On the top floor of the secret base, Yukihime was still scathingly criticizing Mikoto Aina, the mother of Kamijo Hajime.

“Do not be ashamed to be the son of a whore, Hajime-kun. You did not choose to be born of a woman who spreads her legs for the first powerful person that comes her way.”

“Stop it!”

Hajime's murderous instinct flared up like never before. It was truly rare for him to be this enraged.

The young mage was engulfed in his signature electric green discharges. The pain from the tribulations he had faced recently vanished; his body was brimming with mana and power.

The grimoire within him resonated with his emotions, granting him the strength to press on.

“(I understand............... let's see how far you can go.)” (Yukihime)

The small loli exuded a potent thirst for blood, not as strong as when she had confronted Hajime and Kohaku, but nonetheless overpowering enough to engulf him completely.

“Why should I stop? The truth is harsh and painful. You ought to know that.”

“Shut up! My mother is not like that!”

“Perhaps, but she is undoubtedly a woman who allows her only son to suffer without lifting a finger.”

“You're mistaken! It’s Goto who subordinated her! Had she been able to, my mother would have taken both me and Kaori-chan far away from him!”

“And why has she not yet done so? Out of fear, I presume...............what a coward.”

The fragile thread controlling the raging fury of the teenager snapped.

Like a ferocious beast, Hajime lunged forward to tear Yukihime apart, who merely shifted slightly to evade him.

“How can you say such things? You know nothing of what my mother has had to endure! You cannot judge her without understanding!”

“I know little, it is true, but I have lived long enough to know that she is the lowest form of life in this world. I have seen many like her......... she deserves neither my understanding nor my pity. She is a whore and a coward, nothing more, nothing less.”

“AAAAARRRGGGGG!”

The enhanced fist of Goto’s stepson crashed onto the reinforced floor of the training room.

Not just once, but countless times. The Omega Mage appeared slightly surprised by this action, as she did not grasp its significance, at least not until Hajime began to bleed from his knuckles.

“[Overwrite]: [blood katana]!”

From the wounds on the silver-haired adolescent, a stream of blood emerged, forming a pseudo-katana. The loli looked genuinely astonished by the sight, unconsciously licking her lips at the sight of the red substance.

“I WILL MAKE YOU RETRACT EVERYTHING!?”

The blood-solidified weapon swung toward Yukihime’s throat, which she halted with the tips of her fingers. Hajime felt cold sweat trickling down his spine as he locked eyes with the mage.

“(Your frightened face is truly adorable, Hajime-kun.... a perfect blend of aggression and fear, I like it.)”

The mage shattered Hajime's katana as if it were a piece of thin glass, reducing it to thousands of fragments. The boy, in response to the shock, attempted a direct kick to the stomach of the Mage, of course, he missed, but he did not give up. Goto's stepson unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks in a vague hope of injuring, even slightly, the woman who insulted his mother.

"That's enough; I’ve seen enough."

“STOP RUNNING FROM ME!”

“(I understand; I must use force to stop him.)”

Fueled by rage, Hajime advanced towards the loli with the intent to punch her in the face. This time, the small mage did not evade the blow but instead blocked it with her index finger.

The adolescent felt his bones shatter upon contact; it was as though he had struck a mountain. With that same finger, Yukihime tapped the boy’s chest lightly, as if merely teasing.

To onlookers, it may have seemed trivial, but to Hajime, it felt as though he had been hit by a truck.

Air escaped his lungs as he coughed saliva from his mouth. His legs trembled and buckled under the weight of his body. Eventually, the electric green discharges faded as the young mage struggled to recover.

A gentle hand began to caress the boy's silver hair, as if attempting to comfort him. Naturally, it was the Omega Mage doing so.

“Forgive me, I hit you too hard, Hajime-kun.”

The expression that Yukihime wore at that moment was undeniably sweet, akin to cotton candy. Hajime almost forgot the words the loli had directed at his mother as he gazed at her smile.

“I know that your power derives from a grimoire........... I had to see what you were capable of, but I went too far; I ask for your forgiveness.”

He could understand. Goto's stepson comprehended, at least in part, the danger posed by an unknown grimoire user entering the ranks of a faction wishing to alter the government.

The Omega Mage had learned a great deal from their brief scuffle. After all, one does not reach the pinnacle of magic without grasping the power of another mage with a mere glance.

“I implore you to comprehend what I am about to do.”

Yukihime touched Hajime's forehead with a fingertip. In that instant, all the boy's memories were scanned. A wave of nausea gripped his stomach.

“I see.............. you are indeed a courageous boy.”

“What have you done to me!?”

“I had to verify that you were not a spy or a sleeper agent. Now calm down..............”

The petite mage used her long canines to draw a small amount of flesh from her finger. Before the silver-haired adolescent could utter a word, her finger was thrust into his mouth.

“........... and drink; my blood will heal you completely.”

Taken aback by her action, the boy instinctively gagged, but the Omega's blood had a miraculous effect on his body. His injuries, wounds, and exhaustion of mana vanished instantaneously, as if by magic.

“What is this!?.......... I have never felt this good in my life!”

“I’m glad to hear that. Now let us talk a bit. I know you have questions.”

Goto's stepson was exceedingly cautious around the woman. After all, now that he was in a calmer state, he understood all too well the disparity in power between them, but it was precisely this that irked him. If she was so powerful, why didn’t she do something?

“Why don’t you destroy the Black Corps?! Surely you could!”

“No, I could not. Hajime-kun, do you believe that reaching the pinnacle of magic equates to invincibility? You are gravely mistaken.”

“B-but.........”

“Follow my reasoning; I shall simplify it for your understanding. First: among Goto-kun’s subordinates, there are many with unknown powers. It cannot be ruled out that one of them could pose a danger even to me. Are you following so far?” (Yukihime)

“Yes.” (Hajime)

“Second: ‘numbers beat the strength of one.’ I could not fight against an army of trained mages for hours on end, and I strongly doubt that the White Corps would simply stand idly by in the meantime. Hence, my chances of victory against the two largest and most powerful forces on this island are nearly nonexistent. I am sure I could kill many, but I could not win in such a manner.”

Hajime lowered his gaze in shame; it was truly childish and foolish to believe that just because one was the strongest, they could do anything and be invincible.

“Third: from a political standpoint, the chaos stemming from my actions would prompt our neighbors, the Japanese, to intervene out of fear that the damage might spread to their nation. This has already occurred on another island in the past... much blood has been shed needlessly, due to a few individuals. I do not wish to be responsible for such events. And I know that you do not want that either.”

“I-I would never desire that.”

“Fourth: this is the point I want you to understand the most. Do you truly believe that if I killed everyone, all problems would cease? Yes, indeed, there would be no more experiments, but keep in mind that for the majority of the civilians on this island, Goto-kun and the Black Corps are their protectors. Their downfall at my hands would render me public enemy number one; I would become a terrorist, and if I attempted to build a new government, I would be viewed as a dictator in their eyes. Can you envision this scenario?”

The young mage attempted to process what Yukihime had said.

He could not utter a word; the loli was right about everything, and the mere thought was truly frustrating. Goto was indeed a genius; he had established a perfect position for himself, as in the eyes of 95% of the population of Fumetsu, he was a good person. There might even be civilians who would intervene to assist him if he asked.

“If that is the case, then what can I do? I do not want to destroy everything just to kill him! But.............!”

“I understand your frustration, but we, the group composed of those who know the truth and wish to alter this status quo, have plans.”

“I still do not fully grasp much about you all.”

“Is that so? Well, let me remedy that. Hajime-kun, our group is called New Dawn, and it consists of victims such as Kuro-kun, Cloe-kun, and Kohaku-kun, alongside men and women who wish for the best for their home.” (Yukihime)

“...........” (Hajime)

“As you may have already heard, our plan to defeat Goto is to use the evidence we have gathered over the years to discredit him in the eyes of the island, thereby providing legitimate reasons to arrest him—and if necessary, kill him. Once done, we would seize control of the government’s leadership and announce new elections. I will not lie to you; even under the best of circumstances, there will be many civilian casualties, many needless deaths, and damage resulting from our actions.............. a part of me feels remorse for asking children like you to partake in this, but there is no choice; we lack both resources and personnel. From what I observed today, you would be highly useful to us, but I cannot guarantee that you will not meet a horrific end if you follow us.”

“I do not care about dying! As long as Kaori-chan and my mother are alive, the rest does not matter!”

“I understand............. you truly are a hero at heart, Hajime-kun , if that is the case, then very well. Following Kohaku-kun’s actions, we will send someone to check on you while you are here............. I do not believe we will see each other again anytime soon, so for now, this is farewell.”

Yukihime stood on her toes to stroke Hajime's head, like a mother would a child. The adolescent allowed her to do so, feeling very comfortable with her now; her sweet smile seemed almost therapeutic.

“I hope nothing happens to you; you still have your entire life ahead of you........... until our next meeting, Hajime-kun.”

With a flash of gray, the Omega Mage vanished, leaving the silver-haired boy alone. As he made his way home, the loli had numerous thoughts swirling through her mind.

“(That grimoire, that power is truly anomalous; I need to keep a close watch on it, such noble motivations... Ah, after all is said and done, like father, like son...)”