These city folks and their tricks really run deep.
"Hey! Ling-whatever! Are you laughing at me?!"
Sensing Cloud's "speechless" aura, Chizuru whipped around, face flushed with shame and anger.
Seeing Cloud's barely-contained laughter, she finally snapped, lunging at him with an "Argh!"
"I'll fight you! You bully!"
She launched a flurry of "powder fists" at Cloud!
Of course, with her Absolute Domain 60% power, even holding back 99% of her strength, each punch still felt like being hit by a battering ram.
Cloud "yelped" pleas of "spare me, warrior maiden!" while happily listening to the system notifications in his head.
[Ding! Target Chizuru Kagura's Affection change: +30 (This bastard! Jerk! Big pervert! How dare he... tease me like this... sob... But... why does... my heart... beat so fast...)]
...
Compared to the chaotic progress with this "tsundere queen," Cloud's advances with the other "divine shrine maiden"—Maki Kagura—could only be described as... zero progress.
Whether he tried twenty-first-century "philosophical" pickup lines—
"Miss Maki, did you know? There are stars in your eyes."
Or deployed his "best actor" skills for sympathy—
"Sigh, I, Cloud, was cast out as a child, growing up eating scraps from a hundred families..."
"Is that so? That must have been hard for you."
No matter what technique Cloud employed, Maki maintained that same composed, serene demeanor.
Her gaze toward Cloud always held that "gentle" and "accepting" smile—as if she'd seen through all his "little tricks" long ago.
Her Affection seemed welded in place, stuck firmly at the initial 5 points, utterly immovable.
"Sigh..."
After his Nth failed attempt, Cloud couldn't help complaining to the system:
"System, are you sure this Maki Kagura is a woman? Could she be... a rock that achieved sentience? Completely impervious!"
[Host, please don't lose heart. According to system analysis, for "perfect wife" personality types like Maki Kagura, conventional flirting techniques are ineffective. You need... an opportunity. An opportunity for her to see your sense of responsibility and commitment.]
"An opportunity?"
Just as Cloud wondered how to create such an "opportunity"—
The opportunity delivered itself.
...
That day, uninvited guests arrived at the shrine.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in an exquisite Western suit, but with eyes full of arrogance and shadiness.
Behind him followed four guards with steady auras and prominently bulging temples—clearly palace martial arts experts.
They were envoys sent by the current Emperor.
"Miss Maki Kagura!"
The lead envoy, using a condescending tone dripping with "gracious bestowal," read from a gold-embossed "imperial decree."
"His Majesty the Emperor commands: In recognition that the Kagura clan is a distinguished family of a thousand years, skilled in feng shui and divination. You are hereby summoned to the palace to serve as divine officiant for the Imperial family, to read the heavens' will."
"Please leave."
Facing this "honor," Maki didn't even raise her eyelids.
She maintained her gentle, serene demeanor, calmly brewing tea.
"Over a century ago, Emperor Meiji ordered the dissolution of the Three Guardian Families. When we of the Yata clan changed our name to Kagura, it was precisely to sever all ties with the Imperial family."
"Since then, the Kagura clan no longer reads heaven's will or serves as divine officiants for anyone."
"We exist solely to serve the will that protects this land."
Her words were delivered with cloud-like calm, yet contained an unquestionable pride and resolve—the dignity of a shrine maiden spanning a thousand years!
"Impudent!"
The envoy's expression instantly darkened!
"Maki Kagura! Such audacity! You dare defy the Emperor's decree?!"
A lecherous, greedy gleam entered his eyes as he brazenly swept his gaze over the Kagura sisters' stunning faces and voluptuous figures.
"Let me tell you the truth! His Majesty has long heard of the legendary beauty of the Kagura twins! The Crown Prince himself has been... admiring you two for quite some time!"
"This summons to the palace—ostensibly for divine service—is actually... giving you sisters a chance to rise from commoners to phoenixes!"
"Don't... fail to appreciate this kindness!"
His words, dripping with "threats" and "insults," instantly ignited a powder keg!
"You... you bastard! What did you just say?!"
Chizuru couldn't take this!
She shot to her feet, her terrifying Absolute Domain 60% aura exploding! She was about to tear this death-seeking fool to shreds on the spot!
"Chizuru! Stop!"
Maki's cold voice halted her.
"Sis!" Chizuru was nearly in tears with frustration.
"Don't be rude."
Maki's complexion had also paled somewhat, but she still forcibly suppressed her inner fury.
"The Kagura clan has... declined. We... cannot afford to offend the Imperial family."
Her words were filled with deep helplessness and sorrow.
Watching this classic scene of "villain harassing innocent women" and the "helpless" expressions on these two beautiful sisters' faces...
Cloud, who had been silently "watching the show" from the sidelines, finally... slowly rose to his feet.
His face still wore a hint of that devil-may-care smile, but those dark eyes flickered with bone-chilling, heart-stopping coldness!
"Fuck your mother!"
A phrase rich in "national treasure" essence, delivered in perfect Mandarin profanity, rang out without warning in the quiet shrine!
Everyone froze.
...
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