Everything is Anime!

The Aogiri Tree, a faction under the Fallen Angels' umbrella.

The ghouls active within it weren't in a cheerful mood. They'd thought that hooking up with the Fallen Angels would raise the status of ghouls, but on their very first mission, something went wrong. The team sent out last night still hadn't returned; a scout dispatched this morning discovered that the café in question was operating as usual.

"What's going on? Even if their manager got involved, they shouldn't have lost. The Spear of Light is far sharper than a kagune."

A white-haired man wearing a mask that covered the lower half of his face—Tatara—voiced his doubts.

"Could they have run into those devils?"

"It's not impossible, but if that's the case, things are going to be troublesome."

Recruiting new members was supposed to be a secret initiative, preparing for the war that could break out soon. If their plan were exposed, the Fallen Angels who already looked down on them would be the first to dispose of them.

"But let's not be too pessimistic."

Tatara lowered his voice.

"If the devils really were involved, they would've found us by now. The devils' tracking spells are even more of a headache than we imagined. For now, we'll just abandon this base and wait for the Fallen Angels' next instructions."

…

Lunchtime.

Rias Gremory inviting Hikaru in person caused quite a stir. Seeing him accept the invitation and leave with her left numerous onlookers feeling heartbroken, both men and women alike.

Eriri, watching Hikaru walk off with the school idol without so much as a word to her, gripped her mechanical pencil so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Why...

She'd known him longer, whether as a classmate, a friend, or going out together—she'd come first in everything.

So why did it turn out this way?

Meanwhile, Hikaru had no idea that this near-childhood friend was currently caught up in her own personal "White Album"-style heartbreak.

…

Occult Research Club.

Rias had personally come to invite Hikaru. He could guess her motive, which was likely related to last night's incident.

"I've already asked my familiar to investigate the café. However, I'd like to hear your side of the story."

Rias's face was grave.

"Have some tea, Hikaru."

Akeno brought over a freshly brewed cup of tea.

"Thanks."

Hikaru accepted it.

"If you insist on hearing my perspective, I can only say I don't know much. After all, you probably know more about those people's backgrounds than I do."

"True. But in that case, let me be direct. We've confirmed signs of Fallen Angel activities in this city, and if they're allying with ghouls, I suspect something bad is brewing."

Rias sighed.

Hikaru immediately understood. In the original story, Raynare and her group of Fallen Angels targeted Issei Hyoudou, who possessed a Sacred Gear, and lured him out under the pretext of dating, then killed him. After that, they took Asia Argento—who also had a Sacred Gear called "Twilight Healing"—to a church, intending to steal her Gear in a ritual.

But in all honesty, Hikaru couldn't fathom why Raynare's group would be so mindless. If all they needed was a hideout for the ritual, they could have chosen any random spot; instead, they went and did it right under Rias's nose. Even if they looked down on devils, Rias was still a pure-blood, high-class devil—a colossal difference in rank compared to mere low-level Fallen Angels. One could say that the world needs a few reckless antagonists to keep the plot moving.

"So?"

Of course, Hikaru wouldn't reveal the Fallen Angels' intentions. He wasn't exactly playing the role of an all-knowing oracle.

"If something happens, I hope you'll help."

Rias made her request earnestly.

"We've already agreed on that. There's no need to bring it up again."

"But this is different from a normal request. The Fallen Angels are our enemies, and this touches on tensions between two entire races. Right now, you're the only one I can turn to."

Rias's sincerity surprised Hikaru. He hadn't expected her to be so formal about what, in his mind, was a relatively minor situation.

"Sure."

Hearing Hikaru agree, Rias smiled. "I'll compensate you for your help separately."

Right then, footsteps approached outside the Occult Research Club room—followed by a knock.

Koneko opened the door and found a group of Kuoh Academy students standing in the corridor. When Rias saw the person at the front of that group, she frowned slightly.

Why is she here?

"President Sona Sitri? What brings you to the Occult Research Club?"

Akeno greeted with narrowed eyes and a polite smile.

Sona Sitri—the Student Council President at Kuoh Academy. Like Rias, she was also a pure-blood devil from the Underworld, specifically from the House of Sitri. She had an older sister who inherited the title of Leviathan, one of the current Four Great Maou ruling the Underworld. Moreover, Sona had a rival-like relationship with Rias. Competition was fierce in the Underworld, after all. Usually the two were at odds, but in truth, they got along reasonably well.

Hikaru turned to look, meeting eyes with Sona Sitri in the hallway.

~~~

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