Late that night…
After finishing up for the day, it was time for dinner with the Gremory and Sitri Familias and the various instructors, followed by a short break and some free time to ourselves. Then, once we confirmed our schedule for tomorrow, it was bath time.
We were all staying in a building on the school grounds, set aside as a future dormitory. It was well-equipped, and even had a large communal bath.
“Ah. That was a long day…,” I murmured, sinking to my neck in the men’s bath.
We had spent a full day helping out with the various classes, requiring repeated transformation on my part, solving problems, and moving from place to place. It was surprisingly exhausting, in a different way than combat. I would need time to recharge my Balance Breaker.
According to our schedule, tomorrow would be just as hectic. Nonetheless, seeing those kids so engaged with their classes made me feel like I should go all out as well. I was in a privileged environment.
I was beyond fortunate to have been saved by Rias, the kindhearted heir to the House of Gremory, after meeting my end as a human being. We had been through a lot as a Familia, and I had come a hair’s breadth away from dying more times than I cared to count, but I was blessed with the way our master cared for us. And it wasn’t just her. I had also brushed shoulders with all sorts of noble bloodlines—and that was where the real discrepancy in demon society lay.
There were a great many demons who wished to participate in the Rating Game but who couldn’t. You needed your own set of Evil Pieces to take part, so essentially, only high-class demons—those descended from the original Seventy-Two Pillars or otherwise promoted—were allowed to do so.
This school was designed to help as many people as possible find a path into that world. The main way it did so was by introducing students to high-class demons as potential Familia members. It was true that some noble demons couldn’t stand the rise of their low-class counterparts, but there was also a considerable number of upper-class folks looking for quality recruits. As a matter of fact, the school already had the backing of several trustworthy high-class demons who shared that view (and some had even agreed to help cover travel and accommodation expenses for the students). Demons really did come in all shapes and sizes.
That was why this school mattered. It created demand. Reincarnated demons who worked their way up to high-class level didn’t tend to care how one developed their strength. Both Chairwoman Sona and Sairaorg were convinced there was potential for students to develop their talents and enter the competitive world.
Of course, the school wasn’t just for training Rating Game players—it also served to nurture individuals who could contribute to the underworld in other ways. It would be wonderful if its students could go on to pursue careers in the professions and industries they cared about.
A school for chasing dreams…
…I was glad to help out in any small way I could.
At that moment, I heard the sound of the bathhouse door opening.
Was that Kiba? Or Gaspy? Or maybe Saji or Rugal?
I glanced over my shoulder, when—
“…Is that you, Issei?”
Rossweisse?!
Wh-wh-what was she doing in the men’s bath?! The girls’ bathroom was in the girls’ dorm! Why would she come all the way down here…?!
Startled, I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering! She had a slim figure, but there was no mistaking the curves hidden under her clothes, or her generous bosom! And her legs? Not too skinny at all! Perfectly shaped!
Rias’s proportions were a work of art, but Rossweisse’s were no less mesmerizing! Then again, being a former demigod Valkyrie, it was no surprise she had such a divine figure!
I wanted to get down onto my knees and pray… But I couldn’t! I hurried to look away.
“Th-this is the men’s bath!” I stammered. “Isn’t the girls’ one in the other dorm?”
“Y-yes… But I was told the hot water was out and I should use this one instead… I thought no one was using it, though…”
The hot water was out in the girls’ bathroom?! So she had decided to drop by here, thinking it wasn’t being used?
No, no, no! I was in here! There must have been a breakdown in communication somewhere!
I thought she would leave after seeing me—but then I heard her start running a shower! Sneaking a glance, I saw her washing herself! Was it really okay for her to be doing that with me in here?!
“…I don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll take a quick wash. Please don’t stare too closely.” She blushed in the shower.
I thought she would leave after quickly washing her body—but then came the sound of her stepping into the bath!
Naturally, I snuck another peek of her in the water!
“B-baths in the underworld aren’t so bad, are they?” she asked.
“E-er… No, they’re not,” I answered in a shaky voice. “Your magic class was a hit, huh?”
“Y-yes. We were short-staffed, so I didn’t have time to take a break.”
“B-but the kids looked like they were having a good time, right?”
“…There was one who couldn’t manifest even the most elementary magic. I wish I could have helped him more…”
She must have meant Lirenkus… Well, magic and demonic powers might look similar, but they were activated in very different ways. I had heard it could be extremely difficult for some people to get the hang of. I wasn’t very good at it myself.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence stretched out between us!
…I hadn’t expected to find myself bathing alone with Rossweisse. Now that I was, I felt so nervous I couldn’t think of anything to say next!
It wouldn’t do to remain quiet, so I figured this might be a good chance to ask something that had been weighing on my mind.
“Can I ask you something? Why were you researching Trihexa?”
Rossweisse lowered her gaze. “You probably already know this, but Trihexa is only found in legends. No one has ever actually discovered it. However, the Great Red is also mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and he exists. I was curious, so I decided to dig deeper into the stories, but it was an impossible task. Not even the gods from the different mythologies could pinpoint its location, so what made me think I could? But I wanted to know what the number meant, at least, so I started looking into the combinations 666 and 616 and any texts that mentioned them.”
Just like Rossweisse said, every faction was of the opinion that Trihexa might well be real, but no one had any clue what it actually was.
She let out a soft chuckle. “I never reached a conclusion… But maybe the answer Euclid’s people want was hidden in one of the spell calculations I failed to solve after all.”
✦ ✦ ✦
A while back, I decided to ask Ophis about Trihexa. After all, the mythical beast was tied to the Great Red in the Book of Revelation, and Ophis’s mission was to seek out the Great Red.
The Dragon God, however, shook her head. “I don’t know much about Trihexa. I’ve never met it.”
…Right. If Ophis knew how to defeat the Great Red or where to find Trihexa, the old Demon King or the hero faction would have already used that information for their own gain.
“Hey, Issei?” Rossweisse whispered. “If it looks like they’re going to use me or what I know…can you kill me first?”
—!
…What a request… It filled me with grief, not to mention anger.
“…What are you talking about?” I blurted, storming toward her.
“…I would rather die than be used, than to hurt my friends or the wider world. I couldn’t stand to be responsible if people died…”
Her face was full of sorrow, but her eyes shone with determination—so strongly they left me heartbroken. I could never forgive Qlippoth.
“…Don’t you dare say that,” I told her, looking her straight in the eyes. “Don’t talk about choosing death like it’s nothing! There’s no need for you to die, Rossweisse!”
“But if I’m captured by Euclid Lucifugus, he’ll take the information from me.”
An image of that silver-haired jerk scooping her up with one hand flashed through my mind—prompting me to bite down hard on my back teeth and take Rossweisse’s hands in my own.
“I won’t let him have you… I won’t let him take you. If he shows his face again, I’ll make him regret it.”
“…”
Noticing her blushing in surprise, I quickly let go!
Wh-what was I doing?! I was stark naked, and I had practically just come out with a confession of love! I mean, that was totally a confession! Whoa, whoa, whoa! This was so embarrassing!
Rossweisse’s expression softened slightly. “Thank you, Issei. It’s just—”
Before she could finish speaking, the bathroom door swung open once more.
“Bath time, bath time!”
“Hey, the guys’ bathroom doesn’t look so bad after all!”
“Is anyone in here?”
“…If Issei is lurking around here and he gives you a dirty look, I’ll punch him in the face and wash his back. Don’t worry.”
“I—I want to wash his back!”
It was the Church Trio, along with Koneko and Ravel!
All at once, their gazes landed on me and Rossweisse—the two of us huddled together in the bath.
They stared back wide-eyed, then puffed their cheeks in indignation and charged toward us!
“““““Don’t forget about us!”””””
Just like that, Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Koneko, and Ravel leaped into the bathtub! Come on, you five, keep it down in here!
My first day helping out at the school was super hectic—even in the bath!