"It's been a while, Ise-kun… and Xenovia."
The moment Irina's familiar voice rang out, the atmosphere of the break instantly changed.
Before either of us could properly react—
—HUG.
Irina wrapped her arms tightly around Xenovia, pulling her into a sudden embrace.
"Xenovia! I'm so glad you're doing okay. I know things are… complicated now, considering our positions, but even so—I'm truly happy to see you."
Xenovia blinked in surprise, then slowly returned the hug, an uncharacteristically gentle smile forming on her face.
"Yes. It has been a while, Irina. I'm glad you seem to be well too. Though… is it some kind of punishment that the cross you're wearing is inflicting minor damage on me?"
"Ah—! S-Sorry!" Irina pulled back in a panic, fumbling with the cross at her chest. "I forgot you're—!"
"It's fine. I can endure this much."
The two former Holy Sword wielders shared a quiet laugh. Seeing Xenovia smile like that—soft, nostalgic—it really hit me how much had happened since we all went our separate ways.
While I was debating what to say next, Xenovia beat me to it.
"What brings you here?"
Straightforward. Very Xenovia.
Irina nodded, regaining her composure. "I was transferred here under Michael-sama's orders. I'll explain everything properly after lectures. I'll be stationed in the old school building, okay?"
She punctuated her words with a playful wink.
…Yep. Same old Irina.
I quickly pulled out my phone and messaged Buchou.
Shidou Irina came. Did you know about this?
Her reply came almost immediately.
[Yes. It was decided very suddenly. I'll give a proper explanation after classes. Please look after her until then. She is a transfer student, after all.
Looks like even Rias was caught off guard.
---
After classes, we gathered in the Occult Research Club room.
Everyone was present—Rias, Akeno, Asia, Xenovia, Kiba, Koneko (currently sitting on my lap like it was her rightful throne), Azazel… and even Sona had joined us.
For some reason, though, Sona was avoiding eye contact with me.
…She is my fiancée now. This is awkward.
Rias stepped forward, her expression formal.
"Shidou Irina, welcome to Kuou Academy."
Irina straightened, placing a hand over her chest.
"Yes. Thank you, everyone. There are some people I'm meeting for the first time, but most of you I already know. My name is Shidou Irina."
She paused briefly, then corrected herself with a small smile.
"Formerly of the Church. I am now attending Kuou Academy as a messenger of the Angels."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Polite applause filled the room.
So Heaven finally sent someone directly. Thinking about it, we had devils, fallen angels, and even representatives from the Norse and Greek pantheons involved—but Heaven itself hadn't had boots on the ground here. No wonder Michael felt uneasy.
After the welcome, Sona left. I will talk to her after.
Irina went on enthusiastically about her gratitude to the Lord, how wonderful Michael-sama was, and how blessed she felt to be here. The devils and fallen angels listened with varying degrees of awkward smiles, but no one interrupted her.
While she spoke, Xenovia leaned toward me and whispered.
(Hey, Ise.)
(Why are you whispering?)
(Irina didn't know about the death of God back when we parted, right?)
(…No. Not back then.)
Before I could elaborate—
"You do know about the death of the God from the Bible, correct?"
Azazel asked calmly.
Irina nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, Governor-sama of the Fallen Angels. Please don't worry, Ise-kun. I already know about the absence of the Lord."
…I wasn't worried, but okay.
Azazel raised a brow. "You're tougher than I expected. I never imagined someone with such strong faith would take it so calmly."
For a moment, Irina stood frozen.
Then—
Tears poured down her face.
"Of course I'm not calm!" she shouted, voice breaking as she stumbled toward Xenovia. "My spiritual support… the center of my world… the Father of Creation—gone!? When Michael-sama told me, I slept for seven days and seven nights straight!"
She collapsed against the table, sobbing openly.
"Aaaaaah… Lord…!"
…Yep. There it is.
For someone like Irina, the death of God wasn't just shocking—it was world-shattering. Asia had nearly fainted when she learned the truth. Xenovia had shut herself away for days. Irina's reaction made perfect sense.
"I understand how you feel," Asia said softly.
"…I know," Xenovia added.
The three of them gathered together, embracing one another.
"Asia-san," Irina sniffed, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry for calling you a witch back then. And Xenovia… I said awful things to you when we parted. I'm truly sorry."
Asia smiled gently. "I don't mind. I hope we can get along from now on—since we all love the same Lord."
Xenovia nodded. "Same here. I acted rashly too. I became a devil immediately, after all. But… I'm glad we can meet again like this."
The three of them clasped hands and began praying quietly.
…Two devils and an angel praying together.
Somehow, it felt right.
The tension that once existed between them—between the Church, Heaven, and devils—seemed to melt away in that moment.
Maybe this really was the birth of a new trio.
Azazel cleared his throat lightly.
"So, I can assume you're Michael's official messenger?"
Irina looked up and nodded firmly.
"Yes, Azazel-sama. Michael-sama was troubled that Heaven had no direct presence here. He said it would be problematic if none of Heaven's staff were stationed in this area."
Heaven, Hell, Fallen Angels… all under one roof.
Heh. I am really looking forward to future endeavors.
~~~
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