Preparing to Attend the "Feast of Flames" (5K)

This made Mahiro sigh inwardly.

"Foolish Est, Yuuma Sengakuji is now my daughter. If you make her call me 'sister,' wouldn't that be a generational difference?"

But given Est's personality, she would never care about such a thing.

Or rather, she simply lacks any sense of human ethics; as long as it makes Mahiro, she's willing to use even more offensive terms.

However, although Yuuma Sengakuji now has a new father and a new older sister, she remains depressed, her eyes are still dim, and there seems to be a deep melancholy between her brows that she cannot shake off.

Mahiro keenly noticed this.

"Yuuma Sengakuji, what's wrong? You seem unhappy. Is something the matter? If you don't mind, you can tell me."

Mahiro gently coaxed her, as if she were handling a fragile treasure, just like how he had treated the children in the Black Bullet World, using his tenderness to protect them.

As for what it was, he was naturally very clear about it.

It was nothing more than the fact that Aya Sengakuji had heartlessly abandoned her.

He hoped to help Yuuma Sengakuji resolve her inner conflict, even though he knew it was a difficult task, especially since they had only known each other for less than an hour. But he wanted to try.

After all, Yuuma Sengakuji was born for Aye, and now that she has suffered such a severe blow, it is not good for the child's mental development.

Upon hearing his question, Yuuma Sengakuji slightly raised her head and cautiously asked tentatively:

Is it really possible?

"Of course, I am your father. You can talk to me about anything." Mahiro smiled gently.

Est noticed that Yuuma Sengakuji was also downcast, so she stopped being jealous and nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, you can talk to Mahiro about anything. Mahiro is amazing."

Est's words might seem naive, but Yuuma Sengakuji was deeply moved by the genuine care and concern shown by the two.

This was an emotion she had never felt in her entire life, making her purse her lips, forcibly suppressing the urge to cry, her eyes reddening as she said in a low voice:

"Father, I don't actually have any memories before I was six years old. The only memories I have are the bare minimum of knowledge I need for daily life and the pact with the demon. I was born looking like a six-year-old, and I've been here all alone since I was born."

I often ask the artificial life form maid, "Where is your mother?" The maid always answers, "Your mother is in the Prison Barrier."

They told me about my mother's situation. It was in Itogami City, Tokyo, a prison located in the Far East Demon Sanctuary, a sealed space different from this world, an eternal exile, a time labyrinth with no exit.

My mother was betrayed by the hateful Void Witch, which is why she was imprisoned in the Dark Abyss!

My mother gave birth to me as a trump card to escape from that prison.

Moreover, I am a pure-blooded witch who was born with a pact with the devil, an azure witch protected by the Blue Knight! I know nothing.

All he knew was that his mother was imprisoned in some faraway place, and that for his mother to escape, he had to be there.

I've always firmly believed in my mission: to rescue my mother when I grow up. But..."

Yuuma Sengakuji paused here, tears welling up in her eyes, and unable to hold back any longer Yuuma Sengakuji buried her head in Mahiro's arms.

"But if I was born to escape from prison, what will she become when that goal is achieved? My mother clearly doesn't need Yuuma Sengakuji anymore after we leave prison, so does Yuuma Sengakuji even have any value now?"

Sad.

It was undeniably tragic; he never imagined Yuuma Sengakuji's life would be like this, born into the belief that she existed as a tool.

It's estimated that the maids left behind by Aya Sengakuji also frequently brainwashed her, claiming that everything was part of a vast magical process, and that they all played a part in the intricate procedure of creating escape tools.

Thinking of this, Mahiro couldn't help but sigh.

"Alright, stop thinking about all this nonsense. Since you've already died once, let go of the past and start a new life tomorrow."

He gently patted the girl's back to comfort her.

"If you really need a mission to sustain your life, then you might as well give yourself one."

"Design it yourself?"

Yuuma Sengakuji sobbed, looking up blankly at her new father.

This term was completely foreign to her. For so many years, she had lived her life step by step, like a chess piece on a chessboard, and had never made any plans for herself.

Mahiro understood, so he spoke calmly and unhurriedly:

"Yes, it's about setting your own goals. For example, becoming a good daughter to Father, a good sister to Est, or trying to gain Mother's approval. Yuuma Sengakuji, don't be confused. Actually, many people in the world have the same worries as you. But when it comes to setting goals, achieving them isn't the end goal; it's about enjoying the process. Do you understand?"

Yuuma Sengakuji blinked blankly, not even shedding a tear, only a few glistening teardrops hanging on her eyelashes like shattered diamonds.

After a long while, the girl's face and eyes regained their radiance, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around Mahiro's neck, leaning her petite body against him, as if wanting him to hear her heartbeat.

"Thank you, Father. Yuuma Sengakuji understands now. Yuuma Sengakuji will definitely be a good daughter to Father, a good sister to Sister Est, and will also work hard to gain Mother's approval!"

Hearing the girl's heartfelt words, Mahiro felt both amused and helpless.

He felt he had said all he had said.

Did this girl really understand what she was saying?

Well, this is for the best...

He gently patted the girl's back and said:

"Now that you've made up your mind, let's do our best. I'll always be by your side."

"Thank you, Father."

"By the way, Father. What is the relationship between Father and Mother like? Are you Yuuma Sengakuji's real father?"

Yuuma Sengakuji suddenly let go of him and asked curiously.

Children's moods change so quickly. One second they're crying and proclaiming their grand ambitions, and the next they're concerned with some trivial matter.

But Mahiro still answered:

"Right now, your mother and I are probably, perhaps, friends?"

He had completely forgotten what had happened not long ago, only remembering that he had slept with Aya Sengakuji for one night.

"But don't worry, Yuuma Sengakuji. Since you're going to work hard to get Aye's approval, I'll also work hard to truly become your father."

"Hehe, really? Then you'd better work hard, Father. You must strive to become Yuuma Sengakuji's real father!"

At that moment, Yuuma Sengakuji smiled happily.

However, from that day on, Aya Sengakuji never appeared before them again, as if she had disappeared.

This made Yuuma Sengakuji feel disappointed, but she wasn't discouraged as before; instead, she worked even harder.

Only Mahiro knew that Aya Sengakuji had never left; in fact, she had always lingered around them, secretly observing them, though her purpose remained unknown.

In addition, he discovered two other things.

First, their location.

They were located near a sparsely populated mountain range on Japan territory, and their dwelling was a castle.

It's like a vampire castle from a movie; it looks incredibly dark.

But it fits the stereotype of a witch.

Secondly, Yuuma Sengakuji's health has been poor ever since the Blue Knight was removed.

Chapter 336 Preparations for Attending the "Feast of the Flame" (5K)

Since the Blue Knight was stripped away, Yuuma Sengakuji's health has not been very good, and her face always looks pale and depleted.

There's nothing we can do about it.

Yuuma Sengakuji's magic power mostly comes from the Blue Knight, but the knight was forcibly removed and the contract was torn up, causing her magic power to become disordered and her body to become weak.

Mahiro naturally couldn't get her another demon contract or another guardian knight.

Although Est can be considered a similar being, there are fundamental differences between them.

Putting aside whether Est is willing to form a contract with Yuuma Sengakuji, if a contract were formed, Yuuma Sengakuji would probably be drained dry and die on the spot.

After all, even though Est is called the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword, it is essentially a demon sword, and it requires a large amount of magic power to support it even in the present world, Yuuma Sengakuji naturally cannot do.

However, this doesn't mean he has no other options.

He still had enhancement potions.

However, the one he injected into Yuuma Sengakuji contained the Diablos gene.

Although it's dangerous and involves an element of gambling, Diablos's magic can definitely fill the gap in Yuuma Sengakuji's missing magic.

As it turned out, he made the right bet.

Not only did no rejection reaction occur in Yuuma Sengakuji, but her magic power was even stronger than before when she was a contracted guardian knight!

It's estimated that with time and experience, surpassing Aya Sengakuji and Natsuki Minamiya wouldn't be a problem.

As for education, that will naturally not be neglected.

Besides continuing to learn magic from the maids, Mahiro would occasionally teach her some magic from the Irregular at Magical World. However, something strange happened: whether it was because Yuuma Sengakuji was naturally gifted or for some other reason, she was able to learn Yuuma Sengakuji from the Irregular at Magical World.

They can even cast spells without CAD using their own abilities, although these are just some simple spells.

Strangely enough, even though he and Yuuma Sengakuji had fallen out with Aye, this woman not only didn't intend to kick them out, but even allowed Yuuma Sengakuji to continue living her life as usual.

In my memory, Aya Sengakuji should be a very arrogant person who always seeks revenge.

Could it be that he suddenly changed his personality for some reason?

Mahiro out the reason, and then Aya Sengakuji reappeared in front of them.

"Oh, long time no see, Aye. You've finally made the effort to show your face?" Mahiro teased casually as he sipped his tea.

In the dimly lit room, Aya Sengakuji stood before him. The woman was still the same as before, her delicate face as cold as an iceberg, revealing no emotion. She was still wearing that pure black twelve-layered kimono.

It can be said that there has been no change whatsoever from before.

To be honest, he was very curious: didn't they find wearing such cumbersome clothes every day heavy?

It's important to know that while these garments look extremely luxurious, they are also quite heavy, as they are made of layers stacked on top of each other. It is said that the standard weight is as high as 20 kilograms, and during the Heian period, they could even weigh up to 60 kilograms, making it impossible to walk normally.

Aya Sengakuji had no idea what he was thinking at that moment, nor did she care, and simply threw the stack of documents in her hand onto the table.

"The information you requested regarding the Fourth Progenitor."

"?"

Mahiro at the documents scattered on the table, then looked at the woman in front of him with a slightly surprised expression.

He never expected that this woman would take his casual remark seriously and act on it.

I originally thought she would refuse, so I deliberately sent Zeta out to gather intelligence.

I never expected that Aya Sengakuji would take the initiative to come here today, just for this matter!

"... Thanks."

Perhaps because he was so surprised and shocked, his voice was somewhat dry.

Aya Sengakuji did not respond, but merely frowned slightly, as if urging him to finish reading the document quickly.

This time, Mahiro understood what she meant and casually flipped through the document in front of him.

But you don't know until you see it, and what you find is shocking.

After reading the entire document, there were only two things he didn't understand.

That's right, I don't understand this or that.

The sheer volume of technical terms above is overwhelming, but I managed to identify three key points.

One is information about the Fourth Progenitor.

The Fourth Progenitor is also known as [Flame Haze Night Emperor]. It was originally a plan created to create new Progenitors. It is the collective name of the twelve original bodies of the Fourth Progenitor created according to the plan. It can be said to be the sealed entity of the Fourth Progenitor's retinue.

A supreme god-slaying weapon born from the technology of three True Ancestors and the Devas!

The Fourth Progenitor is said to surpass the oldest progenitor vampire and is the strongest vampire in the world.

Its very existence disrupts the world's balance and order.

Therefore, the twelve Avrora Florestina were sealed in various places.

Some were buried in the stormy desert, while others were imprisoned in the icy spirit chambers!

He knew the Fourth Progenitor was powerful, as he could tell from the original story, but he never expected him to be this strong—the strongest in the world?!