...
The three of them fell silent.
Whether it was because of the strange atmosphere, or because they were lost in their own thoughts. But one thing was certain: Kamiya had stopped bowing and now simply lowered his head while sipping his tea.
For some reason, a growing sense of guilt swelled within him after realizing that he had only made things worse.
"By the way, Kamiya-chan..."
"...?"
Aria broke the silence once again.
"You came here to ask something, didn't you?"
"Yes, actually... there's something quite serious I want to ask."
It all began when he was sent to the DxD world.
His damaged soul began to show severe consequences. God's mistake was fatal, but that didn't mean the issue couldn't be resolved by others.
However, in Kamiya's case, his incomplete soul required something to replace the parts that were lost or scattered.
God could indeed recreate a soul. But the God who created Kamiya's soul was dead. And because of that, his soul could not be restored unless by that same God. This added another problem to Kamiya's situation.
His soul was fractured, and there was no certain way to repair it. As far as Kamiya knew, some Sacred Gears could only heal physical wounds and restore the body to its peak condition.
But what about the soul?
A Sacred Gear like Sephiroth Grail might help, but its current wielder was a vampire who was tormented by the use of their own Sacred Gear.
From now on, things would only get more complicated.
"So... your soul is slowly breaking down?" Aria asked in shock.
Kamiya nodded. His condition was severe. Losing one's soul meant losing life—and also the chance to be reborn. That was the most terrifying thing.
Aria also asked when Kamiya first realized that his soul was beginning to fracture.
He replied, during his battle against Libra.
At that time, he had been thrown into a strange and constantly shifting dimension. Unfortunately, that dimension began to collapse due to a battle between gods.
Hearing Kamiya's explanation, Aria began to think deeply and seemed to understand something. But for some reason, she chose not to tell Kamiya.
Meanwhile, Libra was lost in her own thoughts, wondering how a soul could be forcibly transferred from the Realm of Peace.
This was a serious matter that could not be ignored, as it concerned the souls of all the constellations and the safety of that place.
"So..."
""
"Do you two know a way to repair a broken soul?"
No answer.
The silence made Kamiya even more desperate.
"There is one way," Aria finally said.
She broke the silence once more, this time with a sliver of hope that perhaps there was still a way out of Kamiya's situation.
"Aria-san, can you help me?"
"..."
Aria looked at Kamiya with a pained expression. Her face also looked sorrowful, making Kamiya a little worried.
"The emptiness in a soul can be filled... in various ways. But maybe those ways aren't something you would like."
...
Over time, Kamiya began to accept his current state.
Although the possibility that his soul could not be repaired was deeply troubling, at least he had found an alternative thanks to Aria's advice.
"Thank you for your time. I've gained a lot of useful information."
Now standing at the gate of the Realm of Peace, Kamiya bid farewell to Libra and Aria.
"I enjoyed my time with you as well."
"You can come to my house anytime if you have the chance," said Aria.
Before leaving, Kamiya remembered something Aria once said to him.
"Aria-san, before I go, can I ask one more thing?"
"Of course. I'll answer anything you want to know."
Kamiya recalled when Loki nearly killed him in the demon forest when he was still being used as a test subject. He also remembered that it was Aria who saved him by forcing the authority of GoT to its limits, even causing a breach of rules that rendered some of GoT's abilities unusable.
"At that time... you said that forcing your authority broke some rules, which meant that some of GoT's abilities couldn't be used. That's true, right?"
"Yes. I did say that."
"Then... with my current condition, can those restrictions be lifted?"
"Hmm... with your current state, I think I can fix some of those rules and also restore some abilities."
"Then, can I perform a summon like I did when I summoned Virgo back then?"
"You could, but right now she's resting. Are you in a critical situation?"
Kamiya nodded and explained that the meeting between the three major factions was imminent. Without additional power, he doubted whether his plan would succeed.
Regarding the meeting, Kamiya was sure that many unpredictable factors would come into play. Even removing one variable, like Raynare, could trigger massive changes.
This meeting would also introduce some new individuals.
Even Xenovia, who should have joined Rias's group, was still with the angels due to Kamiya's interference.
'Will I be asked to explain my words from that time?'
Kamiya also remembered saying that the God he followed wasn't the one they knew. But he was ready to answer anything, as long as it didn't endanger his safety.
"I'll ask for Ara's help. And... Aria-san, sorry to trouble you, but could you let Virgo know that I'll visit her later?"
"Of course, if it's about Virgo, I'll gladly help. But regarding Ara..."
"?"
"You know how Ara is... she might not be happy being disturbed while researching magic."
"She's just... good grief..."
Kamiya could only sigh, accepting Ara's eccentric nature. After all, Ara wouldn't be Ara if she weren't obsessed with magic.
Libra, who had been observing quietly, now stepped forward and placed her hand on her chest.
'Can I still be of help?'
With that thought, Libra said,
"I think I can help you with that."
"Libra?"
"?"
"I can answer your call."
"..."
Kamiya and Aria looked at each other in confusion, but eventually accepted Libra's offer.
.
.
.
.
"I think it's time. Stella, Vali, everyone, get ready!"
"Understood!"
"..."
Vali remained silent, eyes closed as if he no longer cared about anything. But of course, sooner or later, his true intentions would be revealed.
.
.
.
.
"Irina, Xenovia, and Zephyr, are you ready for this meeting?"
"Of course, Michael-sama! No matter where it is—hell, earth, or heaven—we'll always follow you!"
"Right, Michael-sama! We'll always be by your side!"
Xenovia and Irina bowed respectfully to Michael, while Zephyr just sighed at their odd behavior.
.
.
.
.
"Are you all ready?"
"Yes, President!"
Meanwhile, at Kuoh Academy, Rias and Sona were preparing the meeting room and discussing Kokabiel, who had previously attacked the academy.
Facing the leaders of each realm, they couldn't hide their nervousness. But since the purpose of this meeting was world peace, they had to put aside all unimportant matters.
"Sona, what about your servants? Will they come too?"
"I don't think so. I'll ask them to set up a barrier to keep anyone from entering the Kuoh area for a while."
"All of them? In that case, let a few of my servants help."
"No need. As the student council of Kuoh Academy, we take pride in handling our own responsibilities."
Sona crossed her arms and adjusted her glasses. Rias didn't say much about Sona's stubbornness.
Even so, she had full trust in her friend and rival.
"Alright then, everyone, it's time to do our part!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Saji and the rest of the student council members immediately set out to secure the area around Kuoh Academy. At the same time, Rias and Sona waited for the arrival of Sirzech and Serafall.
All they could do now was hope the meeting would go smoothly.
________________________________________________________________________________
Just writing a few words has become a little difficult for me.
Three months ago, I was faced with an internship, and now I'm facing another exam, of course, with unfinished tasks.
But at least I can get through it all.
( ;∀;)
See you in the next chapter.
P.S.: Good Morning