Azazel-sensei's words were taken over by Rias-senpai, but the man himself was scratching the back of his head like it was someone else's problem.
"Ah—well, the target being Kuoh Town isn't wrong. But strictly speaking, the Grim Reapers' primary target is you, Ikki."
"…Huh!?"
"W-why me!?"
"Why, you ask? Because information's already spreading that you were the one who planned that ridiculous 'Hades Incident' with zero respect for the gods. For those loyal to the old Hades, you're basically their number one target for assassination. Even right now, hundreds of Grim Reapers are probably somewhere sharpening their scythes."
…What the hell!? That's not just bad, that's catastrophically bad! So this is what happens when you force policy changes without smoothing things over… I think I finally understand Michael's pain a little.
And Azazel-sensei, do you really need to describe them "sharpening their scythes" so vividly!?
"D-does that mean you're in danger, Ikki?" Issei asked, sounding worried.
"Yeah… next time I'll make sure to thoroughly prepare my political groundwork before I destroy someone's dignity and crush any dissent beforehand…"
"…Yeah, okay. I regret asking," Issei sighed.
"Hah… so Ikki-kun's just thinking about how to crush people even more efficiently," Rias muttered.
"A-amazing, Ikki-senpai… your thinking is naturally tyrannical and villain-like…!" Gasper added.
"Shut up, Occult Research Club boys!"
Azazel clapped his hands once to regain attention.
"Anyway, as you know, this town's defenses are solid. If the Grim Reapers are going to move, it'll likely be by slipping into the chaos of that Church incident. Not guaranteed but stay alert."
"Understood!"
And so the club activities ended for the day, and everyone headed home together.
===========
The Next Day
At lunch break, after eating our boxed lunches, we gathered in the school courtyard.
Shirone, Ravel, and the other first-years had also joined us—though it wasn't planned, our purpose was the same.
Ahead of us, Irina and Kiryuu-san were handing out flyers.
"Everyone~! Here's an article summarizing candidate Xenovia's policies for the next student council election!"
"Please vote for her!"
The poster showed Xenovia dressed in a Virgin Mary-inspired outfit, praying solemnly.
Apparently, her strong Catholic background was already well-known in school, so nobody seemed particularly shocked. In fact, some students looked more interested in the poster itself than the election—especially since Xenovia herself was, well… incredibly attractive.
At this point, it's basically fan merchandise.
Then Xenovia herself appeared, wearing a sash with her name and holding a microphone. A portable speaker was set at her feet.
"Hello, students of Kuoh Academy. I am Xenovia, a second-year student running for student council president. I would appreciate your attention."
She began addressing the passing students, and many stopped to listen.
"Hmm… she's going without formal speech patterns," Issei noted.
"Probably a good move," I replied. "If she leaned too heavily into formal politeness, she'd overlap with Sona-senpai and lose out against someone like Hanakai-senpai."
Still, she was clearly a bit stiff.
"Current polling seems to show Xenovia-senpai slightly behind, about 40 to 60," Ravel analyzed. "However, it's still nearly even. The real question is how she'll close the gap."
"She's already very popular," Ravel continued. "Especially among first-year girls. They seem particularly drawn to her boyish charm."
As if to prove it, a group of girls surrounded Xenovia, eyes sparkling.
"Sister Xenovia~"
…So that's what a solid base vote looks like.
"I-I want to help Xenovia-senpai too!" Gasper said nervously.
"She's really popular with both boys and girls," I muttered.
"…Come to think of it, Xenovia stopped wearing her old masculine outfit," I added.
"It ruins the mood, Ikki-senpai," Ravel said, though she looked slightly nostalgic. "Still… I wouldn't mind seeing it again."
Then Hanakai-senpai appeared as well, shaking hands with Xenovia with burning competitive spirit, while Saji, running for vice president, was being mobbed by enthusiastic male students.
=========
After School
With no Devil-related jobs scheduled for today, we decided to stop by a long-established taiyaki shop in the neighboring town.
"I believe only red bean paste is the true way to eat taiyaki," Rias declared.
"Custard is also delicious," Ravel countered.
"As long as it's sweet, anything is fine," Shirone said simply.
Classic cultural debate: tradition, refinement, and pragmatism all in one.
But just as we were walking through the residential street toward the shop—
A pressure suddenly descended upon us.
Everyone immediately stopped and formed a defensive formation, scanning the surroundings.
"That wasn't killing intent… but it definitely felt like pressure," Issei said.
He can sense that now… He really has improved.
As I thought that, a presence appeared ahead of us in an instant.
At the same time, dozens of other presences began surrounding us at a distance.
The one who appeared first stepped forward without hesitation.
"Buongiorno, children of the devil."
The speaker was an elderly man with white hair, wearing clerical robes.
Despite his age, his body was impossibly well-trained—like a steel fortress wrapped in flesh. His physique was so dense it felt like he could stop bullets with sheer muscle alone.
"I am Vasco Strada, from the Vatican."
At that name—
The atmosphere instantly turned razor-sharp.
Everyone present understood immediately.
One of the masterminds of the coup had just appeared before us and the battle was about to begin.
…..
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