Chapter 300: Subjugation & Holy Sword
The hentai heroines completely conquered by Haruto were ready-made candidates for training as Valkyries. However, turning them into a powerful Valkyrie guard like the legends would require strength far beyond his current level.
Even if they couldn't reach the level of natural-born gods, they would at least need Dragon God Class strength.
The mechanical angels cultivated by the Ten Great Gods could reach Satan-Class strength, but they clearly had many flaws.
For the Red Dragon Emperor to be revived, Haruto needed to reach the Dragon God Class. No matter how weak the Valkyrie guard might be, they were still god-tier.
Helping the hentai heroines, who lacked innate talent, break their limits and reach god-tier was no easier than reviving the Red Dragon Emperor.
Putting aside such distant thoughts for now, Haruto quickly cast these notions aside and focused on enhancing his own strength along with that of the Occult Research Club girls.
By day, he engaged in dual cultivation; by night, he joined Rias and the others to hunt down Stray Devils.
Ever since dual cultivation became an option, aside from Yuuto, no devils bothered with distributing flyers or taking on contracts with ordinary humans to boost their power. This applied not only to the Occult Research Club but even the student council.
Compared to dual cultivation, contract requests were simply thankless labor.
If not for his urgent need to break through and restore his female form sooner, Yuuto would have quit long ago.
Fortunately, the clients requesting contracts were usually charming urban office ladies. Occasionally, when intrigued, Haruto would accompany him.
Most times, Haruto merely observed, though there were moments when he found someone particularly appealing.
In such cases, Yuuto might end up losing a client.
Compared to the tangible physical comfort Haruto could provide, Yuuto's gentle care seemed to fall slightly short.
...
Thus, time swiftly reached mid-August.
On an otherwise ordinary night, the Occult Research Club members cornered an adorable, delicate long-eared elf girl in an abandoned factory.
Before Haruto could get a good look, the girl—appearing pure and pitiful under the silver moonlight—instantly enlarged.
Her endearing face twisted into something ugly and ferocious, with a grotesque appendage sprouting from her forehead that resembled both a withered branch and a twisted tentacle.
Her originally slender figure transformed into a repulsively massive insectoid body, and the curves on her chest morphed into sinister weapons.
The white-haired loli facing her off was caught off guard, her arm scalded by corrosive fluid shot from those very weapons.
"Corruption really amplifies power tenfold, while redemption weakens it threefold," Haruto quipped, watching Koneko receive treatment from Asia.
This mutated Stray Devil had previously been, at best, Middle-Class Devil level. Yet after transforming into a monster, it managed to injure the already SS-ranked white-haired loli in a single move.
While the element of surprise played a role, it still demonstrated an absurd power boost.
However, having lost its sanity, no matter how strong it became, it was doomed to destruction—especially since, compared to the Occult Research Club's strength, this Stray Devil was the weaker party.
Forcing the enlarged, hideous monster into a desolate open space behind the factory, Rias cleanly obliterated it with a burst of destruction magic, reducing it to fundamental elemental particles and skipping the purification process entirely.
"President, why does it feel like it's always the beautiful girls who mutate into monsters?" Haruto asked, gazing at the dissipating magical particles in the sky.
Having participated in numerous Stray Devil subjugation missions lately (excluding youkai), he noticed that not all devils who defected from their masters lost their sanity and mutated.
Many retained their reason and human forms, like the spiky-haired devil he'd previously arrested, who combined alchemy with biotechnology.
Or Koneko's sister, a reincarnated devil also possessing nekomata bloodline.
Though they hadn't formally met, Haruto had a strong impression of Kuroka in his mind.
If the butterfly's wings hadn't caused any effect, this busty catgirl would have become the Familiar of the battle maniac Vali Lucifer in the future.
It was precisely because she became the Familiar of this generation's White Dragon Emperor that her act of killing her master and defecting was overlooked, even "clearing her name of injustice."
Had she not pledged allegiance to the White Dragon Emperor, no matter how wrong her master had been, the act of killing one's master would never have been forgiven by the demons.
"Because such demons usually flee their masters only to satisfy their own desires, becoming disloyal troublemakers."
"Only stray demons who have lost all their sanity end up like this."
It wasn't Rias who answered Haruto, but Akeno, who was responsible for deploying the barrier.
Her pure white shrine maiden attire changed into casual clothes as she released her combat form, saying, "Such beings can hardly be called demons anymore. No wonder the higher-ups issued an emergency extermination order."
Akeno's explanation was somewhat vague, but Haruto still understood.
To put it bluntly, these pretty and cute girls had weak mental fortitude, making them prone to corruption.
On the other hand, stray demons like the spiky-haired one, who looked strange but had firm convictions, wouldn't lose their sanity and thus wouldn't corrupt.
These demons would be sent back to the Underworld, while those who mutated into monsters would be eliminated on the spot.
This was probably the only side effect of being reborn as a demon through Evil Pieces. After all, it meant changing one's race. Though it was magical, having side effects was only natural.
After the extermination was over and one of his doubts was resolved, Haruto was about to return to continue his training when Yuuto suddenly approached him and whispered, "Haruto-kun, could you come with me for a moment?"
Haruto hesitated. He didn't want to be alone with the handsome version of Kiba, but considering how distracted Yuuto had seemed these past few days, he ultimately agreed.
Rias and the others exchanged glances, then teleported away first, leaving space for Yuuto and Haruto.
After returning to the mansion, they gathered in the room of the blonde little nun, Asia.
Rias crossed her beautiful legs, resting her chin on one hand. "Akeno, Yuuto probably wants to talk to Haruto about the Holy Sword, right?"
"Most likely. It seems he recently obtained some clues about the incident from someone named Issei Hyoudou."
Akeno tapped her cheek with her index finger, thinking for a moment before adding, "And without Haruto's help, Yuuto's strength is indeed too difficult to improve."
Due to the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, Issei Hyoudou had interacted with the Occult Research Club multiple times, and the girls had some impression of him, though not a strong one—probably not as memorable as the trio of perverts, but they remembered his name.
"Asia is about to break through to A-rank. Once she does and starts dual cultivation, she'll likely catch up to us very quickly..."
Yuuma paused before continuing, "Then Yuuto would truly be the only one left behind."
Asia had excellent magical talent. Once she broke through to A-rank and completed her first life transformation, paired with Haruto's dual cultivation, her improvement speed would be absolutely absurd, faster than a rocket.
It was just her nature that made her focus all her talent on healing; otherwise, she would undoubtedly be a artillery-type mage on par with Akeno.
However, having a fully stocked healer would greatly enhance the entire team's combat effectiveness.
Rias gently stroked Asia's smooth golden hair and sighed, "I understand, but the Holy Sword is too dangerous."
The little blonde nun felt both praised and head-patted, her heart filled with shyness, yet ultimately curiosity prevailed.
"President, what is the Holy Sword?"
"The Holy Sword, also known as the Sword of Kings," Rias explained. "It is the most terrifying weapon for demons. Merely touching it can injure a demon's body, and if struck by it, they might be completely eradicated."
Seeing the tense expression on the little blonde nun's face, Rias concluded: "That's right, the Holy Sword can destroy demons."
"Such a terrifying weapon..."
The blonde little nun clasped her hands together, habitually beginning to pray, but as a sharp pain shot through her mind, she remembered she was now a demon and couldn't pray to gods anymore.
Haruto didn't help Asia obtain prayer privileges from Michael. Rather than praying to non-existent gods, he thought the blonde little nun would be better off praying to him instead.
On the other side, Yuuto Kiba said something similar to Haruto, but with some additional explanations.