Chapter 317: The Nonaka Sisters
The evolution from Weapon Apprentice to Weapon Master was thanks to Kiba Yuuki.
So-called Holy Swords and Demon Swords often had peculiar forms—not only were their shapes unusual, but they also possessed unique abilities. Some could hardly even be considered swords.
The Holy Sword and Demon Sword creation she mastered essentially allowed her to use all kinds of strange weapons.
This talent naturally integrated with Weapon Apprentice, elevating it to Weapon Master, instantly boosting Haruto's proficiency with various weapons by a significant margin.
"Hmm, still missing a barrier-type talent."
Haruto stroked his chin. "It seems Miss Grayfia is quite skilled with barriers. During the Three Factions Summit, she was in charge of related matters, and she was even the one who finally analyzed the sealed space..."
After pondering for a while, he ultimately suppressed this thought.
Sirzechs was unfathomable to him—both in terms of intentions and strength.
It wasn't worth risking for an uncertain talent, and proactively poaching others wasn't Haruto's style.
But if the silver-haired beauty took the initiative herself, then that would be...
In the last two days of summer vacation, Haruto had originally planned to give Xuelan and Isabela preliminary treatment, as it had already been delayed for a long time.
But Ravel expressed her hope to wait until she made a breakthrough so the three of them could dual cultivate with Haruto together.
The golden-haired drill-haired demon young lady stated this matter-of-factly—among nobles, it was normal for maids and their mistress to serve the master together, especially since Xuelan and Isabela were already going to dual cultivate with Haruto.
Sometimes, when the mistress was unwell, the maids would even be responsible for addressing the master's physiological needs.
This was somewhat similar to the "companion maid" of ancient Chinese noble families.
Naturally, Xuelan and Isabela had no objections, so the matter was temporarily set aside.
Early September marked the beginning of the second semester at Kuoh Academy.
Although summer vacation had ended, the weather hadn't cooled down yet, and the JK girls' attire remained refreshingly light.
In Class 2-A, Haruto sat at his desk chatting idly with Toujou Basara.
Even though it was just the start of the school year, because Kiba Yuuto had become Kiba Yuuki, he rarely had to spend time dealing with the girls in his class.
Aside from the members of the Occult Research Club, the Naruse sisters who also lived in the mansion had long known about this matter.
Toujou Basara had naturally learned about it from his cousin as well, so he didn't pay much attention to it either.
"Hey, Haruto, can your body handle it?"
Toujou Basara turned halfway, resting an arm on Haruto's desk, teasing him. "Mio and Maria told me you haven't taken a single day off."
Haruto glanced sideways at him. "What? Jealous?"
"A little," Toujou Basara admitted frankly. "But I don't plan on getting a girlfriend until I rescue my mother."
After learning about his origins and with enemies lurking in the shadows, Toujou Basara no longer avoided facing reality.
He had been actively training during this period, striving to overcome his inner struggles.
True to his status as the chosen one of mixed heritage from four races, Toujou Basara's strength improved rapidly once he got serious.
Currently, in terms of combat power alone, he had already reached SS-Class. Combined with his ability of Dimensionless Execution, he could even hold his own against a subpar Satan-Class like Kokabiel.
However, this level of combat power still fell short of dealing with Zolgear, let alone rescuing his Celestial mother, Eyafjalla.
Ding ling ling—
The class bell rang, and the female students gathered around Kiba Yuuki returned to their seats.
After a brief commotion, the classroom quieted down.
But this tranquility lasted only a moment. When Kalawarna entered the classroom with two youthful and beautiful girls, an inevitable stir erupted.
Among them, Haruto and Toujou Basara reacted the most noticeably, though both managed to restrain themselves well.
On the podium, the tall, sky-blue-haired girl with short hair bowed slightly with a somewhat aloof demeanor. "I am Nonaka Yuki. I look forward to your guidance in the time to come."
"I am Nonaka Kurumi. Please take care of me from now on."
The other girl, slightly smaller in stature with a light purple ponytail, was more lively. However, as she spoke, her gaze repeatedly drifted, intentionally or not, toward Haruto's direction.
"Hey, from your names, are you sisters?"
In the class, a naturally curious and outgoing girl couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked outright.
"Yes, Kurumi is my younger sister."
"Eh? If that's the case, why do you have different hair colors, and why are you in the same grade?"
Nonaka Yuki's eyes remained cold as she casually offered a few excuses to brush off the question.
They weren't here to attend school or make friends; they were here to complete their village's mission.
Kalawarna didn't rush to start the lesson, allowing over ten minutes for everyone to get acquainted with the new students. Then, she pointed to the empty spot to the right of Haruto. "For now, please sit there."
"Uesugi and Tōjō, go to the empty classroom and bring two sets of desks and chairs."
"Yes." ×2
Haruto stood up and suddenly noticed Toujou Basara's grave and serious expression.
Huh? Shouldn't he be happier to see his childhood friend?
Puzzled, he shifted his attention to the Nonaka sisters and realized that something seemed off.
Toujou Basara sat in front of Haruto. Initially, Haruto had assumed the sisters' gazes were focused on Toujou Basara.
But as he moved, he realized their attention seemed to be consistently directed at him.
At the same time, Toujou Basara also noticed this. Relieved, he grew curious about why Haruto had attracted the attention of the Brave Clan.
Once the desks and chairs were set up, Haruto returned to his seat, receiving a cool "thank you" from Yuki and a charming one from Kurumi.
As he sat down, his eyes met Toujou Basara's, and they exchanged a tacit nod.
It didn't matter if they didn't know the Nonaka sisters' motives; the two of them could share information first.
Haruto wondered why the relationship between the Nonaka sisters and Toujou Basara differed from his memories, while Toujou Basara was curious about why the Brave Clan had suddenly appeared.
Enjoying the breeze from the window, Haruto spent a pleasant morning.
Throughout, he and Toujou Basara kept observing the Nonaka sisters, while the pretty and adorable Brave sisters, while dealing with enthusiastic classmates, always found opportunities to observe Haruto.
"Basara, let's go. It's the first day of school—let's have lunch together."
"Sure, I didn't bring a bento today, so I'm heading to the cafeteria. How about you?"
"I didn't bring one either. Let's go together."
Lunch break began, and Haruto left the classroom together with Toujou Basara.
Seeing this, the girls who had wanted to pester Haruto to spend lunch break together had no choice but to give up.
The Nonaka sisters exchanged a glance and were about to follow when Kiba Yuuki and Asia, along with the other girls, blocked their path.
"Nonaka-san, our club president would like to see you."
"Rias Gremory?" Nonaka Yuki's voice remained cold and detached as spiritual power slowly circulated within her, causing the beautiful sky-blue strands of hair on her forehead to flutter without any wind.
"Sorry, we have more important matters right now."
"Don't misunderstand." Kiba Yuuki smiled faintly, her platinum-blonde hair similarly swaying and dancing as magical power—no less potent—gradually manifested.
The clash of auras suddenly stirred up a gust of wind in the classroom. Since there were no ordinary people in Class 2-A, the girls remaining in the room sensed something amiss and promptly stepped back.
Just as Nonaka Kurumi thought about helping, she found a familiar figure standing before her—the white-haired loli who had helped her move desks and chairs not long ago.
She had wondered back then why such a delicate-looking loli was tasked with moving furniture, but now, facing Koneko's formidable aura head-on, she understood the reason.
Nonaka Kurumi was a mage. At this close range, against Koneko, who excelled in close combat, even if their strengths were comparable, she stood almost no chance—let alone when she was actually weaker.
After a brief standoff, with the addition of Mittelt and others, Nonaka Yuki ultimately chose to compromise.
The fluctuations of spiritual and magical power subsided. Kiba Yuuki's gentle and beautiful smile remained unchanged as she stepped aside to clear a path.
"Please follow me."
The Nonaka sisters said nothing and silently followed behind.
After the girls left, the other girls in the classroom began to chatter but soon selectively forgot about the incident.
Reina and the others weren't foolish; they knew what should and shouldn't be said.
While the Nonaka sisters were summoned by Rias, Haruto and Toujou Basara had already ordered their lunch in the cafeteria and were chatting as they ate.
Haruto rarely ate at Kuoh Academy, but every time he did, he found the food quite tasty.
As expected of a private academy managed by the Gremory family, the cafeteria meals weren't much worse than those at small restaurants outside.