"A designated request?"
Hearing this, Himejima Akeno was momentarily stunned.
"Do we know who it is?"
"Not yet. But judging from the response on the flyer, the client is a newcomer, and apparently a newcomer who knows quite a lot about us."
Using flyers to specifically summon certain devils was not uncommon. Rias and her peerage often received requests from acquaintances. Most people wished for money or power.
However, this request was rather strange.
A newcomer shouldn't normally know their names.
"President, I smell a conspiracy," Koneko suddenly said.
"It does feel suspicious. Combined with today's report from the familiars…" Rias crossed her arms, deep in thought, as if weighing her decision.
"President, since the client specifically requested me, I'll go take a look," Akeno said with a gentle smile. "Perhaps we can gather some information."
"All right… No, wait. The situation is still unclear. If this is a trap set by an enemy, it would be too dangerous for you to go alone."
Rias nodded at first, then immediately shook her head.
"We'll go together. Even if there's an ambush, we won't have to worry too much."
"Very well."
Akeno knew that when it came to matters like this, it was impossible to argue with Rias.
Although doing so technically violated protocol, it was understandable under the circumstances. Of course, Akeno herself didn't believe that anyone could do much to her even if she went alone.
After dealing with the corpses in the church, Rias and her group activated a teleportation magic circle.
A crimson glow enveloped the four of them before they vanished instantly.
When they reappeared, the four were already standing inside what looked like a perfectly ordinary living room.
Teleportation complete.
Rias immediately surveyed the surroundings. Her Knight, Kiba Yuuto, and her Rook, Koneko, gathered magic within their bodies while remaining alert, observing the environment and guarding against any sudden ambush.
Akeno narrowed her eyes as she noticed several people waiting in the living room.
There were more than she expected.
A quick count revealed six unfamiliar individuals, two more than their own group.
What was this supposed to be?
Gathering in the middle of the night to summon a devil, was this some kind of party?
And the aura around some of these people felt… strange.
While Rias observed the unfamiliar client, Rod was also studying Rias's group.
Having watched the anime, he felt these characters were like familiar strangers to him.
The blond guy in the school uniform was probably Kiba Yuuto, nothing particularly noteworthy.
The other three, however, were rare beauties.
The most eye-catching was undoubtedly Rias, whose crimson hair blazed like flames, forming a striking contrast against her porcelain-white skin. Her delicate features were flawless, and her astonishing figure stretched her school uniform tight, especially the peaks at her chest, which were flawless in both shape and size.
Standing beside her was a woman with long, glossy black hair reaching her waist. Her gentle, refined expression embodied the elegance of a classic Japanese beauty. Her violet eyes carried a soft smile that made one feel as though bathed in spring sunlight. Her figure rivaled Rias's in both elegance and allure, and the impressive curves hidden beneath her uniform were equally impossible to ignore.
Rias, Akeno: (·Y·)
Behind them stood a petite girl with a slender frame. Her short silver hair and expressionless youthful face made her resemble an exquisite doll. Her emerald-green eyes showed little emotion, yet still conveyed seriousness and vigilance.
When Rod looked her way, Koneko's gaze carried a hint of warning and hostility.
Heh~ just like her sister Kuroka. Outsiders barely need to provoke her before she starts hissing.
"May I ask who among you used the flyer?" Rias asked.
After briefly reviewing the situation in her mind, she was secretly shocked. The three women standing near the sofa were undoubtedly the Fallen Angels she had been investigating.
As for the other three, aside from Asia, who was clearly an ordinary human, she couldn't determine the background of the remaining man and woman at all.
Still, the combination of a Westerner and Fallen Angels was certainly rare.
"I did," Rod said.
"But I believe I only called for one person."
Hearing this, Rias focused her attention on Rod. It was easy to tell that among this group of five women and one man, he was clearly the center.
Though she couldn't help wondering why someone would wear sunglasses indoors at night. Was there something wrong with him?
Of course, Rod wasn't wearing sunglasses out of some desire to look cool. The real reason was that whenever he talked to beautiful women, his eyes had a habit of… automatically locking on target.
This was especially true while living with Lavinia, Kuroka, and the three Fallen Angels.
It didn't matter if they knew about his little "auto-targeting passive skill", after all, they were living together anyway. But now that he was about to meet Rias and the others, he decided to wear sunglasses to prevent his gaze from betraying him again.
That way, no matter where his eyes wandered, no one would be able to tell.
Lavinia had already guessed his reasoning earlier and found it a bit speechless. Sitting next to him, she knew that Rod was most likely "auto-targeting" at this very moment.
"You did indeed summon Akeno specifically," Rias said, crossing her arms. "But before that, could you explain why someone like you has appeared in the territory under my jurisdiction? And would you also care to explain the matter of the church and the Fallen Angels?"
Her posture was proud and commanding.
As the pureblood heir of the Gremory family, an Upper-Class Devil, she naturally carried an aura of unquestionable authority and nobility. Ordinary people would struggle to remain calm in her presence.
Therefore, when facing Rod, she had no intention of conceding the upper hand.
"Raynare, you explain it."
"Me?"
Raynare froze when she was suddenly called out.
Still, she stepped forward and explained her purpose for coming to Kuoh Town, including how they had been defeated by Rod and forced into servitude.
After hearing everything, Rias frowned slightly.
So in the end, these Fallen Angels had acted on their own, without any connection to Grigori's leadership.
That meant all the sleepless nights she had spent secretly investigating, consulting piles of information about Fallen Angels, and worrying over potential faction conflicts had essentially been a waste, she had been fighting an imaginary enemy.
If she had known earlier that their actions weren't sanctioned from above, she would have taken decisive action long ago.
Of course, the Fallen Angels were no longer the important issue. What truly mattered was the man before her, someone powerful enough to make even Fallen Angels submit.
Even if he appeared to be human on the surface, his threat level was far higher than that of a group of Fallen Angels.
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