Chapter 90: Tina: Brother, my butt hurts a little.
"Tch, know your place, weaklings! You're prisoners now—don't you even understand something so simple?!"
The once IP-ranked 21st [Pluto] Rita Southbury swung her blood-stained longsword, flicking off the blood before sheathing it cleanly.
Her movements were crisp and decisive.
Yet that delicate little face was filled with disdain.
"That's right. If not for Mahiro-sama's mercy, I'd tear every single one of you apart right now."
This time, the words came from a seemingly frail girl standing beside Rita—Louise Seirazni.
Her face bore a gentle, spring-like smile, appearing utterly kind, yet the words she spoke were the most brutal.
She was one of Tina's sisters, ranked 70th in the IP, codenamed [Demon King].
The attitudes of these two only drew envious and admiring gazes from the surrounding children.
Death was nothing unusual to them. Countless companions had died at the hands of these people, not to mention the fact that the deceased might have bullied them in the past. The satisfaction of vengeance was palpable.
After that person was executed on the spot, the others fell silent, not daring to make another sound.
Even as the thick scent of blood filled their nostrils, even as the dead man's resentful glare lingered in the air.
"Mahiro-san, I..."
Seitenshi felt her mouth fill with bitterness, finding it difficult to even speak.
But Mahiro only smiled faintly and said:
"Wait, we're not done yet."
He gestured to Asaka again.
Asaka understood immediately, retrieving a prepared notebook from her kimono sleeve and reading aloud:
"According to investigations, all 932 (crossed out) 931 individuals present have been confirmed to be from the Tokyo Area, with 400 of them belonging to the 'Japanese Pure Blood Faction.'"
"Two days ago, they organized a protest outside Arcadia, attempting to breach the gates using homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails, causing millions of yen in damages."
"All have been arrested."
"H-how could this be...?"
Seitenshi's face drained of color as she listened, her delicate frame trembling uncontrollably. That familiar suffocating feeling seized her heart once more.
She felt as though her heart was bleeding!
She had explicitly ordered that no one was to approach District 39. She had even dispatched personnel for large-scale surveillance—so why had things still turned out like this?!
"Why wouldn't it be? These are the scum under your rule. Do you still think these people are worth saving?"
"..."
Seitenshi seemed not to hear Mahiro's words, pressing her lips tightly together as she took firm step after step toward the crowd of men and women, her gaze filled with sorrow.
"...Is what was just said true? Did you... really do such things?"
"..."
At first, the crowd averted their eyes, unable to meet Seitenshi's gaze.
Until one defiant voice shouted:
"Yeah, it was us! What are you gonna do about it?!"
"That's right, what can they do?! Seitenshi-sama, don't bother pleading for us! I refuse to believe these monsters dare kill all of us!"
"Exactly! Just a bunch of Gastrea—we don't need protection from these disgusting things!"
"Gastrea out of Tokyo!"
"Gastrea out of Tokyo!"
"Gastrea out of Tokyo!"
Like the herd mentality, once a leader emerges, the majority will follow.
But what they didn't know was that when their cries reached her—
Seitenshi's already suspended heart finally shattered.
She slowly stepped forward, biting her lip tightly, and raised her arm to deliver a fierce slap to one of the shouting individuals.
Slap—
The crisp sound of the slap acted like a fermata, pressing the mute button once more.
The person who had just been chanting slogans, along with the one who had been slapped into a stumble, stared at Seitenshi in disbelief, their cheeks swollen and red.
"...How could you do something like this!"
Tears welled in Seitenshi's eyes, her gaze filled with profound disappointment.
Humans, for the sake of their own slim chance of survival, would not hesitate to push others into the abyss.
And when there was someone special among them, everyone would unanimously cast that person into hell.
In peaceful times, people might still conceal their true nature.
But now, when their own lives were at stake, the ugly essence of humanity was laid bare.
She hadn't believed such words before, but now...
Seitenshi no longer wanted to say anything. Instead, she turned and bowed deeply to Mahiro and the children.
"I'm sorry..."
Just as she uttered those two words, Seitenshi suddenly felt her vision darken before collapsing into a sturdy embrace.
So warm...
If possible, Seitenshi wished this were all a dream, that she could wake up soon.
....
"Material Conversion: Golden Transmutation."
With one arm holding Seitenshi, Mahiro activated the material conversion magic with his other hand.
The targets, naturally, were those prisoners.
As the magic circle appeared, a golden hue began spreading from their feet upward. At this moment, the jeering crowd finally panicked.
They began shouting pleas for mercy.
Tears streaming down their faces, their hearts filled with terror, they repeated over and over: "I'm sorry, I understand, I truly know I was wrong. I shouldn't have come here to cause trouble, please don't kill me..."
But Mahiro shook his head: "You don't realize you were wrong—you just realize you're about to die."
Faced with their pleas, he not only showed no hesitation but intensified the spell. Amidst the pitiful cries and wails, this trash was all transformed into golden statues.
Their lives ended completely.
Not only benefiting the world, but also benefiting Arcadia.
Such a large amount of gold would probably last a long time.
"Wow, Mahiro-sama is amazing! Louise admires you so much..."
Louise watched this scene with great excitement.
Meanwhile, Rita crossed her arms and muttered disdainfully: "Tch, what a pervert."
"Mahiro-sama, do you need my assistance?"
Asaka stepped forward. Seeing the pure white figure in Mahiro's arms, her usually stern face showed slight displeasure, her eyes revealing hostility.
Another vixen trying to seduce Mahiro-sama...
As if having us wasn't enough for Mahiro-sama.
"No need. Just prepare an empty room later. We'll settle Seitenshi there for now."
"Understood."
Asaka nodded, then immediately added, "Mahiro-sama, are you going to do that with this woman? Just like what you did with the doctor?"
"???"
Her words were shockingly bold.
The moment before, he had been holding Seitenshi in his arms, but upon hearing this, he nearly dropped her.
Wait, when did this kid learn to talk like this?
More importantly, how did she know about him and the doctor?
"Tina has seen you entering and leaving the doctor's lab several times at night, so she told me and Kayo," Asaka said, as if reading his mind, puffing her cheeks and muttering gloomily, "I could do that kind of thing too, you know..."
"..."
Now it wasn't just these few who knew.
All the children around had heard, and it probably wouldn't be long before the news spread throughout Arcadia.
But most importantly, what on earth are you talking about, kid?!
Even if I were a degenerate, I wouldn't lay a hand on a ten-year-old loli!!
The problem was, after Asaka said this, the other children all looked at him with expectant eyes.
"So Mahiro-niisama likes girls..." Louise's eyes sparkled as she gazed at him, her gentle smile growing even brighter.
With her hands clasped together, she seemed both expectant and lost in some fantasy.
"Tch, what a degenerate man. Hey! Louise, don't fall for that man's tricks!" Rita tried to dissuade her sister.
But the other girl paid no attention, still immersed in her fantasies—probably coming up with baby names by now.
"What am I supposed to say to this..."
Mahiro rubbed his forehead with a sigh, too exhausted to even scold little Asaka.
"Listen up, I'll say this one more time! You're all still children, so don't think about nonsense like that! Understand? Save those things for when you're older!"
"Eh? That's not fair..."
"I'm not a kid anymore..."
"Tch~ Mahiro-sama, really..."
Most of the children looked disappointed at his words.
Only Asaka continued staring at him, her gaze now burning with intensity as she asked, "Mahiro-sama, if I understand correctly, once we grow up, we can become your wives, right?"
"???"
Wait, is that what I meant?!
What kind of Asaka are you?!
You're young, but I could sue you for slander!!
The farce finally came to a temporary end, and the unconscious Seitenshi was settled in a guest room to rest.
...
Night fell.
The giant monolith, bleached white to its limit and on the verge of collapse, swayed precariously under the moonlight.
Not far from the monolith, on a stretch of grassland, hundreds of standardized tents were haphazardly pitched. The figures moving among them were... all sorts of oddballs.
"Motley crew" would be an understatement.
Gangsters, thugs, perverts, murderers, bandits—it looked like a gathering of criminals.
Leading these private military contractors was the highest-ranked IP duo—
A middle-aged man ranked 275th.
This group, tasked with defending the Tokyo Area and often looked down upon by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, stared at the Monolith that seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment, their spirits sinking to the lowest point.
The countdown to the Monolith's collapse was nearly over.
By the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, the Gastrea horde would likely breach the Tokyo Area.
Because of this, the air was thick with tension.
Yet, Arcadia was the complete opposite. Apart from the Nocturnal Factors on night patrol, the other children slept soundly and peacefully.
However, there was an exception among them.
Tina, who should have been on patrol duty at this hour, had instead come to Mahiro's room.
"Mr. Mahiro, Her Excellency Seitenshi is still fast asleep."
Unlike Asaka, Tina held deep respect and gratitude toward Seitenshi—after all, she was the benefactor who had pardoned her crimes and granted her freedom.
"Yeah, I know."
Mahiro sat in his swivel chair, turning to gaze out the window at the distant city lights, murmuring, "She gave her all for the Tokyo Area. She probably hasn't had a proper sleep in days. Let her rest for now."
"Mr. Mahiro, what will happen to Her Excellency Seitenshi next?"
"Who knows? I can't say for sure what will become of her. It'll depend on the choice she makes when she wakes up."
"Mr. Mahiro, if possible… could you let Her Excellency Seitenshi stay?"
Tina stepped closer to him, gently taking his hand while gazing at him with her crystalline blue eyes.
It was rare—this little owl was actually pleading for mercy on behalf of her former benefactor.
But the problem was—
"It's not up to me. It's her decision."
He had said it before.
He was no saint here to save the world, and he respected the fate of others.
Even if he truly adored this pure white maiden, if she chose to live and die with the Tokyo Area, he would let her leave Arcadia and perish alongside it.
For now, he could only hope she wouldn't be so stubborn.
Yet Tina continued to grip his hand tightly.
"By the way, don't you have patrol duty tonight?"
"Not anymore." Tina shook her head. "The patrol team has enough members, so I'm adjusting my circadian rhythm. I plan to open a pizza shop."
Unlike the other children, Tina was one of the rare few who could cook—and quite skillfully at that. She was proficient in many things, especially handling ingredients, which was a rare piece of good news.
But the bad news was…
Tina only knew how to make pizza.
To be precise, she only knew how to pile ingredients onto dough, smother it in cheese, and bake it.
Like an emotionless pizza-making machine.
Still…
"And then?"
"I have a request. I hope you'll agree, Mr. Mahiro."
"What is it?" Mahiro instinctively reached out and gently patted Tina's head.
"Do you need money? Ingredients? Or an assistant? I'll have Asaka arrange it for you tomorrow—"
"No."
Tina shook her head, slipping free from his touch before standing directly in front of him. With expectant eyes, she looked straight at Mahiro, who remained seated in his swivel chair.
"Because of my nocturnal genes, I can't sleep at night. Adjusting my circadian rhythm is very difficult… so please let me rest on your lap for one night."
"???"
Wait, young lady, what kind of logical connection is there between those two things?
Does my lap have some kind of hypnotic function or something?
"If I can rest while being held by you, Mr. Mahiro, I'll feel very at ease. So please."
Without waiting for his answer, Tina climbed onto him on her own.
Since his position happened to be directly under the moonlight outside, and Tina's dress was strapless to begin with, a flash of black amidst snow-white came into view as she moved.
"Hey, you—"
"Hup!"
"Tch—"
This girl actually plopped right down on him, and because he was sprawled out on the swivel chair, she ended up sitting right on his stomach.
It didn't hurt at all—in fact, it was unexpectedly comfortable.
Helpless, he wrapped an arm around the girl's waist to keep her from falling off the chair.
"Good thing Asaka isn't here, or she'd drag you into a samurai duel for doing something like this."
"It's fine. Asaka-chan can't beat me."
Tina declared her certain victory, and simply sitting on him wasn't enough—she leaned in closer, nuzzling against him and sniffing the scent on his clothes.
She was like a small, huggable pillow—soft and fluffy like cotton candy, with warmth seeping through her clothes that felt absolutely amazing. It was the kind of thing you just didn't want to let go of.
Not to mention the faint, sweet fragrance unique to a young girl.
Of course, this was purely about the tactile sensation—there were no ulterior emotions involved.
The only downside was that this "pillow" was a bit restless, gently rubbing against him.
"Tch, behave, or I'll throw you out!"
Mahiro gave her little rear a light smack, and Tina immediately settled down.
At the same time, whether it was because of how comfortable he felt or the slow, gentle rhythm of Tina's breathing, even he gradually started feeling drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy.
A peace completely unlike the tense vigilance of the police officers guarding the Monolith.
Holding onto this soft pillow, he slowly drifted into sleep.
...
Knock knock knock!
"Mahiro-sama, are you awake? I'm coming in."
Asaka's voice came from outside the door.
With his sharp hearing, he gradually roused from his dreams.
"Ah, come in."
He yawned as he spoke.
Then, the door swung open, and three little girls rushed in—aside from Asaka, there were Enju and Kayo.
When they reached Mahiro, who had spent the night on the swivel chair, they all froze in place.
"Good morning, Ma—Mahiro-sama? Wait... wh-what is... this situation?"
Asaka had originally intended to greet him and ask what he wanted for breakfast.
But then she saw Tina curled up on top of him, her clothes in disarray!
And Tina, disturbed by the sunlight and their voices, also woke up.
"Good morning, Onii-chan."
Rubbing her sleepy eyes—likely due to her poor sleeping posture last night—her dress had ridden up, revealing even her black panties.
Unaware of the three shocked lolis, she blinked drowsily at Mahiro and smiled.
"Tina is happy... to have spent the night with Onii-chan. And Tina is glad Onii-chan indulged her selfish request... even though Onii-chan was a little too rough at times, and Tina's bottom still hurts a bit..."
The moment those words left her mouth, the room plunged into an eerie silence.
It lasted about five seconds.
Then, an earth-shattering scream erupted.
"Ti—Tina!!! You traitor! Thieving cat! Leopard! Stray cat! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—!!!"
"Lord Mahiro, please put her down. I must engage in a samurai duel with this homewrecker!"
Compared to Enju's passionate shout, Asaka's reaction was calm. She silently drew the ultra-varaidium alloy katana custom-made from Shiba Heavy Industries, its sturdy blade gleaming sharply under the sunlight.
She looked ready to cut Tina down with a single strike.
Only Kayo remained silent, locking eyes with him before expressionlessly mouthing the words—
"Mr. Mahiro, hentai~."
Mahiro couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Can I say I'm innocent?
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