Chapter 183: Late Night with Maya, Miya, and Mahiro
Since that day, Honoka felt as if the very air had turned sweet.
Though her personality remained as shy and easily flustered as ever, everyone noticed the change in Honoka.
A transformation from the inside out.
It seemed she'd gained a certain womanly charm beyond her previous girlish innocence?
Yet no matter how curiously they pressed her, they could never get Honoka to spill the secret.
Each time, they were met with nothing but her shy, foolish grin.
Yes, it was confirmed—this girl was in love, but with whom?
The Nine Schools Competition continued its schedule.
Led by Miyuki and Shizuku, with Mahiro's assistance, the first-year girls advanced triumphantly, winning battle after battle.
Though others' rankings weren't as impressive by comparison, First High's overall points showed an insurmountable gap over Third High in second place.
It was even more terrifying than last year—a nearly hundred-point difference.
And today featured the final highlight of the competition schedule—
"I really didn't expect that your Nine Schools Competition events are quite wild. Using 'Steering Shooting'—one of our USNA training programs—was one thing, but now you're bringing out 'Steeplechase Cross-Country' too. Looks like your defense department is preparing for war."
Lina sat in the spectator stands, casually analyzing the upcoming event based on her experience.
This final event was indeed the "Steeplechase Cross-Country."
As the name implied, it was an obstacle race through mountainous terrain—a competition to complete a forest course full of obstacles in the shortest time.
Similar in nature to "Speed Shooting," it was also one of the military training methods used by various national armies for mountain and forest exercises.
Beyond natural and artificial physical obstacles, automated gun turrets or magic would also hinder the participants.
The rules were simple: the event was open to all students regardless of gender, with the sole restriction that first-years were prohibited from participating.
Other limitations basically mirrored those of "Monolith Code"—no magic exceeding A-rank lethality was permitted, while there were no specific requirements regarding physical combat.
Yet it was precisely these simple rules that fully highlighted the event's difficulty.
"Hey, I recall your little girlfriend is participating in this event, and you arranged it yourself, right?"
Noticing that Mahiro sitting beside her showed no particular reaction, Lina grew curious.
"Aren't you worried something might happen to her?"
"Sayaka isn't as fragile as you imagine. She's quite strong, you know."
Mahiro smiled faintly, a hint of pride in his expression.
Then he raised an eyebrow at Lina and teased, "Besides, if we're talking about little girlfriends, aren't you the same, Major Sirius?"
"Hmph, who's your little girlfriend... And stop calling me by that title. I'm no longer Sirius."
Lina snorted lightly and turned her head away, ignoring him.
However, the faint blush rising on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
"...The race is starting."
Just then, Shizuku softly reminded them.
The large suspended screen lit up with the live broadcast feed.
However, when seeing the content of this "Steeplechase Cross-Country," the expressions within Mahiro's small group varied greatly.
Lina and Erika looked quite interested, while Miyuki, Shizuku, Honoka, and Mizuki clenched their hands tightly, sweating nervously for Sayaka who was competing.
As for the others...
"This competition doesn't seem particularly impressive. Isn't this just our training routine from a few years ago?" Poney said dismissively while holding her head.
"Is this really worth competing in? I could do this too."
Not only Poney, but even Tsukushi and Akame thought the same. They had been capable of this years ago, back when they had to deal with first-class Danger Beasts lurking along the route during their training.
No challenge at all.
It wasn't until Cornelia scolded them that they settled down to watch the competition seriously.
Still, their assessment wasn't wrong—this was indeed identical to their training exercises: simple jungle cross-country with some added obstacles. This was far easier than when they had to carry dozens of kilograms of weight back then.
Of course, for Sayaka, this was also extremely simple.
So simple that it actually surprised her.
Holding a CAD shaped like a katana that Erika had prepared for her, the bullets fired by the machine guns serving as obstacles appeared to her as if in slow motion. She didn't even need to use magic—just a casual swing of her blade was enough to cut them all down.
"So easy..." she thought.
It didn't even compare to the pressure she felt during sparring sessions with Kisara.
As for the automated puppets, they couldn't hinder her progress at all. After activating her acceleration spell, although the puppets chased relentlessly, they were ultimately a step slower and were quickly left far behind.
"Who is this competitor? I've never seen her before. Is she a freshman pretending to be an upperclassman?"
"What? I heard this competitor, Mibu Sayaka, is a Third Year from First High School, and she's in the Second Course! This is her first time participating in the Nine Schools Competition."
"Second Course?! Really? Are Second Course students at First High this skilled now?"
"Of course! After all, Senior Mibu was famously known as the Sword Maiden back in the day!"
In the spectator stands, students from all schools were astonished, with many even becoming captivated by her dashing and heroic demeanor.
Despite the course being a total of five kilometers, Sayaka completed it in under ten minutes—a feat that left even the Nine Schools Competition officials stunned.
This result even surpassed that of active military mages!
"This feels a bit too easy, almost like a game," Mahiro thought, crossing his arms with mixed feelings.
Although the purpose of having Sayaka compete was to let her shine in the Nine Schools Competition during her final high school year, he also wanted to gauge her current abilities.
Now, she had certainly achieved the goal of shining brilliantly, but as for the rest...
It might be better to let Kisara take over next time.
In the end, this year's Nine Schools Competition concluded with First High School defending their championship title.
With the Nine Schools Competition over, the leisurely summer vacation officially began.
And for him, the time until his next crossing was running out.
However, on the very first night of summer vacation, Maya suddenly contacted him.
"Oh my, it's been so long, my dear child. Sorry to disturb you so late—you haven't gone to bed yet, have you?"
On the screen, Maya appeared as elegantly charming as ever, her tone just as affected as usual.
"Since I chose to answer, that means I'm still awake. Go ahead. You must have something important to contact me so late."
"Ah, so cold~ I'm just a pitiful mother missing her child who left home, so I called to reconnect."
"Really? If you miss me so much, why not come over directly? It's not like you're immobilized like before."
"Hmm, you're right."
Maya deliberately put on an expression of sudden realization, as if saying "I'll do that next time," then continued:
"But actually, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you this time."
See? I knew this woman never visits without a purpose.
"Then go ahead."
Yet, in response to his question, Maya didn't speak immediately. Instead, she pulled up an image for him.
It was a photo taken during the previous Steeplechase Cross-Country race—a picture of an automaton.
"This automaton, do you know how it was made, Mahiro-chan?"
"Isn't it just a regular automaton? If there's anything special, it's the core drive—they sealed a parasite inside it."
That's right. The thing driving the automaton was indeed the parasite summoned by USNA's black hole experiment.
But these automatons weren't using the same batch; their nature was similar to familiars in ancient magic.
He had known since race day, when Shizuku told him her brooch sensed the presence of its kind, and in large numbers at that.
As for their purpose, that remained unknown.
However, Maya showed no surprise on her face, instead wearing an "I knew you'd know" expression.
"Then, Mahiro-chan, aren't you curious about the purpose and origin of these automatons?"
"Not interested. Toys like these can only be made to try to replace magicians as weapons."
"As for the origin, let me guess... It shouldn't just be the military. There must be collaborators within the Ten Master Clans too, like the Kudou Family."
It was almost too easy to guess. After all, the Kudou Family was the only one among the Ten Master Clans that continued to develop and modify ancient magic.
His "Parade" technique originated from ancient magic and could even be perfectly combined with Kimon Tonkou to use.
"My, you guessed it after all. This was the idea of that old man from the Kudou Family, my mentor Kudou Retsu, all for his beloved grandson Kudou Minoru."
"You've met that child, haven't you? His constitution is so weak... So this old gentleman came up with this scheme. If he actually succeeds, us magicians will be out of jobs~"
On the screen, Maya pressed a hand to her cheek as if troubled, expressing her puzzleness with an ethereal gesture.
But from the emotions visible in her pupils, one couldn't detect any trace of concern.
"I said, Maya, there's no need to perform this act in front of me, is there? I'm not Tatsuya. If you want to interfere in this matter, I'm not the one you should be looking for. I'm not the Yotsuba family's enforcer."
"Hehe, of course I know that. I've already asked Tatsuya to handle this matter—he should be on his way by now. I just wanted to have a little chat with you, Mahiro-kun."
Maya covered her crimson lips as she chuckled lightly, showing no trace of panic after her scheme was exposed.
She seemed to find great pleasure in his impatient expression.
Is this woman a sadist...?
"Since you don't like hearing it, Mahiro-kun, Mom won't say anymore."
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but this woman seemed to be getting better at understanding the limits of his patience.
However, what surprised him even more was the latter part of her words—
"By the way, Mahiro-kun, you must be on summer vacation now, right? When are you coming to visit Mom? I miss you so much, Mahiro-kun."
"But it would be best if you brought my dear older sister, Miya, along. It's been so many years since us sisters last met."
By the end of her sentence, both Maya's tone and expression carried a hint of nostalgia.
"So you already know."
"Though somewhat unexpected, it makes sense."
"Even if Miyuki didn't say anything, and Minami didn't say anything, this woman still has her ways of finding out about my situation."
"But this works out well. I was just thinking of bringing her to see you."
"Giggle, I look forward to meeting you both. Goodnight, my dear Mahiro-kun. Sweet dreams."
With that, the communication ended, and the screen went completely dark.
At the same time, Miya opened the door, descended the stairs, and gracefully entered the living room.
"...Maya has already discovered me, hasn't she?"
"Yes, but it's not a big problem. We'll just return to Arcadia tomorrow... Come on, let's go back to sleep."
Mahiro gently wrapped his arm around Miya's waist and returned to the room.
However, Miya became restless.
She didn't sleep well all night. Even the next morning, aboard the Yotsuba family's private jet heading to the burned island, Miya remained absentmindedly staring at the clouds outside the window.
"Mahiro-sama, Miya-sama, please have some tea."
"Yes, thank you, Minami."
Miya accepted the cup and set it aside, not even in the mood to drink her usually favorite iced tea.
"How rare to see you feeling afraid."
Miya: "..."
She didn't speak, only glanced back at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the window.
"Alright, alright, don't worry. Nothing will happen. After all, you're biological sisters—what could Maya possibly do to you?"
Miya: "..."
It was true that Maya wouldn't do anything to her, nor could she. Rather, back when she was alive, as her life gradually faded, Maya had actually been very concerned about her.
Making her feel the sisterly bond she hadn't experienced in years.
So that wasn't what she was worried about.
What troubled her was not knowing how to face her younger sister Maya—especially after developing such a relationship with Mahiro.
Was it really going to be as Mahiro said—Maya calling her daughter-in-law, and her calling Maya little sister?
How could that be...
While she hesitated, the plane had quietly landed at Misaki Island's airport.
There was no grand welcome ceremony.
As usual, only Seitenshi and a few others were present, but this time Maya had surprisingly come to greet them in person!
Attended by the butler Hayama, she stood on the tarmac watching the plane descend.
Beside Hayama was Mine, who had deliberately changed into a maid outfit today and wore the black stockings Mahiro liked most, her cherry-blossom pink hair tied into a strand hanging over her chest.
Seeing the plane land and the cabin door open, she couldn't contain her joy and hurried forward.
"Ah.....?!"
Mine froze.
The first person to descend from the plane also paused at this address of "master."
"May I ask who you are?"
Minami, who had gotten off the plane and was supposed to guide Mahiro, stopped at the foot of the steps. Though her words and actions were habitually respectful and her manners impeccable,
her tone inevitably carried a touch of seriousness and gravity.
"That's what I should be asking! Who are you? Why are you on master's plane?!"
Looking at the girl who had disembarked, dressed identically to herself, Mine inexplicably felt a strong sense of crisis.
In truth, Minami felt the same.
Though they didn't know each other's identities, a single glance was enough for mutual understanding.
But this stalemate was soon overshadowed by an even greater one.
A cool sea breeze blew gently, accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below.
Having also disembarked, Miya looked up and saw the woman not far away smiling gracefully at her. She paused slightly, then pursed her red lips as her expression gradually turned serious.
Her wine-red eyes reflected a face nearly identical to her own, and her delicate lips parted slightly as she softly called out:
"Maya."
"Sister, it's been so long since I last greeted you. How have you been lately?"
Maya gracefully walked toward them.
Miya realized that even after all these years apart, her younger sister Maya remained exactly the same, unchanged in the slightest.
Even her tone was just as—
"I'm genuinely happy to see my sister alive and well. Thank you for that, little Mahiro."
Hayama, standing nearby, merely bowed respectfully to Miya, addressed her as "Madam Miya," and said nothing more.
Like Hayama, Mahiro didn't interject into the sisters' conversation, leaving the moment entirely to them.
"That's enough from both of you."
Turning around, he placed a hand on each of their heads, stopping Minami and Mine from glaring at each other.
"This is Sakurai Minami, and this is Mine. Both of you are my maids, so you'll need to get along well from now on."
"I understand."
"Yes, Mahiro-sama."
Compared to Mine, who was more emotional, Minami was better at restraining her feelings, at least not showing them outwardly.
"Alright everyone, this isn't the place for conversation. Why don't you come with me to the Yotsuba residence first, and we can chat there?"
Maya suddenly made this suggestion, then turned her gaze to Miya, smiling gracefully as she added:
"Sister, you'll definitely come too, right?"
With things having reached this point, refusal was out of the question—especially since Miya had never intended to refuse in the first place.
Meanwhile, Hayama, as the butler, had already prepared the vehicles.
Maya, Miya, and Mahiro rode in one car, while the others took the other vehicle.
Mahiro had originally wanted to sit in the passenger seat to leave the back entirely to the sisters, but unexpectedly, both Maya and Miya grabbed him at the same time.
They insisted he sit in the backseat.
This led to the current situation—
Miya sat on his left, Maya on his right, as if he alone possessed these twin beauties.
The subtle fragrance of roses and the scent of blooming flowers quietly enveloped his senses, wrapping him in a bomb of aromas.
Yet, both women were gazing out the car windows.
Occasionally, Miya would ask with interest about the changes on the island, and Maya would casually chat with him about recent developments in Arcadia, the movements of the Enhancement Unit, or
Esdeath's recent battles in Europe.
But aside from that, the atmosphere grew increasingly stifling.
"Seriously, you two sisters—do you have to be like this? After finally reuniting following life-and-death separations, why make the air so heavy?"
Unable to bear it any longer, Mahiro voiced his complaint.
Miya pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Instead, Maya looked at him with a smile, playing dumb:
"What are you talking about, little Mahiro? Mommy doesn't understand."
"...."
He fixed a dead-fish-eyed stare on Maya's face.
I'll just watch you, without saying a word.
After a long and torturous journey, they finally arrived at the Yotsuba main house.
However, the location of the main house was no longer where it had been when he last returned; it had been rebuilt using the mansion he brought back from the Akame ga Kill world.
It even retained its previous hidden style, appearing much more modest compared to the massive estate next door.
Like an ordinary household.
Yet, just as he thought he had escaped this torment and prepared to follow them into the study, Maya stopped him.
"Little Mahiro, those girls miss you a lot. Go catch up with them. Your Aunt and I have some private matters to discuss."
And so, he was left in the living room.
But the moment the door closed—
Even Hayama was shut out, leaving only Maya and Miya, the two sisters, inside the study.
For the first time, Maya's expression shifted.
No, to be precise, it wasn't her expression that changed, but her aura and demeanor.
Though she wore a smile, it felt as if she wasn't truly smiling; her eyes, fixed on Miya, seemed to gaze into emptiness.
This feeling was familiar to Miya—it was as if she were seeing the Maya of old.
"Sister, what is your relationship with little Mahiro?"
There were no pleasantries, no customary invitations for tea—just a direct inquiry from the start.
Such bluntness caused Miya to waver for a moment.
"..."
"Don't try to brush me off with something like an aunt-nephew relationship."
Before Miya could speak, Maya had already guessed what she was about to say. With a charming smile, she said, "I can tell that your relationship with Mahiro is quite special."
"Let me guess, you've crossed that line and already done it, haven't you?"
Miya didn't respond, merely gazing quietly at her younger sister.
But this reaction was taken by Maya as silent admission.
"My, as expected of my child... It was just an offhand remark before, yet you took it so seriously—even your aunt wasn't spared."
It was impossible to tell whether she was laughing or furious.
The only certainty was that her violet eyes grew increasingly hollow as they stared into Miya's, sending chills down the latter's spine.
That void seemed capable of devouring all things, of annihilating everything.
Maya had become more terrifying than before...
Just then, Maya spoke again:
"But in the end, this is so like you, my dear sister."
With graceful steps, she drifted to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down. Her distant gaze seemed both nostalgic and wistful.
"I remember how close we sisters used to be. I still recall clearly how dearly you cherished me, always thinking of me first whenever you had something good... Though these memories have long turned into mere knowledge, I still occasionally revisit them."
Maya's words pierced straight through Miya's vulnerable heart, gripping it with an invisible force that made breathing difficult.
"But then... after that incident, everything changed."
"Sister, my dear sister, not only did you kill me with your own hands, but now you even try to steal my child!"
Maya's sudden outburst of rage sent Miya's mind reeling.
It dragged her back to that midsummer of 2062, when she was twelve years old!
The cicadas' shrill seemed to echo in her ears again. The weather had been as sweltering as today, yet she felt no warmth—only bone-chilling cold.
That day, Maya's sharp gaze had pierced through her heart just as now.
The words were the same too.
She had killed Maya with her own hands...
Transforming all her joys and sorrows into mere knowledge, Maya accused her with calm fury of having killed her.
But the next moment, she was forced out of this déjà vu.
The Maya seated before her suddenly radiated an immense and terrifying psion wave.
The psion quantity was no less than—no, precisely speaking, far surpassed that of a Strategic Class Magician, reaching a terrifying extreme!
Even Miya, her own sister, couldn't help her pupils contracting sharply at the sight.
"Since sister wants to kill me a second time, let me kill you once too—let me personally send you back to the grave. Then we'll be even!"
As the words fell, a pitch-black "night" rapidly spread and enveloped the study.
In all directions stretched an endless night capable of devouring everything, each inverted star shining with eerie brilliance.
She knew well—this was the signature magic of her sister, Maya, the Demon King of the Far East: the convergence-system magic "Meteor Stream"!
Only Maya in the entire world could wield this magic, terrifying as a domain barrier, in no way inferior to strategic-level magic!
Under this night sky, Maya was the one and only Queen of the Night!
But—
She had no intention of surrendering either.
Miya slowly closed her eyes and softly parted her delicate lips:
"Very well, my little sister... Maya. Let today settle the estrangement and all grievances between us sisters that began in 2002!"
As she spoke, she suddenly opened her eyes.
A sinister red light bloomed in her wine-red pupils.
A piercing chill permeated the surroundings, while a phantom shadow emerged behind her, tearing through the darkness as if the River of Oblivion from the underworld had pierced the night sky!
"Hahahaha, that's more like it, my dear elder sister, Miya Yotsuba!!"
Feeling the soul-freezing cold rushing toward her, Maya abandoned her previous elegance and allure.
For the first time, she laughed wildly and unrestrainedly!
Meanwhile.
Just as the two Yotsuba sisters were preparing for an all-out battle in the study.
Mahiro was sitting on the sofa in the living room.
"Master, please have some."
"Mahiro-sama, please have some tea."
Mine and Minami simultaneously presented a cup of tea, and surprisingly, they were exactly the same kind.
Seeing that the other had brought out their own proud, identical work, the two once again glared at each other.
Neither was willing to admit defeat, nor yield even half a step.
"Alright, alright, both of you, set them down."
What else could be done in such a situation?
Mahiro had no choice but to accept both, picking up the two cups of tea to taste each in turn, while also taking the opportunity to praise both of them.
Only then was the dispute between the two maids settled.
On the nearby sofa, Seitenshi couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle at the scene.
It wasn't easy to see Mahiro in such a predicament.
"What are you laughing at? Why don't you help me drink one?"
"No way, this is the bitter fruit you've sown yourself, Mahiro-san. You should savor it carefully. It would be even better if you wrote a few thousand words of reflections about it."
Seitenshi said playfully.
Since coming here, Seitenshi had grown livelier day by day, as if rediscovering the natural innocence of a young girl, but she had also developed quite a few quirks.
She had transformed from her previous gentle, elegant, and pure white demeanor into someone who enjoyed joking around.
It was as if the pure saintess had fallen into the mortal world.
Oh no, to be precise, from the moment Seitenshi stepped into Arcadia, this saintess had already been stained with his colors.
"By the way... who was that lady with you today?"
Seitenshi suddenly brought up another matter.
The one she was referring to was naturally Miya.
"That's my aunt, named Miya Yotsuba."
"Miya Yotsuba... is she Mother's sister?"
"Pfft—"
He had just taken a sip of tea but spat it out upon hearing Seitenshi's bizarre form of address.
"What's wrong?"
"Cough cough... it's nothing, nothing..."
He never expected that Seitenshi, who seemed detached from worldly affairs, would also start calling her "Mother."
How could the perceptive Seitenshi fail to see what he was thinking? Yet she had no intention of exposing him, quietly awaiting his response instead.
"Hmm, they're sisters, or rather, older sisters. Why do you ask?"
"I get the feeling their relationship isn't great. Is it really alright for us to just wait outside like this?"
Sensing the magical fluctuations emanating from the study, Seitenshi asked with concern.
"Well, let them vent properly. Their sisterly issues are practically historical baggage at this point."
Mahiro picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression nonchalant.
But seeing Seitenshi's worried look, he eventually offered a brief explanation.
He recounted the sisters' past grievances and recent events.
Seitenshi's expression shifted from shock and astonishment to regret, but ultimately took on a peculiar quality as she eyed him suspiciously.
"...Mahiro-san, you didn't do anything strange to Miya-san, did you?"
"Shouldn't you be more surprised about the dead coming back to life?"
"Mahiro-san, you didn't do anything strange to Miya-san, did you?"
Seitenshi repeated her previous question, a benevolent smile gracing her features.
"Alright, alright. Why even ask such an obvious question? Isn't it plain as day?" Mahiro spread his hands in a gesture of indifference.
"As I thought... Mahiro-san, you really are..."
Seitenshi gazed at him speechlessly, white-gloved fingertips lightly pressing against her forehead as if grappling with a headache.
"When you could clearly be a good person, why must you always pretend to be scum? Aren't we enough for you?"
"Then you've misjudged me~" Mahiro chuckled. "I'm genuine trash through and through, an unrepentant villain."
Being a good person was something he'd never aspired to be.
His philosophy was to follow his whims—act exactly as his heart desired.
Without morals, no one could ever hold him morally accountable!
Though Seitenshi had plenty to say about this, seeing Mahiro's current demeanor made her abandon any intention to argue.
"Now I understand why Mother wanted to speak with Miya-san alone... She probably already noticed..."
"You should know, Mother actually cares deeply about you. She's very sensitive regarding your affairs."
She changed the subject:
"...the unusual relationship between you and Miya-san."
Mahiro simply smiled, offering no response.
He silently raised his teacup and took another sip.
Regarding Maya's matters, he wouldn't comment.
Yet in the very next second, a violent tremor suddenly struck.
BOOM!
A heaven-shaking explosion erupted from the study, followed immediately by a powerful shockwave.
Barrier Formation!
A hemispherical protective dome enveloped the living room sofa.
The magically-constituted shockwave shattered the door, demolished the room, and slammed heavily against the barrier.
Witnessing this, Mahiro remained unfazed, calmly drinking his tea as if nothing had happened.
"What's going on?!"
The others who had been resting in the mansion after patrol duty immediately rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
He was utterly stunned by the scene before him.
What on earth happened here?!
The Yotsuba family mansion, which had just been built not long ago, was now completely flattened. The ground was covered with frost marks, and those frost-covered surfaces were riddled with craters of various sizes, as if they had been violently struck by something.
Two women who looked similar but were covered in dust and grime were now facing each other, panting heavily.
As for Mahiro, he was sitting safely with Seitenshi, Mine, and Minami, watching the spectacle unfold.
"Mahiro-sama, what exactly is...?"
Cornelia approached Mahiro to inquire, hoping to understand what had transpired.
But Mahiro simply waved his hand and said, "It's fine, just a friendly exchange between sisters. Nothing to worry about."
"Da...."
Could this really be called a friendly exchange?
If the commotion got any louder, it wouldn't just be them showing up—probably the entire island would come running.
Ignoring Cornelia's silent criticism, Mahiro set down his teacup, stood up, and walked toward the two women who were squared off against each other.
"...What's wrong, sister? Already at your limit?"
"...Maya, just how far are you planning to take this?!"
"I've already told you, my dear sister—I'm going to personally send you back to your grave!"
The love-hate relationship between these two sisters left everyone watching in astonishment.
Even Akame and Kurome couldn't help but exchange glances.
They found these two sisters rather strange—shouldn't sisters be loving and caring toward each other?
If it were them, they would never raise a hand against their dear sister.
That's what Akame and Kurome thought.
However, just as the two sisters finished their magical showdown and were about to escalate to physical combat—pulling hair and slapping—Mahiro stepped between them.
"Alright, you two. Had enough?"
"...Mahiro-chan."
His intervention instantly caused the madness in Maya's eyes to fade away.
As if performing magic, she instantly cast a cleaning spell, removing all the dust and stains from her body and restoring her elegant, charming demeanor.
But mentally, she didn't seem to recover. In fact, she unusually threw herself directly onto him.
"Mahiro-chan still cares about Mommy, right? You won't leave Mommy, will you?"
Mahiro: "..."
What in the world is going on?
Seeing how quickly her sister's demeanor had changed, Miya couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
"Mahiro, I'll leave Maya to you. I'm a bit tired and need to rest."
With that, she used a cleaning spell to remove the dust from her body and wordlessly walked away from the ruins.
She didn't even care about the torn black stockings on her legs, stepping away in her high heels.
As for where she would rest, naturally, it would be his mansion in Arcadia.
Although many people were already living there, there were still plenty of rooms available.
...
"Hmm hmm hmm~"
In the evening, soft humming could be heard from the bathroom.
Mahiro lay on the bed with a lifeless expression, staring blankly at the ceiling above.
The room was adorned in a palette of black and red, with even the carpet matching this color scheme. Paired with the European Rococo-style decor, it carried a somewhat flirtatious ambiance.
This was the room where he had awakened upon his return.
So, the person showering in the bathroom was undoubtedly Maya.
As for how things had come to this...
Naturally, it was because after he had escorted Maya back to her room, she refused to let him leave, insisting he stay and keep her company.
Otherwise, she threatened to pick another fight with Miya.
Honestly, whether you and Miya fight or not has nothing to do with me. If you have the guts, go ahead and kill her—I'll just revive her afterward.
Besides, both of you carry the evolutionary factor of the Tyrant. Who exactly could either of you kill?
At most, you'd just keep pushing your own limits higher and higher.
Yet, as if guided by some unseen force, he still chose to stay.
"Sigh..."
For no particular reason, Mahiro let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.
Just then, he suddenly felt the bed dip slightly, followed by a voice near his ear.
"Why are you sighing?"
"Finished showering?"
He opened his eyes and found himself locking gazes with Maya.
She had changed into a thin nightgown.
The design was particularly daring, almost like sheer gauze, faintly revealing the alluring curves hidden beneath—a sight that stirred the blood.
Moreover, Maya was leaning over him, her hands planted on either side of his head, her cascading wavy hair enveloping them both as if creating an intimate space.
Not to mention the fragrance.
The scent of shower gel mingled with Maya's natural body aroma, creating an intoxicating sensation.
But Mahiro abruptly sat up.
"Since you're done, I'll head back to sleep."
As he spoke, he made to leave the bed, only to have the hem of his clothes suddenly tugged.
The movement to get off the bed was halted by the owner of those delicate hands.
Though he could easily break free with a slight effort, he turned his head instead, giving Maya a questioning look.
"Why not stay and sleep with me? Or... is little Mahiro planning to go find that woman, Miya?"
"...Though I'm not sure how you reached that conclusion, I still want to clarify—I'm genuinely tired and just want to rest."
"Then stay and sleep with me. It should be the first time for us to sleep together, little Mahiro."
As she spoke, a bewitching smile curled at the corners of Maya's lips.
Simultaneously, her delicate body pressed tightly against him, her pale arms draping over Mahiro's shoulders.
She seemed to lean entirely against his back, murmuring lazily:
"Whatever Miya can do, I can do for little Mahiro too. Didn't you say before that you hoped I would devote myself and contribute to the future of the Yotsuba family?"
"No problem—that was my answer then, and it still is now."
"Besides, my body was incomplete back then, but you've healed me, little Mahiro. Don't you want to personally inspect the results of your treatment?"
Mahiro: "..."
It must be said, Maya truly has a way with manipulating people's hearts.
Were it not for her innate powerful special magic calculation field, one might mistake her for a mage skilled in interfering with mental systems.
But Mahiro still let out a faint sigh.
"You know, you're playing with fire."
"Giggle, what does it matter? Isn't the moth's final destiny to fly into the flame?"
A bewitching sorceress—this term couldn't be more fitting to describe Maya.
And Mahiro was the one being bewitched.
So—
What more needed to be said?
As the lights gradually dimmed, the curtains were drawn, and under the clear moonlight, two silhouettes were cast upon the backdrop.