RioRaRyu
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Chapter 26
🕑 Added 2025-05-10 10:29:55 +0000 UTC
The divine weapons wielded by the hero Rama were artifacts of such power and rarity that they ranked among the greatest treasures in the world.
“Kiba, don’t be discouraged. I see immense potential in you. Your Sacred Gear still holds untapped possibilities, possibilities that could even allow you to cut through holy swords.” Shoyo looked at Kiba with calm certainty.
Kiba had the potential to be... well, eccentric. In the original story, he had even transformed into a girl just to visit Hyoudou Issei, an action that could only be described as a little terrifying. But one thing about Kiba was beyond doubt: his unwavering loyalty to his companions. He truly embodied the essence of the "Knight" in the Devil's chess piece system.
“Hmm?” At the mention of “holy sword,” a cold glint flashed in Kiba Yuuto’s eyes. It wasn’t directed at Shoyo, but at the concept itself, the holy swords that haunted his past.
“Shoyo-kun? Did someone tell you about Kiba’s past?” Rias asked, a note of suspicion in her voice.
“No, I just saw a glimpse of the past, and a bit of the future. You could think of it as a revelation I received,” Shoyo replied smoothly.
Of course, he couldn’t outright say, “According to the future plot, Kiba’s demonic sword will evolve into a holy-demonic sword.”
“In short,” Shoyo continued with a smile, “just knowing that your Sacred Gear holds other possibilities and working toward them is enough.”
The Sacred Gears created by the God of the Bible, when wielded by humans, sometimes broke through their original limitations. The Red and White Dragon Emperors, as the Two Heavenly Dragons, were eventually surpassed by their human hosts. Shoyo could see that much even without knowledge of the original plot.
[Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge)]
Symbolizing Krishna’s self-proclaimed avatarhood, this power grants the ability to perceive the essence of all things in the universe.
Krishna can see the origin of beings, their thoughts, and even glimpses of their future.
From a mystical standpoint, this is akin to a special Mystic Eye, one that encompasses all truths and thus sees through all things.
This ability allows Krishna to deduce outcomes using his own wisdom, giving him limited foresight and the ability to view parallel outcomes based on different choices.
This power wasn’t limited to situational foresight. Its greatest use was guiding others, teaching companions to take the most beneficial actions for themselves (even if morally questionable), or misleading enemies into making poor decisions. Just like in the battle between Arjuna and Karna.
It could even be used to guide others on the path of Dharma or toward the union of Atman and Brahman. Though Shoyo had yet to reach that level, it was only a matter of time. The power of near-omniscience... he would obtain it, no matter what!
“Other possibilities… do I still have them?” Kiba murmured, staring at his hand. To be honest, he didn’t really care about potential. All he wanted was revenge, for the sake of his fallen comrades. That had been the purpose sustaining him all this time.
“Well then, I’ll be going for now,” Shoyo said after a few more exchanges with the others. Though he had some special privileges, he didn’t intend to push his luck too far. He’d asked Kiryu Aika to inform the teacher of his absence, and while skipping one or two classes was acceptable, taking half a day off was pushing it.
“By the way, Koneko, could you come with me for a moment? There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he said as he turned to her.
“Eh…?” A ripple spread across Koneko’s golden eyes. Why her? Why not Buchou or Kaichou? Subconsciously, she looked at Rias.
“Go on, Koneko,” Rias said gently. She had a good idea of what Shoyo wanted to talk about. Since he claimed to have revelation-like abilities, perhaps he had seen something about Koneko. Rias knew her peerage well, though all of them were talented, each one carried deep emotional wounds.
Akeno Himejima was a hybrid of a fallen angel and a human, now reborn as a devil and still internally conflicted. Gasper had a powerful Sacred Gear but was reclusive and shy. Koneko, a rare and powerful nekomata, refused to use her innate abilities. Kiba had great potential but was deeply traumatized, especially around holy swords. Rias feared that if these inner conflicts weren’t resolved, some of them, especially Kiba, could become stray devils.
“Yes, Buchou.” With Rias’s approval, Koneko followed Shoyo outside. She was feeling a little anxious... and shy. Right now, Shoyo still hadn’t replaced Rias in her heart.
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“Hey, Koneko, I remember you said your sister became a stray devil, right?” Shoyo asked as they walked together.
“Yeah… that’s right,” Koneko said softly, her gaze drifting. She couldn’t help but think, if it had been Buchou and not Senpai facing her sister yesterday, things might have gone very badly.
“Koneko, you know I have the power of revelation, right?” Shoyo asked again.
“Yes, Senpai. You mentioned something about Kiba-senpai earlier.”
“Then, Koneko… have you ever thought about what your place is in your sister’s heart?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a sign-in notification popped up above Koneko’s head.
[Ding!]
Congratulations, Host! You’ve triggered a story sign-in!
Sign-in Level: Gold
[Sign-in Story: Black Cat and White Cat]
Black Cat and White Cat, sisters twisted by fate, go and resolve years of inner conflict.
Time limit: 1 month.
“Story sign-in, huh? ...Well, this works out. I was planning to handle this anyway.” Shoyo smiled, then looked straight into Koneko’s eyes, waiting for her answer.
“Onee-sama… should love me very much,” she replied after a brief pause.
“Then why would a sister who loves you so much choose to kill her master? Whether she had a way to take you with her or not, you would definitely have suffered greatly.”
Shoyo paused, then added, “Let me ask again, do you think your sister would have accepted suffering herself if it meant you could remain safe with your former master?”
“This… this… Onee-sama probably would,” Koneko replied after some thought.
“Then it’s strange, isn’t it? A sister willing to suffer herself but unable to watch you suffer, why would she kill her master in a way that could bring you great harm?”
Of course, Shoyo already knew the truth. What Koneko knew was only a fragment of the real story. The High-class devil from the House of Nebiros had planned to experiment on Koneko and force her to bear his offspring. After discovering her master’s depravity, Kuroka had no choice but to kill him to protect her sister.
Now, faced with Shoyo’s questions, Koneko slowly began to realize there was more to the story than she knew.
“This... I don’t know…” she muttered, her voice barely audible.
Then, to her surprise, Shoyo gently reached out and patted her head. Koneko’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t resist. Her affection level was already quite high, so she simply lowered her head slightly, hiding her rosy face.
In this moment… Shoyo truly felt thankful for Kuroka.
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