[Replication failed.]
[Talent acquired: Intermediate Devil Bloodline (Incomplete)]
[Talent description: Increases magic affinity, enhances physical constitution.]
Along with the notification, a surge of heat coursed through his body—only to vanish almost instantly.
Snapping out of his reverie, Haruto threw a few experimental punches.
He didn't feel any magic affinity boost at all. As for his physical constitution…
It wasn't even as noticeable as the enhancement he'd gotten from Yukina's Body Enhancement ability.
Still, no matter how minor, it was an improvement.
Rereading the talent description, he couldn't argue with it.
Even the smallest boost was still a boost. With his strength slightly increased, Haruto felt even more confident about tomorrow's plan.
————
"Tetsuya Hakuta…"
Muttering the name of his first target, Haruto pondered how best to provoke him.
His gut told him the blond-haired troublemaker was the most likely suspect.
But to be safe, he decided to start his "investigation" with Tetsuya Hakuta, another freshman.
After all, Haruto's combat experience was limited to bullying delinquents at best.
Under the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, he arrived at Tetsuya Hakuta's classroom, accompanied by Tsubaki and Akeno.
"Tetsuya Hakuta."
Haruto stepped onto the podium and immediately spotted the face from the records.
"Not bad-looking, I guess, but still not as handsome as me. With looks like that, you actually had the nerve to confess to Tsubaki-senpai?"
Haruto began fabricating nonsense out of thin air, while Tsubaki's expression darkened beside him.
"Let me make this clear—Tsubaki-senpai is already mine. Stay the hell away from her. If I see you again, I'll strip you naked and hang you at the school gate."
Akeno was covering her mouth, stifling a laugh, but Haruto's next words dragged her into the mess as well.
"And you shameless bastard, after getting rejected by Tsubaki-senpai, you actually went crawling to Akeno-senpai, begging to be her lapdog, hoping she'd let you follow her around."
Haruto snorted coldly. "Give it up. Without my permission, Akeno-senpai wouldn't even glance your way."
Rumors about Haruto had been spreading like wildfire lately, and with Tsubaki and Akeno constantly sticking by his side, many had already begun speculating about their relationship.
Haruto's words now were practically a public confirmation.
The male students' hearts shattered as they looked at Tsubaki and Akeno.
Were these two mature, beautiful senpai visually impaired? How else could they fall for this pretty boy?
Having turned herself into part of the spectacle, Akeno pinched Haruto's waist from behind.
Gritting his teeth, Haruto continued his relentless taunts while silently signaling with his eyes that this was all for the sake of the act.
If possible, he would've preferred to ambush Tetsuya Hakuta in secret—quick, efficient, and without damaging his own image.
But Tetsuya Hakuta wasn't the type to chase after girls; he was the one being chased.
If not for his lack of blond hair, Haruto would've suspected him first.
Angering someone like him was easy.
The guy was trying to maintain a cold, aloof persona, so Haruto slapped the "lapdog" label on him instead.
Not only would this provoke him, but it might also wake up any girls he'd deceived.
Sure enough, once Tetsuya Hakuta snapped out of his daze, he slammed his hands on the desk and stood up.
He had entertained thoughts about Tsubaki and Akeno, but he also knew his place.
Someone like him could only fool ordinary girls. Trying to get involved with powerful devil's servants? He might as well pick out a nice burial spot.
At least then he wouldn't die without a grave.
"That's bullshit! I don't even know those two senpai—"
"You don't know them?" Haruto sneered. "There's actually a guy at Kuoh Academy who doesn't know Tsubaki-senpai and Akeno-senpai?"
"I—"
"Save it. Here's the deal—stay out of my sight from now on." Haruto cut him off before he could argue. "If you've got a problem with that, meet me in the woods after school."
Tsubaki and Akeno didn't say a single word the entire time, but their silence only made the onlookers interpret it as tacit approval.
The spectators quietly distanced themselves from Tetsuya Hakuta, especially the girls who had been surrounding him earlier.
Their expressions screamed, I don't know this guy.
Haruto remained on the podium, looking down at everyone with an air of arrogance.
It would be best if Tetsuya Hakuta couldn't hold back right now and came up to throw a punch.
Then we wouldn't even have to wait until after school to go to the grove.
Tetsuya Hakuta really did want to rush forward and punch Haruto in the face, to drag that annoyingly handsome face down to his own level.
But after glancing at the dark expression of Tsubaki and the fake smile of Akeno...
He decided to hold back for now.
He wasn't planning to go to the grove after school either. Who knew if those two women had put Haruto up to provoking him?
Students at the inner academy were different from regular students—they all knew the two women's true strength.
As a half-human, half-yokai hybrid, Tetsuya Hakuta was above average in both looks and power.
He thought he could easily handle an ordinary human like Haruto, but without knowing Tsubaki and Akeno's stance, he had to restrain himself.
All he could do was curse Haruto in his mind—pretty boy, riding on others' coattails. If not for clinging to those two long, fair legs, he'd smash that face to pieces.
Tetsuya Hakuta's face darkened, but he never made a move, much to Haruto's disappointment.
He had brought Tsubaki and Akeno along to strengthen his argument and maybe get a little something out of it.
Unexpectedly, it had backfired.
Since Tetsuya Hakuta didn't take the bait, Haruto had no choice but to leave, disappointed.
He would have loved to keep taunting, but the soft flesh on his lower back wouldn't allow it.
Even with his full mastery of Basic Body Mastery, he couldn't withstand Akeno's two slender fingers.
The gap in strength was just too great...
Haruto shook his head, helpless.
———
Student Council Room.
"Looks like we'll have to ambush him after all."
Haruto rubbed his sore lower back, grimacing. "Tetsuya Hakuta's got more patience than I thought."
"Then why not just attack him directly earlier?"
"Ambushes shouldn't be seen by others—unless you plan to knock out everyone else too."
Haruto shot Tsubaki a look. "After today's scene, Tetsuya Hakuta won't have anyone hanging around him for the next few days."
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
While Haruto was plotting his ambush in the student council room, Tetsuya Hakuta indeed found himself without his usual female entourage.
Instead, he was surrounded by three boys.
"Tetsuya, don't be sad. You still have us."
"Yeah, if we'd known you were a pervert too, we would've invited you earlier. The Pervert Trio actually having four members—heh, sounds kinda cool."
Tetsuya Hakuta: ...Cool my ass.
"But compared to Akeno-senpai's breast, I prefer Rias-senpai's."
"+1"
"+1"
Watching Issei Hyoudou, Matsuda, and Motohama snort like bulls, veins bulged on Tetsuya Hakuta's forehead.
If he got lumped in with the Pervert Trio, his reputation would be ruined.
The Pervert Trio was infamous at Kuoh Academy for being completely unwelcome among female students.
Because their lechery was utterly shameless.
Suppressing his rage, Tetsuya Hakuta forced out a single word through gritted teeth.
"Scram..."
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