Jun arrived at the top of the hill where Kuoh Shrine stood, his steps calm, his breathing steady. The air up there was colder, cleaner, as if separated from the bustle of the city below.
That was when he crossed paths with someone who had just come out of the shrine grounds.
Issei Hyoudou.
"Hey… Issei, right?"
Issei stopped. His gaze immediately stiffened.
In his mind, Jun was not just an ordinary student. He was an obstacle—a figure who somehow always stood too close to the women Issei had already marked in his fantasies. The ORC club. The senpai. The small world he imagined as the stage of his future.
And now, that obstacle stood right in front of him.
Only a few steps separated them. Yet to Issei, it felt like he was facing something far larger. The difference in height and build made him feel small—not only physically, but mentally as well.
Without the Boosted Gear.
The thought flashed through his mind.
'If I don't have power… do I even stand a chance against him?'
"Y-you…" Issei spoke first, his tone sharp from nervousness. "Are you looking for Akeno-senpai?!"
Jun glanced at him briefly. There was no hostility in his eyes, only a calmness that made Issei even more uncomfortable.
"I'm not looking for her," Jun replied flatly. "She's the one who called me. There's something she wants to talk to me about."
"Eh?"
Issei jolted. His train of thought slipped for a moment.
Jun continued, his voice still calm.
"Then you… what were you doing with her?"
"That's none of your business!" Issei snapped reflexively.
Jun gave a small nod, as if accepting that answer without objection.
"I see," he said. "Then let me give you some good advice."
"W-what!?"
Jun leaned forward slightly, close enough to make Issei tense up instinctively.
"Cut down on watching JAV or porn videos."
Issei froze.
His face burned red—though it wasn't visible, the reaction was palpable even without words.
"Y-you…!"
Jun let out a short, light laugh.
"Hahaha… I'm joking," he said as he began to walk past Issei. "But seriously. If you want to be popular, don't act disgusting in front of women. They won't feel comfortable."
He paused briefly beside Issei, adding in a calmer tone.
"Unless that woman truly understands you inside and out. But that… is very rare."
Without waiting for a reply, Jun continued up the steps toward the shrine.
Issei was left there.
Silent.
His thoughts in chaos. Not because of the insult—but because, for the first time, someone's words truly shook the way he viewed himself.
Meanwhile, Jun kept walking upward.
When Jun reached the top of the hill, the atmosphere around the shrine felt far quieter than the stairway below. A gentle wind blew, stirring the leaves and the small bells hanging from the eaves of the sacred building.
There, Akeno was waiting for him.
She was wearing shrine maiden attire—red hakama and a simple white top, and yet that simplicity only made her look all the more enchanting. Her long black hair fell neatly, her smile gentle as ever, but there was a different calmness surrounding her.
For a moment, Jun stopped walking.
Not out of hesitation, but because the sight before him quieted his mind for a brief instant.
"I'm here, Akeno…" Jun finally said.
"Ara~ welcome, Jun-kun," Akeno replied with her usual smile.
...
Later, the two of them talked inside the shrine's sitting room. The atmosphere there was peaceful, accompanied only by the scent of old wood and warm tea. Yet beneath that calm, Jun sensed something unusual.
There was a trace of a powerful presence.
Not an active aura, but a lingering imprint—enough to be recognized by someone with his sensitivity.
So the gift of Ascalon to Issei has already happened, Jun thought. In that case, my calculations were correct. Two nights from now, that conference will begin. At that time, I really have to be prepared… the quest will definitely drop.
His expression unconsciously grew more serious.
"Is something wrong?" Akeno asked, watching him closely.
"Eh, no, it's nothing…" Jun replied as he reached for the glass of matcha tea Akeno had just served. He took a slow sip, trying to calm his thoughts.
Their conversation flowed lightly again. Asking about each other's well-being, talking about trivial things that had happened over the past week since they last met. Occasional soft laughter filled the room, just like usual.
And yet, something still felt different.
The feeling was subtle, almost imperceptible, but real. As if a distance was slowly forming—not because they were drifting apart, but because Akeno was beginning to doubt one fundamental thing.
Jun's identity as an "ordinary human".
After a brief pause, Jun broke the silence.
"So… what did you want to talk about?" he asked.
Akeno fell silent for a moment, then looked at Jun with a more serious expression than before.
"Yes, before that," she said softly, "I want to make sure of something. What do you think about a friend who has another identity behind your back—and that identity, according to others, is something bad?"
Jun raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Like… you're a yakuza?" he asked bluntly.
"Yes. Something like that!"
Jun fell silent. He didn't answer right away. His eyes settled on the calm surface of the tea, as if searching for an answer there. A few seconds passed before he finally spoke in a steady voice.
"Everyone has another side to themselves," he said. "In my opinion, it's not good to hide another identity from your own friends. Because one day, your friend might get dragged into trouble because of that other identity—without ever knowing anything about it."
Akeno lowered her head slightly. Her expression looked gloomy, as if those words had struck right at the mark.
But Jun wasn't finished.
"However," he continued, "it's also fine if you don't talk about it. Especially if what you do under that identity is dangerous. In that case, you might actually be protecting your friend by keeping it a secret."
"That's an ambiguous answer, Jun-kun," Akeno said softly.
Jun gave a faint smile.
"I suppose so," he replied. "I'm thinking about it from two perspectives. But in the end, the one who has to make the decision is the person themselves—how they want to act."
He looked straight at Akeno, his gaze unwavering.
"If it were me," Jun went on, "whatever my friend's identity was—even if it was labeled as bad by others—I would still treat them the same. Because I know they're not the kind of person people talk about. Often, negative views are born from outsiders, not from those who truly know them."
His tone grew a little firmer.
"And if they strayed from the right path, I would remind them. Pull them back to where they belong. Because to me, that's the essence of a true friend—standing by their side, no matter their past, no matter what their identity is now."
The room fell silent again.
Akeno didn't respond immediately. Her usual teasing smile faded, replaced by a more honest expression—a mix of confusion, relief, and emotions she couldn't quite name. For a moment, only the sound of the wind slipping through the shrine's window gaps could be heard, gently stirring the thin curtains.
"I see…" Akeno finally said softly.
Her voice was calm, but behind it lay a major decision she had just made. Jun's answer wasn't just an opinion. It was a mirror. And from that reflection, Akeno realized one thing—she couldn't keep hiding forever. If she wanted to preserve this relationship, then she had to be brave enough to stake the truth.
"Jun," Akeno called as she stood up.
She took a few steps forward, then stopped and turned her back to him. Her slender, straight back looked tense, as if she were gathering her last bit of courage.
"Yes?…" Jun turned, then his eyes widened. "W–whoa, what are you doing!!"
With a calm motion, Akeno removed the upper layer of her shrine maiden outfit, revealing her clean white back. Jun reflexively turned his face away, completely unprepared for this development.
But before he could protest any further—
The air in the room changed.
There was a subtle but distinct pressure. Not killing intent, not hostility—but presence. From Akeno's back, a pair of wings emerged.
One side was pitch black, a demonic wing that radiated the aura of the underworld. The other side was black as well, a fallen angel's wing that carried the lingering remnants of heavenly sanctity.
Two powers that should have negated each other, now coexisting within a single body.
"A–Akeno…?" Jun's voice was lower, shocked yet controlled. He didn't stand up, nor did he reach for a weapon. He only stared, trying to understand.
Akeno took a deep breath.
"Jun… you've seen it for yourself," she said softly, yet firmly. "I am a hybrid. A fallen angel and a devil."
//--//
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