Because Kaoru had already prepared herself both physically and mentally, and because her initial affection for Akuto had already been fairly high, Akuto heard the system notification barely more than ten minutes later.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have completed Fate Acquisition.]
[Fate Source: Sayanomiya Kaoru.]
[Blank initial ability slot +1. Total initial ability slots: 16.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have fulfilled a goal from your previous life: the body-and-soul submission of Sayanomiya Kaoru (Gold).]
[Congratulations. Reward obtained: Talent - Lord of the Hime-Miko (Gold)]
[Lord of the Hime-Miko (Gold): A prayer-and-feedback system similar to the faith system created by the God of the Bible. However, unlike that widespread system, the mechanism of Lord of the Hime-Miko only takes effect when high-level units such as shrine maidens, knights, and magicians reach the required degree of loyalty and offer faithful prayers to the user.
However, because its activation requirements are far stricter, the power gained from it far exceeds what ordinary believers in a standard faith system would receive.]
For Akuto as he was now, this reward was little more than a drop in the bucket.
After obtaining Usurping Disc - End, which allowed all of his Authorities to be raised to at least the red tier, there were already very few system rewards left that could truly make a major difference to him.
Still, the effect of this Lord of the Hime-Miko reminded him of something.
"Kaoru, if I remember correctly, you once served as a Hime-Miko, didn't you?"
As he spoke, one of his hands moved from her ankle upward, slowly smoothing open the fabric over her legs, savoring the layered feel of tailored slacks and sheer stockings alike.
"Ah... hng... to be precise... hng... I still am a Hime-Miko..."
Kaoru's expression had gone slightly dazed, and it took her quite a while to finish even a single sentence.
"Generally speaking, Hime-Miko all have a god they serve, don't they?" Akuto asked.
"Mmm... that's right. The more powerful and more widely known the god, the stronger the protection they can grant a Hime-Miko. Wh-what's this about?"
Kaoru's professionalism was impressive. Even when she looked as though her thoughts were nearly coming apart, she was still managing to explain things to Akuto.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to tell you something."
Akuto smiled faintly, then directly began the bloodline infusion. At the same time, he fed part of the relevant information into Kaoru's mind.
"Hiss! Ah... ahh... this is..."
Kaoru clung tightly to him, feeling both the strange swelling sensation in her lower abdomen and the flood of new information appearing in her mind.
"So usurping mythology... can actually strengthen the gods of this world?"
Kaoru had already thought highly of Akuto. She had believed he would likely become the strongest Godslayer of the current age. But she had never imagined that he was even more terrifying than that.
Usurping mythology... it could actually strengthen the gods of this world?
"In other words, Akuto-kun, you intend to become the god served by all shrine maidens?"
Kaoru understood Akuto's nature very well.
"Yes, exactly. So, Kaoru, could you..."
"Yes, yes, yes. You just want help taking in all the shrine maidens of Japan, right? I'll do it. So..."
Kaoru was deeply dissatisfied with Akuto's habit of stopping halfway and then making demands, so she simply agreed to his condition outright.
"Akuto-kun, you should know I also hold the status of a Hime-Miko. If you intend to bring all the shrine maidens of Japan under your wing, then shouldn't you first satisfy the Hime-Miko who stand at their head?"
"The Hime-Miko? You mean Yuri?"
Akuto smiled faintly. Hime-Miko was a group, after all. It did not refer to Kaoru alone.
"Akuto-kun, you really are a nasty man."
Seeing that Akuto still seemed inclined to tease her, Kaoru simply took matters into her own hands. In the next instant, she pressed forward, wrapped her arms around his head despite the taut line of her abdomen, closed her eyes, and kissed him.
"Kaoru, what do you think about changing into Hime-Miko robes later?"
While kissing her deeply, Akuto asked the question in a low voice.
Kaoru's answer was simple.
"Pervert."
That said, she returned the kiss even more deeply, as though she wanted him to explore every part of her. Because for all his perversity, didn't that also prove that he liked her quite a bit?
That feeling of being desired made Kaoru's soul tremble.
Though she had never truly liked anyone in all her life, if she had to name someone she might love, then it could only be Akuto.
The reason was simple. Back when she had visited Yuri and the other Japanese shrine maidens who had been taken away, and heard them describe how Akuto had carried off every shrine maiden and witch among them, that greedy young man had already left an extremely deep impression on her.
Kaoru's long legs tensed slightly. The arches of her feet, wrapped in dark stockings, drew tight with strain. Her toes pointed upward, ten rounded toes curling hard against the ends of the hosiery as her feet trembled faintly behind Akuto.
"Akuto-kun... maybe... maybe I'd already started liking you back then..."
Another round of bloodline infusion followed. As her physique was elevated once more, Kaoru felt as though even the folds of her mind were being pressed flat by Akuto, her consciousness gradually scattering under the force of it.
"Lady Sayanomiya..."
Fuyuhime looked at Kaoru, who had already lost consciousness, then glanced at Akuto as he turned his gaze toward her. She was nervous for only a moment before she主动 embraced him, kissing him as she quietly took Kaoru's place.
Because Fuyuhime was the small, delicate type, the simultaneous rush of pain and happiness brought tears to her eyes, tears mixed with both suffering and bliss. Even so, she still kissed him firmly.
The little golden-haired girl's tiny body was like a small boat caught in a storm. The pale, delicate feet in white socks that Akuto had kissed earlier now tensed and curled helplessly as well, her toes splaying and clenching by turns, as fragile and slender as Fuyuhime herself.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have completed Fate Acquisition.]
[Fate Source: Fuyuhime Renjou.]
[Blank initial ability slot +1. Total initial ability slots: 17.]
No one knew how much time had passed before Akuto finally drifted off to sleep, holding both girls in his arms.
He lay on his side between them, with Kaoru half draped over him. Lifting his head, he placed a kiss on her smooth forehead, then closed his eyes in satisfaction.
Kaoru recovered a little awareness as well. She instinctively returned his kiss, then found the posture that felt most comfortable in his embrace and sank back into sleep.
...
In truth, not that much time had passed.
Neither Kaoru nor Fuyuhime had much stamina. Even with the enhancement of Akuto's power, there was no way they could endure him for very long.
To be exact, after barely more than an hour, Akuto had already made Kaoru and Fuyuhime change through all sorts of outfits. Perhaps because changing clothes in a world of magic was not particularly troublesome and could be managed with a simple technique, once the time spent changing was removed, the two girls had still been defeated very quickly.
In Tokyo, at the top floor of a quiet luxury apartment building, a languid atmosphere filled Akuto's private bedroom. Expensive silk sheets lay in complete disarray, and the air still held a lingering, intimate fragrance.
Sayanomiya Kaoru, chief of the Tokyo branch of the Official History Compilation Committee and the future head of the Sayanomiya family, was presently resting over Akuto with the docile air of a tamed cat. Her breathing rose and fell slowly against him.
Akuto slept soundly, his breathing steady, as though he were deep in dreamless rest. One powerful arm was wrapped possessively around Kaoru's slender yet strong waist, and one of his legs still lay over her long leg, which was covered in pale white thigh-highs, his toes occasionally brushing her smooth ankle without intent.
The expensive custom women's suit jacket Kaoru had worn earlier had long since been discarded on the carpet. Now she was dressed in Hime-Miko robes, the silk lining drawn loose and disordered, the red skirt pushed high. The lace-trimmed tops of the white stockings hugging her thighs were clearly visible.
Compared to the dark hosiery she had worn with her suit, white stockings naturally suited shrine maiden attire much better. So after changing into formal Hime-Miko garments, Kaoru had thoughtfully changed the color of her stockings as well, as though she fully understood Akuto's tastes.
At some point, the sharply shrill buzz of her heavily encrypted work phone began ringing from the bedside table, shattering the stillness of the room.
"Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt-"
The sudden call woke Kaoru, who had been dozing in Akuto's embrace.
Opening eyes heavy with exhaustion, she reached toward the direction of her discarded trousers. To satisfy Akuto's wishes, she had already changed into the most formal Hime-Miko attire, the kind she only wore during the most important annual observances, and had served him in the highest rites of Hime-Miko attendance more times than she could count.
Her brows drew together slightly as she fought through the soreness of her body and the reluctance to leave Akuto's arms, reaching carefully for the phone.
Fortunately, the trousers were not far away. She managed to find it.
"Hello? What is it?"
Kaoru answered the phone without even fully opening her eyes.
"Mm?! What?!"
The moment she heard the report on the other end, her body went rigid and she snapped fully awake.
"Hiss-"
Akuto inhaled sharply, then began another round of bloodline infusion.
"A-Akuto-kun! Th-this is bad!"
Kaoru's eyes rolled up again the instant they had opened, her abdomen tensing as she spoke in a trembling voice.
"Ah. I know."
Akuto placed his hands calmly at her waist and looked out toward the window.
"If someone insists on seeking their own destruction, then they should be given the destruction they deserve."
"They dared lay hands on Shizuka. It seems... I've been far too merciful to Japan."
At some point, Akuto had already opened his eyes. There was not the slightest trace of drowsiness in them, only an unfathomable calm.
He still held Kaoru in his arms, his chin resting lightly against her fragrant hair as he spoke in a voice low and faintly husky from sleep, yet perfectly clear in her ears.
"Kaoru, stay here. I'll go and come right back."
Kaoru's body tightened instantly, then softened.
"All right. If Akuto-kun intends to deal with it personally, then..."
...
The instant she received the report, Kaoru had become completely alert.
Because the urgent message said that the elite forces of the Kuhouzuka family had mobilized in full and launched a sudden assault on the home of Kusanagi Shizuka. The female ninja unit under Kaoru's command, her finest force, had suffered devastating losses under the enemy's overwhelming numbers and strange sorcery. They were almost completely wiped out.
The news hit her like a bucket of ice water, tearing her fully free from the lingering haze of pleasure and exhaustion.
"Kaoru, stay here. I'll go and come right back."
After hearing Akuto say that, Kaoru's feelings became complicated, and for a moment she did not know how to respond.
Of course she wanted to help him deal with the matter. But the ones targeting Akuto were one of Japan's old families, and she herself was also a member of one of Japan's four great houses.
In theory, if she wanted to avoid any appearance of bias, she should distance herself and stop interfering.
And yet, now that she had become Akuto's woman, she also wanted to do something for him.
With those two conflicting emotions colliding, Kaoru found herself unable to decide.
...
Akuto noticed the complexity of her emotions. So he released the hand that had been holding her in place. His other hand, which had been around her waist, slid slowly downward along the sleek line of her body, over her thigh wrapped in white stockings, until at last it came to rest upon her white-socked foot in its wooden sandal, his touch faintly tracing the fine texture of the fabric.
"Kaoru, I know what you're thinking. Don't worry. I trust my women completely."
Only those whose affection had reached the required level could trigger the system's notifications, and because of the succubus bloodline, once affection had risen, it would never decrease. So Akuto had absolutely no suspicion that Kaoru might be a problem.
"I plan to have you and Erica jointly investigate and handle this matter. No objections?"
"Of course. That's only natural."
Kaoru let out a long breath. If Akuto had intended for her to investigate alone, she would actually have felt far less at ease.
She feared she might fail to uncover an outcome that satisfied both herself and Akuto, and that such a failure would leave a crack between them.
At a time like this, someone like Erica, a foreign power, was exactly what was needed. Only an investigation carried out jointly with the Italian side represented by Erica could produce an innocence that would truly be accepted as innocence.
Just as Kaoru parted her lips, preparing to make a full report and ask for further instructions -
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from far away.
This was no natural thunder. It was a divine lightning strike filled with savage violence, holiness, and destruction.
Even across that great distance, even through layers of reinforced steel and concrete, the terrible pressure pushed through like something tangible, making the very air in the room tremble.
Kaoru felt as though an invisible hand had seized her heart, crushing the breath from her chest. Her body tightened again on instinct, and she pressed closer to Akuto's solid chest in search of shelter.
Akuto narrowed his eyes, and every trace of lingering laziness vanished instantly.
After gently patting Kaoru, who in that moment looked more like an ordinary girl than ever before, he slowly withdrew himself from the warmth of the bed and rose.
Kaoru immediately felt lighter, the reassuring heat leaving her. She instinctively curled her stocking-clad legs slightly and watched as Akuto, bare from the waist up, crossed the room without the slightest concern, his defined back and waistline fully exposed as he moved toward the clothing scattered across the floor.
He dressed quickly, fastening only a couple of buttons, just enough to cover his powerful chest.
The whole process was smooth and decisive, carrying an unquestionable air of control. Then he turned, his gaze falling on Kaoru, who lay on the bed with her clothes in disarray and her stockings faintly wrinkled.
"I'll be right back."
His voice was calm and level, as though he were merely stepping out to deal with some insignificant matter.
The instant the words fell, his figure vanished from the spot as though erased by an unseen hand.
The Divine Incarnation, Vāmana - activated.
Kaoru stared blankly at the empty space before her. A few seconds later she snapped back to herself, struggled upright, ignored the disordered state of her Hime-Miko robes, seized the encrypted phone on the bedside table, and began issuing commands at once.
"This is Sayanomiya Kaoru. Activate the highest-level emergency protocol immediately. Mobilize every force that can be mobilized. Target: the Kuhouzuka family. And patch me through to Miss Erica Blandelli at once!"
Now that she had Akuto's permission, Kaoru had no reason to hold back. At the same time, the moment she made her move, she also contacted Erica. That was partly to secure Erica's strength, and partly to secure moral legitimacy.
After all... internal conflict within Japan was never something a single Japanese faction could resolve with unquestioned authority.
...
At the same time, on the edge of a relatively quiet residential district somewhere in Tokyo...
The once peaceful street had already turned into a battlefield from hell. The air was thick with the smell of blood and charred matter. Broken kunai, torn talismans, and dark red smears of blood were scattered across the ground.
Several female ninjas in tight black combat outfits and masks lay sprawled in pools of blood. Most of their bodies were mutilated, a clear sign they had endured extremely brutal fighting before dying.
The few female ninjas who remained formed a fragile defensive ring, back to back, protecting a junior high school girl in the uniform of Jounan Academy behind them with desperate determination.
The girl was none other than Kusanagi Shizuka.
Her delicate face had gone pale as paper, and her wide eyes were filled with terror and helplessness. Her slender body trembled uncontrollably from fear.
The hem of her dark blue sailor uniform had been sliced open in several places. The black knee-high socks covering her slim calves were smeared with dirt, and her round-toed leather shoes were scuffed and stained. Most importantly, she had twisted her ankle while running in panic earlier and had nearly lost the ability to move at all.
Shizuka bit down hard on her lower lip, doing everything she could to keep from crying, though the fingers clenched into fists at her sides had gone completely white.
She had long prepared herself for the fact that Akuto would eventually step into the hidden world and become a Godslayer, but when she found herself facing the reality of it all, she still could not help feeling afraid.
"Give up resisting, you dogs of the Sayanomiya family!"
A gloomy-faced middle-aged man in traditional hunting robes stood at the front of a group of sorcerers and ninjas. He was the great sorcerer Kuhouzuka Maru of the Kuhouzuka family.
A cruel, triumphant grin spread across his face.
"For the sake of one ordinary girl, is it really worth throwing away the last of your lives? Hand her over, and I might consider granting you a quick death!"
"Never! Protecting Miss Shizuka is our duty! Unless every one of us is dead, you won't touch her!"
The lead female ninja's voice was hoarse, but her eyes remained firm.
"Stubborn fools! Attack! Seize that girl!"
Kuhouzuka Maru snorted coldly and gave the order with a wave of his hand. Behind him, the sorcerers began chanting once again, while the ninjas spread out like wraiths, preparing to launch the final, fatal strike.
And just as everything teetered on the edge of catastrophe, a black shadow broke through the female ninjas' crumbling line of defense and appeared directly before Kusanagi Shizuka.
It was a tall, gaunt sorcerer, his eyes gleaming with savage delight as his claw-like hand shot straight toward Shizuka's narrow shoulder.
"Aaaah!!!"
Shizuka screamed and squeezed her eyes shut.
And yet... the expected pain never came.
The moment the black shadow crossed within two meters of her, the miniature stone column of the Colosseum hanging at her chest suddenly burst with golden divine radiance.
It was a small ancient-looking pillar only a little over ten centimeters tall, carved with the weight of time itself. Wrapped in gold divine light, it began expanding wildly before the naked eye.
In the space of a single breath, it became a gigantic stone pillar more than a meter thick and over three meters tall.
"Ah-! Puhk! Boom!"
A scream cut off in the middle, followed by the wet crunch of shattered bones and mangled flesh, and then the heavy, heart-stopping slam of great stone crashing down.
Shizuka opened her eyes in trembling disbelief. The sorcerer who had lunged at her moments before was now nothing but a mangled heap of blood and flesh pinned beneath the enormous pillar that had appeared from nowhere. Only one twisted hand still stuck out from beneath it, twitching without awareness.
A pillar from the Roman Colosseum.
Though officially it had been a souvenir Akuto had given Shizuka, it was in truth also a divine tool into which he had infused his own godly power. The moment it sensed that Shizuka was in danger, its defensive mechanism had activated instantly.
The sudden bloody reversal stunned everyone present. The Kuhouzuka family's attack stalled all at once.
But the slaughter wrought by the pillar did not stop there.
It was as if the column itself had come alive - or rather, as if Akuto's overbearing divine power had granted it a simple fighting will.
The massive stone column suddenly swept sideways with a howl of wind and overwhelming force, smashing apart every technique and every body in its path with effortless brutality.
Crack. Burst. Ruin.
Like fragile melons being smashed open, several of the frontmost ninjas were struck at the waist by the sweeping pillar. They were obliterated before they could even scream.
Then the pillar slammed into the earth.
Boom!
With that single heavy impact, a divine shockwave rippled outward, and every sorcery being prepared in the area instantly collapsed.
"Wh-what is that thing?!"
"Fall back! Fall back!"
The Kuhouzuka formation descended into chaos at once, screams of terror breaking out one after another.
The Colosseum pillar's method of attack was simple and brutal, yet it carried incomparable strength and speed. Every swing stirred up a storm of blood and death.
Even the surviving female ninjas stared in stunned disbelief, nearly forgetting their own wounds.
The triumphant sneer on Kuhouzuka Maru's face had long since vanished. In its place was nothing but horror and disbelief. The elites he had brought with him were as fragile as paper in front of this bizarre stone pillar.
And yet, at what should have been his darkest moment, a divine artifact on Kuhouzuka Maru's body suddenly burst with crackling lightning. His terror turned to wild ecstasy.
"Haha... hahahaha! Success! It worked! Just as Oyakata said, it worked!"
Kuhouzuka Maru laughed like a madman, utterly disregarding the horrific sight of his men being turned into bloody pulp one after another around him. From within his robes, he yanked out a strange bronze mirror, its surface carved with ancient symbols.
Stimulated by the divine fluctuations pouring from the stone pillar, the bronze mirror was now trembling violently, the face of it blazing with blinding white light.
An indescribably ancient, majestic, and violent aura began to spill from it, growing stronger and stronger by the second.
(End of Chapter)
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