I am a being that carries the blood of a Fallen Angel. If I step my foot into their territory, it wouldn’t be weird for me to become their target. There was a high possibility that the Devils knew that I got into contact with one of the humans they have a pact with. ……There are many Devils that have strong pride. If they come to find out about a mere Fallen Angel girl getting in contact with their client…… They will come to eliminate me to get rid of their disgrace. I hid myself in the abandoned temple within that city, and decided to observe silently for a while. It was best to not get involved if you get wrapped into such cases. For a child like me it was impossible to fight a grown up Devil. It happened several days after I hid myself in the temple. I sensed a presence that was coming closer to me. I tried to look outside timidly from the broken door. And what appeared in front of my eyes was—a crimson. A beautiful crimson hair. A girl who looked like she was the same age as me. That girl who has an aura of someone who isn’t a human like myself, was looking around the surroundings. I hid my presence, and hid myself behind the tree after exiting the temple without making a sound. Staying inside the temple won’t be a good idea. A location that is known is the same as an easy target for them, and there won’t be anything left of me if I were attacked first. The crimson haired girl says it with a loud voice. “If you are here, then please come out. If you are willing to talk seriously about the reason for you to enter the territory of someone close to me, then I won’t do anything like blaming you for it.”
……I can’t trust what a Devil would say. Like I expected, it seems like they found out about me who purified the evil spirit. She’s a Devil despite having a cute face like that. And from what I can understand by searching through her aura, I can see that she is a child from a high quality Devil. ……I probably won’t be able to stay alive if I go against her. Even after that, she starts to talk in a persuasive manner, however I did not show myself in front of her. I simply have to turn my presence off and wait for her to leave. However, since she has found out about this place, then it will be good for me to leave here right away. I will need a new place where I can hide myself. When I was thinking about the dangerous situation I am in, the crimson haired girl sighs, probably because I didn’t show myself. She then says this. “……The truth is, there are mountaineering ascetics that are looking for you. Those humans came to negotiate with us. They said, “Can you leave the Fallen Angel girl to us?”—.”
—! Hearing that, my body shivers. It’s most likely them. The group of mountaineering ascetic that started appearing in places where I visited since a year ago. They aren’t after me because I’m a hindrance to their job—. The crimson haired girl then says this. “……Before those people appear in front of you, come to my side. I won’t treat you badly. As long as you explain the situation to me, I will give you the most support I can.”
Her words were so gentle…..that it sounded like my deceased mother. Yes, that girl was Rias—. —I had a dream. A carefree life from back then I dearly miss. “Hey, Kaa-sama. Will Akeno also make a friend?”
“Yes, you definitely will. Akeno, what do you want to do with your friend when you make one?”
“Umm……Akeno wants to go to see different places, go to the same school, and join the same “club” as her.”
“……Do you want to go to school, Akeno?”
“It’s okay. Akeno will be alright as long as Akeno has Kaa-sama and Tou-sama.”
“……I hope that you make a kind friend.”
“Yup! And Akeno wants a husband who will be strong and kind like Tou-sama!”
“Ufufu, if your father hears that, then he will be troubled.”
“Why?”
“That’s because, your father—.”
“……Kaa-sama.”
When I open my eyes, I realise that there are tears in my eyes. After packing my bag quickly, I left the abandoned temple that I was using as the place to sleep. It’s exactly about time for the sunrise. While the morning mist is still up, I sprint through the forest that is next to the highway. The reason why I didn’t make my move during late at night is because the time during then is the active time for Devils. If it’s this time during the sunrise, then I will be able to leave this town safely—. If it’s now, I can understand I had a naïve way of thinking due to being a child back then. When I was about to exit the forest—. Something covers me from the side while grasping hold of me. I then had a feeling that the aura coming from my whole body is disappearing right away. –When I looked, there is a net around my body. ……It’s not a mere net. The more I struggle, the more it feels like it will drain that much of strength from me. It must be a net with a special spell on it. RING RING ……Then a unique sound of a staff echoes throughout the forest creepily. “—I have found you.”
There was a single low-voice of a man. “—The cursed daughter born from our Himejima bloodline.”
From behind the trees,
“—The child that carries the blood of that black Angel.”
—Several mountaineering ascetics sedge-woven hat who are carrying a staff appears. “—It has been a while, Akeno.”
A voice with dignity says that to me. I’m familiar with this voice. The mountaineering ascetics make a path and the one who appears in front of me is man who has passed his middle age. He takes his sedge-woven hat off, and looks at me who is captured by the net. His eyes are filled with sadness. “……Granduncle.”
Yes, this old man is someone from the Himejima. To me, he is my granduncle from my mother’s side. Himejima are a clan that has been affiliated with Shinto since ancient times. My mother’s family is also entrusted with a Shinto shrine with history behind it. The other mountaineering ascetics must be the relatives of Himejima. Granduncle says it to me while bending down. “I won’t let you escape now. I must get rid of Himejima’s shame today. You understand me, right?”
—A shame. For them, it’s said that the daughter from Himejima was taken and used by a Fallen Angel, and I……am known as a cursed child that was born from them. For that reason I am a shame to them. Himejima is a Shinto clan with historical background. For that reason, breeding with another kind is an unforgivable act. If it gets found out by the Japanese God they serve, they won’t know what kind of penalty they will receive. ……The oath and cleanness towards the rules of Himejima are absolute, and as a result, my mother died—. I, who have lost my mother and have rejected my father, wandered throughout the country, and ended up being targeted by those from Himejima. A child that will taint the name of Himejima must be a being they can’t allow to exist. “……I simply want to live.”
I said that while actually meaning that. There isn’t any falsehood behind that. I……am an outcast who couldn’t go after my mother and couldn’t follow my father.