Chapter 387: Strange Entanglements
Mahiro vanished.
For a moment, it seemed he had been annihilated by the radiance of the Blazing Angel.
Yet, at the critical juncture, he reappeared and instantly killed the angel.
This turn of events left the girls present utterly bewildered.
How did Mahiro return, and what exactly did he do? With just a simple utterance of "Disappear," he truly made that angel, which was already nearing complete divine descent, vanish.
Not even a trace remained.
Even Giada, who had lived for countless years, could not comprehend what she had witnessed.
Of course, not everyone was concerned about the fate of that angel.
For instance—
"Senpai! Thank goodness, you're alive!"
Yukina was the first to rush into his arms, holding him tightly, her face gently nuzzling against his chest as if fearing he might vanish again the next moment.
Even Sayaka, who was usually the sharpest-tongued and most protective of Yukina, did not stop her or hurl any sarcastic remarks at Mahiro.
She merely turned her head away and muttered softly.
"It's good that you're fine. Next time, don't scare us like that."
Yes, as tsundere as ever.
But just then, Giada suddenly strode toward him, her expression not the usual lightheartedness but instead stern and serious, like an ice-cold beauty, her eyes filled with a probing curiosity.
"Mahiro, can you tell me... what exactly happened just now?"
She voiced the greatest question in her heart.
As a former royal of the Deva, she could be considered a researcher much like Cain.
She was all too familiar with so-called higher dimensions, as well as beings like gods and angels.
They were existences far more powerful than Progenitors.
The radiance that had descended earlier, annihilating half the island—even she would likely not have emerged unscathed after enduring it.
And what about Mahiro?
Not only did he withstand it head-on, but he also mysteriously vanished for a while before suddenly reappearing to kill the angel.
Everything unfolded too bizarrely, as if a deus ex machina had abruptly intervened.
It completely defied understanding.
It couldn't possibly be that this human's physique was stronger than hers, a Progenitor with infinite regenerative abilities, could it?
But at this moment, all Mahiro could do was smile.
Because aside from smiling, he didn't know how to answer.
How could he say that the radiance enveloping him wasn't destruction but banishment?
In that moment, he had nearly been exiled beyond the world by that damned creature.
If not for the unknown ring on his hand activating its power at the last moment, saving his life and forcibly returning him to the world, the outcome would have been truly uncertain.
As for how he killed that angel, which was infinitely close to complete divine descent?
He still had to thank that angel's radiance and the divine power that caused his body to gradually collapse and reconstruct.
It inexplicably allowed him to touch the true power of the "Copy Eyes."
A power known as the Origin.
It was a power capable of analyzing all things, even gods and the world itself, and could even rewrite them. It finally made him understand why the core of Lelouch's world, the restraining force of C's World, feared him so deeply.
It was afraid of death!
Of course.
Achieving this level required mastering this power one hundred percent.
Yet what he could currently grasp was merely the tip of the iceberg, seemingly not even comparable to the power when Lina Inverse went berserk.
Moreover, the power within him now was quite strange.
Initially, it was Psionic Power, then it became Magical Power, but now it seemed neither like Magical Power, Spiritual Power, nor Divine Power.
It was more like these mutually conflicting forces had been forcibly kneaded and fused together.
"Oh right, I almost forgot something!"
Mahiro suddenly released Yukina from his embrace, pushed Giada aside, and moved to an open space on the shore.
Under the curious gazes of the women, accompanied by the sound of the waves, Mahiro carefully pulled an object from his chest.
The moment they saw it, the expressions of La Folia, Yukina, and Sayaka froze!
Even Giada's gaze toward him turned strange.
Because in his hand was a forearm, smooth and white as jade.
It looked slender and was still connected to a hand.
But Yukina, who had launched the assault, knew all too well—that hand belonged to the Model Angel from earlier!
It had been torn off by Mahiro at the time, but no one expected him to have kept it.
And now, he had taken it out again. What did he intend to do?
"Est, I'm counting on you."
[Mm, as you wish, Mahiro.]
A silver-white pistol instantly appeared in his hand, its barrel aimed at the forearm as he pulled the trigger.
"「Regeneration」, activate!"
This time, what enveloped the forearm was no longer the pure, gentle Psionic Light but a radiance as intense as the blazing sun!
It was identical to the Divine Power wielded by the angel earlier!
In an instant, the light gradually expanded, spreading from the small forearm to the size of a person.
When the light faded and everyone saw the revealed figure, they were all struck with astonishment.
"This... isn't that..."
Sayaka instinctively exclaimed, only to have her mouth covered by Yukina.
No wonder.
The one restored was none other than the angel they had fought earlier, the one killed by Mahiro!
As if time had reversed, she had returned.
She still wore the white dress resembling a patient's gown, her long, fair legs and delicate feet lying straight on the ground.
Her eyes were closed.
Only the gradually rising and falling of her chest proved she was still alive.
And unlike before, this girl no longer had the ugly or transformed wings on her back.
She had returned to the appearance of an ordinary girl.
This scene left everyone utterly shocked.
Especially Giada.
Had the spell... been reversed?
But at that moment, La Folia suddenly stepped forward, crouched beside Mahiro, and reached out to poke the girl's cheek.
Soft.
Warm.
Alive.
"Hey, wasn't this girl your enemy? Why did you revive her?"
La Folia looked up, her face bearing a seventy percent resemblance to Kanon Kanase, as she posed the question to him.
"No particular reason."
Mahiro shrugged quite candidly, his gaze resting on the girl as he softly said:
"I, Yotsuba Mahiro, may not be considered a good person—in fact, I could even be called a world-ending villain, an absolute evil—but I have my own principles. Namely, debts have their creditors, and grievances have their sources.
"The one at fault is Kanase Kensei, and he has already paid the price for it. Why trouble a little girl over it?"
Moreover, this girl is also a pitiful victim. Adopted by Kanase Kensei, she had placed her hopes in her family and adoptive father, only to be taken to a laboratory for various experiments.
However, his response left La Folia stunned for a moment.
As dawn arrived and the first light of daybreak rose above the horizon, La Folia's face illuminated by the glow, she slowly revealed a smile.
She asked: "Mahiro, I have another question. Could it be that you and the Third Progenitor, Lady Giada, have formed an eternal blood companion bond?"
"Absolutely not…"
Yukina and Sayaka refuted in unison.
After speaking, Yukina glanced at Sayaka in confusion, while Sayaka felt somewhat awkward. She had intended to help Yukina, after all…
Mahiro, on the other hand, asked with a puzzled expression:
"Why ask that?"
"It's simple. Although you seemed like a rude man earlier, after what just happened, I've realized I quite like you."
As the morning light arrived, La Folia bathed in the glow, her entire body seemingly radiating a halo.
"If possible, I think I'd look forward to it even more if I could bear your child."
"???"
Mahiro was utterly bewildered.
"No, what on earth are you talking about?"
He was indeed interested in La Folia, but he hadn't expected this silver-haired princess to be so eccentric.
To the point where he couldn't understand what was going through Her Highness's mind at all.
Was it simply admiration for strength, or was she attracted to his appearance?
Mahiro thought both were possible, but the root cause likely wasn't that.
Could it be because of this girl…?
But she wasn't Kanon Kanase and should have no connection to La Folia whatsoever.
In the end, however, he never got an answer to this question.
As for Yukina and Sayaka, they were completely shocked by La Folia's words. Even Giada looked at her with interest.
"Oh~ You're quite bold, aren't you? Trying to steal my man."
Himeragi Yukina: "??"
Kirasaka Sayaka: "??"
What are you all talking about? Why can't we understand any of it at all!!
In the end, it was Mahiro who forcibly stepped in and killed the conversation on the spot, then led these women on the journey back.
By the time they arrived at Itogami Island and returned to school, it was already morning. Coincidentally, the ball sports competition had just ended, and the award ceremony had been completed.
The youthful and vibrant Asagi came running up to him, moving so fast that even Yuuma couldn't keep up.
After such intense exercise, Asagi's body beneath her school uniform was drenched in fragrant sweat, but she paid it no mind. Holding a golden trophy, she threw herself onto Mahiro's back and exclaimed excitedly:
"Mahiro, look, look! Yuuma and I won the championship!"
Her incredibly soft chest pressed against Mahiro's back, accompanied by a faint, pleasant fragrance.
This girl came to share her victory joy with him the moment she won the award.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Congratulations. Now get down first. You've already worked up a full sweat in just this short while—don't you find it unpleasant yourself?"
The scent of a girl's sweat, especially that of a 2D girl, is practically like a potent aphrodisiac to men.
Carrying a full load of hormones, it attracts those around, urging them to make her pregnant quickly.
However, Aiba Asagi was unaware of this little-known fact.
Thinking it was Mahiro's fastidiousness, she asked:
"Huh, is... is there really a sweat smell?"
She knew
her body felt somewhat slick from sweating heavily, so she half-doubted and hurriedly jumped off Mahiro, afraid of leaving a bad impression.
Impatiently, she grabbed the front of her sweat-dampened school uniform and sniffed it.
But she didn't detect any unpleasant sweat odor.
"Want to take another sniff? Is the sweat smell on me really that strong?"
For some reason, Asagi's wires got crossed, and she directly pulled his head into her embrace, pressing her ample chest right against his face.
This volume was enough to rival Yotsuba Maya!
The softness was no less than Esdeath's!
No, this wasn't the time to think about that!
"Mmph mmph, let me go!"
"No! Hurry up and smell—there's clearly no odor on me!"
As she spoke, Asagi held him even tighter, as if trying to press him into her own body.
This behavior gave her an inexplicable thrill, her heart pounding faster and faster.
"That's because you're used to it! Let me go!"
Mahiro struggled but didn't dare use too much force, afraid of hurting this crazy girl.
His nose was completely filled with Asagi's rich feminine scent and deadly softness, repeatedly tugging at his heartstrings.
Even if he didn't want to be a pervert or smell that scent, at this distance, it was unavoidable.
Moreover, the scent intoxicated him, making it hard to control himself.
Just as he was about to give a hard pinch, the classroom door opened.
Swish~
"Father, have you..."
The one who entered was Yuuma Tokoyogi.
Originally, she wanted to ask if Father knew where Asagi had gone and also show off her championship win.
But then she saw this scene.
The three of them, six eyes, stared at each other for a moment. Asagi quickly released him, while Yuuma Tokoyogi quietly backed out of the classroom.
"Sorry for disturbing. I must have entered the wrong classroom."
After saying this, she thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
"Yuuma, come back! You didn't get the wrong room!"
Asagi hurriedly chased after her, shooting him a resentful glare before leaving.
Mahiro stood there dumbfounded, helplessly saying:
"Seriously, how is this my fault?"
After the daytime commotion at school, Mahiro went to the orphanage that evening to find Kanon Kanase.
Since the night of the incident, Kanon Kanase hadn't been to school for the past two days.
She stayed at the orphanage, quietly waiting for news from Mahiro.
"Your uncle, Kanase Kensei, is dead."
"Yes, I know."
"And I was the one who did it."
Mahiro sat in a chair, facing the silver-haired girl before him, and straightforwardly told her everything that had happened on the island without holding anything back.
To Kanon Kanase, all of this felt like listening to a story.
Or perhaps it was more like a nightmare.
A nightmare she had witnessed as a third party, so her heart didn't stir too much, and she softly said:
"Mahiro-nii, I know. I know everything, so please don't blame yourself. Kanase is very grateful to you, truly."
Although she was kind-hearted, she wasn't one to confuse right and wrong. She clearly understood who genuinely cared for her.
In her eyes, on that night when Kanase Kensei brought people to capture and trouble her, that so-called uncle had already been labeled as a villain.
And the Mahiro-nii before her had become her only remaining family elder.
Yet her words made Mahiro feel somewhat embarrassed.
"Truly a little angel. I feel comforted."
It seemed like this was the first time he had encountered such a kind-hearted girl, and one who trusted him so firmly.
"It's alright now, Kanase. You're really safe now, don't worry."
Yukina, who had come along to visit and incidentally acted as a Watcher, also stepped forward to comfort Kanase, gently embracing her shoulders like an older sister and soothing her:
"Not just Senpai, I'm here with you too, Kanase."
"Yes, thank you, Yukina..."
Kanase lifted her delicate little face to look at Yukina, but for some reason, she felt her nose tingling, as if tears were about to fall.
"Kanase, why are you crying? Did Mahiro bully you? Tell me, I'll stand up for you—I'll give birth to a whole soccer team and make him take care of all of them."
La Folia, who had also arrived but had just entered the room, noticed the tense atmosphere and immediately took Kanase's hand, whispering words that were both fierce and bold.
Kanase looked back at the princess in disbelief.
Because of her appearance, this was the first time she had seen someone who looked so much like herself.
"Who are you?"
"I am your family," La Folia replied.
"Family?"
Although it felt abrupt, Kanase instinctively felt that the other person wasn't lying.
But the problem was, after what had just happened—with her uncle trying to capture her just two days ago—now someone claiming to be family was approaching her.
It was only natural for Kanase to feel instinctively resistant and even fearful.
So, she looked to her Mahiro-nii for help.
"Well, if we go by seniority, you are actually my biological aunt. You've suffered for over a decade, and now I've come to take you home—back to the Aldegyr palace."
La Folia ignored her gaze and resistance, speaking gently.
And she showed a slightly brighter expression.
If Kanase returned to Aldegyr, regardless of whether she would be recognized as the noble elder princess, she would undoubtedly attract many people's attention.
The royal family placed too much importance on face and didn't want royal scandals exposed to the world.
However, Mahiro would not allow such a thing to happen.
"Oh dear, it seems you haven't remembered a single word of what I told you on that little island before, Your Highness La Folia. But that's alright, I can tell you again here.
I won't allow anyone to interfere with Kanon's life, and I especially don't want you bringing your Aldegyr royal family's dirty laundry to Itogami Island.
Otherwise, I wouldn't mind paying a visit to the Aldegyr royal palace to experience the king's pleasures."
"No problem at all, I think my father would welcome you very warmly."
La Folia smiled back at him.
Mahiro slowly typed out a few question marks in response.
"Besides, you should consider Kanon's feelings. Perhaps she would like to see her biological father," La Folia seized the opportunity to add.
"I don't want to!"
Kanon suddenly spoke up, her small hand tightly clutching Mahiro's sleeve as she looked up at him pitifully:
"Mahiro-nii, Kanon doesn't want to leave here. I don't like royal life at all, and... and I don't know how to face suddenly appearing strangers who claim to be family. Kanon has always felt that even though I lost my parents, having Mahiro-nii with me now has made me very happy. These past few years, I've been so happy living with Mahiro-nii."
Kanon showed strong resistance.
Faced with Kanon's unequivocal rejection, Princess La Folia was deeply disappointed. She had come to the artificial island with the purpose of bringing Kanon back to the royal palace.
"I see. In that case, there's not much to worry about. With him taking care of you, the same things probably won't happen again. But grandmother will likely be quite disappointed, as she was looking forward to meeting Kanon."
La Folia, probably still unwilling to give up, murmured this quietly.
The kind-hearted Kanon immediately showed a flicker of hesitation.
Just then, Mahiro's large hand rested on her head. He glared coldly at the white-haired princess and said sharply:
"Don't even think about it. If you really want to take Kanon back, I'll go with her. But first, you need to deal with those two old fossils in your royal family. Otherwise, I might go on a killing spree—in a fit of rage, I could even wipe out your entire Aldegyr Kingdom."