Chapter 132. Ai-chan Bites Futsu Mitama, Aila Goes Berserk!
Deep within the Abyss, Futsu Mitama and Black Aila met once more. The atmosphere between them was—explosive. At first, Futsu Mitama had been sincerely grateful. Black Aila had just pulled him out of a dire predicament.
Then she spoke. And he was instantly rendered speechless.
The Chat Group livestream was still active.
Aila was watching.
There was even a child in the group.
Klee was still young!
Internally, Futsu Mitama was screaming.
Outwardly, he could only ask, helpless, "Do you know what you're saying??"
"I know." Black Aila nodded faintly. Her blood-red eyes reflected him with eerie clarity. "I saved you, Young Master. You should pledge yourself to me. Which means mating with me. Isn't that normal? In Snezhnaya—no, among the Fatui—many people anticipate such a development."
She paused slightly.
"Could it be—Young Master prefers that kind of figure?"
As she spoke, she placed a hand lightly over her chest. A subtle emotion flickered across her gaze. As a woman, she understood well that some men held preferences.
"No, no, no, no! That's not what I'm talking about!"
Futsu Mitama raised both hands in surrender, desperate to prevent her from saying anything more catastrophic.
He had no specific requirements when it came to figures. If he liked someone, he liked them—regardless. Though—if the figure happened to be a bit fiery—like a certain part—that wouldn't hurt.
Or someone like Eula. Or Shenhe.
Ahem.
He forcefully dragged his thoughts back.
Looking at Black Aila with visible helplessness, he said, "Pledging oneself isn't just about mating. Don't misunderstand."
"Mating… um…didn't Snezhnaya teach you the concept properly?"
He genuinely looked confused. Wasn't this basic common sense?
"No." Black Aila's expression did not change. "They only taught me how to fight. How to control power. How to eliminate enemies efficiently and lethally. The concepts of pledging oneself and mating were learned through 'my' memories. She truly wants to marry you, Young Master. She also wants to do 'that' with you."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Of course. I want to as well."
She performed a flawless maid's bow.
"After the last battle, you still trust me, Young Master. You did not avoid me. You did not attack me. That makes me very happy."
Yes. Black Aila knew exactly what she was doing. It was something she had to do. Her 'self' understood this too. That was why she did not resist fighting her. Yet when Black Aila stepped forward just now, she had been prepared for Futsu Mitama to strike.
He didn't.
Instead, he spoke to her calmly.
That simple act warmed her heart more than she expected.
"…"
Futsu Mitama fell silent. He glanced at the Chat Group livestream. Aila appeared to be on the verge of exploding.
Her inner thoughts—laid bare without mercy—had reduced her to unbearable embarrassment. She likely wished the Chat Group possessed teleportation, just so she could descend here and fight her 'self' to the death.
He understood. If someone exposed his inner thoughts so publicly, he might go mad too. But—
Did Aila really think about that kind of thing?
He wasn't too surprised. Though master and servant, their relationship had long since grown intimate.
Aila was beautiful. Her figure was excellent.
He felt no rejection toward her. If Inazuma hadn't been unstable then—if circumstances had been different—he might have married her long ago.
But now?
Too many matters demanded attention. Only when everything ended would he consider such things.
"That…" He attempted to shift the topic.
Then he paused. He seemed to have realized something.
"What's wrong, Young Master?"
Black Aila stepped beside him, standing quietly behind him just as Aila once had.
"Nothing." He began walking forward. "I'm thinking about what to call you. It's not appropriate to always call you Black Aila."
If she had harbored hostility, he wouldn't hesitate. Even if she looked exactly like Aila.
But she didn't. She was nearly identical—only colder in personality, more ordinary in figure.
Everything else was the same. Her attitude toward him was the same. She had just saved him. How could he raise a blade against her?
And the matter of address was troublesome. Aila herself had said they were one.
Closer than twins. Both incomplete. Only united would they become the true Aila.
"Just call me Aila." A trace of joy flickered in her crimson eyes. "I am also Aila. It is fine."
"…"
He glanced at the livestream again.
Aila was typing furiously. Fortunately, there was no voice function. He had a premonition that otherwise she would have already begun an intense confrontation using him as the battlefield.
"How about…Kuro?"
He suggested cautiously. Based on hair color, adding "Black" in front didn't seem unreasonable.
"…."
She looked at him with a subtle expression that clearly said, Young Master…really?
He pretended not to notice.
"Okay." She nodded. "You may call me that, Young Master."
"However, in private… I hope you call me Ai-chan. This is my nickname. I think…she does not know about it."
There was unmistakable anticipation in her gaze. And this was currently private. If he agreed, he would call her Ai-chan now.
"No problem." He exhaled in relief. "By the way, Ai-chan, how did you end up here?"
From La Signora, he knew she had escaped Snezhnaya and intended to head toward Liyue. But this was the Abyss. Even he, at his strength, moved cautiously here.
Ai-chan was only slightly stronger than him now. If nothing unexpected occurred, she would become a Harbinger. Aside from lacking the Tsaritsa's authority, she was not inferior to them. So why was she here?
"Escaping pursuit." She walked beside him. "The Fatui continue hunting me. Several Harbingers have entered the Abyss to track my location. I am injured. I cannot appear openly. So I hide deep within the Abyss to recover. They do not dare enter too deeply. And just now, I heard an enormous explosion."
"In the silent Abyss, such sound is impossible without provoking other existences. Out of curiosity, I came to observe. I did not expect it to be you, Young Master."
Perhaps fate.
"Provocation?" His mouth twitched. "How is that provocation? I just threw a bomb."
"…" She looked at him meaningfully. "Young Master, the Abyss is extremely quiet. I could see and hear that bomb from very far away. Even when monsters fight, they do not create such noise."
"What you did—"
She hesitated. Words were not her specialty. The Fatui had raised her as a weapon. Dottore saw no use in teaching her unnecessary concepts. Without her previous mental interaction with Aila, she might lack even basic common sense.
He waited patiently. Just as he once did with Aila.
"Hmm." She nodded slowly. "It is roughly equivalent to placing a bomb at the entrance of the Tsaritsa's palace…and having the entire Fatui hunt you."
A crude analogy.
His lips twitched again.
So that was it.
No wonder so many monsters gathered. They had been drawn by Alice's bomb. It wasn't misfortune. It was public provocation.
"Then…why are you here, Young Master?"
She looked at him curiously. Theoretically, wasn't he protecting 'herself' in Liyue? And her intervention earlier had indeed saved him. Without her, he would have fallen into another war of attrition.
More monsters. More beasts. No escape.
The bomb had drawn too many. Even she, possessing Abyssal Power, did not wish to provoke them.
She had merely come to watch. She hadn't expected this outcome.
"Alas~ It's a long story."
He summarized everything concisely. They walked and spoke.
—
Meanwhile, the Chat Group livestream continued.
[Aila: "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!!!"]
[Aila: "Young Master, don't be fooled by her! This guy has ill intentions towards you!!!"]
[Aila: "No! Young Master, don't stay by her side!! I won't go into seclusion either!!! I'm going to the Abyss!"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "I can tell, Aila is very angry right now."]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "Hmm..."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "This is normal, I suppose, seeing Futsu Mitama chatting and laughing with her'self'."]
[Yae Miko: "Am I the only one who thinks it's perfectly normal? Because Futsu Mitama is helping Aila gather information~"]
[Azhdaha: "@Aila, don't rush. Study Adeptus arts diligently with Cloud Retainer. Your future achievements will definitely not be inferior to hers."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Abyssal Power and the power of a god...this Aila—no, she should be called Black Aila. Her physique is unusual. Ordinary people cannot withstand the power of a god, let alone Abyssal Power."]
[Guizhong: "Indeed peculiar. And the divine power she wields is gentle. Could she have obtained recognition from a god?"]
[Aila: "Recognition of a god?"]
[Venti: "Gods are immortal. Even after death, they leave Demon God Remnants—unless they willingly dissipate their power. No matter how benevolent, a god will bring disaster before death."]
[Venti: "Interesting. This Black Aila appears to have gained a certain god's recognition, yet the power she holds is incomplete."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Even incomplete divine power is formidable."]
[Zhongli: "Possessing both incomplete divine authority and Abyssal Power—she is an anomaly."]
[Keqing: "@Aila, do not be impulsive. They are only conversing. Futsu Mitama has done nothing yet."]
[Klee: "Yes, yes! Maid Big Sister, the Black Maid Little Sister in the picture hasn't done anything yet!"]
[Albedo: "Little Sister?"]
Watching the messages scroll across the group chat, Futsu Mitama's faint smile carried more exhaustion than amusement. Aila was overthinking again.
Black Aila, however, appeared calm—too calm. She walked beside him without hostility, without impatience. No sudden movements. No visible malice. And yet that composure felt heavier than aggression ever could.
Her experience in combat and survival was unmistakable. Every movement was economical. Every glance measured. When she selected a resting place, it was shielded from line of sight, defensible, quiet. The bonfire she lit did not crackle brightly—it burned low and steady, as if even flame here feared drawing attention.
"The Abyss is very strange here. If Young Master you are waiting for the Archons to arrive, you will still need to wait a while."
Her voice was level, almost detached.
"Because the concepts of time and space are slightly different here."
She spoke not like someone seeking reassurance—but like someone already accustomed to isolation.
"Young Master, you said you got information about me from the Lady, saying I entered the Abyss. In my impression, I have actually spent nearly a month avoiding the pursuit of the Fatui."
Nearly a month. In this place.
"The Abyss has a total of twelve layers. The place we are in is the eleventh layer—the closest area to the twelfth."
Only here could she hide. Only here would they hesitate to follow.
"The Fatui will not easily let go of a traitor." A faint pause. "Also, I don't want to bring the Fatui Harbingers to Liyue and put [me] in danger."
Not "myself."
[Me].
Even in exile, even in defiance, her first calculation was protection. She could face a Harbinger alone. She had already grown to that height. But Aila had not.
That was the difference between them.
In the mental space, they had fought. Black Aila had seen clearly—Aila's potential was vast, frightening even for her. But her time had been spent elsewhere. Her strength had not been sharpened by cruelty, only softened by devotion.
She had poured herself into someone else. And so she remained incomplete.
Snezhnaya had sent Black Aila to the Abyss to kill monsters, to eliminate the Order, to serve as a blade in darkness. And when she broke that chain, when she defected—If Aila had not reached her—
Perhaps she would have chosen to die in battle, simply to end it.
"Actually," Futsu Mitama said quietly, "Aila is now an Adeptus Disciple. If you go there, you'll face many Adeptus. At that time, the enemies won't just be Aila."
Black Aila tilted her head.
"Didn't she tell you?"
The question was gentle. Too gentle.
Seeing his confusion, a faint curve touched her lips—not amusement, but resignation.
"As expected of [me]. It seems she's already prepared to lose."
The words fell like ash. Futsu Mitama felt something tighten in his chest.
Prepared to lose?
"Because we are both Aila," she explained slowly, staring into the fire, "when the distance between us closes to a certain extent, our incomplete [souls] will choose to complement each other."
Even if they resist. Even if they beg.
"Two consciousnesses cannot coexist in one body. And we are both [Aila]."
Whoever loses—Will be erased.
"And once I step onto the land of Liyue, even if I avoid the Adeptus, the battle of consciousness will begin. Because that is also my mental domain."
So the formations were meaningless. Barriers could not separate what was originally whole. Futsu Mitama finally understood why the Archons had called it troublesome. Why they said they could not interfere. At best, they could preserve a fading consciousness.
But victory? That depended only on strength.
And right now—Black Aila was stronger.
"Are you very worried about [me]?"
Her blood-red eyes lifted toward him.
"Yes," he answered honestly. "She's my maid. Of course I worry."
A fragile smile crossed her face.
"I envy her." The confession was soft. "She is so much better off than me. I thought my other half had already died in the waters of Inazuma."
Her gaze lowered.
"I saw Dottore order them to throw [me] off the ship. Like damaged goods."
But she had survived.
Drifted.
Met him.
Lived.
"And I…" Her fingers trembled slightly. "I stayed in the laboratory. Memories sealed. Mask on my face. Fighting for the Tsaritsa."
Her aura wavered. Not violently—but like something cracking under pressure long sustained. Those memories were not dramatic.
They were worse.
They were empty.
Futsu Mitama's chest burned.
She was also Aila.
His Aila.
And the fury that rose at the thought of Dottore was no longer theatrical—it was cold. Precise. Murderous.
"And, Young Master." Her voice cut through his thoughts. "The reason I am eager to merge…is also because of you."
He stared at her, confused. They had barely met.
She stepped forward. Took his hand. Placed it against her chest.
There was no teasing in her expression. No embarrassment.
Only quiet insistence.
"My heart has always been hollow." Her voice did not tremble. "That emptiness lasted for years. Emotion was suppressed. Erased. Corrected."
"No matter what others said, nothing remained."
Her hand tightened over his.
"Until I gained those memories. The days [I] spent with you in Inazuma…"
Her eyes softened—not brightly, but painfully.
"They filled the hollow space."
The tragedy was not that she loved. It was that she learned how too late. And now, the only way she believed she could keep that warmth—Was to erase the version of herself who first felt it.
With that, Black Aila slowly raised her head. Her eyes met Futsu Mitama's, and she smiled.
"So, I want you."
There was no coyness in her tone. No teasing warmth. It was a declaration stripped of ornament.
"As Aila, I'll stay by your side, Young Master—I don't know if the other person has told you."
Her gaze did not waver.
"But as long as you are by our side, we will find peace and strive even harder."
The words were gentle. But beneath them lay hunger.
Hearing her speak so openly, Futsu Mitama exhaled softly. His expression was complicated—caught between tenderness and dread.
"Can't we just coexist peacefully?" The suggestion sounded almost naïve in the stillness of the Abyss. "Actually, I've made a lot of mora. If you two don't want to fight, I can support both of you for life—"
He meant it.
Before he could finish, a cool finger pressed lightly against his lips. Black Aila shook her head.
"This is irreversible."
Her voice was calm. Certain. Almost merciless in its clarity.
"She knows it. And I know it. Even if a god intervenes, it can only be delayed."
Her eyes reflected the firelight—steady, unwavering.
"The sun will rise. Night will fall. Even if we drag it out, things will reach their final conclusion."
There was no anger in her tone. Only inevitability.
"And—the Fatui threat still remains. Whether it is me or [her], we both want to obtain greater strength to assist Young Master. If we merge and gain each other's strength and experience, we might become a [Newborn Demon Gods]."
When she said those words, something flickered in her eyes—something bitter. Dottore had carved that possibility into her existence. Now, that same possibility stood before them as both salvation and execution.
The chance was minuscule.
But it was real.
Because she possessed incomplete [Authority]—and incomplete authority still meant power born of divinity.
Futsu Mitama opened his mouth. Nothing came out. What argument could compete with inevitability?
As for the so-called [Newborn Demon Gods]—he did not care. Power meant nothing in this moment. Not the Seven. Not what he might become. Not future levels, nor unreachable heights.
He liked them.
Both of them is Aila.
That was the problem. Was there truly no path where both Ailas could remain?
Hadn't he earned enough? Enough mora. Enough effort. Enough struggle.
Wasn't that what it was all for?
"And." Black Aila's voice cut through his thoughts. "Just like in the mental world back then. Both I and my other half told you, didn't we?"
Her gaze sharpened—not playful, but resolute.
"Only the victor can stay by Young Master's side. I will not allow another me to compete with me for Young Master. Beauty belongs only to the strong. And Young Master deserves to be served only by the true and complete Aila."
There was no jealousy in her expression.
Only conviction.
"This is our shared belief. So Young Master, just sit there obediently and wait for things to unfold, and also—"
She stepped closer. Too close. And before he could react—
She moved.
Fast.
Not romantic.
Not hesitant.
A sudden strike.
Her lips pressed against his—no, bit into his mouth.
It was not a kiss. It was a claim.
Sharp. Immediate. Possessive.
It hurt.
The Abyss remained silent.
But the group chat exploded. The messages flew by, filled with shock, teasing, confusion—noise layered over a moment that was anything but light. Behind the laughter, behind the flustered reactions, behind Aila's anguished screaming—
The truth remained unchanged. This was not flirtation. It was a signal of war.
And far away, on Mt. Aocang, Aila finally reached her breaking point. Earlier, when her other half had rescued Young Master, she endured it. She told herself to endure it.
But this—
This crossed a line she could not bear.
Her eyes burned.
"Master!"
Her voice trembled—not with fear, but fury barely contained.
"I'm going into the Abyss!!! To fight my [other half] to the death!!!"
The words left her mouth before reason could restrain them. Because what Black Aila had taken was not simply a kiss.
It was proof. Proof that the other half would not hold back.
Cloud Retainer and Shenhe exchanged bewildered looks. They did not understand. But something in Aila's eyes made the air heavy.
This was no childish outburst. It was the cry of someone who understood she might lose—
And still chose to walk toward that loss. Where had the calm Aila gone? Or perhaps—
She had always been this way. Only now had she been forced to choose.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens