Chapter 389: Prelude to the Jailbreak and the Alchemist
Five days later.
Mahiro finally stepped out of his home.
During these past few days, he had been completely immersed in Aya's tender embrace.
Things had turned out this way all because of the words Aya whispered into his ear while breathing softly.
Tsk, it was too tempting!
He simply couldn't resist it.
He used to think Aya lacked any maternal qualities, which was why she treated Yuuma so coldly.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case at all. When this woman showed tenderness, it was practically overflowing with maternal affection!
However, as immersed as he was, there were still things he needed to do.
Break the cage, rescue Natsuki.
That was what he was going to do.
"Senpai, what's wrong with you? And why have you been holed up at home these past few days?"
A clear, girlish voice roused his half-asleep soul.
Turning his head, he saw a girl dressed in the Saikai Academy uniform, carrying a guitar case on her back, staring at him with wide, watery amber eyes.
She seemed to be seeking an answer.
Because Mahiro hadn't left the house these past few days, her duties as a Watcher had fallen behind considerably. She didn't even know how to submit her daily reports anymore.
Although it seemed the Lion King Organization was dealing with some issues and hadn't been pressing her.
Suddenly, Yukina thought of a possibility—
"Senpai, could it be that the angel from last time left some residual power inside you, and it's been eroding your body ever since, which is why you haven't gone out recently?"
It had to be said, Yukina's imagination was spot-on.
It would be a waste not to use that brain of hers for writing novels.
Mahiro smiled helplessly, reached out, and patted Yukina's head, saying softly:
"How could that be? I just had some things to take care of, which is why I didn't go out..."
Before he could finish speaking, a delicate, coquettish hum interrupted him.
"Hmph, you certainly had things to take care of."
The speaker was Nagisa Akatsuki, who had chosen to walk to school with them. She was now standing beside Yukina, staring at him with a somewhat resentful look in her eyes.
"Eh? There really was something? What was it?"
Yukina couldn't help but ask curiously.
This wasn't about her duties as a Watcher but pure curiosity.
Nagisa stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes shifting, then leaned close to Yukina's ear and whispered:
"Yukina, let me tell you, actually, these past few days, Mahiro-nii has been..."
As Nagisa whispered into her ear, Yukina's face instantly flushed bright red, spreading all the way to the roots of her ears, until even the tips of her ears were tinged with a rosy hue.
If this were depicted in a manga, Yukina would probably have turned into a steam-powered character by now.
She looked at Mahiro with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, pointing at him with a trembling voice:
"Mahiro-senpai, you... you... you... you... you... you actually..."
Her stuttering voice couldn't form a complete sentence for the longest time.
Because it was simply too embarrassing and too shocking!
Five days!
A full five days!
A full five days spent with the Witch of the Notaria, Tokoyogi Aya, with seductively harmonious gasps always coming from the room!
Although she knew a little about male-female matters, it was only a little—just enough to distinguish between men and women.
Did that kind of thing really require so much time?
A tiny yellow seed of doubt took root in her heart, gradually sprouting.
Even Yuuma couldn't help but lower her head in shyness at this moment.
She couldn't help but think to herself:
"Father... although I fully support and look forward to you being with Mother, five whole days is just too...
Her knowledge was far more extensive than someone like Yukina, who was still quite innocent.
She had even looked up information before and knew a thing or two about positions.
And so, their walk to school fell into silence, with no one speaking as they quietly entered Saikai Academy.
However, just as they were about to part ways, Yukina suddenly dropped a bombshell.
"Um... Senpai, Sayaka is transferring to our school today."
Upon hearing this, Mahiro simply responded with a calm "Oh," completely missing her slightly pained expression, before waving his hand and walking into the school building, returning to his classroom.
It's just a transfer, after all.
Although this wasn't part of the original plot, upon closer thought, it made perfect sense.
Even though this girl often dealt with important figures or distinguished guests as a diplomat, she was still an underage child.
Attending school was normal, especially since Yukina was here too.
What he didn't expect, however, was that this girl would transfer into his class!
Not only that, but there were two of them!
Both stood on the podium together.
One was a typical Japanese girl, tall and slender, with her long hair tied into a ponytail.
Her skin was fair, and her hair color was light.
She was a girl who combined beauty and elegance, yet her eyes and brows carried a sharpness rather than softness.
She gave off the impression of being difficult to get along with.
It was none other than Kirasaka Sayaka!
The other was a beautiful silver-haired girl, her hands crossed as she held a black schoolbag at her side. Her features and silhouette bore a seventy percent resemblance to Kanon Kanase.
Who else could it be but La Folia?
The entire class marveled at the beauty of the two, which was now completely on par with the most beautiful girls in the class, Yuuma and Aiba Asagi.
Asagi looked at the two with a hint of hostility.
Her sense of crisis had already skyrocketed!
She didn't know La Folia, but she clearly remembered the other girl named Kirasaka Sayaka!
If she recalled correctly, that girl was supposed to be with Himeragi Yukina from the middle school division!
For her to suddenly transfer into this class—if it wasn't for Mahiro, she wouldn't believe it!
And as it turned out, she was right.
After introducing themselves, La Folia on the podium walked straight down and headed directly to the seat next to Mahiro.
That seat happened to be Aiba Asagi's, so La Folia smiled politely and said:
"Classmate, would you mind giving up this seat so I can sit next to my Darling?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire class fell silent!
What had they just heard?
The new transfer student was Mahiro's Darling, meaning their relationship was—
They were already imagining a million-word novel titled "The Overbearing Princess Falls for Me."
Upon hearing this, Aiba Asagi's forehead twitched, her delicate fists clenched tightly, and the pen in her hand nearly snapped!
But she still forced herself to suppress her temper and said:
"Sorry, La Folia-san, I don't know about the customs in your Kingdom of Aldegyr, but here on Itogami Island, we follow the principle of first come, first served. Since this is my seat, I naturally won't give it up to you."
The meaning was quite clear—it was essentially saying:
"I was here first! You homewrecker, get the hell away from me!"
Upon hearing this, La Folia showed no trace of anger. Instead, she seemed to take it as a matter of course, maintaining her graceful demeanor as she replied:
"Blue Feather Asagi-san makes a very good point. However, I know another saying—'The one who is unloved is the true outsider.' My relationship with Darling is very close, you know. We've even slept together."
This time, the entire class collectively gasped!
Slept together?!
That intense?!
Was this something they were allowed to hear for free?!
Nevertheless, they watched the drama unfold with keen interest, quietly enjoying the spectacle.
After all, a showdown like this was a rare sight at school!
Truly worthy of the legend of Saikai Academy High School—he had managed to attract two such beautiful girls right from the start!
But in reality, "sleeping together" only referred to the time on the private plane returning from the deserted island. Mahiro had merely wanted to take a short nap, but La Folia had proactively snuggled up and hugged him.
And that was how it became what they called "sleeping together."
Asagi naturally didn't believe La Folia's nonsense.
She knew that Mahiro was indeed quite flirtatious. If they were to rank his conquests, she probably wouldn't even be the third—more like fourth, fifth, or even sixth.
But she also knew that Mahiro wouldn't easily engage in intimate relationships with others.
Otherwise, on the day of the award ceremony, when she had been so forward, he would have already taken her!
Still, that didn't stop her from verbally attacking La Folia.
So she crossed her arms and sneered coldly:
"Is that so? That does seem quite in line with the royal customs of your Kingdom of Aldegyr. I've heard that your grandfather even had an affair with another woman during his reign and fathered a child with her, though I don't know if it's true or not."
As soon as she finished speaking, Asagi was met with a slight glare from Mahiro.
He wasn't afraid of girls quarreling, nor was he afraid of a showdown like this. He wouldn't even mind if they ended up fighting.
But what he hated most was dragging other people into it.
Especially someone as kind-hearted as Kanon Kanase.
Asagi also realized she had misspoken and quickly shut her mouth, though she continued to stare at La Folia.
Meanwhile, La Folia's expression grew even colder.
She never expected that a scandal from her own family would one day be used as a weapon against her.
The looks they exchanged were almost enough to spark flames.
As for Mahiro, one of the parties involved, he simply laid his head on the desk, ignoring the situation entirely.
His motto was: out of sight, out of mind.
Fight, go ahead and fight.
Better yet, fight until the world ends, until the universe reaches its limit, until even the fundamental laws are worn away.
After all, once they were done, he could just cover it all up with information manipulation.
Besides, holding in pent-up frustration was bad for one's health—it was better to let it all out.
Meanwhile, while Blue Feather Asagi and La Folia were engaged in their fierce battle, Sayaka naturally took the seat behind Mahiro.
His gaze remained fixed on Mahiro's back, making him feel a bit uneasy.
"What are you doing now?"
"Supervising you on Yukina's behalf."
Sayaka spoke without a hint of emotion. "To prevent you, this pervert, from harming other girls at school. As Yukina's best friend, it's my responsibility and duty to monitor your every move."
Mahiro couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
This girl was like an emotionless surveillance machine!
"Don't tell me you transferred to Saikai Academy and specifically joined this class just for this?"
"What else?"
Sayaka narrowed her eyes slightly, exuding a faint sense of danger as she whispered to him:
"Don't think you can act recklessly just because Yukina isn't here. If I find out you've gotten involved with another girl, I'll curse you to death! Don't doubt my ability!"
Mahiro: "…"
He really didn't know what to say.
Kirasaka Sayaka was a Demon Hunter, and as a Shamanic War Dancer, she was naturally an expert in curses and assassination. Her professionalism was beyond question.
But the real question was, could she actually kill him?
And with a curse, no less.
After all, even the cursed poison of Murasame, the strongest demon blade among Teigu, had no effect on him.
If this girl could pull it off, he'd actually like to give it a try.
If it weren't for the current situation, he might even have said—
"Come at me head-on!"
During the break.
While Aiba Asagi and La Folia were bickering, he slipped out of the classroom at a speed Sayaka couldn't even react to.
Although he didn't mind a harem situation, he wasn't used to all the noise, so he left it to the girls to sort it out themselves.
As a proper scumbag, he couldn't get involved in any conflict between girls.
So he wandered alone to the rooftop, planning to take a break and even prepared to stay away from the classroom for the entire morning.
But the next second, a shadow blocked the sunlight.
It was a very beautiful, tall girl with long black hair. Her features seemed meticulously carved by God, and the breeze gently lifted her skirt, revealing the absolute territory wrapped in black stockings, faintly visible before his eyes.
Hmm, black thong style.
And the kind associated with the Four Holy Beasts, the one representing slaughter.
It couldn't be clearer.
But Mahiro's eyes turned deadpan as he said flatly:
"Giada, what are you doing here again? Planning to join the war in the classroom downstairs?"
"My disguise was actually recognized."
Giada's voice carried a hint of surprise.
After all, she possessed absolute combat prowess far surpassing that of a Sword Shaman, along with the ability to alter her appearance.
And her disguises had never been seen through before, but she never expected to meet her Waterloo with Mahiro.
Since she'd been recognized, she had no intention of maintaining the disguise.
Her pitch-black long hair instantly returned to its emerald green color, and her tall stature shrank slightly.
Revealing her true appearance.
However, Mahiro gave her a big, exaggerated eye-roll.
"Obviously, I recognized you. Even if you can change your appearance, you can't change the soul within. My eyes happen to be able to see souls."
Besides that, he could also distinguish her from the information he had read.
Even the secret technique of the Kushima Family, Parade, could not escape his eyes.
"Tell me, Giada-sama of the Third Dominion, what brings you to my humble abode again?"
"Hoho, what a distant way to address me."
Giada sat directly beside him, so close that Mahiro could smell the spandex scent seeping from her black pantyhose.
After slightly adjusting her skirt, Giada spoke lightly:
"I heard you plan to take action against the Prison Barrier?"
"News travels fast, huh? I'm quite curious—when did you get involved with Aya?"
Facing this Vampire Progenitor, Mahiro showed no intention of beating around the bush, directly exposing the matter.
Giada didn't mind, simply replying with a smile:
"Since I want you to become my king, naturally, I must build good relationships with the women around you."
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"However, the Witch of the Notaria, Tokoyogi Aya, is quite an interesting woman. This matter wasn't something I asked her about; rather, she actively sought me out just now to discuss it."
"She believes her own strength isn't enough to deal with Natsuki Minamiya, and while you have the power, your personality would never allow you to take action against the Witch of the Void. So, she came to me, hoping I would join in to help you."
Upon hearing this, Mahiro fell silent.
Aya's analysis was spot on.
If faced with Natsuki Minamiya's obstruction, he would definitely not take action.
The outcome would be Aya being imprisoned again in the Prison Barrier.
But Aya had forgotten one thing—he still had Shadow Garden under his command!
Even if he didn't act personally, Shadow Garden would have no problem dealing with Natsuki-chan. At the very least, Zeta, who had the highest potential, and Alpha, the strongest in combat, would face no issues.
However, since Giada had taken the initiative to bring it up and even made a special trip here, he didn't mind letting her help.
"So, what do you plan to do, dear Progenitor Giada-sama?"
"Hmph, I told you not to address me in such a distant way."
Giada tilted her head, showing a pouty, girlish expression, then muttered in a sulky tone:
"What I plan to do is simple. When you take action, I'll stay by your side and help you clear away all obstacles."
Just as the two were loudly conspiring on the rooftop to gank the Prison Barrier, another place was also beginning to stir.
In the northern district of the artificial island, on the sixth floor of the former Magitech Company employee dormitory.
Since the company had been shut down by the artificial island management association, the floor had been abandoned all along.
It was a small, somewhat dirty building stained with gray.
All the windows were blocked with iron plates, and the entrances were covered with barbed iron fences.
To an onlooker, it would simply appear as an abandoned building.
But to a human experienced with Magic, they would sense the presence of multiple Barriers surrounding the building—powerful exclusion Barriers that ordinary people could not approach at all.
In the corridor of the building, which had returned to silence, only the sound of a single person's footsteps remained—those of a thin young man.
Dressed in a pure white cloak, with a shirt and hat patterned in red and white checks.
In his left hand, he held a silver cane carved with skulls.
A young man exuding an eerie aura.
He slowly surveyed his surroundings, eventually fixing his gaze on an apartment.
That was once the home where Kanase Kensei had lived.
With a smile, his eyes brimming with excitement and fervor, as if beholding some fantastical treasure, he simply laughed with a gaze filled with hatred.
Without hesitation, he reached out and touched the sealed lock.
A bizarre scene unfolded—the silver lock melted into liquid and flowed into his body.
Only a mage-like Alchemist could possess the ability to control metal.
The young man pushed open the unlocked door, his eyes scanning everything inside the apartment, meticulously exploring his surroundings.
The dust-covered room was arranged warmly and neatly.
Kanase Kensei had once fantasized about bringing Kanon Kanase to live here with him, but unfortunately, Mahiro's interference had thwarted that outcome.
Moreover, due to Kanase Kensei's experiments, he had long been absent from this place.
"Sorry, my other half, taken by my master—it seems I'll finally be able to reclaim it now."
As if able to detect something, he went straight to a bedroom, to a metal safe.
He tore open the thick metal safe as easily as cutting through paper.
An Alchemist, capable of freely manipulating the composition of metal.
No matter how super-hard the alloy, with just a touch of his hand, it would become more brittle than thin aluminum foil.
Then, what the young man retrieved from the safe was a sphere nearly fifteen centimeters in diameter.
It was a transparent, deep red gemstone—something an Alchemist would dream of possessing.
After confirming it under the light, the young man smiled with satisfaction.
Clicking his cane, the Alchemist departed.
If Mahiro and Kanon were to see him, they would surely recognize the familiarity in his aura.
He was the very perpetrator of the tragedy at Adelard's Abbey five years ago, the one who caused the Spirit Blood to run rampant and kill many children!
It seemed that after the Spirit Blood was sealed five years ago, Kanase Kensei, who had once visited the abbey, happened upon the core controlling the Spirit Blood and brought it back.
Thus, the young man had come searching.