A Feeling Never Felt Before

As night fell, the sun's final rays gradually vanished beyond the horizon, leaving a quiet darkness to envelop the sky once more. A crescent moon rose slowly from the horizon, casting soft moonlight across the yellowed autumn forest, its cool beams flowing like threads over the rustling leaves, stirred gently by the crisp autumn breeze.

Kaguya stepped out of the apartment and into the yard, the autumn wind tossing her silver hair, making it float around her like a misty waterfall. Gazing at the bright moon above, she gave a slight smile and turned her head towards the small grove nearby.

"Since you're already here, why not come out?" she called out. "No need to skulk around there."

"It's been a while. I didn't expect you to stir up so much trouble in my absence; you really do know how to make a spectacle of yourself," a voice replied as a girl with twin red pigtails emerged from the trees. It was none other than Kotori Itsuka, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"True, it has been a while," Kaguya replied, turning to her with a smile. "I thought you'd show up during the recent battle, but surprisingly, you didn't. I'm a little confused about that, honestly."

"What's so confusing about it?" Kotori scoffed as she approached. "I just had no interest in joining a pointless fight, that's all. My goal is something else entirely."

"Oh?" Kaguya responded with mild curiosity. "Then, what are you here for?"

Hearing this, Kotori's delicate face filled with a hint of irritation as she replied angrily, "You seriously don't remember the promise you made to me?"

"Huh?" Kaguya asked with a hint of surprise. "Did I promise you something?"

"How could you!" Kotori fumed. "You obviously did, and now you're trying to deny it?"

"I'm not quite sure what you mean." Kaguya tilted her head and tapped her forehead as if trying to remember. "Hmm… Maybe I have amnesia?"

"You're impossible!" Kotori burst out, cheeks puffing with indignation.

Seeing Kotori look genuinely mad, with the expression of someone ready to hit her, Kaguya decided not to tease her further. It wouldn't be good if she got too angry.

"I was just joking," Kaguya said, scratching her head with a grin. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten the promise we made."

She and Kotori had, in fact, made an agreement. If certain conditions were met, they would go on a date. However, various things had happened since then, delaying the date. Kaguya still wasn't entirely sure why Kotori was so keen on it.

Could it be that I'm just too beautiful? Kaguya thought, feeling a bit self-satisfied.

"Hmph," Kotori huffed, tossing her pink twin-tails over her shoulders. "Just don't forget. Or you'll be the biggest liar!"

"Yes, yes," Kaguya replied, half-amused, as if soothing a child. "So, when did you want to go on this date?"

At that moment, there was a sudden rustling from the bushes nearby. Kaguya glanced over, seeing only a cat that darted out, shook itself off, and quickly ran away.

Kotori tilted her head and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How about tomorrow?" she said. "Tomorrow's the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there'll be a shrine festival. Make sure to handle those other women of yours, and don't bring them along. If you do, the date's off."

Mid-Autumn Festival?

Kaguya was momentarily surprised. She hadn't expected Japan to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival; this struck her as a bit odd. She'd always thought that Japan didn't observe this holiday. Was she just that out of touch? And what exactly was this shrine festival? Shouldn't it be called a Moon Festival?

Still, none of this had much to do with her. The Mid-Autumn Festival did evoke a feeling of nostalgia; it had been so long since she'd celebrated it. Little did she expect that the next time she'd observe this holiday, she'd be in Japan.

"Wait, what's the problem?" Kotori frowned as Kaguya seemed lost in thought. "Are you so clingy that you can't bear to leave those women? Thinking about them even now? Really? Unbelievable! How could someone be as depraved as you?"

"Hey, hey," Kaguya protested, frowning, "Which of your eyes saw me thinking about any woman?"

"This one," Kotori replied, pointing a finger just below her eye and sticking out her pink tongue mischievously.

A brilliant smile blossomed on Kotori's face, bright and captivating like a swaying flower. Even Kaguya was momentarily dazzled, surprised to see such a playful side to the normally sharp-tongued and tsundere Kotori Itsuka.

Noticing Kaguya's expression, Kotori's face turned red, and she quickly looked away. "What are you staring at? What's there to look at?"

Snapping out of her daze, Kaguya nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, there's nothing worth looking at."

"You!" Kotori's face turned even redder. "Hmph! Just remember our agreement. If you don't show up, I'll turn your apartment into rubble!"

With that, she tossed her head and her pink twin-tails swayed as she marched off, ignoring whatever reaction Kaguya might have.

Kaguya opened her mouth, wanting to tell her she'd be moving soon anyway. Even if Kotori decided to blow up the entire building, it wouldn't matter much. But considering the possibility that Kotori might get mad and demolish the place immediately, she kept quiet.

Kotori really is an adorable girl, Kaguya thought to herself. A cute little tsundere.

But going out for the Mid-Autumn Festival could be fun. The group of spirits she lived with seemed to stay indoors all the time. They never went out to have fun, and if things continued this way, they'd probably all turn into reclusive homebodies. Just like that one character, Umaru, who'd eventually end up lazing around and living off of junk food.

Maybe taking everyone out wouldn't be such a bad idea.

With this thought, Kaguya turned and looked toward the nearby bushes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

When she returned to the living room, the atmosphere seemed… off.

The girls were all sitting primly on the couch, as if nothing had happened, their eyes glued to a TV commercial for pineapple chips, looking as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Tohka, in particular, wore a serious expression as if studying something profoundly important.

Origami, meanwhile, wore her usual blank expression, sipping tea as if nothing was amiss—though her cup was already empty.

Yoshino alone seemed to be acting normally, though her face was slightly flushed, and she avoided meeting Kaguya's gaze.

Seeing their varied reactions, Kaguya chuckled to herself but decided not to say anything about it.

In the evening, an event that shocked the world occurred: the Japanese government officially announced the formation of the Spirit Alliance Organization. As the name suggests, the Spirit Alliance is an organization centered around spirits, with membership open exclusively to spirits—any spirit is eligible to join this alliance.

What was shocking was not the organization's creation itself, but that the Japanese government recognized the Spirit Alliance as an independent governing authority. In other words, it was acknowledged as a separate government with autonomous powers. Not only was the Japanese government prohibited from interfering, but other nations' governments were also barred from involvement.

Of course, any attempt at interference would mean confronting the terrifying strength of the spirits. No country would dare to take such an action lightly. Even America dared not speak of eliminating the spirits; the recent uprooting of the DEM Corporation on American soil was proof enough of this.

Back then, America deployed a large number of fighter jets, tanks, and several nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. They even resorted to using high-powered destructive weaponry, but the spirits emerged unscathed. In response, they tossed an aircraft carrier right outside the White House, giving then-President a cold sweat.

The FBI has since enforced a comprehensive news blackout on the incident. However, such a large-scale event could not be kept under wraps, and practically overnight, reports about the spirits dominated the headlines of major news outlets.

The headlines varied, but all of them featured the same cover image: a slightly blurry photo of a silver-haired girl standing on the overturned aircraft carrier in America. Even though it was only a photograph, her fierce aura seemed to leap off the page, instilling a bone-chilling sense of dread.

Now, the Spirit Alliance has declared that as long as they are not attacked, they will not engage in activities harmful to the world. But if anyone dares to offend the spirits, they will face severe punishment—up to and including erasing the offender from the face of the earth, or even flattening entire nations.

In the past, humanity might have been outraged, demanding stricter measures against these audacious spirits. However, after witnessing the enormous casualties caused by the spirits, people were left too fearful to even speak of eliminating them.

In fact, the spirits' recent statement even brought some relief to people. With their overwhelming power, the spirits had no need for deception or empty threats; they had no reason to engage in such actions.

In response, various countries quickly issued statements congratulating the Spirit Alliance on its formation and expressed hope for cooperation in building a peaceful and prosperous future. But to Kaguya, all of this was mere empty rhetoric; she had no intention of acknowledging these gestures, nor did she care to attend any international summit with world leaders. This blatant disregard was a direct affront to the major powers.

But what could they do? They couldn't beat her in battle, and they had no choice but to swallow their pride.

At this moment, Kaguya was not in the mood to pay attention to these trivial matters. She was facing a more pressing problem: once again, she was running out of room.

Each time a new girl arrived, Kaguya's status seemed to drop lower. She had been pushed out of her own room to the study, and from the study to the living room. Now, it seemed there was no place to sleep even in the living room. She couldn't help but feel the urge to drag the Prime Minister of Japan out and give him a beating.

This was taking far too long.

However, this wasn't really the Prime Minister's fault; as the most powerful figure, his instructions were followed diligently. Because of this, the workers had been going all out to complete everything to perfection, but it inevitably caused delays in the construction schedule.

As a result, Kaguya was left without a place to sleep.

After some discussion, it was decided that Origami and Tohka would share a room, while Yoshino and Mukuro would share another. Despite the arrangements, Kaguya was left with no place to sleep. It seemed absurd that she, the one in command, was left in such a situation. Each time she thought about it, she felt tempted to just storm out and knock on the construction workers' doors.

The night was deep, the moon high in the sky. Its clear light spilled through the transparent windows, casting a faint glow throughout the room.

A figure rose from the sofa, tiptoeing to the door of Origami and Tohka's room. She grasped the handle and turned it a few times, only to find that the door was locked. But for her, an ordinary lock was of no consequence.

A dark sphere appeared in the palm of her hand, slowly morphing and flowing into the keyhole like water. In just a few moments, a faint click was heard, and the door creaked open. A smirk crept onto her face as she silently slipped inside.

Suddenly, a startled cry came from inside the room, followed by muffled sounds as if someone's mouth had been covered. Shortly afterward, a series of sounds emerged, restrained and blending pain and pleasure, causing the once-cold moonlight to take on a hint of ambiguity.

In another room, Natsumi, who was still awake, heard the sounds and froze for a moment before a faint look of disdain crossed her face.

She had warned them long ago that this Kaguya character was no good—an absolute scoundrel—but nobody believed her and even went as far as to criticize her. Now, it seemed, they were suffering at the hands of that scoundrel.

Maybe now they would believe her.

Yet as time passed and she continued to hear the mix of gentle and intense sounds, as if squeezed from deep within someone's throat, an inexplicable warmth began to stir within Natsumi's chest, slowly spreading through her body like a current, filling her with a strange and unfamiliar discomfort.

What was happening?

Having never experienced anything like this, Natsumi didn't understand the meaning behind these sounds, but as a girl gradually reaching maturity, the budding feelings within her made her feel a little lost. She pulled the covers over her head, but the sounds seemed to seep through the blanket, reaching her ears directly.

As Natsumi tried to endure this mysterious discomfort, she suddenly found herself curious about what was happening in that room.

What kind of torment was that vile person putting them through? Would she hit them? Would she use a whip? She had seen plenty of movies where whips were used, and just imagining the pain of being struck sent a shiver down her spine.

——

"I didn't expect things to take this turn; it really caught me off guard," said a tall man standing by the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky. "I also didn't expect her to possess such an incomprehensible power. That was my mistake."

The man turned around, revealing himself to be Westcott.

However, he seemed somewhat worse for wear. A large scar now marred his previously handsome face, covering his entire left cheek. The scar was sunken, almost devoid of flesh, leaving just a layer of skin tightly stretched, making the contours of his bones visible—a ghastly sight that sent chills down one's spine.

"I didn't come here to hear your sighs," said a graceful figure who emerged from the shadows, speaking bluntly. "I came here to find my sister. You said you knew where she was, so I hope you'll tell me."

The young woman had long golden hair that almost reached her waist, smooth, fair skin, beautiful light blue eyes, and a delicate and refined face with a slightly fragile look. Her figure was curvaceous, radiating an air of youthful vitality.

Looking closely, one might notice a resemblance between this young woman and Ellen, particularly in their facial features, although this girl appeared softer and more delicate than the mature-looking Ellen.

This was none other than Ellen's younger sister, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft.

"What a long name," one might think in passing.

"I once believed the three greatest wizards in the world were Mana, Ellen, and you," Westcott said calmly. "Mana is currently undergoing enhancements and will soon have even greater potential and strength. As for your sister, it seems she has failed."

"I won't let you speak about my sister that way," Artemisia replied coldly. "She may be a failure, but only I have the right to defeat her."

"But the fact is, she's already been defeated," Westcott countered. "She lost to the Spirits."

"Spirits?" Artemisia scoffed. "You're just afraid of them. What does it matter if they're Spirits? They're just people who happened to gain power by accident. Sooner or later, I'll defeat every last one of them."

"Is that so?" Westcott smirked. "You won't have to wait long—you have the chance to do so now."

"What do you mean?" Artemisia asked, a slight frown appearing on her face.

"Haven't you been looking for your sister?" Westcott replied with a smile. "She's in Japan."

"You mean…" Artemisia's gaze sharpened.

"Precisely," Westcott continued with a smile. "Your sister's disappearance may be closely related to those Spirits. If you wish to investigate her whereabouts, this could be an excellent starting point."

Artemisia turned away, casting a cool glance at Westcott. "I hope you're telling the truth. If I find out you're lying, you know the consequences." With that, she turned and left the room.

After Artemisia exited the office, Westcott's expression darkened. He clenched his fist, and with a sharp crack, the pen he was holding snapped in two. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, "Those despicable people… One day, I'll make every one of them pay. I'll ensure they're left with nowhere to hide."

The scar on Westcott's face was left by Kaguya during a previous confrontation. He had been on an airship, and if he hadn't abandoned ship when he sensed things turning against him, he might have been killed. Even so, his escape pod had sustained serious damage in the attack and nearly crashed. It was during this incident that Westcott's left cheek had been disfigured.

Westcott, who had once taken pride in his appearance, found this hard to accept. Years of effort had been destroyed in an instant, fueling his fury. He wanted nothing more than to tear Kaguya apart, but he knew that with his current strength, he was no match for the terrifyingly powerful girl.

Still, he was not without options—as long as his plan succeeded.

Westcott gritted his teeth.

Kaguya, meanwhile, had long since put this man out of her mind, never giving him a second thought.

This was the tragedy of small-minded people: they could pour all their energy into their schemes, yet the other side might not even notice or be harmed in the slightest, not even enough to scratch an itch—a truly pitiful fate.

At this moment, Kaguya was busy with other matters and had no time for the complex grievances of such minor characters.

Time slowly passed, and the clock's hands had reached midnight, yet the strange sounds in the room showed no sign of stopping, perhaps even growing more intense.

Natsumi, lying in her room, felt her face heat up as if she had a fever. She was feeling restless, turning and shifting as though trying to make herself more comfortable.

Finally, after some hesitation, Natsumi made up her mind, slipping out of bed and putting on her slippers as she tiptoed toward the room where the sounds were coming from.

"Just a quick look," she told herself. "Nothing bad will happen if I'm quick. That annoying person definitely won't notice."

When she reached the door of the room, she realized that the door wasn't locked, and a small gap was visible. Natsumi carefully approached and peeked her head over, her eyes scanning the interior.

But when she saw what was happening inside, the girl was immediately stunned.

In the middle of the room, on the large bed, three girls were intertwined, their delicate skin glowing faintly under the moonlight. That annoying girl was lying on top of one of the girls, her head buried in her chest, sucking on her, occasionally making a "slurp" sound.

Natsumi's pupils suddenly contracted.

She had never seen such a scene before. Seeing the movements inside, now quick and then slow, she suddenly felt her legs weaken, her body growing light and powerless. If she hadn't been holding onto the wall, she might have collapsed.

Natsumi quickly realized something was wrong. Her face turned red, reaching all the way to her ears. This was a feeling she had never experienced before. She couldn't help but think that it must be that annoying guy's magic.

Yes, it had to be magic. Otherwise, how could it make her feel this way?

Even so, she kept telling herself to leave, but the scene before her seemed to have some kind of magical power, and her eyes couldn't look away.

Unknowingly, her hand had already moved away, and she involuntarily slipped it into her cute pajama bottoms.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven