A/N: Moving the pov slightly. Don't worry, this is still Koneko and Her Extra Large Boyfriend, not going to suddenly shift if you're worried. I feel like Akeno would be the type to try bend the rules or work around for the sake of Rias, in my opinion.
At Rias' request, the Occult Research Club were given both a run-down of the history of Devils and the war the resulted in the current system that governed them, as well as help from Asia to tell them a bit about her previous life at the church.
To Issei and Asia it was a rather enlightening experience as they learned about the consequences of the war between the Three Factions of Heaven, Hell, and the Fallen Angels, as well as how that effected their new lives as Devils. To the rest of Rias' peerage, they learned from Asia about what the Church could use and how the objects that they carried could affect them if they were to run into them in a fight.
To Asterios, it was all words that he couldn't really understand or make sense of due to not technically being part of either world.
But he was happy to just be part of the discussion.
Especially when they, or more specifically Akeno, asked if He would be affected by the holy objects.
"I don't think that would…" Asia started before she paused looking at the Minotaur "I mean, I'm not sure how holy object works with pagan beings." Still she shook her head "Even then, I don't think we should try it."
"Why not?" Akeno asked "It would be a nice way to see if our Min-" she paused, closed her eyes before opening them again "If our dear Asterios can handle Holy weapons."
"A very specific request there isn't it Akeno?" Rias asked, crossing her arms.
Akeno merely smiled wider in response.
"i would not mind," Asterios spoke up "if vice-president wants to know."
"Well I do." Koneko was quick to shut down his passive acceptance "It's dangerous, and I don't approve."
"Awww don't worry Koneko," Akeno turned her smile to the white haired devil "If you're worried, I can take good care of him if he gets hurt."
Koneko bristled "That doesn't help your point."
Issei glanced between the two and then back to the still stoic Asterios and whispered a quiet 'Good Luck'.
"If you're so worried Koneko, we can probably just start small by asking him to read a bible verse." Yuuto stated, quickly rising his hands when Koneko turned to him with a small look of betrayal "I'm just saying, if all it did was give Asia a headace," he ignored the distressed sound of the former nun "Then Asterios should be fine with it."
After a few more minutes of pouting and harrumphing, eventually Koneko relented.
"I'll try to find a simple one for you Asterios," Asia said reassuringly. The Bishop bringing the holy book closer to him while flipped through the pages. She settled on one, wincing as she skimmed the contents, and then held out for Asterios to read.
The Minotaur leaned in closer as he narrowed his eyes.
They seemingly waited as he read the verse.
"i," he grunted and then pulled his head back "can't understand what it says."
The tension deflated from the rest of the Devils.
"You didn't feel anything Asterios?" Asia asked.
"no," He shook his head "i just couldn't understand some of the words."
"Well we know that holy scriptures won't be issue for him." Rias sighed in relief.
Akeno herself seemed the most satisfied "See I told you it was worth a test." She then stood up and walked to the rest of the table, picking up the box that held the cross "Want to see what else he can resist?"
And thus the argument from before repeated.
[Scene]
"What are you planning Akeno?" Rias asked the moment the two of them were relatively alone.
"Whatever could you mean Rias?" Akeno asked back "Is it so wrong to see if our dear Minotaur can withstand Holy relics." Something that proved to be a success when Asterios touched the cross with no ill-effect and didn't blink when a drop of holy water was poured onto his head "I mean, it would be a boon in case we ever run into Fallen Angels again."
When she didn't receive a response, only an unimpressed stare, the Queen rolled her eyes "I was just curious Rias, after all…" she seemingly caught her next words, Akeno stopping what she was about to say as her eyes stared at the ground "…it's not like I have to worry about hitting him with anything Holy."
Rias sighed and wrapped her arm around the shoulder of her friend, giving it a rub. "I was just worried Akeno," Rias said "For yours and Asterios, who knows how he might handle powerful holy attacks."
"Hmmm," Akeno hummed, before smirking at her friend "So you can be worried about me, but when I ask about my friend, being worried about her…?" She let the sentence hang.
"Oh shut up." Rias pushed her away with a smile.
Akeno giggled.
[Scene]
Later that night, Akeno found herself unable to sleep. The Queen lied awake on her bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling as the seconds went by.
After a few minutes of her simply lying on the bed, she sat up from her bed and walked around her room. Her mind was clouded by something that she couldn't think of, thoughts scrambled about by a topic she couldn't parse.
She stopped by a window, and seemingly by chance she spotted something.
It was Rias and Issei, both of them seemingly talking to each other. She couldn't hear their words, but with how Issei was moving and how her friend seemed to look much too pleased by what he was saying…
Akeno closed her eyes and smiled a bit, happy that her friend managed to find some manner of happiness just days before the match that could decide her future.
Her mind became muddled again once she was reminded of the Rating Game.
"I need to get from fresh air."
Once she was dressed appropriately enough, Akeno walked towards a window and pushed it open. She allowed her Devil Wings to unfurl behind her, leathery bat like wings that allowed her to take flight.
She repressed the second pair of wings that she knew existed within her and took to the skies.
It was a dark night tonight, with the moon was nearly gone, and if wasn't for the fact that she was a Devil she would not have been able to see anything around her.
But she was, and it was because of that she spotted a curious sight.
Her wings carried her through the air, following the small glow and the sense of magic that only one well versed in magic could feel. As she drew closer, her lips tugged upwards into a smirk.
A seemingly sleeping Koneko snuggling up against an Asterios who was leaning against a tree.
Asterios head snapped up when he saw her land on a branch. One of his hands moved and carefully covered the top of Koneko's head. Which seem to wake up the white haired Devil, who similarly looked up to see her standing on the branch of a nearby tree.
"Hello there~" Akeno greeted, waving a hand "I see that Issei thinking you both going out for a romp may not be as unfounded as it seems."
Asterios tilted his head, but despite that he nodded at her "hello vice-president."
Koneko hand moved to the giant hand on her hand and gently pushed it away, revealing her cat ears to the older Devil "It's fine Asterios she knows," She looked up towards her "Hey."
Akeno seemed to smile even wider at the sight of her ears "Oh my, it's been a while since I've seen this Koneko." She descended from the trees and walked closer to the pair, once she was in front of her, she crouched down and smiled "So how long has this been going on?"
There was a concern grunt from Asterios, but Koneko gave the Minotaur a pat on his thigh "After he told us everything," She leaned into his chest "I just thought it wasn't fair that only he had to tell us everything."
" 'You should me yours, and I'll show you mine.' Huh?" Akeno giggled "I think that's really sweet of you Koneko. You do this every night then?"
Koneko was quiet for a moment, her face flushed red as her senior waited with a constant smile on her face. "Yeah…" She admitted, before "Usually at night so that no one sees."
"How scandalous," Akeno eyes flicked upwards "Hopefully you don't do anything untowards to sweet little Koneko Asterios!"
"i wouldn't hurt her!" Asterios replied surprisingly enthusiastically.
While Koneko face seemed to turn even redder.
"Still every night huh?" Akeno returned her focus onto Koneko again, her smile slowly drops "Must be nice to have someone you can trust enough to do this with." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them.
The teasing look in her eyes had vanished, and in front of Koneko and Asterios was now the Queen of Rias' peerage.
"Koneko," She said to the former Nekoshou "Are you able to utilise this form and its abilities in the upcoming rating game?"
Koneko avoided her gaze.
Akeno shook her head "I'm just asking, an ability like yours could easily be a massive help to Rias' victory." The seriously look melted a bit as she reached out and patted her on the head "But if you don't feel comfortable, then it's fine we can do with what we have."
She was silent for a moment, before she mumbled out "…ed Asterios." She drew her arms around herself for a hug "I only feel confident enough if he's around, because I can use him to filter out the bad." She sighed "But Asterios can't join us for the Rating Game because he's can't join the peerage, and I'm not sure if I can use it without him."
Asterios face fell and he mumbled out "i'm sorry."
Akeno recalled when he asked. When it was just her, her King, Koneko and the Minotaur himself. He had asked to be part of her peerage, to join to help her. Because he wanted to help, wanted to thank her for taking him into her family.
She never saw a more disappoint when she told him that she couldn't accept him into her peerage.
Not didn't, couldn't.
Akeno stood up and nodded her head "I understand." She took a few steps away and turned her back to them, crossing her arms under her chest. She was quiet for a bit, her fingers tapping against her own arm "But, you don't have to be a Devil to join in the Rating Game."
Both of their eyes widened at her words.
Koneko felt excitement fill her heart, one that dropped when Akeno pointed at the ground and summoned her Familiar.
"He can always become a Familiar for one of us if he wants to help."
"But we can't just do that!" Koneko stood up "If we just turn him into a Familiar, that's just wrong isn't it?"
"It's not wrong for any magical being to turn into a Familiar," Akeno countered, her own Familiar climbing up until it rested onto her palm "As long as their Master treats them properly, and with kindess."
"That just makes them a pet." Koneko said sadly, her ears lying flat on her head "And it's unfair if we treat Asterios that way."
"In a way, you're right." Akeno eyes then looked past Koneko "But in the end, it's Asterios' choice if he wants to be a Familiar or not."
Koneko lips trembled "That's not fair for him." She stated "Asterios never says no, unless we ask him to." She turned to the Minotaur, he was looking at her with his usual gaze "Asterios… do you want to become a Familiar?"
He was quiet for a moment, before he answered "i want to help president."
Her heart dropped at the statement.
"but i don't want to make koneko sad," Asterios focused on her "would koneko be sad if i become a familiar?"
"I don't know…" Koneko sighed "I just think that, you becoming a familiar is just too mean for you. Especially with how badly your last 'master' treated you."
Asterios stood up, all 3 meters of his huge size dwarfing both of the girls standing before him. Koneko stared up at the large Minotaur, her diminutive size seemingly even smaller than usual.
Akeno stood to the side, merely watching the two.
There was no moonlight shining through the canopy of trees, nor where there any source of magical light to illuminate the area around them. It was only because of them being part of the Supernatural could they see each other.
"then koneko i ask of you," Asterios face lost its stoic expression and focused onto Koneko with a steely look "will you be my master?"
"?!"
Koneko stumbled back at his words, her eyes widened even further than before.
"i want to help president," Asterios stated "she's always been nice and welcomed me as 'family'. if becoming a familiar helps her, then i want to help her so that I can thank her."
Those words struck the hesitation in Koneko's heart. She recalled just how much she owed Rias as well, her Master that had saved once before.
He held out a hand towards Koneko "but i don't want koneko to feel sad either if i become a familiar, because she's worried."
Then Asterios seemed to smile, it still showed too much teeth, his eyes still showed a terrifying glare as his face twisted into an unfamiliar position. But the smile was genuine and had nothing but kindness behind it.
"but if koneko becomes my master, then it will be okay. i trust koneko, and she wouldn't hurt me. I would be happy if koneko becomes my master, because i like koneko."
Neither of the two girls said anything.
Asterios leaned in closer "so koneko, will you be my master?"
Her small hand landed in his own gigantic one, Koneko looked up at the Minotaur and nodded "On one condition. Don't call me Master, keep calling by my name and I'll keep calling you by yours."
"thank you."
Akeno watched with a strained smile, looking at her own Familiar "I suppose this is on me. I wanted to help, and helped Koneko move way ahead of me as a result." She pouted a bit.
"You can help with the Familiar contract," Koneko offered, holding out with her other hand.
"How mean~ Koneko," The Queen's Familiar vanished the same way it was summoned "Rubbing it in?"
She received no response, before Koneko looked her directly in the eye "You can also join us tomorrow night if you want."
At that Akeno looked surprised, before a more genuine smile appeared on her face "If you say so."