Chapter 37 - Small

Department of Occult Investigations

Rias sat in a chair with a chess set in front of her.

Although there was no one seated opposite her, the chessboard displayed the aftermath of a fierce battle.

"Buchou, Uesugi has yet to express his position," Himejima Akeno remarked, standing beside her.

Curiously, she asked, "Do you still plan to continue investing in him?"

"Akeno, it's not Uesugi; it's Ao-chan," Rias replied with a smile as she picked up the white rook.

"I've done everything I can; ultimately, it's up to him."

"Does the buchou think so highly of him?"

Akeno inquired.

Rias simply smiled without answering.

While Himejima Akeno had a fondness for Aoki due to his appearance and youthful demeanor, Rias's feelings ran deeper.

The more time she spent with him, the more she fell in love with Aoki—not just because of her rich emotions but also because she recognized that he was an emotional person too.

Regardless of his potential, Aoki would never betray her trust if he considered her family.

"Checkmate."

With that final move, Rias concluded the game before standing up and slowly removing her uniform, followed by her underwear.

"Akeno," she said as she walked toward the shower with her naked body on display

"Regardless of Ao-chan potential, his special physique isn't everything."

As warm water cascaded down her silky red hair and along her slender neck, Rias continued

"Based on Koneko's reports over the past few days, at least his fighting awareness and perseverance are top-notch."

Himejima Akeno tilted her head slightly, deliberately ignoring Rias's beautiful form.

After all, there was nothing to envy; she herself was no less impressive.

"But what if Ao-chan ultimately chooses Sona?"

Rias turned on the shower as warm water flowed over her body—past her tall figure and down to her flat abdomen before cascading down long legs.

She paused for a moment at her delicate feet before responding thoughtfully:

"No, Ao-chan… his heart may be bigger than we realize."

In the hazy steam of the bathroom, Rias closed her eyes and chuckled softly.

"Sona can't satisfy him; he's always been at odds because he fears that being dependent will limit his growth."

It must be said that Rias had an exceptional eye for people; her intuition was remarkably accurate.

…

"Akeno-senpai, good afternoon!"

Aoki entered the room and looked around curiously.

"Eh? The minister isn't here today?"

The Occult Research Clubfelt like Rias's home; aside from classes, he could almost always find her there.

"The buchou is in the bathroom," Himejima Akeno replied as she bent down to pick up some clothes from the floor.

"What brings you back so early today?"

"Ara ara! Do you know that the minister showers at this time every day? You might cause an accident!"

Himejima Akeno emphasized the word "accident" while covering her mouth in mock surprise.

This level of teasing had little effect on Aoki as he stared at the black fabric in Himejima Akeno's hands.

"Hmm… does it need tailoring for this size, buchou?"

Himejima Akeno crossed her arms over her chest and playfully jiggled them.

"No need; this size is perfectly normal."

Koneko stood silently nearby: "…"

After touching parts of herself that were still developing but not quite there yet, she quietly retreated to a corner to sulk.

Himejima Akeno's expression froze as if she had accidentally offended a friend.

"Koneko, it's okay! You're only sixteen years old—you're younger than both the minister and me! You still have plenty of room to grow."

Aoki nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! And you're very cute too!"

Big-breasted lols were easy to seduce; however, holding a petite girl like Koneko felt equally thrilling.

Koneko repeated under her breath: "Small… Small…"

Her resentment deepened with each utterance.

Himejima Akeno glanced at Aoki expectantly as if urging him to resolve this situation he had inadvertently created.

Aoki spread his hands defensively. He wanted to help Tacheng grow but lacked enough strength and accidentally sent himself flying instead.

"Why did you and Koneko come back so early today?"

Himejima Akeno changed the subject again.

"I'm telling you," Aoki began excitedly as he recounted his grievances about Koneko cheating during their training sessions.

After enduring several days of being beaten down by Koneko, he finally found some hope

He could breathe again—but then Tacheng declared she didn't want to play anymore by flipping over their training table.

After hearing Aoki's complaints about Koneko cheating during their sparring sessions, Himejima Akeno raised an eyebrow in surprise. Shinra Tsubaki had mentioned that Aoki was talented in magic but hadn't indicated that he was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

She looked curiously at Tacheng Kitty. "Koneko, can't you beat Ao-chan anymore?"

Aoki scratched his face sheepishly; after all those times he'd been scolded by Koneko during training sessions—she didn't seem strange anymore either!

Besides which they were both sixteen-year-olds in first grade while being third-year students…

Well then!

Koneko turned away reluctantly and shot an angry glare at Himejima Akeno's chest.

"Well"

Aoki said with a pout as he reflected on how talented Little Aoki truly was despite their similar physical conditions

He could already tie with Koneko now! If it weren't for Koneko's cheating ways today though…

It was supposed to be actual combat training after all; Koneko definitely wouldn't kill him outright! Based on how easily she could smash through defenses against him

It seemed unlikely she'd ever lose!

Himejima Akeno looked genuinely surprised this time around: "It's only been a week!"

Aoki proudly pinched his waist between both hands while grinning widely

Being able to elevate actual combat skills so quickly stemmed largely from primary physical mastery talent! Essentially speaking

He could replicate moves used by Koneko previously without much effort involved whatsoever!

For more complex maneuvers?

Well… getting hit once or twice taught him enough lessons anyway!

Of course—a strong fighting instinct played an essential role too since seizing fleeting opportunities came naturally without needing any thought whatsoever!

As mixed-blood monsters go...

Tetsuya Hatada had far more experience engaging opponents than anyone else

But consistently found himself disadvantaged when facing off against real men 1v1 battles!

Aside from reflecting talent reasons—the other factor remained clear:

As fights progressed

Aoki grew stronger each time!

Looking at how proud he appeared made Himejima Akeno unable to suppress laughter—it really was adorable!

"Akeno-senpai," he asked eagerly after defeating Koneko completely earlier today:

"Isn't it time I look for another teacher now?"

Having been thoroughly bested by Tacheng earlier made him consider learning magic directly from Rias instead! Ideally speaking—it'd be best if Rias guided him step-by-step through everything possible!

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