"W..what?!" Rias was confused for a moment by Gorou's words and tone of voice, but she quickly noticed the unusual atmosphere.
'...H..hypnosis failed'
The only logical explanation for such a phenomenon is the presence of a mental shield, but Rias doesn't detect any real magic in Gorou.
At best, he possesses a magical energy reserve superior to the average human.
'Yet, that's far from enough to resist hypnosis'
Despite her internal debates, the evidence was right in front of her.
Gorou Hyoudou had resisted hypnosis and was no longer in a good mood.
"Mr. Hyoudou, I think... there's a small misunderstanding"
Gorou didn't respond, but he was satisfied with the formal tone Rias used to speak to him.
Her previous nonchalant tone annoyed him a bit, as it showed Rias's regard for him.
A "mundane" figure.
The hypnosis attempt was the last straw.
'You can have Issei in your Peerage, even turn him into a pawn if he's happy, but nobody treats me like this under my roof!!'
That was the main reason for the intimidating aura expelled by Gorou at that moment.
"A misunderstanding? A devil comes into my home during the night with my injured son and she tries to hypnotize me, when I've given her the minimum hospitality due to a guest"
'I'm being a bit dramatic, since I'm the one who abandoned Issei last night, but I need to make her feel guilty'
A shameless but necessary action.
It was impossible for Gorou to properly beat Rias in this place.
At best, they'd all die because of his garage.
He also couldn't hide his knowledge related to the supernatural, as that would penalize Issei and his future challenges.
Of course, himself as well.
Thus, Gorou chose this path.
'I have to play with my connection to the Church to explain my knowledge of the supernatural, but keep my intellectual abilities secret'
Irina's father was already aware of the supernatural things happening to Gorou, but he doesn't know how far he's involved with the supernatural.
Back then, he even provided him with certain objects he used like holy water.
To the man of faith, Gorou must have just had some slight problems with a weak supernatural entity or a curse.
Gorou plans to use him as a witness, who can later testify about the beginning of the supernatural in his life.
Hunter and Gorou Hyoudou must remain dissociated for now.
"...I'm sorry for my action, it wasn't appropriate toward the father of a member of my peerage."
Fortunately, Rias backed down.
She's never been too reckless a devil, despite her laziness.
Unfortunately, Riser Phenix and a certain number of members of the young generation missed this reasonable side in the original story.
This side of Rias Gremory allowed Gorou to ease his finger on his bolter pointed at her, under the table.
"*Sigh* Ok, I'll let it slide and you should leave quickly for high school now."
Issei was confused for a moment because of the sudden subject change, but the clock brought him back down to earth.
"Quick Rias..."
He immediately left to change.
However, Rias didn't move.
Her eyes didn't hide her doubts or the multitude of questions in her mind.
"You're probably wondering how an ordinary human knows about you and all these things outside at night," declared Gorou while sketching an authentic smile.
Rias didn't refute or clearly accept his words at first, but ended up nodding.
A clear sign that she wanted to satisfy her curiosity.
Gorou simply used the name of Touji Shidou, who was a former exorcist stationed in Kuou city at one time.
Irina's father was used by Gorou as the truth clamp, to improve the recipe of his lie served to Rias.
Sooner or later, the Gremory clan will know the truth.
Their influence is too vast and deep at this time in the human world, but Gorou just wants to buy time.
'As long as the Stanford Pines model is completed, my security will increase enormously.'
"You don't plan to explain to me about..."
"The failure of your hypnosis? No, I'm not naive enough to talk about a subject concerning my mental well-being haha"
After a brief formal discussion, Rias left to change and left the Hyoudou house.
Gorou said nothing to Issei, but he chose to trust his son.
If Issei confesses Hunter's identity, then that will change almost nothing immediately.
However, he'll potentially have to leave Kuou city in the extremely near future.
'Yes, the devils and other factions will never let my projects succeed except under their control'
An unacceptable thing.
...
"How much longer do you have to work?"
Bzzz
While he was using his soldering iron to repair his damaged exoskeleton.
Miki came to visit him in his garage.
"Sorry to worry you, but I'm almost done"
He had finished maintaining his rudimentary equipment, but mainly improving his bag.
(Image)
After the incident with Kiba and Koneko, he takes seriously the importance of transporting equipment.
'Thanks to my new knowledge, I was able to create a bag that defies Earth's magnetic wave to defy its gravity'
A technology inspired by Stanford's Magnet Gun and Marvel's Magneto, to make his huge bag float in the air.
He hasn't finished the electromagnetic gloves and boots yet, which must have similar properties.
'I have so many ideas and innovations to try, but...'
Because of the brutal loss of his laboratory, he can't exploit all his new knowledge.
Miki probably read her husband's gloomy atmosphere, she decided to leave silently.
Bing!
During the last adjustment, his phone started ringing loudly in his pocket.
'Fuck, I almost had to start everything over here'
He frowned, before looking at his phone without hiding his annoyance.
"#####? What does he want from me..."
[Fortunately, you answered.]
"Don't beat around the bush, I'm currently very busy."
Gorou didn't hide his bad mood from ####, because he almost restarted a mini project because of him.
[Sorry for the bad timing, but I have a job for you... are you still interested in Sacred Gear?]
Gorou's face slightly tensed because of ####'s words, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Continue..."
#### spoke of a project underway within Kuou city, which is indirectly linked to an acquaintance of his.
Yes, he's talking about Raynare and Asia.
[I'd like you to help her...]
"Stop right there, I'm not interested in hurting humans, and I've been clear about that from the beginning, right?"
Gorou's tone became deadly serious, but #### wasn't intimidated.
He just quickly expressed the rest of his words.
[Calm down, you can have access to a way to steal Sacred Gear...]
Hung up.
Gorou didn't want to hear more words from the black priest, too zealous in his hunt against the supernatural.
'You hate the supernatural? OK.
You want to cooperate with them to hunt them? Weird, but OK.
You want to kill humans to facilitate your hunt? No no.'
A line not to cross, in his paradoxical vision of things.
Unfortunately, his contact seems to have crossed it too often.
"I'm going to have to cut ties with him soon."
Obviously, after their business related to the Khaos Brigade and the creation of his new laboratory.
[Outside of this Sacred Gear thing, can you get Soji Okita's DNA? Or from any strong human from the past?]
Gorou remembered an important element he had to obtain.
Despite the awkwardness, he decided to continue the conversation but by message.
[No problem, but you really seem interested in The Sigurd Institution's research.]
[Stop digging or I stop working with you.]
After the small warning, he closed his phone and looked at his garage.
'Yes, I need gifted people in different fields and strong people by my side...'