There were two gifts.
The first was Rias's bounty—about one hundred million yen—which she had saved up from her own private funds.
The second gift took Hikaru by surprise.
It was two bottles of Phoenix Tears from the Phoenix family.
In terms of monetary value alone, you could call these priceless.
They're extremely difficult to produce, and their effect is extraordinary.
Just one drop of the tear can instantly heal any injury.
In other words, as long as you're not dead, it can bring you back.
"These were sent by the head of the Phoenix family. He said it's to thank you for knocking some sense into his arrogant son."
Hikaru accepted them without hesitation, as he felt he'd earned them.
"Is there anything else you'd like? I'll do my best to make it happen."
Rias asked.
She knew it was inappropriate to value an engagement purely with money, but she didn't have anything else substantial to offer at the moment.
Hikaru thought for a few seconds, then answered, "I recall that space magic in the Underworld is quite advanced. Let their construction crew come over and expand my house."
He remembered that, in the original story, Rias had used space magic, bringing in an Underworld construction team to remodel the protagonist's small, two-story house. It looked unchanged from the outside, yet the inside was as large as a mansion.
"Besides that, does the Gremory family have any magic manuals for training in Destruction Magic?"
"Having the place expanded and providing magic manuals is no problem. But Destruction Magic isn't something just anyone can learn. It originated from the Bael family of the Great Demon King. Because my mother is of the Bael bloodline, my brother and I can use Destruction Magic."
Rias understood Hikaru's remarkable aptitude for training.
Developing magical power wouldn't be strange, and even as a human, he might manage light-based powers with effort. But Destruction Magic—how could someone even train that?
It was a power that she and her brother had from birth.
Essentially, Rias was offering him other types of magic manuals, not wanting Hikaru to waste his time on Destruction Magic.
"I'd still like to try. Who's to say I won't succeed?"
Hikaru shook his head.
He believed strongly in his passive skill "Heaven Rewards Diligence." And in his view, Destruction Magic might simply be a special method of weaving or structuring magical power. If it truly proved impossible for him, he could at least study its traits and adapt his own magic to imitate it. It would take time, but it wouldn't be overly difficult.
"If you insist, I'll bring it next time."
Destruction Magic was traditionally a closely guarded secret. But at this point, Hikaru was her fiancé, so the usual restrictions didn't carry as much weight.
"You all should focus on training, too. If you can tap into your potential, you'll be able to defeat Riser on your own."
Hikaru said calmly.
"Especially Akeno and Koneko—you're completely wasting your talents."
The two of them were taken aback, initially confused but quickly realizing what he meant.
One of them bore the blood of a fallen angel, and the other the blood of a nekomata (cat-spirit). When such bloodlines merged with demonic power, it was more than a simple sum of parts.
In the original story, they made enormous progress after accepting their pasts and tapping into their inherent gifts—far more than they would by simply studying magic alone.
Hikaru didn't elaborate, only giving a hint. Whether they chose to confront their past was up to them; if they still had reservations, he wouldn't waste his breath trying to persuade them.
Silence fell for a time, but Hikaru could tell their quiet acceptance was the best sign that his words had hit home.
Rias stepped in to ease the mood and change the subject: "Hikaru, last night my familiar reported there's a priest operating near Kuoh Town, and Sona's side is seeing the same."
"She already told me."
Hikaru nodded.
"Just be careful, all of you."
Rias paid little attention to that last bit of "be careful," but she was surprised that Sona had, once again, contacted Hikaru before she had.
Rias and the others stayed at Hikaru's place until the afternoon before heading out. Both she and Akeno were once again taken aback by Hikaru—he was handsome enough already, and on top of that, he cooked so well. It was almost unfair.
…
Dusk fell. Rias, Akeno, and Koneko walked back together.
Noticing the worry on Akeno's and Koneko's faces, Rias wanted to comfort them but didn't quite know how to begin. She understood their pasts and why they'd closed off their hearts.
"Let's stop by the school. We'll have a talk."
Before long, they arrived at the Occult Research Club.
Rias laid everything out: "The choice is yours—I won't force you. But Hikaru is right that until you accept your past, moving forward will be difficult."
At those words, Akeno and Koneko exchanged glances. They truly had given it a lot of thought. If they could use that power, perhaps Rias wouldn't have been left so helpless when Riser kept pushing for the marriage.
Right then, though, Rias received a message from her familiar. Her expression turned serious.
"A Church exorcist wants to meet with us."
~~~
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