A few days had passed since the Kokabiel incident. My body was mostly healed—bandages still wrapped my hands, but the pain was dull now, not sharp. Asia walked beside me as we headed into the clubroom.
It was strangely quiet. Maybe it was just me, but the air inside the building felt heavy, like everyone was holding their breath. The weirdest part was that nobody—not even Akeno, not Kiba, not Koneko—had asked me a single thing about what happened in that fight. The only one who ever brought it up was Rias.
I had a strong feeling she told them not to ask. And honestly, I was grateful.
When I pushed the door open, I expected the usual scene: Kiba by the window, Koneko with her sweets, and Akeno teasing me while Rias worked at her desk.
Instead, the first thing I saw was a stranger sitting on the sofa.
No—not a stranger.
"Hey, Sekiryuutei."
Her green hair framed her face, eyes sharp, and posture as proud as ever. Xenovia. Except she wasn't in battle gear this time. She was wearing Kuou Academy's girls' uniform, like she belonged here.
"…Why are you here?" I asked, even though my gut already knew.
Before she answered, she stood and spread her arms.
PA!
Black wings unfurled from her back, the glossy feathers catching the dim light of the clubroom.
My jaw tightened. "...Devil wings."
Xenovia exhaled through her nose with that same dead-serious face of hers. "I found out that God is gone. So I turned into a devil as a form of self-abandonment. I received a 'Knight' piece from Rias Gremory. It seems I'm not that great, but Durandal is. With its worth, I was able to reincarnate with a single piece. From now on, I am both a 2nd-year student and a member of the Occult Research Club. Let's get along, Ise-kun."
She even tried to sound casual, though her nose-breathing made her seem like a kid trying to hide excitement.
"Don't make such a cute sound with such a serious face," I muttered.
"I copied Irina," she replied flatly. "But it looks like it isn't easy."
That threw me off enough to shake my head, but the rest of what she said hit me harder. I turned to Rias. "But reincarnating!? Buchou, is it all right to use such a valuable piece like that?"
Rias's smile didn't waver. "Having a Durandal wielder feels reliable. With this, it's the birth of the two swordsmen—Xenovia and Yuuto. Certainly, a legendary holy sword would prove valuable even in a Rating Game. Against devils, its fury will shine."
I clenched my fist under the table. Reliable. Sure. But all I could think about was what she said next.
Xenovia's face turned thoughtful, almost distant. "Yes, I am a devil now. I cannot go back. No, perhaps this was the correct path. But since God is gone, my life feels like a failure. Serving under a devil, once my enemy, is… difficult. Even if she is a Maou's sister."
She dropped her gaze, muttering under her breath. A small wince flickered across her face, like Asia whenever she prayed too much.
Yeah. She was damaged too.
But my mind was still chewing on something else. "By the way, where's Irina?" I asked.
"She returned to headquarters with the corpse of Balba and the five Excaliburs—including mine. The fragments that act as the cores were retrieved intact. With them, alchemy can be used to reconstruct the swords."
Her explanation went on like a report, but only one phrase smashed into me like a hammer.
They destroyed the fused Excalibur.
My voice spiked, sharper than I intended. "What—you guys destroyed it?!"
The room froze.
Xenovia blinked at the force of my outburst.
Something inside me boiled over. I didn't even know why. Was it because I'd fought so hard for those swords, only to see them broken? No, it was possessiveness that was oozing out.
Rage burned in my chest, spilling into my voice. "Do you have any idea what you threw away?! The Excaliburs—fused together—they were more than weapons! That kind of power doesn't just come around every day!"
I stood up, the chair scraping back with a harsh screech. My fists trembled at my sides.
"Why—why would you destroy something like that?! You could've—!"
But then my eyes landed on her.
Rias.
She hadn't said anything. She just sat there, watching me. Not angry. Not commanding. Just… calm.
Her eyes, deep blue-green, held me in place. And just like that, the fire in my chest flickered. The anger that was about to explode into a storm… died.
I felt the tension drain from my shoulders, my clenched fists loosening. My jaw unclenched, leaving me breathless.
Why?
Why couldn't I stay angry when I looked at her?
I hated it. I feared it. No—my other side hated it—feared it. I can feel it. The way her presence silenced me, cooled me, and made me forget the words that had just been on my tongue.
And I noticed that a word flowed out of my mouth: "Finally..."
The others still looked confused, maybe even a little unsettled by my sudden outburst. Asia shifted closer, her hand brushing my arm like she wanted to calm me down.
I don't know why this happened suddenly; maybe it is because I finally noticed I like her two days ago, or maybe it is something else.
~~~
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