Issei and Kiba squared off against Xenovia and Irina while everyone else watched.
Ryusei leaned against the wall of the school, watching the tension for a moment. Then she turned back to Rias, who was standing nearby, eyes still following the fight.
"Rias, I'll see you back at my place later," Ryusei said softly, brushing a hand through her half-black, half-white hair.
Rias blinked, surprised. "You're leaving? You don't want to see the fight?"
Ryusei smirked, shrugging lazily. "Nah. They can beat each other up for all I care." She stepped closer, pressing a gentle kiss to Rias' forehead. "My grandfather is picking me up. Said he wants to spend some time with me."
Rias' ears flushed red at the sudden gesture, a warm shiver running through her.
"I'll see you later tonight," Ryusei murmured, giving Rias one last smile before turning to leave.
For once, Rias didn't make the first move. She watched her girlfriend walk away, cheeks still burning.
A black limo is parked right outside the gates of Kuoh Academy. The students lingering nearby whispered curiously, watching as the back door opened.
Out stepped Go Okkotsu, in his black three-piece suit. His sharp greenish-gray eyes softened the moment he spotted Ryusei.
"Ryusei! My precious granddaughter!" Go boomed, striding toward her with surprising speed for his age. Before she could even brace herself, he scooped her up under her arms and pulled her into a crushing bear hug.
"Ack—! Too tight!" Ryusei coughed, her legs kicking slightly as she tried to wriggle free.
Go laughed heartily, spinning her once before setting her back down on her feet. "Hahaha! You've grown so much since the last time I saw you. Look at you, standing tall, a hunter, and even more beautiful than I imagined."
Ryusei pouted, brushing wrinkles out of her shirt. "You say that, but you almost broke my ribs. And you saw me yesterday!"
Go only chuckled, patting her shoulder like a proud lion showing off his cub. "Nonsense. That hug was filled with love! Now come, the day is short. Your grandfather wants to spend time with you."
The limo hummed quietly as it rolled through the streets, the outside world passing by in a blur of lights and motion. Go sat comfortably with one arm resting on the door, his sharp eyes never leaving his granddaughter.
"So," he began, voice carrying that sly tone only an old man with too much wisdom and too much time could pull off, "that red-haired young lady from earlier…"
Ryusei blinked, tilting her head. "…Rias?"
Go's lips curled into a grin. "She's the woman you like, isn't she?"
Ryusei froze, her face heating up instantly. She turned her head toward the tinted window, her half-black, half-white hair sliding forward to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. "…Yes," she admitted softly. "I like her. I like her very much."
Go leaned forward slightly, his expression shifting from playful to proud. "Good. Then hold on to that feeling. It takes strength to fight for yourself… but it takes even greater strength to fight for someone you love."
Ryusei glanced back at him, surprised by the sincerity in his words.
Go gave her a reassuring smile and leaned back again, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides… I approve. She's a fine young woman, strong, and clearly cares for you."
Ryusei let out a small huff, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "…You're embarrassing me, old man."
"Grandpa… there's something I've been meaning to ask."
Go arched a brow, curious. "Oh?"
She crossed her arms. "How did you even see my fight against Riser? That wasn't exactly a public match."
Go smirked, as though he had been waiting for the question. "Simple. I have ties to the Gremory clan. Your Rias' father, Zeoticus, and I go back quite a ways."
Ryusei blinked, caught off guard. "…You know her father?"
"Of course," Go replied with ease, resting his chin on his hand. "In fact, if not for him and the pact we made, the Okkotsu and the Gremory clans would've wiped each other out during the Great Faction War."
Ryusei frowned, leaning forward. "Wiped each other out?"
Go nodded gravely. "Yes. Our clan's direct ancestor was powerful. Too powerful. So much so that other clans whispered the Okkotsu were nothing but savages, war-mongers that only knew strength and bloodshed." He paused, his gaze softening as memories of the stories he's heard from his parents and other clan elders flickered in his eyes. "But it was thanks to a peace treaty… one forged by necessity and foresight… that both clans survived."
Go pulled out a folded, worn piece of parchment. He smoothed it across his knee, revealing an old portrait: a stern-eyed warrior woman with long, two-toned hair.
"This," Go said, tapping the image with a weathered finger, "is the first Okkotsu clan head. Our direct ancestor. Tell me, Ryusei—does she not look familiar?"
Ryusei's breath caught. The resemblance was undeniable—the same half-white, half-black hair.
"She looks like… me," Ryusei muttered, almost in disbelief.
Go smiled knowingly. "Exactly. And perhaps that's fate… because now, with you and Rias, the two clans may find a new bond. Something stronger than treaties or politics." His eyes gleamed as he leaned closer. "Your relationship may be what ensures there are no future problems between Okkotsu and Gremory."
Ryusei's cheeks flushed as her chest tightened. "…Me and… Rias…"
The limo rolled past the city streets, gradually leaving the bustle of Kuoh behind. The scenery shifted into long stretches of road flanked by thick forests.
Ryusei leaned her cheek against her palm, her pale blue eyes narrowing slightly. "We've been driving for a while now… Where exactly are you taking me?"
Go chuckled, the corners of his mouth tugging upward. "Home."
Ryusei raised a brow. "…Home?"
"Yes," Go said. "The Okkotsu clan's main estate. You haven't been there since you were a baby. It's been too long. You deserve to see it for yourself."
The limo slowed as tall iron tori gates came into view, beyond them, the Okkotsu estate stretched across a sprawling mountainside.
The limo rolled to a stop before the grand front steps. Servants in dark uniforms stood in rows, bowing deeply as Go stepped out first, his presence commanding the courtyard. He extended a hand back into the car.
"Come, Ryusei," Go said. "Welcome home."
Ryusei hesitated for only a moment before placing her hand in his and stepping out, her half-black, half-white hair catching the breeze.