"I won't!"
Tenra's words had barely left his lips when Akeno's voice rang out, raw and trembling. She didn't wait for anyone's response—just turned and bolted into the darkness of the temple, sobs echoing behind her.
Tenra bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Lady Rias. I know this is a lot to ask, and I know it's sudden. But please—take Akeno with you. Make her your servant, your retainer, whatever you wish. She won't disappoint you. I promise."
A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes, but it vanished almost instantly. His voice stayed steady, his plea sincere.
Rias regarded him with a cool, searching gaze. Even so young, she radiated the authority of a high-class devil. "Why?" she asked, her tone edged with steel. "She's your companion. Isn't she important to you?"
If his answer was anything less than genuine—if he was just trying to cast Akeno aside out of cowardice or annoyance—Rias would decide accordingly.
Tenra met her gaze, unflinching. "That's exactly why," he said quietly. "Because she matters to me more than anyone."
He bowed again, lower this time. "Please."
—
A soft wind stirred as Rias and her butler, Agrippa, stepped outside the temple.
"Agrippa," she asked, not looking back, "what do you make of the Phoenix family's fourth son?"
Agrippa smiled faintly, adjusting his glasses. "Surely you've already formed your own opinion, Lady Rias."
"Still," he continued, "eyes like his—so clear and unwavering—aren't the eyes of a liar or a coward."
Rias nodded, not disagreeing. She hadn't refused Tenra's request, but she hadn't accepted it either. Not yet.
"Truthfully," Agrippa went on, "granting the young man's request wouldn't be a loss. The girl—Akeno—her potential is extraordinary. She's inherited the best of her fallen angel lineage. In time, she may even surpass her father."
"You're seeking your own peerage now, aren't you, Lady Rias? Bring her back to the Gremory household, nurture her—she could become a peerless servant."
He paused, then added, "Or perhaps… even a Queen worthy of your side."
Rias shot him a look, surprised by the depth of his praise. As her father's trusted Bishop, Agrippa's words carried weight. She felt a flicker of temptation, but in the end, she shook her head.
"We'll return here in three days, as promised. In the end, it should be her choice."
—
"Akeno… are you still mad at me?"
Tenra found her curled up in the farthest corner of the temple, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. His head throbbed with guilt.
Minutes ago, she'd been dreaming aloud of the two of them wandering the world together forever. Now, here he was, asking her to leave. If their roles were reversed, he'd be furious too.
Sure enough, her voice rose from the shadows, broken and accusing.
"Are you abandoning me too, Tenra? Do you think I'm cursed? Do you hate my filthy blood?"
Her pain stabbed straight through him. Tenra clenched his fists, steeling himself.
"Yeah," he said, forcing the words out, "I'm starting to hate you, Akeno."
"Always clinging to me, day and night—it's suffocating."
"You act tough until you can't go any farther, then I have to carry you. You're always slowing me down."
"Your cooking is awful. I only pretended to like it because I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I can't stand it anymore."
"And another thing—"
Each word was a knife, crueler than the last. He knew he deserved to be struck by lightning for saying them. But when Akeno burst from her hiding place and threw herself at him, Tenra closed his eyes and braced for the storm.
Go on, he thought. Hit me. Yell. Hate me.
Leave me.
But the anger never came. When he opened his eyes, Akeno was staring up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Liar. Liar! Tenra, you're a terrible liar. You think you can fool me with that?"
Her arms locked around him, holding him tight. Then she broke down, sobbing into his chest.
Tenra's hands found her shoulders, his own mask crumbling. He stroked her hair gently. "I'm sorry, Akeno…"
He wanted to say more, to explain everything, but Akeno rose up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his, silencing him.
—
In their little nest, Tenra and Akeno huddled close, bodies tangled together.
Their clothes were in disarray, but they hadn't crossed that final line. They were still too young. But in that moment, they shared their first kiss—the first taste of something forbidden, and precious.
"I'm sorry, Akeno. I'm too weak. I can't protect you—not yet."
"I know."
"But I'll get stronger. Stronger than anyone. I swear it."
"I know."
"Akeno… will you wait for me?"
He looked her in the eyes, voice solemn.
Akeno's face crumpled with fresh tears, but this time, they were tears of happiness. "Yes… I'll wait."
—
The days slipped by. Tenra and Akeno stayed in the little temple, knowing the monks hunting them would catch up sooner or later. Running was pointless. Staying within Gremory territory was the safest choice.
Neither spoke of their looming separation. They pretended everything was as it had always been—eating together, training together, sleeping side by side. Their closeness only deepened, as if they wanted to make every second count.
At night, their playfulness turned fierce. They wrestled and laughed, hands wandering, lips seeking sweetness. Aside from the final step, they explored every inch of each other, innocent and reckless all at once.
Fallen angel women were said to be born seductresses, able to charm any man. Even with only half that blood, Akeno had inherited the gift. Time and again, she left Tenra teetering between heaven and hell. Whenever she saw his helpless expression, she'd burst out laughing, delighted by her own power.
Tenra sometimes wondered, half in awe and half in dread, what kind of heartbreaker she'd become in a few more years.
But happiness is always fleeting. Three days passed in a blink, and the day of their promised meeting with Rias arrived.
Except, to their surprise, Rias didn't come. Instead, a different group found them first.
Several monks, faces shadowed by woven hats, blocked the temple courtyard. Staffs in hand, they fanned out, wary and silent. Then, an older man—just entering his twilight years—removed his hat and stepped forward, eyes fixed on Akeno.
"It's been a long time, Akeno."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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