"—Pffft! You... cough... as if making robots with a Longinus wasn't enough, you had to go and make a whole plastic model army?!"
"For the record, even I didn't see that one coming."
With the stray devil hunt successfully concluded, we contacted Tannin and waited for him to pick us up. Thankfully, we didn't have to spend days surviving in the wilderness on the way back; Lin's father—a Fire Drake subordinate of Tannin's—carried us back to the nest in a single flight. Lin was thrilled, boasting that her dad was the fastest of all the Fire Drakes.
We returned to the nest in about half a day and reported the results to Tannin. He listened seriously at first, but his eyes grew increasingly distant when I got to the part where the plastic model army dominated the battlefield.
"Can you two not finish a single task normally?" he asked with a heavy sigh.
"This is the result of us doing our absolute best," I replied. I wasn't lying. We were dead serious about it.
+++
After the debriefing, we began preparing for our journey to Grigori, the headquarters of the Fallen Angels. I'd spend a few days with the dragons until Azazel arrived. Lavinia was heading back to the human world for a visit, and Lin had her studies in the Underworld, so it was going to get a bit lonely.
When I contacted Azazel to confirm the schedule and tell him about the hunt, he practically died laughing. I could hear him banging on the wall on the other side of the comms.
"Cough... hack! Oh man, my stomach hurts. But honestly, isn't this your fault for that one thing you said?"
"Normally, if you tell someone, 'Hey, you're a princess, let's make a knight,' you don't expect them to start mass-producing plastic models! Lavinia is Italian; I thought she'd think of, you know, a Western knight in shining armor."
"Kuku... listen, kid. Until she met you, that girl didn't have much contact with subculture. As a Japanese guy, you should be way more familiar with Mobile Knight Dungam than she is."
That was my mistake. I hadn't realized how the 'Knight' connection would play out in her head. In this world, many series exist with names suspiciously similar to ones from my previous life—like Drag-so-Ball or One-Hit Student Council. I'd gotten Mobile Suit and Mobile Knight mixed up in my head. To me, a 'knight' automatically meant Western plate armor, a sword, and a shield. Even the Knight pieces in the devil's hierarchy follow that aesthetic.
I was imagining a cool ice legion. Instead, I got a platoon of Doll Armor units. I didn't think she'd use a God-slaying Longinus to perfectly replicate a 2D anime series... though I have to admit, it was a little exciting.
"Well, you're as much of a disaster as ever," Azazel sighed. "But honestly, you did me a favor. Lavinia has always had a deep-seated distrust of the Absolute Demise. She was terrified of that doll. Neither I nor her grandmother, Glinda, could really break through that."
"She did say she hated dolls."
"Hate is an understatement; she loathed it. We could teach her how to face her Sacred Gear, but you can't change a heart that easily. Especially with a Longinus—they react so strongly to emotion that if I'd pushed too hard and caused a Juggernaut Drive or a Berserk state, she could have been destroyed."
It made sense. Just as they'd been careful with my own Gear, they were waiting for Lavinia's heart to heal.
+++
"Wait, so am I being scolded or praised?"
"I'm impressed, honestly. You gave her a new perspective. As your teacher, I'll say it: well done, Kana."
Being praised that directly made me itch with embarrassment. But then, Azazel's tone shifted into full-blown geek mode.
"Besides, an infinite supply of ice plastic models... Dammit, why didn't I think of that?! No material costs, infinite transformations, infinite weapons... it's heaven! My imagination is already firing up!"
"Teacher? Please don't lead my partner further astray."
"Don't worry, kid. Anyway, I'm picking you up in three days. I've assigned a bodyguard to you for your stay at Grigori. He's one of my most trusted subordinates."
"A bodyguard?"
"Yeah. It's Barakiel."
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Barakiel. The future Vice Governor of Grigori, a master of holy lightning, and a man known for his stoic, warrior-like nature. He was also a husband and a father.
But as I thought of him, my mood darkened. I knew his story. I knew about Akeno Himejima. Based on the timeline, she would be about eight years old right now. The tragedy that would leave her alone and hating her father was approaching.
I'm close with Azazel, but I'm an outsider—a member of the Grey Wizards. Interfering in the internal affairs of the Fallen Angels is a line I'm not supposed to cross. But now, I was going to be in direct contact with the man at the center of it all.
+++
Before leaving, I spoke with Lavinia about the situation in the human world. Apparently, things in Kuoh Town were getting... weird. Without the devils Clere and the others managing the town, the local supernatural residents had started taking matters into their own hands.
"I heard Mil-tan recently had a physical brawl on a bridge with a giant in a tiger costume," Lavinia reported. "The guy was shouting about how the Osaka Tigers were finally winning and the power was fueling him."
"Is the town okay?!"
"They've apparently gotten used to it. The local psychics, ninjas, and supernatural residents have teamed up with the Magical Girls. They've convinced the normal citizens that these fights are just 'town events.'"
Kuoh Town was becoming a chaotic warzone of magical girls versus eccentric 'evil organizations.' It was a mess, but it seemed the residents were determined to protect their home in their own way. I felt a sudden urge to send some stomach medicine to the local priests; they were probably under a lot of stress trying to hide all this from the public.
+++
Finally, the day arrived. I put on the uniform Azazel had sent me. It was for the Nefilim, the school for Sacred Gear users within Grigori.
The uniform was lavender and black with white accents—a bit flashier than I was used to, but it marked me as a student of the Shemhaza Class.
"My alias is a newly protected Sacred Gear user," I rehearsed. "If anyone asks about my Gear, I tell them it's the Red Crimson Spear of Ruin."
It was a 'decoy' profile. There was actually another student with a similar Gear, making it easier for me to blend in. Most Fallen Angels wouldn't look twice at a 'trash-tier' spear user.
I looked at my reflection, feeling the heartbeat of my partner within my chest. I wasn't just here to hide; I was here to learn. I wanted the power to protect the people I cared about—people like Lavinia, and maybe, if I could find a way, people like Akeno.
"Ready, kid?" Azazel asked.
"Ready, Teacher."
We stepped into the magic circle, leaving the dragon's nest behind as we plunged into the heart of the Fallen Angel territory.
***
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