Koneko stared up at her sister, the black-haired, large-breasted beauty whose dress was slit nearly to her hip. "Sister, what are you really here for?"
"Shirone, I'm here to take you with me, meow," Kuroka's voice turned serious. "Last time you resisted, so I couldn't bring you along."
Meanwhile, at the reception, Akeno was also dealing with her own demons. She stared at the entrance, where the Vice-Governor of the Fallen Angels, Baraqiel—her father—had just arrived. The psychological trauma of her mother's death still haunted her, even though she was now at the Demon Lord level.
Ethan remained hidden, letting Koneko face Kuroka for now.
In the hall, the legendary Norse god Odin entered with his Valkyrie bodyguard, Rossweisse.
"Long time no see, you old geezer from the north," Azazel (Shemhazai) greeted.
Odin, a one-eyed old man with a beard reaching the floor, laughed. "Long time no see, Fallen Angel brat." To Odin, everyone there was a brat.
Sirzechs greeted Odin with respect, acknowledging the old god's power. Serafall Leviathan stepped forward, performing a polite curtsy in a conservative green suit.
"Welcome, Lord Odin."
"Hmm... this won't do, Serafall," Odin grumbled, stroking his beard. "It's a rare banquet; why is a young woman dressed so conservatively?"
Odin was a notorious pervert, fitting perfectly into the DxD world. Serafall giggled and twirled her wand. "In that case... Miruru-miru-miru-final!"
In a flash of pink magic, her suit transformed into a magical girl outfit—a crop top and a miniskirt with striped thigh-highs, showing off her slender waist and the "absolute territory" of her thighs.
"Oh? What is this?" Odin asked, intrigued.
"It's a Magical Girl!" Serafall chirped. This was her true personality.
"I like it," Odin praised.
Suddenly, Rossweisse, his silver-haired Valkyrie with two antenna-like hair strands, spoke up. "Please behave, Lord Odin. The gods of Valhalla will weep."
"You're too stiff," Odin snapped. "That's why you can't find a boyfriend even though you're at that age."
The blow was critical. Rossweisse, the "strong career woman" Valkyrie, collapsed into a "duck sit" on the floor and began to sob. "Why is the number of years I haven't had a boyfriend equal to my age?! Waaaaah!"
As the banquet descended into awkwardness, Michael arrived with his new "Angel" subordinate, Irina Shidou. Irina had been staying at Ethan's mansion, regularly "exchanging life force" with him to stabilize her power.
Back in the forest, the sisters were still talking. Ethan, hiding his presence, watched them while also monitoring the banquet through his soul network.
Koneko was strong, but Kuroka had also been training hard after being stimulated by Ethan's presence in the past. Kuroka had recently broken through to the Demon Lord level herself. Because Koneko refused to use her Senjutsu, she was quickly overwhelmed by Kuroka's superior experience.
Just as Kuroka was about to knock Koneko out and take her away, Ethan stepped out from the shadows.
"Hey now, that's kidnapping, you know."
Ethan smiled at the sexy cat-woman. "Sexy cat-girl big sister, even if she's your sister, shouldn't you ask what she wants first?"
Koneko, exhausted but conscious, whispered, "I am Rias Gremory's servant. I won't go with you."
Kuroka ignored her sister and glared at Ethan. "Shirone is my sister. I won't leave her to some high-ranking Devil..."
"Rias is a top-tier Devil now," Ethan interrupted. "Honestly, her strength rivals your master, Vali. By the way, how is Vali doing? Has he mastered his Balance Breaker?"
Kuroka hissed like a cornered cat. She knew this man had driven Vali back before. She didn't dare move.
"Shirone, come with me. Ophis and Vali would love to have you," Kuroka tried to persuade her. She underestimated the trauma her "betrayal" had caused Koneko.
"No," Koneko said coldly.
Bikou, the descendant of Sun Wukong, landed next to Kuroka, resting his power pole on his shoulders. "Hey, Kuroka, my Senjutsu didn't even pick this guy up until he stepped out."
Bikou and Kuroka both used Senjutsu to enhance their magic and sense presences. For Ethan to remain hidden meant he was either a master of Senjutsu himself or vastly more powerful.
"He's the Red Dragon Emperor," Bikou said, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh? The one with the 'dual cultivation' ability?" Kuroka's gaze turned predatory and hostile. As a virgin cat-girl, she could smell the change in Koneko. She had once asked Vali for a "dragon's child" but was rejected. Now, seeing Ethan, she wondered if he was a viable candidate—but first, she had to see if he was strong enough to handle both her and her sister.
"Vali said you were strong, but this is ridiculous," Bikou said, spinning his staff. He couldn't read Ethan's power level at all; it was like staring into a void.
Ethan ignored Bikou's battle stance and began healing Koneko. His eyes drifted over Kuroka. Her figure was incredible—the two black tails twitching behind her and her yellow cat-eyes made her look dangerously seductive.
Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Kuroka attacked. A purple Bagua magic circle appeared behind her, and eight blue fox-fires screamed toward Ethan. Bikou followed up, his staff becoming a blur of strikes.
"Not bad. High-tier Demon Lord level," Ethan commented.
He didn't even use his boosted gear. He simply formed a mana barrier that neutralized every attack. He was fascinated by the blend of Senjutsu and Youjutsu (Youkai magic).
Ethan realized he wanted to learn Senjutsu. Its ability to sense presences and manipulate the flow of nature was the ultimate utility tool.
While he planned how to "extract" the secrets of Senjutsu from them, the banquet hall erupted.
Sirzechs was in the middle of his speech. "The three factions—Devils, God, and Fallen Angels—have reflected on the past and formed an alliance to face those who wish to cause conflict once more..."
As the leaders prepared to sign the treaty, a massive tremor shook the building. The chaos had begun.