Kuoh Academy.
A private institution that had undergone reforms in recent years.
Several years ago, it had been an all-girls school, but it was later converted into a coeducational academy. Although the number of female students still vastly outnumbered the males, the presence of male students was enough to show that its enrollment rate had significantly increased.
Behind the main school building, nestled among the trees, stood an old structure.
This was the Old School Building, the academy's former main building. Now abandoned, it was no longer in use.
On the surface, it appeared old and worn down. However, upon closer inspection, one would realize that the building was still structurally intact. The walls and windows were in perfect condition, showing no signs of long-term neglect.
Even the interior was spotless.
Despite being abandoned, the hallways and unused classrooms were clean, free of dust or cobwebs, clearly indicating that someone regularly maintained the place.
And deep within the second floor of the building—there was a single occupied classroom.
A sign hung on the door.
It bore the name—Occult Research Club.
This place… was a clubroom.
Anyone who pushed open the door and entered would immediately notice mysterious symbols inscribed on every corner of the room. A magical circle was drawn on the floor's center, exuding an eerie aura, reinforcing the supernatural atmosphere of the space.
The interior decor was rather vintage, consisting of only a few sofas and a desk. However, it also contained a tea station and even a shower room—making it quite a well-equipped facility.
At this moment, several individuals were gathered within the room.
It was none other than Rias Gremory and her peerage.
"Here, have something to drink."
Akeno Himejima pushed a tea cart forward, gracefully preparing tea for her junior club members. Her Yamato Nadeshiko demeanor was on full display.
"Thank you, senpai."
"…Thank you."
Sitting across from each other on the sofas, Yuuto Kiba and Koneko Toujou accepted the tea, giving their thanks as they sat with a small table between them.
"President."
Akeno also placed a cup in front of Rias Gremory, calling out to her softly.
However, Rias did not respond.
She remained seated at her desk, gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought.
"President."
This time, Akeno raised her voice slightly, finally pulling Rias out of her daze.
"Ah… sorry, I was spacing out."
Rias snapped back to reality, her gaze falling upon the cup of hot tea in front of her. She turned to Akeno and gave a small nod of gratitude.
"You haven't been yourself these past two days," Akeno remarked with mild concern. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Kiba and Koneko also turned their eyes toward Rias, their gazes filled with silent concern.
"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Rias shook her head, lifting the tea to her lips. As she took a sip, she sighed softly and continued,
"A lot has happened recently. There's a lot on my mind. I'm not completely drained, but… I can't shake this unease."
Akeno immediately understood what Rias was referring to.
"…Is it because of him?"
Her voice dropped slightly, as if murmuring to herself.
Rias didn't immediately confirm it.
Instead, she thought about that man's face—and the moment she recalled that incident, a surge of frustration welled up within her.
"Kuoh Town has always had its share of supernatural activity, but it was never anything major."
"All the factions that reside here—including us—have always maintained an unspoken agreement to control these occurrences, ensuring that they don't disrupt the normal lives of humans."
"But ever since he arrived… that balance has been broken."
In recent days, supernatural incidents had not necessarily increased in frequency. However, their impact had become far greater than before.
Previously, everyone operated in secrecy, ensuring that their actions never made too big of a scene. But now, it seemed that every other day, something was being destroyed—something obvious—something that drew attention.
The outskirts of Kuoh Town had been hit by what seemed to be a meteor strike, causing large-scale destruction…
The foundation of the abandoned church had completely collapsed, sinking the entire area into the earth…
And today—
One of the town's main streets had been the site of unexplained phenomena.
Many people had witnessed strange, supernatural events—figures suddenly flying into the sky, bizarre explosions erupting in midair, and even what appeared to be falling shooting stars.
The chaos had escalated to the point where an entire mountain had nearly collapsed.
These incidents weren't just affecting the supernatural world anymore.
Even in the ordinary human world, the disturbances were becoming too large to ignore.
Now, the government had sent geological experts to Kuoh Town, investigating various areas that had suffered large-scale destruction in recent weeks—including the site of today's collapsed mountain.
Several locations had been sealed off, declared restricted zones.
News reports were constantly covering the strange happenings in Kuoh Town.
The entire nation's eyes were now drawn to this small town.
And behind the scenes, things were growing even more complicated.
Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, the Church…
All factions had started to turn their attention toward Kuoh Town.
Even other mythological pantheons had sent individuals here in secret, surveying the situation from the shadows.
Kuoh Town was no longer just a simple town.
It had become a chaotic gathering place—a battlefield of clashing forces.
Particularly among the three major factions—Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels—tensions were rising.
Conflicts had begun to spark.
There were already signs of friction, disputes brewing beneath the surface.
And in some cases… actual battles had already broken out.
Even Rias's own peerage had encountered Fallen Angels over the past two days.
Although neither side had suffered casualties, both had taken losses.
There was no helping it—Kaiser had completely wiped out Raynare's stronghold.
Although Raynare's status among the Fallen Angels wasn't particularly high, the sudden disappearance of multiple Fallen Angels, along with the total destruction of a rogue exorcist organization under her command, had inevitably drawn the attention of her faction.
The Fallen Angels had dispatched people to investigate.
And coincidentally, Rias had been at the scene of the incident that day—leading to her becoming a suspect in the eyes of the Fallen Angel faction.
For thousands of years, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils had been locked in an endless cycle of conflict—fighting, killing, and incurring heavy losses against one another. Their grudges ran deep.
Each side loathed the others.
Each side wished for the others' destruction.
And now, with members of all three factions gathering frequently in a small town like Kuoh, it was only natural that tensions would rise and clashes would occur.
Fortunately, the three factions had officially called a ceasefire, temporarily entering a period of peace and recovery. Large-scale wars were a thing of the past, and meetings between them no longer had to end in immediate bloodshed.
Otherwise, given how often they had already come into conflict, a major battle would have been unavoidable by now.
To prevent unnecessary disputes, Rias had even received a direct warning from the Gremory family and the current Maou.
They had instructed her to scale back her activities.
Just today, a massive supernatural disturbance had occurred in Kuoh Town—violent storms, explosions, meteor-like phenomena, and even a mountain collapse.
All factions had dispatched their people to investigate, including Rias's side.
However, instead of personally heading out, she had only sent familiars to gather information.
Even though she hadn't personally intervened, dealing with one incident after another was starting to feel exhausting.
Rias had no choice but to accept the situation with frustration—though she was seething inside.
And the cause of it all…
She ground her teeth in irritation, thinking about him.
"Today's incident… unless I'm mistaken, it definitely has something to do with him."
She spoke with absolute certainty.
Akeno Himejima, Yuuto Kiba, and Koneko Toujou all nodded in agreement.
They also found Kaiser to be the most suspicious individual.
He had already been involved in the previous incidents—why would this one be any different?
And besides, he was still holding a captive from the Fallen Angel faction, openly claiming he had "business" with her.
What exactly was he planning? They still had no idea.
They had already sent out familiars to track him, but even after all this time, there had been no updates on his whereabouts.
"If this continues, won't the major figures from each faction start arriving in Kuoh Town?"
That was Rias's biggest concern.
If high-ranking individuals from various factions truly descended upon Kuoh Town, there was no telling what kind of chaos would follow.
After all, these figures were all monsters—beings who had survived since ancient times.
Many of them had deep-rooted grudges against each other.
If they met, it was only a matter of time before fights broke out.
And if those fights took place here in Kuoh Town…
The destruction wouldn't be limited to just a few collapsed mountains.
The entire town could be reduced to rubble.
"No, we need to take action."
Rias abruptly stood up.
"At the very least, we need to find out exactly what is causing all these disturbances in Kuoh Town."
Just as she finished speaking—before Akeno, Kiba, or Koneko could respond—a voice suddenly cut through the air.
"So you want to know what's been happening?"
"That's simple. I can just tell you."
The voice didn't come from inside the Occult Research Clubroom.
It came from outside the school building.
"!?"
Upon hearing that all-too-familiar voice, it wasn't just Rias who reacted—everyone in the room stood up at once.
"President!"
Kiba instinctively reached for the sword at his waist.
"…Enemy."
Koneko slipped on her gloves, preparing to fight.
"Rias."
Akeno's expression turned serious as she addressed her master directly.
"It's him!"
Rias's face darkened.
She bit her lip—then rushed out of the Occult Research Clubroom.
The others immediately followed.
And soon, they arrived outside the school building—
Where he was waiting.
(End of Chapter)