Miyuki Asagami bowed repeatedly to Eriri, her tone full of urgency.
Although her feelings toward Kanzou Asagami weren't particularly deep, he was the only one who could save the Asagami family and her daughter now. So she had already made up her mind to remarry him.
The two had just come to this decision, and they were simply waiting for Fujino to return and inform her.
Now, Mayuki was pleading on behalf of her fiancé.
Seeing her mother bowing and scraping so humbly, Fujino felt a pang of sorrow and instinctively stepped forward to tug on Eriri's left hand.
"Eriri-nee..."
Though Fujino didn't finish her sentence, Eriri understood her meaning instantly.
Naturally, Eriri wouldn't ignore her request—especially since she hadn't intended to kill Kanzou Asagami in the first place. She only meant to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be screaming.
"Hmph, since our little Fujino is pleading on your behalf, I'll let you off this time."
With that, Eriri withdrew the energy restraining Kanzou. Without the external force holding him up, he dropped straight from the air and crashed to the ground, curling up and wailing in pain.
"Make sure you keep your eyes to yourself from now on. If I ever catch you looking at Fujino like that again, you know what'll happen."
"Y-Yes, I understand! I promise I'll treat Fujino as my own daughter from now on!"
Ignoring the pain racking his body, Kanzou bowed repeatedly to Eriri, terrified of angering her again.
Hearing his promise, Eriri waved her hand casually. "That won't be necessary. Fujino is no longer part of the Asagami family, and she certainly won't become part of the Asagami household. You're not worthy to call yourself her father."
Kanzou's expression changed immediately. While he was happy that Fujino wouldn't become his daughter, this also implied that Mayuki might not become his wife—something he couldn't accept.
While his motive for marrying Mayuki was partly to obtain the Asagami family's land, he truly loved her.
Years ago, both he and the Asagami family head, Hanefune Asakami, had fallen for Mayuki. But she had chosen Hazune, and since then, Kanzou had remained unmarried.
Now that Hazune was dead, he had rushed to find the woman he had never stopped loving.
Just as he was about to beg Eriri, Mayuki—her face also pale—spoke first.
"My lady, forgive my boldness, but may I ask what you mean by that?" she asked with a deep bow, her gentle face filled with concern.
Like Kanzou, she believed Eriri was planning to marry her and Fujino into some family.
Given a choice, she preferred someone familiar like Kanzou over a stranger.
"Hold on, aren't you misunderstanding something here?" Eriri looked at them in exasperation.
"You two really think too highly of yourselves. You think I care about your little domestic drama? If it weren't for Fujino, do you think I'd waste my time meeting with you at all?"
Faced with Eriri's scornful gaze, both Mayuki and Kanzou lowered their heads in embarrassment, unable to muster even a sliver of rebuttal.
But their awkwardness didn't last long, as Eriri's voice soon rang out again.
"As of over an hour ago, Fujino became a member of my family. Her name is now Fujino Sawamura—not Fujino Asagami anymore."
Eriri looked calmly at the somewhat dazed Miyuki Asagami, who had clearly been rattled by her earlier words.
"Remember, I'm not discussing this with you—I'm informing you. I came here to let you and your daughter say goodbye. While I won't stop Fujino from seeing you, some things need to be clearly stated."
Hearing this, the still-prone Kanzou let out a sigh of relief, a smile of gratitude spreading across his face.
As far as he was concerned, as long as Mayuki wasn't taken from him, everything was fine. He couldn't care less about what happened to Fujino.
Mayuki, however, didn't feel so relieved. Though she was glad she wouldn't be married off to a stranger, the cost was losing her only daughter.
But at this point, the decision was already made.
She could sense how much Fujino had changed—how much more vibrant she seemed—and it was clearly due to the excessively beautiful girl standing beside her.
From their interactions, it was also obvious that Fujino hadn't been coerced; she had chosen to become Eriri's family member entirely of her own will.
The thought left Mayuki with a heavy emptiness inside.
"Fujino, have you really made up your mind?" she asked, looking at her daughter with deep reluctance.
"Yes, I've decided." Fujino nodded without hesitation.
Mayuki fell silent for a few seconds, her gaze fixed on her daughter.
Then, after a long breath, she looked to Eriri.
"I heard Fujino call you by name. You are Eriri, aren't you?"
"That's right," Eriri replied openly. "Since you're Fujino's mother, I don't mind telling you. Listen carefully—my name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura."
Mayuki nodded quietly, her expression solemn.
"Lady Eriri, please take good care of Fujino."
She had accepted that letting her daughter live with Eriri might be the best decision—certainly better than Fujino continuing to suffer from her congenital insensitivity to pain.
Eriri looked her in the eye and said coolly, "You don't need to tell me that. I already intend to."
...
After letting Fujino say her goodbyes, Eriri didn't linger at the Asagami residence. She immediately brought Fujino back to Fuyuki, returning to Irisviel and the others.
Since it was already past 5 p.m., everyone had returned to the hotel and was no longer out exploring.
Eriri hadn't told them exactly what she was doing when she left—only that she had something to take care of.
So when she came back with an adorable new girl in tow, everyone was naturally curious.
Eriri gave them a brief explanation of Fujino's situation—specifically her condition, the congenital insensitivity to pain—but left out her tragic future.
Even so, what they heard was enough to stir sympathy and affection in the group.
Thanks to Eriri's introductions, Fujino learned that these six girls were now her new family. Relieved, she smiled with genuine happiness.
Time passed quickly. After dinner, it was already past 7 p.m.
But during their meal, something strange had occurred at the hotel.
What had once been a lively place had turned eerily quiet. Aside from Eriri and her companions, there seemed to be no other guests.
Even the hotel staff had vanished without a trace.
What's more, there wasn't a single pedestrian to be seen in the surrounding streets.
Eriri and the others were well aware of what was happening, but none of them paid it any mind.
At that moment, figures in a variety of outfits rapidly emerged from the shadows and began converging on the hotel's main entrance. In seconds, their numbers swelled to over a hundred.
Every one of them was a magus from one of the three major factions of the Mage's Association.
"Tch, that Kenneth is still too young. To think a Lord would be frightened by a little girl like that... Today, I will uncover the path to the Root. Even if I can't, that girl will still make a perfect research specimen."
Under the glow of the hotel entrance lights, the mages could be seen clearly. None were young—at the very least, they appeared middle-aged—and all of them possessed considerable magical power.
The one who had just spoken was an elderly man, well over seventy, whose magical energy far surpassed even that of a typical Servant.
None of the other mages refuted his words. In fact, some looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes, though greed quickly overshadowed any hesitation.
They had all come with the same goal. No one intended to give up the prize so easily—they had each prepared for their own plan to capture Eriri.
Beyond the mages, several members of the Holy Church dressed in black vestments were stationed farther out, watching from the shadows.
"What a bunch of ignorant fools," muttered Kirei Kotomine coldly, standing among the Church agents as he observed the gathering mages.
Having personally witnessed Eriri and her companions' strength, he knew this group wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
Elsewhere, concealed even deeper in the darkness, were several Dead Apostles watching silently, their intentions unclear.
Normally, mages of such power wouldn't work together due to their desire to monopolize the route to the Root. But to ensure success in their capture mission, they had temporarily formed an uneasy alliance.
Magical tools and relics began materializing around them, indicating they were moments away from launching their attack on the hotel.
Just then, a golden light erupted from the top floor of the hotel, forming a massive disk in the air.
Threads of golden particles, like woven fabric, cascaded from the perimeter of the disk, enveloping the group of mages below.
"What is this… an unknown barrier?"
"There's no trace of mana. How is this possible?"
The sudden change shocked the mages, freezing their advance.
Some stood dumbfounded. Others were intrigued by the transparent golden field surrounding them and began analyzing its composition.
Then, the golden disk above began to contract slowly, followed by the barrier encasing the hundred mages doing the same.
Their expressions shifted at once. No one knew what the barrier would do, but instinct told them it wasn't good.
Panic set in. Many began casting spells, trying to shatter the golden shell enclosing them.
Their attacks were utterly ineffective. They couldn't even cause a ripple.
Each spell vanished the moment it neared the barrier, as though it had been absorbed.
The Church members and Dead Apostles continued to observe from the perimeter, showing no signs of retreat. They seemed eager to witness what would happen once the barrier finished contracting.
Then something inside the barrier happened—something that changed their expressions instantly.
Some of the mages, upon realizing their spells had no effect, resorted to brute force—swinging their carefully trained fists at the barrier.
But the moment their fists touched the golden shell, they vanished without a trace.
Their attacks had met no resistance, as if striking empty air. This resulted in a powerful forward momentum.
That momentum carried their entire upper bodies into the barrier, and just like their hands, their torsos instantly disintegrated—leaving only the lower halves of their bodies standing eerily in place.
The horrific sight caused every magus to visibly recoil. This time, their reactions weren't curious or intrigued—they were terrified.
Even the old man who had spoken so confidently earlier now looked shaken.
"Everyone, stop! Don't act recklessly—do not touch that strange material. Regroup at the center, now!" he barked.
Once the shaken mages had pulled back from the barrier and gathered in the middle of the encircled area, the old man spoke again.
"We are all accomplished mages. If we work together, we can find a way to neutralize this bizarre phenomenon."
"Damn it, what the hell is this thing? Are you telling me that girl did this?!" a woman in her forties snapped, her tone venomous—but her fearful eyes betrayed the panic she tried to hide.
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