"Xi Ye-kun, I'm sorry~"
As she watched Akeno leave, Koneko lowered her head like a cat that had done something wrong. She regretted listening to Akeno. She had come to the dormitory to test whether Xi Ye was a good person, and she felt that her method was inappropriate.
"It's okay, Koneko-chan." Fortunately, Xi Ye didn't have the habit of sleeping shirtless. Otherwise, Akeno's presence would have made things even more embarrassing. The air was still filled with Akeno's lingering perfume, which was distracting enough for him, let alone for a cute little girl like Koneko. Xi Ye slightly bowed his head to hide his discomfort. The matter of petting cats would have to wait for another time.
"Is she your sister?" Xi Ye asked, trying to shift the conversation.
"No, she is... She's a member of the Occult Research Club just like me, so I guess she can be considered my sister~" Koneko replied, interlacing her hands and wearing a regretful expression, much like a kitten that had just misbehaved.
"Alright, it's time for you to go back. This is the men's dormitory, and it's midnight. I don't know how you got in," Xi Ye said, hoping Akeno hadn't gone too far. At this moment, sending Koneko back was what he truly wanted. Generally, he wasn't at a loss for words, but the softness of Akeno was still unforgettable.
"Okay, Xi Ye-san, I understand~" Koneko said, rubbing against his side. Her gentle face was framed by her silver-white hair. After a moment, she took small steps and ran out.
"This..." Xi Ye thought, a bit confused. What did that mean? But he soon realized what was happening: the nekomata retained cat-like behavior, and she nuzzled against those she liked.
"What a shame," he muttered to himself with some regret. At that moment, he hadn't understood that when a cat gently rubs against its owner, the owner is supposed to pet the cat. That would have been the perfect response! But it was too late now.
After gathering his thoughts, Xi Ye went back to bed and continued to sleep. However, he also realized that it seemed he had attracted the attention of Rias Gremory, who was likely dissatisfied with what was happening between him and Koneko. But that didn't seem to be the most pressing concern right now. His primary focus needed to be on the tasks issued by the system. Improving his strength was the most important rule for his survival.
---
Time passed, and six days had passed since Akeno's unsuccessful plan to disrupt the relationship between Koneko and Xi Ye. It was now the weekend. Some time ago, Xi Ye had arranged for the landlord at his previous residence to send his belongings. After receiving them, he finally had a computer to play games with Koneko.
This had been strongly requested by Koneko; games without Xi Ye would be tasteless. Yesterday, he had stayed up playing with Koneko until midnight. During that time, he confirmed the existence of Issei Hyoudou, who was still in his human form, meaning Rias hadn't made her move yet. It seemed that events were slowly unfolding according to the original timeline.
Today, Xi Ye had a special task: to check in at a famous scene. When he woke up, it was almost dusk. This secret path was risky—playing games really could delay major events. After taking a quick shower, Xi Ye headed toward the park with the fountain. By the time he arrived, it was already dark.
"Huh?" he exclaimed, noticing that Issei Hyoudou and Amano Yuuma were nowhere to be found. Confused, Xi Ye checked his task panel, but it didn't show any failure. Could things have changed due to his arrival? Unwilling to give up, he decided to investigate further.
As he walked forward, he encountered a transparent barrier in front of him. "A boundary? Damn, I forgot about this." Amano Yuuma, as a fallen angel, was too cautious to not prepare for external interference, so she had set up a barrier.
"It seems I'll have to use 'Astiel's Codex.'" He focused his thoughts on the magic book hanging around his neck. "Open the 'Domination' theme! Connect to the 'Gluttony' library of the Library!" Following Xi Ye's mental commands, Astiel's Codex began to glow blue, flipping its pages until it stopped at a specific one.
"Mantra!" A blue magic circle appeared on Xi Ye's arm. Magical power flowed from his body into his arm, creating a cycle with the power word spell. The strength in his arm gradually increased, and Xi Ye felt an urge to test it out. "It's the first time I've used this power."
After stating that, Xi Ye began accumulating energy, leaning forward slightly.
BOOM!
CRACK!
When his hand made contact with the barrier, it shattered like glass. In an instant, it burst open and collapsed.
Looking around, beside the fountain, he saw a woman with black angel wings on her back showing an evil smile.
In front of her lay a corpse with a miserable expression, its vitality extinguished, with a pool of blood spreading around it.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the task and signing in at the famous scene: The death of Issei Hyoudou! Obtaining one of the seven deadly sins of the Library, the Wrath Library!"
"Ding! Unlocked: Holy Ritual Art!"
"Ding! The completion rate of 'Astiel's Manuscript' has increased by 5%!"
"Did Astiel's Manuscript just activate 5% of its power?"
Feeling his magical power expand once more, Xi Ye muttered to himself, "Who are you!?"
Amano Yuuma, reveling in her achievement, stared in shock at the man who had broken through her barrier. "Still human?"
However, her expression quickly changed to one of concern as she sensed the magical power radiating from Xi Ye, which even surpassed her own.
"That's not the question you should be asking," Xi Ye replied, ignoring Amano Yuuma entirely. He made his way straight to Issei Hyoudou's side, intent on taking the God Killing Tool as quickly as possible. He needed to leave before Rias arrived. Although she wasn't here yet, he would allow this fallen angel, Amano Yuuma, to continue living.
"Huh?"
Keeping her distance from the mysterious human, Yuuma observed his strange behavior. But in the next moment, she sensed a familiar power. As a fallen angel and servant of Governor Azazel, Amano Yuuma immediately recognized it, and a look of shock crossed her face.
"The Boosted Gear!"