Chapter 146: Kujō Mien: “Mom!”
Was it out of interest?
Hearing this, looking at the god, who was as magnificent as the stars in her mind, her red pupils flashing, as if the sun were emitting brilliant flares…
An endless power permeated her body. A single wisp could destroy her mind at any moment.
But the merciful god did not exert any pressure, but spoke to her with a gentle gaze and a soft voice.
More like a mother than a god…
This was a feeling she had never had before.
Because since she was born, both her parents had died. It was that uncle who had raised her.
And that uncle, twenty years ago, had also been replaced by another person whose name she didn’t know. Now he had entered the upper echelons of the family and was constantly brainwashing her.
【Everything is for the family, for the conglomerate】
However, because she knew the whole story, those brainwashings had no effect.
In her view, the Kujō family was also a representative of extreme selfishness. That vast wealth was controlled by a small group of individuals in the family with the so-called blood ability.
And more people only enjoyed the few grains of sand that flowed through their fingers.
Even she, a branch of the blood ability, was no different from those grains of sand. Her current strength and resources were all hard-earned by herself.
From a young age, she had understood the cruelty of the Kujō family.
But she had to be tactful and thorough. She, who was weak, was helpless against this cruelty. She could only use this flexible and charming, occasionally a little playful, personality to confuse everyone.
And survive until now.
So, this god…
Kujō Mien raised her wine-red beautiful eyes and looked at the huge eyes that were as dazzling as the red sun, feeling only a ruthless warmth.
—This feeling reminded her of a very young age, as if she were still in her mother’s arms.
Even if there was no price.
But just for this kindness, she wanted to give her all.
And if it was to escape from the Kujō family and live a real life, then she would be indebted to this god.
No more doubts.
Kujō Mien slowly knelt down. She lowered her head piously.
“I’ve never believed that there’s anything in the world that doesn’t have a price. If there’s a price, then it should be paid with wealth. This is what the Kujō family has taught me.”
“To me, wealth is my life.”
“This wealth is insignificant to you.”
“But when I saw your eyes, saw your love for a humble me…”
At this, Kujō Mien paused, and she continued,
“I am at your command.”
“And I, who am humble, am willing to be your servant, to be your dog, to do everything you want me to do at this moment.”
—Just for that kindness.
“Please tell me your name.”
Kujō Mien placed herself in an extremely low position. In her heart, the Kujō family was just a group of people with a higher status, who would despise those below them.
Even Kujō Kōta, whom she often teased, didn’t care, but in reality, it was just because he didn’t see her as an equal.
The so-called blood food she had snatched, for him, was just a drop in the ocean.
And this god, whose power was so disparate from hers, was still so gentle.
Even if she were to be under this god, as a servant, as a dog, it would be a thousand times, ten thousand times better than being a vessel for someone else in the Kujō family.
She just wanted to be looked at with such eyes.
“Oh?”
A ripple appeared in the ancient, red-sun-like gaze.
Natsuba Hanae was a little surprised by Kujō Mien’s actions. She hadn’t expected her to submit so easily.
And because she was currently in her soul, she could also clearly feel her emotions, which were not false, but extremely sincere.
She had thought things would be more complicated, but she hadn’t expected it to be so simple.
However, such a good seedling, to be a servant, a dog, was too much of a pity.
Although she was already twenty-four, and her supernatural ability level was only high B-rank, this qualification, among all her daughters, was the worst.
But Natsuba Hanae had already carefully identified this body.
High B-rank was almost the highest level this body, this branch of the blood ability, could reach.
The potential of the branch of the blood ability had been completely unearthed, and even her physical strength had been trained to the extreme.
And the threshold of peak B-rank was faintly loosening.
Normally, this level of supernatural ability qualification would never be able to reach peak B-rank.
But it had been broken through by Kujō Mien. It probably wouldn’t be long before she reached this realm, but that would be it.
What truly caught her eye…
Was her combat awareness, which was more outstanding than all her daughters. Even compared to Natsuba Rinrei, who had a similar growth trajectory, she was superior.
Such a combat genius, to be bound by the qualification of a branch of the blood ability, was too much of a pity.
And when Natsuba Hanae sensed her heart’s fluctuations, a sense of motherly love arose.
However…
A strange light appeared in the red sun.
To make Kujō Mien work harder, she didn’t need to promise any benefits. She would just paint a big picture that could be realized.
Thinking of this…
A warm and magnificent voice echoed in Kujō Mien’s heart, shaking her soul.
“My name…”
“—Master of Summer Harvest Mountain.”
In an instant, the words “Master of Summer Harvest Mountain,” like a hammer, struck heavily in Kujō Mien’s heart.
Her eyes were filled with astonishment.
This name was truly thunderous.
Now, the Kujō and Natsuba conglomerates were working together, wasn’t it to destroy Summer Harvest Mountain?
But to say it was to destroy, look at what they were doing now…
A group of big men, A-rank and peak B-rank, were ganging up on a peak B-rank girl from Summer Harvest Mountain.
They didn’t even dare to declare war openly and directly attack the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain.
However, Kujō Mien, seeing the god-like Master of Summer Harvest Mountain now, could also understand why the Kujō and Natsuba conglomerates were doing this.
And then, the being known as the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain spoke again,
“I don’t need servants, I don’t need dogs.”
Hearing this, Kujō Mien’s gradually warming heart instantly turned ice-cold.
Her wine-red beautiful eyes dimmed.
Had she even lost the qualification to be a servant of the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain, to be a dog of the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain?
Indeed, with the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain’s so powerful strength…
And the people she took in were all geniuses like Natsuba Rinrei, and the golden bird-masked girl who had appeared during the crimson vertical pupil incident.
At an extremely young age, they had reached peak B-rank, and A-rank was just around the corner.
And not a piece of trash like her, whose peak was B-rank, and who could never step into A-rank in her entire life.
However, just as Kujō Mien was thinking this…
The warm words warmed her heart again.
“I admire your heart.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll achieve if I give you the power to continue forward.”
“You will no longer be a servant, a dog.”
“To live as a vessel for others, but to exist as my subordinate, my daughter, my family.”
“The stage is about to be set.”
“Try and let me see your choice.”
With that, Natsuba Hanae looked at the transparent screen that appeared before her, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
[Vampire Template]
This was the new template that had appeared when Chikari Makoto’s affection value had reached one hundred.
Then, the transparent screen flashed repeatedly.
[Conditions met:]
[Kujō Mien desires to be your daughter]
[Kujō Mien’s affection value for you has reached eighty-four]
[Kujō Mien possesses a blood ability (branch). The template will overwrite her own ability. Bestow?]
[Yes/No]
There was no need to hesitate about overwriting an ability with a template.
Unlike her other daughters, the blood ability (branch) was a shackle for the current Kujō Mien.
“Yes.”
With that, a ball of blood-red, with a dense, bloody smell, floated out from Natsuba Hanae’s divine body.
Kujō Mien could feel the surging power within it.
That power seemed to have a similar feeling to a blood ability, but it was more advanced than a blood ability.
In fact, because of this power, her blood, which was a branch of the blood ability, was now trembling.
However, in the next moment…
The Master of Summer Harvest Mountain’s figure suddenly disappeared.
Just as Kujō Mien was startled, thinking that the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain had abandoned her, the blood-red light, like a dream bubble, instantly shattered and transformed into an endless stream of light, which poured into her soul.
Then, it began to act on her body.
She could feel that her blood ability (branch) was disappearing, and the upper limit of her ability was also disappearing!
Something completely different, something higher than a blood ability, replaced her original ability.
The path from high B-rank to peak B-rank was loosened.
But then, a sharp pain of an ability being overwritten suddenly struck every corner of her body. The pain was even in her soul, like having her blood replaced.
But a relieved smile appeared on her lips.
Pain and pleasure.
Although the Master of Summer Harvest Mountain had left, she had not abandoned her, but had given her a new power.
This was clearly a proof of recognition.
And she…
—Would never disappoint her mother!
In the next moment, Kujō Mien suddenly opened her crimson, sparkling beautiful eyes. Her blood boiled like lava, and her aura instantly surged.
She advanced to peak B-rank.
The aura that rose in that instant actually made the blood of Kujō Sujin, who was in front of her, stop flowing for a moment, as if under this pressure.
But immediately, Kujō Mien quickly restrained this unusual aura.
And because it had only lasted for a moment, Kujō Sujin also thought it was a trick of Kamishiro Naraku, who was probably absorbing the blood he had obtained before, so he didn’t think much of it.
However, Kujō Sujin could feel Kujō Mien’s promotion just now.
He looked at Kujō Mien, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. He praised,
“Very good, Mien is undoubtedly an outstanding member of the younger generation of the Kujō family. Her future is limitless. She will surely make a great contribution to the Kujō family in the future.”
Hearing this, a surge of anger rose in Kujō Mien’s heart.
A limitless future?
At that time, would it really be “her” limitless future?
Make a great contribution?
Was it the contribution of a successful grafting, providing the Kujō family with an excellent combination of combat awareness and a blood ability? At that time, her consciousness would probably be completely consumed.
And on the surface, Kujō Mien was already quite proficient in the corporate culture of Summer Harvest Mountain. She had a sweet smile on her face and said with a charming voice,
“Oh my!”
“Uncle Sujin, I will definitely make a super big contribution.”
“At that time, you must give me a lot of supernatural materials~”
To destroy the Kujō family, to make such a big contribution to the world, was this contribution big enough?
As for the materials…
At that time, after destroying the Kujō family, she would just take them herself.
To be an enemy of Summer Harvest Mountain, the Kujō family would not have a good end.
In Kujō Mien’s heart, she already had a considerable sense of identification with Summer Harvest Mountain. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have directly produced eighty-four points of affection value for Natsuba Hanae.
This affection value was even higher than Kamishiro Hime’s initial affection value.
However, it was also related to her direct contact with Natsuba Hanae. And compared to the warmth she had received in her childhood, Kujō Mien had had even less, so she was even more deeply attached to Natsuba Hanae’s gentleness.
Honestly, facing this old geezer Kujō Sujin, she wanted to do him in right now.
And also, should she go and help Natsuba Rinrei? According to the information, she was a member of Summer Harvest Mountain, which was why she was in this situation.
But her mother hadn’t given her any instructions just now. Clearly, her time to act had not yet come.
She was probably a secret pawn.
To expose her identity now was undoubtedly not in Summer Harvest Mountain’s interest.
Moreover, her mother, who had appeared in her soul just now, also showed that although she hadn’t come here now, she was also observing this location from another perspective.
As long as her mother didn’t show herself, it meant that everything was still under Natsuba Rinrei’s control.
But…
Wasn’t Natsuba Rinrei being beaten and at a disadvantage now?
Although Natsuba Taiga currently couldn’t completely suppress her, it was only a matter of time before he defeated her.
As Kujō Mien was thinking…
Natsuba Taiga also sensed Natsuba Rinrei’s tenacity. Normally, after such a blow, the “Red Dragon” ability would have been unable to continue fighting.
The “Red Dragon,” as an extremely dangerous ability, had enhancements to fire, strength, speed, and other physical aspects.
But she had never heard of such resilience.
Sensing that her power was depleting a bit quickly, and that she might not be able to deliver a fatal blow to Natsuba Rinrei at that time…
Natsuba Taiga used a classic villain move.
“Rōichi!”
“What are you waiting for?! Come and join me!”
He shamelessly chose to gang up on her.
Not only that, but he also gave a discreet glance to Kimura Sakura. And Kimura Sakura, after receiving the message, quickly said,
“Rinrei, Kyōkotsu Rōichi is also joining in! I’ll help you!”
