Koneko fell silent, her golden eyes distant as she processed Takeyo's question.
"Let me tell you a story, Senpai," she said quietly after several seconds.
"Once upon a time, in the Underworld, there were two kittens who had only each other, a black cat and a white cat."
Her voice was soft, almost dreamlike, as though reciting a fairy tale she'd told herself countless times.
"The two kittens often went hungry, barely scraping by from day to day. But despite their hardships, they were happy because they had each other."
Koneko's fingers curled slightly against the hem of her uniform.
"One day, a Devil found them. The Devil took in the older black cat who'd learned to transform into human form, offering both sisters a life where they wouldn't have to starve anymore."
"The black cat was incredibly talented. She quickly rose to become the strongest among the Devil's peerage members. But..." Koneko's voice wavered slightly. "Too much power isn't always a good thing. The black cat's talent was so exceptional that she surpassed her master in a very short time."
"In the end, perhaps consumed by her own power, the black cat killed her master and became one of the Underworld's most wanted Stray Devils. Even the enforcement teams can't capture her."
Koneko's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she continued.
"Some Devils believed the remaining white cat was also a ticking time bomb, that she would eventually kill her master and escape just like her sister. They wanted to execute the white cat preemptively."
Her voice grew softer, more fragile.
"But then... a great man rejected all those opinions. He protected the little white cat, found her a new master, and she's lived safely until now."
When Koneko finished her story, tears finally spilled from her golden eyes, trailing down her pale cheeks.
"That little white cat is you, isn't it, Koneko?" Takeyo said gently, a note of sympathy in his voice.
Though he'd known this story long before coming to this world, hearing Koneko tell it herself, seeing the pain reflected in her beautiful face, still touched something deep within him.
"Yes... that's right," Koneko whispered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I never expected my sister to come looking for me. She killed our master, who was a High-Class Devil. I'm worried she might try to hurt Rias-buchou..."
Her voice trembled with genuine fear, not for herself, but for the person who'd given her a home and a family.
"Don't worry," Takeyo said, reaching out to gently pat her white hair. A trace of affection warmed his eyes. "If your sister shows up again, she'll have to go through me first. As long as you stay by my side, you'll be safe, Koneko."
Was I a cat person in my previous life too? Takeyo wondered absently, finding comfort in the simple gesture.
"We're here," Koneko announced softly.
During their conversation, they'd reached the entrance to the Occult Research Club. She paused to wipe away the last traces of tears from her eyes, not wanting to worry Rias with her appearance.
"Thank you for bringing me, Koneko," Takeyo said warmly.
Click.
The door to the Occult Research Club opened with a soft sound.
"Buchou, I've brought Takeyo-senpai," Koneko said, her voice carefully composed despite the lingering emotion in her eyes.
Rias sat behind the president's desk, her attention entirely focused on Takeyo. She hadn't noticed the subtle redness around Koneko's eyes or the faint traces of tears.
"Thank you for your hard work, Koneko." Rias rose from her seat, her crimson hair cascading over her shoulders as she moved forward. "You must be Takeyo. I'm Rias Gremory, president of the Occult Research Club."
Her blue-green eyes met his directly as she extended her hand.
"And I'm a Devil."
"It's good to formally meet you, President Rias," Takeyo replied with a slight smile, accepting her handshake. "Though we've known each other by sight for some time. I should mention that I already know quite a bit about Devils."
As the school's top-ranked student and one of its most notable figures, Takeyo and Rias had certainly been aware of each other before this moment. But this was their first real introduction.
"Ara ara~ Takeyo-kun, here's some tea~" A beautiful Japanese girl with a single ponytail approached, carrying a tray. Her most distinctive feature was immediately apparent, her figure was exceptionally voluptuous.
"Thank you, Akeno-senpai," Takeyo said graciously. "I've heard wonderful things about the Tea Ceremony Club. I never expected to have the chance to taste tea prepared by its president herself."
"Ara ara ara~ You're too kind, Takeyo-kun," Akeno said with a pleased smile, her violet eyes sparkling with amusement as she set the cup before him.
"I'm Yuuto Kiba," another voice interjected. A handsome blond young man with striking blue eyes stepped forward, offering a friendly smile. "I'm also a Devil, by the way."
"Takeyo Kagutsuchi," Takeyo replied, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Human, at least for now. Pleased to meet you, Kiba."
His eyebrows had risen for a very specific reason, he hadn't expected Kiba to trigger three simultaneous sign-in notifications!
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for signing in! Sign-in rank: Bronze!]
[Sign-in location: Yuuto Kiba's Demon Sword!]
[Time limit: 1 hour.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for signing in! Sign-in rank: Silver!]
[Sign-in location: Yuuto Kiba's Holy Sword!]
[Time limit: 2 months.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for signing in! Sign-in rank: Silver!]
[Sign-in location: Yuuto Kiba's Holy-Demon Sword!]
[Time limit: 2 months.]
Kiba, while the quality of these sign-ins might not be the highest tier, the quantity is certainly impressive, Takeyo thought with internal amusement. Sometimes quantity really can make up for quality, especially with enough luck involved.
"A human?" Akeno's eyes widened slightly as she settled into her seat. "Takeyo-kun claims to be human? How modest. A human who can repel Kuroka, an opponent even the Underworld's enforcement teams can't capture, is hardly ordinary."
Rias sipped her tea elegantly, her blue-green eyes studying Takeyo with renewed interest.
She knew that the relationship between Takeyo and Sona was far closer than whatever acquaintance she shared with him. Sona trusted him, worked alongside him daily, and clearly valued his presence.
That's precisely why Rias had decided to act, to try to recruit him into her peerage before Sona could make her move. It was, in a sense, cutting in line.
"I was just running away, President Rias," Takeyo said modestly, though a slight smile played at his lips. "Of course Kuroka couldn't catch me. That doesn't mean I could defeat her in actual combat."
He had to admit the truth, without overdrawing his incarnations' power, he genuinely wasn't Kuroka's opponent yet.
Unless, of course, he was willing to risk being bedridden and paralyzed for an extended period afterward.
"Takeyo-kun, since you already know about Devils and our society, I'll be direct." Rias set her teacup down, her expression turning serious. Her blue-green eyes held genuine determination. "I need your strength. I hope you'll become my servant."
She truly didn't want to marry Riser Phenex, that arrogant peacock who looked and acted like a complete scumbag.
She'd heard the rumors. All his peerage members were women, carefully selected to represent different "attributes" for his personal harem. He was exactly the kind of hedonistic pervert she despised.
Even worse, he'd made his own younger sister one of his servants. The thought made her skin crawl.
No! Rias's internal resolve hardened. I can never become his wife! Even if I have to use a Rating Game to claim my freedom, I need powerful peerage members to make that possible!
According to Koneko's report, Takeyo had only just awakened his heroic bloodline, yet he could already repel Kuroka, an SS-Class Stray Devil.
That kind of talent exceeded even some Longinus wielders! He was the perfect candidate for her peerage.
"Becoming a servant, does President Rias mean becoming a Devil?" Takeyo asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He'd already inspected the energy within his body during class earlier. The demonic power was present, but minimal, "just a tiny amount provided by six Pawn pieces, one Rook piece, and one Knight piece.
He'd calculated that transforming him into a Devil would require literal truckloads of Evil Pieces, and that was if he actually wanted the transformation to succeed.
If he chose to resist, he could use Krishna's power to devour all the demonic energy and convert it into pure magical power at any time. Krishna, also called "Black Sky" in Sanskrit, could absorb and transform nearly anything, including the power of Evil Pieces themselves.
In theory, he really could absorb a truckload of Evil Pieces and devour them all, thereby increasing his raw power.
It was just unfortunate that no one possessed that many spare pieces to waste on the experiment.
Rias frowned slightly at his question. It seemed Takeyo was quite resistant to becoming a Devil.
"Yes, to become my servant means becoming a Devil," she confirmed. "But please don't misunderstand me, Takeyo-kun."
She leaned forward slightly, her tone earnest.
"We Devils aren't evil beings. Modern Devils don't collect human souls as sacrifices like the legends claim, nor do we provoke wars or spread chaos. Those are just myths from a different era."
"I know that," Takeyo said with a slight smile. "Isn't President Rias a perfect example of a new-generation Devil?"
"I'm glad you understand." Rias relaxed slightly. "So, what about becoming my servant?"
"About that..." Takeyo fell silent for a moment.
"There are many benefits to becoming my servant," Rias continued, sensing his hesitation. "Not only would you have the protection of a Satan, but you'd also gain access to the Gremory family's cultivation resources and training facilities."
"I'm sure you're not particularly interested in material wealth, Takeyo-kun, but let me mention it anyway."
She began listing the advantages with the practiced ease of someone who'd made this pitch before.
"The Gremory family controls territory spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, roughly equivalent to the entire island of Honshu in Japan. As the next head of the Gremory family, all of that will eventually fall under my authority. If you became my servant, you would share in that inheritance."
Rias spoke continuously, trying to appeal to every possible interest Takeyo might have. She and Takeyo didn't share any particularly deep emotional connection, certainly not one that compared to his relationship with Sona. To convince him to join her peerage and complete his reincarnation as quickly as possible, she needed to offer tangible incentives.
The reason for Takeyo's earlier silence, however, had nothing to do with her arguments.
He'd just received another notification, one that had triggered something far more valuable.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering a plot sign-in! Sign-in rank: Gold!]