Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a gentle knock.
"God, are you there? I brought some tea and refreshments."
It was Ayame Yomogawa's voice.
At the sound, Stussy struggled to prop herself up. She glanced at her disheveled state, then at Saint Dio, a helpless smile curling her lips. "Looks like that young lady couldn't wait any longer... Master, should I excuse myself?"
Saint Dio waved a hand, indicating that she need not leave.
He walked to the doorway and slid open the paper door.
Outside, Ayame Yomogawa stood in the corridor holding a tray with a pot of clear tea and several plates of delicate pastries.
She had clearly dressed with care, changing into a plain, elegant, clean kimono. Her hair was impeccably arranged, and a faint touch of rouge graced her face.
When she saw that Saint Dio had opened the door, a polite smile appeared on her face.
Though puzzled by the messy room and strange smell, Ayame Yomogawa said nothing about them. She simply lowered her head and said respectfully, "God, my father sent me with some tea and refreshments as a small token of our regard. I wonder if this is a convenient time..."
With refreshments delivered to his door, Saint Dio naturally had no intention of refusing. He had just undergone some "exertion" and needed to replenish his energy.
He sat casually in the corridor, picked up a pastry, and took a bite. After chewing a few times, he lifted his cup and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.
Ayame knelt beside him, hands folded on her knees, and asked with expectant eyes, "God, how does it taste?"
Saint Dio set down his cup and gave a flat answer. "It's awful."
The smile on Ayame's face instantly froze.
She had never imagined that God would offer such a blunt assessment.
For a moment, she had no idea how to respond. She could only remain kneeling awkwardly, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
And Saint Dio was indeed telling the truth.
In this world, the Kabane had forced humanity to cower within Station Cities, barely clinging to life, with resources in desperately short supply.
Beyond the staple crops necessary for survival, ingredients that could be used to make refreshments were pitifully scarce.
Compared with the exquisite refreshments he usually enjoyed in Mary Geoise, these pastries were worlds apart.
After taking one bite, he did not touch another piece. He merely held his cup and slowly drank his tea.
Kneeling beside him, Ayame felt as though even the air around them had grown awkward.
She wanted to say something to break the silence but had no idea what to say. She could only lower her head, her cheeks growing faintly warm.
Just then, a clear voice broke the awkward atmosphere.
"What are you doing?"
Mumei poked half her head around the doorway and peered inside curiously.
At the sight of the refreshments on the floor, her eyes lit up. Like a kitten catching the scent of fish, she bounded over.
She crouched before the plate of pastries and looked up at Saint Dio, her eyes full of anticipation.
Saint Dio said casually, "Eat them if you want."
"Yay!"
Mumei immediately grabbed a pastry and began taking big bites, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster's, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. Seeing her eat so happily, Ayame finally felt a little relieved. At least someone liked the pastries.
She stood and bowed respectfully to Saint Dio. "Then I won't disturb your rest any longer, God. I'll take my leave."
With that, she turned and left the residence in a hurry, her retreating figure carrying a hint of relief.
Watching Ayame leave, Stussy slowly sat up on the tatami, gently rubbing her chin with a finger as a meaningful smile curled her lips.
"What an innocent little girl..." she said with a soft laugh. "I wonder what expression she'll make when Master has her pinned beneath him?"
She shook her head, setting those imaginings aside for the moment, then turned to Saint Dio and said seriously, "Master, it's time I got to work."
Saint Dio nodded. "Go ahead."
Stussy smiled faintly, stood, and straightened her disheveled clothes.
She walked beneath the eaves and raised a hand. A bat hanging upside down flew down and landed on her fingertip.
She tilted her head and listened for a while, then nodded. With a flicker, her body transformed into a swarm of bats that flew out of the residence in a rush of wings and vanished into the darkening sky.
As night deepened, Munechika Shikishima sat alone in his study.
A map lay spread across his desk, marked with the locations of the various Station Cities and the routes connecting them.
His fingers slowly traced the map, his gaze flickering as he continued to consider how to win God over.
Just what could I do to please that being?
As he sank into thought, the flutter of wings suddenly came from the window behind him.
Highly alert, Munechika Shikishima whipped his head around.
Outside the window, a white figure hovered silently beneath the moonlight.
A pair of enormous bat wings spread behind her, casting a menacing silhouette in the moonlight.
An ambiguous smile rested on that exquisite face. She was the woman in white who accompanied God.
"You-!"
Munechika Shikishima's heart clenched, and a chill ran up his spine.
Instinctively, he wanted to call for the guards, but his years of experience governing as a lord made him forcibly suppress the impulse.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and asked in a low voice, "What brings you here so late at night?"
Stussy did not answer his question.
She merely raised her hand slowly and gave a gentle flick in Munechika Shikishima's direction.
Three palm-sized bats flew from her sleeve, shooting straight at Munechika Shikishima's face like three bolts of black lightning.
Munechika Shikishima reacted extremely quickly.
It took more than noble birth to hold firmly to a lord's position in this apocalyptic world.
He abruptly twisted aside while his right hand swiftly drew the katana hanging on the wall, its blade flashing coldly.
Whoosh!
He cut the first bat in half with a single slash, and it dissolved into a cloud of bloody mist.
Then, with a rising backhand slash, his blade precisely split the second bat open as well.
But he failed to block the third bat in time.
It slipped around the blade like a nimble shadow and landed directly on his neck.
Sharp fangs pierced his skin, bringing a stab of pain. Munechika Shikishima felt his neck go numb, followed by an intense wave of dizziness.
The katana fell from his hand with a clang. His body swayed, and he braced himself against the edge of the desk before slowly collapsing into his seat.
As his consciousness began to blur and the scene before him grew distorted and distant, the last thing he saw was the woman in white folding her wings and landing lightly on his windowsill, looking down at him from above.
Chapter 31: Small Is Cute Too
Standing on the windowsill, Stussy took one last look at Munechika Shikishima slumped in his chair, a satisfied curve rising at the corner of her mouth.
Now that he had become her blood thrall, her subsequent actions would be much easier.
Without lingering any longer, she spread her broad bat wings and slipped soundlessly into the night, disappearing beneath the moonlight like a ghost.
After an unknown amount of time, Munechika Shikishima slowly opened his eyes.
He shook his somewhat groggy head, feeling a faint soreness in his neck, as though some insect had bitten him.
He raised a hand to feel the spot but found nothing.
Then he frowned, trying to recall what had just happened, only to find his mind completely blank.
All he remembered was thinking about how to win God over, and then... falling asleep?
I really am getting old.
Munechika Shikishima rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly.
He sat upright, straightened his clothes, and regained his imposing bearing as a lord before calling toward the door, "Attend me."
A samurai entered at his call. "What are your orders, my lord?"
"Go fetch Ayame."
A short while later, Ayame hurried over and knelt before her father, asking respectfully, "Father, you wanted to see me?"
Munechika Shikishima studied his daughter's increasingly mature face. After a moment's consideration, he asked, "Ayame, what is your... impression of God?"
Ayame had not expected her father to ask about this so suddenly. Briefly startled, she gave it serious thought before answering, "He's very handsome... but his personality is a little..." Recalling Saint Dio's merciless "It's awful," along with his consistently cold, distant manner, she gave a somewhat helpless smile. "He's a little difficult to approach."
Munechika Shikishima nodded slowly, fell silent for another moment, then asked, "What if... you were to serve God?"
The instant the word "serve" reached her ears, Ayame stiffened slightly, obvious surprise and panic appearing on her face.
She opened her mouth, about to say something, but Munechika Shikishima waved a hand to signal that she should not speak just yet and continued, "Do you think God will truly help us eliminate the Kabane threat without asking for anything in return?"
Ayame froze for a moment before answering, "He... promised."
"A verbal promise is no guarantee." Munechika Shikishima shook his head, his gaze deepening. "Why is he willing to help us? Is it really out of kindness?"
At the mention of "kindness," Ayame fell silent.
She recalled how Saint Dio's icy eyes had never held any pity or goodwill, only an aloof indifference, as though he were looking down at ants.
He had indeed displayed tremendous power and said that he would help them, but from beginning to end, he had never shown any zeal for saving humanity.
He seemed more like... a being who acted according to his own will, doing whatever he pleased.
Seeing his daughter fall silent, Munechika Shikishima knew his words had taken effect.
Softening his tone, he continued, "That is why we need a guarantee, something to ensure that he will stand on our side."
Looking straight into Ayame's eyes, he said each word distinctly. "Every woman he keeps by his side is beautiful. That shows he has an interest in such things."
Ayame's breath caught slightly. She instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling. "Father, you mean... you want me... to..."
"You must have confidence," Munechika Shikishima interrupted, declaring firmly, "Remember, you are the daughter of Munechika Shikishima. Whether in looks, bearing, or birth, you are inferior to no one."
Ayame lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
At last, she nodded solemnly.
For humanity's sake, she could only do this.
Watching his daughter nod in agreement, Munechika Shikishima was filled with mixed feelings.
He did not know whether he was right or wrong. What fate would await his daughter if he sent her to that man as a bargaining chip? But he had no better choice.
In times like these, doing nothing meant waiting to die.
At least, if Ayame could forge a connection with God, it would be a good thing for the Yomogawa Family, whatever happened.
He silently comforted himself, convincing himself that this was for the family and for his daughter's future.
Ayame left her father's room, changed into a clean kimono, and returned to the residence where Saint Dio was staying.
This time, it was not the white-haired youth himself who greeted her, but Stussy.
Stussy leaned against a pillar in the corridor, a meaningful smile on her lips, as though she had known all along that Ayame would come.
Seeing Ayame's shy, uneasy appearance, she walked gracefully forward, reached out, and gently rested a hand on Ayame's shoulder. Then she brought her lips close to Ayame's ear and whispered a few words.
Ayame's cheeks instantly flushed as red as a cooked shrimp, the scarlet spreading all the way to her ears.
Somewhat flustered, she asked quietly, "Do... do I really have to do that?"
Stussy stepped back, folded her arms, and looked at her with a smile. "Since you've come all this way, surely you've already made up your mind?"
Ayame bit her lip and fell silent for a moment, but finally gave a gentle nod.
At that moment, Saint Dio was bathing in the hot spring in the residence's rear courtyard.
The residence had its own natural hot spring, fed by underground thermal waters, with clear water at a comfortable temperature.
Warm mist drifted through the courtyard, surrounded by bamboo fencing and a few dwarf pines. Moonlight filtered through the vapor, lending the entire courtyard a hazy atmosphere.
Saint Dio leaned against a rock beside the pool, his arms resting along its edge and his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort of the warm spring water enveloping his body.
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