Two Days Later
It was class time.
Yet the Occult Research Club office was crowded.
Nearly two dozen students filled the room, and the atmosphere was heavy — thick with tension that could almost be felt in the air.
The cause was simple.
A dispute.
Between two childhood friends.
Two rivals.
Two high-class devils.
And the reason for their conflict was a single missing young man — a student who had vanished for two days and was presumed dead.
"…you have wounded my pride as Student Council President — the one sworn to protect every student of this academy. The audacity you possess…"
It was extremely rare for Sona Sitri to speak so harshly toward Rias Gremory.
Yet this time, restraint had long since broken.
Someone she deeply wanted within her peerage had disappeared — most likely dead — due to Rias's reckless plan.
Rias averted her gaze.
She couldn't meet her best friend's eyes.
Anger.
Embarrassment.
Guilt.
Rias had rarely been reprimanded like this — not even by her father or older brother. Only her mother had ever scolded her so directly.
And now Sona stood before her.
Rias understood perfectly.
Sona had been watching Gilgamesh for a long time.
She had even stepped aside, giving Rias the opportunity to recruit him first — solely because of their friendship.
And now…
She had ruined everything.
In that moment, Rias wished she had listened to Akeno — approached Gilgamesh normally instead of allowing the Fallen Angels to stage his "death."
But regrets meant nothing.
What had happened… had happened.
There was no magic capable of undoing the past.
And now the bond between her and Sona — a friendship built over years — trembled under the weight of her mistake.
When Sona finally finished speaking, silence filled the room.
A suffocating silence.
Embarrassment lingered so thickly it felt almost tangible.
If Gilgamesh had been an ordinary student, Sona would not have reacted so strongly.
But he wasn't.
Gilgamesh possessed potential.
Limitless potential.
Top of his class.
Perfect attendance.
Sharp comprehension.
A mind bordering on genius.
A jewel among ordinary students.
Knock. Knock.
The sound shattered the tension.
Both Rias and Sona narrowed their eyes instantly.
A barrier surrounded the room — one that subtly influenced ordinary humans to avoid it.
And yet…
Someone had knocked.
Suspicion spread immediately.
Sona exchanged a glance with her peerage.
All understood — except Riruko Nimura, her newest Pawn. Her grasp of the supernatural remained shallow.
Rias also exchanged subtle signals with her own peerage.
Everyone prepared themselves.
Sona gently placed her teacup down.
"You may enter."
The door opened slowly.
And the sight that greeted them stunned the room.
Golden hair.
Crimson eyes.
Tall frame.
A face both refined and dangerously beautiful.
An aura of effortless nobility.
The missing student.
Gilgamesh.
"Excuse me… am I interrupting an important meeting between the Occult Research Club and the Student Council?"
His tone was light.
Almost casual.
There was not even a hint of apology within it.
"Gilgamesh-san…?"
Sona inhaled sharply, genuine surprise breaking through her composure.
"G-Gilgamesh-senpai…? But…"
Riruko spoke before Tsubaki silenced her with a glance.
"Yes. My apologies for the intrusion. I merely wished to report my absence over the past two days."
Sona regained her composure.
"You may sit. I am also curious — you have never missed classes without notice since enrolling here."
Gilgamesh calmly took an empty seat.
His posture remained relaxed.
As if the tension in the room did not exist.
More notably —
He ignored the Occult Research Club entirely.
He knows.
That realization spread silently through several minds.
The barrier had not affected him.
He had walked in without hesitation.
This was not the behavior of a normal human.
"Here, Gilgamesh-kun."
Reya Kusaka placed a cup of tea before him.
Gilgamesh took a refined sip.
"Excellent. Finely brewed, Kusaka-san."
The compliment was sincere.
Reya's cheeks flushed instantly.
It was well known throughout the academy:
Gilgamesh was more of a gentleman than even Yuuto Kiba.
His beauty carried dignity rather than fragility.
He never rejected invitations harshly — yet never created resentment among male students.
Whenever invited out by girls, he often brought other male students along, ensuring no one felt excluded.
A quiet kindness.
A subtle leadership.
Freshmen admired him.
Seniors respected him.
Teachers trusted him.
Even the Student Council relied on him for maintaining equipment and solving technical issues.
Sona knew all of this.
She also knew he had completed university studies in mechanics and philosophy despite still being in high school.
To ordinary humans, Gilgamesh was exceptional.
To Sona Sitri—
He was priceless.
And when she discovered he possessed a Sacred Gear…
Her desire to recruit him intensified beyond reason.
Now, however, she understood something deeper.
Gilgamesh was not merely talented.
He was dangerous.
And that only made her want him more.
......................
"Gilgamesh-kun…"
Rias finally spoke.
He ignored her.
Instead, he turned toward Sona with polite calm.
Sona subtly pushed her glasses upward, suppressing a faint smile.
"Then let us proceed with our discussion, Kaichou."
The deliberate slight did not go unnoticed.
The Occult Research Club members narrowed their eyes.
Within the Student Council:
Tsubaki looked intrigued.
Momo observed carefully.
Tsubasa appeared amused.
Tomoe, Reya, and Riruko looked worried — aware that Gilgamesh had just openly disregarded the heiress of House Gremory.
And he had done so intentionally.
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