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Rias, Akeno, and Sona Sitri stared at Akio, dumbfounded by his words.
Something that outrageous actually happens in the future?
Either Japan falls, or all men vanish.
The more they thought about it, the more it did feel like something demons would do—cold, ruthless, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals.
But… why?
Neither Rias nor Sona could understand it. Why would demons go that far? What kind of hatred could make them want to wipe out humanity itself?
Rias' expression hardened. "I don't know the full story. But I'm certain our kind would never commit something so deranged."
"That means there must be some misunderstanding here. Give me a little time—I'll contact the higher-ups in the demon hierarchy and get to the bottom of this."
"Fine," Akio nodded.
Rias Gremory might be heir to the family, but she was still just that—the heir. Too young to count as part of the real leadership. It made sense she'd need to reach out to the higher ranks.
"How long will it take?" he asked.
"I'll push it through as fast as I can. You'll have an answer by tonight."
"No problem." Akio rose to his feet. Medea and Hohenheim stood with him. "In that case, I'll wander around Kuoh for a bit and wait for your good news."
Rias gave a small nod.
With his two subordinates in tow, Akio left Kuoh Academy and strolled down the town streets.
"Boss," Medea asked curiously, "those two young demons you spoke to—can they really solve this?"
"They can't," Akio replied flatly. "But the people behind them can."
"Rias Gremory has a brother on the level of a Demon King. And Sona Sitri has an older sister at the same rank."
Medea blinked in surprise. So those little demons had that kind of background. No wonder the boss sought them out.
It wasn't about Rias or Sona themselves at all. They were just bridges to the real power standing behind them.
"Boss, can I ask something? You seem to know them really well."
"You could say that."
"Why, though?" Medea narrowed her eyes. "Why do you know so much about them?"
Her intuition told her there was something fishy. Maybe Akio just had a thing for pretty faces—wanted their bodies, so he studied them.
If Akio knew what she was thinking, he'd probably praise her for her sharp eye. Because truth be told, he did covet those demons' bodies. Their figures were just too damn good.
After a pause, Akio said honestly, "I was interested, so I looked into them."
"…Boss, you're really that blunt, huh."
"Of course. That's just who I am—an honest, reliable gentleman," he said shamelessly.
Medea: …
Time slipped by like water.
That evening, Akio, Medea, and Hohenheim settled in at a park, enjoying the dinner Erina Nakiri and her secretary had provided.
Just as the three of them were eating happily, a magic circle appeared before them. With a flash of light, Rias stepped out.
"Sorry to interrupt."
"Our Demon Realm has sent two high-ranking officials to discuss the Umbrella Corporation matter with you. Would you be willing to speak with them in detail?"
"Of course." Akio smiled lightly. "But you'll have to wait until we finish dinner."
"Fine," Rias agreed without hesitation.
Akio speared another piece of steak and chewed, asking casually, "So, which high-ranking demons did they send?"
"My brother, Sirzechs Gremory—Duke of House Gremory and the Demon King's most trusted aide. And Serafall Sitri, Duke of House Sitri," Rias answered.
At that, Akio's eyes flickered with a strange light.
If his memory was right, in the High School DxD world, both Sirzechs and Serafall were Demon Kings. Sirzechs had inherited the title of Lucifer, and Serafall had taken Leviathan.
That happened because the God of the Bible and the Four Original Demon Kings all perished in the Great War. Once Sirzechs and Serafall reached Demon King–level strength, they inherited those names as the new generation of rulers.
But here, in this merged multiverse, the Demon Kings hadn't died. Which meant Sirzechs and Serafall were still only dukes—not Demon Kings yet.
At the same time, Akio noted something else. Rias had said "Demon Realm," not "Underworld."
In DxD, demons lived in the Underworld. But here, it was called the Demon Realm.
That suggested this wasn't just DxD's world. Other demon-related anime had merged in as well, rewriting the story in major ways.
Exactly how, Akio didn't know yet. But he'd have to investigate the Demon Realm in detail later.
For now, the three of them quickly finished dinner and followed Rias back to Kuoh Academy.
Inside her clubroom, two powerful demons were already waiting.
When Akio and his group entered, Serafall's eyes narrowed slightly. "Making a lady wait is hardly what I'd call gentlemanly."
Akio nodded gravely. "True. Making an elderly granny wait was rude of me. Next time, I'll be more considerate."
"You—you—you—!" Serafall almost exploded on the spot.
Even demons hated being reminded of age, especially one who looked eternally youthful. Being called a granny was a straight-up critical hit.
Standing beside her, Sona couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time she'd ever seen her sister lose her composure like this. And honestly? It was refreshing.
"Sona!" Serafall stamped her foot, glaring at her sister. "If you keep this up, I'll really get mad."
"What's the point of someone hundreds of years old still trying to act cute?" Akio muttered with mock disdain.
Sona almost burst out laughing again. Akio was saying exactly what she'd always wanted to, but never dared—because Serafall was her sister.
Now, she just wanted him to keep going.
Meanwhile, Serafall's composure cracked even further. She was seconds away from decking Akio across the room.
"..."
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