Chapter 90 – The Problem with the Holy Swords
On the other side of town, after the battle had finally ended, Shin Akira returned home with Rias Gremory by his side.
The day had been exhausting—both physically and mentally.
It had started with an unexpected visit from two Church agents. Then he had gone to see Yuuto Kiba, helping him confront his trauma. As evening fell, Kokabiel descended, bringing with him chaos and destruction.
After defeating Kokabiel and witnessing Kiba's awakening as a wielder of the Holy-Demonic Sword, Akira was then thrust into a clash against none other than Vali Lucifer himself.
Now, all he wanted was a warm bed and uninterrupted sleep.
Everything else… could wait until tomorrow.
Back at Akira's house, five Holy Swords lay silently on display, neatly placed yet radiating a divine pressure. Everyone present—even Rias—seemed at a loss about what to do with them.
Technically, the swords belonged to the Church. Returning them would be the appropriate course of action.
However, the relationship between Devils and Angels—especially the Church—was anything but friendly. And Holy Swords, by nature, were weapons forged to kill Devils. Ideally, Rias wanted nothing to do with returning such dangerous relics.
But keeping them wasn't exactly a simple matter either. No one in her group could wield them.
No one... except Akira.
Having a Devil touch a Holy Sword was practically suicidal.
Even Kiba—despite awakening the power of the Holy-Demonic Sword—could only handle the sacred energy to a limited extent. He hadn't fully synchronized with it.
Meanwhile, the Church duo, Xenovia and Irina, were still reeling from the devastating revelation that the God of the Bible had been long dead. Their faith had been shattered, and both of them were too lost in existential doubt to care about the swords.
"Rias, what should we do with them?" Akeno finally broke the silence, glancing at her master.
"If you're asking me, then who the hell am I supposed to ask?" Rias responded with a sigh, her tone heavy with fatigue. Her eyes looked half-dead from everything that had happened.
"If you think it's a hassle, trust me—I feel the same."
"Then why don't we wait until Akira wakes up? After all, they're technically his spoils."
"...Yeah, I guess that makes the most sense right now."
"Then for tonight, let's wrap things up," Akeno said, before turning to Kiba. "Kiba-kun, can you look after the swords for the time being?"
Kiba nodded quietly, his gaze calm and steady as he looked at the very weapons he once loathed.
"Leave it to me."
He was the only one among them who could safely touch the Holy Swords.
Just brushing against their aura was enough to make a Devil feel nauseous. Direct contact could cause severe burns—sometimes even death.
With that, Kiba carried the five swords into the guest room and stood watch over them through the night.
The rest returned to their rooms.
Except for Akeno.
She headed straight for Akira's room.
Among everyone, she now held the closest relationship with him—emotionally and physically.
Standing at the side of his bed, Akeno smiled softly as she looked down at the man sleeping peacefully beneath the covers.
This was the man she had chosen, the one she'd given her heart to. Even if Rias was still his fiancée in name... in reality, he belonged to her.
"Sweet dreams... darling," she whispered gently.
Leaning in, she pressed a tender kiss to his forehead, then carefully slipped under the covers and into his arms, letting the night carry them both into quiet dreams.
That night, many in Kuoh slept soundly for the first time in days.
But not all.
Some minds remained restless—haunted by thoughts they couldn't easily silence.
---
—The Next Morning—
Morning light streamed through the window as Akira finally stirred from a long, well-earned rest.
After everything that happened the day before, his body had truly needed the sleep.
He shifted slightly—and immediately noticed something heavy pressing down on his chest.
Looking down, he found Akeno curled up against him, her head resting peacefully on his chest.
Even half-asleep, with messy hair and no makeup, Akeno radiated the same natural allure that always made Akira's breath catch in his throat.
"Mmm~"
She let out a small sound as his movement woke her, her eyelids fluttering open.
The first thing she saw... was his warm gaze.
"Good morning... darling," Akeno whispered, her lips curving into a lazy smile.
"Morning, Akeno."
There was no awkwardness between them. No tension. No hesitation.
They knew each other too well now. There were no more lines between them—only comfort and closeness.
And Akeno... Akeno loved being watched by the man she loved.
Some might call her bold, or even shameless, but for her, being looked at with desire by the one she cherished most... was the purest kind of joy.
She glanced at the clock.
9:30 a.m.
Well past what anyone could call "morning."
They were still wrapped in each other's arms, clearly reluctant to move—until an abrupt knock at the door broke the quiet moment.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Who is it?" Akira called out, his voice still groggy with sleep.
"It's me."
"Rias?"
Hearing that familiar voice, both Akira and Akeno immediately exchanged startled glances.
They jumped out of bed, hurriedly throwing on clothes before Akira went to open the door.
Standing there was Rias Gremory.
Her eyes flicked from Akira to Akeno, who had come to stand beside him—her appearance just disheveled enough to reveal what had transpired.
They looked... domestic. Intimate.
Like a married couple who had spent the morning basking in each other's warmth.
A quiet ache twisted in Rias' chest.
She was his fiancée. That title belonged to her.
And yet... it was little more than a name now.
"What's up, Rias?" Akira asked, scratching his head.
"What else? It's about last night."
"You mean... the Holy Swords?"
"Exactly."
Akira frowned slightly. Hadn't they already handled all that? The swords were safely at his place. What was there to discuss?
"Is there a problem?"
"Of course there is. Irina—you know, the Church girl—she said the Holy Sword wielders and their weapons are property of the Church. She wants to take all the swords back."
"She wants to what?"
Akira's brow furrowed. "That's ridiculous. Those swords were captured during combat. They're my spoils. On what grounds does she think she can just take them?"
"Well... technically, they do belong to the Church," Rias said with a shrug.
"Yeah, technically. But they were stolen by Kokabiel. I defeated him. That makes them mine. It's basic wartime ethics. Or are we tossing that out now?"
"Which is why there's a standoff going on downstairs," Rias said, clearly irritated. "So I came to get you."
"To get me?"
"Yes. Because the swords are in your possession. And because you saved both Xenovia and Irina."
"...Tch. Fine."
Akira let out a long sigh. As annoying as this was, he knew it was probably better to deal with it himself.
After all, he had saved those two. Though, to be fair, he hadn't done it purely out of kindness. At the time, he'd simply followed them to track Kokabiel's movements.
Every choice that night had been a calculation.
Still, he couldn't just let the matter spiral.
So, together with Akeno and Rias, he made his way downstairs.
The atmosphere in the living room was... tense.
Irina, Kiba, and Koneko were glaring daggers at each other.
But what caught Akira off guard the most was Xenovia.
She wasn't arguing. In fact, she was sitting calmly off to the side, quietly observing the drama.
He quickly realized why.
The aura around her was different now.
She no longer radiated the same divine energy of a Church warrior.
Instead, she bore the signature magic of a Devil—a reincarnated one.
Xenovia... had accepted Rias' offer.
She had joined the Gremory peerage.
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