Chapter 87: Club Activities (Part 3)
After finalizing the arrangements, Rias tore open a spatial rift and returned directly to Kuoh Academy.
Forty minutes later, the students and faculty of Aiho Academy assembled in the gymnasium for the second time that day.
Only this time, they were all lying down...
Under the hypnotic command, nearly everyone had gathered in the gymnasium, making it easier for the white-haired loli to knock them out—and even more convenient for Haruto to haul and organize them.
Haruto stood at the center of the performance platform, looking down. The gymnasium was divided with boys on the left and girls on the right. Judging by the numbers, Aiho Academy maintained a fairly balanced gender ratio.
Just as Haruto was lost in random thoughts, the space before him split open, and Rias emerged halfway through the rift.
"Everything ready?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll bring the others over."
With that, she stepped out first from the spatial magic portal, followed by a petite girl he didn't recognize.
The small girl shyly nodded at Haruto before ducking timidly behind Rias.
"Anbiki-senpai, drop the act here. Also, you're blocking my way."
Sona's cool voice echoed from within the portal. The petite girl pouted slightly before reluctantly stepping aside.
As the bespectacled black-haired girl appeared before Haruto, the spatial rift gradually closed, the narrow tear instantly healing and vanishing.
After admiring the spatial magic for a moment, Haruto refocused on the present.
"President Sona, long time no see."
Sona adjusted her glasses on her delicate nose bridge and chuckled lightly, "We just saw each other at this morning's assembly."
"That was different." Haruto returned the smile. "I was planning to visit you properly after the meeting, but then this happened."
"Alright, if you want to exchange pleasantries, there'll be plenty of time later back at headquarters."
Rias interjected with a slightly complicated expression, standing between the two. "Let's deal with this matter first. The longer we delay, the more troublesome it becomes."
Haruto and Sona exchanged glances before nodding simultaneously.
"Just to be clear," the petite girl—whom Sona had addressed as Anbiki-senpai—suddenly spoke up, "I can handle breaking the hypnosis, but modifying this many people's memories at once? That's beyond me."
Rias's return to Kuoh Academy wasn't just about bringing people along—it was primarily to explain what had happened here.
Before arriving, Sona Sitri and Anbiki had already been briefed on the situation and understood their roles.
"Anbiki-senpai, there's no need to erase or modify their memories. Just make them believe everything that happened earlier was a dream."
"That's manageable..."
The petite girl muttered under her breath as she began casting her spell. Mental magic was formless and intangible—Haruto only sensed a ripple of magical energy in the air before the unconscious students and teachers started frowning, as if trapped in a nightmare.
While Anbiki-senpai was lifting the hypnosis, Haruto quietly struck up a conversation with Rias and Sona.
"President, who is she? She seems pretty skilled."
"Anbiki Mika, a third-year senior specializing in mental magic. She recently advanced to mid-tier mage status," Sona explained before adding, "You should have some impression of her, right? She was one of the suspects during that rumor incident."
"Oh, so it's her! No wonder the name sounded familiar."
Back then, Haruto hadn't paid much attention to this particular senior suspect. With the other two—especially that blond-haired monster—he hadn't even considered Anbiki Mika, dismissing her from suspicion the moment he saw her profile.
It was only after Sona's reminder that Haruto recalled her.
"During the investigation, we interacted with her and discovered her expertise in mental magic, particularly in hypnosis, persuasion, and other control-based spells," Rias said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Even after clearing her name, I kept in touch. This time, I asked her for a favor."
Haruto pressed further, "President Sona, what did you mean earlier when you said not to act?"
"A mage skilled in manipulating minds—do you really think she's as innocent and shy as she appears?" Sona countered.
"Uh..." Haruto hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yeah, that doesn't seem likely."
By the time their casual chat wrapped up, Anbiki-senpai had nearly finished lifting the hypnosis on everyone, altering their memories to make them believe everything had been a dream.
"Now, there's just this girl left..."
She exhaled wearily. "Rias, this really took it out of me. Don't forget the reward you promised."
"Don't worry, Anbiki-senpai. The Gremory family doesn't go back on their word."
Anbiki-senpai acknowledged this—the Gremorys had always upheld their reputation.
Steeling herself, she approached the sole female victim, focusing intently on lifting the hypnosis and modifying her memories.
Akeno had already cleansed the girl inside and out with purification magic, and she now wore a fresh uniform. The victim's face twisted in pain as two conflicting mental forces clashed in her mind.
She had been the most deeply affected, and altering her memories required immense effort. Memory modification was delicate work—poor execution could leave the subject brain-damaged.
Five minutes later, Anbiki-senpai returned to Rias, rubbing her temples.
"This is the best I can do. As long as she isn't triggered again, she should never remember this for the rest of her life."
"Thank you, Anbiki-senpai."
Rias's crimson hair fluttered as she revealed her true demonic form.
"Now it's time to find that troublesome Sacred Gear. If this situation happens again, I'd be too embarrassed to trouble Anbiki-senpai once more."
Sona also manifested her demonic form at this moment, standing side by side with Rias in the air. "I'll cast the detection magic. The capture will be up to you."
Sona hadn't come along just to watch. As Rias's close friend, she had been specifically called upon to help deal with the 'culprit.'
"Leave it to me. Even if I have to destroy this Sacred Gear, I won't let it run wild any longer."
Rias's entire body surged with magical power, her aura radiating terrifying destructive energy. Just sensing this aura was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Destroying a Sacred Gear was nearly impossible without reaching the level of a Maou.
But Rias was different. The nature of her magic was destruction, and against a Sacred Gear that had lost its host, she stood a real chance.
Sona's strength was on par with Rias's. Under her full-powered detection magic, the glasses had nowhere to hide.
"Rias, it's in the canopy of the third cherry blossom tree to the left in the courtyard..."
Without hesitation, Rias spread her wings and flew toward it, deep crimson magic solidifying in her hand.
Sensing danger, the Sacred Gear activated its teleportation again.
"It's moved to the middle drawer of the third-row desk in the science lab," Sona immediately relayed to Rias.
"Got it."
Rias changed direction, heading for the science lab.
After the same scenario repeated three times, the culprit finally settled down completely.
Its instant teleportation wasn't unlimited—the energy it had accumulated through its previous host had been completely exhausted.
Rias picked up the troublesome Sacred Gear with her magic-wrapped hand but ultimately decided against putting it on her face.
The best way to understand a Sacred Gear's function, cost, or limitations was to use it oneself.
But the thought of that perverted fat guy having worn it before made her recoil from the idea.
"Forget it. I'll just seal it away."
Rias abandoned the idea of investigating the Sacred Gear, opting instead to seal it and store it in her family's vault.
Sacred Gears were valuable, considered strategic resources, and the Gremory family's vault held many such artifacts.
Their effects varied, as did their costs and limitations.
But whether for trade with other families or as temporary power amplifiers, they were excellent assets.
Just as Rias was about to place it in her personal storage space, the glasses suddenly flashed with a red light again, escaping her grasp.
Buzz—
The red light collided with a pale yellow barrier but failed to break through.
"Hmm?"
Feeling the barrier tremble slightly, Akeno let out a soft sound of surprise.
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