"It's no problem at all," Ben said as he joined her and followed after her as she began to climb the rest of the steps to the shrine entrance. "I'm just a bit confused as to why we're meeting all the way out here.
Before long they reached the top of the steps and reached the tall archway which signified the entrance to the shrine.
"Are we allowed in here?" Ben asked with curiosity as he glanced up at the archway. He remembered that devils received damage whenever they entered grounds which belonged to the Church.
Did that include shrines too?
Akeno chuckled sweetly and crossed over the line and turned back to him with a cute smile on her face. "It's quite safe. We have a special agreement behind the scenes which allows devils to enter without being hurt."
"Is that so?" Ben asked as he, too, crossed over the line and came to stand next to Akeno whose cute smile still adorned her face.
"Yes, it is so," she repeated with a light chuckle.
Ben looked around, taking in the sights of the shrine which appeared to be completely deserted.
"So…who are we here to meet?" he inquired as he turned back to Akeno.
Before she could answer him though, he was caught off guard by a sudden bright light above him which caused him to avert his eyes from its intensity.
"So this is him?" an angelic voice asked seemingly from all around them. "This is the human who possesses both the Red Dragon Emperor and Azmuth?"
Just as Ben was about to ask where the voice was coming from, the bright light turned a shade of gold as a figure appeared above them, the light shining with such intensity that Ben was forced to avert his gaze again. When the light dissipated again to the point he could see, Ben took his hand away from his eyes and looked up to see a young man hovering above him.
He was adorned in a magnificent white robe which seemed to glimmer with a brilliant light but the two things which caught Ben's attention was the gold halo which floated above the young man's head which told him that he was in the presence of an Angel, and the fact that this Angel had no less than twelve beautiful, gold wings protruding out of their back, Ben knew that he was also in the presence of an Angel of extreme importance.
He got his answer when the Angel spoke again with a warm smile on his face.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Benjamin Tennyson. I am the Archangel, Michael, leader of the Angels," the Angelic figure introduced himself as he held out his hand for a handshake.
Ben quickly overcame his complete and total shock at seeing the chief of the Angels standing before him and took Michael's hand and shook it politely. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you as well," he said in greeting, unable to think of anything else to say.
. . . . .
Once the introductions had been made, the two devils and the angel made their way into the main shrine building where Ben now found himself sitting down in front of Michael while Akeno was sat in between them on the side and smiling sweetly at Ben who was still coming to terms that he was sitting before the leader of all Angels, the Archangel, Michael!
"As you are no doubt aware, Benjamin..."
"Please just call me Ben, your Angelness," Ben pleaded awkwardly, unsure how to correctly address the Angel.
"My apologies," Michael nodded his head, hiding a slight smirk at Ben's choice of title for him, before starting again. "As you already know, Ben, a summit is being held between the Three Factions and it was decided that gifts would be presented as a gesture of goodwill before the proceedings began. The other Seraphs and I decided to take this opportunity to not only present you with our gift of goodwill but to also return something which rightfully belongs to the dragon which now dwells within your left arm."
"Something which belonged to Azmuth?" Ben repeated with curiosity, looking down at his left arm and wondering just what Michael was talking about.
He was distracted when he felt an eerily familiar tingle wash over him; a tingle he instantly recognised as one he felt whenever a holy sword was nearby. He had felt exactly like this when Excalibur or Durandal were near him.
His suspicions were proven right when a golden light, not completely dissimilar to the golden which Michael emitted when he arrived, lit up the entire room for a brief second before dissipating to reveal, in its place, a sword which hovered between the two of them. It looked to be incredibly sharp as all holy swords usually were with a reddish-purple grip with a gleaming emerald acting as the blade's pommel, and a golden hilt with a guard which closely resembled dragon claws.
However, unlike the other holy swords he had come across in the past, he got a sense of unease from his right arm which was surprising as he didn't get the same feeling from Azmuth.
[Hey, Azmuth. Is that what I think it is?] Ddraig asked the emerald dragon in Ben's head.
[Indeed it is, though I never imagined I would ever lay eyes on it again,] Azmuth replied with interest, an emotion that was extremely rare for the usually sullen dragon.
Ben was about to ask them what he was actually looking at as they clearly recognised it but Michael answered his question before he could ask it.
"Behold, my child. This is the Holy Sword, Ascalon, though it was known by another name: The Dragon Slayer. It is the same sword used by St George."
"T-This was the sword of St George?!" Ben asked, rooted on the spot by how shocked he was hearing. His eyes stared, wide-eyed, at the sword before him, the very same sword St George had used to slay dragons.
"The very one," Michael confirmed with a smile at seeing Ben's reaction. "Though the supernatural world knew of its title, it was due to George's actions that revealed it to the human world. It used to be held by the Church for safety but it had to be taken under our protection in the archives of Heaven when a secret Order of knights who worshipped George and served him tried to steal the blade after his death to enact their own, bloody, agendas. This, we couldn't allow so we retrieved the sword and kept it safe until now. We now entrust its power to you, young Ben."
Ben stood up and slowly approached the sword, the intense holy aura surrounding it was insanely strong at his closeness to it though it wasn't anywhere near as unsettling to be around as Excalibur or Durandal were.
"I don't know what to say," he muttered as he drew closer to the sword. "I guess the only thing I can say is thank you for this incredible gift."
Akeno chuckled behind her sleeve while a warm smile formed on Michael's face. Ben looked between them with confusion written on his face.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked them.
"No, you didn't," Akeno said with a bright smile on her face.
Ben turned his gaze back towards Michael in hope of getting some answers.
"You misunderstand, Ben," the leader of the Angels said, his smile never leaving his face. "This wasn't the gift we intend to give you. This is the item we decided it was time to return to its rightful owner: Azmuth."
"What?!" Ben exclaimed with shock. He wasn't sure how many more surprises of such magnitude he had in him today. He brought up his left arm and looked down at it. "This sword once belonged to you, Azmuth?!"
[In a manner of speaking I suppose. I was the one who gave it the power to kill dragons after all,] Azmuth stated as though it were common knowledge.
Michael smiled and bowed his head slightly in Azmuth's direction as he spoke. "It's an honour to hear your voice again after so long, Azmuth."
[Likewise, Michael. It has been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it,] the emerald dragon replied with as much politeness as Ben had ever heard from the stubborn dragon for as long as he had known him.
"Wait a minute here. Can we back up a bit?" Ben interrupted, doing his best to stay calm after hearing such news. "Why did you create a sword which was specifically designed to kill your own creations?"
[Because one of my creations interfered with God's greatest creation, corrupting the first two humans He created for whatever reason. God fell into a deep rage at the callous interference of His precious humans and the reason for His intolerance or downright hatred towards dragons and serpents.]
[As the creator of the creature who corrupted the first humans, God's ire was also directed at me, more so if anything and I couldn't truly blame Him for it. It caused a great rift between us that lasted for centuries until I decided it was time to end it. In recognition of the involuntary part I played in the event, I appeased Him by giving Him one of my fangs with which He could shape and forge into a sword.]
"Why give Him one of your fangs?" Ben couldn't help but ask, earning him a slight growl from Azmuth for the interruption.
[Aside from those more powerful than one, there are very few things can destroy a dragon. My fangs are one such thing, able to break through the scale of any dragon and this blade that God forged with my fang is another. The reason it feels so strange to you, kid, is because God also imbued the blade with Holy Light, granting it the same properties as holy swords and promising me that it would only be wielded by humans. A way, perhaps, to correct the imbalance that my creations caused with their existence.]
"It was one such dragon who went by the name of Yamata no Orochi; an Evil Dragon who didn't take the threat of Ascalon seriously. The sword was gifted to George, a human God believed had proved himself worthy of being granted the sword, who slew the Evil Dragon after Yamata went on a vicious rampage through the mortal world leaving thousands of humans dead in his aftermath," Michael explained, his expression changing to one of complete seriousness.
Silence fell on the shrine building as Ben took in everything that he had been told by the told millennia-old beings. The silence was eventually broken by Michael.
"Do you think you will be able to assimilate it into your Transformation Gear?" he asked.
[No. It won't be possible for Ascalon to join with my Gear,] Azmuth stated with nearly no hesitation.
"What? Why not?" Ben asked the ancient dragon in his left hand. "You created the sword so why can't you take it into your Gear?"
[Because…,] Azmuth grumbled, clearly irritated by Ben's tone but continued regardless. […I was sincere in appeasing God and worked together with Him to make it impossible for the power of Ascalon to return to me in any way. I understood that my creations, while beautiful, powerful and majestic, could bring about such terrible, indiscriminate destruction if they turned against His creation and I agreed that a countermeasure was needed to protect them from those dragons who sought to bring about such destruction.]
Ddraig chose this moment to speak up.
[If that's the case then why wasn't Ascalon used on Albion and I when we interrupted the Great War?]
[It almost was. God was about to give the order to use the sword when I convinced Him to seal you away in your Gears instead.]
"It's true," Michael chimed in softly. "I would've been the one tasked by God in finding a human who would wield Ascalon to destroy the Heavenly Dragons once and for all."
Ddraig fell silent as he thought about what he had just learned, uncovering a little more as to the trail that led him to be in his current state.
"What can we do then if you can't assimilate Ascalon?" Ben asked, eager to return the conversation back to something he could understand.
Nobody said anything for a moment as they thought of a way around the obstacle that Azmuth had raised for them.
[What if you assimilated it into my Gear instead?] Ddraig suggested suddenly.
"Would it work?" Ben asked Azmuth who thought in silence for a moment before answering the question .
[I don't know. God and I made this sword to be the ultimate tool for slaying dragons. The only beings who were immune from the power Ascalon possessed was myself and the other dragon gods as they are simply too powerful for the blade to cause any real damage to them. I honestly have no idea what would happen if it were to be combined with Ddraig's Gear,] the ancient dragon explained after a moment of silence as he thought about the possibilities.
"We'll never know for certain if we don't try," Ben retorted as he summoned his Boosted Gear and held it up in front of him as he glanced at the sword with a determined expression on his face. "Alright, Ddraig, how do I assimilate Ascalon into your Gear?"
[It's all down to you, kid,] Azmuth stated, knowing that Ben was determined to go through with such an unheard-of feat. [A Sacred Gear is designed to follow the will of its host.]
[If assimilating Ascalon into my Gear is what you want then it is possible,] Ddraig added from within the depths of his Gear.
"Alright then," Ben said as he approached and took hold of the sword's hilt. As his hand wrapped around the handle he immediately felt a tingling sensation run through his right hand and up his arm.
[Focus all of your thoughts on the Sacred Gear. Match your wavelengths to the sword and then it should work,] Azmuth explained as Ben's grip on the sword subconsciously tightened as he did what the ancient dragon instructed.
As he did so, the sword emitted a brilliant golden light while the Boosted Gear began to emit a deep crimson colour. The two colours met and began to surround both him and the sword with a combination of the two colours. The light continued to grow and intensify until, soon enough, the light had grown to completely surround Ben who was grunting in pain as two things which were never intended to be combined together were being combined together.
The light eventually died down to reveal a sight which took both Akeno and Michael by complete surprise.
Ben stood before them holding the blade in his right hand but the reason for their shock and surprise was the dramatic change that Ben had undergone. He now stood before them in a large suit of crimson armour. The armour gave the appearance that Ben had grown another foot in height while, at the same time, it appeared as though he had bulked up considerably with how the armour took shape. His entire body appeared to be covered in the crimson scales which covered Ddraig's body except for his left hand which still held the appearance of Azmuth's Gear though that was only because it no longer fully belonged to Ben anymore. Draping from behind his back appeared to be a magnificent cloak with the same crimson armour etched along its edge.
"This…is…incredible!" Ben gasped from behind his crimson helmet as he looked down at his body and felt the armour with his free hand. He had no idea what would happen when he assimilated Ascalon into his Gear but it certainly wasn't this. "How is this possible?"
[I don't know. All I can say is that Sacred Gears are still extremely mysterious objects; only God knew all their secrets and He only told me part of them in the last years before I was sealed and He died,] Azmuth conceded as Ben felt his poorly hidden fascination for what had just happened.
. . . . .
When Ben had managed to give his new armour a brief examination, he sent Ascalon back into his Boosted Gear. This also caused his armour to disappear in a sparkle of crimson light and reveal his normal appearance again. Once he had done so, Michael attracted his attention once again.
"Now that I have returned Ascalon back to its creator, I have a gift to present to you, Ben Tennyson," the Archangel said warmly, his demeanour having returned back into what it was originally.
'Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that,' Ben thought to himself having almost completely forgetting that the sword he now possessed wasn't the actual gift Michael intended to give him.
"We have heard that you are able to take on the form of different creatures thanks to Azmuth's Sacred Gear and how you can learn new forms by simply touching something which contained that form's DNA. Is this true?" Michael asked warmly.
"Yeah, that's right," Ben replied, thinking back to how he had unlocked his Polymorph form by touching one in the Familiar forest and later saw that it had been added to his selection of transformations.
"In that case, may we offer you another specimen for you to add to your Gear in the hopes that, as long as you live, the being will never be forgotten or disappear from history completely," Michael continued as he pulled a small, rectangular, ornately decorated box from within his white robes, opened the lid and presented it to Ben who peered inside the box and was met with confusion at what he was looking at.
It appeared to be a piece of crimson metal. He first thought it looked similar to the crimson colour of his Boosted Gear but disregarded that when he saw that it was actually a lighter, more rich shade of red than Ddraig's scales.
"It's beautiful…," Ben stated as he looked down at the metal shard lying within the box, "…but what is it?"
"It's the last surviving piece of a To'kustar in existence," Michael revealed. "Before the creation of the Earth, Heavens and Angels, these ancient warriors guarded the edges of reality and held back the darkness which constantly tried to snuff out the light of creation. It is known to a very select few as to what happened to them but what we do know for certain is that something happened many millennia ago which caused them all to disappear leaving no trace of their existence behind except for this scale as far as we know."
"It is our hope that, should it be possible for you to take a sample of its DNA, one day you would reveal the majestic form of a To'kustar once more."
"Is it possible? Can you accept the DNA from that scale, Azmuth?" Ben asked the ancient dragon within his mind.
[In theory…yes, it'll be possible for you to become a To'kustar. However, you are still a long way from attempting such a feat, young one. They were extremely powerful creatures when they existed in this plain of existence; easily more powerful than any of the three factions except perhaps God though they were incredibly close in terms of power. It will take a long time before you should even think about trying such a transformation,] Azmuth said in response to Ben's question.
[You should still accept the DNA though,] Ddraig stated, cutting into their conversation and bringing Ben back to the present.
He approached Michael and stopped in front of him before picking up the red, metallic scale with his left hand. As soon as his hand made contact with the metallic scale, Ben felt a surge of energy enter his left hand, completely different to the other times he had touched a new species and copied its DNA into his transformation collection. The surge lasted little more than two seconds but it still surprised him.
Once Azmuth had informed him that he had successfully taken in the DNA from the scale, Ben placed it back in the box and Michael closed the lid and placed the box back inside his robes.
"And now I must take my leave. There is still some work to do before the summit tomorrow," the Archangel stated as he began to rise into the air and return back to heaven.
Before he did so, however, Ben attracted his attention.
"Before you go, Michael, there's something I'd like to ask you," he asked the archangel.
"I'm afraid I don't have time, my child, but I promise that I'll hear you out at the earliest possible opportunity," Michael replied warmly.
Understanding where he was coming from and just how important the meeting tomorrow was, Ben nodded his head in acknowledgement and stepped away from the archangel who bid him and Akeno a final farewell before disappearing in the same golden light which brought him to the shrine in the first place.
. . . . .
(Later)
"So that's why you wanted me to meet you at this shrine," Ben stated as he accepted a cup of tea from Akeno.
The two of them were sitting at the table in the same building Michael had just left. As she was making the tea, Akeno had been explaining to him she had been part of a ceremony involving members of the three factions so that they could alter Ascalon and tailor its specifications to suit him, the main one being allowing a devil to wield a holy sword without receiving Light damage.
"That's right. We held the ceremony in this very room," the Gremory Queen revealed with a cute smile on her face as she sipped from her own cup of tea.
"Can I ask you a question, Akeno?" Ben asked after a short silence as they drank their tea.
"Of course, sweetie," Akeno replied, her smile remaining on her face.
"It's about the other day when we fought Kokabiel," Ben started and almost began to regret it immediately when Akeno's expression turned cloudy. "Is it true that you're Baraqiel's daughter?"
Akeno didn't reply instantly but when she did, Ben could tell she held absolutely no love for the man. "Yes it's true; he's my father. I'm the half-breed daughter of one of the leaders of the fallen angels and a human."
"My mother was a shrine maiden when she came across a fallen angel who had been seriously wounded in battle. She healed his injuries and the two of them fell in love and, sure enough, I was born from that love," Akeno explained as she stared at the table in front of her.
"I'm sorry," Ben said, ashamed, as he put his cup back down on the table and bowed his head to apologise for his personal question. "I had no right to ask you about that."
He couldn't see the expression she held on her face as he kept his head bowed in sorrow but he heard her return to her feet and then the familiar sound of wings unfurling. He opened his eyes and looked up, taking in a sharp breath when he looked up at Akeno to see that, instead of the two skeletal wings he had when he sprouted his wings, she had one skeletal wing of a devil and the black-feathered wing of a fallen angel.
"I know," Akeno said, her face turned away from Ben as she misinterpreted Ben's sharp intake of breath for one of disgust. "One wing from a fallen angel and one from a devil. The signs of my heritage which I try to hide from everyone. I hated my angel side so much that jumped at the chance to become a devil in the hopes that it could erase all trace of my fallen angel blood. But that wasn't to be…my fallen angel side is still a part of me. The result of my decision was a sad and disgusting mix between both types of wings. Who could think of a better way to showcase my impure lineage?"
The Gremory Queen span around to look directly at Ben who was staring wide-eyed up at her. "The truth is that I've wanted to tell you about this for a long time…but you hate fallen angels, don't you? Who wouldn't if they were in your position, especially after they caused you and Asia so much pain. It isn't hard to imagine what you think of them," she said sadly with a sullen expression on her face.
"You're wrong."
Akeno looked at Ben who had stood up with wide eyes.
"Sure I hate Kokabiel for trying to destroy the town and that bitch, Raynare, for killing me and Asia but that doesn't mean that I hate all fallen angels. It takes a person of extreme ignorance to judge an entire race by the actions of a few. I mean, look at Azazel. Sure he's a bit weird when you first meet him but that doesn't mean he's an asshole," he said with as much determination as he could muster.
He took a step towards the wide-eyed Akeno and gestured towards her fallen angel wing.
"May I touch it?" he asked softly, receiving a simple but weak nod of her head in response.
Ben placed his hands on the black feathered wing and was surprised with how it felt. "Wow, it's so soft! I've never had the chance to feel one before because the last few fallen angels I've met have tried to kill me but it feels so nice."
Akeno chuckled humourlessly. "You'd best be careful around me. Who knows; I could just be hiding my true self in a ploy to trick you into liking me before striking you when your guard is down."
Ben chuckled light-heartedly at Akeno's attempt to push him away from her. "Yeah, there's no way you're going to get me to think you're a bad person. Take it from someone who's got parts themselves fighting for dominance most of the time when I say that there's no way that you're a terrible person or that you can convince me otherwise. Frankly, it's bullshit and I simply refuse to hear you talk in that way about yourself."
Akeno gasped at his words but Ben continued on regardless.
"You can't push me away when you talk about your appearance. Hell, I turn into demons of all shapes and varying degrees of ugliness whenever we get into a fight and you don't think I'm a bad person, do you? Regardless of what you think of your lineage, I still see you as the same smart, strong, beautiful woman I have come to know."
He was interrupted from his little speech when he was suddenly tackled by Akeno in a tight embrace which sent the pair of them falling to the floor with a dull thud that knocked the wind out of Ben's chest.
"Oooof! You gotta give me a bit of a warning before you do something like that, Akeno." Ben gasped as he filled up his lungs with air again while the raven-haired devil continued in her tight embrace.
"I'm sorry," Akeno giggled as she held him tightly, ensuring that her large breasts which had escaped from her outfit were now pressing hard against his chest. "You said such sweet things; I did what any other girl would have done."
"I'm glad you've cheered up. Sorry to make you so worried," Ben told her as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist which pleased Akeno immensely.
"I've made a decision," she whispered so close to his ear that her lips brushed against it, sending a shiver through Ben's body and a low growl to stir in the pit of his stomach.
"About what?" he asked slowly so as to remain in control of his emotions.
"Seeing as Rias and Asia's positions are secured, I'm fine with being your third," she explained as she pressed her body even closer to his, her large breasts pressing against his chest.
"Is that so?" Ben replied in a low, husky voice which excited Akeno even more than she already was with the position they were in. The deep breaths coming from only served to add to the fire.
"There's something else we need to discuss," Akeno whispered seductively into his ear which only drove him closer to the edge of reason. "You have to take responsibility for what you did to me the other day."
"Is that so?" Ben asked in a low growl, his lips brushing against Akeno's flawless neck and sending a shiver through her body. "And what exactly are you referring to?"
"I'm referring t-to what you did in the c-changing room at the pool," Akeno gasped as she tried to retain her senses for as long as possible though that was becoming incredibly hard to do as she felt his hot breath against her neck and his arms slowly tighten around her waist.
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Ben growled, the last remaining part of his composure on the very edge of disappearing.
"I want you to tell me that I've been a bad girl! I'm such a naughty girl for thinking about such things and I need to be scolded!" she panted, her cheeks red from excitement at the thought of doing such perverted things with the man beneath her. Such thoughts were suddenly swept from her mind when she was suddenly pushed up off of Ben's chest and onto her back though she was instantly joined by Ben who appeared directly above her face, the same emerald colour as they had when they were in the changing rooms and it sent her crazy with perverted and sadistic thoughts which only became more intense at the next words to escape from Ben's mouth.
"You really are a piece of work, aren't you?" he growled deeply as he hovered directly above Akeno's flushed face. "You think you can tell me what to do and you won't be punished for it? I hate to break it to you, you little pervert, but I don't take orders from anyone when I'm like this! I give them!"
With that he brought his mouth crashing down on her neck and began to bite her neck, not in a way to break the skin and make her bleed, but in a way which caused Akeno to feel as though she were in paradise. Not content with just this action, Ben ran his right hand through Akeno's long locks of raven-black hair and pulled at it to push her head to the side and give him access to her smooth neck which he continued to bite down on and make her pant in excitement. While he was doing this, he ran his left hand down along her curvaceous breasts, along her flawless waist until he reached her backside where he proceeded to take hold of a cheek and squeeze it, taking immense pleasure in the erotic gasps and whines from the tortured devil below him who didn't seem in a hurry to end their 'embrace'.
"You are mine now! Do you understand?!" he growled as he continued to leave a trail of dark hickeys down Akeno's neck. Her answer came only in the form of a breathless gasp though that seemed to be enough for him as he continued to leave his mark on the submissive devil. When he reached her collarbone he ceased his relentless assault on her neck and brought his head back up to look into Akeno's eyes which had clouded over in her bliss and loss of sense and reason.
"Rias and Asia are my favourite!" he growled darkly, making sure that Akeno knew her place, while licking his lips hungrily. He hadn't nearly have enough of her yet. "But I'm sure there's a place for you somewhere…if you ask nicely."
"O-oh p-please," was all Akeno could muster before her mouth was plundered by Ben's whose tongue began to wrestle hers into submission. She only gave the barest effort in fighting back against his tongue but that wasn't who she truly was and quickly gave in and let him dominate her mouth without resistance. This pleased him greatly and he increased the fierceness of the kiss further, his eyes never leaving Akeno's as she moaned in pleasure.
Their passionate embrace came to a stop when Ben felt a wave of negative energy wash over him and, after looking up, locked eyes with a slightly red-faced Rias Gremory who was glaring daggers at the two of them sternly. Whether her red face was from anger, embarrassment or jealousy, Ben did not know but the way she was glaring at him told him that she wasn't in either of the latter moods at all.
"What's been going on here?" she demanded quietly, her arms crossed under her large chest as she gently radiated with the crimson energy of her Power of Destruction. It was so intense that his senses returned to him, his eyes reverting back to their normal colour and stared back at Rias with a nervous expression on his face though he remained lying on top of Akeno with his hands where they were while the devil in question was lying underneath him and panting uncontrollably.
"Uh, hey Rias," he said nervously, the look in her eyes telling him that he was totally screwed. "H-How long have you been there?"
"Long enough," she replied sternly as she walked towards the two of them. When she reached them she reached down and, without any hesitation, took a firm hold of his left ear and pulled on it forcing him to sit up, grimacing in pain, until he had been removed from Akeno who was slowly coming back to her senses after Ben's assault.
"Ow, ow, ow! Please let go," he pleaded though Rias kept a firm hold of his ear and, in fact, took hold of his other ear and tilted his face until he was looking up at her, the crimson aura still surrounding her body though less intense than a few seconds ago.
"You're just an animal in heat, aren't you?" she asked him but continued speaking before he could give her an answer. "It doesn't matter. Did you get the sword and the gift?"
Ben was about to speak she twisted his ears which made him hiss in pain and revert to simply nodding his head in the affirmative which seemed to satisfy the crimson-haired heiress as she didn't twist his ears again.
"And Michael? Has he returned back to Heaven?" she asked him next.
Ben was about to say "Yes" but remembered what happened when he last tried to speak and simply nodded his head again.
"Good. Then that means there's no further need for you to be here. Let's get going," Rias ordered as she let go of one of his ears and pulled him towards the door she had just come through.
"There's no need to be so rough," Akeno said with a smile at Rias who turned back to look at her.
"You're just as bad. I told you that I would be a little late and you decided to make a move on my Ben behind my back? I can't leave you alone with him, can I?" she said with a neutral expression.
"You don't need to be jealous, you know? He said himself that you're his favourite," Akeno retorted, her smile never leaving her still-flushed cheeks.
The reddening of Rias' cheeks along with the faint smirk on her face was all that was needed to tell Akeno that Rias had stumbled across them earlier than she would ever admit and that fact alone was enough for Akeno to chuckle to herself as Rias pulled Ben away from the shrine and back down the stone steps as the slowly sinking sun marked the end of the last day before the summit between the three factions took place.