MMMS 66

Late that same night, Tokyo. The Sajyou family mansion.

While the temperature outside had dropped below freezing, the bathroom felt like a warm spring day.

Manaka Sajyou lounged in the bathtub, her skin glowing softly in the steamy air. The modest bathroom seemed to transform around her, becoming a little paradise separate from the outside world.

This untouched maiden possessed a beauty and grace that would make any flower jealous.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm~ Hmm-hmm-hmm~ Hmm~"

She hummed happily to herself, surrounded by bubbles. Her eyes drifted half-closed as sweet memories played through her mind. Moments with her beloved child, right here in this very tub. A delicate pink flush spread across her perfect cheeks.

Her voice, as mesmerizing as a siren's call, stopped mid-note.

"So, why are you here instead of staying by that child's side? Did Ryuuto send you back?"

A bird's silhouette had appeared beyond the frosted glass door. It let out a frantic "coo-coo-coo," flapping and pacing nervously on the bathroom floor outside.

"Watch what you're saying, you dead pigeon." Manaka's eyebrow arched, her face cooling with displeasure. "Make another stupid joke like that, and I'll drag you to my father's workshop as his next black magic sacrifice."

Her cold words sent the gray pigeon into a fit of trembling.

"Coo, coo-coo!"

Its wings beat frantically against the air as if to say sorry.

"Then explain yourself. Why do you think my child is in danger?" The pigeon's message had clearly struck a raw nerve with her.

"Coo-coo, coo... coo-coo-coo-coo!" The tiny bird opened its beak, chirping in what seemed like a desperate rush of information.

"I see... so that's what happened." Manaka sank deeper into the tub, letting the white soap bubbles kiss her chin.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Gurgle, gurgle.

If the pigeon was telling the truth, things were taking a worrisome turn. For Ryuuto, as he was now, this was undoubtedly a highly dangerous situation.

"I'm not going to Fuyuki." Manaka shifted in the warm water, bubbles clinging to her shoulders as she spoke to the gray pigeon fidgeting outside the bathroom door. She'd thought it over carefully. "That child has such strong pride. He's always hated being protected by his mother."

A soft smile played at her lips. "Even now, he still believes he's stronger than me and takes pride in that fact."

She giggled, the sound echoing off the bathroom tiles. "Isn't that just adorable?"

Three years ago in Tokyo, Manaka's body had broken down completely before Ryuuto revived her. Through that revival, she became more than just a Root Princess. She gained access to the [Potnia Theron: Monster Princess] Skill, along with [Gomorrah's Blaze: Burning Holy City] and [Sodom's Fall: Holy City's Fall].

The raw power she now wielded dwarfed anything Ryuuto could muster. But she'd never told him. Not because she feared he'd be jealous, no. Learning the truth would shatter his heart, not from discovering his mother had surpassed him, but from realizing he could no longer be her protector.

Such a gentle child. Such a sweet child. Mm... how she adored this child of hers.

"...Mm." Her cheeks flushed deeper than rose petals, the warmth spreading to her ears. "So I'll keep playing the princess who needs his protection."

Her pale blue eyes shimmered as she sank deeper into the bubbles, water lapping at her collarbone.

Since that day three years ago, Manaka had chosen to live for him and him alone. She'd sworn to protect his dreams, to make every wish of his come true. And to keep that promise, the Root Princess had willingly locked away her overwhelming power.

Even if it cost her life, she'd accept it gladly. Until the day Ryuuto's strength finally surpassed her own, Manaka would never tap into the power of her beloved child that now pulsed within her.

"But if he gets hurt because of this, it would all be meaningless." Manaka touched her fingertips to her lips, genuinely worried. "I'd never forgive myself."

She sank lower in the warm water, bubbles shifting around her shoulders. "As his supposedly weak and fragile mother, what can I possibly do for that child?"

…

Night enveloped Einzbern Castle in darkness. Fanatic stumbled through the ancient corridors, dragging her legs as though they were filled with lead weights. Earlier, she’d managed to run, but now she could barely move, dragging herself along by pressing against the cold stone walls.

What a joke she'd become. An enemy had attacked her from behind—a rookie mistake that might have been prevented if she hadn't grown so complacent. For twenty-four hours, she'd been cursing herself. A few compliments from her master, and she'd gotten cocky. She hadn't improved at all from who she used to be.

This second chance at life her master had given her was slipping away. Stories told how many cult leaders had seen the founder—the Old Man of the Mountain—right before dying. Some had their heads taken for breaking doctrine; others died peacefully under the founder’s watchful gaze.

But Fanatic wasn't a Hassan. She was just some stupid girl who never made it to leader in her first life. Someone like her couldn't hope to see the founder. Back then, she'd lived and died as nobody, never once thinking about who she might see before everything went dark.

Things were different now. Despite being ambushed, her stomach ripped open, her magical energy cut off—Fanatic should've already faded from existence. Yet she clung to life for one reason: before death claimed her, she needed to see the person who had given her life its only real meaning.

This obsession had become her own weird kind of immortality. She needed to tell the fallen angel—the one who'd given her both tender caresses and harsh lessons—the true identity of the enemy hiding in the shadows.

"...Haah...haah...haah..." After dragging herself through endless hallways, Fanatic finally felt her master's presence nearby.

He was behind this door. Heart racing with desperate anticipation, she yanked open the massive bedroom doors.

Her sight had gone colorless a day ago, but even in the absolute darkness ahead, she could make out that face she knew so well. The angel was in bed sharing blankets with two women, his arms wrapped around someone she didn't recognize, his face peaceful in sleep.

"Phew." A long breath escaped her lips. Though her Spiritual Core had shattered beyond repair, seeing her master's face sent a rush through what remained of her heart.

With her master's face now etched into her fading consciousness, her one wish had been granted. Only her mission remained incomplete. She just needed to tell him who the enemy really was.

She crept toward the bed and reached out, planning to wake Ryuuto with a touch to his cheek.

She knew touching him first was absolutely forbidden. But Fanatic was sure that if it was her master, he'd forgive this one rule-breaking moment with nothing more than an angry glare.

"Master... ugh." Just as her pale fingers hovered a breath away from the boy's cheek, Fanatic's mouth filled with blood that spilled past her lips.

A slim hand had silently punched through the assassin's chest from behind.

"He's not going to wake up, you know? He's already wrapped around my finger. But honestly, having to do this kind of thing is such a pain."

That voice—sultry and hypnotic—belonged to her previous attacker. No wonder no one had chased her tonight—this bitch had been waiting here the whole time.

"...Cough, cough." Fanatic didn't try to fight back. She didn't even bother looking at the hand that had destroyed her Spiritual Core.

She just kept reaching forward, slowly, desperately, stretching as far as she could. Finally, her fingertips grazed Ryuuto's skin. "Master... please... you must... win..."

As she felt the warmth of the boy's cheek and his soft breath against her hand, Fanatic's lips curled into a satisfied smile. Then she crumpled silently to the floor beside the bed, the light fading from her amber eyes.

"Seriously, if you'd just died when I tried to kill you the first time, you wouldn't have suffered... What should I do with such a stubborn little pawn?" The figure slipped into the room and locked the door, her voice tinged with wicked delight. "...Oh, I just thought of something fun."