บท 485: Bringing Yoshino Home
Outside, the thunderous roar of artillery reverberated, shaking the entire building to its foundation. Dust trickled down from the ceiling, and the structure trembled as if on the verge of collapse.
Yoshino's small frame trembled, her pale, soft cheeks growing even paler, and her beautiful, large eyes were filled with panic, clearly still shaken from the recent fierce battle.
Kaguya frowned, turning her gaze outward, her sight penetrating through the dense steel and concrete. She saw that the sky above was filled with AST members, and even a few heavily armed mechs were present, bombarding the area. Bullets and shells rained down like a metal storm.
Debris scattered, smoke billowed, and the building was reduced to ruins almost instantly.
Although they were currently underground, such intense attacks would soon make even this reinforced shelter crumble.
Could they have found us?
Kaguya's brow furrowed slightly. That shouldn't be possible. I had already cloaked myself, hiding both my presence and heat signature. Even with modern technology, it shouldn't have been easy for them to detect us. Could they have some highly advanced detection equipment here?
But this was no time for idle thoughts—soon, this place would collapse, potentially burying them alive.
Of course, Kaguya wouldn't be the one to get buried alive; rather, it would be the little girl in front of her.
With a flick of her finger, Kaguya tore open the air, as though slicing through a sheet of paper. The tear revealed an abyssal darkness: her personal Amenominaka.
"Come, let's go," Kaguya said, reaching out her hand to Yoshino with a smile. "You're probably hungry, right? Staying hungry isn't good—come to my place and have something to eat."
Although her voice was soft, Kaguya had heard Yoshino's little stomach grumbling just moments ago.
Yoshino hesitated, her cheeks blushing as she looked at Kaguya's outstretched hand. She timidly shrank back, seemingly uncertain.
"Let's go, Yoshino!" urged Yoshinon. "I've been waiting forever for a feast! If we don't hurry, we might miss it!"
Who knows why a puppet would want a feast.
Hearing Yoshinon's words, Yoshino seemed to make up her mind. She timidly nodded, then reached out her small hand to grasp Kaguya's. Somehow, the warmth radiating from Kaguya's hand instantly soothed her, melting her fears like morning mist, and she felt an unexpected calm.
Seeing Yoshino's gesture, Kaguya gave her a gentle smile, holding her cool little hand as they stepped into the dark space.
At the entrance of the portal, Kaguya suddenly stopped, looking back with a wary glance, but found nothing.
Just now, she thought she had heard something—a seductive, magnetic laugh, alluring and inexplicably captivating.
"What is it?" Yoshinon asked curiously. "Did something happen?"
Kaguya turned back, smiling. "Nothing, I must've imagined it. Let's go and eat; I'm quite a good cook, you know."
"Oh? I'm really looking forward to it, then," Yoshinon said with a grin.
Even Yoshino's little face lit up with a hint of anticipation.
Once they had fully entered the portal, the black rift gradually closed, vanishing completely.
At that moment, a pool of thick, ink-like darkness appeared on the ground, from which a figure emerged. Smiling faintly, she murmured, "Interesting… I didn't expect to find such a Spirit here. How intriguing. But somehow, she seems familiar—where could I have seen her before?"
When they exited the portal, a verdant garden greeted them. The lush grass was dotted with a riot of colorful flowers, which swayed in the breeze, releasing a subtle fragrance. A small fountain and artificial rockery graced the center, with a murmuring stream flowing through, producing a tranquil melody. A winding path extended into the distance, flanked by dense trees whose leaves rustled softly in the gentle wind.
This was a location close to the AST headquarters, and Kaguya's assigned apartment was nearby. Although she hadn't yet visited, Kaguya had memorized its location earlier. It was situated to the east.
"Come on, let's go," Kaguya said with a smile, leading Yoshino by her small hand.
"Mm," Yoshino responded softly, following closely behind Kaguya like a little shadow.
After a short walk, they arrived before a tall building. This structure stood about five or six stories high, its exterior walls adorned with deep-colored glass, giving it a distinctly modern appearance. This was the apartment AST had assigned to Kaguya.
Naturally, the entire building wasn't Kaguya's to herself—she was only given one unit within it, though it looked quite decent.
Kaguya led Yoshino upstairs, unlocked the door with her key, and pushed it open.
From the outside, the apartment looked small, but once inside, it felt unexpectedly spacious. It was a three-bedroom unit, covering over a hundred square meters. The apartment was well-furnished, with everything from sofas, chairs, and a TV to a fridge and, of course, that essential, combat-power-enhancing item: an air conditioner. Everything appeared brand new, showing no signs of previous occupancy.
Compared to her former palace, this apartment was undoubtedly humble; even one of the palace's side rooms could outshine it. Yet Kaguya was already content—clean and organized was all she needed.
Looks like there's no computer here either… I'll have to go buy one later. Without a computer, I might as well be a salted fish.
"This place is pretty nice!" Yoshinon chirped happily. "Staying here wouldn't be bad at all—it's much better than where we were before."
"Oh? Where were you staying?" Kaguya asked curiously as she settled on the sofa, pulling Yoshino down beside her.
"Under bridges, in parks, construction sites, wherever there's nobody around," Yoshinon replied. "What choice do we have? Those people are always chasing us, so we just have to keep hiding."
"Really?" Kaguya's expression softened.
Yoshinon's words were light, but such a life was anything but easy. A lonely young girl, wandering the city without a friend, constantly on the run—that kind of oppressive life was something few could truly understand.
Kaguya moved around the room, busy organizing the furniture, appliances, and bedding. Although everything was already quite tidy, she still wanted to arrange things in her own style. Since it was a new place, some items were still wrapped in their protective dust covers, which she had to tear off.
Additionally, she wanted to prepare a room for Yoshino. Since she had taken in this little girl, she intended to treat her well—at the very least, she wouldn't let her continue wandering around aimlessly.
Meanwhile, Yoshinon sat on the sofa, curiously watching the television in the living room. Outside, she had usually just caught glimpses of the big screens in plazas or quietly snuck into malls to watch the displays. Once, she'd even been mistaken for a thief and chased by the police, which had even attracted the AST team . After that incident, she'd never dared to try it again.
Now, she could finally sit in peace and watch TV, and this unexpected feeling of warmth and comfort made her large eyes glisten with unshed tears.
"All done! I've prepared your room so you can rest there anytime," Kaguya said as she walked in from the other room. Noticing Yoshino's expression, she paused. "What's the matter? Is there something here that's making you uncomfortable?"
"N-No, it's nothing." Yoshino hurriedly wiped her eyes, her cheeks blushing faintly.
"This is all your fault," Yoshinon suddenly piped up from the side.
"Huh?" Kaguya asked, a bit confused. "What did I do?"
"Hmph! You promised a big meal, but now there's nothing at all," Yoshinon huffed. "Of course, she'd be upset."
"Sorry about that," Kaguya said sheepishly, scratching her head. "I got so caught up organizing things that I completely forgot. I'll head to the market to get some groceries right away."
Since the apartment was brand new, the fridge was empty, and she'd need to go shopping before they could have a meal.
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and a silver-haired girl walked in. Upon seeing Kaguya, she paused. It was Origami Tobiichi.
"I saw you earlier," Origami said seriously. "I don't recommend getting involved with unknown Spirits like that—it could risk exposing your identity. And you can't be sure whether they'll be friendly."
In the recent battle, Origami had instantly recognized the silver-haired girl in the fox mask as Kaguya, despite the different outfit. Not wanting to engage in a fight with her, Origami had subtly distanced herself from the battlefield and only showed up after the fighting had ended. In doing so, she'd left her captain behind without realizing it—a perfect example of "throwing your teammates under the bus."
"My apologies," Kaguya replied, sounding slightly regretful. "But rest assured, they're not really a match for me."
"Regardless, I'd rather you didn't show up in situations like that, especially since AST headquarters has recently—" Origami suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her gaze shifting past Kaguya's shoulder.
From behind Kaguya, a small head had peeked out, watching Origami with wide eyes. Upon being noticed, she quickly shrank back.
Origami immediately stepped back, swiftly drawing a pistol and aiming it at Yoshino behind Kaguya, adopting a combat stance. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "The Spirit known as Hermit."
"Relax, she's no threat," Kaguya quickly stepped in, putting herself between Origami and Yoshino. "She may be a Spirit, but she's never intended to harm anyone, so there's no need to worry."
Though Kaguya said this, Origami didn't let her guard down, still staring intently at Yoshino, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.
"Trust me, it's fine. If you're concerned about her being a Spirit, then I'm a Spirit, too. You wouldn't raise your weapon against me, would you?" Kaguya asked.
"No, you're different," Origami replied flatly.
"How am I different?" Kaguya persisted. "I'm still a Spirit."
"You're just… not like them," Origami insisted.
"Anyway, there's nothing to worry about. She won't attack anyone," Kaguya assured her, gently taking the pistol from Origami's hand. She turned and smiled at Yoshino. "Right, Yoshino?"
Yoshino poked her head out from behind Kaguya and gave a timid nod.
"What is going on here?" Origami's brow furrowed, her gaze suspicious. "Have you… fallen under her charms? I didn't expect you to have such… inclinations."
"'Charms'? 'Inclinations'?" Kaguya was taken aback. "She's so young—how could that even be possible?"
At most, Yoshino appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old, fourteen at most. Even if Kaguya had a fondness for lolis, taking it that far would be unthinkably monstrous.
"So, if she were older, you'd be open to it?" Origami instantly pounced on Kaguya's slip, her eyes narrowing as she stared intensely at her.
Hearing Origami's words, Kaguya involuntarily imagined Yoshino grown up, her long, silky hair, her refined features—she was already so lovely, and grown-up, she'd surely be stunning.
Seeing Kaguya's expression, Origami's frown deepened. "So, you really have fallen for her charms. Don't worry—I'll find a way to free you from her influence."
"Sorry, but it looks like she's just not interested in you," Yoshinon suddenly chimed in.
"What?" Origami turned her gaze sharply toward Yoshinon.
"Oh, sorry about that," Yoshinon said with a mischievous grin. "It's nothing you did wrong—it's just that Yoshino's charm is overwhelming, and no one can resist it."
"You're lying," Origami replied in her usual calm tone.
"She abandoned you to come see Yoshino. Isn't that proof enough?" Yoshinon added, fanning the flames further.
"I absolutely will not allow this," Origami said, her face blank but clearly agitated as she pulled out another pistol with a flick of her wrist.
"Hey, are you seriously taking a puppet's words to heart?" Kaguya quickly intervened, lowering Origami's gun before turning to Yoshinon. "And you should quit it, or there'll be no dinner."
Kaguya sighed, feeling an unexpected sense of a brewing love triangle showdown.
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