Chapter 36: Determination.

After my bonding session with Mittelt, I decided to go sleep for the day.

Honestly, not grinding felt really weird to me. Usually, by this time, I would already be making some potions, practising skills, raising undead, or razing some dungeons. But now?

I just had to do nothing. If I did something right now I would feel infinitely worse.

My regeneration is so slow that it may as well not exist at all, and with my lacking stats and concentration, anything I made would be a waste of resources. So I just had to... stay still.

Now that I think about it 90% of my life ever since I was chucked into here has been grinding, training, and gaining. Even when I "relax" like my date with Aika I was going for her affection rewards.

How weird.

...

I woke up feeling refreshed, which makes sense since this was one of the only times where I slept clean and not covered in someone else's blood. I got out of my before stealthily making myself a batch of soul-healing fruity pancakes.

After all of that, I got dressed in the bare minimum required for Kuoh Academy, I still wore the uniform but my front was open and the dress shirt underneath had a few buttons unbuttoned for ventilation. Instead of my sunglasses I instead wore a sleeping mask I enchanted with chameleon for people to recognize it as nothing out of the ordinary.

Lord Helix knows I need the sleep. The devils might point it out but I don't really care about what they think do I?

As long as their affections do not drop and I lose my rewards I could not give a damn. Speaking of, how would I raise their affections for me anyway?

Hmm, let's think about this.

Rias, currently with her high affection it won't get raised much unless I want to involve myself in her issues and join her peerage.

And I have already decided that, after beating Hanami, I won't be joining any peerage out of my own volition. I have several reasons for that.

1: The devil race is not THAT good. In fact, if I get the devil race, the double anti-evil damage I take from the necromancer class will turn to a whopping 4x. If I wanted to change my race to one of the biblical factions I would take fallen angel anyway, same stat multipliers without any of the disadvantages.

2: Even if I were to become a high-class devil that doesn't mean I am free.

If I become a high-class devil that means I am essentially a noble in devil society, and that involves all of the responsibilities. And do you know who the nobles respond to? The satans.

If I want to do something and the Satans don't like that they can just say cut that out and I can't do jack piss about it. And Devil politics are notoriously shitty. Why would I willingly dip my toes in that shitpit?

3: Why would I willingly go under someone weaker than me?

She might be able to sweep the floor with me if she actually trained but she doesn't. Neither Sitri nor Gremory are strong enough. Why would I go out of my way to pledge my SUBSERVIENCE to someone weaker than me?

Yes, yes, let's just hand over my freedom to them even though I am stronger than them. They might be good owners but they are still owners no? Gaining all of this power just to go under the wing of a devil and become their servant would be spitting at the face of all of the blood I have shed, mine and others to get to this point.

4: Who said I can't change my race by myself? If I manage to get Expert level necromancy I can undergo the ritual to become a lich most likely. I can likely get race-change items from dungeons. I can do some self-experimentation to change my race. Hell, I can even try becoming Cursed Womb Death Painting.

Why should I limit myself so much by both siding with a faction and going under someone's control? It simply doesn't make sense.

Anyways onto the others.

Akeno, I have no idea. Maybe regular interaction and flirting? I could ask her to teach me cooking maybe? That could work.

Kiba. He is a man, he isn't included in this conversation.

Koneko. I have no idea again. I doubt she is very interested in me anyway as I probably stink of curses, death, and everything thanks to her senjutsu senses.

Speaking of. Maybe I could go to Kyoto sometime to learn Senjutsu and Yokai arts? Especially Youjutsu which is basically a downgrade of Jujutsu but is far easier to use.

Sona, I could get her to challenge me to a game of chess for a favour or getting into her peerage. I am confident in my ability to beat her. She may have played frequently and is smart but she doesn't have the experience as she has had better things to do than chess as a heiress.

Also getting closer to Sona would result in me also getting closer to Serafall. Killing two birds with one stone.

As for the members of Sona's peerage...

Uh...

I don't even know their names. Were they even relevant enough for their names to be said aloud in the show?

I only very vaguely remember one other than the Queen because she wore stockings.

So, I guess I just won't then. It's not like they won't approach me out of their own volition no? It's better to let them come to me. It's not like I am desperate anyway.

After sleeping through as many classes as I possibly could and chatting with Aika a bit. I asked Sona to arrange for Asia to attend school which she accepted in exchange for a small favor to call on later on. Though to me a favor is just an opportunity to gain affection.

I did not chat with her much nor did I seek out Rias' peerage much for a reason.

I didn't want to chat or interact with them much while I was so... vulnerable.

It might seem odd but I hate being seen as weak or vulnerable. I don't want to show them my weak side. Being perceived as weak is the last thing I want to do.

After classes, it was time for lunch so I went up to the roof and took out some of my pancake rolls. But as I was about to take a bite I felt a predatory gaze lock onto me. Normally I would've immediately used sense cursed energy and blasted them to kingdom come via bone spikes but for some reason, it didn't feel hostile in the slightest.

I looked around and noticed Konkeo sitting on the bench opposite to where I was sitting, was I so exhausted that I didn't notice her? Well, she certainly noticed the pancakes in my hand. In fact, she was staring holes into the pancakes in my hand. I could even see a little drool on the corner of her mouth.

Wanting to test if what I thought was true I slowly moved my pancake to the right and as expected her eyes followed it. I could see the primal hunger dwelling in her eyes.

She yearned for my pancakes. Like a starving man who found a plate of juicy steak in the desolate desert. She held her own bento yet refused to spare it even a single glance, as if the food held in her hands had lost all color in the presence of the pancake in my hand.

The gall, this thieving cat dared covet my prized pancakes. One of the things I put the most effort into in a day yet this shameless feline dared covet this meal I held within the palms of my hand.

I could see the light in her eyes dim whenever I brought the delicious and sweet morsel to my own mouth. As if the consumption of my own food was a betrayal to her. And the moment I lower it away from my mouth the dimmed light in her eyes regain their vigor, as if a lost hope had been regained.

But this scheming feline had underestimated the length I would go to savour my meal as I took a bite out of my pancakes and ignored her. After finishing my first pancake I brought out another one from my shadow and the despairing eyes of Koneko had changed to ones that held conviction and determination.

As I moved onto my third pancake she had moved within a meter of my being. I narrowed my eyes and raised an eyebrow at the petite girl that had invaded my personal space as I feasted. I could see the unrestrained desire contained within her gaze. The endearing sight nearly even shook my steel heart.

It seems like I am the first one to crack in this once-silent war.

"What do you want?" Koneko seemingly snapped out of the trance she was once in and pointed to the pancake in my hands.

"...Do you have any more?" Though her eyes held conviction her words wavered. As if lacking confidence against the formidable foe I was.

"I do." I replied nonchalantly as if unaware of the machinations of the charmingly cute girl in front of me.

"...Share? Please?" She had presented her weak appeal to me. As if such a weak demand could get me to budge. She hadn't even attempted to utilize her charm with that. As if I was one of the idolizers, willing to part with any of my food items upon a single request.

"Why should I? Don't you have your own food?" Hearing my words her eyes shook, as if this declaration of mine had struck her like thunder. Yet the previous determination shown wasnt fake as she made her appeal once more.

[+5 Obedience with Koneko Toujou]

"Please?" Said, getting close to me, her eyes sparkling, her expression becoming a cuter one. One a cat would make if it were to plead for food. Such an earnest plea from such a cute girl managed to shake even the impenetrable icy fortress of my soul. Yet she would not win without an offer.

My pragmatism triumphs over my empathy once more as I manage to deflect the advance of Koneko.

"No." Yet she seemed undeterred this time. Having already made up her mind to utilize the charms she has.

"Please?" I could almost see the positive energy she was emitting with her gestures. It was as if the chakra of the world resonated with her pure and simple desire to partake in the consumption of my pancake. Fine, I shall be magnanimous this once and grant her an opportunity.

"...Fine, I will allow you to eat my famed pancakes. But, in exchange you have to allow me to pet you freely." In the end, I was willing to compromise. For affection, I was willing to park with pancakes.

"...Okay, but no ecchi." I nodded and her aura turned far more as I handed her one of my pancakes and she, albeit hesitantly sat in front of me between my legs with her petite back turned toward me.

"*munch* *munch*" I could visibly see the enjoyment she derived from my pancakes, eating them slowly and savoring them before I placed my hand on her head. She froze for 0.0000000001 seconds before resuming enjoying her food while I stroked her hair, the immense softness like the fur of a cat belonging to the highest order drew my hand in.

I felt spiritually complete as I stroked her head. I also felt how much she enjoyed the contact between my hand and her head as she unknowingly leaned into my touch. I enjoyed immense softness while she enjoyed the pancakes I supplied her.

She held her hands like a beggar whenever she ran out of pancakes and I would accept and hand her the pancake stored in my inventory. As she was consuming and I was enjoying she suddenly spoke almost bashfully underneath her stoic exterior.

"...You really are gentle Akira-senpai."

[+30 Affection with Koneko Toujou]

"Hah, if only you knew."

At least I enjoyed this moment of peace and softness.

!If you liked this chapter then throw some rocks here!

A/N: If you liked the chapter then feel free to comment. I am always open to suggestions on how I can improve my stories, and I also like reading your comments and engaging with you guys, it gives me motivation.

If you have any suggestions feel free to tell me.

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