DxD: Chapter 101/105

Chapter 101: Zodiac Theme ???

"Lightning Strike!"

Utaha opened the Devil Tome, and a cascade of azure lightning fell from the sky, crashing down onto Scorpio's black carapace!

Crackling!!

The black armor instantly turned red-hot from the extreme temperature!

Then, it was pierced clean through!

A rush of purple blood gushed out, splattering across the ground!

But the moment the tender red flesh was exposed, it began regenerating at a rapid pace, covering over the black carapace again.

Utaha's expression froze, and she muttered in frustration, "Completely ineffective…"

"This type of creature… even iron weapons can't suppress its regeneration speed."

Saeko pulled out the iron sword she had embedded in Scorpio.

In less than a second, the wound had already healed completely.

Even someone like Saeko had no real countermeasure against such regeneration.

Fortunately.

They were only here to gain experience.

Lynn was still the main force.

So—

What followed was Saeko and the rest, who had been promoted to mid-class devils, unleashing all of their skills on Scorpio.

It wasn't until they were nearly drained of strength that Lynn pulled them out.

Huff… huff…

The girls panted heavily, tended to by Yuuko and the others.

Utaha, still catching her breath, said, "It consumed so much energy. And it's such a massive creature… we should earn a lot of experience, right?"

Kisara suddenly chimed in, "Is it possible to directly upgrade to a high-class devil?"

Utaha rolled her eyes at her.

You just became a mid-class devil a few days ago, and now you are already dreaming about high-class?

Saeko thought about it for a moment and said, "Since we weren't the main attackers, we shouldn't expect too much."

"But…"

Thinking back on the slaughter she had taken part in earlier, Saeko subconsciously licked her lips and smiled.

"We did kill a lot of Grade IV Gastrea. That should still result in a decent improvement."

Hearing that.

Utaha responded with a complicated expression, "Saeko, you'll be fine. You might even be ready to level up."

After all, before the last crusade, Saeko's stats were already close to the threshold.

And now?

Utaha bit her lip slightly, feeling a bit unwilling.

Saeko smiled without saying anything.

Her goal was to become Lynn's sharpest blade.

There was no time to waste.

In her daily life, if Lynn didn't give orders, she would continue to hunt and kill.

Not out of boredom but because she genuinely enjoyed it.

After all.

[Yearning for Killing] wasn't just the name of her skill.

Saeko Busujima truly yearned for killing.

"Hmph!" Hearing Saeko might be close to upgrading to a high-class devil, Kisara said with unwillingness, "I'm definitely going to become Lord Lynn's sharpest blade!"

"…?"

Saeko glanced at her with an odd expression.

Was this girl seriously stealing her lines?

But—

Hearing Kisara's words, she only responded with a gentle smile.

No matter what others said, it was just a metaphor.

Only she.

Saeko thought about her Devil Transformation ability… and the feeling of being gripped tightly in Lynn's hand.

Huff~

Unknowingly, her breathing quickened.

Utaha looked at Saeko weirdly, then turned to Kisara.

Do all swordswomen act like this?

Do they even share the same lines?

…

On the other side.

Lynn stood alone in front of Scorpio.

For some reason, Scorpio had stopped moving.

The visual contrast was just too overwhelming.

One person. One mountain.

Facing each other from a distance.

But—

Something felt strange.

"Did Scorpio… stop?"

Why?

Their expressions were filled with confusion.

They had been locked in fierce battle moments ago.

Lynn himself was also a bit puzzled.

But—

Even though Scorpio's cry sounded mournful, there seemed to be a hint of intelligence within.

Still…

Lynn stared at the grotesque behemoth before him.

Sigh…

With that appearance, maybe it was better off being reincarnated.

He steadied himself and looked straight at Scorpio.

A behemoth like this was the most natural target for Lynn.

And it wasn't agile either. Lynn barely had to move, and Scorpio couldn't land a single hit.

Even Saeko and the others had remained unscathed thanks to their agility.

Aside from its regeneration and destructive power, it didn't have much else going for it.

Lynn spread his arms, clearly not intending to engage in a prolonged battle.

Buzz—

A black wide-area magic circle instantly expanded above Scorpio's head!

Its range was so vast that it engulfed the entire creature.

"Yiiiiiiii——"

Sensing danger, Scorpio let out another furious roar.

The next second, it fired a purple energy beam from its mouth.

Boom!

The beam struck the air in front of Lynn, but was blocked as though by an invisible wall of copper and iron.

A magic barrier.

Just a basic magic release technique.

But with Lynn's current strength, Scorpio's attack couldn't even scratch his barrier.

BOOM!!

The massive wide-area magic circle in the sky let out a sound that seemed to shake heaven and earth!

In the next moment, it was as if the sky itself was falling.

Black lightning poured down on Scorpio like a torrential downpour!

The terrifying lightning seemed to turn the entire sky pitch black!

The sheer power unleashed from Scorpio could've leveled all of Tokyo!!

Endless shockwaves surged out in all directions!!

Utaha and the others stared blankly at the scene before them, overwhelmed by the miracle-like spectacle, subconsciously swallowing hard.

It was the first time they had seen Lynn unleash this level of power.

Saeko clenched her fists tightly.

She wasn't worthy of being held in their master's hands just yet!

"Master, you're truly incredible."

Mahiru's eyes were unfocused, fixed only on Lynn's silhouette.

Yuuko clung to Saeko's shoulders tightly, afraid she'd be blown away by the overwhelming force of the blast.

"So cool!!"

Hana's eyes sparkled like lightbulbs.

She grabbed Miko by the shoulders and shook her excitedly, stars practically bursting from her gaze. "Miko! Miko! Will we be as strong as Master Lynn one day?!"

Miko, shaken out of her daze, replied helplessly, "I guess… maybe?"

After all, they had the Blessings system.

"Alright, yeah!"

Hana leapt up with excitement after getting the answer she wanted.

She wanted to be just as cool as Lynn!!

Thanks to Hana's innocent outburst, the others also snapped out of their shock.

They then looked at Lynn's back in admiration.

This was their master.

After a while.

The pressure from the black lightning finally dissipated.

Lynn let out a breath.

Releasing a wide-area lightning strike like that still drained a significant amount of magic.

But—

The result was worth it.

Lynn looked ahead at the now-empty battlefield.

Scorpio had been completely annihilated.

Down to the molecule.

Lynn stood still and opened his personal interface. He tapped on [Evil Piece] and checked the changes in [Apoptosis Genome].

> [Apoptosis Genome] (Incubating)
• Factor Collection (Acquired: Mole Factor, Hedgehog Factor…)
• Factor Fusion (Dual Factor Integration)
• Factor Assimilation (Can parasitize other lifeforms and implant the Apoptosis strain, turning them into puppets controlled by the host)
• Zodiac: Scorpio


---

Lynn narrowed his eyes.

Zodiac?

Scorpio?

What the hell is this?

A Stage V Apoptosis creature got stuffed in?!

Suddenly, the [Evil Piece] flickered.

Unable to resist, Lynn tapped it, only for a startled voice to ring out.

"Master, that hurt~!"

Lynn: "????"

Confused, he watched as a petite and slender figure emerged from the vast starry void.

As the image solidified, Lynn could make out her appearance.

Her tail was a gradient of deep night-black fading to violet, with a wisp of wine-red hair at the crown of her head.

Her hairstyle was an asymmetrical double spiral ponytail, with the right side tied in a barbed gothic ribbon.

Her eyes shimmered like liquid amber, and within her pupils were scorpion-tail-shaped patterns.

Lynn blinked. "Are you… Scorpio?"

"Yes~, Master."

Her voice was sweet as she blinked and gazed up at Lynn.

Lynn: "…"

No way. Did the system really just give him a zodiac-themed companion?

"Y-You…"

"Stella O'Brien~"

"Master can just call me Stella."

Lynn rubbed his temples. "So, what's the situation right now?"

With a playful tone and a finger to her lips, Stella replied,

"Hmm~ Master just signed a contract with me~"

"Contract?"

Lynn was even more confused.

But after listening to her explanation, he looked at her speechlessly.

It was basically the same as the contract system used in his Peerage.

"So, what abilities do you have now?"

Stella thought for a moment, then smiled. "For now… I can summon a phantom of Scorpio?"

Lynn: "…That sounds useless."

Summon a phantom to hit people?

Stella pouted. "It'll be different once my sisters arrive!"

Lynn's mouth twitched. "…You expect me to collect the rest of the zodiac too?"

Stella blinked. "Master doesn't want to?"

Lynn paused.

Well, he did want to.

Mainly because of his collecting obsession.

The skill clearly listed the zodiac… and right now there was only Scorpio?

It made him feel unbearably itchy. His OCD was acting up hard!

Stella giggled and said, "Master, Master~ I have another function~"

Under Lynn's curious gaze.

Stella turned into a rainbow beam and floated high into the starry sky.

Lynn was stunned for a moment, then rubbed his chin and muttered with a strange look: "So… there'll be a Scorpio in this starry sky from now on?"

He turned to glance at the other empty spots.

Gemini, Virgo, Aquarius…

It really was empty…

Also…

Wasn't there a missing sun?

So…

Where would the sun go?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 102: I'll Help You Miko

Seeing Stella hanging in the starry sky, Lynn stood quietly for a while before exiting the [Evil Piece] starfield.

He had a strange feeling.

[Evil Piece] felt like it was nurturing an entire universe.

He shook his head and set those thoughts aside for now.

The current starfield in [Evil Piece] was still over a hundred thousand miles from completion.

He had a long way to go.

One step at a time.

Closing the personal panel, Lynn walked over to Utaha and the others.

Then his gaze shifted, farther into the distance.

Far away.

The blonde Cursed Child hiding behind some ruins stiffened.

"Ah… discovered…"

Her voice was flat and mechanical, like she was reading off a script.

Even though she was far away, the hearing abilities of devils were terrifying.

Saeko and the others turned to the source of the sound.

There was a peculiar light in their eyes.

"A little bug slipped in?"

Saeko's tone remained calm.

None of them were surprised.

After Tokyo fell, they'd relinquished their control over the city.

It wasn't strange for someone to sneak in to investigate what happened.

But…

Since you've come, you're not leaving~

Tina Sprout's body froze stiffly.

She silently stepped out from the ruins, clearly signaling that she meant no harm.

"After analyzing the current data, Tina is no match at all, so…"

"Zero-Two-Zero," Tina Sprout slowly raised her hands, her demeanor resembling someone surrendering.

Saeko's lips twitched, her expression a little subtle.

But…

She understood the situation perfectly.

Even from afar, Tina had witnessed the total destruction of a Stage V Gastrea.

It would be impossible for her not to grasp the reality.

Originally, she'd been sent by Ayn Rand to investigate Tokyo.

To find out why it had suddenly fallen.

Now, the case was closed.

And they got another Cursed Child for free.

Hmm…

Lynn subtly shook his head and waved his hand. "Let's go. I'll go update your Blessings."

---

Busujima Saeko
Mid-Class Devil
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor

Strength: SSS1378
Agility: SS1096
Durability: SS1035
Magic: SS1028

Inherent Skills:
[Yearning for Killing] (omitted)
[Blade Devil] (omitted)

Development Ability: Swordsman I

After seeing Saeko's updated Blessings data, Lynn nodded inwardly.

Just as expected.

Then he said, "Alright, looks like that's your limit."

"But… that was fast."

Lynn sighed with a hint of admiration.

Saeko exhaled softly and smiled. She whispered, "Then I'll leave it to you, Master."

Lynn nodded behind her.

Level Up!

"Hnngnn~"

A soft, sultry moan escaped, causing Mahiru and the others to blush.

Why did Saeko make such a… provocative sound?

She must've done it on purpose!

A short while later.

Her Blessings were updated.

Busujima Saeko
High-Class Devil
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor

Strength: i0
Agility: i0
Durability: i0
Magic: i0

Inherent Skills:
[Slaughter Vision] (omitted)
[Blade Devil] (omitted)

[Black Eclipse Blade]
—Bacterial Resonance (Absorbs trace amounts of enterovirus during attacks with her weapon; converts it into physical stamina recovery)
—Blood Slaughter Awakening (During consecutive kills, her weapon becomes covered in black erosion lines; final attack range increases by 200%)

This is…

Lynn was surprised.

Seeing a skill related to the Gastrea virus in the list, he suddenly understood.

So, it was a result of killing too many Gastrea.

Lynn copied Saeko's Blessings info for records.

Saeko immediately noticed her new rank.

High-Class Devil.

Now she could be even more useful to her master.

Then she looked further down and noticed the new skill.

"Black Eclipse Blade?"

Saeko tilted her head in confusion.

"It's probably from the Gastrea you've been fighting…"

Lynn gave his guess.

Anyone who saw the mention of the virus could likely connect the dots.

After hearing his explanation, Saeko nodded in realization.

"But…"

Lynn rubbed his chin. "This skill's only useful in the Black Bullet world."

It offered stamina regeneration, after all.

But only in the presence of the Gastrea virus.

Once Saeko left this world, the skill would become half-useless.

Saeko smiled nonchalantly. "Better than nothing."

"And—"

A hint of crimson flickered in Saeko's eyes. "This just means I can kill better here… and earn more experience."

Utaha twitched her lips.

She almost said what was on everyone's mind, this woman's a total maniac!

Seeing Saeko unlock a new skill, Miko suddenly had a thought: "Does that mean we can awaken skills like that too?"

The idea got her a little excited.

Her [Spirit-Seer Devil] was basically useless!

It worked great against spirits but normal enemies?

Completely ineffective.

She could only rely on the stat boosts of a mid-class devil, but even then, she desperately wanted to learn how to use magic better.

Unless she could raise some powerful cursed spirits…

But so far, she hadn't encountered one strong enough.

And even if she did, she couldn't enslave it.

So basically.

Useless!

If awakening new skills was possible… maybe she had a chance?

Miko was hopeful.

"New skills?!"

The others perked up at her speculation.

But soon after, their excitement died down.

"Tsk."

Utaha pouted. "Only Saeko gets the good stuff…"

Miko also looked dejected.

Her hopes for a new skill were dashed.

Lynn gently patted her on the back and offered an alternative idea.

"If you can't enslave a powerful cursed spirit, why not try befriending one and signing a contract?"

"Contract?"

Miko's expression brightened slightly.

But…

Did she really have to befriend cursed spirits?

Her face stiffened again.

Even now, she still hadn't recovered from being scared half to death by cursed spirits.

Cursed spirits, every last one of them deserves to die!!

Thinking back to her past encounters, Miko felt both ashamed and frustrated. Her body heated up.

Her temperature rose, visibly red!

Lynn continued updating everyone's Blessings one by one.

The stat values of Utaha and the other mid-class devils increased significantly, though none reached the threshold for promotion.

Meanwhile, the lower-ranked devils like Yuuko and Hana advanced to mid-class rank.

But aside from the level upgrade, there weren't any major changes.

Hana's development ability advanced to [Boxer I].

It was likely due to her frequently wrapping her fists in aura and punching things head-on.

Yuuko's development ability was:

[Netherworld Resistance I]
(Immune to mental erosion caused by curse-type skills; in dark environments or areas of negative energy, total stats increase by 20%)

"That's a very solid development ability," Lynn commented.

Yuuko grinned and immediately pounced on Lynn, rubbing her forehead against him playfully.

"Master~ Master~ When will you come taste this ghost?"

Yuuko's narrow eyes curled into mischievous slits as she smiled. Lynn twitched slightly.

Lynn patted her. "Come to my room tonight."

Yuuko's eyes lit up instantly!

The sixty-year-old virgin was finally going to give up her precious first time tonight!

"Then, Master~ You better wait for me!"

With that, Yuuko practically floated away in bliss.

Though technically, she already floated to begin with…

Watching her, Utaha curled her lips and said nothing.

She was just a bit curious…

What does it feel like if it's with a ghost…?

Mahiru opened her mouth slightly, then closed it and pursed her lips with a trace of frustration.

She'd known this day would come.

Yuuko had been way too proactive with Mr. Lynn.

Always flirting at the slightest opportunity.

This was just the natural conclusion.

But…

Wasn't she here before Yuuko…?

The most frustrated one was Miko.

Another one…

She mumbled to herself.

"Hey, Miko, weren't you the first to become part of Minister Lynn's Peerage?"

Hana asked curiously, "So, did you ever get into Master's bed?"

"G-Get into bed?!"

Miko's face flushed bright red as she looked at Hana in shock.

What a bold thing to say!

Then again, considering it was Hana, maybe it wasn't too surprising.

But…

It still hurt a little, Hana…

If I cut you open, you're not secretly black-hearted, are you?

Seeing Miko's reaction, Hana's expression lit up with a smug "Ah, I see~" look.

Miko's face darkened.

Don't look at me like that!

I'm embarrassed enough about not having climbed onto his bed yet!!

Just as she was fuming internally, Hana suddenly said with serious conviction, "Don't worry, Miko! I'll help you!"

"W-What, Hana?"

Miko stuttered, completely thrown off.

W-What's she helping with?

Help her get into Master's bed?

H-How would she even help with that?

She was both embarrassed… and curious.

Definitely not because she wanted to know how!

Hana gave her a confident look and patted her shoulder like a big sister giving guidance.

"Don't worry, Miko. Once I climb into Master's bed, I'll help you too!"

"…Huh?"

Miko's eyes went wide!

I didn't expect you to be that kind of Hana!!

You say you'll help your bestie but you're the one jumping into bed first?!

Friendship over! Friendship over!!

Miko stared at her, full of regret.

Hana… you're no good!

On the other side, it was finally Kisara's turn to have her Blessings updated.

She was full of anticipation and quickly took off her top, waiting for Lynn to begin.

The next moment.

Lynn's hand pressed against her smooth back.

The Blessings data surfaced.

Tendo Kisara
Mid-Class Devil
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor

Strength: C613
Agility: C687
Durability: E437
Magic: E497

[Tendo Ryu Menkyo Kaiden] (omitted)
[Ghost Sword] (omitted)
[Revenge Devil] (omitted)
Elegy of the Sorrowful Wish] (omitted)

…

Lynn examined the data carefully.

Her level hadn't changed, but—

"Your stats increased quite a bit."

Thanks to [Tendo Ryu Menkyo Kaiden], Kisara's strength and agility were climbing rapidly.

Plus, she'd been doing a lot of killing lately.

And.

"Just like Saeko, a new skill appeared."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 103: Cat Battle

[Elegy of the Sorrowful Wish]
—Hate Mark (Increases damage dealt to Gastrea-type creatures by 50%)
—Declaration of the End (The next attack will strike the target's weak point)

Just like Saeko's new skill, it was another ability tied to Gastrea creatures.

But…

That Declaration of the End effect seemed pretty good.

Lynn copied Kisara's updated Blessings data.

Kisara looked through her own status screen and laughed as she spotted the new skill.

She wasn't that far behind Saeko!

After finishing the Blessings updates, Lynn turned toward Tina.

"Now it's your turn."

Tina blinked and pointed at herself, slightly stunned.

Lynn nodded without a word.

Lynn summoned the Evil Piece and placed his hand on her back.

The Blessings information appeared.

Tina Sprout
Low-Class Devil
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor

Strength: i0
Agility: i0
Durability: i0
Magic: i0

Inherent Skills:
—Owl-Type Gastrea Factor (All attributes increased during nighttime combat)
—Battlefield Topology (Automatically generates a 3D tactical map by analyzing terrain, airflow, and sound)

…

Not a special-type devil…

But she already had two inherent skills.

Battlefield Topology…

Hmm.

She had the makings of a battlefield commander.

Lynn copied her Blessings info and explained her current state.

After a while.

Tina's expression lit up with realization.

She looked at her wings and muttered, "So… this is why the Cursed Children vanished, huh?"

Devils.

The so-called "children of the devil" had finally become actual devils.

And…

The characteristics of the Gastrea virus were completely gone!

Which meant they no longer needed to worry about transforming into Gastrea.

Tina was dazed.

It felt like the goddess of luck had smiled on her.

No—

More accurately…

Tina had been chosen by her current master, Lynn.

She silently looked up and engraved Lynn's face into her heart.

He was the savior of the Cursed Children.

Even if he was a devil…

She took a deep breath, bowed low, and spoke solemnly:

"Thank you for giving me a new life!"

In that moment, she even felt grateful to Ayn Rand for assigning her this mission.

But—

She looked up again, expression serious.

"I'm familiar with Osaka and America. Please let me assist with those two locations!"

Tina had made her decision.

She would act as a guide.

And bring back every last Cursed Child.

Lynn patted her head and entrusted her with the mission. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."

However.

He wasn't fully confident in her current condition.

If he remembered correctly, didn't she have a setting where she couldn't stay awake during the day due to the owl factor?

He wasn't sure if that weakness had been erased after her devil transformation.

Lynn shook his head and moved on to the next task.

Cursed Children from around the world were arriving one after another.

He needed to transform them into devils as soon as possible to purge the Gastrea virus from their bodies and put them at ease.

By the time everything was wrapped up, it was already late at night.

Lynn's Bedroom

"Master~ I'm here~"

Yuuko floated through the wall.

Lynn's eyelid twitched. "You… what are you wearing?"

"Eh?"

Yuuko looked down at herself, puzzled. "Master doesn't like it?"

She wore a pure white, loose robe, with a white triangular headscarf on her forehead. Several faint blue ghost lights floated around her.

She looked exactly like a traditional ghost!

"No, I like it just fine."

Lynn pulled her down from mid-air.

As Yuuko let out a surprised yelp, the ghost lights in the room flickered wildly.

The Next Day

Yuuko's pink tongue gently licked Lynn's skin.

"Master, how did it taste?"

Her narrow eyes sparkled mischievously as her fingers drew circles on Lynn's chest.

"Compared to Utaha and the others, it should be a little different, right?"

Lynn touched his chin, looking serious.

"I think… this kind of thing needs to be verified with more experiments before reaching a solid conclusion."

Yuuko paused and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Her gaze shifted playfully, and she floated naked into the air again.

"There are plenty of perks to being a ghost~"

"For example…"

"Unlocking stranger positions is way easier, right?"

Suddenly, Lynn narrowed his eyes and exhaled slowly with satisfaction.

A fully-automated ghost cup.

Perfect…

...

Afternoon

After handing off all matters related to the Black Bullet world to his Peerage, Lynn was finally free.

Apartment – Living Room

Lynn was currently in the middle of another round of fighting with Koneko.

Off to the side.

Midori Fuse puffed up her cheeks and glared at the white-haired girl nestled comfortably in their master's arms.

She felt like her territory was being threatened.

Her hair puffed up in agitation.

Koneko absentmindedly played her video game, occasionally glancing at Midori.

Then her gaze settled on the cat ears atop Midori's head.

After a brief silence, she casually dispelled the magic concealing her own ears.

"?"

Lynn looked down and asked curiously, "Koneko, why are your ears exposed?"

Koneko pursed her lips. "My magic is a little unstable…"

Unstable magic?

Lynn looked at her oddly but didn't say anything further.

Midori Fuse: Stare!!!!

This shameless cat!

Definitely intentional!!

Koneko pursed her lips and whispered, "Senpai, my ears… are itchy…"

She was asking for a head pat.

Lynn paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and placed his hand on her head.

His broad fingers gently stroked her soft, furry ears.

Koneko shivered slightly, her body instinctively squirming.

Lynn froze.

Could it be…

Is she going into heat?

Lynn's expression stiffened.

With that in mind, Lynn immediately withdrew his hand.

Koneko looked up at him, eyes slightly misty, staring at Lynn blankly.

As if wondering why he suddenly stopped.

Just as Lynn was about to come up with an excuse.

Midori suddenly squeezed in between them.

"Master~"

She threw herself into Lynn's arms, tears brimming in her eyes.

The feeling of abandonment stung too much.

At this point, she didn't care about being shy.

Master is going to be stolen!!

Seeing her like that, Lynn gently placed his hand on Midori's head and rubbed it softly.

"Hehehehe~"

The moment she felt his touch, Midori's expression shifted instantly, her face melting into a goofy smile.

Koneko paused and stared silently at Midori.

The strange sensation from earlier faded away.

Seeing this, Lynn let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Looks like she wasn't actually in heat.

Still…

He hadn't expected such a reaction just from stroking her ears.

He'd have to be more careful in the future.

Although…

Watching the subtle rivalry unfold between Koneko and Midori, Lynn started to feel.

Maybe raising two cats… isn't so bad after all.

He wondered if there was any possibility of convincing Rias to let Koneko transfer over.

Just as the girls were subtly competing for Lynn's attention, the apartment's doorbell rang.

Lynn raised his eyebrows.

Who could it be at this hour?

His Peerage members were still in the Black Bullet world grinding for experience…

Could it be Natsuki Minamiya?

"Master! I'll get the door!"

Midori immediately stopped fussing with Koneko and dashed over.

She wanted to be the thoughtful one!

As soon as the door opened.

She was greeted by a beautiful girl wearing slim-framed glasses, exuding a calm and intellectual aura.

Midori blinked and asked, confused, "Who are you?"

She had never seen this big sister before.

Which meant…

She probably wasn't one of the Peerage members.

Seeing Midori, Sona's eyes showed a flicker of surprise.

"Sona Sitri."

She calmly introduced herself, then asked, "Excuse me, is Lynn here?"

"Master?"

Midori was stunned, then quickly stepped aside. "Please, come in."

Master…

She's part of Lynn's Peerage?

Walking into the living room, Sona appeared visibly tense.

But—

The moment she saw Koneko curled up in Lynn's lap, her steps froze.

A glint of surprise flashed through her eyes.

Why was a member of Rias's Peerage here with Lynn?

And…

They were so close!

She clenched her fist subconsciously.

Then took a deep breath to calm herself.

But!

A faint chill flickered in Sona's eyes, though it vanished just as quickly.

Heh…

Rias… what about your so-called fiancé?

Why are you pushing this cat onto Lynn instead?!

You're even using the cat-girl card!!

"Huu…"

Calm down. Calm down…

At that moment, Lynn finally noticed her presence.

"Oh? What a rare guest."

He smiled in slight surprise.

He didn't hold any ill will toward Sona.

After all, she'd helped him acquire housing and provided him with water-based magic.

Even though Rias had arranged it, it was still Sona who delivered everything.

This was only their second meeting since their engagement had been broken off.

Lynn had assumed Sona would avoid him until everything was officially settled.

But here she was, showing up on her own.

Lynn was momentarily confused.

Still—

There was probably only one reason she came.

"Has the engagement cancellation been finalized?"

Sona's expression stiffened.

Engagement cancellation… right. That…

She had almost forgotten about that entirely.

"Ah… No, that's not…"

Sona seemed a bit flustered.

Lynn fell silent for a moment before asking, "…Then why are you here?"

Without answering, Sona silently took out several scrolls, spellbooks, and weapons.

Then she placed them all in front of him.

Lynn's eyelid twitched.

Sona began her explanation.

"This is holy attribute magic—Chain of Redemption."

"Light-element spell—Photoetching Seal."

"Holy weapon—Nail of the Penitent."

"Light-element weapon—Photon Collapse Hand Cannon."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 104: Contractor?

Lynn's apartment.

Living room.

The air was heavy with silence.

Lynn stared at the pile of spells, weapons, and other items on the floor, momentarily speechless.

He didn't say a word until Sona finished unloading everything. "This is…"

"Well… it's compensation."

Sona hesitated for a moment, then said, "I heard from Rias that you've been needing items with holy and light attributes lately."

"Compensation?"

Lynn raised an eyebrow, recalling their earlier conversation.

If the engagement were canceled, he'd be compensated.

But…

Lynn asked with some confusion, "But the engagement hasn't been canceled yet, has it?"

Sona's expression stiffened, and she stammered, "It's just a matter of time…"

"…Alright."

Lynn reluctantly accepted her reasoning.

Since she insisted on giving him these, could he really refuse?

Still…

Lynn gave her a strange look. "Did you rob the Church?"

As soon as that was mentioned, Sona regained her calm.

Adjusting her glasses, she replied matter-of-factly, "It was just a small fry. Not worth mentioning."

A small fry?

How could there be so many "small fries"?

Lynn's eyelid twitched.

Still…

He'd take it for what it was.

There was no need for him to expose her.

After all, he was the one benefiting.

And…

These holy and light-attribute items were just for Mahiru anyway.

Uh…

Would it be inappropriate to give Mahiru something Sona gave him?

But then again…

Even Mahiru was part of his peerage. Giving things to the peerage wasn't the same as giving them away.

"Midori, bring Miss Sona some tea."

She had brought him so much. The least she deserved was a cup of tea.

Sona pursed her lips slightly.

Miss Sona…

Lynn used to call her by name directly…

Somehow, it felt a little stifling when he was so polite.

And…

Sona's gaze quietly drifted toward Koneko still curled up in Lynn's arms.

Sensing that cold stare, Koneko stiffened slightly before meeting Sona's eyes.

Koneko: "…"

She remembered that Sona had an engagement with Lynn-senpai, didn't she?

So wasn't it kind of…

Bad for her to be leaning on him like this?

But…

Unable to withstand Sona's gaze, Koneko stood up silently. "Senpai, I'll head back first."

Before anyone could respond, Koneko activated her teleportation magic and vanished from Lynn's apartment.

But…

The moment she left Lynn's embrace, a dazed emptiness settled in her heart.

She felt…

A little hollow.

After Koneko left, the apartment fell into silence again.

Sona sipped her tea, feeling a little awkward.

She had come in a hurry.

But because of the cordial atmosphere when they first met, her relationship with Lynn had become a bit complicated.

She didn't know…

What she was supposed to say…

She wanted to improve their awkward dynamic.

But all she could think to do… was spend money.

After quickly finishing her tea, Sona left.

Lynn was left confused by this woman.

Did she come here just to give him stuff?

Was she trying to support him?

Just then—

A notification sound came from his phone.

Rias: What did you do to Koneko?


Kuoh Academy.

Occult Research Club.

Rias was staring at the silver-haired girl who had clearly come back… off.

She couldn't help but question Lynn.

In that state, it was obvious.

She was in heat!!

Rias's expression was complicated. Lynn… could it be…

Lynn: …Does touching her ears count?

Seeing Rias's message, Lynn instantly guessed what she wanted to ask.

Rias: ….

Rias was stunned for a moment.

Just…

Just that?

She thought…

Rias felt a bit uneasy.

But…

Was Koneko really that innocent?

Just from touching her ears, she ended up like this?

Still…

Fortunately, things hadn't gone completely off the rails, it was still within control.

Rias rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Going forward, maybe she should ban Koneko from visiting Lynn.

It hadn't even been that long, and she was already showing her ears to someone else.

Next time, would it be her tail?

Rias sighed like a weary mother.

Ding Dong!

A new message alert popped up on her phone.

Lynn: [Picture].jpg – Please thank Sona for her generous gift.

Lynn: Sona is so generous. Shouldn't you, Rias, also show some appreciation?

Lynn was dropping hints left and right.

Rias: ?

Rias's expression turned complicated.

The photo Lynn sent was filled with holy and light-attribute spells and weapons.

She didn't even need to think.

Clearly, Sona had sent them.

Hmm…

She had just received news not long ago.

A fallen angel church in Kuoh Town had been wiped out.

No need to guess—obviously Sona's doing.

A diplomatic incident! A full-on diplomatic incident!!

All of that, just to send some holy and light-attribute spells and weapons to Lynn?

Sona…

Are you in too deep?

This matter would definitely be reported to the Maou.

Fortunately, Sona was still rational.

She had only targeted the weakest faction of the three major forces.

Besides…

That church really did have problems…

So overall, it wasn't a huge deal.

But…

"Serafall-sama is definitely going to hear about this…"

Rias was a little helpless.

On the other side.

In a corner of Kuoh Town.

A woman who had been using magic to monitor Koneko immediately noticed her abnormal condition.

"Koneko's estrus period came early?"

…

The Underworld.

Leviathan's office.

Sona's actions were instantly placed on Serafall's desk.
She stared at the report in her hand, her expression filled with confusion. "A fallen angel base in Kuoh Town was destroyed?"

"Sona did this?"

She found it hard to believe.

It didn't seem like something Sona would do.

But after reading through all the information, her expression turned blank.

Then, she tightly gripped the papers in her hand, grinding her teeth. "My Sona… she actually did this for that man!"

"I'm not willing to accept this…"

Serafall's eyes were brimming with tears. Then, with a resolute expression, she said, "It must be that man!"

"That man must have threatened Sona by bringing up dissolving the engagement!"

"Wuwuwu… Sona, you've suffered…"

Serafall had already been aware of Sona's move to break off the engagement.

But this matter wasn't simple.

It concerned the stability of the entire Underworld.

She and the other three Maou—Sirzechs among them—were all part of the new generation of Maou. Their foundation in the Underworld was still fragile.

If promises weren't kept, it would only stir more unrest.

Sure, they could suppress everything with sheer power, but wouldn't that make them no different from the Old Maou Faction?

That's why.

The marriage contract with the Valefor family had become a crucial means of stabilizing the Underworld.

Aside from her, the other three Maou took it very seriously.

As a Maou, Serafall could understand that.

But…

"We can't let Sona bear this pain alone."

Serafall's eyes turned determined.

This engagement had originally been her idea.

For Sona's happiness.

Her gaze grew distant, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

…

A few days later.

The world of Black Bullet.

The fall of Tokyo sent shockwaves across the world.

The global focus turned toward Tokyo.

And then came the next shock.

Scorpio, dead?

But…

How did he die? Who killed him?

No one knew.

Just as people were preparing to investigate, they suddenly discovered something strange, there seemed to be fewer and fewer Cursed Children for no reason!

After Lynn reincarnated a new batch of Cursed Children, his power rose yet again.

Then, on the map of the Black Bullet world, a cross was drawn at the location of Japan.


---

At the same time.

Shuchiin Academy, Guidance Room.

Natsuki closed her eyes, her expression filled with exhaustion.

"Isayama Yomi, lost contact?"

After hanging up the phone, she rubbed her temple.

Looking for someone?

That wasn't her strong suit.

But…

Natsuki suddenly recalled the devil flyer Lynn had given to Yomi.

Hmm…

She wondered if Yomi had used it.

Even if the cost would likely be outrageous…

At least it could save her life.

Given Lynn's current strength, dealing with a monster like Hagoromo Gitsune shouldn't be a problem.

With that thought, she sent a message to Lynn.

---

Black Bullet World.

Lynn received a message from Natsuki.

"Isayama Yomi…"

He thought of the black-haired woman he had seen a few days ago, his expression turning strange.

He hadn't expected the piece he had placed casually before to be activated so soon.

Still—

Once you cross into another world, the devil flyer's summoning can no longer be sensed.

Lynn turned and left for the main world.

Main World.

At a shrine.

Yomi and Kotoko were in a miserable state.

Kotoko stared at Yomi with obvious resentment.

If it weren't for this woman, she wouldn't have been forced to take such a risk.

Yomi looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry… I dragged you into this."

She was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted.

Yomi looked around with fatigue written all over her face.

This had to be a fantasy space.

It was the result of her discussion with Kotoko.

However—

Even though they understood the nature of this space, there was no way for them to leave it.

"So…"

Kotoko concluded, "This place is definitely connected to Hagoromo Gitsune."

The fact that even Yomi couldn't handle it meant.

It had to be a powerful monster.

Yomi let out a weak hum.

She was so exhausted she could barely speak.

Kotoko sighed. "So… why not just use that life-saving flyer you got before we came here?"

Hearing this, Yomi hesitated. "Given our current situation… if we use it, we'll definitely have to pay a steep price, right?"

Kotoko looked speechless. "At this point?"

"No matter how high the cost is, can it be worse than this?"

Even if they didn't summon the devil, they'd just be stuck here indefinitely. That was no different from dying.

"But…"

Yomi was still hesitating.

Kotoko couldn't take it anymore and pulled the flyer out of her pocket.

"Wait!"

Yomi was slightly stunned.

But Kotoko didn't bother asking for her permission.

She gave a sweet smile, then raised the devil flyer.

"Please help us, Devil!"

As her voice fell.

The flyer in her hand lit up brilliantly.

A magic circle unfolded instantly.

Lynn's figure slowl