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Anos' home.
"That blonde really is cute… though I do wonder, if someone tricked her, would she help count the money after being sold?"
After "guiding" Jeanne in the direction he wanted, Anos ran several additional judgments to ensure no complications would arise before finally returning home.
As he refined combat techniques through iterative calculations, he replayed the day's battle in his mind.
He knew the divine core had countless applications.
He had simply never pushed it that far before.
By habit, he always left himself a trump card.
Using the divinity at full output meant he wouldn't be able to access that level again for a while.
If not for the silver chest—
If not for sheer curiosity about what each tier truly granted—
He would not have overclocked the divine core.
"But the results speak for themselves."
A silver jewel shimmered faintly over his chest.
Super-Class Sacred Gear — World Dragon's Jewel.
As the silver glow dimmed, a thin black line appeared within the gem.
Vritra.
"Since Saji's Black Dragon's Vein can be absorbed into the Jewel… then the other Vritra fragments should be absorbable as well."
"When the cooldown ends, I'll go collect them."
Even fragmented, a Dragon King at full state had once stood at peak Satan-class.
Even weakened into soul shards—
The combat value remained significant.
"Knock, knock."
Just as Anos unfolded a map to calculate the locations of other Vritra hosts, a knock came at the door.
"Someone looking for me?"
He snapped his fingers.
The house reset to its baseline configuration.
He opened the door.
White hair.
Small frame.
Expressionless face.
"Koneko?"
"Yes, Senpai."
She nodded slightly and lifted what she was holding.
"Senpai… want to play?"
"Of course."
He didn't hesitate.
—
"Koneko, you're persistent but you're nowhere near my level!"
Anos declared mercilessly.
The loli was no match for him.
"…Senpai really goes all out."
Her cheeks flushed faintly, eyes glinting with stubborn determination.
"Then come at me seriously, Let's settle this."
Today, Koneko was fired up.
—
Thirty minutes later.
"I can't… anymore…"
She tossed the controller aside.
"Tch! Next time we switch games."
She was annoyed.
This was a game she had queued up for last night, deliberately studying the mechanics to ambush him.
She knew he had been out "cleaning trash" yesterday. Even if wealthy, he couldn't have mastered the game instantly.
So upon learning of the school closure, she had marched straight here for revenge.
And yet—
Today was another defeat at the hands of the final boss.
"You're already strong," Anos said with a small smile, dropping his controller onto the sofa.
For normal players?
She was formidable.
Against him?
Impossible.
Ability or no ability, he would win.
"Playing others isn't challenging."
There was fire in her eyes.
Grinding easy wins got boring.
Only pushing limits delivered true satisfaction.
After all—
She had beaten him once before.
Just once.
And she had never forgotten how exhilarating that victory felt.
—
Meanwhile.
In a corner of Kuoh Town.
A red-haired girl and a black-haired girl met.
"Rias, your sector's been handled?" Sona asked.
Earlier, they had divided the town to deal with the aftermath of Vritra's appearance.
Their task was simple—
Erase civilian memory.
"Yes... And yours?" Rias folded her arms, then glanced toward the central impact zone.
Hours ago, it had been wreckage.
Now, thanks to coordinated repair efforts from the Student Council and Occult Research Club, it appeared untouched.
Except—
The dead could not be restored without reincarnation.
"Since both sides are secure, should we enter and investigate?" Rias asked.
She was uneasy.
The dragon remnant had appeared briefly, killed several fallen angels—
And then the entire area had been relocated.
Where?
What condition was it in?
They had no answers.
"There's no point entering... We should search the perimeter for clues," Sona countered calmly.
Before Rias could reply—
"I don't think you two need to debate that, meow."
A voice drifted down from above.
Both girls stiffened instantly.
"Who's there?!"
Someone had approached without either of them noticing.
"I? Just a stray cat."
The tone was playful.
This time, they saw her.
A black kimono.
Long dark hair.
Cat ears.
A mature woman standing on a rooftop, gazing down at them as though they were toys.
Rias' eyes widened.
"You—"
She recognized her.
Though her brother had worked hard to erase traces of her existence from public record—
Rias knew.
That black cat was named Kuroka.
And she was—
Koneko's older sister.
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~Support with 300 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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