The next morning.
Living room!
Nikumi kept yawning.
Erina looked at her and smiled. "That's not right. I set up a soundproof barrier for you. Why didn't you sleep well?"
"Heh... hehe!"
Nikumi's mouth twitched.
She was wrong.
She was really wrong.
She shouldn't have ignored the advice.
She had thought she would just go to the kitchen to check out the supernatural ingredients.
Who knew!
The whole house was filled with Hisako's high-pitched sounds.
Recalling her own situation at the time...
It was simply too embarrassing.
The worst part was...
Even after running back to her room...
The sound lingered in her mind.
And then...
She completely lost sleep.
…
That afternoon!
The Occult Research Club.
"Junior Ayato, tea or coffee?"
"Coffee, please, Akeno-senpai."
Rias watched with complicated eyes as Ayato played with Koneko's ears.
Even though Koneko was her servant...
She had to admit, she was a bit jealous.
After thinking for a moment.
Rias stood up and extended her tail.
"?"
Ayato was stunned, then said in surprise, "Rias, why is your tail out?"
Rias tossed her crimson hair and smiled. "Letting my tail get some air. Is that not allowed?"
Tail... get some air?
The corner of Ayato's mouth curled up, a faint smile on his face.
Poke, poke.
The next moment!
Rias's tail playfully poked Ayato's arm.
Ayato didn't stand on ceremony. He directly grabbed it and began to gently knead it.
"Mmph..."
Rias's body trembled, her body unconsciously squirming, her breathing becoming heavy.
Koneko: Glare!
The President was making her move.
But when it came to Ayato, even President Rias couldn't yield.
The next moment!
Koneko squeezed into Ayato's lap and also extended her tail.
"Meow, meow."
Seeing this, Ayato grabbed her tail with his other hand and gently kneaded it.
"Mmph..."
Feeling Ayato's touch, Koneko became restless.
"Oh my, President, Koneko, shouldn't you be a little more mindful? There are still people here, you know."
Akeno, carrying her tea, squinted her eyes and said with a smile.
Instantly!
Rias and Koneko's bodies stiffened.
This was bad.
They had been so focused on competing for favor that they had truly forgotten about the others' presence.
Doing this kind of thing in front of others was still too embarrassing.
"Pervert."
Koneko glared at Ayato and quickly pulled her tail back.
But her face was completely red.
Ayato: "..."
Good grief, that was a quick change of heart.
Compared to Koneko...
Although Rias was shy, she quickly regained her composure.
She took a deep breath.
She had suppressed her emotions, but her skin was still hot.
She stole a glance at Ayato and muttered, "It's all this bad guy's fault. I'm almost not myself anymore."
Before!
She couldn't have done something like this.
"Here's your coffee."
"Thanks, Akeno-senpai."
Ayato's expression was normal. He took a sip and said, "As expected of Akeno-senpai. Your tea is as delicious as ever."
"Even if you flatter me, I won't become a member of your harem like Koneko, you know."
Koneko blushed again.
Can we stop bringing that up?
"Alright, let's talk business."
Rias said, "That Cursed Spirit you asked me to find... I have news."
"Oh?"
Ayato's eyes lit up. "Where is it?"
"Here's the specific address."
Rias took out a pen and paper, wrote it down, and handed it to Ayato.
"But you'd better act quickly. That Cursed Spirit has special habits and won't stay in one place for long."
"Don't worry. Am I the kind of person who would delay important business?"
"That's hard to say."
Rias curled her lip. "You have so many wings. You might just get busy and forget."
Ayato: "..."
…
On the outskirts!
In a mountain forest.
A magic circle flashed.
Ayato appeared here with all his exorcist servants.
"Yayoi-chan, the Kuubou you're looking for is up ahead."
Yayoi tightened her grip on the Refining Spirit Pot in her hand and said seriously, "Thank you, Master."
Ayato rubbed her little head. "It's my duty."
"But this Cursed Spirit... is not simple."
Seiko looked into the distance, her gaze grave. "Judging by its aura, I'm afraid it's stronger than any Cursed Spirit I've ever encountered."
"It's even close to entering the realm of a Godly Spirit."
"Indeed, such Cursed Spirits are rare."
Ayato nodded, his eyes flickering slightly.
So-called Godly Spirits...
If calculated according to Devil ranking, they would be true Satan-Class.
Even!
In this hodgepodge of a world...
It wouldn't be impossible for there to be Godly Spirits surpassing Satan-Class.