After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

Just like Kagura Hikaru had guessed, Komori Ai was confined on the top level of the shrine.

Though called the top level, this shrine was after all just three stories high.

The entire third floor was one room, covered with tatami mats, with nothing but load-bearing pillars for separation.

As he ascended the stairs, Kagura Hikaru saw her.

Komori Ai hadn't gone to bed yet; she was curled up, her delicate little feet tucked beneath her, quietly sitting by the window, fiddling with something.

She was clad in a crimson kimono, her sleek black hair cascading down, revealing her pale side profile, which, under the bright moonlight, resembled Takenaka Koya—so exquisitely beautiful that it was beyond words.

But the origami cranes scattered around her feet added a childish touch to her image.

There were others in the corners, heaped up into small mountains.

So, what she was fiddling with... was indeed origami.

No wonder the mind-reading Skill could only replicate the origami skill—it was something borne out of boredom after all.

"Big brother, you're here."

Perhaps having heard his footsteps, Komori Ai turned to look at him, then cheerfully got up and threw herself into Kagura Hikaru's arms, followed by her hopping excitedly, her sleeves flapping as she ran to the pile of origami cranes, scooping up a big handful against her chest.

"Look! I'm amazing, aren't I? I've folded so many in just half a year!"

"Half a year..."

Kagura Hikaru's brow twitched.

Half a year, that was the time they had been apart.

So, she indeed had been captured then.

The influence of the honey surfaced once again.

The desire to protect her, to save her, to help her—such emotions kept burrowing into Kagura Hikaru's mind.

Upon seeing that lock at the shrine entrance, a subtle fury had already surged within him, and now, seeing Komori Ai's situation, this emotion started to become more pronounced.

Without a doubt, the Happiness Cult did not truly treat Komori Ai as a goddess; instead, they imprisoned her, forcing her to work as a proselytizing tool for the sect.

If that were not so, why lock her in? Because if not locked, she would definitely run away.

Komori Ai's parents probably did the same; her father too exploited her.

According to Inspector Yamazaki, Komori Ai's father was the first Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult, who established its wealth-gathering schemes in society. After his death, Komori Ai found no respite; like an object, she was succeeded by another opportunist and continued to be a tool for making money.

There was no future for her here.

"Do you want to leave this place?" Kagura Hikaru asked.

"I am a free little bird, I want freedom, freedom! Caw!"

Out of the blue, Komori Ai spread her arms wide, standing unsteadily on one foot, her expression serious, while mimicking the caw of a crow.

Although it was a bit bizarre, Kagura Hikaru felt that her answer was affirmative.

"Why don't you leave on your own?" Kagura Hikaru asked, voicing the doubt that had been present from the beginning, "With your abilities, how exactly do those people keep you under control?"

"They are despicable adults!" Komori Ai put down her hands, pouting angrily, "They took my umbilical cord! So, they just won't listen!"

"Umbilical cord?"

What was that? Some kind of magic artifact alias?

"An umbilical cord is an umbilical cord!" Komori Ai said sorrowfully, touching her stomach, "It is the proof, the real, that I was born...."

Listening to her intermittent stories, Kagura Hikaru roughly understood the meaning.

The umbilical cord cut at the birth of Komori Ai seemed to her like some sort of 'Item of Truth,' a thing that restrained her powers.

In terms of mysticism, the umbilical cord is the first bridge connecting a human to this world, signifying an undeniable blood-tie; perhaps that is why it became her bane.

Though this part was Kagura Hikaru's guess.

According to Komori Ai, anyone who carried the umbilical cord could restrict her 'Lie'.

The Happiness Cult had powdered the umbilical cord and distributed it among all members to carry with them; thus, Komori Ai could not hypnotize them, becoming a weak little girl who couldn't even defeat a goose in the presence of Happiness Cult members.

Kagura Hikaru had thought they possessed some ancient supernatural weapon or a magic contract to keep Komori Ai submissive, a bit worried it might threaten him, but the answer turned out to be simpler than he thought...

"Wuwuwu, Xiao Ai is too miserable, not only do I have to fold origami cranes here every day, I can't go out to play, and they even draw my blood, it's killing me!"

Komori Ai covered her eyes with her right hand, pretending to cry while secretly peeping at Kagura Hikaru's reaction.

"Blood draw?" Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brows, "Did they mix your blood into the honey?"

"Yes, yes, you ate it too, didn't you? I can feel it!" Komori Ai's tears turned into laughter in a second, dancing around Kagura Hikaru, and dancing quite beautifully.

"Does that stuff affect the mind?"

"Quack, quack, vampire, vampire~~"

"Speak properly." Kagura Hikaru caught her face with his five fingers, then skillfully hoisted her onto his back, "Anyway, I will take you with me, but you need to tell me how to counteract the effects of the blood you drank."

"Eh? What do you mean by counteract?"

"..."

Meaning it can't be undone, right?

Kagura Hikaru sighed deeply.

Forget it, it's just that seeing Komori Ai gets me a bit more emotional, nothing serious.

Speaking of which, the reason he felt a connection to Ms. Kurosaki and the Sect Hierarch's group might also be due to this, the umbilical cords they carried and the blood of Komori Ai he had consumed were interacting.

For Komori Ai, this urge might be even more intense, which is why she couldn't use her abilities on them.

Well, thinking about it, just drinking blood can influence one's mind and trigger emotions, and even connect with the other's umbilical cord, what kind of bodily structure would produce such effects?

Is she really still human?

The 'Non-Human' on his back suddenly began to wriggle.

"You're speaking ill of Xiao Ai! Why speak ill of Mom, bad child!"

"Shh! Keep it down, don't attract the bad guys."

"Oh oh oh, shush~shush~~"

Although Komori Ai acts weird sometimes, she seems quite obedient when it comes to what should and shouldn't be said.

It would be nice to have a daughter as cute as her in the future.

Kagura Hikaru thought to himself without reason.

He carried Komori Ai on his back, his steps still light as a feather, running down the stairs.

This also related to Komori Ai being very lightweight, one could tell this girl hardly ate well regularly.

Quickly running down to the first floor, Ayakoji Chiyoko was still guarding the front door, and without turning around at the sound of footsteps, she kept watching the door crack dutifully.

"Ayakoji." Kagura Hikaru called out to her.

But Ayakoji Chiyoko, without turning her head, gestured with her hand.

Kagura Hikaru understood her signal and quietly came over to peek through the door crack.

Outside the Shrine, many flashlight beams appeared.

A group of people hastened through the torii gateway into the Shrine area, and if one listened carefully, some command-like shouts could faintly be heard.

It seems the 'corpses' of the guards knocked down earlier had been discovered.

"Xiao Ai, is there a back door we can use?" Kagura Hikaru asked, turning his head.

"Nope." Komori Ai hugged his neck, grinning as she said, "The first floor is completely sealed off."

"First floor, what about the second floor?" Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Sealed too~"

Kagura Hikaru hummed to himself.

The Shrine's story height was not the same as an apartment, with just the first floor matching two stories' height. Jumping down from the Shrine's second floor was already perilous, let alone from third story.

From that height, even Kagura Hikaru himself was likely to get injured, not to mention Komori Ai and Ayakoji Chiyoko.

"Kagura, what should we do?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked back worriedly.

The group outside had already started searching around, likely to encircle them soon.

What to do?