Chapter 322: A Little Shura Field
The business banquet had ended.
Shiba Takuma, who had thoroughly embarrassed himself at the event, did not immediately return to the Shiba residence. Instead, he turned and followed Sawamura Maki back to her home.
Riding the residential elevator, the scenery outside the window and the numbers on the screen rapidly changed.
Aside from special super-tall structures like the Yokohama Bay Tower, few buildings in this late 21st century era exceeded one hundred meters, and residential towers were even rarer in that regard.
This was because, from the perspective of land-use efficiency, it was more efficient to have clusters of high-rise residential buildings rather than constructing isolated, standalone super-tall towers.
Maki's home was one unit in a "high-end residential district" where twenty-story buildings, each eighty meters tall, were evenly spaced.
Her apartment was a corner unit on the twentieth floor.
Even the lower floors ensured ample natural lighting through the use of mirrors and optical fibers, but residents still preferred higher floors. The top-floor units were inevitably the most expensive.
Although Maki was a famous actress, given her relatively junior standing, it should have been very difficult for her to own a top-floor apartment in a high-end residential building in central Tokyo without sponsorship.
However, Sawamura Maki was not just an ordinary actress.
On one side.
Her father was the president of a holding company that owned multiple media enterprises, including a television station.
While not comparable to a commercial conglomerate like the Kitayama family, the Kowamura family was still a member of the upper class with substantial financial resources.
"Alright, you've worked hard today."
Upon returning home, Maki dismissed her bodyguards. The spacious room was now occupied only by Shiba Takuma and Sawamura Maki.
But Maki didn't mind.
"Takuma, rest for a bit. I'm going to take a shower first."
Maki walked directly into the bathroom. Gradually, the sound of shower water could be heard from inside.
Shiba Takuma was, after all, a decent person. Or perhaps, the anger in his heart had overwhelmed any other desires; he didn't even entertain the thought of peeking. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down.
Maki, meanwhile, took her time bathing leisurely in the bathroom.
After her shower, she came out wearing a comfortable dress and a loose, long coat. She took a bottle of red wine and two glasses from the liquor cabinet, then sat on the other end of the sofa, some distance away from Shiba Takuma.
While allowing her fair thighs to remain exposed, she unhurriedly uncorked the wine, letting the deep red liquid fill the bottom of the glasses along their sides.
Every movement appeared so leisurely and methodical.
"Here, Takuma, have a drink and relax."
Maki pushed one of the glasses toward Shiba Takuma, but he showed no intention of picking it up. Instead, he remained clenching his fists tightly, stewing in silent anger.
She didn't mind, however. With a light laugh, she picked up her glass, swirling and toying with it, savoring the fruity aroma of the wine wafting from the rim, as if gradually immersing herself in a certain atmosphere.
This was a ritual for Maki to relax her tense nerves after returning home from "work."
It was just that she was accustomed to relaxing, while someone else was not.
Thud!
With a dull sound, Shiba Takuma slammed his fist hard onto the marble coffee table.
"Sis Maki, how can you still be in the mood to drink?!"
His voice was like the low growl of a wounded beast licking its wounds.
"Hehe, Takuma, are you throwing a tantrum at me?"
Maki swayed her wine glass, looking at the slightly immature boy at the other end of the sofa. His face, proper for his age yet still retaining a hint of childishness, seemed to carry a touch of arrogance.
But upon hearing her words, Takuma deflated like a balloon, retracting his sharp claws.
"No, Maki-nee, I..."
"No need to rush, Takuma. I understand how you feel right now."
Maki unhurriedly interrupted the boy, extending her slender, jade-like leg toward him. With pearl-white toes, she gently pressed against the base of the wine glass and pushed it back toward him.
"Here, have a drink first to ease your tense nerves."
Her tone carried a hint of flirtation and allure, as if possessing a certain magic that made the budding young boy swallow hard before picking up the glass in front of him and taking a small sip.
"Mhm, yes, that's more like it."
Maki nodded in satisfaction, then immersed herself once more in the fragrant atmosphere of the red wine.
However, a fleeting trace of disdain flashed in her eyes.
In her view, Shippou Takuma was nothing more than a little brat trying to act mature. If not for the Shippou family's status and influence in the magical world, she couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.
A moment later, Shippou Takuma had already finished the half-glass of red wine, his face now tinged with a tipsy flush.
"Maki-nee, let's get down to business."
"Yes, you're right. Let's get to the point."
She set down her glass, glancing slightly at the boy who had returned to a proper, upright posture.
From Maki's perspective, Shippou Takuma's attitude was overly impatient, but she didn't impose her own temper on the boy, who was nearly a decade younger than her.
After all, he was neither a boyfriend nor someone she was keeping.
"As you saw, today should count as making a connection with Kitayama Shizuku. Although for now, I've only managed to make her remember my face and name."
"...Wasn't she uninterested in you?"
"Heh, that's true, but her friend Mitsui Honoka is very interested in me. Surely you're aware of the relationship between Miss Mitsui and Kitayama Shizuku?"
At this point, Maki's voice paused briefly.
Shippou Takuma's face flushed even deeper, clearly indicating he wasn't very knowledgeable about it.
Seeing this, Maki simply smiled faintly before speaking again:
"Alright, alright, don't worry. Mitsui Honoka is also a top-tier honor student. If we can get her to join, she'll definitely be useful. I imagine the chances of winning over Kitayama Shizuku will increase as well."
"But I think it would be better to recruit more companions from among our own grade or the first-year newcomers."
Shippou Takuma offered his own perspective.
Maki agreed as well.
"That's a good idea. But Takuma, are there any promising newcomers in this year's batch? Or among your own peers, how many are worth recruiting? Kuroba Ayako and her brother Mikihiko Kokuyou—you absolutely won't be able to win them over. Are you planning to recruit the Saegusa family twins instead?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Even if I die, I could never recruit anyone from the Saegusa family!"
Suddenly, an intense, hostile aura erupted from Shippou Takuma, as if he harbored an irreconcilable hatred for the Saegusa family.
The dispute over the "Seven" character was a conflict between the Shippou and Saegusa families, but that was only how Shippou Takuma himself saw it.
He believed their Shippou family was in no way inferior to the Saegusa family; it was just that Saegusa Kouichi had been lucky enough to secure a position among the Ten Master Clans. If he were the head of the family, he would have long since abolished the Saegusa family.
From this brief observation, Maki had already grasped most of Takuma's inner thoughts and shook her head inwardly in disappointment.
Children will be children—they just can't keep their composure.
That's what she thought, but on the surface, she showed no sign of it. Instead, she explained in an unhurried tone:
"Our goal is to establish a new order in our respective worlds; forming factions is not the objective in itself. There's no point in fighting for the top spot within the school. Shouldn't we prioritize winning over influential figures like the Kitayama family?"
Hearing this, Takuma felt as if he had just woken from a dream. He had been completely blinded by his own resentment.
"I understand. I'll prioritize Mitsui Honoka as the primary target."
"That's for the best. Use her as a stepping stone to get closer to Kitayama Shizuku and others. However... Takuma, I think it would be better if you properly address her as 'Senior Mitsui.' If you're not careful in daily interactions, you might accidentally call her by her name at an unexpected moment."
Takuma immediately showed an awkward expression, his gaze shifting uneasily.
Maki took a sip of wine, revealing a somewhat languid expression.
"Moreover, through this connection, we can also reach the Yotsuba family—specifically, the current head of the Yotsuba family, Miyuki Shiba, and her brother, Shiba Tatsuya. However, the process might be difficult, especially since Miyuki Shiba is that man's fiancée."
"Shiba Miyuki..."
Mentioning this name, Takuma frowned again, gradually recalling everything that had happened at the banquet. The sense of humiliation made him grit his teeth, as if he wanted to tear someone apart.
"Damn Yotsuba family... Yotsuba Mahiro! What gives him the right to act so arrogantly!"
"Heh."
Seeing this, Maki couldn't help but smile again, her expression carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.
"Takuma, whether you admit it or not, the Yotsuba family and Yotsuba Mahiro do have the capital to be arrogant."
Sawamura Maki didn't know about the events on the burnt island, or rather, aside from those who could set foot on that island, no one else knew anything about it.
But she was aware that the Yotsuba family currently stood at the pinnacle of the Ten Master Clans.
Although they were once considered equals with the Saegusa family as the two great powers, that was no longer the case. Now, they completely dominated alone.
Otherwise, why would that old man Kudou Retsu be so eager to suppress the Yotsuba family to achieve so-called "balance"?
Not to mention Mahiro—it was said that even Major Sirius of the USNA had been captured and held as a hostage, and to this day, the USNA hadn't dared to demand the return of this one of the Thirteen Apostles.
"Let it go, Takuma. We'll take everything slowly."
She seemed unwilling to provoke this half-grown boy any further and suggested in a tone laced with hidden encouragement.
"Let's start with Miss Mitsui, get close to Kitayama Shizuku, and Shiba Miyuki. There's still some time before they graduate, so we can take our time with this."
"By the way, if I remember correctly, Shiba Miyuki's brother Shiba Tatsuya seems quite detestable, and Shiba Miyuki is now Yotsuba Mahiro's fiancée. This part might be a key point of attack, right?"
As she spoke, Maki seemed to have thought of a way to split the Yotsuba family, a mischievous smile gradually curling at the corner of her mouth.
In the following days, Mahiro's life was relatively calm. Apart from spending time with girls on weekdays, he spent time with girls.
As for the search and investigation on Gu Jie's side, it hadn't been neglected either.
It must be said, this old guy really has some skills; his whereabouts are quite difficult to trace. Even a professional organization like Shadow Garden has only managed to get a rough idea so far.
There's simply no way to pinpoint his exact location.
No wonder, at ninety years old, he's practically an antique in the magic world. In some ways, he's even more troublesome than that old man Kudou Retsu.
Recently, Maya has been busy preparing for the Master Clan Conference with Miyuki.
Since it was convened on short notice, there's a lot of preparatory work to do. Maya also plans to take this opportunity to properly teach and train Miyuki.
So that in the future, she can serve as Mahiro's right-hand woman, not just a decorative piece.
Therefore, Miyuki has temporarily taken leave from school.
However, just as the Master Clan Conference was about to begin, Saegusa Mayumi suddenly visited the Yotsuba family with her twin sisters.
"Mahiro-kun, I came to see you."
Mayumi, who had come to visit the Yotsuba main residence first, greeted him with a smile.
"Hmph, Mahiro-niisan, it seems like you haven't come to see us sisters in a long time." The two sisters hiding behind Mayumi peeked out half their heads cutely, pouting slightly as they spoke to Mahiro.
After all, this time Mahiro's journey through time has been too long; even these twins are already in their second year of high school.
By the time Miyuki graduates, they will be competing with Ayako for the student council president position.
But compared to the straightforward and lively Kasumi, Izumi remains as polite as ever, placing her hands in front and bowing respectfully to him.
"Sorry, Mahiro-niisan, for visiting unannounced. Please forgive us."
Still very polite, her hairstyle unchanged—straight shoulder-length bob—even that feminine softness hasn't changed at all.
However, at the moment, the Yotsuba main residence might be a bit lively.
Originally, Ayako and Fumiya had specifically come over on the weekend to report some situations to him, but then they ran into the Saegusa family's visit.
In an instant, the gazes of Ayako, Kasumi, and Izumi intersected; three pairs of eyes met, staring wide-eyed at each other.
Mayumi didn't join her sisters' rivalry. Instead, she looked around and noticed that aside from scattered servants and guards outside, she didn't see Miyuki, which secretly pleased her.
Finally, she had a chance to be alone with Mahiro-kun.
There's no helping it; the pressure is too great.
Apart from that perfect Miyuki, who seems like a creation of heaven, she never expected her competitors to also include Maya and Miya, two elders.
She had learned about these matters from Miyuki.
Hearing about many of Mahiro's past experiences, she felt a pang of heartache.
However, now that she knew Mahiro had reconciled with his mother Maya, she was genuinely happy for him—though the pressure was indeed immense.
After all, these two women were once renowned as the most stunning among the Ten Master Clans, unparalleled in beauty, grace, and strength, hailed as the strongest sisters.
Aunt Maya was even her father's fiancée, and while Aunt Miya had aged prematurely due to overusing magic, she was no less remarkable, especially now that Mahiro had snatched her back from the jaws of death.
Yet, just as Mayumi was pondering this, her two younger sisters had already excitedly rushed over, gleefully claiming Mahiro's arms on either side.
Ayako's eye twitched at the sight, her small hands involuntarily clutching her skirt.
"To think the Saegusa twins have such manners, clinging to Master's arms the moment they see him?" Ayako forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, her sweet tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Hmph, what's the big deal? Big Sister is definitely going to marry Big Brother Mahiro anyway. What's wrong with hugging our future brother-in-law?" Kasumi retorted righteously.
"Um, Kasumi... not brother-in-law, but husband..."
Izumi whispered a correction, her face flushed so red it seemed about to bleed.
"Oh right, husband! Both Izumi and I, along with Big Sister, are going to marry Big Brother Mahiro!"
"..."
Ayako was already fuming at these words. Sensing trouble, Fumiya beside her quickly grabbed her hand to hold her back.
No, it would be more accurate to say he had long known it would come to this. After all, at school, Ayako and Saegusa Izumi often engaged in full-blown brawls.
Even without using magic, both girls were skilled in martial arts, always fighting to a standstill at school.
But now, Fumiya's efforts to restrain her were futile. Ayako shook off her brother's hand, completely abandoning any pretense of ladylike elegance, and glared at the two girls as she proudly declared:
"Let me tell you, it's impossible! Wishful thinking! Only Miyuki-neesan is qualified to be Mahiro-niisan's wife, and I am destined to be his concubine! My entire being belongs to Mahiro-niisan, to be played with as he pleases! To serve him at any time!"
Saegusa Mayumi had already settled to the side to watch the spectacle, occasionally casting meaningful, amused glances at Mahiro.
Mahiro simply sat there with a look of utter speechlessness.
What was this?
A battlefield of love? No, more like a battlefield of little girls.
And Ayako really dared to say anything—no matter how bold or outrageous.
If she had a bit more experience, wouldn't she blurt out words that would get censored with a 404 warning?
Ayako's bold declaration left Izumi and Kasumi petrified on the spot. They never imagined Ayako would dare to say such things, making them feel they had lost a step to her.
Could they ever say something like that?
Absolutely not—it was too shameful to even utter.
But if they didn't, they might lose Mahiro-niisan, and that was absolutely unacceptable.
"No... no way, absolutely not! Izumi and I are definitely going to become Mahiro-nii's wives! Kuroba Ayako, you always compete with us for everything at school, and now you even want to steal our husband? You're just the worst!"
Kasumi fired back without backing down, while Izumi nodded in agreement. On this matter, the sisters would absolutely not yield.
"What do you mean 'compete'? Mahiro-nii belongs to me and Miyuki-nee from the start—you're the ones who came later! If you're not convinced, let's see who can win Mahiro-nii's love!"
"Bring it on, who's afraid of who!"
Like needles meeting wheat awns, it was a scene of fierce rivalry, as if dragons were battling tigers. The three even started unbuttoning their clothes...
Wait, unbuttoning?!
Before they could take their clothes off, Mahiro reached out and gave each of them a karate chop to the head.
The three little girls immediately crouched down, holding their heads in a defensive pose.