Chapter 25: What Bad Thoughts Could Little Cat... (Patreon)

Still inside the ravaged church.

Rias, Akeno Himejima, and Koneko Toujou formed a huddle, their expressions unusually grave.

Rias spoke first. "There's one more pressing issue we need to address: where Miss Asia will stay tonight."

This was indeed a crucial point. Even though the Fallen Angels and the Stray Priest hiding here had been eliminated, the church's protective Holy Light barrier was also destroyed. Letting a defenseless healer nun stay here alone seemed far too dangerous.

While deploying a new barrier was technically possible, it wouldn't make the place liveable. A barrier's primary purpose is warding off evil and protecting occupants; it couldn't magically conjure beds, blankets, or other necessities.

The church had been occupied by Raynare's group precisely because it had been abandoned long ago. Only the original Holy Light barrier remained functional; furniture, supplies, everything had been cleared out long before. Making Asia stay here now would mean sleeping on the cold, hard marble floor. That was simply unacceptable.

"We should probably ask her opinion first," Koneko murmured, her expression impassive.

"Hmm, ask her directly? Good point..." Rias mused, pinching her chin thoughtfully. She then turned towards the young blonde nun, who was watching them from nearby with a curious head tilt. "Miss Asia, since you came from Northern Europe to serve as a nun here, do you happen to own any property here in Japan?"

"P-Property?" Asia quickly shook her head. "No... I don't have anything like that."

Frankly, she was just a penniless 'Saint'; affording property was out of the question. Although she had once held a relatively high position within the Church hierarchy, high status didn't equate to high income. You are permitted to bask in the Lord's Holy Light, what need have you of worldly wealth? Did you join for faith, or for money? That was generally the underlying logic. So, never mind Saints, even the Church's combat personnel like Knights weren't exactly wealthy.

"Hmm~ If you don't own, are you renting a place then?" Rias asked.

"N-no... I don't have a rental either."

"That does complicate things," Rias murmured. Just then, Asia spoke up again, her voice timid but hopeful.

"Um, actually, I don't really mind... As long as I can be with Mister Fubuki, it doesn't matter where I live..."

"Absolutely not!"

"That is out of the question, ara~"

Before Asia could even finish her sentence, Rias and Akeno snapped in perfect, unrehearsed unison.

Koneko, standing beside them, looked like she might have added her own objection, but seeing she'd been beaten to the punch, she simply remained silent. Besides, they'd already said what she was thinking.

"Er..." The sharp replies made the young nun flinch, pulling her head back slightly. Her large emerald eyes blinked rapidly, filled with utter confusion. She just wanted to stay near Mister Fubuki; why such a vehement reaction?

While Asia remained completely baffled, Rias and Akeno exchanged a silent, charged look. Rias narrowed her eyes slightly at her Queen, who responded with a demure chuckle behind her hand. Tension crackled palpably between them.

Sensing the impending deadlock, Fubuki, standing beside Asia, offered thoughtfully, "Actually, it might not be totally out of the question. My place is fairly large, and there's a spare room..."

"Denied."

This time, the objection came from Koneko. She walked up to Fubuki and delivered a light, warning tap-kick to his calf.

Fubuki held up his hands innocently. "I said spare room, Koneko. Not sharing my bedroom."

"Still denied."

Another light kick connected with his shin.

"...Why?" Now Fubuki was genuinely perplexed.

It would only be for a couple of days, right? Fubuki thought. Kuroka... hmm, well, she'd definitely have something to say about it, but as long as they had separate rooms and he kept Kuroka... happy... each night, it probably wouldn't be a major issue. Renting a place in Japan isn't that hard, and Asia has basically no luggage. Once she found a rental, moving in would be simple. Super convenient. So what's the big deal?

Rias and Akeno also paused their silent 'sparring,' both looking expectantly at Koneko for her reasoning.

Koneko's gaze flickered slightly away before she stated, after a brief pause, an irrefutable truth.

"Because if she stayed with you, Senpai, President Rias and Senpai Akeno would be unhappy."

Oh. Right. Never mind then. Both Rias and Akeno immediately looked away, apparently satisfied with this logic.

"Actually, that gives me an idea." A thoughtful smile touched Rias's lips as she turned back to Asia. "Miss Asia, you did just say that being able to stay near Fubuki-kun is your main priority, correct?"

"Ah, yes..."

"Well then, I have a proposal that could provide you with suitable accommodation, free of charge, and allow you to see Fubuki every day. Would you be interested?"

"R-Really?" Asia's eyes lit up. "Yes! That would be wonderful, of course!" she accepted instantly, without hesitation.

Beside them, Akeno immediately understood her President's intention. "Rias, surely you're not suggesting..."

"Mm, that's basically the idea," Rias confirmed with a suggestive wink. "Fubuki is a member of our Kuoh Academy's Occult Research Club – the ORC. If you enroll at Kuoh, Miss Asia, and join our club, you'll not only solve your housing problem for free, but you'll have a place immediately. Our club is based in the old school building on campus, and there are plenty of empty rooms upstairs."

"Mm-hmm!" Asia nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling. For her, the details were irrelevant; the promise of seeing Hanakain Fubuki daily was all that mattered.

With Asia's enthusiastic agreement, Rias clapped her hands together in satisfaction. "Excellent! Then it's settled. Alright everyone, let's wrap this up and head home!"

"Okay!"

Later, outside the church, as they prepared to part ways at the nearby intersection, Asia waved reluctantly at Fubuki.

"See you tomorrow, Mister Fubuki~"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Hanakain Fubuki nodded slightly. Just then, the traffic light above them switched from red to green.

Watching the girls head off towards the academy until their figures receded into the distance, Hanakain Fubuki paused, then pulled out his phone and checked his notifications.

-- Messages from Kuroka (35 unread)

Erm... he thought, I've only been delayed by maybe half an hour. Was she really sending a new text every single minute...?

Ah well. Better head back quickly.

With that thought, the young man pocketed his phone. With a single step, his figure vanished from the intersection.