After taking the elevator down from the top floor, Koneko led Yoru toward the forest near the hotel.
Following the small, white figure ahead of him, Yoru gradually left behind the glittering luxury of the hotel and stepped into the shadowy woods.
"My sister's presence is just ahead…"
Koneko suddenly stopped, hesitation and struggle on her face. She was probably afraid—about to meet her sister, yet not knowing how to face her.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Yoru stepped forward and gently squeezed her hand. The girl nodded softly, steeling herself to move on.
Then, they both felt it—a gaze. As Koneko turned her head toward the source, Yoru followed her line of sight.
"Been a while, hasn't it?" A strange voice, yet somehow familiar. The speaker soon appeared—a woman dressed in a black kimono.
She had a face strikingly similar to Koneko's, with adorable cat ears atop her head and mysterious golden slit-pupiled eyes.
"You… you're…" Koneko's whole body trembled as she pointed at the woman in disbelief.
"Hello, Shirone. It's your big sister."
"Kuroka…!" The name escaped Koneko's throat with difficulty, the emotional turmoil within her plain to see.
The black-haired cat-eared woman Koneko called Kuroka chuckled softly, squatting down to stroke a black cat at her feet.
"To think you'd chase a little black cat that snuck into the banquet all the way here—big sis is so touched, nya~."
"…Sister, what is the meaning of this?"
There was anger in Koneko's voice, but the other woman only kept smiling.
"No need to make such a scary face. Just a little curiosity. Devils are holding such a big banquet here, aren't they? I was a bit interested, nya~." She made a pawing gesture with her hand and gave a playful wink, her cuteness almost exaggerated.
"Hahaha… I remember you—the Gremory servant who took down Leviathan."
That familiar voice made Yoru recall the figure that stepped forward—a handsome man wearing ancient Chinese armor.
The Monkey King—one of the ones who had retreated alongside Vali last time. Yoru raised an eyebrow. What was the Khaos Brigade planning, gathering here?
Koneko also recognized him, frowning before speaking in a pained voice.
"Sister, what are you trying to do? You've joined the Khaos Brigade—are you here to launch an attack?"
"No. We haven't received such orders. We're just on standby in the Underworld. Neither Kuroka nor I are on duty. She just said she wanted to take a peek at the devils' banquet, and when she didn't return, I came to fetch her. OK?"
Yawning, the Monkey King spoke lazily.
"Kuroka~, let's go. We can't join the banquet anyway, so don't waste your time."
"True enough. But… I'm taking Shirone with me, nya. I didn't manage to take her with me last time."
"Ahh, if you do that on your own, Vali will get mad."
"If they find out she has the same power as me, both Ophis and Vali will understand." Kuroka's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe so," the Monkey King replied with a nod.
Looking at her sister's gaze, Koneko's body trembled again—clearly from fear.
"If you act like I'm not here, I'll be troubled, you know."
Watching Kuroka and the Monkey King make decisions on their own, Yoru sighed in frustration.
"Ah, true. You're the one who forced that Leviathan to self-destruct, right? You'd better be careful with him, Kuroka."
"Hmph. Don't lump me in with those stupid Old Maou Faction idiots."
Kuroka stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Koneko as she spoke forcefully.
"So she's a Gremory servant, huh? Which means she's your comrade, Shirone?"
Hearing that, Koneko's expression turned pained. She stepped in front of Yoru, spreading her arms wide to shield him, glaring at her sister without backing down.
"What are you planning, Sister? If you lay a hand on Yoru-nii, I won't forgive you!"
"My, how affectionate… 'Nii'? Shirone, being too innocent will get you tricked."
"That's not it! Yoru-nii is the most important person to me—he's family. I won't allow you to hurt him!"
At those words, Kuroka's eyes grew cold, and when she looked at Yoru, there was a sharp hostility in them.
"After all this time apart, I've always loved you, little sister… and now you'd defy me for the sake of some outsider? Fine. I'll kill this so-called 'brother' of yours right in front of you, then take you away, nya~!"
Her tone turned cruel, and the space around them began to ripple.
"Spatial magic?"
Koneko's eyes widened in surprise, while Kuroka smirked in satisfaction.
"I know what you're thinking—this is the devils' banquet venue, and I have no intention of clashing with the Four Maou here. Heh… once you understand the basics of barrier magic, spatial techniques are easy enough. I've already covered this forest in a barrier, cutting it off completely from the outside world. No matter what happens here, no one outside will notice, and no devils can enter. Now, I'll kill you here, nya~!"
"What are you two doing, wandering off like this—Kuroka, Monkey King?" A voice of confusion and annoyance came from a suddenly forming spatial rift.
Someone was inside—a tall man, holding a sword radiating immense holy power. The weapon gave Yoru an oddly familiar feeling.
Adjusting his glasses, the man addressed Kuroka and the Monkey King before stepping through, his eyes widening slightly at the scene before him.
"Tch… you came too?"
"If I hadn't, who knows what mess you two would've caused? This mission is reconnaissance only—you dare act under the Maou's nose? Trying to get yourselves killed?"
Though clearly displeased with their actions, the man still pointed his terrifyingly radiant holy sword toward Yoru.
No matter his disapproval, Kuroka and the Monkey King were still his comrades—so he quickly shifted into a battle stance.
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