19 Arriving in Osaka

After Han Xiao left with Kokabiel, it didn't take long before the public services were up and running again, allowing for the train that Huang Luan and the other Kawakami students are on to continue moving. Although they were delayed, the Kawakami students finally arrive in Osaka.

"I wonder what the problem was? It's unusual for our trains to be delayed," Moro asks.

"What if the town the station was at was being attacked by some magical bird," Kazama says.

"There's no way that's true. At least come up with something realistic, Cap," Yamato says.

Overhearing their conversation, Huang Luang can't help but wonder if Kazama has some kind of super intuition.

Leaning down to Huang Luan's ear, Wu Song whispers, "So what actually was the problem in Kuoh?"

"Didn't you hear? A magical bird attacked the town. A crow to be precise. Kokabiel was trying to restart the war between the three Biblical Factions."

Much like, Huang Luan did, Wu Song also looks towards Kazama as she also wonders if he has some special intuition.

As the students leave the station, Yamato says, "Does anyone else think this school trip is a little odd?" The first years are going to Kyoto, the third years are going to Hokkaido, and us second years are here in Osaka. The whole school is away on a trip that was almost entirely unannounced."

"You're overthinking it, well… maybe not," Usami Kyojin says, the homeroom teacher for 2-S walks over as he overhears what Yamato said.

"What do you mean, Beard-Sensei?" Kazama asks.

"I can't share the details just yet, but you students will be quite busy this summer. So this school trip is supposed to serve as a relaxation event for the students to make up for the time you'll lose over the summer."

"What's going on this summer?" Kazama asks.

"Can't say. The Principal told us not to tell anyone until the official announcement is made," Usami says.

"C'mon, can't you at least give us a hint? It's unfair to leave us hanging like this," Kazama complains.

"Sorry, but no can do."

"I'll put in some good word for you with Ume-Sensei if you give us a hint," Yamato offers.

"Well, I guess giving you guys a hint isn't telling you what's being planned," Usami looks over to Huang Luan and Wu Song, "With the recent transfer students, both those involved with the Bushido Plan and those uninvolved, there are now quite a lot of powerful people around, some of which are easily bored. What the Principal is planning is to allow the transfer students to get the full Kawakami experience."

"Oi, Beardy, is it really ok for a teacher to blatantly accept a bribe like that?" Huang Luan asks.

"I don't want to hear it from a student who's either absent or asleep during all my classes. Besides it wasn't a bribe, Naoe-kun is simply doing me a favour and I'm merely speaking some of my thoughts aloud," Usami says. Seeing Umeko-Sensei leaving the train station with another group of students, Usami straightens his back, "Now come on kids, let's get moving to the hotel. It's gotten rather late thanks to the delay earlier and it isn't safe for you youngsters to be walking around at night."

As the students arrive at the hotel they are quickly put into groups of five to share a room. Normally they would've been separated into groups of four as well as having already made groups ahead of time, but due to the abrupt nature of the school trip, there weren't enough free rooms to accommodate splitting the students into groups of 4. In room 404, is Huang Luan, Wu Song, Kazuko, Chris, and Miyako. Shortly after getting their belongings settled, Kazuko, Miyako, and Chris leave for a bath after hearing about the hotel's large bathing area for their guests.

Meanwhile, Huang Luan opens the window, "I'm going out, cover for me if the teachers make rounds to check on us."

"Where are you going?" Wu Song asks.

"It's been a while since I've been in Osaka, so I thought I'd pay a visit to the local delinquents and gangs so they remember who's in charge around here and make sure they don't cause us any trouble during the trip."

"Should I come with you?"

"Nah, this won't take long, it'll only be a couple of hours."

"Alright then, have a fun time and don't take any money from Liangshan's Treasury," Wu Song says, closing the window after Huang Luan's departure.

******

At the same time over at Kuoh Academy, the Occult Research Club and the Student Council is having a late night meeting.

"It's good that the matter has been resolved, but there are still some problems remaining. Like who was that man with the machines? And what does the White Dragon Emperor have to do with this matter?" Sona says, fixing up her glasses as she looks over to Issei, or rather, the gauntlet on his arm, the Boosted Gear.

The orb on the Boosted Gear lights up, "If you're asking me, then I don't know what Albion and his host have to do with this. But I might be able to shine some light on the other person."

"Really? You know who that is?" Issei asks.

"Any information you have would help, Ddraig," Rias says.

"Hmm… I don't know what the man's identity actually is," Ddraig says.

"Then why bring this up!?" Saji, a member of Sona's Peerage asks.

"I wasn't done speaking," Ddraig says, "While I can't say who that man is, I do believe I know who it was he was representing. Actually, if any of you were paying attention to the exchange between the man calling himself Black Star and Kokobiel, then you would also know."

"I wasn't really paying attention to that. I had other things to worry about then," Issei says, to which the other members of the Occult Research Club agree with.

"If I'm not mistaken, this Black Star said he was representing the Law," Sona says.

"And I believe Kokabiel said something about the Black Emperor, am I right?" asks Tsubaki, the Vice-President of the Student Council.

"I'm glad someone other than me was paying attention to them," Ddraig says.

"So are you saying that this Black Emperor person sent that Black Sun guy? Who is this Emperor guy anyway?" Issei asks.

"He said his name was Black Star. And I think I remember the teacher briefly going over the Black Emperor in our history class, but I don't remember much about them," Akeno says.

"The Black Emperor, to current understanding, it's unsure of whether or not it's a single person or a series of similar people who rose to power across the Earth roughly 100,000 years ago. Until just a couple of centuries ago, it was thought that the Black Emperor was a myth; that was until ruins were found dating back to that time period," Sona explains.

"The Black Emperor is a real person who dominated the world not long after homo sapiens had split from the other similar species. The Emperor styles Herself the guardian of mankind and the ruler of the Earth. Despite that, She purposely let Her Empire fall apart let the world fall into chaos before civilisation was reestablished around the fertile crescent in Mesopotamia. She would disappear and reappear across history before finally going silent for a few hundred years prior to the Great War when the Biblical God and the four Original Satans died. She was thought to be dead, but it seems that isn't the case," Ddraig explains.

"You've been caller them "She", but Emperor refers to a male ruler, does it not?" Tsubaki asks.

"That's right, but she herself calls herself the Black Emperor. No one has ever really questioned it before, or rather, no alive has ever questioned it. Most people aren't in a hurry to throw their lives away," Ddraig says.

"If I recall correctly, Black Star said he was sent by a God. Assuming it was the Black Emperor that sent him, this would mean the Black Emperor is a Deity?" Sona asks.

"That's correct. In her own words, she is the embodiment of distortion and order. I'm not entirely sure about the specifics, but her divinity lies in laws and rules."

"Ddraig, you seem to be well acquainted with her, do you think you can arrange a meeting for us?" Rias asks.

"I wouldn't say I'm well acquainted, more like she dislikes me and considers me as her punching bag. Then again, there are few in the supernatural world that isn't her punching bag. This Crazy girl would go beat up the Original Satans just because she was bored. Beyond people at the absolute pinnacle of strength, there probably isn't anyone who can fight with her. I don't really understand it, but she has the power to completely eliminate all supernatural abilities and powers, fighting her can only be done using pure physical strength as any magical enhancements would be nullified. If she really is becoming active again, then the two of you really need to contact your siblings, Lucifer and Leviathan, about this. The Black Emperor isn't someone you can afford to offend, who knows what she'll do if she thinks we're a nuisance. Please, call them for my sake, I don't want to get beat up again," Ddraig says.

Under Ddraig's continued insistence, Rias and Sona reluctantly called the siblings about the matter with the Black Emperor.

Meanwhile, in a warehouse in Osaka, Huang Luan is squatting atop a mountain of unconscious thugs with a lit cigarette in between her fingers.

*Achoo!*

"The white one? Nah, it's probably the red one. I'll see if I can find a chance to mess with him and his host later."