Kuroka Toujou
"Meow?"
Despite spotting a human, the black cat didn't react defensively ,there was no trace of hostile magic on the man. Instead, she let out a soft, coaxing mewl.
This trick had never failed her.
Of course, the one who'd found her was none other than Rod.
He'd already activated Concealment EX before approaching. Any place with such strange magical fluctuations was worth caution.
And just as he'd suspected ,
Although there was only an injured black cat under the trees, Rod quickly saw through her true nature with the help of his system interface.
[Name: Kuroka]
[Race: Nekoshou]
[Status: Injured]
[Description: A black-haired cat-eared girl, Hakumi. Once a test subject in a forbidden enhancement experiment conducted by a branch family of the Naberius Clan ,one of the 72 Pillars. After learning her sister was next, she killed her master and escaped, becoming a rogue devil. Now wanted.]
[Note: If she hasn't acknowledged you, she's very likely to hiss!]
"…Huh."
Rod raised a brow.
It was one thing to be caught up with the Five Great Clans in Kyoto, but to run into Kuroka of all people right after? That was unexpected.
But after thinking it over, it made sense.
As the system explained, Kuroka had become a wanted fugitive after killing her original master. Her mother was a Japanese youkai, so hiding out in Japan wasn't unusual. And just about 100 kilometers ahead lay Kuoh Town ,devil territory.
If she'd been ambushed by pursuit forces along the way, this all checked out.
At the same time, two system quests appeared before Rod:
[Quest: Wipe Them Out]
[Objective: Kill the rogue devil Kuroka and deliver her corpse to the devil faction]
[Reward: +10 Naberius family favor, Random Reward ×2]
...
[Quest: Catgirl Rescue]
[Objective: "Treat the injured rogue devil Kuroka"]
[Reward: +30 Kuroka favor, Random Reward ×1]
…
Two mutually exclusive quest options.
Rod didn't hesitate for a second ,he picked the second.
If Kuroka had been some truly heinous rogue devil, he wouldn't have minded sending her off himself. But given her backstory?
He wasn't about to harm an innocent catgirl.
Rod's moral compass was flexible ,but it still existed.
And Kuroka wasn't just any character; she was the older sister of Koneko, one of Rias Gremory's peerage members. A black-and-white pair of catgirls? It would be criminal to pass up.
"Can't believe I'm getting this many surprises before even reaching Kuoh Town."
Rod muttered to himself.
Before this, he'd barely had contact with any major characters from the High School DxD world. But ever since accepting Griselda's request to protect Asia, it was like his harem flag had been set.
He didn't dwell on it.
In High School DxD's universe, weird things involving women were practically routine.
Dragon-type Sacred Gears attracting girls? The goddess of oppai in another world? Oppai-speak translation powers? The logic here was already beyond saving.
…
Still in her cat form, Kuroka meowed weakly toward Rod.
But internally, she was already on alert.
Normally, people who encountered her fell into two categories: enthusiastic cat lovers who tried to scoop her up, and indifferent passersby.
She usually avoided the former.
But this time was different. She was injured ,her leg wound slowed her escape.
And she'd already hidden deep within this forest. How had another troublesome human found her?
In fact, anyone who could approach her this quietly was suspicious to begin with.
Kuroka's instincts screamed danger.
But before she could act, she suddenly felt a strong hand grip her by the scruff and lift her clean off the ground.
So fast?!
Kuroka wasn't just any cat youkai. Her talent, heritage, and strength as a nekoshou made her one of the strongest among her kind. Even before going rogue, she'd killed an Upper-Class Devil. After years of growth, she was already comparable to a pure-blood.
Even injured, no ordinary human should've been able to grab her like this.
And yet ,she hadn't even seen how it happened.
Just as she prepared to channel her magic and break free, Rod raised her up to eye level and spoke:
"Easy. No need to hiss ,I'm here to help."
"Meow?"
"I know your story. You became a rogue devil because they wanted to use your sister, Shirone, as an experiment. I can help you with that."
The moment Rod said her sister's name, Kuroka froze. Her struggling ceased.
Bingo.
For Kuroka, there was nothing more important than Shirone.
In canon, she repeatedly tried to take her sister back, but misunderstandings kept them apart ,until she finally joined the protagonist's harem and resolved things.
"How do you know about Shirone, nya?"
Kuroka's golden eyes sharpened, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"I have my ways. But if you want to see Shirone again, you'll have to trust me. Otherwise, your very presence could bring danger to her."
"Meow?!"
"Oh, wrong phrasing. I meant, if you show yourself recklessly, you might drag Shirone into your troubles."
"…"
Just mentioning Shirone was enough to make Kuroka go quiet.
"What's your plan?"
"You don't need to know the details. Just follow my lead. If all goes well, I'll make sure you're reunited with her."
Kuroka didn't reply right away.
She didn't trust this human.
But he knew far too much.
Running now might only bring worse consequences for her sister.
She had considered killing him, but remembering how easily he'd snatched her from behind, that idea died fast.
"You better not be lying to me, nya… or the consequences will be severe."
Kuroka's voice was low, but her threatening cat pose only made her look even more adorable.
With their agreement in place, Rod carried Kuroka back to the car.
Lavinia raised an eyebrow. She could tell this cat was no ordinary stray, but since Rod brought her, she held her peace.
"Asia, treat her wounds."
Rod gently placed Kuroka before Asia.
As emerald-green healing light soothed her injured leg…
The system chimed with a quest completion message.
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