Akeno


It only took about a week for the academy to be properly rebuilt. For the sake of appearances, the area was closed off to the general public and school was on break for two more weeks after that. Summer vacation was coming up in less than a month, and for Sona and Rias, that meant it was about time to make their decision about entering the rating games. Sona was adamantly pushing Rias to enter this year. Sona and Rias had planned on debuting together seeing as they were similar in many ways and considered each other friends and rivals both, but Rias was hesitating.

Akeno herself had mostly stopped thinking about it. No matter how much Rias deliberated, there was zero chance of them entering the rating games in their present state. The issue, as seemed to be the case for a lot of what was going on, could be traced back to Kokabiel.

The rating games required a devil, generally of high standing, to gather together a peerage organized into chess pieces, or, more specifically, 'evil pieces'. One devil, in this case Rias, would be king, and each piece from the set could be used to build a team of other devils loyal to the king and thus making up the king's peerage, though some particularly strong devils required multiple pieces to make part of the peerage. Each evil piece empowered the affected devil according to the role of the piece – a knight would be faster, a bishop had more mana and spell power, a rook was generally more powerful, while a queen had all of those things.

Now, a full peerage with all pieces used was not required to enter the rating games, but the attendance of every member that was part of the peerage was, and therein lay the issue. Gasper Vladi, a young boy, was an extremely shy child with a sacred gear that allowed him to stop time for others, an exceedingly powerful ability. Power was good. His skill in using said power was comparable to an ant's skill in long jump. Friendly fire was bad. When he became flustered, which, due to his meek and shy character was every time another living being was in sight, his ability activated and harmed everyone in range without prejudice; to call him useless in battle would be an understatement. He was also Rias's bishop. And that was a problem.

Playing a wargame with a teammate who was liable to freezing every ally in time while sobbing in a pile on the ground was not how Rias wanted to debut. Pride was important to a devil, and Gasper would amount to nothing more than an embarrassment for now. They had hoped that Gasper would be able to gain an acceptable level of control come summer, but Kokabiel's attack shook the young boy worse than what any of them could help him cope with.

For Akeno, it meant that she could be a little more carefree. The smile on her face, the small skip in her step, and the warm hand entwined in hers were all symptoms of that new carefreeness. In movies and manga, Akeno saw girls her age have their crushes and dream the days away, and though she would concede that she should never compare her life to fiction, she bitterly accepted that her life would never have that sort of freedom since her mother died. Until now, that was.

The days really were normal school days now. Akeno's duties as Rias's queen were sparse; nothing important was coming up. Rias herself was, as one would imagine, busy trying to make the inordinately dense dragon lord into her boy toy. Rias herself would say it differently. Akeno had distanced herself a little from the Issei fan club that mostly characterized the ORC these days. She was content to giggle from the sidelines at the increasingly aggressive attempts that Rias and Asia made at Issei's chastity. If only the object of her own desires wasn't a neutron star himself.

Kiba had no problem holding her hand when they were out on dates – as long as it was his left hand, he wanted his sword-arm free to deal with whatever madness might jump out of the pavement – so that wasn't an issue; rather, the issue was that he didn't consider them dates as much as, well, strategy sessions to determine what to do next or something to that effect. That was what she got for falling in love with a boy whose mind was filled with swords.

But it was okay; it didn't matter. They were both devils. Their lives would continue for centuries and then millennia. A slow start was nothing to scoff at, and so, Akeno decided to relish it instead.

"This place seems all right," Kiba said, guiding her towards a table for two. It was a small café with outside seats and cute circular tables. It was also a café that Akeno knew well. The two of them had been in that same spot many times before, and yet Kiba always picked it as they walked by while acting like he didn't have it in mind to begin with. Perhaps he wasn't dense so much as he was clumsy. It was a nice place, she didn't complain. And she liked seeing him stumble around like hopeless fool.

She sat down opposite Kiba with a smile on her face, a recurrence from their previous visits. They ordered the same thing they always did, and while Kiba started squirming trying to think of what to say, Akeno just relished his stumbling uncertainty. It started out well enough. Kiba was making some progress in his small talk, and she was starting to get more comfortable with teasing him.

"It's about summertime, huh," Kiba said, trying to start up conversation. They had exhausted most landmine-free topics by now.

Akeno leaned in over the table, trying to let him get a good look while batting her eyelashes at him. His response was to take a sudden interest in the salt shaker and crane his neck unnaturally away from her.

"So, uh." Kiba scratched the back of his head, a habit he was beginning to pick up from Issei. "There is actually something that we should talk about. Yeah."

Akeno quirked her eyebrow.

"Yes. The peace."

"The peace?"

"The peace conference."

And there it was, 'strategy session' indeed. Akeno held back her sigh – what in the world did that have to do with them anyway. It was a matter concerning greater things than high school students, a fact that Akeno was grateful for. They, the ORC and Sona's peerage, were the object of concern in the Kokabiel crisis, but now they could fade back into obscurity as they already had. Of course, there was no reason to tell Kiba that. Akeno would let him dig his own hole and then find a way to climb out of it – clumsiness was best used as a source of amusement, after all.

"And what, pray tell, do we need to talk about concerning the peace conference?" she said, her voice neutral as she leaned back, giving him as cold of a look as she could muster.

A single bead of sweat trailed down Kiba's face. "It would be good if it worked out?"

"It would be, yes."

The panicked look on his face when he realized that the line of conversation was stillborn almost made her break mask and burst out laughing, appearances be damned. He was just too damned cute.

"Oh, sounds like some interesting stuff."

The uninvited voice came from behind Akeno, and though Kiba's face showed no signs of recognizing the man, Akeno froze as she certainly recognized it.

"Do we know you?" Kiba asked. He wasn't any more on guard than he always was, but his brow was furrowed in mild concern at the newcomer.

"Ah, of course. Forgive me for not introducing myself immediately. I am Cato. And I presume that you are Akeno's boyfriend, might I know your name young man?"

"Oh, of course. My name's Yuuto Kiba, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kiba bowed his head and introduced himself before reddening as he realized what he just let slip. He schooled his expression quickly as something else occurred to him, though his deep blush was reluctant to leave. "You know Akeno?"

Akeno for her part was just happy that Cato seemed taken enough with Kiba to avoid bringing up the letter. Cato gave her shoulder a gentle shake, forcing her to attention.

"Will you introduce us?"

He always cared so much for etiquette. Akeno cleared her throat, making sure her voice was steady. "Kiba already introduced himself, so you know him, and Kiba, this here is Cato, a… friend of mine?"

She turned around to see if Cato was satisfied with the introduction only to be find he wasn't looking at her at all.

"Friend…?"

Kiba looked genuinely surprised that she would have a friend outside of the ORC. Perhaps that was how Akeno herself had looked when Issei's childhood friend, Irina, had shown up, although her surprise was also justified by Irina was an enforcer from the Church.

"Indeed. I'm sure the two of you are busy having fun, but, Akeno, I have something for you," Cato said, drawing her attention. "Regarding that matter I've been looking into for you, there's something I need to talk to you about whenever you have time."

For a moment, Akeno didn't even realize what matter that could be. She thought perhaps it was about how she showed him up, or perhaps about his vacation. But that wasn't it. The inflection in his voice was serious rather than teasing or friendly. Had he found her father? It was so unlikely that she almost blurted out what, but that wouldn't do. She would tell Kiba about her familial relations in good time. In very good time. Kiba looked about ready to ask what matter Cato was talking about, so she needed to step in fast. Luckily, an excellent opportunity to distract Kiba was right there.

"You're not disturbing us at all," Akeno said. An excuse to get Kiba out of his needlessly serious mindset was welcome. Well, that wouldn't be happening here seeing as Kiba's desire to meet with Cato was serious in its own right, but perhaps it could loosen him up a bit once it was sorted. She let her eyes drift toward Kiba who still looked out of depth. "Actually, the two of us meant to visit you to begin with."

"Oh? You certainly have my attention."

"Kiba?" Akeno sent him a look to make him say something, but the boy just sat there gaping. She suppressed a sliver of doubt within her that she might be overstepping her mandate. Hopefully Kiba would be okay with it. She turned around to face Cato. "Right. Kiba is also looking for someone." She almost bit herself for what she let slip, but Kiba didn't notice.

Cato gave Kiba an appraising look, and for just an instant, there was a look in his eye that sent a chill down Akeno's spine. The large man walked over and squatted down next to where Kiba sat, putting them at eye height. Kiba didn't meet his gaze. "I can see that. You look troubled, young man."

Kiba's face hardened, but he kept his face pointed toward Akeno. "Yeah. There is someone I need to find."

Satisfied by something he saw, Cato stood back up and spoke. "In that case, you can both come over to my office. I seem to remember that there's some old, wizened shincha that can serve as a refreshment."

It didn't feel right for them to make Cato wait while they finished their orders, so they abandoned them and left for Cato's office.

Since Akeno first brought up looking into the whole Valper thing, Kiba had spoken of his old friends from time to time. Most of what he told her was depressing. He spoke of how they were tested, subjected to various forms of torture – exposed to holy element which, even to humans, was toxic, starvation to see if asceticism brought out any latent holiness, forced to hold holy swords that burnt them for being unworthy and so on. The Holy Sword Project, they called it. These wounds were ripped open by Valper and Freed, though they had never truly healed to begin with. There was no question about who was truly to blame. Kiba just had to pick a choice of a range of actors, the Church, Valper Galilei, perhaps even God himself. It wasn't like her own situation.

Cato tried to make small-talk with Kiba, seeing fit to entirely ignore her, but Kiba mostly ignored Cato in turn – his thoughts were far away with swords and the stolen futures of his dead friends. She hoped that he would receive some measure of justice for his pain in all of this.

The office itself looked the same as ever, completely unfazed by both the attack from a few weeks prior and from Cato's absence. They went in, and save for a faint coating of dust on some surfaces, everything looked exactly as it had the first time Akeno came in. Cato directed them to the couches as he boiled some water and wiped the dust off the tea table.

"He's so big," Kiba whispered in her ear, as though he only now noticed it.

"I know."

"Detectives aren't supposed to be that big." Kiba sounded much more serious than his words demanded. Akeno just smiled at him.

"What're you two whispering about?" Cato placed a cup in front of them both before settling in on the opposite couch with a cup of his own.

"Kiba was admiring your body."

"Wha-"

"And indeed, who wouldn't?" For just a moment, Akeno worried that Cato would start posing. He looked to be giving it a consideration, but instead he sat down and took a sip. Perhaps he was tired from his trip home.

"How was your trip?"

Something uncertain flashed across his face before he spoke. "Uneventful as vacations are supposed to be. I've some pictures if you want to see them some other time. I'm sure young Kiba would rather miss it. Besides, I believe the two of you mentioned that you had something you wanted to bring to my attention, is that right?"

Akeno nodded and looked to Kiba, gently gesturing for him to speak. He looked rather uncomfortable as he sat there tasting the words in his mouth. The two of them had spent a long time during Cato's absence discussing how best to approach the issue, with Kiba repeatedly asking her if bringing in someone from outside the factions was really wise. Akeno could've assuaged his fears by telling him about her father, but she wasn't ready. Not yet.

Kiba agreed to it all eventually, and what plagued him now was probably the indecision he felt now that the heat of the moment had left him. After Freed appeared bearing Excaliburs, Kiba's hatred for the holy sword project was reignited, but now it was cooled again. Was he sure that he wanted to risk fanning the flames by looking for a vindictive closure, was that the root of his hesitation? Unlike when Akeno had first arrived, Cato was silent, somehow sensing that he shouldn't push the issue.

"I'm looking for someone," Kiba said at length. Cato only nodded in response. Kiba swallowed. "Someone bad."

The look on Kiba's face told them that he was far away in unpleasant thought.

"He's someone who hurt me," Kiba said. "And my friends. Tried to kill me."

"And yet you're bringing this to me rather than the police," Cato said. "Why?"

Kiba shook his head slowly. "The police can't do anything. Akeno told me that you could. I'm not convinced that you can, but I'm convinced that it's worth a try if nothing else."

Cato nodded. "I understand. Then please, tell me the details."

Kiba took a few deep breaths, a habit from his training as a swordsman, calming himself before he spoke. "His name is Valper Galilei. He was formerly an asset of the Catholic church before being excommunicated for unethical behavior. Since then, he's been a fugitive, but I," Kiba paused, he gave Akeno an uncertain glance. "We have reason to believe that he was in Kuoh recently, so maybe you can pick up his trail."

When Kiba finished, he looked to Akeno for affirmation, and she gave him a reassuring smile in response. Cato said nothing. For a while, he looked to be deep in thought, his eyes looking at his empty teacup as it stood on the table. If not for him blinking occasionally, Akeno would have thought him asleep. Akeno couldn't help but feel that a lengthy silence like this was too much in contrast with his usual boisterous self. Was this how he reacted back when she had inquired about Baraqiel? She couldn't remember.

"Excuse me?" Kiba said, his voice sounding frail as it broke the tangible silence.

Cato's eyes snapped up and bored into Kiba, making the boy sink meekly into the couch. "Valper Galilei," Cato said, tasting the name.

"That's right."

"Valper Galilei is dead."

The line was delivered as one would say it's raining, or sorry I'm late, bearing none of the tenseness of the situation. For a moment, neither of them reacted. Kiba was the first to recoil.

"He's what?"

"Dead. Killed."

"But how, what? I mean, you haven't even had the chance to investigate him yet, how could you possibly know that he's dead?"

Cato nodded and hummed in agreement at Kiba's reasoning, taking a moment while formulating his response. The change in atmosphere was staggering. "I know by coincidence, really. Some weeks ago – a month? – I was hired by a young girl, about your age, a foreigner, what was her name again? Xeno… Xenophobia?"

"Xenovia," Akeno said, supplying the familiar name. "Wait…"

"Xenovia? Yes, that's right. That was her name. I'm surprised you know her since it seemed to me that she was just passing through. Xenovia. She was looking for a stolen relic of the church – the same church that you were speaking of – and she, much like you, thought that it couldn't hurt to seek some help," Cato made to take a draught of his cup only to realize it was empty and put it down again.

"And?" Kiba said impatiently. Akeno already knew where it was going. They had all wondered how Xenovia got the swords back when Kokabiel disappeared. None of it had added up. It was a mystery that they should – would – have looked into had it not been for the mass confusion that reigned at the time.

"She tasked me with finding three stolen swords, priceless artefacts of the church. For an unknown reason, these were sighted in Kuoh, and, by chance, I managed to come across a strangely clad fellow carrying one of said swords. I tailed him for a few days hoping that he would lead me to more. He did. The swords were in possession of a certain Valper Galilei, the man whom you now bring to my attention. I thought the two to be working together for some nefarious endgame or other, but they did nothing of note, merely wasted the days away stalking around in the city and studying the stolen swords. Until the swordsman, a man whose name I learned to be Freed Sellzen, struck down Valper Galilei from behind, killing him in a single blow."

Cato paused. It took a moment for Akeno to realize it wasn't a pause at all, the story was over.

"And?" Kiba apparently didn't realize.

"And what? Valper Galilei died. I answered your question, did I not?"

Kiba looked confused.

"You want to know what happened next although it doesn't concern you. I'll humor you. Freed, the mad swordsman, reveled in his gory victory, and that's when I, Cato, stepped in and knocked him out with a single, well-placed strike of my fist, reclaiming the swords and handing them back to the foreigner girl in complete victory."

Kiba blinked and shook his head before voicing the thoughts they both had. "That doesn't even make sense. How did you take out Freed? That guy is a monster!"

Monster wasn't the word that Akeno would use to describe Freed anymore, not after she had seen Kokabiel, but Freed was certainly something else. The man had been terrifying with his maniacal bloodlust. She couldn't help but glance to Kiba, the image of the dead priest in the alleyway playing in her mind. Kiba would know better than anyone just how strong Freed was.

"Ah!" Cato said, looking much happier than the situation warranted. "You see, I consider myself something of a martial artist…" He pulled up his sleeves and looked about ready to give a demonstration before Kiba interrupted him again.

"No. Never mind." Kiba's voice was tired now, his energy defused. He probably wanted to hide the details of why he had trouble believing Cato's version of events, avoiding as much collateral damage as possible with dragging Cato into the supernatural world. That was something they all did. It was the reason that they generally shied away from building friendships or relationships with normal humans. That and the lifespans. She herself had hidden the truth by keeping her father's Fallen nature from Cato even while she hired the man to find her father. "It's all right, I believe you. I just didn't expect… whatever this is."

Akeno said nothing.

Xenovia had returned with the Excaliburs out of nowhere, refused to give them any news or details about how she chanced upon the stolen weapons, but it turned out that it was Cato who reclaimed them all along. Taking out Freed… was that really possible for a normal human being? Akeno hadn't seen the priest in action much, but his reputation was well-known among the devils after he let loose in their city, and the notion of a human taking down such a foe was incomprehensible. Maybe she was underestimating humans. Maybe devils in general underestimated humans. Wasn't that true? After becoming a devil, normal humans all seemed like weak peculiarities, and, hesitate as she might to make the comparison, they were like insects compared to elephants in terms of their power.

A human could never defeat a devil. That was a law of nature. Except it wasn't. Among humans were heroes, and a hero could defeat a devil. Many among them had built a reputation on that fact. Akeno studied the man that had become something of a friend, something of a guardian to her over the past year. Powerful of build, an undeniable charisma about him. He had a presence so strong that you could feel it, like a warm, welcoming feeling that had probably contributed to his success as a detective in the city. Those in trouble sought him out and found him welcoming them into his office, his home, before settling whatever matter was on their mind.

"I'm sorry that I can't help you any more than I have," Cato said, genuine regret in his voice. "You needn't tell me your reasons for seeking the man, at least no more than you already have."

Kiba huffed "I don't even know why anymore," he said slowly. "Or maybe I do. I don't know. I…"

Cato walked over and kneeled on the floor next to Kiba, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "One step at a time, young man. You have a good head on your shoulders, I can tell. And bitterness is just one flavor of life."

Kiba just stared at the table in front of them. He looked lost.

"Thank you." Kiba stood up and straightened out his shirt. He gave Akeno a weak smile. "I need to be alone for a little bit."

She let Kiba leave on his own despite wanting nothing more than to smother him with some onee-san love. Cato made the two of them another cup of tea, and they settled down on the couches again. For a short while, they said nothing, just enjoying the silence and the tea. Only once they finished did Cato speak.

"I mentioned that I had made a breakthrough in the matter that you asked me to look into. I don't know how much you already know about your father, so I need to ask you something first," Cato said, his tone and eyes were dead serious in a way that Akeno rarely saw. "Have you heard of the Fallen?"

She felt a lump in her throat. Of course she had heard of the Fallen. She had heard to hell and back about them – shunned, hunted, her mother killed for that namesake. She nodded in response, not trusting her words.

"Then I don't need to tell you that your father is one of them." Cato looked relieved at that. "I managed to make contact with one of the Fallen, with a man known as Azazel, a name that might be familiar. Ans with him, I confirmed that your father is alive and, all things considered, well."

That her father was alive and well was expected. Akeno had never thought otherwise. Everything else was unexpected. Back when she first asked Cato to keep an eye open for her father, she never truly believed anything would happen. She certainly never meant for him to make contact with the Fallen and actively finding her father; she expected him to simply keep an eye open in case the elusive man suddenly appeared in Kuoh.

"Your father is coming to the city soon," Cato said. Akeno froze. She had hoped that it would be on her terms that they would eventually meet, if ever. To be dropped with a bombshell and then a deadline wasn't fair. It was never fair.

"Oh?" Her own voice came out dry.

"I know that I always tell you to figure out what to do for yourself, to do things in your own time, but this once, I'm compelled to give you some advice. Meet with him. Speak with him. Hear what he has to say."

The idea of it alone was bitter. She bit down her indignation, trusting that Cato had a reason to push her. "You think he has something to say?"

Cato nodded. "A man whom I've come to respect told me a little about him, about your father."

"Why should I care? Shouldn't his actions be what I judge him by?" Her frustration slipped into her voice now, the emotion too strong to suppress. "What kind of apology can he offer me now? What can he offer my mum…?"

"I know this isn't what you want to hear. He was undoubtedly in the wrong, but regrets are something we all live with." Akeno was about to interrupt, but Cato held up his hand, stopping her. "I know regret. I say this because I'm certain that the regret is eating away at him just as surely as it would eat away at you if you squandered an opportunity to regain just a little of what was lost."

Akeno looked down at her hands. She could feel the sour expression on her face but did nothing to school herself. Damn her father. He had followed her like a pathogen her entire life, a phantom sickness that rotted the world around her. Damn him.

"You're right," she said at length. "It's not what I wanted to hear."

Cato's expression softened, his face filling with sympathy. He moved over and knelt down next to her, much as he had done with Kiba earlier. Akeno wasn't one who normally appreciated sympathy, nor was she often offered such. Now, she felt her heart warm at the gesture. This was a man who cared. She ought to treat his advice as such.

"I'll think about it. I promise."


It was getting late by the time Akeno went to meet up with Rias at the club house. She could hear Rias loudly arguing or protesting something before she even got to the door. Undaunted, Akeno went in. Rias didn't notice her enter while Rias's quarrel, a man with an identical shade of blood-red hair gave her a charming smile and a wave as she entered. She smiled back. Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias's older brother and eternal cause of embarrassment. Some would say his enthusiasm for his sister was disconcerting. His presence alone would be enough to make Rias go off, so there was no cause for concern about Rias's loud and ongoing rant.

"Why at my school?" Rias all but shouted, exasperation lining her voice more than any real anger.

"It's a good place. Aren't you happy that I get to be around for a while?" Sirzechs was practically glowing and started tousling her hair, making her squirm.

Akeno giggled. "What's this all about?"

"Akeno! How long were you there?" Rias blushed in embarrassment. Had they been doing something worse before she entered?

"I just arrived."

"You've heard of the peace conference?" Sirzechs said, stopping Rias from protesting any further.

Akeno nodded.

"It'll take place two weeks from now at Kuoh Academy. As you might know, the angel faction with the Church were the final hold up, and they just agreed to come a couple of hours ago. Preparations are beginning today."

Akeno had heard about the Church stalling for time – it had been something of a gossiping topic in the devil community. Wait, at Kuoh Academy?!

"What?" she blurted out. A less than elegant response.

Rias sighed deeply.

"Kuoh Academy, big peace talk," Sirzechs said, dumbing it down like some cartoon ogre while gesturing big with his hands. "Two weeks."

"Why?" Rias snickered at her from the side as she once more failed to come up with more than a single word.

Sirzechs's face turned serious at that. "Neutral ground. Make no mistake, both of you, this is the single largest inter-faction event to happen since the Great War. Everyone is bringing their hope and insecurities to the table, and the only fitting place to do that is in the human world."

"But Kuoh?"

"It needs to be far enough away from Church territory for the Fallen and us to not be significantly disadvantaged. Kuoh has been the center of attention for a while, every faction has been involved here. There's also… well, another thing."

"The boosted gear," Rias supplied.

Sirzechs nodded in confirmation. "The boosted gear and the dividing gear both have their base here in Kuoh. It follows, as you can guess, that you're all required to attend."

The peace conference had been gossip-material, it had been something big going on in the background that everyone was speculating. The notion that she would not just attend but be required to attend was intimidating.

"You won't be the center of attention. Issei will be required to speak, and although he probably won't use it, he has veto power. That's the nature of the two dragons, even we, the factions, will have to compromise with them," Sirzechs sounded resigned to the fact. Akeno couldn't really imagine Issei causing any trouble with his power, immense as it was getting, but his counterpart, Vali Lucifer, was still something of an unknown. She vaguely remembered him fighting Kokabiel and saving them, but her attention had been on Rias at the time.

Considering Sirzechs's overwhelming power, it was incomprehensible that he would need to compromise with anyone at all. Even Kokabiel, a true monster, would fail the comparison if faced with Sirzechs. Akeno hadn't actually seen him in serious action, but she had seen rating games from established devil families that all bent the knee to him without an eep of protestation. If those devils were scary, how much worse was Sirzechs, the strongest devil alive?

It was even stranger to think that Issei, a boy who by all rights would've amounted to nothing, was growing to be so powerful that his whims could change the balance of power in the world to the point where Sirzechs had to compromise with him. She wondered if perhaps Sirzechs started out the same. He was childish and eccentric now, not the type of man that most people would willingly give power to destroy worlds. And those were the people who needed to make an agreement for lasting peace… Akeno shook her head. In the end, she was inconsequential in that regard, so she ought to focus on her own problems instead.

She called up Kiba. If nothing else, they had plenty to talk about now.


I'm actually very excited about some of the things coming up. I will try to find the time to write it – and hopefully a little faster than this last chapter.

Next chapter is all Cato.