The Occult Research Club room, usually a place of quiet study and enigmatic conversations, was now a temporary infirmary. Asia Argento lay on one of the plush velvet sofas, covered with a soft blanket. Koneko Toujou sat quietly in a nearby armchair, watching over her, a plate of untouched cookies on the table beside her. Asia's face, even in sleep, was pale and etched with the lingering traces of fear and exhaustion, but she was breathing evenly, her earlier terror having given way to a deep, healing slumber.
Ren Takakura sat a little distance away, nursing a cup of sweet tea Akeno had insisted he drink. His own injuries had been tended to – minor burns from his own Flames, a collection of bruises, and a nasty gash on his arm from one of Freed's wilder attacks. Akeno, with a surprising gentleness that belied her usual teasing demeanor, had cleaned and bandaged his wounds, her touch surprisingly comforting. The DxD girls, he was learning, were full of contradictions.
Rias Gremory and Kiba Yuuto were conferring quietly at Rias's ornate desk, discussing the report they would need to make to Rias's brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Great Satans, about the Fallen Angel incursion and their subsequent actions. The name itself sent a shiver down Ren's spine. He was so far out of his depth it wasn't even funny.
Reborn, having been divested from his carrier, was now perched on a high bookshelf, looking for all the world like an expensive, antique doll, though his keen eyes missed nothing. He had, Ren suspected, already filed his own mental report to whatever shadowy Vongola superiors he answered to.
It was nearly dawn when Asia finally began to stir. She let out a small, frightened whimper, her eyes fluttering open, wide and disoriented. She looked around the unfamiliar room, her gaze falling on Koneko, then on Ren, then on Rias and Akeno. Panic began to cloud her gentle features.
"Where… where am I?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Those men… the Fallen Angels… Lady Raynare…" Her breath hitched, and tears began to well in her eyes.
Koneko was instantly by her side, offering her a glass of water. "You're safe now, Asia-san," Koneko said, her voice surprisingly soft. "They can't hurt you anymore."
Asia looked at Koneko, then at the others, her expression still fearful. "But… who are you? Why did you help me?" She then gasped, a look of horrified realization dawning on her face as she took in Rias's crimson hair, Akeno's slightly pointed ears (which were usually subtly concealed but were now more apparent in her relaxed state), and the almost palpable aura of supernatural power that permeated the room. "You're… you're not human, are you?" she whispered, shrinking back slightly. "Are you… Devils?"
The word hung in the air, heavy and accusatory. Ren saw Rias's expression tighten almost imperceptibly. This was the difficult part.
Rias approached the sofa, her movements calm and reassuring. "Yes, Asia Argento," she said gently but firmly. "We are Devils. I am Rias Gremory, and this is my peerage. And Ren Takakura, our ally."
Asia stared at her, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and a deep, ingrained revulsion that was painful to see. As a devout nun, someone raised in the Church, Devils were the ultimate enemy, the personification of evil. "Devils…" she repeated, her voice trembling. "But… you saved me. Why would Devils save me? The Church… they always taught us that Devils were wicked, that they sought only to corrupt and destroy human souls…"
"The world is not always as black and white as the Church might lead you to believe, child," Akeno said, her voice soft and soothing, though Ren could hear the faint edge of bitterness in her tone, a hint of her own complicated past with the Church due to her Fallen Angel heritage. "Not all Devils are bent on mindless destruction. Just as not all who claim to serve God are inherently good, as you have unfortunately experienced firsthand with Raynare and her followers."
"Raynare… she was a Fallen Angel," Asia murmured, still trying to process everything. "She pretended to be kind, to offer me shelter… but she only wanted my power… Twilight Healing…" Tears streamed down her face now. "She said… she said God had abandoned me, that my power was a curse…"
Ren felt a surge of empathy for the terrified, heartbroken girl. He knew what it was like to have your reality shattered, to discover that the world was far more dangerous and complex than you had ever imagined. He stepped forward, ignoring a warning glance from Reborn.
"Asia-san," Ren said, his voice gentle. "I don't know much about Devils or Angels or any of this. I'm new to it too. But I know that Rias-senpai and her friends, they fought to save you. They risked their lives for you. That doesn't sound very wicked to me."
Asia looked at Ren, her tear-filled eyes searching his. "But… why? Why would you, a human, align yourself with Devils?"
Ren hesitated. How could he explain Reborn, the Vongola, his own impossible powers? He settled for a simpler truth. "Because they were willing to help someone who was in danger. Because they stood up against those who were hurting you. Sometimes, Asia-san, help comes from the most unexpected places."
Rias nodded, a grateful look directed at Ren. "We operate under our own laws, our own codes, Asia. We have our own interests, it is true. But we also have a responsibility to maintain order within our territory. Raynare's actions were a threat to that order, and her cruelty towards you was an affront we could not ignore." She paused, then added, her voice softening, "And sometimes, even Devils can recognize and value a kind and gentle soul."
Asia looked from Rias to Akeno, to Kiba, to Koneko, and finally to Ren. She was still afraid, still confused, her entire worldview having been violently upended. But through the fear, a tiny, hesitant glimmer of something else was beginning to emerge: a dawning understanding, a fragile trust. These beings, these Devils, had saved her when her own Church, her own God, had seemingly abandoned her to the cruelty of Fallen Angels. The reality was far more complicated, far more nuanced, than she had ever been taught. Her journey into this new, shadow-filled world was just beginning, and it was clear it would be a difficult and painful one. But perhaps, just perhaps, she was not entirely alone in it.