Chapter 171: Return, and then go to school?
"...What's going on."
In the blink of an eye, the world around him had changed.
The good news was that he had returned from the "Akame Ga Kill" world.
The bad news was that it seemed no different from how he returned last time.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw towering peaks and a captivating burgundy evening gown.
Immediately after, he felt a gentle sensation on his head, like fingertips running through short hair.
Then came Maya's charming face—alluring yet filled with infinite tenderness.
"Awake already?"
The soft greeting echoed in his ears as the familiar rose fragrance gently wafted around him.
"Ah... Seems like I ended up the same as last time?"
"Giggle~ That's right. It appears little Mahiro's subconscious still yearns to return to mother's embrace."
Maya let out a series of bell-like laughter.
Her slender fingers unconsciously brushed across his forehead, as if trying to smooth the furrow between his brows.
"That's not funny at all."
Mahiro abruptly sat up from Maya's embrace, raising an eyebrow with a mocking laugh. "Return to your embrace? So you can throw me into the research institute again?"
"My, how unlovable. Could it be you've reached your rebellious phase?"
Maya evaded the question, gently covering her cheek with her palm while watching him with a concerned expression.
Though the concern was mixed with too much acting—obviously fake at first glance.
"Where am I?"
Ignoring Maya's teasing, he looked around.
He found this place completely different from where he was last time. While both shared the same burgundy dark aesthetic, this was definitely not Maya's room.
"This is Misaki Island—your Arcadia, little Mahiro."
"Arcadia? Then why are you here?"
Mahiro turned his head in surprise, only to see Maya pick up a teacup from the bedside and take a delicate sip, leaving a pure red lipstick mark on the rim.
This woman really does love black tea.
"Naturally, I moved the Yotsuba main family here."
Yotsuba Mahiro: ???
What the hell?
Hearing Maya's casual tone, his brows furrowed tightly again.
But Maya complained in a mournful voice:
"It's all because of you, little Mahiro. You pushed everything onto the Yotsuba main family, even making this poor single mother deal with behemoths like USNA. As a result, we suffered retaliation from USNA—they blew up the main family, leaving me no choice but to temporarily relocate the Yotsuba family here."
Maya spoke with such pitiful appeal, her tearful appearance making it seem like the truth.
But Mahiro stared with dead fish eyes, mercilessly exposing her lies.
"Stop lying. There are at least two falsehoods in what you just said—First, with your abilities, you couldn't handle USNA assassins?"
Forget about now—even in the past, Maya never took USNA mages seriously.
Did they think the titles "Demon King of the Far East" and "Queen of Night" were just for show?
"Secondly, judging by your current state, this is hardly a temporary arrangement. You're planning to settle the Yotsuba main family here to monitor me, aren't you?"
"Oh my, have I been discovered?"
Maya covered her mouth, playfully winking at him before complaining in a honeyed, syrupy voice:
"Ah, what's wrong with a poor single mother like me just wanting to stay by her child's side? It's already been three months since we last met, with no contact at all. Finally reuniting, only to be disliked by my own child—I really am a failure as a mother, aren't I? Sob~"
One thing she said wasn't wrong—as a mother, Maya was indeed quite a failure.
But Maya's tone didn't sound like lamentation; rather, it seemed like she was acting coquettishly toward him.
There was none of the dignity expected of the Yotsuba family head, nor any trace of that subtle dangerous aura she usually carried.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but this woman seemed to be letting herself go more and more.
"Wait, hold on. How long did you say I've been gone? Three months?" Mahiro suddenly caught the key point.
He remembered it being just one month last time.
"Mhmm, exactly three months. School has already been in session for two months now."
Maya answered softly, but her gaze—those jewel-like, brilliant and transparent eyes—seemed to be scrutinizing him.
"This time, you seem to have matured quite a bit, Mahiro."
She suddenly changed her tone, becoming gentle.
No one knows a son better than his mother.
Even though she hadn't spent that much time with Mahiro, she could clearly see the changes in him.
For instance, when he returned last time, she noticed his aura had gained a touch of brutality.
But now, it was steady, with a kind of effortless composure.
While she felt happy about Mahiro's changes, she couldn't help but feel heartache too.
Every change meant her child Mahiro had experienced many events and upheavals—especially this time. Whatever danger he encountered seemed to have left some strange pattern branded onto the iris of his eyes.
He's been marked with scars...
Though not obvious enough to hide within the dark pupils, this couldn't escape Maya's notice.
However, her worry, concern, and gentleness made Mahiro extremely uncomfortable.
Noticing this, Maya put away these emotions, and that elusive, elegant smile once again graced her lips.
She picked up her teacup and took a light sip, as if trying to hide something.
"My, it seems your journey to another world was quite interesting, little Mahiro. Could you tell Mommy about it? Or perhaps take me along next time? How about that?"
"Maybe I could even help advise you on selecting some quality girls to serve as excellent vessels for expanding the Yotsuba family line."
"Hah, so when placing monitors around me didn't work, you're planning to personally step in now? As for the selection process, forget it. The bonds between me and those girls aren't as simple as you imagine. This matter doesn't require your concern."
Mahiro's words were filled with sarcasm, but Maya paid no mind, continuing to savor her slightly cooled black tea.
After all, this had become the daily dynamic between mother and son—their relationship was just that pathological.
One didn't know how to be a mother, the other didn't know how to be a son.
"Besides, if we're talking about superior breeding stock for continuing the family line, who could possibly surpass you, Yotsuba Maya? One of the world's strongest magicians, with beauty that could topple cities—your genes are undoubtedly impeccable. Why don't you sacrifice yourself and contribute to the future of the Yotsuba family?"
"No problem."
"Hah?!"
Mahiro had only been joking, wanting to provoke this woman, but he never expected Maya would actually agree!
"You know, although I'm your mother, I've never actually been with a man. Saegusa Kouichi was merely my fiancé, and when those men from Dahan captured me, they didn't defile my body since I was too young to bear children at the time. Instead, they cut open my abdomen to extract my uterus and ovaries for research."
"Hmm~ Looking at it that way, I should probably thank those people? Oh dear, oh dear..."
While recalling these "knowledge" fragments in her mind, Maya couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
Though the laughter carried clear self-mockery.
"If you don't mind my incomplete body, little Mahiro, what would it matter even if I gave myself to you? It's just... I can no longer bear children..."
Maya set down her teacup, gently stroked her abdomen, then lifted her head to give him an elegant smile, faint light shimmering in her pupils.
This woman—she was serious!
But this caught Mahiro completely off guard.
What's wrong with this woman?
And why do I feel somewhat... expectant?
Is this woman sick, or am I the sick one...?
No, to be precise, both of them were sick, both rather abnormal.
"Let's end this kind of joke here."
Ultimately, it was Mahiro who surrendered first, thoroughly defeated by Maya, as he said in a low voice:
"I'll find a way to solve your physical problems. Here—this is the Enhancement Drug I brought back this time. I've already tested it. Even lost eyeballs and arms can regenerate. I believe healing your body won't be a problem at all."
As he spoke, he tossed out a metal syringe that landed perfectly in Maya's lap.
The experiments had naturally been conducted on Najenda.
Before parting, he had injected her with an Enhancement Drug.
He watched with his own eyes as she regrew her arm and restored her right eye to its original state.
However, Maya mistakenly believed Mahiro had experimented on himself—specifically cutting off his own arm and gouging out his eye just to test the drug's restorative capabilities.
This stirred indescribable emotions within Maya.
What she had said to Mahiro earlier wasn't a joke nor empty words, though it carried strong compensatory undertones.
But now, her heart experienced a faint tremor.
With each heartbeat came an inexplicable ache.
This sensation felt so long overdue.
She couldn't remember how many years it had been since someone cared for her like this—not even when her father Yotsuba Genzou and sister Yotsuba Miya were alive had they ever shown her such concern.
Even when she had been in dire straits back then, all they had thought about was how to keep her alive, but no one had ever considered how to restore her body.
In the end, it was that child whom she had raised as a tool since childhood, and who later evoked inexplicable emotions in her, who was striving for her broken body...
"Actually, you don't need to..."
Maya snapped back to reality and was about to say something, but when she looked up, she found that Mahiro had already left the room.
She lowered her head again, staring blankly at the syringe in her hand.
Though she didn't know what expression was on her face, she could guess it must be quite unsightly.
At this thought, she silently rolled up her thin sleeve, revealing her fair wrist with a crystalline sheen, and without the slightest hesitation, injected the drug into her vein.
The slight chill from the drug made her willow-leaf eyebrows furrow slightly, but she didn't pause even for a moment.
Nor did she consider whether this drug might kill her or something like that.
After the injection, a hazy light appeared in her amethyst eyes. She lazily reclined on the bed, exhaling a soft, orchid-like breath.
"If I could die like this, it wouldn't be a bad choice..."
A gentle smile hung on her lips, filled with endless tenderness—an emotion she only showed when she was alone.
As for whether the drug would work, she had long ceased to care.
It wasn't that she held no hope, but rather that she was already satisfied.
To have someone who cared for her like this.
But soon, she noticed something was wrong.
"..."
A soft moan escaped her throat.
Feeling the warm current flowing through her body, Maya's breathing immediately quickened. Unbelievingly, she gently placed a trembling hand on her lower abdomen.
It was as if she could hear the echoes of flesh regenerating.
She could feel it—in her abdomen, cells were dividing and building, blood vessels were spreading, flesh was growing wildly!
What she had once lost, the rights cruelly stripped from her by this world, were truly returning!!!
The familiar cramping pain made her heart surge with excitement.
"This child... actually did it."
Her feelings became indescribable. Her shimmering gaze fixed on the tightly shut door, her tender smile making it impossible to guess her thoughts.
...
After years apart, seeing those familiar faces again made Mahiro feel both reassured and warm.
It truly felt like returning home after a long journey.
However, he still had quite a few things to do.
First was settling the affairs of the "Akame Ga Kill" girls. He chose an empty space and released the mansion stored in his ring.
The girls inside the mansion were ecstatic to find themselves in a brand-new world.
Especially the former elite group—they were overjoyed to see Tina, Asaka, and Enju.
To this day, they still remembered the teachings of those three.
Their encounters with high technology also led to quite a few amusing incidents.
For example, Poney, who had never seen a mobile phone before, stubbornly insisted she knew how to use it. When the battery died and it wouldn't turn on, she thought it was broken and cried for a long time.
Then there was Sheele, who was learning to use the washing machine from Mine but accidentally ended up stuffing Mine into the machine instead.
As for Chelsea, whom he brought back, she also integrated into the group in her own unique way.
For instance, when bored, she would tease Mine, just like now—
"Eek~ flat-chested shorty, no boobs no boobs~"
Mine got so angry she puffed up like a bristling cat, immediately baring her claws and pouncing at Chelsea.
But Chelsea easily dodged her.
"Can't catch me, can't catch me~"
The two of them ended up tussling wildly together.
However, not everyone was interested in these trivial daily matters—Esdeath, for example.
This woman first had a fierce battle with Kisara. Although she was suppressed by Kisara's absurdly powerful swordsmanship, her extreme ice control abilities gave her the upper hand.
In the end, Kisara narrowly lost to her.
Moreover, this woman was far from docile.
Having just arrived in this world without even familiarizing herself with it, she immediately declared she would conquer the world or something along those lines.
Mahiro didn't refuse and simply let her do as she pleased.
Subordinates.
After all, that was what had been agreed upon from the start.
Aside from Mez and Suzuka, who were forcibly brought back as subordinates, Mahiro also handed over Tina's younger sisters to Esdeath and requested a few mages from the Yotsuba family to serve as her followers.
Since Esdeath intended to turn the world upside down, how could she manage without some subordinates?
But the assistance he could provide ended there—the rest was up to Esdeath herself.
After all, most children in Arcadia were unwilling to engage in combat, and he couldn't bear to force them.
However, when it came to Tina's younger sisters, Lina had to be mentioned.
Over the past three months, Lina had completely settled down. According to Kanae, Maya seemed to have spoken with Lina. No one knew what they discussed, but ever since then, Lina had become entirely well-behaved.
In addition, the Star squad, led by Sylvia Mercury First along with several female members, was forced to settle in Arcadia.
Originally, these individuals had planned to infiltrate Arcadia secretly to rescue Lina.
But the outcome...
It goes without saying—they were captured on the spot, much like a dowry sent by the USNA, and "married into" Arcadia alongside Lina.
Could this be considered a family reunion, worthy of celebration?
After handling all these matters, Mahiro naturally returned to campus life.
By the way, all the Teigu he collected in the Akame Ga Kill world, except for those that already had owners, were handed over to Tatsuya as souvenirs.
After all, they were useless in his hands, and Tatsuya seemed quite happy to acquire these otherworldly artifacts.
...
...
"Yawn~"
"Mahiro-kun, no sleeping in class! You've already skipped two months of school. If the teacher catches you sleeping now, you'll really get expelled."
In the classroom, Kyouko was conducting a tutoring session.
Mahiro, who had dozed off below, was quietly reminded by Honoka, and even Shizuku earnestly chimed in:
"Honoka is right. Even if you don't want to listen, Mahiro-kun, you should at least pretend."
"Shizuku! You're spoiling Mahiro-kun too much!"
"I just think with Mahiro-kun's abilities, it doesn't matter if he doesn't pay attention in class."
Although the two were supposed to be lecturing him, they ended up bickering with each other from a distance.
Miyuki, not far away, secretly glimpsed this scene and covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.
But to be honest, Mahiro felt like there was no real need for him to attend school anymore.
After all, his studies had become optional, or merely an embellishment to his life.
Mayumi and Mari had already graduated.
Although Sayaka had advanced to the third year, she was always busy with club activities.
Now, sitting in the second-year classroom, he was simply accompanying Shizuku, Honoka, and Miyuki, along with Erika and Mizuki.
But when it came to the new school year, one couldn't overlook the freshmen.
This year's batch still gathered quite a few notable figures.
For instance, the sisters of the Saegusa family, and Shiba from the Eighteen Families, with his monitor and maid, Sakurai Minami, also enrolling.
What surprised him the most was that Ayako and Fumiya, the siblings, were actually studying at First High School as well!
For a time, First High became a place of turbulent undercurrents.