The Nekoshou Mission

Sona buried her face against his chest, her voice trembling. Wrapping an arm around her slender back, he held her close, softly patting her until her quiet sobs subsided.

"I-I'm sorry... I ended up taking advantage of your kindness, Fuwa-kun... I-I really... just..."

After a while, Sona finally stopped crying, her face flushed crimson as she apologized to Kazuki. She was so embarrassed she couldn't even bring herself to look him in the eye.

"Don't worry about it. I offered, after all."

He smiled at her like that, and his warmth made her heart flutter. The tender way his hands had soothed her back left her feeling comforted. But there was still one thing that bothered her.

"Hey, Fuwa-kun... You call Rias by just her name, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"And my sister?"

"Sera-nee... You already know that, right?"

"...Then what about me?"

"...President."

"Muuu~, why am I the only one you address by my title!?"

She couldn't hold back her frustration any longer.

"Uh, well... Does that mean it's okay if I call you by your name?"

"Eh...!?"

His question caught her off guard. 'Fuwa-kun calling me by my name? That would be embarrassing! But I'm happy! Ugh, what should I do~?'

"Uh, are you okay... Sona?"

'Sona.'

Hearing her name like that only made her face burn hotter. Overcome with shyness, she lowered her gaze and muttered:

"...And drop the formal speech too."

Kazuki gave a wry smile but obliged.

"Got it, Sona."

She knew she was being simple-minded, but just like that, the gloomy mood from earlier had completely vanished.

——

————

The next day, under Azazel's guidance, their special training began.

With only about twenty days left until the Rating Game against the Sitri peerage, Kazuki and the others—now dressed in training jerseys—gathered in a corner of the Gremory estate's vast garden for a strategy meeting.

"Let me make one thing clear upfront," Azazel began, crossing his arms. 

"The training I'm about to assign is designed with your long-term growth in mind. Some of you will see immediate results, while others will need time. You might not like it, but you're all still developing. As long as you don't fuck up your fundamentals, you'll grow just fine."

After that blunt introduction, he laid out their individual training regimens.

Rias, in addition to basic conditioning, would study game footage and data to hone her tactical instincts as a [King].

Akeno needed to fully embrace her fallen angel blood, mastering the fusion of lightning and holy light into [Holy Lightning].

Yumi had to extend the duration of her [Balance Breaker] to at least a full day, pushing her combat prowess to new heights.

Xenovia would refine her swordsmanship, aiming to wield [Durandal] with even greater precision.

Asia, while improving her stamina and magic through basic training, would focus on enhancing her [Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing], specifically projecting its healing aura over a distance.

Koneko, despite already being an exemplary [Rook], was bluntly told that raw power alone wouldn't cut it among the Gremory peerage. She needed to "stop holding back her true nature."

Issei, meanwhile, was tasked with achieving [Balance Breaker] on his own. He'd be "escorted" by a certain colossal dragon—Tannin, the former Dragon King and now a High-Class Devil—for a special survival training deep in the mountains. 'R.I.P., Issei.'

As the others dispersed to begin, however—

"Uh, Azazel-sensei?" Kazuki raised a hand. "You didn't give me any instructions."

"Ah, right. Kazuki…" Azazel scratched his head, avoiding eye contact.

"Just… do whatever the hell you want."

"Huh?"

"Look, kid, I've got nothing to teach you. In a way, you're already a goddamn finished product."

"Is… that so?"

"You're a master of the Fuwa Enmei-ryu martial arts, use body-enhancement magic, wield a [Sacred Gear] called [Guyver] that's not even on the registry, and when you armor up, you can trash guys like Kokabiel and Vali. What the hell am I supposed to add to that?"

Kazuki wasn't sure whether to be flattered or insulted. But just as he opened his mouth to retort—

"Perfect timing, then."

A smooth, velvety voice cut through the air as Grayfia materialized beside them.

"Hey—?! Where'd you pop out from?" Azazel yelped.

The moment the words left his mouth, Grayfia's sharp fist sank into Azazel's stomach.

"Guh—!?"

"How rude. Am I an insect to you?" She cleared her throat, then turned to Kazuki with glacial elegance. "Kazuki-san, would you accompany me?"

Snapping out of his daze, Kazuki blinked. "Uh, sure. But… where to?"

"The Demon King's territory. Sirzechs-sama requests your presence."

Without further explanation, Kazuki found himself whisked away alongside Grayfia, toward the heart of the Underworld's power.

The teleportation circle deposited Kazuki and Grayfia right outside Sirzechs' office in the Demon King's domain.

"Lord Sirzechs. I've brought Kazuki-san as requested," Grayfia announced with her usual composed tone.

"Good work. Thank you for coming, Kazuki," Sirzechs greeted with a relaxed smile.

"No problem. So, what do you need me for?" Kazuki cut straight to the point.

"Right. I have a job for you—one that plays to your strengths. Take a look at this."

Sirzechs handed him a file, and Kazuki flipped it open to find a bounty sheet and an investigation report on a certain individual.

"An SS-Class Stray Devil, Kuroka~! We've received reports that she's infiltrated the Underworld."

Kazuki skimmed the report as Sirzechs continued.

"Her true form is that of a Nekomata—specifically, a rare and powerful variant known as a Nekoshou. She was originally a Bishop under a noble house, but as her power grew, she broke free from her master's control. In the end, she slaughtered him and became a Stray. Numerous forces have been sent after her since, but she's killed them all. Now, she's classified as SS-Class—too dangerous to approach recklessly. Oh, and incidentally... she's Koneko-chan's biological older sister."

Grayfia's explanation made Kazuki stiffen, his brows furrowing.

"...And just recently, Kuroka's presence in the Underworld was confirmed," Sirzechs added, sliding several photographs across the desk.

The images showed a bewitching beauty with long black hair, cat ears, and a seductive figure, alongside a young man clad in Chinese-style armor.

"This guy is—"

"You recognize him, don't you?"

"Yeah. That's Bikou. One of the White Dragon Emperor—Vali's—companions."

"I see... Vali Lucifer's faction, then."

"If she's traveling with him, Kuroka must be allied with the White Dragon Emperor as well."

An SS-Class Stray Devil and the descendant of Sun Wukong. These weren't the kind of enemies who fought head-on—they'd use underhanded tactics, making them a pain in the ass to deal with.

"So, what you want me to do is capture this Kuroka??"

"Exactly. Will you do it?"

Kazuki took a moment to consider.

"If it's just Kuroka, maybe. But with Bikou there too, 'capture' might not be an option..."

Ideally, he'd want to take them alive, especially for intel on the Khaos Brigade.

However, two against one would complicate things. He didn't want to kill Koneko's sister if he could help it... But he made sure to imply that, depending on the situation, it might be unavoidable.

"I'll leave that to your discretion. So? Will you accept?"

After a brief silence, Kazuki made his decision.

"...Understood. I'll take the job."

——

————

"Are you certain about this, Sirzechs-sama? Entrusting this to Kazuki alone? She's an exceptionally troublesome opponent."

"Of course. This is his final test, after all."

Sirzechs took a sip of the tea Grayfia had poured before answering.

"He's already proven his combat prowess. But to become a true King, that alone isn't enough. I want to see how he handles Kuroka—what choices he makes when faced with her."

'Kazuki-kun... Show me if you have what it takes to be a King.' Sirzechs thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 Advanced chapters are now available at Patreon: p@treon.com/SMU_NANI

Support me by joining my Patreon page and start reading my advanced chapters earlier: p@treon.com/SMU_NANI