Because of the slight delay caused by Kiryu Aika in the classroom, it was already fifteen minutes past the end of class by the time Keikain Fukuki arrived.
The location of the activity room… no, to be precise, the meeting place of the "Mysterious Research Club" that Keikain Fukuki was involved in wasn't a typical classroom on campus. Instead, it was situated in the old school building behind the main campus.
Even calling it an old school building felt a bit too generous.
Ordinarily, when one thinks of an old school building, what comes to mind are the dormitory-style buildings from the last century—faded walls, a rickety gate that looks like it's about to collapse at any moment, windows either shattered or completely missing, and rooms filled with rusted, decaying bunk beds and scattered trash.
However, in reality, Komao Academy's old school building was a rather decent-looking Western-style house. Though it was primarily a wooden structure, it had withstood the test of time, standing firm for many years. In the sunlight, the western wall of the house was covered with ivy, blending harmoniously with the natural scenery.
When Keikain Fukuki arrived downstairs, the second-floor window of the old building was open. A red-haired girl with a figure and beauty rivaling that of School Nurse Hasegawa sat by the window, her elbows resting on the frame as she supported her cheeks, gazing blankly at the distant scenery, lost in thought.
Was she daydreaming that intensely?
Keikain Fukuki looked up from downstairs for a moment before raising his voice slightly.
"Rias."
"Mmm…!"
As if her thoughts were suddenly pulled back to reality, the red-haired girl at the second-floor window, who had been staring into the distance just a second ago, appeared flustered for an instant, instinctively looking down toward the sound.
And as the young man's face downstairs came clearly into view, the girl named Rias couldn't help but smile warmly, gently patting her ample chest, as if her fingertips had stirred a small ripple on a calm surface.
"Fukuki, you're here! I was just thinking about when you'd arrive. Come on up, I'll be right down."
"Okay."
Keikain Fukuki gave an OK sign, stepped forward, and entered the old school building.
As I said before, while it's called an old school building, it's essentially more like a Western-style house. So, the first floor even had a reception room, which was typically used as the main area for club activities.
By the time Keikain Fukuki reached the reception room, everyone else had already gathered.
In the spacious reception room, two three-seater sofas were placed on either side, two meters away from the walls, facing each other with a coffee table in between. At the front was a large desk. Rias, whom he had just seen at the second-floor window, was now in the reception room, elegantly leaning against the desk with her arms crossed over her chest.
On the left sofa sat two other girls.
One had long, smooth black hair tied into a high ponytail at the back. Her delicate features and slightly downward-sloping eyes gave off an air of a gentle and nurturing wife, especially her chest, which visually seemed even more impressive than Rias's.
As for the other girl, she wasn't as voluptuous. Instead, she appeared quite petite compared to the two mature women in the club… no, she was naturally petite. Her white shoulder-length hair was adorned with a black cat hair clip, and she sat quietly on the sofa, nibbling on a piece of cake in small bites.
"Sorry, Senpai Tsunoi, Neko. I got held up a bit on the way here."
Keikain Fukuki carried his suitcase as he spoke, walked into the reception room, and sat down on the right sofa, placing the suitcase on the coffee table in the middle.
Upon hearing the title "Senpai Tsunoi," the long-haired mature woman, whose eyes had been fixed on the young man since he entered the reception room, flickered for a moment, seeming slightly dimmer, though she said nothing.
Instead, the seemingly expressionless petite girl with white hair beside her paused her cake-nibbling, lifted her face, and softly hummed in acknowledgment, counting as a greeting.
At this point, Rias also pushed herself away from the desk, straightened up, and walked slowly to the right sofa, sitting down next to Keikain Fukuki.
"Well, regardless, I should thank Fukuki for helping out last night. Otherwise, with just me, Tsunoi, and Neko, we might not have been able to catch the target… Alright, enough formalities. Since everyone's here, let's take a look at what Fukuki brought. This is from the lone demon we defeated yesterday… Hmm, why won't it open?" The red-haired girl pressed one hand on the suitcase's handle and tried to lift the unlocked latch with the other.
But the suitcase, which should have opened easily once the lock was released, seemed as if someone had filled the gap with super glue—no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.
"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot."
Keikain Fukuki tapped his head, reached out, and lightly touched the suitcase with his fingertips. The unlocked latch suddenly flickered with a golden spiritual pressure, and the suitcase, which had been impossible to open, instantly sprang open.
Just like when he checked it last night and this morning, a withered, purple-black human finger lay quietly inside.
"This is…"
Rias was taken aback, never expecting it to be a human finger.
Keikain Fukuki shrugged and explained, "Actually, there wasn't a seal on the suitcase originally, but… as I mentioned, I have a Hakimi at home. Last night, while I was taking a shower, it pried open the suitcase. By the way, there was originally a sealing talisman wrapped around the finger, but it seems like it was losing its effectiveness over time, so I tore it off and resealed the suitcase using it as a medium."
"As for the origin of the finger, I consulted some all-knowing netizens. As far as I know, this finger should be something kept by the Curse Technique Association. They call it their top-tier sealed item, though I don't see what's so special about it…"
"May I take a closer look?"
Before he finished speaking, Tsunoi, the long-haired mature woman on the opposite sofa, stood up. After politely asking the young man's permission, she picked up the finger from the suitcase and examined it carefully under the light of the classical chandelier above.
After about half a minute, she placed it back down and sighed softly.
"Hmm, although I'm not entirely sure, considering the shape of the finger and Fukuki's mention of the Curse Technique Association, this is likely a finger left behind by Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses from a thousand years ago."
"Senpai Tsunoi knows about this?" Keikain Fukuki was a bit surprised.
"Yeah…"
Kijishima Tsunoi nodded slightly and explained,
"Both Rias and Neko know this. Before I followed Rias and became a devil, my mother was a shrine maiden of the Kijishima family, so I've seen some of our family's records since childhood. Have… have I told Fukuki about this before?"
"I don't remember, probably not."
Keikain Fukuki thought carefully, then shook his head.
He had no memory of it.
"I see, well, now Fukuki knows."
Kijishima Tsunoi smiled faintly, but her smile carried a hint of loneliness.
Indeed… he doesn't remember anymore.