Chapter 232: Clash (1/2) (1/2)

Having returned to the mansion, I make my way over to the living room. Upon reaching the room, I immediately notice that Rossweisse has fallen asleep on the sofa.

Of course, all around her is a multitude of papers, which seems to have increased in number now.

Letting out a small sigh, I begin to telekinetically arrange the papers and stack them up on a sofa. Then, I slowly approach Rossweisse and crouch beside the sofa she is lying on.

I proceed to raise my left arm and use my finger to poke her cheek, eliciting a light groan from the sleeping Valkyrie.

Finding this somewhat fun, I continue to poke her cheek until she eventually opens her eyes and looks at me with a dazed expression.

Seeing her like this, I lean forth and kiss her cheek before saying, ”You should go sleep on your bed.”

Seemingly unaware of anything, Rossweisse simply places her hand against her cheek.

Looks like she is too sleepy for anything. If it were any other day, she would've 'suffered' from more than just some poking.

Shaking my head in exasperation, I reach forth and lift her body from the sofa before turning around and beginning to walk toward her room.

--

Having set Rossweisse down on her bed, I proceed to exit the room and head over to the kitchen while thinking about what to do for today.

Currently, apart from Saturnus, none of the girls in the mansion are awake. Or, that's what I thought, but upon reaching the kitchen, I find Gaia seated at the table.

”Gaia?” I say after taking the seat beside her, ”Why are you here? Don't tell me that you're already done merging with this planet.”

”No,” she responds while shaking her head, ”I tried to do it, but failed.”

”Failed? You mean merging?” I say, a little startled.

That sounds remarkably serious. Gaia had previously said that she was merged with this planet, but now she can't do that anymore.

”What do you think is the problem?” I inquire.

”I was able to form a connection with a small section, but the rest of the planet is unreachable.”

”I see.”

A small section, she says. I wonder what is exactly considered a 'small section' for her.

Letting out a small sigh, I being to make use of Clairvoyance to check the state of the city once again.

As usual, there doesn't seem to be any issues, but that notion soon faded as I shifted my sight to the academy.

What the...

Currently, a beautiful black-haired woman is fighting against the strange group I had seen standing in front of the academy.

However, the blonde-haired girl with a tall hat is nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, from the looks of it, this battle started not so long ago. Even so, the battle seems to be more advantageous for the group than the black-haired woman.

Normally, I wouldn't care about such a battle, but seeing that it is occurring near the academy and the ones fighting are rather... suspicious, I will visit them.

As such, I bid Gaia farewells before teleporting a few hundred meters above the academy.

Looking down, I see that the woman is constantly making use of dark-oriented powers, while the one fighting against her is the leader, who is wielding an odd spear that seems to be more of a decoration than a battle weapon.

Well then, time to see what's going on.

As such, I begin to fly toward the ground at a brisk pace before abruptly coming to a halt right in between the two sides.

Both sides are surprised by my appearance, as the leader of the group cancels an attack he was about to release.

{Code detected. Unable to identify.}

”Verethragna!” the black-haired woman calls out in a gleeful tone.

What, she knows me? I suppose that settles the issue of whose side I will be taking in this battle.

”Verethragna?” the man wielding the spear says in a confused tone while staring at the black-haired woman before casting a glance at me and saying, ”God of Victory?”

”This guy,” a gray-haired man beside the leader of the group says, ”He's our target.”

”But she clearly called him by the God of Victory's name?” a blonde-haired dressed in battle attire and wielding a rapier says.