Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Encounter

"So, your reason for this meeting is because someone killed the Stray Devil before you did?" Sona asked while sitting with Rias over a game of chess in the Student Council office.

"Yes! Whoever did this almost broke the secrecy to the normal side with their action!" Rias smacked the table and huffed angrily.

Sona said nothing yet but turned her head to the side and saw a pile of report paper regarding the incident. A great fire that consumed an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district and many burning corpses were identified as missing people for the past few months.

She pushed her glasses and looked back at Rias.

"Indeed, however this can be prevented if you were doing your job properly to exterminate those Stray Devils." Sona criticized instead of agreeing with Rias.

"I was busy, okay?" Rias quickly defended but met with a stern gaze from Sona.

"Busy with what? Your games? Your manga?" Sona said before she sighed and nursed her aching head. "Rias, you understand that we were simply leasing Kuoh Town right? If we allow more of this incident to happen, I am afraid they will force our family to return the leased land."

"I have a goal to achieve here and losing Kuoh Town or Kuoh Academy is the last thing I need to happen because someone is incompetent to do their job." Sona stares deep into Rias' eyes, asking why can't she understand the severity of this matter and stop acting immature.

But, she is asking for the impossible. Rias since birth had been pampered and spoiled rotten by her older brother, Sirzech Lucifer and also the Gremory clan because she is the sole heir of a Duke nobility clan. Unlike Sona herself, Sona didn't have everything given to her despite her situation being similar to Rias. She worked hard herself to break free from her engagement yet Rias is being spoiled by Sirzech Lucifer and hand feeding everything. Rias peerage members were exceptional and powerful members and even have three Sacred Gear users with one being a Longinus Gear holder, Boosted Gear.

"Alright. Alright. I will be more active and exterminate the Stray Devils. However, I am afraid my Peerage alone cannot cover the whole town and fully flush them out." Rias evaded Sona's gaze as she made her indirect request.

"And you need my help?" Sona looked like she might as well take this matter into her own hand rather than hoping Rias would do her job right.

"Fine. I will help. But this will be a favor you owe me, Rias." Sona agrees but makes her owe a favor to teach Rias a lesson about responsibility.

"Thank you so much, Sona!" Rias jumped out her seat and wanted to hug Sona but the table in between them made it impossible.

"Well, that's done. Let's move on. What should we do about this mysterious person that killed the Stray Devil?" Sona points at the report next ro the chess board. "As far as I know, it's not from our side. We have no registered magicians or individuals that kill like that."

The report has a detailed description of the corpse of the Stray Devil. The wound isn't the real cause of its death but rather, the autopsy stated it's more likely that what killed it is poison or curse of some sort which is powerful enough to erode flesh and leave only bone and skin of the Stray Devil. However, the weapon that caused the wound can't also be ignored as it's a big clue, a bladed weapon that has serration instead of normal sharp edge.

"I have no clue either. Akeno and I read through several lists of individuals but none of them match." Rias sighed helplessly before drinking the tea Tsubaki made to soothe her parched throat. "For now, I send Koneko out and scatter familiars to actively patrol the possible area where this culprit will emerge."

Sona nods approvingly, at least Rias is incompetent.

"Then let's gather again in your club after school." Sona ended the meeting because the break period almost ended.

—————

Been a day since the fight with Stray Devil. It was the day after and Leo just learned that Stray Devil actually have bounty on their head and hunting them down will earn him quite a hefty amount of rewards.

"I said I was sorry, Leo. There were too many things in my mind that I didn't recall about it until just now when I saw the news." Mittelt apologized with her head lowered, blaming herself for being incompetent.

"No, it's not your fault. It's just a small amount of money. I can definitely earn more in no time if I hunt more Stray Devils." Leo said with an unconvincing smile that twitching because Leo is holding back his real emotions.

It's millions of USD they were talking about. The Devil is that rich to put such a high bounty on the Stray Devils in order to retrieve the Evil Piece left inside the Stray Devils.

With that much money, Leo can live comfortably and feed the black hole he has under his care without worry for quite some time. He definitely isn't feeling pain for letting that money slip his hands. Yeap, he definitely is not.

Leo stood from the couch which attracts the attention of Ophis and Mittelt.

"Anyway, I will be out until evening to scout out the town. I left plenty of food in the fridge to reheat in the microwave if both of you get hungry." Leo said as he walk to the door, remembering the reason why he came to Kuoh Town. "Also, Ophis. Don't eat too much sweet food." Leo gave Ophis a reminder lest she raid and emptied the pantry off her snack by the time he returned.

Leo have few destinations in mind to scout out. Mittelt had help him sensed the presence of the Stray Devils and point all of them out. All of those places are places no people would normally go like the industrial district, the woods at the north of Kuoh and a few abandoned private properties out in the edge of the town.

On his way to the closest one which is the industrial district, Leo take a look at the warehouse and saw the place were sealed off by the authorities. Leo wanted to sneak in to search in case the Evil Piece were still around but then he noticed weird flying creature in the sky, seemingly patrolling the area.

"Familiar?" Leo mutters as he stare at the weird creature and decided it's worth the risk before turning away but noticed a gaze on him.

In the city of Yharnam, Leo's senses had been sharpened constantly with claustrophobic street with plenty of ambush points that his enemies take advantages of. Since then, Leo been sensitive enough to feel gaze of others from long distance away or hidden.

He played cool and act as if he didn't notice it before continue scouting the area while trying to throw off his stalker. But none of his effort worked because his stalker always seems to able to find him no matter how he tried to shrug them off.

When Leo were fed up being stalked. He pretend to shrug off his pursuer again but actually hiding close by to confront this stalker.

He walk into a nearby warehouse before using Quickening to exit the building again from the opposite way throught a smal opening impossible to fit his body normally and return to the entrance where he caught the stalker enter the warehouse to look for him.

"Better not act rashly or I blow your brain off." Leo threatened the stalker with his killing intent release to the max as he placed his cocked flintlock pistol on the back of hi- her head?

The white haired petite girl was shivering and standing very still as if being stared by a predator.

'Hold on a second. Isn't she the sister Kuroka were talking about?' Leo came to a realization and quickly retracted his killing intent in an instant.

Leo inspected even more and noticed this white haired girl indeed matched the description of Kuroka's sister.

"Hey, you. You are Koneko right? Kuroka's younger sister." Leo lowered his gun immediately and questioned the girl to confirm.

At first the girl was still terrified but once Leo mentioned Kuroka, she paused and immediately turned to look at Leo.

"Who are you? Why do you know about Nee-san!" She bares her fist with hostility and is ready to defend herself from Leo. But there is clear nervousness showing on her face despite looking angry and frowning.

"I guess you are really her younger sister, huh." Leo got the answer for his first question and truly relaxed as he no longer considered Koneko as hostile.

"Well, you could say your sister was my benefactor. She helped me quite a lot after all. So, I won't kill you. But please stop stalking me in the future." Leo said with friendliness but Koneko still agitated and hissed when Leo suddenly had an urge to pat her head.

"Quite a feisty kitten." Leo laughed before he turned around and left. "See you later, Koneko Toujou." Leo waved as his figure vanished into a mist.

Koneko watched with mixed feelings. Her mind was disturbed by the thoughts about her sister. She still had a task by Rias but she didn't dare to follow Leo. Not after feeling his killing intent that only can be emitted by people that had piled up mountains of corpses. She instinctively knew his threats were not empty words.

———

Leo disappeared from Koneko's sight and hid in another building while looking at the screen in front of him.

[Name: Koneko Toujou

Conquest Rating:★★★★★

Race: Devil (Nekoshou)

Gender: Female

Age: 14

Archetype: Kuudere, Younger Sister

Affection: -100/1000 (Afraid)

Likes: ???

Dislike: ???

Current thoughts: Deeply curious about your relationship with her older sister. She is very terrified by your bloodlust and chooses to listen to your advice but will report immediately to her King.]

"Interesting. Her Conquest Route is rated five stars difficulty…" Leo wondered how the rating really translates to. "Also, the highest difficulty rating yet after Ophis."

After this little encounter, Leo resumed his scouting on all locations he marked in his head.

Though, he can't help but constantly wonder what will happen now that the heiresses are aware of his presence. Not that he was planning on hiding at all or else he wouldn't even come here to Kuoh.

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