Chapter 500: Kuroka's Unusual Behavior
The reason they sought out Vali and the others was because Arthur's abilities were particularly suited for this mission.
No, it would be more accurate to say the abilities of the Holy King Sword Caliburn were especially suitable.
If Arthur were willing to lend Caliburn, Haruto alone would be enough for this mission.
As for including Haruto, it was obviously because they were worried that Vali and his group weren't strong enough—not only failing to solve the problem but potentially causing even worse consequences.
After all, defeating Great Red had always been Vali's goal.
As for surpassing the current Red Dragon Emperor, that ambition only emerged after he was defeated by Haruto.
Unfortunately, as time passed day by day, this goal seemed increasingly difficult to achieve.
At first, Haruto had to go all out to defeat him, but now Vali didn't even get to see Haruto at full power anymore.
"Two hours every day..."
Haruto finally realized—if this matter wasn't resolved during spring break, before the dimensional fluctuations calmed down or the dimensional barrier disappeared entirely, he'd have to spend two hours every day in this empty, colorful space.
Those guys—Sirzechs and the others—were trying to take over his future personal time too...
No wonder they were so polite, with all those leader-level figures specifically coming to ask for his help and persisting even after being rejected.
Once he figured it out, Haruto felt like he'd been tricked.
If this problem never got resolved, wouldn't he miss out on the services Serafall promised too?
Seeing Haruto's mood rapidly deteriorating, with his gaze occasionally drifting toward the family heirloom Holy Sword in his hand, Arthur quickly said, "Two hours per day is the limit for the Holy King Sword Caliburn. Even if someone else used it, it would be the same..."
"Really? I don't believe it!"
Before Arthur could finish, Haruto interrupted, "Unless you let me try it first. Don't worry—if it's really as you say, I'll definitely return it. After all, with such limitations, it's practically useless anyway."
If it's true, you'll return it—meaning if it's false, you won't, right?
Arthur's mouth twitched, and he instinctively looked toward Vali for help.
Of course, he was lying. The Holy King Sword was just a weapon—manipulating space and tearing through dimensions were its inherent traits. How far these traits could be utilized depended entirely on the user's ability.
Maybe Caliburn truly had its limits, but it definitely wasn't something like "only two hours per day."
However, just like how using the Holy Sword requires qualifications, without the bloodline of the Pendragon family, one cannot wield the Holy King Sword Caliburn.
But as for Haruto...
After obtaining the innate talent of a Holy Sword Wielder from Xenovia, no Holy Sword could refuse him.
This was no secret either—Haruto's absolute mastery over Holy Swords had long been exposed.
Though Holy Swords are rare, which mythological faction doesn't possess a few? Michael once considered gifting Haruto a Dragon-Slaying Holy Sword to strengthen their relationship.
Vali rarely refrained from supporting Arthur, yet he dared to use such an easily exposed lie on Haruto.
If Haruto were truly that foolish, why would Vali care so much about him?
Besides, if Haruto could be deceived so easily, no matter how much potential and talent he possessed, he would never have reached his current level.
Haruto simply preferred not to overthink things—he'd rather act than talk. Those who truly saw him as a fool now have grass growing tall over their graves.
Seeing the blond, bespectacled Arthur frozen in place, Haruto curled his lips and didn't press further for the Holy King Sword Caliburn.
Even if Arthur offered it, Haruto wouldn't actually take it.
Did they expect him to wander aimlessly in the Dimensional Gap all day? If he couldn't find traces of Loki's power, would he never return home?
He just found it irritating how some people acted all wise while treating others like fools, so he deliberately tried to scare Arthur a little.
If Haruto truly decided to seize the Holy King Sword Caliburn now, there was little they could do to stop him.
Even if Vali activated Juggernaut Drive, the four of them together were no match for Haruto. At best, they might shatter the Dimensional Gap and be forced back to the human world.
"Alright, alright, let's just focus on finding our target," Bikou chimed in cheerfully, hoisting his staff over his shoulder to diffuse the tension.
"Time is running short. The sooner we locate the remnants of Loki's power, the sooner we can resolve this and return home."
Haruto glanced at him briefly but didn't respond.
He was in a foul mood and had absolutely no desire to speak with men. The only slight comfort was having a sexy, black-haired, big-breasted cat-eared beauty to feast his eyes on.
Seeing Haruto move closer to Kuroka while completely ignoring him, Bikou could only shrug helplessly.
"Hey Kuroka, I only agreed to come here and search for Loki's residual power because I was pestered beyond endurance. Aren't you guys the type who loves watching the world burn? Why did you agree to help resolve this matter?"
Startled by the sudden voice beside her, Kuroka instinctively hopped back a step, the fur on her tail standing straight up.
Only after realizing it was Haruto speaking did she calm down slightly.
Haruto frowned - Kuroka's reaction was far too extreme.
Thinking back carefully, ever since that time he captured her, she'd been acting strangely whenever she saw him.
"Miss Kuroka, it's not like I actually did anything to you, right?"
Haruto moved closer again, complaining: "Bikou was there during that battle too. Although I captured you, I didn't do anything excessive."
Hearing this, he looked toward Bikou, who subconsciously nodded.
Haruto had noticed Kuroka's strange behavior recently, and as her companions, they'd naturally noticed it earlier.
But no matter how they asked, Kuroka just wouldn't explain.
At first they thought Haruto had done something to Kuroka, but Bikou, as a witness, could confirm Haruto hadn't done anything excessive.
After that, Kuroka was directly released by her younger sister, and Haruto had even less contact with her.
As Haruto approached, Kuroka tried to retreat again.
She retreated, Haruto kept advancing - he had to get to the bottom of this today.
Never mind that he still wanted to win Kuroka over, just the fact that she was Koneko's biological older sister meant he, as the brother-in-law, needed to maintain good relations with her!
Hmm, preferably relations as close as one.
That way Kuroka could stay with Koneko forever too.
Haruto chased, Kuroka fled.
He pursued, she escaped, but she had nowhere to fly even with wings.
The barrier's space was limited, and after just three or four steps back, Kuroka had nowhere left to retreat.
Cornered by Haruto, Kuroka's beautiful face gradually flushed crimson, the fair skin beneath her black kimono slowly tinged with patches of blush.
"Mew..."
After a stalemate, Kuroka finally couldn't hold out anymore, letting out a charming, adorable cat cry.
"Don't come any closer, meow! If you get any closer, I'll... I'll..."
Seeing Kuroka's tightly closed eyes, Haruto subconsciously grew wary.
Although he wasn't afraid of Kuroka harming him, it wouldn't be good to get scratched by a desperate kitten somewhere.
But just as Haruto secretly prepared for Kuroka's outburst, her next sentence left everyone present utterly speechless.
Including Arthur, who had been focused on controlling the barrier, searching for Loki's residual power after being snubbed by Haruto.
"If you get any closer... I'm going to... going to go into heat, meow!!!"
Kuroka opened her beautiful peach-blossom eyes, which were misty with moisture.
The usually sexy and gorgeous beauty now looked utterly pitiful, making Haruto subconsciously swallow hard.
But the next moment he came to his senses, exclaiming in shock: "H-heat?"
"Mew..."
Kuroka embarrassedly turned her head away, gently nodding twice.
Compared to her biological younger sister Toujou Shirone, she was closer to the Nekomata bloodline within her, usually maintaining the form with cat ears and tail.
This could better stimulate her bloodline, making her more powerful, but similarly, it also made her more bestial, influenced by feline habits.
Kuroka's usual fondness for teasing people, her speech quirks, and some laziness were all due to this reason.
However, experiencing heat like a cat was a first for her.
Judging by her appearance, this was related to Haruto.
Unlike the regular heat cycles of ordinary cats, this was her being in heat for a specific person.
After their initial shock, Vali and the other two quickly lost interest.
Women would only slow down their pace of strength improvement. If Kuroka weren't such a capable companion, they wouldn't have cared at all.
Now that they discovered it was this kind of issue, after a brief surprise, they completely lost interest.
At most, they were somewhat curious about how it involved Haruto.
As for Kuroka and Haruto being together, they didn't mind at all.
Vali and his Familiars were only acting together because they shared the same goals, completely different from the master-servant relationships of ordinary demons.
If it weren't for the Evil Pieces enhancing their strength, no one would have become Vali's Familiar.
At most, they acknowledged Vali as the leader of their small group because he was the strongest.
Seeing Kuroka's current state - full of desire yet constantly conflicted, in such an adorable manner - Haruto felt a playful urge rising.
Instead of creating distance, he directly pulled her into his embrace.
Kuroka wanted to resist, but smelling Haruto's scent and feeling his incredibly comforting embrace, she gradually became compliant.
Haruto stroked Kuroka's smooth hair with one hand while holding her slender waist with the other. Through the thin layer of her kimono, he could clearly feel Kuroka's curvaceous, sensual figure.
Kuroka lay in Haruto's arms, comfortably narrowing her eyes, her two cat ears twitching occasionally. Even her two fluffy tails had unknowingly wrapped around Haruto's arm holding her.
With such warm, fragrant softness in his embrace, Haruto's heart stirred. Fortunately, as a seasoned veteran, he quickly adjusted his mindset.
Neither the occasion nor the timing was appropriate to take things further.
Of course, mainly because there were three other men watching nearby.
While petting the sexy cat-eared beauty, Haruto asked, "What's really going on? I never heard Koneko say you have heat cycles?"
"Nyaa~"
Kuroka had completely given up resisting, comfortably nuzzling Haruto's palm as she softly said, "That girl Shirone is still young, and she doesn't unleash her power, so she hasn't reached that stage yet..."
Halfway through, Kuroka seemed to remember something and changed her words: "She's already with you, so she won't have this worry in the future."
Haruto didn't know what to say. Cats develop differently from humans, and Nekomata who can transform into humans are even more different.
Kuroka said Koneko was still young, but by human age standards, Koneko was already in her second year of high school, about to enter her third year - completely at an age where one could make a move.
Speaking of which, the growth and aging of demons in this world, along with angels and Fallen Angels - these long-lived species - were quite unreasonable.
Despite having nearly eternal natural lifespans, they mature in just over a decade like humans, with their strength peaking within just a few decades...
Haruto shook his head, dismissing the pointless thoughts.
The laws of each world were different—it was too rigid to cling to the fixed mindset from his previous life.
"So why did you suddenly go into heat?"
Haruto continued asking. Compared to Kuroka, who appeared open but was actually still a virgin, he was truly unbothered by such topics.
Kuroka was embarrassed by the question, but she wasn't a young girl anymore—she was a mature, sensual older sister.
After her initial shyness, she began to explain.
It turned out that after fully awakening the bloodline within her, this state of heat would occur periodically. Although she didn't mind getting involved with a man, he at least had to be someone she could respect.
So, she decided to simply have a child.
Once she became pregnant, this periodic state of heat would naturally disappear.
After much consideration, during one of her heat cycles, she asked Vali if he would give her a dragon child.
Vali refused outright—he didn't want to be tied down by a woman, nor did he want offspring in his teens.
After being rejected, and tired of being bothered by the periodic heat but unwilling to settle for just any partner, she cast a spell on herself.
This spell resolved her periodic heat issue, but it came with a side effect…
Whenever she encountered a man who stirred her heart, she would go into heat every time she saw him.
This "stirring" didn't necessarily mean affection—fear or intimidation would work too.
Basically, any man who caused intense emotional fluctuations in her would trigger it.
Haruto was speechless. He could tell Kuroka wasn't in heat because she liked him.
If she did, given her personality, she wouldn't resist—she'd have taken the initiative to resolve the heat issue long ago.
"So, ever since I defeated you last time, you've been unable to forget me? Or are you just afraid of me?"
"I don't know either."
Faced with Haruto's question, Kuroka looked just as confused.
"There's some fear, but not much. At first, I was just shocked by your strength, a bit in disbelief. But after hearing about you from Koneko, every time I see you, I can't help but…"
Halfway through, Kuroka blushed and fell silent, burying her face deeper into Haruto's chest.
Though she didn't continue, Haruto could guess a little.
He had spoken with Koneko afterward but hadn't considered this angle at the time.
Kuroka wasn't just a woman—she was a Nekomata who admired strength. Being so easily defeated by Haruto had left a deep impression on her.
Later, when Koneko defeated her, it only fueled her curiosity about how Haruto had managed it.
And Koneko, trying to bring Kuroka back to their side, had tried every method possible.
Naturally, she hadn't held back in describing the benefits of dual cultivation.
Besides boosting strength, she emphasized the pleasure involved.
Over time, every time Kuroka saw Haruto, her emotions would flare up, subconsciously bringing embarrassing matters to mind, and then the side effect would kick in…
Haruto looked down at the black-haired, cat-eared beauty in his arms, his feelings complex but overall pleased.
Of course, he wanted Kuroka for himself.
Not just for his own desires and to boost his strength, but also to help the two sisters reconcile and live together peacefully from now on.
But achieving this goal through such a twist of fate felt strangely anticlimactic.
He almost wished he had conquered her gradually through dual cultivation instead.
However, this strange, or even somewhat twisted thought was quickly cast aside by him.
Although Kuroka couldn't be said to like him, she didn't harbor any feelings of disgust either.
It was more about curiosity and admiration for strength. And when one becomes curious about someone of the opposite sex, it often lays the foundation for developing affection.
Thinking this way, Haruto instantly felt much more cheerful.
Regardless of whether they could find Loki's power fragment, resolve the unstable factors in the Dimensional Gap, or obtain the reward promised by Serafall, at least his relationship with Kuroka had taken a step forward through this incident.
However, to reach the final stage, there were still some matters that needed to be addressed first.
For instance, making her leave Vali's team.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Kuroka, but rather pure possessiveness at work. Since Kuroka was his woman, Haruto didn't want her to have any further involvement with Vali and his group.
Ideally, he hoped she could become a member of their large family, just like Koneko.
But Haruto also knew Kuroka's personality—it was unlikely she would become a domesticated little kitten.
He didn't insist on the second point, but the first one was still necessary.
If Kuroka only interacted with Vali's team like clocking in for work, that would be acceptable. But staying with them every day like this was something Haruto couldn't accept.
Haruto didn't hide his thoughts and directly expressed them in front of Vali and the other two.
After cuddling for a while and receiving Haruto's affectionate caresses, Kuroka's emotions stabilized considerably.
She regained her usual charming smile, snuggling in Haruto's arms as she laughed, "What a selfish man. You have so many girls around you, yet you can't stand me being close to other men."
"That's right, I am selfish."
Haruto stated frankly and openly.
He had long been clearly aware of this aspect of himself.
After a pause, he couldn't help but add, "Besides, any man would have a problem seeing his woman getting close to another man."
"Giggle~"
Kuroka suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled softly, nuzzling affectionately against Haruto before saying, "I never thought the mighty Red Dragon Emperor could be so adorable~"
Haruto felt a bit embarrassed by her teasing and muttered, "Stop joking around. Just tell me if you agree or not."
"What if I say no?" Kuroka blinked, deliberately provoking him.
Haruto's gaze sharpened, and an imposing aura unconsciously surfaced. "Even if I have to use force, I'll make you agree."
Kuroka was startled by Haruto's intensity but soon started giggling again.
"How scary, meow~ You'd even resort to force, meow~?"
"Otherwise? Did you think I'd just give up?"
Raising an eyebrow, Haruto was no longer shy this time, facing his desires head-on.
"If you weren't willing, that would be one thing. But since you are willing, you must be mine."
It was a domineering, unreasonable statement, yet Kuroka felt her heart beat faster and faster.
Having grown up without parents, with a first master of questionable character, and needing to protect her younger sister Shirone, Kuroka had always lacked a sense of security. Haruto's overbearing attitude unexpectedly touched a soft spot in her heart.