Glancing at the newly acquired trait, Tatsuma flicked his finger, and a white light fell.
Receiving Senjutsu healing, Aya's surface injuries quickly healed, and she regained some consciousness. Getting up from the ground, Aya, who had already realized the gap in strength, did not resist further.
"Why did you save me?"
"Someone wants to ask you some things."
Tatsuma moved aside, revealing Yuuma who had just walked over.
"It's you. I thought you were already dead."
Aya's expression was calm, and the first thing she said was full of malice...
Yuuma's body trembled. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What exactly do I mean to you?"
"A tool to open the seal."
"That's not what I want to hear!"
Yuuma instantly broke down, shouting to interrupt.
"The people from the library all say I'm your daughter. Don't you have any feelings for me at all?!"
Aya's expression didn't change as she spoke her true thoughts, "What a strange question. Would you have feelings for a tool?"
"Back then, Natsuki and I had a disagreement."
"I believed that witches were being persecuted by forces like the Church and needed to unite to resist."
"Natsuki, however, was the opposite. She believed that force couldn't solve everything and wanted to achieve peace through dialogue."
"At that time, I predicted that neither of us could convince the other, and eventually, there would be a battle."
"Just in case, I left my genes and cultivated you through magical technology as a backup plan."
"Family affection... how ridiculous. That was just a shackle put on you by the people from the library to restrict you."
"..."
Yuuma fell silent.
Regarding Aya's answer, she had actually already anticipated it the moment she was betrayed. But when she personally found the other party, questioned all this, and received a precise answer, it was a different feeling entirely.
There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart.
As the meaning of her life was denied, Yuuma's mind went blank, completely speechless.
"Truly merciless."
Just then, Tatsuma's voice rang out.
Raising his hand to pat Yuuma's head, he chuckled softly, breaking the silence, and asked, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"...No."
Yuuma looked at the man in front of her.
The conversation in the prison not long ago echoed in her mind, and a glimmer of light rekindled in her eyes.
It didn't matter that Aya didn't need her, at least Tatsuma still needed her. As long as someone was still willing to accept her, she still had a reason to live.
"Thank you, Tatsuma."
"You're welcome, this is all..."
[Yuuma Tokoyogi has fallen for you. The trait 'Harem King' has received an amplification.]
"The contract."
Tatsuma spoke the latter half of the sentence, falling silent at the same time.
No, sis.
Why aren't you following the script?
You're infatuated already? Then who is he going to use to test if the vampire bloodline can exploit a bug?
It seems he needs to pay attention to the intensity of the favor next time.
Sighing in his heart, Tatsuma summarized the lesson learned while changing the subject.
"How are you going to deal with Aya?"
"I don't know." Yuuma shook her head.
Although she was betrayed by Aya and had the meaning of her life denied by her, no matter what, the other party was her mother, the one who brought her into this world.
Having received education from the Library since childhood, the familial affection for Aya was deeply rooted in her heart. Even though she was utterly disappointed in her at this moment, Yuuma still couldn't bring herself to do anything drastic.
"Tatsuma, what do you think should be done?"
Tatsuma said, "My life principle is an eye for an eye. Since I was bullied, of course I have to get revenge."
"But..."
"I know what you mean. Since you can't bring yourself to do it, let's try another method."
Tatsuma leaned in and whispered a few words into Yuuma's ear.
After listening, a blush rose on Yuuma's face, and she became a little shy.
"This... this isn't good, is it?"
"Then do you want to give up on revenge?"
"...Not really." Yuuma hesitated before replying.
No matter how good-tempered someone is, they will get angry when bullied, let alone Yuuma who isn't exactly a good person. Since there is a way to get revenge without harming Aya, the feeling of shame can be discarded.
"Hmm?"
Aya frowned, realizing something was wrong.
However, just as she was about to say something, a magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
The surrounding scenery rapidly changed, and Aya and Tatsuma appeared in a huge room. The room was filled with various fetish items, and Aya was momentarily stunned as she glanced around.
Just then, two clicking sounds rang out.
Aya's hands and feet were cuffed, and the power in her body was suppressed.
"Sealing tool?"
Aya's expression changed, and she subconsciously retreated several steps, showing a vigilant look.
"What are you going to do?"
"Correct your twisted thinking."
Tatsuma flicked his finger, using Senjutsu to increase Aya's body sensitivity tenfold. After that, he handed a feather, a small cucumber, and a few bottles of potion to Yuuma.
"The first stage is up to you. Don't worry about breaking her, I can heal her."
"I understand."
Yuuma took the tools.
Looking at Aya, who was constantly retreating and whose face was changing, a sense of exhilaration rose in her heart. At this moment, she completely agreed with Tatsuma's plan.
"This is my revenge."
...
Hueco Mundo.
Cool wind blew, sand swirled, and a cold moon hung above the sky.
In the vast and boundless desert, a black rift appeared out of thin air, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.
"It's even more desolate than I imagined." Restia stepped out of the spatial passage and looked around curiously.
"Hueco Mundo is the gathering place for Hollows. Hollows are the product of souls accumulating negative emotions and falling into depravity, so it's naturally desolate." Grayfia walked out of the spatial passage a step later, with a hint of curiosity in the depths of her eyes as well.
For hundreds of years, she had either been fighting or working in the Underworld, and when she occasionally went out, it was to the Huma World. This was the first time she had come to a desolate place like Hueco Mundo, which had nothing to do with Devil business.
"Grayfia, which direction is Hueco Mundo in?" Restia asked.
Grayfia took out a map. This map was created by Yahweh, and it marked most of the special areas within Hueco Mundo, and also had a reconnaissance effect.
At this moment, in the center of the map, the small green dot representing Grayfia and Restia was constantly flashing, emitting a faint light.
By pressing a finger on the map and dragging the view, one could see red dots of different sizes around.
Grayfia didn't pay attention to those red dots, she just kept zooming out the view.
"Found it, it's to the east."
Restia asked, "Is it far?"
Grayfia said, "Not far, it would take a few hours at full speed. However, going to Hueco Mundo isn't very cost-effective. The place where Hollows truly gather is the Forest of Menos."
"Then let's go to the Forest of Menos first."
Restia transformed into her weapon form, attached herself to Grayfia, and entered a state of resonance.
Although she had only been in Hueco Mundo for a short time, she was already tired of the scenery here.
Compared to wandering around in the uninhabited desert, it was more interesting to go to the Forest of Menos and play with those Hollows.
Taking Restia with her, Grayfia disappeared from the spot and began to move towards the Forest of Menos at full speed.
Along the way, ordinary Hollows occasionally entered her sensory range. Grayfia didn't hold back, sending a bullet to vaporize them.
Tatsuma had said it.
Hunting doesn't distinguish between strong and weak, all Hollows are targets.