“U-Umm, Barakiel-san, what is this place……?”
I ask him timidly. That’s because I’m clearly stepping foot inside a place which doesn’t seem like the one he explained earlier! “Yes, this is the training floor. You should take a look. In order to make themselves stronger, they came to receive training from the Grigori.”
They are receiving it!? Eeeeeeeh…… No, no matter how I look at it, it’s clearly a torture room and punishment room….. My uneasiness gets stronger, and there are nasty sweats coming from all over my body. If I think about it, this is the institute that is being operated by Azazel-sensei’s organisation. ……Saji was also taken to the Grigori’s headquarters at that time against Loki, and I heard that he received training there…… Even if I ask Saji about back then, he simply says “I don’t want to remember it!”, and shivers……
For some reason my bad feeling increases. When these things happen, I always gets dragged into weird things and meet weird people. Barakiel-san explains it to me who is carrying unexplainable uneasiness. “We invite or take in possessors that have no family and are left alone while having the power. This research institute is used to teach them how to use their powers.”
I see. ……But is this what the scenery where they are teaching them how to use their power should look like……? I only see it as a torture…… Oh, but if I think about it, I also received a training that was like torture from Azazel-sensei. I think having a lifestyle where I was chased by a Dragon in the mountain is even harder. That’s how I feel while putting on a fake smile. —Well, leaving that aside, I should ask Barakiel-san about my doubt since this is a good occasion. “What will the people here do in the future when they learn how to use their power?”
My question. I think the Grigori’s research is something where they can lighten the suffering of Sacred Gear possessors they will be facing one day. However, are these people waiting for something to happen when that time comes? I’m concerned about it. “Previously—before the alliance of Three Great Powers, we allowed experienced possessors to remain within the organisation in order to avoid other factions gaining powers. However, it’s different now. If there are those seeking to have a lifestyle of a normal person from the ones who can control their power, then we came to allow their desire, though it will come with several restrictions.”
That’s how Barakiel-san answers. Putting the past aside, they can have a normal lifestyle now. It truly is an interesting circumstance. I really do want to know more about it. I’m a Sacred Gear possessor myself, and there are also people around me who are also possessors. When I was thinking of asking a bit more about it, someone who speaks to Barakiel-san appears. “Oh, if it isn’t Barakiel. Guhahahahaha!”
A thick voice with a heroic laugh. When I look towards the voice, there’s a man with a good physique that showed up from the room we just passed. ……But I can’t help myself but to put on a sour look after seeing the man’s appearance. He’s wearing armour, helm, and a cape. He has an eye-patch and he has a wildish beard. But for some reason he has a shield on his left hand and an axe on his right hand! His helm seems like it has a motif of either a hawk or eagle, and his shield has the same mark on it! Judging from his look, he looks like a leader from the enemy organisation in a tokusatsu hero programme! Except he has a design from the old generation! Rather, he’s just a weirdo! “Oh, Armaros. So you were here.”
Barakiel-san welcomes the weirdo cheerfully! He knows him!? So he’s a staff member here despite looking like this! Barakiel-san introduces him. “He’s one of the leaders of the Grigori, Armaros. He’s mostly researching about attacks against magic, the anti-magic.”
“Guhahahahaha! If it’s anti-magic, then leave it to me!”
So this weirdo is one of the leaders! Actually, their Governor is a weirdo himself! Rather, this old man is wearing something that is so not anti-magic! Isn’t your fashion too far off from anti-magic!? I mean, he has an axe and shield! “Armaros, this is Hyoudou Issei-kun, the Sekiryuutei.”
Barakiel-san introduces me to him. I also have to give my greeting to this tokusatsu leader as well. “Umm, nice to meet you, I’m Hyoudou Issei—”
Saying it till there, the tokusatsu leader Armaros-san suddenly swings his axe at me! Owa! What’s this, all of a sudden!? I avoided it by instinct, but this old man suddenly attacked me! Armaros-san shouts while pointing his axe at me! “I know about you, damn Oppai Dragon! So you finally came to destroy this institute, huh!”
Huh!? T-This person right here suddenly said something weird with a furious face while swinging his weapon! “It’s been a hundred years since we last met! I will settle my score with you here!”
“Settle what!? What’s the relation between you and the Oppai Dragon!? Did I do something to make you hate me!? I really don’t remember!”
When Armaros-san points at me while being excited—, a weird shout which went “Guu!” comes from each room, and many of those wearing black tights which has a design or either an eagle or hawk appears! Guys who seem to be combatants judging from their looks surround Armaros-san and make their stance against me! “Barakiel-san! What are those things! ?”
When I ask Barakiel-san—,
“Yes, those are like Grigori’s combatants.”
“Seriously!? There are such people!? It’s been half a year since I got to know Fallen Angels, but it’s my first time finding out there are people like that!”
Do Fallen Angels become more of an idiot as they go up the ranks!? The one standing at the top is that Azazel-sensei after all! Maybe the reason why Vali left the Grigori also has to do with this! Armaros-san makes a big laugh while being surrounded by combatants! “Guhahahaha! Damn Oppai Dragon! I won’t let you destroy this base! This base belongs to the great Grigori that dominates the whole world! I won’t let anyone who walks in here return alive! Griiiiigoriiiiii!”
I still don’t get it even if you screamed out Griiiiigoriiiiii! Rather, he’s really saying something that an enemy organisation would say! I only came here to tag along with Akeno-san, but I’m having myself seen with great hostility where he said he “won’t let me leave alive”! Even the combatants are spinning on the spot saying “Guu!” as if they are going with the flow! Barakiel-san explains it to me with a troubled face. “I’m sorry, Hyoudou Issei-kun! Armaros is fascinated with the villains from Japanese tokusatsu hero programmes…… Even Azazel himself is going with this bad flow to communicate with Armaros, so he’s always like this.”
……S-So something like that happened. Wait, isn’t there something wrong with this!? For the so-called leader of Fallen Angels to be influenced by the villain of a tokusatsu hero programme! “Armaros, the truth is I wanted to show this boy right here about the Grigori’s technique of training the Sacred Gear possessors.