DxD 0165: Cat and Cat

“It’s been so long, hasn’t it?”

“I knew it.”

“Hello, Shirone. Won’t you greet your Nee-sama? I merely sent a little bit of my ki your way, and you came rushing over. I’m moved, I must say.”

“What is the meaning of this, Nee-sama?” Koneko asked her elder sister with a hostile tone.

“Don’t make such a scary face, Shirone. Your Kuroka Nee-sama just wished to see you.”

“Why are you here?” She asked.

“I just said so, Shirone,” Kuroka said. “I’m finally here to pick you up. I had to run away so desperately last time and wasn’t able to pick you up.”

“I’m a part of Rias Gremory’s peerage, Nee-sama,” Koneko said, only to make a wide smile appear on the black-haired cat woman’s face.

“At least you are willing to acknowledge me as your sister, Koneko,” Kuroka said. “As for Gremory, she’s a weakling, only holding you back from unleashing your true potential. Come with your elder sister, and I will show you what it means to be part of the strongest clan of the Nekomata — the Nekoshou.”

“They’re like family to me, Nee-sama. When you abandoned me to die, Buchou was the one who took me in. She was the one who protected me. And you? You left a bloodbath in your wake that convinced people that I should be killed so that a repeat of your situation doesn’t happen.”

“That’s not what happened!” Kuroka snapped. “I did all that to protect you! If I hadn’t killed him, he would’ve —”

“Calm yourself, Kuroka,” Another voice spoke, making Koneko tense up as Kuroka relaxed. “We have a guest.”

“Bikou,” Kuroka, who was previously lying on top of a tree, straightened up, sitting with her bare legs hanging from the branch. “How interesting,” she said, her two tails swinging behind her almost excitedly. “If Bikou hadn’t mentioned you, I wouldn’t have sensed you.” Kuroka looked at Koneko’s side, confusing her as she turned her head to the left.

Abaddon whistled, appearing right beside Koneko from thin air. “I must say, Koneko, your sister is a bombshell,” he said. He looked at the white-haired sister and examined her for a second. “I can’t wait for you to grow up more.”

Kuroka didn’t like the way Abaddon looked at Koneko. “Take your filthy gaze away from my Shirone,” she said, her eyes spewing fire. “I will cut your cock off and feed it to rats!”

“What a disrespectful woman,” Abaddon said. “I see that your previous master didn’t bother teaching you any manners. No worries, I will be much better.”

Kuroka couldn’t help but laugh amusedly. “Aren’t you hot stuff?” She said. “I’m taking Shirone away, and it would be in your best interests to step aside before you lose something precious.”

“What is with your obsession with my dick?” Abaddon said. “Can your Senjutsu allow you to sense its magical abilities or something?”

Kuroka got down from the tree as Bikou, Son Goku, spoke. “Abaddon Bael-sama, the current Red Dragon Emperor. It would be in your best interests to listen to Kuroka. She can get a tad violent, you see.”

Abaddon laughed. Maniacally. “Since you know who I am, then you should be well aware of how violent I can get, or are you not?”

“We merely wish to take Kuroka’s little sister away, and that’s all. The two sisters can reunite, and little Koneko can flourish in an environment where she can truly learn to explore her powers.” Bikou spoke.

“I have a suggestion,” Abaddon said, seemingly backing down. “How about we ask Koneko what she wants? If she agrees to go with you, then fine, I won’t get in your way. But if she refuses … Then how about Kuroka comes with me?”

“S-senpai …” Koneko trembled, feeling terrified of the current standoff between the two extremely dangerous people and Abaddon. “I-I’ll leave. You don’t have to fight for me, senpai …”

“Don’t be a downer, Koneko. Do you think a stray cat and a monkey can truly beat me?” Abaddon laughed. “Tell me what you really want. Do you want to be with your sister, or do you wish to join the Khaos Brigade?”

Koneko raised a brow at his options. “W-what?”

“You heard me,” Abaddon said, looking at Kuroka with an almost predatory expression. “I have the perfect spot for this naughty cat in my Peerage.”

Kuroka didn’t like Abaddon’s expression and the way he looked at her, feeling a shiver run down her spine. “I don’t like talking to this fucker, Bikou. Let’s just kill him and take Shirone.”

“Kuroka, I hate to break it to you, but …” Bikou hesitated. “We don’t really have the ability to win against the Red Dragon Emperor. The best we can do is to retreat as fast as we can.”

“What are you talking about? We can take him together,” Kuroka said.

“Kuroka,” Son Goku said sternly. “He forced Vali to use his Balance Breaker and still fought without using his Boosted Gear, only activating Balance Breaker later. Not only that, after decimating Vali, he beat Jeanne, Heracles, Georg, and Leonardo, taking an arm from Georg and outright kidnapping Leonardo. We cannot kill him with our current strength and preparation.”

“What a bummer,” Abaddon sighed, “Here I thought that you would try to fight against me in a desperate struggle and bring out your inner strength or something before I ultimately take you down and take myself a stray cat.”

Koneko felt her worldview shattering completely as she saw the sister whom she was so terrified of hesitate in front of Abaddon. In her mind, Kuroka was an absolutely powerful devil who could only be bested by one of the Satans. Seeing her hesitate to even attack Abaddon left Koneko astonished. Her lips pressed together as her weak and vulnerable expression changed into a stern one and her golden eyes radiated a slight sense of confidence.

“But Shirone,” Kuroka said, a genuinely sad expression on her face. “I wish to be together with my sister. Come with me, Shirone, please. Your big sister has so much to teach you.” She extended her arms with a sad and helpless expression on her face.

“Kuroka Nee-sama,” Koneko said, finally finding the courage to stand up to Kuroka. “Please stop, you look pitiful. After you killed your master and abandoned me to the wolves, you have no right to try and mend things with me.”

“That’s … That’s not what happened,” Kuroka said, slightly agitated. “I killed him to protect you, Shirone. He was going to use you as a test subject for his horrible experiments. He had already killed countless others as a means of advancing his research. I couldn’t let you fall into his hands and was forced to kill him instead.”

“Then why did you run? Why did you leave me all alone? If not for my current master, I wouldn’t even be alive today. How dare you say that you are my sister after all that! And you have the gall to ask me to abandon the master who gave me a family? The master who treated me with love when everyone forsook me? Go fuck yourself.” Involuntarily, in the middle of Koneko’s agitated scolding, she had revealed her cat ears and tail, which were a perfect contrast to Kuroka’s black ears and tail, hers being pure white.

Kuroka couldn’t help but take a step back at the raw emotions that Koneko was exuding at the moment. She couldn’t say anything in response as each of Koneko’s statements stabbed her. “I-I …” She stuttered, “Shirone, I’m your …” She hesitated to continue.

“Tell me, Kuroka,” Abaddon smiled as he put his hand on Koneko’s shoulder and pulled her close to himself. Her aggressive momentum burst out in tears as the previously fierce cat let out her emotions in the form of tears that drenched her pillar’s shirt. She hugged him tightly as he turned to Kuroka. “Do you truly wish to be with our Koneko?” He asked her while combing Koneko’s luscious hair.

“Forget it,” Kuroka said, getting defensive. “It’s impossible for her to forgive me in her life. It’s better that I just disappear …” She was about to jump back before the sky changed colors and revealed to them that they were in another dimension.

“You aren’t going anywhere until I’m done with you two,” Abaddon said. “And Kuroka,” Abaddon gestured with his chin down at Koneko, “Does this look like someone who would never forgive you? Our Koneko-chan is the cutest and most loving of everyone. As long as she has someone in her heart, she will always love them with her everything. My question is, do you wish to be with our Koneko? To atone for your actions?”

“What atonement?” Kuroka snapped. “I was forced to stay on the run. Do you think if I had the chance I wouldn’t have tried to meet Shirone? I have had devils constantly on my tail until recently …”

“You’re dodging, Kuroka,” Abaddon said sternly. “Tell me, do you wish to be with Koneko or not?”

“I …” Kuroka didn’t know what to say.