It was not long after our battles with the magician and Grendel.
That day, I thought, Hey, once in a while, grabbing bread from the school store isn't so bad. So I made my way there, watching a few guys sprint ahead to snatch up their favorite bread. As I queued up, someone behind me called out.
"Yo, if it isn't Arima. Rare to see you here at the store."
"You too, Saji. I thought you were more of a lunchbox guy."
"That's my line. I usually bring one, but I accidentally left it at home today. Looks like my lunch is now doubling as dinner."
Oof. That's a classic blunder.
"Wait, so you make your own lunch? That's... pretty domestic of you."
Not many guys cook for themselves, after all.
"Yeah, well… my parents aren't around."
"Ah—sorry, man."
I just stepped on a landmine!!
"Don't apologize. I've moved on, really. I just don't talk about it much."
Saji didn't look especially troubled as he said it. Maybe he really was fine. Or at least didn't want to dwell on it. Either way, no point dragging it out.
"Alright, then. As an apology, today's bread is on me!"
"Why do you sound like royalty all of a sudden? But hey, I'll take you up on that."
After grabbing a few pastries and drinks, Saji suggested, "Since we're already out, how about eating in the student council room?" Seemed like a good idea, so I followed along.
As we walked, he struck up another conversation.
"Hey, so what about your lunch, Arima?"
"Huh? Today I just felt like getting bread."
"Not what I meant. You're living with Kuroka, Toujou, and Phenex-chan, right? You've got three fiancées under one roof. What I'm asking is: homemade lunches. Girl-made lunches."
Oh, that's what he meant.
"Well, Kuroka's kind of lazy when it comes to that stuff, and she's definitely more of an eater than a cook. Shirone's the same. The only one who really cooks is Ravel. So usually, my lunch is either made by my mom or Ravel. Lately, though, Shirone's been helping Ravel in the kitchen more—maybe she's getting inspired."
Honestly, seeing Shirone and Ravel cooking together in aprons is like a healing moment in my day.
In the beginning, there were a lot of crashing sounds and Ravel's yelling from the kitchen, but recently, the food's been pretty solid. Even if the tamagoyaki is a little lopsided, it tastes fine.
As for Kuroka… well, back during her mountain training days, she could make basic survival food, so it's not like she's completely hopeless, but I've never had her home cooking. I did cook with Kokonoe, though.
"What the hell, man?! So basically, you have had all the girls' home-cooked meals! I've never even tasted the President's cooking... well, okay, maybe I have... a lot, actually..."
His voice trailed off as he unconsciously rubbed his stomach. Yikes—must be that bad.
If even Saji, who worships the President, reacts like this, her cooking must be lethal.
Still, I guess he has had plenty of chances to eat it. I patted his shoulder in sympathy as we arrived at the student council room.
Apparently, no one usually used it during lunch, but when we stepped inside, two people were already there: our cool-headed, sharp-eyed President and the Vice President.
"President, Vice President! Didn't expect to find you here."
"Yes, due to the recent rogue magician attack, we've had to reassess and strengthen our security systems—both for the academy and the surrounding town. I came here to review the reports after lunch. It's not exactly something I can look through in class. Saji, having lunch with Arima? That's an unusual combo."
True. We're usually in different classes, and while both Occult Research Club and Student Council members tend to stay after school, it's rare for us to eat together during lunch. When we do, it's usually with Issei and Kiba.
"Yeah, we just bumped into each other at the store, so I invited him here. Hope that's not a problem?"
"Not at all. A little chatter won't hurt, and we don't turn away guests. Why don't you join us?"
With President Sona's permission—and a welcoming "We're happy to have you, Arima"—we sat down to eat together.
Partway through, President Sona addressed me.
"Arima, have you heard about my dream?"
"Yes. Issei told me once. You want to build a school in the Underworld where all children can study Rating Games equally, regardless of status."
"Exactly. Right now, only high-ranking devils, mostly nobles, have access to proper schooling. Most education for commoners is left to their families. There are cram schools, yes, but none that offer real combat training."
"After our game against the Agares group, I had a chance to speak more with Seekvaira. Since I'm the sister of a Maou, if I tried to build a school in Sitri territory, it could create political issues for my sister. But Seekvaira offered me land in Agares territory."
So, the higher-ups among the noble devils would likely whine endlessly to Serafall-sama about a school for "commoners" being built?
Every time I hear about these so-called upper-class devils, I just think they're a bunch of selfish fools pretending to be rational.
They say "devils are logical," but with how they trade servants and recklessly reincarnate devils, it feels less like logic and more like short-sighted greed.
Honestly, they should just drink some tea brewed with Rias and Sona's toenail clippings to absorb their common sense.
"I want this school to teach more than just Rating Game tactics. There are devils like Sairaorg who aren't great with magic, but strength and talent aren't defined by that alone. Some may struggle with magic but excel at sorcery—or physical combat. I want kids to experience all kinds of possibilities."
"You want me to teach senjutsu, then?"
That's what this is about, huh?
"…To be honest, I'm unsure. That's why I'd like to hear your thoughts as a senjutsu practitioner."
She's hesitating?
"Senjutsu is rare and powerful. While talent plays a role, it's a skill that many races can learn with effort. But it's also risky. As you know, it involves absorbing the world's negative energy. Even if your case was an exception, it might be too dangerous to teach to children."
That's true. One wrong step, and it could be catastrophic.
"Yes, I agree. At least for now, senjutsu isn't something that can be taught in an open-school format. Curious kids might end up absorbing tainted energy. You'd need someone who can monitor them and forcibly purge the energy if necessary—but detecting that in a room full of students is incredibly difficult. And a few school lessons won't even get them to the point of sensing spiritual energy. Real progress requires daily meditation, often for years. Without close supervision, it's just too dangerous."
When I started, I was alone, but I was mature enough to handle it. Most kids wouldn't be.
"So it's as I feared. Senjutsu requires a one-on-one mentor-student relationship, even cohabitation, to teach safely. And even then, if one instructor can only teach five students, we'd need dozens of instructors per school… which is unrealistic."
If there were that many senjutsu users, it wouldn't be rare anymore.
"Plus, let's be honest—senjutsu training is boring at first. Even motivated kids might quit when you tell them, 'Meditate. Then meditate. After that, meditate more.' It took me a whole year just to sense ki."
Unless you're a natural like Kuroka, Shirone, or Kokonoe, it's an uphill battle. I even used unconventional methods like "Ittou Shura" to help.
Still, I didn't want to only shoot down her idea. Maybe I could suggest something else instead.
"President Sona, you want to teach kids skills that'll help them in battle, right?"
"Yes, that's right. I'm now convinced senjutsu isn't the way... but what are you getting at?"
"Well, actually…"
I explained my idea. Sona considered it seriously, brow furrowed.
"I see. If we keep it quiet, it might be worth exploring. Arima, that's an excellent suggestion. Let's bring it up with Azazel-sensei when he returns."
She seemed quite enthusiastic—so much so that Saji leaned in and whispered to me:
"Oi, Arima! What the hell did you suggest?! Now the President's in a weirdly good mood!"
"Hey, half of it was a joke, but think about it. 'Do what you love and you'll do it well,' right? If the kids are interested and having fun, that's half the battle."
"Yeah, but still...!"
Well, in the end, I was able to help President Sona. Whatever happens in the Underworld from here on out… not my problem!
Just as we were finishing up lunch and getting into some light chatter, a magic circle lit up in the corner of the room.
"Huh?! That crest—!"
Saji stood up in surprise as President Sona sighed with a headache coming on. A girl with black twin tails—our charming Demon Lord—materialized.
Saji quickly stepped behind Sona with Tsubaki-senpai, taking up a retainer-like position.
"Yaho~ Sona-chaaaaan Big Sis is here to vi—oops, I mean inspect the place~!"
Honestly, the way she blurs work and play is kind of impressive in its own right. Not that she's bad at her job, but Sona's stress levels are another matter.
"Big Sis… I mean, Lady Leviathan. We weren't informed of your visit. Was there a miscommunication?"
President Sona tried her best to keep a composed mask, but the twitch in her eye was obvious.
"I only decided to come just now☆ Those old geezers in the council won't shut up about that Grayfia-lookalike guy who showed up the other day. The meeting was going nowhere, so I thought, why not drop in for a surprise inspection—and some fun~☆"
She's not even pretending it's work anymore! But hey, at least she does her job.
"Sigh… You never grow out of your childish ways, do you, Big Sis…"
Back to calling her "Big Sis," huh? A minute ago it was "Lady Leviathan." Probably how these conversations always go.