Chapter 158: Want Me to Help You Out?

Today, Kuoh Academy appeared to be on break.

Within the academy, aside from some staff going about their duties, only a few students participating in club activities during the holidays could be seen.

Amid the woods in front of the old school building, Kaiser emerged from a suddenly-activated magic formation, arriving on the academy grounds.

"…I feel like I come here so often, it's almost become routine."

Kaiser muttered to himself, stepping forward with practiced ease as he walked through the trees and soon arrived in front of the old building.

"No one here?"

Walking inside, Kaiser strolled down the corridors, but sensed no presence of anyone—only traces of familiar familiars moving around.

Reaching the second floor, he pushed open the door to the Occult Research Club at the far end—only to find it completely empty.

"As expected, Gremory's peerage has already gone to the Underworld."

That was what Azazel had told Kaiser.

Apparently, the fierce battle between Kaiser and Vali at Kuoh Academy last time had left quite an impact on the still-developing young devils.

Rias had witnessed true power and realized her own weakness.

Akeno had been deeply affected by Azazel, the Governor of the Fallen Angels.

Even Koneko Toujou had experienced inner turmoil upon seeing her sister again.

As for Yuuto Kiba, according to Azazel, he had challenged the two Holy Sword users Michael brought with him—and lost miserably.

After wrestling with their emotions, the four members of Rias's peerage decided to return to the Underworld for training.

Some wanted to overcome their sense of powerlessness, some to redeem themselves, some to challenge their limits, and some simply wanted to grow stronger. Driven by these desires, they took this step forward—a sign of true progress.

"Good thing I came prepared. Otherwise, this would've been a wasted trip."

Instead of leaving, Kaiser stood atop the magic formation etched in the middle of the room.

It bore the crest of the Gremory family.

Kaiser was preparing to use this teleportation circle to travel to the Underworld.

"I can send you to the Underworld," Azazel had told him, "but to avoid unnecessary trouble, I can only send you to the territory of the Fallen Angels."

"I can't just waltz into devil territory. A single misstep could spark conflict."

"My suggestion? Go to Kuoh Academy's Occult Research Club. There's a teleportation circle linked to the Gremory family. Use the method I taught you to activate it, and you'll be able to reach Gremory territory—maybe even their main estate."

After learning Kaiser's intentions, Azazel had made slight modifications to the magic circle in his hand.

"As long as I touch this circle to the one here, the transfer should work, right?"

Kaiser pressed his magic-etched palm onto the floor's circle.

"Zheng…"

As the magic formation on his hand lit up, the one beneath him emitted a red glow.

Red light rose like a barrier from the formation's edge, enveloping Kaiser and completely blinding his vision.

When the red light faded and his sight returned, he found himself in a completely different place.

The sky above was purple, with no sun or moon in sight. The vastness of the view made the air feel distinctly different.

His surroundings were clearly man-made—paved roads underfoot, neatly-trimmed trees lining the sides, a beautiful fountain up ahead, a vast courtyard beyond it, and finally a massive castle-like structure—grand and awe-inspiring.

"This is the Underworld?"

Kaiser scanned his surroundings, then looked toward the towering castle.

"That must be the Gremory family's estate."

While he was sizing up the castle, a crowd of figures suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"A patrol? Or guards?"

Kaiser immediately shifted his gaze toward the growing noise, frowning slightly.

"Looks like I've been discovered."

Which was natural—his arrival wasn't exactly discreet. The glowing magic circle made it obvious. It would've been strange if the Gremory household hadn't noticed.

Unfortunately, Kaiser had no interest in dealing with irrelevant people.

"Better make myself scarce."

White Dragon Emperor's light wings unfurled behind him. In the blink of an eye, Kaiser shot into the sky like a beam of light. The sonic booms and shockwaves he left in his wake shattered the air.

Naturally, such a commotion attracted pursuit. Many figures flew out from the Gremory estate to chase him.

But by the time they took off, Kaiser was already long gone. They simply couldn't match the speed of Divine Dividing's wings. All they could do was watch helplessly as he disappeared into the distance.

…

"Hmm?"

While flying through the air like a streak of light, Kaiser suddenly sensed a familiar aura.

"Over there?"

He came to a stop, letting his figure materialize from the light.

Looking down, Kaiser soon spotted a massive and majestic mountain.

It stood behind the Gremory estate—some distance from the castle. Judging by the layout, it seemed to be part of the estate's rear mountain.

"So it's here…"

A smile appeared in Kaiser's eyes as he descended.

It didn't take long before he reached the mountaintop—and took in the scene.

"…Huh?"

He came to a sudden halt, almost like slamming on invisible brakes.

The mountain peak wasn't anything special—just barren rocky terrain.

Which wasn't the problem.

The problem was the thick steam rising between the rocks.

And the source of that steam… was a hot spring nestled atop the peak.

Splash…

Water sounds echoed through the steam, mixed with indistinct female voices.

Through the thick mist, Kaiser vaguely saw several enticing silhouettes in the water.

"…You've got to be kidding me."

Kaiser's expression turned odd.

Had he seriously just stumbled onto a group of girls bathing in a hot spring?

Was this some kind of romcom cliché bonus scene?

"Who's there?!"

Just as Kaiser was frozen in disbelief, the conversation in the hot spring abruptly stopped. A sharp voice rang out—a young woman's challenge.

Kaiser hadn't tried to hide his presence at all, so naturally, he'd been noticed.

"…Forget it."

He instinctively thought of retreating, but quickly reconsidered. Did he really need to?

He wasn't some guilty anime protagonist. Hiding now would just be awkward.

So Kaiser casually retracted his wings and landed some distance away from the hot spring.

He couldn't see the spring from here—only steam.

Yet the moment he landed, the sound of water grew louder.

The girls inside had rushed out—straight toward him.

"…You?!"

The first to appear was a girl with waist-length crimson hair, her face full of shock.

Her vibrant red hair was still wet, steam rising from her body, proof that she had just been bathing.

That in itself wasn't the issue.

The issue… was that she was completely naked—standing there without a shred of clothing. Kaiser was nearly blinded by all that white, accented by a single striking red.

"What are you doing here?!"

Next came a girl with long black hair, just as soaked and steaming—a textbook yamato nadeshiko. She too was completely unclothed, eyes filled with shock and wariness, causing Kaiser's eye to twitch.

"…An enemy."

The last to arrive was a petite girl with shoulder-length white hair. Thankfully, she wasn't completely exposed—she'd hastily wrapped herself in a towel, leaving only her dazzlingly pale arms and legs uncovered. She looked at Kaiser like he was a perverted peeping tom.

Her normal reaction actually made Kaiser feel… touched.

"Kaiser!"

Rias called out in shock, clearly not noticing his strange expression.

"What are you doing here?!"

At her question, Kaiser glanced her way a few times, then finally opened his mouth, exasperated.

"Before I answer that—could you put some clothes on?"

That snapped both Rias and Akeno back to reality. They gasped in unison, then quickly conjured towels with magic and wrapped themselves up like Koneko.

"You're not here just to peek, are you?"

Rias didn't scream or act bashful like some shy girl. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion.

Kaiser smiled.

"I'm the guy who kissed you the second time we met. If I really wanted to look, I'd just grab you, strip you, and admire you up close—don't you think that'd be easier?"

His words made Rias visibly annoyed.

"Then what are you here for?" she pressed. "You didn't come all this way just to visit us, did you?"

Surprisingly, Kaiser nodded.

"Exactly. I came to check up on you."

Ignoring the shocked stares of the girls, Kaiser suddenly smiled.

"I heard you're training. Want me to help out?"

That made all three of them frown.

Help them train?

That was his goal?

No… impossible.

There was no way this man would come to the Underworld just to offer help.

Thinking that, the three girls grew visibly more alert.

Kaiser didn't bother explaining. He simply shrugged and said:

"In any case, how about you finish getting dressed before we talk?"

(End of Chapter)