Harem Hero

On Guard With Thee

Lala was finished two days later. She couldn't stop herself from working day and night on the project. When that was done – you decided it was time to acquaint yourself with Koneko a little more. You've only spent time around her during battle. It's hard to get a read on how she feels about you without speaking directly. Rias gives you permission to summon her alone.

The petite, white-haired girl looks up at you from below, "Is it my turn for you to perv on?"

"Perv?"

"Akeno, Asia and Rias have all spoken with me about their previous experiences with you. I do not understand what they see in a three-timing slug like you." You swallow. It's a good thing she doesn't know about Motoko, Chun, Venelana or Lala. This kind of casual, stone faced scorn is what you were expecting.

"You'll help me fight these invaders, right?"

Koneko turns her head away petulantly, "If the President demands it."

That isn't a 'no.'

"Rias told me that you're a little concerned about releasing your full power," you explain, "So I decided to give you a hand by having Lala build something for you."

You open the door and motion for her to follow you inside. Through an equally sturdy thick glass window is the training chamber Lala has designed for you. She really went above and beyond what you asked for; there's even a control panel that lets you summon different environments using moving pieces inside. Koneko is curious about what it's for.

"How much did she tell you?"

"Nothing more than that, but... you already know what I know."

"Everything."

You shrug, "Pretty much. I didn't want to bring it up without your permission."

Koneko closes her eyes and crosses her arms, "That's considerate of you, but I don't like that you know about that. It's meant to be my burden to carry."

"I'm not ordering you to play along with me. I'm just meddling. This chamber is made of a material you can't even get in this universe. If you want to try and unleash your full power in a safe place, this is it. There's no threat of causing any real damage."

Koneko takes offence to the mere idea of her nekomata powers being resisted by a static object; "I could easily crush this building into dust. Do you honestly think that I'll be contained by a chamber like this?"

"Lala hasn't led me wrong yet. She says you'd have to destroy the entire planet to get around these walls, but she also coated the floor in it – so that wouldn't even be enough."

Koneko steps back, "No. I won't be lured into releasing my strength so easily. You could get hurt."

You quirk your brow, "Concerned for me suddenly?"

She blushes and scowls, "No. If the President's fiancé died, she would be very upset. Rias trusts me to protect her and her peerage from harm."

"But you don't want to hold back if it means that they'll get hurt."

Koneko stops her retreat and sighs. You're right, of course. Koneko is extremely dedicated to Rias – if she asked her to master her nekomata form, she would do so through much personal distress. Rias was not so mean to ask something like that of her. Koneko wants to but is afraid of the consequences. She still believes that Kuroka is a murderer. Adding her sister to your mental list of future summons, you consider finding a way to make them reconcile. Hopefully the plot takes its natural course in the coming months and that tricky work can be left to them.

The first step to making that happen is for Koneko to stop fearing her powers.

"It's your choice. I know that this is a sensitive topic, and we don't even know each other all that well."