Occult Research Club Room
The afternoon light passed through the wide windows and drew bright bands across the floor of the club room. The central table was organized, chairs aligned, the environment too quiet for a normal day.
Rias remained standing near the main table, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the closed door.
Akeno was seated to the side, legs crossed, fingers resting on her own thigh as she watched Rias walk two steps to one side and then to the other.
"You're walking in circles." Akeno tilted her head slightly. "That won't make Grayfia arrive any faster."
"She said she would come today." Rias replied without looking back. "I don't like when official communications come after the decisions."
Akeno rested her chin on her hand.
"Or you don't like when it involves Gasper."
Rias stopped walking.
Before she could respond, the air in the center of the room distorted. A magic circle formed on the floor, silver lines spinning with absolute precision.
A single pulse crossed the space.
Grayfia appeared at the center of the circle, posture straight, hands aligned in front of her body.
The symbol disappeared immediately.
"Sister-in-law." Rias stepped forward. "What happened?"
Grayfia kept her gaze steady.
"There was a revision on the temporary title granted to Gasper." Her voice came out clean, without variation. "The Council questioned the speed of the promotion to high-class Devil."
Rias closed her hands.
"Questioned?" She took another step. "My brother promised."
"The provisional title was placed under review." Grayfia continued. "There was concern regarding the political precedent."
Akeno uncrossed her legs and stood up.
"Concern." Her smile diminished a few millimeters. "After he defeated the Phenex heir?"
Rias advanced until she stood a few steps from Grayfia.
"So they're going to take back what was granted?" Her voice rose slightly. "Reduce his achievement to bureaucracy?"
Grayfia did not move.
"The temporary title has been suspended for reevaluation."
Silence fell for two full seconds.
Rias clenched her teeth.
"This is ridiculous." She turned her face to the side and back. "He defeated a King. Controlled the entire field. Risked his own eyes using the Sacred Gear at that level. And now they want to pretend it was excess?"
Akeno crossed her arms again.
"The old men of the Council love political balance when they're not the ones on the field."
Rias turned to Grayfia.
"Did my brother know about this?"
"He did." Grayfia answered. "And he acted."
Rias frowned.
"Acted how?"
Grayfia shifted her weight slightly.
"Sirzechs used his direct influence with the heads of allied Houses." Her voice remained formal. "He argued that Gasper's public recognition had already been made before Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex."
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"He presented Gasper's victory as a stabilizing factor in relations between Houses." Grayfia continued. "To back down now would be to admit political fragility."
Rias kept her gaze fixed.
"And the result?"
Grayfia made a brief pause.
"The title will not be temporary."
Rias did not blink.
"What?"
"Gasper's promotion to high-class Devil has been officially confirmed as permanent." Grayfia concluded. "With immediate effect."
The air in the room seemed to shift from the impact of the words alone.
Rias opened her mouth, but no words came out at first.
"So…" She adjusted her posture. "All this drama was for nothing?"
"No." Grayfia replied. "There was real resistance."
Akeno brought her hand to her mouth.
A short laugh escaped.
"You were already ready to declare war on the Council, weren't you, Rias?"
Rias turned her face to her.
"I wouldn't accept them diminishing his merit."
Akeno stepped two steps closer, her smile returning to its usual shape.
"I know." She tilted her head. "But you had that expression."
Rias crossed her arms again.
"What expression?"
"That one." Akeno pointed lightly. "Of someone about to invade hell for a certain dhampir."
Rias did not respond immediately.
Grayfia remained where she was.
"Beyond the official confirmation." She continued. "Gasper has received preliminary authorization to form his own peerage when he deems appropriate."
Akeno whistled softly.
"Now that changes the game."
Rias returned her focus to Grayfia.
"Does he know?"
"No." Grayfia replied. "Sirzechs asked that you inform him personally."
Rias slowly uncrossed her arms.
"Of course he did."
Akeno leaned slightly forward.
"So the promotion became permanent, the right to a peerage was recognized… and you almost started an unnecessary diplomatic conflict."
Rias turned her face toward her.
"I just reacted."
Akeno laughed.
"You reacted intensely."
Rias kept her chin raised.
"He deserves it."
Grayfia nodded once.
"There is no dispute regarding that." She made a brief formal inclination. "My function was to inform."
The silence stabilized.
Akeno returned to her chair and sat again.
"So everything ended well." She crossed her legs. "Except for my King's small dramatic outburst."
Rias cast a side glance.
"I didn't have any outburst."
Akeno let out another short laugh.
"Of course not."
Rias looked away for a moment and then back.
"When he arrives, I'll tell him myself."
Grayfia inclined her head.
"That would be the appropriate course of action."
The magic circle formed again beneath her feet. The lines shone once.
Grayfia disappeared in the same pulse she had arrived.
The room returned to its initial silence.
Akeno observed Rias for a few seconds before speaking.
"You really got angry."
Rias turned toward the window.
"I just don't accept injustice."
Akeno rested her chin on her hand again.
"No." Her smile softened. "You just don't accept people messing with someone who is yours."
"I would do that for anyone in my peerage." Rias kept her chin raised. "It doesn't matter who it is."
Akeno tilted her head.
"Anyone?"
"Anyone." Rias stopped beside the table. "If it were you, I would have reacted the same way."
Akeno stood up slowly and approached a few steps.
"So it has nothing to do with the fact that he's Gasper."
Rias adjusted a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It has to do with merit."
Akeno stopped a few steps away.
"Of course." Her smile grew a few millimeters. "Just merit."
Rias crossed her arms once more.
"You like to complicate what is simple."
Akeno walked around the table and stood behind Rias's chair.
"Speaking of complicating." She placed her hands on the backrest. "Yesterday you said something interesting."
Rias did not respond immediately.
"You said I had never really kissed anyone."
Rias turned her face toward her.
"I didn't say it like that."
"You did." Akeno leaned slightly forward. "And I got curious."
Rias raised her chin.
"Curious about what?"
"About how confident you became after that kiss." Akeno took a step to the side and circled the chair. "Confidence is something beautiful to see."
Rias held her posture.
"It wasn't about confidence."
Akeno stepped closer.
"Then what was it about?"
Rias held her gaze.
"It was about choice."
Akeno tilted her face.
"Choice." She repeated. "Then you chose well."
Rias did not respond.
Akeno let the silence last two seconds before continuing.
"Of course you would do that for anyone." She uncrossed her arms. "Now changing the subject… Gasper has been quite masculine lately."
Rias turned her face quickly.
"What?"
Akeno walked slowly to the side of the room.
"The way he stood in front of the Council." She ran her hand through her hair. "The posture. The voice. That was interesting."
Rias stepped forward.
"Interesting?"
"Very." Akeno looked at the ceiling for a second and then back. "He has grown."
Rias kept her gaze fixed on her.
"Grown how?"
Akeno smiled lightly.
"Like someone who could be competed over."
Rias stepped forward again.
"Competed over?"
Akeno leaned slightly forward.
"You think you're the only one who noticed?"
Rias pressed her lips together.
"He is my servant."
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"Servant?"
Rias adjusted her posture.
"And someone who chose to stand by my side."
Akeno brought her hand to her mouth and laughed softly.
"Rias." She took two steps, closing the distance. "Harems are common in the underworld."
Rias kept her gaze steady.
"I know."
"So it wouldn't be strange if I also decided to become Gasper's woman."
Silence fell for a moment.
Rias did not step back.
"Are you serious?"
Akeno shrugged.
"Maybe."
Rias held her gaze for a few seconds.
Then uncrossed her arms.
"If you want to ask him out, you can."
Akeno tilted her head.
"Was that permission?"
"It was freedom." Rias replied. "I don't hold anyone back."
Akeno stepped closer.
"Not even him?"
Rias kept her chin raised.
"Especially not him."
Akeno studied her face for a moment.
"So you wouldn't get jealous."
Rias stepped half a step forward, closing the distance.
"I trust what he chooses."
Akeno smiled.
"And if he chooses both of us?"
Rias did not look away.
"Then you'll have to learn to share."
Akeno placed a hand on her own chest, feigning surprise.
"Are you proposing competition?"
Rias raised an eyebrow.
"You're the one who started it."
Akeno stepped back and laughed.
"I like this side of you."
Rias uncrossed her arms.
"I also like it when you stop pretending you don't want to take part."
Akeno tilted her head.
"Then we agree."
"We do."
The silence that followed held no tension.
Akeno extended her hand.
"May the best one win."
Rias looked at her hand for a second.
Then took it.
"He is not a trophy."
Akeno lightly squeezed her fingers.
"I know."
They both let go at the same time.
The atmosphere in the room returned to its usual balance.
And this time, neither of them seemed willing to back down.
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