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"Hiss—!"
Koneko Toujou, kneeling on the floor, let out a soft gasp.
She had rolled up the sleeve on her left arm and was applying medicine to a wound, wincing slightly from the sting.
Not far off, watching her, Minato said,"That looks pretty awkward to do alone. You sure you don't want a hand?"
"What kinda pervy thoughts are you having?"Koneko's gaze instantly sharpened. With her emotionless doll-like face, the sudden intensity actually came off kind of intimidating.
Minato looked helpless. "You're the one who's injured here. What kind of person do you think I am, anyway?"
"Don't act like I don't know. You and President Rias were 'recharging magic' in the library."
Koneko's tone grew more suspicious.
The message was clear: You know exactly what kind of guy you are.
"You really think that little of the guy who saved your life? That hurts, seriously."Minato put on his most innocent face.
Honestly, he really wasn't up to anything weird.
Stare…
Koneko hesitated for a second, then silently handed him the medicine. "Fine. I'll leave it to you."
Minato didn't stand on ceremony. He took the ointment, gently grabbed Koneko's pale little hand, and started applying it to her arm.
His touch was so careful and gentle, even Koneko's expression began to shift a little.
This guy… is actually pretty considerate?
But just as that thought passed through her mind, Koneko's eyes turned sharp again. She clenched her teeth and growled,"Why the hell are you unbuttoning my shirt?! You are a pervy demon after all!"
"The wound's covered up by your clothes," Minato replied matter-of-factly.
"..."
Koneko stared at him, her face turning red with a mix of embarrassment and fury, like she was ready to bite him.
"All right, all right, don't look at me like that. I'm only into girls like Rias, okay?"
Minato gave her a meaningful look as he finished treating the last injury."Don't go back tonight. There's a room here for you to stay in, right next to mine. If you need anything, just call me."
With that, he turned and headed for the door.
"Damn pervert..."Koneko muttered under her breath as she watched him leave. Then, for some reason, she glanced down at herself…
"Compared to President Rias… yeah, there's a big difference."
The next morning, Minato yawned as he started washing up.
It was the first proper sleep he'd had in days, and it felt amazing.
That's when a knock came at the door.
"They're already here?"
He opened the door and found Utaha standing there with a suitcase.
Looking at him with a smile, Utaha said sweetly,"Master-kun, so which room is mine?"
"Take your pick. The whole apartment's open. You can even pick my room if you want—I won't complain."
"Pervert Master-kun, so this is your real goal, huh? Well, dream on, I'm not falling for it."
As they bantered, the two of them cleaned out the room next to Minato's.
From that moment on, that room became Utaha's new home.
All the noise eventually drew Koneko out of her room.
Minato introduced her, "This is Utaha, my newest familiar. She's transferring to Kuoh Academy starting today, so technically, she's your senpai."
"Hi, I'm Koneko Toujou."Koneko greeted her in a completely flat tone—but her eyes were locked on Minato, full of accusation.
The way she looked at him… yeah, like she was staring at a total scumbag.
Meanwhile, Utaha was also sizing up Koneko.
This pervy master of hers actually lives next door to such a pretty girl?
Still... in terms of body, she was pretty confident she came out on top.
But then she paused.
Why the heck did that even matter? Why did she feel like she needed to "win"?
Without thinking, Utaha glanced at Minato's handsome face.
Crap… am I catching feelings?
No way. This guy's a pervy demon! No. Way.
But the more she thought about it, the more chaotic her heart got, pounding harder by the second.
"All right, everyone get your stuff together. Let's head to school."Minato called out, snapping everyone back to reality.
And so—
The three of them ate breakfast and headed out toward Kuoh Academy together.
Minato's apartment wasn't far from the school—just a ten-minute walk or so.
Before long—
They arrived at the gates.
"So this is Kuoh Academy… the demon territory you mentioned?"Utaha glanced around and muttered, "Huh. It's surprisingly normal-looking."
Then she remembered something and asked a bit cautiously,"Your childhood friend… she's really the boss of this place?"
She'd gotten some info through their recent phone chats.
With the shift in her mindset lately, it honestly felt a bit like she was the side chick meeting the main girlfriend.
Minato chuckled at her awkward tone. "Don't worry. Rias is super chill. She won't be hostile toward the rest of my harem."
"You really are a lost cause, you pervy bastard.""Shameless," Koneko added.
Utaha and Koneko exchanged glances—apparently finding some common ground—and started complaining together.
Minato didn't really mind.
And just like that, the trio arrived at the Occult Research Club in the old school building.
"You're here, Minato!"Rias stood up from her seat, her long red hair flowing behind her, looking elegant and commanding as ever.
She turned to Utaha and said,"You must be Utaha. Minato's mentioned you."
"Let me introduce myself—Rias Gremory, Minato's childhood friend and the next head of the pureblood demon clan from the Underworld."
With her back straight and her amazing figure on full display, Rias continued,"And this is one of my familiars."
"Nice to meet you, Utaha-chan."Akeno Himejima smiled with narrowed eyes, greeting her gracefully.
"..."
Utaha's mouth twitched.
That tiny shred of superiority she'd felt earlier with Koneko? Completely gone.
She used to be super confident in her figure.
But now?
Two absolute cheat codes just showed up out of nowhere.
"Oh right, where's Yuuto?"Minato looked around the room, a bit confused.
Rias's expression grew serious."Last night, a guy named Issei Hyoudou died. I sent Yuuto to investigate."
"Oh?"
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly.
Was it the fallen angel that got him? Or someone else entirely?
Originally, he'd been planning to take Issei out himself once he was strong enough, just so he could get his hands on the Boosted Gear and study it.
Didn't expect the guy to kick the bucket already.
Then again, thinking about it…
It's not that surprising.
Setting aside the butterfly effect he himself caused, this anime mash-up world was never going to stick to the script.
Anything could happen.
"....."