50 stones
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The sorcery school was quiet after the recent confrontation. Makima was in the lobby, waiting for the others to finish submitting their reports. Nanami had already completed his, and Hakari decided to go rest while Kirara stayed by her side, watching her in silence as if trying to read her thoughts. Little by little, the hallways emptied, wrapped in a faint echo that accompanied the silence.
Kirara finally broke the stillness. "What was all that?" she asked, with a mix of curiosity and caution. Makima glanced at her sideways, barely a smile on her lips. "Nothing... I just used my technique and defeated that thing," she replied as if the matter were unimportant.
Kirara frowned and took a step toward her, as if wanting to make sure Makima understood the weight of her words. "That 'thing' was a special-grade curse. There are few sorcerers capable of facing one alone, you know?" Her tone was a clear attempt to get an honest answer.
Makima stepped closer, shortening the distance between them until her presence seemed to envelop her. In a soft but firm voice, she responded, "But I didn't do it alone, that's what you said, right?" Kirara sighed, tilting her head, with no intention of diving into one of those strange topics her friend seemed to enjoy so much. "You know I said it because I promised you," she murmured, reminding Makima of her loyalty.
Makima watched her for a moment, noting with fascination that her control technique had not intervened; Kirara's loyalty was genuine, without intervention from her domain. "How strange," she thought, finding in Kirara a kind of loyalty that seemed unique, an autonomous and genuine will. Unable to resist, she gave her a pat on the shoulder and added, "Don't worry, we're not doing anything wrong."
Makima's calm seemed to soothe Kirara, who, more relaxed, offered a small smile. "That's true," she agreed. But before they could continue, a quick, unexpected sound broke through the hallway: someone was approaching, running.
"Makima!" The voice was urgent. Rika arrived and, without hesitation, began inspecting Makima from head to toe, looking for any signs of injury. Her hands moved over her with precision, while her eyes reflected concern. "Are you okay? I felt a great drain on my energy and thought..." she trailed off as Makima placed a finger over her lips, sealing her words. "Don't worry," she said in a tone that seemed to calm even the air around her. "I'm fine. Prepare the bath at home. I'll take care of testifying here and then I'll head over."
Rika nodded, still with Makima's finger on her lips, and for a brief moment, her eyes showed an unusual desire. Holding herself back, she refrained from licking her finger, while Makima kept her gaze fixed on her, as if evaluating her. Kirara, watching from the side, smiled in a peculiar way.
Makima noticed Kirara's curious look, who crossed her arms and commented quietly, "Quite a relationship you two have."
Makima smiled, with a proud expression. "Yes, it's special, but it's mine. And I like it," she replied with a tone that denoted possession and satisfaction.
Kirara nodded, conceding. "Yes, it's your relationship, so it's fine." Makima maintained her smile; in her mind, her possession of Rika was literal. But there was no need to clarify.
Rika left to fulfill Makima's orders, while Kirara watched her, wondering if she would ever fully understand the true nature of her friend. For Makima, every bond was an extension of her control, and every close person, a piece in her game. Satisfied, she went to present her report, while in her mind she planned the benefits of those ties, and Kirara remained in the hallway, questioning how much of that calm truly hid Makima's relentless power.
After testifying, Makima headed home, with Kirara accompanying her part of the way. As they said goodbye, Kirara hugged her tightly, smiling with enthusiasm. "Next year, maybe we can take on official missions!" she exclaimed. Her tone was a mix of excitement and admiration. "And you better hurry up to special grade... or at least to first grade." She pouted, adding with a slight reproach, "The credit should be yours." She still felt the weight of Makima's request to keep the secret. Makima, showing neither pride nor disapproval, simply patted her on the shoulder, calming her. "I'm not interested in those things," Makima replied in a calm tone. "Rest." Kirara sighed, aware of her friend's personality, and smiled before watching her walk away towards the outskirts of the facilities.
Upon arriving home, Rika was already waiting at the door. "Makima, the bath is ready," she announced upon seeing her. Makima nodded, stepping into the house with firm steps, and once in the bathroom, she began undressing slowly, letting her clothes fall to the floor. Without looking up, she said naturally, "Join me." Although Rika had already bathed earlier, she obeyed without hesitation, accustomed to Makima's demands. She began to undress as well, revealing her skin slightly flushed from the bath's warmth.
Once in the shower, Rika, as usual, devoted herself to washing Makima's body with a gentle sponge, running it softly over her shoulders, arms, and neck. When she finished, Makima prepared to get into the bathtub, but suddenly, seeing Rika about to wash herself, she stopped and looked at her. She decided to take the sponge and help her herself.
"M-Makima..." Rika stammered, surprised. Whenever they bathed together, she was the one who took care of washing Makima, and she never expected her lady to attend to her in this way. Although the situation felt strange, she didn't complain; on the contrary, she enjoyed her mistress's touch in silence, trying to hide the blush beginning to color her cheeks.
Makima began washing her back, sliding the sponge gently but firmly, then moved to her abdomen, letting the hot water slide along with the foam, and finally reached her chest. Rika felt her breathing quicken at the contact, and she had to suppress a faint moan each time Makima's hands brushed over that sensitive area. Makima, either unaware or deliberately ignoring Rika's reaction, continued calmly, focused on the task.
Once she finished, she immersed herself in the tub, letting out a sigh of relief as the hot water enveloped her. Then, she lifted her gaze and, without a word, took Rika by the wrist, drawing her towards her and settling her in her lap. The position was slightly uncomfortable for Rika, who tried to relax while feeling Makima's intense gaze upon her.
Rika tried to divert her thoughts to avoid any inappropriate feelings, but she was interrupted when Makima spoke, with a tone that conveyed an unusual dissatisfaction: "Today, I concluded that even a curse can have a domain... and I do not." Rika, confused, blinked and turned to glance sideways at her lady's face. Makima's expression was cold, almost impenetrable, a look she hadn't seen in her for a long time.
Makima continued, speaking in a lower, more thoughtful tone. "I don't know if Gojo is a bad teacher or if Shoko is a very good one." Rika felt a slight cold sweat run down her back; she knew that any comparison or criticism of Gojo with Ieiri was unfair, but she understood that her lady needed to express herself. She tried to soften the subject. "Well... it's not easy to receive instructions from Gojo if you're hiding everything from him. Of course, I'm not criticizing," she added hastily, "I'm sure you have your reasons."
Makima looked at her, resting her face on Rika's neck, who felt the heat rising to her face at the contact. Despite this, she remained still. Makima spoke softly, "Of course I have my reasons. Gojo seems invincible with his techniques: Limitless, Infinite Void, Blue, Red... I try to understand each of his cards, but it's not easy. Maybe, if he explained the Infinite to me, I could open up more to him. In my opinion, that's his second most powerful card."
Rika nodded, noticing that Makima's words revealed a slight unease. This frankness about Gojo was new; she had never seen her speak this way about anyone else. "Well, you always believe that no one is invincible. Besides, I doubt the Infinite is completely impenetrable." Makima nodded slightly, and a spark of determination seemed to light in her eyes. "That's why I'm so interested in developing a domain," she said decisively.
Rika nodded as she tried to organize her thoughts. "And how would a domain help nullify his Infinite?" Makima looked directly into her eyes and, with an elegant gesture, extended a hand. From her palm emerged two chains: one a pale gray, and the other golden and shining, which slid and began to wrap around Rika's body. "If I manage to develop a domain, these chains or my commands will become absolute, even for him," Makima explained, her voice filled with conviction. "But my dilemma is how to counteract his own domain; the barrier of the Infinite Void is nearly perfect."
Rika fought back the moan that wanted to escape her lips as she felt the chains wrapping around her with a firmness that combined strength with softness. She forced herself to think clearly and, with effort, responded: "A domain is impenetrable once it traps its opponent. But... the barrier is vulnerable to external attacks," she murmured, unable to hold back a faint, stifled moan at the end.
Makima became thoughtful, her fingers gently tracing the chains wrapped around Rika. She pondered the possibility of launching an attack from within her own domain outward, something incredibly complex. "It's complicated," she concluded after a moment, realizing the difficulty of such a strategy. Finally, she looked at Rika, noticing the state she was in cheeks flushed and breathing heavy, almost on the edge of desire.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize," Makima said, calmly retracting the chains. Rika, still somewhat dazed, nodded, and, once she regained her composure, the two stepped out of the bath to head to dinner.