Chapter 499: Jealousy and Rivalry
Kaguya stared at the beautiful woman crying in front of her, a bit stunned, unable to process what was happening.
Yes, Ellen was actually crying.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be the world's strongest wizard?" Kaguya muttered to herself. "Where's your pride and dignity as a wizard? How can you be so spineless?"
With a frown, Kaguya added, "You should have expected consequences before challenging me."
"You... you're bullying me!" Ellen muttered weakly, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Bullying you?" Kaguya's forehead twitched in frustration. "Hey, are you serious? You guys were the ones who came after me first, thinking you could threaten me. Be thankful I'm not tying you up and tossing you into the ocean."
Ellen wiped away her tears, looking as if she had suffered an enormous grievance.
"Stop crying, or I'll really hurt you," Kaguya said sternly, clearly at the end of her patience.
Perhaps this threat worked because Ellen's sobbing came to an abrupt halt. Just as Kaguya thought she could relax, Ellen looked up and mumbled softly, "But... you don't have the ability."
Kaguya almost tripped, furious at what she heard. This struck a nerve.
"You think I can't hurt you?" Kaguya's eyes narrowed dangerously, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "Want to test that theory?"
"No, no!" Ellen quickly waved her hands, panicked.
Kaguya sighed, feeling frustrated. Originally, if Ellen had fought back, it would have been simple to kill her. But now, seeing her cry and act so weak, Kaguya had lost any motivation to finish her off. It was like bullying a child—there was no sense of achievement.
"Alright, enough," Kaguya said impatiently. "I don't know how you can call yourself a wizard like this. You're just embarrassing yourself."
Ellen blushed, unable to retort, clearly aware of how disgraceful her behavior was.
"I'll let you go this time," Kaguya said, frowning. "But if I see you again, I won't hesitate to kill you."
"Y-you're really not going to kill me?" Ellen asked, still in disbelief.
"Go on, and tell that Viscount or whatever his name is, not to bother me again. If he does, I'll destroy his entire organization," Kaguya said coldly.
Ellen quickly got up, overjoyed. "Really?"
Seeing Ellen's sudden movement, Kaguya fell silent, her gaze becoming a bit dazed.
When Ellen didn't hear a response, she blinked in confusion, unsure of what was going on. After a moment, she noticed Kaguya's strange look and glanced down. Realizing she was completely exposed, Ellen hurriedly crouched back down, her face flushing bright red as if steam were about to rise from her head.
The thing was, Ellen's manifestation device required full integration with the body, meaning she hadn't been wearing any clothes beneath it. This included undergarments, so all the women in AST were effectively "empty" underneath their gear.
Kaguya rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Ellen really did have a great figure—fair skin, well-proportioned curves, and a mature woman's charm. But Kaguya was surprised by one discovery: Ellen was still somewhat inexperienced, which was unexpected given her age, certainly past her early twenties. This wasn't a case of underdevelopment like Yoshino.
Could it be natural?
The thought made Kaguya's mind wander briefly, considering whether she should teach Ellen a lesson. Ellen, sensing Kaguya's gaze, tried to put on a defiant look, but her body involuntarily shrank back, betraying her true feelings.
Kaguya walked over. Just as Ellen braced herself for a desperate struggle, Kaguya instead took off her coat and draped it over Ellen's shoulders.
"Go back. I'm letting you off this time, but if you dare cross me again, I won't be so kind," Kaguya said before turning away. She still had shopping to do and didn't have time to waste.
"Ah..." Ellen watched the silver-haired girl walk away, still in a daze, not quite able to comprehend what had just happened.
Without her Realizer Unit, Ellen was little more than a sitting duck—no match for even an ordinary person. Kaguya could probably knock her out with a single finger.
When Kaguya returned home, arms full of shopping bags, she immediately sensed that something was off in the room. She soon saw Origami Tobiichi and Tohka Yatogami, both of whom seemed displeased.
As soon as they saw Kaguya, Origami and Tohka leaped up from the sofa, pointing at each other and demanding in unison, "Who is she?"
Kaguya broke into a cold sweat as she realized how much this resembled a scene from a love triangle drama.
Hmm, deciding who's the main wife is still up for debate.
"She's a Spirit, and a very dangerous one at that. Her powers are highly destructive, and she's emotionally unstable. Keeping her here is too dangerous," Origami said firmly to Kaguya. "I think we should kick her out or take her into custody."
"What are you saying?" Tohka snapped angrily. "Why should a random stranger have any say in our affairs?"
"We were fine until you showed up," Origami replied, frowning. "Sorry, but in this house, we're family, and you're new here. You should understand your place. There's a small shed outside that would suit you."
"Shed? Are you calling me a dog?" Tohka fumed. "Who even are you, and why are you here in our home, talking nonsense?"
"Sorry, but this is our home," Origami retorted. "This place doesn't welcome people with unknown backgrounds. If you have no other business here, I suggest you leave."
Meanwhile, Yoshino was hiding behind the sofa, nervously peeking out. When she saw Kaguya return, she quickly ran over and clung to her arm.
"That's unfair!" Tohka and Origami both exclaimed at the same time, clearly upset by Yoshino's affectionate gesture.
When Kaguya brought the dishes out of the kitchen, she was met with the sight of Tobiichi Origami and Yatogami Tohka still locked in a silent standoff. It was like watching two hostile cats bristle at each other, their gazes practically sparking with animosity.
Kaguya sighed. She had no idea why these two seemed to naturally clash like oil and water, constantly at odds whenever they met.
"Let's just eat first," Kaguya said as she took a seat at the table. "We can talk about whatever it is later."
But as soon as she sat down, Kaguya noticed something surprising—both Tohka and Origami had moved to her side, one on her left and the other on her right, each of them clinging to one of her arms.
"Why is it that some people have no shame and always come over to eat at other people's houses?" Origami said calmly from Kaguya's side.
"Who said this was your house? You have no proof," Tohka retorted, turning her head with a huff. "Besides, you're just staying here temporarily. What right do you have to claim anything?"
"You're so naive," Origami said with a hint of amusement. "I just didn't want to shatter your self-respect by revealing the truth. But since you're eager for despair, I might as well tell you."
"What truth?" Tohka frowned, unconcerned. "You're bluffing. I bet you don't even have anything to say."
"Alright then, since you're asking for it." Origami took a sip from the tea in front of her, her tone serious. "The truth is, I'm Kaguya's fiancée."
"Huh?" Tohka froze, her expression blank.
Kaguya almost spat out the water she had just sipped.
Fiancée? Since when did she have a fiancée?
"Fiancée?" Tohka repeated, her eyes glazed with confusion.
"That's right," Origami said with a completely straight face. "Which means I'm the mistress of this house. I have every right to kick you out whenever I please."
Tohka finally snapped out of her daze, blurting out, "What's a fiancée?"
Kaguya felt a vein pop on her forehead.
"To put it simply, it means I have the closest relationship with Kaguya," Origami explained, still completely deadpan. "And it also means that I'm the person who will be with her for the rest of her life."
"I... I'm her friend!" Tohka hurriedly declared, even though she clearly didn't fully grasp the meaning of the word "fiancée." But sensing danger, she blurted out her response.
Origami let out a cold, mirthless chuckle—so faint and dry that even Yoshino, sitting nearby, could sense the derision.
"Alright, that's enough," Kaguya said, frowning slightly as she spoke in a stern tone. "Stop it already. If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll throw both of you out."
Origami and Tohka exchanged glares before letting out matching huffs and turning their heads away from each other. Despite the tension, they both respected Kaguya enough not to continue arguing.
Kaguya sighed internally. This was already giving her a headache, but what came next was going to be even more troublesome.
Her house had three bedrooms, but with four people living there, that meant someone would need to share a room. After considering her options, Kaguya realized that having any two of them share would be problematic. In the end, she reluctantly decided to sleep in the living room herself.
It seemed like it was time to sell those diamonds she had stashed away and buy a bigger house. Things were already getting cramped, and if more people showed up, there definitely wouldn't be enough space.
At least the sofa was fairly large and comfortable, so it wouldn't be too bad. After setting everything up, it was almost as good as a proper bed.
Just as Kaguya finished preparing her makeshift bed, a small figure quietly approached her. Turning her head, Kaguya saw that it was Yoshino.
"Why aren't you going to bed?" Kaguya asked with a smile, pausing in her work.
"I... I will... soon," Yoshino stammered, shaking her head.
"Then why are you here? Do you need something?" Kaguya asked curiously, knowing that Yoshino rarely came to her without a reason.
Yoshino hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "If... if you don't mind... you can come sleep in my room."
Wait, what?
Was this... an invitation from a loli?
Kaguya felt a sudden warmth in her heart but quickly realized what Yoshino meant. This wasn't that kind of invitation—it was simply Yoshino being considerate because she felt bad about Kaguya sleeping on the couch.
What a kind-hearted and thoughtful loli.
Kaguya was touched by the gesture but gently declined, saying, "No, thank you. I'm fine here."
"Really?" Yoshino's mood seemed to dip slightly.
Kaguya immediately recognized the signs of Yoshino's sensitivity and overthinking. She walked over and gently patted Yoshino on the head, smiling warmly. "Don't overthink it. I'm really fine here. Now, go get some sleep."
Seeing Kaguya's sincere smile, Yoshino's spirits lifted. She nodded softly, a small smile blossoming on her face as the tension melted away. Her eyes curved into the shape of crescent moons.
Late at night, the sky was an inky black, dotted with countless twinkling stars. A cool breeze drifted through the open window, causing the curtains to flutter gently.
Kaguya was just drifting off to sleep when she felt someone lift the blanket and slip into her makeshift bed.
Instantly alert, Kaguya turned to push the intruder away, but her hand froze when she realized the person was completely naked. The soft, smooth sensation of bare skin against her hand was unmistakable.
The faint light of the moon filtered through the curtains, casting a glow on the intruder's face. It was none other than Tobiichi Origami.
Kaguya blinked in surprise. "You...?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Origami pressed a finger to Kaguya's lips, silencing her. At the same time, Origami's warm, supple body snuggled closer, pressing gently against Kaguya. Kaguya could even feel two small, firm points brushing against her chest.
"Don't say anything," Origami murmured softly, her face flushed with an uncharacteristic hint of embarrassment. "This is just my duty as your fiancée... Don't misunderstand."
With that, Origami leaned in, her delicate face inches from Kaguya's, and planted a soft kiss on her rosy lips.
Kaguya finally snapped back to reality. Who was she to refuse a lamb served up on a silver platter? She didn't hesitate any longer and wrapped her arms around Origami, pulling her close.
The night was long, and what followed was a storm of passion. As if on cue, a cloud drifted across the sky, obscuring the pale moonlight, and the room was swallowed by darkness.
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