Eminence In Shadow- Nah, I’d Win (DxD / Strike The Blood)

Even if he couldn't find homes for the cats right away, there was still at least a few hundred thousand yen to fall back on.

No—if Kanase Kanon was willing to give him more funds later, then it could even go up to millions.

Technically speaking—

He could just take the money and bail.

Once she left the island, there'd be no one to hold him accountable.

But—

Cid Kagenou wasn't the type to stoop that low.

Neither as mob Cid nor as the Eminence in Shadow.

That was simply beneath him.

"Alright, fine."

He let out a long sigh, feigning reluctance.

"I'll take care of them until you come back—or until I find them proper homes."

Of course, he had no intention of letting this cash cow slip away.

The moment he agreed, Kanase Kanon's tense shoulders relaxed.

Her lips curved into a soft, genuine smile.

"Thank you so much, Cid-kun."

She immediately turned her attention back to the cats, crouching down to check their health.

Cid shrugged, taking it as his cue to return to petting the cats.

So soft.

So fluffy.

If only they didn't eat so much or require so much attention, he might've considered getting one for himself.

But reality sucked.

And these brief, responsibility-free moments were about to end.

"By the way, why me?"

His voice cut through the quiet.

"We barely know each other, Kanase.

How do you know I won't just take the money and run?"

It was an honest question.

On the surface, they seemed close.

But that was only because Cid had let her believe they were.

In truth, they'd only known each other for a few months.

Even then, their conversations were brief—mostly consisting of polite greetings as he came to pet the cats and she quietly cared for them.

They didn't know each other's addresses.

They didn't attend the same school.

They didn't even know each other's real hobbies.

At most, they were familiar strangers.

Bonded only by their shared affection for cats.

Which was why Cid couldn't figure out why she'd trusted him.

"Because…"

She gently lifted one of the kittens, stroking its fur as her eyes softened.

"Cid-kun is a very kind person."

Cid froze.

"What?"

"You're kind.

You didn't have to take care of them while I was gone, but you did.

And you like them too, don't you?"

Cid blinked.

Was this girl blind?

Him?

Kind?

Did she not realize he was still wanted for:

• Hijacking an international terrorist organization.

• Almost blowing up Eurasia because it seemed cool.

• Ignoring world-ending disasters because he was busy training.

The very idea of him being kind was as ridiculous as the Diabolos Cult actually existing.

Cid's thoughts spiraled.

Was it his acting?

Had his mob persona been too convincing?

For the first time in a long while, Cid Kagenou was speechless.

"Grrrrumble—"

Thankfully, the awkward silence was shattered by the growl of a stomach.

Cid's eyes flicked downward.

Kanase's hands had instinctively clutched her stomach.

Her face had gone bright red.

"W-wait—! It's not—"

She fumbled for words, but embarrassment had her tongue-tied.

"You skipped lunch, didn't you?"

Cid's voice was casual—no teasing or mockery.

He'd seen too many situations like this to let it get awkward.

There were two options for moments like these.

Option 1: Pretend it never happened.

Change the subject and move on.

Option 2: Call attention to it, make light of the situation, and keep things casual.

But Cid?

Cid Kagenou chose neither.

Shift the conversation to something else and move on.

He wasn't the type to mock someone over their embarrassment—

Not even someone like Kanase Kanon, who'd just handed him a stack of cash and all but begged him to take care of her cats.

It wasn't about kindness.

It was simply beneath him.

"Mmm. I haven't been here in a while, so I wanted to make sure they were okay."

Kanase's voice was steadying now, her earlier embarrassment starting to fade.

She began explaining herself, perhaps to fill the silence.

Cid said nothing.

"Cid-kun, if something happened to your family—"

"Stop. Time out."

Cid held up a hand, cutting her off immediately.

"Kanase, if you're about to tell me some tragic backstory, save it.

Right now, you need food.

That's the priority."

In truth, he didn't care about her family drama.

Her disappearance and the cats' situation were probably connected, but it wasn't his problem.

It wasn't like it'd give him a chance to step into the shadows and save the world.

So why bother?

Cid's focus was on ending this conversation as quickly as possible—

Before she could drag him into her issues.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of watermelon juice.

"Here. Drink this.

I didn't bring food, so at least get some sugar in you."

Cid mentally patted himself on the back.

Smooth.

This way, he wouldn't have to buy her lunch and could still leave early.

Later, he'd just stop by the convenience store to grab another bottle for Shinra Tsubaki.

No big deal.

Or so he thought.

Kanase's expression froze.

Was it Cid's imagination, or did she just go even paler?

"What? Don't like watermelon juice?"

She flinched, but quickly shook her head.

"N-no!

Not at all!

If Cid-kun gave it to me, I'll drink it!"

Cid's eyes narrowed.

There was something off.

But before he could stop her, she'd already twisted off the cap and started chugging.

"Hey—slow down."

She didn't.

It wasn't drinking.

It was guzzling.

At that speed, even someone with fast reflexes couldn't avoid spilling.

Sure enough—

Her shirt was soaked.

Her face had turned white.

And before Cid could say another word—

"C-Cid—"

Her body jerked.

And then—

"Bleh—!"

Kanase Kanon threw up.

They ended up at a café afterward, sitting in the most secluded booth they could find.

Cid tapped his fingers against the table.

Kanase sat across from him, eyes downcast.

"So…"

His voice cut through the awkward silence.

"Why didn't you just refuse it?"

She flinched at his words.

Her fingers clenched around the cup of tea she'd been nursing.

"I… I just…"

And there it was—

That hesitation.

That lack of conviction.

Cid let out a sigh.

If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well get some answers.

Originally, his plan had been simple.

Hand her a drink, let her recover, and leave.

It was cheap, efficient, and kept his mob persona intact.

But instead—

This.