Midday. The classroom buzzed with laughter, the air light and filled with cheer.
In a quiet corner of the room, Kamiya—now living under the name Hajime—sat silently at his desk, scribbling out strategies related to the upcoming Three Factions meeting.
He wasn't convinced things would go exactly according to plan. But still... it was better to be overprepared than to be caught without a plan at all.
Meanwhile, both Suzu and Issei were absent, having been summoned by Rias for a separate matter.
"Looks like the day's almost over..."
With a thick notebook in hand—its pages crammed with contingency plans—Kamiya stepped out of the classroom. There was something he needed to verify. Something he had kept entirely to himself.
.
.
.
.
"Ara~ Kamiya-kun, is something troubling you? Did you want to ask me something?"
"Sensei... actually, I had a small question about the topic you covered earlier."
"Oh? What a coincidence. I've got a bit of free time. Come on over—let's go over it again."
"Thank you, Sensei."
From the flow of their conversation, Kamiya was fairly certain this teacher hadn't been affected by any mind-altering spells. Even so, traces of the magic he had used the previous day could still be lingering somewhere.
"Should I just settle this now...?"
He quietly released a pulse of detection magic across the entire staff room—no traces of magical influence could be found.
"...seems this place is clear."
With a subtle sigh of relief, Kamiya thanked the teacher and quietly left. His next destination awaited.
"Still nothing... no signs of magic anywhere."
He had checked every location he could during the break. Fast, but thorough. And yet... nothing seemed out of place.
In the original timeline, the magicians wouldn't make any moves at this point. They would simply teleport near the ORC building and try to capture Gasper without any prior warning.
"If only everything had stayed the same as before..."
He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
There was still the possibility that one of Loki's subordinates had infiltrated early. Chaos could erupt at any moment.
But what worried him even more than Loki's men... was the possibility that he might join hands with the Khaos Brigade.
If that happened—if the timeline truly diverged—then an even more dangerous threat might appear.
Katerea Leviathan. The member of the Khaos Brigade who once tore off Azazel's arm with ease. She might not seem like much at first glance, but Kamiya knew better.
This time... he wanted to make sure Azazel wouldn't suffer the same fate.
Which meant he needed even more preparation.
"...wait a sec... I can ask Sona for help, can't I?"
How could he forget the intelligent and beauty Student Council President?
.
.
.
.
Sona, Tsubaki, and the members of Rias's peerage were currently on their way to the meeting room.
"Tsubaki, how's the compilation of Kokabiel's assault data coming along?"
"All finished, President."
"Excellent. Rias, take this—review it before the meeting starts."
"Thanks. That really helps."
Rias flipped through the report, quickly memorizing each page. It was all familiar—exactly as it had happened before.
Beside her, Suzu leaned in, curiosity in her voice.
"President, will the leaders of each faction really be attending this meeting?"
"Yes. Michael-sama, the leader of Heaven; Azazel-sama, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels; and Serafall Leviathan-sama from the Underworld, along with my older brother. All of them are gathering to address Kokabiel's rampage and the internal unrest brewing within the Grigori."
"Huh... so even the great races have their share of problems..."
"But, President... I heard the meeting hall will be packed with people... I'm kind of nervous..."
"There's no need to worry."
"Eh? Student Council President? Why do you say that?"
"Aside from the exorcists you've already met, Azazel-sama's students will also be attending as observers."
"Azazel's students... You mean Sienna-san and Rex-san?" Issei asked.
"Yes. And a few others who recently returned from their missions will be joining as well."
"He has even more students?" Suzu blinked in surprise.
"They're known as the Crowless."
"Crowless?"
"Yes. It's a title given to them because they specialize in hunting rogue Fallen Angels—those who've abandoned their wings, so to speak."
"Whoa... sounds badass."
"Indeed. Imagine being trained from a young age by Azazel-sama—someone who knows every strength and weakness of the Fallen Angels. It's only natural they turned out to be elite."
As they walked, a school-wide announcement came over the PA system. Due to the important meeting, students and teachers were instructed to return home early. One by one, they began filing out of the building.
Sona gazed out the window, watching her fellow Student Council members diligently carry out their tasks. Just as she allowed herself a small moment of satisfaction—
Footsteps echoed from the upper floor.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
At first, Sona assumed it was a student who had stayed behind.
She was only half right.
"...Oh? Student Council President. Just the person I wanted to see."
"Hajime-kun!?"
"Yo."
Kamiya offered a casual wave toward Suzu and the others, then turned to Sona.
His voice didn't move, but she heard it—clear and serious—inside her head.
"There's something important we need to talk about."
"...?"
Sona narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"I know you're all heading to the meeting hall, but... would it be alright if I borrowed the President for just a moment?"
Tsubaki turned to Sona for confirmation. She nodded again.
"Understood. Rias, everyone—please head ahead to the meeting room. The President and I will join shortly."
"Alright, then. Let's go, everyone."
Rias led the others down the hall.
Suzu looked back several times at Kamiya before reluctantly turning away.
He saw it—and guilt stirred inside him.
"Sorry, Suzu... looks like our shopping trip will have to wait."
But right now, he had something more urgent to deal with.
"So? What's this important thing you wanted to talk about?"
"Hmm… where to begin…"
The plan to stop the meeting from descending into chaos—it would all begin here, with Sona.
After a brief explanation, both Sona and Tsubaki were left stunned, their expressions turning grim.
"So... you're saying one of the teachers is actually a disguised magician who attacked you?"
"And that someone's planning to disrupt the meeting...?"
"Exactly."
Silence settled over them as Sona turned her gaze to the courtyard, watching the flow of students and teachers leave.
Kamiya then proposed his idea.
"I need your help investigating the staff. I remember the magician disguised himself as a tall male teacher. New to the school."
"...You must be talking about Okinawa-sensei. He's new... and definitely tall. Friendly, too. You think it's him?"
"I'm not sure. It might not even be him anymore. It's possible the real teacher was possessed—or worse."
"...I see. I'll have my familiars check immediately."
"That would help a lot. Thanks."
Sona sent out a flurry of telepathic messages to the Student Council. Kamiya finally allowed himself a breath of relief.
Just then—a familiar sensation.
Massive amounts of magic surged in the air.
"Looks like the leaders have arrived," Tsubaki remarked.
"Time to go, then. Tsubaki."
Sona gave the order, adjusting her glasses. Tsubaki nodded and created a teleportation circle beneath their feet.
Sona stepped into the light—but paused.
Kamiya was still looking out the window, eyes fixed on the sky.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're skipping the meeting? Hate to say it, but the one who defeated Kokabiel has to attend. You're kind of the star witness, you know?"
Sona smiled slightly, her words bringing Kamiya back to his senses.
"...Hah. You're right. Sorry, Student Council President."
He stepped into the circle. A flash of light enveloped them—and they reappeared outside the meeting room.
The air was heavy with tension.
"...By the way. There's one more thing."
"Hm?"
Kamiya tilted his head slightly.
Sona's cheeks reddened just a bit as she looked away.
"...Since we're technically cousins...you can call me Sona when we're not ia a public places."
"...Heh. I'll keep that in mind."
Kamiya smirked. Behind them, Tsubaki let out an audible gasp.
"Ahem." Sona coughed into her hand and straightened her posture.
"Sona Sitri, second daughter of the House of Sitri, requests entry."
[Permission granted.]
A dignified voice responded from within.
The great doors creaked open.
Sona and Tsubaki stepped inside, joining Rias at her side.
Kamiya, eyes closed, followed behind—but stood slightly apart from the rest, next to Suzu and Issei.
And when he finally opened his eyes again—
Standing across from him... was a beautiful blonde-haired woman.
Someone who had once stood beside him for a long, long time.
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Guess I should hit the books now. End-of-year exams are coming up… but honestly, I just want to keep writing and finish Volume 3.
(┬┬﹏┬┬)
Hope you're all having a great day.
P.S.: Good morning.