The truth was, Cain had been intentional.
Facing Cain's differential treatment, the uninformed Kiba Yuuto was still marveling at Cain's power.
The informed Rias and Himejima Akeno stared fixedly at Cain, silently questioning him.
In response, Cain's expression did not change in the slightest; he remained as calm as ever.
As if nothing had happened, he began instructing Koneko and Kiba Yuuto, quickly outlining tomorrow's training plan for the two.
After finishing this, Cain waved his hand, abruptly declaring the day's training over, and spread his wings to fly directly towards Kuoh Town.
The surrounding scenery rapidly changed, and Cain took only a few seconds to return from the suburbs to Kuoh Town, pushing open the villa door and walking inside.
"Cain, you're back, Nyaa."
Kuroka was currently sitting at the dining table eating lunch.
Because she had used Senjutsu, the sandwich Cain left before heading out this morning was still fresh.
Taking a bite, the flavors of salmon and shrimp bloomed between her teeth, causing Kuroka to squint her eyes happily, her tail swishing back and forth.
On the other side, Asia, who had already finished lunch, was cleaning up.
Compared to yesterday, she was now wearing a black and white maid outfit.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Cain."
"No need to be so formal, just call me by my name."
Cain sized up Asia.
The maid outfit fit perfectly, outlining the girl's figure into an alluring curve.
Although not as spectacularly endowed as Rias, Asia's development was still quite full compared to others her age.
Blonde hair cascaded down her back, and beneath the lace hem was a pair of long, beautiful legs encased in white stockings.
"How is it? Pretty good, right?"
Kuroka had appeared beside Cain at some point, a smug smile on her face.
"This is a magic maid outfit I specially procured. The size changes freely according to the wearer's body shape."
"I originally intended it for Koneko, but it looks quite good on Asia now, Nyaa."
"It is quite good."
Cain nodded in agreement.
As a man with normal sexual orientation, he naturally hoped Asia would dress prettily.
Compared to the heavy nun's habit she wore before, he found the current maid outfit much more pleasing to the eye.
However, perhaps because Cain's gaze was too direct, Asia felt a bit uneasy.
After watching livestreams all night, being stared at like this by Cain now made her feel exposed.
Fortunately, Cain didn't stare at her for too long and soon retracted his gaze towards Kuroka beside him.
"How is the matter I asked you about coming along?"
"I've made contact. Grandmother Magari says she wants to meet you in person."
"Then let's set the meeting for next week. One week is enough time for her to prepare," Cain replied.
As one of the most powerful figure among the Nekomata, Kuroka held a very special status within their clan.
Although she was officially wanted by the Devils, the Youkai were not entirely swayed by this.
After defecting from the Underworld, Kuroka, with nowhere to go, traveled to the Kanto region. She found the hidden dwelling of the Nekomata clan and trained there for a period, establishing a connection with the Youkai.
Not long ago, after figuring out the Mist's abilities, Cain contacted the Nekomata clan through Kuroka, hoping to leverage this relationship to acquire a Nekomata corpse.
Although he couldn't directly obtain a ready-made corpse, making contact was considered a success.
"Good job, Kuroka."
"Don't rush, I have another piece of good news to share, Nyaa."
Kuroka's lips curved upwards, and she leaned in to blow a breath near Cain's ear: "Besides the Nekomata clan, big sister also helped you contact Kyoto. That Nine-Tailed Fox has agreed to meet!~"
"Kyoto?" Cain was genuinely surprised this time: "You know Youkai from Kyoto?"
"I don't know them, but Grandmother Magari does. I asked her for help," Kuroka replied smugly.
As the leader of the Nekomata clan, Grandmother Magari was over eight hundred years old, a genuine Great Youkai.
Even though she was a Kanto Youkai, having her put in a word meant the Kyoto Youkai would grant her some face.
It was precisely because of this that Yasaka, the leader of the Kyoto Youkai whose true form was a Nine-Tailed Fox, agreed to meet Cain.
"This is an unexpected delight."
Cain's mood brightened considerably after hearing this: "Well done, Kuroka. You've been a huge help this time."
Kyoto was the capital of Youkai. If he could establish cooperation with Yasaka, his strength would definitely see a significant boost.
However, Kuroka was not entirely satisfied with Cain's reaction: "I don't want mere verbal praise. To use Cain's words, show me more practical action, Nyaa!~"
As her voice faded, Kuroka stuck out her tongue and licked the corner of her mouth, reaching out towards Cain's belt.
"Hm?"
On the other side of the living room.
Hearing the strange noise near her ears, Asia, who was cleaning, paused.
As if unable to believe what she heard, she hesitated for a moment before turning her head to look.
The instant she turned, Kuroka let out a 'Nyaa' and fell onto the floor at the perfect moment.
"No... I can't anymore, Nyaa! I need an intermission. Little Asia, you take over for a bit!"
"Eh?!"
Asia's eyes snapped wide open.
This... this was too sudden!
But just then, memories of the live stream she watched last night and her private moments suddenly flashed through her mind.
Asia was very grateful to Cain.
Although Cain's goal was the Sacred Gear she possessed, he had also saved her and given her a place to belong.
Looking at Kuroka and Cain not far away, Asia hesitated for a moment before slowly raising her hand to her collar button.
Time slowly passed.
When Kuroka raised her hand in surrender for the third time, it was already the next morning.
"Change! Change, Nyaa!"
Kuroka collapsed limply on the bed: "Where is Asia? Hurry up and take over!"
"She fell asleep a long time ago," Cain glanced at the Blonde Girl lying beside her.
Unlike Kuroka, Asia was just an ordinary person with slightly better physical fitness.
If Kuroka hadn't used her Divine art midway, Asia wouldn't have even been able to participate in the second round.
"By the way, why did you suddenly drag Asia into this?"
"Of course, it's to help Asia integrate into this family. Isn't she homeless, Nyaa?" Kuroka's cat ears twitched twice as she replied weakly.
Orphaned and adopted by the Church, only to be expelled by them after learning that everything was a scheme by Devils, Asia's heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.
Using the power of her Divine art, Kuroka could sense the unease and confusion about the future residing in the girl's heart.
Perhaps due to having a similar childhood experience, Kuroka felt a pang of compassion and wanted to help her out.
As for how to help, Kuroka thought hard for a minute before deciding to directly pull Asia into the situation.
Having known Cain for so many years, Kuroka understood his character well; sticking with him meant she definitely wouldn't suffer a loss.
Moreover, Kuroka had observed things.
Perhaps because Cain saved her, Asia held some favorable feelings toward him and wasn't very resistant to it.
"I didn't expect you to consider so many things," Cain was somewhat surprised after hearing this, feeling like he was getting to know Kuroka anew.
Kuroka showed a smug look in response: "Actually, there's one more reason. With little Asia being the lowest-ranking member of the household, I won't be the lowest anymore. The housework later can all be handed over to Asia, Nyaa!~"
"I take back what I said. You're just plain lazy."
"What do you mean lazy?"
Kuroka was greatly displeased by this.
But having fought intensely from noon yesterday until the early morning today, Kuroka was already completely exhausted.
After muttering softly a couple of times, she couldn't fight off the drowsiness and closed her eyes, falling asleep.
Seeing this, Cain got up from the bed, stepped over the messy floor, and took out a set of clean clothes from the closet.
The time had come; he needed to go find Rias.
...
At the same time.
The Underworld, inside the Old Satan Faction's stronghold.
A massive palace stood in the center of the stronghold, guarded by several powerful Devil patrols.
Just then, a black-haired man slowly walked in from outside the stronghold.
"Lord Creuserey!"
The guard Devil stepped forward to report: "Lord Shalba and Lady Katerea arrived a short while ago. They are currently waiting for you in the conference room."
"I know," Creuserey nodded slightly and walked into the palace.
Two minutes later, he pushed open the conference room door and looked at the two figures, one male and one female, sitting inside the room.
"Long time no see, Shalba, Katerea." After greeting his two colleagues, Creuserey walked to his seat and sat down.
As descendants of the original Four Satans, their private relationship was quite good. Over the years, they had been secretly gathering the subordinates, preparing to launch a rebellion.
After a brief chat about the latest situation, Shalba took out a stack of documents from his coat and placed them on the table.
"Not long ago, the successor of the Astaroth Family contacted me. He said that group of usurping traitors is secretly aiding a four-winged Fallen Angel and asked me to help investigate the person's identity. Here is the information I gathered; take a look."
"A Satan helping a Fallen Angel?" Creuserey was stunned, and Katerea beside him also frowned, showing a look of doubt.
Although they disliked the current Four Satans, they understood the personalities of Sirzechs and the others.
As Satan, they had no reason to help a Fallen Angel. Could there be some hidden story here?
Reaching out to take the documents from the table, Creuserey glanced at the introduction on the first page and frowned sharply.
"Red Dragon Emperor?"
"That's right. The four-winged Fallen Angel mentioned by Diodora is this generation's Red Dragon Emperor."
"Moreover, according to my investigation, he is not a Fallen Angel at all, but a genuine human being," Shalba pulled out a page from the documents: "The heir of Ancient Martial Arts Family in China, Cain."
"It is said that not long ago, Sirzechs and the others secretly granted him the status of an Ultimate-Class Devil."
"I was able to obtain this information smoothly because those old fossils exerted considerable effort behind the scenes."
Devils valued bloodline above all else.
Unlike the reformist Four Satans, the Devils led by the Great King Bael family still followed tradition.
To them, Sirzechs granting a human the status of an Ultimate-Class Devil naturally required a thorough investigation.
To understand the situation, these high-ranking Devils pressured the Satan's and obtained partial intelligence from them.
"It is said that the current Red Dragon Emperor obtained the Devil Bloodline through special means. The four-winged Fallen Angel mentioned by Diodora is very likely a fallen angel bloodline he acquired through the same method."
"There's such an ability?" Katerea frowned after listening.
As one of the leaders of the Old Satan Faction, she naturally understood what this implied.
Since the current Red Dragon Emperor could obtain both the Devil Bloodline and the fallen angel bloodline, he could potentially obtain other bloodlines too.
A quantitative change leading to a qualitative change.
Once the Red Dragon Emperor acquired enough bloodlines, his strength in his base state could rival a High-Class Devil or even an Ultimate-Class Devil.
Coupled with the boost from the boosted gear, his combat power could even surpass that of a Satan, making him the strongest Red Dragon Emperor in history.
This was not good news.
According to Shalba, the current Four Satans secretly granting him the status of an Ultimate-Class Devil clearly indicated they had reached a cooperation agreement.
This was equivalent to standing on the opposing side.
If they launched a war in the future to seek revenge against those usurping traitors, they would inevitably clash with the Red Dragon Emperor.
"This is truly troublesome." Creuserey also realized this point, and his expression turned serious: "Shalba, do you have a plan?"
"I plan to test the Red Dragon Emperor first," Shalba replied. "If the Red Dragon Emperor hasn't grown strong enough yet, I will personally deal with him."
Creuserey: "What if he has grown strong?"
Shalba: "Then we contact Vali."
"Vali?" Creuserey was stunned, then suddenly realized.
Right, they still had Vali as a trump card.
As a descendant of the original Lucifer, Vali had not joined the Old Satan Faction or cooperated with them.
But as the current White Dragon Emperor, his strength was unquestionable, and what Vali loved most was challenging the strong.
Given the established rivalry with the Red Dragon Emperor, they could completely use Vali's hand to eliminate the Red Dragon Emperor.
Even if they failed, they could wait until both sides were severely weakened before making a move. No matter how they looked at it, they wouldn't lose.
"Shalba, you truly are a genius," Creuserey praised with a smile.
Shalba's expression remained calm: "Let's skip the pleasantries. The urgent matter now is to find a pawn to test the Red Dragon Emperor's strength first."
Katerea's face showed contemplation: "Is there a suitable candidate? Or should we hire some mages to help? Those people on that side will act if the benefit is great enough."
"We cannot hire mages. Those guys are opportunists. If things go wrong, they might expose our existence. It is not the time for us to be exposed yet," Shalba took out a new set of documents: "I already selected a candidate for the pawn before you arrived: Riser Phenex, the third son of the Phenex Family."
According to the information he investigated, Rias disliked the marriage arranged by her family and was very close to Cain.
As Rias's fiancé, all he needed to do was provoke things slightly, and it would be very easy to get Riser agitated.
Riser had an arrogant personality, so provoking a confrontation with Rias was bound to cause conflict.
Furthermore, the most important thing was that as a devil from the Phenex Family, Riser possessed Immortality.
Immortality, unless faced with a specialized attack ability, was incredibly powerful at any level.
Although he was a young devil of the new generation, Riser relied on his Immortality to achieve a winning streak in the Rating Games; the matches he lost were deliberately thrown for the benefit of his family.
As long as the arrangement was made properly, causing conflict between Riser and Cain, some things could be tested out to some extent.
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.