After school, in the Occult Research Club room, Rias and Asia were chatting away cheerfully.
"So come to think of it, the second-years' school trip is coming up soon. Have you finished preparing?"
"Yes! We decided the groups today, and everyone ended up in the same one. We're all going shopping together on our next day off."
Every year around this time, the second-year students of Kuoh Academy went on their school trip. The destination was the classic Kyoto town for three nights and four days. After that came the school festival, meaning the students would be facing a string of busy days.
Kazuki and the others had gone last year as well. Around this season, Kyoto's autumn leaves began to turn, dyeing everything crimson and making the scenery breathtaking.
Back then, they hadn't had any real connection yet, so all he could do was watch from afar as Rias—unexpectedly fond of Japanese-style things—got excited, while Akeno struggled to keep watch over her. If only he had become a peer a year earlier, the school trip might have been even more enjoyable.
Asia, too, seemed thrilled about her first school trip ever, her eyes sparkling as she listened to Rias.
Asia, who had been revived on the day of the sports festival, was completely back to normal. There were no lingering aftereffects to worry about, and she even seemed brighter than before.
Kuoh Academy's second semester was packed with events—September's sports festival, October's school trip, and November's school festival.
Today, they had gathered in the clubroom to discuss what they would do for the festival, but Yumi was late due to cleaning duty, so everyone relaxed in their own way while waiting for all members to arrive.
Xenovia, Irina, and Yuma, who preferred to be called Yuma in daily life and Raynare during combat, were chatting amicably. Perhaps because they had fought together recently, devil, angel, and fallen angel barriers no longer mattered to them.
Seeing the three of them—like symbols of peace among the Three Great Factions—naturally brought a smile to Kazuki's face.
Come to think of it, the second-year girls had started calling each other by name without honorifics lately. It really showed how much closer they'd become, though Asia, due to her personality, still couldn't bring herself to drop the "-san" honorific.
The Occult Research Club had also gained another member. Needless to say, it was Kazuki's Queen—Artoria.
Right after the sports festival, Artoria transferred into Class 3-A. Despite her striking beauty and dignified aura, her surprisingly airheaded moments stirred a strong protective instinct among her classmates, and she quickly became popular.
Incidentally, since Artoria was always with him, their classmates tended to look at Kazuki with exasperated eyes, muttering, "Not Again…?"
Artoria was sitting at a table with Koneko, spreading out snacks and comparing them.
"This one's good."
"This one's kinda meh."
As for Kazuki, he had Kuroka—currently in black cat form—sitting on his lap while he talked with Akeno about their long-awaited date scheduled for tomorrow.
Akeno enthusiastically listed her ideal date plans, unusually giddy about it. The bar kept getting higher and higher, which made him nervous—but he wanted to make sure she had a great time. 'I'd do my best.'
While talking with Akeno, he noticed Issei grinning like an idiot while staring at Asia.
After the "Diodora Rebellion," Issei and Asia had officially become a couple. They had already told their parents—his father had been moved to tears, while his mother had cooked red rice to celebrate.
Given how many twists and turns it had taken for them to finally get together, it was understandable… but listening to Issei brag about how Asia kissed his cheek to wake him up in the morning, spoon-fed him her homemade lunch at noon, and slept cuddled together in the same bed at night was honestly infuriating.
Irina had told him that Issei acted the same way in class, drawing the hatred of the male students. He'd thought things would calm down eventually, but a full week had passed since the sports festival, and nothing had changed.
Maybe it was time to do something about it…
"Sorry, I'm late."
Lost in thought, Kazuki saw Yumi—the last member of the Occult Research Club—enter the room.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's decide what we're doing for the school festival," Rias said.
Just as she was about to start the meeting, her smartphone chimed with an incoming email.
Tension rippled through the room as Rias checked the message and let out a sigh.
"We're moving out, everyone!"
"Yes!!"
Their expressions shifted from students to warriors as they left the clubroom.
At an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town, Kazuki and the rest of the Gremory peerage, plus α—twelve people in total—had gathered.
From within the dimly lit factory came numerous presences. If it were just delinquents, that would've been manageable, but these were filled with hostility and killing intent toward them.
"The Gremory peerage… you're quick. You've already sniffed us out, huh?"
A man in a black coat stepped out of the shadows. He was human, but the presences writhing behind him were not. Magical beasts, monsters—inhuman entities. There were a lot of them. Easily over a hundred.
"Khaos Brigade—the Hero Faction, right? This land of Kuoh belongs to me, Rias Gremory. You do understand that, don't you?"
"Of course. Our goal is to liberate this town from the hands of you devils!"
As if answering her, the man took a combat stance. At the same time, the monstrous figures behind him lunged at them…
"Geeez. How many times has this already been this month?"
After cutting down the last monster with Durandal, Xenovia muttered in exasperation.
"This makes six. I really wish they'd give it a rest…" Yuma replied, scanning the area with a sigh.
Recently, attacks by the Hero Faction of the Chaos Brigade on key locations of various factions have been occurring frequently. Kuoh Town—where Irina and the others lived—had already been attacked several times, varying in scale. Thinking of the Hero Faction members as the masterminds and the monsters as combat units made it easier to understand.
"President, we caught one."
Yumi and Koneko returned, dragging along an unconscious Hero Faction member.
"Good work, Yumi, Koneko… It's a shame one escaped, but we'll let that go. Akeno, open a magic circle."
"Yes, President."
At Rias's order, Akeno opened a magic circle to send the three captured members to the Underworld.
Most Hero Faction members were human. Those captured were sent to the Underworld for interrogation, but the faction's headquarters remained unknown. It seemed that once members failed or were captured, some kind of memory-erasure program activated, wiping their past memories.
They forgot their affiliation with the Hero Faction and even how to use their Sacred Gears, behaving like ordinary humans. The leadership couldn't understand the intent behind discarding such valuable Sacred Gear holders so casually.
"Senpai, about the man who escaped…"
"Something wrong?"
"It might just be my imagination, but… that sudden surge in magical power really bothered me…"
Yumi's conversation with Kazuki reached Irina's ears. When cornered, the escaping man had suddenly increased his magical power—then vanished as if swallowed by shadows.
That felt less like escape and more like…
"He was summoned back."
Kazuki seemed to agree.
"So he was someone they couldn't afford to lose? A high-ranking member, perhaps?"
"No, he didn't seem that much stronger than the others."
"Then why recall only him? Could it be related to that abnormal power increase?"
"Forbidden Balance Break?"
At Koneko's words, Artoria, Issei, and Yumi froze in shock.
"That might actually be possible. If the Hero Faction is trying to forcibly create people who can reach Forbidden Balance Break, it makes sense they'd provoke us."
'Was their goal to forcibly create Forbidden Balance Break users…?' It was said that the quickest way to reach that state was to fight powerful opponents. Here stood the Gremory peerage—young, yet veterans of countless battles.
Rias, the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess.
Akeno, the Priestess of Lightning.
Yumi, the Holy-Demonic Swordsman.
Xenovia, wielder of the holy sword Durandal.
The senjutsu-using nekomata sisters, Kuroka and Koneko.
Asia, the Saint of Healing.
Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor.
And Guyver Kazuki—an extraordinary lineup.
Fighting them meant risking one's life. As opponents for reaching Forbidden Balance Break, they were suitable, but the efficiency was terrible. One mistake and the Hero Faction would only lose strength. What exactly were they thinking? Their intentions were impossible to read and deeply unsettling.
"Irina, we're heading back."
Pulled from her thoughts by Kazuki's voice, Irina saw everyone beginning to withdraw.
"Ah—yeah, Kazuki!"
With lingering unease in her chest, Irina followed after them.
----------
Comment, Review, Power Stones if you love the story.
More than 20 advanced chapters available as a membership at: ko-fi.com/supreme_king
70 Advanced Chapters available as PDF on my Shop Now: https://ko-fi.com/s/b8776ed626