Chapter 8: Kuroka's Thoughts and Taming

5 minutes after Kuroka.ExE stopped working, I was guiding her to a bedroom on the second floor. She shut down after I mentioned the bowling alley and lost the last 5 minutes of memories.

I'm walking down the hall with the nekoshou curiously looking around at the lavish decorations of the manor.

My reality marble isn't only an excellent architect, seems it also has good taste in furniture, if I could I would give it a raise.

Thankfully it's not a living being or it would be reporting me for excessive overtime and abuse. That and I don't have any money.

Anyway, after leading the curious Kuroka and knocked out Shirone to the room closest to the baths on the second floor, I made my way down to the kitchen to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The magical storage in the kitchen's fridge and pantry is fucking awesome, any ingredients put in will absolutely not expire, they will stay as fresh as the day they were gotten.

Half-eaten or hot foods have their own space as well, which means I can make a pizza one day and put it in the magical storage area, come back a week later and it will be just as steaming hot and fresh as the day I made it. Not that I can make a pizza.

Well whatevs, off to training. My milf attracting body isn't going to make itself.

————————————————————————————————————————

*Kuroka POV*

After leaving me and Shirone infront of a bedroom door and showing me where the nearest bath was, Zell turned around and walked off saying something about training underground and an elevator to find him.

At this point, I've grown numb to everything. He can pull a dragon out of his ass right now and I wouldn't even react.

I walk into the room with Shirone in my arms and oggle a little bit at the large room. Large queen sized bed with a a canopy, a few drawers off to the side of the room, a small desk, bookshelves, sofas, a large flat screen TV, and if what he said is true, then the 2 doors on the side of the room should lead to a shower and and a walk-in closet.

Groovy.

On the bed there are two sets of girl's clothes neatly folded, one set in black and another in white. I don't know how he did it so I'm just going to ignore it. There are even some children's underwear sitting at the top of the pile of clothes.

I think he might be a pervert, Shirone must protecc.

————————————————————————————————————————

*AACHOO*

"Fuck!!!"

Zell lost concentration and proceeded to receive a thorough beating from a phantom low class ultimate.

————————————————————————————————————————

*Kuroka POV*

Well whatever.

I walk toward the bed and lay Shirone down gently so that she doesn't wake up, but it seems that it was pointless since she woke up anyway as I covered her with the blanket.

Shirone: "Nee-san?"

Just as I had feared, she reverted back into her shell. Even though she was shining so brightly earlier, growing up around constant abuse has had a far too large of an effect on her. I was hoping for a miracle after she was playing cheerfully earlier in the garden, but I guess that was never going to happen.

Although I'm saddened by the thought, I won't lose hope. If she is still able to make that face, then there is hope for healing the trauma of that hell hole.

Smiling gently at her, I hold her hand and began to pet and caress her head and ears.

"Sleep for now, once you wake up, we'll take a bath together and get some more food to keep our bellies filled. I'll stay right here the entire time."

Shirone purred a little into my caress, though not as much as that pervert's, and nodded her head. I'm a little mad.

She made herself comfortable under the covers and was soon sound asleep. One of the most peaceful expressions I have ever seen adorning her face.

I think back on everything that has happened over the last couple of hours, and the reality of it all hits me. I'm, no WE'RE free. Although we have no place to truly go to from here, we are well and truly free from that hell hole.

I know that we're imposing on him as it is and that he only did this for Shirone, but I hope that Zell can take us in for the time being while I figure out where Shirone and I can go to from here. Though I doubt he will. After all, whatever this place is is probably one of his secrets if the reluctance to let us in earlier was any indication. That, and he doesn't exactly like me.

The Bael clan and possibly some members of the Great King faction may know of my existence from the artificial Super Devil research if what the dieing Ultimate and the fucker who did this to me said about working for the Bael clan was true, and I don't want to risk staying in the underworld to find out.

I just hope he won't immidiatelty kick us to the curb so soon after saving us. His offer was just to help us, not to house and feed us.

I shake my head to get rid of bad thoughts and instead climb into bed wtih Shirone, wrapping my arms around her protectively, sharing as much warmth with her as I can. I can deal with the depressing stuff later, for now, I need my beauty sleep.

————————————————————————————————————————

*Zell POV*

I'm sitting in the healing sauna in the gym after my lapse in concentration earlier and receiving a thorough ass whooping.

This place is fucking awesome, it uses the pure ambiant mana in the Reality Marble as steam that soothes and rejuvinates the body. It accelarates the body's natural healing ability, resfreshes the mind of exhaustion, and hastens the recovery of mana. I think this is my favorite place in the gym.

After a very relaxing recovery, I wiped myself down with my towel amd changed into a new pair of clothes before heading upstairs to the kitchen for another bite to eat and for a good nap.

Approaching the kitchen, the smell of delicious food wafts towards me and I realize the nekomimi sisters are awake and probably getting something for themselves.

Opening the door to the kitchen, I spot Kuroka with a red frilly apron working hard on omelette rice, and from the smell alone, I know this is top tier food.

* GROOOOOWL *

That seemed to grab her attention. She looks over to me with a complicated look in her eyes before she shakes her head and and goes back to focusing on her cooking.

Kuroka: "Wait with Shirone in the dining room, I'll be done soon."

I freeze for a second before I process her words. I'm a little confused at the sudden change of attitude so I ask.

"Are you alright? You didn't eat anything wierd while I was training did you?"

Her eyebrow twitches a few times before she takes a deep breath and calms down. She continues to cook while replying.

Kuroka: "Although you saved us, we have nothing to repay you with and I don't exactly feel like being subordinated to someone considering my last experience nya.

So while we're in your care I can cook something up whenever you feel hungry nya. Consider this a temporary repayment and apology of my debt to you nya.

Unless of course, you would rather eat your instant ramen, Shirone amd I have quite the appetite nya."

Towards the end of her words, she looks over at me mischievously but her eyes says she's serious.

"My stomache will be in your care, Kuroka-sama."

I immidiately bow a full 90 degrees. Properly cooked food over instant food and sandwhiches, there is no need to hesitate.

Screw you, a year without proper food, I'm not letting this chance slip away from me, grudge or not.

Kuroka just chuckles at me, amused, and goes back to cooking, not before shooing me away.

I make my way out of the kitchen and to the dining room and spot a cute nekomimi lolita staring around the room, taking in all the detail. She swiftly notices me and stands up and bows her head at me.

I smile gently and walk over to her and pat her head.

"No need to bow Shirone. I hope you can be as relaxed as you can while we're together. No one can harm you here, I guarantee you that."

Her hair is so soft, I might get a little addicted to thi-

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!

Loli must protecc. I can not fall to temptation or risk the wrath of the universal FBI coming after me.

Shirone slowly lifts her head and gives me a small nod while leaning into my pat. Dammit, this level of adorableness should be illegal.

As I'm having an internal crisis, Kuroka walks through the doors connecting to the kitchen with a cart full of warm delicous food. The smell is appetizing enough to break me out of my internal turmoil.

Shirone and I start salivating at the presentation of the warm food and obediently sit down at Kuroka's insistance.

Hold up, isn't this my house?

Kuroka reads my emotions and purposfully skips giving me my dish before taking a seat next to Shirone and beginning to chow down.

I quickly jump into and full dogeza.

"KUROKA-SAMA, FORGIVE ME!!!"

She chuckles in victorious amusement and hovers over my plate of food to my seat. How she did that, I don't know, nor do I care. Food first.

Kuroka: "What do you say nya?"

"THANK YOU KUROKA-SAMA!!"

I thank her quickly and jump at my first warm, properly cooked meal in a year and go to town with the omelette rice.

Hold up, did she just tame me through my stomache? Fuck, the food is too delicous, I'll accept this situation for now.