[Azazel's POV]
It hadn't even been a few days since the Rating Game between the Gremory and Bael households when I received a private transmission from Vali.
"What!? Are you serious about this?"
If what he just said is true, it could reshape the global balance of power in more ways than one.
[Yeah. He—well, she now—wants this. And honestly, I'm curious enough to help out.]
"You're not the kind of guy who helps out just for kicks. Like when you snatched Fenrir from Loki, I assume you've got something else brewing this time too?"
[Sharp as always. Nothing major—just that someone's likely to target her again, possibly even from within our own circle. I want to flush them out.]
So it's Cao Cao... If he really does have something that could even threaten Great Red, it wouldn't be surprising for him to target Ophis next.
And this guy just wants a real fight with the wielder of the True Longinus. As usual, the battle maniac in him can't help it. Seriously, where did we go wrong raising him?
Anyway... Vali's idea has merit. The question is, how do I play this?
[End Azazel's POV]
========
Later that night, we were gathered in the VIP room of Issei's house.
Apparently, the official notice regarding the promotion exams for Issei, Kiba, Akeno-senpai, and Shirone had arrived. Azazel, Kuroka, and Ravel—basically the inner circle—had gathered to be part of it.
Sirzechs and Grayfia had come in person to deliver the announcement. Azazel, acting as an advisor to the Gremory household, was also present.
"As mentioned previously, Issei-kun, Kiba-kun, Akeno-kun, and Shirone-kun have been recognized for their exceptional achievements—especially in the recent Rating Game—and have been recommended for promotion to Middle-Class Devils."
Sirzechs paused, giving each of them a glance before continuing.
"Truthfully, given the extent of their accomplishments, they would normally qualify for High-Class Devil promotion. But due to the structure of the system, they must first take the Middle-Class exam."
Azazel chimed in, blunt as ever.
"The higher-ups are apparently throwing a fit about it. They're dead set against skipping ranks. Most likely because too many young devils are earning merit lately, and if they allowed fast-tracking, their fancy 'High-Class Devil' titles would start to lose value."
Sirzechs looked slightly troubled, but Azazel's candor made things easier to understand.
"That said, it's not all bad," Azazel continued. "Based on your merits, it's only a matter of time before they're forced to recommend you for High-Class. So once you pass this one, start preparing like you're already on that next step."
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around just becoming a Middle-Class Devil... What exactly do we have to prepare for?" Issei asked.
Fair question. It's a big leap.
"Well," Azazel replied, "you'll be allowed to have your own peerage, so think about who you'd want to reincarnate. You'll need an office to handle contracts, and once you're a master, you'll spend more time managing paperwork and less on the field. Honestly, I doubt any of you will fail... well, except maybe Issei's written exam. Rias, make sure to at least teach them the basics of how to handle official documents. Setting up a workplace is the easy part."
"Wait, wait—did you just say I might fail the written test!?"
"The exam has three parts: practical skills, a written test, and a report. The practicals are no problem for you four. The report's something you can prep in advance. But the written test... it's not difficult, but Issei, you're still new to devil society. You'll have to cram the fundamentals first."
"When's the next exam?" Azazel asked Sirzechs.
"The closest date is next weekend."
Oof. That's soon. Issei's officially on cram mode.
"Next weekend!? That's way too soon! And what if I fail? Will the recommendation get revoked?"
"No, don't worry," Sirzechs reassured him. "Once recommended, you can retake the exam as many times as needed—unless you cause some major incident, of course. I believe you can pass just fine."
Sirzechs said it with a smile that somehow felt like pressure in disguise.
"Yes, sir! I'll do my best to meet expectations!"
With that, Issei stood and saluted—probably out of sheer pressure from having a literal Maou watching.
Sirzechs turned to the others. "Kiba, Akeno, Shirone—what about you three? You're free to decline, of course."
...Yeah, as if anyone's gonna say no in this atmosphere.
Naturally, all three accepted the recommendation with composed gratitude, prompting Rias to leap in and hug them in joy.
"Issei, Kiba, Akeno, Shirone—congratulations! I'm so proud to have you as my peerage."
Everyone followed with their own words of praise.
Once things settled, Rossweisse brought up a new topic.
"Now that things are calm, I've decided to return to Valhalla for a while. I wasn't much help in the last battle, so I want to master some defensive and utility magic before coming back."
"Makes sense," Kuroka added with a smirk. "Without you, our magic lectures are kinda stuck."
"Ugh... It's true," Rossweisse sighed. "I passed the Valkyrie test by brute-forcing my way through offensive magic, but now it's coming back to bite me..."
Honestly, anyone who can brute-force a Valkyrie exam is already ridiculous.
"Well," Azazel said, "the Gremory team has enough raw firepower that most enemies won't survive long enough to use counters anyway. But if Rossweisse improves her support capabilities, it strengthens the whole team. Rias, I assume you've approved this?"
"Of course. If she wants to grow, I see no reason to stop her. We want to improve our magic too."
"Then I'll leave soon. Oh, and don't worry—I've already prepared the midterm exams for school."
"Wait! Midterms!?"
Issei immediately looked crushed. That's rough.
"Azazel-sensei, do you have some kind of brain-boosting drug? I don't care if I go brain-dead after the test."
"Oh, I do," Azazel replied, pulling a small vial from his coat.
Wait, what!?
"...What kind of drug is it, exactly?"
"It's called the 'Sage's Elixir.' It forces your brain into 'sage mode'—you'll study like a machine. Downside is... you might never return to normal."
WHAT KIND OF DRUG IS THAT!?
"That was actually a byproduct of my aphrodisiac research. But no one really wanted a libido-killing potion, so it was shelved. Wanna try it, Issei?"
"HELL NO!!"
"Exactly!" Rias chimed in. "Without his perversion, Issei's just... empty!"
Wow, harsh. Dragh is probably all that'd be left.
"My, my. I just can't picture a non-pervy Issei," Asia added.
"Yeah, a calm Issei is basically a clone in his body," Kiba said.
Okay, wow. That's how everyone sees him, huh?
Kuroka then sidled up to Azazel, eyes sparkling.
"Say, about that aphrodisiac... any chance you've perfected it? I'll buy some if you have."
"Oh-ho! Always a pleasure. Any particular effect you want?"
Wait—what!?
"I want one that makes Ikki lose all self-control, nya~!"
"So you're going full predator, huh? Then here! Try the 'Beast Mode Elixir!' Once he drinks this, he's no longer a man—he's a BEAST!"
"I'll take it!"
"No, you won't!!"
Rossweisse and I both slapped them: me on Kuroka, her on Azazel. She also snatched the potion.
"Give it back!"
"Not a chance! You're a teacher—act like it!"
Rossweisse, ever the voice of reason, couldn't let such a scandal slide.
"Ow, mean~!"
"You're lucky this is all I'm doing after you tried to drug me!"
"But you're curious, right?"
...Too curious, and that's the problem.
Teenage boys are fragile like that. And what the hell even is a "Beast Mode Elixir" supposed to do? Make me a literal incarnation of lust!?
Let's not go full Kiara, thanks.
"It's alright. We'll keep an eye on Kuroka so she doesn't try anything weird," Shirone said calmly.
"Yes, that kind of thing can wait until... much later," Ravel added.
Uh... that second line sounds really dangerous. Does she realize?
Anyway, everyone agreed to do their best to help Issei prepare for his exam, and with that, the meeting was adjourned.
=======
A few days later...
Issei was completely wiped out, spending every free second cramming for both devil promotion and school midterms.
He still had devil work to handle, too. When devils take time off—like for summer break or the Rating Games—they leave a message on their summon cards. Super handy.
"Here, Issei. This question: 'What does the House of Vapula, one of the original 72 Pillars, represent?' The correct answer isn't just 'lion'—it's 'lion with griffon wings.' There's another family that claims 'lion' as their domain, so this would get you marked wrong. You're probably thinking of Regulus from Sairaorg's peerage."
"GRAAAAH! Why do YOU know more about the devil world than I do!? I've been getting lessons from the Gremorys since summer! I even got help from Rias and Akeno-senpai! You didn't know any of this a month ago! How are you ahead of me now!?"
We were at another study session in Issei's house. Rias, Akeno, and Asia were prepping snacks, so I was helping him study... and apparently making him rage.
"Well... I used Ittou Shura to tune into my body's bioelectric signals, then used senjutsu to enhance brain synapses and improve memory."
"YOU WHAT!? You're turning into a cyborg! What's your end goal, man!? Are you even human anymore!?"
Hey now, if you don't train your brain, precise body control is impossible. Heart rate modulation, for example, requires control over your autonomic nervous system.
In the end, the brain is the command center. And unlocking brain limiters is basically the same thing, isn't it?
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