hid another layer: that he wanted Rias to inherit the Maou's position.
That was why she posed the question to Grayfia.
…
At that, Grayfia was utterly speechless.
She'd thought Alices was asking whether "her being a woman had been exposed," but it turned out Alices was thinking about this instead?
"Alices… you really are…"
Grayfia sighed.
As expected—Alices… doesn't understand hearts~~~
Grayfia knew all too well that while Maou Alices held great love for the devil race, she had no "small love" for herself.
The thought that Alices had lived like this for so long left Grayfia suddenly exhausted.
She… truly hoped for Alices, and for herself, to be freed.
…
Visiting Day ended.
Venelana, beaming, hugged her own clay figure and returned to the Underworld with Alices and Grayfia.
Akuto headed to the old school building and personally gave Rias the figure he'd made of her.
Rias happily placed the figure on her desk, so delighted she momentarily forgot the serious matter she'd meant to tell Akuto.
Fortunately, she had a very reliable Queen.
Akeno looked at the Rias soaked in happiness, smiled helplessly, and stepped forward.
"Akuto-kun, it's a bit sudden, but there's a delight you absolutely must make time for today."
"Just now, Rias received a message from Heaven—they wish for me to deliver three extremely important items."
"An extremely important item?" Akuto asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes, that's right—an extremely important item."
"An item that supposedly signifies Heaven's firm intent to sign a peace treaty."
Akeno kept it mysterious, because even she didn't know what Heaven planned to send Akuto.
As for Akuto—he'd already guessed.
At present, Heaven was under his control, so of course he knew what they were sending.
Nothing less than the hard-won Blessing Holy Sword Heaven had managed to collect.
Back then, Excalibur was split into seven. Among them, the two strongest blades were the Blessing Holy Sword and the Dominion Holy Sword.
By Akuto's estimate, Blessing Holy Sword's quality should be close to gold.
As for Dominion Holy Sword, he judged it to be truly gold—otherwise, in the original plot, [the Dragon and the Millennial] could never have used Dominion Holy Sword to subjugate the [Evil God Vesuriel].
…
Of course, a single sword wouldn't be enough to compel Akuto to go in person.
The Blessing Holy Sword itself wasn't important; Akuto didn't care about it.
What truly mattered were two points.
First, delivering the Blessing Holy Sword expressed Heaven's goodwill toward Akuto—improving his image with Heaven and the Church, and raising his standing among the Three Factions.
Second, the envoys bringing the sword were crucial.
The envoy team had been handpicked jointly by Akuto and Heaven—it was, as far as Akuto was concerned, the main course.
A main course… he'd been hungry to taste for a long time.
…
"Ah—almost forgot that," Rias said.
Prompted by Akeno, Rias finally snapped out of her giddy state and remembered the business they and Akuto still had to handle.
"Akeno, I'm entrusting Akuto-kun to you. Make sure you get him to the appointed place—on the dot."
After delegating the task to Akeno, Rias turned back to Akuto.
"Akuto-kun, this meeting with Heaven will likely be important—might even influence Heaven's stance toward the Three-Faction Summit. I hope everything goes smoothly for you."
Although Rias had gotten Akuto's chess piece, only Akuto himself knew that he already ruled Heaven.
So Rias earnestly offered her reminder and blessing.
"Don't worry, Rias—the tri-faction peace talks will be realized."
Akuto smiled mysteriously, then took Akeno by the hand and left the old school building.
"Eh?"
Akeno hadn't expected Akuto to take her hand first; reflexively, she glanced Rias's way.
The appointment was for the evening—there was no need for Akuto to leave at noon holding her hand, was there?
Could it be… Akuto-kun wants to go on a date with me?
Seeing that Rias's expression didn't really change, Akeno hurriedly broke eye contact with her King.
…
Watching Akuto and Akeno's joined hands, Rias's eyes held a faint, hopeful light.
[Akuto, are you finally making your move on Akeno?]
[Then let me see… just how well my favorite Akuto understands a maiden's heart.]
If possible, Rias certainly hoped Akeno could serve Akuto together with her, boosting her side's overall competitiveness.
Best-case scenario, all of her peerage did—then she wouldn't have to time her intimacy with Akuto around when her peerage members weren't around.
With time, Rias's mindset had gradually shifted.
On one hand, facing so many beautiful girls, Rias felt she was running out of strength.
On the other, per Akuto's explanation, due to her bloodline's evolution, Akuto's hard-won bloodline promotion had the side effect of making it hard for Rias to conceive again.
Becoming stronger, yet losing the right to bear a child—Rias could only laugh through tears.
So, since she'd chosen to support Akuto in seeking more partners to fuel his bloodline evolution, Rias felt it best to not let water flow to a stranger's field—start with the beauties by Akuto's side, then consider others.
Akuto hadn't lied: his Succubus Bloodline—a system reward—could indeed rank up through intimacy, the more partners and the higher the quality, the faster the evolution.
…He did ask for flowers…
But the number required that way was immense. Akuto had never planned to rely on that method to advance.
He'd said it merely to win Rias's support.
Akuto knew that even if he hadn't put it that way, the considerate Rias would have agreed after a brief struggle.
Still, to make it easier on her, he chose phrasing that was easier to accept.
…
Hand in hand with Akeno, Akuto walked out of Kuoh Academy.
Because Akuto had stirred his Succubus Bloodline, Akeno—who already had some feelings for him—grew progressively flushed.
However, since the succubus trait at most provoked arousal and didn't force any compulsion, Akeno kept her basic reason intact.
"Akuto-kun, your hand does feel nice," she said.
"But holding a girl's hand without her permission is quite rude, you know~"
"Among peers, only mutual sweethearts are allowed to do that~"
That said, Akeno didn't shake his hand off—she maintained contact with Akuto.
...
Akuto, of course, noticed Akeno's reaction and replied with a smile:
"Is that so? Seeing how you went head-to-head with Rias for chances to dote on me, I thought you had a pretty good impression of me, Akeno~"
"As for me, whatever feelings you have for me, I like you quite a bit, Akeno."
With Akuto's experience—and his shamelessness—he could now say, without effort, "You do have a thing for me."
He liked that line.
Because it was both clear and vague—conveying appreciation without too bluntly exposing the other party's heart.
…
Akeno let out a helpless smile.
"Akuto-kun, the reason I said those things then was to help Rias clarify her own feelings."
"Per my little experiments, she feels displeasure when I get too close to you. Which is to say, she likes you. That's why your relationship with Rias advanced by leaps and bounds afterward. Isn't that right?"
It was a reasonable explanation—but Akuto wasn't buying it.
"So that means you're quite happy to help Rias do the things she's not in a position to do, Akeno?" he countered.
"..."
Akeno lightly bit her lip. That was, without question, an unanswerable question.
If she said yes, Akuto would very likely say something like, "Rias can't conceive—since you two are so close, Akeno, why don't you help her have a child first?"
Sighing, Akeno's gentle smile carried a hint of resignation.
"Akuto-kun, I actually do like you."
"And I don't dislike your greedy way of wanting all pretty girls."
"If I'm not mistaken, Yuumi and her church companions have already… with you."
"As for Koneko and Gasper, you've helped them begin to unravel their knots—when those are fully untied, that's likely when you 'eat' them, right?"
"As for me—just like with Yuumi, Koneko, and Gasper—you want to help Rias unravel her knot, don't you?"
"I'm sorry… my knot can never be undone."
"But I'm willing to accept you, Akuto-kun—and to stay by your side together with Rias."
"So, Akuto-kun, could you not try to peer into my heart again?"
Akeno offered herself on the condition that Akuto stop reading her heart.
Because… she didn't want to be hurt anymore.
(End of Chapter)
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