With an unwaveringly calm expression, Rei Ao repeated, "I'm not interested."
"..."
Mrs. Sakurajima faltered.
Even after highlighting Mai's star potentialnurtured under her guidanceshe couldn't convince him.
Why?
He had the talent to become a top celebrity, the opportunity to marry her already-famous daughter, and the promise of endless wealth. Yet he was refusing?
Her expression darkened.
Finally, she let out a cold snort.
"If that's how it is, then you two should break up. You're not suited for each other."
"That's not happening!"
Mai slammed the table and glared at her mother.
"What gives you the right to tell us to break up?"
"Hah?"
Mrs. Sakurajima sneered.
"First, I'm your mother. Second, you two aren't suited for each other."
"No, I'm being polite," she continued, directing a sharp gaze at Rei Ao.
"A man like himwho lacks ambitiondoesn't deserve to be with you, Mai."
"Your future is destined for greatness, for the upper echelons of society. He, on the other hand, is utterly unworthy."
With that, she produced a prepared bank card, placing it before Rei Ao.
"There's a million yen on this card. Take it, and leave my daughter."
"You!"
Mai trembled with fury.
To put a price on their relationshiphow dare she?
"Mai, calm down."
Rei Ao gently pulled her into his lap, letting her sit as he faced her mother's fiery glare.
He lightly pushed the card back toward her and replied evenly, "Money holds no value for me. I have more than enough of my own."
"Hm? You?"
Mrs. Sakurajima raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you some wealthy heir or young master?"
"No," Rei Ao said calmly. "I just happen to have money. Tens of millions, to be exactnot that it matters to me."
His words left her shocked, though she clearly doubted him.
Rei Ao continued, unfazed, "You have three minutes to present a conditionbesides moneythat might interest me. Otherwise, I'll make it clear that Mai belongs to me, and there's nothing you can do to separate us."
"W-what?"
Mrs. Sakurajima leaned back slightly, crossing her legs elegantly as she scrutinized him.
She wanted to see how he would back up such bold claims.
Silence fell over the room.
Time ticked by, and three minutes passed swiftly.
Rei Ao sighed. "It seems you're determined to deny the obvious, Mrs. Sakurajima. I'll just have to be more direct."
"W-what are you talking about?"
Mai gasped as Rei Ao suddenly scooped her up into his arms.
"Tohru," he called casually, "keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't interfere."
"You got it!" Tohru responded cheerfully.
"What is this? What are you doing?"
Mrs. Sakurajima's confusion turned to alarm.
Rei Ao gave her a sly grin. "I'm going to prove to you that Mai and I are inseparablebound together in every possible way."
With that, he carried Mai toward the bedroom, not even bothering to close the door.
At first, Mrs. Sakurajima was too stunned to process what was happening.
But as the unmistakable sounds began to emanate from the room, her expression twisted in rage and horror.
"You dare?!"
She shot to her feet, ready to charge into the room.
"Rei Ao said you're not allowed to move," Tohru declared, stepping forward to block her path.
"!"
Tohru's cold, predatory gaze froze her in place.
It wasn't just her toneit was the aura.
Mrs. Sakurajima felt as though a terrifying beast was watching her every move.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed back into the chair, trembling.
This maid... something is seriously wrong with her!
Her heart pounded as she shakily reached for her phone, intending to call the police.
Not only was she effectively being held hostage, but her daughter was...
However, before her fingers could even dial, the phone slipped from her graspalmost as if it had a mind of its ownand landed neatly in Tohru's hand.
Holding the phone with a faint smirk, Tohru said calmly, "Rei Ao told me to make sure you don't do anything foolish. So sit here quietly and listen."
Tohru glanced at the untouched dishes on the table and grumbled, "All that effort for nothing."
"Che"
A sudden noise caught her attention. She frowned and looked over.
It wasn't Maiit was Mrs. Sakurajima.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, squirming uncomfortably in her chair.
"..."
Well, maybe it wasn't all wasted after all.
Though Mai had strictly forbidden Tohru from cooking with her tail meat again, Tohru didn't follow orders from Maionly from Rei Ao.
Since Rei Ao hadn't explicitly forbidden it, she had secretly added some of her tail meat to the dishes.
Her intention was simple: to entice Rei Ao to finally "make his move" on her, instead of always being distracted by others like Yui.
But as fate would have it, Rei Ao and Mai didn't eat a single bite before going off to their "meeting."
The only one who had sampled the food was Mrs. Sakurajima.
Unbeknownst to her, the tail meat's potent effects were beginning to take hold.
"Should be fine, right?"
Tohru scratched her head, ultimately deciding not to intervene.
This could be an interesting chance to observe human reactions, she thought.
Mrs. Sakurajima had no idea what was happening to her.
What's wrong with me?
Her face flushed as her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
The faint sounds from the other room only exacerbated her restlessness, filling her mind with indecent images.
"I am I some kind of pervert?"
She gritted her teeth, overwhelmed by the increasingly indecent thoughts flooding her mind.
"Damn it!"
No matter how much she fought it, her composure unraveled completely.
Elsewhere, deep in a quiet forest
The aftermath of Tohru's descent left crushed trees and scorched earth behind.
Suddenly, a brilliant white light shimmered into existence.
At the center of this radiance, a shape began to forma sword.
It was identical to the God Sword that had once wounded Tohru, a blade absorbed by Rei Ao.
However, this was not that same sword.
When the God Sword's connection to divine faith was severed, its residual energy had dispersed into the area, combining with the lingering will left in the forest.
Now, a new sword was born.
"Mommy?"
A faint, childlike whisper echoed through the air.
The sword hovered, its blade gleaming as it rotated in place.
Clang!
With a sharp hum, the sword turned, pointing in a specific direction.
Then, with blinding speed, it flew off.
Back in the city, Kobayashi was trudging home after another grueling day.
"Ugh, so tired"
Her voice carried the weariness of a beaten-down office worker.
Her body ached as she dragged herself into her apartment, muttering bitterly.
After pulling another all-nighter to fix some project, her boss had this morning casually dismissed her work with, "Let's just use the original version instead."
"Figures."
At this point, Kobayashi didn't even feel angryjust numb.
She dropped her bag, collapsed onto her bed fully clothed, and let out a long sigh.
"Finally sleep."
As she drifted off, her breathing slowed, becoming deep and steady.
But her peace didn't last long.
Suddenly, a bright light streaked across the night sky, heading straight for her apartment.
CRASH!
The window shattered as the light slammed through it.
The sound startled Kobayashi awake. She shot up, adrenaline wiping away her fatigue.
"Wh-what was that?!"
She backed away from the bed, staring in shock at the shattered window.
"Mommy!"
A hauntingly childlike voice echoed behind her.
"AHHHH!"
Kobayashi spun around to see a floating sword hovering in mid-air.
"The the sword's talking?!"
Her first instinct was to run, but before she could move, the sword zipped forward, blocking her path.
"Mommy!"
The voice repeated, more insistent this time.
Kobayashi froze in fear.
Her eyes widened as the blade pointed directly at her, gleaming ominously.
In one swift motion, it shot forward, aiming straight for her forehead.
"No! NO!"
She screamed, unable to dodge as the blade closed in.
In that moment, she could only stare helplessly, awaiting the inevitable
~~~
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Chapter 127: Mommy! 2x
Kobayashi's mind went blank.
"Am I dead?"
She vividly remembered the moment when a sudden sword pierced her forehead.
However, she wasn't dead.
The blade hadn't drawn a single drop of blood.
Instead, the moment it touched her forehead, the entire sword dissolved into radiant specks of light and merged into her body, leaving her unharmed.
Now, Kobayashi stood motionless, her eyes glazed over.
But her consciousness wasn't entirely frozen.
"Where am I?"
When she opened her eyes again, Kobayashi found herself floating in a vast expanse of whiteness.
"Did I die?"
Her last memory was of the sword striking her.
What a strange way to die.
She'd always thought she'd die from overwork or on her commute after pulling an all-nighter.
Living as a corporate slave, only to die as oneit would've been the ultimate poetic irony.
At least this is different, she mused.
Dying to something bizarre at least added a dash of variety to her otherwise monotonous existence.
If she'd died during work, her life would've truly been defined by corporate drudgery.
"You're not dead, Mommy."
"Who's there?!"
Kobayashi spun around, startled by the sudden voice.
It was familiarthe same voice as the sword that had crashed through her window.
"Wait that sword didn't follow me to heaven, did it?"
She shivered, turning stiffly toward the source of the voice.
Thankfully, it wasn't a sword.
It was a young girl with long white hair tied in the middle, her bangs framing her face.
"Mommy."
The girl's large, crystal-clear eyes blinked as she called out to Kobayashi.
"???"
The word "Mommy" sent Kobayashi into a spiral of discomfort.
"I'm not your mom!"
Kobayashi frantically denied it.
She was still a virgin, for crying out loudhow could she possibly have a daughter?
This random girl calling her "Mommy" out of nowhere was too much to handle.
Besides, admitting she had a child would be the ultimate embarrassment. How could she ever get married after that?
Wait had she ever even had a boyfriend?
"Also, I'm already dead."
Kobayashi's shoulders slumped.
How pathetic is this? A lifetime of being single, and now I've died like this.
"You're not dead, Mommy."
The girl explained patiently, "This is your mental world."
"Mental world?"
Kobayashi blinked in confusion, her disbelief evident.
She couldn't wrap her head around the concept. If this was supposed to be her "mental world," it felt more like a trick.
The girl, realizing the need for clarity, opted for a direct demonstration.
She waved her hand.
The white space around them transformed.
"This is"
Kobayashi gasped as the scene shifted to something familiar.
It was the forest from that nightthe one where she'd encountered Rei Ao and the dragon.
Scenes began to replay, showing her memories of that event.
"This is part of your memory," the girl explained, pointing at the holy sword embedded in Tohru's body.
"Mommy, that sword that was me."
The girl's voice softened as she explained, "I was born from the residual energy of that sword, combined with a fragment of your will. That's how I became a sentient holy sword."
"Now, I've fully merged with your spirit and consciousness. You can use my power however you like."
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I can strengthen your body so you can continue slaying dragons!"
""
Kobayashi stared blankly, struggling to process everything she'd just heard.
After a long pause, her shoulders slumped.
"I don't want to slay dragons."
She sighed heavily. "Besides, I'm sure that guywhat's his name, Rei Aocan handle it just fine."
The girl froze, her eyes wide with realization.
"That guy" she murmured, her voice tinged with wonder.
"He was part of what brought me into existence doesn't that make him my daddy?"
Her eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together.
"Mommy, let's go find Daddy!"
Kobayashi: "Huh?!"
Rei Ao pulled himself out of Mai's embrace, careful not to overdo it.
His actions were deliberate, meant to convey his stance clearly.
"Hah, seriously you went way overboard."
Mai panted as she lightly patted his shoulder, her tone seemingly upset but carrying a hint of satisfaction.
Rei Ao helped her stand, pulling down her rumpled skirt.
"Want to go see your mom's reaction?"
"Ugh"
Mai's cheeks flushed a deep red, hesitation written all over her face.
"Is is that really okay?"
After all, they had just finished, and with the door left ajar, her mother would have definitely overheard everything.
"Heh, wasn't that the whole point?" Rei Ao smirked. "Let's go."
The two walked out into the living room.
Rei Ao fell silent.
Mai froze in shock.
Her mother, Mrs. Sakurajima, sat slumped in a chair, her disheveled appearance and dazed expression painting a picture of utter defeat.
"Mom!"
Mai rushed over, hastily fixing her mother's skirt and tidying her clothes.
"Tohru, what happened here?" Rei Ao asked, his brows furrowing.
He had only asked Tohru to keep an eye on Mrs. Sakurajima. How did things end up like this? Her dazed expression was reminiscent of someone entirely spent.
"Uh, it wasn't me" Tohru fidgeted with her fingers, her voice awkward.
"I might've added some of my tail meat to the food earlier, and, uh she happened to eat it. So, this happened"
""
Both Rei Ao and Mai understood instantly.
The situation was clear.
Rei Ao couldn't help but recall the sight he'd just witnessedstill vivid in his mind.
He admitted, it was enticing.
Even though Mrs. Sakurajima didn't have a "tiger's allure," the subtle curves and the faint flush of her skin were undeniably captivating.
"Mom"
Mai ignored the indecent memories of Rei Ao and focused on her mother, biting her lip as she tried to get her attention.
""
Mrs. Sakurajima gradually came back to her senses.
When she saw the two of them, her previous haughty demeanor was nowhere to be found.
Instead, shame overwhelmed her as she wished for the ground to swallow her whole.
She had done that near her daughter, and it was witnessed. How could she face them now?
