As promised, later that night I was in Koneko's room, drying my hair after just having left the bath. The excitement she held earlier had deflated into a semi-frown as she sat on the bed. I eventually climbed on, having a pretty good idea of what was on her mind.

"Worried about your friend?" I pat her head, still managing to earn a purr from her despite her mood.

"Nnn." She nodded. "I don't want Kiba to go away."

"You know Rias won't actually brand him as a stray. She'll bring him back." My words didn't put her at ease.

"But, he won't be back to normal… I could feel it, he won't give up on this, not even for Rias." That was… true, especially if she was the one saying it.

I frowned, contemplating things for a moment before I sighed. If it was inevitable, then it was better to make things go smoother.

"You want to help him?" I knew the answer but asked anyway, enjoying as her eyes lit up and she nodded. "Even if Rias will punish you afterward?" I mimicked slapping her across the ass, the likely punishment of choice if I knew my lover.

She blushed but nodded all the same. I nodded back, a smile tugging at my lips. "Okay then, I'll go find him tomorrow." She hugged me tightly as soon as I said that.

"Thanks, Senpai." Her smile was wide and warmed my heart, and then it warmed my boner when it turned into more of a smirk.

She transitioned from cuddling against me to straddling my lap. Her former small frame had turned less so, now resembling Asia more if not an inch shorter and with a slightly more breedable ass. Her ears and tail popped out, the latter having fun wrapping around my arm and inching it closer to her lower region.

Like before, she was still wearing her old shorts that were now a few sizes too small. Her fleshy thighs and thicker ass stretched it and molded around her newfound curves.

"Now, this kitty wants what was promised, nya~." She purred, licking at my bare chest and nibbling lightly on my skin.

Her hands trailed down to my boxers, pulling them down so that she could grab ahold of my member. Like Aika, it was too big for her hand, but also like Aika, when she decided to go down and test her luck at licking and sucking on it like a lollipop, I guided her through it. Then of course I reward her by picking her up by her thighs, spreading them open, and then letting her ride on my face as I licked between her folds.

The next day I took off from school. My hunt for Kiba began with two helpless sheep begging for food in the middle of the plaza.

"It's so good… even if it was paid for by a devil," Irina exclaimed, shoveling rice into her mouth.

"This truly must be the end of days." Xenovia with her mouth full managed to say.

I ignored the rude words and waited for them to finish. Bowls and plates had already been set aside, and excess food was splattered about. How long had it been since they'd eaten? At last, the chopsticks were dropped and water was sent down to chase after their food.

Xenovia shamelessly acted like she hadn't just been melting at the taste of the food and eyed me suspiciously. "So why exactly have you sought us out?"

I deadpanned, signaling for the check from a short distance away waiter. "I didn't, I was looking for the boy you fought yesterday and stumbled on you two begging the public for handouts." I was very happy to see they weren't immune to shame. They blushed the slightest amount and I continued. "But, I am glad I found you, it's probably best I tell you that I'll be helping you."

They both looked surprised at that, but Irina was the first to speak. "Uh, didn't you guys just say you wouldn't interfere?"

"My lover did, I personally said no such thing." I shrugged, smiling and winking at their understanding. "Plus, should you really complain? From what I've heard you guys are dead women walking."

"…We told you we know what we are getting into." Irina didn't sound too sure this time around.

Xenovia herself took a long pause. Fingers interlocked as she glared ahead and contemplated. "Tell me." She said finally. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden."

A fair enough question. I shrugged. "I told you I was looking for the boy you fought yesterday."

"Is he related?" Xenovia sat back, arms crossed as she thought back to the disappointment of a 'superior' she fought yesterday.

"He ran away yesterday, despite the orders of my lover, his King. He is determined to find and destroy each shard of Excalibur as revenge for the 'Holy Sword Project' and what happened to his friends." I conveyed truthfully. "My goal is to make sure he doesn't get himself killed and returns back with slightly less of a hate boner."

More silence followed until the blue-haired girl nodded. "I wouldn't mind allowing you to take care of one."

"Xenovia!" Irina said in shock. "He's still a devil remember?"

"Yes, and this warm feeling in my chest must mean he is still redeemable," Xenovia replied assuredly. Pink lightly dusted her cheeks as she took the most subtle of glances at me. I still didn't know what was up with her.

"What are you even saying." Irina, not understanding any of her partner's words, shook her. Xenovia remained calm even as she was swayed, her point made and final.

We found Kiba.

"You mean to tell me Valper is a part of this too?" His gaze narrowed, locking down on his balled fist. "Then I suppose I have no choice."

With how hostile he looked I entertained the idea that he might just summon his gear here in the plaza.

"We'll appreciate the help," Xenovia admitted. "Though, you should know, he is likely not alone, they need those who can wield the swords."

"…Freed." Kiba scowled, mood worsening even further.

"That name has come up, I suppose we know now what to look out for." Xenovia nodded, turning to her partner.

They pulled their hoods back up, clearly ready to go their own way. "Well, this has been productive. If I am able, I will repay my debt for the food." Xenovia turned, walking away.

"Hey, wait up." Irina ran after her turning to wave bye herself.

I turned to Kiba. I was surprised to see he wasn't seething in rage and with his head down in typical angry MC style.

"Why?" He asked simply.

"I want to say it's because Koneko was sad when you ran away, but that's not the entire reason. I'm more hoping you'll realize the stupidity of vowing revenge on inanimate objects." I leaned against a pole, crossing my arms and watching his expression fall rapidly.

"I have a great amount of respect for you… but, I don't think you have any business in this." He scowled, prepared to walk away and essentially send me a massive 'fuck you'.

"Unfortunately, it is, you're actions never just affect yourself, and as much as you'd like to think they'll just abandon you and that'll be the end of it, you're wrong." I shook my head.

"That doesn't mean I can just walk away from this!" I rolled my eyes, did this guy just forget what I had just done?

"Dude, I'm literally helping you." I breathed exasperatedly. "Like legit probably against my lover's wishes, I might be sleeping on the couch for this." Okay, that last part was a lie, it had already been two days since we'd slept together, and she wasn't extending that any longer.

He shut his mouth, gaze aimed at the floor. "I'd just like you to actually think about who's to blame."

"My friends were slaughtered because of the holy swords, I think I know!" There came that glare again, you keep it up and I'm punishing you myself.

"Almost right." I rotated my hand in a so-so gesture. "You're friends were slaughtered because some psychotic fanatics wanted to create perfect specimens FOR the holy swords."

"Yes, they deserve to pay as well, but the swords are still the reason. If they hadn't been created I wouldn't carry this burden to begin with!"

So was I in an echo chamber? Alright well, there was only one way any of these people seemed to understand, including my lovely Koneko, and Akeno.

Metaphor time!

"I know someone who died from a car, that doesn't mean cars were invented to kill that person. But the person driving that car could've made that decision and used it for that purpose." Was I making sense, I hoped so because that was just about the only one I could think of.

"Those same holy swords that got your friends killed, could very easily have been the weapon of your salvation if Heaven had caught on and sent people down to help." I followed up, taking his drawn-out silence as contemplation I walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There are many items that can be used to exploit people, and I just think you should focus more on getting rid of the exploiters instead of the items. After all, if you didn't go after those people, then a whole new experiment can be put in place, and this time around it could revolve around a sacred gear, such as the very one you so happily yield."

Now, here's to hoping I didn't just send him down another spiral of trying to get rid of the sacred gear system instead of understanding the point I was trying to make.

His head fell and his fist loosened. I looked away, saving him his dignity and acting like I hadn't seen him crying.

"I'll give you time to think." I patted his back, praising my therapist skills internally. "Now then, I'll be moving in to find those bastards by tonight, if you're not home and on your knees in front of not just Rias, but the entire peerage, I'll make sure you get no part in their destruction." This was a bigger issue now, Devil I may be but I wasn't just going to let child murderers roam free, especially in my lover's territory. I didn't wait for him to respond, instead leaving him to his thoughts and teleporting away.

A/N: A few more chaps of plot...