17 - My Interrogation

Asia was a much more perceptive girl than I had anticipated, because she noticed the ridiculously abrupt change in behavior of that group of extras.

However, it didn't matter much to me whether she noticed or not. My answer to her question had been ready since the moment I decided to use one of my abilities against those guys.

So, I smiled with my mouth closed and said,

"I figured they were too drunk to think with their heads, so I made them think with their lower heads. That's why I mentioned the bar to them."

Asia raised her eyebrows, put a hand over her mouth, and laughed sweetly.

[The character Asia Argento has a good first impression of you.]

[You received +1 heart from Asia Argento.]

I was surprised at how easily I got my first heart from her and decided I wanted to try for more.

"Asia-san, if you'd like, I can walk you wherever you want to go. It's already nighttime, and if I may say so, you seem a little lost in the big city. It could be dangerous if you keep walking around alone."

She laughed softly. "I-if you insist, I don't see why not make a friend in a city. I want to go to the cathedral in this city. Do you know where it is?"

"I'm new to the city too, but luckily I know where the church you're talking about is."

Walking and talking peacefully with Asia made me finally realize what was different about Asia from the other women in High School DxD. Besides being pure, she was the only one I could remember who used healing magic. In my world, healing magic like Asia Argento's was extremely rare as well, and creatures with high regeneration like devils and angels didn't exist, so I probably saw Asia Argento with different eyes than most people.

The ability to heal was extremely important, whether in my world, this one, or the next world I went to, so I decided then and there that I would save her. But warning her now about the Catholic Church would only serve to push her away from me, so just making her see me as someone trustworthy was enough.

When we got too close to the church, I felt a twinge in my head that made my legs lock up. I looked up and saw the roof of a church peeking out from between the trees a few dozen meters away.

That was the end of my brief outing with Asia. Alone, there was no way I could go any further. However, before leaving, I wanted to make sure Asia knew she could count on me.

"If you need anything, Asia, don't hesitate to come find me. Don't forget, I'm Leonard Tonello, and I'm a third-year student at Kuoh Academy."

She looked at me gratefully and smiled.

"Thank you, Leonard-san!"

In a world so full of mysteries and dangers, it was really an advantage to know the order of all events, because I could stay prepared, but having Asia there so soon made me realize that things were quickly becoming unpredictable.

As I entered the Occult Research Club building to return the last six flyers, I noticed how quiet the place was.

"Never go near a church again." A voice echoed from upstairs.

I looked up and saw Rias Gremory descending the stairs. Somehow, she already knew what I had done.

"For us devils, anywhere near a church is enemy territory. If we get too close, we could cause trouble between the Angels and the Devils." She walked toward me. "You never know when spears of light will pierce you."

"That explains what I felt when I approached."

"I'm sure it was your devilish instincts reacting. And don't forget: being near someone from the church is the same as fraternizing with the enemy and..."

She continued her long lecture on what I shouldn't do, warning me that when a devil was exorcised by someone from the church, not even another King Piece could revive it. After her lecture, she said she needed to step out for a bit and that I should wait until the others arrived because we all had a mission that night. I sat down on the living room sofa and waited.

"The president was just worried about your safety, Leonard-kun. Don't think too much about it." A voice whispered in my ear.

When I looked to my right, I saw Akeno with her classic smile. She seemed to be amused by my surprised expression.

"Akeno-san, how did you—"

"Leonard-kun, there's something—"

We ended up interrupting each other.

"Please, you go first," I asked.

Akeno looked me in the eyes and, with a seriousness I hadn't seen her use before, she asked:

"Why did you kiss me last night?"

I swallowed hard, weighing my words carefully. Akeno deserved a sincere explanation, and I didn't exactly have one, so I was honest.

"That was... it was a moment of impulse. I felt like we were a little closer after everything that happened, and I also felt like that kiss on the cheek was a provocation to me, to my ego."

My words came out in a slow stream, trying to express the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. I didn't want to experience the bitterness of losing hearts with someone like Akeno.

"I understand." Akeno murmured, with her hands behind her back and still with a serious expression.

"Did I make you uncomfortable?"

Akeno looked at me and put one of her hands on her lips. "It wasn't... unpleasant. Just unexpected. That said, Leonard-kun... Do you think we can try that again?"