Chapter 8

After saying that, and just as Koneko wasn’t paying attention, Shoyo instantly teleported to her side.

“Hm?............... Eh?”

Koneko had just started reacting when she realized her feet had left the ground, her center of gravity shifted!

“Am I...? Am I being carried by Senpai?”

Realization hit her, and a blush bloomed across her small face. Her large eyes blinked in surprise, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. However, just as her heart settled, the sudden shift in scenery made it race again.

She was in Shoyo-senpai’s arms. He was carrying her princess-style, no, she was the one being princess-carried now!

“Senpai? What is this?”

Koneko quickly noticed their surroundings had changed. They had arrived in a wide open space, it was as if they had teleported.

“Koneko, well... I don’t know any house-repairing spells. If I want a place to live in the future, I can’t exactly fight your sister there” Shoyo narrowed his eyes. Since Bikuo had appeared with Kuroka, they were surely tracking his location by now.

“Hm... Senpai’s not an ordinary person, huh? How did you manage to get the fur from Onee-sama’s tail and ears just now? Don’t tell me... you have Maou-level strength?”

A hint of wariness surfaced on Koneko’s slightly shy face. Even Buchou, a High-class devil, couldn’t do something like that. Could this upperclassman be stronger than Rias-buchou?! But then again, Onee-sama hadn’t even noticed his movements. Could it be... he’d surpassed Onee-sama? Was Senpai actually Maou-class?! Was there really a Maou-level being just casually attending Kuoh Academy? And he was still the top student, always ranking first?!

Koneko felt like the world had become too surreal... Oh, wait, this was a magical world.

Hearing her words, Shoyo couldn’t help but smile wryly. If he truly had Maou-level strength, he would’ve pinned Kuroka to the ground right then, spanked her senseless, confiscated Bikuo’s golden cudgel, and waited for that old monkey to come beg for it.

“It’s just that my ability is a bit... special. You could say I awakened a hero’s bloodline. In terms of raw power, I’m actually around your level,” he said honestly.

Without using her Nekoshou bloodline, Koneko’s strength was equivalent to a Middle-class devil. Likewise, when Shoyo used his avatars without overdrawing on his body and only burned stamina, his strength remained at that level.

He had used the power of Vamana the Dwarf to travel space-time freely, no restriction or seal could stop him! In mythology, Vishnu’s fifth avatar had reclaimed sovereignty of the heavens, sky, and earth from the demon king Bali by taking three steps.

Thinking that the dwarf is insignificant, Bali granted him land as far as three steps could reach. Unexpectedly, the dwarf grew gigantic, one step for heaven, one for earth, and he left hell for the demon.

It was a metaphor for the sun crossing cosmic space, morning, noon, and night.

“A... hero? Senpai inherited the bloodline of a hero?” Koneko asked curiously.

“Sort of,” Shoyo replied. During his recent actions, he’d already started figuring out his future plans.

“What kind of hero?” Koneko’s feline curiosity was triggered.

“A... special kind. I’ll tell you more when the time’s right,” he replied with a soft smile. He knew that telling Koneko was the same as telling Rias.

“Okay...”

“Senpai... could you please put me down now?”

Koneko pursed her lips, clearly unfamiliar with being held like that.

“I can, but Koneko, you might need to hold onto me for a while. I won’t be able to carry you in my arms while I do what I need to. So... hop on.”

Shoyo gently set her down and turned his back to her. The message was clear, ahem, come on, climb on, hug tight.

“................”

Koneko didn’t say anything. She simply stared into his eyes.

“Okay.” A few seconds later, she silently climbed onto his back. Her entire face felt like it was on fire.

She wasn’t the type to be unreasonable, if Senpai truly didn’t have the power to deal with her sister, her stubbornness could put him in danger. Kuroka might not kill her... but Shoyo-senpai might not survive.

“By the way, if your sister’s a Nekomata, that means you’re also a Nekomata, right?”

Shoyo felt the shift in her aura after she climbed on. Because she was weakened by the poison, her cat ears and tail, normally hidden, had become visible.

He casually reached out and touched them...

“Nya?!~~... S-Senpai?” Koneko gasped faintly. While Kuroka’s poison wasn’t fatal to devils, it left them at their weakest. Koneko didn’t have enough strength left to suppress her true form.

Perhaps it was Shoyo’s imagination, but he thought he caught a faint scent, like orchids and musk.

“Ohhh~~ Sorry, I thought maybe you weren’t holding on tightly,” Shoyo said, his excuse flawless.

“You don’t have much strength, so I was just supporting you.”

He had tested it earlier. He gave Koneko a set of catgirl clothes and touched the tail attached to them, but the system didn’t count that. So this time, he went straight for the real thing.

Earlier, it might’ve given Koneko a bad impression. But now, with her sister playing the villain’s role, didn’t Shoyo come off as the good guy? Kuroka... designated tool character confirmed.

This time, when he touched her real tail...

[Ding!]

[Silver-level sign-in successful!]

[Sign-in Location - Koneko’s Cat Tail.]

[Congratulations! Reward: Spirit Holy Sword Aester (Fragmented)]

[A high-ranking sword spirit, true name: Guardian God Terminus Est. Said to have slain a Demon Lord. This is not the original blade, but an independent clone fragment of the main body. With most of its power still residing in the Spirit World, this version only holds one-tenth of its true strength.]

[Note: As a holy sword, it dispels curses. However, its essence stores the grudges and resentments of spirits it has devoured, the curses. When those exceed its limit, they backfire and destroy the wielder. But the system-summoned version removes this drawback.]

“Oh? Not bad. Even without much spiritual power, I can still use it as a solid holy sword.”

If he wasn’t carrying Koneko, he would’ve drawn it on the spot and played around a bit.

“She’s here!~” Koneko whispered. Her sister hadn’t even tried to hide her presence, Kuroka was here!

“Hm, don’t worry.” Shoyo reached up and gently patted the little cat’s head. He knew she was in bad shape right now.

“Ara~ ara~! Taking my little sister and running around without asking for her Onee-sama’s permission, nya?” Kuroka walked over with graceful, feline steps.

“Sorry! Your little sister? I’m taking her with me” Shoyo grinned, flashing her a radiant smile.

“Preposterous!” Kuroka flicked her hand, summoning a swarm of magic circles behind her.

“If you want my little sister, you’ll have to get Onee-sama’s permission first, nya!”

Clearly, Shoyo’s words reminded her of the devil who had once adopted both her and Koneko. Her rage surged!

“I think you might be misunderstanding something,” Shoyo said calmly.

Behind him, a heroic figure clad in divine armor merged into his body,

[Avatar of Rama!]


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