—
Tomorrow Night…
—
The 'Three Factions Summit' would take place at Kuoh Academy.
The venue had already been prepared by the Student Council, the Sitri peerage. They were also handling security, since the Gremory peerage, including Kazuki, had to attend the meeting itself. In return, they had helped set up the location.
However, every time Kazuki spoke to Sona during the preparations, she let out strange yelps like "Hyaah!?" and "K-Kyaah!?" Eventually, thinking she might be sick, he placed a hand on her forehead, only for her to turn crimson and collapse on the spot.
'Was she forcing herself to work despite being unwell? Her strong sense of responsibility could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.'
—
That brought him to today. With preparations complete, Kazuki found himself heading toward Akeno's house at her request.
Akeno lived at an old shrine on the outskirts of Kuoh Town. He had always found it strange that a devil like her could live in a shrine, but apparently, it was an abandoned place with no gods left to worship. It was also her childhood home. Special barriers had been set up so she could live there comfortably.
As Kazuki ascended the long stone staircase leading to the shrine, an odd sense of nostalgia washed over him.
Upon reaching the top, he took in the sight of the town below and the slightly worn-down shrine buildings. He couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu.
'Have I been here before?'
The answer felt so close—just out of reach.
"Welcome, Kazuki-kun."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kazuki turned to the source of the voice. There stood Akeno, dressed in a white and red shrine maiden outfit. For a moment, he was completely captivated by her appearance.
Then, suddenly, a vision overlapped with the present—a small girl wearing the same Miko outfit.
'…!? That girl…!'
Fragments of childhood memories stirred within him.
"Kazuki…? Hey! Kazuki!"
Akeno's worried face came into view.
"Akeno."
The moment he answered, she let out a relieved sigh.
"Geez… What's wrong with you? You just froze up all of a sudden."
"Ah, my bad. I was just mesmerized by how stunning you look in that outfit."
"Oh my~ Fufu… I'm so happy to hear that~♪" Akeno's lips curled into a sultry smile.
"Would you like me to serve you while wearing this?"
She pressed her body against his, her voluptuous breasts—easily the biggest in their peerage—softly enveloping his arm. But more than that, he could feel something firm brushing against him with each step.
...She wasn't wearing a bra.
A primal urge surged within Kazuki. He wanted to push her down right then and there. But somehow, he restrained himself.
"Later. You called me here for something important, right?"
Akeno looked slightly disappointed but quickly composed herself.
"Yes. The truth is… someone wishes to meet you."
"Me?"
From her tone, it was someone of considerable status. 'A third Maou, maybe?' But the summit was supposed to be handled by Lucifer and Leviathan, so who else—
"They're coming. Stay strong."
Akeno's sudden change in demeanor put Kazuki on high alert. And in the next instant—
An overwhelming presence of light descended upon them.
The sheer intensity of the radiance forced Kazuki to shield his eyes. The oppressive force of holy energy made his entire body scream in rejection. As a devil, exposure to this kind of power could erase him from existence.
"Akeno! What the hell is this?!"
"Please! Lower your light, Michael-sama! Do you want to kill us?!" Akeno's desperate cry rang out.
[Oh, my apologies.]
The voice belonged to the light itself. The pressure receded almost instantly, allowing Kazuki to open his eyes.
Standing before him was a tall, handsome man with golden hair, piercing blue eyes, and twelve shining golden wings spread behind him. A glowing halo floated above his head.
"My sincerest apologies. It has been a long time since I descended to the human world—I seem to have forgotten to suppress my radiance."
"Please… Just be careful during the summit. If you show up like that, some devils might literally disintegrate."
"I will keep that in mind. Now then… Is this the one?"
Michael turned his gaze to Kazuki.
"Yes. This is Guyver, Kazuki Fuwa."
"I see… So, you're the one."
The golden-winged man smiled kindly.
"My name is Michael. I am the leader of the angels in Heaven."
—
Kazuki stared at him, processing what had just been said.
Michael—the Archangel.
In a world abandoned by God, the supreme ruler of Heaven stood before Kazuki with a gentle smile.
—
Kazuki Fuwa wasn't sure of the details, but it seemed that this so-called Michael had summoned him here. Led by Akeno, he followed her into the main hall, where he was to have an audience with the leader of Heaven himself.
"So, what does the head of Heaven want with me?" Kazuki asked, sipping on the green tea Akeno had prepared for him.
Michael's expression remained composed as he responded, "I'll get straight to the point since time is limited. Kazuki Fuwa, I have something I wish to entrust to you."
At his signal, Akeno opened the sliding doors and carried in a sword placed delicately on a pedestal.
The moment Kazuki laid eyes on it, he recognized the aura it emitted. The radiant glow, the pure and sacred energy—it was unmistakably a Holy Sword.
"This is Ascalon, the dragon-slaying Holy Sword once wielded by Saint George."
"A Dragon Slayer Sword…?" Kazuki narrowed his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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