"Well, actually, it's not wrong to say that."
Azazel seemed to agree with Takeyo's assessment. The reason for his fall from grace truly had been exactly that, lust and desire.
"I am Azazel, a Fallen Angel. Of course, I've never regretted my fall."
"I suppose I'm the boss of the Fallen Angels. I came here for work, after all, it's necessary to check the meeting site in advance."
Twelve jet-black wings suddenly unfurled from Azazel's back, their feathers seeming to absorb the very light around them. The sheer presence radiating from those wings demonstrated his overwhelming power as the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels!
"The Governor-General of the Fallen Angels?!" Akeno's voice carried genuine shock. "...And Takeyo? Why are you here?"
"I heard your inner call, Akeno-senpai. You were thinking about me, weren't you?" Takeyo asked with a knowing smile.
"Hmm... I really was thinking about you, Takeyo..."
Akeno nodded slightly, her expression softening.
"Oh? Boy, you have this kind of convenient power? You can rush to someone's side when you hear their call? That's really a useful ability." From the moment Takeyo first appeared, Azazel had been observing him intently.
"So..."
In an instant, Takeyo's figure vanished!
"Huh, "
"Agh!"
Azazel's expression became priceless.
'What the hell?!' After a moment of stunned surprise, Azazel realized something shocking, one of his feathers had been plucked!
"So... what exactly does Governor-General Azazel have in mind?" Takeyo looked at the black feather in his hand and asked with an innocent smile.
Perfect timing. Better to quickly pluck a feather while they weren't yet familiar with each other. It would be difficult to explain once they became friends.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the location sign-in! Sign-in level: Gold!]
[Sign-in location: The wings of the Fallen Angel Governor-General Azazel!]
[Congratulations to the host for the reward: Saint Physique]
[Saint Physique: From the light novel "A Certain Magical Index," a person who is similar to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and possesses the power of the Son of God. There are fewer than twenty people in the world, and they exist like "nuclear weapons" on the magic side. As evidence of their identity as a saint, they receive the "stigmata" bestowed by God. When the power of the "stigmata" is liberated, the saint gains abilities beyond the human domain and can conquer a city alone.]
[Ding!]
[Fusion begins!]
...
[Fusion complete!]
There was barely any sensation at all. Takeyo simply felt the saint's physique integrate directly into his body. His physical capabilities increased by approximately fifty percent, and then there was nothing else to notice.
Something like stigmata appeared on his body for a brief moment, then disappeared without a trace.
Seeing that Takeyo had casually torn off one of his feathers, Azazel scratched his head in a somewhat troubled manner.
"I'm really just here to inspect the meeting site. If I wanted to do something, would this little girl have had any chance to escape?"
How could he dare make a move on Akeno? Her father would come after him with murderous intent!
"By the way, that white light on your hand, I can feel the breath of divinity from it. You're proficient in divine techniques too? And there seems to be something else mixed in... You're really a monster."
"This is the product of fighting spirit, vitality, and will pushed to their limits."
Takeyo squeezed his hand easily, and Azazel's feather turned into energy that scattered into the air.
The feathers and wings of Fallen Angels are among their most powerful weapons. Even the four-in-one Holy Sword or Holy Demon Sword couldn't break Kokabiel's skin.
"No... I'm not asking about that. What I'm asking is whether Vali trespassing into Kuoh Academy before was also under your instruction?"
"Well, you could say that. After all, when a subordinate gets into trouble, I, as the boss, must step in to stop it."
"So, how do you plan to compensate for his mistakes? Don't tell me you think Kokabiel's actions haven't caused serious mental damage to Sona, Rias, and all their servants?"
"Huh? But didn't you kill him?"
Azazel looked somewhat dumbfounded. Why did it suddenly become his responsibility to pay compensation?
"Killing him was payment for his mistake. You have to pay for failing to properly restrain your subordinates. These are two separate things, right?"
"Um... this... well, this time I've been blackmailed by you, kid."
Azazel shook his head. How did my life as an old man become so difficult?
He knew that if they really fought, he wasn't necessarily Takeyo's opponent.
With his ability barely reaching the half-step transcendent level, he couldn't achieve a decisive victory against Vali in his Juggernaut Drive state with a single attack, but Takeyo had done exactly that.
Where did Sirzechs find this little monster?
"Well, just send over a few practical Artificial Sacred Gears. I remember you're researching those, right?"
Takeyo smiled slightly.
"Good, good. I can send a few over. I was planning to give them to the Devils as gifts anyway."
Azazel sighed.
Life is really getting harder.
Do you know that sometimes, in order to recover funds, I have to personally sell Artifacts from failed experiments?
"I won't let you take a loss."
Seeing Azazel's old face wrinkle together, Takeyo spoke up.
"Hmm?"
Azazel looked at Takeyo abruptly.
"The Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear, are you interested? I'll have him come to you for a few days after I return."
"You're really shrewd, kid. You're asking this old man to be a free tool for you." How could Azazel fail to see that Takeyo simply wanted to use him as a trainer?
"So, do you want it or not?"
Takeyo knew that Azazel, a collector at heart, wouldn't refuse.
"Yes! Why wouldn't I?"
Azazel replied without any hesitation.
Being able to study the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear was worth being a tool.
With the current strength of the Red Dragon Emperor, he really didn't have the confidence to capture him alive. If he accidentally provoked the boy into activating Juggernaut Drive, what would he do then?
"Then it's settled."
Takeyo and Azazel looked at each other and smiled.
Takeyo himself couldn't be bothered to train Issei. Here, however, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels might have a way to make him keep working hard with his perverted obsessions.
"Of course... hehehehe. But if you'd let me study you..."
"No. You should go home and sleep."
Azazel was only halfway through when Takeyo interrupted him.
No matter what he wanted to study, examining him was absolutely unacceptable.
Didn't he see how enhanced Ravel became after receiving his blood?
She directly became a Devil-level existence capable of fighting against the strength of the highest-level demons!
Look at Rias again. Although not as dramatic as Ravel, she also gained high-class power.
"Don't be so heartless. If you agree, I can give you a copy of the newly developed Artificial Sacred Gears."
Azazel gave his own terms.
Facing Azazel's temptation, Takeyo just rolled his eyes.
"You're dreaming. That's it. Akeno-senpai and I will head back first."
"Don't forget your Artificial Sacred Gears!"
Takeyo took Akeno's hand, and they both disappeared into a magic circle.
"Haa... Young people are really willful."
Azazel sighed, then went to prepare the Artificial Sacred Gears for the Devils.
On the other side, Takeyo's side.
"I remember Akeno-senpai lives at the shrine? This shrine, right?"
The figures of Takeyo and Akeno appeared on the outskirts of the shrine.
"That's right, Takeyo."
Akeno looked into Takeyo's eyes and spoke.
"Would you like to come in? Let me repay your kindness, Takeyo."
"Ah, that would be my honor."
How could Takeyo refuse such an invitation?
It would be truly sad to refuse Akeno-senpai.
"Here's some hot tea, Takeyo."
After a while, Akeno, now changed into her miko outfit, handed Takeyo a cup of hot tea.
"Thank you, senpai. I remember you're the president of the tea ceremony club."
Takeyo took a sip, well, there was indeed a special flavor to it.
"Takeyo... you said before that you knew my past through divination, right?"
Akeno spoke with a hint of vulnerability that she, who was usually full of Yamato Nadeshiko elegance, rarely showed. She now exuded the feeling of a delicate woman.
"That's right. Although senpai's past is filled with shadows, your future is bright."
Takeyo smiled warmly.
As long as she was by his side, no matter who it was, their future must be bright. Takeyo had always believed this.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for signing in! Sign-in level: Silver.]
[Sign-in location: The Fallen Angel and Devil wings of Akeno Himejima.]
[Sign-in time limit: 1 day.]
[Remaining time for sign-in: 1 day.]
After he had just said this sentence, Takeyo heard the voice of the task being completed.
"Really? You said that last time too."
Akeno smiled helplessly.
She gently removed her miko top, revealing her smooth back.
Then, wings of a Devil and wings of a Fallen Angel extended from both sides of her back.
"Even seeing me like this, are you still willing to say that, Takeyo?"
Akeno's beautiful purple eyes were filled with glistening moisture. Takeyo knew that if he said the wrong thing, two lines of tears might cross her face in the next moment.
"Two kinds of 'filthy' blood, Devil and Fallen Angel, are in my body... Perhaps I'm a woman entangled in filth and misfortune."
Akeno showed a poignant smile.
She had thought that being reincarnated as a Devil could remove the wings of a Fallen Angel from her body, but in the end, both kinds of wings coexisted.
"Akeno-senpai, have you heard a saying?"
Takeyo shook his head and walked toward her.
"What saying?"
Akeno raised her head, her eyes that had just looked down now meeting Takeyo's again.
"This saying is called..."
"Called?"
"This saying is called... the Miracle of Mixed Blood, Akeno-senpai." Takeyo paused deliberately.
"Ahem... ahem..."
Unexpectedly, Takeyo would say such a thing, and Akeno suddenly coughed.
"Akeno-senpai, I'm not talking nonsense. The Miracle of Mixed Blood has existed since ancient times. Do you know about the White Dragon Emperor from a few days ago?"
"Eh... I know..." Akeno nodded.
Perhaps because she was caught off guard by Takeyo's sudden "Miracle of Mixed Blood" comment, she wasn't as sad as before.
"The White Dragon Emperor Vali is a hybrid of human and Devil. His human identity allowed him to obtain a Sacred Gear, while his Devil identity gave him a much higher starting point than other Sacred Gear users."
"He may be called the strongest generation of the White Dragon Emperor."
"This is just one example, Akeno-senpai. In fact, there's no need to be sad because of your bloodline."
Takeyo said while gently touching the wings of Akeno.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the location sign-in! Sign-in level: Silver!]
[Sign-in location: The Fallen Angel and Devil wings of Akeno Himejima!]
[Congratulations to the host for the reward, "Technique Integration Encyclopedia"]
[Technique Integration Encyclopedia: The legendary book that can integrate all types of techniques, and the combined techniques will retain and enhance the original power!]
For Takeyo now, he thought this reward was even more useful than a gold-level sign-in!
"No need to be sad because of my bloodline?"
Akeno looked at Takeyo, somewhat dazed.
"That's right. Actually, I know that senpai doesn't hate herself for having this bloodline, but simply hates the person who gave her this bloodline."
"..."
Akeno didn't speak, which meant Takeyo had hit the mark.
"So, I have a solution to this. Senpai, would you like to hear it?"
"What method?"
Akeno looked at Takeyo with hopeful eyes.
"This method is..."
Takeyo said while continuing to touch her wings.