Putting away his phone, he pushed the door open and walked into the Occult Research Club.
Inside the clubroom, a graceful figure sitting on the sofa waved and greeted Tatsuma when she saw him.
"Yo! Red Dragon Emperor, good evening."
Tatsuma nodded in response. "Good evening."
Xenovia blinked, a little puzzled. "Aren't you curious why I'm here?"
The reason she was sitting in such a conspicuous position was actually to give Tatsuma a surprise and see what kind of expression he would show. But Tatsuma's reaction was even more indifferent than she had imagined.
Tatsuma sat down opposite her and replied, "There's nothing to be curious about. You were kicked out by the Church, right?"
"The news that God of the Bible is dead is just a strange tale for devils, but for believers like you, it's another matter entirely."
"With your faith collapsing, your every move is seen as very dangerous by the Church, and you might even interfere with Heaven's faith system."
"To avoid the worst-case scenario, the higher-ups of the Church would most likely expel you. I had already guessed this when we parted ways last time."
"Hiss... I suddenly have a different opinion of you." Xenovia gasped, a surprised expression on her face.
She had originally thought that Tatsuma was like her, someone with great power but not good at using his brain. But now it seems he's quite smart.
Tatsuma pointed to the blonde girl who had arrived at the clubroom earlier not far away and replied, "Actually, your perspective was limited. If you had known about Asia's situation, you would understand that the development of this matter was inevitable."
Asia was expelled from the Church because the matter of her healing devils was exposed.
A Saintess's power is also effective on Devils.
This kind of thing would affect ordinary people's faith, and more seriously, it would also interfere with the operation of Heaven's faith system.
Although the apparent reasons were different, the fundamental reason for both Asia and Xenovia being expelled was the same.
After meeting certain conditions, their existence would interfere with and affect Heaven's main system, which is why they were expelled from the Church.
"I see, that's how it is." Xenovia suddenly understood.
She had originally thought that she was expelled by the Church because her faith had wavered. But now, after listening to Tatsuma's explanation, she realized that she had been thinking too simply.
"It seems you two are getting along well."
Just then, Rias walked out from a partition not far away and greeted Tatsuma.
She said, "Let's talk about the important matter."
Tatsuma asked, "What important matter?"
"This morning, United States, Claw."
"Oh... That matter? Natsuki-chan has already talked to me about it."
"Natsuki-sensei? What did she talk to you about?"
"Nothing much, just some matters of cooperation."
After Tatsuma briefly repeated it, he took out the Lion King Agency's business card and placed it on the table.
"I plan to cooperate with the Japanese authorities later to expand my business scope. Is that okay?"
Rias glanced at the business card and replied, "You can decide this matter yourself."
In fact, this kind of question is just going through the motions. In most cases, she wouldn't interfere with Tatsuma's decisions.
However...
"Don't do things like the Claw incident again for a while."
"My brother just contacted me. Soon there will be a tripartite meeting with the Angels and the Fallen Angels. If you frequently take action in a short period, it might affect the outcome of this meeting."
"No problem."
Tatsuma made an OK gesture.
The Akatsuki took action, what does that have to do with him, Tatsuma?
At most, he would wear a mask when going out to accept commissions in the future and not use Boosted Gear.
Seeing that Tatsuma and Rias had finished discussing the main matter, Xenovia, who was sitting nearby, asked, "President, is the meeting because of the Kokabiel incident?"
"Yes, that incident was a trigger. If things go smoothly, a peace treaty might be signed."
Rias spoke about the news she had received.
As expected, this news caused a stir within the clubroom.
Yuuto, who was originally practicing sword skills, and Koneko and Akeno, who were eating desserts in the corner, moved closer to join the discussion.
"Signing a peace treaty? Can such a thing really be done?"
"My brother said there's a great chance."
As she spoke, Rias looked at Tatsuma and reminded him again, "In short, the current timing is very sensitive. Tatsuma, you absolutely must not cause any major commotion."
"Give me some credit, would you? Do I look like someone who causes trouble everywhere?"
You certainly wouldn't actively seek trouble, but your 'fight if you're not satisfied' personality will escalate small matters into big ones.
Rias stared at Tatsuma for a few seconds, wanting to speak but ultimately holding back the words.
After all, it would be useless to say them.
"Besides the Three-Party Conference, there are two other announcements tonight."
After gathering everyone and finishing the news about the Three-Party Conference, Rias changed the subject, "You should already know the second thing, we have a new companion joining us."
"Xenovia, please give everyone a brief self-introduction."
Xenovia said, "Xenovia Quarta, Knight. My fighting style is close-quarters combat with the Holy Sword Durandal. That's all."
Yuuto asked, a bit puzzled, "Wasn't Durandal reclaimed by the Church before you were excommunicated?"
Xenovia said, "Initially, the higher-ups had that idea, but for some reason, they changed their minds."
Rias speculated, "Perhaps the Church never imagined Xenovia would give up on herself and run off to become a Devil."
She had mentioned Xenovia to Sirzechs during their recent communication.
According to Sirzechs, the Church usually excommunicates believers who know the truth and possess power, leaving them alone for a period. After they calm down for one to three months, the Church's higher-ups would send professional personnel for psychological counseling, then bring them back into the church.
Because this method was very effective, most believers who learned of the Bible God's death over the past few centuries accepted reality and returned to the Church to contribute.
Someone like Xenovia, who became withdrawn and then became a Devil in a short while, seemed to be the first.