An incomplete talent was certainly inferior to the full version, but at least it wasn't temporary.
No matter what, having something is better than nothing.
For now, he would make do with it. When the time was right, the incomplete talent would naturally be perfected.
Haruto gazed delightedly at his newly acquired talent, brimming with excitement.
Powerful figures like the Tsubaki and the hentai heroines were indeed different—even a fragmented version of the Mirror Alice talent was more valuable than any other talent he had obtained before.
Reflecting 20% of the damage taken was equivalent to wearing a small Thornmail.
And this was just the incomplete version. The full Mirror Alice talent would likely reflect at least half the damage, if not all of it.
During the break between classes, Haruto found a few "lucky" volunteers to test it out.
The results were satisfying.
Although the Mirror Alice talent didn't enhance Haruto's own defense or reduce damage, it was a passive skill that could remain active indefinitely.
Moreover, it could reflect any type of damage, whether the source was living or dead.
The only downside was that it didn't lock onto the source of the damage like Thornmail did.
Instead, 20% of the damage Haruto took would rebound as an intangible energy.
It was fast, but not guaranteed to hit.
The stronger the enemy, the lower the chance of the reflected damage landing.
Watching the delinquents' bewildered expressions, Haruto generously declared that he wouldn't hold their earlier rudeness against them.
As long as they took one punch from him, the matter would be settled.
The "lucky" volunteers were furious. They had been extorting people just fine, and now Haruto had not only disrupted them but was also making such demands.
As delinquents, did they not have any pride?
Thus, each of the lucky volunteers earned themselves a hospital stay package.
At three in the afternoon, Haruto arrived at the student council room once again, under the envious and resentful gazes of onlookers.
Along the way, Tsubaki and Akeno flanked him, each holding one of his arms.
To be able to look but not touch, all while enduring the murderous glares from the crowd...
Feeling the warmth and fragrance radiating from the girls beside him, along with the constant, enveloping pressure, Haruto suffered—yet enjoyed—every moment of it.
By the time the trio arrived, Sona and Rias had already prepared the tea.
The two sat quietly, sipping their tea while admiring the scenery outside the window, perfectly at ease.
"Good afternoon, President, Rias-senpai," Haruto greeted them before joining the tea session, still with an arm around each girl.
Noble-born young ladies were indeed different—from their posture to their speech, every detail exuded refinement.
Their backs were straight, their ample chests rising and falling gently, their long legs crossed elegantly to the side.
With slender, delicate hands, they lifted their gold-rimmed white porcelain teacups, bringing them unhurriedly to their lips.
Their soft, red lips parted slightly as they blew away the steam.
The scene was like a painting. Even though it wasn't the first time Haruto had witnessed it, he still couldn't tear his eyes away.
No matter how many times he saw it, the sight never failed to mesmerize him.
Noticing Haruto's dazed expression, Rias set down her teacup with a soft smile. "Haruto-kun, it's been several days. Have you decided who to choose yet?"
As beautiful as they were, their allure only strengthened Haruto's resolve to win them over—it wasn't enough to sway his decision.
As for their honey trap—he'd gladly accept the "honey," but the "trap" could go to hell.
Haruto grinned sheepishly and scratched his head. "Rias-senpai, I still haven't made up my mind..."
Rias rolled her eyes. He was still pretending.
After observing him these past few days, she could tell Haruto was far from a simple-minded fool—if anything, he was as cunning as a fox.
"You can't have it both ways," Rias said with a hint of annoyance. "But before we run out of pieces, you're welcome to join anytime if you change your mind."
Sona nodded. They had already shown Haruto enough courtesy—there was no need to force the matter if he remained unwilling.
When recruiting subordinates, mutual willingness was crucial.
Having a subordinate who feigned compliance or was inherently rebellious was worse than having none at all.
Haruto grinned but said nothing more.
Dragging things out like this wasn't bad either. It gave him the chance to get closer to both beauties in the meantime.
Though he lacked substantial resource support, as long as he could use this opportunity to win them over and acquire their talents, it was still a solid win for him.
After the routine inquiries, Rias cut straight to the day's main topic.
"Sona, have you thought of a way to identify those three suspicious individuals?"
"Nothing particularly effective."
Sona frowned—the issue had been troubling her all day.
"Moreover, unless we find definitive evidence or a confession, even if we pinpoint the culprit, we can't expel them."
"Just because your student council can't do anything doesn't mean the Occult Research Club is powerless."
Rias dismissed the concern. "There are countless ways to teach them a lesson and make them drop out voluntarily."
Sona hesitated, biting back her words.
Her position dictated her perspective. As student council president, she couldn't support—let alone carry out—such actions.
If discovered, it would undermine her authority, and no one would heed the student council's words afterwards.
But Rias was different. She was just the head of a nearly defunct club.
And as the next heir of the Gremory family, minor transgressions wouldn't draw criticism—no one would dare speak up.
Power and influence—that was Rias in a nutshell.
Haruto's eyes lit up.
The sooner this matter was resolved, the better. Rias and Sona wouldn't stay focused on it indefinitely.
Once their anger faded and Haruto still hadn't given an answer, they'd inevitably move on.
Without their help, finding the rat targeting him alone would be nearly impossible.
That was why he had proposed such a violent solution that morning.
Simple and brutal often meant cutting the Gordian knot.
Sona had rejected it and even had Tsubaki drag him away.
But now, it seemed Rias was highly likely to agree with his approach.
Under Sona's exasperated gaze, Haruto eagerly repeated his earlier suggestion.
"Hmm, it's not entirely out of the question," Rias chuckled. "But..."
As everyone knew, everything before "but" was just filler.
Rias stated that it was possible, but both the Occult Research Club's reputation and her own would be affected.
Haruto was merely a junior she had only known for a few days—why should she go to such lengths for him?
If Haruto were her servant, then as his master, it would be her duty without question.
Right now, she could just send someone to capture all three suspects and bring them to the Occult Research Club. A few spells later, the truth would be laid bare.
Hearing this, Haruto's face darkened. If persuasion wouldn't work, she was resorting to threats now.
But he wasn't someone who would yield so easily.
"If Rias-senpai isn't willing to help, then I'll handle it myself."
Haruto had just acquired a talent that greatly enhanced his combat abilities, and he was itching to test it out.
"However, I hope Rias-senpai and the Student Council President can help me clean up afterward."
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