— — — — — —
Honestly? Kira wasn't sure if Shizuka Marikawa, with her pure airhead nature, was even capable of learning properly.
Talent and aptitude were one thing. But this girl…
"Well, maybe someone like her actually grows faster precisely because she's like that?"
"...Hmm. I've watched enough anime and read enough novels to know that airheads can be terrifying."
"Well... forget it. Let Eirin worry about that. She's the type who tailors her teaching to each student—no doubt she can handle it."
After a brief moment of thought, Kira shoved the whole topic aside. Whatever. Not worth overthinking.
...
Before long, the three girls were led away by a moon rabbit toward Eientei.
After they left, Matsuyoi appeared in the main hall.
"Auntie? What's wrong?" Kira asked curiously.
His aunt rarely came looking for him like this. She usually worked quietly behind the scenes, making sure everything was taken care of without ever disturbing him.
"Kiki." Matsuyoi's voice was soft as always, but there was a trace of melancholy in it.
That instantly put Kira on alert. "Auntie, what happened? Tell me. If there's something wrong, I'll fix it."
She had never spoken to him with that kind of tone before.
"Mmm…"
Matsuyoi shook her head slightly, then smiled—a gentle, radiant smile that carried warmth and sorrow in equal measure. "I was just thinking... Kiki has really grown up. You can take care of yourself now. There's something I need to handle—it'll probably take a month or two."
"No danger, right?" Kira didn't ask what it was, just whether it was safe.
"No," she said, eyes soft and content. "It's just a small matter. There's a child—back then, you hadn't yet decided whether to take on the title of Lord, so I didn't bring her here. But now, I think it's time to bring her home."
"Oh, that's all?" Kira let out a breath and smiled. "Auntie, you scared me for a second. It's just a child. Our home's big enough for another one—of course we can take her in."
"That's good," Matsuyoi murmured, smiling in quiet relief.
Kira didn't say anything more. He simply reached out and hugged her gently. No words were needed. The gesture said everything.
"Then… Kiki, I'll be as quick as I can," Matsuyoi whispered, resting her head against his chest, eyes closed, her lips curving into a peaceful smile.
It was then she truly realized—
Kira had grown up. He wasn't a child anymore. He was someone who could hold up a world on his own.
"Alright," Kira said softly, nodding.
Matsuyoi looked up at him, her fingers brushing lightly against his cheek. "Kiki, you've always been curious why I've stayed here all this time. When I come back, I'll tell you everything."
"...Okay."
She gently stepped out of his arms, smoothed her clothes, and said with her usual grace, "Then, Kiki, I'll be going."
Matsuyoi simply turned and walked away. At some point, a simple bamboo umbrella appeared in her hand. She opened it, took a few unhurried steps, and vanished without a trace.
Kaguya appeared beside Kira, her expression calm. "Father, Auntie Matsuyoi will be fine."
Kira chuckled. "Of course she will. She's a great yokai, after all. In this era, powerful onmyoji are rare, and even the oni lords stick to their own territories. She's not the type to stir trouble. She'll be safe."
He stretched and turned toward her. "Kaguya, has Eirin finished my new training plan?"
"Yes, Father. Everything's ready."
"Then let's begin."
Kaguya handed him the plan. One glance at the densely packed pages and Kira could practically feel his trigeminal nerves catching fire.
Still—
The faster he trained, the stronger he got.
And if it didn't kill him, he'd just train harder. He was still too weak, and he knew it.
Kaguya stood quietly nearby, watching her father throw himself into his regimen, a soft smile curving her lips.
She could tell—Auntie Matsuyoi's departure had lit a new fire in him.
---
Time passed quickly.
Five days later, Kira had no complaints, though every day left him half-dead.
But Pain and exhaustion didn't matter—what mattered was building a future worth it.
Saeko and Rika were in the same boat, pushing through grueling routines under Eirin's instruction. Her "training plan" could be summed up in two words: absolute limits.
As long as you didn't die, every single day would push you to your breaking point—and then Eirin would heal you with divine precision before starting all over again the next morning.
Brutal? Absolutely.
But both Saeko and Rika were women of unshakable will. Hardship meant nothing to them.
Only Shizuka cried every single day.
And yet, somehow, Eirin always managed to talk her into continuing with just a few soothing words.
At this point, Shizuka was completely under Eirin's thumb—helpless, but obedient.
"City Lord!"
"Hm?"
Kira had just finished another brutal training cycle, his entire body drenched as if he'd just crawled out of a lake.
A moon rabbit came hurrying over.
"What is it?" Kira asked, steadying his breath.
The rabbit bowed slightly before reporting, "Lady Matsuyoi's contacts from the Kappa clan of Lake Genbu have arrived. They're already here."
"Got it."
Kira wiped the sweat from his forehead. His body trembled once, heat rippling through his frame—and the sweat evaporated instantly. He slipped into a clean robe and gestured for the rabbit to follow.
If the Kappa of Lake Genbu were here, then it was time to start restoring this half-ruined city.
Time to be a real City Lord.
.
.
.