The night stretched long and heavy over Kuoh Town, the aftershocks of battle lingering like a faint ache in the air. After confirming that the academy was compromised by Kokabiel's interference, they need to find a place where they can regroup.
One by one, the groups arrived at Yuragi Inn, the only place they can think of that are willing to accept them.
The halls of the inn felt warm and comforting, filled with the light scent of wood and tea. Soft lighting lined the corridor, a welcome after the chaos they'd just come through.
Rias walked in with Issei, Asia, and Gasper, joining Hajime, Alice, and Anis at the entryway. Asia kept checking Issei despite his awkward attempts to wave her off, while Gasper stayed close to Rias, eyeing the others with quiet unease.
Meanwhile, Sona, Tsubaki, Griselda, Sagiri, and the rest of the Sitri group arrived separately, having regrouped with Kiba, Koneko, Akeno, Irina, and Xenovia at the fourth team's sector. Their expressions were a mixture of relief and weary, the earlier confrontation still hanging over them.
Chitose immediately noticed their ragged state. With her typical warm smile, she ushered them inside. "Welcome home. Feel free to use the baths, while we prepare dinner. You're safe here."
Yuragi Inn had always been a place that welcomed those dealing with strange or heavy things. Tonight was no different.
As everyone gathered in the lounge, there was a shared, unspoken agreement that plans could wait. Questions could wait.
For now, they just needed a break, a warm bath, and delicious food.
From the kitchen, the smell of hotpot, warm bread, and tea filled the air, a reminder that they were safe even for the moment.
-----
After everyone had taken a moment to breathe, bathe and relax, Team Four—Reya, Saji, and Tomoe—leaned forward to summarize what they had encountered.
Reya spoke first, her tone composed but tired. "We found Akeno-san, Kiba-kun, Koneko-chan, Irina-san, and Xenovia-san not far from our search area. The aftermath of the battle was devastating. There were scorched craters, and remnants of powerful magic clashing."
Saji added, his brows furrowed, "When we found them, Kiba was supporting Xenovia-san, both barely standing. Irin-sana and Toujo-san were protecting them, but they were on the verge of collapse. Himejima-san used most of her magic to cover their retreat."
Tomoe crossed her arms, her expression grave. "The others were badly drained. Kiba-kun and Xenovia-san looked like they had fought past their limits, and Irina-san did her best to shield the others. Koneko-chan maintained the perimeter."
Irina, gathering herself, added quietly, "Kokabiel also took mine and Xenovia's Excalibur fragments with him. They left us behind after he got bored of toying with us."
Xenovia's expression hardened. "We tried to stop them, but we didn't have enough strength left.. They left the battlefield.... the 'playground' once they were done."
Murmurs rippled among the rest of the group.
Sona's eyes sharpened as she absorbed the information, her hand brushing lightly against her glasses in thought.
As the groups shared information in the lounge, Rias sit up, her voice steady despite the lingering exhaustion.
"Let me explain what happened from my side," she said, drawing the room's attention.
"While we chased Freed, Kokabiel showed up and blocked our way," she said quickly, frustration creeping into her voice. "He barely tried. He just stood there, taking hits and laughing at us. Like the whole fight was a joke to him."
Rias's hands tightened. "Then Valper showed up too, all smug, like they were enjoying the whole thing."
Her tone lowered. "Kiba snapped. He went straight for Valper. But Freed—he had the stolen Excaliburs—stepped in and knocked Kiba aside."
"During that confrontation," Rias continued, "Valper revealed their goal: the ley lines under Kuoh Academy are enough to fuel their next plan."
She paused, then continued. "When they told us what they were really after. I realized Asia and Gasper were still there, I didn't wait. I told Akeno to hold the line and used a specific move linked to Gasper's piece."
After teleporting at the academy and meeting both. They moved quickly but carefully through the damaged halls of the academy, Rias leading the way with Asia and Gasper close behind.
Enemy patrols roamed nearby. Fallen angels and stray exorcists searched the area, their presence making each turn a risk. Rias had to shield the others with illusion spells just to avoid being seen. The farther they moved through the halls, the more Rias could feel it something strange is happening in the academy's premise
She spotted them in the distance: fallen angels setting up spells, exorcists guarding them with those altered light weapons. Whatever Kokabiel and Valper were planning, it was already in motion.
They had to get out fast and they didn't have much time.
It was during their desperate escape that they stumbled into Issei, who had been desperately rushing back to find them.
Everyone turned toward him.
"After Rias-buchou teleported away, Akeno-senpai told me to head toward the academy," Issei explained. "She asked me to go help them and make sure they were safe... even though she stayed behind with the others to keep Kokabiel and Freed occupied."
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, but his voice was firm. "That's why I rushed back. I couldn't just leave them behind."
The group absorbed his words with solemn nods, appreciating the risk Akeno and the others had taken to buy precious time.
"They were holding the line to buy Rias-senpai enough time to reach the academy, retrieve Asia and Gasper,-kun." Sagiri added quietly, a deep respect lacing her voice.
As Rias finished recounting the escape, a heavy silence fell across the room, the gravity of their narrow survival settling in among all present.
Breaking the tension, Chitose quietly entered with a fresh tray of tea, Yuuna assisting her. The two moved through the gathering, refilling cups with practiced, gentle motions. The aroma of newly steeped leaves filled the air, bringing a small sense of normalcy back to the exhausted group.
Around the lounge, the other residents of Yuragi Inn, Nonko and Yaya, watched and listened in silence. Hajime sat back slightly, eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he considered their next steps. The enemy had clearly escalated the situation.
As the group discussed their next move, Nonko set down her cup and spoke up. "Kokabiel, huh? He's not the type to play around. I've heard he's always wanted to restart the Great War between the factions. Even his own kind don't trust him much."
All eyes turned toward her.
Nonko leaned back against the wall, swirling her sake. "If he's moving openly now, it means he thinks he can tip the balance. He was always been dissatisfied with the cease fire between the Three Factions."
Alice, curious, leaned forward slightly. "You mentioned the 'Great War' earlier. What exactly was that?"
Nonko exchanged a glance with Rias and Sona before speaking. "The Great War... it was a catastrophic battle long ago between the three factions: the Heaven, the Underworld, and the Fallen."
Rias picked up from there, her voice calm but firm. "It was a brutal conflict. Heaven, led by God; the Underworld, led by the original Four Maou; and the Fallen Angels, led by the Cadres, clashed endlessly, causing untold destruction across realms."
Sona adjusted her glasses thoughtfully. "The Great War ended without a true victor. As per the records God was severely weakened and both sides lost countless leaders and warriors. Beside that the population of all sides went down to the point that if they continue the war. They will get extinct."
Alice, Anis, and Hajime exchanged quiet looks, each processing the history they'd just heard in their own way.
At that moment, a pulse of red light shimmered from Issei's and Boosted gear appeared. Draig's voice rang across the room, rumbling with mock offense. "Hmph! And don't forget the true reason the war came to a halt!"
Everyone was startled.
"It wasn't just the deaths and politics. It was because Albion and I, yes, us the Heavenly Dragons." Draig continued indignantly, "The three factions focus on us who were fighting even though it is not they're business!"
Rias smiled faintly, "That... is not incorrect either."
Sona allowed herself a rare, amused smirk. "Both Heaven and the Underworld decided it was better to seal the Heavenly Dragons than risk losing everything to their rampages."
"They just couldn't handle our awesomeness," Draig declared proudly.
Light laughter rippled through the room, easing the lingering tension even if only for a moment.
Anisphia, wearing a mischievous smirk, leaned forward slightly and quipped, "And yet, you ended up sealed inside a gauntlet."
Another wave of chuckles spread through the group as Draig huffed indignantly inside the Boosted Gear, muttering something about "ungrateful brats" and "glorious battles forgotten by history."
-----
As the laughter settled, the room shifted back into strategic discussion. Hajime sat back again, his expression tightening.
His instincts as a Campione suddenly flared up. His gaze turned toward the darkened horizon, his senses stretching outward.
There.
Toward the academy.
At that very moment, high above Kuoh Academy, Kokabiel hovered with a casual smirk. forming a giant spear of light in one hand, he lazily aimed it toward the general direction of the town.
"Come find me, insects," he murmured.
Without a care, he launched the massive spear toward the direction of Yuragi Inn to deliver an invitation written in pure, malicious light.
Back at the inn, Hajime calmly rose to his feet, confusing the others. Alice and Anis exchanged a quick, uneasy glance before immediately hurrying after him.
Griselda, Nonko, and Chitose all paused at the same time, their senses spiked. Without needing to speak, they moved quickly heading outside after Hajime.
The night outside was quiet, the stars twinkled. However high above, the spear of light descended.
Without hesitation, Hajime simply raised his hand and swatted the massive spear aside as if batting away a stray insect, the divine-class magic shattering harmlessly against the overwhelming magic resistance of his Campione-physic.
Griselda, Nonko and Chitose, who had barely stepped outside, froze mid-step, jaws slacking in disbelief.
Hajime, unfazed, taps on his Herrscher of Reason powers, constructing a blaster shaped gun.
Without a word, he aimed skyward, a gravity-enhanced bullet forming, infused with the swirling hydro-elemental energy from his Astral Emblem.
Without hesitation, Hajime fired.
The bullet roared upward like a shooting star, bending space slightly around it, streaking straight toward Kokabiel, a warning shot that even the arrogant fallen angel couldn't ignore.
Kokabiel, sensing the sheer density of energy packed into the shot, narrowed his eyes dangerously. With a swift twist of his body, he narrowly dodged the bullet, the gravity-imbued blast tearing through the sky where he had hovered just seconds before.
Hovering higher, Kokabiel clicked his tongue in irritation, his amused smirk sharpening into something more serious. "Tch. Not bad, whoever you are," he muttered, his crimson gaze turning in the direction from which the shot had come.
"Looks like tonight's game just got a bit more interesting."
-----
Back at the inn, Griselda, Nonko and Chitose remained frozen for a moment, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight they had just witnessed. Their instincts screamed that what Hajime had done was something well beyond the realm of common sense.
Alice and Anisphia, arriving just behind them, exchanged helpless, knowing smiles. They had long since grown used to Hajime defying expectations.
Moments later, the rest of the group hurried outside, Rias, Sona, and their respective peerages flooding into the courtyard. All of them stared upward, astounded by the lingering distortion in the night sky where Hajime's counterattack had torn through the air.
Rias's eyes widened slightly. "He... swatted away Kokabiel's attack?"
Sona, adjusting her glasses with deliberate slowness, ".....And returned it with overwhelming force."
Whispers spread among the peerages, a mixture of disbelief and dawning respect thickening the atmosphere.
Further reinforcing their thoughts, Hajime and his companions were far more than simple transfer students or allies. They were a force unto themselves.
Among the peerages of Sona and Rias, a few voices murmured together in awe, "Thank the stars they're our allies... I wouldn't want to face them as enemies."