"Why not send them to the Underworld? My brother could help handle things."
Rias's suggestion was thoughtful, her gaze lingering on the captured fallen angels.
Tenra shook his head. "No need to trouble Sirzechs-sama. I'll take care of it myself."
He doubted the ever-polite Lucifer would go to bat against the fallen angels for his sake. Besides, relying on others wasn't his style.
Rias sniffed, mildly annoyed, but since Tenra had made up his mind, she let the matter drop.
Under the watchful eyes of the girls, Tenra raised his hand. Light shimmered, and something small materialized in the air—a miniature palace, its base supported by a floating magic circle. The tiny structure darted around Tenra, almost affectionate.
"Wait… is that Skidbladnir?"
Rias's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Exactly. The flying magic ship crafted by the Ivaldi clan."
Tenra nodded, confirming her guess.
The Ivaldi were a northern European tribe renowned for their magical craftsmanship. Even Thor's legendary hammer, Mjolnir, was forged by their ancestors.
Skidbladnir was one of their greatest creations—a living magic ship that, once bonded to its master, fed on their energy and grew stronger. Rarer than rare, even among supernatural circles.
"Seriously, Skidbladnir? You have ridiculous luck."
Rias couldn't hide her envy.
This wasn't something you could buy, no matter how much money you had.
"I saved an Ivaldi once. This was his way of repaying me."
"At first, it looked like a normal ship, but after absorbing my power, it changed into this. The real name's a mouthful, so I just call it the 'Sacred Devil Palace' most of the time."
"Sacred Devil Palace?"
Rias and Akeno exchanged exasperated glances. Only Tenra would slap such a name on a legendary artifact.
Tenra grinned, unconcerned. With another flick of his wrist, Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner vanished, absorbed into the palace. Palm-sized on the outside, but vast within—perfect for holding his prisoners until he decided what to do with them.
"It's late. Let's wrap up for today."
"Akeno, Koneko, time to head home."
"See you at school, Tenra."
With a few quick goodbyes, Rias and her girls vanished through a magic circle. Tenra and his own group made their way back home.
"Tenra-sama, you're back!"
Gasper called out from the living room, controller in hand, surrounded by snacks and the glow of a paused video game.
This kid had become a full-blown shut-in. Tenra worried he'd rot away if he kept skipping school. Maybe it was time to drag Gasper out—if he cried, well, a little tough love wouldn't hurt.
Brent and Mira had prepared a feast. After dinner and a bit of rest, Tenra felt the weight of exhaustion. Ignoring the girls' bashful glances, he slipped into his room with Tosca and Yubelluna.
As for Raynare and her crew? He hadn't forgotten them, but they could stew in the palace for a few days. No hurry.
—
Morning came.
"Morning, Issei."
Tenra greeted Hyoudou Issei as he stepped out of his house, then breezed past with his entourage.
Just a simple "Morning, Issei"—no lingering, no follow-up. Issei stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching Tenra and the girls disappear, his expression twitching.
Ever since Tenra's visit a few days ago, he'd reverted to his old, distant self. Even at school or on the street, he barely offered more than a greeting. That brief flash of warmth had been nothing but an illusion.
Issei didn't really care about Tenra's friendliness. In fact, he preferred not getting close to someone who seemed to have everything handed to him. What stung was that the big-breasted onee-san and all those beautiful girls now ignored him too—no words, no smiles, nothing.
If they'd been distant before, now they acted like he didn't exist. Their eyes slid right past him, as if he were invisible.
Issei felt a pang of hurt and confusion. The atmosphere had been fine during that visit—so why this cold shoulder? He'd never get an answer. Having lost the Boosted Gear, he'd lost his only shot at changing his fate, reduced to a background extra. Tenra and the girls had no reason to care about someone with nothing left to offer.
—
As usual, when Tenra and his group arrived at school, jealous stares from the boys and adoring glances from the girls greeted them.
Maybe it was Tenra's imagination, but more and more girls seemed to be arriving early, lingering at the entrance just for a chance to say, "Good morning, Tenra-senpai."
They were more intense than any of the boys. Tenra smiled and returned their greetings, and each lucky girl who got a word from him blushed scarlet with joy.
He shook his head, amused. Just a bunch of carefree kids…
"Hmm?"
A figure in the crowd caught Tenra's attention.
"Tenra-sama, is something wrong with that person?"
Yubelluna followed his gaze to a male student in school uniform, just entering the gate.
"You know him?"
Tenra was surprised by Yubelluna's familiarity.
"Yes. He's Saji Genshirou, a second-year in Class C. I sometimes substitute for his class."
Yubelluna nodded, and Tenra's eyes narrowed. Just as he'd suspected.
Saji Genshirou—in the original story, Hyoudou Issei's close friend, destined to awaken the Sacred Gear Absorption Line, which housed a fragment of the Prison Dragon King Vritra's soul. Later, he'd join the student council as one of Sona's servants.
Right now, though, he was just another face in the crowd. Even Issei, infamous as part of the "perverted trio," was more well-known. If Saji hadn't crossed Tenra's path, Tenra might have ignored him completely.
"He's a Sacred Gear host. I can sense the faint energy coming off him—looks like he's close to awakening."
Tenra stroked his chin, sharing his observation.
A sharp gleam flashed in Yubelluna's eyes. She smiled knowingly.
"I know what to do, Tenra-sama…"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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