Tsukishiro Yanagi brought the two of them into HAND Headquarters. Since things had already been confirmed, there was nothing else to deal with. As for anyone deliberately trying to make trouble for Hoshimi Miyabi, that was basically impossible. No normal person would think of provoking a Void Hunter. That was the fastest way to get yourself chopped into minced meat.
"Please wait a moment. The Section Chief is training in the training room," Tsukishiro Yanagi said apologetically.
There were very few people who ever wanted to visit Hoshimi Miyabi in the first place. Most people knew her personality well enough. A formal visit like this usually would not be approved.
"It's fine."
Miyabi's mother had a gentle smile in her eyes. After so many years, her daughter still had not changed that habit.
When Miyabi was little, because she did not want Hoshimi Miyabi to touch weapons, she had used all kinds of strange "training" methods to distract her.
Life had been peaceful... until the sudden eruption of the Hollows caught almost everyone off guard.
Even so, her daughter's talent was truly exceptional. Even though she had wasted quite a bit of time when she was young, time that could have been used to become stronger, she had still managed to reach the level of a Void Hunter at such a young age.
Pride and comfort mixed together, but her feelings were complicated. She had no idea whether Miyabi had faced danger inside the Hollows.
"Olorun's not here? Where are the others who were stuck in that class?" Koji asked.
He did not see them. No Soukaku, no Harumasa. Aside from the few of them, the office was empty.
"Harumasa and Soukaku went out to eat. There aren't any urgent missions right now," Tsukishiro Yanagi explained.
With Harumasa around, she did not need to worry about Soukaku.
"Yanagi, these two are...?"
At that moment, Hoshimi Miyabi finished her training and returned to the office.
The moment she saw Miyabi's mother's back, Hoshimi Miyabi's expression blurred with emotion, as if some feeling carved into her soul had surged back to life. It was a familiarity she could never forget.
Koji watched quietly. If they were talking purely about body proportions... then Hoshimi Miyabi was unquestionably more impressive than her mother.
Miyabi's mother's body trembled slightly. She did not turn around, but she could already feel it.
That was her daughter.
"Section Chief, they're here to see you. I think they're also from the Hoshimi family, just like you," Tsukishiro Yanagi said by way of introduction.
She did not ask for Miyabi's mother's name.
"Little Miyabi... you've grown up..."
That familiar way of calling her. That familiar voice. Hoshimi Miyabi's whole body shook. By all logic, such a reaction should not have appeared on a Void Hunter of her caliber.
Her pupils trembled violently. Every instinct told her it was impossible... and yet hope still surged up uncontrollably.
Miyabi's mother turned around and removed her mask.
She did not even need to say a single word.
Hoshimi Miyabi instantly threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly and greedily breathing in her scent.
Tears slid uncontrollably from her eyes, soaking the clothes on her mother's chest.
Tsukishiro Yanagi opened her mouth in shock. She had known Hoshimi Miyabi for a long time, and this was the first time she had ever seen her like this.
"Let's go..."
Koji silently mouthed the words and pointed toward the door. The rest of the time belonged to the mother and daughter.
Tsukishiro Yanagi nodded. This was definitely not the time to stay and interrupt.
This was not some "clan relative." This was clearly someone much closer, real family. Otherwise, there was no way Miyabi would react like this.
The two of them quietly left without making a sound.
"Who exactly is that lady?"
Out in the hallway, Tsukishiro Yanagi finally could not suppress her curiosity any longer.
An absurd guess surfaced in her heart. Could it be that Hoshimi Miyabi's... mother was still alive?
That should have been impossible. The Old Capital had fallen so many years ago.
"You guessed right. That was Hoshimi Miyabi's mother."
"As for why she's still alive... I was involved in what happened back then."
Koji kept it brief. If he explained the whole truth, it would attract a lot of unnecessary attention.
Yanagi was genuinely happy for them. To be able to reunite like this...
That kind of Hoshimi Miyabi was something almost impossible to see. Not the overwhelming Void Hunter, but an ordinary little girl crying in her mother's arms.
"Miyabi's mother really is a stunning beauty," Tsukishiro Yanagi said with admiration.
Her figure might have been a little less striking than Miyabi's, but her looks were absolutely top-tier.
Tsukishiro Yanagi nodded, signaling for Koji to go on.
"How tall is Miyabi right now?" Koji asked.
Hearing that, Tsukishiro Yanagi showed a helpless yet amused expression.
She had not expected Koji to ask something like that.
"170 centimeters," Tsukishiro Yanagi answered immediately.
"Including the ears, right?" Koji said, clearly not believing that was Hoshimi Miyabi's actual height.
Tsukishiro Yanagi smiled and nodded. "When we measured the Section Chief, she said her ears are also part of her body, so of course they count."
Hoshimi Miyabi did not look short, but if you took away the ears, her height was honestly rather average.
"Ahem, Yanagi, please don't say things like that," Miyabi said helplessly as she walked out. She cared quite a lot about the height issue too.
Hoshimi Miyabi's eyes were red. The time she had just spent inside had been... quite long.
"Thank you. No matter what you want, I will repay you," Hoshimi Miyabi said, bowing in gratitude.
That was a Void Hunter's promise. Countless people might wish for it, yet never be qualified to receive it.
"Then how about this, Hoshimi Miyabi? Be my girlfriend," Koji said with a grin.
Hoshimi Miyabi's face immediately turned red, and she answered without hesitation, "No problem. I'm your girlfriend now."
Tsukishiro Yanagi's eyes widened.
What kind of development was this?
The Section Chief had just instantly gotten herself a boyfriend?
Wasn't this progressing a little too fast? This was practically warp speed.
Still, she could understand it. Koji had saved Hoshimi Miyabi's mother. With Miyabi's personality, she really would agree to such a request.
"Hm? You agreed that quickly?"
Koji had thought Hoshimi Miyabi would at least hesitate a little. He had not expected her to accept immediately.
"Why wouldn't I? You saved my mother. For a debt like that... even getting married right now would be fine," Hoshimi Miyabi said.
That night, when her own blade had pierced her mother's body, had become the most painful, most regretful, and most unforgettable memory of her life.
Countless times in her dreams, she relived that scene... and every single time, she was still powerless to change anything.
Now, however, she already possessed Void Hunter-level combat power. She could finally protect her mother properly.
"Marriage is still a bit too early. Let's try dating first," Koji said, shaking his head.
Hoshimi Miyabi could be called his favorite character in the entire Zenless Zone Zero world, without question. Back then, he had even pulled like crazy until he maxed her out completely.
Miyabi's mother felt helpless. She did not want her daughter to do something like this because of her.
But she also understood that she could not talk her out of it.
She had only just reunited with her daughter... and now she had suddenly gained a future son-in-law as well.
How was she supposed to put it? Her feelings were extremely complicated.
Did this count as Koji using the mother to win over the daughter?
From what she could see, her daughter did not resist at all. If anything, she had accepted that rather outrageous condition with complete calm.
(End of Chapter)
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