Shidou Irina had plunged into the depths of despair.
She was a warrior of the Church, having trained since childhood as an exorcist to defeat demons.
While she had followed this path partly out of admiration for her exorcist father, she had lived earnestly to become a warrior who wielded her sword for the sake of the Lord she believed in.
When she finally gained the skill to be entrusted with one of the seven divided Holy Swords, her heart was swept by a storm of joy. It proved her path had not been wrong—that the Lord had been watching over her. But that joy vanished in an instant.
By chance, Michael, a high-ranking member of the Church from the Heavenly realm, visited her affiliated church for an inspection. Michael of Heaven was supposed to be the Lord's closest aide.
Hoping she might even get to speak with him, she eavesdropped—only to hear the shocking truth: the Lord they were supposed to believe in was no longer in this world.
After hearing that, her state became wretched. Unable to trust anyone, she even rejected the blue-haired girl who had become her partner and fled the church as if running away.
Recently, a major incident occurred at the church. A cherished Holy Sword had been stolen by someone.
The thief was reported to have headed toward Kuoh Town in Japan, and Irina and her partner were dispatched there. She had taken only the ticket provided in advance and the little money she had.
Then, despair struck her again. She had come to Kuoh, where she had lived as a child, hoping she might find some peace. And yet, this was what she found. She wanted to abandon everything now. With the money she had, even renting a hotel room was difficult.
All that was left was to die on the streets. Having resigned herself to that fate, she closed her eyes—only for a voice to call out to her.
"Um… are you okay?"
Irina was currently wearing a black hood; to put it mildly, her appearance was far from ordinary. The eyes peeking from under the hood were clouded, and any sane person would hesitate to even speak to her.
Yet, the boy standing before her had called out. Though she thought him strange, she decided to ignore him. Talking to her now wouldn't do him any good. She had already abandoned everything.
"Do you… not have a place to go? …If so, please come to my place. It's a small apartment, but it's warmer than the side of the road."
Without waiting for Irina's response, he took her hand and began leading her somewhere. Having no strength left to resist, Irina was pulled along and taken to his home. Ah, she resigned herself—she would probably become his plaything now.
Even if she was useless, if offering herself could be of some small service to this kind boy, she would dedicate her body to him. It was the last vestige of a prayer she hadn't been able to completely discard.
However, contrary to her expectations, once he brought her into his room, he headed to the kitchen and began boiling water.
"It's not raining, but it's a little chilly today, isn't it? I'll make some tea, so please wait a bit. What kind of tea would you like? I have green tea and black tea."
"…Black tea is fine."
"Got it. Ah, feel free to watch TV or look at any magazines lying around."
The room Irina was brought to was surprisingly tidy. Having spent more than half her life in the church, being alone with a member of the opposite sex was her first experience since childhood.
Unconsciously, she picked up a nearby manga to hide her flushed cheeks.
"Ah, this…"
Coincidentally, the manga she picked up was "Dragon Ball." Tears streamed down her already reddened cheeks.
Memories from her childhood resurfaced in Irina's mind. It was a manga her childhood friend loved, and she had often read it with him. The tears fell, the realization that she could never return to those days, and they showed no sign of stopping.
"Um… are you okay? I made the tea, but…"
"…I'm fine. Um… thank you. For taking in someone suspicious like me."
"No, no, we help each other out in times of need. It's hot, so be careful."
She brought the cup to her lips. Just as he said, despite the season being close to dew, today felt slightly chilly. Even wearing a hooded coat over her casual clothes, she had felt cold. The cup in her hands steamed warmly, imparting a gentle heat.
"…It's delicious."
"I'm glad. Thanks to a certain senior, I've gotten better at making black tea lately. Her tea was so good that I asked her to teach me. I'm happy it suits your taste."
"Um… my name is Shidou Irina. May I ask your name?"
"Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Mitarai Takashi. Shidou-san, why were you on the side of the road?"
"…Do you believe in God? I believed in such a God, was betrayed, and ran away."
"I see. So, you don't have a place to stay tonight either, right? …Well, if you don't mind staying with a guy you just met, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, until you get back on your feet."
"Don't people tell you you're too much of a pushover?"
How many men were there who, without lustful thoughts or ulterior motives, would tell a woman they just met to stay over? Even Irina, who had been taught to forbid desires beyond her station, could tell this man was genuinely kind.
The girl named Shidou Irina, even excluding her currently clouded eyes, could easily be classified as a beauty.
Her face was as perfectly shaped as an idol's. She usually wore her glossy, flaxen hair in twin tails, but due to the hood, it was now let down straight.
Her body, toned from warrior training, was also abundantly endowed with feminine softness. Her ample bust measured 87—a surprising size considering she was a high school student. Her thighs, though covered in muscle, were plump and feminine. Her skin, moderately tanned from her training as a warrior, amplified her delicate charm.
What kind of person was he, talking to such a beauty without ulterior motives—without even letting his gaze drift to her chest? He was the sole light that had flickered within Irina's dark, despairing heart.
Namely, Irina became curious about the boy named Takashi Mitarai. What kind of life did he lead? What was his personality like? Being a pushover wasn't the whole of a person's character. What made him happy? What made him sad? Her murky eyes grew even more clouded as she watched him intently, without letting a hint of her thoughts show.
"Hmm, I don't really remember being told that. Besides, aside from a few people, I don't really talk to others much."
"I see… But, thank you. Ah, if I'm going to be staying, I shouldn't keep the hood on, right? …Here goes. Pleased to meet you."
Irina bowed her head slightly. This was the beginning of Mitarai and Irina's meeting—and also the beginning of their life together.
…
"Here you go, Takashi-kun. Your lunch. I think I managed to make it well today."
"Mm, thanks. But really, you don't have to make it for me every day. It's fine if you don't."
"You're letting me live here. This much is no trouble at all. If anything, I hope it's not a bother. Even though they've gotten better lately, I'm aware I've been making you eat some pretty mediocre lunches and dinners."
"No, no, even if they weren't perfect, any guy would be happy. A girl is making food for him, after all."
"Hehe, I see. As long as it's not a bother, then it's fine."
About a month had passed since their first meeting.
Their relationship could be described as good. Perhaps because they saw each other every day, even the way they addressed each other had changed.
Now, they felt like close friends who had transcended typical gender boundaries.
However, Irina was surprised to learn that Mitarai was a reincarnated devil, an act performed by Rias Gremory to save his life.
She had wondered why he, a normal guy, possessed an aura tinged with the demonic. When she asked about his social circle, she figured it out immediately.
Later, she actually spoke with the Gremory in question and found herself agreeing with her perspective. This devil: Rias, was acting to protect the boy who had picked up Irina—who had lost even the will to live tomorrow—and was letting her stay in his home. It was a good proposal for Irina, who had been wondering how she could repay his kindness.
Takashi and Irina weren't yet physically intimate, but she felt it was only a matter of time. To make him conscious of her as a woman, she spent every night wearing the dress shirt of his she had first borrowed. Though it was only slightly oversized on her feminine frame, wearing it over her underwear made the curves of her body distinctly visible.
Just seeing his flushed face was enough to fill her heart with contentment.
She had lived as a warrior, but maybe living as a woman like this wasn't so bad. The only thing that bothered her was her former partner, the girl. Unlike Irina, who had abandoned her mission and fled the church, she seemed to have faithfully followed orders and come to Kuoh.
Declaring that the Gremory managing this town needed no extra support, she was apparently staying in town and pursuing the thief. Irina hadn't heard what happened to her afterward and was admittedly a little worried, but her own priorities—and Takashi—came first.
It seemed he was smoothly developing the qualities of a Harem King, having intimately bonded with multiple devils, no doubt a result of Rias's education.
Apparently, the expression he wore during those intimate moments was vastly different and incredibly intense compared to the usual face he showed Irina.
She remembered Rias saying something about it making you want to submit on an instinctual level.
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