Chapter 232: Ice Queen and Alpha
New Year's Day on January 1st arrived as scheduled.
The Yotsuba main family's Spring Celebration was about to begin, and Misaki Island—which rarely received outsiders—gradually grew lively.
Beyond the unfamiliar faces, the main reason was Esdeath's return.
She brought several subordinates—Mez and Suzuka, along with Tina's younger sisters responsible for supporting Esdeath.
Those children hadn't changed much, but after running wild with Esdeath and returning, they were overjoyed to see their big sister Tina again and the other children they got along with well.
Louise, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, was especially excited upon seeing him. She actually threw herself into his arms right in front of the other children, rubbing her small head against him desperately.
She muttered something about absorbing "Big Brother's energy."
This made the other sisters quite jealous.
As for Mez and Suzuka, they had changed quite significantly.
Their personalities remained the same—one frivolous and careless, the other a perverted masochist.
But their bodies...
Mez had lost her left arm, while Suzuka had lost her right arm—together they could barely make one complete pair of arms.
According to Esdeath, both had underestimated their enemies due to excessive carelessness, resulting in such severe injuries.
What pitiful children.
They truly thought that learning a few skills at the Imperial Fist Temple and being able to fight a Teigu user made them invincible.
They should have known that although the mages in this world weren't as overpowered as him or Tatsuya, they basically all had their own signature techniques. Their diverse array of moves could be even more dangerous than Teigu users in certain aspects.
But considering how diligently these two had followed Esdeath in her campaigns, Mahiro decided to help restore their bodies.
And he casually injected them with the Enhancement Drug.
Of course, it wasn't the Diablos version—after all, the Blood of Diabolos couldn't be replicated. Every drop used was one less available, so it definitely couldn't be used on them.
After completing this, Mahiro turned to look at the strong woman he hadn't seen in so long, yet who remained as heroic and imposing as ever.
"I never thought you'd actually come back... Have you had enough fun out there?"
"Hehe, of course not. I just started igniting the flames of war when I received a message from Mrs. Yotsuba telling me to return. She said you needed help."
Esdeath walked over to him with graceful steps.
She extended a jade-like finger as pale as ivory and gently lifted his chin, saying seductively:
"So, my little man, interested in ruling the territory I've conquered?"
"Not interested."
Mahiro pushed her hand away with a dead-fish stare, murmuring:
"I'm busy, and I've lost interest in worldly status. You can play your games—no need to include me."
He wondered who this woman learned from, actually teasing him like this.
"Is that so?"
Esdeath smiled slightly.
The sweet smile that appeared on her face would probably shock anyone who saw it.
To be precise, it had already shocked Mez and Suzuka.
This was the first time they had seen their sadistic queen general display such a charming, feminine side.
Meanwhile, Esdeath's gaze shifted to another direction.
"Is this what you've been busy with—finding women in other worlds? They must be your new acquisitions, right?"
"Mhm."
The "they" Esdeath referred to naturally meant Alpha and Beta, the golden and silver-haired women standing by his side.
They stood behind him as if attending to him on both sides.
Since everyone else had been assigned tasks and only the two of them were unoccupied, they temporarily served as his secretaries.
Though Nu would have been more suitable for the position.
"—"
Esdeath's tone carried a subtle nuance.
Alpha stepped forward and spoke: "Hello, it's our first meeting. My name is Alpha—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a powerful gust of wind pressure surged toward her.
In an instant, Esdeath dashed forward, her left foot stomping firmly on the ground as she swung her leg, encased in a silver-white thigh-high boot, forcefully toward Alpha's chest.
Thud—
Alpha managed to block the attack, but the impact sent her flying back nearly ten meters.
"Lady Alpha!"
Beta moved to assist, but Mahiro held her back.
"Lord Mahiro?"
"It's fine. Alpha can handle it."
He understood exactly what Esdeath meant.
She simply wanted to test Alpha—in her eyes, not just anyone was qualified to stand by Mahiro's side.
In fact, when she first arrived here, she had even sparred with the strongest of them all, Tendo Kisara.
Although she hadn't used her ultimate techniques—Mahapadma or Ice Storm Commander—she had acknowledged Kisara's combat prowess as exceptional.
Alpha, however, didn't grasp this. She stared intently at the icy-blue figure approaching her.
"What is the meaning of this, madam?"
"Hmph."
Esdeath offered no reply, merely curling her lips into a sadistic smirk before charging forward once more.
Clang—
An instantly formed ice sword clashed against the silver-white Holy Sword.
The explosive gale whipped up her dark overcoat and golden, wheat-like hair.
A heavy strike...
That was Alpha's initial impression as she quickly assessed the situation.
Whether in speed or strength, this woman far surpassed the level of the Knights of the Rounds—enough to trounce hundreds of Iris Midgars and rival even the Seven Shadows.
She might even be a match for Delta, their main attacker.
But.
Defeating her with just this level of power was utterly impossible!
"If you're going to be this discourteous, then I won't hold back either!"
Alpha's eyes sharpened, and she immediately launched a counterattack.
The immense magical power she released shot straight into the sky, instantly dispersing several clouds and revealing the clear blue expanse.
The commotion startled everyone, especially the members of Shadow Garden.
Sensing this surge of magical energy, they immediately recognized it as Alpha's aura and hurried toward the source.
What could have prompted Lady Alpha to unleash such immense power...?
However, when they arrived at the scene, they found Alpha locked in combat with a woman with icy-blue hair.
That woman was capable of creating a variety of weapons out of ice.
However, the most crucial point was that woman could actually fight evenly with Lady Alpha!
Even the Seven Shadows were stunned by this sight.
"That woman is strong."
Beatrix gave an objective assessment. In terms of pure skill, she might have already reached the peak. At the very least, Beatrix knew she was no match for her.
But just then, a dark figure suddenly burst out from the crowd.
"Don't bully Lady Alpha!!!"
It was Doggo.
She charged toward the azure figure, then swung her sharp claws at Esdeath's back.
"Oh... a beast? How interesting."
Sensing the intense beastly aura, Esdeath's sadistic smile widened as she casually waved her hand to create an ice shield.
But the claws shattered Esdeath's ice shield instantly, sending countless ice crystals scattering through the air.
However, Esdeath's figure also disappeared at the same moment.
"Where did she go?!"
Delta sniffed the air, only to hear a voice coming from above her head.
"Right here, little cutie."
"Grr—"
Delta felt a chill run down her spine, causing all her fur to stand on end.
Simultaneously, a hand quietly pressed down on her head and slammed her violently into the ground.
Boom—
The ground instantly cracked, and Delta was embedded in the earth like an upturned radish.
"Your opponent is me!"
Alpha stared at her with icy eyes, swinging the long sword in her hand.
In the next instant, a pure white Holy Sword shot toward Esdeath.
"Hehe, of course I haven't forgotten about you."
Esdeath showed no panic whatsoever, instead swinging an ice sword with a backhand motion to block Alpha's attack.
Like a battle between dragons and tigers.
The fight was gradually shifting from testing each other's strength to a life-or-death struggle.
Not only was Esdeath beginning to enjoy the battle, but even Alpha was getting somewhat fired up.
Especially after seeing Delta being subdued with a single blow.
Mahiro also noticed this and sighed softly:
"Ah, Est, do me a favor and help me subdue both of them."
[Understood, I understand.]
The mark on the back of his hand instantly transformed into a stream of light, followed by the appearance of Est's petite figure.
She walked step by step toward the center of the battlefield.
"Lord Mahiro..."
Beta looked somewhat worried.
She only knew that Est was Mahiro's weapon and possessed some combat ability.
But with that petite, harmless appearance, could she really stop the fight between Lady Alpha and that woman?
Soon, she witnessed an unbelievable scene—
"You two are not allowed to continue being unruly. Stop right now."
Est suddenly appeared where the two were fighting, speaking in the calmest tone possible.
Then she stretched out her pale little hands to both sides, grasping the tip of Alpha's incoming Holy Sword with one hand and seizing Esdeath's arm with the other.
Forcing them to stop.
"What?!"
Almost simultaneously, both of them showed stunned expressions.
Alpha actually sensed fear emanating from Olivier through the Holy Sword, a feeling that hadn't even appeared when facing the Demon King Diablos...
Meanwhile, Esdeath felt astonishing strength from the small hand gripping her wrist.
It rendered her completely immobile!
"You're quite interesting. Who are you?"
"I am Mahiro's contracted spirit," Est replied expressionlessly.
But looking at this petite silver-haired girl before her, Esdeath developed immense interest in her.
Powerful individuals capable of stopping her attacks were truly rare!
This was only natural, as Est was the Guardian Deity of the Boundary, standing at the pinnacle of spirits.
Whether in terms of strength or status, she was beyond Esdeath's comparison.
However, Esdeath tacitly accepted Alpha's presence.
She indeed possessed sufficient strength, surpassing even the girls from the assassination group.
Though there might be some shortcomings in technique, her overall power had already exceeded Kisara's.
Quite impressive.
That beast-like girl was also noteworthy, possessing remarkable physical prowess. Despite taking her attack, she pulled her head out of the ground as if nothing had happened, shaking off the dirt and gravel from her hair.
But her gaze toward Esdeath now carried a slight trace of fear.
Observing these two girls, Esdeath began entertaining the idea of taking them away for military campaigns.
To train them as her subordinates.
They would be far more useful than Mez and Suzuka!
Unfortunately, the Seven Shadows had explicitly refused Esdeath—they belonged to and would only obey Mahiro's commands.
After the disturbance caused by Esdeath concluded.
Members of the Yotsuba branch families began arriving one after another.
But what surprised Mahiro was that the first to arrive was actually her!
"Long time no see, Yuuka-nee. I didn't expect you to be the first to arrive."
"Yes, it has been quite a while. You seem to be doing well recently, I'm glad to see that, little Mahiro."
In Arcadia's reception hall.
The eldest daughter of the Tsukuba family, a branch of Yotsuba—Tsukuba Yuuka sat opposite him.
She looked almost identical to when she delivered the CAD to him last time, still sporting shoulder-length short hair with a forty-sixty parted fringe, the earring on her exposed right ear gleaming brightly.
Her makeup was also flawless, presenting as a very capable woman with strong college student vibes.
For this Celebration Assembly, Yuuka had also received an invitation from Maya.
The reason being that, like Miyuki, she was one of the candidates for the next head of the Yotsuba family.
However, regarding this matter, Yuuka no longer held any expectations or hopes. She clearly understood that if she were to compete with this cousin who got along so well with her...
She wouldn't have any advantage whatsoever.
Emotionally, she quite liked this cousin—at the very least, she felt more favorable toward him than toward Tatsuya.
Logically speaking, no matter what, Mahiro was still Maya's child.
Even if the circumstances weren't glorious, he was still from the main family line.
And his magical power was so outstanding...
But she still needed to confirm one thing.
Setting down her tea, Yuuka asked him with a serious expression:
"Little Mahiro, though it might be impudent to ask, I need to hear it from you directly—is the family head planning to formally designate the next successor during this Spring Celebration?"
"Mhm, that's right."
"Then... will that person be you?"
The moment Yuuka asked this question, the atmosphere grew heavy and somewhat solidified.
As if reflecting her inner thoughts, Yuuka's psions affected the surrounding environment.
But Mahiro acted as if he didn't notice, smiling slightly as he said:
"If I said it wasn't me, would you believe me, Yuuge-nee?"
"If it's you saying it, I would believe you, because you've never lied to me."
"Well then, I can tell you clearly, Yuuge-nee—looking at the final outcome, the next head of Yotsuba definitely won't be me."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, but I can't share the specifics with you."
In this exchange of questions and answers, Mahiro wasn't really hiding anything.
After all, among all the Yotsuba branch families, aside from the Kuroba Family, Tsukuba Yuuka had the best relationship with him.
So whatever could be disclosed, he would definitely share with Yuuka.
"I see..."
Hearing his answer, Yuuka seemed to give up, stretching heavily before lying back on the sofa behind her, extending her legs to relax.
Though this was somewhat unbecoming for a young woman, she had grown accustomed to it since leaving the Tsukuba family to live alone.
Moreover, to her, Mahiro was like a younger brother—there was no need to maintain the formal demeanor of a branch family member.
However, after relaxing for a moment, Yuuka gazed up at the luxurious ceiling above and said quietly:
"Then I guess... if the next family head isn't you, little Mahiro, it must be Miyuki~"
"After all, she's the one you dote on most."
"Yuuge-nee, you really see through everything."
Mahiro's smile remained calm, his words matter-of-fact.
"But since you know it's Miyuki, Yuuge-nee, do you still plan to compete for the position?"
"Would you let me compete?"
"No."
"Well, there you have it."
Yuuka rolled her eyes at her cousin.
She hadn't come with any intention of competing for the family head position—the reason she accepted the invitation was for other matters.
But still...
Yuuka sat up slightly, examining this cousin she hadn't seen in quite some time.
She noticed something.
It seemed that after not seeing him for so long, Mahiro had changed quite noticeably.
It felt like decades had passed—the composed aura he now emitted actually made her feel somewhat unfamiliar...
Not only that, but everything on Misaki Island had changed dramatically too.
Originally, Misaki Island served as the location of the Fourth Research Institute and served as a prison for magicians.
One could only describe it as a place where nature flourished undisturbed.
But now, in such a short time, a city had been built on the island, and many children were managing everything.
Everything even showed signs of thriving prosperity.
She was certain that all of this was absolutely connected to Mahiro.
"Yuuge-nee, what are you looking at?"
Mahiro's sudden interruption broke her train of thought. Yuuka slightly averted her gaze and said nonchalantly:
"Nothing much. I just feel that after not seeing you for so long, little Mahiro seems to have changed quite a bit. You appear to have more secrets than before."
"Is that so? Then, Yuuge-nee, do you want to know?"
His unexpected question caught Yuuka off guard. She immediately sat up straight, looking at him with a puzzled expression as she asked:
"What do you mean? If you have something to say, little Mahiro, just say it directly. You know I don't like beating around the bush."
"It's simple. I just want to ask if you, Yuuge-nee, can stay and help me."
"Help you with what?" Yuuka was quite confused.
"Nothing major, just help me manage Misaki Island."
Mahiro shrugged and directly stated his purpose.
This was also his specific reason for coming to see Yuuka—besides greeting an acquaintance.
Although Misaki Island already had a large population and comprehensive development, it similarly lacked management talent.
While Seitenshi was doing well in this aspect, she was ultimately just one person and couldn't handle everything.
As for the Little Emperor, she was still young and had many things to learn.
And those children could assist with minor tasks, but they were completely incapable of management.
But Yuuka before him was different.
Besides having a good relationship with him, she had previously served as vice president at First High School and was about to graduate soon, making it perfect timing for her to come help him.
"No, I think Misaki Island is being managed quite well by you. You don't need me at all. Besides, although I'm about to graduate from university, I plan to pursue graduate studies."
"Is it because you want to distance yourself from the Yotsuba Family?"
"That's not what I mean. I just don't want to get involved in the Yotsuba Family's conflicts anymore."
The Yotsuba Family wasn't united.
At least that's how it appeared in Yuuka's eyes.
To compete for the family head position, the various branch families were almost at the point of confronting each other, especially regarding Mahiro and the Shiba siblings—almost all branch families disapproved of them.
They thought they were too young.
But Maya's attention remained fixed on them, never glancing at other branch families...
Oh, except for the Kuroba Family.
After all, Kuroba Mitsugu and the Kuroba siblings often had to handle dirty work for the main family.
That's why Yuuka wanted to distance herself, especially since her Guardian had already...
"Then what if I said I could completely calm the Yotsuba Family, and if you come help me, Yuuge-nee, I could also fulfill any wish you propose? How about that?"
"Any wish at all?" Yuuka looked at him suspiciously.
Mahiro nodded and said:
"Anything at all. Even if you want me to marry you, Yuuge-nee, it wouldn't be a problem."
"Hmph, who would want to marry you?"
"Not willing? Then what if I said I could resurrect your deceased Guardian? How about that?"
As these words were spoken, Yuuka's body visibly stiffened.
As if struck in her heart, the smile on her face instantly froze and gradually disappeared.
"Little Mahiro, are you investigating me?"
"Not exactly. After all, branch families don't have many secrets from the main family."
Mahiro spread his hands, feigning innocence.
"Mahiro-kun, you've learned to be naughty, actually picking up the method I hate the most and using it on me."
"There's no helping it. I investigated you, Yuuge-nee, precisely to get your help, didn't I? I'm being quite sincere, you know."
Tsukuba Yuuka: "..."
She didn't respond, merely gazing quietly at Mahiro.