"This is...?" The man stared blankly at Origami, who was crying and hugging him, completely unaware of the current situation. He only remembered being in a sea of fire just moments ago, but a sudden dizzy spell had made him pass out. When he opened his eyes, he was being hugged by the other person.
'Wait! She just called me father? No way. Origami is only eleven years old right now, and this child must be around sixteen. It shouldn't be Origami.' Looking at the girl who resembled his daughter by ninety percent, he was somewhat certain that she was his daughter. But why had his daughter suddenly grown up?
"My dear, she is our daughter, there's no mistake. Although I don't know why she suddenly grew up, the connection of blood between us can't lie! She is our daughter." The mother, on the other hand, hugged the crying Origami without any hesitation. She could feel the sorrow and joy in Origami's heart. They say a child is a mother's flesh and blood, and now she could truly feel it. Watching Origami cry in her arms, her own tears also began to flow.
Under their influence, the father, who should have held back his tears, also couldn't help but cry. Just like that, the family of three embraced and wept. But their current feelings were of joy, without a hint of sadness in their crying. Origami, meanwhile, was experiencing the warmth she hadn't felt in five years, and the heart that had been frozen by hatred slowly began to melt.
Watching the family of three embrace in such a painful scene, Yoshino couldn't help but think about how she had selflessly cared for her mother when she was at home. Yoshino had thought that after experiencing the power of three worlds, she had let go of many things. She didn't expect that seeing this scene would make her remember the middle-aged woman who used to smile at her. Although her appearance wasn't as beautiful as the people present, Yoshino believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Thinking of this, Yoshino couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
"Are you thinking about the past, Yoshino? Are you okay?" Shiina asked Yoshino with some concern. From the moment it saw Origami's family embracing and crying, it had been worried that Yoshino might become sad because of this. After all, among everyone present, the one who understood Yoshino best wasn't Toujou Nozomi, who had the best relationship with her, but Shiina, who had always been by her side. Although Shiina usually told Yoshino some mischievous jokes that made Yoshino blush, it cared about her more than anyone else in its heart.
"Yes, I am. Speaking of which, I really am unfilial. I kind of want to see Mom now, want to see how she's doing." Thinking of this, her eyes couldn't help but become a little moist.
"Don't! Don't be like that, Yoshino. If you cry now, it won't be good if others find out. You've only just become strong. If you cry now, you'll turn back into that coward you used to be. You have to hold it in, Yoshino." Shiina said anxiously. Looking at the tears welling up in Yoshino's eyes, Shiina couldn't help but feel anxious. It wasn't good at comforting others; it only knew how to say some rather vulgar things. Should it really say those kinds of things now? It's clearly not appropriate!
"Yoshino, I'm here. Don't be sad." Just as Yoshino's tears were about to flow, a warm embrace came from behind, holding her. It allowed Yoshino to lean against its body. Yoshino, with tear-filled eyes, looked up, wanting to see who this person giving her a warm hug was. She saw the goddess named Toujou Nozomi.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to handle this scene, just like the first time we met. Because of the question I asked then, you couldn't help but cry." Seeing Yoshino trying hard not to cry, Toujou Nozomi understood that she was thinking of her own parents after seeing Origami's family. Because that was their first meeting, she remembered it very clearly. For Yoshino, family was also a very important existence.
"Do...do you still remember, Sister Nozomi?" Yoshino looked at her in surprise. She hadn't expected Toujou Nozomi to still remember that first meeting. A touch of emotion welled up in Yoshino's heart, causing her to turn around and hug Toujou Nozomi. Yoshino buried her head in her embrace, feeling the scent on her body, and the uncomfortable feeling in her heart slowly began to ease.
"Of course. You know, that was our first meeting, and the first time I saw Yoshino cry. Of course, I have to remember it well. If I hadn't met the first Little Loli wandering the streets that day, I wouldn't feel so happy now." Yes, it was happiness. Although she felt it was a bit absurd to fall in love with a Little Loli, if someone had told her before that she would like a girl, she would have definitely refuted them. But now she had fallen in love with her, very, very much.
Because her parents were both salarymen who left early and returned late, constantly on the go, she had often lived alone in the past, without many close friends. It was Yoshino's appearance that changed everything, making her gradually accustomed to Yoshino being by her side. During her time with Yoshino, she slowly fell in love with this very innocent and kind Little Loli.
"Mmm! I love you the most, Sister Nozomi!" She hugged Toujou Nozomi tightly, feeling a little moved. Although Toujou Nozomi often teased her, she still felt her affection for her.
"Oh my! You child! I really love hearing you say that. Their family probably won't finish chatting anytime soon. Let's give them some space for now and not be a third wheel." Patting Yoshino's back, Toujou Nozomi felt her favorability in Yoshino's heart increase once again. A happy smile appeared on her face; she wouldn't lose to anyone.
Lost in their beautiful moment, they didn't see Minami Kotori and the others looking at the scene with complex expressions. At the same time, a few girls exchanged glances and nodded. The brave heroes' alliance against the Demon King Nozomi was re-established! Their goal was to defeat the Demon King and rescue Princess Yoshino, who had been enchanted by the Demon King!
At night, Origami once again visited Yoshino's home. This time, her appearance was to thank Yoshino for rescuing her parents, although in the end, Yoshino had to put them back to sleep to avoid changing the future. However, the Origami family had no objections to this matter. After all, it was already a very fortunate thing for their family to be able to reunite. Even though they couldn't meet frequently now due to the inability to change history, the day when their family could live together would surely come. Moreover, sleep was harmless to them, and they could maintain their appearance from when they were asleep, so they had no reason to refuse the request of their benefactor, Yoshino.
The current Origami appeared before everyone, still with her usual demeanor, but everyone could feel a sense of comfort from Origami's expressionless, pretty face.
Because everyone could clearly feel that even though her face was as expressionless as ever, the gloom hidden behind it had been blown away after seeing her parents. In its place was a refreshing feeling that made people unconsciously comfortable. A reminder: this is not a sign of being a masochist, do not misunderstand!
Having completely broken free from the past, from hatred. Having escaped the tragic path she was originally destined to walk, she was now the perfect Origami!
If there was one unsatisfactory thing, it was that one couldn't see her smiling face. After all, she always had that expressionless look, which was a bit of a pity for her beautiful face.
"Thank you all, thank you for helping me without holding grudges. Thank you for helping me find salvation. My life now belongs to you all. To repay you, I will do anything for you." Looking at Yoshino, she bowed deeply to her. She, who once harbored immense hatred for spirits, now felt only guilt towards them. She had harmed them out of ignorance, and now they had repaid her. This kindness was incredibly heavy, and she would spend her entire life repaying them.
"If that's the case, then you can be the meat..." Seeing Origami's serious face, Shiina, whose mischievous side resurfaced, wanted to say something, but Yoshino quickly covered its mouth. She knew that if she didn't stop it, it would probably say something'shocking' again.
"You don't have to be like this. We will frankly accept your thanks. But there's no need to be so polite, after all, we still need you to work in the AST, as our opponents are those people from DEM Industries. However, since you are an organization specifically dealing with spirits, you will need to be more lenient when fighting spirits in the future. Our primary enemy here is still DEM Industries." She glared fiercely at the struggling Shiina, then said to Origami.
"Mmm! That's an easy problem. I agree."
"Also, regarding the content of the message you received, you should know that the only person who could obtain such information is that guy named Westcott from DEM Industries. Although he himself doesn't have much power, his ambition is not small. If he truly feared power, then he wouldn't even try to capture spirits and bring them back for research. If you want to make that guy stop, the only way is to silence him completely."
Although Toujou Nozomi didn't explicitly state it, everyone present knew that Toujou Nozomi's plan was to completely eradicate DEM! To think that Westcott would actually cause a kind-hearted girl living in the everyday world to harbor murderous intent, he really deserves some praise. This isn't something just anyone can achieve.
And this time, the kind-hearted Yoshino didn't make any objections, because if that guy continued to live, it would be too dangerous for the Spirits. They had already captured Ellen, the strongest trump card in the opponent's hands, and previously on Mikutama Island, they had sunk one of their aerial battleships. Their relationship had already reached an irreconcilable point. Yoshino didn't want anyone on her side to be harmed because of her; if possible, she would let Astaroth appear and personally eliminate the opponent.
If it's to protect the people she cares about, even if she falls into hell and transforms into a demon, she wouldn't hesitate!
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