Three days, seventy-two hours, 4340 minutes… This was the final countdown before the end of the Mahoutsukai no Yoru.
After returning from the clear-out battle the night before, Rin had sat motionless in a chair in the Tohno study until dawn. Kohaku and Hisui, as personal maids, should have accompanied their mistress if she wasn't resting, but Rin ordered them to go back to their rooms to sleep, and she thought alone in the study all night.
At this moment, the sound of an opening door broke Rin out of her deep thoughts. She turned to see Kohaku and Hisui entering with breakfast and a tea set, looking at her with worried expressions.
"Mistress, it's time for breakfast," Hisui gently reminded her.
"Mm," Rin nodded slightly in response. After taking a sip of fragrant tea to cleanse her mouth, she picked up a piece of bread that Kohaku had spread with jam and put it into her mouth.
Don't make those who care about you worry.
Even though her mind was heavy, and the food tasted like chewing wax, completely unappetizing, Rin still tried her best to maintain a normal demeanor.
Throughout the day, she ate normally, handled official business normally, and still visited Akiba as usual. In the afternoon, she still sat in the study, sipping tea, reading, and contemplating her magical progress (though she still hadn't figured anything out). The day passed like this, and the second day was the same.
Sitting in the study, watching the setting sun, Rin could no longer hide her sadness. She looked at the red sun on the horizon with a worried frown. Tomorrow, tomorrow night, will be the Mahoutsukai no Yoru!
It seems there's nothing I can do but sit here and wait for the outcome… Rin casually picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and placed it back on the table. Hisui, holding the teapot, stepped forward to refill Rin's cup. Seeing Rin's deeply furrowed brow and worried expression, the lively and curious Hisui couldn't help but ask, "Mistress, is something bothering you?"
Kohaku, standing on Rin's other side, immediately gave Hisui an urgent look that said, "Shut up, don't disturb the Mistress." Rin, of course, didn't mind such things and replied with a bitter smile, "Yes, an Old Magus set a chess game for me. He completely messed up the black and white pieces, blocking them all. Now I can't place a single piece and can only watch myself lose."
This Old Magus, of course, was Old Magician Aozaki. That old fellow used his death as a pivot point, exploiting Touko's feelings for Aoko, and set up a series of interconnected schemes that formed a complete circle. Rin truly had no room to intervene.
Upon hearing her Mistress's troubles, Hisui casually remarked, "What's the big deal? Since the Mistress is so annoyed playing, why bother playing with that Old Magus? Just flip the chessboard and ignore him."
"Hisui!" Kohaku, on the side, immediately couldn't tolerate Hisui's wild statement and directly spoke up to stop her. But the young and ignorant Hisui still felt she was in the right and argued with her sister, "What's the big deal? It's true! Why does the Mistress, as the head of the Tohno Family, have to play chess with a stinky Old Magus? Mistress, tell me… isn't that right…"
Hisui, who had initially felt she was perfectly justified, suddenly lost her confidence when she saw Rin staring at her with wide eyes. She looked at Rin timidly and fearfully.
With a "smack," Rin suddenly grabbed Hisui's tender shoulder. This not only startled Hisui but also Kohaku. Kohaku immediately dropped to her knees behind Rin with a "thump," bowing and loudly pleading, "Please forgive the Mistress! Hisui is just young and ignorant, she certainly didn't mean to blurt out nonsense. Please punish Kohaku for the sin of not strictly guiding her younger sister."
"Punish? Why punish?" Rin's voice rang out, but the content was not what the two sisters expected. The frightened Hisui, face to face with Rin, noticed that her Mistress's expression was becoming increasingly agitated, and the grip on her shoulder was getting tighter and painful. But Hisui, scared, pursed her lips and held back tears, not daring to speak.
Rin suddenly stood up straight and excitedly slammed her right hand heavily on the desk!
"Clang!"
Seeing this scene, Kohaku and Hisui subconsciously muttered, "Another one broken!"
It wasn't just another one broken; with Rin's powerful slam, the solid red wood desk cracked directly from the tabletop all the way down to the legs, shattering into pieces with a "crackle." Their Mistress, whenever she got excited or in a bad mood, loved to destroy desks and chairs. This was a considerable expense on the Rose Group's ledger.
"That's right, why should I follow that Old Magus's routine? Why should I? He finishes all the pieces and then tells me to break the deadlock. That makes no sense! This old lady isn't playing anymore!!!" Rin got excited, and when she realized the desk was broken and she couldn't slam it, she stomped on the chair!
"Thump!!!"
Even Kohaku and Hisui, who didn't have to pay for it, couldn't help but silently lament with heartache: "Oh my, this time the chair is broken too! Usually, it's only one thing at a time!"
Seeing Rin in this state, Kohaku said with heartfelt distress, "Mistress, your demeanor, your image! Please mind your image!"
"Damn it, I'm a gang leader, what demeanor do I need!" Rin said casually, then suddenly turned to look at Hisui, scaring Hisui so much that she almost collapsed to the ground. "Hisui, you've been a great help this time! Go to finance and get 500,000 in pocket money. You and Kohaku have a week off. Go have fun."
"Uh... Huh?!" Hisui felt utterly bewildered, scratching his wine-red short hair, wondering what great help he had provided to be rewarded with a week off, plus 500,000 in spending money.
"Kohaku!"
"Ah... Yes, Master, I'm here."
"Tell the kitchen to prepare several large main courses tonight! Hmm, roast a whole bull, and bring out a case of the good wine from the Tohno Family cellar! Hurry!"
"Ah, ah... Yes, Master!"
After instructing Kohaku, Rin turned back to look at the red sun on the horizon. This time, she swept away her previous sadness and dejection, filled with drive and soaring fighting spirit. The burning passion in her eyes threatened to consume everything!
Mahoutsukai no Yoru tomorrow night? Tonight, I will end everything!
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