A warm breeze drifted through the spacious living room. On the couch, a beautiful redhead sat cross-legged, trying to convince a shy blonde.
"It won't hurt. I just need to insert this into your body, and it'll all be over quickly," she whispered seductively, holding a red object in her hand.
Daniel, returning from the kitchen, nearly choked when he heard her. Didn't that sound a little ambiguous? Asia seemed puzzled too, though for a different reason.
She looked around the room anxiously. Although she was grateful to be accepted, she wasn't ready to abandon her human identity and become a devil.
She trusted Daniel and knew he wouldn't have recommended joining Rias's group unless he trusted her completely. But Asia couldn't abandon her faith so easily.
"E-Eto... I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, bowing her head. "I'm not ready yet. Please give me some time to think about it."
Rias nodded, a hint of disappointment in her expression. If Asia were reincarnated, things would be much simpler—Rias would have a legitimate reason to protect her and punish the fallen angels if they dared to bother her again, even if they acted in Grigori's name.
"Don't worry. Take as much time as you need. But it would be best if you signed a contract with Daniel. It's not as effective as being part of my peerage, but it'll still be useful."
Asia nodded gratefully.
"Well then, we need to decide where you'll stay..." Rias touched a finger to her lips in thought. "Hmm, stay here with Daniel. He lives alone and can protect you."
Rias clapped her hands and rose from the couch.
Akeno, seated beside her, smiled warmly, while Koneko watched the cute blonde with trembling eyes. After a brief hesitation, she spoke up.
"Buchou... I'll stay and help Daniel. It's... safer."
Rias, who was preparing to leave, froze. Akeno also raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Very well. It's better to be cautious," Rias said, narrowing her eyes at Koneko. "Akeno, draw a magic circle so we can return at any time."
Koneko avoided the redhead's gaze while Akeno nodded and stood to begin her work.
---
Rias and Akeno vanished in a flash of teleportation magic.
Daniel decided to head to the kitchen to get the girls something to drink. "Maybe some warm milk?" he thought, remembering Koneko liked it.
In the living room, Asia felt uneasy. Rias and Akeno had already introduced themselves, and she already knew Issei and Daniel. But the golden-eyed girl sitting across from her hadn't said a single word since they arrived—aside from announcing she would stay—and she hadn't stopped staring.
Daniel returned from the kitchen, carrying a cup of warm milk for each of them. Asia felt a bit more relaxed now that he was back.
"Eto... Daniel, is she your little sister?" Asia asked curiously, noticing their similar hair color.
CRACK.
The sound of a cup cracking echoed through the room.
"I'm not... little," Koneko muttered, slightly annoyed.
Asia quickly apologized.
Daniel remained silent. His expression darkened; hearing the word "sister" brought back memories of his old life, filling him with melancholy.
Both girls noticed immediately.
"Is something wrong?" Asia asked gently.
Koneko stood and approached Daniel. Though she said nothing, her concern was clear.
He hesitated. He didn't want to remember. It felt pointless. Wasn't he alive here and now? Why suffer over what he'd lost? Yet, seeing Asia's kind eyes, he couldn't hold it in. He began to speak—just as he had the day they first met.
He avoided mentioning the system and his reincarnation, adjusting the story slightly. But the main point remained: he would never see his family again.
The thought alone made his eyes redden. He continued, recounting memories of his mother's bakery, his mischievous little sister, and helping his father repair the car.
As he spoke, his voice began to tremble.
Asia looked at him tenderly. Lifting her arms, she drew his head against her chest, holding him gently.
"There, there... just let it out," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.
Koneko hesitated, then patted his back softly before sitting beside him, her expression somber. She couldn't help but think of her own family.
Where's my sister...? Why did she kill her master? And why did she abandon me...?
The young girl clenched her teeth in anger and sorrow.
After a few minutes, Daniel lifted his head from Asia's chest, his cheeks slightly flushed.
How pathetic, he thought. Crying in front of the girls like that...
Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and stood up.
"Ahem... Right. Uh, thanks for listening. Anyway, I'll go prepare your rooms."
Without another word, he slipped away upstairs.
Asia watched him leave, her face glowing with warmth and sympathy.
Koneko, though expressionless, followed him with her eyes as well.
The awkwardness they'd felt earlier was gone.
"Would you like another cup of milk?" Asia asked.
"I know... where it is," Koneko replied, standing and leading the blonde toward the kitchen.
---
Daniel sighed as he checked the rooms. He hadn't wanted to show weakness in front of Asia and Koneko, but what was done was done. Still, he wasn't too worried—if his old friends were here, they'd probably just tease him for being a crybaby. But with these girls, he didn't think that would happen.
"Wow, I can think about my past life without feeling miserable. That's progress," he murmured, rubbing his face with both hands.
Then he noticed the thick layer of dust everywhere. He clicked his tongue, regretting how rarely he cleaned.
Not that it was entirely his fault—he never expected visitors, and Koneko never stayed the night. Daniel decided to blame the system for giving him such a big house without an auto-cleaning skill.
Resigned, he went to grab the vacuum, a duster, and a few rags.
When he returned, Asia and Koneko had come upstairs, worried about how long he was taking.
"Need some help?" Asia asked.
Daniel hesitated. Would it be rude to make guests clean?
"Sure, I'd really appreciate it," he finally said, handing her a duster.
Koneko said nothing but picked up the vacuum cleaner without hesitation.
It took them almost an hour, but the rooms were spotless by the end. Daniel nodded in satisfaction, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Asia did the same, smiling, though she hesitated before speaking.
"Eto... do you have any extra clothes? All my things were left at the church," she murmured, embarrassed.
Daniel smacked his forehead.
"Right. Well, if you don't mind wearing one of my sweatshirts... Wait, I think I have a pair of pajamas I've never used. Let me check."
He left the room and entered his own, hurrying to look under the bed where he kept some storage drawers.
As he got closer, he noticed a lump under the sheets and froze, confused.
"Oh, right... that's where they put Issei," he muttered.
Deciding to ignore it, he quietly retrieved the clothes, secured the door behind him with the key, and stepped out of the room.