After I finished telling the story of my date with Ravel, Akeno-senpai smiled pleasantly, resting one hand against her cheek. She looked genuinely delighted. On the other hand, both Ravel and I were a little red in the face.
"My, my, a kiss on the beach right at sunset? How wonderfully romantic. I may have to borrow that idea next time I go on a date with Issei-kun."
Akeno-senpai was clearly in high spirits after hearing about our date. Honestly, her skin even seemed more radiant than before.
"Also," she continued, "the way you both thought about each other—your outfits, your destination—that shows effort. That's something I admire. In noble society, love marriages are rare due to bloodline priorities, but Ravel-san seems to be doing just fine in that regard."
"So this is what they call lovey-dovey… Reminds me of my papa and mama,"
remarked the familiar in my head.
Being called "lovey-dovey" by someone else makes it hard to know how to respond… Also, you call them Papa and Mama? Seriously?
"In any case, Ikki-kun, your taste really is the opposite of Issei-kun's. Issei-kun loves sexy outfits—he gets especially excited when I do cosplay at home," Akeno added with a mischievous smile.
President Sona frowned and stepped in with a stern voice.
"Akeno, you're going too far. That applies to Rias as well. Wearing such extravagant lingerie even to school is disruptive to our school's moral standards. You should try to learn from Ikki-kun's more wholesome example."
"Oh dear, Sona, always the student council president—even in private. But let's not forget, Ikki-kun has the same strong spirit that even Issei-kun acknowledges. Maybe it's just a coincidence that his tastes happen to align with the school's code of conduct?"
"…That may be…"
Don't trail off there! I'm on your side here—I am protecting the school from the actual threats to decency (i.e., the Pervert Trio)! Back me up as a responsible student!
While I was silently despairing over possibly being abandoned by President Sona, the door opened and in walked Le Fay, the witch in the light blue pointy hat, accompanied by Fenrir, the divine wolf (currently in large dog mode).
At the same time, it seemed the others had wrapped up their swimming competition and were now taking a break. Tsubasa-san and Tomoe-san sat at the poolside, dipping their feet in the water and chatting with the beach ball crew.
"Good work, everyone," Le Fay greeted. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help during the recent magician attack."
It's true—when the magicians invaded, Le Fay had already vanished from the house, leaving behind only a message saying she had been summoned urgently. Given our current relationship with her, it would have been difficult to ask for help anyway.
Le Fay may be part of the terrorist group Vali's Team, but since she's also associated with the Sitri household, who protect key positions in the Three Factions, it seems her presence is being monitored. Saji, spotting Fenrir from a distance, was understandably trembling in fear, but the other members hadn't faced Fenrir directly before, so they seemed neither alarmed nor especially calm—just neutral.
"Nah, I figured something like that was going on," I said. "After the magicians, Grendel attacked us, and we heard he headed to meet the White Dragon Emperor afterward. So you must've fought Grendel too, right?"
"Yes," Le Fay nodded. "We were summoned because Azi Dahaka attacked first."
"Azi Dahaka… That's another Evil Dragon, like Grendel. Though I heard he was sealed away rather than destroyed outright, to keep him from reviving too quickly."
"Yes, he was a dreadful dragon, who wielded a thousand spells and once turned on the benevolent gods of Zoroastrianism."
Right—he was created by Angra Mainyu, the evil god of Zoroastrianism. Still, just because I carry the Verg Avesta, the tome that records all things false, doesn't mean I get a cheat code for handling him.
"We fought him with everything we had—Vali-sama, the whole team—but he just kept laughing through the blood. Then, just as Ikki-san said, Grendel and a man who called himself Euclid Lucifuge suddenly teleported in. And then, instead of joining forces, Grendel and Azi Dahaka started arguing over who got to fight us. Eventually, they ignored us completely and began trying to kill each other."
…So when they realized the Vali Team was gone, it must've been mid-fight? That's… not funny, but still sounds like a punchline.
Just then, Shirone and Kuroka—fresh from the pool and dripping wet—approached. Without hesitation, Shirone sat down right in my lap. Her soaked body pressed up against mine…!
Be cool. Stay calm. Don't let your mind go in that direction. Shirone always sits on my lap—it's a sign of affection, not invitation.
"We made a bet," she said calmly. "Whoever won the race got to sit on Ikki-senpai's lap. Even if she's my sister, I had to defend my territory."
When did my lap become a prize?
"Nyaa~ I just gave Shirone a little push, and it worked better than I expected," Kuroka chimed in with a grin. "Still, I kinda wanted to sit on your lap too, Ikki. Hey, Shirone, what's it like being hugged from behind by Ikki in a swimsuit? Wanna switch places? We could totally melt Ikki's restraint and get him to forget all about sleeping like a gentleman and just push us down right now. Ravel, help me out here~"
"Stop trying to drag her into this!"
Ignoring my protest, Kuroka—dressed in a sleek black bikini—snuck up and hugged me from behind. My head was enveloped in something soft and marshmallowy. So soft…
"Nya~ I can tell just by looking. Ikki's been enjoying the feel of Shirone's body this whole time. You're trying to hide it, but that means there's something to hide, doesn't it? One answer: You're being a perv~!"
Damn it, that's solid logic! But listen—if a guy under forced abstinence didn't react at all to this, he might as well become a monk on the spot!
No. No! I can't. Ravel and Shirone are still students. And if anything ever went wrong, Shirone's life could literally be in danger. I cannot cross that line!
Calm down. Think clearly. What was that trick again? Right—prime numbers. Count prime numbers. Prime numbers are lonely numbers, divisible only by one and themselves. They will give me peace and focus…
Apparently, I'd started saying all that out loud without realizing.
"…Kuroka-san, please don't push Ikki-sama too far," Ravel said, stepping in. "If his frustration keeps building at this rate, his mind may very well reach its limit."
"Aww, maybe I overdid it," Kuroka laughed, backing off. "But you know, the one really tormenting him right now is Shirone~"
"M-me?! But I just wanted to be close because I feel so cared for… Should I step away after all? And Kuroka-sama, please don't just pin the blame on me!"
"My, my," Akeno mused. "Issei-kun at least expresses his desires freely and vents from time to time. For a boy Ikki's age, this level of teasing may simply be too much stimulation."
"Looking at him like this, he really does seem like a normal high school boy," Sona added.
"Well, no worries," Kuroka smirked. "Even if Ikki's mind breaks, I'm sure he won't lay a finger on Shirone or Ravel. I'll take care of all his desires myself~"
"Absolutely not!!" Ravel and Shirone shouted in unison.
I kind of tuned everything out for a while. When I came back to my senses, thankfully, neither of them had tried to sit on my lap again. Maybe it was just a joke—or maybe they had a change of heart?
I felt like I had blacked out for a second. Either way, time to steer this conversation far away from anything that fuels my imagination.
"Uh, right—back to the serious stuff. Any word on Euclid? Has Grayfia said anything?"
My clumsy attempt to change the topic worked, and Akeno-senpai responded.
"Yes. The higher-ups in the Underworld suspect that Grayfia-sama may have faked her brother's death—or even colluded with him recently. It's unthinkable, of course, but the current climate down there is especially sensitive to anything involving the former Maou. The name Lucifuge alone is enough to stir unrest. Grayfia-sama is under house arrest at Gremory Castle, not even allowed to continue her maid duties. It's either stay at home or face questioning. Given how stubborn the upper ranks are, it may take a while for things to calm down. She said she'd use this time to be with Millicas-sama, but when she first learned that Euclid was alive… she was visibly shaken. I suspect she's pushing herself too hard."
Her brother, thought to be dead, suddenly returns—as a terrorist. That's a nightmare.
"This is tied directly to Underworld politics," Sona said, lowering her gaze. "As much as we want to help, none of us are in a position to speak out."
Oof. Should've picked a different topic. The mood got heavy fast.
Okay then—time to flip the script.
"If we can't speak out, let's act!"
"…Are you suggesting we silence the higher-ups with violence? Because if so, not even we can protect you, Ikki-kun. I thought you were more level-headed. Or was that a joke? Either way, not a funny one."
Whoa—okay, that was a harsh takedown. I admit I could've phrased that better, but did she have to roast me that hard?
"No, that's not what I meant! I'm saying, if Euclid Lucifuge is part of the Khaos Brigade, he's bound to show up again eventually—just like last time. So let's catch him. If we can capture the actual source of the issue, maybe the higher-ups will finally ease off Grayfia-san."
To be honest, I don't see Grayfia's situation improving until Euclid is dealt with.
"Ah, I see what you meant," Sona nodded. "That makes more sense. We've certainly been at the center of many such incidents since the Kokabiel affair."
Azazel-sensei probably already has some high-end surveillance drones waiting for another big scoop. (Okay, I was the one who suggested it, but still.)
"If we're talking about major events," Akeno added, "the Rating Game against Riser was probably the starting point. That wasn't tied to terrorism, but it was a huge deal, with Rias' future on the line."
Honestly, the thing with Raynare was just standard underworld fare back then. She was just a low-rank fallen angel—didn't exactly leave a lasting impression.
"That match where Arima-kun used his enhanced power to recite scripture…" Sona said with a wince. "Tsubaki and I watched it live. It was horrifying—Riser's team hadn't even mobilized yet, but they were all writhing on the floor in agony."
Yikes. From the video feed, it must've looked like a scene from Resident Evil. Bet someone even started smoking from the ears or something.
"At least you only saw it," Akeno added with a sigh. "I was one of the ones writhing…"
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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