The day began with the usual noise of Class 2-B, but for Issei, tranquility was a luxury that no longer existed. No sooner had he sat down at his desk than two shadows loomed over him with terrifying intensity.
"Hyoudou!" Matsuda's shout was almost a roar. "My sources inform me that there was a meeting at your house yesterday with all the beauties from the club!"
"And that's not all!" Motohama added, adjusting his glasses with a maniacal gleam. "Our spies say President Gremory was seen entering in civilian clothes! What kind of sacred or profane ritual were you performing in your living room?!"
Issei tried to hide behind his books, but the two perverts had him cornered.
—It wasn't anything like that, guys! We were just planning... club stuff.
"Lies!" they both shouted in unison, drawing the attention of the entire room.
"I bet you had them all serving you tea while you forced them to... to...!" Matsuda couldn't finish the sentence because a wooden ruler hit his desk with the force of lightning.
Issei watched Matsuda and Motohama with a mixture of pity and patience. Their shouts about "profane rituals" sounded like distant noises to him; his mind was more occupied with analyzing the energy flows in the academy and Kiba's worrying absence.
Suddenly, Aika Kiryuu slipped in among her friends, adjusting her glasses with that characteristic sly glint. She leaned towards Issei, invading his space with the intention of unsettling him.
"Hello, Hyoudou-kun. I've been hearing the rumors about your 'harem,'" Aika remarked with a sly smile and a suggestive tone. "I wonder if you've already moved beyond eye contact to full-on anatomical exploration. You should be careful; Asia is innocent, but she has... well-developed potential. We wouldn't want you to be completely drained before noon from overdoing it."
Issei heard Aika's comment about finishing "dry before noon" and, instead of turning red and yelling like the old Issei, he calmly closed his book. He leaned back on his bench, relaxing his shoulders, and looked at Aika with a lopsided smile that betrayed a confidence she hadn't expected.
"Oh, Kiryuu... always so concerned about my physical performance," Issei said calmly, his tone slightly lower, leaving Matsuda and Motohama speechless. "I appreciate the advice, but my training isn't just for the battlefield. I have more than enough energy for whatever is needed."
Aika blinked, surprised by the response. She tried to maintain her mocking smile, but felt heat rising up her neck.
"Oh, really?" she replied, adjusting her glasses to hide her bewilderment. "How confident, Hyoudou-kun. It seems the dragon has awakened more than just your muscles."
Issei leaned a little closer to her, subtly invading her personal space with an amused glint in his eyes that made her back off an inch.
"Let's just say I learned that the theory in your books doesn't compare to real-world practice," Issei continued suggestively. "But tell me, Kiryuu... all this interest in my private life... is it scientific curiosity, or do you finally want me to give you a one-on-one lesson? Because if you want to know how my 'anatomical exploration' is going, you could ask more directly."
Aika's eyes widened, and for the first time in her life, she was at a loss for words. The hunter had become the hunted. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she let out a nervous laugh, glancing back at her desk.
"A little of both, I suppose," she murmured, trying to regain her composure. "I see you're not the easy target you used to be. You've become... interesting, Hyoudou. Much more interesting than your two friends can handle."
Matsuda and Motohama watched the scene, jaws on the floor. Their friend had just "tamed" the most outspoken woman in the room without even mussing his hair.
Just as Aika was searching for a dignified way to hide her blush, the classroom door opened and Asia practically skipped in, her usual aura of purity seeming to light up the room. Seeing Issei and her friend so close, her green eyes sparkled with joy.
"Issei-san! Aika-san! It's so nice to see you two so close!" Asia exclaimed, approaching and innocently taking both of their hands.
Aika tried to discreetly break free, but Asia held her tightly, looking at Issei with an angelic smile.
"What were you talking about?" the little nun asked. "Aika-san told me yesterday that she was very worried about your health, Issei-san. She asked if you were getting enough 'calcium' to keep up with life at home with so many girls."
Issei let out a stifled laugh as he watched Aika turn the color of a ripe tomato. Matsuda and Motohama, in the background, held their breath.
"Oh, really?" Issei replied, looking at Aika mischievously. "Calcium, Kiryuu? I didn't know you were so worried about my bone structure."
"Asia, that was a private comment!" Aika squealed, losing all her "expert" composure. "You didn't have to repeat it like that!"
"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" Asia tilted her head, confused. "You also asked me if Issei-san had already shown me his 'special stamina' up close, because you were really curious to know if it was as big and powerful as the rumors said... You even asked me if it was true that he could endure for hours and hours without getting tired!"
The silence in the hall was absolute. Matsuda and Motohama slumped in their seats, their souls practically leaping out of their mouths with envy. Aika covered her face with her hands, letting out a small whimper of utter defeat. She never imagined that Asia's innocence would become such a lethal weapon against her.
"Asia..." Issei said with a triumphant smile as he patted the nun on the head. "I think Kiryuu has had enough 'scientific information' for today."
Aika, without saying another word, dashed off to her seat, hiding behind her textbook while muttering something about "the betrayal of innocence" and how the "purity" of Asia was, in reality, a public danger.
Issei arrived at his front door accompanied by Asia and the three fallen angels, hoping to find the peace of his home after a tiring day. But as he crossed the threshold, he stopped dead in his tracks. His senses were heightened as he perceived a strong presence of sacred energy emanating directly from the living room.
"Issei, it's so good you're here!" exclaimed his mother from the dining room, her voice filled with joy. "You won't believe who came to visit you!"
Issei rushed in, followed by a trembling Asia and a couple of people who fell into a defensive stance. There, seated at the table with complete nonchalance, were Irina Shidou and Xenovia Quarta. Irina was devouring a plate of cookies with a radiant smile, while Xenovia held a teacup with military rigidity, looking completely out of place in that domestic setting.
"Issei-kun!" Irina stood up and greeted him with a hand full of crumbs. "Your mom is as kind as ever! She told us you're a model student now."
Issei was speechless for a second, processing the image. Xenovia, without letting go of the cup, fixed her sharp eyes on him, completely ignoring the cozy atmosphere.
"Issei Hyoudou," Xenovia said in an icy voice. "Your mother has been very hospitable, but don't forget that our presence here has a purpose that goes beyond mere courtesy."
"Mom... what's going on here?" Issei managed to ask, scratching the back of his neck in frustration.
"Oh, Issei! Irina explained to me that they're old childhood friends of yours who were passing through on a 'church mission,'" his mother replied, oblivious to the magical tension. "I thought it was so sweet that they came to say hello. Xenovia-chan is a bit quiet, but she has excellent manners."
Issei sighed. Only his mother could invite two of the Vatican's most dangerous warriors to sit at the table without noticing they were carrying weapons capable of splitting the house in two.
—Master... do you want us to take care of it? —Raynare whispered into Issei's ear, her eyes gleaming with hostility towards the envoys.
"No," Issei replied firmly, remaining calm. "Irina, Xenovia... if you've finished your snack with my mother, I suggest we go somewhere more private. We have a lot to talk about."
Issei observed the scene with a mixture of weariness and determination. He knew that having two Excalibur wielders in his dining room, inches away from three fallen angels and an excommunicated nun, was a ticking time bomb that his mother couldn't possibly grasp. Xenovia slammed her teacup down on the table, regaining her air of a relentless warrior.
"We've been courteous enough, Issei Hyoudou," Xenovia declared, ignoring the cookies Irina was trying to offer him. "We came to this city because movements related to the stolen Excalibur shards have been detected. Since this is Gremory and Sitri clan territory, protocol dictates that we must inform the heirs before taking any action."
Issei nodded, crossing his arms.
"I understand the urgency, but this isn't the place," Issei said, glancing sideways at his mother, who was still smiling in the kitchen. "I'm going to organize a formal meeting tomorrow. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri will be there. They're the ones in charge in Kuoh, and they won't be happy about the Church operating behind their backs."
Irina nodded enthusiastically, although her gaze shifted for a second towards Issei's arm, feeling that pressure that was no longer that of a normal human.
"That seems fair," Irina agreed. "We'll show up first thing tomorrow wherever you say."
"Tomorrow after school, at the old school building," Issei stated with an authority that made Xenovia raise an eyebrow. "Until then, I suggest you keep a low profile. I don't want any more incidents at my doorstep."
Xenovia stood up, adjusting the cloak that concealed her sword.
"Very well. But let's be clear: we don't seek the demons' cooperation for pleasure, but out of necessity. If they attempt to interfere with the recovery of the Sacred Swords, the consequences will be dire."
After a much friendlier farewell from Irina and a forced greeting to Issei's mother, the two messengers left the house, leaving behind a silence thick with electricity. Issei sighed, feeling Asia's worried gaze.
"Tomorrow is going to be a long day," he muttered to himself.