Standing by that second-floor curtain, Fumino herself was bright red and struggling to calm her racing heartbeat.
"Ugh Will I be misunderstood by doing that?"
She felt both self-conscious regret and a tiny bit of hope, worried that Rei Ao might get the wrong ideayet deep down, also hoping he might.
Rei Ao didn't go out of his way to ponder Fumino's girlish thoughts. He knew the time wasn't right, and being too pushy wouldn't be wise. A gentle, natural approach suited Fumino best.
Yukino's Apartment.
"Do you plan to stay overnight at Yukino's place, or shall I take you home?"
Rei Ao directed that question to Haruno, who'd come along with everyone else. Although Haruno's cheeks were faintly flushed from alcohol, she wasn't truly drunk. She deliberately pressed herself against Rei Ao in front of Yukino, as if tipsy.
"Rei Ao-kun~ Yukino's place seems to have one more occupant now," meaning Alicia, the new resident who'd shown up at Yukino's.
"So, can Onee-san stay at your place instead?"
As she said this, she sidled closer with a coquettish airsultry eyelashes fluttering and a light flush from the drinks making her look all the more captivating.
Rei Ao, in his mind, admired how obviously she resembled Yukino's beauty, but he also recognized Haruno's distinctive style.
Yukino, for her part, frowned slightly but remained silent, only watching closely to see his response.
"My place is already quite full, but if you really want to stay, I can arrange something."
He was merely stating the facts: after all, he had plenty of people in his household. Still, they could always fit one more if needed.
""
Haruno stared at him, but found no extraneous emotion she could parse in his calm expression. At length, she withdrew and sighed:
"Ahh, looks like Rei Ao-kun's being awfully proper in front of little Yukino."
"Onee-san, don't do pointless things,"
Yukino said coldly. Though she felt pleased with Rei Ao's reply, she disliked Haruno's purposeful attempts to test himespecially because it was Rei Ao being tested.
Rei Ao waved it off. "It's all rightHaruno is probably just thinking of you."
"Hmph-hmph~ See, little Yukino? Rei Ao-kun says I'm doing it for your sake. Why so grumpy with me?"
""
Yukino felt a rush of annoyance. Her sister had the nerve to take advantage of Rei Ao's attempt at smoothing things over.
She was about to say something when Haruno's feigned pout and aggrieved look vanished abruptly. She reverted to her usual composed demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
"Rei Ao-kun, I'll just catch a taxi home. I don't intend to be a third wheel here."
"No."
He rejected that decisively.
"Letting you ride a cab in the middle of the nightif anything happened to you, Yukino wouldn't let me off. I'll take you."
At the Yukinoshita House.
""
The quiet bedroom was as still as ever. But the mother of the Yukinoshita family, who usually had a strict routine, found herself lying awake. She couldn't sleep, because her elder daughter, Haruno, had yet to return homeand it was already very late.
Word was that Haruno had gone to attend a gathering organized by Rei Ao, supposedly to keep Yukino company.
But what kind of gathering was it? Potentially something to do with that mysterious group? Even though she tried not to worry, she couldn't help thinking more whenever it involved Rei Ao.
And she herself still had her own secret. Would Rei Ao tell Yukino and Haruno about it? Her mind churned restlessly until she had trouble sleeping.
Suddenly, a sound from outside drew her attention.
"Click!"
Something or someone had opened the front door?
Frowning, she quietly left her bed and went to peek over the second-floor railing, discovering the lights in the living room were on.
Haruno was indeed home. But next to her, she saw Rei Ao as well. They appeared to be talking.
""
Yukinoshita-mama said nothing. She only wanted to hear what they said.
"Rei Ao-kun, thanks for taking me home. Should I give you a thank-you kiss, like some others do?"
In a playful, somewhat tipsy voice, Haruno made a half-joking suggestion to flirt with Rei Ao. She seemed to be in the habit of teasing people. But she forgot that Rei Ao preferred to reverse these roles.
So his retort was blunt and unexpected:
"Sure. I'd be happy to get a kiss."
"Huh?"
Haruno froze. That answer was not what she expected. She'd been prepared for him to dodge or dismiss it. Instead, he gave a direct invitation, throwing her off her game. Then she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What's wrong? Not going to do it? Did I mishear something?"
""
She recognized that expression right away: the same gleeful look she usually wore when messing with other people. Now it was she being teased. Rei Ao was flipping the tables.
But he left a subtle opening, a chance for her to back off gracefully if she wanted. Yet Haruno never let herself yield so easily. Facing Rei Ao's provocation, she decided to strike back.
Running a finger seductively over her lips, she gave a coquettish smile:
"Oh my, so little Rei Ao is quite charmed by Onee-san's appeal after all, hmm? Can't wait even a moment?"
""
Rei Ao's smile vanished. He stared her down for a moment, so intently that her persona nearly faltered. She forced herself to stay calm. Eventually, he sighed lightly and said:
"Haruno, I've given you a chance to retreat."
"But since you insist on fanning the fire, don't blame me if you get burned."
"Huh?"
She blinked, not understanding. In the next second, Rei Ao stepped close and tipped her chin up:
"Haruno, you ready?"
"Ah?"
Before Haruno could react, he blocked her lips with his own.
"Mmph!!!"
On the second floor, Yukinoshita-mama covered her mouth with her hand, shocked. She realized she'd just witnessed something serious.
It was exactly what she'd once brought up to Haruno. Yet actually seeing that scene unfold now put her in a complicated mood.
She stared a moment at the two figures embracing in the living room. Then she turned away to her bedroom, not stepping in to stop them.
After all, her elder daughter had chosen to play with fireand if Haruno found herself consumed by that flame, so be it. She hoped Haruno would learn something from all this.
~~~
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Chapter 559: Haruno's Sleepless Night... (Bonus Chapter)
Morning dawned.
Haruno woke in a fog, mentally asking herself the classic three questions: "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
She looked around with bleary eyes at a room she recognizedher own bedroom. The bed was hers as well. But that chaotic scattering of clothes everywhere was definitely not something she would've done.
And the two hands clasped around her abdomen, plus the broad torso pressed against her backthose belonged to someone else Rei Ao.
"Mmph!"
Just trying to move made her body ache all over, forcing a wince and a sharp intake of breath. The pain helped clear her head somewhat.
Memories that had been missing gradually came back together like puzzle pieces.
Last night
She'd originally meant to tease Rei Ao a bit, never expecting him to turn the tables on her. Rei Ao wasn't following any normal script at all; he just straight-up kissed her.
When that first kiss ended, her head was spinning. Haruno recalled that smug smile on Rei Ao as he said, "So, how about now?"
That was obviously a provocation. Combined with her not wanting to lose, it was impossible for her to let such a challenge slide.
So she'd retorted, "Hah, that's all?" And then step by step, it developed into this outcome.
"Hah, that's all?"
A mocking voice sounded right by her ear.
He hadn't been asleep at all; Rei Ao rolled over with an undiminished sense of energy.
"!!!"
Haruno saw him, still in top form.
"How can this be?"
She couldn't help blurting out in astonishment. Her memory told her they had battled half the night. So why did he look like he was still raring to go?
"Haruno, weren't you the one who said you'd leave me in shreds last night? Then how come you were the one who passed out? Even after you dozed off, I was still going."
"Huh?"
She felt her mind go blank.
"You mean I fell asleep while you were still? Are you even human?"
This was beyond monstrous!!!
"Oh? You call me inhuman. Aren't you bold."
Rei Ao narrowed his eyes.
"I've never met someone as mouthy as you."
Underneath it all, her entire bodyinside and outhad become soft. Especially up top, which was much softer than the otherwise plain figure Yukino had. And yet Haruno's mouth was so much "harder" than Yukino's. They certainly were sisters.
"I've decided: I'm not leaving today until you're thoroughly 'painted' into submission."
"Waitmmph!"
...
""
In the living room, Yukinoshita-mama was quietly sipping tea. Her teacup nearly slipped out of her hand.
They
She stared upward toward the second floor, feeling at a loss. She'd gotten no sleep all night. After the short break, she took a quick bath and was now trying to calm herself with tea. But it started again, more fiercely than before. She could hear it clearly, even though she was on the first floor.
She wondered if she should leave for a while; continuing to stay here would be too strange. But she then looked down at her own abdomen and pursed her lips. Deciding she'd remain, she murmured to herself:
"If I hadn't suggested all this to Haruno that time, would things have turned out differently?"
She attributed the "error" of her elder daughter to her own actions. She felt she was letting Yukino down. Thus, she figured she ought to stay and witness it. Even though she had never experienced any intimacy herself, making her own body feel weird.
Frieren's World.
The Elven lands.
"Frieren? You're not dead?"
Serie eyed Frieren, baffled, then at last spoke.
"Mmm, do you really want me dead so badly?"
Frieren, wearing a dead-fish-eyed stare, shot a glare at her grandmaster. After tidying up a bit, Frieren had come here to see her teacher again.
"So I guess I should say 'long time no see?'"
"Long time no see yeah."
Serie composed herself. She waved her chin, sizing up Frieren and Aura. They looked no different than they had before vanishing. Indeed, to them, barely days had passed. But by the current timeline, decades.
"So you're telling me you two vanished without a trace for decades. Not even I could find you while traveling the entire world. Then suddenly you pop up with a human in tow. Tsk. Lemme guess. I'm curious: why? Fill me in."
Frieren had some surprise that her teacher had been traveling far and wide searching for her. Even so, she remained outwardly calm.
Shrugging, she explained wryly:
"I happened upon the Goddess's Monument, ended up activating it successfully, and then time-warped decades into the future."
"As I suspected,"
Serie said without blinking. From the moment she laid eyes on them again, she had guessed as much.
"Jumping forward in time to the future Huh, that's just the kind of bizarre stunt that girl would cause."
She sighed with mild wonder, then waved them off.
"Fine, you're alivegreat. But scram now, don't bug me."
"Really chasing me off that quick?"
Frieren lifted her staff.
"I happen to have a type of magic you don't know, Master."
"What?!"
In a flash, that lazy air around Serie vanished. She was instantly in front of Frieren, at a speed nearly imperceptible.
"Magic I don't know? Show me! Quick, I gotta see!"
Her eyes blazed.
At that, "Heh-hem." the quiet presence of Fern off to the side sharpened. She seemed to hear Frieren let out a faint snort. Frieren raised her staff with a serious look.
"What are you trying to do?" Serie asked, suspicious.
The moment Frieren's staff touched the air, Serie's eyes went wide.
"That girl's mana is so different!"
If Frieren's mana was once like a lake, previously so great it rivaled an ocean, now it was of an even more profound scale. Something about it was incomprehensible.
So few days had passed for them, yet how had she grown so enormously?
While Serie racked her brain, a green magic circle formed up ahead. A torrent of nature's essence poured forth, brimming with life energy.
"This magic"
Serie stared blankly at the scene. Even if she couldn't parse the magic's principle, she could feel the mighty breath of nature swirl around. Just being touched by a thread of that power made her cells vibrate in joy.
"Frieren, what exactly are you doing?"
Never before had Serie been this shaken. If such a monstrous magic got out of control, the residual energy alone could destroy everything for miles around.
Frieren gazed at the glowing formation, posture solemn:
"I intend to resurrect her."
~~~
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Chapter 560: Flamme, Haruno's Surrender...
"Iwant to resurrect her!"
"Her?"
Serie paused, a glint in her eyes as a figure surfaced in her mind.
The next moment, that figureidentical to what she recalledbegan to take shape within the life-filled green magic circle.
"It really is her"
Staring at the tall, full-figured woman who appeared to be in her prime, Serie whispered in disbelief.
"Mm"
When the formation faded, the chestnut-haired woman opened her eyes with a trace of confusion. Until she spotted Frieren, her gaze becoming fixed there.
Surprisingly, Frieren was wearing a faintly gentle smile.
"Long time no see, Master."
Flamme.
She lived over a thousand years ago and was revered in history as a heroic master of magic. She was also Serie's student and Frieren's teacher.
Indeed, it was Flamme who had rescued Frieren in the wake of a massacre in an Elven village and taken her in as a student.
The combat magic Frieren learned came from Flamme. Yet Flamme was only humanher lifespan could not compare to an elf's, and in the end, she grew old and died.
Frieren, whose longevity blunted her emotions, nevertheless understood how true Flamme's kindness was. Flamme also had keen insight into human nature and "demonic" natures, realizing that demons were basically human-shaped monsters. And she warned Frieren: don't let the pursuit of achievements alone define you as a mage.
