Takeyo understood the kitten wouldn't be satisfied with just verbal promises. The real reason she was opening up to him now was because he'd proven himself trustworthy through action, successfully reconciling her with her older sister Kuroka had spoken louder than any words ever could.
"So... that's settled then," Koneko murmured, her usual stoic mask firmly in place despite the faint warmth in her golden eyes.
Click.
The soft sound of her door closing echoed in the hallway.
"Nya~"
Takeyo smiled at the kitten's adorable retreat. Even after such a touching moment, she was too embarrassed to stay and accept more headpats. It was exactly that mixture of tough exterior and soft interior that made her so endearing.
Click.
Just as he turned to leave, Koneko's door cracked open again.
Her white-haired head poked out cautiously. "Um... Senpai... could I borrow that thing for a few days?"
"That thing?" Takeyo raised an eyebrow before realization dawned. "Oh, you mean the cat toy."
He pulled the deceptively simple-looking toy from his pocket. During his recent actual combat experience, he'd confirmed something remarkable, anything produced by his sign-in system was guaranteed to be high-quality. Even this seemingly innocuous cat toy possessed terrifying effectiveness when used properly.
"Here, it's yours to keep, Koneko."
Takeyo had no intention of hoarding such an item. Besides, watching Koneko's restrained excitement was far more valuable than any toy.
"Th-thank you, Senpai..."
After expressing her gratitude, Koneko glanced at him one more time with those impossibly cute cat-like eyes before gently closing the door again.
"Well then... time to head home."
Takeyo shook his head with mild amusement. Despite his upper limit being impressively high, thanks to abilities like his limit-breaking avatar, he primarily relied on powers similar to the Boosted Gear's multiplication effect. What he truly needed was to enhance his fundamental combat strength.
If he possessed the raw power of a High-Class Devil naturally, he wouldn't need to resort to limit-breaking transformations just to fight Dragon Kings.
Who...? Who can save me?
A young girl's voice suddenly echoed through his mind, weak and desperate.
Cough... cough... Damn it! I haven't even avenged myself against that wicked man yet... How can I... how can I just die here like this?
The transmission grew more frantic, tinged with both despair and stubborn determination.
That man who deceived me... Damn him! Why... why do I still want to believe he didn't betray me? Why am I still hoping he'll come?!
Takeyo's eyes narrowed. "This is... Jeanne's voice?"
He recognized it immediately, this was the telepathic signal received through his Lion Incarnation, Narasimha. The connection established during their previous encounter was now transmitting her desperate plea across space itself.
"She's in mortal danger?" Takeyo frowned, concern coloring his expression. "Should I go check on her?"
He remembered he'd obtained a sign-in location attached to Jeanne during their last meeting. Seeing her in genuine life-threatening danger stirred something in him, after all, she was an earnest, straightforward girl who he'd thoroughly deceived yet who still chose to believe in him.
Well... I suppose I should complete that sign-in task anyway, he rationalized, though the truth was simpler, he didn't want to let her die when he could prevent it. Besides, with my current strength, even if I encounter a Transcendent-level opponent, I should be able to escape.
Following the guidance of his Narasimha incarnation, Takeyo made his way toward Jeanne's location on the outskirts of Kuoh.
Then his eyes widened in shock.
Standing before him was a figure he recognized immediately, a teenage boy he'd seen once before, though never in person.
Their gazes locked.
In that single moment of eye contact, each of them understood the other's will, intentions, and the magnitude of what this encounter meant.
Several minutes earlier.
Suburbs outside Kuoh.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The thunderous impacts reverberated through the desolate landscape as Jeanne stomped the ground with heel-reinforced strikes, creating small craters with each frustrated blow.
She'd been creating urban legends throughout Kuoh unintentionally for days now, her nightly vigils leaving mysterious property damage that locals whispered about in frightened tones.
"Why hasn't he come yet?! Am I... am I being deceived again?!"
Jeanne's voice carried equal parts anger and heartbreak. She pounded the earth again, venting emotions she didn't fully understand.
"I told you that you were being deceived. You still don't believe it," Georg said with a long-suffering sigh from beside her.
For several days now, Jeanne had insisted he transport her to this exact location using his Dimension Lost. She kept insisting that Takeyo was a man who kept his promises, that she just needed to wait a little longer, that he would definitely appear.
"Georg, you can head back first. Please come pick me up later," Jeanne said stubbornly, her jaw set with determination.
"Alright."
Georg opened a portal constructed from dimensional mist with a practiced gesture.
"You know, you don't need to torture yourself like this," he added more gently. "Cao Cao has already received word about the great hero Rama's successor. Once he finishes his current mission, he'll personally invite Takeyo. We'll definitely be able to locate him then."
Georg genuinely sympathized with Jeanne's situation. Initially, he'd found her gullibility amusing. But now that he knew she'd been deceived not once but twice by the same person, he felt actual pity for her.
"I see..." Jeanne murmured quietly as Georg disappeared into his mist portal.
She stayed behind solely because of the slender thread of possibility she clutched desperately in her heart.
She'd already visited the address Takeyo had given her multiple times, the apartment was empty. His phone number went straight to voicemail. Every rational part of her brain screamed that she'd been deceived again.
Yet something irrational kept her hoping. Maybe he'd encountered trouble like last time? When he'd mentioned dealing with Kuroka and some chimera incident, she'd believed that explanation. Maybe this time was similar?
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Whenever doubt crept in, Jeanne vented her conflicted emotions on the unfortunate ground beneath her feet.
The suburban real estate values had plummeted catastrophically thanks to her nightly presence. Properties that once commanded premium prices now couldn't find buyers at any cost. Even the adventurous tourists who normally explored the outskirts had completely stopped visiting the area.
Tonight, however, there was one exceptional visitor.
A young man followed the rhythmic sound of Jeanne's frustrated stomping, approaching without bothering to conceal his footsteps. He walked openly until he stood within the range of visibility that the moonlight provided.
"Young lady, what are you doing out here?"
The boy spoke in an oddly archaic tone, his words carrying weight that belied his youthful appearance.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Jeanne's head snapped up.
For one hopeful heartbeat, she'd thought it might be Takeyo. But seeing an unfamiliar boy with distinctive features, her mood crashed even lower than before.
"Girl, answering questions with questions is poor manners," the boy said, shaking his head with mild disapproval.
But his eyes had already perceived her essence, she carried the soul of a legendary hero within her mortal frame.
"I see... those urban legends were your doing." Understanding lit his expression. "You've caused me considerable inconvenience, you know. Because of your nightly activities here, all the information I've been trying to gather in this town has been drowned out by rumors about you."
Every piece of intelligence about Kuoh had been overwhelmed by speculation about the mysterious girl who created earthquakes in the suburbs. The urban legend of Jeanne had spread too widely, too dramatically, drowning out all other news.
"Urban legends? What urban legends?"
Jeanne blinked in genuine confusion. She rarely paid attention to human gossip, so she had no idea she'd become the town's most talked-about mystery.
"Ah, it's like this..."
The boy, despite his evident power, possessed a surprisingly patient temperament. When others provided useful information, he believed in offering proportionate compensation. So he explained the various urban legends that had sprung up around her nightly vigils.
Several minutes later, after hearing the full account, Jeanne looked mortified.
"I... I created all those rumors?"
"Indeed," the boy confirmed. "So I must request that you refrain from making such noise here every night."
His tone was polite but carried an undercurrent of divine authority.
"I'm just... cough... I'm just waiting for someone here," Jeanne explained, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
"Oh? Who are you waiting for?" The boy's interest sharpened. "Does this person specifically want you to wait here every night? Or perhaps..." His eyes glinted with amusement. "Are you conducting some kind of nightly rendezvous?"
A girl carrying a hero's bloodline, engaging in what might be a romantic epic? How intriguing.
"Rendezvous? What an old-fashioned word. Are you from ancient times or something?" Jeanne muttered. "But since you're asking about the person I'm waiting for... I'd love to complain about that damn man..."
Her frustration bubbled over, and she found herself venting to this strange boy.
"The person I'm waiting for carries the inherited power of Mahatma Rama, the great hero. He's also incredibly handsome," she continued, her expression torn between anger and longing. "But... he seems to have only recently awakened his bloodline abilities..."
"Oh?" The boy's demeanor transformed instantly, his casual interest replaced by sharp focus. "The inheritor of Rama's bloodline? Could you tell me more? Perhaps I can help you locate him."
Finally, he thought with satisfaction. An unexpected windfall indeed.
The successor to Mahatma Rama's legacy! This was precisely the kind of information he'd been seeking, information that very few would know about.
"Well, let me tell you, this man is terrible!" Jeanne launched into her story with renewed passion.
"The first time, I met him outside a lingerie shop. There was a girl with him. He told me to wait, that he'd come find me at night after handling some business, but he never showed up..."
"So you were deceived?" the boy asked.
"No, he'd gotten into a fight with someone that day and was delayed. Afterward, he even came to the meeting spot looking for me," Jeanne defended quickly.
"And the second time?"
"The second time was at another lingerie shop! Damn it! There was another different girl with him!" Jeanne's indignation reignited. "That time, he gave me his phone number and address, then told me to wait for him here."
"May I see this phone number and address? I'll compensate you appropriately."
The boy's eyes gleamed with triumph. After days of fruitless searching, he'd finally obtained the lead he needed.
"That's... I'm not sure I should..." Jeanne hesitated, suddenly aware she'd said far too much.
How stupid am I? she thought with growing alarm. Revealing sensitive information about Takeyo to some random human teenager?
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. Please, leave it to me."
The boy frowned slightly. He was running out of time and patience.
If this continued for a few more days, the eyes of the entire supernatural world would turn toward this small town. His window of opportunity was closing.
"Huh? Who do you think you are? You'd better go home, kid. Don't wander around investigating urban legends by yourself."
Jeanne's protective instincts kicked in, her tone becoming dismissive despite the boy appearing roughly her physical age.
"I see..."
The boy smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Golden light erupted behind him, followed by sacred Buddha-light that illuminated the dark suburban landscape like a miniature sun.
"Descendant of heroes, surrender to me."
This was the power of Shakyamuni Buddha, a divine authority that commanded absolute submission from those of lesser spiritual standing.
The manifestation was similar to Takeyo's Reincarnation Holy Light technique but fundamentally different in its specific application and underlying principles. Where Takeyo's power manipulated karma and fate, this boy wielded pure divine dominion.
"This is...?!"
That's right. This teenager was none other than Vishnu himself, the God of Protection from Hindu mythology, one of the three aspects of the Trimurti.
After the combined efforts of the three Hindu chief gods had detected the presence of a Vishnu incarnation in the far eastern island nation of Japan, they'd triangulated its approximate location through sheer divine computational power.
What Ajuka Beelzebub could achieve through transcendent intellect and demonic calculation magic, the three aspects of the Trimurti could accomplish through overwhelming divine strength.
Of course, even their "top ten strongest beings" ranking carried caveats, there were several individuals who hadn't been officially ranked but possessed comparable or superior strength.
"What are you trying to do by finding him?!" Jeanne immediately activated her Balance Breaker.
Holy Sword Creation: Forbidden Hand!
Stake Victim Dragoon!
Holy swords materialized across every inch of her body, forming dragon-scale armor. Each individual sword possessed solidity and sacred power, creating a defensive barrier befitting the inheritor of Jeanne's warrior spirit.
Demonization!
Using this technique, Jeanne could dramatically increase her resistance to divine authority and holy techniques.
"Oh? You still wish to resist?" Vishnu shook his head with mild disappointment. "Descendant of heroes, I know this is meaningless. Heroes cannot stand against gods..."
Though he'd manifested his divine power, Vishnu had deliberately restrained it to approximately High-Class Devil levels. Releasing transcendent-tier strength casually in foreign territory would cause international incidents among the various pantheons.
"Descendant of heroes, I'll say this only once. Submit to me."
A ray of pure divine light shot from Vishnu's eyes, a technique that could overwhelm mortal will and compel obedience.
He'd already scanned Jeanne's surroundings and confirmed she possessed no useful physical information about Takeyo. It had likely been destroyed or stored elsewhere. But that didn't concern him, once the hero's descendant believed in him through divine compulsion, she would willingly share everything she knew.
"How could I tell you?!"
After transforming into a dragon armored with holy swords, Jeanne charged directly at Vishnu.
She clearly hadn't grasped what kind of existence stood before her.
"Oh, you wish to attack me? Young lady..."
Vishnu sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid as water, and extended one hand in a gentle punch.
Crack!
An unpleasant sound of breaking bone echoed across the suburban wasteland.
Jeanne flew backward like a broken doll. The dragon armor formed from holy swords shattered inch by inch, and the girl's body wrapped within sustained catastrophic internal injuries.
"Cough, !"
Blood poured from her mouth as Jeanne collapsed on the ground, unable to rise. Her vision swam, consciousness threatening to slip away from the sheer magnitude of damage her body had sustained.
"Descendant of heroes, I told you, resistance is meaningless."
Vishnu shook his head and approached Jeanne's crumpled form.
"I should end this quickly. After all, exposing one's divine aura in a foreign land is inherently foolish behavior."
Despite his words, even at his weakened manifestation level, Vishnu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Impossible, he thought with a frown. I'm among the top five strongest beings in existence. Ophis couldn't possibly arrive this quickly, could she?
Following his divine instinct, Vishnu looked in a specific direction.
There, a young man had appeared, radiating a faintly familiar aura that made recognition click into place.
The power of Narasimha, the Lion Incarnation!
Vishnu raised one eyebrow slightly, intrigue and calculation mixing in his expression.
The young man staring back at him sighed and shook his head with evident resignation.
"I didn't expect we'd have such fate," Takeyo said dryly. "Meeting this early wasn't part of my plans."
Takeyo's perspective...
Originally, he'd simply intended to check on Jeanne's situation, complete his sign-in task associated with her, and perhaps ensure she was safe.
But upon arriving, he'd immediately sensed an intensely familiar presence, one he recognized from his knowledge of both his system's origins and the High School DxD world's power structure.
"I didn't expect we'd have such fate, meeting this early," Takeyo said, maintaining his composure despite the internal alarms screaming in his mind.
Vishnu's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Descendant of heroes, thank you for your assistance." Vishnu smiled, his tone deceptively warm. "Originally, I merely hoped to obtain information about you from this young lady. I didn't expect you to simply appear before me yourself."
How convenient, his expression seemed to say.
"Is that so..."
Vishnu waved his hand casually, and reality twisted.
The space around them transformed, pulling Takeyo and the critically injured Jeanne into an isolated dimensional pocket separate from the normal world.
"You've moved us into a separate dimension?" Takeyo observed, oddly calm despite the tactical disadvantage. "Well, I suppose that suits me just fine."
If they were going to fight, doing so in an isolated space prevented collateral damage, and more importantly, prevented other factions from detecting their confrontation and potentially intervening.
"Suits you?" Vishnu studied Takeyo with growing fascination. "But may I ask, what kind of existence are you, exactly?"
Clearly, he recognized that Takeyo was no ordinary human carrying a divine inheritance. There was something fundamentally different about the energy signature and presence this young man radiated.
"Me?" Takeyo spread his hands with an easy smile. "I'm just an ordinary person passing by. I felt uncomfortable watching you bully a young lady, so I thought I'd teach you some manners, Vishnu."
He deliberately emphasized the god's name, making it clear he knew exactly who he was facing.
"Vishnu?!"
Jeanne's eyes widened in shock and horror, suddenly understanding the catastrophic level of opponent she'd been casually fighting. A chief god of Hindu mythology! One of the Trimurti! And I tried to punch him!
"But hearing the girl's telepathic cry for help and coming to her rescue suggests you value this young lady quite highly," Vishnu continued, ignoring Jeanne's distress. "I heard her mention that you deceived her? Since you value her enough to respond to her call, why employ deception?"
His tone carried genuine curiosity rather than accusation, as if he were trying to solve an interesting philosophical puzzle.
"Well..." Takeyo began, but he knew anything he said now would be scrutinized for weaknesses.
This was Vishnu, after all, one of the top-tier divine beings in existence, a master strategist who'd orchestrated countless divine interventions across millennia. A single careless word could provide the god with leverage or insight Takeyo couldn't afford to give.
The real question was: could he survive long enough to escape with both himself and Jeanne intact?
His mind raced through tactical options as he faced down one of the most powerful entities in the supernatural world.
This, he thought grimly, is going to be complicated.
☆☆☆
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