Zeroy had already told Shirone the whole story. Now that she had dragged the defeated Kuroka before her, clearing up the misunderstanding was simple.
And with Rias watching from the side—Rias was reliable, after all—Zeroy didn't bother overseeing their reconciliation.
While the sisters talked, she turned away to find Vali and the others.
First, she treated their injuries, then woke Vali up, and finally gave him a burn.
As compensation for the random beating they had suffered, Zeroy also bought some recovery potions from the system shop for them.
The effect couldn't compare to this world's supreme healing treasure, the Tears of the Phoenix, but for the people here, they were quite decent items. After all, this world's power system lacked proper healing methods.
Judging by their reactions, they accepted the compensation.
When Zeroy returned to Kuroka and Shirone, the sisters had just about finished talking.
"Thank you, Lady Zeroy!"
Shirone immediately pulled Kuroka in front of Zeroy.
"I also… thank you for your help. Otherwise, I never would have realized how much the past had hurt Shirone…"
Kuroka's gratitude was sincere, her face still filled with guilt toward Shirone.
As for Zeroy beating her up earlier and burning her with hellfire, she didn't mind anymore.
If anything, she thought she deserved it completely, that she ought to be burned, and even wished she could be hit a few more times—
Uh… on second thought, maybe not…
Remembering the agony of the hellfire, Kuroka shrank back after all.
That pain was unbearable. Through all her years of fleeing and fighting, she had suffered every kind of wound; once, bone spurs had pierced through her skin and jutted out.
Still, even then, she had never endured anything like the pain of hellfire. That was utterly intolerable.
"As long as the misunderstanding is cleared, that's enough."
Zeroy stroked Shirone's little head, unable to resist rubbing her cat ears a bit.
It was a little sudden, yet… when the little head leaned in so close, wasn't that basically asking to be petted?
"What are your plans now, Kuroka? My suggestion is that you leave the Khaos Brigade, because sooner or later, I'll strangle every last one of them."
Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils who had betrayed their factions all gathered together—that was the Khaos Brigade.
They sought a world of their own, a new Earth ruled by themselves, and to that end, they caused trouble everywhere, sowing conflict and discord.
The word 'Khaos' described their nature perfectly.
They were bringers of disaster.
In other words, a bunch of terrorists opposing order.
The vast majority of them were indeed genuine vermin, committing every evil, doing whatever they pleased, and using any means.
Zeroy longed to kill them all.
"Uh… since you put it that way, I'll just leave the Khaos Brigade."
Kuroka had no attachment to the Khaos Brigade.
She never shared their ideology in the first place. She had only joined because she needed a safe harbor. For a stray cat, wandering alone outside carried too much risk.
"In fact, I wasn't planning on returning anytime soon anyway. Shirone's issues haven't been fully resolved yet. As her sister, I need to guide her…"
...
The next day—
Zeroy and Patchouli were invited to Rias's manor in Kuoh Town.
As they sat down, Akeno Himejima served tea, while Shirone sat right beside Zeroy.
"Lady Zeroy… would you… like to pet me?"
She asked bravely, her expression calm and cold, but her face tinted with a shy blush.
She wanted Zeroy to pet her head. Though it had only happened twice, she already liked it.
Maybe it was because Zeroy had helped her reconcile with her sister, although she now found herself drawn to Zeroy's presence.
And Zeroy seemed to enjoy petting her, too—like stroking a cat.
So Shirone summoned the courage to ask. It was both a request and an expression of gratitude.
"Sure."
Seeing Shirone reveal her cat ears, Zeroy instantly understood what she meant.
There was no reason to refuse. White hair, emotionless expression, loli, kitten, actively asking to be stroked—who could resist?
Zeroy immediately reached out to pet her. As she continued, Shirone gradually melted like a kitten cuddling up to its owner. Her body softened, and she lay fully across Zeroy's lap.
She closed her eyes in bliss, occasionally rubbing her cheek against Zeroy.
When Kuroka saw her sister like this, she quickly joined in.
She hadn't gone home with Zeroy yesterday.
After all, Zeroy hadn't invited her, and she still had a lot to teach Shirone.
When their parents had died, Shirone had been too young. By the time Kuroka became a stray devil and left, she hadn't had the chance to teach her much about being a Nekoshō.
And because of Kuroka, Shirone had grown resentful of her heritage, never making the effort to learn.
As a result, Shirone knew very little about Nekoshō matters.
Racial traits, habits, talents, precautions—Shirone was ignorant of them all.
For example, underage Nekoshō cannot mate. Even if they enter heat, they must endure it or resolve it in other ways—anything except mating. Pregnancy at that stage is extremely dangerous for both mother and child.
If Kuroka didn't teach her, Shirone would never know.
There was also senjutsu, the natural ability of the Nekoshō. Shirone didn't even know how to practice it.
So Kuroka had to stay with her.
That said, she hadn't become Rias's devil servant.
Rias's family background was strong, yes, but Rias herself simply wasn't powerful enough yet.
Kuroka didn't believe she could protect them. That was why, even knowing Shirone had become Rias's servant, she still wanted to take her away.
In her view, following Zeroy was the obvious choice.
So when Zeroy appeared, she wanted to get closer to her.
With her personality, normally, she would have been the first to snuggle up to Zeroy, with Shirone joining in afterward.
Albeit after the beating and the torment of the hellfire, she still carried some psychological scars, even if she no longer minded.
In short, she didn't dare be too cheeky around Zeroy.
Now, seeing her sister take the initiative and Zeroy not only allowing it, though clearly enjoying it, Kuroka finally gathered her courage and joined in too.
How about it? Want to adopt a pair of obedient kittens?
No litter box, no hissing, they'll find their own food, warm your bed, and they don't shed. What do you say, boss? Better yet—why not take both?!
...
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