Feeling the biting coldness, Yuuto Kiba's expression changed. He instinctively took a large step back, distancing himself from Ethan.
Once he recovered, his tense body relaxed slightly, but his expression remained anxious.
"Akira... I'm sorry, I didn't mean that..."
Yuuto Kiba didn't want Ethan to discover his body's secret, but he didn't expect his words to provoke such a reaction from Ethan.
Since he didn't know the reason, he had no explanation to offer. After his subconscious apology, Yuuto Kiba was at a loss for words.
Rias and the others were also startled by Ethan's sudden outburst and didn't understand why Ethan was so angry.
No, it was more than just anger. The murderous intent brewing hadn't fully solidified, but it might if this continued.
It was only because it was Yuuto Kiba that they believed Ethan hadn't already gone for the kill; they were certain he would have against anyone else.
Excluding Ethan himself, Rias, who always paid close attention to him, was arguably the person who understood Ethan the best.
She withdrew her gaze from Ethan and turned toward Yuuto Kiba, the source of the incident. Seeing the golden-yellow spiky hair, something seemed to flash in her mind, but she couldn't quite articulate it.
Watching everyone's solemn expressions, Ethan slowly calmed his agitated emotions. He knew he was probably overthinking it, but when it came to this specific issue, he struggled to control himself.
"Kiba, I hope you can give me an explanation."
Ethan had always found Yuuto Kiba slightly odd, but out of respect for their companionship and because Yuuto Kiba was a genuinely good person, he had intentionally overlooked it.
But today, he absolutely had to understand Yuuto Kiba's secret; otherwise, he couldn't focus on anything else.
Yuuto Kiba stared fixedly at Ethan, then lowered his head and said nothing.
Seeing his reaction, Ethan scratched his head in frustration and turned his attention to Rias.
"President, if Kiba won't say it, then you should."
Rias looked at Yuuto Kiba and said with some difficulty, "Akira, Yuuto has his reasons..."
She paused, then hinted, "Just like your sudden burst of anger, some things are difficult to talk about."
Ethan was speechless. Rias was using his own words against him.
Yuuto Kiba had secrets, but Ethan had plenty of his own, which had led to this sudden outburst.
"Tsk..."
Ethan turned his head away, annoyed. Seeing Akeno Himejima, Yuma Amano, and the others looking at him with strange expressions, he knew he was definitely in the wrong this time.
After pondering for a moment, he made his decision.
"President, if I explain the reason, will Kiba also be honest?"
"Yuuto, is that okay? After all, everyone here is your partner. Keeping secrets is not the way."
Rias spoke gently to Yuuto Kiba. The usually sunny and cheerful school prince was now pitifully nodding like a helpless young girl.
Ethan was momentarily disgusted by this sudden thought and quickly shook his head to clear the bizarre image from his mind.
"Alright, then I'll explain..."
Ethan naturally couldn't reveal the Cuckold Template entirely, so he changed his explanation.
"As you know, my ability allows me to boost both parties' strength through SEX, and I naturally possess an aura that attracts women, especially older women..."
Once Rias and the others nodded, he continued.
"Conversely, many men feel an instant hostility towards me at first sight. They want to abuse me and steal away the women who like me. When I was still an ordinary person, I nearly died several times because of this."
This was the first time everyone had heard about Ethan's life as an ordinary person. Because he had leveled up so quickly, they had always assumed he had been in the supernatural world for a long time.
Now, with Ethan's explanation, they realized that just a year ago, he was a weak, completely ordinary boy.
Well, just a slightly handsome one.
Surveillance in Japan was limited. Rias's later investigation could only check official records. This was the first time she had learned of this aspect.
At this moment, she finally remembered what had flashed in her mind earlier.
"Akira, are you thinking that because Yuuto is male and blonde, and because of what he just said, he's been affected and wants to harm you?"
Ethan nodded expressionlessly. Taking advantage of his women and cuckolding him was harming him, so Rias's description was accurate.
"Although that influence is weaker on people with stronger power, it is definitely still there. Plus, I don't know if that effect might also grow stronger as my power increases."
Ethan had considered trying to figure out the workings of the invisible halo known as the Cuckold Template, but he truly had no way to do so.
He couldn't just grab every woman he met and ask how she felt about him, or grab every man and ask if he wanted to steal his women...
Even if he did, their answers might not reflect their true inner thoughts.
Humans... no, whether human, Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel, any sentient being basically couldn't tell the complete truth.
If he used mind magic to force out the truth, he would only be able to experiment on people far weaker than him, which wouldn't help in determining whether the halo's effect had grown stronger along with his power.
Akeno Himejima and the others exchanged glances. Even Yuuto Kiba looked at Ethan with a strange expression, though his own look was no longer so gloomy.
"Pfft..."
No one knew who started it, but the girls began covering their mouths and giggling one after another. Even Yuuto Kiba couldn't help but quietly turn his head, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Ethan was initially confused, then embarrassed and annoyed.
He feigned seriousness. "Be serious, we're talking about something important. And the largest number of guys who want to harm me are the ones with blonde hair."
Hearing his words, the girls didn't stop giggling; instead, they laughed even harder.
The clear and pleasant sound of girlish laughter echoed through the club room. Ethan maintained his tense expression for a moment before finally giving up.
He sighed helplessly. "I don't know what you're laughing at, but I probably misunderstood Kiba. If you've laughed enough, remember to explain things to me."
"Hahaha—"
At this, the girls laughed even more uninhibitedly. Mittelt was the happiest of them all, even unfolding her black wings and rolling around in the air while covering her stomach and laughing.
It wasn't until Koneko Toujou returned with a well-fed Asia, and the latter curiously asked what happened, that the girls finally stopped laughing and got back to the main topic.
Mittelt leaned in and started gossiping into the white-haired loli's ear. Ethan rolled his eyes, making a mental note.
The next time they were Dual Cultivating, he would definitely get his revenge.
After hearing the situation, even the typically emotionless Koneko Toujou couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth curl up slightly. She walked up to Ethan with a very serious look and patted him on the back with her small, fair hand.
Mhm, she was originally going to pat his shoulder, but realizing she couldn't reach even on tiptoes, she settled for patting his back.
"Akira, don't worry. Yuuto is the safest male in this world."
The white-haired loli emphasized, repeating, "The safest male!"
Ethan glared at her good-naturedly, ruffling her soft, silver-white hair into a bird's nest. While enduring the playful punches to his stomach, a bold speculation surfaced in his mind.
Considering Yuuto Kiba's various illogical behaviors, the girls' strange attitudes, and the white-haired loli's deliberate statement, no matter how incredible it seemed, he could only guess at one thing.
Ethan grabbed the little loli's powerful little fist and hugged her like a kitten.
Koneko Toujou initially resisted, but as Ethan expertly began stroking her head and smoothing her hair, the little loli gradually calmed down. Like a real cat, she closed her eyes happily in her owner's arms and began to enjoy the attention.
"President..."
Ethan asked while petting the incredibly cute Nekomata loli, "Is Kiba actually a girl? Is he currently in disguise?"
Rias knew about the existence of the Gender-Swapping Sacred Gear (Sword Birth was Yuuto's, not one that could change gender easily, but maybe something else was involved). Given the white-haired loli's words, it was reasonable for Ethan to speculate this way.
She clenched her hand and placed it in front of her mouth, coughing twice. Once the laughter in the room completely subsided, she addressed Ethan. "You are right, but also wrong."
Ethan: [?_??]
Rias didn't deliberately play games. Having already promised Ethan an explanation, she continued. "Yuuto is a girl, but her current appearance is not a disguise. It's the only body she can use until a certain issue is resolved."
"President, I should tell him the rest myself..."
Yuuto Kiba slowly walked over to Ethan and volunteered, "The others in the club actually all know this, but you..."
"Only you, I didn't want you to know."
Ethan: ???