Chapter 392: How Did the Disguise Fall Off So Quickly?
From dawn to dusk once more.
When the second night fell, Hinado finally left Mahiro's villa, leaning against the wall and limping away.
The cool aloofness she once carried was nowhere to be seen on her now.
Her long black hair hung loosely, half-covering her face, giving her an innate allure instead, along with a look of gritted-teeth shame and anger.
She never expected she'd be tormented for yet another full day!
And that bastard Mahiro had made her do so many humiliating things, even forcing her to eat that disgusting stuff!
But thinking it over, she couldn't help but let out a weary sigh.
Now that the Lion King Organization had chosen to submit to this man, it seemed she would never escape his grasp in this lifetime.
At this thought, Hinado lowered her head to look at the brand-new Saikai Academy uniform she wore, then glanced at the syringe in her hand.
The syringe was given to her by Mahiro, said to enhance her body and spiritual power, pushing her strength even further.
Naturally, Hinado didn't believe it.
But seeing his unusually serious expression, devoid of his usual playful teasing, she couldn't help but half-believe it deep down.
Add to that Mahiro's final warning—that if she betrayed him, he could reclaim this power at any time.
Her heart was already about seventy to eighty percent convinced.
Yet this only made her feel even more unsettled.
What was this supposed to mean?
What did he take her for?
A stick and a sweet date?
At this thought, Hinado's pretty face flushed red, and her mind involuntarily recalled that twenty-something-centimeter stick, causing her whole body to tremble slightly.
That image lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.
It made her quicken her pace, eager to return to her apartment as soon as possible.
Night fell.
As if it were the Hour of the Demon, it was once again time for the Demon Race to revel.
Moreover, today was the day of the Boryoin Festival, a holiday modeled after Halloween.
However...
"I have a feeling, Aya, that you deliberately delayed completing the grimoire until today."
Mahiro wasn't staying at the villa. Instead, he stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of a hotel, gazing down at the bustling streets below, filled with men and women in all sorts of strange and bizarre costumes.
The next moment, a warm body leaned against him.
Aya gently rose on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear:
"Of course. I know your temperament well. If I had said it was completed that day, you probably wouldn't have been able to resist acting immediately."
"Why?"
Mahiro asked, puzzled. Aya didn't answer directly but instead smiled and joined him in looking out the window.
Softly, she asked in return:
"Husband, do you know the origin of Halloween?"
Though he didn't understand why Aya was asking this, he thought for a moment and replied:
"Normally speaking, Halloween is just a harvest festival celebrating autumn. But if interpreted through mythology, in ancient Celtic beliefs, people believed that as early winter arrived, the passage between this world and the spirit realm would open, allowing elves and witches to flood in.
To protect themselves from these supernatural beings, they would wear masks, light bonfires, and drive away the ghosts."
"Hehe, my husband truly is knowledgeable."
Aya chuckled softly, then used both hands to turn his body around, forcing him to face her.
"You're right, that is indeed the origin of Halloween, but in reality, Halloween is also an exorcism ritual."
"Exorcism?"
"Mhm."
Aya nodded gently.
"On this day, whether it's us Witches, the Bloodkin, Elves, or other Beastmen, we all suffer varying degrees of weakness. In other words, tonight will be Natsuki Minamiya's most vulnerable moment."
Back when Aya had planned her escape from the Prison Barrier, she had chosen this very day.
However, Mahiro still had one question in mind—
"What about you? You're a Witch too, right?"
"Mhm, that's right, so I'll be borrowing your body to act, because your identity as a human won't be suppressed in any way."
Aya's tone was very gentle, her eyes soft and shimmering as she gazed at him.
That's right, their plan this time was to swap bodies.
Aya would control his body to break the Prison Barrier, then retrieve and activate the Grimoire of the Oath of Darkness, completely awakening Natsuki Minamiya from her eternal dream.
Meanwhile, he would control Aya's body and, together with the Third Progenitor Giada, stall the clones created by Natsuki Minamiya.
But upon hearing the explanation, Mahiro simply responded with a casual "Oh," which actually made Aya laugh.
"Husband... no, Mahiro, I want to ask you, do you really trust me this much? Aren't you afraid I'll take your body and never return it?"
"Why should I be afraid?"
Mahiro countered.
"Since I chose you, I naturally give you my complete trust."
His answer made Aya's heart skip two beats. Her hands involuntarily rested on his shoulders, and the smile on her face grew even more enchanting.
"My beloved, my husband, let's begin now."
With those words, Aya stood on her tiptoes again and kissed him directly.
It was a deep kiss.
It didn't feel like it was to initiate a ritual, but rather a kiss to express love.
And behind Aya, space began to ripple and undulate like waves. On the other side of the ripples, something seemed to rise from the depths of a dark lake, slowly revealing its face.
It was a massive, sinister, pitch-black silhouette.
"Husband, the festival has begun."
Aya's voice whispered gently in his ear.
At the same time, Mahiro felt a momentary dizziness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of himself.
But his field of vision was noticeably lower.
"..."
As soon as he spoke, his voice had changed, and his body felt inexplicably heavier.
He looked down.
He saw his own hands, now fair and slender, with black and white fabric covering his wrists.
Mahiro blinked and asked the person in front of him:
"Did it succeed already?"
"Mhm."
Aya, using his body, gave a gentle smile, though this smile felt very uncomfortable to Mahiro, making him instinctively tense up down below...
Wait!
It wasn't just that simple!
"It feels... a bit subtle."
A light, airy voice came from his mouth, making him subconsciously touch his slender, flat throat.
"It's a little unfamiliar."
This body is far too frail, its magical power not particularly strong, and there's a vague sense of some inexplicable suppression.
Dealing with my former self from the laboratory days would probably be quite a struggle.
There's simply no comparison at all.
Aya was well aware of this, so she focused on sensing the power within Mahiro's body.
"This power... is of a magnitude I have never before witnessed."
The sheer intensity of the magical power—if fully unleashed, she was certain it could completely overwhelm those three Progenitors.
In contrast, the power she once possessed was like a drop in the ocean, a mere speck in the vast sea.
With this power to wield the Grimoire of the Oath of Darkness, she was confident she could rewrite the entire world!
However, this realization made Aya look at Mahiro with a strange expression.
This man, who possessed such immense power in his daily life, yet rarely ever used it?
He could have instantly established a Dominion without any issue, yet he chose to live a lazy, idle life.
Yet, she saw Mahiro currently using her body to caress himself all over.
"Mmm... so this is what it feels like?"
The sash around the waist had long since fallen to the floor, his hands slipping into the twelve-layered kimono that had come undone in the middle.
As he touched himself, he kept making all sorts of strange noises.
Listening to it made her blush fiercely.
If it were her old self, she would have surely been unable to resist scolding and stopping him immediately, but now she could only wear a helpless expression.
There was no helping it—after all, this was her husband.
So, she walked over, gently took hold of Mahiro's hands, pulled them out from the clothes, then helped him straighten his garments, softly saying:
"Alright, no more playing. If you really want to play, once everything is settled, I can accompany you."
"Alright, alright."
With her saying that, what reason did he have to refuse?
After helping him get dressed, Aya left the hotel room.
Watching her own retreating figure, Mahiro couldn't help but stroke his chin.
"Didn't expect to find myself quite handsome."
At the very least, not many could rival this appearance.
After this moment of reflection, Mahiro, still in Aya's body, returned to the villa.
As soon as he entered, he saw Nagisa Akatsuki, dressed in strange attire, rushing from the hallway to the entrance. But when she saw that the only one returning was Aya, she couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Huh? Didn't Mahiro-nii come back?"
"No, he has matters to attend to."
Mahiro replied, doing his best to mimic Aya's tone, only to see Nagisa furrow her brows as she looked at him.
"?"
Mahiro gave her a puzzled look.
Nagisa returned an equally puzzled look.
The two of them stood there at the entrance, staring wide-eyed at each other, until finally Nagisa seemed to see through something and trudged back dejectedly.
As she walked away, she muttered under her breath.
"Ugh... I prepared clothes for Mahiro-nii for nothing."
Hearing this, Mahiro raised an eyebrow.
Fortunately, it wasn't him who returned today—otherwise, given Nagisa's personality, she might have forced him into some bizarre outfit.
However, when he walked into the living room, his footsteps involuntarily froze.
Quite the full house—almost every woman he knew was present.
It's just that their outfits aren't exactly decent.
The first to catch the eye were Yukina and La Folia, both wearing a modified nun's habit with white lace trims at the collar and cuffs—a pure and delicate style.
It seems the aunt and niece have recognized each other.
La Folia initially wanted to flirt when she saw someone enter, but upon realizing it was Tokoyogi Aya, she simply greeted her with a smile.
However, it must be said that La Folia's figure in that form-fitting nun's habit is quite alluring, especially the snow-white legs revealed by the open hem.
Tsk, even without white stockings, it's tempting.
Next was Mimori Akatsuki, dressed as a mad scientist.
Then came Aiba Asagi, wearing a bold and revealing succubus outfit, with only a piece of fabric tightly cinched between her legs. She was so embarrassed that she curled up on the sofa, the epitome of a pure-hearted succubus.
Who exactly is she trying to seduce with that outfit?
And then there were Avrora and the other little Progenitors, dressed as vampire dukes, each wearing a black-lined red cloak. Since they're vampires themselves, they didn't need fake fangs.
Though their inner wear was all over the place—suits were the most normal, and one even had armor underneath.
That child should be called Tataros, I think she's the Fourth.
Then there was Yuuma, wearing an alternative Witch outfit. When she saw Aya, she timidly greeted her.
But the most eye-catching of all was the giant pumpkin head.
Judging by the silhouette, it should be Astarte.
The petite girl was wearing a full-body leotard, an exaggeratedly large pumpkin headpiece, and an orange cloak.
While it was cute, it looked more like an oversized teru teru bōzu than a Jack-o'-lantern.
Still, she seemed quite fond of the outfit.
As for Yukina and Sayaka...
They were dressed as a white and a black stray cat, respectively. Yukina's face was flushed with embarrassment, and if not for Nagisa Akatsuki holding her down, she would have already sneaked back to her own villa.
Sayaka wasn't as exaggerated, but she was still plenty shy.
"You're back quite early, Ms. Tokoyogi Aya."
As soon as he sat down, a slightly teasing voice reached his ears.
Turning his head, he met Giada's emerald-green eyes.
Today, she looked different from usual—her long green hair had become short and golden, and her figure was tall and alluring, clearly having altered her appearance.
However, she deliberately emphasized the name "Tokoyogi Aya" in her words, her tone full of meaning.
Mahiro calmly picked up a teacup and took a sip, replying softly:
"Nothing much, so I came back."
"Where did you go, Aya?"
This time, it was Natsuki Minamiya who spoke, frowning as she stared at her close friend.
She couldn't tell if it was just her imagination, but something about Aya felt off today.
"Went to a hotel with my husband."
Mahiro imitated Aya's calm demeanor, answering without blushing or skipping a beat, and even threw in a taunt.
"What, are you jealous, Natsuki?"
"Hmph, as if I'd be jealous of you!"
Natsuki Minamiya immediately crossed her arms and turned her head away, replying with a huff.
But her flushed earlobes clearly betrayed her current feelings.
Beside her, Mimori Akatsuki was still stroking her cheek, wearing a knowing smile as she sighed with words like "Ah, youth," "If only I could be ten years younger," "Meeting the wrong person," and "Feeling lonely and desolate at thirty"—such bold remarks.
Everyone had grown accustomed to it.
Because Mahiro had never shown any interest in Mimori Akatsuki, this woman seemed to have a screw loose somewhere in her head.
Apart from locking herself in her room for her own research, she spent her days acting out.
However, the happiest one was undoubtedly Yuuma.
She was most willing and hopeful to see her mother and father entangled together, loving each other affectionately every day.
But for some reason, she also felt that her mother seemed a bit strange today.
Why was that?
"Um, Miss Aya, do you know when Mahiro will be back tonight?" Asagi, curled up on the sofa, asked.
Originally, she wanted to call her "auntie," since she was Yuuma's mother.
But the thought of calling her "auntie" would mean calling Mahiro "uncle," so she quickly changed her wording.
These relationships were truly messy!
A father and daughter in the same class!
And with the person she liked the most, no less!
How infuriating!!
Asagi screamed inwardly, but Mahiro simply replied indifferently that he didn't know.
"By the way, Teacher Aya, would you like to join our costume party?"
It was Nagisa Akatsuki.
She was gazing with sparkling eyes at Tokoyogi Aya, who was sitting on the single sofa.
Although Aya usually had a low presence, she was also Nagisa Akatsuki's classical literature teacher, often instructing her in literary knowledge.
"Teacher Aya, please?"
Nagisa Akatsuki walked over and began clinging to her arm, acting coquettishly.
Yuuma watched with envy—she also wanted to act spoiled with her mother...
But Mahiro was a bit confused at the moment.
What kind of demeanor should he adopt now?
He wasn't entirely sure how Aya and Nagisa Akatsuki usually interacted.
Nevertheless, he maintained a cold attitude and spoke:
"Not interested, not attending."
As soon as these words were spoken, almost everyone's gaze turned toward him in unison. Even Nagisa Akatsuki blinked and looked at him, her eyes carrying a hint of unfamiliarity. She immediately released his arm and stepped back.
Wait, what was going on?
In fact, he really had made a mistake.
Mahiro felt a tiny bit panicked—had he said something wrong?
Because Nagisa Akatsuki was an excellent spiritual medium and also quite eloquent, aside from Mahiro, she was the closest to Aya in the household.
Even when refusing, the attitude wouldn't be so cold.
He would always pat her head while speaking.
"You're not Aya. Who are you?"
Natsuki Minamiya narrowed her eyes, her expression sharp, and questioned, "Why are you impersonating Aya, and where have you taken her?!"
"..."
Mahiro couldn't help but click his tongue—exposed so quickly.
This disguise hadn't even lasted a moment before it was about to come off.
But it didn't matter—acting was acting. Since the disguise had fallen off, he could just switch to another one.
Then, he slowly raised his head, his gaze deep and profound as he looked at Natsuki Minamiya, a wicked curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
"Why don't you take a guess?"
As the words fell, a ripple of spatial distortion appeared around Mahiro.
Immediately, several chains shot out, attempting to bind him.
Yet, in the next second, Mahiro merely raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the chains that had been fired toward him were shattered by newly projected chains.
"Chains of Restraint?! Just who are you?!"
Natsuki Minamiya was utterly shocked.
She never expected this person to be capable of manipulating the Chains of Restraint!
However, this time, Mahiro paid no attention to Natsuki. Instead, he cast a glance toward Giada.
He spoke softly:
"Do it."