Meanwhile, Asmodeus was still engaged with the training dummy, his strikes getting progressively faster, each one leaving faint traces of crackling mana in the air. The stranger tilted their head slightly in his direction, watching. Their gaze lingered—not with curiosity, but calculation.
"Feudal Lord's boy, isn't he?" they murmured, more to themselves than anyone else.
Reilan's posture tightened just slightly. "And if he is?"
The stranger let out a low hum. "Nothing. Just interesting."
I didn't like how they said that.
And then, with no warning, their gaze snapped back to me.
My pulse stilled for a moment.
"And you…" they started, taking a slow step forward. "You're quite the puzzle, aren't you?"
My pulse stilled for a moment. Instinctively, I let my mana coil within me, the weight of my presence sharpening. If this person thought they could unnerve me, they were mistaken.
[Notice: Activation of offensive magic is restricted under paternal authority]
Great Sage's voice rang through my mind, crisp and firm. The reminder was unnecessary—I already knew my father's rules.
[Notice: Host is vastly outclassed. Proceeding with engagement is ill-advised.]
I stiffened. Outclassed? My instincts bristled at the assessment, but I had no time to process it.
Mana stirred around me, subtle but deliberate, prepared to anchor my stance. But just as I made to push my intent forward, a firm yet light touch wrapped around my wrist.
Mana stirred around me, subtle but deliberate, prepared to anchor my stance. But just as I made to push my intent forward, a firm yet light touch wrapped around my wrist.
Before I could react, the energy I'd gathered vanished.
The stranger let out a quiet hum, tilting their head as if genuinely intrigued. "Oh? You were really going to cast? And so discreetly too? How bold. Most children your age are still struggling with control, yet you were ready to engage without so much as alerting the others around you."
Their tone wasn't mocking—it was curious. Almost impressed.
I blinked in shock. How? I hadn't even sensed them move. One moment, they were a few steps away, and the next—they were right here. It was like watching my father fight, his movements too fast, too smooth, too impossible to track.
I swallowed hard, my voice low. "How did you—?"
The stranger chuckled, their grip light but firm. "Ah, now that's the right question." They leaned in slightly, their smirk widening. "That old man you call father? He learned it from me."
Reilan moved instantly, his blade flashing through the air with a precision honed by years of training under my father. His expression was a storm of fury—no hesitation, no restraint. Someone had just touched me, someone had just stopped my magic, and for him, that was an unforgivable offense.
The motion was clean, efficient—but it never connected.
The moment his sword should have struck flesh, a shimmering shield of mana pulsed to life, rippling outward like an unbreakable barrier. A sharp clang echoed through the shop as his blade rebounded harmlessly, the force of the impact making Reilan skid back a step.
His breathing was sharp, shoulders tense. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he snarled, his usual easy going demeanor completely gone. "You think you can just walk in here and lay hands on her like it's nothing?!"
The stranger didn't flinch. If anything, their smirk widened, eyes gleaming with something between amusement and fascination. "Impressive. Reckless, but impressive."
"I'm about to show you reckless," Reilan spat, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword, his mana spiking—but before he could attack again, I barely managed to lift a hand, fingers twitching in an attempt to call him back. But I couldn't reach him—I was still being held in place. My voice was the only thing I had left.
"Rei, stop!"
He stiffened mid-step, his breath sharp as he turned toward me, his expression torn between frustration and alarm. "Chi—"
I shook my head, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Not yet." I wasn't sure why I said it—whether it was instinct or something deeper. But I knew one thing: attacking again wouldn't work. Not against this person.
His jaw clenched, but he didn't move. His frustration radiated off him in waves, his instincts screaming at him to strike, to retaliate, to do something—but he couldn't. Because this wasn't just a simple opponent. This wasn't someone he could just cut down.
"Now, now," they murmured, tilting their head toward me and letting go. "Where are your manners, Lady Tomaszewski? Reilan Gintama? Is this how you greet a teacher?"
From the back of the shop, a loud crack split the tension. "Hah! I broke the blade before the dummy!" Asmodeus's voice rang out, triumphant and utterly oblivious to the scene unfolding at the front.
He emerged from the training area, twirling the broken remains of the weapon in his hand before pausing, golden eyes narrowing as he finally took in the sight before him.
His gaze flickered between Reilan's drawn weapon, the shimmering mana barrier, and the stranger standing there far too comfortably.
And then, in pure Asmodeus fashion, he grinned. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the crazed mage herself. What brings you here? Finally got kicked out of a city for terrorizing your students?"
The stranger turned slightly, their smirk not fading. "Oh, Asmodeus. Still as loud as ever."
Asmodeus took a step forward—only for earthen ropes to burst from the ground, coiling around his arms and legs, effectively binding him in place mid-stride.
He blinked, processing it for all of two seconds before groaning. "Seriously? Again?"
The stranger sighed, shaking their head. "You still charge in before thinking, don't you? I swear, it's like dealing with a child. Same with this one I'm holding, trying to hide using magic to get one up on me."
"We are children!" Asmodeus shot back.
Reilan, still tense from the earlier exchange, found himself blinking in stunned silence as he slowly turned his head toward me. His frustration had barely settled, and now confusion layered over it. "Chi… who the hell is this? Do you know them?"
I swallowed, my thoughts racing. "No."
His grip on his sword didn't ease. "Great. Just great." His breath came sharp and heated, his restraint hanging by a thread. "So not only did they block my strike like I was some child swinging a stick, they also tied up Asmodeus like an unruly pet—and now you're telling me you were about to use magic? Again? Without me knowing?!"
His voice rose, the sharp edge of betrayal cutting through his frustration. His glare snapped between me and the stranger, his hands tightening on his sword like he was barely keeping himself from swinging again. "Do you have any idea what they could've done to you? And you still thought magic was an option?!"
I didn't answer immediately, and that only seemed to make his anger boil hotter. He took a step forward, his expression dark. "And you—" his voice dropped into something lower, rougher, directed fully at the stranger. "You cut off her magic before she could even release it. You held her in place like it was nothing. You knew our names before we told you."
The stranger gave a lazy wave of their hand. "Now, now. No need to get all worked up about it. I'm sure introductions will clear everything up."
Asmodeus huffed from his bound position. "Doubtful. You have the worst way of introducing yourself."
The stranger smirked. "And yet, here we are."
The shop remained silent.
They sighed theatrically, shaking their head as if disappointed. "Honestly, I expected better reactions. No gasps of realization? No dramatic revelations?" They clicked their tongue. "What has the world come to?"
Reilan's grip on his sword twitched. "We don't have time for your games."
"Games?" The stranger chuckled. "My dear boy, this is my entire existence. But, fine. Since you're all so eager for a name—"
They snapped their fingers, and the earthen bindings around Asmodeus sank back into the floor as if they were never there.
The stranger pulled off her hood, revealing a sharp, angular face framed by a cascade of silver-streaked black hair. Her features were striking—high cheekbones, piercing amber eyes that gleamed with something unreadable, and a smirk that carried the weight of someone who had seen far too much and still found amusement in it.
A single red marking traced from the corner of her right eye down to her jawline, an emblem of something neither noble nor common, something etched by history itself. Despite her lean frame, there was an undeniable presence about her, as if the air itself adjusted to her movements.
She stood tall, shoulders relaxed but poised, dressed in a long, dark coat reinforced with enchanted threading, the cuffs lined with faintly glowing sigils that pulsed with residual mana. Even without sensing her presence earlier, it was now painfully clear—this was someone who did not just use magic.
She commanded it.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself," they said, taking an exaggerated bow. "I am Calamitas. Some call me the 'crazed mage'—a title I neither chose nor appreciate—but I suppose reputations are hard to shake. Regardless, I am the one who redefined how we perceive mana itself, and, most importantly, your new tutor."
Asmodeus groaned, clearly unhappy about this. "Oh, hell no. I refuse. I refuse to have you as Chi's teacher."
Reilan was still furious, but now also confused. "Wait—you're serious? You're actually here to teach her?"
The stranger gave them a lazy grin, but there was an unmistakable sharpness behind it. "Of course. But let's be clear on one thing—I'm not here for another Saegusa. That is never happening."
Silence fell over the shop.
Asmodeus blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "...Excuse me?"
Reilan's grip on his sword twitched slightly, his mind clearly racing. "Wait. What do you mean—'another' Saegusa?"
Calamitas exhaled, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off an old memory. "Irrelevant." She looked directly at me, ignoring the growing tension in the room. "The only reason I'm here is for Chiori Tomaszewski. That's it."
Before anyone could press further, Garrik let out a grunt, crossing his arms. "Tch. Not surprising. Training another Saegusa? Like hell she'd go through that again."
Reilan turned sharply toward him. "Again?"
Garrik shrugged, his expression unreadable. "You kids forget—I've been around longer than both your fathers. Seen things you wouldn't believe. And trust me, you don't want to know what happened the last time she took on a Saegusa."
Asmodeus narrowed his eyes. Then his face lit up in something far too enthusiastic for the situation.
"Wait. Are you telling me—" he inhaled sharply, turning toward Calamitas with a wild grin— "you trained my dad?!"
Reilan and I both turned to him at the same time. "What?"
Calamitas groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh, now he pays attention."
Asmodeus practically vibrated with excitement. "No way. No way. You trained my father and you weren't gonna say anything? This is amazing! This explains so much! I knew I recognized that smug attitude!"
Reilan looked torn between disbelief and frustration. "Back up. You're saying Sakamata Hinata was trained by her?"
Garrik snorted. "And she survived it, too."
That snapped me out of my own thoughts. My father was trained by her?
My gaze flickered to Calamitas. The pieces weren't quite fitting together yet, but the implications were… vast.
"Wait," I said, my mind catching on something else. "If you trained my father, then—"
Reilan cut in. "Then what magic form do you even use?"
A loaded question. One that made Calamitas smirk slightly, but she didn't answer immediately. Instead, she rolled her shoulders, glancing at Garrik like she was debating whether or not to indulge us.
Finally, she exhaled, tilting her head slightly. "Now, now. Where's the fun in giving away all my secrets so soon?"
Asmodeus, still riding the high of his newfound revelation, clapped Garrik on the shoulder. "Well, guess what, old man? Put any damages on my tab."
Garrik let out a rough chuckle, shaking his head. "You don't even check how much you owe before you add more to it."
"Does it matter?" Asmodeus grinned. "I'll pay it off eventually. Probably."
Reilan let out a long sigh. "Why do I feel like this is going to be a problem for me later?"
Calamitas stretched her arms over her head, seemingly unconcerned with the chaos left in whe store. "Well, now that this little detour is over, I do believe we have somewhere else to be."
I frowned, but before I could speak, she turned her gaze to me specifically. "Let's not keep your father waiting, shall we?"
Her words sent a cold weight settling in my stomach. Uncle Hinata planned this. Of course he did. He loved to keep things under wraps until the last possible second. And now, here we were, walking straight into whatever scheme he had in mind.
Without further argument, we left the shop, making our way back toward the Tomaszewski estate. The walk felt heavier than before, tension lingering in the air. And as we approached the estate gates, two figures stood waiting at the entrance
—
My father.
And Feudal Lord Saegusa Hinata.