"Soul? I wouldn't want something like that."
Tachibana Koneko shook her head, explaining with a calm expression.
"Anyone who wants a devil to grant a wish only needs to offer something corresponding as payment. And this time, I only helped move a few things, so the reward won't be too high."
"Just give me anything. Of course, it can't be too casual; the item given must be valuable. Whether it's money or an object, it's fine."
The main reason devils help humans fulfill wishes is not that they want to obtain something specific from humans, but rather that they want the myth of devils to continue.
Whether it's gods or devils, once there is no human faith, no matter how powerful the god or devil, they will perish.
"Oh~ I see... It feels like in my memory, two gods had to move to a certain place because human faith was gradually weakening. Hmm? Why do I have this memory? Who were those two gods?"
Inaba Tsukiyo scratched her head in distress. She had just said these words instinctively, but she couldn't remember which gods had moved away from human society due to issues of faith.
Speaking of which, do these devils need to continue their myths through such means to survive in this scientific world where humans are gradually losing faith in gods and ghosts?
My understanding of this world is deepening. Since this world has devils like Tachibana Koneko, there must also be gods.
I'm really looking forward to what kind of devils I'll see later. Will I see devils like Randegil and Astaroth?
However... regarding Tachibana Koneko's reward, she isn't short on money, but she feels giving money is too perfunctory. It's better to give her something useful.
"By the way, Koneko. You said you're a devil, so you must also need to fight, right? What's your fighting style?"
"Hmm? Fighting style? Well~ I'm more used to close combat. After all, I'm very strong, and I also know martial arts."
Although Tachibana Koneko's build is petite, she is indeed a devil who excels in close-quarters combat, capable of shattering ribs with a single punch.
Coupled with her superhuman strength, she has studied martial arts, which further enhances her close-combat abilities.
"I see... Wait for me here, Koneko. I'll go get that thing."
After understanding the situation, Inaba Tsukiyo turned and jogged towards the room, leaving Tachibana Koneko alone, staring blankly at Inaba Tsukiyo's back.
"Strange person..."
She couldn't see, yet she moved like a normal person.
It was her first time meeting a devil, yet she faced her so calmly, even proposing to touch her wings.
If Tachibana Koneko hadn't sensed only a human aura from Inaba Tsukiyo, and no other species' aura, she probably would have attacked already.
After a while, Inaba Tsukiyo came running back with a box.
It was a very ordinary box, the kind used for gifts.
This box piqued Tachibana Koneko's curiosity. If it were any other customer, she would think it might just contain some collectibles or snacks.
But she could sense a different aura from within, as if there was something extraordinary inside.
"Since I don't know the size of your hands, I can only give you this pair. I'll find something more suitable for you later, Koneko."
With that, Inaba Tsukiyo opened the box, revealing its contents.
It was a pair of gauntlets, but not ordinary ones. The wrist part had special armor, and a small Honkai Energy reactor was mounted on the wrist. It clearly wasn't a simple pair of gauntlets.
Tachibana Koneko was surprised that Inaba Tsukiyo would give her a weapon. She stared at the gauntlets in the box, somewhat dazed.
"These gauntlets are called'Star Ring Vortex,' a weapon crafted through a special method. Since there are devils like you, Koneko, there must also be gods, or angels and fallen angels, right?"
She didn't believe that devils and angels would be able to converse peacefully like Randegil and Astaroth. There must be wars involved.
Since Tachibana Koneko is a devil, there must be times when she needs to fight.
"Yes! But we are currently in a truce period, and no side is allowed to engage in combat. Our work, besides fulfilling certain people's wishes, is to clear out Rogue Devils that appear in this town."
At this point, Tachibana Koneko's gaze towards Inaba Tsukiyo became wary. She realized that Inaba Tsukiyo was not as simple as an ordinary person; she definitely had secrets Tachibana Koneko didn't know.
"Who... exactly are you?"
"Me? I'm just an ordinary person who just arrived in this town. While strolling in the park, I received a strange flyer from a mysterious older sister, and then summoned Koneko tonight. I'm not anyone important, you know."
Inaba Tsukiyo ignored Tachibana Koneko's wary gaze. She took the Star Ring Vortex out of the box and personally put them on Tachibana Koneko.
Tachibana Koneko was about to say that she didn't need such equipment to fight, but the moment she put on the equipment, Tachibana Koneko suddenly sensed something and looked at her hands in shock.
The moment Inaba Tsukiyo put the Star Ring Vortex on her, the gauntlets, which were originally a bit large, instantly transformed to fit her size, and a surge of power flowed into her body through the gauntlets.
"This... this... this... could this be a Sacred Gear!"
Tachibana Koneko said incredulously. This power was, without a doubt, the Sacred Gear she knew! This was a weapon created by gods! And it should be something that exists within human bodies.
Why, with Inaba Tsukiyo, did it seem like an ordinary weapon? There was no aura of a Sacred Gear before, so why did it burst forth with the aura of a Sacred Gear the moment it was put on?
"Sacred Gear? It's not a Sacred Gear. These are weapons created by humans to protect themselves and civilization."
Although she didn't know what Tachibana Koneko's so-called Sacred Gear was like, she was certain that these were technological products from the Honkai World.
Perhaps due to the difference in worlds, items from the Honkai World became what Tachibana Koneko called Sacred Gear in this world.
Tachibana Koneko looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with a complex expression, then at the Star Ring Vortex in her hands. With a thought, the gauntlets transformed into a white light and entered her body.
Sure enough, this was the characteristic of a Sacred Gear, this was the Sacred Gear she knew.
It's just... Tachibana Koneko looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with some difficulty.
It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with the Star Ring Vortex as the reward for this time, but that this reward was simply too precious.
She felt that Inaba Tsukiyo might not have understood the preciousness of this weapon, which is why she gave it to her after learning her fighting style.
One must know that many people would fight over precious Sacred Gear, let alone this kind of Sacred Gear.
"This... this is too valuable. I only helped with something very simple. This completely exceeds the necessary reward."
"Oh? You don't like it, Koneko?"
"No... no, it's not that I don't like it. It's just... it's just that this thing is too precious."
Tachibana Koneko, abandoning her previous composure, said in a somewhat flustered tone.
She didn't want to be seen as a greedy person. Having received such a good item, if she still claimed not to like it, she would be completely lying.
Although Tachibana Koneko is a devil, she is a good child and would not do such a deceitful thing.
"Is that so? Anyway, this item is helpful to you, and there's nothing wrong with you having it."
Inaba Tsukiyo smiled, and under Tachibana Koneko's gaze, reached out and stroked her hair.
In the past, when comforting Bronya and Seele, she would always pat their heads. This time, seeing Tachibana Koneko's predicament, she couldn't help but pat her little head.
"Since this reward exceeds the scope of this commission, can it be considered as an advance payment for future commissions, Koneko?"
"Eh?"
Tachibana Koneko looked up in confusion. She hadn't yet processed what Inaba Tsukiyo meant.
"In other words, how about this weapon serves as the reward for my future commissions? Since it's too valuable for a single commission, how about we use it as the reward for several commissions? What do you think?"
"Can... can I? This is a very precious item. Is it really okay to just give it to me?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. The weapon I'm good at using is a sword. These gauntlets are just a collectible I acquired. The right item should be used by the right person, and besides, I just haven't found better weapons yet."
"Are... are there other, better weapons?"
Tachibana Koneko was surprised. Could it be that Divine Relics were just wholesale goods for Inaba Tsukiyo? Why could she say something like that so easily?
"Of course... I have many better gauntlets than this. But it will take some time to get them for you. How about it? Can you accept such a trade?"
Inaba Tsukiyo extended her right hand and smiled at Tachibana Koneko.
"I've just arrived in this city and there are many places I'm not familiar with. If possible, I hope you can show me around the city properly for a while."
"And... I wonder if a normal human like me can become friends with a cute demoness? My social circle is very wide, you know. I want to get to know both humans and demons."
"...Strange person."
Tachibana Koneko whispered, completely at a loss for words in the face of Inaba Tsukiyo's peculiar behavior.
She could mostly confirm that Inaba Tsukiyo was not an ordinary human, but she couldn't figure out Inaba Tsukiyo's specific identity, so she could only wait and see.
Since she posed no harm, it was fine to let her stay in this town for now. After all, she could monitor Inaba Tsukiyo to prevent her from doing anything.
"Contract established."
After speaking, Tachibana Koneko shook Inaba Tsukiyo's hand and smiled.
"Tachibana Koneko, a first-year high school student at Kuoh Academy. Please take care of me. I was originally a yokai, but later reincarnated as a demon."
"Inaba Tsukiyo, a very~ very~ very ordinary person. Please take care of me, Koneko."
"You're not ordinary at all, Tsukuyo, you're lying."
"Eh~ I'm not lying. I really am a very ordinary human."
She just possesses many abilities that other humans don't, but she's really a very ordinary person.
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