"How did this go so wrong? Who even is this guy?!"
The girl's voice reverberated around despite her whispered tone. She nibbled on her thumb nail while staring at the absurd scene displayed in front of her bright blue eyes. Secondhand embarrassment turned her cheeks almost as red as her hair while watching the unknown blonde man spank a fallen angel without any trouble.
The other girl next to her raised a hand to her cheek, released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding onto, and giggled. Tilting her head enough for her long black ponytail to her shoulder, she commented, "I wonder if I should join him? It looks like fun. Just look at those arm muscles. They'd be perfect for lashing that bird with a whip."
"This isn't the time for that, Akeno."
"Ara~. Sorry about that, Rias. I got lost in the moment there."
Sighing, Rias shook her head and refocused on the scene her familiar was showing them.
"Have you learned your mistake?" Adam asked while tossing away another broken paddle.
"Yes! I'm sorry!"
"That is a lie."
*THWACK!*
A subtle yelp slipped from Raynare's lips. Another paddle smashed to splinters on the fallen angel's butt. Both cheeks looked red as blood itself now. Tears and blood mixed together in a puddle beneath her face even though her shoulder wound had already closed a few paddles back.
"Have you learned your mistake?"
"I'm sorry for attacking the kid! Please just let me go!"
"Wrong. That is a lie."
*THWACK!*
Raynare whimpered and clenched her fists. Since her last few attempts at escape immediately failed, she simply laid there on Adam's lap like a ragdoll, albeit one that could shed tears.
"Now, have you learned your lesson?"
"What lesson do I need to learn?! I'm a fallen angel! I do what I want!"
"Wrong."
Once again, Raynare clenched her teeth and tightly shut her eyes in preparation. One second passed. Then two.
Eventually, Raynare opened one eye and hesitantly looked up at her captor, only to see him thoughtfully staring off into space. He couldn't fool her this time, though. Escaping was impossible, so she chose not to attempt another escape.
"You say you do what you want, but is that really true under the current angel system left behind by the God of the Bible in this world? To my eyes, you are just as caged as the angels."
"I am not like them!" Raynare yelled, immediately thrashing around despite knowing how strong this man was. "I am a proud fallen angel and member of Grigori! I am happy to be part of them and my actions prove it!"
"Just like that. You rebel as an instinct just like the angels obey on instinct. You instinctively follow vices just as the angels instinctively aim for order. How can that be considered doing what you want if you only follow your base instincts and not your own mind? Additionally, most of the fallen, especially Azazel, want to avoid what you've been up to."
Thrashing more than before, she yelled, "Bullshit! I'm nothing like those stupid birds!"
Instantly, Adam retorted, "That is a lie."
This time, a paddle softly tapped Raynare's butt. Subconsciously, her body went limp in response, which only served to fuel her rage.
Adam calmly shook his head and said, "You know it is a lie but can't admit it. So, I ask again, do you know your mistake?"
"...My boss won't be happy about this."
"I think he'd be quite entertained, actually."
*THWACK!*
"OW! Please, just stop…"
"Do you know your mistake?"
"Fine! Yes! I won't attack people for Sacred Gear anymore! Happy?!"
"Wrong. The answer is that you haven't learned your mistake."
*THWACK!*
This time, Raynare simply gasped and lost all her energy. Limply laying on the blonde man's thighs, she almost turned reticent.
"Would you like a hint?" Adam asked.
"Like I care anymore. Just kill me at this point. Your lectures are stupid and pointless," Raynare tiredly grumbled.
"Hm. Well, since I need to be home in time for dinner this evening, I will wrap this up."
"Finally…"
Turning his head to look at a small bat sitting on a tree limb behind him, Adam said, "You may as well come out. You can't fool these eyes with a false creature."
On the other side of the familiar's vision, Rias widened her eyes. She looked over at Akeno and asked, "What do you think?"
"Shouldn't we meet him? He's in your territory unannounced, after all."
"Easier said than done. Well, fine. It is indeed my responsibility."
A red magic circle spread out beneath their feet. Once the spell finished, they vanished from their club room.
On the ground beneath the familiar's perch, another red magic circle flashed into existence.
While Adam quietly waited for the owner of the familiar to appear, Raynare narrowed her eyes at the teleportation circle and clenched her teeth again. Her body didn't even respond when the thought of escaping passed through her mind this time, which prompted her to glare at Adam's annoyingly handsome face.
Feeling the subtle movement on his thighs thanks to his enhanced senses, Adam rested the fingertips of his left hand on the fallen angel's lower back so as to remind her not to try anything foolish.
The warm fingertips sent a shiver up Raynare's spine, both out of terror and something else. Her brain buzzed due to the insane contrast between this and the paddle spanks.
When the teleportation magic circle finished forming, the two girls teleported through it. Both of them quietly observed Adam with two completely different expressions.
Rias narrowed her eyes and prepared to defend herself just in case.
In contrast, Akeno briefly sneered at the fallen angel limply laying on the blonde man's lap but quickly adjusted her expression and smirked at Adam.
"My, my, what have we here?" Akeno jovially commented while raising a hand to her cheek.
Briefly glancing at her queen, Rias raised a brow but otherwise ignored the comment. Instead, she mainly focused on the blonde man staring back at her with blue eyes far brighter than her own.
"...Descendant of Lilith," Adam subtly mentioned, unable to help himself. His eyes drifted off in thought for a few moments.
Furrowing her brows at what seemed like an unusual greeting, Rias frowned subtly and shifted her weight. Then, she politely greeted, "Hello. I am Rias Gremory, heir of house Gremory and administrator of Kuoh Town. Since you have shown yourself under my jurisdiction, may I ask who you might be and which faction you hail from?"
Adam blinked and returned to reality.
'I might not be the Adam from this world, yet I can't help but focus on the fact that they are descendants of the Eve of this world. Does that make them… my step-children? They aren't my descendants, but this world's Eve is a terrible mother unlike my perfect and precious Eve. These kids definitely need a better father figure than that abominable serpent and better mother figure than that blinded Lilith.'
That train of thought sped through his mind in barely a fraction of a second. At the end of his thoughts, he responded to Rias' greeting with a gentle smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Rias. I… am Adam. My faction… is my children. That is all."
Perplexed by his response, Rias tilted her head and asked, "Adam? No surname?"
"I am Adam."
The assured emphasis on his name reverberated in the heads of the three girls. Inexplicably, all three felt an uncomfortable pressure when thinking about his name.
Raynare abruptly raised her head and exclaimed, "You! You're Ad- ugh. You're him?! That's impossible! He's dead, and you look nothing like him!"
Both Rias and Akeno frowned at the fallen angel's outburst. Neither of them failed to recognize the uncomfortable pressure brought by the mention of something Biblical, though. However, it felt far less intense than they had ever experienced in the past, causing them to adopt puzzled expressions.
"Rias… is he really that guy?"
"How should I know?"
"I am the first man," Adam clarified. "Whether you believe or not is up to you."
"This… if you're telling the truth, then I think this is beyond what I should handle on my own," Rias said, her brow wrinkled. "I might need to contact my brother."
"Understandable," Adam responded with a subtle nod.
Grabbing up Raynare under one arm by her waist, Adam stood and approached Rias and Akeno. Both girls frowned and stiffened. They inwardly prepared themselves to fight at a moment's notice.
"No need to be afraid, little ones," Adam said with a gentle smile on his face.
After his words of assurance, both Rias and Akeno inexplicably felt themselves calm down. An overwhelming feeling of safety washed over them, yet felt contradictory terror at how a simple sentence instantly disarmed their will to fight, prompting them to meet each other's perplexed gazes.
Regardless of the inner feelings of these two devil girls, Adam calmly set Raynare down on her butt in front of them, rested a hand on her head, knelt until his lips were next to her ear, and muttered, "Be good, and I won't have to discipline you again, but test me by choosing to harm any of my children again, and I will tear your wings out and feed you to the dogs. Even Azazel and the entire Grigori won't be able to keep me from you. Is that clear?"
Although Adam's deep voice sent a shiver down Raynare's spine, it was more out of fear than anything else. Perhaps due to the pain left by her own light spear and the paddles, zero doubt remained in her mind. This man was absolutely not lying, and if he really was the first man, the ultimate weapon, she knew he could follow through. That clone in heaven was evidence enough.
As such, Raynare fervently nodded. Cold sweat formed on her brow as she worried if Adam would believe her.
"I'll be good," Raynare whispered.
"That… is not a lie. Good girl," Adam said while patting her head like she was a child who finally did something right.
Raynare froze solid. Not a single muscle in her body moved.
From there, Adam left the fallen angel alone in a frozen state and rose to meet the eyes of the two devil girls again. Strangely, Akeno was licking her lips while eyeing him with fierce focus. Even Rias eyed him with an upturned brow.
Unconcerned with the girl's thoughts, Adam said, "I need to get back home in time for dinner, so I'll leave her with you. She tried to kill a human in your territory and steal his Sacred Gear, after all."
"Uh… right. Thanks?" Rias hesitantly responded, partly dumbfounded at the mention of returning home in time for dinner. She looked up at the sky above the treeline. Although night had not yet arrived, the sun already dipped close to the horizon.
"Also," Adam spoke, but his voice trailed off. He paused for a moment before asking, "How is Lilith? Is she doing well? Does she treat you well?"
Stunned by the unexpected questions, Rias opened her mouth but failed to respond at first. Akeno looked equally stumped.
After a few beats, Rias noticed the hint of concern in Adam's tone, she shook her head slightly and carefully answered, "I have barely met her myself, so I couldn't say for sure."
"...I see."
Seeing Adam's gaze shift distant for a moment, Rias thought more deeply about it, and her eyes lit up with realization. If this really was that Adam…
'Right. Lilith was originally… his wife? She betrayed him yet he still asks about her well being?' Rias inwardly recalled the tale of the first man and woman and how their story played out in the end.
Unable to remove her eyes from Adam's face, Rias raised a hand to her chest. Her heart clenched and skipped a beat. Distracted by all this, she barely noticed Adam stepping toward her and Akeno.
The next thing she knew, a rough, calloused hand rested itself on her head. She came back to herself and found herself looking into pure and unblemished blue eyes that carried an unrealistic tenderness she couldn't comprehend.
Next to her, Akeno found herself in a similarly unusual situation. A hand rested on her head as well, but she found herself unwilling to avoid it.
Gently smiling at these… step-children(?) of his, Adam said, "That is too bad. Please take good care of yourselves. If you ever need anything, feel free to let me know."
'Don't worry, Adam of this world. Your ex-wife's children will be well taken care of with me here. Eve will surely be happy to have more children as well.'
Even though he hailed from another world, his time as the first man in two different planes of existence left him completely unable to ignore the offspring of this world's Eve. Sentimental, perhaps, but what could a father do? It was in his blood after living with these convictions of responsibility for countless millennia, and this felt no different. Some of these new step-children certainly needed some correction and discipline, though.
Removing his hands from the heads of the two girls, Adam turned to leave, but then he stopped upon remembering something. He looked at Rias again who suddenly looked a little lost and was touching her head and asked, "By the way, how might one obtain a position as a teacher at Kuoh Academy?"
Instantly lowering her hand and stiffly trying to hide some embarrassment after being caught in the act, Rias confusedly asked, "You want to be a teacher?"
"Sure. I've been a father and guide to many. I figured being a teacher would be a suitable course of action. I would prefer not to waste time on training or schooling."
Blue eyes staring dumbfoundedly at the first man, Rias fell silent until she felt an elbow poking her arm. She looked over to see her friend's eyes shining with amusement. Akeno's eyebrows rose up and down a few times as well.
Sighing at Akeno's blatant gestures, Rias faced Adam again and said, "That could be possible. Should I leave a familiar with you to contact you with?"
Shaking his head, Adam answered, "Let's use a phone instead."
Adam took out his new flip phone, pulled up the contact list, and handed it over to Rias.
Nodding at Adam's suggestion, Rias took the phone from him. Just as she moved to dial her own number, she noticed the completely empty contact list aside from the name 'Eve'. At first, she felt a pang of sympathy, but then her brows furrowed.
"Your only contact is… Eve?"
"Yes. My wife. A story for later when I have more time, perhaps."
Rias stared at Adam for a moment, but she saw no flinch or change in the man's expression.
"I see."
With that, she dialed her own phone number and saved it under her name before handing the phone back. She also saved his number under the name 'Adam?'.
"Alright. Call me if you need anything or if you have a teacher position for me. I need to head home now," Adam said.
With that, Adam gave one last look at Raynare, but the girl still hadn't moved a muscle ever since he threatened her. Then, he nodded in farewell to Rias and Akeno. He stepped further away and waved behind him while saying, "One more thing. You don't have to be sneaky to get what you want. Sometimes, you need only ask boldly."
"What?" Rias asked in return, tilting her head. Then, she saw Adam pointing down the hill toward the park. Down the slope, she spotted a teenage boy with brown hair fearfully sneaking from tree to tree toward them. Moving her gaze back to Adam, she thought about his statement while watching him leave.
A moment later, though, both her and Akeno widened their eyes, and their mouths fell agape involuntarily.
Adam took off his shoes and socks like he had earlier in the day and planted his feet in the ground. His leg muscles quivered and bulged to almost three times their normal muscle mass. Black pant fabric exploded everywhere, leaving behind only his fig leaf. Then, he shot into the sky. An explosive shockwave shot outward, and the ground cratered from the power of his jump.
Wind whipped at the hair of the three supernatural ladies. The shockwave didn't knock them over, but it certainly startled them into backpedaling a few steps.
Down the hill, Issei flew backward in the shockwave, smacked his head on a tree, and instantly fainted.
As soon as the wind settled and the trees stopped creaking, Akeno looked over at Rias and asked, "Did you see those legs?"
Rias turned her head and pretended not to hear her friend's words. Instead, she focused on the fallen angel and said, "We will bring you with us and discuss your punishment or a trade for you with the Grigori."
"Sure… whatever," Raynare grumbled while rolling her eyes. She glared at the disgusting devils and caressed her sore butt. "If not for that guy, you two couldn't even stop me from leaving, so don't act all high and mighty."
"Whatever you say, dirty chicken," Akeno taunted while pulling out a whip from somewhere.
"Hah?! That guy can get away with demeaning me, but you two filthy creatures? I'll kick your ass!"
"Well, then don't blame me for calling him to come back~" Akeno taunted back with a crack of her whip.
"Tch. Watch your back, you filthy half-breed. If he didn't exist, I would've skewered you like shishkabob by now."
Akeno's eyelid twitched. Lightning crackled along her whip and lashed out at the backside of the already weakened fallen angel.
Meanwhile, ignorant of the ensuing chaos he left behind, Adam landed on his feet at the edge of the clearing near his new home. A tree cushioned his fall, and he skidded almost one hundred meters through the forest on it like it was a surfboard without injuring any animals along the way by maneuvering it with leg strength alone.
Once he slid to a halt, he hopped off the partially shattered tree, patted the broken bark, and said, "Thank you for cushioning the fall. I won't let your wood go to waste."
Hoisting the tree onto his shoulder, Adam walked toward his front door. He dropped the log next to the path leading up to the door and meandered up the small set of stairs at the front of the house. The moment he stepped on the last stair, the front door swung open to reveal the pouting face of his wife.
"You're late! Wait, what happened to your clothes?!"
Eve rushed out and started grabbing Adam's limbs searching for injuries. Only a few strands of white cloth remained on his upper body, but the fig leaf covering his crotch remained perfectly intact.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Eve anxiously asked, her words even quicker than normal.
"Don't worry, Eve. I'm fine. Ran into some trouble, and the clothes couldn't handle the exertion. It will be a fun story to tell you over dinner."
"Hmph. I won't forget that you were late. The toll is ten kisses!"
Smiling widely, Adam responded, "Of course. Anything for my beautiful wife."