After learning where Issei and Yuuma Amano had agreed to meet, Takeyo said goodbye to his friend and headed toward Kuoh Academy.
Though only half a day had passed since yesterday's events, he'd undergone earth-shaking changes. His hard power had nearly reached Middle Class Devil level, not quite enough to challenge someone like Kuroka in direct combat, but more than sufficient to hold his own against Rias or Sona without breaking a sweat.
Maintaining his good mood, Takeyo deliberately concealed the contract emblem on his hand beneath his sleeve before entering the school grounds.
[Ding!]
[Bronze-rank sign-in successful!]
[Sign-in location: Kuoh Academy.]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving reward, Automated Body Operation System!]
[Automated Body Operation System: Allows the user to configure energy circulation and bodily functions to operate automatically according to preset parameters, dramatically increasing efficiency of all supernatural abilities...]
"Oh? Excellent," Takeyo murmured, genuinely pleased.
He'd originally expected an item, bloodline, pet, or weapon, but an automated operation system? This was potentially more valuable than any of those, perhaps even comparable to a Gold-rank reward.
The implications were enormous. Previously, constructing magic circles required conscious manipulation of spiritual power flow and activation patterns. Now it only required a thought. The improved efficiency essentially elevated his computational abilities by an entire tier.
"Though this does expose one weakness," he mused thoughtfully.
The problem was simple: he could now use more magic simultaneously and more efficiently, but his spiritual power reserves might not keep pace with the increased consumption.
"Not really a weakness, though. As long as I can maintain three incarnations simultaneously, this problem solves itself."
[Vamana the Dwarf] guaranteed mobility, [Krishna the Dark Sky] ensured perception, these two were the foundation. But each incarnation possessed multiple abilities beyond their primary functions. Krishna could absorb energy and matter, while Vamana could disguise his race and nature. He simply hadn't mastered those secondary applications yet, and they weren't critical for combat.
As Takeyo entered the teaching building, he began configuring the newly acquired system, setting up automated circulation patterns for his spiritual energy while maintaining his usual alert awareness.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt a familiar gaze watching him from the Student Council room. The observer's attention lingered for several seconds before finally withdrawing.
That girl was, of course, Sona Sitri.
Her heart felt tangled with conflicting emotions. She'd given Takeyo Ajuka's crystal orb, then asked him to become her servant, wouldn't that make her seem like a manipulative woman? Would Takeyo think poorly of her?
"President, it seems you've already made your decision," Tsubaki observed from beside her, adjusting her glasses with a knowing smile.
As Sona's Queen, Tsubaki understood her master better than anyone. The look in the President's eyes was unmistakable, she was watching someone precious to her.
President, you haven't even noticed it yourself yet, have you?
Takeyo had noticed Sona's gaze but still hadn't figured out how to address yesterday's... incident.
What am I supposed to say? 'Your sister used all your Evil Pieces trying to reincarnate me without permission, but it didn't work. By the way, I didn't know about it at the time, so I couldn't stop her'?
"Forget it. Learning brings me joy, and there's nothing more important than improving my strength," Takeyo decided pragmatically. "Since Evil Pieces can't help, maybe that thing can."
He thought of something else, something that the Devil chess pieces couldn't affect, but which might offer the enhancement he needed.
"Sigh..."
The teacher currently instructing the class glanced at Takeyo, whose eyes were closed in meditation, and sighed silently.
He'd tried educating and correcting Takeyo's classroom behavior before, only to be thoroughly demolished by the student's knowledge that exceeded his own by orders of magnitude. Takeyo's grades were impeccable, he attended every class on time, never disrupted other students' learning, and maintained perfect discipline. What more could the teacher say?
"Takeyo? Takeyo-kun? Someone's here for you!"
While Takeyo meditated on constructing his automated system, a girl's voice called out from nearby.
At Aika Kiryuu's summons, Takeyo opened his eyes.
"Oh?"
Looking toward the classroom door, he spotted a familiar figure.
That gray-white hair immediately brought to mind soft cat ears and fluffy tails, along with the memory of last night's... contact.
"Nya! Takeyo-kun, why is Koneko-chan looking for you? Do you two have some kind of shameful relationship?" Aika leaned close to Takeyo, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper behind her hand.
She wasn't an ordinary girl, she was the type who looked feminine but had absolutely no romantic interest in boys whatsoever.
"Hey! Don't spread baseless rumors," Takeyo replied with a slight smile.
Their relationship was, at best, that of a hero saving a damsel in distress. After all, from Koneko's perspective, her sister was the villain.
"Kiryuu, if the teacher asks where I am next period, tell them I'm sick and went to the nurse," Takeyo said, invoking his privilege as the school's top academic performer, the privilege of having teachers believe and approve any absence excuse without question.
"Oh? Going to the nurse office with Koneko-chan? What an exciting development!" Aika adjusted her glasses with a knowing look.
"Koneko-chan is a first-year, so she should be at least fourteen years old. You really are something, Takeyo-kun!" She gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up of approval.
"Don't spread this around. Of course, if you do spread it, I don't really care, but you won't be copying my homework anymore."
Hearing those words, Aika's attitude changed instantly.
"Hey, I'm just joking, Takeyo-kun! Go and come back safely!" Her expression now radiated the unspoken message: I'm your comrade, trust me completely.
Takeyo, proficient in psychology, naturally understood the subtext.
Amid Aika's "safe journey" gaze and Koneko's restrained, shy expression, Takeyo walked to the petite girl's side.
"Koneko, did something happen? Let's talk as we walk," he suggested.
"Mm... the President wants to see you," Koneko replied softly, nodding.
She'd told Rias about encountering her sister yesterday, and mentioning that incident inevitably meant mentioning Takeyo's involvement as well.
Rias, currently quite desperate to escape her marriage arrangement, was naturally eager to recruit powerful servants. After learning that Takeyo, a human who'd just awakened his heroic bloodline, could already fight against someone like Kuroka, her desire to bring him into her peerage had intensified dramatically.
"Then let's go."
Under the envious stares of their classmates, the school's second-ranked handsomest boy and top academic genius walked alongside the school's number-one mascot toward the old school building.
"Look! Takeyo-kun smiled at me!" One girl swooned dramatically, practically falling over with hearts in her eyes.
"Ah! Takeyo-kun! Why isn't it me walking beside you? I want to receive after-school tutoring from Takeyo-kun tonight!" another girl exclaimed.
She was one of many who'd been conquered by both Takeyo's grades and his looks.
Kuoh Academy had originally been an all-girls school. Boys were still relatively rare, and handsome boys even rarer.
This kind of scene actually happened daily, and Takeyo had basically grown accustomed to it. However, today seemed worse than usual.
Perhaps obtaining the Ten Incarnations and Est had added a certain quality to his presence, a subtle enhancement to his natural charisma that he himself hadn't consciously noticed.
"By the way, I accidentally touched your tail yesterday. I'm sorry. Is your health better now?" Takeyo asked once they'd entered the old school building and confirmed no one else was around.
"Mm, thank you for your concern, Senpai. I'm fine now..." Koneko replied, then her lips parted slightly as though she wanted to say more but hesitated.
"By the way, Koneko, what's the situation with your tail? You're a youkai, right? And that person yesterday said she was your sister?"
"Could your race possibly have one of those settings where only one sister can survive?" Takeyo probed carefully.
"That kind of setting... did Senpai see that in a game? Would such a rule even benefit offspring reproduction?" Koneko activated her deadpan sarcasm mode.
"Well, that's true. But if it's not that kind of situation, then what is it?" Takeyo finally brought the conversation to the critical point.
He needed Koneko to tell him about her past herself. Otherwise, how could he explain his knowledge of her relationship with Kuroka?
"I..." Koneko's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "My sister... Kuroka... she killed our master."
Her small hands clenched into fists, and her hazel eyes reflected old pain.
"She lost control of her Nekomata power and went on a rampage. At least, that's what everyone says. But yesterday... yesterday she claimed she was trying to protect me. I don't know what to believe anymore, Senpai."
The vulnerability in Koneko's voice was almost heartbreaking. This was a side of her she rarely showed anyone.
Takeyo's expression softened. "Koneko, do you want to know the truth? Really know it, even if it's difficult to hear?"
She looked up at him, those cat-like pupils searching his face.
"Yes," she said simply. "I need to know."