Chapter 371 [Bonus ] CH 356: HANEKAWA (2)



Medusa's voice fluttered lightly as she recited a poem of seemingly Japanese origin and a lopsided smirk of mischief appeared on her face, as she asked,

"This is a poem I thought of whenever I see you, what do you think? Pretty fitting don't you think so?"

"How dare you!?"

For the first time, the four men who had been silent and stoic no matter how she insulted them, reacted with an outcry of anger so intense that their wrath had literally become tangible. All of them stood up from their dogeza and their auras were coated with their blazing fury and wrath.

"Enough."

A calm voice – like a beautifully echoing bell, yet deep and full of authority – was enough for them to stop and go back to their kneeling state.

Ignoring them, the woman looked at Medusa with her ever-calm smile,

"Truly a beautiful poem you have made there. Though it seems like the kind of poem young men would sing to prostitutes during the night."

"Did I stutter?"

Medusa cackled out loud, "Furthermore, if I remember right, Geisha are not necessarily prostitutes, right? Only selling their talents and not their bodies, was it not the concept they wield? So why the outrage? Unless... you see yourself in them? And define their acts as your own..."

One could see the smile on the blonde haired woman twitching greatly. The hand she had hidden in her large sleeve tightened slightly around her fan.

"..."

"..."

The two women gazed at each other deeply.

Each of them sported the most beautiful smile they could possibly muster but the temperature of the surroundings slowly dropped drown as the pressure rose higher and higher with each passing second.

"I see, it seems like you still have a prejudice against me. Do not test my patience, however, I will not be insulted inside my own house and territory."

"I don't have a prejudice against you. I simply hate you and everything you embody. Simply being in your presence sickens me to no end and I wish for nothing more than to pull out that rotten foxy stench that is trying to cling to my body while being near your vile and vulgar self."

It was really rare to see Medusa show so much emotion but she truly hated being in the presence of this hedonistic woman.

The two knew each other for years now and their relationship was less than friendly, to say the least.

Just as it seemed like they were about to come to blows, Medusa stopped in her tracks as she felt hundreds of stares eyeing them from everywhere at once.

She tsked,

"Truly, the daughter is even more creepy than the mother."

She ignored the feelings of more than a few dozen Spiders gazing at her at the same time and looked behind her.

There, she could see a woman approaching them from afar.

Unlike her mother, Tsubasa was clad in black battle gear. Clothes reminiscent of a ninja straight out of a fiction book, an extremely short kimono that stopped just around her hips and the typical fox max covering her facial features.

"Hello, Doctor Piaget, it seems like I have interrupted something. Forgive me for my rudeness."

Medusa shrugged and reigned in her hostility.

"I am the one who chose The Magician as the representative for the mission in France. I would like to know what your intention is in joining the mission this time. It was already doubtful that a Gold rank would join to help but from what I see, you already far surpass what a normal Gold rank can do. Aren't I right, Ghost Spider?"

Medusa threw a blatant stare at the mask Tsubasa was wearing right now. It was none other than a divine weapon of Inari no Kami, the fox goddess.

While the majority of her authority was related to non-combat, she was still the goddesses patron of swordsmiths and the protector of warriors.

Medusa could only stare at her with absolute bewilderment.

The girl was mad.

Stark raving mad.

There was really no doubt about the madness that was constantly churning in those hollow eyes of hers.

But there was a purity to her obsession, a beauty to her love which brought a feeling of fascination in her mind.

'She can be useful...'

Medusa was sure of one thing... as she was now, Tsubasa would kill herself if she decided that it was necessary for the good of Adam.

This kind of madness could be dangerous but when funneled in the right way—

"You are thinking of using my obsession."

Tsubasa's words interrupted her thoughts.

"You are... surprisingly self-aware, aren't you? Are you angry?"

"No. In fact, I am extremely happy that I have been able to generate those thoughts in your mind. After all, this proves that you are a true ally of Adam. It would have been a shame if you were not."

She showed a kind smile but the threat in her voice was completely unmistakable.

"How brazen. You think you can kill a 'Zodiac', even if I am on the weaker side of the spectrum?"

"Had I not stopped my training five years ago, I believe I would not be far from being on par with a Zodiac myself so, yes. I believe I can kill you and I will kill you if deemed necessary..."

Was it confidence, or was it hubris?

It was hard to say, but Medusa had to admit that this girl was extremely talented.

A woman loved by Fate, with a supreme talent that transcended her age.

This was quite worrying.

The more supremely talented humans appeared to be, the greater the threat that was actually brewing in the background. The aggregation of power and talent would only mean the imminent destruction of the world or a crisis that would be similar in scale...

'Is it a sign from the Scales?'

Presumably, something huge was about to happen in France and the world was moving the cards necessary to fight against it.

If it was the truth then—

"I will accept your candidatures for the mission."

"Thank you."

"Do not thank me. Everything will depend on Adam. If before going he says no, then it will be no."

She shook her head and started to walk away though she stopped and gazed at the woman who had not spoken much during the whole discussion.

"Inari, I hope to never see you and that vile face of yours ever again."

She spoke the name of the woman. Her name was like that of the fox goddess— for the woman in front of her had long since given up on her own identity.

Then she left without looking back.

Not even once...