Seeing even his most devout fanatic complain about his bad behavior, Yuzuru felt a strange sense of pleasure welling up inside him.
He couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair again: "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. In a few days, when Master goes back to Osaka, I'll go find Koizumi Akako to 'borrow' the magic book. You'd better study hard then."
Shimabukuro Kimie then stopped crying and smiled, nodding vigorously: "I will definitely not let the gods down!"
The night breeze blew again, stirring the hems of their clothes.
Yuzuru gazed at the moonlight outside the window, then turned and asked, "Kimi, do you know how to dance the Kagura dance?"
Yes, it will!
Shimabukuro Kimie's eyes lit up. "Would you like me to dance for you right now?"
Yuzuru smiled and nodded: "It's my honor."
Shimabukuro Kimie immediately straightened her clothes, picked up the Kagura bell, and began to dance gracefully in the open space in front of the statue. Her red and white sleeves fluttered with her movements, like blooming flowers, and every turn and every ring of the bell was filled with a sacred beauty.
Yuzuru leaned against the pillar, admiring the graceful figure. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a silvery glow on the dancing shrine maiden, making her appear otherworldly.
As the dance ended, Kimie Shimabukuro, slightly out of breath, bowed, her voice tinged with shyness: "I've made a fool of myself..."
"It's beautiful," Hanyu Nan sincerely exclaimed, "like a true representative of the gods."
As he said this, a question suddenly came to mind: "Junhui, do you believe that there really are gods in this world?"
Kimie Shimabukuro nodded without hesitation: "Of course! Isn't the God himself the best proof?"
Yuzuru shook his head: "I mean... before I showed up."
"......"
After a moment of silence, Shimabukuro Kimie said softly, "Actually... before I met you, I was almost losing my faith."
Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "You made me believe again that there really are gods in this world, not just some vague legend, but real gods standing before me, laughing and joking, protecting their believers."
Under the moonlight, the shrine maiden's eyes shone with an astonishing light, filled with pure faith and... a deeper emotion.
Yuzuru's heart stirred slightly, and he suddenly reached out and pulled her soft, boneless body into his arms: "Then, as your god, I command you—"
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Always keep this faith, always... stay by my side."
Shimabukuro Kimie took a deep breath in his arms, feeling the warmth of the god, and nodded vigorously: "Yes, my god."
The night breeze swept through the shrine, causing the candlelight to flicker and casting the shadows of the two people onto the wall, where they merged into one.
At one point, Yuzuru looked up at Ekoda without realizing it, a deep blue light flashing in his eyes, and a playful smile slowly appeared on his lips.
...........
Night, Ekota.
A loud bang echoed from an ancient castle in the forest in the dead of night, startling all the birds and beasts in the forest. As a red magic circle flashed above the castle, the smoke that accompanied the loud bang gradually disappeared.
Meanwhile, the castle's underground laboratory was in complete disarray.
Koizumi Akako—no, now she can be called Koizumi Kuroko—slumped in the center of the magic circle, her once gorgeous red and black witch's outfit now grayish-black, her smooth red hair a messy, frizzy mess, making her look like a scarecrow struck by lightning.
But her eyes were surprisingly bright.
She paid no heed to the fact that the remains of the crucible were still emitting wisps of smoke and the workshop was filled with the acrid smell of sulfur.
"It's done..." She trembled as she held up the bottle of potion, shimmering with pink light, her voice hoarse, "Finally... it's done..."
Over a hundred attempts were made to obtain this potion, nearly exhausting all the precious materials accumulated by the family, and even three of their ancestral magic gems were used up.
It's finally finished!
"Miss Hongzi! Are you alright?"
The old butler rushed in in a panic and nearly had a heart attack when he saw the witch covered in charred soot.
But then he realized, well, he was just a puppet, so where would he get a heart condition?
"I'm fine..." Koizumi Akako swayed as she stood up, a sinister smile spreading across her face. "Very fine..."
She looked down at the potion in her hand. The liquid in the bottle was a dreamy pink color, with tiny heart-shaped bubbles rising from the bottom from time to time, making a soft "pop" sound when they burst on the surface.
This is the legendary "Potion of True Love"!
According to family records, three hundred years ago, her ancestor used this magic potion to capture the heart of a great Onmyoji, making that Onmyoji fall madly in love with one of Hongzi's ancestors.
It was precisely because that great figure exhausted his life's cultivation to set up the magic circle for the Crimson Witch clan before his death that Crimson Magic was able to continue in an era of depleted spiritual energy.
"History will repeat itself..." Koizumi Akako's red lips moved slightly, her witch outfit fluttering even without wind, "except this time the protagonist is me, Koizumi Akako!"
She held the crystal bottle high, admiring this perfect masterpiece in the moonlight.
Just one drop, a single drop, is enough to instantly turn the most powerful being in the world into a slave to love, making him devoted to her and obedient to her every word.
"Yusuke Kusunoki... let's see how you escape from my grasp this time!"
The witch's mind was already filled with images of Yuzuru kneeling before her, confessing his love with deep affection, and from then on, he would take her every word as gospel, obey her every word, and become her most loyal follower.
“Miss Hongzi…” the old butler hesitated, “Are you sure you want to do this? That Mr. Yuzuru seems… not so easy to deal with…”
"Shut up!" Koizumi Akako glared at him fiercely. "This witch is the most charming person in the world! Plus the True Love Potion, no one can resist me!"
As she spoke, she suddenly burst into manic laughter: "Hahaha! Yuzuru, you wait! I'll definitely make you my devoted follower!"
The old butler: "..."
He felt that his young mistress had been acting a little strange ever since she was reprimanded by someone last time...
Could it be that the fire dragon burned his brain?
However, he absolutely dared not say this, otherwise he would probably end up like the magic mirror, which is still not repaired, being torn into a pile of useless parts by his enraged young lady.
After a long while, the witch finally stopped laughing. She put her hands on her hips and turned to look at Mika with the pride of a victorious general.
His crimson eyes gleamed with an unwavering determination.
That was a place her divination could not reach.
Under the power of spiritual vision, all was darkness.
"Yuuki Nanami, this time I'm going to show you who the most charming person in the world really is!!! Hahahaha..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
