Chapter 377: Discovered Secrets and Giada's Sudden Visit
One day later.
The next day.
Mahiro gradually woke up following his biological clock, sensing a heavy weight on his body.
Opening his eyes, he saw Hinado sleeping soundly on his chest, her soft, heavy form pressing directly against him.
Her fair face still carried a lingering flush, and her brows occasionally furrowed, as if she were having an unpleasant dream.
Her undone braid spread like a curtain across her snow-white back.
Between the strands of her hair, faint mottled red marks could still be glimpsed.
The clothes on the floor were even more disheveled—torn black stockings casually tossed over the back of the sofa, a bra with one broken strap, and panties as thin as strings.
Last night's battle had been particularly intense.
From dusk until nearly dawn, Hinado had been utterly defeated.
However, perhaps because his awakening had altered his breathing pattern, Hinado also slowly stirred from her slumber.
"Hey, awake?"
Seeing Hinado's drowsy expression, Mahiro greeted her with relative enthusiasm.
At first, Hinado didn't quite grasp the situation, but the moment she realized she was lying on a man's chest, her sleepiness vanished instantly, and her body tensed up.
Just as she was about to act, Mahiro's voice rang out again.
"Are you sure you want to do that? Have you forgotten what you said last night?"
With this reminder, the forgotten memories of the previous night surged in her mind like bamboo shoots in spring.
Instantly, Hinado's face flushed even redder.
Recalling how she had been swept along by that frenzied rhythm last night, her delicate feet trembling in the air with each deep impact—
her face turned so red it seemed as if it could drip blood.
But she remained silent.
Holding onto her last shreds of dignity and composure.
Trembling, she propped herself up with her arms, climbed out of bed, and silently picked up the scattered clothes from the floor, putting them back on one by one.
Unfortunately, the stockings were already ruined and couldn't be worn again.
"There are new ones in the drawer."
Mahiro timely reminded her.
Hearing this, Hinado shot him a suspicious glance, to which he explained:
"Don't misunderstand—those are for Aya."
At night, Aya would occasionally sneak into his room, and she had even been caught twice by Yuuma.
Each time, Yuuma had been so startled that she hurriedly left the room without looking back, closing the door behind her.
Since then, no one dared to disturb Mahiro's room at night.
Upon hearing his explanation, Hinado didn't respond. Instead, she bent down, opened the drawer, took out a brand-new pair of black stockings, unwrapped them, and slowly put them on.
The sheer fabric of the stockings gradually covered every inch of her snow-white legs, stirring a fiery heat in one's heart.
Then, Hinado returned to the bedside, put on the glasses resting on the nightstand, and concealed her captivating beauty once more.
Finally, forcing herself to stand, she walked toward the door with a somewhat awkward gait.
"Hey, hey, hey—don't you have anything to say?"
Watching Hinado, who hadn't uttered a single word the entire time and was about to leave, Mahiro couldn't help but call out to her.
Hinado remained silent, but her hand was already on the doorknob.
"I mean, you haven't forgotten what you promised me last night, have you?"
At that moment, Hinado had already pressed down heavily on the doorknob, opening the door a crack, but his words caused her movements to pause slightly, leaving her rooted in place.
"Actually, it's not a bad deal. Your Lion King Organization is merely switching allegiances to another power, serving me instead. And I won't do anything to you. Think it over carefully."
"Mm, I know."
This time, Hinado finally spoke, but her response was extremely brief.
This made Mahiro click his tongue in annoyance.
"Tsk, why are you acting like some gold-digging, heartless woman? Would it kill you to say a few more words? You're talking even less now than you did in bed last night!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hinado, who had already stepped halfway out, immediately retreated back inside.
Her last shred of composure shattered as she turned back, her eyes red, glaring at him fiercely.
"What more do you want from me!"
Her tone was filled with shame, anger, and a touch of desperation.
Mahiro nodded with great satisfaction.
"That's more like it. At least give me a sense of conquest."
"Hmph."
Hinado let out a light snort, whether due to a lack of clarity in her mind or some miswired thought, she coldly uttered—
"Conquest? Average."
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into silence.
Mahiro and Hinado stared at each other, both blinking.
A moment later, a hint of crimson gradually colored Mahiro's eyes.
Good, he had been successfully provoked.
Sensing the danger, Hinado immediately tried to leave the room.
But with a snap of his fingers, the surrounding space was completely sealed.
She couldn't get out.
"Average, I'll show you average!"
As soon as the words fell, Hinado felt the world spin around her.
Immediately after, she sensed a familiar scent at the tip of her nose and found herself back in Mahiro's embrace.
Hinado panicked.
"You... what are you trying to do again?"
"L-Let me go!"
"Bastard, wuwuwu, you bastard, wuwuwu... y-you, be gentle."
Souls entwined, winds and clouds stirred; stars circled, earth squared, realms converged.
Life and death cycle, a door opens; calamity rises anew, washing away worldly dust.
The great battle begins again!
Days passed one after another.
The Black Death Emperor Faction incident finally came to an end.
The reconstruction of the artificial island had already begun.
It was as if the great battle that had taken place on Itogami Island had never happened, or perhaps the residents of the artificial island were already accustomed to it.
If Itogami Island could remain peaceful forever, that would truly be strange for its residents.
Mahiro also returned to his peaceful school life.
As for Hinado.
Ever since that day when he slept with her three more times, she had never appeared again, not even at school.
On the other hand, Motoki Yaze looked at him with clear hostility and confusion every time.
It seemed he still couldn't understand why Hinado-senpai had broken up with him after being taken away by Mahiro that day.
He clearly hadn't done anything wrong.
The only possibility was that she had been coerced by Mahiro.
But the problem was, judging by Mahiro's lazy demeanor, he didn't seem like the type to coerce anyone.
Soon, Saikai Academy would be holding its annual ball games tournament, featuring badminton, table tennis, and basketball.
In class, Asagi and Yuuma had signed up for the women's doubles badminton competition. It was said that Yukina had been dragged by Nagisa Akatsuki to join the cheerleading squad.
Unfortunately, Mahiro had no interest in these events. In fact, watching his classmates enthusiastically discussing them made him somewhat nostalgic for the Nine Schools Competition from the world of Mahouka.
That was far more thrilling than these traditional ball games.
It was just a shame that even if he went back now, he wouldn't be able to participate anymore. Not only was he over the age limit, but the Nine Schools Competition still carried legends about him to this day.
The only participant who was bound by the rules, repeatedly broke them, and was even banned from competing.
Just as he was about to take a nap, enjoying the cool sea breeze, a crumpled paper ball was suddenly tossed into his lap.
Turning his head, he saw Asagi, sitting next to him, blinking at him and gesturing for him to open it.
On the crumpled paper was a line of delicate handwriting—
[Aren't you signing up for any events?]
[No, not interested.]
He casually wrote this reply and tossed it back.
But after a while, the paper ball was thrown back again.
[By the way, can I ask you a question?]
[Go ahead.]
[What's your relationship with Yuuma? Why does she call you "Father"?]
When Mahiro saw this line, his mind went blank.
Had she found out?
That shouldn't be possible...
So he hurriedly wrote back.
[I'm not sure what you're talking about.]
[Oh, since I'm asking, I must be pretty confident. First, Yuuma often slips up when referring to you at school. Even though she corrects herself quickly, it still draws attention. Also, the artificial island's household registration system lists your relationship with Yuuma as father and daughter.]
Asagi had even drawn a playful smiling face on the paper.
But Mahiro couldn't bring himself to smile when he saw it.
She had found out after all.
And it was solid evidence—there was no way to argue, since when Natsuki Minamiya registered him and Yuuma, it was indeed as father and daughter.
He just hadn't expected Aiba Asagi to be a bit too clever.
[Alright, Yuuma is indeed my daughter, but to be precise, she's adopted. Do you know Tokoyogi Aya?]
[Yes, I do. She's the notorious Witch of the Notaria on record. But for some reason, she was released and now works as our school's librarian... Wait, does that mean Yuuma is your child with her? No way, even though you've repeated many years, you should only be about twenty years old by age, while Yuuma is just fifteen this year. That would mean you had Yuuma with Tokoyogi Aya when you were five?!]
[Is this what they call "driving a big car" online?]
Aiba Asagi's speculation was so outrageous that Mahiro's fists clenched slightly.
[Could you look at something decent online for once! I already said Yuuma is my adopted daughter! A few years ago, by chance, Aya and I crossed paths, but she didn't like Yuuma as a daughter, so I took care of her instead.]
[Oh, I see~]
Whether it was an illusion or not, Mahiro felt a strong sense of disappointment between the lines.
Although he wanted to complain fiercely, unfortunately, the paper was already full, so he gave up on the idea.
But the next second, a new paper ball was thrown over.
Opening it, it was still Asagi's handwriting, and it was a simple sentence.
[What about Himeragi Yukina?]
[A junior, plus a Watcher.]
[Watcher?]
[Yeah, sent by the Lion King Organization to monitor my every move and daily life.]
Seeing the words "Lion King Organization" on the note, Asagi's eyebrows furrowed into an eight.
After thinking for a moment with the pen tip pressed against her chin, she quickly wrote on the note.
[It's Japan's Lion King Organization, right? Why is that organization monitoring you?]
[They say I'm a dangerous person and must be monitored.]
[Mahiro-kun, you really are dangerous.]
Aiba Asagi recalled the scene of Mahiro fighting the Nalakuvera not long ago, immediately crossed out the sentence she had just written on the note, and rewrote.
[What exactly are you?]
[If I said I'm a transmigrator, would you believe me?]
[I believe you.]
[You're the first to accept my identity so straightforwardly. Natsuki-chan didn't even believe me back then. (laughs)]
Looking at the words on the paper, Aiba Asagi couldn't help but show a faint, bright smile.
At this point, there was nothing she didn't believe.
Even though Mahiro described these things vaguely, she could understand that his identity was extraordinary.
Living with Natsuki-sensei but not appearing to be a couple.
Having a connection with Tokoyogi Aya, the Witch of the Notaria who once tried to overturn the world, adopting Yuuma Tokoyogi, being monitored by the Lion King Organization, and listed as a dangerous person.
Not to mention single-handedly destroying the entire Nalakuvera Knightmare group not long ago.
Any one of these things alone was enough to shock the world.
Even if he said he was a transmigrator or something, with all these events as a backdrop, it wasn't hard to accept.
Although Aiba Asagi had never left Itogami Island, she knew very well how deep the waters of this world were.
[By the way, Mahiro-kun, what is the world you come from like?]
[Not too different from here, just a bit more technologically advanced, with Magic fully integrated into life.]
Seeing this, Aiba Asagi's eyes lit up slightly, and she hurriedly wrote.
[Huh? Really? I really want to see it too. If there's a chance, can you take me to see it?]
[Sure, no problem.]
Just as Mahiro finished writing and was about to throw the paper ball back, he suddenly looked up, as if he had noticed something, and sharply glanced out the window.
Then he stood up and said to the teacher at the podium:
"Sorry, teacher, I'm not feeling well. I need to go to the infirmary."
"Ah... um... okay, Mahiro-kun, you can go."
The teacher at the podium seemed somewhat timid, and her voice lacked confidence.
As if she were afraid of Mahiro.
To be precise, after the Black Death Emperor Faction incident, few people weren't afraid of him.
But besides fear, there was also admiration.
Just like toward Minamiya Natsuki.
Mahiro stood up and quickly walked out of the classroom, showing no signs of discomfort whatsoever.
Both students and teachers had already grown accustomed to this.
Only Aiba Asagi had yet to recover, staring blankly at the now-empty doorway with wide, bewildered eyes.
Had something happened?
Outside the window, the scorching sun baked the air, causing it to shimmer faintly.
In such sweltering weather, not even Vampires, let alone ordinary humans, would want to go outside.
Yet at this very moment, a woman with pale green hair stood openly before the closed school gates.
She wore a fitted white dress, her fair arms and delicate collarbone casually exposed, while tall heels supported her upright posture.
Just from her demeanor alone, it was clear she was someone of extraordinary status.
But instead of guards, she was accompanied by two leopards as docile as house cats.
She—Giada Kukulcan—stood motionless outside the gates, seemingly waiting for someone.
Only when three figures—one gold, one silver, and one black—suddenly appeared did she narrow her emerald eyes and wave with an inexplicable familiarity.
"Hi, we meet again."
"Third Progenitor, Giada Kukulcan, what brings you here so suddenly?"
The speaker was Alpha.
She slowly narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the other party while probing her intentions.
A gentle sea breeze swept past, lifting her flowing golden hair as well as Giada's pale green locks.
The golden and green figures seemed to engage in an invisible confrontation.
Though Aya and Beta remained silent, they were already prepared for battle.
One held a Grimoire in her hands, while the other conjured a silver-white longbow.
In the end, it was Giada who broke into a smile first, saying:
"As expected of that person's subordinates. Not only do you possess the identity of Elves, but your aura is also quite impressive."
"However, there's no need to show such deep hostility. I simply came here for fun, having nothing better to do. I wonder if you could show me around? Also, I'm a bit hungry—could you perhaps host a feast for me?"
Beta: "..."
Tokoyogi Aya:
Beta: "Huh?"
Though Alpha and Aya didn't show outright surprise, their faces still reflected confusion and helplessness.
We were all ready for a fight.
And you say you're just here to have fun and eat a meal?
In that moment, they felt that the Vampire before them seemed just as unpredictable as Mahiro.
The Chaos Zone, based in Central America, is a Dominion shrouded in many mysteries.
Most of its territory lies on highlands over a thousand meters above sea level, featuring vast barren lands, tropical rainforests, and steep mountains that block invasions from external enemies.
On the other hand, blessed with abundant underground resources such as precious metals and oil, as well as magical resources like Dragon Veins, its military power is strongly supported.
Within its borders also exist numerous ruins of the Deva, from which it is said to have developed its own unique Magic system.
Furthermore, the country maintains good relations with various demon tribes inhabiting the South American continent, making its total combat strength entirely unknown.
Their Dominion, though smaller in scale than the Warlord's Empire and the Dynasty of Destruction, was precisely why it was feared as an absolutely unassailable night realm.
The ruler's title was the "Chaos Bride," also known as the Third Progenitor, Giada Kukulcan.
For some reason, Giada had visited Saikai Academy and was devouring the set meal sold at the student cafeteria.
"The food here is delicious, but the portions are a bit small."
Giada took a bite of a folded egg toast and then licked the ketchup off her fingers.
Her sweet and gentle demeanor, reminiscent of a cat, made it hard to imagine she was the powerful ruler of a Dominion.
"Is that so? I feel the same way. Besides, the taste isn't as good as homemade food."
Sitting across from Giada, Mahiro rested his chin on one hand and expressed the same opinion.
Beside him, aside from Aya, Alpha, and Beta, Natsuki Minamiya had also arrived and was sitting on Mahiro's other side, savoring a fragrant cup of black tea.
She appeared completely nonchalant.
Astarte, dressed in a maid outfit, stood nearby holding a tray with exquisite and expensive tea sets, ready to serve.
Then there was Yukina, the Watcher, who was the most tense among those present.
Her hands tightly gripped a guitar case, ready to draw Snowdrift Wolf at any moment.
This was the first time she had seen the legendary Third Progenitor, and at such close range!
After licking her fingers, Giada's gaze swept over the people in front of her and finally settled on Mahiro, who sat directly opposite her.
"Surprising. You're not shocked to see me?"
"I don't see the need."
Mahiro shrugged.
"I've seen plenty, so there's nothing to be shocked about. Besides, you said yourself you came here to have fun, so it's only right for me to play the host. And most importantly, you can't beat me anyway."