Chapter 357: Black Stockings, White Stockings, or Bare Feet?
Takagami Forest!
Takagami Shrine!
It was the same familiar spacious shrine hall, where the statue of the deity should have been, still veiled behind a translucent curtain.
But there was a difference.
Last time, three people sat behind the curtain, but now there were only two.
One person was lying face down on the tatami.
That person was Shizuka Koyomi.
A young girl beside her was carefully applying medicine to Shizuka Koyomi's face with a cotton swab.
But this wasn't the most severe of her injuries—the worst was actually her buttocks.
Originally, Shizuka Koyomi, whose real name was Hinado, had the appearance of a plain, flat-chested girl with a small bottom, the kind that would go completely unnoticed even in a vast crowd.
But now, her originally small buttocks had been brutally beaten into an American-style perky rear, swollen high, making Shizuka Koyomi afraid to move recklessly.
"How did things end up like this?! That man even dares to look down on the Lion King Organization like this. Just wait, I'll avenge you!"
The speaker was one of the Three Saints overseeing the Lion King Organization.
She was a woman with an extremely beautiful face, fair and translucent skin, light green hair, eyes of the same color, and a deep-featured face with a high nose bridge.
And most indicative of her non-human traits were her pointed, elongated ears. She was a demon, a long-lived species—an elf.
But unlike the inherent elegance, calmness, and purity of elves, this elf was currently extremely agitated and furious.
She was Endou Yukari, one of the Three Saints.
However, seeing Endou Yukari about to stand up and leave the shrine, Shizuka Koyomi's usually expressionless face showed panic for the first time as she hurriedly stopped her:
"Teacher, don't go!"
"That's right, Endou Yukari, calm down a bit. I heard that even the Third Progenitor, the Chaos Bride Giada, stumbled at that man's hands. How could the Three Saints of our Lion King Organization possibly be a match for him?"
Another person also spoke up to persuade her.
The one saying this was a young girl with a graceful figure, clearly curvy with an impressive, proud physique.
The girl wore red and white shrine maiden attire, her face exquisitely beautiful, with pure white hair reminiscent of a cute Arctic fox's fur, exuding a mysterious and intoxicating aura.
But unlike her youthful and beautiful appearance, her words carried a sense of weathered maturity.
She was the last of the Three Saints, Shirona Kuraki.
Shirona Kuraki's words were something Shizuka Koyomi strongly agreed with.
Just how terrifying Yotsuba Mahiro was, Shizuka Koyomi still remembered vividly, as if it were yesterday.
Beating her up might have been the least remarkable thing Yotsuba Mahiro did during this Flame Light Banquet.
That man could treat the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor as if they were nothing.
He fought Vatler in a bloody battle at the pier, then battled the Third Progenitor, and returned unscathed in the end.
Even the pier of Itogami Island was temporarily altered in season by the battle between the two, and the thick glaciers still show no signs of thawing to this day.
Not to mention, aside from that, the people following under Yotsuba Mahiro were also incredibly powerful.
The golden-haired elf who silently slaughtered the arms dealer.
The Progenitor!
The Witch of the Notaria who once nearly overturned the world.
And that beastman, as if toying with a plaything, thoroughly thrashed the Ninth Prince of the Dynasty of Destruction, and finally hung him on a flagpole to serve as a banner.
Even the elves basically each wielded a weaponized Beast Vassal, the terrifying magical power they emitted no less than that of an Elder, while that golden-haired elf was infinitely close to a Progenitor.
This was naturally the achievement of Eta, who, as a researcher, was also the laziest.
Originally intending to take advantage of the chaos to suck blood, Vatler immediately vaporized and fled upon seeing this.
He didn't even care that his cruise ship "Oceanus Grave" was destroyed, escaping overnight by small boat from another pier on Itogami Island, rushing back to the Warlord's Empire.
And what about them, the Three Saints?
They certainly possessed strength, but they were not as powerful as the Third Progenitor. Even with the resonance engraving of the Divine Oscillation Wave Drive Ritual on the Seventh Style Assault Demon-Slaying Spear, which could nullify magic, sever barriers, and pose a lethal threat to vampires and other demon tribes, even capable of slaying a Progenitor—
They still could not possibly be a match for a Progenitor.
Otherwise, why would they have humbled themselves to supervise various factions by sending women? If they had that kind of power, they would have long since destroyed the three great Dominions.
"Sigh, what should we do next?"
Persuaded by the three, Endou Yukari also regained her composure, plopping back down onto the tatami.
"There's an ancient saying in China: 'A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years.' Why must we rush? A steady, long-term approach is most beneficial for our Lion King Organization."
As she spoke, Shirona Kuraki lifted her eyelids slightly, covering her red lips with the wide sleeve of her kimono, looking at Endou Yukari with a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Kuraki!"
"Nothing, it's just that you were a bit too impulsive earlier."
"Is that so? Hmm, indeed, I was somewhat impulsive."
Endou Yukari smiled indifferently, completely unfazed by the teasing from this junior.
After all, she was a figure from the same era as the Fourth Primogenitor, so naturally, she lived with a more open-minded perspective.
"Hehe, then let's sort out the most important matters at hand."
Shirona Kuraki's gaze shifted away from Endou Yukari as she asked Shizuka Koyomi, who was lying on the tatami:
"How did the Flame Light Banquet conclude? Did that man become the Fourth Primogenitor? Or did someone under him become the Fourth Primogenitor? Or perhaps the Fourth Primogenitor is already under his control?"
When she asked this, Shirona Kuraki's heart was filled with anxiety, and Endou Yukari felt the same.
That man, Yotsuba Mahiro, was already immensely powerful, with magic and martial prowess rivaling even the Third Progenitor, Giada. If he were to further gain the power of a vampire Progenitor, obtaining the twelve Beast Vassals that embody calamities, his existence would be enough to shatter the world's balance.
However, Shizuka Koyomi said something that completely surprised them.
"The Flame Light Banquet has ended, but the Fourth Primogenitor did not appear..."
"What do you mean?"
Endou Yukari's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She could understand every word, so why did they make no sense when put together?
Shizuka Koyomi explained:
"All twelve Vessels have been gathered and are now in the hands of Yotsuba Mahiro, but that man did not seek to control the Fourth Primogenitor, nor did he attempt to draw upon its power. Instead, he lured out the Root and killed it..."
Shizuka Koyomi recounted the events of the Flame Light Banquet to her colleagues.
This might very well have been the shortest Flame Light Banquet in history.
It began in the afternoon and concluded by evening, even leaving enough time for dinner.
The entire affair lasted only a few hours—faster than a Holy Grail War that ended in a single night!
Shizuka Koyomi witnessed it all clearly.
With Itogami City as the stage, the twelve Vessels gathered on the artificial island.
The Root of the Fourth Primogenitor was hiding within the body of a girl named Nagisa Akatsuki.
That very night, Nagisa Akatsuki was brought before the twelve Vessels.
But as she approached them, the pure and kind Nagisa Akatsuki vanished, replaced by a being with an innocent face whose words and actions exuded an alluring charm.
"Mmm, very good, Mr. Mahiro. The contract has been sealed, and you have fulfilled your promise splendidly."
The girl extended a slender, jade-like finger and gently lifted the chin of Vessel No. 1, a seductive smile gradually curling at the corners of her lips.
Her gaze slowly swept over the other Vessels before finally settling on Avrora.
"Hehe, it's been a long time, my overseer."
She smiled and walked step by step toward Avrora, who fearfully tugged at Mahiro's sleeve and hid behind him.
Mahiro then halted the steps of the Root, the Fourth Primogenitor.
"What are you doing? Having second thoughts?"
"Not at all."
Mahiro shrugged and said, "It's just that you haven't yet fulfilled what you promised me."
The Root suddenly understood.
"Oh, you mean this child... Hehe, returning her to you is no problem. After all, you are the one I have chosen as my imperial candidate, the king who will rule the Dominion with me for eternity..."
The Root's pupils gradually tinged with a crimson hue, and the corners of her lips curled into a frenzied smile.
This madness frightened Avrora, who shrank behind Yotsuba Mahiro, too afraid to emerge.
"I... I don't want to come into contact with her. You are my servant, you promised me..."
With her last bit of stubbornness, Avrora lifted her small face and looked at him pitifully.
But all Yotsuba Mahiro did was gently squeeze Avrora's small hand in comfort before pushing her out without hesitation.
"Eek..."
Facing the Root directly, Avrora let out another pitiful cry of distress.
"Hehe, what a cold-blooded man you are..."
The Root grabbed Avrora by the throat, silencing her completely.
"Enough talk. Let's begin."
Urged by Yotsuba Mahiro, the Root said nothing more.
This man was indeed alluring, but she was well aware that she could not afford to cross him lightly. She understood all too well just how powerful he was.
But in the end, she miscalculated and met her downfall.
The awakening ritual of the Fourth Primogenitor's Flame Light Banquet consists of three steps.
First, she had to return to the Twelfth Vessel and regain control.
Because the Twelfth "Night of Blazing Light" served as the carrier for the twelfth Beast Vassal while also being the container for the Fourth Primogenitor's cursed soul.
Having recovered a considerable amount of strength within Nagisa Akatsuki these past days, she was naturally capable of opposing the overseer's soul.
Next was to devour the Beast Vassals residing within the other eleven Vessels.
This was not difficult for her either.
Finally came the most crucial step—
Devouring memories.
The reason Vampire Progenitors possessed such astonishingly formidable power was solely because they were the oldest Vampires. Their immense accumulated inherent time, amassed through their immortality and agelessness, served as the source of their strength.
But the Fourth Primogenitor was an artificial creation, devoid of memories, and thus lacked the vast inherent accumulated time like the other three Progenitors. Therefore, she needed to supplement the necessary magical energy for her awakening by devouring others' memories, with the sacrificial victims losing large portions of their memories.
This was also the purpose behind holding the ritual on Itogami Island.
Aside from serving as the altar for the Sinful God Cain, this artificial island spanning approximately 180 square kilometers was home to a population of 560,000 people.
Not to mention the dragon vein supporting it from below.
It could be said that nowhere in the world was more suitable than here.
Unfortunately, an unexpected event occurred during the very first step.
"What art thou doing?!"
Just as the Root was transferring her soul, preparing to enter the twelfth vessel, Avrora, she suddenly felt an extreme chill seeping from the depths of her soul, gradually spreading to every corner.
As if plunged into a land of extreme cold, her soul was being frozen!
"Nothing much. I just changed my mind. I don't want to make a deal with you anymore. Now, I just want you to die."
Mahiro's eyes glowed with a dazzling red light, a treacherous smile spreading across his face.
He had finally caught this damned thing.
Back when he discovered this creature's soul within Nagisa Akatsuki, he had wanted to eliminate it. Unfortunately, its soul was too deeply entangled with Nagisa's. Unless it willingly left, no one could do anything about it.
Now, he had finally waited for this day!
"Dost thou know what thou art doing?! If thou killest me, thou shalt regret it!"
"Whether I'll regret it or not, I don't know. But I know you're about to die right now."
As he spoke, Mahiro intensified his efforts. The forbidden magic within the mental construct interference, "Cocytus," accelerated its freezing of the Root's soul.
It left her unable to flee, unable to shrink back into Nagisa Akatsuki's body.
She could only watch helplessly as her soul was gradually frozen, piece by piece, turning into an ice sculpture.
"Thou shalt absolutely regret this! Thou shalt die a wretched death! Even in death, I shall never let thee go!!"
This shrieked, venomous curse became the Root's final refrain.
After Shizuka Koyomi finished recounting all this, Endou Yukari and Shirona Kuraki fell silent.
They had no choice but to remain silent.
Magic that could oppose a soul's consciousness.
They had never even seen such a thing before!
Hearing that this guy had also escaped from the Prison Barrier, they really wanted to ask Natsuki Minamiya face-to-face: just where did she find such a freak, and how did she even manage to imprison him?
How on earth did you manage that?
Unfortunately, even Natsuki Minamiya couldn't answer that question.
Because Yotsuba Mahiro had suddenly appeared inside the prison—it wasn't her who had thrown him in. In fact, she had even lost her first kiss because of it.
Where he had come from was a question no one could answer except Yotsuba Mahiro himself.
"Let's wait a little longer. Another two and a half years will be enough."
The Three Saints compromised.
They had no choice but to compromise.
Their gazes lingered outside the shrine, deep within the dense forest, where a black-haired girl was fighting a girl with a high ponytail of brown hair.
Her sharp spear techniques and exceptional combat awareness spoke volumes about her excellence.
Yotsuba Mahiro was unaware of the plans of the two old immortals and one little immortal from the Lion King Organization—or if he did know, he didn't care. Nothing was more interesting to him than the scene unfolding before his eyes.
Today might have been the worst, darkest day for the second daughter of the Caruana family, Veldiana Caruana.
Verdiana was holding a very revealing black-and-white maid outfit in her hands.
At that moment, she had received two pieces of news.
One good, one bad.
The good news was that Her Highness Avrora had accepted her as a follower, someone who would serve as a subject when the Dominion was established in the future.
The bad news was that, as the price for following Avrora, she had to become a maid in this household, at the beck and call of Natsuki Minamiya.
This was Natsuki Minamiya's own idea.
It was also Natsuki Minamiya's hobby—she seemed to greatly enjoy the lifestyle of a European noble lady.
Not only did she wear dark-toned Lolita clothing, but she also loved drinking black tea and longed to have a maid of her own.
Originally, this last wish had been difficult to fulfill.
But now that Verdiana had chosen to stay, Natsuki Minamiya's wish had been conveniently granted.
"Hey, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and change."
"O-oh…"
Verdiana let out a small, pitiful whimper.
The petite Natsuki Minamiya was sitting elegantly on a luxurious, soft armchair, her lace fan suddenly unfolding as she gently fanned it in front of her delicate face.
Her slender legs, clad in black stockings, swung lightly up and down in the air, looking particularly alluring.
Her graceful demeanor was like that of a European noble lady.
By the way, their residence was no longer Natsuki Minamiya's cramped apartment.
After all, with the addition of the eleven Vessels, Mahiro had no intention of sending them to an orphanage. Instead, he straightforwardly decided to take them all in and raise them.
On one hand, their Beast Vassals were indeed powerful, and as for the trouble of their bodies breaking down from overusing their Beast Vassals, he could solve that problem.
Just one injection would do.
On the other hand, these children were simply too adorable.
They were essentially twelve different versions of Avrora—who could possibly give up such adorable children?
And so, they moved out of Natsuki Minamiya's apartment.
They relocated to a villa in the villa district of Itogami Island.
This was a property Gamma had purchased in advance.
Gamma knew all too well that her poor motor skills meant she couldn't be of much help in combat, so she returned to her old profession, intending to provide Mahiro with the most perfect living services.
"Ugh... do I really have to wear this?"
Veldiana was still trying to make one last struggle.
"Of course. If you want to stay, you have to give something in return. From now on, you can help clean the house as well."
Natsuki replied in a calm tone.
Veldiana could only fall silent.
As a woman born in the Warlord's Empire, even though her family had fallen from grace, she was still a noble at heart and naturally had her own pride.
"Tsk, you're really dragging this out. Isn't this maid outfit much prettier than the clothes you're wearing now? Hurry up and change."
Mahiro, who had been waiting to watch the show, grew impatient and decided to take matters into his own hands.
First, he snapped his fingers, summoning Laeding to bind Veldiana's limbs, rendering her immobile. Then, with a light flick of his finger in the air—
Rip!
Her camel-colored coat and leather pencil skirt suit were instantly torn to shreds.
Veldiana froze for two seconds, then, feeling a chill on her body, she looked down and let out a scream.
"Ah—!!! What have you done!? Waaah... my clothes! Sob sob, don't look at me..."
Pure white lingerie and shorts clung tightly to the girl's lovely figure, while black garter stockings seemed to add an extra touch of allure to her legs.
Combined with her pitiful demeanor, in that moment, she radiated a charm no less than Aya's!
For the fallen noble Veldiana, that women's suit and camel-colored coat were her entire fortune—her only possessions—and now they had been torn apart just like that.
"Even if the clothes were tasteless, they were my only outfit. Sob... But why, as the daughter of Karliana, do I have to dress like a servant? And my body... my body was seen by a boy..."
Though Veldiana sobbed and complained, she had no choice but to start putting on the maid outfit.
Surprisingly, the skirt length suited her well, but no matter what, wearing a maid outfit was still somewhat embarrassing.
However, Yotsuba Mahiro, who had been admiring the scene, suddenly felt his vision go dark.
"Hey, hey, don't just stare at a girl's body like that."
Natsuki puffed out her cheeks and covered Mahiro's eyes. She hadn't expected this man to act so suddenly, leaving her somewhat unprepared.
Moreover, what surprised her even more was that this man could actually use her Laeding!
Just how many secrets was he hiding!
"Wow, Miss Veldiana looks much prettier in that outfit than before. It suits her surprisingly well."
Nagisa Akatsuki, along with Avrora and the other eleven Vessels, curiously circled around Veldiana.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and excitement.
Even Yuuma agreed—Miss Veldiana really did suit the maid outfit; it was quite alluring.
Indeed, her previous fashion sense had been terrible. Even the simplest maid outfit made her charm skyrocket.
"Though I think the garter stockings don't quite suit her. Black sheer tights might be better—I think Mahiro-sama would prefer those."
Gamma crossed her arms, lightly tapping her chin with her fingertip as she scrutinized Veldiana with a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm, indeed. Every time Mahiro-sama wears black pantyhose, he lasts longer than usual."
Nu, who was attending to Gamma, took out a tablet and earnestly compared data, casually uttering such bold words.
"Nu, your records must be flawed."
Beta, holding a glass of champagne, calmly adjusted her glasses and said:
"Yet Lord Mahiro clearly prefers bare feet and white stockings, each time he favors me it's especially intense."
Beta seemed to be savoring the memory, a seductive blush gradually appearing on her face. If possible, she'd even want to write a novel based on this.
"No, Lady Beta, this is the result obtained through rigorous testing, recording, and analysis."
"Exactly, I think your brain has completely grown into your chest. Lord Mahiro has clearly expressed a preference for black—otherwise, why would our Shadow Garden uniforms all be uniformly black?"
Epsilon suddenly appeared, one hand cradling her chest with 100% slime content, the other holding a wine glass, delivering a timely finishing blow.
That makes so much sense, I'm left speechless!
Beta couldn't find suitable words to counterattack for a moment, but being overshadowed by Epsilon wasn't in her nature. The two soon began arguing over whether black stockings, white stockings, or bare feet were better.
"Hmph, childish."
Zeta leaned against the windowsill, looking disdainfully at the argument between Gamma, Beta, and Epsilon.
With a light leap from the windowsill, she immediately ran outside to play with the silly dog.
After all this time, apart from Eta, they had long shed their maiden status, having been thoroughly devoured one by one—one could even say they were battle-hardened veterans.
Though their faces remained no different from maidens'.
Thus, when they spoke, they were also quite bold and exposed.
Alpha watched their argument, helplessly sighing as she held her forehead.
Zeta was right, they really were too childish.
Didn't Mahiro like them all anyway?
And what he liked most was bare feet paired with black high-heeled sandals, matched with a black off-the-shoulder evening gown, or black stockings with red-soled high heels, or white paired with black leather shoes.
Don't ask how she knew.
It's all about having rich experience.
Soon, the conflict between Beta and the others spread to Veldiana's side. They dragged the weak, powerless, and pitiful Vampire, beginning the great undertaking of changing her clothes.
All of this was seen by Natsuki Minamiya.
"Hmph, you're really quite the playboy."
She snorted coldly, glancing at the man sitting beside her.
Mahiro spread his hands and said:
"This isn't being a playboy, it's being loving to all. I love everyone equally—they are all my treasures, and I can't bear to see them suffer even a little."
Indeed it was so.
Although Yotsuba Mahiro spoke like a scoundrel, what he said was indeed true. Otherwise, how many people would choose to confront the Third Progenitor when the outcome was uncertain?
Just to seek revenge for their own people getting hurt, to brutally beat up the Chaos Bride who possessed the greatest martial arts?
"But that still doesn't change the fact that you're a scoundrel."
"Yes, yes."
Mahiro casually brushed it off, but when he looked at Natsuki Minamiya, his tone suddenly shifted.
"Want to go take a bath together?"
"Lo-li-con." Natsuki muttered contemptuously under her breath.
Mahiro retorted:
"I'm not one, it's just that the person I happen to like is a loli."
Such straightforward words instantly made Natsuki's pretty face burn hot. "Pe-pervert, damn lolicon, bathe with whoever you want."
After saying this, putting on an "angry" expression, she hastily used spatial movement to flee in a panic.
Gently stroking the armrest that still retained a faint warmth, then glancing at the quarreling group, Mahiro couldn't help but smile.
"This kind of life... seems quite nice indeed."