Tenra had barely stepped into the room with Yubelluna's group when a figure dashed forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"Tenra, Tenra, my Tenra…"
Akeno clung to him with desperate affection, as if she feared he might vanish again. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Tenra held her just as tightly, apology and longing threading his voice.
"Sorry I kept you waiting, Akeno…"
Years ago, they'd wandered together, relying only on each other. Now, after so much time apart, they were finally reunited. Both had changed, but the old closeness resurfaced instantly. Time hadn't dulled their bond—it had only made it richer, more intoxicating.
A soft, slightly sour voice broke the moment.
"Hmph… How long are you two going to keep hugging?"
Rias's words carried a jealous edge. Yubelluna and her peerage hid their smiles behind their hands. Akeno quickly stepped back, wiping her tears, though her cheeks stayed flushed.
Tenra rubbed his nose, feeling awkward. His relationship with Akeno was complicated enough, but now Rias was his fiancée—their dynamic had become a tangled web.
Tenra cleared his throat.
"Rias, thank you for looking after Akeno all these years."
He'd entrusted Akeno to Rias, and seeing how much Akeno had grown, Tenra knew the Gremory household had cared for her well.
Rias sniffed, pride and irritation mingling.
"Akeno's my Queen and my servant. Of course I looked after her."
She shot Tenra a pointed look.
"Unlike someone who handed Akeno over and then disappeared for years. Very responsible…"
Thinking back on Akeno's endless longing, Rias's jealousy flared, and her words turned sharp.
Akeno, ever the tease, slipped her arm through Rias's and smiled.
"Ara ara, Rias, are you jealous again?"
Akeno only showed her vulnerable side to Tenra. With her composure regained, she wouldn't miss a chance to tease Rias.
Rias's eyes flickered with panic.
"I—I am not!"
She turned away, but the pink blooming on her cheeks betrayed her.
Tenra smiled, soft and regretful.
"I owe Akeno more than I can ever repay. I'll spend my life making it up to her."
He paused, then added,
"But I didn't just hand her over to anyone. I trusted you, Rias. And I was right to do so."
His words hung in the air, and only then did Tenra notice the ambiguous undertone—and the looks Akeno and Yubelluna's group exchanged.
Well, there was no easy way to explain that.
Rias huffed, flustered.
"You talk like you know me so well."
She squared her shoulders, face blazing.
"Don't think you can brush this off. You owe Akeno, and you'll have to make it up to her. But I'm not giving her back—that was always the deal!"
Akeno's teasing faded, replaced by genuine emotion. Rias's protectiveness moved her, but the thought of never returning to Tenra's side made her heart ache.
Before the tension could thicken, Tenra spoke again:
"Don't worry, Rias. I won't take Akeno away from you. She'll always be your Queen and your companion."
He glanced at both girls.
"You're both at Kuoh Academy, right? I'll be enrolling soon, too. After all these years of training, I want to experience a normal student's life for a change."
Rias breathed a secret sigh of relief, and Akeno's eyes lit up.
If Tenra joined Kuoh Academy, she could stay with Rias and still see him every day—a perfect solution.
Akeno turned to Rias, eyes hopeful.
"Rias?"
Rias groaned, defeated.
"Fine, fine. Kuoh Academy's under our control, along with the Sitri family. I'll arrange everything—just come whenever you and your peerage want."
Whenever Tenra was involved, Akeno's enthusiasm was impossible to ignore. Rias wanted to strangle her for her lack of loyalty, but she couldn't say no.
Tenra nodded. With Akeno's situation settled, it was time to address the next issue.
"Rias, what do you want to do about our engagement?"
Rias's face, only just recovered, went crimson again. Akeno and Yubelluna's group all turned to watch.
"I only agreed because of my family. It's not what I wanted!"
She blurted the words out, desperate for Tenra not to misunderstand.
Tenra nodded.
"Same here. In that case, let's dissolve the engagement."
The room froze. Akeno and Yubelluna's group stared in shock, and Rias herself wondered if she'd misheard.
Had Tenra just suggested breaking off the engagement?
Rias's pride flared.
"Tenra Kamiyo, are you looking down on me?!"
Her beauty twisted with indignation. As Gremory's eldest daughter and next head, she was idolized in both school and the Underworld. She'd never been rejected, let alone humiliated like this.
"Tenra-sama…"
"Tenra, you…"
Yubelluna's group and Akeno looked at Tenra, confusion written all over their faces. His words had crossed a line, and an engagement set by Maou Lucifer and Duke Phenex wasn't something to break lightly.
Tenra raised his hands, exasperated.
"I haven't finished yet—why are you all so worked up?"
Rias glared, voice icy.
"Hmph. Then let's hear your explanation!"
If Tenra had a good reason, fine. If not…
She'd show him that Gremory women were not to be trifled with.
Under Rias's fierce gaze, with every eye fixed on him, Tenra finally spoke his reason.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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