Chapter 44 - Finding The Missing Kuroka

Ray yawned and stretched his stiff body after sleeping for a few days straight.

"Darling, you finally woke up!" A cheerful voice greeted him who still felt a little tired and he yawned again.

"Kuroka?" He said after looking at her face through his half closed eyes.

"Yes! It's your wife, Kuroka!" She said with a light blush on her face while acting a little bashful.

"Don't be presumptuous. Since when did I accept you as my wife? You are just my lover for now." Ray retorted and lightly hit her face with his tail.

Kuroka did take offense from his words and instead smile wider because she can sense some shyness in his voice.

After dispelling his sleepiness and opening his eyes wide to look where he was. Turns out he is in the palace inside his Shadow space, the bedchamber where he and Kuroka did the deed.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"Four days."

"Four days?" Ray said with a little shock in his face. "Did you also stay here for four days?" He asked.

"Naturally I do. I want to stay close to Darling all the time." Kuroka answered with a happy hum. "But don't worry, this Kuroka already informed everyone that Darling is a little tired and needs some sleep. Little Abby is helping Sirin and Sakura to travel back and forth to the dungeon."

"That's good then. Sirin will sulk if she can't get back home and be forced to eat ration for four days." Ray shivered and remembered that time when Sirin got angry because he forgot to bring her back home for a day. Sirin forces him to dress up like a princess and take a few pictures before she is satisfied. Only the kind hearted Sakura would forgive him that day.

Ray exited his Shadow space and headed straight to the kitchen and asked Sakuya to prepare something for him to eat.

———

With Vali, he is roaming around Kuoh looking for Kuroka.

That day where the secret meeting between the three Biblical factions took place, he attended with Azazel and Kuroka tag along because she wanted to see her younger sister, Koneko. But after a few days, she hadn't returned and everyone got worried.

At first, she was free spirited and no one really cared since she usually would go off on her own if something attracted her attention and they thought that was the case. But after a week going missing and any attempts to contact her failed, they thought something was weird and decided to look for her.

They looked for her everywhere for days but still couldn't find her. It was at that moment that they thought something was seriously wrong.

Vali went back to Kuoh with Bikou to investigate her disappearance. They went to the tree where Ray met her first, then the park where they sat and talked, then finally the street where she ambushed Ray and the group on their way to send Asia to school.

"Her track ends there. She returned with a group of people and entered the mansion." Bikou said while pointing at the mansion down the street from the corner where they are hiding.

Vali frowned as the mansion is where the unknown god lives, he learned it from the Devils during the meeting.

"Vali, don't even think about it. Even I couldn't see the depth of that person's power. Also, the mansion might look unassuming but its defense is no less than a pantheon's divine realm." Albion warned his impulsive wielder.

"I know, but Kuroka is still one of us. Are you telling me that I should give up and turn away simply because that god is strong?" Vali frowned at Albion. "You know me, Albion. I fear no one and nothing in this world."

Bikou who is listening also nods his head. The only reason why he joined Vali's group is exactly because of Vali's personality, who he believes will go far in life.

"Fine. Do what you wish. But don't blame me for not warning you in advance." Albion said before he faded away.

"So, what are we going to do, Vali? Kick down the door and save Kuroka?" Bikou grinned while waiting for Vali's decision.

"Of course not." Vali shakes his head. "They didn't kill her or there's any proof that Kuroka was captured and dragged here. Maybe there is something interesting here that caught her attention."

"Oh." Bikou immediately loses his interest when fighting is out of the picture and lazily holds his staff on his shoulder.

"Let's just go there and ask if we can meet Kuroka. If they are doing anything bad to her then we fight." Vali said before he walked out the corner and headed to the gate of the mansion.

At the gate, Vali pressed the ring button before he waited for a few moments with Bikou. Then the smaller door opened up where a blond girl in a maid outfit came and greeted them.

The two sized up Mittelt who looked at them boredly. The two immediately recognise her aura and know she is a Fallen Angel, especially Vali who mingled around Fallen Angel since his adoptive father is Azazel.

"What is your purpose here? Master hadn't informed us he would have any guests." Mittelt asked impatiently since they are taking up her precious time and if she couldn't complete her task, she will be punished by that devilish slave driver Head Maid.

"We are Kuroka's friend. Can you tell her we are coming to meet her?." Vali said with neither a polite or disrespectful tone. Just in between.

His question is a probing. If the maid answered yes, then Kuroka should be safe inside since she is treated as a guest. If not, then Kuroka was truly captured and dragged here.

Vali and Bikou are observing very attentively at the maid's expression. Mittelt's immediate reaction was not what either of them expected. It was neither a nod nor a disdainful look that can indicate how Kuroka was treated. Her face showed a shocked look which made them worried.

"L-Lady Kuroka! Y-Yes! Please come in, dear guest." Mittelt immediately straightened herself and underwent a complete 180 on her expression, from a bored and lazy look to that of terror as her life flashes before her eyes like she just committed a crime worthy of a death penalty.

Vali and Bikou stared at each other for a moment, confused and wondering how Kuroka was treated as clearly, she was not treated badly from the way the maid addressed her respectfully.

Upon entering the gate, they immediately realized they were in separate dimensions just like Albion said.

"Did you notice that, Vali?" Albion suddenly emerged and talked to Vali.

"Yes. It's Ddraig." Vali answered while looking incredibly confused as he knew the current wielder of Boosted Gear is Issei. But he can sense a stronger presence of Ddraig in this mansion, like Ddraig was alive instead of just a soul trapped inside the Sacred Gear.

"P-Please wait here for a moment, I will inform Lady Kuroka immediately!" Mittelt said after leading them to a guest room and about to dart off to find Kuroka but a voice stopped her.

"No need. We are here. Go prepare some refreshments for the guest instead."

"Y-Yes! Master!" Mittelt freezed when hearing the voice but immediately left when she was given a new order.

Vali and Bikou look curiously at the so-called Master when a portal made of shadow suddenly appears and a cat and Kuroka emerge from it.

The two instantly know that the cat is no one simple because of the presence it exudes. Vali immediately knows why Albion warned him. Even if he uses his Juggernaut Drive, he is not an opponent to the cat. However, looking at how intimately the cat acted, laying on Kuroka's chest. They wonder what the relationship between the two is. Not to mention Kuroka now felt very strong too, her presence is similar to the cat which felt boundless, like a human staring at the clear night sky.

But what is for sure is that both of them felt relieved that Kuroka is alright and look even happier than before. Happier than she could ever be.

Kuroka took a seat opposite to Vali and Bikou before the cat moved down from her chest and sat on her lap.

"Welcome to my home, Vali Lucifer and Bikou. I assume you two came for Kuroka?" The cat asked.

"Yes. Kuroka had been missing for more than a week and we came here looking for her." Vali answered while looking at the mysterious cat warily.

"Right…" The cat mutters before turning to Kuroka. "Did you really forget to tell your friends where you were all this time?" The cat looked at her speechlessly.

"Ah! Silly me. I was too absorbed with Darling I forgot about them." Kuroka hit her head softly with her left fist while sticking her tongue out, actually forgot about it.

But Vali and Bikou aren't concerned about that. They were more concerned at how Kuroka addressed the cat.

Everyone in Vali's group knows about Kuroka's goal and she once even pursued Vali but he rejected her since he is not interested in women at all. He only cares about getting stronger. However, they didn't know Kuroka actually found her man. But what was going on inside their minds was how they two did it because the god never showed any other form and had always been a cat.

Did Kuroka transform into a cat and do it…

No one will know.

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