Riiing! Riiing!
The wedding bells echoed through the church.
The organ played the wedding standard, the "Wedding March." Dressed in a white tuxedo, Issei opened the door and entered the church.
There, wearing a dazzling white wedding dress, was Asia.
"Asia..."
She was always cute, but now, Asia was so beautiful she seemed divine. He couldn't take his eyes off her, captivated by her overwhelming beauty.
"Issei-san..."
Asia smiled happily. He was mesmerized by her smile, which was like a ray of sunshine.
But—
"Thank you for everything until now. I will become that person's bride and be happy!"
"Huh!?"
Those words made his heart stop.
Ignoring him completely, Asia linked arms with a handsome blond man in a white tuxedo who had appeared out of nowhere.
'Th-that guy was the young devil who had suddenly proposed to Asia the other day—!'
"I, Diodora Astaroth, will make Asia happy!!! 'Big Brother'..."
'Wh-what the fuck is this guy saying!?' Issei tried to approach the two, but his legs wouldn't move.
Before he knew it, the tuxedo he had been wearing had changed into the familiar summer uniform of Kuoh Academy.
"Asia, I love you."
"Yes, Diodora. I love you too."
The lips of the embracing couple slowly drew closer…
"St-stop! Stooooooop!!!"
His scream was in vain as their lips met—
"Hah!!?"
Suddenly jolting upright from where he had been sleeping with his face buried in the desk, Issei looked around as if to confirm his whereabouts. Seeming relieved, he slumped forward onto the desk again.
"Are you alright, Issei-san?"
Asia was wiping Issei's sweat with her handkerchief. Xenovia, also worried, moved closer to the two.
"Thanks, Asia."
"You seemed to have quite a nightmare, Issei... Is it about that matter again?"
"Ah..."
At Kazuki's words, Issei's face twisted, and Asia closed her mouth apologetically.
Shortly after returning from the Underworld, one of the young devils waiting for them, Diodora Astaroth, had suddenly proposed to Asia.
Diodora was the devil responsible for Asia being branded a heretic and excommunicated from the Church; apparently, he had been searching for the girl who had saved his life all this time.
Having found Asia at the meeting in the Underworld, Diodora had investigated the circumstances of her becoming a member of the Gremory household and came to propose, wanting to make her his wife.
Rias Gremory handled the situation in place of Asia, who was too stunned to speak, and naturally rejected Diodora when he suggested a trade. Diodora temporarily withdrew for the time being.
But starting the next day, Diodora's gift offensive began. Along with daily love letters, a flood of presents arrived: clothes, accessories, movie and theater tickets, and even high-end furniture like beds and closets. Issei's mother, who had to deal with the deliveries, was reportedly at her wits' end.
Perhaps because of this situation, Issei's mood had been bad lately. With the mood-maker Issei in this state, the overall mood among the peerage was also trending downward.
Even though the new semester was starting today, Kazuki wondered if there wasn't something that could be done about it.
Just then, a male classmate came running in.
"Big news, everyone! A transfer student is coming to this class! And it's a GIRL!!"
That was the first thing he reported upon bursting in.
This transfer student would be the third one in this class, following Asia and Kazuki.
He wondered just what kind of girl was coming...
"I'm Shidou Irina, transferring here from England! It's nice to meet you all!!"
Kazuki couldn't help but feel surprised at the appearance of his former partner—Shidou Irina—who greeted them with a bright, scattering smile.
"Welcome to Kuoh Academy. Shidou Irina, we welcome you."
Welcoming Irina to the club room, Rias declared this.
"Thank you, Rias-san. And once again, it's nice to meet all of you!"
With her innate cheerfulness, Irina quickly got along with everyone. She had apparently made up with Xenovia and Asia, who were in the same class, and even discounting the fact that she was already acquainted with most people here, her high communication skills were impressive.
As Kazuki was thinking such things, Irina came to stand before him.
"Long time no see, Kazu-nii. Have you been well?"
Returning a wry smile to Irina, whose bright smile hadn't changed from before, Kazuki spoke.
"That's my line, Irina. You left without saying a word, so I was worried, you know?"
After learning of 'God's Absence' during the 'Holy Sword Incident,' Irina had returned to her home country in despair without saying anything.
Although they had managed to retrieve the holy swords stolen by Kokabiel, Kazuki had been worried that Irina, who now knew of 'God's Absence,' might have been confined, or, like Asia, branded a heretic and excommunicated.
After the 'Kuoh Agreement' was established, he had asked Sirzechs Lucifer about it, but was only told "I'll look into it," with no further news.
When Kazuki explained that he had been worried, Irina took a step back, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands as if in prayer.
---Fwoosh!!
A pair of white wings spread from Irina's back, and a halo of light floated above her head.
Her appearance was exactly like that of an angel from myth.
"This is...!"
"Well now...! Interesting. Irina, did you become a reincarnated angel!?"
"Yes. I received Michael-sama's blessing and became a reincarnated angel!"
Irina nodded proudly.
"You can become a reincarnated angel!?"
"Until now, it was impossible. But...?" Azazel looked at Irina with a meaningful gaze.
"Yes. The Seraphim of Heaven adapted the technology of the 'Evil Pieces' to make it possible."
Irina nodded and explained.
Starting with Archangel Michael, the ten Seraphim modeled themselves after the Kings in a deck of cards and successfully created twelve reincarnated angels known as the 'Brave Saints,' fashioned after the Aces through Queens.
Incidentally, Irina's card was the Ace.
Currently, it was only the Seraphim, but it seemed they were considering implementing it for other angels in the future, with the desire to hold Rating Games with devils, similar to the Olympics. Azazel was excited, thinking it sounded like fun.
While the peace treaty between the three great powers was established with the 'Kuoh Agreement,' for now, exchanges had only begun among a portion of the upper echelons.
The mid-level and low-level devils and angels who actually worked in the field seemed largely unchanged. Although notifications had been sent to churches in the human world, the information didn't seem to have reached the exorcists on the ground, and small conflicts were still occurring.
Given that situation, it was expected to take ten to twenty years for things to truly change. Irina's transfer was also likely aimed at promoting the fact that exchanges were beginning at the field level.
Eventually, embassies for angels and fallen angels might be built, and the day might come when they walked openly in this town.
"And that's why, since I'm from this town and know everyone, I, Shidou Irina, was dispatched. I'll do my best as Michael-sama's Ace, so please treat me well!"
And so, Kazuki was reunited with Irina.
...
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