In a building near the academy, what used to be the old school building was now the base of the Occult Research Club.
Of course, the reason behind this was its president: Rias Gremory. Younger sister of one of the Four Maous of the Underworld, her family practically owned the city and the school—actually, not just practically, they did. So taking over an entire building for the club room hadn't exactly been difficult.
Inside, four people were gathered.
Rias Gremory, the president, had piercing sky-blue eyes and long blood-red hair that flowed down her back. Her figure was simply stunning, with proportions that defied the laws of physics and a uniform that struggled to contain them. Yet, her bearing and presence radiated nobility, not lust.
Next to her was Akeno Himejima, with black hair tied in a high ponytail and violet eyes. In contrast to Rias's natural aura of nobility, Akeno exuded a refined elegance—like a graceful, slightly mischievous older sister—which matched her playful personality. Her figure, even more striking than Rias's, only emphasized that impression.
On the sofa in the center of the room sat Yuuto Kiba. With blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and a calm smile, he was tall, handsome, and kind. He had earned the title of "prince of the school" just a few days after enrolling last year.
In front of him, a petite girl was eating snacks, completely ignoring the atmosphere.
The girl looked up when she heard a voice.
"Koneko, today was your first day of school. How was it?" Rias asked.
"It was fine," Koneko replied, offering no further details.
The rest of the group was slightly surprised by her response. While it seemed normal, it was completely unexpected from Koneko, who only cared about her games and snacks.
"Ara, now that's unexpected. Did something interesting happen? Did you make any friends?" Akeno asked curiously.
Koneko nodded slowly.
"I made a friend."
That response shocked the group even more. Though Koneko didn't avoid contact, it was rare for her to form bonds outside their circle.
"Oh? Who is it? What are they like?" Akeno pressed, clearly interested.
"Kaito. He likes video games."
Rias turned her gaze to her Queen.
"Kaito?"
Akeno walked over to a nearby shelf, pulled out some files, and began searching.
"Takayama Kaito. Orphan. Completely normal human. Exercises daily, so his physical condition is above average," she read after finding his file.
"No supernatural connections?" Rias asked, concerned. Though happy for Koneko, she had to make sure the boy wasn't getting close with hidden intentions.
"He's human. Completely normal," Koneko interjected, understanding their concerns.
The rest nodded. Among them, Koneko had the sharpest senses thanks to her Nekoshou lineage, so if she said so, it had to be true.
"Well, I'm glad you made a friend."
Koneko simply nodded and went back to focusing on her snacks.
At that very moment, Kaito, who was in his apartment, received a system notification.
[Based on your interactions, your enemy has been determined.]
[Mission: Survive Sirzechs Lucifer.]
[Current survival time: 00:00:03]
Kaito smiled.
It was exactly the result he wanted.
The next day, Kaito arrived at his seat, sat down, and rested his head on the desk, waiting for the teacher to arrive. However, his peace was interrupted by a small group of classmates who came over to surround him.
"Takayama, how do you know Tojou?"
"Did you know her before?"
"Are you just friends or...?"
Kaito blinked, puzzled. Koneko was sitting right behind them—why didn't they just ask her directly?
As if reading his mind, one of the girls spoke:
"Well... we did ask her, but her answers are kind of... short."
Ah, that makes sense.
"We just met yesterday and became friends," Kaito answered with a smile. While he wasn't looking to form a group, he didn't plan to isolate himself either.
The group kept asking questions for a while, but after getting nothing useful about how to get close to Koneko, they eventually returned to their seats.
Shortly after, the teacher entered the classroom and everyone quieted down.
"Good morning. Today I'll hand back the tests from yesterday," she announced, then looked at Kaito. "Congratulations to Takayama for placing first in the class and fourth in the entire grade."
The room went silent for a moment. No one expected it. Kaito seemed uninterested and had just played video games during class, so his high score made quite the impression.
In Japan, good grades are highly respected, so Kaito's image improved considerably.
This scene repeated itself in the other classes throughout the day, solidifying his position as the smart guy.
And so, Kaito fell into a daily routine.
Go to class, play games without paying much attention, have lunch with Koneko, and repeat the same in the afternoon.
Three days passed. Friday came, and that day something different happened.
"Trade?" Kaito asked curiously as he looked at the white-haired girl in front of him.
Koneko nodded.
Kaito shook his head.
"Sorry, but I like my bento. Though, if you want, I can make one for you another day."
Koneko's expression changed slightly. There was no disappointment this time—just surprise... and a bit of expectation.
"You cook it yourself?"
"Of course I do," Kaito replied with a smile.
Though those skills were granted by the system, he'd grown fond of cooking. Now, he genuinely enjoyed it.
Koneko stepped a bit closer.
"When?"
"When...? Oh, whenever you want. I don't really have plans anyway."
Koneko nodded and sat down to eat calmly.
They both finished lunch and, as usual, played on their consoles for a bit.
After class ended, Kaito stretched at his desk. Sitting hunched all day was tiring too.
But this time, when he stood up, he wasn't alone.
"Need something?" he asked, seeing Koneko standing beside him.
"You promised to cook for me," she said with total seriousness.
Kaito blinked, surprised.
"You mean right now?"
Koneko nodded.
"But I don't have anywhere to—"
"It's fine. I know a place," she interrupted, determined.
Kaito shrugged. He didn't have anything to do anyway, and getting closer to Rias Gremory's inner circle was part of his goal.
Under the curious gaze of their classmates, the two of them left together.
The place they arrived at was, unsurprisingly, the Occult Research Club building. An entire building, with all possible comforts... including a luxury kitchen.
"Are you sure I can come in here?"
"It's my club room. I already talked to them."
"This is just a club?" Kaito asked, pretending to be surprised.
Koneko gave him a brief explanation about the club, omitting anything supernatural.
Kaito, though he already knew all of it, nodded as if he were hearing it for the first time.
Soon they reached the main room, where the other club members were. But Koneko didn't introduce him. Instead, she led him straight to the kitchen.
"Shouldn't I greet your clubmates?"
"This is more important. You can meet them later."
Kaito didn't think much of it and followed her. What he saw impressed him: a luxury kitchen, worthy of a mansion, fully equipped and stocked.
Even with maxed-out skills, he had never been able to cook something truly exquisite. The reason was simple: he lacked the ingredients and proper tools.
But that was about to change.
Ignoring Koneko's presence completely, Kaito walked over to the fridge and examined its contents.
He could've made something complex, but decided to start with something simple: fried rice. That way, he could accurately compare it to his usual cooking.
He grabbed some vegetables. With speed and precision bordering on inhuman, he peeled and chopped them into perfectly uniform pieces.
Then he placed a pan on the stove, added oil, and tossed in the vegetables.
A delicious aroma began to fill the room.
Standing behind him, Koneko swallowed hard as she caught the scent.