"Takeyo? Is what Onee-sama just said true?"
Sona swallowed hard, disbelief coloring her voice.
She'd just heard what sounded like a bet between Takeyo and her sister, one that Takeyo had apparently won. And now Serafall was supposed to grant him something in return.
Her first instinct was to reprimand Serafall. As a Maou, how could her sister use raw power to pressure someone like that?
But what happened next caught her completely off guard.
Seeing her sister's flustered, almost panicked retreat, it seemed... it seemed that Serafall had actually lost to Takeyo.
"Well, it's true. We did fight," Takeyo confirmed without hesitation.
There was no reason to hide it. If he wanted Serafall to honor her promise, he'd need Sona's cooperation anyway.
After hearing his answer, Sona felt her tactical analysis glasses threatening to slip off her face in shock.
She'd originally assumed Takeyo possessed Maou-level strength, which would explain how he'd dealt with Kokabiel so effortlessly. Having that kind of power wasn't entirely surprising.
But defeating her sister? Serafall was one of the current Four Great Satans of the Underworld!
The tactical analysis glasses Takeyo had given her could process battle data within a wide range above her own power level, making them incredibly practical tools.
What Takeyo could determine at a glance took processing and calculation, but for someone like Sona, who excelled at tactics and strategy, the glasses were invaluable.
"Why... why did you fight Onee-sama?" she asked carefully.
"Because of you, Sona."
Takeyo met her eyes directly as he spoke.
Sona's eyes were beautiful, the same striking color as her sister Serafall's.
"For... me?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
Sona lowered her gaze, understanding dawning.
"Yes. If I want to be someone who can stay by your side for the rest of your life, I need Serafall's approval," Takeyo explained simply.
"It must have been Onee-sama who forced you into this with her power!" Anger flickered in Sona's tone. "Next time we meet, I'm definitely going to have words with her!"
"I accepted your sister's challenge willingly," Takeyo said, reaching out to gently touch her head, calming her rising temper. "After all, I am your strongest soldier."
After they'd shared a warm moment together, Takeyo shifted topics.
"By the way, Sona, I remember you and Rias are both considered top young Devils in the Underworld, right?"
"Yes. Rias and I are both among the highest-ranked young Devils, probably in the top tier," Sona acknowledged.
It might have sounded arrogant, but it was simply fact.
"Have you ever thought about doing a Rating Game together?"
"Of course we've discussed it. As long as you don't participate, it would be fine," Sona replied.
Though Sona had earned two more Pawn pieces than Rias, Rias's Pawn pieces had mutated, making their value significantly higher than ordinary Pawns.
"I see." Takeyo nodded, gently patting her head.
This was something he'd been considering.
"Takeyo, during summer vacation... will you come back to the Underworld with me?" Sona asked just before they parted. "My parents want to meet you."
"No problem. You already mentioned this before, didn't you?" Takeyo smiled.
Sona's parents. This would essentially be meeting the family, wouldn't it?
The parent observation day had already passed. Final exams wouldn't take much longer, and summer vacation was just around the corner.
"I know. I just wanted to remind you," Sona said, lowering her head slightly.
She'd been worried Takeyo might not have time to accompany her home.
"My sister's situation is in your hands. The Student Council has been swamped today because of the observation day, so I apologize for being rude."
"Good luck with everything."
Takeyo's smile was warm and encouraging.
The one-day parent observation had been quite eventful, Takeyo reflected.
The most important discovery? Grayfia's... unique preferences. And the revelation that his supposed sister-in-law might not be a sister-in-law at all. It sounded absurd, but it was fact.
"Hmm?"
Back home and immersed in his studies, Takeyo raised an eyebrow. Just now, he'd triggered a new sign-in.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for signing in! Sign-in level: Gold!]
[Sign-in location: The wings of Fallen Angel Governor Azazel!]
[Sign-in time limit: 1 day]
[Remaining sign-in time: 1 day]
"Since Vali is in Kuoh, Azazel should be here too. After all, the Three Faction summit is coming soon. It's perfectly normal for him to arrive early," Takeyo mused.
"Hey, Yuuma?"
He called out to Yuuma Amano, who was diligently wiping the floor.
While her cleaning posture was admittedly tempting, and she deliberately angled herself to provide glimpses beneath her skirt, Takeyo, currently in serious study mode, wasn't going to let himself get distracted by such things.
"Master? What is it?" Yuuma bit her jade finger gently, striking a seductive maid pose.
This was part of her daily routine with Takeyo, though she'd never succeeded in distracting him except when he was ready for sleep.
"Would you like to see Azazel? I remember you mentioned wanting to meet him," Takeyo asked as he packed his things.
He was going out.
"I'll pass. But after I have enough strength, I'll definitely meet him," Yuuma said, her eyes narrowing with dangerous light.
She wanted to defeat the Governor of the Fallen Angels and prove she was the strongest Fallen Angel.
This was part of a bet between her and Asia, whoever achieved their goal first would be recognized as the first angel under Takeyo's command. Yuuma wanted to become the strongest Fallen Angel, while Asia aimed to become the strongest Angel.
Perhaps because of this competitive mindset, both she and Asia had already reached the highest level of Maou-class strength. Reaching true Maou level was only a matter of time.
After all, ten-winged Angels and Fallen Angels should naturally possess Maou-level power.
Hearing Yuuma's answer, Takeyo gently tapped her head with his hand, then headed out.
Every time Yuuma tried to seduce him but failed, she received a light karate chop as punishment.
"Ow..." She stuck out her small tongue beneath the painless strike, her eyes showing not the slightest hint of having learned her lesson.
Another failure. Master is displeased with me. Next time, I'll work even harder to seduce him!
"Hmm?"
The moment Takeyo stepped outside, information from one of his avatars reached him.
The avatar of Narasimha had picked up someone's call through its connection ability.
"Well, it's on the way. Might as well take a look," Takeyo said, glancing at the sunset over Kuoh.
He took a gentle step forward and instantly arrived at the designated location.
A Few Minutes Earlier
Following her agreement with the client, Akeno Himejima arrived at the appointed place once more.
This was an upscale residential area. Even renting here cost a substantial amount each month.
Akeno knew her client must be wealthy. Yesterday, she'd received generous payment for just a small task.
So today, when she received another commission, she came again as agreed.
In principle, clients who'd successfully completed one transaction could become regular employers afterward.
Regular employers had priority, especially rich and generous ones.
"Ara ara..."
With a flash of her magic circle, Akeno appeared inside the employer's home.
"Oh, Miss Devil is here. My request is the same as yesterday. I'll leave it to you," said the uncle lounging on the couch playing video games, yawning in an utterly unstylish manner.
He looked like the perfect embodiment of a lazy middle-aged man.
"I understand. I'll call you when it's ready," Akeno said with a professional business smile.
She entered the kitchen, summoning a magic circle in her hand. An apron materialized.
"I never expected I'd be doing the kind of work Kiba-kun does someday," she murmured with mild amusement.
Yuuto Kiba did have jobs helping tired working women with cooking.
"Oh my, these ingredients are here today? Then let's make that after such a long time." Seeing the available ingredients, potatoes and meat, Akeno decided on her main dish.
Potato stew. A dish that carried memories for her.
Time flowed quietly, until...
"This is..."
Akeno spotted a black feather in the corner of the room. Her eyes narrowed instantly.
She knew this black feather all too well!
"Sir, your meal is ready."
Akeno brought dish after dish to the middle-aged man.
"Oh, your cooking still looks as delicious as ever," Azazel praised.
That's right, it was him who'd hired Akeno to cook at his home.
"Thank you. Just take one of the calligraphic works hanging there as payment. I don't know exactly what I paid for it, but it should be enough," he said casually.
Akeno understood this meant she should leave after fulfilling the commission. Yesterday, she'd been told to leave first after finishing the cooking as well.
"Payment isn't necessary. I want to ask you a question," Akeno said respectfully.
However, Azazel sensed the restless aura around the girl, indicating her unsettled state of mind.
"Oh? What does Miss Devil want to ask me?"
Azazel's hand rested casually on the sofa, his posture relaxed.
"What I want to ask is, what is your relationship with Baraqiel?"
Though Akeno was smiling, the light flickering around her body betrayed her turbulent emotions.
"Ah? Exposed already? Hahaha... I didn't expect to be caught so quickly," Azazel scratched his head lazily.
He'd thought he could let Baraqiel enjoy the warmth of his daughter's cooking a bit longer, but he'd been exposed on just the second day.
He'd heard that Baraqiel seemed to miss his daughter greatly, so yesterday he'd asked Akeno to prepare a meal.
After Akeno left, he'd called Baraqiel from Grigori to share the food.
Baraqiel had burst into tears after just one bite. So Azazel decided to order another meal today.
Hearing Azazel's words, Akeno understood, he did know Baraqiel!
"What are you doing in Gremory territory? And what is your relationship with that man?" Akeno demanded sharply.
A golden magic circle appeared in her hand.
She generally referred to Baraqiel as "that man" because of her inner hatred toward him.
"Well, don't be so hasty," Azazel spread his hands. "Haven't you heard? This town is hosting the Three Faction summit soon."
"So the appearance of Angels and Fallen Angels is perfectly normal, right?"
So much for enjoying Baraqiel's daughter's cooking this summer, he thought ruefully.
"Then what is your relationship with Baraqiel? Even if Fallen Angels come to Kuoh, there's no need to specifically hire Devils from Kuoh for cooking, is there?"
Akeno pulled out a black feather.
She couldn't be more familiar with the aura on this feather, it belonged to her biological father, the bastard Baraqiel who hadn't protected her mother!
"Huang..."
With a burst of golden light, the girl's question received its answer.
"His name is Azazel. You can call him the Governor of the Fallen Angels, a Fallen Angel who fell because he yearned for women," Takeyo said, casting a teasing look at Azazel.
☆☆☆
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