DxD: I'm Surrounded by Big Sister Devils!

Although this was technically club activity time, it was essentially the after-school period.

Kuoh Academy operated under the same system as most Japanese high schools. Once classes for the day were over, students were effectively dismissed. However, they were allowed to remain on campus for a while to participate in extracurricular activities in the various school clubs.

Students who weren't part of any clubs could leave right after their last class. Such students even had their own unofficial "club," humorously referred to as the Go-Home Club.

Currently, about half an hour had passed since the final class ended. Club activities were just starting, while the members of the Go-Home Club had already left campus, leaving only a few stragglers at the school gate.

The afternoon sun had begun to sink lower, casting slanted rays of golden light.

Standing quietly by the security booth at the gate, a girl with dark purple hair and a sword bag in her arms waited patiently. She wore the uniform of a different high school and gazed at the clouds tinged with red hues in the sky.

In the distance, faint sounds of energetic activity could be heard from the school's athletic fields.

Minutes passed, and amidst the background of shouts and cheers, the rhythmic sound of footsteps began to approach. The steady pace grew louder, accompanied by the voice of a young man.

"Yo, hello~"

Hmm?

Saeko Busujima turned her gaze from the sky and looked toward the source of the voice.

Walking toward her was Fukuki, who had just hurried over after receiving the call at the old school building.

"Hello," Saeko greeted politely, giving a small bow. A faint smile appeared on her calm face.

"I'm Saeko Busujima, a third-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. You might remember me—I sent you a private message on the forum."

"Oh, yeah, I remember."

Fukuki nodded.

"Hello, I'm Qin Shi Huang."

"..."

For a moment, Saeko's mind froze as if a loading screen had appeared above her head.

To be honest, she'd initially worried about the possibility of mistaking someone else for the account owner she'd been corresponding with online. After all, communicating through a screen made it hard to verify someone's identity.

But when she heard the familiar "I'm Qin Shi Huang" spoken so nonchalantly, all her doubts melted away.

Someone who could say something so absurd with such a straight face—there was no mistaking it. This was the real deal.

"...Haha, Fukuki-san, you sure have a unique sense of humor," Saeko replied with a small shake of her head, her tone remaining calm and composed.

"By the way, Fukuki-san, are your club activities over? If possible, I'd like to discuss the topic of last night's post in more detail somewhere quieter."

"Hmm, of course," Fukuki agreed

.....

Ten minutes later, in a nearby café, the two of them chose a quiet booth in a corner to sit down.

Saeko Busujima ordered a cappuccino, while Fukuki casually ordered a chocolate sundae.

Fukuki was a devout fan of sweets. While he could tolerate coffee, its bitterness didn't appeal to him as much as the sweetness of a sundae.

Taking a big scoop of his sundae, Fukuki decided to break the ice.

"You know, I had this feeling when we met at the school gate earlier—Saeko-senpai, haven't we met somewhere before?"

"Hmm?"

Saeko blinked in surprise.

It was such a clichéd and overused line for starting a conversation that she didn't expect Fukuki to actually say it.

Though slightly perplexed by his sudden question, Saeko politely tried to recall.

"I don't think so... I have no memory of us meeting before."

"No, no, I'm pretty sure we have," Fukuki said, spinning the silver spoon provided by the café between his fingers, occasionally tapping it lightly on the table.

"I remember it was last year during the National Traditional Martial Arts Tournament in Kyoto."

The tournament included both junior high and high school divisions and featured various disciplines such as kendo, kyudo, and karate.

At the mention of this, Saeko's initial certainty wavered. Her expression, once firm, faltered slightly.

"Well... now that you mention it, I did participate in the high school kendo competition at the national tournament in Kyoto last year, and…"

"Ah, I knew it!"

Fukuki snapped his fingers triumphantly.

"I was there with my sister, who competed in the kyudo event. During the awards ceremony, I remember seeing you on the podium. You were the champion, weren't you? That's really impressive!"

"Heh, Fukuki-san flatters me. It was just that I happened to be in good form that day," Saeko replied with a small smile. Despite being recognized as the champion, she remained humble and showed no trace of arrogance.

"Besides, it's partly because of my family background. My father trained me from a young age, which naturally gave me an advantage over my peers."

"Family background?"

"My father is the current head of the Busujima school of kendo."

Ah, that explains it.

Fukuki instantly understood.

The Busujima school was a well-known name in Japanese kendo. While its reputation wasn't on par with giants like Hokushin Itto-ryu or Satsuma Jigen-ryu, it was still recognized as a respectable and formidable style. Any school that had survived the turbulent eras and lasted to the present day was undoubtedly remarkable.

"But why would the daughter of such a prestigious kendo family become a jujutsu sorcerer?" Fukuki couldn't help but ask.

"Well... let's just say it was a personal choice," Saeko replied, maintaining her polite smile. "My father also supports my decision."

"Oh."

Translated, that meant it was a private family matter, and it would be best not to delve further.

Fukuki wisely chose not to pursue the topic.

Seeing that they had chatted enough, Saeko decided to get to the point.

"Well then, let's get back to the main topic. Regarding the finger in the photo you posted on the forum last night, as I mentioned in my private message, it's a special-grade cursed object sealed by both Tokyo Jujutsu High and the Jujutsu Society. It's extremely dangerous. If possible, I'd like to request that you return it immediately."

"Uh, well, returning it isn't out of the question.

After taking another scoop of his sundae, Fukuki put down his spoon, reached into his pocket, and paused for a couple of seconds before pulling out a small plastic bag containing some dark brown solid fragments. He placed it on the table and slid it over.

"But it seems I've already broken it..."

Saeko: ???