The truth behind Kuroka's situation didn't actually take much time to explain.
After all, the incident itself wasn't that complicated. It only became convoluted because the devil nobles intentionally tried to cover it up.
And for people like Rias and the others, understanding this wasn't too hard.
"Big sister…"
Let's leave the others' reactions aside for now—at least for Koneko, she had fully accepted Kuroka's explanation and had fallen into her sister's embrace.
Considerately, Vitan and the others left the room, giving space to the reunited sisters.
"It's wonderful that Koneko-chan was able to reconcile with her sister." Asia traced a cross over her chest, genuinely happy for Koneko.
"Sorry, Asia—could I speak with Vitan for a bit?"
Patting Asia lightly on the shoulder, Rias gently asked to switch places.
Asia didn't hesitate and nodded.
After all, that tiny bit of jealousy she'd felt toward Rias earlier had long since vanished thanks to Akeno's comforting words. They were roommates now—there was no reason to harbor envy.
"What is it? You seem in a hurry."
Before long, the person walking beside Vitan became the red-haired girl.
"It's not that I'm in a hurry. You've probably already seen Kuroka's abilities for yourself."
Rias glanced over her shoulder. Seeing Asia chatting and laughing with Akeno, she leaned in and spoke in a lower voice.
"What? Interested in Kuroka?"
"Yeah. I mean, a powerful and kind-hearted servant like that, who turns out to be Koneko's sister—it's truly a rare find." Rias didn't bother hiding her admiration for Kuroka.
"Well, that's unfortunate. Kuroka's loyalty and bond have already been established with someone else." Rias let out a regretful sigh, much like a lottery player who just missed the jackpot.
"Not something to regret. Koneko's potential is in no way inferior to Kuroka's. The only reason she hasn't shown the same level of power is because she hasn't yet accepted the strength within her. And regarding that, once Kuroka finishes her foundational adjustments, she'll be training her directly."
Vitan slightly raised his arm, and Rias immediately understood his intent—linking her arm with his.
"Still, you know, Rias—you'd better put in some serious effort. Otherwise, once all your servants start awakening their latent powers, you might find yourself awkwardly being left behind."
Vitan flicked Rias on the forehead as he teased her.
Rias didn't get mad at his teasing.
"Well then, to avoid falling behind my own peerage, I wonder if you'd be willing to spare some time to teach me."
She blinked her large eyes, tightening her grip on his arm slightly.
"You sure know how to climb the ladder."
"No choice. My brother once said you might be the one in the entire Underworld who has the most command over different magical systems—second only to Lord Ajuka."
Frankly, Sirzechs's evaluation of Vitan wasn't wrong. After all, Vitan wielded the legendary grimoire Radix Astil.
The Asmodeus family, due to their special status in the Underworld, had a library that contained nearly every magic spell except for the secret arts exclusive to the pure-blood devil clans.
And Radix's unique ability was to perfectly record any spell it visually observed and reproduce it without difficulty.
Though, there was one thing Sirzechs got wrong:
The number of spells Vitan had mastered far exceeded those of Ajuka.
It's just that most of the spells he possessed couldn't be used by people of this world.
"Fine. I'll have Radix give you strict instruction from now on."
Vitan wasn't brushing her off—Radix truly was a top-tier master when it came to teaching.
Rias knew that well and gladly agreed.
"I understand. I'll do my best to learn from Miss Radix."
Don't be fooled by how talented Rias's peerage appears to be — in reality, Rias, who inherited the Power of Destruction, has an even greater potential than any of them.
Even Sona, who has always been neck and neck with Rias, doesn't quite match her in terms of raw potential.
So why has Rias never demonstrated this extraordinary talent?
In Vitan's eyes, Rias has fallen into the same trap as many other pure-blooded devils.
That is, they only know how to enhance their magical power to strengthen their bloodline abilities.
In reality, this is a very wasteful approach.
What they should truly be doing is thoroughly studying the unique conceptual power within their bloodline.
By deepening their understanding of their own concept, they can leverage that to affect the workings of the world.
Only in this way can one's combat power increase exponentially.
After all, if two people use the same amount of magic power, but one produces an attack with a 4:1 efficiency, isn't the difference obvious?
With this change in approach, Rias is likely to experience rapid growth in a short period of time!
Looking at the confident girl beside him, as proud and radiant as a peacock in full display, Vitan thought to himself.
"By the way, regarding Asia, what have you planned, Vitan?"
"Hm?"
Vitan, who had been lost in thought, instinctively responded with a questioning sound.
Rias didn't wait for him to say more before continuing.
"At first I thought you weren't in a hurry to recruit followers. But since you've already taken Kuroka in, why haven't you turned Asia — who's been with you even longer — into one of your peerage?"
In just an instant, Vitan understood Rias's intentions, and his face immediately revealed a helpless, amused expression.
"I see. So the whole thing with Kuroka was just a setup. Your real goal has been Asia all along, hasn't it?"
Rias chuckled awkwardly but didn't deny it — her meaning was clear.
"Sure, I don't mind. If you can persuade Asia to accept your Evil Piece, I won't object."
Vitan shrugged, showing a casual, indifferent attitude.
After all, he had never intended to make Asia a part of his peerage. His team didn't require a healer-type role.
So he wasn't particularly invested in converting Asia.
What mattered to him was simply that Asia could live peacefully in his home — that was the whole reason he had gone all the way to the Vatican to kill Diodora.
Besides, most of Rias's future battles would be fought in Rating Games, which have set rules and aren't just all-out wars. Such regulated competition would suit a kind-hearted girl like Asia much better.
"Alright then. I'll talk to Asia about it once I get back."