Lying on his massive bed, Alexander stared at the ceiling as a golden aura flickered around his fingertips.
Alexander's Inner Voice:
[System Notice: Reward Claimed — Time Magic.]
[Internal Thought: Ciel, help me integrate this. I need it to be as smooth as it was in Avalon. / Ciel: "Of course, darling. Processing... complete."]
[Internal Thought: Not bad. I used to use this to grow the most legendary grapes for my kingdom's wine. Or, more importantly, for the 'Avalon Time Chamber.' One day outside, one year inside. That's how my Guardians became so terrifyingly strong. If I set that up here, I could turn Rias or Sona into Satan-class powerhouses by the end of the week.]
The Global Reaction:
Seekvaira Agares: (Dropping her book) 'Time magic?! That's a Lost Magic! And he used it for... agriculture? My cousin is either a genius or a complete lunatic.'Sona & Rias:'One year of training in one day?! Alex, please, sign us up!'
Alexander's Inner Voice:
[Internal Thought: Speaking of cousins... I wonder how that cry-baby Seekvaira is doing? Man, she used to wail every time she lost a game of chess to me when we were kids. I miss her, honestly. She was annoying, but she was 'my' annoying cousin. I should probably visit the Agares territory soon.]
Seekvaira Agares: (Curled up in her bed, clutching a pillow) "Who are you calling a cry-baby, Alex?! ...But he misses me. He actually misses me." She buried her face in the pillow to hide a massive, goofy smile.
The Naberius Truth: Healing a Broken Heart
Alexander's thoughts shifted, turning dark and serious. In the Occult Research Club, Koneko Toujo stiffened. She felt his focus land on her.
Alexander's Inner Voice:
*[Internal Thought: Then there's my little white cat, Koneko. It's a shame, really. She hates her own power because of what happened with her sister, Kuroka. But Koneko is being a total idiot. She believes the 'official' story that Kuroka went mad with power and killed her master.
The truth is much darker. That Naberius scumbag wasn't a master; he was a monster. He was experimenting on them to create a 'Super Devil.' He was about to put Koneko on the operating table for some unethical, disgusting tests. Kuroka didn't kill him because she was drunk on power—she killed him to save her baby sister. She chose to become a 'Stray' and a criminal just so Koneko could live a normal life.]*
The Silence of the World:
The air in Kuoh Academy seemed to freeze.
Koneko dropped her chocolate bar. Tears began to stream down her face, splashing onto the floor. "Nee-sama... she protected me? All this time, I hated her... and she was saving me?"
The Hidden Watcher:
In the shadows of the town, a figure with black cat ears and a kimono froze on a rooftop. Kuroka's golden eyes widened. Her heart, which she had hardened for years, felt like it was shattering.
'How... how does he know? Nobody was there. No one knew the truth...' She looked toward the Runcandel mansion, her tail twitching. 'Alexander Runcandel... you gave me back my sister's love. I don't care if you're a human, a devil, or a god—you are mine now.'
Alexander's Inner Voice:
[Internal Thought: It's a tragedy. Kuroka is out there playing the villain while Koneko lives in a lie. I think it's time I reunited them. A Dragon Monarch doesn't allow such petty misunderstandings to exist in his city. And besides... I really want to see Kuroka's reaction when I tell her she's a 'Good Girl' instead of a criminal. She'd probably try to marry me on the spot. Cats are so predictable.]
Kuroka: (Purring loudly on the rooftop) "Nya~ You're damn right I would! Prepare yourself, Dragon-sama!"
The Others:
Rias: (Wiping her eyes) "I'm so sorry, Koneko... we didn't know."Sona:"Alexander is fixing the world, one heart at a time. He really is the most noble man I've ever known."