Chapter 93: Return, But Waking Up in Maya's Arms?!
Nighttime.
The stone lanterns in the courtyard cast a pale blue-white glow, as the ink-black night enveloped the Yotsuba family's main residence.
In the living room, wisps of steam curled upward from the teapot under the dim yellow light.
"Maya-sama, there is still no news of Mahiro-sama today."
"How long has it been?"
"Exactly one month as of today."
"I see..."
Hayama, who was serving by her side, paused the teapot above Maya's cup, the amber liquid tracing a crystal arc. Maya's fingertips lightly traced the glazed rim of the cup, the rising steam blurring her profile.
"Maya-sama, forgive my impertinence. Is it possible that Mahiro-sama truly... passed away, as Tatsuya suggested?"
It had been a month since Mahiro's disappearance, reported to the main family by Tatsuya.
Though not explicitly stated at the time, the implication was clear.
Mahiro had vanished suddenly, along with the Sacred Relics.
As if dissolved into mist... no, even more exaggerated than that—not even molecular or elemental traces remained, as though he had never existed.
And this had occurred in FLT's laboratory, a completely sealed room.
Thus, Tatsuya concluded that Mahiro was dead.
"Giggle~ Hayama, do you think so too?"
"No, I merely base this on Tatsuya's report and the investigations conducted over the past month."
After all, if it were merely a disappearance, some traces ought to remain.
Yet despite the combined efforts of the Yotsuba, Shiba, and even Chiba families, no clues had surfaced.
"What if Tatsuya is wrong?"
Maya took a delicate sip of tea, her posture enchanting, her movements captivating.
"You mean... Mahiro-sama might still be alive?"
"Hayama, care to make a wager with me?"
"I dare not."
"Giggle~"
Maya smiled, resting her hands lightly over her abdomen, feeling the warmth through the thin wine-red fabric, her eyes brimming with indescribable tenderness.
"Though that child wasn't born from my womb, he still originated from my organs. Genetically, he is my child."
"Perhaps this is what they call a mother's intuition... I can feel it—little Mahiro is simply lost."
Her slender fingers unconsciously traced tiny creases in the wine-red kimono, as though mimicking the motions of cradling an infant she had imagined countless times.
Yet, at the same time, a flicker of regret and deep-seated resentment flashed in Maya's eyes.
That child should have been hers—born from her own womb, held in her arms, watched as he grew, just as her sister had done before.
But in the end... born like an experiment, she couldn't even embrace him with her own hands.
Completely stripped of her rights as a woman, as a mother!
And now, they want to take away the child she loves most, the one she cherishes deeply!
All of this was that group's fault... no, it was the entire world's fault!
The world had cursed her, forcibly stripping away everything that should have rightfully been hers as a mother!
Hayama, standing nearby, could naturally sense Maya's rare emotional fluctuations.
But as a butler, it wasn't his place to comment, so he simply continued pouring tea quietly.
Just then, the space in the room suddenly rippled.
Without any sound.
Without any warning.
Without any foreboding.
A human figure abruptly appeared and tumbled out.
Mahiro landed right on Maya, his head buried deep in her chest.
Not only was Hayama startled, but even Maya let out a surprised "Oh my" as she looked at the person sprawled on top of her.
She seemed almost disbelieving.
So much so that her arms instinctively tightened upon contact with Mahiro's body before immediately relaxing into an embrace, her silk sleeves making faint rustling sounds from the sudden movement.
Then, like a victorious champion, she raised her head to meet Hayama's gaze.
"Hayama, you lose."
This elegant witch wore a mischievous, girlish smile on her bewitchingly beautiful face.
"Maya-sama..."
Hayama was momentarily at a loss.
The bet was the least of his concerns—what truly troubled him was that Mahiro had appeared out of nowhere and was now lying atop the family head!
How improper!
"Shh~ Look how soundly little Mahiro is sleeping, so let's not disturb him."
Maya raised a finger to her lips in a silent "shush," cutting off Hayama before he could speak, while her other hand gently stroked Mahiro's hair.
Watching him sleep peacefully against her chest.
Though Maya had been startled at first, even flustered, not a trace of anger surfaced. Soon, her surprise faded, replaced by an indescribable tenderness in her eyes as she radiated a powerful maternal aura!
This was her first time holding this child.
Though the timing might be a bit questionable?
"Maya-sama, regarding Mahiro-sama's return, should we inform Miyuki-sama and the Saegusa family?"
After Maya had cradled the boy for a while, Hayama made this suggestion.
"Hmm~ I don't think that's necessary."
Maya continued stroking the sleeping Mahiro as she replied leisurely, "Matters between young ladies should be left for my child to handle himself. Consider it punishment for disappearing for so long."
Could this really be called punishment?
Hayama dared not question it, and Maya paid it no mind.
What concerned her more was where her child had gone this past month. Judging by his travel-worn appearance—
"It seems he's been through quite a lot."
Cold. Trembling.
Mahiro's consciousness gradually emerged from the darkness, followed by a peculiar warmth and the delicate fragrance of roses lingering at his nose.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
With these three existential questions, Mahiro slowly began recalling everything that had happened.
He remembered that after unleashing "Meteorite Fall," the falling meteorites descended like fiery comets, their shockwaves and explosions spreading across the land.
The oceans boiled.
Only after the world had burned into a dead star did he activate the teleportation function of his ring.
What happened next, he couldn't quite recall.
Because everything went black, and he inexplicably lost consciousness.
So...
Gradually, he opened his eyes, only to find himself in an unfamiliar yet exquisitely antique room.
There was a heavy desk with a high-backed chair, bookshelves stretching up to the ceiling, and an old tea set placed before a sofa arrangement that seemed meant for receiving guests.
The room's decor leaned toward an opulent European style.
A completely unfamiliar place.
The air carried a faint, soothing floral fragrance, reminiscent of roses—identical to the scent he had noticed earlier.
Somehow, it gave him a sense of reassurance.
Not only that, but he also felt like he was lying on a soft, spacious bed, judging by the black-and-red curtains draped high on either side.
Except the thing beneath his head didn't feel like a pillow. More like...
"Oh? Already awake?"
A woman's voice, tinged with surprise, snapped him out of his daze.
Turning his head, he was met with an exquisitely beautiful face, startling him into sitting upright.
Wait—Yotsuba Maya?!
He finally got a clear look at the woman before him.
She wore a deep purple-red dress with a plunging neckline, revealing generous swathes of fair skin and a dangerously deep cleavage.
The hem of the dress stopped just above her knees, while her slender legs were encased in black stockings, accentuating their graceful curves.
A pair of wine-red high heels rested on a footstool nearby.
And the beauty mark near the corner of her eye added an innate allure to her already captivating demeanor.
In his memory, the only woman who possessed such bewitching beauty—aside from the late Yotsuba Miya—was his so-called mother, Yotsuba Maya!
As his gaze drifted downward again, landing on the slightly wrinkled and disheveled skirt, it dawned on him—he must have been lying there earlier. On Maya's lap!
Which meant that the source of that fragrance was none other than Maya herself!
Seriously?!
"Giggle~ That expression is truly amusing. It was worth waiting a full day and night for this."
Maya chuckled lightly, covering her crimson lips with slender, jade-like fingers. Her amethyst eyes shimmered with unmistakable interest.
If it weren't for the inconvenience, she might have pulled out a camera right then to capture Mahiro's stunned expression, framed it in golden nanmu wood, and displayed it by her bedside as a keepsake.
"..."
Mahiro stared at Maya's enigmatic smile, then clutched his head, muttering in deep thought:
"Wait... If you're going to do something, hold on a second. Let me sort this out—what the hell is going on?"
Seeing his utterly bewildered expression, Maya's smile deepened. She stared straight at Mahiro, not shifting her gaze for even a second.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Instead of answering, Maya countered with a question of her own: "Why would I do anything to you?"
She maintained her smile, then looked at Mahiro with a puzzled expression. Out of habit, she reached for a teacup, only to remember that this was her bedroom and no such preparations had been made.
So she called for Hayama, instructing him to bring a pot of tea.
In no time at all, Hayama entered the room with the tea. After pouring herself a steaming cup of black tea, she gestured toward Mahiro as if asking, "Would you like some?"
"No thanks, I don't like black tea," Mahiro firmly declined.
Rather than drinking tea, he was more interested in understanding the current situation.
"What an unlovable child you are."
Maya murmured as she took a delicate sip from her cup, her elegant demeanor now tinged with a hint of playfulness.
He remembered hearing similar words back at the Fourth Research Institute, but this time, there was an inexplicable girlish charm in Maya's tone that hadn't been there before.
It made him involuntarily think—
Was his mother an elven maiden?
Or perhaps a young, elegant witch of a mother?
No... his mind was getting muddled.
Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to Maya, who was still sipping her tea.
"If you're not going to take action, then can you at least tell me what's going on here?"
"What do you mean, what's going on?"
Maya set down her teacup and leisurely countered, "It's just some intimate interaction between mother and child. Don't tell me you don't like it, Mahiro?"
"...Stop talking nonsense."
Mahiro's lips twitched. "I don't recall our relationship ever being that close."
"Ah... what a hurtful thing to say. Even I would feel wounded hearing that."
Maya rested her cheek on her hand, pouring every ounce of theatricality into the gesture.
But seeing that he wasn't falling for it—his expression remaining utterly unmoved—she lowered her hand to rest on her abdomen and conceded:
"Fine, fine. It's not as complicated as you think. You just suddenly appeared at the main house in an unconscious state, so you were brought here."
An elegant smile graced Maya's lips.
Was it just his imagination, or was Maya being more accommodating than before?
And also...
"Earlier, you said it took a day and night... so I was lying on your lap for an entire day?"
"Mhm."
Maya gave a playful hum in affirmation.
Then, with exaggerated flair, she ran her fingertips along her legs and sighed, "Even now, my legs are still a bit numb and hard to move."
This woman—even her complaints came off like coquettish flirtation, laced with a hint of seduction.
As for the content of her complaints, Mahiro paid them no mind, instead turning his attention back to the room.
"Mahiro, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing. It just feels unfamiliar—probably the first time I've seen it."
Though he'd never wandered around the Yotsuba main house, he had seen glimpses of it during video calls with Maya. Each time, the background was different, but this particular room had never appeared.
"How odd of you to focus on that."
Maya giggled like a young girl. "This is my bedroom—a completely private space."
Not surprising in the least.
Though it was more modest than he'd imagined.
Moreover, the entire room was in a signal-blocked state, with the only means of contacting the outside world being a single internet-connected device.
After surveying the room, his gaze finally settled back on Maya.
Maya also finished the last sip of tea from her cup, likely eager to get straight to the point. She placed the cup back on the saucer and met his gaze.
"So, can you tell me where you've really been this past month?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"..."
Maya did not respond, but her deep gaze said it all.
"Fine, I might as well tell you."
Mahiro candidly recounted the events, from his encounter in the Black Bullet world to his efforts to gather the Cursed Children.
Maya listened quietly, resting her chin on her hand like a little girl hearing a fairy tale.
Until she heard how he had ultimately destroyed that world.
Her eyes finally flickered with emotion—a complex mix of anticipation and resignation, two entirely opposing feelings intertwined.
"You don't seem very surprised."
"Mhm."
Maya let out a light, matter-of-fact hum before saying, "Well, if magic straight out of fairy tales exists, and there are so many unearthed relics that modern science can't even decipher, the existence of another world isn't all that shocking, don't you think? Little Mahiro."
"..."
It made sense.
Not to mention relics and magic, this world already had incomprehensible fantasy beings like familiars and spirits.
And apparently, the U.S. had even detected something from a black hole.
So, Maya's calm reaction wasn't all that strange.
"Since you're not surprised, I guess I can just hand over my souvenir without any fuss?"
"?"
Under Maya's puzzled gaze, he flipped his palm, revealing a small metal syringe no longer than five centimeters. Inside, a blood-red liquid sloshed gently.
"This is an AGV enhancement serum developed by a scientist I met in that world. It has the highest level of regenerative capabilities—even organs can be restored."
"!"
At the mention of organ regeneration, a faint ripple of emotion passed through Maya's eyes.
Then, Mahiro added:
"Even though you've never been particularly kind to me—maybe even hate my existence—you're still my mother in the end. So... whatever. This kind of talk doesn't suit me. Just think of this serum as something I stumbled upon and decided to use to help heal your body."
Mahiro scratched his head awkwardly.
But Maya was moved.
Though that emotion lasted less than a second before she buried it deep inside.
She didn't know how to be a mother, nor how to respond to a child's feelings. All she could do was maintain the status quo.
And ask one question:
"...You've already injected this yourself, haven't you?"
Her voice was soft, giving no hint of her emotions.
"Yeah. Don't worry, I've definitely used it. It won't kill you. I'm not like you—I wouldn't do something as vile as experimenting on my own child."
Mahiro muttered darkly.
"Giggle~"
Maya laughed carelessly, then extended her arm to him, gently rolling up her silk sleeve.
"Then, you can be the one to inject me."
It was an unexpected move.
He had assumed Maya would take the syringe and send it to the Fourth Research Institute for analysis.
But since she said so, Mahiro had no reason to refuse.
So he grasped that slender wrist, then slowly inserted the needle into the pale, soft skin, watching as the liquid inside visibly sank into the veins.
He had to admit, Maya's endurance was unexpectedly strong.
Even he had felt like dying when injected, yet Maya's reaction was remarkably calm—she merely furrowed her brows slightly.
If not for seeing the beads of sweat already covering her forehead, the fabric of her clothes gradually soaking through, and under the observation of the Elemental Sight, the changes occurring within her cells...
He might have mistakenly thought the serum had no effect on her.
Unfortunately, his goal remained unachieved.
"Why is this happening?" Mahiro couldn't understand.
Maya's physique had indeed strengthened, her recovery ability activated—proven by the faint Psionic Light shimmering around her body. Even some old internal injuries had been healed.
Yet the pelvic cavity remained empty, nothing regrowing there.
Could the dosage be insufficient?
But it had restored Kisara's kidneys and even cured congenital diseases.
It felt... as if she were cursed.
"It's alright... I'm already very satisfied like this."
A weak yet seemingly happy smile curved Maya's lips, her gaze toward him carrying a subtle change.
"Thank you, little Mahiro."
"Sigh..."
Though it was the first time hearing this woman express gratitude, Mahiro sighed faintly. "I originally wanted to ask you for something in return for this... seems impossible now..."
"Oh?"
Maya studied him with interest, still speaking in that unhurried tone. "What is it? You can tell me. Maybe I'll give it to you if I'm happy enough."
Mahiro raised an eyebrow at her words, replying expressionlessly:
"What if I said I want Misaki Island? Would you give it to me?"
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