"So it was difficult?"
In the club room, at that moment only Kaito and Koneko were there.
This was because the older students arrived at the club later while the younger ones arrived earlier. The older you are, the more things you have to do at school, that's how the classes work, so this situation wasn't unusual.
Koneko was simply lying on Kaito's lap, passing the time, but after noticing the unusual signs of exhaustion on Kaito's face, she had to ask.
"Very" Kaito nodded. "She can see your surface memories and manipulate your mind however she wants."
"She sees your memories?"
"Not exactly. She enters your dreams instead. The memories that are strong enough to affect your dreams become visible to her there. Based on that, she can completely manipulate those memories inside your dreams.
Every emotion you experience there feeds her, draining your mental energy and pushing you into extreme exhaustion."
"Isn't that too powerful for a mere succubus?" Koneko asked. She knew succubi, and they were nothing more than creatures that fed on men's lust. They couldn't do something like what Kaito had described, not even close.
"I thought the same" Kaito agreed. "Apparently those are techniques taught by Maria, so they're much stronger. Maria isn't really high level, but she comes from a world with concepts based around lust, so her techniques are on another level when it comes to that."
"But isn't my world like that too?" Koneko asked.
"You noticed?"
"With a pervert like Issei having something that powerful, and the difference between the girls from other worlds and the girls from this one... Isn't it obvious?"
Kaito thought about it for a second and realized she was right. The difference between the normal girls here and the normal girls from other worlds was incredible, except perhaps for the people from Shinmai Maou no Testament. They weren't necessarily prettier, but their designs were clearly much more focused on sensuality.
"But at least, if it's that strong, it'll be useful" Koneko murmured, deciding not to think too much about it.
Hearing that, Kaito's expression changed immediately.
"What is it?" the Nekushou asked after noticing it.
"She says doing that with other people would be like cheating on me, so she doesn't want to do it" Kaito sighed.
"I thought they were only illusions and she didn't do anything physical?"
"And they are. Most of the illusions wouldn't even involve her, they'd involve other people from my memories instead."
"But she didn't care about that" Koneko guessed.
"That's right. At least she said that mental energy overload can cause stress, so absorbing that can be useful. She said she'll help me with that at least.
So... I guess it's fine even if that's one less fighter?"
"But if that's the case... why don't you look rested?"
"Do you think she stopped there?" Kaito smiled with an ironic smile.
Koneko simply looked at him without saying anything, understanding the situation before changing the subject.
"By the way, how are you going to complete the mission if they won't let you do anything?" Koneko asked.
"You say that as if you had nothing to do with that decision, huh?" Kaito joked. From his point of view, Koneko herself had most likely suggested that idea.
Koneko merely smiled and said nothing, pretending ignorance, making Kaito roll his eyes at her shamelessness.
"I have a plan for that. I'll simply let everything proceed as it should, although I'll secretly recruit a few people like Asia or your sister. Then, during the Rating Game between Rias and Riser to break off the engagement, I'll attack with everything I've got.
We'll take advantage of the fact that most of the demonic upper class will be gathered in a small space to use both omnipotence and my Motion Domain along with Kaguya's Death Domain."
"Sounds like a good plan. Devils follow the strong, so they're not actually difficult to bring under your command" Koneko nodded.
As they continued talking, Koneko's ears twitched when she sensed movement, and she quickly turned her attention back to her handheld console.
"So you were already here, good afternoon" The first one to enter was Kiba, who simply smiled and greeted them politely when he saw them.
"Good afternoon, Senior" Kaito greeted him in return while Koneko merely nodded at his arrival.
"You can just call me Kiba. We're clubmates now, Kaito, there's no need to be so formal."
"The same goes for you, Kiba. There's no need to be so formal."
"I underst... Alright" Kiba nodded with a smile.
"Damn it, Kaito, I'm so jealous! Flirting all day without having to go to class." The next to arrive was Issei, entering as noisily as always.
"Good afternoon to you too, Issei" Kaito replied, completely ignoring his nonsense.
"Ara, I have to agree with Issei this time. Just relaxing and flirting with your girlfriend all day really is quite a privilege."
Following the second years came the third years, with Akeno joking around before even greeting them.
"Senior Akeno..."
"A-ke-no" she corrected him herself.
"Akeno" Kaito sighed. "Please don't tease us. I wasn't just lazing around. I prepared lunches for everyone earlier, and also some snacks for now."
Kaito pointed at several snacks he had prepared and left on a tray in the middle of the table.
"So you're not denying the girlfriend or the flirting part, huh?" Akeno covered her mouth with a giggle.
"I like that part" Kaito played along.
"Akeno, this isn't the time for jokes. There's something important we need to discuss today" Rias hurried her Queen along and quickly entered, sitting behind the desk while Akeno also sat down on the sofa with Issei beside her. Kiba simply remained standing like a guard, as usual.
"So, President, are we going to fight monsters today?" Issei asked excitedly. "I already want to awaken my Sacred Gear"
"Actually, today we're introducing you to some people" Rias shook her head.
"Eh?" Issei asked in disappointment. "That's all?"
"Issei, there's no need to be so impatient" Akeno said while sitting beside him and picking up a snack from the table. "Everything will happen in due time. Relax and have a snack while we wait"
After taking a bite of the cookie, she placed a hand on her cheek in delight. "Mmh, delicious as always"
"W-what?" Issei reacted immediately to the sensual, exaggerated moan Akeno had clearly made on purpose. "Could those cookies have something strange in them? Maybe some aphrodis..."
"Don't be ridiculous, Issei. Kaito's cooking is just that good" Akeno interrupted him as she noticed his thoughts wandering once again.
"Then I'll try one. Excuse me. Delicious! What is this food?" Issei picked up a cookie suspiciously and took a bite before reacting.
"Kaito, you're such a good cook? Is that how you won Koneko over? Damn it, I should've learned how to cook too. But seriously, this is really good. Don't you want to become the cook for me and my harem in the fu..."
"Pervert, shut up" Issei's excited declaration was interrupted by Koneko's cold and annoyed response.
"S-sorry" Issei apologized out of habit even though he didn't actually regret it.
"Come now, Koneko, there's no need to be so harsh on the new member" Akeno tried to mediate.
"It seems our guests have arrived" Rias said with a clap, drawing everyone's attention and stopping the discussion.
Following her words, the door opened and a group of people entered.
At the front was a girl with short black hair, glasses, and a strict appearance, followed by another girl with long black hair, glasses, and an equally strict look.
Behind them were many more people whom Kaito didn't pay much attention to.
"T-the Student Council?! What are they doing here?" But Issei did. He knew that group all too well.
"Issei" Souna Shitori, the Student Council President, said while looking at him seriously.
"P-President Souna" Issei greeted nervously.
"Issei, she's Sona Sitri, the heiress of House Sitri and one of the two demon nobles who govern Kuoh. The other one is me, of course, Rias Gremory."
"T-then the Student Council..."
"That's right. Just as the club members are my peerage, the Student Council is Sona's peerage" Rias explained. "Today's goal is to introduce all of her members to you, Issei, since you're a new member, and to introduce ourselves to her newest member."
'Newest member' Kaito reacted immediately.
He quickly searched through the familiar faces until he found the one who shouldn't have been there.
It was a girl with a rather shabby appearance, not because of her features themselves, but because she looked like she didn't take care of herself at all. She wore a pink tracksuit with a skirt over it, hunched her back, and had messy hair covering part of her face.
During Sona's introduction, Kaito learned two things.
Her identity, Goto Hitori, which also told him everything he needed to know about her story and personality.
And the fact that he was supposedly already acquainted with her. She was supposedly a student at this school from the same time as Kaito, and they had even supposedly seen each other once before. Since Kaito was certain that had never happened, the only possible explanation was that they had achieved a grade higher than A the last time they were on a mission in that world.
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)