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Before Shawn Young could explain, the stunning female ninja glanced at Minnie Wang, then spoke sweetly to Shawn: "Shawn-kun, my name is Mai Kanda. From now on, you are my master, so you have to treat me well, okay?"
"Uh—what? Ma—Master? What do you mean—" Shawn Young was stunned by her words and couldn't recover for a moment.
"I mean—Shawn-kun, you are now the new master of Mai Kanda—Mai Kanda will absolutely obey your every word!" The gorgeous female ninja blushed, her face full of charm, as she spoke to Shawn in perfect Mandarin.
"I—I'm your new master? Wait—what's going on here? What kind of play is this??" Shawn's mind was a mess. He'd only used the Soul Cleansing Ritual to remove her hatred and hostility, not control her thoughts. Faced with this sudden change, he couldn't adapt and could only turn helplessly to Minnie Wang and Helen.
Unexpectedly, Minnie Wang and Helen were just as dumbfounded, completely clueless about why Mai Kanda had undergone such a drastic change.
At that moment, Mai Kanda looked at Shawn Young with pitiful, sorrowful eyes and said again, "From now on, Mai Kanda no longer belongs to the Iga Shinobi Clan, but to you, Shawn-kun. Whatever you want Mai to do, Mai will do it—she will never disobey your orders."
Minnie Wang couldn't help but break out in sweat, asking in frustration, "Wait, so you'll do whatever Shawn tells you to? If he asks you to sleep with him, you won't refuse?!"
"Mhm—of course! In fact, I've already dedicated myself to my master, Shawn-kun! Even if Shawn-kun wants Mai's body right now, Mai will definitely obey. And I'll do my very best to serve Shawn-kun and make him happy—" Mai Kanda replied calmly, but her words were shocking.
Minnie Wang and Helen exchanged glances, full of suspicion. The change was so unexpected that they simply couldn't believe Mai Kanda's words. Helen snatched the fire axe from Minnie Wang and pointed it at Mai, warning, "I'm warning you, don't play any tricks with us. If you make any sudden moves, I won't be polite!"
Minnie Wang mustered her courage, leaned against Shawn Young, gripping his arm tightly, and said coldly to Mai Kanda, "Hmph! That's right—don't try any tricks with us, or I'll be just as tough on you!"
Mai Kanda ignored them and instead turned to Shawn Young with a pitiful look, asking, "Shawn-kun, do you... do you not believe what I said either?"
"Uh—" Shawn Young still found it unbelievable. He froze for a moment, then naturally nodded.
Mai Kanda's eyes immediately filled with despair and sorrow. She stared deeply at Shawn, tears shimmering in her eyes, and trembled as she said, "If even Shawn-kun doesn't believe Mai, doesn't want to be Mai's new master, then Mai has nowhere left to go. What's the point of living anymore!"
As Mai Kanda spoke, her right hand suddenly moved with lightning speed and snatched the fire axe from Helen's grip!
"Ah!!" Helen was caught off guard by Mai Kanda's swift move and froze for a moment.
But what happened next was unbelievable—Mai Kanda looked at Shawn Young with sorrowful eyes one last time, then, with a look of determination, slowly closed her eyes. She gripped the sharp fire axe with both hands and raised the blade to her throat, clearly intending to strike herself...
"Whoosh—Clang—" With two sounds, Shawn Young swiftly knocked the fire axe out of Mai Kanda's hands, sending it clattering to the floor. Seeing the delicate Mai Kanda about to meet a tragic end, he didn't hesitate to save her.
Mai Kanda opened her eyes, looking at Shawn Young in confusion, and asked, "Shawn-kun, if you don't believe Mai, and Mai only wishes for death, won't you even let me have that?"
"Uh... well... Mai, what exactly are you trying to do? I just don't get it!" Shawn Young stammered, completely bewildered.
"Shawn-kun, if you won't accept Mai, then Mai has led her team here, failed the mission, and the Iga Shinobi Clan won't take me back. Now Mai has nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Other than death, Mai has no other choice!" Mai Kanda said softly.
"Why... why is that? Just because you failed the mission, you can't go back?" Shawn Young was very puzzled.
"Uh, that's... that's actually true, as far as I know—Japanese ninjas who fail a mission or lose a battle have no place in their clan. And since Mai Kanda is so skilled, if news of her failure reached the Iga Shinobi Clan, they'd be utterly humiliated! So, aside from dying to atone, her clan really wouldn't take her back!" Helen, clearly familiar with ninja customs, chimed in.
"Then... then she could just not go back to the Iga Clan, right? With her skills, she could go anywhere she wants!" Shawn Young thought for a moment.
"Uh... that's true, but Japanese ninjas have a strong sense of pride. The idea that defeat equals death is deeply ingrained in them. Besides, even if Mai Kanda doesn't go back, if the Iga Shinobi Clan finds out she's alive, they'll send their best to hunt her down!" Helen explained.
"Whoa, that's brutal! The Iga Shinobi Clan really doesn't have any humanity at all—" Shawn Young was shocked.
"Yeah—that's one reason why the Iga Shinobi Clan is so feared in the assassin world! They go into every mission ready to die, so they'll do whatever it takes to get the job done! Pretty scary!" Helen said.
"Yes, this beautiful lady is right. There's one more thing you don't know: in the Iga Shinobi Clan, when a ninja reaches the rank of 'Elite Shinobi,' if they fail a mission or can't defeat their enemy, they must serve their opponent as master! Lifelong servitude, no complaints or rebellion allowed! That's why... Mai Kanda is begging Shawn-kun to take her in." Mai Kanda explained seriously.
"Oh! That's such a weird rule, I don't even know what to say! I think Shawn just hit the jackpot this time!" Minnie Wang blurted out.
"Yeah, it's unbelievable—these Japanese ninjas have such strange rules, it's hard to wrap my head around it—" Helen nodded, agreeing with Minnie Wang.
Shawn Young was still at a loss. At that moment, Mai Kanda fixed her gaze on him, eyes full of hope, then bowed deeply and softly said, "Since Shawn-kun doesn't want Mai to die, that means you're willing to take Mai in! Master!"
"Uh... don't call me that, I... I feel like some kind of... slave owner." Shawn Young blushed, stammering.
"It's the rule—I have to call you that... Master." Mai Kanda called out sweetly to Shawn Young again.