A few days had gone by since the alliance was made in the Occult Research Club. Kuoh Town was back to normal on the surface, but everyone stayed alert.
In the middle of all this, something new started to grow.
Momo Hanakai and Reya Kusaka, members of the student council, began spending more time with Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia. What started as official teamwork turned into friendly hangouts. Lunchtime became shared meals. Patrols turned into tea breaks. They laughed more and talked more openly. By the third day, Anisphia was already having spell debates with Momo, while Alice and Reya compared magical notes over snacks.
Even Hajime joined in, listening calmly as Reya explained Kuoh's magic flow systems.
"They're kind of like part of the team now," Anisphia whispered to Alice, watching Momo excitedly writing spells next to Hajime.
Alice smiled. "Yes, and it felt natural as well.."
That afternoon, they all relaxed under a sakura tree near school. Momo explained her new spell idea to Anisphia, who kept jumping in with crazy suggestions. Hajime sat nearby while Reya asked about his weapons.
"You used an inverted setting here," Reya said, tapping her tablet. "That's actually really smart."
Hajime shrugged. "It works. And more importantly it looks cool."
Alice laughed as she poured tea. "Your definition of cool aside, I can't help but amaze that it always turns out great somehow."
They all laughed. The group was starting to feel like a real team.
But the moment didn't last.
Later, the Occult Research Club arrived, Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Issei. Kiba stayed by the door, quiet and tense.
Rias smiled. "Hope we're not interrupting. We came to check in and give an update."
Anisphia waved. "Perfect timing! Tea's ready."
The group began to settle, but Kiba lingered near the doorway, unusually silent. His hands were clenched just slightly—enough for Alice to notice.
She exchanged a look with Hajime, who gave a quiet nod.
"Kiba-san?" Alice asked gently.
He hesitated, then stepped forward, his voice low. "I have a request..... if ever we find the one behind the experimenting on the Excalibur. I want him."
Hajime narrowed his eyes, "And why is that?"
Kiba looked down. "When I was a child, I was part of a project of the Church, called Holy Sword Project. We were chosen to use holy weapons. But when we failed, they threw us away."
The room went silent.
"My friends thought we'd be heroes… but we weren't able to reach their expectations..... They killed everyone. We tried to escape..... but only I was left alive."
Nobody spoke.
"Valper Galilei led it. And now I'm sure, he is the one doing the experiments on that sword."
Rias's smile faded. Akeno looked at him sadly.
Hajime understood that feeling. He remembered something too.
The Heretic God Gilgamesh in front of them demands him to handover Alice. He needed a catalyst to summon his old friend Enkidu and Alice was a perfect candidate in both magic and lineage. Alice stands strong although she knows it is useless she stay firm. Hajime rushed in to defend her. Not understanding the situation but for him the girl beside him is important. He had no power, only will and courage. A mere mortal defying a God, the result is inevitable. He was knocked down. Hurt badly.
Then Alice offered herself to protect him.
"Please stop! If you need someone to do your ritual, take me, just don't hurt him anymore."
Gilgamesh took her. Hajime blacked out.
He snapped back to the present. He could still feel it. The pain. The helplessness.
"How could a group claiming to do good do something so cruel?" Alice put her hand to her chest. "How could they turn their backs on children… just because they failed to meet expectations?"
Anisphia looked shocked. "That's awful… turning something meant to protect people into a tool of harm."
Reya and Momo looked uncomfortable.
Hajime looked at Kiba. "I get it. When someone gives up everything for you… you never forget it."
He took Alice's hand without thinking. She squeezed back. No words were needed.
The room stayed quiet, but this time it felt different like they all understood.
Kiba looked at him for a long moment. "You understand… because you've been through something like it too."
Hajime nodded. "Yeah. That is what led me into doing the impossible. To defy and challenge the inevitable."
Kiba let out a breath. "Then maybe we're not that different."
Just then, a message beeped on the terminal.
Momo read it. "Sona-kaichou got a message from the Church. They've sent a special team to Kuoh because of the stolen Excalibur fragments."
Anisphia frowned. "'Stolen'? That's how they worded it?"
Alice nodded. "Maybe they don't know who's really behind it. They might think it's just theft, not the attempt to corrupt it."
Momo looked up. "They're sending Irina Shidou, Xenovia Quarta, and Griselda Quarta."
Rias's eyes narrowed. "Two holy sword users and a top-class leader… they mean business."
Kiba looked unsure. Anisphia glanced at him with concern.
Alice asked, "Will they help us?"
Rias replied, "That depends on how we welcome them."
Short Stories: Episode 1: The Girl with the Bat
This is the story of how a boy's first steps into the stars crossed with a girl searching for her family.
Noah who had just managed to get the Astral Express running, thanks to the help from the Void Archives. His first destination: a world torn by strange monsters called the Honkai.
He didn't arrive with fanfare. In fact, his first days there were quiet. The city looked a lot like home, people heading to work, students chatting with friends, life going on despite the danger in the shadows. He wandered through it all until something nudged him in a certain direction.
That's when he saw her.
A silver-haired girl swinging a dented baseball bat at a monster way too big for her. Her moves were rough but brave. She didn't run. That caught Noah's attention.
When the fight ended, the girl, Kiana Kaslana, looked at him and grinned, even with a bruise on her cheek. "You lost or just watching?" she said.
"Maybe both," Noah replied with a quiet smile.
They ended up talking. Kiana was blunt but friendly. She was searching for her dad, Siegfried. She pretended everything was fine, but Noah could see her loneliness inside. He didn't push. He just stayed.
They traveled together for a bit, hopping from city to city, from town to town. Kiana shared funny and sad stories about her world, and Noah simply listened.
One evening, while resting in their temporary home, Noah made tea and cookies. It was something Noah always do back his home world towards his siblings. Kiana took a bite, and her eyes lit up.
"These are amazing! Where'd you learn this?" she said, mouth full
"My family," Noah said. "It's kind of a tradition."
It wasn't anything dramatic, but after that night, something shifted. Kiana began to truly relax around him.
By morning, they walked together like they'd known each other for a while. Neither of them said much, but deep down, they both knew, this meeting might be the start of a new story.