Sumire sat on the floor.
Oblivious to her surroundings, she studied her own Devil's wings and tail as if she had gotten a new toy.
She just kept rubbing them.
"Mmnn..."
Her breathing grew heavier and heavier. Ayato watched with great interest.
On the other side, Enju was already dumbfounded, her face instantly turning red.
'S-shameless.'
'How could this woman be so bold?'
She regretted it.
Why had she come to join the fun?
The looks in Utaha and the others' eyes also grew unfamiliar.
'This woman is indeed a major threat.'
They could see...
She was indeed immersed in her research.
But that was precisely what made her scary.
After all, if she could go this far unconsciously...
What would happen if she actually tried?
"Sumire, could you please be mindful of the situation?"
Artoria couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.
"Eh?"
Sumire blinked, then quickly stood up.
"This is just how I am. When I find something I like, I lose myself."
Her face flushed. "I'm really sorry."
A look of regret appeared on Ayato's face. Then he raised his hand and summoned the Boosted Gear Gauntlet.
Hum!
A crimson tendril extended, slowly entering Sumire's body.
"Oh, a special type?"
Feeling the reaction between Sumire and the Subspecies Balance Breaker, Ayato's eyes flickered.
'As expected of one of the world's smartest people, she is indeed a special talent.'
Ayato wondered what ability would she develop.
"What is this?"
Feeling the change in her body, Sumire blinked.
"The power of a Sacred Gear."
Ayato explained briefly.
"I see."
Sumire's eyes lit up. "So you even have something like that. It seems Master is even greater than I thought."
"Enough with the flattery."
Ayato smiled slightly and took out a basic magic book. "Here. Take your time to study this."
"As expected of a Devil, of course there's a magic book."
Sumire couldn't wait to flip through it, but Ayato stopped her.
"No need to rush. I haven't granted you the blessing yet."
"Blessing?"
Sumire blinked. "What's that?"
Ayato didn't answer. He just stepped forward and lowered his head slightly.
"Mmpphh..."
Sumire flailed, her eyes wide open.
'So this was the power of a blessing?'
'A power... was flowing through my body.'
"So that's it. This is what you call a blessing. Truly a wondrous power."
Sumire stepped back, touching her thin lips with her fingers, her expression dazed. She murmured softly, "This is certainly... an unexpected method."
"You're not the first to say that."
Ayato shrugged. "But the power of the Blessing is one-time. After each use, you need me to replenish it."
"I... see."
Somewhat recovered, Sumire took a deep breath.
She clutched her heart.
Her heart was beating so fast.
For the first time, it felt... not bad.
"Come to think of it, Master reminded me."
Saeko said. "I've used up my blessing's power."
Sumire: "..."
Before she could react, she felt a gust of wind, and Saeko had thrown her arms around Ayato's arm.
"Master, I need my blessing replenished."
She stroked Ayato's face with one hand and smiled. "And, the reward you promised."
The corner of Ayato's mouth curled up.
As Master, he naturally had to keep his promise.
The next moment,
With a flash of light,
Ayato and Saeko disappeared.
"Saeko is quite proactive."
Sumire came back to her senses and began to sense her own power.
Having just become a Devil...
She had a strong thirst for knowledge about everything.
First, the power of the blessing.
Hum!
With a thought, a golden light emanated from her body.
An unprecedented power began to flow through her.
Sumire's eyes widened.
'Such power?'
'It was truly incredible.'
Although she hadn't tested it...
She could feel it.
Even the strongest Initiator would be nothing before her current power.
'Powerful!'
'Truly powerful.'
'So this is the power bestowed by Master?'
Before long...
The power of the blessing faded.
An indescribable feeling of emptiness washed over her.
She looked up, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
'No!'
'This amount of time wasn't enough for research.'
'It seemed I needed to find an opportunity to top up the blessing's power.'
'But it seemed I would have to wait.'
Listening to Saeko's high-pitched sounds, Sumire opened the magic book.
…
History Compilation Committee!
Sayanomiya Kaoru looked at the pile of documents before her and sighed softly.
During this time...
Because of the turmoil caused by that 'Harem King', she had been quite busy.
The reactions of various factions needed to be appeased.
After all, although those people dared not be rude to the King, they were quite skilled at complaining.
"Thankfully, things are gradually calming down."
After drinking some coffee for a while, Kaoru murmured, "I hope that King doesn't cause any more major disturbances anytime soon."
"Oh, and those old men in the Netherworld... it would be best if they didn't cause trouble either."
Her voice received an unexpected response.
"I'm afraid that will disappoint you. The old man is not one to stay quiet."
"Hmm?"
Kaoru's eyes sharpened.
Security here was not weak.
And the other party had evaded her senses to get this close.
'This person was definitely not simple.'
"Don't be nervous. I'm not an enemy."
The next moment, a figure climbed in through the window.
It was a beautiful girl with a slender figure, wearing a white shirt.
More noticeable was the long, thin cloth bag she carried on her back.
"Ena-san, it's been a long time."
Looking at the girl, Kaoru smiled. "But next time we meet, I hope you'll notify me in advance."
"And don't be so abrupt, to avoid any misunderstandings."
"That won't do. I don't like troublesome things."
Seishuuin Ena shrugged and sat casually on the sofa.
Kaoru said helplessly, "At the very least, you could have called me."
"Oh, sorry. My phone happened to be out of battery."
"..."
The corner of Kaoru's eye twitched. "Alright, Ena-san, you wouldn't come to me for no reason, right?"
"I wonder what matter could end your training in the mountains and bring you here."
"I've come to follow that King."
Ena said frankly. "But I thought showing up directly might be too abrupt, so I hoped you could introduce me."
"Showing up here is also quite abrupt."
Kaoru retorted, then said, "Is this your idea, or that old man's?"
"It's the old man's idea."
Ena nodded. "But I'm also very interested in that King."
"I see."
Kaoru's gaze sharpened. "And no other instructions?"
"Although it might be disrespectful to say, even the old man should never provoke that King. That's my advice."
"Well, I don't know about that."
"And if the old man really wants to do something, we can't stop him anyway."
"Indeed."
Kaoru rubbed her temples and finally sighed.
'Hopefully...'
'No more major trouble would arise.'