Chapter 12. Shrine

Akeno Himejima could barely contain her excitement. Her heart was singing, and every fiber of her being seemed to buzz with joy. Finally, after countless pleas and a few ultimatums, Houtarou had agreed to visit her. He was coming to her home, to the shrine — a place that wasn't just a house, but a sanctuary, a refuge from the world where she could truly be herself.

It had been just over six months since she first met that strange boy. At first glance, Houtarou seemed like any other kid, blending in with the crowd. But once you got to know him, it became clear that his behavior was as unusual as Akeno's own mysterious origins.

Their first encounter left Akeno with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was furious when he referred to her as just another little girl. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but admit, even if only to herself, that those words were what caught her attention in the first place.

Unlike other children, Houtarou didn't refuse to play with her because she was too fast or too strong, which often happened. No, he called her an "annoying kid," and it infuriated her so much she couldn't find the words to respond. Her mother had teased her about it for days afterward, and even now, Akeno felt a flicker of indignation whenever she remembered his dismissive attitude.

But as strange as it sounded, his bluntness became the catalyst for what followed — Akeno's one-sided war for his attention. The next time they met, she clung to him so tenaciously that he had no choice but to give in, agreeing to her every demand: playing with her, pushing her on the swings, then playing again, and pushing her once more. Looking back, Akeno sometimes wondered if Houtarou had been right all along, but like any true tsundere, she would never admit that out loud.

Her feelings were a constant whirlwind of contradictions. On one hand, Houtarou often annoyed her with his overly mature demeanor and the strange, complex things he would say — topics she had never even heard of. Yet, those very conversations intrigued her. As a young fallen angel living in human society, Akeno had been forced to grow up quickly. So when a boy appeared in her life who, in many ways, seemed even older than she was inside, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. Even though their talks often left her interrupting with endless questions, feeling awkward that she, a half-fallen angel, didn't understand something this human boy did — it was precisely this that made him so fascinating. Far more than any other child.

In a way, Houtarou had become her friend — her only real friend.

Today, Akeno could barely contain her excitement for their meeting. The shrine she called home was a serene and peaceful place, nestled atop the highest hill in Kuoh. It was always a place of calm and solace for her, but today, all she felt was restless anticipation. She was eager to show Houtarou this place, to share her world with him. As she waited, she couldn't stop thinking about what he would say when he finally saw it.

"What will he think of our shrine, I wonder?" Akeno murmured thoughtfully as she prepared for the meeting, her mind racing with excitement.

"Ara ara, someone's quite excited, aren't they?" came a soft, silky voice from behind her, its tone as smooth as flowing silk.

"Mama!" Akeno gasped, spinning around to face her mother, her cheeks instantly flushing a deep shade of crimson.

"My, my," her mother, the elegant miko, chuckled softly, placing a gentle hand on her cheek as she watched her daughter's face burn with embarrassment. "You even asked to have a tea ceremony with Houtarou... I wonder, what would your father say?"

Off to the side, sitting on the porch of their house, was a large, brooding man. Upon hearing his wife's words, his expression darkened. His brows furrowed deeply, and a low, grumbling growl escaped his lips.

"I'll send him to hell if I have to," he muttered, so softly that for most people, it would have been an almost inaudible grumble. But he seemed to forget who his wife was.

"Did you say something, darling?" The mature miko turned to him with a sweet, yet ominously calm smile.

"...Did I?" To Baraqiel, that smile was far from sweet. It took him a few long seconds to gulp nervously before managing to respond.

"My dear Baraqiel, you've grown so brave that you think you can lie to your own wife," her smile widened slightly, and a strange gleam flickered in her eyes. "I'm starting to like this side of you. I can't wait to test that courage later tonight."

"Shuri, my love..." Baraqiel started to protest, but catching the mischievous gleam in his wife's eyes, he wisely fell silent, knowing full well that the night ahead would be filled with its own set of... challenges. Not that he entirely minded.

Seeing her husband's inevitable surrender, Shuri smiled even more brightly. Then her expression softened dramatically as she turned her attention back to Akeno. The contrast between the way she treated her husband and her daughter was stark — like the difference between night and day. Her eyes, when they looked at Akeno, shone with pure affection and motherly love. Every gesture, every smile, conveyed the deep joy she felt seeing her daughter so happy.

"I'm glad you've found someone you can enjoy being around, Akeno," Shuri said gently, moving closer to lovingly stroke her daughter's head. "You're growing up so fast... You remember what we talked about, don't you?"

Akeno, still flustered, simply nodded, basking in the warmth of her mother's care.

"I won't let this chance slip away!" Akeno declared confidently, her eyes sparkling with determination.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Mama's always here," Shuri replied tenderly, giving Akeno's hair a gentle ruffle.

"Mama!" Akeno pouted, frowning as she tried to fix her now slightly disheveled hair. "You're messing up my hairstyle!"

Shuri smiled warmly, watching her daughter dash off in excitement. Then, in a brief moment, she turned her head toward the shrine gates as if sensing something.

"Your friend is already making his way up," Shuri said softly, giving Akeno a gentle pat on the back. "Go on, meet him."

Akeno nodded eagerly, completely forgetting about her hair as she bolted toward the entrance of the shrine.

"They grow up so fast," Shuri sighed, shaking her head with a fond smile as she watched her daughter disappear into the distance.

"That Houtarou..." Baraqiel began, but his words trailed off when he noticed his wife's warning glance. "What? I'm not going to do anything to him... until he asks for it."

"My sweet angel," Shuri's smile softened as she observed her husband's tense posture. "You don't need to worry about that boy doing anything to our daughter. Trust me, if something happens, I'll already be by Akeno's side before you even think about it."

"I don't doubt that," Baraqiel chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "But I'm trying to say... that boy isn't exactly normal."

"You've mentioned that several times," Shuri sighed, recalling how her husband had used the entire Grigori intelligence network to gather information on Houtarou. All they discovered was that every woman in Houtarou's family was remarkable in some way. But hearing the serious tone in Baraqiel's voice now, Shuri raised an eyebrow. "Has something changed?"

"I've kept an eye on him personally a few times," Baraqiel admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly. "And I sensed that the boy has been exposed to our world."

"What do you mean?" Shuri's elegant brows furrowed slightly.

"There's magical energy within him, and not just a little. The amount has been steadily increasing every time I've seen him," Baraqiel explained.

"Is he a Sacred Gear user?" Shuri blurted out the first thought that crossed her mind.

"I don't know," Baraqiel shook his head. "I haven't told anyone about this yet. I wanted to observe him further before bringing it up. You know what would happen if Azazel got wind of it…"

"And you're right to be cautious," Shuri nodded approvingly. "Houtarou, whoever he may be, is still a friend of our daughter. Don't let anyone, not even Azazel, come between them."

"I only worry about our daughter," Baraqiel murmured, his gaze fixed on the small figure of Akeno standing in the distance.

"I'm sure that when the time comes, you'll be right there with her," Shuri said warmly, her eyes shimmering with love as she glanced at her husband. "Ah, there he is."

Just as Shuri spoke, a boy appeared at the temple gates, slowly making his way up the steps. His black, slightly tousled hair swayed in the gentle breeze, and his green eyes sparkled with warmth when he caught sight of the figure waiting to greet him.

"Houtarou!" Akeno beamed, her voice full of genuine happiness as she welcomed him.

Houtarou had spotted her as soon as he started climbing the temple stairs. Akeno stood at the gate, her black hair falling softly over her shoulders like strands of silk, and her eyes, bright and radiant like the sun, met his with a look full of joy. For a brief moment, Houtarou slowed his pace, but then he quickened his steps, approaching her with a slight smile on his face.

"Hey," he said softly, his calm voice carrying a quiet joy, and his green eyes glimmered with a spark that Akeno immediately noticed.

"I'm so glad you came!" Akeno's voice trembled with excitement, and her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "Come on, I'll show you the shrine!"

As children often do, they skipped over formalities, without any need for lengthy greetings or grand introductions. Houtarou simply nodded, his smile growing a little wider, warmer. He glanced around at the temple, perched on the hilltop and surrounded by the peaceful greenery, as though it were separated from the rest of the world — an observation that, in a way, wasn't far from the truth.

"Of course," he replied calmly, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. "I'd love to see where you live."