Hayasaka Ai Meets Avrora

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"...?"

Yukina blinked in confusion, staring at Endou with a look that practically had a big question mark floating over her head.

Question: "Since when did I willingly offer myself to Lord Lynn out of gratitude?"

Answer: Nah—she'd been tricked into it! FOR REAL.

Yukina puffed up her cheeks in frustration.

Now that some time had passed, she had finally had the chance to think it over more clearly. Back then, she was too desperate to save Sayaka to notice anything off—but looking back now?

It was full of flags! 

Lynn was on a completely different level. What could a mere apprentice like her possibly offer that would matter to someone like him?

The whole "honey trap" thing? Total BS!

If Sayaka really had been captured, shouldn't that have been something the Lion King Organization's top brass handled? Why was it dumped on her, a literal rookie?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

And ever since she'd joined Lynn's Familia, Yukina had started piecing together the real reason Sayaka had been taken in the first place.

So basically, Lion King Organization had used her as a bargaining chip—trying to smooth things over with Lynn by handing her over under false pretenses.

And even her beloved mentor? She'd been in on it too.

Once Yukina put the pieces together, she felt like her whole world had collapsed.

Granted.

The outcome hadn't been bad. Actually, joining Lynn's Familia had probably been the greatest thing to ever happen to her.

But still, what the Organization and her mentor had done? That wasn't something she could just brush aside.

Yukina stayed quiet, lips pressed into a tight line as she stared at Endou. She didn't say anything—but in her heart, a new idea had started to take root.

She was going to bring the entire Lion King Organization into the Familia.

Yeah. That's it.

Just like her mentor had done to her.

— — —

On the other side of the room—

Even though Yukina hadn't said a word, her expression said plenty.

Seeing that, Minamiya Natsuki narrowed her eyes.

"…Heh."

A low chuckle escaped her lips.

"So the Lion King is just another shady organization after all."

"Hey now! Careful with the slander," Endou huffed, clearly annoyed. "We could sue you for that!"

Natsuki didn't even blink at the mock threat.

Meanwhile, Lynn had been quietly watching the exchange with mild amusement. Eventually, he turned and asked:

"So, Natsuki-chan, what brings you here?"

"Ah—" Natsuki paused, then waved her phone at him. "Picked up a job."

Lynn instantly got the gist.

A side gig, huh?

Back before he'd risen to power, Lynn had often done business with Natsuki like this.

But this time… her "job" seemed to be connected to Gozo Island?

His instincts told him someone was deliberately pulling her into all this. Was it also related to the Fourth Primogenitor?

If he remembered right, Natsuki had come to Gozo Island in the original story too. But that had been under a request from Dimitrie Vatler.

And since Lynn had already turned Vatler into air molecules, why was Natsuki still here?

Shaking his head, Lynn decided to stop overthinking it.

Right now, the priority was giving Avrora her Blessing.

With that in mind—

A soft hum filled the air as a black magic circle expanded from beneath Lynn's feet, spreading across the icy ground.

"Wait, please!"

A sudden voice rang out—Liana Caruana.

Lynn glanced over at her, expression calm and unreadable.

The moment her eyes met his deep wine-red gaze, Liana's breath caught in her throat. It felt like an invisible hand had clamped down on her heart.

But still, she looked over at Avrora, then clenched her jaw and forced herself to speak up.

"Please… please let me follow you!"

She hadn't come all this way for nothing.

She was here for the Fourth Primogenitor. But now? That soul was gone—Lynn had done something with it. And the vessel—Avrora, the twelfth Kaleid Blood—was going with him.

So if she didn't act now, she'd be left with nothing.

At the very least, if she stayed close to the twelfth vessel, she might still get a lead on the Primogenitor's soul.

Taking a deep breath, Liana bowed deeply, voice earnest and full of determination.

"I beg you!"

Lynn didn't respond.

He simply turned to Endou and said calmly, "I'll leave the rest of the vessels to you."

"You can count on me!" Endou stood tall and gave a serious nod.

The next moment— Lynn vanished with Avrora in tow, the magic circle disappearing with them.

Once they were gone, Endou finally let out a long breath.

"...Hey," she said suddenly, turning to Yukina. "Why didn't we just hitch a ride with them?"

Teleportation magic was super common among Devils, sure—but it was still rare among other factions.

That's why someone like the "Witch of the Void," Minamiya Natsuki, was such a big name in the human world.

Natsuki gave a mocking snort, folding her arms.

"Hmph. So the Lion King Organization's already been completely domesticated by Devils, huh?"

Endou didn't respond.

When you were dealing with someone like Lynn, playing it cautious was just smart survival instinct.

...

Meanwhile—

Liana stood there, disappointed.

No reply...

Did that mean she was rejected?

Her legs wobbled a bit, heart sinking—but she quickly steadied herself.

She couldn't give up here.

Taking a moment to recompose herself, Liana looked toward the people who clearly had a close relationship with Lynn—Endou, Natsuki, and the others.

"Could… could one of you tell me where that man lives?"

At her question, the entire underground tomb fell silent.

Natsuki and Endou exchanged glances.

Yeah… they were all thinking the same thing.

(Another one walking right into the net.)

Before either of them could answer, Yukina's voice cut in.

"Tokyo. Shuchiin Academy."

She gave the address quietly, almost like she was reciting something from memory.

Natsuki and Endou both looked at her in surprise.

Yukina turned her head away, not meeting their eyes.

"Recruiting new talent for the Familia is part of the job too," she thought to herself.

---

Back at Lynn's residence—

A magic circle shimmered into existence, and Lynn and Avrora materialized in the center of the room.

"Urgh…"

Avrora groaned softly.

After being dormant for so long, the feeling of moving through space made her feel queasy.

She wobbled a little, trying to clear her head, and blinked as she curiously took in her surroundings.

"…It's huge…" she murmured, clutching at Lynn's sleeve for comfort.

The unfamiliar place made her feel uneasy.

Just then—

Hayasaka Ai stepped forward, hands neatly folded in front of her stomach. She gave a small, graceful bow.

"Welcome home, Lord Lynn," she said gently.

"Would you like to take a bath first? Or eat something? Or perhaps…"

She paused, eyes drifting downward for a second. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she bit her lip and murmured: "...Would you rather eat me firs…?"

But before she could finish that sentence—Avrora suddenly chimed in.

"Let's eat first!"

Hayasaka blinked.

"…???"

She slowly turned her head to stare silently at Avrora.

Who the hell are you?

.

.

.

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C/N: Yo~ I've posted all the filler chapters, so the story can finally get back on track. Hopefully things will be better from here!

PS: Drop your stones to support the book

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{Support me and read advanced chapters at👉 patreon.com/_Coreal }