A colossal battleship emerged from the void.
It appeared directly above Kuoh Academy, casting an enormous shadow over the campus below.
The sudden manifestation of such a massive warship instantly drew countless gazes upward.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Before anyone could figure out what was happening, figures shot out from the old school building.
Devils. Angels.
Rias Gremory and the others flew straight toward the battleship.
The sight alone was enough to stun the watching students.
At that moment, the supervising teachers began organizing the rest of the students to prepare for departure to the frontlines.
Everyone reluctantly tore their eyes away from the sky.
It was time to move.
The atmosphere before departure was heavy.
Some students even began making confessions on the spot.
For example—
A certain "loner hero" from Izumi's class.
Hachiman Hikigaya stood stiffly beside a very cute boy, his expression unusually serious.
"Hey… Saika."
Saika Totsuka tilted his head innocently.
"What's wrong, Hachiman?"
Hachiman swallowed hard.
"I know you're not supposed to raise death flags before going to war."
"But if I don't say it now… I might never get the chance."
He took a deep breath.
"Saika… when the war is over, will you marry me?"
The entire class froze.
Several girls shuddered violently.
Yui Yuigahama hugged her arms, grimacing.
"W-Wow, that's so gross! He actually confessed!"
But elsewhere—
Some fujoshi were practically sparkling.
"Whoa! So bold!"
"Hikigaya-kun boldly charging at another man?!"
"Wait, doesn't Totsuka-kun sometimes feel like he could become a girl?"
"Incredible…!"
The classroom exploded into noisy chaos.
Even Shizuka Hiratsuka and Natsuki Minamiya could only stare in speechless disbelief.
Then—
Minamiya's phone rang.
She frowned slightly before answering.
After hearing the other side, surprise flashed in her eyes—
Followed quickly by excitement.
"Understood. We'll move immediately."
She hung up and turned toward her class.
"Quiet down."
"Everyone, follow my orders."
The class fell silent in an instant.
Without further explanation, Minamiya activated her spatial magic.
The world distorted—
And the entire class vanished.
They reappeared aboard Izumi's battleship.
Moments earlier, Izumi had just ended the call.
He glanced at Le Fay and sighed.
"When did you get so close to everyone in class?"
"Is this really a good idea?"
This whole plan had been Le Fay's suggestion.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made that call.
Le Fay giggled mischievously.
"Hehe~ What's the problem?"
"If we're guarding a passage alone, we'll need support."
"And aren't there plenty of free laborers at school?"
"They might not be strong fighters, but they can handle logistics."
Izumi was speechless.
…She wasn't wrong.
After thinking for a moment, he turned to Rias, who had just arrived on the bridge.
"Rias, make some arrangements."
"If there are other classes available, bring them too."
"I'm not letting my people handle everything alone."
Rias gave him a look.
But she didn't argue.
Instead, she began making calls.
Izumi grinned.
Good. More manpower secured.
Soon, more students were transferred aboard.
The deck filled with young faces.
When preparations were complete, Izumi snapped his fingers.
A massive barrier unfolded over the battleship.
The runic patterns engraved along the hull began to glow.
Engines roared to life.
Ahead of them—
Space itself tore open.
The battleship shot forward, diving into the rift.
When the scenery stabilized, they were traveling within a dimensional fissure.
For many students, this was their first time seeing such a place.
It was breathtaking.
Fragments of destroyed mechanical constructs drifted through the void.
The sight alone sent chills down spines.
The dimensional fissure wasn't just a passage between worlds.
It was also a battlefield.
The war against the EXE World had been raging here.
The frontline had merely been pushed further away.
Their destination lay beyond—
The coordinates Sirzechs Lucifer had entrusted to Izumi.
Seated in the commander's chair, Izumi smirked.
He snapped his fingers again.
One by one—
Warships materialized around them.
Then more.
And more.
Until an entire fleet formed in formation.
Izumi's heart surged with excitement.
Piloting a fleet into battle—
Wasn't that every man's dream?
He felt unstoppable.
He almost wanted to fire a cannon immediately.
But before he could indulge further—
Alarms blared across the bridge.
A voice rang out over communications.
It was Asagi Aiba.
"Unidentified craft detected ahead."
"All units, remain alert."
"The enemy is approaching."
Izumi frowned.
Already?
Had the passage fallen?
The main screen lit up.
Ahead of them—
A massive mechanical warship loomed.
It dwarfed Izumi's fleet.
The system interface activated automatically.
Data appeared on screen:
Ruma Idola
Vassal of Rezo Roald
One of the Four Generals
Izumi narrowed his eyes.
"So we're facing a boss right from the start."
He leaned back slightly.
"Asagi. Issue orders."
"Battle stations."
"Our enemy has arrived."
Asagi Aiba—now his chief technical officer—rapidly relayed commands across the fleet.
Izumi simultaneously transferred the students deeper into the interior, clearing the deck.
Massive main cannons unfolded.
They locked onto the colossal enemy vessel.
Across the void—
The enemy had also detected them.
Though it seemed mildly surprised by the fleet's existence—
It clearly did not consider them a threat.
Compared to its overwhelming size—
Izumi's fleet looked small.
Insignificant.