Chapter 196 — Life Force

Yuki

By the time we returned to the house, I had already decided I was going to head down to the basement to train.

Even if I was injured in the fight, I had mostly recovered.

I had let my guard drop and taken a hit I should’ve been able to avoid.

It drove home that I still needed to train more.

I had seen some improvements in my control and power during the fight, but they were small. 

I had only increased my training hours recently.

I needed to continue even if my lingering wound would be an issue.

The only thing I could be glad about with my wound was that I was the one hurt instead of one of the others. 

After we ate dinner, I moved to my room and got ready to go train.

I changed into a tracksuit and washed my face in my bathroom sink.

I felt bad, but I wanted to head downstairs before Koneko got to my room, so that we didn’t have to argue again.

She wouldn’t be happy with me training after being hurt.

Normally she would be right, but I needed to keep training.

I turned off the water in my sink and went to leave my room.

I was halfway to my door when it opened, and I saw Koneko standing in my doorway.

She noticed my training clothes and immediately frowned. 

“No.”

“I’m going to train, Koneko-chan. Asia already healed me most of the way,” I replied.

She folded her arms and didn’t move from the doorway. 

“You’re coming with me instead of training.”

I paused

“What? Where do you want me to go?”

“To Issei-senpai’s room.”

I blinked.

“Why?”

“Because I can heal each of you with my Senjutsu.”

“Issei-san wasn’t hurt in that fight. Why would you be healing him?”

“I’ve been practicing a way to heal life force with my Senjutsu. I’ll be able to heal the damage Issei-senpai took to his life force from using Juggernaut Drive, and I can help stabilize your life force so that you won’t have to wait as long between having your seals removed.”

That made me pause again.

“That… That would be amazing, Koneko-chan. If you could reduce the time I have to wait between seals, I can keep up with everyone else’s growth.”

Koneko frowned and stepped closer to me.

“You’re not falling behind, Yuki-senpai. You don’t need to push yourself as hard as you have been lately.”

I sighed.

“Even so, we are at war with the Khaos Brigade. If I have to push myself and sacrifice some sleep and free time, it’s worth it if it helps me keep all of you safe.”

“…But what about you? You just got hurt, and you kept trying to fight anyway. And now you’re trying to push yourself by training again.”

I stayed silent as she likely would have issues with any reason I gave.

She stared at me for a moment before letting out a huff. 

“Come on, we are going to Issei-senpai’s room. I’ll heal you, but you’re not training tonight. You need rest.”

“I don’t want to skip my training tonight. You can heal Issei-san first, and I can go train until you’re done. Or you could heal me first, and then I could go train after.”

“Yuki-senpai… please.”

Her ears went flat as she watched me.

I could see the concern on her face and hear the worry in her voice.

I shifted in place.

She continued to stare at me, her tail hanging limply behind her.

“…Alright. I’ll skip my training tonight,” I said with a defeated sigh.

Koneko nodded.

“Good. Now let’s go.”

She turned and walked across the hall to Issei’s door.

I watched her walk away as I realized it was becoming more difficult to say no to her if she asked something of me.

I would do most anything that someone in Rias’s peerage would ask of me, but it was a bit different with Koneko.

I sighed and followed out of my room, shutting my door behind me.

“So why do we need to use Isse-san’s room?” I asked as Koneko knocked on his door.

“Because I’d rather not bring Issei-senpai into your room. He would be weird about it and probably say something perverted.”

I chuckled.

“It’s just a room. And Issei-san has a tendency to say things like that no matter what.”

Issei’s door opened before she could reply.

“Oh, hi Yuki-san. Koneko-chan didn’t tell me that you were coming too. So you need the life force healing thing too?” He asked as he stepped back to let us in.

“Yes, Koneko-chan believes that she can help me stabilize quicker so that I can remove my next seal sooner,” I replied as we all walked into his room.

“That’s great! It’ll be cool to see your next ability. Your last one was a little weird, but it seems like it’ll be good in a fight once you’ve figured it out,” Issei said as he sat on the end of his bed.

“…I'll be right back. I’ll have to go get changed for this,” Koneko said as she headed to the attached bathroom.

Issei and I were left alone as she shut the door.

“So that’s why she brought that outfit before…” Issei murmured.

I thought to ask what he meant, but decided that I’d understood what he meant in a moment. 

I looked around the room before speaking to Issei.

“Where are Rias-Buchou and Asia?” I asked.

“After Koneko-chan explained her plan to heal me, the two of them said they were going to use one of the baths in the basement for a while so that Koneko-chan wouldn’t be distracted,” he replied.

“I see.”

It was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again.

“Thanks again for your help in the fight,” Issei said, rubbing the back of his head. 

“You’re welcome, though you probably would have been fine without my help.”

“Maybe, but I really couldn’t figure out a way to get around that shadow guy’s defenses. I’m starting to see the issue of relying on the power of the Sekiryuutei too much,” Issei said with a sigh. “I have plenty of strength, but I can’t do much if my opponent can get around that.”

I frowned.

“You’re right that strength isn’t everything in a fight. But there are times when the gap in strength between opponents is insurmountable. None of the four Hero faction members we fought could harm you while you were in your armor. If you had gone in alone, you would have been able to defeat them eventually.”

“Or they would have just run away,” he said with a shrug. “Technique types like the Hero faction guy with the shadow Sacred Gear, Yuuto-san, and you are some of the hardest people for me to face. I bet that if we fought now, I wouldn’t be able to beat you, Yuki-san. It might end in a draw, but I couldn’t win. I still need to get stronger so that I can face Vali and keep up with you guys. I may have the most raw power in the group, but I’m not the strongest in a fight.”

He looked certain as he said it.

He had his hands clenched in his lap as he spoke.

I looked down at my own hands folded in my lap.

“I’ve recently felt that I’ve been useless in some fights or that I am too weak. When Shalba attacked us, I could do nothing. Even if I had tried to throw my life away to defeat him, I wouldn’t have been able to do a thing.”

“I think you’re being too harsh on yourself, Yuki-san. You’re strong and getting stronger still. If I could do half the things you could with my power, I’d be unstoppable!” Issei chuckled to himself. Then his grin faded. “But Shalba was too much for any of us normally. I unlocked an ability that I wasn’t meant to yet, and it took most of my lifespan away. I’m lucky Koneko-chan could heal me.”

“We both are.”

The bathroom door opened then. 

Koneko stepped back into the room.

She was wearing a very thin white robe.

The robe was nearly see-through and clung to her as she walked into the room. 

Issei and I both stared at her.

I ignored the annoyance I felt when I noticed he was blushing slightly as he stared at her.

Her ears twitched slightly as she tilted her head.

“…What is it?”

“N-Nothing! You look good, Koneko-chan! I was just surprised!” Issei said quickly.

Koneko raised an eyebrow at him while giving him an otherwise expressionless look. 

“You do look nice, Koneko-chan,” I said, then narrowed my eyes at her. “But that outfit looks familiar for some reason. Did you get it from Akeno-san?”

“I did,” Koneko said with a nod. “It helps with purification and Ki transmission. It will help with my Senjutsu.”

“Really? I thought Akeno-san just liked wearing it because of how she looked in it.” Issei said.

“That was definitely also a reason,” I muttered.

“Anyway, this Senjutsu technique works by cycling Ki between two people and by circulating the Ki inside of a person,” Koneko said. “And it’s the most effective with very close contact. Which is another reason this outfit helps.”

“Alright. I assume Issei-san first since his situation is life-threatening. And we are in his room,” I said.

Koneko nodded.

“That was the plan.”

“Sounds good. So what do you need me to do, Koneko-chan?” Issei asked.

“…sit near the middle of the bed.”

Issei scooted back from his seat on the edge of the bed until he was in the center. 

“Now what?”

“…Take your shirt off.”

Issei nodded and then paused. 

“Uhh… why?”

“The better the contact between us, the more effective the healing will be,” Koneko replied.

Issei opened and closed his mouth once, then he pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side.

Koneko stood on the bed and moved to him.

“S-So what do I need to do next?” Issei asked.

His face had flushed slightly.

I rolled my eyes at how easily he could get flustered despite his constant perverse actions and comments.

“…Just still,” Koneko replied.

Issei nodded.

Koneko then moved behind him and sat with her back resting against him.

I held back a chuckle as I saw the confusion spread on Issei’s face.

“This is how we are going to sit?” Issei asked, glancing over his shoulder at Koneko.

“…Yes. It’s this, or you sit in my lap, and I figured that you would prefer this.”

“But couldn’t you sit in my lap?”

Koneko frowned at him over her shoulder. 

“…I’m not doing that.”

“Will the difference in efficiency doing it this way be an issue?” I asked

Koneko thought for a moment.

“…I’m not sure yet. I’ll know more after a few sessions of healing with each of you. But I’d assume that it won’t really matter for Issei-senpai. His healing will be a much longer process than yours. Healing Issei-senpai’s life force will be a long-term effort, so a lower efficiency won’t be an issue. I’ll keep healing him as long as he needs it.”

“Thank you, Koneko-chan. I want to stay with everyone for a long time. And because of you, I’ll be able to,” Issei said.

“…I don’t want you to die, Issei-senpai. We would all be sad if you were gone. So I’ll work to repair your life force bit by bit. You just can’t use that form again.”

“She’s right, Issei-san. Even if you think it’s the only option that could work, your life force is so low that you’d only be able to use it for a matter of seconds,” I added. 

Azazel-sensei had explained to all of us that Issei’s lifespan had been reduced from the normal expectation for a Devil of ten thousand years to roughly one hundred years. 

Rias and Asia both broke down in tears after hearing that.

Everyone had been stunned by the news.

It felt like hearing someone being told they were terminally ill.

Azazel-sensei quickly continued his explanation that there were multiple ways that Issei’s lifespan could be extended or restored.

That had managed to calm Ross and Asia down.

Rias had looked determined to find a way to help Issei.

And now Koneko would be doing just that.

“I won’t use it again, though I really don’t remember how I was able to use Juggernaut Drive,” Issei said. 

“That’s probably for the best. You were out of control and seemed like you might have attacked any of us,” I replied.

Issei frowned before shaking his head.

“So that’s me, but what about Yuki-san’s healing?”

“Efficiency matters more for her,” Koneko explained. “Since her healing is to stabilize her life force after releasing a seal, it’s like healing a new wound each time a seal is released. So rather than healing a large long-term issue like Issei-senpai, healing Yuki-senpai is healing multiple short-term issues in a row.”

“So you’ll just need to sit in my lap then, right? That’s not unusual for us,” I commented.

Koneko glanced away.

“… And we will need to increase the contact between us more as well.”

I looked between her and Issei.

“So I’ll need to take my shirt off like Issei-san?”

“…And your bra too. Or you could wear the same clothes I am. I brought a second outfit that Akeno-senpai gave me. It’s your size,” Koneko said

“Yuki-san will either be topless or wearing one of those nearly see-through white robes?” Issei asked, sounding too excited.

“I’ll be wearing the outfit, but I’ll make you face away from us while Koneko-chan heals me if you’re going to be weird about it,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

“I’ll be good!” Issei said quickly. “I don’t want to miss out on seeing the two of you embrace while wearing those see-through robes!”

I narrowed my eyes further at him.

Issei wisely realized that he wasn’t helping himself and didn’t say anything else.

“We could go back to your room for your healing, Yuki-senpai,” Koneko suggested. 

“No, it’s alright if we stay here. As long as Issei-san doesn’t make it strange, I’m fine with staying in his room. We are already here anyway,” I replied casually.

I noticed that Koneko’s ears drooped slightly at my decision.

“…Alright. I’m going to start Issei-senpai’s healing session now. I’ll need silence for a bit to concentrate.”

Koneko closed her eyes and leaned back against Issei’s back.

The two of them sat still against each other as Koneko started to use her Senjutsu.

I frowned as I watched her.

The two of us had been close for a while, and recently Koneko had been acting like she wanted to be even closer.

That wasn’t an issue if she wanted to be good friends, but if she was seeing me as potentially something more, that was a problem.

Something like that wouldn’t work. 

She would end up wasting her time on someone that wasn’t worth the effort.

I wasn’t sure if I was reading too far into how she had been acting, or if I was just too used to assuming that no one would have romantic interest in me, especially if they knew parts of my past.

I closed my eyes for a moment before looking at her again.

She was a beautiful and strong girl.

She would end up with someone who deserved her.

I wouldn’t act any differently around her. 

Either I was wrong and reading too far into how she had been acting recently, or I was right, and she was looking at me in a romantic light.

It wasn’t the cleanest way to handle it, but if I ignored anything that seemed like romantic interest, then eventually she would realize she had been mistaken for looking at me that way.

It was for the best.

Issei, Koneko, and I sat in silence for a while.

Issei looked like he was struggling not to fidget or say something.

Koneko was completely still as her eyes remained closed in concentration. 

Then after a few more minutes, Koneko opened he eyes and spoke.

“…It’s working. How do you feel, Issei-senpai?”

“It feels really nice,” Issei replied, sounding relaxed. “My body feels warm, and I can feel my fatigue draining away.”

“As I circulate Ki within your body, it will revitalize your body and remove stress and fatigue. It’s a positive side effect of healing your life force.”

“That sounds like a rather useful side effect,” I commented.

Koneko gave me a look as she realized exactly where my mind went after hearing about those effects.

“…That doesn’t mean that you get free rein to push yourself even harder with your training,” Koneko said, shooting a glare. “If you try to abuse my help, then I won’t heal you as often.”

I chuckled.

Even if she was threatening me, she wouldn’t completely revoke my healing.

“Alright, alright. I understand. But it will help me recover from how I’ve been training now.”

Koneko stared at me, and I smiled back softly at her.

“Fine. Now I’ll finish up Issei-senpai's healing so that I can start Yuki-senpai’s turn.”

“Umm, do I still have to be silent?” Issei asked.

“…No, you can talk now.”

“Oh, good. It’s hard to sit still and not talk. And I feel like if I messed up your concentration, you’d hit me, Koneko-chan.”

“That’s probably true,” I commented.

Koneko frowned at me.

“…maybe.”

I chuckled again. 

We all relaxed and chatted as Koneko continued Issei’s healing. 

I didn’t know if my thoughts on Koneko’s feelings were right, but I would let things stay as they were.

It was for the best.