Chapter 318: Past & Purpose
"Mmm, the pork cutlet today is good."
Haruto picked up a piece of golden, crispy fried pork cutlet and asked, "Basara, do you want a piece?"
"Thanks."
Sitting across from him, Toujou Basara politely accepted it and said, "Haruto, do you want to try the salmon? It's very fresh, thinly sliced, and has a great texture."
Glancing at the red, tender slices of fish, Haruto shook his head. "No, I'll pass."
"Would you have accepted if it were a girl offering instead?"
Toujou Basara rarely cracked a joke.
Unfortunately, Haruto genuinely didn't like foods like salmon.
Among Japanese cuisine, his favorites were various fried dishes, such as tempura, pork cutlet, fried shrimp, and so on.
What he couldn't stand the most were all kinds of raw seafood, especially sashimi.
Even among authentic Japanese people, there were those who disliked raw foods like sashimi, so after Haruto briefly explained, Toujou Basara didn't press further.
The two had a good relationship, but they rarely ate together, mainly because Haruto didn't have much time.
However, occasionally chatting over a meal with a same-sex friend did bring a different kind of joy.
At the very least, they could speak without reservations and didn't have to constantly worry about whether someone was being neglected.
Haruto scooped up a mouthful of soft, white rice, took a small bite of crispy fried pork cutlet, and while chewing slowly, asked, "Basara, do you know the Nonaka sisters who transferred to our school today?"
Toujou Basara ate more heartily, swallowing the food in his mouth before replying, "Yeah, back in the Hero Clan village, we were part of the same group of children training together."
"So they're your childhood friends, and sisters at that."
"Childhood friends... I guess you could say that."
Toujou Basara sighed, reminiscing, "I only lived in the Hero Clan village for a little over a year. After an incident, we lost contact completely."
"What incident?" Haruto's eyes lit up, though he tried to maintain a casual demeanor.
Toujou Basara hesitated for a moment, but then thought about how he had already shared more important matters with Haruto regarding his father and the two cousins. This didn't seem like something he needed to keep secret.
After a moment's thought, he said, "The Hero Clan uses spiritual power, but under normal circumstances, it's not enough to defeat demons. So, they need to use Sacred Gears in conjunction with it."
"Sacred Gears?" Haruto paused, as if recalling something. "Like the Brynhildr you wield?"
"Yeah."
Haruto: "..."
He rolled his eyes. "Why not just say Sacred Gear from the start?"
"Sorry, force of habit." Toujou Basara scratched the back of his head and smiled apologetically.
Back when Haruto first got to know the Toujou father and son, he had already learned about the Hero Clan.
He had particularly inquired in detail about the Brynhildr that Toujou Basara wielded.
He then discovered that the Hero Clan's ability to summon weapons at will and instantly equip armor for battle was due to their mastery of Sacred Gears and their Balance Breaker modes.
However, the Hero Clan's Sacred Gears were all inherited. Once recognized, they could be used.
After the user's death, the Sacred Gear wouldn't randomly choose a new host but would be retrieved by the Hero Clan.
As for being seized by enemies...
Even if taken, others couldn't use them, and the Hero Clan could exchange other items to get them back.
Haruto continued eating while listening to Toujou Basara's story.
The so-called incident was similar to what Haruto remembered, though the outcome had changed slightly.
The S-class spirit "Evil Spirit," long sealed by the Hero Clan village, was released and launched a fierce attack on the village.
At the time, Toujou Jin was not in the village, and the other heroes fought desperately.
Originally, they should have been forced into retreat, with the tragedy spiraling out of control. Basara watched as the casualties in the village increased, and the friends and family around him fell one by one.
Until he witnessed an Evil Spirit charging toward his childhood friend Yuki. At that moment, his mental state reached its limit, and suddenly, "No Dimension Execution" went out of control.
In the end, he saved Yuki and the entire village, and was later chosen by the Demon Sword "Brynhildr." However, he was also met with disdainful looks from his clansmen.
The clan believed Basara's ability was too dangerous. He was first imprisoned and eventually expelled from the village along with Jin.
That was how it was supposed to be, but in reality, the S-class Evil Spirit was held back. The Hero Clan village suffered casualties and losses, but they were not significant.
Toujou Basara also participated in the battle using Dimensionless Execution. Although he made contributions, the fight exposed the danger of his incomplete mastery over his abilities.
After obtaining Brynhildr, his power grew increasingly stronger. Fearing he might lose control, the Brave Village had Toujou Jin take him away.
After hearing this, Haruto found it much more reasonable than what he remembered.
An S-class magical creature nearly wiping out the Brave Village? Wouldn't that mean aside from Toujou Jin, all other Braves were useless...
If the Brave Village only had this level of strength, they wouldn't be able to make any impact in this world at all.
"Then you must know those two sisters too. Why didn't you greet them?"
Toujou Basara finished the remaining food in one go, took a drink of water, and continued: "I do know them, but we're not close. Moreover, I suspect they were sent by the village on a mission."
"Until their purpose is confirmed, I don't want to have much contact with them."
Haruto glanced at Toujou Basara, then lowered his head and silently continued eating.
Toujou Basara seemed to sense what he was thinking and proactively said: "Don't worry about me. I'm really not close with them - we're not even ordinary friends."
Haruto nodded without speaking, continuing to eat his lunch at a leisurely pace.
It wasn't that he didn't want to eat faster, but after many meals with the girls, he had developed the habit of taking small, slow bites.
"But I don't think the Nonaka sisters will be easy to win over."
Having finished his meal and feeling bored while waiting, Toujou Basara whispered: "If you're serious, I suggest starting with Kurumi. That girl acts tsundere, but she's actually much easier to get along with than the cold Yuki."
Haruto did have some thoughts about the Nonaka sisters.
No particular reason—they simply matched his aesthetic preferences and tastes perfectly, and he was still short on Familiars.
However, he didn't quite agree with Toujou Basara's advice.
What does a mere virgin know about teaching him how to pick up girls?
Hah, ridiculous.
Whether it was Nonaka Yuki or Nonaka Kurumi, both were simple girls who grew up in a mountain village. Especially Nonaka Yuki—though she appeared cold, she actually had yandere potential.
If it were about dating, Haruto's reputation might make it difficult, but when it came to mere conquest, there were plenty of methods.
Now, let's turn to another scene.
While Haruto and Toujou Basara were chatting in the cafeteria, Rias was also having a conversation with the Nonaka sisters.
"What business does the Hero Clan have arriving so suddenly?"
Rias sat behind her desk, leaning lazily against her chair as she looked at the Nonaka sisters before her.
Nonaka Yuki replied: "We're here to monitor all of you, particularly that special Familiar of yours with the dual cultivation ability."
Rias's eyebrow twitched slightly. "As far as I recall, we haven't violated any agreements."
Nonaka Kurumi gazed enviously at the magnificent curves of Rias's chest, but still spoke seriously: "However, the power gathered here has exceeded the danger threshold and could potentially cause irreparable damage to the human world at any time."
Many factions had territories and forces in the human world, but these powers were subject to restrictions.
Otherwise, if conflicts broke out, it could easily lead to uncontrollable, serious incidents.
Due to Haruto's dual cultivation ability, the members of the Occult Research Club had all reached an average SS-class power level. Combined with the Naruse sisters, Toujou Basara, and recently Yubelluna who became Ravel's Familiar, among others...
This level of power couldn't be underestimated anywhere. Even the Hero Clan branch in Japan—the village—wasn't this powerful.
Especially after news of Kokabiel's death spread, it was only natural for the Hero village to become restless.
Nonaka Yuki added calmly: "If you were to violate the agreement, we wouldn't be here for monitoring, but for investigation."
Akeno flipped through the documents and files in her hand. "But we haven't received any notifications."
"This was a temporary decision by the village. The relevant procedures will follow later."
Although Kuoh Academy was property of the Gremory family, being located in the human world meant they inevitably had to deal with both the Hero Clan and official authorities.
The Nonaka sisters' transfer had not been communicated to Rias in advance.
Or rather, before their arrival, the relevant personnel had thought they were just two ordinary transfer students.
Slender jade-like fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as Rias pondered for a moment before saying: "That's understandable, but regarding monitoring, it must wait until official documents are issued."
Nonaka Yuki responded: "Understood. I'll urge the village to expedite matters."
With both sides making concessions, they reached a preliminary agreement.