"Leave early?!"
Sona and Rias spoke simultaneously, their voices echoing in unison.
"Yes, that's right! President Sona and President Rias, you won't find Takeyo-kun here anymore," a cheerful voice responded.
"Oh, and not long after Takeyo-kun left, Xenovia also submitted her exam early."
???
Question marks practically materialized above both Sona and Rias's heads.
But within the next instant, understanding dawned on them.
How could someone with Xenovia's academic performance possibly finish an exam early?
The two young devils exchanged a knowing glance before heading off in opposite directions.
They understood each other's intentions perfectly.
Split up and catch them in the act!
However, their efforts were destined to be fruitless.
After several previous encounters where she'd learned she couldn't match Takeyo's stamina, Xenovia had long since abandoned any notion of outlasting him. Today was simply meant to be fun, nothing more than casual entertainment.
The entire rendezvous lasted barely an hour. By the time Rias and Sona had organized their search parties, a mere ten minutes after beginning their hunt, Takeyo was already walking out of the sports equipment warehouse, adjusting his collar casually.
During that short window, both devil heiresses had assembled considerable search teams.
Their eagerness was palpable. While hunting for Takeyo, they'd recruited anyone remotely connected to them, pulling friends and servants alike into the dragnet.
Since exams had just ended, everyone had free time.
Within minutes, an impressive force had been mobilized.
The moment Takeyo stepped outside, he encountered one of the team members.
"Ara ara, If it isn't Takeyo-kun!,"
Akeno Himejima smiled, waving elegantly at him.
Victory appeared to be hers.
Of course, her victory didn't necessarily translate to Rias's success right now.
"Takeyo-kun, Would you like to come with me and... deepen our connection?,"
Near the deserted sports warehouse, Akeno immediately moved into Takeyo's personal space, her body pressing against his.
"What a coincidence running into Akeno-senpai here,"
Takeyo's eyes flickered with momentary unease before returning to their usual calm expression.
The situation with Grayfia had been different, that encounter had lasted several hours, ending only when Xenovia passed out, giving him a legitimate excuse to take her home.
But this time... well, Xenovia was still resting inside the warehouse at this very moment.
"Ne, Takeyo-kun? Why don't we go inside and... play?,"
Warm breath tickled Takeyo's ear as Akeno extended one finger, pointing toward the sports warehouse behind them.
If it's there, wouldn't that be even more thrilling?
The element of stolen passion would be so much more intense in that location,~
These thoughts flashed through Akeno's mind, painting a charming smile across her face.
"Ahem... Akeno, the sports warehouse is far too dirty for that."
Takeyo coughed tactically, his hand rising to his mouth as he coughed up a mouthful of golden blood.
"Takeyo-kun?! Are you alright?!"
Akeno's expression immediately shifted to panic. She'd noticed Takeyo hadn't been coughing up blood as frequently recently. Why did this episode seem so severe?
"I'm fine. Haven't I told you before? Let's go. You received orders from Rias to find me, didn't you?"
Takeyo wiped away the blood with practiced efficiency.
It had been some time since the tripartite peace treaty, and his health had improved considerably, more than halfway to full recovery. Hemoptysis episodes within a single day were becoming increasingly rare.
Which meant what just happened was purely tactical bloodletting.
A calculated distraction to draw Akeno's attention away from her warehouse proposition.
At least... not right now, with Xenovia still inside.
"Mm, Let's go then, Takeyo-kun. The President does indeed need to see you about something important,"
Seeing that Takeyo's condition wasn't ideal and sensing his reluctance for immediate intimacy, Akeno relented.
Together, they made their way to the Occult Research Club in the old school building.
Click,
As soon as Takeyo entered, he spotted the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels lounging in Rias's usual seat like he owned the place.
Azazel wore his signature anachronistic glasses, feet propped up on the desk as he fiddled with some gadget.
"Yo, If it isn't the young prodigy! Did you get here so fast because Sirzechs told you to meet me?"
Azazel asked with evident confusion.
He'd only just received the notification himself. Why would Takeyo come to the old school building at this particular time?
Normally, if Takeyo had nothing pressing, he'd head straight home.
"Sirzechs? Why would he tell me to meet you?"
Takeyo raised an eyebrow. He genuinely hadn't heard anything from Sirzechs.
"What? You don't know yet? Sirzechs wants you to attend a high-level Underworld meeting with me."
"It's not exactly confidential information. Just remember, our position cannot waver or retreat."
"What position?"
Takeyo's eyes narrowed slightly.
He currently held only one official position that would require such emphasis, didn't he?
"Your position as Captain of the Peacekeeping Force, naturally! If those old fossils have complaints, you'll need to handle them yourself."
"Tobio and Dulio have both refused additional assignments, directly shirking responsibilities. Who told you to dump all the grunt work on them before?"
Azazel spread his hands with an amused grin.
"I see. You don't need to explain further, Azazel~"
Takeyo smiled knowingly. He'd already figured it out.
Though dissatisfaction existed in the original timeline, it had never been openly expressed.
Now it was being formally addressed.
The reason was simple.
The current situation included one element that hadn't existed in the original plot, his own Peacekeeping Force.
The reasons Azazel and Sirzechs were warning him were equally straightforward.
First, he couldn't show weakness when facing power-hungry old devils in the Underworld. Ideally, he should teach them a harsh lesson.
Second, his Peacekeeping Force couldn't afford to show any signs of incompetence.
The old devils' focus on him stemmed from recognizing the Peacekeeping Force's enormous authority across the Three Factions.
When the tripartite treaty was signed, the Defenders' authority had been explicitly defined. Because of its critical importance, the force had been granted exceptionally high-level clearance.
That authority was precisely what they coveted.
Only two approaches existed: win him over, or plant their people around him.
After all, in their eyes, Takeyo was merely a fledgling Sacred Gear wielder.
Though he'd demonstrated impressive combat records, those battles had occurred in alternate dimensional spaces. At Takeyo's explicit request, all three factions had imposed strict information controls on their subordinates.
In the latest update to the Son of God Watchers' database, only his Sacred Gear's name had been added, with no details about its effects or capabilities.
Compared to the already-famous Tobio and Dulio, Takeyo appeared to be an easier target.
What about his record of instantly defeating a High-Class devil like Riser Phenex?
A joke. Anyone at peak Ultimate-Class devil strength could accomplish that feat.
They speculated Takeyo's power was at most low-level Maou-Class. Otherwise, he wouldn't have struggled against Riser despite his previous injuries.
The Underworld's livestream had exposed Takeyo to countless observers.
While the scene of him destroying Riser while coughing blood had attracted many female admirers, the apparent display of limited strength had become ingrained in certain minds.
A true Maou-Class powerhouse could obliterate a High-Class devil like Riser with a single blow, leaving no room for recovery!
With sufficient ruthlessness, direct termination wouldn't be impossible!
They'd developed their strategy based on Takeyo's previous performance.
But they'd overlooked two critical factors.
First, Takeyo hadn't used his full strength at that time.
Second, Takeyo's growth potential was extraordinarily high, capable of reaching levels far beyond their imagination in a remarkably short period!
Their assumptions applied only to ordinary talents. Takeyo had never been ordinary, even Maou Ajuka had called him a true prodigy.
"I understand how to handle it. As long as Sirzechs won't object to my methods, right?"
Takeyo's eyes narrowed further.
He was more concerned about potentially being exposed to widespread observation before fully recovering than about being targeted by high-level devils.
Between two undesirable options, he'd chosen the lesser evil, requesting the Three Factions block information about his true capabilities.
He just needed to wait. Once his raw power solidified at peak Ultimate-Class, Takeyo would stop hiding!
"Of course. As long as you don't massacre them all, everything else has the full backing of Sirzechs and all Four Maou~"
Azazel read Takeyo's expression and knew someone was about to have a very bad day.
"Perfect."
Takeyo's lips curved upward. This was exactly the kind of situation he preferred!
"By the way, how's Issei's training progressing under your supervision? And... do you know where Vali is currently?"
Takeyo asked about his other concerns.
Not long ago, he'd entrusted Issei to Azazel for intensive devil training.
To fulfill his dream of defeating and recruiting Vali, Issei had thrown himself into training with genuine enthusiasm.
"Questions need to be asked one at a time, That kid Issei has tremendous potential. He can already activate Juggernaut Drive, though he still can't avoid its side effects."
"As for Vali... I have no idea where he is. He's become a complete wild card,~" Azazel said with melancholic resignation.
"Well, you should tell Issei something specific."
Takeyo touched his chin thoughtfully. At Issei's current progress rate, defeating Vali remained a distant dream.
"What is it? I heard you possess some kind of apocalyptic foresight ability? Did you see something interesting?"
Azazel asked with renewed interest.
"Tell Issei that he must use his strong convictions and dreams to purify the resentment of his predecessors. Only then can he eliminate Juggernaut Drive's drawbacks."
Takeyo's own Juggernaut Drive had no disadvantages after its evolution because little Kurimo harbored no grudges. Instead, she served as the artifact's core, providing him with endless power.
"A method to eliminate Juggernaut Drive's weaknesses,~ You really do know fascinating things~"
An unprecedented gleam appeared in Azazel's eyes.
"It's nothing special~"
Takeyo smiled as Akeno returned with freshly prepared tea.
"Hm?"
In the next moment, however, his eyebrows rose sharply.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to Host for triggering a Plot Check-in! Check-in Level: Gold!]
[Check-in Location: Ingvild Leviathan!]
[Check-in Time Limit: 180 days]
[Remaining Time: 180 days]
He'd triggered another advanced check-in.
It had been quite some time since he'd encountered a location-based check-in with specifications above Gold Level.
"Ingvild Leviathan... So it's that Ingvild."
Takeyo's brow furrowed slightly.
He'd been thinking about this girl constantly recently, never expecting to actually trigger her check-in today.
Ingvild Leviathan, a descendant of the original Leviathan, possessing the new Longinus-class Sacred Gear [Nereid Kyrie].
Her abilities included controlling dragon species and manipulating the ocean. She could command dragon swarms in devastating attacks and had the potential to cause tsunamis capable of destroying entire cities. The Sacred Gear possessed the theoretical capacity to control Dragon Gods and True Dragons.
Singing songs infused with negative energy could suppress and even dominate dragon species.
Conversely, singing positive-energy songs could dramatically enhance dragon species' strength.
Perhaps because the original Leviathan wielded oceanic authority, this Sacred Gear had manifested within Ingvild.
"But... where exactly are you?"
Takeyo felt a headache coming on.
He remembered that Ingvild had appeared in the park where Issei was killed by Raynare in the original timeline. He couldn't exactly spend all his time staking out that location, could he?