DxD: My Main Skill is Winning Hearts

"... And you did a great job of calming him down. How did you do that?" Asia asked.

"I just talked to him like anybody else would." I said, rubbing my neck a little awkwardly.

[The character Asia Argento had a good first impression of you].

[You obtained 1 heart with Asia Argento].

"But what you did was even more incredible." I continued the conversation with a little more excitement than I should have.

In my world, healing spells were extremely rare, so of course I would be a little excited about what Asia did after seeing it with my own eyes.

Her face flushed slightly at my sudden approach, and she looked away. "Thank you, Leonard. It's a gift from God."

I saw that she was carrying a large leather case. "Forgive me for asking, but are you new in town?"

Asia nodded, her long blonde hair swaying with the movement. "Yes. I was transferred from Europe. I just arrived in Japan."

[Your understanding about Asia Argento has increased.]

"You don't seem very happy about it. Would you like to talk more about it?" I asked, using <Melodious Voice> again.

This skill didn't have the ability to manipulate people, but if it made her feel even 1% more comfortable with me, that would be enough for me.

"I'm just a stranger, so it shouldn't be a problem for you to vent to me, and I've got time on my hands," I argued, throwing the rest of the fliers into the trash can next to me.

She laughed slightly before starting to speak. "If you insist, I don't see why you can't make a friend in a city. Where do I start? Well, I was raised in a convent. From an early age, I trained to be a servant of God, learning to use my gifts to heal and help those in need..."

Asia's story was not new to me, but I listened intently as she spoke. Hearing her tell it all directly to me made me even angrier at the fallen angels, especially since I knew there was a whole conspiracy to get the Sacred Gear from her.

"Anyway, a mistake I made changed everything. The people at the church misunderstood something I did, and so I was transferred here as punishment."

Asia wasn't lying in the story she told, but she wasn't telling the whole truth, either. "That's terrible, Asia. I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I'm glad you're here now. I'm sure you'll be happy and make new friends."

She smiled, and this time there was a glimmer of hope in her green eyes. "Yes, now that I know there are nice people like you here, Leonard, I think I'll be able to get used to it."

Walking with her, so calmly, finally made me realize how different Asia was from the others at High School DxD.

Of course, they all had their own quirks and stories, but Asia made me feel at peace with myself.

When we got too close to the church, I felt a pain in my head that made my legs stop. Then I lifted my head and saw the roof of a church rising from the trees a few dozen yards away.

That was the end of my short walk with Asia. There was no way I could go any further on my own. But before I left, I wanted to make sure Asia knew she could count on me.

"If you need anything, Asia, don't hesitate to come to me. Don't forget, I'm Leonard Tonello, a third-year student at Kuoh Academy."

She looked at me gratefully, and for a moment it seemed as if all the weight of her experiences had been lifted, if only a little, by my words. "Thank you, Leonard!"

We said goodbye, and I walked back to the club.

In a world so full of mystery and danger, it really was a great advantage to know the order of events so that I could prepare myself. However, I was making these small changes to the story, so how long would everything continue to follow the original order of events? I couldn't predict when everything would change, but I could try to postpone it by not making any big moves.

When I entered the occult club, the room was silent, with only the soft light of dusk. Rias was looking at me with her arms crossed. Somehow, she already knew what I had done. So she said in a stern tone:

"Never go near a church again. For us devils, a church is enemy territory. If we go near it, we might cause a problem between God and the devils." She walked toward me. "You never know when spears of light will pierce you."

As if I didn't understand, I put my hand to my head. "That explains what I felt when I approached."

"I'm sure it was your devilic instincts that reacted. And don't forget, being close to someone from the church is the same as fraternizing with the enemy and..."

Rias continued her long sermon on what I shouldn't do, warning that if a devil was exorcised by someone from the church, it would die for eternity. After the sermon, she said that she had to go out for a while and that I should wait until the others arrived because everyone had a mission that night. I sat on the sofa in the living room and waited.

Rias was right. If I was exercised, it would be the end of me. I couldn't forget that even though it looked a lot like the world of anime, I was the one writing the script with my own actions, and what if I made a mistake and died in this world? My parents would never find my body and would never have any answers about my whereabouts. Part of me said that would be better for them than worrying about a son who was only an Explorer, but I was very close to them before I moved to Republic City, and I knew they would be very sorry if I died.

I clenched my fist, determined to grow stronger and not die in this world.

"The President is only concerned with your safety, Leo. Don't overthink it." A voice whispered in my ear.

Looking to my right, I saw Akeno with her classic smile. She seemed to be amused by my fear.

But after that, as we looked at each other, the atmosphere seemed to freeze. I tried to formulate a coherent topic that would escape the first thing that came to my mind: the night before.

"Akeno, I..."

"Leo..."

We finally interrupted each other. "Please, you can speak first."

Akeno looked into my eyes and asked with a seriousness I hadn't seen before:

"Why did you kiss me last night?"

I swallowed and weighed my words carefully.

Akeno deserved an honest explanation, and I didn't really have one, so I was honest.

"I... I didn't plan it, it was... it was a moment of impulse. You seemed a little closer after everything that happened, and I felt that the kiss on the cheek was a provocation for me."

My words came out in a slow stream, trying to express the whirlwind of thoughts in my head.

"I understand."

"Did I make you uncomfortable?"

Akeno looked at me and put her hands to her lips again. "It wasn't... uncomfortable. Just... unexpected."

I breathed a sigh of relief, because a beating from Akeno would surely kill me. Without delay, she said:

"Leo... Do you think we can do this... again?"

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