Everything is Anime!

"Akeno, I'm not here to see Rias today."

Sona Sitri flashed a faint smile, her gaze fixed on Hikaru. She was dressed in the Kuoh Academy uniform, her medium-length black hair falling like a silken fringe. Her eyes were a reddish purple, and her figure was more slender than Rias's or Akeno's. Because she wore glasses, she exuded an air of intellectual refinement.

"Not here for the President, then… could it be…?"

Akeno already had a guess. Sure enough, everyone watched as Sona gave Hikaru a slight nod.

"Hikaru, I'm here to see you."

Hearing that, Rias's brows furrowed.

"Why do you need Hikaru?"

"I only have a request for him."

Sona replied with a soft laugh, briefly casting Rias a calm look.

"You're not planning to recruit Hikaru as your servant, are you?"

Rias asked, her tone slightly hostile.

"No, I won't do that. Someone like him, with his pride and strength, would find becoming a servant to be beneath him."

Ignoring Rias's sudden tense expression, Sona produced an obsidian badge engraved with the Sitri family crest.

"Hikaru, I'd like to form a contract with you."

With Sona's explanation, everyone realized her reason for coming. It was, in essence, the same as Rias's: because there had been frequent supernatural disturbances in her section of the city, and her own forces were stretched thin, she wanted Hikaru's help.

"Sona, I got here first. Hikaru and I already have a contract arrangement."

Rias raised an eyebrow. Good grief—though she and Sona typically got along decently, this felt rather provocative. Soliciting him right in front of her?

"It's only a contract. Whoever said that once Hikaru is under contract with you, he can't accept jobs from anyone else? Ultimately, it should be his choice."

Sona lightly adjusted her glasses.

"Hikaru, you don't have to take every request. If it suits you, you can do it. Once you complete a request, I'll pay you immediately."

"Sure."

Hikaru nodded. He figured he could use these jobs to hone his skills as well. Actual combat provided faster growth than training behind closed doors.

Seeing his acceptance, Rias couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment, like her boyfriend was being poached away.

…

After parting ways with Rias and Sona, Hikaru returned to his afternoon classes. Once school ended, the students dispersed in groups of twos and threes—some heading to club activities, others going home on their own.

Hikaru, leaning against the second-to-last seat by the window, noticed a scene at the school gate that caught his attention: Issei Hyoudou, the original protagonist, stood there looking awkward and at a loss, while in front of him was a beautiful, long-haired girl in black. Issei's face was flushed, one hand scratching the back of his head, clearly not knowing what to do.

Hikaru couldn't help but smile faintly. Even in this bizarre, mixed world, some developments were destined to happen. Fallen Angel Raynare had likely set her sights on the Sacred Gear hidden within Issei. Not knowing its rank yet, she'd naturally approach Issei to glean more information before making a move.

Still, Hikaru had no intention of intervening immediately—just keeping an eye out. Raynare wasn't the sharpest blade in the drawer; figuring out the nature of Issei's Gear would take her some time. Of course, Hikaru knew perfectly well what Issei's Gear was. In this world, Sacred Gears—created by the Biblical God—are akin to special abilities that come in countless varieties. Throughout history, many notable figures wielded such Gears and cemented their legacies. Most Sacred Gears only affect human society, but a few can threaten even mythic factions—or even kill gods. Those are the "Longinus" Gears.

Even among Longinus, some are stronger than others. The Sacred Gear residing in Issei Hyoudou is the high-tier Longinus known as the "Boosted Gear"—the gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor. Its abilities center on doubling power and penetrating defenses, simple yet extremely effective.

If he meddled, Hikaru might be able to get his hands on the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear to play around with. Plus, he still had his "World-Crossing Gate." On the other side of that gate was Campione! Even though Hikaru currently possessed near-top-tier Great Knight-level power, that would be trifling to a Campione. But if he got the Red Dragon Emperor's power, his path might grow a lot smoother.

With that thought, Hikaru took a moment to check the energy level of his World-Crossing Gate: 10.1%. Still a long way from being fully charged.

~~~

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