Everything is Anime!

"Didn't you say you wanted me to assist you?"

Hikaru gave a faint smile.

"Here's the result. If there's anything else you want to know, ask the Fallen Angels over there. I left them alive on purpose."

"So… you did it because of our agreement."

Rias was surprised, and also a bit moved. She'd only proposed that arrangement to bring him closer, but never expected he'd actually take it to heart. Gazing at the familiar contours of his face, she found her heart racing for reasons she couldn't explain.

"I keep my promises."

Hikaru dropped his smile and returned to a neutral expression.

"I'll leave the cleanup to you, if that's all right?"

He paused for her reply, but Rias, lost in her imagination, failed to respond. Akeno discreetly nudged her in the waist, snapping the redhead from her thoughts. Suddenly flustered, she spoke:

"Huh? Right… um, yes, we'll handle it. I am the lord of Kuoh Town, after all, and it seems I haven't helped much with the main issue. The least I can do is deal with the aftermath."

Rias pulled herself together, drawing up her chest in a show of confidence.

"And… thank you, Hikaru. Truly."

"It's nothing. I got something out of it, too."

Hikaru shrugged. Right then, the others noticed a blonde girl in a nun's habit standing quietly behind him. Her emerald-green eyes shone like gemstones.

Asia, having picked up bits and pieces of conversation, understood that these tall, buxom ladies were the devils who ruled this city. As a former holy maiden raised in the Church, she'd been taught devils were evil. Even though she had once used her Sacred Gear to heal a devil, her fear of them hadn't diminished.

"Who is she?"

Rias asked, intrigued that a neatly dressed nun, apparently defenseless, would be here.

"Asia Argento, a holy maiden from the Church. I'm sure you've heard of her—she was framed and ended up here, counting money for others without realizing it."

Hikaru's concise explanation hit home. A quick investigation would have confirmed it. Asia's expression flickered upon hearing the word "framed." Had it not been for that devil she healed, she might still be safely in the Church. But did she regret it? No. She believed the God-given power to heal was meant for saving lives—any life, regardless of rank or race.

"President, there's another Kuoh Academy student here—his aura's weak, but he's alive."

Koneko's voice called out from some distance away. Rias turned and saw Issei Hyoudou, still wearing the school uniform, lying there with barely any sign of life. Shock overtook her face:

"Why did the Fallen Angels bring him here?"

She did know Raynare had lured Issei out, yet she'd refrained from immediate action to figure out the true plot.

"President, it looks like his Sacred Gear has vanished."

Akeno chimed in.

"Huh?"

Rias blinked, perplexed.

"It's with me,"

Hikaru answered before they could even process it fully. He raised the crimson gauntlet now strapped onto his own arm. Red plating wrapped around the forearm, a green gem at the back of the hand, and the edges overlapped like dragon scales.

"It looked like a normal gauntlet, so that's what the Fallen Angels must've been after, right? But why would they want a Sacred Gear like that? I mean, it's just a common one."

"It's not common. It's one of the Longinus, the Boosted Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor."

At Hikaru's statement, everyone froze. Even the three Fallen Angels cowering in the corner snapped to attention, Raynare among them, their faces streaked with blood and grime but now shaped with utter disbelief.

"A… a Longinus…?"

"It's actually a Longinus?!"

"But we all thought it was just an ordinary Sacred Gear!"

In truth, Raynare's main target was always Asia's healing-type gear. Stripping Issei's Gear had been a dry run for the ritual and a chance to offer a small "reward" to her subordinates. But who would've guessed that gauntlet they'd dismissed as a low-level Sacred Gear was actually the rarest and strongest type—a Longinus. If Raynare herself had gotten hold of that power, she might have instantly ascended to supreme Fallen Angel status. The thought of how Tatara had messed everything up filled her with rage.

"You've told us all this… Aren't you afraid I'll report it?"

Rias asked, half-jokingly, reining in her shock.

"You won't. And even if word spreads, I don't care."

Having obtained the Red Dragon Emperor's Longinus, Hikaru knew his future path would be smoother. Let the other factions watch him—he'd deal with it. One enemy shows up, I kill one. A group appears, I kill a group.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 20 Chapters Ahead of Others!