[Elegy of the Sorrowful Wish]
—Hate Mark (Increases damage dealt to Gastrea-type creatures by 50%)
—Declaration of the End (The next attack will strike the target's weak point)
Just like Saeko's new skill, it was another ability tied to Gastrea creatures.
But…
That Declaration of the End effect seemed pretty good.
Lynn copied Kisara's updated Blessings data.
Kisara looked through her own status screen and laughed as she spotted the new skill.
She wasn't that far behind Saeko!
After finishing the Blessings updates, Lynn turned toward Tina.
"Now it's your turn."
Tina blinked and pointed at herself, slightly stunned.
Lynn nodded without a word.
Tina paused, then silently began to undress.
Then she turned her back to Lynn.
Lynn summoned the Evil Piece and placed his hand on her back.
The Blessings information appeared.
Tina Sprout
Low-Class Devil
Race: Devil
Master: Lynn Valefor
Strength: i0
Agility: i0
Durability: i0
Magic: i0
Inherent Skills:
—Owl-Type Gastrea Factor (All attributes increased during nighttime combat)
—Battlefield Topology (Automatically generates a 3D tactical map by analyzing terrain, airflow, and sound)
…
Not a special-type devil…
But she already had two inherent skills.
Battlefield Topology…
Hmm.
She had the makings of a battlefield commander.
Lynn copied her Blessings info and explained her current state.
After a while.
Tina's expression lit up with realization.
She looked at her wings and muttered, "So… this is why the Cursed Children vanished, huh?"
Devils.
The so-called "children of the devil" had finally become actual devils.
And…
The characteristics of the Gastrea virus were completely gone!
Which meant they no longer needed to worry about transforming into Gastrea.
Tina was dazed.
It felt like the goddess of luck had smiled on her.
No—
More accurately…
Tina had been chosen by her current master, Lynn.
She silently looked up and engraved Lynn's face into her heart.
He was the savior of the Cursed Children.
Even if he was a devil…
She took a deep breath, bowed low, and spoke solemnly:
"Thank you for giving me a new life!"
In that moment, she even felt grateful to Ayn Rand for assigning her this mission.
But—
She looked up again, expression serious.
"I'm familiar with Osaka and America. Please let me assist with those two locations!"
Tina had made her decision.
She would act as a guide.
And bring back every last Cursed Child.
Lynn patted her head and entrusted her with the mission. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
However.
He wasn't fully confident in her current condition.
If he remembered correctly, didn't she have a setting where she couldn't stay awake during the day due to the owl factor?
He wasn't sure if that weakness had been erased after her devil transformation.
Lynn shook his head and moved on to the next task.
Cursed Children from around the world were arriving one after another.
He needed to transform them into devils as soon as possible to purge the Gastrea virus from their bodies and put them at ease.
By the time everything was wrapped up, it was already late at night.
Lynn's Bedroom
"Master~ I'm here~"
Yuuko floated through the wall.
Lynn's eyelid twitched. "You… what are you wearing?"
"Eh?"
Yuuko looked down at herself, puzzled. "Master doesn't like it?"
She wore a pure white, loose robe, with a white triangular headscarf on her forehead. Several faint blue ghost lights floated around her.
She looked exactly like a traditional ghost!
"No, I like it just fine."
Lynn pulled her down from mid-air.
As Yuuko let out a surprised yelp, the ghost lights in the room flickered wildly.
The Next Day
Yuuko's pink tongue gently licked Lynn's skin.
"Master, how did it taste?"
Her narrow eyes sparkled mischievously as her fingers drew circles on Lynn's chest.
"Compared to Utaha and the others, it should be a little different, right?"
Lynn touched his chin, looking serious.
"I think… this kind of thing needs to be verified with more experiments before reaching a solid conclusion."
Yuuko paused and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Her gaze shifted playfully, and she floated naked into the air again.
"There are plenty of perks to being a ghost~"
"For example…"
"Unlocking stranger positions is way easier, right?"
Suddenly, Lynn narrowed his eyes and exhaled slowly with satisfaction.
A fully-automated ghost cup.
Perfect…
...
Afternoon
After handing off all matters related to the Black Bullet world to his Peerage, Lynn was finally free.
Apartment – Living Room
Lynn was currently in the middle of another round of fighting with Koneko.
Off to the side.
Midori Fuse puffed up her cheeks and glared at the white-haired girl nestled comfortably in their master's arms.
She felt like her territory was being threatened.
Her hair puffed up in agitation.
Koneko absentmindedly played her video game, occasionally glancing at Midori.
Then her gaze settled on the cat ears atop Midori's head.
After a brief silence, she casually dispelled the magic concealing her own ears.
"?"
Lynn looked down and asked curiously, "Koneko, why are your ears exposed?"
Koneko pursed her lips. "My magic is a little unstable…"
Unstable magic?
Lynn looked at her oddly but didn't say anything further.
Midori Fuse: Stare!!!!
This shameless cat!
Definitely intentional!!
Koneko pursed her lips and whispered, "Senpai, my ears… are itchy…"
She was asking for a head pat.
Lynn paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and placed his hand on her head.
His broad fingers gently stroked her soft, furry ears.
"Mnn…"
Koneko shivered slightly, her body instinctively squirming. Her thighs pressed together, and her breathing grew faintly heavier.
Lynn froze.
Could it be…
Is she going into heat?
Lynn's expression stiffened.
He recalled that for feline mandrills, going into heat before maturity could be dangerous… even life-threatening, right?
With that in mind, Lynn immediately withdrew his hand.
Koneko looked up at him, eyes slightly misty, staring at Lynn blankly.
As if wondering why he suddenly stopped.
Just as Lynn was about to come up with an excuse.
Midori suddenly squeezed in between them.
"Master~"
She threw herself into Lynn's arms, tears brimming in her eyes.
The feeling of abandonment stung too much.
At this point, she didn't care about being shy.
Master is going to be stolen!!
Seeing her like that, Lynn gently placed his hand on Midori's head and rubbed it softly.
"Hehehehe~"
The moment she felt his touch, Midori's expression shifted instantly, her face melting into a goofy smile.
Koneko paused and stared silently at Midori.
The strange sensation from earlier faded away.
Seeing this, Lynn let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Looks like she wasn't actually in heat.
Still…
He hadn't expected such a reaction just from stroking her ears.
He'd have to be more careful in the future.
Although…
Watching the subtle rivalry unfold between Koneko and Midori, Lynn started to feel.
Maybe raising two cats… isn't so bad after all.
He wondered if there was any possibility of convincing Rias to let Koneko transfer over.
Just as the girls were subtly competing for Lynn's attention, the apartment's doorbell rang.
Lynn raised his eyebrows.
Who could it be at this hour?
His Peerage members were still in the Black Bullet world grinding for experience…
Could it be Natsuki Minamiya?
"Master! I'll get the door!"
Midori immediately stopped fussing with Koneko and dashed over.
She wanted to be the thoughtful one!
As soon as the door opened.
She was greeted by a beautiful girl wearing slim-framed glasses, exuding a calm and intellectual aura.
Midori blinked and asked, confused, "Who are you?"
She had never seen this big sister before.
Which meant…
She probably wasn't one of the Peerage members.
Seeing Midori, Sona's eyes showed a flicker of surprise.
"Sona Sitri."
She calmly introduced herself, then asked, "Excuse me, is Lynn here?"
"Master?"
Midori was stunned, then quickly stepped aside. "Please, come in."
Master…
She's part of Lynn's Peerage?
Walking into the living room, Sona appeared visibly tense.
But—
The moment she saw Koneko curled up in Lynn's lap, her steps froze.
A glint of surprise flashed through her eyes.
Why was a member of Rias's Peerage here with Lynn?
And…
They were so close!
She clenched her fist subconsciously.
Then took a deep breath to calm herself.
But!
A faint chill flickered in Sona's eyes, though it vanished just as quickly.
Heh…
Rias… what about your so-called fiancé?
Why are you pushing this cat onto Lynn instead?!
You're even using the cat-girl card!!
"Huu…"
Calm down. Calm down…
At that moment, Lynn finally noticed her presence.
"Oh? What a rare guest."
He smiled in slight surprise.
He didn't hold any ill will toward Sona.
After all, she'd helped him acquire housing and provided him with water-based magic.
Even though Rias had arranged it, it was still Sona who delivered everything.
This was only their second meeting since their engagement had been broken off.
Lynn had assumed Sona would avoid him until everything was officially settled.
But here she was, showing up on her own.
Lynn was momentarily confused.
Still—
There was probably only one reason she came.
"Has the engagement cancellation been finalized?"
Sona's expression stiffened.
Engagement cancellation… right. That…
She had almost forgotten about that entirely.
"Ah… No, that's not…"
Sona seemed a bit flustered.
Lynn fell silent for a moment before asking, "…Then why are you here?"
Without answering, Sona silently took out several scrolls, spellbooks, and weapons.
Then she placed them all in front of him.
Lynn's eyelid twitched.
Sona began her explanation.
"This is holy attribute magic—Chain of Redemption."
"Light-element spell—Photoetching Seal."
"Holy weapon—Nail of the Penitent."
"Light-element weapon—Photon Collapse Hand Cannon."
(To be continued.)