Overlord of a High School (12)

The subsequent day of schooling for Momonga went by about the same as the first, perhaps even more boring, if that's even possible. After the sense of novelty had weathered and given the absence of meeting Rias Gremory and any possible ambush dissolved, Momonga found that he was bored out of his mind.

No, Momonga preferred situations where he was safe, even if doing something rather boring, to those in which he risked his life. But having realized that yesterday, he was probably not in any actual danger – Momonga realized that yesterday's encounter was actually the only interesting event of the entire school day. He spent the rest of his study time either trying to listen to the teacher and reading a textbook, or immersed in his own thoughts.

With nothing to do, he had actually spent most of his time looking out the window or at his desk, not understanding what the teacher was talking about

In other words, Momonga was completely bored, with the most exciting thing to happen was the arrival of new invisible and cloaked figures, presumably the devils, into the school. Periodic checks allowed Momonga to somewhat tell that their overall level hovered around thirty, and their total number was maybe in the range of three dozen.

Under normal circumstances, such actions on the part of a potential adversary would have caused him some concern – if the enemy was something more threatening than a passing breeze, that wouldn't kill him under any circumstances. Creatures of this level were only well suited to be used as ambush material if a level one hundred or even higher player was lurking nearby. Momonga of course checked, and found none each time.

Gradually, his paranoia about finding a maximum level player behind every rock began to recede after a personal meeting with one of the ruling demoness whose danger level was disdainfully small to Ainz himself. She was not that weak in the big picture of this world, as Momonga could tell anyway, she might be able to use one attack against him before she died.

But if someone could muster, um… about fifty or a hundred thousand of them? Then Ainz would definitely be at a disadvantage. If, for some reason, of course, he chooses to stay and fight, rather than retreat, which would be his main plan in case he discovers at least a dozen level seventy creatures. Mainly because the presence of such would absolutely indicate that they are being controlled by someone even more powerful, not that he would be threatened by them.

Pandora's Actor was in roughly the same position now that Momonga thought about it. He lacked certain top-end abilities and equipment, but had far greater tactical flexibility, able to take on various forms of Ainz Ooal Gown Players at any time, including those who specialized in sweeping large clusters of enemy like Ulbert.

However, without knowing the specific abilities and the enemy's build, deprived of preparation, both Momonga and Pandora's Actor would both be placed in a very precarious position. If they were facing hundredth level enemies, that is. Actually, if Pandora's Actor had to maintain his disguise and could not freely transform, his power was seriously reduced, to maybe an equivalent level ninety with a very poor stat placement.

In other words, he had almost no chance to beat an opponent of the hundredth level, much less one that had prepared the battlefield or was waiting in ambush. But at the same time, even weakened considerably, a creature of the seventieth level was not a problem for him, but a mild irritant instead.

Considering that the seventieth level in this case, the Leviathan, was a ruler and is probably busy with other things than just watching Momonga. And that, quite possibly, she was only sent here when yesterday's forces seemed insufficient to the demon lord, Zeoticus, these factors, while not completely denying the possibility of a level one hundred enemy, did help dampen Momonga's paranoia a bit.

It was likely that the arriving level thirtieth demons were not a distraction and meat shield for the players, but a kind of guard in themselves. Which, if true, meant that Momonga didn't need to worry about the demons at all, they posed no threat to him. And at the same time, by relaxing, he would lull the potential enemy's guard, giving them a false sense of protection.

'What's interesting enough is that why are they sending such weak guards? [High Tier Physical Immunity III] and [High Tier Magic Immunity III] were not something special in the game, it's not even the maximum level of their tiers, since I gave up the combat-oriented build. At about level seventy, players and the NPCs they created started getting similar abilities that protected them from crowds of low-level opponents – why didn't the enemy assume a similar thing for me? Or is it because such abilities aren't as common in this world? Or is it because they have abilities that can pierce through such protections?'

Momonga sighed, there are too many factors to consider before he can relax fully. He could only shake his head, as he continued to watch as more and more demons scattered around the courtyard, all while they maintained magical invisibility and illusions all the while.

'Although this world is not YGGDRASIL and there are definitely strong creatures in it, at the same time the average level of this world seemed much lower… In YGGDRASIL, most of the Players were level one hundred at any given time, maybe except for the first month after the start. Players below seventy were most often considered not even starting to play the game fully, and therefore attacks on them were condemned by all sides… Except when a player who started playing belonged to a heteromorphic race, then it was fair game. Shitty sadistic Devs, why did killing Heteromorphs not impose any penalties on players from the system? And why did killing Players of monster races often opened access to unique classes and quests!? Life is unfair – but if the damn developers have not cared even about the balance, then why would they suddenly start caring about fairness?!'

Momonga grumbled at the bad memories he had of being PK'ed over and over again until he wanted to quit playing the game. He almost wanted to sigh at the bad memory, mollified somewhat by his happiness of meeting Touch Me, causing a smile to appear on his face.

Catching himself, Momonga remembered that he was supposed to pay attention in class, returning his attention to the teacher and the board in the front. Only to quickly realize why he wasn't doing so in the first place, he couldn't understand a single thing the teacher was saying.

'It's so boring – I have to concentrate on the knowledge that is imparted to me in this school, because it's a great opportunity for me. But when I do that, I get bored and miss most of what the teacher tells me because I am bored because what the Teacher is saying is like a foreign language to me… Is this what school is about? Just sitting still, bored, until years have passed? Why do people pay a lot of money for something like this… Hah, I can only blame myself by forcing myself into a High School when I only have an Elementary School level of knowledge. This is so much wasted time… I wonder if Pandora's Actor is having a better day than I am.'

***

Issei, Pandora's Actor, stacked his textbooks in a small briefcase, something he had been doing all through his 'sleep' in the human world, mentally that is, mimicking his preferred hobby of taking inventory. However, if before he was taking inventory and categorizing the treasures of the Forty-One, this time he was taking an internal inventory of the discoveries discovered today.

'So, Koneko Toujou, or Shirone to use her previous name, is a rare subspecies of the nekomata, a nekoshou. A member of Rias' peerage with yet another tragic backstory – she's practically an orphan without any living parents. She used to live with her older sister, a member of the master of House Naberius' peerage, who sheltered both of them. That is until she went on a rampage, killing her master, causing her to become a stray Devil, hunted by the Underworld, and her sister Shirone to be captured, slated for execution. Excluding the many inconsistencies of this story, of course.'

Pandora's Actor chuckled mirthlessly at how badly the story was constructed, especially how lacking the investigation to Naberius' master activities was.

'With Shirone condemned to death, and after her sister's betrayal, it seems as if everything was crumbling around her. That is before she was saved by the personal intervention of the ruler of Underworld, turned into a demon by Rias Gremory.' Issei mentally structured his findings, fact by fact, every minute detail pulled from the memory of his subjects of observation.

'How amazing and incredible! So many cool tragic stories, so many emotions mixed into a single cocktail and all in one place to boot!. People that had survived their tragedies against all odds. The failed results of inhumane experiments. The self-hating results of forbidden love between a priestess of a miko clan and a powerful leader of fallen angels. And an abandoned orphan afraid of her own powers that drove her beloved sister to mindless murder. And all of these delicious emotions and stories centers on one single figure – the figure of Rias Gremory!'

Issei could barely keep from striking a cool pose, but remembering his Father's injunction, he refrained even from simply making a salute toward His class, he was so excited!

'Vater, what breathtaking generosity – what a strange conundrum and punishment! This world is so full of empty and meaningless people, and yet, in this one school there are so many unique rare specimens. No, not in the whole school, and not even among the devils, the other girl's team, the same blandness as everyone else, but only in Rias Gremory team. What strange luck – or is it also part of Your funke of blessing given to this imperfect world? How amazing – what lies within Rias Gremory? What part does she play in your plan!?'

Once again, Pandora had to stop himself from exclaiming praise to his Father at the great mystery unfolding before his eyes. One that Pandora's Actor had the privilege to unravel.

'What secrets lie behind the reason she has been able to gather so many unique, wonderful specimens around her? What will be left when I remove from her, layer by layer, the masks thrown over her. What will be the tragic story, the magnificent spark of understanding I would uncover then? Vater, I dare not ask for your guidance for this is my test – is not this the essence of the son, to try to understand the will of his Father? But at the same time – one cannot afford to be careless. While the Father is doing His will, moving the rulers of the devils as if they were toy soldiers, puppets tied by strings to His dexterous fingers, my essence is only to hide in the shadow of the puppeteer. I would dance like the other puppets, doing the work that pleases His will, without making it clear that this puppet dances according to the Father's will and word, not needing strings for that. I would be the false shepherd, lulling the sheep to their ultimate end.'

This time, a disturbing laugh emitted from Issei's mouth, causing the neighbors to his desk in the class to stare at him with disgust. Even the teacher looked disturbed.

'Father, how amazing! How kind of you to place me here! There is so much disgusting emptiness in this world, but it is in this emptiness that small sparks shine so brightly that only those accustomed to emptiness could fully appreciate it. Confusing embers with a shining sun, not realizing that the 'ordinary' of their surroundings unknowingly hollows their souls. All while trying to find their way by the stars, not realizing that the lights in the sky are simply reflections in the muddy and dirty water of a puddle, from which they are unable to take their eyes off. They would live their lives thinking that their life, death of purpose as normal, and that anything else is impossible. Only because nobody and never could point them to how this simplest trick is performed… Ah, Vater, I admire the depth of your gaze and the range of your thoughts. Indeed, every duty is both reward and punishment and test and opportunity – ding an sich. Every movement is in itself a play worthy of study and admiration, for where the least of it requires great libraries to comprehend, while the Supreme needs only one instruction…'

"Ise!" Matsuda's voice distracted Issei rudely from his musings, and unknown to him, he had almost lost his life at that moment. "I recognize that look from a thousand miles away – have you finally come back to your senses?"

Issei, catching a suitable answer from Matsuda's mind, only sighed lightly and shrugged before glancing back at him, keeping an expression on his face between a resigned smile and relief. "Well, you can't be sad forever, so yes – faith in a brighter tomorrow and Murayama and Katase's perky boobs have saved me from depression!"

The two aforementioned girls, Murayama and Katase, who are the president and vice president of the kendo club, as well as classmates and frequent peeping objects of the 'perverted trio', threw a look of contempt and anger at the trio.

The two girls had repeatedly demanded that the entire trio be expelled, especially when they caught them peeping, as none of the three participants was secretive about their predilections or their plans. But, for reasons unfathomable to the minds of the two girls, and pretty much all students of Kuoh Academy, none of such requests had been granted.

While a close examination of their surroundings' memories revealed to Issei that that in other schools it might have been enough for a juvenile delinquent record. At the very least a compulsory detention with a psychologist, or, in the extreme case, a court injunction and compulsory expulsion with a transfer to a special-type of educational institution for juvenile criminals.

It was difficult for the two girls, and, practically the entire Kuoh Academy, to comprehend the reason why Issei Hyoudou, a regular violator of not only the rules of conduct, but also several laws on sexual conduct in Japan, was still studying at Kuoh Academy. All even without hiding the fact that he had no intention of reforming himself.

Issei could answer that, easily, in fact. The fact of the matter is that Rias Gremory, one of the two real rulers of this academy, was simply amused to have such an 'exotic beast' in her 'private garden'. A garden given to her as her own 'safe' training area for her future duties as heiress of the Gremory family. That, and as an exhibitionist pervert herself, she couldn't really fathom why the perverted trio's proclivities so offended the girls. At least they were honest about it.

For Rias Gremory, the existence of such strange and repulsive specimens to human society was like entertainment. She enjoyed 'collecting' such specimens, a thought that Issei could appreciate, feeling the joyful chuckle trying to break out on his face. Just as some humans are attracted to seemingly otherwise repulsive spiders or snakes as pets, Rias kept 'perverts' as her own pets, letting them frolic in her terrarium.

'What cruelty, and yet with this I find it more and more interested in the opportunity to get inside your mind after all, Rias Gremory. What lies inside you, so deep that no one dares to know about it, not even yourself?' Issei shook his head, continuing to smile creepily at the two girls, who responded by nearly grabbing their weapons, which they did not have with them at the moment. Instead, they chose to retreat, sharing some colorful insults Issei's way.

For all their blusters, and the threat they flung, they were not prepared to commit murder, even considering the whole trio 'repulsive'. At least, not yet. And without threats of a mortal nature, they could not stop the actions of the trio, or the duo at least, Issei had no interest in the lower beings' body.

The seemingly appropriate amount of physical violence, they were used to, was only capable of deterring the three for a relatively short span of a week or two. And official complaints were fruitless, the influence of their parents or the police was negligible in a city entirely bought out by Zeoticus Gremory, as a personal playground for two growing devil heiresses.

'Truth be told, Sona Sitri, though I suppose in this world she uses Souna Shitori as her paper-thin cover, appeals to me even less. Her, um, [Peerages] also deserves a separate mention, but they were so bland when compared to the cornucopia of emotions that is Rias' own [Peerage].

Tsubaki Shinra, Sona's Queen, a former exorcist born with the [Cursed Skill] of attracting demons and evil spirits, or, to be more accurate, beings with negative karma. Reborn as a devil, turning her curse into her own [Sacred Gear], demonstrating the novelty of this world's abilities, turning a skill into an artifact. At the same time, it also confirms the original conjecture about [Sacred Gears], she at least deserves an honorable mention at the very least, but beyond that…' Issei shook his head slightly, while Matsuda, barely looking at him, was already beckoning Issei to go to their 'usual spot'.

A peek at his mind, and Issei found out that it was a hole in the kendo club showers long ago, but hidden from view from all sides.

'The rest? They're less empty than the average person, but hardly worthy of special mention. However, perhaps if the esteemed Souna Shitori could indeed rebirth Genshiro Saji as she planned, someone really interesting would finally join her [Peerage]. His inner conviction is blazing, wanting to find his own way in this empty and cursed world, but Father has already made His move, and now you are bound hand and foot. The unlucky young student, in vain trying to summon a devil, desperately hoping for a miracle, even if a dark one, to save his family. What do miracles mean when a Supreme Being has made His move on this stage? Your performance of contracts interrupted, you are now trapped in your manor, one step away from a disorderly panic, your lauded intellect proved to be only a sandcastle to test as the tsunami of His step, engulfing your world…'

Issei thought about the tragic fact for a second, and found some smidgen of joy in it. 'Hmm, I can even see why Demiurge likes playing the role of villain so much – there's something extremely cool about being teuflisch…'

"Ise, are you with us?" Motohama finally turned to him, stopping to cast some kind of signal at Matsuda before casting one last leering look at the retreating, seemingly already exhausted and resigned to their fate, girls.

To his question, Issei only smiled, acting as Issei always did, "Of course!"

***

Rias watched as her father's [Queen], Francis, walked around the office of her Occult Research Club, all the while she contemplated exactly when her life had taken a wrong turn.

Yesterday morning, minutes before class began, was the last most normal day of the past few months, as Rias pondered what she needed to do about her engagement.

The day was approaching when Riser Phenex, her 'future husband' would come for her as their marriage contract dictated. The terms of their marriage had long since been negotiated and concluded by her father, something that Rias Gremory had no say in. It seems that the goal of making a common political alliance and creating a stronger offspring supersedes his own daughter's happiness… Something that she hasn't forgiven her father over.

Rias is sickened by the thought, but eugenics was a normal part of devil society, a community that had lost a huge portion of their population during first the Three-Sided War and then the Civil War. The devils were now forced to use whatever means they could to restore their numbers and strengthen their weakened position.

Her older brother, Sirzechs, and his old friend and rival, Ajuka, together could hold almost any faction in this world at arm's length, their personal power discouraging the enemies. But even if they were the most powerful devils in this world, there were essentially only two people, they can't be everywhere. Especially in a world where even the ultimate-class demons were barely toy soldiers compared to the gods of the old pantheons, the Devils were sorely lacking in numbers.

The system of [Evil Pieces] created by Ajuka helped to quickly restore the number of devils through converting other races. But this in itself raised worries and doubts among the remaining 'pureblood' demons that they would soon be replaced by the younger generation of Devils. Such fears forced them to make a move on their part, reviving the program of eugenics and artificial breeding of stronger Devils. Hoping that their offspring are able to inherit the special abilities of various houses and clans, in their attempt to one day produce a perfect devil with all powers, comparable in power to the gods.

A plan which, unfortunately, led to her father making an engagement pact with Lord Phenex. Something that Rias was extremely unhappy about.

Why did they forget to ask her at all? It was sort of her wedding, her body, her free will and her life. Wasn't one of the main reasons for the Civil War and the overthrowing of the 'old Satans' faction, because of their tyranny, one that did not consider the choices of other devils?!

But for all her complaints, the agreement was already made, and the [Contract] signed. Rias were left with only a couple of legal loopholes to avoid her marriage. Ones that sadly excluded sending assassins to Riser. Anyway, even if she wanted to and was allowed, she simply could not do with her current level of influence and close oversight from her family.

She was left with only one path, a Rating Game, Rias' [Peerage] against Riser's. And Rias had one major problem.

She didn't have full [Peerage]! She hadn't even participated in a proper rating game before!

Of course, she had trained and participated in training games against Sona or her father several times, using loaned [Peerages] for that one. But no one would agree to her father giving her his [Peerages] for the duration of the battle. Her father was in the first place for not allowing it.

Zeoticus Gremory was one of the strongest high class demon lords, standing on the border between high and ultimate class due to his innate abilities of the Gremory clan. His [Peerage] and subordinates were similarly each at the level of a strong high class demon or even higher. Francis here could probably defeat Rias herself even when only fighting at half his strength.

That was where the main snag to Rias' plan lay. She either has to get a full complement of powerful figures to add to her [Peerage] or find someone that lends her theirs. So finding eleven people powerful enough to beat Riser or to find someone that can lend her almost their entire [Peerage], both just as impossible, but the latter while easier wouldn't work.

If Riser Phenex even had an inkling of suspicion that someone would lend her a [Peerage] strong enough to beat him, he would find ways to weasel out. And to Rias' chagrin, he would be entirely within his right to refuse to acknowledge the outcome of such a battle. Or worse, simply dismiss her demand for a 'Rating Game' on the grounds that Rias had used a dirty trick to violate a long-standing [Contract].

And even so, even if Rias were to win in this way, the prestige of the Gremory family would fall. For any outside observer, they would only see how Lord Gremory had violated a [Contract] made with another Lord – showing himself to be an unreliable party.

If Rias succeeded in winning the battle on her own, it would be seen as a personal victory that would prove her ability to abandon the [Contract] that had been forced on her. In other words, it would show the Devils her strength. And the strong, in Devil society, were forgiven much.

But the problem was that Riser Phenex was a fairly experienced fighter and commander, with a full [Peerage], while Rias's consisted only of one [Knight], Kiba, a [Rook], Koneko, and [Queen], Akeno. Of course there was also [Bishop], Gasper, but Rias barely knew what to do with him to let him out of his self-appointed exile, one that her Brother even agreed to.

Gasper's power was potentially dangerous to her own team, and he was too skittish, suffering from a mild form of agoraphobia, instead preferring to isolate himself in one of the rooms in the Old Academy building.

In other words, she was short of [Rook], [Knight], two [Bishops], and eight [Pawns].

And though Rias loved her [Peerage] as her own family, and would not trade them for anything – the situation was such that defeating Riser Phenex by the power of love was not possible.

So when, on what she thought just another morning, Rias received an unexpected call from her father demanding she return home immediately because of the potential threat of an unknown adversary, Rias rejoiced. She was aware of the danger the report represented – 'unknown' usually meant 'great' threat, in other words, an excellent recruitment chance. And if this 'threat' was so great that even her father is worried, it means that if she could recruit it, her chances of beating Riser would be greatly increased.

After much arguing with her father, using the full force of her charm and after agreeing to have her father send a group of his personal bodyguards to protect her, she finally got permission from him to contact the unknown. It was at that moment that she finally realized the situation she's in, half dreading the potential danger the unknown represented, and half suspicious of the hidden blessing sent to her in her hour of need.

She was suspicious that it was just her Brother interfering with her life again.

Thankfully, she didn't have to doubt her brother for long. There's no way that her brother would send someone so scary to help her.

Everything had gone wrong from the first second of contact with the unknown, this Satoru Suzuki. And since then, her situation has only continued to roll downhill, completely oblivious to Rias' pathetic protesting attempts to stop the disaster that had already begun.

First Satoru had easily brushed off her attempts to use her reputation, her power, and the borrowed authority of the whole underworld that controls this city, like a pesky fly that's bothering him. Then he brushed off all her attempts to pressure him with a kind of subtle, mocking ease.

And finally, he had enough, and gave her a 'little' warning, he seemed to have loosened his control over his power a bit, and almost put the fear of God – ouch! In her soul with a single glance. After which, when father's elite bodyguards, each of them superior to an ordinary high-class devil, popped out to protect her, rather than cowering in fear, he simply dismissed them like children. His poise and confidence, and even the slight mocking look he gave them, declaring to the world that he could wipe them out of existence with a flick of his fingers.

Not that he said those words specifically, but that was the message.

After that, Rias again had to fight off her father's attempts to forcibly evacuate her away, but this time Rias had little reasoning for staying. Primarily because she realized that Satoru couldn't care less about anything Rias could offer for him to join her [Peerage].

He was already, definitely, incredibly strong, and as he had arrived as an enigma with his own unknown goals, Rias couldn't do anything there. And as he appeared to have no fear of 'heavy diplomacy', either using it himself or having it used against him, Rias couldn't find any purchase there either. At worst, she would simply find herself with yet another strong enemy that she couldn't handle.

In other words, it was only the intervention of Serafall Leviathan herself that kept Zeoticus from ignoring his daughter's opinion again and ordering her to leave. Or, if necessary, to bring her home by force of his own subordinates.

The Leviathan's presence eased both father and Rias' worry. If the heavy artillery in the form of a Maou was involved, they had nothing to worry about. It was with these reassurances that father had ceased badgering for Rias to escape, and a flame of hope flickered in Rias' soul.

Perhaps with Serafall here, she could influence Satoru somewhat to have a better view of Devil's society, and she could make him an offer… Luckily, Sona's [Peerage] is already somewhat full, and she would have no piece to reincarnate such a powerful figure like Satoru.

Sadly, her hope was dispelled the very next day, when the Leviathan passed her an information that only caused the Lords Sitri and Gremory to send their best guards in a panic, and at the same time – to sit still. How could they not? An unexploded ordnance was just dropped, a stone's throw away from their charge. They didn't know what to do. Should they evacuate? What if doing so would cause the bomb to explode?

So, now they just have to sit next to the bomb and hope that it won't explode on them.

It was quite the funny experience to see the strongest servants of her house running around like headless chickens. Sadly, her joy was cut short when she realized that she had to deal with the person that caused such a panicked reaction from them.

Rias' reaction wasn't much better off. Finding out that some unknown god had shown up at her Academy uninvited, brushing off even Serafall herself like an annoying fly, and that she'd previously thought of using him in her little scheme… Ha, she just hoped to survive whatever was looming over the Academy.

And at the same time, Rias couldn't help but admit that what was happening was at least mesmerizing to watch. In the sense that she had never personally seen the gods and definitely had no plans to interact with them in person. And then one of them suddenly found themselves unexpectedly in her territory. It was very unexpected.

In a way, it was even a surprise with some small amount of joyful surprise, and with a much larger share of fear.

Riser Phenex posed a problem, but it was at least a familiar problem, one that she was already facing since the engagement was first announced. A concern whose resolution Rias could see before her. Not even the Satans, let alone herself, knew what to make of the unknown god who had decided to settle right next to where she sleeps.

And if whatever he wanted was something nefarious, Rias has no doubt that whatever she does couldn't stop it.

The right of the strongest ruled the world. When one god could wipe out half of the Underworld with a battle, any attempt to force a god to do anything they don't want was doomed to fail. Unless that god was a particularly pacifistic one, and even then it's still a gamble that no one wants to play, even the most esoteric of a god's power can still cause untold carnage. It's a moot point anyway, Satoru has already shown, by his actions, that he wasn't averse to violence.

This fact in turn meant that the only way to deal with a god was to negotiate. But, judging by Lady Serafall's report, Satoru had made it clear that he's not open to negotiation. In fact, he had made an ultimatum for the Devils not to bother him as he accomplished his goals, and the 'or else' is implied loud and clear.

It took quite a lot of complaints and badgering from Sona to force her sister to allow her to stay in Kuoh. Not that Serafall could evacuate Sona, that is, they both know that any sudden, drastic move, might provoke the god.

And so, reluctantly, the Devil's side had no choice but to sit tight. A full-blown fight against the god would be very ill-advised – they didn't even know what pantheon he represented or what kind of god he was at all!

Even her brother, Sirzechs, the strongest Devil there is, wouldn't pick a fight with an unknown god in foreign territory without a very good reason. Especially when they don't know anything about the possible adversary.

That, and the possible collateral damage to property and lives, are simply unacceptable.

The only reason Rias hadn't yet been brought back forcibly to the Underworld and ensconced in the Gremory mansion behind their protections, was that no one knew at this point what kind of god Satoru was. Or even what reason he had come to Kuoh, in the first place.

And seeing that he had done something as brazen as enrolling into Kuoh Academy, the only possibility was that he had some kind of business with someone in the Academy.

The amazing thing was that Satoru, who had ignored all treaties and had come to devil territory in the first place, seems to be trying not to be provoked by devils! He was the one that had barged in on the Devil's territory unannounced, and now he's asking them not to bother him!?

The right of the strong was once again showing itself in all its glory…

At least, so far, Satoru hadn't shown any intent to act aggressive, and no one could sense any hostility from him, but that was a small comfort. That was why, at the moment, Rias, Sona, and their [Peerage] were excused from classes, instead spending their time sitting their perky little butts in their fortified bunkers.

The Student Council Room in Sona's case and the Occult Research Club in Rias'. They were entirely surrounded by their parents' subordinates, waiting with bated breath for another day of Kuoh Academy to end, not even bothering trying to answer their usual contracts with summoners.

The Satan' agents were probably already slowly doing their work, trying to formulate a suitable plan of neutral acquaintance between Satoru and the ruling circles of the Underworld. Trying to figure out if they should have been preparing for another war, if they could have gotten the power of a new god, and how the hell did Issei Hyoudou fit into all this at all!

The informal leader of Kuoh Academy's 'trio of perverts' had attracted Rias' attention in the past. Primarily by his admiration for Rias herself, and she had allowed him to continue attending the Academy on a minute whim, despite Sona's many protests.

But until now, she had never paid much attention to him, except perhaps when the kendo club or the swimming club turned to Sona to complain, and when Sona would inevitably complain to Rias yet again. Though strangely enough, she never did propose to kick Issei out of the school, preferring instead to sternly lecture him time and time again.

And now it ended up being revealed that Issei was the younger brother of some unknown god and the bridge over which the unknown being with unknown goals had snuck into Kuoh's territory. It had left both her and Sona none the wiser to the being, until it decided to simply march over to their territory openly, causing an enormous amount of scrutiny to be placed on her and Kuoh.

"Maybe I really should have just expelled him earlier and dumped these problems on someone else?" Rias shook her head, palming her head in despair, in a desperate measure to ease the headache she's currently suffering.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather deal with Riser, than this!"