108 Bus talk before the mission.

"Sae cannot fight! Her body still hasn't completely recovered after all! To go to such a dangerous place…I oppose such a thing! Why Sae!?"

Tobio was arguing with Barakiel along the way.

"Ikuse Tobio, I can also comprehend what you said. However, though, this is an order from the Governor-General, from Azazel. Specifically, if Ikuse Tobio goes, then Toujou Sae is to go along with him."

"Why is that?"

Tobio asked in confusion. With the name of the Governor-General being mentioned, he ended up temporarily regaining control of his emotions. As for the probable reason, it was immediately inferred.

"I think I explained it to you the other day."

This time it was Jason who intervened in the conversation. Tobio lowered his head. He knew what Jason was talking about. He remembered the conversation they had in the showers before Sae suddenly broke in.

"But still, there's you, Vali, Lavinia, and Sensei. Why does she have to come?"

Tobio was not going to back down. He couldn't let his childhood friend be put in danger.

"Lavinia and Vali have their own obligations, Jason also has his own job given by Azazel."

Barakiel explained.

Tobio seemed to want to protest, but Sae grabbed his sleeve tightly as she shook her head.

"Even if I can't fight, let me help as much as I can."

Barakiel continued.

"That may be the situation, but to return to the topic at hand, taking into account the time that your Balance Breaker ran wild, there exists a possibility that Toujou Sae's power will become necessary."

Tobio was inclining his head in doubt at Barakiel's explanation, but—.

"We're speaking of the power of love."

Azazel's head emerged from one the auto's windows.

"Governor-General! You were here!"

In her surprise, Natsume raised her voice, but Azazel continued without paying her any mind.

"It's been confirmed that there have been previous Balance Breaker events and based on the remaining data, what stopped someone who ended up in a rampaging state was a lover. Also, even that which was restraining Tobio who was born possessing an awakened state was none other than his biological grandmother. And her love was immense. If it's Toujou Sae, shouldn't she be sufficient for that role? Or else is her love insufficient?"

With that, in response to the words that were like instigation from Azazel (who was smiling obscenely)—Tobio and Sae's faces became bright red in extreme embarrassment.

Samejima also had his hand on his chin, and in spite of being the same age as them said, "Love, huh. Ah to be so young," while clearly enjoying the situation.

While Tobio was calming his breathing, still blushing, he spoke with reddened cheeks.

"Sae, just don't do anything rash."

That was Tobio's acknowledgment.

Sae nodded saying, "Sure," with a smile.

Natsume, while watching this state of affair with a grin, had been nodding her head in agreement repeatedly.

"Heeey, Toujou-san, so you intend to keep him safe! We will also be protecting Toujou-san!"

"Well, being protected by you seems like it very much wouldn't be worth it."

Such was Samejima's response to this.

"Hey there! I'm not just a frail girl, you know!"

Azazel gave a backward glance to the visibly enraged Natsume as he spoke to Lavinia and Vali.

"Above all else, I'm entrusting the two of you with these guys. Well, if something were to happen, send a communication to me. Let us do what we are capable of. Not just Tobio, both of you should be careful with your own powers."

Lavinia replied with a short, "I will do so," while Vali confidently said, "Hmph, I'm not some amateur."

Azazel then looked at Jason.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, do whatever you want. Just don't let anyone die."

Azazel knew he couldn't force Jason.

Jason shrugged.

"Oh, will you be taking care of things Governor-General? You did expressly come all the way here."

It was Natsume who asked this.

Azazel replied with a bitter smile.

"You'd like someone like me who stands out as Governor-General to also come? How do I put this, if a representative such as myself were to go wandering around enemy territory, it would be a huge deal. Barakiel will escort you as far as the actual location. From there on you'll just have to do your best. Should the remaining Four Fiends be safe, or whatever condition they might be in, we have made preparations so that there will be no problem for them to return."

Azazel then disappeared as fast as he appeared.

"Have you looked over the material?"

The material in question was a file they'd been given back when they were making preparations at the apartment complex. Tobio and the others had reviewed its contents before heading to the parking lot.

Barakiel spoke.

"In all likelihood, in this present case, the probability of exchanging blows with the remnants of the 'Utsusemi Agency', the magicians, and the Sacred Gear users is extremely high."

Indeed, the data recorded was information about Sacred Gear users. There were even attached photos of the individuals.

It was the data on the aforementioned Abyss Team.

Samejima spoke.

"I did give the material a once-over. However, as far as their Sacred Gears go, do they not manipulate living creatures the way ours do?"

As Samejima had said, according to the information Tobio and the others recalled having been taught at Nephilim, there were several classifications for Sacred Gear abilities.

Barakiel replied.

"Uhuh, there are a great variety of Sacred Gear abilities. The variety that you all belong to, those abilities are classified as 'Independent Avatar Types'. As you were taught at Nephilim, and as those documents indicate, there are several other varieties as well. The possessors from the Abyss Team, their ranges are too dispersed to be grouped together."

Barakiel continued.

"Within the material you reviewed earlier, there's just one thing I want you to keep in mind, namely that the powers they, the Abyss Team's members hold are extremely troublesome and powerful. In a simple application, should it come to a contest of power, yours are exceedingly superior on the surface. But, their abilities, depending on the time and place, and should the conditions be met, can demonstrate atrociously brutal abilities. From the start, the team was specifically organized from possessors of abilities that were hard to handle. After all."

Their abilities had numerous effects that, if one was subjected to them, were impossible to recover from. The people the team was put together from had deliberately, or rather, purposefully included those individuals specifically. If that was the case, Jason thought that the person who leads the Abyss Team…must have an extremely cruel personality.

Even the fearless Samejima had commented, "They're pretty outrageous, these opponents of ours," with a solemn expression.

Barakiel spoke.

"The abilities listed in there, I want you to at least be attentive to them. That information will directly impact your likelihood of survival."

Tobio and the other students replied, 'Yes.'

Jason didn't respond. It was true that the skills of these sacred gears were terrifying to most, but to him, they were nothing. Siegfried Blessing nullified 70% of the Abyss team's sacred gears, so he had nothing to worry about.

He wasn't going to deal with students either. Jason was more interested in Satanael and Augusta. They were opponents he wanted to face.