But, the stupid me also has a limit to my brain capacity! …Hah, I wish I had been born smart. As I sighed about that, a small shadow came into my sight. —It was Koneko-chan. For some reason, she was quickly heading out of the party room. Her expression seemed absorbed in something. Was there something wrong? I was suddenly seized with anxiety. I had a bad feeling about this. “Asia, Xenovia, please wait here.”
“Ise-san, what’s wrong? The Maou-sama’s greeting will be starting soon.”
“No, there’s a little acquaintance of mine here that I want to go see. I’ll return by the time of the greeting!”
“Alright. We’ll stay here.”
“Yeah!”
I had lied to the two of them. I wanted to keep them safe. In any case, I stood up from my seat and went into the direction that Koneko-chan headed in—. Koneko-chan went down on the elevator? Is she going down to the bottom? Once I confirmed that the elevator next door opened, I boarded it. Then, someone else got on the elevator. When I turned around, it was Buchou! “What’s wrong? Your expression changed.”
“I saw Koneko-chan suddenly leave as if following something.”
“I see, so you were worried. I understand, I’ll go too.”
“Yes! But, how did you know that I was going to board the elevator?”
To the puzzled me, Buchou said the best possible thing while smiling. “It’s because I’m always watching you.”
The elevator arrived on the first floor. After me and Buchou stepped out, we described Koneko-chan to nearby devils and asked if she had passed by. Having discovered that Koneko-chan had been seen by various people going outside, Buchou hurriedly called forth a bat familiar and sent it out into the sky. Buchou and I waited in front of the fountain that stood outside the hotel until the bat returned. “As I thought, Koneko-chan’s behaviour is abnormal.”
“Yes. However, what was Koneko-chan following all the way out here?”
Buchou brooded deeply over my question, but she said with just a grim expression that she suspected that Koneko had come across something serious. Rather, it seemed like Buchou had just realised something. After a little while, Buchou’s bat returned. “It seems it found her. —The forest? So she’s gone to the forest surrounding the hotel?”
The forest! Koneko-chan! Just why on earth did you go there!? Buchou and I started running after the bat! After we left the familiar places behind, Buchou and I ran through the forest in the dark night. Somehow, although we were in a hurry to find her, I still didn’t have any trouble running like this. Thanks to the results of my survival lifestyle, I could now move relatively easily. Sensei, I’m somehow scared that I may have grown in a different sense! After we had advanced through the forest for several minutes, Buchou pulled my arm and made us hide in the shadow of a tree. When I peeked my face out just a little, I saw Koneko-chan over there! Koneko-chan was restlessly turning her head back and forth in the middle of the forest as if looking for something. Then, she noticed something and turned her gaze in that direction. We also followed Koneko-chan’s gaze and looked. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
An unfamiliar voice. Appearing without making a noise—was a woman wearing a black kimono. Somehow, she seemed similar to Koneko-chan…Wait, she had cat ears on her head!? I-It couldn’t be…
I had an inkling about something, but Buchou shushed me and indicated for me to calmly watch. “—! …You.”
Koneko-chan’s whole body shook in violent surprise. “Hello, Shirone. It’s me, your onee-chan.”
Shirone? That’s the first time I’m hearing that name, but was it perhaps Koneko-chan’s true name? I knew from Buchou’s mother that “Koneko” was a name given to her by Buchou. “Kuroka-neesama…”
Koneko-chan’s voice squeezed out those words. —! Koneko-chan’s onee-san! I had a feeling that’s how it was since they were similar, so it was just like I thought! So this beautiful nekomata onee-san is the “exiled demon” that killed her master…In the future, will Koneko-chan look like her sister? When I imagined it, I got slightly excited! There was a black cat snuggled up to that onee-san’s feet. “Onee-chan is very impressed that you came this far following after this black cat that sneaked into the party-nya.”
I see, Koneko-chan came across that black cat at the party and came here following it. “…Nee-sama. What is this about?”
There was anger in Koneko-chan’s voice. But, Kuroka just smiled. “Don’t make such a scary face. I just had some minor business to take care of. I heard that the devils were holding a big party here, you know? That’s why I was a little interested. Nyan♪”
Onee-san waved her hand like a cat and winked cutely! So cute! Ooooooooow…please don’t pinch my face like that, Buchou…
“Hahahaha, could it be that you’re a member of the Gremory group?”
A voice that I had heard from somewhere before spoke out—. Then, a good-looking man wearing what looked like ancient Chinese armour came out—it was Son Goku Bikou! Vali’s comrade! What was he doing here? Wait. He’s a member of the [Khaos Brigade]. Is this a terrorist attack aimed at the party hall!? Suddenly, Bikou’s gaze turned to look in the direction of me and Buchou! So he noticed us!? “Even if you erase your presence, it’s useless. With people like me and Kuroka who know senjutsu, we can approximately detect you with just a slight variation in the flow of your spirit.”
Tch! We’ve been found out! Even though I would have preferred not to fight! Buchou and I readied ourselves and stepped out from the shadow of the tree. Koneko-chan was surprised to see us. “…Ise-senpai, Buchou.”
“Yo, damn monkey-san. Is Vali doing well?”
“Hahahaha, pretty much. As for you…Heh, so you’ve become a little stronger, huh?”
Hmm? Did he understand my strength just from looking at my body a little? While I thought that in puzzlement, Bikou spoke while smiling. “Didn’t I tell you? I also have an interest in senjutsu, and I know the flow of your spirit to a degree. The volume of aura that covers you has risen since we last met.”
…I see. When other people said it, it seemed that my training really had given me results. “By the way Buchou, what is senjutsu? Is it different from magic and the sorcery used by magicians?”
Sighing, Buchou gave an explanation to my question. “Yes, senjutsu is different from magic and sorcery. The biggest difference is that senjutsu stresses the importance of something called chakra, the aura that is the great original power that flows into one’s spirit, in other words one’s life-force, and turns it into a constant current. It’s a power that is both similar yet different from the magic of demons and the light power of angels. Its direct destructive power can’t match that of magic or the power of light, but senjutsu can make use of the unknown part hidden within plants, animals and people.