"Sayo!"
Seeing Sayo suddenly jump off the railing, Tatsumi and Ieyasu were shocked and immediately rushed over without thinking.
However, just as they reached the balcony, whoosh! Two sharp sounds cut through the air.
A sense of extreme danger rose in both of their hearts. Having been rigorously trained by a certain bearded man since childhood, both Ieyasu and Tatsumi had exceptional reflexes for their age. Instinctively, they ducked.
Two silver streaks narrowly missed their heads. The violent, torn air alone was enough to make them feel a sharp pain. Looking at the strands of hair that fell, they were filled with dread.
Sayo, their childhood companion, was truly trying to kill them!
"Tatsumi, go get the weapons. We absolutely must save Sayo!"
Standing up straight and looking at Sayo, who was now standing in the courtyard below, coldly watching them, Ieyasu spoke seriously to Tatsumi.
"Ieyasu… alright!"
Tatsumi was momentarily dazed, feeling that Ieyasu had also changed. But he didn't think it was a bad thing. In fact, he felt a small sense of relief and was secretly happy for him.
After going through some things, Ieyasu had grown too!
Once they made their decision, they didn't hesitate. They quickly ran back to their room and grabbed their swords. They had already learned from Sayo's words that something had happened to her that they didn't know about. They weren't angry at her for her earlier actions; instead, they felt immense guilt.
It was because they hadn't protected Sayo that she had become like this. This time, they would definitely save her!
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Sitting on the windowsill, Sora was munching on sunflower seeds while watching the battle between Sayo, Tatsumi, and Ieyasu, who had once been close companions. The scheming Chelsea had also returned to her original form, sitting on Sora's lap with a lollipop in her mouth, looking equally intrigued.
Aria and her mother stood behind Sora, serving their master while also keeping their eyes fixed on the battle not far away.
This twisted mother-daughter pair, with their strange hobbies, were very interested in such things. They felt that their previous methods of simply capturing and torturing people were too weak compared to their master's technique, which were far more sinister and effective!
Looking at the charming man before them, their expressions were filled with endless admiration and infatuation. They secretly resolved to learn well from their master!
"Master, is the bow in Sayo's hand a gift from you? It's so beautiful!"
Watching Sayo's graceful movements as she drew her bow and shot arrows, Aria, who was diligently massaging Sora's back, spoke with great envy.
"Heh… do you want one too?"
Sora turned around and asked with a sly smile.
"Yes, yes!!"
Aria nodded vigorously, her face filled with excitement.
After observing over the past few days, Aria noticed that every woman around Sora possessed great power or unique abilities. Seeing them effortlessly accomplish one incredible feat after another, the young girl couldn't help but feel envious!
Of course, given Aria's malicious spoiled, and willful nature, her feelings were more of jealousy and resentment. But with a powerful master keeping her in check and the fact that these senior women were not to be trifled with, Aria had no choice but to suppress her jealousy and resentment, turning it into mere envy…
To be honest, Aria felt a bit wronged. Sayo had arrived later than her, yet the master had bestowed power upon her, while she still had nothing. Though she felt a bit resentful and unfair, she didn't dare show it in front of this "ruthless" master.
Moreover, if you really thought about it, Sayo had been taken in as the master's personal maid, while she and her mother were just slaves. Perhaps her current status wasn't high enough? If she performed well in the future, maybe the master would be pleased and promote her, granting her such gifts too! Aria comforted herself with these thoughts.
"Hmph, don't even think about getting promoted. You and your mother will always be just slaves!"
Through the power of the contract, Sora could clearly know what his women were thinking. However, he usually didn't bother with such things. Just now, out of curiosity, he took a peek into Aria's mind and was immediately struck with a sense of exasperation.
If these inherently malicious women were allowed to rise, who knows what chaos they'd cause? People like them would never behave unless kept firmly in check!
"Wah…"
Hearing Sora's words, Aria felt extremely wronged. Covering her mouth, she looked at Sora with teary eyes, her expression pitiful.
Aria's mother, however, didn't react much. After all, she was more mature than Aria and knew that the fate of her and her daughter was entirely in the hands of this man, with no room for resistance. Whatever happens, happens. She had already resigned herself to her fate.
"Alright, alright, Aria. As long as you behave, your master will still care for you."
"Here, this is for you. You did well helping me subdue Sayo. This is your reward!"
Handling a little brat like her was far too simple for Sora. With a flourish, he retrieved a gleaming tachi from the dimensional space of his King's Sword and presented it to Aria. Patting the young girl's head, Sora spoke with a smile.
"Ah... Thank you, Master!"
"Master, what kind of sword is this? Is it very powerful?"
The grievance in her heart vanished in an instant. Aria, incredibly excited, accepted the tachi and asked Sora with an expectant look.
"Mm, you can call it 'Demon Blade: Poison Fang.' It's a weapon crafted especially for Aria, forged from a unique metal imbued with a potent poison. Anyone wounded by it will succumb to the toxin and die instantly!"
"Well, of course, if you wish, you can also freely control the poison's potency, subjecting those afflicted to endless, excruciating torment, leaving them begging for death but finding no release!"
"What do you think? This weapon suits Aria quite well, doesn't it?"
A peculiar smile touched Sora's lips as he spoke to Aria.
This girl was the third witch Sora had chosen for Esdeath. While others saw her malicious nature as an unforgivable sin, in Sora's eyes, it was a talent too precious to be suppressed!
Thus, Esdeath's three witch retainers were all assembled: Seryu, Kurome, and Aria. Under the tutelage of the ultra-sadistic Queen Esdeath, what kind of dark radiance would these three bloodthirsty and cruel witches unleash?!
"Master, you're so wicked!"
A blush crept onto her cheeks. Aria naturally understood her wicked master was teasing her. Yet, deep down, she was overjoyed. Just as Sora had said, this weapon suited her perfectly!
Having acquired such a formidable weapon, Aria's confidence returned, and her mind began to race with new ideas. 'Perhaps,' she mused, 'once I've trained and grown stronger, I'll eliminate all those so-called seniors! Then I can have Master all to myself?'
Noticing Sora watching her with an enigmatic half-smile, Aria couldn't help but shiver and quickly suppressed the wicked thought.
Such a thing seemed utterly unrealistic. She'd better stop her wild imaginings and dutifully serve as her Master's female slave.
Hmm, time to watch the show. It looks like things are getting exciting over with Sayo and those two country bumpkins...