Chapter 21

As we approach the house we heard someone yell in the inside.

"Shuri" a man yelled the name of Akeno's mother, it seems we just arrive right in time. I hold Akeno by the hand to stop her from doing something stupid.

"Akeno relax okay?" I said to Akeno who is raring to kill the man in front of Shuri right now but I can't let him die yet or he is already.

"I'm not going to do something stupid Oreki-san" Akeno said while smiling at me but deep down I know she lying to me and she just really holding it back right now.

I then whisper to her ear and say "You know I can resurrect people right?" I stop and look at her expression, she has frown on her face. She seems to not getting it , I then continue to whisper to her ear " You can kill him as many times as you want" I finished and she shivered imagining killing the man over and over again until her inner sadist is satisfied.

"Ara, you know me too well Oreki-san" said by Akeno looking at me with her smiling face, What a girl she is.

Rias seeing this can't help but get jealous of Akeno, she slap my shoulder before saying "Stop flirting!" Rias's voice was sharp, a hint of frustration lacing her words. "We will get noticed by the others." Rias then thought this would enough to stop me and Akeno conversation. Rias's expression softened slightly, her eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and determination. "We need to focus our attention on what's happening in front of us," she continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

"I already erase our presence since we arrive here" I stop and turn to look at Rias blushing like tomato before continuing "but you are right Rias ,we need to focus " Drawing closer to her, I leaned in to whisper in her ear, my voice barely a breath against her skin. "Hey, don't be jealous," I murmured, my tone laced with a hint of amusement. "You'll have my attention in the future, I promise." With a wink, I pulled away, turning my focus back to the unfolding scene before us but not before noticing Rias's smiling brightly at my words, her earlier jealousy dissipating like morning mist beneath the warmth of the sun. Seems that placate her well and completely forgot about our antics earlier.

"Hand over that thing, Shuri, and the clan will forgive all your transgressions," the masked man demanded, his voice dripping with malice as he brandished his katana threateningly. His eyes flickered with a dangerous glint as he focused on Akeno, his intentions clear as he reached out towards her with his free hand.

But Shuri stood her ground, her resolve unwavering despite the looming threat before her. With a defiant glare, she tightened her grip on Akeno's hand, shielding her daughter from harm with determination.

I look at Shuri and the scared little Akeno quivering in fright, It's understandable she just a 10 years old girl compared to bombastic Akeno beside me right now, who is quivering but not because she is scared but because she holding herself from jumping killing the man.

I continue watching.

Shuri's voice rang out with authority, cutting through the tension like a knife. "NO!" she exclaimed, her words direct and decisive as she slapped the man's hand away. Her gaze bore into him with an intensity that seemed to pierce the man's soul, a silent warning of the fierce protectiveness that lay beneath her calm exterior.

But the man remained undeterred, his demeanor hardened by his cruel intentions. "Do not be impudent, Shuri," he sneered, his words dripping with contempt. "You can conceive a normal offspring in the future, so hand over that abomination." The man insist on being an asshole to Akeno in front Shuri. Good job man Akeno here is going to enjoy torturing you.

Shuri's resolve only seemed to strengthen in the face of his callousness. With unwavering determination, she turned to Akeno, her eyes softening with tenderness. "This thing is my daughter," she declared, her voice filled with a mother's love. "She is my treasured daughter, as much his as mine." Shuri explain to the man and to Akeno beside me indirectly that her Father loves her dearly. I look at Akeno who is crying and having a mini flashback in this 'flasback' right now but because Akeno is crying, Rias also started crying. I put my arm around the shoulder of Akeno comfort her.

"Now do you get it why I am resurrecting your mother in a complicated manner and not just going to her grave to do it there?" I posed the question to Akeno, hoping she would understand my intentions.

Akeno nodded with a smile before responding, "Yes, you want me to know that my father loves me, and I should forgive him because my mother's death is not his fault." Her words carried a sense of understanding, and she looked up at me, seeking confirmation.

"Yup, pretty much," I confirmed with a grin, enjoying the playful banter. "But if you want, we can still wipe out the fallen angels, including your father," I added, wiggling my eyebrows and poking her cheek in jest.

Akeno gave me a puzzled look before remarking, "Really? After all that effort to make me forgive my father?"

Rias chimed in with a similar expression of confusion, asking, "What's your end goal here, Oreki-san?"

I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement. "It's just a joke, both of you," I reassured them, turning around to continue watching the drama unfolding before us. Sometimes, a little humor was the best way to lighten the mood amidst the chaos of our situation.

The words of the masked man cut through the tense silence like a blade, his voice cold and merciless as he delivered his damning judgment. "I see it now," he sneered, his gaze piercing as he addressed Shuri. "It's not just your body that has been tainted by that evil angel, but even your mind has been corrupted too.".

Before the sword hit Shuri, Akeno beside me turn to embrace me and trying to not to see the death of her mother a second time.

Shuri died while protecting little Akeno

"Mother!!" The anguished cry of little Akeno pierced the night, a heart-wrenching lament as she witnessed her mother's life slip away in her arms. With trembling hands, she continued to shake Shuri, as if desperately trying to rouse her from the cold embrace of death. But it was futile; no amount of pleading or shaking could bring her back. And so, overcome with grief, Akeno's sobs echoed through the silent darkness, a poignant reminder of her innocence lost.

"You, abomination, will come with me," the masked man's voice cut through Akeno's sorrow like a blade, his cruel words sending a shiver down her spine. "You will be used by us for the rest of your life," he added with a sneer, his gaze cold and calculating as he reached out to touch her when a light sword hit his hand severing it in the process.

"Look who's here, should we kill him yet?" I remarked casually, my voice devoid of emotion as I observed the scene before us.

"Stop making that joke, seriously," Akeno responded with a deadpan stare, her voice tinged with annoyance at my attempt at levity. But as she turned her gaze towards the figure who had intervened, recognition dawned in her eyes, and her expression softened with a mixture of surprise and relief .She is extremely familiar with this figure and that is none other than her Father ,Baraqiel.

We then watch closely.

The mask man's agonized scream pierced the air, a guttural cry of pain and desperation as he clutched at his severed hand, blood gushing from the wound. Rolling on the tatami mat, he struggled to regain his composure, his eyes wild with fury and fear.

"You should not be here, Baraqiel!" he spat, his voice laced with venom as he glared at Akeno's father, his words dripping with defiance even in the face of defeat. Despite his injuries, he attempted to rise to his feet, his movements shaky and unsteady.

But Baraqiel, unfazed by the masked man's feeble attempts at resistance, stood tall and unwavering, his gaze cold and resolute as he faced his adversary. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned forth a sword of pure light, its radiance casting an ethereal glow upon the room.

"This is my house, you dumb, stupid nobody," Baraqiel declared, his voice steely with determination as he created a holy light sword high above his head. In one swift and decisive motion, he brought it down with all the force of his righteous fury, piercing the masked man's chest with unerring accuracy.

"Akeno" Baraqiel say who was about to approach Little Akeno who is hugging the corpse of Shuri when Little Akeno shouted " Don't come closer"

Baraqiel stop and Little Akeno continue berating him" Why weren't you with Mother. If you were here ,Mother wouldn't have died!" Little Akeno said this with malice against Baraqiel who is clutching his heart for the facts his daughter laid out.

Little Akeno added more while crying "Those people told me! It's all because you're a black angel, black angels are bad people! I hate it! I hate it! I hate black wings! I hate you! I hate everyone! I hate all!"

Baraquile then turn to leave but he did not leave completely and continue observing and guarding Little Akeno.

I couldn't resist teasing Akeno as I turned to face her, noticing her attempt to shield herself from the emotional turmoil surrounding us. "Why are you not looking? Are you embarrassed or something?" I quipped, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere with a touch of playful banter.

But Rias, always quick to interject, chimed in with her own remark, adding fuel to the fire. "Hey, stop that," she scolded gently, her words a reminder of the innocence Akeno still held at her young age. "Akeno at this time is only ten years old, spouting nonsense compared to Akeno now. She's not going on spouting 'I hate Fallen Angels, I hate them all,'" Rias teased, a small smile playing on her lips as she attempted to ease the tension.

I couldn't resist a final jest, aiming my words at Akeno once more. "Are we not going to kill your father for abandoning you here?" I joked, trying to elicit a reaction from her, but Akeno's response surprised me.

"Why are..." Akeno began, her voice trailing off as she sighed, her expression a mix of resignation and exhaustion. "I'm not going to say anything more," she concluded, her gaze meeting mine.

With a knowing smile, I decided to change the subject, eager to shift our focus away. "I teleport at the back of the observing Baraqiel and stop the time around him," I announced, my voice taking on a more serious tone as I addressed both Akeno and Rias. "Come, let's bring back the life of the dead," I suggested, hoping to divert our attention towards a more pressing matter at hand.