Chapter 358: The Long-Awaited Beginning of the Plot
"Mahiro-nii, time to wake up! If you don't get up now, you'll be late!"
In the morning, warm sunlight flowed quietly through the room. Amidst the cries of seagulls outside the window and the voice of a young girl calling out, Mahiro slowly stirred from his slumber.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a cute face—Nagisa Akatsuki, wearing her Saikai Academy middle school uniform, glaring at him with puffed cheeks.
"Good morning, Nagisa," Mahiro mumbled.
After greeting her, he rolled over and closed his eyes again.
"Ahhhhh, Mahiro-nii, no more sleeping! Otherwise, you really will be late!"
Under Nagisa Akatsuki's vigorous shaking, Mahiro finally managed to sluggishly rise from the bed.
While changing clothes, he muttered to himself—it's just school, missing a day won't cost him anything.
The problem was, Nagisa Akatsuki wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.
Or rather, over the past two and a half years, Nagisa had been acting like a little housekeeper, taking care of his daily life, supervising his daily attendance at school, almost turning him into someone who couldn't take care of himself.
That's right—it had been two and a half years since the Flame Light Banquet.
Nagisa Akatsuki, who had been freed from the threat of the Root, didn't leave his side as one might have expected. Instead, she stayed in the villa under the pretext of repaying a favor.
Mahiro didn't refuse, only dumbly asking what would happen to Akatsuki Kojou, and if necessary, he could arrange a room for him to stay as well.
After all, the villa was still quite spacious.
In response, Nagisa puffed her cheeks, placed her hands on her hips, glared at him angrily, and told him:
"Don't worry about Kojou! He can take care of himself!"
At this, Yuuma shook her head and sighed softly.
She didn't know whether her father was truly clueless or just pretending.
With so many girls living in the villa, it wouldn't be appropriate for Kojou to move in anyway.
Under Nagisa's supervision, Mahiro finished washing up and was dragged to the dining table.
After casually greeting everyone, Mahiro pulled out a chair, sat down, and began sipping his porridge.
The dining table was already full of people—even livelier than it had been two and a half years ago.
Delta and Zeta were, as usual, fighting over each other's food; Beta and Epsilon were also their usual selves, bickering without any regard for appearances, while Alpha was, as always, troubled by their relationship.
Est quickly and quietly finished the fried tofu placed before her.
Aya and Natsuki were more elegant, though the taciturn Aya would occasionally taunt Natsuki, leading to an argument between the two.
In addition, there were the twelve adorable Night Lords of the Blazing Light, led by Avrora.
The person responsible for taking care of them was a maid wearing a low-cut black maid dress and black pantyhose.
She was none other than Veldiana, the second daughter of the Karlaina family.
After such a long period of trials, Veldiana had completely resigned herself to her fate, obediently staying in the mansion and taking on the role of a maid.
Nowadays, she had become quite adept at these tasks, and thanks to her excellent performance at home, she had been promoted to the position of head maid.
It must be said—time truly can change everything.
Noticing that Mahiro still seemed a bit drowsy, his daughter Yuuma quietly leaned over and said:
"Father, are you sleepy? Why don't you sneak back to your room for a nap later? It's not like there's anything important at school anyway."
Hmm, truly a thoughtful little cotton-padded jacket.
Even though she's not biologically related, it still warms his heart.
But Mahiro shook his head at her suggestion.
"Forget it. If I skip school, Nagisa Akatsuki will come nagging me again tonight."
To some extent, he was genuinely afraid of that little girl Nagisa Akatsuki, especially her mouth—when she started talking, it was even more terrifying than Tang Sanzang.
Seeing this, Yuuma didn't say anything more.
She just felt that Yotsuba Mahiro really didn't need to keep going to school.
After all, who spends several years repeating their first year of high school?
Nowadays, Yotsuba Mahiro had become a legendary figure at Saikai Academy—the endlessly repeating first-year student.
She never imagined that a careless joke she made when she was younger would actually come true—she was now really in the same class as her father.
Although she was happy to be together every day, she still felt somewhat sorry for her father.
Just then, another lazy female voice suddenly drifted into the dining room.
"Yawn Good morning, everyone..."
A woman wearing nothing but a white shirt, her hair disheveled, stumbled in through the doorway.
As she walked, even the glimpse of purple between her plump, straight legs was clearly visible.
And the style was particularly bold at that.
A few mischievous strands of hair peeked out from inside.
Her entire demeanor exuded the aura of a mature woman.
"I said, Mimori Akatsuki, you're wearing my shirt again," Mahiro complained with a headache upon seeing the woman's attire.
The woman waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, what's the big deal~ I couldn't find suitable clothes in the house, so I just borrowed your shirt for now."
The woman, who had the leftover stick of a popsicle in her mouth, spoke with a slightly hoarse voice. Dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible—obviously, she had pulled an all-nighter and wasn't fully awake yet.
"Wearing it isn't the problem, but aren't you afraid Nagisa Akatsuki will scold you?"
"De..."
The woman froze mid-action as she reached for a fried dough stick at the dining table.
Even though she was Nagisa Akatsuki's mother, she was particularly afraid of this daughter.
At the same time, Mimori Akatsuki felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet. She sensed a piercing gaze from behind and stiffly turned her head, only to see Nagisa Akatsuki—who had just emerged from the kitchen, still wearing her apron—standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at her angrily.
"M..."
Mimori Akatsuki stiffly began to speak, but before she could finish, Nagisa Akatsuki had already erupted.
"Ahh, Mimori, why are you wearing clothes like that again? Honestly! Come with me to change right now!"
She immediately started pushing Mimori Akatsuki toward the dining room door.
"What's the big deal? It's not like there's anything left to see, and besides, Mahiro-chan is the only boy here..."
Mimori Akatsuki muttered in her own defense. For a woman who had been single for several years, she had long stopped caring about such things.
Oh, wait—she never cared in the first place.
But Nagisa Akatsuki cared.
"No, Mahiro-nii is already at that age too, what if you accidentally end up with a baby! And stop being so shameless!"
"Okay."
In the end, Mimori Akatsuki was firmly pushed out of the dining room by Nagisa Akatsuki.
But not long after, Nagisa Akatsuki's screams could be heard again.
"Ahhhh! How did you make the room so messy again! I told you not to leave underwear lying around everywhere! I just cleaned it up for you last night!"
The others at the dining table didn't react much, having long grown accustomed to it.
As for why Mimori Akatsuki had moved in, the reason was quite delicate.
After destroying the soul of the Root Fourth Primogenitor and ending the Flame Light Banquet, Nagisa Akatsuki woke from her coma.
But at that time, she had lost her memory.
She hadn't forgotten recent events, nor had she forgotten her brother Akatsuki Kojou—she only forgot her scumbag father Akatsuki Kojou and her foolish mother Mimori Akatsuki.
When Mimori Akatsuki learned she had been forgotten, she cried bitterly.
Weeping and insisting on staying with Nagisa Akatsuki to recover the memories that once belonged to them as mother and daughter.
And so, this woman moved in with a strange and forceful attitude.
Given that Mimori Akatsuki paid a high monthly allowance and lodging fee, Mahiro didn't stop her.
But because of this, every morning would turn chaotic because of Mimori Akatsuki.
After breakfast, Mahiro straightened his uniform and teleported to school with Est and Aya.
Yuuma and Nagisa Akatsuki didn't like this method, so they chose the most ordinary way—walking to school. Fortunately, the distance wasn't too far, just about a twenty-minute walk.
By the way, after the Flame Light Banquet ended, Avrora chose to drop out of school.
Since the class couldn't accommodate the other eleven Vessels, and it would be hard to manage if they caused a ruckus, Avrora decided to become the big sister and lead the other eleven Vessels.
Though they still caused plenty of trouble.
And as soon as Mahiro arrived at the classroom, he ran into an acquaintance.
"Good morning, Mahiro-senpai. I never thought we'd really be in the same class."
"Can you not tease me about this? Be careful, I might just go home and sleep right now."
Mahiro grumbled as he walked to his familiar seat by the window in the back row, pulling out the chair and sitting down. Hearing this, Aiba Asagi immediately raised her hands in surrender, indicating she wouldn't say anything more.
But a faint smile still lingered on her face.
Nowadays, Aiba Asagi could be said to be much more confident than the girl who used to cry in the hospital hallway—even uniquely eye-catching.
Her stylish hairstyle and makeup style both skirted the edges of school rules and regulations, and the black-framed glasses she once wore had long been replaced with contact lenses.
Her school uniform had also undergone extensive modifications.
How to put it? She looked just like a delinquent girl wandering around Kabukichō at night without going home.
But in reality, this girl was surprisingly pure-hearted.
No one understood why she dressed herself like this.
Coupled with the mischievous grin always on her face, it made her seem slightly lacking in feminine charm.
Besides her, the other person in Mahiro's class was Yuuma, who wore her hair in a high ponytail. She no longer imitated Aya's hairstyle, fully living as her own person.
Then there was a boy named Motoki Yaze, and Nagisa Akatsuki's older brother, Kojou Akatsuki.
Kojou Akatsuki was fine, only occasionally asking him about Nagisa Akatsuki and their mother Mimori Akatsuki, but Motoki Yaze would try to strike up a conversation with him whenever he had nothing better to do.
There was also a hint of surveillance in the background.
If he hadn't already known this guy's background, he might have thought Motoki Yaze was just like that snake-handler—a gay guy.
However, after learning his purpose, Mahiro couldn't be bothered to engage with him.
Just as he lay on the desk trying to catch up on sleep, the long-dormant Lion King Organization finally made its move.
In the depths of the summer forest, over three hundred kilometers from the artificial island in the suburbs of Tokyo, lay the Lion King Organization's secret training camp, where adopted shrine maidens were specially trained.
The blazing bonfire illuminated the shrine grounds late at night, while faint moonlight filtered into the worship hall.
The air carried a slight chill, likely due to the barrier enveloping the shrine.
The once noisy chirping of insects was now almost inaudible.
A black-haired girl sat silently in the center of the spacious hall.
She was a pretty girl, though still carrying a hint of youthful innocence.
Her figure was slender and delicate, but it didn't give an impression of fragility. Instead, she resembled a finely forged blade, exuding a resilient strength hidden within her softness.
All of this was due to her tightly pressed lips and the intense light shining in her eyes.
The girl wore a white training uniform.
Her chest wasn't particularly large, but her body was exceptionally slender!
Inside the hall, three people sat watching, their figures concealed behind a curtain.
However, the girl already knew their identities beforehand.
They were the Elders of the Lion King Organization, the supreme beings known as the Three Saints.
Although all three were high-level Psychics or Mages, the aura surrounding them was remarkably tranquil, devoid of any oppressive force or magical presence—a fact that was all the more terrifying.
Unconsciously, the girl tightened her grip on her sleeve, nervously gazing at the three figures behind the curtain.
"Shrine Maiden, please state your name."
A voice came from the other side of the curtain, serious in tone but not cold—it belonged to Shizuka Koyomi.
At just sixteen years old, she had already secured her position as one of the Three Saints, arguably the most outstanding genius in the history of the Lion King Organization.
No less remarkable than Fujisaka Touka in her time!
"My surname is Himeragi. Himeragi Yukina."
A second later, the girl softly replied.
Nervousness made her voice tremble slightly, but the woman on the other side of the curtain paid no mind and continued questioning the girl.
"Your age?"
"Fifteen in six months," the black-haired girl responded.
"I see... Himeragi Yukina. You began your training seven years ago, didn't you? Right after your seventh birthday... On a cold, snowy night, you were brought alone to the Lion King Organization. Do you remember the circumstances of that day?"
The woman on the other side of the curtain spoke as if to herself, suddenly turning the question to Yukina.
Yukina felt a chill run down her spine—an overwhelming psychic pressure, a mental assault!
The mental barrier she had prepared in advance was shattered in an instant.
Yukina's face paled for a moment, but she forced herself to shake her head, unwilling to answer her question.
"Your abilities seem quite good; your performance should rank at the top among the shrine maidens of this generation."
Shizuka Koyomi withdrew her power and nodded lightly, as if in approval, before continuing:
"We have a very important mission for you, but we must first confirm the strength you possess."
"Huh?"
In an instant, Yukina felt an intense surge of killing intent envelop her, and she immediately leaped into the air.
She kicked off the wooden floor, flipping backward and landing behind her.
It wasn't an action born of conscious thought—it was her instinct sensing danger, moving her body unconsciously.
A sharp blade swept through the air, slashing across the spot where Yukina had just been sitting.
Had she been a moment slower, Yukina would surely have been killed.
It was a full-force strike delivered with a real blade!
Two tall armored warriors materialized as if forged from the darkness.
A faceless samurai wielding a crude tachi and a four-armed archer drawing its bow on both sides.
They lacked physical bodies—they were Shikigami created through curses.
Likely, one of the three behind the curtain was controlling them.
But before she could fully process this, Yukina shifted from defense to offense.
Without time to think, Yukina chanted a short incantation under her breath, concentrated her Cursed Power into her palms, and channeled her spiritual energy directly into the two Shikigami through their armor.
One of the armored warriors instantly dissipated, leaving only the tachi it had been holding.
Yukina caught the tachi, which served as the Shikigami's catalyst, mid-air.
She used the stolen tachi to block the attack of the second armored warrior, then followed up with a sweeping slash, cutting the archer in half just as it released its arrows.
The second armored warrior soon vanished as well.
Though it had taken less than ten seconds, it was an incredibly close call.
"May I ask... what is the meaning of this?" Yukina asked, slightly out of breath, as she pointed the tachi toward the curtain.
She had no intention of continuing to fight the Shikigami.
If the battle dragged on, Yukina, who was at a disadvantage in strength, would have no chance of winning.
Even if her opponents were the Elders of the Lion King Organization, if they intended to continue toying with her, she would have to subdue the caster directly—that was Yukina's judgment.
Suddenly, an invisible force erupted from behind the curtain, knocking Yukina back over a dozen steps. She coughed up a mouthful of blood with a gasp.
"Do not be disrespectful."
An aged voice, different from Shizuka Koyomi's, came from behind the curtain.
Yukina knew very well that the voice belonged to her master.
"Your spiritual energy is abundant; you are indeed an exceptional shrine maiden. Take it, Himeragi Yukina."
A woman passed an object through the gap in the rolled-up curtain.
Illuminated by the light, the silhouette revealed in the darkness was a silver spear.
Yukina knew the name of this spear.
"The Seventh Style Assault Demon-Slaying Spear... Snowdrift Wolf!!"
Yukina gripped the silver spear shaft, murmuring in awe.
"Once you have mastered its use, we will summon you again. Remember, this mission is more dangerous than any before, so you must become proficient with it."
Hearing the Three Saints speak thus, Yukina's throat tightened slightly, and she once again gripped the Snowdrift Wolf in her hand, her gaze gradually growing resolute.
She was also well aware of the importance of this mission.
But would this alone truly be enough to deal with that man?
Shizuka Koyomi behind the curtain did not know, but the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be fired, even if this was a desperate gamble.
Himeragi Yukina was the one they had chosen, and she was the exceptional legacy that Fujisaka Touka had brought back at the cost of her own life.
She could only hope that Himeragi Yukina would use her own charm to win over that man.
If she could accomplish that, there would still be room for maneuver.
If she could not, then perhaps...
Shizuka Koyomi slowly closed her eyes.
Instantly, the humiliation from two and a half years ago and everything that had happened at the Flame Light Banquet resurfaced in her mind.
All those experiences remained vivid and clear, as if they had happened just yesterday!