"Issei is the Red Dragon Emperor's host. Yuuto likely resisted because he's achieved [Balance Breaker] with his unique Holy-Demonic sword. As for Xenovia, she managed to activate [Durandal] at the last moment," Rias quietly analyzed.
Xenovia held her fiercely glowing sword and explained calmly, "After training with Gasper, my body somehow memorized the sensation of time freezing. I guessed [Durandal's] power could resist it, and it seems I was right."
"Your body memorized the feeling of stopped time?" Issei stared at Xenovia in astonishment, as though seeing a monster.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet shook noticeably.
"What's going on now? Another attack?" Issei shouted, bewildered. "Does Gasper's [Sacred Gear] also cause earthquakes?"
"No," Azazel muttered, staring grimly out the window. "This… is a terrorist attack."
Outside, figures in black robes hurled what appeared to be magical projectiles toward the building.
Fortunately, their attacks seemed ineffective against the building itself, though the assailants clearly had no intention of giving up.
"The barrier protecting Kuoh Academy was maintained by our people outside, but it looks like it's been breached. However, the barrier around this building was erected by myself, Sirzechs, and Michael. Those magicians can't harm it easily, but the downside is, we're now trapped in here," Azazel explained succinctly enough that even someone like Issei understood.
Still, one question nagged at Issei.
"Then why has time stopped? Do these magicians have a large-scale time-stop spell?"
"It's not a spell—it's a [Sacred Gear]," Azazel clarified. "They must have forcibly pushed that half-vampire kid's [Sacred Gear] into [Balance Breaker] using another Gear or magic to transfer energy. Even a temporary [Balance Breaker] would affect everyone inside his field of vision. Seems like that hybrid vampire has impressive potential, though not strong enough to completely immobilize leaders like us yet."
"Energy transfer? Other [Sacred Gears] can do what my [Boosted Gear] does…? Wait—doesn't that mean Gasper's in serious danger right now? And Koneko, too…!"
"Unfortunately, yes. Gasper himself should be relatively safe since they need him alive to sustain the effect. But Koneko's situation…" Azazel trailed off meaningfully.
Everyone understood his implication: with Gasper captured and forced into [Balance Breaker], Koneko—who had stayed behind to care for him—might already be dead.
Crimson energy surged around Rias, fury nearly clouding her judgment. As a Gremory, her devotion to her servants was absolute—one had been turned into a weapon, the other's fate unknown.
Azazel glanced out the window. More and more magicians were flooding into Kuoh Academy through teleportation circles. Raising his hand, Azazel sent a rain of spears of light toward the invaders. The magicians suffered heavy casualties instantly, but more immediately replaced them.
"The academy is under a massive barrier, yet these guys appeared directly inside it. That means someone set up teleportation circles connecting the inside and outside. In other words, we likely have a traitor… If Gasper's [Sacred Gear] effect intensifies, even we might get frozen. Clearly, their goal is to trap us here. Once we're immobilized, they'll destroy this building along with us."
Putting aside the traitor issue, everyone immediately began discussing their next move.
The angels, devils, and fallen angels guarding outside had also been frozen in time and were now helplessly under attack.
The urgent matter was rescuing Gasper and confirming Koneko's safety. Rias volunteered to use her "Castling" move to swap positions with her Rook, Koneko.
But it was too dangerous for Rias alone. Just as they were debating who should accompany her—
"Eh? Where's Jeanne-san?"
Issei was the first to notice Jeanne Alter's disappearance. He'd felt oddly lethargic ever since the crisis began, initially attributing it to shock from the terrorist attack. But now he realized his "lethargy" was simply him returning to normal after Jeanne left his side.
After Issei spoke up, everyone realized Jeanne Alter was indeed gone. Only Asia remained among them.
"How is that possible?"
Azazel's eyes widened in shock. "Our barrier is still intact. How did she slip out? And… how did none of us notice her leaving?"
"Come to think of it," Sirzechs mused slowly, "my sister mentioned Jeanne-san is extremely adept at concealing her presence. For a long time, Rias and her servants believed she was just an ordinary human. According to Rias, Jeanne-san can suppress her aura, magic signature, even her presence, to the point she's indistinguishable from a rock on the roadside. If you don't watch her carefully, she could easily slip away unnoticed."
"…With that kind of skill, it's a shame she didn't become an assassin," Azazel quipped dryly.
Rias turned anxiously to Issei. "You were the first to notice her absence. Can you sense where she is?"
"Umm… I can't pinpoint exactly," Issei muttered nervously under everyone's gaze, "but she's definitely not in this building anymore."
"So, the witch-san has a method of entering and exiting our barrier freely?" Azazel stroked his chin thoughtfully, expression darkening.
Sirzechs narrowed his eyes at Azazel. "Azazel, what are you implying?"
"Consider this: the magicians infiltrated without anyone noticing, meaning there's a traitor among us. Jeanne-san also has a way past the barrier, and coincidentally, she vanished just as those magicians attacked. Isn't there a possibility that the traitor is—"
"Jeanne-san would never do something like that."
Rias stepped forward decisively, her gaze fearless even when confronting the Fallen Angel Governor-General himself.
Sirzechs observed Rias carefully, then turned to Azazel, his voice firm. "If my sister chooses to trust Jeanne-san, then I trust her judgment fully."
"All right, all right, no need to glare," Azazel raised his hands defensively. "It was just a plausible theory. After all, despite God being dead, Michael and his angels could still be considered targets of Jeanne-san's revenge, right? She certainly has a motive."
"Azazel," Michael interjected gently, smiling benignly, "you're not perhaps holding a grudge because Jeanne-san took your [Sacred Gear] and repeatedly humiliated you, are you?"
Azazel fell silent instantly.
"What 'plausible theory'? It's clearly personal," Issei mumbled softly from the corner.
Azazel cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, if we really want to know Jeanne-san's whereabouts, there's an easier way—just ask that young nun over there."
Everyone turned toward Asia simultaneously.
"Come to think of it, Asia can move freely right now because Jeanne-san protected her from the time stop, right?" Issei realized. "But since Jeanne-san left, why is Asia still unaffected?"
"Ah… well… Jeanne-san gave me this before leaving," Asia nervously replied, taking out a golden dagger. "Though I don't really know what it is…"
Azazel's expression immediately soured upon seeing the dagger.
"Asia, do you know where Jeanne-sama went?" Xenovia asked eagerly, not doubting Jeanne's intentions for a second, merely curious about her reasoning.
Gathering her courage, Asia whispered softly, "Jeanne-san said… she went to rescue Koneko and Gasper."
This much was expected, but Asia hesitated, glancing anxiously at Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel—especially Michael—looking visibly guilty.
"What else did Jeanne-sama say?" Xenovia urged innocently.
Asia opened her mouth, faltering nervously, unable to speak.
Suddenly, Sirzechs and the others sensed a shift.
Outside, the blood-red sky returned to darkness. Akeno, Sona, and the others regained movement, confusion evident on their faces.
"Time is flowing again?"
"Did Jeanne-san succeed?"
Outside, the angels, devils, and fallen angels quickly regrouped, launching counterattacks against the invading magicians. Although numerous, the magicians were no stronger than mid-class devils. Now that time flowed again, Sirzechs and the others felt confident those enemies posed no further threat.
Rias visibly relaxed.
"So, Asia—what else did Jeanne-sama say?" Xenovia insisted once more.
Just as Asia tensed up again, a familiar, comforting voice echoed from a shadowed corner.
"I also said… if you waited for those three faction leaders to come up with a proper rescue plan, the grass on Koneko's grave would already be three meters tall, and her soul would've crossed the bridge to reincarnation by now."
All eyes turned toward Jeanne Alter, standing calmly atop a slowly spinning magic circle, Koneko cradled protectively in her arms, and in her other hand, a cardboard box thoroughly taped shut.
"Jeanne-san!" "Jeanne-sama!" "Jeanne-san!"
"Koneko!"
Cries of joy echoed through the meeting room.
Koneko had minor injuries, promptly entrusted to Asia's care. With her [Twilight Healing], Asia was an exceptionally capable healer.
The taped-up cardboard box contained Rias's "Bishop," Gasper Vladi, owner of [Forbidden Balor View]. Gasper, severely anxious and a shut-in, felt safest curled up inside a box.
Rias, familiar with Gasper's eccentricities, accepted the situation with a weary smile rather than surprise. With her servants safe, relief washed visibly over her, and she sincerely thanked Jeanne.
Jeanne suddenly posed a strange question to Rias.
"Rias, your servant Gasper… Is he descended from some deity?"
Rias looked genuinely confused. "No… Gasper's a human-vampire hybrid. He shouldn't have divine heritage. Why?"
"Nothing. Probably my imagination," Jeanne waved dismissively, but inwardly puzzled.
Strange… If he's not descended from a god, why does he carry traces of faint divinity?
She glanced thoughtfully at Gasper's cardboard sanctuary but soon gave up contemplating it.
Maybe it's residue from his [Sacred Gear], crafted by the Biblical God. Perhaps divine essence lingered on it.
Azazel, silent until now, observed Jeanne's magic circle closely until it vanished, then addressed Jeanne meaningfully.
"That magic circle… it's extraordinary. It bypassed our barrier without disturbing it at all."
"Your barrier was worthless. Full of holes," Jeanne mocked disdainfully. "And those magicians outside are even worse. They couldn't even break through such a shoddy barrier and had to rely on brute force."