The peace of Asakawa Shrine felt like a lie to Thomas as he walked away. Behind him, Chisato, the Miko, stood still for a few moments, a gentle, adoring smile plastered on her face. She was no longer sweeping; her mundane duties seemed insignificant compared to the revelation she had just experienced. She had met the purpose of her life.
Thomas knew he had to move fast. He couldn't perform the acquisition ritual in a public place like this. He needed a private location, a new den. Taking Chisato to Aya's apartment was not an option. That place was his "clean" base of operations, and introducing new assets there would create unnecessary complications, even with the mind control he had over Aya.
A new strategy was required. As he walked, he pulled out his phone and quickly searched for "cheap apartment rentals Kuoh." Using some of the cash he had, he made an upfront payment for three months via an online proxy service, renting a small, furnished apartment in an inconspicuous district. The apartment was anonymous, sterile, and perfect for his purpose. A brief message containing the address and unit number was sent to Chisato's phone, which he had obtained during their "charming" conversation.
His command was simple: "Your work for today is done. Later tonight, meet me at this address. Bring all important personal belongings."
Chisato's reply came instantly, filled with enthusiastic heart emojis. "Yes, my Lord. I'll be right there. I can't wait to see you again."
The message implied a clear finality. She would not be returning to the shrine. Her old life was over.
That night, in the new apartment that smelled of fresh paint and cheap furniture, Thomas waited. This place was vastly different from the warmth of Aya's apartment or the sanctity of Chisato's shrine. It was cold, functional, and soulless. A laboratory for his experiments.
When the doorbell rang, he opened it to find Chisato standing there, clutching a small travel bag to her chest. She had changed from her Miko attire into a simple dress. Her face was filled with a mix of nervousness, excitement, and total adoration.
"My Lord," she whispered, stepping inside as Thomas moved aside.
"Take off your clothes," Thomas commanded, his voice calm yet leaving no room for debate. He closed and locked the door.
Chisato trembled, but she obeyed without hesitation. Her dress fell to the floor, followed by her undergarments, until she stood naked before her master under the harsh fluorescent lights of the apartment. Her body was slender and untouched, her skin pale like porcelain. This was the embodiment of purity, and Thomas would defile it for his own power. There was a dark, satisfying pleasure in the thought.
He led her to the bed, whose sheets still felt stiff and new. He performed no foreplay. This wasn't about sensuality; it was about the assertion of ownership and extraction. He pushed her onto the bed, positioning her on all fours. Her arched back and taut buttocks were presented to him, a helpless offering.
"My Lord... please..." she whispered, her face buried in the pillow.
Thomas's already hard and pulsing penis touched her drenched vagina. He didn't wait. With one powerful, deep thrust, he slammed into her. Chisato shrieked, a mixture of the pain of losing her virginity and overwhelming pleasure. Her tiny body tensed, but she didn't fight. Instead, she pushed herself back, trying to receive her master even deeper.
Thomas moved with a savage, demanding rhythm. The wet slapping of their skin filled the silent room. He gripped her hips, his fingerprints leaving red marks on her pale skin. Every thrust was a claim, every pull a promise of more. Chisato's moans changed from cries of pain to pure, unfiltered gasps of pleasure. She surrendered everything: her body, her purity, and most importantly, the unique ability hidden within her soul.
He flipped her over, gazing into her eyes, which were glazed with tears of pleasure. He lifted her legs to his shoulders and entered again, this time with a slower, deeper tempo, maximizing every sensation for both of them. He saw it, truly saw it: a pure shrine maiden, now utterly broken and reshaped to his will. And it was immensely arousing.
With a final growl, he climaxed, releasing himself deep within her womb. Chisato's body convulsed violently around him, her own orgasm triggered by the hot surge from her master. As the last pulsations subsided, Thomas withdrew. Thick fluids of semen and her feminine secretions dripped onto the pristine sheets.
And as expected, the notification appeared, glowing with a soft blue light in his vision.
{Conditions for ability acquisition fulfilled.}
{Analyzing target: Chisato (Miko).}
{Copyable abilities detected:
1. Shinto Ritual Knowledge (Minor).
2. Spiritual Sense (Low-Level).
3. Inner Peace (Passive).}
Thomas didn't hesitate. "Number two," he thought firmly. Choice: Spiritual Sense (Low-Level).
This acquisition was different. Not an information download or a physical surge. It felt like a veil lifting from his perception. Suddenly, the world became 'noisier.' He could 'feel' the faint life pulses of every person in the apartment building. He could sense the sterile aura of the new furniture. And in the distance, like a lighthouse in a fog, he could feel an immense concentration of energy from the direction of Kuoh Academy.
He focused his new senses on Chisato lying on the bed. He could see her aura: a soft white glow now entwined with thin strands of his own dark blue energy. A permanent mark of ownership on her soul.
As he was savoring his new sensations, his senses picked up something else. Something familiar. A dense, concentrated aura that felt like solid granite. And it was very close.
His heart stopped for a beat. He got out of bed and walked to the window, peeking through a gap in the curtains.
Across the street, under the dim streetlight, stood a small figure. Koneko Toujou.
She wasn't looking directly at his window, but at his apartment building in general. She was holding a grocery bag, making it seem like she was just coming home. But her posture was rigid, alert. The cat had sensed something.
A chilling realization struck Thomas. In his attempt to get an anonymous apartment, he had randomly picked one that was, unfortunately, near the residence of one of Gremory's core members. Koneko, with her much stronger devil senses than Chisato's, must have felt the sudden appearance of a new spiritual aura (Chisato) and the faint traces of supernatural activity within his building. She had come to investigate.
Thomas recoiled from the window, his smirk gone. The tiny seed of doubt that Koneko might have planted in his mind a few days ago had just been watered with a full bucket of evidence.
His plan to move in the shadows had just run into a major complication. The hunter, for the first time, realized he was also being hunted.