Chapter 335: Another Round of Ansai Waist Drumming
Slap!
Suddenly, a crisp slap echoed through the room.
Tokoyogi Aya only felt a sharp sting on her buttocks, and her entire body froze in shock.
What just happened?
Had she been spanked?
As this realization dawned on her, another heavy slap landed.
Slap!
Even crisper than before, its lingering resonance seemed to hang in the air, refusing to fade.
"You said I couldn't touch you, didn't you? What about now?"
Slap!
Another slap.
"You bastard, I—"
"Oh ho, still talking tough?!"
Slap!
Under the relentless barrage of slaps, Tokoyogi Aya was now both humiliated and furious, her anger nearly burning away her reason.
When had she, the great LCO Head Librarian, the esteemed [Witch of the Notary, Notaria], ever suffered such humiliation?!
"Enough!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Tokoyogi Aya chose to summon her Guardian.
The azure knight materialized out of thin air once more and, at her command, roared before raising its greatsword and swinging it down fiercely toward Mahiro's position.
"Est!"
[Yes, my Master.]
At his call, the seal on the back of Mahiro's right hand suddenly shone brightly. A sharp beam of white light shot through the air, instantly shattering the azure knight's greatsword and piercing its head.
However, bolstered by magical power, the azure knight merely stiffened for a moment before reverting to its original state as if time had reversed.
But as it prepared to move again, a small, pale hand pressed down on the azure knight's head, forcing it violently toward the floor.
Boom!
Suddenly, the azure knight was pinned firmly to the ground, the heavy thud seeming to shake the entire room.
"H-how... how is this possible..."
Tokoyogi Aya stared in disbelief at the scene before her, her lips even trembling slightly.
What was she seeing?
Her Guardian Knight was being held down on the floor, unable to move, by a silver-haired little girl!
Her Guardian Knight could even contend with a vampire's familiars, yet it was being handled so effortlessly by this child.
And that summoning method, the dense energy radiating from her... Could this girl be a ridge beast...?
But a humanoid familiar...
Before she could fully process the reality and the shock, the intense pain from her buttocks snapped her back to attention.
"So you still dare to resist, huh?!"
Slap!
"Still trying to summon your Guardian Knight to finish me off, huh?!"
Slap!
"Thought I had no one on my side, huh?!"
Slap!
Slap!
Slap!
...
Tokoyogi Aya had no idea how many slaps she had endured. She only knew that by the end, her buttocks seemed to have lost all sensation.
Seeing that she had stopped reacting and seemed to have given up struggling, Mahiro finally released her.
Or rather, dropped her onto the floor.
Yet Tokoyogi Aya still showed little reaction. Silently, she supported her buttocks and quietly rose from the ground.
Her lowered black bangs hid her current expression from view.
But thinking about it, it was obvious—after being slapped so many times, it would be strange if she had a pleasant look on her face.
However, Mahiro paid no mind. Instead, he picked up the already sleeping Yuuma and sat down in a chair, crossing his legs as he gazed with a smile at the woman who hung her head in silence.
Just as Tokoyogi Aya was about to leave, he finally spoke.
"Wait."
Tokoyogi Aya froze in place as if struck by a paralysis spell.
"What else do you want?"
Her tone was calm and indifferent, devoid of any emotion, making it impossible to discern her current feelings.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask you, do I still have the right to be Yuuma's father now?" Mahiro asked with a half-smile.
If this woman still refused, he wouldn't mind going another round.
Tokoyogi Aya seemed to sense the heavy malice emanating from behind her. After a brief moment of contemplation, she replied:
"Do as you please. That puppet is of no use to me anymore. Handle it as you wish."
With those cold words, Tokoyogi Aya turned and left the room, though her gait was far from graceful—she limped her way to the door before stepping out.
Just as she opened the door, Mahiro's voice called out again.
"Wait!"
"What now?"
This time, Tokoyogi Aya's tone carried a hint of impatience.
"Nothing much. I recall that LCO is quite a large organization, right? Their intelligence-gathering capabilities should be decent. So, I'd like to trouble you to investigate something for me—specifically, the current situation regarding the Fourth Primogenitor."
Yes, he wanted to find out exactly what the current status of the Fourth Primogenitor was.
If Akatsuki Kojou had already become the Fourth Primogenitor, then so be it. But if he hadn't, Mahiro was prepared to intervene.
Twelve lolis, along with familiars as powerful as nuclear bombs—only a fool would pass up such an opportunity.
This time, however, Tokoyogi Aya offered no reply. Instead, she slammed the door shut with a heavy thud.
After Tokoyogi Aya left, the girl in his arms gradually began to stir awake.
Her first sight was of the man holding her, causing her delicate face to flush slightly. Then, she cautiously glanced around, her somewhat vacant eyes failing to find the person she longed for in her heart.
"What are you looking for?"
"Mother... has she... already left?"
"You could say that," Mahiro replied honestly.
"..."
Clearly, the girl was disheartened by this answer. Her eyes grew even more distant, but she soon looked up again and asked timidly, "Then... are you Yuuma's new father?"
Why add the word "new"?
Could it be that Tokoyogi Aya had had other men before?
At this thought, Mahiro raised an eyebrow, but when he met the girl's hopeful and longing gaze, he ultimately held back from asking.
"You could say that. Did you hear the entire conversation just now?"
Yuuma Tokoyogi first let out a soft "mm" in acknowledgment, then lowered her head with a slight nod.
"Then, are you willing?" Mahiro asked again. "Starting today, I will be your guardian, teaching you, taking care of you. Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you..."
"No, I'm willing!"
Before he could finish, Yuuma Tokoyogi hurriedly interrupted him, her voice loud and clear.
However, Yuuma also realized her voice had been a bit too loud, violating the etiquette she had learned, so she quickly lowered her head and nestled into his arms like a quail.
"It's fine, as long as you're willing."
Mahiro smiled, looking at the adorable girl in his arms, he couldn't help but gently stroke her hair.
Feeling the warmth from the top of her head, the girl's face flushed slightly again as she timidly spoke:
"Thank you, Father."
A simple "Father" instantly struck his heart, causing his body to stiffen slightly.
Being addressed like this by such an adorable girl naturally made him happy, but he never expected to become a father under such circumstances.
But then Mahiro felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand.
Turning his head, he met Est's deep, resentful yet pure, gem-like eyes.
Clearly, she was jealous.
After being absent for so long, finally making an appearance only to be neglected like a tool.
This left Est very dissatisfied.
"What's wrong, Father?" Yuuma noticed her new father's unusual reaction and looked up, but her eyes immediately filled with awe.
What a beautiful girl.
Her silver hair was dazzling and radiant, and although her delicate face showed no expression, it seemed as if it had been meticulously crafted by the heavens.
Though petite, her figure was perfectly proportioned, pleasing to the eye at a glance.
Yuuma Tokoyogi could hardly find any suitable words to describe the girl's beauty.
If forced to say, she was like a legendary angel.
Holy, proud, perfect.
"It's nothing."
Mahiro's sudden voice snapped Yuuma out of her thoughts, and he continued, "Let me introduce you, this is..."
"My name is Est, I am Mahiro's sword, the sword that has accompanied Mahiro for a long time!"
She seemed to deliberately emphasize the phrase "accompanied for a long time."
Clearly, this little jealous pot had already tipped over.
However, her sweet, ethereal voice didn't alert Yuuma to anything unusual. Instead, she wondered why she referred to herself as Father's sword?
Could Father also be a vampire?
But curiosity aside, it didn't stop her from sweetly addressing the other as "Sister Est."
This address made Est overjoyed. Though she merely nodded calmly, Mahiro, who had been with her for so long, could naturally tell that Est was very happy at this moment.
This made Mahiro sigh inwardly.
"Foolish Est, Yuuma is now my daughter. If you let her call you sister, wouldn't that mess up the generations?"
But with Est's personality, she would never care about such things.
Or rather, she simply didn't have human ethical views. As long as it made Mahiro happy, she wouldn't mind being called even more outrageous titles.
However, although Yuuma now had a new father and a new sister, her mood remained low, her eyes still dim, and a heavy, unshakeable melancholy seemed to linger between her brows.
Mahiro keenly noticed this.
"Yuuma, what's wrong? You seem very unhappy. Is something bothering you? If you don't mind, you can tell me."
Mahiro asked gently in an extremely tender tone, as if handling a fragile treasure, just like how he treated the children in the Black Bullet world—using his own gentleness to care for them.
As for what was troubling her, he naturally knew very well.
It was nothing more than Tokoyogi Aya heartlessly abandoning her.
But he hoped to help Yuuma resolve her inner turmoil. Though he knew it was difficult, especially since they had known each other for less than an hour, he still wanted to try.
After all, Yuuma was born for the sole purpose of serving Aya. Now that she had suffered such a heavy blow, it wasn't good for a child's emotional growth.
Hearing his inquiry, Yuuma slightly raised her head and cautiously asked in a tentative voice:
"Really, is it okay?"
"Of course. I am your father. You can tell me anything." Mahiro revealed a gentle smile.
Est also noticed Yuuma's low spirits, so she stopped feeling jealous and nodded along in agreement. "That's right, you can tell Mahiro anything. Mahiro is amazing."
Est's words could be considered childish, but feeling the genuine care from both of them, Yuuma was deeply moved.
This was a feeling she had never experienced since she could remember, making her purse her lips and forcefully hold back the urge to cry. With reddened eyes, she spoke in a low voice:
"Father, actually, I have no memories before the age of six. The only recollections I possess are the minimal knowledge needed for daily life and the contract with the demon. I was born with the appearance of a six-year-old, and since my birth, I have been here, all alone.
I often asked the homunculus maids, 'Where is Mother?' 'Your mother is in the Prison Barrier,' the maids would answer every time.
They told me about Mother's situation—that she is in Tokyo's Shingetsu City, a prison located in the Far East Demon Race Special Zone. It is a sealed space different from this world, an eternal place of exile, a labyrinth of time with no exit.
Mother was betrayed by the hateful Witch of the Void, which is why she was imprisoned in that dark abyss!
Mother gave birth to me to serve as a trump card for escaping that prison.
Moreover, I am a pure-blooded Witch who made a contract with a demon at birth—the Azure Witch guarded by the Blue Knight! I understood nothing.
I only knew that my mother was imprisoned somewhere far away and that to escape, she needed me.
I always firmly believed in my mission—to grow up and rescue Mother. But..."
At this point, Yuuma paused, tears almost spilling from her eyes. Unable to hold back any longer, she buried her face in Mahiro's chest.
"But, if I was born for the purpose of escaping prison, then what will become of me once that goal is achieved? After leaving the prison, Mother clearly doesn't need Yuuma anymore. Does Yuuma still have any value in existing now?"
Pitiful.
Undoubtedly pitiful. He never imagined Yuuma's life would be like this—born with the belief that she was merely a tool.
It's likely that the maids left behind by Tokoyogi Aya often brainwashed her as well. Everything was part of a grand magic scheme, and in the intricate process of creating tools for escape, those factors played a role.
Thinking this, Mahiro couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, let's not dwell on these things anymore. Since you've already died once, let go of everything from the past and start a new life tomorrow."
He gently patted the girl's back to comfort her.
"If you truly need a purpose to support your life, why not set one for yourself?"
"Set one for myself?"
Yuuma sniffled, raising her head to gaze blankly at her new father.
This concept was entirely unfamiliar to her. For so many years, she had lived step by step, like a chess piece on a board, never having set any goals for herself.
Mahiro understood this, so he spoke calmly and unhurriedly:
"Yes, set one for yourself. For example, becoming a good daughter to Father, a good younger sister to Est, or working hard to earn Mother's recognition. Yuuma, don't feel lost. In fact, many people in the world share the same worries as you. But setting goals isn't about achieving them as the ultimate aim—it's about enjoying the process. Do you understand?"
Yuuma blinked blankly, her tears stopping for a moment, leaving only a few glistening teardrops hanging on her eyelashes like shattered diamonds.
After a long while, the girl's face and eyes regained their sparkle. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around Mahiro's neck, pressing her petite body against him as if wanting him to listen to her heartbeat.
"Thank you, Father. Yuuma understands now. Yuuma will definitely become a good daughter to Father, a good younger sister to Est, and work hard to earn Mother's recognition!"
Hearing the girl's heartfelt words, Mahiro felt both amused and helpless.
He felt like he had spoken in vain.
Did this girl really understand what he meant?
Well, it's fine this way.
He patted her back gently and said:
"Since you've decided, work hard to achieve it. I'll always be by your side."
"Thank you, Father."
"By the way, Father, what is your relationship with Mother? Are you Yuuma's real father?"
Yuuma suddenly let go of him and asked curiously.
A child's mood changes quickly. One moment she was crying and declaring her ambitions, and the next she was asking about an unrelated matter.
But Mahiro still answered:
"Right now, your mother and I are probably... maybe... friends?"
He automatically forgot what had happened not long ago, only remembering that he had spent a night with Tokoyogi Aya.
"But don't worry, Yuuma. Since you'll work hard to earn Aya's recognition, I'll also work hard to truly become your father."
"Hehe, really? Then you must do your best, Father. You have to work hard to become Yuuma's real father!"
At that moment, Yuuma smiled happily.
However, from that day onward, Tokoyogi Aya never appeared before them again, as if she had vanished.
This left Yuuma feeling quite dejected, but unlike before, she did not become discouraged. Instead, she worked even harder.
Only Mahiro knew that Tokoyomi Aya had never truly left. In fact, she had been lingering around them all along, secretly observing them, though her purpose remained unknown.
Apart from this, he had discovered two other things.
First, was their location.
They were situated near a sparsely populated mountain range within Japanese territory, and the place they lived in was a castle.
It was a place reminiscent of a vampire's castle from movies, appearing overwhelmingly gloomy.
Yet, it perfectly fit the stereotypical image of a Witch.
Second, ever since the Azure Knight was separated from her, Yuuma's health had not been good.