Chapter 323: Who Agrees? Who Opposes?
"It hurts, boo hoo... Why did you hit us, Mahiro-nii?"
The three little ones crouched on the floor, holding their heads and speaking in unison, all turning teary-eyed gazes toward him.
It was practically divine synchronization.
"If I didn't hit you, you'd have stripped completely naked. Is that any way for little girls to behave? What if someone saw everything?"
Mahiro helplessly rubbed his forehead.
Immediately after, he heard Kasumi's quiet muttering:
"So what if they see everything? We'll be Mahiro-nii's people sooner or later anyway, what difference does it make if it's early or late?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but she spoke with utter conviction.
Fumiya nearby had already begun desperately trying to make himself invisible, even looking somewhat terrified.
Although he knew from school that Saegusa Kasumi didn't get along with his sister Ayako, and that her personality was quite rough-and-tumble, like a tomboy...
He never expected her to make such bold statements.
Most importantly, was this something he should be hearing?
Would he be silenced to keep this secret?
"Alright, Izumi, Kasumi, and Ayako-chan, you three wait here for a bit. I have some things to discuss with your Mahiro-nii upstairs."
Just as the war among the three little ones was about to erupt again, Mayumi suddenly stepped in to mediate.
Leaving Ayako aside, Izumi and Kasumi were quite obedient to their older sister Mayumi, immediately wilting like frost-beaten eggplants and weakly replying, "We understand."
Mayumi then pulled him upstairs, acting as if she were the mistress of this Yotsuba mansion.
And in truth, that was indeed the case. When Mahiro wasn't around, she would often make time to visit the Yotsuba household, whether at her father's suggestion or because she wanted to come herself.
Basically, she had familiarized herself with the layout of every room in the Yotsuba residence as if it were her own home.
However, while heading upstairs, Mahiro still appropriately instructed the three little ones not to fight and told Fumiya to keep an eye on them, then directly took Mayumi upstairs.
Completely missing the expression on Fumiya's face that looked even more bitter than eating bitter melon mixed with coptis.
If these three living ancestors really started fighting, could he actually stop them?
Especially his sister Ayako—that was the power of bloodline suppression.
In a guest room on the second floor.
Mahiro pulled over a chair and sat opposite Mayumi.
"Let's hear it, Mayumi-senpai. You must have something very important to discuss, coming to find me specifically at a time like this."
Given the timing of her visit, Mahiro had already guessed most of what it might be about, so he used a businesslike tone.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Mayumi put on a tearful expression and lamented:
"Wah, Mahiro-kouhai is so cold. Even though we haven't seen each other for so long, you're already calling me 'senpai'?"
Mahiro: "..."
A born drama queen...
Could your fake crying be any faker?
Mahiro couldn't even be bothered to expose her further, rubbing his temples in distress as he said, "Alright, alright, Mayumi. Let's talk about the important matters."
"Okay."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mayumi immediately stopped crying and broke into a smile.
This speed of changing expressions was something you'd only see in Sichuan opera.
But after showing her sweet smile, Mayumi switched to a solemn and serious expression.
"Mahiro, can you tell me... is the Yotsuba Family planning to do something at the Master Clan Council?"
Upon hearing this, Mahiro blinked, then curled a smile and asked:
"Is this something you want to know, Mayumi, or did Uncle Kouichi ask you to come and ask me?"
"Although it was my father's request at first... I also want to know." Mayumi blinked as she looked at Mahiro, appearing eager for an answer.
"Well, since you put it that way, it's fine to tell you. I intend to take action against the Ten Master Clans and even all the numbered families."
"Huh?"
These words clearly startled Mayumi, causing her to fluster in a panic.
"Mahiro... you're going to take on Japan's magical world? They won't agree... no, it's very dangerous... why?"
"It's simple, because there are too many traitors."
Compared to Mayumi's panic, Mahiro was noticeably much calmer.
"Not to mention others, even within the Ten Master Clans there are a bunch of disgusting people. For example, the Kushima Family, who once had unclear relations with Dahan. Even your Saegusa Family—Saegusa Kouichi, the head of the Saegusa Family, has some connections with people from Daya."
"Such things..."
Mayumi wanted to explain, but had no idea what to say.
Because it was true.
She wasn't clear about the Kushima Family, but she knew about the messy affairs in her own family. For instance, her father Saegusa Kouichi had once been in contact with Zhou Gongjin from Chinatown.
Although it was done secretly, it was impossible to completely hide it from her, his daughter.
"Mahiro, is there no room for compromise anymore?" Mayumi still wanted to struggle a bit.
"Impossible."
Mahiro shook his head. He didn't plan to tell Mayumi about Gu Jie.
Instead, he said: "Don't worry, out of respect for you, I won't be too harsh on your Saegusa Family."
Saegusa Mayumi:
Her delicate cheeks immediately puffed up, like a pufferfish expressing her inner dissatisfaction.
Was she speaking up to plead for the Saegusa Family?
She was clearly afraid that Mahiro would get hurt dealing with the Ten Master Clans and those other forces!
No matter what, the strength of Japan's magical world, especially the Ten Master Clans, is still quite formidable.
Just like the Yotsuba Family back in the day, which single-handedly severely wounded Dahan, leading to Daya taking the opportunity to annihilate Dahan.
Although the Yotsuba Family also suffered heavy losses and lost many people as a result.
But seeing Mahiro's "my mind is made up" expression, Mayumi could understand that no matter how much she tried to persuade him, it was certainly useless now.
"Thank you, Mahiro-kun."
While sighing inwardly, Mayumi stood up and slowly pulled Mahiro into her embrace.
Her little man, her reliance, always had to do such dangerous things...
Fortunately, the Yotsuba Family's strength is now sufficiently powerful. Even if they faced a coalition of several other families, it would probably be difficult to handle the current Yotsuba.
Thinking this, Mayumi felt slightly relieved inside.
But the next second, her face suddenly flushed red.
"Eh! M-Mahiro-kun..."
Mayumi's tone immediately became flustered, feeling as if her face was on fire.
Mahiro wrapped his arm around her waist and teased, "If you want to thank me, then how exactly does Mayumi-senpai plan to show her gratitude?"
With a few playful gestures, the desire in Mayumi's heart was stirred. She slowly leaned down, straddling Mahiro's thighs, locking eyes with him before pressing her soft cherry lips against his.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Mayumi's eyes sparkled with a fiery intensity as she gazed at him. "How about that?"
"Not enough."
Mahiro directly wrapped his arm around Mayumi's neck and kissed her again.
...
The sun set in the west.
By the time Mayumi emerged from the room, it was already late, and her legs were trembling and weak, nearly unable to support her. Her delicate face was flushed crimson, as lovely as a cherry blossom on the verge of withering.
This was probably what it meant to be all talk but no action.
Each time, she would stubbornly insist on continuing, only to be utterly defeated and beg for mercy.
As long as she had a breath left, she refused to admit defeat!
When he helped Mayumi down to the first-floor living room, he was somewhat surprised. The three little ones weren't causing a ruckus but were sitting properly on the sofa.
Their clothes also showed no signs of being torn.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that Maya had returned with Miyuki Shiba.
Along with an extra guest—Miya Yotsuba.
Maya and Miya were as calm as ever, sipping tea, with several empty teacups nearby, likely from their regular tea companions.
But Miyuki was different, shyly lowering her head, her hands gently rubbing between her fair, tender thighs, like a delicate flower about to bloom.
"Finished discussing matters?"
"Yes, it's done."
"Hello, Aunt Maya."
Maya, Mahiro, and Mayumi seemed to be speaking their own lines, but as soon as Mayumi finished speaking, Maya happened to set down her teacup, looked up, and swept her gaze over her.
This glance was enough to visibly fluster Mayumi.
She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
She hadn't expected to encounter such a full gathering on the first floor after her reckless indulgence with Mahiro.
She didn't even notice the flicker of amusement in Maya's eyes as she looked at her.
Maya was quite satisfied with Saegusa Kouichi's daughters, so she picked up her teacup again and said softly, "It's getting late. Stay for the night."
[Important Matters Discussion]
Such vague wording appeared on the notice received by the Magic Association.
The sender was Maya, the former head of the Yotsuba family, one of the Ten Master Clans.
Although the content was ambiguous and the sender was not the current head of the Yotsuba family, all recipients had to take it seriously and dared not show the slightest neglect.
Moreover, this meeting concerned the handover conference for the Shippou family, one of the Eighteen Assistant Houses, to ascend to the position of the Ten Master Clans.
Shippou Takuma attended the meeting in place of his father, Shippou Takuma, arriving at the hotel an hour early.
However, the moment he pushed open the door and walked in, Shippou Takuma was somewhat stunned.
Aside from the older generation members of the Ten Master Clans, the room also included the younger generation seniors like Saegusa Mayumi, Juumonji Katsuto, and Ichijou Masaki.
Even Itsuwa Mio, who had always been in a wheelchair and never attended the Ten Master Clans meetings in person, was now present.
Among the older generation, he actually saw Kudou Retsu, who had stepped down as family head many years ago!
At that moment, Shippou Takuma seemed to gain a renewed understanding of the significance of the Ten Master Clans meeting.
However, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly the Yotsuba family.
Almost everyone cast inquisitive glances toward a beautiful woman seated with the Yotsuba family—
Yotsuba Miya.
They had heard rumors that the long-deceased Miya had been resurrected.
But due to her reclusive lifestyle, very few had seen the resurrected Miya, leading to endless speculation among both the Ten Master Clans and the Hundred Families.
Unexpectedly, she appeared here today.
Contrary to the speculated ancient magic of corpse manipulation, this was Yotsuba Miya, resurrected almost identically to her former self, complete and whole, possessing an independent personality.
In addition, there was the infamous and terrifying Witch whose reputation alone could shake Japan's magical world—
Yotsuba Maya.
Furthermore, there were the current head of the Yotsuba family, Miyuki Shiba, and her brother Shiba Tatsuya, accompanied by one of the Thirteen Apostles, Sirius Angelina, and the guardian from the Fourth Research Institute, Sakurai Minami.
But none of these individuals occupied the main seat—or rather, only Miya, Maya, and Miyuki Shiba were seated.
The one sitting in the main seat was actually Mahiro!
Wasn't the head of the Yotsuba family supposed to be Senior Miyuki? How did it suddenly become this detestable guy?!
This left Shippou Takuma both shocked and humiliated.
He recalled the events that had occurred at the business banquet.
The moment Shippou Takuma entered the room, Mahiro noticed him, and a profound smile instantly flickered in his eyes.
"Well, long time no see, Mr. Shippou Takuma."
"Long time no see, Senior Yotsuba Mahiro."
Seeing that the other party seemed non-hostile, Shippou Takuma suppressed his temper and greeted him politely.
However, the very next moment, Mahiro's words froze Shippou Takuma in place.
"By the way, young master of the Shippou family, do you still need me to kneel and pay respects this time? It's a perfect opportunity with everyone here."
Shippou Takuma: Damn bastard, bringing this up again!
Furious, Shippou Takuma turned his head and glared at Mahiro in the main seat.
But before he could react, Maya's voice drifted over softly.
"Oh? Mahiro, could you tell Mommy what happened that required kneeling and paying respects? Mommy is very curious."
With just that one sentence, the entire room fell into a state of feigned ignorance, adopting an attitude of detachment and indifference.
No one dared to meet the gaze of Maya, whose crimson lips were curved into a smile. Even Miya slightly raised her head to scrutinize the young master of the Shippou family mentioned by Mahiro.
"It's nothing much, really. I just ran into this young master of the Shippou family at the last business banquet. At the time, he arrogantly demanded to know the whereabouts of my sister Miyuki and said I was being disrespectful, insisting that I kneel and pay my respects to him or something…"
The moment his words fell, everyone's gaze shifted uniformly to Shippou Takuma.
Even Miyuki Shiba, who had originally been an onlooker, now glared at Shippou Takuma with an angry expression, faint Thought Particle Waves even swirling around her.
As for the other gazes, some held pity, some were mocking, and most were simply watching the show—not a single person intended to step forward to speak or defend Shippou Takuma.
This made Shippou Takuma's face alternate between green and red. After holding back for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and said:
"You're lying! I never said anything like that!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Mahiro pouted, "But last time, didn't you, the young master of the Shippou family, question me about the movements of the Yotsuba family head? And in a commanding tone, no less. I feel like if my mother, Yotsuba Maya, the former head of the Yotsuba family, doesn't kowtow to you, it would be a bit too much… If you think that's still not enough, adding Miya Yotsuba wouldn't be a problem either."
"Giggle… no problem at all. It's just a kowtow to pay respects. Sister, you wouldn't have a problem with it either, right?"
"Of course, I just don't know when Shippou Takuma of the Shippou family gave birth to such an outstanding descendant, who even dares to meddle in the affairs of my Yotsuba family."
The two women's back-and-forth left everyone present not daring to breathe loudly.
Only Kudou Retsu, sitting opposite them, observed the two with his profound gaze.
"Enough. Jokes can be saved for later. Now that representatives from each family have gathered, didn't your Yotsuba family call this Ten Master Clans Conference because you have important matters to discuss with the families? Why not start by explaining the matter?"
Scolded by Kudou Retsu, Shippou Takuma finally seized the opportunity to slip away, lowering his head and finding his seat in the Shippou family section.
But Miya showed no intention of acknowledging him, simply withdrawing her gaze and falling silent, acting as if it had nothing to do with her.
As for Kudou Retsu, she had no desire to engage with him at all.
Instead, Maya smiled and looked at the elderly man across the table, saying:
"That's naturally no problem, since it's you who spoke, my dear teacher."
Maya emphasized the word "teacher."
This made Kudou Retsu's brows furrow almost imperceptibly.
"Then speak. What exactly is this important matter?"
"Actually, it's nothing much. First, regarding the succession of the Yotsuba family head, Miyuki has now been designated as the next head of the Yotsuba family and has entered into an engagement with my child, Yotsuba Mahiro."
As soon as Maya finished speaking, murmurs of discussion arose around them.
It was as if they were merely exchanging opinions or plotting something, with no sign of shock. Only Ichijou Masaki's eyes revealed a hint of regret.
Maya took in everyone's reactions. With no one objecting, she spoke again:
"As for the second matter, I think it would be more appropriate for my child, Yotsuba Mahiro, to speak on my behalf."
The speaker may have been unintentional, but the listeners were attentive.
None of the families present were fools. This was clearly an attempt to build momentum for Mahiro. But wasn't the next head of the Yotsuba family that girl named Miyuki Shiba?
Even if Mahiro is Maya's son, does he have the right to speak here?
The other clan members harbored doubts in their hearts, but only Saegusa Mayumi, who had accompanied Saegusa Kouichi, felt a sudden pang of unease.
Is it about to begin?
Her clenched palms were now faintly damp with sweat.
Meanwhile, Mahiro sat in the main seat, propping his head up with a bored expression. He swept his gaze over all the Ten Master Clans members present before speaking in a calm, measured tone:
"What I'm about to say is this: I wish to unify the Ten Master Clans. I wonder, among those present here, who agrees and who opposes?"