Chapter 406: Strange Stone Door
"Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro, I am Evelyn Taylor. I wonder if I might have the honor of speaking with you alone?"
Faced with this unfamiliar woman's invitation, Mahiro didn't even think before bluntly refusing.
"Sorry, you don't have the honor, and I have no interest in talking with you."
With that, Mahiro swiped his card and opened the door.
Evelyn stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.
She was, by all accounts, a great beauty—how could she be so blatantly rejected?
And without even a moment's hesitation?
As Mahiro was about to enter the room, Evelyn hurriedly tried to follow, urgently saying:
"Mr. Yotsuba, it's really just a simple chat, it won't take much of your time…"
Before she could finish.
Evelyn suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm. She saw the graceful woman with her long hair tied high, revealing her snow-white neck and dressed in secretary attire, coldly stating:
"Can't you understand human speech? Mahiro-sama has already said he doesn't want to talk to you. If you insist on pestering him, I won't mind giving you a proper farewell."
A threat!
A blatant threat!
But in reality, it wasn't just Nu; Alpha, Mayumi, and Miyuki were also staring intently at Evelyn, their gazes hostile.
"Evelyn Taylor, I don't know what business you have with Mahiro-nii-sama, but I doubt it's anything good. If you don't want your country to face some major crisis, I suggest you give up now."
The speaker was Miyuki.
She still maintained a polite smile, but the chilling aura surrounding her hadn't diminished in the slightest.
As if she could freeze the soul of the person before her in the next second!
Such terrifying Psion Force—it could directly affect and rewrite reality!
Evelyn's eyes widened slightly.
She knew this person was the current head of the Yotsuba Family and had read many reports, but she hadn't expected her to be even more terrifying than the descriptions that placed her on par with the former Sirius!
Her former captain couldn't achieve this level!
"Ah, that's right. Our Saegusa Family wouldn't mind getting involved either."
Mayumi also maintained an elegant demeanor, but the Wrist CAD hidden beneath her sleeve was faintly visible.
As for Alpha, she didn't want to, nor did she need to, say anything more.
If this woman dared to approach the door any further, she wouldn't mind adding another corpse to the scene.
Faced with so many threats, even Evelyn, the new Sirius captain, couldn't help but swallow hard and reluctantly step back.
The current STARS was not what it once was.
Not to mention, former Major Angie Sirius had been captured alive by that man named Mahiro, and her fate remained unknown to this day.
Moreover, the current overall strength assessment of the Yotsuba Family had completely surpassed that of the Ten Master Clans and even the entire Japanese magic community. One could say they were practically an independent nation.
The world's most cutting-edge technology, including Knightmare technology, was exclusively possessed by the Yotsuba Family.
If the Yotsuba Family truly intervened in the conflict between the new USNA and California, then the new USNA would likely have to fight a war of annihilation.
Given all this, Evelyn had no choice but to retreat for now and reconsider her approach.
However, it seemed the members under her command didn't understand.
"Captain Evelyn, I admit Mahiro's existence is dangerous, but we're not just here to make up the numbers. Why should we fear those few little girls? Even if those girls are indeed excellent, we shouldn't be that far behind."
"Hmm, indeed not far behind. You're just lacking by this much."
As she spoke, Evelyn pinched her fingertips together, leaving a tiny gap.
But within that gap, it seemed as if there lay a galaxy, a universe, a dimension.
"If you're truly not afraid of death, then go yourself. Don't drag our entire squad to die with you."
She really couldn't understand—were the fools under her command truly so brainless?
Did they really think they could compare to the former Sirius, or believe their excellence was no less than that of the Saegusa Family's young lady?
Didn't they know that the blonde woman accompanying Mahiro, and that secretary, were both S-class dangerous individuals on the new USNA list?
However, that so-called list was more like a Yotsuba Family portrait.
Twelve volumes of military records, each bearing the master's name.
Any one pulled out at random would be more terrifying than a Strategic Class Magician.
Thus, after uttering these words, Evelyn opened the door and returned to her room.
Leaving only a few squad members exchanging bewildered glances.
What should they do next?
Should they go cause trouble, or not?
...
Meanwhile.
Inside the room.
"I've already sent that group away... Hmm?"
Mahiro, lying on the sofa with his eyes closed to rest, instinctively opened them at the sound of the door opening, only to see Alpha walking in alone.
A pair of slender long legs in high heels first caught his eye. The black patent leather high heels landed, their heels tapping against the wooden floor with a crisp sound.
The black women's suit perfectly outlined her delicate and well-proportioned figure, accentuating that proud pair of D-cup softness.
Beneath the suit pants, a pair of long, straight jade-like legs seemed capable of stealing others' gazes.
Her flowing golden hair swayed slightly with her steps, wafting waves of a forest-like, refreshing fragrance.
Her exquisite, fair face remained as unsmiling as ever, only blooming with a hint of a smile when she saw him.
Although they had spent many years together, Alpha's appearance and figure hadn't changed in the slightest.
However, for some unknown reason, Alpha seemed to have an unexpected obsession with formal attire.
What she usually wore was always a black gown resembling an evening dress.
Even now when going out, she was dressed in a full suit and pants.
Alpha seemed to notice his gaze, smiling slightly at him as she explained:
"Today, I'll be accompanying you."
Her tone was somewhat businesslike, but that was Alpha's personality, or rather a habit formed from managing an organization like Shadow Garden since childhood.
As for why they took turns accompanying him, it was some agreement established among the women.
Only, no one knew what method Alpha used to secure the rights to the first night.
Regarding this, Mahiro didn't have any particular thoughts. What concerned him more was Alpha's next actions.
She first took off her small suit jacket and draped it over the back of the office chair, revealing a white silk shirt that was almost sheer enough to see through.
Then.
Click!
With a crisp sound, she unfastened the button of her trousers and, right in front of him, unabashedly took them off.
"Wait, Alpha? It's still daytime, what are you doing?"
Alpha didn't answer, merely giving him a sidelong glance before continuing her actions.
What was most surprising was that beneath her trousers, this woman was wearing an incredibly sheer pair of black pantyhose!
What exactly was she trying to do?
Though he was an experienced driver, to be honest, even he found it hard to resist such temptation.
Not to mention, at that moment, Alpha walked straight toward him. Just as he thought she was about to do something, her slender, delicate fingers rested on his shoulders and began to knead them gently.
"Don't move, just relax. I know you've been tired lately, so let me help you unwind."
A strand of smooth, long hair fell onto Mahiro's shoulder as she moved. Her slender, beautiful azure-blue eyes reflected his figure, filled with an indescribable tenderness.
Her kneading pressure was just right.
Before long, Mahiro began to feel a wave of drowsiness wash over him.
Then, the sofa beside him sank slightly.
Next, Mahiro felt his body being gently turned over, his head placed on something soft and smooth.
Those delicate little hands slid from his shoulders to his temples, pressing lightly.
As a captivating fragrance filled his nostrils, his entire mind gradually began to relax.
"As expected, when it comes to massage and relaxation, no one beats you, Alpha."
"It's my honor."
Alpha replied in a calm tone, but a pleased expression spread across her face.
"By the way, what do you plan to do about those new USNA people? Their intentions aren't clear yet, but they don't seem friendly. Should we handle them in the shadows..."
"No need."
Mahiro answered with his eyes closed, enjoying the relaxing massage.
"This isn't our territory, and there's no need to cause unnecessary trouble. Don't forget, our main purpose this time is to travel. As for things like Holy Relics... it's fine if we find them, but it's no big deal if we don't."
"But I think they'll keep pestering us, which could ruin the mood of the trip."
"They wouldn't dare."
Mahiro nuzzled his head, shifting to a more comfortable position, enjoying the warmth radiating from Alpha.
Looking down and seeing where Mahiro's head now rested, Alpha's face gradually flushed red.
But then she heard Mahiro's voice again.
"After all, we're tourists now. Even if Great Asia doesn't want to admit it, they have an obligation to protect us. If those new USNA people keep bothering us, it could escalate into an international incident, and Great Asia would likely take action against the new USNA.
And with the Yotsuba Family, given Miyuki's personality, she would absolutely apply pressure.
The new USNA simply can't withstand that kind of pressure right now—they might even fall apart again. So, after hitting a wall once, they wouldn't dare to bother us again no matter what."
Alpha nodded silently and stopped speaking, focusing entirely on giving him a massage.
She indeed still had much to learn, especially about this world, even though Mahiro had always told her there was no need to dwell on it.
However, compared to these matters, her massage skills had already reached a masterful level.
From relaxing the head at the beginning, all the way to relaxing the entire body.
From the sofa, to the balcony, and finally to the bed.
In any case, the night was far from quiet.
But after it ended, during the Sage time, Mahiro fell into deep thought.
He somewhat suspected whether he had some ancient dragon or similar genes, otherwise why was he always so full of sexual energy.
It seemed that ever since returning from the Strike the Blood world, there had hardly been any time for rest!
If he wasn't doing it, he was on the way to doing it.
He was almost turning into a damn human-shaped self-propelled artillery!
No, he had to change this...
Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily fell on Alpha, who was sleeping soundly beside him.
Her golden hair covered her exposed shoulders like a blanket, her pale arms still bore red marks, and her usually cold face now looked utterly charming.
Most importantly, there was still that fullness and roundness...
Hiss!
It was a bit hard to resist.
Forget it, he'd start changing tomorrow.
In the end, reason still couldn't overcome instinct.
The next morning.
The five of them gathered in the hotel restaurant for breakfast.
Originally, what they ate was quite simple—just an ordinary breakfast—but when Mayumi brought over a large tray, it was truly hard to keep a straight face.
"Mayumi, are you sure you want to eat this in the morning?" Looking at the contents on the tray, Mahiro was completely unsettled.
Especially when he saw Mayumi pick up a piece from the tray, put it in her mouth, and ask while taking small bites:
"What's wrong?"
What's wrong?
The tray was filled with all kinds of desserts, including but not limited to Tibetan butter cake, halva, coconut milk cake, enamel pot cake...
Although these were desserts from all over the world, they shared one common trait: they were extremely sweet!
The kind that was cloyingly sweet!
"Senpai, these things look very high in calories."
Miyuki softly voiced her comment, then glanced at Mayumi, who wasn't particularly tall.
The calories from this tray of desserts would probably be hard to burn off in an entire day.
"Senpai, aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"
"N-no, it's fine. Eating it once in a while is okay, and my metabolism is quite fast now, so it should... probably... maybe... perhaps be fine..."
By the end, even Mayumi herself lacked confidence.
It seemed that because she was traveling with the long-awaited Mahiro, she had let herself go a bit.
Even desserts she rarely touched in daily life were now being eaten for breakfast.
"Forget it. If you can't burn it off, I'll help you burn it off tonight."
Mahiro's casual remark immediately made Mayumi blush.
Clearly, she had misunderstood. Mahiro meant taking her to the gym to burn off the calories, but she seemed to have misinterpreted it as something else.
However, this didn't stop the other three from casting sharp glances at Mayumi.
As if saying, "What a clever plan!"
Thus, this breakfast transformed from Mayumi alone indulging in sweets to the four of them sharing them.
While sipping coffee, they subtly competed for the desserts.
It was then that Nu, having just eaten a piece of coconut milk cake, suddenly spoke up:
"Lord Mahiro, are we still visiting the Potala Palace today?"
"Yes."
Mahiro nodded, set down his cup, and said softly, "Most areas have been explored, but there are still some subtle corners left, especially underground. And indeed, I sensed some unusual fluctuations."
Upon hearing this, the girls immediately stopped their actions, their expressions turning serious.
"If there really is a Holy Relic beneath the Potala Palace... Mahiro-niisan, shouldn't we first ask the Yotsuba main family to send some reinforcements?"
It was Miyuki who spoke.
But the others shared the same sentiment.
"That's right, Mahiro-kun. If we discover such things, it might provoke a significant conflict, and we could find ourselves unable to move forward," Mayumi said with a serious expression.
Alpha agreed as well, suggesting that Shadow Garden could be dispatched first.
Among all the forces on the island, they were the fastest to act.
But Mahiro shook his head and said:
"That won't be necessary, and I didn't say those fluctuations were from a Holy Relic."
Rather, those fluctuations felt familiar...
Mahiro couldn't help but lower his head to glance at the ring on his finger, where a fleeting glimmer of light passed by.
"It feels like there are quite a few more tourists today..."
"Tsk, just a bunch of little mice who got wind of the news and came hoping to get a share of the spoils."
Today, the Potala Palace was bustling with crowds.
Among them were not only many foreigners but also many figures resembling Taoist priests.
Clearly, these were sent by Dà Yà, but their purpose remained unknown for now.
Miyuki's expression grew slightly more solemn. Only Mahiro showed little reaction to the dense crowds. Instead, he took Miyuki and Mayumi's hands and said:
"Let's go, we're heading inside."
Stepping into the Potala Palace again, the feeling was much the same as yesterday.
Perhaps due to Tibetan Buddhism, the interior of the Potala Palace lacked the solemn, oppressive grandeur of a Mahavira Hall. Instead, it felt more dreamlike and elusive.
To put it simply, it was like a kaleidoscope.
It was easy to become intoxicated within it, losing one's way.
"Mahiro-niisan, what are you looking at?"
Miyuki noticed Mahiro lingering before an ancient artifact resembling an oil painting for a long time, wearing a scrutinizing expression, and couldn't help but interrupt.
Mahiro snapped back to reality, smiled, and waved his hand dismissively:
"Oh, it's nothing... I was just a little curious."
He was curious whether this thangka was made of human skin.
After all, Tibetan Buddhism had such traditions—using the skin of young maidens to create religious scroll paintings.
Although scanning the information with his eyes would reveal the truth, he didn't do so, nor did he mention it to Miyuki.
Not long after, within the maze-like interior of the Potala Palace, Alpha and Nu found a downward spiral passage.
Gazing at the dark spiral passage, Mahiro always felt as if something familiar was beckoning him from below.
"Let's go, let's head down and take a look."
"Shouldn't we deal with the tail first?"
Alpha didn't move, instead narrowing her slender eyes as she scanned the empty hall behind them.
Though they were well-hidden, they couldn't escape her perception.
"No need. If they want to follow, let them. We're just going down to look around, not planning to do anything. As for the new USNA people... someone will naturally stop them."
Indeed, just as he said.
After they entered the passage, Evelyn and the others who had been secretly following were intercepted by a group of Taoist priests.
"Sorry, this path is off-limits. Please turn back."
Just as the people beside her were about to make a move, Evelyn stopped them and spoke in broken Chinese:
"Is that so... I'm really sorry, we accidentally got lost."
"No problem, our people will escort you back."
And so, the STARS members were forcibly escorted back to the hotel by the Great Asian personnel, and the tourists inside the Potala Palace were also cleared out.
Meanwhile, Mahiro and the others, walking down the spiral passage, were eventually blocked by a large door.
Mahiro tried to force it open, but unfortunately, even his strength couldn't budge it. Even his ever-reliable Copy Eyes couldn't analyze it.
"What kind of material is this even made of?"
Mahiro reached out and touched the surface of the stone door. It felt cold to the touch, no different from ordinary rock.
"Maybe we should try using the stone slab."
Mayumi suggested.
"Alright, let's give it a try."
The moment he touched the stone slab, the ring on his finger suddenly emitted a light, as if resonating with both the stone door and the slab.
The next second, the light suddenly grew dazzling, completely covering their vision.
When they recovered, the group had already vanished from the spiral passage.