If we reach 100 power stones, there will be extra chapters.
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"Buchou, what do you think about what Yuu-kun has in mind?"
For Rias to become stronger...
It was a question that had been bound to come up ever since Yuu had made that casual promise at his house when they went to visit him.
"Buchou, are you listening?"
Akeno raised an eyebrow at Rias.
The red-haired girl was sitting elegantly on a couch, legs crossed. In her hand was a manga. Specifically, a shoujo manga with covers full of cherry blossoms and big-eyed protagonists. She looked up from the pages and met Akeno's gaze.
"I don't know."
Rias said that before turning another page.
"You don't know?"
"But that doesn't really matter. The fact that he decided to help me is enough."
Akeno tilted her head slightly. She found Rias's tone rather curious.
"Enough? Buchou, is it because you want to strengthen your relationship with him?"
Rias stopped reading. Her eyes, the color of clear blue skies, met Akeno's for a brief moment. Then she nodded.
"You're not wrong. I want Yuu to belong to me."
Not just as a member of her peerage.
Akeno's eyes widened. She brought a hand to her mouth before a teasing smile spread across her face.
"Ara ara~ Buchou, have you fallen for him? It's the first time I've heard you speak so intensely about wanting someone."
Rias crossed her arms, which naturally made her big boobs shift with the motion, then turned her attention back to the manga.
"Really? So my guess was right?" Murmured Akeno, looking genuinely surprised.
It wasn't common to see Rias Gremory express such direct interest in anyone.
After a second or two, Rias finally spoke again.
"I'm not in love."
She turned another page before continuing.
"But Yuu really does seem like the kind of knight who'd save a princess in distress. If I ever fall in love... I want the person I give my heart and body to be that kind of person. Someone who'll protect me."
Akeno quietly watched her King for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.
"Buchou... have you been reading a lot of romance manga lately?"
Rias looked up with a completely serious expression.
"And what if I have?"
Akeno waved her hand playfully.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just... you're starting to sound like a shoujo heroine."
"Akeno."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
But there wasn't any real venom in her words. Rias simply returned to her manga, though a faint blush colored her cheeks now.
Akeno smiled to herself and sat down on the couch across from Rias. She took her teacup, which had gone a little cold by now, and sipped it.
'So that's what this is…'
Rias Gremory wasn't in love. But she'd found someone who had caught her attention. Someone who, in her mind, had the qualities of those idealized knights from her favorite manga.
A demon princess longing for a knight... It was kind of sweet, in a way.
Though Akeno suspected that Rias didn't realize how obvious all of this was. Or maybe she did, and just didn't care to hide it.
"By the way, Buchou. What'll you do if Yuu-kun already has someone else?"
Rias stopped reading again.
"You mean that blonde girl who's always with him?"
"Mm. Yue-san."
Rias closed the manga and placed it on the table in front of her. She leaned back on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look before speaking slowly.
"Then... I'll just have to make sure he chooses me."
"Ara ara... How competitive, Buchou."
"You think that's being competitive? I think it's just knowing what I want."
Rias had always known what she wanted. Since she was a child, she'd made quick decisions and chased her goals without hesitation.
If she wanted Izumi Yuu to belong to her, then she'd do whatever it took to make that happen.
Of course, first she'd have to figure out what the hell he actually had in mind to make her stronger. When he'd promised to make her stronger than Riser no matter what, her heart had skipped a beat.
"You know, Akeno?"
"Yes?"
"Sometimes I wish my life were more like these manga."
"In what way?"
Rias lifted the manga and looked at it wistfully.
"In the sense that everything was more colorful and simple. The boy meets the girl. The girl falls in love. The boy saves her. And they live happily ever after."
She wished for that. For her life not to be decided by her family. Who to marry, who to spend the rest of her life with... she wanted to be the one to choose. To choose someone she truly loved.
Being treated like merchandise to raise her family's status... being sold off to Riser Phenex. That pervert who loved toying with women. That man who looked at her with lust, seeing only her body, not her heart.
It all disgusted her.
Akeno smiled sadly.
"But our life isn't a manga, Buchou."
"I know. That's why I keep reading them."
The Occult Research Club room fell silent again. Only the sound of turning pages and Akeno's occasional sip of tea broke the calm.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink.
"Yahallo!"
The door burst open, and a handsome young man with a wide grin walked in.
He exaggeratedly sniffed the air, like a dog catching a scent, and said confidently.
"Umu... smells like someone was thinking about me."
Rias flinched as the loud "Yahallo!" shattered the peaceful silence of the room.
What the hell...?
She quickly looked up toward the door and saw Yuu with a carefree smile on his face. The golden-haired girl was standing next to him. And surprisingly, Koneko was walking behind them, looking about the same size.
Koneko stepped into the room and stopped in front of Rias.
"Buchou... I'm sorry."
Rias blinked. She closed the manga she'd been reading and set it down on the table.
"Why are you apologizing, Koneko?"
"For bringing this noisy senpai..."
I was forced.
Koneko raised her little finger and pointed at Yuu without changing her expression.
"Hehe~ I'm flattered."
Yuu placed a hand on Koneko's head and gently patted her like a pet. She quietly nibbled on a piece of dried fish from the box Yuu had given her, neither protesting nor moving away.
Surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind his touch. It felt nice. She wanted to curl up and nap under that warm hand stroking her white hair.
'My cute Rook is about to be tamed and stolen from me.'
Rias felt a strange twist in her chest.
She sighed softly and stood up from the couch. Straightening her uniform, she greeted them.
"Yuu, Yue-san. Welcome to the Occult Research Club room."
Akeno also stood, wearing her elegant smile.
"Ara~, what a pleasant surprise. Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?"
Yuu glanced around the room with curiosity.
"Wow, pretty nice place. Does it always smell like coffee in here?"
"Of course. Akeno loves coffee."
"Ah, I see. I like coffee too. Makes me wanna sleep."
Shouldn't it be the opposite? Akeno chuckled as she went to prepare some for the guests.
Yue followed Yuu silently and sat beside him. Koneko, meanwhile, stood near Yuu for a moment before finally sitting on the floor beside his feet, still eating her fish.
Rias watched the scene with a neutral expression, though inside she was fighting the urge to comment on how her Rook was acting like a domesticated kitten.
'This is Yuu's fault. Definitely.'
Soon after, Akeno served tea for everyone. Yuu's eyes followed her long ponytail as it swayed behind her. It was really long that the tips brushed the floor even while she stood.
Yuu accepted his cup with a smile and took a sip.
"Mm, pretty good. Did you make this, Akeno?"
"Fufu~ thank you. It's my specialty."
"I can tell. It tastes like coffee made with love. Though there's probably some dark secret I definitely don't wanna know."
Akeno laughed softly at his joke while covering her mouth with one hand.
"Ara~ Yuu-kun. You're quite perceptive."
Rias sat across from Yuu, crossing her legs and resting her chin on one hand. She watched him with slightly narrowed eyes.
"So, Yuu. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Yuu set his teacup on the table and smiled.
"Ah, right. About that... I came to talk about what I mentioned before. You know, the whole 'making you stronger' thing."
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