Does Our Earlier Bet Still Stand? (5K)

That's roughly the purpose of this party.

This banquet was organized by the Magic Practitioners' Mutual Aid Association 'Magician Association Federation, but it wasn't hosted by Shiba Tatsuya, and it had nothing to do with him as the representative.

It was organized by a Frenchman.

The goal is to promote and expand the influence of the Magic Practitioners' Mutual Aid Association, hoping to attract more people to join.

Of course, their ultimate goal is to bring in more members of the Yotsuba Family.

Therefore, many people present were connected to him.

But besides that, an unexpected guest was also lurking at this banquet.

"You mean the people from the New USNA?"

"Um."

Ayako nodded slightly, her wine-red eyes slowly sweeping across the venue, and said to him in a barely audible voice:

"They are CIA spies. Their purpose is currently unclear, but it's highly likely they're after Miss Lina."

"..."

Yotsuba Mahiro didn't say anything.

The New USNA is a small country that was re-established in North America after the dissolution of the USNA, and it has been trying to reclaim the territories that once belonged to the USNA.

It could be said that they were locked in a fierce battle with the newly independent California.

Unfortunately, in addition to some large corporations, California also has the support of Shiba Heavy Industries, as well as the Kinghtmare jointly sold by Shiba Heavy Industries and Four Leaves Technology, and new models of mechanical implants.

This led to the New USNA suffering repeated defeats and even losing a significant amount of territory.

Currently, we are in a delicate stalemate.

"However, what Ayako said is only one possibility. It's also possible that she's here for you, Mr. Mahiro, or for Shiba Tatsuya. Fumiya's Yamao Society received intelligence that during the final battle in California, the New USNA unearthed a white stone tablet in northern Shasta, which supposedly records the location of a ruin."

"Oh wow? Really?"

"Are you interested, Mr. Mahiro?"

Mahiro, a rare occurrence for him.

The location of so-called ruins refers to the remains of civilizations that have not been recorded or have only been recorded in a few places, and even more so, the places where sacred artifacts have been unearthed.

He wasn't interested in the Magician Association Federation or the Frenchman's motives.

But he's genuinely interested in ruins!

Because he had already discovered that the water in this world was not as shallow as he had imagined. It was like a deep pool of clear water that looked shallow, but once you stepped into it, you would be instantly submerged.

Where did so many and such wondrous relics come from?

He was genuinely curious why it contained magical formulas that could be deciphered using modern technology.

"Since Mr. Mahiro is so interested, why don't we come to my room and discuss this further in detail?"

Suddenly, Ayako struck an extremely alluring pose, her slender fingers lightly touching his black shirt and slowly drawing circles.

"Mr. Mahiro looks very handsome today. It just so happens that Ayako also booked a room at this hotel, so perhaps..."

"Worse than a ghost."

Mahiro reached out and tapped Ayako's head, instantly breaking the romantic atmosphere.

"Aren't you afraid that if your sister Miyuki finds out, she'll come to your door with a knife and kill you?"

"Hmph, I'm not afraid of her at all."

Ayako crossed her arms and grumbled defiantly.

But to be honest, Ayako's claim of not being afraid was a lie; she was just being stubborn.

Nowadays, Miyuki's strength lies not only in her magical power, but also in her terrifying methods.

In the six months that Mahiro was away, Miyuki's skills were in no way inferior to Maya Yotsuba's; one could even say that she had received the true teachings of the Yotsuba Clan Yotsuba Miya and Maya Yotsuba.

Not only did they subdue those collateral relatives within the family who wanted to cause trouble in secret, but they also completely subdued them.

Even the Ten Master Clans and the Hundred Families, who had already submitted, dared not provoke this old lady.

There is absolutely no possibility of backing down, not even in the face of external pressure.

If you're not convinced, then let's arm wrestle and go head-to-head.

The Assassination Squad, along with the numbered members of the Shadow Garden, and the seven children of Arcadia who specialize in making black gloves.

They are even better than the assassins from the Yamao Society (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) and work much more efficiently.

Even the most outstanding Hazuki Yuki had to admit defeat; she couldn't even beat Tsukushi, whose physical skills weren't particularly strong.

It can be said that Miyuki's coldness towards outsiders has taken deep root in people's hearts. The once elegant and kind top student girl is no longer seen; she has become even more aloof and arrogant.

Her tenderness was reserved only for Yotsuba Mahiro.

"Hey, Kuroba, what are you trying to do by dragging Mahiro -Mahiro- san here?!"

With a delicate shout, a petite figure charged forward like a calf, even disregarding the high heels she was wearing, and delivered a flying kick to Ayako from a distance!

A familiar move.

Ayako smiled charmingly, and like a butterfly in flight, she skillfully turned around and dodged the oncoming flying kick.

"Oh dear, Saegusa, I didn't expect you to be so rude even at such a high-class banquet."

"No matter how rude my sister is, she's still better than this shameless thief."

The sound didn't come from behind, but from the direction of the banquet.

A young woman with a bob haircut and wearing a gorgeous dress walked gracefully toward them.

The visitors were none other Mayumi Saegusa's two younger sisters, Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa.

"It's been so long, Brother Mahiro, Izumi misses you terribly."

"Yeah, Kasumi misses you too, Mahiro- nii!"

The elegant and quiet younger sister and the lively and unrestrained older sister are truly two extremes.

Furthermore, since they both attend the First High School as Ayako, they see each other as rivals in every way.

Their relationship can be described as irreconcilable.

However, along with the twins came a group of followers they couldn't shake off.

Instantly, the twins were surrounded by a group of boys who were showering them with attention. Kasumi was a little annoyed, while Izumi readily declined them one by one.

And she gave Mahiro a look that said, "Leave it to me, Mahiro -nii, go ahead, we'll come find you in a bit."

Mahiro disliked noisy environments, so she walked away.

However, they didn't go very far.

Ayako's followers also gathered around.

These boys, who had just entered high school, had various thoughts. On one hand, it was because Ayako was so beautiful. Although she couldn't compare to Miyuki's artificially perfect appearance, she still had the nickname "Little Maya".

On the other hand, the Kuroba Family no longer hides that they are a branch of the Yotsuba Family, and they are very close to the Yotsuba Family.

Therefore, these children wanted to use Ayako to climb the social ladder to the Yotsuba Family.

Unfortunately, Yotsuba Mahiro rarely appears in public or attends such social occasions; usually, it's Miyuki or Maya who makes the appearance.

This resulted in them not knowing Yotsuba Mahiro at all.

In addition, given his youthful appearance, they assumed that Yotsuba Mahiro was their rival in love. (In a way, that seems to be true.)

The way they looked at him was filled with subtle hostility and jealousy.

Unfortunately, Ayako and Yotsuba Mahiro noticed their gazes.

"Should we handle this?"

"Alright, please leave all these trivial matters to me. Mr. Mahiro go and rest in the dining area for a while."

Ayako smiled slightly and saw Yotsuba Mahiro off.

When she turned around, Ayako's expression turned cold as she looked at the group of boys, her eyes filled with endless disgust.

A gentle smile appeared on her face as she said:

"You've interrupted my precious date with my fiancé! Tell me, how do you want to die?"

That person was actually the legendary Yotsuba Mahiro?!

The boys' hearts skipped a beat, and they immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

I thought to myself, "It's over."

They're unlikely to have a peaceful end tonight.

Mahiro didn't care about the final outcome. After taking a glass of juice from the waiter, he went straight to the food area.

He never engages in the kind of casual socializing that's optional when he attends such banquets.

There is only one objective.

That's all about eating!

Just as he picked up a piece of lobster pie to put in his mouth, a small, fair hand suddenly reached out, snatched the food from his mouth, and handed him a plate full of exquisite food.

"Brother Mahiro, come and try these, they're all delicious!"

Does the bet made before Chapter 404 still stand? (5K)

"Mahiro, try these, they're delicious~ Miyuki prepared them especially for you."

Miyuki snatched the half-eaten lobster pie from his mouth and handed him a plate full of various foods.

It is indeed all foods that Yotsuba Mahiro likes to eat.

Then, without a second thought, she put the lobster pie he had left in her mouth.

Savor the flavor carefully.

To be honest, Mahiro was somewhat surprised to see Miyuki here.

But upon closer reflection, it makes perfect sense.

Surprisingly, everything Miyuki encountered was completely different from the party; in fact, it could be said that apart from being all magic, they had absolutely no connection to each other.

This is understandable, because Miyuki is currently the apparent head of the Yotsuba Family, and also a queen standing at the top of the Japan magic world.

If the Magician Association Federation wants to develop, it will definitely have to deal with Miyuki.

There's something inexplicably contradictory about me...

"It's been a long time, Mahiro."

Accompanying Miyuki was Sakurai Minami, whose face was beaming with a bright and charming smile as she bowed slightly to Yotsuba Mahiro.

"Yes, it's been a long time, Minami. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

Although it sounds like a formulaic statement, it truly reflects his true feelings.

Since settling on Mashima Island, Miyuki has been constantly going out, and Tatsuya has also started to get busy with his own career, leaving her without a protector.

So, the freed-up Minami were placed next to Miyuki.

In addition to his bodyguard duties, he was also responsible for Miyuki's daily life.

"Darling~"

A sickeningly sweet voice suddenly rang out.

Miyuki paused in her lobster pie, while Mahiro, without even looking up, felt a fragrant breeze waft towards her.

Immediately afterwards, a soft, delicate body embraced her.

Even without looking up, he knew who it was.

Speaking with such a thick Kansai and using such an obsequious address, who else could it be but Miori Shiba?

"Honey, I miss you so much! You've been back for so long, and you haven't even come to see me!"

"There's no other way. I just got back recently, and I still have a lot of things to take care of."