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A voice unfamiliar to Badr sounded from nearby. Moments later, a black cat leapt up onto a large stone.
In the blink of an eye, the black cat transformed into a girl with flowing black hair, dressed in a black kimono.Â
The girl looked strikingly similar to Koneko, with black cat ears on top of her head, lounging lazily atop the stone as she looked over at Koneko.
Koneko stood frozen in shock, as if seeing a ghost.
"Don't recognize me, Shirone? I'm your sister," the black-haired girl said with a soft smile.
From where he stood, Badr raised an eyebrow. Shirone? He hadn't heard that name used for Koneko before.
Koneko didn't react to the name with surprise, though. After a long silence, she finally managed a hesitant response:
"K-Kuroka… sister…"
So, this girl really was Koneko's sister.
Badr glanced over at Rias, noticing she looked calm and unsurprised, as if she'd known about Koneko having a sister all along.
"Hehe, you traced my scent here all the way from the party? Not bad," Kuroka said with a sly smile, watching Koneko's reaction.
"What are you here for?" Koneko asked, frowning.
"Don't be so tense. I just had some things to take care of. I heard the devils were hosting a big event, so I thought I'd drop by, nya~" Kuroka winked, making a cute, cat-like gesture.
Like Koneko, she was beautiful and charming, though clearly more mature, her black kimono's neckline hinting at her well-developed figure.
"Kuroka, it seems we have some other visitors," came a familiar voice to Badr. From the shadows of the forest stepped a muscular man carrying a thick iron staff and dressed in chain mail.
Badr's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the man.
It was Sun Wukong.
Rumored to be a direct descendant of the Monkey King himself, though Badr doubted the validity of the tale. After all, the original Wukong was supposed to have taken a vow of celibacy, so how this descendant came to be was a mystery.
In this world, though, this Sun Wukong had joined the Khaos Brigade and was technically one of Badr's enemies.
While Badr had no desire to clash with deities from the East, he certainly wouldn't hold back if they forced his hand, a good beating before a discussion was always an option.
Sun Wukong looked directly at where Badr was hiding and chuckled. "There's no point trying to conceal your presence. Those of us well-versed in Senjutsu, like Kuroka and me, can sense the faintest change in energy flow."
Badr shrugged, emerging from his hiding spot alongside Rias, making their way to Koneko's side.
"Buchou… Badr… why are you here…" Koneko asked, surprised by their appearance.
"Don't slip away without a word. You'll make everyone worry," Rias said softly, reaching out to gently ruffle the younger girl's hair.
"Huh? It's you two?" Kuroka looked intrigued, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Well, well, I didn't realize you were here… Why didn't I sense you earlier?"
Both Kuroka and the Sun Wukong looked surprised. From their sensing abilities, they had only picked up on Rias's presence, they hadn't noticed Badr at all.
"Who's this guy, Monkey?" Kuroka asked curiously.
"This is a [Pawn] belonging to that High-Class devil," Sun Wukong said, nodding towards Rias. "Don't underestimate him, though, he defeated Vali in their last match."
"What?" Kuroka's eyes widened as she looked Badr up and down. "How powerful are you? I can't sense a thing from you…"
Badr smiled calmly. "Why not try me yourself, if you're so curious? I'm not about to just tell you."
Kuroka and Sun Wukong were clearly complicated characters in Badr's eyes. One was Koneko's elder sister, and the other shared a confusing connection with the Monkey King.
"Tch, aren't you stingy…" Kuroka muttered.
"What's your reason for coming to the Underworld, Khaos Brigade?" Badr asked, stepping forward to shield Rias and Koneko. "Are you here to cause trouble?"
He could feel it, both of them possessed immense strength, far beyond that of Rias and Koneko. These two were clearly at the peak of High-Class devil power…
"Relax. We're just here on standby in the Underworld. There's nothing of interest going on. We heard about the gathering, so Kuroka decided to come and play. I came to fetch her back. Nothing to worry about," Sun Wukong replied with an easygoing smile, clearly uninterested in confrontation.
He glanced over at Kuroka. "You've had your fun. Isn't it time to leave?"
"Whatever you say. But let me make one thing clear, I'm taking Shirone with me this time, to make up for leaving her behind before."
"Oh? Deciding that on your own might upset Vali," Sun Wukong replied.
"This child has the same power as I do. I'm sure Ophis and Vali will accept her," Kuroka said, her voice casual as she discussed Koneko's fate, seemingly unconcerned with Badr or Rias.
Koneko shivered slightly, fear evident in her expression.
Badr, however, simply smiled coldly.
"Vali was no match for me. Do you two really think you'd fare any better against me together? Planning to take Koneko without asking me?" Badr's tone was low but unwavering.
Rias stepped forward, her face set with determination. "She's my [Rook]. Don't think you can just take her."
Kuroka cocked her head, looking unamused. "What are you saying? Shirone is my sister. I have every right to take her and care for her. I'm not letting her stay with you High-Class devils."
With that, Kuroka moved without warning.
Whoosh!
A massive field of energy erupted around them, enveloping the entire forest in an intricate barrier woven with Senjutsu.
In an instant, Kuroka's Senjutsu aura bore down on them, forcing Badr to whisk Rias and Koneko aside as the ground where they'd just stood exploded into a crater.
The black-haired girl stood up gracefully from her spot on the stone, a fierce gleam in her eyes despite her cat-like cuteness.
"If you're going to be this troublesome, I might as well just kill you, nya~" she said, her expression turning cold.
Now that her barrier was in place, Kuroka's full aura surged around her without restraint.
In that moment, Badr sensed multiple types of energy radiating from Kuroka: Senjutsu, Youjutsu, and even demonic power.Â
The complex mix of energy was astounding, but what made her truly formidable was the way her barrier manipulated the space around them, sealing them in with no chance of escape.
Rias and Koneko both winced, feeling the immense pressure from the barrier. The all-encompassing energy field was overbearing, rendering them unable to move against Kuroka's strength.
"A space-manipulating technique…" Rias murmured, shocked at the sheer scale of Kuroka's power.
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