Chapter 353: The Suddenly Unfolding Banquet of Flame
Yotsuba Mahiro, who had left the library with Aya, was unaware of everything that happened after his departure.
If he had known, he would probably have laughed for a whole year.
This kind of maneuver was something he had never seen in all his life.
At this moment, he had already settled Aya in the apartment, using his understanding of Spatial Magic to temporarily deactivate the bracelet.
As for himself, he had returned to school once again to pick up Yuuma after class.
After all, no matter how sensible Yuuma might be, being hurt by Aya, who was her mother, would surely leave her feeling sad and upset.
As the father, it was only natural to comfort his wounded daughter.
"Yuuma, are you sure you only want this?"
"Mhm."
Yuuma nodded vigorously.
Inside the gift shop, five little girls—Yuuma, Est, Avrora, Nagisa Akatsuki, and Kanon Kanase—each held a delicate and petite hairpin in their hands.
These hairpins were all of the same style, differing only in color.
Though inexpensive, this was exactly what Yuuma wished for—to equally share the happiness she had received with her friends.
Moreover, she was even more grateful to Yotsuba Mahiro, her father.
This was the first time since she could remember that she had ever received a gift!
Yuuma pursed her lips slightly, tightly clutching the hairpin in her small hand, and then threw herself toward Yotsuba Mahiro.
"Thank you, Father!"
Like a child, she buried herself in Mahiro's embrace, her eyes filled with excitement and joy.
Although Yuuma was already a middle school student, in her second year of junior high, her actual age was much younger than her appearance. In the cultivation tank, she had skipped the best years from ages 0 to 6 in one go.
Perhaps because they had received gifts, Est and Avrora did not rush forward to compete for attention with Yuuma.
Only Nagisa Akatsuki formed her small mouth into an "O" shape, her face filled with shock and disbelief.
"Mahiro-nii is Yuuma-nee's father?!!"
She had not known about this. Perhaps it had been mentioned in the past, but her careless nature had never allowed her to notice.
Today, she had finally discovered this matter, but unfortunately, there was no one left to explain it to her.
"Alright, now that you've received the gift, you can't stay angry at your mother, Aya, anymore."
Mahiro gently stroked Yuuma's small head, teasing the girl in a joking tone.
"Mhm."
The girl nestled in Mahiro's arms nodded vigorously once more, then looked up at him seriously.
"Father, actually, I'm not angry at Mother. I just don't know why I made her angry. I only wanted to earn Mother's approval..."
The more she spoke, the softer Yuuma's voice became, until it faded into a murmur.
Recalling what had happened at school at noon today, even Yuuma couldn't help but feel sad and upset.
"It's alright."
Mahiro comforted her:
"Actually, Aya isn't angry at you, Little Yuuma. She's just... worried about things that could never happen. From now on, Little Yuuma shouldn't keep the same hairstyle as Aya anymore. How about tying it into a ponytail?"
As he spoke, his hand slid down from the top of Yuuma's head, caressing the neatly trimmed ends of her hair.
It was a bit of a shame. She had worked so hard to grow it this long, only for Aya to cut it all off in one stroke, returning it to how it was before.
No, when he got back, he would have to punish her properly again!
Yuuma was unaware of Mahiro's inner thoughts at that moment, only feeling her chest gradually filling with emotion.
So, Mother wasn't truly disgusted with her after all.
At this realization, the lingering disappointment and sadness in Yuuma's heart vanished in an instant, and her gaze toward Yotsuba Mahiro brimmed with gratitude.
She believed that Mother's change was absolutely Father's doing!
Then, she nodded heavily.
"Yes, Yuuma will listen to everything Father says!"
After sending Kanon Kanase back to the welfare institution, Mahiro brought the four little ones back to the apartment, where he once again saw Natsuki Minamiya, who had been missing for an entire day.
However, Natsuki Minamiya was glaring at him with an unfriendly look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What did you do?" Natsuki asked softly.
"???"
Mahiro slowly typed a few question marks in his mind, then began to think that he hadn't done anything today that would affect Itogami Island. So, he replied straightforwardly:
"I didn't do anything."
"Really?"
"Of course. I just took a few kids to buy some gifts after school today. Do you want some too, Natsuki?"
"I don't want that kind of thing! I mean, aside from that, what did you do?!"
"Nothing else... Oh, right, I released Aya's bracelet for half a day. That shouldn't affect anything, right?"
"You only did that one thing?"
"What else?"
While answering Natsuki's questions, he sat on the sofa, took a sip of tea, and asked Nagisa Akatsuki and Little Yuuma to help Avrora and Est change clothes. Then, he told them to return to their rooms to do homework.
Nagisa Akatsuki muttered, "You're really something," and took them back to their rooms.
Natsuki Minamiya didn't press further.
Still, she was very curious about what Yotsuba Mahiro had done to Aya.
When she returned to the apartment after work, she saw Aya, but just by intuition, she noticed that Aya had changed. There was an indescribable shift in her demeanor, something Natsuki couldn't quite put into words.
Her outline had also softened slightly, no longer as sharp and cold as before.
Most importantly, Aya had actually greeted her—a rare occurrence!
Though her attitude was still cold, with just a simple "You're back," this was unprecedented since their falling out!
It was as if the relationship between them had instantly returned to how it was before Aya mastered the Grimoire of the Oath of Darkness!
However, Natsuki didn't press further on this matter. As long as everything was moving in a positive direction, that was enough.
Night slowly fell.
After bathing, the girls each returned to their bedrooms.
Mahiro, who bathed last, waited until everyone was asleep before quietly slipping into Aya's bedroom.
Perhaps anticipating his arrival, Aya hadn't locked the door tonight.
Moonlight, like melted ice water, streamed in, illuminating the dim room.
The twelve-layered kimono she usually wore hung neatly on a standing clothes rack.
On the pure white bed, a gentle curve rose—Aya was lying on her side, facing away from the door, fast asleep.
Seeing this, Mahiro smiled, walked to the bed, lifted the covers, and slipped right in. He wrapped his arms around Aya's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
He could clearly feel Aya's body tremble and tense up for a moment, but she soon relaxed.
Tonight, Aya was wearing only a bathrobe.
Through the thin fabric, he could sense her rising body temperature and gradually quickening heartbeat.
Aya's breathing was growing increasingly rapid.
She had already woken up the moment he entered the room, but she showed no intention of refusing.
"Don't worry, I've already comforted Little Yuuma. She doesn't hate you because of what happened."
Mahiro whispered softly into Aya's ear. Aya didn't respond, so Mahiro continued on his own:
"But next time, don't be so impulsive, and don't let those unnecessary thoughts fill your head, okay?"
This time, Aya let out a soft "mm" in response.
Mahiro didn't say anything more, simply continuing to hold the warm Aya in his arms.
But as he held her, his hands gradually grew restless.
Hmm, it feels just a size smaller than Maya and Miya.
He was quite surprised, or rather, it had been even more world-shattering when he witnessed it firsthand.
He had originally thought Aya was flat, but that was entirely due to her thick clothing making her appear so. In reality, she was quite well-endowed!
Suddenly, Aya let out a soft sigh, feeling something pressing against her waist.
She then rustled around, searching her body, before tossing a pure white bathrobe onto the floor.
"Aya? What are you doing? Wait, I was just holding you, I didn't mean to do anything else… Ouch!"
"Don't move!" Aya lightly scolded, then continued:
"Although I am a Witch and have no interest in such matters, you are my husband. Naturally, I must fulfill my duties as a wife. It must be uncomfortable for you… Mmm!"
Half of her fair thigh was exposed, her jade-like skin emitting a faint, clean scent of bathing.
Her delicate face, flushed with a hint of white, and her moist eyes seemed to silently beckon him.
Like a guide through the mountains, she led him effortlessly into the hidden valley springs, exploring the unknown realms.
Although the two had only experienced this collaborative effort once, they moved with the seamless coordination of longtime comrades.
To be honest, do Witches really have no interest in such things?
Mahiro found it a little hard to believe.
The night passed, and morning arrived.
Mahiro felt refreshed and invigorated, while Aya, usually icy, now radiated a captivating beauty, though she walked with a slight, hesitant limp.
At the breakfast table, an inexplicable, tense atmosphere hung heavily in the air.
Seated at the head of the table, Natsuki Minamiya's gaze shifted back and forth between Aya and Yotsuba Mahiro.
Her tightly pressed cherry lips seemed to want to say something—or rather, even a fool could tell what had happened between the two.
But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Aya, acting unusually, helped Mahiro prepare breakfast, tirelessly feeding him.
"Eat a little more, my husband."
She carefully peeled a boiled egg with her slender fingers that should have been turning pages of books, placing it on Mahiro's plate.
Suddenly receiving such care, Mahiro felt somewhat at a loss.
Yuuma, however, watched the morning interaction between the two with eyes full of joy.
Wasn't this exactly the scene of loving parents she had longed for in her heart?
Next, she needed to work hard herself, striving to earn Mother's recognition!
Yuuma cheered herself on internally.
Avrora and Est blinked in confusion, watching the two.
They had no idea what was happening.
Sensing the terrifying atmosphere lingering over the dining table, Avrora didn't dare ask and could only tremble in fear.
Only Nagisa Akatsuki, while eating breakfast, muttered under her breath, standing up for her friend Yuuma.
Things like a mother hitting her daughter in public for no reason.
"Yuuma."
"Yes, Mother!"
Suddenly hearing her mother softly call her name, Yuuma was startled and immediately straightened her posture.
"Yuuma, I feel very sorry about what happened yesterday."
Natsuki Minamiya: ?
Yotsuba Mahiro: ?
Yuuma Tokoyogi: ?
Natsuki and Mahiro were somewhat bewildered. Natsuki had no idea what madness had come over Aya; as her closest friend, she knew all too well just how proud Aya's personality was.
Yet in just one night, that proud Aya had actually lowered her head?
Why?
Yuuma looked even more overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, quickly waving her hands and saying, "No... Mother, there's no need to apologize... I, I know I haven't done well enough..."
"Since you are aware of your shortcomings, then study diligently and hard. Do not disgrace the name of Blue Witch that I have carved for you, and do not disappoint your father's expectations for you."
Aya spoke softly with a calm expression.
Yuuma didn't react at first, but then nodded with a face full of joy.
"Yes! Yuuma understands, Mother!"
"Hey, Aya. What's wrong with you?"
Natsuki frowned at her close friend, her slightly chubby face filled with confusion and doubt.
It felt as if she had become a different person overnight.
"I have simply come to understand some things. You need not concern yourself, Natsuki."
Aya casually dropped this line, then picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, said she was finished eating, and got up to leave the table.
Just as when she arrived, her steps as she left were still slightly unsteady.
"Hey!"
Natsuki immediately turned her gaze to Yotsuba Mahiro for answers.
But unfortunately, Mahiro also didn't know what had happened. He had just spent the night with Aya and hadn't expected it to bring about such a big change.
Seeing this, Natsuki Minamiya merely sighed softly and continued eating her breakfast.
As long as Aya wasn't doing anything that threatened Itogami Island or the world, then she couldn't be bothered to investigate further.
After breakfast, Mahiro prepared to take the four little ones and Aya to school. Just as he opened the door to leave, Natsuki Minamiya's voice drifted eerily from behind once more.
"...Recently, many unfamiliar demons have suddenly appeared on Itogami Island. Be careful."
"Mm, I know."
Mahiro waved his hand and left the apartment.
He had already guessed the reason, most likely due to the Flame Light Banquet.
He was able to confirm this when, on his way home in the evening, a strange man blocked his path...
"Mahiro, today my offering demands that sweet, fragrant ice."
"You mean ice cream, right?"
"Yes! C-can I have it?"
On the way home from school, Avrora made her request, her gaze filled with longing as she looked up at him.
It had become Avrora's habit to want a little snack every day after school.
Moreover, Avrora's condition had recovered exceptionally well. Although she was still quite timid at times, most of the time she could properly express her emotions.
It was just that her personality remained childlike.
Mahiro habitually patted her head, then looked at the others and asked:
"How about you? Does anyone else want some?"
"I want some too!"
Yuuma, Est, and Nagisa Akatsuki all raised their hands in unison.
"What about you, Little Kanon? Don't you want any?"
"If it won't trouble Mahiro-nii."
Kanon Kanase replied softly with a smile, as considerate and kind as ever.
It was just ice cream—how could it be any trouble?
Soon, Mahiro returned with five ice creams and handed them out.
"Delicious, so good!"
Avrora, like a little foodie, took a bite from the top of her ice cream, only to get brain freeze the next second, clutching her head and crying out in pain.
She really was like a little fool.
Just as Mahiro was about to reach out to comfort her, his brow suddenly furrowed, and he swung a hand behind him.
"Antimatter Barrier."
A transparent rectangular barrier appeared, enclosing them.
At the same moment, lightning flashed!
A violent impact, as if tearing through the atmosphere, dyed the evening sky with a sudden burst of bluish-white lightning that appeared on the ground.
Nagisa Akatsuki, who had never seen anything like this before, trembled in fear. Mahiro grabbed her by the collar and pulled her behind him to protect her.
Yuuma gathered magical energy, ready to counterattack.
Aya had already emerged from the shadows, a Grimoire in hand, rapidly flipping through its pages as she prepared an attack spell.
However, at the moment the lightning struck, it was Avrora who moved faster than anyone else.
Her petite body erupted with surging magical energy, and a freezing chill spread outward, coalescing beyond the Antimatter Barrier into a thick wall of ice that rose from the ground.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed across nearly half of Itogami Island.
In an instant, the thick ice wall was shattered and eroded by the lightning, and the attacking light vanished as well.
All that remained was a strange, scorched smell and the electrified atmosphere crackling with sparks.
"This is an attack from a Beast Vassal."
Aya's beautiful face had turned icy, but beneath the coldness was a grave expression.
Judging by the power just now, this was undoubtedly a Beast Vassal of Progenitor-level.
And the only possible truth for a Progenitor's Beast Vassal to appear on this artificial island was that it belonged to the Fourth Primogenitor!
The Vessel had already landed on the island!
...Who are you? Why did you attack us?
The dust and mist cleared, and Yuuma questioned the girl who appeared amidst the icy fog and crackling electricity.
She was a petite girl, likely around fourteen or fifteen years old.
Her hair, cut short like a boy's, was golden, and her eyes emitted a bluish-white light akin to flames. Covering her entire body was platinum armor adorned with golden embellishments.
It was unmistakably battle attire.
Just by looking at her features, which bore some resemblance to Avrora's, it was clear she was a Vessel of the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal.
But which number was she?
"The fifth, 'Regulus Aurum.'"