DxD: Wrong Way

Rias was not only the next head of the Gremory family but also the person in charge of this area.

If chaos erupted due to extraordinary beings and it wasn't contained quickly, higher-ranking humans would intervene and hold the Gremory family accountable.

To put it bluntly, if bad supernatural events occurred in Kuoh Town, someone would inevitably cause trouble for Rias.

Aoki had killed five yellow-haired thugs.

Although there were no witnesses, the bodies were left behind, which naturally stirred up a lot of commotion.

The police might claim they had limited capabilities, but they could still uncover the truth in such an overt and unmasked murder case.

They managed to recover video footage from the convenience store's surveillance cameras at the time of the five individuals' deaths.

While Aoki's actions weren't directly recorded due to camera angles, it was easy to deduce that he was the murderer.

This tracking could serve as direct evidence.

After a thorough investigation of the scene and noting Sakuramachi Touko's strange expression in the surveillance video, ordinary police officers in Japan promptly reported their findings.

Early the next morning, all evidence was presented to Himejima Akeno.

Completely caught off guard, she was stunned by what she saw.

Not fully understanding what had transpired but recognizing Aoki's involvement, she skillfully employed her influence to manage the situation.

Himejima Akeno informed the visitor that Aoki was already Rias's dependent and that killing those five individuals had been a commissioned task.

Since it was his first order, he had been a bit nervous and forgotten to handle the aftermath properly.

Although there were many loopholes in her explanation, the Gremory family still needed to maintain their reputation.

The visitor could only leave temporarily and wait for Rias's return to discuss further actions.

"So that's how it is…"

Aoki touched his chin, feeling a twinge of regret.

Had he known this information sooner, he would have informed Himejima Akeno right away.

Those five troublemakers definitely had a history of wrongdoing

After a little investigation, no one would question whether Aoki's actions constituted "legitimate defense."

"Even if you weren't acting in self-defense, if you had informed me sooner, I could have handled this matter more effectively," Himejima Akeno said quietly but audibly enough for him to hear.

Aoki blinked in surprise. " Akeno-sensei… what do you mean by that?"

"This is Gremory territory," she explained.

"As long as you handle things properly without affecting ordinary people, killing a few individuals isn't a big deal at all."

Himejima Akeno hadn't initially wanted to reveal this harsh reality to Aoki, fearing that he

Having been an ordinary person not long ago

Night struggle to accept it.

However, it seemed she had underestimated his mental fortitude.

"There are many ways to erase someone's existence," she continued with narrowed eyes that revealed her more sinister side.

"There are sophisticated methods like altering memories or cruder methods like Cang Yan."

"As long as you clean up well enough and unless you kill ordinary people with very strong connection. No one will bother you in Kuoh Town. The Gremory family wouldn't dare create trouble over minor issues."

Aoki smiled playfully

He realized that Himejima Akeno was probably feeling a bit frustrated this morning.

Even she had her limits when it came to dealing with losses.

He walked behind her and placed his hands on her slender shoulders, gently massaging them while offering comfort:

"Akeno-senpai, don't be upset, it's my fault for not telling you earlier."

With two rabbits weighing heavily on her chest all day long, Himejima Akeno often felt sore shoulders. Enjoying Aoki's massage helped dissipate much of her lingering resentment.

"If anyone asks later," she instructed casually while relaxing into his embrace, "just say you're performing a commissioned task."

She leaned back against him comfortably; after all, they had done everything together except for crossing that final line.

"I originally intended to wait until Buchou returned before discussing this matter further," Himejima Akeno admitted.

Aoki blinked thoughtfully before asking, "Do you want me to officially join the Occult Research Club and take on commissions with you?"

"Yes," Himejima Akeno confirmed as she shifted into a more comfortable position against him.

"I just witnessed your strength firsthand; once you master Intermediate Magic Extraction, you'll be safe from danger except when facing top-tier A-level masters."

"Sounds good."

Aoki nodded eagerly without hesitation; no one would pass up an opportunity like having Rias Gremory backing him up.

If not for an accident during his previous reincarnation, he would have already submitted his application to join the club.

Families couldn't rely solely on words

They also couldn't engage in ranking games every time verification was needed. Submitting an application meant having written documentation

Once he received Rias's exclusive seal of approval, he would officially become her dependent.

While Himejima Akeno mentioned waiting for Rias's return before proceeding further with any formalities regarding his status within the Occult Research Club, she lacked Rias's exclusive mark herself.

An agent belonged to their respective families; thus, granting access to such marks wasn't something done lightly or casually

It wasn't about mistrust but rather about preventing potential criticism from others.

With the support of her brother, who is currently one of the Four Demon Kings, Rias may not be afraid, but she will inevitably experience a state of panic for a while.

The most significant concern is that she didn't expect Aoki to get into trouble so soon.

Himejima Akeno can handle ordinary situations, and only a handful of issues require the use of her exclusive mark.

After completing his application to join the club, Aoki still wanted to spend some time with Akeno Himejima.

Given the pleasant atmosphere, perhaps she could finish what they had left unfinished last time.

However, Himejima Akeno pushed him away with her hand and said in disgust, "I smell an unpleasant feminine scent; leave quickly."

Aoki lowered his head and sniffed, detecting a faint fragrance that was unmistakably similar to Miyajima Sakura's scent.

Noticing Himejima Akeno's anger, he touched his nose knowingly and chose not to argue about whether the smell was indeed unpleasant.

"Senior Akeno, I'm leaving now. I have some matters to attend to in the coming days and may not be at school often. If you need anything, please call me," he said.

"Yes," replied Himejima Akeno as she looked at Aoki.

"I assume this has something to do with a girl."

Aoki shrugged; it wasn't just one girl but several.

"This time I'm working on something serious. I've found someone who may have the ability to awaken naturally."

"So what?"

Himejima Akeno replied dismissively.

While there weren't many people who naturally awakened their abilities, it wasn't particularly rare either.

Unless the awakened ability was exceptionally powerful... like Aoki's, it would be difficult to pique her interest.

"That person might cause trouble, and I want to keep an eye on them."

Aoki decided to share a bit about Tanaka Hajime so that if anything were to happen later, Himejima Akeno wouldn't be caught off guard like last time.

"Ah, not bad! You've just started working and are already dedicated?"

Himejima Akeno covered her mouth and smiled brightly.

"Do you need your sister's help?"

Aoki shook his head.

"This is my first mission. I want to see if I can handle it independently."

"Oh? Are you serious?"

Himejima Akeno unconsciously slipped back into her habitual teasing tone.

Initially thinking that Aoki was merely making excuses, she now sensed that there was indeed something significant going on.

Aoki nodded earnestly.

"Really."

At first, he hadn't known much

He simply wanted to protect the Takamine sisters, Miyajima Sakura, and other girls.

Now it seemed that he could also contribute to maintaining stability in Tokyo.

If mass hypnosis were truly occurring, resolving it would be quite an achievement.

"In that case, take this with you."

Himejima Akeno produced a slightly yellowed piece of paper from her chest; it featured a dark five-pointed star surrounded by two circles.

Strange runes resembling Queen Poles connected the spaces between the circles.

"Akeno-senpai, what are you doing?"

Aoki asked curiously.

He was no longer a novice unaware of such things; he recognized this as a magic circle but didn't know its specific effects.

"If you find yourself in a critical situation or face something you can't handle, inject magic into it," Himejima Akeno instructed.

"If possible, try to escape first rather than confront it directly."

"Okay, I understand."

Rubbing the smooth surface of the paper made Aoki even more curious about its magical properties.

Before he could ask further questions, Himejima Akeno began ushering him away.

"Lunch break is almost over. Do you have anything else? If not, please return to class."

After placing the piece of paper—imbued with Himejima Akeno's warmth and scent

Underneath him, Aoki quickly added, "Akeno-senpai, I'd like to borrow your familiar."

"Sure," she responded cheerfully

She understood what Aoki intended without needing further explanation.

She waved her hand and summoned a small black orb before pointing at Aoki and commanding it:

"You should follow him for these days and obey whatever he asks."

The small orb flew around twice before settling on Aoki's shoulder.

"Akeno-senpai, is this okay?" he asked as he looked at the little dark orb and poked it curiously with his finger.

The orb felt insubstantial unless prodded; otherwise, it seemed almost ethereal.