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Chapter 284 ~ The Mysterious Group

After school. Occult Research Club Room. 

Rias stood near the window, leaning against it. She crossed her arms under her large breasts, as if to support the large mountainous pillows and alleviate some of the weight from her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes gazed absently at the students making their way through the courtyard towards the academy’s front gate.

The warm, orange-red sunlight streamed through the glass, catching her crimson hair and bathing it in a fiery glow. Her usually composed expression was tinged with something rare—uncertainty.

Her mind kept replaying the moment—the strange unease she had felt earlier that day from Cecilia Corabelle, the new transfer student who had joined her class that morning.

She and Akeno had been observing the girl all day, but nothing unusual had occurred. Apart from her aloof demeanor, Cecilia seemed… normal. So normal, in fact, that Rias had begun to question her own instincts.

But no. She knew it wasn’t just her imagination. Akeno had felt it too. And Rias couldn’t afford to ignore someone who might pose a potential threat—not until she was absolutely certain.

‘If only he was here…’

Her thoughts drifted to Yuuji and the time she spent with him. His profound wisdom, his remarkable intellect, his reassuring presence; he always seemed to have the right answers, the perfect advice to help her navigate any crisis.

And now… How she wished for him to be here now, so she could lean on his presence. 

‘No… I can’t always rely on him’, she reminded herself, shaking her head firmly. She inhaled deeply, grounding herself.

She had already asked Akeno to gather the rest of her peerage for a meeting. It was time to inform them of what she and Akeno had sensed—and decide what action to take.

A knock at the door finally broke the heavy silence.

“Come in.”

The door opened, revealing Akeno and the rest of the peerage as they stepped into the room.

“Pres, we’re here~” Akeno announced in her usual teasing tone.

Rias nodded, watching as everyone settled onto the couches. She turned to face them, her voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of concern.

“There’s a new transfer student who arrived in my class today,” she began. “At first glance, apart from her beautiful appearance, she seemed perfectly normal. But there was something else... Something about her presence felt off. Akeno and I felt a strange unease coming from her.”

Akeno nodded in agreement, and the others immediately wore troubled expressions.

“Uhm… Actually, there’s something I’d like to tell everyone as well.”  Issei said, raising his hand. After Rias gave him a nod, he continued. “There’s a transfer student in my class too. His name is Lelouch Lamperouge, and… I overheard Aika saying that he’s her and Yuuji-san’s close friend.”

Asia nodded in confirmation beside him.

“What?” Rias exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. Akeno and Kiba mirrored her shock.

“Does that mean…” Akeno murmured, a spark of hope flickering in her voice.

Rias clenched her hand and placed it on her chest, as if trying to calm her rapidly thumping heart. Her initial shock quickly gave way to anticipation.

If his and Aika’s friend was here… Then could it be…?

Rias shifted her gaze from Issei to Kiba, a silent question and a plea for answer brimming from her intense gaze alone. 

Kiba, understanding the meaning behind her gaze, shook his head. Yuuji wasn’t in his class. 

‘He’s… not a second year student? Then could it be…’

She turned her gaze to Koneko, the same silent question reflected in her eyes.

And she nodded. 

“...Yuuji-san, Erika-san, and one other, named Shiba Tatsuya, transferred to my class this morning.”

A brilliant smile immediately spread across Rias’s face. “Where is he? Has he returned home? We need to call them over—”

Before she could finish, a familiar, cheerful voice echoed from outside the room.

“Fufu~ There’s no need to call us~ We’re here~!”

All eyes turned to the wooden double doors, which slowly creaked open.

There stood Aika, Yuuji, C.C., Lelouch, and Tatsuya.

“Good afternoon~” Aika chimed sweetly, her voice melodic as ever. “We thought you’d prefer hearing from us directly, so we came~”

“Yuuji-kun!”

“Erika-san!”

Erika gave them a playful wave. “Heeyaa~ Surprised?” she said, a sly smile curling her lips as she winked.

“It’s been a while, everyone,” Yuuji greeted with a polite nod. “I hope you’re all doing well.”

He then gestured toward the three unfamiliar faces standing beside him—figures Rias and her peerage had yet to meet.

“Allow me to introduce my friends. This is Cecilia… though most call her C.C.”

C.C gave a small nod, her expression unreadable—neither warm nor cold, merely calm and composed.

At the sound of her name, Rias and Akeno tensed slightly, their eyes narrowing. Yuuji caught their reaction and offered a reassuring smile.

“Ah, that’s right. C.C possesses immense holy power. It can make devils a little uneasy, but don’t worry—she has perfect control over it.”

Only then did the tension in Rias and Akeno’s shoulders ease. Whatever wariness they felt vanished, replaced by cautious relief. She wasn’t an enemy.

“This is Shiba Tatsuya,” Yuuji continued, motioning to the tall, stoic young man. “And that’s Lelouch Lamperouge. Aika may have mentioned a group she was part of—we’re that group.”

“I see…” Rias exhaled softly, crossing her arms under her ample chest, a mixture of curiosity and unease in her gaze as she looked up at Yuuji. Her crimson hair shimmered subtly under the room’s soft light.

She didn’t believe Yuuji and his companions were a threat—if they were, Erika alone could have easily wiped out both her and Sona’s peerages the night they met at the abandoned warehouse. More than that, they had trained her team and helped them win the Rating Game against Riser. They were undeniably powerful… and had no need for deception.

Still, Rias couldn’t help but feel a growing anxiety.

Why are they here now? What does their arrival mean? Are they planning something… or is something already happening in Kuoh?

The unanswered questions gnawed at her.

“Well, I’m sure you already know who we are,” she began with composure. “But let me formally introduce my peerage.”

She went down the line, naming each member. Then, once again, her eyes turned to Yuuji.

“Yuuji-kun, there’s something I want to ask…”

There was a brief pause.

She noticed him looking into the distance, a gentle smile forming on his face. Then, his gaze returned to hers.

“Of course,” he said warmly. “What is it?”

“…You’ve all enrolled in Kuoh Academy. What exactly are you planning to do here?”

Yuuji’s smile deepened, and for a brief, dazzling moment, Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Asia found themselves captivated by it.

“Well, to start with,” he said, “we’re here to hunt down some stray devils. Aside from that, there are a few things we intend to do—but don’t worry, we won’t get in your way or cause any harm. Most of all…”

He turned his gaze to Aika, who instantly beamed up at him, her cheeks flushed with a soft pink. Yuuji reached for her hand and gently intertwined their fingers.

“…We’re here to enjoy the school life. Kuoh Academy seems like a fun place, and I wanted to experience it with Aika. Consider it a little vacation.”

“Hubby~ You’re the best~” Aika cooed, leaning against him.

Asia’s eyes sparkled, mesmerized by the romantic sight. Someday… I want something like that too… she thought, her heart fluttering.

Issei, meanwhile, looked like he had just swallowed a whole lemon. The disgusted scrunch on his face was almost comical.

‘Normies. Explode already!’

Kiba, on the other hand, was more surprised by Yuuji’s reasoning than the overt display of affection.

Rias, Akeno, and Koneko, though trying to maintain their composure, couldn't help but glance enviously at Aika. There was something undeniably sincere and magnetic about their bond.

“I-I see…” Rias muttered, trying to keep her voice steady. “If that’s all, then I suppose there’s no issue. But you mentioned you’re planning something… What is it?”

Yuuji gave Aika’s hand one final squeeze before shifting his attention back to Rias, his expression turning calm and serious.

“We’re not planning anything in particular. Rather, we’re here to respond. There may be… certain events on the horizon, and we came to prepare.”

“Events?” Rias repeated, frowning slightly. “What kind?”

Yuuji’s smile returned—this time, mysterious and unreadable.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

“Twin Maximized Magic, Dragon Lightning! Or as Ulbert-san would’ve liked to say it… Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!”

Two massive crackling lightning formed into the shape of a dragon, and launched itself towards a monstrous crimson black ape and engulfed it in thunderous lightning.

It didn’t have the chance to roar in defiance, or even in pain, as it disintegrated instantly. 

Suzuki Satoru, currently in the form of the Overlord—Ainz Ooal Gown— floated up high in the starry night sky, his black and golden divine-ranked robe fluttering in the breeze. 

He looked down at the blackened, charred ashes of the fourth stray devil he had hunted today and let out a sigh, more to express his mental weariness than actual breath of exhaustion. 

“This is getting monotonous faster than expected…”

To complete the stray devil hunting mission from the group chat, Lelouch had identified the location of all the stray devils within and around the vicinity of Kuoh City. There were four of them, all of which were hiding in the mountainous and forest-covered outskirts of the city. 

Since Yuuji, Aika, Erika, C.C, Tatsuya, and Lelouch were in school, and Albedo was off handling some matters with Linked Horizon, it fell onto Satoru to hunt the stray devils they found in the meantime. 

At first, Satoru exercised the greatest caution, and even had his Phantoms surround it and stage an ambush. 

But soon, he realized that these stray devils were actually extremely weak. The strongest, which was the ape he just pulverized, were only on par with Yggdrasil monsters that were around level 45 at most. 

A single Lightning would’ve been enough to kill it. So, he decided to test out some of his spells to see how they fare in this world. 

‘Well at least now we know that a high ranking stray only amounted to that.’

Satoru shrugged and waved his hand, casting a spell. 

“Teleport!”

The figure of the Overlord vanished from the night sky and reappeared within the innermost chamber that was the throne room of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 

Sitting on the throne up high, the Queen of Assyria, Semiramis gazed at the multiple screens before her, displaying real-time footage of the situation outside her garden, and a few displaying the conditions of the magical barrier they’ve erected around the area where Satoru was that prevented prying eyes from peeking. 

Upon noticing his return, she gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Satoru.

“Shall we return now? I have to say, it has been quite the dull task that took a lot more time than expected. I would very much like to start making our way back to Kuoh.”

She spoke with the disposition of a queen upon the high throne, but after spending a few days with her and knowing the depth of her loyalty towards Yuuji, Satoru didn’t mind the arrogance in her tone. 

He found that it was simply the way she talked that had been shaped from years upon years of ruling and being a monarch in trying times. 

As long as her intention was good, he didn’t mind her tone of speaking.

Satoru nodded. “I’ve sent a few of my Phantoms to patrol the outskirts of Kuoh. If they ever find anything, we’ll know immediately. But for now, we shall call it a day. Let’s return”

Semiramis nodded in agreement, and began maneuvering the flying magical fortress, concealed by numerous magical wards and barriers, back towards Kuoh.

Satoru reverted back to his human form and began to walk out of the throne chamber towards the long hallway that led to his quarters. 

The echoing sound of his footsteps that softly reverberated throughout the chamber slowly fade, until there was silence. 

Semiramis waited for a few moments. Then, the displayed footage of the screens before her shifted. 

From what was real-time footage of the outside of her Hanging Gardens, they now displayed a visual of the Kuoh Academy, the courtyard, the classes within, the Old School Building, and more. The display continued to switch places, like channels being switched from TVs. 

That was, until she found the figure of her master within the Occult Research Club room, along with the rest of the Group Chat members and Rias’s peerage. 

Some of the screens still displayed the entirety of Kuoh Academy and the outsides of the old school building, as a measure of security. But most now displayed the interior of the Occult Research Club room, focusing on a single person. 

Her master. 

She stared absently at her master’s visage as a warmth unknowingly crept up from within her heart. 

When suddenly, Yuuji looked straight into her eyes. 

Her heart skipped a beat, and felt panic in that instance of a moment. But she saw him gave her a small smile before returning his gaze to whoever he was speaking to, and she finally heaved a sigh. 

An ever warmer heat crept up to her cheeks as she placed a hand above her thumping heart. 

It wasn’t like she was at fault for watching out for her master and guarding his surroundings. 

But… Why did it feel like she was doing something wrong? 

She shook her head. 

No, this is her duty to her master. And as a queen, she should keep her people safe by watching over them. 

Yes, she did what she was supposed to do. 

She let out a deep sigh, calming her heart, and stared at the screen, specifically at his visage, absently, as she made her way back to his side.