Chapter 367: Yukina Himeragi, A Walking Encyclopedia of Murder
Several days later, relevant media outlets uniformly reported news of an earthquake occurring in Itogami City, with high-level officials from the Artificial Island Management Corporation stepping forward to provide an explanation.
They claimed this was the first earthquake to strike Itogami Island in over forty years since its construction.
To this end, the Management Corporation had already announced the dispatch of personnel to reinforce the island's foundational structures, urging residents to rest assured and continue living there.
In reality, however, the Artificial Island Management Corporation resorted to such rhetoric solely because they dared not provoke the formidable presence of Mahiro, given his overwhelming power.
After all, even the Lion King Organization had repeatedly suffered significant setbacks at the hands of this man, who even wielded the ultimate weapon known as the Fourth Primogenitor.
They certainly didn't believe they had the capability to oppose him.
Moreover, Natsuki Minamiya had specifically intervened to discuss the matter.
Though framed as a discussion, it was essentially a threat.
This left them with no choice but to compromise.
Thus, the incident involving the theft of the saint's remains was quietly dropped, bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.
Rudolf, the Exorcist from the Western European Church, also managed to leave Itogami Island discreetly.
Incidentally, the fairy-like girl, Astarte, had smoothly moved into the Yotsuba residence.
Unlike in the original storyline, she did not exhaust her life force due to overusing her Beast Vassal.
In fact, to prevent the little one from dying, Mahiro had specifically injected her with an Enhancement Drug to forcibly sustain her life, effectively completing parts of her genetic makeup.
As for Astarte's current strength, it was hard to say how much of a chance she stood against Aya.
But relying on the special abilities of her Beast Vassal, she should at least have no trouble handling half of Vatler, the snake-wielder.
And at this moment.
On the balcony of the villa's second floor, the figure of a young girl quietly appeared.
A teenage girl with a slightly underdeveloped appearance—
She wore nothing but a white shirt as a substitute for pajamas.
The silver moonlight shone through the fabric, revealing her slender figure.
Her iridescent golden hair was surprisingly long, almost reaching her waist.
It was Avrora.
For some reason, however, the timid demeanor usually etched on her youthful face had vanished, replaced by an indescribable maturity and weariness.
She stood there, letting the cool sea breeze rush into her collar, causing her white shirt to billow silently.
Her gaze was fixed on a young man around eighteen years old on the distant street.
The dim streetlights illuminated his handsome face, and just the sight of it made Avrora's lips curl into an involuntary smile.
But soon, that smile turned into a sigh.
"Alas, do I truly have no room to be of any help?"
These words seemed spoken to herself, yet also to someone in the room.
Because at this moment, the room was not occupied by her alone—her companions, the other eleven Vessels hosting Beast Vassals, were also gathered here.
They exchanged glances before turning their eyes to Avrora.
In each other's gazes, they noticed a fleeting sense of desolation.
Despite their status and power, which could command wind and rain in the outside world, within this villa, they were merely mascots.
Not to mention Alpha and the others.
They couldn't even compare to Tokoyogi Aya or Natsuki Minamiya.
What a truly sorrowful tale.
Yet Mahiro remained unaware of the thoughts of the twelve little ones at home. Instead, he was gazing intently at the girl before him, who wore the uniform of Saikai Academy and never seemed to part with her guitar case.
"I say, Yukina, why is it that every time I step out, I spot you at the street corner? Don't tell me you're camped out here twenty-four hours a day, just waiting for me to leave?"
Mahiro's brows were nearly knitted into a figure eight.
Her sheer dedication had even begun to make him feel a stalker-like persistence.
Upon hearing this, Yukina looked back at Mahiro with an expressionless face.
"Yes, because I'm responsible for keeping a constant watch on you, Senpai," Yukina replied with utmost seriousness.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you serious?"
Receiving the girl's confirmation, Mahiro broke into a cold sweat and instinctively took two steps back.
Seeing that he seemed to have taken her seriously, Yukina couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"I'm just kidding. I've just moved into a new place, and I'm waiting for my moving luggage to arrive."
To be honest, she always spoke in such an exceptionally calm and earnest tone that it was genuinely hard to tell which of her words were true and which were false.
But moving?
If he remembered correctly, Yukina lived in an apartment just outside the villa district—the closest place within a kilometer radius.
What kind of move was this now?
Could it be that her surveillance target had changed?
As if reading his thoughts, Yukina pointed to the villa next to his house and nodded calmly, explaining:
"Yes, I've moved. The Lion King Organization arranged for me to live next door to you so I can keep a better watch on you, Senpai."
Mahiro: "..."
He fell silent.
The reason for his silence was that he didn't know where to begin with his complaints.
Was it really okay to be so frank in front of the person you were supposed to be surveilling?
And was the Lion King Organization really that flush with cash? To help Yukina carry out her surveillance mission more effectively, they'd even bought her a villa...
But upon second thought, it made sense.
No matter how you looked at it, given the scale of the Lion King Organization, money was certainly no issue.
It was just a bit of a pity.
They might as well have given him the money for the villa directly and let Yukina move in with him. After all, there were plenty of empty rooms.
If the Three Saints knew what he was thinking, they'd probably nod in agreement with his condition right away.
Before long, a moving truck slowly made its way into the villa district.
Following Yukina's lead, it came to a stop right in front of the villa next to his house.
The movers unloaded the luggage from the truck, had Yukina sign for it, exchanged a few brief greetings, and then left.
But as Mahiro looked at the three modestly sized cardboard boxes lined up on the roadside, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
"Is this all your luggage?"
"That's right. I used to live in the dormitory of the school run by the Lion King Organization, so I don't have many personal belongings. I never really added anything new before either."
Yukina said this nonchalantly, then bent down to pick up one of the cardboard boxes and headed toward the villa's courtyard.
Judging by her demeanor, she was probably used to that kind of life.
"Oh, by the way, Senpai, could you help me carry these boxes into the house?"
Yukina unlocked the front door, simultaneously making a straightforward request to Mahiro without much ceremony.
"Alright, alright. Even though you moved here to monitor me, I still have to help you move. Is there any justice in this..."
Mahiro muttered under his breath, but his hands moved without delay, stacking two boxes together and carrying them into her residence.
Her new home, this villa, was much smaller than Mahiro's, but for Yukina living alone, it was still quite spacious.
Coupled with her sparse belongings, the house felt slightly cold and empty.
"Thank you, Senpai."
She didn't mind his teasing, even showing a happy smile.
Although their initial meeting wasn't very pleasant, after experiencing events together, Yukina's impression of Mahiro had changed somewhat.
Even though the Elders said Mahiro was dangerous, Yukina didn't think so.
Instead, she felt this person was gentle.
This could be seen from the incident with the Exorcist from the Western European Church.
He clearly had the strength to kill Rudolf directly, but he didn't do it. Instead, he helped him retrieve the Saint's remains.
He could have ignored the Artificial Lifeform, but he unexpectedly valued life and chose to save it.
When attacking the Keystone Gate, he could have killed the guards, but he ultimately chose the most troublesome method of knocking them out.
He could have chosen to directly take the keystone and let Itogami Island sink, but instead he chose to sacrifice his own eyeball, replacing the Right Arm of the Saint as the Holy Relic...
Perhaps he truly was as dangerous as the Elders said, but he definitely possessed a gentle heart.
Thinking of this, Yukina felt lighter while moving her luggage, humming a song softly.
However, Mahiro had no idea what Yukina was thinking at that moment; his attention was completely captured by the box in his arms.
"What's that smell? So fragrant?"
He caught a whiff of an enchanting, delicate fragrance drifting from the poorly sealed box.
Driven by curiosity, he set down the box, peeled off the already loose seal, and took a peek inside.
What met his eyes, however, was an array of colorful underwear.
It nearly blinded him.
At the very top were several pairs of blue-striped panties.
Perhaps due to frequent wear and washing, besides Yukina's delicate scent, they also carried a strong smell of laundry detergent.
"Yukina-san, you really have quite a lot of underwear."
Looking at the contents of the box, Mahiro couldn't help but exclaim.
"Ah... Senpai, you pervert! You... you can't just peek like that."
Yukina immediately scolded him, her proper face flushing with a hint of red as she rushed over to Mahiro in a fluster, quickly closing the cardboard box.
"I can handle the rest myself; I don't need your help anymore, Senpai!"
"Alright, alright. It's indeed getting late; time to go back and sleep."
Mahiro lazily yawned, then glanced around the villa once more:
"By the way, Yukina-san, your house is so empty. Aren't you planning to buy some things to decorate it?"
At his words, Yukina, who was organizing her luggage, paused and looked up at her surroundings.
Indeed, as Mahiro had said, the room was truly empty; even the living room looked exceptionally desolate.
Even if all her luggage were unpacked and scattered about, it wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps throughout the entire house.
Moreover, she really did want to buy some things.
But...
"...But I don't know where the general store is, nor do I know what I should buy."
As she spoke, a somewhat forlorn expression appeared on Yukina's face.
The Lion King Organization had never taught her how to live.
Seeing her look like an abandoned, stray kitten, Mahiro placed a hand on his hip and sighed helplessly:
"Alright, alright. I'll play the good guy one more time. Tomorrow morning, I'll accompany you to buy the things you need, okay?"
"Really?"
Yukina's eyes immediately lit up, and she bowed deeply to him in gratitude:
"Senpai, thank you for your help!"
"Mhm, mhm, you're welcome, you're welcome. Honestly, you're here to monitor me, yet I have to help you buy daily necessities. What kind of pushover am I?"
"Please don't mind the details, Senpai."
Yukina chuckled lightly, then saw him off from the villa.
By the next morning...
Mahiro kept his promise and took Yukina to a department store located on the most bustling commercial street of Itogami Island.
However, as soon as they entered the store, Yukina was stunned by the sight before her.
The interior of the department store was incredibly spacious, with shelves stacked nearly five meters high.
Although it was just a well-stocked general store, for Yukina, it was a type of shop she had never visited since childhood.
Seeing such a massive store for the first time in her life left her bewildered, and she regarded the displayed goods with obvious wariness.
For example, upon seeing a chainsaw, she exclaimed in alarm that such a dangerous weapon was being sold and that the store was truly terrifying.
Looking at many unfamiliar items, she could associate them with dangerous weapons.
She was just like Avrora, utterly lacking common sense about daily life.
More like an encyclopedia of murder.
Her head was filled with all sorts of bizarre ideas.
Especially when she earnestly asked him if mixing toilet cleaner and 84 disinfectant could kill someone without a trace, Mahiro's expression froze completely.
He couldn't tell whether this girl was serious or not.
If there had been people around just then, passersby would probably have taken out their phones to notify Itogami Island's security forces.
By the time they had haphazardly filled the shopping cart with the things Yukina needed, Mahiro felt a long-lost sense of exhaustion.
He would rather spar with the First, Second, or Third Progenitor than go shopping with Yukina again.
It was truly exhausting!
On the other hand, Yukina looked very happy.
She seemed quite satisfied with the home goods department store and appeared to simply enjoy the pleasure of shopping with someone else.
"By the way, as a thank you, it's my turn now to accompany you, Senpai, to buy the things you need!"
"No need, thanks, goodbye."
Mahiro directly delivered the rejection trifecta, declining Yukina's kind offer.
Although Yukina looked dejected, she obediently followed him, pushing the cart to the checkout counter.
The printed receipt was almost longer than his life.
Moreover, the expense was utterly outrageous—three carts of items cost nearly three million yen in total.
After asking her, he learned that after she arrived on the island, the Lion King Organization had given her a stipend as necessary funds, reportedly amounting to tens of millions of yen.
It was said that although she was only an Apprentice Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization, due to the special nature of her mission, she was granted such a high allowance.
This once again allowed him to witness the financial power of the Lion King Organization.
This Lion King Organization really is outrageously wealthy!
In any case, spending so much money on these things would have been impossible for him.
He would even feel the pinch.
Even though he was by no means short of money.
As they left the department store, Mahiro inadvertently glanced up at the store's sign.
There, he saw the four large characters: Yotsuba Trading Company.
His mood instantly improved considerably.
Hmm, it's owned by my family.
Then it's fine.
He even suggested spending a bit more.
"We bought so much! Thanks to your help, Senior, I'm really grateful."
The two strolled along the shopping street, and Yukina wore a rare, happy smile.
Each of them carried a bag in hand.
Inside were some miscellaneous daily necessities.
Since the department store offered home delivery service, the larger items had already been sent directly to the villa.
However, at the moment, the two looked very much like a couple moving in together and shopping, attracting many stares and murmurs about how the world was going downhill and people were no longer what they used to be.
"It's getting late, let's hurry back."
Mahiro looked up at the sky and said to Yukina.
"Because I have to monitor you, Senior, I usually don't have time to go out. Now, I can buy what I need while keeping an eye on you—it's really perfect."
Yukina said contentedly.
However, just as they were playing the role of a so-called couple, three hundred miles away from Itogami Island, in the Takagami Forest...
Two of the Three Saints, Endou Yukari and Shirona Kuraki, gathered together, speaking to a crow.
The crow opened its mouth, its voice resembling that of a young girl—it turned out to be a Shikigami, and its voice sounded like Shizuka Koyomi.
"As expected of the one who won the banquet... Hmm~ their strength is truly immeasurably powerful... T-to think they could use their own eyeball as a replacement... as a foundation in place of the Saint's right arm... Ugh~ I-I don't know whether this is a blessing or a curse."
"If it's a blessing, that's best. If it's a curse, then let Yukina handle it. According to the current information, Yukina has already grown much closer to Yotsuba Mahiro."
Endou Yukari spoke calmly, then turned to the Shikigami crow and asked:
"But what about you? Are you really alright in this state? If you can't hold on, it's better to..."
"Not necessary for now!"
The crow suddenly interrupted Endou Yukari's words.
Its voice was filled with an unnatural coquettishness, especially just now, when it nearly gasped several times.
Recently, Shizuka Koyomi had been maintaining this state all the time.
And every time, her face would flush, her legs would tremble, almost to the point of dehydration!
Shizuka Koyomi had already taken a long leave of absence, not daring to go to school until now, and even avoiding meeting her boyfriend, Motoki Yaze.
The entire Lion King Organization was at a loss about this situation, and even Endou Yukari, an Elf who had lived for who knows how long, was no exception.
It was like a strange curse, engraved deep within her soul.
"Well, alright, it's up to you."
"Mmm... I... I don't want to see that man again for a while. If I really can't hold on..."
At this point, Shizuka Koyomi's voice suddenly trailed off.
Because at this moment, her legs tightened together once more, and she let out a long, drowning-like sigh with her face turned upward.
But then again.
What could she do if she couldn't hold on?
Use her own power to kill the man who cast the curse and break it?
That was simply impossible. With her strength alone... no, even if the entire Lion King Organization joined forces, they might not be a match for him. She knew this well.
Moreover, she had a premonition.
If she went to see that man in her current state, she would likely lose something very important.
So, she absolutely must not meet him!
"Ah, little Koyomi is just so stubborn."
Shirona Kuraki suddenly sighed softly and added:
"But speaking of which, Duke Dimitrie Vatler, the 'Snake Charmer' from the Aldegyr Duchy of the Warlord's Empire, has come to Itogami Island again."
"Huff... Vatler? What is he here for?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's here for revenge."