Let me see what your actual strength is, little Devil... Yūma Amano smiled slightly, a strange, uncharacteristic smirk appearing on her pure face as she watched Caleb confronting the red-haired delinquent.
"I'm claiming the girl behind me." Caleb didn't waste time. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could leave this dangerous woman. He crooked a finger at the cool-faced, red-haired delinquent. "Group fight or one-on-one, I don't care. Just be direct, like a man."
The red-haired delinquent looked at Yūma Amano behind Caleb. It was this woman who had approached him, offering to be his girlfriend if he could defeat this smooth-faced boy, who clearly was popular with women. Now, why did he feel like he was the bad guy? Yūma Amano had made the agreement with him alone, and he doubted anyone would believe him if he told them. Furthermore, looking at the woman now, the delinquent didn't believe she would honestly honor her promise.
Yūma Amano certainly had no intention of keeping her word. Regardless of who won or lost, she would find the red-haired delinquent and his group afterward to erase or alter their memories. Thus, she didn't care if the delinquent revealed the truth.
The red-haired delinquent pushed his subordinate aside, saying coldly, "It seems we were both played by that woman, but your attitude really pisses me off..."
Caleb put his hands in his pockets, displaying a bored expression. "I told you to be direct. I'm just getting paid to do a job. Everything else is none of my business." He wasn't sure what Akeno Himejima's payment was—it probably wasn't money—but the meaning was clear.
The red-haired delinquent narrowed his eyes, glaring at Caleb with killing intent. He absolutely hated being interrupted when speaking. First, he'd deal with this smooth-faced boy, and then settle the score with that woman. The delinquent, relying on his supernatural power, hadn't paid any mind to Caleb or Yūma Amano, as he didn't sense the aura of a fellow supernatural from either of them.
What he didn't know was that Caleb and Yūma Amano were so far above him in power that he couldn't sense their auras unless they deliberately leaked them. The red-haired delinquent didn't consider this possibility. Surely, those strong enough to crush him wouldn't be bored enough to deliberately use him for amusement, would they?
Unfortunately, that was exactly the case. Yūma Amano was using him as a scouting stone, which was essentially the same as using him for amusement. Even more unfortunate for the delinquent, Caleb's strength was much higher than Yūma Amano had estimated. And so, the red-haired delinquent met his Waterloo.
The fight had just begun. Before he could even use his signature fire magic, Caleb, closing the distance, beat him savagely. The red-haired delinquent tried to fight back. His physical condition, strengthened by magic power, was far superior to an ordinary person's, but against Caleb, it was completely inadequate. Caleb didn't even need to use Body Control. Relying only on speed, strength, and a slight bit of skill, he easily knocked the red-haired delinquent unconscious. The delinquent's cold face had dissolved into utter confusion. Until he passed out, he couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.
"Boss!!!" The young thugs rushed forward, shouting and yelling upon seeing their leader defeated. A few of the more loyal ones screamed and charged at Caleb, attempting to avenge the red-haired delinquent. Caleb respected their loyalty. One punch each, sending them to join the red-haired delinquent in unconsciousness. The remaining thugs glared at Caleb but dared not attack again. If they were knocked unconscious too, who would take their boss and brothers lying on the ground to the hospital? The thugs comforted themselves while spitting out tired, old threats. Their bodies, however, honestly supported their unconscious comrades and then scurried toward the street.
Caleb had no intention of chasing them. He turned back to the pure and lovely high school girl.
"Miss Amano, that should be enough, right?"
"Thank you, Caleb. Those people have been giving me a headache for quite some time." Yūma Amano maintained her innocent persona, concealing her surprise. "To show my gratitude, let me treat you to a meal."
"No need for a meal. I was just completing a mission given by my Senpai." Caleb smiled. "Besides, I'm a Devil. Aren't you afraid at all, Miss Amano?"
"Be-because... Caleb is so handsome. I just wanted to spend a little more time with you." Yūma Amano's cheeks flushed. She lowered her head to look at her round-toed shoes, displaying the shyness of an innocent girl perfectly.
Caleb watched her, speechless. She was so good at acting. If she didn't win the next Oscar, he wasn't watching.
"Is that so? Miss Amano is very cute too."
Yūma Amano lifted her head, her large, beautiful eyes looking at Caleb with hopeful anticipation. "Then..."
"So, I'm going home." Caleb turned without hesitation, saying earnestly, "It wouldn't do for me to be captivated by Miss Amano."
Yūma Amano watched Caleb's back with interest, following him with light steps. Caleb's wariness toward her was abnormal, and the previous fight was too quick. She hadn't gained any information other than determining that Caleb was around B-Class. After following for a bit and seeing that Caleb truly had no intention of engaging with her, Yūma Amano stopped, abandoning her desire to investigate further.
Caleb's strength as a Peerage was B-Class, which meant his Master was at least A-Class, with the possibility of being even higher. An A-Class opponent was someone Yūma Amano couldn't contend with unless she called upon her superiors for assistance. Kuoh Town was governed by the Gremory family, but that didn't mean there were no other factions present. Yūma Amano had other missions in Kuoh Town. Offending the Gremory family out of curiosity would surely affect her subsequent operations, making it a bad trade-off.
Sensing that Yūma Amano's aura had disappeared, Caleb slowly exhaled. Yūma Amano's appearance signaled that the gears of history had begun to turn. If he couldn't figure out a way soon, he would have to abandon the Boosted Gear. He couldn't use a secret technique to strip Issei Hyoudou of the Boosted Gear after it had awakened. That would be equivalent to killing Issei Hyoudou, and Sacred Gears had self-awareness. Setting aside whether it would work for him, mass killing was not in his character. Moreover, Caleb didn't dislike Issei Hyoudou; he actually quite liked his honest personality. Simply put, he was simple-minded, easily deceived, didn't hold grudges, and valued relationships. Killing such a person was a hurdle Caleb couldn't mentally cross. Furthermore, if Rias and the others found out, he wouldn't be able to stay in Kuoh Academy or even Kuoh Town anymore, and all the relationships he had built would be instantly destroyed. For a weapon whose usability was uncertain, the risk was absolutely not worth it. Caleb always remembered that his fundamental ability was Dual Cultivation. The Boosted Gear was indeed powerful, but it was just one of thirteen Sacred Gears. His self-awakened Dual Cultivation ability was the truly unique one.
After completing the mission, Caleb welcomed the weekend again. He temporarily put aside the matter of completing the Lightning Flash talent. Akeno Himejima's attitude was clear: this wasn't happening for now.
On Saturday, Caleb and the four women—Rena Hamazaki, Ruri Kurumizaka, et al.—took a hot spring trip. Of course, upon arrival, it immediately turned into a nude party, making the waitress who delivered their meals blush furiously. If she hadn't fled quickly, the mischief-loving Ruri Kurumizaka would have dragged her beneath Caleb's hips too. The rest was, naturally, hot spring play until the four women could barely walk. Only then did the hot spring trip conclude.
On Nichiyoubi (Sunday), Caleb also couldn't rest, busy helping Sakura Miyajima and the Takamine sisters improve their strength. He also made sure to drop by the Miyajima Dojo to clock in and continue his contemplation of the Dao of the Sword. Over the two days, he spent virtually all his time on women. If not for the Dual Cultivation ability, even the strongest physique would eventually be drained.
On Getsuyoubi (Monday), Caleb yawned and followed the crowd into the spacious indoor gymnasium for the weekly morning assembly. Standing in line, he subconsciously rubbed his lower back. Lack of sleep was real. His back didn't actually feel uncomfortable, but he had been thrusting so many times over the past two days that he felt like he needed a massage.
The morning assembly was the same old routine. Caleb lost interest after a few sentences. If the person speaking wasn't Souna Shitori, he would genuinely have closed his eyes by now. Souna Shitori had finally appeared this new week, but he wondered if Rias had returned yet. Caleb subconsciously looked toward the second-year team, but instead of the fiery red long hair, his sight was suddenly enveloped in a field of black.
Kuro? What is this little thing doing here? He looked in surprise at the small black spherical object fluttering up and down before him, simultaneously transmitting information to him.