"Just kidding," Xi Ye said quickly.
He didn't want the girl to cry because of his words.
At that moment, a unique scent wafted into his lungs.
He sensed someone suddenly appear beside him.
He looked up—Kuroka!
Xi Ye immediately recognized her from memory.
And now, she was standing right in front of him.
Her black kimono had slipped slightly, revealing the snow-white skin of her shoulders.
Xi Ye had to admit—the difference between the two sisters was quite striking.
Well, no introductions needed now. Your sister's standing right here.
Kuroka casually sat at the table where Xi Ye had been eating.
Under his stunned gaze, she said, "It seems you wanted to see me?"
"You... I don't know you!"
Xi Ye instinctively leaned back.
This thorny rose was as dangerous as she was beautiful, a mid-tier Devil in terms of power.
Still, Xi Ye wasn't without protection.
He had a trump card: an absolute defense and dimensional world round-trip token hidden in his inventory.
He had exchanged points for it after obtaining an artificial Sacred Gear from a fallen angel he'd killed at the church.
His system confirmed: artificial Sacred Gears were nearly as valuable as real ones and could be traded for high points.
In short, he could protect himself, even from her.
Although he recognized Kuroka, he needed to pretend he didn't.
No need to reveal his hand just yet.
"Aren't you chatting with Shirone on your phone?" Kuroka asked, pointing at the still-vibrating device on the table.
"You're... Koneko's sister?"
"Isn't it obvious, Mr. Xi Ye? Let me formally introduce myself—I'm Kuroka, the awesome sister Koneko told you about," she purred, leaning toward him suggestively.
"So... how did you get in?" Xi Ye asked, gesturing toward the door, which was locked.
"That's a secret. I'm very good at what I do~"
Kuroka studied the young man in front of her.
Just a regular human? Shirone's standards must be slipping.
Still, he's cute. Much more pleasant to look at than those grim-faced guys.
"That's... pretty impressive," Xi Ye said, edging away. "Would you like to eat something?"
"Sure~"
Kuroka plopped herself down in the seat next to his.
With an invisible sigh, Xi Ye got up to fetch another set of tableware, while wondering what her real purpose was.
Had the White Dragon Emperor, Vali, arrived sooner than expected?
Unbeknownst to him, Kuroka often visited Kuoh Town in secret to check on her sister.
This time, she'd noticed something different about Koneko, and her curiosity led her here.
"Here you go."
Xi Ye handed her the bowl and chopsticks before sitting down again.
As he picked up his phone, his eyes narrowed.
A new message had been sent, without his knowledge.
Koneko-chan, I'm right next to Xi Ye. —Your dear sister Kuroka
"..."
Xi Ye stared at the message, unease creeping in.
He had no idea what was about to happen, but it couldn't be good.
Suddenly, a loud crash shook the room.
The locked door burst open.
Koneko stood in the doorway, panting, her golden eyes locked on Kuroka with blazing intensity.
"Oh? Shirone got here so fast," Kuroka said smugly, unfazed by her sister's hostility.
"Heh, you two sisters sure are something," Xi Ye muttered, eyeing the now-broken door.
Seeing Kuroka sitting comfortably next to Xi Ye, Koneko rushed to his side like a protective guardian.
she positioned herself between him and Kuroka, her small body tense, trembling slightly.
Xi Ye understood, she was scared Kuroka might hurt him.
He didn't know Kuroka's true intentions yet, but if she tried anything, he could still defend himself.
"Koneko-chan, why don't you sit and eat with us?"
In addition to the main dishes, there were sweets and pastries, Koneko's favorites.
"Okay," she replied softly, but remained standing guard.
She only reached for the sweets, never taking her eyes off Kuroka.
"Shirone is cute. Still loves sweets just like before," Kuroka said with a soft smile, glancing at Xi Ye.
"Indeed."
Xi Ye nodded.
Eventually, Koneko finished every sweet on the table.
Still, Kuroka hadn't done anything suspicious.
As the sky darkened outside, Xi Ye said, "Kuroka, now that you've had your fun, it's probably time for you to go."
"Leave? But this is my first time in Kuoh Town, and I don't have a place to stay. Your house is pretty spacious, I think I'll rest here tonight."
She smiled at Koneko.
Koneko's muscles tensed again. Her slight relaxation vanished instantly.
"You can't stay here," she said firmly, her small voice laced with warning.
"Ah~ Is Shirone jealous? Well, I'm staying regardless."
The message was clear: Try and stop me.
Koneko pressed closer to Xi Ye, standing by his waist with clenched fists.
"If she stays, then I'm staying too."
"This..."
Xi Ye hesitated. He had assumed she would just leave, but that wasn't happening.
"Alright," he sighed.
Then Koneko looked up at him and declared, "I'll sleep with you tonight."
"..."
That was not what Xi Ye had expected.
"Ara~ Shirone, do you want me to join you too?" Kuroka asked sweetly, her voice silk and daggers.