Thinking Ahead

As Izashi finished speaking, everyone in the room was left stunned. His unexpected declaration that they would fight against the fallen angels caught them all off guard. Up until now, from the way Izashi had rebuked Kiba earlier, it seemed like he was against any confrontation with the fallen angels. They had all assumed that he didn't want them engaging in such a battle.

But here he was, standing confidently, his words sending a jolt of excitement through the room. The others exchanged glances, and slowly, they rose to their feet, determination gleaming in their eyes. Despite their excitement, they didn't shout or cheer—just a single word, "Yes!" echoed in the room, quietly yet powerfully, showing their intent to fight.

Izashi smirked, speaking with his usual casual air, "Then there's no need to move from here. They'll come to us soon enough."

His words, once again, stunned everyone. Kuroka, who had been listening with curiosity, tilted her head and asked with a playful tone, "What do you mean by that, nya~? Why would they come to us? That doesn't sound like a fun idea for them."

Akeno, still seated next to Izashi, crossed her arms, her brows furrowing slightly. "Yes, why would they come to find us here? I understand if they have plans, but they're being secretive, aren't they? They wouldn't come to Kuoh Academy to stir up trouble. Izashi-kun, do you know who's behind all of this?"

Izashi let out a sigh, casually resting his head on his hand. "I do, actually. The one pulling the strings in this whole mess is none other than one of the higher-ups from the Fallen Angels."

At those words, Akeno visibly stiffened, her usually composed expression faltering for a moment. Izashi, noticing the change in her demeanor, spoke up, "Don't worry, it's not your father, Akeno. The guy behind this is someone else. His name is Kokabiel, a 10-winged Fallen Angel."

The tension in Akeno's body eased slightly, but there was still an unease in her eyes. Kokabiel was no small figure, and the mention of him brought memories of her own connections to the fallen angels.

Izashi's gaze moved to Kiba, who had been quiet all this time, his face still reflecting a mixture of anger and frustration over the whole Excalibur situation. Izashi's voice took on a more serious tone as he addressed him, "Kiba, remember something important: A sword is only as great as its user. Don't fixate on the sword alone."

Kiba's eyes widened slightly as the words sank in. He nodded slowly, feeling the weight of Izashi's words. Izashi wasn't just talking about the Excalibur swords anymore. He was reminding Kiba that his own abilities, his own power, mattered more than any weapon he could wield.

Izashi turned his attention back to the rest of the group, his usual casual tone returning, "Alright, for now, stay around the perimeter of Kuoh Academy. They'll come courting death soon enough. It might be today, tomorrow, or maybe the day after."

Rias, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up, her voice filled with skepticism, "Why would they come here? This doesn't make any sense. What reason would they have to come to Kuoh Academy and confront us?"

Izashi shrugged as if the answer was obvious, "It's because after whatever Kokabiel plans to do with Excalibur, his next target will be Kuoh Academy. You must be wondering why, right? Simple. This school has three heirs directly related to two of the Four Great Satans."

This revelation surprised Issei and Asia, both of whom were new to the world of devils and had no idea about the true nature of some of their classmates. Issei, eyes wide in shock, exclaimed, "Wait! Satans?! You mean there are people in this school who are related to Satans?!"

Izashi chuckled at Issei's over-the-top reaction, his tone still as relaxed as ever. "Well, yeah. I mean, Rias and I are related to the Strongest Devil. Her elder brother is the one bestowed with the title of Lucifer. And then there's the Sitri peerage, led by Sona. She's related to the one who holds the title of Leviathan."

Issei's jaw dropped, his mind racing. 'No wonder Izashi is so damn strong!' he thought, his heart sinking a little. 'He's got the blood of the strongest devil in him! I've got no chance of catching up…' Issei let out a sigh, feeling the weight of that realization settle in.

Meanwhile, Kiba had been quiet, thinking deeply. Izashi's words from earlier—about the sword being only as great as its user—kept replaying in his mind. He clenched his fist, remembering his fight with Xenovia. He had made so many mistakes during that battle. He had been too focused on trying to destroy the sword, rushing in without thinking. If he had been calmer, he could've used his speed to his advantage, outmaneuvering her and avoiding the sword's power. He could've won.

Izashi noticed Kiba's contemplative expression and smirked. 'He's a little slow, but it looks like he's finally getting it,' he thought to himself. Kiba might not be the quickest to realize things, but at least he was learning.

Kiba's focus returned as he asked Izashi, "Are you sure they'll come here?"

Izashi nodded confidently, not missing a beat, "I wouldn't lie about something like this. If I say they're coming, they're coming."

Kiba nodded again, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over him. If Izashi was this sure, then there was no reason to doubt him. Kiba continued to reflect on his mistakes, determined to learn from them and become stronger. 'A sword is only as great as its user…' Izashi's words had truly struck a chord with him.

After the conversation, Izashi stretched and yawned, standing up lazily. "Well, I'm heading to my room. It's probably going to take them a day or two before they show up, so no need to worry right now."

He walked out of the room, leaving everyone else to mull over his words. As he made his way to his private quarters, Izashi couldn't help but think about the upcoming battle. 'I'll let Rias's peerage handle the small fry—the dog that's bound to accompany Kokabiel. Kiba can take on the stray exorcist who's wielding the fused Excalibur. It'll be a good opportunity for him to grow, maybe even trigger his Balance Breaker. That Holy Demonic Sword of his should emerge in this fight.'

Izashi smirked to himself, knowing that Kiba would need some help, though. 'Maybe I'll let Issei lend a hand. They're friends, after all. Besides, Issei's gotten stronger lately. He might be a bit too strong for that exorcist, though… If he goes into his Balance Breaker, he could probably handle the guy by himself.'

Izashi chuckled, already picturing the chaos that would ensue when Kokabiel arrived. 'As for Kokabiel himself…' He grinned, feeling a thrill of anticipation run through him. 'I hope he's strong enough to give me a decent fight. Though with his power split three ways, he's probably only as strong as a mid-level fallen angel now. I guess I'll have to hold back to make it fun.'

Izashi knew his own strength. He wasn't just any devil. His power of destruction from the Bael Clan, combined with the flames of the Phoenix from the Phenex Clan, made him nearly unstoppable. 'Vali might be strong, but even he wouldn't stand a chance against me right now,' he thought smugly.

His mind briefly flickered to Xenovia and Irina, the two exorcists who had come to Kuoh Academy. 'If they're strong enough, they'll survive. If not, well, they'll die. It's not really my concern.' He had no intention of reviving them as devils if they fell in battle. Their personalities wouldn't mesh well with becoming devils anyway, and besides, Izashi had better options.

The next day arrived, and Izashi, feeling refreshed and ready for what was to come, decided to take Issei and the others to meet the Sitri peerage. Kuoh Town was divided between Rias and Sona's families, and it was important for them to establish communication and coordination.

Izashi wasn't particularly close to Sona, even though they had been classmates since their junior high days. She was tactical, always thinking several steps ahead, but Izashi had never really paid her much attention. 'If I ever want to, I can take control of her and her whole peerage. All I need to do is beat her in a game of chess,' he mused with a confident smile. 'She prides herself on being a master tactician, but I've got more than enough skill to outplay her.'

In his previous life, Izashi had been the national chess champion in his country. He had no doubts that he could beat Sona with ease. After all, chess was second nature to him, and being reincarnated as a devil had only sharpened his strategic thinking. 'It'll be a breeze,' he thought, already looking forward to the match.

Even after coming to this world, Izashi had continued to study tactics and strategy, refining his skills further. 'It's going to be fun,' he thought, his excitement building.

~~

A/N: I hope you all liked this long chapter.

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Also, If you like Harem Stories, check out my new story, Harem Master: Seduction System.)