By the time Alice emerged from the Spiritual Domain and stepped onto the porch, she was welcomed by Momo's perplexed face.
The fox girl couldn't believe her eyes upon witnessing Alice in her adult form.
"A-Alice? Is this really you?!" Momo couldn't stop looking at Alice's curvaceous figure in a tight red dress.
Alice withdrew her scythe, turning it into its ring form. She spread her arms wide to accept Momo's hug. "But of course! It is I; Alice Nightflame the First!"
"How I missed you, Alice!" Momo skipped away right into Alice's hug. They stayed like that for a minute or so. Momo eventually peeled her person away from Alice. "How did you… No, more importantly, what Lady Hanako did to you?"
"Urgh, it's a long story, but Lady Hanako used her Spiritual Domain to accelerate my growth, and she kinda half torture me in order to break my limitations."
"She did what?!" Momo grabbed Alice's shoulders firmly. "Do you feel any anomaly in your body or anything uncommon?"
"Not that I know of, I feel perfectly fine and my body is filled with profound power. Damn! Lady Hanako used her Spiritual Domain right off the bat! I thought I was a goner when she used sword skills! It was horrifying, I was trapped in a literal hell for five years! But, I managed to defeat her clone though."
Momo's legs were wobbly, almost turned into jello. As far as she was aware, nobody in the Beastkind Kingdom survived after they saw a glimpse of her blade. Even her Shadow Clone was powerful enough to solo a C Rank Dungeon like walking in the park.
"Thank god you are okay, Alice." Momo hugged her close friend tightly. "Ah, right, where's Lady Hanako?"
Alice asked the same thing in her mind. She went back to double check if Lady Hanako had exited the domain but she found nobody in the living room. Instead, Alice found a beautiful two tailed white cat strode calmly on all four.
"Eh? A cat? Where did it come from? Awwww, it's so cute! C'mere, kitty kitty." Alice let her intrusive thoughts win, approaching the cat slowly as she wanted to cradle the cat in her arms.
"Wait, Alice, that's not a cat! She is…"
However, Alice wouldn't listen and tried to chase the cat. It refused to be handled, evading Alice's chase agilely, jumped onto Alice's forehead and left a deep scratch on it. Thanks to her innate regeneration, the scratched skin was healed instantly, but the pain strangely still remained.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Alice writhed on the floor from the stinging pain on her forehead.
"... She is Lady Hanako's true beast form."
"Aw, you should've told me sooner, Momo!"
"I tried to, but you were so eager to cradle her." Momo shook her forehead while holding it.
"Impertinent brat. You are one hundred thousand years too early to even land a finger on my fur." Lady Hanako quipped, grooming her fur calmly.
Alice almost jumped out of her skin when the cat actually spoke in Common Language.
"Woah! It talked!"
"Why are you surprised? Talking beasts are not that rare in the Azgaar Continent. During my youth, at least."
Alice was perplexed, "but, how?"
Lady Hanako yawned wide, and replied while licking her paw. "Are you really asking me after what I did for you?"
Alice eventually understood that Lady Hanako had used up her In-Yo energy to train Alice inside her Spiritual Domain.
'Hmm, so basically, the cat lady is in her battery saving mode?'
"I am terribly sorry, master." Alice bowed. "Is there anything I can do to help you regain your energy? You know, I have dozens of High-grade Elemental Mana Stones! Just say the number, and I will bring them here!"
"I appreciate your consideration but no thank you. In-Yo energy is not something that you can absorb from Mana Stones. This type of energy is far older than Mana. It's the Progenitor of life itself. Let me be, and I should regain my lost energy in a week or so by meditation."
"Hmm." Alice sighed dejectedly, sincerely concerned. "Okay, then…"
Lady Hanako turned away, heading to her bedroom. "Why don't you clean up yourself? There is a spare yukata that you can use in my closet. Momo, show her how to wear it."
Momo's face brightened up as she imagined Alice's appearance in a yukata. However, Alice was unsure whether to wear a yukata or not since she has the thing between her legs.
'It would definitely make a bump on my crotch.' Alice thought inwardly.
"What's wrong, Alice?" Momo inquired.
"Err… Momo, you know… A Yukata is too tight, don't you think? Especially below my waists." Alice smiled wryly.
"It's going to be alright. I know just the trick to hide it. Fufufu~"
Alice was ushered to the changing room while Momo was preparing the bathing pool. She went to the master bathroom while wearing white towel wrapped around her body.
To her surprise, Lady Hanako had built a hot spring pool in her bathroom. The water was generated by a combination of two Magic Arrays. The interior was mostly constructed from hard wood, the pool was not too big or too small, perfect for a couple to relax and enjoy the steamy bath.
"Ta da! The bath is ready!"
"Wow, I didn't know that Lady Hanako has fine taste in interior design."
Alice tested the temperature by touching the water with her toe. She eventually sunk her feet one after another and sat down to let her body submerged till her jawlines.
Nothing beats a nice soak in a hot spring after literal years of fighting inside Lady Hanako's Spiritual Domain. Alice moaned softly as the warmth seeped into her skin and bones.
Not long after, Momo strode out and returned to the bathroom, wearing nothing but a short, skimpy towel that barely covered her bottoms and tits.
"Mind if I join you?" Momo said, smiling impishly.
Alice reciprocated by moving aside slightly. "Yes, please. Be my guest."
Momo plunged her person without hesitation, she immediately cuddled Alice's left arm.
"Alice! Hehehe!"
"You seem very happy today."
"How could I not? I am with my beloved person after all."
Alice smiled, she brought Momo's face closer, and opted to kiss her lips softly. Momo's eyes rounded widely, completely taken aback by Alice's bold moves.
"Alice… That was my first kiss." Momo's eyes were glossy, inviting the young demoness to an intimate kiss.
Before they knew it, Alice's hands were already exploring Momo's curvaceous body. Likewise, Momo also became bolder, she eventually ran her fingers downward, searching for Alice's cock.
"Wait… We can't do that just yet. I haven't yet completed my Coming-of-age Ceremony. Let's save it for the right time and place."
"I understand, Alice. I will patiently wait, fufu." Momo rested her head against Alice's shoulder. She opted to change the topic. "Oh, I almost forgot to give you some updates regarding our business expansion in Nidaross."
Alice smirked from ear to ear. "Please elaborate…"