Ignoring Caleb's incessant chatter, Rias lifted her foot and headed toward the Student Council room.
"President, wait for me." Caleb quickly followed.
Sona Shitori and Tsubaki Shinra had been waiting for a long time. Once the pair arrived at the Student Council room, they immediately got to the point.
"President, I told you it had to be that blonde Youkai..." Caleb started his rambling again, but no one paid attention.
"It's confirmed that the third-year Taisei Oida was the mastermind behind this. The accounts and transaction records all match." Sona Shitori handed Rias several documents, clearly the evidence from the investigation.
"Could Mika Yasuhiki have used a mental spell to control Taisei Oida?" Rias quickly scanned the documents, proposing the last remaining possibility. "The two had contact recently, and Taisei Oida's motive is still unclear."
"Probably not. Mika Yasuhiki's strength is insufficient to control Taisei Oida," Sona Shitori mused. "Most likely, Taisei Oida already has Rank B, perhaps even Rank A, strength."
Rias nodded in contemplation. If that was the case, it made sense how the information had leaked. Tsubaki Shinra was only Rank A in strength. If Taisei Oida had reached Rank B or even Rank A, his naturally proficient stealth abilities would have significantly increased. When a prepared enemy exploits an unguarded moment, it was perfectly normal for Tsubaki Shinra's casually placed barrier to have failed.
Caleb had initially planned to personally teach Taisei Oida a lesson, but after hearing the conversation, he instantly backed down. The Cuckold-Bait template was truly dishonorable. One moment he was a regular delinquent, the next he was a powerful Blonde Youkai; it didn't follow any known pattern.
Caleb thought of another unfortunate soul and asked, "President, what about Tetsuya Hoda? Was he expelled?"
"No. We contacted the victimized girl, and she stated she would not press charges." Sona Shitori maintained a flat tone as much as possible, but Caleb still sensed her helplessness. "The girl developed a fondness for Tetsuya Hoda and seems to have awakened a strange fetish. She wants Tetsuya Hoda to be her boyfriend, but he can't stop her from seeing other people..."
Caleb was stunned. "Ah, well..."
If Tetsuya Hoda genuinely liked the girl, this might be worse than outright expulsion. If he didn't... A whore and a dog, may they live happily ever after. He wished the two a long and happy life together and hoped they wouldn't inflict themselves on anyone else.
As expected of the supernatural world; it always finds a way to surprise Caleb with its harsh realities.
"Regarding Taisei Oida, his current actions would warrant suspension at most, not expulsion," Sona Shitori said to Caleb. "During our investigation, we found that Taisei Oida had planned a next step. After ruining your reputation, he intended to take your life."
"Little Caleb, are you truly unaware of Taisei Oida's reason for targeting you?" Rias's gaze sharpened, emitting a dangerous aura. "This doesn't seem like simple jealousy."
Caleb spread his hands helplessly. What could he do? Being handsome just made him a target.
"President, I really don't know." Caleb frowned. "To be honest, this isn't the first time I've been targeted like this, but it's the first time I've clearly known someone wants me dead."
Rias believed Caleb, which meant the problem lay with Taisei Oida. "Sona, what are you planning to do?"
Sona Shitori adjusted her glasses. "Rias, Kuoh Town is your jurisdiction." The implication was that the Student Council would not interfere, and Rias was free to handle it as she wished. Sona Shitori was the visible administrator, but anyone with a bit of background knew that the area surrounding Kuoh Academy was Gremory territory.
Rias's red hair swirled, and she declared resolutely, "Fine. I will meet with him personally." Her personality was dominant; she never acted passively. Since Taisei Oida intended to harm Caleb, she would eliminate him beforehand.
It feels so good to have powerful backing. Caleb seriously considered just giving up and becoming a Familiar. Becoming Rias's Familiar would eliminate external threats and allow him to deepen his relationship with the beautiful girls.
Sona Shitori glanced at the excited Caleb and sighed internally. The potential Familiar she had been eyeing was likely lost. The Gremory family's abundant affection truly gave them a natural advantage in cultivating relationships. People say sincerity beats manipulation, but Rias had both sincerity and manipulation. Who could resist that?
Back at the Occult Research Club, Rias instructed Koneko Toujou to continue training Caleb and to keep him under close supervision twenty-four hours a day. This would continue until she had dealt with Taisei Oida. It was called 'training,' but it was actually protection.
Three days later, Caleb was informed that the matter had been resolved. Taisei Oida disappeared without a trace, as if he had never existed at Kuoh Academy. Just like that, the most dangerous enemy so far was eliminated without Caleb even meeting the blonde Youkai's face.
Caleb sighed in admiration at how white and long Rias's thighs were. He then decided to cling even tighter in the future.
The crisis was averted, but Caleb still trained with Koneko Toujou every day and ran to the Occult Research Club whenever he had free time. He was not a member, but he was treated like one. This discouraged the many girls who desired Caleb, leaving them to only admire from afar, afraid to approach and flirt. Not only could they not compete with Rias in strength, but they also couldn't match her beauty or figure. They felt inadequate and secretly resentful.
The most resentful among them were Reina Hamasaki and her two friends, and Touko Sakuramachi. Reina Hamasaki's group had tasted his pleasures and couldn't accept other men, leaving them consumed by lust. But Caleb was always dismissive, not nearly as enthusiastic as before. Touko Sakuramachi, on the other hand, had been stood up for almost two weeks and had completely turned into a bitter woman. She thought constantly of Caleb's essence, and as a Succubus, she couldn't even muster the interest to seduce other men.
Caleb's relationship with Rias and the others was at a critical stage, making rapid progress. The two incomplete talents provided by Tsubaki Shinra emphasized that quality trumped quantity. Successfully securing any one of them would instantly boost Caleb's power by three ranks. Naturally, he didn't have time to mess around with Reina Hamasaki's group.
No time, just no time.
Caleb was an ordinary person before, so investigating him was easy. If Rias wanted to, she could find out about his entire family history. As for his complicated relationships with other girls, she, of course, already knew.
The small forest.
Caleb was sent flying, barely stopping after breaking two trees.
"Koneko... you promised to use the same strength as me?"
"..."
The white-haired Loli turned her head, hands clasped behind her back, and whistled innocently.
Caleb: (▼ヘ▼#)
Koneko Toujou stared at the sky, her expression saying, It wasn't me, I don't know anything.
"Forget it, I quit. This is pointless." Caleb pouted. The white-haired Loli disregarded the rules; seeing she couldn't win fairly, she resorted to overwhelming strength.