Chapter 333: Spending the Night with Aya Tokoyogi
Someone's peeping!
Mahiro immediately sensed the faint gaze coming from behind.
He even knew exactly who the owner of that gaze was.
But he paid no mind and went straight to Tokoyogi Aya's room, knocking on the door.
The door creaked open a crack, revealing half of a pure and ethereal face, a classical aura instantly washing over him.
"What is it?" she said flatly, her cold tone showing no welcome for Mahiro.
"Well, can I hide in your room for the night?" Mahiro glanced around.
Though phrased as a question, he swiftly slipped through the crack into the room.
Her room was similarly minimalist to Meiga Itogami's—a bed, a table, with only an extra bookshelf.
The books on it weren't Grimoires but ordinary reading material.
The only thing distinguishing it as a woman's room was the air, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.
"What exactly are you doing?"
Tokoyogi Aya closed the door and turned to look at him.
"Please don't mind me. I said I'm just borrowing your bedroom for one night." Mahiro spoke casually, thick-skinned and acting as if he belonged.
"Gigliola would probably welcome you. Why not stay with her?" Tokoyogi Aya looked at him indifferently.
"She is indeed enthusiastic, but I really can't imagine what would happen if I stayed with her for a night. Besides, I've already said I don't like prostitutes.
So, in this prison, aside from Meiga Itogami, you're the only one who can take me in.
As for Meiga Itogami, don't even mention it. I made do at his place last night, and it wouldn't be appropriate to disturb him again today.
Moreover, before I came in, Gigliola was staring intently this way. If I stayed at Meiga Itogami's again tonight, that crazy woman might lose control and charge into the bedroom in the middle of the night, devouring me completely.
I'm still young and don't want to lose my innocence like this, let alone get involved with a prostitute."
Mahiro innocently spread his hands.
He made it sound perfectly reasonable, but only he truly knew what he was thinking.
Throughout this, Tokoyogi Aya watched calmly as Mahiro sat boldly on her bed. Her cold, pretty face made it clear she was rejecting him.
"Relax, as repayment, how about I help you escape this prison?" Mahiro said lazily.
"There's no need for you to go to such trouble. When my daughter grows up, she will lead Lco to break the prison's barrier at all costs."
Tokoyogi Aya said plainly.
"Da... daughter?"
Perhaps because Tokoyogi Aya's words were too straightforward, he momentarily forgot to recall the original work's memories and couldn't react, instead eyeing this woman in a twelve-layered kimono suspiciously.
Though called a woman, her face and figure were only slightly better than Natsuki Minamiya's, but just slightly.
If Natsuki Minamiya had a loli body, then Tokoyogi Aya was at best somewhere between a loli and a maiden, not appearing all that mature.
So, this daughter... which man was so lucky... no, which man was such a scumbag to lay hands on Tokoyogi Aya?
"Why must you be so surprised? She is a clone created using the cells I left behind, possessing the power of a Witch that I bestowed upon her."
As if noticing Mahiro's undisguised shock, astonishment, and suspicion, Tokoyogi Aya chuckled softly.
Her words also allowed Mahiro to inwardly breathe a slight sigh of relief.
At the same time, he recalled this part of the plot. Indeed, there was such a character named Yuuma Tokoyogi, who had even swapped bodies with Akatsuki Kojou and used the power of the Fourth Primogenitor to forcefully break open the Prison Barrier.
However, even knowing the plot did not stop him from taking a jab at this woman.
Thus, he chuckled lightly and said:
"Haha, who can say for sure about the future? What if something unexpected happens, and your daughter grows up unable to break the Prison Barrier to rescue you? Are you really going to bet on such an uncertain future?"
"Since it's a gamble anyway, why not place your bet on me? After all, I'm leaving this prison tomorrow. Would you like to give it a try together?"
Mahiro extended his hand, inviting the elegant and intellectual woman before him.
"You're leaving the prison tomorrow?" Tokoyogi Aya did not take his hand but instead raised her eyes to look at Mahiro, filled with doubt. "Could it be that you can break Natsuki Minamiya's barrier?"
"Breaking it is definitely not an option. After chatting with you all these past couple of days, I've learned quite a bit. This prison is connected to Natsuki Minamiya, right? Forcibly breaking it would not only injure Natsuki Minamiya but would certainly alert her. So, I've chosen a gentler method."
"Very well, I shall trust you for now and allow you to stay here for the night. But you had better not do anything out of line, or you will absolutely pay a painful price!"
After hearing his explanation, Tokoyogi Aya finally nodded in agreement and issued a warning, her eyes gleaming with a cold, sharp light.
However, just as they were plotting their escape from the prison, faint footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
These were not the footsteps of patrolling guards or wardens, as they were deliberately restrained. Moreover, aside from Natsuki Minamiya, the warden who maintained the barrier prison, there were no guards in this place.
Thus, there was only one possibility—someone was lingering outside the door.
Who it was needed no thought to guess—
Upon witnessing Mahiro once again not choosing her and even going to another woman's room, Gigliola was nearly driven mad with rage. The jealousy in her heart and her no longer suppressible blood-sucking impulse had reached their peak.
Since he would not choose her, she decided to take the initiative. Taking advantage of the nighttime rest period, she would directly force the matter to its conclusion!
Even if she couldn't get up tomorrow and was confined to her room all day, it would be of little consequence to her.
And so, while everyone had returned to their rooms to rest, Gigliola finished bathing, changed her clothes, gently pushed open her door, and tiptoed toward the room at the end of the corridor.
The innermost door belonged to Tokoyogi Aya's room.
Perhaps due to the excessive silence and her own heightened nerves, as she drew closer step by step, her mind, clouded by excitement, gradually calmed down.
Suddenly, she remembered something!
Mahiro had entered Tokoyogi Aya's room, and that woman was not someone like Meiga Itogami or anyone else.
If he were to sneak in and engage in indecent acts with that kid right in front of her, would he be beaten to death by Tokoyogi Aya?
Oh, wait—prisoners confined in this prison couldn't possibly be killed.
But given that woman's temper, she would undoubtedly come to torment him every single day.
At this thought, Gigliola's delicate body trembled slightly, her heart pounding wildly as if she had fallen into an icy abyss. Even the foot she had stepped forward with remained suspended in the air, unable to land.
At this moment, she was genuinely afraid.
Afraid from the depths of her heart.
How utterly insane Tokoyogi Aya was could not be put into words.
But just by looking at how this woman wanted to overturn the world, eliminate all extraordinary powers from it, and nearly succeeded, one could catch a glimpse of that madness.
If she were truly caught by this woman, she would surely be skinned alive and subjected to endless torment.
Thinking of this, Gigliola ultimately withdrew her outstretched foot in frustration, retreating step by step, gradually moving away from the door at the end of the corridor.
As if wary of some ferocious beast, she slowly retreated back into her room.
Meanwhile, the two inside the room were unaware that the prostitute outside had retreated in the face of difficulty—or rather, neither of them paid that woman any mind.
At this moment, Tokoyogi Aya glared furiously at Mahiro, who was lying comfortably on the bed she often slept on. If looks could kill, Mahiro would have been riddled with holes and frozen into an ice sculpture.
But he acted as if he felt nothing at all, even lazily turning over.
This made Tokoyogi Aya unable to bear it any longer. A faint surge of Magical Power welled up within her, directed toward the center of the bed.
The released Magical Power transformed into wind blades, moving so swiftly it was almost instantaneous.
But Mahiro seemed to sense it in advance, lazily turning over once again. Moreover, since Tokoyogi Aya had never intended to harm him—only to teach him a lesson—the wind blades cleanly split the wooden bed and bedding he was lying on into two halves.
Mahiro happened to be lying on one of the halves.
"One half for each of us. Don't cross the boundary without permission."
Seeing how effortlessly he had moved, Tokoyogi Aya perhaps gave up on the idea of teaching him a lesson. She then pulled the hem of her black-and-white twelve-layered kimono, drawing a clear line between herself and Mahiro.
She then bent down to remove her shoes.
Her fair, beautiful jade-like feet slipped out of the shoes.
Her movements were graceful and composed, without the slightest hesitation.
She lay on her side with her back to Mahiro, leaving him only able to see the elegant curves hidden beneath the bedding.
Although she had agreed to let him stay for the night, Tokoyogi Aya remained vigilant at all times.
"Just one night—is this really necessary?"
Mahiro looked at the split bed and the gap between the two halves, feeling somewhat speechless.
He thought Tokoyogi Aya's personality was a bit too cold and distant. Besides, was he the kind of person who would break his word?
He seemed to have forgotten that, at most, he had only known Tokoyogi Aya for two days.
It was already generous of her to let him stay the night.
"Do you have any complaints?" Suddenly, Tokoyogi Aya spoke softly.
"Nothing. Anyway, you won't need to sleep here anymore."
Though he felt a bit sorry about the perfectly good bed being cut in half, he decided not to provoke this icy Witch tonight.
"Before sleeping, allow me to say one more thing: while I'm asleep, please do not take the same liberties with me as you did with Natsuki Minamiya. You said you kissed her while she was asleep, right?"
Aya warned.
"I wouldn't, and besides, that was out of necessity." Mahiro was utterly exasperated inside.
"Just in case, I'm considering whether to tie you up."
Tokoyogi Aya turned her back to Mahiro, and it was hard to tell whether she was joking or not—her personality was truly unpredictable.
"Tch."
Mahiro clicked his tongue softly.
Seeing him at a loss for words, Tokoyogi Aya curled up under the covers and let out a few low, light laughs.
"Well, it's getting late. We must wake up before seven in the morning, so let's sleep early."
With those words, Tokoyogi Aya's breathing gradually steadied.
Watching the slowly rising and falling back, Mahiro couldn't help but murmur under his breath:
"Wasn't this topic brought up by you?"
Then, he cleared his mind and began analyzing the prison structure once more.
It was nearly dawn when Mahiro finally completed his analysis of the barrier prison. In that moment, an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over him like a tide, and his heavy eyelids gradually drooped.
Even with Tyrant's evolutionary factor, he still grew tired, especially mentally.
Though his mental strength was surprisingly robust—roughly equivalent to three Miya Yotsuba—he still felt exhaustion when it was time to rest.
However, he noticed that each time he pushed his mental limits like this, he gained some improvement, as if his container were forcibly expanded, allowing it to hold more water.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Tokoyogi Aya, accustomed to her biological clock, was the first to wake.
She opened her eyes and looked at Mahiro, sound asleep on the other side of the bed. Finding that he had slept deeply all night and indeed hadn't done anything inappropriate, she felt relieved.
Then, she slowly sat up, stood on the bed, and stretched her graceful figure with a languid yawn.
Next, she glanced again at Mahiro, sleeping sweetly with no sign of waking, and gently extended her delicate foot to press against his abdomen.
"Hey, wake up quickly, or we'll be trapped in this confined space all day."
Still asleep and recovering his mental energy, Mahiro instinctively grabbed the soft foot resting on his stomach and mumbled, "It's not dawn yet. Let me sleep a little longer."
"What—what are you doing holding my foot!"
With her toes gripped by Mahiro, the usually composed Aya flushed with a faint, angry blush and glared at the boy on the bed.
Sensing the softness in his hand resisting, Mahiro felt puzzled and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw in the morning was Tokoyogi Aya's lovely face tinged with a hint of anger.
And the softness he was tightly clutching was none other than her delicate foot.
Her slender, flawless, and perfectly rounded toes were so soft they seemed boneless.
Pale blue veins stood out prominently, accentuating the beauty of her jade-like feet.
They were very small and adorable, small enough that he could completely grasp them with one hand.
But unfortunately, the scenery above those jade feet was limited to the slender, pale calves visible beneath the hem of her kimono. Unlike Gigliola Ghirardi, who exposed herself as a courtesan, she was dressed very modestly.
"Good morning," Mahiro greeted as if nothing had happened.
Seemingly noticing a flicker of heat in his gaze, Tokoyogi Aya hurriedly withdrew her jade feet and feigned composure, saying:
"I have fulfilled my promise to allow you to stay for one night. Did you not say you would take me away from this prison?"
Mahiro rubbed his eyes, sat up, and yawned before responding, "That's true, but we still have to wait for one more person. Besides, the first thing after waking up should be to freshen up, right? You wouldn't want to appear before the world with sleep still in your eyes, would you?"
At his words, Tokoyogi Aya was startled at first, then she abandoned Mahiro in an instant and rushed into the prepared washroom in the cell.
Standing before the mirror, she carefully examined her delicate face and realized she had been tricked by this detestable scoundrel.
There was no trace of sleep in her bright, lively eyes!
Nevertheless, Tokoyogi Aya thoroughly cleaned herself, lest that scoundrel use it as another opportunity to tease her.
Just as Tokoyogi Aya was immersed in washing up in the washroom, the door suddenly knocked.
Upon opening it, a tall, slender man exuding an elegant scholarly aura stood outside.
"Good morning, Mr. Yotsuba. Won't you invite me in for a seat?" Meiga Itogami spoke gently, as usual.
Although this cell did not belong to him, he was welcomed inside due to their prior agreement.
As soon as he entered, Meiga Itogami's gaze fell on the still-messy bed, and he immediately teased:
"My, my, it seems I've come at an inconvenient time. I never expected Mr. Yotsuba and Miss Tokoyogi to make such rapid progress overnight."
He even deliberately ignored the gap between the two beds, continuing to jest.
"I never knew you had a habit of gossiping behind others' backs, Meiga Itogami."
At that moment, Tokoyogi Aya also emerged from the washroom, her cold, delicate face still adorned with droplets of water. Clearly, she had rushed out without even drying her face.
However, she had now returned to her usual icy demeanor, especially the aura of keeping others at a distance, which seemed to have grown even more frigid due to Meiga Itogami's words.
"Oh, I didn't say anything at all, Miss Tokoyogi. Please don't misunderstand."
Meiga Itogami hastily waved his hands, though the smile never left his face.
Seeing this, Tokoyogi Aya merely snorted coldly and ignored him, turning her gaze back to Mahiro, who was sitting on half of the bed, and asked:
"Is this man the one you were waiting for?"
"Yes, after all, he also took me in for a night and told me many things, so I plan to take him with us when we leave."
Mahiro spoke very candidly.
Tokoyogi Aya had no objections and instead urged, "Then let's hurry and leave this prison."
"Of course, no problem. But before that, we still need to make some preparations. Leaving only requires a teleportation spell, but first, you'll need to give me latitude and longitude coordinates as
"Anchor point, which one of you will handle this coordinate?"