Sensei stood by the sleeping Valerie, holding the pendant. Our speakers were turned on so we could hear the conversation inside.
"Is this... really going to work for Valerie?" Gaspar's voice trembled.
"Yeah. This pendant will act as a substitute for the parts of the Grail she's missing. Once it's around her neck, most likely—"
Sensei gently placed the pendant around her neck. Everyone held their breath. In the heavy silence, we watched, and then—
"...Nng... ah... wait...?"
Valerie's eyes slowly fluttered open. A soft, confused mumble escaped her lips.
She was awake!
Outside the room, we let out a collective cheer of joy.
Gaspar, his face a mess of tears, greeted her with the biggest, shakiest smile he could muster.
"...Valerie? Do you know who I am? It's me."
"...Yes. I know. Good morning, Gaspar."
Her tone was a bit dazed—exactly how she'd sounded when we met her in the Vampire Country. But her eyes weren't empty anymore. They were focused squarely on the boy in front of her.
"Valerie... VALERIEEEEE!"
Unable to hold it back any longer, Gaspar buried his face in her chest and sobbed. Valerie reached out, gently stroking his hair.
"Ufufu... Oh, Gaspar. What's wrong? Crying again? You haven't changed at all, you little crybaby."
Finally. Finally, Gaspar could talk to her again.
It had only been a few months since the incident in the Vampire Country, but for him, the time she spent sleeping must have felt like an eternity.
Now, that nightmare was over. They could speak like normal again. I knew better than anyone how much he had longed for this moment.
Sensei let out a long sigh of relief.
"That was a bit of a gamble, honestly. But for a makeshift fix, I'd say it went well. Listen up, Gaspar. You have to be careful with one thing: she must wear that pendant at all times. I can't guarantee what happens if it's removed. Also, until we get the original Grail back, don't take her outside. I'm going to set up a special barrier around the Hyoudou residence and the apartment complex where you and Kiba live. She should be able to maintain her condition within that area."
I see. So it really was just an emergency measure. For her to truly be free, we still had to take back the stolen Grail.
...Did old man Strada foresee all of this when he brought us that fragment?
As if answering my unspoken question, Sensei spoke up.
"This thing... it's insurance."
"Insurance?" I asked.
"Right. If we can't recover the stolen Grail, we might be forced to destroy it as a last resort—better that than letting those bastards use it. But Rizevim is the type to use Valerie's life as a shield. Strada gave us the fragment so we'd have a backup plan."
Rias nodded understandingly. "The Church leadership provided the fragment to ensure that if we are ever forced to choose between destroying the Grail and saving Valerie, our resolve won't waver."
"Exactly," Sensei said. "Strada and the others decided that a single piece of a holy relic was a small price to pay to ensure the 'D×D' members don't hesitate when it counts."
Well, if we failed to stop Qlippoth and the world ended, a Holy Grail wouldn't matter much anyway. I guess that was their logic.
Still, this was a massive step forward. Valerie was conscious again. Even if we had to destroy the original Grail, further research might eventually allow her to walk under the sun freely.
"A fragment of the Grail and the survivors of the 'Holy Sword Project' are both top-tier Church secrets. They couldn't just hand them over for free. So, they used the internal strife within the Church as a cover to transfer them to us. Strada is one crafty old man," Sensei said, his tone a mix of exasperation and genuine admiration.
I had to agree. In one fell swoop, the issues surrounding Asia, Kiba, and Valerie had all moved toward a resolution.
As for the old man himself, after his interrogation, Strada was imprisoned alongside Ewald Cristaldi. They reportedly offered no excuses, leaving themselves entirely to the judgment of the Law... though I doubted the Church brass would be stupid enough to actually execute them. That would just trigger another civil war.
Sensei suddenly turned to Kiba.
"So, Kiba. How are things with your reunited comrade?"
"O-oh, well... for now, I've told her about what's happened over the last few years and introduced her to the town. There's so much she doesn't know, so I plan on teaching her everything I can."
The "comrade"—Tosca-san—had been splitting her time between Kiba's apartment and my house, trying to learn about the modern world. Having never left a Church facility, she was suffering from major culture shock, but the Church Trio was helping her adjust.
The haunted look had vanished from Kiba's eyes, replaced by a gentle warmth. It seemed this whole ordeal had allowed him to find closure. Reunited with Tosca, he seemed to have found a renewed sense of purpose—vowing to protect her for the rest of his life.
Seeing him like that made me breathe a sigh of relief.
Finally... the "homoerotic" vibes are gone! ...Okay, that was a joke. Mostly. Maybe like thirty percent serious.
But still, having someone you want to protect is a good thing. I know that better than anyone.
Oh, right. I had to deliver the message to our "Sword Squad."
I looked at Kiba, Zenovia, and Irina.
"Kiba, Zenovia, Irina... and the Sitri familiars too. Old man Maurice said he's going to whip you all into shape."
"""...Eh?"""
"The old man is sticking around this world for a while. Since he's bored, he decided he's going to use his spare time to train you swordsmen."
"That's the reason?!" Kiba cried.
"Yep. So... uh... good luck?"
The screams of the Sword Squad echoed through the laboratory.
That night.
After leaving the lab, we held a party at the Hyoudou house to celebrate Zenovia's election and Valerie's awakening. Between the ORC members, Azazel-sensei, old man Maurice, and Reisha, the house was incredibly lively.
Every time I looked around, I saw Kiba with Tosca or Gaspar with Valerie. Both guys were doing their best to be perfect escorts. Seeing Gaspar work so hard to make Valerie laugh was honestly heartwarming.
Now that the party was over and everyone was heading to bed, the house had returned to its quiet, peaceful rhythm.
While everyone else relaxed in their rooms, I was out in the garage. I'd suddenly felt the urge to go for a short drive.
So many things had been resolved in this latest incident. It was one piece of good news after another. My heart should have been perfectly light.
And yet, there was a lingering cloud of unease in my chest. I knew exactly what was causing it. It was what Asem had said to me as I was pulling him back from the underworld.
"You are undergoing a transformation. You are becoming something that is neither human, nor devil, nor dragon... and not a god, either. You are turning into something entirely different. If my predictions are correct, that power will change this world..."
"Transformation, huh..." I muttered, looking up at the night sky from the garage.
Neither human, devil, dragon, nor god.
I couldn't even begin to guess what that meant. I had an inkling of where the power came from, but I had no idea how it was going to change me. Did he sense something during our fight?
I shook my head to clear the thoughts. I'd hop on Sleipnir and let the wind blow the cobwebs away. It was late, so the roads would be empty. I'd just take a quick lap around the area.
Just then, a shadow appeared in the garage entrance.
"Oh, Zenovia."
"Hello, Issei. Heading out this late?"
"Just a drive. Gotta keep the engine running smoothly every now and then." I patted Sleipnir's frame. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw you heading outside, so I followed you."
"I see."
I took a good look at her. She was wearing a jacket and jeans, her expression filled with a quiet sort of expectation.
I chuckled and tossed her a spare helmet.
"...Is it alright?" she asked.
"Don't act like you didn't come here for this. I'll give you a ride. Think of it as an election victory present—I'll take you wherever you want to go."
Zenovia's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gave me a truly happy smile. I straddled Sleipnir and kicked the engine to life. Zenovia climbed on behind me, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist.
"Alright, Issei. Show me this town."
"You got it. Hang on tight, Zenovia."
We shared a smile, and then we roared out into the night together.
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