Stepping out of the attic, Takumi walked along the corridor bathed in the golden afterglow of sunset.
His [Jade Eye] gleamed faintly as he carefully examined the Devil's Pieces in his hand.
[Devil's Piece]
[Quality: Blue]
[Traits:
Fusion — Allows the servant to gain devil bloodline and corresponding power.
Recognition — The fused servant will subconsciously acknowledge their master.
Alteration — Unused pieces react to their holder's growth.]
"Hmm, compared to the [Master–Servant Contract], this is much gentler… and it can even evolve based on the wielder's magic power."
Injecting a bit of his mana into a Pawn piece, Takumi watched it glow faintly—the devilish aura within growing stronger. If nurtured further, it might even mutate.
Mutated Pieces were extremely rare—only one out of ten High-Class Devils might possess one. For a reincarnation requiring multiple pieces, a single Mutated Piece could sometimes suffice.
"No need to rush fusing the King piece. I should finish analyzing everything first. Let's set a small goal—evolve the entire set of Devil's Pieces into Mutated ones. After that, I'll think about replicating or manufacturing more."
Someone like Setsuna or Freya didn't need this kind of enhancement. But for Anna, a boost from a Devil's Piece would be a huge help. He didn't expect her to catch up to Setsuna or Freya—just being able to push her potential far beyond an ordinary human was enough.
Feeling rather pleased with himself, Takumi quickened his pace. As he passed an empty hallway, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
"Four-leaf clover, four-leaf clover… where are you?!"
In the courtyard, Hakari and Karane were still searching through the clover field, hunting for the elusive four-leaf kind.
Watching the two girls bend over searching, Takumi couldn't help but pause for two seconds, appreciating the view.
"The skirts in this academy's uniform are way too long. You can only see the curves, not the real view beneath. And it's an all-girls school too… who are they even trying to guard against?"
As for him—he was a proper gentleman, a man of culture! Such indecent thoughts? Never!
He grumbled internally, realizing what the girls were up to.
"They're still searching? I spent an hour meeting with Rias and Sona already." He sighed softly. "They've been at this all day… truly persistent."
Buying two cans of juice from a vending machine on the way, Takumi headed toward them.
In the courtyard, Karane wiped sweat from her cheek and sighed in frustration. "No matter how much I look, I can't find a single one… guess they've all been picked already."
Feeling a bit down, she sat by the flowerbed and muttered, "Still, there should at least be one somewhere. I just…"
She wanted to find one and give it to Takumi afterward. Not because she believed in that "love magic" that supposedly helped couples succeed. No way! She just wanted to… give it to him as a friend, that's all!
Still muttering excuses to herself, Karane didn't notice the footsteps approaching from behind.
"Inda-san."
"Eh!?"
Startled by Takumi's voice, she spun around to see him holding two juice cans.
He offered one to her. "Four-leaf clovers aren't easy to find. Take a break and have a drink."
"T-Takumi!? I—I wasn't looking for four-leaf clovers! I just… yeah! I was, um, looking for a nice place to sit, that's all!"
Watching her twist herself into knots, Takumi could barely keep a straight face.
Her face was red as a cherry, yet she kept forcing out excuses—digging herself deeper with every word.
This girl's too damn cute.
Glancing around, Takumi noticed Hakari was nowhere to be seen.
"By the way, where's Hanazono-san?"
"Hmm? She was here a minute ago. Maybe she went to the restroom?"
Seeing no sign of her, Takumi decided not to worry for now. He handed the juice over again. "Either way, you've worked hard. Have a drink."
"Eh? Wh-why are you giving this to me? This is weird!" Though her words protested, her hands instinctively reached out.
"It's just my small token of appreciation. Will you accept it?" Takumi put on a mock-hurt expression.
Flustered, Karane panicked and snatched the can from his hand. "I-It's not like I want it or anything! It's just… it'd be a waste to refuse, so I'll drink it!"
Takumi nodded, amused. Her tsundere energy was perfectly balanced. The same type as Eriri, all bluster on the outside but honest inside.
"Anyway, it's getting late. It's not safe for girls to walk home too late…"
That line immediately triggered her tsundere defenses. "I-I don't need you telling me! I was just about to leave!"
She turned away quickly, but after two steps, she hesitated, cheeks glowing red.
With a soft, shy look, she whispered, "Um… thanks."
A little puff of steam almost rose from her head as she said it. Just those few words seemed to exhaust every ounce of courage she had.
Takumi froze—his heart thumped violently.
Damn it… this feeling of falling in love!
For a man as experienced as him, it was rare to lose composure, but Karane's cuteness hit him hard.
The flustered girl turned and ran off, shouting over her shoulder, "I-I'm not grateful at all, you hear me!!"
Watching her disappear down the hall, Takumi could only laugh helplessly.
Karane's tsundere wasn't the same as Eriri's—hers was one percent pride, ninety-nine percent pure sweetness.
And just as that thought passed through his mind, Hakari reappeared from the side of the courtyard—stepping back into his sightline.
...
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