Bill let Kuroka go on bandit hunts while he stayed behind at their camp keeping an eye on the others through the shimmering screen before him. First up was Rias's group.
Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Tsubaki had just finished their third quest and were now making their way toward their fourth. The four girls descended into the caves beneath Cassardis, their footsteps echoing softly off the stone walls as the faint scent of moisture filled the air.
"So, we're after something called saurians, right?" Rias asked, her crimson hair catching the faint glimmer of their lantern light as she led the way.
Sona adjusted her glasses with a calm, analytical expression. "Yes. A type of lizardmen typically found near bodies of water. Our mission is to exterminate all of them that are down here."
Akeno's lips curled into a dark, excited smile. "A bunch of water-based monsters? That means they'll be weak to lightning. This will be fun."
Tsubaki gave her a pointed look, raising a brow. "Just make sure not to catch any of us in the crossfire."
Once they reached the deeper sections of the cave, the soft sound of running water greeted them. They followed it until they reached an underground river, and along its rocky shore lounged several saurians—massive, scaly lizardmen resting lazily with their spears at their sides.
The girls crouched behind a large rock formation, their eyes sharp and focused.
"Alright, here's the plan," Sona whispered, her voice steady. "Akeno will imbue our weapons with lightning, then she'll start raining Levin down on them. I'll take shots from here. Rias, you and Tsubaki will hold the line, keeping them pushed back and striking whenever you see an opening."
Rias frowned slightly, crossing her arms. "Why do you get to lead?"
Sona gave her a cool, unimpressed look. "Oh, I'm sorry—did you have a better plan?"
Rias pouted for a moment before grumbling out, "...No."
With that, the girls put the plan into action. Akeno extended her hand, electricity crackling around her fingers as she cast Thunder Boon, enchanting Rias's and Tsubaki's swords—and Sona's bow—with shimmering arcs of lightning. Sparks danced across the weapons as Akeno began channeling Levin, bolts of lightning slamming down onto the unsuspecting saurians.
Rias and Tsubaki charged forward with shields raised, intercepting the saurians as they roared and lunged at them. Sona stood back, her bowstring taut as she released one precise arrow after another, each glowing with a faint electric pulse.
The air filled with the smell of ozone and burnt scales. Akeno's laughter echoed through the cavern as she unleashed bolt after bolt, electricity reflecting in her violet eyes. Tsubaki blocked a saurian's strike before shoving it back, and Rias seized the opening—thrusting her sword forward and impaling the creature through the chest.
The girls fought with surprising coordination, their formation tight and efficient. One saurian after another fell to the combined might of magic and steel until, at last, silence filled the cave once more.
"We did it—yes!" Rias cheered, raising her sword triumphantly, her face glowing with pride.
"I must admit," Sona said, lowering her bow and adjusting her glasses again, "that went better than expected."
"There's a door here," Tsubaki noted, stepping toward a nearby stone archway. "Shall we press forward?"
Sona glanced toward it, thoughtful. "I don't think we'll have a reason to come back here, so we may as well check things out."
As they made their way toward the exit, Rias noticed another smaller door off to the left. Curiosity sparking in her eyes, she strode over and forced it open. Inside, several leather bags filled with gold glittered in the dim light.
"Yes!" Rias exclaimed happily. "Now we can not only restock our food and healing items, but also get new gear!"
Akeno's eyes lit up. "I've had my eye on this staff that fires lightning as its basic attack," she said, sounding positively giddy.
"And I've been wanting some better armor," Tsubaki added, crossing her arms with a satisfied nod.
Sona smiled faintly. "A cloak would be nice. The night air gets cold around here."
Rias grinned. "I'm going to get a new sword."
The group chatted cheerfully as they exited the cave, stepping into the sunlight. Laughter and light conversation filled the air as they made their way back toward Cassardis.
Bill watched the screen closely, his expression amused. "Okay, not bad," he muttered, nodding approvingly. "Now, let's check and see how Sirzechs and his family are doing."
When the image shifted, his brows shot up in surprise. On-screen, Grayfia Lucifuge was elegantly toying with a massive chimera as if it were nothing more than a bothersome pet.
Grayfia moved with effortless grace, weaving in and out of the beast's attack range. Each swipe of its claws and lash of its serpentine tail met only empty air as she stepped aside with practiced ease. Even its spell's of the goat did nothing to faze her.
"Oh my," she said with an almost teasing lilt, sidestepping another claw swipe and smiling faintly. "Is that really all you have? This barely counts as a warm-up."
The chimera let out a furious roar and lunged at her again, its lion head leading the charge. Grayfia met it with nothing more than a casual kick under its chin, sending the towering creature tumbling backward with a thunderous crash.
A faint smirk curved her lips as she tilted her head slightly. "Come on, get up. I barely put any power into that."
Off to the side, little Milicas watched in awe, his eyes wide as he turned to his father. "Father… is Mother fighting or playing?"
Sirzechs gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled awkwardly. "A little bit of both, son," he admitted.
Internally, he couldn't help but think, I think she needed a vacation even more than I did. She's using that poor creature as a stress ball.
Shaking his head fondly, Sirzechs looked down at his son. "Let's leave your mother to her fun. I saw a cyclops over that hill—that should make a good training dummy for you, son."
Milicas's eyes lit up with excitement, his face brightening immediately. "Really?!" he asked eagerly.
"Yes," Sirzechs said with a proud smile. "Let's go."
They moved a short distance away, and soon, Milicas stood ready as his father instructed him from behind. The young devil raised his hand, demonic energy swirling around his palm as he fired a wide beam of crimson destruction at the towering cyclops. The blast clipped its arm, tearing a hole straight through it.
Sirzechs winced slightly. "Not like that, son," he advised gently. "You used too much demonic energy. You can achieve the same result with less power. Plus, a beam that wide could hit the surroundings—or an innocent bystander."
Milicas nodded, determined. "Okay, Father. Let me try again."
The cyclops roared and charged, but this time, Milicas took a steady breath and fired a smaller, more focused beam. The crimson energy struck the cyclops square in the chest, piercing straight through where its heart had been. The monster fell with a heavy thud, shaking the ground beneath them.
Sirzechs walked over with a proud smile, ruffling his son's hair. "That's my boy. Well done."
A sudden click echoed nearby, followed by the unmistakable flash of a camera. Sirzechs blinked, turning around in confusion—only to see Grayfia standing there, her expression perfectly composed and hands tucked behind her back.
"Was that… a camera?" he asked, brow raised.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Grayfia said smoothly, her tone completely innocent. After a brief, polite cough, she added, "Ahem. I saw a tower off in the distance. Shall we go and check it out?"
"Yes! Let's go!" Milicas said excitedly, darting off ahead without hesitation.
"Wait, son—don't run off without us!" Sirzechs called, quickly following after him with a sigh.
Unseen by either of them, Grayfia reached down and slipped the newly acquired photo into her bag. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she murmured, "One more for the collection. I can't wait to show Lady Venelana my baby's first monster hunt."
With that, she gracefully turned and followed after her husband and son, the faintest trace of amusement lingering in her usually stoic eyes.
Bill sat in the middle of the forest, calmly making s'mores over a small campfire of all things. The crackle of burning wood mixed with the distant sounds of battle echoing through the trees. As he turned another marshmallow over the flame, he heard Kuroka's voice ring out through the forest.
"Take that, nya!" she shouted, followed by a brilliant flash of light and the dying screams of several unfortunate bandits.
Bill chuckled, taking a slow bite of his s'more just as another loud cry echoed through the woods.
"Hahahahaha! Bring it on, nya!"
A series of blinding flashes lit up the night sky—trees burst into flames, and more agonized screams followed. Moments later, a figure emerged from the forest's shadows.
Out stepped a beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure, long black hair tied up on her head, and golden catlike eyes that shimmered mischievously in the firelight. Two black cat ears adorned the top of her head, and twin tails swayed lazily behind her. She wore a black kimono lined with crimson on the inside, cinched by a yellow obi decorated with golden beads. The garment was open at the shoulders and parted high at her thighs, offering a clear, teasing view of her toned legs.
Bill took in the sight, letting out an appreciative whistle. "Well damn," he said with a grin.
Kuroka laughed softly, her tails swishing behind her. "Like what you see, nya?" she teased, her tone playful and flirtatious.
"If I wasn't a cat person before," Bill replied with a smirk, "I definitely am now. I might really end up keeping you."
A faint blush colored Kuroka's cheeks, though her grin only widened. "Oh my," she purred. "To become one of the Four Horsemen's cat might not be such a bad deal, nya."
Bill chuckled, leaning back slightly. "Well, I am looking for some company. We don't always get dispatched in pairs, but like Fury, I'm allowed to have a partner. I'll take you along if you're interested."
Kuroka's golden eyes glimmered with curiosity. "Would I be able to return here, nya?"
"Yep," Bill replied, tossing his half-eaten marshmallow into the fire. "No problem."
"Will we be making a familiar contract if I say yes, nya?" she asked, her ears twitching slightly.
"Something similar to that," Bill explained. "But rather than a servant, you'd be more like a subordinate. The contract just gives you certain benefits and privileges to help you do your job."
Kuroka grew thoughtful, her tail swaying slowly behind her. After a few moments of silence, she nodded decisively. "Alright, I'm in, nya."
"That was fast," Bill said with a faint laugh.
Kuroka smiled mischievously, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm the type of woman who goes after what I want as soon as I've decided on something. And truthfully, I've been thinking about this since we met, nya."
Bill raised an eyebrow. "It's been three days."
"And what a wonderful three days it's been, nya," she replied smoothly, her grin widening. "Now, let's do this."
Bill shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Alright, here goes."
He extended his hand toward her. Instantly, Kuroka was enveloped in a cocoon of swirling black and white energy. A faint, invisible tether formed between them, pulsing with power. As the cocoon began to crack and shatter, the light faded—revealing Kuroka anew.
Her power surged dramatically, skyrocketing from the middle of Ultimate-class to the very peak of Satan-class, brushing against the edge of the Super-class threshold. Her once solid black hair now bore streaks of pure white along the left side of her head, and one of her tails had turned snowy white to match. A radiant aura of black and white energy surrounded her, replacing her usual dark purple glow, as she stood there—stronger, sharper, and infinitely more dangerous.
Kuroka stretched with a pleased grin, her golden eyes gleaming. "I feel amazing. I'm pretty sure I just entered the top thirty—at least," she said with a satisfied purr.
Bill smirked slightly as he crossed his arms. "Not bad, but you'll be even stronger once you master your new abilities. I'll also talk to the boss and get you a personal key. We'll have you breaking into Universal rank before the year's out."
Kuroka's ears twitched, and she tilted her head curiously. "How strong are you, nya?" she asked, eyes glimmering with interest.
"Me and my siblings are all at the low multiversal level," Bill explained calmly, his tone carrying quiet confidence. "But our boss and his pantheon are stronger—Lady Hestia's the second strongest, sitting at mid multiversal rank, and the boss himself is at the peak. Another good push or two, and he'll break into low Omniversal."
Kuroka's eyes widened, sparkling with admiration. "And you think I can reach Universal before the year's out?" she asked eagerly, her tail swishing behind her.
Bill gave a small, knowing smile. "It's kind of a sure thing. If you haven't already noticed, our contract gave you some of my powers—like my shadow magic and my light magic. That one wasn't originally one of my abilities, but I picked it up after watching the angels use it."
Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "You just picked up angelic magic after watching it be used by angels"
"Yep," Bill interrupted casually, as if it were nothing extraordinary. "You'll be able to do similar stuff once you grow stronger. For now, I'd suggest finishing your mastery of the Mage vocation, then move on to Sorcerer. That should be enough to push you into Super Class. After that, once you adjust to the power I gave you and master my magic, you should hit the peak."
Kuroka's excitement was almost childlike as she clenched her fists and grinned ear to ear. "I'm gonna go find more monsters and bandits! Be back soon, Master!" she called out, already darting off before he could respond.
Bill sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a faint chuckle. "I never told you to call me that…" he muttered.
As her figure disappeared into the distance, his eyes softened slightly. "Seeing her new form reminds me of the whole yin and yang thing," he mused aloud. "Maybe I should find another cat to complete the set."