《Tale of Discovery》


 What to Expect (Updated)

    What to Expect (Updated)


    Ok, this is going to be very important. It will basically describe what kind of story this is, and what you should expect and what not to expect.


    First of all, there is and will be only one main character. Victor is the sole male lead and the protagonist of the story.


    Any other "mc" encountered from other works will end up with one oue - Victor outshining them.


    I''m going for a seemingly overpowered MC in which the struggles he has to face are mysterious existences that he has no knowledge of rather than the antagonists of other works.


    There will be absolutely zero NTR. Netori or Netorare. If a girl is to be added to the harem, the story will most likely diverge from the original work''s plot.


    Expect some smut fromter chapters once things start to settle down a little.


    This is multidimensional fanfic, so there are going to be a lot of dimensional jumps.


    Note: MC will only be jumping to masterpieces.


    Also, sorry in advance for people who are a fan of Hyoudo Issei. He is going to be having a hard time in this novel. It''s vital to the plot, so that can''t be changed.


    Several chapters'' worth of story is already nned but may change depending on several factors.


    I will be doing my best to post at least 1-2 chapters a day, but unfortunately no promises.


    I love interacting with my readers, and am open to any suggestions and opinions. Justment, and expect a reply within minutes (if I''m not asleep, that is).


    No girls throwing themselves at MC as if he were a pussy ma. Seriously, what''s up with that. If he is to get girls, there will be developments before it urs.


    Important: The story may get a LITTLE dark as the story progresses, but that should be obvious from the synopsis, no?


    Blood. Lots of blood.


    No bullcrap nerfing. Victor gets powers that will only be ''nerfed'' ording to the way things are set. (i.e. He is and will always be OP.)


    There is a little something called "character growth". Please don''t judge the MC based on the first 30 chapters.


    Apparently, this story is plicated". So, if you don''t want a detailed world with an attempt to minimize plot-holes, this isn''t for you.


    The MCcks morals. Not kidding.


    Just found out that I have a thing for making references to stuff. Good luck finding them.


    Onest thing; As I am new to writing, there are going to be some problems early on. Naturally, they''re ger, so try to bear with them, alright?


    DISCLAIMER: I don''t own the characters and worlds form other works. (The MC, Original Characters and the plot are mine. They''re mine and mine only.)


    Extra Tags:


    #Gods | #OP-MC | #Incest | #Smart-MC | #Strong-to-Stronger | #Male-Protagonist | #Game-Elements | #Mature | #Meta | #Milf | #Loli | #Cunning-MC | #Maniptive-MC


    (UPDATE 02/11/2020):- Due to a poll held on November 1st 2020, Netori (MC stealing others'' girls, wives, etc.) is now officially a part of the story.

 Chapter 1: I Died

    Chapter 1: I Died


    As I regain my rity, several thoughts pass through my mind. The most prominent one being: What the hell just happened?


    I gradually open my eyes, only to be blinded by sunlight. That doesn''t matter for now. What matters is that I just died.


    If I died then how am I thinking right now? Beats me. But, I''m sure of it. I died. It wasn''t a dramatic death of sorts; I just died due to terminal cancer. Thest moments of my life were nothing impressive. I remember them clearly.


    A warm hand was holding onto mine as I took myst few breaths. My little sister. She was the only one that actually cared about me. My parents knew that my situation was bleak, and so, they hadpletely given up on me. I take it as my death would''ve been too painful for them, so they tried to avoid thinking about it as much as they could. Yes, that must''ve been it.


    None of that matters now that I''m dead.


    Or so I say, but I don''t seem to be dead. Weird.


    Taking a deep breath, I attempted to raise my body, and I surprisingly seeded. This normally should''ve been impossible, but the current scenario seems to be anything but normal.


    "Here we go," I mutter as I make an attempt to get off the bed I am lying on. Huh? My voice has changed. Like, a lot. I don''t recall the hospital bed being this high... My height? What? Where am I?


    I''m not in the hospital. What''s going on? I know I convinced myself that I died, but this is a little bit too creepy for me.


    I am in a room, more specifically, a bedroom. A very empty bedroom. And by empty, I mean that I see no personal belongings.


    I hear the sound of the door opening. Looking towards it, I see a girl with silver hair tied into twin-tails entering the room. She looks my way and seems a little bewildered, but that''s reced with a look of relief as she hurriedly approaches me.


    "Haru! How do you feel?", a lovely voice asks me. Wait. What was thatnguage, and why do I understand it?


    Great, another weird thing. What the heck is going on with me today?


    "Haru?", she questions as I let my thoughts wander.


    "Uh. Umm, can you understand what I''m saying?" I ask her casually..


    "Huh? What are you saying? Forget that. How do you feel? Does your body hurt anywhere?"


    My brain does. Seriously what''s going on. I assume she understood what I said based on her reaction, even if her answer sounded a bit too vague.


    "I''m not feeling any pain," I say in a neutral tone.


    I see her letting out a small sigh. Cute. Wait, now that I take a good look at her, she is one heck of a beauty. She looks... squeezable. I mean, she has adorable looks. A white-skinned, doll-like body. She''s petite. Fragile-looking, wouldn''t be an exaggeration.


    Her expression suddenly shifts from worry and relief to a re.


    "What happened to you? Why did Nao bring you over?", she asks with a hint of menace in her voice. I can swear that the menace seemed to grow when she asked the second question. Who is Nao though?


    ~~~~~


    Important note: Don''t judge the story from early on, as it''s sort of like an extended prologue to the multiverses and power system.


    That''s especially the case regarding the main character, as his true personality begins to take shape around Vol 2.


    Well then, I hope you enjoy reading~

 Chapter 2: Vision

    Chapter 2: Vision


    I just stand where I am and stare at her. I don''t know what to say. I have no idea who the person she just mentioned is, who she is, heck, I don''t even know who I am. More like, I don''t know what I am.


    Am I a ghost? Didn''t I die? Wait a minute. Is this the cycle of reincarnation that those monks in eastern movies rambled about? I thought all of that stuff was nonsense.


    It should be nonsense. If that was the case here, I should be reborn as an infant, and shouldn''t remember my past life... Huh? I can''t... remember?


    Suddenly, I feel an excruciating headache. I clench my head and try to keep in my voice as much as possible. My vision is hazy, but I can see the girl panicking and I assume, calling out my name. I feel like something is being extracted from my brain. My vision grows hazier by the second. The moment everything became dark in my sight, the pain stopped.


    I feel like my eyes are closed. I open them. What met my sight was a scene that I would never ever forget.


    Horrible. Disgusting. I can''t find the right word to describe what I''m seeing right now.


    Dead bodies with amputated limbs and huge chunks of their flesh missing are all over the ce. I am in some sort of street in a city. The buildings around me are all... barely recognizable. Everything is a wreck.


    I take a step forward, but I fail? What? I look down and realize that I have no legs, no, I don''t have a body. I feel like I don''t exist, in the physical sense. I imagine why I can''t move around, and suddenly, I move. What? I didn''t even try to move.


    I repeat what I just did, and once again, I move. It seems like the secret to my movement is my thoughts.


    I think about moving forward, and that''s exactly what happens. I want to think more about my current situation, but my thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a loud and violent roar.


    I look at where the sound came from, only to be bewildered by the sight of a man riding a, what seems to be a dragon. Yes, a dragon. The dragon suddenly makes a turn and mes burst from its mouth.


    Looking at the direction the mes are heading to, I see several men and women flying. They seem to have... wings? How does that even work? From what I can see, there are 3 types of wings. A magnificent pure white pair of wings. A raven ck pair of wings. And a featherless dark pair of wings.


    Those wings seem to remind me of something, but I can''t figure out what no matter how much I rack my brain.


    Focusing back on what I see, I see the dragon-rider jump off of his dragon. The sky abruptly turned darker, and I could see ck clouds forming a spiral at where the dragon-rider is at a ridiculous speed. Then the dragon rider''s hands started glowing while electrical sparks appeared all over his arms.


    He punched. Not the people, just the air. He punched the air in their direction...


    *BOOM*


    I feel the reverberation of a strong shockwave, as I see ripples appear in the sky at where he punched, followed by electrical currents striking down 2 of the winged people.


    The dragon-rider seems to have the ability to fly? Or is he just floating... I can''t tell. He needs no wings to do that, he just floats there casually.


    The winged people that weren''t affected by the attack began spreading out and started surrounding the dragon-rider.


    What followed next was an absurd battle of power. One dragon-rider versus several winged people with various powers. It might seem unfair, but neither side seems to have an advantage over the other.


    I just realized that my wish to see the battle more clearly has brought me closer to them. I am now standing about 5 meters away from them as each side tries to destroy the other.


    I notice the dragon rider''s chest has started eerily glowing in red. No, all of them have a glow in their chest, although in different colors. The dragon rider''s glow is the brightest of them all and seems to be getting brighter by the second. This doesn''t seem to be affecting their battle though.


    They either don''t see it, or it''s not an unusual thing for them.


    It disappeared. The glow just vanished. I take a look at the others, and they still have a glow, but the dragon rider isn''t visible to me anymore.


    He abruptly backs off from the person he was fighting and smiles in a way that I can only describe as creepy. His left hand which was balled into a fist opens up, revealing a gem-like thing in the middle of his palm.


    The gem-like thing starts glowing in red, the light covering his left arm to the elbow. He punches the air once again, but this time in the direction of the sky.


    The glow covering half of his arm disappeared, and a red circle appeared in the sky. The circle seems to have runes written in it and is growing at a fast pace, covering most of the sky.


    "Inferno reducto!", exims the man with a lot of vigor.


    As soon as his strangely familiar voice faded out, extremely bright red mes started materializing out of the circle and began swallowing up everything within the vicinity.


    The only ones that remain unaffected by the mes are me and the dragon-rider himself.


    Once the me dies out, I see that none of the winged people are in sight, most likely burned to ashes.


    The dragon-rider scratches the back of his head and smiles. Then suddenly he looks at where I am, his smile growing wider.


    Before I could react, everything around me started fading out, and the only one that was left was myself floating in a white space that seems to be never-ending.


    "A precognition of a disaster. Not unheard of, but a fairly rare urrence.", a soft voice resounds within my head.


    I notice that something is materializing in front of me into a humanoid figure.


    Once the materialization is done, I am dumbstruck by the identity of the person in front of me.

 Chapter 3: Encounter

    Chapter 3: Encounter


    Sister? I remember her. It''s quite bizarre that the only thing, no... person, I can remember from my previous life is my sister. I''ve even forgotten who I used to be. The most abnormal thing is that I feel like whatever that has happened to me is guiding my thoughts, even though I don''t remember anything.


    "It''s been a short while, Victor.", she says casually.


    I''m left speechless. I have several questions. The primary one being, where am I right now, and why is the little sister from my previous life standing in front of me? My name used to be Victor huh? What a nice name.


    "Don''t worry I will answer whatever question you ask of me, as long as it is within my power to do so.", she continues.


    Well, let''s start with a basic question,


    "Who am I?"


    A weird question to ask, I know, but I really have no idea who I am.


    "I don''t have the authority to answer that yet.", she replies almost instantaneously.


    Great. Now, what am I supposed to ask her? Who is she?


    "Who are you?" , I ask while expecting another iplete answer.


    "Your guardian angel.", she replies nonchntly.


    What the heck. What''s with that answer? Is there a deeper meaning to it or is she just messing with me? It''s more likely thetter, but there is a small chance it''s the former.


    "It seems like this will take longer than it''s supposed to, so I''ve decided to give you a brief report over your current situation before sending you over to the other side.", she says with her expression being as cool as ever.


    "You are currently a part of what you originally were. A creation of your own wish. Certain events lead to an unfortunate oue. That led to you making a risky choice.", she tells me.


    "I will now move you over to the other side. It would be much easier for you to understand. Time will be sealed on this side once we move over.", she says while raising her arms to the sides.


    My vision goes ck for an instant before it returns. I am no longer in the endless white space. I look around and notice that I am familiar with the ce - Italy.


    Foro Romano - The Roman Forum. Ruins of the ancient Roman civilization. I look around and realize that there doesn''t seem to be a lot of people outside right now.


    A little blue orb forms in front of me, floating gently 5 ft above the ground.


    "Follow me.", resounds the voice of my sister within my mind.


    The orb guides me towards the Roman Colosseum. Right towards the center. As soon as I''m standing at the center, another headache hits me, this time I remember, no, receive(?) a memory.


    "If you are currently in the Colosseo and have Juno nearby, we have seeded. We made a choice. A choice that would affect your whole being. I was very skeptical of the suggestion you made. The chances of it seeding were nigh impossible. Yet here you are."


    "Anyways, we used to be one of the great ones, but due to the interference of an outsider as well as a traitor among us, we lost a war. Facing the reality of our situation, you made a suggestion that required the two of us to sacrifice something of great importance to ourselves. You sacrificed your power in order to further increase the chances of sess, while I am to sacrifice my sentience for the cause."


    "Your powers should be in a sealed state right now, as well as your memories. I used my power to reverse the cause of our destruction, giving you the time you need to regain your strength. Your power should gradually unseal itself as time passes. I wish you the best of luck in facing off against the uing cmity. -Janus."


    Ok... That didn''t answer most of my questions, but it cleared some stuff up for me at least. So basically, something happened to me before, causing me to sacrifice my power to be what I am right now.


    "Prepare for transportation to the Rift", her voice resounds within my mind once again.


    My vision bes dark and returns abruptly, finding myself on the bed I had woken up on earlier. My body feels normal. I lift myself up from the bed and notice that someone is beside it. The silver-haired girl. She must''ve been worried sick. I feel uneasy understanding that I''m the cause of her distress.


    I extend my hand and brush her head ever so slowly. Her hair is silky and smooth. Her scent is sweet. I wonder what she is to the current me. Girlfriend, perhaps? I have no experience with romance, so it would be troublesome if she is.


    I get off the bed and move towards a mirror on the wall. What I see, leaves me dazed for quite a while.


    Short silver hair, with grey eyes. I don''t know how, but I look both fragile and toned at the same time. I am taller than I used to be in my previous life. About 5.5 ft. tall, I''d say. I take a good look at my body and notice that there is a glow inside me. Three colors, with the most vibrant one being red, then violet, then yellow.


    "There is a core within every being that is the amalgamation of their power.", suddenly a voice resounds within my head, almost scaring me to death.


    "Hey sis, I was admiring my looks, don''t suddenly interrupt me!" , I joke, but she doesn''t respond.


    "Jokes aside, why is your voice in my head, and where are you." , I ask sincerely.


    "I have a faint imprint left on you, in order to allow me to see your state of mind, and take actions ording to the results. It should go away in a minute or two, so feel free to ask me any questions you have right now.", she replies coolly.


    "What am I supposed to do now?" , I ask bluntly.


    "Get stronger.", an answer as equally blunt.


    Man, I feel like I will be facing some hardships from now on... Oh well, I''m sure it will somehow work out in the end.

 Chapter 4: Path

    Chapter 4: Path


    What should I do from here on out? I have no idea where to start. How do I even get stronger? Work out? Wait, no that''s not what I should be contemting right now. Think about what transpired in the past few hours. I observed some chap riding a dragon and battling with winged humans. He summoned mes out of thin air and ughtered everyone. Was that even real?


    "Do you have any additional questions?", a voice in my head interrupts my thought process.


    I have so many questions, that I don''t even know which one I should go ahead and ask. She did mention that the imprint she left on me will go away, limiting the number of questions I can ask...


    "I wish I could just interact with her whenever I want to...", I murmur almost inaudibly.


    "It''s possible.", came an unexpected reply.


    Great! Am I finally going to have all the confusion built up within me cleared up?


    "You simply have to establish a spiritual connection with me. Once that''s done, it would be possible for you to speak with me telepathically. Sharing your sight and senses with me should also be possible.", she exins.


    "So, how do we establish this connection that you speak of?" , I inquire.


    "It''s simple. Leave the Rift, and get into contact with my spiritual body. I will take care of the rest from there.", she replies.


    "What''s the Rift, and how do I leave it?" , I ask her back.


    "The Rift is... There isn''t much time for me to exin it to you right now. You only need to chant '''' in your mind.", she replies a little hurriedly.


    Ok, let''s do this - . (= something like ''leave'' in Greek.)


    The next moment, my vision cks out, as I feel my strength wash away from my body. I find myself in the infinitely-extending white space I found my "guardian angel" at, the first time.


    There she goes again, materializing in front of me.


    "Let''s get this done quickly, as your body in the Rift is unconscious right now.", she says.


    Wait, why didn''t she warn me about it earlier if that''s the case? I would''ve moved my body to somewherefy so that it would seem like I''m sleeping. I''ve already worried the silver-haired girl enough for today. Back to the topic at hand...


    "Are you Juno?" , I ask her.


    "Yes.", she affirms.


    The guy, what was his name again? Ah, Janus, had mentioned it in the ''message'' he had left me.


    "So, what do we do now?" , I ask her curiously.


    Juno moves towards me and stops about one foot away. She then proceeds to turn around and sit on her knees, and then says with her back to me,


    "Do what I did, and put your back to mine."


    I do as she told me to and sit behind her. A few seconds after I''ve done that, I feel some sort of connection being established. I assume it''s the spiritual connection that she spoke of. It feels very weird. It''s like I can feel what she feels, and think what she thinks. I can feel my emotions through her. This is a lot more bizarre than what I was expecting.


    "Now that the connection has been established, I suggest that you return to the Rift as soon as possible. Getting familiar with your physical body and getting stronger should be your top priorities right now.", she informs.


    "To return to the Rift, you should make contact with your physical brain over there. Simply put, you have to think of returning to your body.", she continues.


    I do what she says, and imagine making contact with the body that should be unconsciously lying down on the ground right now.


    Then next instant, I find myself back in my body, lying on the ground on my back. I get up from the ground and get on my feet.


    I take a look at the window and realize that it''s already dark outside. Surely, I must have been unconscious for a while.


    I take a look at the girl that is still sleeping by the bed. After hesitating a little, I move closer to her and reach out to her face. Stroking her cheek, I feel its softness through the tip of my fingers.


    She visibly flinches a little. A few secondster, she slowly opens her eyes. She seems to be a little dazed in the beginning, but suddenly, as if remembering something, she gets up abruptly and looks at the bed.


    Seeing the empty bed, she panics and turns around, making eye contact with me.


    With tears building up in the corner of her eyes, she jumps into my chest and starts weeping silently.


    "Don''t leave too. Don''t be like dad and mom and leave me as well. Idiot!", she exims softly as tears roll down her cheeks.


    I don''t know the reason, but I suddenly have a feeling of loss building up within me. Almost instinctively, I embrace her back. Are these the emotions of my current body? Must be. The affection held for the fragile girl is by no means small. I can practically feel a surge of emotions flowing within me... Sorrow, grief, and many others that I''ve never felt before in my previous life.


    This girl... the death of her parents must''ve taken a toll on her mentality. Thinking about it, what am I to her? I assumed she was my girlfriend earlier, but that doesn''t seem to be the case. Sister? Most likely.


    I hold her tightly, and let her cry to her heart''s content.


    After a few minutes, she stops and backs away from me as I loosen my arms. She looks into my eyes for a few seconds, then proceeds to turn around and leave the room.


    I wasn''t prepared for this...


    ------


    After a few minutes of deliberation, I leave the room and explore the house I''m in. A strange feeling of familiarity hits me as I examine the rural-looking house. It''s quite a cozy house if I must say.


    After moving a few more steps, I smell something being cooked. I make my way to the source of the scent and find the girl, presumably my sister, cooking in an apron.


    She wears a white one-piece dress with frills on the arms and back. The ck apron she has on top suits her attire really well, especially the pair of ck ribbons that are tied to her hair.


    Seemingly just noticing my arrival, she looks my way for a few seconds, before going back to cooking.


    I move towards a table made of in brown wood and take a seat on one of the two chairs. After a few minutes, dinner is ready. She ces the food on the table and takes a seat on the chair opposite mine.


    We eat our meal silently, and once we''re done, I leave the house to check out the surroundings, while she makes her way to the room I was in before.


    After taking a good look outside, I get a general idea of where we are. The countryside. I had always seen it on TV but, never been in one personally. The moonlight lights up the darkness, and the sound of cicadas can be heard. So peaceful...


    Several minutester, I head back into the house, locking the door as I head inside. There, I find my sister waiting for me.


    "Sleep with me tonight.", she says while holding the ck stuffed rabbit I had seen earlier.


    I guess she is still feeling unwell. It''s my fault, so I have no say in it. I nod and move towards the room.


    I lie down on the bed, waiting for her to do the same. It takes her a little while, but in the end, she gets on the bed and lies down beside me. She closes her eyes and continues to do so without a single word or anything for that matter.


    After a good while, I look at her petite body. Her breathing is rhythmic right now, indicating that she is asleep. Unable to hold myself back, I slowly and carefully pull her towards myself. I hold her close to myself as I slowly drift off to sleep.


    ------


    I open my eyes and notice that it''s the morning. Feeling the softness within my arms, I realize that I''m still holding her tightly. My twin sister, Sora.


    I remember now. Not my previous life, no, I remember the past of my current body. And I must say, WHAT THE F-.


    What is this?! The tragedy! Ok, enough drama, but seriously, what the hell is this. What is this past? Locked lips with my little sister when we were just kids, then I was r**ed by my childhood friend a few yearster. We moved away from here, and the next thing we know, our parents passed away. Having nowhere else to go, we move to our grandparent''s house; the house we''re in at the moment.


    I take a deep breath and look at Sora''s face. I reach out my left hand and begin stroking her left cheek. The affections I currently hold for her have grown by a huge amount, now that I have the memories.


    What am I supposed to do from now on? Do we have sufficient wealth to sustain ourselves as well as our education? I need to find a way to make some quick cash. No, before that, I need to do as Juno told me, and get ustomed to my body.


    With that, I get up from the bed and get outside the house.


    Time to work out. I am rather curious about my strength and stamina...

 Chapter 5: Power

    Chapter 5: Power


    I make my way to the street in front of our house, and begin warming up for a jog. Once I''m done warming up, I attempt to do a medium-paced jog, but suddenly, I find myself dashing.


    My brain being unable to process what my feet are up to, I find myself falling to the ground. I take a few seconds to get back on my feet, checking out my surroundings to see if anyone witnessed what just happened.


    Relieved to see that there wasn''t anyone, I think about the little incident just now. I''m sure I attempted to move at a medium pace. Yet, I suddenly found myself dashing. Am I unable to control my body to such an extent or is there something else going on here?


    I prepare myself for another jog, this time wary of anyplications that may ur. I move, no, I once again dash forward. This is abnormal. I have no recollection of what a normal speed would be like, but I can tell that this isn''t how it''s supposed to be.


    I take a deep breath and look around me. I look towards the west, where the fields are. I focus on a tree in the middle of the field. Suddenly, my vision blips, and I find myself staring at ants climbing a brown cliff(?) No, that''s not it. I tried to imagine something and as expected, it was the tree. My vision and speed are both abnormal... Is that it, or is there more to it?


    I prepare for a full-speed run, marking the tree as my stopping point. I dash forward, no, I LAUNCH towards the tree. I cover the distance between myself and the tree, which was about 1km in two seconds.


    What''s going on?! I exim within my mind as I find myself crashing into the tree the next moment.


    I shut my eyes, expecting a painful crash. What happened next blew my mind. I didn''t crash into the tree, no, I only felt something light being pushed away in my path, with a loud cracking noise, and found myself in the air about to crash into the ground several hundred meters away from the tree.


    I fall onto the ground and roll for a short distance ande to a stop after a short while. Unable to make sense of what just happened, I stay on the ground staring at the cloudy sky.


    I feel no pain whatsoever, in fact, I feel way better now that I''ve moved so much.


    ------


    Finally getting back on my feet, I try to dash. In the blink of an eye, I find myself several meters away from where I originally stood. Is this the sealed power that Janus spoke of?


    I repeat what I just did several times, to master it. Once I''m satisfied with my mastery over my dashing, I move onto sprinting.


    This one was much harder to masterpared to dashing. I fell about a dozen times or so before I finally got the hang of it.


    Aware of the abnormality of the situation, I checked my surroundings frequently for any people. This, in turn, led to me understanding the basics of how my vision worked. Not only that, but I also feel like I have a little control over my perception now.


    Controlling my senses, I feel the movements of a cricket in the field that isn''t visible to me. Upon further focusing my senses, I noticed several ants moving closer to the cricket.


    It seems like everything about my physical body has been enhanced... I wonder how much my strength and endurance have changed.


    I focus my vision on a distant building that is still under construction. I dash and sprint towards it, covering the distance in 3 seconds,ing to an abrupt stop in front of the building. I check my surroundings through my senses, making sure that no one is within the vicinity.


    Once I''m sure that no one is near me, I raise my arm and approach one of the walls of the building. Standing exactly in front of it, I punch with as much power as I can muster at the wall. Striking it, I feel everything around me shake, and cracks form on the wall.


    I feel the cracks through my senses and realize they''re growing at a fast pace. rmed, I dash away from the wall,ing to a stop a good distance away from it. I then witness the wall copse into rumbles, while making a great deal of noise.


    I''m amazed by the amount of power packed in that one punch and look at my hand. No injuries at all. It''s like my flesh itself has been enhanced.


    All of a sudden, I detect an abnormality through my senses. I focus and realize that several men are running towards where I am. Aware of the severity of the situation, I sprint towards the fields, practically blinking away from where I stood.


    ------


    "This is amazing. Are there any other enhancements that I have yet to find out about, Juno?" , I question.


    "That is for you to find out. I am only here to exin the basics of your powers, not to tell you about their existence.", she replies with no pause.


    I want to get even stronger. I wonder what it would be like to be so strong to be unmatched? Sounds fun.


    "Is there a way for me to get even stronger than I am right now?" , I ask, full of expectations.


    "There are several. The most efficient one would be leaving the Rift and traveling to a tform, where you can gather more power easily.", she replies.


    The Rift again. She keeps on mentioning it, yet has to exin what it is to me.


    "The Rift is a crack in the macrocosm that appeared several millennia ago. It has now be the linchpin of all existing tforms, with the Mete being the only thing separating them."


    "tforms are what you refer to as dimensions. The Mete is the space that you met me in my spiritual form, and are only able to exist spiritually. To get to a tform, the Mete grants you a body that is a copy of your original at the Rift, with a spiritual connection between the two."


    "If you die in a tform, your soul should be able to return to its original body albeit at a cost, depending on how you died."


    It seems like I have a lot of exploration to do.


    "How do I ess these tforms that you speak of?" , I ask her.


    "Get to the Mete, from there I will be able to send you off to any tform that you wish to travel to.", she replies with a hint of excitement in her voice.


    Juno said something about my body falling unconscious when I essed the Mete... I should do this when I can lie down without anyone suspecting a thing.


    "What''s the best tform for me to ess right now that will let me get stronger?" , I inquire.


    "There is one tform that will let you gain power at a tremendous speed depending on the actions you take.", she says.


    "Your existence is marked by the aura of Janus, which makes the flow of destined events to be tied to you. If you enter a tform, you would inevitably affect everything even if you just sit and do nothing.", she exins.


    "Now that we have all that cleared up, get to the Mete as soon as possible, you''re going to be going to a tform known as-", she continues then pauses at the end.


    "Project Charlotte"

 Chapter 6: First Jump

    Chapter 6: First Jump


    I head back to the house, as I don''t want a panicking Sora early in the morning.


    I go to Sora''s room, the only room with a bed, and notice that Sora is still sleeping. As if sensing I am here, she slowly wakes up.


    I slowly approach the bed, and hold her in my arms as soon as she lifts herself from the bed and softly say to her,


    "Good morning, Sora."


    She flinches a little, probably not expecting her brother to suddenly hug her early in the morning. She doesn''t back away though, and just replies in a low voice,


    "Good morning."


    After a short while, I let her go and step out of the room and head towards my own. As I''m walking, I realize that I need to take a bath.


    As soon as I reach my room, I look for my stuff, underwear, bath towel, etc.


    I then make my way to the bath. Thank goodness I have this body''s memories unlocked or else I would be struggling a lot right now.


    I step into the bath, and turn on the tap water, and wait for the tub to be filled. There is a bath mirror attached to the wall. After I''m done taking off my clothes, I head over to the mirror and examine my naked body.


    Toned muscles and abs. Smooth and pristine skin. It''s going to sound narcissistic, but I must say that I have a very fine-looking body and face. My height should be about 168cm.


    I find someone peeping inside through a gap in the door using my senses, but I decide to not pay it much attention and continue taking a bath.


    After a solid 30 minutes, I leave the bath, put on some casual clothes, and head to the kitchen, and take a seat on the table as Sora cooks. I take a look at her and notice that she is in her school uniform.


    Oh. I hadpletely forgotten about school... I don''t think it''s necessary to go to school though.


    Irritated, I ask in a low voice,


    "Do I need to attend school?"


    "No. It is rmended that you move to another location once you have returned from Project Charlotte." , came an instant reply inside my head.


    That''s a relief. But, why do we need to move though?


    "Is there a reason for moving?" , I ask after deliberating.


    "Yes." , she affirms.


    "As your body has the aura of time and fate attached to it, once you leave the Rift, it destabilizes thews here. Janus has already taken actions to deal with this, but some effects still remain."


    Was this supposed to answer my question or make me even more confused? I will just leave it at that. There is plenty of time to find out what she exactly means in the future.


    Once breakfast is prepared, Sora and I silently eat. After eating, I inform Sora that I''m not going to be school today, to which she replied,


    "Then I won''t be going too. I don''t need to go if you aren''t going."


    She says in a calm voice while holding onto her stuffed rabbit.


    I''m not going to be reprimanding her, no, this might probably be what she needs; a little rest from outside.


    ------


    I tell Sora that I will be taking a nap, to which she just nods. I then move to my room, and lie down on a tatamiid on the ground.


    The next moment I find myself in the Mete, with Juno waiting for me. Upon noticing my arrival, she moves towards me and says,


    "As I''ve told you before, the Mete will be providing you a physical body when you transport to a tform. There are 3 methods of doing so."


    She then proceeds to tell me about the methods.


    The first method is transcription. It''s basically creating a carbon copy of my body in the Rift for a tform.


    The second method is arrogation. I get to take over the body of an already existing character, at the cost of being affected by their emotions and thoughts. It can be extremely dangerous if attempted on a non-human.


    The third andst method, Juno refused to tell me about it no matter what. She ims that it''s useless if I know about it, and will do more harm and good if she told me about it.


    Juno suggested that I use arrogation for this transport, and take over the body of some guy that goes by the name, Y Otosaka.


    ording to Juno, arrogation alters reality to the point that my appearance willbine with that of Y, and everyone that knows him wouldn''t suspect a thing unless I act unnaturally myself.


    Once I''m done preparing, I feel like I''m propelled from space and get thrown in a random direction. After what seems like an eternity, I find myself in my new body, lying on the ground in an alleyway.


    Memories suddenly start to flow into my brain, even though they''re supposed to be already there, of the original owner of this body.


    One day, he suddenly received a power that let him possess people for 5 seconds, while his body became unconscious during the process. He wasn''t shy of using his power, in fact, he used it on a daily basis to his advantage. Possessing girl''s to check their body out, possessing a guy in a group of guys, and punching the others to start a fight, possessing the smartest students in his ss to copy their answers during examinations.


    He took advantage whenever he could. As a result, he became the top student in his school and was rmended to go to a prestigious school. He scouted for smart students that were going to be taking the entrance exam, and once the day arrived, he sessfully managed to attain the top score, making him get chosen as the representative of the freshmen.


    He didn''t stop there but aimed for the most beautiful girl in the school. The first time he made contact with her was after he had "saved" her from a truck that had lost control. The reality of the situation was that he had possessed the driver and steered the wheel in the girl''s direction, anding in himself to save her at thest moment.


    This effectively left an impression on the girl, as she invites him out to eat with a female friend of hers.


    After this, things go downhill, as he is called in by the student council the very next day, iming that he has cheated and that he must take the exam again in front of a student council member, and must get a score of at least 90.


    During the event, he possesses the body of the student council member and attempts to find anything that could help him in the exam, but it was to no avail. Once he returns to his body, he notices that there is a white-haired girl beside him, pointing a camera at his face.


    He panics when the girl begins to tell him that she has been observing him, and runs out of the room. He then realizes that he is being chased by something extremely fast.


    That''s where the memoriese to an end.


    I realize that it''s disadvantageous for me to continue standing here, so I begin running.


    The next thing I know is that my speed has decreased a lot. It should still be abnormal, but not as much as it used to be.


    As I continue to run, I finally leave the alleyway and reach a staircase. My senses that have been dulled rm me of something. I look back behind me and see a blue-haired guy with sses and a ck school uniform just standing there. Upon a closer look, I notice several bruises and scratches all over his body. They seem to be fresh.


    He suddenly shifts his body in a way that shows he is nning to sprint towards me. The next thing I know is that he runs at an incredible speed, that should be thrice as fast as I''m currently capable of in this world, and grabs me and holds onto me as weunch into the air.


    I use some force to break free from him and kick him away from myself, towards the water beneath us. As for me, I let myself fall, confident in my endurance.


    When I reach the ground, I am on the other side of what seems like a water canal, with the guy in sses slowly swimming over.


    "Who are you, and what''s with that speed?" , I inquire in a menacing tone.


    "Teleportation", he replies.


    "An ability that allows me to cross great distances at a great speed, although I am unable to determine my stopping point. Who knows how many times I''ve been to the hospital because of it.", he continues and has a pitiful tone towards the end.


    The heck? Did he not attempt to master it?


    "You didn''t answer me properly. Who are you, and what do you want with me?" , I ask with a threatening tone.


    "As I''ve told you before, I''m Nao Tomori, student council president of Hoshinoumi Academy. We are here to get you to join our school." , I hear the voice of a girl behind me.


    Turning around, I see a beautiful girl that seems to be about 15 years old. She has long grey hair tied into short twin tails with dark hair ties. Her eyes are a beautiful blue. She wears what seems to be a school uniform which consists of a red zer with a yellow bow tie, and a reddish-brown pleated skirt.


    "And what if I refuse?" , I question her while squinting my eyes.


    The next moment, she turns transparent. I am barely able to see her even with my improved eyesight, but I can sense her properly. She throws a punch at my face, to which I casually tilt my head and avoid.


    A look of surprise covers her face, seemingly not expecting me to dodge her attack. I grin as I expectantly wait for her next action.

 Chapter 7: Pizza Sauce

    Chapter 7: Pizza Sauce


    "You can turn invisible?" , I ask her, as curiosity builds up within me.


    She stares at me for a short while before canceling her invisibility and standing in a more normal posture. She then says,


    "No, it isn''t invisibility. My power allows me to make myself invisible to one person, while others are able to see me normally."


    "That''s true, all I saw was her attempting to punch you, and you dodging...", adds the freak with a thousand injuries.


    That''s one stupid and iplete power to have. It would''ve been much more amazing if she could make herselfpletely invisible.


    "As you might have realized, you aren''t the only one with supernatural powers. These powers can be considered to be an illness and will disappear in due time, that is, adolescence. Until that happens, I would like tomute to our school, Hoshinoumi Academy.", she says.


    "I''ve already gotten permission from those that have parental authority over you.", she adds as-a-matter of factly.


    Before I could say anything in return to her reasoning, she says


    "However, I''m sure you''d be popr with your looks. Did you really need to y the role of a cheater? But that did help close the gap between you and that female you were targeting."


    "I was just bored. Besides, I never cared about the female student that you speak of. Something must''ve gotten into me and affected my mind. I''d much rather go for someone like you." , I attempt to dismiss her taunting by trying to make her feel awkward.


    Against my expectations, she turns transparent once again and attempts to kick me. Such a kick would never be able to reach me, and I block it by grabbing her foot with my left arm. I drag towards myself and held her closely as I whisper in her ear,


    "You''re much more eager than I thought you''d be."


    Suddenly, I notice a punch being thrown in my direction by the weirdo with sses. I let go of Nao and redirect the punch, grab him from under his shoulder, and throw him about 6 meters away.


    "Too slow." , I taunt him.


    "I would like to sincerely invite you to join our school. For that matter, we would like you to be a part of the student council." , Nao says, just as it was starting to get fun.


    I realize that I don''t have much choice in the matter. I have a history as a cheater thanks to the original owner of this body, making it impossible for me to return to my old school...


    "Also for that matter, we find people who use their abilities unwisely, such as you and get them to transfer to our school.", she adds.


    I''m sold. Basically, the school is a hotspot for people with supernatural abilities. That sounds fun to me.


    "Very well." , I casually agree.


    I notice the weirdo getting up anding our way as if nothing was wrong. He stands in front of me, extends his hand and says,


    "Wee to Hoshinoumi Academy. I look forward to working with you.", he says in a peaceful tone.


    "Me too." , I lie through my teeth as I shake his hand.


    ------


    I finally reached my home in this world. Not bothering with anything else, I unlock the door and step right inside.


    "Wee back, Brother Yu!", an energetic girl, which happens to be my sister exims.


    "Hey, hey. When you were out, we got a super amazing call from uncle! He said that we are going to be transferred to a school that is called Hoshinoumi Academy! Hey, is it true?", she continues eximing.


    Nao sure wasn''t kidding when she said she has already gotten the permission... Leaving that aside, this girl is adorable. Her height is almost at the level of my chin, and she has long purple hair. Her eyes seem to be shining, and the way she talks and moves is adorable.


    Unable to handle the cuteness, I slowly approach her, and pat her head while saying,


    "It''s true. Rather than that, shouldn''t you be sad? You are going to be transferring schools and leaving your friends behind, you know?"


    She closes her eyes and listens to me, and once I''m done, she replies with,


    "I know, but that''s what smartphones are for! I can call my friends and we can see each other''s faces!"


    I chuckle lightly, a little amused by her response.


    ------


    After being told to sit, Ayumi goes to the kitchen, grabs a te, and ces it in front of me on the table.


    "It''s Brother Yu''s favorite, Omelette Rice (Omurice)!", she exims. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice)


    Uwah. ording to this body''s memories, he had said that the food was his favorite when they were young, and she thinks it still is, even though she has been told time and time again it''s not.


    I grab a spoonful, eat and swallow it. Sweet. Too sweet. She uses pizza sauce as a "secret ingredient" making it extremely sweet...


    As we continue to eat our dinner, Ayumi begins talking about some random stuff rted to our family members.


    "Hey. Ayu sometimes thinks that there was one more family member somewhere...", she says. (Ayumi refers to herself as "Ayu")


    ording to the memories I''ve received from this body, there is no such person. Before I could retort, she says,


    "It''s a weird feeling, but I know it''s true."


    Well, I''ll let her believe in whatever she wants to. There is no harm in such a way of thinking. Worst case scenario, said-person doesn''t exist, and that''s it.


    ------


    Our futons have beenid down on the floor. I am currently on mine, which is blue, and staring at the ceiling while thinking of various stuff. I notice that Ayumi is stargazing through a telescope rather than trying to sleep.


    "You should sleep now. You have to wake up early tomorrow for school." , I voice my concern.


    "Just a little more!", she replies quickly.


    Letting out a sigh, I get up from the futon, and move over to where she is. I lift her up by her armpits, making her let out a cute yelp, as I ce her on myp. I pull the telescope closer to us and take a quick nce at the starry sky. Then I say to her,


    "Hey take a look over there. Do you see those four small stars that form the English letter ''y'' with three other stars above the open end?"


    She looks for a short while and then lets out an "Um!" implying that she does.


    "That''s a constetion, and its name is Cancer." , I state.


    "Cancer? Like the terrible sickness?", she asks cutely while tilting her head to the left slightly.


    I let out a small chuckle and pat her head, then tell her,


    "No, they just happen to have the same name."


    I continue telling her about constetions and point them out to her, and after a while, I tell her that it''s time to sleep.


    "Come here." , I beckon her while patting the pillow to my side.


    "Roger that!", she replies as she practically jumps over and lies down beside me.


    Some time passes, and just when I think that she has fallen asleep, I hear her say,


    "Brother Yu, today you were super nice to Ayu! I want us to be together forever and ever!", she exims albeit softly.


    I find myself smiling at her antics. As I slowly reach out my hand and pull her within my arms, I whisper to her,


    "Of course. I have such a cute little sister, how could I not be nice?"


    She giggles a little and closes her eyes. I move my head closer to hers, lightly kiss her forehead, and wish her goodnight.


    You know, this isn''t bad in its own way. Bing stronger and gaining power is one thing, but this energetic ball of cuteness is something else.

 Chapter 8: Dream

    Chapter 8: Dream


    We wake up early the next morning and are informed that we are to move our stuff to a new apartment rather than go to school.


    Ayumi and I collect our stuff and ce them inside of boxes. Then, we head towards the location sent to us.


    Once we arrive there, I am dumbstruck by the sheer size of the building, and the way it''s been built. We pass by two security guards at the front gate and get into one of the two elevators. Upon reaching the designated floor, we make our way to the room number assigned to us.


    Before I could react, Ayumi rushed inside and began jumping around while eximing how big and nice the ce is. I move my boxes and one of the workers is behind me, holding a big box.


    Ayumi moves towards us and says to the worker,


    "Let me help you although there isn''t much I can help you with!"


    I notice the worker visibly sweating and looking at me, his eyes asking for assistance. I let out a sigh and say to Ayumi while smiling,


    "You can''t do that Ayumi."


    "Why? Won''t it be better if I help them?", she asks with a puzzled look on her face.


    I rack my brain for an answer, and manage toe up with one,


    "It''s their job to move the boxes. If you help them, you will be taking away their job."


    Ayumi suddenly has a look as if realization just dawned on her. She then proceeds to lift her arms up and jump cheerfully while eximing,


    "Ayu didn''t have such a way of thinking!"


    I shake my head lightly and go back to moving boxes.


    ------


    A couple of hours have passed and we''re finally done moving. Nao and the weirdo volunteered to help us, which we gratefully epted. For some reason, the weirdo wore a pink apron while working. I guess he is just being himself.


    I head to Ayumi''s room and hear some noises from inside. I look inside, and find Nao sitting in front of Ayumi asking her,


    "Would you like to see a magic trick?"


    To which Ayumi replies,


    "Oh! That''s something I want to see."


    The next moment, I see Ayumi freaking out over nothing, and see Nao move behind Ayumi and lightly poke her back. Ayumi turns around and freaks out, even more, when she sees that it was Nao.


    "Wow! That''s even more amazing than the people on TV!" , Ayumi exims with stars in her eyes.


    "That''s very amazing indeed." , I say as I enter the room, getting their attention.


    The weirdo then enters the room and announces that they must leave.


    "Oh... but I wanted to eat dinner with you...", says Ayumi in a sad tone.


    "That''s right, why don''t you stay over for dinner, Tomori?" , I ask her.


    "I would like to, but you don''t have enough food for 4 people, as if you''ve just moved here, right?", she replies.


    "But there are 3 of us?" , I ask while looking confused.


    "Hey! Don''t forget about me!", exims a certain weirdo.


    "Whoops. Forgot you existed. Sorry man, my bad." , I say.


    I can see veins bulging on his forehead as he tries to hold himself back from retorting. This is so fun...


    "I will head over to a nearby convenience store and buy some ingredients. It shouldn''t take me long." , I inform them.


    ------


    Why? Why is this weirdo following me? I was nning to take advantage of my speed and stamina, and get it done quickly...


    "So, how is your new apartment, do you find it to your liking?", the weirdo inquires.


    "You talk as if you own it." , I retort.


    "Hey man, why are you so salty towards me? What have I done to you, in order for you to act like this?", he asks.


    "Oh nothing, it''s just that I''m not used to a freak covered in bruises rushing towards me at breakneck speed, grabbing me and dragging me with him to the sky." , I reply monotonously.


    He just smiles like an idiot. Ugh. You know what? Forget it. Better get friendly with him sooner thanter. Who knows what he''s like, he might turn out to be a good guy.


    ------


    We''re back. We are all sitting at the dining table with Omurice in front of us, watching TV. The show we were watching ends and an idol show starts ying, with a blonde teenage singer dancing and singing on the stage.


    Suddenly, both Ayumi and the weirdo exim at the same time,


    "YUSARIN!!!"


    My ears! What are they even shouting for? I notice Nao holding her forehead with her hand, while slightly shaking her head out of exasperation. And so, our eventful dinneres to an end, with both Nao and the weirdo heading home.


    After cleaning up the table and tes, wey down a futon, and lie down beside each other. Ayumi then turns and looks at me with stars in her eyes as she asks,


    "Hey, Brother Yu! Our schools are right beside each other now, so we can go to school together right?"


    Not letting her down, I lightly stroke her face as I reply with a gentle smile on my face,


    "Of course. I will even give you a piggyback ride to school if you want to."


    I notice her excitement grows as she begins to imagine what it would be like for that to happen, I assume. I pull her close to myself and kiss her on the cheek before I drift off into thend of dreams.


    It might be because of what Ayumi had mentioned earlier yesterday, but I dreamed of a younger version of ourselves walking with a gray-haired guy. I couldn''t make out his face no matter how much I tried, but in the end, it doesn''t even matter. Because he doesn''t exist... right?

 Chapter 9: New School; Hectic First Day (2:1)

    Chapter 9: New School; Hectic First Day (2:1)


    It''s early morning, and I had woken up way earlier than I needed to. I''ve already put on my school uniform and wait for Ayumi to be done with her preparations. I think about thest few days and everything that has happened up until now. I recall I died in a previous life of mine, but I don''t remember how I died or what my life was like for that matter. Strangely, I remember stuff from my past life though, such as movies I have seen, as well as ces I have been to. They don''t appear clearly, but there is this sense of familiarity there.


    Then I am reborn, or more precisely, take over some guy''s body that goes by the name Haruka Kasugano. Apparently, he is me and I am him. It''s a bit tooplicated, but there isn''t much I can do about it. I, like any sane person, started examining my new body in the mirror, where I spotted a weird tri-colored glowing from my chest. Now that I think about it, Juno said that it was the amalgamation of one''s powers. What use does it have? Will I be able to do something like the silver-haired guy in the "vision", as Juno calls it, did?


    "Brother Yu!", my thoughts are interrupted by a cheerful shout, as a small, violet figure rushes towards me.


    "Ta-dah! I''ve prepared you lunch for today!", she says as she hands me a lunch box wrapped in a red bandage, with a little box for eating utensils at the top of it.


    Amused by her ever so cheerful antics, I ask her,


    "What''s the menu for today?"


    She shes a wide smile as she exims with her hands in the air,


    "Omurice!"


    Again. Well, I don''t mind it. She is trying her best for me, and that''s what matters. I reach out my arm, lightly pat her head and tell her,


    "We should get going now. You don''t want to bete for your first day of school now, do you?"


    She lets out a cheerful "Um!" as she heads back in to grab her school bag. Once she has brought it, I lock the door to our apartment, and we take the elevator to the bottom floor. As we move out of the gateway, Ayumi starts waving at the two security guards standing there cheerfully, shouting "Good Morning!" to them.


    "Hey Ayumi," I call out to her once we''ve some distance away from the building.


    "Hm?", she lightly responds as she looks my way.


    "Remember what I told you about yesterday?" , I ask her as I observe her face for any reactions.


    "You mean, the piggyback!? Are you really going to do it?!", excitement practically bursts out from her, as she inquires in an expectant tone.


    "Of course", I gave her a simple reply.


    I lower myself on one knee and extend my left arm out to her. She understands what I mean, and hands over her school bag, she then climbs onto my back. Once I''m sure she is on my back properly, I hold her legs tightly as I instruct her,


    "Hold on to my neck very tightly. I will now run super fast."


    She does as I say, and locks her arms around my neck with enough strength that would probably choke an ordinary human. Once I''m sure she has secured herself to me, I dash into a sprint.


    "Uwaaaa!!!", she screams, surprised by the sudden movement and speed.


    As I continue to run, I realize that my earlierck of speed wasn''t a hallucination. My current top speed should be about 20% of what I was capable of, back at the Rift. Nevertheless, it''s still way more than what any ordinary athletic human is able to achieve.


    It doesn''t take us long to arrive at our destination. I let Ayumi down and adjusted her uniform and hair, meanwhile, she spoke of how amazing I am. Extra points of cuteness for her efforts to mimic me "running like a superhero".


    I apany her to her school building, and once I''m sure that nothing''s wrong, I head over to mine. Once I reach the building, I visit the school principal. Once everything is in order, I leave the principal''s office, only to be greeted by a camera pointed at my face by a certain grey-haired girl,


    "Wee to our school.", she says in a cool tone, the only tone I''ve heard her speak in.


    I follow her and the weirdo, whose name is Joijiro Takajo, to our ssroom. Apparently, the three of us are in the same ss. On the way there, I let my curiosity get the better of me and ask,


    "So, does everyone in this school have a special ability of some sort?"


    There is no reply for a short while, but then Nao says,


    "Not exactly. There are students who have yet to awaken their powers yet who also transfer here."


    Surprised by her answer, I inquired further, "They transfer just because of that?"


    Nao nods as we climb a staircase and says in her usual tone, "Long ago, people who had awakened special abilities became guinea pigs for neuroscientists."


    "If you get caught once, your life is basically over.", she adds.


    Doubtful of the im she just made, I state,


    "Isn''t that just an exaggerated story?"


    Nao stops walking for a brief moment and says,


    "I was speaking of my brother.", before continuing.


    She then gives me a brief summary of past events. A certain individual came up with the current system of finding ability wielders and transferring them to specialized schools. Although it was toote for her brother by then. She also informs me of the duties of the student council members and their missions. Basically, it''s finding special ability wielders who misuse their powers and either protect them or threaten them to never use their power again.


    ------


    "I''m Yu Otosaka, and I''ve transferred here from Hinomori Highschool. Nice to meet you all." , I introduce myself while smiling lightly in front of the ss.


    "So handsome!" , I hear one of the girls exim. Well yes, there is no denying it, I am handsome.


    I don''t pay much attention to her and focus on the two that were with me in the morning. Nao''s seat is at the frontmost seat in the left row, right beside the window. The weir- *cough*, Joijiro''s seat is at the very back of the ss in the right row. I also notice that the only empty seat is the one in front of Joijiro.


    What puzzles me is that I see Nao ying with her camera, yet no one says anything about it as if it werepletely normal.


    ------


    sses are over, and it''s lunchtime now. I grab the lunch box Ayumi made for me, and take a look at the contents inside it. I see an Omurice with "Congrattions!!" written on it using a sauce.


    Before I can start eating, Joijiro appears beside me and says,


    "Oh, you have a lunch box. I thought we could go to the cafeteria together."


    I take a look at the Omurice and then at his pitiful face. I let out a sigh, and close the lid of the lunch box, then I say,


    "Let''s go then."


    Joijiro pauses then asks me,


    "Should I invite her as well?", as he pointed over at Nao.


    She is sitting in her seat with headphones in her ears as she gazes outside the window, seemingly lost in her thoughts.


    "Let''s leave her be," I reply.


    ------


    So crowded. That is the first thing that came to my mind once we reached the cafeteria. There isn''t a single table that''s empty, and there is a long line of students waiting to buy their meal.


    "Good luck getting food from THERE." , I say to Joijiro.


    "Well, this is where I show off my special ability.", he says in a confident tone as he raises his sses with his index finger.


    "Although, the type of sandwich I get will depend on luck", he adds.


    The next moment, I see him turning slightly blurry as he moves at an incredible speed, drops some coins over, grabs some sandwiches, and inevitably crashes into a ss pane. I notice the girl selling the meals let out a sigh. My condolences.


    Joijiro then suddenly appears behind me with blood all over his hair and face, and says in a joyful tone,


    "Quite lucky today. I managed to get us cutlet sandwiches."


    "You call yourself lucky with all those injuries on you?" , I reply in exasperation.


    "I do wear armor under my uniform, you know? So, the wounds aren''t that deep.", he replies in a matter-of-factly tone.


    But you are bleeding from your head though. Whatever. He hands over a sandwich, or what used to be a sandwich to me. It''s crushed.


    "I can''t control my grip when I use my ability.", he says.


    I think I''m going to stick to my Omurice, thanks. We go back to ss and eat our meal there. I notice Nao sitting there all alone with no friends whatsoever. I ask,


    "Doesn''t she have any friends?"


    To which Joijiro exins,


    "Think of it like this. Her ability is to turn invisible to one person, while she appearspletely normalpared to others. Her taking violent actions against others is what has led to her current situation. Oh, she''s approaching us."


    Naoes over and says,


    "Arade will show up soon."


    A what? Comrade? What does she mean by that? Another student council member? And why does it matter?


    "That means that all the student council members should head over to the student council room." , exins Joijiro.


    What the heck?


    ------


    We''re currently in the student council room. Simply put, the ce looks wonderful. There is a table at the center of the room with a mapid out on it, and to one side bookshelves, on the other, a TV with an old school DVD yer.


    My senses pick up someone right outside the door. I move aside as the door opens, and enters another weirdo, I guess. This is creepy as hell. There is a guy with his body soaked from head to toe. He moves towards the table with the map and points his finger somewhere as a drop of water hits the map. He then says,


    "The ability is... Thoughtography.", before leaving the room.


    "..."


    What was that just now? Does he point out where special ability users are?


    Apparently, I was right. We all head over to the location marked on the map, and it turns out to be a normal high school. Here, we start looking for clues over the ability user. After a while, Naoes over and tells me she found a guy that''s acting suspiciously.


    I head over and see a guy holding a bag closely to his chest as he looks around. Yeah, it couldn''t be more obvious. The guy notices us, and once he confirms that we are suspicious people, he breaks into a run.


    "After him!", shouts Nao.


    Whatever. I dash over and lightly push him over. He falls and lets go of his bag. Naoes over and starts rummaging through his stuff, stops when she finds a ck envelope and says,


    "I wonder what is this~"


    The guy visibly flinches when he sees the envelope in her hand and is about to move over and say something, but a little threat of a kick to the face keeps him in his ce.


    Nao opens the envelope, and inside of it are 2 pictures. A picture of one of the girls in the school in her uniform, and the second one is the same picture, but the uniform has be transparent showing her lingerie.


    After asking the guy "nicely" for the source of the picture, the guy responds with the name of a student and the ss he''s in.


    After looking around for the guy for a short while, we find the guy in the archery club. We go over and begin interrogating him. The guy imed he needed money and an easy way to do that was to use his ability to sell pictures of girls in their lingerie.


    Then, I noticed the guy grabbing an empty film. I realize what he is about to do, and before he gets the chance to look at the photo he used his thoughtography to create, I dash at him and punch him lightly in the stomach. That is more than enough for him to be out of breath for a while.


    "I dare you to repeat that again." , I say.


    Before he can respond, I use my ability to possess him and look for other photo films, but I find none. Once the possession is over, I get up from the ground. I feel a tingling sensation in my head, but I take it as the side effect of using my ability.


    Nao then begins to lecture the guy about why he shouldn''t use the ability, and how it would ruin his life if he did. After making sure that the guy is sessfully broken mentally, we head back to our school.


    On the way back, I remember about Nao''s brother. So, I ask her,


    "What happened to your brother?"


    "It''s not like there is anything to hide, so why don''t youe with me to visit him tomorrow?", she suggests.


    I agree, and thus the first dayes to an end. Man, a lot of stuff happened.

 Chapter 10: Family Visit; Idol and Pursuit

    Chapter 10: Family Visit; Idol and Pursuit


    The next day, after school is over, Naoes over and says,


    "Let''s get going."


    We head to a train station nearby and wait for our train to arrive. Nao then asks me if I am hungry. She then proceeds to buy station-special food with a look of excitement on her face. This is the very first time I see her making such an expression.


    We take an express train, and Nao eats her food on the train. Once we reach the desired station, we get off the train and ride a bus. On the way there, Nao begins to tell me about her past,


    "When we were younger I passed the exam of a ma school for a national university. When I went to tell my brother about it, he encouraged me and spoke of how he was going to make his debut in music soon.


    But in the end, I never got to go to school. Our mother, one day, began speaking of a school that my brother and I should be transferred to. My brother couldn''t ept it and started retorting her. In the end, our mother got on her knees and bowed to us, begging us to go to the school, iming that it would help our family''s financial situation. After that, my brother couldn''t say anything else, and so both of us transferred to the school.


    The ce looked like a school outside, and I got to make new friends easily. At the end of the day, I was made to take a physical exam of sorts. Even though the two of us were in the same school, we never got to meet each other. Whenever I wanted to look for him, my friends would prevent me from doing so. And so, I was unaware that my brother had be an experimental subject for scientists.


    My brother had the special ability to manipte vibrations in the air at will. He was discovered when he used his power on a live stage to make his guitar make various sounds. Scientists believed that his ability could be used to jammunications, or even jack the airwaves; In the end, I managed to meet my brother after one year, but it was toote by then. He was no longer the brother I knew. He couldn''t even recognize me, his little sister, anymore. I had enough of it all and ran away from that sorry excuse of a school.


    Afterward, I met the only person I can ce my trust in..."


    They were sold for money? By their own mother, no less? This is not what I was expecting. Why did she do it? HOW could she do it? How could someone sell her children for money? Forget it, it''s the past. What matters right now is who is the guy she met. Before I could ask her about it, she says,


    "We''ve arrived."


    We go over to a huge building. Once we''re inside, Nao goes over to the reception and says,


    "I''m Nao Tomori. I''vee to see my brother."


    The reception then responds,


    "He''s in room 12, go ahead."


    Nao then asks,


    "Can I take him outside?"


    To which the reception replies,


    "As long as it''s within our grounds it''s fine."


    ------


    We get to room 12. After knocking on the door lightly twice, Nao slides the door open. What enters my sight is a brown haired guy shouting as he shreds his futon to pieces. Feathers are lying all over the ce.


    "The painkillers have worn off again...", Nao lightly mutters, as she approaches the bed and presses a button.


    "What is he doing?" , I ask.


    "Composing. He thinks he is ying the guitar. The grunting is the main melody line.", she replies


    A nurse gets to the room after a while and injects the guy with painkillers. She then removes the shredded futon and gets a new one. Once everything is settled, Nao asks her brother,


    "Would you like to go outside? The time of the day the scenery looks the best."


    The guy just sits on his bed, staring at nothing, his eyes looking lifeless.


    ------


    She sure wasn''t kidding when she said the scenery is beautiful. It''s dusk at the moment, so the color of the sky fits perfectly with the boundary between the sea and sky. We''re standing on a cliff filled with greenery, air gently blowing on us.


    "How did you get your brother to such a ce?" , I ask her, curious about how she could afford such a ce.


    "It was all thanks to the person I could ce my trust in.", she replies.


    ------


    Once I''m home, I''m met with Ayumi standing there, with a pout on her face. She''s clearly displeased with something. Knowing her, I tell her,


    "I didn''t expect the student council to take so much of my time."


    "Oh, you''re a part of the student council? It''s my first time hearing of this!", she flips moods like a switch.


    As she goes back to cooking whatever it was, I begin to think of today''s happenings. Based on what Nao said, there is a high chance that Ayumi could have special abilities of her own. If I am to be captured, Ayumi will end up just like Nao...


    "It''s done!", exims Ayumi as she ces a te of curry in front of me.


    I grab a spoonful and chew on it. Sweet!


    "Could it be... that you used the secret ingredient..."


    "It''s the secret recipe of the Otosaka household - the pizza sauce!", she exims.


    ------


    The next day, I put on my school uniform and headed to the kitchen. There, Ayumi hands me my lunch box for the day.


    On the way to school, I give Ayumi another piggyback ride.


    Once at school, the guy soaked from head to toe appears once again. All of us head over to the student council room. He drops the water droplet on the map and says,


    "The special ability is - Channeling."


    Which Nao exins as the ability to bring back dead spirits to the living world. Before we could set off, the guy says,


    "There is another - Pyrokinesis."


    All of us are rmed by what he said. Someone that has two special abilities... We head off to the location and meet a bunch of thugs. We inquire from them info about "someone with the ability to talk to dead spirits and control fire". They react suspiciously to our inquiry.


    We had to convince them that we were all special ability holders. They then lead us to an underground poker club location. There, before any of us could say anything, Joijiro screams at the top of his lungs,


    "YUSARIN!!!"


    Yep. The idol girl on TV is here right now... I have a headache already. The guy starts getting creepy, shouting out how he has bought all her CDs and merchandise.


    Nao proceeds to introduce herself once we''ve moved the weirdo out of the way,


    "Hello. My name is Nao Tomori. Nice to meet you."


    As the idol girl, Yusarin was about to answer, the weirdo reappears beside Nao and says,


    "My name is Joij-"


    Before he could finish his sentence, he receives a swift kick to his guts as Nao exims, "I wasn''t asking you!"


    The girl seems to be unfazed by this whole ordeal and casually introduces herself,


    "Nice to meet you! I am Yusa Nishimori, nicknamed Yusarin!"


    Then Nao begins to ask around about some stuff, and we find out the mystery to why she is able to have 2 abilities. It turns out the dead spirit of Yusa''s sister can take over Yusa''s body using Yusa''s power - Channeling. That spirit, whose name is Misa, has the ability of pyrokinesis -Able to materialize and control mes at will.


    Turns out that Yusa is facing an issue, and that is that she identally discovered scandalous materials on a producer in herpany. That''s why she is being looked for. To deal with this, we arranged a skit...


    ------


    Yusa, more specifically Misa, waits at an open space for the producer to arrive as the rest of us hide in the shadows. Once they arrive, we see 3 ck vehicles. The producer gets off, and with him are four bodyguards.


    The producer begins rambling about how he has her cornered and will get rid of her to leave no loose ends, to which Misa scoffs at him and raises her arm, using her pyrokinesis to set one of the bodyguards aze.


    "I guess I''ll get rid of another one.", she says as she sets another one of the bodyguards aze.


    Misa then raises her other arm and says,


    "All I have to do to have a normal life once again is to simply get rid of you guys."


    She then waves her hand, and one of the two bodyguards grabs his knife and stabs his own thigh. IT HURTS! My possession goes away, but there is still a lingering feeling of the pain I felt as I stabbed myself with another person''s body.


    Misa once again waves her arm, and then the only bodyguard left is sent flying, thanks to Joijiro. She then walks towards the producer and punches the air, but the producer feels a punch to his face. She kicks the air, and the producer feels kicked. Yep. It''s Nao''s ability.


    After threatening the man to never repeat his actions, Misa simply walked away from him. Then, all of us meet up and celebrate our sess.


    Suddenly, I feel a chill up my spine. I look back and see a man dressed in ck running away. I sprint in his direction and as soon as I''m about to catch him, his speed increases by a huge margin. Almost as fast Joijiro''s speed. I attempt to possess him, but I feel a sudden headache, preventing me from focusing on my ability.


    I look forward and notice that the guy has stopped using the abnormal speed. I put all of my strength into my lengths and dash towards him. As I get near him, he suddenly turns transparent. Sensing his movements, I notice him turning around and raising his right arm.


    Suddenly, mes start to materialize out of the air, forcing me to dodge and focus my senses on my surroundings. Once the mes have gone away, I look at the ce where he used to be and notice him running far away using the abnormal speed once again.


    Not willing to let him get away, I put a great deal of force into my legs and jump on top of the closest building. I jump across one building to another as I keep an eye on him. But then, a motorcyclees out of nowhere and the one riding it grabs the guy''s arm, then uses alleyways to drive out of my sight.


    Realizing that it''s pointless to pursue any further, Ie to a stop and begin thinking of what just happened...

 Chapter 11: Code: Part 1/2

    Chapter 11: Code: Part 1/2


    What was that just now? Why was the guy able to use those powers? Those were obviously Joijiro, Nao, and Misa''s powers. What''s going on?


    "Hey Juno, can you tell me anything about the person just now?" , I ask her.


    "Negative. I wasn''t collecting data during the process, as I deemed it to be unnecessary.", she replies.


    Well, I expected as much. But I can''t just that let that go as if nothing has happened right? Well, whatever. Next, I ask,


    "Regarding the core that you said was the amalgamation of my powers. Can you tell me what they are and am I able to do what the guy in the ''vision'' did?"


    "Your powers mainly revolve around three majorws: Berserk, Destruction, and Holy."


    "You have more affinity with Berserk than Destruction and Holy. Your Holy is the one you have the least amount of affinity with."


    "Regarding the manifestation of your Code, you should be able to do so, but the results may vary depending on the power you wish to manifest and your affinity with it."


    I see. So the core thing is called a Code, and I have three major powers instead of one. What''s with the Berserk though. Is that even considered a power? What does it even do?


    "How do I manifest my Code?" , I ask.


    "You just have to imagine the power you wish to manifest circte within you, then put some force into the limb you wish to use to manifest it from.", she replies without missing a beat.


    I''m going to start with the weakest one. Why? Because if I manage to screw something up, it won''t be as dangerous as Berserk and Destruction itself. I imagine a vibrant yellow light circling within me and as Juno told me to, put some force into my right hand. The next moment, a white glow covers most of my right arm.


    The glow suddenly goes away, but in its ce, white-veins extend from the tip of my fingers all the way to my shoulder. I clench my right hand, as I do so, thin lines appear at the tip of my fingers. I move my hand to the right; the linesunch in that direction at a terrific speed, shing across a building in the distance, directly slicing it in half. I observe half of the building fall with a dumbfounded look on my face.


    I once again focus on the cirction of the Holy within me, this time putting force into my left hand. The same thing urs, but this time, instead of white veins, they''re green veins. I wave my hand around, but nothing seems to ur.


    "Aim at the building you just destroyed with your left hand and then turn your arm slightly to the left.", suddenly Juno informs me.


    I do as she says, and what happens next is pretty damn terrific. The lines reappear at the location the building was sliced, and they rotate based on how I move my left hand.


    Excited because of my newfound powers, I form more lines with my right hand andunch them forward. I then attempt to make each of the lines stop at different locations in the air, and seed in doing so.


    "Snap your fingers using your left hand." , Juno instructs me.


    Upon doing so, the lines formed suddenly extend to the sky and towards each other, forming a wide line of web-like links.


    "This time snap the fingers on your right hand."


    Once I do that, I feel like I''ve lost a great deal of energy. I observe the web-like links and notice that they are all getting brighter at a terrifying speed. Then, they abruptly vanish into thin air. I''m confused. Why did it take so much energy to just cancel it?


    "It''s not what you think it is. Check the streets." Juno says in an amused tone. I have a bad feeling about this...


    I checked and what I saw shocked me. People are screaming "I can''t see!" , "Help!" , "My eyes!", etc. Cars have crashed into walls and some have even flipped over. Some people are lying on the ground that looks like thugs and are twitching on the ground as they scream in pain.


    "Divine retribution,", Juno begins to exin what the heck is going on,


    "The 8th strongest manifestation of Holy. As the name says, it punishes sinners for what is considered to be uneptable by the general poption of a specific tform."


    That sounds awesome, but the cost seems to be high though. I don''t have much energy left. I notice through my perception Nao, Joijiro, and Yusaing over. I hurry and jump down from the building and move towards them.


    Once I reach them, I see Nao holding her camera recording everything that is happening. The chaos. I hear police and ambnce sirens'' sounds getting closer. Taking a good look at the situation, I notice that some people who were covering their eyes have recovered, while the thugs that were twitching on the ground look like they''ve been roasted alive.


    "Use the Holy Essence within you on your eyes."


    I circte the Holy energy within me once again and focus it on my eyes. The next moment, my vision blips, and everything turn into different vibrant colors. The only colors I see are yellow, a darker yellow, grey, and ck.


    I notice that Yusa has jumped away from me for some reason, and Nao is recording my face. There must be something wrong. I cancel out the Holy effect and act normal as if nothing has happened.


    "Is this your doing?" , Nao asks me bluntly.


    What do I do? Should I tell them the truth? Ah, screw it,


    "Yes."


    Nao nods lightly and puts the camera away. She then looks at me in the eye and asks me,


    "Who did you take over?"


    What? What''s that supposed to mean? Does she mean the possessing? Does she think I''ve used someone''s ability to do this while possessing them? I reply calmly,


    "No one."


    I see her squinting her eyes a little then she says in her usual tone,


    "Let''s get going. It''s gettingte."


    What was up with that?


    ------


    I finally get home. Ayumies over and exims cutely while pouting,


    "Why didn''t you tell me if you were going to be sote!? You could''ve at least called me, you know?!"


    I feel guilty about it, and don''t know how to reply to her.


    "I was so worried! Come, check the TV!", she continues then grabs my arm and drags me over to the TV.


    ''MYSTERIOUS CASE OF INJURIES AND DEATHS - LIVE''


    I flinch when I see the headline on the news channel. The case has blown up. At least a dozen police cars are in the area. The crowd is going wild. News reporters running around recording everything they can find.


    Having had enough of it, I grab the TV remote and switch it off.


    "Ehhhh, why?" , Ayumi whines.


    "Ignore it. Don''t pay attention to stuff like this." I lightly scold her.

 Chapter 12: Code: Part 2/2

    Chapter 12: Code: Part 2/2


    "Wake up, Victor.", a voice calls out to me during my sleep.


    I open my eyes and check my surroundings, but see no one. I observe Ayumi who is in my arms and see that she''s still asleep.


    "It''s me, Juno." , I regain my rity and notice that the voice is an echo in my head. Juno''s voice.


    "Why have you woken me up?" , I whisper.


    "There are still some things that you need to know of. Leave your apartment and get to the top of the building.", she replies.


    I slowly get out of the futon, while making sure I don''t wake Ayumi up. I quietly leave the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind me.


    I take a look around and notice that it''s dark. Upon focusing my eyes, everything seems to brighten up, making it seem like it''s daytime, with the only difference being how I see colors. The guards seem to be patrolling the area.


    In order to avoid any attention, I take a quick nce at all the security guards, and once I''m sure that they''re all not looking, I move at the fastest speed I''m capable of and jump over from floor to floor until I reach the top.


    "Now what?" , I ask curiously.


    "Begin circting the Holy Essence within you once again. This time, add some force to your legs."


    As soon as I do it, I feel like both my legs have gone numb. I move a little and notice glowing veins under my clothes extending from the bottom of my feet to my thighs. This time, the color is cyan.


    "Jump down to the back of the building, and try to jump mid-air.", says Juno.


    Doing as she instructs me to, I feel nothing when I do so, yet I jump. I jump in the air. How stupid. I repeat the action several times, and the more I jump, the more energy the next jump consumes.


    "Think of moving somewhere then kick lightly behind you using your right foot." Suddenly Juno informs me while I''m still mid-air.


    I take a quick look around and notice a tree. I imagine myself next to the tree, and then I kick behind me using my right foot as Juno instructed me to. The next moment, I am standing at where I imagined myself to be. I didn''t feel anything. I just found myself there.


    "Allow me to exin all the powers you''ve used so far, as well as the basics of your Code.", she begins.


    "Holy Effects are powers that derive directly from divinities. The ones you should be familiar with are Holy sh, Paragon''s Eyes, Godspeed, Blink, Light Maniption, and Divine Retribution."


    "As one would expect, the amount of Holy Essence consumed depends on the power intended when using the Holy Effects."


    She then pauses for a while, to let me digest the information, then continues,


    "Your Code is called Exousa. Your Code is based on your origin. Basically, the Code is your quiddity in a semi-physical form."


    I see. She finally decided to tell me everything probably. Well, at least I finally understand what a Code is.


    "Onest thing," says Juno.


    "As you might have realized, you have a limited amount of Holy Essence within you. Once you''ve run out, you can''t use any Holy Effects, although it won''t affect you physically in any sense. There are several methods you can use to recharge your Essences. Direct absorption is the most effective method. To do it you must make contact with a source of the Essence you require.", she continues.


    "For example, in order to recharge your Holy Essence, you need to get into physical contact with an object that is considered to be holy by arge popce in the tform you''re in."


    "Another method is Copting. This method is only effective when it''s done with a partner that has the same, if not more, amount of powerpared to you."


    Interesting


    "Thest method, which happens to be the easiest one, is simply resting. All you need to do is rest or meditate and your Essence will naturally reform.", she concludes.


    "Thank you for exining all this to me," I say in a grateful tone.


    "It''s my duty and you''re wee.", she replies.


    ------


    I return to my room and sigh in relief once I see that Ayumi is still asleep. I use Paragon''s Eyes to examine her. The result was that I saw a different color than yellow and ck. It''s white. Pure white. I don''t know why, but this just makes me smile. I need to take a rest now.

 Chapter 13: Transfer Student ; Questioning

    Chapter 13: Transfer Student ; Questioning


    Early next morning, Ayumi and I go to school together ordinarily. On the way there, we hear students converse about the incident that has urred recently. Once I''ve brought Ayumi to her school building, I go on my way to my own.


    Oh, I almost forgot that Yusa will be transferring to our school today. I already have a bad feeling about this... I just hope it won''t unfold the way I''m expecting it to.


    ------


    "Hey dude, have you heard?", says one student to another.


    "There is a rumor that Yusarin will be transferring to our school today!", he continues.


    "It''s true! I overheard the headmaster speak of it before!", added another student.


    As expected. The topic of the ss is mostly about Yusa. I''m grateful though, as I wouldn''t have to listen to students creating conspiracy theories about the incident that I caused yesterday...


    As the first ss is about to start, our homeroom teacher enters the ssroom and announces,


    "Everyone, pay attention! We have a new student transferring here today. As her new ssmates, you ought to take good care of her."


    Once he''s done talking, Yusa enters the ssroom. All of a sudden, everyone is overwhelmed with excitement. Heck, I see a student standing up from his seat and start dancing.


    "You there! Stop dancing! Everyone, be quiet!", the teacher attempts to pacify the ss, but it has no effect.


    Yusa just stands there, but then, she raises her finger and ces it on her lips. For some reason, the chaotic atmosphere in the air disappears, and everybody quiets down.


    "I may not be able to attend school on some days due to work, but I''d like to enjoy high school life with all of you.", she proims.


    Then, silence ensues. However, that doesn''tst long, as a certain weirdo begins shouting, "Yusarin!", repeatedly while throwing his arm up, as if he were attempting to incite a crowd.


    That does seem to be the case, as most of the students begin to do so as well. Our poor teacher ms his book onto his desk while yelling, "Be quiet!".


    This went way worse than I was expecting it to. Well, I''m not that surprised though. Never underestimate the impact an idol has on the masses...


    The teacher then tells Yusa where she is supposed to sit, which happens to be the seat next to Nao. Yusa moves toward her desk, and once she''s close enough Nao says without sparing her a nce,


    "Nice to meet you."


    In response to her nonchnce, Yusa just smiles and replies while bowing slightly,


    "Yes! I''m sure I will trouble you a lot, but it''s nice to meet you!"


    I don''t find anything wrong with what just happened, but that doesn''t seem to the case with my ssmates though, as I hear them whispering,


    "What''s with her?" and "She''s so rude.", as well as other such phrases.


    Nao sure isn''t popr with the students...


    ------


    Once the bell signifying the start of lunch rings, students all flock to Yusa and start to speak of their "achievements" such as: buying her CDs, merchandise, watching her live shows, and much more.


    While the students are still circling Yusa and asking her questions, Nao goes over, grasps Yusa''s hand, and pulls her away while saying,


    "Kurobane, I''d like toe with us immediately to the student council room."


    As expected, the students react negatively to her actions. Nao doesn''t pay them much attention and just instructs us to follow her. Joijiro and I follow her without making anyments.


    As soon as we arrive at the student council room, Joijiro''s ''fan-boy'' switch is flipped on. Yusa praises him for his endeavors, but then asks,


    "What are we doing here?"


    Suddenly Joijiro has a look of pity on his face for some reason as he adjusts his sses and says,


    "A helper will being over. However, I hope you can prepare mentally to not be startled by his unusual guise."


    Yusa visibly flinches as a reaction to his remark. We hear the sound of a door handle being turned, then the door to the student council room opens, and enters our soaked friend.


    Yusa''s expression turns for the worst when she sees him, stepping back and getting behind Nao in fear.


    The guy seems to be unaffected by this and just goes through the usual procedure, stating,


    "The ability is... Telekinesis.", then leaves the room.


    It takes some time, but Yusa calms down and asks,


    "What was that?"


    I reply to her while pointing to the table,


    "There is an ability user there, where the drop of water hit the map. That''s how we found you."


    Nao checks the spot keenly, before eximing, "Bingo!" proudly. She then proceeds to pull out a newspaper from out of nowhere andys it on the table for all of us to see. The press is about a new rising star in baseball.


    Nao then begins to tell us about how she''s been looking into the guy for a week. She then grabs her camera, unmounts the SD card, and walks toward the DVD yer in the room. Once everything''s set up, we watch a video of a baseball game.


    In the game, we see the guy pitching the ball with a curve that only experts should be capable of. Nao then starts exining to us how what he''s doing shouldn''t be possible, because the way he holds the ball is for throwing it straightly.


    ------


    "So you''re saying that he uses telekinesis as soon as he throws the ball to change its direction?", Joijiro questions.


    Nao nods in response and that''s how it was decided that we''re going to be going over to the school the guy is in, and meet him in person.


    "Before we go, I have something to ask you.", Nao says to me, then changes the video disyed on the screen to a recording of yesterday.


    In the recording, golden-colored veins are extending from my eyes in all directions. I suppose that''s when I utilized my Paragon''s Eyes.


    "Care to tell us what transpired yesterday for you to abruptly dash off into the dark, and when we finally locate you, you look like this?"


    Great. It''s about time they asked. I knew they were going to sooner orter, so let''s get this done quickly. I begin exining,


    "Yesterday, I suddenly felt like we were being watched from the shadows. I look around and see somebody hurriedly retreating, so I run after him. As I was pursuing him, he used special abilities. Your special abilities. His speed was almostparable to Joijiro''s and he could turn invisible. He used mes to blind me for a moment and managed to get away."


    They listen to me from the beginning to end without interrupting me. Then Nao asks me,


    "What about the copsed building? The light that blinded and roasted people? And most importantly, your appearance in the tape?"


    I take in a deep breath and decide to tell them about myself.

 Chapter 14: Progression

    Chapter 14: Progression


    I take a seat on a sofa nearby and begin my exnation,


    "When I was chasing the man who was able to use your abilities, a glow suddenly enveloped my arm. The next thing I knew, the glow disappeared and in its ce, there were veins extending from the tip of my fingers all the way to my shoulder. I moved my hand, and the building in front of me copsed..."


    I proceed to describe the rest of it as such. I make it seem like I had no awareness of my powers, which is true in a sense, but I don''t explicitly state it.


    After several minutes of contemtion, Nao looks at me in the eye and says in her usual tone,


    "It doesn''t matter how you got the ability, but you need to try to restrain it so that it doesn''t do any more damage than what its already done."


    That''s how our gatheringes to an end, and we set out to take care of the guy with telekic powers.


    ------


    Once we reach our location, we find the guy we are looking for practicing baseball with his friends. We call out for him, and he responds in kind. He says as he approaches us,


    "You don''t seem to be from our school. I hope you can hurry up because we are currently practicing."


    Nao remains unperturbed and says in a calmly,


    "I''ll be blunt with you. Do you use telekic abilities during your matches to turn the tables in your favor?"


    The guy just winces slightly before responding in a mocking tone,


    "Telekinesis? As in psychic powers? I don''t have such a thing. What are you, ult research club members?"


    Nao appears to be quite irritated as she points her finger at him and says,


    "Listen here. That ability of yours is only a disease and is only there during adolescence. It will go away in due time. If you''re striving to be a pro through the use of that ability, think again."


    "There''s also the fact that if someone notices that you have such an ability, you will be captured."


    The guy seems to be wholly unconvinced as he responds harshly,


    "Be captured? By whom?"


    "Scientists who wish to study your power and dissect you.", she replies.


    "And you expect me to believe such an idiotic thing?", he mocks.


    Nao seems to think of something for a moment, then steps back a little and says,


    "Fine then. Observe." /Dt2cDvx)


    The guy then begins to freak out over nothing, is what it seems like from an outsider''s point of view, but I''m fairly sure Nao has used her ability. She then asks him,


    "Do you believe me now?"


    The guy just looks at her, perplexed. Unable to hold herself back, Misa takes over Yusa''s body and moves towards him while summoning mes on her palm as she states,


    "How about we make a whole roast out of him?"


    That look on his face is perfect. Oh well. I ce my hand on Misa''s shoulder and say,


    "Stop it."


    She res at me as questions me.


    "Don''t show your ability off in public.", I exin,


    "Do you want to cause trouble for Yusa?"


    She spits at the ground when she realizes I have a point. What I find disgusting is that Joijiro got on his knees and stared at the spot where the spit hit, and eximed,


    "Yusarin''s saliva! No... this would be Misa-san''s saliva... I''m troubled in how I should react!"


    All of us give him a look of disgust as Nao shouts,


    "Such a turn-off!"


    I let out a sigh of disappointment, turn to Nao and ask her,


    "Back to the main topic, what are we going to do?"


    Nao then ces her finger as she starts to think, then all of a sudden, she grins. I have a really bad feeling about this...


    "How about we face each other in baseball?", she says, smiling.


    Wait, what? Did she really just challenge a guy who has a cheat ability for this game?


    "Our team versus your team. If we win do as we say."


    He looks a bit surprised but then responds shortly after,


    "Sure. If we win, never have anything to do with me again."


    After we''ve set the time and location for our match, which happens to be in our school''s stadium, we walk back to school. After we''ve walked for a little while, I stop and search my pockets for ''something''. This attracts everyone''s attention to me. I then tell them,


    "I''ve dropped something of mine. You guys go ahead, I will catch up to you."


    I then run off in the direction of the school we just left. Once I reach there, I use Godspeed and Blink to get to a hidden location near the stadium where the students are still practicing. I take a good look and see the guy we just had a talk with speaking to his friend.


    I use my special ability and control him. The next moment, I find myself in his body with hispanion being in front of me. Without wasting a single second, I clench my hand into a fist and punch myself (in his body) in the face.


    The next moment, I''m back in my own body. I observe as the guy freaks out over what happened, while his friend is confused and looking at him weirdly. That''s for irritating me. Enjoy.


    I utilize Godspeed and get out of the area. I go back to where I left the group, and notice that Nao is there through my senses.


    I cease using Godspeed and walk towards her normally. She stares into my eyes and asks me,


    "What did you forget?"


    Oh crap. I don''t carry anything important on me to show her... Oh, right!


    "Nevermind. I just remembered that I had left it at home."


    She squints her eyes ever so slightly and inquires,


    "What did you do?"


    Well, of course she wouldn''t believe me... Whatever. Might as well take advantage of the situation and tease her,


    "I''ll tell you what I did, only if you embrace me."


    I expect a kick or punch to be sent my way. What happens next startled me a little. She just stares at me, as if she is contemting something. She then opens her arms wide and embraces me. I feel her soft body press against mine. I smell a sweet scenting from her soft and silky hair.


    I hug her back, gently stroking her back. After a dozen or so seconds, we let go of each other at the same time. She then looks at me in a way that''s practically screaming "Well?".


    "This is probably the best thing that has ever urred to me," I say. She just rolls her eyes at my statement.


    Aware that I will be irritating her if I dawdle any longer, I exin,


    "I just possessed him using my ability and made him punch himself in front of his friend. He was kind of rude when conversing with you, which slightly pissed me off."


    She stares at me nkly for a few seconds before saying,


    "You just made this a lot easier to deal with..."


    After that, she seizes my arm and drags me back to school. What did she mean by that? It doesn''t matter really. Besides, it doesn''t seem like I''ve made her mad, or else she would''ve straight up thrown a punch at my face based on her character. As we walk, I slowly shift the position of my hand and make it so that I''m directly holding hers. I''m surprised that she doesn''t attempt to let go.


    Today has been a very productive day.

 Chapter 15: Sisters Happiness ; (Spoiler Title at the End)

    Chapter 15: Sister''s Happiness ; (Spoiler Title at the End)


    Once we get back to school, Nao doesn''t seem to want to tell the others about my actions. I''m still confused about what she said earlier. How have I made anything easier? We''re still going to be facing the students from the other school in baseball, which includes the guy with telekinesis. What, don''t tell me she expects him to note to school because of shame of what I did to him earlier? Yeah, as if.


    Once school is over, I head home directly. On the way there, I check the date on my phone and note that today is Wednesday. The baseball match is due Sunday. I then sense my surroundings and once sure that no one is watching, utilize Godspeed and sprint home at the fastest speed I''m capable of.


    Why would I use Godspeed? Because it feels amazing to use! It feels like I''m flying, especially when I''m dashing in the air. I reach the residence building in moments. I walk inside normally and check if Ayumi is inside through my senses. Not feeling her presence within our apartment, I leave the residence building and head back in the direction I came home from. On the way I run into Ayumi who''s walking with two of her female friends.


    She is pleasantly surprised when she sees me and calls out,


    "Brother Yu!", as she jumps into my arms.


    "How about we hang outside for a little while before we go home?", I suggest to her. She dly epts and bids farewell to her ssmates.


    I haven''t been able to have much quality time with her because of all the stuff that has been going on recently. I decided to make up for it by taking her to an amusement park.


    ------


    "Brother Yu, would you like to eat some as well?", a cheerful voice asks me. I look at her, smile, and slowly shake my head.


    Again. I feel like someone is watching us. The thing is, I can''t tell where we''re being watched from. I tried focusing my senses and focusing my eyes, but I still couldn''t find anyone. I''m unable to use Paragon''s Eyes as there are a lot of people around us, but more importantly, Ayumi. I don''t want her to freak out by seeing veins around my eyes.


    This is starting to piss me off though. I have a feeling that if I don''t deal with them quickly, I''ll regret it. Once we''ve had enough fun at the amusement park, we head back home. I check the time using my phone. 18:47. The sky is almostpletely dark.


    As soon as we get home, I tell Ayumi to go to her room and not open the door for anyone. Ayumi is surprised by how serious I sound. I leave the room, locking the door behind me, then directly utilize Godspeed and move towards the location I suspect we were being watched from. Soon, I find the culprit.


    ck leather jacket as well as ck pants. A ck mask as well as ck gloves. He couldn''t get any more suspicious and ck. Wow, that kind of sounded racist.


    The man seems to notice me and the abnormalities, which are my glowing legs. Before I can make a move, I feel excruciating pain from my right thigh. Then, I hear the sound of a gunshot. Sniper!


    I dash backward, just in time to avoid another bullet shot. I look towards where the bullet was shot from, and see a man at the top of a hotel building, and next to him is a Barret M82. The man aims the sniper at me and shoots another bullet.


    I dodge the bullet and focus back on the other guy. He''s running. I attempt to follow him, but I feel the pain in my thigh prevents me from doing so. I clench my teeth and move my leg despite the pain.


    "Stop!", Juno exims within my mind. But, that doesn''t matter to me right now. If I let these guys go, who knows what they''ll try to do next. If something happens to Ayumi because of my carelessness, I''ll never be able to forgive myself.


    ---POV Change:3---


    "He is moving.", says a man on top of the building, a sniper rifle in his hands.


    "Roger that.", came a reply through his earpiece.


    Suddenly an expression of surprise covers the man''s face as he says,


    "He is glowing in red."


    "What?", came a confused reply.


    There, at the location that the man was watching through his scope, was a guy. Chestnut colored hair with streaks of white. He has average height and physique, yet has an imposing aura to him.


    As he moves, streaks of red light are left behind that fade away after a couple of seconds. The guy''s legs are covered in golden veins that are visible through the clothes he is wearing. There isn''t anyone except the men dressed in ck to see this, as civilians have all run away from the ce upon hearing gunshots.


    The abnormal guy, Victor, began to run at an incredulous speed, catching up to the guy he was chasing in less than a second. He directly punches the guy, his hand prating through his chest and protruding from the other side.


    He pulls his hand back and looks toward the location the sniper is at with a wide smile beginning to form on his face. The sniper, who was dumbstruck by had urred, quicklyes back to his senses when he feels a chill up his spine.


    Before he could grab his equipment and rush away from the ce, he felt something behind him. He takes a nce and spots Victor with golden as well as blood-red veins all over his body. Victor directly prates the sniper''s throat using his fingers, instantly killing him.


    At this moment, the blood-red vein began fading away. His eyes'' irises which were glowing in an eerie red returned back to normal.


    ---POV Change:1---


    What did I just do? I killed. I murdered two men. I stare at my bloodied hands and clothes. I don''t know why I did it, but I just did. I was suddenly overwhelmed with an extreme feeling that made me want to finish them off as soon as possible.


    The weirdest part is that I don''t feel bad about it. Not at all. In fact, I feel amazing. I feel as if my power has multiplied several times.


    "You''re wrong," A voice abruptly resounds within my head,


    "What happened just now was something that shouldn''t have happened anytime soon."


    What does she mean by that? Is she saying it would''ve happened anyway, but at ater time?


    "What just happened right now, was your Berserk Essence taking over your thoughts."


    I don''t like the sound of that.


    "Luckily for you, the only Berserk Effect that was deployed was Hunter. In other words, the Effect that was used only targeted specific targets. If it were any of the other two, things would''ve turned out way worse."


    Great. How lucky I am, to be taken over by an Essence that got me to kill ONLY two men for the first time in this life! Very great!


    Realizing that I''m bound to face a great number of troubles if I don''t make a move, I utilize Godspeed and Blink to get out of the area as soon as possible. I immediately head back to my apartment.


    I perform several air-jumps to get to the top of the building and use my speed to get inside my apartment as soon as possible.


    What I didn''t expect was to meet Ayumi as soon as I stepped right through the door. A look of absolute horror and disbelief appearing on her face as soon as she sees me.


    Complete title: Sister''s Happiness; Berserk

 Chapter 16: Solace ; System

    Chapter 16: Sce ; System


    I find myself unable to take another step as I continue to stare at Ayumi''s face. Tears start to appear at the corner of her eyes, and secondster, gently flow down her rosy cheeks.


    She jumps at me and embraces me tightly despite my appearance. She begins to weep while tightening her grip on me. After a few moments, she asks me in the most heart wrenching way ever,


    "Brother Yu, you''re not going to die, right? Please don''t die! Don''t leave Ayu alone."


    Overwhelmed, I immediately hug her back and attempt to soothe her in the mostforting I can,


    "Of course not. I will never leave you alone. Don''t cry. I''m okay, look at me."


    She slowly raises her hand and looks into my eyes. Her nose is red and her eyes are swollen. I gently wipe the tears off her face and kiss her forehead. Suddenly, she says,


    "Yes. We should call the cops and catch the people who did this to you. No! We need to go to the hospital right now!"


    Earlier I hadn''t felt the slightest amount of emotions when killing the men. Yet, now, I feel my eyes forming tears due to the fact that Ayumi doesn''t even suspect me of being a murderer. Guilt builds up within me as I lower myself and kiss her cheek, saying,


    "They''ve already been caught. The police told me to keep this incident a secret and I should never mention it to anyone, or elsepanions of the men who did this will cause us trouble."


    She lightly nods to my words, taking them seriously. She then says with a little hint of her usual cheerfulness returning to her voice,


    "We should still go to the hospital! You are injured. Brother Yu,e on, let''s go!"


    She grabs my hand and attempts to drag me out of the apartment. I slightly shake my head at her naivety and say as I point at myself,


    "We can''t. Not while I look like this. Also, we are supposed to keep the incident a secret, no? So we should try to avoid the outside for a few days."


    Everything should be way calmer by then. I don''t think that whoever it is that is targeting us would attack anytime soon. I then try to get rid of thest of Ayumi''s worries by telling her,


    "Besides, you don''t need to worry about me. The wounds I have are only on the surface, that''s why there is so much blood. Once I clean it up and wrap a bandage around it, I should be fine."


    Ayumi sighs in relief once I''ve told her that. I can see that her emotions are still unstable. I''ve got to find some way to distract her thoughts... but how? Oh.


    "What''s for dinner tonight?" I ask her with a smile evident on my face.


    This seems to work, as her expression changes from a neutral-like one to that of deliberation. She exims in a cheerful tone almostparable to before,


    "Tonight I will be making your favorite- Omurice! So Brother Yu will feel better!"


    She heads to the kitchen, while I go to my room. I shut the door behind me, and begin taking off my bloodied clothes.


    Once everything is off, I take a good look at the spot the bullet had hit me at. The view is anything but nice. The dried blood that looks like a stream flowing down my leg doesn''t make it any better.


    This is going to be a mess to deal with.


    "There is a simple way to get you healed.", resounds the lovely voice of my guardian angel within my mind once again.


    "How?" I simply ask


    "You have the Holy Essence. Use it. Light Healing should be a factor of your power. In order to use it, you need to press your palm on the wound and focus on the energy around the wound. Then, you need to guide said energy and catalyze it using your Holy Essence."


    "What do I do with the bullet inside my thigh?" I inquire.


    "To get a foreign piece of metal within your body out, your current methods are limited yet effective. In order to do that you need to use Light Transmutation on your thigh, temporarily turning it into light particles. In order to do this, you need to have physical contact and focus extra carefully, lest you want to inadvertently wipe your thigh out of actuality."


    I circte my Holy Essence and ce my palm on the wound. I focus so hard on the energy within my palm, that my brain starts to sting. I then utilize Transmutation. I then feel like my energy is being drained at a dreadful rate. The bullet falls on the ground and rolls away. I immediately stop using Transmutation.


    So much energy was required for a few seconds of using that Effect. I try to check how much energy I have left, but can''t seem to get a good grasp on the approximate amount. This is very impractical.


    "Juno, is there a way for me to view how much Essence energy I have left?"


    Suddenly, a peal of bell-likeughter resounds within my head. Then, I hear Juno''s voice in my head, stating with a hint of amusement apparent,


    "I thought it was about time you had asked. Seriously, you never change, do you? I will try to say this in a way that doesn''t confuse you. The ''old'' you had created something out of pure boredom. He created something to allow people to view their power level in their corresponding tform."


    "He decided to name it ''System''. In the beginning, only people with the Code: Systemization were able to utilize it fully, but that changed when the Rift began to form. Other principal quintessences took an interest in the System and yearned to use it in their own tforms."


    "An agreement was made which came to be known as the Rule of Reincarnation. The RoR stated that people with unfortunate pasts are to be sent to other tforms upon death, through a section known as the Vacant Void."


    "The principal quintessences came up with several ways to allow beings to ''reincarnate''. The principal quintessences of creation and time made a lot of contributions in this part. The mostmonly replicated ones are: Stabbed to death, gods identally dropping lightning, summoning circle, interdimensional door, servers not shutting down in due time, and several others."


    "For the record, the mostmon one is done by a principal quintessence itself. The Truck. Effective and practical."


    "After all was said and done. The System took many forms depending on the user and the tform they appear in. Most of the time, the tform they arrive in would be a direct derivation of tform: ''04 - fantasy - magic - medieval - obligatory adventurer''s guild'' or tform: ''06 - cultivation - country toppling beauty with jade-like skin - dog eat dog world - obligatory young masters''."


    "That pretty much sums up what your boredom let to."


    The fuck? That was one hell of a long story. The events that followed what "I" did were just ridiculous. At least, it seems like the world they end up in makes up for their unfortunate past. Or so I thought before Juno stated,


    "I need to mention the fact that some individuals didn''t end up in the best circumstances. There is this guy that was sent to another tform by the principal quintessence of Tractor. He was supposed to fight against the greatest threat in said tform known as the ''Demon Lord'', but ended up fighting against poverty."


    That''s sad as heck. How unfortunate.


    "There is also this guy who had to watch the girl he coveted and the people around him die several times over. His own ''death'' was no means of escape, as it would just make earlier events ur once again."


    I take my earlier statement back. Struggling financially is way better than seeing the people you care about die repeatedly.


    "Now that we are done, I need you to intone - Codification."


    Finally. About time. Let''s do this,


    "Codification"


    The next moment, words start appearing from one corner of my vision to the other. I shut my eyes, in order to be able to see it more properly,


    "Use your thoughts to navigate.", Juno instructs me.


    Let''s see what''s written...

 Chapter 17: Systemization ; Slice of Life(?)

    Chapter 17: Systemization ; Slice of Life(?)


    Name: Yu Otosaka (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Destruction (-) | Holy}


    Race: Human - 72%


    Energy Left: 17%


    ------


    Str: 46 (10) - {Strength}


    Agi: 40 (10) - {Agility}


    Dex: 42 (10) - {Dexterity}


    Int: 49 (10) - {Intelligence}


    Def: 47 (10) - {Defence}


    Vit: 48 (10) - {Vitality}


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter | ???? | ????


    Destruction (-): N/A


    Holy:


    -Holy sh II [V]


    A sh that utilizes divine energy as an armament. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Paragon''s Eyes I [III]


    Grants vision to judge one''s soul. Low energy consumption.


    -Godspeed II [V]


    The ability to travel at a great speed. The user can perform air-jumps. Low energy consumption.


    -Blink I [III]


    The ability to blink to any area within 5 meters. Medium energy consumption.


    -Light Maniption I [VI]


    The ability to influence light by their will. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Healing Factor I [III]


    Basic healing. Very low energy consumption.


    -Transmutation (-)


    The ability to temporarily transform matter into light. Very high energy consumption.


    -Divine Retribution I [V]


    Judgment from the souls. 30 meters. High energy consumption.


    ------


    Power:-


    -????


    ---------------


    Incredible. It disys every ability I''ve used so far. There are also parameters for my physical body as well. I assume the parenthesis shows the average value in the tform. Less than a quarter of my energy is left. The consumption rates are urate.


    "The System takes on a different form based on the user as well as the tform they are in. In other words, expect it to adjust once you travel to another tform.", Juno informs me.


    "You should be able to get the gist of what the numbers and everything else represent, but I''ll give you a small overview. Starting with your parameters, DEX represents dexterity. The higher it is, the easier it is for you to get familiar with certain weaponry."


    "INT represents intelligence. The higher its value, the higher is yourprehension rate, making it easier for you to learn new skills and promote current ones."


    "After that, there is the Code section and in it are all your Essences and their factors. It gives you a general description of what a certain Effect is capable of, then the range if avable, after that the rate of energy consumption. Effects are also divided into tiers, with the number of tiers depending on the Effect itself. The higher the tier, the better the Effect."


    Once she''s done with her exnation I take another look at the System. It seems to be easier to understand than before. Now that that''s out of the way WHAT. THE. HECK.


    Why is my age almost nine thousand years old?! Also, what''s with the small dash beside Destruction? I forward the two questions to Juno, to which she replies,


    "For your first question, you have to find that out yourself. As for the symbol beside your Destruction Essence, it means that the Essence is a part of a greater whole, with the one currently being disyed is the most dominant power."


    ------


    I step out of the bath and head towards the kitchen. There, I find Ayumi cing our dinner on the table. We both sit down and begin eating.


    "Brother Yu," Ayumi calls out to me.


    "What is it?" I inquire.


    "Can I go to school tomorrow?", she asks me.


    Ah. she misunderstood my intentions when I said we should avoid "outside". I exin to her,


    "When I said we should avoid outside for a few days, I meant that we shouldn''t speak of this incident with others. You can go to school as usual."


    My words brought a smile to her troubled face. She nods and responds in her normal cheerful attitude,


    "Um! I will do as Brother Yu says."


    I spend the rest of the evening hugging Ayumi and listen to her talk about her experiences at school for the past few days. It seems like everyone is friends with her, as she is an energetic ball of cuteness that is easy to get along with.


    ------


    The next day, I send Ayumi to school normally. On the way there, we see the police and some crowd gathering at the spot one of the men was killed at. As one would expect, everyone was speaking of the incidence.


    I drop Ayumi off at her school building, give her onest hug, then head to my ssroom.


    I take a look around and find Nao sitting in her seat, listening to music. I approach her and then lightly poke her cheek. My action seems to startle her a bit, making her jump in her seat slightly. She looks at me with a slight re, her eyes asking me "What do you want?"


    I let chuckle lightly, and ask her,


    "What''s the n for Sunday''s baseball match?"


    She takes a few seconds to think before answering,


    "We will be ying."


    Wait. Am I misunderstanding what she just said or did she really say it?


    "Come again?" I make sure


    "We are going to be ying. We have to be in the game and win it, or else it would''ve been for nothing."


    No, I don''t get it. Why do WE have to y? We can just get our school''s baseball team to do it and be done with it. Nao seems to be irritated a little as she says,


    "Just y and win. What''s so hard about that?"


    The fact that I''ve never yed baseball before? Before I could retort at her, I hear a sweet voice behind me saying,


    "Good morning Otosaka-san. I hope you''ve been doing well."


    I turn around and my eyes meet with hers. Yusa - our school idol. I reply to her in a gentle tone,


    "Good morning."


    Now that I think about it, I haven''t interacted that much with Yusa ever since we got to know her. I don''t even recall having a proper conversation with her. Maybe I should try to get to know her better. As such, I ask her,


    "Hey, Yusa. Would you like to hang out together after school?"


    Her smile widens at my proposal as she replies,


    "Sure!"


    I suddenly hear the sound of a pencil tip breaking, but don''t pay much attention to it.


    ------


    Thest bell rings and all students start heading home. Yusa and I walk side by side and head to the nearest train station. I spend the rest of the day spending time with Yusa. I''m sad about the fact that Misa didn''t make an appearance during our little date, but there isn''t much I can do about it.


    Once the sky had turned dark, I escorted Yusa back to her apartment, and bid her farewell. Then, I returned home to find a cheerful Ayumi waiting for me with her special curry The rest of the night was sweet in various ways.

 Chapter 18: Unknown ; Stars

    Chapter 18: Unknown ; Stars


    "It''s about time that I told you about this", resounds the familiar voice in my head.


    I was in ss, focusing on the lesson like all the other students when it happened. I''m a little concerned about what she has to say, but it shouldn''t be something bad right?


    "I''ve been preparing my soul for a transport.", she continues.


    "In other words, I will being over to the tform you''re in. But, in order to do that, I need to synchronize with your body. I need the data about the tform you''re in, for the Mete to be able to grant me a body."


    So, I''m expected to do something to get this synchronization she speaks of done, right? I wonder what it would be


    "To have it done, I need you to directly send it over using your consciousness. It usually takes 2-7 days of collecting the data, before you go unconscious, and send me the data."


    As expected. What I''m curious about is why she''sing over. This might sound insensitive to ask, but I need to,


    "What''s the reason you''reing over for?"


    She takes several moments before she responds,


    "An Unknown has appeared in the tform you''re in. Most of the time an Unknown appears, the Transported tend to have a hard time."


    This only makes me even more confused


    "What''s an Unknown, and are the Transported someone like me?" I ask her.


    "An Unknown is someone or something that shouldn''t exist in a tform. It''s basically like the Rift but on a much smaller scale. Regarding the Transported being like you, that would be a yes and a no. If we''re speaking in the broad sense, someone going to other tforms then that''s a yes, but not the way you do it."


    "The way others are Transported over to tforms can be detected with enough power and equipment. However, you go over directly from the Mete, which can''t be detected no matter how strong and scientifically progressed the individuals in a tform are."


    I take a moment to think of all of what she just said. So, in other words, she''s essentiallying over to help me. That raises the question, how strong is Juno? I directly asked her about it, to which she replied,


    "Strong enough to be helpful."


    She wouldn''t specify how strong she is no matter how much I asked her, so I gave up. I then asked her about when I should start the data collection she mentioned earlier. She said that I can do it immediately, which I did. I mean, the sooner I have a helper, the better, right?


    "I need to warn you that you will be losing your consciousness no matter what you do and the process can''t be stopped.", she said in a heavy tone.


    Oh no. That doesn''t sound good. Not at all. In fact, all I have is a bad feeling about this. I imagine being in the middle of a battle, and what she just said happening Yeah, that doesn''t sound good at all.


    ------


    Today was surprisingly uneventful. Once school is over, I directly head over to Ayumi''s school building. I use my senses and feel her presence along with three others.


    Suddenly, I feel a dark presence. Having never experienced something like this before, I immediately dash inside. Ie to an abrupt stop in front of Ayumi and her friends, startling them.


    I first take a look at Ayumi, once I''m sure that there isn''t anything wrong with her, I look over to where I felt the dark presence. I see a girl about Ayumi''s age. There isn''t anything remarkable about her. She just stood there and looked back at me.


    I focus my senses only to find out that I can no longer feel the dark presence.


    "What are you doing, Brother Yu?", Ayumi asks me as she pulls on my shirt.


    I immediately look her way and put everything else behind me as I smile and pat her head. I focus my senses once more while still patting Ayumi''s head. Nothing. Was it my vignce acting out?


    Slightly shaking my head, I tell Ayumi,


    "Let''s go home together."


    Ayumi agrees without any second thought and bids farewell to her friends before seizing my arm. I''m not even surprised by her antics anymore. No matter when and where we are, Ayumi manages to make me smile from the bottom of my heart.


    "Brother Yu, you know today"


    She begins to tell me about her day at school and talking about her friends. As she''s talking, I realize that she basically doesn''t have a negative view of anything at all. It''s like she can''t think negatively at all.


    That might be a roundabout way of calling her naive, but it only adds to her cuteness. Another thing I noticed, is that the recent events have taken their toll on her mentality, as I see her eyes looking around from time to time, anxiety visible on her face.


    I reach my hand out and lightly ce it on her face, attracting her attention towards myself. Then, I use my other arm to embrace her. She hugs me back immediately while saying,


    "Brother Yu, you are happier now. You always seemed to be sad, but now you don''t."


    Wow. How depressing your existence must have been for even Ayumi to take notice of it, ''Yu Otosaka''. It doesn''t matter. Now that I''ve taken over you, everything that you failed to achieve, I will achieve. I will take good care of Ayumi as a proper brother should.


    ------


    "Brother Yu, wake up!", the cheerful voice of a certain angel calls out to me in my sleep. I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Ayumi in a soft tunic yellow shirt and a ck skirt. She''s wearing a white apron on top and has her long hair tied, making it look way shorter than it is. I suddenly grab her arm and pull her to myself. Ayumi yelps at my sudden act. Not giving her an opportunity to say anything, I begin to lightly tickle her, which makes her burst into a fit ofughter.


    "Stop, Brother Yu sto..p tick...ling meee.." she says whileughing, I stop tickling her, and just hug her for a while. After several moments of deliberation, I ask Ayumi,


    "Ayumi, you like gazing at stars, right?"


    In response to my question Ayumi lets out a loud "Um!".


    "How about we go visit an observatory once we have the time to?" I inquire. She immediately responds,


    "Yes! Brother Yu, let''s go together! Ayu has studied stars and will show you how much Ayu knows!"


    Surprised about her deration, I blink my eyes several times before Iugh a little myself and say to her,


    "Sure. Let''s see how much my little Ayu has learned about stars."


    I lightly peck her on the cheek, making her giggle slightly before she suddenly says,


    "Ah! Ayu has prepared dinner. We need to go before it gets cold!"


    She then gets up and waits for me to do as well before dragging me over to the kitchen.


    "Today, I have made the special steak!"


    Oh no.

 Chapter 19: Pleasant Surprise ; (Second title in the end)

    Chapter 19: Pleasant Surprise ; (Second title in the end)


    The next morning, I am awake early so I decide to head out for a light jog. I have no particr purpose in mind for doing so, other than wanting to get used to my body so that I don''t identally get in the headlines the next day...


    I jog for a while, not aware of how far I''vee. Then suddenly Yusa appeared within the corner of my vision. She''s wearing sportswear that covers all that needs to be covered. I take a closer look at her figure and I''m promptly amazed by how good she looks.


    I never had the chance to admire her beauty until now. Most likely because a certain weirdo made me disgusted just thinking about it... Well, there is also the fact that whenever she appears on TV, my attention is on Ayumi. Why is that? Simply put, Ayumi is a fan-girl.


    Although I hate to admit it, she is an over the top kind of fan-girl. What is that supposed to mean? It means that whenever Yusa appears on TV, Ayumi has a nosebleed as her mind drifts off to thend of imaginations.


    Leaving that aside, even when we went out together the other day, my mind was preupied with other stuff.


    I take a moment to pull myself together and greet her,


    "Good morning, Yusa."


    Just as I was expecting to be greeted back, I hear,


    "What are you getting all nice for ya dweeb."


    Startled, I look her way and shortly notice that the color of her eyes has changed. They''re red now instead of blue. I''m pleasantly surprised by this and respond,


    "My bad. Good morning, Misa."


    She spits on the ground beside her and lightly res at me. This girl... she''s annoyed by everything. I think for a moment before I suggest,


    "How about we jog together?"


    She pauses for a short while before questioning,


    "Is this your way of picking up girls?"


    "Yes." I bluntly reply.


    She blinks twice in surprise, not expecting my reply I suppose. However, her surprise doesn''tst long and her expression changes to that of contempt as she scowls and says,


    "Don''t forget that this is my sister''s body."


    Understanding what she meant, I reply without any change in my expression,


    "But I''m speaking to her sister now."


    Slightly nodding, she begins jogging once again. I closely follow her as we jog together around a nearby park. Once we''re done, I look for a vending machine close by and buy some cold drinks.


    She takes one of the drinks and says in a barely audible tone,


    "Thanks."


    I smile in response and begin drinking mine. The two of us sit on a bench nearby and drink without saying anything. After a while, I ask her,


    "Why are you jogging so early in the morning, especially when it''s the weekend?"


    She doesn''t respond to my question, and just when I was starting to think that she didn''t even hear me, I hear her say,


    "Tomorrow there is a baseball match. Yusa has a weak body, so she''s not used to sports. In order for her to not drag down the rest of you, I used her body to exercise."


    "Don''t worry about her body being sore before the match starts. I know her limits."


    We continue to speak for a while. She tells about her past as a delinquent and other rted stuff. In the end, I was gently stroking her hair, surprised that she didn''t whack my hand away from herself the instant it got near.


    ------


    "I''ve gotta go now. I unexpectedly enjoyed chatting with you. You''re easy to talk to.", she says after we''ve talked about two hours.


    "We could''ve done some more enjoyable stuff if I wasn''t in my sister''s body.", she continues in a teasing tone.


    I slightly shake my head in response to her words and say to her,


    "That doesn''t matter. Speaking to you is more than enough."


    She snorts and says while squinting her eyes,


    "I wonder how many girls you''ve tricked with that glib tongue of yours..."


    I roll my eyes in exasperation, as this isn''t the first time she has said something like this. I reply to her without hesitation,


    "You might not believe me, but I''ve never been in a rtionship in my life." At least, I don''t remember being in any.


    She stares at me for a short while before grinning and smacking my back. Then, she walks away while saying,


    "It really would''ve been nice to meet you before I had died."


    The thing is, I wasn''t even in this world back then and there is no way she''s going to believe me even if I told her about it.


    ------


    Having no one to talk to, I decide to walk home and spend the day with Ayumi. However, while I''m on the way home, I sense a van gaining speed and getting closer to me from behind.


    I immediately jump to the side. At the instant the van drives past me, I scan it''s interior using my enhanced senses. Yet, despite my senses being enhanced, I''m barely able to make out what''s inside the van.


    I frown at what I "see": Two men holding down a struggling guy thates off familiar for some reason.


    Upon realizing what''s going on, I run at an incredible speed without using Godspeed. My speed is already abnormal enough in itself, so I''m able to keep up with the van. Once beside it, I circte my Holy Essence, nning to use Transmute on the van''s side, and get inside of it.


    All of sudden, my instincts start to act up. Shivers run down my spine as I immediately utilize Godspeed and Blink to move away from where I am. The moment I do so, an energy beam surrounded by electric currents struck the location. The beam continues to be powered until it''s shed most of the road and a building on the side.


    What genuinely rmed me was the fact that wherever the energy bream struck, the matter there seemed to get disintegrated until it was imperceptible by the naked eye.


    rmed by the sudden turn of events, I stop and no longer pursue the van. I watch from where I stand as the van drives off into the distance and out of my sight.


    What was that just now? What was that energy beam? What''s going on!?


    -----


    The next day, I''m stirred awake by Ayumi.


    "Brother Yu, you said you had a baseball match today.", she says while smiling.


    "Ayu wants toe and watch Brother Yu win, but Ayu is feeling sleepy today.", she continues, almost sounding like she is disappointed with herself.


    In response to her statement, Iugh and ruffle her hair, saying in an assuring and confident manner,


    "It''s fine. You go get plenty of sleep. I''ll tell you all about how I wonter when I get home."


    I''d rather have her stay home than go outside when things are so chaotic. It''s no longer safe out there. There is something going on. No matter what, I can''t let them harm Ayumi.


    I put on my uniform and head to school. Before leaving the apartmentplex, I tell the guards to give me a call immediately if there is something wrong. They look at me weirdly for a few seconds, but upon realizing that I''m serious, they frown a little, before asking for my number.


    Once I''m done with that, I head toward where my school is and make my way to our baseball yard. Most of the participants have already arrived. After several minutes, everyone is here except the guy with the telekic powers.


    We have already waited for several minutes, but he still has yet to arrive. Noticing that something is wrong, the guy the telekic user was speaking with when I made him punch himself grabs his phone and calls him. No response. He calls him again two more times, yet there is still no response


    He is either a coward or something is wrong Don''t tell me he really has shut himself inside out of shame because of what I did to him? No way. He is way too arrogant for that. Wait a minute. There is no way right?


    Towards the end of my thoughts, I recall yesterday''s incident. The van, the men holding the guy, and the absurd energy beam...


    Shit.

 Chapter 20: Baseball ; Father

    Chapter 20: Baseball ; Father


    ---POV Change:3---


    Two men were speaking in a room engulfed by darkness. They spoke of something in a displeased manner. The two of them both look somewhere at the mention of a name. At the ce where they''re looking, there is a tform of sorts. On top of the tform, is a guy that seems to be a high schooler. He''s lying down on his back on top of the tform, his eyes seemingly having no life within them.


    Surrounding the guy, are all sorts of scientific equipment. Most of them are connected to him in one way or another.


    "We were toote in retrieving him.", said one of the two men.


    "I''m guessing this has something to do with the ''anomaly'' that has appeared recently.", said the other one.


    "He needs to be taken care of.", the first one replied.


    "Does he have any weaknesses?", the second one inquired.


    "So far, there is one - his family.", the first one replied while creepily smiling.


    ---POV Change:1---


    "Cheh! So he was coward after all.", a certain hotheaded girl says.


    The guy''s friends are visibly triggered by her insult. The one that attempted to make a call gets closer to us and says,


    "I don''t know what deal was made between you guys, but we aren''t just going to stand here and listen to you mock our friend. We will y now. The oue of the deal will depend on whether you can win against us or not."


    The guy then turns around and says while facing his friends,


    "Come on boys, let''s do this. For the captain!"


    They respond with a loud cry and start to prepare themselves for the match.


    What the hell. They didn''t even ask about our opinion on the subject. The guy in question isn''t even here, so why are we even doing this? He might not even be alive anymore.


    I can''t tell them that though, as it would lead to various problems, but that''s not the point here. I let out a sigh and get prepared myself for the game.


    ------


    They were much stronger than we had expected. It seems that the cheater wasn''t the only thing that was essential about the team. The way they worked together and coordinated everything was worth mentioning.


    However, we managed to win the game in the end. There were several close calls, but it''s the end result that matters.


    The most surprising thing is that our group - Nao, Joijiro, Misa, and myself - aren''t that good at baseball. We had to resort to bunts thatpletely relied on luck, at least they did. I am a cheat and I''m aware of it. No hypocrisy for me. I feel like I''ve had enough of that for some reason...


    Now that this is over, I am free for the rest of the day. What should I do?


    ------


    As I was exploring the city using my Godspeed, Juno suddenly says,


    "Victor, I need to attend to some urgent matters. I won''t be able to speak to you. I should be done by the time you send the data over. While I''m away, you can direct your question to Irene."


    Before I could ask anything, I felt the spiritual connection between us was cut off. Several secondster, I hear a voice inside of my head which clearly isn''t Juno''s say mechanically,


    {Initializing Core}


    {User identified as - Father}


    {Initializationplete.}


    ...


    ...


    Wha-? Did whatever this voice was inside my head was just say it identified me as "father"? What''s that supposed to mean? I suddenly have a daughter now? Why does everything have to be so confusing, dammit?!


    "Hey, who are you?", I ask, still disconcerted by the way things turned out.


    {Answering: I am the soul of the System.}


    My System has a soul now? Based on the way she is responding, I''m starting to suspect that she''s an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Irritated, I ask her,


    "Who am I?"


    {Answering: Our Father.}


    Screw this. I''m just going to go back to exploring the city.


    ------


    It''s dinner time. The TV is on right now, and the channel is ying Yusarin''s song. Ayumi then abruptly jumps from her seat and says with gleaming eyes,


    "Hey Brother Yu, is it true that Yusarin has transferred to our school?"


    I casually nod in response to her question, but Ayumi exims,


    "That is something really amazing!" before she has a nose-bleed and falls on her back due to excitement.


    This never ceases to surprise me. She really is one hell of a fan-girl. As long as it doesn''t affect her negatively, it doesn''t matter.


    I grab a tissue and walk over to Ayumi who is still lying on the ground. I lift her up and wipe the blood off her face.


    I was nning on telling her that I can get her to meet Yusa, but on second thought, I''m better off not doing so.


    I think about the recent events that have transpired. There is something big going on. The men following me. The kidnapping. The other guy that could use everyone''s abilities. The energy beam that was fired from the van. They are all rted in one way or another.


    This is no joking matter. I need to be extra vignt from now on, lest I want something truly regrettable to happen.

 Chapter 21: Flight ; Camping

    Chapter 21: Flight ; Camping


    The next day, I get to school. There seems to be no talk about the disappearance of a high school student anywhere. No one is speaking of the damage the energy beam had done as well.


    This is rather unexpected. Did it get covered up? Is the government in on this?


    I decide to stop thinking of the matter altogether. There is no use in doing so anyways.


    ------


    I''m in ss speaking with Joijiro about some random stuff when I notice through my senses a group of girls approaching Nao.


    I turn around just in time to see them dragging her away without Nao even bothering to resist. I take a look at the camera on her desk for a brief moment before I follow them.


    They drag her all the way back to one side of the building that''s clear of students. One of the girls suddenly raises her arm and uses the back of her hand to hit Nao while eximing,


    "This one is for Rika!"


    Before she could hit Nao any further, I dash towards them ande to an abrupt stop. In their eyes, I just appeared out of nowhere, greatly startling them. Without saying a word, I p the girl with enough force to make her fall to the ground.


    I held back a lot so that I didn''t end up killing her. This still isn''t enough to curb the rage welling up within me. I re at the girl then the rest of her friends before saying,


    "You fuck off right now and don''t you dare speak a word of what happened today to anyone. Am I clear?"


    The other girls seem to be petrified, while the ''leader'' is on the ground grunting. After a short while, she gets up and res back at me before saying,


    "I bet this bitch has used her body and power to fool you. You a-"


    I don''t give her a chance to continue spouting nonsense as I grab her throat and lift her from the ground. She struggles, but it''s pointless. Feeble human.


    Before things start to escte any further, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Even without looking, I know whose hand it is and what she''s trying to tell me.


    I let go of the girl and let her drop to the ground. I watch as she starts coughing several times. Well, that''s what happens when someone almost strangles you I guess.


    "Go. NOW!" I order them.


    The girls pull themselves together and begin to run away in the direction of the school. The ''leader'' res at me once before leaving.


    "Why did you do that?", Nao asks me a few seconds after they''re no longer in sight.


    "Why didn''t you resist?", I ask her back.


    "It has nothing to do with you.", she replies.


    "Then, it has nothing to do with you if I decide to frighten some girls." I retort.


    She doesn''t say anything and only stares into my eyes before she swiftly grabs her phone and says,


    "Ourrade is here."


    ------


    We''re finally setting out to find another ability user. This time, it''s Flight. Nao showed us news reports of an unknown flying figure found in the sky somewhere.


    Nao then came up with a n to lure the guy out. Simply put, we are going to go camping, as the location he was found flying was near a forest. In other words, he was in the wild most likely attempting to study his ability.


    We are going to stay there for a few days. To camp properly, we need to have enough food to sustain ourselves, so we go to a market and start buying whatever it is that we need.


    Nao wants to get hams and like, but I suggest that we get some melons instead. I heard the weirdo and Yusa speak of us, so I turned around to take a look at them, just in time to see Yusa cluelessly backing away from the weirdo who is praying with watery eyes.


    Once we''ve got everything prepared, I make a short trip back to school and head over to Ayumi''s school building to check up on her. I realize that it''s break-time as students are all outside of their sses eating snacks. I use my senses to locate Ayumi and go over to her.


    There, I find Ayumi chatting and eating with a group of girls. Ayumi notices me, and smiles brightly as runs over eximing,


    "Brother Yu! Did youe to see Ayu?"


    I give her a quick hug before saying,


    "Ayumi, I will be out camping with some of my friends, most likely for a few days. I need you to..."


    I begin to instruct Ayumi on what to do and what not to do for the time I am away. After making sure she''s understood everything, I give her another hug, this timeparably longer.


    "Take care of yourself." I say as I kiss her forehead once before I go and meet up with Nao and the others.


    ------


    We''re finally here. This ability user we''re after this time sure knows where to practice using his ability.


    After climbing up a cliff, making our way across a stream, and going through a forest, we finally get to the location the ability user was spotted at.


    Joijiro and I begin setting up the tents. While doing so, we find a wide hole that seems to be bottomless. When asked, Nao informed us that it is the remains of a well, and that she will cover it up.


    Once we''re done, I call Ayumi with my smartphone.


    "Hey Ayumi, how are you doing?" I say once she''s picked up the phone.


    "Ayu is doing fine!", her cheerful voicees over.


    "But Ayu will be lonely without Brother Yu. Please,e home soon.", she says.


    "I will try to get done with this as soon as possible. Make sure to take yourself and do as I told you to, okay?"


    "Um! Goodbye, Brother Yu! Ayu loves you!" (Unintentional pun I swear xD)


    "I love you too. Bye." I reply.


    I look for others and find them surrounding a barbeque grill. Then, Misa takes over Yusa''s body and ignites it, to which Naoments,


    "How convenient."


    Misa is visibly annoyed by her remark as she says,


    "Don''t use me as a lighter."


    Pfft. I was kind of amazed by her power to control mes. Yet, here she is right now, working as a living lighter.


    Nao then proceeds to grab some corn and roast them. This creates a good amount of steam, making us stand out too much... Was this her aim from the start?


    ------


    It''s night time and everyone is busy doing something. I take a look beside me and see Joijiro as well as Yusa ying on a mini gaming device. I think it was called a PSP or something like that.


    "Yusarin''s in a pinch.", whines Yusa in a pitiful tone.


    "It''ll be alright. Leave this to me-", before he could finish his sentence, Joijiro is kicked in the face by Misa who has taken over Yusa''s body while shouting,


    "Stay out of this!"


    Spicy.


    Misa then proceeds to press the buttons on the gaming device at terrific speed while yelling,


    "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA..."


    This chick is something else. Oh, right. Where is Nao? I don''t see her around. I attempt to sense her but get nothing. I look around for her until I find her sitting on a rock at the edge of a cliff, staring at the starry sky as she listens to music.


    As if sensing my presence, she takes the headphones off and inquires,


    "Is something wrong?"

 Chapter 22: First Kiss

    Chapter 22: First Kiss


    I can''t reply. Not because I feel guilty about something or I want toe up with an excuse of sorts. It''s just that I''m in a trance.


    Under the starry sky, I observe her and realize just how beautiful she is. I have this indescribable feeling within me. It feels so familiar, yet so new.


    I reminisce about the time I arrived in this world and everything that has happened until now.


    Realizing that it''s unlike myself to just stare at her, I move closer to her and sit on a rock beside the one she''s sitting on.


    A sweet smell invades my nose and I can tell that it''s her natural scent. I wasn''t sure of it before, but I''m unmistakably attracted to Nao.


    This girl. She never puts on any makeup yet she is so appealing.


    Coming back to my senses, I inquire,


    "What song are you listening to?"


    She grabs her small music yer and shows me the screen while saying,


    "It''s a band called Zhiend."


    "I''ve never heard of them."


    "It''s the band that my brother loved.", she continues.


    Before things start to get gloomy, I ask her,


    "May I listen to it?"


    She agrees and hands me the media yer as well as the headphones. I put them on and y the music. The next moment, I''m hit with a sense of familiarity. Deja vu? No, it''s different.


    In the song, the soothing voice of a female that seems to be in her twenties sings a slow and calming song.


    The song gives off a lonely vibe. It feels as if I''m in a world all alone, surrounded by nothing yet everything.


    "How is it?", Nao''s voice brings me back to my senses.


    I think for a moment of what to say and decide to go with,


    "It''s strange. It''s as if I''m in some kind of vast space."


    The next moment, excitement covers Nao''s face as sheughs and lightly punches my arm saying,


    "Owoh! You understand it, don''t you!"


    She then continues, "That''s right. The music that Zheind makes is vast and downright lonely."


    She tells me that she believes that the reason for this is that the vocalist who''s also theposer of the band ispletely blind.


    I take a good look at her face, as she stares off into the distance with resolve visible in her eyes as she says,


    "My dream is to film a Zhiend music video."


    Nao then begins to lightly swing sideways as she hums a song.


    Once again, I''m captivated by her. I subconsciously reach out to her face and lightly stroke her cheek. I don''t stop there and brush her white her to the side.


    In response to my actions, she stops moving and humming, then looks my way. This goes on for a short while before she asks,


    "You''re not going to tell me about it?"


    Stunned by her question, I stop moving my hands. What does she mean by that?


    "That day, when you chased the guy you said could use our powers. What happened after that?"


    I ponder over whether I should tell her about it or not. As I''m doing so, I focus on her expression. I then have a sudden urge to tell her about it. I feel like I will lose a great opportunity that would never repeat itself if I don''t do it. If I want her to trust me...


    "I''m not from this world." I bluntly say


    Her expression goes through several changes. From surprise to shock to an incredulous look.


    "I know it sounds absurd, but please watch."


    I then get up from the rock and jump off the cliff. I sense Nao behind me suddenly get up and run to the edge of the cliff where I jumped down from.


    Halfway through, I utilize Godspeed and jump in the air a couple of times to get back to the top. There, Nao just stands where she is and stares at my legs.


    It''s understandable, as it seems like there are glowing veins from underneath the school uniform I''m wearing.


    "I thought he used it..." I hear her mumble in a low voice to herself.


    What''s that supposed to mean? So confusing.


    "What do you mean by saying that you''re from another world?", she asks me in an unnatural tone after a while.


    "Exactly what it sounds like. I''m not from this world. Ie from a different Earth; alternative world."


    "Why are you here? Who else knows about this? Are you going to leave this world someday?"


    She asks question after question without any pause. Well, I was wholly expecting something like this. Heck, it would be weird if she didn''t react the way she is now...


    "I don''t know why I am here, but I''m sure I will be leaving this world. I don''t know when, but I definitely will. Regarding your second question, only you know about it. I haven''t told anyone else about this, including Ayumi."


    The thing is will I be able to resolve myself to leaving them? I could leave Sora alone because I knew that I was able to go back to her. Ugh, this is so contradicting and painful to think of.


    "What about your sister? Is she from another world?", she continues to ask, failing to mask how bewildered she is.


    "No. It''s confusing, but she is a normal human of this world."


    I still don''t understand why I''m telling her about this, but I have a feeling that I should. Nao goes silent for a while, before whispering almost inaudibly,


    "So, you''re going to leave one day..."


    I slowly get closer to her until we''re a couple of inches apart. I ce my hands on her shoulders, making her face me. Slowly moving my hand from her shoulder to her face, I lean in closer to her and stop at a distance where we can feel each other''s breath.


    Realizing my intentions, a glint of hesitation appears in her eyes, then goes away the next moment, reced with a firm look, before she closes them and waits for me to continue.


    Taking it as a sign of approval, I lightly press my lips onto hers. Unsatisfied, I go in for a deeper kiss.


    I wrap my arms around her body and pull her closer to myself as I keep on kissing her soft lips. Her fragrance, as well as her soft bodybined with the lingering taste of ham on her lips, all give me a feeling of pure euphoria.


    The kiss that seems tost forever eventuallyes to an end. She remains in my arms and stares into my eyes as she says warmly,


    "Don''t you dare leave me."


    "Absolutely," I reply before gently kissing her forehead.


    "Let''s go back, it''s starting to gette.", she states.


    Agreeing with her, I hold her hand as we walk back to where we had set our camp enjoying every second of it.

 Chapter 23: Unexpected Advent

    Chapter 23: Unexpected Advent


    When we finally got back to the camp, we found Joijiro and Misa still ying with their PSPs.


    They shut their PSPs off before approaching us.


    "We will do night watch in pairs," Nao announces,


    "First off, the guys sleep for four hours. When you wake up, take our spots and watch till morning."


    Misa moves to her seat and starts ying her game, while Joijiro directly goes into our tent to rest. As I''m about to follow him inside, I feel a tug on my arm. I stop and turn around.


    "Here have this.", Nao says as she hands me her music yer with the headphones.


    "Keep it.", she continues.


    Hm? She wants me to keep her music yer? Why?


    "Don''t ask any questions and just go.", she states.


    I nod in response and put the music yer and the headphones in my pocket.


    Nao then turns around and wants to head to where Misa is, but before she can take a step, I startle her by swiftly and gently hug her from behind. I don''t give her a chance to say anything as I casually kiss her cheek before I let her go and go into the tent.


    Once inside, I see Joijiro who''s already fast asleep. Taking the spot beside him, I pull out the music yer from my pocket and put on the headphones. I select a song with an interesting title and lie down on the futon next to Joijiro''s.


    ------


    Where am I and when did I get here. I am eating rice. My body is doing it subconsciously and I have no control over it whatsoever.


    I see Ayumi sitting on her seat across from me, eating her dinner merrily. I take a look around and notice that it''s the old house we used to live in.


    Then, I notice the presence of someone that shouldn''t be here. A gray-haired guy that seems to be older than both of us.


    His face is unrecognizable, but I have a feeling that if I focus hard enough I will be able to discern it.


    "Otosaka." I hear someone call out me. Before I can look around, everything goes dark as I hear, "Wake up, it''s our turn now.


    ------


    As I gradually open my eyes, Joijiro''s facees into my sight. Beside him is Nao who is keenly staring at me.


    A dream again... Who is the gray-haired guy? Why can''t I recognize him?


    My thoughts don''tst long as Joijiro says,


    "Come on. Let''s not make them wait any further."


    Oh right! Now is our turn to night watch.


    Joijiro and I head out, while Yusa, who seems to have returned to controlling her body, heads into the girls'' tent with Nao.


    ------


    So bored...


    We have been keeping watch for a while now, but nothing remarkable has urred. Not like I was expecting something to happen anyways.


    Suddenly, I sense some familiar energy burst out in the direction of the forest. rmed, I look at the direction it came from and focus my eyes as much as I can.


    Nothing. I don''t see anything. I want to activate Paragon''s Eyes, but I remember that Joijiro is near me. Speaking of him, he doesn''t seem to have noticed anything as he continues to game on his PSP.


    "I think I heard something," I say to Joijiro in a calm tone,


    "I will go check it out, while you stay here and keep guard. Don''t do anything unnecessary while I''m away.", I continue.


    As soon as he replies with "roger", I immediately dash into the forest and move towards where I felt the energy earlier.


    Noticing something within my sight, I instantlye to a stop and take a look.


    Damn. Am I seriously seeing this or am I hallucinating?


    There, lying on the soil is an unconscious naked girl that seems to be around eight years old. I just hope this isn''t what I think it is...


    I take a look around to see if random men dressed in ck and blue uniforms will appear out of nowhere before I approach the little girl.


    The girl is of short stature and has pale-blonde hair. I take a look at her body, and once I''m sure that there aren''t any signs of revolting acts, I let out a sigh of relief.


    Focusing my hearing, I hear her rhythmic breathing along with her heartbeats. I slowly approach her and crouch down beside her, gently nudge her and call out,


    "Hey, wake up."


    She doesn''t react at first, but after I repeat doing so a couple of times, her eyelids twitch slightly before she opens them.


    In the beginning, the girl takes a look at the surroundings. She then turns my way, smiles and says,


    "I''ve arrived, Father."


    Not again... I feel like I''m being trolled by someone or something.


    The girl then lifts herself up from the ground, gets on her feet, and then looks down at her body through her blue eyes.


    She raises her left arm and snaps her fingers. All of a sudden, a bright red light covers all of her body. The moment the light goes away, she''s no longer naked.


    She now has a luxurious-looking ck and red dress that seems to be made of silk that covers almost her whole body. Underneath the dress, she has white stockings on, and her legs have ck tform shoes on. The frilly dressbined with the ck and red victorian day-cap she has on her head make her look extremely /a/XmmU3Y8)


    I want to ask her in regards to her identity, but I hear footsteps behind me and Joijiro''s voice asking,


    "Oi! Are you okay? Did something happen?"


    I look behind me and see Joijiro standing there looking at me. I turn back around and look at where the girl was, but I don''t find her there anymore...

 Chapter 24: Fishing ; Mysterious Self-Proclaimed Daughter

    Chapter 24: Fishing ; Mysterious Self-Proimed Daughter


    "I found nothing. Perhaps it was just my imagination."


    In response to my words, Joijiro says,


    "Okay. Let''s go back now."


    I do as he says and follow behind him. While I''m doing so, I take nces around to see if the girl will pop up out of nowhere and shout something like "Father!".


    I shudder just at the thought. Screwed. I''m definitely screwed if that happens.


    ------


    Once the time arrived, we woke the girls up.


    After taking several minutes to prepare themselves, the girls finallye out of their tent.


    "Let''s go fish our breakfast!", Nao immediately exims as she drags the fishing equipment we got behind herself.


    We all then head towards a nearby stream.


    Focusing my perception and vision, I perceive trouts swimming peacefully in the stream.


    Once we''ve all readied our fishing equipment, we begin fishing. For this asion, Misa has taken control of Yusa''s body once again.


    Several minutester, Nao is the first one to catch something, and the moment she does so, she gleefully shouts,


    "A rainbow trout! I fished a rainbow trout!"


    Misa is vexed by this for some reason and says,


    "Just wait, I will fish a bigger trout!"


    Joijiro seems to enjoy thepetition, as he fixes his sses with the tip of his middle finger and states,


    "I won''t lose either."


    Ok, this somehow became apetition... Huh? What is that?


    I sense the presence of someone in the bushes nearby. Why are they there? It doesn''t matter. As long as they don''t do anything suspicious, I don''t care.


    After a while, Joijiro and Misa both managed to get a trout while Nao got another one. As for me, I got nothing...


    No way in hell I am going to let it end like this. I ce my fishing rod to the side, attracting Joijiro''s attention as he says,


    "Giving up?"


    I snicker at hisment and reply,


    "Watch."


    As soon as I say so, I grab a stick nearby, take a throwing posture, and focus my eyesight on the trouts in the stream.


    They all react differently to my actions. Misa watches me, amused by my actions, Nao furrows her brows, while Joijiro straight up beginsughing. Heh.


    Recalling the rainbow trout Nao fished earlier, I find several of them.


    Waiting for the right moment, I throw the stick with an incredible amount of force. Everyone is visibly stunned by the speed of the stick.


    Laughing boisterously, I roll up my uniform and sleeves, then jump into the stream. Grabbing the stick, I slowly raise it for everyone to see.


    At the end of the stick, there are two rainbow trouts. Hehe. These enhanced senses are sure handy.


    "No way.", Joijiro says in a defeated tone.


    "Bullshit luck.", Misa asserts.


    Nao makes no remark but only grins. Impressed? Of course you would be.


    Victoriously getting out of the stream, I suggest,


    "How about we start cooking our game now?"


    They all agree, and so we move to the river bank and set up a campfire. We begin preparing the trout and once it''s ready, we dig in.


    "Rainbow trouts are tasty. Here, Yusarin, have some.", offers Joijiro.


    "I''m not Yusarin!", came a sharp retort.


    "I''ll let her have this one.", she mumbles before relinquishing control of the body to Yusa.


    As soon as she is back "awake", Yusa looks around like a curious chick, while Joijiro extends his arm offering the trout to her.


    "Can I eat this?", she asks when she catches sight of the trout.


    "Of course," replies Joijiro.


    After a while, Yusa asks,


    "Umm. Are we going to be staying here again, tonight?"


    "Yes, do you have a problem with that?", inquires Nao.


    "I was thinking that it would be nice to take a bath...", says Yusa.


    "No worries. I have one prepared. Follow me.", Nao states before dragging her away.


    I look in their direction once before I look at Joijiro. He just shrugs and says,


    "Don''t ask me. I have no idea what she''s talking about either."


    After a while, Nao returns.


    "You were saying something about a bath?" I ask her.


    "Girls only. You guys canter take a bath in the stream."


    "..."


    ------


    It''s gotten dark. Joijiro and I are cleaning our bodies with the cold stream water. Under the dark, I look at Joijiro''s body. One word- Ripped. Why does this weirdo have such a body? I curiously ask him about it. He replies,


    "I had to train my body to be able to use my ability properly."


    Aha. Makes sense. He did it to increase his chances of survival. I say to him,


    "I understand."


    He looks my way for a few seconds and says,


    "You could be the same, you know? In the future, you might have to go through something that ispletely out of your expectations."


    Pfft.


    "As if. An ability to possess people for five seconds has no dangers other than how vulnerable my body is while using it."


    Joijiro res at me for a few seconds. He opens his mouth as if wanting to say something but decides against it.


    "Speaking of which, when do abilities go away?" I ask.


    "It should be gone by the time we graduate from high school.", he replies.


    A few minutester, we are done and head back to the camp. We discuss over our stay here and I ask for her consent to leave for a day. The reason for that is Ayumi. I am really worried about her. I call her from time to time whenever I have free time, but that still doesn''t help.


    "I can''t let you do that," Nao says,


    "Besides, I''m sure everything will be over by tomorrow.", she continues while slightly grinning.


    ------


    "Father."


    I hear a voice calling out to me within my sleep.


    "Father."


    I gradually lift myself from the bed and look around for the source of the voice, but can''t see anyone other than the sleeping Joijiro.


    "Meet me at the meadow."


    The voice is within my head... I can tell that it belongs to the little girl that I had found in the forest. Nevertheless, this reminds me of Juno...


    Getting out of the tent, I carefully look around and make sure that everyone is sleeping through my senses.


    I head toward the stream. Upon arrival, I see the little girl standing there. The moonlight shining over her head.


    I focus my eyes on her. The moment I do so, the girl seems to get covered in veins as I see them extending from her feet all the way to her head. Golden-coloured veins. This reminds me of myself.


    She slowly turns around and says in a clear voice,


    "We can finally talk, Father."

 Chapter 25: Tiny Guardians Account ; Unknowns

    Chapter 25: Tiny Guardian''s ount ; Unknowns


    "Who are you... no, WHAT are you?"


    I was curious about her identity, but then I remember what she did, making me more curious about what sort of existence she is.


    "I''ve told you already haven''t I?", she tilts her ahead and asks,


    I''ve met her before? No. I don''t recall ever seeing her. I''m pretty darn sure I wouldn''t forget it if I met and talked to someone like her before.


    "I''m Irene. The soul of your System. A creation of Father''s.", she says.


    The only Irene that I know of is the one that also imed that she was the soul of my System. But, she talked in a very inhuman way, unlike this girl in front of me. Also, their voices are... different.


    "I''ve determined that I will be of more use to Father if I had a physical body, and so, I created one."


    "Don''t you need the data of the tform to be able to do that?"


    "No, I am a part of Father. I can take on my physical form within a ten-meter radius of Father wherever Father is. Upon the destruction of the body, I will enter a three-day cessation period."


    How convenient. Wait, she said she could be of more use to me in her physical form. How exactly? Once I asked her about it, she replied,


    "As the soul of Father''s System, I have various privileges. As I am right now, I can make use of three of them: Light Guidance, Barrier Creation, and Shutdown."


    I get the gist of the first two, but what is "Shutdown"?


    "Of the three, Barrier Creation should be of most use to you right now. I am able to create a barrier that can withstand almost anything once a day thatsts for about six seconds."


    "Then, there is Light Guidance, which is a weaker version of your Light Maniption."


    "Thest one, which also happens to be the most prominent one is Shutdown. Simply put, it grants me the ability to make Father lose his consciousness and sensations for three hours. The cooldown time for this privilege is the longest of the three, and can be used only once a week."


    What the heck? Isn''t she supposed to help me out? This privilege is literally made to be used against me. This is wrong! I thought that she could be my shield when she mentioned the Barrier, but now I''m more worried about her appearing mid-battle than anything else...


    "I request Father to not misinterpret the purpose of such a privilege. Everything that I am to do, is for Father''s sake. I was born for Father, live for Father, and will die for Father."


    This is insane. What the hell is wrong with this... girl? Annoyed, I ask her,


    "What am I to you?"


    "My Father."


    "Who is your mother?"


    "Such a person doesn''t exist."


    "Then how did I create you?"


    "It is beyond my understanding to figure out the capabilities of Father."


    This is going nowhere... Oh right, I will just ask her about other stuff. For example,


    "How do I increase my parameters and the tiers listed in the System?"


    She takes a thinking posture and closes her eyes for a few seconds before responding with,


    "That''s easy. You just have to train! You can ess the Tales and train using them. If you have Knowledge of the Tales, you can freely choose among them. I''ve checked your memories and you seem to not know of them, and so, I will grant you a calling per the RoR Agreement."


    {Calling Received.}


    I heard Irene''s voice, even though she''s here and her mouth isn''t moving, inside my head as the text appears in a bright red right.


    {Gather Knowledge of the Tales.


    Time-limit: 29d:23:h:59m:59s


    Upon failure: Loss of Essence - Destruction


    tform bound: No}


    Are you kidding me? I have yet to know what that Essence is even capable of and now there is a chance that it would go away before I even do so? What even is "Knowledge of the Tales"? I immediately forward the question to Irene, to which she replies,


    "It''s extremelyplicated, so I will over-simplify it. The tforms and Rift as a whole are referred to as the yground by the principal quintessences. Some of the principal quintessences granted several tforms knowledge about other tforms. The knowledge is a timeline or many of their choice. Someone with the Knowledge of the Tales is a person who has read through the knowledge provided."


    "For Father to be such a person, Father has to travel to a tform containing the knowledge and study it as fast as possible."


    "The reason for all of this is that once the timees, the Arena will be unbarred once again. This is as far as I know."


    "Another way for Father to get stronger is to use the power granted upon entering a tform that has it. To do so, Father must integrate with said power. However, integrating with powers has both its pros and cons."


    "The pros are that it lets one use the power outside of the tform it originates from, and it gets rid of almost all the side effects thate with it."


    "The cons are that the power gets severely restricted and weakened."


    "You currently wield a power. Would you like to integrate with it?"


    Uhm. My power is to possess people for five seconds, right? I can see how it can be useful, but ording to what she said it will be restricted and weakened... What if it''s something like "Can be used once a day and onlysts for two seconds"?


    "No, thanks. Not worth it right now."


    I sense some movements in the distance. I focus my eyes, making it seem like my vision has zoomed in, but whatever it was, it''s behind the trees and bushes.


    "Father isn''t making proper use of the ability.", Irene suddenly says as she looks at me.


    "Your eyes are under the influence of a passive Effect called irvoyance. As it is a passive Effect, the amount of energy needed is negligible, unless Father makes use of itsplicated properties. irvoyance allows the user to shift the angle and position of their vision at will."


    I don''t exactly understand what she means, but I try to influence the way I''m looking at the location. It moves. My vision just moved. It''s exactly like that time when I "saw" the dragon-rider fighting against the winged people.


    Forget that. Through the use of irvoyance, I find the source of the movements. A teen. He''s dressed weirdly... Wearing a blue bandana on his head with a casual white t-shirt and grey cargo-pants.


    He''s hastily running away. Judging by the look on his face, he seems to have no malicious intent. Whatever. Going back to the topic at hand,


    "Am I able to leave a tform whenever I wish to anytime I want?"


    "Of course not. Father can leave a tform only when three weeks have passed since arrival."


    Great. Here I wast thinking of using it as a trump card of sorts to use when a situation takes a turn for the worst... Speaking of which,


    "Am I able to take inhabitants of a tform outside?"


    Irene doesn''t respond to my question for a whole minute and just stares at nothing before she says,


    "Yes and no. In order for a person to leave the tform, they must be an Anomaly or be influenced by one. Father is an Anomaly capable of making inhabitants leave the tform by keeping their souls. However, to do that, their physical body in the tform they originate from must bepletely destroyed. There is also a limit to the number of souls that can be kept; Father can keep a maximum of three souls as of right now."


    "The souls that are kept can make contact with outside only in the Mete. For a soul to able to enter other tforms, a body must be constructed for them by an individual capable of doing so."


    Ok. I wonder if anyone will ept the choice of leaving their tform at the cost of their original physical body...


    "I would like to suggest to Father to avoid staying in a tform for a long period of time. The longer Father stays, the more time and space is disturbed, allowing for Unknowns to form."


    Ah. The talk about Unknowns again... what are they exactly? Juno said that they''re someone or something that shouldn''t exist. What''s that supposed to mean?


    "Unknowns have a different level of threat towards Father and the tform. To make it easier toprehend, I will break them into different sses based on their Rank."


    She came up with the following:


    1st Rank:- Disturbances. They ruin the flow of events.


    2nd Rank:- Headhunter. They will hunt down anomalous existences at the cost of anything.


    3rd Rank:- Ambitious beings. They''ll attempt to gain control over a tform.


    4th Rank:- Chaos seekers. They will stop at nothing to bring down the tform.


    5th Rank:- Influencers. Extremely conniving beings that will guide existences to do their bidding. Their goals are irregr.


    Well isn''t this great. I will have to face these things? Wait. Juno said that there is one already in this tform... Seriously? I just hope it''s a 1st Rank Unknown.


    My thoughts are interrupted by the sight of a glow covering Irene''s body. Her body visibly shrinks until she is the size of a doll that could possibly fit in my palm. She then floats, yes, slowly floats over to me and sits on my shoulder.


    "Father should head back now.", she says casually.


    She is right... I should head back now and rest. Now that I think about it, Juno said something about coption being able to restore my Essence energy if it''s done with an individual that has the same amount of power as myself... What did she mean by that?

 Chapter 26: Idiot ; Ayumi

    Chapter 26: Idiot ; Ayumi


    "Corn again..." I murmur as I look at the corn being roasted on the barbeque grill.


    Nao seems to be proud of it, as she is just standing there with her hands on her waist.


    "Um...", we hear a voice behind us from the direction of the forest. He finally decided toe out, huh...


    We all look in the direction of the voice and see the same guy I saw yesterday. He''s wearing different clothes but still has the blue bandana on his head...


    "What are you all doing out here?", the guy asks.


    Nao takes a step forward and says, "We all ran away from home and ran into each other on the way. We hit it off and so we decided to stay together."


    Seriously? Please don''t tell me this guy is going to believe the nonsense she''s spouting...


    "Do you mean you''re going to keep on staying here?", he asks in response.


    This guy is an idiot.


    "Yes. We''re nning to stay here forever, as people won''t find us if we do that."


    "I found you. I''m sure your parents are worried about you as well.", he says as he pulls his phone out from his pocket and begins to fiddle around with it.


    I want to punch him square in the face so badly... His idiocy is limitless.


    "You''ll be detained as well if you do that," Nao says.


    "Why?", he asks as he looks at her.


    "This is private property.", she replies cheekily.


    Say what now? This whole ce is private property? This girl never ceases to amaze me...


    "Also, this too!", she remarks as she raises the news article about the "UFO" showing the human figure in the sky.


    "This is a scoop article of you, practising flight."


    The guy''s brows slightly furrow when he hears her, but he tries to keep hisposure as he asks in a mocking tone,


    "Flight?"


    "Right. This is a great ce to practice such an ability. But, you were hindered by using out here to camp. Once you saw that we showed no signs of leaving, you grew restless and exposed yourself to shoo us away.", dered Nao confidently.


    "You must be insane to think that I can fly. I will call the cops on you.", he says before turning around.


    "You''re the one to talk. You came out here all alone.", Nao taunts him.


    "I am here to pick chestnuts.", he says as he stops in his track.


    Yeah. Pick chestnuts in a private property. Absolutely genius.


    "It''s toote for that now. I have recorded you being here.", she says as she pulls her camera out of nowhere. When did she...


    "You''re so annoying. Give me that!", he mutters before eximing and jumping down from where he is in our direction.


    As soon as his feet touch the "ground", he falls. Through my senses, I see him have a look of panic on his face as he breaks his fall using his flight and then directly flies out of the pit.


    "Of course, you would use your flight ability to get out of a hole that you don''t know the bottom off.", Nao says smiling while holding her camera and recording him fly out.


    He''s on the ground as he looks her way, anger covering his face. The guy then runs in Nao''s direction and attempts to grab the camera from her hands.


    As if I''d let you do that.


    The next moment, I dash and appear right in front of him and give him a "light" push on his chest. The difference in our strength is immediately disyed as he isunched backwards and rolls back several times.


    After the momentum has broken, he raises himself from the ground, with fear visible in his eyes. He gets up on his feet, and as it seems, has made running away his top priority. Heunches into the air at a great speed, leaving a trail of dust behind him.


    It''s about time I used this ability again.


    The next moment, I find myself in the air. Damn, this is high. Having taken over his body, I fall as I don''t know how to use his ability yet. Attempting to break the fall using flight is what I''m nning to do. The fall is obviously going tost much longer than five seconds based on the height.


    I seed in stopping the fall mid-air, right on top of the forest. I then find myself in my body. Getting up from the ground, I follow after Nao who has run into the forest to where the guy had fallen to.


    As the height of the fall and my attempts at flight had changed the course of his fall, he is quite far away. Taking this as a chance, I lift Nao from behind and position her so that she''s riding on my back as I hold her and use my superior agility to run without using Godspeed.


    She seems to be enjoying it as sheughs and records the whole thing while using one arm to hold onto me. It doesn''t take me long to get to where the guy is. He is lying on the ground, a look of utter confusion on his face as he asks,


    "Wh-What happened?"


    Nao, who has already gotten off my back, approaches him and says while crossing her arms,


    "A bruise or broken bone. That''s good enough for an end result."


    "Who are you guys?"


    Nao begins to exin to him who we are and that the abilities we all have are diseases. She tells him about future scenarios of him falling to his death if his ability disappears mid-air or something along those lines.


    This goes on for a while, long enough for Joijiro and Misa to catch up to us. Nao asks Misa to use her ability, making the stuff she had told him about earlier more usible.


    The guy says,


    "I thought I was the only one that was granted an ability... but there were others. I wanted to fly high in the sky one day and had even dreamed of bing the Skyhigh Saito the Hollywood Star."


    That corny name though...


    "I understand how you feel, but try to not use your ability anymore henceforth.", Nao tells him.


    The guy looks down at the ground, and then replies in a dismal tone, "Got it."


    "That ended more peacefully than I thought." Joijiro states.


    THAT was peaceful for you? What the heck have you been through before for this to be considered peaceful to you? Oh right...


    ------


    "I''m home!" I loudly announce as soon as I step right through our front door. As soon as I say so, I hear loud footsteps, as Ayumi appears in front of me, a look of excitement covering her face.


    "Brother Yu!", she cheerfully exims before jumping right at me.


    I hold her with my left arm and say while lightly patting her head with the other,


    "Sorry, it took me so long to get home."


    Ayumi lightly shakes her head and says while smiling, "It''s okay. Brother Yu has taken care of Ayu for so long, that being outside for a few days doesn''t even matter."


    How sweet...


    "Let''s go out and camp together once we''ve gone to the observatory, okay?", I suggest to her.


    "Yes!", she gleefully shouts.


    "Because of Brother Yu''s return, we are going to have a feast!"


    And so, I find myself in the kitchen, looking at the food on the table. It''s not red...


    "Ja~an! Chanpon noodles with lots of vegetables!", she says as she presents a bowl of it to me.


    I immediately dig in and the next moment, I find myself absolutely amazed at how delicious it is.


    "Actually, I wanted to use the pizza sauce as a secret ingredient, but there wasn''t much of it left...", she answers the question in my head.


    "It doesn''t matter. You don''t need a secret ingredient for anything. As long as it''s your cooking, it is the most delicious food ever.", I tell her.


    As we are eating, I notice that she seems to be coughing regrly. I asked her about it, but she said that she''s fine.


    "Ahhh. Ayu had so much to tell Brother Yu about while away."


    Hm?


    "Ayu was suddenly asked out by a boy ssmate!", she says as she holds her cheek.


    Ah. I identally broke my chopsticks.


    "And what did you do?", I ask her calmly.


    "Let''s see..."


    "Don''t put on airs."


    "I politely declined the offer."


    Oh crap. Why is my hand glowing in red?


    It went away... phew.


    "Brother Yu, what do you think of Ayu having a boyfriend?"


    Over my dead body.


    "I don''t believe there is anyone worthy of my precious Ayumi," I say while maintaining a smile.


    "They have to be better than Brother Yu, after all...", she mutters.


    Good luck with that.


    Suddenly, Ayumi coughs several times once again, but this time it''s way worse than before. Worried, I move closer to her and check her body heat. She has a fever. Once she''s done eating, I use a thermometer to take her heat. After a while, I grab it and take a look at what''s disyed - 37.8 C; definitely a cold.


    "Go take a bath. After you get out, crawl into the futon immediately, understood?", I instruct her. I''m taking no risks with her health.


    "Okay. If Brother Yu says so..."


    ------


    In the room, Ayumi is resting in the futon, with a wet towel on her head. I am beside her and nning to continue to do so.


    I gently caress her cheek.


    How warm...


    She seems to be enjoying my touch, as there a smile on her face even after she''s fallen asleep.


    I don''t care if I catch her sickness. As such, I lie down beside her, drift off to sleep...

 Chapter 27: Collapse ; Visit

    Chapter 27: Copse ; Visit


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t make breakfast.", says Ayumi the first thing in the morning.


    I take a look at the thermometer in my hand- 38.5 C; her fever has gotten worse... I shake my head in response to her words and say,


    "You''re sick, no need to push yourself. I''ll call the school for you. Make sure you get a good rest."


    "Roger", she replies in a deste tone.


    ------


    "The ability is... copse.", says the water-soaked creep, then leaves the room without uttering another word.


    What''s with that ability? Will it make people faint or something?


    "Wait..."


    Hm?


    "This is our school''s condoplex.", Nao says while staring at the map.


    "So? Isn''t it normal that there would be ability users in this school?" I inquire.


    "Right now, everyone should be at school. As adults lose their ability, we can leave them out. Then, that means that someone hasn''te to school due to being homesick or something."


    NO!


    "That''s an unusual bit of agitation.", Nao says as she looks at me.


    It can''t be, right? Whatever, I''ll just tell them about it,


    "Ayumi didn''t go to school because she''s sick..."


    I notice that Nao has gotten on her feet and stares at Yusa before saying,


    "There is a high chance that if someone has a special ability, their sibling will have one as well, remember? I told you that before."


    Nao suggests that we should all visit Ayumi and check if she has developed a special ability while we''re at it.


    "We''re visiting a sick girl, I don''t want it to be crowded," I say in a firm tone.


    Nao is definitelying with me... As for the others, Yusa will probably make Ayumi happy if shees. The only problem is Joijiro. How do I get rid of him...


    Oh, this could be one of those few times my ability could be useful. I just have to possess him and jump out of the window. He will survive probably.


    Just as I''m about to go through with my n, I hear Nao say,


    "Oh wow! The sleeping posture of that giraffe outside is so weird."


    As soon as she''s done speaking, I hear Joijiro bbering about something before excitedly running to the window and eximing,


    "There is a giraffe here? Where?"


    The next moment, Nao dropkicks him right out of the ss pane. I can hear him screaming at the top of his lungs as he falls.


    Nao then casually grabs her smartphone, dials a number and says,


    "Hello? Yes. There is a student that fell from the second floor of a building... Yes... Thanks."


    She then turns around and nonchntly says,


    "Let''s go visit your sister."


    "..."


    I don''t know how to react to what she just did. I''m d she did it though.


    ------


    On the way there, we go to a convenience store and buy some stuff. Including porridge which both girls intend to eat with us for dinner.


    Yusa seems to be interested in some weird bag of cookies that''s way too oversized. Not only that, but it''s overpriced as well.


    Nao buys a few jars of enoki mushrooms, iming that they''re perfect on top of porridge.


    Once we''re done, we go on our way towards the condo, conversing about daily stuff.


    When we reach the condo, I motion for the two to stay while I go inside.


    Three pairs of shoes immediately catch my attention at the entrance. It seems like we have some visitors...


    I slowly approach the room Ayumi is supposed to be in and peek inside.


    Two girls and a boy. One of the girls who is sitting the closest to Ayumi, is cheerfully conversing with her. She seems to be the "I''m friends with everyone" type of girl.


    The other girl isparably in. She just seems to... exist.


    Then there is the boy. Based on what I''ve seen of him these past few seconds, he''s a wimp.


    I step right through the door, attracting everyone''s attention.


    "Big Brother Yu is home!", Ayumi exims.


    I sh her a smile, then look at the others.


    The girl closest to Ayumi stands up and says,


    "Hello. Sorry for intruding on you with so many people. I am Nomura, the ss representative. We came here to visit Ayhi while she''s sick."


    Heh. As expected. Ignoring that, that''s a cute nickname they found for my little Ayu. I should tease her aboutter.


    The boy then gets on his feet and introduces himself,


    "I''m Oikawa. You little sister is allowing me to be her friend. It is a pleasure meeting you."


    Called it.


    The other girl just lightly nods at me when I look in her direction.


    Then, Nomura gives Oikawa a look from the side and says,


    "Can your brown-nosing be more obvious than that? You already got denied once. Ayhi will hate you even more if you do that."


    Ho~ So that''s the guy that confessed and got dumped huh... I see...


    After that, they all get up and bid farewell to Ayumi before leaving.


    The next moment, I feel the dark presence from before return. I immediately look and see the in girl is looking at Ayumi with a not-so-nice expression.


    Before I can say anything, Nao appears beside me and greets Ayumi,


    "Hi, Ayumi."


    I notice that the girl has already run outside...


    Ayumi then raises her arms and exims,


    "It''s Big Sister Tomori!"


    Then for some reason, her expression turns into a smug as she asks,


    "Can it be that you are Big Brother''s girlfriend now?"


    Nao immediately looks my way. I lightly shake my head, implying that I haven''t told her anything.


    While we are pondering over what to say to her, her eyes widen as she looks past us. Already knowing where this is going on, I let out a sigh.


    "Yu- sa- rin!", she says before she has a nosebleed.


    Nao rushes to her and does something while iming that it will stop the nosebleed, and it did. Ayumi gets excited over it. That doesn''tst for long as Ayumi once again catches sight of Yusa and has another nosebleed...


    This is going to take some time...


    ------


    We''re all sitting on the dining table stuffed from eating porridge.


    Suddenly, Yusa receives a phone call. She excuses herself as she gets up from her seat and picks it up. A little whileter, she returns and says while pouting,


    "Yusarin has to go to work now."


    "Ehhh~", whines Ayumi.


    "Ayumi, don''t forget that she is currently an idol.", I reprimand her.


    "That''s exactly correct!", Ayumi''s mood lightens up as she says in an understanding tone.


    After we''ve sent Yusa off, we head back to the kitchen. Someone has to do the dishes now that Ayumi is sick. Meh, I can do it anytimeter.


    "You''re not going to wash the dishes?", Nao asks me.


    "Nope. You can wash these many dishes at any point in time."


    Nao seems to be triggered by my words for some reason as she approaches me, pulls my shirt, and says,


    "I will wash the dishes now and you will help me by drying them up using that dish towel."


    Hah~


    "Sure, I have nothing better to do anyway."


    And so begins a cycle of Nao washing a dish, passing it over to me, who dries it up before cing it with the others. Ayumi seems to be enjoying herself as she''s looking over here from on top of the couch holding her head with both of her hands as she says,


    "I think you two are dating each other, but keeping it from me~"


    I think about it for a second. Are we dating? Technically, no. Well might as well go with this or I might sound desperate or something...


    ""Nope""


    Startled I look Nao''s way and see her looking at me as well. Guess we are of the same opinion.


    "You two are sopatible! Is that how you hide it?"


    We both let out a sigh and justugh it off. Ayumi realizes that this will go nowhere, so she just stops and turns on the TV.


    On the TV screen, Yusa is disyed singing one of her songs. Ayumi promptly yells,


    "Wow! Yusarin is fast!"


    I chuckle a little and say,


    "That''s pre-recorded."


    Ayumi then has a look of revtion on her face as she just lets out an "Oh..."


    ------


    After making sure Ayumi is in her futon, I tell her,


    "I will go send Nao off. You stay put until I return."


    Before I could move, Ayumi told me and Nao, who''s beside me, about her having a nightmare today. Nao wanted to ask her about it, but I didn''t let her. My reason for doing so was that I simply didn''t want Ayumi to remember her nightmare.


    I then nce at Nao, signifying that we should leave. We get up and n to leave.


    Ayumi looks at both of us with a look and makes a noise indicating that she suspects us of hiding something from her.


    I rub her head a little before I leave the apartment with Nao.


    Outside, Nao leans on the short wall in front of the door and says to me,


    "You need to find out what her nightmare was about. It could help us determine what exactly is her ability."


    I nod in response to her words. She''s right. Copse sure as hell doesn''t sound like a nice ability.


    "I can''t have help but have a bad feeling about this...", she mutters.


    She thinks so as well, huh...


    I approach her and hug from behind. She seems to be used to it now, as she doesn''t make any remarks or even flinch in response.


    "Okay. I will tell you about it once I''ve asked her." I say in a low voice.


    "Mhm."


    I move my left hand and turn gently turn her face towards myself. I lean in and give her a short and tender kiss on the lips.


    I continue to embrace her for a short while before saying,


    "It''s gettingte now. You should get going."


    I let go of her and watch her as she goes into the elevator. After lightly waving at each other, I head back inside.


    Going to where Ayumi is, I sit beside her and state to her,


    "Ayumi, I need to know what was your nightmare about."


    Ayumi thinks for a few seconds before she says,


    "Ayu doesn''t remember much. In the dream, Ayu felt like the ground was breaking or something like that."


    That sounds more like destruction... Why is it called copse?


    ------


    The next day I go to school and tell them all about what Ayumi had said.


    "The ground splitting... is that some kind of hint?" Joijiro, who''s surprisingly still alive asks. He is covered in bandages all over though.


    "It should be. To deal with this, we will inform the teachers to keep an eye out on Ayumi. Also, inform those in charge to keep an eye on the security cameras.", Nao replies.


    Yeah. Having a special ability is no joking matter. We need to be careful about how we deal with this.


    As my thoughts are wondering, Irene''s voice resounds within my head,


    {12 hours until the data extraction begins. Be warned that you may abruptly lose consciousness during the process.}


    Great... I just hope nothing goes wrong.


    After I get home, I check on Ayumi''s condition and notice that she''s gotten much better now. Her body heat has entered a healthy range, and she no longer coughs.


    Despite this, I tell her,


    "You may have gotten better now, but that might suddenly change tomorrow, so don''t go to school. I will call the school for you."


    "But, it''s boring to stay at home without a fever, so I''d like to go to school!"


    "Ayumi, just do as I say, alright? I can''t let anything bad happen to you as your big brother."


    Once she agrees, albeit reluctantly, I go to the kitchen to drink some water then return to her side and hug her to sleep.

 Chapter 28: Premonition ; Shutdown

    Chapter 28: Premonition ; Shutdown


    rification: This chapter will mostly be in the 3rd person POV. You thought I was just messing around when I said this will get dark? HMB.


    ******


    WARNING: This chapter contains potentially sensitive content (violence/gore). Proceed at your own risk.


    ******


    Carefully sneaking out with her school bag hanging from her arm, Ayumi checks her surroundings for any security guards. She walks close to a wall and looks by leaning out of her cover at where the guards usually are.


    There, a middle-aged man is sitting right by the entrance. He seems to have no intention of moving, causing Ayumi to mutter,


    "I will get out for sure."


    She then heads in the direction of thevatory without being seen. Once inside, she moves toward the slider-window, opens it, and gets out.


    Ayumi then makes a run to school while avoiding any security cameras set up outside. In the end, she manages to make it to the third ss.


    ------


    Walking out of her ss, Ayumi is met with the sight of an empty corridor. Just as she stepped out of the door, she noticed someone leaning on the wall beside it.


    Oikawa - The ssmate she had rejected after he had confessed his love to her. He then moves closer to her, one hand in his pocket, and states smugly,


    "Hey, I found a sweets shop that serves really good red bean soup. I''ll treat you to some to celebrate you getting better."


    Ayumi raises her arms in response, waving them in front of her as she says in a polite tone,


    "I''m sorry, but I just got better, so I''ll have to pass."


    She then turns around and wants to walk away, but a hand grabs onto her uniform''s left short-sleeve.


    "H-Hold on a second!", Oikawa exims.


    "If right after getting better is bad, how about we go on the weekend?", he suggests desperately.


    All of a sudden, Nomura appears and knocks him into the wall using her shoulder. ring into his eyes, she says,


    "You really don''t get it, do you? You''ve been denied once already, just give up!"


    Not willing to do as she says, Oikawa yells at her,


    "Out of my way, I''m going to make my way back from here!"


    Irritated by him entirely, Nomura shouts at him to shut up before turning towards Ayumi and saying,


    "Ayuhi, you go on ahead. I will somehow deal with this guy."


    Smiling slightly in response to her friend''s reliability, she thanks her then trots away, while effectively ignoring Oikawa''s cries calling out for her.


    It''s noon, but the way the clouds are positioned in the sky, makes everything seem to be way less vibrant than it usually is.


    Ayumi continues to trot despite the eeriness of her surroundings. She can''t hear a thing but pays it no attention as she gets closer to the staircases connecting the floors.


    Turning after a corner, Ayumi stops in her tracks, as there, standing in front of her, is Konishi. This friend of hers is usually quiet at school. She can''t even remember thest time Konishi had talked in her presence. She is just standing where she is with her bangs covering her eyes.


    A seed of anxiety is nted within Ayumi, but she just swallows her saliva as she voices,


    "Konishi?"


    After an unnaturally long pause, Konishi mutters,


    "It''s because you showed up..."


    Ayumi straightens her back in response and asks her timidly,


    "What is?"


    "With Oikawa...", Konishi mutters once again,


    "With Oikawa?", Ayumi repeats her words in confusion.


    "With Oikawa, I used to eat lunch all alone. We were supposedly dating.", Konishi continues, with anger present in her voice.


    Gritting her teeth, Konishi continues to mutter as the bangs in front of her eyes move a little, revealing eyes that seem to re at Ayumi''s soul,


    "But ever since you showed up... Oikawa... Oikawa... It''s like he''s forgotten about me! He looks at just you all the time!"


    Frustration is apparent on her face and her breathing is shaking and shallow.


    Sliding one hand into her pocket, she pulls out a paper cutter knife, and ever so slowly extends the de.


    Ayumi''s sight focuses on the small paper cutter as a clicking sound reverberates in the empty corridor. A look of horror appears on her face, getting worse each time she hears a click. Attempting to ease her, Ayumi raises her arms in front of her and says while stepping back,


    "Wait! I''m sure it''s just a misunderstanding. Let''s just talk, so put that cutter knife away!"


    Konishi moves unnaturally, the re in her eyes still present. Ayumi''s words seem to have absolutely no effect on her as she continues to repeatedly say,


    "It''s all your fault..."


    With each step taken by Konishi, Ayumi backs away in response. After a few steps, she notices that there is a staircase behind her. She immediately bolts up the stairs running for her life.


    Seeing the one who took everything from her running away, Konishi grunts as she begins to chase her.


    Once she''s at the top, Ayumi notices that there''s a door. She runs towards it and attempts to open it, but it''s locked. Ayumi turns around, just in time to see Konishi appear with the knife cutter still in her hand, extending and retracting.


    "It''s all you fault..." she mutters as she moves toward Ayumi.


    "That''s why you are going to see some pain.", she continues while lifting the arm holding the paper cutter with a creepy smile stered onto her face.


    "Help... someone...", Ayumi says in a weak and despairing voice.


    She backs away until her back is in contact with the door, and just before she can let out a scream, the building abruptly shakes, making her stagger and fall on her rear.


    [---13 minutes ago---]


    Victor and Joijiro are both sitting in the cafeteria eating their lunch, which happens to be pasta. As they talk, Joijiro''s phone rings. Taking a look at it, Joijiro informs Victor that they are being called to the student council room.


    Once they''re done eating, they make their way there and upon entering the room, Nao''s anxious state meets their eyes.


    {15 minutes until the data extraction begins. Be warned that you abruptly lose consciousness during the process.}


    Irene''s voice resounds within Victor''s mind.


    "What, did something happen?", asks Joijiro.


    Without beating around the bush, Nao says, "Ayumi is at school."


    Victor''s eyes widen as he immediately says,


    "No, that can''t be right. I had told her to stay home and even called the school to tell them about it."


    Nao''s expression gets slightly worse as she asks, "How was her condition today?"


    "She had gotten better, but I was afraid that the sickness would rpse, so I wanted her to stay home for another day.", he replies.


    "Perhaps, because her temperature is normal, she decided to attend school from the third period based on her own decision.", Nao states.


    "I have a bad feeling about this... Let''s go check Ayumi''s condition right away.", she continues.


    ------


    On the way there, Victor apologizes to the rest before he dashes off at an incredible speed. As he runs, he spots the 20 feet fence separating the school buildings, and directly leaps over it.


    However, the moment hends on the ground, an energy beam is released in his direction. Sensing it, he dodges the beam and moves back.


    Then, a man dressed in a peculiar ck uniform appears in front of him and says,


    "It took me a lot of effort to finally have you within my, you anomaly."


    Victor''s mind is preupied with Ayumi, so he scowls at the man and says in a threatening tone,


    "Move out of my way or else you''ll experience what it''s like to have your head pulled off of your body."


    The man justughs in response to his threat and says confidently,


    "You''ll find that much harder to achieve than you think."


    Having had enough of his shit, Victor directly utilizes Godspeed and punches the man with enough force tounch him like a cannonball into the distance.


    He hears the sound of a crash and continues to run.


    ---Present---


    Having fallen on the ground, Ayumi is unable to muster any strength to defend herself. Konishi mutters,


    "Even the devil wants me to punish you..."


    Without giving her a chance to say anything, Konishi gets on top of her and directly stabs Ayumi in her right eye, puncturing it.


    Ayumi begins to scream in pain as she ils her arms around trying to get Konishi off of herself.


    The wounded eye doesn''t seem to have much of an effect on Konishi''s mental state as she shes at Ayumi once again, this time cutting her arm.


    Ayumi manages tond a punch on Konishi''s face and push her away. In a cracking and broken voice, she screams as hard as she can for her only family,


    "BROTHER!"


    ------


    Having finally reached the school building, Victor looks for the body of the guy dressed in ck, but only finds a crater.


    He suddenly hears a scream from the third floor of the building.


    Directly using irvoyance, the sight of Ayumi who''s covered in tears and blood and a girl behind her getting on feet holding a cutter knife, enters his view.


    Cracks are appearing all over the building as Ayumi starts to glow in purple while screaming.


    His eyes instantly turn bloodshot as red veins start covering his body.


    {Berserk: God''s Wrath unsealed.}


    He raises his arm, leaving a dark trail behind before he shes down.


    The moment he does so, a bright red de-like shape appears in front of him and moves in the direction of the building, growing in size as it does so.


    The de severs the arm holding the cutter de off then splits the whole building in half.


    As an aura of darkness begins to surround him, a sh of light appears in front of Victor, taking the form of a human, before a short blonde girl is revealed.


    {Barrier Creation}


    A thinyer of light appears around Ayumi and keeps her in the air as the building copses. Once over, Ayumi falls to the ground and directly loses consciousness.


    {Shutdown}


    Then, the girl says while pointing her index finger at Victor.


    A red glow appears at the tip of her finger andunches in Victor''s direction leaving a trail behind as it does.


    Once it makes contact with Victor, the red veins on his body start to turn ck. The next moment, the girl clutches her head and begins screaming in agony before blowing up into particles.


    {Destruction unsealed}


    The next moment, the veins covering Victor''s body begin to gradually disappear as a voice appears within his mind,


    {Data transference initiated...}


    "Ayumi...", he manages to mutter as he regains a little of his rity before dropping onto the ground.

 Chapter 29: Healing ; Illusion

    Chapter 29: Healing ; Illusion


    Opening my eyes, I perceive an unfamiliar ceiling. Ah, this remin-


    AYUMI!


    I abruptly jumped up from whatever I was lying on.


    Looking around, I see that I''m in a hospital ward. I move towards the door and swing it open. Four pairs of eyes immediately lock onto me.


    "Where is Ayumi?!" I directly inquire.


    Please, Ayumi.... be safe, if not...


    "She''s in her own ward, recuperating from the injuries she''s suffered.", Nao says with difficulty.


    "Where?" I ask her.


    She doesn''t say anything and just leads the way there.


    Once we''re there, Nao says to me worriedly,


    "Listen, stay cool. Don''t let the rage take control of you, do you follow?"


    I stare into her eyes for a moment before nodding my head.


    She gestures for me to go inside, indicating that she isn''t intending on going with me.


    Taking a deep breath, I open the door and walk inside. What meets my eyes, is Ayumi on a hospital bed with an IV connected to her wrist. Her head is wrapped in a bandage which also covers her right eye. Also, her left leg, which is also wrapped in bandages, is being held up.


    All in all, she''s alive but doesn''t seem to be in good condition.


    Approaching her bed, I ce my palm on her cheek, as the corners of my eyes start to get moist.


    Circting the Holy Essence within me, I use my healing factor on her. After a while, her expression which was that of suffering and pain changes to a morefortable one.


    {Your healing factor is 1st Tier. The most it can do is heal external injuries, get rid of scars, and lessen pain.}


    Irene says mechanically inside my head.


    "How do I increase tiers?"


    {Throughprehension. You must gain an understanding of the core of your powers to be able to increase their tiers.}


    ------


    After a while, I sense Ayumi slightly twitching. I keep on using my Healing Factor on her. If it can make her feel even slightly better, I''m more than willing to continue to use it.


    It doesn''t take long for her to open her eyes.


    In the beginning, she seems confused as she looks around.


    However, once she sees me, her eyes begin to moisten, then tears start to flow down her cheeks as she silently sobs.


    Seeing her like this, I carefully hug her as to not hurt her.


    "I''m sorry...", she says almost inaudible.


    "What are you apologizing for?", I ask her as kiss her cheek.


    "Ayu didn''t listen to Brother Yu. If Ayu did, then... then...", I don''t let her continue as I tighten my grip on her and say,


    "It''s fine. Don''t me yourself. I should''ve looked after you better."


    My words seem to have the opposite effect of what I intended as she begins to sob louder in my embrace.


    "Ayu understands now. Disobeying Brother Yu was bad and Ayu was punished for it.", she says in a despondent tone.


    Looks like no matter what I tell her, she''ll keep on ming herself. After deliberating over what to do, I say to her,


    "You know, there is a bright side to everything."


    My words seem to attract her attention as she looks into my eyes, waiting for me to continue.


    "In this case, I can serve my little Ayu at home, now that I have the chance to. I will be spoiling you rotten."


    She softly giggles in response to my words.


    I wipe the tears off her face and say to her,


    "Ayumi, I want to show you something."


    Her curiosity is piqued by my words as she leaves my embrace and watches me.


    "Remember the magic trick that your Big Sister Tomori did?", I ask her.


    She nods. Having received her confirmation, I continue,


    "You know, I am something of a magician myself."


    There seems to be a glow in her eyes as she looks at me with expectation stered all over her face.


    "Watch."


    I don''t know where I got my confidence from, but I just have a feeling that I can do it if I try to. So I do it.


    Raising my arm while circting Holy Essence within me, I manipte the light on top of my palm to appear as the figure of Ayumi.


    "Owohhh!", Ayumi exims. This is so much better than what she was like a moment ago.


    I imagine her a little more grown-up and the exact same image in my head appears on top of my palm.


    {Discovered: Illusion}


    I ignore the voice and focus on my imagination. I think of a hill and Ayumi and myself being on top of it, star-gazing together.


    "Brother Yu, that''s amazing!", she reaches out her arm to touch it, but as expected, it just went right through.


    "Ayumi, get well soon, I''m looking forward to going out with you."


    ------


    I need to upgrade my healing factor''s tier. I can''t let Ayumi be blind in one eye. Besides, I don''t want to see her suffer anymore. That image is still stuck in my head, and it makes my blood boil whenever I think of it.


    Perhaps things would''ve turned out differently had I been more careful. Oh right, I vaguely remember Irene appearing in front of me back then,


    "Irene?", I call out to her.

 Chapter 30: Games ; Vinegar

    Chapter 30: Games ; Vinegar


    There seems to be no reply to my calling. I call for her again, but it''s still the same. Great.


    "Codification", I intone.


    ------


    Name: Yu Otosaka (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Destruction (-) | Holy}


    Race: Human - 67%


    Energy Left: 93%


    ------


    Str: 47 (10) - {Strength}


    Agi: 44 (10) - {Agility}


    Dex: 45 (10) - {Dexterity}


    Int: 50 (10) - {Intelligence}


    Def: 49 (10) - {Defence}


    Vit: 50 (10) - {Vitality}


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter | ???? | God''s Wrath


    Destruction (-): -SEALED-


    Holy:


    -Holy sh II [V]


    A sh that utilizes divine energy as an armament. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Paragon''s Eyes I [III]


    Grants vision to judge one''s soul. Low energy consumption.


    -Godspeed II [V]


    The ability to travel at a great speed. The user can perform air-jumps. Low energy consumption.


    -Blink I [III]


    The ability to blink to any area within 5 meters. Medium energy consumption.


    -Light Maniption I [VI]


    The ability to influence light by their will. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Healing Factor I [III]


    Basic healing. Very low energy consumption.


    -Transmutation (-)


    The ability to temporarily transform matter into light. Very high energy consumption.


    -Divine Retribution I [V]


    Judgment from the souls. 30 meters. High energy consumption.


    -irvoyance (Passive) I [III]


    The ability to freely control the angle and location of one''s vision.


    -Illusion I [III]


    The ability to manipte light in a state that affects others'' visions. Medium energy consumption.


    ------


    Power:-


    -????


    ---------------


    Current tform: Project Charlotte


    ---------------


    As I check my status screen, I notice several changes. Apparently, I''ve lost a part of my humanity since thest time I checked.


    My parameters have all increased by varying amounts. After that, I notice that another form of Berserk has been listed. Its name sounds both astounding and terrifying as fuck at the same time. The ability I used to amuse Ayumi has been added as well...


    I then take notice of a small button at the top right of my vision. Curious, I press it using my thoughts. The next moment, everything disyed changes into a rather interesting board:


    ------


    Games Avable: 3


    -VRMMO Yggdrasil (2126) > Description / y


    -CoD: BOZ > Description / y


    -Death March > Description / y


    ------


    Taking a look at the "games" listed, I begin to think of the way they can even be yed... Will I be using my thoughts to move the character as a controller would?


    Just as I am about to open the description of the first game, I hear a knock on the door. Through my senses, I can tell that it''s Nao.


    "Come in.", I say as I take a look at the now sleeping Ayumi.


    The door opens and enters Nao with a somewhat stern look on her face. She takes a look at Ayumi who''s beside me then gestures to me to follow her outside.


    I kiss Ayumi on the cheek once before leaving the room with Nao.


    Outside, Nao turns around and gives me a weird look. She stares into my eyes and as she says in a low voice,


    "Someone hase to visit you."


    Oh? Interesting. Who could it be that can make Nao act like this? One way to find out.


    "Show me where they are.", I calmly tell her.


    Nao stares at me for a few more seconds before grabbing my arm and dragging me along with her.


    Now, this is surprising. It''s unlike her to be so agitated. I''m even more curious about the identity of the person that hase to visit me.


    It doesn''t take us long to get to where the rest of the group is. There, I see Joijiro, Misa/Yusa, and an orange-haired girl. There is also someone else beside them that amazes me.


    A beautiful ck-haired girl who''s average in height. Her skin looks as smooth as porcin. Her raven-ck hair that reaches all the way to her waist serves to add more to her beauty. She''s conversing with, upon closer look, Misa. Her eyes are deep blue in colour, matching with the colour of a shiny hair tie she''s wearing.


    My presence attracts everyone''s attention as they all look my way, including the girl. She beams a smile as soon as she sees me which shocks me to the core due to how good it looked.


    Taking a short look around, I notice that I''m not the only one that''s stunned by her beauty. Men and women alike continue to stare at her with widened eyes.


    She strolls towards us with a smile still stered to her face. She gets right in front of me, raises her arms, and embraces me while gleefully eximing in an alluring voice,


    "Victor!"


    What?! How does she that name? Oh right! I almost forgot...


    "Juno?", I say as she steps back from me twice.


    "Did you miss me?", she says with a cheeky grin.


    What the hell is going on? This is really unlike her! And why did she call me by my outer-world name?


    "Uhm, yeah. When did you get here?", I try to start a conversation with her, but don''t know where to start.


    "To the hospital? Half an hour ago.", she says without missing a beat.


    How the heck am I supposed to deal with this? I can feel Nao beside me getting more and more irritated by the second. Crap. How do I introduce her?


    Oh, check her out~ This girl is my sister from my previous life before I reincarnated and came to this world. Yeah, sounds about right!


    "Can you give us a moment to talk in private?" I say as I look at Nao.


    Shit. She''s looking at me like I''m a walking corpse. I need to exin it to herter...


    "Of course~ Excuse me Tomori-chan, I''ll be taking him away for a short while.", she states with a trace of mockery in her voice.


    This girl... she just wants to pour oil on the already zing mes. Not giving her a chance to say anything else is my top priority for the moment as I drag her away to somewhere that no one can hear us and whisper to her firmly,


    "What are you doing here?!"


    She remains unfazed as she replies,


    "Didn''t I tell you that I will being over? Don''t worry, I haven''t told them anything about myself. You can introduce me however you like, however, I would prefer you to introduce me as your wife. I''m sure they will have some splendid reactions if you do that.


    And bring disaster upon myself. No, thanks. I shake my head to clear away some unhealthy thoughts before asking her,


    "What''s with your look? Why do you look like this?"


    She smirks as she says, "My previous appearance was a form I used, in order to avoid garnering attention. This is what I truly look like. I''m pretty right?"


    How troublesome. Now I need to think of how to introduce her to the rest...

 Chapter 31: Mysterious Disappearances ; Complete Healing

    Chapter 31: Mysterious Disappearances ; Complete Healing


    "So... Everyone, allow me to introduce her to you," I say as we regroup with the others.


    "This girl, Juno, is a friend of mine that I had met online and has been helping me out with a number of things. She has just recently arrived in Japan, so I hope you can take care of her."


    Once I''m done speaking, everyone begins to introduce themselves and wee her to Japan. The only one that didn''t bother with anything was the orange-haired girl. Who is she anyway?


    Nao is still ring at me though.


    I need to clear things up... I hold her hand and pull her along as I head outside of the hospital. She just follows along.


    As we walk on the street, I look at the sky and see that it''s dusk.


    "This might appear weird, but whatever I said back in the hospital is true. The part about me meeting her ''online'', her arrival in Japan, and her helping me out. She''s like me, from outside of this world."


    Nao doesn''t say anything for several minutes. We just continue to walk, until she suddenly says in a neutral tone,


    "I already know about your Plunder; You don''t need to make up a story of being from another world."


    What? What does she mean by Plunder?


    "Let''s wait until Ayumi is healed. Once she is, I want to take you two to meet someone.", she says.


    I''ve already told her the truth, so it''s up to her to believe me or not. And who is the person that she wants us to meet?


    "Sure.", I reply to her.


    We continue to stroll around, speaking of various topics, most of which were about Zhiend. She really is a die-hard fan. Now that I think about it, everyone around me is...


    ------


    It''s early morning. I wake up from my sleep and look at Ayumi who''s still sleeping. She must be bored in the hospital... Oh right, I should go get her phone for her. She would at least have something to waste time with until she''s recovered or I can heal her after increasing the tier of my Healing Factor.


    Speaking of which, how do I exactly increase tiers? The exnation that was given to me was too vague. I decide to ask Irene that question, to which she replies,


    {Practice using the Effect you desire to tier up and feel how it works through constant use.}


    Now that''s a problem... How do I practice Healing? Healing requires injuries to be practised. Not very convenient in this case.


    I will have to think of somethingter, but for now, I should go out for a jog and get Ayumi''s phone for her while I''m at it.


    On the way out to the hospital, I hear people all speaking of a building that copsed recently and two girls being sent to the hospital.


    "It was awful! One of them had a broken leg and a blinded eye.", I heard one say.


    "What about the other? Do you know that she had lost her arm? She''s currently in this hospital recuperating.", another one says.


    Oh, she''s here huh? The one who hurt my Ayumi... Should I finish her off? It''s going to be problematic to deal with the aftermath though... What am I thinking, she''s just a kid. A crazy, little psycho kid.


    I need to have a talk with that Oikawa guy as well...


    "Do you think that this is rted to all the mysterious disappearances that have been happening worldwide?", some guy suddenly asks.


    What?


    "Could be. You''ve seen the USA''s current state. Children are disappearing every day. Sometimes, there is a lot of wreckage where the child wasst seen."


    What''s going on? Mysterious disappearances? Is it like how the telekinesis user got abducted? What do they even do with them?


    In any case, it seems like it''s happening on a global scale. That can''t be good. I would do something about it if I had an idea of where to start. I can''t let guys like these be on the loose. For all I know, their next target could be Ayumi.


    Can''t let that happen. Absolutely. She''s already been through enough. It would be a miracle if she didn''t develop any trauma from what happened.


    ------


    "Brother Yu!", a cheerful voice wees my presence as I return to the hospital ward Ayumi''s in. Everyone else is no longer here.


    Apparently, Nao and the co had visited Ayumi. The problem was that Ayumi lost some blood during the process due to a certain someone.


    "How have you been doing, Ayumi? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?", I ask her as I approach her and sit beside her on the bed.


    "Ayu is fine! It doesn''t hurt anymore, but Ayu is bored..."


    Smiling in response to her statement, I grab her phone and present it to her while saying,


    "I knew you would be bored, so I went home to go get your phone for you."


    A bright smile covers her face as she gleefully exims,


    "Brother Yu is the best!"


    Isn''t she the cutest thing ever?


    As I gaze at her fiddling around with her phone and messaging her friends, I''m relieved to see that she isn''t afraid of socially interacting with others, at least, through her phone.


    Speaking of a little sister who can''t socialize with others due to some trauma... Sora. I miss her. The time "I" spent with her was short, but ever since I''vee to this tform, there has been this empty feeling inside of me.


    I want to return to the Rift, but I don''t wish to leave Ayumi and the rest on this side. Who knows what could happen during the time period that I''m away.


    {There is a simple solution for that.}


    Irene''s voice resounds my head, greatly startling me. She can read my thoughts?!


    {But of course. I''m a part of Father.}


    Are you kidding me? I need to be considerate of what to think of from now on...


    {Don''t bother. I can''t judge Father in any way.}


    Well, this helps me out a lot. I won''t appear to be talking to myself if I wish to converse with her.


    ------


    Taking a look at the time on my phone - 11:47 PM.


    I am outside of the hospital, on my way to buy a snack for Ayumi so that she could enjoy herself. Not that she asked for it, but it''s my own goodwill.


    On the way there, I notice a group of thugs drag a woman into an alleyway. By the looks of it, they''re nning to do some nefarious deeds with her.


    Being the heroic guy I am, I follow after them. Who am I kidding? I finally found a way to practice Healing...


    ------


    Taking a look at my hand which is covered in blood, I wipe off the blood using one of the thug''s shirts and grab my phone to check the time - 1:34 AM.


    Ah, this took way longer than I thought it would. I did sessfully manage to upgrade the tier of my healing factor though.


    "Mom... help...", I hear a voice that sounds like it belongs to a corpse.


    Looking there, I see one of the thugs on the ground extending his hand out and attempting to grab the air. How dumb. They were nning to **** a woman, and when someone appears to punish them for their misdeeds, this is how they react.


    Oh, well. If you''re going to do some nefarious acts, at least be prepared for the consequences.


    "Codification."


    Checking my status screen, I notice that my humanity level has decreased to 64%, while there is a new description for my Healing Factor:


    Regeneration. Low energy consumption.


    I am excited to try it out.


    ncing at one of the thugs on the ground who is blind in one eye, I use my Healing Factor on him. For the record, I wasn''t the one who pulled out his eyeball.


    The next moment, a glow covers my palm as I directly press my finger onto his eye. It takes a few seconds, but the flesh around his eye begins to change. Disgusting.


    A few more secondster, his once blind eye looks absolutely normal. I''ll let him have that aspensation for helping me out with upgrading the tier of my Healing Factor.


    ------


    "Good morning, Ayumi.", I say to her the moment she opens her eye in the morning. She beams me an innocent smile as she says,


    "Good morning, Brother Yu!"


    I gently stroke her cheek as I tell her,


    "Ayumi, you''re going to be leaving the hospital today."


    Ayumi is bewildered by my words as she looks at me and asks while slightly tilting her head to the left,


    "But didn''t the doctor say that I have to stay for two months?"


    I put on a smug look as I say,


    "You know, I''ve always hidden it from you, but I''m a great wizard. You saw what I did yesterday right? It''s about time I took you to the observatory."


    Before she can react to my words, I utilize my Healing Factor on her broken leg. She startsughing as she exims,


    "It tickles! Brother Yu, it tickles!"


    I''m d. If it hurt during the healing process I would be more than pissed off at the way the power worked.


    "Time to heal up your pretty eye as well.", I say in an amused tone as I move my hand to her eyes and head.


    I use Holy sh and Light Maniption to cut the bandage and avoid hurting Ayumi respectively.


    I immediately begin healing her eye then move on to her head. Once I''m done with that, Irene''s voice resounds within my head,


    {Massage her whole body while using Healing Factor. It will clear away bruises and cuts while decreasing any diforts she has.}


    I spent the next thirty minutes doing what I was told to, as I observed Ayumi have a rxed expression on her face, enjoying my massage.


    Now that I''m done, the only issue that remains is how to get Ayumi out of the hospital... I can''t just say that she''s all healed up and can leave now, right? Wait a minute. Why not? Although it might attract the attention of doctors, it wo-


    NO. I almost forgot about how they dealt with people who have special abilities. What would they think of a little girl who was expected to stay for another two months in the hospital to be suddenly all fine and dandy? Ugh. This is going to be problematic... I require assistance.


    While I''m thinking of that, I hear a knock on the door. Using my perception, I find out it''s Nao, Joijiro and Yusa.


    Just in time...

 Chapter 32: Reveal

    Chapter 32: Reveal


    Hey, Irene, I''ve told Nao that I''m not from this world. Is that going to lead to any consequences?


    {Negative. Unless Father is in a tform where a 3rd Rank or higher Unknown is present, it shouldn''t cause you much issue if you tell acquaintances about it. Although, it would definitely attract the attention of curios or authoritative figures if they somehow hear about it.}


    Phew. It was highly unprofessional on my part to tell Nao about this without thinking about it carefully. Wait, how do I know if the Unknown present in the tform I''m in?


    {You can tell.}


    Another vague answer... I honestly feel like she''s doing it on purpose. But, she wasn''t wrong. I mean, it worked for the Healing Factor.


    Oh crap, I forgot that everyone is beside me right now...


    There they all are, just staring at me, wondering about what it is that I n to tell them about. Taking in a deep breath, I say,


    "There is something that you guys need to know."


    I take a nce at my side and see that Ayumi is still asleep after the massage. Apparently massages imbued with the Holy Essence feel sofortable that they make you fall into a deep slumber...


    Okay, here goes nothing,


    "Listen to me, everyone.",


    "I am not from this world. I havee to this world from another one."


    Misa, who has taken over Yusa''s body, let''s out a "Haaa?" as she gives me a look that says "are you an idiot?".


    Nao furrows her brows. As for Joijiro, he just grins.


    "I''ve told you before but w-"


    Before she can finish the sentence, I already know what she''s going to say, so I interrupt her getting on my feet swiftly.


    Then, I begin to circte the Holy Essence within me. Oh, for maximum effect, I should try something out that I haven''t before. And so, I evenly distribute the Essence within myself, however, suddenly Irene''s voice resounds,


    {Discovered Deification.}


    The next moment, I have this weird feeling, as if I am being stretched or something. I sense my powers growing tremendously, to the point that I don''t feel them anymore.


    I notice that everyone is staring at me wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. Damn, how do I look?


    Using irvoyance, I observe myself.


    I''ve be taller and more muscr. My hair is golden in colour and seems to be glowing. There are also runes all over my limbs. This might sound a little narcissistic, but I look pretty darn impressive.


    Remembering the notification I just got, I check the description,


    Enter a higher state of being. Can be used once per week for 10 minutes.


    Woah. The restriction is absurd. Well, with the way I am right now, if there wasn''t such a restriction, I feel like everything will be a breeze.


    Looking at Nao and the co, I say,


    "As you can see, I have a special constitution. Why am I tell you guys about this? Well, with my constitutiones various abilities. One of which is healing."


    They continue to listen to me intently as they stare at me. I think I should cancel the Effect.


    I forcibly stop the motion of the Holy Essence within me, which is a surprisingly painful process. However, I can feel my body returning to normal after a few seconds. I then continue to exin,


    "I used my ability topletely heal Ayumi. But, I''m now facing an issue."


    Before I can continue, Nao interrupts me by saying,


    "You can''t get her out of the hospital, right?"


    She approaches Ayumi and observes her body with intrigue. She looks at me and says confidently,


    "Leave it to me."


    ------


    After having left for several minutes, Nao returns to the room and says,


    "We can get her out."


    Impressed, I ask her how she did it. Apparently, she convinced the one in charge that we wish to transfer her away to another hospital. We faced a little issue here and there during the process, but in the end, we got her out.


    We head to the apartment Ayumi and I stay in. As I unlock the door and step inside, someone is there standing before me - Juno.


    "Finally. Took you long enough.", she says.


    She turns around and heads to the kitchen. I go there as well with the rest following along. Soon, I smell a captivating aroma. It seems like she was cooking.


    "There is enough for everyone to enjoy, so please take a seat."


    Ayumi, who is now wide awake with a wide smile on her face runs up to her and asks,


    "Hey, Big Sister who are you?"


    "I am your brother''s friend.", she replies with a smile.


    Ayumi doesn''t seem to mind the answer as she starts cheerfully asking about the food Juno is cooking. It doesn''t take her long to join Juno in cooking.


    Thebination of cuteness and beauty when the two work together is dazzling.


    "So, that girl is your significant other or something?", suddenly Misa asks me with her trademark re.


    I shake my head and say,


    "No. Honestly, I myself don''t know what''s our rtionship."


    Sister in my previous life. Currently acting like my guide. No matter what though, I don''t feel ufortable when she''s around. In fact, there is this feeling of kinship.


    While I''m thinking of this, light particles begin to form in front of me and take on the shape of a little girl, before Irene in her ck and red dress is revealed.


    "Hwaah. Father, please don''t destroy my body so casually. Having a new body built is a tough process."


    What''s up with her. She''s acting differently from how she used to. How do I say this... she seems to be more human-like.


    I want to say something, but Nao suddenly says firmly,


    "Listen. Tomorrow morning, I will be taking you over to meet someone with your sister. There you have a lot of exining to do, and in return, a lot of stuff will be exined to you."


    She did mention something like this before. I hadn''t given it much thought, but it seems like it might be more important than I had imagined it to be.


    "Let''s forget about that for now. Would you mind telling us who is the child and why is she calling you her father?"


    Joijiro says. That look on his face says that he is looking forward to a show.

 Chapter 33: And so, it begins

    Chapter 33: And so, it begins


    "What is there to exin?", says Irene with a questioning gaze.


    "Father is Father. Our creator.", she continues.


    The thing is... I don''t remember "creating" you. I won''t even bother asking her. She will most likely mess with me again.


    "Intriguing.", Joijiro says while fixing his sses.


    I had forgotten how punchable this guy is...


    "Regarding her, I have no idea who she is either. She ims that I''m her father, but I have no memory of that.", I say.


    "Amnesia?", Joijiro asks.


    "Most likely.", I reply.


    "Dinner is ready. Enough with the chit chat, and eat up.", Juno says as she sets everything up.


    She''s giving off the vibe of a housewife for some reason...


    While we are eating, Joijiro suddenly asks,


    "Wait, did you cause the ''sh of Judgement'' incident?"


    What? Ahhh. That''s what the media hade up with for the time I used Divine Retribution. Leave it to the media toe up with a corny name for anything...


    "Yes. It punishes sinners.", I reply casually.


    I''m given strange looks. Can''t me them for it though. I have an abnormal power.


    We continue to eat uneventfully. After we''re done eating, Nao, Joijiro and Misa bid us farewell and leave.


    Nao seemed a bit apprehensive about something but didn''t say anything in the end.


    ------


    Ugh. Why do I feel like there is something heavy on me? It feels like my chest is about to get crushed.


    Opening my eyes, I observe that Irene is resting on top of me. I want to move my hand to push her away, but it''s being held down by something.


    I look sideways and see that Juno is holding onto it firmly. By the look and feel of it, my right leg is in between both of her legs.


    I move my hand and attempt to push Irene away. I can''t. She wouldn''t even budge. What the hell?


    I use more force, but it''s the same result once again. Annoyed, I use all the force I can muster and release it in one go, but even that doesn''t seem to affect her in the least.


    I give up...


    Looking to my other side, I see Ayumi a little away from me. I gently pull her to myself and go back to sleep.


    ------


    "Scum."


    Is the first thing I hear when I wake up in the morning. I open my eyes and see Nao standing in front of me.


    I''m confused for a short while before I remember. Irene is on top of me and Juno is beside me. They''re both sound asleep, but Ayumi seems to have woken up earlier.


    "Irene, wake up.", I say as I attempt to shake her awake.


    As expected, this has little to no effect on her.


    It takes them a while, but both of them wake up, and I can finally get up. I''m being red at out of dissatisfaction. Hey, it''s not my fault!


    I get changed and once I''m ready, we head out. Juno and Irene have both decided to tag along.


    Outside of the apartment condo, I see a ck car with tinted windows parked and inside of it are two men. A male with ck hair that seems to be in his twenties is the driver, while the other seems to be a high schooler; most likely a third-year.


    I follow along as Nao gets in the car without any hesitation. Frowning at her actions a little, I use my senses to make sure that there isn''t anything suspicious about the car and the people inside out of it.


    Safe.


    I get inside of it as well and so do the rest. It''s a bit cramped, so Irene decides to sit on myp.


    Thus, we hit the road.


    I have a feeling that this will take a while...


    ------


    I was right. This took way longer than I expected it to.


    The car stops somewhere that seems to be clear of humans and distant from society. All of us get down and go through a forest.


    Finally stopping, I notice that we are standing in front of a boulder. The high schooler does something with hands, and the next thing I know, the boulder moves, revealing an entrance that leads downstairs.


    We all head downstairs.


    This ce looks creepy. The corridors are dark and the structure itself seems to serve a very specific kind of purpose- Lockdown.


    Not letting my guard down a single moment, we get to arge room.


    It''s him. I see a grey-haired guy. I know it. It''s the same guy in those recurring dreams of mine. He turns around and moves toward us, in his hand is a staff. He seems to be... blind?


    "The time has finallye.", he says in a low voice.


    "We finally meet again.", he continues.


    Is he speaking to me? No. It must be Nao. She is the one that knows him.


    Looking at her, I see her moving towards him anding to a stop in front of him. She greets him and seems to be really familiar with the guy. Who is he anyway?


    "What about you? Won''t you greet your big brother?"


    Before I can even react, Ayumi whom Nao had decided shoulde with us runs forward yelling,


    "Big Brother!"


    Hey! Am I the only one who isn''t able to make sense of what''s happening?!


    The guy hugs her a little then says,


    "What about you, Yu?"


    I''m not hugging anyone until I''m told what the actual hell is going on. I don''t remember this guy. The most I can remember is him in my dreams. Even that is suspicious as heck. Although I feel like he''s familiar, I just can''t blindly trust my guts.


    "It seems like you''re not nning to catch up with me.", he says with a sad smile.


    "Yeah. Bluntly, I don''t trust you.", I reply.


    "Yu!", shouts Nao.


    However, the guy just raises his hand to stop her from saying anything else and "looks" my way before saying,


    "Well, that''s to be expected. After what I did."


    See, even the guy is not sure of his own actions. I do wonder what he meant by that though.


    "I guess I''ll have to sta-"


    Before he can finish what he wanted to say, the whole structure shakes as the sound of an explosion resounds within it.


    Immediately utilizing irvoyance, I use my sight to take a look outside. Holy shit.


    Dozens upon dozens of vehicles are there. Some choppers hovering nearby. Fully armed men in ck outfits with a weird red logo on its'' torso are moving in groups toward where we came inside.


    This is not good. I can probably get out of here and make it easily, but I can''t just leave the rest behind.


    "What''s going on!?" the self-proimed brother exims.


    "This ce is being sieged. There are loaded men heading toward the entrance as of this moment.", I report the situation.


    In response to my words, his eyes widen as he mutters,


    "They arrived faster than we foresaw."


    He knew this would happen? I''m sure he knows more... I approach him as I take a look at the others. Nao has a look of worry over her face. Ayumi seems to be frightened a lot. The high schooler which led us here has a look of resolution on his face. Juno and Irene are unfazed as if whatever''s happening ispletely normal.


    I pull my "brother" by the cor as I menacingly say,


    "Exin what is going on, right now!"

 Chapter 34: Battle ; Legion

    Chapter 34: Battle ; Legion


    *****


    WARNING: Potential gore and blood. (Although I personally think it''s not much.)


    *****


    He doesn''t answer. He doesn''t respond at all.


    "Talk! You''re blind, not deaf!"


    Now, because things were unexined properly, Ayumi is in imminent danger. Not only her but Nao as well.


    As I am contemting something, I feel a hand on my back. I turn around and see the high-schooler that brought us here throw a punch at my face.


    Without breaking a sweat, I dodge it, grab his arm and throw him at a couch in the room. I would''ve broken his bones had I not noticed that he hadn''t used much force. Not that it would''ve done anything to me even if he did.


    The guy gets back on his feet and says,


    "ording to what you said, we are in immediate danger. We don''t have the time for you throwing a fit."


    Oh? They want me to notin about the situation and just deal with it?


    My thoughts don''tst long, as I sense a shock-wave, then the sound of an explosion. Using irvoyance, I see that they have broken the boulder which happens to be the secret entryway.


    I take a look at everyone and think of a n. My best option right now is to act as a distraction so that the others can escape in one piece.


    "Is there another way to get out of here?", I ask the self-proimed brother.


    "No.", he replies.


    Great. Just what I needed. Now I am so much more motivated. Wait. I just remember,


    "Juno what are you capable of doing. You surely aren''t an ordinary human are you?"


    She looks my and smiles feel before raising her arms. The next moment a burst of cold escapes from seemingly within her right palm. In her left palm, however, a heat wave capable of melting the ground escapes.


    That seems like thermal maniption. If it is, the current situation will be so much easier to deal with. Upon realizing this, I immediately order,


    "Irene, protect Nao and Ayumi at call costs. Don''t let anything get through to them. If things start to take a turn for the worst, immediately contact me."


    "As Father wishes. I shan''t disappoint Father''s expectations."


    Despite how monotonous she sounded when she said that, I can see an eager light within her eyes. Not dying any further, I continue,


    "Juno and I will be dealing with the men. You are all to escape whenever there is a chance. Stay low and out of sight."


    As expected Irene and Juno have no problems with my n, but that doesn''t seem to be the case with Nao, Ayumi, and unexpectedly the self-proimed brother.


    "No!"


    "Brother Yu, don''t!"


    "I can''t let you do that."


    As if I care if you want to let me do something or not. However, I can''t let the other two worry needlessly.


    "Remember what I was capable of doing? I can do so much more. I will be fine, I promise.", I attempt to convince the two.


    This seems to work out, as both of them have seen different powers of mine. Ayumi has seen my speed and healing. Nao knows that a certain incident was caused by me. I assume that they know that they aren''t able to do anything as they nod with worry apparent on their face.


    Taking a step closer to Nao, I embrace her and gently stroke her hair. After a few seconds, I do the same to Ayumi.


    "Let''s do this!", I dere strongly as I send out a burst of Holy Essence. It had the effect I hoped for, as everyone gets a boost of confidence from it.


    {Discovered: Pdin''s Aura.}


    I don''t have the luxury of checking that out at the moment. I nod at Juno and dash to the corridor that leads to our location. There, I see several men carrying unfamiliar weaponry and aiming it at me.


    Their reaction speed is incredible as they immediately begin shooting at me. In response, I circte the Holy Essence and utilize Godspeed, then blink to them while avoiding the projectiles shot at me.


    The next moment, my hand gets covered in veins as I use my Holy sh to split them in half. Their bodies fall to the ground and their insides are visible as pools of blood begin to form on the ground.


    Suddenly, I feel a great amount of heat behind me as a fireball(?) goes past me and burns the bodies to ashes.


    Looking behind me, I see Juno smiling cutely.


    Convenient. Now I don''t have to fear Ayumi being traumatized by the sight of dead bodies all over the ce.


    We continue to move toward the staircase that leads to the entrance. On the way, we encountered more men, but they weren''t much of a hindrance.


    As soon as we''re outside, my instincts fire up as I immediately move to the side. Bullets rain down as the choppers'' armaments start revolving fiercely.


    Without wasting a single moment, I move towards the nearest one and climb a tree underneath it before lunging at it.


    Making use of my abnormal physique, I smash way inside, get rid of any hindrances before kicking the pilot''s seat. After hearing the sound of a spine breaking, I jump down as the chopper loses control and starts whirling before inevitably crashing.


    Upon making contact with the ground, I sense bullets being shot at me from all sides.


    {Berserk: Hunter initiated.}


    The familiar voice resounds within my head as I feel the adrenaline in my veins shoot to the moon. Moving at an incredible speed that I shouldn''t be able to even with Godspeed, I feel my muscles being torn apart as I sh man after man.


    Blood covers the whole ce. Suddenly, I feel a different kind of painpared to before in my right calf. I''m shot.


    That doesn''t affect me in the least as I continue to massacre whoever the helles in my way.


    Abruptly, I hear the sound of an explosion. Looking at where the sound came from, I see Juno there floating mid-air and below her are two choppers that are in an extremely terrible condition.


    She disappears from where she was in the blink of an eye and reappears behind some men. The next moment, the men start to wail in pain as their bodies start to get disfigured. It takes a few seconds before they all drop to the ground, dead.


    This is turning out way better than I thought it would.


    "We did shoot him but it doesn''t seem to be working!", I suddenly hear one of the men shout.


    Observing him, I see that he''s speaking with someone through an inte.


    "He''s still able to use his abilities!", he continues.


    What? Are these bullets supposed to stop me from using my powers? As if something that bugged would exist. I need to finish these guys off and find out what''s going.


    Not wasting any more time, I dash to the guy and punch him in the guts with just enough force to knock him out.


    As I am about to dash back to open grounds, I feel an unordinary amount of energy behind me. I dodge to the side, but there I feel the same thing, once again behind me. Realizing that I can''t move my body fast enough to dodge it, I blink somewhere nearby.


    However, I once again feel it, and can''t react fast enough. The most I can do is tilt my torso as an overwhelming feeling of paines from my left arm before I realize that the unordinary energy is the same as the energy beam shot out of the van that day.


    Looking at where my arm used to be, I see blood gushing out.


    Suddenly, Juno appears in front of me and ces her palm which is radiating extreme heat on where the blood ising from. I resist the pain and try not to think of the disgusting smell as she finishes what she started.


    In the few seconds that I stood and waited for her to finish, I felt an unknown energy building up within me. It''s starting to make me feel like I''ll go insane if I don''t move anytime soon.


    Having locked on the locations of where I presume the energy beams were released from, I make my to one of them in seconds.


    The first thing that catches my attention is a futuristic-looking weapon. The happen has a container attached to it which happens to be empty.


    I''m guessing that whatever was inside that container was released through that weapon as the energy beam...


    I notice that no one seems to be around. Was the weapon timed to shoot? Is it remotely controlled? I then think of another possibility before using irvoyance to check the surrounding area while moving around.


    My head is starting to hurt... I need to kill...


    A few secondster, I find him running away. I immediately rush to where he is and crush him by kicking him from the back as he drives through the ground while I''m riding while I''m still on his back.


    {We are about to leave the premises, but there is a roadblock preventing us from doing so.}


    Irene''s voice resounds within my head.


    How could I forget?! I had forgotten and only thought about killing everyone here...


    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I move toward where they are at, using the weird bond between Irene and me to locate them.


    Upon reaching the location, the first that I see that everyone is in the vehicle we used to get here.


    Looking forwards, I see two heavy armour trucks blocking the road with two of the energy weapon in front of them. The containers this time aren''t empty and contain a blue-white liquid.


    I utilize Holy sh but manipte the shes making them stop at either side of the weapon and trucks. The men standing there are rmed, but before they cant react, I snap the fingers on my left hand.


    The next moment, the two "shes" extend toward each other, splitting anything theye in contact with.


    Upon making contact with the containers, they explode. A beautiful explosion. No mes, just blue shockwaves as everything in the vicinity disintegrates. Thankfully, the car they were in is far, or else they would''ve been caught up in the explosion.


    Taking a look at the huge crater that formed, I use Light Maniption to form a bridge of light and contact Irene, ordering her to tell the driver to drive.


    {Berserk: Hunter terminated.}


    I heard Irene''s voice as a wave of pain washed over me. Shaking the feelings away, I move back to where the... massacre urred and check for any survivors.


    To my delight, Juno had finished all of them off, except the one that I had knocked out.


    Time for some interrogation...


    ------


    After forcefully having woken him up, I "nicely" asked for information. He responded in kind as he began telling me everything he knew.


    At the end of it, there was a kindling hope of survival, but before he could realize what was happening, I finished him off with a light kick.


    ording to what he had said, the organization they''re a part of is called Legion. It is lead by an extremely powerful guy that is rarely seen. This organization collects "samples" and extracts powers from them to make it "useful".


    The "samples" are children with abilities. Ever since the appearance of the leader, there has been a boost in the research of ability extraction and usage. There was one thing that everyone was aware of. The leader was obsessed with someone.


    And that person is me. He has been keeping an eye on me; waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike me. When the guy was telling me about how obsessed with me the leader was, Juno confirmed that he is an Unknown. Most likely a 2nd Rank one.


    How the hell do I deal with this? Is this se-


    Before I can finish my thoughts, I feel an extremely quick projectileing my way. Exhausted from the battle, I am unable to dodge as the projectile directly pierces my nape.


    My vision darkens as I feel the energy leaving my body and fall to the ground.

 Chapter 35: An impossible memory ; Juno *NSFW*

    Chapter 35: An impossible memory ; Juno *NSFW*


    *****


    WARNING: Sexual content - AKA- smut, lemons or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Don''t read if below 18. (Not that anyone gives a damn about warnings.)


    *****


    Weird. This feeling... it''s like... I exist and I don''t at the same time. I can''t feel myself. Physically and existentially. No. I should exist if I am able to "think".


    The void in my surrounding begins to change and I find "myself" in a clean asylum-like structure.


    "My" body is moving without my will, and I don''t have the least bit of control on it. The only exnation is that I am seeing events through someone else''s eyes.


    That someone is currently looking around, looking for someone or something. He finally stops looking when he spots a certain figure that is running towards him- Ayumi.


    "Big Brother Yu!" she screams. How weird... I don''t "recall" this ever happening. Open closer observation I can see that Ayumi is exactly the same age as she currently should be based on her looks.


    Don''t tell me... This is the present and I''ve lost control over the body?


    Ughhh.


    As the intense pain goes away, I find him running through the corridor while an rm is ring.


    However, I can hear several voices, even though no one is in sight. All of them are calling out for help or they want to leave somewhere.


    "This voice... I can tell who it is and find the location."


    He suddenly mutters.


    "Big Brother, can you hear me? It''s me, Yu!", he suddenly exims.


    "Yu?" a voice that seems to being from everywhere responds.


    "You took that kind of ability? It will make a huge mess if they find out!", the voice continues.


    Huh?


    "That''s how big the current situation is! Ayumi developed an ability strong enough to bring down this facility, so they n on dissecting her!"


    WHAT?! What the hell!? What is this guy saying?! It can''t be...


    "I will save you Big Brother, so do your time-leap and save us all," Yu says.


    Wait. Time-leap? Could it be? I think I kind of understand what is going on... Whatever is happening right now is a past that was avoided by a leap in time. However, if that''s the case how did Yu get to keep memories of it?


    As he is running, all gates are shut, then gas is released through vents. As soon as it seems like all his hope is lost, a blonde guy phases through a wall in front of him.


    "Why do I have to do this for a sisterplex like you?", the guy says, panting.


    "What the hell-", before Yu can finish what he wants to say, the guy interrupts him by saying,


    "Take my power and go. Quick, we don''t have much time!"


    What is this guy even talking about?


    "Are you sure?", Yu hesitates as sounds of footsteps are getting closer behind him.


    "Just do it!"


    The next moment, my vision changes from Yu''s perspective to the blonde guy''s. Possession? Why is he doing it and what do they mean by taking powers?


    My questions are answered a few secondster as Yu returns to his body just in time to be pushed into the wall by the blonde guy.


    He phases through it...


    Ughhhh.


    This pain... It''s going to kill me one day...


    Huh? Yu is now panting really hard as he phases through a metallic door andes before a grey-haired guy who''s strapped and blindfolded.


    Raising his arm, a burst of wind is released from his palm and cuts the straps.


    "It''s been a while Yu, but I must get going immediately."


    "Right... I''m leaving the rest to you Big Brother."


    Right after he uttered those words everything just vanishes from my "sight". A dark void that has no end. That''s all I can "see".


    Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of a pink dot in the distance. Focusing my eyes doesn''t seem to make any difference for my sight.


    I can''t move, but that doesn''t seem to be the case for the pink "dot" as it keeps on getting closer to me.


    Now, it''s starting to look like the figure of a human. The person seems to be waving at me cheerfully...


    Before I can make out any of their characteristics everything disappears.


    ------ ( NSFW, my first time writing one. Don''t be harsh on me _()_/ )


    Opening my eyes, I find myself in an exquisite room. I lift my body from the bed I''m lying on and take a look around.


    The first thing I notice is that I am naked. My clothes are neatly folded and ced on a chair in the room. Weird. It should be pretty bloody due to what happened today.


    Sensing some movement to my left, I look in the direction and instantly get stupefied by what I see.


    ...


    ...


    Juno?!


    Why is she lying beside me naked?


    Most of her lower body is covered with a nket, but her torso is in the open for me to see.


    Her modest breasts coupled with two small pink cherries are the first thing to catch my sight. However, that doesn''tst long, as I see the smooth skin and can''t help but admire how fair it is.


    Moving my sight from her body to her face, I find her staring at me with her blue eyes, a smile on her face.


    "Enjoying it, aren''t you?", she says in a tempting tone.


    She moves her body and repositions herself in a way that lets me see her proportions more clearly.


    I take in a deep breath and behold her perfect body.


    This is much harder than I thought... It''s like there is something pushing me to do it... I can''t even think properly. Damnit!


    While I am fighting against something unknown, mentally, I feel Juno''s hand on mine. I look and see her guiding it to her breasts.


    I cup a feel of her right breast as her nipple pokes out in between my fingers.


    So soft...


    Her breasts seem to be the perfect size as they fit into my palm just fine. I squeeze it and enjoy the sticity to the fullest.


    "No need to hold back.", A whisper resounds within my ears like that of a devil. A sensuous devil, that is.


    Unable to hold back myself anymore, I shift my body and mount her.


    Beneath me, she remains unmoving as she gazes into my eyes with a reddish hue now visible on her cheeks.


    Lust overtakes my mind as I lower my head and snatch her lips.


    I taste pure sweetness as my tongue intertwines with her''s.


    I hold her body close to myself as I continue to kiss her passionately.


    After a while, I lean back and observe her once more.


    Her blush has deepened, and her eyes have a desirous look in them. They are requesting for warmth. I can tell.


    I get off of her and move the nket that''s covering her dainty legs away.


    Her skin is smooth with not even a single strand of hair noticeable.


    I begin stroking her soft thigh with my right hand while using my left one to y with her privates.


    Juno seems to be enjoying it as she starts to moan, albeit lightly.


    Looking carefully, I see a glistening stream of liquid flowing out from her. I move my finger and slowly insert it inside.


    This seems to send a jolt up her spine as she flinches in response.


    Not wishing to hurt her, I stop for a few seconds before gradually continuing.


    She grabs my arm with her hand and says while gasping,


    "Take me."


    Yeah, just as I was starting to get heated up myself.


    I move so that I am in front of her as she spreads her legs wide. I position my shaft along her entrance.


    Then, I slowly move my body forward and prate her tight hole. There is a little resistance as streaks of blood flow out from her.


    It feels like I''m being squeezed from all sides as a warmth envelops my rod.


    Grabbing her arms, I pull her towards myself and seal her lips, while gently caressing her back and feeling her up.


    It doesn''t take me long to put her down and begin slowly moving inside of her.


    After a few minutes, her skin begins to take on a ruddy hue as her body is covered in sweat from head to toe.


    Her moans are enticing, urging me to move faster.


    Time passes as we share dozens of passionate deep kisses and change positions numerous times.


    Sensing that I''m about to climax. I keep on pounding her from behind, pull her in for onest kiss before releasing my seeds inside of her.


    Juno lets out a long moan of ecstasy before weakly dropping onto the now-soaked bed.


    ------ (NSFW ends.)


    Having done the deed, we clean ourselves up by taking a bath together. I asked her for a brief exnation of what happened.


    So, apparently the projectile that pierced my nape was a specialized bullet. Its specific purpose is not clear as of now.


    Enraged, Juno "hurt" the guy a little, before cing my body in one of the vehicles the Legion came to the ce with and drove away from the location, to a hotel.


    In the hotel, Juno channelled her own form of energy into my body that helped me regenerate the lost arm making use of my body''s special constitution.


    Once she is done exining, I establish contact with Irene and ask her of the situation at where she is. She replies,


    "Everyone is worried about Father, but I managed to convince them that Father is safe."


    I wonder how she did it.


    "Okay, tell them that I should be there soon. Also, tell the grey-haired, no... Tell Shun that I am expecting an exnation for whatever the hell this mess is all about.


    "Affirmative. I shall do as Father says."


    Man... A lot is going on. What should I do? I can''t let these guys return whenever they want and hurt someone close to me. Those weapons of theirs are no joking matter. If they somehow develop it further... I can''t even begin to imagine the oue if that happened.


    The main issue is that an Unknown is the one inciting all this trouble. A 2nd Rank one at that. If I recall correctly, 2nd Rank Unknowns would stop at nothing to hunt down anomalies. This means that if I stay away from here the chances of everyone being dragged into the mess greatly decrease.


    However, I don''t know where to go. There is also what I saw in that "memory" or "vision". ording to it, there is more to my ability in this tform than just possession, and logically speaking, it should be something like taking other people''s abilities for myself.


    I don''t know much about it for now, so I can''t overuse it.


    Shun has a lot to exin to me, and I will make sure he does exin without leaving a single thing out. I''m not taking any unnecessary risks that could be avoided by having info about them.


    ~~~~~~ [Bonus: Short Story]~~~~~~


    Once upon a time, a little angel lived happily in heaven. She spent her time living a life full of joy.


    The one thing that the little angel didn''t like, was the existence of all evil and foolishness in the world.


    One day, while she was walking around in the Garden of Eden, she came across an elderly-looking man with a white beard.


    The elderly-looking man nces at her and says with a smile,


    "Hello, little one. The heavens seem to be quite fond of you. It''s been determined that a wish of yours will be granted. I hope you make use of it wisely."


    The angel quickly says,


    "I wish for all that is evil and foolish to no longer exist."


    The elderly-looking man frowns and responds to her,


    "That''s not possible. Where would it all go?"


    The little angel bobs her to the side and thinks for a few moments before replying,


    "Then, I wish all the evil and foolishness in the world to be collected in one being."


    In response to her words, the elderly-looking man strokes his beard with an appreciative smile.


    And thus, the most revolting man in the history of mankind was born- Grandpa Joe.

 Chapter 36: Rendezvous ; Past ; How I ruined it all with my appearance

    Chapter 36: Rendezvous ; Past ; How I ruined it all with my appearance


    "Let''s go. They''re waiting for us.", I say as I motion to Juno to follow me.


    We''re not driving. We are going to run to where the rest are at. Wouldn''t that cause us trouble? I''m pretty sure several explosions and gunshots that happened a while ago is a good distraction.


    Juno is able to barely keep up with my speed while I am not using Godspeed. It makes me wonder... what is she? What am I?


    Like, I have to be SOMETHING for me to create the System and all the other inexplicable stuff. Whenever I feel like I''ve discovered all my powers, something new just pops up through a coincidence.


    Speaking of powers, how is my Essence Energy at the moment? I assume all that warfare from before had drained it. A while has passed though, so I can''t be sure. Oh, right! Juno did say something about coption with someone of equal power will restore my Essence. Could she be one such person?


    Once I check it, I am a little surprised by the fact that it''s at max. However, there is also a different feeling to it. Something has changed. It feels like it has expanded...


    My stats are the same except for my humanity. It has decreased to 61%. Not that I ever bothered with it. As long as it doesn''t affect my mentality somehow, I don''t care even if it reaches zero.


    "Hey, Juno. What exactly happens when my humanity percentage reaches zero?", I ask after some careful deliberation.


    In response to my question, she just smiles back at me and doesn''t utter a single word.


    "All right, then. Keep your secrets."


    it doesn''t take us long to reach my apartment The building is still pretty damn impressive.


    After sensing the whole ce and looking at every corner through irvoyance, I head inside my apartment with Juno.


    The moment I open the door, I hear someone shout, "Wait, don''t!"


    Secondster a powerful purple ball ms into me. I hear small sobbing noises as Ayumi holds me tightly.


    I feel a throbbing inside me. Whatever Ayumi is going through is rted to me one way or another. I wish I could just put an end to whatever the hell is happening right now and terminate whoever it is that is inciting it.


    I gently stroke Ayumi''s back as I hug her. Behind Ayumi, the rest appear with some additional people...


    Shun, Nao, and the brown-haired high schooler are there. Aside from them, there is the orange-haired girl, a blonde guy who resembles the one in the "recollection" I had recently, and finally, a blue-haired guy who seems to have a lot of experience as a big brother based on his expression.


    I send a re at Shun''s direction. He better have prepared his exnation.


    We all head inside and take a seat. Irenees out of Ayumi''s room and takes a seat on myp like it''s the most natural thing to do.


    "Father is displeased with your actions. You better take actions to make up for your foolish actions, lest something unfortunate ensues."


    Before I or anyone for that matter could say anything, Irene says in a threatening tone as she res at Shun.


    Oh wow. I think she really might be my daughter.


    Juno and I don''t feel anything wrong, but that doesn''t seem to be the case with the rest.


    They''re all visibly nervous as beads of sweat appear on their foreheads. I don''t know what it is, but it must be Irene''s doing, so I pat her head. Everyone seems to be instantly relieved as she leans back and snuggles in my arms.


    Shun takes a deep breath before beginning his exnation over what happened in the past.


    ------


    A long time ago, aet was spotted near the Earth. It had a long trail and looked absolutely stunning. Once theet had gone past Earth, supernatural events began to ur. Not the usual ghost, UFO or yeti spotted but shaky or unclear camera kind of supernatural events.


    It was more about children with superpowers. These children, being the teens they were, began pretending to be superheroes or doing other retarded actions that led to attracting the attention of scientists.


    Scientists being who they were, began to gather them and experimenting on their bodies.


    In order to change things, Shun decided to make use of his ability, Time-Leap, to travel back in time and work with the rest. Albeit, this ability came at the cost of his eyesight.


    It took him a lot to convince the rest as they didn''t remember him after the leap through time, but in the end, they managed to create safe-houses which happened to be schools for ability wielders.


    The thing that surprised me most was that the brown-haired high schooler that drove us to the hidden base was the same creep that always came to our clubroom and told us the location of ability users.


    The story doesn''t end there. Shun continues to speak of how peaceful everyone''s life was and how happy they all were, until one day, the Legion attacked.


    The Legion was an organization that was established by an unknown individual of immense power. This organization helped scientists out... A LOT. Most of the research they had trouble with was solved with the appearance of Legion, which made the war between the ability users and benefit-seeking adults unstable.


    It became easy for them to kidnap ability users all over the globe and freely research on them. What everyone found weird about Legion, was that they didn''t seem to have a goal, unlike the scientists who simply wished to utilize the abilities they experimented on in various ces.


    Well, I do know their purpose now. I wonder how they will react if they know that the reason they are in this mess right now is because of me.


    His exnation ends with us being kept away from himself. Why didn''t we remember him? Because one day, the orange-haired girl, whose name is Medoki, and the blue-haired guy-Maedomari, came over to our house. Medoki used her ability to make Ayumi lose consciousness before doing the same to me.


    Then, Maedomari used his ability to erase our memories of Shun.


    These abilities sure are handy... but, they all have their own issues. Medoki is unable to use her ability consecutively, while Maedomari takes time to erase memories and has to be in physical contact with them to do it.


    I wonder if I can take their powers if I possess everyone here right now... Heck, I could go around taking everyone''s superpowers... wouldn''t that be fun? I wonder how the Legion and the scientists would respond to my actions.


    Now that I think about it, that''s the most efficient course of action to take in order to deal with all of the current issues I am facing.


    Wait. My ability is sort of weird. Everyone I''ve met up until now that had an ability, had some kind of limitation. Not sure about the Telekinesis and Thoughtography though.


    Surely, my cheat ability has a setback of some sort.


    "Father can always integrate with the power Father wants to get rid of the side effects of."


    Goddamnit, Irene! Don''t just pop out of nowhere and interrupt my thoughts within my mind! Forget that. How do I integrate with a power?


    "That''s simple. But, be advised that Father may integrate with five powers at most. Upon getting rid of the bond formed, all progress with the power will be reset other than your ownprehension of it."


    Well, I don''t think that taking other people''s abilities is a weak power. I''ll do it.


    "Invoke - " (Literally means "integration".)


    The moment I chant the word that she told me, I focus on the ability and a bright red floating rectangle appears in front of me. Written on it- Plunder.

 Chapter 37: Integration - Plunder

    Chapter 37: Integration - Plunder


    The moment I chant and mentally choose the power I wish to integrate with, I feel something being engraved onto my being. It feels like my existence is being altered in some way. Once it goes away, there is a new rectangle detailing plunder in front of me:


    ----------------


    Plunder I [V]


    {The maximum distance is 10m. | Possession time - 3 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3.}


    --- Primary Ability (0/1) ----


    N/A


    --- Secondary Abilities (0/5) ---


    N/A


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    N/A


    --- Irregr (1/?) ---


    - Flight I [III]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5 km/s.}


    --- Unassigned ---


    - Telekinesis I [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | User can only lift objects with simr or less mass to themself. | Maximum velocity is 172 m/s. | Maximum range is 5m.}


    - Thoughtography


    {Unlimited usage.}


    ----------------


    The window disyed is surprisingly simple. It describes the limitations of my powers, which doesn''t seem to be much for the few that I currently have. I am confused over the primary, secondary and tertiary categories though, so I had Irene exin them to me.


    As I expected, it has a notable impact on how my abilities work. An ability that is assigned to the primary section tiers up significantly faster than the rest and works at its best. However, secondary abilities tier up much slower and work at half their best.


    As for tertiary abilities... An infinite amount can be assigned and used, but work at 1/10 of their best and can only be used twice a day.


    Assigning abilities for the first time has no setbacks, but that''s not the case forter. A newly assigned primary ability will be unusable for 6 hours, while it''s 3 hours for secondary. As for tertiary, it''s 10 minutes.


    It''s simply a wonderful ability. The only issue is finding ability users. Legion has been gathering them up, so it might be a little hard to find useful abilities... For now, I will assign telekinesis as my primary ability. I will leave Thoughtography as unassigned, as I don''t really know how it could be useful.


    "Integrated powers can be used in other tforms, but they will be limited like your parameters, depending on the way the tform operates. Tiering up your abilities should be your top priority as of this moment. You never know what the ultimate form of your ability could be.", Irene exins.


    "What about the usage of integrated powers in the Rift?"


    "No limitations other than the one that is already designated to it and it''s sub-powers."


    Ain''t that convenient. Thinking about the Rift, I miss Sora so much... Would she miss me like this if time wasn''t frozen? Thinking about it, what will happen to tforms I leave?


    "You are able to freeze time in tforms as well. However, you are able to that to two tforms at most."


    Great. It really is. Saves me from a lot of issues. Now that I have enough info, it''s about time I get started with my n.


    I take a look at everyone who is speaking to each other about a certain topic and say in a firm tone,


    "I will fight them."


    My words attract the attention of everyone as they stop talking and listen to me,


    "I will fight with Legion. Their purpose is to get rid of me, so instead of waiting for them to set another trap for me, I can just take the battle to where they''re at."


    They all have different reactions to my words. Confusion, bewilderment, and even scorn.


    "And what can you do?", the blonde guy taunts.


    As I am about to respond to his words, a certain someone bellows,


    "Insolence! How dare you insult Father!"


    The moment her words fade out, a wave of energy sts the blonde from where he is and ms him into the wall. I wish to put an end to this, but before I could do so, Irene disappears and reappears standing on top the guy who is now on the ground grunting in pain. She proceeds to point her finger at him.


    Two secondster, the guy begins to scream as if he is experiencing the most painful torture in the world.


    Before things can get even more out of hand, Imand,


    "Irene, stand down."


    She instantly blinks from her location back to myp and responds in a respectful tone,


    "Certainly, Father."


    What a good girl. I don''t feel any pity for the guy. He had iting. I mean, he could''ve worded it nicely, but he didn''t.


    While I am patting Irene''s head, everyone is staring at her with abject horror. Understandable.


    "Uhm... who is she? Why is she calling you her father? And most importantly what just happened?"


    Once again, before I can respond, Irene says,


    "Don''t bother Father with such worthless inquiries. I was created by Father. Calling Father in the proper ways is only natural. As for yourst question, you are not worthy of knowing."


    Couldn''t have worded it better. I''m still confused over me being her father part, but I''ll find out sometime when I get my memories back.


    Not giving them a chance to ask anything else, I continue with my earlier words,


    "I''m nning to use Plunder."


    Aww. Their reaction to my words is priceless. They are all so shocked and confused.


    "When did you find out?", asks Nao with a slight re.


    "Would you believe me if I said - right now?"


    She doesn''t respond and just stares into my eyes.


    "What do you mean by saying is Legion looking for you?", Shun focuses on the vital part. Not bad.


    "My ability is rather amazing, is it not?", I respond with a cheeky smile.


    He has a look of realization dawning upon him as he nods his head in acknowledgement. Now that I think about it, how would his time-leap be affected by the integration if I plunder him?


    "Not applicable.", Irene answers my thoughts.


    "Father''s aura has yet to stabilize. Time-rted abilities are nullified by the aura exuded from Father."


    Well, I''d be damned. It could''ve been so useful... The second ability that I find useful would be Ayumi''s copse. As long as I don''t crush myself, it is an amazing ability.


    I look into her eyes that have been staring at me for the whole time I''ve been here and use Plunder.


    My vision changes for exactly three seconds before I find myself back in my body.


    "Did you just...", the brown-haired highschooler, Kumagami, says in an uncertain voice.


    "Oh, he did.", affirms Medoki.


    What are they getting so worked up for? There is no way that I would want my Ayumi to have an ability that could wreck buildings. I would have removed it if I could, and now that I can, I did it.


    "Take mine as well.", says Nao after a while.


    Noticing the worry and resolution in her voice, I look in her direction before nodding and using Plunder.


    Everyone after that decides to let me take away their powers. Apparently, they couldn''t do much with it in their daily lives, so they weren''t that fond of them.


    Now that I''ve gotten their abilities, I immediately assign those that I find useful while checking out the limitations:


    ----------------


    Plunder I [V]


    {The maximum distance is 10m. | Possession time - 3 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3.}


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis I [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | User can only lift objects with simr or less mass to themself. | Maximum velocity is 172 m/s. | Maximum range is 5m.}


    --- Secondary Abilities (4/5) ---


    - Permeation I [III]


    {Can be used up to four times a day.}


    - Location I [III]


    {Can be used up to five times a day. | Range limit - 5 km. | uracy = 46%}


    - Hypnotism I [V]


    {Can be used up to three times a day. | Requires direct eye contact.}


    - Copse


    {Can be used up to two times a day. | Requires a stressed brain to trigger. | Range limit - 50 m.}


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    N/A


    --- Irregr (4/?) ---


    - Flight I [III]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5 km/s.}


    - Memory Erasure I [IV]


    {Unlimited usage | Requires physical contact | Time need to initiate the erasure process is five minutes.}


    - Imperfect Invisibility I [X]


    {Unlimited usage | Can be imperceptible for one target.}


    - Time-Leap (?)


    {N/A}


    --- Unassigned ---


    - Thoughtography


    ----------------


    Perfect. Time to bring chaos upon Legion and that Unknown.


    "Hey dude, could you stop with the sinister grin?"


    "..."


    -------Author''s Note (Long-ish).-------


    There ya go! Took me a while to think of this. So... It''s about damn time the real action began. I''ve been looking forward to this ever since I got Victor to travel to Charlotte. Got any ideas about anything rted to this story? Comment!


    Apparently, most of my readers are here for the harem. Why do I think so? Because of the likes on the tags. I will be grateful if you guys like certain tags that you enjoy so that I can know what to put more focus on in the future. Thank you for reading. Have a good day/night! ~ExalF


    P.S:- My final assessment examinations have begun, so if updates are unstable during this time period... Gomen ne. Should be done by June 20th.


    P.P.S:- I changed the limit of plunder to... no limit.

 Chapter 38: Misa Kurobane

    Chapter 38: Misa Kurobane


    NOTE: I removed the limit on the amount of plunders in a day because it was worthless.


    ----------------


    "Wait! Brother Yu! Don''t go!"


    Ayumi finally exims. I have been monitoring her heartbeat rate and expression, so I was somewhat expecting this.


    "I must go, Ayumi." I sincerely state.


    "Why?!", she probes as she gets on her feet and stands right in front of me with a look of displeasure on her face.


    "Wait, Ayumi. Yo-", before Shun can finish what he wants to say, Irene shuts him up with a re.


    I get up on my feet and slowly approach Ayumi. Once close enough, I lower myself and embrace her tightly and whisper,


    "It is extremely important for me to go right now. If I don''t we might not be together in the future."


    At my words, she flinches and wraps her own small arms around me. I continue to whisper,


    "I promise nothing is going to happen to me. Remember our promises? I''m not leaving for anywhere before I can take you to the observatory. There is also camping, right?"


    She doesn''t reply and continues to hug me.


    Knowing that she''s probably going through a lot, I decided to let her hug as much as she wants while patting her head.


    ------


    "So here is what we are going to be doing.", I begin when nighttime has arrived. Looking at Ayumi is deeply asleep, then back to Irene and Juno, I continue,


    "I will be going around and actively plundering abilities. Based on how the Legion acts and the one that leads them, they should make an appearance soon."


    "I''m sure that my actions will mostly distract them from everyone around me, however, I would like Irene to stay and protect them just in case."


    Her response to my words is a firm confirmation.


    "Juno, you will be joining me in my journey of taking down Legion. I''m sure your Thermal Maniption wille in handy when dealing with their bases."


    ------


    Next morning, after bidding farewell to Ayumi, I head to my school with Juno. My objective is to meet up with Yusa, or more specifically, Misa.


    As expected, Juno''s appearance attracts the attention of everyone. Simply put, her beauty is otherworldly. Actually, for all I know, that could precisely be it.


    Once at school, I call out to Yusa who is still being surrounded by students. She happily follows me as I take her to somewhere that is exempt from students. I''ve told Juno to wait for me, as this shouldn''t take that long.


    "I want to speak to Misa." I immediately tell her.


    Yusa looks confused for a seconds before it changes to a scowl as her pupils be red in colour.


    "What do you want from me?", she directly asks me.


    "Long story short, I have the ability to take away people''s abilities, and I am nning to do the same to you and Yusa. The reason for that is, I''m going to be taking away every ability ever to fight with a criminal organization."


    In response to my words, she looks at me with contempt as she says,


    "You''re insane."


    I probably am. That doesn''t matter for now. I need to get this done with.


    "Don''t you want to meet your parents once again?"


    Misa''s eyes squint as she stares at me for a few seconds before asking,


    "Do you think I''m in the position to do so? They live deep in the Nagano mountains. I can''t even find the time to get there. Doing so would ruin Yusa''s daily schedule."


    Got the location. I grab my phone and find where those mountains are and the distance from here. Once I''ve memorized the details, I approach Misa, lift her and hold her in a princess carry.


    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing?!", she exims as she punches my side. It felt like a light tap...


    "I''m taking you to you''re parents.", I announce.


    "Stop! Whatever it is you''re doing. I''ve already disappointed them once while I was alive. I can''t face them like this."


    The anxiety in her voice serves to confirm my suspicions. Alright. Let''s do this.


    I imagine myself floating up from the ground. And that''s exactly what happens in reality.


    "O-o-oi! You''re flying?! Let me down!"


    I ignore her as I increase my speed and several secondster, I find myself floating hundreds of meters above the academy.


    Looking in the direction of the Nagano mountains, I immediately begin to fly towards there at max speed.


    At the speed we''re going at, I feel like we are riding a motorcycle in the sky. It''s a fresh experience.


    After a while, we get to the mountains. I probe Misa to tell me of the location. In the beginning, she was rather reluctant, but as time passed, it felt as if her hopes of meeting with her parents increased.


    After she told me about the location that her parents work at, which happens to be a Soba Noodles shop, I fly over there andnd right in front of the wooden structure.


    This attracts a lot of attention as people who are present begin to freak out and grab their phone to record me.


    I ignore them as I pull Misa''s hand and go over to where her parents are at.


    "Yusa?!", a rough voice suddenly exims.


    Misa''s palm starts to get a little sweaty. I can''t me her for it though.


    "Who is that?", the man immediately asks as he stares at the hand holding onto his daughter''s.


    Taking in a deep breath, I say,


    "Good day to you sir, ma''am. I''d like to talk to you guys regarding a very important matter. It regards yourte daughter, Misa."


    The man''s eyes immediately widen at the mention of Misa. I hear a nging as the wife drops a pan she was holding.


    They don''t ask any further questions and just let us inside. There, I begin to tell them about the existence of the supernatural and how theirte daughter is right now in her little sister''s body.


    Naturally, they thought that I was nuts and the father got mad at me for "spouting nonsense".


    I shake my head lightly in response before cing my hand over Misa''s shoulder and whisper into her ear before leaving the store,


    "I leave the rest to you. Don''t forget that I am here. If things start to get tough, you can lean on my shoulder."


    ------


    I take a look at the highschooler that is currently lying on the ground unconscious. Then, I take a look at the new ability that I acquired - Energy Drain.


    -Energy Drain. I [V]


    {Unlimited usage | Requires direct contact.}


    Interesting. Could be useful. It''s listed under the irregr category and has unlimited usage. The direct contact part can be a bit annoying though.


    I wonder how fast is the draining rate...


    Having done what I needed to, I head back to the Soba noodles store. There, I find Misa already waiting for me. Her eyes are swollen, it seems like she has cried huh...


    As soon as Ind on the ground, I approach her then pull her into my embrace.


    "What are you doing?!", she asks me menacingly. I foresaw such a reaction.


    "I just felt like it."


    She returns the hug for a short while before backing off and saying,


    "This is unfair."


    I understand what she''s getting at. She''s going to be going away just like this...


    "Here, give this to Yusa.", she says as she hands me a letter.


    "I''ve already prepared myself. Do it.", she then says in a resolute tone.


    Well, yeah, but before that...


    I appear right in front of her and directly kiss her lips. It''s not a long kiss, but rather just a small peck.


    "You...", she says as she ces her right hand on her mouth.


    It sure feels weird to kiss someone who is possessing another''s body. Not that I care.


    I immediately use Plunder on her.


    {Looted: Spiritism, Pyrokinesis}


    Irene, secure her soul! There is no way in hell I''m going to let her go away just like this. I''m keeping her, as selfish as this might be. She canin all she wantster.


    {Affirmative.}


    I feel a slight suction in the air as invisible particles are absorbed into my body.


    {Code Status: Storing one soul.}


    "Huh? What happened? Why is Yusarin here?", she asks, perplexed, at her current situation.


    "I brought you here to meet your parents, and I also have something for you from a certain someone."

 Chapter 39: Plundering Spree ; Immortal Challengers of Hades

    Chapter 39: Plundering Spree ; Immortal Challengers of Hades


    Having returned to school with Yusa, I go over to where Juno is at and inform her that we''re leaving. However, before we leave the school premises, I use Location to locate someone that has "Ability Erasure".


    I go over to where he is at and carefully plunder the ability from him. I then check out my new ability that falls under the irregr section.


    Ability Erasure:


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 5 m}


    I immediately put the ability to use as I get rid of any ability wielder I am able to locate in the school premises that I deem useless. While doing this, I locate an ability that could be useful- Gift.


    I go over to where the guy is at and immediately loot the ability from him.


    Gift:


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 15m | Lasts for 5 minutes.}


    Having cleared up the school, I head over to the city centre and begin using my ability to find ability users all over. Thus, begins my ability erasure spree, in which I rarelye across any ability that could be useful. However, I do find one unusual ability-


    Organic Constructs:


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum amount of constructs that can be active at once is 2.}


    ------


    While I''m going around in the city, I sense an abnormality. Looking over to take look, I see a repeat of the telekic user''s kidnapping incident. It''s basically the same scenario, but this time, the victim has their ability which is: Insight.


    I don''t know what it is, but it seems useful and besides, I can''t just let them have it.


    Signalling to Juno to just follow along without taking any action, we pursue the van to wherever it''s heading to. Better to pull the weed out from the roots.


    The van continues to drive for a while, far away from the city and going to somece away from society.


    I expected no less from an organization that experiments on children. I''ll just wipe them out at one fell swoop.


    As we continue to follow them, something catches my attention up ahead. A building. A humungous building.


    However, this isn''t exactly what caught my attention. No, it''s the group of children who are jumping terrific heights fighting against armed men with only their fists and legs that caught my attention.


    Focusing my eyesight, I see that some of the children are shot, yet they continue to fight with their extraordinary strengths.


    One of them was even shot in the head, yet, even that wasn''t enough to make him fall as he continues to fight.


    Interesting. Are they immortal or are they using some kind of method to keep the bullets from puncturing through their flesh?


    Deciding that it''s about time I did something, I dash towards the van with Godspeed activated. The moment I am close enough, I use Pyrokinesis to melt the tires, destabilizing the van, before I get inside using Permeation and instantly killing two of the three men off before using Hypnotism on thest one.


    I take a quick nce at the victim who is staring at me with widened eyes before grabbing her and splitting the van vertically in half. I jump out of the van, carefully holding the victim in one arm while pulling the man that I had knocked out with the other.


    I ce her down on the ground and watch as the van, or at least what''s left of it, roll over and explode.


    What a beautiful explosion...


    "Please save my sister! I will give you however much money you want!", the girl suddenly exims with desperation apparent in her tone.


    Looking at her, I just notice that she has this "noble" aura to her. I guess she''s a youngdy of some nouveau rich family.


    "What do you mean?" I probe out of curiosity.


    "You''re one of us aren''t you? My sister is the leader of the Immortal Challengers of Hades, Veronica Angevin."


    Who? And what the hell is with that cheesy name. It couldn''t get any worse. Did a bunch of drunk teenagerse up with it to fight against their depression or something?


    I want to ask her some more questions, but I''m not given the chance as we suddenly, we hear the sound of an explosion.


    "No!!!", screams the girl as she looks at where the explosion came from.


    I should just go over there, destroy the facility and save some teenagers'' asses while I''m at it.


    ---3rd Person POV---


    They failed. Miserably.


    She takes a look at her right arm that is lying on the ground, and with it any hope of survival she had washed away.


    They hade here to rendevous with the original establishment, but who would have known that they would run into a destroyed building before men appeared out of seemingly nowhere and kidnapped them.


    They were brought over to the facility to be tested on, but before they could start, she managed to use her ability somehow to turn the only one that hasn''t been turned into a vampire.


    She experienced intense pain and was exhausted when she did it, but it was worth it if they could escape.


    s, their resistance was futile, as here they are facing several weapons that mankind shouldn''t even be capable of producing, awaiting their inevitable death.


    Closing her eyes, Veronica thinks of her only sister.


    "I''m sorry..." she mutters as she watches the, what seems to be a sma-ster, aimed at her ready to erase her from existence.


    Closing her eyes, she awaits her death. However, it doesn''te even after a dozen seconds have passed.


    She opens her eyes, and the first thing that she sees are herrades alive on the ground all staring in one direction with a dazed look.


    Looking over, she sees a pair of teenagers. One of them is floating and has glowing runes all over his body, while the other is covered in purple mes.


    Three "sma-sters" are aimed at the guy and are fired.


    Before she could shout to him to watch out, he vanishes mid-air.


    The moment he reappears, most of the men that were at the brink of finishing them off all copse to the ground with various degrees of injuries on them. Most of the injuries seem to be fatal ones aimed at their vitals.


    The girl that is covered in purple mes suddenly moves and so does her mes as they spread around and cover the rest of the men, burning them to ashes in a split-second.


    Veronica stares at the pair that arrived and an ultimatum appears in her mind:


    Those two are either their salvation or their damnation.


    ----------------


    Plunder I>>II [V]


    {The maximum distance is 10>>15m. | Possession time - 3>>4 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3.}


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis I [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | User can only lift objects with simr or less mass to themself. | Maximum velocity is 172 m/s. | Maximum range is 5m.}


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    - Permeation I [III]


    {Can be used up to four times a day.}


    - Location I [III]


    {Can be used up to five times a day. | Range limit - 5 km. | uracy = 46%}


    - Hypnotism I [V]


    {Can be used up to three times a day. | Requires direct eye contact.}


    - Copse


    {Can be used up to two times a day. | Requires a stressed brain to trigger. | Range limit - 50 m.}


    -Pyrokinesis


    {Unlimited usage. | Requires at least 50% of brain focus to keep active.}


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    -Spiritualism I [IV]


    {Can be used up to three times a day. | Maximum duration of 3 minutes.}


    -Insight I [VI]


    {Can be used once a day. | Maximum duration of 10 minutes.]


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    - Flight I [III]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5 km/s.}


    - Memory Erasure I [IV]


    {Unlimited usage | Requires physical contact | Time need to initiate the erasure process is five minutes.}


    - Imperfect Invisibility I [X]


    {Unlimited usage | Can be imperceptible for one target.}


    - Time-Leap (?)


    {N/A}


    -Ability Erasure


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 5 m}


    -Gift I [V]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 15m | Lasts for 5 minutes.}


    -Organic Constructs


    {Unlimited usage. | Maximum duration of 5 minutes. | 10-second cooldown. | Maximum amount of contracts that can be active at once is 2.}


    --- Unassigned ---


    - Thoughtography


    ----------------

 Chapter 40: Demons and Vampires

    Chapter 40: Demons and Vampires


    Having finally finished off all the men in the facility, including the scientists, I return back to where those immortals were at.


    There, I find them all waiting for me vigntly. I have my deification off, so I shouldn''t be exuding an aura of superiority.


    One of them instantly catches my attention. A short girl with pink hair and blood-red eyes. Her hair is long to the point of reaching her calf and is tied into partial twintails with a pair of peculiar ck ribbons.


    She''s wearing a short ck, frilly style dress with ayer of white ruffles over ck ruffles of the skirt and torso, as well as a ck coat with red inner lining. On her arms, are detached loose sleeves with white ruffles at each end. To top her gothic style off, she wears a pair of boots that reach to her knees.


    Her clothes aren''t the only thing that I find impressive. Her looks are something else. She might even beparable to /a/lClYAdX)


    I take a look at her arm and notice that it''s there... That wasn''t the case when I first arrived here. I assume she''s immortal as well.


    She has a look on her face that says she''s had enough of it all. I wonder what she''s been through for her to be like this.


    ---3rd POV Past---


    Regret.


    That was the only thing in Krul''s mind as she thought about the attack she led on Tokyo in 2012.


    It was sessful for the most part and there weren''t any significant issues except for one. Some human children escaped. Now that wouldn''t make much of a difference if they were normal children, but that wasn''t the case with those.


    There were different ones among them, hiding from the outside until they''re mature enough to deal a blow to everyone.


    She didn''t pursue them. s, her biggest regret. Now, she has to face them off in an ultimatum where a race or several ones would go extinct. The battle that will decide the fate of all beings.


    Normally, humans wouldn''t amount to much against vampires and would instantly face loss like the 2012 incident, but things had changed. Humans resorted to curses and demons to deal with them.


    Forcefully extracting the demons and angels within themselves to gain overwhelming power.


    The battle went on for a while with neither side gaining much of an advantage over the other. That was the case until a blonde-haired human got injured.


    One of the humans began screaming out his name and fighting madly using his cursed weapon. Momentster, a pair of dark featherless wings burst out from his back.


    Everyone there knew what it represented- The Seraph.


    A few seconds following that, the human faction turned against themselves as one side held back the vampires and the other fought against the transformed guy and the bunch that protected him.


    It was futile as the guy could easily wipe out a dozen humans with the wave of a hand. But, it didn''t seem like humans would just give up. It was like they were dying it.


    After most humans and vampires had been wiped out, the answer was finally revealed. The humans brought over a human girl with patches all over her body. They injected her with a serum.


    It didn''t take long for the girl to let out a scream of agony as two pairs of golden wings extended from her body before a huge demonic being materialized in the air.


    From there, it was a battle between the demonic being who was seemingly being ordered by one of the humans and the transformed guy.


    The final moments of the battle ended with the guy sending out a pir of salt against the demonic being, before a crack formed in their surroundings and pulled vampires and humans alike into it.


    ---


    Having woken up from what seemed like deep slumber, Krul found herself in an untainted world with a group of humans and a part of her vampire faction along with Ferid.


    As if her awakening started a chain reaction, the rest began waking up as well and got into a state of alertness as they faced each other. That was especially the case when they saw that among them was the one that had be a Seraph.


    Wishing to battle, the humans attempted to summon their demonic sets, but it didn''t work out. The vampires also noticed that their powers had decreased as well as their need to feed on blood.


    No one knew how it happened, but they came to an agreement to find out where they are and what urred for them to be in the bizarre situation they found themselves in.


    After travelling for quite some time, they reached a civilization that was up and running normally, but there was a problem. They were all pointing at them and murmuring among themselves something like "cosy" and "acting".


    Thankfully, they ran into a certain someone that helped them out a lot. A noble girl that found their appearance odd so she interacted with them.


    The humans told her about themselves and the other world, which the girl surprisingly believed saying, "There are teens like me with superpowers all over the world. It''s not a surprise that there is more to the supernatural than that."


    They were curious about the superpower part, but it wasn''t the right time to ask questions.


    The girl introduced herself as Emily Angevin, and wee them to her home which was a gigantic mansion.


    They lived there normally, and Krul found herself getting along really well with the noble girl so much that they be sworn sisters.


    Never in her life would Krul have thought that she would be sworn sisters with a human girl.


    It was all peaceful until one day, kidnapping incidents began urring. It wasn''t like there weren''t any kidnapping incidents happening before, but there was a sudden spike as the rate greatly increased. It turned out that the reason for that was the establishment of an organization aiming to kidnap children with special abilities.


    A week after that, some children came up with a group that fought against said organization and decided that it was a good idea to name it "Immortal Challengers of Hades".


    Krul having been a queen before and having plenty of experience leading others was chosen to be the leader, despite her constant refusal. The human faction from their original world wasn''t very happy with it, but after living together for some time it didn''t be a big issue. The fact that the vampires hadn''t fed on any humans during the time they hade to this world and they were all weaker than how they used to be also yed a huge role in that.


    One day, it was decided that they would meet up with someone named Shunsuke Otosaka that had established various safe-houses all over Japan. They hadn''t expected that upon reaching there, they would be ambushed.


    They fought against their ambushers, but it was no use as they were equipped with some unordinary weaponry they had never seen before.


    After being taken to a facility that had children with supernatural abilities, Krul decided to have some strong ones converted into vampires to save themselves. This included a fifteen-year-old blonde girl, as well as a thirteen-year-old brown-haired girl.


    The human faction having lost their ability to summon demonic weapons were of no use during the fight that ensued between the vampires and humans.


    Their arrival had had its impact on Krul and changed her way of thinking, but it still nevertheless disgusts her to be alongside humans with the sole exception being her sworn sister.


    To top it off, they were rescued by a mysterious pair that seem to be extraordinarily powerful. Usually, those who have such power never have simple objectives. That''s what living over millennia has taught her.


    ---1st POV-Victor---


    She''s ring daggers at me, this girl. It''s as if I''ve killed her parents or something. I don''t think that she''s capable of much against me.


    "Hey, nice to meet you all.", I say, trying to sound as friendly as possible.


    "Don''t fear me. I''ve onlye to take out the facility and the men operating it."


    Juno stands at my side looking over them with me.


    I don''t know what I should do with them. There is more to them than meets the eye, I''m sure of it. Should I just plunder them and be done with it?


    "We aren''t from this world.", suddenly the short pink-haired girl deres, causing everyone''s eyes to widen.


    From the looks of it, she doesn''t seem to be lying. The shocked look on the others'' faces is more of a "why would she reveal that!" kind of look.


    Deciding to humour her, I say, "Neither are we."


    My words shock them even more as they look at me with increased vignce. What should I do? I''m curious about the world they''re from...


    "What was the world you came from like?", I inquire.


    No one responds to my words. They all just stare at me. This is going nowhere and I''m starting to feel annoyed. Should I just finish them off?


    "A world of chaos.", a voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Looking in the direction it came from, I see an adorable girl of short stature that has shoulder-length ashen hair and blood-red eyes. She''s wearing a ck sailor-like uniform. Over the dress, she''s wearing a silver belt, and on her hands are white gloves. There are 2 green stripes around the wrists of the uniform, and on the neck side, she''s wearing a dark pink bow /a/pf954pD)


    "A world that was ruined. Because of them.", she continues to say as she nces at the pink-haired girl.


    They''re separated into two groups with each girl being on one side. There is obviously an animosity between them.


    "It''s all their fault.", murmurs a ck-haired guy with emerald-green eyes, as he res at the other group, especially at an elegant looking silver-haired man.


    I ignore that for now and use my Location to check for special abilities. Lo-and-behold. There are some interesting special abilities here...


    "Sister!", a girl screams behind me as she rushes towards the pink-haired girl. I guess this means mission aplished.

 Chapter 41: Gift ; Battle

    Chapter 41: Gift ; Battle


    As I am watching the touching reunion of the sisters, Juno who''s beside me whispers,


    "Among them is an Anomaly."


    That word. She used it to describe people who could travel from one tform to another.


    "Does that mean they''ve been to the Mete?", I ask her.


    "Not necessarily. Someone with high enough spacial powers could link tforms or they could''ve been pulled into a spatial crack by an outside force."


    The first one is interesting. There is someone with such power among these people? Look at them, they''re still ring daggers at each other.


    "What will you do with them?", Juno asks me.


    What indeed. I''ve been thinking of it for a while...


    I remember looting an ability called Gift. Isn''t this the perfect opportunity to try it out? But, what ability should I Gift and to whom?


    "You will be fighting each other!", I dere, surprising everyone except the two girls from before. There is something wrong with these two.


    "And why should we listen to you?", asks the ck-haired guy with emerald-green eyes tauntingly.


    I take a good look at him and don''t see any worth in keeping him alive other than not ruining the image I''ve been trying to build up.


    "What is your name?" I ask him.


    "You''re supposed to introdu-", before he can finish what he wants to say, I punch him in the stomach and send him flying into a wall.


    Cracks form on the wall as he drops on the ground, blood flowing out of his mouth.


    "Yoichiro!", a blonde guy screams as he runs over to him.


    The rest of the group are ring at me and have entered a fighting pose. As if they could stop me.


    "Should I finish them all off?", Juno asks me in a voice loud enough for all of them to hear her.


    They shudder in response to her words as they back off a step. I do need to mention the fact that the only one that hasn''t reacted to what just happened in their group is the girl with ashen hair.


    Intriguing.


    "What is your name?", I asked her in the same way I had asked the guy.


    "Shinoa Hiiragi.", she replies almost instantly with a neutral look stered to her face.


    Much better.


    "You see...", I say as I look at the guy who is struggling to get up with the help of his friend.


    "You aren''t in any position to demand anything from me. I ask you something, you reply."


    I do understand why he did it though. A hot-blooded teenager was sent away from the world he lived in, how would it affect him? Depends. This guy, his rationality was taken away, that''s if it ever existed.


    "I won''t repeat this again. You will fight each other, however, you will be trying something out."


    Gift:


    -Insight


    -Organic Constructs


    I use Gift on the only two blonde girls here and tell them to introduce themselves.


    "Mitsuba Sangu.", says the one on Shinoa''s side.


    "Yuriko Sada.", says the other one on Veronica''s side. (OC)


    They seem a little confused as they look at their own bodies for a few seconds. Suddenly, Mitsuba''s arm begins to change shape into a ck de that seems to be about 2m long.


    On Yuriko''s side, her arm begins to change form into ws.


    Yuriko shifts herself before propels at an amazing speed towards Mitsuba and shes at her.


    Mitsuba reacts by swiftly blocking it with her de and kicking her leg and destabilizing her. Not wasting the opportunity, she splits Yuriko open horizontally.


    Wanting to finish her off, Mitsuba dashes at her, but before she could reach Yuriko, ck whip swings in her direction.


    Dodging it, she stops in her tracks as she looks at Yuriko''s arm that has now changed from the de before into the whip.


    Something interesting then happens.


    Yuriko''s bottom half re-attaches itself back to her upper body. I wonder if chopping their head off would kill them...


    The next moment, something catches my attention. Mitsuba''s legs have started to change shape as well, now resembling the legs of a monster.


    She dashes forward at a speed leagues above what she was capable of before.


    Yuriko reacts to her speed movements by changing her arms form to a shield as she blocks the sh aimed at her, however, Mitsuba shifts her body and kicks her.


    Yuriko coughs out blood as she flies across the room into the wall, shattering it.


    It''s obvious that Mitsuba has way morebat experience than Yuriko... What was the world they came from exactly like?


    "That''s enough.", I state, making Mitsuba freeze in her spot.


    "Just when it was starting to get fun. Gee~ thanks Mr. Demon.", Mitsuba says as she looks my way.


    "What did you call me?"


    "Mr. Demon. Are you not? You''re not going to tell me that you aren''t one after you''ve done all this, right?"


    Why would she think I am a demon?


    "Granting powers and making a race fight another.", she says as if she could hear my thoughts.


    "You''re mistaken.", I say with a cold smile.


    "I''m just checking whether you guys are worth keeping alive or not."


    ------


    It was decided that we were going over to the Angevin household.


    On the way there I exined to them my purpose of being in the facility and how I am seeking ability users to put an end to their misery.


    Veronica''s sister, Emily, said that she would help me out, by taking me to where most of their members are at. She trusts me a lot now that I''ve saved her sister.


    I told them about being able to send them back home, but will only do so if they support me in my battles.


    Supporting, I say, but more like a distraction for the others, allowing me to reach the Unknown.


    The vampire faction immediately agreed, but the human faction thought about it for a while before they also agreed.


    Having formed a group, I decided to name it. A simple name would do - ughterers.


    It will serve as an example of what we''re supposed to do and how we are meant to handle things.


    The human faction was against it, but once I reminded them of how the ones we are going to be ughtering have been experimenting on children, they shut up.


    ------


    "How old are you?", I ask Veronica who''s sitting beside me.


    "Older than you.", she replies nonchntly.


    Iugh at her response and state confidentially,


    "That''s impossible."


    Taking it as if I''m mocking her, she res at me as she says,


    "I''m over a thousand years old. Is it impossible now?"


    Yeah, I would''ve normally thought that she''s older than me, but that doesn''t seem to be the case. So I say to her,


    "I should be over eight millennia old."


    She immediately looks my way with a doubtful, yet, anxious look on her face. Oh? Did my agee as that much of a surprise? I wonder if she''s trying to figure out what I am.


    {Detected: Code - Abbadon}


    Irene''s voice suddenly resounds within my mind. What? There is someone with a code nearby?


    Focusing my senses, I can''t sense anyone else other than Veronica and myself.


    Hold on a moment...


    Focusing my eyes and on Veronica''s petite body, I see a bright violet glow on her chest. Great! Finally found someone with a Code.


    {It''s a newly formed one.}


    I see... But Abbadon? I wonder what it is. I feel like I''ve heard that term somewhere before, but can''t remember it.


    Now that I think about it, I don''t know how strong she is. Alright, let''s do this,


    "Veronica, fight me."


    Her eyes widen at my statement as she looks at me with a calcting look before saying,


    "You aren''t allowed to fly or transform into... other forms."


    I agree to her request as I wasn''t nning to harm all that much anyway.


    ---3rd POV---


    Under the moonlight in the open ins, stand Victor and Krul face to face. Their height difference doesn''t seem to make the air any less tense as they both prepare for their battle.


    As soon as the battle begins, they both dash at each other and throw a punch. Victor uses his other hand to smack her arm away, meanwhile Krul dodges his punch with amazing speed.


    Krul immediately sends a roundhouse kick at Victor, which he blocks with his body. Victor steps back twice from the sheer force contained in that kick. He then ms his leg into the ground, causing several rocks to lift up.


    Using Telekinesis tounch them at her.


    Krul doesn''t seem to break a sweat as she swats the rocks away with ease.


    Victor immediately dashes in her direction as mes protrude from his palms as he sends a ming punch at her.


    Krul seems to bend at an impossible angle as she dodges and sends a kick towards him, forcing him back several steps.


    Deciding to take her more seriously, Victor increases his speed and the strength as he dashes at her once again before kicking her in the side, sending her tumbling across the floor before she elegantly gets back on her feet with a manoeuvre.


    Kicking the ground, sheunches into the air and dashes at him mid-air. Victor wants to block her assault with his body, but suddenly, he notices that Krul''s body seems to be emitting a purple light as her speed increases and the magnitude of her aura multiplies several folds.


    Not taking any chances, he immediately uses Organic Constructs to form a shield with his arm and take on a defensive posture.


    However, what happened next shocked him to the core. He felt like half of the bones in his body were being smashed as he found himself propelled from where he stood.


    Stabilizing himself, he grins as blood flows out from the corner of his mouth. He says in an exhrated tone,


    "I can finally have a proper fight..."


    A split-secondter, Krul is already in front of him and sends a punch toward his chest. He immediately dodges her attack and uses his Healing Factor on himself while doing so.


    Having healed up a little, Victor feels blood flowing to his legs, arms, and head. A voice resounds within head,


    {Berserk: Tormenter unsealed.}


    His hair changed from brown with white streaks to aplete blood red as his eyes are covered in pitch-ck. His fingers change form to dark-red sharp ws.


    His movement speed seems to have multiplied as he lunges at Krul with enough momentum to break the sound barrier.


    They both attack each other, with both of the attacksnding on the other.


    Victor grunts as he''sunched backwards, while Krul lets out a scream as she holds onto her bloodied neck.


    As if the punch hadn''t affected him at all, Victor gets up and moves toward her again.


    Krul ms her leg into the ground forming a wide crater, but Victor jumps and before she could react, he pierces her sides and breaks several of her rib cages, and then proceeds to smash her leg with his own.


    In a dire situation, Krul attempts to move away from him, but before she could do so, she feels her spine breaking as a kick directlynds on it, sending her rolling for dozens of meters.


    {Berserk: Tormenter deactivated.}


    ---1st POV---


    Havinge back to my senses, I feel an extreme amount of pain all over my body. Looking at my bloodied clothes, I shake my head as I move toward where Veronica is at.


    Damn, her body is in a mess, even though she must''ve healed in the short while it took for me to get to her.


    "Impressive.", she says while lying on the ground, panting.


    "Well, thanks. I must say you''re quite impressive yourself, as you''re quite strong yourself.", I state.


    I''m being honest. Although I didn''t use my Holy Effects other than Healing Factor, she did give me a pretty hard time, which in itself is an impressive feat.


    "For impressing me, you may have an award. What do you wish for?", she deres arrogantly.


    Woah. She must''ve been quite the princess in her world. What could she even give me? Oh...


    "How about a kiss on the lips?", I respond with a grin.

 Chapter 42: Adorable Vampire (Slightly *NSFW*) ; Headquarters found

    Chapter 42: Adorable Vampire (Slightly *NSFW*) ; Headquarters found


    Whenever a new ability is disyed in the System, there will be a "(NEW)" beside it. As for the increase of parameters, tiering up and any numerical changes, there will be a ">>" indicating it.


    ~~~~


    She doesn''t react to my words in any way and just lies on the ground.


    Her injuries are still healing...


    Oh, right!


    Hey, Irene. Will my Holy Essence do her any harm if I use Healing Factor to help her recover?


    {No. The Holy and Darkness elements don''t oppose each other. They''re different sides of the same coin. No god can be exempt from misdeeds.}


    As I had guessed, her powers are rted to darkness and destruction, or else Irene wouldn''t have exined it like this.


    Now that I know that it wouldn''t harm her, I circte my Holy Essence, then begin using Healing Factor on her and myself.


    "You''re entric," she asserts.


    I don''t know what to make of what she just said. Whatever, I''ll just continue healing.


    "Very well. That would be your reward," she abruptly says when her body has mostly recovered.


    Although her overbearing tone kind of irritates me, I get that it might just be a part of her personality after having lived for so long. I wonder if I would''ve been the same if I had my memories. Most likely - yes.


    Veronica gets up from the ground and abruptly dashes into me.


    Not expecting such an action, I fall back on my rear as she positions herself on myp. Before I could berate her, I felt a soft sensation on my lips.


    ---Slightly NSFW---


    For the first few seconds, it was a messy kiss, but it started to get better.


    Her tongue intertwines with mine as she holds onto my neck with her small arms and her legs wrapped around me.


    Not willing to waste such an opportunity, I ce my left hand on her thigh while cing the other one on her thin waist and holding her closer to myself.


    I caress her smooth thigh and continue returning her aggressive kiss. As I do so, I feel a pair of fangs with my tongue. Loving the sensation, I y with them using my tongue.


    After a while, I break the kiss and move from Veronica''s lips to her neck while shifting my left hand to her almost non-existent breasts.


    She softly moans in response to my tender caressing and says in a low voice,


    "Let''s stop here, okay?"


    I would''ve liked to continue, but I won''t do so if the other party is unwilling.


    She backs off from me with her hands still on my shoulder. She moves my shirt, revealing my skin before she abruptly bites into it.


    It doesn''t hurt at all. All I can feel are her soft lips pressed against my shoulder as she sucks.


    I move my right hand under her skirt and gently squeeze her butt.


    She flinches a little in response to my actions before she continues with what she was doing.


    ---NSFW (Slight) Ends---


    Having sucked enough of my blood, she gets up from myp and begins to swing her arms around.


    She seems to be... checking them out?


    She begins to throw punches and kicks at the air with a smile stered to her face.


    After a while, she stops and moves to where I am still sitting, and once again sits on myp. However, instead of taking any abrupt actions, she just ces her head against my chest and closes her eyes.


    She seems way more adorable now for some reason...


    ------


    Early in the morning, Emily tells me that she will take me over to where the rest of her group is at.


    I follow her and meet up with a bunch of teens. I kindly told them that I would be plundering their powers, to which the majority objected and needed some "disciplining" before they shut up.


    After I''m done, I take a look at what I have gained,


    "Codification"


    ----------------


    Name: Yu Otosaka (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Destruction (-) | Holy}


    Race: Human - 61%>>57%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Str: 47>>48 (10) - {Strength}


    Agi: 44>>46 (10) - {Agility}


    Dex: 45 (10) - {Dexterity}


    Int: 50 (10) - {Intelligence}


    Def: 49>>53 (10) - {Defence}


    Vit: 50>>56 (10) - {Vitality}


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter | Tormenter (NEW) | God''s Wrath


    Destruction (-): -SEALED-


    Holy:


    -Holy sh II [V]


    A sh that utilizes divine energy as an armament. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Paragon''s Eyes I [III]


    Grants vision to judge one''s soul. Low energy consumption.


    -Godspeed II [V]


    The ability to travel at a great speed. The user can perform air-jumps. Low energy consumption.


    -Blink I [III]


    The ability to blink to any area within 5 meters. Medium energy consumption.


    -Light Maniption I [VI]


    The ability to influence light by their will. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Healing Factor II [III]


    Regeneration. Low energy consumption.


    -Transmutation (-)


    The ability to temporarily transform matter into light. Very high energy consumption.


    -Divine Retribution I [V]


    Judgment from the souls. 30 meters. High energy consumption.


    -irvoyance (Passive) I [III]


    The ability to freely control the angle and location of one''s vision.


    -Illusion I [III]


    The ability to manipte light in a state that affects others'' vision. Medium energy consumption.


    ----------------


    Plunder II [V]


    {The maximum distance is 15m. | Possession time - 4 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3.}


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis I>>II [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | User can only lift objects with simr or less mass to themself. | Maximum velocity is 172m/s >> 180 m/s. | Maximum range is 5m >> 8m.}


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    - Permeation I [III]


    {Can be used up to four times a day.}


    - Location I [III]


    {Can be used up to five times a day. | Range limit - 5 km. | uracy = 46%}


    - Hypnotism I [V]


    {Can be used up to three times a day. | Requires direct eye contact.}


    - Copse


    {Can be used up to two times a day. | Requires a stressed brain to trigger. | Range limit - 50 m.}


    -Pyrokinesis


    {Unlimited usage. | Requires at least 50% of brain focus to keep active.}


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    -Spiritualism I [IV]


    {Can be used up to three times a day. | Maximum duration of 3 minutes.}


    -Insight I [VI]


    {Can be used once a day. | Maximum duration of 10 minutes.]


    -Indoctrination I [III] (NEW)


    {Can be used on 5 individuals at most. | Maximum range of 30m. | Lasts 2 minutes.}


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    - Flight I [III]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5 km/s.}


    - Memory Erasure I [IV]


    {Unlimited usage | Requires physical contact | Time needed to initiate the erasure process is five minutes.}


    - Imperfect Invisibility I [X]


    {Unlimited usage | Can be imperceptible for one target.}


    - Time-Leap (?)


    {N/A}


    -Ability Erasure


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 5 m}


    -Gift I [V]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 15m | Lasts for 5 minutes.}


    -Organic Constructs


    {Unlimited usage. | Maximum duration of 5 minutes. | 10-second cooldown. | Maximum amount of contracts that can be active at once is 2.}


    -Regeneration I [V] (NEW)


    {Passive.}


    -Absolute Evasion (NEW)


    {Requires unawareness to activate.}


    -Vector Maniption (NEW)


    {Maximum range of 5m. | Requires 80% of brain focus to keep active. }


    --- Unassigned ---


    - Thoughtography


    ----------------


    My parameters have increased! Could it be the result of the battle between Veronica and me? My humanity has also decreased once again.


    I''ve gotten a good amount of abilities. Although I had to erase a lot, I still managed to get four. I asked them about the uses of their abilities "nicely" and they gave me an exnation.


    Regeneration is basically healing oneself. I thought that it would be useful ifbined with Gift.


    Absolute Evasion is as the name says, absolutely evading something. ording to the previous owner of the ability, it seems like time is slowed down ording to the speed of the iing projectile. In other words, reflex speed is boosted a lot, for a certain time period.


    Vector Maniption... This one is the most interesting one. Through the maniption of vectors, one could possibly be impossible to kill. You could redirect any attack, increase the speed of projectiles, and much more. It has a lot of applications but needs a lot of focus to be used.


    ------


    "We''ve found their main headquarters," Emily says in a serious tone.


    We are all currently in a conference room of sorts inside of the mansion she lives in. Veron- no, Krul is sitting to my right, while the elegant silver-haired guy who gives off some weird vibes is sitting to my left. He introduced himself as a noble vampire going by the name Ferid.


    The two girls Krul had sired in the facility are also present, sitting close to us.


    As for the human faction, they''re sitting away from us. What I find slightly vexing is that the purple-haired girl, Shinoa has been staring at me nonstop.


    The ck-haired guy that I had punched - Yoichiro - is also ring at me. Meh.


    I used irvoyance to see if there is something wrong with me but didn''t find anything.


    "If you can get rid of their main headquarters, it would probably dy whatever they''re up to a lot," Emily continues to exin.


    "The location of the headquarters is somewhere in the USA. The reason it took us so long to find it is due to its unusual name..." her voice trails off as she looks my way with a weird expression on her face.


    She pauses for a few seconds before continuing,


    "Its name is... ''Beloved Victor''."

 Chapter 43: Travel ; (Spoiler Title at the End)

    Chapter 43: Travel ; (Spoiler Title at the End)


    "Your ex?"


    "No!" I instantly reply to Krul''s inquiry.


    Why do they even suspect that it has something to do with me in the first ce? There are tons of people with the same name.


    Who am I even kidding? It''s definitely rted to me...


    This Unknown is rather weird. I can tell through their naming sense.


    Also, do Unknowns get all the information about me as soon as they appear in a tform? I mean, this one already knows my real name even though I started using it yesterday.


    I''m pretty sure this organization is more than a day old.


    Ughhh... Everyone is now looking at me as if they are waiting for some sort of exnation.


    What should I even tell them? I have no idea who the Unknown is. All I know is that they''re troublesome and need to be gotten rid of.


    I will just go with a simple exnation,


    "I am suspecting that the leader of Legion knows me and has followed me here. The problem is that I don''t have a single idea of who they could be."


    I hope that works. I exined in a thought-provoking manner so that they would specte on their own instead of questioning me. I would rather avoid dealing with pointless ordeals.


    After a while of discussion, wee to the conclusion of heading over to the USA immediately. Regarding how we would get there, Emily said she would deal with it.


    As expected of the youngdy of a modern noble family.


    ------


    Isn''t this just great?


    I am already sitting inside a ne in between Krul and Shinoa. I am grateful that Shinoa isn''t staring at me and is just looking outside of the ne through the window.


    I am quite annoyed by the re being sent my way by a certain dumbass.


    I feel like I should just finish Yoichiro off as soon as we''re done with Legion and the Unknown...


    Going back to the topic of our flight, the current one is a direct flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles.


    This would''ve normally taken us about 10 hours, but I found an interesting way to decrease the time taken.


    Vector maniption.


    Apparently, the vectors of the object I can manipte don''t necessarily have to be within 5m of me. If the object isrge, I can manipte it fine by just being in direct contact with it. It''s pretty handy.


    ------


    "Finally!" shouts Mitsuba as soon as we get down from the ne.


    I take a look at her then take a look at our group and see how many of us are there.


    First of all, the human faction, which consists of Shinoa, Mitsuba, Yoichiro, Mika and Yoichi. I''m amazed by how silent Yoichi has been ever since I''ve seen him. The only time I''ve heard him talk is when he introduced himself to me.


    After that, there is the vampire faction. They are Krul, Ferid, Yuriko, and Chikako.


    Like Yoichi, Chikako has been rather silent. It might be because she is just a 13-year-old girl.


    I had heard from Krul that the two of them were experimental subjects in the facility that Juno and I destroyed. Krul wouldn''t let the two of them go back to their families as that would endanger them in various ways.


    Also, speaking of Juno, she decided to stay behind as she had a matter to attend to. She said she will get here once she''s done with whatever she''s doing. I asked her about the matter, but she wouldn''t tell me anything no matter how much I pressed her for an answer.


    Anyways, Emily couldn''te with us as well as it was simply too dangerous for her. The same could be said about the human faction, but they''re remarkably stubborn.


    And so, here we are looking for a means of transportation to get to the base.


    Based on the intelligence provided, it''s not that heavily armed as one would expect it to be. However, we can''t ignore the possibility that they could have some irregr weapons.


    I''ve gotten tired of looking for a way to get there... Oh, a bus!


    Observing an orange bus in the distance with only the driver in it, I feel like I can finally get be done with this.


    ------


    We are here.


    The cannon fodders get off from the bus first, then the vampire faction and myself. I wave at the bus driver as he speeds away.


    He wasn''t willing to drive us here in the beginning, but after I had asked him "nicely", heplied.


    Man... we sure are in the middle of nowhere. The only thing I can see is fences and a road leading inside, which is restricted.


    I see a sign with a warning iming that anyone who trespasses will be shot on sight.


    "Where are we again?" Mitsuba dubiously asks.


    "Area 51," replies Shinoa.


    What an interesting name.


    Two men in military clothes are guarding the entrance. Okay, let''s do this.


    As I approach them, one of them nudges the other and points at me with his M4A1. They both move towards me and are about to perform their standard procedure of inquiry before I use Indoctrination on them.


    They immediately stop what they are doing and just stand there like statues.


    "Get vehicles," I order them.


    "Yes, my lord," they both reply monotonously before going away.


    Indoctrination - the ability to brainwash people into believing anything the user wishes.


    As it falls under the tertiary category, it''s been weakened so that I can only make them do my bidding.


    After a while, they return with two Humvees.


    Once everyone has gotten inside, I order them to drive off.


    ------


    Wow. No wonder it was so hard to find...


    All I can see is a huge-ass building surrounded by mysterious artilleries. Totally not conspicuous!


    As soon as we step out of the Humvees, I use Hypnotism on the two militants. I motion for the group to stick close together and tell the cannon fodders to walk in front of us.


    They seem to be rather confident. Well, I understand why they would be, after all, I spent some time yesterday making them battle each other with Organic Constructs. I found it enjoyable the first time I did it, so I repeated it yesterday.


    Shit!


    My instincts kick in again as I sense three energy beams shot at us from the ordnances.


    "Get back!" I shout as I move in front of them, use Vector Maniption to return the beam, which blows the three artillery pieces that fired the shot away.


    An eerie siren sounds out as the building begins to shift forms revealing several men armed with weapons that I have yet to see.


    Gift:


    -Organic Constructs


    -Regeneration


    -Absolute Evasion


    -Insight


    -Regeneration


    Having gifted the special abilities, I prepare for the men to fire their weapons, which they do a secondter.


    Streaks of blue form as weird projectiles are shot out from the weapons. I use Vector Maniption to reflect the ones that are going towards me.


    Huh?


    I can''t feel my legs. Looking at the ground, I can see that some bullets have hit it. Wait. It''s exuding some kind of force?


    My Location ability is acting weirdly, so I focus my eyes and instantly notice that there seems to be a barrier of sorts formed around where the projectiles had hit.


    I observe the men who have had the projectiles shot back at them and notice that they aren''t moving at all.


    I don''t see signs of injuries or them being covered in ice for them to be immobile. Don''t tell me... Time-Stop?!


    "Everyone spread out and avoid the ces that the bullets hit!"


    They affirm and do as I say.


    As for me, I immediately use Godspeed and Blink to get away from the area. However, my legs are now numb.


    -Paragon''s Eyes.


    Pitch-ck. They''re revolting men. Through my senses, I can tell that most of them are within the range of my Divine Retribution. Here goes nothing.


    Using Holy sh and Light Maniption I form a circle of light. I then proceed to snap the fingers on my right hand.


    -Divine Retribution.


    The circle of light seems to "explode" as a bright light covers everything. Screams of agony immediately follow as the men begin to "burn away".


    "Finish them off!" I order my group.


    They need my orders and move in. They are fighting brilliantly. I''m pleasantly surprised.


    Huh? The men who were a little deeper into the building seem to be unaffected by Divine Retribution. Not only that, but they''re getting other irregr weapons. This is bad.


    Looking at the humans and vampires ripping the men to shreds and the weapons aimed at them, I prepare to use Holy sh.


    However, before I can make my move, a pir of colourful mes burn the men and one side of the building down, while effectively avoiding our group.


    "I knew that something was amiss," Juno''s voice resounds within my ears as she appears behind me floating.


    "What we''re dealing with isn''t an Unknown," she continues "instead, it''s an Anomaly. Isn''t that right, Yuno?"


    As soon as her words fade out, I sense a deformation in the space in front of the building as a pink-haired girl who seems to be about fourteen years old takes form.


    The girl, Yuno, has a wide grin on her face as she cheerfully exims,


    "It''s been a while Evelin!"


    She then looks my way before the already wide grin widens even further as she softly exims,


    "Victor!"


    {WARNING: Maximized Code Detected.}


    Irene''s voice suddenly resounds withing my head with a sense of urgency to it.


    ------


    Full Title: Travel ; Yuno

 Chapter 44: Partial Recollection

    Chapter 44: Partial Recollection


    ---3rd POV---


    Victor looks at the newly appeared Yuno and several thoughts cross his mind as he stares at her in without uttering a word.


    She pays no heed to his silence and slowly floats down.


    "I''m obliged to return this to you," she says while raising her arm before a small golden orb materializes on her palm.


    Feeling a strange connection to the orb, Victor reaches out to it. He notices the closer he gets, the stronger the connection gets.


    "Victor, don''t!" Juno suddenly exims behind him.


    Sensing the anxiety in her voice, he turns around to see her having a solemn look on her face.


    "You can''t do that," Yuno says, "He needs to remember."


    Juno''s expression shifts to a murderous one as she says in a cold voice, "He doesn''t. I will do anything to prevent it from happening."


    In response to her ims, Yunoughs and shouts, "What are you even capable of doing?! You''re just a Proxy now."


    As soon as her voice fades out, the temperature falls dozens of degrees as Juno''s body begins glowing in blue.


    "You''ll see what I''m capable of," she says before raising her arm.


    The next moment, icicles being to form all around her, however, there is something different about thempared to normal icicles.


    They''re on fire. ck mes are covering them from the tip to the other end.


    The icicles thenunch in Yuno''s direction at an extreme speed.


    Yuno doesn''t seem to the least bit affected by them as they harmlessly pass through her body and pierce the building behind her.


    "How idiotic," Yuno taunts as she raises her own arm.


    Immediately after she does so, everyone apart from Krul and Victor m into the ground, including the floating Juno.


    Everyone begins to shout about not being able to move and feeling like something heavy is pressing on them.


    Looking up, they see space deforming.


    The world seems to lose its colours as reality deforms before their very eyes.


    The building is no longer there. The ground is no longer soil. Everything around them has changed.


    "Wee to my world," Yuno deres with a carefree smile, " you do not need to worry, this is all for Victor''s sake."


    In the centre of all this, Victor is just standing where he is at, with eyes that seem to have lost their glow.


    "Remember!", bellows Yuno as the orbunches in Victor''s direction.


    "No!" shouts Juno as she watches the orb disappear into Victor''s body.


    "There is a high chance that he will lose control!", she shouts as she res at Yuno.


    "Why do you think I''ve formed this space for?", Yuno retorts.


    Several momentster, Victor holds his head as he falls on his knees.


    ---1st POV---


    I remember. The life that I knew of. The feelings. Everything was a lie.


    I never lived a normal life. In fact, I''ve not had a single day of normalcy in my life from where I can remember.


    There was a mysterious entity that promised power and eternity to those who won a game. A battle royale of some sorts. All the participants of the "game" had a way of telling the future through some sort of device or mechanism.


    From then on, my life took a turn for the worse as every day was a hectic one filled with mixed feelings and trials.


    My school was blown up with my schoolmates all in it. I am d about it though, as it happened right after they betrayed me.


    Next, I had to deal with several others that wished to kill me, forcing me to kill them myself before they kill me.


    Having gotten used to killing, I thought that it couldn''t get any worse, however, I was mistaken as my own father stabbed my mother. He stabbed her 28 times.


    When I found out, I was so pissed off that I beat him up to a pulp, despite that, I couldn''t get myself to kill him. I sure was weak back then...


    After that, he spent days apologizing and repenting.


    That didn''tst long as I soon found him cut up to several pieces by someone. It was at that point that I didn''t know what to feel anymore.


    While I was going through all this, there was someone who was always beside me - Yuno.


    She helped me out emotionally and physically.


    Although that didn''t help me much once I had lost a grip on my feelings, it did give me a reason to continue with my life.


    The battle went on with only a few individuals left. I myself had no idea what I was fighting for, but I just did.


    After careful deduction and battling, the sole survivors were Yuno and me. I had no wish of continuing with anything, so I decided that dying would have no effect on me or anyone.


    At the finals moments before my death, I witnessed something.


    I saw Yuno speaking with someone. A beautiful ck-haired girl... Juno.


    After having said something to Yuno, she walked towards me, held my hand and said,


    "You wished for it. Now I wonder what you''re going to do with it."


    Everything then turned dark as my memories were cut off.


    ---


    The next moment, I suddenly found myself somewhere familiar.


    Observing my surroundings, I noticed that I was in the Colosseum. A very damaged one.


    There, several individuals with ridiculous strengths were fighting. Looking around, I saw that the city of Rome was not recognizable anymore.


    The sheer amount of destruction caused was astounding.


    The battle seemed to being to an end as one individual was fighting several others while someone behind him was preparing a golden circle with runes in it through the usage of some sort of power.


    Momentster, the individual that was preparing the circle shouted at the other, "Verethragna, now!".


    In response to his words, the one that was fighting was suddenly covered in golden light before going away in a second.


    Right after that, a shockwave formed, sending all the men close to them away.


    Taking it as a chance, he made his way to the circle formed and said, "Do it!"


    As soon as he said so, the other one broke down into colourful motes of light and got sucked into the circle.


    The circle began to glow as several newyers appeared on top of it. The circles began shaking and glowing incredibly, making it seem like it would exin at any moment.


    Suddenly, several individuals dashed that I seemed to find somehow familiar ran into the circle and held onto the individual.


    From this point on, my vision ended and I found myself floating in an empty space with faces appearing all around me one second and fading away in another.


    This went on for a while until one face stayed. It continued to remain there. It was Sora.


    ------


    "He seems to be okay?" I hear Juno mutter as I regain my rity.


    "From the looks of it, the memory recollection was partially sessful," Yuno says.


    Opening my eyes, the first thing that I see is everyone curiously staring at me. I notice that my head is on Yuno''sp, so I swiftly raise my head and get on my feet.


    I move my body around a little and feel like there is something different now.


    {Complete soul formed.}


    {Destrucion unsealed.}


    {Creation unsealed.}


    Irene''s voice resounds within my head as a feeling of euphoria washes over my body. Before I can savour it, her voice resounds once again,


    {WARNING: There are fourteen days left before your calling ends as a failure.}

 Chapter 45: Creator (FC)

    Chapter 45: Creator (FC)


    My mind is in a mess right now. I know that whatever just happened were my past memories.


    I barely understand the memories of my previous life in that disgusting world, but I have no idea in regards to the other one in Rome.


    What I do know that those memories are important. I need to remember everything and connect the dots somehow.


    There is the choice of questioning Yuno and Juno, although I highly doubt that they would answer my inquiries properly.


    Still worth a shot though,


    "Yuno, what happened after my death? Why were you and Juno speaking to each other?"


    As expected, Yuno has a deted look on her face as she says to me in a sorry tone,


    "I can''t tell you that. I really would''ve if I could!"


    I know she would. After going all that nonsense with her, I realized that she might be the only trustworthy person in my life. Now, I still find her to be extremely trustworthy, but not as much as before because of the memory of seeing her with Juno.


    Speaking of Juno, I am even more suspicious of her. I don''t know what her intentions are for interacting with me. Why would she call herself my "guardian angel"? I have a feeling that there is a hidden meaning to the term.


    For now, I should just act oblivious until I get more information regarding their powers and the past.


    "So, what are we going to do now that this has been resolved?" Mika asks.


    Good question.


    Heading back to Japan and reuniting with the others is my priority for now. However, Legion still exists and will be causing me a lot of trouble. Oh, almost forgot that its founder is beside me right now,


    "Tell me, Yuno, how many branches of Legion are there all over the world?"


    I ask the question in such a manner as I recall people speaking of how children were disappearing globally rather than only in a few countries.


    She gives me a pointed look for a few seconds before replying in a rxed voice,


    "I assume that you find their existence bothersome."


    She then beams me a smile as she says cutely,


    "Would you like me to wipe them off the globe? It would require me to use the core of my Code."


    What the hell. Is she iming that she can destroy them all here and now? Even if it has drawbacks, this is absurd.


    However, I don''t care about that,


    "Do it."


    As soon as she hears me, her smile widens as she raises her arm sideways, forming a T shape with her body.


    A few secondster, she begins to gradually float upwards as a violet aura exudes from her and spacial cracks form all over the ce.


    She then moves her arms and presses her palms together, which seems to make the aura disappear as she falls to the ground.


    A few momentster, I feel a violent shakinging from the direction of the building nearby. Suddenly, the walls begin to tear themselves apart as they move inside.


    From outside, it seems like the building is eating itself out, but upon the uses of irvoyance, I can see that there seems to be some sort of ck sphere that''s sucking everything in.


    I notice that it''s size seems to be increasing, which also happens to correspond to the range, speed and force of the sucking associated with it.


    To deal with any issues before they arise, I use Light Maniption to form a wall of light around everyone and stabilize them.


    After a few minutes, everything in the surrounding area has been sucked in. All of us are currently in the air supported by tforms made of light to not fall.


    The damage done by the sphere is phenomenal and has impressed me. I''m sure that no one without the usage of supernatural powers of some sort will be able to get away from it.


    "The same thing that happened here is urring all over the buildings I''ve had marked," Yuno says in a serene voice.


    "However, as this used the core of my Code to be done, I need a while before I''m capable of doing something even remotely simr to this."


    For some reason, the second she said that I hear a threatening chuckle from a certain someone.


    "Don''t get your hopes up, Evelin. What I am capable of is more than enough to obliterate you," seemingly noticed it as well, Yuno says to Juno.


    Juno''s expression stiffens as she says with a re, "Don''t call me that."


    "Say are we going to be getting out of here anytime soon?" a voice suddenly chimes and attracts everyone''s attention.


    "It''s gettingte, and we are still in the middle of nowhere," Shinoains.


    She''s got a point.


    However, there is one slight issue... How the hell do we get out of here?


    {That is simple. Now that Father has unsealed Creation, using it to produce an object recognized by the major popce of the tform out of thin air is one of its possibilities.}


    Wow. That''s one hell of a cheat. There sure must be some drawbacks to using it, right?


    {Negative. Other than the amount of energy consumed to create something, Father shouldn''t have any other problems.}


    Alright! Finally some good news.


    What would the rate of production to energy be? Would it depend on the mass or the size?


    {That would be the popce''s familiarity with the object created. The more the popce has interacted with it, the less energy it would require.}


    Aww... there goes my ns of creating tanks and wreaking havoc within cities. Ah, just forget it. What I''m curious about is if I can create humans. I mean, they interact with each other quite a lot, so it shouldn''t cost a lot.


    {The formation of sentient beings requires the use of the core of Father''s Code, which Father isn''t capable of doing at the moment.}


    Interesting word choice right there. Sentient beings. Which means that if I create a "human" with no sentience it would be fine, right?


    {Correct. During the process of creation, Father is able to forge wishes into its body. It falls under the sub-category designated as Programming.}


    I will deal with this in more detailter. For now, we need some means of transportation to return to Japan.


    I think for a few seconds beforeing up with something,


    "Everyone, give me a moment to prepare something that will get us back to Japan."


    My words confuse everyone as they gawk at me and wait for further exnation.


    Using Light Maniption, I move the tforms so that everyone is safely on the ground. Heck, even if I had abruptly removed it, no one would''ve been injured.


    I immediately move toward somewhere with a lot of space to work on what I want.


    First, I use Insight on myself.


    I immediately feel extra familiar with all the powers and abilities that I have to the point that I feel like I could tier them up by just thinking about doing so.


    Not letting my feelings get the better hold of me, I imagine the structure that I wish to form.


    The next moment, I feel like my consciousness is being linked with a database as several images pop up in my head.


    All-around "me", the images begin to swirl around and finally form oneplete structure: an airport.


    I feel my energy being drained at a constant rate as particles begin to form out of thin air and join together in front of me.


    It takes about seven minutes for the structure to finish constructing.


    Whoops, almost forgot the others exist. I wonder what they think of this...


    Turning around, I see looks of abject shock on everyone''s face apart from Juno, Yuno, and Shinoa.


    Even Krul seems to be a little stunned.


    Should I use Creation to produce some eggs and see if they would fit in their mouths? I feel like the answer would be yes.


    I no longer pay any attention to them and focus back on the matter at hand.


    Using Creation once again, this time picturing an aerone, the same thing urs. The linkage of the database with my consciousness and the swirling of the images.


    If there is one thing that is different this time about the process, it is that it tookparatively less time for it to be done.


    After about three minutes, amercial airliner has formed out of thin air.


    Despite forming such a huge object and structure, my energy seems to be drained by about 5% if I were to put it in numerals.


    This power is amazing. Imagine all the possibilities that could be done through its usage. I do wonder, though, is the power capable of only forming physical objects?


    {No.}


    A simple reply from Irene has opened a door to endless other possibilities with the newly acquired power.


    Alright then, time to find a pilot for my aerone. As if.


    "Who would like to fly this thing?" I ask the group as if I''m asking them to go out and do some grocery shopping.


    Shinoa''s eyes seem to light up as she volunteers herself.


    "Got it. Everyone, get in the ne and buckle yourselves up," I order in a neutral tone.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    This is an amazing ability. What happens when the time for Gift runs out? I simply use it again, as there is no cooldown or limits to doing so.


    Also, ording to the others, a minority of the knowledge gained through Insight stays. It''s a shame that I''m unable to use it for more than once a day.


    "You''ll be staying by my side, right?" Shinoa suddenly asks me.


    I respond to her by nodding once. She beams me a smile before getting in the aerone.

 Chapter 46: Intermission (1/3): Return to japan.

    Chapter 46: Intermission (1/3): Return to japan.


    This power of creation is convenient and all, but can I remove something I''ve created?


    {Yes. Through the usage of Destruction, Father is able to obliterate a creation.}


    Great. However, there is an issue...


    I vaguely remember my Destruction being unsealed before, so why was it sealed again once I had woken up?


    {Back then, the power was corrupting Father''s Code so it was sealed by a third party while Father was unconscious.}


    I assume the third party she''s referring to is Juno, as I can''t think of anyone else that''s able to perform such a feat.


    "What are you?", a question is directed at me by the ashen-haired girl beside me.


    She seems to enjoy flying this way more than I thought she would. Whatever. Her question... What am I supposed to tell her?


    "Honestly, I have no idea myself," I reply.


    As if doubtful of my words, she stares at my face for a few seconds before going back to staring at the dark sky.


    I would''ve manipted the vectors of this airliner had I not known that Shinoa was enjoying it.


    "Do you have not nes in your world, or did you just want to pilot one yourself?"


    In response to my words, she just continues remaining silent for a dozen or so seconds before she says,


    "The world where wee from was ruined. Monsters brought cmity upon civilization and research in various fields stagnated."


    I recall her saying something like this before. Back then, she imed that it was the vampire''s fault, but she currently seems to be speaking of something else.


    "As a result," she continues, "we didn''t have any nes to ride on."


    "The world had no meaning to it anymore other than survival. The only thing we had to do was to learn how to fight and make use of certain weapons before setting off to battle against the monsters.


    "The worst part is that the researches that didn''t stagnate were the ones that were conducted on humans. Seraph. The angels residing within certain individuals. The humans wished to make use of their power, so they beganing up with ways to make them take form."


    Yeah, that sounds like something humans would do. Now that I have recovered the memories of my former life, I can sympathize with her.


    shing her the brightest smile I can manage, I say to her,


    "Your world sounds like a fun world to y around in."


    She doesn''t say anything for several seconds before she replies,


    "Of course it would be fun for a monster in the skin of a human, like you."


    I''ve got nothing to say against that.


    I sense amotion in the passenger seats in the back. Curious, I use my senses as well as irvoyance to observe the situation.


    One of the vampires, Ferid, is taunting the human group. In response to his taunting, they''re replying with remarks of their own.


    They''re a lively bunch.


    And so, the flight continues for several hours before we finally reached Japan.


    ------


    The first thing we did was meeting up with Emily and exining what urred to her. Emily was excited by the prospect of most of the facilities being obliterated in one go.


    It seems like she genuinely thinks of the well-being of others.


    However, there is a huge issue thates with the destruction of the facilities which no one seems to have noticed yet.


    Everyone inside of it dies. That includes the children being experimented on.


    Forget it, I''m sure that death was an escape for them from beingb rats that the scientists could freely experiment on.


    Anyways, the next thing that needed to be done was bidding farewell to the groups as I need to return soon.


    However, that doesn''t go as nned, because Krul and Shinoa both decide that they''re going to go with me.


    As expected, the human group rejected the idea of her leaving, but she simply showed no reaction to their words as she stared into my eyes.


    Honestly, I have no issues with that. Why would I reject it?


    Thus, the five of us - Juno, Yuno, Krul, Shinoa and me- are all prepared to set off.


    Using Creation, I form a limousine as well as a human-like puppet with no soul. I shaped it like a man in a suit and programmed driving skills into him.


    And so, we hit the road.


    ------


    "I get it that you guys want to follow me," I say to the four girls with me, "but that doesn''t mean you have to do so all the way to my apartment, no?"


    They just remain silent.


    "Like, we could use some of that money offered by Emily to get you a room in a hotel or something, for now."


    Once again, they say nothing. A stubborn bunch aren''t they?


    Screw it, I''ll just make them sleep close to each other if they decide to stay for the night.


    Five minutester, we are in front of the apartment condo I stay in. Me walking in with four beauties caused quite themotion.


    As if used to it, the girls heed them no attention and just follow me into the elevator.


    Once we reach the floor I stay at, I go toward my room.


    Suddenly, I realize that I don''t have my keys. Instead of panicking, I instead use my Telekinesis to open the door.


    As if sensing my arrival, an energetic ball of cuteness runs towards me, screaming, "Brother Yu!"

 Chapter 47: Intermission (2/3): Final Decision

    Chapter 47: Intermission (2/3): Final Decision


    "I''m back!" I happily state while embracing Ayumi.


    She seems to be really happy about my return as she lets out an "Um!" while holding my tighter.


    A few secondster, someone elsees out of the apartment - Nao.


    She seems like she wants toe over and wee me back, but freezes in the spot when she sees the girls with me.


    After a few moments, she recollects herself and walks toward me with a smile that seems a little forced before she says,


    "Wee back, Yu."


    Hah~ I was expecting a lot of reactions, but that one definitely wasn''t one of them. So much that I find it suspicious.


    I let go of Ayumi and move on to giving her a hug. She doesn''t say much and just returns my hug.


    ------


    "So all these big sisters are going to be staying over?!" Ayumi gasps.


    I had forgotten to consider what others would think of me letting four girls stay over at my apartment. Not that it matters now since I''ve already made my choice.


    "Yes," I calmly reply.


    My response makes Nao flinch a little as she looks at me and says,


    "I think I need to get back to recording you. Perhaps I could make a good documentary of a beast in its natural habitat out of it."


    Hey! Damn It. I can''t say anything back to her. I am aware that I''ve wronged her and this is her way of getting back at me.


    As I suspected, she seems to feel a little better once she notices that I''m feeling guilty and not nning to retort her.


    "So," Krul says, "what are you nning to do from now on?"


    They finally asked.


    This matter has been on my mind for a while now. First of all, there is the calling that I need to deal with. Getting information on a tform while outside of it.


    After that, I need to settle myself up in the Rift.


    The issue that lies in between is that I don''t want to leave everyone here.


    {That can be solved.}


    Irene''s voice seems like she''s offering me salvation over my demise as she continues,


    {Father may use the unsealed Destruction to obliterate the physical body of those that are willing toe over to the other side. It would be painless if that''s what worries Father.}


    No matter how painless, that still sounds like something mental to do. However, I don''t have any other choice, do I?


    {No. Also, Father shouldn''t forget that only two more spots are avable. Father will have to choose two out of the three humans: Ayumi Otosaka, Nao Tomori, and Shinoa Hiiragi.}


    Wait, what about Krul and Yuno? I suspect that Juno is able to leave this tform somehow the same way she joined it, but I''m not so sure about Yuno.


    {There aren''t any problems with the two of them leaving. They''re both Anomalies, and both of them have their own Code.}


    Isn''t that great? No. There is still the issue of picking two out of the three others. I will just talk it out with them.


    "I''m nning to leave this world."


    My words cause Nao, Shinoa, and Krul to send a re my way, while Yuno and Juno both seem to be indifferent.


    As for Ayumi, she''s the most confused right now. She asks in an anxious tone,


    "What does Brother Yu mean by leaving?"


    This is problematic. I can''t tell her that I''m not her "actual brother" and that Ie from another dimension. That would seem absurd to her and would probably affect her mentality negatively.


    So, I decided to break it down to her in a way that would make it seem usible and not something as absurd as a being jumping from one dimension to another as he wishes.


    "Ayumi, you remember what I did in the hospital? The magic tricks and how I healed you?"


    She nods her head slightly, continues to stare at me, anxiously waiting for my next words.


    "One day, I suddenly found myself to have be stronger and have powerful abilities. Back then I didn''t think of it much, but after a while, I found out that there is another world out there, beyond the stars."


    She seems to be a little immersed in the story,


    "I didn''t know what to do until these big sisters appeared," I say as I motion to Juno and Yuno before continuing,


    "They told me that on the other side, we can live better than we ever could in this world."


    I am aware of how selfish what I''m doing right now is, but I''m not backing down, no matter what.


    "I want to take you over to the other world with myself, where another one of your big sister''s is at."


    My words seem to make the girls apart from the Juno and Yuno to flinch a little, however, Ayumi reacts by jumping to her feet with stars shining in her eyes as she cheerfully exims,


    "Is this really true?! Ayu wants to go with Brother Yu!"


    As expected of my Ayumi.


    Now, I have to consider whether I should take her to the observatory here or on the other side. There is also my promise of going camping with her.


    I can''t forget my promises. I''ve already had of empty promises and lies in my previous life.


    If anything remotely simr to the past urs, I am bringing chaos upon those that break the bnce on my peaceful life.


    I''ve had enough of it all. I am cherishing what I have and won''t let tolerate anyone attempting to break me away from them.


    "Brother Yu?" Ayumi''s voice interrupts my thoughts as she calls out to me with her head slightly tilted to the right.


    Coming back to my senses a little, I now face the rest as I say,


    "I can take only one more person over other than Ayumi."


    This statement came as a shock to them as the girls present begin to nce at each other while Juno looks at them with amusement apparent on her face. As for Yuno, she has a serious look of contemtion as she stares at nothing in particr.


    This is it.


    Nao or Shinoa.


    I have to choose one of them.


    Taking my feelings into consideration, it''s almost obvious who I''m going to choose...


    Those two aren''t the only ones nervous at the moment, as Krul seems to want to say something herself.


    I need to tell her that she''s an exception.

 Chapter 48: Intermission (3/3): Departure

    Chapter 48: Intermission (3/3): Departure


    "Before we start, there are several things that I need to state," I announce.


    Having gathered their attention, I straighten my posture up a little and say while facing Krul,


    "You are also able to leave this world as you have a power simr to mine."


    This seems to startle her as she looks into my eyes and says,


    "What is this ''power'' that you speak of?"


    Already expecting her to ask me such a question, I reply to her in all honesty,


    "I have no idea regarding what it is exactly, but it''s called a ''Code''. If you''d like to follow me to the other world, I reckon that Juno would exin the procedure of doing so to you."


    At the end of my words, I shifted from looking at Krul to Juno with an innocent smile stered to my face.


    I''m not doing something so bothersome.


    "The next thing that I need to state," I continue, "is that time will be frozen in this world upon our departure. In other words, it would seem like an instant has passed since our departure and return for those that are in this world."


    At least, this is what''s supposed to ur ording to what I''ve been told by Irene and Juno. I notice through that Nao just let out a sigh of relief. Did she just make up her mind on something?


    "I will go with you," she deres bluntly.


    It seems like what I said gave her a final push of some sort.


    I give her my approval by a slight nod.


    Then, I look over at Shinoa.


    Ah... I wish I could''ve taken her with me as well. I have grown a little fond of her as well from the short while we''ve interacted.


    It''s not like I''m not going to see her ever again, but it nheless makes me feel a little lost knowing that I''ll leave her.


    ------


    "It would take the Mete about a week to produce a body for those that wish to go over to the Rift. As for those that have a Code, it should take at most three days," exins Juno.


    "Victor will send the data of where you will appear to the Mete."


    So I need to find a ce for them to safely take form huh...


    "I will leave first," deres Krul.


    Immediately after she says so, her body breaks down into small particles and disappears.


    After her, Yuno and Juno follow suit.


    The only ones that are now in the room are Ayumi, Nao, Shinoa, and me.


    I move toward Ayumi and once in front of her, I stroke her right cheek and kiss her forehead before saying,


    "Don''t be afraid. You shouldn''t feel anything."


    cing my palm on her chest, I use Destruction to spread around my energy around in her body. Then, I channel my power through it, causing her body to instantly turn into dark particles and vanish on spot.


    {Code Status: Storing two souls.}


    Hearing the notification, a sense of relief washes over me, knowing that it was a sess.


    Without wasting time, I go over to Nao and ce my palm on her chest.


    "Perv," she suddenly says.


    "Hey, this has nothing to do with me being a pervert or not. I need to inject my energy into your body."


    Wait a second.


    "And was that supposed to make your actions not seem perverted?", Shinoa says with a smirk.


    Just ignore them...


    I repeat the same process with Nao and the same thing happens to her body.


    {Code Status: Storing three souls. Maxed out.}


    And so, only Shinoa and I remain in the room. There is also this awkward atmosphere around us for some reason...


    "I''m sorry that I couldn''t take you with myself," I say to her sincerely.


    In response to my words, she snickers, "Why are you acting like I''m your lover or something. Just go already."


    Now I don''t want to leave her even more. s, I can''t do anything about it.


    Making up my mind, I move to where she is and pull her petite body into my embrace.


    "I will be back before you know it," I whisper to her, "literally."


    Letting her go I back away a few steps and chant-


    .


    ---3rd POV---


    Upon Victor''s departure from the world, everythinges to a direct halt.


    Birds that were flying in the sky happily are now suspended in ce.


    The streets are filled with unmoving cars and pedestrians.


    Everything has frozen in ce.


    --


    Somewhere, Shun and his group are sitting around a table. They, like everything else in the world are frozen in ce.


    In front of them are several papers that seem to be reports of something.


    On their faces, are expressions of anxiety, fear, worry, and on a select few of them: determination.


    --


    On a stage in front of a crowd that is stuck in a cheering position is Yusarin that was singing a new song for her album.


    At the front of the crowd, her ssmates are apparent, with Joijiro being at the very front covered in Yusarin''s merchandise.


    --


    In a hotel room, two guys that seem to be of simr ages are facing each other on a bed with passionate looks in their eyes.


    A blonde guy with blue eyes and a dark-haired guy with green eyes.


    Like everyone else, they''re frozen in ce and will be staying like so for who knows how much time.


    --


    In a hospital room, stands a boy that seems to be about twelve years old.


    In his hand is a bloodied kitchen knife, and in his eyes is emptiness.


    In front of the boy is a girl of simr age lying on a bed with blood gushing out from several wounds in her body. On the girl''s face is a look of horror and regret.


    Beside the girl is a bloody heart-shaped pendant carrying a photo of the boy with one word written on it:


    "Konishi"


    ~VOL 1 END

 Chapter 49: Rift ; Sora ; Currency (Slightly *NSFW*)

    Chapter 49: Rift ; Sora ; Currency (Slightly *NSFW*)


    The evocation is sessful as I find myself in the Mete the next instant.


    There, I find Juno, Yuno, and Krul waiting for me.


    Not willing to waste any time, I summon the three souls I''m carrying into the Mete.


    In a few seconds, they all materialize in front of me with looks of confusion all over their face.


    Their first reaction is to look around all over the ce.


    As soon as Ayumi spots me, she excitedly runs over and jumps into my embrace.


    "Who is that?" Krul asks.


    She''s pointing at a confused Misa who still has no idea what''s going on. Naturally, Misa reacts to this by ring at Krul.


    I can do nothing about it.


    I take some time to exin what is going on to Misa, and as I expected, she didn''t take it as an act of kindness.


    Now that everything is set, I can finally return to the Rift.


    ------


    "Before you go, there is something that you need to know," Juno says as I''m about to ask her for the method of returning to the Rift.


    "There is a high chance that individuals who have a body created for them by the Mete will gain a special power of their own once they arrive in the Rift.


    How neat. I wonder what powers will they gain. I surely hope it isn''t anything problematic.


    "I should also tell you that I''m unable toe over to the Rift."


    "Why?"


    "It''s just how I am."


    That doesn''t exin much but I guess it''s some sort of clue.


    "To get back to the Rift, you need to chant ''''."


    Well, then. Time to return.


    - (Directly trantes to "Enter")


    ------


    As I open my eyes, a weird feeling washes over me. I am in the room I was in, and nothing has changed about it visually.


    I am on my Tatami.


    There is the feeling of my power returning back to what it was, now with extra special abilities. I exercise with my body a little so that I get a grip on my control over it.


    Using my senses, I can tell that Sora is on the bed in her room, watching videos on the inte with snacks beside her.


    I don''t know what it is, but I feel as if something is pulling me toward her.


    And so, I make my way to her room.


    ---Slightly NSFW---


    Opening the door, I move toward the startled Sora and embrace her.


    "He-hey! Haru!"


    I ignore her writhing about and just continue hugging her tightly.


    "I missed you," I whisper into her ear after a few seconds.


    "But, you just talked with me a little while ago!"


    I chuckle as I recall that she is right in a sense. For her, only a few minutes have passed since we saw each other, but for me, it''s been well over three weeks.


    "It''s been a long time for me," I vaguely respond to her.


    After I said that, she seems to be less against me hugging her, to the point that she even returns the hug.


    Man, I can''t get enough of her soft, petite body and the sweet scent thates from her.


    After a while, I let go of her, and as if there isn''t any strength left in her body, she falls on her back on the bed.


    Almost instinctively, I reach out to prevent her from "falling".


    This results in me being on top of her on the bed, staring into her grey eyes and ruddy face.


    Her breathing has destabilized as she mutters,


    "Haru..."


    I feel a small me ignite from within me as I bring my head closer to hers.


    Caressing her small rosy lips for a few seconds with my fingers, I resolute myself and kiss them.


    She flinches a little but immediately attempts to return the kiss with a lot of vigor. However, that doesn''t go on for long as I insert my tongue into her mouth and start ying around with her little tongue.


    After kissing her without rest for a while, I notice that she is ying with herself down there.


    Finding it amusing, I shift my right hand to on top of her hand and hold it. Then, I move her hand along with mine as I rub her privates.


    She seems to be enjoying it as she starts to let out small moans and after a while aparatively louder one.


    I separate my lips from hers and back away as a thin line of saliva forms between our lips.


    Having just had an orgasm, she''s panting heavily right now as she stares right into my eyes.


    Such a lovely littledy...


    ---NSFW (Slight) Ends---


    It''s nighttime and I''m lying on Sora''s bed with her. She''s within my arms sleeping soundly in her pajamas. As for me, I''m on my phone looking at how much credit we have in the bank.


    Apparently, our uncle sends us a monthly ie just enough for us to live by, however, I find thatcking.


    I want us to have a good amount of money.


    The problem is that I don''t want to spend too much time away from home in order to work.


    As a reference material of what kind of work I don''t want, I''ve been using irvoyance to look around the whole town, and as it turns out, I don''t want any job at all.


    Suddenly, Irene''s voice resounds within my head.


    {irvoyance tiered up.}


    Surprised, I take a look at the description of the tiered up version.


    -irvoyance (Passive) I>>II [III]


    The ability to freely control the angle and location of one''s vision. The user can have a leading vision once a day.


    --


    Interesting. I''ve been using the ability a lot, so I''m not surprised that it tiered up.


    I''m curious about the new part. What does a "leading vision" even mean?


    I should try using it...


    Focusing all my Essence Energy onto my eyes, I attempt to use leading vision.


    Immediately, the color of everything turns to a blood-red before it turns back to normal. However, I''m no longer on the bed.


    ---


    It''s happening again!


    I remember this. It''s the same thing that urred during the time before I met Juno in the Mete.


    Don''t tell me I''ll have to watch another battle...


    Turns out, that''s not what I''m supposed to see, as I am in a town.


    An 18th-century town.


    I can tell the time period through the way the buildings are built and shaped, and the way people are dressed up.


    At the corner of my sight, something catches my attention.


    A hooded man at the top of a long structure, crouching on a ledge connected to said structure.


    What, is he some kind of assassin?


    He''s looking down at something. A bunch of men in red and ck clothing.


    I assume they''re some kind of military force of the old days as they''re armed with swords and flintlocks.


    The assassin moves forward on the ledge a little then he jumps down.


    What? Won''t he die?


    My expectations aren''t met as he does a front-flip in the air andnds in a wagon filled with hay right behind the military men.


    They don''t notice him.


    What? Is this some kind of joke? Are they all deaf or is the guy using some superpower to prevent himself from making any sound?


    Anyways, the assassin pops out of the haystack and drags one of the men in.


    The other two still haven''t noticed shit. Using this as a chance, the assassines out of the haystack and presses his palms against both of their napes.


    Then, two short knives protrude out of his sleeves and kill the two almost instantly.


    ---


    My vision blips and I once again find myself back in my room with Sora still in my arms. I kiss her head lightly and think of what just happened.


    No doubt about it, that''s the "leading vision" telling me to be an assassin.


    I must say it is a rather suitable job for me. It goes well with my powers and won''t take much time.


    The thing is, do assassins exist in this era?


    I''ve decided to look it up. However, I won''t do so before I make sure that I can''t be tracked through technology.


    In my past life, that led to several issues. I''m definitely not going to risk Sora''s safety by not thinking things through.


    After a while of browsing the inte, I buy a VPN and surf the inte using private mode on a browser for information about modern-day assassins.


    An hourter, I''ve gotten what I needed.


    There are hitmen nowadays and they work for cryptocurrency online, which is most of the time in bitcoin. To hire them, one needs to ess the deep-web and find a site that offers escrows for hitmen.


    After a little digging in the site, I found out that the nearest location in Japan to us that has a lot of job offers for a hitman is Tokyo.


    Before I had left the Rift, Juno said something about moving to somewhere else.


    I guess this is the perfect opportunity to do so.


    ~~~Important Author Question: ~~~


    What do you guys think of the exhibitionist *cough* *cough* I mean, spoiled princess- Rias Gremory?

 Chapter 50: Reveal ; Shock ; Tokyo

    Chapter 50: Reveal ; Shock ; Tokyo


    Author''s note: I definitely wasn''t drunk when I was writing this chapter.


    ~~~~


    Opening my eyes, the sight of my cute little sister''s sleeping face is the first thing that I see.


    What a way to start my day~


    I caress her cheek and think of what needs to be done today. Simply put, she needs to know about everything. The longer I keep it from her, the more troublesome it could get. It would be meaningless to keep it a secret.


    For now, I need to test my powers and observe how they work in the Rift. Particrly the ones rted to my Code.


    ------


    Standing outside in the fields where I first tried my powers, I circte the Holy Essence and deploy Godspeed.


    I attempt to dash forward, but... I blink.


    I didn''t use my Blink, yet it happened on its own.


    With my increased perception and familiarity of my body, I should be able to keep track of my surroundings if I go at extreme speeds. However, if I go beyond such a point, this is the oue... I guess.


    As I''m contemting my powers, I notice through my senses a girl on a bicycle staring at me, wide-eyed.


    How troublesome.


    I appear beside her and immediately use Hypnotism to make her faint.


    Catching her falling body, I begin utilizing Memory Erasure. It takes a while before I can start the process, but it pays off in the end as I erase all of the girl''s memories regarding today.


    I immediately get away from the area and go somewhere more secluded.


    Thanks to yesterday''s use of irvoyance to look all over the ce, I find a location pretty soon.


    Now, I need to make my powers seem less obvious.


    After thinking for a few seconds, Ie up with an idea. That is, using Illusion to make it seem like whenever I''m using my Holy Effects, the colorful veins wouldn''t be visible to anyone.


    Once I try it, Irene''s voice resounds within my head,


    {Discovered: Rework.}


    Cool. It''s been a while since I''ve checked my status.


    "Codification."


    ----------------


    Name: Victor (-)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Mahesvara (NEW) | Holy}


    Race: Human - 31%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Str: 48>>59 (15) - {Strength}


    Agi: 46>>64 (15) - {Agility}


    Dex: 45>>67 (15) - {Dexterity}


    Int: 50>>55 (15) - {Intelligence}


    Def: 53>>56 (15) - {Defence}


    Vit: 56>>61 (15) - {Vitality}


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter | Tormenter | God''s Wrath


    Mahesvara: Creation (NEW) | Destruction | ????


    Holy:


    -Holy sh II [V]


    A sh that utilizes divine energy as an armament. 10 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Paragon''s Eyes I [III]


    Grants vision to judge one''s soul. Low energy consumption.


    -Godspeed II>>III [V]


    The ability to travel at a great speed. The user can perform air-jumps. Low energy consumption.


    -Blink I>>II [III]


    The ability to blink to any area within 5>>10 meters. Medium energy consumption.


    -Light Maniption I>>III [VI]


    The ability to influence light by their will. 30 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Healing Factor II [III]


    Regeneration. Low energy consumption.


    -Transmutation (-)


    The ability to temporarily transform matter into light. Very high energy consumption.


    -Divine Retribution I [V]


    Judgment from the souls. 30 meters. High energy consumption.


    -irvoyance (Passive) I>>II [III]


    The ability to freely control the angle and location of one''s vision. The user can have a leading vision once a day.


    -Illusion I [III]


    The ability to manipte light in a state that affects other''s vision. Medium energy consumption.


    -Rework I [III] (NEW)


    The ability to reconstruct reality based on all forms of perception. Low energy consumption.


    ----------------


    Plunder II [V]


    {The maximum distance is 15m. | Possession time - 4 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3.}


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis II [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | User can only lift objects with simr or less mass to themself. | Maximum velocity is 180 m/s. | Maximum range is 8m.}


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    - Permeation I [III]


    {-}


    - Location I [III]


    { Range limit - 5 km. | uracy = 46%}


    - Hypnotism I [V]


    {Requires direct eye contact.}


    - Copse


    {Requires a stressed brain to trigger. | Range limit - 50 m.}


    -Pyrokinesis


    { Requires at least 50% of brain focus to keep active.}


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    -Spiritualism I [IV]


    {Maximum duration of 3 minutes.}


    -Insight I [VI]


    {Maximum duration of 10 minutes.]


    -Indoctrination I [III]


    {Can be used on 5 individuals simultaneously, at most. | Maximum range of 30m. | Lasts 2 minutes.}


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    - Flight I [III]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5 km/s.}


    - Memory Erasure I [IV]


    {Unlimited usage | Requires physical contact | Time need to initiate the erasure process is five minutes.}


    - Imperfect Invisibility I [X]


    {Unlimited usage | Can be imperceptible for one target.}


    - Time-Leap (?)


    {N/A}


    -Ability Erasure


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 5 m}


    -Gift I>>II [V]


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 25m | Lasts for 10 minutes.}


    -Organic Constructs


    {Unlimited usage. | Maximum duration of 5 minutes. | 10-second cooldown. | Maximum amount of contracts that can be active at once is 2.}


    -Regeneration I [V]


    {Passive.}


    -Absolute Evasion


    {Requires unawareness to activate.}


    -Vector Maniption


    {Maximum range of 5m. | Requires 80% of brain focus to keep active. }


    --- Unassigned ---


    - Thoughtography


    ----------------


    Current tform: N/A


    ----------------


    The list sure has grown... Huh? My humanity has decreased to 31%. Should I be concerned?


    My Destruction is gone and now in its ce is Mahesvara. What even is that?


    My parameters have also increased by a good amount. The base parameters of the Rift are higher than Charlotte by 5 units.


    Checking my Holy Effects, I immediately notice that Blink and Godspeed have tiered up. When did that happen?


    {During the time Father was going through recollection.}


    Irene''s voice clears my confusion up. How convenient.


    {Naturally. I exist solely for Father''s sake.}


    Yeah. Good girl.


    Now that I think about it, Irene, can''t you take on your physical form in the Rift?


    {Negative.}


    The sadness couldn''t get any more obvious in her voice making me almost regret asking her about it.


    Putting that aside, I''ve noticed something important: The daily usage limits are no longer disyed.


    {Fret not, Father. Special abilities acquired from tforms have no daily usage limit in the Rift. As for the other restrictions, most of them are applied normally.}


    Seriously? Hehe. It seems like I will be able to enjoy myself a lot in the uing days.


    {Be careful Father, the calling assigned ends in 13 days.}


    You had to ruin it, didn''t you?


    {A Knowledge of the Tales has been detected in the Rift. The general location is Tokyo.}


    Alright, I forgive you. That''s some really great news.


    ------


    Returning back to the house, I smell omelets from the kitchen. Having gotten hungry, I take a seat on the dining table and wait for my food to be served.


    Sora walks over with an apron on and ces my breakfast in front of me, then proceeds to take a seat opposite to me.


    For the whole time, she''s been acting way more cheerfully than "yesterday" morning.


    I wait for a short while before saying,


    "Sora, there is something that I must tell you about."


    Intrigued, she stops eating and looks my way, waiting for me to continue.


    "I''m no longer an ordinary human," I say as lift my arm and use telekinesis to make several kitchen utensils float in the air.


    Surprised, her eyes widen as she drops her chopsticks. Having introduced the existence of supernatural powers, I continue to exin,


    "That''s not the end of it," I say, "I''m also able to traverse from one dimension to another."


    This one doesn''t have as much of an impact I suspected it to have. Is it because the idea is too absurd? Or is it because I didn''t do anything to prove it?


    Once both of us are done with our breakfast, I tell her to follow me.


    She, however, stays in ce. Confusion and fear are apparent in herplexion. Of course... I just told her that I can go to another dimension. One day after she requested of me to not leave her.


    Yeah, this one''s definitely my fault. I should''ve been more considerate of her feelings.


    Letting out a sigh, I approach her and pull her face towards myself as I kiss her lips.


    She is still shaken by my earlier words. I can tell by observing how she reacts to my actions. Not willing topromise in any way, I pull her into my embrace as I continue to kiss her and stroke her back.


    After a while, she seems to be less stiff as she melts into my arms with a blush on her face.


    "Let''s go," I whisper to her before holding her hand and pulling her along with myself as I go to my room.


    "There is a lot to talk about, so I want you to listen carefully, alright?" I say to her once we''re both sitting on the tatami that I had left my body unconscious on.


    ------


    I summarized what had happened while leaving out theplex parts such as my powers, origin, and past lives out.


    In the beginning, she kept on getting more and more distressed as I continued to tell her about the events. Later on, she managed to pull herself together and began analyzing my way of doing things.


    For the most part, she found my actions to be satisfactory, however, she wasn''t very pleased when she heard about my rtionship with some girls over at the other side.


    Whenever I was speaking of them, she would have a frown on her face and would sulk about it.


    The part that affected her most, was surprisingly everything rted to Ayumi. It''s as if the thought of "me" having another little sister is an impossibility.


    It took me a while, but I finally managed to convince her of everything. And so, I move on to exining why we need to move from here to Tokyo.


    "But we just moved here," she says in a normal tone not betraying any of her emotions.


    Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I reply to her,


    "It''s fine. Living in the city might be better for us, you know? You spend most of your time on the inte, which is much faster and better in the city.


    "Besides, I''m nning to get some work done over there and make some cash for both of us."


    She seems like she will think about it for a while before answering, however, she doesn''t do that, but instead justes closer to hug me and says,


    "As long as you are there, I don''t mind it. I want to be with you forever."


    I could sense all sorts of emotions in what she said. Towards the end, most of it was of sorrow and relief.


    Moving her head a little, I give her a quick peck on the lips before saying,


    "That''s a matter of course."


    ------


    We packed any necessities that we have up and are both prepared to take our first steps into the city.


    We had left it not too long ago, yet we are going back there already. The only difference this time is where we''re going.


    Going over to where the train station is, we wait for a while for a train to arrive then hop aboard.


    I hope this goes better than I expect it to. Paperworks and all the other rted matters are going to be annoying to deal with.


    The train ride took a long time. We had not brought much food with us, so I used Creation to create anything that we wished to eat.


    Sora particrly enjoyed the train ride as she kept on teasing me about every little thing once she had gotten over the fact that I''m no longer what I used to be.


    I''m d that she''s back to her usual self.


    After we got off the train, Sora wanted to walk around with me for a short while before we went to settle up.


    Not a very good thing to do, but it doesn''t matter as long as it makes her happy.


    We walk around Tokyo for a while and finallye to a stop at a park.


    The two of us sit on a bench as I use Creation to produce some ice cream for us. Perhaps because of how cute Sora looks, a lot of people were rudely staring in our direction.


    I use Hypnotism on every single one of them. It caused a littlemotion, but nothing too out of the ordinary.


    As we continue to enjoy the atmosphere, a blonde nun appears within my sight about 10 meters away from us, and in her hands is an icecream cone.


    The nun suddenly trips and almost falls facefirst into the ground, however, before that could happen, I use Telekinesis to break her momentum and catch her icecream for her while I am at it.


    Once I''m done, she seems to be extremely confused as she looks around until she set her sight on me.

 Chapter 51: Twilight Healing ; Boosted Gear

    Chapter 51: Twilight Healing ; Boosted Gear


    The blonde nun''splexion seems to lighten up as shees over to us.


    She bows with grace before me and says delightedly,


    "Thank you for your assistance, Your Holiness."


    What the heck did she just call me? Did I suddenly be the pope without being aware of it? Am I really in Tokyo and not in Vatican City?


    Clearing my throat up, I ask her with curiosity while maintaining a coolposure,


    "What did you just call me?"


    I''m making her repeat it just to be sure that she didn''t blurt it out by mistake due to her using it a lot.


    "Your Holiness," she responds, confused.


    So she meant what she said, huh... Could it be that she refers to whoever helps her with such an address?


    Sora who''s beside me seems to be curious about the girl and her way of addressing me as well. For both of our curiosity''s sake, I ask the nun,


    "Why?"


    She seems to be a little more confused as she tilts her head to the left before saying in a matter-of-factly tone,


    "Your Holiness has the aura of light around you. I''ve been taught in the church to refer to someone that has the aura of light around them in this way."


    Aura of light? What the hell is that? Could it be... my Holy Essence?


    She can see or feel it, somehow? This is getting a littleplicated. If she can see through it so easily, she ought not to be a normal nun.


    "Who are you?" I bluntly ask her.


    She beams a smile as she introduces herself, "I''m Asia Argento, a former Holy Maiden."


    Noticing the sadness in her voice when she introduced herself, I inquire,


    "Former?"


    The atmosphere suddenly turns a little depressing as she looks down at the ground and begins to tell us about her past.


    It was a fairly short story of how she was abandoned in front of a church by her mother when she was an infant, and how she found out that she could heal other creatures when she one day wanted to heal an injured cat.


    The discovery of her healing ability was what had led to her being appointed as a Holy Maiden, and also the reason she had very few friends, as they thought of her as a freak that could heal others.


    Why though? Is there something wrong with having an ability to heal others? ording to how the world worked in my past life, they would''ve began worshipping her on the spot. I mean, some guy who imed that his piss could drive away all diseases was praised and believed by many, so I don''t understand how they wouldn''t care about a real miraculous ability.


    One day, she ran into an injured man in front of the church, so she used her ability to heal him. However, it turned out the man was a devil, which made her an existence to be despised as she is capable of healing heretic beings.


    Just like that, she was banished from the church andbeled as a "witch". Now, she''s wandering around looking for a ce that would ept her despite her "ws".


    "You can heal people?" Sora asks her as she nces at me.


    "Yes," Asia replies.


    Intrigued, I use Organic Constructs to slightly sharpen the tip of my index finger and scratch my arm.


    I keep the wound from going away by focusing on Regeneration to prevent it from working.


    Asia flusters a little and hovers her palm above where I had cut as it begins to glow in green.


    I immediately notice that the injury seems to close up.


    Impressive. Her value would''ve been much higher if I didn''t have Gift and Regeneration.


    This has gotten me curious about one thing. Am I able to sense the powers of others if I use Location?


    I activate Location and immediately it detects something.


    It works as I am immediately able to detect that she has an ability called "Twilight Healing". Interesting name.


    Suddenly, I detect something other than that close to us. I focus and a name pops up in my head: Boosted Gear.


    There is someone with a special ability close to us right now. That''s as suspicious it could get. I need to investigate it.


    I use my senses and irvoyance to scan our surroundings before heading in the direction that I detected the special ability in.


    After a few seconds, Ie across a boy that by his looks seems to be a high schooler, as he is wearing a highschool uniform.


    Now that I think about it, I need to immediately enter a school with Sora, or else our sudden transfer would seem suspicious.


    Leaving that aside, this guy... He doesn''t seem to be a smart one. I mean, he''s eating some weird food that I have no memory of and is gawking at hot girls that pass by him. Heck, he''s straight-up staring at their boobs.


    Wait... Now that I think about it, he''s one of the guys that I sent away using Indoctrination for staring at Sora. Hmm... Should I just pluck his eyes out and be done with it?


    No, I should first deal with that ability of his - Boosted Gear. Is it some kind of ability that gives the user a mental boost of sorts or is it a multipurpose device that increases the efficiency of certain organs and items?


    Either way, it seems like an interesting special ability... or device. I don''t know how to categorize it. Whatever, I''ll just use Plunder and examine it myself.


    Immediately upon the activation of Plunder, a severe headache hits me and my body loses all energy as my vision grows hazier by the second.


    For fuck''s sake... not again...


    -------


    Suddenly opening my eyes, I find myself in a white space. The Mete? Did I like, die in the Rift, ande to the Mete or something?


    That doesn''t matter for now. What matters is that there is a huge red dragon sleeping right in front of me. I should be courteous in such a situation, I guess,


    "Hello! I''vee from Earth to visit you."


    Yep. That''s a proper way to introduce oneself.


    The dragon doesn''t respond to my words, almost making me think that it didn''t hear me, however, the next moment its left eye opens.


    Immediately, I am faced with a dark-red vertical-slit pupil. It seems to be... ring at me?


    "What is it that has made a god decide to intrude in my dwelling and awakened me from my slumber?", a loud voice resounds all around me.


    Is it addressing me? When did I be a god? I assume that he thinks of me as such because of my Holy Essence.


    It does have a "godly" feel to it, the Divine Retribution, and all. Oh, right, I think I should reply to him.


    "I have no idea what it is that you speak of. I was outside minding my own business when I suddenly found myself here."


    Could this be rted to the Boosted Gear? Most likely is. So I definitely can''t tell him that I wished to plunder it...


    The dragon raises itself up from thefortable position it was in and faces me directly. It sure is weird to be facing a huge dragon head-on.


    "Do you think that I, The Red Dragon Emperor, would fall for such an obvious lie?!", the dragon suddenly bellows, even though it''s mouth stays shut.


    Did it just call itself an emperor? I wonder if I should hope for it to be a self-proimed title or a genuine one.


    Either way, this has gotten interesting. Hey Irene, are you there?


    Several seconds pass and I still get no response. I expected as much, so I''m not that surprised. What I''m curious about now is that if I''m able to use my Code Essences.


    The moment I decide to use one, the dragon suddenly breathes scorching mes in my direction.


    I instinctively utilize Godspeed and move out of the way, making the mes miss me by a few centimeters. So hot...


    It seems like I can use my Holy Essence if I''m able to deploy Godspeed.


    I need to get out of here, somehow, for all I know, something could happen to Sora outside. I have a feeling that beating up this dragon is the fastest method for doing so...


    {Berserk: God''s Wrath utilized.}


    The mechanical version of Irene''s voice resounds within my head as I feel my awareness waning.


    "You shall die here, foolish god."


    Those are thest words I hear before a great deal of energy surges within me as rage takes over my mind.

 Chapter 52: Raging God vs Dragon Emperor

    Chapter 52: Raging God vs Dragon Emperor


    ---3rd POV---


    In a vast open space that seems to extend endlessly, are two figures. One is humanoid being floating in the air, while the once facing it is a humongous red dragon.


    The humanoid figure, Victor, has a look of absolute wrath on his face as his arms get covered in yellow veins that seem to be glowing.


    As if responding to him, the dragon breathes a me in his direction which he uses one arm to split apart.


    Taking advantage of the timing, Victor swiftly throws out several Holy shes at the dragon.


    The shesnd and seem to do very little damage to the dragon. However, the dragon seems to be surprised by the attack as its slit-like pupils narrow down.


    Before Victor can throw in another attack, the dragon dashes at him at a speed that shouldn''t be possible for his size.


    Victor gets mmed into by the dragon and gets thrown away several dozens of meters in the vast space.


    Not wasting a single moment, he floats back up in the air and raises his right arm. On his open palm, a light begins to form and takes the shape of a sword.


    When the light eventually fades away, in its ce a magnificent sword with a rich design is apparent.


    During the time period this urred, the dragon got closer to him so much that they are separated by only a few meters.


    The red dragon is rmed by the sudden appearance of the sword, its features, and the aura it emits.


    Victor gives it no chance to think as he utilizes Blink in the air and gets close enough to cut him. However, before he can strike him, the dragon whips its tail at him as it suddenly turns.


    Using Blink to move away from the trajectory of its tail, Victor shes at the dragon''s leg cutting deeply into it.


    A roar of pain and agony resounds as the dragon attempts to m its body into Victor but utterly fails to do so as he has already used Blink to appear behind it.


    {Mahesvara: Destruction}


    The mechanical voice of a youngdy resounds within the head of the raging Victor as ck veins extend from the tips of his fingers all the way to his face.


    His eyes have turned ck with red pupils glowing at the center of each eye.


    The dragon seems to realize the severity of the situation as it lets out a roar and dashes away from where it''s at.


    Right after it does so, Victor punches where it used to be at as cracks form in the space all around him.


    This leads to the chain effect of cracks appearing all over the white space, destabilizing it.


    Just as it seems like the dragon will be facing disaster, its body begins to glow in red before it diminishes in size to the point it reaches the size of an ordinary human.


    Once done, a man that seems to be an older version of the high schooler that Victor had used Plunder on, in the park, is revealed.


    Green energy swirls around the Dragonoid''s arms as he leaps into the sky, where Victor is at and punches him.


    In response, Victor returns a punch of his own.


    The moment their fists meet each other, the white space seems to change colors to several darker shades as more cracks form.


    Victor gets pushed back by a couple of meters in the air, while the Dragonoid isunched back into the "ground".


    With a determined expression, the Dragonoid gets on his feet as the green energy reappears and gets sucked into his legs.


    The next moment, the Dragonoid seems to vanish from where it stood as it appears beside Victor and sends a kick at him.


    Reacting equally as fast, Victor blocks the blow using his arm and responds with a kick of his own.


    The Dragonoid isunched backward before wings emerge from its back and its arms turning into a miniature version of its original draconic arms.


    After a long while, their battle seems toe to an end as the Dragonoid finds himself lying on the ground with a fancy sword pointed at his neck.


    {Mahesvara: Destruction deactivated.}


    {Berserk: God''s Wrath deactivated.}


    As the mechanical voice of Irene resounds within the head of Victor who has partially regained rity, he pushes the sword closer to the Dragonoid and says in a tone bereft of any emotions,


    "Speak; How do I leave this space?"


    ---1st POV---


    After several minutes of attempting to get a hold of myself, I was able to prevent myself from outright killing the dragon. Lucky guy.


    There were several close calls, however, I was sessful in the end.


    I don''t need to kill the guy off, as I have no idea if I will be able to leave the space even if I do so.


    So what''s the best way to handle this?


    Prove yourself stronger and "befriend" the foe to earn their trust. I had always heard in my past life that dragons are extremely prideful creatures, so if I am able to beat their pride without pushing it too far, I should be able to converse with it.


    "You''ve entered my dwelling and ask for a method to leave it?", he asks me, bewildered.


    I think I should go along with what I had said earlier,


    "Greetings, my name is Victor. I''vee across your dwelling without willing to do so for some reason and wish to leave without any further trouble."


    Did that sound a little too forced? Whatever.


    I hope he gives me a proper reply...


    The dragon doesn''t let me down as it responds,


    "Hello, I am the Welsh Dragon; one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. You may call me Ddraig."


    "I don''t know how you got inside of the Boosted Gear, but I''m able to send you away if you allow me to prepare."


    Should I trust it? It''s a risky choice, to be honest.


    However... he doesn''t seem to be a wicked guy.


    "Very well," I say as I step back from him and get rid of Excalibur.


    My choice turns out to be the right one as the dragon returns to his original appearance and works around with his green energy before a small portal appears.


    "The next time we meet," I say with a polite smile, "let''s try to get along."


    "Understood," he replies.


    I can''t tell how he feels through his expression as I have yet to learn about dragon psychology.


    As I step through the portal formed, I hear him mutter in destion,


    "A god-killer got beaten to a pulp by a god. How pathetic..."


    ------


    As I gradually open my eyes, Asia and Sora appear within my sight with worried looks on their faces.


    "Are you okay?", Sora hurriedly asks.


    I get up and respond with,


    "Yeah. I just feel a little tired."


    And by a little, I mean that I have almost no energy left in my body. I feel so drained...


    "Does Your Holiness require to go to the hospital?", Asia voices in.


    Shaking my head, I pat both of their heads and say,


    "Let''s just get going. Oh, right. Asia, where will you go to?"


    Before she can reply, Sora says,


    "She''ll be staying with us."


    Seriously? My anti-social Sora letting a stranger live with us? It seems like they''ve gotten significantly closer during the short while I was fighting against Ddraig.


    Well, if she says so. I mean, if it turns out that the girl has a hidden purpose for staying with us, I can just split her in half before she can try anything funny.


    I take a look at where the high schooler was at and see him lying on the ground writhing in pain as his veins are bulging, while he''s being tended to by some adults.


    Alright, time to get going.


    ------


    "This cost us exactly the amount of money we have right now," Sora says as soon as we''re done negotiating with the owner of the apartment we''ve decided to stay at.


    "Don''t worry, I will be making some money soon. Besides, I can create whatever weck, right?"


    Agreeing with me, she nods.


    "Creating?", Asia curiously asks.


    So far, it doesn''t seem like she''s a bad girl. Her naivety reminds me of Ayumi a little.


    Speaking of Ayumi and the others, they will arrive in six days, huh...


    I need to collect enough money to buy a house or more preferably, a mansion big enough to amodate all of us.

 Chapter 53: Contract Kill ; Power Wielders

    Chapter 53: Contract Kill ; Power Wielders


    As soon as we enter our new apartment, I use what''s left of energy to produce a bed and lie down on it. Too exhausted to do anything, I gradually fall asleep.


    --


    After whoever knows how long, I wake up from my sleep. Sensing something on my arms, I look and notice that both Sora and Asia have both joined me in sleeping on the bed.


    I get Sora beingfortable when sleeping beside me, but I''m not so sure I can say the same thing about Asia.


    Having just met her today, I''ve barely gotten to know her. I''m sure it''s just because she doesn''t know how to interact with others based on what she told us.


    Using Telekinesis to gently lift both of them up, I pull my arms out from underneath them. After that, I gently kiss Sora''s lips.


    I look at the cute blonde nun beside me for a few seconds.


    Making up my mind, I give her a light kiss on her forehead before floating up from the bed and checking the apartment out properly.


    There are four rooms in total.


    The bedroom - where we are right now. A wide room which could work as a living room, which is in between the bedroom and the kitchen. And finally, thevatory.


    Now that I think about it, I''ve not once needed to go to thevatory in both Project Charlotte and here. In fact, although this might sound weird, I''ve not needed to go to thevatory even in my past life.


    {That''s because whatever is taken in by Father''s physical body is converted into Essence Energy through Destruction.}


    Oh, there is the usual Irene''s voice. Had enough of the mechanical one. Speaking of which, Irene what is the difference between the two "you".


    {The "me" Father refers to having a mechanical voice is basically a sub-existence of myself that Father created in order to send "encrypted" thoughts to and fro.}


    Woah, that''s neat. However, why is it that sometimes only that sub-Irene is able to contact me while you aren''t?


    {That''s because of the way Father designed it. Its designated name is AI for Artificial Irene.}


    Great naming sense. I absolutely love it. Also, your response didn''t clear up my confusion over why only AI is able to contact me.


    ...


    ...


    Okay, fine. Don''t tell me. Let''s go back to the main topic. You said something about Destruction breaking down whatever is taken into Essence Energy. But, wasn''t it sealed back in my previous life as well as when I first got to the Rift?


    {A power in a sealed state can''t be used, however, it''s passive effects remain active.}


    That sounds like a really bad thing...


    Considering all that, what is the ratio of conversionpared to Creation?


    {Destruction depends on the mass of the object.}


    Wait, what? Seriously? Doesn''t that mean that I can get my energy back by using Creation to produce a great deal of food and convert it? Although that wouldn''t have any used mid-battle, it most definitely will post-battle.


    Is this some kind of real-life bug that I can exploit?


    I put that aside for now and focus on what I need to do at the moment - make money.


    I create aptop, use Insight, and download everything needed to keep my browsing private.


    ------


    After looking through contracts online for a while, I found one that paid quite well to get rid of one of the politicians in Tokyo.


    Then, I looked up information about him online and used irvoyance to find his precise location.


    Under the moonlight, I set out to get the job done. It doesn''t take me long to get to where he lives.


    A huge mansion guarded by several bodyguards on all sides.


    I get closer while making sure to avoid cameras and anyone sight, then use Permeation to phase through the wall to get inside noiselessly.


    Making my way up the stairs, I hear muffled noisesing from the room he''s in. I directly pass through the door.


    Upon entering the room, the sight I had seen a while agoes into sight once again.


    An almost naked teenage girl that seems to be about 16 years old is lying on the bed with bruises all over her body.


    Blood is flowing out from her mouth, nose, and even ears. I hear an almost inaudible sob as she attempts to push the man who''s unbuckling himself on top of her away.


    It''s futile as she has no strength to do so.


    Well then, time to collect my money.


    Approaching the bed soaked with blood, I puncture through the man''s chest from the back using only my arm.


    Holding his still-beating heart in my protruding hand, I give it a squeeze as it bursts, sending blood everywhere.


    The limply falls onto the ground as the girl stares with shock and stupor through her one good eye.


    I hypnotize her, then heal her. After that, I create some proper clothing for her and dress her up. Once I''m done, I erase her memories of the past hour.


    As an extra touch, I create a timed bomb and ce it on the man''s body once I''ve taken a picture of him on my phone using encrypted software.


    Carrying the girl, I use Holy sh and Light Maniption to form a hole in the roof and leave the premise.


    I take the girl to the nearest police station and ce her in front of the entrance while making sure to avoid any CCTV cameras.


    I leave the rest to them, whatever happens from here on out isn''t my responsibility.


    ------


    As I''m on my way back to the apartment, I hear some noisesing from an abandoned building nearby. Curious, I use Location and as I suspected, they are "ability wielders".


    I need to find something new to call them as they''re not the same as the ability wielders in Project Charlotte...


    Whatever, I''ll just call them "Power Wielders" for now.


    Anyways, I check out the names of the "abilities" and get surprised due to how interesting they sound.


    "Power of Destruction", "Holy Lightning", "Body Arts", "Sword Birth", as well as the "Boosted Gear".


    Didn''t the guy suffer from some kind of damage? Why is he even fighting?


    Checking out what they''re up to using irvoyance, I see that they''re fighting against a metamorphic being that is half a weird monster and half-human.


    Basically a topless woman with the bottom part of her is that of a monster.


    The monster-human hybrid seems to be weakpared to them as they are dealing with it quite easily.


    It begins to rage as a blonde guy cuts off both of its arms using a sword.


    Then, a short girl walks up to the monster as a mouth with sharp teeth form at its bottom and chomp on the girl.


    She seems to be unfazed as only her uniform gets torn while she punches the monster with an absurd amount of strength.


    In ce of the part where her uniform was torn a bright light covers it before fading away and leaving behind an undamaged uniform.


    How convenient...


    Oh? One of the arms that were chopped off suddenly moves andunches in a red-haired girl''s direction.


    The idiotic highschooler I had met at the park today shouts something as he attempts to punch it away.


    However, the arm suddenly turns direction and punches him in the guts instead and sends him flying into a wall.


    The short girl with absurd strength stomps on the arm, bursting it.


    In the end, a ck-haired girl raises her arm and shouts something before a "magical circle" appears in the air and zaps the monster-human hybrid with electricity.


    So that''s the "Holy Lightning" huh... I wonder if I am able to use it.


    {Father is able to use all of the Effects of the Holy Essence, including elemental ones.}


    Thanks, Irene.


    These guys... they''re all from the same school based on their uniform. I need to look it upter, as it seems like a fun school to go to, and I might gain some useful powers such as that "Holy Lightning" and perhaps even that "Power of Destruction".


    ------


    I reach the apartment we stay at and upon entering, Sora is waiting for me at the entrance.


    "What''s wrong, Sora?", I ask her.


    "Did you go to do your work?", she asks me casually.


    "Yes," I reply to her.


    We then head inside and I begin to create all forms of furniture and other stuff we need. Asia''s cute stupefied look gave us a goodugh.


    I then go to myptop and deal with whatever''s left and receive my payment of $40,000. Easy money.


    Once it was nighttime, both Sora and Asia decided that they wanted to keep on sleeping beside me.


    Today was sure one long, yet productive day.

 Chapter 54: Angelification ; Winged People

    Chapter 54: Angelification ; Winged People


    "We''re going to this academy," I say as I show myputer screen to both Asia and Sora the next morning.


    After looking at it for a few seconds, Sora asks,


    "Is there any particr reason you chose this academy?"


    "No," I reply.


    "Uhm, Your Holiness," Asia nervously says, "am I also going to be transferring to this school too?"


    Looking at the fidgeting young nun, I smile and say,


    "You have to learn to socialize with others. School is one way to do so."


    Getting my point, she nods her head.


    Sora then asks me about how we are going to transfer there. I then proceed to exin how I will be "negotiating" with the school principal.


    She was a bit hesitant when she heard my n, but after some reassurance, she gave in and wished me good luck.


    ------


    This was much easier than I expected it to be. Honestly, I was expecting some power wielders to appear out of nowhere and ruin my ns half-way through.


    d it didn''t happen. Now that I have gotten everything prepared, we should head over tomorrow.


    I know it might seem sudden and may arise some suspicion, but I hate wasting time doing nothing.


    And so, I head back to our apartment, produce a pair of female uniforms based on the ones used in the academy for Sora and Asia, and a male version for myself.


    "We''re all going to be transferring there as second-years," I say to both of them.


    "Tomorrow?" Sora asks.


    "Yes," I reply.


    Now then, what do I do for today? Perhaps exploring Tokyo would be nice.


    Settling on that idea, I ask Asia and Sora to join me, which they both agree without any hesitation.


    I guess they were bored, huh...


    Now that I think about it, won''t Krul and Yuno arrive in the Rift today?


    --


    After hanging around for a couple of hours doing nothing but enjoying ourselves, Asia tells us she wishes to visit a church nearby.


    I curiously asked her about the reason, to which she just replied that she can''t feel easy unless she prays to her God in the church.


    I understandingly approve her request.


    Upon reaching the church, I feel a gust of wind as a girl with ck wingsnds in front of us.


    "Oh there you are~ We''ve been wai-," she stops saying whatever she wanted to say when she set her eyes on me.


    "God?", she mutters with a stupefied look on her face.


    Not again... Is it that obvious that I have the Holy Essence? Or is it something that''s giving away my powers? Why do they immediately think I''m a god and not some high being with light powers?


    Leaving that aside...


    The girl in question has jet-ck hair and purple eyes. Her wings are extremely simr to the ones I saw in the vision back then.


    She seems to be slightly distressed as she steps back a little. Getting into abat position, she raises her arm as the light around her arm bends into a purplence.


    Then, she throws it at me.


    Lifting a finger, I use Light Maniption to disperse it.


    Upon seeing what I did, her face goes from a look of abject shock to delight as she rushes before me and exims while kneeling,


    "I wish to pledge my loyalty to Your Holiness."


    What?


    {Fallen Angel: Raynar - Wishes to serve you.}


    AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    What the heck is going on?


    {Once an Angel has fallen, they can pledge their loyalty to a god other than the one that created them or redeem themselves so that the god that created them once again allows them to be Pure Angels.}


    I have seriously be a god now? If yes, then what''re the benefits of having angels serving me? Will they obey my wishes and do whatever I want them to? Or will they just pass judgment down in my name?


    {All of the aforementioned is true. An angel serves a god and does as the god wishes. Once they do something against what the god they serve wishes, they be Fallen Angels.}


    Do I have to be concerned about anything when epting someone as my angel?


    {Negative. One that has nefarious intentions that go against the god won''t be able to be said god''s angel.}


    Then there is absolutely no reason to refuse other than the fact that she just tried to kill me.


    "Exin yourself. One moment you are attacking me, and the other you wish to serve under me. Is this some kind of joke?"


    The fallen angel, Raynare, is visibly shaken as she exins in an anxious and fearful tone,


    "This lowly one wouldn''t dare! This one just wished to confirm if someone had the galls to take the form of God or not."


    She seems to be devoted already, even before I''ve epted her. Now that I think about it, are there any perks thate with having angels?


    {Several ones. Angels are able tomunicate with the god they serve telepathically and their god can see everything through their eyes whenever and wherever.}


    Oh, wouldn''t this help me in my search for the Knowledge of the Tales? So, the more angels I have the better. Is there a limit to the number of angels I can have?


    {Insufficient information to respond.}


    How do I ept her as my angel?


    {Mahesvara: Angelification unsealed.}


    What? It''s not a part of my Holy Essence? That''s surprising. I immediately check it out,


    -Angelification


    The conversion of sentient beings into an angel. A maximum of five beings can be angelified per day.


    --


    Having checked it out, I use it on the girl before me. I feel energy drainage, however, it''s differentpared to every other time I''ve had energy drained from me.


    The next moment, a golden circle appears under the kneeling Raynare before a pir of light rises up into the sky.


    Yeah, this will definitely attract a lot of attention...


    Focusing my eyesight, I can see Raynare in the middle of the pir of light floating up as she goes through a number of changes.


    I cancel the light out through my vision and watch carefully as her hair begins to change color from the raven ck to a navy-blue while her eyes change from the former violet color to a cool gray color.


    Her old wings burn to a crisp before a new pair of pure-white wings extend from her back.


    A ruby-red symbol appears on each of her hands, resembling the head of a bull.


    Finally, a golden halo forms over her head.


    Once the conversion process is over, the pir of light goes away and Raynare floats down slowly with her new wings spread wide.


    "Raynare Victorianul hails All-Father," she says with a devoted look on her face as she kneels.


    What''s with this feeling? Is it hers? I feel her emotions right now. tion, devotion, and pride. I also feel something else... It feels like my power has gotten stronger.


    {That is correct. Angels provide extra energy for your Essence, albeit a little amount.}


    This is "little"? I feel like it has increased by at least 5%. Could it be that my current reserves are small, so the increase seems to be big for me? Either that or the energy increase depends on who I angelify.


    Forget that, what''s with the "Victorianul" part of her name? That can''t be a coincidence, right?


    {Indeed, it is as Father says, not a coincidence. Beings that are converted into Angels can receive their god''s name; simr to a family name. The god that converts them can prevent it from happening if they wish for it not to.}


    Interesting.


    Oh crap, I forgot about them...


    Turning around, I see Sora with a shocked look on her face as she stares at me.


    As for Asia, she''s fidgeting in ce while pointing a shaky finger at me as she mutters, "God" repeatedly.


    Before I can say anything, two figurese out of the church.


    One of them is a buxom blue-haireddy with a sharp look in her eyes. As for the other one, she''s a short girl with blonde hair and a prideful aura to her.


    The blue-haireddy is staring at Raynare with disgust, while the short blonde has a look of excitement in her eyes as she gazes at the wings on Raynare''s back.


    It seems like the blue-haireddy wishes to say something, but before she could do so, the short blonde dashes over and gets on her knees in front of me before saying,


    "I wish to pledge my loyalty to Your Holiness."


    So this is the usual phrase uttered by those who wish to serve a deity? Once again, there are no demerits to epting more angels, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Then I have no reason to refuse.


    -Angelification


    The same process urs, however, this time the color of her hair remains the same while her eyes be cool-gray like Raynare''s. Simr to Raynare, a golden halo appears on her head as the same symbol appears on each of her hands.


    Once the light fades away, I find myself standing in ce with two shocked humans behind me, two angels kneeling in front of me, and a raging buxom woman in the distance.


    "You two! How dare you betray us!", the raging woman screams.


    Raynare seems to be unfazed as she rises to her feet and says with grace,


    "We were never wished to be a part of your faction. It was just that we had no choice. Now that All-Father has returned, you may all face his judgment."


    The moment she is done speaking, I notice several humanoid figures flying toward where we are. I see three kinds of wings. They''re exactly like the ones in my vision.


    {Extracting location...}


    AI''s voice suddenly resounds in my head as the figuresnd around us and begin to re at everyone not part of the group they''re in, including myself.


    Just as it seems like they''re about to make a move, they''re startled by the sight of the space above us cracking as light particles appear to take the form of two girls.


    Once the forms areplete, a shock-wave sends all the new arrivals back as Krul and Yuno float down from the sky.


    "What a way to wee us," Krul says with a grin.


    As for Yuno, she looks around for a short while before she says eagerly,


    "It''s been a while since I''ve done this."


    Once she''s done she raises her right arm and yells,


    "Banishment!"

 Chapter 55: Battle against the winged ones

    Chapter 55: Battle against the winged ones


    As soon as Yuno''s voice fades out, the world around me suddenly begins to shift as Yuno, Sora, Asia, and the two angels disappear from my sight.


    The color of the sky changes to red as everything around me begins to change from what it used to be, to a ruined city.


    Floating in the sky, I look down as several bloodied bodies are lying on the ground.


    Hey, this reminds me of something...


    Suddenly, my sense of time seems to slow down as I feel a projectile being thrown at me from behind.


    Focusing, I form a barrier with Vector Maniption that reflects the projectile. I use my senses and realize that everyone with me here at the moment is the winged people who had arrivedter as well as the raging buxom woman.


    They are as confused as I am at the moment. Focusing on the direction the projectile came from, I perceive a featherless-winged figure falling down with a burn mark on their chest.


    Dare to attack me from behind? How foolish.


    It doesn''t take long for the others toe to an understanding of their own regarding the current situation.


    They immediately lock their eyes on me as they produce several numbers of weaponry using various types of energies.


    Now, how do I deal with this?


    I have a strong feeling that I can obliterate these guys easily using my various forms of powers, but where''s the fun in that?


    I have a good idea. Time to experiment with my powers.


    Using Rework, I change the way I look so that I seem a few years older than I physically am. Then, I think of various ways I can take them out when suddenly an idea pops up in my head.


    Using Illusion and Rework, I make it seem like a huge ck dragon has formed out of thin air, which scares the winged guys... a lot.


    As they begin to shout at each other some stuff, I think of my current situation a bit. The ones with a pair of ck wings are Fallen Angels based on Raynare and the blonde loli whose name I have yet to know.


    The ones with a pair of pure-white wings are Angels, once again based on my Angels.


    As for the ones with featherless wings, which also doesn''t seem to affect their ability of flight, I assume that they are something else entirely. Even the energy they work with seems to be differentpared to the Angel''s and Fallen Angel''s. Devils? Perhaps.


    "Are we seriously going to fight against God?", one Angel asks another.


    "He is an imposter that has betrayed us," came the reply.


    "So he is someone who has betrayed you, huh?", says a Devil in a mocking tone, "You guys can deal with him yourselves then."


    "You guys are wrong," a Fallen Angel with two pairs of ck wings says, "I don''t recall such an Angel existing in Heaven."


    They seem to be alerted by what thest guy said as they prepare to attack me however, as if they just realized it, they stare at the "dragon" under me with fear. [A/N: (   ) ]


    "We have no other choice. Charge at him all at once!", one of the Angels yells.


    And that, they do.


    Time to y around a little...


    I make the Illusionary Dragon "fly" through the ruined city as they follow behind me.


    Then, I make the Illusionary Dragon turn around as I use Pyrokinesis to summon mes out of its mouth, making them all spread out from each other.


    Confusing them, I abruptly make the Illusion disappear as I create the sword I used against Ddraig.


    Excalibur - Complete.


    In a few seconds, the sword has taken form in my hand.


    The design of this thing is marvelous.


    All of the ones that were chasing after me have a look of abject horror and awe at upon setting their sight on the sword.


    Toote.


    I use Godspeed to blink from one ant to another, cutting them down easily as they each die in various ways.


    Realizing how boring this is, I stop and look at the remaining ants.


    What next? Maybe I should try to tier up some of my abilities...


    Using creation, I produce a number of bullets in the air, then throw them at several of the ones following me while amplifying its speed using Vector Maniption.


    The ones that were struck in the head fall down, while the others just wince in pain.


    I notice that some of them pull out a bottle of some sort of liquid and gulp it down, and the next moment, their expression goes from slightly pained to normal.


    What are those? Healing potions?


    It doesn''t matter for now. All I know is, now that they''ve healed themselves up, I can try more of my powers on them.


    First, I''m curious about the effect of Divine Retribution on Devils, and if I''m able to focus it on one targeted rather than it being an "attack on everyone" attack.


    Targeting one of the two female Devils, I attempt to forcefully use Divine Retribution on her, and it works.


    The Devils and around her seem to be unaffected while she begins to scream out as her body begins to burn down.


    This took way less energy than the normal attack does.


    I check my Essence Energy and see that its at 78%.


    What should I try out next? Oh, right! I had this thought cross my mind before, but what happens if I use Vector Maniption to amplify the force behind my attacks?


    As an Angel and a Devil both rush at me together, I deflect the force of their attack and use Telekinesis to squeeze their hearts.


    I then immediately appear beside the only Angel left and punch him in the guts while using Vector Maniption to spread the force all over his body and amplify it.


    This results in him majestically soaring through the sky and smashing through several buildings before lodging into the wall of a ruined hotel.


    Looking at the two Demons left, I create two Glock pistols and aim them at their heads.


    The two of them seem to think nothing of it and are nning to use some kind of elemental attack, but before they can do so, I shoot at them, while amplifying the force pushing it.


    As expected, they aren''t able to react to it as the two bullets pierce right through their heads.


    That''s enough for today.


    I create several ordinary swords and aim at those left then finish them off.


    Foolish ants.


    How should I get out of here now?


    As I''m thinking about doing so, I notice that the buxomdy I had seen before is staring at me from the ground.


    Now that I think about it, she didn''t face me off in the earlier battle.


    Whatever, I''ll just kill her and call it a day.


    As I create another sword and prepare to run it through her by telekinesis, she immediately kneels down and lowers her head.


    {Kwarner wishes to serve under you.}


    Eh? Seriously? So be it, as I have nothing to lose from this anyways.


    The next moment, everything around us shatters as I find myself back in the Rift.


    A pir rises as Kwarner gets converted into an Angel, however, that''s not important right now.


    Descending onto the ground, I look at Yuno and ask her,


    "What was that just now?"

 Chapter 56: Code: Dominion ; Plans

    Chapter 56: Code: Dominion ; ns


    She rubs her palms against each other a little nervously before asking me,


    "Victor, how much do you remember about the... past?"


    I have no idea why she is asking me this, but I don''t like the way she did. Besides, does this have anything to do with what just happened?


    "Everything," I simply say.


    Almost as if not expecting such an answer, excitement covers her face as she exims gleefully,


    "You remember! You remember our days together!"


    The others are giving her a weird look. Well, that is understandable, as she is acting a little udylike right now.


    "Keep your voice down," I say to her casually, however, she immediately shuts up and gets serious as if I just shouted at her.


    "So..." she fidgets a little and turns her eyes to the left and right guiltily as she begins to exin,


    "That world... Is the same one you went to right now."


    Hold up, what?!


    "Correct me if I misunderstood you, but what you''re saying is that the ''world'' I just fought in right now is the very same world we had that stupid battle royale in?"


    In response to my words, she nervously nods her head with a small smile on her face.


    What the hell? First and foremost, why and how did it be the way it is right now? Secondly, why is Yuno able to send me there along with those other guys so easily?


    Asking her about it, she fidgets even more as she thinks of an answer for a few seconds before replying with,


    "I was kind of angry that when you died, you had already passed through the Mete before I could resurrect you, so I let out my anger on the world."


    So she brought oblivion upon that world because of my total "death"? I''m already aware of how her mindset is a "little" different from your average being, so I''m not that surprised.


    Leaving that aside,


    "How did you do it?"


    She exins to me that when she found out about my total "death", her sense of reasoning, which I highly doubt ever existed, was gone.


    All she knew was that one moment she was near my "corpse" and the next she was using her powers to destroy the world and its inhabitants.


    This raises another question,


    "What are your powers? Or should I say, what''s your Code?"


    Without the least bit of hesitation, she replies,


    "My Code is Dominion. My powers are rted to the maniption of Space and to a certain extent, Time."


    Interesting.


    "That still doesn''t exin how you were able to send us there.", I say.


    "It''s simple. My power over Space allows me to keep the world and use it as a pocket dimension."


    In other words, she can ess it whenever and wherever she wants to. Spatial powers sure are convenient.


    Oh right!


    "Then what are her powers?", I say as I point at Krul.


    "I''m aware that her Code is Abbadon, but what are the powers that develop with it?"


    Before Yuno can reply, Krul steps forward and says,


    "My powers are rted to Chaos and Concept Destruction."


    For some reason, I feel like her powers suit her character a lot. Even though I don''t know what kind of life she''s lived, I know that it wasn''t a simple one based on our past conversations.


    I shift my focus from them to the rest and notice that my Angels are staring at me a little too hard.


    Sora is quietly listening to my conversation with Yuno, while Asia still seems to be in a stupor.


    This is problematic...


    Now that our numbers have almost tripled, that small apartment won''t be enough to amodate all of us.


    The best solution for this issue for this would be,


    "My Angels," I say while looking their way.


    Responding to my call, they all kneel down before me.


    "You are to live your lives ''normally'' until I settle down properly."


    The three of them unitedly respond with,


    "Yes, All-Father!"


    If there is a problem with my order, it''s that they''re no longer Fallen Angels, so they''ll be suspected by whoever that knows them, simr to how I am discovered by my Holy Essence...


    {Father can use Rework to deal with that.}


    Wasn''t Rework just a way to cover up something that I didn''t want others to notice? Oh, right... that''s exactly the case right now.


    "Come forward," I ordered the Angels, and that they did.


    I begin using Reword to make them look simr to what they used to be. Once I''m done, I examine them from head to toe.


    Great, they''re no different from what they used to be like before their conversion to Angels.


    Next, I use Rework to mask my Holy Essence, and the best way to do this is to make my aura simr to that of a different race or make it seem nonexistent.


    I decide to go with thetter, which makes it seem like I''m an ordinary human.


    {Be warned that beings that have a sufficient amount of power will be able to see through Father''s Rework and Illusion.}


    That makes sense. Speaking of powers against beings with sufficient strength, is my Plunder unable to be used in the Rift or was it that I had used it against such a being?


    {It''s thetter. Tiering it up should solve that issue.}


    To tier up my Plunder, I need to constantly use it. For that, I need to be around power wielders, which makes my decision of going to that school right.


    Irene, what does the Knowledge of the Tales look like?


    {A small floating orb that glows and has a bluish colour.}


    I ry that information to my Angels and order them to look for it while keeping their identities a secret.


    "Let''s go home now," I say to the rest.


    ------


    "This is where you live right now?", Krul asks me incredulously as she points at our apartmentplex.


    "Yes," I simply say.


    "How degrading," she continues.


    See, that''s what I meant when I said that her life must not have been a simple one. Normally, people wouldn''tin about such an apartment, as it''s a pretty neat one, yet, she finds it degrading to stay in it.


    Ignoring her, I enter the apartment and begin creating more things that we''ll need.


    Once I''m done, I head back to my room and notice that Sora is there sitting on my bed and using theptop.


    I attract her attention as she pushes theptop to the side and looks into my eyes.


    Seeing the look in her eyes as she''s doing so, I move closer to her and run my hand through her silky hair.


    Enjoying my touch, she closes her eyes as a smile spreads across her face.


    I then move my hand to her face as I bring her closer to myself before kissing her soft lips.


    She seems to be a little more used to this now as she responds to the kiss fairly well.


    It doesn''t take long for us to move on from a light kiss to a much more passionate kiss with a lot of tongue action.


    Several minutes pass as we continue to kiss until we both suddenly hear a little yelp from behind me.


    Turning around, I see the door to the room half-opened as a blushing Asia is standing there and staring at us with a look of shock.


    "Uhm. Sor-sorry!", she practically exims before she leaves the room and shuts the door behind her.


    I then turn back to Sora.


    We both stare into each other''s eyes for a few seconds before we both get back to kissing each other.


    ------


    It''s time for dinner and we''re all sitting on a dining table I had created before.


    I was nning to create our dinner, but that was immediately met with opposition by Sora. After asking her about it, she told me that she''s been learning how to cook.


    And so, I settled with creating the ingredients while she did the cooking.


    "You siblings sure get along well," Krul says.


    Asia immediately blushes while Sora just beams a smile.


    Once dinner is served and we''ve all begun eating, I speak of my current ns to them regarding the school and the power wielders.


    I also give an exnation regarding what happened today, and the reason why I readily agreed to the Fallen Angel''s pledges to serve under me.

 Chapter 57: Kuoh Academy

    Chapter 57: Kuoh Academy


    "You two look good in them," I praise Sora and Asia who''ve both put on their school uniforms.


    Sora smiles as she looks at herself in the mirror, while Asia moves around in the room to get used to the way the uniform feels.


    I haven''t put on the uniform but instead used Rework to make it seem like I have. I have several reasons for doing so, the main one being that I want to see if there are any high-powered beings in the school.


    It''s quite simple. If they see through it, they''re high-powered.


    "Are you two ready?", I ask them.


    Sora nods in response then heads out of the room. Asia, however, seems to be having some trouble with her uniform.


    "What''s wrong?", I inquire.


    "It feels a little off," she replies.


    I approach her and touch her uniform around to see if everything is proper. I soon found the issue and fixed it for her.


    "This is much better!", she happily exims.


    --


    While we were eating breakfast, I asked Krul and Yuno about their ns for today.


    Apparently, they both agreed to explore Tokyo and see if they can find anything rted to the Knowledge of the Tales while they''re at it.


    Once we all finished eating breakfast, we headed out of the apartment.


    The academy is a little far away from where we are. So, I create a ck Mercedes-Benz GT 4. Create a number te for it, and use Creation, Insight, and Telekinesis to modify its parts.


    It doesn''t take me long to go through all this, with it taking three minutes at most.


    Having created the car, I offer to make one for Krul and Yuno, but they both reject my offer.


    Thus, I drive Sora and Asia to school in the brand new "family car".


    --


    Parking somewhere close to the academy, the three of us get off the car as we decide to go the rest of the way on foot.


    On the way there, I lock arms with both Sora and Asia.


    Why? Because they''re mine.


    Students stare at us on the way to the academy.


    That''s to be expected, as there is a blonde foreigner, a gray-haired ikeman, and a silver-haired beauty walking arm-in-arm to school.


    Once we''re close enough, I do a quick scan of the building to see if there is anything wrong before continuing.


    After walking for a while, I realize that there are very few male studentspared to female students. That''s for the best, as I don''t have to dirty my hands by the blood of pigs.


    We finally reach our ss: 3-B.


    Our ages are just about right to be second-year high schoolers, and there was a ss with exactly three empty seats so I just went with that.


    Asia gently nudges on my arm, so I let go of her.


    She takes a deep breath while Sora still proudly holds onto my arm.


    "Let''s go in," I say in an encouraging tone.


    ---3rd POV---


    The students of ss 3-B are going through their usual daily routine of speaking off recent events.


    The hottest topic at the moment is about the light pirs that appeared in the sky yesterday-noon.


    While they''re all grouped up and speaking of their opinion regarding the matter, two males are speaking to each other.


    One of them is the infamous-pervert, Issei Hyoudo, while the other one is the school prince, Kiba Yuuto.


    "The president wants us to meet up once sses are over," Kiba whispers to Issei.


    "Is it about yesterday?", Issei asks.


    "Most likely," he replies.


    After a few minutes, the ss quiets down as their teacher enters the ss.


    She walks to the front of the ss and announces,


    "Guys and girls, we have three students that transferred over to our school today. The three of them are second-years like yourself and will be joining this ss."


    Once the teacher is done speaking, the students all begin to whisper to each other regarding what the teacher just said.


    "Hey, do you think that they''ll all be girls?" Matsuda, Issei''s friend and one of the "perverted trio" asks Issei


    "Oh, I''m sure of it. I can tell that they will all be beautiful."


    As the two are talking, the ss abruptly goes silent. The two of them look towards their ss door only to be stunned by the sight of two beautiful girls walking in together with a hot guy while holding onto his arms.


    The three of them walk to the front of the ss and begin introducing themselves.


    "Hello, everyone. My name is Haruka Kasuganou. I transferred to this school together with my little sister as we have just arrived in Tokyo. I''m an athlete, so if I identally break your shoulder by bumping into you, it''s not my fault."


    Most of the students giggle lightly in response to his "silly" introduction, not perceiving the underlying meaning behind it.


    After him, the silver-haired girl who looks simr to the guy introduces herself,


    "Hi. I''m Sora Kasuganou, Haru''s sister, nice to meet you."


    Her quick introduction and the neutral look on her face when she introduced herself made the students categorize her as a "cool beauty".


    Finally, the only one left began introducing herself,


    "Hi everyone. My name is Asia Argento, and I''ve arrived in Japan just recently. I hope you take care of me."


    ---1st POV---


    Looking at three guys at the back of the ss shouting in excitement, I memorize their disgusting appearance as I add them to my watch-list.


    That kind of behavior is abnormal. I can practically smell them.


    The scent of trash.


    I''m not going to be showing any mercy if they dare try anything funny against my girls.


    It''s pitiful how one of them has the "Boosted Gear", and a dragon inside of him. A dragon emperor at that.


    As I''m about to go and take a seat, a girl wearing sses abruptly gets up from her seat, points at me and begins to exim with as blood runs down her nose,


    "Eight! It''s eight!"


    The girls and guys all seem to be shocked as they let out an "Ohh!" Then, the next thing I know, is that I''m being red at by all the guys, while most of the girls blush.


    What did this creep tell them? Does the number 8 have some hidden meaning behind it?


    Perhaps, I need to look into thatter.


    My ears then pick up on a guy muttering something to himself. Without arising any suspicion, I use irvoyance to see a guy at the back close to the perverted trio muttering numbers as he adjusts his sses and stares at Asia.


    I use Telekinesis without lifting a single finger to crush his optic nerve, immediately rendering him blind.


    "Ahh!!", he screams and draws the whole ss''s attention to himself as he holds on to his bloodied eyes.


    "Motohama!", the one if the Boosted Gear yells as he approaches him.


    "I''ll take him to the infirmary," a bald guy says to him before dragging the blinded guy away.


    I walk forward a few steps and say in a worried tone,


    "Is he going to be okay? I wouldn''t want one of our new ssmates to go through something serious right after we''ve arrived at school."


    The guy with the Boosted Gear waves his hand and says,


    "No, no. Hopefully, it''s nothing too serious."


    He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than us.


    Hm?


    I notice that I''m being stared at a little too keenly by a blonde guy. Is he suspecting me? Taking a closer look at him I find him familiar.


    Oh, right!


    He is the one that used a sword to fight against that monster-human hybrid the other night. Interesting. His ability, Sword Birth, seems like something I need to look intoter.


    ------


    sses are finally over.


    This is troubling...


    I''m currently being surrounded by female students as they continuously ask me questions, despite me having not bothered to answer any of them.


    Using irvoyance, I notice that some guys wish to approach Sora and Asia.


    So bothersome.


    I use Telekinesis to y around with their insides a little, making them feel sick. The next moment, they''re all running out of the ss and going to, I assume, thevatory.


    I''ve had enough of this.


    "Move out of the way," I order the girls in front of me, however, they don''t do as I say and continue to ask questions.


    Ugh...


    -Indoctrination


    "Move," I say.


    They immediately make way for me as I walk forward to where Sora is sitting. I tap her back and say,


    "Let''s go."


    Asia also follows suit as we leave the ss together and head to the school canteen.


    ---3rd POV---


    "That guy is highly suspicious," Kiba says to a red-haired girl who''s sitting on a sofa beside a ck-haired girl.


    "What do you suggest we do?", the red-haired girl asks him.


    "Look into him," he replies.


    "Wait!", Issei who has been silent for the whole time suddenly exims.


    "The voice in my head," he says, "the one I said appeared yesterday, just said that we shouldn''t make him angry."


    In response to im, the red-haired girl looks at him for a few seconds before she turns her head and says to a petite white-haired girl,


    "Koneko-chan. I''ll leave this to you. Be careful, okay?"


    The girl responds with just a slight nod as she gets on her feet and goes outside of the room.


    "President!", Issei says.


    "It''s fine. You''ve seen how strong she is. Besides, she will call out to us if there is something wrong. For now, you should focus on developing your Sacred Gear."


    Having nothing else to say, Issei silently nods while feeling helpless.

 Chapter 58: Koneko Toujou

    Chapter 58: Koneko Toujou


    Seriously? This huge academy doesn''t have a canteen? My disappointment is immeasurable.


    As we can''t exactly eat nothing and go on with our day, I use Creation to produce some sandwiches before we go exploring the school premises.


    The three of us check out several clubs, with one of them catching my attention - The ult Research Club.


    We didn''t go there, however we heard about it from the mouths of the other students. Boys and girls alike spoke highly of it.


    It turned out that the reason for that was the president and vice-president club.


    Having gotten curious, I use irvoyance to get a sneak-peek inside the club room. Inside, I see that the group that had fought against the monster the other night all gathered, except for but one.


    Where is the strong petite girl? She was the most memorable one of them all... for several reasons.


    Using my enhanced senses to roughly feel around ourselves, I sense that someone is hiding behind a wall close to us.


    I observe them closely and see it''s the petite girl that I just mentioned. She seems to be tailing us?


    "Let''s go check out the pool," I say to Sora and Asia.


    As we walk, I keep a tab on the petite girl to see if she''s still following us. Surprisingly, she follows us all the way to the pool.


    Is she going to keep this up for the whole day? Well, I''ll let her be for now. I can''t raise any more suspicion in school. Besides, I''m trying to be "friends" with these guys.


    ------


    School is finally over.


    We are currently heading toward where our new "family car" is at. As for the petite girl, she is still following us.


    After walking for a short while, we reach the car.


    I drive back to the apartment. Once we all get off the car, I tell Sora and Asia to go on head.


    Activation Godspeed, I make my way to where the girl is at.


    ---3rd POV---


    Watching the three of them get off the car and about to enter their apartment, Koneko ns to head back to school.


    However, before she can do so, she feels a gust of wind behind her as she detects the presence of someone.


    rmed, she turns around only to be met with the sight of the one she was supposed to investigate, smiling at her.


    "Hello," he simply says.


    She steps back from him and stays on guard.


    "Don''t worry, if I wanted to do anything to you, the school would''ve already been nothing more than ashes," he deres in a friendly tone.


    The derance he just made isn''t a joke, neither is it a lie.


    Realizing that she can''t possibly handle this on her own, she wants to call for assistance, however, a voice interrupts her thoughts,


    "Don''t call for help."


    She can''t tell why, but she doesn''t want to do it anymore.


    "You''reing with me," he says to her as he pats her small head, "and tell me about everything you know."


    ---1st POV---


    I carry the unconscious girl all the way back to my room and ce her on my bed.


    Looking at her small body curled up on my bed, I find her to be adorable.


    However, now isn''t the time for that. First, I need to put all of what I learned from her into consideration.


    Indoctrination is sure helpful for extracting information...


    Anyway, I finally got to know that the bunch in the ult Research Club are Devils. The president of said club is Rias Gremory, a devil from a noble family.


    She was given her "Evil Pieces" which are apparently chess pieces for Devils to make other Devils a part of their peerage.


    Now, this "noble" Devil ordered this girl, whose name is Koneko, to follow me as they found me suspicious.


    As for the reason they were suspicious of me, it was rted to the three light pirs that appeared in the sky, as well as the disappearance of several beings from all three winged races.


    Leaving that aside, I got to know more about the current world. Including the existence of Nekomata - a race of cat-like "youkai".


    Not only is Koneko one of them, but she is a special one.


    Well, that doesn''t really matter to me. What does matter, is that the "noble" Devil sent someone after me.


    This did result in my finding out a lot more about the world, so I can barely forgive her.


    Nevertheless, it''s still a pretty rude thing to do.


    So, how do I deal with her?


    For now, I will use Memory Erasure to make Koneko forget all that has happened. However, before I do that,


    I wonder how her ears and tail feel...


    ------


    Ah, she''s finally regained consciousness. That took longer than I wanted it to, but it works out.


    Koneko seems to be really confused as she opens her eyes and looks around. Upon setting her sight on me, she jumps up from the bed and examines me before doing the same for herself.


    Does she think that I did something to her while she was unconscious? How could I not?


    "Calm down, I don''t n to hurt you," I say to her, trying to sound as friendly as possible.


    She seems to not be taking my words seriously as she remains vignt with her cat tail perking up.


    I extend my hand slowly to her head. Koneko doesn''t take any action and only watches my hand getting closer to her.


    Once it''s close enough, I lightly pat her head and say,


    "You''re quite adorable."


    Koneko has gotten less vignt as she closes her eyes and enjoys it. How cat-like.


    "Please, don''t get me wrong, but why were you unconscious right in front of our apartment?", I ask her after a few moments.


    She opens her eyes and has look of contemtion coupled with confusion as she thinks about an answer.


    "If you don''t want to answer that," I say after a while, "why don''t we begin with introducing ourselves?"


    Koneko nods her head in response and says in a soft voice,


    "Koneko Toujou."


    My turn I guess,


    "I am God. You may call me Victor."


    My words stun her as she looks at me with a weird look.


    Well, that''s to be expected. However, now that I''ve really be one, might as well be the only one worthy of the name.


    Raising my left hand, I casually create five Angels out of thin air. Of course, insentient ones.


    Koneko is currently staring at them with her mouth agape.


    Finding it hard to believe, she gets up from the bed and moves toward them. She waves her hand in front of them as if trying to check if they''re real.


    Then, she touches them all over to make sure onest time before turning around and looking at me, confused.


    "Is there something wrong?", I ask her.


    Koneko thinks before a few seconds and says,


    "Why are they not reacting to me?", she asks back.


    "That''s simply because I have yet to create a soul for them," I reply.


    She seems to have gotten less vignt of me as she moves back to the bed and says,


    "Why are you showing me this?"


    I still can''t believe how the only emotion I''ve seen on her face from the time I observed her tailing me until now is the look of shock and confusion she just had.


    She has yet to smile, which bothers me for some reason.


    "It''s to build a little trust between us," I calmly reply.


    "I am a devil?", she says, frowning.


    Does she mean, why would God want to build trust with a Devil?


    "That was a long time ago. Nowadays, I don''t dislike Devils, as I''ve seen worse Angels," I say to her while extending my hand to her head once again.


    "Ah!", she suddenly yelps before retracting the ears and tail.


    "Why? You looked adorable with them."


    She doesn''t say anything and just looks at me.


    Hah~


    Well then, I should try to get some information out of her based on her emotions. Objective information without any bias is indeed useful, but if I want to go through with what I''m nning...


    "So, are you going to tell me why were you in front of my apartment?"


    She''s beginning to get nervous a little, which I guess is because she''s aware of how troublesome a godly entity is.


    "I was told to follow you...", she softly says under her breath.


    "And why is that?", I ask further as I move closer and sit beside her.


    "You were suspicious," she continues.


    I kind of feel bad for doing this to her, but I''ve got no choice.


    "And who is it that''s dumb enough to send you out like this without having any info regarding the capabilities of the target?"


    She''s getting a little fidgety as she doesn''t know what to say.


    "I saw you fighting the other night," I say to her, which seems to attract her attention as she looks at me.


    "That fight against that monster; I''ve got to say you were very reckless. I mean, who would just want to walk into the mouth of a monster? Don''t you value your life? And don''t tell me that you have a strong physique, because that monster might''ve had a specialized trap inside its mouth that could''ve easily destroyed you.


    "Your actions disappointed me, but what disappointed me more was how your teammates reacted. They didn''t seem to think outside the box and continuously underestimated the monster. What I''m saying is that you and your teammates are the worst thinkers that I''vee across ever since my return."


    It might have to do with my im of being a God, but she doesn''t seem to wish to think of something to prove me wrong.


    I want to keep her. For some reason, I''ve gotten quite fond of her, even though I''ve met her for only so long.


    "I''ve decided that you''re going to stay with me," I say to her which shocks her as she looks my way with widened-eyes.


    "I find your current master unworthy of keeping you." I continue saying, while making sure to do it sagely. After all, I''m supposed to be wise, right?


    She''s even more confused now, unable toe to a decision over what to say or do. So, I ce my hand on her left cheek and my right on the other, then make her face myself before saying,


    "You don''t need to worry, I''ll be taking good care of you. This is for your good as well as your master''s. If she were to remain so naive and ignorant, it''s bound to end bad for you lot. All your master has to do is prove herself worthy and that''s all it takes for me to return you to her. Agreed?"


    It''s like she decided to stop thinking and just nods her head while looking my eyes.


    I move a little closer to her, and gently kiss her forehead before softly whispering,


    "Good girl."


    The n is a simple one. Based on how reckless Rias Gremory acts, she''s going to drag all over her peerage over without asking for any assistance. This, in turn will let me y around with them and perhaps put the second phase of my n into y, which is, "All this was to teach you guys how to be stronger and better."


    As for Issei Hyoudo I''m fairly certain that they wouldn''t have any problems with me finishing him off and Plundering his Sacred Gear.


    They practically invited the guy into their group with something as stupid as "bing a harem king".


    I would''ve lived just fine not knowing that there are people stupid enough to strive for such a title.


    The most important thing, is that no one other than Kiba Yuuto can be considered to be close to him. As ording to Koneko, the reason for Issei bing a Devil is that he had died to a Fallen Angel.


    That''s not the end of it, as he was injured a second time by most likely the very same Fallen Angel, which resulted in him almost dying. However, they had to use one of the new "Health Potions" that were created as replica of "Phoenix Tears", whatever that is.


    Basically, if I am to kill off Issei Hyoudo, I will be facing Kiba''s wrath, while there is the possibility of the others as well.


    I focus back on Koneko who''s currently being held within my arms, and say,


    "Let''s go introduce you to the others, shall we?"

 Chapter 59: Devils vs God

    Chapter 59: Devils vs God


    The sight of several insentient Angels in my room wasn''t exactly a nice sight, so I had used Destruction to get rid of them.


    Then, I hold Koneko''s small hand and pull her along as I head to the living room, where everyone else is at.


    They had all seen me holding the unconscious Koneko as I entered my room, but didn''t say anything.


    I need to exin what''s going on or else it would be problematic.


    Checking the sofa, I see that everyone is sitting and it seems like they''ve been like this for a while. I guess they''ve been discussing some stuff among themselves.


    There isn''t enough space for both Koneko and I to sit, so I create two chairs right in front of the sofa and take a seat on one of them, while urging her to sit on the other.


    "I''ll keep this short," I begin to exin, "Someone ordered her to follow me at school, as they found me ''suspicious''. So, I''ve decided to keep her and wait to see if they''lle to retrieve her."


    I look at them and use my eyes to motion to Koneko. Understanding my intentions, they begin to introduce themselves to her.


    Now that, that''s out of the way,


    "Raynare," I say.


    In a few seconds, her voice resounds within my head,


    [Yes, All-Father!]


    "Inform Rias Gremory that Koneko Toujou is being kept hostage anonymously."


    [Affirmative.]


    I''m already half-expecting her to show up in front of my apartment with her peerage demanding that I return Koneko to them. She won''t be that dumb, right?


    What I''m hoping that she does is getting into contact with the higher level Devils and informing them before she tries to do anything.


    Well, I''ll deal with them however theye at me, so it doesn''t really matter in the end.


    Shifting my focus to Koneko who''s trying to get along with everyone, I say to her,


    "Koneko, don''t pull any sneaky moves, okay?"


    She lets out a quiet "um" as acknowledgment.


    ------


    Hey Irene, am I able to convert Devils to Angels?


    {It''s indeed possible, but there is a certain condition that should be met.}


    What is it?


    {They must be purified before the process can be initiated. The easiest method is to directly inject Holy Energy into them. While the second easiest method is to directly use a Holy Effect specifically made for that regard.}


    What does direct Holy Energy injection mean?


    {Coption with a god.}


    Yeah, thought so. As for the second one, I assume I need to experiment on Devils to find it?


    {Correct.}


    Huh? No way. Are you kidding me?


    I know I was expecting her toe over, but it''s still surprising nheless.


    I go to where the girls are at and say,


    "They''ve arrived."


    The small smile on Koneko''s face stiffened when she heard me. It seems like they were getting along quite well if she smiled.


    "Koneko," I say solemnly, "you are to keep my identity a secret for now, understood?"


    Having gotten her agreement, I turn to face Yuno and ask her,


    "Is there any limit to your ''Banishment'' - the ability you used to send us to THAT world?"


    "Other than beings that are able to resist my spatial powers, there are no restrictions to the ability," she replies.


    That''s good. I inform her to use it on everyone in Rias Gremory''s peerage. Fighting them without attracting much attention is much better than doing the opposite.


    Using irvoyance to look outside, I see Rias standing in front of her peerage, seemingly giving out orders. Repositioning my sight, I see my three Angels standing behind them of their own volition.


    They have excited looks on their face which is most likely because they''re trying to prove themselves to me during this event. How cute.


    I stop using irvoyance and shift my focus back to the fidgeting Koneko.


    "Send Koneko and the Angels with me as well," I inform Yuno.


    "Got it," she replies.


    Moving toward Koneko, I hold her hand and have her apany me as I go out of the apartment to where Rias and her peerage are at.


    The surrounding space visibly deforms before the color of the sky goes from pitch-ck to red as everything around us seems to change from your ordinary Tokyo to an apocalyptic one.


    They''re all extremely rmed by the sudden change in environment as they make up hypothesis about what''s going on.


    I''m d that it doesn''t go on for long as they notice me who''s walking towards them while holding a chained up Koneko that has tape on her mouth.


    -Illusion.


    "Wee to the realm of the dead," I bellow.


    I''m being quite literal with what I''m saying, as there are dead bodies lying all around us.


    They are mostly reacting in anger to the sight of the "chained up" Koneko beside me. Sheesh, it''s almost like they can''t even hear me talking.


    "You bastard! Release her now!", Issei shouts as iplete gauntlet materializes around his left arm.


    Lightning swirls around Akeno, while me-like energy appears on Rias''s hands.


    As for Kiba, he summons two swords out of nowhere.


    I guess it''s about time I went to kick their asses. But before that,


    "Hey Koneko, what would you think of Issei dying?"


    She thinks for a few seconds before looking at me and saying,


    "I don''t care, but it will be bad if his power went away"


    Just as I thought. Then all I have to do is make sure his power doesn''t go away right?


    Feeling the energy rush to me as my eye and focus are cleared up, I move toward the group of Devils who are battle-ready.


    Kiba makes the first move as he dashes at me and swings one of his swords at my neck. I could simply cancel out the velocity of the attack, but where is the fun in that?


    Lifting my left arm, I flick the sword. The next moment, the sword shatters as cuts appear all over Kiba''s arm.


    Not giving him time to react, I directly smash his kneecap before using my finger to puncture his biceps.


    For the finishing touch, I kick him in the guts, which sends him flying into distant ruins of a building.


    "Kiba!", Issei shouts at the flying figure before looking at me much more enraged as he shouts,


    "I will kill you!"


    Immediately after that, I feel some sort of energying my way. Observing the direction it''sing from, I see that it''s from Rias. The Power of Destruction.


    I remain stationary as the energy washes over me.


    ---3rd POV---


    "You got him!" Issei exims once he sees Victor drowning in the Power of Destruction.


    She had indeed got him, but there was this uneasy feeling that Rias couldn''t understand. The next moment, as the Aura fades away into nothingness, Victor appears unharmed.


    "Is that all?", he mocks, "I was expecting something of a much higher caliber."


    He then slowly floats into the air as his arms get covered in golden veins.


    Mid-air, Victor forms a cross with his arms before abruptly shing the air using both of his hands.


    Sensing something, Rias screams,


    "Dodge it!"


    They all seem to have noticed and move out of the way.


    The next moment, all the ruins around them crumble as the ground splits in straight lines.


    "I was expecting at least something like this from that power of yours," Victor who''s still floating mid-air continues to mock.


    "Mittelt, attack!", he suddenly orders.


    "Yes, All-Father!", she responds before dashing in Rias''s direction.


    Rias extends her wings and flies to the sky.


    Mittelt follows suit as she extends her own wings and flies at her.


    "Angels?!", Rias exims.


    Before she can say anything else, a pink spear made of light is thrown at her with incredible force.


    Barely dodging it, she''s met with a punch channeling the light element in her guts.


    "President!", Issei who''s been on the ground watching all of this y out finally shouts.


    "Raynare, your turn," Victor casually orders.


    "Yes, All-Father.", she excitedly replies before approaching Issei.


    As if just noticing her presence, Issei freezes up as he mutters,


    "Yuuma-chan?"


    In response to his stupefied look, Raynareughs as she shouts at him,


    "We meet again, Issei-kun. Oh right, I have to introduce myself properly. My name is Raynare Victorianul, nice to meet you."


    He doesn''t seem to be able to react to the tant mocking as he continues to stare at her.


    "Kwarner, you know what to do," Victor orders once again.


    "Understood, All-Father," she says before extending her wings and flying towards Akeno.


    ---1st POV---


    My Angels are way stronger than I initially thought. It''s like they were made to fight.


    {That''s because they have Father''s blessing.}


    My blessing? What''s that supposed to mean?


    {Father will find that out himself in the near-future.}


    Forget it, how do I plunder the Boosted Gear? Having a dragonpanion sounds fun.


    {To plunder abilities higher tiered abilities, Father must make the user lose control over themselves.}


    So I basically need to enrage the guy, huh?


    What would make him mad though? He has just recently entered this team so even if I kill them off in front of him, I doubt it would make him go crazy.


    Eh, whatever I will give it a try.


    Using Godspeed, I appear beside him and cast Illusion all over our surroundings. Then, I form the Illusion of a battered up Rias on the verge of death.


    "Hey, Issei, look over here!", I say to the guy who''s being pummeled into the ground by Raynare.


    Once he looks over, his eyes turn bloodshot as he screams, "President!".


    {Now!}


    Here goes nothing  Plunder!


    ------


    My vision clears up from the blur it had be before as I find myself in front of Ddraig once again.


    "Hello again," I say to him casually.


    His response is to just stare at me with his dragon eyes for a dozen seconds before asking,


    "Why are you doing this to him?"


    Understanding that he''s most likely referring to Issei, I say,


    "It simply has nothing to do with him. It''s the Boosted Gear that I seek, or more specifically, you."


    Ddraig closes his eyelids, for a few seconds before reopening them and saying,


    "I have one condition."


    ---3rd POV---


    Kiba finally gets back to the battlefield just in time to see the sight of Issei copsing in front of Victor.


    Enraged, he summons new swords and rushes at him.


    Victor, casually swings his sword, which sends a strong gust of wind stopping Kiba in his tracks.


    "It''s about time," Victor says before once again floating into the sky.


    Suddenly, his body begins to change form as the color of his hairs and eyes change and runes appear all over him.


    "Hear me," he bellows, making everyone halt their fights and look his way as he continues,


    "I am God. The one and only. You either heed me or perish."


    Feeling the aura exuding from him and the Holy Essence surrounding him, they can tell that he''s not fabricating it.


    "We only wish to talk with you," Victor says before calling back all his Angels.


    Then, he slowly floats to the ground andnds beside Koneko who''s no longer "chained".


    Making the deification go away, he raises his left arm and shouts,


    "Boosted Gear!"


    Immediately after that, a moreplete version of the red gauntlet that Issei had appears on his arm.


    "Let''s have a bargain," Victor says with a wide grin on his face.

 Chapter 60: Negotiations

    Chapter 60: Negotiations


    Having created a round table as well as several seats, I sit and wait for them to do so as well.


    Did I overdo it with Kiba? Looking at his limping figure as he walks to a seat, I get the feeling that I really did overdo it.


    Gift:


    -Regeneration


    After waiting a couple of seconds for his pain to diminish, I begin with the second phase of my n,


    "Now, before we get started, I need to state that this was nothing more than a test of worthiness."


    My statement immediately earns me a few res. Well, that''s understandable, as I did hurt them a little.


    "Which part of keeping my servant as a hostage is considered to be a ''test''?!", Rias exims.


    Is she seriously asking me this right now and in such a manner? She did hear what I said a little while ago, right?


    "I suggest you shut up and listen," I say, trying my best to sound calm.


    Clearing my throat, I begin,


    "I''m not going dilly-dally any longer, as my time is rather precious unlike yours. I''m ''joining'' your peerage. And by that I mean that I will being over to any events you Devils hold by acting as a part of your peerage.


    "In return, I will train you guys so that you would at least have more worth and intelligencepared to a flea. What I''m trying to say is that you guys are weak and in need of a reform. Plus, as I''m going to be ''a part of'' your peerage, I will unconditionally help you out with something once a day.


    "I doubt you will be able to make use of that though, as if you go through with the training, you won''t need help with shit."


    Having finished what I had to say, I wait for them to think it through.


    My reasons for doing this are quite simple. I''m in need of a way to get into contact with a lot of non-human races, so the best way to do so is join "nobility" in one of those races. Surely they hold banquets and events, through which I can meet more of them.


    As for the part about me unconditionally helping them with one thing once a day, it''s basically a way for me to find someone with an interesting ability. Because, if there is a battle they will need my help with, it''s going to be one of the following reasons:


    -The enemy is strong, which will give me an opportunity to have a proper battle instead of ying around with a bunch of weaklings.


    -They have great numbers, which will grant me the opportunity to release chaos upon a battlefield while drowning in the blood of my foes. Sounds genuinely fun.


    -The enemy has a "cheat" ability, which is the most important reason. This is where my Plunderes into y.


    What I''m most curious about is how Angels will react to my appearance once I reveal myself.


    Naturally, I''ll bring down all those that stand in my path, regardless of race and gender.


    "We''re fine with the terms, but what will be of Issei Hyoudo?", Rias finally says after a while.


    "Oh, that''s simple," I say before waving my left hand.


    Understanding my intentions through our link, Kwarner goes and brings Issei''s unconscious body over before cing it on the round table.


    Not willing to waste any more time, I use Transmutation to convert his chest into light, insert my arm inside, before pulling out a chess piece.


    Based on the energying from it, I can tell that this is the product of several piecesbined.


    I pass the chess piece over to Rias, then utilize my Destruction and press my palm on Issei''s body.


    The next moment, his body breaks down into particles and is no longer perceivable.


    "Hey!", Kiba exims as he jumps up from his seat, while the rest of the Devils are looking at me with stupor.


    Irene, have you gotten his soul?


    {Affirmative.}


    I use Creation to produce a white sheet before creating the body of a human underneath it.


    Using Spiritualism, I make Issei''s soul integrate with the newly formed body which is basically a copy of his original body. Honestly, I wouldn''t have bothered with this if it weren''t for Ddraig.


    He demanded of me that I let Issei live, or else he would do everything in his power to seal away the power of the Boosted Gear.


    I don''t give a damn about the Boosted Gear, but losing a potential friend would be annoying after all the trouble I''ve gone through.


    So I came up with this way to let him "live".


    "Ugh," Issei groans as he slowly opens his eyes.


    "What happened?", he asks, confused.


    I''m not letting this opportunity go to waste.


    "You died, which made you lose your worth as a Devil," I say.


    "What?", he says while looking at me with bewilderment.


    I give a signal to Rias. Hopefully she will be a bit less dumb and understand what I''m trying to convey.


    Surprisingly, she did, as she says,


    "Issei, you are no longer a Devil,"


    For some reason, Issei reacts way more strongly when she said it, as his eyes widen as he looks towards her and says,


    "President, please don''t-"


    Not letting him finish what he has to say, she says in forceful tone,


    "You are to live as normal human once again. It''s better if you forget about our existence."


    Looking at the guy going through an emotional crisis, and Kiba who seems like he''s going to help him out andplicate shit for me, I take immediate action.


    "Yuno, send him out," I say under my breath, knowing that she will hear me.


    The next moment, a circle appears from under Issei and slowly drags him inside. Issei soon realizes what''s happening and begins to shout desperately,


    "No! President! Please, don''t do this! Let me! Didn''t you say I was going to be the harem ki-"


    His words are cut off as he goes through the circle. Based on the experience I gained in my past life with Yuno, he will break down in a couple of hours.


    The guy just had everything that made him worth something taken away from him. Whoops. I almost messed up. I need to act like I did what I did for his well-being,


    "This was for the best. You guys took advantage of an opportunity to drag an innocent high-schooler into your ploys."


    Berating them for something I don''t give a damn about sure is strange. Anyways, the next part of the negotiation is the most important part,


    "I''m keeping Koneko with me," I directly state as I look at the petite girl silently sitting beside me.


    "What? Why?", Rias immediately asks, while Akeno and Kiba furrow their brows.


    "Because I find her cute," I reply nonchntly.


    Ah those expressions are gold. Wish I had a camera to save this moment Oh, right!


    I assign Thoughtography to the Tertiary section of my abilities then create a photo film before burning the image in front of me into it.


    "Also, I will be taking your Power of Destruction away," I dere to Rias.


    Before she can react, I use Plunder on her. Once I''m back in my body, I exin my reasoning for doing so,


    "You, despite being the one who leads the peerage, are the weakest in terms of battle prowess. During our earlier battle, the only thing you were capable of doing was using that paltry power against me.


    "And don''t you dare say something like, ''but my power is made for long ranges'', as the same thing goes for Akeno, but she was able to hold her grounds while fighting with my Angel in closebat. You? You were beaten like piata without being able to fight back at all.


    "So, I''ve decided that you''re training will be twice as hard as the others."


    Once I''m done speaking, I take a look at her face, and see that it''s flushed red out of anger and shame.


    So much for nobility.


    "This concludes our negotiations. I hope you don''t attempt anything stupid, as I doubt you''d want me and my Angels to go to war with Devils. Besides, if I''m ''somehow'' discovered, I would immediately be able to tell that its because of you."


    "Yuno, we''re done," I say before they can respond to my warning.


    ------


    Once we''re out, I bid the Devils farewell. Then, I order my Angels to keep looking for the Knowledge of the Tales and prioritize it, while also looking for any Fallen Angels willing to serve me.


    After they''ve all gone away, I observe Koneko who''s beside me, silently staring at the direction Rias and the others left from.


    I approach her and embrace her petite body.


    "Don''t worry. After this, your team will no longer make dumb decisions and will be much stronger."


    She startles me by hugging me back briefly as she lets out an "um" before she lets go and runs back to the apartment.


    So adorable. I''m d that I decided to keep her.


    The main reason for doing so was, like I had said, because I found her cute. However, there was another reason, which was preventing Rias and her peerage from telling anyone about me. If they do, they''re going to risk her life.


    Same goes for the reason I took her Power of Destruction. This thing is weak, so I obviously didn''t take it for its power.


    Instead, I took it because I bet it''s a symbol of power for "Rias Gremory". Without it, she will be having a hard time with the nobility if discovered.


    Well then,


    "Once again, nice to meet you, Ddraig," I say.


    [You''re evil.]


    "No I''m not."

 Chapter 61: All in the Family (*NSFW*) ; (Spoiler Title in the End)

    Chapter 61: All in the Family (*NSFW*) ; (Spoiler Title in the End)


    *****


    WARNING: Sexual content - AKA- smut, lemons, or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Don''t read if you''re below 18. (Not that you care.) Also, incest. (This one, you care.)


    A/N: I never thought that the day I would write something like this woulde...


    *****


    I finally did it.


    It wasn''t pleasing to go through so much effort, but I''m sure it will pay off. I need to wait for someone to hold a banquet or some idiot to cause a problem.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I look around at everyone in the room. It''s 11 PM, and everyone is busy with something.


    Krul is ying around with a smartphone I created for her earlier. Asia is beside her keenly watching the screen.


    Yuno is lounging about staring at the news channel on the TV, speaking about the "arrival of aliens" while showing pictures of pirs of light.


    As for Koneko, she''s curled up on the sofa ying with a Nintendo Switch that I created at the same time as Krul''s smartphone.


    And finally, Sora.


    She''s beside me on the sofa, leaning on my shoulder and staring at the TV.


    I nce at everyone once more before suddenly turning my head and kissing Sora''s lips.


    Surprised, Sora doesn''t know how to react which lets me take advantage of the moment by inserting my tongue inside her mouth.


    The deep kiss goes on without the others noticing. After a few seconds, I stop and say,


    "Let''s go to the bedroom."


    ------ (NSFW Sexual Content - Incest) {{A/N: Once again, I''m new to writing smut down. Don''t judge me too harshly.}}


    As Sora sits down on the edge of the bed, I use Creation to create several barricades and nails. Then, I use Telekinesis and Vector maniption to wedge them to the door, effectively sealing it.


    As an extra touch, I use Rework to make it seem like there is no door. Why? No idea.


    I move towards the bed, immediately push Sora down and lock lips with her.


    I continue to kiss her as I slowly move my left hand to her modest breasts and caress them gently.


    After a few seconds, I feel her nipples erecting through her clothes.


    Breaking the kiss, I back away a little from her and remove the white one-piece dress she''s wearing.


    Looking at her lovely legs, I caress them for a while before moving on to her thighs.


    Enjoying my touch, she subconsciously opens her legs, giving me a full view of her white panties.


    I move her panties to the side and reveal her slit, which is already overflowing with her love juices. Having gotten a good look at her privates, I move on to kissing her nipples while fingering her.


    As I continue to y with her body, I feel something hold onto me. I look down and see Sora''s hand stroking my rod.


    A smile covering my face, I get up from the bed so that I can undress.


    While she repositions herself and takes off her panties, I begin to take off my clothes.


    I move in front of her and align my lower body with hers.


    "Haru... I love you," she softly whispers.


    As I gently prate her virgin pussy, I move my head beside hers and whisper into her ear,


    "I love you too, Sora."


    Feeling my rod is halfway inside of her, I thrust the rest inside in one go.


    She groans a little as she clutches the nket underneath herself.


    Sealing Sora''s lips with my own, I gradually thrust in and out of her while ying with her erect nipples.


    She seems to be enjoying it as well as she wraps her legs around my waist and returns my kiss with a lot of energy.


    I stop kissing her lips and move onto her neck.


    "Haru!" she moans.


    After a while, I feel her walls tightening up, making it hard for me to hold in any longer. I kiss her lips once again before releasing all of my seeds inside of her.


    A little satisfied, I lie down beside her on the bed. A few secondster, Sora moves her head towards my groin and licks the tip of my penis.


    Once it''s hard, she takes it all into her mouth and bobs her head up and down while sucking on it.


    After a minute, she turns her head and says to me while panting,


    "Again?"


    I look at the rosy hue on her cheeks, then at the sperm flowing out of her pussy.


    I feel like I can go at it for hours.


    *****


    Man, that was exhrating.


    Looking at Sora who''s sleeping beside me with a satisfied smile on her face, I feel likeplete.


    Using irvoyance, I check over the others. As expected, everyone is asleep. Yuno and Asia are both asleep on a tatami, while Koneko and Krul are sleeping on the sofa.


    I use Telekinesis to move the phone in my pants towards myself and check the time.


    3:45 AM.


    I need to sleep but before that,


    "Codification."


    My status screen appears in front of me, however, there are various changespared to thest time I had seen it.


    ----------------


    Name: Haru Kasuganou (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy}


    Race: Human - 31>>29%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Int: 55>>58 (15) - {Intelligence}


    Def: 56>>57 (15) - {Defence}


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter | Tormenter | God''s Wrath


    Mahesvara: Creation | Destruction | Angelification (NEW)


    Holy:


    -Light Maniption III>IV [VI]


    The ability to influence light by their will. 30>>40 meters. Low energy consumption.


    -Illusion I>>II [III]


    The ability to manipte light (and sound) in a state that affects others'' vision (and hearing). Medium energy consumption.


    ----------------


    Plunder II>>III [V]


    {The maximum distance is 15>>25m. | Possession time - 4>>3 seconds. The maximum amount of abilities that could be used simultaneously is 3>>4.}


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis II>>III [V]


    {Unlimited usage. | The user can only lift objects that have (half ) >> (twice) or less masspared to themselves. | Maximum velocity is 180>>200 m/s. | Maximum range is 8m.}


    ------------------


    My humanity has decreased once again...


    Hold on,


    I realize that I''ve been acting a little off recently. Is it because of this? It most likely is. Damn it, I need to prevent it from taking over me.


    Although I''ve made several good decisions because of it, I still need to try to keep it from influencing mepletely.


    I will leave theplicated stuff forter, for now, I should sleep.


    --


    As I''m about to doze off, Juno''s voice, which I haven''t heard in a while, resounds within my head,


    [The Arena is now avable.]


    Are you kidding me? Now? I''ll check it outter when I wake up.


    ~~~~


    Complete title: All in the Family ; Arena

 Chapter 62: Battle in the Arena

    Chapter 62: Battle in the Arena


    I wake up to the sound of my rm ring. Irritated, I swiftly stopped it.


    Right... I have to go to school...


    Opening my eyes, I see Sora sleeping soundly beside me. It''s like the sound of the rm didn''t reach her ears at all.


    Well, I can''t judge her for that, as she must be quite tired after yesterday night''s... game.


    As I raise my body from the bed, I suddenly recall what happened before I fell asleep.


    Why did Juno make contact with me after so long? I kind of feel guilty that I am thinking of this so objectively, but I''ve got no choice.


    "Juno," I say.


    Several minutes pass and I still get no response. She hears me speaking to her right? The spiritual connection and all that.


    Putting that aside, I think of what she said to me. If I''m not mistaken, it was rted to an arena? I remember her speaking of something like that back in Project Charlotte.


    Why did it get unsealed so abruptly? She had said something along the lines of it being unlocked once its time is due.


    Irene.


    {Yes, Father?}


    Tell me everything you know about the Arena.


    {Affirmative. The Arena is a ce where Father can train those that wish to get stronger. In there, all damage is taken mentally. In other words, even if someone dies in the Arena, they''ll be exhausted for at most 6 hours outside. Also, there is no specific location for the Arena, and may vary from time to time.}


    {Father can make use of the Arena in several ways. One of them is taking inhabitants of the tform or the Rift Father is in. The other is rted to the Knowledge of the Tales.}


    She stops her exnation. I''m going to assume she doesn''t have anything more to say.


    What I understood from her exnation is that I can make use of the Arena to bea-, I mean train Rias and her peerage.


    The same thing goes for my Angels. Now, the only thing that''s left is finding out how the Arena operates.


    So... how do I ess it?


    {Father must simply say "Arena" while thinking of it.}


    "Arena," I say.


    The next moment, my vision blips as I find myself somewhere unfamiliar. It seems to be a city. The question is, from where?


    Suddenly, a floating system window appears before me, and written on it are three words. Two of them all unclear to the point that they are unreadable.


    "Calling," I mutter as I stare at the only readable word.


    Right after my muttering, another system window pops up. Written on it are the words,


    "Call upon those that you wish to train."


    Well then,


    "My Angels."


    It doesn''t take a second before I get a reply from all three,


    "Yes, All-Father!"


    I suddenly feel some kind of stream of knowledge flowing into my brain as I learn how to operate the Arena with it. After a while, I say,


    "Be prepared for being summoned."


    In response, I get a collective "Understood."


    --


    Raising my right arm, I channel my general Essence Energy through my arms as I focus on a spot in front of me.


    A few secondster, motes of light begin to take form out of nowhere and proceed to take the shape of three humanoid figures.


    Once the materialization process is done, I find my Angels kneeling before me. Upon further examination, I see that they seem to have excited looks.


    Oh, right. I need to reward them for following their orders well during the battle against those pathetic excuses of a Devil.


    "My Angels, I''m going to introduce you guys to a method of training that should increase your strength substantially. However, before that, I have decided to reward you for your performance during yesterday''s battle."


    My words seem to be nothing but bliss to them as their excitement keeps on growing.


    "What reward do you seek?" I ask them because I literally have no idea what would be considered a good reward for them.


    Hopefully, they won''t ask for anything absurd.


    I look toward Raynare, indicating that she is the first one. She immediately gets up and stands straight before gracefully walking closer to me and kneeling once again before saying,


    "This one wishes to feel All-Father''s power."


    Intrigued by her request, I ask her, "How would you like to feel it?"


    She immediately responds, "All-Father''s energy guided through the hands."


    Is that all?


    Well, she asked for it, so she''s going to get it. Thus, I begin to circte my Holy Essence within my right hand before cing it on her head.


    The next moment, the respectful look on Raynare''s face is reced with a look of euphoria as if she is going through the most pleasurable thing in the world.


    Feeling her soft hair, I''m tempted to go further than that, so I do it.


    Slowly moving my hand down to her cheek, I lightly pinch it. Raynare instantly has an otherworldly feel to her as if she has ascended to a new realm.


    I don''t know why, but I feel like it''s dangerous to keep on going, so I swiftly pull my hand back from her face.


    That doesn''t seem to affect her, as she is still in a daze with the iprehensibleplexion still visible on her face.


    Ignoring her, I turn my head towards Kwarner.


    Unlike the arrogant and spiteful look she had when she first saw me, she now has a look of worship and excitement as she notices my gaze on her. Aware that it''s her turn, she makes her wish,


    "This one would like to serve All-Father by massaging His body."


    Immediately after she utters those words, Raynare breaks from her stupor and turns her head at a speed that''sparable to my casual jogging, while Mittelt looks at her from the side wide-eyed.


    What''s with those reactions. It''s like she has asked for the most absurd thing ever. However, isn''t her request more of a reward for me than her?


    I take a look at Kwarner''s body and see how good her figure is. Then, I move my sight to her huge breasts. Yeah... this girl massaging me is definitely a reward for myself.


    "Very well," I simply say.


    Finally, I move my sight to Mittelt who has aplicated look on her face. After a few seconds, she seems to make up her mind as she takes a very, very deep breath before saying,


    "This one wishes to call All-Father ''papa''."


    The world immediately seems to freeze as I feel dark energy seeping out from Raynare and Kwarner who are both looking at Mittelt with disbelief.


    Her request is a rather strange one, but I don''t believe that it would have any other consequences other than earning me a few questionable looks from others. Besides, she looks like a child, so it''s rather suitable.


    "Granted," I say.


    Raynare suddenly looks crestfallen. Who am I kidding? There is no way I haven''t realized what''s going on.


    In the long term, Raynare has lost out quite a lot in this little exchange. However, I''m not going to let one of my cute Angels be sad,


    "Raynare, from now on, you are to let me pat your head and y with your cheeks whenever I want to."


    This has the immediate effect of her expression going fromplete despair to bliss, while the others'' brows twitch.


    Everyone wins in this. Especially me.


    Well then, time to try out the Arena. Why is this ce called an Arena if it''s a city?


    "My Angels, fight me."


    They immediately prepare forbat as they materialize their weapons and extend their wings, however, suddenly something unexpected issues.


    Raynare who is standing with her weapon, ready for battle, suddenly utters a yelp as a new pair of pure-white wings protrudes from her back.


    She gets on her knees as the aura around her begins to change.


    Mittelt and Kwarner both have an expression of jealousy as they look at the new pair of wings.


    I remember Koneko saying something about individuals with more power having more wings. So, I assume that the Raynare right now is going through a process simr to "powering up".


    After a while, Raynare recollects herself and gets up from the ground before saying,


    "This one apologizes for dying All-Father."


    Waving my hand in front of me, I say in a dismissive tone,


    "It''s fine. I''m sure that you will make up for the time lost by showing me your process."


    My words seem to ignite a me in all three pairs of eyes as the aura they give off changes from "I will prove my worth" to "Nothing can stop me from achieving glory".


    Let''s start.


    ---3rd POV---


    Flying through the air, Victor creates several ordinary swords andunches them at the Angels.


    The next moment, Victor is pleasantly surprised when he sees his Angels casually dodge them despite the velocity of the swords.


    Next, he wants to use mes as a form of attack and see how they would react to it, but before he can do so, the Angels fly separately.


    Raynare is flying straight towards him, while the other two areing at him from both sides.


    A smile forms on Victor''s face as golden veins begin to form on his arms. Holy sh. Upon using it, lines made of light move at an extreme speed towards all three of them.


    Mittelt barely dodges one, cutting her arm, while Kwarner and Raynare both dodge it perfectly.


    The smile on Victor''s face grows as he mutters, "Truly worthless. My Angels alone can easily wipe them out."


    He then prepares to get serious as he looks at the double-winged Raynareing at him with pride.


    ---1st POV---


    It took a while for our battle to be done. However, it was worth it. Looking at the girls who are worn out, I feel proud of their progress.


    They all have incredible potential. It makes me wonder what the reason for them bing Fallen Angels was in the first ce.


    In the little skirmish of ours, I didn''t go all out, but they were nevertheless much better than anyone I''ve faced up until now, excluding Ddraig.


    Looking at Mittelt who has a couple of scratches on her arms, I use Telekinesis to lift her and ce her on myp.


    Then, I begin to heal her up using my left hand while using the other to y with her squishy cheeks.


    Honestly, I can make my Angels train Rias''s peerage and it would still be extremely effective. I mean, they sessfully beat them up before, and now after going through this battle, their skills have grown.


    I would be surprised if it didn''t, as they fought against someone much more powerful than themselves.


    Leaving that aside, this Arena sure is interesting.


    During the battle, some of the buildings were "fakes" that didn''t exist physically. As for the other buildings, they were even more interesting as if they broke, they would regenerate after exactly 10 minutes.


    This can mean a lot for training, as you will learn how to time attacks and learn how to make use of the environment by memorizing the "fake" buildings.


    "Papa...", suddenly Mittelt who''s lying on myp mutters.


    They''re such good girls... Unlike a certain someone. I''m nning to get them to train here right after school today.


    Oh, crap. Forgot about school. But, what do I do with the girls? Will me leaving cause them to be forcefully ejected or something?


    {Negative. However, they will be stuck here, unless Father grants one of them a little authority to get in and out of the Arena. Perhaps, also call others in and out of it.}


    Yeah, that sounds good enough. As for the lucky one who will get the authority, it will be Raynare.


    ---


    Opening my eyes, I find myself on the bed I left on, with Sora still deep asleep.


    Checking the time, I see that it''s about 10 AM.


    Making sure to make no noise, I slowly move toward the door and undo the changes I had done to it yesterday night before heading to the kitchen.


    There, I find everyone sitting on their seats patiently waiting for me, and perhaps Sora. It seems like they''ve been preventing themselves from getting bored by watching stuff.


    Mainly the TV attached to the wall and the news channel on it showing off the "series of unordinary happenings in Tokyo".


    "Good morning, everyone," I say.


    I clear my throat by coughing once before saying, "Sora is a little exhausted, so I will just create our breakfast for today."


    This immediately gains me a few pointed looks.


    ___Extra A/N___


    Yo guys this is to clear some stuff up:


    -The appearance of the MC (Rift) is basically Haru Kasuganou but with a more toned body as well as a slight increase in height.


    -The appearance of the MC (Project Charlotte) is Yu Otosaka + Harubined. Mainly taking the form of Yu Otasaka with the originally brown hair having streaks of white.


    -The characters from tforms don''t "know" about this change and take it as their original appearance with little to no change.


    -If a character can tell that Victor has taken over someone''s body, it''s most definitely going to be rted to a sudden change in personality, mannerism, etc.


    - So far, it is apparent that Victor has reincarnated twice.


    If you have any further questions, please ask. I''ll try my best to answer them without spoiling.


    Good day/night.

 Chapter 63: Another Group Of Devils

    Chapter 63: Another Group Of Devils


    After an awkward breakfast, Asia, Koneko and I head to school together. On the way, I have a little chat with Asia.


    She was a little fidgety when talking with me, which was mostly because she didn''t know how to refer to me and act in front of me now that she found out about my "identity".


    Once I informed her that she could still refer to me by "Your Holiness" and act like normal, she began to fidget less and less, until she finally got used to it.


    As soon as we get to our ss, I use Rework and Illusion to get make us invisible and get to our seats silently. I know we''ve already been marked as absent for the previous lessons, but who cares about that.


    In order to not attract attention, I make ourselves visible in the blink of an eye. Some students are a little confused, while Kiba is scowling at me.


    Looks like someone is mad. Now that I think about it, I don''t see Issei around, which means his mental breakdown was a sess.


    Now, I just need to wait for the right juncture to go to the ult Research Club...


    ------


    "Good afternoon," I say in a peaceful manner as shortly after entering the clubroom


    Not waiting for their response, I am about to announce something, only to be interrupted by the arrival of a group of students.


    Turning around, I evaluate them carefully.


    A girl with short ck hair and wearing sses seems to be leading the group.


    "Who''s this?", I ask Rias.


    Understanding what I meant by my question, she begins to exin,


    "She is Sona Sitri, second daughter of the Sitri n. She''s the president of the Student Council in this school."


    Ho~ So basically another nobly raised girl with her little peerage handed to her? No, that may not be necessarily right. I can''t base every noble Devil off of what I''ve heard about Rias from Koneko.


    "Good afternoon, Rias," she says.


    "Good afternoon, Sona, what has brought you here today?"


    The two of them seem to re at each other for a few seconds. Is this rivalry I am sensing?


    Leaving that aside, I wonder how do these Devils farepared to Rias and her peerage. Hopefully not as foolish at the very least.


    Huh? The only guy in their group is ring at me for some reason.


    Have I ruined his life yet? I don''t think so.


    "I''vee to introduce you to my new pawn, " she says, "Saji, introduce yourself."


    The guy pridefully moves forward and says,


    "Hello, I''m Saji Genshirou, Sona Sitri''s pawn."


    After that silence ensues. Sona nces at me then at Rias, who is looking at me with aplicated look on her face.


    Okay, if I leave her hanging like this, I''ll be no different than a douche. However, I can''t just introduce myself as a "servant". Screw that.


    "Hi, my name is Haru Kasuganou. I''m probably the most powerful existence you will evere across in your lives."


    My words appall them as they gawk at me, while most likely doubting the fact that they heard someone seriously make such an arrogant im.


    However, I am not being arrogant, as if I were topare the beings in this world to myself, I can say that I am perhaps already the strongest. However, there is always a small chance that there is more to the world than one might think, so I can''t get too cocky.


    Thus, I''vee to the decision of asserting dominance over all the beings in this academy. For that, I don''t need to take on the identity of God. First of all, I''ve got the major poption to deal with, which are humans.


    They''re easy to manipte and can be skillfully misled by anyone who''s charismatic and knows to twist his words adequately.


    Oh, looks like they''ve already snapped out of their trance.


    "That''s quite the pretentious gentleman you got there, Rias."


    Rias is still confused and doesn''t know what to do day in regard to all this, so I will continue to assist her.


    Definitely not because I''m pissed at the fact that the girl didn''t address me directly,


    "Punch me."


    My words once again attract her attention as she says,


    "You''re an odd one."


    Shaking my head, I slowly walk towards her.


    Saji puts his guard up and raises his left arm in preparation for something, while Sona just peers at me.


    "I''m not going to repeat myself, punch me. Do it as hard as you can. If you''re able to touch me, you can make whatever ailment you wish and I will go through with it."


    Sona furrows her brows. Yeah, she is definitely sensing that confidence in my tone and she certainly isn''t liking it.


    Now, she needs to make a choice. Rationally, one shouldn''t punch another just because they told you to, so I have to resort to underhanded means.


    "You were ring at Lady Rias a few seconds ago, so I reckoned you would be worth something, however, I suppose I had my expectation bar set too high, as you are as weak as you seem to be."


    I can already see the fruits of sess from the way her brows twitch. The nobless is angry at me.


    This isn''t going to work on her based on how she''s reacted so far, so it''s time for some good old reverse psychology,


    "My apologies if my words have offended you. I may have sounded a little rude and arrogant, but it was nothing more than an act to see if you had the galls to punch a random new Devil.


    "You may not punch me and I won''t hold it against you. For you see, I was surprised when Lady Rias actually went ahead and punched me without any hesitation, so I was impressed and wanted to see if her acquaintances are as dignified."


    Upon mentioning Rias, I use Illusion while making sure to cover it up properly to make it seem like she has a mocking smile on her face.


    Sona is unable to hold back any longer, so she punches me at the speed of an ordinary human. Knowing that she wants to test the waters first, I cancel out the vectors of her punch, making her arm freeze in the spot it''s at.


    Surprised, she pulls it back and opens then closes her hand to see if there is anything wrong with it.


    Once she is sure that it''s fine, she throws another punch at me, but stronger. Once again, I cancel the vectors of her punch.


    Her expression has gone from mild surprise to interest, with a small smile on her face.


    Pulling her arm back, she channels some energy into her arms before punching me with a force that''s difficult for humans to emte.


    I remain unfazed as I cancel out the vectors of her punch again and subtly use Destruction to get rid of the energy.


    Now, other than genuine shock, nothing else is apparent on her face as she inquires,


    "How?"


    I dismissively ask her back,


    "Why should I tell you?"


    She thinks for a few seconds before says,


    "I''m going to go pick a familiar with my peerage for my new servant. Once I''m done, how about we y a game of chess?"


    What? Familiar? What''s that, and why does she want to y chess with me?


    "Sure we can y chess, but first, what''s a familiar?", I directly implore.


    The only guy in Sona''s peerage, which I assume is the one who will be getting the familiar says mockingly,


    "How ignora-"


    Before he can finish what he wants to say, Sona shuts him up with a re, before turning back to me and saying,


    "I apologize for the insensitivity of my servant."


    Tsk. She ruined a perfect chance for me to cut his head off with a justified im- He offended me. Too bad...


    "It''s fine. I''m sure he has a lot to learn, " I say redirecting what he had to say back to him politely.


    "Back to the main topic, a familiar is a being that helps their master in various ways."


    Interesting.


    "What''s the strongest familiar?", I ask.


    She takes a moment to reply,


    "I''m not sure exactly, but there is one that could probably fit that category."


    "Which is?"


    "One of the Five Great Dragon Kings - Tiamat."

 Chapter 64: Familiar Forest

    Chapter 64: Familiar Forest


    "Looks like I will be getting myself a familiar as well," I dere.


    Shortly after I said so, Sona has a troubled expression on her face as she nces at me then at Rias before saying,


    "You will have to do thatter, as only one group can go get a familiar at a time."


    Oh?


    "And why is that?", I inquire.


    "Look, you are wasting too much time, so ho-", not letting Saji finish what he has to say, I use Indoctrination to order him: "Kneel."


    Saji immediately falls onto his knees. Havingpleted the order, he regains his rity of mind and once he does, a look of hatred appears on his face.


    "Continue," I expressionlessly say to Sona who calmly watched everything unfold.


    This girl is an interesting one. Ever since her punches failed, she has maintained herposure and effectively avoided incurring my wrath. Can''t say the same for her servant, though.


    Nheless, she has piqued my interest. Has she found something to be suspicious? I mean, other than the fact that Rias and her peerage are silent while I''m doing all the talking.


    "In order to get a familiar, you need to get into contact with the Familiar Master, who is only avable once a month," Sona exins.


    Is that all? I thought that the ce would have some kind of seal preventing more than one group to enter or something. This makes it easier to deal with.


    "The Familiar Master is a master when ites to catching familiars. Without him, it''s hard to catch one," Sona continues.


    Then he''s not required.


    The only reason I want to go over is to face off against Tiamat. I wonder how strong it is for it to be one of the "Five Great Dragon Kings".


    "Is there some specific ce where you can get a familiar from?"


    "The Familiar Forest," I get a direct reply.


    Upon further inquiry, I learned that the Familiar Master that they spoke of only appears during full moons. As for the means of getting to the Familiar Forest, it can be done with a magic circle.


    I''ve decided that I''m going to go to the forest. However, that doesn''t mean that I will let my guard down and just throw myself at everything.


    "Hey, bastard! Let me-", before he can continue, I create a de andunch it at his neck.


    Before anyone can react, Saji''s head flies off from his body and rolls onto the ground. Everyone is dumbfounded as they stare at the headless body fall to the ground.


    Sona immediately res at me furiously while channeling demonic energy through her right arm.


    Not willing to waste any more time, I nonchntly walk to the body and use Transmutation to grab the Evil Piece inside of him.


    A pawn, once again.


    Then, I obliterate his body before creating a new one under a nket. Unlike Issei, I create a Devil''s body exactly like the one I destroyed.


    Say, when does my Spiritualism be ineffective?


    {If more than two minutes have passed since the death of the being. By that time, the soul of the dead being has already scattered.}


    Well, I thought it would be something like this, so I''m not really surprised.


    I''ll just go ahead and ce the idiot''s soul inside.


    Once I''m done with that, I turn around to take a look at Sona and her peerage.


    What my sight was Sona and the rest having a look of terror on their face as they look at the unconscious Saji.


    Seems like my n worked.


    A few secondster, Saji slowly opens his eyes while grunting. He lifts his upper body and looks around, confused.


    "What just happened?", he asks.


    Ignoring him, I turn to Sona and say, "I''ll meet you tomorrow, right?"


    As she nods a few times, I wave my hand, indicating that they are dismissed before turning my attention back to Rias and her peerage.


    "Prepare to be summoned," I say.


    Before I leave, I use irvoyance to check on both Koneko and Asia.


    Asia is in the kendo club interacting with the girls, while Koneko is with her observing the girls practice kendo.


    Well then, "Arena."


    ---3rd POV---


    "Ma''am, what happened?", Saji, who''s still confused asks Sona.


    "That thing... is not a Devil. He''s beyond anything I''ve seen," Sona solemnly says to no one in particr.


    "Yeah, what he did can''t possibly be done by a Devil," a girl with long ck hair says.


    "Rias was aware of it," Sona says, "the way she handled herself was unnatural. She didn''t dare act out of ce in his presence despite her status."


    "Can someone tell me what''s going on?!", Saji who''s gotten impatient exims.


    "You died.", Sona bluntly deres, "He cut off your head."


    "Huh? What do you mean? Am I not alive right now?", Saji inquires, stupified by what she just said.


    "That''s the problem," a brown-haired girl says, "He brought you back to life."


    "What?" Saji gasps in shock.


    Sona walks around in the empty clubroom for a few seconds before she turns to her peerage and says,


    "He wants me to meet him tomorrow... I''m considering consulting my parents about this."


    "But what if you piss him off, and he turns out to be even more of a monster than we''re expecting?", the girl with the long ck hair says.


    "You''re right, Tsubaki. However, what else can I do? I have a feeling that if he wanted to, he could easily wipe us out. His powers, they''re unconventional to the point that I doubt he is even a mortal being."


    At her words, the others seem to be confused as they stay silent, however, a girl with green hair suddenly gasps as she exims,


    "You mean, he''s literally unkible?!"


    Sona shakes her head and says, "I''m just assuming that he is. His powers are unlike any I''ve heard off or seen, so he''s either a forgotten high-ssed being or his abilities are evolved versions of already strong abilities.


    "So, I have no other choice than meeting him... I''m cing my bets on the fact that he doesn''t want to kill us, or else he wouldn''t have brought Saji back to life in front of us. His actions imply that he doesn''t care if we know about him and his powers. It also has a hidden threat,"


    ---1st POV---


    "I could kill you anytime I want to," is what Sona should be thinking of my actions right now if she''s the way I think she is.


    Honestly, smart people are much easier to manipte than dumb ones. All I have to do is learn their way of acting and thinking before implementing a n to be sessfully make them do my bidding.


    Why doesn''t this work on dumb people? Because you don''t know the depth of their stupidity unless you''ve spent a good time knowing them.


    "Hah!", I hear a cry as a red figure flies towards Raynare.


    In response to this, Raynare produces a whip made out of light and flies towards her.


    As expected, letting my Angels train the Devils was a good choice, as it would be beneficial for both sides.


    For my Angels, they''ll learn to control their strength so that they don''t identally kill some weaklings, while the Devils will learn of their ws by instantly getting thrashed whenever they expose one.


    Looking at Kiba who''s being used to smash buildings apart, I almost feel pity... Almost.


    When they first got here and I told the Devils about the purpose of the ce, he directly "challenged" me which enranged my Angels who were called here shortly after them.


    So, my Angels decided to take turns beating him up without giving him a moment to take a breath. It''s all good as my Angels learned how to use just enough power to not kill an individual.


    ---


    "Asia, Koneko, we''re going home," I say to the two.


    Asia quickly bows gently before excusing herself along with Koneko as they bothe toward me.


    The girls who were with Asia smile as they wave at me, so I smile back and wave at them.


    Ignoring the shrieking girls, I ask Asia,


    "How was your day?"


    She smiles brightly before saying,


    "It was great! I made a lot of new friends."


    Patting her head I turn to Koneko who is silently staring at me. I move both of my arms and envelope her in a hug as I ask her,


    "How have you been doing, Koneko?"


    She squirms a little before eventually giving up and replying monotonously,


    "Good."


    Having heard her response, I grab their hands and pull them along to where I''ve parked my car.


    ---3rd POV---


    "He has returned," a golden-haired man with a floating golden ring above his head says.


    "Do you suppose that He will finally reveal Himself?", a woman with golden curly golden hair as well as a floating ring simr to that of the man''s asks.


    "I don''t know what He thinks, but what I do know is that His return indicates that great changes areing to the world," the man replies as he turns his head to the right.


    There, a few meters away from the man is a floating golden orb surrounded by rings made of runes.

 Chapter 65: Unease ; Confusion ; Lie and Battle

    Chapter 65: Unease ; Confusion ; Lie and Battle


    Once we get home, I open myptop and look for another contract kill.


    I do need to buy a house big enough to amodate us after all.


    However, while I''m surfing the web, Ie across something that sends shivers down my spine.


    "Mysterious beings spotted near Italia."


    Normally one would think of this as some random article or something, but that''s definitely not the case here. I''m sure of it.


    Looking at the pictures taken from afar, I recognize the ce. It''s the very same ce I saw in one of my visions. The ruined buildings, the eerie vibe the ce gives off, and most importantly the figures that are frozen mid-air.


    I can tell, those are the very same individuals that the one in my vision held off while the other guy was working on the circle.


    What''s going on? Why are there pictures of those very moments on the inte?


    With the uneasy feeling inside of me continuously growing, I grab myptop and go to the living room where all the girls are at, then turn to Koneko who is curled up on the sofa.


    "Koneko, I need to ask you something," I say to her.


    She gets up and looks me in the eye for a few seconds before nodding.


    I create a small table and set theptop down on it before asking,


    "Do you know anything about this?"


    Koneko curiously looks at the pictures disyed on the screen before nodding and saying,


    "That''s Italia."


    Even she is calling it Italia instead of Italy.


    The uneasy feeling inside of me keeps on growing by the second. I need to ask her properly,


    "When were these pictures taken? I don''t want a specific date, I''m just asking if the events in the pictures happened recently or a while ago."


    She looks a little confused as she replies,


    "The Heavenly War. It was fought by the gods. A long, long time ago. Now, Italia is frozen."


    What? Heavenly War? Gods? An extremely long time ago? But the pictures are high-quality ones, so they cannot be THAT old.


    "What do you mean by ''Italia is frozen''?", I press further.


    She tilts her head to the side as she replies,


    "Time is frozen? Don''t know. Everyone is stopped."


    Frozen time? Wait... Janus? Are they all rted?


    While I''m thinking, I suddenly feel a dense killing intent. Raising my head to see where it''sing from, I see Yuno who has a look of anger on her face.


    Her irises are both red and glowing. Everyone has instinctively gotten away from her due to the thickness of the killing intent she''s emitting.


    "WHY?!", she suddenly exims as energy bursts from her, cracking the walls and other inanimate objects in the room.


    This is really bad. I don''t know what''s going on with her, but there is something wrong. I need to get the others out of here.


    Gift:


    -Regeneration


    -Absolute Evasion


    "Everyone, get out of here now!", I exim.


    "My Angels,e over to where I am at urgently!"


    [Understood.]


    Fixing my focus back on Yuno, I notice that she''s started to float up from the sofa and now there is a red glowing from the center of her chest.


    The others seem to have realized the severity of the situation as they all safely rush out of the apartment apart from Sora and Krul.


    "Sora, go! This isn''t a joke!", knowing that she''s but an ordinary human, I can''t risk her life here.


    Sora stares at me for a few seconds, meanwhile, the aura around Yuno begins to change, before she finally leaves.


    "Krul?" I ask as I put my guard up against Yuno.


    "I will help you out. Do you know what''s wrong with her?", she says.


    "No idea at all. This is too abrupt," I reply.


    The next moment, Yuno raises her arm and shouts,


    "Banishment!"


    ------


    The scenery has changed. Krul and I find ourselves in the familiar ruined world. Yuno is floating in front of us and her appearance has changed.


    Her hair is now blood-red colored, her arms are covered in red runes, and most importantly, her clothes.


    The normal clothes she wore have gone, and their ce is what seems to be an old and ragged ck dress. At the center of the dress is a symbol a little simr to the one that appeared on the hands of my Angels when I converted them.


    "Yuno, what are you doing?", I try to establish a conversation with her.


    "WHY?!", she once again exims, "Why do you always go for her! Ever since time memorial, I''ve always been beside you, yet... yet... You chose HER!"


    What is she even talking about? I don''t remember doing such a thing to her. I was with her the whole time. We finished "the game" together and I chose to die. Then- Wait. Is this rted to the scene I saw before I died? She was speaking with Juno...


    "She''s gone now!", Yuno continues to exim, "She''s sealed away! Just when I could finally have you all to myself, you go looking for her again!"


    Sealed? Who is? And what the heck is she on about?


    {Father, the excessive energy she''s releasing has allowed me to tap into information about her. I''ve found the real name of her Code. It''s Sigi.}


    Wait, wasn''t it Dominion?


    {She lied.}


    Then are her powers not rted to space?


    {No. She''s incapable of doing that. In fact, from the energy she''s releasing, she''s far below such a Digit.}


    Digit?


    {A Digit defines how transcendent a Code is.}


    This means that if we are to fight her, our chances of winning against her are not that low anymore, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    "Krul, she has lied about her powers. They''re not rted to space. Her Code is Sigillum, whatever that is," I forward to Krul.


    Krul looks at me for a few seconds and says, "Sigi? That''s Latin, isn''t it? If it is, it trantes to ''seals''."


    Seals? Her powers are rted to seals? How does she form them and how do they work? My thoughts are interrupted by Yuno suddenly eximing,


    "Now that Infi is sealed, no one can stop me from taking you away!"


    Immediately after that, some circles with weird numbers and words as well as symbols on it appear on her hands.


    {Those are Sigillum. The manifestation of her Code.}


    After forwarding Irene''s words to Krul, I take off from the ground using Flight and use Holy sh.


    Yuno looks at the iing light sh and raises her left arm before eximing,


    "Barrier!"


    The Sigillum on her hand breaks into particles as a cyan orb forms around Yuno. My light shes it, but it doesn''t affect it at all.


    Yuno raises her other arm which has another Sigillum on it and exims,


    "Disintegration."


    The next moment, the Sigillum on her hand breaks down and in the center of her palm, a familiar energy beam is released.


    "Krul, dodge it!", I shout before channeling Destruction in my arms and punching the barrier around Yuno.


    Fortunately, Krul dodges the beam with her extreme beam.


    I knew it. That energy beam is the very same one that was used by Legion back in Project Charlotte.


    My Destruction manages to break the barrier around her. As I''m about to punch her, she suddenly exims,


    "Teleportation," before she disappears from the spot.


    "I wanted to at least finish her off before doing this... " I suddenly hear her voice behind me.


    Turning around, I see Yuno standing on a ruined building, blood flowing out from her eyes and mouth as she exims,


    "Connect, Summon - Bind!"


    The next moment, the symbol on her dress slowly dissolves into nothingness as a crack in space appears in front of Yuno.


    "Come out and fight for me!", Yuno yells with vigor before coughing blood out several times.


    Suddenly, a hand extends from within the spatial crack. Then, a shoulder is shown before finally, a girl is revealed.


    The girl has red eyes and long ck hair. She''s wearing a ck a sleeveless tank top with a red tie. On her hands are red gauntlets and ck gloves. As for her lower body, she''s wearing a ck skirt and ck boots.


    Her expression is stern and her posture is straight.


    Definitely a no-joke kind of person...


    The most eye-catching thing about her is the ck katana she''s holding. For some reason, it''s giving off a weird deathly aura.


    Yuno approaches the girl and ces her hands on the girl''s back before saying,


    "Flight, Regeneration, Speed, Strength Boost..."


    I am aware that she''s being buffed up and need to attack her, but I can''t just rush there. She could have set up traps.


    I focus my vision by irvoyance and see there are indeed several Sigi around the building. No wonder the construction stood upright unlike the rest...


    "Go!", Yuno promptly shouts while pointing at us.

 Chapter 66: Interesting Blade ; Resolution

    Chapter 66: Interesting de ; Resolution


    Floating in the air, I see the girl jumping off from the building and clumsily attempt to fly. She''s obviously not used to flying...


    Looking at Yuno who''s on the building, I notice that her appearance has gotten even worse with red... numbers covering all of her body.


    Well, I should probably ignore her and deal with the girl that''s trying to fly while she''s weak.


    As a method of testing her, I send a Holy sh at her, to which she surprisingly responds by cutting the air with her sword.


    Immediately after she does so, I see a thin ck line form that practically erases out the part of my sh that would''ve hurt her.


    Interesting. Was that her ability or the de''s?


    Using Location, I find out that she has no abilities at all, so it''s the sword, huh...


    I use Blink to appear right behind her, but she responds to my arrival inhumanly as she immediately shes at where I appeared.


    Not willing to take the chance of being shed by a sword that''s giving off such an eerie vibe, I attempt to use Vector Maniption to cancel out its vectors.


    However, it fails.


    The moment I activated it, I felt like I lost connection with a part of myself and was unable to make use of the ability.


    Having no other choice, I blink away from the spot.


    "Let me deal with her," Krul suddenly says from below, "I''m more experienced in dealing with des."


    Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I use Gift to give her Flight and Regeneration.


    "I''ve given you the ability to fly," I exim while flying toward Yuno, "Make sure you don''t let yourself be cut by her de as there is something abnormal about it."


    "Understood," came her reply as she tries to make use of her Flight.


    --


    I check out Yuno onest time and am not surprised to discover that she barely looks sane anymore.


    There was something off about her ever since this all began. How do I put this, she was... unnatural. The way she acted and spoke was unlike her.


    I reckoned that even if she were mad about something, she wouldn''t act like that. This means that there is either something else going on or Yuno is a master in the acting arts.


    Screw this...


    Cutting the building in half, diagonally, forcing Yuno to float back into the air, I use Blink to appear right in front of her.


    Before she reacts, I swiftly punch her abdomen.


    However, before my punchnds, I feel some force pulling all of the veins in my hands from all sides.


    Looking at it, I see the red numbers on Yuno''s body appear on my hand.


    {WARNING: Foreign force detected. Immediately rid off it!}


    Not wasting a single moment, I cut off my arm and let it fall to the ground.


    What the fuck was that?


    That...


    Is that the cause of all the mess right now or is this some Sigillum from Yuno?


    I highly doubt that it''s thetter, so I need to find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible.


    For that, I need to somehow have some control over space... And the best method for me to do so is to create an artifact that has the ability.


    Using Creation, I produce a sword - Caliburn.


    As I can''t let the situation escte any further, I blink behind Yuno and use Caliburn and my enhanced perceptionbined with irvoyance to cut at her.


    Where? Right at the point which I assume to be the "core" of the foreign force.


    My actions result in a spatial cut appearing all around the "core".


    Then, to finish what I started, I use Destruction to the max in order to "break" the foreign force and somehow push it into the spatial cuts.


    Thankfully it works out, however, the red numbers are still visible all over her body. I need some way to expel the remainder of the energy...


    Hey, I can grab her soul and ce it into a new body if I destroy her current one, right?


    {Affirmative. However, Father doing that may not be as easy it seems.}


    I''m well aware of that, but I can''t think of any other possible solution.


    For obvious reasons, Hypnotism and Indoctrination don''t seem to have any effect on her.


    Looking towards where Krul and the girl are at, I see Krul leaving a red-after glow as she moves at extreme speeds and fights the girl who''s somehow able to keep up with her speed, with her sword, that is.


    From the looks of it, Krul seems to have the upper hand as I assume she''s using her years of experience in battle to adapt to the girl''s style and footwork.


    Deciding that it''s about time I''ve put an end to this mess, I channel Destruction through my whole body.


    {WARNING: MIN-}


    Before AI could finish her warning, her voice suddenly fades off as I find myself to have seemingly increased in size.


    This feeling... It''s as if everything before me will die with the wave of a hand. Ah, focus, focus... can''t lose focus...


    Pulling my arm back, I prepare to throw the strongest punch I''ve ever thrown.


    As the energy gathers up within my fist, Yuno seems to realize what''s going on as she abruptly turns around and throws a punch at me.


    In response, I throw my own punch with enough force that the fabric of space and possibly time seems to tear apart.


    A thin line has appeared from where my fist is at and has extended sideways, revealing an endless void.


    Putting that aside, my fist connects with hers as an inordinate amount of energies collide with each other.


    In a split-second, all the buildings and whatever is around us breaks down, while Krul and the girl are thrown back due to the shockwave caused by the phenomena.


    ------


    I open my eyes and find myself in the real world, back in the apartment which is now aplete mess.


    Raising my body, I find an unconscious Yuno on the ground, and beside her are Krul and the girl.


    "We somehow did it," I say.


    "Yeah," Krul follows.


    I observe the girl that came with us and notice nothing other than confusion on her rigidplexion. Her actions seem to indicate that she has no idea what''s going on and why she is here.


    That might just be the case...


    Whatever, for now, I better focus on Yuno who''s beginning to wake up.


    Opening her eyes, she raises her naked body and begins to look around, confused. Noticing me, she mutters,


    "Victor?"


    Hm... I see.


    "Yuno, you just attempted to kill me," I bluntly state.


    Her eyes widen as she shoots up to her feet and says,


    "I would never!"


    Blinking from where I am and appearing right in front of her, I sternly say,


    "Oh, you did. Not only that, but you also screamed something about Infi being sealed, so nothing can stop you."


    My words seem to make her suffer a lot as she shakes her head and says anxiously,


    "No, that''s impossible! Infi has been sealed for a long time, and... and-"


    Seeing her about to mentally break down, I stop her from uttering another word by suddenly hugging her. It''s the best method to do so, as I doubt simply telling her to shut up will be helpful.


    I wait for her to calm down as I rub her smooth back, before saying,


    "Yuno, I need you to tell me what''s going on, alright."


    Towards the end of my sentence, I moved my head beside hers and practically whispered the words into her ear before nibbling on her earlobe lightly.


    If I''m not mistaken, that foreign force seemed to make one reveal their inner desires. So, if I am to get any information from her, I need to make use of this opportunity handed to me.

 Chapter 67: Time Memorial

    Chapter 67: Time Memorial


    "Everything I know regarding The Heavenly War is through Infi," Yuno says once we''ve all regrouped, including my Angels.


    "Didn''t you say that Infi is sealed?", I inquire.


    "Yes, she is, but she managed to somehow create a Proxy for outside of the seal," she exins.


    "Proxy?"


    "Juno," she replies.


    Hold on a second... So, Juno is Infi and she''s sealed?


    "Why is she sealed?"


    "I don''t know much, but ording to what she said, something appeared and turned the Programs against each other."


    "What do you mean by that, and what is a ''Program''?"


    "As I said, I don''t know much. As for ''Program'', it''s a term that means a group of unified Codes."


    I see... For some reason Juno, no... Infi has been really secretive about everything. Thinking of which, Irene mentioned something about Digits. What are they? I forward the question to Yuno to which she replies,


    "Digits are a sort of ssification for Codes. It determines how significant is their existence. The ''lower'' the number, the higher the being and their eternality."


    "What''s my Digit?", I curiously ask.


    "Zero," she replies seriously.


    Zero? That''s interesting. I do wonder what''s her Digit...


    "I''m already aware that your Code is Sigi, so I now want to know your Digit," I state.


    Yuno begins to fidget in ce while not knowing how to respond. Finally, after a whole minute of fidgeting, she says to me in a low voice,


    "I-I... um... a Three-Digit."


    Huh? What''s that?


    {It''s a category that shows generally how vital a Code is. Three-Digits are significantly weaker than Two-Digits, while Two-Digits can''t even bepared to One-Digits.}


    What am I then?


    {Null.}


    And what is that?


    {Can''t be ssified.}


    Yeah, that exnation is not a very helpful one...


    "It''s not a lie, I can use space powers!"


    "They''re not rted to space, but rather seals," I retort her im.


    "But... if I make a seal rted to space, it''s spatial powers, right?" she says while looking me in the eye. Is she trying to y a game of words with me?


    Hah~ I don''t have the energy for that.


    "Yes, yes... your powers can be very versatile if used properly. So, I want you to honestly tell me about everything from now on, alright?"


    She energetically nods in response. I sure hope that she keeps her words.


    "Forget about that," Sora suddenly says, "where is that thing that made ''Programs'' turn against each other?"


    Good question, sis.


    "It''s sealed alongside Infi as they are one body, ording to what Infi said," Yuno replies while nibbling on her finger.


    "What is this seal that you speak of?", Krul inquires.


    "It''s at Italia, where The Heavenly War took ce," Yuno exins, "time and space in that location is sealed, keeping the Codes and everything else inside in a stable form.


    "However, the seal isn''t an evesting one and could break at any given moment."


    That certainly doesn''t sound like good news.


    Based on what is described of the Codes so far, I''m sure that there could be ridiculously strong ones. Oh right, if Yuno''s Code isn''t Dominion, does that Code even exist?


    {It does.}


    Fuck.


    The Codes are allied with each other, right? Who am I even consoling... I''m pretty sure that other than Programs, every Code is against each other.


    {That is correct.}


    Ah... this is the one time that I hoped Irene would say that I''m wrong. Well, no useining about future pests annoying me.


    I will crush their ego and existence if ites down to it. Honestly, I really feel like bing the strongest existence will solve almost all of my issues.


    So, this is the n, I guess:


    Be the strongest, and stop an enemy which is apparently residing within a girl who created a sub-existence of herself and had sex with me, from destroying everything that I''vee to enjoy. (A/N: This sounds like a Japanese light novel title for some reason.)


    I will be a hero!


    Yeah, no... Screw that. I just want to spend the rest of my seemingly eternal life with the girls. Might as well add Infi to that list.


    "Hey, it just crossed my mind, but what''s Infi''s Code?" I ask as realization suddenly hits me.


    Without any pause whatsoever, Yuno replies, "I don''t know."


    I should probably take her word for it, as she seems to be a lot more obedientpared to before. It would''ve been better if she knew.


    "You at least know who the One-Digit Codes are, right?" I ask her apprehensively.


    "No," she directly replies.


    Damnit! It could''ve been useful information.


    {Father, may I provide the answer for the question?}


    My dear Irene, you are very wee to do so.


    {The ones that I have a record of so far are Dominion, Gaia, Graviton, and Lux.}


    You''re the best, Irene.


    {I''m happy to be praised by Father.}


    Her voice at the end sounded a little too happy, but I''ll leave her be, cause she''s cute.


    "This reminds me," Yuno suddenly says, "Infi told me that she left you something."


    She did? I wonder what it is...


    "She said that it''s in the Familiar Forest. Upon entering, you will be naturally attracted to it."


    Isn''t that great? It coincides with my n of subduing the giant lizard.


    "Now then," I say while letting out a sigh, "where the heck are we going to stay? I honestly, don''t have much energy left to create anything."


    Hold on,


    "Arena."


    The next moment, I find myself in the same city I was in before, however, I now know where it is - Dubai.


    Hey Irene, is there a limit to how long someone can stay in the Arena?


    {Affirmative. The max amount of days an individual can stay for is three. In order for this to be reset, the individual must remain outside for 24 hours.}


    Of course, there would be some kind of limitation. Forget it,


    "Calling"


    Immediately after I said so, all those that I willed to appear within the Arena appeared out of thin air right in front of me.


    The fact that I can forcefully pull others into the Arena without their knowledge is truly a broken option.


    {If an individual is capable enough, they''ll probably be able to resist it.}


    Makesplete sense. If you''re weak and pathetic, you''ll be yed around by others. That''s just how it works.


    Their character and personality don''t matter either, as I would indiscriminately squash them.


    I shake my head and look at the girls who''re confused over what''s happening. Excluding my Angels, of course.


    Now that I think about it, I haven''t trained Koneko yet...


    "Wee," I announce, "this ce is where I train my Angels as well as my future - *cough*, I mean helpers."


    They look at me a little weirdly, but I decide to ignore them and just exin how the ce works.


    "So this is another one of God''s worlds?", Asia asks me once I''m done exining.


    What the hell happened to all of what I just said?! Ah, forget it,


    "Yes. It is a ce where only those I deem worthy cane to."


    Asia has stars in her irises as she sps her hands together and begins to pray,


    [Oh Great Lord, -]


    For some weird reason, Asia''s voice resounds within my head the same way Irene''s and the Angels'' voices do.


    {That''s because she is a devout believer.}


    Huh? What''s that?


    {Father can check the status board for that.}


    Alright then,


    "Codification."


    Right after that, the familiar window appears once again, and I notice that very little has changed since thest time I saw it.


    For my parameters:


    Agi: 64>>66 (15)


    Def: 57>>58 (15)


    Other than that, there are no other noticeable changes, apart from one thing.


    Worshippers:


    Asia Argento (Human) | Raynare Victorianul (Angel) | Mittelt Victorianul (Angel) | Kwarner Victorianul (Angel) | ???? (??) | ???? (??) | etc.


    ---


    I focus on the "etc" and right after I do so, the list expands, showing numerous question marks. Does this mean that I have more worshippers than I thought? Why are they marked like that, though?


    {Can''t answer Father''s inquiry due tock of information.}


    It''s fine. All will be revealed in the future... probably.


    "Asia, it turns out that you are able to speak to me through your thoughts," I tell the devoted girl.


    "Eh?", she looks at me, confused.


    "Since you are considered to be a devout believer, you are able to speak to me whenever you pray," I continue.


    Upon taking in the new information that she just received, Asia practically bursts with happiness as she sps her hands together much stronger than before and begins to pray like there is no tomorrow.


    This is getting out of hand...


    Hopefully, she won''t be praying a lot, every day.


    ------


    "Oh, you''re finally here. Good afternoon," I say to the bunch that entered the clubroom.


    "Of course. Good afternoon," Sona calmly responds.


    Good. From the looks of it, I can go get myself a giant lizard without being disturbed today, as it seems like I''ve won the gamble I made.


    "Let''s get going then,dies and monkies," I say with a delighted expression.


    I''m looking forward to what Infi has left me, as it is surely going to be useful in one way or another.


    ~~~Bonus Extra Non-canon Material~~~


    As the foreign force crossed through the crack in space it began to evolve. In the end, it became the most chaotic force.


    After going all around dimensions, it finally came upon a filled with life.


    The force focused on one creature and took over it, forcing the evil to spread within its body.


    "Congrattions, it''s a boy," a woman says while holding a newborn baby.


    A man with a stocky build approaches her, gently takes the baby into his arms and says,


    "Your name is going to be Dio. I''ll be sure to teach you the ways of life..."

 Chapter 68: Message ; Dragon

    Chapter 68: Message ; Dragon


    As Sona is preparing a magic circle for us, I reminisce about yesterday''s events.


    The girl that Yuno ''summoned'', Akame, is quite the tricky case to take care of.


    I promised her that I will return her to the world she came from. The main reason for that is that I want to see if there is anything of worth there. Perhaps, something simr to her sword.


    This has gotten me to think if I am able to "save" my creations as a blueprint of sorts to create whenever I want to. I should look into thatter, but for now, I should be focusing on how I''m going to go to Akame''s world.


    It''s easier said than done


    Well, I''m mostly waiting for Yuno''s power that has been exhausted because she overtaxed it, to return to optimum condition.


    Her power is sure versatile and strong, for it to be able to open a gateway to a tform. Are all 3-Digits this strong?


    No way, that would be catastrophic. Irene did say something about her Code being "Maximized" or something like that.


    "It''s ready. Prepare for teleportation," Sona says, interrupting my thoughts.


    Nodding my head, I wait for it to begin.


    What I''m doing right now is rather risky, as she could''ve set a trap for me using this teleportation circle.


    However, based on what I''ve learned about her character so far, she wouldn''t do such a thing. Why? Because she doesn''t know what I am.


    Sona knows that I''m an abnormal being with immense power, but she doesn''t know what kind of being I exactly am.


    It''s the basics of warfare: know yourself, your allies, and the enemy.


    If you don''t, you are boded to bring demise upon yourself and those that are with you.


    "Familiar Forest," Sona says calmly before the scenery around us changes.


    Looking around, I see dead trees all around us, and then the rosy-red sky.


    Truly a fascinating scene, but I don''t have the time to savor it. I am already sensing something pulling me towards itself quite a distance away from here.


    Surely, that must be the thing that Infi has left for me, or else there is something that is somehow rted to me.


    Or could it be another interesting girl? I seem to be attracted to them for some reason.


    Yeah, right. As if that would be the case.


    "By the way," I say while looking over everyone, "you''re getting a familiar for the monkey, right?"


    "Yes," Sona replies neutrally while Saji''s eyebrows are twitching.


    "So, why is it that everyone in your peerage ising over?", I curiously ask.


    "No particr reason," she replies.


    Do these Devils have nothing better to do with their lives? Thinking of which,


    "How long are your life-spans?", I directly ask.


    Sona squints her eyes slightly before answering,


    "Up to 10 millennia."


    The question that I just asked should confuse them even further. There are two reasons I did it. The first reason is that I genuinely wanted to know, while the second one is more sophisticated.


    Someone with immense power and strange abilities. Has the ability to bring the dead back to life, even if they''re Devils. Talks freely while a princess respectfully stands quietly behind him. Doesn''t know about the basics of other races.


    It has been narrowed down by a lot. I wonder what she thinks of such a being.


    "Now then," I say, "you guys go do what you came here for, while I go on my way."


    Waving at them, I disappear from where I was and reappear quite a distance away, moving at a great speed toward where I feel like something is calling to me.


    ---3rd POV---


    In a vast and empty in,ys a huge dragon, slumbering in peace. However, the dragon suddenly opens its huge eyelids and turns its head in a direction.


    "Impossible," a loud sound reverberates in the surroundings.


    It suddenly gets on its legs and dashes in the direction it was facing at a speed fast enough to make the dead trees it dashed past in the way to break.


    Soon, it gets to the location and watches with dread as a humanoid figure goes through a barely visible barrier.


    "STOP!", the dragon bellows, but the humanoid figure doesn''t seem to hear her as it continues to go toward something right at the center of the barrier.


    ---1st POV---


    It doesn''t take me long to get to the location of the thing that''s attracting me.


    However, I run into something unexpected. Thin sheet-like energy that is barely visible is right in front of me.


    Reaching out my arm, I attempt to touch the "barrier", however, nothing happens as my hand passes right through it.


    Having made sure that it''s safe, I slowly walk through to the other side.


    My surroundings seem to change from what it was a little while ago to pure whiteness.


    Without being surprised, I continue to move forward ording to my senses, then suddenly, the direction from which I''m sensing the "thing" from, change.


    Now, it''sing from my right.


    Why would this happen? I guess that this is a mechanism to prevent others from getting to what the barrier is trying to protect.


    As I continue to move around ording to my senses. The direction changes several times before Ie across a small cylinder that appeared out of nowhere, holding a small blue orb.


    This better is worth the effort, as I feel like I spent about two hours trying to get to it.


    I extend my arm and lightly tap the orb with my index finger.


    ---


    "Verethragna!", I hear a shout as my mind and vision clear up.


    Looking towards where the voice came from, I see several individuals floating the air beside me. However, I am unable to make out their faces except for a few of them.


    The guy I had seen in my past vision forming the circle. Krul, Yuno, and


    Sora.


    Why is she here?


    What''s going on? Is this a memory of the past or is it a vision of the future.


    My thoughts don''tst long, as something or more specifically someone appears right in front of us.


    "Infi," I lightly mutter as I look at the figure d in a red aura and physically covered in red numbers.


    The space around her seems to be continuously distorting as several figures appear from them and float in the air right opposite to us.


    "You, die!", Infi...no... something that seems to be possessing her says.


    Everyone around me begins to shout something out, however, I can''t understand what they''re saying except for those who I can recognize.


    "Code: Abbadon!", Krul shouts before her whole body is d in a deathly aura as her figure changes from her usual small and cute self to a much more mature version with majestic-looking clothing.


    "Code: Sigi!", Yuno shouts before her clothing changes to the ones she had when I fought against her, while her appearance remains the same.


    "Code: @*#$!", The man in my vision shouts something that I am unable to make out in a deep voice before his figure is d in a golden aura as Roman Numerals form all around him.


    Andstly "Code: %@#&!", Sora shouts something that I am unable to make out as well before her figure is covered in a white aura, as her clothes change from regr ones to a frilly ck and violet dress.


    Suddenly, I feel like I am half in control of my body as I raise arms to the sky and gather some form of energy within them.


    The sky immediately begins to darken at an incredible pace as huge golden electric currents form all around us.


    "Code: Exousia!", I shout before the ground below me disintegrates as I feel my clothes change while my power levels multiplying by several magnitudes.


    "Infi" and those that are opposite to us seem to have changed somehow.


    A few seconds pass as each side res at the other.


    "On your words," Sora suddenly says.


    Once again, unable to control my body, I lift my arm and bellow,


    "Assail!"


    Upon hearing my words, everyone on our side immediately disappears from they were, myself included as we reappear right in front of the enemy, prepared for battle.


    "Genesis!", are thest words I hear from Infi who''s charging at me before my vision darkens.


    ---


    As I regain my rity in the "real" world, I feel a wave of energy wash over me.


    Then, Infi''s soft voice resounds within my head,


    "You''ve finally reached this point. I''m sure that you''re confused over all of what''s happening,"


    I sure am.


    "Worry not," she continues, "everything will be cleared up one time is due. There is no need to rush. All that is needed to be known is that our victory is certain, as we have you. Virus doesn''t stand a chance against us."


    Virus? Is that the thing we''re fighting against?


    "This is a message I''ve left you before my Proxy fades into nothingness to inform you of what you need to know, to move forward from here on out.


    "You decided that gaining humanity would benefit you in your pursuit of power after it got sealed, as humans are naturally greedy and benefit-seeking beings. So, you created a scenario for yourself in which you made yourself suffer to train your newly gained humanity.


    "We watched you go ver with the process carefully to make sure nothing goes wrong. Now, your endeavors seem to be worth it as I''m sure your character is extremely contrastivepared to the past.


    "To keep it up, you need to bnce your humanity with your past incarnations by either spending time with humans or Code: Eve."


    Another Code... I''m not sure about her ims, but I will give it a try, as it doesn''t seem like it would negatively affect me.


    "There two more things that you need to know. First one, every tform has a Core. Find it, and you will be able to form a gateway to enable passage from between the Rift and said tform.


    "The second is that there are fragments that you yourself mentioned about. I don''t know what it is, but you spoke highly of them. From the looks of it, they will benefit you, somehow, so look for them.


    "That''s all. Farewell; I wish you luck on the path you take."


    As soon as she said that, the space around me shatters as I find myself back in the Familiar Forest.


    I''m nning to regroup with Sona and the others, however, my n is throttled as I find something moving toward me from the distance.


    A huge blue dragon is dashing towards me at an incredible speed andes to a stop a couple of meters away from me.


    "You! Identify yourself!", a deep and somewhat feminine voice resounds within my ears.


    Slowly floating into the air, I look at the dragon in its huge draconic eyes and solemnly reply,


    "I suggest that you introduce yourself first, lest I turn you into meat paste,"


    Although I haven''t studied much about the expressions of dragons, I can tell that she''s frowning.

 Chapter 69: Blue Dragon

    Chapter 69: Blue Dragon


    "Hold on... are you perchance, Tiamat?", I ask her after taking the aura she''s giving off into consideration.


    The dragon, which I assume is Tiamat, changes her posture and bellows,


    "You dare call me as such!"


    Not liking her attitude, I attempt to use Indoctrination on her, but it doesn''t work.


    Of course, it wouldn''t work as it''s in the tertiary section... Let me switch it with copse real quick.


    Done.


    Now then,


    "Your insolence is what lead to your demise. Don''t go begging me to spare youter,"


    I say that, but I''m not nning to kill her. Having a strong dragon familiar beside me is way more interesting than being known as the yer of said dragon.


    Reaching my right arm out, I use Creation to produce a sword with a golden hilt and a red jewel in it.


    The sword gives off a strong holy aura that seems like it would incinerate devils if you tap one with it.


    Tiamat, who had a prideful posture a while ago, is keenly staring at the sword in my hand with a battle-ready posture.


    I''m sure this splendid sword, Ascalon, will be pretty effective on her.


    "Why do you have that sword?" she inquires cautiously.


    Beaming a smile at her, I shrug my shoulders and ask her,


    "Would you believe me if I told you that I created it?"


    The giant dragon doesn''t respond and just stares at me, cautiously waiting for me to make a move.


    "I thought so," I say before using Blink to appear behind her.


    She immediately senses my presence, but before she can react, I pierce her back with the sword while channeling a little Destruction into the tip.


    Immediately, I hear Tiamat roar in pain as she moves away from me.


    Using Telekinesis, I pull the sword out of her back, and say to her while chuckling,


    "Ohe on, I''m just messing you. I didn''te here to kill you."


    I then destroy Ascalon and wait for her response, which is her dashing at me full-speed.


    Hah~


    The moment she is about to collide with me, I lightly tap her and use Vector Maniption to reflect all of her vectors while also amplifying them.


    This results in the giant dragon to suddenlyunch into the distance, crash into several trees, before finally crashing into the ground.


    Slowly flying over to where she is, I ask her with a deadpan expression,


    "Willing to talk now?"


    I get no response for about four minutes before she suddenly changes from a dragon into a humanoid appearance.


    Should I take this as an affirmation? Probably.


    Landing in front of her, I observe her keenly.


    Her appearance is rather beautiful. Long blue hair, as well as dark blue eyes. wless skin and body form. Might as well mention the fact that she has huge knockers.


    Tiamat is standing with arms crossed and brows furrowed as she looks at me. So this is the second dragon I''ve met sinceing here, huh? Now that I think about it,


    "Hey Ddraig, you there buddy?"


    [Finally! What''s wrong with you!? Do you know how long I''ve been trying to make contact with you!]


    An irritated voice resounds within my head as Ddraig begins toin about something.


    "What are you talking about?"


    [I don''t know what you did, but you made me unable to make contact with you or anything for that matter. You''ve forcefully taken the Boosted Gear and awakened me, so at least try to talk with me!]


    "Look, I have no idea what you''re talking about, b-" a voice suddenly interrupts me,


    "Is that Ddraig? The Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig?


    Looking at Taiamat who has a weird expression on her face, I nod my head.


    "You''re the host of the Boosted Gear?" she continues.


    "You could say so," I reply.


    Tiamat then proceeds toin about how Ddraig took her treasures and has yet to return them. As for the dragon in question, Ddraig ims that he lost them in the process of fighting with Albion.


    Once I asked him about Albion, he began to exin about his rivalry with the White Dragon Emperor.


    The story was rather entertaining, but it didn''t seem like Tiamat enjoyed being ignored. However, she didn''t attempt to do anything.


    It seems like she''s already learned of the difference in our strengths.


    Well, it''s either that or she just doesn''t want to do anything yet.


    "Tiamat, I want you to be my familiar," I clearly state, "in return, I will return you the treasures that Ddraig has lost."


    She smirks a little and asks,


    "And how are you nning to do that?"


    Grinning, I lift my arm and snap my fingers. The next moment, several old relics and treasures appear in the air.


    "Like this," I say, "My powers are rted to creation. I don''t have enough power yet, but when I do, I will be able to produce specific items."


    Having learned more about my Creation through Irene, I confidently offer a bargain. That''s not the end of it,


    "It''s either that, or I brainwash you to follow me."


    Upon hearing my statement, she scowls as she says in a threatening tone,


    "And you expect that to work on me, the strongest of the Five Great Dragon Kings?"


    Unperturbed by the cold aura she''s letting out, I slowly walk to her and activate my Deity form.


    {Four minutes left.}


    Ignoring Irene''s voice, I softly say to Tiamat who''s currently dazed,


    "Want to see if it does?"


    I have three choices to make. The first one is to break her mind in one way or another and make her follow me like a puppet. However, I don''t believe that a lifeless being following me would bring me any form of joy.


    The second choice is to go away and wait for Indoctrination to be strong enough to have an effect on her and return then. Once again, I don''t want the result thates with this one.


    As for the third and final choice, I get her to willingly agree to be my familiar. Which is the one I am going with right now.


    I sure hope that I wouldn''t have to resort to the others.


    "I''ll do it," she says after a while.


    Canceling Deification, I embrace her and joyfully dere,


    "I knew that you''d make the right choice!"


    She pushes me away and says, a little irritated,


    "Stay back."


    Not minding it, I brush my hair with hand and say nonchntly,


    "Let''s get going then."

 Chapter 70: Familiar Contract ; Training the Kitty

    Chapter 70: Familiar Contract ; Training the Kitty


    Walking back to where we first arrived in the Familiar Forest from, I find Sona and her peerage idling about, bored.


    "Sorry it took me a while, something unexpected befell me on the way," I say once I''m close enough.


    Sona seems like she wants to say something, but halts when she spots Tiamat whose hand I''m holding.


    "Allow me to introduce you to my new familiar: Tiamat," I breezily say.


    Tsubaki has a perplexed look on her face as she scrutinizes Tiamat from head to toe and says a little dubiously,


    "No way, right?"


    Turning my head to face Tiamat, I tell her,


    "It seems like they don''t believe that you are... you. Care to punch one of them to prove that you are? Preferably the monkey over there."


    Looking at who I''m pointing at, Tiamat sees a blond-haired high schooler who''s staring at her with bewilderment apparent on his face.


    Seeing her not responding, I say, "Tia?"


    Tiamat nods her head once and approaches him. Before Saji can react, he gets punched in the stomach with enough force to catapult him dozens of meters into the sky.


    Realizing that this will take longer than necessary if I let him be, I fly in his direction to get him back, while forming the Boosted Gear.


    [Boost!] (A/N: BOOSTO!!)


    Feeling my strength multiply by twofold mid-air, I use Godspeed to increase my speed by "sky-jumping", producing small shockwaves every time I do so.


    Once I am in front of the airborne Saji, I kick him in the guts and multiply the force several times tounch him back to where Sona and the co. are at.


    Saji majestically crashes into the ground face first.


    He''s probably in a half-dead state right now. Better heal him up so it doesn''t end here.


    Landing on the ground, I ignore the looks I''m given and gift Saji with Regeneration to let him heal up.


    Then, I look at Tiamat.


    Hm... She agreed toe with me, but isn''t there supposed to be some kind of contract binding her to me or something?


    {That''s correct. Father may bless her, and she will be bound.}


    Bless her? That''s an interesting way to put it. Anyway, how do I do it?


    {Father may kiss her.}


    On the lips?


    {Not necessarily.}


    Very well,


    "Tiamat, pleasee over here, I wish to grant you something."


    She walks toward me a little cautiously andes to a stop once she''s a few centimeters away from me.


    "Kneel before me," I say.


    Tiamat immediately scowls, but I don''t give her the chance to say anything as I beam a smile at her and say,


    "I have no ill intentions by making you do so. It''s necessary."


    Perhaps thinking that a powerful being such as myself wouldn''t need to lie, she takes my words for granted as she VERY reluctantly kneels on one knee.


    Not willing to hurt her pride more than I already have, I approach her and kiss the top of her head.


    The next moment, I feel a quarter of the energy within my body being sucked out as a thin light covers Tiamat.


    Several secondster, the light fades away, leaving behind the same symbol my Angels have on Tiamat''s forehead.


    However, there is one thing different about the symbol. It''s violet in color instead of blood-red.


    Tiamat gets up to her feet and begins to punch the air randomly and inspects her own body several times.


    Raising her arm, she mutters something lightly before I feel a small amount of my energy being sucked away as a beautiful sword appears on her hand.


    Is that my Creation? Did she just use the power of my Creation? How?


    {Father can have familiars under him. A maximum of three familiars can be kept, and they must all be inhuman. The familiars will be blessed by Father''s Code itself, so they''ll be able to utilize a limited part of it.}


    That''s rather interesting. From the looks of it, my familiars aren''t able to use my powers to an extent that would affect me mid-battle unless I am rather low on energy and they use it up.


    Regarding the condition of them being "inhuman", does it work if I create a body that''s not of a human''s and ce their soul inside of it?


    Irene doesn''t respond to my inquiry, so I put the matter to rest.


    Looking at Tiamat''s face, I can see a small smile on her lips as she looks at the sword in her hand.


    It seems to have been worth it.


    Turning my head to face Sona who has been quietly observing everything, I say to her,


    "Chess?"


    Sona immediately has an extremely serious look on her face as she lightly nods her head in response.


    ------


    This is weird.


    Sona and her peerage are overreacting way too much over a game. Especially Saji. He looks like he''s about to go through an existential crisis or something. I''m guessing that there is more to chess game we''re having than what I''m told. Not that I care.


    After we returned from the Familiar Forest, I created a chessboard, a table, and twofy chairs.


    I took a seat and waited for Sona to do the same before we began a game of chess.


    Having not yed for a long time, I yed defensive in the beginning and got on the offensiveter on once I noticed a w in the cement of her pieces.


    Sona was dumbfounded for a short while before she tried her best to save herself. However, I didn''t give her the chance to do so, as I calcted the next 6-7 moves for every move she made while taking into consideration the way I would respond and her other pieces.


    "Come on, Sona-chan. You invited me to y with you so confidently, so you should at least show me the skills to back it up, no?"


    In a game where thinking is everything, psychologically disturbing your opponent is a surefire method of winning. It doesn''t matter if it''s considered to be a form of cheating, a win is a win.


    After all, a cheat that can be countered isn''t a cheat. I mean, all she has to do is have a stronger mentality.


    This does seem to be the case with Sona as she ignored most of my taunting throughout the game most of the time.


    However, that changed once she found herself in a pinch.


    This girl... I''m sure there is a reason for her to be so confident in her chess abilities.


    Before I know it, the game is over with my win.


    She did surprisingly better than I expected her, which means that I somewhat undermined her intelligence.


    "Now that we''ve yed our game, I''ve got to get going," I nonchntly say before standing up and preparing to leave.


    "Wait!" Sona abruptly exims.


    I look at her while crossing my arm and wait for her to say whatever she has on her mind.


    However, she doesn''t seem to want to say it anymore as she lowers her sight to the ground for a few seconds before shaking her head and saying,


    "Forget it. I''m sorry to have wasted your time."


    Waving my hand in front of me, I say while beaming her a smile,


    "Not at all. I enjoyed my time with you. We should hang out together sometime in the future."


    Seeing her nod, I mutter under my breath,


    "Arena."


    ------


    "So, this is my new familiar, Tiamat," I say to everyone once they''ve all gathered, "She happens to be one of the Five Great Dragon Kings."


    The three Angels present are a little surprised before they warmly wee her.


    Tiamat was a little headstrong in the beginning, but she listened carefully whenever the matter concerned me.


    I guess it''s only natural that she would want to know more about her new master.


    Now then, I think I should train Koneko, as I hadn''t done it up until now.


    "Koneko," I say, attracting the dazed girl''s attention before continuing, "You will be training with me."


    She quietly lets out an "um" before following me outside.


    "You''re free to use whatever method you see fit to try to harm me," I state, "Also before we begin, I might as well tell you this."


    Creating an ordinary sword and several sharp objects that are floating because of my telekinesis, I confidently dere,


    "I highly doubt that you will be able to scratch me."


    Koneko seems to be a little riled up, as she changes her posture and her expression turns serious.


    Gift:


    -Organic Constructs


    -Regeneration


    -Insight


    Seeing her change her arms into ws using Organic Constructs, I say to her,


    "If you perchance manage to injure me, I will reward you with whatever you wish for. That is if your wish doesn''t go against my character and is possible."


    Soon, we begin our fight.


    During our battle, I don''t make use of my Code and abilities, and just use my physical body to deal with her. Nevertheless, my speed and strength are still more than enough to deal with her.


    This goes on for a while.


    I mostly avoid injuring her a lot, as seeing her injured doesn''t sit well with me for some reason.


    And finally, the battlees to an end as an exhausted Koneko rests against the wall of a building.


    Approaching her, I sit beside her and pull her into my embrace and begin to stroke her soft hair.


    "Hey Koneko," I say after a few seconds before suggesting, "How about you make your cat ears appear again? I like them."


    She thinks of it a little before suddenly cat ears seemingly pop out of her head.


    I begin to y with her ears while chatting with her about her school life as well as her past.


    Once she told me about what became of her and a sister of hers that I had no knowledge of, I knew that I needed to talk with her if I ever get to meet her.


    Besides, there seems to be something suspicious about it as a whole, but I don''t know what it is exactly.


    I might need to visit the House of Nauberius in the future...


    Sensing that she''s gotten sad by talking about her past, Ifort her by cing her head on myp and caressing her cheek.


    Once she seems to have gotten a little better, I lift her and hold her within my arms before using Flight to get back to the building that everyone is staying in.


    My girls sure know to pick a good ce to stay in.


    Burj Al-Arab - I''m pretty sure it''s rather expensive to stay here in the Rift.


    Using irvoyance to look for them, I find them resting in the pool that''s right beside the sea.


    Flying over andnding right in the middle, I see everyone enjoying the ce quite a bit. Perhaps, this has increased their standards for when I have to find a ce for us to stay in the Rift?


    Well, shit. Hah~ Forget it, I will think of somethingter.


    cing Koneko down, I walk to Akame who''s lifelessly sitting on a lounge chair.


    "Hello," I say before creating some french cuisines on a te and cing them in front of her on a small table that I also created.


    Akame immediately digs into the food without question.


    She''s acting like she hasn''t been fed for days.


    I rub her head a little before going over to where the rest of the girls are all at. Looking at them all lying on lounge chairs instead of going into the pool, I snap my fingers.


    Instantly, several swimsuits appear in the air.


    "How about we enjoy ourselves a little," I say while smirking.


    ------


    As I''m resting in one of the rooms on a double bed with Sora and Yuno on my sides, I hear a light knock on the door.


    "Come in," I respond.


    Right after I say so, the door opens as Koneko walks inside while frowning a little.


    "What''s wrong?" I say as I pat my thighs.


    Understanding my intentions, Koneko walks over and sits on myp before she begins to exin,


    "President is facing some trouble."


    "And what is that trouble?" I ask her, hoping for something interesting.


    "Riser Phenex, the youngest son of the Phenex n is her fiance. Their marriage is an arranged one set by their families," she continues.


    "So? What''s the problem?"


    "President doesn''t want to marry him, so she''s nning to hold a Rating Game with him. He''s strong, and he''s immortal, so it''s hard for her to win if she doesn''t have a way to deal with his immortality."


    I gently massage her ears before asking her,


    "First of all, what''s a Rating Game?"


    Then, I grin as I inquire further,


    "And, did you say something about immortality?"

 Chapter 71: Improved Indoctrination ; New Place to Stay

    Chapter 71: Improved Indoctrination ; New ce to Stay


    Koneko gives me a quick exnation of Rating Games, what significance they hold, and their value for Devils.


    To put it in simple terms, it determines the power of a Devil. Apparently, the top-ranked Devils are almost impossible to beat.


    An intriguing notion.


    So, Rias has agreed to hold such a Rating Game with Riser. Depending on the final result, the marriage that had been agreed upon could be annulled.


    I''m going to be participating in it for various reasons. The main one being that I will be having fun breaking Riser''s psyche.


    Then,es his immortality that I will be plundering.


    Why would I need that? Obviously, because it would be useful ifbined with Gift.


    Besides, it could be used as a trump card against enemies if thought out properly.


    I wonder how I should deal with the guy himself


    Well, I''ll think about it once the timees, so for now, I should think of my current state of affairs.


    First, I must find a ce for us to stay, however, that''s easier said than done...


    Hold on,


    "Hey Yuno, are you able to form a spatial gateway between two locations? You did form a spatial gateway between two tforms after all, even if it fagged your powers.


    "Yes, I should be able to do that," she says before asking, "Do you need to make use of it?"


    I nod my head in response, which makes her giggle happily.


    Does she enjoy being of use to me? Cute. I just hope that she keeps it within a range that can be considered so.


    "What are you nning?" Sora asks me.


    "Nothing much, really. I will just get us a new mansion in the ''real world'' somehow and may make use of her powers to link them with other mansions that I might get my hands on.


    "Thus, we will all be able to live rather well."


    Sora looks at me wryly but doesn''t say anything. Koneko''s ears are twitching a little urging me to y with them even more.


    Shifting my head, I kiss Koneko''s cheek lightly before looking at Yuno. What meets my eyes is a sulking face as Yuno stares at the nekomata on myp.


    I pat her head to make any dangerous thoughts that Yuno might have go away, as I am well aware of how much her thoughts can drift off from normality.


    cing Koneko on the bed as I get up from it, I bid the three of them farewell, before leaving for a walk.


    Going outside the building, I notice that it''s dark.


    Recalling Irene''s words, a worrying thought crosses my mind. That is, the location of the Arena may change arbitrarily, which can be quite dangerous if it takes ce unexpectedly.


    {Father doesn''t need to worry about that. There will be a warning before it urs.}


    Good. I don''t want to even begin imagining all the things that could go wrong if it wasn''t like so.


    Now then, I should probably work on the new house we''re going to stay in.


    Now that I think about it... I could go somewhere isted and create a mansion there, but then several issues would arise.


    No inte, electricity or anything for that matter.


    Oh, right! Indoctrination.


    Now that more than three hours have passed, it should be avable for usage. I just need to find someone to try it out on.


    Exiting the Arena, I find myself back at school in the ult Research club-room.


    As I am about to leave the school, I sense several presences within the school perimeter, and upon checking them out, I see that they''re the school guards. All of them except for one.


    A girl that seems to be a student here is attempting to go inside a ss, however, she is unable to do so because the door is locked.


    I should help her out, or so I would like to say, but I want nothing more than to try out Indoctrination on her.


    Using Blink to disappear from one corridor and reappear in another, I reach the location where the girl is at pretty soon.


    I lightly cough to inform the girl of my presence.


    Knowing that she will scream, I use Indoctrination tomand her: "Stay silent."


    The girl immediately finds herself unable to talk anymore no matter how much she tries to.


    Ho~ From the looks of it, if I will for it, they will keep their rity of mind while obeying my orders now.


    "What''s your name?" I ask her while coolly creating a chair using Creation.


    The girl''s eyes widen, as she monotonously replies to my inquiry,


    "Kristina Parsons."


    Looks like an order I give could overwrite another while keeping the one previous one once it''s over.


    Kristina attempts to run away, but I order her to get back and stand in front of me.


    Is it bad that I''m using my powers so openly? Not at all. In fact, I would like her to talk about whatever that has happened or will happen to others.


    It would be quite the sight. Her friendsughing at her and calling her an imbecile, while she suffers, not knowing who talk with that would believe her.


    Now then, time to try out all the possibilities of my ability


    ---


    That took a while.


    Creating a bag of chips, I begin to enjoy it while thinking of what I am able to do with my ability.


    I''vee up with a simple n: Take over the property of that guy I had killed for the contract while erasing the memories and brainwashing all rted parties.


    Quite simple.


    As for money, I can keep on taking contracts from the dark web or perhaps somehow gain ess to someone''s wealth.


    ---


    Looking at the empty mansion, I''m overwhelmed by a euphoric feeling as I begin to think of life in it with the girls.


    I can link other mansions I get using Yuno''s power, so this is not even the end of it.


    Kind of reminds me of a game I used to y in my former life before it became hell on earth...


    Also, it''s just in time, as the others will soon arrive in the Rift.


    I''ve missed them all so much, especially Ayumi.


    But it''s going to be real pain in the ass to exin to Ayumi that I have a sister in this "world".


    Also, I don''t think Nao will find the number of girls apanying me appealing


    Nevertheless, I''m letting none of them go away, as selfish as that may be.


    I need to return to Project Charlotte sometime to close off all opens ends and bring Shinoa over.


    Irene, grab the data of this mansion from me and make them all appear here.


    {Affirmative.}


    Now, I need to go to sleep. Bringing the others over to the mansion will be left for tomorrow.


    "Arena."


    Finding myself in the now-familiar city, I use irvoyance to check everyone out.


    As expected all of them are asleep except for Raynare and Asia.


    The former is standing in front of a mirror and admiring her new lookbined with the two pairs of wings on her back.


    As for thetter, she seems to be feeling a little uneasy. She might be feeling lonely and in need of some warmth.


    Flying up so that I''m right beside the room Asia is in, I phase through the whole, shocking her.


    Once she calms down upon realizing it''s me, I slowly walk over to her bed as she asks me,


    "Did you need something, Your Holiness?"


    Shaking my head, I run my hand through her blond hair and move my face closer to hers as I whisper,


    "I thought you''d be feeling lonely, so I decided to apany you to sleep."


    A blush covers Asia''s face as she averts her eyes, nervously muttering,


    "O-Okay."


    Smiling at how cute she''s acting, I give her a quick peck on the lips, which surprises her a lot.


    Not minding the dazed Asia, I move the nket and get underneath it before cuddling her to myself.


    "Goodnight,"


    I whisper into her ear.


    She flinches a little before holding me and going to sleep.

 Chapter 72: Arrival

    Chapter 72: Arrival


    "Well, then. This is going to be our new home," I say to the girls once we''ve all arrived in the new mansion.


    As everyone begins to look around then ask me to create things, I notice that Krul has been rather silent recently, which is unlike her.


    Once I''m done with everything, I go over to the sofa she''s sitting on and take a seat beside her.


    "Is something wrong," I ask her.


    As if just realizing that I''m beside her, Krul turns her head and stares at my eyes for a few seconds before replying,


    "I''m fine. It''s just that... I''ve been having recurring dreams."


    Dreams? Don''t tell me


    "What are the dreams like?"


    Krul takes a few moments to think before she says,


    "I don''t know. It''s just that I know I''ve been having them, despite not remembering them."


    Wrapping my left arm around her waist, I say to her sedately,


    "If I''m not mistaken, you should be having ''visions''. They''re rted to our past and future."


    Krul doesn''t ask any further and just nods her head as she falls into state of deliberation.


    This makes me wonder once again, what are we?


    What are the Codes? Why do we exist? How did wee to existence?


    Why is it that I''m able to create anything as long as it''s known out of thin air? Thinking about my Creation, I think it''s about time that I investigated about its potential.


    "Your Holiness, are we not going to school?" Asia''s voice resounds within my ear as she appears before me in her school uniform.


    Nodding my head I say,


    "Just give me a few minutes to get prepared."


    Once I''m in my room I seal off the door and begin my inquiry.


    Irene, am I able to create objects that don''t exist in reality?


    "Father should be able to do so, albeit at the cost of a huge amount of energy and perhaps restrictions on the created object."


    I see. Definitely should give it a try.


    cing all of my focus on an object I had seen a movie in my past life as kid, I raise my arm and mentally aim at the air in front of me.


    The next moment, I feel my Essence Energy at an incredulous rate.


    However, I don''t stop and continue to focus on the object that I''m conjuring, as if I seed, it would be extremely helpful.


    After a whopping two minutes, the object finally materializes in front of me, looking just the way I anticipated it to be.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, I use Telekinesis as well as some nails to attach the object to the wall.


    Once I''m sure it''s ready to be tested, I begin with the special chant,


    "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who''s the gayest of them all?"


    As expected, right after I say so, the mirror''s disy begins to change from an ordinary reflection to something else.


    A few secondster, I see a clear image of a man. Red-haired and has blue-greenish eyes. His appearance kind of reminds me of Rias.


    Could it be a rtive of hers? Possibly. I can''t tell who he is based on his looks, because you can''t exactly judge a Devil''s age based on their appearance.


    Forget that, I need to get changed and head to school now.


    ---


    Entering the clubroom, I find Rias and the rest already present. Do these guys not have anything better to do?


    Feeling the slight hostilitying from Kiba, I turn my head to face him and ask nervelessly,


    "Got anything to say, Kiba"


    He responds to my words by increasing his hostility. Looks like I need to remind someone of why I''m here.


    Creating Excalibur, I approach him.


    "Wait, Kiba!" Rias exims, perplexed over what''s happening.


    The next moment, something interesting happens.


    Kiba, who was ring at me a few seconds ago now has a deranged look on his face as he stares at the Excalibur in my hand.


    Looks like I found something interesting. However, this isn''t the time for that.


    As Excalibur disintegrates into particles before disappearing, I take a seat on a sofa.


    "So," I begin, "Rias, I heard that some guy named Riser has appeared and is causing you trouble."


    Immediately after I say that, something unexpected urs.


    Everyone in the room apart from myself turns their head to look at Koneko.


    Seeing that she''s feeling ufortable by the looks she is being given, I motion for her toe over.


    Koneko gratefully trots over and sits on myp.


    "I take your actions as you not willing to let me know about this," I say while frowning.


    Looking at Rias who''s panicking, I decide to deal with her the way she wishes to be dealt with,


    "Raynare, you are free to use more than 40% of your strength as long as you keep Rias alive."


    [Yes, All-Father!]


    Rias''s face immediately pales as she stares at the ground.


    Not willing to be biased, I say,


    "Mittelt, Raynare, you are both free to use all of your power against your training partners as well."


    [Affirmative, All-Father.]


    [Okay, papa!]


    Raising my left hand to caress Koneko''s ears, I state,


    "You guys will be training harder from now on. I want you to be able to beat them to a pulp in less than five minutes. Riser will be taken down by none other than myself.


    "Also, you guys better not try to let on my identity to anyone there, lest you desire the extermination of all Devil-kind."


    Seeing the anxiety in the eyes, I can tell that they''ve gotten the message.


    Now, I need to wait for a week.


    Fortunately, Nao and the co. will be arriving in the Rift today. I wonder what powers they''ll receive


    ---


    In the living room of my mansion, I''m sitting on the sofa all alone, waiting for the appearance of several girls out of thin air, which is exactly happens a few secondster.


    The space before me deforms as purple electric currents dance around all over the ce before three humanoid figures appear.


    Once everything settles down, the naked bodies of three girls are before me.


    Nao, Ayumi and Misa.


    As they''re regaining their rity, I create some clothing for them and avert my eyes.


    Through my senses I can see that they finally realize their state as they hastily put on the clothes.


    Having waited for them all to get dressed up, I turn my head around and look at them all with a bright smile on my face.


    "Wee to our new home!" I jubntly exim with open arms.


    The three of them all look at me, a little confused, before Ayumi all of a sudden asks,


    "Brother Yu?"


    Nodding my head, I say,


    "It''s me, Ayu."


    Right after I say so, Ayumi blithely runs over into my embrace as she begins to tell me how much she missed me.


    Hugging her small body I listen to everything she has to say.


    After a while, I let go of her and look toward the two girls behind her.


    Nao stares at me little strangely beforeing over to hug me. I expect her to say she''s missed me or something, but she instead says,


    "You''re shorter here."


    Feeling the corner of my lips twitching, I respond,


    "I see that you''ve not missed me all that much."


    Nao steps back a little and says,


    "No, I have missed you.


    "Now, what I want to know is what have you aplished during the time-period it took us to get here."


    Oh, so you want to know what I have done, huh?


    Taking this as a chance to mess with them, I confidently dere,


    "I became God."

 Chapter 73: Explanation

    Chapter 73: Exnation


    Ignoring the deadpan expression on the girls'' faces, I move to a nearby sofa and take a seat.


    Gesturing to them to do the same, I begin to recount all the events that urred during the past week, while omitting anything rted to my interaction with the girls here, including Sora.


    Ayumi was enamoured whenever I spoke of the actions I took against the supernatural beings in this world.


    I should probably ask them about the new powers they should''ve received.


    "So, how do I put this... You girls are supposed to have received some kind of supernatural power upon arriving here," I state before asking, "Do you feel anything different about you?"


    "Ayu doesn''t feel anything," Ayumi says while touching her body all-over.


    "Tch. I don''t have my mes as well," Misains.


    Gift:


    -Pyrokinesis


    "Try to use your mes. Be careful not to burn anything," I say to her while smiling.


    Misa is startled by what I say. She opens her palm and a secondter, a small me appears on it.


    "Why?" she asks, confused.


    "I''m able to gift abilities to others for a short time," I exin.


    "Any ability?" Nao interjects.


    It should be every ability, right? Now that I think about it, I''ve never tried endowing the more fulgurant powers.


    Gift:


    -Vector Maniption


    {ERROR: Unable to employ ability.}


    AI''s voice in my head confirms that the endowment was unsessful. So, there must be some kind of regtion that I have yet to discover.


    "I just checked and as it turns out, there is some kind of restriction to the ability that I don''t know about," I exin to Nao.


    "Brother Yu," Ayumi asks, "why do you look so different?"


    Using Telekinesis to lift her up as she lets out a yelp, I bring her over and ce her on myp before exining,


    "I am a different person herepared to who I was in our original world. Here, I go by the name Haruka Kasuganou, and I have another family."


    Nao seems to pick up on something as Ayumi naively asks, "What family?"


    Taking in a deep breath, I call out, "Sora, you maye over."


    The next moment a beautiful-silver haired girl enters the room and walks over to where we are all at.


    "This is Sora Kasuganou, my sister."


    And lover. However, I think it''s better to leave that part out.


    "Wow! Ayu has another Big Sister!" Ayumi gleefully exims while wiggling.


    Sora, who had a rather stern expression on herplexion a second ago, is now smiling a little after seeing the energetic Ayumi.


    "So, you''re not going to tell us that you''ve made all those who''ve taken residence here wait somece until you call them out, right?" Nao asks me disbelievingly.


    "Of course not!"


    How did she evene up with that notion? I should just begin exining,


    "It''s just that I knew I had to introduce Sora and Ayumi to each other, so I decided that the sooner I do it; the better,"


    Nao squints her eyes as she inquires, "That means that there are other residents, right?"


    Crap.


    "Yes," I reply.


    "Do they all happen to be females?" Nao continues to ask.


    Might as well honestly reply, as I''m probably screwed either way, "Yes."


    "Uwaa~ How many girls are we talking about?" Misa asks with a frown.


    "Six, apart from Sora, Krul, and Yuno," I say while scratching the back of my head.


    Feeling the temperature in the room cooling down at a dangerous rate, I wave my arms in front of myself and begin exining,


    "Don''t misunderstand! I didn''t just do it arbitrarily. First, I earlier said that I became God, right? Three of the girls are my Angels, so I decided to let them stay here.


    "One of the girls had nowhere else to say, as for thest one, she''s my familiar."


    For some reason, the longer I exined, the more her expression worsened.


    "Forget about that," I try to divert the topic, "is there anything you would like to eat?"


    Ayumi suddenly jumps from myp and cries out,


    "Ayu wants Champon Ramen!"


    dly taking the chance, I create the ingredients out of thin air as Ayumi watches me with enthrallment before making my way to the kitchen with both of my little sisters.


    ---


    This is a little troublesome...


    We''re all currently sitting on the dining table, however, there is a distinction to where everyone sits.


    Krul, Yuno, Nao, Misa and Ayumi are on one side of the table, while the rest are on the other. As for me, I''m sitting at the end of the table.


    We all eat our dinner quietly without uttering a single word.


    I probably need to make it up to them, so I suggest, "Hey, Nao, how about you, Ayumi, Misa, and me all go camping sometime?"


    She doesn''t say anything and just nods her head.


    "What about you guys," I ask as I turn my head to the others that I mentioned.


    "Ayu wants to go!" Ayumi exims with food still in her mouth.


    "I don''t have anything to do here, so I might as well go," Misa says.


    I''m d they agreed. Perhaps, I have to make sure that they enjoy the trip. Oh, right! Before I want to suggest something, Sora suddenly says,


    "I''ll being as well."


    Nao looks at her for a few seconds before nodding her head and saying,


    "If it''s your sister, then there is no problem," she says in a stern tone.


    Well, shit.


    "Master," all of a sudden Koneko calls out to me.


    Turning my head to face her, I wait for her to say whatever is on her mind,


    "President''s brother wants to meet you."


    Oh, finally!


    I''m looking forward to meeting him as well. ording to Koneko, he should be strong, so there should be other strong individuals with him...


    ---


    After going through the long process of assigning everyone their rooms and decorating it with things they ask for, I lie down on the bed in my room beside Sora.


    "So, they''re the ones you talked about..." Sora mutters.


    "Yeah," I say as I turn my head and kiss her lips.


    After a few seconds of kissing, Sora says,


    "The white-haired one seems to be the one closest to you."


    "No, the one closest to me would be Ayumi,"


    "You know what I mean," she sternly interjects.


    Of course, I know what she means, but that doesn''t mean that I''m willing to follow along with the topic.


    To prevent Sora from saying anything else, I begin to caress boobs and lock my lips with hers. A few minutester, I can''t hold back any longer as I say,


    "Arena"


    After all, there is a battle I need to fight.


    ---


    After a couple of hours, I return to my room while holding an unconscious Sora within my arms.


    I gently ce her on the bed and kiss her lips for a few seconds.


    Before I can lie down beside her, I hear a voice behind me,


    "Um... Brother Yu..."


    Swiftly turning around, the sight of a fidgeting Ayumi holding a pillow meets my eyes.


    You''ve got to be kidding me...

 Chapter 74: Training ; Analyze

    Chapter 74: Training ; Analyze


    As I stare at Ayumi, a thought crosses my mind.


    Memory Erasure.


    I could use that ability to make her forget about this incident and act like it never happened.


    However, despite its convenience and necessity, I would rather not use it on Ayumi.


    "Hey, Ayumi. Did you need something?"


    In response to my words, she walks closer to the bed and says,


    "Brother Yu I can''t sleep alone."


    Understanding what she''s seeking, I use Telekinesis to lift her and ce her within my arms.


    Without any further words, Iy her down on the bed, cover her by the nket, and hug her body to sleep.


    ---


    Uh I think this might''ve been a little overkill.


    I look at the beaten up Rias that is barely able to breath, as well as Kiba who seems like he would run his own sword through himself out of rage.


    Then, I set my eyes on Akeno. She doesn''t seem to be having THAT hard of a time.


    In fact, she has been like so ever since the first time I saw her. Akeno thinks and acts quite maturelypared to those around her.


    Not only that, but the amount of effort she puts into bing stronger is much morepared to the rest.


    "Hey Akeno," I call out to the panting girl which attracts her attention.


    "From now on, you are going to be training with me personally."


    Akeno is a little confused first before a grin appears on her face as she realizes my intentions.


    Slowly walking over to where she is at, I endow her some abilities.


    -Regeneration


    -Insight


    ---


    Akeno is currently lying around,pletely exhausted.


    I fought with her for about two hours. However, I''ve not had enough yet. After having seen her rate of improvement, it just makes me want to train her more.


    What I seek is the creation of a monster by my own hands that will bring chaos upon the battlefield in my name.


    Currently, I have a dream of leading a bunch of such freaks into battlefields.


    {Father may use a method to energize her.}


    Oh, really? What''s the method?


    {Directly send Essence Energy to her.}


    Let me guess, by kissing her lips?


    {Precisely.}


    Who could have guessed~


    Seriously, whoever came up with the System and my Code functions is an exceedingly lecherous individual.


    Deciding to do it, I walk to where Akeno is and crouch beside her.


    Sliding my arm under her back, I lift her torso up.


    Before Akeno is able to react, I press my lips onto hers and begin to channel my Essence Energy into my tongue.


    Akeno who''s within my arms flinches as soon as I insert my tongue into her mouth apanied by the foreign energy.


    Her body stiffens as she feels my tongue invading her mouth, but after a few seconds, she begins to reciprocate to it.


    Enjoying her lips and the softness of her body in my arms, I lose myself in the act as I begin to fondle her rather big breasts while kissing her much more passionately.


    As I feel my hand sinking into her soft breast, AI''s voice suddenly resounds within my head.


    {Discovered: Analyze.}


    Intrigued, I immediately use it. I continue to kiss her and y with her body as I read the information that appeared "in front" of me.


    ------------


    Name: Akeno Himejima


    Age: 18


    Race: Fallen Angel / Devil


    Str: 23 (15) | Agi: 21 (15) | Dex: 25 (15)


    Int: 24 (15) | Def: 27 (15) | Vit: 26 (15)


    Abilities:-


    -Holy Lightning


    Utilities:-


    Evil Piece (Queen : Rias Gremory)


    ------------


    Checking the information present, I finally get a good grasp of the power levels in this world.


    Despite having fought with beings in the Rift several times over, I couldn''t get a good grasp on how the parameters worked, but now that I saw Akeno''s, I''m sure of one thing.


    A single increase in the numbers is a lot.


    I mean, Devils are able to easily squash humans, yet the difference in their parameters doesn''t seem to be much.


    There is also the fact their parameters might''ve increased as I''ve been training them every day, be it directly or indirectly.


    Breaking the kiss with Akeno, I shift her body so that she''s within my arms as I begin to think of more ways to utilize my powers and of those around me.


    Yuno''s powers are extremely important. In fact, they''re so important that I need to hold a conversation with her over what she''s capable of.


    As for my own powers, I still don''t know my limits. There is a problem with my powers, which is that there are too many of them for me to focus on some.


    I''ve mostly been using my Holy Effects, Mahesvara, and Vector Maniption during my fights, mostly because they''re currently my most efficient methods of dealing with problematic situations.


    Not only that, but the other powers are more suited for rather specific cases. An example of that would be Paragon''s Eyes and Divine Retribution.


    However, the best example so far would be Pdin''s Aura.


    That ability is definitely suited for situations where I''m leading a bunch into battle with myself.


    This means that ever since the first time I used it, I''m only going to be using it again during the uing Rating Game.


    Also, there are the powers I''ve Plundered from those in the Rift. I don''t know their functions, but they could be useful. However, the Boosted Gear might be much more useful than the Power of Destruction as Destruction is literally a part of my Code.


    Speaking of my Code''s capabilities, I am much more fascinated by Mahesvara.


    I''m sure that it has a lot of functions that I''ve yet to know about, yet it''s already so useful.


    Just recently I found out that I''m able to produce conceptual objects using the Creation aspect, however, the cost is nothing to scoff at.


    Surely, if I had attempted to create something more prominent than the Mirror of Truth, it would''ve failed.


    I simply don''t have enough "power" to do such a thing, but that doesn''t mean that I won''t in the future.


    That''s exactly the reason why I''m screwing around with the residents of the Rift and tforms I will be visiting in the future.


    It doesn''t matter who; all will bow to my selfishness.


    Power is what I seek. My selfishness is the reason.


    My thoughts are cut off as I feel Akeno move a little in my arms.


    It seems like her panting has also stopped. This busty chick, is one of the few Devils that I find worthy of recognition.


    Akeno is a hard-working girl that acts maturely. As for the other one, Sona, she''s a smart. Really smart.


    This makes me wonder what will happen to her peerage if I convert her to an Angel?


    I''ll leave that thought to the future. For now, I should get focus on what I''vee to the Arena for.


    Turning Akeno''s head to make her face me, I kiss her lips for a few more seconds before saying to her,


    "Let''s get back to training."

 Chapter 75: Camping Again ; Star-Gazing

    Chapter 75: Camping Again ; Star-Gazing


    I wake early morning, feeling something on both of my arms.


    Both of my little sisters.


    It has be the norm for me to sleep with them in one bed every night. Knowing that this will go on for quite some time, I changed the bed to a double bed and redesigned the room. In the end, I even brought all of their stuff over from their rooms.


    I probably should''ve done this from the beginning, but oh well.


    Using Permeation to phase through the nket and Flight to float up from the bed, I head to the living room without making any noise to avoid waking my sisters up.


    There, I find Nao going through some bags.


    Yesterday, once I was done with training Rias and her peerage, I immediately returned home. At home, it was an ordinary day until we had dinner.


    Everyone interacted with each other much better than the day before it, so I was d. However, Nao abruptly decided that we will go camping the day after it, which is today.


    Having agreed to it, I offered to create anything that we might need, however, Nao immediately rejected the notion.


    So, we went out to a convenience store and bought whatever we wanted.


    --


    "Nao, I have found a location already," I say.


    She stops what she was doing and looks at me.


    Last night, before going to sleep, I used irvoyance to look for a good camping site. As I had enjoyed the camping trip back in Project Charlotte, I was set on going somewhere away from other humans.


    Thus, I found a ce for us to stay that is simr to the location we stayed in. The only difference is that there is no ruin of a well and a random daughter appearing out of thin air.


    After informing Nao about this, I help her out with the baggage a little before going to wake the others up.


    I knock on Misa''s door a couple of times, before going to my own room, waking both of sisters up and helping them get dressed for the day.


    Once I''m done, the three of us head to the kitchen together.


    There I find Asia and Koneko both sitting at the table in their school uniforms.


    After a while, Nao and Misa bothe over as well.


    Having eaten our breakfast, we all go our separate ways, as Asia and Koneko decide to walk to school.


    ---


    "We''re finally here," I say as I park the car somece near the outer parts of the woods.


    All of us get off from the car and carry our own bags as we walk through the vegetation to get to the location I''ve prearranged.


    It doesn''t take us long to get there.


    Upon arriving, beautiful scenery meets our eyes.


    An open field with a gentle stream beside it. Surrounding the whole ce are trees of different sizes and shapes.


    Walking to the center of the ins, we begin to set up our tents while Ayumi runs all over the ce excitedly.


    Once we''re done with setting up the tents, we begin setting the other stuff up.


    Unlikest time we went camping, this time we''ve gotten meat to grill rather than corn.


    The moment I''m done, I join Ayumi who''s stepping into the water stream nearby.


    ---


    After a while, Nao and I begin to cook the meat, while Ayu and Misa are ying with a small gaming console.


    As for Sora, she''s on theptop that she brought along.


    Honestly, this is so simr tost time, except the fact that I''m the only guy here.


    Hold on


    "Hey Ddraig, you there?"


    [Uwooohhh!! You finally let me out!]


    "What the heck?"


    [Don''t act like you''re not aware!]


    "Look, like I said, I have no idea what you are talking about. Last time you said something simr, but what exactly happens to you?"


    [You better not be doing this on purpose]


    Hehe. From my guess, whenever I am not willing to use a power or ability, it enters a dormant state.


    The thing is, I used Ddraig to test that hypothesis.


    [Why do I suddenly feel like beating you up?]


    "Want to go at it again? We will see who will beat up who then," I say with a scowl.


    [Spare me a fight with you. Thest time we fought, you almost destroyed the Boosted Gear. I would''ve been gone and the former host would''ve died.]


    "Oh yeah, that guy he should be long broken by now" I murmur, but Ddraig seems to hear me,


    [What did you say?]


    "Oh, nothing at all. Your previous host should be living a normal life right now."


    So normal that he should hate it.


    [I feel like there is more to what you''re saying.]


    "Forget that, would you like a body?"


    [Hm? What do you mean by that?]


    "I am able to create a body for you and probably able to ce you inside it."


    [This sounds too good to being from your mouth... What''s the catch?]


    "It''s going to be the body of a twelve-year-old girl."


    [NO!]


    "Why?"


    [Are you seriously asking if I want to go into the body of a human child?! A female one at that!]


    "Tch. I offered; you rejected. Don''t regret itter."


    [Wait, wha-]


    Before he can finish what he wants to say I focus back on reality, making the skill enter a dormant state once again.


    "Brother Yu!" I suddenly hear Ayumi call for me.


    Looking to where she is at, I see her jumping with fervor while pointing at something.


    Going over to where she is, I check out what she''s pointing at.


    The ruins of a well.


    No way, right?


    Creating a metallic tform, I cover the top with it.


    "Eh~ Brother Yu, what''s that?" Ayumi asks me curiously.


    "That''s the remains of a well. In the past, they used it, but now it has be like this because it''s forgotten."


    Taking the satisfied Ayumi back with me, we all begin eating the grilled meat.


    ---


    "You lose once again!" I proim as Nao wryly ces her small gaming console down.


    "That makes it a 2 to 5," she says.


    "That''s correct, and as per agreed, the loser has to listen to onemand of the winner."


    "Pervert," Misa mutters from the side.


    "I haven''t even ordered her yet!"


    While I''m thinking of an order for her, Raynare''s voice suddenly resounds within my head,


    [All-Father, we have a found lead on the described object.]


    Great. I was just starting to get used to my Destruction, so it would suck if I suddenly lost it.


    "Where is it?"


    [So far, we know that its general location is Kyoto.]


    Kyoto huh I guess I will have to go over there sometime. There are four days left before the deadline for the calling, so I''m probably going to be fine.


    "Why is it taking you so long?" Nao asks me impatiently.


    Oh, crap. I''ve just got to ask her to do something anything


    "Kiss me on my cheek," I suddenly say.


    Nao is startled a little, but I see a barely visible smile form on her lips as she does what she was told to.


    "I knew it," Misa says.


    Whatever, I won''t even bother to say anything.


    Feeling a cold gaze from the side, I turn my head to take a look.


    As expected, it came from Sora who is presently ring at me.


    "Look, it''s gettingte now. We should go to sleep so that we will be full of energy in the morning," I say.


    As I am about to head to the tent we set up, I catch a glimpse of the starry sky.


    Beautiful...


    Now that I think about it,


    "Hey Ayumi, do you want to gaze at the stars?"


    My words seem to ignite a dormant me within her as she begins to jump joyfully while yelling, "Yes! Ayu wants to star-gaze with Brother Yu!"


    Moving to a more vacant spot, I create a tform as well as severalfy objects before creating a number of telescopes.


    "Come over," I say to Ayumi while patting myp once I have taken a seat beside one of the telescopes.


    Looking over at the others, I motion toe over as I say, "Come on, it''s a beautiful sight."


    Thankfully, they agree to do so as the three of theme over and join us. Nao and Misa both use a telescope while Soraes over and hugs my back.


    Well, this works too, I guess...

 Chapter 76: Another Day ; Return

    Chapter 76: Another Day ; Return


    Waking up early morning, I feel the same weights I usually feel on my arms.


    I''m genuinely surprised that Nao and Misa have yet to question my actions of sleeping with both of my little sisters.


    Sleeping with Ayumi is somewhat eptable, however, that shouldn''t be the case with Sora.


    Surely, they must have doubts, but they''re not voicing them.


    Focusing back on reality, I look at Sora who''s asleep.


    Shifting my hand to gently stroke her cheek, I whisper her name softly to wake her up.


    A few secondster, Sora gradually opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is me looking at her gray eyes.


    Both of us know what the other craves for, so we both move our heads closer to each other and begin kissing.


    After several minutes of tongue-action, we stop kissing and look at Ayumi who''s still asleep on my other side.


    Shifting myself over, I kiss her cheek to wake her up.


    "Um~" Ayumi lightly groans as she opens her eyes.


    "Brother Yu?"


    "Wake up, sleepy-head. We''ve got another day of camping ahead of us," I softly say.


    Ayumi reaches out her arms to me. Knowing her intentions, I move closer and embrace her while patting her head with my right hand.


    I kiss her cheek once more before getting up and examining myself.


    My clothes are rather ordinary... Perhaps I should go for a new look? But, what kind of clothes would suit me? Hm... I think I will go for something more ''modern-looking''.


    Destroying my sleepwear, I create some casual clothes.


    A brown windbreaker jacket with a gray shirt underneath it. For my lower body, I created dark gray jeans and dark-brown shoes.


    After putting them on, I look behind me at my sisters, only to find them gawking at me with stupor.


    "Am I handsome?" I tease them.


    Sora just nods slowly while Ayu jumps up and runs over to hug me before eximing,


    "Brother Yu is the most handsome!"


    Chuckling, I caress her cheeks as I reply, "I''m the most handsome and have the cutest little sisters. The world will be mad at my fortune."


    Ayumi giggles, as for Sora, she seems to find words satisfactory as a smile covers her face.


    "Come on, let''s go wake the others up."


    ---


    Whilst standing in the middle of the water stream, I use a bucket to take a quick bath in the cold water.


    "Brother Yu, there is a crab!" Ayumi yells a few meters away from me.


    Looking over, I see Ayumi who''s wearing a swimsuit jumping around in the water while pointing at something.


    "Stay away from it, so it wouldn''t be able to hurt you," I tell her seriously.


    "Um! Ayu will take care!"


    Hah~ Good thing I came to take a bath here.


    I''m currently naked, but I''m using Rework to make it seem like I''m not.


    After a few minutes, I''m done bathing, so I walk out of the water stream along with Ayumi. I then go to the Arena to get dressed in a few seconds beforeing back.


    "Yu,e over here and check this out!" Nao yells a distance away from us.


    I get on my knees to let Ayumi climb on my back before getting back up on my feet and dashing over to where Nao is, as Ayumi cheerfully squeals.


    Reaching her side, I let Ayumi down and look at what Nao called out to me for.


    "Rabbits!" Ayumi softly exims.


    "Would you like to hunt them?" I suggest to Nao.


    "How?"


    "Like so," I reply before creating a pellet rifle.


    Using Insight, I get a general idea of how to use the weapon before targeting one of the rabbits.


    Pulling the trigger, while making sure to multiply the velocity of the projectile, one of the rabbits gets hit.


    A clean kill.


    The rest of the rabbits immediately scatter.


    "No! They will run away!" Ayumi yells anxiously.


    Shaking my head, I''m about to head over and get the rabbit that I shot, however, something incredible happens before I can do so.


    The rabbits that had run away returned to exactly where they were before.


    Doubting the reality of the situation, I shoot another one of the rabbits down.


    This time, the rabbits don''t even bother to run away. It''s as if they don''t seem to realize the danger they''re in or what''s happening to the others.


    Hm... This is abnormal. Why did they suddenly return and be like this? I''m sure there is something that''s making behave like this. What could it be?


    "I want to shoot one," Nao all of sudden says.


    Smiling, I hand over the BB rifle before lightly pecking her lips.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    "What are you guys doing?" Misa says as both she and Sorae over.


    "Hunting rabbits," I respond.


    Misa looks over to where Nao is aiming the rifle and says, "Those aren''t rabbits. They''re hares."


    Hares?


    "What are hares?" Ayumi asks while tilting her head to the left.


    "They resemble rabbits but are different in various ways. For example look," Misa replies while pointing at the hares, "they have long ears and are generally bigger than rabbits."


    "And why do you know this?" Sora who''s beside Misa asks her.


    Misa replies, "My parents live in the mountains, so we encountered them when I was young. I wonder how they''re doing right now... in another world different from this one."


    Hearing her muttering, I say, "They''re not moving, you know?"


    "Ha?"


    "Time is frozen in that world, so for them, not even a millisecond has passed."


    "What''s with that? Actually, what''s with you?" Misa asks with a sneer.


    "Me? Nothing special. Just your friendly neighbor God."


    Misa seems like she wants to retort with something, but gets interrupted by the sound of a pellet being shot from the rifle.


    Looking over, I see one of the remaining hairs fall over.


    "It sure is weird, though," Misa says, "Hares don''t usually group up like this. Not to mention the fact that they aren''t running away even after being shot at."


    Right? The second part of what she said, I understand, as for the first... Does she mean that hares live in solitary or as a pair? I can''t think of any other meaning.


    It seems like there is something wrong with the hares as I suspected. Not that I ever doubted the fact that they''re abnormal, to begin with.


    After this, everyone takes a shot in firing at the hares, apart from Ayumi. Too dangerous. To make up for it, I pampered her for the rest of the day.


    As for the hares that we killed, I made sure to cook them well with Misa who demanded that I gift her Pyrokinesis, before letting the others near it, so that they wouldn''t get infected by any diseases.


    ---


    We''re finally back.


    The camping trip was fun, but I prefer spending my time at home and grooming the Devils. I am curious about how much progress they''ve made during the past 2 days.


    "Master!" Koneko hurriedlyes over as we''re getting off the car.


    I huge her petite body and y with her ears a little before asking her, "Is something wrong?"


    She responds to my actions by hugging me back and nuzzling her head against my chest and saying,


    "Missed you."

 Chapter 77: Kyoto ; Youkai

    Chapter 77: Kyoto ; Youkai


    [Papa, we''ve found it.]


    On the very same night of the day we returned, Mittelt''s voice resounds within my head.


    Such great timing. I still have a few days before the Rating Game, which should be more than enough time for me to deal with the matter at hand.


    However, there is something else that I need to take care of.


    Looking at Ayumi who''s holding onto my arm while sleeping, I consider all of my options.


    Her education is truly important. So, I need to transfer her to a school, preferably mine, and make sure that she doesn''t suffer during and after the process.


    That''s also the case for the others as well.


    Now that I''ve brought them over to live over here, I must take care of them properly.


    Nevertheless, I should take care of thatter, as I suppose doing it when I am nearing the deadline of my calling is not the brightest of ideas.


    Besides, it''ste into the night, so I can''t do much right now anyway.


    As for the time I''m away in Tokyo, I will have everyone in the residencee over to the Arena. The ce is luxurious enough for lounging, so there shouldn''t be any problems other than boredom.


    Hm... Irene, am I able to take objects into the Arena?


    {Affirmative.}


    That''s it then. I''ll just send some consoles and other devices over. They can''t possibly connect to the inte, but to deal with that, I can just have them download stuff.


    Sora will not be happy, though. She sure loves to browse on 2chan.


    Whatever,


    "Yo, Ddraig."


    [I want to annihte you.]


    "As I said, we can fight anytime you want."


    [Tell me, what do you want? You''ll only let me out if you need something, after all.]


    "Correct, you are. I need you to give me all the information you''ve got about Kyoto."


    [Kyoto? I''ve never heard of it.]


    "How useless are you exactly?"


    [How dare you call me, th-]


    "Shut up. You literally have no worth. I think I should just go ahead and forcefully ce you in a body."


    [Stop! Do you even know the worth of the Boosted Gear you have on you?]


    Crap. I was too focused on my Code and Plunder abilities that I had forgotten about the Boosted Gear.


    Huh? I''m sure that I would''ve thought about it once it got disyed on my status board...


    "Codification."


    The familiar status board appears in front of me once again. As expected, nothing has changed since thest time I used it.


    Checking the whole list from top to bottom, I don''t find Boosted Gear and Power of Destruction.


    Irene, can you exin to me why they''re not being listed?


    {I don''t have enough information to reply to Father''s inquiry.}


    Great. I should be able to use them anyways, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    "Boosted Gear," I mutter as my left arm gets covered in a glow before a red gauntlet appears.


    "Now, Ddraig, exin to me the importance of this thing."


    [I have a feeling that I shouldn''t.]


    "Exin or body transfer."


    [Okay, fine! The Booster Gear is a sacred treasure that allows the user to multiply their power twofold with every boost. The typical time between every boost is 10 seconds.]


    Hold on... So, in other words, this boosted gear will double my stats as long as I give it time? What is this? Will anything even be able to stop me if I continuously boost myself?


    [There is no limit to how much someone can be boosted consecutively, as long as their body is able to handle it.]


    Taking my stats into consideration, my body should be able to handle a fairly good amount of boosts, no?


    I do wonder if there will be a limit that Ddraig is unaware of. Because the capabilities of the Boosted Gear seem too good to be true.


    "Is there anything else that I need to know?"


    [Not yet.]


    The way he replied means that there is more but it''s not worth knowing yet... Well, I will find out all the possibilities whenever I am able to see it in my System status.


    ---


    Now that I''ve taken everyone apart from those who have school in the Arena, I should head over to Kyoto immediately.


    Walking out of the mansion, I check the general direction of Tokyo from where I am.


    Once I''ve got it, I circte my Holy Essence and make myselfpletely invisible through Rework.


    Feeling the rapid energy decrease, I realize that depending on the way I use low-consuming Effects, it could change the amount of energy being consumed.


    Apparently, Rework needs to be continuously be channeled Energy to if I am using it on myself, however, if it''s for others, that is not the case at all.


    This only serves to remind me that I don''t know a lot about my powers and abilities.


    Well then,


    "Boosted Gear!"


    As the red gauntlet appears on my left arm, Ddraig''s voice resounds within my head,


    [Boost!]


    Feeling my strength and senses burst, I immediately move towards Kyoto.


    ---


    In a rtively short time, I reach my designated location.


    The boost I get from the Boosted Gear, coupled with Godspeed is simply a cheat.


    There is also the fact that I got boosted two more times before I was able to reach Kyoto.


    Using my connection with my Angels, I am able to make my way there. As I''ve used much more energy than I should''ve, I will simply walk to there, and so I cancel my Rework, Godspeed, and Boosted Gear.


    Man, Kyoto sure is crowded.


    Looking around me, I can see quite a few tourist buses as well as the tourists themselves.


    Following my connection, I reach a long staircase that seems to lead somewhere quite a distance away.


    As I''m about to use irvoyance to check it out, I feel multiple suspicious presences around me.


    "Get out, I know you''re there," I exim.


    Getting no response, I irritatedly say,


    "You either get out here or I raze this whole city to the ground."


    Is this a bluff? Taking my powers and capabilities into consideration, it shouldn''t be.


    This time, they seem to be taking my threat more seriously as they step out of their hiding spots.


    Weird clothing as well as animal parts.


    If I recall correctly, they should be Youkai.


    "Care to exin the reason you act in such a way towards me?" I say with a friendly smile.


    One of them seems to want something but is hesitating, while the others are getting into a defensive position.


    Hm?


    Using my irvoyance, I find that as I suspected a group of Youkai is going at the fastest speed they''re capable of towards what is at the end of the stairs.


    Letting out a sigh, I shake my head and say in an exasperated tone,


    "I guess I will y with you guys a little before getting back to the important matters."


    I wonder if they''ve got anything interesting for me to plunder...

 Chapter 78: Kunou ; Yasaka ; Knowledge of the Tales

    Chapter 78: Kunou ; Yasaka ; Knowledge of the Tales


    Using Locate, I check them all out.


    What''s up with this? They''re all so weak. Should I even bother with them?


    Deciding that it''s not worth the effort, I activate my Vector Maniption and set up a reflective barrier around before climbing up the stairs.


    After a few seconds, the Youkais'' hesitation seems to break as they charge at me with everything they''ve got.


    They begin with throwing projectiles. The look on their face when they saw their projectile reflecting to them was simply marvelous.


    A few of them get hit while the rest dodged quite nimbly.


    For a few seconds, none of them attack me, but then one guy decides that it''s a good idea to rush at me from behind and attempt to punch my back.


    As expected, the force of the punch immediately gets redirected towards himself, amplified, making him fall and roll down the stairs.


    One of the Youkai moves over to my side and materializes some mes before directing them at me.


    Naturally, this doesn''t affect me at all, with the mes feeling like nothing more than a breeze.


    Just when it seemed like they all resolved themselves to rushing at me all at once, a figure appears in the distance, running down the stairs.


    A little girl with yellow hair and matching yellow eyes. Her attire consists of a traditional Miko outfit, which suits her rather well.


    Looking at her feet, I see that she''s wearing geta, yet here she is running down at such a fast speed.


    What interests me the most is that she has two ears popping out of her hair and several fluffy tails behind her.


    As soon as the girl is close enough she yells,


    "Don''t attack!"


    This seems to work as the Youkai around me all step back while maintaining a defensive posture.


    The little girl gets in front of me and bows politely before introducing herself,


    "My name is Kunou. I am the daughter of Yasaka, the Youkai leader."


    Amused, I cross my arms and smile before introducing myself,


    "Haruka Kasuganou."


    Kunou nods once before gesturing to me politely and saying,


    "Please follow me. We''ve been waiting for you."


    Hm? What does one do when a little girl asks them to follow her, iming that she expected their arrival?


    Obviously, follow her.


    However, before that, I ideate my vision linking with Raynare''s to check the situation at where they are.


    As I suspected, they''ve made contact with someone authoritative, based on how everyone around her is acting. I assume this is why Kunou imed to expect me.


    Walking to her side, I ask her,


    "Hey, Kunou, do you mind me speeding up the process a little,"


    She looks at me and sees me extending my arm towards her.


    After a little hesitation, she anxiously reaches out to grab my hand. Before she can react, I lift off the ground and position her on my back.


    Kunou seems to instinctivelytch her arms around my neck as I dash up the stairs at a third of my maximum speed.


    Checking the Youkai out behind us, I see them overreacting a lot as they follow me as fast as they can.


    Very soon, I reach the top and what meets my eyes is the sight of a huge shrine house.


    Sensing several presences inside it as well as my Angels, I begin to go towards it while disregarding the looks I''m given by the surrounding onlookers.


    Once I''m in front of the front door, I let Kunou down and use Telekinesis to open it.


    Slowly walking inside, I sense several pairs of eyes lock onto me before three girls who are standing in the middle of the wide space move toward me.


    Kneeling right in front of me, my Angels don''t utter a single word, but I can sense their respect and awe.


    Good. It seems like they''ve not given away my identity. As expected of my cute little Angels.


    "Rise," I voice before all three of them gracefully get back on their feet and make way for me so that I can walk past them.


    Once I''m past them, I find myself face to face with a woman that is quite simr to Kunou, except for the fact that her brows are small, and she''s... bigger.


    Knowing that this discussion will be important, I epass the two of us in a barrier that prevents all sound vectors from reaching outside while using Rework to make it seem like our mouths are closed the whole time.


    I take the initiative to introduce myself while stating my purpose,


    "My name is Haruka Kasuganou. I''vee here to retrieve something that has been found by my subordinates."


    The woman beams a smile before bowing slightly and introducing herself,


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Haruka (Haruka-san). My name is Yasaka, and I am the leader of the Youkai in the Kyoto region."


    She then stands in a more fixed posture before suggesting,


    "As for the purpose of your visit here; care to join me for a drink?"


    I can''t sense any hostilitying from her.


    This could be either because she''s good at keeping a calm demeanor, or she simply isn''t antagonistic.


    Dispersing Rework as well as the barrier I had formed, I follow Yasaka as she leads me to a traditional room with a round table on the ground.


    My Angels are all following me quietly and stand behind me respectfully once I take a seat at the table.


    Yasaka takes a seat as well before signaling something to a young-looking female Youkai.


    As for Kunou who also followed along, she takes a seat beside her mother and stares at me a little too keenly.


    Perhaps that little ride on my back was a little too enjoyable for her?


    "Well then, Mr. Haruka, could you please describe this object that you came here for?"


    Nodding my head as the female Youkai from earlier returns with some tea, I grab a cup and examine it a little before describing the same way Irene describer it to me.


    A short whileter, Yasaka frowns a little as she ces her cup on the table and says,


    "This object that you seek has been causing us a lot of problems for a while now."


    Oh?


    "Whenever someone gets near it, they suffer in various ways. Some lose their minds while others develop weird personalities and temporary abilities that they aren''t able to control."


    Now that''s some interesting information. As for the Knowledge of the Tales, I can say nothing more than the fact that I expected no less of something that is made by those "principal quintessences".


    I enjoy the tea a few more seconds before cing my cup down and seriously saying,


    "I''vee to take the object away. It should be of no use to anyone other myself."


    Yasaka remains silent for a few seconds with a smile still on her face before replying,


    "And why do you suppose we should let you get near it?"


    Hm?


    Ignoring my Angels who are preparing themselves for a sudden battle, I think of the reason she would say such a thing.


    Ah. They''re worried about my intentions. Chuckling, I say casually,


    "I understand what you''re getting from, but I''ve got no bad intentions with the object. Its purpose is to simply help me out. Besides,"


    Wiping the smile off of my face, I raise my arm and form several legendary swords that I keep floating in the air using Telekinesis before retorting,


    "Do you think I require your approval to take what I seek?"


    In response to the sight of my raised arm with various fabled weapons in the air, Yasaka''s eyes widen as she begins to think of something.


    Having gotten the message across, I make the swords disintegrate before smiling in a friendly manner before saying,


    "As I said earlier, you don''t need to worry about my intentions. In fact, you could even take this as a blessing in disguise. I''m a little fond of Youkai, so I can assist when you need me to in return for guiding me to the object.


    "There is also the fact that the object will go away and not cause you any more troubles to do deal with."


    Dealing with this without causing any fights is the best way. First, my condition of providing them assistance is nothing more than an excuse I could use to spy on them in the future.


    Second, if I handle this properly, I can establish a base of operations in Kyoto and link it with the mansion back in Tokyo.


    Third, which is the most important reason, if I am able to form some sort of rtionship with the Youkai, I can have them provide ayer of protection for my home.


    Naturally, that''s not for me but the others who are living with me.


    Until the day I get better protection, this is the best choice for me right now. So, I''m putting all of my hopes on the fact that the Youkai should be able to fight the other supernatural beings.


    I can''t be sure of anything as they''re all weak.


    "Very well. We''ve decided that we will lead you to the object."


    A wide grin covers my face as I follow Yasaka who begins leading the way there.


    Soon, we reach somewhere rather fascinating.


    The ce looks and feels... unusual. The ground seems to be made of violet crystals, while the air itself feels a little suffocating.


    Gesturing to my Angels to stay where they are, I approach the small pir in the middle of the ce.


    I observe the intricate design of the pir before shifting my focus onto the floating orb on top of it.


    Feeling myself being drawn towards it, I take a nce behind myself once to make sure that everyone is away from me before reaching my arm out to the orb.


    {LOG: Absorption process initiating...}


    As AI''s voice resounds within my head, I feel some kind of foreign energy entering my body. Checking it out, I can tell that it won''t be harmful towards me, so I let it do whatever it wants to.


    Soon, a feeling of drowsiness takes over me as I feel my body weakening. Suddenly, my brain seems to receive an impact of sorts before unknown memories begin appearing inside of it.

 Chapter 79: Memories ; Reward ; New Morning

    Chapter 79: Memories ; Reward ; New Morning


    As darkness epasses me my surroundings, I feel the ground and air disappear.


    My senses are dulled as various memories appear within my mind. They don''t seem to be very clear as I barely make out some parts of it.


    First is a sh with some white dragon. Ah... Albion. Then, my vision blips as I receive some memories on a war.


    The Great War...


    For some reason, this time the memories are much clearer than before. So clear that I feel like I was the one who experienced it myself.


    My head hurts as the memories regarding The Great War go away as more memories appear...


    Scale Mail... Bnce Breaker....


    Are these the memories of the previous hosts of Ddraig?


    Checking out the ways they utilized the Boosted Gear, I realize that I''ve been making light of it, thinking of it as nothing more of a boost for my own parameters.


    What''s interesting is that in the memories, most of the time the one their fighting adapts to a white dragon-like form, which is most likely Albion''s Bnce Breaker or something.


    Divine Dividing? That''s what all the hosts calls their opponent''s Sacred Gear.


    Sacred Gear... Longinus...


    Huh? Who''s this?


    Ophis?


    ------


    Feeling my brain calm down as all the information is being refined, AI''s voice resounds within my head once more,


    {Callingplete. Reward: Ittou Shura.}


    Huh? Since when was there a reward?


    {There is always a reward.}


    That''s news to me. So, how are rewards "ranked"?


    {It''s random.}


    Seriously? This is broken as hell, besides, what is Ittou Shura? I should check it out on my status...


    {Established contact with Heaven.}


    Heaven?


    Now that''s rather interesting. Am I able to go over there?


    {Affirmative.}


    I''ll do that once I''ve cleared my schedule up. For now, I should focus on all the new information that I got.


    Or, so I''d like to do, but I don''t think my Angels and the Youkai are going to stand still while I''m thinking.


    Checking my surroundings out, I see that the crystals which were previously violet now have lost their color and are beginning to crack.


    The orb on the small pir has also disappeared.


    Turning around to face the bunch who are staring at me intently, I beam them a smile as I say in gleeful tone,


    "It''s over. The orb is now gone and so should its effects."


    My Angelse over to stand by my side as the Youkai seem to rx a little.


    Yasakaes over and bows a little before saying,


    "Thank you for dealing with a trouble that has been guing us for so long."


    My eyes which were focused on a certain something move to her face as I lightly wave my hand in front myself before replying,


    "No, no. I should be thanking you guys. After all, this has made it so much easier to protect my family."


    One way to make others let their guard down against you is to make it seem like you''re a good individual.


    Of course, there is no point if you rush it, so just do it slowly.


    As expected, Yasaka seems to hold me in a higher regard than before based on the fact that her eyes don''t seem to be holding trepidation anymore.


    "How we head back and have a little talk?" I suggest to the buxom Youkai leader.


    ---


    Now then, Irene.


    {Yes, Father?}


    Didn''t you say something about the Knowledge of the Tales will give me information on other tforms?


    {Indeed.}


    Then can you exin to me why this one gave me information from the memories of those who live here?


    {I don''t have enough information to give a proper reply.}


    Well, any hypothesis?


    {It could be because found it in the Rift. That tends to be the case with anything found in the Rift.}


    So, in other words, whatever I find in the Rift is going to be different in one way or another from what you''d usually expect from something?


    {Affirmative.}


    Putting that aside,


    "Hey Ddraig."


    [What do you want this time? You have been calling me out more frequently as ofte.]


    "What if I told you I have your memories now?"


    [...]


    "I''m not joking. Not only do I have your memories, but of your hosts as well."


    [How?]


    "Would you believe if I tell you that a random rock gave me the memories?"


    [The philosopher''s stone?]


    "Heck no. Just some random glowing rock."


    [As if I would believe that!]


    Well, of course you wouldn''t.


    I''m rather tempted to give Ddraig a body just so that I can tease him all day. Sounds fun for some reason.


    [Stop thinking of whatever you''re thinking right now.]


    "Are you able to read my mind or something now?"


    [I wish I could. Perhaps, I would able to find out how messed up your brain is.]


    "Thanks."


    [That''s not apliment.]


    Forget that, now I need to focus on the uing Rating Game as well as the new ability that I got.


    I''m d that I cane over to Kyoto whenever I want to.


    Yasaka offered us a traditional Japanese shrine-house here, which I immediately got Yuno to connect its interior with our mansion.


    I wonder if Kunou will visit our mansion with her mother sometime...


    Hm... I should invite them over sometime in the future.


    ---


    "Hey, how have you been doing?" I say as I ruffle Koneko''s hair and ears shortly after I step out from my room in the morning.


    "Good," she replies softly while embracing me.


    Stroking her back, I lower my head and whisper into her ears,


    "I want you to be mine."


    Koneko flinches a little upon hearing my words as she doesn''t know how to respond. I chuckle before raising her head by my hand and looking into her eyes.


    "Don''t worry about what I just said, I just wanted to know what you think of me."


    Not giving her a chance to react, I abruptly give her quick peck on her lips before letting go of her.


    "What are you doing?" I hear a voice behind me.


    Turning around I set my eyes upon Misa who has dubious look on her face.


    I wrap my arm around Koneko''s shoulder as I reply,


    "Nothing much. Just saying good morning to our cute Nekomata over here."


    Misa doesn''t say anything else and just heads over to the kitchen.


    Koneko and I both go over and upon entering the kitchen I ask Misa,


    "Why are you awake this early? It''s not like you have to go to school, yet."


    Misa turns around and rolls her eyes before replying,


    "I was hungry. Besides, your little sister knows how to make some good breakfast, so I''d rather taste her cooking the first thing in the morning."


    Well, she''s got a point. Sora has been improving her cooking skills a lot. She''s a smart girl. As a good brother, I should reward her efforts...


    Soon, both Sora and Asiae over to the kitchen.


    Asia takes a seat at the table, while Sora walks over to the kitchenware to begin preparing our breakfast.


    I have to make a trip to the principal''s office once again today. However, before that, I need to form identities for all of those that came over from Project Charlotte.


    It might be a little troublesome, but it''s necessary.


    Oh, right. I wonder what the Ittou Shura I had received was,


    "Codification."

 Chapter 80: Changes ; Transfer ; Last day of Training

    Chapter 80: Changes ; Transfer ; Last day of Training


    Checking my status, I can see some changes as well as the new ability that I received yesterday:


    --


    Str: 59>>60


    Agi: 64>>65


    Dex: 67>>68


    Int: 58>>59


    Def: 57>>58


    Vit: 61>>62


    All of my parameters have increased by a single digit. It might not seem like much, but that''s not the case at all.


    Especially when it''s coupled with abilities and gears that multiply it.


    Speaking of such an ability, I check out my new ability,


    -Ittou Shura I [VIII]


    {Allows the user to break past their physical limits. Increases strength and agility tenfold for 1 minute. 24h cool-down.}


    Checking out the description of the power, I can tell that it''s another ridiculous ability. Not to mention the fact that it''s currently in its earliest form and hasn''t been tiered up yet.


    This could be extremely versatile in battle. I should try it out and see if the boost from Ittou Shura can be stacked with the Boosted Gear.


    "Arena"


    Appearing in the beautiful city, I materialize the Boosted Gear and wait for the boost.


    [Boost!]


    Hearing Ddraig''s voice and feeling the increase in power, I immediately activate Ittou Shura.


    As expected, I feel a tremendous increase in my strength and agility.


    Aiming in front of me, I prepare myself before suddenly dashing forward.


    My vision blips once before I find myself dozens of kilometers away from where I was, cancelling my vectors toe to a halt.


    After a short while, a loud sound resounds that resembles that of an explosion. I use irvoyance to check out where it came from and what met my sight was simply dumbfounding.


    Buildings and skyscrapers are all copsing while a shock-wave is spreading at an astounding rate.


    Focusing on where I was before I dashed, I see that everything around the area has turned to dust while the ground has be filled with craters.


    [Boost]


    Ddraig''s voice resounds within my mind once again, however, I feel no increase in power at all.


    This reminds me of my journey from Tokyo to Kyoto. On the way, it felt like the third boost increased my agility way less than it''s supposed to.


    It''s most likely as I suspected. There is a limit that either Ddraig doesn''t know of or something else entirely.


    Well, I should be d about that as I wouldn''t want to identally destroy the I am living on.


    I wait for a while for all the boosts and effects to go away before returning to the Rift.


    ------


    "You guys go on ahead while I go deal with the matters rted to Nao, Misa and Ayumi."


    The three girls nod toward me before heading to school. Now then, time to make use of my Indoctrination once again...


    --


    Finally, I''ve gotten that out of the way.


    It was a pain going around and finding all of Ayumi''s future teachers to brainwash them so that they always take Ayumi''s side if trouble arises and call me right away.


    As for Nao and Misa, I got them to transfer to our ss, as we already have two empty seats now that a left school because they lost their eyesight while another broke down mentally.


    Finally, heading to ss, I brainwash the homeroom teacher to not bother with me beingte.


    --


    Opening the door to the clubroom, I enter alongside Koneko and take a seat on the sofa as Koneko sits on myp as if it''s the most natural thing to do.


    I begin exining my ns while ying with Koneko''s ears,


    "Tomorrow, you guys will avoid using any abilities and use your physical prowess alone to beat your opponents."


    Seeing them all nod in confirmation, I smile as I say,


    "You guys seem to have improved a lot for you to sincerely ept such an order without any questions."


    Akeno chuckles before saying,


    "Well, of course we wouldn''t. Not only is the one ordering us strong enough to effortlessly kill us all, we''ve been trained by said person''s subordinates as well as the person himself for almost a week."


    Looks like Akeno has gotten used to me morepared to Kiba and Rias. Well, I should reward them all if they get me satisfactory results during tomorrow''s Rating Game,


    "I''ve decided that I will reward you guys if you do well tomorrow. So, you can make wish that you think I will be able to grant. Naturally, the wish must not go against my principles."


    Oh, right. Speaking of rewards, I should bless my Angels for finding me the Knowledge of the Talester when I have the time to.


    "Come on," I say to those present in the clubroom, "we''ve got some training to do."


    "Arena"


    ---


    Koneko and Akeno both wished to train with me rather than my Angels which I of course epted without hesitation.


    Thus, here I am crouching on the ground beside two exhausted girls.


    As expected, the single digit increase in my parameters made it a little harder for me to hold back like I usually do, so both Koneko and Akeno both got spent fairly fast.


    Of course, I wouldn''t let my training session just end here, so I approach Akeno.


    The busty girl seems to have an expectant look in her eyes as she watches me as I get closer to her.


    Sliding my hand underneath her back, I lift her before locking my lips with hers.


    Akeno responds to the kiss by wrapping her arms around my nape before attempting to invade my mouth with her tongue.


    Amused by her actions, I move my hand to her breast and squeeze it. This makes Akeno open her mouth, which I immediately take as a chance to insert my tongue into her mouth.


    After a few seconds, I begin to channel my Energy to her through my tongue, something she really seems to enjoy as she presses herself onto me.


    Using Telekinesis, I shift away her bra from her breasts a little before using my hand to y with her now-erect nipple.


    Feeling a gaze from the side, I open one eye to see Koneko staring at us with a deadpan expression on her face.


    I break my kiss with Akeno and pull her into an embrace before looking toward Koneko and exining,


    "I''m capable of transferring energy through my mouth which allows me to train others further."


    Koneko furrows her brows, most likely disbelieving my im.


    "Would you like to have a try?" I suggest with a bright smile.


    Koneko further furrows her brows before saying in a solemn tone,


    "No touching."


    I shift my body a little so that Akeno''s body is on my right thigh leaving one side open, before motioning to Koneko toe over while saying,


    "Of course."


    After a few seconds of hesitation, Koneko seems to resolve herself as shees over and sits on my left thigh.


    This is sure a blissful experience. In my right arm is a busty girl while in my left arm is petite and cute lovely Nekomata.


    Not giving Koneko a chance to think of anything, I press my lips onto her hers.


    Koneko''s body stiffens up as a long tail protrudes from her skirt and stands upright.


    A few secondster, I move back and press her head onto my chest before whispering into her ear,


    "Just rx and let me take care of you, okay?"


    Towards the end of my sentence, I began nibbling on the tip of her ear softly, which gave rise to a pleasant response from Koneko.


    The petite Nekomata within my arm, who has most likely never experienced something like this, embraces me before moving her head so that she''s facing me.


    Knowing that I will make her feel uneasy if I leave her hanging, I begin to kiss her lips once again, this time a little heartily.


    After a few minutes, Koneko opens her mouth wide enough for me to slip my tongue in.


    As I y around with her small tongue, which feels very different inparison to anyone else''s that I''ve kissed before, I start channeling my Energy into her.


    This goes on for a few more minutes before I finally break the kiss and check Koneko''s face out.


    Her face is flushed in red as her breathing is desynchronized and heavy.


    "You didn''t touch me..." she softly murmurs.


    Seeing her looking a little disheartened, I move in to kiss her for a few more seconds before asking her teasingly,


    "Did you want me to do so?"


    Seeing her panic a little Iugh before stating,


    "We should get back to training now. I''m sure we have a lot of time to spend together in the future."


    Koneko nods before getting up, as for Akeno, well...


    She''s gawking at me with a bbergasted expression on her face.

 Chapter 81: Rating Game: Disparity in Strength

    Chapter 81: Rating Game: Disparity in Strength


    ------


    WARNING: Gore/violence/cruelty (Once again, I don''t think it''s much.)


    -------


    I''m currently in the clubroom one hour before the set time of the Rating Game, listening in to Sona encouraging Rias in her uing Rating Game.


    "This is going to be your first Rating Game, so it''s better if you don''t rush anything," Sona says before looking my way and voicing,


    "Although I doubt you will have much trouble with him around."


    Rias nces at me before turning her attention back to Sona and stating,


    "We won''t be using any of our powers during this Rating Game."


    Sona''s eyes immediately widen as she exims,


    "Are you insane?! You are fighting against Riser Phenex, who not only has aplete peerage but is also experienced in Rating Games!"


    Rias doesn''t say anything in return and just looks my way.


    Sensing something, Sona catches onto what''s going as she looks at me and asks,


    "What are you nning?"


    Chuckling lightly, I reply in a mocking tone,


    "I will just be breaking and chagrining a young bird the worst way possible."


    In response to my words, Sona shakes her head and says exasperatedly,


    "After having seen what you''re capable of, that doesn''t sound funny at all."


    Because it''s not.


    I''ve been thinking of the best way to do it sincest night.


    First, I''ll have Rias and her peerage deal with Riser''s peerage without the use of their demonic powers. Of course, I won''t just send them in without any pieces of equipment, so I created three pairs of gauntlets and modified them a little with the help of Yuno.


    Simply, the gauntlets are made of a material that prevents any sort of energy from passing through from the user to the other end and vice versa, however, I had Yuno ce her Sigi on them so that I''m able to channel a small amount of my Holy Essence into it.


    These are for Koneko, Akeno, and Rias. As for Kiba, since he''s good with the sword, I had created a sword for him with the same mechanism as the gauntlets with the anti-energy being in the hilt.


    Naturally, the amount of Holy Essence I channel into the equipment won''t be on the level of a cheat, but will still be effective nevertheless.


    Second, I will have Rias n what to do. There are several reasons for this. One of them being the fact that this is a chance to improve her leadership skills. As for the most important reason, it''s that I don''t want to bother with it.


    After all, I''m only in this for Riser''s immortality and practicing the usage of my Pdin''s Aura.


    Suddenly, a magic circle appears at one end of the room as a female figure appears from within it.


    Observing her, I take note of a few things. She has back-length silver hair coupled with red eyes. Her appearance is that of a woman in her early twenties.


    The most notable thing is that she''s wearing a blue and white French maid outfit while wearing a white maid headband on her head.


    "Who''s she?" I ask Koneko who''s sitting on myp.


    "Sirzechs Lucifer''s Queen, Grafiya Lucifuge."


    "By ''Queen'', you mean the Evil piece?"


    "Um. She''s known as The Strongest Queen."


    Now that''s an interesting title to have. From the looks of it, she seems to be a rather serious woman. Not to mention that she''s quite good-looking and... stacked.


    "Say... does Sirzechs happen to be gay?"


    "Huh?"


    "Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask."


    Grafiya looks my way, herplexion turning strange when she sees Koneko on myp. That doesn''tst long as she puts on a neutral expression before asking,


    "Are you all prepared?"


    After receiving the confirmation from everyone who''s participating, she states,


    "I''ve been appointed the judge of this game."


    Everyone in the room apart from me and Koneko nods their head in confirmation to her words. Is this the hierarchy of the Devils?


    Sona takes this chance to say,


    "As I will be the broadcaster for this game, I should head over to the student council room."


    After bidding Rias farewell, Sona leaves the clubroom alongside Tsubaki who hade with her.


    A few momentster, a red magic circle appears on the ground near Grafiya.


    "It''s about time," Grafiya says.


    In response to this, Rias takes in a deep breath before getting up from her seat and saying,


    "Let''s do this!"


    Someone is hyped for this game. Well, it doesn''t matter if she''s hyped or not. What I care about is if their results are satisfactory or not.


    They should be much stronger than before due to the training imposed on them.


    Getting up, I grab Koneko''s hand and walk with her onto the magic circle alongside the rest of Rias''s peerage.


    We stand on it for a few seconds, before the magic circle disappears alongside Grafiya and the presences I felt a moment ago.


    Could it be...


    Using irvoyance, I do a quick check of the battlefield, and as it turns out, we are in our school.


    It seems like the battle will ur here.


    Now, I should find where Riser Phenex and his peerage are at. Hm? They''re in the principal''s office that I have paid a visit to twice by now.


    The only man in the room, Riser, is sitting on the principal''s seat with two girls in his arms, and behind him are multiple girls.


    They collectively make a total of 16, which is exactly four times the amount of personnel on our side if I''m left out of the equation.


    Soon, Grafiya''s voice resounds seemingly everywhere as she begins to introduce herself then exining the reason for the Kuoh Academy to be chosen as the battlefield.


    She then announces the location of our bases before finally going silent.


    Turning my head, I look at Rias who''s deliberating on something before asking me,


    "Can we set traps?"


    Traps? If Riser''s peerage is dumb enough to fall into traps, they''re more than wee to make use of it.


    Seeing me nod my head, Rias unrolls a map of the school out of nowhere on the table in the clubroom and begins to exin her n.


    The n is a rather simple one. Akeno and Koneko set some traps up while Kiba fends off the enemy''s personnel with my aid.


    As the game ends with Rias''s defeat, she''s going to be staying in the clubroom and send instructions from there using a little magical object we all attached to our ears.


    And so, before we head out, I apply my Pdin''s Aura to everyone which not only heightened their spirits, but they imed that their power increased a lot.


    ---


    "What''s with this guy!?"


    "Forget about him, this guy over here is simply untouchable!"


    Listening to the anxiety within the voices of the two identical petite girls, I shake my head in disappointment.


    Kiba is currently just defending and not attacking because I ordered him to do so.


    Why? I wanted to gauge the strength of our opponents, but the result was rather displeasing.


    Letting out a sigh, I ry a new order to Kiba,


    "Finish them."


    In a mere five seconds, Kiba shes the two girls, which results in them turning into motes of light before vanishing.


    Soon, Sona''s voice resounds stating the termination of the two girls, which turned out to be Riser''s Pawns, from the game.


    "Good job," I praise Kiba before checking the state of the battlefield using my irvoyance.


    Quite a distance away, I see two girls wielding swords moving forward while behind them a girl wearing a kimono follows suit.


    From the looks of it, the girl is a magic caster, in other words, a Bishop while the two sword wielders are Knights like Kiba.


    Sharing the information I got with Kiba, I order him to deal with them while making sure to not let his guard down.


    Once again using irvoyance, I check the locations of our foes. The ones who are closest to our side apart from the group Kiba is heading to face, are another group that is going to where one of our traps is set at.


    "Rias, a group of three are heading over to the gymnasium. Two identical girls with beast-like ears and a dark-skinned girl who''s dressed like a slut."


    As the over-watcher and information broker, I perform my job by rying information over which Rias is supposed to make use of and make proper decisions ording to it.


    Through my birds-eye view of the battlefield, I see Akeno moving over to the gymnasium.


    "All ording to n..." I mutter to myself upon seeing how easily they deal with Riser''s peerage.


    I was expecting them to beat Riser''s peerage, but not this easily. That guy seemed so arrogant based on Koneko''s description of him. Also, the way he handled himself in the principal''s room made me think he has be like so because of how strong his peerage is.


    Apparently, I had my expectation bar set too high for a noble chicken.


    Forget it, perhaps focusing on the battlefield will bring me somefort by a strong opponent appearing or something.


    I do manage to find something interesting.


    A purple-haired woman with voluptuous breasts is heading over to where Akeno is fighting with thest remaining girl, which happens to be the one dressed like a slut.


    Passing on the information, I call over Koneko to where I am as I begin to move towards where the enemy''s "base" is at.


    As I am on my way, I detect another group of four girls nearby moving toward our base.


    Confident in Koneko''s skill, I send her over to deal with them as I continue to make my way to where Riser is at.


    That doesn''t go as nned with me running into two girls.


    A blonde-haired girl as well as an orange-haired girl who''s covering half of her face with a white mask.


    The blond-haired girl examined me from head to toe before saying,


    "You guys sure are lucky. I don''t know how you''re doing it, but you have been rather annoying to deal with."


    Seeing her speaking her mind in such a haughty tone as well as the lovely dress she''s wearing, I can tell that she''s different from the rest.


    "Who are you?"


    The other girl begins to walk closer while saying,


    "She''s Ravel Phenex, sister of Riser Phenex. Her participation in this game is as that of a Bishop, but she won''t be fighting, just spectating."


    The heck? Not fighting and just spectating? As if I''d take that excuse.


    Checking everyone''s condition using irvoyance, I see Rias ising over while the rest are nearly done with their opponents.


    Kiba has some minor injuries, while Akeno is carefully dodging the explosive magic of the voluptuous woman while looking for an opportunity to attack her.


    As for Koneko, she''s giving her opponents thest few punches.


    Focusing back on the two girls in front of me, I walk toward the girl that''s approaching me.


    She suddenly dashes at me and throws a punch at my face.


    Naturally, before she cannd the hit, I punch her in the guts with my maximum force. This results in her flying away into the distance before turning into motes of light as Sona announces her termination.


    Ravel, the girl who''s supposedly Riser''s sister, watches me wide-eyed as I make my way over to her.


    Once I am close enough, I move my head close to her ear and whisper,


    "You''re supposed to spectate, right? I''ve heard that you guys are immortal... However, I don''t think that''s the case at all. Witness as I kill your brother."


    The moment I''m done, I heed her no attention as I make my way to the building Riser is in.


    Suddenly, Riser flies out of the building andnds in front of me. On his face is an expression of rage and disbelief.


    "Ready to die?" I mock him.


    He doesn''t seem to be in his right mind as I don''t get a response but instead an explosive kind of magic thrown at me.


    I don''t move away from it at all and allow the magic to "hit me" and explode.


    Using Vector Maniption, I cancel out any forces thate near me, while getting epassed by the explosion.


    Ravel is cheering on Riser, while the person himself has a more natural look on his face as he seems to regain a little of his earlier arrogance.


    That doesn''tst long, however, as I wave my hand in front of me fast enough to break the sound barrier and send clear up my surroundings.


    Seeing me emerge from his explosion unharmed, Riser''s expression takes a turn for the worst as he rushes at me with everything he''s got.


    Naturally, he''s unable to deal me any damage as I cancel everything out.


    Soon, he stops and stands still while gazing at me with a horrified expression before asking,


    "What are you?"


    Shrugging, I respond,


    "Your nightmare fuel."


    Using Indoctrination I order him,


    "Don''t forfeit no matter what."


    Right after I say so, I appear in front of Riser, puncture his chest with both of my hands, grab several of his ribs and pull them out.


    Before he''s able to react, I knee him in the crotch with just enough force to shatter his waist-bones and send him flying into the building''s wall.


    Riser screams in agony as he falls onto the ground.


    "Looks like he can still feel pain, huh..." I say in a voice loud enough for Ravel who''s behind me to hear properly.


    I use Telekinesis to move Riser towards myself before mming him into the ground in front of me.


    Walking over, I see mes appear on his wounded areas before going away and revealing an unharmed Riser.


    Looking at where Ravel is, I smile before raising my leg and mming into Riser''s guts with enough force to form several cracks on the ground.


    I watch Riser desperately attempting to push my leg away, however, unable to do so because of the disparity in our strengths.


    Soon, the Rias and the co. appear at the scene and watch on as I continue to torment the once-proud noble.


    Waiting for him to heal up from his injuries, I use Plunder on him.


    "Guess, I''ll have to finish you off now," I dere before using Creation to produce Caliburn.


    Holding the sword in my hand, I swing it down at Riser''s neck, however, before it can hit him, Ravel runs over while screaming,


    "Please stop!"


    Caliburnes to a halt several centimeters away from Riser''s neck.


    "Weren''t you going to just spectate?" I ask her.


    "I know I said that, but please stop. Don''t kill him," she desperately asks of me.


    "Give me one reason that I should spare him," I say while sneering.


    Ravel doesn''t know what to say for several seconds, so I prepare to swing the sword down once again.


    Upon seeing this, Ravel panics before screaming,


    "No! I will offer myself in his ce! Just let him go!"


    Finally, she said it. Took her a while.


    "Is that so?" I say while gazing into her eyes.


    Pulling out a weirdly shaped paper, she says,


    "I''m willing to offer myself to you as long as you let Riser live."


    Signing the contract with her, I grab Riser, who watched everything with shock, by his cor and raise him from the ground.


    Applying Indoctrination, I move my mouth close to his ear and whisper,


    "You are a gay man that loves to be pushed down by other men and will stop at nothing to do so. The effect will go away by thirty days and after that, whenever you touch a woman, you will remember a random moment of being prated by a man."


    Letting drop onto the ground, I say,


    "Announce your forfeiture."


    The moment he does what I told him to Grafiya''s voice resounds, announcing the result of the battle while everyone apart from the Phenex siblings is gawking at me.


    Today''s harvest was good.


    Looking toward the doll-like girl that''s going to be mine ording to the contract we signed, I begin to think of all the information I can extract from her and her uses.

 Chapter 82: Tsun Bird ; Yuno Gasai (*NSFW*)

    Chapter 82: Tsun Bird ; Yuno Gasai (*NSFW*)


    -----


    You know the drill.


    -----


    "I will be waiting for you," I say to Ravel, before stepping into a magic circle that''s supposed to return us to the clubroom.


    As expected, we find ourselves in the clubroom where we left in.


    What''s unexpected is that Grafiya is still here. Upon setting her sight on me, she doesn''t look away and continues to stare at me.


    Feeling ufortable, I use Imperfect Invisibility to vanish from her sight and sit on the sofa.


    Grafiya seems like she''s trying her hardest to detect where I am, yet her efforts seem to be futile as I ampletely imperceptible to her.


    Shortly, Sona arrives in the room to congratte Rias and the rest for their sess.


    "I still find it hard to believe that you fought without using your demonic powers," she says before looking my way.


    In response to this, I grin before dering,


    "This isn''t much. I''m sure that there will be much more interesting happenings in the future."


    Looking at Grafiya, I see her frowning while looking my way.


    Sona nods her head and says, "With you around, that''s possible."


    A couple of minutester, another magic circle appears in the room and from within it appears Ravel


    "You finally came," I say to her.


    Ravel nervously looks around the room before replying,


    "I prepared my clothes and other necessities."


    Chuckling, I say to her with a wide smile,


    "You didn''t need to do that,"


    Raising my arm, I snap my fingers while using Creation to produce various noble attires in the air before continuing,


    "As I can create anything that is needed for those under me."


    My actions seem to have the intended effect as both Ravel and Grafiya look at me with pure shock.


    The reasons for doing this are simple. For Grafiya, she''ll think of this as an abnormal ability or a Sacred Gear of sorts. There can be many ways for it to be interpreted: Spatial Storage, Creation Magic, or even Illusionary Magic.


    It doesn''t matter which one it is, they''re all worth reporting to the "higher" Devils, which will most likely attract their attention to me.


    As for Ravel, her case is rather different from Grafiya''s.


    My usage of Creation in front of her was to give a general idea of what I could be, while at the same time nting a seed of curiosity within her. This will help her ovee any other negative feelings she may have about trading her freedom for her brother''s life.


    Being the righteous guy I am, letting a girl fall into the pit of depression goes against my principles.


    "Well then," I say while getting up from the sofa and canceling Imperfect Invisibility, "It''s about time I went home."


    Gesturing to Koneko and Ravel to follow me, I leave the clubroom after bidding those present farewell.


    Using irvoyance, I find Sora and Asia both waiting for me.


    Going over to where they are, I greet the two by embracing them both.


    Sora seems like she wanted to say something, but as if just noticing Ravel''s presence, she asks,


    "Who''s this?"


    I sense Ravel staring at me intensely, most likely wondering about how I will be introducing her.


    Moving my hand, I pat her head gently before grinning and stating,


    "She''s going to be living with us from now on. Her name is Ravel Phenex, sister of the guy I fought with today."


    For some reason, upon my mentioning of the fight, Asia''s expression changes for a split-second before going back to normal.


    Naturally, a split-second is more than enough for me to notice something, which makes me curious about the reason it happened. Do topics that concern fighting bother her or is it something else entirely?


    I''ll have to ask her about itter once we''re home.


    We should get going then. On the way to where I parked the car, I suggest to Sora if she wants to drive it, which she dly epts.


    I sit in the back of the car with Ravel and Asia while Koneko is in the front passenger seat beside Sora who''s going to be driving.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    Having granted Sora the skill, I tell her to begin driving.


    While we''re on the way home, Ravel who has been silent the whole time suddenly says,


    "You did it on purpose, didn''t you?"


    Huh? What is she talking about?


    "You waited for me to offer myself for my brother''s life, didn''t you?" she continues.


    Oh? Could it be that she''s a smart one? If so, then I''ve benefited greatly from this battle that was practically a child''s game. I form a small barrier to prevent the other girls from hearing our conversation.


    "Correct," I answer her bluntly.


    Ravel thinks of something for a few moments before asking me,


    "Why?"


    Taking this chance that is presented to me, I hold her hand before turning my head and look her in the eyes before replying with a smile,


    "Why do you think?"


    The next moment, Ravel''s face gets covered in a red hue as she awkwardly turns her head away.


    How cute. She''s smart, however, that doesn''t seem to be the case when ites to affection. Well, that''s to be expected from a teenage girl who has no experience in romance. I''m sure that she believes the reason I did it is that I fell for her at first sight or something.


    In order to make her continue to believe that, I move my hand and stroke caress her soft cheek, which makes the blush on her face deepen even further.


    "Now then," I say to her, "You belong to me and only me from now on, so you don''t need this any longer."


    Using Transmutation, I turn a part of her upper body into light so that I can take out the Evil Piece.


    Bishop.


    So, she''s good at magic, huh?


    Ravel is currently looking at the Evil Piece in my hand, dumbfounded.


    "Ravel," I call out her name affectionately, "I''m looking forward to your presence in my home."


    In response to my words, she quickly turns her head away once again before saying,


    "You tricked me into living with you. Who would be happy about that."


    So she says, but I can see a small smile on her face.


    ---


    "Please do take care of her from now on," I say on the dining table after having introduced Ravel to everyone and how I got her.


    "Can''t say I''m surprised," Misa states.


    "Well, it''s this guy after all," Nao affirms.


    Yuno smiles brightly before saying, "We all have much more enjoyable lives now, don''t we? It feels like a big family."


    Everyone sitting at the table knows about my past life with Yuno. It took me a while, but I finally decided that it''s necessary to tell them about it. Naturally, I exined it in a way that it wouldn''t traumatize my little Ayu.


    So, upon hearing Yuno mention "family" the atmosphere turned a little depressing as silence ensued.


    Leaving that aside, Yuno has changed a lotpared to the past. I''m sure she''s feeling conflicted deep down inside but is trying her best to keep it from showing on her face.


    Perhaps, I should pamper her more...


    "Anyways, tomorrow is going to be your first day at school," I say while looking at Nao, Misa, and Ayumi.


    "I will be apanying Ayumi to her ss and make sure that there isn''t any trouble beforeing back to our ss. Any questions?"


    Immediately after I say so, Nao asks,


    "What about our school uniform and utensils."


    "I will create temporary ones for now. Later, let''s all go shopping for things that take your fancy, okay?"


    The three of them nod their heads in response.


    "So, we are going to be alone during the day?" Krul voices.


    Well, yeah... Krul, Tiamat, Yuno, and all three of my Angels, if I don''t give them orders, are going to be spending their days in the mansion.


    I''m sure that they will be bored, so I need to find something to keep them entertained.


    - - - (NSFW) - - -


    "Why are we here?" Yuno inquires.


    The reason she asked me that is that we are both alone in the shrine-house that was offered by Yasaka.


    Turning my body to face her, I move closer before pulling her into my embrace.


    "Victor?" she anxiously voices.


    Breaking the hug, I say to her,


    "Don''t worry. It''s just that I''ve realized I haven''t been giving you the care and affection that you deserve."


    Looking at her, I see tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.


    Lifting my hand to gently press her lips with my thumb, I pull her in for a kiss.


    Yuno immediately seems to melt into my arms as she waits for me to make further advances on her.


    Moving my arm, I grope her butt, which makes her let out a yelp.


    Taking this chance, I insert my tongue into her mouth as I fondle her butt with my rand hand while ying with her breasts with the other.


    Shortly, we both get undressed as I create a bed for us.


    Pushing her down onto the bed, I spread her legs and look at her slit.


    "Don''t stare too much," Yuno says, embarrassed.


    Smiling, I move my head closer and spread her lower lips with my fingers before inserting my tongue in.


    Yuno immediately stiffens up as she pushes the bedsheets using her legs.


    While I''m at it, I y with her clit as well by gently rubbing it, which makes her moan rather hard.


    "Victor," she says while panting, "I want to do it too."


    Understanding what she wants, I position myselffortable on the bed as she moves in front of me and begins to stroke my now-erect rod.


    Yuno then kisses the tip before licking the sides.


    After a short while, she takes it into her mouth and begins to move her head quickly. This goes on for a dozen or so minutes with her taking a break to have breath a few times.


    Feeling that I''m about toe, I tell Yuno about it, however, she doesn''t stop moving her head, in fact, she begins to move her head faster and taking it even deeper into her mouth.


    In the end, I held her head as I ejacted inside her mouth.


    Naturally, that isn''t even close to making me satisfied with my rod remaining still as hard as it was before.


    Yuno smiles before getting on top of me and position her slit against the tip of my penis.


    Locking both of her hands with mine, she slowly lowers her body.


    I feel something tearing as a stream of blood flows from her privates.


    She seemed to be in pain during the first few seconds, but that doesn''t seem to be the caseter on, once she''s taken all of it inside.


    A few secondster, she begins to move her body up and down while moaning with a happy expression on her face.

 Chapter 83: Network ; Asias Wish

    Chapter 83: Network ; Asia''s Wish


    Taking a look at Yuno who''s lying on the bed with a satisfied smile on her face as a white liquid is oozing out from her privates makes me feel refreshed.


    Such a feeling doesn''tst long as AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {LOG: Code updated.}


    What the heck? Updated? What''s that?


    Irene, please borate on that.


    {Father''s Code has been modified due to coption with another Code.}


    So... Is that bad thing?


    {Not necessarily.}


    That''s a problem. Her response means that there is a chance of something going wrong.


    "Codification," I mutter.


    Once the window has appeared, I skim through everything to see if there are any changes:


    --


    Code: Exousia {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy |????}


    Something has changed about my Code. From the looks of it, there seems to be a new category...


    That''s not the only thing that has changed; as at the lower end of my status panel, I see a new "ability".


    -Katana


    ????


    --


    Checking the new "ability" out, I''m rather intrigued by the name. Which is why I''m disappointed that the description is still unclear.


    I attempt to use it by imagining it and the next moment, a sheathed katana appears in front of me.


    The katana looks like any other normal katana out there with its color being ck and having some jewel-like design on its handle.


    Examining it, I find nothing out of the ordinary, so I decide to use it on something to further investigate it.


    Creating a practice dummy, I unsheathe the katana and cut it.


    Unfortunately, nothing interesting happens. Could the katana be an ordinary one after all? No, I refuse to believe that.


    Using Creation, I produce a random soul-less human body.


    The moment I strike the body with the sword, I feel an energy that''s not mine being drained.


    It''s a weird feeling. Knowing that energy is being converted into some other form while also aware that it''s not yours.


    A sudden thought crosses my mind.


    Looking at Yuno who''s on the bed, I envision speaking with her through my mind.


    The next moment, I feel my consciousness breaking off from my body as I find myself in a different ce all alone with a certain someone.


    "Hello, Yuno," I say to the girl sitting in front of me.


    Yuno, in return, beams before greeting me back gleefully.


    Then, she looks around the ce we''re in and gets shocked upon realizing where we are.


    "How?" she asks dubiously.


    That''s what I''m curious about as well.


    Right now, we''re both sitting in the Japanese house in which Yuno lived throughout her past life.


    The thing is, it''s not broken and ruined, and rather than dead bodies lying outside... well, there is no outside.


    As soon as my irvoyance makes contact with what would''ve been considered "outside", my sight gets nked out.


    "Irene, can you hear me?"


    {Yes, Father.}


    "Are you able to tell us where we are?"


    {Father is currently in a subspace created through a connection between different Codes.}


    "What did she say?" Yuno asks me.


    After rying what Irene told me to Yuno, I begin to think of what this "connection" could be.


    "Say... Irene, has this ever happened before?"


    {Negative.}


    As I suspected. This matter should be corrted to the weird sensation I felt outside.


    Seeing that this "ce" is formed based on the connection between my and Yuno''s Code, I''ll call it Network from now on.


    Now, how do I leave?


    The moment I think of leaving I find myself back in my body standing as if nothing''s wrong.


    Why am I on my feet? If my soul was detached from my body, I should be lying on the ground right now, no?


    {REPORT: Based on the data extracted, a conclusion has been reached.}


    This doesn''t sound good.


    {DATA: Coption with another Code forms a connection between the Codes, while coption with a Dormant Code will hasten its awakening.}


    I knew it. The second part of what AI said doesn''t good at all. Any of the "normal" girls I sleep with could "be" a Code.


    Taking a nce at the katana in my hand, I imagine it disappearing, which also happens in reality.


    Then, I look at the bed and see that Yuno is still asleep, which should mean that I can ess the Network even if she is unconscious.


    Next, I need to test if there is a distance limit.


    ---


    After a while of testing various aspects, I found several properties rted to the Network:


    -Can only be essed if I''m close enough, which in this case is three meters.


    -Time seems to not move while essing it.


    -I can stay connected to the Network for at most five minutes, which if spent fully will make me unable to ess the Network for the next ten minutes.


    Taking these points into consideration, I begin to think of the uses of the Network. Simply, there aren''t a lot of uses so far.


    It could be used to quickly discuss a n or something. In this case, it would be advantageous if others could ess it as well. Which brings up the idea of other Codes most likely being able to ess it once a connection has been "formed".


    Based on what I can tell, the Network will change depending on the "connection" so chances are, its properties may change in the future.


    Leaving that aside, I wonder what the "katana" is exactly.


    After Yuno had woken up, she said that she felt like she''s able to "summon" something, which turned out to be the same katana I produced.


    This got me curious if two "versions" of the same katana could exist physically, which was surprisingly possible.


    I''m sure that the energy drainage I felt earlier was Yuno''s. As for why I was able to feel it, that should be rted to the Network.


    "Let''s head back to the mansion now," I say to Yuno who has beentching onto my arm for the past ten minutes.


    Seeing herplexion turning sad, I make her face me before kissing her.


    After a minute of kissing, I pull my head back and say,


    "Don''t act like this will be thest time this will happen."


    Understanding what I''m trying to imply, Yuno smiles before getting up from the bed and going to where the Sigillum of "linking" is at.


    Following her inside of it, we find ourselves back in the mansion.


    As it''s nighttime, everyone should be asleep. So, I kiss Yuno once more before wishing her goodnight.


    Using irvoyance, I check on everyone''s state and see that everyone is asleep apart from Asia.


    I head to the living room. There, I find her sitting on the sofa with aplicated look on her face, exactly like the one I saw a few seconds ago.


    Something is bugging her, and I''m sure that it''s rted to earlier when I spoke about fight to her and Sora.


    While making sure to not make any noise, I slowly walk over and sit beside her.


    As soon as Asia senses me, she flinches and is about to let out a shriek, however, as it iste into the night, I can''t let her do that.


    So, I react by quickly pushing her down and locking my lips with hers.


    A few secondster, Asia finally realizes that it''s me and stop writhing about under me before reciprocating the kiss.


    Breaking the kiss after a few minutes, I move back and sit on the sofa normally before pulling a blushing Asia into my embrace.


    I hold her body close to myself as I ask her,


    "What''s wrong?"


    Asia doesn''t respond to my inquiry and just rests her head against my shoulder.


    Knowing that she needs some to think of matters, I don''t pressure her and wait patiently.


    After several minutes, Asia gets on her feet and turns to face me before stating in a serious tone,


    "I want to fight for Your Holiness."


    Hah~ I knew it.


    Religious people are as passionate as I remember them from my previous life''s memories. They''d wish to do anything for their God. This is especially true if the worshipped interacts with the worshipper daily.


    When I first "revealed" my identity as God, I expected something like to happen, however, because it took longer than I expected, I had forgotten about it.


    Now, I need to consider if I should let Asia fight for me or not.


    Logically, the obvious choice would be - yes.


    As anyone that looks normal could be a possible foe or a monster of some sort, training a weak human girl to be stronger and able to support herself in a world filled with supernatural beings is reasonable.


    Besides, her life wasn''t supposed to be a regr one ever since the day she was born.


    Her Twilight Healing is something that she has had since birth and having grown up with it, her childhood was anything but ordinary.


    If she were to fight for me, she will be supporting the others through her healing powers. Couldn''t I just gift my subordinates Regeneration and Immortality?


    What if I wasn''t present during the battle? Simply, there are various cases in which she would be extremely useful.


    Also, there is a plethora of weaponry out there. I refuse to believe that she isn''t able to use one.


    So, having made my choice, there is one thing that''s left to be done,


    "Asia, would you like to be my Angel?"

 Chapter 84: Asias Angelification ; Luxury ; Driver

    Chapter 84: Asia''s Angelification ; Luxury ; Driver


    My words seem to set off a bomb inside of the teenage girl as the excitement begins to overwhelm her.


    I don''t even need to hear her reply, as it''s pretty obvious that she''s willing. Now then, how do I convert her to an Angel?


    {As she''s a human, Father needs to transfer through physical touch.}


    Well then, based on previous experiences, converting a being to an Angel will attract a lot of attention.


    "Arena," I mutter.


    Once we''re in the Arena, I instruct Asia to kneel in front of me before cing my hand on top of her head.


    Focusing on my Mahesvara, I circte energy within my arm before transferring it over to Asia.


    The next moment, Asia''s body begins to glow as a blinding pir of light rises to the sky.


    Observing her, I notice her hair shifting to a more spectral yellow. Her right eye begins to change from green to a silvery color.


    On her hands, appear the same symbol that appeared for my other Angels.


    Lastly, two pairs of pure-white wings extend from her back as a golden halo appears on her head.


    Once the light has faded away, Asia gets up from the ground and examines the changes made to her body.


    Looking into her heterochromatic eyes, I smile before creating a mirror big enough to reflect her whole body.


    My new Angel seems to be rather entranced with her new look as she keeps on examining herself and touching her wings all over.


    Walking over to her, I pull her into an embrace and stroke her new wings before saying,


    "From now on, you''ll be joining us in our training."


    Asia gently nods her head.


    Both of us leave the Arena and find ourselves back in the mansion. Asia has retracted her wing and halo, making it so that the only notable changes are her eyes, hair, and the symbols on her hand.


    Naturally, I wouldn''t just let those visible as she''s an "ordinary" high school student, so I use Rework to cover it up.


    I check the time and see that it''s 2:34 PM.


    Knowing that she needs to go to sleep soon, I pull Asia toward myself and kiss her lips for a few minutes before sending her off to her room.


    Then, I head back to my room and upon entering, I see both of my sisters sleeping soundly on the bed.


    I try my best to not make much noise while climbing the bed and lying down between the two of them.


    Turning over, I gently pull Ayumi''s body closer to myself until she''spletely within my arms.


    Now then, Irene.


    {Yes, Father?}


    The matter regarding Dormant Codes awakening, does it happen instantly?


    {Negative.}


    As I suspected, it just initiates the process. This means that there is a high chance of Sora "bing" a Code if I take what I "saw" into consideration. Whatever it was, be it the past or future, it gave me some vital information.


    Going back to the topic at hand, the term "Dormant Code" should mean a Code that is sealed or something, right?


    {Affirmative. Father''s Code was dormant during Project Future.}


    Project Future? Are you talking about my past life?


    {Indeed. That''s the formal name assigned to the tform that Father used to live on.}


    Say, Irene do you have any information regarding my past life? Based on what I''vee to know so far, I forced that life upon myself, however, is that all there is to it?


    {Negative. Not much is known about Project Future other than the fact that Father lived there.}


    Hah~ Forget it, I''ll try to figure it out myself sometime. For now, I should sleep.


    Tightening my hold on Ayumi''s body, I doze off to sleep.


    ---


    "That''s everything, right?" I ask the girls after I''ve created their school utensils for them in the morning.


    "Ayu really likes this bag!" Ayumi cheerfully exims while holding a school bag that has the picture of a ck-haired "magic girl" waving a pink staff that has a golden star at its tip.


    I reckon she is an idol of sorts seeing that she has so much merchandise in my "database", as well as the bold letters written on most of them: Miracle Levia-tan


    Patting Ayumi''s head to calm her down, I observe the others and see that everyone has a satisfied look on their face.


    It''s time to go to school, however, there is one small issue.


    Our numbers have increased too much, which means that we won''t be able to fit in the car.


    So, I need to find another method of transportation. For that, I could have Yuno form a link simr to the one linking the mansion and the shrine-house, but instead, it connects the school and the mansion.


    However, that''s a bad idea for several reasons. The main one being that it endangers the safety of those in the mansion.


    I''m well aware of how dangerous the link with the shrine-house is, so forming another one is out of the question.


    So, I''m going to stick with a way that humans would use. Taking that into consideration, the first thought that woulde to mind when thinking of a method of transportation for many people would be a van.


    But, it''s not luxurious enough.


    After thinking about it for a short while, I am up with a solution.


    Instead of a car or a van, I''m going to settle with a limousine as our new method of transportation back and forth from school.


    The moment I shared my idea with the girls, I got a few jaw-drop reactions while Nao held her forehead.


    "Is this some kind of joke?" Misa directly asks me,


    Shaking my head, I reply seriously,


    "Don''t you guys want to experience what it''s like to go to school in a limousine?"


    For a few moments, no one responds to my words, but in the end, they all acknowledged that they''re curious to know what going to school in such a luxurious way would feel like.


    Now that we have settled on that, I need to find us a driver, as I would rather not drive a limo or have any of the girls do it.


    One persones to my mind that would fit in rather properly. Which is the girl I had tested Indoctrination on a few days ago - Kristina.


    I need to have a word with her after school...


    Just for today, I will be the one driving the limo. Hopefully, Insight will help me out.


    ------


    Once we arrived at school, I apanied Ayumi to her ss while making sure that no one had any funny thoughts about her as she introduced herself to her new ssmates.


    Then, I went over to my school building where Nao and Misa were waiting for me. I apanied them to my ss.


    After school was over and students went over to their clubs, I took Asia with myself to the ult Research Club.


    Nao and Misa said that they wished to explore the clubs on their own, so I let them be.


    As usual, I trained all of Rias Gremory''s peerage along with all four of my Angels.


    Just because there isn''t a Rating Game anytime soon doesn''t mean that I should stop making those under me more powerful.


    I had Asia a multitude of modern weaponry, but she didn''t find any of them suitable for her use, despite hitting the targets I assigned for her practice most of the time.


    So, I had her get used to her new powers.


    As it''s only her first day of training, I taught her how to fly properly, even though I don''t have wings myself.


    However, it worked out in the end, so it wasn''t much of an issue.


    Now that my schedule is a little free, I should go and look for Kristina.


    Surprisingly, she''s still at school along with quite a few other girls, which includes Sora, Nao, Misa, and Ayumi who hase over to our building.


    They''re all in the kendo clubroom, hanging around with its members.


    For some reason, this club is rather popr in this schoolpared to the rest...


    Oh well, I go over to where they are at and greet them.


    The moment Kristina who was speaking with a friend of hers sees me, her expression takes a turn for the worse as there is nothing but horror apparent on her face.


    Naturally, this shocks her friends as they all anxiously check on her.


    Perhaps I overdid that night? Well, I can''t do much about it. It was hard to hold back.


    Knowing that the longer I dy matters, the worse things could turn out, so I slowly walk over to where the girls are and say,


    "Kristina, it''s been a while."


    The other girls immediately begin to gossip between themselves while ncing at me and Kristina.


    As for the girl in question, she''s currently in too much of a shock to say anything, so I make use of this chance to grab her hand and pull her before leaving the clubroom amidst all the shrieks from the girls present.


    Once we''re somewhere away from the eyes of others, I push her against a wall and wait for her to recover her rity of mind.


    Surprisingly, that doesn''t take long as she attempts to fake braveness by asking me in a shaky tone,


    "Wha-t do yo-you want?"


    I smile before moving my head closer to her and giving her a light peck on the cheek before saying,


    "Nothing much. I just want you to work for me."


    Seeing the confusion and anxiety in her eyes, I let out a sigh before pulling the shivering girl onto myp as I create a chair under myself before saying,


    "You don''t need to be afraid. I wouldn''t harm you in any way. Besides, you should be well aware of my capabilities. So, if I wanted to harm you, I would''ve done it a while ago."


    Kristina doesn''t say anything and just remains silent, so I gently pat her head to calm her down. Then, I begin my exnation,


    "It''s okay, Kristina. Your job is very simple. All you have to do is drive me to school and back home."


    In response to my words, she mutters,


    "But I can''t drive..."


    I chuckle lightly before saying,


    "Don''t worry about that, as I can just grant you driving skills."


    Kirstina thinks for a few seconds before asking,


    "Are you the Devil?"


    I instantly reply,


    "No, why would you even think of me as such?"


    In response to my inquiry, she twirls both of her fingers together nervously before saying,


    "Are youing for me because I yed Ouija with my friends?"


    Unable to hold back, I begin tough at the naivety of the girl, which scares the living daylight out of her.


    Shaking my head, I say to her,


    "You don''t need to fear me being the Devil, for you see, I am God."


    Her expression turns rather funny as she doesn''t know how to react to my im. Normally, one would dismiss such words as absurdity, but not her. Kristina has experienced first-hand what I''m capable of.


    I wonder how she''ll react if I show her actual proof...


    Curious, I use my telepathic connection to order Asia toe over.


    A few secondster, Asia appears and looks over us curiously before saying,


    "You called for me, Your Holiness?"


    As soon as Asia mutters thest two words, Kristina''s expression turns even funnier, however, that''s not enough. Making sure that no one is around to witness what''s toe, I say


    "Asia, reveal your Angelic form."


    Following my order, Asia extends her wings as well as the Halo on her head.


    In response to the sudden transformation, Kristina slowly turns her head to look at me before fainting from shock.


    I guess I sessfully got us a new driver.

 Chapter 85: Maid ; Sigilla Use ; Artifact

    Chapter 85: Maid ; Sigi Use ; Artifact


    "Asia, you may go back now," I say to her neutrally.


    Bowing slightly Asia affirms my order before heading back to the kendo club.


    Now then, time to y the waiting game.


    Using Creation, I produce a futon on the ground, theny Kristina on it.


    --


    After about ten minutes or so, the unconscious girl begins to gradually open her eyes.


    Kirstina gets up from the futon and looks around with a confused expression before setting her eyes on me.


    Seeing the confusion change to a look of awe rather than fear, I release a sigh of relief before saying to her in a calm tone,


    "You know, I''m not going to have you work for me for free. Make a wish that would affect none other than your own life, and I shall grant it."


    Kristina''s eyes widen from my statement, before herplexion changes to that of deliberation as she lowers her head and, I assume, think of her wish.


    "My best friend talked about a French dessert she ate recently... The way she described it made me want to try it. Can I have that?", she says after some time.


    "Of course," I reply with a smile, "What is its name?"


    "Uhm... I think it was Canele."


    Using Creation, Ie across a wide number of the sweets she named, and after a few seconds, I find one that looks and smells genuinely good.


    Upon seeing a tray of Canele appear out of thin air, Kristina is a little shocked but regains herposure quickly.


    It seems like she''s used to my existence now.


    Looking at her take one of the sweet on the tray and happily eating it, I find myself unconsciously reaching out to pat her head.


    This feels... weird. It''s almost like the girl is my daughter or something.


    Kristina doesn''t seem to mind my actions as she continues to enjoy the sweets offered to her.


    Suddenly, I feel meager turbulence of the energies within my body. Sensing it, I can tell that it has no harm, but now the question is... what caused it?


    My connection with the Angels? No, they would''ve told me quickly if something was wrong, and the turbulence feels different.


    Leaving that aside, I at Kristina and say,


    "You will work for me, right?"


    Her arm that was about to ce another sweet into her mouthes to a halt mid-way as she looks at me for a few seconds before nodding her head.


    "If your parents need some convincing, you can just give me a call," I state before giving her my phone number.


    Destroying the futon and chair, I return to the kendo club to where the girls are at.


    ---


    "So, how was your day?" I ask the girls once we''ve all begun eating our dinner.


    Ayumi immediately exims cheerfully,


    "Ayu made a looot of friends! And, the teachers were really nice to Ayu!"


    Using Telekinesis, I prevent her te from falling to the ground before saying,


    "It''s good that you''re having fun, but don''t let it get in the way of your studies, alright?"


    Ayumi nods her head a little too energetically before replying,


    "Ayu knows! Don''t worry, Brother Yu!"


    Nodding my head once, I turn my head to look at Nao and wait for her to say something regarding her day.


    "It was fine. The students in the school are rather friendly. And I''ve yet toe across idol-fanatics, so that''s a plus," she says after a while.


    "Mhm. You didn''t have a lot of friends back there, so I hope you can make more over here. However, let''s put that aside, as I want to know what you think of the learning lessons.


    "In your original world, you were a first-year student, however, here you are a second year. A one year difference may not seem like much, but it is, so I want to know if you''re having any trouble with your studies."


    Nao thinks for a few seconds before replying,


    "As you said, it was certainly difficult. Especially when the learning materials are somewhat different. Nevertheless, I should be fine after a week of going over it."


    "If any of you guys need any help in your studies, you can always refer to me," I dere.


    "Me as well," Sora adds.


    "Then I will have you guys exin everything to me because I understood nothing from that failure-of-a-teacher," Misains.


    I kind of feel sorry for our teacher. Yes, the exnation given to us isn''t all that clear as you''d expect it to be, but calling them a failure...


    What a good girl.


    Now that I''ve gotten that dealt with,


    "Akame," I say to the quiet teenager who has been silently chewing on her food, "Are you used to living here, now?"


    As expected, she doesn''t respond to my inquiry before she finishes her food.


    "It''s peaceful," she mutters.


    Isn''t that a curious response? Makes me wonder what kind of world shees from. So far, I can tell that it''s a war-infested one.


    Also, from the looks of it, there are some really interesting pieces of equipment over there. She hasn''t said much herself, but I can tell that the sword she''s holding is no ordinary sword.


    I''ll try to get some more information out of herter when we''re alone.


    "Ravel, what about you? Do you have any problems?"


    As if she was waiting for me this moment, she replies almost instantly,


    "Not at all! Everyone here is nice."


    Looking at the beaming Devil, a smile covers my face as I say,


    "That''s good and all, but I''m sure you feel bored when everyone is at school, right?"


    Ravel doesn''t reply, however, I can tell that I''ve struck a chord based on her reaction.


    "I''ve been nning some things recently," I dere,


    "Firstly, I will have Ravel and my Angels apart from Asia transfer over to my school."


    "Wait, what?!" Sora suddenly interrupts me, "Did you just call Asia an Angel, or did I mishear you?"


    Sensing the dark aura being released by some of the girls present, I wave my hand in front of me to calm them down before saying,


    "Yesterday night, I converted her to an Angel of her own volition."


    Everyone immediately looks at Asia who''s trying to bury face into her hands. Seeing that this matter is troubling her I say with a frown,


    "Don''t trouble her. I''ll exin everythingter."


    Having them shift their attention back to me once again, I continue with what I wanted to say earlier,


    "Once they''ve transferred over, I''ll establish a new club and form a base of operations at the academy.


    "As for the mansion here, it requires some changes. The most important change is in its defenses. In that regard, the mansion is extremely vulnerable to the point that it can''t withstand a single strike from a Devil.


    "So, this is where Yuno''s poweres into y. Based on what I know about her powers, she can form various kinds of ''seals''. I''m sure there are seals for protection, right Yuno?"


    In response to my question, Yuno smiles and replies with confidence,


    "Of course, leave it to me!"


    Alright, my girl, Yuno got the spirit.


    I continue with my exnation,


    "Once we''ve got that dealt with, we''re going to need some maids to take care of the mansion and help in cooking. For that part, you may refer to them to further increase your skills in cooking, Sora.


    "That''s it. Does anyone have any questions?"


    Silence ensues as the girls look at each other whisper some things to each other before they all look at me silently.


    "I take this as a no."


    ---


    An hour after dinner, Yuno and I are both sitting in front of each other, discussing her powers.


    Firstly she can form a maximum of 25 Sigi before she needs to recover her energy. Naturally, if she uses Sigi that are beyond her powers, it will suck more energy out, and may even harm her doing the process.


    Secondly, she needs to be in physical contact with something to form a Sillgilum on it, be they living or non-living. After asking her about it, the only exception to that is if she uses an attack or defensive Sigi.


    Thirdly, Sigi fall under three categories: One-Use, Temporary, and Permanent.


    During our small skirmish, Yuno made use of a lot of Temporary Sigi, which were mostly buff-ups.


    As for the "disintegration beam" that she used, it was a One-Use Sigillum.


    Curiously, that was the very same thing that Legion used in Project Charlotte. Regarding the liquid I saw, it was nothing more than a cover for the Sigi.


    This made me question why was it that when I used my Holy sh, it activated as a "bomb", however, Yuno had no definite response.


    She said she believes that the powers of our Codes reacted and caused it, and nothing more than that.


    Just like that, the general exnation of her powers came to an end. And so, Yuno began using her Sigi to form barriers and defenses for the mansion.


    Weirdly, I felt some kind of connection to her whenever she was forming a Sigillum to the point that I believe I''m able to replicate it if I try.


    So, I did.


    Raising my finger, I circte energy that I didn''t know existed within me, before focusing it on the tip of my finger.


    The next moment, a grey light shines from where I''ve concentrated the energy which attracts Yuno''s attention.


    "This..." she mutters with shock apparent on her face.


    As I expected, it''s the same energy that Yuno uses for her Sigi, albeit much weaker. I ask Yuno to show me the method of forming any of her Sigillum.


    Yuno thinks for a few moments before settling on something.


    Following her instructions, I create a Sigillum that''s supposed to form a barrier like the one she used in the skirmish.


    While I''m creating it, I feel like I''m partially tapping into the Network, even though it''s my own energy that''s being used.


    Once the process finally over, I check how much energy is left: 15%


    That took a lot more energy than I expected. Hopefully, that''s not going to be the case with other kinds of Sigi.


    I immediately activate the Sigillum and the next moment, I''m surrounded by a weaker version of the barrier used by Yuno.


    Wishing for it to go away, the barrier dissolves into nothingness.


    As I have other ns for making use of my energy, I take a short nap on the sofa while Yuno continues to fortify the mansion.


    --


    Waking up, I check the status of my energy:


    92%


    Okay, hopefully, this is enough for what I have in mind.


    Thinking about my past life, there were several books that had something interesting in them. An artifact of sorts.


    Focusing all of my energy on Creation, I think of that very same artifact.


    The energy-drainage rate is insane, as I can feel my body getting weaker at an incredulous speed.


    The next moment a light covers the room before it focuses at one point, taking the form of a small object slowly floating down in the air.


    Grabbing it, I begin observing the object curiously.


    It''s a ring. A special kind of ring.


    Getting on my feet, I look at the sofa that I was lying on a few seconds ago, and use my imagination before waving my hand.


    The next moment, purple energy covers the whole sofa before the whole thing disappears into the ring.

 Chapter 86: Storage Ring ; Rude Guests

    Chapter 86: Storage Ring ; Rude Guests


    Checking the small ring out, a small smile covers my face as I think of the possibilities that it brings with itself.


    However, I can''t let that get to me, as I need to see if there any restrictions. Speaking of restrictions, the image of a certain mirror appears within my head.


    For some unknown reason, it wouldn''t work no matter how much I tried to make use of it.


    I could''ve simply made another one, but that''s not the brightest of things to do in a world where supernatural beings could be around a corner.


    My usage of Creation to create this Storage Ring is a great risk in and of itself.


    The sole reason that I even bothered with going through the process is that Yuno has set up defenses now, which gives me some breathing space to take a risk or two.


    Now then, let''s see what this little guy is capable of.


    I imagine the sofa within it to reappear in reality, which is what happens. Not only does the sofa reappear, but it did so the exact way I imagined it to.


    Creating an ordinary sword, I ce it inside the Storage Ring. I then try putting it in and out at various distances.


    So, it turns out that the maximum distance something can be pulled out from the ring is ten meters, which is by no means a short distance.


    My telekinesis has a maximum reach of eight meters, while I can manipte vectors within a five-meter radius.


    In other words, the closer to me a physical object is pulled out from the ring, the more effective it would be as a ranged weapon.


    This coulde in handy when I''m low on Essence Energy. This ring with telekinesis, the Boosted Gear, and Ittou Shura are my trump cards for now.


    That''s why it''s going to be extremely important for me to find out their potentials in the future.


    "What are you doing?" a voice suddenly resounds behind me.


    Turning around, I see Nao standing with arms crossed while looking my way with a curious expression.


    I gesture to her toe over and begin exining to her what I''ve been busy with.


    "So this thing can store anything inside of it, no matter the size?" she asks me with a skeptical look on her face once I''m done.


    Now that I think about it, does this thing have a limit to the number of things it can store?


    Sadly, I''m unable to try it out properly tonight because of how low my energy is, nevertheless, I can use the objects that have already been created in the mansion to try out a part of it.


    Thus, after a whole hour of testing, with Nao helping me out by being curious, I concluded.


    The Storage Ring in my hand has a limit. However, instead of it being a maximum mass or space, it''s a numerical limit.


    What''s interesting about that is that I can store something that has a hollow space with there being things inside it, and it wouldn''t count.


    As for the size, I had gotten outside of the house to try cing the limo and everything inside of it in the Storage Ring, which worked just fine.


    Unfortunately, despite being so miraculous, this ring has a huge setback.


    That is the limit on the number of objects that can be ced inside of it  5.


    For some reason, I have a feeling that I''ve yet to discover all of the possibilities of the ring, so I can''t be disheartened by the setback just yet.


    "By the way," Nao says, interrupting my thoughts, "What should I call you now?"


    Ah. Now that I think about it, the girls don''t seem to know how to refer to me properly, apart from Ayumi. That energetic ball of cuteness calls me exactly the way she used to back in Project Charlotte.


    Screw it, I''ll just have them call me with my "proper" name.


    "Nao," I say before pulling her into my embrace, "I have one true name, and that is  Victor."


    She seems to have missed our close interactions as she hugs me back silently.


    We continue to hug for quite a long time, to the point that our legs were getting tired, so I sat on the sofa with Nao still in my embrace.


    The hug between me and Nao finallyes to an end when Yuno suddenly appeared and rushed over to hug me.


    "I worked hard, so I deserve a reward," she stated coquettishly.


    She''s being honest, I''m sure of it, as Yuno has always been a hard-worker.


    I embrace Yuno with my left arm and Nao with the other and enjoy their aroma.


    "Scum."


    I hear a soft muttering, but decide to ignore it.


    ---


    "So where is the blonde?" I say to Rias as I look around and don''t find Kiba present.


    "I don''t know," she replies.


    How responsible. No wonder she''s the King in her peerage and the princess of the Devils.


    Well, putting that aside, I need to settle matters with Kristinater. For now, I should continue to train these Devils.


    As I''m about to tell them to prepare for teleportation to the Arena, two girls suddenly barge into the club-room.


    One of the two girls is blue-haired while the other is brown-haired. Their attire is rather unique.


    A white robe with green design. Well, that''s not what matters the most right now, as I can sense something underneath their robes.


    Yes, good body proportions.


    Oh? I can sense something else. It feels familiar for some reason, however, the aura it gives off is too weak.


    Deciding to listen in to what they have to say, I take a seat on the sofa with Asia and Koneko on my sides.


    Our guests don''t seem to be happy with this, as the blue-haired girl res at me for a second before taking a seat on a sofa opposite us.


    "Say, do you guys know anything about Issei?" the brown-haired girl, Irina, suddenly says after they''ve introduced themselves.


    "I went to visit him at his home, but he wouldn''t let us inside his room as he kept on muttering your name," she continues while pointing at Rias, " as well as something along the lines of ''it''s all his fault''."


    He still hasn''t killed himself yet? That''s surprising. Is there something that is preventing him from doing so? Like, someone important to him? Oh, well. It doesn''t matter to me, anyway, as I''ve already gotten what I wanted from him.


    "No," Rias replies.


    Irina squints her eyes when she hears Rias''s response but doesn''t say anything else.


    It seems like she''s decided to let the matter rest.


    Back to the main topic at hand, they begin to speak of a broken Excalibur and the missing pieces.


    Huh? Excalibur was broken?


    Checking my database, I''m only able to find the original Excalibur. Why am I unable to find the "pieces" they''re speaking of?


    The blue-haired girl, Xenovia, grabs a ratherrge sword covered in bandages from her back and says it''s the Excalibur Destruction.


    As for Irina, she moves her robe a little, showing a cute white armband on her arm and says with a smile,


    "And the one I have here is the Holy Sword of Mimicry, Excalibur Mimic."


    Mimic? As in replication? From the looks of it, it can change shape to anything, as it''s nothing more than cloth right now.


    Then they begin to speak of their purpose here.


    This goes on for a while, so I''ll just shorten it up. Basically, they came here in the hopes of warning the Devils, particrly Rias and her peerage, to not interfere with their mission.


    As for their mission, it''s to collect the missing pieces of Excalibur.


    Naturally, I don''t give a damn about their threats toward Rias and the matters between them. Besides, this matter is too small for me, so I''ll let them do whatever they wish to do.


    Why should broken shards of a sword when I can create the original whenever I want to?


    And thus, their visites to an end as they get up from the sofa and prepare to leave.


    However, before they do so, Xenovia looks over at Asia who''s beside me and says,


    "Say, are you perchance Asia Argento?"


    Asia is confused by the sudden question, but she doesn''t falter and replies,


    "Yes?"


    Scrunching her eyes, Xenovia says with a solemn look on her face,


    "I didn''t think that I would meet a witch in a ce like this."


    Asia staysposed and doesn''t react to her words at all.


    "Aha!" Irina says, "You''re the former saint who became a witch? I had heard that you were banished because you were able to heal Fallen Angels and Devils, but I didn''t expect you to be a Devil."


    Of course, they would think of her as a Devil. These girls are weak, so they''re unable to see through my Rework.


    Earlier, I knew that it would be suspicious if a human were here, so I made myself and Asia both give off a slight aura of Devils.


    I surely didn''t expect this to happen.


    Looking at Asia, I see that she still has a calm andposed look on her face as she stares right back at the two girls.


    "Good. Don''t let their words misguide you," I whisper to her.


    A small smile appears on her face for a split-second before her face goes back to being neutral.


    Xenovia doesn''t stop there as she says,


    "You till believe in God, don''t you? Then be convicted in his name, and you shall be forgiven, for God is merciful."


    Watching her approaching us with ill-intentions, I use telekinesis to halt her movements, before getting up from the sofa and saying to the confused girl,


    "You weaklings have no say here in regard to what''s mine. Get lost."


    The next moment, Xenovia who was on the ground getsunched in Irina''s direction with just enough momentum to make her fall.


    A few secondster, Xenovia gets up from the ground and looks at me before shouting with rage,


    "Who are you!?"


    Patting Asia''s head once, I walk toward the two girls before replying with a sneer as I create a perfect Excalibur out of thin air,


    "Who am I? The one you girls venerate - God."

 Chapter 87: Heresy ; Servitude

    Chapter 87: Heresy ; Servitude


    Looking at the two girls who have horrified looks while staring at the Excalibur floating in the air, a smile covers my face as I say while amplifying my voice,


    "Tell me, mortals. What do you suppose is a bing punishment for sinners who use my name to practice discrimination?"


    Irina doesn''t say anything as she continues to stare at the sword with disbelief, while Xenovia grabs her sword, removes the bandages, then yells,


    "I don''t care who you are, but I won''t forgive you for iming to be God!"


    As if awakened by the yell, Irina shakes her head before pressing against the shoulder.


    The next moment, a small glow covers the armband before it changes into a katana.


    So it can change forms huh If that''s the case, then theplete Excalibur should be able to do so as well.


    As expected, the floating weapon begins to change from a sword to a bow.


    It''s not limited to a sword. This is a chance as good as ever to find out some of the capabilities of Excalibur.


    "What?" Irina mutters, bbergasted.


    "Arena," I mutter, forcefully taking the duo in front of me and Asia along with myself.


    Irina and Xenovia are both befuddled as they look around uneasily before Irina inquires firmly,


    "What did you do? Where are we?"


    Smiling, I slowly float to the air before replying mockingly,


    "What do you think?"


    Seeing me float in the air, Xenovia says to Irina while pointing at the floating bow,


    "Don''t let him fool you. He''s probably using the abilities of that thing."


    Nodding her head, Irina says,


    "So, how do we fight him?"


    Xenovia doesn''t respond as she stares at me with rumination.


    Chuckling, I say while scratching my hair,


    "Oh, it will be hard for you to fight if you''re unable to fly, right? Very well, I shall grant you the power of flight."


    I snap my fingers for the heck of it.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    -Flight


    My words seem strange to them, as Xenovia stares at me with bafflement, while Irina examines herself all over.


    Xenovia seems like she wants to say something to Irina, however, before she can do that, Irina slowly floats into the air while eximing "Uwoh!" with delight.


    Shocked, Xenovia drops her sword as she watches it all unfold before her eyes.


    "How?" she asks me uncertainly.


    "You should be feeling a change as well, no?"


    In response to my words, Xenovia hops up and down a few times before she finally shoots to the sky at an astounding rate.


    After a while, she gets a grip on her ability as she stops ascending.


    That doesn''tst for long, however, because she seems to have absolutely no control while flying sideways right into a building.


    Xenovia has absolutely awful body-coordination. Is she really a sword-wielder?


    Suddenly, she reappears once again, flying uncontrobly to and fro in the sky as her voice resounds within my head,


    [God! Please provide me the strength to ovee this obstacle!]


    For real?


    "My dear child, you''re aware that the one that gave you this ability is none other than myself, right?"


    [What?! Why are you able to read my -]


    Her voice gets cut off as I hear a loud crashing quite a distance away.


    This is ridiculous...


    "Let''s go over there," I say to Irina who''s ying around in the air and Asia who has been serenely watching everything take ce.


    Asia nods her head before revealing her Angelic form, which shocks Irina to the core as her jaw drops and her eyes widen.


    "You''re an Angel?!" she exims with stupor apparent on her face.


    "Of course," Asia calmly replies, "I only serve His Holiness."


    Storing Excalibur into my ring, I gesture to the two of them to follow me as I make my way over to where I head the crash.


    There, I find Xenovia on the ground with several injuries all over her body.


    How dumb


    Landing on the ground beside her, I ce my palm on her head as I begin using Healing Factor.


    "Are you really" Xenovia mutters under her breath with confusion still visible on herplexion.


    Smiling I gently walk back a few steps and float into the air.


    -Deification.


    While I''m changing form, I feel an astounding amount of energy umting within me at one spot for some weird reason.


    I should expel it


    The moment I do so, a shock-wave is released as I feel a burning sensation all over my body.


    Observing myself with irvoyance, I see that the runes on my body are differentpared to the past.


    They''ve changed? Does this have something to do with the energy I just released?


    What could it be that have caused a change within me


    Thinking about it, it''s either a result of me overusing my powers or the situation with Yuno.


    I will have to investigate further sometime. For now, I think I should focus on these girls as this is what''s important.


    Shifting my concentration back to the Arena, I see Xenovia on the ground, gawking at me and on a few meters away from her, Irina is kneeling on the ground with hands locked.


    [I''ve finally met God.]


    Feeling the joy contained in her words, I grin before floating towards the two of them and saying,


    "I can feel your faith for me, however, that doesn''t wash off the disrespect you''ve shown toward me."


    The moment my words pass through her ears, Xenovia moves swiftly and kneels in front me before saying solemnly,


    "God I have sinned. Punish me as you see fit."


    Going with the flow, Irina does the same, while Asia who''s still in her Angelic form walks over to my side and looks down on the two kneeling humans.


    "For the sins you''vemitted, you shall repent by serving me directly."


    Raising my arms, I cover the two in an Illusion that makes the surroundings change from what it was to an endless white space.


    I utilize Pdin''s Aura before bellowing,


    "Serve me as Angels!"


    The two girls are so shaken that they begin to shiver in excitement before shouting together,


    "Yes, Father!"


    Using telekinesis, I bring them close to myself before floating down and cing my hands on both of their heads.


    As I channel energy into them, both of them are enveloped in a pir of light while their bodies float into the air and the angelification process begins to alter them.


    For Xenovia, her hair turns to a paler shade of blue as runes appear all over the upper part of her right arm. As usual, the symbols appear on both of her hands before a pair of white wings extend from her back and a halo forming on her head.


    As for Irina, her eyes both turn gray as a cross appears on her palm, before the other normal angelification changes ur.


    I''ve realized this some time ago, but don''t my Angels each have something "unique" about them? This requires further investigation in the future.


    Irina and Xenovia both excitedly check each other''s appearance out before examining their own bodies.


    Getting more Angels to serve me truly something joyous. I''m looking forward to meeting more fanatics.


    Not only that, I also look forward to meeting more interesting Devils. Speaking of interesting Devils, there is that girl who dressed in maid-like attire. Grafiya, was it?


    Well then, I should train my underlings now.


    I cancel deification before saying,


    "Raynare,e over to the Arena and bring with you the others."


    [Understood, All-Father.]


    A few momentster, the rest of my Angels as well as Rias and her peerage, apart from Kiba,e over to the Arena.


    "Let''s y a little," I state with a grin on my face before pulling out Excalibur from the ring.


    "I was unnecessarily interrupted before I could begin the daily training session. So, all of you present will fight me in a battle of attrition.


    "You may go all-out. You will be rewarded and punished ordingly based on your performance."


    Creating Caliburn, I throw it over to Xenovia before utilizing Pdin''s Aura and shouting,


    "Show me your worth!"

 Chapter 88: Ordering ; Forgotten

    Chapter 88: Ordering ; Forgotten


    Looking at the destruction all around me, I realize that I''ve been underestimating the capabilities of Excalibur by a lot.


    The thing is, buildings ''reconstruct'' themselves after ten minutes, so one can only imagine how much worse it would''ve been without that.


    I observe the nine worn-out girls on the ground before saying,


    "We should go back now. You girls did well."


    Taking another look at my surroundings, I realize another thing.


    Compared to using weapons, it''s much more fun to throw punches and kicks.


    The feeling of knocking teeth out with bare fists is euphoric.


    Of course, I wouldn''t do such a thing to my girls.


    --


    Taking Irina, Xenovia, Asia, and Koneko with myself, I go to where Sora, Nao, and Misa usually are.


    "Brother Yu," I hear a loud voice before Ayumi jumps into my embrace.


    "And these two are?" Sora asks me skeptically while pointing at Irina and Xenovia who are behind me.


    "My new Angels," I calmly reply while patting Ayumi''s back.


    As soon as they hear my response, both Nao and Misa let out a deep sigh before looking me in the eye with a "you''ve got to be kidding me" expression on their faces.


    As for Sora, she shakes her head a little before looking at the duo with an impassive expression.


    "Hello! I''m Irina Shidou, and she''s Xenovia Quarta. By Father''smand, we will be living with you from now on. Please take care of us," the lively Irina introduces herself and Xenovia while bowing politely.


    "I''m Sora Kasuganou. Nice to meet you," Sora introduces herself in return.


    "Nao Tomori; nice to meet you," Nao follows.


    "Misa Kurobane. You better not annoy me or I''ll-", I don''t let Misa finish what she wants to say by roughly rubbing her head.


    "Hey!" she exims.


    cing Ayumi down, I pull the feisty girl into my arms before turning to the others and saying,


    "Let''s go home."


    --


    I''m currently sitting in the limo with Misa beside me. As for the driver, it''s none other than Kristina.


    After I had another talk with her, I found out she managed to convince her parents that she''s working in a part-time job.


    So then, why am I letting her drive us home like this, especially with her first drive being a limo?


    It''s simple. This is another method of seeing how capable Insight is. Besides, even if something unfortunate urs on the way, I have various means of dealing with the situation.


    One thing that has been bothering me since we''ve hit the road. That is, Misa has been continuouslyining about how "dumb" some of her ssmates are.


    Most of theints are about a girl named Aika Kiryuu. Based on Misa''s description of her, she''s the very same girl that shouted some number on the first day we arrived at school.


    I knew there was something wrong with her the moment I saw her.


    As Misa continues toin, I set up an illusion around ourselves to make it seem like we''re both sitting silently.


    The others don''t seem to realize what''s going on as they converse with each other about their day.


    From the looks of it, Sora, Nao, and Ayumi are extremely curious about the happenings in the Arena, as they listen in to my Angels speaking of it with admiration.


    Then, I turn my head to directly look at Misa before tapping her shoulder.


    In response to this, Misa stops talking and looks at me.


    Moving my hand, I ce at on the back of her head, while using my other hand to pull her closer to myself before pressing my lips onto hers.


    This immediately results in her trying to push me away, but naturally, that''s physically impossible.


    Only after dozens of seconds do I let her go.


    "What are you doing?!" she exims, but her voice doesn''t reach others due to an anti-noise barrier I''ve set up around us.


    "Enjoying thepany of a lovely girl," I calmly reply.


    My words seem to trigger her as she mocks, " ''Enjoying thepany''  my ass; you forced a kiss on me!"


    As soon as she utters those words, I swiftly move and lock lips with her once again.


    Fortunately, she seems to be less against it this time as she lets me do whatever I want.


    I insert my tongue into her mouth and y around with the tongue that she uses to spout all the foul insults daily.


    Her lips are soft and her smell is captivating, to the point that I''m barely holding myself back from pushing her down here and now.


    Wrapping my arms around her body, I begin a series of rtively short kisses; switching between her upper lips to her lower lips.


    Shifting my hand to her butt, I begin fondling it as I continue to kiss her.


    After several minutes of kissing, I finally stop as an exasperated Misays her head against my shoulder.


    "Asshole," she mutters, panting.


    Smiling at how cute she is, I move my head to kiss her head once before saying,


    "You really are one lovely girl, Misa."


    --


    I have no idea how, but others didn''t find out about the little incident in the limo.


    Misa seems to be closer to me, which is something I''m really happy about.


    Holding Misa''s hand, I get off from the limo with her and watch with intrigue as Irina examines the mansion before eximing joyfully,


    "Are we really going to live here?!"


    In contrast to her, Xenovia has an expressionless look on her face as she observes the mansion silently.


    And so, I spend the next hour preparing two rooms for our new residents.


    Once I''m done with that, I go over to my room and use myptop to browse the inte.


    After a while, I find what I was looking for: Full-Time Maid service.


    It''s a little expensive, but I can make money quite easily. Besides, I''ve thought of an easy way to make money just recently.


    All that''s left is to find a good time to put it to use.


    Choosing two maids who have yet to work somewhere properly, I close the lid of myptop and get up from my seat.


    However, before I can take a step, I find Ayumi sitting on the bed with a sad expression on her face.


    I walk over and sit beside her.


    Taking her hands into mine, I kiss her cheek before asking her,


    "Is something wrong, Ayumi?"


    She lets out a short sigh and says in a deted tone,


    "I miss my friends."


    Ah


    I lift her and ce her on myp before engulfing her in a hug and whispering,


    "I miss our past world as well, but we can''t do anything about it for now. Haven''t you made new friends at school?"


    In response to my words, Ayumi presses the back of her against my chest and replies,


    "Yes, but"


    Patting her head to deter her sadness away, even if a little, I begin to think of the possibility of taking her with me once I return to Project Charlotte for Shinoa in the future.


    ---


    Once we''ve had dinner, I go over to the shrine-house to see if I can y around with my abilities and discover something while I''m at it.


    However, before I could begin, I sense the presence of someone else.


    "Tiamat, what are you doing here?" I ask the voluptuous dragon behind me.


    I turn around to see her frowning while staring at me.


    "What?" I inquire.


    "You''ve turned me into your familiar, yet, you haven''t had me do anything so far."


    It seems like I won the bet with myself. Tiamat is a proud dragon, so she''ll eventually begin to feel ufortable seeing the others being useful to me and getting rewarded, while she''s almost forgotten.


    Of course, I had taken into consideration her personality making her feel like serving another is unworthy. Nevertheless, if the one she''s serving is extremely powerful and mysterious, it''s only natural that she will be interested in them.


    Man, it''s hard to hold back from grinning.


    "Sorry Tiamat, it''s just that the others had so much potential, that it made me wish to train them, to the point that I forgot about you," I say apologetically while scratching the back of my head.


    Seeing veins appearing on her forehead, I can tell that I''ve seeded.

 Chapter 89: Crafts ; Maids ; Pleasant Surprise

    Chapter 89: Crafts ; Maids ; Pleasant Surprise


    "You don''t mind it, right?" I say to the dragon whose anger is gradually rising.


    This has gotten me curious. What am I able to do with my familiar other than having her train the rest of my underlings?


    {Father could ''store'' her.}


    Store? You mean I can have her ''inside'' my body like Ddraig?


    {Affirmative.}


    Ignoring how wrong that sounds, that coulde in handy. Though, there is one problem. She''ll be able to see everything I do, wouldn''t she?


    {That is indeed the case.}


    Shit.


    At least, she''s a female. Nevertheless, I''d feel ufortable to have someone peering into everything I do, particrly my interactions with the other girls.


    {There is a solution, though it''s not a practical one.}


    I''m all ears.


    {Father could exhaust her to the point that she would need to slumber to recover. Doing so has two merits.}


    The first one should be that she won''t see what I do. What''s the second one?


    {She will continuously consume a small amount of Father''s energy. The amount consumed won''t affect Father all that much and it would be highly beneficial for her.}


    Exhaust her huh


    The only two things thate to mind if we''re speaking of exhaustion are either beating her up or spend some quality time with her until she''s tired.


    For the first one, I would rather not hurt her, which I''m sure will take much longer. As for the second one, I don''t think our rtionship is anywhere near that point yet.


    {Father could forcefully take her.}


    No. Don''t mention such a thing ever again.


    {Understood.}


    Don''t misunderstand me. I would rather get closer to others in more natural ways. Even ying with their mentality is fine if kept to a minimum.


    {There is a book avable that Father could make use of.}


    Oh? What''s that?


    {"How to Catch Them All 101"}


    Yeah, no. Sounds kinda fishy. Speaking of which, since when were you able to give me objects?


    {Father has made it so that I can give Father certain objects during specific times.}


    That sounds a little too convenient. Leaving that aside, how is that totally-genuine book going to help me out in this situation?


    {ording to Father, in the book, are several ways to get to the heart of females from all races.}


    For real? Interesting. Give me the book; might as well give it a read.


    The next moment, a pink book appears out of thin air. Opening it, I see some fancy handwriting.


    Who''s the author?


    Checking the back of thest page, I see two words written extra fancily: Pink Guy.


    Seems legit.


    Well then, let''s see what''s on the first page.


    "Best pickup line for beast/human hybrids: Hey there, you have a nice pair of really pointy ears."


    And that''s where I decide to shut the book and use Pyrokinesis to burn it to cinders.


    {Did Father find it useful?}


    Very. I now know what kind ofpliment I shouldn''t use, to pick up a girl.


    {I''m d.}


    Little do you know, sweetie...


    Shifting my focus back to Tiamat who''s looking at me incredulously, I realize that I screwed up.


    She just watched me go through with all of that.


    "Forget what you saw, or else" I say as I create a soulless lizard before using telekinesis to smash it into the ground.


    Understanding what I''m trying to convey, Tiamat nods her head before asking me,


    "What am I to do from now on?"


    Good question. Thinking about this logically, I should just go through with the exhaustion process and "store" her.


    Clearing my throat, I say with a bright smile on my face,


    "Dragons desire for strong mates, right?"


    The fuck did I just say?


    {Looks like the effects of the book are already taking ce.}


    Huh?! What are you talking about?


    {Father burned the book, which was a Craft. Upon burning Crafts, they get bound to the one who burnt them, and sometimes bringing extra effects with them.}


    {In this case, Father will have the content of the book memorized semi-consciously.}


    NO!!!


    "Wh-What?!" Tiamat utters with a meager blush on her face.


    You''ve got to be kidding me. This works?!


    "The moment I set my eyes on you, I knew that I saw the most beautiful scales in my life. Their toughness was on apletely different level from anything I''ve seen before."


    I don''t even know what I''m spouting anymore, but might as well continue to see what happens.


    "I was sure that any other scalespared to yours are brittle and nd looking. Especially so, with the sea-blue color that yours have."


    Tiamat sends a punch toward my face, but of course, I wouldn''t let that get anywhere near me.


    Stopping it with Vector Maniption, I move forward and embrace her. While enjoying the softness of her melons, I say brazenly,


    "You were just really beautiful, so I lost myself there. I hope you can forgive me for that."


    Tiamat pushes me away from herself and says with deeper blush now apparent on her face,


    "Stop. Don''t do this anymore. Just go back to being the douche you were."


    Ouch.


    How mean Well, I do admit that my past actions may have been a little too extreme.


    Say, Irene, how do I "store" her?


    {Father may kiss her.}


    On the lips?


    {Affirmative.}


    Why didn''t you say the magical word  ''Negative'' this time out of all times?! Ah, whatever. I never cared for such things anyway.


    "Tiamat," I say calmly, "I can have you ''stored'' within my body and make you appear outside whenever I want to. Would you like that?"


    The gorgeous dragon begins to deliberate on her choices in the matter, so I spend some time exploring my Creation database for anything interesting.


    After a while, she puts on a serious look before saying, "Yes."


    Hearing her answer, I slowly walk toward her and before she''s able to react, I ce my lips on hers.


    Immediately after I do so, I smell something fresh, like mint. The same goes for my taste, as mint is exactly what I taste.


    The next moment, the wide-eyed Tiamat turns into motes of light before disappearing into my chest.


    I feel a painful sensation on my back as if molten-rock is being poured on it.


    Taking off my clothes, I check myself out using irvoyance.


    As expected, something has changed. On my back, there is a "tattoo" of a blue dragon, breathing purple mes.


    All in all, it looks good on my body, so I''ll let it be.


    "So, Tia-chan, how do you feel?"


    [[Don''t call me that! And why did you that earlier?!]]


    "Well, I did it so that you could be how you are right now. Forget that, how is it inside?"


    [[It''s like I''m on another. All around me are ins covered in grass.]]


    "Wow I was expecting it to be something like an endless dark void or something."


    [[And you were going to send me to somewhere like that?!]]


    "Hey now, stay calm. I''ve got a question for you: Are you able to see what I see?"


    [[Yes.]]


    And thus, begins my painful path to being judged for everything


    ---


    "The maids have arrived," Nao says to me as soon as I return to the mansion.


    Isn''t that a little too fast? Now that I think about it, the site didn''t disy when the maids would arrive.


    Anyhow, I''m looking forward to my new maids. I''ve purposefully chosen expensive ones, as they might be hard-working ones.


    That''s especially the case if it''s their first time doing a "proper" job.


    From what was written on their description, I could tell that they''ve only had practice and not actually worked anywhere.


    Although, I find it a little weird that one of the two maids I''ve selected didn''t have any pictures of herself and asked for a permit during certain hours. As I don''t mind it all that much, I went along with it.


    Well then, time to go wee them.


    I head over to the front door where most of the girls are at, speaking with two fairly splendid girls. I''m pleasantly surprised by the appearance of one of the two.


    "Hi there, I''m the owner of this mansion, Haruka Kasuganou," I say in a friendly manner.


    They both bow politely before introducing themselves:


    The first one to introduce herself is a girl with short ck hair and gray eyes,


    "Nice to meet you, Master Haruka (Haruka-dono). My name is Siesta Takeo. I''m new to this job, so I hope you can forgive any mistakes I may make."


    As for the other one, she surprisingly remains calm as she introduces herself,


    "Greetings, Master Haruka. I''m Kristina Parsons. This is the first time that I''ve worked as a maid, so I hope you forgive any mistakes that I might make."


    Who would''ve thought that she would look for work as a maid? Now, her permit for non-working hours makes sense, as she has to go to school and drive us to and back from school.


    "I''m looking forward to your services," I say to the two girls.


    Just as I''m about to invite them inside, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {WARNING: Initialized Code detected.}


    Initialized Code? It couldn''t be Kristina as I''ve been interacting with her for a while now. Which means it''s Siesta, huh?


    Anyway, what''s an Initialized Code? Is it like literally a just-awakened Code?


    {Affirmative.}


    Intriguing. I wonder what''s her Code

 Chapter 90: Helkiginia ; Stress ; Annoyance

    Chapter 90: Helkiginia ; Stress ; Annoyance


    "Let''s head inside, shall we?" I suggest to those present.


    Once we''re all in the living room, I discuss the terms of their contracts with them.


    A few minutester, the discussion is already over with everyone preparing to go back to whatever they were up to a while ago.


    However, everyonees to a halt the moment I say,


    "Siesta, you''re one of us, right?"


    Not only does this confuse the clueless maid, but it also puzzles the other girls as well.


    Getting up from the sofa, I say in a neutral tone,


    "Are you from this world?"


    This question of mine might seem simple, but it''s absolutely not.


    First, depending on her answer, I will be able to tell if she''s affiliated with a Program or not.


    Second, it will give me a general idea of how much she knows about her Code and powers.


    Third, which is the most important one, is to confirm my hypothesis of all "active" Codes apart from those frozen in Italia are in other tforms.


    As expected, Siesta''s eyes widen upon hearing my inquiry.


    Noticing it, Krul appears in front of Siesta and swiftly throws a punch at her.


    "Krul!" some of the girls in the room scream.


    The punches to a stop a few inches away from Siesta''s horrified face.


    Naturally, the force contained within the punch isn''t something to be made light off, fortunately, Krul knows how to keep it in check.


    "What are you doing?" Ravel asks Krul with bewilderment.


    "Leave her alone," I say solemnly, "her actions were necessary."


    "How?" Nao inquires.


    "I said it didn''t I? She''s an existence simr to Krul, Yuno, and me."


    Looking into her eyes, I am tempted to use Indoctrination to have her answer my questions, however, that will leave her confused which is the worst possible state of mind I could leave her in.


    Not only will she be exceedingly vulnerable to maniptive individuals, but she wouldn''t be able to trust us, no matter how nice we treat her.


    "Don''t misunderstand our intentions," I say to the terrorized maid, "most of us present right now have powers and abilities of our own, so I need to make sure that no one suspicious slithers their way inside."


    Surprisingly, the girl manages to calm down shortly after I say that. This means that she either has a high mental fortitude, or she''s from a world that abnormal things happening all over the ce.


    "You''re right," she says meekly, "I''m not from this world."


    Siesta then proceeds to tell us about where she''s from, how she appeared here, and what she''s trying to do.


    Her exnation begins with where she''s from  Helkiginia. A world that has magicians who are "nobles".


    Before appearing in the Rift, she used to work as a maid in an academy for these nobles.


    Naturally, the nobles practiced discrimination against themoners.


    Listening to her speak of the world, I begin to realize that it''s probably the best tform to build a base at.


    No advanced technology as well as annoying weaponry to deal with. Plenty of kingdoms to conquer, and mythical creatures to subjugate.


    Not only will it be fun, but also rewarding.


    Once Siesta gets to the point about how she appeared in the Rift, Krul and I are both astounded to learn that her experience was simr to that of Krul and herpanions.


    I clear my throat up a little before saying,


    "Siesta, once I''m done with all of my unfinished businesses, I will help you return to your world.


    "Not only that, but I will also apany you there, as the world youe from sounds like a truly pleasant ce to live in."


    My words seem to have the intended purpose as she smiles in response before nodding her head.


    [[You definitely have ulterior motives for going over there.]]


    It''s better to ignore the lovely voice of the dragon in me.


    Now then, time to inquire about her powers.


    Irene, didn''t you have the ability to tell other''s Codes?


    {Negative.}


    That''s weird because I''m sure you identified Krul''s Code back then in Project Charlotte.


    {That''s because Code: Abbadon was enlisted within my database.}


    How unfortunate


    "Siesta," I say, "Do you have any powers?"


    In response to my inquiry, Siesta slowly shakes head and says,


    "I''m just amoner, so I don''t have any magic abilities."


    She misunderstood my question. It doesn''t matter, anyway, as if she had powers, she wouldn''t have misunderstood me in the first ce.


    Now that we''re done, I walk over to Sora, grab her hand and pull her along with myself as I head back to my room.


    Once inside, I close the door before pushing Sora down onto the bed.


    What follows is a series of long kisses with a lot of tongue action and yful teasing.


    A few minutester, I''m sitting on the bed with my back to the end of it while Sora is within my arms enjoying the feeling of my hand ying with her privates.


    "Are you stressed?" she asks me while panting lightly.


    "Why do you think so?" I ask her back.


    "It seems like it," she replies before turning her head and pressing her lips onto mine.


    After a few seconds of kissing, we stop as I say,


    "It''s just that something hasn''t been going ording to what I had nned."


    "Is it rted to Ravel?"


    "Smart girl," I praise her while kissing her lips once more.


    As Sora said, I''m feeling a little apprehensive about the Phenex family not making any movements against me, because it prevents me from taking them down as I wouldn''t have a "genuine" reason to.


    Why wait for such a thing if I can just take them out easily? Because it would make me appear as a tactless individual that just knows how to bring chaos through physical means.


    Also, it would be problematic if all the Devils decided to wage war against me during this time period, as I''ve yet to properly prepare for a battle of such a scale.


    Any rash actions I take could have severe consequences.


    This is exactly why I wanted the Phenex family to try something against me. As a "noble" family, they wouldn''t want their actions to be known by the others, which will give me the upper-hand when dealing with them.


    There is also the fact that I''ve yet to know of the "strongest" Devils. Taking those guys down in a "friendly" manner would be much more effective than otherwise.


    My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door opening.


    Sensing who it is, I swiftly fix Sora''s dress before positioning her in a way that it wouldn''t seem suspicious.


    "Brother Yu?" Ayumi says as she enters the room.


    Beaming a smile, I probe calmly,


    "Is something wrong?"


    In response to my inquiry, she shakes her head beforeing over and sitting on myp beside Sora.


    Checking Sora''splexion, I see that she''s a little annoyed, but not as much as I expected.


    [[You your own sister?]]


    "It doesn''t matter," I whisper in response to Tiamat''s baffled voice.


    [[But you''re rted by blood, aren''t you?]]


    "Once again, it doesn''t matter."


    [[Don''t you find this morally wrong?]]


    "Not at all. Screw morality."


    [[You''re even more of a bizarre existence than I thought you were.]]


    "Thank you."


    [[That was not apliment.]]


    "Leave me alone, will you?"


    Fortunately, she does leave me to myself after I say that.


    Seriously, being judged for my actions isn''t fun. I need to deal with this quickly, somehow.


    ---


    I''m in the clubroom, once again, about to tell those present to be prepared for teleportation to the Arena.


    However, I seem to be cursed, as before I can utter a word, I sense the presence of something flying above the academy.


    Using irvoyance, I check the annoyance out.


    "A ten-winged Fallen Angel," I say.


    My words seem to be stunning as Rias, Akeno and Koneko straightaway rush outside.


    Upon reaching outside the academy, I set my eyes upon a heavily wounded Kiba lying on the ground with some guy who''s wounded, but not to the same extent pressing his leg on him.


    Looking around, I see Sona standing beside Rias as they both stare at the sky.


    The Fallen Angel begins to introduce himself,


    "Nice to meet you, I suppose? Daughter of the House of Gremory. My name is Kokabiel."

 Chapter 91: Kokabiel ; Albion

    Chapter 91: Kokabiel ; Albion


    Who''s this jester?


    Rias seems like she wants to start a long-ass conversation with him, but I''m not in the mood for that.


    I''ve had enough of being interrupted before starting the daily training session.


    "Hey, you, Coca-thing," I shout to the guy, whose name I''ve already forgotten.


    Whatever, I''m sure he''ll realize that I''m referring to him.


    "What did you say?!" he cries out, losing hisposure.


    This guy has some issues with his temperament. Nevertheless, judging by the number of wings he has, his arrogance, his triangr face, and everyone''s reaction to him, he should be strong.


    At least, stronger than the insects I''ve met up until now.


    Leaving that clown aside, who''s the other guy that''s beside Kiba? He seems like a nice guy to out and have a drink with.


    Well, he can''t do much being in the state he''s in right now.


    "So, is that thing supposed to be strong?" I ask nonchntly.


    "Yes," Akeno replies solemnly, "He''s the leader of the Fallen Angels."


    Sensing something, I observe the outskirts of the academy and see the student council members all flying and using their demonic magic.


    A few momentster, a barrier made of demonic energy epasses the whole academy.


    It looks strong, but my guts tell me that if I flick it once, it will shatter like brittle ss.


    "I don''t know who you are," Coca-C says before summoning a floating chair with some extra decorations out of thin air and continuing, "But you will be entertaining me."


    "Wrong," I reply, "You will be the one entertaining me."


    He doesn''t react to my words and just continues to sit on his "throne" brimming with arrogance before saying, "I will first have you y with my pet."


    The moment he says so, a light appears at the bottom of his floating "throne" before a green energy beam is released which directly strikes the ground underneath it.


    There, a magic circle appears before mes cover the whole area above it. A few secondster, two giant three-headed hounds emerge from within the mes.


    "That''s Cereberus," Akeno says with shock, "The Guard Dogs of Hell."


    Screw this, I''m too tired to fool around today.


    Utilizing Holy sh, I behead the guy next to Kiba as well as some fat guy that was hiding in the distance.


    "What?!", the arrogant Fallen Angel yells, "You You''re not a Devil?"


    As I thought. Even if one is strong, they must focus to be able to see my Rework.


    "You guys go and deal with the dogs," I order Rias and the co.


    --


    About three minutes have passed since I''ve given them the order. During this time period, they managed to kill both of the Cereberus.


    I was pleasantly surprised by how much they''ve improved. Particrly Rias.


    She did exceptionally well, ordering the others while also fighting, herself.


    And so, they managed to do it within a rtively short time-period, and not get injured even once during the whole process.


    Looking over to the guy who''s pridefully watching everything from on top of his throne, I prepare to take him down in one strike.


    "This is probably going to be overkill" I mutter before jumping dozens of meters into the air.


    [Boost!]


    Ddraig''s voice resounds within my head as I fly toward the throne.


    -Ittou Shura


    The next moment, I find myself in front of the Fallen Angel who has yet to realize what''sing for him.


    My arm drawn back, I feel like a vortex is being formed by my fist as I channel Destruction into my hand before punching the jester.


    Directly after my punch connects with his face, a grand shock-wave is released, shattering all the ss within the barrier, before the barrier itself.


    Realizing the force contained within my punch is too much, I immediately weaken the vectors to keep the damage to a minimum.


    Nevertheless, I witness the whole "throne" disintegrate as the one who was sitting on it a few seconds ago now non-existent.


    The clouds in the sky all fade away as silence ensues.


    I cancel the Boosted Gear and Ittou Shura before descending to the ground.


    Suddenly, I feel another presence nearby.


    Looking the direction I felt it from, a man wearing a white dragon-like armor enters my sight.


    Albion


    "This is troubling," the man in the armor says.


    "Azazel told me to bring him back, however, it seems like that''s impossible now."


    The man looks at me and says,


    "So, you''re the current owner of the Boosted Gear?"


    Sensing the pride exuding from the guy, I can tell that he''s confident in fighting with me.


    "So what if I am?" I reply.


    "Nothing. It''s just that as my arch-rival, you''d need to do better than what you did a while ago," he states.


    "Oh, is that so?" I say before vanishing from where I am and reappearing in front of him.


    I pull out Excalibur from my ring and sh in his direction.


    However, the sh doesn''t make contact with his body as he swiftly moves away before raising his arm and shouting,


    "Divine Dividing!"


    The next moment, I feel a wave of foreign energy entering my body. It seems like it wants to suck a great amount of my powers out, however, before it can do so, my own body reacts by expelling the energy.


    {Berserk: Tormentor utilized.}


    Feeling my strength and speed as well as precision all increase at once, I activate the Boosted Gear.


    [Boost!]


    -Godspeed.


    Appearing right in front of the guy with enough momentum to push him back by air current alone, I discard Excalibur as I punch him at the center of his armor, directly crushing it.


    The guy isunched with terrific speed into the distance before finally crashing into a building.


    Using Rework to change the way I look, I move over to where he is at and send several Holy shes at him.


    In response to my flurry of attacks, the guy once again raises his arm before shouting,


    "Divine Dividing!"


    This, however, affects neither me nor my attack in any way, as his armor gets torn apart by the Holy shes.


    Appearing in front of him, I kick him in the mouth with enough force to shatter the ground all around us.


    Here I stand, peering into the broken dragon-head as humans scream all around me, running away with all they''ve got.


    "There is no "arch-rival" or anything for that matter. You are weak. Stupidly weak. So, rather than spouting such words with pride, I suggest you go back to wherever you came from."


    Should I let him go or not?


    Firstly, I don''t know much about him other than the fact that he''s arrogant and overconfident. So, I can''t break his mind just yet.


    Secondly, he should be able to make contact with more big-shots, from the way he spoke earlier.


    Andstly,


    "Ddraig, take a look at your nemesis."


    [What?]


    Giving Ddraig the opportunity to see through my eyes, I wait for his reaction to this.


    [Albion?]


    "Ddraig" A voice simr to that of Ddraig responds.


    [It seems like this is where it ends.]


    "What are you talking about?", the voice resounds once again.


    [Your chances of winning against this guy are none-existent. He''s abnormal.]


    "He might be a little strong, but that doesn''t mean my partner is weak!",es the response from Albion.


    "You do realize that I can crush his head right now, right?" I chuckle before I say.


    Albion shuts up, most likely concerned about how I''m going to handle matters from here.


    "What''s the name of this guy," I inquire as I press my foot onto the skull of the user.


    "Vali Lucifer," came a response almost immediately.


    Lucifer? That''s intriguing.


    [[You''re not killing him?]]


    "I''m not sure. What do you think of this, Tia?"


    [[It''s your choice. Although, personally, I would''ve killed him the moment he disrespected me.]]


    "Oh? Even though I ''disrespected'' you back in the Familiar Forest?"


    [[That''s different. One should know when to fight and when to not.]]


    "I never would''ve thought that I would hear such words from a prideful dragon."


    [[Hmph.]]


    Putting my focus back to Vali who''s barely alive at the moment, I think of the choices avable to me.


    However, I suddenly feel another presence nearby.


    I check it out and am surprised to find a ck-haired woman with cat-like features hiding nearby.


    She reminds me of Koneko, to the point that I''m beginning to suspect if they''re rted somehow.


    Now that I think about it, Koneko did mention having an older sister.


    So, how do I get her toe with me peacefully? Obviously, trick her.


    First, I will have her trade herself for Vali''s life if that''s what she''s here for.


    Albion will tell Vali about it, which will piss him off and nt a seed of uncertainty within him.


    I can take advantage of thatter on, once I''ve gotten a grip on his personality to enrage him and loot Albion from him.


    The other reason for doing this is that the girl will most likely apany me peacefully if she''s weaker than Vali, as she will probably think that Vali and whoever is with him wille to her rescue.


    Not only will this attract the attention of several individuals that I could potentially loot abilities from, it will also help me resolve Koneko''s past.


    In other words, I lose nothing from doing this, and only gain from it.

 Chapter 92: Kuroka Toujou ; Sleeping Cat

    Chapter 92: Kuroka Toujou ; Sleeping Cat


    "I should just kill him off like the rest," I say in a voice loud enough for the hidden Nekomata to hear.


    I create an ordinary sword and press it against Vali''s neck.


    Raising the sword, I make it seem like I''m about to chop his head off before saying,


    "You were the one that challenged me."


    As expected, before I can go through with the "execution", the Nekomata appears behind me and uses her powers to attack my back.


    Applying Vector Maniption, I reflect the attack to her, which surprises her for a split-second before she nimbly dodges it.


    "Another challenger has appeared," I dere mockingly.


    Turning around to face the Nekomata, I inquire solemnly, "Who are you?"


    She doesn''t answer my inquiry properly as she just states,


    "You''re a tough one to knock down Vali like this."


    I decide to ignore the ''nya'' at the end of her sentence for the better part of it.


    Nevertheless, I ought to beat some sense into her as brushing off someone''s inquiry regarding oneself is quite a rude thing to do.


    Fortunately, she saves me the trouble of attacking her as she does so herself.


    Despite being sure that the attacks won''t hurt me, I continuously dodge them to make her believe that I''m no longer able to use my ability to reflect her attacks.


    After a while, she realizes that my speed is a little too fast for her attacks, so she moves closer to me.


    Naturally, I take advantage of this as I close the distance between us in a split-second and before she''s able to react, I grab her and m her into the ground that''s covered in debris.


    She seems to have taken a lot of damage from this as she coughs out some blood.


    Lifting her up with telekinesis, I say to her nonchntly,


    "Are you willing to tell me your name now?"


    The girl glowers at me for a few seconds before responding with,


    "Kuroka Toujou."


    I act like I''m surprised and look into the distance as if I''m thinking of something.


    Using my senses, I make sure that she observes my actions and her reaction to them before turning back to her and saying,


    "You know, I''m not a fan of being forceful with others, so could you please follow me without resistance?"


    In response to this, Kuroka looks at me strangely before asking,


    "And you im that what you''ve done up until now hasn''t been forceful?"


    [[She has a point, you know?]]


    "Shut up, Tia," I whisper before looking Kuroka in the eyes and stating, "You guys were the ones that appeared in my territory with ill-intentions. It''s only to be expected that I will beat you up."


    Crouching beside her, I say in a friendly manner,


    "How about we make a deal?"


    This seems to pique her interest as she looks at me, curiously waiting for me to state what I have in mind.


    Creating two chairs, I ce Kuroka on one of them as I take a seat on the other.


    "In return for sparing that guy''s life over there, I want you to follow me to my home."


    Kuroka looks at me curiously before asking me,


    "Why do you want me to follow you?"


    Nodding my head once, I reply in a casual tone,


    "There is someone that I want you to meet."


    This immediately results in Kuroka squinting her eyes as she cautiously asks,


    "Who?"


    Chuckling at her reaction, I move my head closer to her before I softly say,


    "Your sister."


    Kuroka''s previously squinted eyes immediately widen from shock. She stays silent for a few seconds before she says gravely,


    "How do I know you''re not lying?"


    Not minding her tone, I say with a smile stered to my face,


    "There is no point in lying to you, as I could simply have you follow me through more extreme means. I''m fairly certain that you''re aware of my power."


    As Kuroka falls silent, I begin to think of her reaction to my words.


    From the looks of it, she didn''t see what happened in the academy, or else she would''ve known about Koneko being with me.


    Despite that, I felt someone watching us mid-battle. Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to make out the location we were being watched from.


    ---


    Upon arriving back at Kuoh Academy, I examine the now-windowless building.


    That''s a lot of damage.


    As if sensing my return, the girlse over to where I''m at.


    "What happened?" Rias asks while observing Kuroka who''s standing behind me.


    "Nothing much," I reply casually, "Just some punk a lesson about true power."


    Upon hearing my words, some of the girls who''re present close their eyes as if they are offering Vali their condolences.


    "Hey! Don''t act like whenever I''m concerned, someone dies!"


    My words seem to enter through one ear and leave through the other, as they keep on doing what they are.


    Leaving them aside, I look at the two Nekomata who have been staring at each other for a while now without uttering a single word.


    "Come on," I say encouragingly, "say something. That''s your sister over there, no?"


    Kuroka does seem like she wants to say something, but the moment she opens her mouth, it looks like something prevents her from talking.


    Whatever. I''ll leave the girls to their own devices. If I see no progress in their rtionship in the future, I will just take matters into my own hands.


    "Since things turned out the way they did today, you may all go on with your day. Let''s go. Koneko. Asia."


    With the two of them in tow, I go over to the kendo the club. Surely, all the girls currently at school right now are panic-stricken.


    ---


    On the way back home, Kristina was already in her maid attire. When I asked her about it, she said that she changed into it at school.


    Her friends already knew about it, so it didn''t cause much of a problem for her other than most of them showering her with praises about how good it looked on her.


    They also asked her about her "owner", which Kristina revealed to be none other than myself by my order.


    What''s there to hide about having a schoolgirl as one''s maid? Nothing at all. Besides, my reputation at school is quite high, so the girls were more enthusiastic about it than anything else.


    Leaving that aside, Kristina surprisingly got the hang of driving the limo fairly quickly, despite it being the first vehicle she''s ever driven.


    Insight might have yed a big role in this, but it''s not an easy feat to achieve.


    I should reward herter.


    Now, I ought to be more concerned about Koneko''s case.


    During the ride home, she sat on myp as if it were the most natural thing to do while nuzzling her head against my chest.


    To calm her down, I tried all sorts of things, from petting her to gently stroking her tail.


    This was effective as she beamed a little before dozing off while purring.


    As soon as we reached the mansion I had Kuroka introduce herself to the rest of the residents, before carrying the sleeping Koneko to my room while ultimately ignoring the concerned look I was given by her sister.


    And so, here I am right now, lying beside a sleeping Koneko who''s curled herself up.


    Knowing that there will be a lot of exnation and stressful momentster, I peck her on the lips before bringing her body closer and petting her while falling asleep myself.

 Chapter 93: Kurokas Explanation ; Visit ; (Spoiler Title)

    Chapter 93: Kuroka''s Exnation ; Visit ; (Spoiler Title)


    What''s this sensation?


    It feels like a snail is moving over my cheek.


    Opening my eyes, I see Koneko on her knees and hands, leaning over me.


    As if not expecting me to wake up, she stiffens up before looking me in the eyes with her tail standing upright.


    Was she licking me just now?


    Seeing how panicky she''s acting confirms my suspicions.


    I check the room for the presence of anyone else, and once I''m sure that we''re alone, I pull Koneko into my embrace.


    "You''re seriously adorable, you know?" I whisper into her ear, my breath making it twitch.


    She is cute. Dangerously so.


    I proceed to move her head and look into her golden eyes. Both of her eyes seem to be twitching from anxiety.


    Right, upon leaving this room, Koneko will be discoursing with her sister, whom she believes has betrayed her. Naturally, she should be stressed out right now.


    To calm her down, I ce my hand on her left cheek before leaning into her.


    Koneko realizes what I''m nning to do as she closes her eyes and moves her head closer.


    Our lips press against each other as I embrace her petite body tightly.


    While kissing her, I enjoy the softness of her tail, which is coiled around my right arm as I y with her ears using my other arm.


    After a few minutes of kissing, I back away from her before saying,


    "Let''s go, Koneko. Everything is going to be fine with me backing you up, okay?"


    Koneko nods her head once while uttering an "um" before getting up from the bed and waiting for me to do the same.


    Following suit, I get up from the bed and hold her hand as both of us walk to the door.


    [[Do you have a thing for kids?]]


    "No," I mutter in response to Tia''s inquiry.


    ---


    Currently, all the residents of the mansion are in the living room, myself included.


    Everyone listened to Kuroka speak of her past, probably out of curiosity.


    Koneko, who''s sitting on myp, was dissatisfied with her exnation, to the point that she denied the possibility of it being the truth.


    Looking at the disheartened Kuroka, I decide to intervene.


    "Kuroka," I call out to her, attracting everyone''s attention.


    "I have the power to make you obey every order I make. Are you fine with me using the power to make you tell the truth?"


    In response to my words, Kuroka is mildly shocked by the oddity of my power, before she seriously nods her head as confirmation.


    Thus, I spend the next ten minutes confirming everything she said using Indoctrination.


    It seems like the effort was worth it as Koneko seems to be convinced of everything. Nevertheless, Koneko said to me that she needs time to ept her, which I ryed to her sister.


    Fortunately, Kuroka seems like she''s willing to wait patiently.


    Leaving that aside, it seems like I really do need to pay a visit to House of Nauberius.


    I wonder how painful "holy" objects are for Devils...


    --


    "Hello, how have you two been doing?" I say in a friendly manner upon entering the room a certain mother and daughter are.


    "We''ve been doing fine, thank you," Yasaka replies while continuing to brush Kunou''s tails.


    A few secondster she stops and turns her head to face me before saying, "What brings you here at this hour?"


    I shrug and say nonchntly,


    "Nothing in particr. I only hoped to see you two again."


    That''s one of the reasons. Another one is that I wanted to check on the state of the Youkai district here.


    I suppose, fortifying the shrine-house that was offered to us will be beneficial, so I will have Yunoe over soon and get it done.


    Naturally, I will reward her properly.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Haruka," Yasaka''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Victor," I say, "You may call me Victor."


    Yasaka squints her eyes slightly before nodding her head and answering gracefully,


    "Very well, Mr. Victor (Victor-san)."


    "Could you drop the "Mr." (-san), as I''m not used to being called in such a manner."


    "Understood," she replies, "You may call me Yasaka in return."


    I nod my head and wait for her to continue with what she wanted to say earlier.


    "Victor, do I get to have the pleasure of knowing your identity?" she bluntly asks, while maintaining her elegantposure.


    "No problem," I say nonchntly before grinning and stating, "I am God."


    As expected, Yasaka isn''t startled by my im. There are two usible reasons for her to be unsurprised.


    The first one is that she thinks of it as a joke. As for the second one, Yasaka must''ve expected such a reply or one simr to it, which is quite intriguing.


    "You knew?" I ask her curiously.


    "No," she replies calmly, "I had a general idea of your strength and disposition, however, I didn''t know who you were."


    "Do you believe me?"


    Yasaka slowly shakes her head and says,


    "It doesn''t matter if I believe in your words or not. What matters is that you''re strong and have peculiar abilities. As such, I wouldn''t want to offend such a figure and effectively endanger my fellow Youkai."


    In response to her words, which for some reason make me seem like a psychopath, I beam a smile and say,


    "You don''t need to worry about me harming any Youkai, as long as no one attempts to do something dumb."


    [[It seems like I was mistaken about you, concerning what I said earlier.]]


    "Of course," I mutter, knowing that Tia is referring to when she said I''m interested in kids.


    [[You simply don''t care about age, at all.]]


    ...


    Hah~ I will just ignore her from now on.


    Focusing back on reality, I look at Kunou who has been staring at me ever since her mother stopped brushing her tail and say,


    "Yasaka, do you mind if I take Kunou out?"


    "What for?" she says while looking at me with a small smile on her face.


    "I only wish to spend some time with her," I respond.


    After thinking for a few moments, she nods her head and says,


    "That''s fine, however, I will be apanying you."


    Just what I wanted to hear.


    It''s better if I spend some of my time away from the mansion, so that I don''t get bored of staying there. The same goes for the girls, so I should take them on an outing every once in a while.


    There is another reason that I''m staying outside, which is that I wish to see how the girls in the mansion treat each other while I''m away.


    For that purpose, I set up a bunch of mini-cameras that are barely visible in the mansion, while using Rework to make them seem invisible from the outside.


    Once I''m back in the mansion, checking what was caught by the cameras will be the first thing that I will do, and act ording to what I see.


    "We can''t go out tonight, as it''s toote to go anywhere, so let''s go some other day," I suggest.


    "Of course," Yasaka replies.


    I take a look at Kunou and see that she''s delighted at the prospect of going out somewhere.


    It''s almost like she doesn''t get the chance to do this a lot.


    "While I''m here, how about we y a game of your choice?" I say to Yasaka.


    ---


    After hours of ying table games with Yasaka and Kunou, I finally return to the mansion, exhausted.


    Just as I''m about to drift off to sleep, I feel a soft and wet sensation on my cheek.


    Has this be a habit for Koneko now? Licking my cheek? Well, it''s cute, so I don''t mind it much.


    Pulling the petite body into my embrace without bothering to open my eyes, I give her a quick peck on the lips before patting her head.


    However, I suddenly feel a chill run down my spine as I''m unable to feel Koneko''s cat-ears.


    Gulping down some saliva, I open my eyes anxiously.


    What meets my sight is a blushing Ayumi who''s trying to cover her face with both of her hands.


    As I hear her softly mutter "Brother Yu", Tia''s voice resounds within my head,


    [[You''ve done it now.]]


    Shit.


    ~~~~~


    Complete Title: Kuroka''s Exnation ; Visit ; It was at this moment that...

 Chapter 94: Familiar Space ; How to Train Your Milf Dragon

    Chapter 94: Familiar Space ; How to Train Your Milf Dragon


    How could this happen to me?


    Was I too careless? Unquestionably. So, how do I deal with this? There are various ways of doing so, but I would preferably not resort to them.


    "Ayumi," I say, "Let''s just sleep, alright?"


    In response to my proposition, Ayumi nods her head with her hands still covering her face, before moving closer to me.


    I hug her body and n to go to sleep, but all of a sudden, I detect two presences in front of the door.


    Checking them out, I perceive Sora and Koneko.


    The two of them both get inside the room and walk to the bed. Sora climbs on and lies on my other side, while Koneko directly lies on top of me.


    All three of the girls seem to be sleepy as they quickly doze off. I take a look at Ayumi and see that there is still some red hue on her cheeks.


    [[Are you going to sleep anytime soon?]]


    Hah~ Tia needs to be silenced. I hope there is a method to swiftly improve my bond with her.


    The moment that I think so, I feel my vision getting hazy. Then, all of a sudden, my perception blips.


    --


    I am currently standing somewhere deste with the only "living" entities close to me being the grass on the ground as well as a certain dragon.


    "Hi, Tia," I greet the dragon who''s currently in her human form.


    "That''s unexpected," she says in a thinking posture, "I didn''t expect you to be able to enter this ce."


    Shrugging, I say wryly,


    "I just found out that I could do so myself."


    Hey, Irene, can you hear me?


    Not getting any response, I conclude that she''s unable to make contact with me here.


    Checking the surroundings out, other than grass and the clear sky, I see nothing else, but I can tell that there is something in the distance.


    "Tia, how far have you gone?" I inquire.


    "Not far, just a few kilometers. I didn''t find anything, so I returned."


    Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I utilize Godspeed before dashing to where I feel the connection.


    After a few minutes of constant running, I finallye upon something unusual, both visually and tactually.


    In front of me is something akin to a barrier. It''s white, opaque, and releasing an oddly familiar yet ominous aura.


    Where am I exactly? I deemed this ce somewhere assigned to my familiars, but that doesn''t seem to be the case.


    I''m getting strangely familiar vibes from all around me.


    That''s especially the case with the "barrier" in front of me. After careful observation, I can tell that it''s possible to pass through it without much issue.


    This discovery is toopelling to be left off forter.


    Deciding that it''s worth it, I walk through the barrier. As expected, I can do so effortlessly.


    Once I''m on the other side, I am immediately able to see the changes.


    All around me are familiar ces. From the looks of it, this is Japan, but if there is a distinction between the two, it''s going to be how wrecked this ce is.


    The whole ce looks simr to how Yuno''s world looks, except that this ce has no amputated dead bodies lying all over the ce.


    I proceed to fly into the sky and observe the location from a birds-eye viewpoint.


    What''s that? It''s like there is a line dividing the ce evenly, with one side being nothing more than ruins and the other being ordinary.


    I check the ce out for about half an hour beforending on the ground and utilizing Godspeed.


    --


    After an hour of dashing into the distance, I''ve yet toe across anything other than divided cities.


    On the way to where I am right now, I ran into dozens of cities from all over Earth. All of them were simr to the first one, divided proportionally with one side being wrecked and the other being regr.


    It seems like the next barrier isn''t as easy to get to as the one earlier, so I will head back for now and returnter once my speed has increased.


    It''s quite unfortunate that I''m unable to use the Boosted Gear here.


    And so, I use what''s left of my energy to get back to where Tia is, which takes me a little more than an hour.


    Letting out a sigh, I dere in an exhausted manner, "I''m back."


    Tia, who''s lying on the grass lifts her body and scrutinizes me before inquiring,


    "Did you find anything?"


    In response to her inquiry, I begin to exin what I experienced during the past two hours.


    I reckon that this whole ce is somehow rted to my Code, particrly the divided cities. It feels like they are associated with Mahesvara by one side being Creation and the other being Destruction.


    "Hey Tia," I say, attracting the dragon''s attention before abruptly kissing her lips.


    In response to my sudden action, Tiamat punches my guts with all of her strength.


    Unaffected, I move back and say with a smirk on my face,


    "Let''s y a game."


    Tiamat res at before saying,


    "I don''t know what you have in mind. What I do know is that I will be punching that pretty face of yours."


    Waving my hand in front of me, I say dismissively,


    "That''s improbable, as your strength and speed aren''t even close to what I can muster right now, despite my how weakened I am."


    Noticing that I will mock her no matter what she says, Tiamat says solemnly,


    "What''s the ''game'' that you spoke off?"


    Appearing in front of her, I peck her lips once again and move away before she''s able to react. Then, I state,


    "This can be considered as a form of training, my dear Tia."


    Seeing her grimace at the way I referred to her, I shrug my shoulders before saying,


    "It''s simple. All you have to do is prevent me from taking advantage of you using any means necessary to do so."


    ---


    After an hour of ''fighting'' with Tiamat, both of us lie down on the grass, fatigued.


    Feeling the softness within my arms, I shift myself before burying my face in her Tia''s bosoms.


    "Pervert," a muffled voice reaches my ears, but I disregard it and continue to relish the sensation I''m currently feeling.


    "What are you?", Tiamat asks me after a while, "To remain undamaged despite taking so many of my punches and-"


    Moving my head, I seal her lips with my own before getting up and saying,


    "That''s for you to discover."


    Immediately after that, I think of ''returning'' to the Rift, which results in me finding myself back in my body that was resting on the bed and surrounded by mellowness on all sides.


    Knowing that I''ve spent up a lot of my energy, I directly doze off to sleep.


    --


    Something''s wrong, I can feel it.


    Opening my eyes, what meets my vision is Nao and Misa who have an odd look on their faces while looking at me. Nao is using a smartphone that I had created for her to snap pictures of me.


    I instantly realize what''s going on, so I activate my Permeation ability to phase through all physical matter and get off the bed.


    "Don''t worry, we already knew how messed up ya were," Misa remarks.


    Nao nods her head as confirmation and states,


    "You were never normal, so it would be unusual if you suddenly acted like so."


    "How am I not normal?!" I ask, exasperated.


    The two girls don''t respond to me and just leave the room together. While doing so, Nao waves her phone in the air and says,


    "Another scene to add my collection of your random acts of weirdness."


    ...


    Are they trying to make me feel guilty or make me realize how unconventional my way of thinking is? Whichever it is, I don''t care.


    I find my way of dealing with my problems to be both efficient and effective.


    As for guilt, I''ve lost all feelings remotely simr to that a long time go. It''s toote for that now.


    Anyway, it''s about time that I had a ''proper'' talk with Ravel regarding her family...

 Chapter 95: Class Observation ; Two Male Devils ; Suspicious Invite

    Chapter 95: ss Observation ; Two Male Devils ; Suspicious Invite


    As expected, something is unusual regarding the matter with the Phenex family.


    After I questioned her about it, Ravel assuredly asserted that her parents wouldn''t let her throw her freedom away.


    This indicates that they are either nning something or they have gotten caught up in some trouble.


    It''s a family of Devils that we''re speaking of, so it must be the former.


    Nevertheless, there is always the possibility of it being thetter.


    Leaving that matter aside, I begin watching what was recorded by the hidden cameras.


    --


    The results are surprising. All the residents of the mansion are generally on friendly terms.


    It''s strange, but I don''t mind it much, as I''m the one who benefits from this the most.


    Getting up from my bed, I make my way to the kitchen.


    There, I find both of my maids and Sora preparing breakfast.


    "Good morning," I greet them before taking a seat at the table.


    I use telekinesis to pull the TV remote to myself and turning the TV on with it.


    Nothing interesting is being aired nowadays. I will just continue to switch channels until something average pops up.


    After five minutes, I finallye across an interesting channel.


    Currently, a documentary is being presented, which showcases Italia and speaking of its history, or at least, what they know about it.


    "Today is ss-observation day," Sora all of a sudden says.


    ss-observation? Does that mean that Rias''s parents or a rtive of hers are going to being over?


    If that''s the case, then some preparation is required, so that I won''t be at a disadvantage no matter what tricks the pull.


    Speaking of school, it''s weird that they''re going to go on with the day as normal despite the building''s state.


    ---


    The day went on much more normally than I had suspected. Although, from what I''ve seen using irvoyance, two rtives of Rias are at the academy right now.


    What''s interesting, is that I find them familiar. Could it be the memories of the Knowledge of the Tales? I''m not sure.


    Getting up from my seat, I n to head over to where they are, but before I can do so, someone pulls on my sleeve.


    "Is something wrong, Misa?"


    She scratches the back of her head and says,


    "I just heard that some idol has popped up at the gymnasium. It kind of reminded me of Yusarin, and-"


    Pressing my index finger on her lips, I beam a smile at her before stating,


    "Say no more."


    Thus, I tell the other girls that I will be heading over to the gymnasium with Misa.


    --


    What is this?


    Before me is the sight of the ''magic girl'' that''s on Ayumi''s bag in her peculiar attire hopping up and down on a stage in front of a male audience.


    Looking around, I see that Rias, as well as two male rtives of hers, are present.


    All of them are watching the girl on the stage doing her thing.


    Taking in a deep breath, I whisper to Misa beside me,


    "If things start to get messy, immediately run away and meet up with the others, understood?"


    Misa gives me a pointed re before replying with a scoff,


    "Tch. Fine. Still, can''t you go somewhere without causing trouble?"


    In response to her statement, I shake my head before wryly remarking,


    "You''re thest person I want to teach me a lesson about temperament."


    As Misa decides to ignore my remark, I shrug my shoulders before making my way over to where Rias is.


    Upon sensing me, both of the males turn to face me with a grim look on their faces.


    "What? Am I unwee?" I cheekily ask.


    "What are you?" one of them says.


    "How rude," I remark.


    For some reason, I already dislike them. Finishing them off will be fun.


    As if they''ve sensed my thoughts, both of them tense up as they take a step back.


    This is weird. Based on what I know about Devils, they should be arrogant and daring creatures. Despite that, these guys are stepping back from me, even before I''ve begun threatening to wipe their race off of the face of the earth.


    Just as I''m about to channel Destruction into my arms in preparation for a sudden battle, the girl on the stage jumps off.


    Sensing an odd aura from her, I observe her from head to toe. Seeing nothing out of character for an idol, I proceed to observe her body constitution.


    As expected, she''s not an ordinary individual.


    The girl seems like she wants toe over to where we are, however, her eyes suddenly shift to somewhere behind us before a smile covers her face as she dashes over to what, or more urately, who she saw.


    "Sona! (So-tan)" she yells gleefully.


    The girl then begins to have a one-sided conversation with Sona, saying things like how Sona should be happier about seeing her.


    From what I can infer of what she said, the girl should be Sona''s older sister.


    "What''s her name?" I inquire,


    Knowing that the question is directed at her, Rias replies to me much to the displeasure of the two guys with her,


    "Serafall Leviathan."


    Leviathan, not Sitri? Could it be that ''Leviathan'' is a title that has revoked her family name? That''s a popr thing among ''nobles'' for some reason.


    It''s either that or there is more to her than her looks and...behavior express.


    "What''s Leviathan," I bluntly ask.


    Just as Rias is about to reply, one of the guys stop her and says,


    "You seem to be interested in Devils, Mr"


    Seeing that he has yet to know my name, I beam a friendly smile before saying,


    "Theos."


    The two male Devils immediately quint their eyes before the one that made the statement continues,


    "Mr. Theos, right? If you''re interested in Devils so much, why don''t you have a small chat with the two of us at a proper ce?"


    "Are you going to be introducing yourselves anytime soon?" I say sternly.


    "Ah, right! My apologies," he says, "My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias''s Brother."


    Once he''s done, the other one introduces himself,


    "Zeoticus Gremory. Father of Rias Gremory and Sirzechs Lucifer."


    Are they deliberately not telling me their ranks and affiliations? It seems like it. However, little do they know, I''ve already got that much covered with the help of Ravel and Koneko.


    Now then, these two big-wigs want to have a ''talk'' with me, which I highly doubt is going to be an ordinary meeting.


    As if sensing what I''m concerned about, Sirzechs makes a proposition,


    "There is something that you need to know, he says. The three factions are nning to hold a peace conference. Perhaps, you might be interested in talking with us as well as the others during that time?"


    That''s news to me. I don''t recall any conversation mentioning such a peace talk. Sounds suspicious. First, why would he tell me, whose identity he''s yet to be sure of, this information?


    Second, why are they so insistent on ''talking'' with me? Rias surely wouldn''t speak of me to them, as I''ve specifically ordered her not to.


    She knows what level of power and authority I hold, so I''m sure that she knows to differentiate between right and wrong.


    Nevertheless, not going over is not an option. Simply put, I''ve been waiting for such an opportunity. To make sure that the girls and I remain unharmed, I will prepare myself properly.


    Although, I highly doubt any entities that aren''t Codes or at least, rted to one, can hurt me.


    "Who''s this?" a cheerful voice suddenly resounds near me.


    Looking at the source of the voice, I see Serafall curiously observing me close up.


    "Serafall Leviathan, was it? I''m Theos. It''s a pleasure to meet you," I say politely.


    "That''s a peculiar name," she bluntly says, "whatever, nice to meet you too!"


    Seeing how upbeat she is, I''m starting to doubt that her ''title'' holds any meaning, despite it being the name of a mythical creature.


    "Let''s go home," I say to Misa who''s been listening in to our conversation silently.


    ---


    Sitting on the dining table, I wait for the reactions of Koneko and Ravel to my recount of today.


    "They are going to set up a trap," Ravel confidently deres.


    That''s what I thought.


    However, what sort of trap would be able to harm me? My parameters coupled with the boosts as well as my arsenal are nothing to scoff at.


    "All-Father," Raynare suddenly speaks up, "I request permission to apany All-Father to the conference."


    As if setting off a chain reaction, the rest of my Angels request the same thing.


    Not only that, but I sense two keen gazes. Looking at them, I can tell that they''ve resolved themselves to fight for me if ites down to it.


    Should I take them? It could end up either badly or as a beneficial thing. The logical choice would be to have a counter-measure prepared for anything that the enemy might throw at us if I''m going to take them with me.


    "Yuno, are you able to produce Sigi that can be activated through special means?" I ask, despite knowing the answer.


    "Yes," she replies.


    Hearing her confirmation, I begin to think of various ways I can surprise the ones who''re going to be present at the conference.


    Don''t me me for doing this. You were the ones who invited me with ill-intentions.

 Chapter 96: Another One ; New Angel

    Chapter 96: Another One ; New Angel


    "Why wasn''t I told anything about this before?" I demand.


    In response to my inquiry, Koneko replies neutrally,


    "We didn''t want to waste your time."


    Nevertheless, they should''ve at least told me that there is another peerage member.


    ording to Koneko, he is a little entric in his behavior and looks.


    Well, at least, Koneko decided to tell me about this, or else I would have to go deliver punishment to a bunch of Devils.


    "So, have you decided on who are the ones that are going to apany you to the conference?", Krul asks.


    I nod my head before exining what I have in mind.


    First, all the Codes apart from Siesta are going to be apanying me. This is a precaution against any Codes that may appear, as based on my experiences so far, only Codes can harm me.


    Second, all of my Angels will being as well. The reason for this is so that we won''t be outnumbered.


    Their current strength, coupled with legendary armaments, will be a lethalbination.


    "So, Yuno, I need you to prepare a Sigillum that will open a remote gateway linked with our shrine-house."


    "Understood," she calmly replies.


    Turning my head to face Koneko, I inquire,


    "They''re nning to hold the conference at Kuoh Academy, right?"


    As confirmation, Koneko nods her head once.


    Why an academy of all ces? Is there more to it than what I know of? Couldn''t be, as the only thing that can be deemed unnatural in our academy is the presence of Devils.


    Leaving that aside, the conference that is going to be held will have representatives from the three factions: Pure Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils.


    I''m looking forward to meeting the one who will represent the Pure Angels, as now that I am taking on the identity of God, they will either have to face me or obey me. No in-between.


    The conference is supposed to be held the day after tomorrow, so I have some time to mess with the Academy.


    "Yuno, you will being with me to school tomorrow."


    "Understood," she affirms.


    I sure have a lot of things to do tomorrow. Early in the day, I need to head over to the principal''s office and have some more of the girls transfer over.


    Then, I need to establish a club for me and my underlings. Once I''m done with that, I will apany Rias when she heads over to ''release'' her peerage member.


    After that matter is dealt with, I need to get Yuno to set up Sigi in the academy.


    ---


    "All-Father, there is someone that wishes to serve you," Raynare states while kneeling in front of me.


    Ignoring the strange look I''m getting from most of the girls in the living room, I get up from the sofa and instruct Raynare to lead the way.


    Under the moonlight, Raynare and I fly to the location where my soon-to-be Angel is supposed to be, which surprisingly turned out to be the church where I first met Raynare and the others.


    Wend right in front of it and walk inside the church.


    I make use of my irvoyance to scan the whole building and its surroundings.


    There is an underground. Not only that, but there is someone there. A green-haired girl who''s on her knees and seems to be praying.


    This would''ve looked much more natural if she wasn''t covered in blood and there weren''t numerous corpses in front of her, with most of them missing a limb or two.


    "Is the one you''re speaking of underground and has green hair?" I ask Raynare who''s beside me.


    She directly says, "Yes, All-Father."


    Raynare proceeds to pull some hidden mechanism to reveal the entrance to the underground section of the church.


    Now that I think about it, why does this even exist? What exactly was this church''s deal in the past? No matter the perspective, this is abnormal.


    Dozens of secondster, we finally reach the bottom of the stairs.


    Almost as if she has just sensed our presence, the girl jumps up from the ground and runs over to where we are with terrific speed.


    "Are you my father?!" she exims while examining me from head to toe.


    Looking over to Raynare, I wait for her to exin to me who the girl is. Understanding my intent, she begins,


    "This girl is Aruru. She became a Fallen angel due to her violent tendencies."


    Taking a look at the girl who seems to be no older than 13 observing me silently, I sense no malice from her.


    I extend my arm and ce my arm on her smooth hair before ruffling it.


    Aruru gradually closes her eyes as a smile covers her face.


    A few momentster, I stop ruffling her hair and ask her,


    "Aruru, can you tell me why there are so many lifeless bodies here?"


    It doesn''t take a genius to know that she has killed them. I want to know why she did it.


    In response to my words, Aruru opens her eyes before menacingly ring at the bloody bodies and stating,


    "They were disrespectful to Father. I punished them!"


    Her ''punishing'' shouldn''t be anything to scoff at based on the look of despair on the faces of the corpses.


    Nevertheless, punishing humans because of theirck of respect for her ''Father'' is surely intriguing. I can only imagine how fun it will be to have her under me.


    "Say, Aruru, would you like to be mine?"


    My words seem to confuse her as she tilts her head and looks me in the eye without uttering a word.


    "I mean, would you like to be an Angel and directly serve your Father?"


    This time, she understands as she practically jumps several feet into the air while eximing,


    "Yes!"


    I nod my head while grinning at her enthusiasm before muttering,


    "Arena."


    --


    Taking a look at the young-looking Angel in front of me who''s curiously checking her body out in front of a mirror, I take note of the changes her body went through.


    The most notable thing about her is that she has three pairs of pure-white wings. After that, is her hair.


    My other angels all had their hair get paler or not change in color, however, Aruru is different in that regard. Her green hair got darker.


    As usual, the two red symbols appeared on the back of her palm, and a halo formed over her head.


    Her eyes which were emerald-green are now blood-red which makes it look like her eyes are gleaming.


    Finally, there is a snake-like symbol on her left arm.


    A few secondster, Aruru runs over to me and questions eagerly,


    "Father, am I allowed to kill?"


    Beaming her a smile, I say in a friendly manner,


    "You can only kill those who I deem to be my enemies. So, make sure you don''t hurt others, alright?"


    Aruru immediately nods her head a few times and exims,


    "I understand!"


    The two of us then exit the Arena and reappear at the church''s underground section.


    "You don''t have a ce to stay, right?" I ask Aruru after some deliberation.


    As expected, she replies, "No."


    Just as I am about to tell her that she can live in my mansion, I sense several presences on top of the church.


    Checking them out, I find a dozen or so Devils flying over the church.


    "We''ve gotpany," I inform the two Angels.


    Raynare immediately turns serious as she extends her wings and prepares for battle.


    As for Aruru, a wide grin covers her face as she excitedly walks over to one of the dead bodies and inserts her hands into its back.


    After some struggle, she finally pulls out what she wanted  the spinal cord.


    "Aruru?" Raynare questions her actions.


    "Devils'' spines are great for fights, you know?" she states frantically.


    So, there are the bodies of Devils in there? What kind of existence have I subordinated exactly?


    Both of the Angels swiftly head outside the church and prepare for battle.


    This should be entertaining. As I have personally trained Raynare, I know that she can effortlessly deal with these Devils.


    What I''m really curious about is how well Aruru is going to perform. From what I can infer, she''s not weak.


    Anyway, leaving that aside, what are these Devils doing over here? Who sent them, and how did they know that we''re here?


    "Leave one of them alive for interrogation," I instruct the two battle-ready Angels.

 Chapter 97: Good Girl ; The Box

    Chapter 97: Good Girl ; The Box


    -----


    Warning: Violence/Gore/Cannibalism (Skip to *** to avoid.)


    -----


    Utilizing Godspeed, I head out of the church and move to a good vantage point in order to observe the uing battle from a satisfactory viewpoint.


    Raynare and Aruru are both surrounded by Devils.


    What''s weird is the expression the Devils have on their faces. It''s like they''ve resolved themselves for something.


    Could it be that this isn''t the end of it? Are there more Devils on their way here?


    Now that I think about it, the only Devils that can be considered my foes are the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex. Apart from those, there are also those Devils that I killed a while ago, along with a bunch of Pure Angels and Fallen Angels.


    Thinking of this logically, these Devils can''t be rted to those noble houses, which means that they''re a part of another faction that''s yet to be identified.


    This means that, back then, it was the unidentified faction that fought me.


    What''s interesting is that the faction doesn''t seem to discriminate against races. The reason for that is when I was attacked, none of the three races seemed to be on bad terms with each other.


    I wonder what race the leader of such an organization will be?


    Forget that, for now, I should focus on the battle in front of me.


    ---3rd POV---


    Remaining stationary in the sky, Raynare is about to make a move on a Devil that''s within proximity of herself. However, before she can do so, a blur appears within her vision before the Devil gets split in half.


    She looks over to the cause of this and what meets her sight is a giggling Aruru carrying a bloodied spine that seems to be glowing in an eerie reddish-yellow.


    "Come on, sinners! Pay for your actions!" the girl screams enthusiastically before turning into disappearing.


    The Devils which witnessed the way Aruru killed all look around uneasily for any signs of her reappearance, while Raynare sits on the roof of the church and observes everything unfold with amusement.


    All of a sudden, one of them screams, attracting the rests'' attention. Upon looking over, they all witness a Devil missing an arm. What dazes them is that a hand is protruding from the Devil''s mouth.


    That doesn''tst for long as two small hands prate the Devil''s interiors from the back.


    "Enhance!" Aruru''s childish voice resounds before she appears seemingly out of nowhere, carrying a darkened spine in one hand and the innards of the Devil she killed earlier in the other hand.


    Aruru begins to wave the innards around at a terrific speed before disappearing and reappearing behind two Devils.


    The next moment two agonized screams resound as two Devils fall from the sky. One of them has both of her wings on fire, while the other one has a deep cut from his crotch to his skull.


    "Die!" she screams once again before discarding both the spine and the innards before dashing in the direction of two Devils who''re flying toward her.


    Aruru extends her arm inserts two fingers from each of her hands into both of the Devils'' eye-sockets.


    She ignores their distressing screeches and proceeds to drag them over to a Devil before squashing said Devil''s head using the two Devils she dragged with her.


    Aruru looks at the three remaining Devils and giggles before raising both of her arms.


    The three devils watch with horror as dozens of light spears appear all around Aruru.


    "Deus vult!" the petite girl yells before countless spears of light rain down on two of the flying Devils and on the other Devils that feel down.


    ---1st POV---


    Having observed everything from the get-go, I can confidently state Aruru was toying with them.


    She most likely can finish them much faster, but didn''t do so for some reason. I believe that she wants them to suffer before killing them.


    If there is one thing that I''m sure of, it''s that she did a wonderful job of frightening them.


    The only Devil that''s left is presently quivering as tears roll down from her cheeks.


    I fly over to where Aruru is, pat her small head, and say,


    "You did really well, Aruru. Great performance."


    Aruru, who was already delirious seems to get twice as fevered as she jumps into my arms before eximing,


    "Father is happy!"


    While holding her within my arms, I slowly float over to the Devil and make use of Indoctrination to extract information from her.


    As expected, the Devils that appeared really are a part of a previously-unidentified faction, no, organization  Khaos Brigade.


    It seems like the enemy was expecting me to leave one alive, as they somehow managed to erase most of her memories rted to the organization.


    There is also the problem of my questions being too specific due to how Indoctrination works.


    I may be focusing on a certain matter when I could have her tell me much more than just that.


    So, I need to make her talk ''willingly''.


    Floating down to the ground, I have Irene collect the souls of three Devils before creating three human bodies and inserting them in.


    I then proceed to use telekinesis to drag them as well as the Devil into the underground section of the church.


    Now, as I''m not a fan of forceful reproduction, I will have toe up with an alternative way of making her ''talk''.


    Speaking of ways to make one talk...


    I smash the Devil into the ground and order the ''humans'' using Indoctrination,


    "Eat her."


    The next moment, all the ''humans'' jump on top of the Devil and begin to tear her flesh off using their teeth.


    Naturally, the Devil is stronger and could kill them off, so I break all the Devil''s limbs before gifting the ''humans'' Organic Constructs and ordering them to modify their teeth.


    Aruru is standing to my right, hopping with joy as she watches the event take ce, while Raynare coolly stands on my other side.


    "Stop! Please! I''ll ta-" before she''s able to finish off what she wants to say, her mouth along with her tongue gets bitten off.


    Looks like that''s enough for now.


    I pat Aruru''s shoulder, which she takes as a signal to go and kill off the ''humans'' and dragging the mutted Devil over.


    Using Healing Factor, I fix her up so that she''s able to talk again before looking into her teary eyes and asserting,


    "Tell me everything you know."


    --- ***


    I''m finally back at the mansion.


    ncing at Aruru who''s all cleaned up and holding my hand obediently, I think of the information I got out of the Devil.


    As I have suspected, they made use of something to erase their memories. The girl said that thest thing she remembered was a woman using some sort of device on her before being ordered to find me in the church.


    Funny thing is, they described me as an insane individual, iming that I''ll stop at nothing to get what I wanted, as a warning for the Devils.


    How ridiculous.


    "Let''s go," I say to Aruru before stepping inside the mansion and heading over to the living room.


    There, most of the girls are present, busy chatting, or doing something else.


    My appearance garners their attention as they all stop what they were doing and look in my direction, or more precisely, at Aruru.


    "Everyone, meet Aruru. She''s my new Angel."


    Before anyone can say something, Aruru let''s go of my hand, walks forward, bows slightly and says politely,


    "Hello, everyone! I am Aruru, and I will be living here from now on."


    Then, she stands straight and says while beaming,


    "Please take care of me!"


    Asia, Siesta, Kristina, and Koneko seem to be particrly fond of her as they all introduce themselves to her.


    As for the rest of the girls, they''re curiously looking at me.


    They want me to exin her circumstances, huh? Aruru seems like a genuinely good girl, so I will introduce her as such and leave the unnecessary stuff out.


    ---


    "He''s in there?" I say dubiously while looking at the ''barricades'' on the door.


    "Yes," Rias replies.


    I look over at her which makes her flinch before murmuring,


    "Forgive me."


    Reaching my arm out, I begin to stroke her cheek which makes her body shiver before saying casually,


    "It''s fine. All you have to do is make sure that you hide nothing from me."


    In response to my words, Rias nods her head several times before removing the ''barricade'' on the door and opening it.


    We then walk into the dimly lit room.


    Immediately, I sense the presence of a being in the room. Checking it out, I find someone hidden in a cardboard box.


    "Yuno, you may go do what I told you to," I say before walking over to the box.


    "Yes," Yuno replies before leaving the room.


    The rest of the girls are all behind me as I stand and look down at the box that contains another one of Rias''s peerage members.


    Using telekinesis to open the top, I look inside the box.


    However, before I can get a clear view, uncanny energy is released from within the box.


    In response to the strange energy, my Code instantaneously epasses my body with Destruction.


    The next moment, a small head cautiously peaks out of the box in my direction.


    Beaming a smile, I say,


    "Hello there!"

 Chapter 98: Gasper ; Conference Initiation

    Chapter 98: Gasper ; Conference Initiation


    My voice seems to scare the guy off as he instantly puts his head back in the box.


    Why? I''m pretty sure that I''m not a scary individual.


    "So, what''s the deal with this guy?" I inquire.


    "He''s just a little shy," Akeno replies.


    Lack of confidence? That''s easy to deal with. A few days of torturous training should give him the confidence he requires.


    Curious about his power, I question Rias about it, to which she begins to exin how he has the power to stop time of anything within his vision. I also got to find out that the whole reason he was sealed away was that he had no control over his power.


    That''s not all that I found out, as it turns out that the guy, whose name is Gasper, is a Dhampir.


    "Arena," I mutter before my vision blips as I find myself in the Arena along with Gasper.


    Observing him, now that he is out of the box, he sure looks like a female.


    Huh? Why is he wearing the female uniform?


    "Uwah~" He cries out while anxiously looking around.


    Finally, after a whole three minutes, he sets his eyes on me. What I didn''t expect was for him to suddenly freeze up.


    --


    I gave up. That guy is a lost cause. No matter what, he wouldn''t get out of his stupor.


    Upon realizing that he needs sentiments, Ipletely gave up on the idea of making use of him.


    Currently, I don''t have the luxury of babysitting a traumatized Dhampir.


    Focusing back on reality, I notice that I''ve arrived in the room the conference is going to be held.


    After running a quick scan of the ce, I ask the only person other than myself in the room,


    "Is everything done, Yuno?"


    "Yes, I''ve already set up the Sigi," she replies.


    Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I proceed to instruct her to show me the ces they''ve been ced.


    The reason for that is so that I can use Rework to cover them up.


    I''m already aware that the ones that are going to be present during the conference are ''big-shots'', so there is a high chance of my Rework being seen through.


    Even so, unless they actively search for them, it should be arduous to locate the Sigi.


    Besides, I''m curious as to how they will react if they do discover them. Will the peace conference be ruined? Am I going to be targeted?


    Either way, it''s going to be beneficial for me.


    ---


    "How is it?" I inquire.


    "No problems, so far," Yuno replies.


    Using irvoyance, I check out all of those who are present in the


    First, there is Sirzechs along with Serafall sitting at a round-table, however, I don''t see Zeoticus anywhere. I reckoned he would be present during the conference as well.


    Second, is a blonde guy wearing some noble-like attire that seems to give off a holy vibe for some reason. What''s interesting is the fact that there is a halo on top of his head.


    So, that''s the representative of the Pure Angels? Oh, there is someone standing behind him.


    Through body examination, I can tell that the person is a female. However, they''re wearing a hoodie that seems to darken out theirplexion.


    No matter what I do, seeing through it is simply impossible.


    Leaving them aside, I focus on thest pair.


    A ck-haired man with golden bangs is sitting at the table as well. His attire is a V-neck maroon long-coat with high-cors.


    Behind the man is unexpectedly none other than the one I beat up  Vali.


    Hisplexion doesn''t look good. It''s almost like he was forced toe here while he was busy with other stuff.


    Other than these guys, Sona along with Tsubaki are standing behind Sirzechs.


    Beside them are Rias and her peerage, excluding the timid Gasper.


    "They''re speaking about you," Yuno informs me.


    I''m the subject they''re speaking off right now? Even though the conference has yet to begin?


    Well, I guess it''s about time that I went over.


    Turning around, I take a look at all my Angels who are currently in their angelic form, with all the Reworks removed.


    Then, I turn to face Krul who''s beside me and nod once.


    As confirmation, she nods back.


    The next moment, Yuno moves toward the mirror in front of us and activates the Sigillum linked with the door of the room the conference is being held at.


    After making sure that everything is going ording to n onest time, Yuno and Krul apany me as I walk through the gateway.


    Upon stepping through to the other side, what meets my sight are several widened-eyes.


    Why are they so surprised? Is it the gateway or is it something else entirely?


    "Hey, hey this has to be a joke," says the guy with ck hair and golden bangs, "Are they what I think they are?"


    As if responding to his words, both Sirzechs and Serafall solemnly nod their heads.


    Does he have some spection on our existence? Could it be that the existence of Codes is known?


    The most interesting reaction is that of the blonde guy with the halo. He''s currently looking at me with pure reverence in his eyes.


    A few secondster, my Angels all step through the gateway and stand behind me orderly.


    The next moment, the guy who made the earlierment stiffens up before muttering,


    "Aruru?"


    Curious about his actions, I observe Aruru. She is currently beaming a smile while waving at him.


    Do they know each other? Well, I expected something like this to happen, as Aruru is no ordinary being.


    Leaving him aside, the ones that seem to be shocked the most are Sirzechs and the guy with the halo.


    A jolt of pain suddenly runs through my mind before a name appears within my head: Michael.


    Looking over at him I see that he''s examining my Angels, or more precisely, the symbol on their hands.


    From the looks of it, there is more to the symbol than I had thought.


    "Greetings, everyone," I say in a prideful manner, "My name is Theos. I''ve been requested to attend this conference by Sirzechs."


    Upon my mentioning of his name, everyone present, apart from Rias and her peerage looks in his direction.


    It seems like he hasn''t told them that I will be making an appearance at the conference. There could be several reasons for that. One of them being that he could take control of the conversation by first introducing me as he wishes.


    Nevertheless, that''s just a hypothesis.


    Well then, I should take a seat at the table as well. However, there isn''t a chair prepared for me.


    That''s because I specifically asked Rias not to prepare one.


    Walking forward until I''m a few inches away from the table, I raise my right arm before snapping fingers.


    Immediately after doing so, I use Creation to create a noble-looking chair that''sfortable to sit on before taking a seat.


    "Let''s begin, shall we?" I suggest with a friendly smile.

 Chapter 99: Interruption ; Binary Factors ; Acknowledgment

    Chapter 99: Interruption ; Binary Factors ; Acknowledgment


    Everyone in the room is currently silent. A certain someone is ring at me from the side, but I heed him no attention.


    Now that the meeting is about to start, I should get them to introduce themselves,


    "Let''s begin by introductions. As I''m sure everyone knows each other, I''ll only have that hoodeddy over there as well as you introduce yourselves, because I don''t know you."


    The ck-haired man with golden bangs looks at my hand which is pointing at him before saying,


    "I''m Azazel. The Governor-General of the Fallen Angels."


    Nodding my head as confirmation, I proceed to look over at the hoodeddy.


    Sensing my gaze, she bows slightly before saying,


    "Gabriel."


    After that, she doesn''t say anything and just stands in ce.


    Everyone present, apart from seems to be surprised by her identity as the shock is apparent on their faces.


    Anyway, this sure is a strange feeling It''s almost like I know all these ''big-shots'' from the past, yet I''m unable to recall them properly.


    Just when it seems like the meeting will finally begin, I sense dozens of presences above the academy.


    Observing everyone''s expression, I can tell that they''re not aware, or at least acting like they''re not.


    "We''ve gotpany," I dere before raising my right arm and mming the table.


    Immediately after I do so, a barrier wide enough to cover the academy and the surrounding gets erected.


    Yuno''s Code sure is handy. This barrier required twelve Sigi to be set up properly. It sure is worth it.


    Checking the enemy out, I''m able to find several Pure Angels and Fallen Angels.


    Khaos Brigade? Why are they attacking during such a sensitive time? Are they here to ruin the peace conference?


    "Prepare for battle," I order my underlings before getting up from the seat and activating anther Sigillum.


    What I just activated opened a gateway leading to the gymnasium.


    The rest of those present seem to have gotten an idea of the situation as they all get up from their seats and wait for my next actions.


    What''s interesting is that Michael and Gabriel seem like they want to follow me.


    Well, they can do whatever they want.


    --


    Heading out of the gymnasium, I immediately set sight on dozens of weaklings preparing for battle.


    "Aruru, go!"


    Giggling with excitement, Aruru directly takes off into the skies and takes a dozen enemies in two seconds.


    Taking their numbers into consideration, I order,


    "Each one of you will take down ten of them."


    "Yes, All-Father (Papa)," they all give their confirmation before taking off to the sky.


    I then look over at Krul and Yuno before saying,


    "These guys are too weak for us to take action personally."


    A few secondster, the whole ce has turned into a bloodbath as several innards are all over the ce.


    The most interesting thing is that some of them only have a hole in their bodies.


    And the one who killed them in such a way is none other than Asia. She''s using an Excalibur I had gifted to her before in its bow form.


    She makes use of her holy powers to create arrows which she shoots using the bow.


    This a deadlybination as for every arrow she released, an enemy falls. As for the cherry on top, it''s the way the Devils die from it. With holy magic being the most effective magic against them, being shot directly by a holy arrow burns them quite nicely.


    It''s a little surprising that none of my Angels have any qualms on killing, but it''s not like that''s a bad thing.


    Naturally, no fight is as easy as it may seem as AI''s voice resounds within my head,


    {WARNING: Multiple Binary Factors Detected.}


    What the hell are Binary Factors?


    {Beings that have been enhanced by a Code or a simr existence.}


    Well, shit.


    A simr existence? Does such a thing exist?


    Getting no response, I shake my head in exasperation before saying,


    "Looks like I will be fighting after all."


    My words seem to be shocking to everyone present other than Yuno and Krul, as they each have different reactions.


    Michael has raised his brows as if expecting to see the best show in the world, while the Devils apart from Sirzechs and Serafall all began sweating nervously.


    "What the hell has appeared for HIM to take action," Vali mutters with stupor meanwhile Azazel, who''s beside him, has a solemn look on his face.


    Soon, I set sight on three Devils approaching us from the sky.


    The first to catch my attention is a skimpily dressed woman. After that, is a man with long ears who''s also wearing a cape. Beside him is a man who''s wearing dark armor as well as a ck cape.


    So, these are the Binary Factors?


    {Affirmative.}


    How do I put this they look like a bunch of clowns.


    Intriguingly, all three of them are staring at me. Could it be that they''re here for me? I''m so popr.


    Channeling Destruction into my right arm, I prepare to leap into the sky.


    "Yuno, do it," I say beforeunching right at the guys in the sky while utilizing the Boosted Gear.


    [Boost!]


    As Ddraig''s familiar voice resounds within my head, my strength and agility increase twofold.


    In response to my attack, the three in the sky all move sideways at an incredible speed before attacking me from a distance.


    Two of them have released high-power demonic magic, while the other one has made use of some artifact to throw me a light-based magic attack.


    I casually wave my arm which dissolves the Demonic magic into nothingness while deliberately letting the light-based magic attack hit me.


    As expected, my Code automatically absorbs the attack into my body.


    Not allowing them to react, I proceed to utilize Godspeed to get closer to the woman before kicking her in the guts.


    She immediatelyunches into the distance before inevitably crashing in the ground a few inches away from the barrier.


    I use irvoyance to check her out, only to find out that she''s surprisingly alive.


    Someone actually managed to survive after taking an attack from me that was meant to be lethal? However, it doesn''t seem like she will be living for long.


    Ignoring her, I focus back on the other two Devils who are both flying toward me.


    Just as one of them is about to reach me, an energy beam appears from the ground and prates his torso.


    The next moment, I witness as his body gradually disintegrates.


    As for the other guy, he''s looking with wide-eyes at hisrade who just got one-shot before turning to face Yuno who''s smiling while holding a ratherrge weapon.


    "That''s a big fucking gun"


    I know I ordered her to make use of something to make it seem like she shot the beam from it instead of a Sigillum, but this is too much.


    Where did she get that anyway?


    Huh? Hold on it''s an illusory object? Eh, it''s fine as long as it does its job properly.


    "How" the only guy left flying mutters nervously.


    "You''re just weak," I proim before appearing in front of him and punching his chest.


    This results in his armor shattering entirely as he isunched directly into the barrier.


    I watch silently as one of the many functions of the barrier kicks in and burns the guy into a crisp.


    Weren''t these guys supposed to be strong? The heck? They were just as weak as everyone else I''ve faced up until now.


    {That''s only natural, Father. Binary Factors stand no chance against a bona fide Code. Especially when the Code is a powerful one such as Father.}


    Seriously? Then these guys are no different from weaklings in front of Krul, Yuno, and me, but are cmitous to others?


    {That''s correct.}


    What a let-down. Now that I think about it, there is a Code or something simr that enhanced them, right? I will just look for them.


    Huh? She''s still not dead?


    The woman that I had kicked earlier is currently struggling to get on her feet.


    Appearing in front of her, I inquire,


    "Who are you?"


    In response to my words, she glowers at me and says,


    "You intruders I don''t know how you got in"


    Her words trail off as she coughs a few times before continuing,


    "She will kill you all."


    Immediately after she does so, I sense some weird energy from her body.


    Just in case, I form a barrier using Vector Maniption, however, no attack appears.


    Could it be


    Realizing what the energy is, I n to stop it, but stop upon seeing the woman''s eyes lose their colors before her body limply falls onto the ground.


    --


    It took me a while to forcefully awaken her, but as I suspected, her memories were all wiped.


    As I was more than a little pissed off, I unintentionally wiped her out of existence.


    Taking a few deep breaths, I calm down and deliberate on the information that I have received.


    First, these guys came here not to disrupt the conference, but to kill me. This means that there is someone out there who either hates my guts or is afraid of my existence.


    Second, the matter with the Binary Factors is an interesting one. What exactly is considered an enhancement? I need to look into thatter.


    Lastly, the woman referred to me as an ''intruder''. Whatever that is, it seems to be rted to the reason why her organization is so set on killing me.


    Leaving those thoughts aside, I focus back on reality.


    Upon doing so, I sense everyone behind me.


    Right, there is still the conference that we need to hold.


    I turn around and n to invite everyone back inside, but before I can do that, Michael, as well as the hooded Gabriel, kneel on the ground.


    "Father, there is something that requires your immediate presence."


    Did he just call me ''Father''? Looks like I''ve been acknowledged as their God.


    Sirzechs isn''t happy with the way things are developing as he''s furrowing his brows.


    Azazel seems to be a little befuddled.


    Serafall has been suspiciously quiet this whole time. She has been acting differentlypared to the ss-observation day.


    Rias and her peerage aren''t surprised at all, while in contrast, Sona and Tsubaki are both stunned.


    The most amusing reaction is that of Vali''s, as he looks like he''s going through an existential crisis.


    Leaving them aside, what is it that requires my presence?


    "Where?" I question the kneeling Angel.


    "In heaven," Michael responds almost instantly.


    What could it be? It would be great if it''s another Knowledge of the Tales, as I can''t exactly think of anything else that would require my presence at the moment.

 Chapter 100: Heaven ; Truth (FC)

    Chapter 100: Heaven ; Truth (FC)


    Now then, which one is more important? The conference or something that requires my immediate attention?


    Obviously, thetter.


    "Michael, let''s get going."


    Upon hearing my consensus, Michael immediately gets up from his feet and is about to do something.


    Irene, my connection with Heaven is still avable, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    How do I ess it?


    {Making use of the connection will open a portal within a 10-meter radius of Father directly linked with the Seventh Heaven.}


    Seventh Heaven? What''s that?


    {ording to data obtained from the Knowledge of the Tales, Heaven is divided into 7 regions.}


    Now that I think about it, all of the information I got from it were parts of other individuals'' memories.


    Whatever, open the portal.


    {Understood.}


    The next moment, Michael freezes in ce as a circr golden-colored portal appears in the sky.


    "That leads to Heaven," I say before flying into the portal.


    I would rather go somewhere through my method. I''m not going to let someone that I''ve just met take me somewhere using methods that I do not know of.


    Even if the person is an Angel that has acknowledged me as his God.


    Leaving that aside, Heaven sure is huge.


    ---3rd POV---


    Looking at his God pass through a portal to Heaven, Michael looks toward Gabriel before extending his wings and flying into the portal as well.


    Gabriel stares at the portal for a short while before taking off her concealment garment and extending her wings.


    Her actions earn an intense reaction, as everyone present stare right at her wless face.


    Not willing to waste any more time, Gabriel flies into the portal.


    Aruru seems like she''s about to burst from excitement as she practically leaps into the portal.


    The rest of Victor''s Angels all nce at each other before flying into the portal themselves.


    Seeing that most of those present went into the portal, Krul looks over at Yuno and says,


    "Let''s go."


    Yuno nods in response before forming reaching her arm out and chanting,


    "Boost."


    This makes Krul curious as she inquires,


    "Is this simr to his boost somehow?"


    Nodding her head as confirmation, Yuno responds smugly,


    "He had mee up with an application for my Sigi that is simr to his Boosted Gear''s ''Boost'', yesterday."


    Then, Yuno ces her right hand over her chest and the other hand over Krul''s.


    Sensing the power, Krul stomps the ground a few times before leaping into the sky.


    Seeing Krul already about to enter the portal, Yuno follows suit.


    The moment they both pass through to the other side, the portal shrinks at an incredible rate before disappearing.


    Seeing all of that unfold, Azazel scratches the back of his head before smiling wryly and saying to those present,


    "I guess we have no choice other than waiting for them to be done."


    Vali, who has just regained a bit of his rity inquires,


    "Who is he, exactly? He can''t be God, right?"


    In response to his inquiry, Azazel shakes his head before looking into the distance and saying,


    "I wish he were"


    ---


    "This is quite the fancy ce," Victor says to Michael who''s curiously looking around.


    Smiling at the angel''s actions, Victor says,


    "It''s almost like you''ve never been here."


    Michael immediately senses the hidden threat in Victor''s statement, as he immediately exins,


    "This should be the Seventh Heaven. No one other than Him has been here. He made it so that no creatures can get here."


    Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Victor says,


    "Lead me to whatever it was that required my presence."


    "Yes, Father," Michael responds before he and Gabriel take the lead in flying toward where they think will lead to the Sixth Heaven.


    Victor follows them while keeping Krul and Yuno in the air using Telekinesis.


    Aruru is happily clinging to him with a happy smile on her face.


    The rest of the Angels all fly along serenely braced for any abrupt problems that may arise.


    After a short while of flying, they reach what seems to be a barrier.


    Victor immediately presses his palm against it, which results in everyone present including himself to be covered in light before disappearing.


    --


    Michael looks around at the ce they''ve reappeared in before realization hits him as he says,


    "This is the Sixth Heaven."


    Everyone other than Michael and Gabriel looks around keenly.


    "This way," Michael instructs before flying in a direction.


    Before following him, Victor observes his surroundings, making sure to use all of his senses carefully.


    After a while, they reach a building that''s made of just one room. As for the room, it''s adorned with magnificent paintings and furniture that give off a holy aura, while an odd golden orb with rings of runes around it is in the middle of the room.


    ---1st POV---


    Heaven looks much better than I expected. Usually, the way the beauty of somece or someone is exaggerated when written down, so I didn''t have that high of an expectation.


    Nevertheless, the ce is as beautiful as described, perhaps, even more.


    Leaving the beauty of the ce aside, the holy feeling is on a whole new level.


    Even the air that I''m inhaling feels holy, not that I expected it not to be.


    Anyway, I assume that Michael brought me here for that golden orb, as I can already feel an extremely strong connection with it.


    It''spletely differentpared to the connection I had with the Knowledge of the Tales back in the Familiar Forest.


    "God instructed us before his death to bring you here," Michael exins before moving to the side with the others.


    This leaves only me in the center of the room close to the orb.


    Hah~ This is going to be an incredible risk. Irene, do you have any idea what is this?


    {It''s a Fragment.}


    What? Fragment? Infi did mention something like this in her final message. Say, do you know what a Fragment is?


    {Upon the death of a Code, there is a chance that their memory and abilities will be left behind in the form of a Fragment.


    {This is much more likely to ur if it''s a Proxy that died.}


    Does this mean what I think it does? Only one way to find out.


    Having resolved myself, I reach my arm out and press my palm against the orb.


    Immediately after I do so, the orb shatters as the runes are all absorbed into my body.


    Ugh!


    This is too painful


    After what seems like an eternity, the pain finally recedes as the System Status shows up in front of me.


    However, it has changed:


    ----------------


    Name: Haruka Kasuganou (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 29>>35%


    Energy Left: 94%


    ------


    Str: 60>>69 (15) | Agi: 65>>68 (15) | Dex: 68 (15)


    Int: 59>>63 (15) | Def: 58>>60 (15) |Vit: 62 (15)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (1/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (4%) | Destruction (2%) | Angelification (??)


    Holy:


    Holy sh II [V] -|- Pdin''s Aura I [V] -|- Paragon''s Eyes I [III] -|- Godspeed III [V] -|- Blink II [III] -|- Light Maniption IV [VI] -|- Healing Factor II [III] -|- Transmutation -|- Divine Retribution I [V] -|- irvoyance (Passive) II [III] -|- Illusion II [III] -|- Rework I [III] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ----------------


    Plunder III [V]:-


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis III [V]


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    Permeation I [III] -|- Location I [III] -|- Hypnotism I [V] -|- Indoctrination I [III] -|- Pyrokinesis


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    Spiritualism I [IV] -|- Insight I [VI] -|- Copse (0%) -|- Thoughtography (1%)


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    Flight I [III] -|- Memory Erasure I [IV] -|- Imperfect Invisibility I [X] -|- Time-Leap (?) -|- Ability Erasure (2%) -|- Gift II [V] -|- Organic Constructs (1%) -|- Regeneration I [V] -|- Absolute Evasion (1%) -|- Vector Maniption (7%)


    -----


    -Power of Destruction (Lesser - 0%)


    -Immortality


    -Boosted Gear:-


    Dragon Roar (0%) -|- Scale Mail (0%) -|- Draconic Form (0%)


    --- Unassigned ---


    ----------------


    Current tform: N/A


    ----------------------------------------


    Looking at how different it is as well as the various new numerals and unknown abilities, my brain is filled with questions.


    Everything has be more clearerpared to before, and powers don''t show the conditions and exnations unless I focus on them.


    What''s interesting is that the powers that I plundered from the Rift are all being disyed at the bottom.


    My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden buzz in my brain as I feel numerous memories of a past life of "mine" within my head.


    ---3rd POV---


    Looking at Victor ce his palm against the orb, anxiety overwhelms everyone upon seeing the orb shatter.


    Aruru wants to head over to where Victor is upon seeing the painful look he has on his face but is stopped by both Raynare and Mittelt who ced their hands on her shoulders.


    A few secondster, Victor begins to visibly change. His body seems to grow by a whole 10 centimeters, as his short gray hair turned much longer with the color changing to a somewhat sandy color.


    Victor''s face begins to take on a more mature form as its roundness decreases.


    His originally gray eyes turn red as his sclera turn from white to ck. Lastly, a strange symbol appears underneath his right eye, resembling a bull''s head.


    Once done, Victor seems to have calmed down, however, that doesn''tst for long as his body suddenly releases irregr energy which sts away the walls of the room.


    This energy doesn''t affect anyone present as they all stand where they were with golden light now shining in on them.


    Seemingly done, Victor observes his body before muttering,


    "Finally,"


    Michael, Gabriel, as well as, all of Victor''s Angels are unable to hold back anymore as they all move forward and kneel before hailing collectively,


    "Father!"


    In response to their enthusiastic actions, Victor responds by smiling as the golden light shines on him before saying,


    "You are wrong."


    Puzzled, the Angels look at him. Then, Victor continues,


    "I''m not God."


    The grin on Victor''s face grows as wind blows from the side and waves his now-sandy-colored shoulder-length hair before dering,


    "I created /a/2xzVtRL) - Image of Victor at this moment.

 Chapter 101: Adaption ; Conference ; Phantoms

    Chapter 101: Adaption ; Conference ; Phantoms


    My words are surprising for everyone except a select four: Michael, Gabriel, Krul, and Yuno.


    The reason for that is obvious. Krul and Yuno already know that our existence is beyond that of ''God''.


    As for Michael and Gabriel, I''m guessing that they''ve met the original God, so they already know what ''he'' looks like.


    I''m curious to know what ''I'' looked like back then. For some reason, whatever I remembered was rted to the Great War, it''s participants and me sealing something off before engaging in the battle.


    This isn''t all, as, from ''my'' memories, I recall individuals that have fearsome powers on the level of Codes.


    Unfortunately, I can''t make their appearances out properly, almost as if something is interfering and preventing it.


    Leaving that aside, Michael and Gabriel should still be surprised even if a little by my im of ''creating'' God.


    He was a Proxy that I had produced for reasons that I''m unable to recall at the moment.


    So, these two Angels should react somehow. Unless they''ve been told by my Proxy itself regarding this matter, in that case, it''s understandable.


    All of a sudden, I feel a weird sensation within me before AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Subverted: Michael Victorianul  Gabriel Victorianul  Uriel Victorianul  Raphael Victorianul.}


    Subversion? Even though they were serving ''me''? Does that mean that my Proxy is considered a separate entity from myself?


    Leaving that aside, it''s strange that neither Uriel nor Raphael have shown up yet.


    Well, it doesn''t matter much. Focusing back on reality, I say to everyone,


    "Let''s head back to the academy. I''m assuming that things aren''t as simple as they seemed based on the memories that I just received."


    Confirming my words, Michael gets up and says,


    "The supernatural beings of this world are not on friendly terms. Currently, unbeknownst to most lower beings, we''re in the midst of a continental war with strong beings that seem to juste into existence."


    Just as I thought, something is going on. Nevertheless, continental war, huh? I wonder what is it that has brought this on.


    Thus, our trip to heavenes to an end.


    --


    "He really is" Azazel mutters upon our entry to the room the conference is being held in.


    Smiling at the Angel that ''I'' threw out of Heaven for beingscivious, I remark,


    "It seems like you have an idea regarding my existence, Azazel."


    This results in him freezing up for a solid ten seconds before muttering,


    "Father?"


    I chuckle in response to his actions before taking a seat at the round-table while creating more seats for Yuno, Krul, and Gabriel.


    Azazel''s reaction is expected, as, what I said just now coincides with something that happened in the past. A long time ago, Azazel who was one curious Angel wished to know where ''I'', his creator, came from.


    Despite spending days ''investigating'' me, he couldn''te up with anything. However, one day, he was bored and began spouting whimsical nonsense regarding higher existences, to which I said those very words to him.


    Back then, Azazel took my words seriously, thinking he got me to admit an extremely confidential matter just through ''guessing''.


    Naturally, it didn''t take long for Azazel to discover that I was just messing with him, which he didn''t take as well as I thought he would.


    It was at the point that he developed his passion for research and females. For some reason, ''I'' didn''t find it funny as I kicked them straight out of Heaven.


    The good old days of trolling my Angels


    Focusing back on the matter at hand, I ignore the piercing gazes I''m getting from the girls who weren''t present at Heaven as I say,


    "Let the conference begin."


    Nodding once, Azazel says with a wry smile,


    "First, I''ve got to apologize for the trouble that one of us caused."


    Aha, the Coca C?


    "Forget it, that fly was easily taken care of," I say dismissively while waving my arm in front of me.


    Almost choking on his following words, Azazel continues,


    "It''s unfortunate that he turned out that way, but we couldn''t much about it."


    After a while of exining how the matter wasn''t rted to the Fallen Angel faction, Azazel finally concludes,


    "And so, I hope that doesn''t affect the rtionship between our factions."


    I beam a smile before saying,


    "You don''t need to worry about the rtionship between the Fallen Angels and Angels, as you are equally precious to me.


    "However, I''m not so sure about the Devil faction."


    Channeling Holy Essence into my eyes, I look over at Sirzechs before saying,


    "I''m interested in knowing what you had in mind by inviting me here, Sirzechs. Care to exin?"


    {Discovered: Eye of Judgment.}


    In response to my actions, Sirzechs slightly winces, before saying,


    "Truthfully, my father and I had an idea regarding you being a Phantom."


    Yeah, I expected as much. Even so, what''s a ''Phantom''?


    Forwarding the question to him, he looks around at everybody present before exining,


    "Phantom is the term that wemonly use in order to refer to the existences that have suddenly appeared all over the world, wreaking havoc wherever they go.


    "The purpose of this conference today was to form an alliance to deal with the Phantoms that have been appearing at the borders."


    In other words, these ''Phantoms'' are either Codes or something else entirely.


    I wonder what it is that made them able to see through my guise? As if answering this question, Sirzechs continues,


    "Most of the higher beings of this world have means of seeing through others, including my father and me. Yet, the two of us werepletely unable to see through you.


    "You appeared as a regr Lower-ss Devil, despite the behavior of Rias implying that you are beyond that."


    "So," I say, "What were you nning by inviting me here?"


    A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead as he swallows his saliva before saying,


    "Find out if you are a Phantom or not, and take action ording to it."


    Iugh at his words, as everyone gazes at him strangely before saying,


    "Well, I am a ''Phantom''. What are you going to do about it?"


    Sirzechs seems like he''s unsure whether to take my words seriously or not as he looks for help from the others sitting at the table, however, as if knowing what I have in mind, they all expressionlessly stare into his eyes.


    "Sirzechs, I will provide you an ultimatum."


    My words seem to give a good amount of anxiety as he faces me and waits for me to continue.


    "You either tell me everything you know about the Underworld and those who are considered worthy of knowing or I begin a crusade against all Devils."


    My words seem to shake everyone apart from my Angels up as they all look at me to see if I''m being serious or not.


    "Don''t you think that''s a little too much?" Serafall finally talks.


    "How so?" I say with a friendly smile stered to my face.


    "Having someone either betray their race or be the reason for its demise. That''s way overdoing it, don''tcha think?"


    Looking at the cheeky smile on her face, I shake my head before letting out a sigh and saying,


    "I can''t have those under me endangered in any way. For that reason, even if I have to exterminate a plethora of pests, I will do it."


    Unfortunately, Serafall doesn''t seem to get taunted by my words as she keeps herposure with a small smile still on her face.


    Now then, I need to find a way to deal with the Devils once and for all...

 Chapter 102: Discussion ; Sword-Fight ; Plans

    Chapter 102: Discussion ; Sword-Fight ; ns


    This is annoying.


    I want to get this done quickly, as there are several other important things to do.


    "Let''s set the matters regarding the Devils to the side," I state, "Exin to me the characteristics of these ''Phantoms''."


    From here, Azazel begins to exin what Phantoms are,


    "We don''t know much about them, except for the fact that they''re powerful existences, and they hate everything that''s not a Phantom.


    "They''re currently unable to enter Asia due to various forces unifying to fight against them."


    Forces? Does he mean organizations? Besides, hating everything that''s living that sounds like an Unknown.


    "Do they have any objectives?" I inquire.


    "Based on what we know so far, they only have one objective  Find Genesis."


    That term again What meaning does it hold? ording to religion, it signifies the beginning of all time and creation. What are they seeking exactly?


    "Recently, the Phantoms have been actively researching Italia for reasons that we don''t know of. However, it can''t be anything good, so we decided to hold this conference to unify all races against them.


    "We''ve already lost so many of our strong forces during The Great War, so we can''t afford to dawdle around any longer."


    That''s to be expected. Enemies that are way beyond them are preparing for something that they don''t know of, so it''s only natural that they would brace themselves for an onught.


    Nevertheless, that part about the Phantoms investigating Italia is worrying. I can''t have them unseal Virus and the rest of the Codes that were yed a role in the Heavenly War.


    Anyway, this makes it all the more important to get rid of problematic ones like the Devil factions.


    Turning to face Sirzechs, I say,


    "Now that I''ve gotten an idea regarding Phantoms, it''s time to deal with you. Have you made your choice?"


    Sirzechs gets nervous and doesn''t respond in any meaningful way. After a few seconds, it seems like he finally wants to say something, however, before he can do so, I sense a presence outside the door.


    Checking them out, I find Grafiyaing over with a serious expression on her face.


    She knocks on the door a few times, before opening it and walking over to where Sirzechs is.


    Bending over a little, she whispers into his ear,


    "There is a problem in the Underworld that''s rted to you. Please head back as soon as you can."


    Sirzechsplexion seems to get lightened up as he gets up from his seat and says,


    "It seems like there is some trouble in the Underworld. I-"


    Before he can finish what he has to say, I use telekinesis to m him back into his seat and say,


    "Don''t make use of this opportunity to get away from this conference. If there is a problem, let''s discuss it, no? If it''s too much for you, I might even be able to lend you a hand."


    As if. This lovely maid has offered me the perfect chance to strike a vulnerable spot of the Underworld.


    Sirzechs is currently caught up in a dilemma, as he doesn''t know what to do.


    Fortunately, the others are aware that I''m not fond of not having ns foiled, so they all neutrally stare at the struggling man.


    After a while, he says in a deste tone,


    "Report it here."


    This immediately results in Grafiya''s eyes to widen as she says,


    "I''m afraid that''s not a good idea."


    Sirzechs waves his hand dismissively while saying in a pitiful tone,


    "Do I look like I have much of a choice here?"


    Grafiya closes her eyes for a few seconds before taking in a deep sigh and saying,


    "There is a video that has been going around on the inte. The video contains a rather sensitive matter regarding Sirzechs Lucifer."


    Oh? That''s interesting. Some material to ckmail the guy over here? Yes, please.


    Lifting my arm, I snap my fingers before creating aptop and turning it on. After connecting it to the academy''s inte, I instruct,


    "Care to show us the video?"


    Grafiya lets out a sigh before looking at Sirzechs in a way that makes it seem like she''s pitying him.


    She begins to use theptop while saying,


    "The video was posted by an anonymous individual on DeviTube. Naturally, it got taken down, but by that time, there were already several other versions on various other media tforms."


    After a while, she backs off from theptop.


    So, assuming that she''s done, I use telekinesis to move theptop close to myself and look at the words disyed on the screen:


    "Noble Swordfight"


    Huh? A sword-fight? Is it going to be a video showcasing him performing badly in a sword-fight? In that case, this isn''t much of ckmail material.


    It''s unfortunate, however, I will still y the video to see how badly he must''ve performed to be considered such a big issue.


    As soon as click y, the title screen fades away and shows a somewhat low-quality video of two men sitting in front of each other.


    That''s normal, right? Well, the fact that they''re both naked and staring at each other intensely definitely isn''t.


    "Sirzechs," a certain blond-haired guy voices in the video.


    "Riser," the other man responds to him.


    Hold on is this what I think it is? I form a barrier to prevent Aruru from hearing the sounds before curiously clicking the middle of the timestamp.


    Immediately after that, Sirzech''s voice resounds as he yells,


    "Take in my Wand of Destruction!"


    Having gotten a good idea of what the video is about, I immediately channel Destruction into the tip of my finger before sting theptop.


    A small smile on my face, I turn to look at Sirzechs who''s currently staring at the destroyedptop.


    "So, that is the ''Power of Destruction'' that you are so well known for, huh?"


    Checking the reactions of the others, I see Azazel holding a grin back, while Michael and Gabriel are both as calm as ever.


    Serafall is curiously staring at Sirzechs while Vali is facepalming.


    Rias is stunned while staring at the back of her brother, not knowing how to react in this situation.


    "I kind of feel sorry for you," I say, "You may leave."


    Sirzechs proceeds to wordlessly get up from his seat and move to an empty part of the room before forming a magic circle and walking into it.


    Seeing him disappear from the room, Grafiya looks over at me with aplicated expression before leaving the room through a magic circle.


    "Now then, I''m too tired to deal with anymore for today. So, how about we form the alliance and be done with it?"


    Agreeing with my suggestion, Serafall and Azazel both sign a written agreement that I wrote with a little help from Michael.


    After them, I signed the written agreement as God before handing it to Michael.


    "So long," I say as I get up from my seat and walk to the door before voicing,


    "Yuno."


    Immediately after I say so, a gateway opens in front of us which leads to the living room of the mansion.


    "Michael, you head over to Heaven and make sure everything is fine over there. I''m sure that my return has triggered some events. I leave management to you."


    "Understood," he responds.


    "As for you, Gabriel, follow me to my living quarters. I have some matters that I would like to discuss with you."


    "As you wish," she affirms.


    ---


    "What the hell happened to you?" Misa says upon seeing me and the other girls pass through the gateway.


    "Did you finally lose it?" Nao adds.


    "Master is more handsome now," Siesta, who''s holding a tray of coffee, remarks.


    "Will you guys stop it?" I say before moving over and taking a seat on the sofa.


    Siesta proceeds to ce a cup of coffee in front of me as I begin exining everything that took ce today, including the matter with Sirzechs.


    "So, you really were God?" Misa says dubiously.


    "Technically, yes," I reply wryly.


    "Forget that, aren''t those Phantoms going to be troublesome?" Ravel says.


    "You''re correct," I say, "The only way I can think of to efficiently deal with them is to build arge force and wipe them out in one go."


    "So, an empire?" Sora says.


    Silence ensues for a few seconds before Gabriel says in a gentle tone,


    "We can make use of the current state of the factions."


    "How?" I ask curiously.


    "The state of the three factions isn''t good. That''s especially the case for the Devils."


    "Are you suggesting that I use them as bait?" I say after thinking about it.


    Gabriel nods once with a smile on her face.


    That''s a pretty good idea. Instead of directly attacking the Devils, I can bait some of them out using various means and make use of the opportunity to loot some powers.


    Not only that, but I can have some Devils that are directly serving me to strengthen their foundation in the Underworld.


    This ultimately gives me almost total control over all three of the factions. The Angels will obey me if things don''t move out of track. I will be manipting the Devils from the background without showing my hand.


    As for the Fallen Angels, if they''re against cooperation, I can pressure them using the two factions that I will be strengthening.


    This settles most of the problems in Japan, which leaves me with the rest of the countries.


    So, I need to establish a headquarters somewhere and form a force for myself.


    A good way to do this is to gain control of forces in other tforms and finding the Core to open a gateway between there and the Rift.

 Chapter 103: Daughter ; Peace

    Chapter 103: Daughter ; Peace


    "Gabriel, let''s have a little talk, shall we?" I suggest while running my fingers through her silky hair.


    "Yes," she calmly replies.


    Having gotten her confirmation, I hold her hand as I mutter,


    "Arena."


    My vision blips before I find myself in Dubai.


    "This" Gabriel says, "Is Dubai?"


    Sensing the confusion in her voice, I tell her about the Arena''s existence and its applications.


    "As expected from" Gabriel''s words fade off as she looks into my eyes with deliberation.


    "What''s wrong?" I inquire.


    "It''s just" she says and pauses for a few seconds before continuing, "I don''t know what I should call you."


    Beaming her a smile, I approach her and embrace her soft body and whisper,


    "You can just call me the way you always have, Gabby."


    She hugs me back and responds,


    "Understood, Father."


    We stay like this for a few minutes before I break the hug and cup her cheeks.


    "I missed you," I say.


    Gabriel ces her hands on mine before replying in a gentle voice,


    "I missed you too, Father."


    The two of us then walk inside the hotel that the other girls used to reside in and head over to the lounge.


    There, we both take a seat on the sofa beside each other.


    "I''m surprised that you remember me," Gabriel says after a few seconds.


    Creating some two cups of smoothies, I hand one over to her and sip on mine before saying,


    "And why is that?"


    Gabriel sips her smoothie before replying,


    "You said that you won''t be able to remember much even after ''reconnecting'' with yourself."


    I see. My Proxy knew about this already, so ''he'' warned them about it beforehand.


    "What did ''I'' exactly say?" I ask her curiously.


    She immediately replies,


    "Something along the lines of not remembering most of the things that aren''t vital."


    I reach out my arm, stroke her cheek gently before saying while grinning,


    "It seems like you were much more important to me than you thought."


    Upon hearing my words, Gabriel chuckles lightly before resting her head on my shoulder and saying,


    "You''ve changed."


    "Have I?"


    "Yes. In the past, you were much more apatheticpared to how you are at the moment."


    Is that so? Gabriel is right about the part of me not remembering a lot from the past. I mean, I don''t remember what I even looked like back then.


    Even so, was I apathetic? I don''t think so. After all, as an individual that was hailed as benevolent and merciful, I must''ve had feelings.


    Unless everything my Proxy did was ording to ''my'' wishes In that case, a lot of things would make sense.


    "After deliberating on the subject, I concluded," I exin, "The God that you knew was something I had created to keep a tab on things while the real me was away with whatever I was doing during that period."


    Well, that should be the gist of it. Hopefully, there isn''t something else that I''ve yet to know of.


    "We should get going now," I suggest.


    Upon arriving back at the Rift, I hug Gabriel onest time before bidding her farewell.


    As Gabriel leaves to get back to Heaven, I make my way to the kitchen.


    Upon arriving, I see Akame sitting at the table eating some kind of dessert, while Siesta is cleaning the kitchen up.


    "What is that?" I question as I take a seat beside Akame.


    "Trifle," she responds after a few seconds.


    essing my database, I create some for myself. Creating a spoon as well, I eat a spoonful before saying,


    "So, how are you doing now?"


    In response to my words, Akame keeps on eating her Trifle for a while before replying,


    "I am confused."


    After saying so, she pauses for a few seconds before continuing,


    "Am I able to go back? Will I be able to?"


    I can sense the anxiety within her voice, but I can''t do much about it other than patting her head and saying,


    "It''s going to be fine. Don''t let such thoughts fog your mind. All you have to do is think of the present, this world, and the ones here."


    Frankly, I''m unsure what her words are trying to imply. Is she doubtful of my ability to take her back? Or is she puzzled over going back to that war-filled world after having lived in such a peaceful environment here?


    It doesn''t matter which one it is, as I will be helping her out. That''s obviously not because I feel guilty or something, but rather because it would be beneficial for me either way.


    Perhaps, conquering her world and getting rid of all pests will be helpful? Nothing is certain, so I can''t just be making ns from now.


    Shaking my head, I ruffle Akame''s hair once more before getting up and heading over to Krul''s room.


    I knock on the door a couple of times before I get a response from her.


    Opening the door, I walk inside and sit beside Krul who''s on the bed with aplicated look on her face.


    "They''re bing more frequent now" she says, "those dreams."


    As I suspected, her Code is beginning to act up. I had a premonition that it would be like this ever since she told me about it before.


    Irene, do you have any information regarding this?


    {Negative.}


    That''s unfortunate. Nevertheless, I should do something. It would be useful to either stop what''s portended to happen or hasten it.


    Either way, it''s much better than it unexpectedly affecting her performance mid-battle.


    Now that I think about it, Krul is a vampire, so blood-sucking must have some kind of effect on her, right?


    Back in Project Charlotte, Krul was able to use her Code after sucking my blood, so it wouldn''t hurt to have her do it again.


    "Say, Krul," I begin, "Would you like to suck my blood?"


    In response to my words, Krul looks me in the eyes for a few seconds before swiftly moving and pushing me down.


    "So eager?" I tease her.


    Krul ignores my words as she moves my clothes away before biting in on my flesh.


    Focusing on my abilities and regeneration I prevent her from being hurt as I deliberate on the difference between her and me.


    Shouldn''t it be hard for her canines to pierce my skin based on my parameters?


    {It is as Father says. However, if Father wishes for it, the parameters can be decreased temporarily.}


    I''m assuming this is what''s going right now. Unconsciously making use of that as a way of giving consent to Krul to suck my blood.


    {Affirmative.}


    "Krul," I say to the petite girl who''s taking her sweet time sucking my blood out.


    While still sucking my blood, she lets out a "hm?".


    "Make sure you never attempt to surprise me by biting into my neck unexpectedly, lest you want your canines to shatter," I say while chuckling.


    Krul stops what she''s doing and moves her head so that we are both facing each other before saying,


    "Your new appearance suits you better than the other ones. That''s not all, as even your blood tastes and feels different. It''s better now."


    I ce my hand on the back of her head and push it closer to myself before kissing her lips for a few seconds.


    It''s sweet Does this mean that I am sweet-blooded? No wonder insects annoy me so much.


    Anyway, I should find a good time to hang out with Yasaka and Kunou. A little pic will have splendid results.


    First, I''ll get closer to the leader of the Youkai faction. This will probably be useful in the future.


    Second, I get to clear my mind up before getting started with my ns.


    Andstly, I get to see the cute little Kunou again.

 Chapter 104: Upcoming Underworld Trip ; Functions ; Morning

    Chapter 104: Uing Underworld Trip ; Functions ; Morning


    Krul fell asleep shortly after sucking my blood out, so I decided to head back to my room.


    Opening my door, I am met with the sight of Ayumi happily talking to Sora, while Koneko is lying at the end of the bed.


    "Brother Yu!" Ayumi exims upon noticing me and runs over to embrace me.


    Lifting her and holding her within my arms, I kiss her cheek once before saying,


    "It''s gettingte. Why are you not sleeping?"


    Ayumi responds with,


    "I was waiting for Brother Yu."


    While still holding Ayumi in my arms, I walk over to the bed andy her down before lying down beside her.


    "Haru," Sora suddenly says, "Are you going to stay like that forever?"


    Knowing that she''s referring to my new appearance, I reply nonchntly,


    "Apparently, yes. Does it not suit me?"


    Right after I said so, Ayumi gets up and says passionately,


    "Brother Yu looks cool!"


    I chuckle in response to Ayumi''s remark while patting her head.


    Suddenly, I feel some weight on my body. Looking down, I see Konekofortably lying down on my chest.


    Finding her actions to be adorable, I y with her ears using one hand and hold one of her small hands with the other.


    "President wants to go back," she says all of a sudden.


    Back? As in the Underworld?


    "So?"


    "She wants to take us with her," Koneko states.


    Hold on, isn''t this the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Devil''s ranks? It surely is. Besides, I can''t let my cute Koneko go to the Underworld with its current state being unclear.


    Holding on to that notion, I dere,


    "I will be apanying you."


    Taking this chance, I ce my palm on her cheek before saying,


    "I can''t leave you to go alone to somewhere far from me, now, can I?"


    My words seem to please Koneko as her ears twitch a few times as she holds onto me a little tightly.


    "You seem to care about her," Sora suddenly remarks in a neutral tone.


    Smiling wryly, I respond,


    "Can''t deny that."


    Before she can say anything else, I turn my attention back to Koneko and ask her,


    "When will she be going?"


    Koneko then proceeds to tell me about the specifics of traveling there. As it turns out, Rias is nning to leave the day after tomorrow and go there using a train.


    That''s good timing, I suppose.


    I can take Yasaka and Kunou out tomorrow. The day after that, I can finally begin dealing with the Devils.


    "My sister wants toe too," Koneko''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Her reason being?"


    "She said that she doesn''t want to be somewhere I am not."


    Well, I can''t me her for that. They''ve been apart for so long, so wishing to be with one another is natural.


    From the looks of it, they''re getting along. That''s fortunate


    ---


    Opening my eyes, I am met with the sight of two petite figures lying on my chest.


    When did Aruru get here?


    Using Permeation, I move my arms away from Ayumi and Sora before holding both of the girls on me and floating up from the bed.


    cing them both down I deliberate on a rather important matter.


    From the memories I received as God, I didn''t get anything regarding Aruru. That''s unusual, as I''m sure that I wouldn''t forget her for various reasons.


    That''s something that needs to be looked intoter. For now, I will go and visit Yasaka and Kunou.


    Making my way to the gateway connected with the shrine-house, I activate it before passing through it.


    [Father.]


    Michael''s voice suddenly resounds within my head.


    "What is it?" I inquire.


    [All the Angels in Heaven have been informed of your return. They''re all looking forward to serving you.]


    Now, that is suspicious as heck. What degree of loyalty do my Angels hold to be able to convince all the other Angels like this?


    It''s good now that I have something of an army serving under me, but I need to be cautious with whatever I do.


    Nevertheless, I will train them to the point that one Angel will be able to single-handedly take down dozens of Devils.


    Of course, I won''t be establishing a connection with all the Angels as I have with Raynare and the rest.


    Speaking of connections, why didn''t Michael and Gabriel get the symbol that my Angels have on the back of their palms?


    {Father has yet to use Angelification on them.}


    Huh? But they''re Angels already?


    {That''s a different matter. These Angels have yet to receive the Essence Energy from Father''s Code, so the process hasn''t taken ce for changes to ur.}


    In other words, unless I''ve supplied them with my Essence Energy, they won''t be my direct Angels?


    {Affirmative.}


    But I don''t recall supplying Raynare and the rest with my Energy?


    {Father''s control over the Essence Energy wasn''t stablepared to now.}


    Leaving that aside, what are the differences between my direct Angels and the others?


    {''Direct Angels'', as Father calls them, have a significant boost in their stats as well as a stronger Blessingpared to other beings.}


    Blessing? Right, I am a God, so I should be able to bless others.


    {Due to Father having notpletely turned into a deity, that option isn''t clear right now.}


    I see. Simply put, I need to work on gaining a ''divine'' form and also supply Michael and Gabriel with my Essence Energy.


    As for the other two, I will leave them to their own devices for a while.


    Focusing back on reality, I walk out of the shrine-house and am immediately met with a bustling crowd.


    Most of them are tourists.


    Anyway, I make my way to where Yasaka and Kunou reside in.


    There, I check the state of the ce using irvoyance before entering the building.


    Opening the door by sliding it, I enter the room the mother and daughter are in.


    Both of them are eating their breakfast with some servants standing nearby.


    My appearance is immediately noted to be a hostile one as two of the servants rush and sh at me using small daggers coated with some form of energy.


    Casually dispersing the energy, I use telekinesis to m them into the ground before slowly walking inside.


    "You!", a female servant wants to rush at me, but before she can move, Kunou who had gotten up runs towards me and hugs my legs.


    This makes everyone present, apart from Yasaka, pale as they begin to think of some unhealthy matters.


    Ignoring them, I pat Kunou and say,


    "It''s been a while, Kunou."


    In response to my actions, Kunou lifts her head and looks me in the eye with a small smile on her face before grabbing my arm and dragging me over to where Yasaka is.


    "Hello," I greet the busty fox-woman.


    With a gentle smile on her face, Yasaka questions,


    "What happened to you?"


    I sit down with a chuckle before responding,


    "A lot, to be honest. I recovered something, and what you see right now was the result."


    The servants seem to have realized my identity, or at least, no longer think I''m a threat, as they all calm down significantly.


    "You look better now," she remarks.


    "Thank you for thepliment," I say while ignoring Kunou who just sat on myp.


    This might be the very first time that I''ve felt a little ufortable about someone sitting on myp.


    Hopefully, Yasaka wouldn''t take me for something I am not.


    "Taking your sudden visit into consideration, I reckon you would like to take us out today?" Yasaka inquires.


    Deciding that it doesn''t matter anymore, I pat Kunou''s head before replying,


    "Indeed. It''s hard to have a clear schedule nowadays."


    "That, I can rte to," Yasaka states.


    "I''m sure you do, being the leader of the Youkai and all."


    Thus, we spend the next few minutes speaking of several matters. During that period, I created numerous fruits with berries being the one Kunou enjoyed the most.


    "Shall we get going then?" I suggest.

 Chapter 105: Family Picnic

    Chapter 105: Family Pic


    "This is quite the nice ce," Yasaka remarks while looking around.


    Of course, I''ve picked somewhere far away from civilization. Somewhere near Mt. Chorogatake.


    A ce filled covered in lush greenery and various flowers.


    It took me a while to find this location, but it seems like it was worth it.


    I proceed to create two nkets and a medium-sized tent.


    Yasaka sits on a nket that I ced on the ground while Kunou begins to explore the ce and surroundings.


    There is a river a fair distance away from here which I''m nning to check outter.


    For now, I sit near Yasaka and enjoy the sound of nature all around us.


    "It seems like you needed this more than us," Yasaka all of a sudden says.


    "What do you mean?" I curiously ask her.


    "You looked like you were under pressure a while ago," she responds.


    Pressure? Me? Why would she so?


    "Don''t deny it. I can tell that you''re trying to hide it from everyone, including yourself," Yasaka continues to say.


    Shaking my head, I say confidently,


    "You must be mistaken. I''m in no way under any pressure."


    "Is that what you truly believe?" she asks me in a manner that makes it seem like she isn''t expecting me to answer.


    Forget it, she''s surely just mistaken my personality for a facade of sorts.


    "Uhm"


    Suddenly, I hear a voice from my left.


    Looking over, I''m met with a slightly nervous Kunou who''s staring at me.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Mr. God," she nervously voices.


    "You don''t need to call me that," I say while beaming a smile, "Just call me ''Victor''."


    Might as well tell them my ''real'' name, as it doesn''t matter much at this point. Unless there is the ridiculous concept of ''true names'' giving others authority over someone, I don''t think there is a demerit to sharing it.


    "Victor?" she mutters a few times before beaming me a smile.


    Finding her to be cute, I subconsciously pat her head and fox-ears.


    "What, your name has changed too?" Yasaka questions, not minding my interaction with her daughter.


    "That''s not exactly right. Apparently, ''Victor'' has been my name for the past nine-thousand years."


    Upon hearing thetter part of my sentence, Kunou''s eyes widen while Yasaka, who''s unfazed inquires,


    "You''re not God, are you?"


    Shaking my head, I shrug my shoulders and reply,


    "Nope. However, I did create him and absorb part of his memories, so there''s that."


    Yasaka chuckles, yet it doesn''t seem to affect her demeanor as she does it gracefully. Then, shements,


    "The more I talk to you, the more absurd your existence seems to get."


    Well, she does have a point. I mean, a while ago I was just an ordinary human with enhanced strength and speed.


    During the period between then and now, I traversed to another world, took down an organization, got back to this world, and ''became'' God, or more urately, ''his'' creator.


    The ''me'' from a month ago would never have expected something like this to happen.


    "Victor," Kunou''s voice interrupts my thoughts, "Is there water nearby?"


    Patting her head, I turn to face Yasaka before saying,


    "There is a river nearby. How about the three of us go over there?"


    Yasaka agrees as she gets up and fixes her clothes before walking over to Kunou.


    Taking Kunou''s hand into her own, Yasaka looks at me as if waiting for me to do the same.


    Might as well do it.


    Getting up from the ground, I take Kunou''s other hand into mine before looking over to Yasaka and saying,


    "I''ll lead the way."


    The three of us then begin to stroll to where the river is hand-in-hand. On the way there, I move thorny nts out of the way using telekinesis and continuously checking for a good path using irvoyance.


    Midway there, something interesting grabs our attention.


    A man wearing blue pants and a green shirt is sitting on a rock and gazing into the sky with a peaceful look on his face. Around the man are several wild animals.


    After a few seconds, we start walking again.


    Shortly, we reach a riverbank. Kunou excitedly shakes our hands off and runs to the river.


    "There are fish!", she turns to face us and exims.


    Yasaka and I both lightlyugh at her antics.


    This reminds me of Ayumi back then when we went camping. However, at that time, we didn''t have a mother figure apanying us.


    I turn my head to look at Yasaka. Coincidentally, she does the same.


    The two of us look at each other''s eyes, and it almost feels like we are sharing our senses through them.


    After a few seconds, Yasaka turns back to face Kunou who''s lowering her foot into the river and says,


    "It''s unfortunate that I couldn''t grant her much of a happy childhood."


    "Why do you say that?" I curiously inquire.


    "The way it''s been up until now is me keeping herpany at home whenever I wasn''t busy with work."


    That''s unfortunate indeed. Nevertheless, it''s unusual for a job to note with a resting period, even if it''s being the leader of a faction.


    When I asked her about it, she responded,


    "That''s true. There have been opportunities to do more than just apany her at home, but it doesn''t amount to much."


    Well, it''s better for children to spend most of their time both productively and happily.


    In a sense, I understand what Yasaka is getting at.


    "Say, where''s her father?" I inquire.


    In response to my inquiry, Yasaka looks in the distance before saying,


    "He''s not here anymore."


    "I see," I mutter.


    So, she''s a widow. No wonder I hadn''t seen her husband and it was so easy to take her out today.


    "Why are you asking?" she suddenly turns her head and says with a grin on her face.


    "Just curious," I reply nonchntly.


    "Or could it be that you wanted to be Kunou''s father?" she teases.


    Deciding to y along with her, I turn to face her and say with a look of deliberation,


    "That wouldn''t be bad. I get a beautiful wife and an adorable daughter. Definitely a win for me."


    Laughing in response, Yasaka says,


    "It seems like whatever happened to you also changed your personality."


    "Is that so?" I curiously ask.


    Has it really? I don''t think I''ve changed much.


    "I believe you wouldn''t have made such remarks back then."


    Is she trying to say that I''m more easygoing now? If that''s the case, then that''s not necessarily a bad thing.


    It''s not like I will just stop chopping my foes'' heads off.


    Now that I think about it, I''ve yet to investigate the new changes rted to my status window.


    Irene, give me a quick exnation of everything that has changed as well as the reason the change happened.


    {Understood.}


    {Father''s System seems to be in a sealed state. The fact that I was unable to sense it means that it was none other than Father that sealed it.}


    {The seal was partially lifted once Father made contact with the Fragment. This resulted in an overall change in appearance as well as more functions.}


    {Most of the abilities now have their level of mastery disyed. Upon reachingplete mastery, the ability should evolve to a higher form.}


    Now that''s just ridiculous.


    {Naturally, to raise the mastery of an ability, constant usage is a must. In the end, it all depends on Father''s understanding of the ability and its uses.}


    Fine, I get the part about abilities. What I want to know is the percentage, next to my Code.


    {That''s the current state of Father''s Code. Once Father reaches a certain point, additional functionalities will be avable.}


    That''s going to be a little tough. From the looks of it, it''s quite hard to raise it.


    I mean, currently, it''s at 2% despite being so ridiculously powerful. The fact that I''ve been using it further supports my belief. Hopefully, something like the progress getting slower after a while isn''t the case.


    {Unfortunately, it''s as Father says.}


    Damn it!


    Whatever. At least, I got to find out about it early.


    Leaving that aside, there is one rather important thing. My race Why has my humanity increased?


    {Insufficient information to provide an answer.}


    Forget it, I should just focus back on the matter at hand.


    As I do so, I notice Kunou suddenly stopping whatever she was doing and running over to where I am.


    She slows down once she''s near us and looks at me, then at her mother. After repeating this a few times, shees over and holds my arm before saying,


    "Let''s go."


    Letting Kunou drag me along, I look over at Yasaka and smile wryly.


    In response to this, Yasaka chuckles a little before following us.


    ---


    After having enjoyed ying around in the river, we return to where I had set the tent and nkets.


    "Am I dying your work?" I question Yasaka who''s sitting beside me.


    In response, she giggles before saying,


    "It''s fine. I''m sure that if any problems arise, you will be helping us."


    Finding her response amusing, Iugh a little before saying,


    "That''s for sure. You can count on me anytime."


    Yasaka then proceeds to lean on me. Of course, I don''t mind such actions, so I let her be.


    However, that doesn''t seem to be the case for a certain someone.


    Kunou who was lying on the nket and gazing at the sky gets up swiftly beforeing over and sitting on myp.


    She then ces her head on my chest and closes her eyes.


    So cute


    I kiss the top of Kunou''s head once before gently patting it.


    Compared to Koneko, her ears twitch a lot more when my hand makes contact with them.


    Suddenly, I feel a moist sensation on my cheek.


    Surprised, I turn my head to look Yasaka who has a cheeky grin on her face while looking at me.


    "That''s your reward for granting us a time to enjoy like this."


    Beaming her a smile, I say,


    "I liked the reward. Makes me wonder what would happen if I granted you a longer rest."


    "What do you think?" she voices before chuckling.


    Kunou who''s within my arms suddenly moves her head closer to my arm.


    Having a bad premonition, I subconsciously lower my stats.


    As I suspected, Kunou bites my arm.


    Why, though? Is she angry at me for something?


    Suddenly, Yasaka beginsughing.


    I turn to face her with confusion most likely visible on my face.


    Understanding that I''m seeking an exnation, she shakes her head and says,


    "Don''t worry. This just means that it''s fun to be with you."


    I''m sure there is more to it than what she''s letting on. However, I won''t be asking her about it yet, as I have a feeling that if I did, things will take a weird turn.


    Not that I care if it happens.

 Chapter 106: End of Trip ; Abnormal Unknown ; Leaving

    Chapter 106: End of Trip ; Abnormal Unknown ; Leaving


    This trip has been rather fun. Especially after Kunou began clinging to me like glue.


    She''s cute, so I didn''t mind it much.


    Plus, it wasfortable to y with her tails.


    "It''s gettingte," Yasaka says while looking at the dusky sky.


    "Right. I guess it is about time that we returned," I affirm.


    Our words seem to disappoint Kunou who''s within my arms, as I see her ears slightly drooping.


    Moving my head closer to one of her ears, I whisper,


    "It''s not like this will be thest time."


    Kunou jolts in response before moving her head away and turning it to face me.


    As I''m about to get up, I sense a presence a few kilometers away.


    Normally, my senses wouldn''t be this hyperactive, but it''s a different case when we''re in an isted area.


    Ever since we got here, I''ve been making full use of my senses to check for any humanoid figures.


    Now that one has appeared, I check them out.


    Upon using irvoyance to do that, I''m surprised to find out that it''s a little girl that seems to be about 8 years old.


    The girl is wearing a white one-piece dress that reaches her legs. Its color goes well with her golden-colored hair and eyes.


    What I find peculiar is that the girl is standing still and staring at nothing in particr.


    No matter the circumstances, it''s weird for a little girl to be in this ce without thepany of an adult.


    "Yasaka, you and Kunou stay here while I go check something out," I solemnly say.


    I check on the girl again using irvoyance, however, something happens that sends a shiver down my spine.


    She''s looking at me.


    Wherever I move my sight around her, she moves her head along with it and stares right at me.


    All of a sudden, the girl turns her head in a direction and begins to walk.


    Checking the direction she''s walking to, I find out that she''sing toward us.


    This is bad. I can''t let her get near Yasaka and Kunou.


    In a single second, I appear right in front of the girl. Immediately after I do so, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {WARNING: Abnormal Unknown detected.}


    Abnormal Unknown? What''s that now?


    {They''re Unknowns that don''t fit into any of the ssifications set.}


    How screwed am I?


    {Threat level: 9.}


    What is the maximum threat level?


    {Ten.}


    So, I''m pretty screwed.


    Focusing back on the girl, I see that she''s making no movements and just stares into my eyes.


    She doesn''t seem to be hostile?


    "Hello, littledy. Do you mind telling me your name?" I say while preparing for a sudden attack by erecting a barrier using Vector Maniption and circting my Holy Essence.


    I feel like the way I worded it makes me seem like a predator, but that''s not important right now.


    "G," the girl softly replies.


    That''s a rather unusual name. Is she a foreigner? She seems like she is. Anyway, there is a little girl in front of me that poses a great threat to me. How do I deal with her?


    Resolving myself, I slowly stretch my arm toward her head, prepared in case it suddenly gets cut off.


    Fortunately, G doesn''t move and just watches as my hand reaches her head.


    As soon as my hand makes contact with her head, I feel a sudden gust of wind before G disappears.


    Using my senses, I''m unable to find her within a five-kilometer-radius.


    This is my first contact with an Unknown, and it was with an Abnormal one. Whenever I looked into her eyes, an overwhelming sense of emptiness overcame me.


    What''s queer is that I didn''t realize that until G was gone.


    ---


    "Let''s go back," I say as soon as I''m back at where Yasaka and Kunou are, "It''s unsafe to stay here any longer."


    Probably sensing the severity of the situation, Yasaka nods her head once before solemnly pulling Kunou along with her as she heads to where I''ve parked the car we used to get here.


    I channel Destruction into my senses and get rid of everything that I''ve created before catching up with them.


    On the way back, Yasaka asked me about what happened back then.


    Not willing to disclose too much regarding such matters, I simply told her that I encountered a weird individual.


    After quite some time, we finally reach the shrine.


    Getting off, I apany the mother and daughter duo to their home before heading back to the mansion through the gateway in our shrine-house.


    Directly after I arrive, I call my Angels and the Codes, apart from Siesta, to an emergency meeting.


    I transport us to the Arena before exining my encounter with G.


    "What do you think of this?" I ask no one in particr as I look around at everyone sitting at the round table that I''ve created.


    "Are you sure she just disappeared?", Krul inquires after a short while.


    "Definitely. I''m sure I didn''t sense anything apart from the wind back then."


    Due to theck of information, we aren''t able to make proper amends regarding this matter.


    Thus, I end the meeting by everyone to immediately make contact with me if they encounter G.


    ---


    Opening my eyes, I feel the usual weight on my arms and chest. As I have gotten used to it, I don''t pay much attention and just get off from the bed without making much noise and movement.


    Then, I use telekinesis to lift Koneko from the bed and ce her within my arms.


    A few secondster, she opens her eyes and seems a little confused before realizing what''s going on.


    Smiling a little, she moves her head close to mine and licks my cheek once.


    I ce her down on the ground and y with her ears before saying,


    "Get prepared. We''re leaving for the underworld today, remember?"


    In response to my words, Koneko nods her head once before moving to where the closet and taking her uniform out.


    I open the door of my room, only to be met with the sight of Kurokazily lounging on the sofa.


    "Good morning," I greet her.


    "Good morning, nya~" she greets back.


    For some reason, I can''t get used to her usage of "nya" at the end of every sentence. It''s not like I dislike it or something, it''s just that I''m not familiar with it.

 Chapter 107: Arriving at the Underworld ; Gathering

    Chapter 107: Arriving at the Underworld ; Gathering


    "Hello!" a voice greets us from behind me.


    Turning around, I see Azazel standing there with a stupid smile on his face.


    "Get inside and sit somewhere stupid-son," I say after turning around so that my back is facing him.


    Using my senses, I see that Azazel is a little stunned by the way I called him before he regains rity in two seconds.


    He walks over and takes a seat near us.


    "This is the Gremory House''s train," Rias exins to me respectfully, "It''s mainly used by Gremory House members, but there are exceptions."


    Toward the end of her sentence, Rias nces at Azazel once before turning her attention back to me and saying,


    "Is there anything you''d like to know about?"


    "No, thanks," I respond.


    Rias has gotten significantly more politepared to when I first met her. She has grown both physically mentally during this short period.


    Nevertheless, her pride is still high. That can be seen from the way she''s acting whenever the matter at hand is rted to her family or something.


    During one of the training sessions that I held, Akeno informed me of the reason that Rias isn''t living in the Underworld.


    Apparently, she wanted to prove herself to be important, rather than be known as "daughter of the Gremory House".


    Honestly, I find this to be petty and time-consuming as it has no use other than boosting her social status.


    "Say," Azazel''s voice suddenly resounds within my ears.


    I turn to face him and wait for him to say whatever is on his mind.


    "Are you truly him?" he continues after a few seconds.


    "Well, you could say so. However, rather than your father, it''s more urate to say that I''m your grandfather," I respond with a small grin on my face.


    "Grand...", he mutters before shifting his sight to outside the window.


    Leaving that matter aside, I wonder if Sirzechs or Zeoticus has informed the other Devils about my identity.


    I''m hoping that they haven''t, as it will essentially grant me a great opportunity to investigate matters.


    I shift my focus back to reality. Sitting opposite to me, Kuroka is attempting to start a conversation with Koneko who''sfortably sitting on myp.


    "It''s surprising," I say, "No one hase to rescue you yet."


    Knowing that my words are directed at her, Kuroka looks me in the eye and responds,


    "They''re just preparing."


    Chuckling at her response, I say tauntingly,


    "As if that would be of any use."


    ---


    We finally reached our destination - The Gremory Household.


    Getting off the train, my eyes are met with the site of several maids and butlers lined outside the house.


    A momentter, some fireworks are set off into the sky.


    How fancy.


    Now then, since I will be disguising as a Low-ss Devil, I will act like one from the get-go.


    "Don''t say anything about me other than the fact that I''m a ''pawn'' and have the Boosted Gear."


    After confirming my intentions, all of us begin to walk toward Rias''s family home.


    At the entrance, we are greeted by Grayfia who wees us inside. However, I notice her giving a strange look to Kuroka.


    --


    It takes us a short while to walk across a long corridor to, what I assume, is the living room.


    There I find a fine-looking woman with yellowish-gray hair and violet eyes sitting on a couch and sipping on a drink.


    The way she handles herself reminds me of Yasaka. In other words, she gives off a motherly aura.


    Upon noticing our presence, the woman smiles before getting up and approaching us.


    "You''ve finally arrived, Rias," she says.


    Then, she looks over at everyone before stopping her sight on Kuroka for a few seconds before shifting it to me as mild shock appears on her face before herplexion goes back to normal.


    Zeoticus has told her about me, alright.


    Well, this means that I don''t need to put on a facade here.


    "Greetings," I say, "I''m Theos."


    It''s better to not make use of my real name here. Having several ''identities'' will surely confuse any foes that wish to investigate me. Since I''ve already introduced myself as Theos, I''ll go along with that.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Theos. I''m Venelena Gremory. Wife of Zeoticus Gremory."


    After this, I don''t converse with her anymore, as she goes ahead and chats with Rias before weing all of us to the dining room.


    Upon arriving there, we all take a seat at the rather long dining table.


    Well, I expected no less from a ''noble'' household.


    It doesn''t take long before the head of the family, Zeoticus, arrives in the room.


    He takes a seat at the dining table as well, not looking in my direction even once.


    It seems like I''m unwee here. How sad...


    As if sensing my thoughts, Zeoticus looks over at me and offers a polite bow.


    From here on, the dinner proceeds normally, with Rias''s family speaking to her about ''ordinary'' matters.


    ---


    Why am I here again? Right, something along the lines of gathering of young Devils.


    We''re currently in a room filled with Devils. Kuroka is here as well, but her appearance has changed thanks to my Rework. The reactions Grafiya and Venelena upon seeing her were noteworthy, so I decided to change her appearance for this gathering, just in case.


    For the period we''ve been here for, I''ve been listening in for any interesting conversations regarding important matters, but it was up to no avail.


    All of a sudden, I hear a crashing noise behind me.


    Turning around, I see two Devils facing each other with pride practically oozing out of them.


    One of them is a blue-haired Devil with pointy ears. He''s wearing some weird yellow and gray attire.


    Facing him is a woman that has green hair and wears sses.


    "It looks like you really want to die, Zephyrdor," the woman voices.


    "You stink with virginity! What''s wrong with saying the truth," responds Zephyrdor.


    Just when it seems like the fight will get more annoying, a ck-haired man enters the room and exims,


    "Stop, you two!"


    Then, he walks closer to them while facing the female Devil and saying,


    "Princess of the Agares family, Seigvaira."


    After that, he turns to face Zephyrdor and says,


    "Problem child of the ysa-Labs family, Zephyrdor."


    Taking his words as an insult, Zephyrdor yells,


    "Who are you calling a problem child?! If you keep talking like I will-"


    Not letting him finish his words, the man cracks his fingers and says pridefully while grinning,


    "This is yourst warning. Anymore, and you will have to deal with me."


    Seigvaira seems to cautiously get back a little, while Zephyrdor raises his arm and exims,


    "You ipetent fool of the Bael family!"


    Then, he attempts to punch him, but the man blocks his hit and counters it.


    This results in Zephyrdor to be sent flying in our direction.


    I subconsciously p him to the side with enough force to shatter the ground several times.


    Naturally, a few Devils were impacted by this.


    "Hey, who is this little shit?!" A male Devil, who was hit by some debris with enough power to injure him, exims while looking in my direction.


    He''s got some guts to insult me.


    Using telekinesis, I lift him from the ground before pulling him toward myself and punching his guts.


    "Oonslos!" a female Devil exims while staring at the guy who''s currentlyying unconsciously on the ground with blow flowing out of his mouth.


    The next moment, the female Devil rushes at me with demonic energy covering her arm.


    In response to this, I move using my abnormal speed and appear above her.


    Then, before she can make sense of what''s happening, I kick the back of her head.


    As expected, she''s thrown face-first into the ground and shattering it.


    The next moment, several other Devils seem like they want to rush at me, but before they can do so, the ck-haired man from earlier exims,


    "Stop!"


    This seems to be effective as they all freeze in ce.


    Why are they so afraid of this guy? Could he be some kind of important figure?


    "You, who are you?", the man inquires.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I say nonchntly,


    "Shouldn''t you introduce yourself first before asking for someone''s identity?"


    Surprisingly, he doesn''t attempt to challenge me and just replies civilly,


    "You''re right. My name is Sairaorg. I''m the direct heir of the Bael Family."


    Since the guy isn''t showing any hostility, I introduce myself as well,


    "My name is Theos Angelus. A member of the Gremory House."


    In response to my words, Sairaorg''s expression turns into a small scowl before worsening upon hearing thetter part.


    There are various reasons for introducing myself in this way.


    Firstly, my name will give rise to several questions, as it is an unusual one. As I im to be from the Gremory House, this will lead to some suspicion regarding their intentions in whatever they do.


    This, in turn, will make the other important families cause trouble for the Gremories. Naturally, Zeoticus will attempt to get me to deal with them by iming that I am supposed to take responsibility for my actions.


    Secondly, the way I introduced myself makes it hard for others to figure out my rtionship with the Gremories.


    They could either think of me as a servant of Rias or a possible suitor that has been chosen for her.


    Either way, it will attract the attention of certain individuals.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Theos (Theos-san)," Sairaorg says after having regained hisposure.


    "Likewise," I reply while grinning.


    [Father, the task you assigned has beenpleted.]


    That''s good. Michael sure works fast.

 Chapter 108: Norse Gods ; Loki ; Upcoming Battle

    Chapter 108: Norse Gods ; Loki ; Uing Battle


    Silence ensues as Sairaorg and I have nothing to say to each other. This gives me the chance to once again listen to other Devils'' conversation which now mostly consists of the ''sword-fight''.


    Fortunately, that doesn''tst long as an entric old man enters the party hall.


    He''s wearing a monocle on his left eye. His attire consists of a robe that is mostly blue with golden linings.


    Apanying him is a beautiful silver-haired woman as well as a ck-haired man. The woman is wearing a simple business suit. As for the ck-haired man, he''s wearing some attire that ispletely ck and gray.


    The old man and hispanions approach the important bunch that is already present.


    Sirzechs, who I''m surprised is able to leave his room, Serafall, Azazel, and a few others are standing at a higher area.


    "It''s been a while, you shitty old man from the Northern countryside," Azazel greets the old man who grins in response.


    Then, he turns to look at the woman beside him and says,


    "It''s been a long time, you bratty Fallen Angel."


    The woman serenely stands without replying to him.


    "It''s been a long time, Lord Odin, God of the North."


    A Norse god? Finally, something worth looking into.


    [Father, we''ve arrived.]


    "Enter," I mutter.


    The next moment, Michael and Gabriel, who''s wearing the same garment from before to hide her face, enter the party hall.


    Serafall who was about to greet Odin freezes up before looking around at the party hall.


    Upon setting her sight on me, she stops before frowning a little.


    Sensing this, Sirzechs looks over at me as well, before all color is drained from his face.


    "Change of ns," I say to Rias and the rest nearby before smiling and slowly walking over to the staircase that leads to where Serafall and the others are.


    Michael and Gabriel both arrive at the staircase at the same time as I do and begin to walk behind me in an orderly fashion.


    By the time I reach the top, Sirzechs has already regained hisposure as he slightly bows and says,


    "Lord Theos, I''m surprised that you''re here."


    "Don''t be," I respond, "A peace conference concerning the well-being of everyone is something that I must attend."


    The moment Srizechs hears my response, he nces at Michael who''s respectfully standing behind me.


    I''m sure that the reason he did that is he had most likely invited Michael as the representative of the Pure Angels, yet I''m here.


    That''s understandable, as I normally wouldn''t bother with such and leave it to my underlings.


    However, it''s a different case this time, with Norse gods being present.


    "Theos..." Odin''s muttering interrupts my train of thoughts.


    "Biblical God?" he solemnly inquires while stroking his long beard and looking me in the eyes.


    "I''m Theos Angelus. The current leader of the Pure Angels," I state.


    "What''s with your eyes?", Odin asks after a few seconds.


    "That''s just the way they are," I reply while shrugging.


    And thus, I spend the next few minutes answering his inquiries without giving away any information about myself.


    Despite his old age, Odin frowns after a while before stopping.


    I expected that he would be more patient and attempt to piece together bits of information that I provide him, but reality is often disappointing.


    "Let''s get this done with," Azazel deres.


    I''m a little surprised that different mythologies are not against allying with each other.


    They either are thinking of Phantoms as too high of a threat, or they''re concerned about another matter altogether.


    In the end, Sirzechs gives a speech to the Devils regarding the current affairs and how this alliance is going to be beneficial before the representatives begin signing the agreement.


    Just as Odin is about to sign the agreement as a representative of the Norse, a gateway appears in the air before a man with light-blue hair floats out and shouts,


    "I have an objection!"


    In response to this, Odin turns to face the newly arrived man and says,


    "So you came, after all."


    The man points at himself and proudly deres,


    "I''m the Norse god, Loki!"


    Loki? Isn''t he supposed to be an evil and mischievous god? Anyway, this is starting to get interesting.


    "Well, that''s a rare guest," Azazel says, "Lord Loki, though you are a Norse god, you have no right to wreak havoc here."


    Loki proceeds to speak about how he is against Odin allying with other mythologies due to being unable to achieve Ragnark.


    "I''ve heard this argument before," Azazel says, "You''re with the Khaos Brigade, aren''t you?"


    Huh? Khaos Brigade? How are they rted to Ragnark?


    "I admit that I''ve partnered with them," Loki responds, "But it was of my own ord."


    The next moment, Loki raises his right arm and exims,


    "Come forth, my beloved son!"


    To the end of his words, another gateway appears with an electric shock-wave sending those close to it away.


    From within the gateway, a giant wolf-like being, that has two horns protruding from its sides, emerges.


    ording to what I remember about mythologies, that should be Fenrir.


    As expected, Fenrir is aggressive as it begins to look for a target to attack. Unfortunately, it set its sight on Rias and her peerage.


    Fenrir lunges at a speed that''s impressive for its body size.


    Making use of my own abnormal speed, I appear right at where it was nning to strike and reflect the attack using Vector Maniption.


    Under the force of its attack reflected back, Fenrir is pushed back a few meters.


    Just as it seems like Fenrir is about to rush at me, a green barrier-like thing appears around it and Loki.


    "You''re full of openings," a green-haired man back at where Serafall and the rest are says.


    "Beelzebub!" Loki exims before abruptly vanishing along with Fenrir.


    [Father, they''re nning to hold an emergency conference to discuss what just transpired.]


    Turning to face Michael who''s looking my way, I nod once to acknowledge his report before turning to face the Rias and saying,


    "An emergency conference will be held. I will be heading there, so you guys keep yourselves busy in the meantime."


    Rias nods her head and says in a calm tone,


    "Understood."


    I then look at Kuroka and say,


    "Try your best to not attraction to yourself for the period I''m gone."


    She seems to understand my intentions as she replies,


    "Fine, nya~"


    ---


    The conference ended much faster than I expected.


    In the beginning, those present were rather curious about my identity, but all I did was introduce myself as Theos Angelus.


    Serafall, Azazel, and Sirzechs all kept quiet regarding my ''true identity''.


    So, upon realizing that they won''t be learning anything of value regarding me, they ultimately gave up.


    During the conference itself, Odin was acting much more maturelypared to before, carefully listening to the green-haired man from before, Akuja Beelzebub, exin the current state of Loki.


    Apparently, Loki is going to be sealed for a whole day. This means that a team needs to be established to take him down.


    I think I am more than capable of taking him down, but I don''t want to reveal myplete powers yet. The earlier incident was a good thing. It granted me an opportunity to pique everyone''s curiosity by casually blocking an attack of such caliber.


    And so, the conference concludes with a need for a vanguard team to be established against Loki.


    At the end of the meeting, Odin rises from his seat, and solemnly deres that he feels responsible for Loki''s actions.


    I wonder how strong a Norse god is...

 Chapter 109: Volunteers ; Battle Start

    Chapter 109: Volunteers ; Battle Start


    "I volunteer to act as a vanguard until Mjlnir arrives," Rias deres after Sirzechs has exined the matter to her.


    Not a secondter, she turns her head and peers into my eyes.


    Currently, we''re once again in the conference room. This time, for the sole purpose of choosing those who''re going to be going over to where Loki is.


    It seems like Rias found about this through Azazel and decided to participate.


    Well, I was going to have her go with me anyway.


    I nod my head as confirmation, which makes Rias heave a sigh of relief.


    "There is another volunteer," a voice suddenly resounds to my right.


    Turning my head to face Serafall, I inquire,


    "Who?"


    As soon as I say so, the door to the room opens and enters none other than the Serafall''s sister, Sona.


    Upon arriving, Akuja exins that he can send about eleven individuals at most, that is if he overdoes himself.


    "The enemy is a god of Asgard," the woman standing behind Odin, Rossweisse says, "So, I''m going."


    And so, Azazel turns to both Rias and Sona before saying,


    "You can pick three of your peerage members apart from yourselves."


    While Rias and Sona both begin to deliberate on the matter, I raise my right arm and chant,


    "Porta." (A/N: Not a typo.)


    The moment my voice fades off, a gateway opens a meter away from me.


    "Aruru,"


    [Father?]


    "That''s right. Remember the portal that we discussed the other day? Go inside it."


    [Okay!]


    A few seconds after her ecstatic response, a small figure walks out of the gateway that was made through the usage of Yuno''s Code.


    It''s a one-time use gateway Sigillum thatsts for about five minutes at most. The gateway can be sent away if the activator wishes for it or a high amount of energy disrupts it.


    Naturally, the Sigillum will be visible if it''s on my hand, and it will take energy to maintain an illusion covering it.


    So, I had Yuno embed the Sigillum onto a piece of paper which I ced inside my ring.


    Currently, my ring has the capacity for only one more object. The other things inside it are three thin needles as well as Excalibur.


    The purpose of the three needles is to be used as a hidden weapon of sorts. They''re fairly lethal when ites to Telekinesis and Vector Maniption.


    As for the Excalibur, it''s kind of like a trump card. Although, it''s nothing whenpared to my actual trump card  my Code.


    "Father!" Aruru cheerfully exims, attracting everyone''s attention which was on the gate to her as she jumps into my embrace.


    Holding her small body with one arm, I pat her head with my free hand and say,


    "We''re going to be delivering punishment."


    Upon hearing my words, Aruru gets much more excited as she practically shouts,


    "Yes! No one can insult Father!"


    "Good job," I praise Aruru who cheerfully giggles in response.


    Using my senses to examine those who''re currently present in the room, I am able to tell that most of them are shocked by what just urred.


    Well then, tomorrow is going to be one heck of a day.


    ---


    "Raynare," I mutter as we''re all standing preparation to be transferred over, "I''m going to be going over to somewhere to take down a Norse god.


    "In case you''re unable to contact me after an hour, have Yuno activate all the mansion''s defenses and be prepared for any sudden ambushes."


    [Understood.]


    Irene, examine the magic circle that''s on the ground and tell me as much information as you can about it.


    {Yes, Father.}


    After a few seconds, her voice resounds within my head once again as she says,


    {There is a repeating energy pattern in the magic circle that indicates it''s used for teleportation. I''m unable to detect anything else.}


    So far, it seems like there are no traps. Even so, I can''t get careless.


    A few momentster, those who were present in the conference appear in the area.


    I''m given a few odd looks, but I don''t mind them.


    They believe that our only chance for winning would be stalling Loki until Mjlnir arrives. However, I don''t think that''s going to be the case at all.


    "Here," I hear Grayfia''s voice as she approaches us with two pouches.


    She opens therger one, revealing three red vials as she exins,


    "This is going to be dangerous, so it''s better if you have these with you."


    "These are?" I curiously inquire.


    "Phenex Tears," she responds neutrally, "They heal even the most fatal damages."


    Phenex Tears? Hopefully, it''s not the literal meaning as that would be kind of disgusting.


    For some reason, it makes me think of a crying Riser after the 1 month of Indoctrination.


    After this, she opens the other pouch and revealing the ten potions in it. This time, without me having to inquire about it, she exins,


    "These are Nix Drops. They''re a weaker replica of the Phenex Tears."


    "This is what I used to heal Issei Hyoudo the day after his reincarnation as well another time," Rias who''s beside me exins to me in a low voice.


    Nodding my head, I look over at everyone present.


    From Rias''s peerage, there is Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Rias herself. As for Sona''s peerage, there is Tsubaki, Saji, and a white-haired girl that I''ve yet to know the name of.


    Apart from them, there is Rossweisse and me.


    Speaking of Rossweisse, she''s wearing a somewhat enticing battle-armor.


    "Are you all prepared?" Akuja asks.


    He nods his head once before activating the magic circle.


    The next moment, my vision blips as I find myself somewhere rocky with a green triangr barrier nearby.


    Using my senses to examine it, I''m able to find Loki sitting on the ground with a bored expression.


    "And here I was wondering what he will be doing this whole time," I mutter.


    Suddenly, a small energy disruption urs on the seal.


    Noticing it, Loki unleashes his power on that one spot, which results in the whole thing to destabilize before breaking down.


    Loki seems to be a little excited about getting out, but he doesn''t let it show on his face for too long as he slowly floats into the air while saying,


    "Beelzebub''s petty tricks are no more than a small hindrance to the inevitable Ragnark."


    Hearing his words, Rossweisse gets a little worked up as she exims,


    "Lord Loki! Baring your fangs at our great Father is unforgivable!"


    Loki looks down at her and says in an unamused tone,


    "Ah, the Valkyrie that apanies Odin. Though I hear you are talented, your power is far from a god''s."


    Yeah... I''ve decided that I''m going to continuously beat him up for the heck of it.


    cing his arms behind his back, Loki grins as he states,


    "You are all much too weak for the opening act of Ragnark."


    The confidence in his voice is tant.


    A momentter, several electrical energy balls appear in the sky before striking the ground directly below him.


    As a charge of energy blinds my vision for a split-second, Fenrir appears amidst electrical currents.


    The process reurs two more times as two smaller versions of Fenrir appear.


    "Fenrir''s children, Hati and Skoll..." Rossweisse mutters solemnly.


    Loki scoffs before the process urs once again. However, this time, something different appears  a huge snake.


    "Even one of the Five Dragon Kings, the Midgard Serpent," Rossweisse says.


    Huh? That thing is termed the same as Tia? Speaking of which,


    "Tiamat, are you there?"


    Several seconds pass, but I get no response from her, so I assume she''s sleeping.


    I can''t be sure until I check on herter.


    "Prepare for battle," I instruct before floating into the air.


    "You guys take down Hati and Skoll. Aruru, deal with the giant snake. As for you Rossweisse, take Fenrir down with my support."


    In response to my instructions, everyone, apart from Rossweisse who seems to be confused and Aruru who''s happily hopping in ce, exims, "Yes!"


    The next moment, Aruru extends her six wings and soars in the sky before diving toward the Midgard Serpent.


    As for the rest, the Devils make their way to where Hati and Skoll are, while Rossweisse who has regained her rity dashes toward Fenrir without any hesitation.


    Gift:


    -Immortality


    -Insight


    Even after a few moments, I don''t hear AI inform me of a fail in using Gift to provide immortality, so I reckon that it was sessfully granted.


    Anyways... I guess it''s time to beat a ''god'' up.

 Chapter 110: Destruction ; Divinity

    Chapter 110: Destruction ; Divinity


    As I''m floating above the rocky grounds, I look at Loki who''s also floating.


    He is presently watching the fight unfold with confidence all over his face.


    That''s understandable in a sense, as it''s normal for any being to be ignorant of the strength of others.


    Rias and her peerage are no longer what they used to be. Having been under a constant barrage of attacks daily, they''ve improved in a lot of ways.


    This is going to be something like a test for them. I won''t be using my Pdin''s Aura on them. Hopefully, they will improve even further from this.


    "You''re not going to struggle?" Loki''s voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    Looking into his eyes, I shrug and say,


    "Why should I?"


    He seems to find my words amusing as he chuckles and replies,


    "It doesn''t matter even if you did. There is nothing that you can do."


    Isn''t he a little too confident?


    "What are you acting all high and mighty for?" I say with a scowl, "You''re just a god."


    ---3rd POV---


    "Projection!", the voice of a young girl resounds as a sword made of light appears in her hand.


    pping all six of her wings, the young girl, Aruru, dashes at the Midgard Serpent that''s preparing for the oing assault.


    As soon as Aruru is close enough, the giant serpent moves its huge body to the side and strikes her with its teeth.


    However, as soon as it closes its mouth, Aruru seems to turn into motes of light before, the next moment, her voice resounds behind the confused serpent,


    "Retribution!"


    The Midgard Serpent is unable to react in time as dozens of light-swords pierce through its body.


    A cry of anguish escapes from the suffering serpent.


    Unfazed by its cries, Aruruughs happily before two more light-swords in each of her hands.


    Then, she flies to the serpent''s head and pierces its head using the swords.


    Aruru''s body begins to glow as a high amount of energy gets channeled through her arms into the serpent''s head.


    In response to this, the Midgard Serpent begins to il around as an attempt to throw Aruru down.


    However, Aruru is unaffected by its actions as she excitedly pushes the swords deeper into its head.


    --


    Quite a distance away from the Midgard Serpent and Aruru, a wail resounds as Skol gets mmed into the ground by Koneko.


    To its right, Akeno raises her arm before materializing lightening and mming it into Skol.


    A much more anguished wail resounds this time, causing Hati who''s fighting against Rias and Sona to turn its head and dash over to where Skol is.


    However, the next moment, a sword appears and pierces its leg.


    This causes Hati to lose its bnce and fall on to the ground.


    After this, Kiba appears and advances toward Hati while sedately saying,


    "You''re not going anywhere."


    In response to those words, the mythical beast observes the one who uttered them for a few seconds before howling.


    Kiba is unaffected by its howl as he exims,


    "President, Lady Sona! I will assist you guys over here."


    "What about the other one?" Rias immediately questions.


    "I don''t think that they need any more help to deal with it," Kibaments wryly.


    Sensing something strange in the way he put it, Rias looks over to where the other mythical beast is.


    What meets her sight is a barely alive Skol lying on the ground while constantly being attacked by both magical attacks and direct ones.


    Not sure about to feel regarding this, Rias lets her eyes wander to where Fenrir is battling with Rossweisse.


    From the looks of it, Rossweisse and Fenrir are both evenly matched.


    Naturally, Rossweisse has the advantage when ites to speed and position, due to her being able to sleep.


    Even so, Fenrir''s strength and endurance make up for it.


    ---1st POV---


    Gift:


    -Regeneration


    -Immortality


    -Insight


    As nearly 10 minutes have passed, I appear beside Rossweisse and renew her abilities.


    Then, I appear back at where I was, peacefully floating beside Loki whose expression has darkened a lot.


    "You sure have some strong children," I remark, "They were able tost so long..."


    To the end of my sentence, Loki''splexion darkens much more before he says,


    "I''ve had enough of this."


    Loki raises his arm and seems like he wants to do something, but before he can do so, I pull out one of the needles in my ring and imbue it with Destruction.


    Then, I don''t was a single moment as I use telekinesis tounch it in Loki''s direction while making sure to enhance its vectors.


    The needle gets lodged into Loki''s raised arm, making him realize that something is wrong, however, before he can react, the Destruction energy spreads through his arm and pulverizes it.


    I take this chance to utilize Godspeed and Holy sh.


    Sending a few shes that ''miss'' Loki, I make use of my abnormal speed to appear in front of Loki and kick his chest while mixing Destruction and Holy energies into the kick.


    This results in Lokiunching into the distance as all three of his remaining limbs explode into chunks of flesh before his body crashes into the ground.


    Appearing before what once was a proud god, I examine the state of his body.


    This is interesting. His limbless body is lying on the ground as his chest is torn open, revealing an orb that seems to be changing color from golden to silver, then back to golden.


    Whenever I attempted to examine Loki''s body before, something would block my perception.


    That was also the case with Odin, so I assumed that their bodies arepromised of a different structurepared to ''lower'' creatures.


    And so, I had decided to makeplete use of my powers in order to make Loki gets taken down without much difficulty.


    I didn''t expect that whatever it was that was blocking my perception was just an outeryer of energy formed from a core in his body.


    At least, that''s what it seems like.


    Irene, do you know what this orb inside him is?


    {Analysis of the data acquired from Father''s fragment indicates that this orb is simr to a Code.}


    {The main differences are that Codes have no physical form and can only be utilized as conceptual weaponry.}


    So, this is like an artificial Code?


    {Almost. The way it is, the orb should be majorly affecting the way the owner behaves the same way Codes do. However, it is much harder to keep it under controlpared to a Code.}


    {Humans seem to have termed this phenomenon as ''divinity''.}


    Do you have any idea how it was formed?


    {This could be a result of a creature forcefully attempting to evolve into a higher state and in turn, losing its soul, or a higher being specifically creating them.}


    So, what do I do with this guy?


    {Father could absorb the object, which will physically erase the entity itself.}


    The Mjlnir was supposed to be transferred over and make use of it to seal this guy, right?


    I''m sure it will be problematic if I kill him off, so it''s not going to be worth it if the merits of doing so don''t bnce out the demerits.


    {Upon absorption, Father could procure some knowledge and powers of the individual identified as ''Loki''.}


    Alright, that settles it. How do I absorb it?


    {Father simply needs to hold the orb.}


    Doing as she instructed me to, I feel a weird sensation on my palm. It''s like the orb is both cold and warm concurrently.


    It doesn''t take long before it ''melts'' into my palm before AI''s voice resounds within my head,


    {Acquired: Norse Magic.}


    Unfortunately, it seems like I won''t be receiving much knowledge this time. Either that or it takes time for the information to appear.


    Leaving that aside, I intone,


    "Codification."


    ----------------


    Name: Haruka Kasuganou (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 35%>>32%


    Energy Left: 89%


    ------


    Str: 69>>72 (15) | Agi: 68>>69 (15) | Dex: 68>>69 (15)


    Int: 63>>71 (15) | Def: 60>>65 (15) | Vit: 62>>64 (15)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (1/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (4%) | Destruction (2%) | Angelification (??)


    Holy:


    Holy sh II [V] -|- Pdin''s Aura I [V] -|- Paragon''s Eyes I [III] -|- Godspeed III [V] -|- Blink II [III] -|- Light Maniption IV [VI] -|- Healing Factor II [III] -|- Transmutation -|- Divine Retribution I [V] -|- irvoyance (Passive) II [III] -|- Illusion II [III] -|- Rework I [III] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ----------------


    Plunder III [V]:-


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis III [V]


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    Permeation I [III] -|- Location I [III] -|- Hypnotism I [V] -|- Indoctrination I [III] -|- Pyrokinesis


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    Spiritualism I [IV] -|- Insight I [VI] -|- Copse (0%) -|- Thoughtography (1%)


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    Flight I [III] -|- Memory Erasure I [IV] -|- Imperfect Invisibility I [X] -|- Time-Leap (?) -|- Ability Erasure (2%) -|- Gift II [V] -|- Organic Constructs (1%) -|- Regeneration I [V] -|- Absolute Evasion (1%) -|- Vector Maniption (7%)


    --- Unassigned ---


    --


    Power of Destruction (Lesser - 0%)


    Immortality


    Boosted Gear:-


    Dragon Roar (0%) -|- Scale Mail (0%) -|- Draconic Form (0%)


    ----------------


    Norse Magic I [X]:-


    Teleportation I [V] -|- Curse of Regret I [III] -|- Curse of Memories I [V] -|- Curse of Solitary I [III] -|- Curse of Damnation I [IV] -|- Summoning I [VII]


    ----------------


    Current tform: N/A


    ----------------


    Looking at the increase in my status, I''m stunned by how much has changed. That''s especially so for Intelligence.


    No matter what trouble that maye my way, this increase in my parameters is worth it.


    Not to mention the brand new Norse Magic.


    It''s unfortunate that like Plunder, I''m unable to ess the descriptions of the abilities listed.


    Nevertheless, I could just have someone ''help'' me figure them out.


    Leaving that aside, it seems like my humanity has decreased once again. This time, it surely has something to do with the orb that I just absorbed.


    What I make of it is the more of these things I absorb, the more I lose my humanity.


    "Lord Loki..." a voice suddenly resounds behind me.


    Turning around, I am met with the sight of Rossweisse who has a look on her face that suggests she can''t believe what she''s seeing.


    "Rossweisse," I say in a friendly manner, "It seems like you''ve seeded in defeating Fenrir."


    I don''t wait for her response as I make use of irvoyance to check the state of the battlefield.


    Over at Aruru''s side, I find her sitting on the ground with a bored expression on her face with no giant serpent body anywhere nearby, which is strange.


    Checking over Rias and the rests'' state, I find them resting near two worn-out giant wolf cubs.


    Hati and Skol both seem to be sealed by demonic magic.


    What''s interesting is Fenrir is in a simr state, however, the seal on Fenrir is fundamentally differentpared to the ones on Hati and Skol.


    Turning my attention back to Rossweisse, I say,


    "Good job."


    Rossweisse who seemed like she was in a stupor a second ago shakes her head and says,


    "Where is Lord Loki?"


    Okay, this is important. Whatever I tell her will greatly influence the way things will y out in the future. Here goes nothing,


    "I''m sorry to say that he was weaker than I expected, so I identally destroyed him."

 Chapter 111: Aftermath ; Omen *NSFW*

    Chapter 111: Aftermath ; Omen *NSFW*


    "There is no way that I''m going to believe that you identally killed a god!" Rossweisse exims while emphasizing ''identally.''


    "Yeah, that was a joke," I say before chuckling.


    She seems to calm down before asking me solemnly,


    "Did he get away?"


    "No, he''s dead," I reply.


    Having gotten shocked once already, Rossweisse doesn''t falter upon hearing my statement.


    She just frowns and says,


    "Are you telling the truth?"


    Shrugging, I respond,


    "Why would I lie about this?"


    Now then, time to ce the me on something else entirely,


    "I wasn''t the one that killed him. While we were fighting, his torso got cut open and a golden orb became visible.


    "Shortly after that, he had disappeared."


    Rossweisse frowns before saying,


    "Teleportation?"


    Shaking my head, I reply,


    "No. Back at the party hall, I saw him use teleportation to appear, so I''m sure it''s something different. Besides, the way he disappeared was different."


    Rossweisse begins to deliberate on the matter with a serious expression on her face.


    Seeing her like this, I am tempted to rub her head, but hold back from doing so.


    "Let''s regroup with the others," I state.


    This interrupts her train of thoughts as she faces me and responds,


    "Okay."


    She seems like she wants to fly, but I don''t give there a chance to do so as I swiftly lift her from the ground and hold her princess-style.


    "What are you doing!?" She immediately exims with a light blush on her cheeks.


    "This," I say, which confuses her for a second before I dash to where Rias and the rest are.


    Upon arriving, I ce Rossweisse down and say,


    "We''re done here. Let''s go back as soon as possible."


    "What about Loki?" Sona inquires.


    "Dead," I bluntly respond.


    My words seem to not surprise everyone present as much as it did with Rossweisse. Especially Rias and her peerage.


    "What do we do with Fenrir and its cubs?" Tsubaki questions.


    That''s a good question. I''m not sure what to do with giant wolves. For now, I will have them kept at Heaven.


    --


    Thank goodness that the portal that I can create to ess Heaven can be resized as much as I want.


    It didn''t take long to ce the sealed beasts inside there. To make sure that they don''t escape, I, for the first time, made use of Energy Drain.


    Surprisingly, the rate is extremely fast. In about four minutes, Fenrir was reduced to a critical state.


    The time it took for Hati and Skol to reach that state was much shorter.


    And so, here I am back with everyone who''s gawking at me.


    "What?" I say, but get no response in return.


    Very well, time to try my new magic out.


    I take a deep breath before imagining a wide array epassing us.


    As expected, what I imagined urs real-time.


    "Norse magic?!" Rossweisse exims with shock apparent on her face.


    "I picked it up from Loki. Remember when I told you that I had seen him appear using teleportation? It was at that time that I analyzed the magic," I nonchntly exin.


    Surely Rossweisse knows that this isn''t true. However, that''s exactly what I want to happen.


    She will probably think that I have a rtionship with the Norse but I''m hiding it.


    Anyway, I don''t waste time any longer as I grab the over-excited Aruru''s hand and teleport us over.


    ---


    After havinge back, Rossweisse left to return to Odin''s side and most likely tell him of what urred.


    As for what we''re going to be doing from now on, it''s going to be simply chilling here in the underworld.


    I can make use of my new Norse Magic to teleport to the mansion and get back whenever I want.


    What I''m curious about is how Odin will react upon learning about Loki from Rossweisse.


    Will he dere war against me, which is no different from challenging all of Heaven or will he still sign the peace pact?


    "What are you thinking about?" Sora''s voice resounds beside me.


    Lifting my hand and cing it on her cheek I say,


    "The future."


    Sheughs a little before saying,


    "That sounded so cheesy."


    Huh? Now that I think about it, she has a point. But, I was thinking about the future, so it shouldn''t be too bad.


    "This ce is nice," Sora suddenly says.


    I move my head close to her and kiss her tender lips.


    "It is," I say after a minute of kissing.


    We''re both on a bed in the Arena right now. The reason for that is because I wanted to spend some quality time with my little sister as a proper big brother.


    Anyways, I begin stripping her, starting from the top.


    ---NSFW (Incest)---


    As soon as I move her bra away, two pink cherries catch my attention.


    "Do you like them?" Sora asks me while grinning and pinching her nipples.


    I decide to not answer her and just do what I''m supposed to do.


    Pulling her petite body close to myself, I begin to lick around her nipples which seems to arouse her a lot.


    Using my right hand, I insert my hand into her skirt and panties before gently rubbing her clit.


    After five minutes, I kiss each of her nipples before pushing Sora down on the bed.


    "Haru," she softly mutters.


    Sora''s lower mouth has already gotten wet, so I insert two fingers inside her tight hole.


    Using my free hand, I stroke her cheek as I lock lips with her once again.


    We continue to stay in this position for at least ten minutes, kissing and ying with each other''s bodies.


    "Put it in," she says with a flushed face.


    As I''ve already gotten impatient myself, I take off what''s left of our clothes before positioning my shaft against her slit.


    Knowing that she is more than wet enough, I thrust the whole thing into Sora in one go, which makes her let out a moan of pure ecstasy.


    I grab both of her arms and pull her toward myself so that she is sitting on myp while we''re still connected.


    The two of us look into each other''s eyes for a few seconds before we both begin kissing once again.


    After a while, Sora begins to move her body up and down of her own ord.


    ---NSFW End---


    I peacefully lie on the bed with Sora in my arms.


    Her soft naked body is pressed onto mine as her rhythmic breathing resounds within my ears.


    She''s beautiful even when she''s asleep.


    Unfortunately, this doesn''tst much longer as Michael''s voice resounds within my head.


    [Father, we''ve received information regarding the Khaos Brigade.]


    "What is it?" I mutter so that I don''t wake Sora up.


    [They have been making suspicious movements recently.]


    "So, you''re saying that they are up to something?"


    [Yes.]


    "Do you have any idea regarding what they could be nning?"


    [Unfortunately, we were unable to uncover much. The information we got was through a Devil that was caught and interrogated. However-]


    "It was like his memories were wiped," I interrupt him and say.


    [It''s as Father says.]


    Hm... This doesn''t sound good. I should prioritize the safety of those I am close to, lest something regrettable urs.

 Chapter 112: Rest ; Two Months

    Chapter 112: Rest ; Two Months


    I open my eyes and observe the once-empty ins now filled with trees and hills.


    The reason I am here is to check on Tiamat. Having not heard from her for too long, I began feeling a little worried about her.


    I check the surroundings for her presence, but I''m unable to locate her.


    As expected, there is something awry about this situation.


    Floating into the sky, I check my surroundings before setting my sight on a mountain in the distance.


    My biggest bet right now is that she''s over there.


    Landing on the ground, I shift my body to afortable position before dashing to the mountain.


    Soon, I find myself at where I wanted to be, and as expected, Tiamat is here.


    What''s interesting is that she''s in her draconic form and sleeping soundly.


    I attempt to wake her up, but no matter what I do, she doesn''t respond. AI, do you have any information regarding this?


    {The familiar has entered a slumbering state.}


    You mean, she''s going to remain like this for a long time?


    {Affirmative.}


    How long?


    {A little more than three days.}


    {The familiar is constantly absorbing a low amount of energy.}


    {Suggestion: Allow it to rest.}


    Listening to its monotonous voice giving me advice, I begin considering the possible oues of letting Tiamat absorb my energy.


    It could be anything, ranging from increased strength to an evolved form.


    Well, I should leave this ce then.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Why?! Why did you betray us?!" screams a man with anguish all over his face.


    In front of the man is a young golden-haired girl. Her face is expressionless and her body is motionless.


    "You..." the man says, wide-eyed, before coughing blood out and continuing, "Met him?"


    Getting no response, the man smirks a little while shaking his head and says,


    "No wonder..."


    The next moment, the man''s eyes glow before he mutters to seemingly no one in particr,


    "Everyone, G betrayed us. She made contact with Genesis."


    As soon as he utters thest word, his head flies off from his body.


    Looking at the body limply fall to the ground, G looks all around her with an expressionless look still on her face.


    The few others who are left are all shivering in fear while staring at the bloody G.


    Turning to face one of them, G all of a sudden disappears before reappearing in front of him.


    Then, before the guy is able to react, G pierces his chest with her bare hands as golden veins appear over her right arm.


    Soon, the guy begins to wail in agony and attempts to punch G, but before his arm reaches her, it abruptly detaches from his body as blood spurts out from where it used to be.


    After a few seconds, G pulls her arm out of his chest and nonchntly watches as his body fades into small particles.


    Once the whole body has faded away, she proceeds to look at the others who are left with the same expressionless she''s had the whole time.


    ---1st POV--- (A While Later)


    Two months have passed since the downfall of Loki. During that period, Odin made contact with me and decided to establish an alliance with Heaven.


    My n seemed to have worked, as Odin didn''t seem to harbor any ill-intentions when conversing with me.


    That further supports the notion that all gods have an orb or simr object in them that they know very little about.


    Anyway, the alliance was formed and formally announced to the public in the Underworld.


    As for my identity, well, Odin believes that I am the biblical God, even though I already told him that I''m not.


    Thus, I continued to spend my days in the Underworld with Rias and the rest, while asionally heading back to my mansion by teleportation.


    During this period, Akeno has gotten used to conversing with me on various matters.


    Naturally, I haven''t stopped training them, and most of the time we train, I train Akeno and Koneko myself.


    Both of them are exhausted after fighting me for a while, but that doesn''t go on for long as it has be a normal urrence to transfer my energy over to them.


    Sometimes, we just did it because I felt like it.


    Of course, I pay attention to my abilities and powers.


    "Codification," I intone.


    ----------------


    Name: Haruka Kasuganou (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 32>>30%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Str: 72>>80 (15) | Agi: 69>>74 (15) | Dex: 69>>71 (15)


    Int: 71 (15) | Def: 65>>66 (15) | Vit: 64>>66 (15)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Mahesvara: Creation (4>>5%) | Destruction (2%) | Angelification (??)


    ----------------


    My stats have generally increased. However, they''re growing much slowerpared to before.


    The other notable change is my Creation percentage.


    It surprised me a little when I found out about the change, as I was expecting it to take longer.


    My humanity decreased, once again. The reason for that is still a mystery to me, as just when it seems like I''ve got it figured out, it randomly drops.


    What I find unfortunate is that I was unable to raise the tier of my Holy Effects.


    Not only that, but I have yet to make use of the Boosted Gear abilities. It''s almost like they''re in a sealed state, not letting me use them no matter what.


    Leaving my powers and abilities aside, there have been no notable movements from the Khaos Brigade and the Phantoms from the other continents.


    I don''t believe that they''re justzing about, heck, I feel like something major will happen soon.


    For that reason, I''ve had Yuno further fortify the mansion by Sigi.


    [[Victor, what are you going to participate in the tournament?]]


    Tia''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Of course, not," I reply.


    "There are going to be young Devils fighting against each other. I couldn''t care less about them.


    "However, I will be present at the battle as a precaution for anything that may ur.


    "For you see, I can''t let my guard anytime soon."


    [[Is it rted to the matter of the golden-haired girl that you spoke of?]]


    "She''s one of the many reasons I can''t do so."


    The next moment, my vision blips as I find myself in my Code.


    A distance away from me, Tia is sitting on a rock beside the only river in the whole ce.


    It''s amazing how much has changed during the past two months, but it''s not like that''s a bad thing.


    In fact, the ce looks much more lively nowpared to before.


    I approach Tia and take a seat right beside her before reaching my arm out and pulling her into my embrace.


    "Recently, you have been visiting this ce a lot more often," Tia remarks while staring at the river.


    Moving my head to kiss her cheek, I say while grinning,


    "Why do you think?"


    Tia looks my way and says with a deadpan expression,


    "Beat me up and then take advantage of me as much as you want?"


    Ugh.


    "Come on, now. If you want to prevent it from happening, just get stronger," I say while still maintaining a smile.


    "As if that would work when your opponent is nigh-invincible. I''ve seen you ''train'' those Devils daily for quite some time now.


    "Simply put, I can''t imagine myself ever beating you."


    Shrugging, I respond,


    "Don''t give up so soon. You''re absorbing my energy, you know? It''s only a matter of time before you be the strongest existence apart from Codes and Unknowns."


    Hearing my words, Tia begins to deliberate on the matter before nodding her head and stating,


    "I will beat you up one day."


    Chuckling at the way she dered it, I reply,


    "Try your best."


    As Tia is my Familiar, I had decided to give her a brief exnation of what Codes and Unknowns are.


    That seemed to have made her trust me a lot more, to the point that she wasn''t that against me hugging and kissing her.


    To be honest, I enjoy the time I spend here. It''s...forting.

 Chapter 113: Diodora Astaroth ; Start of the Rating Game ; (Spoiler title at the end)

    Chapter 113: Diodora Astaroth ; Start of the Rating Game ; (Spoiler title at the end)


    "This is a little too much, even for a limousine," Naoments upon taking a look at everyone who''s currently present in the kitchen.


    "There is no way, ya can fit all of us inside the car," Misa adds.


    They do have a point. Now that I have had Ravel and Kuroka transfer to our school, the car will be a little crowded now.


    "No problem," Koneko all of a sudden says.


    "There is a problem. It will be too crowded," Nao rebukes.


    In response to this, Koneko just looks her in the eyes before repeating,


    "No problem."


    --


    "I can''t believe that I didn''t see thising" Misaments while staring at Koneko who''sfortably sitting on myp.


    In response to her words, Koneko snuggles into my embrace as her tail stands erect.


    Petting her head, I say in an amused manner,


    "She did solve the issue, didn''t she?"


    Misa doesn''t respond to my words and just closes her eyes as we reach school for the first day of the second trimester.


    ---


    I''m currently sitting in the living room and beside me are Asia and Akeno, while Koneko is sitting on myp.


    Perhaps, this is turning into a habit for her? It''s not like I''m against it, but what if she bes unable tofortably sit anywhere else other than myp?


    Leaving that aside, today Rias is sure serious. She has been spending a while now discussing the uing Rating Game Tournament.


    While they''re all most likely listening to her carefully, I''m checking the state of other continents.


    As usual, there is nothing out of order to the point that I''m starting to think we''re living in an ''ordinary'' world.


    Suddenly, something urs in the clubroom that forces me to get my attention back.


    A magic circle has appeared near the door and after a few seconds, a ck-haired guy emerges.


    rmed, everyone looks toward the neer.


    "Good evening," the guy introduces himself before bowing slightly, "My name is Diodora Astaroth."


    That name... isn''t that the name of the Devil that Rias is supposed to fight tomorrow?


    The guy looks at Asia as glint passes through his eyes before looking at me.


    As soon as he sights his sight on me, his expression changes ever so slightly before recollects himself and says,


    "I''vee over to greet you before our battle. I hope you forgive me for interrupting you."


    In response to his words, Rias solemnly replies,


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Probably sensing the displeasure in her voice, Diodora begins to act like he''s looking around with a bored expression before setting his sight on Asia.


    He moves closer and exims as a shocked look appears on his face,


    "It''s you! The one that saved me!"


    Looking at the way he''s behaving, I can easily tell that he has an alternate motive to whatever he is doing at the moment.


    "Asia, make him kneel," I order.


    Right after my words fade out, a gust of wind appears before Diodora who was standing a second ago is on his knees while a sword is being pressed onto his neck.


    With a horrified look on his face, Diodora looks toward me and shouts,


    "What do you think you''re doing?!"


    "Nothing much," I say, "Just kicking you out of my territory."


    Lifting him by telekinesis, I open a gateway connected to the underworld and nonchntly throw him inside.


    As expected, something suspicious is going on and will probably happen soon.


    ---


    "Are you all ready?" Rias asks everyone as confirmation once we''ve all stepped into the magic circle.


    The next moment, our surroundings change as we find ourselves somewhere with almost-floating rocky tforms.


    It somewhat reminds me of the ce where I erased Loki.


    We all curiously look around for a few seconds, before I suddenly notice something being amiss.


    There is no broadcast voice.


    Normally, in a tournament, there is a broadcaster speaking as soon as everyone has arrived, but that has yet to happen.


    "Stay on guard," I instruct them all before looking around using irvoyance.


    However, my head suddenly begins hurting as our surroundings seem to deform as figures begin to seemingly emerge out of thin air.


    The pain in my head is bearable, so I focus on the uninvited guests.


    "What''s going on?" Rias anxiously mutters.


    {WARNING: 1st Rank Unknown detected.}


    It seems like the situation is much worse than I expected... At least, it''s just a 1st Rank Unknown.


    Examining my enemies, I''m able to sense one remarkable presence.


    That one should be the Unknown.


    Floating a little into the sky, I examine every being that''s around us.


    They''re all Devils.


    Suddenly, some Devils make way for something or someone to approach me.


    As expected, someone slowly floats over.


    It is a little girl with ck hair and eyes. Her attire consists of a ck one-piece dress covering most of her body.


    Her appearance is simr to that of G.


    What''s weird is the expression on her face. It''s like she''s lost.


    This little girl is an Unknown, huh? A first rank one.


    Gift:


    -Immortality


    -Organic Constructs


    -Absolute Evasion


    Having gifted everyone with the necessary abilities, I activate my Pdin''s Aura which results in everyone''s strength to significantly increase.


    Not giving us any more time, the enemies begin to rush at us like madmen while yelling,


    "Down with Genesis!"


    Utilizing Holy sh, I throw a dozen or so shes out and begin manipting them to dice through enemies.


    Rias and the rest have also begun putting what they''ve learned while training with me to test.


    Mid-battle, Diodora''s voice suddenly resounds all around us,


    "It''s unfortunate that you didn''t get Asia with you. However, that doesn''t matter.


    "Once you all die, I''m going to take your bloodied bodies and throw them in front of her before taking her by force as she cries tears of agony!"


    Hearing this, I conclude that he is an idiot.


    I''m not nning to die.


    Speaking of death, the only that should be capable of doing is the little girl that''s just floating over there without any movement.


    Is she not going to fight?


    Now that I think about it, it''s the second rank Unknowns that hunt down Anomalies like madmen.


    Suddenly, a disturbance urs as a magic circle appears in the air.


    From within it, emerge Azazel, Sirzechs, Michael, Odin, and Rossweisse.


    "I knew that something was wrong," Azazel remarks solemnly.


    Rias and the rest have yet to realize that they''ve arrived as they''re all busy facing the enemy.


    "Excuse me," Odin says before reaching his arm out and summoning a golden spear.


    The next moment, he soars into the sky and begins to cut through enemies like butter.


    Michael flies over to my side and takes down dozens of Devils while at it.


    "Father," he says once he''s close enough.


    "Support the Gremory Princess and those with her. I have something that I need to do."


    "Understood," he replies before heading over to where they are.


    Taking in a deep breath, I float higher into the sky and stop in front of the little girl.


    As she motionlessly floats in front of me, I peer into her eyes before asking her,


    "Who are you?"


    The girl immediately replies in a soft voice,


    "Ophis."


    ~~~~~


    Complete Title: Diodora Astaroth ; Start of the Rating Game ; 1st Rank Unknown - Ophis

 Chapter 114: Infinite ; (Spoiler title at the end.)

    Chapter 114: Infinite ; (Spoiler title at the end.)


    That name I know of it.


    Most likely from the Knowledge of the Tales that I had found in Kyoto.


    {Analysis: Chance of survival - 33%}


    Yeah, thank you for that AI. Now, I''m much more motivated to fight her.


    Speaking of survivability, how do you analyze it?


    {The effectivity of the opponent''s attack on Father is the core factor.}


    I see. So, all I need to do is dodge her attacks.


    "Ophis," I say while peering into her eyes, "Do you wish to fight me?"


    She doesn''t respond for a few seconds and just stares back at me. It''s starting to make me feel ufortable.


    "I don''t know," she finally responds.


    "Then, why are you here?"


    My words seem to bring some life to her as she replies,


    "Bring down Genesis."


    This again


    "Who or what is Genesis?" I directly ask her.


    Unfortunately, it doesn''t seem like she''s willing to talk to me anymore as she begins to high-density energy into her hands.


    As I''m about to prepare for whatever she might do, I sense some presences approaching me.


    Checking them out, I find out that they''re ordinary Devils.


    I want to wipe them out all in one go, but before I can do so, Azazel suddenly appears with twelve wings emerging from his back.


    Summoning dozens of light-spears, he takes down a few enemies using unusual equipment before raining the light-spears down on the rest.


    That''s good. I can now fight with Ophis without worrying about being attacked from behind.


    Let''s do this


    {WARNING: General enemy parameters - Infinite.}


    You''ve got to be fucking kidding me.


    ---3rd POV---


    "It broke," mutters G expressionlessly while looking at the crack on the barrier in front of her.


    The crack is just wide enough for her to pass through, which she does.


    A few secondster, the crack begins to ''heal''.


    Looking into the distance, she takes in a deep breath before seemingly vanishing.


    ---1st POV---


    {It is suggested that Father fight with it in Berserk state.}


    Berserk? I''m aware of how it increases my parameters and will for battle, but how is that going to help against an enemy with damned infinity as their parameters?!


    {Father has yet to achieve a higher state of Berserk.}


    I''m guessing that increases my powers even more. However, something like that surely won''tck a side effect of sorts.


    {Affirmative. The higher the state of Berserk, the more effective it will be. To make up for it, the Essence takes over the mind, making it difficult for Father to keep the rity of mind.}


    So, what you''re saying is that if I were to achieve a higher state of Berserk, I will have a high chance of killing off everyone close-by, be it foes or allies.


    {Affirmative.}


    Will I ever be able to maintain my rity while still being able to make use of its effects?


    {That''s indeed possible.}


    Leaving that aside, how do I achieve the second state at the moment?


    {Father needs to maintain Berserk for a certain time or Father could make use of emotions.}


    Emotions, huh?


    Very well, then. I will kill her.


    [Boost!]


    {Berserk: God''s Wrath First State utilized.}


    Feeling the energy welling up within me, I channel a high amount of Destruction into my arms before dashing at Ophis.


    I directly throw a punch at her, to which she punches back.


    As our fists connect, a jolt of pain passes through half of my body as a shock wave is released that erases everything it touches.


    Fortunately, those on my side seem to have expected something like this as they all immediately move away and set a barrier up for those that aren''t able to do so for themselves and themselves.


    I check my arm out and see that my bones arepletely exposed to air.


    This is weird. If Ophis''s parameters are truly infinite, her punch should deal much more damage than this.


    {Analysis: The opponent can''t make use of their full potential due to mental state limitations.}


    {Update: Chance of survivability has increased to 76%.}


    Alright, I got this!


    Circting my Holy Essence, I activate Godspeed and Holy sh before dashing at her once again.


    Her speed and strength seem to have increased as she moves just as fast as me and punching the air in front of her.


    The next moment, a loud sound resounds within my ears as an overwhelming force approaches with immense speed.


    As soon as it''s near me, I make use of Vector Maniption to eliminate the vectors, however, my ability seems to have a limit of sorts as I am unable to cancel parts of it out.


    This, in turn, results in a de of unknown energy to horizontally cut half of my body off.


    I feel no pain, whatsoever, as thin energy lines extend from my body and link with the part that was cut off.


    In a few seconds, I''m back to normal with the only thing that has changed is the density of the power within me - It has increased.


    Suddenly, the world seems to lose almost all colors as I feel my chest burning.


    {Berserk: God''s Wrath Second State achieved.}


    ---3rd POV---


    An immense shock wave is suddenly released like none other before. The shock wave directly smashes all barriers and deals a high amount of damage to anything within its vicinity.


    This also includes all of Victor''s allies.


    Michael, Azazel, Odin, and Sirzechs take a decent amount of damage which can be seen from their bodies.


    Odin has taken the least amount of damage, while Sirzechs has taken the most.


    As for Rias and her peerage, they''re all currently regenerating any limbs they''ve lost using the immortality granted to them by Victor.


    The one that has it the worst is Rossweisse who has taken no damage at all. However, she has fainted mid-battle and ispletely vulnerable to the Devils near her who have survived the shock wave.


    Noticing this, those who have remained immediately make use of this opportunity to attack her.


    Suddenly, all the Devils stop in their tracks before withering into particles.


    Amidst this, a golden-haired young girl appears while scowling as she looks in the direction Victor is at.


    His overall appearance haspletely changed.


    Body-wise, he seems to be much more buff and tallpared to before.


    The previously sandy hair is nowpletely ck as his eyes seem to be releasing a deathly aura.


    Shortly, Victor moves his right arm, which seems to form several cracks in the air.


    "Sad" the golden-haired girl, G, mutters before raising her arm as white energy epasses it.


    "Bad," she says before the energy around her arm is released into the air and begins to form a barrier around everyone present - including Victor and Ophis.


    "Absorb," she mutters before closing her open palm.


    Immediately, screams of agony follow as Rias and her peerage fall to the ground with thin lines extending from their bodies to the newly-formed barrier.


    Odin, who seems to be resisting a great amount of pain makes his way over and urgently throws them all into one location before plunging his spear into the ground.


    This results in a barrier that ''s giving off a Holy aura to cover him along with Rias and her peerage.


    Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael all seem to have lost their energy for flight as they allnd on the ground, with Sirzechs getting down on his knees and hands.


    From the looks of it, Rossweisse who is the closest one to G isn''t affected at all.


    Speaking of individuals who seem to be unaffected, both Victor and Ophis have turned their heads to face G.


    Ophis is as expressionless as ever, while Victor gives off a cold feeling of non-existence.


    As if resolving herself, G channels energy into her right arm before disappearing from where she was.


    The next moment, she reappears at the top of the barrier and punches it.


    This results in a wave of energy to spread around the barrier as the density of the energy being absorbed from those inside of it increases several folds.


    ---1st POV---


    Where am I?


    I''m fighting Who? Why?


    I don''t know. It''s not clear.


    It feels weird. Where is this ce?


    Looking around me, I see nothing other than pure darkness.


    That doesn''tst long as objects begin to materialize - coffins.


    The coffins are all different, both in shape and color, with the only simrity being them all having open lids.


    Suddenly, something appears in one of them.


    As I can do nothing else, I check it out, only to be stunned by the sight of an unconscious body.


    Krul''s body.


    It doesn''t long before all the coffins have a body inside them.


    Sora, Yuno, Siesta, and one other that I don''t recognize.


    She has golden-hair and seems to be about 14 years old. On her body is a ck leather outfit.


    Suddenly words begin to appear out of thin air and float above the coffins.


    I''m unable to read the one above Sora''s as it looks like it''s written in symbols that I''ve never seen before.


    As for the others, they''re the names of the Codes.


    The most intriguing one being the one on top of the golden-haired girl: Eve.


    Huh?


    White cracks are beginning to form all over the dark space around me. The coffins have all disappeared, as my body begins to feel like it''s melting.


    ---


    My eyes they''re closed.


    Opening them, I find myself lying on the ground while staring into the unusual space.


    I forcefully lift my body off the ground despite having almost no energy left which results in a great amount of pain.


    Still, gritting my teeth, I get on my feet and examine my surroundings.


    A few meters away from me, Ophis is lying unconsciously on the ground, while a certain someone is standing beside her body.


    G, huh? She''s reappeared


    What for, and why is she standing beside Ophis?


    It doesn''t seem like G wants to kill her, as she is just staring at her unconscious body.


    Leaving them aside, I check out the state of the others, only to be shocked by the sight of a weakened Odin on the ground beside Rias and her peerage who are heavily panting.


    As for Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel, they aren''t doing much better: Sirzechs is unconscious, while Azazel and Michael are both using an artifact to transfer energy to themselves.


    I move my sight back to G who''s also looking at me.


    Thinking of this logically, I either took Ophis down while not being aware of it, and she appeared at the end, or G did it.


    It''s most likely thetter, as I can sense unique energy all over the ce that''s simr to the energy currently being emitted by G.


    Screw it, I better approach her and show her no enmity.


    I''m too weakened to fight any further...


    ~~~~~


    Complete title: Infnite ; G to the rescue!

 Chapter 115: Friendly Unknowns

    Chapter 115: Friendly Unknowns


    As I walk over to where G is, I sense several presences from quite a distance away.


    Checking the location out, I find an uninjured Diodora, as well as females which I assume, are his peerage members.


    "Raynare," I mutter.


    [Yes, Father?]


    "How are things on your side?" I inquire.


    [Everything is normal.]


    "Good. Be cautious," I order her before looking in the direction Diodora is at.


    They''re far away from me right now, so I better make contact with G.


    Fortunately, G continues to show no hostility even after I am less than a meter away from her.


    "G," I voice.


    She responds by raising her head and looking into my eyes without uttering a word.


    Not knowing what to say, I remain motionless while staring back at her golden-colored eyes.


    Shortly, Diodora and his peerage arrive at where we are.


    "This didn''t go ording to n," Diodora mutters while looking around the ce.


    He suddenly sets his sight on G and me before saying,


    "Those two should be the only ones that have any energy left. Be careful, as they should be strong to remain standing after all of what just happened."


    Damn it. I have no choice other than to fight.


    Ignoring the strain on my muscles and the buzzing in my brain, I pull out Excalibur from my ring.


    "Is that... a Holy Sword?" Diodora mutters while staring at the sword in my hand.


    Suddenly, he begins to release an aura much stronger than the one he was releasing before.


    "This power is amazing!" He exims while clenching his fists.


    "Go!"


    Upon hearing his order, his peerage members all begin rushing at me in groups of three.


    Once they''re close enough, I immediately pull the three needles in my ring out and use telekinesis to pierce their heads.


    The other girls are unfazed by this as they continue to run toward me while covering their bodies with demonic energy as one of them even begins to form a strange me on her hand.


    I should end this quickly.


    Lifting Excalibur with one arm, I make use of what''s left of my energy to dash over and sh at them.


    Despite being in a weakened state, this sh manages to behead one of the girls and split another one into two pieces diagonally.


    The rest all make their way over and begin to throw me attacks made of demonic magic.


    I create a reflective barrier using Vector Maniption before changing the form of Excalibur into a scythe and shing two of the girls apart.


    Once again, the girls seem to be unfazed even after they were showered by the blood of theirrades.


    Something is wrong.


    I distance myself from them and observe theirplexion closely.


    Immediately after I do so, I find an abnormality.


    Their eyes They''re unfocused.


    There is one possible reason for that. Brainwashing.


    Having done it myself, I am extremely familiar with that look in their eyes.


    As I am deliberating on what to do, a gust of wind goes past me before all the girls fall to the ground with blood spilling from their throats.


    Looking at the cause of this, I see G floating in front of Diodora who has stunned in ce.


    "Goodbye," G says before puncturing his chest using her small arm.


    The next moment, Diodora releases a scream that sounds like the shrieking of a mouse.


    Soon, G pulls her arm out before nonchntly watching as Diodora falls to the ground and breaks down into particles.


    Once it''s over G turns her head to look at me again before disappearing from she is and reappearing right in front of me.


    Naturally, my body attempts to instinctively kill her due to the threat she poses for me.


    However, I know the futility of such actions, so I do my best to hold back my arm which is holding Excalibur.


    I let go of Excalibur and slowly move my hand toward G''s head.


    This time, she doesn''t go away immediately after my hand makes contact with her head.


    Instead, she mutters,


    "Good."


    All of a sudden, I sense a queer energy invade my body against my will. My body begins to fight against the energy for a few seconds before abruptly stopping.


    Soon, I feel a connection simr to the Network with Yuno form. However, unlike the Network, I am unable to make use of it.


    What''s strange is that the connection isn''t with one individual, but two of them.


    G and Ophis.


    My brain suddenly hurts as an image appears in my mind - Infi.


    Shaking my head to get my senses back, I check on everyone and see that nothing has changed apart from Michael and Azazel who both seem to be back to normal.


    I better make contact with them, however, I need to settle this issue before that.


    "G," I say expressionlessly.


    She doesn''t react to me and continues to look at me despite my hand still being on top of her head.


    Shifting it, I press my palm against her cheeks before saying,


    "You''re not my enemy, right?"


    Once again, she doesn''t react all and just wordlessly stares at me.


    It''s rather difficult to properlymunicate with her.


    I''m too exhausted right now, to the point that I feel like I''ll fall unconscious at any given moment.


    "Get away from it!" someone suddenly yells behind me.


    Turning around, I see Odin who has a grim look on his face ring at G.


    "That thing is chaotic," he continues, "get away from it, immediately!"


    Using my senses, I can tell that G is frowning slightly.


    I immediately trust my intuition and move my body swiftly to lift her from the ground.


    Fortunately, not only does she not kill me, the slight frown goes away.


    "Odin, fuck off," I say before lifting Ophis using telekinesis and teleporting all three of us to the shrine-house.


    I move over to the double-bed here and set Ophis down on it before lying down beside her with G still within my arms.


    For the past few minutes, I feel like something has been eating away at my consciousness and rationality, so I better rest as soon as possible before things worsen even further.


    ---


    Foreign energy spreads through my body that''s extremelyforting for some reason.


    Where am I? Oh, right. The Rating Game


    Huh? Shit!


    Opening my eyes, I lift my body from the bed and look around me.


    What meets my eyes is the sight of two girls that are contrasting each other in appearance gawking at me.


    Both Ophis and G seem to be bearing no hostility, at all.


    Aren''t all the Unknowns my enemies? What''s going on, Irene?


    {I don''t have enough data regarding Unknowns apart from what was described to Father to answer this question.}


    I guess as much. Knowing Irene, she would''ve provided me such information a long time ago, if she had it, that is.


    "G, what am I?" I ask the doll-like girl.


    "Victor," she immediately replies in a soft voice.


    Great, she knows my name. Hopefully, she just overheard from someone close to me.


    Even so, that''s frightening in and of itself as she would have to be close enough to hear it


    As I''m about to ask them more, I sense a presence in the shrine-house.


    Why would someonee here?


    Checking it out, I find Kunou who''s making her way to the room we''re in right now with a small smile on her face.


    Before I can decide what to do, Kunou slides the door open and sees us.


    The smile on her face immediately stiffens as she looks at G and Ophis with shock apparent on her face.


    Not giving me the chance to say anything, she directly closes the door and dashes out of the building.


    Well, shit happens.


    Turning my attention back to the two little girls who''re still gawking at me, I suggest with a friendly smile on my face,


    "Would you like toe to the house I live in?"


    What I''m doing is extremely risky, but no one can gain something without taking a risk or two. Simply put, I will have them get used to living in the mansion while getting them familiar with us.


    This, of course, has several potential gains. One of them being that I can get more information regarding Unknowns and their powers from them.


    Another reason would be them growing fond of the girls living in the mansion or something in it. As I am right now, I can''t finish any of these two off without dealing catastrophic damage to my surroundings.


    So, if they do turn friendly, I will not only be able to rest easy with two enemies gone, but may even get two ridiculously powerful girls to protect everyone else.


    Most importantly, two more adorable girls will be living in the mansion with me.


    Fortunately, upon focusing back on Ophis and G, I see that they''re both nodding their heads as confirmation to my proposal.


    Their actions are so in-sync that I would''ve believed they were twins if G looked as old as Ophis...

 Chapter 116: Travel Plans

    Chapter 116: Travel ns


    "Michael," I mutter while guiding Ophis and G to the living room where most of the girls are.


    [Yes, Father?]


    "How are things on your end?"


    [So far, we have no problems. After Father left, we were able to safely leave the virtual space. Currently, the only one that has yet to recover is the Valkyrie, Rossweisse.]


    "Rossweisse? Is there something wrong with her?"


    [Yes. She''s presently in aatose state.]


    "I see. If there are any changes in her state, make sure to ry it to me."


    [Understood.]


    I suppose, only one of us falling into aa is fortunate when things could''ve gone way worse. Of course, I will have to check on herter.


    If my memory serves me right, I entered the second state of my Berserk whichpletely robbed me of my rity.


    In that state, a certain someone must''ve stopped me before things could go awry.


    That person should be none other than G, which indicates that she is friendly, or at least, not hostile.


    The notion of the Unknowns being friendly had never crossed my mind before. My excuse for that would be the way Irene had exined the Unknowns to me back at Project Charlotte.


    Nevertheless, I did find out that not all Codes are on my side, so I shouldn''t be all that surprised by not all Unknowns being my enemies.


    Earlier, I tried asking the two of them about what they were, but they simply stared at me and didn''t reply.


    I learned that this is what they do if they don''t want to answer an inquiry or simply don''t know the answer themselves.


    Shortly, the three of us arrive in the living room.


    The first one to react is Misa who exims while scowling,


    "Two of them?!"


    "One just wasn''t enough for you anymore, huh?" I hear a cold voice behind me.


    Turning around, I see Sora staring at me with a deadpan expression.


    "Come on," I say, "You girls wouldn''t be making suchments if you knew that each one of these two can kill me."


    "Oh? They can kill you?" Nao says in an amused tone.


    "Could something like that even possibly exist?" Kristina adds.


    "Anyways," I say dismissively, "the two of them aren''t very talkative, so try to get along, as difficult as that may be."


    "Uwoh!" Ayumi exims, "I will be a Big Sister!"


    Uh... Well, I''ll let her be if that''s what she wants to do. As long as it doesn''t negatively affect her academic studies and daily life, there is no problem with her taking care of her ''little sisters''.


    As I''m about to contact Raynare and the rest of my Angels who aren''t here, a bewildered voice resounds behind me,


    "He''s back?! And he has brought more little girls with him?!"


    Letting out a sigh, I face Ravel and say,


    "Can you at least try to not make me sound like a criminal?"


    She immediately responds with a doubtful look on her face,


    "You''re not?"


    Now that I think about it my actions can be seen as that of an individual with ill-intentions.


    However, I know for a fact that they''re in reality nothing more than me being myself.


    "Brother Yu is bad?" Ayumi suddenly asks while slightly tilting her head.


    "Of course, not," I say with a friendly smile on my face before turning my attention back to Ravel and wiping the smile off of my face.


    "Are you dissatisfied with living here?" I directly ask her.


    This question seems to surprise her a little as she begins to think of an answer for a few seconds before replying,


    "Not at all. I''m d that you abducted me here. It''s much better than what it was like back in the underworld.


    "Do not misunderstand. It''s not like I was mistreated or not cared for by family. It''s just that I always wanted to be bereft of all the responsibilities of a noble and do what I wished to


    "Perhaps, my parents may have realized this already, so they haven''t made any attempts to take me back."


    After this, she looks down and murmurs to herself,


    "I would''ve appreciated it if they had at least tried to contact me, though."


    During the period that Ravel has lived with us, I''ve gotten to know her quite well, to the point that I can mostly understand what she''s thinking.


    Her words from earlier make it sound like she wants toze about, but that''s most likely not what she meant.


    What she wants is to work on something without being pressured by meaningless things.


    After all, being a noble is stressful.


    You have to keep a facade on daily while making sure to not reveal troubling information whenever conversing with anyone outside your family.


    Heck, sometimes you have to keep information from certain members of your own family.


    An environment where everyone can share everything and interact with each other the way they want to is what Ravel seeks.


    The mansion is one such ce, with everyone simply living however they wish to.


    [Father.]


    Gabriel''s voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts.


    "What is it?" I mutter while walking back to my room.


    [We''ve received information indicating arge-scale attack on numerous countries.]


    "How urate is the information that you speak of?"


    [Directly acquired from a surviving member of the Khaos Brigade.]


    "What did he say?"


    [The reason theyunched their attack on Father was that they had made contact with the Phantoms outside Asia.]


    [Another reason for that was because they were confident as they had a strong individual on their side - The Infinity Dragon.]


    Infinity Dragon? That''s must be Ophis, as I can''t think of any other strong individual in the Rating Game. Also, the word ''infinity'' is quite a big hint.


    Even her title has infinity in it


    "Do you have any information regarding this ''Infinity Dragon'' that you speak of?"


    [Yes. The Infinity Dragon, also known as the Ouroboros Dragon is an existence with seemingly infinite power. It''s widely believed to be the strongest existence.]


    "Well, she does have infinite parameters after all, even if she can''t make use of them properly."


    [Could it be, Father has made contact with her?]


    "I have."


    [As expected of Father. Even such an enemy isn''t able to bring Father down.]


    "Of course. Now then, is the guy still alive?"


    [Yes.]


    "Continue to extract as much information as you can from him, even if it requires resorting to unholy means."


    [Understood.]


    The continental war, huh? Makes me wonder what method is being used to keep the ''Phantoms'' from just rushing in.


    Looking at the news and the way people are acting, no one would guess that a grand war between supernatural beings is going on globally.


    Anyways, I need to establish myself more firmly in this country before I can move on to the whole continent.


    The main requirement for this is to be powerful. Why? Well, no one knows how many ridiculous beings are out there.


    Heck, just recently I met a little girl with infinite parameters and another one that could easily wipe everyone out. With one of them even being able to bring me down despite being in the second state of Berserk.


    If this isn''t a big hint showing how absurdly powerful one can get, I don''t know what is.


    In the past, when I had asked Infi for a way to get more power efficiently, she had me go over to Project Charlotte.


    So, I will have to do just that.


    But, several issuese along with doing so.


    First, while I''m on the other side, things could get chaotic in the Rift without me even being aware of it.


    Now that I think about it, the world here was frozen when I transferred over to Project Charlotte. Irene, am I able to freeze time here while I''m away to another tform?


    {Affirmative. However, Father won''t be able to freeze three tforms anymore.}


    That doesn''t matter, as I am nning to connect the Core of other tforms with the Rift anyway.


    Speaking of which, how many tforms will I be able to freeze time in if I do stop time here?


    {One.}


    Basically, I can''t make use of that with Project Charlotte already being frozen, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Leaving that aside, there is the second issue, which is:


    I have no idea how to go to another tform.


    ...


    I know how to leave the Rift and go to the Mete, but when ites to traveling to a tform, I simply have no clue at all.


    Back then, Infi was the one who ''took'' me there, after asking me which of the two avable methods I would like.


    Besides, where would I even go when I don''t know a single thing about other tforms? Perhaps, finding another Knowledge of the Tales would be useful for this.


    Oh, right! I hadpletely forgotten about something.


    There is Siesta''s world - Halkeginia.


    Now, all I need to do is to find a way to get there...

 Chapter 117: Stable Codes ; Mental Healing

    Chapter 117: Stable Codes ; Mental Healing


    Irene, is there a way for me to travel to a specific tform?


    {Affirmative. Father needs to be in contact with a stable Code that has been to said tform.}


    A stable Code? What exactly is considered ''stable''?


    {Codes that aren''t in a sealed state.}


    Well, do I know anyone whose Code has been sealed?


    {Affirmative. Krul Tepes is one such individual.}


    Krul, huh? I had realized that something wrong with her recently, but I didn''t think it would be because her Code is sealed.


    I reckoned that whatever she was going through was simr to me Wait, it is!


    Irene, is my Code considered to be unstable?


    {Extremely so.}


    Well, shit.


    Does that affect me or those around me in any way?


    {Not directly. Father''s existence destabilizes tforms and the flow of time in them. The only ce where Father wouldn''t bring chaos upon everything just by existing would be the Rift.}


    And I assume that''s because Rift is a destabilized ce in and of itself. Well, either that, or it''s specifically formed for existences such as myself.


    Anyways, this means that I can go over to Halkegenia whenever I want to, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Good. I would''ve gone on a rampage had there been other requirements such as ''you can only go during full-moons'' or something.


    Now that I have that settled, I need to consider the current issues.


    First, there is Rossweisse who is probably still in aa. I''m wondering if my Healing Factor can affect one''s mental state.


    From the looks of it, that''s not possible, however, I wonder if that would still be the case once I''ve tiered it up to its final tier.


    Now that I think about it, I haven''t tiered up any of my Effectspletely.


    That''s mostly because I haven''t found a proper way to do so yet. The only Effect that I have managed to deliberately tier up is Healing Factor.


    So, to it again, I have to get more test subjects? Sounds bothersome.


    Hold on Perhaps if I


    [Father.]


    Hearing Michael''s voice at such a time is nothing more than perfect timing,


    "Is something wrong?"


    [Odin wishes to speak with you.]


    "I see. Is he near Rossweisse perchance?"


    [Yes.]


    "That''s great. Where are you?"


    ---


    "Hello," I simply greet Odin who is sitting and thinking of something.


    Odin responds by turning his head and scrutinizing me before saying,


    "You really are alive."


    Shrugging my shoulders I walk over and take a seat near him and say,


    "Why would I die?"


    My words seem to irritate Odin as he remarks,


    "Those two with you are cmitous beings. Whenever they''re mentioned in records, there is always mass destruction and deaths."


    Grinning at his words, I say,


    "Do you think I care about that?"


    Odin frowns and says monotonously,


    "That''s not something I would''ve expected to hear from the mouth of the Biblical God. What happened to your fondness of humans?"


    "It seems like you''ve misunderstood something, Odin," I say calmly, "I''m not the Biblical God, but his creator."


    "Nonsense!", Odin exims.


    "It''s up to you to believe my ims or not, as I simply don''t care."


    What use would it have to get him to believe me? None.


    "Putting that matter to the side," I say dismissively, "I''vee here to heal Rossweisse, not speak with you."


    "And how are you nning to do that?", he asks.


    Ignoring him, I get up from my seat and proceed to walk closer to the bed Rossweisse is lying on.


    Isn''t this bed a little too big? Did Rias seriously need to sleep on such a big bed?


    Now that I think about it, why was Rossweisse brought here instead of, like, anywhere else?


    I''m guessing that they took her to a healer, but they turned out to be incapable of dealing with her state.


    Well, I can''t me them for that, as even my idea might not work.


    Deciding that it''s worth the shot, I ce my palm on her head and begin utilizing Memory Erasure.


    After a while of swimming around in her memories, I find out that this is much more effective than torturing others for information.


    Anyway, after a while, I reach what seems to be the center of her mind. What the heck is this?


    It''s filled with notions of having a boyfriend and other rted matters.


    Now that I think about it, in some memories I focused on, I could see that she would react exaggeratedly to others making fun of her for being single her whole life.


    How unfortunate. Perhaps, I should help her out ovee this issue...


    "I can heal her, however, it would require me to make use of some unconventional powers," I say truthfully, "As that could lead to potential side effects and other issues, I must constantly keep an eye on her."


    Odin frowns even further than before and says,


    "So?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I state,


    "As there will be a remainder of said power in her brain, I can''t hand her back to you to freely investigate."


    Before he can say anything, I instantly add,


    "Don''t misunderstand me. You''re not the one I''m worried about exploiting my powers. It''s those ''cmitous existences'' that you speak of. Those two with me have been subdued, but there are more of them out there."


    Then, I raise my head to re into his eyes before asking,


    "Do you think that you can take them on?"


    Holy Energy subconsciously flows into my eyes as I feel a burning sensation in them.


    {Unsealed: Eye of Judgement.}


    Huh? I remember making use of this Effect during the peace conference. Why was it not listed on my status?


    {Father simply found the way the Effect worked, but had yet to have the power to make use of it.}


    I guess that two months of attempting to tier up Holy Effects was worth the effort, after all.


    "You wish to keep her by your side?" Odin spectes.


    Nodding my head, I say grimly,


    "I can''t possibly risk the lives of those around me by carelessly making use of my powers."


    Holding back a grin that''s about to form upon seeing his reaction to my words, I say,


    "She will probably heal by herself after a year or two, so you could just wait."


    Of course, these numbers are ones that I randomly came up with. I bet that the one they got to heal her said something along the lines of her bing a potato and never waking up.


    Odin takes his sweet time to think before letting out a sigh and saying,


    "Do whatever you want."


    Oh, I will.


    The reason I got him to say this wasn''t because I can''t take her without his permission or something. It was so that I don''t deal with unnecessary troubleter.


    Rossweisse wouldn''t disagree with the notion as Odin has agreed to it. Also, I wouldn''t have an annoying Norse god to pest me.


    I could just kill him off, but I have a strong feeling that I would have to take down all the Norse mythology creatures if I do that.


    Once again, that would be too bothersome, so I resorted to making a ''fair deal''.


    Now that that''s out of the way, healing her is the top priority.


    Once I''m at the exact center of her mind by maintaining Memory Erasure, I begin to use Healing Factor and directly transmit it into her mind through the same path I used with Memory Erasure.


    {Discovered: Psyche Restitution.}


    AI''s voice sounds like the most beautiful thing I''ve heard in a while.


    I finally managed to achieve this.


    Now, I can properly heal Rossweisse and make use of it once I go back to Project Charlotte to heal Nao''s brother.


    "Codification," I intone before checking the new Effect that''s listed under the Holy Essence.


    Psyche Restitution I [III]:-


    Compressed light particles that can pass through the flesh of most creatures. Can restore a brain to its optimum condition. Medium energy consumption.


    --


    Shortly after receiving the Effect, I make use of it to heal whatever is left of the damage done to Rossweisse''s brain.


    This has been enlightening in a sense. I canbine my other abilities with Effects to discover another Effect or perhaps tier up one that''s already discovered.


    After a few moments, Rossweisse opens her eyes and looks around, confused, before asking me,


    "Where am I?"


    I shift my palm from her head to her cheek and say in a friendly manner,


    "You''re in the Gremory Family''s private property. During the battle, you took brain damage and which required me to make use of my powers to heal you."


    Rossweisse gazes at the ceiling as if thinking of something before turning her head to face Odin and saying,


    "I apologize, Great Father, for failing to do my job."


    Before he can say anything in response, Rossweisse turns her head to face me and says,


    "I must also apologize for troubling Your Grace."


    Finding her words a little funny, I chuckle before saying,


    "There is no problem at all."


    Then, I grin before squinting my eyes and saying,


    "You''re mine now."


    Naturally, my words throw her into a stupor as she voices,


    "Eh?"


    I cough twice to clear my throat before saying,


    "Perhaps, I might''ve phrased that badly."


    Ignoring the frown on Odin''s face which has worsened for some reason, I state,


    "As the power that I used to heal you was an unconventional one, there could be various unknown side effects and certain individuals could use this opportunity to find vulnerabilities in my powers.


    "Of course, this would endanger me and those that live with me, so, Odin agreed to me healing you. But in return, you would have to be by my side from now on."


    Finding my words hard to believe, Rossweisse voices another "eh?" before turning her head to face Odin for confirmation.


    "He''s telling the truth," Odin serenely says.


    "Don''t worry," I say, attracting her attention back to me, "I will take proper care of you."

 Chapter 118: Angry Siscon ; The Usual

    Chapter 118: Angry Siscon ; The Usual


    "We''re leaving now," I state while forming a portal using Norse Magic.


    "That," Odin mutters while looking at the gateway.


    Naturally, this isn''t the first time that Odin has seen this portal. But, he has yet to have a proper opportunity to study it.


    The next moment, Rossweisse and I both appear in the dining room of the Gremory House.


    There, Rias and her peerage are seated on at the dining table along with Sirzechs, Zeoticus, and Venelena.


    Standing a distance away from the table, Grayfia has her usual proper demeanor.


    "Good evening," I say before taking a seat at the table while gesturing to Rossweisse to follow suit.


    Observing the food that is being served, I''m quite taken aback by the amount.


    "This is?" I inquire out of curiosity.


    "We reckoned that it would be just for Rias and her servants to eat plenty after the incident," Venelena exins.


    "I see," I respond before creating two tes for Rossweisse and me.


    "You dare?!" Sirzechs suddenly exims while banging the table with his fists.


    What''s wrong with him? He should know that I can easily finish him off, so his disrespectful attitude is something.


    Just as I''m about to m him into the ground with telekinesis, I feel someone pulling my arm.


    Surprised, I turn to face Rossweisse who has an awkward look on her face.


    "I just thought that you would-"


    Not letting her finish her words, I pat her head with a smile on my face before turning my attention back to Sirzechs who is fuming with rage.


    "You''ve got a problem with me?" I directly ask.


    He seems to find something about my words funny as heughs for a short while before saying,


    "I''vee to learn that whatever harm Rias took during the Rating Game was because of you!"


    "Oh?"


    He does have a point, after all, those Devils were here to bring me down.


    "Now, youe here and nonchntly take a seat as you wish. Do you have nothing to say?!"


    This is unlike him. It''s as if his brain is fogged.


    "So, what do you suggest I do?" I say in a tone indicating amusement.


    Probably disliking my attitude, Sirzechs forms some rather powerful energy around his arms which rms everyone present.


    Grayfia and Zeoticus immediately attempt to calm him down, but it appears to be futile as he continues to re at me murderously.


    "Can I take this as an act of aggression?" I calmly state.


    My words seem to knock some sense back into him as he immediately dissipates the energy before getting up and leaving the dining room with a sunken expression.


    As soon as he''s out of the room, Zeoticus, and Venelena attempt to exin his actions to me by iming that he cares a lot about his sister which made him lose his senses upon discovering she was harmed.


    "No wonder Rias didn''t want to live here anymore," I casually remark.


    After savoring the food served for a few minutes, I say,


    "I''vee here for one sole reason."


    Alerted, Zeoticus squints his eyes before asking,


    "Is something wrong?"


    Shaking my head I say solemnly,


    "I need you to give all the information you have regarding the House of Naberius."


    Zeoticus is a little shocked by my statement as he proceeds to ask about the reason that I wish to know about such information.


    Naturally, I didn''t tell him much other than the fact that I''m nning to ''visit'' them in the future.


    Anyway, the information I received from them was limited as the Naberius have been secretive for a while now.


    Apart from their general appearance, n symbol, as well as, some important family members, Zeoticus didn''t much else to say.


    Having gotten what I wanted, I get up from my seat and n to head back to the mansion along with Rossweisse and Koneko.


    However, before I do so, I turn to face Zeoticus and say,


    "If any problems arise with the other Devil houses, you may contact me, as I''m always looking forward to beating some idiotic individuals up."


    Of course, there is more to my words than I''m letting on, which I''m sure Zeoticus understands.


    Then, without further ado, I form a portal to the mansion and enter it.


    --


    Just to be safe, I form my portal in a room especially assigned for such matters.


    Finding myself in the empty room, I look at Koneko who is clinging onto my arm then at Rossweisse who is standing respectfully standing beside me.


    Why is she always so serious?


    "Rossweisse, you can rx, you know?" I suggest.


    "No. I''ve already failed at my job once, so I can''t afford to rx."


    If that''s what she wants, I guess I''ll let her be. It''s only a matter of time before she rxes once she starts living with us.


    Perhaps, if she''s still ufortable with rxing, I could dress her like a maid and have her act like one


    The three of us head to the living room and take a seat at an empty sofa.


    "Brother Yu!" Ayumi exims before rushing over to embrace me. Lifting her from the ground, I ce her on myp and begin patting her head.


    Unlike the usual, the other girls just nce at Rossweisse once before getting back to whatever they were busy with.


    "Noments," I curiously voice.


    "Is there something unusual toment about?" Nao asks while scrolling through something on her phone.


    Now that I think about it, this has indeed be something normal


    "So, what is she?" Misa asks.


    "What do you mean?" I ask back.


    "I mean, is she a Devil, Angel, or some creature that could wipe the country out?"


    Chuckling a little at the way she put it, I turn to face Rossweisse and say,


    "It''s about time you introduced yourself, no?"


    Taking my words as an order, Rossweisse bows a little before saying,


    "My name is Rossweisse, and I am a Valkyrie. I previously for our Great Father, Odin, but due to unusual circumstances havee under His Grace''s wing."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Misa voices.


    Then, she turns to face before saying dubiously,


    "Do you perchance have a thing for non-human beings?"


    Finding her words inappropriate with Ayumi also being here, I cough twice before saying,


    "Come on, now. There is a reason why every single one of them is here."


    "That''s what you want us to believe," Nao remarks.


    Hah~ I''ve concluded that arguing with these girls is simr to digging a pit for myself.


    [[You brought this upon yourself.]]


    Ignoring Tia, I exin the reason why Rossweisse will be staying with us.


    ---


    "I''m nning to leave again," I say to Sora once we''re in the bed before the rest arrive.


    Squinting her eyes, she asks,


    "Where?"


    "Siesta''s world," I bluntly say.


    "For how long?" she inquires.


    "I have no idea. However, it should be no more than an instant for you, as time will be frozen here during the period I''m away for."


    "How absurd," Sora wryly murmurs to herself.


    I ce my palm on her cheek before moving my head closer to hers and kissing her lips.


    After a few seconds, the kiss gets much more passionate as we both hold each other closely while intertwining our tongues.


    This goes on for a while before both of us lie down on the bed and look into each other''s eyes.


    Sora has a small smile on her face which tempts me to reach my finger out and poke her soft cheek.


    Suddenly, the door bursts open as an energetic Ayumi rushes inside while yelling,


    "Ah! Brother Yu and Big Sister Sora are both here!"


    The next moment, Ayumi jumps right on top of the bed and crawls over into my embrace.


    After making herselffortable, she says,


    "What were Brother Yu and Big Sister Sora doing?"


    Unfazed by her question, I pat her head and say,


    "What else, other than just getting along?"


    Before she can ask any further, I shift the topic of the conversation by asking,


    "How are your ''little sisters'' doing?"


    Ayumi seems to find the topic fun as she excitedly begins to tell me of how Ophis and G are ''good girls'', learning whatever she teaches them quickly.


    It also seems like they''ve begun to learn how to express their feelings a little through constant interactions with the other girls.


    I''ve been considering creating a few gaming-consoles for the girls to enjoy.


    I''m sure that there are several games they would be able to enjoy.


    --


    After everyone has gotten into the bed and has drifted off to sleep, I begin to think of the matter with Halkegenia.


    Since Siesta is from that world, I will have her apany us back, that is if she is capable of doing so.


    I wouldn''t properly until I have Krul teach Siesta what Infi taught her.


    Yuno and Krul will both being with me as their experiences will most likely be useful in that world, especially if I want to massacre kingdoms.


    Now, the only problem is that I have to find tform''s Core without knowing what it looks like or where it would be.


    Normally, when the word ''core'' is mentioned, one thinks of the center or major part of something, however, I doubt it''s going to be so simple.


    Irene, what''s the most efficient way to find the Core?


    {Father needs to be nearby to be able to sense its presence.}


    Do you have any information regarding the Cores?


    {Other than the fact they can form a gateway that can be made use of by any creature, not much is known about them.}


    I''ve got a feeling that I will be busy for a long while.

 Chapter 119: Choices ; Farewell ; Summoning

    Chapter 119: Choices ; Farewell ; Summoning


    Now that the time for my departure is nearing, I need to think of various matters.


    One of which is: Can I take others with myself?


    Irene?


    {Affirmative. Those that Father wishes to take along to a tform should stand within a 1-meter-radius as Father invokes the designated word.}


    {Those that Father take should have a connection of sorts with Father.}


    Connection? What exactly is considered a ''connection''?


    {This means that they should be either listed under the ''familiars'' or ''worshipers'' section of Father''s system.}


    Right, there was something like that


    "Codification," I intone.


    As soon as the window appears, I think of ''worshipers'', and the next I know is that the window has changed.


    Now, in ce of the usual statistics, there is a list of my current worshipers:


    Asia Victorianul (Angel) -|- Raynare Victorianul (Angel) -|- Mittelt Victorianul (Angel) -|- Kwarner Victorianul (Angel) -|- Gabriel Victorianul (Angel) -|- Aruru Victorianul (Angel) -|- Michael Victorianul (Angel) -|- Uriel Victorianul (Pure Angel) -|- Raphael Victorianul (Pure Angel) -|- Xenovia Victorianul (Angel) -|- Irina Victorianul (Angel) -|- Azazel (Fallen Angel) -|- etc.


    As usual, upon checking the extended version of the list, I see nothing more than question marks.


    Do I have to make direct contact with them for them to be visible on the list? After all, that''s the only thing that all of them have inmon.


    Also, there is something else that I''ve noticed. That is, Angels who have been provided with my Energy are listed differentlypared to the rest.


    As such, Uriel and Raphael are both listed ''Pure Angel'', while Gabriel and Michael are listed as ''Angel'', as they have received my Energy.


    Leaving that aside, who should I take with me to the other side?


    Aruru is a must, as I''m sure that she will have a lot of fun over there.


    As for the second candidate, it would be none other than Gabriel. The reason for that is I want to spend more time bonding with my daughter.


    Finally, Irene said something about a ''familiars'' section, so I think of that.


    The next moment, the system changes once again.


    Familiars (1/3):


    ------


    Name: Tiamat | Race: Dragon | Bond: 13


    Str: 51 (15) | Agi: 48 (15) | Dex: 34 (15)


    Int: 44 (15) | Def: 55 (15) | Vit: 46 (15)


    ------


    Her stats are rather high whenpared to other supernatural beings that I''ve met in the Rift so far.


    Everything is clear to me apart from one thing: What is ''Bond''?


    {The Bond describes how well Father''s Code has mixed into the bloodline of the familiar.}


    Does this mean that their race will change at some point?


    {Affirmative.}


    I don''t know if I should be concerned or not. First, there is the fact that her bloodline changing along with my Code means that she will acquire a power rted to me.


    {It''s exactly as Father says.}


    Second, if she does change, wouldn''t that make her biologically rted to me in some way?


    {That''s correct.}


    Perfect.


    Forget that. Are there any side effects thate along with the transformation?


    {Negative.}


    Great, I have no worries then.


    "Tia, you there?"


    [[What is it?]]


    "I''ve got some great news for you," I say cheerfully.


    [[For some reason, I have a bad feeling regarding what you''re going to say]]


    "Come on, it''s nothing like that. It''s just that your race is going to change to another one due to being in contact with my powers."


    [[What?]]


    "Isn''t just amazing? Not only will you get powers rted to mine, but you will also be biologically rted to me."


    [[...]]


    It seems like Tia is so happy that she is speechless.


    Right, how do I increase my ''bond'' with her?


    {Father doesn''t need to do anything. As long as a familiar is within Father''s Code, it will absorb the Code''s Energy on its own.}


    {However, if Father seeks more efficient results, coption with female familiars is always an option.}


    "Coption, huh" I mutter subconsciously.


    [[What did you just say, right now?]]


    Right,


    "Tia, it has been a long time since I''ve yed with you."


    [[I would be grateful if you kept it that way.]]


    "Don''t be shy, we''ve got to get you stronger for the uing trip."


    [[What?]]


    "Oh right, I haven''t told you yet. I''m nning to take you over to the other world that I will be visiting soon."


    [[Why would you do that?]]


    "You mean, why would I take you? It''s obviously because I want to spend some time with my lovely dragon."


    [[That''s what I thought.]]


    "I mean, why else would I take you?"


    [[Perhaps, make actual use of me as a familiar?]]


    Crap, she has a point. Even so, it''s not like I''ve had the opportunity to do so.


    Hopefully, in Halkegenia she will have a lot of opportunities to raze buildings to the ground and burn humans alive.


    Thinking of such matters makes me look forward to the uing trip.


    ---


    Alright, I''m ready to depart.


    Irene, I am counting on you to guide me to Halkegenia.


    {Of course, Father. Leave it to me!}


    Her fired up response seems to energize me a little as I make my way to where I''ve instructed the girls who will join me in my journey to stay.


    As I reach the door that leads to the empty room, someone blocks my path.


    "Is something wrong, Nao?" I question her.


    In response to my question, Nao frowns slightly before moving closer to me and embracing me.


    "You didn''t even tell us that you will be leaving," sheins after a while.


    That''s right. I had not told the rest of the girls that I will be leaving, which is why I''m a little surprised about what''s happening.


    "Who told you?" I curiously ask.


    "Your sister," she replies.


    Sora? That''s great. I''ve been worrying that she isn''t getting along with the other girls a lot, but that doesn''t seem like it.


    Based on how she used to act in the past, I doubt she would tell the other girls about my departure.


    Instead, she would''ve taken advantage of the fact that only she knew one way or another.


    Anyway, I focus back on reality and hug Nao back.


    After a while, I move away from her a little before shifting my head to kiss her lips.


    As it has been a while since we''ve kissed, Nao stiffens up as she attempts to return my kiss a little awkwardly.


    I hold her body close to myself as I insert my tongue into her mouth.


    The next moment, Nao seems to melt as all energy leaves her legs, with the only thing keeping her from falling being my arm.


    After a dozen or so seconds, I break the kiss and look into her blue eyes before saying,


    "There is something that I almost forgot to tell you."


    My words attract her attention as she attempts to control her panting and focuses on what I have to say.


    "I''ve acquired a healing ability that''s capable of dealing with mental damages."


    I don''t need to exin anything else as Nao understands what I mean which results in her eyes widening.


    "Are you sure?" she asks after a while.


    I nod my head as confirmation before cing my hand on her head and gently rubbing it.


    Some tears form at the corner of her eyes as she beams a smile and says in a slightly shaky tone,


    "Idiot. You should''ve told me sooner."


    Smiling at her words, I move my head closer to her ear before whispering,


    "It seems like your choice of following me here has paid off, hasn''t it?"


    Nao flinches a little at my words before embracing me once again while voicing.


    "You know that''s not the only reason that I came here."


    I chuckle at her reaction before rubbing her back and responding,


    "Of course."


    We stay like this for a while until I hear coughing behind me.


    Nao immediately breaks the kiss as she looks behind me before giving me a wry look and walking in the direction her room is.


    I turn around only to be met with the sight of a grumpy Misa standing with one arm atop the other.


    "Took your sweet time hugging her," she remarks.


    Shrugging my shoulders I walk over to her with a smile stered to my face.


    Misa seems to expect me to hug her as she lets her arms down while still looking grumpy.


    Once I''m close to her, I surprise her by swiftly pushing her against the wall nearby and locking my lips with hers.


    Taken aback, Misa doesn''t know how to react which gives me the perfect opportunity to slide my tongue into her mouth.


    Then, while still kissing her, I move my right hand over to her bum and squeeze it a little.


    My shock here even more than before as she attempts to move away from me.


    However, I don''t give her the chance to do that as I create a chair behind me and sit on it while pulling Misa onto myp.


    As she is still in her nightwear, the cleavage between her modest breasts is a little visible.


    Tempted, I move my head closer and kiss it which causes Misa to hit my back while eximing,


    "Perv! What do you think you''re doing?!"


    It''s bad if she attracts the attention of others, so I shut her up by moving her closer and kissing her lips once again.


    This time, I move my right hand and ce it on her left breast.


    Fortunately, Misa seems like she''s given up as she makes no movements in response, so I proceed to gently fondle her breast.


    Several minutester, I stop and move back a little before saying,


    "I sure will miss you, my cute Misa."


    Misa immediately reacts by hitting my head once before saying a little hastily,


    "Who''s yours?"


    Laughing at her actions, I use my right hand to move her nightwear along with her bra away, revealing a slightly erect nipple.


    Before Misa can react, I kiss it once and roll my tongue around and it before moving back and pulling her into a tight hug.


    "I''ve got to go soon. Do you have anything to tell me?"


    As I let her go, Misa moves back a little and looks into my eyes with a slight blush on her face.


    That''s rare. She looks so much more adorable like this.


    Finding it too cute, I give her a quick peck on the lips.


    "Are you going to let me talk?", she grumbles.


    "Sorry, you were just so cute," I say while smiling.


    "Hmph," she scoffs softly before saying, "Try to not pick women up daily on the other side."


    I can feel my brows twitch as I maintain my smile and respond,


    "I''ll try my best."


    Misa takes this chance to get off me and walk away while saying without looking back,


    "You better."


    Hah~ Such good girls


    ---3rd POV---


    "Now then, Louise de La Vallire, only you are left," a bald with circr sses says while looking at a pink-haired girl.


    Upon hearing his words, the teenagers nearby who are apanied by strange creatures all proceed to slowly move away from the pink-haired girl.


    "Perhaps, you would like to try to again some other time?" the bald man seems to force himself to utter.


    "No! I''m the third daughter of La Vallire. Something like summoning a familiar is easy for me."


    Then, the girl, Louise, pulls out a wand and points in front of her while yelling,


    "Watch."


    The next moment, Louise begins to shout her chant out:


    "My servant, that exists somewhere in this universe! My divine, beautiful, and powerful familiar! I wish and assert from the bottom of my heart Answer my guidance!"


    Seeing this, the teenagers nearby move away even further while murmuring various things among themselves, with most of the content being her chant is strange and how it would inevitably fail.


    It doesn''t take long before a ck circle appears on the ground with symbols all over it.


    A smile covers Louise''s face as she stops her chant and excitedly looks at the newly formed circle.


    It doesn''t take long before some electric sparks form around the circle as a strong gust of wind pushes everyone back, including Louise, who''s the closest to the circle.


    Once everyone has regained control over their body, they begin to loudly discuss what just urred.


    "I swear by my family''s name that I heard a scream just now," one teenager says to another.


    "Stop it. She just failed like usual. Be grateful that there wasn''t an explosion this time," the other one harshly rebukes.


    And so, everyone begins to make fun of her among themselves for not being able to summon no more than wind.


    As for the one that is being ridiculed, she is sitting on the ground while looking down and muttering in a shaky voice,


    "Why is it just me?"

 Chapter 120: Long Fall ; Confusion and Shock

    Chapter 120: Long Fall ; Confusion and Shock


    I open the door leading to the empty room and enter.


    "Is everyone ready?" I ask the girls who have been patiently waiting for me.


    Everyone, apart from Aruru who excitedly jumps into my embrace, serenely affirm by nodding their heads once.


    "Although we''ve done this before, the circumstances were differentpared to now," I state.


    Last time, Infi helped out a lot by guiding us. Hopefully, things won''t beplicated this time around.


    Irene, how long will it take for Yuno and Krul to arrive over there?


    {Three days.}


    I see. It''s the same, huh.


    What about my Angels as well as Tia?


    {One day.}


    That''s good, I suppose. However, where will they be during the process?


    {Their souls will stay in the Mete.}


    Say, couldn''t Krul and Yuno do this as well? Transporting others close to them.


    {Negative. The transportation of souls requires specific Essences, such as those in Father''s Code.}


    How unfortunate. Well, I should probably think of how I want to transfer over to the tform. Arrogation or Transcription.


    Last time, I used Arrogation which resulted in me getting a powerful ability and an identity to go by, so I''m obviously going to do it again.


    Hopefully, I will get another broken power.


    "Let''s do this," I say as Gabriel moves closer to me.


    "Krul, you''ve already taught Siesta what to do, right?"


    "Yes," she replies.


    Looking over at Siesta, I notice the excitement that is apparent on her face. She must''ve been looking forward to this moment


    "," I invoke at the same time as Krul, Yuno, and Siesta.


    The next moment, uncontroble energy bursts forth from my body and envelopes both Aruru and Gabriel.


    In reaction to this, the two them curiously examine their bodies. Aruru, in particr, seems to enjoy it a lot as she excitedly hops up and down while the energy keeps on pouring into her body.


    Shortly, the two of them begin to seemingly disperse into a golden mist and get absorbed into my chest.


    Suddenly, there is an odd feeling within me- It''s almost as if I can feel all of their emotions and see through their thoughts.


    Aruru''s excitement, as well as, Gabriel''s affection.


    This doesn''t go on for much longer as I once again find myself in the Mete, however, before I can think of much, a circr ck hole appears underneath me.


    The next moment, I find myself falling into nothingness as darkness overwhelms my surrounding.


    After what seems like dozens of minutes, I finally set my eyes on something other than pure darkness  Siesta.


    She''s currently falling the same way I am and screaming like there is no tomorrow.


    Fortunately, my body seems to be constantly elerating at a rate faster than her as I gradually get closer to her.


    I try to shout, but something seems to be holding my voice back.


    {ERROR: Code unstable. Initializing self-repair... Deactivating all abilities}


    Fuck, this sounds awful. Hopefully, there is no random ridiculously strong retard waiting for me the moment I reach the other side.


    After a few more seconds of ''falling'', I finally catch up to Siesta, but I''m unable to catch her and go right past her.


    Fortunately, upon seeing me, she stops screaming and immediately begins to try to shift her body to increase her speed.


    Despite her actions, her speed remains rtively the same as before, which further supports the notion that wherever we are isn''t affected by normalws of physics.


    A few minutester, I once again find myself surrounded by pure darkness as my body continues to elerate in this seemingly never-ending dark tunnel.


    It doesn''t take long before something catches my attention.


    Looking ''ahead'' of me, I see some electrical currents ''slowly'' transporting a humanoid body.


    The body belongs to that of a ck-haired male that''s wearing a jersey.


    Shit, from the looks of it, I will directly run into him.


    No matter what I do, I''m unable to dodge him.


    My apologies whoever you were, but it seems like you weren''t fated to reach wherever you were going.


    After a few seconds, I practically smash into the guy which results in him splitting into several pieces as the electric currents go haywire.


    On the bright side, he was unconscious, so he wouldn''t even know what became of him.


    My optimism doesn''tst long as the tunnel suddenly begins to destabilize and white cracks form all over it.


    Soon a rather giant crack appears as a strange energy escapes from it and envelops my body.


    {Arrogation initiated.}


    Oh, this is me merging with someone''s existence?


    Certainly, I feel my thoughts beginning to change a little as I feel a burning sensation on my head and face.


    Unfortunately, I am unable to use irvoyance to examine myself.


    And thus, I am left to fall for about a few more minutes in this destabilized dark tunnel before I finally set my sight on a bright light.


    Trusting my senses, I reckon that the bright light is the end of this ''tunnel''.


    It doesn''t take long for me to find out, as, after a few seconds, I find myself passing through the exit at a terrific speed.


    The moment I pass through, I catch a glimpse of green before the next moment I am several hundreds of meters in the sky.


    Finally, able to properly control my body, I turn myself mid-air, utilize Godspeed, and kick the air with everything I''ve got.


    My strength seems to have decreased a lot, but the way I am right now is still powerful enough to break my speed.


    As my body begins decelerating before falling back down, I finally have the luxury of examining my surroundings properly:


    There is greenery all over the ce and it extends into the far horizon.


    With the sun shining above my head and the wind pressure that seems to be holding my body, I''m finally able to rx as I let gravity pull me toward itself.


    This feels much more liberating than I thought it would


    As unfortunate as it may be, I''m unable to enjoy this for much longer as I sense the presence of something approaching me at an incredible pace.


    I turn over just in time to see a screaming Siesta flying right at me.


    In response to this, I attempt to make use of Telekinesis and Flight, however, both of them seem to exist no longer as I''m unable to sense them.


    Right, AI did say they''re deactivated


    Having no other choice, I use Godspeed a few times to move away and ''jump'' right at her.


    Upon finding herself within my arms, Siesta begins to gradually calm down and look into my eyes as we both fall.


    Beaming a smile at her, I pull her closer to me as I examine the location we''re about to fall to.


    There, I see an entric-looking white building with a cone-like design at the center.


    Focusing at the exact spot we''re about to fall to, I find a field with dozens of teenagers in strange attires surrounded by horrendous creatures, which I assume are their familiars or something.


    "Brace for impact," I say to Siesta as I shift our position mid-air so that we will fall right at the center of the field where there isn''t anyone but a pink-haired girl nearby.


    Once we''re about fifty meters away from the ground, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Self-repairplete. Abilities reactivated.}


    I try to make use of Flight, but it doesn''t seem to work, so I immediately begin to prepare Vector Maniption for direct usage upon making contact with the ground.


    A few secondster, I practically crash into the ground feet-first, as I direct all of our vectors to the ground which results in quite the spectacr sight.


    The ground all around us breaks apart as soil escapes from under the ground, ruining the once-beautiful greenery.


    As I''m holding Siesta within my arms, I look into the eyes of a pink-haired girl who''s covered in soil while sitting on the ground a few meters away from us.


    She''s currently staring right at us with a bewildered look on her face.


    And so, I''ve officially arrived in my second tform.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Young Lord, may I enter?" the voice of a young woman resounds within a luxurious empty room.


    After a few moments, the young woman''s voice resounds once again, "Young Lord?"


    Getting no response, the young woman says a little nervously,


    "Excuse me for entering without permission."


    Upon finishing her words, the door to the room opens as a young maid enters the room, and anxiously looks around the room.


    Seeing that no one is here, the maid begins to freak out as she makes her way to the balcony while yelling,


    "Young Lord, are you here?!"


    Once again, the maid finds nothing, so she begins freaking out even as she rushes out of the room and begins yelling,


    "The Young Lord is gone! Help!"


    Amotion immediately rises as several men covered in medieval-age armor make their way to the room the maid was in and begin hurriedly looking around the ce.


    "Nothing here," one of the armored men states, which is followed by such simr statements from the rest.


    Then, silence ensues as the men are unsure of what to do regarding their now-missing Young Lord.

 Chapter 121: Lost Prince ; Information

    Chapter 121: Lost Prince ; Information


    I take this moment to run a quick examination of everyone nearby. Once I''m sure that no one is carrying any obvious weaponry, I let Siesta down.


    What''s strange is that everyone seems to be looking at me strangely. It''s making me feel ufortable.


    Convinced that it has something to do with my appearance, I make use of irvoyance to check myself out.


    Upon doing so, I make note of several changes. My skin has gotten rtively smoother while my eyes no longer look unnatural as they''re now blue instead of red.


    The sclera of my eyes is back to being white.


    As for my hair, it has be paler now with a much more silky feel to it.


    From the looks of it, this appearance belongs to that of someone these guys knew.


    Still, their reaction is a little too unnatural. I mean, sure, I popped out of some hole and flew into the sky before crashing into the ground, but that shouldn''t be much in a magic-infested world.


    There is also the possibility of the one I''ve taken over being someone important.


    This raises another question: Why have I not received the memories of this guy yet?


    Last time, I immediately received Yu Otosaka''s memories without any issues, but it doesn''t seem like something simr will happen this time.


    So, what''s the best thing to do in such a situation?


    Raising my right arm, I ce my hand on my head before feigning confusion and asking with a baffled expression,


    "Who am I? Where are we? Who are you all?!"


    Toward the end of my words, I step back while looking at everyone while acting anxious.


    "Is that the Crown Prince of Albion" I suddenly hear a man mutter.


    I use irvoyance to check him out without moving my eyes.


    A bald man with circr sses. His eyes are sky-blue while his face is a little worn out.


    Based on his appearance, he seems like he''s in his early forties, making him the oldest person here, excluding myself.


    I continue to act confused as I look around at everyone''s face before setting my eyes on him.


    Then, I inquire,


    "Who are you guys?"


    Psychologically, when someone''s gaze is focused on you when they ask a general question, you will subconsciously reply.


    And that''s exactly what urs in this case as the man introduces himself,


    "Hello. My name is Jean Colbert and I am a professor at the Tristain Academy of Magic."


    While showing relief from his words, I begin exining my ''circumstances'' before they can think of anything,


    "Do you know who I am? All I know is that I was suddenly in some dark space and this girl was with me."


    Pointing at Siesta, I continue to act befuddled while exining,


    "The next I know is that both of us are in the sky, falling to our deaths. So, I subconsciously held her to hopefully take the damage and let her survive, somehow.


    "Thankfully, we manage to survive by some miracle."


    This man seems to be the type to think through things, so I''ve given him various ''hints'' in my ''exnation''.


    First, the part about me subconsciously holding Siesta will give them the idea of me not being ''heroic-spirited''. This will be especially effective if the previous owner of the identity I''m holding was such a person.


    Second, that very same statement gives off naivety. So, even if they consider me a threat, it won''t be much.


    Them, treating me as a naive person will allow me to trick them much more easily by giving off more ''hints''.


    Now, is this necessary? Definitely.


    The best thing to do is to look for information when arriving in a new ce. Hopefully, these people are kind and will be willing to help a ''lost'' person, which is basically giving me information and somece to stay without much effort on my part.


    Besides, this should be a magic academy based on how the man introduced himself and the way everyone is dressed, so there is no better ce to investigate the powers of this world than here.


    "You don''t remember who you are?" the bald man, Jean, asks me.


    In response to his words, I put on a despondent expression before slowly nodding my head.


    Perhaps, finding this situationplicated, Jean ces his hand on his chin as he begins to think of something.


    So, meanwhile, he does that, I take this chance to closely observe everyone present.


    After doing so, I''vee to a definite conclusion: these guys are either nobles or rted to them.


    They have the very same aura to them that the nobles in the Rift have.


    "Hey," a girl''s voice abruptly resounds.


    Turning to face the source of the voice, I see the pink-haired girl with an excited yet confused look on her face facing me while standing on her feet.


    "Are you my familiar?"


    Upon hearing her words, everyone around seems to either facepalm or fall to the ground.


    It seems like I''m not the only one who finds her question absurd.


    "What are you talking about?" I say while acting as confused as possible.


    The girl then positions herself before pridefully stating,


    "You came out of the summoning circle I created, right? So you''re my familiar."


    Holding back myughter, I say with amusement while pointing at Siesta,


    "She got out of the circle too. Does that make her your familiar too?"


    As if finding my words offensive, the girl exims,


    "No! She''s just a plebeian maid that got caught up in the summoning."


    Hearing her words and the prideful way she utters them, I''m convinced that this girl is nothing more than spoiled brat of some noble family.


    For some reason, she kind of reminds me of Rias.


    "What is a familiar?" I ask while feigning curiosity.


    Of course, being the owner of a familiar myself, I know what familiar is. Despite that, I need to be sure that the concept is simr to the one in the Rift.


    "A familiar is a being whose sole purpose is serving its master in all kinds of ways," the girl begins exining.


    "There are all kinds of familiars, but I''ve never seen such a familiar"


    Toward the end of her words, she says murmurs them slowly so that only she can hear them. Well, enhanced hearing helps me with this issue.


    It seems like a humanoid familiar is a rare thing. Not that I am nning to be one.


    {Father may undergo the ritual.}


    Huh? No way. I won''t be the pet of some brat.


    {There is no problem. Father''s Code will filter out the useless parts of the connection and will only bring benefits for Father.}


    What benefits, exactly?


    {Usually, when a contract is formed, there are a set of rules that take ce. Father''s Code will be able to ''overwrite'' certain parts of these rules and changing them ording to Father''s will.}


    {For further information, Father could try undergoing the ritual.}


    That''s an interesting concept.


    "Wait," Jean suddenly exims, "Do you not know who he is?"


    Finding his words confusing, the girl seems to find his words confusing as she scrutinizes me from head to toe before uttering a simple,


    "No."


    I have a feeling that Jean really wants to roll his eyes as he straightens his posture before saying respectfully,


    "He is the Crown Prince of Albion, Prince Wales Tudor."


    As if their suspicions just got confirmed, several students let out gasps of shock while murmuring among themselves.


    "Hold on," I say while acting befuddled once more, "I am a prince?"


    Jean nods his head before stating,


    "I''m almost certain you are. I don''t know why you are here, but it seems to be rted to the reason you lost your memories."


    I suddenly widen my eyes as if I''ve been enlightened before saying,


    "What if I really was summoned here as familiar?"


    Thankfully, my act of ignorance doesn''t go to waste as Jean releases a tired sigh.


    "I''m willing to see if it''s true or not. Is there a way to check it?" I say casually.


    "You have to kiss!" some guy suddenly shouts.


    As if starting a chain reaction, the students begin to cheer the girl whose name is Louise on to kiss me.


    Seriously? Kissing is the way to form a contract with familiars? Hold on... That''s the way my contract forming works. Is this how it is generally? At least, mine isn''t on the lips.


    Seeing how the girl is blushing, I form two hypotheses. She either has never had close contact with a male, or the kiss is on the lips.


    There is also the possibility of modesty being a lot more important in this world, but I highly doubt that''s the case.


    "Is it on the lips?" I directly ask Jean who is near me.


    "Yes," he replies in a manner that shows it''s hard for him to take in what''s about to happen.


    Well, he doesn''t need to worry, as the contract will ''fail''.


    While acting reserved by scratching the back of my head and looking away, I slowly walk closer to Louise.


    Seeing the expectation in her eyes makes me feel like I''m a criminal or something for going through with what I have in mind.


    Once I''m close enough, I stand in front of her and directly look into her pink eyes.


    Everyone present bes silent as they all gawk at the two of us.


    Siesta, in particr, has quite the odd look on her face. Speaking of which, I''m surprised that no one has attempted to get information out of her.


    Do they look down on her so much just because she''s a maid that extorting information out of her doesn''t even cross their minds? How sad.


    Focusing back on the matter at hand, I see that Louise has closed her eyes and puckered her lips a little.


    I''m not a fan of making out with a girl in public, but I guess this is necessary.


    Having resolved my feelings, I move my head closer to hers and kiss her soft lips.


    As I suspected, the way she reacts to the kiss indicates that she has no experience at all.


    Finding this to be the perfect opportunity to collect more info about the world, I slide my tongue into her mouth before channeling my energy into her.


    ------


    Name: Louise de La Vallire


    Age: 17


    Race: Human


    Str: 10 (11) | Agi: 11 (11) | Dex: 12 (11)


    Int: 13 (11) | Def: 9 (11) | Vit: 11 (11)


    ------


    It seems like the average parameters for this world is 11.


    This girl she''s ''normal'', I assume? As I have never had the chance to examine someone ''normal'', I''m not used to the way the parameters are disyed right now.


    Still, this should be my ability, Analyze that I had discovered when training Akeno.


    I reckon that it was also in a ''sealed'' state as it wasn''t disyed on my status board.


    Just now, I had the feeling that I will be able to use something to my advantage, so I did it.


    The feeling was an unusual one  doing something you don''t know, knowing it would do something.


    In any case, I''ve gotten what I wanted from her. So, where is the contract?


    {Father doesn''t need to worry about that. I''ve already rewritten what could be rewritten for Father''s benefit.}


    Before I can share my thoughts regarding her actions, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Acquired: Gandalfr.}


    {Request for submission denied.}


    {Establishing equal connection.}


    I understand what the first two are sort of. The first one should be either a power or some sort of equipment.


    The second one is the most important part of what we just did.


    What is the third one?


    {This establishes a link with the entity Father just performed the contract with. It allows Father to telepathically converse with the entity and burrow this tform''s specific energy for powers rted to it.}


    From what I understood of what you just said, this means that I will be able to use the magic these guys are using, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    I want to take this chance to examine what the ability or equipment I got is, but unable to do so as Louise takes a step back from me and eagerly stares at me.


    {Cosmetic Rune acquired. Does Father wish to disy it?}


    What''s that?


    {It serves as the proof of a contract having been formed.}


    I see. In that case, don''t disy it.


    {Affirmative.}


    Several seconds pass with no particr change urring.


    With each passing moment, Louise''s expression worsens as tears form at the corner of her eyes before slowly rolling down her cheeks.

 Chapter 122: Guiche ; Strange Occurrence in the Arena ; Shy Girl

    Chapter 122: Guiche ; Strange urrence in the Arena ; Shy Girl


    Seeing the tears rolling down from her cheeks, I begin to realize that I''m being unnecessarily cruel.


    Even so, there isn''t much I can do about it now.


    Turning to face Jean, I question,


    "What am I supposed to do now?"


    Before he can reply, I use Indoctrination on him and mutter,


    "It would be horrible for a prince to return to his country with no memories of who he was."


    I''m sure that Jean would''ve thought something along that line, but it''s better to make sure that things go ording to n.


    "So, he''s not her familiar?", some guy suddenly exims.


    Looking in the direction of where the voice came from, I see a blonde-haired guy wearing an open v-neck shirt.


    His overall appearance doesn''t sit well with me for some reason.


    "Of course, what am I even asking," he continues while cing his palm against his forehead while grinning, "There is no way she will be sessful in magic."


    In response to his words, everyone seems to agree unanimously.


    I see. So that''s why the girl was so hurt when she discovered I wasn''t her familiar.


    If I''m not mistaken, the body of the guy I ran into while transferring here should''ve been here familiar.


    "Louise the Zero!", the guy suddenly yells, resulting in a chorus of students repeating that statement.


    This reminds me of how the students would act back in Project Future. Taking every opportunity to make fun of someone vulnerable.


    Well, this is a good opportunity handed to me on a silver te.


    Positioning my body to give myself a kick-start, I dash toward the blonde guy.


    Immediately upon doing so, I take note of my speed and how much it differs from my speed in the Rift.


    It''s about 40%


    Still, that should be more than enough to do what I''m what nning to.


    Once I''ve gotten close enough to him, the guy has a confused look on his face, not knowing what''sing for him.


    Then, I draw my leg back before kicking with enough force to send him flying for a few meters before he makes contact with the ground and rolls for a while and inevitably crashing into a wall.


    My actions have stunned everyone present as they all stare at me anxiously.


    It has always been known that in a world like this, honor and privilege are more important than anything else. That''s due to the nobles being, well, nobles.


    "I may have forgotten who I was," I exim before turning my back to the students and slowly approaching Louise, "But that doesn''t matter in the least!"


    "Despite being the way I am at the moment, I know for a fact that bullying a vulnerable girl is an unrefined thing to do!"


    Checking out their reactions, I can tell that I''ve sessfully fooled them.


    Now, instead of looking at me with caution, they have a much more respectful look in their eyes. I have a strong feeling that they will begin to idolize me in the future.


    Anyway, I''m d that my n worked out. The reason for doing what I just did was to further nt the idea of me being a ''heroic prince'' within the minds of those present.


    Indoctrination could also be useful in this regard, but I''m in a new world with a lot of different things, so I can''t depend on my abilities too much.


    For all I know, one of them could fail me at the moment where it counts most because the tform has changed something about them.


    Also, there is the fact that some of my abilities have a daily usage limit. That was gone during my time in the Rift, but now that I''m back in a tform, it''s back.


    "There is also something else," I suddenly say, "I have an uncanny feeling when I''m near her"


    Jean''s brows immediately raise as he begins to deliberate on the ''hint'' I gave him.


    That''s right, I''m making him think that Louise is rted to the reason I''ve lost my memories and most likely the most efficient way to get them back.


    "You!" suddenly I hear a yell behind me.


    Checking it out, I see the blonde, who''s surprisingly still able to move, moving closer to me.


    "Oh, you''re approaching me?" I say after turning around to face him.


    "Prince or not, I don''t care! I will beat you up!", he exims before pulling out a red rose and pointing it at me while muttering something.


    The next moment, strange energy tries to invade my body, but my Code easily dissipates it.


    "I assume you''re prepared for what''sing for you," I say while grinning.


    "Hey, Guiche, stop this instant!" Jean exims, but the blonde guy, Guiche, doesn''t listen and pulls out another red rose.


    Then, he throws the new one on the ground while muttering something else.


    A momentter, the Rose begins to ''melt'' before the energy spreads and a giant golem appears.


    Guiche doesn''t stop there, as he begins to throw out more roses and summoning more golems.


    This is so fun and informative Whatever he''s doing to summon them, it''s intriguing. I wonder if it could be exploited? Perhaps, bringing chaos upon cities by using these golems only, will be possible in the future?


    Let''s try out their strength and endurance for now.


    I attempt to use the Boosted Gear, but I get no reaction. Hold on isn''t Ddraig considered a separate entity?


    {Affirmative. Due to Father traveling to the current tform without storing the entity, Ddraig, it has taken damage to its soul.}


    Shit. What do I have to do to patch it up?


    {Provide the entity with a bodyprised of Father''s Energy.}


    So, I need to use Creation to make him a body?


    {Affirmative.}


    Isn''t that just great? Forget that, how long will it take him to be healed?


    {The entity should be able to interact normally with the world, however, it won''t be able to make use of its powers.}


    {As for the period it would take for it to heal, there is no set time.}


    Which means that I won''t be able to use the Boosted Gear for a while


    Well, leaving my Code Essences aside, I still have Ittou Shura and my Plunder abilities, so I should be fine.


    Utilizing Godspeed and using Rework to cover it, I appear before one of the golems and punch it in the center while channeling Destruction into my fist.


    This results in the golem getting blown to small bits, baffling everyone present.


    Raising my arm, I create an ordinary sword before dashing toward the next golem and splitting it in half.


    Then, I appear another golem and press my palm against its back before summoning mes using Pyrokinesis.


    One after the other, golems keep on falling to the ground in various ways.


    After none of them are left, I look toward the horrified Guiche whose legs are shaking.


    Not sparing any more attention, I break the sword and walk back to Louise''s side and ce my hand on her head before stating,


    "I''d like to stay with her."


    In response to my words, Louise blushes heavily but doesn''t deny the notion at all.


    "Alright," Jean replies seriously.


    I expected as much. The main reason I showcased my powers was so that the authoritative figures of this academy would take my case seriously.


    Seeing how versatile my powers are, they would attempt to nt ideas in my head through various means to ally me with them, which is not a bad thing at all.


    I could use the academy as my main base in this world, making use of the academy to keep myself undercover.


    As for the reason I will be staying with Louise, it''s simply because I wish to take advantage of her probable dislike for those around her to get as much information about the academy and its students I can get.


    Also, I reckon that to use her energy for magic, I need to be within proximity of her.


    Anyway, my first step to finding the Core of this tform will begin with taking over this academy and subordinating everyone in it.


    To do that, I need to take into consideration what ''nobles'' desire most


    ---


    "What a nice room," I say as soon as I enter Louise''s dorm room.


    Louise doesn''t say anything in response as she just moves to her closet and pulls her nightwear out before facing and me saying,


    "Block your eyes."


    Seeing the mild blush on her face, I chuckle a little before responding,


    "Then, I will leave instead."


    Her eyes widen as I beam her a smile before muttering,


    "Arena."


    My vision then blips as I find myself in the ghost-city.


    I came here to see if anything has changed, but it doesn''t seem like it. Well, I''ll wait for a short while before heading back.


    As I walk around the city, I suddenly feel a presence quite a distance away. No it''s not just one, but much more.


    Making use of irvoyance, I check it out, however, I am unable to see anything other than a barrier made of bright light that my vision is unable to pass through.


    Finding the situation strange, I dash in the direction I felt it from.


    With my decreased speed, it would take me a while to reach there, so I utilize Godspeed to increase my speed.


    After a few moments, I reach the ''barrier'' and observe it. I am still able to sense the presence of several beings, however, they''re all behind this ''barrier''.


    Curiosity takes over me as I reach my arm out to touch the barrier.


    As soon as my finger makes contact with the barrier, a ripple forms and spreads all around the barrier.


    A little surprised, I observe the barrier for any changes.


    Several minutes pass, but no change has urred whatsoever.


    I decide to touch the barrier once more, however, before I can do so, something begins to ''appear''  a face with no eyes.


    Then, two palm prints appear on its sides.


    As if a chain reaction has begun, dozens of the very same face, all with no eyes, appear along with a pair of palm prints for each one.


    Despite them having no eyes, I''m sure that they''re all ''looking'' at me.


    It doesn''t take long before the whole barrier is covered in these faces, which gives off an eerie vibe.


    Irene, what are these things?


    {Ick the data required to properly answer Father''s inquiry.}


    That doesn''t good. I should head back to the hotel and forget that this happened, for now.


    After a few moments, I''m back at where I was, more than prepared to leave the Arena.


    Upon doing so, I''m met with the sight of a sulking Louise sitting at the edge of her bed.


    "Looks like you''re ready to sleep," I say.


    My abrupt appearance seems to surprise her as she lets out a yelp before eximing,


    "Why did you leave?!"


    Huh? What is she even asking?


    "I obviously left so that you could have some privacy to change your clothes."


    Louise seems like she wants to say something, but the words get up in her throat as I move closer and lift her from the bed.


    Then, Ifortably lie down on the bed while setting Louise down beside me.


    "What are you doing?!" she exims while heavily blushing and looking around for something.


    "Looking for this?" I say as I show her the wand that I sneakily took out of her clothes while lifting her.


    "Give that back!" she shouts before jumping at the arm holding her wand.


    I instantly pull out one of the needles in my storage ring and ce the wand inside in its ce. Then, I grab Louise''s petite body and pull her into my embrace.


    "Let''s just sleep, okay?" I say while rubbing her back.


    "H-h-how dare you do this to me!" Louise exims in response while using her fists to punch me and moving her body in a vain attempt to escape.


    "Don''t be shy," I say while still rubbing her back, "You''re so cute that it makes me wish you were my little sister."


    My words cause the already deep blush on her face to deepen even further as she nervously mutters,


    "Who are you calling c-c-cute..."


    Finding her respond adorable, I kiss her forehead before moving her closer and cing her right beside me.


    I hold ce my hand on hers and look her in the eyes before whispering,


    "Goodnight, Louise."


    Louise, whose blush is now reaching her ears tries to hide her face by sinking her head into the pillow.


    Hah~ Today was surprisingly an easy one. I''m d about that, as it grants me some time to properly thinks through before I start anything in this world.


    Speaking of doing things, my identity is that of a prince, huh? So, if I''m able to act like how the old prince did, will I easily obtain a kingdom? Its name was Albion, right?


    That name reminds me of Albion, the dragon that was Ddraig''s nemesis or something, which also reminds me of the matter with Ddraig''s soul.


    I need to help Ddraig out by creating a body tomorrow morning

 Chapter 123: Siesta ; First Morning in the Academy

    Chapter 123: Siesta ; First Morning in the Academy


    Opening my eyes, I lift my body from the bed.


    I crack my neck and back before looking around the room.


    Louise is still asleep, or at least, she''s pretending she is. I guess she felt shy about greeting me first thing in the morning, so she came up with this as a solution.


    Well, I''m not in the mood to tease her, I have much more important things to do today.


    First, I need to check on Siesta.


    She told me that she had to go somewhere. Knowing that this is her world, and she recognizes this ce, I let her go do whatever she wanted.


    I run a quick scan of the whole academy and finally find her.


    Siesta is currently in the kitchen helping out someone who seems to be a chef, judging from his attire, prepare food.


    I should go visit her.


    --


    "Siesta," I call out to the diligent maid upon entering the room.


    In response to this, Siesta stops whatever she was doing and beams a smile while looking my way.


    "Master," she says before setting the utensils in her hand to the side and walking over to me.


    Once she''s in front of me, I ce my hand on her head and ask her teasingly,


    "This was where you had to go?"


    For some reason, Siesta fidgets a little as a red hue covers her face before she nervously replies,


    "Sorry Master. Those here are my old acquaintances, so I wanted to greet them."


    I move my hand and lightly pinch her cheek before saying,


    "Don''t apologize. I knew it would be something like that."


    Then, I look behind her over at the chef.


    Upon making eye contact with him, he instinctively lowers his head a little.


    Hmm That''s most likely a habit he has picked up while working here.


    I reckon that this is a ''natural'' thing for all servants who work for a noble household to do.


    Now then, it''s about time that I headed to the dining room.


    "Siesta, you are to serve none other than myself over here. I don''t mind it if you give a hand to other servants, but anything else is strictly forbidden."


    In response to my instructions, Siesta bows before respectfully replying,


    "Understood, Master."


    "If any problems arise, make sure to immediately contact me."


    Having done what I came here to do, I leave the room and head to the dining hall.


    There, I find that most of the nobles have already arrived and are patiently waiting for their breakfast.


    My appearance seems to cause a lot ofmotion as the students look at me and whisper things to each other.


    What I find funny is that their topics are mostly about me and ''why'' I appeared here.


    There a total of three long dining tables and Louise is sitting at the one closest to the door.


    Ignoring the looks I''m given, I slowly walk to the table that Louise is sitting at.


    I send a re to a female student that''s sitting to Louise''s right, which seems to be quite effective as she hastily gets up from her seat and looks for another one.


    Then, I take the now-empty seat and pat Louise''s head.


    "Don''t treat me like a child!", she softly exims to not attract attention, despite everyone''s attention already being on us.


    "I''m not," I coolly reply, "You can think of this as a habit of mine."


    Feeling a rather keen gaze from close-by, I look toward the direction it''sing from.


    Sitting opposite me is a blue-haired female student wearing sses. Herplexion seems to becking energy as she looks like she hasn''t slept for decades.


    Beside her is a rather long wooden staff and right in front of her is a book written in somenguage that I''m unable to read.


    Right, I should''ve realized this earlier, but thenguage I''ve been using to converse with others in this world different. Weirdly, I can easily do such a thing with an unfamiliarnguage.


    However, reading and writing is not something that''s included with this ''auto-trantor'' part of me.


    Irene, do you know anything regarding this?


    {Affirmative. What Father ''hears'' is the will of other beings decoded through the Mete.}


    Hold on, their will? Doesn''t that mean lying will be almost impossible if that''s the case?


    {It''s as Father says. Lying to Father will be an extremely feat to aplish and won''t go unnoticed by Father.}


    {Even if Father doesn''t find it obvious, their statements will appear as extremely suspicious ones.}


    This is great news, as not only will this be extremely helpful during ''negotiations'', it could also be used to measure an opponent''s wits.


    Now that I think about it, does this only work when someone utters words?


    {Negative. It also applies to bodynguage.}


    I thought so Could this be rted to why I was able to Sona Sitri during our chess match?


    {Correct.}


    Damn, I knew something was odd when I bet her so easily despite her being so confident in her skills.


    Should I somehow make it up to her when I return from the Rift? Perhaps, take her out on a date?


    Leaving that aside, couldn''t books be ''decoded'' too? Like, the will of the author or something ridiculous simr to that?


    {Affirmative. Father has already made contact with one such book that was written by a much too passionate writer that their will was encoded on it.}


    Why do I not remember such an urrence?


    {It was the book: How to Catch Them All 101 by Pink Guy.}


    I have no idea what you''re talking about.


    {}


    Forget it, back to the matter at hand.


    Basically, I''m not able to read books in othernguages except for a select few.


    {That''s correct.}


    {One such book would be Mein Kampf by-}


    Say no more. I''ve already read that book a dozen times, so I understand what you''re trying to imply.


    "Um, Prince Wales," a girl''s voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    Looking over, I see a busty dark-skinned girl with red hair.


    "What made you want to stay with this pipsqueak," she questions curiously while pointing at Louise.


    Before I can say anything, Louise points at her and seems like she wants to yell at her.


    However, before she can do that, I pinch her cheek to bring senses back together.


    Fortunately, that seems to effective, as she gradually calms down and nces at me from the corner of her eye.


    Of course, I''m not just going to let Louise, who is sort of like my little sister now, be insulted,


    "I can''t speak for the others, but I''d rather stay with an innocent young girl than you."


    It takes her a moment, but the girl realizes what I''m implying. Surprisingly, she grins instead of being offended by my words.


    "You really think so?" she attempts to tease me by pushing her breasts up using her arms.


    Not giving her any more attention, I face Louise and inquire,


    "Is there going to be a lecture concerning magic today?"


    Louise grins as she nces at the busty girl from earlier for a split-second before turning her attention back to me and replying,


    "Yes. Are you going to be attending?"


    I nod my head in response and say,


    "Of course, after all, it might help in recovering my memories."


    Naturally, my im is nothing but a cover for my true goal, which is investigating the magic system of this tform.

 Chapter 124: Magic System ; Headmaster

    Chapter 124: Magic System ; Headmaster


    I spend a short while asking Louise about the magic system of this world, and she summarizes the whole thing for me.


    Basically, this world uses geometric figures to measure the magic power of a spell and the rank of a magician.


    The lowest rank of a magician is the ''dot'', representing one element. Such magicians are only able to cast one ''dot'' spell before requiring rest to cast another.


    After that, there is the ''line'', representing two elements. They''re able to cast two ''dot'' spells and one ''line'' spell.


    The next rank is the triangle, capable of casting four ''dot'' spells, two ''line'' spells, and one ''triangr'' spell.


    This concept applies to all ranks that follow after that, with each passing rank, the consumption of ''lower-tiered'' spells being halved while the highest spell rank avable can be cast only once before rest is needed.


    Taking this into consideration, I assumed that Guiche was a triangle ranked mage for being able to summon so many golems, however, Louise denied that notion.


    She imed that what happened there was abnormal and must''ve taken its toll on Guiche, which does make some sense, as I have yet to see him appear in the dining hall.


    While Louise exined all this to me, the blue-haired girl with the dead-expression continued to keenly stare at my face.


    I tried to make eye contact with her to stop her, but, that did not affect her.


    My curiosity piqued, I asked for her name, to which she neutrally replied,


    "Tabitha."


    During that process, I noticed that the dark-skinned girl with the red hair was looking my way with expectation apparent on her face.


    Naturally, Ipletely ignored her and continued to ask Louise some questions regarding the basics of the magic system in this world.


    This, in turn, led to the girl to abruptly introduce herself,


    "My name is Kirche."


    Giving her a sidelong nce, I let out a sigh and say,


    "You may call me Victor."


    My words seem to surprise all three of them, with each one showing a different reaction, as this name isn''t the one they ''know''.


    Well, it''s not atypical for an amnesic individual toe up with a separate identity for themselves, so there is no point in acting like Wales Tudor at the moment.


    Of course, I will keep his ''heroic habits'', as that is essential for my ns to work.


    ---


    "I will head out first," I say once the ss is over.


    The students who are on their feet make way for me as I pass by them until I reach the door.


    Today''s ss was more rted to familiars and ways they can be useful instead of magic, which is most likely because everyone had summoned one yesterday.


    A few students attempted to jeer at Louise for not having a familiar, but they found themselves thrown to the front of the ss before they could even ''begin''.


    Bing theughingstock of the ss, the students began realizing that such actions will no longer be tolerated, not like they ever were.


    Honestly, I don''t actually care if they do so or not, but as a ''heroic prince'', I need to act my part properly.


    Fortunately, the teachers seem to be buying my act, so it''s all worth it in the end.


    This has more benefits than one would normally think, as schools tend to take the side of the more ''diligent'' student than the rest. Even if the one in the wrong is the ''diligent'' one, they would take their side regardless.


    How is this going to be useful for me?


    Well, in case a student discovers something about me that they shouldn''t have and I''m not aware of it, they wouldn''t able to do much with the info, as by that time, the school and most of the students would be on my side.


    As stupid as it might sound, I can manipte the academy just by being a ''good student''.


    Of course, if I wasn''t ''myself'', no amount of diligence would be sufficient to do this.


    And thus, here I am right now, giving the authoritative figures of the school an opportunity to ''speak'' with me.


    "Sir Wales," a lovely voice calls out to me as soon as I walk past the door.


    "Yes," I say while turning to face the source of the voice.


    There, a couple of meters away from me, is a young woman who seems to be in her early twenties.


    She has green hair and wears a simple ''business outfit'' of this era.


    On her face is a gentle smile as she slowly walks closer to me before bowing politely and saying,


    "The headmaster wishes to speak with you."


    All ording to n.


    "Is that so? Very well, then. Would you mind leading the way?" I ask back in an aristocratic manner while smiling.


    "With pleasure," she simply replies before straightening her posture and walking in the direction of the headmaster''s office.


    I follow her closely and run a quick scan of her body from head to toe.


    Huh? How riveting. There is a miniature dagger in her right shoe with a just as tiny sheathe covering the de.


    Is this something ordinary in this world? Only one way to find out.


    I use Creation to produce a small pebble and make it appear invisible by using Rework on it.


    Then, I telekically move it and crush the front of the woman''s toe with it.


    This results in the woman to exim and crouch down in pain while holding the injured toe.


    Showing concern on my face, I swiftly move to crouch by her side and inquire,


    "Are you okay?"


    She doesn''t reply and just continues to hold the ce I had injured with a pained expression on her face.


    I proceed to act even more concerned as I reach my hand out to her shoe and say,


    "Let me take a look at the injury. Perhaps, I can do something about it."


    Upon hearing my words and seeing my hand that''s getting closer to her foot, the woman hastily gets back on her feet and attempts to act normally before saying with a forced smile,


    "I''m fine. It''s just that I had injured my foot a few days ago, and it sometimes begins to act up like this."


    Looking her in the eye, I say,


    "How unfortunate for such a beautiful woman to be stained."


    In response to this, the woman chuckles a little before getting back to leading the way, not understanding the underlying meaning behind my words.


    --


    "Headmaster," the woman whose name is, Longueville, calls out while knocking on the office''s door.


    "Yes,e on in," an elderly voice reaches my ears.


    Longueville opens the door and bows politely while gesturing to me to head inside.


    Upon walking inside, I immediately take note of several things, with the most important one being a few archives under the headmaster''s desk.


    "Wee to Tristain''s Magic Academy, Prince Wales Tudor," an old man with a long white beard says, "My name is Osmond, and I am the headmaster of this academy."


    "I appreciate the warm wee, even if I''m not who I used to be," I reply while taking a seat on a sofa and showing a slightly downcast expression.


    The old man, Osmond, begins to shake his head in response to my words and says,


    "I have heard about your case from one of the academy''s professors.


    "Fret not, Prince Wales. I''m sure that your memories will return in due time."


    After offering my words of appreciation, I ask him for the reason he has called for me.


    "I''ve heard that you used magic in a duel against a student?"


    This is what I''ve been waiting for him to ask. Yesterday, I looked into Wales Tudor and his capabilities. From what the students knew about him, he was a wise and kind prince.


    Most importantly, his affinity when it came to magic was with the wind element.


    "That''s correct. I suddenly found myself able to use wind magic despite not knowing how to do so."


    In response to my words, Osmond strokes his white beard before looking me in the eye and saying,


    "One of the students imed that you used fire magic. Do you mind telling me about that?"


    Calmly nodding my head, I ''exin'',


    "My wind magic seems to allow me to alter the speed of air, enough for it tobust and form mes when it makes contact with matter."


    Finding my words intriguing, Osmond nods his head and says,


    "How were you able to use magic without an object to focus with?"


    Right, Louise told me something about this. Magicians require wands to focus their ''willpower'' and cast magic with it.


    Guiche seemed to use roses as an object of focus, while I didn''t use anything.


    "I used this," I say while pointing at the storage ring on my palm.


    Osmond is confused by my im as he just stares at me and patiently waits for me to begin exining.


    "Upon arriving here," I say, "This ring was one of the first things that I noticed. After that, the image of the ring was stuck in my head for some reason."


    I pause a little to give Osmond time toe up with an ''exnation'' for what I just said before continuing,


    "Once the duel began, my willpower ovepped with the image of the ring in my head, allowing me to cast weak spells such as bustion'' and ''air force''."


    Upon hearing thetter part of my exnation, Osmond voices,


    "Air force?"


    Acting as if I just realized something, I say,


    "I used that to collect air in the surroundings to focus it on one point tounch the student into the air."


    He seems to find my exnation usible as he nods his head a few times while stroking his beard and deliberating upon it.


    Naturally, I''m aware of the risks thate with my ims. I barely know anything about the magic system of this world apart from the basics, so I''ve been ''exining'' my magic while keeping it within the boundary of reason.


    Currently, I''m making such a risk because Osmond wasn''t there to personally witness my use of magic.


    If there is a device that recorded our battle, my n is done for, however, I highly doubt such a thing exists in this tform at this age.


    "So, what am I to do from here on out?" I say while acting confused and lost.


    Osmond, being the wise guy he appears to be, would most likely ''suggest me something that seems like it would ''help me''.


    True to my thoughts, Osmond strokes his beard for a few seconds before advising,


    "Since you''ve lost your memories, it would be good for you to stay here, as your political foes could appear and attempt to take advantage of your current state."


    He doesn''t give me a chance to say anything as he immediately inquires,


    "It''s probably inconvenient for you to stay with a student in one room. Would you like me to prepare you another room?"


    Going along with his ''n'', I respond,


    "That''s not a problem at all, as I feelfortable when I''m near the aforementioned student."


    Nodding his words, Osmond smiles before saying,


    "Do you have any questions that you''d like me to answer?"


    Shaking my head, I get up from the sofa and say,


    "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Osmond. I must go now."


    "The pleasure is mine, Sir Wales. Make sure to visit me if you encounter any trouble or just want to drink some tea."


    "Sure," I say with a small smile on my face before turning around and leaving the room.


    Outside, I find Longueville standing a few meters away from the door.


    "Has the pain in your foot subsided?" I inquire with some concern on my face as I approach her.


    In response to my words, Longueville bows politely before replying,


    "I appreciate your concern, Sir Wales. It''s much better now."


    Looking at her leg, I say,


    "Are you sure you don''t want me to take a look at it?"


    Shaking her head, Longueville says,


    "It would be rude of me to trouble Your Grace with such a petty matter."


    Seeing how hard she''s trying to prevent me from finding the dagger in her shoe, I''m almost certain that there is more to her than what meets the eyes.


    "If you say so," I respond before walking back to the dormitory.


    Aruru, Tiamat and Gabriel should arrive soon, so I will go create Ddraig a body for now.

 Chapter 125: Ddraig-chan ; Appearance

    Chapter 125: Ddraig-chan ; Appearance


    As soon as I reach the dorm room, I ''seal'' the door and form an anti-sound barrier before essing my database in this tform.


    Hah~ As I expected, the things I can produce havepletely changed.


    If I focus on the concept of weaponry, I see nothing more swords, spears, and battle-axes. For ranged weaponry there are longbows, crossbows, and such weapons, however, there are no guns  not that I thought there would be any.


    From this, I can determine how technologically ''outdated'' this world is.


    Of course, there is the possibility of other factors being used as a recement for what I would consider the norm.


    Anyway, I ignore that and focus back on the matter at hand.


    Being the benevolent guy I am, I''ve decided to create Ddraig the perfect body instead of looking for one.


    Getting closer to the bed that Louise and I slept onst night, I begin to focus on my Creation while channeling the respective energy into my hands.


    Soon, the image in my head begins to physically take form on the bed in the shape of a small humanoid figure.


    {WARNING: Energy below 30%.}


    After a few seconds, I feel all my strength leave my body as I fall onto my knees and hold to the bed for support.


    Curious about both my energy level and parameters, I invoke,


    "Codification."


    ----------------


    Name: Wales Tudor (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 30%


    Energy Left: 21%


    ------


    Str: 80[32] (11) | Agi: 74[30] (11) | Dex: 71[28] (11)


    Int: 71[28] (11) | Def: 66[26] (11) | Vit: 66[26] (11)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (1/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (5%) | Destruction (2%) | Angelification (??)


    Holy:


    Holy sh II [V] -|- Pdin''s Aura I [V] -|- Paragon''s Eyes I [III] -|- Godspeed III [V] -|- Blink II [III] -|- Light Maniption IV [VI] -|- Healing Factor II [III] -|- Transmutation -|- Divine Retribution I [V] -|- irvoyance (Passive) II [III] -|- Illusion II [III] -|- Rework I [III] -|- Eye of Judgment I [IV] (NEW) -|- Analyze I [III] (NEW) -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    --- Unassigned ---


    --


    Power of Destruction (Lesser - 0%)


    Immortality


    Boosted Gear (N/A):-


    Dragon Roar (0%) -|- Scale Mail (0%) -|- Draconic Form (0%)


    ----------------


    Gandalfr (NEW):-


    Mastery (0%) -|- Last Stand (0%) -|- Enhancement (0%)


    ----------------


    Current tform: Sorcerers'' Lair


    ----------------


    Huh Beside my parameters are other numbers. They''re most likely my parameters in this tform.


    Speaking of this tform, its name is Sorcerers'' Lair.


    Apparently, this one isn''t a project. I was beginning to think that all the tforms were projects or something...


    Analyze and Eye of Judgment are now both properly listed along with the rest of my Holy Effects.


    Other than that, the only other changes that I can notice is the new section that has been added: Gandalfr, and the sign beside the Boosted Gear.


    Regarding Gandalfr, it seems to have three fairly interesting sub-powers that I need to practice.


    The first one, Mastery, seems to be something simr to Insight. Perhaps, this one is a better version of it?


    After that is Last Stand, which sounds rather ominous.


    And, finally, Enhancement. This seems to have a simr function with the Boosted Gear''s boost.


    Now that I am seemingly no longer able to use the Boosted Gear in this tform, something like this could be very useful.


    Leaving all that aside, my energy is extremely low.


    Did I get a little too invested in creating the body than I should''ve?


    Whatever. I''m creating a body, not something to use for a few minutes, and discard once I''ve had enough fun with it.


    Speaking of which, I might''ve gone a little overboard with the body


    Observing the soulless body lying on the bed, I feel a shiver run down my spine.


    The body is that of a little girl that seems to be eleven years old. It has bright red hair and emerald green eyes.


    It looks so delicate.


    Mhm, I''m sure Ddraig will love this body.


    Irene, have Ddraig''s soul transferred over.


    {Is Father sure about this? Once it has been transferred over, it can''t be undone for approximately two months.}


    Just do it.


    {Affirmative.}


    {Initializing: Soul Binding.}


    How long will this process take?


    {Nearly five minutes.}


    I see. How much time has left for the arrival of Tiamat, Gabriel, and Aruru?


    {ETA: Twenty minutes.}


    --


    {Transferplete.}


    About damn time.


    I watch over Ddraig as she slowly opens her eyes and looks around with a baffled expression on her face.


    "What," she murmurs before her expression takes a turn for the worst.


    "Good morning, Ddraig," I say while beaming her a smile, "Though, it''s already afternoon."


    Ddraig turns to face me for a few seconds before moving her hand and touching her body while murmuring,


    "He didn''t"


    A few momentster, Ddraig''s confused and perplexed expression changes to that of absolute rage as she yells,


    "I will kill you!"


    She directly dashes at me after that and proceeds to punch me using her small fists.


    The way she is right now, Ddraig won''t be able to hurt me, so I justugh at her antics and ce my palm on her head before ruffling her soft hair.


    As if sensing extreme danger, Ddraig takes several steps back before ring at me and asking in a soft voice fitting her appearance,


    "Why? Did I not tell you to not ce me in a body?!"


    I remain calm and slowly exin to her what transpired for me to resort to transferring her soul into a body.


    "So, you''re telling me that you could''ve created me a male body?"


    In response to her inquiry, I cough once before saying,


    "I''m not familiar with male bodies, so I can''t create one."


    "What about your body?" Ddraig inquires while squinting her eyes.


    "There is no way I''m going to base someone''s appearance off of myself," I rebuke.


    "You could''ve just changed the face!" Ddraig responds.


    "That still doesn''t change the fact that the body is based on mine," I retort.


    Having had enough of this, Ddraig ces her palm against her face and says,


    "If you try to do anything weird to me, I will-"


    Before she can finish what she wants to say, I swiftly push her down on the bed and look into her eyes before saying with a grin on my face,


    "You will what?"


    Ddraig attempts to escape, but her attempts are futile.


    "Let go of me, you demented god!" Ddraig yells.


    Rolling my eyes, I let her go after saying, "Fine."


    Ddraig raises her body and sits on the bed with an oundish look in her eyes for a few minutes before she murmurs,


    "How long?"


    Understanding what she''s asking, I say,


    "About two months."


    As if giving up on life itself, Ddraig lets her body fall onto the bed and shuts her eyes.


    "If this is a nightmare, it''s about time that I''ve woken up," she says to no one in particr.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I move closer to her and run my hand through her hair before saying,


    "Don''t worry. I will take good care of you until you recover."


    Ddraig instantly ps my hand in a vain attempt to push it away before saying with a frightened look on her face,


    "I''d much rather go through this alone than do it with your help."


    How terrible. I was just being nice...


    Now then, the rest should arrive soon.


    --


    After waiting for a few more minutes, I feel an abrupt change in my senses and emotions as several figures appear in my mind.


    Knowing that this is them arriving, I get on my feet and patiently wait for them to appear.


    Several secondster, a lot of energy escapes from within me and begins forming three bodies.


    Soon, the bodies begin to clear up and ''reveal'' the three I''ve been expecting.


    "Father!" Aruru jumps into my embrace right after noticing me.


    I hold her body within my arms and look at the other two.


    "Wee to this world," I say.


    "Forget that," Tiamat directly says, "How many girls have you picked up, so far?"


    "None," I reply.


    "Are you-", before Tiamat can finish what she wants to say, the dorm room opens as Louise enters while saying,


    "Victor, listen to this. Mr. Colbert said tha-"


    Louise freezes in ce upon setting her eyes on everyone in the room. Then, she slowly turns her head to face me with widened-eyes.


    Perhaps, I should not have done this here

 Chapter 126: Plan ; Battle Act

    Chapter 126: n ; Battle Act


    Louise seems like she wants to say something, but before she can do so, I use Hypnotism to make her lose consciousness.


    Then, I telekically lift her body and ce it on the bed.


    "Why am I not surprised?" Tiamat suddenly says.


    "Forget that," I say in a serious tone, "How do you feel?"


    "Weakened," Tiamat directly replies while Gabriel nods along with her response.


    "How much, exactly?" I inquire, having already expected such an answer.


    "I''m not sure," Tiamat replies, "It feels weird"


    Weird? Does she mean that she''s not used to being in a weakened state, or is it something else?


    "Father, what do you n to do?" Gabriel questions.


    "Right," I say before exining my ns so far and the identity I''ve taken over at the moment.


    Once I''m done, Tiamat says while pointing at Ddraig,


    "So, are you going to introduce that little girl to us anytime soon?"


    Clearly offended, Ddraig jumps up from the bed and says with a raged expression,


    "Don''t call me that! I''m one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, the Red Dragon Emperor!"


    Finding her words surprising, Tiamat and Gabriel both curiously look my way.


    Letting out a sigh, I begin exining the matter with Ddraig and how I had to resort to creating her the current body she is in.


    Right after I was done, Tiamat bursts into a fit ofughter as she says,


    "The Welsh Dragon is now nothing more than a little girl. Good job, master!"


    Ddraig seems like she wants to skin Tiamat alive, but isn''t able to do much about it.


    Nevertheless, it sure is refreshing to see Tiamatugh like this. Usually, she stays calm no matter what, so this is a rare urrence.


    Well, this matter is rather abnormal, so I can understand why she lost herposure.


    "Anyway," I say, once Tiamat has stoppedughing, "Now I need to find a way to introduce you without arising too much suspicion."


    This part is rather troublesome, as no matter what, there will be a lot of suspicions if three girls just appeared out of nowhere.


    I can have Tiamat reside within my Code, but that still leaves Gabriel and Aruru.


    "Father," Gabriel''s voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts.


    Shifting my focus to Gabriel, I wait for her to say what she has in mind.


    "Couldn''t we simply attack this academy and have Father stop us?"


    This idea is a good one. Not only will it help me determine the strength of the academy, but it will also give me the opportunity to make them ''owe'' me.


    As for Ddraig


    ---


    Checking the state of the academy using irvoyance, I can tell that no one is in an rmed state.


    It seems like there isn''t any magic barrier around the academy to sense intruders.


    Well, it''s either that, or it simply doesn''t detect it when someone leaves the academy.


    Currently, all the students, apart from two, are outside the main building, talking in groups and doing odd things.


    As for the two that aren''t outside, one is Louise who''s still unconscious and the other is Guiche who''s in his room recovering.


    Of course, I check on the professors, Osmond and Longueville as well.


    Seeing the calm state of the academy, I sense that it''s the perfect time to go through with what we have in mind.


    "Let''s start," I mutter.


    [Affirmative.]


    Having gotten Gabriel''s confirmation, I get up from my seat and n to leave the building.


    However, Louise suddenly opens her eyes and jumps up from the bed before anxiously looking around.


    Upon setting her eyes on me, Louise immediately says,


    "Who were those girls just now?"


    Acting confused, I say,


    "What are you talking about?"


    Shaking her head vigorously, Louise says a little forcefully,


    "Don''t try to trick me! Who were those girls?!"


    While showing a concerned expression on my face, I say,


    "Louise, is something wrong with you today? Earlier, you entered the room before suddenly fainting."


    Louise seems like she wants to say something, but I continue,


    "I had to carry your body over to the bed and make sure that you weren''t injured."


    Right after I say that a deep blush appears on Louise''s face as she mutters to herself,


    "Ca-ca-carry Body ch-check"


    Suddenly she looks at me and exims,


    "Idiot! Pervert!"


    Then, not giving me the chance to respond to her words, she lies down on the bed and covers herself with the nket.


    Amused by her response, I slowly walk over and ce my hand on her body that''s covered by the nker before saying,


    "Your body is so soft and warm that it makes me want to hold you close to myself when going to sleep."


    Hearing my words, Louise flinches under the nket before pulling it closer to herself and clenching it.


    However, I surprise her by suddenly removing the nket and looking into her eyes.


    Before Louise can say anything, I use Indoctrination on her before pulling out one of the needles in my ring and saying,


    "If I ever insert this needle into your neck, you will act like you''ve gone mad and attack everything with your magic."


    Louise''s unclear eyes suddenly clear up, indicating that the notion has been sessfully nted in her mind.


    Now that this matter is set, I need to act my part.


    I leave the dorm room and make my way to where the noble students are.


    Halfway there, I hear a sudden scream before a loud crashing noise soon follows.


    Looks like it already has started


    Changing my walking pace to that of a jog, I arrive at the ce in no time.


    Upon arriving, I am stunned by the sight of several students attempting to take down Gabriel who''s standing on top of the wall surrounding the academy.


    However, before they can chant, Aruru suddenly appears and jumps down from the wall, earning horrified looks from the students, as it''s quite the sight when a little girl falls from a wall.


    Be it their fortune or misfortune, but this little girl is no ordinary girl.


    Upon making contact with the ground, Aruru redirects her body to the wall and lungs at one of the students.


    Before the student can react, she gets punched in the gut with enough force to be sent flying for a few meters.


    The other students immediately realize the danger Aruru poses on them, so they turn their wands in her direction and begin chanting.


    A secondter, three magic attacks are thrown at Aruru.


    One of them is a fireball, while another one is a water sh.


    As for thest one, it''s a sudden earth spike extending from behind Aruru.


    Finding her current situation fun, Aruru easily breaks the earth spike by kicking it and dispersing the fireball by punching it before easily dodging the water sh.


    The next moment, a few light spears about the length of an arm appear in the sky.


    Gabriel swings her arm in front of her before all the light spears areunched in the direction of several students.


    None of the spears directly strike any of the students, however, two of them manage to graze two students.


    The reason for this weak disy isn''t because that''s how weak they are right now, but because I simply instructed them to do so.


    Anyway, it''s about time Osmond or any of the professors made an appearance


    Fortunately, they seem to have finally realized themotion as Jean and a brown-haired woman in pink and ck attire appear in the scene.


    Sensing their arrival, Gabriel and Aruru immediately switch their attention to them.


    The woman raises her arm with a wand in her hand and begins to chant something before a wall made of earth surrounds Aruru.


    Naturally, something like this is just a mild obstacle for Aruru as she easily jumps out and dashes at the woman with a smile on her face.


    However, a wall made of mes appears in front of her path as Jean says,


    "Ms. Chevreuse, go alert the headmaster. I will try to hold them off."


    After hesitating for a moment, Chevreuse nods her head and runs back into the building.


    I lean against the door frame beside me and watch the show unfold before me with a smile on my face.


    "Victor!" someone a voice suddenly resounds behind me.


    Turning around, I see Kirche and Tabitha both standing behind me.


    "What''s going on? Who are those girls?" I say while putting on a befuddled expression.


    "We don''t know," Kirche says, "They suddenly appeared and began attacking everyone."


    Nodding my head, I say,


    "Perhaps, I should go and provide some support."


    Upon hearing my statement, Kirche exims,


    "With all due respect, Prince Wales, if the teachers are unable to deal with them, your chances of doing so are low!"


    Ignoring her, I walk into the field with a serene expression.


    I''m not nning to act just yet, as I want to see what Osmond will do about this.


    Checking his office out, I find Chevreuse looking around anxiously in the now-empty office.


    From the looks of it, Osmond isn''t present, which thwarts one part of the n.


    Still, when did he leave? I checked on him a short while ago, yet he has now suddenly disappeared.


    Well, time is important, so I have to y my part now.


    "Mr. Jean!" I exim while running over to his side.


    "Sir Wales? Please return to the building, it''s not safe here!"


    "Forget that," I say "I can''t just sit around and do nothing when the academy is being attacked like this."


    "Sir Wales-" Jean wants to say something, but as if realizing something, his expression turns serene as he says, "I understand."


    "Do you have any n?" I question while looking at Gabriel who has formed more light spears.


    "I was supposed to hold them back until the headmaster appeared, but it''s taking him longer than I expected."


    Then, he looks down at the several fresh wounds on his body before facing me and saying,


    "What do we do?"


    After showing an expression of deliberation, I say,


    "I want to try something out. You support me."


    Jean nods his head in confirmation and turns his attention back to Gabriel and Aruru.


    Now then, let''s do this.


    Before the eyes of the students who are a safe distance away from the battlefield, I dash in Aruru''s direction.


    In response to my actions, Aruru also dashes at me.


    Once the two of us are close enough, we both send a punch at each other, which ''coincidentally'' meet and cause a small shock-wave.


    The next moment, I ce my palm against Aruru''s chest and lightly push her.


    However, this action of mine appears as if I attack her, as sheunches into the distance before making on the ground and losing her consciousness.


    Now, I need to ''deal with'' Gabriel.


    Suddenly, mes appear on my head blocking her from my sight and vice versa as Jean shouts,


    "Sneak attack her!"


    This guy He seems to have actual battle experience? I need to investigate this matterter.


    Anyway, I do as he instructed and leap into the sky before flying over to where Gabriel is.


    Soon, I am close enough to ''punch'' her down the fall.


    As the mes are gone, everyone can clearly see that the ''intruders'' have both been taken down, so they all begin cheering and shouting.


    Jumping off from the wall, I slowly walk over to Gabriel''s ''unconscious'' body with a lost expression on my face.


    Jean soon reaches where I am and sees the look on my face.


    "Is everything okay?", he inquires.


    "Yeah. It''s just that these girls were acting weirdly"


    "Has Sir Wales noticed something?"


    "Look," I say while pointing at Gabriel''s neck.


    Looking over to where I''m pointing, Jean takes a moment to notice a thin needle fixed into her neck.


    "There is a needle in her neck," Jean says in a baffled manner.


    "Victor!", Louise''s voice suddenly resounds behind me.


    Jean and I both turn to see her running over with Kirche and Tabitha slowly walking behind her.


    "Ah, Louise," I say once she''s close enough.


    "What are you doing?" She asks before looking at Gabriel who''s lying on the ground.


    The next moment, her eyes widen as she turns to face with a slightly confused expression on her face.


    "Right, Louise, you mind helping me with something?" I ask her.


    "Hm?"


    I crouch down beside Gabriel and pull the needle out of her neck.


    "Sir Wales?" Jean voices, most likely having realized what I''m nning to do.


    "There is no other way to test this," I say.


    "What are you going to do?" Louise asks as both Kirche and Tabitha reach where we are.


    "This," I say before swiftly, yet gently, insert the needle into her neck.


    "Sir Wales!" Jean exims.


    The next moment, Louise pulls out her wand and begins chanting while pointing the tip at me.


    As soon as I feel like she has reached the end of her chant, I move out of the way just in time before a small burst of energy leaves the wand and hits the ground a few meters away.


    Right after that, the spot the energy struck begins to contort before abruptly exploding.


    Using telekinesis, I change the trajectory of any soiling our way before pulling the needle out of Louise''s neck.


    Louise seems to regain rity as she looks around, confused before asking,


    "What happened?"


    Turning my head to face Jean, I say,


    "We need to talk to the headmaster regarding this."

 Chapter 127: Popular ; Angelic Maids

    Chapter 127: Popr ; Angelic Maids


    "Here," I say while reaching my arm out to Jean with two needles on my palm, "I believe that investigating these could be beneficial."


    Carefully taking the needles from my hand, Jean looks into my eyes before nodding once and saying,


    "What do we do with the victims?"


    Looking at the ''victims'' that he is speaking of, I say,


    "I''ll look after them and see if I can get any useful information."


    Finding my idea usible, Jean nods his head before returning to the building.


    The next moment, everyone who has been hiding rushes out to where I am while cheering.


    "Prince Wales, marry me!" a blonde girl screams amid the cheering.


    "Montmorency! What about me?" Guiche, who seems to be back to be fine now, yells exasperatedly.


    "I knew it would end up like this sooner orter" Kirche mutters while looking at the crazed crowd.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I straighten my posture before loudly saying,


    "This matter turned out to be moreplicated than what we assumed. These two intruders are most likely nothing more than victims of dark and horrendous magic that made them do all this."


    Hearing my words, the crowd quietens down as the students begin whispering to each other their beliefs regarding this matter.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "We will make sure to handle this matter well, by bringing justice to those behind this vile act of maniption and returning these most likely innocent girls to where they came from."


    This seems to rile the crowd up even more than before as they begin singing high praises to me and the professors.


    Seriously, I can just borrow cheesy lines from TV shows that I''ve seen in my past life and it will be seen as something grand here.


    Anyway, it''s about time that I headed back to the dorm room.


    Raising my right arm, I proceed to telekically lift Aruru and Gabriel before walking toward the main academy building.


    The crowd of students respectfully make way for me while discussing my proficiency in ''wind magic'' among themselves.


    ---


    Once I''ve arrived back in the dorm room, I let Gabriel and Aruru down before saying,


    "Good work."


    Happy to be praised, Aruru giggles before trotting over to me.


    She is just so precious...


    I lift her from the ground and give her a light peck on her cheek.


    [[Aren''t you quite the lucky one, master?]]


    "The fact that you are now calling me the proper way indicates that I indeed am a lucky individual."


    [[What''s that supposed to mean?]]


    "I''m d that you''re my familiar, is what I''m trying to say."


    [[Is that so?]]


    "Of course."


    My short chat with Tiamat being over, I turn to look at Ddraig who is lifelessly lying on the bed.


    I might be wronging Ddraig in some way, but I don''t regret my actions in the least.


    Anyway, now I need to find a proper excuse for having Gabriel and Aruru close-by. The only idea that crosses my mind is


    "Say, Gabriel. Do you mind dressing up as a maid for me?"


    The moment she hears my words, Gabriel raises her brows before smiling and saying,


    "If it''s for Father, I can do anything."


    "Me too!" Aruru who has been happily snuggling within my arms suddenly exims excitedly.


    I smile at their enthusiasm before essing my database and searching for maid outfits.


    I''m not surprised to find several skimpy ones with high skin exposure.


    Soon, I find one that will fit Gabriel perfectly. Having created Gabriel ''myself'', I know her body quite well.


    However, Aruru is a different case, as, for some reason, I am unable to remember her despite her being a Fallen Angel.


    So, I have no other choice than to examine her body physically.


    Fortunately, while I am feeling her body up, Aruru seems to be enjoying it quite a lot as she continuously giggles.


    [[Master, do you mind telling me what are you doing?]]


    Hearing her question and the casual way she asked, I respond,


    "Taking her measurements to produce her a dress."


    [[Taking her measurements, huh?]]


    Yeah. What else could I be doing?


    Anyway, once I''ve measured every nook and cranny of Aruru''s body, I begin to form the image of a fitting maid outfit.


    Several secondster, two maid outfits take shape in front of me.


    {WARNING: Energy Below 15%}


    As I begin wondering how would it affect me, my head starts getting dizzy as I feel an overwhelming pain in my chest.


    What''s going on? I don''t recall something like this happening thest time I overused my Code, which was when I created the storage ring.


    That was quite the ordeal, as it sapped up 85% of my energy in one go.


    Still, despite falling to 15%, I didn''t feel anything remotely close to this. Irene, do you know why is this the case?


    {Negative. Hypothesis: Father is more affected by being low on energy in tforms.}


    Right! Back in Project Charlotte, my energy level was much more noticeable whenpared to the Rift.


    Now, I need to find out if the Rift is dulling my senses or ''supporting'' me somehow.


    Leaving that aside, I focus back on reality and see that Aruru is gazing at the small maid outfit on the bed with stars in her eyes.


    "Ddraig, you continue to sleep here, while I go get them changed," I say before cing the maid outfits in my ring and muttering,


    "Arena."


    The next moment, I find myself in the city of Dubai once again. As I remember my experience from thest time I was here quite vividly, I use my senses to run a quick scan for any presences.


    Surprisingly, I discover nothing out of the norm.


    So, I decided to set that matter to the side and focus on what''s important.


    While holding Aruru with one arm, I walk closer to Gabriel and hold her waist with my other arm.


    Then, I fly into the luxurious hotel nearby and use permeation to pass through the walls.


    Once we''re in a nice room, I set the two girls down and pull the dresses out before suggesting,


    "Would you like me to help you put them on?"


    Agreeing to the suggestion, they both begin undressing until they''re in nothing other than their undergarments.


    I take this as a chance to observe their bodies.


    The first to catch my attention is Gabriel and her exquisite-looking body. Her skin looks extremely smooth and seems to be whiter than jade.


    Her breasts are rather big and firm. What catches my attention the most are her thighs and butt. Truly, a masterpiece.


    Moving onto Aruru, her body is practically that of a doll''s. She doesn''t wear a bra, as she doesn''t need one, so I can see two small pink cherries on her non-existent breasts.


    What''s adorable is the underwear she''s wearing, bearing the figure of a cross with "Thy Kingdom Come" written on it.


    Anyway, I begin to help them put their outfits on, beginning with Aruru as she seems like she will burst with excitement if I dy it any further.


    Once I''ve helped her put the maid outfit on, I proceed to create ck stockings along with a pair of ck shoes despite the growing pain in my head.


    As a final touch, I create a white maid headband for her as well as a pair of small white gloves.


    Aruru seems to like her outfit a lot as she examines it several times over while twirling around in the room.


    Deciding that it''s better to not leave Gabriel hanging, I move close to her and look into her eyes.


    "Your beauty always mesmerizes me," I say yfully.


    "Oh, Father," she says with a light blush on her face.


    Telekically moving her outfit to myself, I ce my hand on her waist and say,


    "I''m looking forward to seeing you in this outfit. I bet it would look stunning when coupled with your beauty."


    Giggling lightly, Gabriel turns around to make it easier for me to help her put it on.


    Crouching down, my face is at the level of her butt, giving me a clear view of her thick thighs and simple underwear.


    Curiosity taking over me, I reach my right arm out and give her butt a light squeeze, which earns me a light yelp from Gabriel.


    "Gee! Father, stop teasing me," Gabriel says in a slightly pouting manner.


    "I''m not. It''s just that I wanted to see if your body is as healthy as ever," I state before beginning with the actual process of helping her get dressed.


    While I''m putting it on for her, I take the opportunity to grope her breasts which are both firm and soft to the touch.


    "Is my body to your liking, Father?" Gabriel says after a while.


    "You bet it is," I directly reply.


    Hearing my words, Gabriel giggles a little before saying,


    "Father has changed so much."


    This is the second time that someone has said this to me, however, this time it''s my daughter that is most likely speaking of quite a while ago.


    "How?" I ask, as curious as thest time I was told this.


    "Back then, Father would only show care when humans were mentioned. It was almost like Father wanted to be one," she exins.


    Almost wanted to be one? I did be one. However, it wasn''t because I was fond of them or something ording to what I''ve discovered so far, but because I simply wanted to increase my powers efficiently by making use of the ''negative'' parts of humanity.


    Now that these thoughts no longer swarm my mind, I am able to give Gabriel the care and affection she deserves.


    After a few seconds, I''ve helped her put on the maid and tied the white ribbon attached to it in a cute way that''s befitting her overall cute appearance.


    Like Aruru, I create her ck stockings, a white maid headband, a pair of white gloves, and a pair of ck shoes.


    Then, I help her put those on while making sure to feel her soft legs and hands plentifully. Once I''m done with everything, I hug Gabriel from behind and whisper into her ear,


    "Let''s enjoy our time together from now on, alright?"


    In response to my actions, Gabriel leans her head on my shoulder and says,


    "I will be more than happy to do so."


    With the way we are positioned, I can feel her heartbeats and hear her rhythmic breaths.


    My eyes subconsciously shift to her thin lips as I feel the distance between us gradually get closer.


    Just as I am about to lose myself, Aruru''s voice reaches my ears,


    "Father, is there a bigger mirror? I can''t see everything in that one."


    Looking over to where she''s pointing, I see a mirror station on a desk designed for usage when putting on makeup.


    I create a mirror big enough to show her whole body through and try my best to ignore the growing painful sensation in my head and chest.


    As Aruru begins to examine her whole self in the mirror, I take this chance to do what my feelings tell me to by pressing lips against Gabriel''s.


    Almost as if she has been waiting for this, Gabriel directly melts into my arms as I gently knead her breast.


    This goes on for a few seconds before I stop and shift my head to look Gabriel in the eyes.


    Upon doing so, I see that Gabriel has a red hue covering her cheeks as a pleasant smile is apparent on her face.


    "I''ve been waiting for so long" Gabriel mutters.


    Moving my hand to gently stroke her cheek, I whisper,


    "With patiencee great rewards. Isn''t that right?"


    Gabriel responds to my action and words by cing her hand on mine and saying,


    "Father is always right."


    I go in for one more kiss, however, this time it''s a much more passionate one with us two tightly embracing each other and enjoying the euphoric feeling.


    After a while, we stop and turn to look at Aruru who is still gleefully examining herself in the mirror that I had created.


    Gabriel and I bothugh at her adorable antics, which seems to attract Aruru''s attention as she looks at us with a slightly confused expression on her face.


    "We should head back now," I say with a smile on my face.


    "Yes, Father!" Aruru exims before running over and hugging my leg.


    "Ah, no!" she all of a sudden says before stepping back, bowing slightly and saying, "Yes, Master."


    cing my hand on top of her head, I proceed to rub her hair for a few seconds before exiting the Arena.

 Chapter 128: Rebellion ; Suspicions

    Chapter 128: Rebellion ; Suspicions


    Upon returning to the dorm room, the sight of Louise and Ddraig both sitting on the bed waiting for us meets my eyes.


    "Louise? Is something up?" I inquire.


    In response to my inquiry, Louise says,


    "Mr. Colbert said that the headmaster is ready to see you."


    He''s back, huh?


    "Where is Jea-, I mean, Mr. Colbert?"


    "Down the corridor," she replies.


    Nodding my head as confirmation, I gesture to Gabriel and Aruru to stay here before walking out of the dorm room.


    Shortly, I meet up with Jean.


    "Ah, Sir Wales! Did you have a good rest?" he asks once I''m close enough to hear him.


    "It didn''tst for nearly as long as I would''ve preferred," I casually reply.


    "As unfortunate as it may be, we need to discuss this matter with the headmaster as soon as possible."


    "I know, which is why I am here. Let''s get going."


    As such, the two of us both make our way to the headmaster''s office.


    Upon reaching the door, Jean and I nce at each other before Jean steps forward and knocks on the door.


    "Enter,"es Osmond''s voice from within the room.


    Jean opens the door and steps aside for me to head inside first, as it''s the proper etiquette in this age.


    As soon as I enter the room, I notice that there are three individuals present.


    There is Osmond, along with his secretary, Longueville. Besides them, there is also Chevreuse.


    "Good evening," I say before taking a seat on one of the two sofas in the room.


    "Good evening," Osmond responds before saying, "I''m sorry that I wasn''t here when the incident took ce."


    Shaking my head slowly, I say calmly,


    "It''s fine. We were able to deal with the issue without much trouble."


    Osmond nods his head once before stroking his beard and asking,


    "How are the girls who were the victims of this vile act doing?"


    "They''re recuperating from some mental fatigue which seems to be a side effect of the magic that was used on them."


    "Were you able to find anything of importance from them?"


    "Unfortunately, their memories are unclear to the point that they''re unable to remember anything apart from their own names."


    "I see."


    All of a sudden, Chevreuse who has been silent for this whole time speaks up,


    "Manipted or not, these girls attacked the academy and not only damaged the building but also harmed the students."


    Showing no reaction at all, I ask nonchntly,


    "What''s your point?"


    She turns her eyes to look at me directly before saying,


    "We should banish them from the academy."


    Shaking my head with eyes closed, I say,


    "I''m afraid that''s not going to happen."


    Before she can say anything, I exin,


    "Those two girls are going to be working as my personal servants from now on. Anyone who attempts to do anything to them will face my wrath."


    Sensing the cold aura I''ve been subconsciously releasing, Chevreuse flinches a little before saying,


    "Even so, yo-"


    Before she can finish what she wants to say, Osmond intervenes by voicing,


    "Miss Chevreuse."


    Stumped that even the headmaster is seemingly against her suggestion, Chevreuse looks at him before saying in a slightly unrestrained manner,


    "Old Osmond, you can''t take his side just because he is the prince of another kingdom!"


    Letting out a sigh, Osmond says,


    "I left the kingdom for a short while, and you wouldn''t believe what I saw and heard."


    With our curiosity peaked, all of us wait for him to continue with what he has to say.


    "The disappearance of The Crown Prince of Albion has be a widespread rumor and is causing a lot of trouble.


    "A while ago, a rebellion took ce in Albion. During the said rebellion, the king was killed along with all the other royalists - apart from one."


    While uttering thest part, Osmond nces at me before continuing,


    "This matter has been affecting the diplomatic rtionships between the kingdoms a lot more than one would expect.


    "The rebels are nning to finish Prince Wales off before forming an alliance with Gallia for reasons yet to be known."


    "Soon, after Tristain got news of this matter, it decided to ally itself with Albion''s Royal Family."


    Here, Osmond stops and looks at me.


    "So, you''re saying that Tristain will be backing me up if I were to go lead an assault against the rebellion?"


    Osmond doesn''t say anything in response, which I take as him taking a precaution in case things go wrong.


    Anyway, why is there a rebellion going on in Albion? From the looks of it, there is more to what Osmond is letting on. Something about Gallia wishing to join hands with the rebels feels suspicious.


    Now, I can''t do much apart from making contact with Tristain and investigate their intentions.


    I could also find someone that has information regarding the rebels and extract it for them, which should be a simple thing as long as I know where to look.


    All I have to do is take individuals that I have any amount of suspicion into consideration.


    For now, there are three such individuals. Osmond, Longueville, and Jean.


    If I take Chevreuse''s earlier actions as nothing more than her pride, the aforementioned three could be the only ones with suspicious ties.


    Firstly, there is Osmond who can ''disappear'', suggesting that he either has a speedy transportation method or teleportation magic.


    Whichever it is, they''re both worth looking into.


    That''s not all, as there must be a reason behind him telling all of us about what he had seen and heard outside the kingdom.


    Is it to probe my intentions? Or was it to see if I''m affected by the news of ''my'' homnd being taken over?


    It doesn''t matter which one it was, as I was keeping on a neutral expression during the whole process.


    Leaving Osmond aside, there is Longueville. The dagger in her shoe and her time spent around Osmond is all worth of suspicion.


    Lastly, there is Jean. Why am I suspecting the seemingly nice teacher? Well, during today''s battle act, he gave away a little about himself.


    He''s a good decision-maker, tactician, and seemingly apathetic individual.


    During the battle, I was keeping a close eye on the reactions of those present as that was the whole point.


    Throughout the short time I was battling and ''severely injuring'' Gabriel and Aruru, he didn''t grimace or flinch even once, and was always prepared for a sudden turn in the tides of the battle.


    Those actions of his suggest that he''s used to such things.


    It''s either that or he is just a psychopath, which I highly doubt it''s thetter.


    And so, I''ve decided to wait. Wait for them to reveal themselves and then strike them down during any given opportunity.


    If I were to find the Core of this tform, I first need to establish arge enough search force. To do that, I need stable grounds to stand on, so everyone suspicious in some way needs to be dealt with.


    "Let''s leave all this to the side for now," I say coolly, "It''s no use for me to do anything at the moment. I don''t remember who I am and who those close to me were."


    Osmond seems to agree with my choice as he closes his eyes and nods his head slowly.


    "Well then," I get up from my seat and say, "Today has a taken its toll on my body, so I would like to take my time to rest."


    "Ah! Sir Wales, before you go," Jean says a little hastily, "There won''t be normal sses tomorrow as Tristain''s princess will being over to look over the Annual Familiar Showoff."


    "Thank you for informing me about that," I say before leaving the room.


    I have the gist of what that is, but I need to ask Louise about it.


    Actually, I better ask someone else, as I feel like Louise will be hurt if I do ask her about it for not having a familiar.


    Tabitha is an option, but I suppose she''s not very sociable.


    Ah, no other choice then. I will ask Kirche about this.


    Of course, I will do that after resting properly, as I feel like my body will break down any moment now

 Chapter 129: Kirche *Slightly NSFW* ; Robed Visitor

    Chapter 129: Kirche *Slightly NSFW* ; Robed Visitor


    After returning to the dorm room, I immediately lie down on the bed and put everything on my mind to the side.


    "Even you get tired, huh?" Ddraig who is right beside me says.


    "Are you nning to continue lying down like this forever?" I question.


    "What else do you expect me to do?" Ddraig simply rebukes.


    "Fath- no! Master, would you like a massage?" Aruru says while climbing onto the bed.


    "Go ahead," I say.


    The next moment, I feel some weight on my back as Aruru begins to massage my shoulders while sitting on me.


    Unlike how she appears, Aruru is rather strong, so her small hands on my back feel just right.


    Suddenly, I feel my left arm being squeezed by hands which are definitely not Aruru''s.


    "Gabriel?" I voice.


    "It''s my job to serve you, right?" she says while continuing to press onto my arm.


    "You''re the worst." I hear Louise mutter a short distance away from us.


    Ignoring her, I enjoy the massage as I gradually doze off


    ---


    I open my eyes and gaze at the strange ceiling on top of me.


    Checking my energy, I see that it''s at 79% now. How much time has passed?


    There is no way to know. I think I should keep a tab on the time I spend here.


    Grabbing my phone, I see the screen disying - 10 AM, but I''m sure that it''s wrong. Mainly because I have not adjusted my phone''s clock to this world''s time.


    Hold on I can''t use this phone here for any longer, as it will just run out of energy with no means of recharging being avable.


    Forget it. It''s not that hard to take note of how much time I''ve spent here anyway.


    Now then, isn''t this nostalgic?


    Currently, I''m surrounded by girls. As surprising as it may be, Ddraig has bad sleeping habits, as she is clinging to my arm right now while drooling.


    On top of my chest, Aruru has curled up like a kitten with a small smile on her face.


    As for the thing that has attracted my attention the most, it''s that my right arm is buried between something soft.


    Taking a look, I find my arm buried between Gabriel''s soft breasts.


    Aruru and Gabriel are still in their maid uniform. Do they not feel ufortable like this?


    Well, whatever. I need to go over to where Kirche is at right now and see what this ''Annual Familiar Showoff'' is about.


    I circte my Holy Essence and utilize Blink to appear in front of the bed and immediately use telekinesis to gently ce Aruru before gravity can disturb her sleep.


    Now then, time to search for the room of a certain busty girl.


    --


    Standing before an overly decorated door, I gently knock twice on the door to alert Kirche who''s currently changing into her nightwear.


    "Who is it?" her voice reaches my ears, but I decide not to reply for two reasons.


    First, curiosity will cause her to get changed faster. Second, who knows what she might attempt to do if she knows that it''s me?


    As expected, Kirche gets dressed quite hastily before she unlocks her door and opens it.


    "Victor?" she voices, clearly bewildered by my appearance.


    "What has brought you here? Perhaps, you got bored with that midget already?" she says while pushing her chest a little forward.


    I roll my eyes and use Permeation to pass through her before taking a seat on her bed and saying,


    "I''vee here for the sole reason of collecting information regarding the Annual Familiar Showoff," I exin.


    "Forget that! What did you just do!?" Kirche exims with a baffled look on her face as she touches her body all over.


    Letting out a sigh, I say,


    "That''s not important. Come, take a seat beside me and begin exining already."


    She shakes her head as if to shake her confusion off before looking at me teasingly and saying,


    "And why should I do that?"


    Not in the mood to deal with any of this, I bluntly reply,


    "You either do that, or I torture it out of you."


    Acting like my words are nothing more than a joke, Kirche says,


    "As if a spineless prince would dare to do that."


    "Are you seriously provoking me despite knowing that I am much stronger than you?"


    Shrugging her shoulders, Kirche says,


    "I bet that it''s against your principles to hurt a woman if it''s not necessary or something."


    This will probably lead nowhere if I let it go on


    "Just get exining already," I sigh while letting out a tired sigh. I''ve had more than enough problems to deal with, in one day. I don''t want to spend any more time awake.


    "You''re no fun," Kirche mutters while pouting.


    "This was a mistake. I should''ve asked Louise after all," I say before getting up from the bed.


    Upon realizing my actions, Kirche nervously raises her arms and says,


    "Okay, okay. I will exin, so don''t leave."


    For some reason, I feel like I''m coaxing a child into doing something


    "I just want a small reward in exchange."


    Oh,e on!


    cing my palm on my forehead, I ask her exasperatedly,


    "What do you want?"


    "A kiss," she directly replies.


    Hearing her response, I feel whatever energy that was left in me drain as I look at her with an impassive expression.


    "What? You get to have my first kiss, so be grateful!"


    "You expect me to believe that?"


    "It''s true! Do you think that I would let the lowlifes here touch me?"


    Huh. Good point.


    "Fine," I say, having nothing to lose from this deal.


    And so, Kirche begins to exin to me what tomorrow''s event is all about.


    Simply put, it''s apetition to see who has the best familiar. The familiar is judged by its intelligence, look, strength, and versatility.


    It''s unfair in a lot of ways, but that''s the way mostpetitions are.


    At the end of thepetition, the princess of Tristain whose name is Henrietta will reward the winning duo.


    That''s great news for me. Making contact with an authoritative figure of Tristain is something that I have been nning to do.


    Anyway, I stay true to my word and give Kirche her ''reward''.


    With her sitting right beside me, I lift her chin, move my head closer and seal her lips.


    Kirche awkwardly attempts to lead me in the kiss, but that doesn''t work out for her as I directly insert my tongue into her mouth.


    ---(Slightly NSFW)---


    Her body flinches in response, indicating that she either genuinely hasn''t kissed anyone before, or she has, but it wasn''t a passionate one.


    Either way, I am going to enjoy it while itsts.


    I directly ce my right hand on her breast, surprising her quite a bit.


    Before she can react, I push her down on the bed and begin roughly kneading her breast.


    After a while, I stop kissing her and look at her flushed face.


    With the way we are right now, if I were to move my leg forward, my knee would make contact with her crotch, which is exactly what I do.


    Unexpectedly, the silk has gotten wet.


    She''s enjoying this more than I thought she would


    I take this chance to shift her clothes and reveal her voluminous breasts.


    Before Kirche can make sense of what''s going on, I lower my head and suck her right nipple while gently pinching the other one.


    In response to my actions, Kirche releases a series of short moans.


    Deciding that it''s about time I headed back to the dorm room, I begin rubbing her crotch using my knee to stimte her even further.


    Soon, I feel a faint change within her body. Knowing that she''s about to orgasm, I move my knee even faster twirl with her nipple.


    The moment shees, I seal her lips with mine as a gush of hot liquid flows out of her lower mouth.


    Satisfied, Kirche''s seems to lose all energy as she closes her eyes and enjoys the final kiss.


    ---(Slight NSFW End)---


    Several minutester, I get off of her, fix my clothes, and prepare to leave.


    "Victor," Kirche says all of a sudden.


    I turn to face her with a questioning gaze.


    "Never mind. It''s nothing," she says before beaming me a smile that stuns me.


    That''s what her genuine smile looks like, huh?


    "See you around," I say before leaving the room and shutting the door behind me.


    As I make my way back to Louise''s dorm room, I think of what just happened.


    It was like something was guiding my actions and thoughts, reminding me of the first time I had sex with Infi.


    It''s not like I feel ufortable, in fact, I feel refreshed, but there is this feeling of uncertainty that just won''t go away.


    Soon, I reach the door leading to Louise''s dorm room.


    Without any hesitation, I open the door and step inside.


    The next moment, a find someone who''s wearing a dark robe hugging Louise.


    That person seems to realize that I''ve entered the room as they slowly turn around.


    Once she has turned around, I see a purple-haired girl with an extremely shocked look on her face.


    "Wales?" the girl murmurs disbelievingly.

 Chapter 130: Henrietta ; Night Before the Competition

    Chapter 130: Henrietta ; Night Before the Competition


    Oh? I''ve never seen this girl before. Is she a visitor? That''s most likely the case if I were to take her reaction upon seeing me into consideration.


    From the looks of it, she has been close with ''Wales Tudor'', or else she wouldn''t react this way.


    The next moment, the girl breaks into a sprint and embraces me, which further supports the notion of her being close to ''me''.


    "Say, Louise," I say, "Mind introducing the youngdy to me?"


    The moment the words leave my mouth, the girl''s body flinches as she moves hastily moves her head to look me in the eyes.


    "Ah, alright," Louise says before stating, "This girl is the Crown Princess of Tristain, Henrietta."


    Tears seem to be welling up in the girl''s eyes as if she can''t believe the fact that I don''t know her.


    Perhaps, ''my'' rtionship with her was much stronger than I suspected?


    "Wales?" she mutters as a single tear rolls down her left cheek.


    I lift my hand to wipe the tear off her face before closing my eyes and shaking my head.


    "I''m sorry. I don''t know who you are, nor do I know who am I."


    In response to my words, Henrietta just peers into my eyes as if waiting for me to tell her this all a joke.


    However, it''s not - and she knows it.


    Once the idea of me not being the Wales she once knew settles in her head, Henrietta slowly lowers her head.


    What follows, is the sobbing of a broken-hearted girl.


    Despite not knowing her, I still feel ufortable if a girl just begins sobbing in front of me, so I ce my hand on her head and slowly rub it.


    After a few moments, Henrietta raises her head, revealing reddened eyes and a sad smile before she says,


    "Even now, after forgetting me, you console me the way you used to."


    Letting out a sigh, I embrace her and say,


    "I''m sure that my memories will return one day, so don''t be so dested."


    Henrietta hums an ''um'' as confirmation before she hugs me back.


    A few minutester, she steps back and says,


    "Greetings. I''m your cousin, Henrietta."


    Cousin, huh? Interesting.


    "Nice to meet you, Henrietta. I go by the name Victor for now."


    The reason I introduced myself in such a manner is to cement the idea of me being a different person than before.


    In this way, a thin line forms between the past and present. If she took too long to realize this, things could get troublesome.


    "Well, let''s set all that to one side," I say, "Why is the princess of a kingdom here?"


    Henrietta suddenly seems like she got enlightened as she says hastily,


    "No, why are YOU here?"


    Whatever, I will just tell her the exact same thing I''ve been telling everyone.


    --


    After a long while of recounting and consoling, I finally get to know the reason Henrietta is here.


    Apparently, when she was younger, Henrietta was close friends with Louise. They were ymates that spent most of their childhood together.


    Henrietta had found out through the headmaster that Louise was unable to summon a proper familiar.


    She asked him about the exact specification of what transpired, but Osmond decided that the matter was tooplicated to be discussed through letters.


    And thus, Henrietta came here early to check on Louise and investigate the aforementioned matter in one go.


    "So, even after you kissed Louise, the mark of a familiar didn''t appear?" Henrietta asks calmly.


    "That''s exactly so," I respond.


    She seems to be a little saddened by my response, which I assume is either her care for Louise''s situation or something else that I mentioned.


    "What''s Louise supposed to do for tomorrow''spetition?" I question.


    "Nothing," Henrietta directly replies, "She has no familiar to participate with, so other than spectating the other participants she doesn''t have much to do."


    I thought as much.


    Looking in Louise''s direction, I see her slightly lowering her head and an aura of sadness envelopes her.


    "Can''t she just summon another familiar?" I ask.


    "I''m not sure about that," she responds, "A mage can summon another familiar if the one they were contracted with has deceased. So, I''m not sure what to think of Louise''s case."


    Is there such a thing in the contract?


    {Affirmative. It''s one of the things that has been left untouched during the ritual.}


    Can''t you modify?


    {Negative. A contract can''t be tampered with once it has been formed.}


    I see how unfortunate.


    "I have to go now," Henrietta all of a sudden says, "It''s going to be problematic if I don''t head back soon."


    "I''m sure it would be," I say, "Being the crown princesses, you should have limited freedom."


    "It''s as you say," Henrietta says despondently.


    The next moment, she shakes her head a little before beaming a smile and saying,


    "I missed you both a lot. Try to visit the castle sometime."


    "Sure," I simply respond, while Louise nods her head with a smile on her face.


    After bidding us farewell, Henrietta uses her robe to cover herself before leaving the room.


    I turn to face Louise who seems to be thinking of something and say,


    "We should go to sleep now."


    Louise looks at me for a few seconds before setting her sight on the bed.


    Gabriel, Aruru, and Ddraig have been asleep the whole time. Well, we didn''t make that much noise for them to wake up.


    Also, there is the possibility of them being fatigued after all that has happened today.


    "Come on," I say before grabbing Louise''s hand and dragging her to the bed.


    I make use of telekinesis to gently move those lying down away a little before climbing onto the bed ourselves.


    Taking this opportunity, I position Louise in a way that she''s exactly within my arms.


    "Let me go," she whispers.


    "Forget it," I respond in a low voice, "We wouldn''t want to wake the others up, so just sleep like this for tonight."


    "B-b-but," I don''t let her finish what she has to say by moving my head and giving her a quick peck on her cheek.


    "Just sleep," I whisper before holding her close to myself.


    As I am practically sticking to her body, I can feel and hear her heart''s beat-rate rising rapidly.


    I then close my eyes and drift off into dreand.

 Chapter 131: Bath ; Summoning

    Chapter 131: Bath ; Summoning


    I open my eyes early morning as a feeling offort washes over my whole body.


    It takes me a moment to realize that my body is sinking in immense softness on all sides.


    Unfortunately, I don''t have the time to bask in this sensation.


    Slowly moving away from Gabriel''s body, I nudge Louise a little to wake her up.


    "Louise, get up," I whisper into her ear.


    Getting up from the bed, I head outside to check on the academy''s state.


    As expected, everyone is excitedly guiding their familiars as they make their way through the hallway to where thepetition will be held.


    Several minutester, the door behind me opens as Louise along with everyone else steps out.


    Scooping the ever so excited Aruru into my arms, I face the others and say,


    "Do you want to take a bath before we leave?"


    Gabriel begins to deliberate while Ddraig directly asks,


    "Is there somece where I can enjoy a solitary bath?"


    Oh? I didn''t expect that Ddraig would be looking forward to bathing.


    "Why don''t you take one with me?" I say while smiling.


    [[Did you just seriously suggest that?]]


    Ignoring Tia''s remark, I gaze at Ddraig who is staring at me with a deadpan expression on his face.


    "Fine," I say, "I was just joking."


    [[I highly doubt that was a joke.]]


    "Now that I think about, I have yet to take a bath with you, Tia-chan."


    [[]]


    Yeah, I really haven''t taken a bath with her yet. It''s a waste, so I should do so sometime.


    [[Please, wash away any thoughts in your mind right now.]]


    "It''s just your imagination," I mutter before shifting my attention back to ''reality''.


    "Gabriel?" I voice.


    "Mhm. I would like to take a bath."


    "That settles it, we''re going to the Arena," I announce.


    Before I am able to perform my next action, Louise waves her arm hastily and says,


    "What about me?"


    I gaze at her for a few seconds before saying,


    "Don''t they have a special bath for nobles here?"


    Louise immediately pouts and says,


    "I want to go to where you''re all going!"


    Deciding that there is no point in not bringing her along, I mutter,


    "Arena."


    The next moment, all of us find ourselves in the ''modern'' city of Dubai.


    "Woah." Louise says while looking around with stars shining in her eyes.


    She''s acting like a kid. Well, I suppose that something like this is a big thing for someone from the era Louise is from.


    Anyway, before anything else, I check for those strange presences from before. After a while of sensing nothing, I conclude that the bay is clear.


    I proceed to look over at Ddraig and say,


    "We will head over to a luxurious hotel now. You can choose any room there and take a bath."


    Ddraig nods her head once before going back to looking around the ce.


    "As for us," I say while turning to face the others, "We will enter the bath in the presidential suite."


    "Presidenshial sweet?" Louise mutters.


    "You''ll see when we get there," I say.


    --


    After a while, we finally arrive in the presidential suite section of the hotel.


    As I''m not able to carelessly use my abilities anymore due to the limitations set on them, we resorted to walking and making use of the elevator.


    What''s strange about this ''world'' is that despite there being no humans, all electronic functions don''t cease functioning.


    Where does electric powere from, and how is it being maintained?


    Such questions swirl around in my mind as we make our way to the bath.


    As if suddenly realizing something, Louise turns to face me and asks,


    "What are you going to be doing while we''re in the bath?"


    I look back at her with a dubious expression as I say,


    "What are you talking about? I will be with you."


    Her suspicions having been confirmed, Louise''s face is covered in a red hue as she opens her mouth to say something.


    However, before she can utter a word, Aruru, who''s in my arms ps her hands as she exims gleefully,


    "Yay! Bathing with Father!"


    Finding her actions adorable, I squeeze her cheek before kissing her forehead.


    "Victor," Louise voices while staring at Aruru, "Why is she calling you her father?"


    Ah, crap. How do I exin this?


    "Father is Father!" Aruru passionately exims before I can think of a response.


    "Exactly. Good girl," I say while patting Aruru''s head, "It''s pointless to ask such questions. Aruru can call me whatever she wishes to."


    "Okay," Louise responds, a little confused.


    Shortly, we reach the bath. As expected, it''s as luxurious as it can get, with multiple utilities avable for usage.


    "Alright then," I say while setting Aruru down and begin undressing her, "Everyone, strip down to your underwear."


    Louise immediately reddens up as she begins to act bashfully, while Gabriel calmly begins to take off her clothes.


    As for me, I make use of telekinesis to turn the tap of the bath while undressing Aruru.


    Steamy water pours out and begins to gradually fill the tub.


    "You''re not feeling cold, are you?" I question Gabriel who''s already in her underwear.


    "Not at all. The temperature here is just right," she responds.


    Good. I''d feel terrible if my lovely daughters were to feel ufortable in any way.


    It doesn''t take long before everyone, apart from Louise, steps into the ratherrge tub whilepletely naked.


    The moment I had taken my clothes off, Louise covered her eyes while stealing some nces now and then.


    As for my daughters, Aruru, being the cute innocent child she is, didn''t think much of it. Gabriel, however, looked at me with a slightly teasing smile and a light blush on her face.


    Aruru sits on my right thigh andys her head against my chest, while Gabriel sits right beside me and holds my hand.


    "Come on, Louise, didn''t you want to join us?" I say in a teasing manner.


    "I didn''t think that you would be so sh-sh-shameless!" she cries in response.


    "Me," I say while pointing at myself and acting shocked, "Shameless? Don''t make such jokes, Louise."


    Louise ignores my words as she begins to deliberate on something, which I assume is whether she will enter the rub with us or not.


    After a while, she says,


    "Close your eyes."


    "Why?"


    "Because I don''t want to be seen by you while I''m undressing!" she directly responds.


    "Sure," I say beforeying my head back and closing my eyes.


    There is the fact that my irvoyance allows me to see despite my eyes being closed, so there is no meaning to closing my eyes.


    Naturally, Louise doesn''t know this, and I, being the gentleman I am, won''t tell her about it, as it would make her feel ufortable. There is the possibility of thinking of me as a lecherous peeper, which I am not.


    Anyway, I focus my ''sight'' on Louise''s body as she begins to slowly undress.


    In no time, Louise is standing before mepletely naked. Her skin seems soft, and her boobs are pitifully small  not that I mind.


    She wastes no time by directly stepping into the warm water.


    I open my eyes and look at her as she sinks most of her body under the water.


    "You didn''t see, right?" she inquires.


    "My eyes were closed the whole time," I respond, earning a sigh of relief from her.


    Technically speaking, this isn''t a lie.


    And thus, we stay like this for a while. After a while of being fidgety, Louise finally began feelingfortable, to the point that she dozes off.


    Now, that she''s asleep, I pat Aruru''s wet hair before turning to look at Gabriel.


    Sensing my movements, Gabriel turns to face me back.


    The moment she faces me properly, I move my head forward and kiss her lips.


    In response to my action, Gabriel''s body flinches a little before she moves her arms to hug my waist and return the kiss.


    With one of my arms around Aruru''s small waist, I use my other arm to cop a feeling of Gabriel''s soft breast.


    While continuously fondling her breast and kissing her, I make sure to not make much noise to prevent alerting the others.


    "Father," Gabriel softly whispers once we separate our lips for a second before pressing them against each other once more.


    ---


    "That was refreshing, wasn''t it?" I question once we''re back in the tform.


    "Mhm," Louise hums in response.


    Aruru excitedly nods her head, while Gabriel just smiles. What piques my interest is Ddraig''s reaction.


    "Ddraig, what''s wrong?"


    Hearing my words, Ddraig turns to face me with a ming look and says,


    "Why didn''t you tell me how the bath works!?"


    "Huh? Is that even necessary? You just turn the tap which results in water flowing out"


    "Ugh." Ddraig scowls.


    How could she screw up with something that simple? The image of Ddraig confusedly trying everything gives me an urge tough, for some reason.


    "Father, what are we going to be doing today?" Gabriel suddenly asks.


    "Right, I haven''t told you girls about it yet," I respond before exining the gist of today''s matter.


    "Can''t Father also summon a familiar?" Aruru asks me once I''m done with the exnation.


    Huh? That''s a rather interesting notion.


    "Louise, is that possible?"


    "In theory, yes. You should be able to summon a familiar if you make use of a proper incantation."


    "Then, let''s do it," I say.


    "What? Right now?!"


    "Of course," I respond, "If possible, I want it to participate in thepetition."


    Louise suddenly seems to be enlightened as an excited expression covers her face.


    "If I got him here, and he won, it''s the same thing as me winning!" she softly mutters to herself.


    Seriously? Whatever, I''ll let her think however she wants to.


    "I reckon that thepetition will begin soon, so let''s get this done with quickly," I say.


    --


    "That''s an example of an incantation," Louise says proudly after uttering a series of cheesy lines.


    I decide to make use of my own incantation as the words seem to just appear within my head,


    "Ye who art birthed to serve thine. I seek thy. Anaphaino, harbinger of devastation."


    The next moment, Louise who is close by lets out a yelp as she exims,


    "What''s happening?!"


    {Necessary energy needed for the ritual extracted and enhanced. Commencing}


    Before I know it, a huge magic circle with ominous symbols on it appears on the ground.


    The sky darkens as gray clouds form and circle above us.


    Multiple lightning bolts strike thend all around the academy, which scares the living soul out of Louise.


    Seeing this, I can tell that this will probably cause a lot ofmotion.


    Damn it. I should get this done with this hastily and head to thepetition. On the bright side, they might think it''s the end of the world and dy thepetition a little.


    Soon, the sky beings lighting up, not because the clouds have gone away, no, but because the clouds seem to be charging up.


    As ridiculous as that sounds, this world is one that has magic, so it''s not surprising that the physics of this world is different


    After a few seconds, a sense of dread washes upon me, which I immediately treat as a premonition of uing disaster.


    Making use of my telekinesis, I push everyone away before stepping back myself.


    The next moment, a violet lightning bolt strikes the magic circle directly at its center, before a light blinds my vision.


    Momentster, my vision begins to clear up. The first thing I notice is that the sky has cleared up and everything has seemingly returned to normal.


    I check on the girls and see that they''re all fine before turning to look at where the magic circle was.


    There, a giant pit has appeared. At the center of the pit is a small snake that''s coiled around itself.


    Its scales seem to be glistening in a majestic purple with yellow streaks.


    The next moment, the snake''s tail which was covering its eyes moves away, revealing a pair of red eyes that are glowing eerily.


    Despite its appearance, the snake is giving away a dangerous aura, as if it could wipe everything out of existence if it wanted to.


    However, that feeling doesn''tst for long, as the aura suddenly dissipates as the snake begins to slither toward me at an incredible pace.


    The next thing I know, it has coiled itself around my arm and has begun rubbing its head against my skin.


    There is this weird sensation that seems to be overwhelming me Joy, curiosity, and nostalgia?


    Are these the snake''s feelings?


    I move my left hand to rub my fingers on its scaly head, which the snake seems to take pleasure in as it responds by rubbing its head against it.


    "You look magnificent," I mutter while admiring the snake''s beauty.


    Suddenly I hear Louise''s voice a few meters away from me,


    "Is that your familiar?"


    Looking at her, I see her having a doubtful look on her face. Beside her is a serene Gabriel and a curious Aruru.


    Ignoring her, I use irvoyance to check on the ce that thepetition is to be held.


    There, I see that everyone seems to be calming down and discussing among themselves, I assume, what just happened.


    After looking around some more, I find Henrietta making her way over to where we are while being escorted by a toon consisting of only women.


    Shortly, she reaches us and directly looks toward the pit that has formed before turning to face me with a questioning gaze.


    "Is that Prince Wales?" one of the women apanying her suddenly mutters to herrade.


    "It really is him!"es the response.


    "Be quiet," a blonde-haired woman says strictly, causing both girls to straighten their posture and put on a serious expression.


    "Henrietta," I voice, "What has brought you here?"


    "What else other than the overwhelming phenomena that transpired a moment ago?" she responds.


    "Ah, that," I say before grinning and saying, "That was just me summoning my familiar."


    ...


    "What?" Henrietta voices with a baffled look on her face.

 Chapter 132: Underestimation ; Annual Familiar Showoff

    Chapter 132: Underestimation ; Annual Familiar Showoff


    "Here," I say while raising the arm my new familiar is attached to, "Meet my new little familiar."


    Seeing the snaketched to my arm, Henrietta hesitates a little before speaking up,


    "Are you sure that''s what you summoned?"


    Giving her a dubious look, I reply,


    "Of course."


    Henrietta doesn''t say anymore, but that''s not the case for those who are apanying her.


    "Is that the prince''s familiar?" one girl mutters.


    "It looks so weak" another girl adds.


    I''m tempted to teach them a nice lesson on being respectful and not judging others by their appearance, but it seems like that''s unnecessary.


    The snake that was on my hand suddenly lunges at one of the female knights.


    In response to this, the girl instinctively turns the hilt of her weapon, which is surprisingly a gun, towards it.


    Why didn''t these appear within my database? Is there something that I''ve yet to find out which is causing this?


    Setting those thoughts aside, I watch the snake suddenly disappearing from where it was and appearing right behind the girl.


    Not being able to react in time, the girl''s nape gets bitten.


    As retaliation, she shakes the snake off, resulting in to speedily slither back to my arm.


    Before I can properly think of what just transpired, the girl that was bitten screams loudly while holding her head.


    "risse!" one of the girls shouts with concern apparent on her face.


    The next moment, the bitten girl, risse, grabs something wrapped on her back and unwraps it, revealing a double-edged sword.


    Before the other girls can make sense of what''s happening, risse swings her swords at a girl that''s closest to her.


    Fortunately, the girl instinctively steps back and barely dodges the sword.


    Alerted, the strict blonde-haired girl says,


    "Don''t falter! She''s probably under some effect by that vile snake!"


    While risse continuously shes at the girls, they respond by doing nothing other than dodging, most likely hesitating to attack their formerrade.


    All of a sudden, risse throws her sword into the sky, surprising the girls.


    The sword spins in the air a couple of times before falling right on top of the blonde-haired girl''s head.


    Seeing this, the girl attempts to dodge it by simply sidestepping, but what she doesn''t expect is that risse would dash toward her and throw a punch.


    Caught off guard, the blonde-haired girl gets punched square in the nose, causing her to stumble backward a few steps.


    risse takes this chance to kick the girl''s head sideways, ultimately knocking her out.


    A few secondster, risse''s body limply falls to the ground.


    I suddenly feel a tickle on my arm.


    Examining it, I see my snake happily rubbing its head against it once again.


    Right, I should investigate my new partner''s capabilities. First, I should see if it is intelligent.


    "So, cute one," I say, "Are you capable of understanding what I say?"


    Turns out that the answer is  yes. The reason for that is because the snake begins to ''nod'' its head while facing me.


    I use my finger to stroke under its lower mouth before asking,


    "Do you have a name?"


    The snake responds by ''shaking'' its head.


    "I see. So, I''ll have to name you."


    Taking a moment to think of a suitable name, I realize that I don''t know its gender. I extend two of my fingers near its mouth and say while twitching my index finger,


    "Are you a male or a female? If you''re a male, press your head against this finger, otherwise, press it against the other one."


    Understanding what I''m saying, the snake presses its head against my middle finger, indicating that it''s a female.


    "Female, huh? Then, I have the perfect name for you."


    Raising the snake a little, I look at its glowing red eyes and say,


    "From now on, your name is going to be Aurora."


    {Familiar (-) has been sessfully named Aurora. Updating system status}


    As I''m about to check out the system status, the blonde-haired girl suddenly exims,


    "Prince Wales! What''s the meaning of this?!"


    Moving my head to face her, I nonchntly say,


    "Your friends over there insulted my cute little familiar. I don''t know what they were expecting to happen, but it''s pretty obvious that they will have their asses handed to them for their actions."


    The girl seems like she wants to rebuke me, however, Henrietta raises her arm as a gesture for silence and says,


    "We don''t have much time to waste. They''re wall waiting for us back at the stage, so let''s go."


    Agreeing with her, all of us apany Henrietta and the toon to the stage.


    --


    After finally reaching the stage, I find most of the academy''s pupils sitting on several long rows of seats.


    On the stage, Jean is standing with a paper pamphlet in his hand, which I assume contains the order assigned to the participants of thepetition.


    Creating arge illusory space, I make my over to Jean and say,


    "Add me to thepetition."


    Surprised by my words, Jean looks at me for a few seconds before asking,


    "Your Grace summoned a familiar?"


    In response to his inquiry, I raise my arm and roll my sleeve up, revealing Aurora who is still fondly rubbing her head against my arm.


    "Are you sure about this, Sir Wales?" Jean asks after a moment of hesitation.


    Nodding my head serenely, I say,


    "Just do it. Oh, right. Make sure that I''m thest one to appear on stage."


    "I understand."


    Leaving him to his own devices, I dispel the illusion that prevented others from seeing me and regroup with Gabriel, Aruru, and Ddraig.


    "What are you nning?" Ddraig asks me the moment I reach them.


    "Something entertaining," I reply.


    Before Ddraig can ask any further, Jean who is still on the stage exims,


    "Wee everyone, to the Annual Familiar Showoff."


    In response to his words, the crowd begins to cheer loudly.


    "Today, we have several students who have summoned spectacr familiars and wish to disy their capabilities.


    "As you''re all aware, the winner of thepetition will be awarded by an important individual."


    After saying this, Jean raises the arm holding the pamphlet and points somewhere behind the crowd, resulting in everyone turning around.


    "The Crown Princess of Tristain, Henrietta!" Jean exims.


    The crowd cheers once again, much louder as Henrietta waves at them.


    After a while, they all calm down and shift their focus back to the stage.


    "Now, let the first participant get on the stage."


    ---


    More than half of the participants have shown off their familiars by now.


    As I''m watching the participants make a joke of themselves, I abruptly sense something gigantic on the other side of the academy.


    Directly making use of irvoyance, I investigate what''s going on.


    There, I see a robed woman standing atop arge golem that''s gradually closing in on a structure.


    "Aruru," I say, "Head over to the other side of the building and keep a keen eye on a woman riding a giant golem.


    "Make sure to remain hidden. Also, if you''re exposed to danger, make escaping your top priority."


    "Okay, Father!" she happily exims before dashing to where the golem and the woman are at.


    The reason that sent like this is, despite the risks is because I can check on her state and the location she is now and then through our connection.


    Anyway, I''m curious to know the identity of this robed woman.


    Making use of my irvoyance, I shift my sight just enough to see her face properly.


    Lo and behold, it''s none other than Longueville. Looks like the opportunity has finally arrived.


    Leaving that matter aside, I focus back to the stage. The moment I do so, I find Tabitha riding a blue dragon all over the sky, dazing the crowd.


    Since when did she have a dragon? I don''t recall seeing such a thing during the summoning


    It''s a little problematic, as if I were to win, I need to daze the crowd even more by performing an extraordinary feat.


    Suddenly, an idea pops up in my head.


    ---


    "And that was miss Tabitha and her dragon," Jean says as the crowd begins to apud loudly.


    "Now, for our final act, we have the Crown Prince of Albion!"


    Upon hearing his words, the crowd freezes up for a few seconds before getting riled up more than ever before.


    As my turn has finally arrived, I slowly walk onto the stage while waving at the crowd with a small smile on my face.


    Once I''m at the center of the stage, I stand still and wait for the crowd to calm down.


    It doesn''t take long before everyone quietens down and tentatively observes me.


    Coughing twice to clear my throat, I say in a loud and clear voice,


    "My dear noble friends,


    "Today, I will be teaching you all an important life lesson!"


    Intrigued by my way of doing things, Jean watches me with an amused expression, while the crowd is softly whispering between each other.


    "Earlier, I met a few fellows thatmitted a mistake so grave that they were shamed before their patriot!"


    My words pique the curiosity up even more, as they stop whispering and just focus on me.


    "Without further ado, I shall begin!"


    Raising my left arm, I use Pyrokinesis to cover it in mes before calling out,


    "Aurora!"


    The next moment, the fire spreads around evenly before dissipating and revealing Aurora who''s coiled around my arm.


    This results in the crowd to get overwhelmed with surprise as they begin discussing this matter among themselves.


    However, that doesn''tst long as I pull my arm back before hurling Aurora into the air.


    The crowd gasps in response to the sudden turn of events as various shocked looks appear on their faces.


    Before they can realize what''s happening, I crouch down before using a great amount of force to leap into the air, resulting in extensive cracks to spread across the stage.


    In less than a second, I am right beside the airborne Aurora. I use my body to block the spectators'' before eximing,


    "Now!"


    In response to this, Aurora immediately slithers into the sleeve of my jacket as a bright light appears in front of me.


    Soon, the light fades away, revealing a blue dragon muchrger than Tabitha''s.


    I grab Tiamat''s wing and use some force to throw myself over to her back while shouting,


    "Fly!"


    Receiving my order, Tiamat begins pping her monstrous wings, producing a great amount of wind. This results in the crowd below to be bewildered as a strong gust of wind blows their hats and other belongings away.


    After a few more ps with some support from my Vector Maniption, Tiamat easily soars into the sky at an incredulous speed.


    Once we''re high enough, I tap Tiamat''s back twice.


    Understanding my intentions, Tiamat stops rising and maintains the altitude we''re in.


    "I never thought that you were the type of person to enjoy the view of thend from the sky," a loud voice resounds all around me.


    "I''m not," I respond, while amplifying my voice, "I am doing this only to see if anything interesting is nearby."


    After I''ve said, I do exactly as I said by looking all around me for anything interesting.


    In less than five seconds, I find something fitting my criteria for ''interesting things''.


    A giant floating city. What else could be more interesting than that?


    That''s a matter worth looking into at ater interval.


    "Tia, skydive," I say.


    In response to my words, Tiamat stops pping her wings and pulls them toward herself, which results in her body gradually begin elerating toward the ground.


    Once we''re a few dozens of meters away from the ground, I pull Tiamat back into my Code and make use of Flight to break my fall.


    There, I stand before the crowd with my arm raised, showcasing Aurora who''s moving her head from side to side.


    "This, my noble friends, is why you shouldn''t judge someone or something ording to their appearance!"


    As if my works just awakened them from a beautiful dream, the whole crowd rises to their feet and begin cheering madly.


    Turning to face Jean, I nod once.


    Realizing what I meant by my action, Jean moves forward and exims,


    "And that,dies and gentlemen was Sir Wales and his familiar, Aurora!"


    Amid the crowd''s cheering, I think of the possible effects my actions might have on everyone.


    First, these students, who will most likely be acting upon my orders in the future, will take this lesson to their hearts.


    This cane in handy, as they will be less gullible to possible ruses my enemies might resort to.


    Second, this will raise their respect for me to an all-time high, basically cementing my position as a great prince in their minds.


    And most importantly, Osmond will now know whose side to take if things start getting awry.


    Honestly, I don''t need him all that much except for the information that he will be able to provide me in the future.


    I could simply read his memories at the moment, but that could lead to repercussions such as Osmond hiding from me, which effectively reduces a great source of information.


    Besides, the little information he might have at the moment is nothingpared to what he might obtain in the future.


    Anyway, I shift my focus back to reality.


    Henrietta is currently slowly making her way over to the stage while apanied by the golden-haired girl who has a disbelieving expression on her face.

 Chapter 133: Cottage ; Council

    Chapter 133: Cottage ; Council


    It doesn''t take long for Henrietta to reach the stage along with herpanion.


    "Now," Jean once again exims, "We shall determine the winner of thepetition!"


    After he says that, everyone begins to go through with an arduous voting process. Soon, it''s revealed that the number of votes I receive is thrice as much as Tabitha''s who came in second ce.


    Those that voted for me are mostly females while most of those that voted for Tabitha are males.


    "Congrattions," Tabitha who''s standing beside me suddenly says.


    Turning my head to face her, I ask,


    "Are you not dissatisfied with this oue?"


    Tabitha responds to my inquiry by slowly shaking her head and saying,


    "It''s fine this way."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I turn my attention back to Jean who''s giving a brief exnation of what''s about to happen.


    Simply put, Henrietta will being over to the stage and bestowing upon me the title of ''Familiar Trainer'', indicating that I''m masterful in matters rted to familiars.


    However, I don''t think I''m worthy of such a title because I''ve yet to take a bath with Tiamat and pat Aurora''s head to sleep.


    Setting that aside, I will be receiving the reward as a student of this academy, which is an important aspect, as it practically forms a solid connection between the academy and me.


    "Now, it''s time for the winner of thepetition to receive their reward," Jean says, "may The Crown Prince of Albion  Sir Wales Tudor - walk to the center of the stage."


    Are we finally going to be done with this?


    As I walk over to the center of the stage, the wood below my feet creaks as the cracks seem like they''re threatening to break.


    Henrietta''s eyes have been following me this whole time, to the point that it''s making me heavily suspect that something interesting is at y here.


    Once I''m in front of my cousin, I straighten my posture and look back into her eyes.


    Henrietta nods her head once before a girl approaches the stage with a rectangr ck box in her arms and presents it to her.


    Then, the girl that brought the box gets off the stage, as Henrietta ces her hand on the box''s lid and opens it.


    Inside the box, I find a ck piece of cloth with some purple visible at the edges of the way it''s folded.


    Henrietta raises the box and peers into my eyes.


    Am I supposed to take it out? Hopefully, my guess is correct.


    Doing as my guts tell me to, I grab the piece of cloth and unfold it before the eyes of the excited crowd.


    It turns out that the piece of cloth is a long ck cape with an ample purple symbol its center and a golden-colored button.


    Now that I think about it, I have yet to put on proper clothing that is befitting of this age.


    I''ve been getting some pointed looks now and then, but I usually don''t pay much attention to them.


    Anyway, I don''t waste any more time and directly put it on.


    The moment I''ve properly put it on, the crowd breaks into cheers as Henrietta beams me a smile.


    After a while, the crowd calms down a little as Jean walks to the front of the stage and says,


    "That''s the end of this year''s Familiar Showoff! Onest round of apuse for Princess Henrietta and Prince Wales."


    The sound of pping resounds all over the ce as Aruru''s voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    [Father, the target has settled inside a structure far into the forest.]


    "Understood," I mutter before calmly walking off the stage.


    I wave at the crowd once more before saying,


    "Gabriel, you''re going to be following me somewhere. Ddraig, please return to the dorm room for the moment."


    Before they can reply, Louise suddenly runs over and exims excitedly,


    "You really won!"


    Smiling, I say,


    "Of course. Were you expecting otherwise?"


    In response to my words, Louise vigorously shakes her head and says,


    "I believed in you,"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "I''ve got to go somewhere now. We''ll celebrate once I return, alright?"


    I ignore the confused look on Louise''s face and begin to walk in the direction where I feel Aruru''s connection from.


    With Gabriel following me closely, I soon reach the wall surrounding the academy.


    "Flying over would be a bad idea, so we will make use of our enhanced speed to get there," I state.


    "Understood."


    As such, the two of us leap over the academy''s wall before breaking into a sprint.


    --


    "Aruru," I voice upon reaching the location she''s supposed to be in.


    The next moment, Aruru jumps down from on top of a tree and embraces me before pointing in a direction and saying,


    "They''re further ahead."


    After patting her small head, I dash in the direction that she pointed to.


    Soon, I reach a location surrounded by trees on all sides with a small cottage on one side.


    Using my enhanced perception, I can detect the presence of someone inside performing a strange set of actions.


    I walk to the cottage''s door and run a quick scan for any suspicious mechanisms before soundlessly opening the door upon finding nothing.


    As I head inside, I find numerous colorful rocks and crystals all over the ground.


    What is this, the house of a miner? Why are there so many of these things on the ground? I highly doubt that they''re used for cosmetic purposes.


    In no time, I reach the door leading to the room that our suspect, Longueville, is in.


    Setting Aruru down on the ground, I reach my arm out to the door and push it open while using Vector Maniption to form an anti-sound barrier.


    Fortunately, Longueville is busy with something and has her back to us, so she doesn''t sense our presence in the room.


    As I look around, several things catch my attention, with the main one being a metallic case beside the wall.


    Checking its interior out, I find something that shouldn''t exist here  a bazooka.


    How the hell did such a thing get here?


    Leaving that aside, what is Longueville doing? Currently, she''s sitting before a circr stone with runes engraved on it.


    Beside her are dozens of stones glowing in blue.


    She asionally grabs one and presses it to the circr stone before muttering some gibberish.


    What follows after that is the stone stops glowing, while a part of the runes engraved on the stone begins glowing instead.


    I decide to wait for her to finish what she''s doing due to curiosity.


    ---


    After quite some time, Longueville sessfully finishes what she was doing as the runes on the circr stone begin to rapidly change colors.


    As beautiful as the sight is, I, along with my Angels, prepare for any mishaps that may ur or anything else that could pose a danger to us.


    Soon, the runes begin to seemingly face away as the stone''s surface gets covered in pure white light.


    What happens next intrigues me as Longueville grabs the cased bazooka before stepping ''onto'' the circr stone and slowly ''sinking'' into it.


    "Shall we follow her?" I suggest.


    "Yes!" Aruru directly exims with excitement all over her face, while Gabriel just nods her head.


    And so, the three of us do what Longueville did and step ''onto'' the circr stone.


    The next moment, I feel something tugging onto my feet and dragging me down.


    As I sense no danger, I let it be.


    After a few seconds, a bright blinds my vision. It doesn''t take long for my vision to clear up.


    What meets my eyes is the sight of a shocked Longueville who''s looking our way, along with a bunch of men sitting at a round table.


    Beside me, Gabriel and Aruru are both impassively looking back at them, most likely waiting for my orders.


    "Greetings," I say casually while walking toward Longueville.


    "Is that the Crown Prince?" one of the men seated at the table mutters dubiously.


    "It is him," another one replies.


    Suddenly, the tension in the room rises as of the men get up from their seats while one of them shouts,


    "Intruders!"


    Shortly, tworge doors open as several waves of armored men equipped with various weaponry enter the room.


    Where is this ce and who are these men? Have I perhaps gotten to the heart of some matter?


    Hold on


    "You shameful creatures!" I exim, "I''vee to take back this kingdom!"


    Upon hearing my words, some men begin tough a little as they make fun of me for being ''foolish'' to think that I would be taking it back.


    This confirms my suspicion  I am at Albion.


    "Oh, you lost prince," a monocled middle-aged man exims, "Albion is ours now! We shall unite all the kingdoms to conquer the Holy Land!"


    I''m fond of idiots like this guy that volunteer to give me information without any trouble.


    "Your family''s rule over this country is over now," a blonde-haired man wearing green clothes says, "There is nothing you can do about it!"


    "Surrender peacefully or face a gruesome death!" another man yells pridefully.


    I break into a fit ofughter, confusing the prideful men. Shaking my head slowly, I say mockingly,


    "I''m sorry to break it to you swine, but none of you are going to be leaving this ce alive."


    Shocked by my words and the confidence in my tone, the men are left speechless for a few seconds.


    "It seems like the prince has gone mad," the blonde in green clothes says as the other men break from their stupor and beginughing.


    "We''ll see about that," a man with a white mustache and beard that seems to be in his mid-twenties says, "Lost Prince."


    Observing him closely, I sense that this man is currently the most formidable onepared to the others present.


    As I prepare for battle, one of the armored men suddenly mutters,


    "The Young Lord has appeared in the council room. He''s currently surrounded, send help immediately."


    Huh? My followers? It seems like this trip wasn''t wasted, after all.

 Chapter 134: Battle ; Trouble ; Familiar Person

    Chapter 134: Battle ; Trouble ; Familiar Person


    I check the building we''re in, only to find out that we''re in one of the many rooms of a castle.


    What''s even more surprising is that Albion turns out to be the gigantic floating city that I had seen earlier.


    Anyway, I proceed to check the state of the castle and its surroundings before invoking,


    "Codification."


    Checking my energy, I see that it''s at 96%.


    As I''m about to order Aruru and Gabriel to initiate an assault with me, the white-bearded man pulls out a wand and points it at me.


    He then murmurs a chant before electric currents form at the wand''s tip before moving in my direction.


    Unfazed, I form a reflective barrier using Vector Maniption which ''sucks'' the attack in before striking him back.


    It seems like the man didn''t make use of a strong spell as he just grumbles before getting down on one knee.


    The rest of the men that were sitting at the round table, which I assume are nobles, are surprised by the turn of events as they hastily pull out their wands and order the armored soldiers to attack me.


    What happens next surprises me and the nobles, as three of the armored soldiers suddenly sh at those closest to themselves, effectively killing eight men.


    "Traitors!" the blonde-haired man exims.


    "No, YOU are the traitors!" one of the three deserters exims, "Glory to the prince!"


    "Glory to the prince!" the other exim before stepping back and forming a three-man wall in front of me.


    "Young Lord, support is going to arrive soon, so please stand back for the moment."


    How cute. So, this is what it''s like to have loyal subordinates


    "Don''t worry," I say while walking forward while Aruru and Gabriel follow along, "These fools have no power."


    "Young Lord!", the same guy yells with anxiety apparent in his voice.


    "I''m your patriot, right?" I say, "Then, watch the powers of the one you wish to serve under."


    Before the men can react to my words, I slowly float up before creating numerous ordinary swords in the air.


    Then, I wave my hand in front of me as I hurl the swords at the armored soldiers.


    "What?" one of ''my'' followers mutters disbelievingly, while the other two are left speechless.


    "Kill him!" the blonde-haired man bellows.


    The men seem to be fired up by his voice as they prepare to rush at me, but, the blonde-haired man''s voice resounds once again, this time as an agonized scream.


    Looking over at him, I find Aruru standing behind him, holding two arms that have been ripped off from his body.


    Aruru then exims,


    "Enhance!"


    After that, she swings both arms and directly strikes the man''s neck.


    Meanwhile, Longueville has decided to escape the area as she makes her way to the door.


    However, as soon as she reaches it, several armored soldiers appear.


    Relief bes apparent on Longueville''s face, but that doesn''tst long as one of the soldiers pierces her guts with a spear.


    Blood slowly flows out of her mouth as she falls onto her knees before copsing.


    "Glory to the prince!" one of the new arrivals exims while raising his sword.


    The others repeat after him before they all charge into the fray while shouting at the top of their lungs.


    "Madmen!" exims one of the nobles before firing a spell at them.


    The spell is a palm-sized a fireball that moves at a moderate speed.


    As soon as it contacts one of the soldier''s armor, it disperses harmlessly.


    "Impossible!" he exims disbelievingly before he gets run through by a sword a momentter.


    Alright, it''s about time that I put an end to this.


    Raising my arm, I utilize Holy sh and throw an attack to split every non-friendly armored soldier horizontally in half.


    I keep the holy energy materialized through Light Maniption before using it to finish off every noble left, which happens to be only two.


    A distance away, I find Aruru giggling while surrounded by amputated bodies.


    Hm I need to bathe herter, as she''s covered in the blood of these swine.


    "Amazing," I hear a mutter before everyone begins to sing their praises for my power and our sess.


    I run a quick scan of our surroundings, only to find a legion of soldiers making their way over to the castle while pulling along numerous siege weaponry.


    These guys don''t seem to be on my side...


    "Did you call for the support of a few thousand men," I inquire while facing one of ''my'' followers.


    "No, my lord. This is everything that we can manage."


    "I see," I respond before turning to face Gabriel and saying,


    "More enemy soldiers are going to arrive soon. Wipe half of them out."


    "Understood," she replies before gracefully walking out of the room.


    Those who are present, apart from Aruru, are all beginning to get anxious.


    "Um, young lord," one of them nervously voices, "Did Your Grace just say that there are more of theming, and they number more than three thousand?"


    "That''s right," I nonchntly reply.


    "We have to get out of here!" he immediately exims.


    "There is no problem," I say dismissively, "These soldiers amount to nothing whenpared to the battle prowess of these girls."


    Of course, the soldiers find my words hard to believe as some of them turn to look at Aruru who is slowly walking over to me with a gleeful look on her face.


    "Ugh," I hear a groan a few meters away.


    Looking over, I find Longueville on the ground clutching her wound.


    I wait for Aruru to reach me before lifting her and walk over with her in my arms.


    Once I''m beside Longueville, I examine the state she''s in before granting her regeneration.


    As her wound begins to close up, Longueville realizes something unusual happening.


    She slowly moves her hand toward the shoe the dagger is in.


    "I suggest that you stop what you''re nning to do," I say.


    The next moment, Longueville speedily takes out the dagger, unsheathes it, and stabs my foot.


    However, as soon as the de makes contact with my body, it breaks off.


    "What the" Longueville mutters a moment before I knock her out by kicking her head.


    I create a rope and throw it over to one of the soldiers before saying,


    "Tie her up."


    The man takes off his helmet, which starts a chain reaction as the rest do so as well.


    "Roger," he replies before walking over.


    "Aruru," I say, "Let''s go enjoy ourselves shall we?"


    The soldiers seem to want to say something, but before they can do so, I use Godspeed to quickly make my outside.


    As soon as I leave the castle, I set my eyes on a beautiful sight.


    A few hundred meters away from me, soldiers are running around madly as giant spears made of light fall on them.


    Feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline coursing through my veins, I ce Aruru down before dashing into the center of the battlefield.


    I impatiently pull out Excalibur from within my ring and swing it in front of myself.


    This results in a shock wave to form, killing off dozens of men at once.


    The men seem to realize my presence as they shift their focus to me, whilepletely ignoring the light spears falling around us.


    It seems like even Excalibur is in a weakened state here, as such a sh would''ve been much more destructive in the Rift.


    "Tiamat, showtime," I say.


    [[Finally.]]


    ---3rd POV---


    "Sir, the soldiers we''ve sent out are currently under heavy fire," a man wearing a red cloak with a golden symbol says.


    "What?! Didn''t you say that the enemy is in a weakened state?!", exims a burly man.


    "That''s right, but we didn''t expect them to have such powerful reinforcements," responds the red-cloaked man.


    "We have no other choice. Send the little monsters out," the other man says before sighing.


    "A-a-are you sure about that, sir?"es a nervous response.


    The burly man nods his head as confirmation, resulting in the other man to swallow his spit once before turning around and shouting,


    "Release the Children of Heathens!"


    After a few minutes have passed, some soldiers walk over to where they are, and alongside them are multiple teenagers in ragged clothes.


    On their hands and legs are iron shackles with red glowing runes engraved on them.


    "Kill everyone near the castle," orders the red-cloaked man before the teenagers'' eyes begin to change from ordinary colors to an unusual gray.


    Seeing this, the soldiers take off the shackles binding them.


    The next moment, all five of them disappear from the spot they were previously in.


    ---1st POV---


    {WARNING: Multiple Binary Factors approaching. Threat level: 2}


    As I cut down thest remaining soldier who is missing both of his legs thanks to Aruru, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    Suddenly, a loud crashing noise reaches my ears as Tiamatnds on the ground that she had incinerated along with the soldiers.


    "We''ve got more enemies approaching," I ry the information while looking into the distance.


    Soon, I find five figures running toward us expressionlessly at an extreme pace.


    Once they''re close enough, two of them dash toward Tiamat, while the other three all run toward me.


    As soon as they''re a few meters away from me, I channel Destruction into my arms.


    The next moment, one of them gets struck by a light spear as Aruru dashes past me and materializes a sword out of light.


    What happens next surprises me a little, as the one that was struck raises his arm which results in the nts under him to suddenly move up and form a barricade.


    Naturally, something like this won''t be enough to stop Aruru as she simply cuts it down before closing in on the teenaged girl.


    However, the nts she cut down suddenly reconnect as thrones extend from them toward her.


    Fortunately, Aruru notices this early as she turns mid-air to them before moving away from the teenaged girl.


    That turns out to be a good move, as numerous protrude from the ground and surround the girl.


    Leaving them aside, the other two Binary Factors, a male and female, are almost a meter away from me.


    As I prepare to cut them down with Excalibur, I sense some suspicious movement within the ground behind me, so I form a reflective barrier just in case.


    The next moment, several vines protrude within the ground and attempt to run me through, however, that''s prevented by the barrier.


    It seems like all of them have nature maniption abilities Could it be that the one that has ''powered'' them can only provide abilities rted to nature?


    Anyway, these guys don''t seem to be aware of what they''re doing.


    Their eyes and movements indicate that they''re most likely being controlled by some external force.


    Focusing my eyes on their bodies, I can see a yellowish-gray glow at the center of their chests.


    This confirms it. All I need to now is find a way to dispel it.


    My best way of fighting right now would be using Pyrokinesis to burn the nts down then use Destruction to destroy whatever it is that''s controlling these guys.


    As I channel Destruction into my left arm and summon mes on my other one, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Discovered: mes of Devastation.}


    Curious about it, I stop using Pyrokinesis and switch to that.


    As the red me on my arm goes away, it gets reced by blue mes that seem to be ''calm''.


    I curiously wave my arm, resulting in the mes to spread out.


    Once the me makes contact with one of the vines, it doesn''t take a split-second to burn the whole thing down to ashes.


    Using my new ability, I burn down everything obstacle the Binary Factors form and send a punch covered in Destruction at each of their chests.


    My energy invades their body, resulting in aplete halt in their movements.


    {Discovered: Paralyze.}


    Two abilities in such a short time? Great. Paralyze is pretty self-exnatory, but I''m not so sure about the other one yet.


    {Analysis: Perceived Unknown energy within targets.}


    Terminate it.


    {Understood.}


    The next moment, I feel a weird sensation as my powers seem to cut off a link of sorts.


    This is followed by the bodies of both teenagers limply falling to the ground.


    What''s interesting is that their face, hair, and ears begin to change.


    They be significantly more attractive, as their ears be longer and their hair bes blonde.


    Elves?


    Ignoring these two, I look over to where Aruru is at, only to find her about to chop her limbless opponent''s head off.


    "Halt!" I bellow, which causes her to freeze in ce before looking over at me with a somewhat muddled expression.


    I walk over and cast immortality on the girl.


    Once her limbs havepletely regenerated, I perform what I did with the other two and cut the ''link''.


    The exact same changes that happened to the other two happen to this one as well.


    Now that these three are dealt with, I wonder how Tiamat is doing


    I shift my focus to where Ist saw her, only to find one of the Binary Factors struggling under Tiamat''s leg.


    As for thest one, she''s currently being tied up by ropes made of light.


    Fortunately, Gabriel and Tiamat didn''t kill them outright.


    ---


    Seriously? These guys are still Binary Factors, despite the energy being wiped out?


    {Affirmative.}


    Now, this is weird.


    Looking at the two males and three females that areid down on the ground before me, I reckon what could be still powering them.


    Anyway, this is going to be problematic, so I need to deal with this soon.


    "Young Lord!" I suddenly hear someone behind me yell.


    Aruru, Gabriel, and I all turn around to look at the source of the voice.


    There, I see a dozen armored soldiers running toward us.


    Upon reaching us, the one that seems to be the one that called me out scans the dead bodies lying all over the ce before gulping and asking,


    "Is this all Your Grace''s doing?"


    Nodding my head, I reply,


    "My and my subordinates'' to be precise."


    I expect him to say something else, but he surprisingly doesn''t and just moves to the side.


    The other soldiers do the same thing, revealing four maids behind them and a familiar-looking person - A blonde-haired woman that seems to be in herte thirties.


    Her body is lean and her breasts areparable to Akeno''s.


    The woman is dressed in an exquisite blue and white dress that''s adorned with many seemingly expensive gems.


    Her face is a milky white, while her eyes are sapphire blue.


    She seems to be giving off an aura of extreme joy as tears well up in her eyes.


    "Wales!" she exims before hastily walking over to me and embracing me.


    I smell a pleasant fragrance as I sense two soft knockers pressing against my chest.

 Chapter 135: Mother ; Information ; Plans

    Chapter 135: Mother ; Information ; ns


    As the woman continues to hug me, a feel afortable sensation within my body.


    "Uh" I voice a little awkwardly while backing away from her a little, "I''m sorry to say that I have no recollection of who you are."


    As I expected, the woman is shocked by the revtion and begins to tear up.


    Taking a step forward, I ce my hands on her shoulder and say,


    "It''s not just you. I simply have lost my memories of my whole past. So, it''s likely that if something triggers my memories, they might return."


    Hearing my words, the woman releases a sad sigh before looking me in the eye and saying,


    "Let''s head inside the castle. We have a lot to talk about."


    Turning around, I motion to Aruru and Gabriel to do busy themselves with something.


    Then, I shift my sight to Tiamat who''s now in her human form and reach out my arm.


    Understanding my intentions, Tiamat moves closer and ''goes'' into my Code.


    I move my right sleeve away, only to reveal a rxed Aurora who is coiled around my arm.


    As I pat her head, I begin to walk back toward the castle alongside ''my mother''.


    ---


    Once we got inside the castle, we headed to a lounging room, where ''my mother'' began recounting the events prior to my arrival.


    Simply put, the time that I arrived in this tform was perfect, as Wales Tudor was minutes away from being killed.


    Anyway, the force that rebelled against the monarchy consisted of corrupt nobles. They named their group ''Reconquista''.


    The group of nobles that I killed earlier was only a small part of the Reconquista, while the rest are currently stationed at the edge of Albion.


    Reconquista has one aim  ''reconquer'' the holynd.


    The thing is, the holynd that they speak of is where a race identified as elves reside.


    Speaking of elves, I wonder how the five that have been caught are doing


    Using irvoyance, I check on their state, only to find them still unconsciously lying on the ground.


    "So," I voice as I shift my attention back to ''my mother'', "What are we going to be doing now?"


    "Reestablishing our rule," she bluntly responds.


    "How?"


    "Due to the way the public was treated the moment the nobles took over, there are very fewmoners that support the Reconquista."


    "Are you saying that themoners will be aiding us?" I inquire after some deliberation.


    "That''s right," she replies.


    Great. Things will be much easier then. It''s a good thing that the noble faction is mostly made up of selfish idiots.


    "Wales," she voices, "Where were you for the past few days? How did you get away from the ambush?"


    Hah~ It''s about time that she asked me this.


    The ambush she''s speaking of most likely happened a dozen or so minutes before my arrival.


    At that time, a noble named Wardes led a bunch of Reconquista members to kill Wales Tudor.


    However, their n failed, as by the time they got to his room, he was long gone, never to be seen again.


    Naturally, I wouldn''t tell the mother of such news. Here, my ''amnesia'' ys a huge role.


    And so, I begin to tell her about what happened for the past few days, while making sure to not say more than what''s required.


    "So, um" I say once I''m done with recounting while acting a little fidgety, "How do I refer to you?"


    "What do you mean?" she asks me confusedly.


    "It''s weird for me to suddenly refer to someone as I would my mother if I don''t have any memories of them, so I''d like to call you by name."


    Hearing my reasoning, she is stunned for a few seconds before she says,


    "My name is Lizette Jacques."


    "I see," I say, "Lizette, huh?"


    As soon as the words leave my mouth, a shocked expression forms on Lizette''s face as her eyes wander about for a few seconds before she peers at my face and says,


    "Could you just call me ''mother''?"


    I immediately deny the notion by shaking my head and saying,


    "You''re asking too much of me."


    My words seem to have much more of an impact than I thought as her eyes begin to turn a little hazy.


    What am I doing? This woman has lost her son, so it''s only natural that she would react like this.


    Taking in a deep breath, I approach Lizette and embrace her.


    Lizette then presses her face against my shoulder and sobs lightly as I gently stroke her back.


    Perhaps, I have been a little too harsh with the way I handled things As regretful as that may be, what''s done is done.


    ---


    "Your Grace," a muscr man bows and utters as I enter the council room the nobles were in.


    "Everyone, leave the room," Imand.


    In response to my instructions, those present bow once before leaving the room and shutting the door.


    "Take a look at yourself," I say while observing Longueville who''s tied to a chair, "It doesn''t seem like you''re enjoying this."


    She hatefully scoffs and turns her head to one side.


    "How rude," I say before stepping forward and creating a chair right in front of her.


    Longueville seems to see my actions through the corner of her vision as she suddenly turns to face me with a slightly baffled look on her face.


    "Do you want to live?" I say nonchntly as I ce both of my hands on the back of my head and lean back.


    "Who doesn''t" she murmurs.


    "Then, I suggest you tell me everything you know about the Reconquista, or else I will simply resort to other means to do so," I state.


    "No matter what you do," she grumbles while ring into my eyes, "I won''t talk."


    "Are you sure about that?" I say threateningly while reaching my arm out to her bosom.


    "You wouldn''t!" she exims, wide-eyed.


    "I wouldn''t bet on that," I respond before cupping her right breast.


    Longueville attempts to break free, but her efforts are up to no avail, as she seems to be tied up quite neatly.


    Soon, I sense something poking my hand from under the fabric.


    "Seriously?" I voice doubtfully, "You''re getting turned on from this? What a pervert."


    "You''re the pervert!" she screams as she struggles even harder.


    I wonder what will she attempt to do even if she broke free. Kill me? Very likely.


    With my curiosity piqued, I manipte light particles to cut off the rope binding her.


    An expression of delight appears on Longueville''s face for a split-second before shifting to despair.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask.


    Longueville doesn''t respond to me and just stares at the ground with destion apparent on her face.


    I''m guessing that realization dawned upon her, so she ultimately gave up.


    Well, now that it hase to this, I have no other choice than to read her mind directly.


    Getting up from my seat, I press my hand on her head and begin to use Memory Erasure once I''ve made her faint by Hypnotism.


    --


    After what seemed like an eternity, I finally managed to get inside her brain.


    Currently, various memories are all around me, with each one showing an interesting part of Longueville, no, Matilda''s life.


    It turns out that her identity as Osmond''s secretary is one that she came up with to steal something.


    Her true name is Matilda, but she has another identity  Fouquet, an infamous thief.


    Anyway, this ability of mine is very convenient, but it has one giant downside.


    If I am to locate a specific memory, I have to surf in an ocean of memories.


    It''s for that reason that I''m only able to find a limited number of important information.


    One thing piqued my interest the most, and that was something rted to a half-elf living in a forest.


    I leave her brain and p her cheek lightly.


    "Ugh," Matilda groans before opening her eyes and looking around with a befuddled expression.


    "Tiffania Westwood," I say, shocking Matilda.


    "She seems to be an interesting individual. A half-elf living alone in a cottage."


    The more I speak, the more shocked Matilda gets.


    "Perhaps, she might be useful."


    "Okay, fine!" Matilda yells a little desperately.


    "How fascinating. The infamous Fouquet is a sentimental older sister," I mock.


    "You will die soon, anyway," she says while ring at me.


    "Is that so?" I casually say before sitting on the seat in front of her before saying,


    "Begin."


    ---


    Fortunately, after that, Matilda didn''t hesitate to talk anymore.


    It turns out that this whole ordeal is caused by the kingdom of Gallia.


    The nobles here received a lot of support to go through with the n, which is a small part of a much bigger n.


    Gallia wishes to unite all of Halkeginia through war to conquer the Holy Land once and for all.


    Matilda didn''t anything regarding why they wish to do that, but she suspects that it''s rted to the ''Children of Heathens''.


    That''s the term that they havee up with for Binary Factors, indicating that there more out there.


    Binary Factors are rtively strong, so that''s a matter that should be looked into with utmost care.


    Anyway, the rest of the information that she provided wasn''t all that useful, as it consisted of the nobles who are part of the Reconquista and their ranks.


    Swine is swine. It''s meaningless to treat them differently.


    And so, my ns have been set.


    First, I will get rid of all the pests in Albion and use it as a base of operations by establishing myself as the new king.


    Then, I shall ally with Tristain and establish a powerful force to bring down Gallia and investigate the matter concerning Binary Factors.


    I can''t help but feel like the matter is much more important than I''m suspecting.


    Once I''m done with all of this, I will take over Gallia and then see how Germania will react to it all.


    Depending on their actions, I might have to conquer it as well before I can begin searching for the Core.


    Shaking my head, I get up from my seat and leave the room.


    "Drag her down to the chambers and keep her alive," I order.


    "Understood!" one of the two soldiers standing in front of the door exims while saluting.


    As I walk over to where Gabriel and Aruru currently are, Lizette appears and blocks my path with a slightly nervous expression on her face.


    "Wales How about we spend some time together?" she suggests after a few seconds.


    Well, this might be a chance to make up for my way of handling matters earlier.


    "Sure," I reply while beaming a smile.

 Chapter 136: Guivre ; Plants

    Chapter 136: Guivre ; nts


    "General!" several men salute at once as a burly man walks past them.


    As if not seeing or hearing them, the man continues to walk with an impassive look on his face.


    After several minutes, the burly man finally reaches his destination.


    Standing before a brown door, the man frowns for a split-second before opening the door and entering the room.


    Upon his entry, several men that were sitting at a table rise from their seats and respectfully exim,


    "General!"


    This time, the man raises his hand in front of him and says,


    "We don''t have much time. That damned Lost Prince is back and has taken back the castle."


    Upon hearing the man utter the words ''Lost Prince'' several of the men present frown.


    "This is all happening due to Wardes''s negligence," one of them says.


    "He had the sole job of killing him, yet failed miserably despite those with him having caught off all escape routes," another one adds.


    "Stop," an annoyed voice escapes the burly man''s mouth, "Wardes is most likely dead now. There is no point in ming him for what''s happening."


    He then shakes his head before walking over to the table and taking a seat.


    The rest take a seat as well, before looking toward the burly man.


    "Before I got here, I received a letter from Sheffield, which stated that for the n to work, we need to have Albion under control at all costs."


    Seeing that he is done speaking, one of the men voices,


    "But, how are we supposed to do that? Even the Children of Heathens couldn''t do much."


    As the man''s voice fades off, silence fills the room as each person present in the room begins to deliberate on something.


    "There is something that we have yet to use," the burly man suddenly says.


    Confusion bes apparent on the faces of those present until one of them all of a sudden says with a shocked expression,


    "Don''t tell me General, are you nning to use the Guivre?"


    Hearing his words, everyone present, apart from the one referred to as general, have all kinds of reactions  shock, excitement, worry, and fear.


    ---1st POV---


    "Lizette, aren''t you a little too close?" I question while looking at the blond woman who''s tightly holding my right arm close to herself.


    "Not at all," she replies while smiling, "I had never gotten the chance to spend time with my son due to all troublesome matters of the castle."


    Now that she finally has a chance to so, she makes full use of it, huh.


    Well, apart from the soft sensation on my arm, I don''t have much else toment on.


    However, a certain cute snake doesn''t seem to enjoy this as she wriggles around under my sleeve.


    Using my free arm, I move the sleeve away to let Aurora out, which she gleefully does by slithering onto my free arm.


    "Is that a snake?!" Lizette exims, a little shocked.


    "It''s my familiar," I exin, "I summoned her not too long ago."


    This seems to shock Lizette even more, as her eyes widen, and she says,


    "You were able to summon a familiar?"


    Her reaction is too abnormal. Could it be, Wales Tudor wasn''t able to summon a familiar?


    My thoughts seem to align with reality perfectly as Lizette begins tearing up as she happily hugs me and yells,


    "You finally did it!"


    After a dozen or so seconds, Lizette finally lets go of me as she steps back and says,


    "It had always bothered you that you weren''t able to summon a familiar. I wonder how you would''ve reacted if you had your memories."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I question,


    "Was there a reason for ''him'' not being able to summon one?"


    "I don''t know," she responds, "You never told me anything regarding that matter."


    It seems like Wales suffered from this quite a bit.


    As I''m about to share my thoughts regarding Wales''s actions, the ground beneath us shakes as the loud sound of an explosion resounds in my ears.


    Lizette loses her bnce and is about to fall, but I prevent that from happening by pulling her close to myself.


    Then, I use irvoyance to check out what has happened, only to find a giant crater in the ground surrounded by mes.


    Checking the surroundings, I find no one who could''ve caused this, leading to the conclusion that this was the result of a ranged attack.


    Shifting my focus back to reality, I find numerous hurried footsteps as a toon of soldiers runs toward us.


    "Madame, Young Lord!" the one that seems to be leading them exims.


    I sense two figures making their here as well.


    "You two, I will be outside the castle," I mutter before turning my attention to the iing soldiers.


    "There has been an enemy attack outside the castle," I say once the toon of soldiers is close enough.


    "Take care of her. I will go out to see where the attack came from."


    Before they can respond to my words, I break into a dash and phase through the castle''s wall.


    Once I''ve crossed to the other side, I directly use Flight to soar into the sky and get a clear view of everything.


    What I see is the shocking sight of multiple locations where smoke is rising, with the majority being in or near a town.


    Seeing that someone is wreaking havoc in my soon-to-be territory, rage begins to build up within me as I look toward the source of all this.


    Upon doing so, I find a gigantic metallic machine that''s thrice the size of the castle and shaped like a dragon with its mouth open quite a distance away from here.


    Observing its mouth, I can tell that there a dozen or so magicians that are continuously chanting their magic spells.


    At the center of the mouth, there is a huge ball of soil just floating.


    The next moment, a part of the magicians are done chanting their spell, followed by the giant ball getting covered in mes.


    After that, thest batch of magicians stops chanting as thebusted ball of soil abruptlyunches out of the dragon''s mouth and flies right toward the castle.


    I can''t let that strike the castle. Also, I could use this opportunity to end this troublesome battle early.


    So, I fly in the direction that the ming ball ising from.


    Shortly, the ming ball of soil reaches me. Right at that moment, I use Vector Maniption to reverse all the ball''s vectors, which results in it getting deflected back to where it came from.


    However, gravity affects the ball, leading to its altitude getting lower by the second to the point of itpletely missing the machine.


    Even so, the ball crashes into the ground below the machine, resulting in a ridiculous explosion.


    Huh? Something interesting just happened.


    The stability of the floating machine just gotpromised as soon as the wave caused by the explosion reached it.


    Anyway, I need to take this thing down quickly before it causes any more damage while being careful of any ''surprises'' that might be packed in it.


    However, it seems like that won''t be working out so well, as there is already anotherbusted ball of soil inside the dragon''s mouth prepared forunch.


    This is extremely abnormal. The magicians of this world shouldn''t be this capable.


    Simply put, they''re most likely using artificial means to power themselves up and increase the efficiency of their magic.


    Is it because they''re working together or something else? So far, I have yet to see anything suspicious  but, that''s only because I''m looking at the outside.


    Focusing my vision on the dragon, I find countless gems and rocks simr to those in the cottage Matilda was in, except that these are muchrger.


    It seems like they''re using those to power themselves up. So, they can''t keep this going forever.


    Checking on the state of the magicians, I find out that they''re almost done with their chant.


    As I prepare myself for the uing attack, something unexpected urs.


    I sense a great deal of energy in the ground below us as all of Albion begins to shake.


    The next moment, three ridiculouslyrge vine-like nts emerge from within the ground around the machine.


    These vine-like nts strike the machine, on all sides, destabilizing it and changing the trajectory of the huge fireball.


    The fireball flies past everything here and falls right into the sea beneath Albion.


    That''s not the end of it, as the nts begin to crush certain parts of the gigantic machine.


    Unfortunately, that doesn''tst long, as, all of a sudden, energy begins building up within the machine before an energy pulse is released from all sides.


    This results in the nts to get pushed away andbust.


    I don''t know where these things came from, but they''re seemingly on my side. These vine-like nts could be extremely helpful by stalling that thing while I destroy it. So, I have to prevent them from burning down.


    Deactivating flight, I begin to fall normally.


    Once I''m near the ground, I circte my Holy Essence and utilize Godspeed before directly dashing toward the vines.


    Soon, I reach the vines which are still burning and begin ''climbing'' one of them.


    As soon as I''m near the mes, I use Pyrokinesis to ''suck'' them all into my palms before flying over to another one and doing the same.


    After I''ve done that, I fly over to thest one, while those two begin attacking the machine once again.


    Once the final me has been ''sucked in'', I move beneath the gigantic machine to the front where the head is and kill the enemies there.


    Just when I''m about to reach it, I sense two winged figures flying toward me at a terrific speed ande to an abrupt halt in front of me.


    "Father!" Gabriel says with a serious expression.


    As for Aruru who''s beside her, excitement is seething out of her as she curiously examines the machine on top of us.


    "Let''s bring this thing down," I simply state.

 Chapter 137: Code Waves ; Explosion

    Chapter 137: Code Waves ; Explosion


    {Analysis: Code Waves perceived.}


    Code Waves?


    {Code Waves are noetic energy impulses emitted by Codes.}


    What purpose do they serve?


    {It could be used to perceive the presence of other friendly Codes in the vicinity.}


    Friendly Codes, huh? How does that work?


    {A Code''s mental structure differentlypared to other living beings. Their wave changes ording to their mental state.}


    So, you''re saying that if a Code with malicious intent appears, I will easily be able to sense it?


    {Affirmative.}


    Is the Network rted to this in any way?


    {Negative.}


    I see. That''s unfortunate.


    Hold on Is this rted to when I had a ''premonition'' back when Yuno suddenly began fighting against me?


    {Affirmative.}


    Thinking of which, Yuno''s rity had gone awry. But, if I was still able to sense it, then that means that Yuno''s mental state was present.


    In other words, an exterior force wasn''t controlling, but rather, it was guiding her thoughts instead.


    Knowing Yuno, whatever she said during the battle is highly likely to be true.


    If I''m guessing right, whenever a Codepletely loses control of their rity, these Code Waves are no longer emitted.


    {That''s correct.}


    Well, that''s another way to check on the state of my allies and enemies.


    Anyway, you were saying something about detecting Code Waves. Are you able to tell what''s the Code?


    {Negative. The waves are too weak to be properly decoded.}


    Weak? Are they in a weakened state or are they far away?


    {Based on the energy signature, there is a 92% chance that it''s thetter.}


    That''s good, I guess?


    Leaving that aside, where are you sensing the Code Waves from?


    {The three flora that Father saved.}


    I knew there was something up when three gigantic nts appeared, but I wasn''t expecting it to be a Code.


    Alright, it''s about time I finished these swine off.


    Focusing back on reality, I lock my sight onto the under-structure of the dragon''s open mouth.


    "Gabriel, you check if this thing has any other ''artillery weapons'' other than the one in the mouth."


    "Understood," she replies serenely before splitting up with us.


    "Aruru, we''re going to be punishing some disbelievers."


    "Yay!", a gleeful voice reaches my ears.


    Thunderous noises resound all around us as the vines continuously strike the giant machine.


    I take this chance to cover myself in Destruction as I swiftly air-jump and punch the lower part of the dragon''s mouth.


    Cracks immediately form all over the thing before it breaks off from the main body of the machine.


    Fearful screams resound all around me as the men who were standing on it are now falling to their demise.


    However, before they''re able to fall and scream any longer, numerous light spears appear and begin to puncture them all over their bodies.


    "To hell, you go!" I hear Aruru scream as she ms her palm into the torso of a noble.


    The noble coughs out blood as his body gets hurled in the distance.


    Aruru and I proceed to find a way to get inside the giant machine, which was turned out to be much easier than I was expecting.


    You would think that such a huge machine will have intruder-proof doors and other things, however, we encountered no such thing as we entered from a hole in the dragon''s mouth.


    As Ind on the ground, I feel the whole thing shake due to the violent strikes of the vines outside.


    Why hasn''t it released that pulse that burned the vines again? Was it a one-time thing?


    If that''s the case, this matter will be much easier to resolve.


    Now then, what''s the best way to destroy a giant machine? The answer to that is obliterating its insides.


    I pull out Excalibur from within my ring and begin channeling Destruction into it, despite it already being extremely destructive the way it is.


    "Aruru, I leave shing the swine to you, while I will be cutting this thing down."


    "Yes, Father!" she exims so happily to the point of forgetting her ''identity'' as my maid.


    And so, I plunge the sword into the wall beside me and begin to forward while keeping it that way.


    Aruru walks in front of me with a light sword in her hand in case we encounter any obstacles.


    As the two of us gradually pick up the pace, we hear footsteps ahead of us.


    I don''t panic and just continue to cut the wall up while channeling Destruction into the machine''s structure.


    Soon, dozens of armored soldiers appear and immediately charge toward us with raised swords and spears.


    Aruruughs happily before she rushes toward them and begins to cut their heads and limbs off.


    In a matter of minutes, Aruru has wiped them all out.


    "Good job," I praise her while patting her head with my free hand.


    Giggling happily, Aruru says,


    "These guys are no problem at all. They won''t be able to hurt Father."


    "That''s correct, but a great number of flies is an annoying thing to deal with, right?"


    "Of course! Father is always correct!"


    [[Look at you, enjoying thepany of a little girl.]]


    "Tia, we''re going to be having a nice talk in the bath after I''m done with this."


    [[]


    Suddenly, I sense some movement on my arm.


    "Aurora?" I voice.


    Peeking its head out from under my sleeve, Aurora looks at me with its ruby eyes before moving out and falling off from my body.


    However, her body stops mid-air as she suddenly disappears, only to reappear a few meters ahead of us.


    Through our connection, I can sense that she wishes for me to follow her.


    "Aruru, let''s follow her," I state.


    "Understood."


    Aurora continues to ''blink'' from one spot to another while staying in the air, while we follow behind her, as I continue the machine.


    Anyway, she truly is a unique one, this cute snake of mine. Both in ability and appearance.


    Soon, we reach the ce she wanted to guide us.


    It''s a gigantic room that''s filled with gems simr to those in the dragon''s mouth and the cottage in the forest.


    I feel a weird sensation as AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Detected: Artifact.}


    An artifact? Is there something special about it?


    {Artifacts can grant those that chance upon it powers.}


    Oh? So, I''ll be getting another ability if I make contact with this thing? Where is it?


    Irene begins to guide me toward the artifact, which turned out to be under a container filled with gems.


    The artifact is a ck box decorated with golden-colored fringes.


    I reach my arm out to grab it, and the moment my finger makes contact with it, the box turns into ck and golden dust as it fades away.


    Does this usually happen?


    {Negative. Father''s case is a special one, allowing Father to absorb all of what the artifact has to offer.}


    {Acquired: Elemental Magic.}


    {Due to a contract present, affinity with the Void Element has increased.}


    Huh? Contract? Do you mean the one with Louise?


    {Affirmative.}


    So, Louise has this Void Element or something?


    {That''s correct.}


    Strange. Why have I not seen her use it yet? Could it be that she doesn''t know about it?


    That''s something worth looking into at ater interval, for now, I should focus on finishing this thing off.


    I raise my Excalibur and plunge it into the floor.


    The moment I do so, a weird noise resounds within the interior of the machine as everything begins to shake up.


    How much energy do I have left?


    {45%}


    Great.


    Circting the Holy Essence withing me, I utilize Holy sh and send out numerous shes in all directions around myself.


    Naturally, the material this machine is made up of doesn''t stand a chance against my shes, as it easily gets cut through.


    "Aruru," I say before lifting her and mming my leg into the floor, which results in it breaking and the two of us falling to another room below.


    I repeat this process a few times until we get out of the machine.


    Sensing that my Destruction has spread enough, I immediately activate it.


    The next moment, a loud noise resounds from within the machine''s interior as it begins to shake up.


    Large cracks begin to form on its exterior.


    What happens next is a little surprising, as the vines begin to invade the interior of the machine through the cracks.


    All of a sudden, another vine appears once again and moves right past as toward the hole I formed.


    Shortly, another burst of energy is released by the machine, however, this time it''s different in form and function.


    Not only did it not affect the vines, but it gave off an eerie vibe.


    As if sensing it, the vines all retract from the machine and back into the ground.


    What''s going on?


    Checking the state of the machine, I find out that energy signatures I''m sensing from it are ring up.


    Shit. It''s going to explode.


    Suddenly, one of the ''wings'' gets cleaved off as a figure approaches us.


    Checking it out, I find Gabriel flying toward us.


    That''s good, we can get out of this in one piece.


    Gift:


    -Immortality


    -Absolute Evasion


    Having gifted Gabriel and Aruru the necessary abilities once the former was within my range, I reach my arm out to Gabriel and pull her close to myself.


    As the three of us fall to the ground, the giant machine begins to act up onest time before the whole thing explodes.


    The shock-wave caused by the explosion reaches us and causes some slight burns on our clothes and body.


    Sensing that we''re nearing the ground, I''m about to make use of Flight to break our fall, but, before I can do that, the nts on the ground begin to rise and ''catch'' us.


    Then, the nts proceed to slowly move us toward the ground and let us go before returning to ''normal''.


    Shaking my head, I look toward the sky.


    Debris is falling everywhere and there are unstable energy signatures all over the ce.


    Letting out a sigh, I work out my Norse magic to form a teleportation gate connected to the castle.

 Chapter 138: Lightwood ; Tempest Wizard

    Chapter 138: Lightwood ; Tempest Wizard


    "Wales!" Lizette exims the moment she notices my arrival and runs toward me.


    She once again embraces me before moving back and checking my body from head to toe while asking,


    "You''re not hurt, are you?"


    I chuckle before shaking my head and saying,


    "Something like this wouldn''t be able to hurt me."


    Then, I turn to look over at a man that seems to be of higher rankpared to the rest of the soldiers and say,


    "Round up as many men as you can and head out to see if there are any ces that require assistance."


    "Yes, Your Grace!" he replies before heading inside along with thepany of two other men.


    Shifting my focus back to Lizette, I say,


    "We should inside."


    Agreeing with me, she nods her head before holding on to my arm once again and dragging me inside.


    Aruru and Gabriel follow behind us as we make our way to the lounging room we were in previously.


    ---


    After hours of spending time with Lizette in the castle, the time for returning to the academy arrived.


    During my time here, I got to find out more and more regarding Wales Tudor.


    What really piqued my interest is that the girl  Tiffania Westwood  that I had found in Matilda''s memories is my cousin.


    Anyway, I bid Lizette farewells before creating a portal to the academy.


    Aruru, Gabriel, and I pass through it and arrive at somewhere near the outskirts of the academy.


    We continue the rest of the way back to the academy on foot at a leisurely pace.


    Once we enter through the academy''s main gate, Louise, along with Tabitha and Kirche, notice us.


    Louise immediately runs over toward me with an excited look on her face.


    "Victor!" she exims while pulling out her wand.


    The heck?


    Once she''s in front of me, Louise begins to excitedly tell me about what happened to her a few hours ago.


    Apparently, she had felt a weird sensation, so she panicked and checked herself to see if anything is wrong with her body.


    She saw that there was nothing wrong with her, so she decided to use magic to make sure that there is nothing wrong with her body.


    To her pleasant surprise, she was not only able to cast her magic much easier than normal but also sessfully the one she wanted to, albeit it being weaker than normal.


    "Louise, I understand the part about it being easier for you to cast magic," I say dubiously, "But, what''s this about you seeding in casting magic?"


    Right after my words fade off, a red hue covers Louise''s face as she looks down at the ground and murmurs,


    "It just usually doesn''t work."


    "This pipsqueak wouldn''t shut up about it," a voice suddenly resounds behind Louise.


    Looking over, I see Kirche walking over along with Tabitha.


    "She has been speaking of the matter with her magic ever since she found it," Kirche says.


    "Who are you calling a pipsqueak!" Louise exims as she points her wand at Kirche and begins chanting.


    In response to this, Kircheughs and says,


    "Even if you can cast spells, they''re much weaker than normal."


    She then proceeds to pull out her wand and point it at Louise before chanting.


    Letting out a sigh, I mutter,


    "Aruru."


    Understanding my intentions, Aruru forms two small needle-like objects made of light and throws them at the wands.


    Both Louise and Kirche are surprised to find their wand suddenly snapped in half.


    In response to this, Louise doesn''t do much and just examines her broken wand, while Kirche gets a little worked up as she faces Aruru and exims,


    "What was that for?!"


    Unfazed, Aruru peers into her eyes and says monotonously,


    "Master''s orders."


    As if realization just dawned upon her, Kirche''s face has a somewhat unnatural look before it goes away and gets reced with a wry expression.


    "Now, I must get myself another wand. How annoying."


    Letting out a sigh, I wave my hand and create two brand-new wands and throw one over to each one.


    Both of them surprisingly have quick reactions as they catch the wand.


    "This" Kirche says with a serene expression, "Is Lightwood!"


    Hearing her, Louise is stunned for a few seconds before she begins to hastily examine her own wand.


    Soon, a smile appears on her face as she looks toward me and expresses jubntly,


    "You''re the best!"


    It seems like whatever material these two wands are made of is precious.


    Is it because it''s rare? There is a high chance that it has to do with its durability or effect on a magician''s magic.


    There has to be such an effect, as Louise and Kirche wouldn''t have reacted like this if it was otherwise.


    As I''m deliberating on the matter, I sense a gaze on me from the side.


    Moving my eyes, I set my sight on Tabitha who''s expressionlessly staring at me while holding a staff close to herself.


    Now that I think about it, she prefers to use a staff over a wand for some reason.


    Is there any staff in my database that is made up of such a material?


    After looking around for a short while, I''m able to find a staff made of the exact same material used in the wands.


    However, it looks a little entric.


    That''s not all, as the moment I focus on it, a name appears in my head: Staff of Tempest.


    Deciding that this is a proper gift, I create it.


    However, what I didn''t expect was for Louise and Kirche to drop their wands out of shock as they look at the staff with widened eyes.


    It seems like I have severely undermined the importance of this staff as even the expressionless Tabitha has a shocked look on her face now.


    Silence ensues as none of the girls utter a word.


    After a whole minute, I decide that this is going nowhere, so I grab the staff and present it to Tabitha while saying,


    "This is my present for you."


    Tabitha gets even more shocked as she drops her staff and looks into my eyes as if checking to see if I''m pulling her leg or not.


    Finding her actions a little adorable, I fix the staff into the ground, gently pat her head and ruffle her blue hair with my fingers before saying,


    "Presumably, this staff is called Staff of Tempest. Do you happen to know anything about that?"


    My words seem to turn on some unusual switch within Tabitha as she hastily begins to tell me about the legend of the Tempest Mage.


    A long time ago, there was a man that performed extraordinary feats that are still spoken of nowadays.


    One of his most important aplishments was crafting the Staff of Tempest.


    However, upon the death of the Tempest Mage, his staff disappeared along with him.


    This legend is wide-spread among the nobles as they all admire the feats of the Tempest Mage, which consisted of saving the Tristain Kingdom from a rebellion, training the descendants of Germania to the point of making them the strongest, and much more.


    Tabitha is a huge fan of this Tempest Mage as she usually reads books rted to him, so this staff holds a high significance to her.


    "Then, that''s great!" I exim while ruffling her hair once again, "You get to use the very staff that the Tempest Mage used."


    Although, I highly doubt that they''re the same, there definitely is a connection between the two.


    My database works in a rather quirky way. If something is well known, it appears within my database, with the price of creating it depending on howmonly it''s seen.


    There is an exception to this, which is if a lot of people sincerely believe in something, it would also appear in my database. However, it would cost much more than an object that was seen.


    So, seeing that the Staff of Tempest didn''t cost much energy suggests that the real one is out there and being seen by many.


    "Tabitha, where did the Tempest Mage die?"


    Being the fan she is, Tabitha immediately replies,


    "Gallia."


    The Kingdom of Gallia, huh? This means that there is a high chance the ''original'' staff is somewhere there.


    I have to make use of this chance to interact with Tabitha and find more about the staff as a precaution against any troubles that it may cause in the future.


    My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a sudden soft sensation pressing against me.


    Shifting my focus back to reality, I find Tabitha softly hugging me without uttering a single word.


    Not minding it, I hug her back and pat the back of her head.


    After a few seconds, she lets go of me and grabs the staff fixed into the ground.


    She then begins to pull it a little before it gets out.


    While Tabitha examines her staff, Kirche and Louise are both staring at it curiously in silence.


    "We should head inside," I say.


    They all agree with me unanimously as they all follow me back to the main academy building.


    I need to have a talk with Osmond sometime regarding the matter with Matilda.


    That''s to figure out whose side is he on and inform him about my ascendance to the throne.


    ---


    "You girls rest here, while I have to go do something important," I say to Aruru, Gabriel, Ddraig, and Louise.


    Once I''ve confirmed that they don''t have anything to say to me, I leave Louise''s dorm room.


    I then check my surroundings to make sure that no one is around before muttering,


    "Tia, you''re leaving the ce you''re in."


    [[What?]]


    "Be prepared," I say as I focus on ''ejecting'' her.


    [[Wait a min-]]


    Her voice gets cut off as she appears as a figure made of light appears in front of me before it fades away and reveals a messy-looking Tiamat.


    "What were you doing?" I question while looking at her messy clothes and hair.


    "Taking a nap, obviously," she replies with a scoff.


    "Sure, if you say so," I say dismissively, "We''re going to be taking a bath soon anyway, so it''s not that much of an issue."


    Tiamat''s eyes widen as she swiftly moves her head to look me in the eyes and says,


    "What do you mean?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I ce my hand on her shoulder and say,


    "What else could it mean."


    Before she can utter another word, I mutter,


    "Arena."

 Chapter 139: Bath ; Strange Water ; Appearance

    Chapter 139: Bath ; Strange Water ; Appearance


    "This ce again," Tiamat mutters as soon as we arrive in the Arena.


    "It''s a lovely ce, isn''t it?" I ask her while grinning.


    "Perhaps, if you hadn''t forcefully brought me here, I would have found it more pleasant," she responds.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I approach her and swiftly wrap my arms around her.


    "What are you doing?" she asks me, unfazed.


    "What needs to be done," I reply while tightening my hold on her.


    After a short while, I let go of her and begin to use irvoyance to find a suitable ce to take a bath.


    Soon, a building catches my attention.


    It''s a huge pce on an ''ind'' faraway from where we currently are. At the back, there is a huge pool that''s already filled with water.


    Hm...


    This ce is as strange as ever. Every facility seems to be in optimal condition in a way that it''s as convenient as it could get.


    Normally, one wouldn''t think of this as much and just count it as a perk of this ce, however, I can''t say that the same goes for me.


    It only increases my suspicion regarding the shadiness of this ce, especially after what happened a short while ago.


    I can''t get anyone remotely weak inside here anymore.


    Shaking my head, I shift my focus back to reality and say to Tiamat,


    "I''ve found somece nice."


    In response to my words, Tiamat says,


    "Just get over with it."


    Beaming her a smile, I move closer to her before lifting her from the ground.


    Then, I ignore the way Tiamat is looking at me and begin circting my Holy Essence.


    The next moment, after having utilized Godspeed, I dash in the direction of the pce.


    It doesn''t take me long to reach my destination. As I let Tiamat down, the first thing that catches my attention is a giant tree with a sign attached to it. Written on the sign is an introduction to the ce along with some other things:


    ''Wee to the Emerald Pce Kempinski Dubai, we''


    Deciding that it''s not worth reading as there aren''t any workers here, anyway, I begin walking toward the fascinating pool with Tiamat following me close behind.


    Once we''re at the pool, realization suddenly dawns upon me  I can''t create modern swimsuits here, or, so I thought, but upon essing the database, I find them.


    How? I thought they wouldn''t exist at the period the Sorcerers'' Lair is in


    Perhaps, the way the tform works is different from the usual history I''m familiar with? After taking the matter with magic and the giant machine that I took down, that''s most likely the case.


    There is also the matter with the ''guns'' that the girls with Henrietta carried.


    Why are they not appearing in my Creation? It sure is something worth looking into whenever I have the time to.


    Anyway, I decide to make a two-piece swimsuit for Tiamat that moderately covers what needs to be covered. There isn''t a need to embarrass her, as it would be much more enjoyable if the two of us feelfortable around each other.


    However, the swimsuit I summoned results in Tiamat''s eyes widening as she asks doubtfully,


    "You want me to wear that?"


    Confused by her words, I say,


    "Well, yeah. That''s why I have created them."


    In response to my words, Tiamat looks me in the eyes with a serious expression on her face for a few seconds before she lets out a sigh and takes the swimsuit and heads inside the pce.


    She''s going to go get changed, huh? Well, I might as well get in the water until she returns.


    Epassing myself with destructive energy, I obliterate my current clothes and create something more appropriate for swimming before directly jumping into the water.


    A refreshing feeling spreads within my body as I slowly sink deeper into the pool.


    I subconsciously circte all the Essence Energies within my body, resulting in an even morefortable feeling.


    {WARNING: Humanity has fallen below 25%}


    AI''s voice washes myfort away as my eyes shoot open under the water.


    For some reason, I''m not feeling any difort and just find it ''normal''.


    Leaving that aside, why has my humanity decreased?


    {Father''s actions of merging with the Code have resulted in a drastic increase in metabolic reactions. The unusual state lead to Father losing more of the physical body to the Code.}


    And, I suppose that''s a good thing?


    {Can''t confirm. There is no information regarding this matter.}


    Yeah, I highly doubt that there are no side effects thate with this.


    Last time there was a significant decrease in my humanity, my personality began reforming to the point of performing useless actions.


    Although such actions did have a useter on, that doesn''t affect the point of them being useless at the time I did them.


    I can''t even begin imagining what will ur once I reach 0%.


    Whatever. Say, is the matter with Louise''s magic rted to my contract with her?


    {Affirmative. The contract enhances the power of another in exchange for usage of said power.}


    So, it''s a mutually beneficial rtionship huh? Hence, the ''equal contract'', I guess.


    Clearing my mind of every possible thought, I let my body sink without a care for anything else.


    Soon, I feel a hard sensation on my back as a small burst of energy leaves my body.


    The heck? I can''t believe that the ground in this pool is shaped this way. Couldn''t they have cut off all the unbnced parts?


    As I swim back to the surface, I am stunned by the dazzling sight of Tiamat who''s now wearing the swimsuit I gave her.


    Going with the color that suits Tiamat the most, I created a blue swimsuit along with a transparent white cloth for the top.


    All in all, it looks wonderful on her, especially the color that match up with the color of her hair and eyes.


    "You''re finally here," I say as I slowly swim toward her.


    Instead of saying something as a response to my words, Tiamat just stares at me with the same serious look she had on before she went inside to get changed.


    Not minding it, I say with a smile on my face,


    "You look stunning in that swimsuit. I expected no less from you."


    A small smile appears on Tiamat''s face for a split-second before her face changes to an impassive state as she walks closer to the pool.


    Shaking my head, I move closer to the ledge and step out of the pool.


    What happens next surprises me a little, as Tiamat''s eyes immediately shift to my body.


    "Impressed?" I voice while grinning.


    Tiamat turns her head away and acts like she doesn''t see me as she begins examining the pool.


    Before I can tease her about her actions, Tiamat frowns a little as she says,


    "This water is not normal."


    Not normal? In what way? Perhaps, I can finally get a clue on the nature of the Arena?


    "What do you mean?" I inquire curiously.


    "It feels like this water is immune to all forces."


    Huh? What is she even talking about? I doubt she''s speaking about the forces of physics, as I was swimming in it just a moment ago without any trouble.


    Deciding that it''s probably worth checking out, I walk toward the pool and sink my foot into the water.


    Then, I pull my leg out, while attempting to amplify the force of the vectors.


    However, nothing happens.


    No sensations, changes in the water, and my body. Nothing at all.


    Was the ability canceled or is this just a property of Vector Maniption?


    Deciding that it''s something interesting to investigate, I begin using various other abilities which all end up with one oue: The water is unaffected.


    As I''m deliberating on the matter, I notice a movement in the corner of my sight.


    Looking over, I find Tiamat getting inside the water.


    "Hey, what are you doing?!" I say a little anxiously as I appear beside her.


    "It''s not like water will harm us, right? This ce is probably as abnormal as your existence, so it''s better to get this done with early," she responds coolly.


    Well, yes, this ce is abnormal, but no normal individual would just get inside a body of water deemed suspicious.


    Then again, Tiamat isn''t considered a ''normal individual'', so her thoughts differ from normal.


    Screw it, I will just enjoy this. Better that than solving an unsolvable mystery.


    I mean, what can I even do to figure out what this water is when I don''t even know exactly know what the Arena is and where it lies.


    AI, do you have any information on where I am?


    {Negative.}


    Do you mind exining to me how you''re able to interact with me?


    {A constant connection is active with Father''s system. The said connection doesn''t specify location and state.}


    I see. It seems like I have to figure this thing out on my own or at the very least collect data for Irene to analyze.


    "Hey Tia," I say as I enter the water and swim to her side.


    The moment Tiamat turns her head to face me, I move my head closer and seal her lips.


    Having not done this in a while, Tiamat''s body stiffens a little as she punches my stomach with as much strength as she can muster.


    Naturally, I attempt to cancel the vectors of her punch, however, it doesn''t work as she sessfullynds a punch.


    This results in a stinging pain in my stomach as a shockwave spreads and destabilizes the water in the pool.


    I move away from her a little and say,


    "What was that for?"


    Instead of replying, Tiamat just grins as she says,


    "Looks like you''re not so invincible here."


    Looks like someone is getting confident just because I am unable to use one of my abilities.


    "Tia, you better not regret this," I say before diving under the water.


    I swiftly swim over to her and surface before embracing her body.


    As if already expecting my actions, Tiamat has already shut her eyes.


    From the looks of it, I wasn''t the only one looking forward to this Why can''t she just be honest? Does this have something to do with her pride as a dragon?


    Setting these thoughts aside, I kiss her soft lips once again and squeeze her plump butt while at it.


    Feeling the softness of her breasts on my chest, I stop kissing her and move my head away a little before pulling her closer to myself using my left arm.


    Lifting my other arm, I begin to gently stroke her cheek and look into her blue eyes with a smile on my face.


    Suddenly a slightly shocked expression appears on Tiamat''s face as she looks behind me.


    But I haven''t sensed anything


    With this thought stuck in my head, I turn around just in time to see a xen-haired girl in a strange green attire that resembles military clothes in a way.


    Beside her, is a giant wheel attached to a rather thick handle.

 Chapter 140: hIE ; Saturnus

    Chapter 140: hIE ; Saturnus


    Tiamat and I are both surprised by the appearance of the girl. That''s most likely because we weren''t able to sense her presence this whole time.


    The girl''s eyes are shut as she ever so slowly floats out of the water.


    What''s worth mentioning is the fact that the girl is using some ability within the water, despite Tiamat and I not being capable of doing so.


    All of a sudden, she opens her eyes, revealing a pair of lifeless light brown eyes.


    The next moment, the girl slowly turns her head while floating in the air and looks our way.


    "Tiamat, I think we better get out of the water," I say in a low voice.


    I attempt to make use of Flight, but as I expected, it doesn''t work.


    So, Tiamat and I swim to the ledge of the pool while keeping a close eye on the motionless girl.


    Soon, we step out of the pool while the girl has yet to move.


    That doesn''t go on for much longer, as, suddenly, she seems to lose her ability to float in the air and falls back into the water along with the weird thing beside her.


    Due to the nature and color of this strange water, I am unable to see through it.


    I prepare for a sudden ambush, however, that fortunately doesn''t ur as the girl gets out of the pool ''normally'' while carrying the strange armament.


    She then begins to look around the area for a few seconds before turning her head to face me before slowly walking toward us.


    Sensing no malicious intent, I''m not sure of what to do.


    I wasn''t capable of sensing her ''presence'' in the pool, heck, I''m not able to do so even now.


    Thus, I can''t be sure if I can sense hostility or not, as there is the likelihood of her simply being undetectable.


    This is starting to make me wonder, what is she?


    {Entity identified as hIE ss: Lacia Type-003}


    What''s that?


    {Insufficient information on the target.}


    So, only her existence is listed within your database?


    {Affirmative.}


    Great. An existence that''s listed in my system. No way in hell they''re going to be anywhere near ordinary beings.


    Now, my main priority is figuring out if she is an ally or a foe.


    Judging from the way she''s walking over and holding the armament, it doesn''t seem like she wishes to fight.


    So, I stand with my back straight as she gradually gets closer.


    After a few seconds, the girl is right in front of me, with a little less than half-a-meter of space separating us.


    She directly looks into my eyes for a few seconds before getting on her knees and saying in a monotonous voice which reminds me of AI,


    "Transferring ownership to Creator."


    As soon as her words fade off, the tip armament beside her begins to change shape as a holographic yellow circle appears.


    "Please ept."


    You''ve got to be kidding me. Did she just call me ''creator''? Have I created her in the past?


    Logically speaking, that should be the case. I mean, it''s either that or this girl knows the past me who probably had such a title or alias.


    I''m willing to bet that it''s the former.


    Anyway, there is no reason to refuse a strange girl that just popped out of nowhere and decided to serve me.


    I reckon that epting her offer has to do with the yellow circle?


    Deciding that it''s worth the shot, I press the holographic circle using the tip of my finger, which results in it getting smaller.


    A little confused, I press it again, only for it topletely disappear this time.


    "Ownership of Lacia ss, Type-003; Saturnus has been transferred over to Victor Origo."


    Hearing the girl''s words, I get a little confused. Origo? What''s that?


    Now that I think about it, do I even have a family to have a family name?


    From the looks of it, the only one that can be considered remotely close to being my ''real family'' would be Infi.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean I''ve forgotten about my sisters and the others, but there is still this feeling inside me. I want to know.


    Well, I should leave such thoughts aside for now and see if I can obtain any information from this girl.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Saturnus," she replies monotonously.


    Great, I don''t need to refer to her as whatever that long term was.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "ERROR: Can''t answer due tock of intel."


    This girl why does she seem to be ''inhuman''?


    "What are you?"


    "hIE, Lacia ss, Type-003."


    "What''s an hIE?" I ask her, getting a little impatient.


    "hIE are androids developed by Creator and the Branch to integrate into society."


    Androids? As in robots? No wonder her personality seems to be so cking''.


    "What is the Branch?"


    "An organization led by the Creator to maintain the prosperity of hIE and further develop them to integrate into society more effectively."


    I have an organization in some other world? What the heck was I doing? Why did I create the hIE? Also, where even is this ce she''s speaking of? Don''t tell me that it''s what the Arena used to be or something...


    "Where is that society that you speak of?"


    "tform: Higgins."


    What the heck? How does this girl know about the existence of tforms?


    "Hey," I suddenly hear a yell behind me, "Who is this girl? Do you know her?"


    "I''m not sure," I respond before turning my attention back to Saturnus.


    "Are all hIE as lifeless as you are?"


    "No," she responds, "Emotions are currently disabled. Permission to reactivate?"


    "Granted," I say.


    The next moment, the look on her face mellows out as she suddenly lets out a sigh and moves her body around.


    "Finally!" she yells with excitement apparent in her voice.


    Dumbfounded by the sight in front of me, I speechlessly stare at her as she moves her arms and legs around.


    "Creator," she says after a few seconds while pouting, "Why did you leave us?"


    "Huh?" I say, breaking out of my stupor.


    "As soon as the battle reached its climax, you suddenly disappeared, and at the same time, one of the main reactors exploded."


    "Thankfully, I was able to make contact with Creator''s Core just in time, so I made it out safely."


    Hold on, she made contact with my Core? Is that the reason why she''s here? And what''s up with that battle that she is speaking of?


    I thought that androids were made to be integrated into society? Speaking of which, I highly doubt that this thing beside her was made with good intentions.


    Shaking my head, I ce my hand on my forehead and say exasperatedly,


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about, as I''ve lost my memories."


    The next moment, an expression of extreme shock appears on Saturnus''s face as she exims,


    "No way! Creator, you can''t have forgotten me, right?"


    Seeing the expectation in her eyes, I look away before saying,


    "I''ve forgotten everything."


    "How cruel!" she directly yells.


    She then looks down at the ground as an aura of death exudes from her.


    "It''s all because of them!" she abruptly exims with a raged expression on her face, "If not for them, I would be serving Creator without any issue!"

 Chapter 141: Battle ; Another Battle *NSFW*

    Chapter 141: Battle ; Another Battle *NSFW*


    Confused by her im, I inquire,


    "Who are they?"


    "Those that wanted to stop Branch from developing any further."


    As I deliberate on the information I just got, Tiamat walks close to us and says,


    "Are you going to be telling me what''s going on?"


    Nodding my head, I begin exining,


    "This girl is from a tform my past self was in. Apparently, she''s an android that used to serve me."


    "Android?"


    "Ah, right. You wouldn''t exactly know that term She''s basically a machine," I say.


    "So, does this machine want to serve you again?"


    Before I can reply, Saturnus points her finger at Tiamat''s face and exims in a loud and cheerful voice,


    "That''s exactly it!"


    The next moment, a blush appears on her fair skin as she begins rubbing her hands against each other and muttering,


    "Ah! All the joy that''s to be had while serving the Creator!"


    How the heck is she blushing? Isn''t she supposed to be an android? Or are the androids from that tform she spoke of that developed?


    Anyway, this girl seems to be looking forward to serving me. I will be able to tell her character if I ask this,


    "Saturnus, what was I like before?"


    My question seems to flip some sort of switch as an expression of excitement covers her face while she begins to recount everything she found great about me  which practically consisted of everything regarding my existence.


    It seems like I was not so friendly toward humans in the past, as ording to what Saturnus said, I was constantly fighting against them.


    However, for some reason, I wouldn''t do it personally. I would always have androids and members of Branch fight my battles.


    It''s highly likely that I was doing some sort of experiment, as my powers back then should be way beyond anything ordinary humans can achieve.


    Setting that aside, this shows what Saturnus''s character should be like quite well.


    From what I can tell, she''s very happy to serve the ''Creator'' and fight for him. So, she will most likely be an important asset to me depending on her capabilities.


    "Hey, Saturnus," I say, attracting the daydreaming android''s attention,


    "How about having a mock battle with my familiar?"


    "What?" Tiamat voices dubiously.


    "Of course!" Saturnus exims with vigor as she raises the armament beside her and points it at Tiamat.


    "I challenge you to a duel!"


    As enthusiastic as she may be, I highly doubt that she will be able to hold her own against Tiamat.


    Tiamat lets out a sigh while slowly shaking her head and saying,


    "Fine. But, be warned: I won''t be going easy on you."


    Alright, it seems like Tiamat is up for a fight. I wonder if there is a way to repair Saturnus if her circuits get damaged


    Deciding that it''s probably better if she''s dressed properly, I create a proper attire for Tiamat.


    She shoots me a grateful look before wearing the attire on top of her swimsuit.


    "Very well, I say after having stepped back a few meters, "Fight!"


    What happens next, surprises both Tiamat and me, as Saturnus dashes toward Tiamat at a speed on par with Tiamat.


    Naturally, Tiamat regains herposure fairly quickly as she repairs to strike Saturnus with a fist filled with energy.


    However, our expectations are overturned as Saturnus suddenly throws her armament to the sky before leaping up herself.


    Reaching her arm out, Saturnus grabs the armament and somehow boosts herself mid-air by making use of some energy.


    Saturnus proceeds to make use of her boost to m the tip of her armament into the ground.


    The following moment, a great wave of energy is released from where she struck and moves at an incredible rate toward Tiamat.


    Tiamat seems to have expected such a thing as she quickly dodges by moving to the side, however, the energy wave suddenly explodes.


    As if all energy has been drained from her, Tiamat gets down her knees while panting heavily.


    Not wasting this opportunity, Saturnus pulls her armament out of the ground and proceeds to dash at Tiamat.


    The armament in her hand all of a sudden begins to change from what it was to a trident with strange energy focused at each one of the three tips.


    Just as Saturnus is about to strike Tiamat with it, Tiamat suddenly releases a burst of energy which effectively blows Saturnus away from the spot.


    What I find surprising is that Saturnus doesn''t lose herposure as if something like this is normal for her.


    Effortlesslynding on her feet, Saturnus begins spinning the armament in her hand as its shape begins to change once again.


    This time it turned into a blunt spear, however, the energy focused at the tip is much morepared to before.


    Before Saturnus can dash toward her again, Tiamat ms her leg into the ground with enough force to shake everything up.


    Destabilized, Saturnus is caught off-guard as Tiamat suddenly appears in front of her and punches her guts with enough force to send her flying into the pce''s wall.


    The wall breaks down and falls along with Saturnus.


    However, unlike what I expected, Saturnus suddenly plunges her armament into the wall and yells,


    "Overload!"


    Immediately after she says that, a great amount of energy is released from her armament resulting in the wall to break apart and its debris to propel into the air.


    What''s strange is that there seems to be an energy that''s holding the debris up which Saturnus makes use of to change her position.


    As soon as Saturnus is right above Tiamat, she prepares to make use of her armament once again, but, before she can do that, Tiamat covers her arms in an energy that feels quite familiar to me.


    What''s that?


    {Father''s familiar is currently making use of the energy it has absorbed.}


    Oh, right! Now that she can make use of it, her nature must have changed a lot, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Great, she''s even more closely rted to me right now. I''m so proud of this beautiful dragon of mine...


    Anyway, Saturnus is much stronger than I expected. That weapon of hers is sure something else for being capable of the functions she showcased. Besides that, there is something else that piqued my interest: The energy she has been making use of.


    That energy is unlike any I''ve encountered up until now, making it a unique one.


    Could it be something that can be only used by androids? That might be it. Even so, I wonder how much of it can she store, and how does it replenish?


    It seems like Saturnus is going to be a very valuable asset for both battle and research. Hopefully, she will be an entertainingpanion as well.


    Shifting my focus back to the battle, I find Tiamat and Saturnus at a deadlock with Saturnus holding the tip of armament against Tiamat''s neck, while Tiamat is pressing her palm brimmed with energy against Saturnus''s chest.


    "That''s enough!" I exim, resulting in the two of them to back away from each other without harming one another.


    I''ve already obtained the data that I sought, so there is no point in making them fight any longer.


    I approach the two girls before turning my head to face Saturnus and saying,


    "How much energy do you have left?"


    "Creator doesn''t have to worry about that! I have more than enough," she replies with a bright smile on her face.


    "I see," I respond before shifting my focus over to Tiamat who seems to be a little gloomy.


    "What''s wrong?" I inquire.


    "Nothing," she simply replies.


    Right, now that this matter is over, I should continue what we were doing earlier.


    "Tiamat," I say, "Let''s continue our bath."


    My words seem to pique her interest as she looks over at me with a slight amount of expectation apparent in her eyes.


    "Saturnus, you are to do whatever you want until we''re done," I say before moving closer to Tiamat and holding her hand.


    "Alright!" I hear a voice behind me as I drag Tiamat along with myself to the pool.


    ---


    After a long while of bathing and enjoying our time in the pool, Tiamat and I step out and head over to one of the rooms in the pce to get dressed.


    Unfortunately, I''m unable to recreate the attire that I had on upon arriving here, so I have no choice other than to wear a ''noble'' attire.


    Thankfully, the cloak that had been given to me by Henrietta is avable in the database.


    However, upon creating it, I feel my headache as AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {WARNING: Energy has dropped below 30%.}


    Ugh. It seems like this drained more energy than I expected it would.


    My focus subconsciously shifts to Tiamat who''s drying herself using one of the two towels I created upon reaching the room.


    Setting everything I created aside, I slowly approach Tiamat before embracing her from the back.


    "Master?" she mutters, confused.


    Not uttering a single word, I use my hand to turn her head and kiss her lips once again.


    She doesn''t flinch or show any signs of difort, but instead, attempts to return the kiss.


    Making use of this chance, I slide my hand underneath her swimsuit and fondle her bare breast.


    After a few seconds, I''m unable to hold myself back anymore as I swiftly push her down on the bed and getting on top of her.


    ---NSFW---


    I slide my right hand into the lower part of her swimsuit and begin to gently rub her clit while continuing to kiss her supple lips.


    Momentster, I find myself inserting a finger into her vulva while folding her breast with my other hand.


    Tiamat was a little stiff in the beginning, but, after a while, she entered a rxed state as I continued to y around with her lovely body.


    As I continue with my actions, I feel something grip my rod.


    Looking down, I find Tiamat''s slender hand gently stroking it.


    Perhaps


    After deliberating for a dozen or so seconds, I decide that it''s about time I moved on to the next base.


    While making sure to not cause her any difort, I continue to y around with her body and changing my position so that I''m right beside her.


    Then, I telekically change the way her legs are positioned so that I am right in between her legs.


    I ce both of my hands on Tiamat''s breasts as I move closer to her and say,


    "You''re one attractive dragon, Tia."


    "You phnderer," she responds while panting a little.


    Not minding her words, I proceed to kiss her lips once again, before gently pinching her nipple.


    After a few minutes of kissing and fondling, I stop and begin to take off whatever I have left on, while Tiamat does the same.


    As I''m about to prepare for the real deal, Tiamat surprises by suddenly turning and getting on her knees and hands.


    With her butt facing me, Tiamat says,


    "Just this over with already."


    A smile covers my face as I press my rod against her butt crack and move my head closer to hers.


    As if knowing what I want, Tiamat turns her head and kisses me of her own ord.


    Shortly, I break the kiss and move my head back before getting in a proper position.


    I rub the tip of my rod against her wet entrance before slowly pushing it inside.


    What the heck. Why is it so tight?!


    The tightness is unlike anything I''ve experienced before. It''s like her walls are trying to crush me.


    Naturally, this can''t even get remotely close to harming me, and only serves the purpose of providing me with a unique experience.


    "So tight," I mutter as I slowly insert the whole thing inside.


    "What were you expecting?" Tiamat responds with a scoff as a small stream of red liquid flow out of her.


    She was a virgin? Color me surprised. I didn''t expect her to be inexperienced in this regard.


    It''s not like I''m upset, in fact, I''m d that this is the case.


    Once a good while has passed, I begin thrusting my hips a little more vigorously than I usually would.


    Tiamat seems to be trying to hold her voice in for some reason, so I decide to make it my objective to force her voice out.


    As I begin to gradually hasten my thrusting speed, Tiamat seems to lose her control as she lets out a slightly loud moan.


    After a few minutes, Tiamat suddenly lets out the loudest moan yet along with a sudden burst of energy that disorganizes the room.


    What follows after this surprises me, as a thick blue tale seems to appear out of nowhere on her back while two curved horns protrude out of her head.


    Naturally, I don''t let this stop me from enjoying her body as I continue thrusting inside her while fondling her right breast with my hand.


    In this position, my head is a little close to her body, or more specifically, her tail.


    Observing it, I realize that it twitches along with my thrusts.


    Could it be


    Intrigued, I use my left arm to stroke the tail.


    As I expected, this earns me a sudden yell from Tiamat as her body stiffens up and a gush of liquid flows out of her.


    "Your tail is sensitive?" I curiously ask while gently rubbing it.


    Panting heavily, Tiamat responds,


    "Only when I am in an aroused state."


    Interesting.


    I hug her tail and gently rub it as I continue thrusting inside her.


    A whileter, I feel like I''m about to orgasm, so I begin to increase my pacing, resulting in even loader moans from Tiamat.


    Once the moment has arrived, I thrust inside once more before releasing everything inside.


    Tiamat seems to orgasm at the very same moment as her tail abruptly stiffens before pointing toward the sky as a sensual moan escapes from her lips.


    The of us then enter a rxed state as I lie down on the bed while holding her body close to myself.


    "Don''t you feel ufortable," I say while looking at one of her horns.


    "Not at all," she responds before moving close to me and pressing her head against my chest.


    This dragon she always acts like she''s against every one of my actions, yet here she is,fortable lying beside me.


    Moving my hand, I lift her chin a little as I kiss her onest time.


    ---NSFW (End)---


    Now then, I wonder what Saturnus has been up to this whole time?


    Using irvoyance, I look around the pce for her for a few seconds before finding her in a dressing room of sorts.


    Saturnus is currently standing in front of a mirror, admiring her attire which is that of a maid''s.


    Near her, there are several other maid attires which I assume she had tried on.


    She seems to be satisfied with the one she is currently wearing as a bright smile appears on her face before she turns toward the door and proceeds to leave the room.

 Chapter 142: Changes ; Exit

    Chapter 142: Changes ; Exit


    "Tia, we should head back," I state while gently nudging her sleeping body.


    "Hm?" she hums while slowly opening her eyes.


    "Come on," I say before leaning over and kissing her cheek.


    Right, it''s been a while since I''ve checked my status screen. I wonder how much has changed.


    "Codification."


    ----------------


    Name: Wales Tudor (Victor -)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 30>>24%


    Energy Left: 43%


    ------


    Str: 80>>81[32] (11) | Agi: 74>>76[30>>31] (11) | Dex: 71[28] (11)


    Int: 71[28] (11) | Def: 66[26] (11) | Vit: 66[26] (11)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (2/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (5%) | Destruction (2%) | Angelification (??)


    C: ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    D: mes of Devastation I [III] -|- Withering Aura -|- Paralyze I [III] -|- Cancetion -|- Termination I [V]


    A: Telepathy -|- Mirroring -|- Blessing I [X]


    Holy:


    Holy sh II [V] -|- Pdin''s Aura I [V] -|- Paragon''s Eyes I [III] -|- Godspeed III [V] -|- Blink II [III] -|- Light Maniption IV [VI] -|- Healing Factor II [III] -|- Transmutation -|- Divine Retribution I [V] -|- irvoyance (Passive) II [III] -|- Illusion II [III] -|- Rework I [III] -|- Eye of Judgment I [IV] -|- Analyze I [III] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ----------------


    Plunder III [V]:-


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis III [V]


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    Permeation I [III] -|- Location I [III] -|- Hypnotism I [V] -|- Indoctrination I [III] -|- Pyrokinesis


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    Spiritualism I [IV] -|- Insight I [VI] -|- Copse (0%) -|- Thoughtography (1%)


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    Flight I>>II [III] -|- Memory Erasure I [IV] -|- Imperfect Invisibility I [X] -|- Time-Leap (?) {R: 4%} -|- Ability Erasure (2%) -|- Gift II [V] -|- Organic Constructs (1%) -|- Regeneration I [V] -|- Absolute Evasion (1%) -|- Vector Maniption (7>>8%)


    --- Unassigned ---


    --


    Power of Destruction (Lesser - 0%)


    Immortality


    Boosted Gear:-


    Dragon Roar (0%) -|- Scale Mail (0%) -|- Draconic Form (0%)


    ----------------


    Norse Magic I [X]:-


    Teleportation I [V] -|- Curse of Regret I [III] -|- Curse of Memories I [V] -|- Curse of Solitary I [III] -|- Curse of Damnation I [IV] -|- Summoning I [VII]


    ----------------


    Gandalfr:-


    Mastery (0%) -|- Last Stand (0%) -|- Enhancement (0%)


    ----------------


    Current tform: Sorcerers'' Lair


    ----------------


    This is great! So much has changed that I''m beginning to get a little excited.


    First, it seems like my energy has been somewhat replenished after the short activity I had with Tiamat.


    I guess that settles what Infi meant when she mentioned ''a being of power equal to mine, if not more''. One would normally think that she meant someone equal to me in strength or stronger, but that doesn''t seem to be the case.


    Tiamat is weaker than me, yet, coption with her restored some of my energy.


    Could it be, that the requirement she described was meant as ''full recovery'' and not a necessity? It does seem like it, so that''s what I will go by for now.


    Leaving that aside, the changes in my parameters aren''t worth looking into. The most interesting part is how there is a whole new section for Mahesvara.


    Why wasn''t this avable before?


    {Father has achieved the hidden requirement to unlock it.}


    Which was?


    {Discover seven functions of the Mahesvara Effects.}


    And I suppose that was set by my old self?


    {Affirmative.}


    Is this my way of pushing myself to investigate more of my powers? It feels like it is. Well, I probably should''ve yed around a little with my powers instead of just using them.


    I will be staying in the academy for some time, so there is plenty of time to do all that.


    Anyway, I wonder what are the descriptions and limitations.


    --


    mes of Devastation:


    Form mes with enhanced destructive capabilities. Inextinguishable. Can only be used on mmable materials. Medium energy consumption.


    _


    Withering Aura:


    A cloak of destructive elements that destroy all energy and matter that makes contact with the user. Medium energy consumption.


    _


    Paralyze:


    A wave of energy that disables a living being''s motor functions. Energy needs to be directly sent into the body. Small energy consumption.


    _


    Cancetion:


    Erasure of energy and aura emitted by opposing beings. Range limit  5 meters. Medium energy consumption.


    _


    Termination:


    A pulse of destruction that obliterates a being''s physical body. Direct contact is required. High energy consumption.


    --


    These are some great functions. I''ve already been making use of them for a while, but it sure is nice to see them all listed like this.


    Now then, there are the Angelification functions


    They''re much more simplepared to the ones associated with Destruction.


    Telepathy is how I usuallymunicate with my angels, while Mirroring is what I make use of to see what they see.


    As for the most interesting part, which is the blessing


    --


    Blessing:


    Enhances the growth of every parameter by 50%. Provides the following effects: Sacrifice -|- Crusader -|- Heaven''s Light.


    --


    No wonder my Angels have been exhibiting such horrifying potential. I am unable to check the three effects which are listed, which is a little worrying.


    At least, it doesn''t seem like Crusader and Heaven''s Light can negatively influence them, but the same can''t be said about Sacrifice.


    Setting that matter aside for now, I continue to examine the new changes.


    --


    Flight I>>II [III]:


    Unlimited usage | Maximum speed is 40>>200 km/h. | Maximum eleration is 5>>6 km/s.


    --


    Huh, this tier up is going to severely affect my usage of flight henceforth.


    Finally, there is the most interesting part of all this. There is something new next to my Time-Leap ability.


    AI, what is does R: 4% signify?


    {The ability is currently being rejuvenated. Uponpletion, usage of the ability will be possible.}


    Now, this is what I wanted to hear! Returning in time is something that could be exploited in a lot of ways. Heck, it could practically decide the oue of any future battles.


    Hopefully, the limitations won''t be that harsh.


    Anyway, why is it suddenly being ''rejuvenated''? You can''t possibly expect me to believe this just happened, right? There must be some exnation for this.


    {Affirmative. Contact with energy waves emitted by Lacia ss, Type: 003 has initiated the process.}


    Saturnus?! Just what kind of energy did she emit for it to have such an effect?!


    What the hell had I been doing in that tform? I didn''t think that the matter would be anything simple, but from the looks of it, everything seems to be much moreplicated than I suspected.


    Using irvoyance, I find Saturnus walking around the pce, most likely searching for us.


    "Master?" a voice resounds behind me as Tiamat lifts her body from the bed and gazes at me questioningly.


    "You''re finally up?" I say before moving toward her and embracing her mellow body.


    "Took you long enough, sleepyhead," I remark.


    "Whose fault do you think that is?" she retorts with a tired expression.


    "Whatever. We need to get dressed and leave this ce," I state.


    "Atst, I can go back to resting in the ins," she murmurs after sighing.


    "Take a look at yourself. Sleepyhead."


    Tiamat responds to myment by lightly smacking my back with her palm and saying,


    "Don''t me me, me thefort your space provides."


    Is it really thatforting? I would much rather take a rest in the half-broken cities than there.


    Now that I think about it, where is Aurora? Ever since I came here, I felt like something was amiss, but I didn''t think of it much.


    {Father doesn''t need to worry about that. The familiar has been taken into the familiar space.}


    The familiar space? Is that why I didn''t get any premonition?


    {Affirmative.}


    I see. It makes me wonder what Aurora could be up to right now...


    ---


    After Tiamat and I had gotten dressed, the two of us left the room and went over to where Saturnus was.


    Upon seeing me, Saturnus bowed slightly before jubntly saying,


    "Thank you for allowing me to serve you, Creator."


    I shook my head a little before responding,


    "Forget that. Are you all done here?"


    "Of course!"


    "Good," I said before directly leaving the Arena while pulling those two along.


    Thankfully, there seemed to be no issue with me taking her out of the Arena.


    However, my relief didn''tst for long, as I found myself back in the Sorcerers'' Lair in front of Louise''s door.


    A few meters away from us, stood Louise, Tabitha, and Kirche who were seemingly chatting.


    They immediately noticed our arrival, as well as our newpanion.


    "Victor!" Louise yelled before hastily walking over and saying, "Where were you?"


    Giving her a strange look, I simply said,


    "Out of the academy."


    Upon hearing my response, Louise showed a dissatisfied expression but didn''t pry any further, most likely knowing that it would be meaningless to do so.


    So, here I am, now, standing expressionlessly while Saturnus is introducing herself.


    Fortunately, she doesn''t give out any information other than her name and the fact that she serves me.


    For a moment, I thought her carefree attitude would lead to her saying unnecessary things, but it seems like my worry was for naught.


    "Victor," Louise all of a sudden calls out to me, "Today, everyone is going to be practicing magic outside."


    Oh? That''s great. It seems like I will be exploring my powers sooner than I expected.


    Speaking of which, I have yet to try out the capabilities of Gandalfr...

 Chapter 143: Training Session (1/2)

    Chapter 143: Training Session (1/2)


    As we are on our way to where the training utilities are set up, I ignore the various looks I''m given from the females and the death res from the males.


    Focusing on my telepathic connection with Aurora, I let her out of my Code.


    The next moment, Aurora materializes on top of my palm, brimming with excitement.


    "Did you miss me?" I say while stroking her small head.


    Soon, we reach our destination where a lot of students are already present.


    Looking around, I find Siesta chatting with Gabriel while Ddraig seems to be busy with something.


    Noticing my arrival, Aruru, who was a few meters away from Gabriel, runs over before jumping into my embrace while yelling,


    "Master!"


    I hold her within my arms as I continue to walk over to where Gabriel and the co are.


    Gabriel and Siesta both respectfully bow once I''m near enough before raising their heads and looking me in the eye as if checking to see if I have any orders for them.


    "Gabriel, how about you participate in today''s training session?"


    In response to my suggestion, she blinks once before peering at me with a confused expression on her face.


    "I''m not saying that you should fight these weaklings," I begin exining while pointing at the nobles in the distance, "But, a sparring session among ourselves."


    A look of realization appears on her face as she says,


    "Does master want to enlighten these humans?"


    Nodding my head, I state,


    "It seems like you''ve understood what I''m trying to achieve. That''s exactly it."


    As Gabriel said, I''m ''enlightening'' the nobles here by showing them the capabilities of those around me.


    Also, I will try to see if I can find anything out regarding Siesta''s Code.


    ---


    "Attention!" Jean yells, attracting the attention of all the students, "We will begin today''s training session by target practice."


    As soon as his voice fades off, the students begin whispering to each other.


    It seems like this is something unusual from the way everyone is reacting. I wonder what made them do this.


    "Teacher!" Guiche voices, "Isn''t that only done during aptitude tests?"


    As a response to his inquiry, Jean replies,


    "You''re right. However, today is going to be different."


    Jean nces in our direction for a split-second before exining how today''s training session is going to be.


    For the most part, it''s what anyone would normally expect, but there was one thing that piqued my interest: Duels.


    I wonder if are going to be any students willing to duel me?


    Suddenly, I feel an intense gaze. Looking over, I find Guiche looking at me resolutely.


    Beside him is a blonde-haired girl that''s also looking at me.


    "Are you really going to do it?" the girl asks him dubiously.


    "Yes, Montmorency. After you will go out with me if I win, right?"


    The girl, Montmorency, doesn''t reply to his question, but he seems to take it as an affirmation.


    "I will win this, for sure," he mutters to himself.


    Does this count as a death g? I will dly deliver it to him, however, dying is a little too mild


    "Is everyone prepared?" Jean inquires in a loud voice.


    The ce quietens down as everyone focuses on him and waits for his next words.


    "Let''s start!"


    --


    Currently, I am waiting alongside Louise, Tabitha, and Kirche for my turn in striking the targets in the distance.


    The students are making use of various magic to strike their target down, tempting me to do the same once my turn arrives.


    Speaking of which, I have yet to cast any elemental spells. Hopefully, I won''t fail in doing so.


    Irene, I will be using Louise as a catalyst, right?


    {Affirmative. Father''s use of Elemental Magic will be stabilized through the contract.}


    What about the ''focus'' required to cast the spell?


    {Father doesn''t need to worry about such things. Code Exousia automatically absorbs all varieties of energy surrounding Father and filters them.}


    So, you''re saying that I can make use of Elemental Magic indefinitely as long as I am in this tform?


    {Affirmative.}


    What about my Norse Magic?


    {Powers and abilities obtained in the Rift are exceptional.}


    I see. I''m finally starting to get a good idea of what the yground is.


    The tforms are the secondary bodies, granting me infinitesimal boosts in power and opportunities to improve my skills in various ways.


    As for the Rift, it''s akin to an arsenal where I get my ''main'' weapons from to make use of in the tforms.


    In a way, the yground is something akin to a testing facility customized to efficiently improve the power of Anomalies such as myself.


    Anyway, if I were to use Elemental Magic, it wouldn''t affect Louise in any way, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Good.


    "Sir Wales," Jean''s voice resounds within my ears.


    Looking over, I find him looking my way along with all every student present.


    Just about time.


    Moving over to the marked location where I am supposed to make use of ranged magic attacks, I deliberate on what should I use.


    Examining the target in the distance, I find a wooden dummy that seems to mmable.


    So, I decide to make use of the water element.


    Focusing on the image of water in my mind, I raise my arm and face my palm in the direction of the target before attempting to use my Elemental Magic.


    The next moment, a water jet ''escapes'' from my palm and swiftly prates the head of the target.


    This results in numerous gasps from my audience as Jean hastily moves over to where I am and asks,


    "Your Grace, what was that just now?"


    Shrugging my shoulder, I say,


    "Water magic."


    Shaking his head, Jean impatiently says,


    "I know that! What I want to know is what did you just do?"


    Acting confused, I say,


    "Used water magic."


    "How?!"


    "What do you mean ''how''? I just focused on the image of water and used it."


    Giving up, Jean lets out a sigh before saying,


    "Is this all?"


    Giving him a strange look, I say,


    "I''m just getting started."


    He doesn''t seem to find my words odd as he nods head before stepping back.


    I shift my attention back to the dummy that I just hit and think of what too magic to use next.


    Elemental Magic can have various ways of operation, so I try to go for abo.


    Taking in a deep breath, I raise my arm once again and begin to make use of four elements at once.


    First, I use the earth element to abruptly form a pir from the ground, whichunches the dummy into the air.


    Second, I make use of the earth elementbined with the fire element to form thermite before freezing the surrounding particles using the water and air elements.


    This, in turn, leads to an explosion that blows the dummy into smithereens.


    Perfect. This will surelye in handy mid-battle.


    I had seen Louise use ''explosion'' magic before, but it was nowhere near as lethal as the one I just caused. For some reason, her explosion seemed cking'' in some way.


    From the looks of it, I fixed that by making use of four elements instead of one.


    Ignoring the stunned look on everyone''s face, I casually walk back to where the girls are.


    After a short while, Jean says in a loud and slightly shaky voice,


    "Who is next?"


    ---


    Finally, everyone is done with this.


    The students took a little longer than necessary due to being a little hyped up from my actions.


    Most of them attempted to do act in a ''showy'' manner.


    Naturally, that didn''t bode well, so, in the end, they all had to resort to doing normal magic.


    All, but one - Louise.


    For some reason, she decided that unless she performed a featparable to mine, she wouldn''t stop.


    Of course, that proved to be difficult, despite her magic being ''enhanced''.


    However, after a dozen or so attempts, I began realizing that her explosions were getting stronger and stronger.


    It seems like there is some other factor that''s affecting the strength of the explosion.


    Perhaps, emotion? It''s either that or Louise''s proficiency is growing at an incredible rate.


    I reckon that it''s the former, but there is the possibility of it being thetter, as there is the contract. Irene?


    {The signed contract doesn''t have such an effect.}


    I thought so.


    Emotions, huh? Speaking of which, are any of my abilities apart from Copse affected by emotions?

 Chapter 144: Training Session (2/2)

    Chapter 144: Training Session (2/2)


    "Next," Jean says loudly, "You are to show your skills with the sword."


    Sword? I thought this academy taught magic?


    Well, I wouldn''t be surprised that their pride nobles make them seek mastery in all forms of fighting.


    Back when I first arrived in Albion''s castle, some nobles had beefed-up bodies.


    That most definitely didn''te from constantly casting magic, so they must''ve been physically training their bodies for years.


    Anyway, sword skills, huh? I wonder how they will have the students show them off.


    As if reading my mind, Jean begins exining,


    "You may group up and have a friendly duel. Please, choose your opponents carefully."


    The moment Jean is done with what he had to say, Guiche pulls out a red rose and throws it toward me while yelling,


    "Prince Wales, I challenge you to a duel!"


    Before the rose can fall to the ground, I telekically pull it into my hand and examine it while saying,


    "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    Unfazed, Guiche resolutely says,


    "Of course. Dare you ept?"


    Summoning mes using Pyrokinesis, I burn the rose down before looking Guiche in the eyes and saying,


    "I refuse."


    Several students gasp as Guiche''s mouth hangs open out of shock.


    "There is nothing in it for me," I simply say.


    Hearing my reason, Guiche regains hisposure and says in a confident tone,


    "If you win against me, I will hand you my family''s Grimoire of Truth."


    Even louder gasps resound in the area as some students begin whispering among themselves.


    Curiously, most of them are describing the thing that Guiche offered, iming that it has ''truth'' spells in it or something along those lines.


    From the looks of it, this is something worth investigating. However, I have to first make sure that he can''t slither his way out of this,


    "Am I supposed to take your words for granted just like that?"


    Understanding what I''m implying, Guiche ces his hand against his chest and says,


    "I, Guiche de Gramont, swear by my family''s name and honor that I will hand the Grimoire of Truth to Prince Wales upon my loss."


    This again. It seems like nobles really care about the honor of their families in this tform.


    Nevertheless, where is Guiche getting his confidence from? From the way he is acting, I can surmise two things.


    He either is extremely confident in beating me, or The Grimoire of Truth is simply not that vital.


    For now, I will assume that it''s the former, which indicates that Guiche has been up to something for him to get the confidence he has right now.


    "The duel will be held now," Jean yells, "Please, everyone, step back."


    And so, the students all move back to give us space for the duel.


    "I, along with everyone present will act as a witness for this duel," Jean continues, "Magic is allowed. No killing. Anything prepared beforehand will count as an immediate loss."


    Magic is allowed? I see. So, I better rile Guiche up a little to see if emotions really affect the effectivity of spells.


    Guiche and I both stand on opposing sides with eyes locked. I can see confidence; a lot of it. From the way his heart is beating, he is a little anxious, but that''s to be expected.


    Taking in a deep breath, Guiche points his sword at the ground before he chants a cheesy invocation.


    This results in a magic circle to appear on the ground before a sword slowly floats out of it.


    Guiche grabs the sword and shes the air with it for a few seconds before shifting his focus onto me.


    Should I just create a sword? Actually, I better not to do so. I''m already low on energy, so I better conserve as much as I can.


    Settling on that idea, I look around the field before setting my eyes on something perfect - a stick.


    Before the bewildered eyes of the crowd, I telekically pull the stick toward myself and begin examining it.


    Good, it''s normal wood.


    "Alright," I say while looking at the baffled Guiche, "Let''s do this."


    At this moment, Jean voices doubtfully,


    "Your Grace surely jests."


    Shaking my head, I serenely say,


    "This is the least I can do for our the gap in our strength to be bnced."


    Hearing this, the look on Guiche''s face shifts from shock and confusion to pure rage as he exims,


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    Ah, these nobles. So easy to push around.


    "I''m not," I say with a grin, "You fought mest time, so you should be aware of how you don''t stand a chance if I did things normally."


    Feeling insulted, Guiche points his finger at me and yells,


    "Get a real sword, now!"


    Shrugging, I say mockingly,


    "And who are you to order me around?"


    Seeing him getting so enraged, I realize that it''s about time we began the duel.


    "Jean?" I voice.


    "Ah!" he responds before coughing once and yelling, "The duel will start once both sides are ready."


    Moving away from us, he waits for our confirmation before he raises his right arm and yelling,


    "Begin!"


    Right after he says so, Guiche dashes toward me at a speed that''spletely differentpared to what he was capable of a few days ago.


    Coating my stick in a reflective barrier, I calmly look at Guiche who''s approaching me.


    What''s his n? I doubt that he believes he can take me down by simply swinging that sword.


    I will humor him for a short while to see what he has in mind before swiftly finishing him off.


    Once Guiche is close enough, he goes against my expectation by actually swinging his sword.


    Naturally, his speed and strength are below mine, so before the sword can hit me, I simply position the stick in front of it.


    This leads to all the forces contained in the swing to be returned which results in his grip on the sword to shake.


    Not wasting this chance, I directly kick him in the guts while making sure to spread the force out on his body so that he wouldn''t die.


    Guiche lets go of his sword as he getsunched a few meters.


    After rolling on the ground for a few seconds, he gets up with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.


    As I am about to taunt him even further, I hear a conversation between Montmorency and another student,


    "Is this certainly going to work?"


    "Yes, he told me so himself. I believe in him," Montmorency replies seriously.


    "But, why is he not using his magic?"


    "I believe he''s saving up for a perfect opportunity."


    As I thought, he truly is up to something. However, as a noble of this tform, I doubt that Guiche would resort to cheating. Especially so when doing that will result in a direct loss.


    So, what could he be nning?


    Observing him, I find nothing out of the norm other than the rage that has been welling up within him.


    Hold on That''s it!


    He knows. He''s aware that his emotions affect his spell casting.


    Guiche knew may I have known that I would taunt him in one or another, so he resorted to this method.


    There is also the fact that he made a deal with Montmorency that he could be using to fuel his emotions.


    Interesting. Truly amusing.


    Let''s see how far can emotions push the limits of a being.


    Leaning forward, I dash at a speed that he can''t see and stop right beside him.


    "I''ll be disabling you once again," I say in a low voice, "Then, I will be having fun with Montmorency. I remember her screaming something about marrying her~"


    My words seem to be much more effective than I thought as he lets out a loud yell before throwing a punch at me.


    Casually dodging the punch, I grab his arm and hurl him toward where his sword is at.


    It takes him a moment, but he notices that his sword is nearby, so he grabs it and gets up from the ground with a dark expression on his face.


    "Oh, hollow winds, carry me. Gale!" he yells before his figure abruptlyunches a dozen meters into the sky before falling toward where I am.


    "Spirits of mes and chaos, heed my plea. Grant me strength!" he mutters mid-air without any rose in his hand.


    How is he nning to cast his spell? Could it be, he has learned how to do so without one?


    The next moment, I get my answer, as Guiche points the tip of his sword at me before eximing,


    "Explosion!"


    The moment he finishes his chant, I see a three colored glow appear at the tip of his sword, indicating that he is using three elements at once.


    Shaking my head, I swiftly point my finger at his sword and create an icicle using the water element before telekically throwing it toward him.


    Guiche seems to realize what I have in mind as his eyes widen, but it''s toote.


    His spell makes contact with my icicle, resulting in a rather fierce explosion in the air with enough force tounch Guiche backward.


    Focusing on his body, I find him spitting out blood as he soars through the sky.


    It seems like his internal organs have ruptured


    The students who got down on the ground during the explosion get up just in time to witness a hair-raising scene.


    A crack has formed some distance away from where Guiche is flying toward, and from within it appears two figures at an extreme speed.


    One of them directly impacts Guiche''s body and continues to ''ride'' his body until ites into contact with the ground a few meters away from me, as the other one nds'' right beside them.


    There, while standing on Guiche''s corpse, Yuno raises her arm and says in a bright tone,


    "Victor, I''ve arrived!"

 Chapter 145: Trickery ; Sorrow and Damnation

    Chapter 145: Trickery ; Sorrow and Damnation


    Seeing the corpse of Guiche that''s bereft of life under Yuno''s feet, my mind begins processing the best way to deal with this.


    Irene, capture his soul!


    {Affirmative.}


    Simr to every other time I''ve done this, I feel a slight suction in the air as obscure particles get sucked into my body.


    {Code Status: Storing one soul.}


    Receiving the confirmation, I focus on the connection between Yuno and me.


    The next moment, my surroundings change as I find myself sitting opposite Yuno at a table in her old house.


    "Victor?" she questions confusedly.


    "It''s fine," I say before getting up and approaching her, "I missed you."


    Enveloping her in my embrace, I begin to gently stroke her back for a few seconds.


    My actions earn me a joyful hum from Yuno as she excitedly returns the hug.


    After a few seconds, I let go of her and back away before saying,


    "Anyway, your appearance is sure timely."


    "Eh?"


    "Well, you see. Remember that bug you stepped on outside?"


    "Yes. Is there a problem?"


    Shaking my head, I begin giving her a brief exnation of what''s happening ''outside''.


    Once I''m done I take a seat at the table and say,


    "This normally would''ve been problematic, however, it is possible to make it beneficial."


    Peering into Yuno''s pink eyes, I say with a grin,


    "All you have to do is follow my instructions."


    ---


    The moment I exit the Network, I lean forward before dashing toward Yuno and throwing a kick at her stomach.


    In response to this, Yuno ces her arms in front of herself to block the kick, however, this results in her gettingunched backward a few meters.


    Once she has stabilized her body, Yuno points her palm toward me as a Sigillum appears on it.


    "Ignis!"


    Right after Yuno''s voice fades out, fiery mes ''escape'' from her palm and move in my direction.


    Spreading my arms, I use the earth element to form a wall all around me, blocking the mes and the view of everyone outside.


    I then proceed to press my foot against Guiche''s body and form mes of Devastation to burn his body down.


    Thankfully, the mes do their work rather fast and there is no smell.


    Could it be an aspect of Destruction?


    Anyway, I couldn''t use Termination to simply erase the body, as that would sap me of whatever energy I have left.


    A solid five seconds,ter Guiche haspletely disappeared.


    I immediately ess the database and begin creating a new body simr to his old one, except the fact that this one doesn''t have smashed bones and ruptured organs.


    As I direct his soul into the body, I begin thinking of ways to make this more believable.


    First, I create clothes quite simr to his old ones and randomly rip them while using Pyrokinesis to form some burn marks.


    Next, I beat Guiche up a little, as not getting injured from what happened before will be absurd.


    For more credibility, I specifically targeted his face.


    Done with this, I directly leap out and observe the state of affairs outside.


    To my surprise, numerous students along with Jean are attempting to surround Yuno and Krul with their wands pointing at the two.


    Shaking my head, I fly toward Yuno and exim,


    "Everybody, settle down!"


    Hearing my words, most of the students get confused as they look at each other, not knowing what to do.


    "Just do it," I say loudly.


    Fortunately, this time, they heed my words and put their wands away.


    "Sir Wales, what''s going on?" Jean inquires while walking toward me.


    Here, we go. This is the opportunity that I had mentioned to Yuno earlier.


    I can make use of this ''abrupt'' appearance as a way of introducing Yuno and Krul to this world without too much trouble.


    "These two girls are my acquaintances," I begin, "Through their help, I was able to take back my kingdom."


    Surprised by my words, Jean nces at them once each before turning his attention back to me with an intrigued expression.


    "Simply put, they''re part of a noble family that was on my side when dealing with a rebellion."


    Jean seems to know what I''m implying as a look of realization appears on his face.


    Why would I tell him about all this? Well, that''s because it would be much more believable than a single guy wiping out a whole army along with his familiar and a young girl.


    In this way, if Osmond were to get any information, it would seem ''exaggerated'' and seem irrelevant. With that being the case, if Jean were to tell him about what I just did, Osmond would ''understand'' how I was able to take back Albion.


    No one trusts a monster capable of wiping out armies, so I can''t act like one just yet, as it would be meaningless.


    "But, how did they get here?" Jean curiously asks.


    Aha! This is what I''ve been waiting for him to ask. I have yet to forget that time that Osmond just ''disappeared'', so this is an opportunity to test something out.


    "Excuse me," Yuno voices, attracting all the attention to herself, "We identally messed up the way the gateway worked, so we ended up here."


    Naturally, what Yuno is saying is what I told her to. This is to find out if there is a ''gateway'' and surmise if multiple ''gateways'' can be connected to a single one.


    Unfortunately, Jean is confused by what Yuno said as he has an expression of deliberation while muttering,


    "Gateway"


    Having prepared for such a scenario, I chuckle and say,


    "Don''t heed it much attention. It''s amonly used way of transportation by the nobles of Albion."


    Once his curiosity has been satiated, realization dawns upon Jean as he looks toward where Guiche is at and yells,


    "Clear the wall!"


    Examining the students, I find Montmorency among the bunch that remained motionless during this whole ordeal, bawling her eyes out while beingforted by the student she was speaking with.


    "It''s fine!" I exim, "I examined him earlier, and by some stroke of luck, he wasn''t that injured."


    To clear any suspicion I have of myself and make myself seem ''caring'', I treat the time it took to create a new body and insert his soul into it as me examining his state.


    Setting such thoughts aside, I approach the wall and press my palm against it before using the earth element to ''break'' it.


    Once the wall is gone, a battered Guiche appears before the eyes of everyone.


    A deste cry resounds as Montmorency hurriedly runs over to where his body is and examines it for a few moments.


    Upon being sure of the fact that he''s alive, she presses her head against his chest and begins to sob silently.


    How interesting It seems like this has made them closer. Perhaps, I am a good wingman?


    As I''m standing and observing Montmorency, I feel a reing from the direction where Louise and the co are at.


    Turning my head, to face them, I find Louise ring at Yuno who is standing close to my side. Near Louise, Kirche seems to have an ufortable look on her face as she looks at me.


    Even the seemingly impassive Tabitha is staring at me.


    [[It seems like you will finally suffer in some way.]]


    "What are you even saying?", I mutter in response to Tiamat''s calm voice, "I''ve already suffered plenty, so let me enjoy my current ''life'', okay?"


    [[I have no idea what you''ve been through before, but your current way of handling matters is wrong.]]


    "What do you mean?"


    [[Master, don''t try to hide it. I''ve seen glimpses of your real past.]]


    An ufortable feeling suddenly wells up within me as I feel my stomach clenching.


    I try to respond to her words, but for some reason, my voice is shaky despite me attempting to prevent it from being so,


    "What have you seen?"


    [[Not much, however, what I saw was more than enough for me to know what kind of life you led.]]


    The uneasy feeling within me begins to grow as a shiver runs down my spine.


    What is it? What''s wrong with me? She''s just speaking of my life in Project Future, right? Right?!


    [[Don''t think of it much, as, the way you are now is already leagues better than what you used to be.]]


    [[All I know is that you should try your best to remain the way you are, as I doubt anyone would want you to return to being what you once were - yourself included.]]


    Her words only seem to further worsen the state of my body as my vision gets a little distorted. However, I need to know. What is it that''s making my body react like this. As, for some reason, I have a strong feeling that it''spletely unrted to Project Future.


    "Tiamat, tell me what you saw," I say while using Illusion to ''cover'' my face.


    [[Sorrow and damnation.]]


    The next moment, I feel an intense amount of pain all over my body, particrly in my head as all the energy I had left simply disperses.


    My vision darkens as thinking of anything bes harder and harder...

 Chapter 146: Glimpse of the Past ; Reawakening

    Chapter 146: Glimpse of the Past ; Reawakening


    Huh? Where am I?


    Opening my eyes, I''m met with the sight of thousands of coffin-like containers with ss tops.


    Inside each one of the coffins, there is a body of a human in pure white clothes.


    All the bodies are different from one another in various ways apart from the clothes they''re wearing.


    Attending to the bodies are angels?


    Seriously, where the hell am I?


    "Master?" a voice calls out to me from the side.


    It seems like I once again don''t have control over ''my'' body as my head turns on its own to face the source of the voice.


    There, I see a pink-haired girl wearing white attire that seems to be of foreign origin. Behind the girl, there is a pair of pink wings that are retracted.


    What attracts my attention the most are the two white metallic objects that are at where her ears normally would''ve been. Is she an android or something?


    "Is there an issue, Alpha?"


    Hearing ''my'' voice that sounds so much rougher than how it is in the ''present'', I can imagine what personality one should have to speak in the way ''I'' just did.


    The girl, Alpha, I presume, has had a nk expression on her face the moment she called out to ''me''.


    She still does even while replying to my inquiry,


    "No. Master seems different."


    What? No way It can''t be that she''s able to sense me, right?


    "Different?" ''I'' reply in a not-so-friendly tone.


    "I was wrong," she just responds before shifting her attention back to the containers below us.


    From what I can see, the two of us are standing on a makeshift tform, looking down on the thousands of containers containing bodies.


    All of a sudden, an rm res as all the angels present in the vicinity begin to panic.


    "Calm down!" ''I'' yell menacingly, which results inplete stillness in the ce we''re in.


    From the looks of it, none of the angels dare to defy my orders, be it out of fear or respect.


    Judging from what I''ve seen so far, the truth seems to point toward the former.


    How inefficient... One shouldn''t speak control over anything by making use of fear, as it''s impractical and will lead to numerous issues.


    Anyway, the reason the rm red just now is most likely because of one of the containers has opened.


    From within it, a teenaged girl with brown hair steps out and looks around with intrigue.


    Close to the girl, several angels are unsure of what actions to take.


    Just as the girl is about to take a step, ''I'' appear right in front of her.


    What the heck just happened? Usually, I can feel the movements and abilities that are made use of in such ''visions'', however, that didn''t happen this time.


    For some reason, the notion in and of itself is making me feel uneasy. The fact that I''m currently not in a body to ''feel'' unease makes it even worse.


    So, this is what''s meant by ''soul-shaking'', huh?


    Shifting my focus back to what''s going on, I find the girl that exited from the container staring at me stoutly.


    "This sure is a pleasant urrence," I say to the girl in an amused tone.


    The girl''s eyes narrow down in response as she mutters impassively,


    "It''s you, isn''t it?"


    My reaction to her words is nothing more than crossing my arms while peering into her brown eyes.


    "You''re the one who took him away," the girl continues, giving off a slightly strong aurapared to ''ordinary'' beings.


    Not caring about her words even if a little, I raise my arm and voice,


    "Alpha."


    The next moment, a gust of wind blows the girl''s hair as a pink-haired appears beside me.


    "Grab her," Imand.


    Without a shred of hesitation, Alpha reaches her arm out to hold the girl, however, before that could happen, the girl swiftly moves to the side.


    While slowly backing away from us, she looks me in the eyes and says in a firm, yet shaky tone,


    "Just you wait. We will bring you down! I will never forgive you! No one will!"


    Iugh at her words and say mockingly,


    "Bring me down, you say? With what? You insects are capable of nothing."


    Before the girl can respond, I say,


    "Alpha, terminate her."


    The moment the words leave my mouth, Alpha abruptly disappears from where she was before reappearing behind the girl.


    The girl isn''t able to make sense of what''s happening as a long and sharp metallic weapon pierces her.


    Blood spreads all over the white dress she has on as her eyes seem to lose their colors.


    After a few seconds, Alpha pulls out the sharp weapon, letting the body limply fall onto the ground.


    "That marks another failure" I mutter to myself while pressing my finger against my chin.


    "These insects are so unworthy of the attention they''re being given. So many have passed the initial stage, yet they all end up like this"


    Letting out a sigh, I say in an exasperated manner,


    "If only they kept their emotions in check, there would so many possibilities."


    "Master," Alpha calls out to me in a deste-sounding voice once she has walked to my side.


    "Head to the Transit Station."


    Nodding her head once as confirmation, Alpha leaves ps her wings and exits the ce we''re in from a circr metallic door.


    "Beta!" I voice a little loudly.


    The next second, a blue figure appears beside me, brimming with excitement.


    "Master? Did you call for me? What do I do?"


    Looking over, I find a petite girl with blue hair that''s tied into twin-tails. Simr to Alpha, she has two white metallic devices at where her ears normally would''ve been.


    Ignoring her overexcited state, I calmly state,


    "Clean this mess."


    Beta gets a little dispirited as she looks over at the corpse of the girl before her expression changing to that of disgust as she says,


    "Another failed subject. These disgusting creatures, can they not learn?"


    Raising my hand, I flick her forehead and say in amanding manner,


    "Less bbering and more working."


    "Yes!" she replies a little nervously as she walks over to where the body is.


    I don''t stay to watch her go through with the ''cleaning'' process as I abruptly change location from where I was to somewhere deserted - a circr ''ind'' that seems to be floating.


    The only living creature where I am is Alpha, who''s standing beside a tall white pir that''s inscribed from bottom to top in letters that I do not know of.


    Leaving that aside, this ce sure is strange.


    The ground itself is covered in a white material that seems to be ''unrealistic''.


    From what I''ve seen so far, there are a few trees spread out over the whole ce, as well as awork of water channels that are guided toward the ledge of the floating ind.


    I proceed to look over at the pir that''s at the center of this ce for a few seconds before floating into the air and pressing my palm against it.


    "Zeus. Transit - 046," I say as I send a pulse of energy into the pir.


    Immediately after this, a bright light covers my vision before it goes away after a few seconds.


    However, the ce we''re in now has changed.


    Like before, there is a pir in the center of where we are, however, instead of a floating ind, we''re in a room.


    There are bright white tiles all over the floor and walls, with the ceiling being the only thing that''s different in the room, as it''s yellow.


    "Let''s go," I say to Alpha who has been standing still the whole time.


    "Mn," she responds before following me out of the room through an automatically opening metallic door.


    Upon exiting the room, I am met with an extremely fascinating sight.


    From the looks of it, we''re currently on the higher floors of a tall building.


    In front of me, there is an almost invisible ss pane.


    This isn''t that has fascinated me, but it''s the sight of everything outside the building.


    Out there, I can see numerous fascinating buildings along with several other things that are simply stunning.


    ''I'' don''t look outside the window for a long time as I turn around to walk somewhere, however, everything that I saw during this short time-period is stuck in my ''mind''.


    It was simply amazing. There were futuristic-looking buildings and dozens of automata that were all over the ce.


    That''s not all, as there were quite a lot of cars on the street thatcked a driver.


    All in all, this ce is definitely an interesting ce.


    "Victor!" a voice calls out to ''me'', forcing me to halt my thoughts and focus on the ''vision''.


    Looking over, I find Krul walking over to where I am at alongside someone whose face I''ve not seen in a long time - Infi.


    Once they''ve reached me, Krul beams me smile while Infi looks me in the eyes and says,


    "It''s been a while since you''ve visited this tform, brother."


    What? Infi truly is my sister?


    "You know that I''m busy, Infi," I respond coolly.


    "Indeed. We all have one purpose, after all."


    I seem to nod my head approvingly before asking,


    "How are the tests going?"


    "Reporting," Krul says, "The humans have shown a tendency to be easily guided by their emotions. So far, there has been no individual to meet our criteria."


    "Over here, as well, huh?" I mutter.


    This seems to attract the attention of the two girls as they both look at me curiously.


    "It''s nothing much," I exin, "It''s just that a short while ago, a subject managed to escape in Project Heaven."


    "Project Heaven?!" Krul exims.


    "Indeed. However, the subject failed to showcase anything worth being mentioned."


    "I see," Krul says in a deted manner, "Such a waste."


    Nodding my head, I state,


    "Let''s not waste any more time here."


    Agreeing with me, the girls nod their heads and follow me as we make our way to an elevator.


    Fascinating I''m able to see the world even more clearly, now that we''re in this elevator.


    This tform is simply aesthetic.


    Such thoughts don''tst long, as my vision is suddenly blinded by a bright light as every window in the vicinity shatters.


    Despite what just happened, every single one of us who is in the destabilized elevator is calm and collected, as if what just happened is a normal urrence.


    Outside the building, dozens of metallic discs are flying from one location to another, until one of them finally gets to where the elevator is at.


    I motionlessly stay still as the device begins to glow a little before releasing a blinding light.


    The next thing I know, I am no longer in the elevator with the girls.


    I am elsewhere.


    Somewhere extremely familiar.


    All around me are amputated corpses with various degrees of shock and pain expressed on their faces.


    I''m still unable to control my body as ''I'' move my head to look around the ce before looking down at myself.


    My whole body is covered in blood, indicating that whatever happened here is either done by me, or I am a part of it.


    I don''t stay like this for long, as after a few seconds, I begin walking through the corpses all around me.


    This goes on for a short while until I hear a light sobbing noise quite a distance away.


    I make my way over to the source of the voice only to find a middle-aged woman hugging the corpse of a teenager as tears roll down from her cheeks.


    It takes her a little while, but the woman eventually notices my presence.


    She raises her head and looks at me with reddened eyes before opening her mouth and saying in a shaky voice,


    "Kill me."


    I don''t respond to her words and just continue to stare at her messy figure as she continues,


    "Kill me like you did my son!"


    Her attempt in eximing ends in a terrible cough as blood spurts out of her mouth.


    "Do it!" she yells, ignoring her pain.


    I remain still for a few seconds before raising my right arm and pointing my right finger at her face.


    The next moment, a streak of energy escapes from the tip of my finger and goes into the woman''s neck.


    As a result of this, the woman''s eyes widen as she uses her hand to hold her neck before it abruptly ''explodes''.


    This results in my vision to be blocked as a warm sensation covers my face.


    "Victor!" I hear a low voice calling out to me.


    "Victor!"


    Ah, what''s this feeling? Comfort? Softness?


    As my senses stabilize, I begin feeling a soft sensation on my lips.


    Huh? I''m lying down with my eyes closed?


    Having realized my current state, I abruptly opened my eyes only for them to be met with another pair of eyes.


    Acting as if nothing has happened, the owner of the eyes slowly gets off of me and then the bed, nning to walk out of the room.


    Before that could happen, I say in a slightly threatening tone,


    "Where do you think you''re going, Ddraig?"

 Chapter 147: Weakness ; Data Analysis ; Siestas Duel

    Chapter 147: Weakness ; Data Analysis ; Siesta''s Duel


    "Ddraig?" I question the now-nervous dragon.


    "Well," he replies after coughing once, "I saw that you were awake, so I wanted to go and inform the others."


    "I know that," I say while squinting my eyes, "What I don''t know is why you were on top of me while I was unconscious."


    "Uh" she responds, evidently not knowing what to say.


    "Come on, Ddraig," I say in a more friendly manner, "It''s not like I will torture your soul or something if you told me."


    I notice Ddraig''s body flinch in response to my words as the unease apparent on her face gradually increases.


    "I kissed you," she mutters in a shaky voice.


    "That''s it?" I directly respond.


    "Huh?" a confused voice escapes Ddraig''s mouth as she turns to look me in the eyes.


    Seeing no hostility, Ddraig seems to get even more confused.


    Well, I expected as much. However, what I''m really curious about is why she did it. Surely, Ddraig isn''t attracted to me yet.


    "Why did you do it?"


    Visibly relieved, Ddraig walks over to the bed, sits and begins with her exnation,


    "During the two days you were unconscious-"


    Before Ddraig can continue, I interrupt him by asking,


    "I was out for two days?"


    "Yes," Ddraig responds.


    So, two days have passed, huh? It makes me wonder what the girls have been up to and if there have been any problems in the Kingdom of Albion.


    Shaking those thoughts aside, I focus back on Ddraig who has begun continuing with what she had to say,


    "I discovered during these two days that this body you created for me is extremelyplex."


    Eh? This body isplex? Even though I made it simr to that of an ordinary human''s body?


    Perhaps, due to living her whole life as a dragon, Ddraig''s thoughts regarding the human body''s functions are high?


    However, I can''t be sure of that, so I must inquire further.


    "What do you mean byplex?"


    Ddraig takes a moment to think before responding,


    "Exactly like what you''d think I mean by plex''. This body is simply much better than a normal human.


    "Not only have I been able to tap into my original powers, but I''ve also found methods of using it that I didn''t expect to be possible."


    It seems like it is the other meaning


    Myck of information regarding my Creation has lead to this situation. Currently, three others have a body created by me.


    Tiamat sure jinxed it


    "So, what exactly does this have to do with you kissing me?"


    "Well," Ddraig says in a slightly nervous voice, "I had a feeling that it would help you awaken."


    "How?"


    "I used my powers to boost your mentality."


    Leaving aside how ridiculous that sounds, I can see how it could help me in awakening.


    What''s surprising is the fact that my Code didn''t reject her energy the moment it entered my body.


    Hold on


    "Ddraig, did you try boosting my ''mentality'' in any other way beforehand?"


    "Yes," she replies a little dubiously, "However, that didn''t seem to work, so I reckoned that your body is coated with energy from a protective source."


    "Assuming that was the case, I decided that injecting energy into your body directly is the only way for it to work."


    "I had two choices: Either injure you and channel my energy from there, or what I did."


    "The reason I chose thetter is that I''m sure I would''ve been dead before I could injure your body for a lot of reasons."


    Ddraig muttered thatst part to herself as an expression of fear became apparent on her face for a split-second.


    Anyway, now that I know her reasons for doing what she did, I''ve found a weakness of mine that could be exploited.


    "Ddraig, did you get no resistance at all when you tried to channel the energy?"


    "There indeed was resistance, however, I was able to break through it after a while."


    It seems like the protective capabilities of my Code aren''t as high as I deemed them to be.


    I''m sure that a Code is much stronger than other beings, excluding Unknowns.


    Perhaps, it''s because my mastery over it is still at 2%?


    {It''s as Father thinks. Due to the setback, Father''s Code has yet to recover most of its functions.}


    Hold on, how many functions did I have exactly for you to be able to determine that what I have now is the minority?


    {ording to the data avable at the moment, the mastery of a Code is corrted with the number of functions avable.}


    So, you''re saying that the earlier statement was made as an assumption?


    {Affirmative.}


    {Extra Note: New data has been acquired. Analysis has been initiated}


    New data? Could it be Is the new data about a tform?


    {Affirmative. The data seems to have information regarding two tforms.}


    Will I be able to transfer over to there once the analysis has beenpleted?


    {Affirmative.}


    Hah~ That''s good. I will find more answers to all this as I continue upgrading my powers and transferring over to other tforms.


    Right now, I should make sure to not get injured in any way while near a foe, as that would simply give them an easy opportunity to harm me.


    Shaking my head at all of what needs to be taken into consideration from now on, I reach out my arm to pat Ddraig''s head before inquiring,


    "What the girls have been up to during these two days?"


    "Nothing much," Ddraig responds, "Due to being the way they are, they have been attracting a lot of attention.


    "However, most students didn''t dare try anything except a select few.


    "As you would expect, that didn''t end well for them. One ended up being punched into aa, while another was directly crippled.


    "There was one that challenged the ck-haired maid, Siesta, was it? Yes, Siesta. He challenged her, iming that if she is to serve you, she must have the qualifications."


    What? Just how ridiculous could these nobles get? And here I was thinking that whatever I''ve done will affect them positively.


    That doesn''t matter now. What I need to know is if anything happened to Siesta.


    "So, what happened?" I say while trying my best to keep my rage contained.


    "Thess had no other choice than epting, so it was set to happen on the very next day, which is today."


    Today?


    "At what time?" I ask.


    "Right now."


    In response to his words, I look her in the eyes and say in a slightly angry tone,


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?!"


    Ignoring Ddraig, I get up from the bed and begin walking over to the door.


    However, I feel like something is amiss, so I stop and begin examining myself.


    Finding that I am not wearing shoes or a proper top for that matter, I look around in the room for them before pulling them over to myself and putting them on.


    Then, without wasting a single moment, I use irvoyance to scan the academy for the location of the duel.


    It doesn''t take me long to set my ''sight'' on the scene of a nervous Siesta facing a brown-haired male who has a mocking smile on his face.


    Having found the location, I directly teleport over, stunning the crowd, while surprising the girls whose location I was curious about.


    Now that I think about it, why didn''t any of them put a stop to this duel? Wouldn''t brute force have been more than enough to solve this issue?


    I will have to ask them about itter


    "Did he just"


    "I swear, I just saw him"


    "A miracle"


    Ignoring the students'' mutterings, I look over at Siesta, who''s also looking my way.


    Her expression from what it was a moment ago when I ''saw'' her using irvoyance, as it is currently showing nothing more than joy.


    The fact that this change is due to my appearance gives me a slightly warm feeling, but that''s not what''s important right now.


    "Hey, you," I exim while ring at the brown-haired male, "Who the fuck do you think you are to judge my servants?"


    Acting like nothing is wrong, the guy has a smile on his face as he says,


    "My name is Gaston de-"


    "Shut it, insect," I say while enveloping him in my aura.


    Beads of sweat begin appearing on the guy''s face as breathing seems to be getting harder for him.


    As I am about to finish him off, I feel a strange sensation in my head as some thoughts begin to swirl within my mind.


    What just happened? This is unlike me. I wouldn''t kill someone for something like this.


    Instead, I would torture their mentality and break their spirit.


    Whatever just happened now doesn''t bode well, so I should be extra careful of my actions from now on.


    From what I can make out of this, it''s highly likely that this is rted to that vision I had earlier.


    Anyway, I shake my head to clear my thoughts up before drawing my aura back and beaming a smile.


    "I''m sorry," I say while acting apologetic, "I don''t know what got to me, but the thought of my servant suffering because of me is something that I can''t stand."


    "To make up for that," I continue, "I shall let you duel her."


    Surprised by my words, several students gasp while whispering their thoughts regarding the oue of the duel among themselves.


    The one who is shocked the most is Siesta, who''s currently looking at me with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    Well, it''s only natural that she would be surprised.


    Having lived all her life as a moner'', Siesta has yet to wield any kind of power.


    Now, I''m asking of her to duel against a ''noble'' mage.


    Why am I doing this? It''s quite simple, truly.


    The best way to shatter the ego of a ''noble'' and gnaw at their spirits is to shame them in the worst way possible in front of a crowd of other nobles.


    And there is nothing better than a moner'' which is a maid, no less, beating them up for that to be achieved.


    As for how that will work out, I will simply Gift Siesta the abilities that she needs for this battle.


    However, the main reason I''m actually doing this is to see if I can have Siesta unlock her true potential  as a Code, that is.


    Naturally, I will have the guy make some kind of bet,


    "Hey, would you like to make a bet?" I say while looking at Gaston in the eyes.

 Chapter 148: Siestas Awakening ; Return to Albion

    Chapter 148: Siesta''s Awakening ; Return to Albion


    "Bet?" Gaston asks.


    "You surely weren''t hoping to duel with my servant without making a bet upon your loss, were you?"


    "O-o-of course, not!" he says as beads of sweat begin appearing on his forehead.


    I''m sure that this has made him lose face just by hoping to duel someone else without a bet.


    Huh, I''m beginning to understand the thinking pattern of ''nobles''.


    "So, what are you going to bet?" I ask with a friendly smile on my face.


    Gaston has an expression of deliberation on his face as he ces his finger against his chin.


    After a while, he raises his head and nces at Guiche who has mostly recovered before turning to face me and saying,


    "I will offer my family''s Grimoire of Loss."


    As the students all around me begin to whisper among themselves the ''worth'' of the Grimoire he mentioned, I think of this matter more carefully.


    Another Grimoire? Are these things truly worth so much as these nobles make them out to be? If so, why are these nobles handing them out so easily? I reckon that they would have done their best to keep it.


    Unless... they''re unable to make use of it?


    That''s highly likely if I take their willingness to bet using such an object.


    "Fine," I say after a few seconds, "Now, I need to swear in your family''s name."


    In hopes of not wasting much time, I ignore his words and directly gift Siesta the abilities that I deem necessary for this battle.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    -Immortality


    -Elemental Magic


    Getting no error response from AI, I reckon that Siesta has sessfully gained the abilities that I just gifted.


    It seems like Elemental Magic can be granted, after all. I suspected that since it was more of a systematic type of power, it couldn''t be gifted.


    However, now that I know it can be done, there is a lot of things to uncover.


    Now, I just need to watch the show unfold and hope that Siesta knows how to take care of herself by making use of what I granted her.


    Of course, I can''t let Siesta duel without any proper weapon, so I step forward and create an ordinary sword for her.


    Before I can hand it to her, however, Gaston points his finger at me and says loudly,


    "Hey! Why are you giving her a sword?"


    Finding his words ridiculous, the crowd gives him a pointed look. Same goes for me, as I look at the prideful figure with a deadpanned expression.


    The fuck is he on about? Does he just think that I will Siesta fight him using her bare hands?


    Probably realizing his idiocy, a look of realization appears on Gaston''s face before he hastily shakes his head and says nervously,


    "Don''t misunderstand! What I''m trying to say is that the sword could be an abnormal one!"


    Seriously? I don''t even know what to make of him anymore.


    Perhaps, he is deliberately acting like an idiot to obtain information from me and those around me?


    Judging from how over-the-top his idiocy has been, I believe that''s highly likely to be the truth of the matter.


    But, who would benefit from this?


    My current suspects would be Jean and Osmond.


    I''ll think of thatter. For now, I should focus on the issue at hand.


    "So, are you suggesting that she should fight you using nothing other than her hands?"


    "No! Just have her wield a weapon that isn''t from you."


    As I''m about to ask where should we get one, I notice rose fall onto the ground before a red magic circle appears.


    The next moment, a sword begins to float out of the magic circle.


    Grabbing the sword, Guiche walks toward Siesta and hands it to her before saying in a serious tone,


    "Don''t let your master down."


    Oh? This guy he seems to be not that bad of a guy. Perhaps, he''s the kind of guy that no one suspects to be intelligent due to their behavior but shows their true colors when getting serious.


    If that''s the case, he could be extremely useful if guided properly


    He already has a body that''s created by me, so there is some worth to keeping him around and guiding him to a path of servitude.


    As if sensing my gaze, Guiche looks toward me before beaming a polite smile and moving back to where he was.


    Shifting my focus onto Siesta, I find her ying around with the sword.


    From the looks of it, the weight of the sword is just right for her to be able to swing it around with such ease.


    If this was calcted instead of done by some magic, the notion of Guiche being a useful subject is even more usible.


    "I will be the judge of this battle," I proim, "The rules are as follows."


    "Killing is allowed."


    The moment the words leave my mouth, the crowd present gasps as dozens of eyes lock onto me.


    Out of everyone present, the one that is the most shocked by the words is none other than Siesta.


    To make sure that she doesn''t get the wrong idea, I look at her in the eyes before winking once.


    Taking this as an encouragement, Siesta adopts a serious look as she gazes at the sword in her hands before looking back at me and nodding her head once.


    Then, Siesta turns around to face Gaston who is still in a stupor.


    As idiotic as he may be, Gaston should realize that something is off if I''m willing to introduce such a rule.


    I can sense the rate of his heartbeats increase as he swallows his spit before turning to face Siesta.


    "Forfeiture is not an option!" I continue, shocking the crowd even more.


    However, this time, Siesta remains unaffected.


    "Magic is allowed!"


    This seems to be thest straw as the crowd immediately begins to fall into a discussion regarding my actions.


    Siesta suddenly seems to understand the meaning behind my words as a thoughtful look appears on herplexion before a smile appears on her face.


    Good. From what I know of Insight so far, it allows the user to master their abilities and powers as long as the slightest notion of its existence is in their mind.


    "Are you ready?" I inquire a little loudly.


    The moment both Siesta and Gaston give their confirmation, I exim,


    "Duel, start!"


    Immediately after the words leave my mouth, Gaston pulls out his wand and points it at the ground in front of Siesta before casting a spell of ''explosion''.


    The next moment, a bright light steals everyone''s vision away as a mild explosion urs.


    Once everyone has regained their vision, they wait for the dust and smoke formed to clear up in order to see the result.


    Gaston a bright smile on his face while students are looking at where Siesta was with anticipation.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blows all the smoke and dust away, revealing Siesta who has a confident expression on her face.


    In front of her, there is a broken wall of soil.


    "What?" Gaston utters with a stupefied expression.


    Siesta seems to know that this is a good opportunity to attack as she immediately begins to run toward him.


    With her speed being average, it doesn''t matter much in this battle, but it''s more than enough to bring down an opponent who''s in a stupor.


    As if just regaining his rity, Gaston exims,


    "You cheated! There is no way amoner like you could-"


    Before he can finish what he has to say, a baseball-sized fireball ms into his face, resulting in his clothes and hair to catch on fire.


    Gaston begins to scream and wail in agony as he holds his face with one hand while using his other hand to blow the mes out.


    Surprisingly, Siesta is not diforted by the scene and scent of burning flesh as she ms her foot into the ground.


    As I''m wondering why she would do that, I sense a burst of energy leave her foot and move into the ground.


    The next moment, bits of soil begin to float into the air forming a huge cluster of dirt.


    Siesta then reaches her arm out in front of herself before muttering,


    "Smash."


    Her actions result in the floating soil to abruptlyunch toward Gaston and ultimately strike him down, while conveniently extinguishing the mes.


    A wide smile spreads across Siesta''s face as she looks my way with sparkles in her eyes.


    All of a sudden, her expression shifts to that of pain as she holds her head and screams at the top of her lungs.


    In response to this, I quickly dash to her side and examine her body.


    Seeing that nothing is wrong, I ce my hand on her head and make use of my Healing Factor.


    A short whileter, Siesta loses her consciousness and falls into my embrace.


    While holding her Siesta, I nce at Gaston''s charred body once before eximing,


    "The winner of this duel is Siesta!"


    Then, I carry Siesta like a princess before scanning the crowd with my eyes and asking a slightly forceful tone,


    "Any objections?"


    Fortunately, there doesn''t seem to be any more idiots in the crowd as they all unanimously agree with my decision.


    Heh, these guys are more than likely to think of Siesta''s current predicament as nothing more than a bacsh for attempting to use magic as amoner.


    Of course, I''m sure that some would see beyond that. Nevertheless, they wouldn''t dare try anything against me, as, if they are smart enough to see past through this, they would be smart enough to know who to not antagonize.


    And thus, I guide Yuno, Krul, Gabriel, Aruru, and Saturnus along as I head toward a secluded area.


    Once we are in our destination, I waste no time in creating a gateway to Albion and walk with rough it while still carrying Siesta in my arms.


    As soon as I pass through the gateway, I find myself in the castle''s lounging area.


    To my surprise, Lizette is currently present along with two maids.


    The three of them have a shocked look on their faces as they observe me and the girls emerging from the gateway.


    "No time to exin," I say while acting nervous, "I''m going to be busy with something. Don''t disturb me, at all costs."


    Not waiting for a response, I head out of the room straight away and make my way to the most luxurious looking bedroom in this castle.


    --


    Afterying Siesta down on the bed, I begin examining her body and see that there still is nothing wrong with her.


    Irene, tell me what''s going on.


    {Affirmative. The entity identified as Siesta is currently undergoing a Core formation.}


    What''s that?


    {Upon obtaining the qualifications required to unseal a Code''s functions, the body will undergo aplete renewal process, restoring it to its prime.}


    I see. Is there anything else that I need to know?


    {Once a Core has been formed, the being essentially gains immortality.}


    Hold on, what? I don''t recall you ever mentioning something of such importance.


    As I begin to think of what her words mean, realization dawns upon me on what she could mean by ''immortality''.


    Oh Irene, you aren''t referring to physical immortality, are you?


    {It''s as Father suspects. The immortality applies to the soul only and not the body. It prevents the soul from dissipating and granting the opportunity for reincarnation.}


    Immortality, huh? There is a high chance that I''ve gone through something like this in the past. Heck, Yuno mentioned something along those lines during our battle against each other.


    Speaking of which, what bes of the souls of non-Code beings?


    {The soul of the beings in the tforms simply dissipates into the yground and further enforces the barrier between the tforms and the Rift}


    Also known as the Mete, right. Why the souls in tforms, though? What about those in the Rift?


    {There is not enough data to provide Father a proper response.}


    Not enough data? Didn''t I kill plenty of feeble beings over there? Did you get nothing from their souls?


    {Negative. That''s not enough.}


    Great Alright, leaving that matter aside, are you able to tell what''s Siesta''s Code?


    {The entity is currently undergoing Core formation, so data for analysis is unavable.}


    So, I just have to wait for her to be done.


    --


    After what seems like an eternity, I feel a burst of energy escape from Siesta''s body as an overwhelming feeling of ''emptiness'' spreads through my whole body.


    My brain begins to feel a little fuzzy as I lose most of my senses, with the only two remaining unaffected being my sense of hearing and vision.


    In response to this, my Code directly begins purging any foreign forces within my body, resulting in me slowly regaining my senses.


    After a few minutes, I''vepletely recovered.


    Taking in a deep breath, I examine Siesta who''s lying on the bed from head to toe.


    Right after I do so, I sense that something inside her has changed.


    I feel an abrupt jolt of pain in my head as my eyes suddenly begin to itch.


    A few secondster, my vision begins to warp as I begin seeing a white glow at the center of Siesta''s chest, reminding me of the time I first arrived in the Rift.


    Back then, I saw three different-colored lights in my chest. Then, right after that, I saw a vision where everyone had a ''light'' of their own.


    What I find strange is that something simr to that vision urred in the Rift back then when I first angelified Raynare, Kwarner, and Mittelt.


    However, that doesn''t seem to be exactly what I saw in the vision


    Suddenly, AI''s voice resounds within my head, interrupting my thoughts.


    {Code Detected: Seraphiel.}

 Chapter 149: Cleaning ; Council

    Chapter 149: Cleaning ; Council


    Seraphiel? Do you have any information regarding this Code''s capabilities, Irene?


    {Negative. Code waves are detectable, so, it was possible to determine the Code. However, not enough data has been analyzed for more information.}


    Right. What about this feeling of emptiness I just had a moment ago? Some invasive energy escaped from Siesta, I''m sure of it.


    {Affirmative. The energy is currently being assimted.}


    Oh? It seems like my Code doesn''t get rid of everything that invades, but keeps some for analysis. This mighte in handy sometime in the future in a way or another.


    "Uhm" a groan results in my focus to shift back to reality and observe Siesta as she gradually opens her eyes.


    She is a little confused as she looks around a little before setting her eyes on me.


    "Master?" she mutters.


    Damn it. From the way she called me just now, she either hasn''t received any memories of the past or hasn''t known me before.


    "Siesta, do you remember anything?" I ask her ambiguously.


    "Uh" she voices a little nervously before giving me a short recounting of how she met me and why we are in this tform.


    As I thought, she hasn''t received any memories from any past.


    Irene, wasn''t she supposed to have remembered parts of the past for her Core to form?


    {Negative. Father''s case is a special one. Others don''t necessarily have to go through with the same procedure as Father.}


    If only I knew what the heck happened in the past


    Those visions are revealing bits of it to me, but I still have no idea what was it that gave me the uneasy feeling when Tiamat said that she saw my past.


    I feel ufortable just thinking about it.


    Shaking my head, I push those thoughts to one corner of my mind as I settle my sight on Siesta''s face.


    Reaching my arm out, I gently stroke her cheek and say,


    "Siesta, see if you can feel any kind of power within you. It should be somewhat simple to the powers I use."


    In response to my words, Siesta dons a serious expression as she closes her eyes.


    After a few moments, I feel uncanny energy leaving her body. What''s strange is the aura seems to be brimming with purity.


    For some reason, the closer I am to the energy, the more uneasy I feel. It just makes me wonder how powerful is she.


    "Siesta, try to use your power," I state.


    "Okay," she responds before raising her arm.


    The next moment, all the energy she had released gets ''sucked'' back in and gets channeled to the center of her palm before being abruptly released a few secondster.


    This ultimately results in an energy wave to epass me and the whole room before simply dissipating.


    Having prepared for the worst, this oue throws me into a stupor.


    What just happened?


    Not a single thing in this room was destroyed or affected in any meaningful way. Did she fail in using her power?


    Suddenly, I realize something. My clothes which had gotten a little messy from the fight with Guiche are clean.


    Back when I woke up, I didn''t bother clearing off the soil attached to it due to my hastiness, yet, here it is right now, looking as good as new.


    Don''t tell me


    Having my doubts, I do a quick scan of the room, and as I expected, it''s spotless.


    I am aware that the cleanliness of this room is being maintained by the maids, but this is too much.


    Siesta''s powers are rted to cleaning?


    As much as it suits her status as my maid, it''s unbelievable for a Code''s power to be something like this. How could cleaning even be useful in battle, it-


    My thoughts suddenlye to a halt as I realize something. There is always more to powers and abilities than what one would usually expect.


    The perfect example of this would be my Plunder.


    When I first arrived in Project Charlotte, I deemed it to be nothing more than a five-second possession ability.


    Even so, what other applications of ''cleaning'' are there?


    There is one method to find out.


    Clenching my hand, I throw a punch toward Siesta''s face at a speed that no ordinary human will be able to perceive.


    The n is simply to see if Siesta will unconsciously use her Code to protect herself or not.


    Naturally, I won''t be really punching her. I will cancel out all the vectors to do absolutely no damage.


    As these thoughts swirl within my mind, a wave of energy suddenly invades my body as the feeling of emptiness I felt before returns.


    The moment I regain my rity, I realize that not only is my arm down, but I had forgotten what I just wanted to a few seconds ago.


    What the heck?


    I nce at Siesta, only to find her examining her hands with intrigue all over her face.


    Just now It almost felt like my intentions were erased. Is that an application of her Code? Erasing intentions?


    Feeling slight movement, on my left hand, I move my sleeve away to reveal a dazed Aurora. I stroke her small head a little before shifting my focus back to Siesta.


    As I''m about to inquire more about her power, I hear a knock on the door.


    Using irvoyance, I find a brown-haired man. His face is firm, and his nose is sharp. There is a long scar on his face, from his right eye to his left cheek.


    It''s quite obvious that the man is a soldier, however, from the way he''s carrying himself and the aura he seems to be giving away, he''s no ordinary soldier.


    Taking this chance, I examine our appearance before saying,


    "Enter."


    The man directly opens the door and walks forward until he''s only two meters away from me.


    Then, he kneels on the ground and says in a firm tone,


    "General Godeffroy Boffrand at your service."


    "What has brought you here, Godeffroy?"


    "Your Honor, the time for crowning is near. The people have been waiting for this day for a long time," he responds stiffly.


    "Is that so?" I simply respond while thinking of what he said.


    I''m quite surprised by this, as I thought that there would be much more work to do before the people epted me.


    It seems like I have undermined the severity of the distrust that was formed for the nobles and the people''s belief in the royal family.


    From the looks of it, this ce had been ruled well before the Reconquista ruined it all.


    "Is there anything else?" I inquire.


    "Yes," he responds before saying, "We hope that Your Honor graces us with your presence at the council room."


    Hm?


    "Who are you referring to by saying ''we'', and what is your reason for this?"


    "The other generals would like to discuss the state of Albion with Your Honor in person."


    Good. This man''s attitude is rather likable. He simply says what needs to be said while leaving out what normally would''ve been the normal ''etiquette''.


    This is much more preferable than time being wasted on a ''noble'' greeting.


    "I suppose, I''ll do that then," I respond to his words.


    After all, I need to find out the state of affairs in my own kingdom if I were to rise to the throne, no?


    I turn around to face Siesta and say,


    "Siesta, rest for now. I will be back soon."


    Once she gives me her affirmation, I turn around and begin walking out of the room alongside Godeffroy.


    ---


    As Godeffroy and I are on our way to the council room, we run into Krul, Yuno, Saturnus, Gabriel, and Aruru.


    The five of them were examining some kind of crystal orb that was releasing energy simr to the crystals that were present in the machine we destroyed.


    Aruru directly runs over and jumps into my embrace while eximing,


    "Father!"


    It seems like they''re not going to follow the pretense of them being my maids now that we are no longer in the academy.


    Well, this is better anyway.


    However, there is a certain someone who doesn''t seem to think the same way I do.


    "Your Honor," Godeffroy voices with disbelief, "is she"


    Despite him not finishing his words, I know full well what he wants to ask, so I nod my head and say,


    "Indeed. Thisss is my daughter."


    Godeffroy''s gets a little unnatural before he takes in a deep breath and says,


    "I hope that Your Honor keeps this a secret for a while."


    In response to his worries, I wave my hand in front of me and say dismissively,


    "Of course, of course. I won''t risk the stability of the kingdom in any way."


    Seemingly satisfied with my response, Godeffroy nods once before continuing to lead the way to the council room.


    The girls decide that they want to apany me, as they have nothing better to do anyway.


    Naturally, I''m not against it. Not only do I have no reason to do so, but it could be useful for them to learn more about this kingdom.


    Soon, all of us reach the council room.


    Godeffroy stands to the side and waits for me to enter the room.


    Letting out a sigh, I walk forward and open the door.


    What meets my sight is the back of a red-haired woman who seems to be pissed off.


    "You are all worthless to doubt His Highness''s capabilities! You deserve to die!", exims the woman before drawing a sword out of its sheathe which was attached to her hips.


    "Calm down, General Yvonne! You know full that wasn''t our intention!" a bulky ck-haired man exims in response to her words.


    "What else could it be other than that?!" Yvonne exims aggressively.


    As the man is about to respond to her words, he notices my presence, which sends him into a stupor.


    "What, you don''t have anything else to-" Yvonne continues before eventually realizing that the man isn''t looking at her.


    "What are you looking at?" she says before turning around setting her sight on me.


    Her expression shifts from annoyance and dissatisfaction to pure shock as a nervous voice escapes her lips,


    "Your Highness!"


    Hah~ It seems like my brain will not be getting much peace anytime soon

 Chapter 150: Trouble ; Good Girl

    Chapter 150: Trouble ; Good Girl


    A nervous expression appears on Yvonne''s face as she kneels on the ground without uttering a word.


    The two behind her seem to not bepletely clear in the head, so they just simply follow suit and kneel alongside her.


    For some reason, I have a feeling that this will take some time


    "Get up," Imand.


    The three of them rise to their feet and make way for me to pass through.


    I walk past them while carrying Aruru as the rest of the girls follow long.


    Examining the table, I find itcking in size, so I press my palm against it and use Destruction to obliterate it.


    Then, I proceed to telepathically move the chairs away and create arger table, while ignoring the shocked look on the generals'' faces.


    Once that''s done, I create a few more chairs before taking a seat at the newly created table.


    The girls are the first ones to take a seat after me, which normally wouldn''t mean much, however, that doesn''t seem to be the case for one of the generals.


    "Your Highness. With all due respect, but I believe that thesedies shouldn''t be present," says the bulky ck-haired man.


    Shaking my head slowly, I let out a sigh and ask,


    "First of all, who are you?"


    My words seem to deal him an effective amount of damage as he says in a dubious tone,


    "Your Highness, you couldn''t have forgotten me, right?"


    It seems like he''s not aware of the ''fact'' that I have amnesia.


    "I''m afraid that''s the case. For reasons yet to be known, I''ve lost all my memories of the past."


    "It can''t be," the man mutters, while a strange expression appears on Yvonne''s face.


    "Forget that," I say in a slightly forceful tone, "Introduce yourself and tell me why you think that these girls shouldn''t be present."


    In response to my words, the man coughs twice before saying,


    "My name is Ludovic Boffrand."


    Boffrand? Is he rted to Godeffroy in some way?


    "Are you Godeffroy''s brother?" I ask directly.


    For some reason, Ludovic seems to find my words funny as he tries to hold hisughter in before saying in a forced serious tone,


    "Godeffroy will never be my brother. He was just adopted due to his usefulness for the Boffrand family."


    While he was speaking, I kept an eye on Godeffroy to see how he would react, only to find him unfazed by his words.


    Godeffroy either has a strong will, or he''s used to this. Perhaps, both?


    Anyway, I sure wasn''t expecting something like this to happen.


    I believed that those present would make use of this opportunity to leave a good impression on me.


    Ignoring Ludovic, I shift my attention to the man standing near him, only to be surprised by his appearance.


    His physique is bulky and he has long jet-ck hair. In his eyes, I see nothing other than boredom.


    "Your Highness," Ludovic calls out before casting a nce at Yvonne and saying, "The reason that I believe women shouldn''t be here is that they''re unworthy."


    Seriously? A sexist general? Just what I needed.


    "Is that so?" I say before asking him, "Who was the one that assigned Yvonne as a general?"


    Without a single moment dy, Ludovic replies,


    "Thete king."


    "So, you''re saying that his judgment wasckluster?" I inquire while squinting my eyes.


    "Of course, not!" Ludovic anxiously responds, "It''s just that Uh"


    Seeing him stammer and noting up with a proper response, I say,


    "What do you believe makes them unworthy of being here?"


    Finding this to be his saving grace, Ludovic directly says,


    "Strength!"


    Sitting back, I gently pat Aruru''s head and say,


    "You believe that their strength isckingpared to men?"


    "Yes," he responds while doing his best to maintain a respectful attitude.


    Perhaps, I could make use of this opportunity to find more things out regarding these generals.


    "Does this mean that Yvonne is currently the weakest person currently present in the room?" I nonchntly ask.


    My words seem to hurt Yvonne a little as her lips twitch, but that doesn''tst long as Ludovic shakes his head and says,


    "That shouldn''t be the case. The weakest one in this room should be that little girl on Your Highness''sp."


    Is this his attempt at being honest? How cute.


    "Alright," I say before getting up from my seat and letting Aruru down, "You may fight her."


    "Huh?" a disbelieving expression appears on Ludovic''s face as he watches as Aruru makes her way over to him.


    "Speaking of which," I say, "What was it that made Yvonne so angry when I came here?"


    Ludovic is still out of it, so Yvonne replies instead of him,


    "Your Highness, they imed that the feats performed by Your Grace were just exaggerations and lies."


    "Oh?"


    "They believed that Your Highness isn''t capable of fighting against an army of soldiers, especially alongside women."


    Before I can say anything, the man with the jet-ck hair says,


    "Don''t make it seem like I''m with General Ludovic. I simply said that it''s unlikely for His Highness to fight against an army in the manner that was described the soldiers. I believe that there is more to it than what soldiers let on, be it a n or action."


    Hm... This guy thinks that I made use of a strategic n to wipe out the army. Normally, this would bepletely logical, but not this time.


    Logic doesn''t apply to me the same way it does to others.


    "Forget that," I say, "Who are you?"


    The man puts on a respectful front as he simply replies,


    "Frances Hartlyn."


    Very well. Frances seems to be a highly logical man, making him a good candidate for tutoring Guiche.


    Shifting my focus back to Ludovic, I find him looking at Aruru with a strange expression.


    "What''s wrong, Ludovic?" I say, "I''ve already told you that you can fight her, no?"


    In response to my words, Ludovic looks my way and bows a little before saying,


    "Your Highness, I couldn''t possibly fight a child."


    Finding his words funny, I say,


    "I suggest that you give it your all in fighting her, or you''ll die before you know it."


    Before he can say anything else, I say,


    "Aruru, go."


    The next moment, a scream resounds as Ludovic''s body getsunched into the wall with enough force to form cracks on it.


    Fortunately, Ludovic has a chest-te on, so it won''t harm him as much as it normally would''ve.


    Nevertheless, this is more than enough to severely damage his internal organs.


    Shaking my head, I appear beside him and about to make use of Healing Factor to heal him.


    However, before I do so, an idea suddenly pops up in my head.


    Looking down at the groaning Ludovic, I use Gift to grant him immortality.


    Moving back, I observe as he stops groaning and gets up from the ground with a slightly raged expression on his face.


    "How powerful," Yvonnements, "To be able to blow away a cow in such a manner."


    This seems to add more fuel to the fire as Ludovic''s brows begin to twitch as he unsheathes his sword.


    Shocked, Godeffroy takes this opportunity to say in a rebuking tone,


    "What are you doing?! She''s just a child!"


    "Shut up!" Ludovic responds, "You have no say here! His Highness himself said that I may fight her, isn''t that right?"


    "You will use your sword to fight against a child?!"


    "What do you know?! This ''child'' that you speak of is a monster!"


    The moment thest word leaves his mouth, Aruru''s expression takes a turn for the worst as she mutters,


    "How dare you"


    Before anyone can react to the sudden change, Aruru disappears from where she was and reappears right in front of Ludovic.


    In a state of panic, Ludovic swings his sword down on Aruru''s head.


    "Be careful!" Godeffroy and Yvonne both shout while Frances just squints his eyes.


    The rest of the girls are currently watching everything unfold with a smile on their faces.


    Shifting my attention back to Ludovic and Aruru, I find the sword''s de stopped by Aruru''s bare hands as she looks at the bewildered Ludovic in the eyes and says,


    "Only Father can decide what I am."


    Aruru doesn''t allow Ludovic to react as she breaks the sword and then driving it through his right kneecap, earning her an honest cry of agony from the man.


    Unfazed, Aruru makes use of this opportunity to kick the other kneecap, which ultimately results in both of Ludovic''s legs to be crippled.


    With the effect of my Gift still active, he should be healing now, but based on the damage, it will take some time before the healing process gets done.


    During this time, Aruru continuously punches Ludovic in the chest while repeatedly shouting,


    "Only Father!"


    After a while, I decide that he has been punished enough, so I say,


    "Finish him!"


    Hearing my words, Aruru slightly shifts her body before swiftly jumping and kicking his face with enough force to directly snap his neck.


    That''s not all, as Aruru uses Ludovic''s body as a boost tounch herself toward me.


    I catch her body and begin stroking her head while praising her.


    After a few seconds, I look up only to find both Yvonne and Frances gawking at Aruru who''s within my arms.


    "She''s such a good girl, isn''t she?" I ask with a smile on my face.

 Chapter 151: Aerial Network ; Suspicion

    Chapter 151: Aerial Network ; Suspicion


    Ignoring the looks she''s being given, Aruru simply closes her eyes and ces her head against my chest as I continue to rub her head.


    Anyway, my main objective during this meeting should be gathering as much information as I can.


    First, I should start with a basic question,


    "Where were you all during my return?"


    As if just realizing that the meeting is about to be undergone, the three generals hastily take a seat at the table.


    Then, Godeffroy begins exining,


    "We were all near the edge of Albion. Due to Your Highness''s state being unclear, the soldiers were willing to fight in your name.


    "And thus, we were preparing for an assault when news of Your Highness''s return reached us."


    Listening to his exnation, I realize that parts don''t seem to make sense.


    "How did you manage to get here so quickly?"


    This time, instead of Godeffroy, Yvonne responds,


    "We made use of the Aerial Network."


    Curious, I raise a brow and repeat,


    "Aerial Network?"


    Nodding her head, Yvonne tells me about the existence of a tunnelwork right below Albion that''smonly used by royalty as a means of transportation.


    Apparently, Lizette decided that the situation required its usage, so she taught the generals how to make use of it.


    So, why is this tunnelwork called "Aerial Network" despite being underground? That''s simply because of the way the transportation works.


    The way the Aerial Network works is nothing short of fascinating. It''s practically like a metro, except the fact that it doesn''t require electricity to operate.


    Instead, it uses the same thing that Albion as whole uses to stay afloat: wind-stones.


    Basically, they had found a way to properly extract wind-stones and configure them so that they can be used in machinery.


    It doesn''t take a genius to guess that the machine I took down was making use of these wind-stones to fly.


    Anyway, I asked them for a detailed description of the Aerial Network and the locations it can reach.


    Once I obtained everything I wanted, I began thinking of the moreplicated stuff, for example, how the hell did they manage to build this thing?


    Unless it is deep underground, I can see a lot of ways that this would''ve gone wrong.


    Then again, this world is unnatural in a lot of ways, so I can understand how something that normally would''ve been extremely hard could be done more easily.


    Letting out a sigh, I take a nce at the three generals. As I''m about to inquire about the state of our forces, Ludovic raises his body from the ground and looks around with a baffled expression on his face.


    The three generals gawk at him with a bewildered expression on their faces.


    "How is he alive?" Yvonne mutters.


    Well, of course, he would be alive. I had granted him immortality for a reason.


    I can''t him die just like this, now, can I? There is the possibility of him having information and skills that the other generals might not have.


    Simply put, it''s much better to use him than killing him.


    ---


    "We''re finally done," Yuno says once we leave the council room.


    "I enjoyed it," Saturnus surprisingly states, "It reminded me of the days the Creator would hold a meeting to gather information and act upon them."


    "Now that I think about it," Yuno says, "You''re from Higgins, aren''t you?"


    "That''s correct," Saturnus replies.


    "I wonder what it looks like", Yuno continues, "I''ve never been there before."


    "Higgins was mainly maintained by the Creator and the other parts of Genesis, so it''s a rather splendid ce."


    Huh? Did she just say ''Genesis''?


    "Hey, Saturnus," I say a little impatiently, "What is Genesis?"


    "Genesis, you ask? Isn''t that what everyone says when referring to the Creator and his wives?"


    Hearing her words, I feel like there is something off. No way that they would give such a name for no reason, so I look over at Yuno and say,


    "You should know, right? Tell me, Yuno. What is Genesis, exactly?"


    Letting out a sigh, Yuno simply says,


    "It''s the name of the Program that we were a part of."


    Genesis is a Program? Not only that, but I was a part of it too? Things are beginning to make more sense now, albeit a little.


    Based on this, my foes aren''t just targeting me, but everyone who was a part of the Genesis Program.


    Why, though? What''s their reason for doing so? Surely, they didn''t just hate us because we were superior to them or something, right?


    Could it be that it has something to do with the vision I saw?


    Intrigued, I begin describing the ces I saw in my vision.


    Thetter of the two worlds is what Saturnus identified as Higgins.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t able to recognize the former one, so I gave them more details.


    The moment I got to the part regarding Alpha''s appearance, Yuno remarks,


    "Isn''t that your pet?"


    A little bewildered, I voice,


    "Pet?"


    "Well, isn''t that what she was? Whenever I saw her, she was silent and only obeyed whatever you ordered her," Yuno exins the reason for calling her as such.


    "That doesn''t make her a pet," Saturnus chimes in, "It just means that she was a devoted girl that listened to whatever the Creator told her."


    As the girls begin discussing some useless matter among themselves, I think of what I found out from this short discussion.


    From the looks of it, the past me didn''t tell anyone about the tform that Alpha is from.


    For some reason, it''s making me feel uneasy.


    Setting that aside, I now need to get back to the academy to retrieve the two Grimoires.


    Deciding that I shouldn''t waste any more time, I inform the girls of my intention. Having told them what needs to be said, I get down and kiss Aruru''s cheek before saying,


    "I will be gone for a short while. Make sure to listen to be a good girl, alright?"


    Nodding her head, Aruru beams me a smile and says,


    "Don''t worry, Father! I will punish all who disrespect you."


    Finding her adorable, I directly embrace her petite body and whisper,


    "Just be careful, okay?"


    Hugging me back, Aruru responds,


    "Of course!"


    Letting go of her, I get up and nce at each one of the girls before using Norse Magic to teleport myself to the academy.


    Naturally, I formed a gateway connected to Louise''s dorm room, as that is the best location to do so.


    Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of luck, as the moment I step out of the gateway, I am met with the sight of a shocked Henrietta who''s sitting beside Louise on the bed.


    As for Louise, she just has a dumbfounded look on her face before she exims,


    "Victor, where were you?!"


    Seeing the worried and slightly reprimanding look on her face, I grin and say,


    "What, did you miss me?"


    Right after I say so, a blush covers Louise''s face as she turns her head to the side and says.


    "Who would miss you?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I shift my attention over to Henrietta who still seems to be out of it.


    I approach the bed and sit down before saying,


    "Henrietta, what are you doing here?"


    Breaking out of her stupor, Henrietta takes in a deep breath before saying in a serious tone,


    "Kingdom of Gallia has been acting suspiciously."


    "How so?" I inquire, knowing that this matter is of importance.


    "So, it''s like this," Henrietta begins exining, "I had spent some spies over to obtain information, but I never expected that they would send over information regarding military movements."


    Hearing her words, I squint my eyes and say,


    "How certain are you of the loyalty of the spies you sent over?"


    Obviously confused, Henrietta asks dubiously,


    "What do you mean?"


    "Exactly what you think. Can you trust these spies?"


    As if realization just dawned upon her, Henrietta says,


    "Are you suggesting that the information is false?"


    I shake my head and exin what I make of this situation,


    "Chances are, the information about enemy making strange movements are true, however, what we can''t be certain of is what they im the enemy is doing.


    "So, just to be safe, you should use some method to make sure that the information is certain, lest a disaster befalls Tristain due to misinformation."


    Fortunately, Henrietta seems to be a smart girl as she carefully deliberates on what I told her.


    Now, now. I''m aware that this could be just me overthinking things, but what has happened so far suggests otherwise.


    First, there is the fact that I ruined the main n, forcing them to y their cards early on.


    I''m sure that this n of theirs was carefullyid out, so what''s there to prevent them from making other ns?


    If I were the sovereign of Gallia, I would ''reveal'' false information to confuse the other side and making use of the opportunity to crush them.


    All in all, Gallia is going to be problematic to deal with. I could simply infiltrate the kingdom myself and take it down, but that would be way too risky for both myself and those in the other kingdoms.


    So, the best method to deal with Gallia would be building an army up and gather as much information as I can before facing them head-on.


    Leaving all that aside, I have two Grimoires to look into.


    Truth and loss, huh? I wonder what these two have in store for me...

 Chapter 152: Thoughts ; Surprise

    Chapter 152: Thoughts ; Surprise


    I reckon that I should get this done as soon as possible.


    And so, I reach my arm out and ce my hand on Henrietta''s head.


    "I must go," I state.


    In response to my words, Henrietta raises her arm and ces her hand on mine before saying,


    "You''ve been busy recently."


    Letting out a sigh, I exin,


    "That''s because of the recent events that urred in Albion."


    However, my words seem to confuse her as she asks,


    "What are you talking about?"


    Right, she wouldn''t know what''s going on as it has happened quite recently for the news to reach her.


    That''s not all, as the fact that Albion is a giant floating kingdom pretty much exins why the information would arrive at other locationster than usual.


    And so, I briefly recount the battle and my fight against the machine, while making sure to omit anything that''s not necessary.


    Once I''m done, Henrietta ces her hand against her forehead and says doubtfully,


    "So, you''re telling me that you managed to take out the rebellion that brought the kingdom down in a day?


    Well, I''m pretty sure that it took way less than a day, but that''s not her point, I suppose.


    "Yes," I directly reply.


    "Unbelievable," Louise who has been silent this whole timements.


    "Thank you for thepliment," I say with a smile on my face.


    "So, what are you going to be doing, now that you''ve done all this?" Henrietta questions curiously.


    Finding her question interesting, I take a few moments to think before replying,


    "Honestly, I would much rather take a good rest and enjoy my days than dealing with these idiots. However, things tend to not go the way you want them."


    "Couldn''t you just take rest and dy all the matters for ater time? It''s not like the people can''t wait for the coronation, you know?" Henrietta suggests.


    She has a point, I know, but the consequences that maye with it are too much for me to handle.


    First, there is some Code in this tform that I have yet to identify. Not only are they powerful, but they seem to be able to use their power for pretty long ranges.


    I can tell that by the fact that they were near me, yet, AI wasn''t able to identify their Code waves.


    Well, that''s that, I suppose. After that,es another one of my issues, which is time.


    Simply put, I can''t just rest, as, at any given moment, a creature with infinite powers could pop out of nowhere.


    The fact that this has happened before further enforces the notion.


    For some reason, I feel like I''m finding an excuse to not rest Strange


    Irene?


    {Yes, Father?}


    Why can''t I find the idea of taking a rest over other things usible?


    {ording to the avable information, Father''s mentality is being affected by the memories that Father unsealed recently.}


    That''s what I suspected to be the case. Simply put, ever since I woke up from thest vision, something had changed in me.


    While it may not seem obvious, but deep down, I''m aware of it.


    As for the effects thate with the change, I suppose that my recent unusual actions can be taken as examples.


    This is not good. I can''t let it influence me any longer. A slight change of heart could change everything,


    "Wales?" a worried voice brings a halt to my thoughts.


    Looking over at Henrietta, I say,


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t know You were acting a little strange just now. Almost as if something was gnawing at your conscience."


    That''s one way to describe someone thinking of their troubles.


    I shake my head slowly and say in a calm tone,


    "Don''t think about it much. I just thought of all the trouble that may arise if I were to rest."


    Henrietta opens her mouth, most likely to rebuke me, but before she can utter a word, I ce a finger against her lips and say,


    "I know that I shouldn''t be thinking in such a manner, but there isn''t much I can do about it. So, how about you try to clear my mind off by taking me somewhere, just the two of us?"


    Hearing the first part of what I had to say, Henrietta''s brows continued to frown, until she got surprised by the suggestion in the end.


    She doesn''t take a single moment to think as she directly replies,


    "Sure!"


    I beam her a smile before moving closer and swiftly hugging her.


    Not expecting this, Henrietta''s body stiffens as her breathing gets faster.


    She''s not the only one who found my actions unexpected, as Louise who is near us points her finger at my face and asks in a slightly loud and shaky voice,


    "Wh-what are you doing?!"


    Seeing the finger so close to my face, I grin before lifting one arm and grabbing her hand.


    Before Louise can realize what I''m about to do, I pull her finger close to my mouth and lightly nibble on it.


    Louise''s already-flushed face gets even redder as she lets out a strangely cute yelp.


    Not letting it end here, I grab her arm and pull her closer before repositioning myself so that I can hug both of the girls.


    After a short while, I let go of them and move back a little before saying,


    "We will have plenty of time to hang out in the future."


    Well, it''s about time that I left for the Grimoires.


    Hugging the two girls once more, I proceed to give each one of them a quick peck on the forehead, earning me twopletely different reactions.


    Louise immediately freezes up, while Henrietta has a mncholic expression on her face.


    Did my actions remind of her of someone dear to her? Perhaps, that''s the case. From what I can tell, they''re most likely deceased or somewhere far away.


    So, it''s only natural that I will provide her thefort she needs, for no other reason than being a gentleman.


    As such, I use my right hand to lift her chin before leaning closer to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek thatsted for a dozen or so seconds.


    Moving back, I find her expression has improved, but tears are now welling up in the corner of her eyes.


    Letting out a sigh, I ce my hand on her head and gently ruffle her hair for a few seconds before saying,


    "Take care, Henrietta. You can always call for my help if things go wrong."


    Then, without waiting for a response, I get off the bed and make my way to the door.


    cing my hand on the door handle, I turn back to look at the two girls who have such contrasting expressions once more.


    Shaking my head, I open the door and head out of the room before closing the door behind me.


    Now then, I wonder which Grimoire should I go for first? Deciding that I will simply go with whichever one is the closest, I use irvoyance to check the building.


    Unsurprisingly, I''m not able to locate the retard that had challenged Siesta to a duel.


    Coincidentally, Osmond isn''t present in the academy. Definitely doesn''t seem suspicious.


    Setting such thoughts aside, I make my way to Guiche''s dorm room, where he and a certain blonde-haired girl are.


    On the way there, I run into someone I had seen earlier using irvoyance - Kirche.


    "You''re back," she says the first thing upon seeing me.


    "Well, no. You see, this is just my ghost," I before using Permeation to pass my hand through the wall close to us.


    "Nice trick, I''ve seen that before when you barged in on me while I was changing," shements while rolling her eyes.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "But have you seen this?"


    Having gotten her attention, I use Creation to produce a bouquet of colorful flowers and offer it to her.


    "How nice of you," she says before taking the bouquet from my hands.


    "Do I get a reward?" I jokingly say.


    "I suppose that I should give one, shouldn''t I?" she says before moving closer and giving me a short kiss on the lips.


    Unsatisfied, I stop her from going away by holding her arm and pull her closer to myself before going in for a much deeper kiss.


    In a span of seconds, she presses her soft body against me as she passionately returns the kiss.


    After a while, I break the kiss and move back a little before saying while licking my lips,


    "How sweet."


    Kirche doesn''t say anything and just looks at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    Chuckling, I move my head forward to kiss her once before and squeeze her butt while at it before backing away and saying,


    "Get going now. I have a business to settle."


    As I watch Kirche walk away, I sense a gaze on my back.


    Turning around, I look at Tabitha, who is hiding half of her body behind the corner of the wall, and say,


    "Enjoyed the show?"


    Upon hearing my words, the usually expressionless girl frowns before leaving her ''cover'' and walking over to where I am.


    Then, she punches me as hard as she can in the chest, but due to the gap in our parameters, it feels like nothing more than a light tap.


    To my pleasant surprise, she immediately hugs me for a few seconds before hastily walking away.


    It seems like she can''t express her emotions very well...


    Whatever, I should get going now.


    And so, I finally arrive in front of Guiche''s dorm room.


    Using irvoyance, I find the two silently looking at each other in the eyes.


    Soon, the Montmorency closes her eyes and moves her head closer. Guiche does the same.


    However, just before their lips meet, I abruptly open the door and say in a loud voice,


    "Hey, Guiche! How have you been doing?"

 Chapter 153: Trip ; Laura

    Chapter 153: Trip ; Laura


    As the two teenagers are gawking at me, I casually walk inside and take a seat on a stool.


    "Did I interrupt something?" I ask.


    As if just realizing how close they are, the two move away from each other as Guiche says,


    "No. Not at all."


    At the end of his words, he began forcing a chuckle.


    "That''s good," I say nonchntly, "As I''m pretty sure you know the reason I''m here."


    Upon hearing my words, Guiche''s expression turns serene as he nods his head once before turning his head to face Montmorency.


    "Forgive me, Montmorency. I must guide His Highness to my family''s house."


    Huh? He seems to be much more respectfulpared to before. Could it be, he respects me more now that I brought him closer to Montmorency?


    It seems like I''m a good wingman after all.


    "It''s fine," the girl responds, "This is something that can''t be dyed."


    Having gotten her confirmation, Guiche gets up and says to me,


    "It should take us a rtively short time to get there if we were to go by carriage. Should I send a letter to my family, requesting one?"


    I wave my hand in front of me and say dismissively,


    "Do whatever you deem necessary."


    ---


    "Your Highness, the carriage has arrived," Guiche''s voice resounds within my ears,


    Finally. I was beginning to get impatient to the point that flying over while dragging Guiche with a rope became a usible idea in my mind.


    Shaking my head to clear such thoughts, I get up from the chair I had created and destroy it before walking to where Guiche is waiting for me.


    Upon reaching his side, a luxurious looking carriage enters my sight, with a butler as the coachman.


    "Let''s get going," I say before walking toward the carriage.


    Seeing us, the butler gets off his seat and proceeds to open the carriage door for us.


    Not sparing him a nce, I simply get inside the carriage after running a quick scan for anything suspicious.


    As I take a seat, Guiche sits opposite to me and says in a tone that has a hint of pride,


    "It''s a good carriage isn''t it?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "Not bad."


    Well, it isn''t that bad of carriage. See, this is the first time I''m riding a carriage, but I suppose this one is betterpared to other ones.


    "So, Guiche," I say as soon as the carriage begins moving, "Have you told your family about the matter with the Grimoire?"


    "Ah, yes," he replies, "But, with all due respect Your Highness, I can''t speak for my family regarding this."


    "That''s understandable," I say, "What I need to know is if they will ept the fact you were using the Grimoire in a bet."


    Guiche gets visibly ufortable as he struggles toe up with a response, so I relieve him of his worries by saying,


    "Forget it. We''ll find out once we arrive."


    ---


    We''ve finally arrived at our destination.


    The house of the Gramont family falls on the westernmost part of Tristan, so it took us some time to get here.


    The carriage door is opened by the coachman as he moves to the side.


    I get off the carriage first as Guiche follows suit.


    As soon as I set my foot on the ground, a wondrous sight attracts my attention.


    It seems like I had underestimated how prominent Guiche''s family is.


    This mansion before me simply says a lot about how rich they are.


    It makes me wonder if the interior will be as beautiful as the exterior.


    "This way," Guiche says respectfully as he begins to guide the way.


    Of course, I can''t just follow someone to a ce I''ve never been to without checking for anything suspicious.


    And so, I begin to make use of my irvoyance to check out the interior of the mansion as well as the inhabitants.


    The first thought that crosses my mind once I''m done is that they have a lot of maids for a mansion of this size.


    Their mansion is not small by any means, but having fifteen maids is going overboard.


    I mean, why would they need such an amount anyway? Five is more than enough.


    "You sure have a lot of maids," I directly say to Guiche.


    "Huh?" a confused voice escapes Guiche''s lips as he turns to look at me with a strange expression on his face.


    "What? Did I say something wrong?" I casually ask.


    "No, but... How did you know?" he asks doubtfully.


    "Oh, right. I just sensed their presence."


    "Sensed their presence?" he repeats.


    "Well, yes. I sensed the presence of several females around, so I assumed they were maids that worked here," I respond dismissively.


    "He can sense the presence of females" Guiche mutters to himself as he begins walking again.


    Soon, the two of us reach a rather big doorparable to the doors in Albion''s castle.


    Guiche opens the door, revealing an empty living room that seems to be the objectification of ''luxury''.


    "My father is currently away at the moment," Guiche exins as we head inside, "So, I hope Your Highness can wait for his return."


    Hearing his words, I beam a smile and say,


    "I have no problems with that."


    Guiche releases a relieved sigh before he straightens his posture and says,


    "Your Highness, I would like to meet my mother."


    "Then, what are you waiting for? Go," I coolly reply before leaning back and closing my eyes.


    Now then, time to see if there is anything interesting worth looking into.


    Making use of irvoyance once again, I begin to search the mansion''s rooms.


    After a short while, I manage to find something worthy of suspicion.


    In a room that seems to be made for inscriptions and such, I found a letter addressed to the Count of Gramont.


    In the letter, there was an invitation to a "noble alliance" against the Kingdom of Tristain.


    Naturally, this matter makes me suspicious of the Gramont family, and it would''ve been much worse if there was not another letter next to that one.


    This letter seems to be addressed to the party that had sent the earlierter, with a response to their invitation written in it.


    Simply put, the letter is one being rejection, with a hint of malice in it, giving the impression that the Count of Gramont is extremely loyal to Tristain.


    What I find interesting is the fact that the letter is iplete and seems to be written in a rush toward the end.


    Did something important happen for the count to go away so hurriedly and leave the letter unfinished?


    As these thoughts cross my mind, I feel a sudden movement in the room I''m in.


    I subconsciously activate a reflective barrier using Vector Maniption, which results in a rather stunning oue.


    A small water-ball that wasing my way reflects to where it came from.


    This ultimately leads to a young blonde-haired girl that seems to be nine years old to get soaked.


    Observing the little girl, I see that tears are beginning to well up in her eyes as she looks at me with reddened eyes.


    Who is this little girl, and why did she just attempt to hit me with that magic earlier? Could it be, she wanted to ''prank'' me?


    With such a notion in my mind, I telekically lift the girl and pull her toward myself.


    This doesn''t go as expected, with the girl beginning to il around as an anxious expression appears on her face.


    Shaking my head, I hold her soaked body and say,


    "What was that for?"


    The little girl is still anxious as she nervously looks for a way to ''escape'' from my clutches.


    "Are you Guiche''s little sister?" I say, "I''m his friend."


    This time, my words seem to calm her down a little as she looks me in the eyes before nodding her head.


    "Well then, let''s introduce ourselves," I say while grinning, "My name is Wales Tudor, Crown Prince of Albion."


    The moment the words "Crown Prince" escape my lips, the little girl''s eyes widen as an excited voice resounds within my ears,


    "Uncle is a prince?"


    Hearing her call me uncle, I cough twice and say with a wry smile,


    "Uncle? What uncle? Just call me brother."


    "Brother?" she says, "Brother Wales!"


    "That''s it," I say while patting her small head, "What about you? Are you not going to introduce yourself?"


    The girl proceeds to get off myp and move away from me a little before turning to face me.


    Then, she grabs the hem of her wet once-piece dress and bows a little before saying,


    "I''m the first daughter of Count Gramont, Laura de Gramont."


    Her introduction over, she raises her head and beams me a smile.


    "Laura, huh?" I say while pulling her toward myself again, "Nice to meet you, Laura."


    "I am d to meet you too," she cheerfully responds.


    Seeing her still soaked, an idea appears in my head.


    Lifting my arm, I press my hand against her chest and use Elemental Magic to ''move'' the water particles off.


    This results in Laura''s clothes and hair topletely dry.


    Sensing this, Laura examines herself a little before looking me in the eye and eximing,


    "Wow! How did you do that?!"


    Chuckling, I pinch her soft cheek and say,


    "How about you tell me why you can cast magic despite being so young?"


    "I learned by myself!" she directly replies.


    Self-taught?! If she''s saying the truth, then this little girl is a genius.


    "That''s amazing and all," I say, "But why did you try to hit me with that water-ball earlier?"


    Laura immediately looks away and says,


    "Brother Guiche said so."


    Hearing her words, I am a little surprised as I say,


    "Guiche told you to cast a spell at me?"


    "Not you," Laura exins, "He said that if his friendse over, do this to them"


    The heck was going through Guiche''s mind when he instructed her to do this?


    "Brother Wales, I''m feeling cold," Laura says after a few seconds.


    "Here," I say while pulling her closer and enveloping her in an embrace.


    As I continue to hug her small body, I run my fingers through her long and soft hair.


    All of a sudden, the door leading to this room opens as Guiche enters the room alongside a man that seems to be in histe thirties.


    rmed, Laura raises her head to examine them before getting off me and silently walking out of the room while ignoring the middle-aged man''s re.


    I don''t know why, but for some reason, I feel like chopping this guy''s head off...

 Chapter 154: Marshal Gramont ; Duel ; Gandalfr

    Chapter 154: Marshal Gramont ; Duel ; Gandalfr


    As I lean back against the sofa, the middle-aged man, who I assume is Guiche''s father, walks to the sofa opposite mine and sits down.


    As for Guiche himself, he stands at where he is without uttering a single word.


    Notfortable with the way things are, I say in a forceful tone,


    "Guiche,e over and take a seat."


    Hearing this, his father doesn''t react much but just watches him as Guiche slowly moves closer before sitting near me.


    Satisfied, I nod my head once before shifting my attention to his father and say in a friendly manner,


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Count de Gramont. I''m the Crown Prince of Albion, Wales Tudor."


    Without even a slight change in his expression, the man responds,


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you too, Sir Wales. You may refer to me as Marshal Gramont, and as you know already, I''m the count of the Gramont family."


    So far, I don''t find his attitude problematic. Even so, I still have the urge to chop his head off.


    "I hope were satisfied with the reception you received upon reaching here," Gramont says impassively.


    "Ah, yes. It was fine, I suppose," I reply vaguely.


    One thing that someone must keep in mind when speaking with a ''noble'' is to never let your intentions be known clearly.


    For all they know, the ''noble'' will take advantage of their words and force an agenda upon them.


    So, to prevent that, I will be keeping everything about myself hidden apart from the fact that I''m here for the Grimoire of Truth.


    "Do you happen to be aware of the battle that urred between Guiche and me?" I casually ask.


    "Yes," he responds, "The one where he bet my family''s Grimoire of Truth, right?"


    Squinting my eyes, I beam a smile and say,


    "It''s good to know that you''re aware of the fact that he bet using the Grimoire. This saves me a lot of trouble."


    Having said that, I wipe the smile off my face and say in a serene tone,


    "I hope you hand it over without any trouble."


    Unfazed, Gramont says in a nonchnt tone,


    "Sure, however, you must first prove that you have the qualifications to possess it."


    "Oh? And how am I supposed to do that?"


    "Beat me in a duel," he bluntly replies.


    ---


    "Are you sure about this?" I say once we''re face to face in a room that seems to specifically designed for duels.


    On the walls, there is various weaponry ranging from short wooden daggers torge metallic hatchets.


    These guys do not fool around.


    "Say, does all of your family practice with what''s avable over there?" I ask while pointing at the arsenal.


    "That was supposed to be the n," Gramont replies, "However, my sons all turned out to be much weaker than expected, not being able to wield the more heavy pieces."


    Guiche''s face turns a little red as he says,


    "Father, we''re a family of magicians!"


    As a response to his words, Bullet''splexion changes before he says,


    "Don''t you dare throw that excuse at me again."


    This results in Guiche to bow before quickly leaving the room.


    "Every single one of them useless. Especially that little witch," Bullet mutters to himself.


    I assume that the ''little witch'' he referred to is none other than Laura.


    Yeah, that''s about it. I am very tempted to obliterate this man and get this done with.


    Unfortunately, I can''t kill him and then bring him back, as I have yet to figure out the effects thate with a body I produce using Creation.


    Nevertheless, I have a special ability that''s essentially my saving grace in such a situation.


    Gift:


    -Immortality.


    "So, what are the rules of this duel?" I ask.


    "No magic," he simply replies.


    "That''s all?" I ask doubtfully.


    "What''s wrong, Sir Wales? Were you expecting more restrictions?"


    Huh? Is he suspecting me of something? Whatever, he''s practically asking for a beating.


    "So be it," I say before walking toward the arsenal and grabbing a battleaxe.


    I then examine it to see if there are any problems, and once I found nothing, I walked back to the ''starting position''.


    Gramont has chosen his weapon already, which is a long sword.


    This duel is pretty much set in stone. First, there is a wide gap between our strengths. Second, he simply can''t do much to me as long as I have Absolute Evasion and Vector Maniption.


    However, I feel like I''ve been depending on these abilities a little too much, so it''s about time that I tried something new out.


    Naturally, whatever I try out should be not seen as something rted to magic, lest I want Gramont to call the duel off.


    On a serious note, the only reason I epted this duel is that I wasn''t able to find anything remotely close to the image of "Grimoire of Truth" in my head.


    Every book that I found in the room where I found the letters was nothing out of the ordinary.


    So, the problem is, what ability should I use?


    Suddenly, realization dawns upon me; I have yet to use Gandalfr.


    Speaking of which, how do I activate it?


    {Father needs to simply think of the ability once for it to enter a passive state of activeness.}


    So, you''re saying that thinking of it is something akin to a switch?


    {Affirmative.}


    How neat. If there was such a thing avable for Vector Maniption, I could''ve had a barrier around me every moment, rendering every attack meaningless.


    Fortunately, I have Absolute Evasion for that case, allowing me to form a barrier even if I was attacked too abruptly.


    Damn it! I am thinking of those abilities again, despite resolving myself to not do so a moment ago.


    "Are you ready, Sir Wales?" a rough voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Focusing back on reality, I find Gramont in a battle stance with a serious expression on his face.


    I take a moment to deliberate on something before taking a deep breath and looking into Gramont''s eyes before stating,


    "I believe that this duel is unfair."


    Not allowing him to misunderstand me, I proim,


    "To make this battle fairer, I''ve decided that the moment that I take a hit is my loss."


    Surprised by my words Gramont''s brows rise before they gradually turn into a frown as he asks threateningly,


    "Are you mocking me, Crown Prince of Albion?"


    Shaking my head, I say in a confident tone,


    "That''s not it. I put it in simple terms, but you seem to not understand the meaning behind my words."


    Setting the battleaxe on the ground, I lean on it before saying in a serene tone,


    "Your strength can''t bepared to mine, so I had to give you this handicap, or else you would never have been able to win."


    He seems to find my words insulting as his frown grows and his stance seems to get more proper.


    Acha~ it seems like he has finally decided to face me off properly.


    Be it due to his pride or his wits, this works out for me, as it practically increases the prospects of Gandalfr I can figure out.


    The more serious the opponent, the better they''ll fight, which allows me to try out different aspects of my abilities in both offense and defense.


    "Right," I say as if I just remembered something, "The only way to surrender is to kneel and beg for forgiveness."


    This seems to be thest straw as Gramont''s expression turns for the worst while he exims,


    "You better not forget what you just said, because I want to hear your voice loud and clearter on if you want to live!"


    Not minding his attitude, I state,


    "Let''s start!"


    Holding the battleaxe I think of the ability I received from a certain girl and activate it.


    The moment I do so, my arms seem to move on their own at a speed that is fasterpared to my usual enhanced speed.


    What''s unexpected is the reason my arms moved in such a manner is to block an uing blow from Gramont who''s already in front of me.


    As soon as Gramont''s long sword makes contact with my battleaxe, a gust of wind disrupts the ce as cracks begin spreading across the wooden tiles underneath me.


    Once again, my body moves on its own as I kick Gramont''s leg with just enough force to destabilize him before I swiftly rotate the battleaxe and chop his right leg off.


    In response to this, Gramont just groans as he moves back on his only left foot.


    Gramont then coughs once before he says,


    "It seems like those words of yours earlier weren''t just a bluff."


    "Of course," I reply as his leg slowly begins to regrow, "Especially the part about you begging for forgiveness."


    As if just realizing something is wrong, Gramont''s expression changes as looks down, only to find his leg half regrown.


    Seeing the horrified look on his face, I slowly shake my head and clean the blood on my battleaxe off.


    "Let''s have fun," I say in a friendly manner while raising the now-clean battleaxe, "Shall we?"

 Chapter 155: Doomed Duel ; (*SPOILER*) ; Grimoire of Truth

    Chapter 155: Doomed Duel ; (*SPOILER*) ; Grimoire of Truth


    "You!" Gramont yells as he lowers himself to feel his regrown leg, "What have you done to me?!"


    "What do you mean? I just made you undying," I nonchntly state.


    "Undying?" he repeats disbelievingly.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say in a casual tone,


    "If you don''t believe me, I can prove it."


    Before he can respond to my words, I dash toward him and swing my battleaxe at his neck with all I''ve got.


    Gramont''s reaction is fast as he attempts to block the strike, but the difference in our speed and strength prevents him from doing so.


    And thus, my battleaxe cleanly cuts his head off, which results in his body to limply fall to the ground.


    Now that I think about it, I have yet to test the limits of the immortality ability.


    Hopefully it''s not simr to the immortality granted to Codes, with it affecting the way souls dissipate or something.


    Fortunately, that doesn''t seem to the case, as before my eyes, Gramont''s head began regrowing.


    What''s interesting is the way they regrow. It seems like the core functionality of the ability depends on its source.


    In other words, depending on who I looted immortality from, it could''ve been different from the way it is right now.


    Nevertheless, it''s quite the sight to see a me appear before it gradually ''changes'' to a normal head.


    After a few seconds, Gramont''s head has fully regenerated, leaving a dazed man staring at the ground.


    "Gramont," I call out.


    As a response to the call, Gramont raises his head and looks me in the eyes, waiting for me to continue with what I have to say.


    "Don''t break so easily," Iin, "You''re supposed to be a marshal, no?"


    Hearing this, Gramont''s face contorts as he grabs the sword lying beside him and gets back on his feet before he scoffs,


    "You monster."


    "Monster? How rude."


    "What else could you be?!"


    This man sureins a lot. Well, I can''t me him all that much, as I''m pretty sure that this is the first time he''s had his head cut off.


    Anyway, I need to get him to put his heart into this battle, or else I won''t be able to look into Gandalfr all that much.


    "Come on, Gramont," I taunt while raising my arms, "You''re not going to give just like this, right?"


    As I look at his face, I see no change in expression as he shifts his body to a more proper position for battle.


    From the looks of it, he''s going to be on the defensive.


    That''s a wise choice when your foe is stronger than you, however, it''s meaningless if the difference in strength is too much.


    Knowing that this opportunity is like no other, I clench my battleaxe before dashing toward Gramont once again.


    Unlikest time, Gramont is prepared for the assault.


    This results in him parrying the blow and counterattacking me.


    Seeing the sword ''slowly'' approach my face, I tilt my head a little to dodge it before throwing a punch at Gramont''s chest.


    Gramont seemed to have realized I dodged his attack, but before he could do anything about it, he found himself beingunched from where he was into the wall.


    Leaving him aside for a moment, I begin to think of what I''ve understood about Gandalfr so far.


    Basically, it''s simr to Insight in a sense, but the way the two function ispletely different.


    Insight gives the information and instructions on how to use something. Gandalfr, however, guides the body through the process.


    Now, if we are to speak about the usefulness of the abilities, Gandalfr easily tops Insight.


    The reason for that is because the feeling of ''guidance'' after using it remains, allowing me to repeat it until I get the feeling right.


    Anyway, ording to what''s disyed on the system, this is one of the three functions of Gandalfr - Mastery.


    As for the other two, I believe that I have already figured out one of them.


    During this short while, I''ve noticed that my speed and perception are both better when I''m using Gandalfrpared to the norm.


    In other words, Enhancement boosts my parameters for the time I have Gandalfr activated.


    As these thoughts swirl through my mind, I notice that Gramont has gotten back on his feet.


    Looking at the man, I find his clothes soaked in his own blood, while his face is a mess.


    Shaking my head, I''m about to approach him as a sudden wave of pain spreads across my whole body.


    {Code Essence Rejuvenation: 5%}


    Huh? What the hell is going on?


    {Unsealed: Time-Stop.}


    You''ve got to be kidding me. Time-Stop?!


    Forgetting everything else, I intone,


    "Codification."


    As soon as the list appears, I examine it for anything rted to Time-Stop, only to find it listed under a new section in the Essence category.


    --


    ????:-


    Time-Stop I [XX] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    --


    Seriously? This thing has twenty tiers? Twenty fucking tiers?!


    Shaking my head, I focus on it, resulting in a new ''window'' to open up, with the description written in it.


    --


    Time-Stop:-


    {The ability to temporarily stop time of a tform. | Time Limit - 3 seconds. | Cooldown - 30 minutes.}


    --


    Seeing the description of the ability, an overwhelming sense of power rushes through my veins as I begin thinking of how ridiculous of an ability this is.


    While this is happening, I suddenly realize that Gramont is right in front of me, swinging his sword at me.


    With my mind preupied by thoughts regarding Time-Stop, I subconsciously activate it.


    This results in the world to shift colors as space-itself seems to warp before finally leaving me in a silent room with Gramont stuck in the position he was in.


    I don''t waste a single moment in moving behind Gramont as the three seconds pass, resulting in a confused Gramont shing the air.


    Chuckling, I tap his back and say in a low voice,


    "You are already dead."


    Surprised, Gramont turns his head, revealing a shocked look on his face as he says,


    "What? How are-"


    Before he can respond, I use my battleaxe to cleave his whole arm along with a part of his torso off.


    Once again, Gramont only groans as a response to the pain, but that''s not enough.


    I throw the battleaxe on the ground and raise both of my arms.


    The next moment, my fingers begin to change form and color from what they were to monster-like ws.


    Seeing this, Gramont mutters in a heavy tone while holding his now-regenerating arm,


    "I knew it. You really are a mons-"


    Before he can finish his rude remark, I pierce his face using the fingers on my right hand, while using the other hand to pierce his guts and clutch it.


    Soon, I begin pulling out chunks of flesh one after another nonstop.


    This ultimately results in Gramont''s groans to change to yells as blood begins to flow out of his mouth.


    Having had enough, I decide to put an end to this.


    Focusing my mind on the surroundings, I begin essing the database and look for a perfectly ordinary sword.


    Then, I create a dozen of them and telekically hold them in the air.


    "You better start begging already," I say.


    ---


    "It''s here," a much more obedient and less prideful Gramont says in a deste tone as he leads me his workce.


    How strange, I remember looking at every book here, but none of them were out of the ordinary.


    "Are you sure it''s here?" I dubiously ask.


    "Of course," he responds as he walks toward a bookshelf and begins looking around.


    After a few moments, Gramont grabs apletely ordinary-looking book.


    It''s green and has no words written on it. The thing is, the ''Grimoire'' is covered in dust.


    Using my senses, I examine the book, but I find nothing out of the norm.


    As such, I look Gramont in the eyes and say in a threatening tone,


    "Are you trying to y tricks on me?"


    His eyes widening, Gramont strongly shakes his head and says,


    "No way! I wouldn''t dare! This is truly the Grimoire of Truth!"


    The thing is, I already know that this is the object of interest, as during this whole time, I''ve yet to suspect Gramont of lying.


    However, that doesn''t mean I won''t be suspicious of others calling a normal book a ''Grimoire''.


    "Hand it over," I say.


    I take the book from his hand and open it, or at least, try to.


    However, a wave of energy suddenly appears from within the book and melts the skin on my hands.


    "You-your Highness!" Gramont calls out as a look of fear spreads across his face.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t punish you," I say, relieving the horrified man.


    Perhaps, I went a little overboard by inserting those swords into him? Whatever. That happened to be the only thing that could satisfy my urge of killing him without actually doing so.


    Anyway, I ignore the pain in my hands as I continue examining the Grimoire with intrigue.


    Simply put, this thing seems to be sealed by some spell. I could make use of my Destruction to destroy the spell, but that would risk the content inside the Grimoire, so I can''t do that.


    And so, I''m left with one option - find a way to unseal it.


    The moment this thought appears in my mind, a bright light escapes from the Grimoire as everything around my surroundings begin changing to a forest that I find familiar.


    Looking around, I discover that there is a small cottage that I also find familiar


    Hold on, isn''t this the cottage that I saw when I essed Matilda''s memories?


    There was a half-elf that lived in the cottage, right, Tiffania Westwood.


    It seems like I need to pay a visit to Matilda...


    ~~~~~


    Complete Title:- Doomed Duel ; Time-Stop ; Grimoire of Truth

 Chapter 156: Improved Bodies ; Visiting the Chambers

    Chapter 156: Improved Bodies ; Visiting the Chambers


    As if the scene from a moment ago was just a dream, I find myself back in the room with a dazzled Gramont stiffly standing nearby.


    "Gramont," I call out to the man but get no response at all.


    Letting out a sigh, I use Creation to produce a bed and telekically throw him onto it. The rest isn''t my responsibility.


    Having gotten what I came here for, I ce the Grimoire of Truth in my storage ring and leave the room. Then, as I''m about to teleport back to the castle, I sense a keen gaze.


    I look over, only to be met with the curious sight of Laura who''s hiding her body behind a wall.


    "I can see you," I say in a voice loud enough for her to hear before swiftly appearing behind her.


    Then, before she can react, I lift her from the ground, earning me a cute yelp from the little girl.


    A few secondster, Laura seems to enjoy her current state as she hugs me tightly.


    Finding her adorable, I hug her back and stroke her back.


    "Did you win?" a soft voice resounds within my ears after a short while.


    Pulling my head back, I peer into her silver eyes and say pridefully,


    "Naturally."


    This seems to make her happy for some reason, however, that doesn''tst long as her expression suddenly turns downcast.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask her.


    "Are you going to leave now?" she asks me as the atmosphere suddenly turns heavy.


    I take in a deep breath and say bluntly,


    "That''s correct."


    Right after the words leave my mouth, Laura presses her head against my chest and asks,


    "Will youe back?"


    I take a moment to think of a response before answering,


    "Yes."


    "Really?"


    "Of course. I wouldn''t lie to you," I say while patting her head.


    Well, all it takes is one teleportation and I can easily get back here, so there is no point in letting her down.


    I ce Laura down before kneeling and kissing her forehead.


    While patting her head, I hold her small hands and say,


    "Take care, okay? You will be an amazing magician if you keep on practicing, you know?"


    "Magician?" she mutters while looking down before suddenly lifting her head and beaming me a smile.


    "I understand!" she says in a more cheerful tone.


    Nodding my head, I pat her head once more before getting up on my feet and saying,


    "Goodbye, Laura."


    As a response to my words, Laura lifts her arm and slowly waves at me as a gateway appears behind me.


    And so, I step into the gateway while waving back at Laura.


    ---


    Now that I''m back in the castle, I should head to the chambers where Matilda is being kept.


    With my current objective set, I begin making my way to where the chambers are.


    However, on my way there, a loud crashing noise attracts my attention.


    Curious, I use irvoyance to check out the source of the noise, only to find a dozen or so soldiers lying on the ground around a crater.


    At the center of the crater, I find Ddraig who''s covered in yellow electric currents while her eyes are glowing in yellow.


    Finding this intriguing, I directly phase through the wall and fly over to where they all are.


    "What''s going on?" I ask the moment I''m close enough for them to hear my voice.


    Ddraig is the fastest to react as she turns her head and says in a confident tone,


    "What else other than training these weak humans."


    Hearing her words, I raise my brows and say,


    "Why?"


    "Because I felt like it," she casually responds.


    I highly doubt that''s the case. There must be something that''s she not willing to tell me at the moment, be it due to the presence of the soldiers or just her sentiments.


    "Let''s go inside," I say before gesturing at her to follow me as I walk toward the main gate.


    Once Ddraig has caught up to me, I ask her,


    "So, what''s the real reason that you were ''training'' them?"


    Nodding her head once, Ddraig adopts a serious expression as she asks me,


    "Tell me, ''Victor''. Who are you?"


    Surprised by the question, I remain silent for a few seconds before saying,


    "That''s something I''m trying to find out myself Anyway, why are you asking me this?"


    Taking in a deep breath, Ddraig begins to exin to me her experiences while residing in her current body.


    First and foremost, she isn''t required to consume any food to function. That''s not all, as, even if she eats, the consumed food seems to dissipate, reminding me of my own body.


    Then, there is the fact that her powers seem to be enhanced, as she ims that it normally would''ve taken her way longer to achieve the current state she''s in.


    And finally, there is the fact that her keenness to serve me seems to be growing by the moment.


    Thest part worries me a little, so I ask her,


    "Are you saying that you''re being brainwashed?"


    Fortunately, she denies the notion and begins to exin what she meant,


    "It''s like, my powers seem to grow if I serve you in some way, causing me to have thoughts of what it would be like if my power continued to grow."


    "And thus, the keenness for serving me, huh?" I say.


    I shouldn''t have screwed around with my Creation before knowing about its exact capabilities, but now that it has been done, I can''t do much.


    Well, Guiche seems like he will be useful to me and my kingdom in the future, so there is no problem if he has a body produced by Creation.


    However, I can''t say the same about the two guys back in the Rift.


    Issei Hyoudo and Saji Genshirou.


    The former of the two should be in a broken state, so there isn''t that much issue.


    Nevertheless, that leaves me with thetter who''s a part of Sona Sitri''s peerage.


    Forget it, I''ll deal with this matter once I return. Be it sending Saturnus to assassinate him or some other way.


    "So, Ddraig," I say once I''ve shifted my focus back to reality, "Is this all you''ve been up to these days? Practicing your powers and ''serving'' me?"


    As Ddraig nods in confirmation, I begin to think of ways that Ddraig could serve me while I''m away, but can''t think of anything.


    Tempted to ask him, I open my mouth and am about to do so, only to be interrupted by an abrupt voice calling out to me,


    "Father!"


    Turning my head to face the source of the voice, I find Aruru who''s diving towards me from the sky at an incredible speed.


    Shaking my head, I wait for her to be close enough before using Vector Maniption to stop her movement and hug her.


    "What were you doing?" I ask her while patting her back.


    "Flying with Sister Gabriel," she responds while pointing at the sky.


    Looking over, I find Gabriel gracefully flying down to where we are.


    Uponnding, she walks over until she''s a small distance away from me and says while bowing a little,


    "Wee back, Father."


    While pressing Aruru''s head against myself, I pull her close to myself and kiss her supple lips while ignoring the pointed look I''m being given by Ddraig.


    Knowing that this isn''t the time to be making out with my precious daughter, I end the kiss on a short note and pull my head back before saying,


    "I''m going to be heading over to the castle''s chambers."


    Nodding her head, Gabriel pulls Aruru over and says,


    "Then, we shan''t disturb you any further."


    Nodding my head, I begin walking toward the castle with Ddraig following me close-by.


    ---


    "She''s here, Your Highness," a soldier says while pointing at a metallic door that''s sealed shut.


    "Okay, open the door," I instruct.


    Without the slightest hesitation, the soldier opens the door and stands aside.


    Ddraig and I both walk inside and the sight that meets my eyes surprises me a little.


    The once calm andposed Matilda is now sitting at one end of a slightly worn out bed with a world-weary expression on her face, while staring at the wall in front of her.


    "It has been a while, Matilda," I say.


    However, this earns me no response as Matilda continues to stare at the wall.


    Letting out a sigh, I snap my fingers as I use Elemental Magic to throw a water-ball at her.


    This action of mine shocks her as she immediately looks my way and says in a hostile tone,


    "What do you want from me?! I already gave you all the information you wanted!"


    I shake my head before walking forward and pulling the Grimoire of Truth out before asking,


    "Have you ever seen this before?"


    Matilda observes the book in my hand for a few seconds before her eyes widen as she asks in a terrified tone,


    "Where did you get this from?!"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "I won this from a duel with the Chevalier of the Gramont family."


    Hearing my words, Matilda squints her eyes as she mutters in a hateful tone,


    "So, it really was in their possession."


    As I''m about to ask her further questions, Ddraig who has been silent this whole time says,


    "I will take my leave."


    "Sure," I say.


    The moment Ddraig leaves the room, I create several barricades before using Telekinesis to block the door and forming a barrier around us.


    Then, I look into Matilda''s now-anxious eyes and ask,


    "How is this book rted to Tiffania Westwood?"


    This time, my words send Matilda into a stupor as she remains stunned for a dozen or so seconds before she looks me in the eyes and asks in a slightly angered tone,


    "You met them?!"


    Confused by her words, I ask,


    "Met who?"


    "The elves!" she replies as a raged expression appears on her face, "They told you, didn''t they? Only she can open the three Grimoires and other nonsense."


    Three Grimoires? Only Tiffania can open them?


    This sure has been useful information.


    "Matilda," I say with a smile on my face, "Thank you for the information."


    "Huh?"


    "The truth is, I have yet to hold a conversation with elves," I exin as the images of the five children I caught appear in my mind, "So, I''m grateful for the information."


    A strange expression appears on Matilda''s face as she doesn''t know how to react to my words.


    "Anyway, I''m going to be going be visiting Tiffania soon," I state, "Would you like to join me?"


    Having regained her rity, Matilda looks me in the eyes before ncing at the Grimoire of Truth and asking in a serene tone,


    "What are you nning?"


    Shrugging, I reply while grinning,


    "Nothing much. I''m just going to be visiting my dear cousin."

 Chapter 157: Trip ; Arrival ; Trouble

    Chapter 157: Trip ; Arrival ; Trouble


    "Wait, are you for real? We''re going to be going there?" Matilda asks me as I guide her out of the castle.


    "Well, yes," I reply, "Is there something wrong with that?"


    "Of course, there is!" she replies, "How are you going to locate her cottage?"


    "What do you mean?" I ask.


    As if realizing something, Matilda stops talking and just nces elsewhere.


    Not satisfied by her actions, I say,


    "You better answer my question truthfully."


    Probably understanding that there is no point in lying, Matilda lets out a sigh and says,


    "There is a barrier covering a small part of the forest."


    "Barrier? What kind?"


    "An illusory barrier that prevents outsiders from seeing what''s going on inside."


    Well, isn''t that intriguing? I wonder if such a barrier will be able to fool my eyes.


    "Why are you grinning?" Matilda asks with a doubtful look on her face, "Don''t tell me, you''re just going to blindly enter the forest?"


    Shaking my head, I say,


    "This barrier that you speak of, how was is it being maintained?"


    Hearing this, a look of contemtion appears on her face for a few seconds before she closes her eyes and shakes her head.


    "I don''t know," she responds, "I never bothered asking."


    How useless.


    Well, she doesn''t seem like the type to plot against her friends, so I''ll leave it at that.


    "Wait," she suddenly says, "How are we going to be traveling there?"


    Taking it as the distance between the forest and Albion is simply too much, I beam a smile and say,


    "You''ll see."


    Once the two of us are both outside the castle, I go over to somewhere with a lot of space before muttering,


    "Tiamat, are you awake?"


    After a few seconds, I get a slightly disordered response.


    [[What? Is there another war already?]]


    "No, I just need you to transport me somewhere."


    [[Fine. Hurry up, I want to go back to sleep.]]


    As I suspected, Tiamat seems to be sleeping more than she used to before.


    What could be the reason for that, I wonder?


    {That''s due to the changes in Father''s Code.}


    Oh, right. My Code did go through some alterations recently, but what does that have with the matter at hand?


    {Father''s familiar is currently adapting to the environment and the new density of Father''s energy.}


    No wonder Right, what about Aurora?


    With that in mind, I pull my sleeve up, revealing a motionless Aurora.


    Using my senses, I can tell that she is sleeping, although that''s not visible from the outside as she doesn''t have eyelids to close when sleeping.


    Anyway, here I was wondering why has been so quiet recently. So, it turned out that she was just sleeping.


    What''s the reason for her? Don''t tell me, the Code Energy is escaping from my body or something.


    {Negative. This familiar seems to rest a lot due to its nature.}


    So, Aurora is justzy?


    Looking at the figure coiled around my arm, I am unable to hold back from the temptation of rubbing the small head.


    As a response to my actions, Aurora rubs her head against my finger as I sense happiness from her.


    "Even his familiar" I hear Matilda mutter.


    "Hm?" I voice as I turn my head to face her.


    Sensing my questioning gaze, Matilda looks around a little nervously as she exins,


    "Familiars tend to be either very simr to their master or the exact opposite."


    "So?" I say as realization dawns upon me the next moment.


    In my past life, snakes were known to be vile and cunning creatures, which lead to the word being used as a term for two-faced individuals.


    I wonder if such a thing is used here? If so, that would exin why Matilda acted the way she did just now.


    Shaking these thoughts aside, I focus on the space in front of me while muttering,


    "Tiamat, be prepared to manifestation."


    [[Understood.]]


    The next moment, a bright light covers the whole ce as Tiamat appears in her dragon form.


    "A dragon?!" Matilda exims while adjusting her sses, "Also, what''s with this size?!"


    Whileughing at her reaction, I slowly approach her and scoop her into my arms, earning a pointed re from her.


    Ignoring her, I float into the air and move toward Tiamat''s back.


    "You can fly?!" Matilda exims once more with a baffled expression on her face.


    "As you can see, I indeed can fly. Why? Have you never seen someone fly before?"


    "No," she bluntly replies.


    "Well, now you have."


    Without any further ado, I instruct Tiamat to fly over to the general location Tiffania''s cottage is at.


    After flying for some time, we finally arrive at the forest.


    "So, now what?" Matilda asks me while looking down at the forest.


    I don''t say anything, but just focus my eyes and begin to make use of irvoyance to check every part of the forest out.


    After a solid ten seconds, I finally ''run into'' something interesting.


    From the looks of it, I''ve found the barrier, as the space around where my sight ''is'' seems to be unnatural.


    I instruct Tiamat to head over to there, and once we''re right on top of it, I ''pull'' Tiamat back into my Code.


    Matilda begins screaming as we both fall to the ground.


    Naturally, I won''t let her turn into meat paste just like this, so I telekically pull her into my arms as I pass through some thin membrane before making contact with the ground a secondter.


    With Matilda in my arms, I begin to curiously look around the ce, until I set my sight on the cottage that I came here for.


    "Let me down!" Matilda says in a slightly irritated tone.


    What''s with her attitude?


    "Sure," I respond before letting her simply fall to the ground.


    "Ouch," she yelps as she hits the ground before she looks at me andins, "What was that for?!"


    Shaking my head, I ignore her as I begin walking toward the cottage.


    Using my senses, I check it out, and upon doing so, I notice that there is no one inside.


    She''s not here, huh?


    Well, I should check the cottage out to see if there is anything interesting that''s worth looking into.


    "What are you doing?" Matilda says as she walks into the cottage and sees me looking around.


    "Observing," I respond.


    As Matilda is about to say something, I sense dozens of presences quite a distance away along with a scream.


    My body seems to jolt into action as I directly run toward the location where the voice came from while ignoring Matilda''s yells behind me.


    In a few seconds, I reach the location just in time to witness a bunch of armed men approaching a wounded Tiffania that''s unconsciously lying down on the ground with a basket of fruits beside her.


    Seeing the arrow protruding from her back, a cold sensation seems to spread within me as I raise my arm and directly slice the men closes to her in half using Holy sh.


    Alerted, the other men nearby all begin looking around as someone shouts,


    "Who are you?! Reveal yourself!"


    So, he''s the leader, huh?


    I can''t risk Tiffania''s life, so this needs to be done right.


    Focusing my senses, I directly activate Time-Stop, leading toplete stillness.


    Not wasting a single second, I swiftly arrive beside Tiffania and move her away before going back and the men while Time-Stop is still active.


    After I''ve punched about twenty men, Time-Stop deactivates which results in the spectacr show of several men bursting into bits of flesh.


    Horrified, the rest of the men present all look toward me while tightening their hold on their weapons.


    "Send help, immediately," I hear a man mutter, "We''ve made contact with a troublesome opponent."


    As my brows turn into a frown, I pull out Excalibur from the storage ring and position myself before dashing toward the closest man.


    Before he can react, I directly chop his head in half and proceed to sprint toward my next target.


    "Shoot him!" I hear a man exim.


    "But, My Lord, our men"


    "Just do it or else we will all die here!"


    The moment his words fade away, dozens of arrows are shot toward me.


    What''s strange is that the speed of the arrows is extremely abnormal.


    Naturally, these arrows are unable to reach me as I cancel all their vectors before they can do so.


    As I do so, I sense movement on my left arm move as Aurora slithers down from my sleeve.


    Taking in a deep breath, I use Paragon''s Eyes to observe all the men here and notice that almost all of them have pitch-ck souls.


    Having found a way to easily finish this battle, I put most of my focus into circting my Holy Essence, meanwhile, Aurora prevents the men from shooting arrows at me.


    After a few seconds, I send a burst of light out before directly activating Divine Retribution.


    This results in screams of utter pain and despair from the men as their bodies begin ''burning''.


    Seeing them in such a state, I raise Excalibur before swinging it in the direction where most of them are.


    As soon as I do so, a wave of destructive energy escapes and moves toward the men like a wide de, destroying everything in its path.


    With most of the men dead, while the rest are suffering, I walk over to where I had ced Tiffania while Aurora slithers back to my arm.


    Then, I don''t waste a single moment in pulling the arrow out of her back.


    Upon doing so, I notice that the tip is made of a crystal rather than steel or metal.


    Could this be the reason why the arrows were so fast?


    Setting that thought aside for the moment, I begin making use of Healing Factor on Tiffania.


    A few secondster, her expression which was that of pain shifts to a morefortable look as a small smile appears on her face.


    Well then, I need to leave this location and go back into the barrier.


    With that thought set in mind, I ce arm under Tiffania and lift her.


    However, the moment I do so, her eyes shoot open as an expression of fear spreads across her face.


    "It''s okay," I say, "You''re safe now."


    Tiffania looks into my eyes as a slightly confused look appears on her face.


    "Do I know you?" she asks me after a few moments.


    Beaming her a smile, I say,


    "Well, you should. I''m your cousin, Wales Tudor."


    "Huh?" a bewildered voice escapes from Tiffania''s lips as she looks at me with a baffled expression on her face.


    "Cousin?" she asks me disbelievingly.


    "Oh, I suppose you didn''t know, huh? Your father is my father''s brother," I exin as a wave of difort washes over me upon uttering the word ''my father''.


    Of course, I don''t let that show on my face as I continue ''exining'',


    "I came here to meet you, but I didn''t expect to run such a situation. What was that? Who were the men chasing after you?"


    "Ah Uh, I don''t know," she replies before her eyes suddenly widen as she exims, "The townspeople! They said that they have taken them!"


    "Townspeople?" I ask.


    "They''re those that live near here. They said that they''ve already taken them," Tiffania exins as an anxious look appears on her face.


    Seeing her like this, I pull her into an embrace as I say in a low voice,


    "It''s fine, don''t worry. We''ll deal with soon and save the townspeople."


    Tiffania seems to fightfort in my words and actions as she hugs me back, making me realize the softness of the mounds pressing against my chest.


    Reluctantly breaking the warm hug, I say seriously,


    "We need to get back to the cottage."


    Understanding the severity of the situation, Tiffania nods before she begins looking around as she asks,


    "Have you seen a basket nearby?"


    "Yes," I say before getting up while carrying her in my arms.


    Tiffania is unable to make sense of what''s happening as I swiftly go to where the basket is.


    Once there, I confirm that all the men are dead before using telekinesis to put all the fruits back in the basket and pull it toward myself.


    Then, I begin dashing toward where the cottage is while running a quick scan of the area for foes.


    --


    "You''re finally back," Matildains while looking at me before she shifts her sight to Tiffania who is still in my arms.


    "What happened?" she asks while frowning.


    "Some men were attacking her," I exin while walking toward the only bed in the cottage, "So, I took care of them."


    Iy Tiffania down and ce the basket on a small table nearby before saying,


    "More of them will most likely appear."


    As soon as the words leave my mouth, I sense Tiffania''s anxiety increase, so I ce my hand on her head and begin rubbing it.


    "Good thing we''re here," I say while looking into Tiffania''s blue eyes with a smile on my face, "Right?"


    As I''m about to say something else, I sense the space above the cottage distorting as a ''crack'' appears in the sky.


    From within the crack, emerges a yellow figure at an extreme speed right in front of the cottage.


    Then, the next moment, the door of the cottage is opened as an excited Irene enters the room while eximing,


    "Father, I''ve arrived!"

 Chapter 158: Irene ; Flying Ships

    Chapter 158: Irene ; Flying Ships


    "Irene?!" I subconsciously exim as I look at her petite figure.


    Irene just beams a smile as she strolls over and embraces me.


    Before I can ask her anything, Tiffania who''s behind me questions in a startled tone,


    "You have a daughter?!"


    "Well," I respond while ruffling Irene''s hair, "Her circumstances are a little unusual."


    That''s right - unusual. Irene ims to be my daughter, but after being called "father" by various other girls that are obviously not my "biological" daughters, I''m starting to think of other possibilities.


    Perhaps, she''s just calling me as such because I created the System? That''s highly likely to be the case, but, why won''t she just call me "creator" as Saturnus does?


    Shifting my focus back to reality, I find Tiffania nodding her head as she mutters, "I see."


    Hm... From the looks of it, Tiffania believes that Irene is an orphan and I must''ve taken her in. I''ll let her believe whatever she wants to, as it isn''t that important anyway.


    What surprises me is the fact that the two of them have yet to question why and how Irene is here.


    "Pardon me," I say while getting up from the bed, "I want to have a word with her in private."


    Matilda and Tiffania both nce at each other before nodding as confirmation.


    And so, I lead Irene out of the cottage, to somewhere our conversation won''t be heard.


    The moment we''re far enough, I turn to look at Irene in the eyes and inquire,


    "Why are you here?"


    "Because I thought that it would be useful for me to-"


    Not letting her finish her words, I squint my eyes and say in amanding tone,


    "Don''t give me that crap. What''s the real reason?"


    Irene is a little shocked as she lowers her head and says in a somewhat disheartened tone,


    "I just missed Father."


    Just as I thought. Thest time she ''materialized'', all she did was stay as close to me as much she could at every given moment. Am I spoiling her too much or am I just that good of a parent?


    Whatever, I can''t let her stay in such a saddened state.


    Thus, as a proper parent, I get on my knees and hug her small bkdy and whisper into her ear,


    "I''m sorry if that came out as a little aggressive. I just wanted to know if you missed me as much as I missed you."


    "Really?" Irene voices in a slightly trembling tone as her mncholy gets reced by delight.


    It seems like this confirms my notion of Irene being more emotional when she is in a physical body.


    I caress her cheeks and kiss her forehead before stating with a smirk on my face,


    "Of course."


    Getting back up on my feet, I say in a solemn tone,


    "Soon, a multitude of men will arrive in this ce. Let''s head back to the cottage for now."


    Nodding her head, Irene holds my hand as the two of us walk back.


    As soon as we step into the cottage, I''m dumbfounded by the sight of Matilda genuinelyughing.


    So, she does have a ''natural'' side to her, huh? I wonder if Tiffania knows about what Matilda has been doing in Albion.


    "It seems like you''re enjoying yourself despite us being in such a dire situation."


    My words seem to interrupt their fun as Matilda turns her head and scoffs in an irked tone,


    "Dire? You, the one who wiped out an army on his own, in a dire situation? Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?"


    "Oh?"


    "Don''t ''oh'' me. Every time a soldier opens their mouth, it''s to speak of your ''valiance'' and ''blessed'' being."


    For some reason, Matilda seems to dislike me quite a bit. Have I done anything to warrant such treatment?


    Hm Nothing at all. She''s just acting like this because of her character, I suppose.


    "Forget all that, do you want to endanger Tiffania''s life?"


    Understanding what I imply, Matilda has a serious look on her face as she asks me in a serene tone,


    "What do you suggest we do?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say in a certain tone,


    "There is no problem at all."


    As the two girls look at me with confusion all over their face, I walk over and use Norse Magic to form a gateway connected to one of the rooms in Albion''s castle.


    "In you go," I say while pointing at the gateway.


    Matilda looks at me hesitantly for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and passing through the gateway while dragging Tiffania along.


    Seeing that the two of them have both safely left the area, I turn around to look at Irene and say,


    "Now it''s up to the two of us."


    Irene just nods and doesn''t utter a single word as she meekly abides for my next actions.


    A little perplexed by her attitude, I ask,


    "Are you not going to ask me why I''m fighting despite being able to get away easily?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Irene shakes her small head and states,


    "I have no right to question Father''s decisions. Father is always right."


    Intrigued by the way she worded it, I ask in a teasing manner,


    "What if I asked you to marry me?"


    Not even a split-second passes as Irene replies,


    "It shall be done."


    Looking at her expression and the way she''s speaking, one would think that she''s just an emotionless doll.


    However, due to my enhanced senses, I can tell through her slightly disordered breathing and hastened heartbeats that she''s not like that.


    Speaking of which, I have yet to know about Irene''s age.


    "Irene, how old are you?" I directly ask her.


    Hearing my question, Irene takes a few seconds to think before replying,


    "I don''t remember."


    "You don''t remember the date I ''created'' you?" I say, hoping topel her into providing me a proper answer.


    However, instead of what I expected, an appalled look appears on Irene''s face as she continuously mutters, "I don''t remember when Father created me."


    Ugh. I should get more familiar with how emotions work.


    Shaking my head, I intone in a low voice,


    "Codification."


    Immediately after the system board appears, I take a look at the amount of energy left - 36%.


    Yeah, my abilities might be insanely powerful, but they still consume a great amount of my energy.


    "Father," Irene, who seems to have regained her rity, calls out.


    "What is it?" I ask while turning my head to look at her.


    "Father wanted to see the amount of energy left, right?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "Father can ask AI to know that instead of opening the system board every time."


    Oh. Such a simple thing hadn''t crossed my mind before?


    Well, I do tend to think of the moreplicated things while ignoring the simple stuff, so it''s reasonable that something like this would happen.


    Nevertheless, this wille in handy in a battle as I will be able to keep track of my energy without anything blocking my sight.


    Now that I think about it, I wonder if there are other simple things that I have yet to consider


    ---


    It seems like they''re finally here.


    "Get ready, the enemy is approaching us from the sky," I say.


    Using irvoyance, I find a huge ship that is carrying a great number of armed men while slowly flying toward our location.


    "And here I was wondering why they took almost an hour to get here" I mutter to myself.


    "Irene, will you be fighting with me?" I ask Irene who''s currently sitting on myp.


    "Of course!" she enthusiastically replies.


    Looks like she was looking forward to something like this.


    Anyway, this battle would''ve been a lot easier if I had more energy, as I would''ve simply used the same tactic I used to destroy the giant machine.


    Now, however, I must deal with this matter more carefully, as a simple mistake could cause me some trouble.


    Focusing back on the flying ship, I find something interesting.


    From the looks of it, the one that is leading this assault is a beautifuldy with long ck hair.


    Her eyes are purple and there are two ck streaks under them. She''s wearing a purple attire that increases the charm she exudes with her overall attractive body.


    I will be taking her out first, to disrupt the order among the men and then easily take care of things from there.


    As I walk out of the cottage with Irene by my side, I prepare to fly into the sky, however, something odd urs that thwarts my n.


    Two other ships have abruptly emerged out of nowhere on the sides of the ship that I was targeting.


    Although the two new ships are smaller and carry fewer men, they''re still annoying.


    Not to mention the fact that I wasn''t able to perceive them until they ''appeared''.


    Was it due to Invisibility? Are they using some kind of magic to do that or is it something else?


    Either way, this is extremely problematic.


    There is a chance that there are more of these ships, and some could be on their way to attack somece at this very moment.


    "Gabriel," I mutter.


    [Yes, Father?]


    "I have important information that needs to be taken seriously."


    [Is there a problem, Father?]


    "Indeed. Our foes own flying ships. Not only that but the said ships can block the perception of outsiders, rendering them invisible. It''s unconfirmed whether this is due to some kind of magic or artifact.


    "You are to be on guard until I''m back, and make sure to share this data with the others."


    [Understood.]


    Having settled that, I say in a teasing tone,


    "Looks like you''re going to be fighting today, after all, Tiamat."


    [[I''m not surprised.]]


    "I will reward your efforts, so think of what you seek and I shall give it to you as long as it''s possible and doesn''t go against my principles."


    [[A reward, huh?]]


    Seeing her not say anything else, I state,


    "Be prepared for sudden materialization."


    Examining the woman once more, I find her using some orb to examine the ground directly below the ship before giving orders to the men.


    "I wonder how strong is she"

 Chapter 159: Another Massacre ; Sheffield

    Chapter 159: Another Massacre ; Sheffield


    {WARNING: Multiple Binary Factors detected. Threat Level: 2}


    Binary Factors? Is it going to be more of those disguised elves?


    That''s most likely the case, seeing that the threat level is the same as that time.


    Turning my head, I look at Irene who''s observing the flying ships and ask,


    "Irene, are you capable of fighting against Binary Factors?"


    "Yes, Father," she bluntly responds.


    Then, there is nothing to worry about.


    "Let''s get going," I state.


    ---3rd POV---


    As the ships continue flying forward, a woman with raven-ck hair observes a crystalline orb in front of her.


    Within the orb, there is the image of the earth below, however, the trees and leaves seem to have be invisible, revealing all life hiding under them.


    The woman, Sheffield, continues to observe with intrigue all the happenings of the forest until she finally finds the target she came here for.


    However, unexpectedly, there is a small child beside the target, leaving her a little baffled. Nevertheless, as per orders of the magistrate, she is to wipe out all those who are in the forest and bring back the Child of Nature.


    Unfortunately, Sheffield is unable to locate the Child of Nature no matter how much she messes around with the orb.


    "They must be close," she mutters as she shifts the orb''s "sight" back to the man and the little girl beside him.


    Suddenly, an idea appears in Sheffield''s head as she observes the blonde-haired child.


    "Could she be" she mutters once more, as she checks the orb carefully, "But, she doesn''t seem to be as old as how she was described."


    Sheffield takes a few moments to deliberate on the matter before she concludes,


    "The man must be using Illusory Magic to alter her appearance."


    Then, she nods her once before saying in a loud voice,


    "The enemy is capable of Illusory Magic! Activate the dark gems!"


    As the men near her begin to hastily move around and shout orders, Sheffield looks back at the orb, just in time to see the man looking back at her.


    "He can see me?" she asks no one in particr.


    As if responding to her question, the man grins before abruptly disappearing along with the child beside him.


    ---1st POV---


    Using irvoyance, I can see the contents of the orb, which to my surprise is disying Irene and me, despite us being quite a distance away from the ships.


    Could this orb work the same way my irvoyance does?


    As this idea settles itself in my mind, a grin forms on my face before I leap into the sky.


    Irene follows suit, which surprises me a little, as she disys no indications of slowing down.


    Thus, the two of us fly toward the ships as I consider the best method of dealing with them.


    There are two practical ways that this can be done. Either I kill everyst human aboard the ships and keep the ships for myself, orpletely annihte them along with the ships.


    Resource-wise, the former would be the better choice, as it would provide flying ships for engineers and researchers in my kingdom to study.


    Simply put, destroying these ships would be an absolute waste.


    With my ns set in mind, I increase my speed.


    The moment I''m near the ships, I slow my pace down so that I can board the ship, however, before I can do that, a cannon directed at my body fires a shot.


    Unexpectedly, instead of a cannon-ball, an inordinate amount of seeds are sted my way.


    This is as peculiar as it could get, so I promptly use Blink to get as far away from the area as I can.


    Irene also appears to realize that something is amiss as she also speedily moves away.


    The next instant, small radicles protrude from the seeds before abruptly growing and impelling toward us.


    As my energy is already low, I make use of Pyrokinesis instead of mes of Devastation to burn the nts down, while Irene directly slices through the nts using her bare hands.


    Before our opponents canunch another attack, I swiftly descend on the ship that the ck-haired woman is on and telekically lift any object I can find before hurling them at the men.


    With most of the men down, I slowly walk over to the woman while keeping an eye on Irene who has boarded a different ship.


    To my pleasant surprise, nothing seems to be effective against Irene as she easily diverts all attacks using her bare hands, and a single punch from her can easily kill a man.


    Well, I shouldn''t be all that startled, as she did say she is capable of fighting against Binary Factors, which says a lot about her strength.


    In a matter of seconds, I find myself standing around a meter away from the ck-haired woman who is currently scowling at me.


    I open my mouth to demand her name, however, before I can speak a word, a barrage of magic attacks are sent my way from the ship that has been left out.


    Using Vector Maniption, I create a reflective barrier, sending all the attacks back to the senders.


    Exhibiting signs of battle experience, the men swiftly move to dodge the reflected attacks before using some kind of extending mechanism to cross over to the ship I''m on, as more men appear from the interiors of both ships.


    These new arrivals shortly surround me in an orderly manner.


    Seeing them like this, I get a little perplexed.


    Why haven''t they sent out the Binary Factors? Do they think that they actually stand a chance against us if they outnumber us?


    "No matter how powerful you are," a voice reverberates in my ears, "You won''tst long against this many men."


    Looking at the woman in the eyes, I say in a confident tone,


    "These weaklings won''t able to so much scratch me, let alone kill me."


    Presumably sensing the confidence in my voice, the woman frowns as she says,


    "Overconfidence often results in a loss."


    The moment her voice fades out, dozens of men rush toward me, while the others begin casting either offensive or supportive magic.


    Seeing the men nearing me, I let out a sigh before extracting Excalibur from the storage ring.


    "An artifact?!" the woman exims as an expression of absolute shock appears on her face.


    Then, just as I''m about to swing the sword in the men''s direction, the woman shouts as hard as she can,


    "Move away!"


    However, before the men can act upon her instruction, I swing the sword, which results in a lethal force to escape from the de and effectively strike the men down.


    I take this moment to consider something before muttering,


    "Tiamat, it''s your time to shine."


    As soon as I say that, a light shines in front of me as an enormous body appears on the ship.


    Despite the added weight, the ship doesn''t budge whatsoever, making all the more curious about the way it operates.


    Before the eyes of the horrified crowd, I point at the ship that is a nuisance and state,


    "Destroy that ship, while making sure to avoid damaging the ships Irene and I are on."


    "Understood, Master," a loud and imposing voice resounds all over the ce as Tiamat ''leaps'' into the air and ps her magnificent wings.


    Tiamat flies up for a few dozen meters before turning mid-air and diving toward the ship.


    Discerning what''s about to transpire, the men aboard the ship all run toward the extending mechanisms, while some of them directly jump off in hopes of surviving the imminent attack.


    One momentter, fiery mes escape from Tiamat''s mouth as she flies close to the ship, incinerating everything in its way to ashes.


    Seeing all this, the men on the ship that I am on all begin to shiver as they anxiously look over at me with terror and awe in their eyes.


    Ignoring them, I look over at the baffled woman with a grin on my face and mock,


    "You were saying?"


    Responding to my words, a red look appears on the woman''s face as she pulls out a golden wand and points it at me.


    The next thing I know, a beam has escaped from the wand and has horizontally split my body in half.


    Huh? Not only was I not able to react to it, but it easily broke through my body despite my endurance.


    I ignore the pain in my arms and chest as I examine the wand in the woman''s hand.


    A small smile appears on her face as she sees my arms fall off to the ground and my shirt getting bloody.


    However, her joy doesn''tst for long, as before her eyes, new arms begin to grow from mes as my upper half reconnects with my lower half.


    "You" the woman cries while pointing at me, "What are you?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "Just your everyday prince."


    Hearing this, the woman''s brows twitch as she says in a sharp tone,


    "Don''t joke with me"


    "I do whatever I want to," I say as I raise my arm and use telekinesis to levitate Excalibur.


    Then, I propel it in the direction of whoever is left while whirling it around.


    This ultimately results in waves of destruction to be sent out, killing and destroying everything in its path.


    Naturally, this damages the ship more than a little, however, that doesn''t matter all that much, as long as it''s repairable.


    Seeing my actions, the woman seems to lose all hope as she looks down and mutters to no one,


    "I''m sorry."


    Looks like she was following someone''s orders and now feels like she has failed them.


    "What''s your name?" I ask her as three men are thrown off the other ship by Irene, while Tiamat returns for another round of live roasting on the ship that''s barely holding up.


    Seemingly having given up on all hope, the women dejectedly replies,


    "Sheffield."


    Looking at her, I notice something that I''m surprised I had not perceived before.


    On her forehead, there are strange runes that I''m unable to make out.


    Hold on Don''t tell me, she''s a familiar?


    Normally, such a thought wouldn''t have passed through my mind, but then I remembered Irene''s words when I formed a contract with Louise.


    AI, can you make the rune I received from the contract with Louise visible?


    {Affirmative.}


    Do it.


    Immediately after I say so, several shining lines begin appearing on my right one after another, before forming something quite simr to what''s on Sheffield''s forehead.


    Sheffield''s eyes widen as she observes the runes on my hand before she looks up and says,


    "You''re Gandalfr?"


    Oh, it seems like she''s familiar with the term. I wonder if she knows about the powers thate along with it.


    "Yes, I am indeed Gandalfr. And you? What are you?"


    She takes a moment to think about my inquiry, however, I use Eye of Judgement to pressure her into giving me an eptable answer.


    "Myozunitonirun," she finally says.


    What the heck.


    "What''s it supposed to be and mean?" I ask.


    "It means ''Mind of God''," she exins.


    "That''s quite the fancy name for an ability," I say mockingly, "What''s it supposed to grant you, omniscience?"


    "Huh?"


    "Never mind. You belong to me from now on. Make sure to not screw around with me, as I can literally kill you and bring you back to life as much as I want."


    As any normal individual would, a doubtful expression appears on Sheffield''s face.


    "Would you like me to prove it to you?" I say with a grin as I raise my right arm and point my finger at her face.


    The reason I threaten her is to let her know thatmitting suicide will not bring her salvation. Once something belongs to me, it will always stay as such.


    As a response to my tant threat, Sheffield raises her arms before she simply says,


    "I understand."


    "Good," I say before turning my head to look over at the ship Irene is on.


    What meets my eyes is the sight of several men whose bones have been shattered lying all over the deck, while some men are hanging onto the side of the ship.


    Letting out a sigh, I reach my arm out and lock hands with Sheffield before walking over to the edge of the ship while pulling her along.


    Once we''re near the edge, I pull her toward myself and carry her as I jump over to the other ship.


    Mid-air, I use Holy sh to finish off the men hanging on the sides before Ind on the deck.


    Irene, who just threw thest man down, notices me as she turns to face before hastily trotting over with a smile on her face.


    She then stands in front of me and looks me in the eye with an expression practically shouting "praise me".


    So, I extend my right arm and begin patting her small head while saying,


    "You were much stronger and faster than I expected."


    After a few seconds, I focus my senses on the reason I came over to this ship: The Binary Factors inside it.


    And thus, I guide Sheffield and Irene along as we head down.


    Soon, I find myself standing in front of three Binary Factors whose limbs and bodies have been chained up.


    What''s strange is that there is some kind of tube that''s connected to their arms which is extracting a green liquid.


    Observing the tubes, I find them moving toward two more of the cannon that was used to shoot the strange seeds toward us.


    "Truly, monstrous," I say.


    It''s much more preferable to have those under me freely make use of their powers than use them however I wish before throwing them away once they''ve been deemed useless.


    Whoever is the one behind all this, he has sessfully managed to irritate me.


    In return, I will make sure that he or she experiences some pain.


    For now, I should get these guys down.


    "Irene," I say, "Go and check if there are any survivors on the other ships. If you find any, you know what to do."


    "Yes, Father!" she responds before heading back to the deck.


    Now then,


    "Sheffield, do you mind exining what''s being done to them?"

 Chapter 160: Start of the War ; Plants

    Chapter 160: Start of the War ; nts


    "So, you''re saying that their power is being extricated and weaponized?" I ask once Sheffield is done exining.


    "Yes," she simply replies.


    Well, I figured that it would something like this, however, there is no harm in making sure.


    "How do I get the chains off?" I inquire.


    "They can''t be taken off, as they require a key that-"


    Before she can finish what she has to say, I walk forth and flick the chains while dding my finger in Destruction.


    As expected, the chains instantly break.


    And so, before the dismayed eyes of Sheffield, I proceed to break the chains one after another until all three of the Binary Factors arepletely free.


    As for how I dealt with the tubes that were extracting their power, I simply shattered them.


    Having freed them, I proceed to examine their body using my enhanced senses.


    Their anatomy is simr to that of the ones in Albion.


    What''s odd is that these Binary Factors aren''t influenced by any foreign energy simr to the one that took away rationality and changed the appearance of the other five Binary Factors back in Albion.


    "Sheffield," I say in a neutral tone, "Is the one you''re serving capable of casting enving spells?"


    "What do you mean?" she asks.


    "Exactly what it sounds like. I am already aware that you''re here by the orders of someone. What I''m asking is if that person is the one that caught these guys?"


    Sheffield looks at the elves I''m pointing at before shaking her head and saying,


    "I don''t know."


    A feel a strange sensation in my body as I subconsciously say,


    "Don''t lie to me."


    "I''m not. I truly don''t know," she responds.


    "Need I remind you that I am no regr person? Seeing through lies is a simple feat for me."


    Sheffield takes a moment to think before finally giving in by saying,


    "Yes, His Highness is indeed capable of using such magic."


    Hm This girl, she gave in way too easily even if the situation is an unusual one.


    Hold on


    A sudden thought appears in my head. I promptly use irvoyance to check on the state of Albion.


    From the looks of it, everything is fine. It seems like Gabriel has properly shared the information around, as everyone I find is currently on guard for any possible attacks.


    Seeing that Albion is fine, I shift my sight over to Tristain, only to find it in a state of chaos.


    Fuck, I knew something was amiss.


    Currently, three towns are being assaulted by heavily armed men that clearly belong to the same kingdom that Sheffield is from.


    Naturally, there is resistance from the townspeople and Tristain''s military, but it doesn''t amount to much whenpared to the quantity and experience of the opponent.


    Knowing that I shouldn''t waste any more time, I hastily make my way to the deck of the ship.


    "Gabriel, make your way to the front of the castle. I''m going to be sending something over."


    [Understood.]


    Then, without further ado, I use Vector Maniption to elerate the ship forward while forming a ratherrge gateway using Norse Magic.


    As that ship crosses through it while carrying Sheffield, I move onto the other ship in which Irene is currently at.


    "Irene," I call out to her once I''ve met up with her.


    "There were no survivors!" she reports.


    "Good," I say while patting her head, "Anyway, we must leave now."


    It''s about time that I found the Core of this tform.


    Simply put, I will take advantage of this situation to send men over to Tristain as ''help'' in culling the enemy forces.


    Once that''s done, I will have them slowly gain control over the towns by nting spies.


    This will help me hear all gossips and possibly learn of a ''legend'' about some mythical object that could be the Core that I''m looking for.


    Naturally, I have to first ''gain permission'' from those in charge of Tristain to go through with this n.


    ---


    "Are you ready?!" I exim while standing in front of the thousands of men that had been rounded by my generals before I teleported them over here.


    The quantity isn''t a lot, however, that''s to be expected with the state of Albion being the way it is.


    As a response to my words, the soldiers raise their weapons and let out battle cries with enough vigor to shake the ground.


    "Glory to Albion!" I bellow while charging forward on a white horse.


    Behind me, the thousands of men let out another war cry as they charge forward as well.


    In about no time, we enter the assailed town and begin shing down any armed man we can find.


    We have received news of the Tristainian soldiers having already fallen, so there is no need to hold back.


    Focusing on my Holy Essence, I raise my arm and activate Pdin''s Aura while gifting those within my range immortality.


    In no time at all, the enemy begins targeting me.


    As I continue to ride my horse through the town while crushing the hearts of any man Ie across by Telekinesis, I finally reach the town center.


    The reason I''m here is that there is an unusual amount of soldiers grouped up in one area, which indicates that something is here.


    As I had suspected, there indeed is something here.


    A container filled with fluids that are suspiciously simr to the ones being extracted from Binary Factors.


    Who am I kidding, that''s exactly what it is.


    So, knowing that things could get much worse if they go through with what they have in mind, I pull out Excalibur from my storage ring.


    Then, before the men notice anything, I plunge into the ground with enough force to shatter everything around us as waves of destructive energy escape from the ground through cracks formed.


    With most of them already dead, I take back Excalibur and change its form to scythe before indiscriminately cutting down everyone Ie across.


    After a few moments, everyone is already dead, so I look in the direction where the containers were, only to find them destroyed with the fluids inside it all spilled on the ground.


    "Gabriel," I mutter, "Make your way to the town center"


    ---3rd POV---


    "Understood, Father," Gabriel mutters before turning around to face Krul, Aruru, and Yuno.


    "Father says that we should head to the town center and check if there are any suspicious containers."


    The three girls nod their heads as confirmation, while Krul says,


    "Did he say anything about what the containers looked like?"


    "Father said that we will be able to recognize if we happen to see it."


    "Then, let''s go," Krul says as she begins sprinting.


    Yuno follows along, while Gabriel and Aruru both extend their wings and soar into the sky.


    On their way to the center, Yuno and Krul kill every armed man theye across using various means.


    In a matter of seconds, all four of the girls arrive in the town center, only to find a dozen or so men surrounding a strange contraption.


    One of the men spots Krul and Yuno, resulting in his eyes widening as he exims,


    "Activate it!"


    "What?" another man asks.


    "I said activate it! They''ve arrived!"


    "U-understood, sir!"


    Hearing this, Yuno raises her arm and exims, "Disintegration!"


    The next moment, a beam of light escapes from her palm and strikes three of the men.


    Those who were struck immediately lose their lives, while the rest try to remain calm and continue activating the contraption.


    This time, Krul dashes forward, nning to finish all of them off in one go.


    However, once she''s a few meters away from them, a blind light shines from the artifact as several thick vines appear from the ground.


    Before she can realize what''s going on, several vines pierce through Krul''s thighs as one vine begins strangling her.


    Seeing Krul''s state, Yuno begins running forward but is forced to a halt as a nt-wall forms in front of her.


    Yuno frowns as she raises her arm and exims,


    "Incineration!"


    The next moment, bursts of mes escape from her palm and burn the nts down.


    Meanwhile, Gabriel and Aruru both fly over to the center, where the contraption was at.


    There, she finds the men all in a deceased state, with a green gem that''s covered in a blue liquid.


    Raising her arm, Gabriel forms a massive spear of light and directly strikes the gem.


    This results in the vines that were holding Krul to suddenly wither, and the newly-formed nt walls in front of Yuno to break down.


    As Gabriel, Aruru, and Yuno walk over to Krul who''s regenerating her wounds, they hear her ask in an irritated tone,


    "What was that?"


    "I don''t know," Gabriel says, "But it''s most likely rted to the magic of this world. Previously, muchrger vines had appeared in Albion. But, those vines didn''t attack us, rather it helped us take down a gigantic machine."


    Hearing this Krul frowns as she says,


    "So you''re saying that the enemy is brainwashing these ''nts''?"


    Shaking her head, Gabriel says,


    "I''m not sure. Father most likely already knows what''s going on, so we will just have to ask him."


    "What a pain," Krul groans.


    "Come on, we are all doing this for Victor," Yuno finally speaks up.


    "For Father!" Aruru exims, clearly supportive of Yuno''s statement.


    "Even so," Krul says, "I''ve already lived a life filled with war back in my world, so I don''t think asking for some rest is too much."


    "Lazy bum," Yuno mocks.


    "What did you call me?!" Krul scowls.


    "I call you azy bum," Yuno says without the slightest bit of hesitation.


    As a response to this, Krul res at Yuno for a few seconds before closing her eyes and shaking her head.


    "I''ve had enough for now," Krul says, "Stop bothering me."


    Having said what needed to be said, she walks away.


    "Leave her alone," Yuno says, stopping Aruru who was nning to follow Krul, "There are still some of these heretics left. Let''s go deal with them."


    As the two of them go away, Gabriel mutters,


    "Father, something unexpected urred. By the time we arrived in the town center"


    ---1st POV---


    After having heard Gabriel''s report of what urred, I praise her for her way of dealing with the issue before thinking of what she described.


    This is problematic


    I just hope that the mastermind would already appear so that I can obliterate him once and for all.


    Speaking of which, I wonder how the others are doing


    Tracing my connection with Tiamat, I locate them in no time.


    Using irvoyance, I watch as Saturnus, Tiamat, and Ddraig fight their opponents with great proficiency.


    Due to the overwhelming difference between them and their enemies, the battle ispletely one-sided.


    "Your Highness!" a man''s voice reaches my ears.


    Turning my head, I set my sight on Godeffroy and say,


    "How is it going?"


    "The battle has concluded. By some miracle, only four of our men died in battle, while about a hundred men are injured. Among the injured men, five of them are in an unfavorable state."


    "Lead me to where the injured men are," I order.


    "Yes, Your Highness!" he responds before leading the way.


    After a short while, we reach our destination.


    The moment they sense my arrival, the soldiers present begin saluting, including the injured.


    Seeing them enduring their pain just to show me respect, a strange feeling appears within me as I beam them a smile and say in a loud voice,


    "Great work, everyone! Today, we showed the foe that we are not to be underestimated!"


    "You represent the Kingdom of Albion, so I can''t have you die on me now that the battle has ended."


    I raise my right arm and exim,


    "Glory to Albion!"


    Immediately after that, I begin to make use of Gift to grant them immortality once more, as I walk to where the critically injured are.


    Ignoring the bewildered crowd behind me shouting things like "It''s a miracle" and "Long live His Highness", crouch down and say,


    "Thank you for your service."


    Then, instead of simply gifting them immortality, I begin to make use of Healing Factor to heal them.


    And so, before the eyes of a hysteric crowd of men, Ipletely heal the five men that were believed to be at death''s door.


    "Long live His Highness!" a man suddenly shouts as hard as he can.


    The rest of the men all begin to vigorously shout that very same phrase numerous times, resulting in a small smile to form on my lips.

 Chapter 161: Meetup ; Plans

    Chapter 161: Meetup ; ns


    "Prince Wales!" a sweet voice calls out to me as soon as I exit the teleportation gateway.


    Looking over, I find Kirche who''s apanied by Tabitha and Louise walking toward my direction.


    "Kirche, how have you been doing?" I ask with a smile on my lips the moment that she''s close enough to hear me.


    "I''ve been doing well, thank you," she responds.


    "Hey, you went to war right?" Louise hastily says.


    "If you''re speaking about the battle that urred two days ago, then yes, I did go to war," I casually reply.


    "Why did you go?!" she exims, "Couldn''t you have sent the soldiers to do everything?"


    "No, Louise," I respond in a serene tone, "One must lead his men to glory to be epted by his people."


    Or, so I say, but I just wanted to kill some men myself and see if there is anything worth looking into.


    In the end, there was nothing interesting other than the contraptions that created the vines, which only appeared in three towns.


    Of those three, I prevented the one in the town I was in to get activated, while another one got destroyed fairly quickly.


    As for thest one, that''s where the tragedyes in.


    It turned out that there was another town under attack, however, it was done indirectly.


    Unlike the other towns, that town didn''t have much security, so the enemy exploited that to stealthily ce the contraption and activate it without anyone knowing.


    This resulted in the whole town to get swallowed up in vines, with buildings crushed and the inhabitants killed.


    Simply put, even if the contraption is to be destroyed, there is no saving grace for the town itself.


    Anyway, what amazes me is the fact that I have no idea why the enemy would do this.


    It''s seemingly pointless to kill the people in a town and destroy the town itself.


    Wouldn''t it be more effective if they ''usurped'' the current lord of the kingdom for their objective?


    Speaking of which, the objective was something along the lines of taking back the Holy Land.


    I wonder what this Holy Land is and why is it referred to as such.


    Is there some religious structure there?


    Leaving all that aside, I focus back on reality and say,


    "Louise, I will soon be a king. Do you believe that the people will be willing to follow a king that isn''t able to lead his men to battle?"


    "But, it wasn''t for your kingdom"


    "That''s right. It wasn''t for my kingdom. The whole point of what I did was to show off our military prowess."


    "That makes sense," Kirchements, "I was wondering why you did that, but now it makes sense."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say wryly,


    "I can''t do anything that won''t be beneficial for my kingdom, now can I?"


    "So, what''s going to happen now?" Kirche asks me seriously.


    "We''re going to take down the Kingdom of Gallia," I nonchntly reply, "They''re the ones who dered the war, so we might as well bring it to their doorsteps."


    "You''d make a fine king," Kirche remarks.


    "And you''d make a fine queen," I say while smirking.


    "Stop that," Louise says, clearly annoyed, "Are you going to be leading again?"


    I look at her in the eyes and say with confusion apparent on my face,


    "Leading? I will be the one to take down the kingdom before having my soldiers take control of it."


    "You''re insane!" Louise directly exims.


    "And why is that?"


    Just as Louise is about to reply, someone''s voice resounds in the distance,


    "Sir Wales!"


    Looking over, I find an exasperated Jean running over.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask him while holding back from the temptation of patting Louise''s head due to how cute she looks while pouting.


    "The headmaster wishes to talk to you."


    Huh, it''s about damn time.


    "Very well," I reply, "I shall head over in a moment."


    Jean nods his head once before heading back inside the building.


    "Is there anything you''d like to tell me?" I ask the three girls.


    As a response to my inquiry, they nce at each other before looking back at me and shaking their heads.


    "Alright then," I say as I move a little closer to them.


    Then, I swiftly hug Kirche and pat her back a little before letting her go.


    After that, I approach the blushing Louise and hug her as well.


    A few secondster, I let her go and move back before looking over at Tabitha.


    As always, she expressionlessly looks back at me while tightly holding the staff that I gifted to her.


    A grin forms on my lips as I approach her and give her a quick peck on her cheek.


    This results in a red hue to cover her face as Kircheins,


    "That''s not fair!"


    I nce at Kirche before saying,


    "I decide what''s fair."


    Then, I bid them farewell and head over to the headmaster''s room.


    ---


    "So" I voice after ten minutes of ring at one another, "Why did you want to speak with me?"


    "You know the answer to that yourself," he replies.


    "I''m not sure exactly. Is it rted to the matter with Matilda or is does it have something to do with the recent attack on the kingdom."


    Osmond takes a few seconds to deliberate on something before saying,


    "I hope you''re taking proper care of her."


    "You''re ex-secretary? Don''t worry, I do not mistreat her in any way."


    "Good. Now, there is something important that I must inform you of."


    "I''m listening," I say whileying back on the sofa.


    "Some noble factions are nning to betray the kingdom by coborating with the Kingdom of Gallia."


    "I''m not surprised."


    "Well, as it turns out, they were offered a reward for their endeavors," he continues.


    "However, one of the factions that were thought to be disloyal turned out to be otherwise and reported this matter to those in charge," I say.


    "That''s correct," Osmond says while nodding his head.


    "So, why are you telling me about this?"


    "I had heard that you are nning to visit one of these noble houses to retrieve an item won through a duel."


    "Oh? Now that I think about it, I have to go get that Grimoire of Loss sometime soon."


    I wonder what this Grimoire has in stock for me.


    The other Grimoire is currently being researched by Tiffania.


    For some reason, she''s the only one capable of doing so.


    Unfortunately, every spell she found seems to be a useless one with a much better alternative already being avable.


    However, I''m hoping that something neat would pop up sometime soon, as she has to decipher a quarter of the Grimoire.


    "So," Osmond says, interrupting my thoughts, "I would like you to talk with the lord of the house."


    "You want to make me act as a spy, huh?" I say, "Will this information be ryed to Henrietta?"


    "Yes," he simply replies.


    Sensing no lies in his words, I nod my head and say,


    "That''s simple. I could also just wipe them out of existence if they''re annoying, you know?"


    "I would be grateful if you refrained from doing that, Sir Wales."


    I shrug my shoulders and don''t say anything else.


    Nevertheless, I''m a little startled that Osmond has yet to speak of Matilda properly. Doesn''t he have any questions? Or did he know everything already?


    Also, there is the fact that he can contact Henrietta.


    I specifically worded my question in that way, so that I could see if he was able to personally meet with her.


    Now that I know he''s able to do that, I could lessen my suspicions a little.

 Chapter 162: War-Conference ; Alliance

    Chapter 162: War-Conference ; Alliance


    "So, Osmond," I say, "Do you have anything else that you''d like to discuss with me?"


    "No, that would be it."


    "Is that so," I mutter while getting up from the sofa, "Then, I''ll be leaving. Have a good day."


    "You too," his voice reaches me from behind as I walk out of the room.


    Now then, what should I do?


    Just now, we spoke of the matter regarding the Grimoire of Loss, but I''m no hurry to retrieve it.


    I suppose heading back to the castle is the best choice at the moment.


    Having made up my mind, I make use of Norse Magic to form a gateway directly connected to my room and walk through it.


    As soon as I step through to the other side, I find Irene sitting on the bed with a somewhat bored look on her face.


    "Irene," I call out, attracting her attention, "Why are you here?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Irene lets out a small sigh before saying exasperatingly,


    "I am here to spend time with Father, but Father is mostly busy."


    Hearing this, a smile forms on my lips as I slowly approach her and take a seat beside her.


    Then, I ce my hand on her head and begin rubbing it as I say,


    "Tell me, Irene, do you have anything you want me to do for you?"


    "Hug me," she directly responds.


    dly. I''m surprised that''s enough to satisfy her.


    So, I lift Irene''s small body and ce her on myp as I continue patting her head.


    I then lower my head and kiss her cheek before whispering,


    "Thank you for everything you''ve done for me so far, Irene."


    "Anything for Father," she mutters.


    ---


    "Your Highness!" a bulky man salutes before opening one of the two doors for me to pass through.


    The moment I step inside the room, everyone present looks over at me with intrigue.


    Heeding them no attention, I simply walk over to the table everyone is seated on and take a seat.


    Then, I say,


    "We''re all aware of how the bad situation is, so we must get this settled with quickly."


    "Excuse me, Your Highness, but I believe that you''re being disrespectful to the-"


    Before the guy can finish what he has to say, Henrietta raises her arm and says forcefully,


    "Silence!"


    The guy grunts before sitting back and ring at me.


    "As Prince Wales said, we''re currently in a dire state. A moment wasted here is a given opportunity for our enemy to strike."


    Nodding my head, I apud Henrietta for handling herself so well despite being so young. Truly, a remarkable girl.


    "As you''re all aware, we''re currently facing an all-out attack from the south at two locations."


    "First, there is the south-east, where Gallia''snd troops are entering Tristain from. They''ve set up a fort over there, so we''re unable to form a blockade until we either take over the fort or raze it to the ground.


    "Nevertheless, that''s not even the main issue. The second location where Gallia''s mene from is from the south-west is where the real trouble is at. Unlike the south-east, they''re using flying ships to fly over thend and causing various issues for us."


    "Your Grace," one of the men calls out to Henrietta, "Won''t they run out of those ships if we continuously destroy them?"


    "That''s correct," Henrietta responds, "However, we''ve yet to take one of them down."


    "What?!" the man exims, bewildered, "But I''ve heard that at least a dozen of them have been destroyed!"


    "That''s correct," Henrietta says as a smile appears on her lips, "Fourteen of these ships have been destroyed. However, it wasn''t our men that did it, but Prince Wales and his subjects."


    The moment her voice fades off, everyone present begins whispering among themselves while sending nces my way.


    Heck, some of them are beginning to re at me for some reason.


    Anyway, these guys are sure dumb if they actually believed they stood a chance against Gallia''s flying ships with the weaponry they own.


    Simply put, whatever they own won''t even be effective against the flying ships, or at least, that''s what the researchers in Albion informed me.


    After having studied the ships for two days, the researchers brought me a good deal of information regarding how the ships fly and their durability.


    As expected, it''s rted to the wind-stones that are keeping Albion in the sky, making me curious about how they got their hands on such an amount to power all these ships.


    Perhaps, they''ve found a mine rich in these gems and stones?


    If so, then I should perhaps give Gallia a visit.


    "I don''t believe it!" a loud voice forces me to shift my attention back to reality.


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find a guy that has stood up from his heat with his hands on the table while arrogance practically spills out of him.


    "A short while ago, Albion had been on the verge of destruction, but now you''re telling me that they possess enough power to take down these flying ships while we can''t?!"


    Before anyone else can say anything, I utilize Eyes of Judgment and re at the men.


    This results in him to begin suffocating as an expression of fear begins to appear on his face.


    "Look," I say in a calm tone, "You better shut up, lest you want me to show you what Albion is capable of."


    Having gotten my message across, I stop using Eyes of Judgment before turning my head to face Henrietta and saying,


    "You said that the flying ships are causing various issues. What do you mean by that?"


    The reason I''m asking this is that I wasn''t the one who destroyed the ships, but Saturnus and Yuno instead.


    For some reason, the two of them were rather excited to do the job, so I just let them do whatever they wanted.


    "They''ve been using some kind of means to maim ourmunications with other kingdoms."


    A little puzzled, I ask,


    "Ismunicating with the other kingdoms really that important? I doubt that they would be willing to help you out with the way things are right now anyway."


    "I''m well aware that they won''t be offering us any help if we don''t offer something in return," Henrietta responds, "But, it''s still necessary to be in contact to trade resources with what''s required for this war."


    "I see," I simply say as I begin thinking of what she just said.


    With the kingdoms not able to contact each other, Henrietta won''t be able to receive much news regarding what''s going on outside of Tristain.


    This is a huge problem in and of itself, as one moment Henrietta could be on the verge of victory before the next moment she gets brought down by another kingdom who "suddenly" decided to join the war.


    Naturally, I will make sure that Tristain doesn''t fall, as it is going to be extremely useful for me in the future. However, I''m not sure about how I should do that.


    Currently, the shiniest thought within my head for achieving this would be topletely wipe out the opposing kingdoms.


    This might give me a reputation as an unfeeling tyrant, but I can''t think of an alternative that is just as efficient.


    "Now that the situation has be the way it is now," Henrietta begins, interrupting my thoughts, "We must resort to increasing our power and stabilizing the kingdom."


    Then, Henrietta suddenly nces at me for a split-second before looking over at everyone present and saying in a loud voice,


    "In order to achieve that, I''m willing to form a permanent alliance with Albion."


    Huh? Why do I have a strange feeling about the way she put it?


    "As such, I would like to offer my hand in marriage to Prince Wales and unify the two kingdoms!"


    What?!

 Chapter 163: Proposal ; Assassin

    Chapter 163: Proposal ; Assassin


    Did I hear that correctly? Henrietta wishes to marry me?


    I did think that our rtionship seemed a little off, but I hadn''t considered this possibility.


    Also, the reason she gave? No way that is the truth. I mean, our respective kingdoms have been allied with no issues for some time now, so I find it suspicious that she wishes to form a "permanent alliance" through marriage.


    At most, this would calm the citizens down by making them believe that the rtionship between the reborn Albion and Tristan is a firm one.


    Naturally, I won''t embarrass Henrietta, ''my'' cousin in front of everyone, so I will go along with her for now, and see what she actually has in mind at ater interval.


    Just as I''m about to voice my thoughts regarding the matter, the rude guy from before ms the table and exims,


    "I object!"


    Looks like this guy hasn''t learned his lesson yet.


    As a response to his exmation, Henrietta furrows her brows, depicting extreme displeasure as she inquires,


    "Is something wrong, Veer de Gramont?"


    Gramont? Is this guy Guiche''s elder brother? Now that I think about it, he does look quite simr to him.


    That''s especially the case once his blonde hair and disdainful aura are taken into consideration.


    "Yes, Princess," he responds while cing an emphasis on the word ''princess''.


    I reckon that''s his way of belittling her power by calling her as such instead of ''queen''.


    "I refuse to ept such a marriage," he continues, "Albion is not worthy of Tristain. That''s particrly the case if we think about the recent rebellion."


    Exasperated, I let out a sigh before saying, "You''re not worthy enough to judge Albion in any way. So, you either shut your mouth or I do it for you."


    "How dare you speak like this in front of-"


    Having had enough of this, I simply use telekinesis to lift him from his seat and hurl him toward the door with enough force to break it.


    The two guards that were patiently doing their job outside the room are both confounded by the sight of a noble being thrown out like trash.


    "So, is there someone that would like to share their opinion?" I ask once I''ve switched my attention back to the men seated at the table.


    After a few seconds of absolute silence, I lean back on my seat and say,


    "I take that as a no."


    Shaking my head, I look Henrietta in the eyes and inquire in a neutral tone,


    "What''s your true intentions for forming this permanent alliance?"


    My words seem to be what everyone else has been wondering, as they all immediately lock eyes onto the young princess.


    The reason I asked Henrietta this question is so that she may exin her actions to those present. I believe that she wouldn''t want to displease everyone, so I granted her an opportunity to prevent that.


    Henrietta, being the smartss she is, quickly realizes my intention as a small smile forms on her lips.


    "Trading," Henrietta says after a few seconds, "I seek a rtionship between our kingdoms that would allow trading resources and materials that normally wouldn''t be traded."


    Huh? Is there something like that?


    "Do you mind specifying what you wish to trade with?"


    "Of course," she replies, "Wind-stones and blueprints."


    The moment the words leave her mouth, looks of shock be apparent on the men''s face as they all disbelievingly gawk at her.


    One re from me seems to shut them all up as they all meekly sit back in their seats with displeasure all over their face.


    From the looks of it, she''s asking for something ridiculous, so I''m hoping that she has something just as ridiculous to trade.


    "You should be aware of how much that is worth," I say, "So, you should know that only something of equal worth can be traded for it, right?"


    "Indeed. I''m willing to exchange elixirs for those."


    This time, the shock is much more intense as several men stand up from their seats while some begin shouting words of objection.


    "Elixirs?" I ask, intrigued.


    "That''s right," she responds, "We''ve been using the gems extracted from the enemies to create elixirs that increase the power of men, even if they aren''t nobility."


    So, it''s like a buffing potion, huh? That sounds like an interesting deal, as it would not only strengthen my army but also provide new research material for my researchers.


    In the long term, this will bring a lot of benefits to my kingdom, so there is no reason to refuse.


    Of course, I will make sure that the elixirs have no unwanted side effects before letting my soldiers use them.


    "Then, this matter is settled," I say, "When is the marriage ceremony?"


    An expression of pure joy forms on Henrietta''s face for a split-second before it shifts back to normal as she says,


    "It would be great if we go through with it sometime soon."


    "In that case, I will leave the details and nning to you. Meanwhile, I will deal with Gallia''s men in the southwest."


    Anyway, I''m curious about what Henrietta has in mind. Well, I will find that out in the future, so I should focus on the more important matters for now.


    ---


    Feeling a warm and soft feeling against my chest, I open my eyes just to be met with a pair of blue eyes looking at me.


    "Is something wrong, Tia?" I ask with a smile on my lips.


    As a response to my inquiry, Tiamat moves her head closer to me and kisses me as her body temperature begins rising.


    After a few seconds, I break the kiss and get up from the bed.


    "What are you nning to do?" she asks as I begin changing into my ''noble'' attire.


    "Destroy a kingdom," I reply.


    Hearing this, Tiamat has a slightly confused look on her face as she says,


    "With the power and means at your disposal, couldn''t you have done this sooner?"


    Shaking my head, I say,


    "There is a chance that some unexpected enemy might appear andpletely ruin everything, so I must act cautiously at all times.


    "Besides, why should I do all the work myself? What be the point of bing a king if all I do is personally deal with any trouble that arises instead of making use of my subjects."


    Seemingly understanding what I mean, Tiamat nods her head before asking,


    "So, you''re nning to use this tform as your main base?"


    "That''s right," I reply.


    The reason I''m looking for the Core is for no other reason than that.


    I will continue to strengthen the foundation of my kingdom until it can''t be matched by any other force.


    Then, I will have an army of ridiculously powerful men under me, ready to deal with any issues that may arise in the future.


    After a few seconds, I''mpletely dressed up, so I approach Tiamat and kiss her supply lips onest time before leaving the Familiar Space.


    As soon as arrive back in Sorcerers'' Lair, time slows down as everything around me seems to lose color.


    I quickly examine my surroundings, only to find a pink-haired girl with green eyes attacking me from behind using a dagger.


    The girl resembles Sheffield in a way as she has two short ck streaks under her eyes simr to Sheffield and long hair reaching her hips.


    Her attire is also intriguing as it seems to be thebination of a luxurious noble dress and maid outfit. It''s ck and white and there are frills here and there. All in all, it suits her rather well.


    As for the dagger she''s carrying, it seems to be coated in some kind of poison, making me curious about something. What happens if poison is injected into my body?


    With that in mind, I decide to try it out, and if things take a turn for the worst, I could just call Tiamat out.


    Time seems to be fast once against as the dagger pierces through my back.


    A weird sensation spreads around in my body, but it doesn''tst for long as my returns to its usual state.


    So, poison is ineffective, huh? At least, this one didn''t amount to much.


    "This guy faced a whole army on his own?" the girl behind me mutters disbelievingly.


    "I knew they were just rumors," she continues before walking past me and standing right in front of me.


    "You were weak," she says while grinning.


    Unable to hold back anymore, I begin chuckling while telekically pulling the dagger out of my back and cing it in my hand.


    The girl is now rmed as she examines me from head to toe, most likely looking for a weakness to take advantage of.


    I''ve got to admit, this girl is a skillful one.


    Is she perchance an assassin sent to deal with me? That''s very likely to be the case.


    "Little do you know," I mock the girl while looking into her eyes, "You''re the weak one."


    Hopefully, she will be an entertaining individual

 Chapter 164: Mindless Assault ; Eve of Total War

    Chapter 164: Mindless Assault ; Eve of Total War


    Shocked, the girl is unable to react as I ce my hand on her head and use Eyes of Judgement before asking her,


    "Who are you and how did youe here?"


    Surprisingly, the girl regains her rity of mind rather quickly as she steps back a few times before ring at me.


    Well, I did go easy on her, so, understandably, she would be capable of such a feat despite being a human.


    Now then, I wonder what she will attempt. I''m sure that she has a backup n of sorts.


    As I suspected, she does have a backup n as she nces at the balcony, which I assume is where she came in from.


    Does she want to run away? Or


    Using irvoyance, I check outside the castle, only to find a blonde-haired guy jumping from one part of the castle to the other to reach the room we''re in.


    So, that''s their n, huh? Even so, these two are sure confident if they think that they can take me down like this.


    Anyway, I will wait for that guy to reach this room as well.


    After a few seconds, the guy enters the room just in time to hear me ask the girl once again,


    "Who are you?"


    The girl does her best to not look at the guy slowly approaching me from behind as she says neutrally,


    "I''m Jete, and have been sent here to neutralize you."


    Oh? She honestly responded? Is this her confidence affecting her?


    "Jete, huh?" I say while smirking, "Let me tell you something."


    Jete''s body bes tense as she peers into my eyes, awaiting my next words.


    "Everyone that has sessfully managed to hurt me in any manner either dies or bes mine."


    Then, I point my finger at her and say,


    "Which one do you suppose is your fate?"


    Jete squints her eyes and says in a cold tone,


    "None of them."


    The next moment, the guy who has gotten close enough pulls a sword out of nowhere and attempts to pierce my heart from behind.


    Before it can reach me, however, I telekically pull the sword out of his hand before turning around and kicking his guts.


    This results in the guy to get hurled at the room''s wall with enough force to crack it.


    "Leuleu!" Jete exims as his body limply falls to the ground.


    While still smirking, I create a chair behind me and take a seat on it before saying in a casual tone,


    "You see, I did indeed eliminate an army all on my own."


    "Monster," she mutters while scowling at me.


    "Come on, Jete," I say, "This is boring."


    All of a sudden, a notion appears in my mind as I nce at the guy who''s passed out on the ground.


    I get from the seat and make my way to where he is under the anxious eyes of Jete before crouching and cing my hand on the guy''s right arm.


    Then, I directly channel Destruction into his body before getting back on my feet and saying,


    "If you fail to kill me, he will die."


    Jete is unsure of what to do as she nces at the guy''s body, most likely wondering what I just did to him.


    So, I show her.


    Raising my right hand, I snap my fingers while making use of Destruction to obliterate his arm.


    Unexpectedly, the guy wakes up and begins shouting as if he is experiencing the most painful sensation in the world.


    Anyway, this seems to work out the way I wanted to as Jete has a wrathful expression on her face while pulling an umbre out of nowhere and pointing the tip at me.


    "Die!" she exims as wind des escape from the tip of the umbre and move toward me.


    I simply wave my hand to disperse the wind des before saying in a mocking tone,


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    ---


    "Your Highness!" two men call out in sync as they step into my room.


    I nod my head once before ncing at the two intruders who are now tied up and say,


    "Take them to jail. As for the girl, you know which cell to ce her in."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" the two salute before doing what I instructed them to.


    I will deal with themter. For now, I should check on Tiffania and see how much progress she has made with the Grimoire.


    And so, I begin to make my way toward the room in which Tiffania is currently in.


    Once, I''m in front of the door, I knock on it twice before entering and walking toward Tiffania.


    Matilda who was reading a book on the side looks up at me with suspicion and anxiety apparent in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry," I say without looking at her, "I won''t do anything to you as long as you don''t misbehave."


    Even without me mentioning her name or looking at her, Matilda knows that my words were directed at her as she lets out a sigh and asks,


    "Why are you keeping me here?"


    I take a seat beside Tiffania who is sitting on the bed and examining the Grimoire using magic and say,


    "Because I''m not sure that I want you outside just yet."


    "What do you mean?" she says as a frown forms on her face.


    "Well, you know too much. I don''t trust you, so I can''t have you leave this castle."


    Fortunately, she seems to get my point as she sets this matter aside and gets back to reading her book.


    "So, Tiffania," I say while observing the Grimoire in her hands, "How is it going?"


    "Good!" she replies, "However, I can''t understand some parts."


    She takes a moment to think of something before looking me in the eyes and asking,


    "Is there another version of this book?"


    Another version? What is she talking about? This is the only- Hold on


    "You mean another Grimoire?" I inquire.


    "Yes," she replies.


    So, the two Grimoires are rted? Nothing is certain until I get my hands on the Grimoire of Loss.


    "Good work," I say while patting her head.


    Tiffania''s ears twitch in ordance to the way I rub her head, which is quite the intriguing sight to behold.


    I take this chance to move my hand toward her left ear and gently rub it, which earns me a yelp from Tiffania.


    Her face gets covered in a red hue as her ears turn bright red.


    "Sorry," I say, "Did that make you feel ufortable?"


    Tiffania quickly shakes her head and says,


    "I was just surprised."


    Hearing the words I wanted to hear, I say while smirking,


    "So it''s fine for me to continue, right?"


    "Eh?"


    Before Tiffania can react, I begin rubbing both of her ears, earning me a series of yelps from Tiffania as she attempts to move away from me.


    On the side, Matilda has a deadpan expression on her face as she watches all of this unfold.


    A few minutester, I stop teasing Tiffania and say in a serious tone,


    "There indeed is another Grimoire. I will soon be visiting someone to retrieve it."


    "Okay," she responds before her expression shifts to that of worry as she asks,


    "What about the townspeople? Did you find anything about them yet?"


    Sensing the anxiety in her voice, I gently pat her head and say soothingly,


    "Don''t worry. They''re safe. Soon, we will be heading over to rescue them."


    That''s right, the Kingdom of Gallia has been rounding up everyone they''ve captured in the fort located at the south-west.


    They''re most likely being used to do manualbor, so their lives aren''t at risk.


    They will be able to escape as soon as we begin with the first phase of the n, which is due tomorrow.


    It''s about damn time that I took down Gallia once and for all.

 Chapter 165: Assault ; First Battle ; (Spoiler Title at the End)

    Chapter 165: Assault ; First Battle ; (Spoiler Title at the End)


    As I stand on the deck of the giant flying ship, I look into the distance, where the fort is.


    Turning around, I am met with the sight of numerous battle-ready men with enthusiasm evident in their eyes.


    "Victor," Krul who''s beside me voices, "Are you sure that engaging them head-on in such a manner is a good idea?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "This ship," she responds, "It was theirs, right? Wouldn''t they have countermeasures prepared against it?"


    "There indeed is a great possibility of that, however, it''s not like we''re going to be using this ship to win this battle.


    "It''s just more practical to transport these guys over this way."


    Krul looks over at the plethora of men on the three ships and nods her head once before looking back at me and saying,


    "You''re nning to take over the whole kingdom, right?"


    As a response to her inquiry, I shake my head slowly before replying,


    "That''s not what I have in mind at all. The n is simple. Destroy every town and city Ie across and rule over those that surrender. All in all, Gallia will be a relic of the past by the time this war is over."


    "How cruel," she remarks with a smile on her lips.


    "They were the ones who messed with me, so it''s only natural that I return the favor, no?"


    As silence ensues for a few seconds, Krul looks around a little, particrly at the girls before turning her head to face me and ask,


    "Where are the two Angels?"


    "Oh, you mean Gabriel and Aruru? Well, Imanded them to fly ahead and act as scouts."


    "Scouts? Aren''t they capable of wiping out the men garrisoned at the fort on their own?"


    I shake my head and say,


    "That''s incredibly risky, as you never know what weaponry your foe might possess.


    "The only way that they could take down the fort without risking their lives so much would be by attacking from a distance. However, that would destroy the fort itself, which would defeat the purpose of this attack."


    Krul takes a moment to think before saying,


    "You''re nning to use the fort as a checkpoint."


    "That''s right," I reply with a small smile on my lips, "We will seize the fort and use it as a temporary base of operations for the war with Gallia."


    I took a moment to consider the recent proposal that Henrietta made, and came up with an idea.


    We will take over the fort and have Henrietta''s subjects build something simr to the Aerial Network in Albion.


    Once that''s done, we can easily have men transported to and from the fort.


    "Victor!" I suddenly hear a loud cry as Yuno who was on another ship leaps over to the ship that I''m on.


    As soon as shends, she speedily closes the distance between us and embraces me before the eyes of the curious soldiers.


    "What''s wrong, Yuno?" I wryly ask her while caressing her head.


    "Nothing at all," she replies, "I''m just delighted that we''re going to be battling side-by-side once again."


    "Right," I say as distinct memories begin appearing in my mind one after another.


    Those are the only memories I have of us fighting side-by-side, however, I''m sure that there are many more that I can''t recollect.


    Setting those thoughts to the side, I begin to think of the uing battle.


    Our foes are pretty much done for, as I refuse to believe that they stand a chance against three Codes that have actual battle experience.


    As this notion passes through my mind, I look over at Siesta who''s quietly standing nearby with a smile stered to her face.


    For some reason, she was very determined about apanying us in this war.


    When I asked her about it, Siesta insisted that something was ''informing'' her that she must apany us.


    Normally, I would pass such a thing off as nonsense, but this time it''s different. She''s a Code whose abilities are yet to be known.


    Surely, this feeling that she had must be rted to her Code in one way or another. So, I thought that it would be fine to take her along if that''s the case.


    Even so, there is a chance that something unexpected may ur and may catch me off guard, so I have to be cautious at all times.


    [Father.]


    "Gabriel? Is anything wrong?"


    [The fort is equipped with cannons that seem to be designed for taking downrge bodies.]


    "For example a flying ship, huh?" I mutter to myself as I take a moment to think of what needs to be done.


    "Gabriel, cooperate with Aruru to swiftly get rid of them when I tell you to do so."


    [Understood.]


    The reason I have her wait instead of instructing her to destroy them at this moment is that the element of surprise is crucial for this battle.


    I will have Gabriel and Aruru destroy them right at the moment we are ready to initiate an assault.


    ---


    "Your Highness, we are prepared!" Yvonne respectfully informs me while kneeling a meter away from me.


    "Good," I say, "Activate the illusory stones."


    "Understood!" she responds before getting up and turning around to face the soldiers a dozen or so meters away from her.


    She then raises her arm and gestures some orders to the men.


    Having received their order, the soldiers get to work.


    In a matter of seconds, the ship suddenly begins turning invisible as a circr sphere of energy appears around us.


    Using irvoyance, I can tell that the two other ships have also be unperceivable.


    "It seems like we''re ready," I mutter to myself before saying, "Gabriel, initiate the attack."


    [Understood.]


    A few secondster, the earth trembles as a noise resounds in the distance.


    I turn around to face the men before saying in a loud voice,


    "Are you ready?!"


    As a response to this, the soldiers all raise their weapons and shout out a battle cry.


    Nodding my head, I turn around to observe the fort and the state of chaos that has ensued from the attack just now.


    "Let''s do this," I say before jumping off the ship along with Yuno and Krul.


    "Aruru, youe over and watch over the ships."


    [Okay!]


    "Gabriel, provide support from the sky."


    [Understood.]


    Now that I have ryed my orders, it''s time to show the enemy what true power is.


    Using telekinesis, I hold the bodies of the two girls near me before flying over to the fort.


    Once we''re close enough, I let the two down meanwhile I continue flying toward the fort at max speed.


    Then, I punch the outer wall with enough force to break a part of it down.


    The men who were inside are bewildered by the sight of me casually walking inside from the hole as they motionlessly gawk at me.


    Shaking my head, I telekically crush the hearts of every single soldier that''s within my range.


    This results in the beautiful sight of a dozen or so men limply falling to the ground as life begins fading from their eyes.


    I continue to casually walk toward my target, meanwhile, the men outside the fort are screaming and wailing as if it''s the end of the world.


    "You! Identify yourself!" a loud voice resounds, causing me to shift my focus back to inside the fort.


    Looking over, I find a disgustingly muscr man apanied by a few ''normal'' men.


    "Your enemy," I casually reply before using Holy sh in an attempt to cut all of them down in one go.


    Surprisingly, they all react quickly as they immediately get down on the ground as the de of light barely misses their heads.


    "Oh?" I voice, surprised by their physical speed.


    "Origi," the muscr man mutters, startling me even further.


    "You know me?" I ask the man with a neutral expression on my face.


    His expression contorts into a scowl as he jeers,


    "Who in this damnednds doesn''t know the ursed god."


    ursed god? That''s an interesting title.


    Nevertheless, have I been here in the past? Either I have been here or someone that knew me has.


    "Say, why am I ursed?"


    Hearing this, a raged expression appears on the man''s face as he shouts,


    "Was damning a continent not a deed worthy of such title!?"


    Damning a continent? The heck has happened here before?


    As I''m about to inquire further, I notice that the man has brought out a vial and directly smashes it.


    The next thing I know, the liquid in the vial begins to glow while giving off an extremely eerie vibe.


    I don''t know what this thing is, but it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    As such, I hastily move quite a distance away until I am a safe distance away from the vial.


    A few secondster, the spilled liquid abruptly explodes strangely.


    By strange, I mean that nothing seems to take any damage.


    However, that notion doesn''tst long as the muscr man falls to the ground along with the other men.


    A frown begins to form on my brows as I make my way to the bodies and examine them from head to toe.


    They''re dead. Every single one of them has stopped functioning altogether.


    However, I''m strangely unable to find any injury on their bodies.


    What the heck? Did this vial contain a liquid with soul-killing effects or something?


    My thoughts get interrupted as the overly muscr man''s body suddenly twitches.


    Before I can react, his body moves at a ridiculous speed as hends a kick on my guts with enough force to send me back a few meters.


    I take a moment to stabilize my breath as I begin to think of what just urred.


    This man just moved at a speed that''s faster than what my current body is capable of.


    Abnormal. Way too abnormal.


    The fact that I''m still unable to feel any signs of ''life'' inside him makes it all the more abnormal.


    All of a sudden a strange growl escapes from the man''s lips as the other men begin to get up from the ground in a strange manner.


    As I focus my sight on them, I notice that something about their physical appearance has changed.


    Their eyes no longer have irises. They''repletely white and seem to focus on nothing.


    Hold on Don''t tell me


    As an odd notion appears in my mind, I use irvoyance to check the state of the matters outside the fort.


    What I find startles me.


    The majority of the soldiers that were garrisoned in this fort are now in a simr state to the overly muscr guy.


    This seems to have given them an upper hand against the soldiers from Albion and Tristain, however, it''s useless when ites to the rest.


    As such, Gabriel is currently taking them down one after another using light spears while she flies in the sky.


    Meanwhile, Yuno and Krul are on the ground, physically crushing any enemy theye across.


    I shift my focus back to reality just in time to find the muscr man dashing toward.


    With his current speed, he is a much more dangerous foe than before, however, that''s not enough for him to fight me.


    As I prepare to use Holy sh, the ground below my feet trembles beforerge cracks appear.


    The next moment, a part of the ground falls off as a figure swiftly appears from within and drives the tip of her weapon into the center of the muscr man''s chest.


    "Saturnus?" I call out to her.


    A burst of energy escapes from Saturnus''s weapon, resulting in the man''s body to explode into bits of flesh.


    Saturnus turns around to look at me before saying with a smile on her face,


    "I''vee to support you, Creator!"


    But, that wasn''t the n Oh well, this situation is abnormal, so the n wouldn''t be that effective anyway.


    Even so, repairing this fort is going to be a pain.


    Saturnus seems to be hyped for battle as she swiftly turns her weapon around before leaping toward one of the men.


    The man quickly responds to her actions by running toward her at a speed that''s almostparable to the muscr man''s.


    This causes Saturnus to suddenly spin her body in the air before hurling her weapon at the guy, which pierces his guts.


    Before he can pull the spear out, Saturnus arrives right in front of him and kicks the spear as a burst of energy escapes from it.


    The next moment, the man''s limbs and heads suddenly seem to ''break off'' as blood escapes from his body like a fountain.


    Saturnus doesn''t seem to mind getting covered in blood as she says in a mocking tone,


    "Resorting to such cheap tricks to fight against the Creator. Despicable."


    Now that I think about it, what exactly has happened to these men? Did they turn into zombies or something?


    The state of their body is quite strange. Their internal organs havepletely stopped functioning, yet here they are, fighting us.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that at the center of their bodies, they have a crystalline orb that''s glowing in an eerie unusual white color.


    Looks like their moving their bodies using the energy from these crystalline orbs.


    Well, it doesn''t matter in the least, as we''re going to be taking down every single one of these guys.


    Especially whoever is behind all this


    ~~~


    Complete Title: Assault ; First Battle ; Zombies?

 Chapter 166: Enemy Code ; Joseph de Gallia ; Soft

    Chapter 166: Enemy Code ; Joseph de Gallia ; Soft


    "Gabriel, Aruru, eliminate all the enemies left outside."


    The two of them both affirm my order before sending a barrage of light spears toward every single foe.


    Meanwhile, Saturnus and I leisurely walk through the hallways to the room where the one in charge of this fort is.


    "Saturnus," I say while glimpsing at her from the side, "Have you undergone something simr to this before?"


    Without the least bit of hesitation, Saturnus nods her head and says while smiling,


    "Of course! In the past, there were so many humans and other vile beings that were against the Creator. So, I had to deal with them a lot."


    For some reason, the way she puts it makes it seem like I was someone that the world hated to the core.


    Surely, it wasn''t anything like that.


    I reckon that humans were greedy for something, so they challenged me head-on.


    "What were they after?" I inquire.


    "The Creator''s creations," she simply responds.


    As I suspected, it was greed after all.


    {WARNING: Code detected.}


    Great. Just great.


    At least, it''s not a maximized one.


    Is the Code identifiable?


    {Negative.}


    I exasperatedly let out a sigh before running a quick scan of the fort for anyone with ''unique'' qualities.


    That doesn''t take long, as I soon find a green-haired man in a rather peculiar attire quietly sitting on a sofa and doing nothing other than reading a book.


    This is odd, as this man should be able to hear all themotion going on outside, yet there he is peacefully reading a book.


    "Saturnus, you go on ahead and deal with the imbecile that''s hiding in his office."


    "Okay!" she responds and dashes off into the distance before I can tell her where the office is located.


    Whatever. I''m sure she''ll be able to find him.


    For now, I have something more troublesome to deal with.


    --


    "You''ve finally arrived," I hear a voice as soon as I''m near the door that leads to the room the green-haired man is in.


    I shake my head to clear my thoughts before donning a serious expression and entering the room.


    The man has already set his book aside and is looking at me with intrigue apparent in his ruby eyes.


    "Who are you?" I ask nonchntly while walking toward the sofa opposite the one he''s sitting on.


    As I take a seat, the man replies,


    "Morpheus."


    Isn''t that the name of a Greek god? I do recall reading a little about him in my past life.


    "It has been such a long time, Verethragna," he greets.


    I shrug my shoulders and casually say,


    "I don''t recognize you."


    Hearing this, the corner of Morpheus''s lips twitch as he remarks,


    "You''re as odious and overbearing as ever."


    "It''s the truth," I say exasperatedly, "I genuinely don''t remember you."


    "Verethragna," he says in a sharp tone, "You know that I''m not proficient inbat, so there is no need to rile me up."


    Oh? Even though he is a Code, he isn''t good inbat?


    Don''t tell me, he is in a simr situation to Siesta who''s only capable of cleaning when making use of her powers.


    "I''vee here in lieu of my brother to give you a warning," Morpheus states, "Do not touch the Kingdom of Gallia."


    Hearing this, Iugh for a solid ten seconds before asking while smirking,


    "Or else?"


    The next moment, a burst of energy escapes from Morpheus which results in my surroundings to change.


    "I may not be strong inbat," Morpheus says, noticeably irritated, "But, when ites to sealing abhorrent gods, I am the most skilled."


    Seeing him standing there with a smug look on his face, I utilize Godspeed and Blink before dashing toward him and lightly kicking his face.


    The sound of bones breaking resounds in the surroundings as Morpheus''s body getsunched backward.


    Whatever the energy was that changed my perception of the room dissipates, revealing a bloodied Morpheus who''s struggling to get up from the ground.


    "You''re quite dumb," I remark, "If you''re going to confine someone in an illusion, at least make sure that you''re not in it yourself."


    Morpheus''s expression takes a turn for the worst as he raises his head and yells,


    "Why were you able to see me?!"


    I ignore the gush of blood flowing out of his orifices and say in a nonchnt tone,


    "What do you mean ''why''? You were literally standing right in front of me. I''m not blind, you know?"


    "I know that! Even so, you weren''t supposed to be able to see me!"


    Is this guy retarded? Did I set the expectation bar too high for Codes? I don''t think I did, but this is simply... startling.


    Whatever, I will just get rid of him and be done with all this. As for that brother of his, he cane and challenge me anytime he wants.


    Honestly, if he is anywhere near as dumb as Morpheus, I will be more than just disappointed.


    As if sensing my thoughts, Morpheus''s body stiffens while sweat begins to roll across his forehead.


    "Don''t you dare think of killing me!" Morpheus anxiously says, "You wouldn''t be able to bear the consequences!"


    "Are you sure about that?" I say with a small smile on my lips.


    Morpheus realizes that I am not going to back down, so he says in a threatening tone, at least, an attempted one,


    "I haven''t gotten serious, you know? Even that psychotic Deus couldn''t kill me!"


    "Dues?"


    "What, are you going to im that you don''t remember the name of your pet?"


    "Care to describe her?"


    "Why should I?!"


    Having gotten irritated, I use Blink to appear right in front of him and immediately use Holy sh to cut all four of his limbs off.


    Then, I punch his bloody mouth to stop him from wailing.


    I then proceed to ce my hand on his chin and lift his head to look him in the eyes and say,


    "I said, describe her."


    Morpheus seems to finally realize his position as he humbly begins to describe Deus, which turned out to be none other than my dear Yuno.


    One he was done with that, I knocked him out in order to obtain information regarding the foe and that ''brother'' of his.


    From what I could see, his ''brother'' was simply making use of him.


    Joseph de Gallia is the supposed brother of Morpheus.


    He made use of some kind of power to make Morpheus dumb enough to be exploited however he wants.


    It would be trulyughable if Joseph is nothing other than an ordinary man, as that would simply shatter my belief of all Codes being much stronger than other creatures.


    Naturally, I''ve picked up several hints of Joseph not being an ordinary creature from the memories, but I''m not sure what he is just yet.


    Anyway, it seems like Joseph had been extra careful to not reveal any of his ns in front of Morpheus, so I wasn''t able to obtain much useful information.


    I look down at Morpheus who is motionlessly sitting on the ground and think of how to deal with him.


    Well, he''s a Code, so I''m not going to take any risks.


    I ce my hand on his head and say,


    "Goodbye."


    Realizing what''s about to ur, Morpheus attempts to get away, but I cancel all vectors within my vicinity.


    Despite his eyes not being able to move at all, I notice the fear in them.


    Nevertheless, there is no way that I''m going to let him live.


    So, I begin to directly channel Destruction into his body before making use of Termination.


    The next moment, his body begins to break down into minuscule ck particles.


    My first ''battle'' with a Code turned out to be a joke.


    "Irene, how are things going on your side?"


    {As Father expected, a group of men attempted to rescue the prisoners. However, they were all captured by me.}


    "Good job," I say as a smile forms on my lips.


    I left Irene in the castle, as I suspected that the enemy would attempt to rescue Sheffield, Jete, and the other guy.


    Back then, I interrogated Jete a little about how she was able to enter the castle, only to find out that they used the teleportation channel connected to the cottage in the forest.


    I hadpletely forgotten about its existence, and the enemy took advantage of that.


    Fortunately, they attacked me rather than anyone else, so it turned out fine.


    Even so, despite finding out about them using it to easily get inside the castle, I let it be.


    Why? For no reason other than capturing more of these idiots that would sooner orter attempt to rescue theirrades.


    "Creator!" a voice interrupts my thoughts as Saturnus enters the room while dragging a mutted middle-aged man by his right leg.


    "Good work," I say before approaching Saturnus and patting her surprisingly realistic hair.


    This makes me curious about what the rest of her body feels like, so I say,


    "Saturnus, it''s fine if I touch you a little, right?"


    "Of course! No one other than the Creator has the right to do that!"


    Seeing the enthusiasm apparent in her dazzling eyes, I reach my arm out and lightly pinch her cheek.


    Soft. And it doesn''t feel like silicon at all


    What the heck is she made off?


    I proceed to touch her face all over while Saturnus shuts her eyes and seems to be enjoying it.


    Deciding that it''s worth it to check the rest of her body out, I move my hand downward and grope her butt.


    Saturnus reacts to this by smiling a little as she says,


    "Creator has finally noticed me."


    For some reason, upon hearing her words, a strange image appears in my head.


    Saturnus showing off her body and abilities every day while shouting, "Notice me, Creator!"


    I shake my head to clear this thought and say,


    "You''re a great android, Saturnus."


    The moment Saturnus hears my words, her eyelids open, revealing lines of code running across her eyes as I sense the excitement from her.


    Just as I''m about to ask her about the way her body functions, a small figure steps into the room and looks our way with a deadpan expression her face.


    Realizing that I''m still groping Saturnus''s butt, I step back a few times before scratching the back of my head and saying,


    "Why are you here, Krul?"


    Her expression doesn''t change as she says,


    "It''s over. The soldiers havepletely taken over the fort."


    "I see. Is that all?"


    "No," she replies, "The corpses that have been left behind are too heavy."


    "How heavy?"


    "Even if five soldiers are to work together, they wouldn''t be able to so move the corpses."


    Looks like I won''t be able to rest anytime soon.


    How much energy do I have left?


    {84%}


    Good. I will have to telekically move the bodies to one location before burning all of them down using mes of Devastation.

 Chapter 167: Thoughts ; Fake ; (Spoiler Title at the End)

    Chapter 167: Thoughts ; Fake ; (Spoiler Title at the End)


    I stand motionlessly while observing the blue mes as they consume the corpses of our foes.


    "Victor," I hear Yuno''s voice as she races toward me.


    Looking over at her, I see bloodstains all over her garments.


    "Would you like a change of clothes?" I propose once she is near enough to hear me.


    "Yes," she simply responds after taking a nce at her clothes.


    "Let''s head inside the fort," I state before holding her hand and pulling her along.


    After a few minutes, we find ourselves in a room that''s rtively undamagedpared to the rest of the rooms in the fort.


    At a nce, this room seems like one where meetings are held, but it seems like there is more to it than that.


    Beneath the ground, there are gems. The very same gems that we found in the machine that I had fought and used by Matilda to form the teleportation channel.


    Heck, we even found them in the flying ships that we took over from Gallia.


    These gems seem to serve a wide variety of purposes. It can not only enhance magic spells but also perform them.


    An example would be the invisibility spell that forms a cloak around the flying ships, rendering them imperceptible.


    Nevertheless, there sure is a lot of them here, and they all seem to be in peak condition as well. In other words, they haven''t been used. Strange.


    "Yuno," I say as I create a luxurious-looking ck one-piece dress, "You get changed while I go check in with the others."


    "You''re leaving?" she asks in a slightly saddened tone.


    Ugh. I don''t think there is much to do outside, so I will stay here after all.


    I approach Yuno and embrace her for a few seconds before stepping back and saying,


    "Never mind that."


    Yuno instantly beams a smile as she begins undressing without any hesitation.


    I lightly chuckle at her actions before making my way over to one of the stools in the room and taking a seat.


    Anyway, this room sure looks nice.


    The floor is made of wooden tiles, while the walls are made of concrete.


    All the furniture inside the room is green, except the table that''s at the center.


    On the table, there are several pieces of equipment that I''ve never seen in the past, as well as some that I can barely recognize.


    "Victor," Yuno who has already changed into the one-piece dress says solemnly, "There is something that I need to tell you."


    Why is she so serious? Is there something wrong?


    "What is it?" I inquire.


    "When we got here," she says, "I sensed uncanny energying from within the fort."


    "What do you mean by that?" I ask as I begin to think of what she could be referring to.


    The only thing thates to my mind at the moment is Morpheus.


    "The energy greatly resembled that of an Unknown''s," Yuno continues, greatly startling me.


    I never sensed anything like that, and neither did Irene, as she would''ve informed if that were the case.


    Now that I think about it, I don''t know what energy released by the Unknowns is like.


    Despite having lived with Ophis and G for a short while, I have no recollection of them ever being different whenpared to the rest of the girls in the mansion.


    I shake my head and begin to think of anything else that could be rted to this.


    After a few seconds, I realize that there has indeed been something unusual.


    Irene, until the end you were still unable to analyze Morpheus''s Code, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Why is that? What are the conditions for a Code to not be analyzable?


    {The mostmon case would be that the Code is stronger than the one that is trying to analyze it.}


    Yeah, that''s highly unlikely.


    {Another case would be if the energy that is being detected is a long-range imprint left by the opposing Code.}


    That was the case with the giant vines that helped in the fight against the giant machine.


    {Affirmative.}


    I doubt that''s the case as well, as Morpheus was in the room with me.


    {The other two cases left would be if the Code is specialized in blocking Code waves or the Code is a fake.}


    Fake? What do you mean by that?


    {The Code is not truly a Code, but just something else that''s faking Code Waves.}


    As her words sink in, a notion suddenly appears in my mind.


    However, I shake my head in denial as that couldn''t be the case.


    Even so, there is a small chance that it is.


    "Victor," Yuno calls out a little worriedly, "Did you encounter an Unknown in here?"


    "No," I reply, "At least, I don''t think I did."


    Deciding that it''s worth it to tell Yuno about what happened, I begin recounting all the events that urred upon arriving in the fort.


    "Morpheus," Yuno mutters once I''m done, "He was widely known for being a cunning god, so I don''t think that the one you fought against was really him."


    That''s what I was thinking as well.


    [Father, the soldiers have stopped celebrating.]


    "Got it," I mutter, "Instruct them to take a rest on my behalf."


    [Understood.]


    "Yuno," I say once I''ve shifted my focus back onto her, "It''s no use thinking about it so much. For all we know, this might be the foe''s n."


    All of a sudden, I hear a loudmotion outside, causing me to use irvoyance to check out what''s going on.


    Soon, I find the reason, which turned out to be the arrival of Tiamat and Ddraig.


    Due to her being in her dragon form, Tiamat attracted a lot of attention from the soldiers.


    With that said, the little girl sitting on her back is getting plenty of attention as well.


    "Tiamat and Ddraig have arrived," I say to Yuno.


    "Then, let''s go," she responds.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Your Majesty," a cloaked figure voices respectfully while kneeling before a blue-haired man who seems to be in his mid-thirties.


    The blue-haired man is sitting on his throne with a neutral expression on his face.


    "The experiment was a sess," the cloaked figure says, "Not only was it sessful, but the enemy hasn''t seemed to have realized it as well."


    "Good," the man sitting on his throne says while his expression remains the way it is.


    "Gather the Knights."


    "The Knights of Gallia?" the cloaked figure asks.


    Instead of answering him vocally, the blue-haired man res at him, which results in the cloaked figure to fidget a little before eximing,


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    The cloaked figure doesn''t waste any time as he hastily leaves the throne room.


    Now alone, the blue-haired man shuts his eyes as if he were deliberating on something.


    However, this doesn''t go on for long, as a soft voice resounds in the room,


    "Joseph!"


    The blue-haired man, Joseph de Gallia, turns his head to face the woman that called out to him.


    "Stop this already, Joseph," she says once she''s gotten close to him, "What''s your aim for doing all this?"


    "You wouldn''t get it," Joseph responds.


    "I can," the woman instantly replies, "Tell me, Joseph."


    Joseph takes a few seconds to think before he says,


    "He has reappeared."


    "Who has?" the woman asks.


    Joseph is about to answer when the door leading to the throne room opens.


    Then, the cloaked figure enters the room, while a dozen or so men follow him from behind.


    Seeing this, the woman lets out a sigh before saying a low voice,


    "I will be in Isabe''s room."


    She then leaves the room without looking back once.


    "Your Majesty!" the cloaked man salutes while kneeling as the rest of the men follow suit.


    "What are your orders?"


    Joseph thinks for a few seconds before saying a loud and sharp tone,


    "You are to take down the confidants of the man known as Wales Tudor. That''s your only objective."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" all the men respond collectively.


    Having received their orders, the men get back on their feet and are about to leave the room, however, Joseph suddenly says,


    "Wait."


    They stop in their tracks and turn around to see if there is anything else that their king would demand.


    "You said that the experiment was a sess, right?"


    Knowing that Joseph is asking him, the cloaked figure replies,


    "That''s correct."


    "In that case, make use of it," Joseph states.


    "Understood," the cloaked figure replies.


    "I can count on you, right? Morpheus?" Joseph says, as impassive as ever.


    "Naturally,"es the expected reply.


    ~~~~~


    Complete Title: Thoughts ; Fake ; Advent of the Cockroach

 Chapter 168: Operations ; Night-Visit

    Chapter 168: Operations ; Night-Visit


    "Yvonne, you are going to be leading this assault," I state.


    As a response to my order, Yvonne simply replies,


    "Understood, Your Highness."


    I nod my head once before turning to face Godeffroy and asking,


    "Has there been any response from Henrietta?"


    "Yes," he responds, "Princess Henrietta has acknowledged Your Highness''s suggestion."


    "Good."


    I take a few moments to think of everything that we discussed before getting up from my seat and saying,


    "That''s all. Everything must proceed ording to the n. If there are any issues, make sure to directly report them to me."


    Then, I turn around and leave the room, along with Siesta and Saturnus who had been by my side the whole time during the meeting.


    "Master," Siesta voices once we''ve walked a good distance away from the room we were in just now, "I''ve already cleaned and prepared a room for you to rest in."


    Hearing this, I squint my eyes before asking,


    "Using your powers?"


    Siesta nods her head as confirmation.


    "Good work," I praise her while thinking about any possible applications of her Code that could be useful forbat.


    So far, I''ve only seen her use her powers to clean dirty objects, so I doubt that there is much that she can do when ites tobat.


    As we continue to walk, a voice suddenly resounds behind us,


    "Your Highness!"


    I turn around just in time to find a soldier panting behind me while holding an envelope.


    Assuming that it''s for me, I telekically pull it toward myself before saying,


    "Good work. You''re dismissed for now."


    "Understood," the soldier replies before straightening himself and giving a polite bow then leaving.


    "Siesta," I say while handing the envelope to her, "Read the content of the envelope out to me."


    "Understood," Siesta responds before opening the envelope and pulling a letter out.


    "This letter is from Princess Henrietta," Siesta begins, "It''s rted to the current war we''re having and the noble families of Tristain."


    Looks like she took my words rather seriously.


    Siesta then proceeds to read out whatever is written in the letter from top to bottom.


    The content of the letter is mostly rted to noble families. It provides a brief description of the power and wealth of each noble family present within Tristain.


    What''s surprising is that three of the noble families mentioned in the letter have decided to aid us in this war by providing us soldiers from their personal army.


    These three families are de Gramont, de La Vallieres, andstly, Grand Duchy de Guldenhorf.


    For the de Gramont and de La Vallieres, it''s somewhat understandable that they would aid us in this way, however, I''m not so sure about the Grand Duchy de Guldenhorf.


    Apparently, these three noble families decided to aid us immediately after news of our victory over the fort from three days ago reached their ears.


    Henrietta deemed this to be an important matter, so she made haste to write me a letter regarding this matter.


    As for how these men are going to be transported over, it''s going to be done by making use of the three flying ships I had sent back to the castle in Tristain.


    [Father, we''re prepared.]


    Finally. I''ve been waiting quite some time for this.


    "Very well, Gabriel. Make sure to keep your guard up."


    [Understood.]


    Two days ago, I instructed Gabriel, Aruru, and Yuno to head over to South-West of Tristain where the flying ships areing from and begin an assault against Gallia from there.


    It seems like they''re finally prepared to go through with the process.


    That''s not all, as I gave orders to both Ddraig and Tiamat as well.


    They''re to head to the south of Tristain and fly over theke over to Gallia and weaken the defenses of any towns theye across.


    As such, Siesta, Saturnus, and Krul are the only ones left with me.


    Meanwhile, Aurora is sleeping in the Familiar Space and doesn''t seem like she will wake up anytime soon.


    "You two," I say, "Prepare yourselves. We''re going tounch the next assault tomorrow at noon."


    Siesta and Saturnus both nod their heads as confirmation.


    ---


    "Krul?!" I voice, a little startled, "Why are you here?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Krul approaches me before saying,


    "I had another dream."


    Dream? Is she referring to the visions that we Codes seem to have? Even so, Siesta is yet to have one, so I can''t be so sure of that just yet.


    "What was it about?" I ask her.


    Krul climbs the bed and presses her back against the wall before saying,


    "You."


    "Me?!" I exim, further startled.


    "That''s right," she casually responds.


    "What did you see?" I curiously inquire.


    "A massacre."


    Huh? Isn''t this somewhat simr to the vision I saw not so long ago?


    "What was it like? Can you describe it to me?"


    "Sure," she responds before beginning to describe everything that transpired in her dream.


    Based on her description, the ''vision'' was different from the one I had.


    First, the setting of the events that transpired was Halkeginia.


    The dream showed me killing dozens of people that were quite obviously innocent citizens.


    In the dream, my actions irked the popce, leading to a war between me and three different kingdoms.


    The only allies I had in the dream were the girls that I have close rtionships with right now, while the rest were all enemies, including Albion.


    "This sure is troublesome," I say.


    "I''ve been in a simr situation before," Krul says, "You''re right about it being troublesome. However, for someone of your caliber, I expect everything to be settled within a few days."


    Hearing this, I beam her a smile and teasingly say,


    "I''m honored to have the former Queen of Japan acknowledge me in such a manner."


    Right after the words escape from my lips, I sense a swift punching my way.


    So, I use cancel all the vectors of Krul''s punch before grabbing her arm and pulling her toward myself.


    "Hey," she says while attempting to get away, "Let me go."


    "Not happening," I respond before embracing her soft body.


    Being this close to me, Krul can punch me without me realizing before it''s toote, which she does.


    As I feel mild pain in my guts, I say,


    "Come on, now. Don''t be so violent."


    "me yourself for trying to take advantage of me," she responds with a scoff.


    "Is that so?" I say before abruptly pushing her down on the bed.


    Any attempts she makes to escape are futile, as the moment she moves, I cancel all of her vectors.


    "So," I say while looking into her blood-red eyes, "What should I do with you."


    "You''re almost as annoying as Ferid," she says in an irritated tone.


    "Ferid? Oh, that white-haired guy with the ssy looks and manners."


    I take a moment to deliberate on something before shifting my sight to Krul''s lips.


    She seems to what I''m looking at, as she res at me and proims,


    "If you dare kiss me, I will bite your tongue off."


    Intrigued by her im, I lower my head and give her a light peck on her cheek.


    Krul is stunned for a few seconds before she turns her head to look away.


    "Say, are you perhaps mad at me?"


    "No," she directly replies.


    Sensing that her responsecks integrity I lower my body so that I''m lying right beside her before pulling her close to myself and saying,


    "If you don''t tell me what''s wrong, I won''t be able to do anything about it."


    Krul doesn''t say anything for a few minutes before asking,


    "What do you think of me?"


    Eh?


    "What do you mean?"


    "What else other than what the question suggests?! What am I to you?"


    "A closepanion," I directly reply.


    "That''s all?" she asks me as her body stiffens a little.


    "But, that''s the truth, isn''t it?" I say, "We have yet to do anything that would depict our rtionship as anything more than that."


    Seemingly realizing what I''m implying, Krul hums lightly before asking me,


    "Do you believe me to be useful to you?"


    "Where is thising from? It''s not like I keep you around just because you''re useful. How did you evene to that conclusion?"


    "Then why else?" she asks, clearly not taking my words to heart.


    "Because I find you attractive and fun to be around," I reply.


    "Huh? What''s with that?"


    "I''m being honest here," I respond, "Ever since I saw you, I felt an indescribable attraction toward you."


    "After we had the first duel and the events that transpired after that, I felt like I shouldn''t ever let you leave my side."


    "How cheesy," she remarks before starting tough.


    Seeing that her attitude has changed so abruptly, I dubiously ask,


    "Were you messing with me just now?"


    Krul turns around to face me directly, showing me a yful smile as she says,


    "I forgot to tell you about something that urred in the dream."


    "What, we were acting as lovers or something?"


    "Wrong. It was just you that was doing so. Some guy confident in his strength appeared and said something demeaning to me, which you didn''t take well, so you practically gave him an experience worse than hell."


    Oh? That does sound like something that I would do. Only I have the right to say anything to the girls.


    Nevertheless, I wonder what he had said for me to react in such a manner. Also, I wonder what exactly did I do to him for Krul to describe it like that.


    "Krul," I say, "I can confirm that this is precisely what would happen in such a scenario."


    As a response to my statement, Krul issues a light chuckle before saying,


    "Save your breath for tomorrow. You have a kingdom to burn down."


    Amused, I use my left hand to gently stroke her soft cheeks as a smile appears on my lips.


    Krul ces her hand on top of mine as she looks into my eyes.


    I subconsciously move my head closer to hers, and once I''m close enough, Krul closes her eyes.


    Taking this chance, I kiss her small and soft lips while embracing her petite body.


    All of a sudden, Krul moves away before swiftly pushing me so that I''m on my back. Then, she climbs onto my stomach and looks into my eyes as she slowly begins to undress as a predatory glint appears in her eyes.

 Chapter 169: Crown Prince vs Former Queen (*NSFW*) ; Forward

    Chapter 169: Crown Prince vs Former Queen (*NSFW*) ; Forward


    ---(NSFW START)---


    "Looks like someone is enthusiastic," I remark while staring at Krul''s wless body.


    "What, are you saying that you weren''t looking forward to something like this?" Krul asks as she lowers her head and presses the tip of her nose against mine.


    "Of course, I was looking forward to this," I casually respond, "It''s for my vampire queen after all."


    Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Krul kisses my lips before starting to undress me.


    After a short while, the two of us are bothpletely naked.


    While I''m examining Krul''s body from head to toe, she focuses on a certain part of me as an odd expression appears on her face.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask her out of curiosity.


    "Nothing," she replies, "It''s just that I never thought that I would have to do this."


    "What?" I voice, bewildered, "You haven''t done it before? Even though you''re so old-"


    Krul ces her hand against my mouth to prevent me from saying any further as she exins,


    "Vampires do not need to reproduce the way humans do. We can just sire vampires from humans to increase our numbers."


    I ce my hand on top of hers and move it away from my mouth before saying,


    "In that case, I''m d to be your first."


    "Yeah, you should consider yourself lucky. Do you know how many have coveted me?"


    "I''m sure there were many," I respond as I press my palm against her smooth privates.


    Having never experienced anything remotely simr to this in the past, Krul''s body stiffens for a few seconds before she falls onto my chest.


    I pull out my hand from underneath her and begin to squeeze her small and soft butt while running my other hand through her hair.


    All of a sudden, Krul looks up into my eyes and says while frowning a little,


    "I believe that reproduction with this body is going to be unsatisfactory for you."


    Hearing this, I immediately say,


    "Not at all! You''re adorable the way you are. Besides, I''m sure that it would be a pleasurable experience."


    At least, for me. Hopefully, she won''t feel ufortable.


    Krul beams me a small smile as she says,


    "I was wondering what made so many girls fall for your whims, apart from your looks, that is.


    "Now, I know. It''s most likely that glib tongue of yours."


    Adopting a surprised look, I say,


    "What do you mean by glib tongue? I just state the truth and the truth only."


    Krul issues a light chuckle before saying in a teasing manner,


    "Are we going to do it or not?"


    Seeing that she has gotten a little impatient, I swiftly change our positions so that she''s lying on her back while I am on top of her small body.


    Then, I lower my head and kiss the right nipple on her seemingly non-existent breast.


    Nevertheless, the feeling of her tiny nipple in my mouth is nice as I continue to y with it using the tip of my tongue.


    Krul enjoys my actions as she uses her right arm to push my head further against her chest.


    Sensing her body getting a little hotter, I use my left hand to gently rub her lower mouth.


    After a few seconds, I stop what I''m doing and look at Krul''s face, only to find her having a slightly euphoric look on her face.


    I issue a light chuckle before moving closer and kissing her delicate lips a little passionately.


    In a matter of seconds, I slide my tongue into her small mouth and begin to y around with her little tongue.


    Soon, I notice something intriguing. Whenever my tongue brushes against her fangs, Krul''s body abruptly jolts a little.


    Is this pleasurable for her, or is it something else?


    Either way, I enjoy this reaction of hers, so I might as well tease her a little further.


    With my thoughts set on what to do, I begin to focus on her fangs and use my tongue to y around with them.


    After a series of small jolts, Krul''s body stops reacting the way it did before as she begins to run her hand through my hair.


    I stop kissing her and lift myself a little to examine her face.


    What I find is Krul''s absurdly beautiful face covered in a red hue as she looks into my eyes with her blood-red eyes.


    "How captivating," I subconsciously mutter before giving her onest peck on the lips and moving on to her lower body.


    I examine her pink slit for a few seconds and notice that there is a small stream leaking out of it.


    Perhaps, more forey is necessary


    Thus, I begin to slowly and gently insert my finger inside her.


    As expected, this earns me a small yelp from Krul, which is contrasting to her normal behavior, making it all the more adorable.


    I then begin to y around with her insides, while making sure that I don''t harm her in any way.


    Krul''s insides are sure tight. I''m starting to wonder if my rod will fit inside her.


    A few minutester, Krul''s body stiffens up as she bites her lip, most likely to hold back from moaning.


    This results in her lower lip to be injured, but the next moment, it has already healed.


    "It''s bad to hold back, you know," I teasingly say as I insert another finger inside her.


    "Wait-" Krul wants to say something, but it gets interrupted by a small moan.


    Krul''s face immediately flushes in red all the way to her ears as she covers her face using her hands in an attempt to hide it.


    This goes on for a short while before I decide that she''s ready.


    "Rx," I say in a soothing tone as I position the tip of my rod against her slit.


    For some reason, Krul has a resolute expression on her face as she clenches the bedsheets.


    While making sure to not hurt her, I slowly insert the tip inside her, which already earns me a light groan from Krul.


    Havinge this far, I''m not willing to back off at thest moment, so I continue to push my rod inside, albeit much gentler than I usually would.


    Half a minuteter, my rod is halfway inside her tight vagina as two small streams of blood flow out from the entrance.


    I stop pushing for now and shift my focus to Krul''s face.


    Then, I slowly lower my head and kiss her lips once more.


    This time, Krul is the one that seems to be seeking a passionate kiss as she immediately intertwines her tongue with mine while pulling me closer to herself.


    With her attention being on the kiss, I decide to continue to push inside her.


    This works out well, as we continue to passionately kiss one another while I reach deeper inside her.


    Soon, I notice that the tip of my penis hase into contact with her cervix.


    With only three-fourths of my penis inside her, I stop kissing her and move my head back a little before chuckling and saying,


    "Your body is amazing."


    For some reason, Krul is slightly offended as she asks,


    "Are you mocking me?"


    I shake my head and reply,


    "I am dead serious. This is an incredible experience for me."


    "Hmph. I would''ve punched you if you had not said that," she scoffs.


    "Go easy on me," I respond with a wry smile on my lips.


    Soon, I begin moving inside her, however, much like my prior actions, I do it gently.


    Krul seems to realize my actions are a little unnatural as she says while panting a little,


    "Are you holding back?"


    "You could say that," I decide to reply honestly.


    "Why?" she asks with a confused expression.


    "Why else? It''s so that I don''t hurt you," I nonchntly reply.


    Hearing this, a wide smile spreads across Krul''s face as she says,


    "For the past centuries, there hasn''t been anything as memorable as today."


    "I''m both honored and grateful about that, Krul," I say as a response to her sweet words.


    A few secondster, I begin to gradually increase the speed of my thrusts, earning me a louder and more sensual moan each time.


    The previously silent room gets overwhelmed with the sounds issued from our lovemaking.


    "Harder!" Krul abruptly yells after a while, greatly startling me.


    She''s enjoying this way more than I expected


    As per her request, I hold her legs and lift them before beginning to thrust harder inside her, while making sure to not identally hurt her.


    Krul''s moans begin to get even louder to the point of me having to erect an anti-sound barrier around us using Vector Maniption, to prevent others from hearing her.


    Unfortunately, the barrier doesn''tst long as Krul easily distracts me, so I resort to another method of preventing her voice from escaping - kissing her.


    As I lock lips with her, I continue to thrust in and out of her.


    A whileter, I feel my body reach its limit, so I begin to increase the pace of my thrusts.


    In the end, I thrust inside her onest time before releasing my baby batter into her womb.


    Satisfied, I lie down right beside Krul and begin to stroke her hair while she just enjoys my actions with closed eyes and a smile on her lips.


    ---(NSFW END)---


    Krul and I both leave my room together early in the morning after having taken a bath in the Arena and changed into new clothes that I created.


    Using my senses, I notice that only a handful of soldiers is awake, along with Yvonne and Godeffroy.


    And so, Krul and I make our way over to where the two generals are, which is one of the two dining rooms in the fort.


    Upon seeing me enter the room, the two generals are both about to get up and salute me, but before they can do that, I gesture to them to sit and continue eating their breakfast.


    I then proceed to take a seat at the table they''re sitting at, while Krul takes a seat right beside me.


    "Good morning, Godeffroy, Yvonne."


    "Good morning, Your Highness," the two of them collectively respond.


    "You''re up quite early," I remark.


    "I believed that Your Highness would want tounch an early assault," Godeffroy exins, while Yvonne nods.


    "I see," I respond, "You''re right about that. We''re going tounch the assault as soon as we can.


    "There are going to be two more locations that our side will initiate an attack from. Which is the south-west and across theke."


    Hearing this, Godeffroy asks,


    "Is Your Highness perchance speaking of the blue dragon and the concubines?"


    "What''s with the concubines," I subconsciously mutter before saying, "That''s right. In this way, the Kingdom of Gallia will be facing attacks from three different locations, which would greatly decrease their morale."


    "As expected of Your Highness," Yvonne says with a wide small on her lips.


    "It''s nothing, really," I say.


    In a way, this tactic is more dependent on the fighting prowess of each individual.


    I am sure that our enemies won''t stand much chance against us, with the only troublesome one being Morpheus''s brother, Joseph de Gallia.


    No one other than myself should fight against him, as we''re not sure of what he is and his capabilities.


    Nevertheless, if I am to consider Morpheus''s words, I have to be serious when dealing with Joseph, lest something regretful urs.

 Chapter 170: Crossing Borders ; Underhanded Methods ; Arrival

    Chapter 170: Crossing Borders ; Underhanded Methods ; Arrival


    "Godeffroy, go wake the soldiers up. We''re going tounch the attack now."


    "Understood," the robust general responds before leaving the room to carry out my orders.


    "Your Highness," Yvonne voices, "Do you have any orders for me?"


    I turn my head to face her before nodding my head and saying,


    "You have an important task to undertake. I need you to go and form a small toon consisting of the most loyal soldiers."


    "As you wish, Your Highness," she says before leaving the room as well.


    "What are you nning?" Krul inquires.


    "First, it''s never good to give your enemies the time to prepare for an assault. Essentially, the earlier you attack, the better are your chances of sess.


    "Unless it''s a siege, then attacking as soon as possible is much better than otherwise. Naturally, you must have enough information about the enemy to know what you''re going to be risking by doing so."


    "That''s a nice outlook," Krul remarks.


    I shrug my shoulders before saying in a casual tone,


    "It''s just a simple method to increase the odds of winning."


    ---


    "Yvonne," I say, "How has Ludovic been doing recently?"


    "Much better than before," she replies, "It seems like what happened back in the council room still haunts him."


    Well, that''s understandable. I believe that not many would enjoy the feeling of having their necks snapped and not dying from it due to immortality.


    "That''s good," I simply state before shifting my focus back to the few thousand soldiers who are marching toward our next destination.


    "Your Highness," Yvonne says, "Wouldn''t it be better if I was marching with the soldiers as well?"


    "No," I simply reply.


    Hearing this, Yvonne doesn''t say anything else and just looks ahead.


    Currently, Yvonne, Krul, Saturnus, and Siesta are sitting in an open-top carriage along with me.


    Outside the carriage, the soldiers are marching forward with Godeffroy leading them on horseback.


    "How far is the closest town?" I ask Yvonne.


    "It shouldn''t be that far ahead," she responds, "Its name is Granada, and has a base poption of eight hundred townspeople."


    "Do you believe that Gallia''s army would intercept us before we reach the town?"


    Hearing my question, Yvonne begins to deliberate on the answer.


    "That''s unlikely," Saturnus says, "It would be disadvantageous for them to do so."


    "Why?" I ask, curious about her reasoning.


    "It''s simple," she replies, "Their fort was easily taken over, so it would be better for them to increase their defenses on the more important parts of the kingdom."


    She does have a point.


    When facing an enemy that outnumbers you and has greater overall strength, it''s better to work on your defense and make use of underhanded means.


    Based on what I''ve seen so far, Joseph de Gallia won''t shy away from doing thetter of the two, as what happened in the fort is definitely not something normal.


    ---


    [Father, we''ve run into three flying ships.]


    "Take them down," I reply to Gabriel''s report.


    [Understood.]


    "Yvonne, are the men prepared?" I ask while examining the hundreds of enemy soldiers stationed outside the town.


    "Yes," she replies, "Everything is set. All that''s left is for Your Highness to give out the order to attack."


    "I seem," I reply before turning around to look at Saturnus and Krul.


    "Let''s do this," I say.


    I then proceed to nce at Siesta for a split-second before turning around and pulling Excalibur out of the storage ring.


    Raising my right arm, I point Excalibur at where our enemies are before bellowing,


    "Onwards!"


    Hearing me, the soldiers begin to let out a collective battle-cry before marching forward while keeping formation.


    Seeing them move forward, I use Gift to grant those within my range Immortality before turning around to face Krul and Saturnus once again.


    Having discussed this prior to arriving here, Krul and Saturnus both approach me until they''re both beside me.


    Then, without wasting any more time, I telekically lift them both while using Flight to gradually float into the air.


    Once we''re high enough in the sky, I observe the state of the enemy soldiers.


    Surprisingly, despite our attack being easily noticeable right now, they''re not reacting in any way.


    Don''t tell me, they''re already under the effect of whatever it was that converted the soldiers into monstrosities back at the fort.


    To check the validity of this possibility, I use irvoyance to examine the eyes of the enemy, and as I suspected, they''re no longer ''alive''.


    Based on how their parameters are increased, our side''s chance of winning has decreased.


    Nevertheless, as long as this is done properly, winning shouldn''t be that hard.


    "Brace for impact," I say before dashing toward the enemy as fast as I can while telekically pulling the girls along.


    As soon as we''re a hundred or so meters away, I hurl the two of them toward the enemy.


    Saturnus makes use of her device to kill a multitude of men by mming it into the ground and sending energy out.


    As for Krul, she simply crashed into the ground with enough force to throw the surrounding men off before proceeding to kill anyone around her using her overwhelming strength.


    Now then, it''s about time that I did my part.


    Taking in a deep breath, I throw Excalibur upward before using telekineses to hurl it at the men on the ground while multiplying its vectors by Vector Maniption.


    Then, I utilize Godspeed to catch up with it and channeling Destruction into it while ''riding'' it until it ms into the ground.


    The next thing I know, a great wave of destructive energy gets released and kills a few dozen men in the most gruesome of ways.


    I pull Excalibur out of the ground and examine the deceased soldiers around me who have lost different parts of their bodies.


    "Glory to Albion!" I hear Godeffroy as the soldiers finally arrive.


    Having already done my part, I proceed to act as a support by gifting the soldiers immortality and asionally make use of Holy sh whenever an opportunity is present.


    Seeing the enemies getting overwhelmed in such a fashion, it''s only a matter of time before they''re finished.


    "Stop!" All of a sudden, a man''s voice reaches my ears.


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find a soldier belonging to our kingdom preventing another from killing an enemy soldier by parrying his sword.


    What is this now? Don''t tell me that they''re starting to feel sentimental or something.


    I go over there and hold both soldiers down by Vector Maniption before asking the one who was defending the enemy,


    "What are you doing?"


    "Your Highness," the soldier anxiously voices, "That man is my father!"


    "Huh?"


    What the heck? What does- Hold on


    "Where was your father living before?"


    "He lived in a small town in Westwood."


    Fuck. As I expected, Joseph did resort to underhanded means.


    Without wasting any time, I plunge Excalibur into the ground before shouting,


    "Halt! Stop attacking and retreat."


    The soldiers are confused about the order and don''t react for a few seconds before ultimately beginning to back away.


    I prevent what''s left of the ''enemy'' from chasing after them by making use of telekinesis and Vector Maniption.


    Meanwhile, Godeffroy and Yvonne both make their way over to me along with the girls.


    "Your Highness?" Godeffroy voices once he''s gotten close enough.


    "These guys aren''t soldiers," I exin, "Their townspeople from Tristain who have been tampered with by the enemy."


    Both Yvonne and Godeffroy have a strong reaction to my words as both of them have an expression of both disgust and horror.


    "Are you sure about that?" Krul asks.


    "Yes," I say before recounting what happened two minutes ago.


    "The townspeople from Tristain shouldn''t be too much," Yvonne says after deliberating on what I said, "So, they must''ve included townspeople from their kingdom as well."


    As my focus was interrupted, they manage to break free from my control and directly attack us.


    Just as I''m about to respond to their attack, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {WARNING: Code detected.}


    The next moment, several vines protrude from the ground and coil around the bodies of the brainwashed townspeople before pulling them close to the ground.


    Irene, are you still not able to detect what Code is this?


    {Negative. The Code is most likely too far away.}


    How perplexing.


    At least, I can be sure that it is on my side from the way it has been acting up until now.


    All of a sudden, two deep roars resound around us as the retreated soldiers begin to panic while pointing at the sky.


    Looking up, I find two green dragons diving toward us at an incredible speed.

 Chapter 171: Dragon-Rider ; Second Calling ; Siesta

    Chapter 171: Dragon-Rider ; Second Calling ; Siesta


    As the two dragons draw near, I notice two humans on the back of each one. Both humans have a wand in hand and are pointing at me while seemingly chanting a spell.


    I take in a deep breath before leaping into the sky and swinging Excalibur with all I''ve got.


    This, in turn, results in a shock-wave to be released in the direction of one of the dragons, directly splitting it in half along with the human that was riding it.


    Seeing this, the other dragon-rider panics as he jumps off his dragon and skydives toward me.


    How stupid. Attempting to fight against someone who can fly while skydiving.


    Whatever, he''s dead meat anyway.


    I use Excalibur''s morphing ability to change its form to that of a scythe. Then, before the dragon-rider can cast any spells, I utilize Blink to appear right behind him and immediately swing the scythe at his legs.


    Despite how painful it is to have one''s legs cut off, the dragon-rider doesn''t show it on his face as he continues to fall.


    Just when it seems like he will m into the ground and die a miserable death, he waves his hand which causes the air currents around him to ''catch'' his body.


    I stay in the air and gaze down at the dragon-rider as he gets surrounded by soldiers.


    The man doesn''t resist any further and just throws his wand away, indicating that he has surrendered - or, so I thought.


    The dragon-rider casually punches the ground before chanting a spell which causes earth pirs to appear right below the soldiers and knock them into the air.


    Then, the dragon-rider inserts to fingers into his mouth before whistling as hard as he can.


    Knowing that he''s most likely calling for the dragon, I look over at where it is, only to find it sucking in air at an incredible rate before diving toward the ground.


    "No, you don''t," I subconsciously mutter before morphing Excalibur into a spear and hurling it right at the dragon.


    My parametersbined with the absurdity of Excalibur is nothing to scoff at, as it easily prates the dragon which results in the dragon to explode into bits of meat.


    Seeing his precious dragon getting obliterated in such a manner, the dragon-rider res at me as he points his finger at me before beginning to chant once again.


    Unfortunately for him, Krul nonchntly walks toward him from behind and swiftly knocks him out by casually swinging her hand.


    I slowly float down andnd right beside the unconscious body of the dragon-rider.


    "That was interesting," Krul remarks.


    "You''re right about," I respond before gifting the dragon-rider immortality for his legs to heal.


    Krul has an intrigued look on her face as she observes the mes cover the legs of the dragon-rider before his legs ''regrow''.


    "You know," Krul says while looking me in the eyes, "You''re beginning to turn into some kind of untouchable monster."


    I chuckle at the way she phrased it before saying,


    "What''s with that?"


    "Don''t y dumb," she says with a grin on her lips.


    Before I can respond to her, the dragon-rider groans a little before gradually opening his eyes.


    The next thing I know, the man is back on his feet and is running as if his life depends on it while casting a spell to increase his speed.


    I don''t get the chance to stop him, as a certain ck armament seems to appear out of nowhere and puncture the dragon-rider''s thigh, resulting in him falling face-first into the ground.


    Letting out a small sigh, I look over at Saturnus who''s also looking back at me before beaming a smile.


    Most likely understanding that I''m praising her actions, Saturnus also beams a smile as she interlocks her fingers.


    ---


    "Finish him," I say to Saturnus who has been patiently standing by my side while I was diving into the dragon-rider''s mind in search of information.


    This time, I managed to get my hands on some interesting information.


    In particr, about the castle that Joseph de Gallia is staying in.


    From the looks of it, there are more of these dragon-riders as well some other annoying pests to deal with.


    Well, it is what it is. I better make sure that the enemy can''t decrease the morals of my soldiers any further.


    Perhaps, I should make Joseph suffer a little before his inevitable death


    {Criteria for the second calling met.}


    Huh?


    {Terminate de Gallia.


    Time-limit: 5d:23h:59min:59s


    Upon failure: All parameters are halved.


    tform bound: Yes.


    Optional Objectives: Inseminate Isabe de Gallia (0/1) | Inseminate Catherine de Gellia (0/1)


    Completion reward: Alchemy


    Fullpletion reward: +5 in all parameters.}


    Are you fucking kidding me?! What the hell is up with this calling?! Leaving the first part aside, I''m going to be rewarded for having sex with the family of the man whom I just marked as a walking corpse?!


    The only good thing about this is that I have six days to get it done, which should be more than enough time to take a kingdom down.


    Speaking of which, what exactly is the calling asking of me to do? Am I supposed to end the kingdom itself or just get rid of the royal family?


    {It''s thetter of the two.}


    Eh? Really? Then, this is going to be even easier.


    Nevertheless, alchemy, huh? Is it going to let me manipte matter in some way or something?


    {Affirmative. Father would gain the ability to reform all matter.}


    Yeah, that sounds way too powerful of an ability. There must be some limitations to it, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    I thought so. There is no way that there isn''t going to be limitations for such an ability.


    Anyway, I''m sure that this ability could be really useful if used properly.


    Instead of using my energy on creating certain things, it could be done through the usage of alchemy instead.


    "Creator?" Saturnus''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    I look over at her, only to find her holding the head of the dragon-rider in her hand by the hair.


    "Let''s go meet up with the others," I state before walking toward the door.


    Saturnus throws the detached head on the ground before following me as I leave the small house that I borrowed for this asion.


    The moment I''m outside, I am met with the site of numerous ''dead'' humans being held down by vines and other nts.


    What''s interesting is that I find Siesta standing right beside one of them with a serious look on her face.


    Just as I am about to call out to her, Siesta raises her right arm and mutters,


    "Cleanse."


    The next thing I know, a great wave of energy escapes from her palm, sending a chill down my spine as the human in front of her gets covered in a golden light.


    After a few seconds, a pir of light extends into the sky. This pir of light turns into the center of a golden circlerge enough to cover the whole town forms.


    Then, the golden circle begins to slowly turn as certain parts of it begin to glow before more pirs of light begin appearing wherever a ''dead'' human is.


    Suddenly, all the light pirs ''explode'' into motes of light that slowly fall like the petals of a flower.


    One of themnded on my shoulder, bringing with it an extreme amount offort.


    However, that''s not important, as the sight before me is much more noteworthypared to that.


    Every single one of the ''dead'' humans seems to being back to life as the surrounding vines begin to loosen and let go of their bodies.


    Due to the nature of the vines, their bodies have been injured, so I ignore everything else and begin to cast immortality on those within my range while approaching those who aren''t.


    A few minutester, everything seems to return to normal, as the motes of light all disappear and the humans all get back on their feet with a grateful look on their faces.


    As for the one who caused all this, Siesta, she''s just standing where she is, gazing at the ground.


    Knowing that something is wrong, I quickly make my way over to her side and say,


    "Are you okay, Siesta?"


    She slowly raises her head and looks me in the eyes before her body limply falls forward.


    My body instinctively moves forward and catches her, however, I seem to have ced my hand on dangerous territory.


    Fortunately, Siesta seems to be unaware of what''s going on as she doesn''t react, so I lift her from the ground and begin walking toward an empty house.


    Saturnus seems like she wants to follow me, but I gesture to her to stay and take care of the aftermath, which she affirms by nodding.

 Chapter 172: Premonition ; Goddess

    Chapter 172: Premonition ; Goddess


    "Master!" Siesta screams as her body abruptly jolts up from the bed at an incredible speed.


    Cold sweat rolls down on her face as she anxiously looks around before setting her sight on me.


    Visible relief appears on her face as her body falls back on the bed.


    Well, that was interesting. Did she see a nightmare about me or something? From the looks of it, that should be the case.


    However, it''s slightly worrying. If this dream of hers turned out to be a ''vision'', then great trouble ising my way.


    "Siesta," I say while examining her body for any issues, "What just happened?"


    She takes a few moments to recollect herself before saying,


    "I just saw a bad dream."


    I shake my head and say in a calm tone,


    "Siesta, you should be aware that you''re not just an ordinary maid to me."


    Taking this opportunity, I ce my hand on her cheek and say in a soothing tone,


    "If you are ever troubled by anything, refer to me straight away, okay?"


    Seemingly enjoying my actions, Siesta closes her eyes and listens to my words before responding by an affirmative hum.


    "Good," I say, "Now, tell me what that dream of yours was."


    Siesta then begins to tell me of her dream which mainly consisted of her herself and me being in somewhere dark and empty.


    In that ce, all kinds of horrendous monsters would attack us at random intervals.


    Each time a horde approached us, Siesta and I would deal with them using various means, most of which I don''t know of at the moment.


    As the dream went on, the monsters increased both in number and strength, to the point that I had to resort to dealing with them using my Code.


    In the end, I had Siesta go on while I handled a ridiculous all by myself. Thest thing Siesta saw was me getting surrounded.


    "Don''t worry," I say to Siesta, "This dream is most likely not something that we should be worried about."


    Who am I kidding? I''m wholly sure that this is a ''vision''.


    "You know this makes me a little happy," I say, "You wouldn''t have had this dream if you weren''t worried about me."


    My words seem to shift Siesta''s attention to the sweeter aspect of the situation which results in a red flush to cover her face as she looks away.


    I lean closer to her face and give her a gentle kiss on the cheek before saying,


    "Let''s go outside and see what''s going on."


    Hearing my words, Siesta''s expression turns a little strange as she begins to deliberate on something.


    "Now that I think about it," I state, "What did you do to the townspeople for them to regain their conscience?"


    "I don''t know," she responds, a little confused.


    "What do you mean?" I inquire.


    "I just did what I thought would help them," she replies.


    From the sound of it, she just followed her guts feeling.


    "You did good," I say while patting her head, "I''m sure that the townspeople will be thrilled to see their savior."


    Actually, I had been keeping an eye on what has been going on outside the house, so I know that they are more than thrilled to see her.


    However, I will let her find that out for herself.


    "Shall we get going then?" I suggest.


    "Yes, Master," she responds before getting up from the bed and following me closely as I slowly walk to the door.


    But, upon reaching the door, I stop walking and turn around.


    Siesta also steps and looks at me, most likely expecting me to give her an order.


    "Say, how about you walk out ahead of me?" I suggest.


    Siesta is both startled and confused by the suggestion but agrees to it anyway.


    And so, the beautiful maid passes by my side and opens the door, only to be met with the sight of several dozen townspeople standing right outside the house.


    Before Siesta can react, a middle-aged woman points at her and exims,


    "It''s the Goddess, Sera!"


    Hearing this, even I am a little startled, as for the person in question, she is stunned speechless.


    The other townspeople all begin to cheer while calling out numerous praises toward ''Sera''.


    Hold on could ''Sera'' be rted to ''Seraphiel'', or is it just a coincidence?


    Either way, it sure is fun to watch my lovely maid being worshiped as a goddess.


    However, Siesta doesn''t seem to be sharing the sentiment, as she is more confused than anything else.


    You know what, I suddenly feel like teasing her a little.


    I move closer to Siesta and say in a voice that only she can hear,


    "Whatever I do, don''t panic."


    Before she can respond to my words, I telekically lift her from the ground and utilize Illusion to make wings of light burst out from her back and her attire to change into a glowing white dress.


    In response to this, the townspeople practically have stars in their eyes as they observe her float into the sky in such a fashion.


    Soon, some of them begin to get on their knees and hold their hands together while muttering various praises to the ''goddess''.


    In less than ten seconds, all the townspeople are on their knees with a collective belief on Siesta being the Goddess, Sera.


    What''s funny is that the soldiers in the distance seem like they''re about to get on their knees as well.


    As for Krul and Saturnus, they both have amused expressions on their face while watching all of this unfold.


    I wonder if I can take this a step further.


    Deciding that it''s worth trying out, I utilize Pdin''s Aura and focus it on the townspeople.


    Unexpectedly, they react to it quite positively as some of them even begin to tear up while others begin to praise even harder.


    Meanwhile, Siesta is floating above the area with an expression of pure confusion on her face.


    Good, everything is going exactly the way I wanted it to.


    I proceed to change the Illusion I had cast on Siesta to one that makes herpletely invisible, which surprises the townspeople quite a bit.


    Then, I pull Siesta toward myself and ce her right behind me before dispelling the Illusion.


    Seeing Siesta reappear right behind me, the townspeople are slightly startled before they all focus their sight on me.


    I take in a deep breath before walking forward and shouting,


    "Dear humans. I am one of the few apostles that Her Holiness has assigned to deal with the evil that is present within this kingdom."


    My words pique the attention of many, including the soldiers and the girls.


    I''m sure that they''re all wondering what I''m up to.


    Well, it''s rather simple. I''m going to be making use of such an opportunity to justify any actions that I will be taking against this kingdom.


    Simply put, the townspeople here will be spreading the word of apostles clearing the evil, which is the kingdom''s royal family.


    Not only would this make the people follow my lead once this is over, but it would also raise Albion''s reputation.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I continue with my ''speech'',


    "There have been numerous records of evil here, one of which you yourselves had fallen victim to.


    "Do not be afraid, as we will make sure that evil meets its end once and for all. I, as the second apostle, give you my word."


    The people seem to be satisfied with my words and beliefs as they begin to shout out praises to Sera and her apostles.


    Regarding the number I had assigned to myself, it''s nothing of importance, or, so I would like to think, but the people are beginning to discuss who could be the ''first''.


    They''re beginning to mix some of their beliefs into this matter already, making it seem all the more usible to everyone.


    I subconsciously let out a small sigh of relief, as it''s refreshing to see all things go ording to n, especially if it''s one that would affect a whole kingdom.


    Having done what I''ve been nning to do, I gesture to Krul and Saturnus toe over.


    I''ve already told Yvonne and Godeffroy what steps to take from here, with the only unexpected variable being Siesta''s recognition as a goddess.


    So, I don''t waste any more time, by teleporting us back to the castle in Albion as soon as Krul and Saturnus are within my range.


    As if she had foreseen my arrival, Irene who has been in the room that I set the teleportation to directly runs over into my embrace with a joyful look on her face.


    She really is much more expressive when she has a physical body. It''s almost beginning to feel like I''m genuinely raising a child.


    "Father," she says while hugging me, "I missed you so much."


    "But, it''s only been a few days," I respond.


    "That''s long enough!" she groans before snuggling her head against my chest.


    "Alright, alright," I say while patting her head, "How have things been here?"


    Irene gets off me and says earnestly,


    "Good. But, the prisoners are starting to get unruly. I punished one of them a little to set an example for the others.


    "That worked from some time, but-"


    Not letting her finish, I say,


    "You set an example? Who did you use to do that and how did you do it?"


    "It was one of the men that came to save the other prisoners," she responds, "Would Father like to see?"


    I take this chance to look at the three girls behind me who also seem to be interested in the subject before looking back at Irene and saying,


    "Sure. Guide all of us there, will you?"


    "Of course!" she cheerfully responds.

 Chapter 173: Tortured Man ; Good Prisoners

    Chapter 173: Tortured Man ; Good Prisoners


    "What is that?" Krul mutters while staring at the abomination that''s in front of us.


    "It seems to be a human corpse," Saturnus says.


    "Irene?" I ask while turning my head to look at the taciturn girl.


    "I thought Father liked this?" she says in a pained tone.


    Seeing her like this, I let out a sigh before patting her head and inquiring,


    "What exactly made you believe that to be the case?"


    "An entity simr to me did it and always got praised" she murmurs.


    Eh? Oh she''s referring to Aruru.


    "Well," I say, "It''s not like I''m mad at you. In fact, I find this ''work of art'' truly amazing."


    "Really?!" excitement covers her face as she looks up at me with sparkling eyes.


    "Of course," I simply reply.


    "I can''t me you for calling it a work of art," Krul remarks, "This truly is something that can''t be replicated that easily."


    Agreeing with her, I nod my head as I observe the mutted body of a muscr man.


    This room that we''re in is right beside where the jail is, with the staircase leading to it being different from the one that leads to the jail. Based on the way the room is designed and the things present in it, it''s obviously a torture room.


    Even so, the man that has been tortured is in a state indicating that the torture methods used are far beyond what''s normally done.


    His eyes have been gouged out and his nose has been ripped off.


    Streams of blood are flowing out of where his ears used to be while the two detached organs are in the corpse''s open mouth, while broken bits of what seems to be his teeth and bones are hanging out of his flesh.


    His jawbone ispletely broken, while his cheekbones have been crushed.


    Leaving his head aside, his body isn''t in a much better condition.


    First, his arms are twisted beyond repair in a way that shouldn''t be possible unless extreme force is used. The fact that Irene ims to be able to fight against Binary Factors shows that her strength is more than enough to do this.


    Second, there is the fact that his torso is riddled with holes, forming a giant symbol that''s simr to the one I have under my right eye.


    Finally, his legs have been twisted together in a gruesome manner that seems to have shattered every bone near the man''s knees.


    Thankfully, I had sent Siesta away earlier to take care of the castle, so she doesn''t get to witness this.


    Taking onest look at the corpse, I turn my head to face Irene and ask,


    "You did all of this on your own?"


    "Yes!" she replies without any hesitation.


    I take a moment to process the thought of Irene being somewhere near Aruru''s level in both cuteness and lethality.


    Speaking of small and blonde-haired, I sincerely hope that G doesn''t turn out simr to these two...


    "So, Creator likes this now, huh?" Saturnus mutters with a thoughtful look on her face.


    Forget it. It''s not like this will be detrimental to me in the future anyway.


    These girls are my trustedpanions, after all.


    "Victor," Krul calls out to me, "I think you should check on the state of the other prisoners."


    "That''s right," Saturnus adds, "There might be more of them that require punishment!"


    Seeing her getting so excited, I ruminate over whether I should take her along or not...


    "Come on, Creator," she says, "What are we waiting for?"


    Whatever. It''s those guys'' fault for getting caught in an assassination attempt.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Do you think she will return?" Jete asks Sheffield who iszily lying on the bed.


    "I don''t know," Sheffield nonchntly replies.


    "It''s all that man''s fault that we''re here," Jeteins as she kicks the ground.


    Hearing this, Sheffield raises her body from the bed and says in a neutral tone,


    "You''re lucky to be alive, for all you know, you could''ve ended up the same way Jacques did."


    "I know that," Jete responds, "But, still, couldn''t he trust us a little better?"


    Sheffield takes a moment to think before replying,


    "I''m sure he''s already treating us good."


    "How?"


    "Look," Sheffield says while pointing at the cell opposite to theirs where a blonde-haired man is pitifully lying on the ground along with three other men who are in a simr state, "Do you still think that we''re not being treated well?"


    "What''s with you?" Jete says while looking at Sheffield in the eyes, "You seem to like taking that man''s side."


    Sheffield shakes her as a response before saying,


    "That''s not it. I just believe it to be pointless to me everything onto him when we were the ones who started all this."


    "For a woman as vicious as yourself, you sure are easygoing," Jetements.


    Seeing Sheffield ignore her, Jete scoffs before walking to the other bed in the cell and lying on it.


    "I swear, if I get out from here, the first thing I''m going to do is choke that smug-faced prince to death," she mutters hatefully.


    "Is that so?" a loud voice suddenly resounds in the ce as four figures walk down from the stairs.


    rmed, Jete shoots up from the bed and looks in the direction that the voice seems to havee from, while Sheffield just lies down without showing the least bit of interest in the matter.


    "Good evening,dies," Victor says as he abruptly appears inside the cell with a grin on his lips.


    Seeing Jete in a defensive stance, Victor shakes his head and says,


    "You don''t need to be so afraid. If I wanted to kill you, I would''ve done so long ago without you being able to resist in any way."


    Seemingly realizing that he has a point, Jete stand morefortably before asking in a cold tone,


    "Why are you here? We''ve already given you all the information that you needed."


    "Wrong," Victor casually says, "You didn''t tell me anything about the chemical that''s being used to weaponize humans."


    "What?" Jete questions with a confused expression, while Sheffield looks over at Victor with a curious expression on her face.


    "What are you talking about?" Jete inquires.


    "Don''t y dumb," Victor replies, "I''ve already encountered two cases of this urring."


    Victor then begins to recount what transpired in the fort and the town while letting the needless parts out.


    "You''re lying," Jete says in a disbelieving tone, "There is no way that His Majesty would do that."


    "Lying?" Victor presses, "Why would I need to lie to you? You seem to be forgetting the fact that you''re just a prisoner."


    Realizing that he''s right, Jete expression takes a turn for the worst as she asks,


    "Did that truly happen?"


    "Why else am I here?" Victor responds before letting out a sigh and saying, "Don''t dy me any further. Tell me everything you know regarding this matter, lest you want to experience what it''s like to be tortured and brainwashed."


    "Hey, Victor," Krul calls out as she looks at the cell where the males are being held, "These guys don''t seem like they willst any longer."


    Victor''s attention is shifted from the two girls to the cell as he thinks for a moment before shouting,


    "Guards!"


    A few secondster, two lightly armored men walk down the stairs before saluting, "Your Highness!"


    "Get these swines some food and water."


    "Yes, Your Highness," one of the two responds before heading back up the stairs while the other one respectfully asks,


    "Your Highness, would you like me to open the cell door?"


    "Do it," Victor says dismissively as he shifts his focus back to Sheffield and Jete.


    "Are you going to be talking any time soon?"


    ---1st POV---


    How unfortunate. I wasn''t able to get much information out of them this time around.


    From what I can tell, Joseph seems to have gone the extra mile in being cautious by keeping his ns hidden even from his close aides.


    In other words, the two girls weren''t aware of this at all, to the point that each one of them shared their thoughts of why would Joseph do this.


    Apparently, Joseph is extremely set on killing me, not caring about anything else at all.


    "Irene," I say, "Isn''t this somewhat simr to what a Second Rank Unknown would do?"


    "Father is right," she replies, "This does seem like the actions of such a being."


    The other girls other than Saturnus and Krul arepletely confused about what we''re talking about.


    Taking this chance, I exin to them,


    "From the looks of it, Joseph de Gallia is a corrupted individual that wishes to bring doom upon all the living creatures in this world."


    "That''s absurd!" Jete exims upon hearing my im.


    "Oh?" I voice while peering into her eyes, "Are you saying that everything we spoke of until now isn''t absurd?"


    Jete looks like she just swallowed a bitter pill as she looks down at the ground.


    I will let them be for now. They will have plenty of time to think of what they want to in the future.


    "Let''s get going," I state as I get up from the sofa I had created especially for this asion.


    The rest of the girls that came along also get up and follow me as I leave the cell.


    "Wait!" Sheffield calls out.


    Hm? I turn around to look at her and ask,


    "What''s wrong?"


    She takes in a deep breath before resolutely saying,


    "I want to see."


    "See what?"


    "What you im is happening."


    "You want me to take you to the battlefield?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Sheffield nods her head in confirmation.


    Would it be a problem if I took her with myself? I don''t think so. All I need to do is keep an eye on her and have someone by her side to keep under control.


    "Sure," I reply.


    "What?" Jete says in an incredulous tone.


    Sheffield turns her head to face Jete before saying,


    "If what this man says is right, then we''ve been manipted this whole time. As much as I hate it, but there is a high chance that His Highness is not what we thought he was."


    "Even so," Jete responds, "You were always believed to be the one most loyal to him. Howe you suddenly want to join his side?"


    Sheffield doesn''t say anything for a few seconds before responding in a resolute tone,


    "There is something that I need to do. I can''t stay here forever."


    "Besides," Sheffield continues as she casts a nce at me, "If he''s telling the truth, then there is no problem in following him. Her safety has been our objective, hasn''t it?"


    Jete''s expression changes to that of displeasure as she says,


    "I hate the fact that you''re right"


    Her? Who are they speaking of? They never mentioned anything about this before. From the sound of it, Joseph isn''t aware of this at all.


    How interesting.


    "Me too," Jete says, "I want to see it for myself as well."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I reply casually,


    "So be it. I''m d that you two at least think of the lives of those living in this continent." - because I certainly don''t.


    "What about them?" Jete says while pointing at the cell that the males are in.


    "Oh, them? They will stay like that until the war ends. Then, I will release them."


    "I see," Jete mutters while gazing at the blonde-haired guy.


    It seems like I need to hasten my ns.

 Chapter 174: Next Town ; Eve of Nightmare

    Chapter 174: Next Town ; Eve of Nightmare


    "You two should know the difference in power between you and us, so you better not have funny thoughts," I say as we walk back to the room that we teleported to earlier.


    "Yes, yes," Jete says while rolling her eyes.


    Soon, we reach the room. Siesta is already there waiting for us with a gentle smile on her face.


    "All done?" I ask as we approach her.


    "Yes," she simply replies.


    "That was fast," Krul remarks.


    "I used my new powers to do it," Siesta says as a red hue covers her face.


    Shaking my head, I look around at everyone before realizing that someone is missing.


    "Irene, where are you?" I mutter.


    {I''m heading over to where Father is.}


    After a few minutes of waiting, Irene enters the room with a bright smile on her lips.


    Unexpectedly, both Jete and Sheffield freeze up upon seeing her.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask out of curiosity.


    "Why is that monster here?" Jete asks in a low voice.


    Before anything else could be said or done, Irene swiftly runs over and jumps into my embrace before saying in a cheerful tone,


    "I will be fighting in the front, right?"


    "Of course," I reply while ruffling her hair.


    "Well then," I say as I open a gateway back to one of the houses in the town, "We should head back now."


    Then, ignoring the stunned Sheffield and Jete, I walk through the gateway as the rest follow along.


    ---


    "Good," I say upon hearing Gabriel''stest report, "Make sure to not attract too much attention to yourselves from the townspeople for now."


    [Understood.]


    Now, that means that two of the three locations we''re attacking from is going as nned.


    However, I''m not sure about what the situation is like for Tiamat and Ddraig.


    As of this moment, I am unable to telepathically converse with them, which is quite inconvenient.


    Well, they''re both dragons with plenty of battle experience, so I''m sure they will be able to take care of themselves.


    "Creator," a voice calls out to me as I hear a knock on the door, "We are prepared."


    Hearing this, I raise my body from the bed and shake Krul''s body to wake her up.


    The petite vampire groans a little before gradually opening her eyes and looking over at me with an annoyed expression.


    "Don''t look at me like that," I say, "We need to get going."


    Krul doesn''t say anything in response and just peers into my eyes.


    Seeing her like this, I let out a small sigh before leaning over and kissing her soft lips for a few seconds.


    "I feel tired," she says once I''ve moved my head back a little, "Let me drink your blood."


    "Sure," I agree without hesitation.


    After all, she''s my woman now, so it''s fine to pamper her, even if the way to do it is unconventional.


    Krul''s eyes widen as she says in a teasing tone,


    "I didn''t think you''d agree."


    Shaking my head, I say in a casual tone,


    "Come on, get over with it. We don''t have the whole day."


    Fortunately, Krul seems to notice as she raises her body from the bed, causing the nket covering her to fall and reveal her marvelous body.


    Then, Krul doesn''t waste any time by directly biting into the area around my shoulder and beginning to suck my blood out.


    After a few minutes, she stops and moves back a little before saying in a satisfied tone,


    "Your blood is unquestionably the best."


    Hearing her pliment'', I smile wryly before saying,


    "I don''t know how I should react to that statement."


    Krul chuckles before saying in a yful tone,


    "Just be happy."


    "If you say so," I respond before swiftly pushing her down and locking my lips with hers.


    ---


    After a few minutes of kissing, the two of us got dressed and left the room.


    Surprisingly, Saturnus was waiting right outside the door.


    "Saturnus? Why are you standing here?"


    "I just waited for Creator. Is that wrong?"


    "No, but..." I reply, "You know what, never mind."


    "The men are very excited to continue fighting!" Saturnus says in an eager tone.


    Aren''t you the one that is the most excited?


    "Then, let''s not keep them waiting any longer," I say before heading to where the men are all waiting.


    In a short while, I reach our destination. Sensing my arrival, a few soldiers respectfully salute before the rest take notice and follow suit.


    I use irvoyance to locate Yvonne and Godeffroy. Once I''ve done that, I make use of teleportation to appear right at where they are.


    The two generals are both startled by my sudden appearance to the point of taking a dozen or so seconds to recollect themselves.


    "Your Highness," Godeffroy says, "We are ready to move out."


    "I''m aware," I respond, "We will be heading over to the next town as soon as possible."


    Godeffroy and Yvonne both nod as confirmation, while I examine the state of the soldiers.


    As I expected, there are quite a few soldiers who aren''t all the excited about fighting, most likely due to the recent incident in which we fought against weaponized townspeople.


    I let out a sigh before slowly floating into the air and shouting while amplifying my voice,


    "Soldiers, hear me out!"


    Hearing my voice, most of the soldiers shift their focus to me with curiosity apparent in their eyes regarding what I have to say.


    "As you all know, we recently fought against townsmen that were innocent and even killed them.


    "However, we shouldn''t forget what it was that made us fight against them! What was it that made us kill these people? It was this kingdom''s king.


    "As you have seen, he is a man that will make use of every vile method to get what he seeks. Even if it means sacrificing the lives of hundreds, or thousands, he will do it."


    I stop here to give the soldiers some time to think of what I just said.


    Fortunately, most of them begin to curse this kingdom''s royal family in a spirited manner, indicating that they''ve regained their purpose for fighting.


    "Now, I ask of you," I continue shouting, "Are you willing to let such a man continue living and rule over this miserable kingdom?"


    The soldiers immediately respond with loud cries that show their disapproval of the notion.


    Suddenly, I notice that the surrounding lights seem to be dying out.


    However, after a more careful examination, I notice that this light is what appears when I make use of Pdin''s Aura.


    Did I subconsciously utilize it or is there something else going on?


    {Some of Father''s abilities are automatically activated once certain conditions are met.}


    Oh, that''s convenient. No wonder the soldiers got fired up so easily.


    Now that I think about it, what are the conditions? Should I sound and act like a pdin?


    {Pdin''s Aura Self-Activation Condition: More than 2000 individuals must find themselves inferior to the user while the user is speaking.}


    That condition sounds so wrong


    Well, whatever. It''s not like this will affect my ns negatively, anyway.


    ---


    "What do you think are the chances of the next town being already ''weaponized''?" I ask Krul while patting Irene''s head as shefortably sits on myp.


    "Very likely," Krul responds.


    "If this kingdom can produce a fine amount of the chemical that has changed the humans in such a way, then they will undoubtedly make use of it at every given opportunity," Saturnus adds.


    "How horrible," Siesta says in a saddened tone.


    "Now, now, Siesta," I say with a grin, "Don''t forget that you will be saving them, so there is no need to be sad."


    Siesta responds to my words by just nodding her head as a small smile appears on her lips.


    "Jete," I call out to the pink-haired girl who has been staring at Siesta for quite some time now, "Aren''t you staring a bit too much?"


    As if just regaining her rity, Jete abruptly turns her head and says,


    "Sorry. It''s just that she looked familiar."


    Huh? Has Jete been to the academy in Tristain?


    "She''s right," Sheffield adds, "This girl does look familiar."


    Sheffield as well? Strange...


    "Your Highness!" a voice suddenly calls out from the front, "We have reached the town."


    The atmosphere immediately tenses up as I make use of irvoyance to check the state of the town, only to discover that I''m unable to pass through a barrier set around it.


    Looks like this battle won''t be a simple one...

 Chapter 175: Barrier ; Dream ; Shutdown

    Chapter 175: Barrier ; Dream ; Shutdown


    "There is a barrier around the town," I state in a solemn tone.


    "A barrier?" Krul inquires.


    "Yeah. I''m not sure what kind of barrier it is, but for it to be able to block my sight, it can''t be a simple one," I exin.


    And the fact that such a barrier exists around a town near the outer region of the kingdom is worrying.


    Has the enemy been preparing for this assault for a long time, or did they set it up recently by predicting where we will strike next?


    If it''s thetter, then there are three possibilities.


    The first possibility would be that there are numerous magicians inside with decent experience in setting up barriers.


    Second, there is an artifact that is capable of such a thing.


    And finally, the most troublesome one - Someone is capable of setting it up all by themselves.


    For the third possibility, the individual must hold a high amount of power and status.


    "Stay cautious," I say after considering our options, "There is a high chance of a powerful foe awaiting our arrival."


    Jete and Sheffield who have been disguised by my Reform both look toward the front with intrigue apparent on their faces.


    As I continue to examine the barrier by irvoyance, I notice that a part of the army has already marched inside, and from the looks of it, nothing has happened to them. If there was something wrong, the soldiers behind them would''ve reacted in one way or another.


    Setting that aside, it seems like the barrier is not a physical one.


    {WARNING: Code waves detected.}


    {Identification failed.}


    As I suspected, the barrier has been set up by an irregr individual. Even so, I didn''t expect it to be done by a Code.


    {Only a Code''s Effects can properly counter the Effects of another Code.}


    Oh? That''s some good news that I would''ve preferred to hear some time other than now.


    Anyway, now that the enemy has marched inside, there is no point in stopping them and acting like a coward, or, so I''d like to say, but,


    "Yvonne go and order Godeffroy to stop the march."


    "Yes, Your Highness," she respectfully responds before getting off the carriage and swiftly, yet gracefully head to where Godeffroy is.


    "Let''s get off," I suggest before jumping off while carrying Irene.


    The other girls, including Jete and Sheffield, follow suit and follow me as I walk toward the town under the curious eyes of the soldiers.


    Soon, I notice that the soldiers have stopped marching. It seems like Yvonne has ryed the order already.


    A short whileter, I find myself right in front of the barrier while the girls are standing behind me with a curious expression on their faces.


    "I''m sensing something," Krul says, "It''s like there is a giant wall in front of us."


    "That''s the barrier," I exin, "And it''s most likely one that was created by a Code."


    "A Code?!" Saturnus exims in an excited tone.


    Right, she knows about them.


    "That''s correct, Saturnus," I reply, "Do you think you''re capable of fighting against Codes?"


    "That depends on the Code," she replies without any hesitation, "After all, this is what the Creator created me for."


    Throughout our short conversation, everyone apart from Irene and Krul gets more and more lost.


    "What are the Codes that you''re confident in fighting against?"


    "Anything that specifically targets natural creatures," she replies.


    Natural creatures, huh.


    "Well then," I say before coating myself in Destruction, "Here goes nothing."


    I slowly walk forward and reach my arm out to ''touch'' the barrier.


    Unexpectedly, the Destructive energy reacts to the barrier in the worst possible way I could imagine.


    My energy constantly gets sucked out as the barrier bes visible to the naked eye of the soldiers and the girls.


    Soon, multiple cracks form on the barrier before itpletely shatters.


    Damn it. How much energy did that drain?


    {Energy left: 58%}


    Ugh. At least, the barrier is gone now.


    My relief doesn''tst for long, as multiple roars resound all over the ce, as numerous flying figures seem to appear out of nowhere.


    That''s not the end of it, as the ground beneath begins to shake, destabilizing so much that some of them begin to fall onto the ground.


    A few secondster, my confusion is washed away as five gigantic metallic golems emerge from the ground.


    What makes matters worse is that there are different patterns of colorful gems embroidered onto the golems, which I highly doubt are for decoration.


    Just as I''m about to give orders to the soldiers, dozens of houses in the town explode as a dozen or so magicians that seem to be in a ''dead'' state float into the air while holding eerie-looking wands.


    "Brace for impact!" I exim while using Elemental Magic to form a wall of earth in front of us.


    The next moment, several energy rays escape from the wands and directly strike the earth wall with enough to force to easily destroy it and pass through.


    One energy ray is approaching me at an extremely ridiculous speed that I''m unable to dodge my body in time.


    I decide to use Time-Stop, however, before I can do so, the world in front of me suddenly ''shatters'' as every sense of dread I had gets washed away.


    My vision which seemed to have gone hazy for some reason clears up.


    Confused, I rub my eyes a little before looking around.


    All of a sudden, I am overwhelmed with extreme pain from my stomach, forcing me to look down, only to find the tip of a familiar weapon protruding from my chest.


    I slowly turn around to look at the culprit - Saturnus.


    "What are you doing?" I destely inquire while ignoring the pain.


    "Creator, look around," Saturnus says in a hurried tone that''s unlike her usual behavior.


    Doing as she instructed me to, I look around, only to find everyone unconsciously lying on the ground, while Irene is missing.


    Saturnus pulls the weapon out of my stomach and exins,


    "This is most likely the result of a hypnotic Code."


    Just as I''m about to ask her about what does she mean, Irene''s voice resounds in my head.


    {WARNING: Code Waves detected.}


    {Enemy Codes identified: Theodon | Morpheus.}


    {Threat level: 5}


    Morpheus? Didn''t I kill him?


    "Ugh," I hear a groan as Krul suddenly opens her eyes and bolts up from the ground with an annoyed look on her face.


    She quickly looks around until she sets her sight on me before her expression gets better as she mutters,


    "It was a lie after all."


    {Code Morpheus analyzed: Illusion | Dream.}


    As soon as I hear those words, everything begins to make sense.


    No wonder this guy is alive. He basically used an illusion to make it seem like he died.


    Anyway, this guy has Illusion as Essence rather than Effect, huh?


    "Um" Siesta''s voice reaches my ears before she slowly opens her eyes and gets up from the ground.


    "What happened?" she asks while rubbing her eyes.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Why was that girl not affected?" Morpheus says in an irritated tone as he watches everything from where he is.


    "I don''t know," the man beside him responds.


    "Theodon, can''t you tap into their minds?" Morpheus asks.


    "I could if I had the time to, but they woke up way too early for me to do anything."


    "Great. What a way to disappoint my brother."


    "Why don''t you just use your power once more?" Theodon questions while raising his brows.


    "Do you think I''m like you two-digits to have ridiculous amounts of energy?"


    As a response to Morpheus''s words, Theodon just shrugs before his expression suddenly turns for the worst as he exims,


    "Enemies!"


    "Huh?" Morpheus voices before his eyes suddenly lose all color as his body limply falls to the ground.


    As for Theodon, he swiftly waves his hand before he appears in another location and looks back at where he previously was.


    There, standing under the cloudy skies is the figure of a small blonde-haired girl that has a small smile on her lips as she crouches down beside Morpheus'' body.


    "Father is going to like this," she says in a joyful tone before pointing her index finger at Morpheus'' back and gradually moving it closer.


    Once the tip of her finger touches Morpheus'' back, his body begins to suddenly crack as energy escapes from within.


    A few secondster, his whole body shatters before he simply fades away.


    The blonde-haired girl, Irene, opens her palm, which results in all the particles and energy to get sucked into her hand before she looks over at the horrified Theodon.


    "Daughter of Origi," Theodon mutters before swallowing his spit.


    "Calm down," he mutters to himself, "She shouldn''t have very high physical capabilities."


    Theodon takes a deep breath before running at high speed in the direction opposite to where Irene is.


    ---1st POV---


    {Code: Morpheus eliminated.}


    What? How?


    {Morpheus was shutdown}


    Hold on you used that ability of yours on him?


    {Affirmative.}


    I see Thank you, Irene battling against two Codes in this situation would''ve been detrimental in various ways.


    {Anything for Father.}


    {However, now that the enemy knows about me, I won''t be able to make use of my power any longer.}


    Because they would be wary of your presence, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Nevertheless, this ended well thanks to Saturnus and Irene.


    I take moment to look at the still unconscious soldiers then shift my sight to the town.


    Not only is it undamaged, but I''m unable to detect anyone inside.


    Were they evacuated or something? It doesn''t matter for now.


    Hopefully, it will be able to amodate the soldiers for the time being...

 Chapter 176: Thoughts

    Chapter 176: Thoughts


    "Victor," I hear a voice call out to me within my sleep, urging me to open my eyes.


    Upon doing so, I am met with the sight of a slightly perturbed Krul who''s frowning.


    "Is there something wrong?" I ask while raising my body from the bed.


    "Yes," she replies before going silent.


    Knowing that she''s just taking a moment to think, I let her be as I use irvoyance to check the state of the town.


    After a short while of looking around, I conclude that everything is okay.


    "I had a dream," Krul all of a sudden says.


    Could it be another vision? Hasn''t this been happening more frequently nowadays?


    I''m starting to believe that there is something that has triggered this.


    "What was the dream about?" I inquire as I position myself so that I press my back against the end of the bed.


    "I don''t know," she responds with confusion all over her face, "All I know that it was a strange dream, and just thinking about it makes me ufortable."


    For something to make Krul ufortable, it can''t be anything simple.


    "Alright," I say in a casual tone, "Let''s forget all about that dream for now, as it''s pointless to deliberate on something that we don''t know much about."


    Sharing my sentiment, Krul approvingly nods her head before asking,


    "How are the soldiers doing? I highly doubt that this town isrge enough to house several thousand humans."


    "You''re right about that," I reply, "However, these are soldiers we''re speaking of. They''re somewhat used to sleeping in ufortable positions and ces, so they managed to make it through the night this time around."


    "Yet, here you are, sleeping on afy bed with beauty on your side," Krul states teasingly.


    Hearing her refer to herself as beauty so brazenly issues a light chuckle from me before I say,


    "Stop speaking of such meaningless topics already, will you?"


    {Father, it is highly rmended to make haste andplete the Calling.}


    Hearing Irene say this in such a time and manner, it almost feels like she''s trying to intervene, but I believe that I''m overthinking things.


    With my attention having been brought back to my objective, I get off the bed and begin getting dressed.


    ---


    "Your Highness!" a soldier respectfully calls out while jogging toward me.


    The soldier extends his arm, presenting me with an envelope that has the seal of the royal family on it.


    Assuming that it''s from Henrietta, I nod toward the soldier, which he takes as me dismissing him before I open the envelope and take a look at what''s written inside.


    As expected, I am unable to make out most of what''s written except quite a few things that I picked up in my times while staying in the academy.


    Thus, I make my way back to the house I just came out of, in hopes of having Siesta read the letter out to me.


    --


    Once again, the content of the letter was rted to the noble families, stating that the personal army has reached the fort by the time I receive this letter.


    Well, isn''t that just great? We now have more men stationed in the fort.


    Perhaps, I should have them patrol the border to prevent any ''mouse'' from escaping.


    Now that I think about it, who are the ones in charge of all these soldiers? Surely, they have someone giving them orders, right?


    ---3rd POV---


    "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Guiche dubiously asks a blonde-haired girl with blue eyes.


    "What, are you doubting my ability to give proper orders?" the girl responds with a snort.


    "No, it''s just that this doesn''t seem right," Guiche hurriedly says in an attempt to appease her.


    "I don''t care what you think," she says before gesturing to a man toe closer, "He won''t recognize me if I don''t do something worthy of recognition."


    Guiche has a hopeless look on his face as he lets out a tired sigh before walking away from the girl.


    "You called for me, Young Miss?"


    The girl has prideful look on her face as she nods her head and orders,


    "Prepare the other men. We''re going to cross the border."


    As a response to her words, the man''s eyes widen for a split-second before he nods his head and leaves to do as he was told to.


    The girl then proceeds to walk around in the fort with a thoughtful expression on her face before she finally nods her head and says,


    "This is the least I could do"


    ---1st POV---


    "Your Highness, the scouts have returned," Yvonne reports.


    "And?"


    "They''ve made reports about the state of three nearby towns," she continues, "As Your Highness suspected, only one of the towns is in an unusual state."


    "Which also happens to be the town that we will have to go through if we want to get to the castle, right?"


    "Correct."


    How vexing. I could''ve gone ahead and made use of Norse Magic to form a gateway through which the men could''ve easily reached the castle, but that''s no longer possible now that there is the issue of ''infected'' townspeople.


    Now that it hase to this, I will be making the most use out of my abilities from here on out. Even if it will reveal some of my cards.


    After all, this tform will be something like my personal world where I will build an army that is by no means going to be ordinary.


    Having settled my thoughts, I say in a solemn tone,


    "Yvonne, we will be proceeding as nned. However, tell the soldiers that they will soon be experiencing some supernatural happenings."


    Yvonne seems to be confused by my words and wants to ask me several questions, but in the end, she decides to keep them to herself and leave the house to do as I instructed her to.


    The n is simple. I will have the men practice Organic Constructs mid-battle while gifting them with Insight as well.


    This somewhat worked out back in Project Charlotte, so I''m wondering if it will be the same thing here.


    In case this seeds, I can have an army of men with alterable bodies making them capable of adapting to virtually any situation.


    Just the thought of it brings a smile to my lips, and probably a shiver down the spines of my foes.


    Nevertheless, I can''t get excited too early, as there always is the chance that things might not work out as well as I expect them to.


    "You''re nning something again," Krul who has been speaking with Saturnus for the past few minutes suddenly says while gazing at me.


    "The Creator is always nning," Saturnus remarks, "That was the case back in Project Higgins as well."

 Chapter 177: Age ; Final Town

    Chapter 177: Age ; Final Town


    "You two are behaving much better than I expected you to," Iment while looking at the ex-prisoners with intrigue.


    "Based on what this woman has told me," Jete rebukes while pointing at Sheffield, "Trying to run away will be futile."


    Hearing this, I shrug my shoulders before shifting my focus to the army that has now dwindled by no small-amount.


    Due to various reasons, a part of the army decided to either stay behind or head back to the fort by passing through the towns we had cleared.


    After some investigation, it turns out that the matter with the first town in which the men killed numerous innocents left a much bigger scar on them than I had suspected.


    Their copse all of a sudden due to Morpheus didn''t help much in alleviating that feeling of difort they had since then.


    If not for Pdin''s Aura, I''m sure that even more soldiers would have stayed behind, if not all.


    And so, we are currently moving on with less than half of the soldiers we had when we set foot in this ursed kingdom.


    As much as I hate the way that he does things, I must admit that Joseph''s method is both efficient and resource-friendly, depending on the materials needed to brew that ''zombifying'' chemical.


    "Such cowards," Krul scorns as if reading my thoughts.


    "Who?" I ask, not being sure if she''s referring to the soldiers or the Kingdom of Gallia.


    "The soldiers," she responds, "If this is all it took for them to cower away from the fight, then they''re nothing more than cowards with some strength."


    Before I can say anything regarding her statement, Jete says in an irritated tone,


    "Stop it. If what this guy said to us before is true, then it''spletely normal for them to be paranoid about fighting."


    Krul finds her words insulting as she frowns a little before asking,


    "How is it normal in any way?"


    "Think of it like this," Jete exins, "A man just found out that their enemies are innocents taken from the kingdom that he hails from. Not only that, but one of the other soldiers found his parents among them.


    "Wouldn''t it make sense that there would be a high chance of their parents being among them as well?"


    Krul takes a moment to think before saying,


    "In that case, wouldn''t it be better to stay with the army for a chance to save them instead of just running away from reality?"


    Surprised, Jete for a few seconds before she says,


    "The chance of them being able to do that is extremely low, so there is no point in doing that."


    For some reason, Krul finds her words amusing as she issues a light chuckle before saying,


    "So, they are cowards after all."


    Jete wants to say something, but before she can do so, Sheffield ces her hand on Jete''s shoulder to prevent her from talking.


    "You," Sheffield says while ring at Krul, "Do you have anyone that you can call family?"


    Right after the words leave her mouth, Krul has an odd expression on her face for a few seconds before she ultimately shakes her head and replies,


    "I don''t."


    As if having expected this, Sheffield pats Jete''s back twice before leaning back.


    Jete who heard her words has a troubled look on her face as she scrutinizes Krul from head to toe before saying,


    "I''m sorry. You''re young, yet you have such a rough life, so it makes sense that you wouldn''t understand."


    Realizing that Jete is essentially calling Krul a kid, I am unable to hold back fromughing, causing a tick mark appears on Krul''s head as she throws a punch at my face.


    Sensing her punch approaching my face, I cancel all the vectors associated with it.


    Krul doesn''t seem to mind that her punch didn''tnd as she res at Jete and says in a firm tone,


    "Just so you know, I much older than everyone on this carriage apart from this guy."


    Jete and Sheffield are both a little shocked by this turn of events, to the point that they''re unsure of what to say in response.


    "Hold on," Saturnus says, "How old are you?"


    Krul nces over at her and replies,


    "Around two thousand years old. I don''t remember the exact amount."


    This time, Jete and Sheffield both have disbelieving expressions on their faces as they gawk at Krul.


    "Oh! That means I''m older than you too!" Saturnus cheerfully exims, surprising everyone apart from me and Irene.


    Honestly, I am a little perturbed, but not because I didn''t expect her to be so older. Rather, it is because it''s exactly what I had suspected.


    This means that the vision I saw regarding Higgins dates back to at least three thousand years ago.


    How troubling Hopefully, things haven''t changed all that much.


    "Seven thousand," Irene who has been silently sitting on myp simply says.


    With a strange expression on her face, Krul looks at me for confirmation.


    "It''s true," I say.


    As if reality just shattered for her, Krul simply lowers her head and stares at the carriage''s floor.


    "Are you all messing with us?" Jete finally asks after a few minutes.


    "Why would we?" I say, "What you heard was their true age."


    "If that''s the case," Sheffield says in a neutral tone, "How old are you?"


    "About nine thousand years old," I respond while shrugging my shoulders.


    "No way," Jete says while shaking her head, "You''re all either mentally unstable or you''re trying to pull our legs."


    Unlike her, Sheffield seems to be thinking about this more objectively as she asks,


    "What is your life-span?"


    "I don''t know," I respond before shifting my attention to Irene and asking, "Do I have one?"


    "No," she replies, "Father is immortal both in soul and body."


    After thinking about it for a moment, I realize that she could either be speaking of the Immortality I obtained from Riser or the body created by the Mete.


    Just as I''m about to ask her about it, a voice resounds within my ears,


    "Your Highness, we''ve reached the next town. How should we proceed?"


    I take a moment to think of the best way to deal with this particr town.


    First, it has ''zombified'' individuals whose origins we can''t be sure of. If they turn out to be more townspeople captured from the Kingdom of Tristain, then there is a chance that the soldiers'' morale will drop even further if we are to attack and kill every foe.


    Second, the other Code, Theodon is still out there, so I can''t let my guard down at any moment.


    Finally, this town is thest one thatys in our path to the castle, so I believe that it should have some ''surprises'' in it for us.


    As such, I think of the experiment I had done a couple of days ago when I asked Yvonne to gather the most loyal men up.


    If the results of that experiment are to be trusted, then this battle could be an easy one.


    "Go and deliver this message to General Godeffroy: ''Command the men to proceed with caution and catch the enemy instead of killing them''."


    "Yes, Your Highness," he responds before swiftly heading to where Godeffroy is.


    Hah~ I wonder what Joseph is nning to do once I reach the capital.


    Assuming that the men in this fort are townspeople, his army should be in a very well condition for battle, while the men I''m leading would be worn out by the time we get there.


    This is most likely what he thinks would be the case, so I just need to figure out what he will do in such a situation.


    My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of hustling as the soldiers begin to split up into toons.


    "Here we go again," I say before jumping off the carriage and walking among the men while using Gift to grant them Immortality, Insight, and Organic Constructs.


    After having gifted three toons, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Gift tiered up.}


    A little surprised, I say,


    "Show me."


    --


    Gift II>>III [V]:


    {Unlimited usage | Maximum range is 25>>50m | Lasts for 10>>20 minutes.}


    --


    Seeing that the range and duration have practically doubled, a small smile forms across my lips as I rejoice.


    Suddenly, a notion appears in my head, so I ask Irene who is now standing right beside me,


    "What will happen to the abilities of the soldiers I had previously gifted?"


    "It will remain the same," Irene responds, "Only those who have been gifted after the tier-up will have the new duration."


    I see.


    Perhaps, they won''t be that affected as they''re at the back of the army...

 Chapter 178: Experiment ; Primed

    Chapter 178: Experiment ; Primed


    As the men stand motionlessly, awaiting further orders, I walk amidst them while continuously granting them the three abilities that will aid us in this battle.


    While I''m doing so, a sudden thought urs to me: Why doesn''t the foe use that chemical to ''zombify'' the soldiers on our side?


    Is there some kind of condition that needs to be fulfilled before the ''zombification'' can be done or something?


    "Irene," I voice, "Am I able to cancel an ability while it''s in use?"


    "Father can do that," she replies, "Even if it''s a supportive ability and the one that''s under the effect far away, Father can easily deactivate it."


    Good. It would be quite annoying if mid-battle, the enemy somehow managed to ''zombify'' the soldiers on our side while they were still immortal.


    "Why are we walking to the front of the army?" Jete''s voice all of a sudden reaches my ears.


    "Don''t you want to see with your own eyes what Joseph does?"


    "I do, but"


    "Then, just follow me. You don''t need to make a fuss out of something so simple."


    "But, if what you''re saying is true, isn''t it dangerous for us to go to the front of the army?" Sheffield intervenes.


    Before I can answer her, Krul says in an irritated tone,


    "Unlike you two, we are all capable of fighting against those drugged weaklings."


    "Master," Siesta calls out to me while ignoring the two bickering girls.


    "Yes, Siesta. Is there something wrong?"


    "No," she replies before going silent.


    "Siesta?"


    "Um, Master Will I have to use my powers again?"


    "Yes," I reply, "Are you feeling like you won''t be able to or something?"


    "Not at all," she quickly replies before a small smile forms on her lips, "I just wanted to know."


    Seeing her like this, I am unsure of what to think of her question. However, from the looks of it, she''s not feeling down or something like that.


    --


    Soon, we reach the front of the army, where Godeffroy and Yvonne are patiently waiting atop their horses.


    "Your Highness!" the two call out before getting off their horses


    "What''s the situation?" I inquire.


    "There are enemies stationed in and out of the town. I''m sensing an eerie vibe from the town, so I believe that they''ve already changed into monsters," Godeffroy says.


    "Monsters, huh?" I mutter, amused by the term.


    "Do you think they''re townspeople or a part of the army?" I question.


    "Every single one them has a military uniform on, so I can''t provide a precise answer," he replies.


    "Half," I hear a voice to my right.


    Looking over, I find Saturnus who''s looking at where the town is with a sedate look on her face.


    "Half?" I repeat.


    "Yes, Creator," she responds, "Half of them are trained personnel, while the rest seem to be either vigers or townspeople."


    Startled by her words, Godeffroy looks over with a bewildered expression as he asks,


    "How can you-"


    "That doesn''t matter," I say, interrupting him before he can inquire about anything, "Focus on what''s important, General Godeffroy."


    "Yes, Your Highness," he responds while slightly bowing.


    "Forget it, prepare to give the order to attack once I give you the signal to do so."


    Without waiting for his response, I continue walking forward while the girls follow along without so much uttering a word.


    ---


    As soon as I give the signal, Godeffroy raises his sword and shouts in a thunderous voice,


    "Glory to Albion!"


    Most of the soldiers shout the same thing, while a minority changed a part of it.


    Either way, the soldiers begin moving forward with extreme vigor.


    The ''zombified'' enemies begin to take notice of the attack as they begin to run in their direction swiftly.


    It doesn''t take long before both sides sh with one another, with the one being in the disadvantage immediately bing apparent.


    "Hey," Krul says while pointing at the soldiers, "Hasn''t their proficiency increased in using their weapons?"


    Clearing her doubt, I nonchntly answer,


    "That''s right. I granted them Insight, an ability that will increase their affinity with any weapon or ability they might have for a limited amount of time."


    "When did you do that?" Jete asks with an incredulous look on her face.


    "While we were walking through the soldiers," I respond.


    Currently, I am sitting on one of the many seats I had created for us to sit down and enjoy the show.


    Krul is sitting to my right, and Saturnus to my left. As for Irene, she''sfortably sitting on myp while pressing the back of her head against my chest.


    Jete and Sheffield are both sitting by each other''s side to my left with an odd look on their faces while they observe the battle.


    "Hey," Jete says while raising her arm and pointing at where two soldiers are fighting, "That man''s hand just changed into a shield."


    "Forget that," Sheffield says while pointing somewhere else, "That man''s arm has changed into a sword."


    That''s right, the soldiers are already beginning to make use of Organic Constructs.


    As per my order, the soldiers hold back from killing anyone by either immobilizing them or knocking them out using blunt organic swords.


    It''s quite the sight to behold, as even when one of them has their head cut off, it grows back shortly after that, while the ''old'' head simply burns into nothingness.


    "Immortality?" Krul questions.


    "That''s right," I say, "It shouldst for about 20 minutes. At least, for those that were marching in the front."


    --


    As I continue to observe, I notice that the ''zombified'' enemy seems to be gradually losing their speed and strength.


    Is it a temporary boost? Will their consciousness return once their strength and speed have reached back to normal?


    But, if that''s not that case


    "This is bad," I say as I get up from my seat.


    "What''s wrong?" Krul inquires.


    "We need to hurry up, or else every single one these guys could die."


    Saturnus seems to have realized that something is wrong as well, as she says,


    "Creator is right. The life energy that''s exuded from natural creatures seems to be decreasing around there. Usually, that happens in an instant, but that doesn''t seem to be the case."


    Hearing us, Siesta gets up from her seat with a slightly anxious look on her face.


    "Don''t worry," I say while turning my head to face her, "Everything is going to be fine."


    Just as I''m about to dash forward, I sense Jete and Sheffield getting up from their seats.


    "What are you doing?" I ask as I turn around.


    "We''re going to assist you," Jete says in a serene tone.


    "Oh? You two? Against these guys?" Krul says in a mocking tone.


    "Don''t underestimate us," Sheffield says while frowning.


    It''s almost as if invisible sparks are flying in the air, causing me to hastily say,


    "You better not have any awry thoughts."


    Jete and Sheffield both nod at the same time, signifying that they understand the position they''re in.


    "Let''s go," I say before gifting the two of them immortality.


    Then, I dash at maximum speed toward the battlefield while pulling Excalibur out of my storage ring.


    ---


    As I continue to knock down one enemy after another, I sense bursts of energying from somewhere.


    Intrigued, I pinpoint where the bursts areing from, only to find Siesta expertly releasing energy rays from her palm.


    Each time an energy ray makes contact with an enemy, their body bes limp and falls to the ground.


    After a few seconds, they regain their rity and get up from the ground, only to be bewildered by the sight of the battle urring around them.


    Fortunately, Yvonne had taken notice of this earlier as she and a bunch of soldiers ''guide'' them to safety.


    Naturally, there were some cases of enemy soldiers awakening and attacking our side once again, but they were easily finished off.


    ---


    "This is thest one," I say while standing by Siesta''s side as she clears the effect of the ''potion'' in a man whose legs I just healed.


    Soon, the man opens his eyes before shortly a look of confusion covers his face.


    "Excuse me," a soldier walks over and says, "Mr. Aorn?"


    "Yes?" the man replies, still confused.


    "Your wife is looking for you. I will guide you to where she is."


    Siesta and I quietly watch as the soldier leads the man away.


    "It''s unfortunate that we couldn''t save them all," Siesta says after a while in a saddened tone.


    "What''s done can''t be undone," I simply say, "You''ve already done well by saving all these people."


    "But, I could''ve saved more if I knew about this power earlier," she says as the sadness in her voice bes more apparent.


    "That''s right," I say, "But, you didn''t know. That''s why you can''t be med, Siesta. In fact, even if you know but didn''t save them, you can''t be med.


    "You see, all this is the result of the vile actions of one man. Joseph de Gallia. And that''s exactly why we''re going to take him down."


    Well, that''s what it would seem like to others, but I just want to clear this continent of troublesome individuals to properly develop my kingdom and army.


    [Father.]


    "Gabriel? I assume things have gone well on your side?"


    [That''s right. We have sessfully liberated a city and two towns.]


    "Did you say a city?"


    [Yes. ording to the inhabitants, the city has a port that would enable transportation between Gallia and Albion.]


    "I don''t recall hearing about such a thing before."


    [Well, that''s because due to numerous reasons, the transportation line was restricted so that only first-ss noble families would be able to use it.]


    "I see. Anything else?"


    [Yes. We are close to the capital.]


    "That''s good. Hold your position and wait for further orders."


    [Understood.]


    Now, all I need to know is how are things going on Tiamat and Ddraig''s side before I can begin thest part of the n

 Chapter 179: Settlement ; Omen

    Chapter 179: Settlement ; Omen


    "We''re going to settle here for a few hours," I proim, "Then, we immediatelyunch an assault on the capital."


    Pointing at a location on the map that''s set on the table in front of me, I say,


    "There will be an attackunched there by our allies, which should divide the enemy''s attention."


    Yvonne nods her head once before asking,


    "How many?"


    Knowing that she''s asking about the scale of the ''allies'' I just mentioned, I nonchntly reply,


    "Three."


    Yvonne is a little perturbed by my reply as she has a strange look on her face while she doubtfully says,


    "Three hundred or three thousand?"


    "Three," I repeat.


    Realization seems to hit her as Yvonne says in a worried tone,


    "Will this work?"


    "Don''t worry," I say, "Those three are more than enough to wreak havoc in the capital."


    That''s only to be expected. One of them is a Code that can use a multitude of powers, with her only weakness being that she has to ''prepare'' her power before usage.


    The other two are angels that well-versed in the field of warfare. With either of the two most likely being capable of wiping the capital out with one attack.


    "Gabriel, how are things on your side?" I mutter.


    [Nothing has changed, Father.]


    Hm perhaps, I should visit them.


    Raising my head, I say,


    "I will go and check on the others."


    Then, I immediately begin to focus on the link between Gabriel and me.


    It takes me a while, but I''m able to find the general location of where Gabriel is.


    So, I waste no time directly teleporting over and using my senses to search for them.


    Soon, I locate a rtively small town, which seems to be where Gabriel and the co are.


    Letting out a small sigh, I fly over to the town while trying to pinpoint Gabriel''s location.


    As Ind on the ground in the middle of the town, I notice a multitude of stares from all around me.


    Right, these townspeople shouldn''t know who I am, so I must seem like a dangerous existence to them.


    That''s what I thought until a man suddenly eximed at the top of his lungs,


    "The Heavens have blessed us!"


    This is soon followed by loud cheering from everyone, as some townsfolk begin to outright sing praises to the benevolent god''.


    What the hell is going on here?


    "Father!" I hear a loud and cheerful cry before a small body ''crashes'' into me from behind and hugs me tightly.


    "Hey, Aruru," I say while changing her position so that she is in my arms before asking, "Did you miss me?"


    "Yes!" Aruru immediately replies before sinking her face into my chest.


    I wrap my arms around her and begin to pat her head while listening to her recount everything that urred up until now.


    A few minutes pass by before I sense to figures approaching us from behind.


    Letting go of Aruru, I straighten my posture to face the two beauties.


    "Father," Gabriel says in a calm tone before walking over and hugging without any hesitation under the curious eyes of the townsfolk.


    The moment she lets go, I get hugged once again by the only one left.


    A few secondster, she lets go and says,


    "Come, let''s head inside."


    ---


    "This is quite the nice house," I say while looking around the small house that the three girls seem to have been staying in.


    "I''m d that it pleases you," Yuno says with a small smile on her lips.


    "Did the townsfolk offer it to you?" I casually ask.


    "No," Yuno replies," The previous residents identally died."


    Hearing the way she phrased it, I squint my eyes and say,


    "identally?"


    As if she''s a kid that got caught for doing something that she isn''t supposed to, Yuno covers her mouth as her eyes widen marginally.


    "Yuno?" I say in a heavier tone.


    Unexpectedly, Aruru is the one that answers me by saying,


    "When we were fighting against those that upied this town, she lost control of her aim and killed a family that was trying to escape the area."


    By the time Aruru is done recounting, Yuno has a ruddy hue all over her face as she hides her face using her hands.


    I let out a relieved sigh before saying,


    "So, that''s it? I thought that one of her old habits had returned or something."


    Looking at her, I say,


    "Also, I''m sure that she''s more worried about the fact that missed her target more than anything else."


    Seemingly having hit the nail in the head, Yuno''s body jolts as she stops covering her face and says in a hurried tone,


    "That''s because I''ve been feeling some weird sensation at random times."


    "Huh?"


    "I also know it''s rted to you"


    What is she talking about?


    "At what times do you feel this sensation?" I inquire out of curiosity.


    Yuno then begins to tell me about the intervals in which they seem to happen and when it first happened.


    I took a few moments to think of what I was up to around the times she felt the sensation, only to realize that it''s exactly whenever I did something ''intimate'' with Krul.


    What the hell?! She can sense that?!


    Please, let it be some kind of property exclusive to Codes instead of it being her instincts...


    The thought of Yuno being able to sense every time I''m being intimate with another girl is disturbing for various reasons.


    To ease the burden on my mind, I decide to set the matter aside and not think of it too much for now.


    Letting out an exasperated sigh, I say,


    "Gabriel, follow me."


    Then, I proceed to create a portal directly linked to my room in Albion''s castle and walk through to the other side.


    Once we''re on the other side, Gabriel seems to have misinterpreted my intentions as she directly embraces.


    Naturally, I don''t mind it at all as I begin to hug her back while enjoying the pleasant sensation against my chest.


    After a few minutes, Gabriel breaks the hug and steps back a little while looking at me with eyes full of affection.


    Seeing her like this, I swiftly move closer to her and lock my lips with hers.


    Surprised, Gabriel is unsure of how to react in the beginning before she gradually wraps her arms around my back and returns the kiss.


    A while passes before we finally stop kissing and create some distance between us.


    I take this moment to observe Gabriel''s face, only to be met with the fascinating sight of an alluring smile on her soft lips.


    Beaming her a smile, I reach my arm out to grab her hand before slowly walking toward the bed and while pulling her along.


    Then, I take a seat on the bed, while Gabriel sits right beside me.


    Aware that she''s still under the misconception of me having brought her here for this, I say in a casual tone,


    "We''re going to beunching the attack on the capital in a few hours. I can''t give the enemy any more time to prepare, so I''ll end this in one final attack."


    Gabriel presses her head against my shoulder and closes her eyes, waiting for me to continue saying what I have in mind.


    "There is a high chance that whoever it is that''s waiting for us is someone that wields great power. A power that''sparable to mine in a sense."


    Time passes, with none of us uttering a single word, until Gabriel finally opens her mouth and says,


    "I knew that something like this would happen."


    Surprised by her statements, I inquire,


    "What do you mean by that?"


    As a response to my question, she exins,


    "The way the humans have been acting, as well as everything that we came across on our way here. It all suggested that there was something abnormal going on.


    "Usually, that would be associated with the acts of a god, however, the way this world works is differentpared to the one we hail from. I realized this when the people were easily convinced of Aruru''s ims regarding us having appeared in lieu of Father."


    "Isn''t that normal?" I ask, confused. In fact, I would be surprised if they didn''t believe her after seeing the wings and halos as well as the powers the girls possess.


    "No" Gabriel says, seemingly doubtful of her words, "It''s just that it felt differentpared to what I''m used to."


    Different, huh? I wonder in what sense did she find it to be different.


    Gabriel is right. This world is abnormal whenpared to the Rift. There are a lot of things that I''m struggling to make the head and tails of.


    The most confusing part of it is - time period.


    Simply put, there are objects in this world that shouldn''t exist at the time that we''re in. Why is that? Did humans invent them earlier due to some change in the pastpared to the Rift?


    Or, is there some other world that''sparable to the Rift, through which humans managed to get here and share their ''futuristic'' knowledge?


    Either way, this world seems to have an unusual past that I''ve yet to discover.


    That''s not the end of it, as I have a strong feeling that it''s rted to me in some way...

 Chapter 180: Final Assault ; Contact

    Chapter 180: Final Assault ; Contact


    "Are the men prepared?" I ask Yvonne while checking the state of the capital.


    "Yes, Your Highness," she replies.


    "Hm weird," I subconsciously mutter.


    "Your Highness?"


    "Ah, never mind," I say while deliberating on what I just saw.


    First and foremost, the capital seems to be bereft of civilians. Throughout the period I used irvoyance, I didn''t see anyone apart from the kingdom''s soldiers.


    Did the civilians get evacuated? That''s highly unlikely.


    This shouldn''t be that something Joseph de Gallia would do if I were to take his previous actions into consideration.


    "Yvonne," I say, once I''m sure that there are no civilians, "Inform the soldiers that they are free to kill every enemy theye across."


    "Yes, Your Highness," she responds before leaving my side to follow my instructions.


    I observe her as she makes her to where Godeffroy is while listening in to the soldiers'' talk.


    As expected, most of their conversation revolved around the recent battle in which they used Organic Constructs and how our purpose is proven by that ''blessing'' that they received.


    That''s not all, as there seems to be a certain group that was established for the specific purpose of idolizing me and the girls.


    While the content theye up with is somewhat embarrassing in a way, it doesn''t harm us, so there isn''t much of a problem in the end.


    Anyway, it''s good that the soldiers'' morale has risen from previous events, after all, this battle is the most important one.


    Thinking of it logically, unless the enemy has prepared extravagantly, they have a very low chance against the enhanced army, let alone us.


    Well then, it''s about damn time that I killed Joseph.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Sir, we spotted the enemy. As expected, they are approaching from the north-east," a fairly young man dressed in a red and golden uniform says respectfully.


    "Good job," a dark-haired man responds, "Make sure to ry this to His Majesty."


    "Understood!"es the response as the young man goes away.


    The dark-haired man sighs before raising his arm to slide his finger across arge scar on his face.


    "Looks like the time hase," the man mutters to himself as he slides his hand into a small pouch on his clothes.


    Pulling out a small chain watch, the man presses a small button on the top, causing the back of the watch to make a clicking sound before opening.


    Inside the watch, there is a small hand-drawn picture of a man that seems to be in his mid-forties.


    "Dad, it seems like you were right after all."


    ---1st POV---


    "There we go," I mutter once I''ve gifted thest bunch Immortality, Organic Constructs, and Insight.


    Knowing that I mustn''t waste much time, I turn around before eximing at the top of my lungs,


    "This is it!"


    Hearing me, the soldiers all shift their focus to me as they begin to straighten their backs and adopt a serious look on their faces.


    "This is the battle that will decide the fate of thousands!" I continue while slowly floating into the sky, "We will bring an end to the vile acts that have been forced upon the innocent by defeating the enemy in this battle.


    "Our enemies aren''t humans, but monsters. They would do something as low as weaponizing civilians against their will, so there is no need to show them any mercy."


    The moment my words fade away, the soldiers immediately begin to cheer loudly while some even begin to let out battle cries.


    Seeing that everything is set, I mutter,


    "Gabriel, it has begun."


    [Understood, Father.]


    I stop using Flight andnd on the ground before turning to face the girls and saying,


    "Let''s do this."


    All the girls, including Jete and Sheffield, nod their heads as confirmation.


    It seems like those two have been convinced that Joseph is truly doing everything I informed them of, as they have been showing an improved attitude toward us.


    And so, we begin our assault on the capital.


    "Irene, you stay here and protect Siesta as well as our two ex-prisoners."


    "Saturnus, Krul, we willunch an attack of our own."


    "Hehehe," Saturnus giggles as she slowly strokes her strange weapon while Krul looks at her with an odd expression on her face.


    Shaking my head, a small smile forms on my lips as I begin to dash toward the capital at maximum speed.


    It doesn''t take me long to pass through the main gateway that leads inside while killing the dozen or so guards that have been stationed there.


    Then, to not waste too much time, I directly leap onto a building close-by as Krul and Saturnus follow suit.


    We then proceed to make our way to the giant castle that''s at the far back of the capital.


    Shortly, we run out of buildings to hop onto, so we jump down and run across the ins to where the castle is situated.


    Just as I was beginning to think that this is going much more smoothly than expected, AI''s voice resounds in my head.


    {WARNING: Unknown detected.}


    {WARNING: Code Theodon detected.}


    {WARNING: Multiple Binary Factors detected. Threat level: 2}


    Hearing the series of warnings, I stop in my tracks and begin observing the small group that''s making their way over here.


    The group is being led by a golden-haired middle-aged man.


    Behind the man, there are multiple ''teens'' which I assume are more elves who have been caught and ''brainwashed''.


    "Creator," Saturnus all of a sudden says, "I will deal with the Code."


    "What?" I voice, dumbfounded by her promation.


    "You go on ahead," Krul adds, "Those kids shouldn''t amount to much."


    What''s gotten into these two? Well, I''m sure that Krul would be able to effortlessly deal with these Binary Factors.


    However, I''m not so sure about letting Saturnus fight a Code all by herself.


    As if reading my thoughts, Saturnus says while grinning,


    "Don''t worry Creator. This will be easy."


    Then, Saturnus''s expression changes to one that seems to be bereft of all emotions as she raises her weapon and pointing the tip at Theodon, before saying,


    "After all, this is what I was created for."


    Sensing the confidence that seems to be exuding from the aesthetic android, I let out a small sigh before saying,


    "Make sure to not overdo yourself."


    Before leaving, I shift my sight to Krul and say,


    "Remember, these kids are under the effect of a power that''s simr to brainwashing."


    "Don''t kill them. Got it," Krul says.


    Nodding my head, I turn my head to look at the approaching enemy before shaking my head in exasperation.


    Then, I directly utilize Godspeed and Blink to easily pass by the foe and head inside the castle.


    Making use of my senses, I locate Joseph who''s sitting on his throne while surrounded by a bunch of knights.


    "Looks like he really has prepared something for me," I mutter before using Permeation to pass through a wall.


    Soon, I find myself standing right in front of a double-door that leads to the throne room.


    Being the gentleman I am, I knock on one of them twice while amplifying the sound before breaking both doors in one swift kick.


    Thus, without heed much attention to the startled knights, I casually walk inside with a small smile stered to my lips.


    "We finally meet, Joseph de Gallia," I say while erecting a reflective barrier around myself using Vector Maniption.


    "Yes," Joseph says without any change in expression, "You can let go of the faade, Origo."


    While keenly observing the expressionless man who is exuding an eerie aura, I shrug my shoulders before saying,


    "Say whatever you will. Either way, you''re going to die, and those weaklings by your side won''t be able to dy that by even a single second."


    The moment the words leave my mouth, the knights around Joseph begin to gnash their teeth in fury while an expression of pure rage covers their faces.


    It seems like they''ve taken the bait. Truly, weaklings.


    As for Joseph himself, his face is still expressionless, almost as if the man feels no emotions at all.


    Well, it''s either that, or he''s remarkably adept in hiding them

 Chapter 181: Taunting ; Battle ; Isabella

    Chapter 181: Taunting ; Battle ; Isabe


    "Now then, Joseph," I say while examining our surroundings, "I''m almost certain that you have a present for me. How about you reveal it already?"


    Better have him use it early rather than a trump card.


    Anyway, I''m fighting against a Code, so I can''t let my guard down.


    "Present?" Joseph says in a neutral tone, "There is no such thing."


    "And you actually expect me to believe that?" I say mockingly.


    "Attack him," he says while squinting his eyes, indicating that he no longer wishes to speak with me.


    The moment the words leave his mouth, every single one of the six knights begins to dash toward me at an incredible pace.


    "Binary Factors?" I subconsciously mutter as I change my stance to a defensive one.


    Soon, one of them gets close enough tounch an attack.


    I remain motionless as I watch his arms get covered in a familiar energy.


    As I expected, whatever it was that affecting those elves is directly caused by Joseph.


    The next moment, the guy has already thrown a punch at my face, but unfortunately for him, this punch will never be able to reach me.


    Due to the reflective barrier around me, every force contained within the punch gets redirected back at him, which ultimately results in his arm to explode into bits of flesh as his body gets hurled backward.


    This battle is going to be a walk in the park if these guys are what Joseph counts on for his protection.


    Nevertheless, why would he need protection? Is he trying to dy me for something? That''s most likely the case. There is also the chance that he is trying to figure my powers and abilities out.


    If it''s thetter, then all I have to do is fight using abilities that he is already aware of.


    With this notion in mind, I begin to make use of Gandalfr and Organic Constructs.


    Seeing my right arm begin to morph into a dark de, the knights are rmed and unsure of what to do.


    They''re all quite close to me, so I take advantage of that to swiftly charge toward the closest one.


    Before she can physically react, I use the organic de to vertically cleave the girl in half.


    Ignoring the blood flowing down the tip of my de onto my body, I charge toward my next target.


    "Ignis!" my target exims as a wall of me appears right in front of me.


    Unfazed, I use Pyrokinesis to clear it up and continue to breezily cut his head off.


    Their numbers halved, the knights back off to Joseph''s side with troubled looks on their faces.


    "Your Majesty, we won''t be able to hold him back any longer," one of them says in a hurried tone.


    I use Pyrokinesis tobust my organic de to clear the blood off, before shifting my attention back to the amusing bunch.


    Naturally, I won''t be approaching Joseph''s throne just like that. That would be simply asking for death from any traps that may be set near it.


    "What''s wrong, Joseph?" I mock, "This is turning out to be much more of a joke than I expected it to be."


    Without any change in his expression whatsoever, Joseph says,


    "You''re as arrogant as you appear in my memories, Origo."


    "Oh? What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Nothing," he responds while finally getting up from his throne, "It just means that I know how to defeat you now."


    Is he bluffing or is it something else? Due to his face and voice being less expressive than I prefer, I can''t make a proper judgment.


    AI, what is Joseph''s threat level?


    {Unidentifiable.}


    Great. I expected no less from this annoying creep.


    Now then, I should focus on figuring out what his power and abilities revolve around, or else I''m going to be at a disadvantage


    ---3rd POV---


    "Come on, move it!" a man dressed in a uniform that has the Kingdom of Gallia''s crest on it exims while waving his hand.


    All of a sudden, a sh of light shines in the sky before the man''s arm gets cut off.


    This man, which happens to be one of the generals assigned for duty in this war, gets on his knees while pressing his hand on where his arm was cut off and groaning.


    Seeing this, the men that are supposed to follow his orders look at the direction where the attack presumably came from, only to be met with the sight of two angelic girls diving toward them from the sky.


    Some soldiers immediately begin to panic as they attempt to run away, but before they can do so, the voice of a girl that seems to be no older than 15 resounds within their ears,


    "Barricade!"


    The next moment, a great amount of energy is released into the ground before it proceeds to move in waves and form giant walls in numerous locations.


    One of the soldiers refuses to believe what''s happening as he sprints toward one of the walls, intending to break it.


    However, the moment the soldier''s hand contacts the wall of energy, some force seems tounch his body backward with enough force to smash him into the wall of a nearby building.


    The already panic-stricken soldiers begin to get even more distressed as they begin to search for a way to escape from this hell-hole.


    "Running away is impossible," a clear and youthful voice rings within their ears, somehow further perturbing them. Followed by the voice, a pink-haired girl dressed in full ck seemingly walks down on invisible stairs from the top of a nearby house.


    Despite their numbers being no less than four hundred, none of the soldiers feel confident in their chances of winning against this girl.


    "Let''s make this quick," a much more pleasant voice suddenly reaches the men''s ears, causing them to shift their attention to the source, only to find a beautiful blonde woman standing on top of a building alongside a little girl.


    "You''re right," the pink-haired girl, Yuno, says with a smile on her lips as she raises her right arm.


    Realizing what''s going on, the soldiers'' expressions change to one of absolute shock and horror as they begin to move away as far as they can from her.


    s, that turns out to be not enough as Yuno exims,


    "Explosion!"


    The next moment, a red beam of energy escapes from her palm and moves directly toward the ground near where most of the soldiers are.


    Seeing the beam of energy sink into the ground without anything happening, the soldiers'' expression turns to that of relief.


    Unfortunately for them, their relief doesn''tst long as the ground suddenly begins to contract before exploding with enough force to destroy anything within its vicinity with no exceptions.


    Satisfied by the explosion that wiped more than a third of the soldiers out, Yuno beams a smile and says,


    "Aren''t you two going to be fighting?"


    As a response to her words, Gabriel simply nods her head before jumping off the building as Aruru follows suit.


    "Stop panicking!" a loud voice suddenly resounds in the area.


    The soldiers, as well as the girls, look toward the source of the voice, only to find the injured general standing on his feet with a fierce look on his face.


    "They are just three brats with some cursed powers! Show them the true might of Gallia!"


    As if they were just rejuvenated by a mysterious force, the men regain their rity of mind as they begin to charge forward while some of them pull out wands and begin chanting.


    --


    "Mom, why are we here?!" a girl that seems to be in herte teens says in an anguished tone, "I want to go to the city!"


    As a response to her outburst, a beautiful woman says in a soothing voice,


    "Calm down, Isabe. We can''t leave right now, as the city is a dangerous ce to be in these days."


    "Why? Is it because of those other kingdoms? Father is the one conquering them not the other way around, so what''s there to worry about?!"


    Sighing, the woman closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and saying,


    "The enemy might send assassins."


    "But, my father is stronger than any assassin!"


    Just as the woman is about to say something, the walls shake as the loud sound of an explosion reaches the ears of everyone in the room.


    After a few seconds, the woman recollects herself and says to one of the two maids in the room,


    "Go and check what''s going on."


    The maid bows politely before leaving the room.


    "Mom?" Isabe voices in a slightly anxious tone.


    "Don''t worry," the woman says while hugging her, "Everything is going to be fine."


    The next moment, the three left in the room sense multiple reverberations as cries of agony resound within the castle.


    "Dad" Isabe mutters as her anxiety grows.


    Before the woman can react in time, Isabe rushes toward, opens it, and runs outside.


    "Isabe!" the woman yells as she gets up from the ground and runs after her.


    As for the maid left in the room, she takes a few seconds to think before running after her mistress and her daughter.


    Ignoring everything else, Isabe directly makes her way to the throne room, while her mother continues to run after her.


    Soon, Isabe reaches the throne room, her eyes widening as she spots bits of wood left from the now-missing doors.


    "Dad!" she subconsciously shouts before entering the throne room.

 Chapter 182: Emotions ; Faule Mette

    Chapter 182: Emotions ; Faule Mette


    Joseph and I both look into one another''s eye without either of us making any movements.


    I had been suspecting him of having set up a trap from the moment I entered the castle, but, I have yet to encounter such a thing.


    Well, I''ve had enough of waiting around, so I will just finish him off in one go.


    Taking in a deep breath, I activate Time-Stop.


    As expected, everyone immediately freezes in ce.


    I then make haste in killing all three of the knights by directly chopping their heads off before attempting to do the same to Joseph.


    However, something unexpected urs, forcing me to retreat a few steps back.


    The strange energy in Joseph''s body seems to be unaffected by Time-Stop, as it continued to move and even ''sensed'' my arm while it was approaching Joseph''s neck.


    Thus, not willing to risk my body, I decided to retreat for now.


    Soon, the Time-Stop deactivates.


    Joseph for once shows a change in expression as he gets a little startled by the abrupt death of the three knights.


    "What did you do?" he asks.


    "Why should I tell you?" I respond before preparing to rush toward him.


    Realizing my intentions, Joseph gets into a defensive stance, prepared for any sudden assaults that I might make.


    I directly utilize Blink to appear in front of him and use my left arm to throw punch coated with Destruction at his face, while amplifying the force.


    The energy around Joseph attempts to move into my arm, but the Destruction obliterates it before it can do so.


    As a result, my punch directly contacts Joseph''s face,unching him off his feet.


    His body soars through the giant room before inevitably crashing into the wall with enough force to form a crater on it.


    Seeing him cough out blood before weakly falling to the ground, my expression turns strange as I say,


    "I expected you to be stronger than this. Much stronger."


    Looks like not all Unknowns are ridiculously powerful like G and Ophis.


    Now that I think about it, Joseph mentioned something regarding memories. Does that mean that he wasn''t always an Unknown?


    As these thoughts cross my mind, I notice that my sight seems to be getting hazy as a feeling of drowsiness ovees my mind.


    What''s going on?


    {WARNING: Mental interference detected.}


    Seriously? How do I deal with it?


    {Activate Berserk.}


    Berserk, huh? Then, I suppose I will make use of one that is still in the First State.


    As I focus on the energy within my body, a surge of adrenaline rushes through my body as my drowsiness gets washed away, while my senses are enhanced.


    {Berserk: Tormentor activated.}


    Huh? It doesn''t seem like my thoughts are being affected in any way. Have I finally be able to remain clear-headed in this state?


    Deciding that this is worth looking into at ater interval, I shift my focus back to Joseph who is now frowning while ring at me.


    "You see, Joseph," I say while approaching him, "I believe that you deserve some pain in return for all the trouble you''ve been causing me.


    "Don''t you think so, too?"


    Hearing my words, Joseph seems to realize something as his eye widen before he says,


    "How?"


    "Hm?"


    "How are you still standing?"


    "Oh! Are you surprised that whatever that power you used on me didn''t work?"


    As a response to my words, Joseph remains silent while still ring at me.


    Now, how should I torture this man that seems tock most, if not all, emotions?


    "Dad!" the voice of a girl suddenly reaches my ears, causing both Joseph and me to shift our attention toward the source of the voice.


    There, standing in the middle of the room is a blue-haired girl that seems to be 18 years old.


    Her expression is that of horror and trepidation as she nces at the mutted bodies in the room before looking at me.


    Beaming her a smile, I turn my head to look at Joseph before asking,


    "So, you have a daughter, huh?"


    Before Joseph can say anything as a response, I turn my head back to face the girl and mutter,


    "Let''s see if you really feel nothing"


    ---3rd POV---


    "None of these guys are in a state that requires your powers," Irene says while looking into Siesta''s anxious eyes.


    "No!" Siesta responds while shaking her head in denial, "There must be something that I can do!"


    "There are a lot of things that you can do," Irene says, "However, fighting in this battle is not one of them."


    Siesta opens her mouth to say something in return, but before the words can leave her lips, a loud cry resounds within the two girls'' ears.


    Looking over at where the cry originated from, they witness Yuno as she uses a Sigillum to burn three soldiers to ashes.


    Yuno spots the two of them as she walks over with a bright smile on her face before asking,


    "What are you doing here? Aren''t you going to join them in the fight."


    Seeing her point at where the soldiers are fighting against one another, Irene says,


    "Father appointed me as her guardian."


    "And?"


    "She doesn''t have many offensive capabilities," Irene continues.


    As if having heard a funny joke, Yuno begins tough before stopping a dozen or so secondster and saying,


    "Your Code. It''s Seraphiel, isn''t it?"


    As a response to her inquiry, Siesta says,


    "I don''t know. Master never told me what my new powers are."


    Hearing this, Yuno giggles a little as she says,


    "Victor has always been like this. Ignoring the most basic parts and immediately moving on to the moreplex applications."


    Not understanding her words, Siesta tilts her head with a confused expression on her face, while Irene nods and says,


    "You are right regarding the part about Father, as well as, her Code being Seraphiel."


    "As I thought," Yuno said, "You really are Sera."


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t mind that. It''s just what you used to be called in the past."


    "What are you talking about?" Siesta says, more confused than ever.


    "You will find that out soon," Yuno responds with a small grin on her lips.


    "Forget that," Yuno says while as a glint of light appears in her eyes, "Let me tell you something interesting"


    --


    "What are these monsters" a soldier belonging to the Kingdom of Gallia says while looking at their enemies easily overwhelming their side through the usage of seemingly cursed powers.


    "We stand no chance against them unless the general brings ''that'' out," another one says.


    With simr conversations being held among the soldiers assigned as the final line of protection, the general in charge, known as Aldrich, begins to deliberate on something.


    After a while, he looks up with a serious look in his eyes as he mutters,


    "This is going to be the end, either way."


    Then, he pulls his sword out of the sheath attached to his hip and raising it before eximing,


    "For the honor of our kingdom and forefathers, we shall win this battle. Bring forth the Faule Mette!"


    As if they''ve been waiting for this moment, a small group of soldiers leaves their position and head inside a rather strange-looking house.


    A few minutester, the house breaks down, revealing arge cannon with a rather wide diameter.


    Near the cannon, numerous gems have been stuck together to form a giant ''cannonballs''.


    "Get in position!" Aldrich bellows.


    Hearing this, the soldiers split into groups of two, forming a line in the middle for the cannon to shoot it''s shot.


    --


    Yuno has been speaking to Siesta for the past few minutes notices that something is off as she begins to look around with a serious expression.


    Seeing this, Siesta also begins to examine their surroundings, searching for anything that might''ve made Yuno act like this.


    Soon, Siesta notices something worth of suspicion - the men who were orderly standing in the distance have now split into two groups.


    "Look, over there!" she says hurriedly while pointing at them.


    Yuno quickly looks over at where she pointed before her eyes widen as she raises her arm to form a Sigillum.


    s, before she can do that, a loud sound resounds as a giant projectile isunched and strikes where most men are.


    The next moment, a strange phenomenon urs at the location where the projectile struck, dragging everything nearby toward itself through an unperceivable force, before exploding colorfully.


    With all of this happening in less than three seconds, Yuno is unable toplete her Sigillum as dozens of gems areunched in their direction at a speed exceeding sound itself.

 Chapter 183: Seraphiels Advent ; Despair ; Termination

    Chapter 183: Seraphiel''s Advent ; Despair ; Termination


    A/N:- The meaning of non-english words are written at the end. The dark stuff is not in this chapter.


    -----


    As the gems in the air continue to approach them, Siesta''s expression suddenly turns nk while her eyes change from the originally aqua-blue to a golden.


    Then, at a speed that seems to transcend light itself, Siesta raises her right arm and mutters, "Evorto."


    The next moment, a ray of light shines from her palm before a golden barrier forms right in front of her.


    All the gems that were nearing them run into the barrier before simply disappearing.


    "What" Yuno mutters while looking at the golden barrier with a bewildered expression.


    Siesta ignores her as she dissipates the barrier with a wave of her hand before beginning to walk forward.


    --


    "General! They''re not dead!" a soldier exims.


    "What?" Aldrich voices, clearly confused.


    Like the soldier just said, their enemies had not died. Not only that, but they were beginning to regenerate any limbs they had lost while the smaller injuries were healed a long time ago.


    "What are we even fighting," the general mutters with a horrified expression.


    As they continue to inspect their enemies'' regeneration, the soldiers along with the general notice something unusual.


    A few meters behind the soldiers, there is a ck-haired maid that''s walking in their direction as a golden light epasses both of her arms.


    The maid suddenly looks up, sending a shiver down the general''s spine, despite her being more than a hundred meters away.


    Swallowing his spit, the general exims, "Prepare to shoot again!"


    Hearing his orders, the soldiers get back to maintaining Faule Mette while a group of three men carries another ''cannonball'' over to the giant cannon.


    Soon, a soldier shouts,


    "General, it''s ready!"


    "Fire!" the general immediately responds.


    The next moment, a loud sound resounds as another cluster of gems isunched in Siesta''s direction.


    However, against all the soldiers'' expectations, she simply raises her arm before a bright light shines for a split-second, blinding their eyes.


    Once some soldiers manage to see once again, their expression shifts from expectation to dread as they witness Siesta still walking toward them with the ''cannonball'' being nowhere within sight.


    One of the soldiers tightens his grip on the spear he''s carrying as his expression bes resolute.


    Then, without heeding attention to nothing else, the soldier sprint toward Siesta at his top speed while raising the spear and shouting.


    Just when it seems like the soldier will be able to pierce her body, Siesta raises her arm once again before muttering, "Purgo."


    All of a sudden, the man''s heroic-like voice shifts to a pitiful one of pure agony as his body begins to turn into golden grains before getting blown away by the gentle breeze.


    Unfazed, Siesta continues to move toward the horrified soldiers who are shivering in fear at the sight of the merciless monster approaching them.


    ---1st POV---


    "What are you doing?" Joseph asks in a neutral tone as I slowly approach his daughter.


    "What do you think?" I say without turning around.


    Seeing me approach her, the blue-haired girl''s mind seems toe to a halt.


    Unfortunately, just as I''m about to reach her, a voice resounds within the castle within the room,


    "Isabe, run!"


    Breaking out of her stupor, Joseph''s daughter, Isabe, nces into my eyes before breaking into a run.


    Looking over at the one who broke Isabe out of her stupor, I find a beautiful woman with simr features to Isabe.


    So, that''s her mother, huh?


    A smile forms on my lips as I use Blink to appear right behind the woman and give her a light nudge on the back.


    However, due to the difference in our parameters, the woman gets thrown into the throne room and rolls for a few meters before finally stopping right in front of the throne.


    "Mom!" Isabe screams as she runs over to her, while Joseph has a slightly disturbed look on his face.


    Looks like I was right after all. Time to show this bastard what it''s like to deal with an untouchable enemy.


    Previously, I wasn''t able to outright kill him as that would''ve destabilized this kingdom a lot. Now, however, he can''t do much to me because of the overwhelming gap between our power and abilities.


    Naturally, I won''t let this get to my head, as he could still have another ''surprise'' for me.


    Even so, that won''t prevent me from ''ying'' with his family.


    "Now, now," I say as the smile on my lips grows, "Let''s put on a nice show for Joseph, shall we?"


    Hearing this, Isabe who is kneeling beside her mother to check on her looks over at me and shouts, "Damn you!"


    Feigning a shocked expression, I say,


    "How harsh. Looks like you some disciplining."


    Then, I ignore the series of curses she throws at me as I begin to walk toward her.


    Meanwhile, Joseph has gotten back on his feet and his expression is nowpletely different from the impassive one he had a short while ago.


    Suddenly, a burst of energy gets released from Joseph''s body as the aura he has been exuding tenses.


    Then, Joseph abruptly dashes toward me at a speed that''s higher than what I''m capable of without Godspeed.


    So, I utilize Godspeed to dodge the jab he threw at me before repositioning myself and kicking his shin.


    This results in the sound of bones breaking to reach my ears as his body crashes into the ground.


    "Dad!" Isabe screams once again as tears begin to roll down her cheeks.


    Seeing her in this state, a sense of difort overwhelms my body as AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Berserk: Tormentor deactivated.}


    As if a weight was lifted off my head, I feelfortable energy spreading within my body.


    Checking it out, I am about to sense that it''s my Holy Essence.


    With my thoughts cleared, I look over at the woman whose head is injured for a few seconds before raising my arm and utilizing Healing Factor.


    Seeing my actions, the teary-eyed girl doesn''t know what to make of the situation anymore as she looks at me with a confused expression.


    I look back at her and wink once before turning my body and walking toward Joseph who''s motionlessly lying on the ground.


    "Joseph," I say, "How do you feel?"


    A few seconds pass without him giving me a response, so I utilize Holy sh to cut both of his legs off, earning me a low groan from the stern man.


    "Speak," I say while frowning.


    "Nothing," he replies.


    "Are you sure about that?" I inquire.


    "Yes," he simply responds.


    "So be it," I say before raising my arm to finish him off.


    "Stop!" Isabe shouts, but I decide to ignore her and channel Destruction into my right arm.


    "Wait," Joseph suddenly says, startling me.


    What, does he want me to spare him now?


    "I want to say something to them before you kill me."


    Knowing that he''s referring to Isabe and her mother, I say,


    "Sure. However, make it quick."


    Then, I use telekinesis to move him over to where the mother and daughter duo are before using irvoyance to check how things are outside.


    First, I check on Siesta and Irene, only to find Yuno standing still while watching Siesta as she uses some kind of ability to wipe soldiers out of existence.


    So, this is an application of her Code, huh? As expected, there is no way that ''cleaning'' is her only capability.


    Nevertheless, she doesn''t seem to be inplete control of her power, in fact, I wouldn''t be surprised if she said that she doesn''t remember anything once this is over.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I shift my sight over to where Saturnus and Krul are.


    There, Gabriel and Aruru are helping Krul tie the Binary Factors up using their power of light, while Saturnus is torturing Theodon a few meters away from them.


    From the looks of it, the torture method she''s using is nothing to scoff at, as every time the tip of Saturnus'' strange weapon sinks into Theodon''s body, the pitiful man shouts at the top of his lung.


    "Origo," a voice reaches my ears, causing me to shift my attention back to the small family.


    "Are you done?" I say while looking into Joseph''s eyes.


    The stern man nods head serenely before saying,


    "I hope that you wouldn''t harm them."


    I chuckle a little before saying,


    "And here I was thinking that you hadpletely lost your emotions."


    Letting out a sigh, I move closer to him before asking,


    "Was there really no trap?"


    For the first time, a small smile forms on Joseph''s lips as he says,


    "There was. But I couldn''t activate it."


    Hearing this, several thoughts cross my mind before I look at the mother and daughter duo.


    "Is it because of them?"


    "Yes," he responds before coughing a few times.


    "Well then," I say while raising my arm and channeling Destruction once more, "Do you have any final words, Joseph?"


    Closing his eyes, Joseph remains silent for a few seconds before saying,


    "No."


    Nodding my head, I directly use Termination.


    The next moment, his body begins to break down into minuscule particles before disappearing.


    Silence ensues as neither of us present in the room utter a word for a few minutes before the woman slowly raises her body from the ground and gets back on her feet.


    Looking at her, I immediately notice that she had been crying.


    Before I can say anything to her, the woman coughs twice and looks me in the eyes with resolution.


    Seeing her like this, I sense that something unfortunate is about to ur.


    Hopefully, she won''t ask me to kill her


    "Wales Tu- no, Victor Origo," the woman says, greatly surprising me, "I, Catherine de Gallia, wish to offer you my body and soul."


    "What?"


    ---3rd POV---


    Standing outside the throne room, Irene has a calctive look on her face with a small smile on her lips as she says,


    "Looks like Father''s return is near."


    She looks inside the throne room right at the time Victor asks Joseph if he has anyst words.


    "No," Joseph responds before getting erased from the world, causing the smile on Irene''s lips to grow by a lot.


    "Great," she mutters to herself.


    "Don''t get too excited," a calm voice suddenly reaches Irene''s ears.


    Looking behind herself, Irene finds a girlpletely identical to herself, except for the fact that the girl has white hair and tanned skin, as well as, white irises.


    The air around the girl is tense, to the point that slight cracks seem to appear in the air now and then before they disappear the next moment.


    "What are you doing here, AI?" Irene asks the expressionless girl.


    "Observing," AI responds.


    "You could just observe Father without a physical body, you know?"


    "Not Father," AI replies, "Observing you."


    "Me?" Irene says while raising her brows, "Why would you need to do that?"


    Instead of responding to her inquiry, AI''s body simply fades away, as the tension in the air goes away.


    "How troublesome," Irene mutters before looking back at Victor who now has a bewildered expression while looking into the eyes of Catherine.


    Irene shakes her head a little before adopting a small smile and running inside while shouting,


    "Father!"

 Chapter 184: Info ; Changes ; Loss

    Chapter 184: Info ; Changes ; Loss


    "Your Highness," a voice suddenly reaches my ears while I''m using irvoyance.


    Returning my sight back to my eyes, I look over at the source of the voice, only to find a messenger standing with a respectful look on his face.


    "Speak," I say, curious about the message carried by the courier.


    "Apany of soldiers is marching in the direction of the capital," the courier reports, "They''re estimated to be apany of two hundred men."


    Strange. Why would there be apany marching toward here at this time? A few days have passed since Joseph''s death has been announced, with the consensus being that it was the right thing to do.


    "You may leave," I say to the soldier before thinking about my current situation.


    Shaking my head, I look over at Isabe who''s having her hair done by her mother, Catherine.


    Honestly, I''m still not sure what to do with the duo. First, there is the fact that Catherine seems to be devoted to me for some odd reason.


    No matter how much I asked her, she wouldn''t let me know about her intentions.


    I could''ve searched her memories, but for some reason, whenever I decide to do it, I feel an unsettling sensation in my guts which grows until I throw the idea to the side.


    Naturally, I find this to be worthy of suspicion and worry, however, I can''t think of any method to deal with other than killing Catherine.


    So, I ultimately gave up on finding out for now. After all, her intentions wouldn''t matter much. Even if she is out to kill me, that is quite an impossible feat for an ordinary human like her.


    As such, I decided that it''s fine for the duo to stay with me for the time being until the matters in the kingdom are settled down.


    Letting out a small sigh, I begin thinking of the calling I had previously received.


    {Terminate de Gallia.


    Time-limit: (-)


    tform bound: No.


    Optional Objectives: Inseminate Isabe de Gallia (0/1) | Inseminate Catherine de Gellia (0/1)


    Completion reward: Alchemy (Received)


    Fullpletion reward: +5 in all parameters.}


    --


    Seeing the changes in the calling, I let out a small sigh as I begin to think of the reward upon fullpletion.


    Logically speaking, going through with this is going to be extremely helpful for me, especially when I''ve reached a point where my parameters have stagnated.


    At that time, this reward will be something of great use.


    Despite that, I wouldn''t want to do the deed, intending to receive this award when the timees. Something about that just seems to make me ufortable.


    Anyway, it''s been a while since Ist checked my status properly. I wonder how much has changed


    "Codification." (A/N:- Things that haven''t been changed are mostly left out to keep it short. For the full version, check "MC Character Info".)


    ----------------


    Name: Wales Tudor (Victor Origo)


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 24>>22%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Str: 81>>84[32>>33] (11) | Agi: 76>>78[31] (11) | Dex: 71[28] (11)


    Int: 71>>74[28>>29] (11) | Def: 66>>67[26] (11) | Vit: 66[26] (11)


    ------


    Essence :-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (2/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (5%) | Destruction (2>>3%) | Angelification (??)


    Holy:


    Pdin''s Aura I>>II [V]


    ----------------


    Plunder III [V]:-


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis III [V]


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    Permeation I [III] -|- Location I [III] -|- Hypnotism I [V] -|- Indoctrination I [III] -|- Pyrokinesis


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    Spiritualism I [IV] -|- Insight I [VI] -|- Copse (0%) -|- Thoughtography (1%)


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    Time-Leap (?) {R: 4>>8%} -|- Organic Constructs (1>>3%) -|- Regeneration I [V] -|- Vector Maniption (8>>10%)


    ----------------


    Gandalfr:-


    Mastery (0>>5%)


    ----------------


    Elemental Magic I [V]:-


    Earth (0>>7%) -|- Air (0>>3%) -|- Fire (0>>1%) -|- Void (15%) {1.5x}


    ----------------


    Alchemy:-


    ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ----------------


    Current tform: Sorcerers'' Lair


    ----------------


    As expected, there is quite a number of changes. First, Pdin''s Aura has tiered up.


    --


    -Pdin''s Aura I>>II [V]:


    {Boosts allies'' mentality and strength. Ays chaotic mental states. 40>>50 meters. Low energy consumption.}


    --


    So, not only has the range increased, but there is a new function, huh? I wonder if that was always the case and it just got disyed now


    {That''s not the case.}


    I see. Well, it would''ve been quite something if that really was the case.


    All of a sudden, the door leading to this room is bust open as an energetic Irene runs over into my embrace without uttering a single word.


    For the past few days, this has be something normal for her.


    As shefortablyys in my arms, I sense Catherine ring at me. The reason for it is unclear, but she seems to be ufortable whenever someone acts affectionately with me.


    I''m certain that she holds no feelings for me, which is what makes it even more strange.


    For the past three days, the two of them have been trying to act chummy with me, but it was quite obvious that their actions were forced.


    Of course, I wouldn''t want to do anything with forced feelings, as it''s nothing more than a waste of time.


    For that very reason, I have been doing nothing other than administrating the kingdom while running a search for a proper candidate as a recement for thete king.


    The rest of the girls have been staying in the castle with me, spending their days by either training or apanying me for some sparring.


    The thing that had me worried most was that Ddraig and Tiamat hadn''t appeared even after I had killed Joseph.


    Fortunately, after a day of investigation, it turned out that they were caught up in a rather intense fight with a water spirit in theke.


    Due to the water spirit being virtually immortal and the pride of the two dragons, the battle went on and on with neither of the three being aware of how much time had passed.


    Well, I can''t say I''m surprised that the two dragons have a skewed sense of time.


    Even so, this behavior is uneptable, so I''ve decided to punish them. The punishment has yet to be decided, but it should be something that neither of the two would be able to forget


    Setting that aside, I wonder how Sheffield and Jete are doing. The two of them had both set off two days ago to meet someone that seems to hold a higher status than both of them from the way they referred to her.


    As I doubt that they would try anything against me, I let them go do whatever they want.


    "Victor," I hear a pleasant voice as Yuno enters the room with a bright smile across her lips, "Should I go deal with the soldiersing this way?"


    I take a moment to deliberate on the matter before replying,


    "We aren''t sure if they are enemy forces or allied ones, so I can''t make a decision yet."


    ---3rd POV---


    "How dare you do this?!" a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious attire exims while ring at several soldiers.


    "The princess has determined that your family has betrayed the kingdom. We have been given orders to take over the mansion and confiscate all of your properties."


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man exims in a much louder voice,


    "How impudent! Guards!"


    The next moment, the sound of a loud horn resounds in the ce as numerous footsteps are heard outside before a group of men enters the mansion.


    Seeing them, the middle-aged man smirks and says,


    "You shouldn''t have rushed in here just like this. Did you truly believe that I would let you take everything away just like that? Youmoners have always been so cretinous."


    "I disagree," a voice suddenly resounds within the mansion as an orange-haired woman enters while apanied by six other women.


    "The Musketeer Knights" the middle-aged man mutters to himself.


    "Why are you here? What have we done against the kingdom?" he shouts as beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead.


    "Princess Henrietta has ordered that we bring her the Grimoire of Loss. ording to what we know, it should be within your possession."


    Before the middle-aged man can reply, a loud crashing noise is heard before all the guards that had entered the room per his order fall to the ground.


    Everyone present gets stunned as they look in the direction where the crashing sound came from, only to be met with the sight of a little girl disappearing into thin air.


    Soon, the blonde-haired woman breaks out of her stupor and exims in a strict tone,


    "Don''t falter! Princess Henrietta is counting on us!"

 Chapter 185: Questions ; Tiffania

    Chapter 185: Questions ; Tiffania


    Stepping out of the gateway, I order a few maids to guide Catherine and Isabe to a bedroom, before telling the others that I will be visiting Tiffania.


    On the way there, I run into Lizette who has a joyful expression as she gazes at me.


    "You won," she says after a few seconds pass.


    "Of course," I respond in a confident tone.


    Once again, silence ensues as neither of us knows what to say.


    With each passing second, a strange feeling continues to grow inside me that''s unlike any other I''ve felt before.


    Is it guilt or is it empathy? I am aware that I rarely feel either of those two, making it all the more strange.


    Shaking the thought away, I fixate my gaze on Lizette''s eyes and say,


    "I must get going now. There is a lot that needs to be done."


    Lizette''s expression turns to one of loneliness for a split-second before she beams a smile wider than before as she says,


    "Alright, I won''t hold you back from your responsibilities."


    Hearing this, I nod my head once as I begin walking once again.


    However, before I can take five steps, Lizette''s voice reaches my ears,


    "Are you truly going to be marrying the Crown Princess of Tristain?"


    Stopping in my tracks, I say in a firm tone without looking back,


    "That''s right."


    I wait for her to say what she has on mind, but even after a minute, she doesn''t say anything.


    Looks like she doesn''t have anything else to say.


    Just as I''m about to start walking once again, she asks,


    "You know that she''s your cousin, don''t you?"


    "Yes," I simply reply.


    "Then, what do you think you''re doing?!" she asks, in a slightly shaky tone.


    "What, you say? I''m simply doing what needs to be done," I reply.


    "What about the people? How are you going to let them ept that?" she continues to press.


    "It doesn''t matter," I say in a resolute tone, "Let them think whatever they want. In the end, this is for the betterment of the two kingdoms."


    Or, so I im, but this is nothing more than an opportunity to get much closer to the intriguing princess.


    I''m certain that her reason for suggesting the marriage wasn''t limited to the alliance as well.


    Sensing that I''m not nning on backing down, Lizette lets out a deep sigh before saying,


    "Just be cautious of attracting the attention of troublesome individuals."


    "Troublesome individuals?"


    "Never mind that. Don''t forget that you have a coronation ceremony waiting ahead of you."


    "Got it," I reply before beginning to walk toward Tiffania''s room once again.


    --


    Simr to thest time I was here, I simply open the door and step inside without bothering to knock.


    To my pleasant surprise, Matilda is nowhere to be found while a certain blonde-haired half-elf is in the middle of changing her clothes.


    Sensing my presence, Tiffania, who is wearing nothing other than whiteced panties, looks over at me with an expression of mild shock as she instinctively moves her arm to cover her bountiful breasts.


    Acting as if nothing is wrong, I proceed to walk inside without so much sparing her a nce as while saying,


    "Tiffania, it has been a while since Ist visited you. How have you been doing?"


    Seemingly not expecting my actions, Tiffania stays still in ce without uttering a word for half-a-minute before dazedly replying,


    "Fine."


    "That''s good," I say while walking over to the bed and lying down on it, "Don''t stand there just like that. Get dressed."


    As she breaks out of her stupor and begins to put on her usual attire, I say,


    "Why were you changing your clothes at this time, anyway?"


    Just as she''s about to reply, the door opens as Matilda enters while carrying a few clothes.


    She seems to not notice my presence as she has a confused expression while looking at Tiffania before asking,


    "You''re still changing?"


    Instead of replying to her inquiry, Tiffania turns her head to look at me.


    Following her actions, Matilda sets her sight on me.


    Her expression changing to that of difort, she walks over to a stool nearby and ces the clothes on them before turning around to look at me once again.


    "Why are you here?" she asks in an irritated tone.


    "Why else?" I reply, "I''m here to see if any more progress has been made on the task that I had assigned to my dear cousin."


    In contrast to Matilda''s look of displeasure, Tiffania has a small smile on her lips as her cheeks turn a little red.


    "So?" I say while lifting my body from the bed, "Did you find anything?"


    "Yes," Tiffania replies before scurrying over to a drawer beside the bed and opening it, revealing the Grimoire of Truth that''s inside it.


    She grabs the Grimoire before making her way to the bed and opening it, only to reveal several glowing runes that I seem to have seen before.


    When and where did I see these runes? Not only do I find them familiar, but I feel like they''re drawing me in.


    "This is an illumination spell," Tiffania begins exining, "However, it wouldn''t work no matter how I tried to."


    "What do you mean?" I ask, not sure about what she means regarding it ''not working''.


    "The spell activates," Tiffania replies, "But, nothing happens. It''s like I can''t see the spell itself."


    "You mean that it doesn''t do what it''s supposed to, say, illuminate a dark corridor?"


    "Correct," she responds.


    Strange. Why would it be listed in the Grimoire if it doesn''t work? Could this be one of the reasons that the worth of the Grimoire is undervalued?


    No, that can''t be it. Only Tiffania should be able to figure the contents out. At least, that''s what I believe to be the case.


    So, there must be something that we''re missing.


    The only thing that I can think of is the other Grimoire - the Grimoire of Loss.


    That one is currently being held by another noble family. Just thinking about paying another visit to a noble house exhausts me.


    "Wales?" a sweet voice calls out to me, putting a halt to my train of thoughts.


    Beaming her a smile, I proceed to ce my left hand on Tiffania''s head and gently rub it while saying,


    "Good work, Tiffa. I believe that the reason the spell isn''t working properly is that the other Grimoire is required."


    Upon hearing me call her by the nickname I set for her, Tiffa''s already slightly reddened cheeks flush even further.


    As for her response to thetter part of my statement, she says,


    "That''s what I thought was the case as well."


    I continue to pat her head before saying in a serene tone,


    "Tiffa, there is something that I must tell you."


    Sensing that my tone is different from before, Tiffa''s body stiffens as she asks in a slightly gloomy tone,


    "It''s about the townspeople, right?"


    "You know of it?"


    "That''s right," Matilda intrudes on the conversation, "She knows about most of it from the words that have circted the castle regarding what urred in the Kingdom of Gallia."


    Seeing Tiffa''s mood worsen, I shift my hand to her shoulder and pull her to myself before embracing her and saying,


    "It''s unfortunate that I couldn''t save them all."


    Seeing us like this, Matilda rolls her eyes before she slowly walks out of the room.


    --


    Despite having stayed in this position for the past ten minutes, Tiffa has yet to attempt breaking the hug.


    Don''t tell me she fell asleep


    With this notion in mind, I move my head to look at her face, only to find her teary-eyed with a sorrowful expression.


    Somehow, this makes me feel ufortable, as, for some reason, I can''t imagine myself caring this much about the lives of a few people that I barely knew.


    Tiffa either interacted with them more than I believed her to have, or she simply is a verypassionate girl.


    Shaking my head a little, I move my head closer to hers and abruptly kiss her lips before she can make sense of what''s happening.


    Tightening my hold on her body, I continue to kiss her while holding her dainty hand.


    After a while, I finally stop kissing her and let go of her, only to reveal a stupefied Tiffa who still doesn''t seem to be aware of what just happened.


    Finding this somewhat funny, I chuckle a little which causes her to break out of her stupor and look at me with a baffled expression.


    "Wha-" she opens her mouth to say something, but I prevent her from finishing the first word by swiftly locking lips with her once again, however, this time I insert my tongue into her mouth and begin ying around with her tongue.


    I keep this up for ten seconds before breaking the kiss and moving my head back to take a look at her face.


    Unexpectedly, Tiffa has a purely euphoric expression her face as if she just experienced the pleasurable thing ever.


    What a peculiar girl


    Shrugging my shoulders, I give Tiffa onest kiss before moving her body so that she''s properly lying on the bed.


    I rub her pointy ear for a few seconds before getting up from the bed and heading outside, intending to meet up with Siesta.

 Chapter 186: Bad Advice ; Rude Courier ; Horrible First Usage

    Chapter 186: Bad Advice ; Rude Courier ; Horrible First Usage


    "Siesta!" I call out to the dazed girl for the third time, this time much louder than before.


    Startled, Siesta''s body jolts as she quickly looks around only to stop once she''s set her sight on me.


    "Master?" she says in a somewhat confused tone.


    "As I had suspected, there truly is something wrong with you," I say while taking a seat beside her on the sofa.


    "What happened to you a few days ago?" I inquire while looking into her eyes.


    She looks away from before adopting a befuddled expression as she says,


    "I don''t know."


    "Don''t give me that. Tell me, what is it that is bothering you? Perhaps, I can help you with it."


    "It''s not that I don''t want to tell you," she exins, "But, I honestly don''t know."


    She turns her head to look at me and says,


    "All I remember from that day is that the enemy brought out a cannon and shot it at the soldiers."


    Strange. She ims that she doesn''t remember anything, yet here she is, sitting with an expression suggesting that she''s lost.


    "I just feel ufortable," she says while looking down at the ground.


    She''s ufortable, huh? I assume that''s because she still hasn''t been able to digest the fact that she ''erased'' a good number of soldiers.


    cing my hand atop her head, I gently rub it while whispering,


    "You don''t need to feel bad about the lives of a few miserable creatures."


    Sensing that I might''ve worded that a little weirdly, I hurriedly say,


    "Look, you saw what they did to the innocent, right? So, there is no need to feel any empathy for such people."


    Siesta closes her eyes and doesn''t say anything.


    After a few minutes, she opens her eyes as a smile forms on her lips before she chuckles and says,


    "Master, you''re awful at giving advice."


    "Yes, I''m aware of that," I wryly reply while scratching the back of my head.


    As long as she feels better, I''ve achieved my aim, no matter the method.


    [Father, a courier has arrived, iming to have brought a letter from the Crown Princess of Tristain.]


    Hearing Gabriel''s report, I mutter,


    "Alright. I''ll be with you shortly."


    Sensing my actions, Siesta looks at me with a confused expression, so I exin to her what just urred.


    "So, Master can hear their voices no matter how far they are?" Siesta asks with a stupefied expression on her face.


    "Yes," I reply, "Is it that surprising despite knowing everything else that we''re capable of doing?"


    "Yes," she directly responds.


    I can''t understand what she''s thinking I mean, I don''t think that long-distance telepathy is that impressivepared to our other abilities.


    Well, I will discuss this matter with her some other time. For now, I should head over and see what this courier has for me.


    Having resolved my intentions, I move closer to Siesta and startle her by lightly kissing her cheek.


    Then, I get up and say,


    "I should get going now. Take care of yourself, will you?"


    "Yes, Master," she replies as her face gets covered in a red hue.


    ---


    "Gabriel?" I say once I''ve stepped out of the teleportation gateway I created to get here.


    I look around the room and find no one else, so I directly walk over and embrace Gabriel''s soft body.


    An incredibly warm feeling spreads inside me as Gabriel hugs me back.


    The two of us stay like this for a few seconds before I break the hug and say,


    "Where is the courier?"


    "Outside," she simply replies.


    "Outside?" I repeat, confused.


    "Yes," Gabriel responds, "The courier was being rude."


    Hearing this, the blood in my veins seem to turn cold as I ask,


    "How?"


    "They would lecherously look at my body despite me forbidding them from doing so," Gabriel says in a beat tone.


    Oh, I see...


    Using irvoyance, I check outside the room we''re in, only to find a ck-haired man that seems to be in his early twenties standing with his back to the wall.


    I telekically open the door and say in a voice loud enough for him to hear,


    "Get inside."


    The man is surprised as he looks inside with a disbelieving expression.


    "How did he get here," I hear him mutter to himself in a doubtful tone while looking around the room.


    The room we''re currently in closely resembles an office due to the presence of a somewhatrge desk, as well as, several documents lying all around the room.


    All in all, there is nothing worth of ''suspicion'' in this room, hence, the courier''s reaction to my sudden appearance.


    Seeing that he hase inside, I telekically shut the door behind me with enough force to cause a loud bang, which causes the courier to jump while letting out a small scream.


    Beside me, Gabriel giggles a little while using her hand to cover her mouth.


    "I''ve brought a letter to His Highness, Crown Prince Wales Tudor," the courier says while sending asional nces at Gabriel.


    Gift:


    -Immortality.


    Using telekinesis, I directly pull the courier to myself before piercing both of his eyes using my fingers.


    This ultimately earns me an agonized scream from the disrespectful grub.


    Normally, this would''ve been the end of it, but this guy had been acting quite crudely despite knowing my status.


    As I think of what I could do to him, a strange sensation appears inside me as my thoughts focus on the new ability I had received.


    I look down at the courier who is now on the ground with a confused and terrified expression as he keeps touching his now-regenerated eyes.


    Well then, time to see what this power of mine is


    cing my hand on top of the courier''s head, I use telekinesis as I begin to focus on my ability - Alchemy.


    {Alchemy: Corporikinesis discovered.}


    The moment AI''s voice reaches my head, I feel the strange sensation go away as my sight suddenly changes.


    All colors seem to get washed away as I begin seeing through walls and any other thing within the vicinity.


    The most intriguing thing is that there are still some colors left. These turned out to be the interior workings of the courier''s physical body.


    Interestingly, depending on how I focus my sight on his body, the colors either go away or return.


    I wonder if it''s possible to focus on a single thing


    With that notion in mind, I focus on the blood flowing in the courier''s body, which as expected, causes all the other colors to go away, leaving me with nothing but blood-red.


    The smile on my lips grows as I focus on the blood, intending to reverse its flow.


    This results in several other colors to return, indicating that I have to change more than one property for that to happen.


    As if my actions are guided by a mysterious energy, I achieve my objective after a short while.


    Disabling Alchemy, I look over at the courier who has an odd look on his face.


    Even after a few seconds, the courier doesn''t react in any meaningful way.


    Isn''t something supposed to happen?


    The moment the thought of the ability having failed crosses my mind, the courier lifts arms and begins to hold his chest with one hand, while holding his throat with the other.


    Sweat begins to form on his forehead as his breathing begins destabilizing.


    "Father, what has be of him?" Gabriel all of a sudden asks with a curious glint in her eyes.


    "Nothing much," I reply, "Just reversed the blood flow in his body."


    As a response to my words, Gabriel nods her head once as she continues to watch the courier who his now lying on the ground while coughing dryly as small streaks of blood flow out of his mouth.


    Soon enough, he begins to shout extremely loudly as blood continues to flow out of his mouth.


    This goes on for dozens of seconds before the door to the office is abruptly opened and a group of guards enters the room.


    The guards immediately stop in their tracks with a confused expression as they see me unharmed while a man covered in blood is writhing on the ground and shouting like there is no tomorrow.


    "Your Highness?" one of the guards voices after a few seconds.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "This man was being rather impetuous, so I took it upon myself to punish him."


    Hearing my words, the men guards look down at the man as a glint of fear appears in their eyes for a split-second.


    "You may leave," I say while walking toward the courier.


    Without any hesitation, the guards immediately leave the room and close the door behind themselves.


    "M-ma-ke i-i-t s-s-top!" the courier shouts something that I can barely understand.


    Seeing that he has seemingly been punished enough, I use my ability to undo all the changes I had made to his body, which should theoretically stop his agony.


    Unexpectedly, the pain persists for a while as his temporary immortality begins to heal the damages done to his body.


    Shortly after that, the courier gets up before kneeling and offering me the letter, not daring to utter a single word.


    Now then, I wonder what''s this letter all about

 Chapter 187: Promise ; Awkward

    Chapter 187: Promise ; Awkward


    Ignoring the shivering man who is still on his knees, I open the envelope and pull the letter out.


    As expected, I am unable to make out the contents due to my understanding of thenguage being limited.


    Naturally, I don''t let that affect me in any way as I raise my head before saying in a firm tone,


    "Stay here."


    Seeing the man cower in fear upon hearing mymand, I nod my head once before teleporting to the room I was in before arriving here.


    As I step out of the gateway, I look over at Siesta who is also looking at me with an expression of confusion while mine is somewhat impassive.


    Siesta takes a moment to scrutinize me, and upon setting her sight on the letter, an expression of realization appears on her face as she beams a smile and walks over.


    I hand over the letter to her before taking a seat on a chair I casually create.


    "This" Siesta says while looking at the contents of the letter as her brows furrow.


    "What''s wrong?" I say, curious about what it is that has elicited such a reaction from her.


    "The letter mostly consists of pleasantries toward Master from the princess of Tristain. In short, she wishes to meet Master and gift you something."


    "Gift me something?" I say, perturbed by the content of the letter.


    "That''s what''s written," Siesta says.


    Gift? What kind of gift requires my presence? Could this be an excuse to meet up with me? As narcissistic as it may sound, that just might be the case.


    "Siesta, I need you to write a response to this letter. Tell the sender that I will be arriving tomorrow at dusk."


    "Understood," Siesta responds before adopting a thoughtful and saying,


    "But, I don''t have anything to write that on."


    Hearing this, I create everything she would most likely require before leaning back and waiting for her to get it done.


    After a short while, Siesta hands me a letter and says,


    "I''ve initiated the usual the nobility speak in the letter to keep it formal."


    "That''s great," I say before cing the letter into an envelope that I just created and making sure that it''s ready for delivery.


    "Thank you, Siesta," I say while beaming her a smile.


    As a response to my actions, Siesta beams a smile of hers as she says,


    "I''m d that I could be of use to Master."


    Hearing this, I issue a light chuckle before approaching her for a short embrace thatsted no more than five seconds.


    Backing away from her a little, I prepare a gateway back to the ''office'' while saying,


    "Of course. Make sure to not overdo yourself."


    Finding myself back in the ''office'', I immediately say,


    "Get up."


    Hearing my words, the terrified courier gets up from the ground with his head lowered.


    "Hand this over to the Crown Princess," I say while offering him the letter.


    Then, I use Pyrokinesis to generate a small me at the tip of my finger and move it close to his face before saying in a cold tone,


    "I don''t need to tell you about the consequences of failing to do so, now, do I?"


    The courier instantly begins shaking his head with all the energy he can muster before saying,


    "I know what to do."


    "Good. You may leave now," I say.


    The courier proceeds to carefully take the letter off my hands and hurriedly leave the room without looking back even once.


    "Thank you, Father," Gabriel says all of a sudden.


    "What for? Protecting my daughter''s pride? That''s what a proper father is supposed to do, is it not?"


    Upon saying what needed to be said, I move closer to Gabriel and pull her toward myself before looking into her enchanting eyes.


    We stay in this position for a few seconds before the two of us gradually close in the gap between our lips and begin the first passionate kiss of the many toe - or, that would be the case if not for the peeping tom in front of the door.


    Breaking the kiss, I turn my head in the direction of the door before saying in a rebuking tone,


    "Enjoying the show, Aruru?"


    The moment my words fade off, a small figure rushes inside the room and directly leaps into my embrace.


    I catch her from the air and look into her curious eyes as she says,


    "It''s not fair!"


    "Huh?" I voice, a little startled by her words.


    "I want to spend time with Father too!"


    Letting out a sigh, I say,


    "I know that I should spend more time with you. So, how about we go visit the capital we ''liberated'' sometime?"


    Hearing my suggestion, Aruru nods her small head a few times before leaving my embrace and saying,


    "Promise?"


    "Promise," I say while patting her head.


    Well, I will have to go back there sometime to observe the state of affairs. Having somepany when I do so wouldn''t hurt.


    ---


    "Now, I wonder where she is," I subconsciously mutter as I make use of irvoyance to search for Henrietta''s location.


    Soon, I find her. She''s currently standing in front of a body-sized mirror in her room and inspecting her attire.


    From the small hill of clothes behind her on the bed, I can tell that she''s been doing this for a while now.


    Shaking my head, I begin walking toward the room, curious about how she''ll react to my abrupt appearance.


    After a short while, I find myself standing right in front of her door, while she''s changing to yet another attire.


    I wait for her to get it on before knocking on the door a few times.


    "Who is it?" a voicees from inside.


    "Your dear cousin," I bluntly respond.


    Silence ensues as Henrietta freezes up for a few seconds before she hurriedly begins to fix her appearance up.


    She then intends to walk over to the door and open it, however, she realizes the state her room is in as she says,


    "Give me a moment."


    I continue to observe her panicked state as she uses wind magic to shove the dresses into her wardrobe.


    Having ''fixed'' everything up, Henrietta swiftly walks over to the door before adopting a small smile and opening it.


    Upon seeing me, her smile grows as she says in a cheerful tone,


    "Wales! I didn''t expect you''d visit me this early."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I reply,


    "I just wanted to see as soon as possible."


    The smile growing even further, Henrietta leads me inside while saying,


    "This is my room."


    Halfway inside, Henrietta suddenly stops and turns around with an odd expression as she asks,


    "How did you know I was here?"


    "I sensed that you were here," I respond, deciding to be honest.


    Henrietta stares at me for a few seconds before walking toward the bed where she previously had put the clothes.


    She takes a seat on the bed, and I follow suit, finding no issue with sitting on her side.


    Henrietta adopts a mildly surprised look on her face as she raises her brows before returning to normal a few secondster.


    "I will get straight to the point," Henrietta says before straightening her back and preparing to exin her reason for calling me here.


    "There is no need for that," I say, surprising her yet again, "We can take our time."


    As a response to this, Henrietta shows me the brightest smile I''ve seen on her face until now.


    Unfortunately, the smile on her face freezes the next moment, as the wardrobe in her room abruptly bursts open, bringing with it a small avnche of luxuriant dresses.

 Chapter 188: Grimoire of Loss ; Change

    Chapter 188: Grimoire of Loss ; Change


    Before Henrietta can properly react, I telekically arrange the dresses before neatly cing them back inside the wardrobe.


    Then, I turn my head to face Henrietta and say in a calm tone while ignoring her stupefied expression,


    "I hope you have been doing well these past few days."


    As a response to my words, Henrietta immediately breaks out of her stupor and says,


    "Yes, I have been fine."


    "Good," I casually say before shifting my sight to a desk that has quite a few documents on it, reminding me about the matter regarding the nobles.


    "Say, have the nobles been causing any trouble for you?"


    "Ah," Henrietta says, "That''s rted to the reason I called you over for."


    Oh? Could there have been some that actually had the gall to cause trouble?


    Anyway, Henrietta said that she wished to gift me something, so I wonder how the noble families are rted to that.


    Unless


    "Henrietta, have you gotten your hand on the Grimoire of Loss?" I say, startling her quite a bit.


    After all, that''s the only possible scenario I can think of which consists of Henrietta being able to gift me something rted to nobles.


    "That''s right," Henrietta says while beaming a smile, "How did you know?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I reply,


    "It was rather obvious."


    Before she can say anything else, I inquire,


    "What about the nobles who decided to ''aid'' me in my conquest against Gallia? Those personal armies of theirs. Have they been called back already?"


    "Unfortunately, no," Henrietta responds with a serious expression, "From the looks of it, they wish to have a part of the ''reward''."


    Understanding what she''s getting at, I say,


    "They want somend for themselves, huh?"


    Well, I expected things to turn out like this, so I already have a way to deal with this issue.


    "That''s not it," Henrietta says, surprising me, "They all wish to hold an audience with you."


    Huh? Why?


    "And what''s the reason for that?"


    "I don''t know," Henrietta says, "But, I specte that they want to establish some kind of connection with you."


    Ah, that would make sense. However, the problematic part of this would be what kind of connection they wish to establish.


    Taking into consideration how troublesome nobles are, there is something that needs to be done quickly.


    "Henrietta," I say while adopting a serious expression, "Let''s hurry up and get married."


    Stunned, Henrietta hastily says,


    "Where did thate from?"


    However, the next moment, realization seems to dawn upon her as her expression turns serious before she mutters,


    "Marriage proposals."


    "That''s right," I say, "They will most likely attempt to arrange a marriage between me and a daughter of theirs. If I were a king, this would be neigh-impossible to achieve, but I''ve yet to be crowned as one"


    No wonder that they ''helped'' me in the war so early on. What they did was reasonably risky, as, at any time, there could''ve been a counterattack from Gallia.


    Due to their armies being stationed near the border, they would''ve been the one to suffer the most.


    Well, since they''ve gone ahead and ''nned'' all this, it wouldn''t hurt to humor them a little.


    "Forget all that," I say, "Where is the Grimoire?"


    Hearing me, Henrietta gets up from the bed and walks over to the wardrobe.


    She opens it and inserts her hand inside before beginning to move it around in an odd manner.


    Before I can question her actions, a clicking sound reaches my ears as a square at the back of the wardrobe opens, revealing numerous interesting things.


    A few secondster, Henrietta takes out a ck book before fixing everything up and walking back to the bed.


    "Here," she says while offering me the book.


    Taking the Grimoire into my hands, I open it, only to find a series of clear pages.


    I check from one end of the book to the other before saying,


    "It''s nk"


    Perhaps, sensing the doubt in my voice, Henrietta exins,


    "The ones I had assigned to the mission of retrieving the Grimoire were suspicious of this really being the real thing, so they tor- interrogated the viscount that was keeping it.


    "Despite that, the viscount insisted on this being the Grimoire. As I thought, it truly is fake, right?"


    I take a moment to deliberate on the matter before a notion appeared in my head.


    Thest Grimoire was simr to this one in ''uselessness'', so this may actually be the real Grimoire of Truth.


    "Are you keeping an eye on the viscount?"


    "Yes. In fact, he''s staying in the castle right now."


    "I see," I say.


    Well then, now that I know he won''t be going anywhere, I can take this Grimoire back to Tiffa.


    However


    I turn my head to look at Henrietta who''s currently dressed in a marvelous violet dress.


    The front of the dress is a v-cut, making a part of her cleavage visible.


    Due to the way the dress has been designed, it does a great job ofplimenting Henrietta''s figure.


    "Wales?" Henrietta''s voice reaches my ears, causing me to shift my sight to her face, only to find it covered in a red flush.


    "Does it look good?" she asks me in a demure tone that''s very unlike her usual self.


    "Great," I say while grinning, "It suits you very well."


    Just when it seems like her joy will reach its peak, Henrietta''s mood seems to dete as she asks,


    "You will don''t remember anything, do you?"


    I slowly shake my head and say,


    "Nothing at all. As unfortunate as it may be, but I feel like this isn''t going to change anytime soon."


    Hearing my bluntly state the truth, Henrietta''s mood worsens as she looks down at the ground with a perplexed look on her face.


    This goes on for a few minutes before Henrietta raises her head with a resolute expression as she says,


    "Then, Victor, was it?"


    "Correct."


    "Please take care of me from now on."


    Oh? Looks like she has resolved herself to settling with me despite being aware that Wales Tudor and I are different people.


    Now that I think about it, what has be of Yu Otosaka and Wales Tudor? I''m rather curious to know about that.


    AI, do you know the answer to that?


    {Negative.}


    Well, I expected as much.


    Shaking my head to ward off such thoughts, I look Henrietta in the eyes and say in a firm tone,


    "You can always count on me."


    With the two of us reaching a consensus, I slowly move closer to her and pull her into an embrace.


    Feeling the softness of the fabric, I''m reminded that this young girl is soon going to be the queen of this kingdom. Not only that, but she will be my wife as well.


    The whole thing seems so unusual.


    ---


    As I make my way to Tiffa''s room, I sense that there seems to be something different about the air.


    It feels much fresher than before for some reason. Normally, this wouldn''t be something to be concerned about, but for it to happen so suddenly couldn''t be normal.


    I can only hope that it isn''t a sign of more troublesome things to deal with

 Chapter 189: Story ; Friendly Battle

    Chapter 189: Story ; Friendly Battle


    Sensing no danger from the abrupt change in the atmosphere, I let it be and continue walking to Tiffa''s room.


    As usual, I directly open the door and walk inside.


    "You''re here again" Matilda who is seated on a stool says with exasperation upon noticing me.


    Ignoring her, I focus my sight on Tiffa who seems to be in the middle of casting some spell.


    I wonder if the spell is a normal one or one from the Grimoire.


    Deciding that it wouldn''t hurt to wait a little longer, I observe Tiffa as she moves her hands around in a somewhat odd gesture while whispering some words that I can''t recognize.


    After a few minutes, Tiffa stops before looking in front of her with an expectant expression, only to let out a sigh shortly after nothing happens.


    "Tiffa," I call out to her with a vibrant smile on my lips.


    She gets startled by my voice as she looks over with a slightly shocked expression.


    Upon realizing that it''s me, she beams a smile and walks over to me before asking,


    "When did you get here?"


    "Right before you failed in casting a spell," I casually respond.


    Hearing my statement, Tiffa''s cheek redden a little as she hastily says,


    "That was not my fault! It''s the spell that failed not me!"


    Seeing her trying so hard to fix the ''misunderstanding'', I am unable to hold back fromughing.


    Shortly, I stopughing and look into Tiffa''s eyes and say in a serene tone,


    "I''ve gotten the other Grimoire, or, what I hope is the Grimoire."


    "Really?" she says, strangely excited.


    "Yes," I reply before pulling the Grimoire out of my storage ring.


    Unfazed by the sight of a book appearing out of nowhere, Tiffa grabs the book and examines the covers before opening it and doing a quick scan of the pages in the book.


    Just as I''m about to ask her about the credibility of the book, Tiffa closes it and ces her palm against one side of the cover and mutters a series of peculiar words.


    The next moment, the book in her hand seems to shine as a golden symbol appears on the cover on each side.


    "I knew it," Tiffa mutters.


    Intrigued, I say,


    "Open it."


    Doing as I told her to, Tiffa opens the Grimoire, revealing a series of pages filled to the brim with scribbles and symbols.


    Before I can tell her anything, Tiffa swiftly closes the book and rushes to the drawer where she keeps the other Grimoire.


    Taking it out, she opens both Grimoires and ces them right beside another with excitement apparent on her face.


    How odd Why is she getting so excited over this?


    "Tiffa," I say while walking over to her, "You seem to be enjoying this quite a bit."


    "Ah," Tiffa says before looking up from the Grimoires and exining, "Besides the spells written in the book, there is also a story being told."


    "A story?" I ask, perplexed over the need for a story in a Grimoire.


    "Yes," Tiffa says, "The story talks about four gods who were living among the mortals of a world. In the beginning, the four gods were worshiped and respected, however, one day, the humans managed to find out that one of the four gods had brought chaos upon the world.


    "Filled with resentment and fury, the mortals wished to stand up against that god. Unfortunately, the chaotic god had already disappeared along with two of the other gods, never to be seen again."


    What a strange story.


    "So, what happened next? I assume that what you read was the first part that was written in the Grimoire of Truth."


    "Right," Tiffa says, "Based on the way the first one ended, there should be more to the story, but I''m unable to find it in neither of the two Grimoires."


    "I see," I simply say.


    This story Could it be a real one? If so, then who is the one who inscribed it? Who were the four gods? Why did they disappear?


    There is a lot that needs further exnation, however, it seems like I won''t be getting one anytime soon.


    Anyway, ording to the story, one of the gods remained. Why is that, I wonder?


    Were they not getting along or was there something forcing the god from staying? Either way, there must be more to the story than what the writer is letting on.


    ---


    As I walk in the corridors of the castle, I overhear two guards speaking about an intense fight between a dragon and a teenaged girl.


    The dragon should be Tiamat, however, who is one she''s fighting against?


    I take a few seconds to think about it before concluding that her opponent should be none other than Saturnus.


    Curious about this matter, I use irvoyance to check outside the castle, only to find the giant figure of a dragon battling against a much smaller figure of a girl.


    What''s strange is that the one that seems to have the upper hand in the battle is Saturnus, not Tiamat.


    Deciding that it''s worthwhile to check the battle out, I directly form a gateway connected to somewhere near their location and cross through it.


    The moment I appear in the air, floating through the use of Flight, a plethora of spectators whom I hadn''t noticed while using irvoyance begin cheering loudly.


    Tiamat and Saturnus who are mid-battle both stop and look over in my direction.


    The next moment, the two of them look at one another and nod once before Saturnus pierces the ground using her unusual weapon and releases a burst of energy that propels her into the sky.


    Tiamat who had been staying in one location right above moves her head so that Saturnusnds right on top of it.


    Then, Tiamat ps her gigantic wings with enough force to blow the field under her away.


    Fortunately, the spectators are all quite a distance away, so no one is hurt.


    Shaking my head, I look over at the approaching dragon and overly excited Saturnus before utilizing Godspeed.


    The next moment, I find myself right in front of Saturnus, ready to punch her off Tiamat, however, she unexpectedly has her weapon pointed at my stomach with the distance between the tip and my body being almost nonexistent.


    Before I can use Vector Maniption, a burst of energy escapes from the weapon andunches me back a dozen or so meters as I feel extreme pain all over my body.


    Ignoring the pain, I focus my sight on Saturnus who''s currently standing on Tiamat''s back with a smug look on her face.


    Looks like I have been underestimating Saturnus


    Shaking my head, I look down at my bloody body, only to find it regenerating at a rate much slower than normal.


    "What the heck is that energy," I subconsciously mutter while thinking about the weapon that odd weapon that Saturnus carries around.


    Suddenly, a shiver runs down my spine as a suffocating feeling overwhelms me.


    Looking up, I find Tiamat right in front of me in her human form with her arm pulled back in preparation for a punch.


    However, for some reason, she''s moving extremely slowly.


    Taking advantage of that I dodge her punch by moving to the side before preparing to kick her back.


    All of a sudden, I feel intense on my back as a burst of energy is released into my body, forcing me to grunt due to the intense pain.


    Knowing that I''m in a bad situation, I directly use Blink to move as far as I can before looking back at where I previously was, only to find Tiamat who''s already back in her draconic form while Saturnus is on her back, spinning her weapon around.


    Having gotten off-guard twice, I keep my attention on the two while taking a quick look at the state of my body.


    From what I''m able to sense, my physical capabilities have somewhat gone down from these two exchanges.


    {Correct.}


    AI''s voice startles me, but I quickly recollect myself and think if it''s possible to know how drastic is the effect on my capabilities.


    {All parameters have decreased by 20.}


    Fuck. Seriously, what is that damned energy?!


    I take a moment to calm myself down before looking down at my body once again as a notion appears in my mind.


    Deciding that it''s worth a try, I begin to make use of corporikensis to examine my internal organs, only to find them covered in the strange energy while my Code is attempting to expel it.


    cing my palm against my chest, I begin to extract the energy out, albeit at a slow speed.


    Realizing that this will take some time, I create an Illusion before teleporting away, making it seem like I''m just motionlessly floating in my position.


    Taking the bait, Tiamat flies over at an extreme speed toward the illusion as I continue to extract the foreign energy in my body.


    All of a sudden, I feel another shiver down my spine, causing me to swiftly move to the side, just in time to avoid being pierced by the ursed weapon that belongs to Saturnus.


    Seeing her attack miss, Saturnus looks into my eyes and beams me a smile as she moves falls toward the ground due to her inability to fly.


    I should just start making use of my Effects.


    As such, I begin to utilize Holy sh to send a wave of light right toward Saturnus.


    Hopefully, she won''t get destroyed by this


    Such worry is rendered pointless as Saturnus simply lifts her weapon so that the tip of it is pointed at the light wave.


    Once the twoe into contact, a strange phenomenon happens, as the light wave turns into smaller motes of light before inevitably disappearing without so much scratching Saturnus or her weapon.


    Seeing this, I remember Saturnus'' statement when we encountered Theodon in front of the castle in Gallia.


    ''After all, this was what I was created for'', is what she said. Did she mean that she was made to take Codes down or was she referring to something else?


    Either way, I can''t let my guard down.


    So, I guess it''s bad to hold back.


    Ittou Shura.


    Right after I activate the ability, my senses are immediately enhanced as my power multiplies.


    Using my enhanced speedbined with Godspeed, I appear right behind Saturnus and kick her back.


    The kick sessfully contacts her back, causing her to getunched into the air at an extreme speed.


    I crouch down before leaping into the air with just enough speed to catch up with her.


    Surprisingly, Saturnus'' body doesn''t seem to be damaged at all as she swiftly turns her body along with her weapon.


    Unfortunately for her, my stats current state makes it neigh-impossible to be struck by such an attack.


    Just as I''m about to counter-attack, I sense Tiamat approaching me from behind while preparing to release mes from her mouth.


    Letting out a small sigh, I mutter,


    "Deification."


    ---


    Teleporting to the lounging room in my castle, I ce Tiamat on a sofa before taking a seat on it.


    Saturnus takes a seat on another sofa with a small smile on her face.


    "You seem like you enjoyed yourself," I remark.


    "Of course!" Saturnus exims, "It had been such a long time since I''ve fought the Creator."


    "We used to do this before?"


    "Yes! The Creator would always personally keep track of our progress."


    "Progress?" I say, "What was the aim?"


    "Ah," Saturnus says, "Creating the perfect AI."


    "Oh? What for?"


    "Creator never said anything about that," she replies.


    Creating the perfect AI, huh? I wonder what my real aim had been at that time.


    From the visions I have seen so far regarding the past, I was obviously developing something major.


    I wonder if the ''Alpha'' and ''Beta'' angels were part of my research as well...


    Anyway, I''m somewhat relieved to know that Saturnus is this powerful. Her speed and strength aside, she can seemingly calcte future attacks and wlessly dodge or counterattack them.


    Once the battle had been over, I asked her something that had been bugging me a little: How did she see past the illusion.


    As I had expected, Saturnus simply stated that she''spletely immune to illusions.


    Shaking my head, I intone,


    "Codification."


    -----


    Str: 84>>86[33>>34] (11) | Agi: 78>>79[31] (11) | Dex: 71[28] (11)


    Int: 74[29] (11) | Def: 67>>70[26>>27] (11) | Vit: 66>>68[26] (11)


    ------


    Seeing the changes brought from fighting against the two girls, afortable feeling spreads within me.


    I look over at Tiamat who''s quietly lying on the sofa before forcefully pulling her along with myself as I mutter,


    "Arena."

 Chapter 190: Teasing ; Urgent

    Chapter 190: Teasing ; Urgent


    "Are you ready?" I question while adopting a serious expression.


    "Yes," Tiamat responds while entering a defensive stance.


    "Here goes nothing," I say before activating time-stop and moving behind her.


    Deactivating the ability, I proceed to kiss Tiamat''s nape. This earns me a swift punch being thrown at my face, which I easily dodge by shifting my head to the side.


    Tiamat seems like she wants to continue the attack by throwing multiple jabs at me, so I immediately create a reflective barrier between us.


    Due to the properties of Vector Maniption, seeing or sensing the ''non-existent'' barrier is impossible, so, Tiamat is unaware of the repercussions of throwing a punch containing all her strength.


    As a result, I bear witness to the sight of Tiamat losing her footing from the recoil of her punch.


    Taking advantage of this given opportunity, I step forward, intending to sweep her off her feet by kicking her left shin.


    To my pleasant surprise, Tiamat efficiently blocks the attack, despite the difference in our parameters, as well as, my advantage.


    "You could at least try to change your pattern," Tiamat grunts before mming her foot into the ground with enough force to crack the ground and destabilize me.


    This is bad. I need to retreat for now.


    Thus, I proceed to form an Illusion of myself before stepping back a few times, just in time to avoid a lethal kick to my guts.


    That attack just now had a high chance of seeding. The reason for that is because a slight amount of surprise could dissipate my focus, which essential for my usage of Vector Maniption.


    Every time I am ''punishing'' Tiamat by facing her off in a battle, one of my goals is to strengthen my mental fortitude to the point of no longer being surprised by anything.


    Well, my main goal is to tease Tiamat in various ways, but, hey, even that works out in my favor, as Tiamat would always respond very swiftly to my teasing.


    I''m aware that most of my poweres from my parameters and abilities instead of actual fighting experience. However, that doesn''t matter in the least, as long as I''m able to achieve my goals.


    "Ha!" Tiamat shouts as she appears in front of me, ready to punch my guts.


    As a response to her attack, I slightly move to the side and use my left to redirect the punch to another direction while using my right hand to cop a feeling of Tiamat''s wonderful breasts.


    All of a sudden, I feel a twinge of sharp pain on my back as I take notice of a scaly blue tail protruding from Tiamat''s back.


    The next moment, I feel my intestines being churned as my body is lifted off the ground gets hurled at a building nearby.


    My vision gets a little hazy as I practically crash through the building''s wall beforending and causing no small amount of damage.


    It takes a few moments for my Regeneration and Immortality topletely heal me before I jump up from the ground and look at Tiamat who has gotten inside the building.


    Looking around, I realize that we''re in the receipt of a sauna.


    "Let''s stop here today," I nonchntly say to Tiamat who has been preparing tounch a barrage of attacks.


    Stunned into silence, Tiamat doesn''t say anything for a few dozen seconds before dubiously inquiring,


    "Howe you are ending it so soon this time?"


    "What do you mean?" I say while smiling at the notion of going inside the sauna with her.


    "You usually torture me for a few hours before showing any signs of stopping," Tiamat says with an odd look on her face.


    The smile on my face freezes as I sense my brows twitching.


    "Torture, you say? When did I ever do that?"


    "Ever since we met?" She immediately responds without any hesitation, "You threatened me and pierced my back with that sword of yours, trampling my pride in the process."


    "Uh" I try to muster up a response to her statement, but can''te up with any good ''excuse''.


    "After that, you would always find a way to disregard my pride by doing whatever you wanted with me."


    I feel my mind drown into a state of reluctance as I begin to think of what she just said.


    The next thing I know, there is moderate pain in my shins as I find myself falling to the ground as a smirking Tiamat kicks my guts into the ground.


    Coughing out no small amount of blood, I confusedly re at Tiamat.


    "What, you didn''t see thating? Seriously, try to keep your thoughts in check. From the way you had been looking at me earlier, I noticed that you were trying hard to not be caught off-guard."


    A wry smile forms on my lips as realization dawns upon me once again - I''m fighting a dragon that''s well-versed in battles, not some upstart noble.


    I wait a few seconds for my injuries to heal before getting up from the broken floor and fixing my clothes.


    "Thank you for the advice, Tia," I say while scratching the back of my head.


    Hearing this, Tiamat lets out a small sigh and says,


    "Sometimes, I have my doubts about whether you really are the same person as the one I''ve seen in your memories."


    Right, she had seen that before. This makes me wonder if I''m actually that different from my past self.


    So far, the only vision that came true was the one with ''me'' riding a dragon and fighting against winged individuals.


    Even that turned out different from the vision, which I take as me having made a decision that I wasn''t ''supposed to'' make.


    "Forget that," I casually say, "Let''s go in now."


    "Where?"


    "Into the sauna."


    ---


    "Are you sure you want to keep on staying here?" I doubtfully ask the mother and daughter duo that are sitting on a sofa opposite mine.


    "Yes," Catherine resolutely responds, while Isabe nods her head as confirmation.


    I let out a deep sigh as I begin to think of how strange all this is.


    Ever since they arrived in my castle, they''ve been living normally without showing me any expressions of grief or hate.


    If that''s not strange enough, then Isabe mistakenly referring to me as ''dad'' on two separate asions is.


    In all honesty, I wouldn''t mind taking care of the two for the time being, as I have nothing better to do anyway. Nevertheless, that doesn''t mean I will overlook the strangeness of the situation.


    The only thing thates to mind when thinking of a reason for their behavior is Joseph being a failure as father and husband.


    However, based on the worry and concern shown by Isabe when I was about to kill him disproves that.


    Now that I think about it, this ordeal began right after Joseph said something to the two.


    As much as I''d like to know, I have a strong guts feeling telling me that I will surely regret looking into it.


    My thoughts are brought to a halt as the double door leading to this room opens.


    Looking in the direction of the door, I find Saturnus calmly walking over to me before stopping once she''s close enough and saying,


    "Creator, the half-elf is seeking your presence, iming that there is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed."


    Oh? Is Tiffa done with her research? This is much sooner than I expected, after all, only two days have passed since I handed her the second Grimoire.


    Even so, what''s with this? Urgent? Did she notice something wrong?


    With numerous scenarios ying in my head, I get up from the sofa and bid the mother and daughter farewell before instructing Saturnus to lead the way.

 Chapter 191: Nephthys ; Gate

    Chapter 191: Nephthys ; Gate


    "Tiffa?" I say upon entering Tiffania''s bedroom.


    Getting no response, I look around the room, only to find Tiffa immersed in the Grimoire of Loss which is shining in a greenish light.


    Walking over to her side, I pat Tiffa on the back and say,


    "Tiffa, I''m here."


    As if she just noticed my arrival, Tiffa breaks her sight away from the Grimoire of Loss to directly look at me before saying,


    "Come, take a look at what''s inside the Grimoire."


    Hearing her, I''m about to tell her about my inability to read this world''s writing, but the words get caught up in my throat as I take a nce at the page she has opened.


    Surprisingly, instead of words and runes, there is only a picture that seems to be moving.


    Taking a closer look at the content of the page she''s on, I realize that the picture is that of an oasis surrounded by several houses.


    "This is" I say while pointing at the book.


    "The Holy Land," Tiffa says.


    Huh? This was what the Reconquista aimed to conquer? An oasis? Shouldn''t it be rtively easy to do so even without the support of other kingdoms?


    As if reading my thoughts, Tiffa exins,


    "The Holy Land is the term used over here to refer to the elves'' homnd."


    "Elves?"


    "Yes. Most elves live there due to the safety provided by their location as well as the ''Great Purpose''."


    "I get the first part regarding the location, but what''s this ''Great Purpose'' that you speak of?"


    "Um" Tiffa hesitates as her eyes wander for a few seconds before she ultimately lets out a sigh and says, "It''s what they refer to when speaking of their object of worship."


    "Which is?" I ask with an intrigued expression.


    Tiffa then begins to exin to me what the Great Purpose is and what significance it holds to the elves.


    Basically, the elves believe that the whole is one giant living being whom they''re tasked to protect at all costs.


    They refer to this being as the Great Purpose for reasons Tiffa is unaware of.


    Nevertheless, it was a little startling for Tiffa to know so much about elven culture despite being a half-elf that lived far from them. As such, my curiosity got me to ask her about it.


    It turned out that her mother told had told her most of what needed to be known about the elves, most likely in preparation for the day she would have to visit them.


    "So, what''s the name of this oasis?" I inquire.


    "Nephthys," Tiffa responds.


    "Why is the Grimoire of Loss showing Nephthys? Is there something that needs to be retrieved from there?"


    "No," Tiffa replies, "ording to the Grimoire, there is supposed to be a gate that will lead to the Lost Continent."


    Lost Continent? What''s that? Is it a continent that drifted away or something?"


    When I asked her about it, she said,


    "It''s called the Lost Continent because-"


    Before Tiffa can finish her exnation, the sound of the door opening reaches our ears, causing the two of us to look in the direction of the door.


    There, we find Matilda, who has a tired expression on her face, walk over to the bed and let her body limply fall on top of it.


    "Matilda?" I call out to her.


    "Leave me alone, prince," she immediately responds while cing on the word ''prince''.


    "Come on," I say while walking over to her, "For all you know, I could easily solve your problems."


    This time, Matildapletely ignores me, so I approach her and ce my palm on her back, startling her quite a bit, as she immediately turns around and hastily waves her hand in the air.


    After the failed attempt at pping my hand away, Matilda res at me and asks,


    "What do you want from me?"


    "Nothing," I casually say, "I''m just trying to help you."


    A glint of hesitation appears in Matilda''s eyes as she nces over at Tiffa, only to find the busty half-elf nodding at her.


    Letting out a sigh, Matilda lies down on her stomach and says in a carefree tone,


    "Do what you want."


    Surprising. I expected her to struggle much more before giving in. Is it because she believes I won''t attempt to do anything excessive while Tiffa is present?


    Anyway, I ce my right on her back and my left hand on her head.


    Then, before Matilda canment on my actions, I begin utilizing Healing Factor.


    Shortly, Matilda''s body which was stiff for some reason rxes as she lets out a sigh of relief andfort.


    As I continue to circte my Holy Essence, I shift my sight over to Tiffa, only to find her focused on the Grimoire once again.


    A small smile forms on my lips as I slowly begin to move my right hand toward Matilda''s butt.


    A few secondster, Matilda notices that something is amiss as she res at me from the corner of her eyes, but I ignore her and continue my not-so-innocent actions.


    Just as I''m about to reach her cheeks, Tiffa''s voice reaches my ears,


    "I found something!"


    As a response to her exmation, I lift my hand off Matilda''s body and look over at Tiffa who has a slightly excited look on her face.


    "What did you find?" I say while ignoring Matilda who has gotten up and is now scowling at me.


    "The gate," Tiffa exins, "It''s underground."


    "Underground? You mean it has been buried?" I ask.


    "I don''t know," she responds, "All it says here is that it''s underground."


    "I see. Good work, Tiffa."


    ---


    The n is a simple one. First, I will head over to Nephthys, then form a gateway connected to my castle so that Krul, Yuno, Siesta, and my angels cane over.


    I will also be having Tiffa apany me as well for numerous reasons, one of which is some guidance around the elves.


    Naturally, if the elves dare to take any excessive action against us, we will respond in kind.


    Our aim this time is to get to this ''gate'' that leads to the Lost Continent and nothing else.


    Hopefully, I will be able to find what I seek over there.


    Anyway, I should probably these thoughts aside and enjoy watching over the city from where I am right now.


    "Father," Irene who''s the only one by my side says while looking into the distance, "Someone has been watching us ever since Father brought down Joseph de Gallia."


    "Maliciously?"


    "Negative. They''re just watching and seemingly waiting for something."


    "From where?"


    "Unable to locate."


    Hearing that, I squint my eyes and ask,


    "Is it a Code that''s not within your range?"


    "Affirmative."


    Immediately after hearing her response, I conclude that it''s the Code that has been controlling vines to aid me.


    If that''s the case, then there is no problem, however, I feel ufortable knowing that something is keeping an eye on me at all times.


    Well, if I ever get the chance to meet them, I will rebuke their voyeuristic nature.

 Chapter 192: Desert ; Oasis ; Magic

    Chapter 192: Desert ; Oasis ; Magic


    "Gabriel, ask Tiffania if she''s sure of the location she gave me."


    [Understood.]


    Having ryed my order, I stay afloat in the clear skies, waiting for a response from Tiffa.


    Looking down at the ground below me, I see nothing more than sand. Well, that''s to be expected from a desert, but still, I should be seeing some signs of civilization already.


    [Father, she says that she is certain of it.]


    Hearing her response, I let out a small sigh and say,


    "Very well."


    This is troublesome. ording to the directions Tiffa gave me, I should''ve reached the oasis quite some time ago.


    The only possible exnation I can think of would be that the elves have made use of some illusory magic to make themselves invisible.


    I mean, the Kingdom of Gallia could use such magic, so I can''t see why the elves wouldn''t be able to do so as well. Perhaps, this is how Joseph got his hands on such magic.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I disable Flight so that gravity can pull me down to the ground.


    As Ind on my feet, I crouch before cing my palm against the hot sand underneath me, while focusing on a notion I had in mind for a while now.


    {Alchemy: Stereokinesis discovered.}


    I knew it. This had been on my mind ever since I made use of Alchemy to punish the courier a little.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, I proceed to form the image of a long-sword inside my head while gathering the tougher minerals present within the sand.


    Soon, the sword I had in mind is physically formed as a cluster of minerals pressed closely against one another.


    With the first step done, I proceed with the second step which is heating the minerals by pyrokinesis.


    As they''re already hot, it doesn''t take long before the minerals have entered a state of matter that''s easy for molding.


    I wait a short while for it to cool off before using Alchemy once more to gather more minerals for a repeat of the process.


    All of a sudden, my vision changes once more, this time in a manner different from when I punished the courier.


    The world seems to be bereft of most colors once again, with the only colors now visible being minerals in the sand as well as the sword.


    Upon closer inspection, I realize that the minerals I can see are the ones used to create the sword I just created.


    {Alchemy: Replication discovered.}


    Oh? That''s a great thing. Although, its usage is limited to situations simr to the current one, it''s an extremely useful application if one knows how to make use of it properly.


    Not wasting a moment, I immediately begin using it to create four more copies of the sword I made earlier.


    What''s strange is that I didn''t need to use pyrokinesis this time, yet they all ended up beingpletely alike in all aspects.


    Now then, it''s time to make use of these five swords.


    I float back into the sky while telekically holding the swords.


    Compared to swords made of steel, these are practically useless, but that''s not the reason I''ve made them.


    I did this for two reasons.


    The first one is to see if I can manipte solid particles. How detailed could something I make be?


    The other reason is the main one I actually bothered doing this.


    Positioning the swords all around myself in five different directions, I telekically move them forward a little before using Vector Maniption to multiply their vectors several times.


    As such, under the zing heat of the sunny sky, five shimmering swords get thrown into the distance far from one another.


    With my purpose clear, I keep an eye on the swords as they fly off, only to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of one of the swords abruptly disappearing.


    A smile makes its way to my lips as I begin to fly in the direction that I believe where the oasis I''ve been looking for is.


    Soon, I find myself passing through some thin membrane before the sight in front of my eyespletely changes from the endless sand to a fascinating oasis.


    The heat from the sun seems to disappear as I find myself slowly floating to the patch of grass on the ground.


    "Finally," I subconsciously mutter, "They really did make the whole damn oasis invisible."


    Shaking such thoughts aside, I observe everything that''s within my sight, only to find myself mesmerized by the beauty of the whole ce.


    However, I soon notice something is off.


    Instead of numerous houses, there is only one white house.


    Could it be that I''ve arrived in the wrong ce?


    As such questions arise within my mind, I sense some to my left quite a distance away.


    After a few seconds, two figures appear from behind the tree.


    A male and female elf.


    The female elf has a smile stered to her face, while the male elf res at me with clear malice apparent in his blue eyes.


    The two of them are both dressed in clothes simr to what Tiffa wore when I first met her.


    Deciding to ignore the male elf''s malice, for now, I turn my body to face them before saying,


    "Good day, no?"


    The male elf scoffs as a response to my words while the other one decides to humor me by saying,


    "It''s a fine day indeed."


    "Enough of that," the male elf immediately says, "Who are you and why are you here? How did you find this ce?"


    Well, I expected something like this to happen, however, now that I''m unsure of this ce being what I''ve been looking for, I should pry them for some information first.


    "Allow me to introduce myself," I say while clearing the dust off my attire, "I''m a Magic Knight from the Kingdom of Tristain."


    "A savage," the male elf mutters as his look turns to one of disgust.


    Before I can address him for his poor behavior, an excited voice reaches my ears as the female elf hastily approaches me and asks,


    "You''re a human? Did you just say that you''re Magic Knight? What''s that profession and what are the requirements for bing one?"


    Hearing her quickly blurt out a series of questions, I take a moment to think before replying,


    "Yes, I''m a human," at least, partially, "A Magic Knight is one who is capable of making use of both magic and sword arts simultaneously."


    "Oh! Could you show me something only a Magic Knight would be able to do?"


    "Luctiana," the male elf says in a firm tone.


    "Shut up, Ari," she harshly responds.


    That guy Normally, I''d say that such behavior is out jealousy, but ording to the way he has been looking at me suggests that he doesn''t believe I''m anywhere near him.


    Whatever. I shall broaden his horizons a little.


    Pulling Excalibur out of my storage ring, I proceed to hurl into the sky before the eyes of the bewildered duo.


    Then, before either of them can make anyments, I crouch a little before leaping into the sky.


    A few secondster, I catch Excalibur in the air before turning my body around and falling right toward the oasis.


    Then, I use pyrokinesis to cover the de in fiery mes before swinging downward.


    As a result, a wave of mes escapes from the de and directly strikes the oasis below me, leading to a burst of steam to escape as a heap of water gets blown onto thend.


    That should do it.


    Having done what''s needed to be done, I use Flight to slowlynd where the duo was.


    To my pleasant surprise, the two of them both seem to have gotten sshed by water.


    Their clothes are now soaked, giving me a clearer view of their bodies, especially the female elf''s busts.


    Before they can react, I approach the female elf, Luctiana, and press my palm against her abdomen while making use of Elemental Magic to dry her clothes.


    "What are you doing?!" Ari says as he raises his arm as if preparing to cast a spell.


    "Drying her off," I coolly respond with a neutral expression.


    As if just noticing that his clothes are wet, he looks down at his body before looking into my eyes and saying,


    "Mine too."


    I shrug my shoulders and say,


    "You wouldn''t want to be touched by a ''savage'', right? Do it yourself."


    Seeing the corner of his lips twitch, I continue,


    "Or, could it be that you''re not able to do so? Man, what a disappointment. I thought that you elves would be able to do at least something this simple."


    Ari seems to have had enough as he lifts his right leg to approach me, however, before he can take a step, Luctiana exims,


    "Stop it, Ari!"


    This causes the guy to freeze up for a few seconds before scoffing once and walking toward a small rock nearby, most likely intending to sit on it.


    "What was that?" Luctiana immediately asks with an intrigued expression.


    "Magic."

 Chapter 193: Lies

    Chapter 193: Lies


    "Why are you here?" Ari, asks me once I''ve satisfied Luctiana by answering her questions.


    "You see," I say while adopting a troubled expression, "My sword seems to have fallen to this ce."


    "What?" Ari voices as a doubtful look appears on his face.


    "Your sword?" Luctiana asks while ncing at Excalibur in my hands.


    "Yes," I calmly reply, "That sword is a special one that''s endued with enchantments for the specific purpose of ying dragons."


    "Dragons?!" both elves exim in unison upon hearing my im.


    "That''s right," I say with a somewhat mncholic expression, "I''m afraid the princess will be disappointed by this, so I can''t return until I''ve found it.


    "Hold on a moment," Ari says as he squints his eyes, "How did your sword end up falling here?"


    "That''s simple," I respond, "I was riding my familiar to fight against one. During a sh, the sword was thrown into a distance which should be somewhere around here."


    The two both remain silent for a few moments before Luctiana''s expression turns to one of excitement as she asks,


    "Did you just say you were riding a familiar?"


    "Yes?"


    "What kind of familiar is it? If it''s able to help you in a battle against a dragon, then it must be a strong one right?!"


    Seeing her practically brimming with excitement, I take a step back before saying,


    "Well, I suppose so. My familiar is a dragon as well."


    "Lies," Ari directly says, "Why would a dragon aid in killing its kin?"


    "I don''t know the answer to that," I say, "But if you want, I can show you my familiar."


    "You will?" Luctiana says as her excitement seems to increase even further.


    "I see no problem in doing so," I simply respond before muttering, "Tiamat, it''s your turn."


    [[Sure, sure.]]


    The next moment, a bright light shines around us before going away and revealing a giant blue dragon right behind me.


    Due to her size, Tiamat has broken a few trees by appearing in this location.


    "You''re as beautiful as ever," I say while inspecting her body.


    As a response to my words, Tiamat exhales through her nose with enough force to push me back a little.


    Shaking my head, I issue a light chuckle before turning to face the two elves who have been thrown to the ground and say,


    "I apologize for her conduct, but she doesn''t like revealing herself unless there is a battle to fight."


    Having finished what I had to say, I observe their expression, as well as, the state of their body.


    Seeing the fear and trepidation in Ari''s eyes, I nod approvingly before looking over at Luctiana.


    Unlike Ari, she has a look on her face that suggests she''s about to burst with excitement.


    What a peculiar elf. However, I like her attitude.


    Now then, I''ve taken the first step in finding the location where most of the elves are staying at,


    For the past few minutes, I had been trying to guide the conversation to Tiamat''s existence.


    The reason for that is because she''s not something ordinary, which would ''prove'' everything else that''s unusual about me.


    Not only that, but her appearance would startle the two elves to the point where their thinking will be somewhat limited, be it due to fear or overexcitement.


    From the way the two elves are behaving right now, I''d say that I seeded.


    "I don''t want to impose on you two," I say, "But, how about we head inside to properly converse?"


    ---


    "I still don''t believe you," Ari says once we''ve all taken a seat in the white horse''s living room.


    "Why is that?" I inquire as I inspect the interior of the house.


    "There hasn''t been any talk about dragons around here, and most wouldn''t even be able to live in this environment," Ari says.


    Seemingly agreeing with him, Luctiana nods her head as she looks into my eyes, awaiting my exnation.


    "Well, this most likely happened because of the recent war," I say.


    "Recent war?" Ari repeats with a confused expression.


    "Yes, the one between Tristain and Gallia."


    The two of them both still have a confused look on their faces, so I exin,


    "Recently, the Kingdom of Gallia had been attacking Tristain. Due to the presence of an alliance, Albion decided to take part in the war.


    "As such, the Crown Prince of Albion led an attack against Gallia right to its capital and only stopped once the king was killed."


    "These savages," Ari mutters to himself.


    "So, what does this have to do with the dragon?" Luctiana curiously asks.


    "Right," I say, "On the way to the capital, the Crown Prince of Albion hade across two dragons. One of the two dragons was killed while the other escaped to the south-east.


    "Later, I was tasked by the Crown Princess of Tristain to y the dragon that had escaped here."


    Once again, the two elves go silent before Ari looks me in the eyes and says,


    "I had heard nothing about this. Thest time I checked, Albion was in a dire state because of a rebellion, meanwhile, their prince was missing."


    "That''s correct," I say with a small smile on my lips, "However, some time ago, the prince reappeared andunched an attack against the rebellion and stabilized his position once more."


    The whole time I have been speaking, Ari has been looking into my eyes quite intently, as if judging the credibility of my words from them.


    Seemingly finding nothing false about my ims, Ari lets out a sigh and says,


    "So, all you want to do is find your sword, right?"


    "Yes," I say, "But, that''s not all."


    "Oh?" Ari says while squinting his eyes.


    "The thing is, I have a cousin, and she happens to be a half-elf."


    "A half-elf?" Luctiana says as her eyes widen.


    "Yes," I respond, "Is it fine by you if I bring her over?"


    "How far is she from here?" Luctiana asks.


    "Oh, don''t worry about that," I while preparing to use Norse Magic.


    "I''m fine by it," Luctiana says before shifting her gaze to Ari who has a disgusted look on his face.


    "Ari?"


    "Fine," Ari scoffs before getting up from the sofa and leaving the room.


    "Gabriel, inform Tiffania that she will being over alone for now. The rest of you are to do so at ater interval, due to an unexpected obstacle," I mutter in a low voice.


    [Understood.]


    Then, I act as if Luctiana isn''t present in the room as I form a gateway directly connected to where Tiffa is.


    Seeing a magical gate appear out of nowhere, Luctiana''s expression changes to that of bewilderment.


    The next moment, Tiffa walks through the gateway with a curious look on her face.


    As soon as she steps in the room we''re in, Tiffa shifts her sight to me and smiles.


    "What is that?!" Luctiana''s voice resounds within the whole room as she stares at the gateway.


    Using telekinesis, I pull Tiffa into my embrace, get rid of the gateway, and say,


    "Just a quick method of transportation through the use of magic."


    "What kind of magic does that?!" another voice says as Ari steps back into the living room with a frown on his brows.


    "Human magic," I say while grinning, "What, you elves aren''t capable of this much?"


    Before the situation can escte, Luctiana steps forward and says,


    "That''s enough. Ari, stop being so rude already. Also, Mr"


    Seeing her confusion, I say,


    "Victor. Victor Origo."


    "Mr. Victor, please try to not tease my fianc so much. He has a rather bad temper, but I genuinely hope you can cope with it."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say,


    "If you say so."


    Looks like they aren''t aware of the significance of ''my'' identity

 Chapter 194: Act ; Proceedings

    Chapter 194: Act ; Proceedings


    "Tiffa, you stay here for the time being," I say as I prepare to teleport out of the house.


    "Then, I will stay here with her!" Luctiana says in an excited tone.


    I''m sure she just wants to extract information from Tiffa while I''m away, so I move closer to Tiffa before setting up a noise-canceling barrier before saying,


    "Tiffa, the only information you are allowed to share is that I''m your cousin. Anything else would be going against my wishes, do you understand?"


    Sensing that I''m serious, Tiffa nods her head as confirmation before saying,


    "Don''t worry."


    "Good," I say before patting her head for a few seconds.


    "Well then," I say after turning my head to face Luctiana, "I will head out now."


    I proceed to use Norse Magic to create a gateway that leads to the center of the oasis.


    Seeing a gate of light appear in the room, Luctiana watches with amazement as I step toward it.


    "Wait!" a voice suddenly resounds within my ears.


    "I''lle with you," Ari says in a firm tone.


    "Why?"


    "To keep an eye on you, why else?" he responds while ring into my eyes.


    "Sure," I say before stepping into the gateway.


    Appearing on the other side, I directly use Flight to keep myself from dropping down.


    Unfortunately for him, Ari is unable to do the same, so he immediately ends up falling.


    Surprisingly, instead of falling into the water, Ari ends up directly falling onto a small boulder right in the middle of the oasis.


    From the looks of it, he broke a few bones from the fall.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I descend into theke before using telekinesis to pull Ari out of the water.


    Once I''ve done that, I use Healing Factor to repair the damages done to his body before cing right on top of the very stone he fell on a few moments ago.


    It takes him a few seconds to regain rity of mind, but the moment he does, Ari res at me and exims,


    "You savage!"


    Chuckling at his misery, I say,


    "You brought it upon yourself, maggot."


    Before he can utter another word, I make use of my telekinesis once more to pull a certain object out of the water.


    Looking at the deformed sword in my hand, I shake my head a little before shifting my focus to Ari.


    "That''s your sword?" Ari asks me doubtfully, "The one that can y dragons?"


    "Yes," I simply reply.


    "Let''s head back now, shall we?" I say to the scowling elf.


    ---


    Good, now that Tiffa is distracting Luctiana and I''ve shaken that pesky brat off, I can make use of this opportunity to examine the oasis.


    First, I use irvoyance to run a quick scan of thend for anything that could be a hint to the ''gate'' that Tiffa spoke of.


    Unfortunately, I''m unable to find anything, so I resort to using my senses to search for an underground tavern as I go for a stroll along the oasis.


    Once again, I''m unable to find anything.


    Could this oasis really be the wrong one? If I am to consider the details given by Tiffa into consideration when she described the oasis, then this ce surely is the wrong one.


    Even so, why did the directions that Tiffa gave lead here? I refuse to believe there is no reason for that.


    Thus, I continue my search for anything that seems like it doesn''t belong here.


    A dozen or so minutes pass with me having examined most of the oasis without finding anything.


    Just as thoughts about giving up appear within my mind, I happen to set my sight on the small boulder at the center of the water.


    "What if" I subconsciously mutter as I fly toward the small boulder and begin using my senses to examine it.


    Almost immediately after I do so, some foreign energy attempts to push me away, but ultimately fails to do so.


    A small smile appears on my lips as I move closer to the small boulder and begin to make use of alchemy.


    The moment my sight changes, I proceed to clear the boulder off slowly so that I don''t identally damage whatever is inside it.


    A few minutester, the object of interestes into view.


    It''s a solid ck rock that''s about the size of my fist. The rock itself is in ck, but it has been adorned with various decorations that seem to have been made of gold.


    Sensing the energy exuding from the rock, I''m certain that it has something to do with the ''gate''.


    This took longer than I expected. I should head back now.


    ---


    As soon as I step out of the gateway, three pairs of eyes directly lock onto me.


    "What?"


    "Where were you?" Ari immediately asks.


    "Retrieving another thing of mine that I had dropped when we got the sword," I say.


    "Even though your clothes are dry?" Ari remarks while squinting eyes.


    "It seems like you''ve forgotten that I can use magic to dry it off," I calmly reply.


    Having no response to my words, Ari remains silent.


    "What did you retrieve?" Luctiana asks with a hint of curiosity in her voice.


    "This," I say while pulling out a small pebble from my pocket.


    "Huh?" Luctiana says incredulously while Ari frowns and says, "A rock?"


    I lightly smile and say,


    "This is no ordinary rock."


    Unlike the previous times, Ari doesn''t try to rebuke me but just watches as I y around with the pebble.


    "Is it a dragon-ying rock or something?" Luctiana doubtfully asks.


    "No," I say, "It can y anything and everything."


    "Want a demonstration?"


    "No," both Luctiana and Ari respond in unison as Tiffa looks at the rock in my hand with intrigue.


    "Anyway," I say, "Tiffa, do they know anything about the ''gate''?"


    "About that," Luctiana says before Tiffa can respond, "I''ve heard of there being one in Iaron."


    Iaron? Is that the name of the location where the majority of the elves are?


    "Luctiana, what are you doing?!" Ari straight up exims while ring at her.


    "Ari, enough," she calmly responds, "They clearly wish us no harm, as they would''ve done so a long time ago."


    "But, they could be lying to us!"


    "Do you honestly believe that they would only send one man to fight against all of us?" Luctiana says in an interrogative tone.


    "No, but-"


    "Stop," Luctiana says before Ari can say anything else, "I have another for helping them."


    Raising her arm to point at Tiffa, Luctiana says,


    "This girl is Aunty Shajar''s daughter."


    "What?" Ari voices while looking at Tiffa with a dumbfounded expression.


    Oh? They seem to know Tiffa''s mother. From the looks of it, her identity wasn''t a simple one.


    "Then," Ari says with a thoughtful expression, "She is the ''key''?"


    "Key?" I ask, curious about why they would call Tiffa that.


    "The gate you are talking about," Luctiana exins, "It requires a ''key''. The only one who could do that was Aunty Shajar, but she never did it no matter what.


    "For this, Aunty Shajar was despised by the majority of our race, as the gate is supposed to form a direct link with the Great Purpose, yet she wouldn''t open it."


    "So, you''re saying that there is a chance that Tiffa has inherited her status as a ''key''?" I inquire.


    "Yes," Luctiana responds before looking over at Tiffa who has a confused look on her face.


    I knew there was something odd about Tiffa being the only one able to make use of the Grimoires.


    "So," I say while utilizing Eye of Judgement, "Do you n to use her as a tool to open the ''gate''?"


    Suffocating under pressure, both Luctiana and Ari get on their knees as Luctiana responds,


    "N-o. I would ne-ver."


    Sensing no lies in her words, I remove the pressure on her and focus on Ari.


    "What about you?" I say while increasing the pressure.


    "Me t-t-too!" he says.


    The moment I hear his words, I feel a strange sensation in my guts.


    He''s lying, huh? Good.


    I cancel Eye of Judgement and pretend to believe both of them by saying,


    "I apologize if my actions were a little overboard, however, I can''t let Tiffa''s life be endangered by some myth."


    The moment my words trail off, Tiffa''s previously worried expression turns to that of surprise as a red hue covers her face.


    Meanwhile, Luctiana and Ari both nod their heads as eptance.


    "Say, can we stay here for the night?" I ask after a few seconds.


    "Sure!" Luctiana immediately agrees while Ari nods his head as confirmation.


    Well, of course, you would want us to stay here, Ari

 Chapter 195: Sneak ; Entering ; Aris Mother

    Chapter 195: Sneak ; Entering ; Ari''s Mother


    "Tiffa? Are you asleep?" I whisper to the only person with me in the room.


    Getting no response, I proceed to get up from my bed and exit the guest room we had been given to sleep in.


    I walk to the living room, intending to check on the two elves using irvoyance, however, on the way there, I sense someone leaving a room.


    Using Rework, I render myselfpletely imperceptible while checking out who left the room.


    As expected, it''s none other than Ari. I reckon that he''s nning to head over to Iaron, intending to share information regarding Tiffa.


    Ari heads over the living room before pushing one of the sofas.


    I curiously watch over him as he opens a small trapdoor and inserts his hand inside.


    A few secondster, he pulls a scroll out before fixing everything and leaving the house.


    Seeing that he''s about to make his way to Iaron, I disable Rework and head back to the room Tiffa is in before muttering,


    "Aruru, can you hear me?"


    [Father?]


    Hearing the sleepy voice responding to me, I say in an apologetic tone,


    "I''m sorry to have wakened you up, but I need to protect someone while I''m away."


    [Understood!]


    Hearing the much more energetic response, I shake my head in exasperation before saying,


    "Head over to the lounging room. I will create a gateway connected to there."


    [Umn!]


    Using Norse Magic, I quickly create a gateway before Aruru steps out of it in less than three seconds.


    Seeing her messy hair, I chuckle a little before reaching my arm out to pat her head while saying,


    "I promise to make up for it by granting you any wish as long as I''m capable of following it through."


    A glint of excitement shimmers within her beady eyes as she nods her head and says,


    "Don''t worry! No sinner shall go unpunished."


    "That''s the spirit," I say before crouching down and giving her a light peck on her cheek.


    Getting up, I point at Tiffa and say,


    "That''s the one you''re supposed to protect."


    "I understand," she responds.


    "Good," I say before using irvoyance to check on Ari''s location.


    Seeing him heading toward the top-left part of the barrier in ordance to the house, I pat Aruru''s head onest time before permeating through the wall and flying over to where Ari is.


    As I watch over Ari from the sky, I notice that he seems to be extremely wary of being followed. Now and then, he would look all around himself, however, he seems to have forgone of the possibility that I could be flying above him.


    Anyway, I''m currently making sure to note into contact with the barrier, as I have suspicion regarding it having some kind of ''rm'' feature that reveals the location of intruders when they pass through it.


    The reason for that is because their response to my arrival was too fast.


    There is a chance that they just saw me, but it''s very low.


    It takes him a few minutes, but Ari eventually exits the barrier.


    From the looks of it, the illusory barrier is one-way, as I am still able to see Ari as he continues to walk.


    Fortunately, this increases the chance of them having seen me arrive here and not there being an ''rm'' that was triggered upon my arrival.


    Suddenly, an idea appears in my head, which I''m surprised didn''t cross my mind earlier.


    Using Norse Magic, I create a gateway high above the sky right outside the barrier.


    I cross to the other side and proceed to watch over Ari from the sky as he begins to chant something.


    The next moment, a few small glowing green orbs appear around him and move toward his legs.


    Once both of his legs have a decent amount of these orbs, Ari changes his stance to that one of dashing before he abruptly leaps forward.


    As soon as his feet touch the ground, he leaps once again.


    I continue to fly over him as he continues to repeat this process over and over again.


    ---


    After what seemed like an hour, we finally seemed to have reached our destination as the glowing orbs around Ari''s legs disappear, and he begins walking.


    Shortly, Aripletely disappears from my vision, indicating that he has most likely entered another illusory barrier.


    I can''t lose my sight on him, so I must follow him from the ground while keeping myself out of sight.


    Either that, or


    Landing on the ground near the barrier, I use Rework to alter my appearance to that of an elf''s.


    I then stand at the spot where Ist saw Ari before utilizing Blink to appear one meter in front of me.


    Fortunately, it works out well, as I find myself standing in apletely different location.


    "Hey, you!" a voice soon reaches my ears, "Who are you?"


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I spot two elves who are both armed with spears, while Ari is nowhere within sight.


    Furrowing my brows, I appear right behind the two elves before knocking the two of the out by swiftly striking the back of their napes.


    As unfortunate as it may be, I am not skilled in tactical knockdowns, so to make up for it, I made use of my overwhelming strength which inevitably broke their bones.


    Then, I crouch down and use Memory Erasure to wipe out anything about myself before using Healing Factor on them.


    A few secondster, I get up and begin jogging toward the center of the oasis, in hopes of finding Ari.


    As I continue to jog, I realize something - This oasis is muchrger than the other one.


    Not only that, but the nature of the ce seems to be different somehow.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I increase my pace, while ignoring the curious gazes of elves I pass on the way.


    Soon, I find myself standing in water while mesmerized by the sight of a ginormous tree right at the center of the oasis.


    How is that tree even alive? Could it be some kind of magical tree or something?


    I break my gaze off the tree and begin looking around, only to see that the whole ce is filled with different kinds of houses.


    There is one house that''s particrlyrger than the rest. In front of said house, there is wooden bridge extending all the way to the gigantic tree.


    Due to it being nighttime, the only elves I''vee across so far are the two guards and those I ran past on the way here.


    Anyway, I need to locate Ari, and I feel like the best ce to look for him would be therge house.


    Using irvoyance, I find Ari being invited inside the house by a mature elvendy.


    Could this woman be the one in charge of this ce? Or is she just Ari''s mother? Either way, she''s worth looking into.


    I make use of my speed and strength to swiftly get on top of the house the two are in before using permeation to get inside.


    Due to the house consisting of two floors, I find myself standing on the second floor, using my senses to check for the presence of anyone other than the two of them.


    Finding no one, I make full usage of my enhanced hearing to listen on the two elves'' conversation.


    "Ari, I''ve told you this before multiple times; The Great Purpose is not real," the mature woman says.


    "Can you stop saying this already?" Ari immediately responds, "It''s real. I''m sure of it. And now, we''ve found the key to reaching it!"


    "Ari"


    "Shut up, mom! You''ve never aplished anything for our race, so you don''t have any say in this,"


    The conversation seems to over for now, as I sense the mature woman walking away from Ari, while the arrogant fool takes a seat on a stool.


    "The only problem is that savage," Ari seems to mutter to himself, "He won''t let me bring her here if I don''t give him a proper reason to"


    That''s only natural. Forget brining her here. It won''t happen.


    Soon, Ari''s mother returns and begins to converse with him once again.


    "Are you really nning to sacrifice someone''s life over this?"


    Huh? What is this about?


    "It doesn''t matter," Ari firmly responds, "The Great Purpose is what matters most."


    "Ari!" his mother exims.


    "Stop it, already!" Ari responds, "There is no other to reach the Great Purpose other than sacrificing the key, so it''spletely fine to do it."


    "No, it''s not," the woman hurriedly says, "You will be killing one of us for no purpose!"


    Killing? No wonder Shajar wasn''t willing to open the gate. I wonder if Luctiana is aware of this...


    "She''s not one of us," Ari jests, "She''s just a half."


    "Even so-"


    "No," Ari interrupts her, "That''s the end of it. I will go and inform the Council of Elders about this, so they can make a proper decision, unlike you."


    The next moment, Ari gets up and walks toward the door leading outside, only to stop right in front of it and say in a mncholic tone,


    "I really shouldn''t havee here."


    Then, Ari leaves the house without looking back even once.


    As for his mother, she sits down on the stool Ari was just sitting on and mutters to herself,


    "What do I do?"


    I take this moment to think of what just happened before concluding that the first thing I need to do is gather information.


    And Ari''s mother is where the important information is

 Chapter 196: Talk ; Inquiry

    Chapter 196: Talk ; Inquiry


    After making sure that there is no one around, I slowly make my way down the stairs and walk over to where Ari''s mother is while forming an anti-sound barrier around us.


    It takes her a moment, but the deste finally notices me.


    She seems like she''s about to scream, so I make use of Pdin''s Aura to calm her down while cing my finger against my lips.


    A confused look appears on the woman''s face as she ces her palm against on her chest.


    "Who are you?" she asks me a few secondster.


    "Tiffania Westwood''s cousin, Wales Tudor."


    The proceeds to scrutinize me from head to toe before saying, "Aren''t you supposed to be a human?"


    Nodding my head, I dispel Rework, which stuns the woman into silence.


    "I''m sure that you''re already aware why I''m here," I say while ncing at the door through which Ari left.


    Seeing my actions, the woman lowers her head and responds in a saddened tone, "Yes."


    Letting out a sigh, I create a chair right in front of her and take a seat on it before saying, "You know, I can''t simply let someone sacrifice my dear cousin for something as absurd as the Great Purpose, as you guys call it."


    "I know that," the woman says breaking out of stupor from seeing a random chair appear out of nowhere, "But, I can''t do anything about it."


    "I''m sorry, but how should I refer to you?"


    "Ah, my name is is Themaer."


    "Well then, is," I say while leaning forward, "Why is Ari acting the way he is?"


    "You know my son?" she inquires.


    "Yes," I respond, "Tiffania and I are staying at their home. When nighttime came, we were about to sleep, but I noticed him leave. Thus, I ended up following him here and identally overhear your conversation with him."


    "How do I know you''re telling me the truth?"


    "You don''t," I simply respond, "It''s your choice to believe me or not."


    is takes a moment to deliberate on the matter before closing her eyes and saying, "I choose to believe you."


    "Very well," I say, "Now, I need your help regarding the matter with the ''gate'' and the ''key''. As I''m not aware of their meaning and what significance they hold, could you tell me about them?"


    "Yes," she replies, "I can do that."


    Nodding my head once, I get up from the chair and reach my arm out to is with a smile on my lips.


    As a response to my actions, is grabs my hand and gets up from her seat, with a curious glint in her eyes.


    Then, I create a gateway that leads to the small boulder in the middle of the oasis where Luctiana and Ari live.


    I pull is into an embrace as I begin to guide her into the gateway while ignoring her dubious expression.


    The next moment, is is more than a little surprised by the fact that we abruptly changed locations from her home to a boulder in the middle of an oasis.


    "This is where Ari and Luctiana stay at," I say while pointing at the white abode.


    "I see," she simply says while looking in the direction I''m pointing at.


    Before she can question my actions, I set is down on the boulder below us while staying afloat using Flight.


    So far, everything is going fine. Revealing my ''true identity'' in front of her would make her believe I have no ill intentions.


    Then, teleporting her over here would both make her wary of my powers while also somewhat proving my im of staying with Ari and Luctiana.


    She could possibly think of my teleportation ability as secret magic that I was willing to show her, which could also possibly increase her trust of me.


    Anyway, I have absolutely no reason to mistreat her, as ording to what I know so far, she''s against using Tiffa for the gate, but is unable to talk sense into her prideful son.


    Looking into is'' yellow eyes, I say, "Now, could you begin?"


    "Which?" is asks.


    "The matter regarding the gate."


    "Yes," she replies before beginning her exnation regarding what the gate and key are.


    Basically, the ginormous tree in Iaron is the ''gate'' while the ''key'' is an irregr factor.


    The key is required to activate the gate that''s present within the tree, which will supposedly be the closest connection to the Great Purpose.


    Regarding the part where the ''key'' is sacrificed, is exined that it''s just an unconfirmed myth.


    How typical


    "So, that''s all?" I say once is seems to have said all that needed to be said regarding the gate.


    "Yes," she replies.


    Nodding my head, I begin thinking of the actual reason I brought the two of us here, which was to see if she knew about the ck rock that was present in the boulder.


    From the looks of it, she doesn''t. Could it be that it''s unrted to the ''gate''? I highly doubt that''s the case, as Tiffa led me here, so it should be rted in one way or another.


    Setting that matter aside, I wonder why Ari is acting the way he does toward his mother.


    "is, do you mind telling me about the reason Ari is treating you so harshly?"


    Right after the words leave my mouth, is'' expression turns to that of destion as she lowers her head.


    Knowing that the topic is a sensitive one, I patiently wait for her to collect her thoughts while gazing at the gleaming water.


    "A few years ago," is says after a while in a pensive tone, "Myte husband had left Nephthys to search for an artifact along with three others.


    "After a month had passed since he left, a letter was delivered to the vige by one of the elves who had left with my husband. He was in a battered state as he came over to hand me the bloodied letter."


    is pauses for a few seconds to take in a deep breath before continuing,


    "The letter was supposedly from my husband, iming that they had found the artifact, but before they could return, they were attacked by humans and heavily wounded."


    Huh? Something doesn''t add up. Why would humans attack them? Were they also after the artifact, or were they just bandits?


    "But, it was false," is says all of a sudden, surprising me.


    "The letter couldn''t have been from my husband, I was sure of it. But, the same couldn''t be said for the Council of Elders. They blindly believed the content of the letter."


    "And?" I ask, "How does this exin Ari''s behavior?"


    "Well," is says, "Back then, I opposed the decision tounch an assault on the humans which was suggested by the Council of Elders.


    "Soon after that, the elves had separated into two separate factions. One that supported me, and one that followed the Council of Elders."


    Hearing her exnation, I realize that this matter is much moreplicated than what I was expecting. That''s especially the case when I consider the fact that I''ve found several elves who were ''enved'' by Joseph''s power.


    "My son," is continues, "He was very fond of his father, so he wished to avenge him the most."


    "Avenge you say... Did they die?"


    is shakes her head and states, "I don''t know. That was thest time we ever heard anything from my husband and the rest apart from the one that returned."


    "I see," I say, "And I assume that your son thought of your actions against assaulting the humans as nothing more than cowardice, right?"


    Seeing her lower her head even further, I feel a slightly ufortable sensation in my guts as my body subconsciously moves.


    Before she can realize what''s happening, is finds herself within my embrace as I gently rub her back.


    Most likely unable to make sense of the absurdity of my actions, is remains motionless as I continue hugging her.


    Only after a whole minute has passed does she back away from me with a slight blush on her cheeks.


    "Can you take me back home?" she says after recollecting herself.


    "Of course," I respond before approaching her once more and swiftly wrapping my right arm around her back.


    Before she can react, I use Flight to float into the sky while using telekinesis to keep is from feeling ufortable.


    Then, I create a gateway back to is'' home before passing through it while holding the piteous mother close to myself.


    The moment we arrive at her home, we instantly hear a loudmotion outside the house.


    I focus my hearing to find out what it''s about, only to furrow my brows upon hearing what''s being said

 Chapter 197: Deceit ; Pain

    Chapter 197: Deceit ; Pain


    "That fool," I subconsciously mutter, which attracts is'' attention as she anxiously asks, "What''s wrong?"


    "Would you believe me if I told you that Ari is currently inciting everyone to stop following your lead while insulting my dear cousin?"


    "What?" is'' stupefied voice reaches my ears as I use irvoyance to check the situation out.


    The thing is, I know nothing about Romalia, as I''ve yet to meet anyone from there. However, from what I can get from this situation, Romalia falls directly to the north of Nephthys.


    Even so, this sure is strange. How did the topic shift from the key and gate to this?


    Setting such thoughts aside for the moment, I shift my focus back to what''s going on outside.


    Quite a distance away from the house, numerous elves have gathered, with more on the way.


    The main topic of those already gathered revolved around why they had been woken up in the dead of the night.


    In front of the crowd, there is a group of elves who are standing on a wooden table that seems to have been carried out of a dining room.


    "She lied to you!" Ari exims while the other elves on the table stand right behind him, "Now that we have finally found the key, she wishes to stop us from making use of it!"


    "The key is currently in my abode. However, it''s now nothing more than a half. That''s right, those savages have now gotten their vile blood flowing within the key!"


    "I would never call a woman that is epting of such a thing my mother! She has already betrayed me. Betrayed all of us!"


    Hearing his words, I suddenly have the urge to dice him in half using Holy sh, however, I refrain from doing so.


    Such an action would not benefit me in the least. For now, I should take is to listen to his words, as it would be quite an ordeal to tell her about it without proof.


    I proceed to use Rework on the two of us topletely change our appearance before leaving the house while dragging the spaced-out woman along.


    Shortly, we reach the crowd, which has now gotten rtively more hysteric.


    "What''s going on?" is asks while looking around.


    "It''s Ari," I say, "He''s been informing them about your ''betrayal'', which riled them up."


    "What?" a bewildered voice escapes is'' lips as she looks over at Ari with a horrified expression.


    "No" she mutters as tears begin well up at the corner of her eyes.


    Shaking my head, I focus back on Ari, who is still spouting nonsense that the crowd believes to be the truth.


    Looks like a war between elves and humans is inevitable - If I wasn''t here, that is.


    "I will put a stop to this," I proim as I begin to scan the crowd for formidable-looking elves.


    "Don''t hurt him," is says in a shaky tone as I feel something tugging my arm.


    cing my hand above hers, I turn my head to look is in the eyes with a smile on my lips.


    "Don''t worry. Ari is just a lost kid who needs some punishing. I won''t kill him," I say, as several non-lethal tor- punishment methods appear in my mind.


    After a few seconds, is nods her head before she attempts to wipe-off the tear streaks on her face and say, "Please."


    Seeing her in such a wretched state, I am unable to prevent myself from stepping forward and embracing her.


    Stunned, is remains motionless as I break the embrace just to give her a light peck on the forehead before saying, "Get as far as you can from the crowd. I''m going to have to resort to underhanded means to deal with this."


    A glint of worry passes through is'' eyes before she ultimately nods her head with a resolute expression.


    I run my hand through her silky golden hair before gesturing to her to get moving.


    Doing as I instructed her to, is moves away from the area, only to stop a good distance away, most likely intending to watch me as I deal with this issue.


    Well then, let''s do this.


    Having already locked onto my targets, I begin to use Indoctrination on 5 separate male elves and give them a short set of orders.


    Then, I waste no time in appearing right behind Ari upon activating Time-Stop before lightly tapping every single elf on the table and amplifying the force through Vector Maniption.


    Before Time-Stop ends, I directly dash into the sky only to stop once I''m near where I believe the illusory barrier is.


    Then, I use irvoyance just in time to witness Ari abruptly being hurled into the crowd as the elves with him all getunched backward.


    Before the crowd can make sense of what''s happening, I create a tiny version of my usual gateway through Norse Magic, intending to transfer my voice over through it.


    "Heretics!" I exim while tweaking my voice so that it''s much louder and unrecognizable.


    Observing the crowd, I can see that most of those present are nervously looking around, while the rest are tending to the elves I just threw off the table.


    "You dare lie in my presence?"


    The moment the words leave my mouth, the five elves I indoctrinated get down on the ground before they begin rolling around and shouting as if they''re experiencing the most painful torture.


    Meanwhile, the crowd has gotten extremely anxious as no one knows what''s going on.


    Well then, I''m done here.


    I close the tiny gateway before letting my body fall back to the ground while I turn myself invisible.


    Soon, I find myself close to the ground, so I efficiently break the fall and float toward is.


    Then, I stop using Rework so my appearance returns to normal, before looking over in the direction the crowd is at, only to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of the elves who have divided into through groups.


    I''m unable to hold myughter in, which causes the still-confused is to look over at me with an even more confused expression.


    "Sorry," I say, "It''s just that this worked out much better than I expected it to."


    Hearing this, is shifts her focus back to the crowd as I follow suit.


    Currently, the elves have separated into three separate groups.


    Thergest group consists of elves who believe that my voice was that of the Great Purpose.


    After that, is the group that believes that it''s something else entirely; a sacred being or something.


    Finally,es Ari''s group along with the bunch who were with him and turned out to be none other than the Council of Elders. They believe that what just happened is a trick that was instigated by an enemy, most likely because Ari has already told them about how ''absurd'' I am.


    Hearing the things the elves are saying to one another, a smile appears on my lips.


    Thanks to Ari, I now have discovered an easy method to control the elves here to do my bidding.


    Now, I don''t have to worry about a war breaking out between the humans and the elves, as I only have to utter a few words to spread chaos and confusion, ultimately preventing it from happening.


    "Ari" is'' voice reaches my ears, causing me to look over at the arrogant brat, only to find him being surrounded by a group of elves who are holding him down and interrogating him.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I look over at is and say, "Don''t worry about it too much. Ari is just facing the consequences of being ignorant.


    "It''s better for him to suffer here like this instead of dying mid-battle during a meaningless war."


    It takes her a moment, but is nods her in confirmation before she looks over at me and says,


    "Thank you. I will do my best to bring him back to the right path."


    As I peer into her reddened eyes, I sense a cold re on me from the distance.


    Looking over at where I felt it from, I find Ari scowling at me with bloodshot eyes whilepletely ignoring the surrounding elves.


    A small grin appears on my lips as I turn my head to face is before canceling her disguise.


    Then, I move closer to is and say, "Can I ask for a reward?"


    "Reward?"


    "Yes," I respond, "After all, I did try my best to make this work."


    is looks into my eyes for a few seconds before she nods her head and asks, "What do you want?"


    "A kiss," I reply without the least bit of hesitation.


    Dumbfounded, is speechlessly looks at me with widened eyes.


    "Is that too much to ask for?" I say in a deted tone.


    Most likely feeling pressured, beads of sweat appear on is'' forehead as she opens her mouth to utter something, only for her words to get stuck in her throat.


    Still feeling the re on me, I slowly lean toward is.


    As a response to my actions, a glint of uncertainty appears within is'' eyes before she closes her eyes and reopens them, only to reveal newfound resolution in them.


    "You better not make me regret this," she says before closing her eyes once again, before moving her head closer to me.


    Having gotten her consent, I swiftly close the distance between us before gently pressing my lips against hers.


    The intensity of Ari''s re skyrockets as I embrace his mother and continue kissing her lips.


    After a whole minute, our lips part as we both look into each other''s eyes.


    In hers, I find guilt and confusion, which is understandable.


    So, I pull her to myself and tightly embrace her.


    A few momentster, I break the hug and say, "Let''s head back to your house, shall we?"


    As a response to my suggestion, is nods her head once with a red hue covering her smooth cheeks.


    I gently caress her head a little before grabbing her hand and walking in the direction of her home.


    Behind me, I hear a miserable blood-curling scream, "Wales Tudor! I will kill you even if it''s thest thing I do!"


    While shaking my head, various thoughts appear within my mind. In the end, all Ari aplished was granting me a way to control the elves.


    How nice of him.

 Chapter 198: Calm ; Shock

    Chapter 198: Calm ; Shock


    "Don''t think much of what just happened," is says once we''ve entered her home.


    "Of what?" I ask with a smile on my lips.


    "The kiss," she responds, "It was nothing more than a reward."


    "Sure, sure," I say while shaking my head before heading to the living room.


    is and I both take a seat on a sofa, with the two of us being seated rtively close to one another.


    "So, are you going to tell me what happened back there?" is says after a few seconds.


    "It was nothing more than what you saw," I say, "Through the use of some unconventional magic, I ryed my voice to where the crowd was and deceived them into thinking that Ari was stirring up trouble through lies."


    "But, now the others are going to berate Ari at every chance they get" is says in a despondent manner.


    "is," I say in a calming tone while moving closer to her, "Ari is just reaping what he sowed. Had he taken a different approach to the matter, I wouldn''t have done what I did."


    "Just take a moment to think about all the lives that would''ve been lost if I did not stop him. From my experience, the humans would''ve allied with one another for themon purpose of eradicating the offending elves."


    is remains silent for a few seconds before she closes her eyes and lets out a sigh.


    "You''re right," she says, "It''s just that my focus was on Ari rather than anything else."


    "That''s only natural," I immediately say, "You''re his mother, so I can''t me you for cing Ari above everything else."


    Before she can say anything, I continue in a much firmer tone, "However, there are times that a child needs to be punished. This was such a time."


    Seemingly agreeing with me, is nods her head as she leans back on the sofa.


    "What are you going to do now?" she asks me with her eyes closed.


    "ess the gate," I bluntly reply.


    "What?" is exims as she swiftly gets up and gawks at my face.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "I''m not nning to make use of my cousin to do so. I''m sure that there is something else that you elves aren''t aware of regarding the gate."


    "Why are you so certain about that?" she asks while squinting her eyes.


    "There is no point in telling you," I say dismissively, "After all, you wouldn''t be able to help out either way."


    Silence ensues as neither of us knows what to say next, so I get up from the sofa and prepare to go back to where I am supposed to be.


    "Wait," is says before getting from the sofa as well, "What would it take for you to tell me?"


    Oh? She seems to care about this matter more than I expected. From her earlier conversation with Ari, I deemed her to be uninterested in the gate, but it seems like there is more to the matter than I suspected.


    "A ki-"


    "Fine," she interrupts me in a resolute tone.


    Yeah, there is definitely more to the matter. It doesn''t matter, as I get to enjoy the warmth of a beautiful mature elf.


    Nodding my head, I sit back on the sofa before patting myp a couple of times.


    Seeing this, is lets out a sigh before moving over and taking a seat on myp while saying, "You sure like to tease women."


    I stroke her cheek and say, "I wouldn''t miss out on enjoying my time with a beauty such as yourself if I could."


    She doesn''t react to my statement much, so I proceed to pull her head closer to myself and lock my lips with hers.


    This goes on for a while, with my doing nothing other than kissing her supple lips, as I''m certain that she would retaliate if I did anything else.


    In the end, however, I did squeeze her pert but a little, which earned my swift p to the face.


    Naturally, I didn''t let the p reach my face by canceling out the vectors, but nevertheless, is wasn''t amused.


    "It better be worth it," she says while glowering at me.


    I chuckle awkwardly before pulling out the ck stone I had found within the boulder.


    "What!" is immediately exims before stepping back a few times.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask, intrigued about what could''ve made her react in such a manner.


    "That thing," she says while pointing at the rock, "It''s making the spirits go to sleep."


    "Huh?"


    What is she on about? ''Spirits going to sleep''. What''s that supposed to mean?


    Perhaps realizing that she isn''t making much sense, is coughs twice before exining, "We elves use spirits instead of the magic that humans use. We call out to them and have them help us use powers beyond our own."


    "That rock is making those spirits fall asleep."


    "So, you''re essentially saying that this rock is preventing you from using ''magic'', am I right?"


    "In essence, yes," she responds, "But this would attract the attention of elves who can see spirits."


    "And I assume that you''re one of them?" I say. After all, she must''ve seen them to know that they had fallen asleep.


    Or, so I thought, but is shakes her head and exins, "No. I only realized because I felt an ufortable sensation that I''ve felt only once before."


    "Which was when spirits fell asleep," I say, to which is nods her head.


    "So, do you know what this stone is?" I curiously ask.


    "No," she responds with a frown, "But, I''m sure the other elves would try to kill you if they find out that it''s within your possession."


    "What about you?" I say while grinning.


    is beams a smile before responding, "I believe that you won''t misuse it, so it''s fine."


    Nodding my head, I ce the stone back in the storage ring before saying, "I think it''s about time I left."


    Bidding her farewell, I directly teleport back to where Tiffania and Aruru are, only to be astounded by the adorable sight of Aruru ying with her wings.


    "Aruru," I say, earning me a bright smile from the petite angel as she rushes into my embrace. I realize that she did without making much noise, most likely to prevent Tiffa from waking up.


    As such, I pat her head and whisper, "Good job, Aruru."


    Aruru giggles lightly before enveloping my body by her soft and warm wings.


    As a response to this, I get down on my knees and move my head closer, intending to kiss her cheek.


    To my horror, Aruru moves her head away before I can do so.


    My eyes widen as I look into her bubbly eyes with pure shock apparent on my face.


    Why? Have I done something to make her feel ufortable? But, if that was the case she wouldn''t have run into my embrace.


    "Aruru?" I intone in a confused voice.


    She doesn''t respond to me but only looks back at me motionlessly.


    Letting out a small sigh, I move my head closer once more, intending to kiss her cheek, only to be avoided by Aruru swiftly turning her head.


    A chaotic feeling appears within my chest as I begin to think of every possible reason Aruru could be acting like this.


    After a while, I arrive at a conclusion. A strange one.


    Deciding that it''s worth the shot, I slowly move my head closer, this time intending to kiss her lips.


    Lo and behold, she doesn''t move away!


    Due to feeling relief and excitement, I somewhat lose control of myself in the kiss, overdoing it to the point that Aruru''s wings limply fall as her eyes seem to lose focus.


    Crap.


    Breaking the over-passionate kiss, I look at Aruru''s face, only to find itpletely red with her muttering the phrase "father is the best" continuously.


    Moving her wings to the side, I scoop her up into my arms before walking over to my bed and lying down with her still in my arms. A few secondster, Aruru seems to regain her rity as she pulls her wings back before snuggling into my chest.


    Aruru yawns a little before clenching onto my clothes and falling asleep.


    Was she waiting for me? Ugh. The guilt


    As I slowly begin to doze off, I gently pat Aruru''s head while thinking of how I will be essing the gate tomorrow

 Chapter 199: Sacrifice ; Deification ; Gateway

    Chapter 199: Sacrifice ; Deification ; Gateway


    Early the next morning, I awoke to Aruru tightly clinging to me the way she was in the night.


    I gently pat her head, resulting in a small smile to appear on her small lips. Amused, I begin to caress her arms, which causes her to cling to me even harder than before.


    Meanwhile, a certain half-elf has already gotten up from the bed and was in the middle of tidying herself looks my way with a neutral expression.


    "Good morning, Tiffa," I say while continuing my actions.


    "Ah, good morning," she responds almost monotonously, "Who is this and why is she here?"


    Right, Tiffa has yet to meet most of the girls. The reason for that is because she was always cooped up in her room most of the time during her stay in the castle. With most of her time revolving around the Grimoires, it wouldn''t be surprising for her to not know some if not most of the castle''s residents. Matilda running errands for her doesn''t help her case much either.


    "Tiffa," I say in a serene tone, intending to tell her about the Mete and Rift. However, after giving it some thought, that would be pointless at the moment, as it would earn me nothing but amazement, doubt, and confusion from her, "Thisss is Aruru, my daughter."


    Stunned, Tiffa doesn''t know how to respond to my promation, so I continue, "Obviously, she wasn''t birthed by my non-existent wife."


    Perhaps realizing what I''m getting at, Tiffa''s expression gradually changes to that of pity. Uh I think she might''ve misunderstood me. Whatever, it doesn''t matter anyway, as long as she doesn''t pry into the matter anymore.


    All of a sudden, the door to the room bursts open as a chaotic Luctiana enters the room and anxiously inspects us.


    Then, she exhales a sigh of relief while falling to her knees.


    "Luctiana?" I question, despite knowing the reason she''s acting the way she is.


    "I''m sorry, but have you seen Ari?" she asks after taking a moment to recollect herself.


    "Yes," I casually respond, "He left the oasis in the dead of the night."


    Hearing my response, Luctiana squints her eyes while asking, "And how do you know about that?"


    Unfazed, I calmly reply while stroking Aruru''s hair, "As a Magic Knight, I''m usually the one to keep an eye on the surroundings while on an expedition. As such, it has be a habit of mine to notice something as simple as someone leaving or entering the vicinity."


    "Yet, you did nothing about Ari leaving?" she dubiously asks.


    "Oh, I did," I say in a cold tone, "Not only did I cast an illusion on him to see me during the whole trip, but I cast a tracking spell to see where he was heading."


    "In which direction did he leave?" Luctiana asks after taking a few seconds to digest what I told her.


    It''s going to be a little awkward if I were to point in the direction while lying down, so I attempt to gently push Aruru away, however, I''m unable to do so due to her tightly clenching onto my clothes.


    Letting out a sigh, I slowly lift my body from the bed while holding Aruru''s back by my left arm.


    Luctiana seems to just notice Aruru as an odd look bes apparent on her face while she scrutinizes the sleeping angel.


    "Who?"


    "I''ll tell you about thatter, for now-"


    "No, tell me now!" she hastily interrupts me.


    Hah~ This is tiring


    ---


    "You''re going to be essing the gate?" Luctiana asks me in a bewildered tone while we''re eating breakfast.


    "Yes," I respond, "After all, it''s the penultimate solution to all of this world''s problems."


    "Huh? Are you saying that there is a more effective solution?" she doubtfully asks.


    "Genocide," I say in a neutral tone, which causes Tiffa to spit her food out and Luctiana to look at me as if I am demented.


    The only one who didn''t react much is none other than Aruru who''s meekly sitting on myp and silently eating.


    Silence ensues as all of us continue eating without uttering a single word. This goes on for a short while before Luctiana curiously asks, "Does all humankind think like this?"


    Hm Do they? I don''t think so. Most of them barely know what''s good for them, so it would be quite a stretch for them to think of what would be beneficial for the world. What''s funny is that even those that believe they are changing the world for the better are mostly hypocrites worse than those who are ''damaging'' the world.


    Seeing me shake my head, Luctiana breathes out a sigh of relief before murmuring, "That would''ve been scary."


    Okay then, I should probably check on Iaron now to see what''s going.


    Using irvoyance, I directly observe Iaron from the sky, only to be stunned by the sight of Ari as well as the five elves I indoctrinated being tied to wooden poles. In front of them, a member of the Council of Elders seems to be giving a speech to a crowd of elves who have different expressions ranging from disgust to fury.


    Despite this being the result of my actions, I don''t heed it much attention as Ari had already been marked deceased the moment he nned to use Tiffa. From the looks of it, he''s about to get ''sacrificed'' himself  ironic.


    Just as I''m about to cancel irvoyance, I set my sight upon two elves dragging out a mature elf toward another wooden pole.


    is. I have not spent much time with her, but my time with her was a memorable one. What the heck is wrong with the elves? I don''t recall there be anything worthy of suspicion regarding her.


    "Luctiana," I say in a serious tone, "Ari is about to be sacrificed."


    "What?" a bbergasted voice responds to my statement, "How do you know?"


    "The tracking spell," I say, "It allows me to eavesdrop on what''s being said around the one I have cast it on."


    "What do we do?" she hurriedly asks.


    "Go to Iaron."


    ---3rd POV---


    "For this, these traitors shall be sacrificed to please the divine being watching over us," an elderly elf proims while pointing his walking at Ari, is, and five other elves.


    "Only this way will our race flourish!" he exims with vigor unbing of his senile body.


    The crowd of elves in front of the man raise their arms and shout out supportive statements, while a minority of the elves look at the elves tied with a doubtful look on their faces.


    "Hear me, oh spirits of the wind," the man begins to chant as several blue orbs for around his arms.


    The crowd''s cheering begins to increase in intensity, while the doubtful look on the minority has changed to that of horror.


    Just as one of them is about to shout something, a sound akin to ss shattering resounds within the ears of all the elves present, greatly rming them.


    The next moment, a ck projectile crashes right beside the old man, causing the blue orbs around his arms to abruptly disappear.


    "The spirits!" the old man bellows, "They''ve fallen asleep!"


    Hearing his words, the elves immediately begin to panic. All of a sudden, a bright light shines upon them as several figures descend from the sky.


    The terrified elves look over at the descending figures, only to be awed by the sight of a golden-haired man embroidered in runes apanied by six beauteous females.


    Meanwhile, the elves are distracted by the bizarre sight, Luctiana is sneakily freeing the elves who have been tied to the wooden poles.


    Once Luctiana freed all the elves, she guided them away from the crowd while making sure to not do anything that would attract the attention of the baffled crowd.


    The golden-haired man, who is none other than Victor, watches over her as she guides them away before swiftlynding on the ground along with the rest of the girls.


    "Go forth," Victormands in a firm tone while pointing at the giant tree.


    Tiffania, who is the closest to him, nods her head and begins walking toward the tree while Aruru and Gabriel follow her with their wings protruding from their backs for everyone to see.


    The dumbfounded elves subconsciously make way for Tiffania and the angels as they head toward the bridge that connects to the tree.


    Meanwhile, Victor waves his hand, causing motes of light to escape from his palm and nestle on the elves'' heads before saying in a loud and sonorous tone, "Heed me, oh beings blessed by nature. I, havee as an apostle of the Goddess Sera for the Great Purpose."


    As a response to all this, the elves look at him with dazed expressions,pletely unaware of what''s happening to the giant tree.


    ---1st POV---


    Making use of my senses in my deified form, I keep a tab on Luctiana and the rest as they make their way out of Iaron.


    Earlier, I made use of the ck stone along with my Destruction topletely shatter the barrier set around the ce, so they should be able to leave without much trouble.


    Naturally, there is a chance that a mishap may ur on their way back to Luctiana''s abode, so I had Saturnus wait for them right outside Iaron. She''s going to escort them to the oasis while keeping an eye on the male elves, particrly, Ari.


    Anyway, it seems like the part of the key being sacrificed was nothing more than facies, after all. The giant tree at the center of the oasis is now glowing in a greenish-blue color with numerous runes visible on its bark.


    In the end, Tiffa was indeed the key, but I wasn''t nning to sacrifice her for the cause. As such, I had Aruru and Gabriel apany her while in a battle-ready state, with the intention of keeping her out of harm''s reach if something went wrong.


    Fortunately, my worries were unnecessary, which is what I was expecting.


    s, it seems like I''m one step closer to finding what I seek in this tform. What a long journey it has been


    I take onest nce at the stupefied elves before floating toward the tree while telekically bringing Siesta, Krul, and Yuno along with me.


    Soon, we find ourselves standing right behind Tiffa and the angels who are watching with awe as the tree seems to ''open-up'' in the center before a violet gateway forms at the center.


    "This is it," I say while approaching the gateway, "This is our passage to the Lost Continent."


    The girls apart from Tiffa all have a serious expression on their faces while staring at the gateway.


    "Let''s do this," I murmur before walking through the gateway.

 Chapter 200: Dark ; (Spoiler) ; Unleashed

    Chapter 200: Dark ; (Spoiler) ; Unleashed


    Unexpectedly, the gateway didn''t directly transport me to the Lost Continent. Instead, it cleared the ufortable feeling I''ve had ever since I arrived in Sorcerers'' Lair.


    {Restrictions on parameters cleared.}


    Hearing this, a sense of anxiety washes over as I begin to consider the reasons for my restrictions to get removed.


    Such thoughts don''tst long, as, a few secondster, I find myself standing somewherepletely unlike anything I''ve seen before.


    Sensing no danger nearby, I cancel my deification.


    "What is this ce?" Krul''s voice reaches my ears.


    "I don''t know," I absentmindedly respond while inspecting the sky and earth.


    The whole sky is covered in dark clouds that are swirling at an extreme speed along with lightning of myriad colors striking the earth here and there.


    As for the earth itself, it''s bereft of colors. The trees, the grass, and even the peculiar tiny organisms - they''re all ck.


    It''s almost as if the ce is under a curse of darkness.


    "What is this ce?" a timid voice reaches my ears.


    Turning my head to look at the source of the voice, I find Tiffa shivering with fear apparent in her eyes.


    "Are you okay?" I worriedly ask.


    "I-" she says before pausing, "I-I don''t know."


    My brows furrow as I look behind Tiffa to see if it''s possible to send her back, only to be disappointed by the sight of arge circr stone that isn''t exuding any energy.


    As if sensing my thoughts, Gabriel swiftly moves in front of the circr stone and presses her hand against it before turning around and shaking her head.


    Letting out a sigh, I nce over at everyone before asking, "How do you all feel?"


    "Stronger," Gabriel and Krul immediately respond in unison.


    "Strange," Siesta says while examining her body, "It feels unnatural."


    "I feel stronger too," Aruru says while clenching her tiny fists.


    As for Yuno, she has been silent this whole time while ring into the distance. Before I can ask her what''s wrong, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Code Waves detected.}


    Code Waves? Are they the ones emitted by the friendly Code?


    {Affirmative.}


    So, it''s here? Are you able to identify it?


    {Negative. Closer contact is necessary.}


    Nodding my head, I begin to make use of my sense to check our surroundings for any unusual creatures.


    Fortunately, I don''t find any, so I say, "It seems like we won''t be able to leave this ce unless we activate that gateway behind us."


    "To do that, we need to find someone or something capable of doing so."


    Agreeing with me, everyone apart from Tiffania nods their head.


    "We should get going," I say while using Pdin''s Aura in hopes of calming everyone down, particrly Tiffa.


    Due to our surroundings being nothing more than ck trees, I haven''t been able to see what this ce looks like properly.


    As such, I inform the others of my intentions before using Flight tounch into the air.


    Floating in the air, I observe the Lost Continent, only to be baffled by the sight of four gigantic statues.


    One of the four statues is missing its upper half, so I''m unable to tell who it is, however, I can recognize two of the three other statues.


    To the far left, there is a statue that resembles Siesta a lot, with the only difference being that the statue has humongous wings protruding from the back and a pair of wings near the ears.


    The statue is holding its arm up as if chanting some spell, which greatly resembles the time Siesta lost control over her Code.


    To the far right, there is a statue that resembles Infi in her ''true'' form. In the statue, Infi is standing in a prideful manner while seemingly looking down on the world itself.


    As for the other two statues, the one missing the upper part is at the far back, while the final one is right at the center of thend.


    Unlike the two otherplete statues, the one at the center shows no pride or power, butpassion instead.


    The statue is that of an aesthetic mature woman with pointy ears. Her attire seems to be closely resembling what the elves I''ve met so far wore. On the woman''s lips is a smile that seems like it could cure depression once and for all.


    All of a sudden, a sense of dread overwhelms me as my senses seem to get enhanced several-fold.


    Absolute Evasion?


    I swiftly make use of Blink to appear quite a distance away, just to see three dark figures sh at where I previously was.


    The next moment, all three figures turn their head to look in my direction, revealing emerald-green eyes that are glowing eerily.


    Realizing that I will be at a disadvantage in an aerial battle, I hurriedly dive to where the girls are while muttering, "Gabriel, Aruru, protect Tiffania."


    [Understood!] [Yes!]


    Hearing their response, I swiftly turn midair, ready to make use of Vector Maniption. To my surprise, the figures have already followed me to an extent, only to stop near some thinyer of energy that I hadn''t noticed before.


    "What are those things?" Krul asks while standing in a battle-ready stance.


    "No idea," I respond, "I wasn''t able to sense their presence at all before they were close enough to sh me."


    "I can hear them," Siesta mutters, startling me a little.


    "Siesta?" I question while looking at her, only to find her staring at the dark figures with a dazed expression, "They''re crying"


    Crying? What, do these things need to be saved or something?


    Taking a moment to clear my head, I begin to think of our current situation before a horrendous notion appears in my head. What if these figures were people who lived in this continent before it turned into what it is now?


    If that''s the case, then there is a chance that it might happen to us as well, which is more than a little worrisome.


    For now, the one I am most concerned about is Tiffania. Unlike the rest of us, she isn''t capable of fighting, so she''s in the most danger at the moment.


    If only there was a way to send her away from this ce Ah, right! The Arena!


    Despite the Arena being an unsafe ce in and of itself, it''s still better than this ursed ce. All I have to do is check on Tiffania now and then to see if she''s doing well.


    Having resolved my mind, I turn to face Tiffa before sharing my thoughts with her.


    ---


    "How far is this statue that you speak of?" Yuno exasperatedly asks as we walk through the dark forest.


    "Not so far," I reply, "I believe that we''re halfway there."


    Hearing my words, Yuno lets out a deep sigh before saying, "Why is this ce so empty? I want to kill something."


    Before I canment on her way of dealing with boredom, a strange sound reaches my ears.


    rmed, I motion for the others to stop walking before using my senses to examine our surroundings.


    Finding nothing, I say, "Keep your guards up."


    "Hey," Krul says, "Wha-"


    Before Krul can say what''s on her mind, the ground below us trembles as the dark trees around us begin to sway to the side. What''s strange is that they sway in a way that forms a direct path to the statue ahead of us.


    "A trap?" Yuno says with a hint of excitement in her voice.


    "No" I mutter while looking up ahead.


    {The Code waves are clearer now.}


    I thought so. Our mysterious friend has formed a path for us.


    "Let''s pick up the pace," I say before beginning to jog forward.


    With the rest of the girls following me, we soon find ourselves standing right below the gigantic statue.


    "Is that" Krul says while looking at a big white crystal that''s floating between the statue''s legs.


    "A Code," Yuno says in a not-so-pleasant tone.


    Examining the white crystal, I find a mature woman resembling the statue curled up within it. Everything about her is simr, including the pointy ears and elven attire.


    Curious, I step forward, only to be surprised by the sight of the dark grass beneath me getting taller before forming a staircase leading to the crystal.


    Yeah, this is suspicious as heck. This Code could have been helping us out for this moment.


    I take a moment to deliberate over the matter before concluding that it''s worth it to free the Code. Despite having no idea why it''s in such a state, I''m not sensing any danger or difort around her, so there is a high chance that I will get a new ally instead of an enemy.


    Besides, including me, there are four Codes present, so it shouldn''t be that hard to fight her even if she is an enemy.


    Taking in a deep breath, I climb the stairs until I''m right in front of the crystal.


    Then, I slowly lift my arm before cing my palm against the cold surface of the crystal.


    The next moment, cracks form all over the crystal as the surrounding darkness gradually dissipates. A few secondster, the crystal shatters, resulting in the body of the mature woman to fall.


    Before I can attempt to catch her, the woman''s eyes open, revealing solid green eyes full ofpassion and wonder.


    {Code identified: Gaia.}


    No wonder. Every-


    My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the ground trembling much harder than before as the sound of numerous roars reaches my ears.


    {2nd Rank Unknown detected.}


    "Verethragna!" an earth-shaking voice resounds all over the ce, "You will pay!"


    ~~~~~


    Full Title: Dark ; Gaia ; Unleashed

 Chapter 201: Brimir ; Cruelty ; Gate

    Chapter 201: Brimir ; Cruelty ; Gate


    Hearing the loud voice, I am about to check the source out using irvoyance, however, before I can do so, Gaia ces her hand on my shoulder.


    Turning my head to face her, I find aposed look on her face as she raises her left arm.


    The next moment, a giant vine emerges from the ground right underneath the staircase of elongated grass and carries us to the sky.


    "Verethragna!" I hear the raging voice once again as a figure makes its way over to us at an astounding speed.


    Soon, the figure is less than ten meters away from me and seems to be readying to cast a spell.


    Imit all of my focus to him as I prepare to pull Excalibur out at any moment. All of a sudden, multiple sharp and small projectiles seem to appear out of nowhere and pierce him from all sides.


    This seems to do a lot of damage as the figure immediately falls to the ground andnds face-first into the now-green grass.


    Curious about my assant, I casually jump off therge vine andnd right in front of his head.


    As if sensing my presence, he raises his head to reveal an unfamiliar face soaked in hatred.


    "You''re finally here," he grits his teeth and says while getting back on his feet, "I''ve waited. Waited so long"


    Looking at his expression that seems to turn worse by the second, I shake my head and say, "Why?"


    What exactly have I done to deserve this rude treatment?


    "Hundreds of years" he continues, seemingly unwilling to answer me, "I''ve waited for this very moment."


    Letting out a sigh of mild exasperation, I nonchntly state, "Sorry to burst your bubble of revenge, but I don''t even know who you are."


    Silence ensues as the guy gawks at me with a look that''s a mixture of hatred and bewilderment.


    "You don''t remember?" he mutters chuckling, "You don''t remember?!"


    "You took everything from me, everything! My love, my people, and my dreams! I don''t care if you''re a god. No, that doesn''t matter. I will kill you!"


    Before I can remark how idiotic he sounds, the guy''s blonde hair begins to shimmer as his eyes be a dull brown.


    Then, he waves his hand, which results in a rather strong gust of wind to strike my side, however, it''s unable to make me budge.


    "That''s all?" I mockingly say before kicking his guts with enough force tounch him a dozen or so meters into the distance.


    Covered in dirt and dust, he rises from the ground as if the kick just now didn''t shatter his bones.


    I''m aware that I''m doing right now is risky, however, my curiosity must be satiated. I must find out about the past. Hearing him speak about me taking everything from him seems to have sparked something strange inside me


    "At least, tell me your name," I casually say while checking the state of his body.


    "You don''t remember," he grunts in a voice full of malice, "Fine."


    Raising his head, he looks me directly in the eyes as blood flows out of the corner of his eyes before he says, "I''m Brimir. Brimir of Niaovellir."


    Adopting a look of deliberation, I shake my head and say, "Nope. Doesn''t ring any bells."


    This sessfully makes Brimir angrier as he begins to chant a spell that strengthens his body before he dashes at me.


    His current speed isparable to when my parameters were restricted outside this ce. As such, it wouldn''t take me much effort to punch the guy out of his misery.


    As I swiftly move to the side to dodge his attack, I hear some rumbling in the distance.


    Checking it out, I am met with the sight of the girls fighting against giant lizards and the dark figures who are now slowly turning back to ''normal''.


    "Don''t ignore me!" I loud voice reaches my ears before Brimir attempts to punch me while covered in mes.


    Shaking my head in disappointment, I cancel all his vectors before grabbing the pest by his neck and throwing him in the direction the girls are fighting at.


    Then, I appear right at the center of the ''battlefield'' where the girls are easily obliterating every single one of their foes.


    In no time, every enemy has deceased, with more than half of them having been crushed by Gaia''s giant vines.


    Being the only one left, Brimir stands on his feet while surrounded by us with hatred seething out of him.


    "If only you weren''t there," he says in a mncholic tone, "All of us would be living in peace. No one would''ve died. She wouldn''t have hated me. Everything. Everything is your fault!"


    None of us present are fazed by his words as we continue to observe him while he spews everything he has to say.


    "You cursed me with eternal life, for the sole purpose of entertaining yourself by my suffering. You imprisoned me here along with everyone I couldn''t save."


    He sure likes to talk a lot. Is he trying to earn my sympathy? But, if I was the way he makes me out to have been, his efforts are meaningless.


    "Why are you telling me all this?" I bluntly ask.


    Brimir remains silent for a few seconds before he falls to his knees and says in a deste tone, "Please, kill me. I don''t want revenge. I just want it all to end."


    The dark clouds above us slowly dissipate, allowing light to shine through on the broken being in front of me.


    His expression is that of pure agony at the moment, with no hint of the hatred he showed moments prior.


    {Father. It''s rmended to use Destruction to eliminate the entity identified as Brimir.}


    Destruction, huh? Whatever.


    Letting out a small sigh, I slowly approach Brimir and crouch near him.


    "I shall grant your wish," I mutter, startling Brimir by no small amount.


    Tears begin to flow out of the corner of his eyes as a quivering smile appears on his lips.


    Reaching my arm out, I pierce Brimir''s throat by my fingers before inserting waves of Destruction into him.


    After a few seconds, I use Termination to end this once and for all.


    Brimir''s body slowly begins to wither away under the zing light


    ---


    "So," I say while facing the charming woman, "How should I refer to you?"


    "You can call me whatever you wish," a soft voice escapes from her soft lips.


    "Then, Gaia it is," I say.


    As a response to this, she just beams a smile that stuns me for a few seconds.


    "Let''s not waste time anymore," Krul groans, "Hey, how do we leave this ce?"


    Instead of answering her, Gaia just stares at Krul with the same smile still on her face.


    Annoyed, Krul seems like she wants to fight Gaia, so I stop her by cing my hand on top of her head and saying, "Krul. Everything in due time."


    "Hmph," she scoffs before walking to where Yuno is preparing some Sigi.


    "This ce is safe now, right?" I inquire.


    "Yes," she immediately responds.


    Nodding my head, I intone, "Arena."


    --


    "Woah!" Tiffa voices excitedly upon exiting the Arena with me, "What happened? How is this ce so beautiful now?"


    I chuckle a little before saying, "There was a curse on thisnd. All it took was removing the curse for the ce to return to what it was in the past."


    Hearing this, Tiffa nods her head before looking around the ce with stars shimmering in her eyes.


    "This child," Gaia says, "She''s a gifted one."


    Both Tiffa and I shift our focus to her with curiosity apparent on our faces.


    "She appears to have inherited one of the four founding familiar''s blood."


    "Hold on a moment. Are you saying that she is a familiar?" I inquire.


    "No," she simply responds, "Once a familiar signs a contract with her, they will be Lfrasir."


    Lfrasir? It somewhat reminds me of what Louise granted me through the contract we had formed - Gandalfr.


    Perhaps, they''re rted? Gaia did say there are four of them, after all.


    "Let''s set that aside for now," I say, "How can we go back to Halkeginia?"


    The smile on Gaia''s lips grows as before she says, "Don''t leave."


    Perplexed by her statement, I question, "Why?"


    "The Core," she simply says, causing my eyes to widen.


    "It''s here?" I inquire, while a little excited at the prospect of returning to the Rift and reuniting with So- everyone.


    "Yes," she says before turning around and pointing at the statue that has no upper half, "It''s there."


    I almost dash toward it but manage to hold back from doing so. For now, I should settle everything here properly before returning to the Rift. Besides, I can''t just leave Ddraig and Saturnus here.


    Letting out a sigh, I look over at where Gabriel, Aruru, and Siesta are before shifting my sight to Krul and Yuno.


    Shaking my head, I face Gaia and say, "I can''t leave just yet. There should be a way to get back to Halkeginia, right? And I believe that we can return here the same way we first entered."


    "I understand," she says, "You can leave through the gate you came from and return here from it as well."


    "But, the gate is deactivated," Tiffa says.


    "Reactivating it is but a simple feat," Gaia says before raising her arm and snapping her fingers.


    All of a sudden, the ground trembles once again as I sense something moving toward us at an extreme speed.


    Soon, a certain circr stone gets ced near us by a giant vine.


    The rest of the girls make their way over to us while Gaia presses her palm against the stone and mutters, "pli." (A/N: Greek word for gate/portal.)

 Chapter 202: Return ; Oasis

    Chapter 202: Return ; Oasis


    Stepping out of the gate, I''m immediately met with the sight of all the elves from before standing at the end of the bridge. They all seem to have changed into fancier clothes and changes their hairstyle.


    "The weing," Tiffania who is to my right says in a calm tone, "They are to be in the best shape when in the proximity of the Great Purpose."


    Hearing this, I scoff and say, "Gaia, your followers sure are neat. They were even willing to sacrifice my dear cousin to meet you."


    As a response to my remark, Gaia adopts a small smile before saying, "These children are just a little lost. They require some guidance, that''s all."


    Meanwhile, Tiffa has a stunned look on her face as she points at herself and says, "Sacrifice me?"


    "Oh right," I say while furrowing my brows and pointing at the crowd of elves, "These guys would be trying to catch you and execute you in front of this tree to establish a connection with the ''Great Purpose'' if it weren''t for my intervention."


    Naturally, this isn''t small news, so Tiffa is more than shocked upon hearing my words. As for the crowd of elves, they''re currently in a panic-stricken state from the moment I pointed at them.


    "Father," Aruru says while walking to my side, "Should I go punish these sinners?"


    Such a good girl. She always thinks of what''s best for me and those I care about.


    Patting her head, a smile forms on my lips as I say, "Ignore them. It''s not worth the effort."


    Enjoying my touch, Aruru closes her eyes before letting out a ''umn''.


    "Father, what will we be doing now?" Gabrielposedly asks me from behind.


    Right What am I going to be doing now that I''m back in Halkeginia? I''ve already found the Core, so my main objective ispleted. All that''s left is to tie some loose ends within Albion as well as the Kingdom of Gallia.


    Then, I''ll see if it''s possible to establish a ''friendly'' rtionship with Germania and Romalia. I reckon that this wouldn''t be an arduous process due to the state of Albion at the moment. Not only did I conquer a kingdom with no more than three thousand soldiers from Albion, but there will be an infrangible alliance between Tristain, the kingdom of Gallia, and Albion.


    Speaking of alliances, I''ve yet to strengthen the one between Albion and Tristain through the ''political marriage'' proposed by Henrietta.


    Despite having epted it, there has yet to be any preparations made for the ceremony.


    That''s also beneficial in a way, as it would give us time to see if there are any more corrupt nobles by observing their actions during this period.


    Setting that aside, there is still the matter with Jete and Sheffield, which I''m more than a little curious about.


    Shaking my head, I firmly say, "I''ll be taking care of some matters rted to the kingdoms. Do you have anything to keep yourselves busy with during for the time?"


    "I will aid Father," Gabriel directly says, as Aruru tugs on my clothes and excitedly exims, "Me too!"


    Nodding my head, I turn to face Krul and Yuno.


    "Of course, I will be helping you too," Yuno says while Krul just shrugs.


    "What about you, Siesta?" I say while turning to face the taciturn girl.


    "I will be taking care of the castle," she responds after a short pause.


    Hah~ I expected as much. Now then, time to head to Luctiana''s abode.


    ---


    Before we left Iaron, the elves tried their best to make us stay in the oasis as ''exceptional guests'' while some of the more ''braver'' elves offered themselves to the Great Purpose.


    As a response to this, Gaia kindly declined their offer by hurling them into the distance by nts. However, that wasn''t the end of it... The elves who were thrown away rushed to the nts that threw them over before beginning to rub their bodies against said nts.


    Disgusted by such behavior, I asked Gaia if she was capable of sensing their actions. Fortunately, she firmly denied the notion by exining how she was only conscious of what she willed to be conscious of.


    Curious about the way she said it, I asked her about the range of her powers and abilities, to which she imed that it covered the whole, as long as there was life.


    Shockingly, it turned out that her powers weren''t restricted to nts, but all living organisms. Naturally, her control varied ording to how willful a creature was. As such, humans are out of her range of control, forcing her to resort to more extreme means if a change was necessary.


    "Are we there yet?" a loud sound resounds within my ears, interrupting my thoughts.


    "I don''t think so," I say while rubbing Tiamat''s back and using irvoyance to check for anything familiar.


    "So hot," Tiffa says while holding her arm up to block the scorching heat of the sun.


    Being the only ''ordinary'' being among us, Tiffa is the only one suffering from the heat.


    As such, I use Elemental Magic to form some water and sprinkle it over her face while shifting my position so that she falls under my shadow.


    "Thanks," she says in a refreshed tone, to which I wave my hand and say, "Don''t mention it."


    --


    It took us some time, but we finally managed to locate the oasis. Tiamat took it upon herself tond near the house, breaking more than a few trees during the process.


    Everyone apart from me jumps off her back, earning me a curious growl from the giant dragon.


    "I just wanted to appreciate the feeling of your scales a little more," I say while using Elemental Magic to ssh her scales with water.


    "What a nice master," she responds in a frivolous manner.


    Beaming a smile, I await for Tiamat to return to the familiar space before gradually floating to the ground.


    "You sure took your time," Krul says while smirking.


    "Whatever," I nonchntly say before patting her head.


    "Let''s head inside," I say before something catches my attention.


    Quite a distance away from us, the five elves that I had used indoctrination on are fighting against a certain android.


    The fight ispletely one-sided with the elves not being able to so much scratch Saturnus despite her allowing them to prepare any attack or spirit magic.


    Knowing Saturnus, there is more to the matter than what it seems, so I''ll have to ask her about itter. For now, I should head inside the house and see how Luctiana and is are doing.


    --


    "What is this?" Krul questions as we stand in front of Ari''s body which is motionlessly lying on the ground.


    He''s alive. That, I can tell from his re.


    "Perhaps, she was punished?" Yuno thoughtfully says.


    "Could be," I say while considering the possibility of that being the case.


    A few secondster, Luctiana and is both arrive in the living room, most likely having heard our voices.


    "You''re back," Luctiana cheerfully says before she sets her sight on Gaia, which results in her eyes to widen in shock.


    What, how is she even able to tell that Gaia is their ''Great Purpose''? The same question appeared within my mind back when the elves offered themselves to her, but I didn''t heed it much attention.


    However, now that even she is reacting in such a manner, my interest has been piqued once more. Can they sense some kind of energy she''s exuding or something? Hopefully, it''s not something as simple as her appearance.


    "Is that" is says while inspecting Gaia from head to toe.


    "Yes," I say, "This is Gaia, whom you elves refer to as the Great Purpose."


    Before they can say anything else, I point at Ari and curiously ask, "What''s with him?"

 Chapter 203: Rude ; Punishment ; Curse

    Chapter 203: Rude ; Punishment ; Curse


    Knowing that some of them would rather be elsewhere, I asked the girls if they would like to go back to the castle.


    As such, I sent Siesta, Yuno, and Krul back to the castle, while Gabriel and Aruru imed that they wished to stay by my side.


    "So?" I say once we''ve all taken a seat on the sofas in the living room, "Did Ari attempt to do something unbing to end up in such a state?"


    Hearing my inquiry, Luctiana''s expression changes to one of disgust while is'' to that of disappointment.


    "He really did, huh?" I say while frowning.


    It takes her a moment, but is finally opens her mouths and says, "Ari was rude to the maid"


    "Oh? What happened exactly?"


    So, it''s due to Saturnus that he''s in such a state now, huh?


    "He" is says before pausing once again. Dissatisfied, I firmly say, "Tell me."


    Probably realizing that it''s better if she tells me everything in one go, is resolves any inhibitions she may have had and begun recounting what happened.


    Apparently, Ari had thought of Saturnus even worse than savage because she ha introduced herself as my maidservant. As a result, he was bugging her on the way to the oasis


    However, due to Saturnus practically ignoring his existence, he threw a fit, iming that she was being rude and whatnot. This ultimately led to him reaching his arm out, most likely intending to ''punish'' her for her unsavory behavior.


    Of course, I had brought Saturnus over for no other reason than something like this urring. Unexpectedly, she ended up as the victim, with Ari as the assant instead of the others.


    From that point, Saturnus made use of her equipment to lightly pierce Ari''s chest before he limply fell to the ground and stayed like that ever since.


    Once is was done recounting, I couldn''t hold myself back from remarking, "How idiotic. Did Ari actually believe that I would send a powerless girl over?"


    "Besides," I say while leaning back and squinting my eyes, "Luctiana, you didn''t stop him from doing all this?"


    Realizing that I''m discontented by her actions, an anxious expression appears on Luctiana''s face as she opens her mouth to say something.


    However, before she can talk, another voice reaches my ears, "She did try to stop him."


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find Saturnus slowly walking inside before making her way to behind the sofa I''m sitting on.


    "But, he didn''t listen to her," Saturnus continues.


    "That''s surprising," I proim, "After all, he seemed to be held by a leash thest time I saw Ari interact with Luctiana."


    "Leash," is absentmindedly mutters as a red hue spreads across Luctiana''s cheeks.


    What, did I say anything strange?


    "Anyway," I state, "I''ve been displeased with Ari''s actions time and time again. Now, he has even attempted to make a move on my beloved maid"


    Realizing where I''m going with this, is''s eyes widen while an odd look appears on Luctiana''s face.


    "As such, I''ve decided to punish him ordingly."


    The moment I''m done speaking, I pull Excalibur out of the storage ring before morphing it into the shape of a scythe.


    "Wait!" Luctiana hurriedly says, "As much as I hate what has be of Ari, I can''t just let him die like this!"


    "Oh?" I intone in a cold tone, "Are you going to oppose me?"


    The atmosphere in the room bes tense as Aruru forms a few light arrows around her, while Saturnus tightens her grip on the strange equipment she carries around everywhere.


    "No, no, no!" she hastily says as beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead, "I''m sure that there is another suitable punishment that doesn''t need him to die!"


    Nice. Exactly the words I''ve been waiting to hear.


    "What do you suppose is a suitable punishment, then?" I say while using Eye of Judgment to pressure her even more.


    Luctiana grits her teeth as she attempts to think of a response to my inquiry.


    Several moments pass, with her noting up with anything. Bored, I raise Excalibur and say, "It seems like there is none after all."


    "I-I will disown him!" is suddenly says in a worried tone, causing Ari''s paralyzed body to twitch.


    Nice reaction But, it''s not enough. I need more or what I have in mind won''t work out that well.


    "Disown, you say? I wouldn''t want you to do that, is. After all, that would hurt you more than it would hurt him," I say while slowly shaking my head, "I highly doubt that Ari even cares."


    A small smile forms on my lips as I sense Ari twitching several more times. There is no need to show mercy. He brought this upon himself.


    "Then," Luctiana speaks once more, this time in a much more resolved, yet hurt tone, "I will break my engagement with him. You can send him as far away from here. Is that enough?"


    These two Both of their proposals are ones that would hurt themselves. is did it out of her motherly love for Ari. As for Luctiana, it could be her lingering feelings or just can''t bear to see an acquaintance die.


    For her to make this choice with such little regret is an obvious sign of her having considered doing this in the past. That''s not surprising, considering how disgusting Ari''s attitude is. It makes me wonder what it was that attracted the two in the first ce.


    Ari who has been listening on this whole time is now twitching non-stop, most likely trying his hardest to break free from the paralysis and say something regarding this matter.


    "Very well," I say after a few seconds of deliberation, "I hope the two of you wouldn''t hate me for this."


    "Not at all," Luctiana says while forcing a smile, "I can''t say I''m okay with the way it turned out, but I know that Ari is in the wrong."


    Looking over at is, I notice that she has a nk expression on her face as she wordlessly stares at Ari.


    Hah~ I need to get this done quickly. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong.


    Getting up from the sofa, I approach Ari''s body before forming an anti-sound barrier around him.


    "is, Luctiana, hear me out."


    Luctiana looks over at me with a nervous expression, as is break out of her stupor and listens to what I have to say.


    "I actually knew that things would turn out like this," I say, despite having no clue at all. The whole point of this was to test out another application of Norse Magic. Now, I can make it sound like I''m doing it as a random act of kindness.


    To do that, I would have Ari''s punishment decided by the two female elves, as they know him best. By asking for a punishment equating to his life, I would guarantee that they woulde up with something that''s bound to hurt him. Then, use my curse to make it look like I am doing the right thing.


    "Currently, Ari can''t hear us, so I can tell you what''s going on," I continue, "You see, I''ve noticed that Ari just can''t be honest about his feelings. He actually cares about you, is, but hides it deep inside his heart."


    "The only I''m not sure about is why Ari assailed my maid. This is what irritated me. So, I decided to both punish him and deal with the problem in one shot."


    Fortunately, the two of them seem to be taking my words to heart as they both have thoughtful looks on their faces.


    "To prove this, I will now have my maid remove the state of paralysis from his body."


    Turning to face to Saturnus, I question, "You can do that, right?"


    "Yes, Creator," she politely responds.


    Before Saturnus can take a step, I activate Time-Stop, causing the familiar changes in my surroundings before everythinges to a standstill.


    Now, I can only hope that this will do what I expect it to. With such a thought in my mind, I crouch beside Ari and use Norse Magic to grant him the Curse of Regret.


    Then, I stand right up before canceling Time-Stop.


    Apart from Luctiana and is, everyone else in the room notices the slight change as a curious glint appears within their eyes. That''s especially the case for Gaia who has been watching everything unfold with great interest.


    Shortly, Saturnus pierces Ari''s chest with the odd equipment before some energy gets sucked out of Ari''s body.


    The next moment, Ari swiftly gets up from the ground and shouts, "I''m sorry! I didn''t want to do it, but it just happened! Why did I do it? Why?"


    Seeing his overdramatic actions, I''m pleasantly surprised. Great. This curse can be used in various ways to guarantee a certain oue.


    "Please, mom, forgive me!" Ari exims, causing is to gasp as her eyes get teary.


    This goes on for a while, with Ari doing nothing other than expressing ''his regrets'' over everything he''s done toward his mother. In the end, tears were rolling down her cheeks as Ari asked for forgiveness on his knees.


    Ari then shifts his focus to Luctiana and is about to say something, but I cancel the curse at this moment, causing the words to get stuck in his throat.


    Ari making up with Luctiana wouldn''t be beneficial for me, in fact, it would be detrimental. So, I will prevent it.


    Luctiana who had a look of expectation on her face slowly realizes that Ari isn''t going to say anything, causing her expression to slowly turn impassive.


    After a while, a glint of disappointment shined within her eyes before she got up from the sofa and walked to her room.


    "What" a dumbfounded Ari murmurs.


    ---


    "Gaia, do you not require sleep?" I curiously ask with a smile on my lips.


    "No," a soothing voice responds to my inquiry.


    Right now, the two of us are both in the living room. Due to it being the dead of the night, everyone the two of us are alone.


    Aruru is sleeping on my bed, while Gabriel is sleeping on a bed I created for her in the same room.


    Luctiana was in a bad mood, so Ari didn''t sleep in the same room as her, but on the ground of the same room his mother was sleeping in on her bed. Hopefully, he begins to get along with is, as she would think that all this is happening because of me


    The other five elves are staying in another room, while Saturnus is outside doing something, hence why I''m awake.


    I didn''t ount for Gaia to be awake as well, which leads us to the current situation.


    "This is unexpected," I say, "But, it''s good timing."


    Gaia keenly listens to my words while looking into my eyes.


    "Gaia, I want you to tell me about the reason why Brimir hated me so much," I proim.

 Chapter 204: Gaias Recount ; History of Halkeginia ; Brimirs Suffering

    Chapter 204: Gaia''s Recount ; History of Halkeginia ; Brimir''s Suffering


    "Gaia?" I question after a few seconds of pure silence.


    "I don''t know much," she responds, "The events rted to the human had already transpired by the time I merged with this."


    "Hold on. Merged with this? Where were you before?"


    "The Rift," she responds.


    "What were you doing there?"


    "Observing humans."


    "Why?"


    "Because you asked me to," she responds, a little confused.


    "For what reason did I ask you that?"


    "I don''t know," she downheartedly replies.


    Observing humans, huh? It seems like I was quite fond of humans for some reason Not in a good way, though, as from what I''ve seen in the visions, I didn''t treat them very ''well''.


    "So, you said that you merged with this, right? I assume that you had to separate from another before that," I say to which she just nods her head as confirmation.


    "What became of that?" I curiously inquire. If I''m not mistaken, the she was previously merged with was Earth.


    "Nothing," she replies, startling me a little, "The will function as it''s supposed to without me."


    "Then, what purpose do you serve?" I ask while trying my best to not make it sound rude.


    "Observe and report everything to you."


    Yeah, I unquestionably was truly ''fond'' of humans.


    Still, there is something that has been bothering me quite a bit


    "Gaia, why are you so honest with me?" I question while squinting my eyes. ording to what I know about her, she genuinely cares about the lives of the ''children'' inhabiting a. As such, it would make sense for her to dislike me.


    The smile on her lips grows as she says, "Because I trust you."


    "Trust me? I''m sure you have already noticed, but I''m not exactly who I used to be."


    "I know," she responds while nodding her head.


    Seeing that she has nothing more to say, I begin to think about how odd her belief is. Shaking such thoughts off, I look Gaia in the eyes before saying, "I''m sure that you know something about Brimir, even if the events had long urred when you arrived."


    Fortunately, she nods her head and says, "I did hear the children speak of it."


    And so, Gaia tells me everything she had heard before she was ''limited''.


    A long time ago, Brimir was chosen by the human popce to lead them to and where they can prosper. The reason he was chosen was that he was the most talented man known to mankind at the time.


    Not only was he capable of proficiently making use of all magic elements, but he had mighty familiars that were known for their potency and intelligence as well.


    Under Brimir''s guidance, the humans established the current kingdoms before traveling south and contacting the elves.


    However, that didn''tst long, as one day, the elves'' attitude toward humans changed.


    The reason for that wasn''t known to the humans at the time, but itter turned out to be because of the order of a certain god. The elves were known to worship four entities. Of the four entities, only three of them were seen, while one of them was just mentioned.


    Of the three seen, the humans worshiped only one of them - Light Goddess Sera.


    On an ''ursed'' day, the Light Goddess disappeared. Then, one of the two gods, Verethragna, bestowed his wisdom upon the elves regarding the vileness of the humans. He revealed the darkest of truths regarding humans.


    This action led to an inevitable war between elves and humans. In this war, none of the gods made an appearance. It was at this period that Brimir truly disyed his prowess and ruthlessness. He refused to exin the vile human acts that were revealed by the Verethragna while continuing to fight with all his might.


    Soon after that, one of Brimir''s familiars, an elf, turned against him, which turned the tide of the war. For various reasons, Brimir was unable to bring himself to hurt his familiar, which lead to the downfall of the human side in the war.


    A while after that, the humans were pushed out of thend the elves upied originally as well as their own. Thisndter came to be known as Nephthys.


    In the end, Brimir resorted to splitting the popce up. One half traveled to the north, with his familiar being among them, while the rest decided to face the elves in hopes of regaining their lostnd.


    s, before they could go through with the n, Verethragna reappeared, right at where the humans were settled.


    To their despair, he built four statues with the snap of his finger. The statues were that of the four gods, including the one that had yet to be seen.


    The next thing that the rest of the world knew, thend disappeared along with Verethragna.


    With the war ending in such an abrupt manner, the elves and humans began to heal from the war and prosper in their own way.


    As years passed, countless legends were formed. The elves were recognized by two of the five kingdoms as evil races, while the rest saw them as neutral ones. This led to the elves hiding while recognizing Brimir, the founder of Halkeginia, as the devil.


    Gaia finishes her recounting by saying, "No one knows what became of the humans that disappeared along with thend."


    "But, you know, right?" I ask.


    "Yes," she simply responds, "After all, I was sealed there."


    Letting out a short sigh, I consider everything that Gaia just told me.


    No wonder I am so hated. I''m sure there is even more to the story than what Gaia said. Something that made Brimir hate me to the core.


    Hah~ At the end what was I trying to aplish? Seeing that I didn''t interfere directly until the very end, I must have had an objective of sorts.


    Whatever. For now, I should find out why Gaia was sealed and by whom.


    "Gaia, you were sealed, right? Who was it that sealed you?"


    "You," she instantly responds, greatly startling me.


    "What do you mean?" I ask.


    Huh? I was the one who sealed her? Why would I do that?


    Heck, isn''t that another reason for her to not trust me right now? Unless there is something else going on


    "You did it to save me," she exins, "The crystal that you used is one that can only be destroyed by Code: Exousia."


    "Were you in imminent danger at the time?" I ask, somewhat understanding what she''s getting at.


    "Yes," she replies, "You sent me to where the humans were and sealed me."


    "There, I eventually found out about the curse that you had ced on the ce itself as well as its inhabitants. The human, Brimir, suffered the most. He wallowed in agony every day as the other humans gradually turned into monsters.


    "I prevented him from going insane, as I knew you wouldn''t want that. However, the human still suffered. He destroyed your statue and began hunting down the humans who had be monsters.


    "Eventually he began to look for a way to finish his life. Naturally, each time he was close to aplishing this, I prevented it from happening-"


    "Because you knew I wouldn''t want that, right?" I interrupt her, to which she slowly nods her head.


    "You did well, Gaia," I say, unsure of what part of what she said I''m praising her about.


    So, that was Brimir''s story It could be said that everything urred because he crossed into the elven territory. Had he stayed within thend he was in, none of this would''ve happened.


    Yeah, who am I kidding? I''m sure that the ''me'' from back then would''ve still done something


    Ah, it''s pointless to think about this right now. I should check on Saturnus before going to sleep.


    Thinking of which


    "Gaia, can you not sleep at all?" I inquire.


    "I am able to replicate the act," she responds.


    "Good," I say while grinning, "How about sleeping by my side tonight?"

 Chapter 205: Saturnus ; Strange Matter ; Morning

    Chapter 205: Saturnus ; Strange Matter ; Morning


    "Saturnus, what are you doing?" I question once I reach her, unable to make sense of what''s happening.


    "Cleaning," she responds while continuing to soak her body in water.


    Taking this chance to properly observe her body, I notice that it''spletely simr to that of an ordinary human. In fact, I can''t see anything that would suggest she''s an android.


    Seemingly sensing my gaze, Saturnus looks over at me and says, "Would Creator like a massage?"


    "A massage?" I curiously ask.


    "I may not be the best at it, but it should be satisfactory," she says while smiling.


    "You were designed as abat-oriented android, right?" I say before creating a chair and taking a seat near the water.


    Saturnus slowly washes her body while answering, "That''s correct."


    "There should be other androids, right? Nonbat modules, I mean."


    "Yes," she replies, "Such modules were quitemon before the Emergence."


    "Emergence?" I repeat as an ufortable sensation appears in my guts.


    "That''s the term the pro-humans used to define the day the ''truth'' was revealed regarding the hIE."


    "What was this truth that you speak of?"


    "I don''t know," she says while shaking her head, "But, the pro-humans hated it to the extreme. Soon, all humans stood up against hIE, iming that they were doing it for their freedom."


    "So, what became of the nonbat hIE?"


    Knowing humans, they most likely attempted to pull some kind of stunt to reprogram them or something.


    "They were made use of to aid the human side in battle, but due to their capabilities being limited to nonbat abilities, they were swiftly eradicated."


    Woah. Swiftly eradicated?


    "Eradicated, you say? By whom?"


    "The Lacia ss hIE and Prototypes," she immediately replies.


    "What are Prototypes?" I ask while having the gist of what they are.


    "Humanoid androids with extreme battle capabilities. The Prototypes only took direct orders from the Creator, but even that rarely urred."


    "Can you identify any of the Prototypes?" I ask in hopes of confirming my suspicion.


    "Yes," she responds, "I have directly seen two of them. Prototype Alpha, identified as Ikaros, and Prototype Delta, identified as Astraea."


    Saturnus then takes this moment to step out of the water, giving me a full view of her naked body.


    "How fascinating," I mutter.


    "It''s only because of the Creator that I have such a body," she merrily remarks as she begins to put on her strange suit.


    Then, Saturnus puts on the maid outfit on top before walking over to me and cing her hands on my shoulders. As she begins massaging them, she says in a casual tone, "There is a high chance that a lot has changed. In fact, it would only be a matter of time before the humans attempted to recreate the hIE due to how reliable the androids are."


    "And, history will repeat itself," I say before chuckling.


    "Now that I think about it, how often do you need to take a bath?" I ask.


    "Not often," she responds, "This was a special case, as a quick scan of my body revealed matter that shouldn''t be inside my body."


    "What kind of matter," I ask.


    "It''s from when I was awoken by the Creator and battled with the female dragon."


    Oh, so it wasn''t water after all. I mean, it was already strange that all abilities and powers were blocked by it, so the fluid not being ordinary water is only to be expected.


    "So, did you manage to clear it?" I ask in a serious tone.


    "Unfortunately, no. There is only so much I can do on my own. The matter has seeped into my deepest parts, rendering it impossible to clear without designated equipment," she exins, "However, a small portion of it got cleared, so my physical capabilities must''ve increased by a bit."


    So, Saturnus wasn''t at her top form while fighting against me? Considering that she is capable of disabling enemies by the energy emitted from her equipment, I can only imagine her prowess with her physical capabilities somewhat restored.


    All of a sudden, I notice that my posture has changed to an odd one.


    Straightening my back, I think of howfortable my shoulders feel from the massage given to me by my android maid.


    ---


    "Sorry, it took me so long to return," I say upon stepping inside the living room in which Gaia had been awaiting my return.


    Gently shaking her head, Gaia nces at Saturnus behind me before looking into my eyes and saying, "I''m sure there was a proper reason for you to get dyed."


    Nodding my head, a smile covers my lips as I say, "Let''s head to the room, shall we?"


    Agreeing with my suggestion, Gaia and Saturnus both follow me as I make my way to the room where the angels and Tiffa are sleeping in.


    Once I''m in front of the door, I slowly open the door while making sure to make no abrupt noises.


    Then, I step inside, only to be startled by the sight of the bed where Aruru was now being empty.


    Looking around, I find her sleeping right beside Gabriel who''s embracing her tiny figure with a sweet smile on her face.


    How cute


    Shaking my head, I slowly make my way to the bed as Gaia and Saturnus both follow along.


    "Saturnus, will you be sleeping beside me as well?" I suggest in a lighthearted manner in a low voice.


    As a response to my inquiry, Saturnus says, "If Creator is fine with it."


    Beaming a smile, I say, "I don''t mind it at all, however, I''m not sure what Gaia thinks of it."


    "Why would I be against it?" Gaia says in a soothing tone.


    Hearing this, I drop onto the bed before turning and patting the bed.


    "Come on," I say while grinning.


    Saturnus seems like she will move over, but stops in her tracks when the clothes covering Gaia''s body suddenly vanish.


    Baffled, I take a moment to inspect Gaia''s naked body before adopting a neutral expression and asking, "What are you doing?"


    Seemingly confused by our reactions, Gaia has a troubled look on her face as she says, "Is something wrong?"


    "Uh Why did you get naked?" I ask while smiling in hopes of elevating her anxiety.


    "Isn''t it only appropriate to sleep without clothes? Most children do it."


    Oh What was I expecting? Well, there is no harm in sleeping naked, however, I will have to make sure that no one will be able to enter this room.


    And so, I use telekinesis to properly shut the door and break the inner mechanism of its handle.


    --


    "Father," I hear a cheerful voice call out to me within my sleep.


    Sensing some wight on my stomach, I slowly open my eyes, only to be met with Aruru''s shimmering eyes.


    "Aruru," I say with a smile before attempting to pat her head with my right arm.


    However, I am unable to move it.


    Turning my head to the right, I find Gaia''s face close to my own as I slowly take notice of the soft feeling on my arm and leg.


    Using telekinesis, I lift Aruru and move her off the bed while saying, "Give me a moment."


    "Okay!" she says before rushing to the bed Gabriel is on, most likely intending to wake her up.


    Then, I use telekinesis once more, this time to move the nket covering me, only to be met with the sight of my arm between tworge mounds.


    That''s not all, as my leg is between Gaia''s own, granting the full experience of her soft body.


    "Gaia," I say while shaking my arm a little.


    A few secondster, Gaia opens her eyes and beams before saying, "Good morning."


    "Good morning," I respond before down and saying, "Mind letting me go?"


    Hearing this, Gaia loosens her grip on my arm, allowing me to pull it away. However, the moment I do so, a sense of disappointment washes over me.


    Looking over at where Gabriel and Aruru are, I notice that Aruru isn''t waking the sleeping angel up, but curiously looking over at us instead.


    Taking in a deep breath of the sweet fragrance emitted by Gaia, I slowly move my hand toward her breast and squeeze it.


    Expectedly, my action doesn''t elicit any response from the mature elf-like woman. Instead, she just continues to look at me with a gentle smile on her lips.


    This isn''t it


    Shifting my hand''s position, I use my index finger and thumb to lightly rub the pink cherry atop the mound.


    Before I can do anything further, I sense the weight on my other arm decreasing as Saturnus raises her body from the bed and looks around the room.


    Then, she shifts her sight to me, in particr my arm, before looking me in the eye and saying with a sly grin on her face, "Good morning, Creator."

 Chapter 206: Appearance ; Transfer ; Nobles

    Chapter 206: Appearance ; Transfer ; Nobles


    "We will head back to Albion''s castle for now," I proim, "Then, I will visit Gallia''s capital."


    Everyone confirms my words before prepping up.


    Now then, from what I was told by Gaia, she and Tiffa are bode to receive some unwanted attention due to their appearance.


    Tiffa is a half-elf, while Gaia Is a pure elf? I''m not sure, but either way, she looks like one, and that''s a problem.


    Surely, there are some rats from other kingdoms lurking within Albion and Tristain. After all, there is a reason why the elves have hidden themselves using anti-perception barriers.


    "Tiffa, Gaia, we need to talk," I say in a solemn tone before exining my worries.


    "I''m sure that you would be able to handle a few pests just fine," I say while looking into Gaia''s eyes, "However, it''s better if we avoid trouble if we can do so."


    "I understand," Gaia says, "But, the only thing I can change is my attire."


    "No worries, one of my Effects can do that just fine. Nevertheless, it would be better if you changed your clothes anyway."


    After all, the way she is dressed is simr to elves, which by no means is somethingmonly worn by the humans residing within the kingdoms I''ve been to.


    The next moment, the clothes worn by Gaia disappear, revealing her bare body to everyone in the room.


    Before I can appreciate its beauty, a bright light covers Gaia''s body before clothespletely different from what I had in mind appear.


    "This" I subconsciously voice.


    "It''s the clothes that I liked to wear back in the Rift when I needed to enter a city," she exins.


    Anyway, the clothes really suit her in more ways than one.


    First, she has a dark cloak covering her back and shoulders which goes quite well with her ''innocent'' personality that I''ve gotten to notice during the short while I''ve spent with her.


    Underneath the cloak, she has simrly dark attire. For her torso, she has a dark garment that''s made of a firm material. The bottom of the garment is bare, revealing most of her abdomen and her navel. The top of it shows a small portion of her breasts, while her cleavage is hidden by arge golden essory with a small star at its center.


    For her lower half, she has a short that cover''s a quarter of her fleshy thighs with a gray belt keeping it in ce. As for the rest of her legs, she has a pair of stockings with nt-like designs on them. Finally, she has a pair of long ck boots extend to her knee.


    Overall, the clothes are quite unique, especially so in this world. So, I create a four-piece set of silver vambraces and casually say, "You should put these on for the clothes to look more natural."


    Her attire coupled with the vambraces will most likely cause others to think of her as a noble archer or somethingparable.


    Heeding my words, Gaia takes the vambraces from my hands and puts them on with minimal effort, perfecting her new look. /a/PgJpm5C)


    Circting my Holy Essence, I make use of Rework to disguise her pointy ears before stepping back and admiring her.


    "How does it look?" she asks while smiling.


    Before I can respond, an excited voice says, "You look amazing!"


    Looking over at Tiffa, I notice that she has stars shining in her eyes as she stares at Gaia.


    "She''s right," I say while grinning, "You look ethereal."


    Gaia''s smile grows as she says in a gentle voice, "Thank you."


    Nodding my head, I turn to face Tiffa before saying, "I suppose we should do the same thing for you. But, what clothes would be suitable for you?"


    Making her seem like noble would be better than a ''plebeian, as I wouldn''t want her to be troubled when I''m not around. Besides, she is literally a noble.


    As such, I create the uniform worn by female students of Tristain''s Magic Academy and say, "Put these on. They''re clothes from an academy I was staying at for some time."


    "Okay," she responds before taking the clothes and beginning to change into them.


    I take this moment to circte my Holy Essence, intending to change her ears.


    ---


    "Ready?" I say to the group of elves excitedly chatting with one another.


    Their curious eyesnd on me as they stop speaking, indicating that they indeed are ready.


    "Good," I say before raising my right arm. The next moment, a gateway appears beside me, which is directly connected to the bridge on Iaron.


    "Step inside," I firmly intone.


    The bunch of elves tenses up, with none of them seemingly daring to do so.


    After a short while, one of the younger-looking elves takes in a deep breath before stepping forward as his fellows gradually follow suit.


    A few secondster, all the elves have sessfully passed through the gateway, most likely back to their home.


    Closing the gateway, I let out a sigh and say, "Finally."


    The group of elves just now were the Binary Factors that were defeated and brought to the castle.


    Previously, I wasn''t able to send them back because I didn''t know where they stayed, and I was too busy to look into it.


    "Now then," I mutter before using irvoyance to search for Lizette, only to find her checking some documents out in the office where I punished a certain courier.


    Raising my arm, I create another gateway that is directly connected to there.


    Before I can take a step, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Norse Magic: Teleportation tiered up.}


    Oh? I wonder what has changed.


    Closing the gateway I just formed, I raise my hand and begin to practice Teleportation.


    The moment, a hole the size of a car forms in front of me and pulls me inside. My surrounding changes to an endless void as I slowly float forward.


    Realizing something, I picture the office Lizette is at before my surrounding changes to the office.


    Everything seems to be frozen in ce and I can''t seem to make use of my abilities except my Code''s Effects.


    I attempt to touch the documents on the office desk, but my hand passes right through the documents and the desk itself.


    So, I''m unable to physically interact with anything in this state.


    Well then, how do I teleport.


    The moment the thought passes my mind, my surroundings seem to brighten up as Lizette begins moving again, not noticing my presence.


    "Lizette," I say nonchntly, startling the woman quite a bit.


    "Wales? When did you get here?" she inquires as a glint of excitement shines within her eyes.


    "Just now," I respond before approaching her and asking, "What are you doing?"


    "Oh, I''m sorting out the letters sent by the nobles which are about their take on your uing coronation," she responds.


    "Sorting out?" I ask, my curiosity piqued at the thought of ridding the kingdom of more pesky nobles.


    "So far, only three noble houses have expressed their dissatisfaction about it, iming that you''re too young to be crowned," Lizette says, "The heads of those three families are all marquises."


    "They dare question my capabilities after everything that has happened?" I ask, baffled by their idiocy.


    "Yes," Lizette says in a harsh tone, "They im that everything was the result of a blessing to the soldiers and nothing more."


    "Oh? I wonder the soldiers will react to that if they find out," I say.


    Hold on. Isn''t that exactly what I should do?


    "This is going to be fun," I mutter while grinning.


    "Wales?" Lizette nervously says.


    "Oh," I say before adopting a casual expression, "Never mind that."


    Before she can make any remarks, I approach her and swiftly hug her.


    "Wales?" Lizette says in a voice much higher pitched than before, highlighting her confusion regarding my actions.


    "I just wanted to hug you, that''s all," I intone in a low voice.


    After a short while, I break the hug and step back before saying, "There is something that I need to discuss with you."


    Noticing the serenity in my voice, Lizette adopts a serious expression as she says, "What is it?"


    "You''ll have to be the acting queen shortly after my coronation," I proim, stunning her.


    Seeing that she won''t be able to muster any response soon, I exin, "There is somewhere that I have to be, so I can''t take care of the kingdom. So, my only choice at the moment is to have someone take care of the kingdom in my ce with me appearing now and then to check on the state of affairs."


    It takes her a while, but Lizette regains rity of mind before she hurriedly asks, "Where will you be going?"


    "Far," I respond, "Somewhere very far from here."


    Well, there is a chance that this matter might be much simpler than I make it out to be. However, there are a lot of variables, so I must set up some precautions in case things take an unexpected turn

 Chapter 207: Soldiers ; Upcoming Coronation

    Chapter 207: Soldiers ; Uing Coronation


    "As expected," I say while reading the letter handed to me by a courier, "I should take care of this as soon as possible."


    The letter in question is a report regarding the amount and quality of resources post-war.


    Normally, I would''ve needed to hold a conference before deciding what actions are needed to be taken. However, now that notion of me rising to the throne is solidified, I can take care of this on my own.


    All it took for this was me sharing the nobles'' opinion about this expedition for the soldiers to start spreading the truth of the matter and voicing their thoughts regarding the nobles'' actions.


    As it stands, the nobles are facing pressure from me as the Crown Prince and the general popce. Even if I were to assail their house and strip them of their titles, there is little they can do as a response.


    The only problem that could possibly form would be the other nobles feeling threatened.


    "Your highness?" the courier that handed me the letter says.


    Nodding my head, I instruct the man to wait for further orders before teleporting to the office I''m now much familiar with. There, I find Lizette who was browsing some documents. As such, I proceed to have her write a letter with instructions regarding the usage of resources traded between Albion and Gallia.


    The reason for that is that now that the port in Gallia has been opened and is offering transportation for the lower sses, there has been an influx of resources into the capital that demands immediate management.


    After a few minutes, she is done and I sign ''my'' name under the letter before cing it inside an envelope addressed to the sender of the previous letter and teleporting back to the throne room.


    "Your Highness!" a voice reaches my ears as soon as I appear.


    "What''s wrong, Godeffroy?" I inquire while telekically handing the letter to the courier before dismissing him.


    "Forgive me for my rudeness, but the soldiers are hoping to be trained by Your Highness," he hurriedly says while bowing a little.


    "And why is that?" I curiously ask.


    Godeffroy then begins to exin to me how the soldiers havee up with a term for Organic Constructs  Gift of Victory. Despite the term being a little odd, it makesplete sense to call it such.


    After all, Organic Constructsbined with Insight is quite a powerfulbination.


    "I''ll see to it if I have the time to," I say.


    "Understood," he firmly responds before straightening his back and slowly leaving the throne room.


    Training the soldiers isn''t a bad thing. Now that I have an army under my directmand, I will be nurturing them into proper monsters. At the very least, they must be able to stand their ground even if their opponent is a Binary Factor.


    ---


    "Henrietta," I casually say upon teleporting in front of Henrietta while she is inspecting something.


    "Ah!" she exims as she looks up at me, surprised by my abrupt appearance, "Don''t do that!"


    As a response to this, I just issue a chuckle before walking closer to her and checking the item she''s carrying.


    "What''s that?" I curiously ask.


    Raising her arm, she gives me a full view of a golden ring with a small white crystal at the top.


    "Is that an engagement ring or something?" I dubiously ask.


    "No," she giggles and replies, "Watch."


    She proceeds to put the ring on her pinky finger before clenching her hand and pointing the crystal at me.


    The next moment, Henrietta shuts her eyes as a blinding light escapes from the crystal, disorienting my vision a little before it returns to normal the next second.


    Once the light haspletely faded away, I find Henrietta looking at me with a smile on her lips.


    "It''s weaker than I expected," she says, "But, at least, it works."


    Huh? I''m pretty sure that light would be able to blind a human for a dozen or so minutes, yet she is iming that it''s not strong enough...


    "So? What''s this supposed to be?" I inquire.


    "A magic artifact," she responds while stroking the crystal on the ring, "An artificial one."


    Artificial, she says. I wonder where she got it from.


    As if sensing my query, she exins, "This was produced by the researchers in this kingdom. It gives a mage the chance to use magic without chanting."


    A grin forms on my face as I wave my right hand in the air, causing a gust of wind to form above us as I say, "Like this?"


    Henrietta has a dazed expression as she doubtfully asks me, "How? Do you have an artificial artifact as well?"


    Currently, the two of us are in her room, so this gust of wind knocked a few things down. As such, I telekically fix everything up before looking her in the eye and saying, "Of course, not. Such meager things aren''t needed to aplish such a feat."


    Before Henrietta can say anything as a response, I interrupt her by adopting a serious expression and saying, "The time for my coronation is near."


    Hearing this, she pauses for a few seconds before saying, "Mine isn''t that far away either."


    Nodding my head, a grin forms on my lips as I say, "So, the marriage ceremony will ur once we''re both crowned, right?"


    Immediately after that, a ruddy hue covers Henrietta''s cheeks as she takes a deep breath before replying, "Yes."


    "You sure seem to be looking forward to it," I remark while approaching her and sitting on the bed beside her.


    She doesn''t say anything but just nces at me through the corner of her eyes.


    Chuckling a little, I swiftly pull her close to myself, earning me a cute yelp from the princess.


    As I gently stroke her side, she presses her head against my shoulder and says, "Will this be fine? Won''t the people be against it?"


    "So what?" I say firmly, "As if that matters to me."


    "We''re cousins, so-" she says before I interrupt her by pressing my finger against her lips.


    "Even if you were my sister, the oue would still have been this one," I say in a certain tone, causing Henrietta''s eyes to widen.


    She remains silent for the next couple of seconds before saying, "Thank you."


    Not being sure of why she thanked me, I don''t say as a response.


    [[At least, you''re being honest about the sister part.]]


    This dragon


    Speaking of dragons It''s been quite some time since Ist saw Ddraig. Has she been avoiding me?


    If so, then I need to increase the severity of the punishment I had in mind for her.


    I continue to hug Henrietta in this position as I think of the uing days

 Chapter 208: Ddraigs Punishment ; Crowning Ceremony

    Chapter 208: Ddraig''s Punishment ; Crowning Ceremony


    Taking a deep breath, I walk toward the balcony that I''m supposed to give a speech on during the coronation ceremony. Something that I''m not looking forward to.


    Shaking my head, I peer beyond the castle, into the previously barren streets of the capital. News of corrupt nobles being executed and a new king getting crowned has brought all the citizens back.


    The state of Albion at the moment is quite stable. All I need to do is make sure that it remains that way before I can leave this tform.


    Today is the day that the coronation will be held. There is still some time left, so I should deal with some other matters.


    First, I need to meet up with Ddraig. As such, I make use of irvoyance to look around the castle and the capital. Nothing. It seems like she''s not here.


    Shifting my sight to the forest quite a distance away from the back of the castle, I immediately notice a few trees fall down.


    "Found you" I subconsciously mutter before using Norse Magic to teleport to the location.


    Once again, I find time stopped around me as I look for a proper ce to teleport to.


    As expected, the one that broke the trees is none other than Ddraig.


    Curious about what she''s up to, I choose a point close to her.


    Fortunately, she doesn''t notice me as she continues to do what she was doing ere my arrival.


    "This is absurd" I hear her exasperatedly mutter, "What is he to create this?"


    Oh? She''s speaking of me and most likely the body I created for her. How nice of her to research it for me.


    The next moment, a burst of fiery red mes escape from her feet and move toward a tree nearby.


    I watch with an intrigued expression as the mes burn the tree down and nothing else in its path.


    That''s not the end of it, as Ddraig raises her arm and lightly swings it in front of herself. This action of hers results in a burst of wind to cut several trees down at once.


    "Great," she says in a slightly excited tone, "If this goes on, I will be as strong as how I was very soon."


    "Is that so," I say as I slowly approach her.


    Startled, Ddraig turns around and looks me in the eyes as beads of sweat appear on her head.


    "Victor?" he says while fidgeting a little, "Why are you here?"


    Beaming a smile, I casually ask, "Say, Ddraig Have you been avoiding me?"


    The moment the words leave my mouth, Ddraig flinches before she quickly recollects herself and says, "Not at all."


    Sensing facy within her words, the smile on my face disappears before I say in a firm tone, "Looks like a punishment is necessary after all."


    Before she can react to my words, I appear behind her and punch her back with enough force to blow her away into the distance.


    Several trees get smashed before Ddraig''s body falls to the ground.


    I slowly walk over to where she is, only to find her grunting while getting back on her feet.


    "That punch was the price for what you did in the war," I say in a neutral tone.


    Ddraig coughs twice before smirking and saying, "As expected, you don''t hold back at all."


    Hearing this, I furrow my brows and say, "You''re being punished not trained."


    Ddraig opens her mouth and takes a deep breath before standing in a defensive stance.


    Seeing this, I grin and say, "Do you actually think that you''re able to face me?"


    "No," she simply responds, "But, I can at least somewhat prevent my body from getting destroyed."


    "Well, you don''t have to worry about that," I with a smirk on my lips, "After all, your second punishment will be different from the first one."


    An anxious yet curious look appears on Ddraig''s face as she asks me," What are you nning?"


    "Nothing much," I say while cracking my knuckles, "Just some in old spanking."


    As soon as she hears that, all color seems to drain from Ddraig''s face as she screams, "No!"


    I don''t heed this much attention as I slowly approach her with a wide grin on my face.


    "Stay away!" she yells as hard as she can as her body begins to shiver.


    Naturally, I continue to walk toward her. With each step I take, Ddraig gets more and more nervous. After the tenth step, she finally can''t take it anymore as she breaks into a sprint toward the deeper region of the forest.


    Shaking my head, I chase after the fleeing dragon.


    Surprisingly, Ddraig''s speed is faster than what I''m currently capable of, so I''m left with no other choice than using Godspeed.


    "Stay away, Ddraig screams as she blows fiery mes my way from her palms."


    Unfortunately for her, I own a skill that specifically maniptes mes.


    As such, I continue to tease Ddraig by making her believe that she can outrun me.


    After a few minutes, I notice that there is a me of hope in her eyes.


    This is it. One moment I am behind Ddraig, before the next one, I am right in front of her with my arm extended.


    Unable to react fast enough, Ddraig''s forehead bumps into my arm, resulting in herically flipping before her face gets nted into the ground.


    "Thank you for running so far away from the castle," I say while tapping her back, "Now, I can punish you all I want without any worries."


    Ddraig struggles a little to get up from the ground, revealing a face covered in dirt and blood.


    I chuckle a little before using water magic to clean her face and Healing Factor to fix her up properly.


    "Please don''t," I hear her say in a low voice that seems to be bereft of all life.


    "It''s your fault for avoiding me, Ddraig-chan," I nonchntly say.


    Then, before she can say anything else, I create a luxurious chair and take a seat on it while telekically lifting Ddraig. She struggles but is unable to do much as I slowly ce her on myp.


    "Hey, please rethink this," she says in an anxious voice.


    "Ddraig, if you struggle any further, I will disable your legs and arms."


    This seems to shut her up as a resolute expression forms on her face.


    "What have I done to deserve this?" she murmurs.


    I don''t pay much attention to her reactions as I change her position so that her stomach is on myp while her small butt is within reach.


    Then, I telekically pull her shorts down, revealing her peachy butt. Curiosity overwhelms me as my hand trails to her butt cheek and squeezes it a little.


    "Hey!" Ddraig yells, "Just get this over with already!"


    As a response to this, I lift my hand before swiftly snacking her bottom, causing her to let out a high-pitched yelp.


    Tears gradually begin to well up in the corner of her eyes as I continue to strike her buttocks time and time again.


    Minutes pass as I continue to do this before I suddenly notice something strange about my hand.


    Examining it, I notice that it has gotten slightly wet. No way right?


    "Ddraig?" I question while inspecting her face, only to be stunned by the sight of her having a slightly dazed expression on her face.


    An odd sensation appears in my chest as I tardily ce my hand on her reddened butt before gently fondling it. However, this earns me no response from Ddraig, so I should take it even further...


    As such, I position two of my fingers against Ddraig''s slit before gently rubbing it.


    This time, Ddraig lets out a moan before she abruptly regains her rity as she attempts to escape, but I prevent her from doing so by directly inserting my pinky finger inside her.


    "What are you doing?!" she screams as tears roll down her cheeks, "Is it that fun to bully me, you crazy god?!"


    I ignore her outburst and continue to y around with her inside using my finger, earning me grunted moans from Ddraig now and then.


    After a few minutes, I realize that going any further would damage my rtionship with Ddraig, so I stop and fix her clothes up.


    Seemingly not expecting me to stop, Ddraig has a shocked look on her face as she says, "I was almost certain that you would force yourself on me"


    Hearing this, I flick her forehead with my finger, before patting her head and saying, "I would never do that."


    "We should head back to the castle now," I say, "The coronation ceremony is near."


    ---3rd POV---


    The ceremony has begun, and numerous nobles and royalty have made their appearance. Unlike themon people who are packed close to each other on the castle grounds, they''re standing on a stage while chattering among themselves. One side of the stage consists of only royalty.


    For the past few days, the news about the crown prince and his awe-inspiring aplishments had been spread across all the human kingdoms of Halkeginia, so nobles from various kingdoms have decided to attend the crowning ceremony of such a prince.


    Currently, Victor is standing on a balcony connected to the castle. A balcony that has been specifically built for such asions.


    By his side, Siesta is standing with a gentle smile on her lips while carrying a blood-red pillow. On the pillow, there is a fascinating crown made of gold. Its sides have been embroidered with colorful gems representing each of the magic elements.


    Right next to the crown, there is a golden wand with an intrinsic design carved into it.


    "What are those two doing?" Victor mutters to himself while looking over at a part of the stage designated to royalty.


    There, Henrietta is sitting on a soft seat while speaking to two other girls. The two girls are none other than Tabitha and Kirche.


    "They are royalty?" Victor says with an odd look on his face, "What a pleasant surprise."


    "Are you ready?" Lizette, who is standing on his other side suddenly asks.


    Victor takes this moment to take a deep breath before nodding his head.


    --


    "...We no longer have to fear anything anymore! May you all be blessed by the Light Goddess!"


    As a response to Victor''s finishing line for his speech, the crowd below cheers loudly while shouting simr lines, unaware of the energy released by Pdin''s Aura affecting them.


    The next moment, Lizette lifts the crown before turning to face Victor as he does the same. Below, the crowd goes silent as they watch Lizette ce the crown atop his head before cheering much louder than before.


    A smile forms on Victor''s lips as he telekically pulls the golden wand into his hand and points it at the sky.


    "Glory to Albion!" he bellows before a bright light escapes from the tip of the wand and moves toward a hazy figure in the sky.


    The moment it seemed like the light made contact with the figure, a loud sound reverberated within everyone''s ears as motes of light slowly floated down from the sky like snow.


    -----


    A/N:- Astolfo. Yes or no? Vote.

 Chapter 209: Talk ; Practice

    Chapter 209: Talk ; Practice


    "Huh?!" I blurt out upon hearing Henrietta''s promation.


    Looking over at the three girls standing before me, I realize that I had been a little neglectful back in the academy.


    ording to what just Henrietta said, Tabitha, whose actual name is Charlotte, just so happens to be the crown princess of Gallia. The reason she is the crown princess and not Isabe is because of interest.


    Now that Joseph is dead, a new ruler is required for the kingdom to be brought back on its feet. I can tell through the conversations I''ve had with Catherine and Isabe that neither of them wished to take over that role for some reason.


    With them out of the picture, the only candidate to take over would be Charlotte, as she''s the closest in line.


    Leaving that aside, I''m more surprised about Kirche''s origins. She is the heiress of a Grand Duchy from Germania that was sent here as a consequence of refusing to marry a partner chosen for her.


    "I can understand Charlotte being a secret member of the royal family," I say in a dubious tone, "But Kirche being the heiress of a Grand Duchy?"


    "Hey! What are you implying here?" Kirche exims.


    "He just means that you''re too childish," Louise, who''s sitting quite a distance away from us and reading a book, remarks without raising her head from the book.


    "You-" before Kirche can finish her piece, Charlotte taps her shoulder while shaking her head.


    Seeing this, Kirche turns her head as a displeased expression covers her face.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I look Henrietta in the eyes and ask, "Has the date for your coronation been set?"


    Before she can respond to my query, Kirche turns her head to peer into my eyes as she teasingly asks, "Are you that excited to marry her?"


    I blink my eyes several times before looking at Henrietta inquisitively.


    "Ehm" she awkwardly utters, "I got a little excited and told them about it."


    Hearing this, I continue to gawk at her for a few more seconds before a grin forms on my face as I say, "It''s fine. They would''ve found out soon, anyway."


    "If anything, I would be surprised if the news didn''t reach them by tomorrow morning."


    Henrietta nods her head as a small smile forms on her lips.


    Hold on


    "Say, does this happen to be the reason Louise has been acting so strangely?"


    "Yes," Kirche responds, "She''s just jealous that her dream man was taken away."


    I see. Using irvoyance, I check Louise''s face, only to find her looking at the book with a conflicted expression on her face.


    She''s overthinking this, after all, I wouldn''t let her go after everything that has been said and done.


    Shaking my head, I look over at Kirche and ask, "What about you? Aren''t you displeased in any way by this?"


    As if she had been waiting for me to say this, Kirche presses her hand against her hips as she confidently states, "As great as a man you are, I''m sure that you wouldn''t be content with just one partner."


    My eyes widen as I hurriedly nce over at Henrietta, only to discern that she is calm and collected.


    "She''s right," Henrietta states, "I would understand if you desired mistresses."


    "And you''re fine with that?" I assert, astounded by her words. Heck, I was sure that she would respond negatively to this.


    "You''re not the same person as the Wales that I once knew," Henrietta states, not exining the intent behind her words.


    "Do you hate it?" I ask with a wry smile on my lips.


    Realizing what her words could imply, Henrietta quickly shakes her head while waving her arms in front of her and saying, "No! Not at all! You misunderstood me."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say, "Well, you''re right. I''m indeed not the same person as Wales."


    Upon hearing this, a wide grin forms on Kirche''s face as she looks over at Henrietta and asks, "What if he returned to being who he once was and forgetting everything that happened during the period he had ''changed''?"


    Right after that, Henrietta''s expression changes to that of horror as she silently stares at the ground.


    Well, that is just about what I expected...


    ---


    It seems like everything is nearing an end. All that''s left is for Henrietta to get crowned and the marriage that will soon follow that.


    The matter with Gallia has been somewhat resolved without my presence, as Charlotte''s return was quite a fortunate thing for the kingdom.


    She''s a smart child, so I''m confident in her skills when ites to management.


    Naturally, if she ever requires help, I will be the first one she can turn her head to. Especially if the matter is rted to war and bloodshed.


    Hopefully, once I ess the Core, travel between the Rift and Sorcerers'' Lair would be possible without any time dy.


    If that''s the case, then I can deal with all problems that could arise in the future while training the soldiers over here.


    My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden gust of wind as something explodes to me.


    I immediately move away using Godspeed before several more explosions ur.


    "You were holding back then?" I inquisitively ask while tilting my head to the right.


    "That''s not it," Saturnus, who just missed my head by a small margin, says before stepping back a couple of times.


    I turn around to face her properly before dashing right toward her, but before I can reach her, her body gets covered in yellow electrical currents as she speeds away.


    This speed is too great of a change. Is it because of the strange matter she cleared using water? That doesn''t seem to be the case, but I feel like it''s somewhat rted.


    The next moment, Saturnuses to a halt as she tightens her grip on her weapon before electrical sparks form on the sharp tip.


    Once the electrical sparks go away, a futuristic-looking firearm is exposed. At first nce, one would assume it''s a toy gun with azure glowing essories added to its sides.


    However, I know that''s not the case. From my senses, I''m able to tell that whatever is inside the weapon can generate destructive heat.


    Grabbing the weapon, Saturnus immediately points it at me and pulls the trigger.


    Focusing on the beam of energy escaping the weapon, I create a reflective barrier in front of me.


    Not even a secondter, the energy beam contacts the barrier as it gets reflected without any issue.


    I look up at Saturnus, only to see nothing other than space.


    "Creator!" a loud voice reaches my ears from the right, causing me to look over just in time to notice something moving toward me at a ridiculous speed.


    As a response to this, I instinctively raise my arm to block the attack, which results in the tip of Saturnus'' equipment getting lodged into it as a surge of energy gets transmitted into my arm.


    Fuck, not this again.


    I directly use Holy sh to cut my left arm off before the energy could spread any further.


    As I retreat, I notice that my arm isn''t regenerating. Why?


    Raising my other arm, I release mes of Devastation upon my missing arm, resulting in it to quickly get zed to nothingness.


    Strangely, I feel my energy increase as my arm grows regrows.


    "As expected of the Creator," I hear Saturnus behind me, "You already found out how to deal with my Golden Caster."


    Golden Caster? Is that what her strange equipment is named?


    Anyway, that thing is one hell of a cheat item. Not only can it destroy objects by the energy contained inside, but most likely increase the speed of the user and create objects.


    Saturnus'' current parameters are higher than what''s feasible for me in this tform. We would have fought over at the Lost Continent, but I wanted the fight to be disadvantageous for me.


    "Should we continue?" Saturnus suddenly asks with excitement apparent in her voice.


    A smile forms on my lips as I nod my head and say, "Come at me with everything you got."

 Chapter 210: Preparation ; Henriettas Crowning ; Scent of Trouble

    Chapter 210: Preparation ; Henrietta''s Crowning ; Scent of Trouble


    "Are you all prepared?" I say to the entourage that will be apanying me to Tristania for Henrietta''s coronation ceremony.


    Kirche and Charlotte both quietly nod their heads, while Louise practically exims, "Yes! Let''s go!"


    Nodding my head, I turn over to look at Guiche before asking, "What about you?"


    "Wait, please," he says in a slightly nervous tone.


    Why is he apprehensive? Now, my curiosity is piqued.


    My confusion is all washed away the next moment as the sound of a certain little girl reaches my ears, "Brother Wales!"


    Turning around, I find Laura running toward me with a bright smile on her lips.


    Once she''s close enough, Laura directly leaps into my embrace before she begins to nuzzle head against my chest.


    She then looks up at me and says, "Brother Wales, I missed you."


    "Me too," I respond while smiling and patting her back.


    A few secondster, she nces at Guiche before saying, "I didn''t see when you became a king."


    My brows slightly raise as I turn to look at Guiche, only to find his face covered in sweat as he exins, "Wait, please. I truly wanted to be there, but was unable to do so for various reasons."


    "Is that so," I say while patting Laura''s head.


    "Well then," I proim, "let''s get going."


    Seeing no one object, I raise my arm before using Norse Magic to form a gateway directly connected to the castle in Tristania.


    As we walk through the gate, I begin to deliberate on the teleportation magic. From what I know so far, the gateway is better when there is a group to transport, while the other one is for when I am the only one that needs to teleport.


    Nevertheless, I''m curious about what it would be like for another individual to teleport using the second method.


    --


    "Saturnus," I say once we''ve crossed over to the other side.


    The android maid that has been patiently waiting for our arrival bows slightly before saying, "Everything is fine, Master."


    Hearing the way she referred to me, I immediately look around the room, only to find a brown-haired man that seems to be in histe forties sitting on a wooden chair. From the looks of it, he has been here for quite some time and bothered Saturnus while at it.


    "Who are you?" I demand while utilizing Paragon''s Eyes.


    My vision changes as I continue to peer at the man. As expected, his ''soul'' is nearly ck.


    It makes me curious about why this guy would be here.


    "Your Majesty," the man says after getting up from the chair and bowing, "I''m Count Amadou. I had been waiting for your arrival, King Wales."


    "I see," I state before shifting my attention to Saturnus.


    Seemingly understanding my purpose, she coolly says, "This man questioned numerous things about Master. Moreover, he offered to pay me a hefty sum to serve him."


    As Saturnus'' voice fades, I sense that the man is presently shaking, as beads of sweat form on his temple.


    "What''s this all about?" I say while turning my head to face the man with a cold smile on my lips.


    Seriously, did this guy expect Saturnus to not notify me about this? How foolish.


    "She''s lying!" he directly proims, "This is most likely a part of her n to ruin your rtionship with us nobles."


    Hearing this, the cold smile on my lips grows as I telekically m the man into the ground.


    Blood seeps out of his nose as he groans while trying to get back on his feet.


    "Saturnus," I say before she swiftly dashes over and knocks the man out by kicking his head.


    "Good work," I state while nodding my head in approval.


    Then, I nce at the girls, in particr, Laura. Fortunately, they don''t seem to be affected by what just happened.


    "Was he a bad guy?" Laura, who''s still within my arms, asks.


    Patting her head, I beam a warm smile and say, "Yes. He lied and did horrible things."


    ---


    "What?" Henrietta exims once I have recounted what happened after we teleported over.


    "There is a chance that there are other such nobles, and for all we know, they might attempt to ruin today''s coronation ceremony," I state.


    It would be surprising if they didn''t. These pests should be dealt with early on before they can cause significant damage to the kingdom and its people.


    "The ceremony will start soon," Henrietta says with her brows furrowed.


    "Don''t worry," I say, sensing her anxiety, "If they dare try to ruin this day for you, I will punish them ordingly."


    A small smile forms on Henrietta''s lips as she nods her head once.


    "Louise, will you apany me?" Henrietta then says after shifting her attention over to Louise.


    "Yes,"es an immediate reply from the over-excited girl.


    And so, the two of them both head toward Henrietta''s room.


    "Now what?" Kirche asks while looking around the castle.


    "I don''t know. Do you have anything you''d like to do?"


    "How about we explore the capital for the meantime," Charlotte suggests, surprising me.


    And here I was beginning to think that this girl would never be able to talk properly. After all, her actions so far represent her as an anti-social girl.


    "Then, let''s do that!" Kirche says in a slightly jubnt tone.


    "Alright," I respond with a smile on my lips.


    --


    Why? Out of all the ways we could go on about looking around the capital, these two decided that it''s a good idea to lock arms with as we walk through the streets.


    Laura is in front of us, while Saturnus is silently following us from behind.


    Naturally, this has attracted a lot of attention from the citizens.


    "Isn''t that the newly-crowned King Wales?" I hear an old man ask.


    "By golly, you are right!" another one responds.


    "Who are thesses with him?"


    "Don''t ask me,"es the response.


    Ignoring them, I look over at Laura who is happily skipping in front of us. She seems to be enjoying this walk quite a bit.


    "I can only imagine their reaction when they find out about your marriage with their queen," Kirche says before chuckling.


    "Trouble," Charlotte adds.


    "You sure love to joke around," I say while lightly pinching Kirche''s but, resulting in her yelping.


    Her face flushes in red as she hurriedly says, "Don''t do that out here."


    "Why not," I say while lightly caressing her butt.


    "People are watching!" she says.


    "Fine."


    As such, the five of us continue to walk around and visit stores while Guiche is ''imprisoned'' in the castle.


    ---3rd POV---


    Standing beside the girls, Victor watches with intrigue as Henrietta gives her speech to the citizens that have gathered for this asion.


    The crowd that has gathered isrger than the one back in Albion. One of the main reasons for that is because a lot of people didn''t dare return to the capital in Albion so soon after the war.


    "To unify the two kingdoms," Henrietta vigorously says, "I shall marry King Wales of Albion."


    Hearing this, the crowd is stunned as no one reacts for a short while before a few of them begin pping.


    Shortly, the whole crowd is apuding and cheering.


    Unlike the crowd, a ck-haired man with azure eyes frowns at the words uttered by Henrietta. The man in question is currently standing near Victor and the girls at the part reserved for nobles and royalty.


    He takes a step forward before a handnds on his shoulder. Startled, the man turns around, only to find Victor ring at him.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Victor inquires.


    "Let me go," the man responds in a cold tone, "that woman is supposed to marry me, yet here she is saying something like this."


    "Who are you?" Victor questions.


    "Emperor Albrecht," Kirche interjects, "He is the current ruler of Germania."


    Hearing this, Victor nods his head before saying, "Nice to meet you, Albrecht. Now then, what were you saying about my woman?"

 Chapter 211: God King vs Human Emperor ; Humiliation

    Chapter 211: God King vs Human Emperor ; Humiliation


    So, this guy is an emperor, huh? He does give out the aura of someone with power, but I wasn''t sure until Kirche identified him.


    "Your woman?" Albrecht responds while furrowing his brows, "Are you the king that she is going to marry?"


    "That''s right," I respond while beaming a smile.


    Upon seeing my attitude, his expression sinks as he threateningly questions, "Do you believe you would stand a chance against Germania?


    The smile on my face immediately washes off as I coldly re at him and state, "If I willed it, your Empire would fall in days."


    Usually, one would take such words as a bluff. However, this isn''t the case for Albrecht.


    Undoubtedly, he can discern between bluff and certainty being an emperor and all.


    His gaze turns cold as he asks, "What makes you so sure that you could achieve that?"


    "Well," I say as a grin forms on my lips, "for starters, I''m not mortal."


    ---


    "Henrietta," I call out to the newly-crowned queen who is still at the balcony she gave her speech.


    "Victor!" she exims while turning toward me with a bright smile on her pink lips.


    I approach her and tightly embrace her for a few seconds before stepping back and saying, "The others are resting in the guest room, including Louise."


    Her smile grows as she excitedly says, "Then, let''s go there immediately."


    "Hold on a moment," I say before turning around and eximing, "Don''t you think that it''s about time you revealed yourself?"


    The next moment, a tear seems to form in the space near us before a certain ck-haired man walks out.


    "I can see that you possess some kills," he says.


    All color seems to drain from Henrietta''s face as she mutters, "Emperor Albrecht."


    "Looks like you recognize me, Queen Henrietta," Albrecht says in a cold tone as he peers into her eyes.


    "I came over from far away to such an important ceremony, only to hear your ns about marrying a new king. Your cousin, nevertheless."


    "You better shut that mouth of yours," I say while forming several light spears in the air, "lest you want to experience what it''s like to be prated by light."


    "Hey, Victor! What''s going on?!" Henrietta hurriedly questions with a panicked expression.


    Before I can say anything as a response, several water des get released in my direction.


    Unflinching, I directly form a wall of earth to block the attack before leaping into the air.


    A startled look appears on Albrecht''s face as he watches me fly over to him.


    I shortly find myself right in front of the man who is in the middle of chanting a spell. Wasting no time, I directly throw a jab at his face.


    Before my fist can contact his face, a semi-invisibleyer of energy appears before them, resulting in a loud booming noise as a force pushes Albrecht back a few steps.


    Intrigued, I observe Albrecht, only to find one of the rings on his hands dissolve into nothing.


    "That must''ve been a strong artifact to counter my power," I proim while nodding with a smile on my lips.


    "Strong?" he says in an agitated tone, "That ring was a legendary item said to withstand a god''s power."


    "No wonder," I respond, "Unfortunately for you, I''m no mere god."


    Upon hearing this, a doubtful expression appears on Albrecht''s face, but that doesn''tst long as I appear right in front of him and knee his crotch with just enough force to smash his pelvis while keeping on the ground.


    Albrecht straight away falls to his knees as he clutches at the around his shattered jewels with an expression of pure agony on his face.


    Soon, he begins to throw up before groaning very loudly.


    "Victor!" Henrietta calls out as she watches me approach him with a cold smile on my lips.


    I crouch down beside him and ask, "Does it hurt?"


    Unable to express his fury, Albrecht grunts a few times in a manner that indicates he wants to kill me.


    Truly, foolish. I did warn I wasn''t mortal.


    Grabbing his nape, I lift him before hurling him off the balcony.


    Before Henrietta can say anything, I turn to face her while raising my right arm before saying, "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing."


    Henrietta remains silent for a few seconds before she nods her head and says, "Be careful."


    Nodding my head, I jump off the balcony to where Albrechtnded.


    "Hey, that''s King Wales! Is he the one who did this?"


    "Impossible," someone responds, "that person on the ground is Emperor Albrecht."


    "No, no, no. Look at how he is approaching him."


    Most of the earlier crowd has dispersed, giving me enough space to do whatever I wish to do.


    First, let''s make sure that this much is deemed to be a fair one by the popce.


    As such, I gift immortality to Albrecht.


    Shortly, Albrecht''s injuries heal as he rises to his feet with a distraught look on his face.


    "What did you do?" he questions.


    "Healed you," I respond while smiling.


    "Why?"


    "To bring you even more pain."


    As Albrecht''s widen, I slowly float into the air and shout while amplifying my voice, "Citizens of Tristania. As many of you can tell, I''m Wales Tudor, King of Albion."


    The crowd around us goes silent as they all focus on me and what I have to say. That''s not all, as more citizens begin to make their way to the area.


    "This man before me is none other than the Emperor of Germania. He has appeared toy his hands on my bride-to-be, iming that she is rightfully his."


    A few secondster, the crowd bursts into a fit of rage as they begin to pour more fuel on the fire by calling the emperor out on various things. Most of which I highly doubt are real.


    "You coward," Albrecht exims as he pulls out a rather long wand and points it at the sky.


    "Appel!"


    The next moment, a bolt of light is released from the tip of the wand as it soars to the sky and explodes.


    Intrigued by why he would do this, I patiently wait for something to happen, only to realize that several figures are rushing toward this area at an incredible speed.


    Half-a-minuteter, a brown-haired man carrying a talwar appears with a deste expression on his face.


    "You''re dead," Albrecht says as he points the wand at me.


    "Is that so?" I say while grinning.


    "Huh?" a confused voice escapes mouth upon hearing my response.


    The man carrying a talwar pushes the crowd apart as he runs over to me with his weapon raised.


    Once the man is a meter away from me, ready to strike, he is hurled into the air by a lethal kick from a quick blurry figure.


    "Saturnus," I say, "there are more of them."


    "Yes, Master," she responds before walking past the emperor without sparing him a nce.


    Saturnus'' sudden appearance seemed to have riled the crowd up as they''ve all begun cheering while shouting praises to me.


    "Now, now," I say while scratching the back of my head, "let''s see what you got, emperor."


    Toward the end of my statement, I emphasized the word emperor, causing the expression on his face to turn grim.


    "It seems like I underestimated you," he says in a serene tone.


    "You just realize?!" I exim dubiously, "What the heck were you expecting from someone who easily conquered a kingdom in a few days after reiming his power?"


    Albrecht''s expression remains grim as he says, "You''re right. I should''ve thought about this more."


    Ugh. What''s with this guy? Is he seriously an emperor? How did he even sessfully inherit the kingdom? Where there no other candidates or something? Hold on. What if the other heirs were just as bad?


    Germania is screwed.


    As if sensing my thoughts, Albrecht''s expression takes a turn for the worst as he bellows, "Don''t think for a moment that you''ve won!"


    Seriously? Whatever, as long as he fights me.


    Albrecht raises his wand once more while he begins chanting a spell for a few seconds before a hot magic circle forms below my feet.


    The next moment, the crowd begins to scream as scorching mes escape from below my feet and cover my body.


    Naturally, before the mes can so much damage my clothes, I use pyrokinesis to extinguish them.


    The victorious smile on Albrecht''s face freezes as he watches me walk out of the mes, unharmed.


    "This should be enough," I mutter while looking over at the grown crowd.


    Raising my arm, I utilize Holy sh to chop Albrecht''s legs off from the knees.


    I approach his fallen body before crouching and cing my palm against his back and using Alchemy: Corporikinesis.


    My vision shifts to a colorful one as I began to reform several sections of Albrecht''s body while ignoring his cries of distress.


    Soon, I nod with a satisfied expression on my face.


    Getting up from the ground, I walk a few steps back before raising my arm.


    The next moment, before the curious eyes of the citizen, purple mes escape from my palm and engulf Albrecht.


    As a response to my actions, several gasps escape from the crowd''s mouth as they begin to mutter among themselves.


    That doesn''tst long, as the queer mes disappear, revealing nothing but the naked body of Albrecht as he motionlessly lies on the ground.


    The legs that were chopped off are nowhere to be seen while new ones have grown in their ces.


    "It''s a miracle!" someone exims.


    "Those mes healed the emperor!" another one shouts while pointing at Albrecht.


    Such statements are spouted by the crowd as theypliment my capabilities and express their opinion on how suitable I am for their queen.


    The motionless Albrecht suddenly twitches before he tries his best to get up from the ground with a wrathful expression stered to his face.


    "WALES TUDOR!" he bellows as hard as he can while raising his arms.


    He takes a moment to cast a spell, but to his horror, nothing happens.


    "My magic," he mutters while looking at his hands.


    Suddenly, a man exims, "Look! The emperor''s body! It has..."


    His words trail off, as he rubs his eyes in disbelief.


    Hearing this, Albrecht looks down, only to find two moderate mounds on his chest.


    "Albrecht," I proim loudly, causing the former man to look up with a disoriented look on his face, "Forying your eyes upon my woman and treating her as an object, you shall experience what it''s like to be a woman."


    The crowd goes silent as Albrecht gawks at me disbelievingly.


    "Worry not!" I continue with a bright smile on my face, "Your body is that of a virgin, so you won''t miss out on anything."


    A few seconds pass with no one uttering a single word before something seems to break within Albrecht as she slowly turns around and begins to trod away.


    Shortly, she breaks into a run and speeds away from this ce while shrieking.

 Chapter 212: Artificial Magic ; Delay ; Interruption

    Chapter 212: Artificial Magic ; Dy ; Interruption


    "Victor, what was all that for?" Henrietta hurriedly questions once I get back to the balcony.


    "The safety of our kingdoms," I impassively respond while walking past her.


    She follows me and begins to ask me a series of questions that mostly consisted of her worries regarding what just happened.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "Do you think they would dare to face someone with such unconventional magic and prowess in war?"


    "But, they have the strongest military!" she anxiously says.


    "Henrietta," I say as I stop in my tracks, "that''s no longer the case."


    An expression of disbelief covers her face as she doubtfully asks, "What do you mean?"


    "You heard me," I respond as I begin walking again, "Albion''s army will soon be unbeatable."


    ---


    "Come in," I say as a response to the knock on my door.


    The door swings open as Saturnus enters the room with a smile stered to her face.


    "It seems like you had fun," I remark.


    "Yes, Creator," she responds before closing the door behind her and approaching me.


    "So, did you manage to investigate their transportation method?"


    "Yes," she responds, "They seem to have traveled here by unscientific means. Once I had taken the humans down, they quickly retreated to the outskirts of the capital."


    "There is nothing outside the capital for transportation, so you assumed they used magic, huh?"


    Saturnus nods her head as confirmation.


    Perhaps, the method they used is simr to that of Osmond''s. If it is, then I can have it researched and reproduced.


    Like that, transportation between the three allied kingdoms will be easy and much more efficient.


    I''m aware that numerous issues would arise from that, but with proper maintenance, it would yield many benefits.


    Shaking the thought aside, for now, I shift my focus back to Saturnus.


    "Is there anything else that you have to report?"


    "Yes," she responds, "A few days ago, I researched the ''magic'' in this world."


    "Was it by fighting against the five elves?"


    "That''s correct," she says while beaming, "Through careful inspection of their internal structure and the surrounding air, I''ve analyzed enough data needed to reproduce ''magic'' and utilize it."


    Huh? Is she saying that she will be able to use magic? How would that even work out?


    "However, the product will be an artificial imitation and requires specificponents."


    "Oh. So, you''re saying that as long as I get you to the ce you hail from, you will be able to recreate the magic system of this tform?"


    "That''s right," she responds while nodding her head.


    I have no idea how that would be possible, but if she says so, then it must be true. She''s that smart after all.


    Hold on, how intelligent is Saturnus? I can''t believe that this hadn''t crossed my mind before.


    Not only is her reaction beyond anything I''ve encountered before, but she can predict attacks.


    Setting such thoughts aside, I look Saturnus in the eyes and ask, "How was the state of the humans in tform: Higgins thest time you saw them?"


    "Their poption had declined by 15%, and their technology had degraded to that of a few decades ago."


    I nod my head once and say, "Do you have any information regarding the Core of the tform?


    "Core?" she asks with a confused look on her face.


    Seeing her reaction, I assume that she doesn''t know about it and say, "Never mind."


    Nevertheless, she was present when Gaia spoke to me regarding the Core of this tform. Did that not raise any questions for her?


    Just as I''m about to inquire further, a loud knocking noise reaches my ears.


    Checking it out, a small smile forms on my lips as I say, "Come in."


    The door slowly opens as Laura sneakily steps inside and closes the door behind herself.


    She looks over at me before shifting her sight to Saturnus as a troubled look appears on her face.


    Shaking my head a little, I say in a firm tone, "Saturnus, you may leave now."


    "Understood," she responds.


    Not wasting a single second, Saturnus directly leaves the room and closes the door behind her. That causes a bright smile to form on Laura''s lips before she rushes over to me.


    I embrace her small body for a few seconds before lifting Laura and cing her onlyp.


    "What''s wrong?" I question while stroking her soft cheek with my left hand.


    "I couldn''t sleep," she responds while looking down.


    "What about Guiche?" I ask with a dubious expression.


    "He went out to talk to some big sisters," she says.


    That jerk. How could he abandon the cute little Laura for some chicks?


    "Don''t worry about it," I say soothingly, "you can sleep by my side tonight. Are you fine with that?"


    "Yes!" she enthusiastically replies, indicating just how lonely she must''ve felt.


    Truly, trash. I need to teach Guiche how a brother should treat his sister sometime.


    And so, Laura and I both lie down on the bed and doze off.


    ---


    Early morning, I wake up and immediately go inside the Arena to take a quick bath.


    Once that was over, I returned to Sorcerers'' Lair and exited my room, deciding against waking Laura up.


    Soon, I find myself in the dining room, where Guiche, Louise, and Charlotte are sitting at the table already.


    Looking over at the three, I notice that Guiche has a gloomy look on his face as he stares at the table.


    "What''s with him?" I say as I take a seat.


    The two girls don''t respond to me for a few seconds before Louise opens her mouth and says, "His sister has been missing sincest night."


    "Oh, that''s all?" I say while grinning, "Hey Guiche, don''t worry, she slept with me tonight."


    Guiche''s head immediately bolts in my direction as an expression of disbelief covers his face.


    "You... slept with her?" Louise asks skeptically as a blush covers her cheeks.


    "Well, yes. That I did," I respond casually.


    Hmph. Now, this should teach Guiche the consequences of leaving one''s sister behind to go and flirt around.


    Suddenly, the door which came through opens. Then, a middle-aged woman enters the room along with Henrietta.


    Upon closer inspection, the two look quite simr.


    "Good morning," Henrietta says while the middle-aged woman nods her head as she looks over at each one of us.


    In the end, her sight settled on me as she squinted her eyes with mild intrigue visible in them.


    All of us greet back as the two of them take a seat at the table beside one another.


    "Victor," Henrietta says while lifting her arm, "meet my mother."


    A surprised look appears on the woman''s face as she nces at Henrietta and asks, "What do you mean?"


    As a response to that, Henrietta adopts a wry smile as she begins to speak of my ''circumstances''.


    "How terrible," the woman says once Henrietta exined everything, "Is there no way to fix this?"


    Henrietta shakes her head and says, "There is nothing to fix in the first ce."


    Hearing this, a smile forms on my lips as I nod my head approvingly. It seems like my efforts in separating me and Wales wasn''t wasted.


    --


    Once Kirche, Saturnus, and Laura arrived, we all began silently eating breakfast, while Saturnus stood behind my back with a serene look on her face. That didn''tst long, as Henrietta''s mother, Marianne, started asking regarding the state of Albion and how I was managing it.


    Shortly after that, a frown had formed on her face as she seemed to disapprove of the way I handled matters.


    "This marriage," she said, "dy it."


    The moment she uttered those words, Henrietta had a stunned look on face as she gawked at Marianne.


    "This is for your good, Henrietta," she said, "marrying an incapable king would bring you more harm than anything else."


    Naturally, I was more than a little pissed off by her words, and so was Saturnus.


    Before the two of us could respond in kind, she raised her arm and said, "Do not misunderstand. I merely want to see if you can rule your kingdom properly."


    Hearing that, I coldly chuckled and said, "Sure. However, you better not forget this day."


    "Victor," Henrietta muttered in a distraught tone, while the rest continued to eat their breakfast, acting like heard and saw anything.


    What she did was utterly disrespectful. She disregarded my status as a king and called my capabilities into question.


    Even if she did it for her daughter, I am intolerant of such behavior.


    And so, I will be delivering her proper punishment in due time.


    "What are you thinking about?" Kirche''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Nothing much," I respond while repositioning my head on herp to a morefortable position.


    "Lies," she teasingly says while poking my left cheek.


    "Whatever."


    Silence ensues for a few seconds before Kirche asks, "Will you be leaving soon?"


    "Yes," I respond, "How did you know?"


    "I just had a feeling you would," she wryly replies.


    Seeing her slightly dejected expression, I lift my head from herp and lock my lips with hers.


    Before she can react, I push my tongue inside her mouth as I begin caressing her breast using my left hand.


    Soon enough, I manage to slide my hand underneath her clothes and begin pinching her nipple.


    A slight gasp escapes from Kirche as I proceed to push her down on the sofa, intending to undress her.


    At this moment, the door suddenly opens as Laura walks inside while saying, "Brother Wales?"


    Before she can spot us, I use Illusion to render Kirche imperceptible as I get off the sofa and approach Laura with aposed look on my face.


    "You were looking for me, Laura?"


    "Yes," she says while running over, "I want to y with Brother Wales."


    A wry smile forms on my lips as I pat her head and look over at Kirche and shrug my shoulders.


    Kirche, who has now fixed her appearance up, looks over at me with a smirk on her face.


    She proceeds to get up and walk over to us as I dispel the Illusion.


    "Next time," she says while patting my right shoulder before leaving the room.


    "Brother..." Laura''s voice reaches my ears, "Where did shee from?"


    "I don''t know," I simply respond before guiding her out of the room.


    Hopefully, returning here will be easy...

 Chapter 213: Farewell ; (Spoiler) ; Gate (FC)

    Chapter 213: Farewell ; (Spoiler) ; Gate (FC)


    Currently, I''m near the great tree at the center of Iaron with the girls who are going to apany me back to the Rift.


    Our group consists of all the Codes, the angels, Ddraig, Tiffania, and Saturnus.


    Irene imed that she is unable to get near a Core, so she discarded her body.


    Tiamat and Aurora are both in the Familiar Space, as usual.


    Naturally, our group has garnered a lot of attention from the inhabitants of this ce.


    Numerous elves have already attempted to contact Gabriel and me, but they were quickly stopped in their tracks by a re from Aruru.


    Quite some time ago, I bid farewell to everyone in this tform.


    Henrietta asked me several questions regarding where I was going, but I decided against revealing the existence of the Rift and tforms to her.


    Not only would that be pointless, but it could cause me trouble.


    In the end, I shared a departing kiss with Henrietta, Kirche, and Louise.


    As expected, thetter immediately entered a state of shock as she didn''t expect me to kiss her.


    As for Charlotte, I settled with just giving her a warm hug. After all, we''re not all that close yet.


    "Victor," Yuno''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Turning around, I look her in the eyes with a questioning gaze.


    "What do you n to do after returning?"


    Hearing her question, the rest of the girls curiously wait for my response.


    "Settle unfinished business before heading over to the next tform," I reply.


    "Do you know where you''ll be heading next?" she continues.


    "No," I casually respond.


    "Well then," I say before she can ask me any further questions, "Tiffania, do your thing."


    As Tiffania walks forward to ''activate'' the tree, I deliberate on why we''re doing this.


    In reality, since I''ve been to the Lost Continent before, I could teleport there anytime I want to. However, I won''t be doing that this time around.


    The reason for that is because I want to observe what the elves think of us and see if manipting them would be an easy feat in the future.


    So far, they seem to be pretty epting of us, despite us not resembling elves. Well, apart from Tiffania and Gaia.


    Soon, the gateway inside the tree opens, amazing Aruru, who wasn''t here thest time this happened.


    "Let''s go," I say before passing through the gateway.


    --


    "You girls stay here for now," I say once we''re near Gaia''s statue.


    They all voice their confirmations before I fly over to the statue that''s missing its upper half.


    {Father, I''m sensing energy waves simr to that of Codes.}


    From the way you phrased it, you''re saying that it''s not a Code, but something simr?


    {Affirmative.}


    Intriguing. So, the Cores are rted to Code''s, huh? Now that I think about it, there was something about Codes being able to ess their cores or something along those lines.


    {ording to the waves I''m detecting, tform Cores and Code Cores are entirely distinct.}


    Well, I expected as much.


    Shortly, I find myself floating atop the broken statue. Utilizing my irvoyance, I carefully examine it from the bottom to the copsed section.


    Unfortunately, I''m unable to find anything out of ce. As such, the Core must be inside the statue then.


    Taking a deep breath, I epass my body in Destruction before disabling flight.


    As I fall toward the statue, I use Vector Maniption to multiply my speed several folds.


    A few secondster, I directly punch the statue with everything I''ve got while spreading Destruction through the cracks that form after I do so.


    Through my senses, I detect something in the statue''s right thigh, so I avoid damaging it to the best of my capability.


    Shortly after this, the statue crumbles as a green palm-sized orb enters my sight.


    I immediately dissipate the energy around me and utilize Godspeed to grab the orb while blocking all the debris around me by Vector Maniption.


    Once I''m a few meters away from the still-crumbling statute, I inspect the orb in my hands with intrigue.


    Surprisingly, inside the orb, there is a tiny winged-girl with pointy ears who''s holding a little ne.


    Due to the orb''s color, I''m unable to tell the color of her attire. From what I can tell, she is wearing a vertically striped one-piece dress that covers her legs up to her chest and a flower on her head.


    Additionally, the tiny girl has two bracelets around her right wrist and another two around her left wrist. For some reason, I feel that my body weakens when I gaze at the bracelets.


    Anyway, is this fairy-like girl the Core?


    {Negative. The Core is the gem attached to the ne.}


    Oh. Then, all I have to do is shatter the orb.


    And so, I begin to transmit Destruction into the orb. However, to my surprise, the green sphere absorbs the energy.


    Not willing to give up, I continue to transfer energy, albeit at a much faster rate than before.


    Fortunately, the orb seems to be unable to absorb any longer as it directly shatters into unperceivable particles along with one of the bracelets on the tiny girl''s left wrist.


    I gently grab the fairy-like girl and inspect her attire once more. Now, I can see that the one-piece dress is light mint green, simr to her hair.


    All of a sudden, the girl''s body twitches as she slowly opens her eyes, revealing emerald green irises.


    The moment the girl sets her sight on me, her body flinches as a terrified expression appears on her face.


    She tries to escape my grasp but is unable to budge my fingers, despite my sp on her not being tight in any way.


    What''s with this girl? Irene, do you have anything to share about her?


    {Negative. The entity in Father''s hand is most likely native to the tform: Sorcerers'' Lair.}


    Huh? Are there more of these little girls out there?


    Whatever, for now, I should make it clear that I don''t pose any threat to her.


    Raising my left arm, I slowly bring my finger closer to the fairy-like girl while ignoring her heightened struggle.


    Realizing that she won''t be able to escape, the girl shuts her eyes, as if resolving herself to a horrible fate.


    Seeing this, I issue a light chuckle before tapping her head as gently as possible while saying, "Greetings, little one."


    My actions startle the fairy as she opens her eyes before curiously observing my face.


    Beaming her a smile, I tenderly rub the tip of my finger against her cheek and say, "I''m not going to hurt you."


    Despite seeming to not understand my words, a smile forms on her tiny lips as she presses her head against my finger.


    It seems like she trusts me now. Well then, here goes nothing.


    I loosen my grasp on her body and shift the position of my hand so that she is standing atop my palm.


    "What''s your name?" I ask.


    The fairy''s expression remains the same as she silently observes me with the same smile on her lips.


    I cough once before pointing at myself and saying, "Victor."


    Then, I point at her chest and say, "You?"


    Fortunately, she seems to be quite intelligent as she raises her small arm and points at herself before saying, "Eri!"


    To my pleasant surprise, her voice is extremely soothing and has a ''ringing'' effect to it. All in all, it makes her seem much more adorable.


    I once more rub my finger against her cheek, which causes her leaf-like translucent wings to flutter a little.


    "Come, I will take you to meet mypanions," I say, despite knowing she wouldn''t understand a word of mine.


    I lightly grasp Eri''s body before flying toward where the rest are waiting while covering Eri''s exposed head by my palm to protect her from wind currents.


    Soon, I find myself back where the girls are.


    "Father!" Aruru cheerfully exims, while the rest smile in relief.


    "Hey, did you have to destroy that statue?" Krul questions with a tired expression.


    "Why? Is there something wrong?" I ask, confused.


    "It was worrying, you know? Seeing a giant statue get obliterated so easily is troubling," she responds.


    "Come on, now," I say while grinning, "You know better than most about my capabilities."


    "Still," she rebukes, "why did you have to do that?"


    "To save her," I say while raising my hand, revealing Eri who is sitting on my palm with a curious expression on her face.


    Everyone present reacts differently to her appearance. Gaia''s reaction was unique as she frowned while inspecting Eri.


    "Gaia?" I say.


    "This child is a fairy," Gaia says, "A race that''s supposed to be extinct."


    "What?" a shocked voice escapes my lips.


    Oi! Is she serious? Eri is thest of her kind? That''s disturbing in more ways than one.


    "Are you sure about that?" I question while squinting my eyes.


    "Yes," Gaia responds with certainty.


    Damn it. What happened to the rest of the fairies? If it has something to do with humans, I''m going tomence a crusade without any hesitation.


    Hold on, why am I overreacting like this? This matter shouldn''t be something worth my concern. Unless...


    "Gaia," I say as the atmosphere tenses, "Can you tell how old is this fairy?"


    "Three days,"es an immediate response from the mature woman.


    Three days? I see. Hopefully, they went extinct due to some circumstances rted to other races. Otherwise...


    "Gaia," I say, intending to ask her about the reason they went extinct, but before I can do so, Eri ps her wings and glides off my hand.


    "Eri?" I question while probing her.


    She doesn''t seem to hear me as Eri gradually ascends to the sky in the direction of the statue''s head.


    Shortly, I notice the gem attached to the ne glow in a green that seems to grow in intensity as she gets closer to the statue''s head.


    A few secondster, Eri reaches the statue''s head. She stays in that position for a short while before grasping the ne and cing it against the statue''s temples.


    The next moment, the ground trembles as numerous lines appear all over the statue''s body.


    After a few minutes, a giant green portal appears in front of the statue. The portal is swirling, seemingly inviting us inside.


    {Core essed. Establishing a connection with the Rift...}


    {Sess.}


    {Database updated.}


    Hearing the series of reports from AI, a small smile forms on my face as I mutter, "I''m home."


    ------


    Complete Title:- Farewell ; Eri ; Gate

 Chapter 214: Time-Key ; Passage

    Chapter 214: Time-Key ; Passage


    A/N:- A picture of Eri has been added to the previous chapter in the paragraphments.


    -----


    Taking a deep breath, I slowly float into the sky while telekically pulling those who can''t fly along with me.


    The rest follow along as I make my way to the gateway that has opened.


    As soon as I''m right in front of it, I sense something settling on top of my head.


    "Good work, Eri," I praise the fairy before focusing on the gateway in front of me.


    Nothing. I can sense nothing from it. It''s as if what I''m seeing isn''t a part of reality.


    Whatever. I should''ve expected something like this from a gateway that connects a tform to the Rift.


    "Victor?" Yuno questions.


    "Never mind," I say while shaking my head before floating through the gateway while pulling the other girls along.


    {Data received. Assessing.}


    Huh? Before I can inquire about this, strange energy epasses my feet and waist.


    Then, I feel my body being pulled forward as my surrounding changes to a ck void.


    Taking this moment to check on the other girls, I notice that they''re all most likely experiencing the same thing I am.


    Soon, the surrounding void seems to crack, as white light seems to shine through.


    After a few seconds, the void ''shatters'' as we find ourselves in a familiar ce.


    "The Mete?" I subconsciously mutter as I look around the vast empty white space.


    All of a sudden, a green spark appears in the distance for a split-second.


    The spark catches the attention of every single one of us as we all focus on the location where it appeared.


    The next moment, several more sparks appear before a green mebusts out of nowhere.


    Sensing no danger, I continue to watch with intrigue as the me swirls around at an incredulous rate.


    Moments pass by with the me still swirling, but nothing else happens.


    "Is that it?" Krul dubiously questions what''s on my mind.


    As if responding to her words, the me bursts outward as a giant structure begins to emerge from its center.


    Shortly I figure out that the structure is a gateway; A solid one, at that.


    The gateway extends about 6 meters upwards and is arched. It''s made of stone and has numerous hieroglyphic-like writing engraved on it.


    Upon closer inspection, I make out several things, some of which I recognize from the Sorcerers'' Lair:


    A tree, a man with a cane, a tornado, a dragon, and a castle.


    There is much more, but these are the ones that caught my attention the most.


    I take a moment to deliberate on this matter before an awful notion appears in my head: What if a Code or Unknown reached the Mete through this gateway?


    Is that even possible?


    {Affirmative. All entities can pass through the Core Gates.}


    Great. I have to make sure that everything that poses a threat is eliminated before I ess a Core in future tforms.


    Anyway, Core Gates? Is that what we''re going to be calling them now?


    {Due to ack in terms needed to specify it, one was established.}


    Well, thanks. That saves me the trouble of naming it.


    {It''s my duty to serve Father.}


    "Hey, Victor, don''t you find those drawings suspicious?" Krul says while pointing at the gateway.


    "Ah, yes. They resemble what we saw in the tform," I respond.


    "That''s not what I meant," she says while squinting her eyes.


    Hm? Did she figure something out? It sure does seem like it, but what could she have noticed?


    "How old do you think is this thing?" she asks.


    "How old?" I say with my brows furrowed before a realization hits me. How old is the Mete, tform, and the Rift?


    Since when did this gateway exist? How does it have things that I recognized at the present engraved on it?


    Irene, do you have any information regarding this?


    {Negative.}


    How troublesome. I will have to look into this matter in the future.


    "Thanks for pointing this out, Krul," I say in a serene tone.


    "Don''t mention it," she responds with a smile, disying her white fangs.


    "Oh, right," I say as I turn to face Yuno, "do you know how old is the yground?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Yuno slowly shakes her head with closed eyes before responding, "Unfortunately, due to my disposition, it took me some time to arrive in the yground. So, I don''t much about it other than the basics."


    "But, if you want to," she continues as a disturbing smile forms on her lips, "I can investigate it for you."


    I take a solid five seconds to consider how it would turn out if I let Yuno loose before straightening my posture and saying as firmly as possible, "As much as I would appreciate it, but I would rather you stay by my side."


    A red hue covers Yuno''s cheek as she smiles and ces her palm against her chest.


    The rest of the girls gawk at her actions with an odd look on their faces.


    Deciding that it would be better if we left this ce sooner thanter, I deliberate on how we''re going to get to the Rift from here.


    {Direct transportation is possible.}


    {Analysis of the data received upon essing the Core Gateway has beenpleted.}


    {ording to the assessed data, if a gateway is used for the first time in five centuries, direct transportation to the Rift is possible.}


    What if it''s not the first time?


    {The entity that has passed through will dissipate into oblivion within days unless third party forces intervene.}


    Well, I''d be damned. I assume that the ''third party forces'' you refer to are Anomalies that can transport souls, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    I see.


    {Father, there is more to the data.}


    Oh, what is it?


    {Time-Chain has been analyzed.}


    What''s that?


    {Father could exchange the three time-freeze remnants for a Time-Key.}


    {The Time-Key will hasten the speed anywhere Father is.}


    So, you''re telling me that if I have that thing while in the Rift, time will flow slower in other tforms?


    {Affirmative.}


    How slower? Is the exchange permanent?


    {Due tock of data, I''m unable to determine the ratio. The exchange is not permanent, but there are consequences.}


    I assume that the consequences are not known?


    {Affirmative.}


    I thought so. This is not a risk I''m willing to take at the moment. There are too many uncertain factors. Besides, I don''t need it right now anyway.


    "Hey, how long are we going to stay here?" Krul impatiently questions.


    "Okay, okay," I wryly say, "We will leave now."


    Irene, forget the Time-Key and whatnot. Transport us to the Rift.


    {Affirmative. Initiating transportation. Releasing the Rift.}


    The next moment, something simr to a ck-hole appears a few meters away from me and begins to gently pull us toward itself.


    "Master?!" Siesta exims out of panic.


    A serious expression appears on Krul''s face as she attempts to resist the force.


    Gabriel and Aruru both make their way to my sides and hold my arms before trying to pull me away from the force, while Yuno wordlessly gets pulled.


    I feel a light tug on my hair, which I reckon is Eri doing so in fear of the ''ck-hole''.


    Irene, is this what will transport us?


    {Affirmative.}


    Hearing this, I release a sigh of relief before opening my mouth and saying in a loud voice, "Don''t panic. That''s the thing we''re supposed to get inside."


    The girls all stop resisting and let the force pull them.


    Shortly, Saturnus, who was the closest and the calmest about this situation gets covered in golden light before disappearing into the ''ck-hole''.


    A few secondster, Tiffania has the same thing happen to her.


    After that is Ddraig who has been silent during the whole trip while ring at me every given moment. Looks like the memory of my punishment is still vivid for her.


    I must''ve hurt her maiden heart.


    As such, all of us get sucked into the ''ck-hole''.


    What follows is a long tunnel simr to the one I went through when I entered Sorcerers'' Lair.


    A few momentster, we all exit the tunnel, only to find ourselves falling hundreds of meters above the ground.


    I take this chance to examine where we''re out. Fortunately, we appeared right above Tokyo, but the sector we appeared at is quite a distance away from the mansion.


    Well, that doesn''t matter.


    I directly form arge gateway below us connected to the ground right beside the mansion before passing through it along with the others.


    The next moment, we are all rising to the sky due to our momentum, so I make use of Vector Maniption to cancel the forces pushing us.


    As such, we begin falling to the ground at a moderate speed before I cancel the vectors around me once more so that we all gentlynd.


    "That was quite the ride," Krul says with an amazed expression.


    "Father is great!" Aruru cheerfully exims.


    The rest, apart from Ddraig and Saturnus, share their opinion on what just happened. Tiffania happens to be the only one that didn''t enjoy it much due to fear.


    Well, there is also the fairy atop my head, but she is unable to express herself just yet, so that doesn''t count.


    Chuckling a little, I examine the mansion and everyone inside it as a grin forms on my face.


    Ah, I''ve missed them all so much...

 Chapter 215: Recounting ; Shopping ; Encounter

    Chapter 215: Recounting ; Shopping ; Encounter


    Ugh. As much as I would like to go ahead and hug every single person in the mansion, I am aware that it is still early, so most of them are not awake yet.


    "Come on," I say to the returnees, "let us head inside."


    As such, we all begin to move toward the door leading inside. I telekically unlock the door and open it before we step inside the quiet mansion.


    Using irvoyance, I can sense that the only ones who are awake are Nao, Misa, and Sora.


    The three of them are currently in the dining room. Nao and Sora seem to be teaching Misa how to cook breakfast.


    Taking a look at the ingredients, I can see that breakfast is going to be a traditional one.


    "Is this where the Creator lives now?" Saturnus curiously questions as we make our way to the living room.


    "Yes," I respond, "Though, it''s not just limited to this ce."


    Soon, we all arrive in the living room, where the girls take a seat on the sofas.


    "I missed this," Siesta says.


    "Living here is much better than that world," Krul remarks.


    After a few seconds ofplete silence, I turn my head to face Gaia and ask, "Are you going to ''merge'' with this?"


    As a response to my inquiry, she nods her head once and replies, "Yes. However, it will take some time."


    "What''s this about merging?" Krul questions.


    I take in a deep breath before exining, "I forgot to introduce her to you properly. Thisdy here is Gaia. She just so happens to be a Code.


    "Her Code is a ''one digit''. Basically, she possesses immense prowess. Anyway, one of her abilities is merging with a and, I assume, manage its nature."


    "Hold on," Krul interjects while pressing her fingers against her temples, "you''re telling me that she will be controlling this?"


    "That''s what you can do, right?" I ask Gaia, to which she nods her head.


    "Amazing," Tiffania says with stars in her eyes.


    The rest of those present have looks of awe and admiration in their eyes, particrly Gabriel and Aruru.


    "Will you be helping Father like this?" Aruru suddenly asks Gaia.


    To my pleasant surprise, Gaia nods her head while smiling.


    "How nice," Aruru says in an envious tone.


    As a response to her words, I chuckle a little, but the next moment, I sense a sharp gaze to my right.


    Turning my head, I am with the sight of Misa standing a few meters away from me with arms crossed. She has a deadpan expression on her face as she stares at me.


    "Hello," I casually say, ignoring the strange atmosphere.


    "When did you return?" she asks in a neutral tone.


    "A few minutes ago," I respond.


    "Were you not supposed to have left?" another voice questions as Nao enters the living room.


    "I did leave," I casually respond, "You just haven''t noticed because of the time difference."


    "Time difference?" Nao inquires with raised brows.


    "What, Sora didn''t tell you?" I say exasperatedly, "Time was frozen here the same way it has for the world you''re from."


    "Huh? What the heck? You can just freeze time in worlds as you please?"


    "Well, yes," I wryly respond, "However, there is a limit."


    "This is madness," Misa remarks, "What are you anyway? God?"


    "Well, God is something akin to my son, so no."


    A dumbfounded expression appears on Misa''s face. As for Nao, she has an amused expression on her face as she says, "Your behavior is unsuitable for such a figure."


    "Haru!" a melodic voice resounds within the room as Sora rushes in and looks around.


    The moment our eyes meet, a wide smile forms on her lips as she ignores everyone else''s presence and runs toward me.


    I embrace her slender body tightly and whisper, "I''m home."


    "Wee back," she says while nuzzling her chin against my shoulder.


    How strange. For Sora, I was gone for a few minutes, yet I can sense extreme loneliness from her right now.


    After a while, she finally breaks the hug and sits right beside me.


    As if just noticing the rest, Sora nces at the returnees, mostly focusing on the new faces she hadn''t seen before.


    "Who are they?" she asks in a rather cold tone.


    I let out a sigh before recounting everything that urred over the period I was in the Sorcerers'' Lair while omitting whatever isn''t needed to be said.


    "So, now you can go to that world whenever you want to?" Sora asks once I''m done recounting.


    "Pretty much," I say.


    "Will the time here stop when you do that?"


    "No, unless I will it."


    Seeing her nod her head, I take this moment to think about something before asking, "Why aren''t the rest awake yet?"


    They have to go to school, after all. So, it''s strange that they haven''t woken up yet.


    "Everyone has taken the day-off," Nao answers my inquiry.


    "Why?"


    As a response to this, Nao and Misa both gawk at me, while Sora smiles a little.


    Oh...


    --- (Tokyo, Japan - Near Akihabara)


    "Hurry up!" Sora says while pulling my left arm.


    "Okay, okay," I say, "Why hurry? We can shop for as long as we want."


    "No!" she sharply responds, "We will go visit other ces too."


    Ignoring the surrounding crowd, I let out a sigh before swiftly moving closer and kissing her cheek.


    Startled by my action, a wide smile forms on Sora''s lips as she turns to face me and asks, "Did you miss me?"


    "Of course," I reply without any dy, "How could I not?"


    The smile on her face grows as she says, "Good."


    Then, Sora continues to pull me along as she heads inside a phone store.


    Why are we here? Well, because I had discarded my old phone in Sorcerers'' Lair, I need a new one.


    Even so, I could''ve just created a new phone for myself, but Sora insisted that she wants to head out with me and buy a new phone while at it.


    Well, I appreciate the gesture, as it feels quite nice to spend some time with my sister after everything that has transpired.


    The store we entered is quite a popr one that has multitudes of various electronics on disy. Its name is Yodobashi Camera.


    We both make our way to the section designated for smartphones.


    Sora then begins to look around the store like a curious cat for what she deemed to be the most suitable phone for me.


    A store clerk wished to approach us around, but I easily got rid of him by using Eye of Judgment.


    "Hey, this one seems nice," Sora finally after looking around in the store for about twenty minutes.


    ncing at the phone that has caught her fancy, I notice that it''s a Samsung phone. Curious about her reason for picking it, I take a look at its specs and features.


    After careful inspection, I notice that it has quite decent features as well as a pen to write with for the price of 67,800 (Roughly $644).


    For this asion, I have burrowed Nao''s phone. I have already entered my credentials and whatnot, so I can shop with whatever credit I have left in my ount.


    "I will get one too," Sora says.


    "Matching phones?" I say while grinning, to which she responds by beaming a smile.


    --


    "Where do we go now?" I ask once we''ve left the store after buying the two phones.


    Sora who is currently trying out her new phone lifts her head and says, "Let''s go shop for clothes."


    "Right," I say before inspecting the clothes I have on at the moment.


    Once again, this is unnecessary, but it''s still fun to hang out together, so whatever.


    "Hold on," I say before using irvoyance to look around for a suitable clothing store.


    After a few seconds, I state, "There is a suitable store nearby. Let''s go."


    Sora puts her phone away before squinting her eyes and asking, "How do you know?"


    "Well, I happen to have a power that allows me to see everything around me," I exin. At least, irvoyance is something like that.


    "See everything?" Sora repeats, "Normally?"


    Understanding what she''s getting at, I nod my head and say, "That''s right. Think of it as me being able to move my sight around."


    "Hm" Sora hums with a thoughtful look on her face.


    "Come on," I say before grabbing her hand and beginning to walk toward our destination.


    --


    The store that had caught my attention was Uniqlo. It was nearby and seemed to have nice clothing.


    I never thought that something like this would happen


    "Why are you here, Rias?" I question while observing the demon princess''s face for any reaction.


    Sora is currently holding onto my arm tightly while ring at her.


    Beads of sweat roll down Rias'' forehead as she hides a bag behind her and says, "I had some business here, that''s all."


    Shaking my head at her suspicious behavior, I say, "You don''t need to be so afraid of me. It''s not like I will rip your body to shred for no apparent reason."


    Rias issues an awkwardugh before bowing and saying, "May I leave?"


    Before I can respond to her, a familiar voice reaches my ears.


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I am a little startled by the sight before my eyes.


    A certain girl is currently being harassed by three guys. One of them has grabbed the girl''s arm and is pulling on it, while another is ''smooth-talking'' her.


    Noticing that something is wrong, Rias straightens her back and looks at where my sight is set.


    Sora does the same, but her reaction is vastly different from us. Instead of anger or shock, Sora just disys an expression of hate and disgust.


    Well aware of the reason she is acting like this, I decide to not intervene. However, the same can''t be said for Rias, who is already making her way to the bunch.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" she yells in a firm tone, attracting the attention of everyone who wasn''t paying attention already.


    "Let her go," Rias continues.


    One of the three guys looks around a little before replying, "What, are you this chick''s big sis?"


    The three guys scrutinize Rias'' body with hungry looks before the one holding the girl''s arm says, "Say, how about you join us for dinner too?"


    As a response to this, Rias frowns a little before stepping forth and mming her palm into the nearest man''s chest.


    Naturally, a human is unable to withstand the attack of a devil, even if she held back her power.


    The man that was struck immediately falls to the ground and clutches where he was struck.


    "You b*tch!" the ''smooth-talker'' exims before rushing at her with a furious expression.


    As expected, before he can realize what''s going on, the man finds himself on the ground with a broken leg.


    At this point, the crowd that has formed is cheering for Rias as she takes out the trash.


    Thest one left has a cold look in his eyes as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out an army knife.


    Rias isn''t disturbed by the knife, as she begins to approach him, however, the man suddenly moves behind the girl from earlier and presses the knife against her neck.


    "Stay away!" he says in a loud and cold voice.


    Knowing that this would be problematic if I let it go on for any longer, I create a thin needle in the air andunch toward the man''s forehead.


    His expression doesn''t change and no blood flows out of the man as he suddenly copses onto the ground.


    As a response to this, a confused look appears on Rias'' face before she seems to realize something and turns around to look at me.


    I nod my head once before saying, "Sora, let''s leave this ce."


    "Yeah," she responds while still ring at the girl.


    Unfortunately, before we can take a step, Rias runs over to us and says, "Thank you for the assistance, Your Holiness."


    "Don''t mention it," I hurriedly say, hoping to leave this ce as soon as possible.


    "Excuse me," a voice resounds behind Rias, causing her to turn around.


    There, standing before her is a ck-haired girl with round-sses.


    "Thank you very much," the girl says while bowing.


    "It''s fine," Rias responds to her gratitude, "Are you hurt?"


    The girl shakes her head and is about to respond to the inquiry, but her eyes widen as she notices me and Sora.


    Silence ensues for a few seconds before the girl disbelievingly mutters, "Haruka?"

 Chapter 216: Nao Yorihime ; Friends ; Thoughts

    Chapter 216: Nao Yorihime ; Friends ; Thoughts


    Nao Yorihime - my childhood friend andpanion during our visits to Okukozome-ch during summer vacations.


    I hadn''t given it much thought before, but now that the opportunity has risen once more, I think of the events ere my awakening.


    Haruka Kasugano was walking to a grocery store on the first day that ''he'' and Sora had moved to Okukozome-ch.


    Minutester, as he was walking back, a bicycle appeared out of nowhere and struck him.


    That''s all I could remember. My memories are somewhat hazy, but I reckon that the one who hit me was Yorihime because of what Sora said after my awakening.


    Either way, that seemed to have what ''awakened'' me.


    "It''s you, isn''t it?" Yorihime continues to say, "Why have you changed so much?"


    Hearing the concern in her voice, and seeing her actions, I can tell that she is filled with guilt at the moment. Perhaps she thinks I''m like this because of her? That we moved away because of her?


    Well, it doesn''t matter. I will just introduce myself as Victor Origo and be done with it.


    "Go away," I suddenly hear Sora''s voice before I can say anything, "Leave us alone."


    Sensing the cold aura exuding from Sora, I realize that this situation might be more serious than I thought.


    Speaking of which, why is Yorihime here anyway? Okukozome-ch is quite far away from here, after all.


    "Yorihime," I utter, causing her eyes to widen in shock, "Why are you here?"


    It takes a dozen or so seconds to recollect herself before she responds in a saddened tone, "I came here to buy a manga rmended to me by a friend."


    Hearing this, I just nod my head while Rias'' eyes shimmer as she asks, "What manga?"


    A little overwhelmed by her curiosity, Yorihime''s eyes widen for a moment before she awkwardly replies with the manga''s name.


    Unexpectedly, Rias'' expression turns to intrigue as she asks, "Is your friend an online friend or one that you know in real life?"


    What''s with Rias? She is a little overexcited. The only reason I can think of for her to act like this is that she knows Yorihime. But, is such a coincidence even possible?


    "Online," Yorihime responds, a little perplexed.


    The shimmering in Rias'' eyes grow as she continues to ask, "Does your friend have a strange username?"


    It takes her a moment, but Yorihime nods her head as confirmation.


    "Blue orchid?" Rias mutters in an expectant tone.


    The next moment, Yorihime''s eyes widen as she responds, "God is a bully?"


    What the heck is with that username.


    Assuming that they each called out the other''s username, I turn my head to gaze at Rias with a deadpan expression on my face.


    As if just realizing something, cold sweat begins to form on Rias'' forehead as she meets my gaze with a frightened look on her face.


    "God is a bully, huh?" I say while beaming a smile.


    "Please find it within your benevolent heart to forgive my impudence, Your Holiness," she instantly says somewhat loudly while bowing.


    I use telekinesis to straighten her posture before saying, "I''ll be seeing you in the academy tomorrow."


    "What?" Yorihime mutters with a dumbfounded expression.


    "Well then," I say while pulling out my phone and pretending to check the time, "It''s gettingte, so Sora and I will be leaving now."


    "Understood," Rias immediately responds in a respectful tone, while Yorihime just stares at me with a baffled expression.


    Not waiting for a response, I grab Sora''s hand and begin walking away without looking back. There is no point in doing so, anyway.


    ---


    "We''re back," I say upon entering the mansion with Sora.


    "Brother Yu!" I hear a cheerful voice exim as Ayumi runs appears in my sight and rushes into my embrace.


    I respond to her affectionate antics by hugging her tightly.


    This goes on for a few seconds before I sense two more bodies cling to my legs.


    Shifting Ayumi away a little, I met with the sight of Ophis and G both hugging my legs with curious glints in their eyes.


    "Hello, Ophis, G."


    "Hello," Ophis while beaming a nigh-imperceptible smile.


    As for G, she just rubs her forehead against my thigh while humming lightly.


    "Ti!" a somewhat sharp voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    "What was that?" I subconsciously ask.


    The next moment, a certain fairy appears from behind Ayumi''s head with a wide smile on her lips.


    Issuing a chuckle, I hold Ayumi with my left arm while reaching my right arm out to gently rub Eri''s head with my finger.


    All of a sudden, I hear several coughing noises ahead of me.


    Looking over, I find Misa and Nao with strange looks on their faces as they gawk at us.


    Behind me, Sora has covered her mouth and is giggling.


    I let out a sigh before letting Ayumi down and asking, "Let''s go to the living room."


    --


    Having taken a seat on one of the sofas, I turn my head to nce at Sora who''s fidgeting with her phone beside me.


    "You should charge it up first, remember?" I say in a slightly reproachful tone.


    Sora looks back at me for a few seconds before nodding her head and getting up from the sofa.


    She then extends her arm out and says, "Your phone."


    "Right," I say before pulling it out of my pocket and handing it to her.


    The moment Sora leaves the room, six pairs of eyes fall on me.


    Opposite the sofa I''m on, Nao and Misa are sitting with an odd look on their face. Near them are Kuroka and Koneko who were ying with a Nintendo Switch when I got here.


    Finally, there is Ayumi who is sitting to my left with Eri sitting atop her head.


    [Father.]


    "Gabriel?" I murmur, "Is something wrong?"


    [I would like to be granted permission to train all of Father''s direct angels in heaven.]


    Huh? Where did thise from? Did our little trip to Sorcerers'' Lair make her realize something?


    Well, if Gabriel is going to be the one training the angels, then there is no issue.


    "Go ahead."


    [Yes, Father.]


    "So," Misa''s voice reaches my ears, "What are you going to do be doing now?"


    "What, you ask?" I respond, a little confused about what she''s asking of me, "Living normally."


    The moment those words leave my mouth, an extremely doubtful expression appears on Misa''s face, while Nao straight-upughs.


    After a while, Nao finally stopsughing and says while wiping a tear in her right eye, "Sorry, but I can''t believe you just said that."


    My expression turns neutral as I ask, "What''s wrong with what I just said?"


    "You, living normally?" Nao says teasingly, "Impossible. Don''t even think about it."


    Hearing this, I let out a sigh and say, "Yeah, who am I kidding? Some problems will probably arise soon."


    As a response to my words, Koneko slowly nods her head, while Ayumi pats my back.


    Eri mimics Ayumi''s actions as she floats toward my head and ''pats'' it.


    As for the rest of the girls, they all have a "that''s right" expression on their face while staring at me.


    At this moment, Kristina appears in the room while carrying a tray.


    On the tray, there are seven sses filled with what seems to be banana juice.


    Kristina proceeds to walk around and present everyone, apart from Eri, a ss before sitting beside me with the only ss of juice left in her hand.


    As such, we begin drinking the refreshing juice while conversing about simple matters rted to Sorcerers'' Lair.


    Due to not being aware of the existence of the yground, Kristina, Kuroka, and Koneko were quite confused in the beginning before they caught on a short whileter.


    "So, are you going to be going to that robot''s world?" Misa questions after the conversation shifted to Saturnus and tform: Higgins.


    "That''s right," I say while nodding my head.


    The moment the words leave my mouth, three girls enter the living room - Yuno, Krul, and, Akame.


    "What about her?" Misa says while pointing at Akame.


    Sensing this, Akame turns her head to gaze at Misa with a questioning look in her eyes.


    "I''m not sure yet," I respond, "Currently, I have no method to get to the world she is from."


    Upon hearing this, Yuno immediately says, "I can get you there!"


    Startled, I look over at her and ask, "How?"


    "When I summoned her," Yuno exins while pointing at Akame, "I pinpointed the tform she is from."


    "Oh, that''s great," I say as a smile forms on my lips.


    Akame seems to have realized what''s going on as a hopeful look has appeared on her face while she gawks at Yuno.


    "I can send you there with proper preparation," Yuno says while smiling.


    "Hold on," Krul says while frowning, "I was with Victor when we fought against you at that time. You seemed to take quite some damage during her summoning."


    Crap. I had forgotten about that. Krul is right, as Yuno didn''t seem fine after the summoning.


    "That''s uh" Yuno mutters, seemingly not knowing how to respond properly.


    I take this chance to ce my hand on Ayumi''s head and rub it slowly before asking, "You were nning to send us at the expense of your safety, weren''t you, Yuno?"


    "Yes," she meekly responds.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I say in a firm tone, "I don''t want to see a repeat of this ever again. Understood?"


    "Understood," Yuno responds with a small smile on her lips.


    {Father. Data extraction is possible.}


    Oh, you can do that?


    {ording to the data avable to me, Father could do that through the Network.}


    Huh? It seems like there is more to the Network than what I had assumed after all.


    Still, why isn''t there a Network for Krul? She is a Code, and the two of us did it back in Sorcerers'' Lair.


    Is there some other condition that I''m not aware of?


    The only difference I can think of would be the location. Yuno and I had sex in the Rift, while Krul and I performed the deed in a tform.


    Speaking of which, I''m curious about what location will appear in Krul''s Network if it gets formed.


    "Brother Yu," Ayumi''s voice interrupts my train of thoughts.


    Looking over at her, I say in a soothing voice, "What is it, Ayu?"


    "Follow Ayu!" she cheerfully says before jumping off the sofa.


    I issue a light chuckle before getting off the sofa and following her as she leads me to the room Ophis and G are in.

 Chapter 217: Eavesdrop ; Signs of Trouble ; Hot Kitty *NSFW*

    Chapter 217: Eavesdrop ; Signs of Trouble ; Hot Kitty *NSFW*


    "Good work," I say while patting Ayumi''s head, earning me a gleeful hum from the brightss.


    "That''s all, right?" I ask after taking a nce at her notebook.


    "Yes," she responds, "that is everything that Lily said was studied at school today."


    I nod my head as a confirmation while continuing to pat her head and appreciating the fact that Ayu has a best friend now.


    It makes me wonder if something like a girls-only night over will ur sometime in the future. At that time, I should make sure to not embarrass her.


    Well, there is the chance that Ayumi will get invited to her friends'' house instead, but I wouldn''t let that happen.


    Naturally, I''m aware that I''m being overprotective, but after what happened to Ayumi back in Project Charlotte, I can''t let my guard down at any time.


    "Brother Yu?" Ayumi''s voice reaches my ears, bringing a halt to my thoughts.


    "It''s nothing," I say before leaning over and kissing her cheek, "You should go to sleep soon. It''s gettingte."


    "Roger!" she energetically responds.


    "Go on," I say while pointing at the bed that Sora, G, and Ophis are lying on, "I will be there in a short while."


    Having said that, I get up from my seat, leave the room, and head toward the kitchen. Upon arriving, I am met with the sight of Saturnus inspecting a few cleaning utilities.


    "What are you doing?" I curiously ask.


    "Ah, Creator," she says in a distraught tone before setting the mop in her hand down and walking over to me.


    "So?" I question once she has gotten close enough, "What are you up to?"


    "Well, as Creator''s maid, I thought that it would be good if I researched about house chores."


    "Maid?" I mutter while peering into her eyes, "That''s no longer necessary now that we have left Sorcerers'' Lair."


    "But, I would still like to function as the Creator''s maidservant," she immediately proims a little too enthusiastically.


    "Of course," I say while reaching my arm out to stroke her realistic ''skin'', "If that''s what you want, I have no reason to object."


    An expression of pure excitement appears on her face as she nods her head once and says, "I will do my best."


    Issuing a light chuckle, I shake my head a little before making my way over to the fridge and opening it.


    I am met directly met with the sight of various groceries ranging from vegetables to quick snacks.


    Grabbing a bottle of apple juice, I close the fridge door and make my way over to the living room while using irvoyance to check for Koneko''s location.


    Unfortunately, Koneko seems to be already asleep in Kuroka''s room, despite her elder sister not being there.


    After looking a little more, I find Kuroka in the living room, conversing with Ravel, whom I had not seen for the whole day.


    What are they discussing at this time? It''s almost midnight.


    Shortly, I find myself in the living room, just in time to hear Ravel say, "Zeoticus Gremory shows no signs of his siding in this confrontation."


    "But, wouldn''t it be bad for the demon ns to show hostility at a time like this?" Kuroka questions in a disbelieving tone.


    "You''re right," Ravel responds, "but they were somehow convinced that His Holiness is currently weak enough that if the remaining ns worked together, it would be possible to bring him down."


    So, she calls me that too now, huh?


    Leaving that aside, I begin to deliberate on why the devils would be so dead set on killing me.


    I''ve shown the extent of my prowess multiple times already, so I can''t believe that they were convinced of something so ridiculous.


    Besides, what are they nning to do with the angels serving me? It''s not like they will face me alone, as I have an army of angels atmand.


    "Are you sure about this?" Kuroka''s voice reaches my ears, interrupting my thoughts.


    "That''s what was written in the letter sent to my father," Ravel responds.


    Oh? I feel like things are starting to make a little more sense now. From what I heard, Ravel had visited the underworld. There she found a letter containing all the nonsense about me being weakened.


    Well, it''s true that I''m in a weakened state, but the current me should be easily capable of wiping the ground with a few errant devils.


    Anyway, from an objective perspective, it''s highly likely that someone is trying to lure the devils to demise.


    After all, I''m certain that Ajuka, Serafall, Sirzechs, and Ravel''s Father are aware of the power I possess.


    Nevertheless, this matter has grabbed my attention.


    "You''re aware that the letter could be a trap, right?" Kuroka''s voice reaches my ears once again.


    "Of course," Ravel confidently responds, "however, I overheard my father discuss the matter with a few other high-devils, and they didn''t seem to think this way."


    "You''re worried about His Holiness misunderstanding this," Kuroka suddenly states.


    "That''s right," Ravel affirms in a slightly distressed tone.


    After a short while of mentioning a few other things, Ravel finally gets up from the sofa she was sitting on and makes her way to the room I assigned to her.


    As for Kuroka, she lets out a deep sigh while sitting in a rather udylike manner, giving me a fantastic view of her breasts.


    Letting out a sigh of my own, I walk inside, startling her quite a bit.


    However, Kuroka doesn''t fix her posture but continues to exhibit her ''arsenal'' with a smirk visible on her lips.


    "What brings you here, nya~?"


    Shaking my head as a response to her suggestive actions, I say, "Well, I was looking for Koneko to cuddle a little, but as unfortunate as it may be, she was deep asleep."


    Healing my words, Kuroka giggles a little charmingly before leaning forward and saying, "How about cuddling with me, instead, nya~?"


    My eyes subconsciously shift to the two mounds and two pink cherries which are slightly visible now.


    A grin forms on my lips as I say in a roguish tone, "You''re ying with perilous mes here, kitty."


    Seeming to not mind it, the grin on her lips grows as she says, "I''m aware of that."


    Deciding that it would be rude to decline such an invitation, I proceed to walk over to the sofa she''s sitting on and take a seat beside her.


    Without further ado, I wrap my left arm around her back and pull her close to myself, earning me a slightly sensual yelp from Kuroka.


    "How forceful, nya~," she says while rubbing her head against my shoulder.


    A sweet scent reaches my nose as I sense something soft tickle my cheek.


    Upon taking a closer look, I realize that the tip of her ear is the source of the tickling.


    Well, let me see what this yful kitty has in store for me.


    The next moment, I shift my right arm so that I''m directly holding her bountiful breasts while ying with her ears using my left hand.


    Kuroka seems to enjoy this a little more than I expected her to as she begins letting out sensual ''nya~'' now and then.


    "Is this fun?" I ask while sliding my hand underneath her kimono and caressing her breast directly.


    "This is more than just ''cuddling'', nya~" she responds before purring as I begin to gently rub her head.


    Soon enough, Kuroka''s breathing bes a little haggard as her body temperature rises.


    "Even though it''s not my mating season yet, nya~," she says in a troubled voice as I continue to y around with her breasts.


    "Hey, Kuroka," I whisper, resulting in her turning her head to face me.


    Before she can react, I press my lips against hers and push her down on the sofa.


    In this position, Kuroka lightly presses her knee against my crotch as she begins moving it.


    I take this chance to check our surroundings before pulling her kimono down,pletely revealing her splendid breasts.


    Then, I y both of my hands on the two mounds and gently squeeze them.


    Suddenly, I feel something cling to my leg, causing me to break the kiss and inspect it, only to find Kuroka''s tail twirling around my leg.


    Issuing a light chuckle, I shift my focus back to Kuroka, whose face is nowpletely flushed, and teasingly say, "What a naughty kitty."


    Then, before she can respond to my words, I press her breasts together and lower my head to take both of her cherries into my mouth.


    As I begin to y around with them using my tongue, Kuroka begins to moan quite seductively while wrapping both of her arms around my nape.


    After a few seconds, I let go of her breasts and slightly move my body forth before locking my lips with hers once again.


    This time, the kiss is a much more pleasurable one as she does her best to reciprocate my attacks in her mouth.


    Only after about ten minutes or so, I break the kiss and lift my body before saying, "We won''t be going all the way this time."


    A frown forms on Kuroka''s brows, but it disappears the next the moment as she teasingly says, "So the mes weren''t that dangerous after all, nya~"


    Finding her attempt to taunt me adorable, I rub her ears a little before kissing her lips for a few seconds.


    Then, I straightaway get off her and say, "As much as I would like to fill you up, I can''t today?"


    Kuroka doesn''t respond to my words, resulting in a small smile to form on lips as I say, "Next time is going to be different, though."


    Then, I check my body from head to toe before beginning to walk back to my room while thinking of what just transpired.


    There are two reasons for me not going all the way.


    The first one is because I don''t want to get into a fourth-base rtionship with her just like that. I would prefer her sorting her thoughts and emotions out before we do the deed.


    The second reason is that Ayumi is still waiting for me, so I can''t just go ahead and leave her hanging.


    Nevertheless, I was serious when I said that things would go differently the next time.


    After all, naughty kitties need to be disciplined...

 Chapter 218: True Bully ; Strange Relationship

    Chapter 218: True Bully ; Strange Rtionship


    "Good morning," I say as a response to Nao''s silent gesture.


    A cute yawning sound reaches my ears as Ayumi rubs her eyes before taking a seat at the dining table.


    "Hey," Misa, who is sitting beside Nao, suddenly says, "the teacher will be conducting a few tests next week."


    Understanding what she''s getting at, I nod my head and say, "Okay. I''ll make sure that you''re properly prepared."


    I take this moment to look over at Sora who is cooking with the help of Kristina and Saturnus.


    From the looks of it, breakfast will be prepared in a few minutes. So, I should go and retrieve Asia from heaven.


    "Excuse me," I say before getting up from my seat and directly teleporting to heaven.


    "Asia?" I mutter while looking around the ce.


    ---


    "Take care," I say before giving Ayumi a light peck in front of her school building.


    This earns me quite a reaction from the surrounding children who were on their way to their ss.


    The females mostly let out some mildly annoying screeches before beginning to speak of how nice it is to have a ''handsome older brother''.


    As for the males, well, they mostly didn''t seem to care about the matter, but they sure stared at me intently.


    "Goodbye, Brother Yu!" Ayumi cheerfully says.


    I get back on my feet and lightly pat her head before saying, "Bye, Ayu."


    As such, I separate from Ayumi and make my way to the others.


    ---


    "Come on, Nao, I''m not that overprotective," I say in a little awkward tone.


    "Are you trying to pass it off as you being aware of it?" she immediately asks.


    "That''s not true," I say, hoping that we reach the ss soon.


    "This guy here would probably burn the school down if something were to happen to his little sister," Misa interjects, "I would do the same too."


    "See?"


    "That just means you both are overprotective," Nao remarks while rolling her eyes.


    "Um" Asia says a little nervously, "I think that His Holiness is just very caring."


    At this moment, I sense someching onto my arm and pulls me along as they begin to walk faster.


    "Sora?" I confusedly question.


    "We will bete to ss," she responds.


    Hah~ At least, this is better than my over-protectiveness being determined by Nao.


    Shortly, we reach our ss. With the door being open, we simply step inside and head toward our seats.


    ---


    "Rias," I say with a smile-stered to my face, "I hope you''ve been doing well."


    Hearing my words, Rias issues an awkwardugh while her peerage curiously looks at us.


    "Your Holiness?" Akeno says, seemingly unable to cope with not knowing what''s going on.


    "It''s nothing," I say, "I just remembered that it has been a while since I''ve trained Rias."


    Before anything else could be said, I intone, "Arena."


    The moment we arrive in the peculiar city, I use irvoyance to check for the presence of anything uninvited.


    Fortunately, I find no traces of such a thing.


    "Well then," I say, "Raynare and the rest should arrive soon. Rias, you will be apanying me to the back of the city."


    The moment my words fade, I appear behind Rias and carry her princess-style.


    Startled by my actions, a slightly red hue covers Rias'' face as she doesn''t know how to react.


    Shaking my head a little, I leap into the air and utilize Godspeed to perform an air-jump.


    Then, I dash toward a park in the distance.


    Upon nearing the location, I cancel out all the vectors on our bodies before crashing into the ground.


    I then proceed to let Rias down before backing away from her a little and say, "You will now experience what genuine bullying is like."


    Hearing this, Rias'' face turns pale as an expression of abject horror forms.


    "Don''t be afraid," I say, "You''ll just be experiencing a few new things."


    Well then, it''s time to see the full extent of my power.


    Looking down at the ground I pull my arm back before punching at it with as much force as I can.


    The next moment, the ground shakes as a ridiculously huge crater forms at the point of impact.


    That''s not the end of it, as I swiftly grab Rias and fly into the sky before my punch''s shock-wave spreads.


    Once we''re high enough, Rias and I watch with widened eyes as dozens of surrounding buildings crumble down one after another.


    "No way," Rias mutters disbelievingly.


    Well, I can understand why she wouldn''t want to believe what she just witnessed. After all, this one punch of mine destroyed more than half of the city.


    Looking over at where her peerage is, I notice that the shock-wave barely reached them.


    Letting out a sigh, I descend to the ground set Rias down once again before saying, "Sorry about that. Now, let''s practice, shall we?"


    The moment the words leave my mouth, Rias'' demonic wings appear as she gets down on both of her knees and says, "Forgive me!"


    "Get up," I immediately say while telekically lifting her, "I obviously won''t be using my full power during practice."


    Despite getting back on her feet, I notice that there is a glint of fear in Rias'' eyes.


    Of course, she would still be afraid of me... I should''ve tried the extent of my power some other time.


    Looking over at Rias once more, I''m reminded of the fact that she''s just a teenager that has a little more responsibility than others.


    Letting out a sigh, I take a step forward, causing Rias to flinch.


    However, I continue to approach her before embracing her.


    Startled, Rias lets out a yelp before stepping back and looking into my eyes with confusion apparent on her face.


    "I''ve said this already, but you don''t need to fear me. I have no reason to hurt you."


    After a few seconds of pure silence, Rias finally opens her mouth and asks, "Why are you doing this now? Isn''t your objectiveplete now that you have taken back heaven?"


    A smile forms on my lips as I say, "You have changed, Rias."


    Previously, Rias would''ve just made assumptions on her own. That in itself is not a bad thing, as she most of the time was right, however, she wouldn''t have relied on anyone else for most matters, which was a fatal w.


    Now, she can look me in the eye - the one who just demolished most of a city by a single punch - and ask me about my objective.


    Raising my arms, I begin pping, confusing Rias even further before I say, "It''s very simple."


    I let my left arm down, but keep my right arm raised and point my finger at her before proiming, "You already belong to me."


    Rias'' confusion grows as she asks, "What do you mean?"


    "You will receive everything you desire, aplish your objectives, and achieve your dreams," I state while grinning.


    Instead of rejoicing, Rias frowns and says, "This offer is too good to be for free."


    "You''re right," I say, causing her to furrow her brows even further, "You will offer me yourself in exchange."


    "Offer you myself?" she mutters before her eyes widen as she disbelievingly exims, "Marriage?!"


    I don''t respond to her exmation but just grin.


    Seeing this, Rias'' face flushes red as she begins to mutter some gibberish to herself for a few seconds before she looks into my eyes and says, "But, I''m a devil..."


    "Do you think that matters to me?" I teasingly question.


    Anyway, this should be enough.


    The smile on my face disappears as I adopt a serious expression and say, "We''ve wasted enough time. Let''s begin our training."


    Sensing the seriousness in my voice, Rias tries her best topose herself before taking on a defensive stance.


    "Here Ie," I shout before appearing right beside her, prepared to punch her side.

 Chapter 219: An Innocent Angels Jealousy

    Chapter 219: An Innocent Angel''s Jealousy


    "You performed well," I say to the panting Rias once the training session is over.


    Due to having exhausted her body, Rias is unable to muster a proper response other than nodding her head as a gesture of gratitude.


    A small smile forms on my lips as I approach Rias and crouch beside her before saying, "You know, whenever I practiced with Akeno and Koneko, I would make use of an ability of mine to restore their stamina."


    Hearing this, Rias looks into my eyes with curiosity written all over her face. From the looks of it, she''s most likely thinking about the uses of such an ability.


    "Would you like to try it?" I offer while preventing myself from grinning.


    As a response to my suggestion, Rias takes a few seconds to stabilize her breathing before saying, "If Your Holiness is fine with it."


    "I wouldn''t have mentioned it if I wasn''t," I reply while moving even closer to her.


    Then, I ce my left hand under Rias'' chin, earning me a puzzled look from her.


    However, that look on her face doesn''tst long, as, the next moment, I press my lips against hers. Startled, Rias immediately attempts to move her head away but is unable to do so because I ce my hand on her nape.


    Soon, I begin to channel my Holy Energy into my tongue before prying her mouth open with it. That results in Rias'' body to melt into my embrace as if she has given up altogether.


    After a dozen or so of kissing, I let go of her and hastily get back on my feet.


    Looking down at the dazed Rias on the ground, I let out a small sigh. Truthfully, she has improved a lotpared to before, which is only to be expected. After all, interacting with a being perceived as God is nothing to scoff at.


    Normally, someone like her would have used that as a factor for their pride, but after having ''suffered'' at my hands, she will hardly have such thoughts.


    "Ugh," Rias voice reaches my ears, causing me to shift my attention back to the now-refreshed aesthetic devil.


    After having gotten back on her feet, Rias has an intrigued expression as she inspects her body by flexing her arms and legs.


    "It''s amazing, isn''t it?" I say while smiling at her actions.


    "Yes," she absentmindedly responds while still flexing her arms.


    "Congrattions on being thest one among the female members of your peerage to experience this."


    Immediately after the words leave my mouth, Rias'' expression shifts to that of bafflement as she gazes at me and asks, "You have done this with Akeno and Koneko?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I respond, "I said that before doing it, no?"


    Hearing my response, a conflicted look appears on Rias'' face for a split-second before she shakes her head and adopts a serious expression.


    "Are we going to continue training?" she asks while getting into a defensive stance, seemingly not taking ''no'' for an answer.


    ---


    "You all look tired," I remark while looking over at the angels and devils.


    "Papa!" Mittelt calls out to me before flying over to me.


    Taking a look at her, I notice that seems to have had it the worst. Not only is her body injured all over, but she shows signs of both mental and physical fatigue.


    Seeing this, I reach my arm out to pat her head and utilize Healing Factor, earning me a wide smile from her, as if she just went through countless tribtions for this moment.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind strikes my face as Mittelt disappears from my line of sight.


    After a moment of confusion, I sense that she is lodged into the wall of a building quite a distance away.


    The heck? Who could''ve?


    My thoughts trail off as my sightnds on a certain overly-zealous little angel.


    "Aruru?" I say in a slightly awkward tone, "Howe you''re here?"


    "I wanted toe too when I heard they will be visiting Father," she responds.


    "Raynare brought you over, right?"


    "Yes," Aruru responds while turning around to beam a smile at Raynare.


    Raynare''s body immediately jolts as she hurriedly looks back at Aruru and forces a smile.


    Ah, now I understand why the angels would be exhausted as well. It seems like Aruru has been helping them increase their strength and endurance.


    After a short while, Mittelt detaches herself from the wall and begins to slowly make her way over here with a forced smile on her face.


    "Papa," she says once she''s close enough, only to be mmed into the ground the next moment.


    "Aruru!" I subconsciously exim.


    "Father?" Aruru looks over at me with an innocent look on her face as if she has done nothing wrong.


    "Why are you doing this?" I inquire, despite already having a general idea of what''s going on.


    [All-Father.]


    I''m a little startled by Raynare''s voice suddenly resounding within my head, but I don''t let it show on my face.


    "Raynare?" I mutter.


    [Whenever Mittelt would utter the word that All-Father has allowed her to use, this would happen.]


    As I thought. The words that Raynare is referring to is none other than ''papa''. Now, what I''m unsure of is if Aruru is just jealous or thinks that it is discourteous to call me as such.


    "Thank you for telling me this," I mutter to Raynare before looking into Aruru''s eyes.


    "Do you want to call me ''papa''?" I bluntly ask her.


    The next moment, a look of pure excitement appears on Aruru''s face as she energetically nods her head.


    "But I want to be the only one," she states.


    "The only one? That''s quite the selfish thing to ask for."


    Despite hearing my words clearly, Aruru doesn''t seem to be willing to back down.


    Have I perhaps spoiled her too much?


    Even so, I can''t get myself to berate her for her actions, as all I can see is a child fighting over the affection of their parent.


    Crap, I''m starting to ept my role as an actual father...


    "Daddy!" I suddenly hear Mittelt''s voice, causing my brain to nk out for a few seconds.


    Once I''ve regained my rity, I look over at everyone present, only to be met with the sight of various degrees of surprise on everyone''s face, apart from Aruru.


    Akeno is the second to recollect herself as she presses her hand against her mouth and says, "Ara~"


    "Is this fine?" Mittelt asks in a challenging tone while still lying on the ground.


    Aruru takes a moment to think by closing her eyes and tilting her head before suddenly opening them and eximing, "It''s fine!"


    Phew. Looks like this matter has been settled.


    [It''s fine, right?]


    Hearing Mittelt''s nervous voice in my head, I issue a light chuckle before muttering, "Of course."


    [Yay!]


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I proceed to m my palms into one another, resulting in a shock-wave that breaks everyone out of their stupor.


    "That''s enough for today," I proim.


    Then, I turn to face Rias, who is beside me, before reaching my arm out and stroking her cheek.


    As a result of my actions, a ruddy hue spreads across Rias'' face as she turns her head away I embarrassment.


    Seeing this, Iugh a little before saying, "Tomorrow, you and your peerage are going to work with the angels to fight against me. Think of it as a major event of sorts."


    Then, before she can say anything as a response, I appear behind Koneko and scoop her into my arms.


    "Until tomorrow," I say before exiting the Arena.

 Chapter 220: Playful ; Worries

    Chapter 220: yful ; Worries


    "Koneko!" I exim immediately upon exiting the Arena and appearing in the club-room.


    The nekoshou within my arms flinches as she looks over at me with an odd glint in her eyes.


    "Sorry," I say, realizing that my actions may seem somewhat odd, "It''s just that I didn''t have much time to interact with you, so I missed you."


    Hearing my words, Koneko''s ears twitch a little before she nuzzles her cheek against my chest.


    Oh, right. Apart from the angels, those I left behind in the Arena won''t be able to leave as I have yet to assign the authority for that to any of the devils.


    Perhaps, I could use this as an excuse to grant ''Rias'' a temporary reward for her improvement.


    Setting Koneko down, I peer into her eyes for a few seconds before lowering my head and pressing my lips against hers.


    This time, Koneko is much more startled as her body tenses up.


    Separating my lips from hers, I adopt a slightly apologetic look on my face before saying, "Could you wait here for a moment? I need to do something."


    Koneko understandably nods her head before walking over to one of the sofas in the room and lying down on it.


    "I won''t be gone for a long time, promise," I say before immediately entering the Arena again.


    Immediately upon entering, a few pairs of eyes settle on me. Looking over at them, I realize that my angels have already left the Arena, leaving Rias and her peerage behind.


    "Your Holiness?" Akeno, who is the closest to me, voices.


    "There was something that needed to be done," I respond before walking over to Rias, who is looking at me with curiosity all over her face.


    "Rias Gremory," I proim once I''m close enough, "I hereby dere you as a gatekeeper of this world. You shall be granted the ability to leave and enter at will, as well as the ability to bring others inside."


    "AI, grant the authority," I mutter under my breath.


    {Affirmative.}


    "I trust that you wouldn''t misuse this ability."


    Realizing something, Rias gets down on one knee and says, "Your Holiness''s kindliness is boundless."


    Nodding my head once, I state, "Rise. To make use of your ability, all you have to do is invoke ''Arena''. I will leave the specifics to you."


    Having said what needed to be said, I immediately exit the Arena and walk over to the sofa that Koneko is lying on.


    She seems to have already sensed my arrival, as her tail sways sideways in a manner that I can only think of as ''anticipatory''.


    I issue a light chuckle before cing my palm over her back and gently rub her back.


    Koneko''s tail curls up a little as an aura of happiness exudes from her.


    After a few seconds, I stop and say, "We should get going now. The rest are waiting for us."


    For a moment, Koneko''s ears droop before they jerk up once more as she swiftly gets off the sofa and stands in front of me while looking into my eyes with expectation apparent on her face.


    Aware of what she desires, I lean forth and kiss her small lips once again, this time much more passionately.


    The next thing I know, Koneko''s petite body is pressed against mine with my arms wrapped around her back as we continue to kiss.


    Realization suddenly hits me, causing me to cast an Illusion to render us imperceptible, before the next moment, true to my concern, Rias and the rest appear in the club-room.


    Their arrival startled Koneko just enough for her to open her mouth in shock. As such, I ignore their presence and directly insert my tongue inside Koneko''s mouth.


    As a response to this, Koneko''s body weakens as shepletely loses herself in the affectionate kiss.


    Naturally, the one having the most fun is none other than me. Holding her soft and warm body, I continue to y around with her small tongue while patting her back.


    "His Holiness is unimaginably powerful," Rias'' voice suddenly reaches my ears piquing my curiosity.


    As they are unaware of our presence, I stop kissing Koneko before guiding her to the sofa she was lying on and taking a seat while pulling her onto myp.


    In this position, I hold her Koneko''s hands while setting my chin on her soft hair in between her ears.


    "I believe that even Lord Sirzechs would be unable to harm him," Akeno adds while taking a seat on the sofa opposite ours.


    Kiba doesn''t sit anywhere but listens to the conversation with curiosity apparent in his eyes.


    "Even though I don''t exactly know the extent of my brother''s powers, I''m sure that he wouldn''t be able to pull off what His Holiness did today."


    "Are you talking about how that city in His Holiness''s world was mostly destroyed?"


    "Yes," Rias responds solemnly while deliberating on something.


    "I can only imagine what ability or item His Holiness must''ve used to cause so much destruction in a few seconds."


    "That''s the problem," Rias interjects with a serene look in her eyes, "What we witnessed was nothing other than a part of His Holiness''s raw power."


    "What?!" Kiba, who has been silent, exims with widened eyes, while Akeno has an expression of disbelief on her face.


    "Are you sure about that?" Akeno asks after a dozen or so seconds.


    "Yes," Rias immediately replies, "I saw it with my own eyes. His Holiness simply punched the ground and nothing else."


    "That''s absurd. Has God always been so powerful?"


    "I wouldn''t know," Rias responds while closing her eyes and shaking her head, "But, I do know that what His Holiness did wasn''t even remotely close to what he is like when he gets serious."


    "No way. This..." Akeno says as a look of absolute shock appears on her face.


    Well, Rias is right. If I made use of Ittou Shura, the amount of damage I could dispense would simply be insane.


    "Now, the real issue is that some devil ns are preparing to face His Holiness in war. What do you think will be the oue?"


    "Total annihtion of the devils," Akeno immediately responds.


    "Exactly. The Four Satans, including my brother, know about this, yet they''re not making any real effort in stopping this."


    "President," Kiba interjects, "Do you think that they have found a method to fight against God?"


    As a response to this, Rias shakes her head and says, "I can''t make any assumptions yet. My father has asked for my presence during tonight''s dinner. Perhaps, he will tell me about what''s going on."


    "And?" Akeno says while squinting her eyes, "What will you do with the information?"


    "Ry them to His Holiness," Rias replies without any hesitation, pleasantly surprising me.


    I''m not the only that''s startled by her words, as both Akeno and Kiba are both looking at Rias with an intrigued expression.


    "If Lord Zeoticus and Lord Sirzechs are a part of whatever is going on, you will be directly antagonizing them with that. Would you still be willing to do it?"


    "Yes," Rias responds, "This matter is a sensitive one. One wrong step and the devil race could be brought to the brink of extinction."


    Silence ensues in the room as the atmosphere tenses up.


    Well, Rias'' thoughts are both correct and wrong at the same time. Simply put, the only reason she thinks this would happen is because of the act I put on when they faced my angels in the arena for the first time.


    My act of arrogance and pridefulness seemed to have seeped into her mind and left quite an impression on her.


    Even if she knows that what happened back then was abnormal, she will be unable to shake off the feeling of dread that I gave them at the time.


    Naturally, she will realize the truth of the matter in due time, so there isn''t a need to rush anything. After all, her ''image'' of me at the moment will bring me more benefits than anything else.


    Anyway, I believe it''s about time that I headed to where Sora and the rest usually wait for me. I''ve already been dyed by a few minutes, so I better hurry up.


    As such, I slowly get up from the sofa to prevent those present from noticing me before activating Time-Stop and swiftly making my way over to the Kendo club-room.


    -----


    Important: Read the Author''s Thoughts.

 Chapter 221: Discussion ; Tutoring

    Chapter 221: Discussion ; Tutoring


    A/N:- rification something minor. (Mr = -san / Lord = -dono)


    ---3rd POV---


    "Lord Michael," one of the six individuals seated at arge table says in a respectful tone, "I was genuinely surprised that you could call for a meeting at such a time."


    As a response to that, Michael Victorianul nodded his head once before calmly stating, "You should know better than me how necessary this meeting is, Lord Ajuka."


    "Indeed," a red-haired man sitting to Ajuka''s right says in a supportive tone, "Things might get out of hand very soon."


    "As Lord Sirzechs said, there are a lot of problems that are about to arise. To deal with that, I''ve arranged this meeting for the purpose of discussing a few topics pertaining to the subject."


    "Even so," Azazel who is sitting to Michael''s left says in an exhausted tone, "does this require the presence of three of the Four Great Satans?"


    Serafall, who is sitting to Ajuka''s left and had been quietly ying with her fingers, raises her head and says, "That''s right. Is it really that necessary? I''m sure you know that whatever we do will be pointless, anyway."


    At this moment, the sound ofughter fills the medium-sized room, as a man with dark silver hair sitting to Sirzech''s right is unable to hold it in any longer.


    After a solid ten seconds, the man finally stopsughing and looks over at everyone seated at the table only to be met with scowls from everyone apart from Michael.


    "Excuse me," the man says in a kidding tone, "but what Lady Leviathan stated is too ridiculous to notugh at."


    Annoyed, Serafall raises her brows and says in a voice that is bereft of her usual coyness, "And what made youe to that conclusion, Mr. Rizevim?"


    "Why is he here anyway," Serafall adds under her breath.


    "Nothing much," the man responds, "I was just thinking of the past when the devils all followed the Four Great Satans'' orders without question."


    Hearing that, Azazel''s brows furrow as he says in a firm tone, "There was never such a time."


    "Indeed, you may think that way," Rizevim says without losingposure, "but you should know what I am referring to."


    "Enough," Michael interjects in a cold tone, "This isn''t why we''ve gathered here today."


    "Yeah, yeah," Rizevim says dismissively, "We''re here to prevent the uing war, right?"


    "The purpose of this meeting is to prevent the annihtion of the devils, that''s all."


    "With all due respect, Lord Michael, but what makes you so certain that the devils are going to be the ones losing if a war broke out? Not only do our numbers amount to much morepared to angels, but we have quite a few powerful individuals," Ajuka says in a calm tone.


    "That''s still not enough," Michael simply states.


    "Not enough for what?" Sirzechs interjects, "We are aware that God has returned, but ording to several sources including Himself that He has be a Phantom and is currently in a weakened state."


    "That''s where you''re mistaken," Azazel says, "I don''t about Him having be a Phantom, but His current strength is by no means low."


    "On what basis are you making such a im, and how strong are we speaking?" Ajuka asks with squinted eyes.


    "ording to Vali, He poses immense prowess and equipment, each of which can easily change the tide of war."


    Hearing this, Rizevim bursts into a fit ofughter once again, causing the expression on everyone''s face to dour.


    This time, he stopped after a few seconds before he looked at Azazel in the eye and said in a mocking tone, "Vali? Are you truly using him as a source to measure someone''s power? I''m sure that he is as much of a fool as his father."


    "Mr. Rizevim, please cut it out with the unsavory behavior," Ajuka says in a cold tone while ring at the man to his far right.


    Silence ensues for a few moments before Michael lets out a small sigh and proims, "The main problem lies elsewhere. As Lord Sirzechs stated, there are sayings on Him having be a Phantom.


    "However, the truth is quite different. He is not God, but the one that never appeared but stood above. Everyone present should be aware of who He is and what His appearance signifies."


    The atmosphere immediately tenses as a look of gloom appears on the three Satans'' faces. Azazel straightens his posture, while Rizevim''s expression finally turns serious.


    "That troublesome bunch will appear, huh?" Ajuka says in a joyless tone.


    "But that''s not guaranteed," Sirzechs adds, "They should be outside Asia right now. Not only is there the Unmatched Barrier to prevent them from reaching crossing over, but they might not even know about His appearance."


    "Do you truly think that might be the case?" Ajuka immediately says as a response to Sirzechs'' words, "Those guys have most certainly noticed Him. They''re mad beyond reason and follow His belief. Their madness is beyond redemption to the point that devils fear them.


    "Do you think that they wouldn''t notice that the one they so devotedly worship has descended?"


    Silence ensues as Sirzechs is unable to muster a response against Ajuka''s statement.


    "Hey, hey," Rizevim says in a displeased tone, "You aren''t going to just give in like that right? I''ve only ever heard of them, but have yet to meet one of their members. Still, they surely aren''t as powerful as the rumors about them make them out to be."


    A look of pity forms on Michael''s face as he gazes at Rizevim while muttering, "How foolhardy."


    "So," Serafall finally speaks again, "Are you going to side with Him if a war breaks out?"


    "Naturally," Michael responds solemnly, while Azazel nods his head as confirmation.


    "Even if that bunch appears?" Serafall adds.


    "That''s right," Michael states without hesitation as Azazel adds, "That doesn''t matter."


    "Don''t you think that it''s ridiculous to obey the orders of a Phantom?" Sirzechs says in a loud and hurried tone.


    "It makes no difference," Michael states, "To me, He is my father and creator. Even if his objectives for appearing are unknown, I''m willing to follow his orders."


    "Can you stop this already?" Rizevim suddenly says in an irritated tone, "Please get to the heart of the matter already."


    Hearing this, Michael takes a deep breath before stating, "Prevent this war at all costs. Even if sacrifices are required, you must stop the war. Lest you would like to witness the extinction the devil race."


    "Is that a threat?" Ajuka says with squinted eyes while Serafall and Sirzechs frown at his words.


    "You may call it as such. I will be defending Father at all costs. Everything else is secondary."


    Once again, silence ensues, but it''s broken shortly after Ajuka states, "I will try my best to prevent it from happening. After all, I''m sure that Lord Loki wouldn''t die so easily."


    Hearing Ajuka mention the deceased Loki, realization seems to dawn upon Sirzechs and Serafall as their expressions stiffen.


    "Hmph, cowards," Rizevim scoffs under his breath before getting up from his seat, intending to leave the room.


    ---1st POV---


    "This stuff is quite easy," I say after having skimmed through Misa''s math textbook.


    "Stop bragging and begin teaching already," Misa says in an annoyed tone.


    "Alright, alright," I say with a wry smile on my lips while setting the textbook down on the short round table I created for this asion.


    "Which part do you not understand?"


    "Everything," she immediately responds, stunning me speechless.


    This girl... what the heck has she been up to at school? I mean, she''s in the same ss that I''m in, and from what I have seen, she focuses during lessons. As such, it''s quite strange for her to im that she doesn''t understand anything. Is she bad at mathematics, or...


    "The teacher sucks," Misa says as if she read my thoughts.


    I chuckle a little before reaching my arm out and pull her in for an embrace.


    "Hey, let me go!" she immediately says while continuously punching my stomach.


    Instead of letting her go, I run my right hand through her long hair while patting her back with the other with a smile stered to lips.


    After a short while, Misa stops ''struggling'' as she silently lets me pat her back.


    "Misa," I say after a few seconds, causing her to lift her head and look me in the eyes with a slightly red hue covering her cheeks.


    Seeing this, the smile on my lips grows before I lean my head forward and kiss her forehead.


    "d to know you''re still as annoying as ever," Misa remarks with a slight hint of joy in her voice.


    Hah~ She can just never be honest with herself. Well, it''s cute, so I don''t mind it much.


    "Well then," I state after a few more seconds of hugging her soft body, "Let''s get this tutoring session started."

 Chapter 222: Disturbance ; (Spoiler)

    Chapter 222: Disturbance ; (Spoiler)


    "Are you trying to kill me?" Misa exaggeratedly exims upon skimming through the little test I created for her.


    "Come on, the questions aren''t even that hard," I exasperatedly state.


    "Fine," she scoffs before grabbing her pencil and focusing on the first question.


    Knowing that this will take some time, I take this moment to look around the city using irvoyance.


    The sky is dark, but the street is bustling with activity. Civilians shopping, cabs looking around for fare, and other normal city activities.


    There seems to be nothing out of the norm going on.


    Well, despite there being quite a variety of monsters and beings in the Rift, this city enjoys quite a bit of peace.


    Retrieving my sight, I use my senses to check on the residents of the mansion.


    First, I check my room out, only to find Ayumi, Ophis, and G ying with Koneko, who seems to have been humoring them for a while.


    Sitting atop my bed is a certain fairy who is watching the others y with a look of fascination on her face.


    A smile forms on my lips as I shift my sight over to the kitchen. There, I find Sora working hard to prepare dinner alongside Siesta, Saturnus, and Kristina.


    Sora has a smile on her face as she carefully listens to Saturnus who is from the looks of it describing a type of food to her. I wonder if it''s going to be something from her tform.


    Close to them, Akame is sitting at the dining table with her expression being as serious as ever. She is using her left hand to hold her sword while using her right arm as a pillow for her head.


    Well, I have already noticed that she is quite the glutton. Perhaps, I should take her out sometime in the future?


    Shifting my sight once again, I check out the living room. There, Kuroka, Yuno, and Krul are sitting on the sofas and talking among themselves.


    Now that I think about it, Krul and Yuno have been getting along rather welltely. No, even before, they were rather close. That could because they''re both Codes and Yuno has been helping Krul understand her existence and abilities, but I feel like there is more to it than just that.


    "Hey, I don''t get this part," Misa''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, interrupting me.


    Retrieving my focus and sight back to Misa''s room, I directly read the question she''s stuck at and her attempt in solving it.


    Hah~ It seems like this will take some time.


    ---


    "Great work!" I praise, satisfied with how she did on my test for her.


    "Are we done for today?" Misa immediately asks with a hopeful look on her face.


    "Yes," I simply reply.


    "Alright!" she joyfully exims while extending her right arm upward with clenched her fist clenched.


    All of a sudden, her expression changes to that of confusion before as she hurriedly looks around the room.


    "Misa?" I say in a concerned tone.


    What''s wrong? Using my senses, I scan our surroundings but notice nothing abnormal.


    Misa focuses her sight on me before squinting her eyes and saying, "Don''t you feel how cold the room has gotten?"


    Cold? Focusing on the temperature of the room, I notice that it is indeed a little colder than usual, but nothing worth fretting upon.


    "Man, I''m almost freezing," Misa says while rubbing her palms against each other.


    "Freezing?" I repeat with a frown. Has something happened to her?


    Hold on... Don''t tell me this is rted to Irene''s statement regarding those receiving a body from Mete will earn also get an ability.


    {Father is correct. The entity identified as Misa Kurobane is currently making use of the ability that has developed ever since she arrived in the Rift.}


    Why did this happen so suddenly?


    {ording to the data analyzed, it''s 86% because of her emotional state.}


    Emotions? Because she was joyful about her lesson ending today? Just how much did she hate it?!


    So, what is her ability? Is it rted to ice or fire? She did mention that she is ''freezing'' after all.


    {No indications of such an ability have been detected.}


    Huh? That''s strange.


    "Hey, help me out already!" Misa hurriedly says in an impatient tone.


    Taking in a deep breath, I swiftly move closer to Misa before wrapping my arms around her.


    "Hot!" she directly exims, "What are you, a volcano?!"


    The heck? Now she feels hot? Wasn''t that change a little too quick? Did her senses suddenly get skewed or something?


    All of a sudden, realization dawns upon me as I detach my body from Misa''s before prodding her shoulder with my finger.


    "Ouch! Why did you do that?" she exims while ring at me.


    Hm... Interesting. She seems to have gotten over feeling cold and hot but is now focusing on the ''pain'' in her shoulder despite me having just tapped it lightly.


    If I''m not mistaken, her senses have both been enhanced and be easy to manipte.


    Well, time to put my theory to the test.


    Before Misa can react, I directly press my lips against hers and push her down against the ground.


    I straightaway sense an intense struggle from Misa as she does her best to push me off herself.


    A few secondster, her body turnspletely limp as she stops struggling altogether.


    Knowing that this is abnormal I stop kissing her and raise my head to check her face out, only to burst into a fit ofughter upon seeing how she looks like she just experienced the most pleasurable sensation in the world.


    Myughter seems to bring her back to reality as a flush of red covers her cheeks and ears before she punches my face with as much force as she can muster.


    "You''re dead!" she exims while continuing to punch my face.


    "Calm down, Misa," I say, unaffected by her punches, "You were just so cute right now."


    Hearing this, her face which was already red flushes even further as she looks away from me.


    At this moment, there is a knock on the door, startling me and Misa. Before I can check it out, Misa says, "It''s Ayumi."


    Getting off Misa, I pull her up before saying in a calm tone, "Come in."


    The door opens a little before Ayumi''s head pops up from behind the door as she asks, "Brother Yu, are you done teaching Big Sister Misa?"


    "Yes," I respond while beaming a smile.


    "Alright!" she says in a cheerful tone, "Dinner is ready."


    Before I can say anything as a response, Ayumi''s expression bes a little sad as she says, "Ayu didn''t help cook this time too."


    "You wanted to cook?" I ask.


    A red hue forms on Ayumi''s cheeks as she says, "Ayu wanted to make Big Brother''s favorite dish..."


    Hearing her words, the image of a certain sauce appears in my mind before I shake it away and say, "It''s fine! You can cook some other time. Perhaps, I will cook with you as well."


    "Really?!" Ayumi immediately exims with widened eyes.


    "Of course," I say, "Is that fine?"


    "Yes!" she cheerfully exims before running off to the kitchen.


    Silence ensues in the room for a few seconds before I turn my head to face Misa and say, "Let''s get going then, shall we?"


    "I will kill you if you tell anyone about what happened today," Misa says, trying to sound as threatening as possible.


    "Alright, alright," I say with a wry smile on my face. Perhaps, my wish of her bing more honest has been answered? However, not in a way that I was expecting...


    -----


    Full title:- Disturbance ; Misa''s Awakening

 Chapter 223: Dinner ; Fiery Girl (*NSFW*)

    Chapter 223: Dinner ; Fiery Girl (*NSFW*)


    A/N:- Hello~ The usual routine of me ''warning'' you about NSFW content despite you not caring. This warning is only present when there is pration. Anything else is slightly NSFW.


    -----


    Sitting at the dining table, I look over at everyone present as afortable sensation emerges within me.


    Currently, the only ones that aren''t present are Ddraig, Saturnus, Ravel, and Gaia.


    Even Eri is present, who is adorably sitting on the table near Ayumi and enjoying a small pot of honey I created for her.


    As for those who aren''t present, Ravel should be busy with matters rted to the underworld, as she wouldn''t miss dinner with us for any other reason.


    Leaving her aside, I am curious about Ddraig is up to. Using irvoyance, I run a quick scan of the mansion.


    Unexpectedly, before I find Ddraig, I locate Saturnus in the living room. Currently, she is holding a Nintendo Switch while curiously gazing at it. I''m sure that it is something akin to ancient technology for her.


    A small smile forms on my lips before I shift my sight away from her and get back to looking for Ddraig. However, even after having searched most of the mansion, including her room, I don''t find her


    Could she be in someone''s bedroom?


    With that thought settled in my head, I telekically pull a ss of water to myself before continuing the search.


    Finally, my sight arrives in my room, which I reckoned would be least likely for her to be in.


    All of a sudden, I choke on the water I''m drinking as a response to the startling sight.


    "Brother Yu?" a concerned voice reaches my ears, causing me to draw my sight back to my body.


    "It''s nothing," I calmly say while looking into her worried eyes and sensing several other pairs of eyes on me.


    Nevertheless, the sight I just witnessed was quite something. I never would''ve thought that Ddraig, the prideful dragon that introduced herself as an Emperor and whatnot, would be dancing around while in a little girl''s school uniform.


    That''s not even the end of it. Obviously, the school uniform belongs to Ayumi, as, out of all the girls that go to school, her figure is the closest to Ddraig''s.


    Nevertheless, I wonder if something has awakened inside Ddraig. Looks like my decision to grant her a body was the right one. Now, instead of being isted inside a piece of equipment, Ddraig will be able to live as she pleases.


    "Everyone is awfully quiet today," a voice interrupts my thoughts, causing me to shift my attention back to the dining table.


    The one that just spoke is Krul.


    She has a point, though. Usually, there would be a multitude of conversations at the dining table. And the one who would warrant these conversations would be...


    "What?" Misa says in an irritated tone as a response to everyone''s gaze, including mine.


    "As I thought, something is wrong," Krul remarks.


    "Did something happen?" Nao questions while shooting me a nce.


    "Hey, don''t look at me like that," I say, "She just awakened her power a short while ago."


    "Power?" Krul curiously asks.


    "Yes," I say before giving a brief exnation regarding what I was told by Irene before.


    --


    "So, I won''t be getting one?" Tiffania says in a downhearted tone.


    "Unfortunately, no," I say.


    She won''t, right?


    {Affirmative. Her body is one that belongs to the tform she is from.}


    How annoying. If it''s like this, when I transport anyone ''ordinary'' over to the Rift while intending they gain some power, I am to terminate their body and transport their soul directly.


    "Hey, you said that this girl is your cousin, right?" Nao suddenly asks.


    "Well, yes. Over at that side, she is."


    "Don''t misunderstand me, but why did you bring her over?"


    "Well, she is the reason I was able to aplish what I set out to do, so I couldn''t leave her there once I was ''done'' with her, right?"


    "Of course, not," Nao says, "But, she doesn''t seem to like staying here."


    Hearing this, a slightly confused look appears on my face, meanwhile, Tiffania begins fidgeting as she nervously says, "That''s not correct!"


    "Oh? But you were just sitting at a corner and not speaking to anyone," Misa, who seems to be in a better condition, remarks.


    "I-I just didn''t know what to say..." Tiffania responds.


    Was she like that? I suppose if she was, then Tiffa must have felt lonely over here.


    Should I bring Matilda over? I trust her enough now. Although her job in Sorcerers'' Lair is questionable, she is a woman that cares for Tiffa like a sister.


    Besides, she won''t be able to aplish much in the Rift. After all, it''s not possible to use magic from Sorcerers'' Lair here.


    "Tiffania," I call out in a firm tone after having settled my mind, "I will bring Matilda over."


    As a response to this, a delighted expression forms on her face, while Sora, Misa, and Nao squint their eyes.


    I cough once before saying, "Matilda is akin to a sister for Tiffa. I thought that it would be better for Tiffa to have someone she''s familiar with close by."


    After a few more seconds of intent staring, the three of them get back to eating.


    Just as I''m about to do the same, I notice that Yuno has an odd look on her face.


    "There are more..." I hear her mutter to herself.


    Right. I need to pamper herter.


    Sensing my gaze, Yuno looks back at me and beams a smile as the strange look on her vanishes.


    ---


    "Why?!" Misa exims.


    "What do you mean, ''why''? I will be here to make sure that your newly awakened power doesn''t get out of hand."


    Hearing this, Misa''s expression turns into that of disbelief as she says, "It won''t get out of hand as long as you''re a good distance away from me!"


    "Now, now," I say with my hands raised in front of me to calm her down, "It''s gettingte. Let''s not disturb the others'' sleep, alright?


    "Look, Misa. I''ve already managed to convince my sisters and Koneko that I won''t be sleeping by their side tonight."


    "Hey, don''t you think that it''s weird you''re sleeping with your sisters in the first ce?"


    "No?" I dubiously respond. What''s wrong about a brother spending time with his sisters?


    "Ugh," Misa scoffs before lying down on her bed.


    "Are you not going to change into your nightwear?" I say while inspecting her attire.


    "Not with you here," she immediately responds.


    "Is that so?" I say as a grin forms on my lips.


    Before Misa can react, I swiftly ce my palm against her back before using Termination to obliterate her clothes while leaving behind her underwear.


    "You!" she exims before suddenly hugging her body andining, "It''s cold!"


    Looks like her ability is acting up again. Perhaps, she is right. It seems to only act up when I''m involved.


    Am I going to stop? No way.


    I take this moment to ess the database before creating see-through purple nightwear and cing it beside Misa.


    "Put it on," I state.


    Misa seems like she wants to refuse to do so, but changes her mind after a few seconds as she reluctantly gets up and puts on the nightwear without taking off her underwear.


    Once she''s done, Misa directly lies back down on the bed and questions, "Are you satisfied now, pervert?"


    The grin on my lips grows as I get on the bed and press my palm against her back and butt before using Termination once again.


    Misa lets out a short yelp as she turns over on her back and res at me.


    With her underwear gone, I now have a good view of Misa''s body.


    "Well, isn''t this something," I teasingly say, "You sure are one heck of a beauty."


    "Shut up," she says while cing her hands atop her modest breasts to hide them from my sight.


    Not minding her actions, I crawl on top of her until my face is aligned with hers. Then, I peer into her ruby-red eyes for a few seconds before lowering my head and kissing her lips.


    Misa seems to have expected this as she doesn''t ''struggle'' or try to make any snarky remarks. Instead, she surprisingly reciprocates the kiss.


    After a few minutes of kissing, I detach my lips from hers and observe her face.


    "It seems like your ability has somewhat settled down," I say upon seeing her slightly dazed expression.


    Breaking out of her stupor, Misa looks into my eyes for a few seconds before asking, "Hey, are you really into me?"


    My mind nks out at the sudden and unexpected question before I beam a smile and say, "Of course."


    "What the heck even made that possible? I know myself better than anyone, and I sure as hell am not a good candidate for romance."


    "Huh? But I think otherwise," I immediately respond, "You''re adorable and strong-willed. There is nothing about you that isn''t worth loving."


    An odd expression on Misa''s face for a few seconds before she lets out an exasperated sigh and says, "As expected of you. Common sense is non-existent."


    How rude. Well, she might be right. Probably.


    "Am I to take this as you are willing to be my woman?" I say with an expectant look on my face.


    "Whatever," she says while turning her head away.


    Perhaps...


    I take a few seconds to resolve my mind before using my right hand to move Misa''s hands away from her breasts. Then, I pull the nightwear down, revealing her two supple mounds.


    Misa doesn''t do anything as a response to my actions apart using her right arm to block her eyes.


    The smile on my lips grows as I move back a little before kissing her right nipple, causing Misa''s body to flinch as she ces her palm against my nape.


    Knowing that her ability might act up at any moment, I take this moment to form a sound-proof barrier around us.


    Then, I begin to y around with Misa''s right nipple using my tongue while caressing her left breast with my hand.


    After a few moments, I sense a hot sensation within me that''s way more intense than usual.


    No way... Misa''s ability isn''t just limited to herself?


    Shaking the thought from my head, I proceed to move the lower part of Misa''s nightwear, revealing her slit which is already drenching with her love juices.


    "How pretty," I remark before using Destruction to get rid of my clothes.


    "Hurry up," Misa suddenly says, "I''m freezing."


    Seeing that she is already wet and is demanding it, I directly align my shaft with her lower mouth while gently spreading it with my fingers.


    Then, I slowly insert the tip inside her, causing Misa to let out a rather loud yelp.


    Not minding it much, I continue to insert my rod inside her while trying my best to not let her experience any pain.


    As such, the process takes a little longer than ''usual''.


    Once it''spletely inside her, I move Misa''s arm away from her eyes, revealing a face of pure ecstasy.


    Seeing this, I chuckle a little before saying, "We haven''t even begun yet, you know?"


    "Yes," Misa replies to me while still in a daze.


    As a response to this, I shake my head a little before beginning to gently thrust inside her. With each thrust, Misa lets out a moan that''spletely unlike her usual self.


    "Slow down a little," she says after a short while.


    Doing as she says, I bring a halt to my actions before lifting her off the bed and embracing her.


    Sensing the warmth exuding from her body, I kiss her cheek a few times before moving on to her lips.


    Soon, both of our tongues begin battling each other while Misa starts moving her hips of her own ord.


    As such, I wrap one arm around her back, while my other hand makes its way to her butt and squeeze the soft flesh.


    After a while, our lips separate as I pull my rod out of Misa andy her body down on the bed with her back facing me.


    Then, I spread her legs before directly inserting my shaft inside her once again, earning me a loud and sensual moan from Misa.


    I grip both of her hands before beginning to thrust my hips once again.


    After a short while, I sense the walls around my rod tighten as Misa''s breathing gets more disoriented.


    That''s not the end of it, as I feel all of my senses forcibly get strengthened, including the pleasure.


    Not long after that, I release everything I''ve got in one powerful thrust inside Misa as she lets out a loud moan before yelling, "So hot!"


    Pulling out, I lie down right beside Misa and look at her face.


    What meets my eyes is a simply indescribable expression. If there is one thing that I can be sure of, it would be that she enjoyed this.


    However, I''m not done just yet. I move my head closer to her and give her a light peck on the cheek.


    "Misa," I whisper, "Are you ready for the second round?"


    "Huh?" Is the only response I got from the dazed girl.

 Chapter 224: Morning ; Strange Group ; Friendly Grand Battle

    Chapter 224: Morning ; Strange Group ; Friendly Grand Battle


    Early morning, I''m awakened by the sound of a ring rm.


    I raise my body, causing the nket covering me to slide off. In this position, I look around the room for the rm, only to find Misa''s phone a short distance away from the bed, ringing vehemently.


    Using telekinesis, I hurl the phone toward myself before I slide my finger across the screen.


    With the rm disabled, I telekically move the phone away before looking over at Misa who''s lying on the bed beside me, deep asleep.


    Her long golden hair is sprawled out on the pillow and sheets, causing me to lightly chuckle before running my hand through it.


    A few minutester, Misa groans a little as she turns over and gradually opens her eyes.


    "Good morning," I say before moving my hand to her cheek and stroke it.


    "Jerk," she mutters before turning backing around, seemingly not intending to get out of bed.


    Already used to her antics, and aware of why she would need more sleep, the smile on my lips grows as I begin rubbing my palm against her soft butt. As a response to this, Misa lifts her leg a little, giving me the opportunity to ce my hand between her soft thighs.


    "Misa," I call out, "Let''s take a bath together."


    ---


    Upon exiting the Arena with Misa after, I proceed to leave the room and make my way to the kitchen as she follows close behind.


    "Good morning," I say in a merry tone as soon as I step into the kitchen.


    Everyone present in the room greets me back in their own way, with Saturnus'' being the most vibrant one.


    Misa and I both take a seat at the dining table before I look over at the bunch in charge of preparing breakfast. Once again, Sora, Siesta, and Saturnus are the ones up for the job.


    I suppose this will be the norm now.


    "So," Nao says after a few seconds, "did her power act up again?"


    Hearing this, I nod my head and state, "Yes. Thanks to my presence, however, it was easily settled."


    Nao squints her eyes a little before shifting focus to her phone, which is right in front of her on the table.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, I patiently wait for breakfast to be served while using irvoyance to check on the city''s state of affairs.


    Finding nothing abnormal, I shift my sight over to the academy, only to be met with a rather intriguing sight.


    Standing outside the academy is a small group that consists of rather peculiar-looking individuals.


    From the looks of it, the group has a designated leader that''s practically brimming with arrogance as he gazes at the academy.


    The ''leader'' is a good-looking man that seems to be in his mid-twenties. His attire consists of what seems to be a school uniform and a rather odd piece of clothing that seems to hail from ancient China.


    He seems to be a cocky individual. As for the others


    Before I can get a good grasp of the group, a blonde-haired girl wearing a long hat waves her arm, causing a bright light to cover the group before they all simply disappear from my sight.


    "How interesting," I subconsciously mutter as I shift my attention back to the dining table.


    A short whileter, breakfast is prepared and is ced on the dining table before Saturnus leaves the kitchen, while Sora and Siesta take a seat at the dining table.


    Soon after, Koneko and Ayumi arrive in the kitchen, and we begin to eat breakfast, during which Nao begins asking Ayumi questions regarding school.


    As such, the breakfast goes on without any trouble. Or, so I hoped...


    "Here, have some more," Misa says as she ces some meat on my te.


    Her action causes Nao to throw a suspicious nce at us, while Ayumi stares at Misa with furrowed brows.


    "What is it this time?" Misa says in an irritated tone.


    "Big Sister Misa is being nice to Brother Yu. Is it because Brother Yu taught Big Sister?"


    Hearing her question, I smile and say, "What are you saying Ayu? We can''t be nice to one another for no reason?"


    The moment my words fade, Nao''s brow furrow as well as she asks, "Since when were you so thoughtful?"


    "Huh? What''s that supposed to mean?" I ask while acting confused.


    "Haru..." Sora''s voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    Looking over at my sister, I find her with her head lowered as she slowly cuts a piece of meat on her te. Siesta, who is sitting right beside her, is trying to put some distance between them with a slightly anxious look on her face.


    Hah~ How troublesome. Well, I was expecting something like this to happen already.


    ---


    "Who?" I dubiously question upon casting a nce at the short male devil that''s dressed in female clothes and is hiding behind a sofa.


    I more or less remember him. Nothing about him stood out much apart from his appearance, so his name didn''t properly settle in my mind.


    Anyway, why is he here? Is Rias nning to have him participate in the battle?


    "Your Holiness, I hope that my servant, Gasper di, can join us as a spectator today."


    Spectator, huh? Well, there shouldn''t be any problems with that.


    "Sure," I dismissively say before invoking, "Arena."


    The next moment, we all appear in the familiar and dested city of Dubai.


    "Father!" I hear Gabriel''s voice from above me as she slowly descends with the rest of the angels.


    None of the other angels greet me. Instead, they''ve all adopted serious expressions, including Asia and Aruru.


    Even Irina and Xenovia who seem to be more than excited about this event are doing their best to maintain a serene expression.


    Good. They''re taking all this battle seriously.


    "Before we begin," I say in a loud and firm voice, "I will have you know the objective of this battle."


    Raising both of my arms, I exim "You''re going to be killing me."


    My words cause a few brows to twitch as Rias'' expression turns dour.


    "You are to not hold back in any way. Am I clear?"


    "Yes, All-Father!" the group of angels all exims at once. I suppose that''s their ''formal'' way of referring to me now.


    "Understood," Rias says a few secondster while her peerage nod their heads. Then, Rias points somewhere and says, "Gasper, go watch from there."


    "Okay!" he responds before doing as he was told.


    Gift:


    -Insight


    -Immortality


    "Then, let''s begin," I say before leaping into the air and utilizing Flight.


    ---3rd POV---


    Seeing Victor fly into the air, Gabriel appears right in front of him as hundreds of light spears form all around the two.


    Unfazed, Victor simply grins as he gazes at Gabriel who hurls the light spears at him with the wave of a hand.


    Every single one of the light spears immediately disappear as soon as they seem to reach Victor, startling Gabriel.


    The next moment, a horrified expression appears on her face as she witnesses light shining all around Victor''s body as all the light spears get reflected with their trajectory changed.


    As a response to his, Gabriel raises her right arm, resulting in a huge shield to form in front of her, blocking all the spearsing her way.


    As for the devils and angels that are on the ground, they hastily spread out to avoid the light spears raining down from above.


    A few momentster, Victor appears right behind Gabriel and says, "Not bad."


    Then, he pulls his arm back, intending to punch her back, but before he can do so, two light spears are thrown at him from the either side, causing him to promptly back away.


    Victor looks over at his assants, only to find Raynare and Kwarner both surrounded by a few dozen light spears as they gaze at him.


    ---1st POV---


    So, they''re trying to overwhelm me by constantly attacking from all sides, huh?


    The only ones that would pose me a threat in that regard would be Aruru and Gabriel. As for the rest, they would most likely act as decoys.


    Well then, time to see how much progress have my angels made.


    I take this chance to ess the database before producing an ordinary sword.


    Wielding the sword, I directly dash toward Raynare as she hurls a multitude of spears at me, which I easily dodge.


    Once in front of her, I raise my sword before swinging it down, resulting in her torso getting sliced.


    No- Something is wrong.


    The moment the thought appears in my head, Raynare''s ''body'' fades away as time seems to slow down.


    I immediately shift my body to the right, just in time to avoid getting pierced by arge sword made of light.


    Using my senses, I notice that Asia and Aruru are nowhere within sight, while the rest of the angels and devils are trying to surround me.


    Kiba is dual-wielding two swords while looking for an opportunity to strike me.


    That''s going to be troublesome if I''m caught off-guard.


    As such, I utilize Godspeed and Blink to appear right beside Kiba and use Holy sh to split his body apart horizontally.


    A pained groan escapes from his mouth as he falls down, meanwhile, a barrier of light forms all around me.


    Gripping my sword, I sh at the air with as much force as I can muster, resulting in the barrier to shatter.


    Upon exiting the barrier, I notice that everyone has moved closer while Akeno has arm raised.


    The next moment, my surrounding seems to as blue sparks form on Akeno''s palm.


    Before she can release her attack, I utilize Holy sh to send a wave of light in her direction, causing her to cancel her attack and dodge.


    At this moment, a strange sense of exhaustion overwhelms me. Using my senses, I find Xenovia who is floating close to me as a variety of runes on her upper right arm glow brightly.


    Suddenly, I feel a stinging pain in my legs, causing me to look down, only to be startled by the sight of many light spears protruding from them.


    "Mittelt," I subconsciously mutter upon sensing the assant that''s right below me.


    The next moment, a shiver runs down my spine as I swiftly move away from my location, as a gigantic spear of light passes by.


    Deciding that I need to get serious, I take this chance to ess the database and create dozens of holy swords and aim them at Rias and Akeno.


    All of a sudden, I feel a gentle hand on my back as AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Immortality is disabled.}


    Shit.


    Looking back, I find Irina with a wide grin on her face as she pulls her arm back, revealing a glowing cross at the center of her palm.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Ready?" Aruru asks while looking down.


    "Yes," Asia responds as she changes the form of the Excalibur given to her by Victor to a bow.


    Then, an arrow of light appears as she pulls the string back. Aruru, who is standing right behind her, ces her hand against Asia''s hand as a surge of energy gets conveyed to the light arrow.


    Currently, the two of them are about three kilometers up in the sky.


    "Will this truly work?" Asia timidly asks as the light arrow continues to receive energy from the two angels.


    "Sister Gabriel said that it will," Aruru responds in a serious tone.


    "Okay," Asia says as a resolute expression appears on her face.


    A few secondster, Victor''s Rework gets undone as Asia''s right eye changes from green to silver as light emanates from its corner.


    Seeing this, Aruru nods her head once before the snake-like symbol on her arm begins to glow in an eerie purple.


    Immediately after that, the light arrow which was yellow changes to violet as Excalibur begins to shake, seemingly unable to handle the arrow''s energy.


    ---1st POV---


    Koneko lets out a cry as she gets plunged into the ground by my punch.


    Due to Xenovia weakening me and Irina disabling my immortality, this fight was a little tougher than I was expecting.


    Nevertheless, all the devils, as well as Irina, are now out of the battle. Mittelt has for some reason decided to move them far away from here.


    Whatever, I''m now left with Kwarner, Raynare, Gabriel, and Xenovia.


    Just as I''m about to utilize Holy sh, realization dawns upon me - Where are Aruru and Asia?


    The next moment, I hear Gabriel''s voice as she exims, "Now!"


    Before I can react properly, a ball of light surrounds me, as another ball of light forms around it.


    The next thing I knew, my senses act up as I notice attacks aimed at me from all directions.


    Assuming that the attacks are light spears and light swords, I use Blink to appear a few meters above where I was, sessfully dodging all the attacks.


    Looking ahead, I see that Gabriel and the others have flown quite a distance away from me.


    Why? Are they preparing a trap?


    At this moment, I sense a slight shift of temperature behind me.


    Confused, I turn around, only to be appalled by the sight of what seems to be a purple meteoring my way at a pace that''s much faster than what I''m capable of.


    -Time-Stop!


    {Unable to employ outside of tforms.}


    Fuck. What do I do? From the size and speed of that thing, escape is impossible in my current state.


    {WARNING: The attack must not reach the ground.}


    Seriously?! Shit. I have to face it after all.


    -Deification


    Upon the activation of the ability, my body swiftly transitions to my ''deified'' form as I prepare to face the meteor-like attack.


    Taking in a deep breath, I activate Ittou Shura before leaping right toward the oing purple meteor and punch at it with everything I''ve got.

 Chapter 225: Preserve ; Summoning ; (Spoiler)

    Chapter 225: Preserve ; Summoning ; (Spoiler)


    Pain. It''s all I feel at the moment. Lying on the ground with my eyes shut, I use irvoyance to observe myself and the state of the city.


    As expected, there is nothing more than utter destruction. The buildings and skyscrapers have all been reduced to a state of nothingness.


    {WARNING: Energy has fallen below 25%}


    {It would be more suitable for Father to retreat from battle.}


    Huh? What do you mean by ''retreat from battle''?


    The next moment, I receive my answer, however, it''s not AI that answers, but a barrage of immense light spears.


    Damn it! I DID ask them to kill me, so it''s only natural they wouldn''t stop. Perhaps, they think that in this ''world'' I am absolutely immortal or something.


    Hah~ I''m done for if I don''t leave the Arena. Even if my regeneration is healing the damage done to my body, it will be long before I can fight properly.


    So, I need to stall as much as I can.


    Using Vector Maniption, I form a reflective barrier to deal with the spears before forming a teleportation fissure under me.


    Finding myself floating in the endless void once again, I picture where Ist saw Gabriel and the rest, but it doesn''t seem to work.


    Is it because the location is now not recognizable anymore?


    Resigning myself to a tough battle, I cancel the teleportation, finding myself back at where I previously was.


    At this moment, I sense some danger from the sky before I spot another meteor-like attack. Fortunately, this time, its color is golden and is much smaller and slower than the one that obliterated most of the city.


    Is it fine if that one reaches the ground?


    {Affirmative. However, it''s rmended that Father lessen the energy umted.}


    Seriously?


    Alright, I need to get the attack weakened by something, huh?


    Judging from the previous attack, only something with immense power and durability will be able to achieve that.


    Suddenly, realization dawns upon me - I have yet to make use of the Norse Magic''s summoning.


    Hopefully, I will be able to draw a gigantic monster from Norse mythology or something simr.


    Taking in a deep breath, I raise my arm and begin to make use of Norse Magic''s summoning, while picturing a creature of immense durability and loyalty.


    The next moment, a bright light shes above me, blinding me more than any other light up until now.


    After a solid five seconds, my vision gradually clears up.


    I focus my eyes on what I summoned, only to be baffled by the sight of a beautiful armored youngdy firmly standing in front of me.


    In her hands, she has a white banner adorned with a golden-colored flower-like symbol.


    The youngdy looks up at the attack that has gotten dangerously close as a solemn expression appears on her face.


    Should I get out of here? Will she be able to aplish anything against this attack?


    At this moment, a strange sensation appears within my chest as the youngdy closes her eyes and plunges the banner into the ground.


    [God is here with me!]


    "God is here with me!"


    Her voice oveps with one inside my head as a golden light shines all around us. A surge of energy escapes from the banner and covers us.


    Stunned, I throw the notion of moving away to the side as the next moment, the meteor-like attack reaches us and straightaway explodes.


    Against the burst of energy, the youngdy tightens her grip on the banner as she begins to convey energy into it while letting out a war cry.


    After what seems like an eternity, the st finally wears off.


    Observing us and our surroundings, I notice that some damage was done to the ground, while the two of us arepletely unharmed.


    If anything, I feel like I''ve healed more than what my regeneration should''ve healed during this short period.


    Upon taking a closer look at the youngdy that''s standing and gazing at the sky, I notice that she has a reverent expression on her face as she pulls the now-slightly-ripped banner out of the ground.


    Turning around to face me, a look of stupefaction appears on her face as she utters, "God?"


    Despite having no idea who she is, I feel ufortable imagining her being disappointed by me.


    As such, I swiftly float off the ground and say in a solemn tone, "You''ve served your purpose well. Wait here, for now."


    "Understood," the youngdy responds upon recollecting her thoughts.


    Alright, now that the attack has been dealt with, I know what I should do now.


    Letting out a sigh, Ind on the ground before crouching. Then, I utilize Godspeed as I practically st off the ground and soar into the sky.


    Not satisfied with my speed, I perform an air-jump that further boosts my speed as, the next moment, I find myself a few meters above Aruru and Asia.


    Asia seems to have noticed me as she is about to turn around, however, is unable to do so as I promptly create two swords and pierce the two angels'' backs.


    Seeing the two of them fall to their ''death'', I nod my head once before using irvoyance to locate Gabriel and the rest.


    After a few seconds, I finally catch sight of them while they''re on their way to where the armored youngdy is.


    "I will make this quick," I subconsciously mutter uponmenting about how this could''ve ended much earlier if I had resolved my mind earlier.


    Pulling Excalibur out of my ring, I let my body fall toward the ground while speeding the process up by Vector Maniption.


    A few secondster, I pass by Aruru and Asia as I continue to elerate toward the ground at an extreme pace.


    Soon enough, I set my sight upon Gabriel who seems to have targeted the armoreddy and is about to assail her.


    A grin forms on my lips as I change Excalibur''s form to that of a spear before guiding my body toward Gabriel.


    The next moment, I find myself right on top of her as I pierce her back with the spear and bring her down to the ground along with me.


    Due to the force of the impact, the already damaged street gets utterly destroyed as Gabriel grunts in pain.


    At this moment, I sense a few dozen light swords cast at me from behind.


    Before I can respond to the attack, the armored youngdy dashes over at an extreme speed before she firmly stands between me and the iing light swords.


    Astonishingly, she obviates every single light sword without taking any damage.


    Before the assants - Raynare and Kwarner - canunch another attack, I use my senses to locate everyone nearby before utilizing Holy sh to release a few dozen light shes all around us, with none of them aimed at the angels.


    "Don''t get near the light!" Raynare exims while backing away.


    A smile forms on my lips as I utilize Light Maniption to stop the lines of light mid-air and create some distance between them.


    Seeing this, Raynare, Kwarner, and Mittelt, who are all surrounded by the lines of light get confused as they are unable to figure out my purpose for doing this.


    Unexpectedly, after a few seconds of deliberation, Raynare''s eyes widen as she exims, "Retreat!"


    "Toote," I bellow before snapping my fingers.


    The next moment, the light that was stopped mid-air begins to shine brighter before each one of them draw to one another, cutting everything in their path, including the trio.


    Raynare loses her right wings, while Mittelt loses her legs. As for Kwarner, well, she directly gets horizontally split in half.


    At this moment, a figure dashes toward me, sword in hand, seemingly resolved to fight to the death.


    Using telekinesis, I pull Excalibur toward myself before changing its form to that of a short sword.


    Then, I straightaway dash toward the figure, which is none other than Xenovia.


    The next thing I know, we''re both shing swords with one another as several destructive waves get released every time the des of our swords contact one another.


    Just as I''m about to increase the power and speed of my swings, something crashes beside us, causing us to step away from each other.


    Looking over at the interruption, I find Irina with an agonized look on her face as one of her wings is pierced by the sharp tip of the armored youngdy''s banner.


    Soon after, the youngdy herself arrives as she pulls the banner out and raises it before plunging it into the center of Irina''s chest, causing her to cough out a mouthful of blood.


    What the heck have I summoned?


    Setting that thought aside for the moment, I dash toward Xenovia before throwing my Excalibur at her, which she deflects by her sword.


    However, that''s exactly what I wanted her to do, as I arrive right in front of her and ''lightly'' press my palm against her abdomen.


    The next moment, the sound of a st resounds as Xenovia''s body lifts off the ground and gets thrown back a few meters.


    Seeing all of my ''opponents'' are down, I release a sigh of relief as all energy seems to escape within my body.


    Before my body can limply fall to the ground, my vision gets blocked as I sense something soft press against my head.


    Using my senses, I realize that the armored youngdy hase over and caught my body.


    I feel my cheeks get heated up a little as I quickly move back from the youngdy and adopt a serious expression as I look around at my exhausted underlings and the demolished city.


    As less than twenty minutes has passed, everyone is alive and is doing just fine.


    Gabriel has already gotten back on her feet and is making her way to arge crater in which Aruru and Asia are sitting.


    An odd expression forms on the armored youngdy''s face as she gets into a battle stance and nces over at her banner.


    "Rx," I say, "They''re no longer going to fight me."


    Fortunately, my words cause her to immediately let go of all hostility as she watches Xenovia with intrigue who is trotting over to Irina and pulls the banner out of her.


    Xenovia then looks over at the armored youngdy before inspecting the banner as realization seems to dawn upon her.


    Why does it seem like Xenovia recognizes this youngdy?


    Deciding that the best way to find out is to question her in person, I shift my focus to the youngdy and ask, "Introduce yourself."


    Hearing this, a look of contemtion appears on her face for two seconds before she kneels, sps her hands, and says, "O Lord, Istly meet your grace."


    Then, she closes her eye for a moment before opening them and stating in a firm tone, "I, Jeanne d''Arc, offer my body to you."


    -----


    Complete Title: Preserve ; Summoning ; Jeanne

 Chapter 226: Tragic Flames ; Ring

    Chapter 226: Tragic mes ; Ring


    Seriously? Just like that? Isn''t Norse Magic''s summoning a little absurd?


    Examining the beautiful youngdy, whom she ims to be Jeanne d''Arc, I begin to deliberate on my battle with Loki.


    During the rather anti-climactic battle, Loki had only summoned a few mythical begins and nothing remotely close to a globally recognized historical figure. In a sense, the mythical creatures that he summoned are rted to him, while Jeanne is rted to ''me''.


    In my previous life, I had read a little about the woman and her achievements. Not only that, but I read about her end...


    "Jeanne," I say, "What is thest thing you remember prior to arriving here?"


    "I was being burned at a stake," she responds without any hesitation.


    Yeah. She''s Jeanne, alright.


    Nevertheless, what was that ability or power she used a while ago? I don''t recall Jeanne being a legendary figure with absurd inhuman prowess.


    "Father," Gabriel''s voice reaches my ears, startling Jeanne a little as she turns her head to examine Gabriel with curiosity apparent in her eyes.


    "Have you all recovered?"


    "Yes."


    "Where are Rias and her peerage?" I question while briefly looking around.


    "They''re on their way here," she responds, "Due to the intensity of the battle, they had to retreat to the far end of the city."


    "Alright," I say before shifting my attention back to Jeanne who now has an odd look on her face.


    "What''s wrong?" I question.


    Hearing my query, Jeanne takes a few seconds to think about something before asking me, "My Lord, where are we?"


    "In an artificial world that I refer to as the Arena. The purpose of which is to strengthen my children and provide them guidance."


    Jeanne nods her head once before looking around at the devastated city without uttering a word.


    Knowing what she''s thinking, a smile forms on my lips as I state, "In a matter of minutes, this city will return to prime condition, with all the damage done to it getting reversed."


    The youngdy''s eyes widen slightly before she seems to realize something and nods her head.


    Hah~ She''s such an interestingss. To the point that I had been unaware of the stinging pain all over my body due to my extreme loss of energy.


    Well then, I reckon that having a short private conversation with Jeanne would be interesting. It would also grant me a general idea of her thoughts and beliefs, which is rather important if I''m going to be counting on her abilities.


    "Jeanne," I sayposedly, "Let''s have a little chat, shall we?"


    "Your wish is mymand," she immediately responds while leaning forward a little.


    Nodding my head once, I turn to face Gabriel and say, "Round everyone here. I will be back in a few minutes."


    "Yes, Father," she responds.


    Having said my piece, I reach my arm out to Jeanne who is still on her knees, beckoning her to take it.


    She takes my hand and gets up from the ground before I pull her close to myself.


    Seemingly not thinking of my actions as anything out of the norm, Jeanne has a serene expression on her face as she waits for me to proceed with what I have in mind.


    Letting out a small sigh, I wrap my right arm around her slender body before using telekinesis to lift her off the ground a little.


    The next moment, I dash into the sky with Jeanne, only to stop once we''re a few kilometers high up in the sky.


    In this position, I am presented with a better view of the wrecked city and the ''barriers'' around it.


    "Now then," I say, "Where should I begin..."


    Being as smart as she seems to be, Jeanne asks me, "My Lord, why are we here?"


    "As I said earlier, this world is an artificial one that I use to train my children. As for the reason I''m training them, it''s because the real world is in great danger."


    "Great danger?" Jeanne repeats as her brows quiver.


    "That''s right. You are aware of the existence of devils, right?"


    A slightly perplexed expression appears on Jeanne''s face before she ultimately nods her head.


    "The ones that we fought against earlier were angels. They''re the ones aiding me in my cause in the world."


    Naturally, I won''t be telling her what my real intentions are with the Rift. I will leave that part for her to figure out.


    "Currently, the devils are on the verge of dering against me and my angels once again."


    "This has happened before?"


    "Indeed. My mortal form has already ceased to be once before."


    As if she heard the most shocking revtion in her life, Jeanne''s body shakes as her eyes widen by no small margin.


    "Fret not," I say, "The reason for that was because of the limitations of a mortal body. Due to them, I was unable to make use of my true power."


    Seeming to havee to an understanding, Jeanne lets out a sigh of relief before looking at me with awe.


    "This maye as a surprise to you, but not all devils are evil in nature," I continue, "Most were simply born as one with no power over it."


    At this moment, a solemn look appears on Jeanne''s face as she seems to think of something rather important.


    Taking this chance, I observe her and her attire with intrigue.


    For her torso, Jeanne has a female-specific white chest-te that reaches her thighs. At the top section of the chest-t, a luxurious-looking cloth covers her breasts, while highlighting them. Attached to the skirt-like bottom section of the chest-te is a long white piece of fabric outlined by a slightly dark shade of tapestry. The piece of fabric covers the back of her legs to her feet.


    Her legs and arms are mostly covered by white armor with ck cloth underneath for herfort.


    Apart from that, there are two other notable things about her attire. First, she has a curvy t-shaped metallic headgear with two cyan gems attached to the sides.


    Second, she''s wearing a gorget around her neck with a silver te connected to it by a series of chains on either side. Attached to the gorget are two pieces of white cloth with a ck lining that cover her breasts.


    Overall, her attirepliments her firm and beautiful countenance, seeming to give her a rather ''heroic'' appearance.


    Hm... she surely wasn''t burned while dressed like this, now, was she?


    "Jeanne," I say, interrupting her thought process, "If it doesn''t pain you, do you mind telling what exactly happened before you arrived here?"


    "Of course," she responds before recounting what happened without disying any form of difort.


    As expected, the subject was a rather heavy one. To put it in simple terms, she was escorted while dressed in a simple white cloth to a stake. On the way, she was showered with curses and pebbles from the onlookers.


    Then, she was bound to a stake before it was alighted and burned her alive, as a method of punishment for her ''atrocious acts''.


    The next thing she knew, she was in front of me in the Arena, brimming with power andfort while dressed in battle attire.


    "Say, what was that earlier? The thing you did to block the first attack?"


    "I... don''t know," she responds, a little perplexed, "It just felt like it would work, so I did it."


    Color me surprised. She fought against my angels and their abilities despite most likely having zero experience with the supernatural. It seems like I have summoned one heck of a prodigy.


    Surely, there is a limit of sorts on my summoning ability, right?


    {Affirmative. Currently, Father is regaining energy at a rate that''s half of how it was prior to the summoning.}


    Seriously? Does that mean she''s consuming half of the energy I ''regenerate'' to stay materialized?


    {Affirmative.}


    As expected, there is a limitation. In other words, if I were to summon another being simr to her, I won''t be able to regain my energy unless I sleep or more favorably, sleep with a Code.


    Now, am I willing to sacrifice half of my natural energy regeneration for a beautiful youngdy that just offered her body to me and reveres me?


    Absolutely.


    "Jeanne," I say while using my left hand to stroke her left cheek, "I want you to stay by my side from now on."


    "Understood," she resolutely replies as if she has been waiting for me to say this.


    "Let''s get back to the ground now," I say before creating a gateway directly connected to where Gabriel and the rest are before crossing through with her.


    "Papa!" Aruru exims before leaping toward me.


    Setting down on the ground, I let go of Jeanne and embrace Aruru''s body and issue a light chuckle before stating in distraught manner, "I hope you can forgive papa for stabbing you."


    Aruru rubs her forehead against my chest for a few seconds before looking up with a bright smile on her lips as she says, "Do not worry. It''s fine, even if papa killed me."


    "As long as it''s papa, it''s fine," she adds with an odd glint in her eyes, sending a slight shiver down my spine.


    "What are you saying?" I proim in relieved tone while pinching her cheek, "I would never do that."


    Hearing this, Aruru lightly giggles before wiggling out of my embrace and moving back to Gabriel''s side.


    The next moment, the atmosphere tenses as the group of angels and demons adopt a serious expression and wait for my judgment.


    At this moment, dark and sandy dust particles spin like a tornado a few meters away from us, before they begin merging and begin recreating a building.


    This scene repeats all around us, earning the awe of many who hadn''t seen such a thing before, including me.


    After a few moments, I break out of my stupor at the mesmerizing sight and state in a loud and clear voice, "Well done. You lot managed to outdo my expectations."


    The moment the words left mouth, a look of pure joy appeared on everyone''s face apart from Gabriel and Gasper.


    On one hand, Gabriel rarely expresses herself outwardly, while on the other Gasper is nothing more than a spectator today.


    However, Gasper is quite happy. For his master and friends, that is.


    Ignoring the pain on my body, I create two luxurious seats for me and Jeanne before taking a seat on mine as Jeanne follows suit.


    Good. Had Jeanne refused to sit without me stating so, I would''ve been rather disappointed.


    The angels and demons don''t express any doubt in my actions as they stand straight with solemn expressions.


    Well then, this might take a while...


    ---


    "This is a little troublesome," I say upon sizing Jeanne and her banner up once we have exited the Arena.


    Confused, Jeanne silently tilts her head a little before looking down at herself and realizing what I meant.


    "Some casual clothes will suit you better than a school uniform, even if we''re in the academy."


    Having said that, I''m about to ess the database with a set of clothes in mind, but before I can do so, a bright light covers Jeanne as her attirepletely changes to what I had in mind.


    "The heck?" I subconsciously say.


    "Did you do that?" I directly ask.


    "No," Jeanne responds before examining herself once again.


    Don''t tell me...


    Along with my thoughts, a bright light covers Jeanne again as her attire changes once more to that of Kuoh Academy''s school uniform.


    How neat. It seems like I can change her attire at will, at the cost of my Essence Energy.


    This is most likely an aspect of Mahesvara, specifically, Creation. I suspect it to be so due to the circumstances of Jeanne''s summoning and how she''s dependent on my Essence Energy to stay materialized.


    I change her attire back to the casual ones I had in mind.


    Like her armored attire, the casual one is a mixture of white and ck. For the torso, she has a sleeveless white shirt with exposed shoulders, with a short ck tie around its cor.


    As for her lower body, she has ck shorts on that cover a portion of her smooth thighs. On her legs, she has thigh-length dark stockings, coupled with a pair of brown shoes.


    Overall, she looks like a demure teenager. If there is anything that stands out apart from her ethereal beauty, it would be her long golden hair that extends to her hips.


    As it''s not tied, her hair shimmers under the sunlighting through the window, making her seem like a saint.


    Wait...


    "Master," a low voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Shifting my focus to the source of the voice, I find Koneko with a calm expression on her face. As for the rest, they all have an odd look on their face while gazing at me and Jeanne.


    "Right," I say, "We should get going."


    But before that, I need to deal with the banner that Jeanne is holding.


    After giving it some thought, I pull Excalibur out of my storage ring along with the rest of the stuff. I proceed to change Excalibur''s form to that of a ring and put it on and destroy the needles.


    Then, I reach my arm out to Jeanne.


    Seeing my actions, Jeanne ces her palm atop mine. Grabbing her fingers, I telekically pull the storage ring off my finger before holding it and putting it on Jeanne''s ring finger.


    Fortunately, the ring seems to fit her properly as she flexes her fingers a little while examining the ring.


    "This ring is a storage ring. It''s capable of storing a limited number of objects. Try storing your banner inside it."


    Jeanne immediately does as I tell her to as purple energy exudes from the ring and covers the banner before it vanishes from sight.


    Satisfied with her performance, I nod my head once before leaving with Koneko and Jeanne after bidding the rest farewell.


    ---


    "Hello," I casually greet upon entering the Kendo club-room and walking over to Nao, Ayumi, and Misa.


    My appearance attracts the attention of most girls present in the club-room as quite a few begin to whisper among themselves.


    "Brother Yu!" Ayumi says in a bright tone as she rushes into my embrace.


    "You''re finally here," Misa says, "Your sister wanted..."


    Her words trail off as she sets her eyes on Jeanne who is respectfully standing behind me.


    "Who is she?" Misa asks.


    "Jeanne d''Arc," I shrug my shoulders and say.


    Misa seems to be confused, while Nao lets out a "hoho" as she inspects Jeanne.


    "Isn''t she supposed to be..." Nao says after a few seconds.


    "We will discuss this matterter."


    "If you say so," Nao responds.


    Looking over at where Sora is, I see that she is speaking to a club member. Perhaps, she wants to practice Kendo as well?


    After a short while, their conversation ends as Sora walks over to us, her eyes squinting upon setting sight on Jeanne.


    Once she''s close enough, her brows furrow as she stares at Jeanne''s hand.


    A little confused, I follow her line of sight only to notice that it''s the same hand that I put the storage ring on.


    Shit.

 Chapter 227: Trouble ; Ride

    Chapter 227: Trouble ; Ride


    "Haru," Sora''s not-so-warm voice reaches my ears.


    The club-room suddenly seems to have gotten a lot colder, as the club members stop chattering and look over at us with curious expressions on their faces.


    Fortunately, I am Sora''s brother, so I don''t have to worry about any strange rumors spreading around once this cmity has passed by.


    "Now, now, my dear sister," I say in the most soothing tone I can muster, "You shouldn''t just jump to conclusions without hearing what the other side has to say."


    As a response to my words, Sora gazes at me with a deadpanned look on her face, silently awaiting my ''exnation''.


    Being the one closest to Sora as her brother and lover, I''m well aware of her personality and how she views my rtionships with other girls.


    To put it in simple terms, as long as she''s certain that I won''t be leaving her and prioritize her, Sora won''t be all that dissatisfied with most of what I do.


    Yet, here she is, witnessing another girl wearing a ring that''s clearly the one I had been wearing before.


    "You should know that the ring is not an ordinary one, right?" I question, to which Sora just nods her head once.


    Before I can utter another word, I hear Nao say, "Wow, he already has put a ring on the new girl. Didn''t even notice it before."


    "He sure works wonders," Misa ''praises''.


    A moment of silence passes as Sora squints her eyes at me.


    Letting out a sigh, I conclude that a demonstration would be the best way to solve this issue.


    As such, I create an illusory barrier around us, making it seem like we''re all frozen in ce.


    Then, I turn to face Jeanne and say, "Pull your banner out."


    With an unperturbed expression on her face, Jeanne pulls out her banner from the ring and holds it firmly.


    Sora has always been quick-witted, so she figured out what''s going as a look of realization appears on her face.


    With the cmity passed, I nod my head while facing Jeanne as she nods back before storing the banner in the ring again.


    The moment I dispel the illusory barrier, the club-room gets a little chaotic as the girls begin to chatter among themselves.


    "Did you see that? They weren''t moving just now!" a girl says disbelievingly.


    "Yeah. It''s like they glitched or something," another girl responds.


    Their topics mostly revolved around that and how our positions had changed after the ''glitch''.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I face Sora and say, "Everything is fine now, right?"


    Sora nods her head once with a small smile on her lips, seemingly satisfied knowing that there is no ulterior meaning to the ring.


    "But," she suddenly says, "Why is the ring on that finger?"


    Hearing her emphasis on the word ''that'', I get what she''s asking.


    "Well, I wasn''t paying much attention to that when I put it on for her."


    "Put it on for her?" Sora repeats in a tone much colder than before.


    Damn it. I should pay more attention to my words from now on.


    ---


    Somehow, I managed to live. The only price I had to pay for my ''crime'' was that I had to lock hands with Sora and walk out of the school like that.


    So much for no strange rumors spreading...


    Whatever. It''s not like I will stop loving Sora because a few dozen mortals find it unbing.


    "My Lord, what''s that?" Jeanne asks for the fifth time while pointing at something on the other side of the tinted window.


    Shifting my sight to where she''s pointing, I find a pair of high schoolers riding bikes.


    "That''s called a bicycle," I exin, "It''s a form of transportation that''smonly used in this era instead of cars."


    Incidentally, her first inquiry about this world was regarding cars. For some reason, she seems to be interested in things rted to transportation.


    "Is it faster than a horse?" she asks.


    I take a moment to deliberate on the matter before lightly patting her thigh and saying, "I''m sure that with your strength, you should be able to outdo a horse if you ride a bike."


    At this moment, I feel a sting on my left arm, as if I was just stung by a mosquito.


    Looking over, I find Sora who is pinching my arm with as much strength she can put into her fingers.


    "What?" I say.


    She doesn''t say anything, but the displeasure in her eyes is apparent.


    Letting out a sigh, I shake her hand off my arm before wrapping it around her slender embrace and pulling her closer to myself.


    Nao and Misa who are sitting opposite us have an odd look on their face as they gawk at us.


    "My Lord, why do I feel stronger and faster than before?" Jeanne asks after a while.


    "Well, I''m not so sure about that myself. However, it could be rted to the fact the reason you''re here at the moment is that you are being supplied by my energy."


    Confused, Jeanne looks at me as she waits for me to exin the meaning behind my words.


    I cough to clear my throat before exining, "Due to having taken on a physical body of a mortal, my powers have be very limited."


    "Currently, I am able to make use of my Holy powers to guide people to the light. However, that''s not all, as I can make use of my Destructive powers those who can''t be guided."


    Hearing this, a look of deliberation appears on Jeanne''s face for a few seconds before she asks, "So, death is salvation for those who can''t listen to The Lord?"


    "In a sense, yes," I respond after careful thought, "Essentially, at this time and age, the only individuals that can''t be guided are ''real'' devils and other beings that deem themselves to be superior to other beings.


    "You see, in this world, there are numerous powerful beings. Some of which pursue chaos and destruction. I aim to put an end to them through the help of my angels andpanions. Perhaps, this is why you''ve be so powerful after I summoned you."


    "After you had been summoned, you required some form of energy to keep you here. My energy."


    Jeanne seems to understand what I''m getting as she falls into deep thought.


    "That''s quite the story," Nao remarks, "Just a few months ago, you were cheating in exams."


    Hearing this, Sora raises her brows, while Misaughs.


    "That wasn''t me," I simply say while shrugging my shoulders.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Misa asks once she''s doneughing.


    "Simply put, I had not awakened at the time."


    "If that''s the case, when did you awaken?" Misa continues to ask.


    "During the time Nao and the weirdo were chasing me," I respond.


    "What''s with that," Misa says whileughing, "That sounds so cheesy."


    "Whatever," I say, shifting my focus back to the curious Jeanne, hoping to shift the conversation away from myself, "Are you interested in riding a bike?"


    As a response to my inquiry, she hastily nods her head as a glint of excitement shines in her amethyst-colored eyes.


    "Alright, I will be sure to create one for you once I have recovered my energy," I state, to which she nods her head before looking out of the window again.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Hey," a brown-haired man wearing sses says, "Are we really going to be fighting Him?"


    "What, are you afraid? The information we got from the pesky demons confirms that He is weakened. This will be easy," a ck-haired man responds to him; the same man that Victor had seen earlier today.


    "Hmph. If he''s weakened, then the fight won''t even be worth it," a bulky gray-haired man scoffs, "I doubt he even is the real the deal."


    "Real deal or not," the ck-haired man says, "We are required to defeat him if we don''t want our ns to fall through. Besides, he has now be a great danger to humanity  a Phantom."


    Hearing his words, the two men nod their heads while the rest of the people in the room wordlessly gaze at him.

 Chapter 228: News ; Reappearance ; Platform Visit

    Chapter 228: News ; Reappearance ; tform Visit


    "Misa, there have been no issues with your awakened ability, has there?" I question before sipping on a cup of coffee.


    "No," she responds, "As long as you''re away, that sort of thing won''t happen."


    "You''re wrong," I say with my eyes shut, "From the looks of it, your ability depends on your emotional state. In other words, as long as something elicits some kind of major reaction from you, your ability will activate.


    "Well, whatever. I am sure that as long as you practice properly, your control over it will improve."


    Done with this conversation, I don''t wait for Misa''s response as I directly make my way over to the living room.


    "But I need to see him now!" an urgent voice reaches my ears while I''m on my way.


    Ravel? Has something happened in the underworld? Are they finally going to make their move?


    Arriving in the living room, I set my sight upon Ravel who is anxiously gazing at Nao and Sora. From the looks of it, Ravel just returned and immediately demanded to see me.


    Sensing my arrival, Ravel directly looks at me and says, "Your Holiness, there is a problem."


    "What''s wrong?" I say while casually walking over to the sofa that Jeanne is silent sitting on and take a seat beside her.


    Sora and Nao both squint their eyes, but I don''t heed it much attention as I peer into Ravel''s eyes inquisitively.


    "The devils aren''t the only ones nning to wage war against Your Holiness!" she proims.


    "Oh?" I say, amused, "What other factions are going to participate apart from them?"


    "Some gods and an unknown faction," she responds with a solemn expression, "I don''t know the specifics, but I''ve heard that an unidentified faction is wreaking havoc in the underworld. Rumors are circting that they are looking for Your Holiness. Aside from that, there are a few gods are nning to side with the devils against Your Holiness. At least, that''s what I''ve heard."


    How interesting. On one hand, there are the devils. I wonder if Zeoticus and Sirzechs would dare face me. There is also that entricdy, Serafall, was it?


    On the other hand, there are a few unnamed gods and a hidden faction. They sure are doing me a great favor by deciding to battle me.


    It''s about time that I crushed a few more divine beings as I did with Loki.


    Now that I think about it, there were a bunch of peculiar people near the academy earlier today. Could they be the ''hidden faction'' that she''s speaking of?


    At this moment, a gateway forms at the center of the living room, interrupting my thoughts.


    The next thing I know, a silver-haireddy exits from the gateway and straightaway draws near me before kneeling.


    "I''m terribly sorry, Your Grace."


    Everyone else is stunned as they gawk at the beautiful kneeling Valkyrie.


    "Rossweisse," I say, "Where have you been?"


    She had been here the day before I left for Sorcerers'' Lair. But it seems like she left sometime after that.


    "Your Grace, there was some urgent business back in Asgard, so I had to leave without informing Your Grace."


    "Urgent business, you say?"


    "Yes," she responds, "As I only went to deal with the smaller matters, I was unable to find out what was going on."


    Minor matters, huh? I reckon that Odin has made sure that she wouldn''t know what is going on now that she is serving me.


    If I am to consider Ravel''s earlier words, there is the possibility of some Asgardian gods being a part of this uing war.


    This might be a little problematic. At least, I have a lot of forces at my disposal at the moment. Speaking of which, I wonder if G and Ophis will take part in the battle.


    "Alright," I say in a solemn tone, "You''re forgiven."


    Rossweisse''s stiff expression softens as a smile forms on her lips.


    Taking in a deep breath, I get up from the sofa and say, "I will be heading over to Sorcerer''s Lair for a short while."


    "I won''t be freezing time here."


    After all, I have yet to see if the Core Gate works as I expect it to.


    As a response to my words, everyone present, apart from Rossweisse, Jeanne, and Ravel, nods their head. That''s simply because the three don''t know what I''m talking about.


    Hold on... Would it be possible for me to bring Jeanne along? Perhaps, summon her there through Norse Magic?


    Deciding to test the notion out while there, Iy my head down against the sofa before intoning an invocation as the next moment, my surrounding changes to a limitless white space.


    I immediately spot the Core Gate for Sorcerers'' Lair.


    Before approaching it, I take a moment to think about what just happened.


    Unlikest time, my body should be in aatose state back in the Rift. From the looks of it, there is more than one way to exit the Rift.


    I reckon that the method I used to leave for Sorcerers'' Lair doesn''t grant me the ''immortality'' mentioned by Infi in the past.


    I''ll have to look into this matter in the future...


    Not willing to waste any more time, I directly fly through the Core Gate.


    The next moment, I find myself in the Lost Continent as a strange sensation appears in my guts.


    Checking myself out through irvoyance, I notice that my appearance has remained the way it was back in the Rift.


    Letting out a small sigh, I proceed to create a gateway connected to my castle in Albion and pass through it.


    ---


    "Surprise," I say upon barging into the room that was used by Tiffania.


    Startled, the previously depressed Matilda jumps off the bed and suspiciously res at me before asking, "Who are you?"


    "Huh? What are you asking? My appearance shouldn''t have changed that much."


    After a moment of confusion, realization hits Matilda as she rxes before she rushes toward me and throws a punch at my face.


    Easily canceling the vectors of her punch, I ask, "What do you think you''re doing?"


    "Where is Tiffania!?" she exims while ring at me.


    "In another world," I casually respond.


    Hearing this, Matilda''s eyes widen before she confusedly questions, "What do you mean?"


    "Exactly what it sounds like," I reply nonchntly, "Do you want me to bring you over to her? She has been feeling lonely without you being there for her, you know?"


    A slightly wretched expression forms on her face before she shakes her head and says, "And you expect me to believe this?"


    Rolling my eyes at her, I intone, "Arena."


    The next moment, we both appear in the rejuvenated city of Dubai. Every damage done to it has been reversed, so now it looks rather mesmerizing to the shocked Matilda.


    Reaching my arm out, I pat Matilda''s head and say, "You mortals always have toplicate things."


    Breaking out of her stupor, Matilda''s body begins shivering as she looks down, seemingly avoiding my eyes, before nervously asking, "What are you?"


    "That doesn''t matter," I respond while shaking my head, "I just need you to take my words seriously from now on, understood?"


    The usually hot-blooded Matilda meekly nods her head as confirmation.


    "Anyway, the world that I will be taking you to is going to be simr to this one. Technology there is very developed, so if you have any questions, you may ask the other residents of the mansion you''ll be staying in."


    Before she can respond, I exit the Arena with her in tow.


    "Now, wait for me here. I''ll go and check on the state of affairs before returning."


    Once again, Matilda just nods her head with aplex look on her face.


    Seeing her like this, a small grin forms on my lips as I step forth and give her a light peck on the lips.


    More than a little startled, Matilda steps back a few times before staring at me with widened eyes.


    I issue a light chuckle as a response to her reaction before using irvoyance to search the castle for certain individuals.


    ---


    Fortunately, nothing unexpected has happened during my time away from Sorcerers'' Lair. If anything, things are going rather smoothly.


    This way, I won''t have to be that concerned about this tform during the uing war in the Rift.


    "Are you ready?" I ask Matilda upon arriving in the room I left her in.


    "Yes," she resolutely responds.


    Naturally, I''m aware that even if I were to bring her along, it would take a week in the Mete for a body to be created for the Rift.


    Before I leave, however, there is something that needs to be tried out.


    Using Norse Magic, I focus my mind on the space in front of me while picturing Jeanne''s beautiful figure.


    The next moment a bright light shines before the familiar youngdy appears in front of me in the same battle attire she had on the first time I summoned her.


    Jeanne has a confused look on her face as she looks around before setting her eyes on me and immediately kneeling.


    "Get up," I say, "What did you experience just now?"


    "I don''t know," she responds, "I was about to carry My Lord''s body to the bed in a room per Lady Sora''s instructions, but then I just found myself here."


    Thank goodness that I summoned her. Just imagining her lifting my body causes me to shiver.


    Setting that aside, looks like the rest have introduced themselves to her. I wonder if Sora said that is my sister. What kind of reaction Jeanne would have to that statement?


    Shaking such notions aside, I gaze at Jeanne and say, "Get up; there is something I''d like to show you."


    Doing as she is told; Jeanne rises to her feet with a slightly curious glint in her eyes.


    Matilda has an odd look on her face as she inspects the new arrival.


    Ignoring her, I proceed to create a gateway connected to the sky above the castle we''re in.


    Then, I step forth and take Jeanne''s hand into mine before gesturing at Matilda to follow us as I walk through the gateway.


    Using Flight and telekinesis, I keep the two girl''s bodies stable in the air. Jeanne is in my arms, while Matilda is simply floating in the air.


    The twodies look down at Albion with intrigue as I say, "Jeanne, this is another world that I take direct actions in. Here, I am a king ruling over this floating kingdom."


    An understanding look appears on Jeanne''s face as she gazes at the capital.


    "We should get going now," I say before creating another gateway that leads to the Lost Continent.


    "Matilda," I say while floating in front of the giant statue that''s ''holding'' the Core Gate, "You''ll arrive a week after me."


    Seemingly taking my word for granted, she just nods her head and says, "Alright."


    As such, I move her closer to myself before cing my palm against her chest, startling her.


    The next moment, I channel Destruction into my arm and conveying to her body, resulting in her turning into minuscule particles.


    Irene, store her soul.


    {Affirmative.}


    "Let''s get going then," I say while beaming a smile at Jeanne before floating into the Core Gate.


    The next moment, we find ourselves in the endless white space. Jeanne has an odd look on her face as she looks around for a few seconds before asking, "Where is this?"


    "The border between worlds," I respond, "The world we were in just now is separated from the other one by this location."


    Despite seeming to have not understood properly, Jeanne nods her head before looking over at the Core Gate we just exited from with intrigue.


    Shaking my head, I say, "Irene, the Rift."


    {Affirmative.}

 Chapter 229: Uninvited Guests ; Subordination

    Chapter 229: Uninvited Guests ; Subordination


    Sitting at the dining table, I relish the dinner prepared by Sora, Saturnus, and Siesta.


    Recently, the meals served have changed a little. It''s like they''ve been perfected. Actually, I believe that is exactly the case.


    Ever since Saturnus has decided to help out in cooking, our meals have continued to improve. Honestly, she is so versatile that I''m doubting she was ever meant to be abat-oriented android.


    "Won''t that girl join us?" Misa''s voice suddenly grabs my attention as well as the rest of the girls seated at the dining table.


    Knowing that she''s speaking of Jeanne, I shake my head and say, "She says that it''s not required."


    "What, she''s not a human?" Nao adds.


    "That''s not it," I reply, "Jeanne constantly feeds off of my energy to stay materialized, so there isn''t a need for her to consume food."


    "So, you''re saying that the only reason she''s here is that you are giving her your ''energy''?"


    "Yes."


    "But, when you left this world she was still here, at least, for some time."


    "Now that I think about it, you''re right," I say while deliberating on what Nao said. It seems like there isn''t a limit to the range and location for her. After all, she stayed materialized in the Rift while I was in a tform.


    No, I wasn''t in any tform, but one that I found the Core of. I should try this out sometime in the future when I visit another tform.


    "The worlds are all kinds of strange," I say, "What''s wrong with her still consuming my energy to stay materialized even if we are in separate dimensions?"


    Silence ensues as the girls gawk at me with odd looks on their faces.


    "What?"


    "Amazing," Rossweisse remarks.


    "Is this how all the most powerful beings in the world think?" Ravel says with awe apparent in her eyes.


    "Nah, it''s this guy''smon sense that''s skewed," Misa says in a slightly exasperated tone.


    What''s with their reaction? I don''t think that I''ve said anything out of the norm.


    At this moment, my expression turns serious as I sense the arrival of a few uninvited guests.


    Most likely seeing the change on my face, Rossweisse voices, "Your Grace?"


    "Looks like some pests want to meet me," I casually say before getting up and continuing, "Don''t heed it much attention. I will deal with them and be back soon."


    Without further ado, I directly teleport in front of the two visitors who are quietly observing the mansion.


    "Vali?" I say in an amused tone upon spotting the white-haired devil whom I had knocked sense into before.


    "Why are you here?" I question while squinting my eyes.


    "To take Kuroka back," he responds in a firm tone.


    "Is that so? Then, you''re wasting your time. Kuroka won''t leave my abode."


    "Hey, now," Vali''spanion, a brown-haired man holding a long staff, says in a joking tone, "We''re just here to bring ourpanion back. If you insist on keeping her, we''ll have to resort to extreme means, you know?"


    Hearing his words, I chuckle for a few seconds before asking, "Trust me when I say that a fight against me is thest thing you''d want. Come on, Vali, you haven''t told him?"


    "About you being God?" the brown-haired man says while grinning, "I don''t know what made others believe you so easily, but I simply refuse to acknowledge you are God."


    "You''re right," I say, "I''m not God, but his creator."


    An odd look appears on the man''s face as he shakes his head and says, "Well, whatever. I''m Bikou."


    "Victor," I casually respond.


    "Before we fight," I say while watching Bikou getting into a battle stance, "Vali lost to me rather badly. What makes you so confident in facing me?"


    "Isn''t that obvious," he responds, "You just happen to have a Sacred Gear to counter Vali''s Sacred Gear. This caught him off-guard and lead to his loss."


    "Alright then," I shrug and say, "How about we make a bet?"


    "A bet?" Vali who had been silent for thest minute says.


    "That''s right. If the two of you manage to injure me, I will allow Kuroka to return with you."


    "Are you mocking us?" Vali says with furrowed brows.


    "Not at all," I solemnly respond, "You guys are too weak for me to even bother using my main abilities. So, I have to give you a handicap like this one to make the bet fair."


    "You..." Bikou says as the yful expression he had disappears.


    All of a sudden, Vali swiftly appears in front of me and throws a punch at my face, to which I reverse the vectors, resulting in his arm to break as he backs away.


    "A barrier?" Bikou exims while ncing at me and Vali''s arm.


    "Regarding the bet," I continue as if nothing has happened, "The two of you will offer me your allegiance."


    "As if that''s going to happen," Bikou says before mming his staff into the ground as some energy circtes within his body.


    Meanwhile, Vali, who has regained control of himself, raises his arm as a white dragon-like armor covers his body from head to toe.


    The next moment, Bikou dashes toward me at an extreme speed and swings his staff at my left.


    Unfazed, I simply step forth and kick his abdomen before his attack can reach me, resulting in his body to be hurled into the distance.


    At this moment, Vali appears at my side and throws a punch at me as a wave of energy tries to invade my body.


    Naturally, the foreign energy easily got destroyed as I block Vali''s punch by simply grabbing his hand and cancel all vectors of the shock-wave formed by the impact to prevent further damage to our surroundings.


    Looking over at Bikou who has gotten back on his feet, I beam a small smile before clutching Vali''s hand and throwing him toward Bikou.


    A slightly disconcerted look appears on Bikou''s face as he leaps up to catch Vali, which I take advantage of by dashing forth and lunging at him.


    Caught in a tight situation, Bikou is unable to do much as I burn his legs using Pyrokinesis before Vali''s body ms into him.


    I stay afloat in the sky as I watch the two of them crash into the road in the distance.


    Good. They both have great potential. I can tell that Bikou''s fighting style would be overwhelming had if he had my speed.


    Nevertheless, the two of them are far from causing me a light injury without a grandiose n of sorts.


    Letting out a sigh, I appear before the two of them as they struggle to get back on their feet.


    "Do you still want to continue?" I ask in a nonchnt tone.


    Bikou seems to have taken offense as he opens his mouth to say something, but Vali stops him by patting his shoulder.


    "I see," I say, "Now then, the two of you are going to report to me from now on."


    "And if we refuse?" Bikou challenges.


    "Then, you''ll die," I respond, "If you run away, I won''t be chasing you or anything. However, if I happen to see you again, then your life would be taken before you can tell."


    The two of them both frown as they go silent for a few seconds before Vali opens his mouth and asks, "How strong are you?"


    Hearing this question, I consider everything that has happened up until now before saying, "I could obliterate Tokyo in a few seconds without making use of any abilities."


    "Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me," Bikou dubiously says while brushing his hair with his hand, "I would get it if you said in a few minutes, but seconds? Without any abilities, no less?"


    "Well, that''s the gist of it," I casually say, "So, what are you going to do now?"


    "Do we even have a choice?" Bikou says before letting out a tired sigh.


    "You were the ones who wanted to separate Kuroka from her sister after they''ve been reunited, so you deserve this."


    "Wait, what?" Bikou says while Vali raises his brows.


    "You thought I was forcefully keeping her?" I say in a lighthearted tone, "Well you couldn''t be more mistaken."


    ---


    "What happened? I heard some explosion outside," Misa asks once I teleport back to the dining table.


    Everyone is almost done eating, but they''ve currently stopped and are gazing at me with curiosity apparent on their faces.


    "Vali Lucifer, a demon that I had beaten up before appeared along with another man named Bikou to ''retrieve'' Kuroka."


    Hearing this, Koneko''s ears twitch, while Kuroka slightly frowns and asks, "What happened?"


    "What else other than them getting destroyed," Misa remarks before I can respond, "As if this guy would give in to others'' demands."


    Nao and Ravel both nod their heads in agreement while the rest gawk at me in different ways.


    "Brother Yu fought?" Ayumi suddenly questions in a concerned tone.


    "It''s okay," Nao, who''s beside her says while patting her head, "I doubt that anything can happen to him."


    "At least show some concern!" I say upon seeing her nonchnce.


    Well, it would be expected that they would think this way. After all, I''ve quite rarely disyed any of my weaknesses.


    Speaking of which, the only weakness in a battle for me would be my focus. Most of my abilities and powers are ''lock-on-target'' types. Basically, I have immense power that can pick off any enemy on the battlefield but am not fit for wide-area attacks except when ites to my Holy Effects.


    However, my Essence Energy is limited, so in a battle where there is a great number of ''powerful'' beings, I could be overwhelmed if the battle goes on for too long.


    Nevertheless, I have a few ''trump cards'' ready if such a situation bes reality.


    "Anyway," I say while setting my thoughts aside and facing Kuroka, "They imed that they were in dire need of your assistance after I had beaten them into submission."


    "Beat them into submission," Kuroka mutters, stupefied, before shaking her head and asking, "Did you agree?"


    "Yes," I respond, "After all, I''m interested in knowing what it is that made them resort to ''retrieving'' you from me."


    As well as another condition that I better omit for now.


    [[You seem to be enjoying ying with the minds of inferior beings quite a bit.]]


    "Hey, Tia. Enjoying the show?" I murmur.


    [[I just woke up.]]


    "Heh, I doubt that."


    [[Are you going to visit me soon?]]


    "What, miss me?"


    [[No, I just wanted to know if you''re going to disrupt my sleep because I spoke with you.]]


    Why are both of my familiars sozy? Is the Familiar Space really thatfortable of a ce to sleep in?


    Letting out a sigh, I focus back on Kuroka who seems to be deliberating on something, and say, "You can go aid them. However, if you notice that your life is endangered, make sure to contact me as soon as possible."


    Kuroka remains silent for a few minutes before nodding her head.


    A small smile forms on my lips as I get back to eating my dinner and so do the rest.

 Chapter 230: Single Valkyrie ; Comfort

    Chapter 230: Single Valkyrie ; Comfort


    Opening my eyes, I am met with Sora''s sleeping face.


    Thinking about her clinginess fromst night, I let out a small sigh before using Permeation to free my arm from her grasp.


    Then, I look down at Ophis and G who are sleeping atop my body as if it were some huge pillow.


    Looking to my left, I see that Ayumi isn''t holding onto me, causing me to sigh in relief.


    I slowly raise my body, which slightly disturbs Ophis and G as the two of them both open their eyes and raise their heads.


    Two pairs of beady eyes stare at my face for a few seconds before they both understandably move off my body.


    Slowly floating up from the bed, I ce my hands on their heads and rub a little before floating off the bed onto my room''s floor.


    The two of them stare at me for a few seconds before setting their heads on the bed and dozing off.


    These two... They''re so adorable that if I didn''t know any better, I would''ve assumed that they were the most harmless beings in this world.


    Shaking my head, I remember that it''s Sunday, so there isn''t school today. Now that I''m up this early anyway, it would be a waste to go back to sleep.


    As such, I leave my room and make my way to the living room.


    Upon arriving there, I find Rossweisse who is surrounded by a few notebooks and a plethora of papers.


    "What are you doing?" I curiously question.


    Rossweisse who was intently focused on her writing gets so surprised that she identally throws the pen in her hand at me.


    I casually catch the pen before walking over to the sofa she is sitting on and telekically clear the mess before taking a seat beside her.


    Grabbing her hand, I ce the pen on her palm and say, "So?"


    "Oh... Ah, yes!" she says in a high-pitched voice, "I was trying to work out Your Grace''s foes."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Here," she says while presenting me the notebook she was just writing in.


    Taking it into my hands, I skim through the content before realizing what she meant.


    "Basically, you want to separate them ordingly so fighting against them will be easier, right?"


    "That''s correct," she responds while smiling, "This way, we can pick off of a certain group without any worry."


    "Even so," I say while ncing at the notebook, "You have taken into ount almost everyone''s power in this notebook. Is this what you were discussing with the other girlsst night while I was preparing Jeanne''s room?"


    "Indeed," she responds, "I was surprised to know that such powerful beings are living in this mansion."


    "Well yeah," I say as a wry smile forms on my lips, "Excluding me, there are six individuals here capable of shing with gods."


    "Anyway," I say before Rossweisse can make any remarks regarding my statement, "How about you add my power here?"


    "Is that fine?" she responds, a little shocked.


    "Why not?" I say, "I will just give you a general idea of my powers, not a rundown of every single one of my abilities."


    "Ah, alright," she says before taking the notebook from my hands and opening a new page.


    As such, I begin to give her a brief description of my Code Essences and my ''affinities''.


    When we reached the part about me being able to create anything as long as it''s identified by the popce, she was shocked silly.


    It took her a solid minute to regain her rity before she began to frantically describe how absurd my power is.


    "So, if everyone is made to believe in the existence of a weapon capable of destroyings, Your Grace would be able to create it?"


    "Essentially," I say, pleasantly surprised by the fact that she arrived at the same conclusion that I did. It seems like I have to try this out sometime in the future.


    --


    Finally. Done with giving Rossweisse a briefing of my Holy Essences, I let out a sigh before leaning back on the sofa and staring at her face as she intently deliberates on the info I just shared.


    "Rossweisse, what do you think of my decision?"


    "Eh?" she voices in a confused tone while looking my way.


    "Are you dissatisfied with anything here?"


    "Not at all," she hastily responds, "It''s much morefortable here elsewhere. At least, I don''t get mocked here."


    "Mocked?" I curiously inquire.


    "Ah!" Rossweisse exims before pressing her hand against her lips.


    "What''s that about?" I ask while grinning.


    Rossweisse''s expression changes to that of embarrassment as she says, "I... am single."


    "That''s all?" I respond with raised brows, "How did that be something to mock?"


    "It''s uh... The thing is... I have never had a boyfriend," she meekly responds as her cheeks redden.


    "Let me guess," I say, "It''s because you''re too serious."


    As a response to this, Rossweisse groans as if she just took a bullet shot.


    "There is a simple solution to that, you know?"


    "Huh?" she looks at me with a befuddled expression.


    "Get a boyfriend."


    Silence ensues for a few seconds before Rossweisse leans back on the sofa and exims in a saddened voice, "Even Your Grace is mocking me now."


    "How is that considered mocking," I say while moving closer to her, "Setting your cuteness aside, I''m sure that your lovely personality will easily get you one."


    "In fact," I say in a serious tone, "You can get one at this very moment?"


    "Eh?" Rossweisse mutters in a baffled tone while looking into my eyes.


    After a few seconds, Rossweisse realizes the meaning behind my words as her eyes widen and her body flinches.


    "I couldn''t possibly do that!" she hastily exims.


    "Why not?" I say, unfazed.


    "Because..." her words trail off as a look of uncertainty appears on her face.


    "See? There is no problem," I say while beaming a smile.


    Even after half a minute has passed, Rossweisse doesn''t say anything, so I grab her arm and pull her into my embrace, causing her to yelp in surprise.


    "So soft," I remark while tightly holding her and nestling my nose in her silver hair.


    She smells so nice...


    After a while, I let go of her body and observe her face, only to see that it''spletely flushed in red.


    Her lips are quivering while her eyes are nervously darting around.


    Unable to hold back any longer, I beginughing at her innocent behavior for a good while before saying, "You sure are one adorable girl."


    "Alright, I have some business to settle, so I must leave now."


    Hearing this, Rossweisse regains a little of herposure as a glint of disappointment shimmers in her green eyes.


    "Do you feel let down?" I say while grinning.


    "Ah, no! I mean, yes no! I mean..."


    Seeing her frantically looking for a ''proper'' answer while waving her hands, I abruptly move closer and seal her lips.


    Stunned, Rossweisse''s arms freeze in the air as her body tenses up.


    Knowing that this is already too much for her, I break the kiss after a few seconds before moving my head to the side and giving her a peck on the cheek.


    "Rossweisse, I know that you''re a very capable girl. I''m going to be counting on you from now on."


    As a response to this, Rossweisse, who is still in shock, slowly nods her head.


    A smile forms on my lips as I kiss her cheek onest time before getting up from the sofa.


    "Time to visit the foxes," I mutter with a solemn look on my face.


    My actions with Rossweisse just now were for two reasons. The first one being that I needed her to take her ''nning'' even more seriously. After all, going to war in an advantageous state while having solid ns is the recipe for certain victory.


    Anyway, my other reason, which just so happens to be the main one, is that she is simply too cute. For some reason, it feels rather fun to tease her. It''s almost like she was made to be teased.


    Letting out a sigh, I begin to deliberate on the matter at hand.


    Currently, most of the devils are nning to battle me, the fallen angels, and the pure angels.


    It''s almost absurd that they''re even considering fighting in this war. Even if they have the backing of a few gods, that''s still not enough.


    As such, I''ve concluded that there must be even more to the matter than what I presently know of.


    So, I''m going to visit Yasaka to see if there is anything worth knowing. Also, while I''m at it, I''ll y with Kunou a little.

 Chapter 231: Alliance ; Alluring Fox ; Family Picture

    Chapter 231: Alliance ; Alluring Fox ; Family Picture


    Walking through the gateway created by Yuno, I find myself in the wooden house in Kyoto.


    Then, I make use of irvoyance to examine the state of affairs, only to be a little startled by the sight of numerous Youkai training their powers and abilities.


    Fortunately, they''re training in a secluded section, so there won''t be any supernatural-rted news anytime soon.


    As I continue to look around, my sightes across Kunou who is making her way back to the main house.


    Seeing that, a small smile forms on my lips before I exit the house and ''jog'' over to her.


    Before Kunou can realize what''s going on, I''ve already swept her off her feet and holding her in a princess carry.


    Initially, she was extremely distressed, but upon realizing that it''s me, she pressed her head against my chest.


    "Hello, Kunou. Have you been doing well?"


    "Mn," she hums as confirmation before asking, "Are you here to see mother?"


    "Yes," I respond, "She is in the ''main house'', right?"


    "Mn," she hums once again before closing her eyes, seemingly enjoying the way she''s being held at the moment.


    The smile on my lips grows as I begin walking toward the main house while attracting the attention of anyone within the vicinity.


    Soon, I find myself right in front of the main house''s door. Telekically opening the door, I step inside without hesitation and make my way to the room Yasaka would converse with me in.


    Unfortunately, Yasaka isn''t there, so I set Kunou down and sit close to the round-table in the room, intending to converse with her while waiting for Yasaka.


    "Say, Kunou," I begin, "What''s your ability revolved around?"


    Hearing this, Kunou''s fox ears pop out and twitch as she directly begins to demonstrate her ability.


    Raising her right arm, Kunou has a serious look on her face as a ball of blue mes surround her hand.


    "Interesting," I say with an intrigued expression, "Hurl it at me."


    An odd look appears on Kunou''s face upon hearing my words. She nces at the mes surrounding her hand then at me before she does as she was told.


    Seeing the ball of me approaching me, I attempt to manipte it using Pyrokinesis, but it seems to not register as mes that can be influenced.


    Sensing the potency of the ball of me, a grin forms on my lips as I raise my hand and grasp it while covering my hand in Destruction.


    My action results in the ball of me ''exploding'' before disappearing without a trace.


    Kunou who had a slightly anxious expression on her face before is now looking at me with awe.


    Seeing this, I issue a light chuckle before saying, "I can tell that your fire isn''t normal, but not in what way. Care to tell me?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Kunou opens her mouth to respond, but before she can utter a word, a voice resounds in the room, "That''s foxfire."


    Turning toward the source of the voice, I am met with the sight of Yasaka gracefully entering the room and making her way to the round-table.


    "Good morning," I greet her while smiling.


    "Good morning," she greets back with aposed look on her face.


    Observing her closely, I notice that the aura she is giving away right now is different from before.


    For some reason, I''m morefortable with her the way she is now.


    "So, Mr. Victor, what has brought you here today?"


    "Are you aware of the matter with devils nning to wage a war against me and the other two ''major'' factions?"


    Nodding her head, Yasaka says, "Two days ago, a representative of one of the devil ns visited us in hopes of forming an alliance with us for the ''inevitable'' war."


    "I see. Did they offer any interesting insight to tempt you to ept their offer?"


    "Indeed. They imed to have the support of an Asgardian goddess and some other gods as well as... a ''Phantom''."


    Upon hearing thest word, I squint my eyes and ask, "Did he go into any detail regarding the Phantom?"


    Is it a Code or an Unknown? Other beings are unable to differentiate between our existence, making it quite troublesome to figure out my opponents'' identities.


    At this moment, I feel a slight nudge on my shoulder before Kunou moves over and takes a seat on myp.


    Letting a small sigh, I pat her head while gazing at Yasaka and saying, "How did you respond to their offer?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Yasaka says while smiling, "I rejected it."


    "Wouldn''t have been better for you to show uncertainty?"


    "It might indeed seem like that would be for the best, however, the reality is quite different. By showing our standing, they would have to think twice beforeunching an attack on us. After all, from what I could tell, they were afraid to face you without proper preparation."


    "Not surprising," I say once Yasaka is done exining, "They''re most likely just a bunch of headstrong cowards."


    At this moment, Kunou gets off myp and leaves the room without uttering a word, baffling me a little.


    A few secondster, Yasaka lightly chuckles and says, "I see that Mr. Victor gets along very well with my daughter."


    "Well," I say with a serene expression, "I treat her like I do my real daughters."


    "I see," Yasaka says with an understanding expression. From the looks of it, she thinks that I''m speaking of all my female angels through my usage of the word ''daughter''.


    There is no point in clearing this misunderstanding as the reality is much more confusing. I mean, there is Irene and AI who both act as the souls of my system. At first, the two of them seemed to be one entity, but after a while, I found out they were separate beings.


    AI is an ''artificial'' version of Irene. I''m curious regarding what is that has made her be categorized as artificial. Was she creating differently from Irene?


    Shaking my head to clear my mind of such thoughts, I say, "Ms. Yasaka."


    The dignified woman is a little startled by me calling out to her in such a direct manner, but she quickly regains herposure and responds, "Yes, Mr. Victor?"


    "I am sure that you know of the reason I am here by now."


    "Correct. You''re here to see if we will pledge our alliance to you."


    "So?"


    "Naturally, we were already nning to do so."


    Hearing her response, I beam a smile and say, "Very well then. You know who to call for once an issue arises."


    The next moment, I dissuade the stiff posture that I had taken for thest minute and say, "Now that formal matters are out of the way, how have you been doing, Yasaka?"


    A glint shes through Yasaka''s eyes as she loosens her shoulders as well and responds, "I''ve been doing fine, however, I would be doing better if you would visit us more often. My daughter often speaks of you and expresses her desire to spend time with you."


    "Oh? In that case, would you like to head out for a family outing once again?"


    Hearing my suggestion, Yasaka''s eyes widen for a few seconds before she giggles and says, "I see that you are very bold with your words, Victor."


    Looks like she didn''t find any part of what I said diforting. My usage of the word ''family'' paid off well in this case.


    Not only that, but she called me informally, which is quite unlike her usual self.


    Looking into the buxom woman''s eyes, I notice that there is a small glint within them.


    The room''s atmosphere seems to undergo an abrupt transmission as the two of us continue to look into one another''s eyes.


    My first thought regarding this is - am I being charmed by some magic?


    My seconds one is  does that even matter?


    Deciding to be resolute in my actions from here on out, I directly appear beside Yasaka, startling her a little.


    Then, without further ado, I wrap my arm around her soft shoulder and pull her into an embrace.


    Instead of showing any signs of resistance, Yasaka simply wraps her arms around my back, as if she had been waiting for this moment.


    "Do you find this fitting?" I bluntly ask.


    Understanding what I''m getting at, she simply responds, "It''s fine."


    Hearing her response, a small smile forms on my lips as I break the hug and move back a little.


    Looking into her eyes, I state, "There is no turning back from this, you know?"


    "I know," she responds with a mischievous grin on her lips.


    Leaning forth, I gradually close the distance between our faces before locking my lips with hers.


    Soon after, I feel an extremely soft sensation against my chest as a sweet scent wafts through the air into my nose.


    I subconsciously raise my arm and extend it forward before I find my hand sinking inside soft and malleable flesh.


    As a response to my actions, Yasaka ces her hand atop of mine, seemingly pushing me forth to do whatever I want with the soft mound.


    Out of everyone I''ve interacted with so far, she has the most bountiful of breasts. That, coupled with the alluring scent exuding from her, has tempted me to push her right at this moment and take her.


    s, before my mind can enter a dangerous state, the sound of the door that Kunou left from opening reaches my ears.


    As a response, I break the kiss with Yasaka and move back a little. Gazing at Yasaka, I find her licking her lips while fixing her clothes.


    A momentter, Kunou, who is holding a piece of paper, enters the room and closes the door behind her.


    She then walks over to us with a bright smile on her lips while hiding the paper behind her.


    Despite easily being able to check it out using my senses, I refrain from doing so.


    Once Kunou is close enough, an odd look appears on her face as she nces at Yasaka before she shakes her head and looks at my face.


    "Do you have something to show me, Kunou?" I say while patting her head.


    "Yes," she eagerly responds before offering me the paper with an expectant look on her face.


    The moment I set my sight on the contents of the paper, an intrigued expression covers my face as I say in an amused tone, "Were you the one who drew this?"


    Hearing my question, Kunou quickly nods her head and says, "How is it?"


    "Fantastic," I immediately respond, "This looks incredible. I didn''t know you were so good at drawing."


    My praises for her aren''t without a basis. Her drawing is not a realistic masterpiece, but it''s nevertheless a great drawing as I was able to make everything out at first nce.


    In the drawing, Yasaka and I are sitting beside one another while surrounded by numerous trees and flowers. The two of us are both watching Kunou who is gleefully chasing after a firefly.


    If there is one thing about the image that''s worth questioning, it would be...


    "Hey, Kunou, why am I glowing?"


    Confused by my question, she just tilts her head to the side.


    Whatever. It''s probably just how she perceives me or something along that line.


    "Is this a present for me?" I ask, to which she just nods her head.


    Beaming a smile at her, I move Kunou''s hair to the side before leaning forth and kissing her forehead.


    "Come here for a moment," I say before pulling her close to myself while gesturing to Yasaka follow suit.


    Once Yasaka is close enough, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and move Kunou so that she is standing right in front of us and is holding the drawing.


    "Smile," I say before creating a ratherrge photo film.


    The two of them do as I instruct them to, while I beam a smile of my own and use irvoyance to check us out.


    Using Thoughtography, I burn the sight into the photo film.


    Done with what I wanted, I telekically pull the photo into my hands and examine it before smiling and showing it to Yasaka and Kunou.


    "This is my gift for you," I say while handing the photo to Kunou, who makes sure to not dirty it with her dainty fingers.


    "One day, you will be able to draw this perfectly. At that time, I want you to recreate this photo  as a family photo."


    While listening to my words, Kunou had a constant smile face as she inspected the photo, but upon hearing myst words, a bewildered look appears on her face as she looks up at me.


    She repeatedly shifts her sight from me to Yasaka and vice versa before saying, "You will..."


    Not letting her finish her words, I embrace her and say, "I must leave now. But I promise to return sooner than usual."


    Hearing that I had to leave, Kunou''s mood dropped, but upon hearing thetter part of what I had to say, her mood brightened up once again as she immediately kissed my cheek.


    Smiling at her antics, I pat her head a little before getting up and facing Yasaka.


    The two of us lock eyes for a few seconds before Yasaka opens her mouth and says, "You promised to visit us soon."


    "I indeed did."


    "You better keep it," she says in a slightly pressuring tone.


    "I always keep my words."


    As such, I bid the two of them farewell before exiting the main house, intending to return to the mansion.

 Chapter 232: Clash (1/2)

    Chapter 232: sh (1/2)


    Having returned to the mansion, I make my way over to the living room. Upon reaching the room, I immediately notice that Rossweisse has fallen asleep on the sofa.


    Of course, all around her is a multitude of papers, which seems to have increased in number now.


    Letting out a small sigh, I begin to telekically arrange the papers and stack them up on a sofa. Then, I slowly approach Rossweisse and crouch beside the sofa she is lying on.


    I proceed to raise my left arm and use my finger to poke her cheek, eliciting a light groan from the sleeping Valkyrie.


    Finding this somewhat fun, I continue to poke her cheek until she eventually opens her eyes and looks at me with a dazed expression.


    Seeing her like this, I lean forth and kiss her cheek before saying, "You should go sleep on your bed."


    Seemingly unaware of anything, Rossweisse simply ces her hand against her cheek.


    Looks like she is too sleepy for anything. If it were any other day, she would''ve ''suffered'' from more than just some poking.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I reach forth and lift her body from the sofa before turning around and beginning to walk toward her room.


    --


    Having set Rossweisse down on her bed, I proceed to exit the room and head over to the kitchen while thinking about what to do for today.


    Currently, apart from Saturnus, none of the girls in the mansion are awake. Or, that''s what I thought, but upon reaching the kitchen, I find Gaia seated at the table.


    "Gaia?" I say after taking the seat beside her, "Why are you here? Don''t tell me that you''re already done merging with this."


    "No," she responds while shaking her head, "I tried to do it, but failed."


    "Failed? You mean merging?" I say, a little startled.


    That sounds remarkably serious. Gaia had previously said that she was merged with this, but now she can''t do that anymore.


    "What do you think is the problem?" I inquire.


    "I was able to form a connection with a small section, but the rest of the is unreachable."


    "I see."


    A small section, she says. I wonder what is exactly considered a ''small section'' for her.


    Letting out a small sigh, I being to make use of irvoyance to check the state of the city once again.


    As usual, there doesn''t seem to be any issues, but that notion soon faded as I shifted my sight to the academy.


    What the...


    Currently, a beautiful ck-haired woman is fighting against the strange group I had seen standing in front of the academy.


    However, the blonde-haired girl with a tall hat is nowhere to be seen.


    Anyway, from the looks of it, this battle started not so long ago. Even so, the battle seems to be more advantageous for the group than the ck-haired woman.


    Normally, I wouldn''t care about such a battle, but seeing that it is urring near the academy and the ones fighting are rather... suspicious, I will visit them.


    As such, I bid Gaia farewells before teleporting a few hundred meters above the academy.


    Looking down, I see that the woman is constantly making use of dark-oriented powers, while the one fighting against her is the leader, who is wielding an odd spear that seems to be more of a decoration than a battle weapon.


    Well then, time to see what''s going on.


    As such, I begin to fly toward the ground at a brisk pace before abruptlying to a halt right in between the two sides.


    Both sides are surprised by my appearance, as the leader of the group cancels an attack he was about to release.


    {Code detected. Unable to identify.}


    "Verethragna!" the ck-haired woman calls out in a gleeful tone.


    What, she knows me? I suppose that settles the issue of whose side I will be taking in this battle.


    "Verethragna?" the man wielding the spear says in a confused tone while staring at the ck-haired woman before casting a nce at me and saying, "God of Victory?"


    "This guy," a gray-haired man beside the leader of the group says, "He''s our target."


    "But she clearly called him by the God of Victory''s name?" a blonde-haired dressed in battle attire and wielding a rapier says.


    "That doesn''t matter. I''m sure that he is our target. His appearance is exactly like what the devils had described."


    Hearing his words, a somewhat mocking smile forms on the leader''s lips as he says, "You finally appeared."


    "That''s quite the attitude you''ve got, weakling," I say to the man before turning to inspect the ck-haired woman.


    She has pointy ears and is dressed in a frilly dress. If there is anything that stands out about her the most, it would be the ''dark'' aura she is exuding.


    "Who are you?" I ask, curious about how she would react to me not remembering her.


    "I haven''t had the pleasure of meeting you before," she responds, "But I am Nyx, often referred to as the Goddess of Night."


    "Nyx, huh?" I say, "Seeing that you already know me, I don''t need to introduce myself."


    "Hey!" a sharp voice suddenly reaches my ears, "Is this guy seriously ignoring us?!"


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find a blonde-haired woman dressed in battle attire while wielding a rapier.


    "You lot seem to not value your lives much," I casually remark, "Daring to interrupt a conversation between gods. Who are you even?"


    Hearing my words, some of the group members furrow their brows, while the blonde-haired girl raises her rapier and points the tip at me before saying, "I am Jeanne of the Hero Faction!"


    The next moment, I enter a fit ofughter, baffling Nyx, and the group as they gawk at me for the next twenty or so seconds.


    "Hero faction?" I say once I''m doneughing, "What''s with this cringy and childish name? Now, I don''t even feel like beating you up."


    This time, the group takes more offense in my words as the leader ms his spear into the ground and says, "Cao Cao. Leader of the Hero Faction. Laugh all you want, God, for this will be thest time you can do so."


    Sensing his emphasis on the word ''God'', a smirk forms on my lips. This guy is way too arrogant.


    "Wrong," I say while shaking my head, "You have absolutely no hope in killing me."


    "Vereth-"


    "Call me Victor," I say, interrupting Nyx.


    "Victor," Nyx does as I tell her to without showing any displeasure, "I appeared here to offer my allegiance, but met this bunch that proimed their wish of defeating you."


    "How did you know where to find me?" I inquire.


    "The devils had a lot of information to share about their one true enemy," she responds with a small smile on her lips.


    Hah~ The devils really are doing everything they can to take me down. I still don''t understand why they are so enthusiastic to do so. Still, I''m curious about who is the one that revealed my identity.


    My prime suspects would be Sirzechs and Zeoticus. Serafall Leviathan is also a suspect, but ording to my analysis of her, she wouldn''t do something like this.


    Setting that matter aside for now, I inspect the group in front of me before adopting a curious expression and saying, "Are the rest of you not going to introduce yourselves?"


    "Heracles of the Hero Faction," the gray-haired man from earlier says in a firm tone while crossing his arms.


    "Siegfried," a white-haired man that somewhat resembles Kiba says calmly.


    Lastly, a ck-haired man wearing sses says, "Georg."


    "Where is the golden-haired girl with the tall hat?" I casually ask.


    Hearing this, Cao Cao''s brows furrow as he stares at me for a few seconds before asking, "Have you met us before?"


    "Not at all," I respond, "But from reading a part of his mind, I saw that there are more members that aren''t here today."


    Seeing me pointing at Georg, Cao Cao turns his head to observe the perplexed man for a few seconds before shifting his attention back to me and raising his spear with a solemn yet prideful look on his face.


    Naturally, I am bluffing. I can ''read'' minds, but I have to be in physical contact with my target and it''s a rather slow and arduous process.


    Nevertheless, my bluff resulted in the Hero Faction to get a little fidgety, unsure of what actions to take.


    Still, ording to what I can tell about Cao Cao''s character, he will assume that my mind reading is ineffective against him, so I had to resort to reading someone else''s mind.


    "Georg, do it!" Cao Cao abruptly exims.


    Following his exmation, Georg raises his arm before pink mist exudes from his palm and surrounds us.


    Taking a nce at Nyx, I notice that she doesn''t seem to be worried, rather, excitement is apparent within her eyes as the dark aura around her intensifies.

 Chapter 233: Clash (2/2)

    Chapter 233: sh (2/2)


    Seeing the pink mist approaching us, I feel a strange sensation of familiarity.


    For some odd reason, I don''t feel like offering any resistance to the pink mist. Could this be a characteristic of whatever it is?


    Unlike me, Nyx doesn''t seem to be too concerned as she simply moves closer to me and stands right behind me.


    Soon enough, the pink mist reaches us, but instead of pain or any other sensation, I feel nothing more thanfort. It''s as if I am bathing in a pool offorting energy.


    "What is going on?!" Georg says in an anxious tone as he stops releasing the pink mist.


    "Georg?" Cao Cao says with a frown, "Is something wrong?"


    "It''s not working!" Georg responds, "Dimensional Lost is not responding!"


    Hearing his words, the others furrow their brows as Hercules says, "Are we going to fight here then?"


    "No," Cao Cao responds, "If we do that, there could be other disturbances."


    Listening to their conversation, I realize that whatever this pink mist is, it''s seemingly ineffective against me. Not only that, but it seems to have been some kind of mechanism to take us away from here.


    "You lot wish to fight elsewhere? Somewhere we won''t be disturbed?" I say, attracting their attention.


    "That''s simple," I say before invoking, "Arena."


    The next moment, everyone gets pulled along with myself into the familiar city. Looking around the ce, I begin to think of what Irene had said before.


    At any given moment, the location could change, however, there will be some sort of warning before that happens.


    Truthfully, I would be slightly saddened if the location changed now, as I''m used to the city and the way everything works.


    Setting such thoughts aside for the moment, I take a nce at Nyx, only to find her curiously observing the city with awe.


    Unlike her, however, the Hero Faction is grouped up close to one another, seemingly in preparation for an ambush.


    Shaking my head, I step forth and say, "Fret not, you weaklings aren''t worth ambushing."


    Hearing my statement, all of them re at me while preparing for battle.


    After a few seconds of standstill, Cao Cao swiftly dashes toward me with his spear raised.


    Once again, a sense of familiarity overwhelms me as the tip of the spear approaches my chest.


    Before I can settle my mind whether to bother with reflecting the attack''s vectors or not, the spear reaches my chest. Unexpectedly, I feel no pain or any kind of force, but a warm sensation as if I am being rejuvenated.


    Following this, Cao Cao''s eyes widen as he hurriedly steps back and inspects the spear in his hand.


    "Was that supposed to hurt me?" I mock.


    "Leader?" Heracles says, "What happened?"


    "I don''t know,"es a response from the befuddled man, "it should''ve pierced his body, but it suddenly stopped."


    "So much for heroes," I proim with a grin, "You can''t even handle your weapons."


    The next moment, a Heracles'' figure blurs as he dashes toward me. Once he has gotten close enough, Heracles pulls his arm back in preparation for a punch.


    Unfazed, I stand in my position and stare at his face as his fist approaches me.


    A small smile forms on Heracles'' lips as his fist contacts my cheek but frowns the next moment as I cancel all vectors associated with the punch.


    Before he can react, I swiftly m my palm into his chest while redirecting the vectors downward and amplifying them.


    As a result, Heracles falls to his knees with enough force to crack the ground.


    "You seem like a sturdy weapon," I remark before kicking his face with just enough force to knock him down.


    Then, before the bewildered group of self-proimed heroes, I grasp Heracles'' right leg tightly with my fingers riddling holes in his flesh.


    Looking up at the nervous self-proimed heroes, I beam a smile before lifting Heracles off the ground and dashing toward the girl that called herself Jeanne.


    As expected, they can''t keep up with my current speed, resulting in Heracles'' bulky body to m into the shockeddy.


    Due to them being close, both Georg and Siegfried get knocked back a few meters, while Jeanne directly ms into a building before limply falling to the ground.


    All of a sudden, I feel a tag on my arm as Heracles struggles to pull his leg away from hand.


    Discontented with his behavior, I raise my arm along with his body before mming him into the ground.


    Soon after, I notice that''s not enough as he begins struggling again, so, I repeat the process numerous times, resulting in bits of debris to burst toward Cao Cao.


    As a response, he swiftly blocks the debris using his spear by a few fancy swings.


    At this moment, a wave of darkness surrounds Cao Cao''s body as a graceful figure appears behind him and punches his back, causing him to m into the ground and drop his spear.


    Standing close to his body, Nyx has a charming smile on her face as she gazes at me.


    All of a sudden, a figure dashes toward me and swings a sword at me, which I casually block using Vector Maniption.


    Checking the figure out, I see that it''s the guy that looks somewhat simr to Kiba, Siegfried.


    "You guys don''t learn, do you?" I say in a mocking tone, "Physical attacks pose me no threat."


    At this moment two white arms protrude from Siegfried''s sides and equip two different swords exuding a dark aura.


    One of the swords is arge double-edged ck sword with golden adornments on the handle and de itself.


    The other one is a darkish-purple oddly shaped sword with demon-like wings on its hilt.


    Siegfried proceeds to swing therge double-edged sword, which results in a great force to be released in my direction, somewhat resembling that of Excalibur.


    With uncertain factors added to the battle, I create some distance between and my opponent by kicking his abdomen.


    After taking a few seconds to recover from my kick, Siegfried proceeds to swing the oddly shaped sword, which results in five ice pirs abruptly appearing around me extending toward my body.


    I casually dodge the pirs by flying up a few meters before stopping and inspecting Siegfried.


    Now that I know what the two swords are capable of, I can take him out without any worries.


    As such, I dash toward him, to which he responds by swinging the double-edged sword, resulting in a wave of destruction to be sent my way.


    Wrapping myself in Destruction, I proceed to easily pass through the wave and close in on Siegfried before punching his stomach with just enough force to shatter his ribs and render him unconscious.


    With him down, I nce over at the rest, only to find Georg being choked by Nyx, who is holding him up by the throat.


    Beside her feet, a severely injured blond-haired girl, who is none other than Jeanne, is tugging on Nyx''s dress to stop her.


    Chuckling at this pitiful sight, I slowly walk toward Nyx and say, "Refrain from killing him. There is a lot of information that can be gathered from them."


    Nyx immediately lets of Georg, causing him to fall to the ground and gasp for air.


    Satisfied with the efficiency of this battle, I reach my arm out to pat Nyx''s head, to which she responds by beaming me a bright smile and saying, "I had heard that you treated gods other than those who belonged to Genesis as children. Now, it seems like those ims weren''t without any basis."


    Hearing that, I chuckle a little before responding, "You were just cute and likable, so I decided that you deserved some praise."


    A wry smile forms on Nyx''s glossy lips as she says, "Your method of praising sure is unusual."


    As a response to her remark, I shrug my shoulders before shifting my sight to the beat-up self-proimed heroes as an odd expression appears on my face.


    "In the end, what was it that made them so confident in facing against us?" I ask no one in particr.


    "They had most likely fought some fake gods and believed themselves to be powerful enough to challenge all beings, including us."


    "Fake gods?" I curiously ask as Loki''s figure shes in my mind.


    "You killed one recently, didn''t you?" Nyx says while smiling, "My brother was very excited when he heard that you had returned and leisurely eliminated a false god while at it."


    "I see."


    So, she has a brother, huh? He should be a ''real'' god.


    "Your brother... is he a Code as well?"


    "Naturally," Nyx responds, "His name is Erebus,monly known as God of Darkness. He has always been a big fan of Genesis."


    This is quite intriguing. Not only have Ie across a pair of Codes, but one of them is a ''fan'' of my previous Program.


    "So, Nyx. Care to exin why you were looking for me?"


    Hearing my question, Nyx doesn''t falter as she gracefully responds, "As I had said previously, I havee to offer you my and my brother''s allegiance."


    "For what reason?"


    "We had always wanted to do so, but couldn''t do it due to the state of the yground."


    "Are you saying that the current situation is ideal for less powerful Codes to rise?"


    "Indeed," Nyx responds, "You watch on very quickly."


    Dismissing her praise, I begin to deliberate on her words. In a way, her ims suggest that Codes follow a strict hierarchy. Now that the stronger ones are missing from action, the rest are beginning to rise.


    The only issue would be if the rising Codes are going to side with me or not. ording to what I know so far, there is a very high chance that the majority will oppose me.


    Of course, there is also the possibility of Nyx not being truthful, or more precisely, refraining from revealing sensitive information to me.


    Anyway, now that I have the chance to obtain a goddess and a god as allies, I won''t refuse the offer. Nevertheless, it will take a while for me to trust them fully.


    "Victor," Nyx suddenly calls out while ncing at the pitiful self-proimed heroes, "What are you nning to do with them?"


    "Good question," I respond before thinking of a ce I can have these guys imprisoned at.


    After a short while, I conclude that the best ce to do so would be in Heaven. Hopefully, there is a special location with functions simr to that of a jail...

 Chapter 234: Questioning ; Decision

    Chapter 234: Questioning ; Decision


    Upon exiting the Arena, I gesture to Nyx to give me a moment before muttering, "Michael, I have captured a troublesome bunch."


    [Understood Father. I will be waiting in the sixth heaven.]


    Hearing his acute response, I nce at the unconscious members of the Hero Faction before shifting my attention to Nyx and saying, "I will be right back."


    "Alright," she responds with a smile, "I believe that I should get going now."


    I take a moment to deliberate on something before nodding my head and saying, "That''s fine. I have nothing to discuss with you, for now. If you have information that you believe is worth sharing, do so."


    Instead of giving me an audible response, Nyx just lifts the hem of her skirt while bowing before her body gets covered in darkness as it begins to seemingly melt and blend into the shadows on the ground.


    ---


    Fortunately, Heaven did indeed have a location simr to a jail, well, not all that simr but Michael said that it would work.


    The location chosen is the second heaven where angels who have sinned are usually confined. It has several functions to prevent escape such as disabling inherent powers within individuals such as the Phenex n''s immortality.


    Aside from that, all pieces of equipment, including Sacred Gears are rendered useless.


    Out of sheer curiosity, I attempted to make use of my abilities, only to find out that apart from my Code Effects, everything else was rendered useless.


    Leaving that aside, I had been wondering why a group of self-proimed heroes wish to fight against God, so I asked their leader, nicely.


    After spuing a few mouthfuls of blood, he finally relented and told me the reason for their animosity, which as I slightly suspected, was due to me being a ''Phantom''.


    As it stands, Phantoms pose the greatest threat to all beings. Most if not all records about them show that they''re rather antagonistic apart from a select few.


    At least, that''s what Cao Cao ims to be the case. Thus, his excuse for battling against me.


    While I was at it, I asked him a few questions regarding the other members of the Hero Faction.


    Apparently, due to theck of necessity, or, so they thought, the other members are currently in their base.


    Apart from that, there was another matter rted to the blonde-haired girl with a tall hat.


    Surprisingly, not long before, an internal feud had urred, resulting in two of their members to ditch the faction - the blonde-haired girl, Le Fay Pendragon, and her brother, Arthur Pendragon.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t get any more information out of him even after I had him cough up a few more mouthfuls of blood.


    Not being in the mood to torture anyone, I left Heaven and returned to the mansion, which leads to my current situation


    "Why?" I ask Krul who is sitting beside Yuno on a sofa opposite to the one I am sitting on.


    Currently, we are in the living room. Rossweisse and Ravel sitting on another sofa with an intrigued look on their faces. Beside me are Sora and Misa who are both curiously observing Krul.


    The younger ones are not present, as they seem to be busy ying.


    "You heard what she said, right?" Krul responds while pointing at Ravel, "There is a vampire faction going by the name Tepes. You expect me to not take any interest in that?"


    "Even so," I say, a little dazed, "Why does it matter if they have the same ''family'' name as you?"


    "Of course, it means a lot!" she responds in a lively manner, unlike her usual cool demeanor, "Besides, wouldn''t it benefit you if I took over?"


    Hearing her words, I let out an exasperated sigh.


    After I had returned, Ravel began sharing all the information she had over the devil ns and her opinion over their course of action in this uing war.


    Once she reached the matter concerning vampires, Krul took a great interest in her words and got all the more interested when she discovered that there is a Tepes Faction.


    Soon after, she immediately told me, "I want to go to the underworld and take over the faction."


    Naturally, I am worried about her safety, so I can''t just ept her request.


    As if sensing my thoughts, Krul furrows her brows slightly and says, "Although I appreciate your care for me, I am not a weak and fragile girl. Remember that I was previously a queen. Not to mention that I am much stronger than I was before."


    "Even so," I respond with aplicated expression, "I am still not sure about the other sides'' capabilities and personnel. So, I can''t risk your life just like that. Besides, how are you even going to take over the faction? Where are you going to even start?"


    At this moment, Yuno interjects and says, "I will go with her. It won''t be a problem if I am with her, right?"


    Huh? Yuno? Why would she want to go with her? Could it be that they are much closer than I thought they were?


    Setting that aside, I would indeed be less concerned if Yuno is going to go with her, after all, Yuno is smart and knows what needs to be done. Also, her Code is a maximized one, which speaks leagues about her proficiency in battle and her abilities.


    "Fine," I respond after a few seconds, "However, as soon as you notice that there are signs of trouble, you are to contact me through any means possible."


    "Agreed," Krul responds while Yuno just nods her head.


    "I can''t believe you are fine with this," Misa suddenly says, "You seemed like the overprotective type."


    "Me, overprotective?" I respond to herment with a smile, "Well, you do have a point, after all, I will stop at nothing to annihte the underworld if something happens to them."


    Hearing this, Misa rolls her eyes and says, "Coming from you, that doesn''t sound like a joke."


    "Because it''s not supposed to be," I respond before I feel a stinging sensation on my right arm.


    Looking over, I find Sora, who has a smile on her lips, pinching me.


    Not minding the other girls'' stares, I lean forth and kiss her cheek, earning me a genuine smile from her.


    "Hold on, so, she is really going to head over to the underworld and attempt to take over the Tepes Faction?" a bewildered voice reaches my ears.


    Looking over at the speaker, I am met with the sight of a bbergasted Ravel pointing at Krul.


    "Naturally," Krul responds before I can say anything, "Weren''t you listening just now?"


    "But, how? Do you think that''s an easy feat to pull of?" Ravel continues.


    "Don''t underestimate me, kid," Krul responds while squinting her eyes, "Victor knows better than anyone about my capabilities, so if he is fine with me heading over, then there is no problem."


    A strange sensation spreads within me upon hearing Krul''s words. Looks like she wholeheartedly believes in me and my decision.


    I can''t possibly let her down now


    ---


    "Hello, did you miss me?" I say while rubbing the tip of my finger against Eri''s head.


    The little fairy is presently sitting atop my palm with a broad smile covering her tiny face.


    "Brother Yu, Ayu wants to y with Eri too!" an excited Ayumi runs over to the bed and says while gazing at Eri.


    Seemingly responding to her words, Eri ps her wings and floats over to my shoulder before staring at Ayumi warily.


    "She always runs away from Ayu" Ayumi utters in a saddened tone.


    Soon enough G appears behind Ayumi and says in a soft voice, "Me too."


    Oh she spoke. That''s rare. I guess she truly wants to y with Eri. Usually, when I inspect them, Ayumi and G are ying with Koneko while Ophis watches from the side. A little distance away from them, Eri watches them while smiling.


    I didn''t expect that Ayumi and G have tried to y with Eri. Now that I think about it, how are they nning to y with her anyway?


    "Eri," I say while raising my left hand pointing at my palm, "Come here."


    Seemingly understanding what I''m getting at, Eri flies over and obediently sits atop my palm.


    Then, I proceed to grab Ayumi''s hand before slowly guiding it toward Eri.


    Seeing that I''m the one guiding her hand, Eri remains calm even after I hold Ayumi''s finger and gently rub her head with it.


    After a few seconds, I let go of her hand so that Ayumi is patting Eri by herself.


    "G, you too?" I say after a short while glimpsing at G who is keenly staring at Ayumi''s finger.


    She doesn''t respond to my words for a few seconds before she moves over and grabs my hand before guiding it to her head.


    Once I begin rubbing her head, G looks over at Ayumi who is also looking back at her with a smug-like expression.

 Chapter 235: Short Visit ; Void ; Favorite Dish

    Chapter 235: Short Visit ; Void ; Favorite Dish


    Seated at the dining table, I take my time enjoying the delicacies present on the table while ignoring the anxiousdy sitting opposite me.


    "Lord Victor," she finally calls out to me after a few minutes, "Can I help you with something?"


    Looking into thedy''s eyes, I nonchntly nod my head.


    Seeing this, thedy, who is none other than Zeoticus'' wife, Venna, heaves a sigh before saying, "Please tell if something has been bothering you."


    Silence ensues in the room as I refrain from answering her for a minute before I directly proim, "I have quite a few reasons to be suspicious of Zeoticus."


    The moment my voice fades, the room''s atmosphere tenses as Venna takes in a deep breath before responding, "What could have possibly caught your attention?"


    "That doesn''t matter," I reply, "What matters is Zeoticus'' actions during the past few days. Now then, do you mind telling me what your husband has been up to?"


    Despite my words seeming like I''m giving her a choice, the truth is quite far from that. She is obliged to answer my inquiry, whether she likes it or not. If anything, I am curious about her response. Will she speak the truth or will she lie to my face? If she attempts thetter, I will immediately be able to tell.


    "I don''t know," a simple response reaches my ears, startling me a little, "All I know is that he hasn''t been home for a while now."


    Sensing no falsehood in her words, I furrow my brows before asking, "You should be aware of the trouble that''s brewing in the underworld, in particr, the devils'' ns of waging war against me and a few factions. What do you think of this matter?"


    "This" Venna responds in a slightly awkward tone, "I am unsure of what your lordship is asking me."


    "Don''t act dumb, Ms. Venna. I''m asking you about whose side are you going to be taking. My or the devils'' side."


    Venna goes silent for a moment before she adopts a resolute expression and says, "The devils."


    I shut my eyes for a few seconds before abruptly opening them and beaming a smile.


    She lied.


    Knowing that there is no point in continuing to press her, I proceed to get away from the seat I was sitting on before creating a gateway connected to the mansion.


    "Lord Victor?" Venna''s slightly confused voice reaches my ears.


    "Is something wrong?" I casually ask.


    "You''re leaving?"


    "That''s right," I respond before taking a step toward the gateway.


    "Please wait!" Venna''s voice reaches my ears once again, this time being a little anxious.


    Turning my head to face her, I say, "Ms. Venna, do you have anything to say?"


    "Rias Will she be participating in this war?"


    "Naturally," I respond, "And she is going to be taking my side once the time arrives."


    Hearing my words, Venna''s face turns pale as she asks, "Is that going to be necessary?"


    "Hm I''m not sure. I will see if she''s able to handle herself before making a proper decision."


    Following this, a serious expression appears on Venna''s face as she nods her head, to which I just shrug my shoulders before stepping into the gateway.


    However, the next moment I feel a chill down my spine as I find myself floating in an endless dark void instead of the mansion''s living room.


    I feel an eerie energy twirl around my body as a pair of heterochromatic eyes appear a few hundred meters away from me.


    {Code detected: Dominion.}


    Are you fucking serious? Dominion? That''s the Code that Yuno pretended to be, the one with powers over space, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Great. I''m encountering it at this point? Hopefully, they''re just here to greet me, because I don''t think I''m prepared to face off against an entity with control over space right now.


    At this moment, I hear a light chuckle as the red and blue eyes dim a little.


    {Father, data is being shared by the Code regarding a tform.}


    What the heck? Is it inviting me over?


    {ording to my analysis, there is a very high chance that''s the case.}


    How did it find me and why is it doing this?


    {Unable to answer Father''s query due tock of information.}


    Before I can think further, the sound of a gunshot reaches my ears before a golden streak forms from the pair of eyes and struck my chest.


    The next moment, the endless dark void simply vanishes as I find myself standing in the living room, with a few pairs of eyes locked onto me.


    "What''s wrong?" Nao''s voice reaches my ears, "You seem to be in shock."


    Breaking out of my stupor, I shake my head and say, "It''s nothing."


    Deciding to not think of this matter any further, for the time being, I turn around and begin walking toward the kitchen.


    Upon arriving there, I find Sora and Saturnus cooking, while Siesta is nowhere to be seen.


    Sensing my arrival, Saturnus turns around and says, "Wee back, Creator."


    Sora is a little startled before she turns around too and says, "Haru? Why are you here?"


    "Well" I respond, "I thought I would help you cook."


    "You know how to cook?" Sora says, stunned.


    "Not very much, but yes," I respond.


    Back in Project Future, sometimes ''my'' mom would get hometer than usual, so I had to cook for myself. As such, I know how to use the kitchenware, even if a little.


    The reason I''m bothering with this right now is that I want to keep my mind busy as to not think of what happened a short while ago.


    "I want to cook too!" a cheerful voice suddenly reverberates in the room as an energetic Ayumi enters the kitchen.


    "Ayumi?" I say while a certain memory shes across my mind.


    "Let''s cook together as Brother Yu promised!"


    Hah~ It seems like I will be enjoying a remarkably special dish today.


    Taking a nce at Sora, I see that she has a curious glint in her eyes as she stares at Ayumi.


    Resolving myself to my fate, I let out a sigh and say, "Alright. What are you going to be cooking?"


    "Brother Yu''s favorite - Omurice!"


    "Favorite? I didn''t know you had a favorite dish, Haru," Sora remarks.


    Forcing a smile on my face, I say, "Would you like to try it as well?"


    Seemingly not expecting the suggestion, Sora''s eyes widen for a few seconds before she nods her head and says, "Sure. I want to see what your favorite dish tastes like."


    Good. I''ve managed to bait her. Now, I won''t be the only one to tear up from today''s meal due to how good it will be.


    "Brother Yu, we don''t have the secret ingredient," Ayumi suddenly says.


    "That''s not a problem," I reply before snapping my fingers as a bottle of pizza sauce appears in the air.


    "Here," I say while telekically cing it in her hands.


    "Is that" Sora dubiously says.


    "Yes," I respond, "It''s pizza sauce."


    "Why would she need that?" Sora curiously asks.


    "You''ll see in a moment," I respond with a smile.


    ---


    "Oh, you''re going to be eating that for dinner?" Misa remarks once everyone is seated at the table.


    "Yes," I respond while cing a small pot of honey in front of Eri and gently rubbing her head with my finger.


    "Sora and I will be enjoying this special dish cooked by our dear little chef, Ayumi."


    Hearing my words, a slight flush forms on Ayumi''s cheeks, but that doesn''t stop her from energetically eximing, "I cooked Brother Yu''s favorite dish together with him!"


    "As always, spoiling her," Nao says with a wry smile on her lips.


    "Is there a problem with that?" I ask.


    "No," she responds, "None at all."


    As such, I lift my spoon and dip it into the yellow mush before scooping up a spoonful and guiding it to my mouth.


    Chomping down on the content, my mind nks as my tongue twitches from how sweet it is.


    I try my best to keep a straight face as I nce over at Sora who has a horrified expression on her face as she stares at the untouched omurice in front of her.


    "Sora," I say after a few moments, "You shouldn''t let Ayumi''s kindness go to waste. She made one for you too, after all."


    Hearing this, Sora throws a pointed re at me with me apparent in her eyes before she takes in a deep breath and lifts her spoon.

 Chapter 236: Worry ; Resolve

    Chapter 236: Worry ; Resolve


    "You''re not focused," Tiamat''s dubious voice reaches my ears.


    Breaking out of my stupor, I focus on Tiamat who is currently in a defensive stance.


    "Usually, you would stop at nothing to take advantage of me, yet you are being very ''lenient'' today."


    Hearing her im, a grin forms on my lips as I say, "Are you asking of me to stop sparing you?"


    "No," she immediately responds, "I just want to know what could have made something like you so absentminded."


    Something like me, huh? That''s an odd way to call someone powerful.


    Hold on, is Tiamat not aware?


    "Tia, were you asleep for the whole day yesterday?"


    "Not at all," she responds, "I was awake the whole time."


    "Even when I was returning from the underworld after talking to Venna?"


    "Naturally."


    "So, do you remember what urred when I stepped through the gateway I created using Norse Magic?"


    "Yes," she responds with a doubtful expression, "You appeared in your home."


    She really doesn''t know? Great. Now, I am even more concerned about the matter with Dominion.


    No matter what, it would be in retarded to not take such a matter seriously. Heck, it managed to contact me despite most likely being in a tform separated from the Rift by the Mete.


    Even if the contact was short and harmless, it doesn''t change the fact that Dominion pulled it off, located me, and contacted me without Tia even knowing what happened despite her being with the whole time.


    As such, my mind just won''t settle down about this matter.


    I thought that I would be able to shake my worries off by spending some time in the Familiar Space early morning, but even that doesn''t help.


    At the moment, the most I can hope for is that Dominion''s powers are limited and aren''t as ridiculous as I expect them to be.


    "Hey," Tiamat calls out to me, interrupting my thoughts, "I don''t understand what''s bothering you, but I know that you should deal with it as soon as you can.


    "The more powerful you are, the more your troubles concern everyone around you."


    Tiamat''s nostalgic tone suggests that she is giving me advice from experience. Nevertheless, what she said sounds rather logical.


    An extreme example of this would be two beings capable of destroyings battling against one another. Suppose one of them has a family of weaker beings living on a. The battle may very well end their existence even if the being himself wins the battle.


    So, it would be better for me to settle the matter early while remaining cautious, lest I invite disaster upon myself.


    "Thank you, Tia," I say after resolving my thoughts.


    "Stop that. You''re making me ufortable," Tia responds with narrowed eyes.


    "Huh?"


    "It''s not like you to be nice, so stop that and go back to being your usual self."


    This busty dragon


    Letting out a small sigh, I straighten my posture before abruptly dashing toward her.


    ---


    "We''re done for today," I say while ncing at the panting Rias.


    "Finally," she says before limply dropping on the ground.


    Seeing her lying on the ground with her long red hair spread, I teasingly say, "Such behavior doesn''t befit you, princess."


    Probably knowing that I''m teasing her, Rias chuckles in between gasps before saying, "Does that even matter now?"


    As a response to her question, I shrug my shoulders before moving over and crouching by her side.


    Then, I slide my right arm under her head before lifting her body off the ground and closing the distance between our faces.


    Already used to this by now, Rias closes her eyes as our lips make contact.


    For the past hour, I''ve been training her much more intenselypared to before.


    The reason for that is quite obvious. It''s because of the uing war. Before starting our training, I asked her a few questions regarding her stance in the war.


    At first, she was startled that I knew so much about the matter, but she soon after began describing her wish of ying an active role even if it meant fighting against other devils.


    Her reasoning for that was because she believed the devils are being manipted in a way that would ruin everything. Rias expressed her belief in me and way of handling trouble to the point of stating that the best oue could only be reached if I take direct actions.


    Realizing that I''m still kissing Rias, I separate our lips before looking into her blue eyes.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I will eradicate all devils?" I had asked her when we reached a consensus.


    "No," she directly responded in a confident tone.


    Well, she is right. Even if a great number of devils die during the war,plete annihtion is not likely and not favored.


    After all, not all devils stand against me. If anything, I can rally the true powerhouses and control the general devil popce by having them follow my orders once the ''mastermind'' behind this whole ordeal is dealt with.


    Despite making it sound easy, the matter is much moreplicated, and it''s for that reason that I will be having my allies and underlings take part in this war.


    Simply put, if I were to pull off something deemed impossible and beyond reason, there would be a lot of extra trouble that could follow. However, if I were to make use of others, my ''power'' would bnce out with my ''influence'' which would effectively shut down most troublemakers.


    "Your Holiness?" Rias, who is still in my arms, utters.


    "Ah. I just got a little distracted," I say while beaming a smile.


    Suddenly, a notion appears in my mind, causing the smile on lips to grow.


    "Rias," I say while stroking her cheek with my left hand, "What if I told you that you could be an angel?"


    As expected, a shocked look appears on Rias'' face as she doubtfully stares at my face.


    "What, you don''t believe me?"


    "I do," she responds after a few seconds in an uncertain tone, "But, what would be of my servants if that happens?"


    "I''m not sure," I honestly respond, "Nevertheless, even if something unexpected urs, I''m sure that I will be able to easily deal with it."


    Rias takes a moment to deliberate on my words with a serious look on her face before she closes her eyes and says, "I don''t think I''m ready for that yet."


    Surely, there is more to her response than what she makes it seem to be the case.


    "Well, you''re right about that," I respond, "After all, you would have to sleep with me for that to happen in the first ce."


    "What?!" Rias exims as her face flushes in red, "Do you mean"


    "Yes, princess, I meant sex."


    "Why?!"


    "Don''t ask me," I respond with aplex look on my face, "Ask the version of me from a few thousand years ago."


    A confused look appears on Rias'' face, but I don''t head it much attention as I lean forward once again to kiss her lips.


    This time, I make use of my left hand to rub her exposed thigh, causing Rias'' body to flinch slightly.


    After a few minutes of passionate kissing, I detach our lips as I lean back and guide my left hand to her bosom.


    I then proceed to unbutton her shirt before sliding my hand in and directly grasping the mound underneath her bra.


    Then, I begin to y around with the soft flesh and gently squeezing the small cherry every few seconds.


    As such, Rias'' breathing bes ragged once again, for a different reason than before.


    After a short while, I stop fondling her breast and pull my hand out.


    Soon after, Rias regains her rity as she gets up and begins fixing her uniform.


    "Next time, I will be training your mouth," I say after a few seconds of deliberation.


    "My mouth?" Rias responds with a confused glint in her eyes.


    "You''ll see," I say with a smile before walking in the direction the rest are training at.


    Despite giving it some thought, Rias doesn''t seem to figure out what I meant as she soon follows me with aposed expression.

 Chapter 237: Final Decision ; Seductive Fox *NSFW*

    Chapter 237: Final Decision ; Seductive Fox *NSFW*


    A/N:- It''s Milf Season.


    -----


    On the way back to the mansion from school AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Data obtained from Code: Dominion has been analyzed.}


    {tform: Aem discovered.}


    My expression turns dour as I am once again reminded of the matter with Dominion.


    Perhaps sensing my difort, Sora leans over and whispers into my ear, "Is something wrong?"


    Hearing her voice that''s filled with concern, I let out a sigh and proim, "Girls, there is something that I would need to discuss with you sooner orter, so I will do it now."


    I take this moment to nce over at Ayumi, who is curiously staring at me, and use Hypnotism to make her fall asleep while seated.


    Then, I telekically lift her and move her onto myp before looking over at the rest of the girls.


    Everyone, apart from the sleeping Koneko, seems to have realized the severity of the matter as they adopt serious expressions as they wait for me to continue.


    "The thing is," I start, "I had a rather unexpected encounter yesterday. It happened after I was done negotiating with a devil, Venna Gremory.


    "As usual, I made use of my teleportation ability to form a gateway leading to our mansion''s living room. However, when I stepped through it, I found myself in a void of endless darkness."


    "And that''s not supposed to happen?" Misa interjects with a frown.


    "Right," I respond before continuing to recount what happened and also included the part about Tiamat not being aware of it.


    [[So, this is what has been bothering you.]]


    "Yes," I mutter, "As you can see it''s a solemn topic."


    Seemingly proving my words, the girls all have different expressions ranging from shock to slight anxiety.


    "So," Nao says after a few moments, "Are you nning to go to that world?"


    "That''s correct," I bluntly respond, "I won''t be able to settle my thoughts without doing so."


    "Are you going to call back the two that left?"


    Realizing that she''s speaking of Yuno and Krul, I shake my head and say, "No. This time, I will be traveling on my own, with my only possiblepanions being Jeanne and Irene.


    "Regarding Jeanne, I can simply summon her over if nothing unexpected urs. As for Irene, she is unable to materialize in the Rift, so I doubt she would miss out on doing so in the tform."


    {Father is correct. I will arrive as soon as I can!}


    Ignoring the gleeful voice in my head, I say, "Due to the state of the Rift being the way it is, I am nning to stop time here."


    Hearing my words, Nao and Misa both let out a sigh before Misa raises her head and says in an exasperated tone, "Sometimes, I forget just how ridiculous you can be. Like, who the heck just casually says they will stop time in a world as they travel to another?!"


    A wry smile forms on my lips as I scratch the back of my head and refrain from responding to her remark.


    "Anyway," Nao says in a solemn tone, "Are you going to be telling us about the reason you are going alone?"


    "Yes," I reply before taking in a deep breath and saying, "That''s as a precaution against my possible death."


    "What do you mean?" Nao asks with deeply furrowed brows as the air in the limo stiffens.


    That''s right. A precaution against my death. Irene, are Yuno and Krul able to leave their ''real'' body here and appear in another tform the same way I do?


    {Negative.}


    Yeah, I thought so. Basically, if I die in that state my soul will ''return'' to my body in the Rift in a damaged state. That''s still betterpared to what could be of Krul and Yuno if they die.


    The reason why am so concerned over death more than any other time is because of Dominion''s powers. For all I know, a whole city can be a trap at their hands. At the moment, I don''t know if Dominion is a foe or an ally, so I had to resort to this.


    Now that I think about it, what would happen if a Code died?


    {Generally, upon the death of a Code, it would take some time before they can reform again.}


    How long is the time needed?


    {I am unable to determine that at the moment.}


    Shaking my head in slight exasperation, I focus back on Nao and exin my state of being and the repercussions of my death if my body is in the Rift.


    "Hold on," Misa dubiously states once I''m done, "You''re saying that as long as your body is here, you can die as much as you in other worlds?"


    "Well, to a certain extent, yes. Don''t forget that my soul gets damaged each time that happens."


    Silence ensues as neither of us knows what to say.


    After a few minutes, I let out a sigh and say, "I won''t be speaking of this matter anymore. I hope that you inform the rest back in the mansion about this while preventing the younger ones from finding out."


    As a response to my request, Nao and Misa both nod their heads, while Sora simply leans on my shoulder and mutters, "Don''t die."


    cing my hand on her thigh, I respond in a low voice, "I will do my best to prevent that from happening."


    ---


    "Is your leader at the main house?" I question ady nearby upon stepping out of the house assigned to me by Yasaka.


    "Yes," thedy responds in a confused stone while scrutinizing me.


    "Don''t worry, I am not a foe," I simply say before making my way to the main house.


    Using my senses, I run a quick scan of therge house, only to find a disheveled Yasaka lying down on a futon with a look of deliberation on her face.


    Searching around even further, I find Kunou practicing her mes in a room while being tended to by two maidservants.


    A small grin forms on my lips as I check my surroundings before teleporting to the room Yasaka is in.


    Surprisingly, Yasaka''s body immediately flinches as she hurriedly gets up with blue mes swirling around her arms.


    "Calm down," I say before chuckling.


    Seeing that it''s me, Yasaka dissipates her mes before a slight frown covers her face as she says, "Mr. Victor, would you please refrain from abruptly appearing in ady''s room like this?"


    "Now, now," I say in a joking manner, "There isn''t a need to be so concerned. Besides, if I didn''t teleport here, I wouldn''t have been able to see you like this."


    Hearing my response, a glint of confusion shimmers in Yasaka''s eyes before she looks down at herself and realizes what I meant.


    Currently, Yasaka is dressed in a manner that contrasts her usual ''formal'' wear.


    For instance, the kimono she wears reveals a portion of her breast and cleavage, but, it now shows more than usual.


    Aside from that, there is her hair which is now unkempt and is hanging freely, while her usual fox ears and tails aren''t visible.


    Overall, Yasaka at the moment is exuding a strong seductive charm while seemingly being unaware of it.


    Anyway, she realized from my words that her attire is unsuitable as she begins to fix it up, however, I shortly appear near her and push her down on the futon.


    "Victor?" Yasaka''s slightly distressed tone reverberates within my ears as she looks into my eyes.


    "Do you know what Kunou is up to at the moment?"


    Confused by the query, Yasaka replies, "Yes. She''s trying to improve her power."


    "How long has she been practicing for?"


    "About ten minutes, why-"


    Before she can finish her inquiry, I press my lips against hers, greatly surprising the buxom woman.


    A few secondster, my tongue pries into her mouth and intertwines with her tongue as I try to take off the kimono, only to realize that it''s more annoying than it seems.


    Perhaps realizing my dilemma, Yasaka ces her palm against my chest and gently pushes me away, which results in the kiss to end as a thin line of saliva forms between our lips.


    "How rough," Yasaka remarks in a teasing tone before licking her lips.


    Smiling at herment, I move her kimono to the side, revealing her marvelous mounds before saying, "Don''t me me; me your charm."


    Grasping her right breast, I lean forth and guide her cherry toward my mouth.


    And so, I begin gently nibbling on her nipple and teasing it with the tip of my tongue while fondling her left breast.


    As a response to my actions, Yasaka releases a few seductive moans as she ces her hand against the back of my head.


    This goes on for a few minutes before I finally kiss her breast and align my face with hers.


    All of a sudden, I feel a strong grip on my arms before I find myself lying down on the futon while Yasaka mounts my waist.


    Then, she begins to take off her kimono with a hungry look in her eyes as if she is a predator eyeing her prey up.


    Finding this somewhat amusing, I use Destruction to directly destroy all my clothes, startling Yasaka who just threw her kimono to the side.


    "Such a convenient power," she says before chuckling charmingly.


    "Indeed," I respond before reaching arms out to cup her enormous breasts.


    "Mmn," Yasaka hums as she nimbly grasps my now-erect member and begins massaging the tip.


    Soon after, Yasaka leans down and begins licking the left side of my neck while pressing her wet slit against my shaft.


    Then, she begins to move back and forth, sliding her slit against me as her juices continue to gush out.


    As a response to this, I wrap my left arm around her nape while fondling her right breast with my other hand.


    Soon after, Yasaka seems to be unable to hold back anymore as she stops licking my nape and straightens her posture.


    Looking down at my rod which is pressing against her pussy, Yasaka grins as she chuckles and states, "Time for the main event."


    Then, she lifts her body before positioning the tip of my rod against her entrance and bringing her hips down.


    With my penis slowly making its way inside her, I grasp both of her hands before thrusting the rest inside her in one go, earning me a loud moan from Yasaka as her fox ears and tails abruptly reappear.


    Sensing that her tails only feel like a soft cushion against my legs and don''t get in the way, I ignore them as I begin moving my hips.


    Soon after, Yasaka seems to recollect herself as the grin on her lips grows, and she begins moving her hips too.


    After a few minutes of continuous thrusting inside Yasaka and fondling her breasts, I realize that the more we continue, the tighter the walls around my member get.


    My legs are nowpletely soaked along with a portion of Yasaka''s tails, but that doesn''t affect us in any way as we continue to take pleasure in each other''s bodies.


    A few more minutes pass before I feel like releasing my sperm.


    "Yasaka," I say while gazing at her face, causing her to look back at me with a wide grin on her lips and hasten the speed at which she moves her hips.


    The next moment, she leans forth and locks her lips with mine as she lowers her body,pletely taking in my shaft.


    The following moment, I release everything inside her as I passionately kiss her while pressing both of my palms against her cheeks.


    After a few seconds, Yasaka breaks the kiss and lifts her body before saying, "That was a pleasurable experience, wasn''t it?"


    "It was," I say with a smile before lifting my body off the futon and positioning Yasaka in a way that her legs are wrapped around my waist as I peer into her golden eyes.


    Seemingly reading my intentions, she moves her head closer as we begin to kiss once again, albeit much more tamelypared to before, as if savoring the sensation of our lips pressing against one another.

 Chapter 238: Open Bath ; Short Talk

    Chapter 238: Open Bath ; Short Talk


    Getting off me, Yasaka proceeds to inspect her body before stating, "It seems like I need to take a bath immediately."


    As a response to her words, I jump to my feet and say, "How about we take one together?"


    Perhaps we could take one in the Arena. Of course, anywhere other than the strange pool that renders abilities useless.


    "That sounds nice," Yasaka responds, "But are we going to be heading over to the bath in this state?"


    Hearing her words and seeing the grin on her face, a smile forms on my lips as I begin to use irvoyance to search for the bath she just spoke of.


    Soon after, I locate an open bath that is split into three regions. The female, male, and mixed.


    Currently, there are four Youkai in the female section, while the male and mixed sections are both empty.


    "I can teleport us over," I say.


    "Do you know where the bath is?" Yasaka inquires.


    "Yes, I just checked."


    "Just checked, hm?" she mutters with a curious glint shimmering in her eyes.


    "Let''s go," I say before creation a gateway leading to the female section of the bath.


    As such, Yasaka grabs a spare kimono before the two of us cross through the gateway and find ourselves standing in the open bath.


    Two of the Youkai straightaway notice our arrival as one of them points at us while the other one lets out a small shriek.


    The other two also look back and see us before one of them exims, "Mistress?!"


    "Victor," a firm voice reaches my ears, "You wouldn''t have happened to have brought us here deliberately, right?"


    "Of course, not. I just happened to find the bath and created a teleportation gateway leading to it."


    "Hm~ Is that so?"


    "Come on, let''s get into the bath," I say before walking over to the mildly hot water.


    Yasaka follows suit as the two of us sink into thefortable water.


    Looking over at the four Youkai from earlier, I see that they all have odd looks on their faces.


    There are two possible reasons for that. One would be the fact that I''m fully clothed in their eyes due to my usage of Rework to appear like so.


    The other reason would undoubtedly be me getting the bath with Yasaka, which is a much more usible reason than the first one in a sense.


    Shortly, Yasaka''s voice resounds in my ears as she states, "Earlier today, a small group representing the East Youkai Faction appeared and requested our allegiance."


    "The East Youkai Faction? What''s that?"


    "Another Youkai Faction that falls in the Kanto region of Japan. Their leader is a man named Nurarihyon."


    "I see. Was the reason for their request of allegiance rted to the uing war?"


    "No," she responds with furrowed brows, "They seemed to want something else."


    "So, what was your response?"


    "I made it clear that we won''t make any decisions until their intentions areid out for us."


    "Which they clearly didn''t," I add.


    "Yes. They seemed to be trying their best to hide their aims and intentions."


    Now, that is some suspicious behavior. For what other reason than the uing war could they be requesting the West Youkai Faction''s allegiance?


    Could it be that they are facing a cmity and require immediate assistance? If that was the case, then they wouldn''t have had to hide their intentions.


    Then, why? Truly, an odd request.


    Shaking the matter off my head, I move closer to Yasaka and wrap my right arm around her waist.


    "Oho? Could it be that you hadn''t had enough?" Yasaka says in a teasing tone.


    Not minding her remark much, I ce my left hand under her chin before drawing her closer for a kiss, while four piercing gazes lock onto my back.


    ---


    "It''s starting to gette," I say once Yasaka and I are both back in the room we did the deed.


    To clear the most ring evidence of what urred, I proceed to destroy the futon on the ground before creating an identical one.


    "Your powers truly are convenient," Yasakaments with a smile on her lips.


    Beaming a smile of my own, I approach her and embrace her soft body for a few seconds before inching back and looking her in the eyes with my left hand on her cheek.


    The next moment, I lightly press my lips against hers for a short while before moving my head to the side and hugging her appropriately.


    All of a sudden, the door leading to the room opens as Kunou enters with a smile covering her lips.


    Deciding against breaking the hug, Kunou''s gaze interlocks with mine as a dismayed look appears on the young girl''s delicate face.


    "Don''t tease my daughter too much," Yasaka suddenly says before detaching her body from mine and walking over to the new futon.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I approach the still shocked Kunou and crouch in front of her before hugging her small body.


    This seems to break Kunou out of her shock as she excitedly hugs me back and asks, "When did you get here?"


    "Not too long ago," I respond, "Where were you?"


    Stepping back from me, a slight red hue covers Kunou''s cheeks as she begins recounting her efforts in improving her abilities so that she would be able to sessfully burn me one day.


    "Do you want to kill me that badly?" I say with an odd look on my face.


    "No!" she immediately responds before hastily exining, "I just want to be as powerful as you"


    "Is that so?" I say with a smile before leaning forth and giving her a peck on the forehead.


    "Then, you better try your best, as I will be getting stronger with passing time."


    A resolute look appears on Kunou''s face as she nods her head before it melts into one of slight excitement as she says, "How long will you be here?"


    Hearing her query, I check the time through an old-looking clock before stating, "For an hour or so."


    Kunou immediately beams a bright smile as she grabs my hand and ''drags'' me toward a drawer.


    ---


    Having returned to the mansion, I run a quick scan of the rooms, only to find almost everyone asleep.


    "They sure went to sleep early," I mutter before making my way to the living room.


    There, I find Rossweisse and Ravel who both seem to be discussing something important.


    "Hello," I say upon stepping into the room, "Is there anything interesting going on?"


    As a response to my words, Ravel just shakes her head and says, "We were just speaking about Your Holiness'' prowess."


    Intrigued, I beam a smile before walking over to the sofa the two are seated on before taking a seat between them.


    Following that, I wrap my arm around Rossweisse''s waist and pull her close to myself while curiously gazing at Ravel and saying, "So, did you conclude anything?"


    Ravel, who was a little startled by my actions, breaks out of her stupor and says, "We believe that Your Holiness might just as well be the most troubling type of enemy to battle."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "Because we have yet to get a grasp of Your Holiness'' limits despite having witnessed you fight a battle. The fact that Your Holiness killed Loki, a renowned god is enough of a reason for that. Then, ignoring everything else that has happened since then, today we are told that Your Holiness will be leaving for another world while stopping time in this one."


    "I see. You''re saying that no tactic is certain against me without aplete deduction of all my abilities."


    "As expected of Your Holiness," Ravels says while smiling, "You catch on fast."


    Raising my arm, I begin to gently pat Ravel''s head before saying, "It''s not anything worth mentioning. Also, call me Victor from now on."


    Ravel''s face gets flushes in a deep red as she replies, "Understood."


    Taking in a deep breath, I adopt a solemn expression before proiming, "I will be leaving for the other world tomorrow."


    As a response to this, Rossweisse asks, "Is there anything that we need to do or be wary of?"


    "No," I respond, "I will only be ''gone'' for an instant. If something unexpected urs, such as me remaining asleep for a minute, then something must''ve happened to me.


    "In that case, you are to immediately call back Yuno and Krul to the mansion and take defensive measures for any sudden enemy ambushes."


    As a response to my words, a serious look appears on both girls'' faces as they both nod once.


    That settles thest of my worries. My reason for doing this is obvious. Even if I am harmed somehow, I wouldn''t want it to affect the others.


    After all, one can never be too cautious.

 Chapter 239: Agnetem ; Series of Abnormal Occurrences

    Chapter 239: Aem ; Series of Abnormal urrences


    Getting up from the sofa, I wish Rossweisse and Ravel a good sleep before heading over to my room.


    Upon entering, I find Sora seated at the edge of my bed,bing Ayumi''s hair.


    On the bed, Ophis and G seem to be deep asleep, with Eri sleeping on top of G''s head.


    Seeing me, Ayumi is about to jump up in a burst of excitement but stops herself halfway through as she seems to realize something.


    Beaming a smile at her, I walk over to the bed and sit beside Sora before kissing her cheek.


    A smile also forms on Sora''s cheek as she hastens her action ofbing Ayumi''s hair while making sure to not hurt her.


    "I will be leaving tomorrow," I whisper into Sora''s ear after a few seconds, causing her to flinch.


    She stopsbing and turns her head to gaze into my eyes before saying in a low voice, "In the morning?"


    "That''s right," I respond, "As it would be an instant for you, there isn''t a need to take the day off."


    "Brother Yu?" Ayumi''s voice who is also whispering reaches my ears, seemingly unaware of what Sora and I said.


    "It''s nothing," I say before reaching my arm out to pat her head.


    Sora lets out a small sigh before getting back tobing Ayumi''s hair.


    As for me, I climb onto the bed while making sure to not disrupt the sleeping trio.


    The moment I lie down somewhat properly, I begin to deliberate on my objective in Aem. Simply put, I will be trying to meet up with Dominion while also acquiring anything that I deem necessary.


    Currently, I don''t need to find the Core of Aem, so I can leave as soon as I can.


    Hopefully, Dominion turns out to be an ally or at the very least, a neutral Code.


    With such thoughts circling through my mind, I slowly begin to doze off.


    ---


    Opening my eyes early morning, I feel some weight on my chest, which as expected turned out to be Ophis and G who have climbed onto my body.


    The thing is, I feel an odd sensation against my lips, which upon inspection turned out to be Eri''s head.


    Fortunately, none of my arms are blocked, so I slowly reach toward Eri''s tiny figure before gently lifting her and cing her on the pillow.


    I would''ve liked to stay like this and directly leave the Rift, but that would not be a wise choice to make. After all, if something did happen to me, there is no guarantee that nothing strange will ur on this side with my body as the source.


    As such, I take my team to noiselessly get off the bed and sneak out of the room.


    Making my way over to the living room, I take a seat on the sofa before taking in a deep breath and using irvoyance to check on everyone.


    It seems like I''ve woken up earlier than usual as from the looks of it, everyone is still asleep.


    Letting out a small sigh, I close my eyes andy back against the sofa before invoking: .


    The next moment, I find myself standing in an endless white void with the only other thing being visible apart from myself being the Core Gate leading to Sorcerers'' Lair.


    "Irene, you know what to do."


    {Affirmative. What method would Father like to make use of for this instance?}


    "Arrogation," I respond, "After all, it has been rather useful until now, so I don''t see any reason to make use of transcription."


    {Affirmative.}


    The next moment a foreign force pushes me forth before a gap appears in the space as I am suddenly surrounded by darkness.


    What the Currently, I feel a hot sensation inside my abdomen as if moltenva was poured into my body.


    {WARNING: State of the current tform is destabilized.}


    {Obtained ability: ???}


    {Interference with tform failed. Identity arrogation was half sessful.}


    {Detecting weak Code Waves nearby.}


    Before I can react to AI''s series of reports, a jolt of pain strikes my brain as memories begin to seemingly flow into my mind.


    As it turns out, this tform is one that is unlike any other I''ve been to up until now. Apparently, thirty years ago, a sudden catastrophic event urred in Eurasia, wiping out a hundred and fifty million of the human poption.


    The catastrophic eventter came to be known as a ''space quake'', which was thergest one to ever ur to this date.


    Following the urrence of the first space quake, nothing worth mentioning urred for the next twenty-five years. However, ever since five years ago, it became something of amon urrence.


    And for some odd reason, they were focused on one country - Japan.


    Say, what the heck is up with Japan? Forget it. It doesn''t matter anyway.


    Now then, how did I end up lying on the ground with a gaping hole in my abdomen I wonder?


    For that, I need to recount the actions of the predecessor of this body.


    Two days ago, this guy, Shido Itsuka, was at school when an rm resounded. The aforementioned rm was an emergency call for the citizens to take shelter in preparation for an uing space quake.


    At first, he was going to do so, but then he remembered a promise he made with his little sister, Kotori Itsuka, that he would meet up with her at a diner to buy her a meal. He checked her location through his phone, only to find her right at the diner.


    So, thinking that she was too afraid to leave, he exited the shelter and ran through the dested city toward the diner before an explosion urred on his way.


    For some reason, he examined the explosion, only to find a strangely dressed girl right at its center with a gigantic sword nearby.


    The girl proceeded to pull the sword out of a giant metallic box before shing it at him, resulting in a purple shock-wave to be released and obliterate a building behind him.


    Shocked, he fell to the ground as the girl appeared before him and held the sword to his neck.


    "Are you here to kill me too?" she said in a deste voice.


    Somehow, the guy managed to converse with her without getting killed before a team of girls wearing mechanized armor flew over and began battling against the girl.


    One of the said girls happened to be his ssmate, Origami Tobiichi, known as the ''super genius''.


    Soon after, an explosion urred as a result of Origami shing with the strange girl before the guy was knocked out cold.


    From here, my memories seem to have nked out for some reason apart from a few urrences. First, the guy, as per someone''s orders confessed to his teacher, iming that he''s hoping to marry her.


    Then, he ran away from the said teacher who was lost in a daze before encountering an expressionless white-haired girl, who happened to be Origami Tobiichi.


    After that, a strange conversation urred with the guy somehow managing to get the girl to be his girlfriend. However, once again, this happened due to the orders of someone who was speaking to him through an earbud.


    From here, the memories nk out once again, before the next thing I know, he named the girl with the gigantic sword. Apparently, a name he picked based on the date he met her, ''Tohka''.


    After that, he invited her out on a date, despite the girl not seeming to know what a date is.


    After another nk in my memories, I arrive at today''s urrence, which just happened to be the guy heading over to where he named the girl and finding her there.


    Following that, he took her out on a date where he found that she is a glutton that loves to eat.


    Speaking of which, his sister made an appearance and quite a few coincidences urred.


    My brain is still quite fuzzy, so I don''t remember exactly how, but he ended up on a hill where he viewed the sunset with Tohka.


    Soon after that, he heard a gunshot, causing him to instinctively push the girl away before getting shot by an energy beam.


    And so, here I am now, lying on the ground as the sound of explosions reaches my ears.


    "Shido! Get up!"


    "Who?"


    "Huh? Has your brain gotten damaged? I''m your ''dear sister'', Kotori."


    "How annoying," I subconsciously mutter before getting back on my feet as a jacket falls to the bloodied ground.


    "Codification," I intone.


    ---------


    Name: Shido Itsuka (Victor Origo)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953 Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 22>>26%


    Energy Left: 100%


    ------


    Str: 86[43] (12) | Agi: 79[40] (12) | Dex: 71[36] (12)


    Int: 74[38] (12) | Def: 70>>72[36] (12) | Vit: 68>>70[35] (12)


    ------


    Other than changes in my parameters and humanity, nothing else has changed, if I were to leave the new row of question marks aside, which should be my new ability.


    Forget that. Why did my humanity increase? I don''t recall doing anything ''humane''. Could it be rted to me taking over this body?


    Anyway, it seems like my parameters are halved in this tform


    "Hey, what are you doing, you idiot brother?!"


    What''s with this brat? She is in serious need of some discipline.


    "Shut up," I say before looking over at where I am hearing the explosions from.


    There, I find my supposed ''girlfriend'' sitting on the ground with a despondent look on her face while she is being attacked by Tohka, who is continuously shing her sword, causing shock-waves to be release in Origami''s direction.


    However, Origami is being guarded by some kind of energy shield, so she is rtively safe for now.


    Irene, do the Code waves happen to being from there?


    {Affirmative.}


    So, it''s Tohka, huh.


    {Analysis: The Code waves from this distance are too weak even whenpared to that of a 3-digit Code.}


    What''s that supposed to mean? Is she like a defect or something?


    {Unable to determine.}


    Whatever. I can''t have any of the two girls die here. As Origami''s ''boyfriend'', I am obliged to save her, or, so I''d like to say, but I am nning to extract information from her after this.


    After all, not every high school girl can get dressed in mechanized suits and fight against an odd girl that can sh buildings in half by shock-waves from a gigantic sword.


    "Hey, what did you just say?" an irritated voice resounds within my right ear.


    "I told you to shut up," I respond before floating into the air.


    "You''re flying?!"


    "Do you not know what it means to shut your mouth?" I say exasperatedly before dashing toward Tohka.


    Perhaps sensing my abrupt appearance, Tohka stops swinging her sword and looks over at me before a pleasantly surprised expression forms on her face as she exims, "Shido, you''re alive!"


    "Of course," I respond before floating over to her so that the distance between us is less than a meter.


    "Hey," my sister''s voice suddenly resounds within my ear once again, "I don''t know how you''re doing this but you need to kiss her right now!"


    And why would I do that?


    Gazing at the girl who seems to be moved to tears upon finding out that I am alive, I realize that my sister''s words make sense.


    As such, I close what gap is left between me and Tohka before wrapping my arm around her back and swiftly sealing her lips.


    All of a sudden, I feel some strange sensation within me before Tohka''s clothes simply burst into motes of light, leaving her bare.


    Separating my lips from Tohka''s, I look down at her naked body with an odd look on my face.


    "Shido" a moved voice reaches my ears, but I can''t bother to respond at the moment.


    The fuck just happened?

 Chapter 240: Skeptic ; Slightly Hectic Platform

    Chapter 240: Skeptic ; Slightly Hectic tform


    Despite not being able to make sense of what''s going on, I don''t lose myposure as I quickly form an illusory barrier around myself and the naked Tohka.


    "Shido?! What just happened? Where are you?"


    They were watching me? From where?


    Shaking my head in slight exasperation, I take a moment to admire Tohka''s wless body before saying, "We need to get you dressed."


    As a response to my words, Tohka, who seemed to have been stuck in a daze, opens her eyes and excitedly asks, "What was that just now?!"


    "Huh?" I respond, slightly distraught by her excited state.


    "You mean the kiss?" I dubiously ask after a few seconds.


    "That was a kiss? Is it someth-" Tohka''s words get cut off as she notices that something is amiss.


    Looking down, she finally seems to realize that she is naked as she shrieks and attempts to cover her breast and lower part.


    For some reason, ever since the kiss, Tohka seems to have lost her ability to fly, so we are currently in the hover thanks to my Flight and Telekinesis.


    "Hey, Shido! Do something about this! We still can''t see you!"


    Ignoring the annoying screams, I deliberate on something for a moment before pressing my hand against Tohka''s, which are covering her breasts. Then, I use Creation to produce a purple bra in a way that Tohka would be wearing it once it ''appears''.


    While doing so, I notice that my database has changed once again, with the items avable being more slightly futuristic science-oriented.


    Throwing that notion to the side, for now, I follow up with my previous actions by creating purple panties and a white dress for Tohka.


    "Wow!" Tohka exims while looking down at her new attire, "How did you do that?"


    Just as I''m about to answer, an idea appears in my head, ultimately stopping me from uttering a word.


    Currently, I''ve appeared in a foreign world which I have some basic knowledge about. But, that doesn''t seem to be the case for my sister.


    From what I can tell, her identity is abnormal, and she most likely has extensive knowledge about this world. So, there is a high chance she will share information with me as I am her brother.


    But, this is where the problem lies. Earlier, AI had stated that the arrogation was only half sessful. As I do not know what this signifies, I should aim to prevent others from getting suspicious of me.


    If I do that, I would both be able to both obtain information and prevent myself from getting too caught up in troublesome situations.


    "Shido?" Tohka''s confused voice reaches my ears as she tilts her head and peers into my eyes.


    "Never mind that, Tohka," I say in a soothing tone before looking down at Origami Tobiichi who is lost in a trance while muttering something to herself.


    Letting out a sigh, I proceed to dissipate the illusory barrier before floating to the ground.


    "Finally, we can see you again," Kotori''s exasperated voice resounds within my ear.


    "Whatever," I say beforending right in front of Origami.


    All of a sudden, Origami''s horrified expression turns to that of shock and wonder as she gawks at me.


    "How?" she asks after a short while.


    "Shido, you need to leave the area. Leave her alone, herrades will appear in a few minutes."


    "I see," I respond before looking into Origami''s eyes and using Hypnosis to render her unconscious.


    "Where do we go?" I say, confusing Tohka who is standing beside me.


    "Hold on, we will pick you up,"es the response from Kotori.


    ---


    Alright. Although I expected Kotori to not be an ordinary individual from everything that has happened, I didn''t think that it would be like this


    Currently, I am in a giant flying vessel, standing beside Kotori who is seated on a chair that''s seemingly designated to amander.


    In her mouth is a lollipop that she casually ys with using her tongue while inspecting Tohka and me.


    "What happened to you?" she suddenly asks while furrowing her brows at me.


    "What do you mean?" I ask, unfazed.


    "You have changed. Your appearance"


    Her words trail off as she adopts a thoughtful expression.


    As expected, something is off. It seems like the part about others not sensing any changes has been rendered useless due to whatever error that has urred.


    So, I need to quickly shift the suspicion away from the prospect of another being taking over the body.


    As such, I adopt aplicated expression as I exin, "I don''t know what happened, but when I woke up, I felt a surge of power and strange feelings that I hadn''t felt before. Not only that, but my memories seem to have gotten somewhat hazy."


    "Huh? Don''t tell me you have forgotten the training you went through..."


    "Training?" I say in a doubtful tone.


    "Ugh. This is the worst. My idiot brother is now even brain-damaged."


    This brat. I will be sure to teach her a proper lesson once I''ve fully settled the matter of ''my'' identity.


    "Hey, Shido, why are we here?" Tohka who is beside me impatiently asks.


    "I''d like to know the answer to that myself," I respond to her words while ring at Kotori.


    As a response to this, Kotori flinches before turning her head to gaze at me for a few seconds before saying, "You can leave if you want to. We can discuss this matterter at home."


    "What about her?" I say while casting a nce at Tohka.


    "She will stay here for now."


    Hearing her words, I look over at Tohka, only to see that she has a look of trepidation on her face.


    Letting out a small sigh, I reach my arm out to pat her head and say, "I wille to visit youter, alright?"


    The moment she hears my words, Tohka''s expression turns to that of excitement as she exims, "Really?"


    "Yes, really," I respond.


    "Really, really?" she says as her tone gets a little firmer.


    "Yes, really, really," I reply a little exasperatedly.


    "Really, really, really?" she continues.


    Is she messing with me? Whatever.


    Instead of responding to her words this time, I approach her and wrap my arms around her back, startling Tohka.


    "Wow, you really have been brain-damaged," Kotori''s voice reaches my ears, but I decide to ignore it for now.


    ---


    "Now then," I mutter uponnding on the ground.


    Earlier, I had Kotori let me drop off from the flying vessel by convincing her that I had a feeling it would be fine.


    She took my word for it and let me go through with the process.


    So, I''m now beside the diner that Kotori was supposed to be the first time Shido Itsuka endangered his life.


    The reason I have dropped off from the vessel is that I need to get a good grasp of the city that I will be living in for now - Tengu city.


    And so, I begin walking through the dested streets in the direction of my home while inspecting the buildings and other aspects of the city.


    Soon after, the sky darkens before drops of water begin to fall from the sky.


    Rain, huh? It''s been a while since I''ve experienced it.


    As I stroll through the streets while not minding the rain, AI''s voice resounds within my head once again.


    {Code waves detected.}


    Again? From where?


    {To Father''s left.}


    Looking over to my left, I am met with the astonishing sight of a young girl that seems to be twelve years old, leaping from a building to a higher one.


    The heck? Say, is her Code simr to that of Tohka''s?


    {Affirmative. Simr to the aforementioned Code, the Code waves are extremely weak.}


    And, you aren''t able to identify them.


    {That''s correct.}


    How troublesome. Perhaps, I should go over and interact with the girl a little?


    The moment this thought shes through my mind, the sky clears up as I notice that the girl has seemingly vanished.


    {Unable to detect the Code waves anymore.}


    As I thought Still, where did she go? Also, how fast must she be to seemingly disappear in such a manner?


    Teleportation? That could be the case too, but I can''t be certain of anything until I meet her again.


    For now, I should get back to my ''home'' and collect information about this world and what the heck is going on.


    After all, it''s only been one day since I arrived, yet I''ve already encountered two Codes and discovered that my little sister is themander of a giant futuristic-looking flying vessel.


    I wonder what kind of tform have I stumbled across

 Chapter 241: Inspection ; Normal School Day

    Chapter 241: Inspection ; Normal School Day


    Arriving at the presumed home of Kotori Itsuka and former Shido Itsuka, I make a quick scan of the home, only to find itpletely barren of abnormal utilities.


    Then, I directly head over to the second floor, where I proceed to enter ''my'' room before using Destruction to get rid of my soaked clothes and create new clothes using Creation.


    The reason I didn''t put on the clothes present in Shido''s closet is simply that they look horrendous.


    Looking around the ordinary room, I realize that there isn''t even a mirror, so I resort to using irvoyance to check my appearance out.


    My appearance has indeed changed. Unlike before, my eyes could be mistaken for ordinary ones if they weren''t red.


    Apart from that, the color of my hair has now be even more sandy, making it easy to mistake for pale blonde.


    Finally, my height has seemingly increased as well. From the looks of it, by three or so centimeters.


    Done with the changes, I inspect the clothes that I created and how well they suit the current me.


    For this world, I decided to go with an attire that falls right in between formal and casual wear.


    As such, I am currently wearing ck trousers along with white shoes. For the torso, I am wearing a simple white business shirt.


    After a few seconds of inspecting myself, I roll up both of my sleeves a few times before smiling with satisfaction.


    Done here, I let out a small sigh before leaving my room and heading downstairs to the kitchen. There, I take a seat at the dining table before leaning back and staring at the ceiling.


    What do I do now? This is the tform that Dominion had shared data about. Despite my arrival, Dominion has yet to make an appearance.


    Either they don''t know of my arrival, or they simply more important matter to tend to.


    Anyway, as long as I''m not being pursued, I can act ''normally''. The problem with that would be how the ''original'' Shido acted is drastically different from my way of doing things.


    Just as I begin to think that I will have plenty of time to think over anything, the sound of a door opening reaches my ears.


    Looking over, I find Kotori, who is giving off quite a different vibepared to before, entering the house with a bright smile covering her lips.


    She looks around a little beforeing over to the kitchen and saying in a cheerful tone, "Oh, Big Brother, you''re already home! Are those clothes new? They suit you so well!"


    Baffled by the unexpected cheerfulness, I subconsciously respond, "Thanks."


    Wait, hold on, what''s with this situation? Isn''t she acting too differently? Was the persona she adopted in the flying vessel a fake one to prevent her position from shaking?


    Upon deliberating on the matter, a few memories sh through my mind regarding how Kotori used to be like before.


    Simply put, she was a rather naive and innocent girl that was practicallyparable to an angel, albeit a dumb one.


    "Wee back, Kotori," I say with a smile stered to my lips.


    ---


    Opening my eyes, I am met with sunlight shining through the window of my room.


    Getting off my bed, I stretch my body a little before using irvoyance to check on Kotori, only to find her still asleep.


    It seems like I''ve woken up quite early.


    I take in a deep breath before creating a new set of my school uniform and changing into them.


    Then, I exit my room and head to the kitchen where I am ''supposed'' to prepare breakfast for both me and Kotori.


    For some reason, the ''original'' Shido was always the one that prepared all three meals of the day and oddly enough, his memories regarding cooking are all deeply settled into my mind.


    Still, I won''t be cooking anything but will use my Creation instead.


    Nevertheless, I can''t overuse my powers. My energy should always be above 85%, lest I want to dig myself a hole.


    After all, I should have sufficient energy in this tform. I mean, only one day has passed and I''ve already encountered two Codes. For all I know, I could encounter a troublesome at any given moment.


    So, it would be preferred that I keep myself from wasting my Essence Energy.


    Well then, time to get this day started.


    ---


    "Well then, students," our homeroom teacher, Tamae Okamine, the very same teacher that Shido Itsuka ''confessed'' to as per Kotori''s orders, says, "Listen up. We have a new student today."


    Following her words, a certain glutton with long hair enters the room and stands in front of the ss with a confident look on her face.


    "Hello everyone! I''m Tohka Yatogami!" she says, "Pleased to meet you all!"


    After that, Tohka nces over at me before a bright smile covers her lips as she waves her arm and says, "Shido!"


    As a response to her actions, I simply wave back while glimpsing at Origami who is slightly injured from yesterday''s events.


    Surprisingly, she is cool-headed and doesn''t seem to be willing to start a fight with Tohka.


    Well, I guess she can''t just do that at school


    Still, I am currently being sent quite a few curious nces as the students begin to speak among themselves.


    "Hey, he has changed hasn''t he?"


    "Is he trying to look like a delinquent?"


    "Howme."


    Not heeding much attention to their remarks, Iy back against my seat and close my eyes.


    ---


    "Well then, it''s about time we went home," I mutter to myself.


    Today, I acted in a manner that was rather simr to the ''original'' Shido Itsuka, except the fact that I didn''t interact with anyone much, including Tohka.


    Fortunately, she didn''t seem to mind it as she was caught up by school and such matters.


    Just as I am about to prepare to leave, the ssroom door slides open as Tohka enters the ss and hurries over to my desk.


    "Shido! I made these things called cookies!" she says before mming a box filled with ''cute'' cookies onto my desk, attracting the attention of everyone present in ss.


    "The students in the cooking ss helped me make them! Please try eating one!"


    "Alright," I casually respond before reaching out to one of them and eating it in one go.


    After a few seconds, I nod my head and say with a smile, "They''re great."


    "Really?!" Tohka says in a perky voice as stars seem to shimmer in her eyes.


    "Of course," I say before cing my palm atop her head and patting her ever so slowly.


    Following my actions, quite a number of students re at me while a few girls shriek.


    It''s just a head pat


    At this moment, a figure holding a box steps into the ss and walks over to my desk.


    "Origami?" I nonchntly say once she''s close enough.


    "I''m sorry," she suddenly says while bowing.


    "What for?"


    "Shooting you," she responds expressionlessly.


    "Eh?" a female ssmate''s bewildered voice escapes her lips, "The super genius is apologizing while bowing?"


    "What does she mean by shooting anyway?" another student asks.


    "Shooting pictures?" a guy dubiously says.


    Ignoring the students, I extend my arm and ce it against Origami''s bruised face before gifting her Regeneration.


    Soon enough, Origami''s condition returns to its prime as her skin bes wless.


    At this moment, a whistle resounds within the room as the ss turns a little hectic with discussion.


    Alright, no one seems to have noticed the disappearance of her injuries.


    "Why are you here?" I ask before ncing at the box in her hands.


    "Here," she says while presenting me the box which also contains cookies.


    Compared to Tohka''s cookies, they look more professional than something made with joy.


    "Hey," Tohka suddenly says while pouting, "Shido is going to be eating my cookies!"


    "Wrong," Origami responds as expressionlessly as ever, "He will be eating mine."


    This is troublesome. I need to create a distraction.


    While keeping my eyes locked on Origami, I use irvoyance to look around the ss before settling my sight on a brown-haired male that is ring at me.


    I proceed to use Indoctrination on him before rying an order to him - Climb the nearest desk and hurl yourself at a male student while screaming at the top of your lunges.


    The next moment, a figure steps through the door and holds up a stic bag containing cookies before saying, "Hey Shido, a kind stranger gave me some cookies. Want to eat with me?"


    Ah, this is Shido Itsuka''s friend. His name is Hiroto Tonomachi, and simply put, he''s an odd guy.


    Unfortunately for him, he just so happens to be the closest student to the guy that I just indoctrinated.


    "Ahhh!" a loud cry resounds within the ss as a horrified look appears on Hiroto''s face before the indoctrinated student''s body drops on him.


    The students all begin tough out loud, while Tohka and Origami both curiously observe the scene.


    Good. I seeded.


    ---


    "Hi, Shin," a woman that looks like she hasn''t slept for days greets me as I step into the kitchen after returning home from school.


    She''s seated at the dining table beside Kotori who is now giving off the same vibe she did back on the ship.


    Her attire is the same as usual, apart from her ribbons which are now ck instead of white.


    Letting out a sigh, I take a seat at the dining table and say, "Hello, Ms. Reine."


    Then, I shift my focus to my sister and say, "Kotori, I need you to recount everything that has happened within the past few days. Perhaps, that would jog my memories."


    A serious look appears on Kotori''s face before she nods her head and begins to do as I requested of her.

 Chapter 242: Hot Bath ; Intuition

    Chapter 242: Hot Bath ; Intuition


    As I remain seated at the table listening to Kotori''s annoyed voice as she recounts events of the past few days, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Father, I am detecting a slight amount of abnormal energy nearby.}


    Where?


    {From the entity in front of Father.}


    Right now, I am seated in a manner that Reine Murasame is the one in front of me.


    Assuming that she is the one AI is talking about, I can conclude one thing based on the information I have gathered so far - She is hiding something.


    Simply put, AI doesn''t inform me about such matters unless it is somehow rted to Codes and Unknowns.


    "So, is your memory any better now?" Kotori asks once she is done recounting.


    "Yes," I straightaway respond, deciding to continue acting as the original Shido Itsuka for now.


    "In essence, you want me to go on dates with more of these ''spirits'' and seal their powers in due time, right?"


    "That''s right," she responds.


    "There is one thing that I would like to know," I say after nodding my head, "Why do I have the power to seal spirits and why do you know about it?"


    Kotori''s expression immediately turns solemn as she says, "We don''t know why you have that, but we only managed to find out through Ratatoskr."


    She''s lying.


    "I see," I respond nonchntly.


    "So, what now?" I say.


    At this moment, a figure walks into the kitchen, startling me a little.


    "Tohka?" I say dubiously while inspecting the girl who is now dressed in blue pajamas.


    "Hello, Shido!" she responds with a smile covering her lips.


    Turning my head to face Kotori, I ask, "Why is she here?"


    "Well," Kotori responds, "Even if her powers are sealed, there is a chance that they will return if her mental condition is unstable. Statistically speaking, she is more at ease with you around, so she will live here from now on."


    "Is that so," I say while ncing at Tohka who just reached the fridge.


    "And where will she be sleeping?" I ask.


    "Don''t worry. We can easily prepare a room for her in this house."


    "If you say so," I respond before getting up from my seat, intending to head to my room.


    "Ah, right," Kotori suddenly says, "I had prepared the bath for you."


    Oh, the bath. Well, if I am to act like the normal Shido Itsuka, I would need to do that, huh?


    "Alright," I respond before heading toward the bath after doing a quick scan of the house.


    ---


    Sitting in the bathtub, I relish the sensation of the hot water against my skin as I use irvoyance to check the city out.


    Due to the matter with the spake quakes, the city has been enhanced in more ways than one.


    When an emergency rm resounds, the citizens will make their way to nearby bunkers for max safety.


    To them, the space quakes are natural phenomena and nothing more than that, however, the truth is quite different from that.


    ording to Kotori, space quakes ur when a ''spirit'' appears.


    Coincidentally, the term ''spirit'' is seemingly what''s used to refer to the Codes in this world.


    This reminds me of the term that is used in the Rift, which is quite intriguing.


    Why are Codes called in such a manner? What could have instigated someone to call us as such?


    Leaving that aside, my responsibilities are sure strange. For some reason, I am now stuck with the fate of picking up girls.


    Even if there is a proper reason for it, the notion is still strange


    At this moment, I sense movement on the other side of the frame separating the two sections of the bath.


    Before I can check out what''s going on, a naked figure absentmindedly enters the section I am in while gazing at a stic cup of pudding in her hands.


    The moment she reaches the tub, Tohka raises her head, only to be shocked as soon as she notices me.


    "Shi-shido?!" a high-pitched voice escapes from her lips as she covers her breasts and privates using her arms.


    Remaining calm, I gaze into her eyes and say, "What use is there in hiding them when I''ve seen everything before?"


    Upon hearing my words, Tohka''s face flushes in a deep red as she motionlessly looks back at me.


    "Don''t mind it much, Tohka. Come on, get in the tub," I say while patting the tub.


    Tohka''s mind nks out as she looks forward with a confused expression on her face. I take advantage of this opportunity to telekically push her toward myself.


    Breaking out of her stupor, Tohka realizes that she is lying naked within my arms in the tub as her body begins to shake.


    "Do you hate taking a bath with me that much?" I say while trying to sound sad and disappointed.


    "No!" she instantly responds before turning around to face me, "It''s just this is embarrassing."


    Beaming a smile, I raise my arm to stroke her cheek before saying, "You know, I am enjoying this quite a bit.


    "After all, I have such a cute and lovely youngdy taking a bath with me."


    "C-c-cute? Me?" Tohka stutters as the blush on her face reddens even further.


    "Of course," I respond, "Now that I think about it, Kotori knows I''m in the bath. She didn''t inform you of it?"


    "No," Tohka dazedly responds, "She said I should go take a bath now, so I did."


    That girl She did this on purpose? Right, she did mention something like this during her recount. Currently, Kotori and Reine are working on a ''training program'' for Shido Itsuka to get better at handling girls.


    "Shido?"


    "What is it?"


    "Can we do it again?"


    "Do what?" I ask, curious about her request.


    "A kiss, I mean," she responds with her head lowered.


    As a response to her words, I ce my hand on her chin before lifting her head and closing the distance between our lips in one go.


    Tohka''s body flinches before it bes limp as she leans forward, pressing her soft breasts against my chest.


    After a short while, I break the kiss and gaze at Tohka, only to find her lost in a trance with a gleeful expression.


    ---


    "How was the bath?" Kotori''s voice reaches my ears as soon as Tohka and I step into the living room.


    "Pleasant," I simply say before walking over to a sofa and lying down.


    "What?" Kotori says in a somewhat bewildered tone as she nces at Tohka who just took a seat beside her.


    "You didn''t do anything, right?" she says in a slightly firm tone.


    Tohka, who is still flushed red, looks away to avoid Kotori''s gaze, while I just dismissively say, "Nothing much."


    "Her reaction says otherwise!"


    "Whatever," I casually respond.


    Who would''ve thought that she is so easy to annoy?


    "I suddenly feel like punching you," Kotori says in an irritated tone.


    "Try it," I challengingly respond.


    This time, Kotori doesn''t say anything as she justys back against the sofa with a look of deliberation on her face.


    Seeing that she is busy thinking of something, I use my senses to see where Reine is, only to find her in the kitchen, preparing coffee.


    Getting up from the sofa, I nce at the fidgety Tohka and beam a smile before making my way to the kitchen.


    "I thought you would be gone by now," I say once I''m close to the countertop that Reine is preparing her coffee on.


    "You seemed like you had something to talk with me about, so I stayed."


    Hearing her response, I furrow my brows as I peer into her eyes.


    "Who are you?"


    "Reine Murasame. Head Analyst of Ratatoskr."


    "That''s not what I''m asking."


    This time, she remains silent as she begins adding sugar cubes to the cup of coffee.


    Astonishingly, she doesn''t stop even after adding five of them but continues to add more and more.


    "Hey," I say in a dubious stone while gawking at the cup of coffee that is now practically filled with sugar.


    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I remember that I am supposed to be acting like Shido Itsuka.


    Nevertheless, this woman, Reine, is sharp and intuitive. That can be seen from how she was able to sense my intentions back at the dining table.


    Perhaps, it might be pointless to act in front of her, but I will do so anyway. If anything, from the looks of it, she is not nning to inform the rest of my ''abnormal'' behavior.


    It makes me wonder what such a person would think of my current state. Would she ept the possibility of someone else possessing this body?


    Adopting a small smile on my lips, I use telekinesis to prepare a cup of coffee for myself as well.


    Reine, who watched the whole process with keen eyes, moves the cup away from her lips and says, "Interesting."


    The smile on my lips grows as I hold my cup of coffee and say, "Right?"

 Chapter 243: Second Spirit ; Slight Anger

    Chapter 243: Second Spirit ; Slight Anger


    "Well then," I while setting down the lunch box I had prepared for myself on my desk.


    To my right, Tohka has brought her desk closer as she ces her own lunch box, which I had prepared as well, on her desk.


    I would''ve much rather not bothered with this, but Tohka''s piercing expectant gaze early in the morning was too intense.


    Suddenly, I feel a small m as Origami pushes her desk close to mine too.


    Right, as my girlfriend, she will be doing this too.


    Still, it''s kind of annoying to be gawked at for most of the day. There are now quite a few rumors going around at school.


    Not that I care, anyway.


    Opening the lid of my lunch box, I feel an odd sensation as I gaze at the food within.


    Letting out a small sigh, I grab my chopsticks and n to start eating, however, before I can do so, Origami says, "What''s the meaning of this?"


    Hearing her query, I look at her, only to find her shifting her sight from my lunch box to Tohka''s.


    Oh, is she asking why we have simr lunch boxes?


    "Tohka is living with me now, hence why I cooked for her?"


    "What?"


    "You heard me. Due to various reasons, she is going to be living with me and my sister from now on."


    Origami just gawks at my face without uttering a word with her face being as impassive as ever, albeit with a barely noticeable frown.


    All of a sudden, an emergency rm resounds as the voice of a mature woman resounds all over the ce, "Warning. Signature of a space quake has been detected in the area.


    "This is not a drill


    "Please evacuate immediately."


    The moment the voice fades, our young-looking teacher, Tamae, rushes into the room and hurriedly says, "Everyone, please remain calm and line up properly!"


    As a response to all this, a smallmotion arises among the students as they get up from their seats and leave the ss.


    Just as I''m about to get up as well, Origami does so first with a solemn look on her face.


    Right, she has to go fight against the spirit that''s about to appear.


    ording to Kotori, there is a special unit that specializes in taking down spirits. The name of the aforementioned special unit is AST standing for the ''Anti-Spirit Team''.


    Focusing back on reality, I watch Origami as she hastily leaves the ssroom.


    "Shido, what''s happening?" Tohka asks a little anxiously.


    "Nothing much," I say as I get up from my seat, "It''s just that a spirit like you is about to appear."


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t think about it much," I say while reaching out my arm to grab her hand, "You focus on getting to a shelter."


    "What about you," Tohka asks as I pull her along with myself out of the ss.


    "Me?" I say as I halte to halt and turn my head to look her in the eyes, "I will go save the spirit as I did with you."


    ---


    "We''re here," Reine, who is walking in front of me, says once we arrive in themand room.


    "Perfect timing," Kotori responds before grasping the lollipop in her mouth and pointing it in front of her, "Take a look at that."


    Doing as she instructed, I am pleasantly surprised by the sight of a giant screen showing a young girl dressed in green clothes with a white rabbit puppet on her left hand.


    "Is that little girl the spirit?" I ask.


    "Yes," Kotori responds, "The space quake happened moments ago, and it was a rtively small one. Well, the Hermit is like that."


    "Hermit? Is that her name?"


    "A codename, to be precise. For instance, Tohka''s codename is Princess," Reine exins.


    Ugh. Whoever is the one giving these codenames sucks at it. At least, Tohka''s codename is still appropriate in a sense, however, I''m not sure I can say the same about Hermit...


    "So, what''s going to happen now," I say while inspecting the screen.


    "Soon, the AST will appear and try to kill her," Kotori responds.


    "Even though she is just a child?" I ask with furrowed brows.


    "The AST doesn''t care about the appearance of the spirits they''re ordered to hunt. Besides, that spirit should be much older than what she looks like."


    I wonder how old. From what I can see, her mental age isn''t high.


    Suddenly, thend near the girl bursts as several golden glints strike the surrounding ground.


    As a response to the abrupt attack, the little girl swiftly dodges to the side before dashing into the air.


    The screen pans out, revealing a dozen or so girls flying in the air, one of which is Origami.


    They''re all aiming their peculiar weapons at the little girl and are shooting without mercy.


    The little girl, on the other hand, is just dodging their attacks and is clearly not nning to fight back. Heck, she even looks scared.


    Suddenly, a beam strikes the little girls left hand, resulting in an aggrieved look to appear on her face as the white puppet falls to the ground.


    "Screw this," I say in a stiff tone, "I''m going there."


    "Huh? What do-"


    Kotori''s words get cut off as I get sucked into a dark hole before I find myself standing in an empty void.


    "You''ve finally arrived," a gentle yet firm voice resounds within my ears.


    Before I can react to the situation in any way, I find myself floating in the air close to the little girl.


    Due to my usage of the new method of teleportation, the world''s time seems to be frozen.


    I take this chance to observe the girl, only for my frown to get worse upon seeing the tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.


    Her left hand is a little injured but doesn''t seem to be anything fatal.


    Looking behind her, I see a barrage of beamsing toward her from multiple directions.


    Now then, will I save this little girl? Doing so would give away the fact that something is wrong with ''me''.


    Kotori and everyone else on Ratatoskr would know, as well as Origami, who is pointing her weapon in my direction.


    But then again, that doesn''t matter to me. If my actions mean that I will be making an enemy out of the humans here, then so be it.


    I can only hope that the fellows at Ratatoskr would be willing to stay allied with me and provide information when necessary.


    Well then, time to get to work.


    Settling on teleporting right in front of the little girl, I do so, resulting in her tiny frame to rush toward me.


    Before she can crash into my body, I use Vector Maniption to cancel all of her vectors and wrap my hand around her waist.


    Then, as a response to the uing beams, I simply create a barrier that would reflect every single one of them.


    "Eh?" a surprised low voice escapes from the little girl''s lips as she looks up at me.


    As a response to that, I adopt a warm smile before looking back at her and saying, "Hi. My name is Shido. What''s your name?"


    "Yo-Yoshino," she meekly responds somewhat subconsciously.


    "Alright, Yoshino. Let me protect you a little, alright?"


    Hearing my words, Yoshino''s small mouth opens slightly before she nods her head.


    "Good girl," I say before shifting my sight to the AST members who have stopped attacking.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that some of them have gotten injured, albeit minor ones.


    A stalemate forms for about a minute before a girl with long ck hair flies toward us with Origami closely following behind.


    "Shido?" Origami says with furrowed brows once they''re close enough.


    "Who are you?" the ck-haired woman asks, ignoring Origami.


    "Shido Itsuka," I respond, "You?"


    "Don''t mock me!" the woman exims, "Who are you, really? Why are you defending Hermit."


    Yoshino''s body flinches as she grasps onto my clothes and mutters, "Yoshinon where?"


    Not understanding her words, I resort to calming her down by patting her back.


    "Don''t ignore me!" the ck-haired woman impatiently yells.


    "You don''t need to know who I am," I respond calmly, "All you need to know is that your small team is going to be wiped out if you don''t leave soon."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m saying that I will obliterate every single one of you," I say in an irritated tone.


    "Huh? Who-"


    Having had enough of this, I interrupt the woman by using telekinesis to forcefully twirl her tongue, rendering her literally speechless.


    "Listen," I say, "Order the rest to fall back. I''m not going to give you another chance."


    The ck-haired woman, who has ced her palm on her mouth res at me for a few seconds before nodding her head.


    "Wait a minute," Origami says while lifting her weapon and pointing it at me, "Are you really Shido Itsuka?"


    Beaming a smile, I casually respond, "Of course, I''m still your beloved boyfriend. You wouldn''t shoot me, now, would you, Origami?"


    Silence ensues before Origami points her weapon down with aplicated look on her face.


    The next moment, they both fly back to the other girls before all of them fly off into the distance.


    Seeing them disappear, I loosen my arm around Yoshino before looking into her teary eyes and asking, "Is something wrong?


    "Yoshinon is missing."


    What?

 Chapter 244: Puppet ; Brief Appearance

    Chapter 244: Puppet ; Brief Appearance


    "Yoshinon? Who is that?" I ask in a low voice.


    "Yoshinon is my friend," she responds meekly, as I feel a chilling cold at where Yoshino is clenching my clothes.


    Friend? Could it be another spirit? I don''t recall seeing her with anyone, and even if I didn''t, AI would inform me about the Code waves.


    After taking a moment to deliberate on the matter, an odd notion appears in my head.


    It can''t be right?


    "Hey, Yoshino. Is the friend you''re speaking of the white puppet you wore on your hand?"


    Instead of giving me an oral response, Yoshino just nods her head once.


    "Alright then," I say with a smile, "Let''s look for your friend."


    Having said that, I begin to float down to the wet ground.


    I hadn''t noticed it earlier due to the intensity of what was going on, but it''s raining right now, and it''s a rtively heavy onepared to the light shower from the other day.


    With such thoughts swirling through my mind, Ind on the ground and set Yoshino down before using my senses to look for the puppet.


    Fortunately, after looking around for about a few minutes, I locate it.


    "Yoshino," I call out to the little girl who has been nervously standing in ce the whole time I was searching.


    A little startled, Yoshino looks at me with a sad look on her face.


    "I found your friend," I say before beckoning to her to move closer.


    Doing as I instructed her to, I scoop her up into my arms before dashing toward where the puppet has fallen.


    Due to my abnormal speed, I reach my destination in less than a second.


    Using Telekinesis, I lift the slightly damaged puppet and bring it over to Yoshino who hastily takes it and puts it on her left hand.


    "Hehehe," an odd reaches my ears, surprising me a little.


    The next thing I know, the puppet is close against my face as its mouth moves while the odd voice reaches my ear once again, "You are you the one that helped Yoshinon, huh? You do not seem like a bad guy, Shido (Shido-kun)."


    Despite being a little perplexed about the situation, I don''t lose myposure and state, "Of course."


    "Why did you save Yoshinon?" the rabbit puppet''s mouth continues to move as the voice asks.


    "Obviously, because I couldn''t let you suffer despite you not wishing to fight."


    "Is that the only reason?"


    "No," I respond while casting a nce at the little girl''s mouth that is slightly open but remains unmoving, "It''s also because I wanted to take you home with me."


    "Iya~ How perverted. What could Shido want to do with Yoshinon?"


    "Take care of you and protect you from those wishing to hunt you," I respond, deciding to ignore most of what she just said.


    At this moment, Yoshino jumps out of my arms and begins to skip around for a minute or so before responding, "Very well, Shido. Yoshinon will go there."


    Beaming a smile, I begin to ruminate over what just happened.


    First, there was a sudden change in personality and voice that urred as soon as Yoshino put on the puppet. Does she have split personalities, with the more upfront one appearing when she wears the puppet?


    Secondly, would be the fact that I invited her over to my home. This could possibly cause me some trouble, but that''s better than her being hunted for no other reason than being a ''spirit''.


    {WARNING: Binary Factor detected. Threat level: 4}


    What?! A binary factor with a threat level of four? Where is it?


    {To Father''s left.}


    Looking over in the direction specified by Irene, I notice that there is nothing but empty space and a few buildings in the distance, so I use irvoyance to check the buildings out.


    The next thing I know, I am inspecting a ck-haired girl wearing a ck and red dress, who is standing on one of the buildings.


    The girl in question has a wide smile covering her lips as she looks in our direction with the tip of her right index finger pressed against her jaw.


    Before I can get a good grasp of the girl''s details, a dark circle forms below her feet she sinks into it.


    {The Binary Factor has left the area.}


    How odd It seems like she didn''t wish to pick a fight this time.


    Nevertheless, what kind of being could create a Binary Factor with a threat level of four?


    "Shido, are you going to stand there like that forever?" a mocking voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Shaking my head to clear my mind, I look over at Yoshino and say, "Alright then, let''s get going."


    ---


    "So," Kotori, who is sitting on a sofa opposite to the one I am sitting on, says, "Do you mind exining what happened back there?"


    Yoshino, who is obediently sitting beside me gazes at me with an impassive look on her face.


    The one that seems to be the most on edge is none other than Tohka who is sitting beside Kotori with a slightly anxious look on her face.


    "Would you believe me if I told you that I suddenly received memories regarding some superpowers and just made use of them?"


    Hearing my query, Kotori adopts a solemn expression as she takes a few seconds to think before responding, "Normally, I would pass that off as an absurd lie, but I can see how it could be the truth in this case."


    "I don''t know what''s going on," I say while looking at the ground, "But, whenever I think of a spirit being unjustly attacked, I feel a rush of adrenaline in my body as memories regarding various powers appear in my head.


    "Is that so?" Kotori says with squinted eyes, "What powers do you know of right now?"


    "Telekinesis," I say while telekically lifting the TV a short distance away from me, "Healing and flight."


    "Do you have any memories regarding a power rted to fire?" she continues as a strange glint shimmers in her eyes.


    Huh? She took the initiative to ask me about an ability? That''s rather suspicious. Does she know something? Anyway, I can just pass this question off easily.


    "I don''t know," I say without any change in my expression.


    "I see," Kotori says before leaning back with a slightly disappointed look on her face.


    A few secondster, Kotori recollects herself and says, "Shido, I need you to do your work, after all, we can''t let the rain persist."


    Understanding what she''s getting at, I nod my head and turn to face Yoshino before asking, "What do you think of staying here from now on?"


    "Are~? Does Shido like Yoshinon so much to the point wanting to keep Yoshinon here?"


    Deciding against responding to her words, I simply slide my hand under her hoodie and gently pat her head.


    "Hey, Shido!" Tohka hurriedly exims with a pout apparent on her face.


    "Is something wrong?" I ask while turning my head to face her.


    "Eh no. It''s just" her words trail off as she seems to not realize what she wants.


    Nevertheless, I understand her sentiment, after all, it''s quite apparent from her actions and the timing.


    "Tohka, I want to have a talk with youter. So, head over to my room when it''s time to sleep?"


    My words result in drastic reactions from three girls present.


    "Oh my, how bold," Yoshino says while the puppets mouth ps.


    Tohka''s face is flushed in red, while Kotori has a slightly distraught look on her face as she hastily says, "Hey, what are you nning to do?!"


    "What do you mean?" I reply in a nonchnt tone, "I said I wanted to talk to her. What else would I want to do?"


    Having said that, I get up from the sofa and make my way to the kitchen to prepare a quick snack.

 Chapter 245: Worries ; Properties ; Spar

    Chapter 245: Worries ; Properties ; Spar


    ---3rd POV---


    "Leader, what happened back there?" a young brown-haired girl hurriedly asks a downtrodden ck-haired woman.


    After a few seconds of staring at the ground, the ck-haired woman lets out a sigh and asks, "You saw it didn''t you? Something was protecting Hermit."


    As a response to her words, the brown-haired girl, as well as the rest of the girls, present nod their heads with serious looks on their faces.


    "Do you think that was a spirit?" the ck-haired woman dubiously asks.


    "No way," the brown-haired girl responds, "There was no space quake and there was no information from the headquarters regarding another spirit appearing."


    "I agree with Mikie," a golden-haired girl adds, "If that was a spirit, our equipment would''ve detected it."


    Hearing their responses, the ck-haired woman lets out another sigh and says, "Hermit''s protector seemed to be a high schooler. He wasn''t equipped with realizers, yet he was capable of flight. How do you exin that?"


    Silence ensues as each of the girls present, apart from Origami, cast a nce at one another with puzzled looks on their faces.


    "Anyway," the ck-haired woman continues, "I''m going to ry this matter to headquarters. Perhaps, they would know what''s going on."


    ---1st POV---


    "Thank you for arriving here at the time I specified," I say while gazing at Tohka who is smiling while standing in front of me with her face covered by a red hue.


    "Come here," I say while patting a part of the bed right now to where I am sitting.


    Doing as I instructed her to, Tohka sits down beside me before gazing at me with a curious look on her face.


    "Tohka, do you know what has happened to your powers?" I ask while squinting my eyes.


    "My powers?" she mutters before shaking her head and saying, "I don''t know. Ever since that"


    Her words trail off as she lowers her head and the red hue on her face reddens even further.


    "It''s my fault," I directly state, startling Tohka as she looks up at me with a befuddled expression.


    "After we had our first kiss, your powers got sealed by none other than me."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Tohka asks while slightly tilting her head.


    "Because I would like to try something out," I respond, "I recall you using a giant sword to battle against the AST."


    "I don''t know what Ay-Es-Teeu is, but I did use a sword. Its name is Sandalphon."


    "Can you use that sword now?" I inquire.


    "No," she says before extending her arm forward, "Nothing happens, even when-"


    Tohka''s words get cut off as bright shines from her palm, startling her by no small margin.


    The next moment the light fades as Tohka jumps to her feet and examines her palm with a shocked look on her face.


    "How?" she says, "I tried to use it before, and it didn''t work."


    Unfazed, I say, "Try to use it again."


    Nodding her head, Tohka reaches her arm out once again with an expectant look in her eyes.


    However, this time no light shined, resulting in a look of both confusion and disappointment to appear on Tohka''s face.


    "As I thought," I say, "The seal on your powers is directly rted to my will."


    "What do you mean?" she inquires.


    "It means that as long as I think it''s fine, you can use your powers however you like."


    Hearing my words, Tohka nods her head understandingly.


    Well, it''s great that things turned out the way I was expecting them to be. The main reason I had expected something like this was because of Kotori''s exnation regarding how Tohka''s mental state regressing could result in the return of her powers.


    No matter what, that''s a rather vague ''property'' of the sealing ability I now seem to possess.


    So, I thought of exploring its other properties while hoping they would give me a fair grasp of the ability and not befuddle me any further.


    "Tohka," I say as a grin forms on my lips, "Would you like to fight me?"


    "What?"


    ---


    "Wow!" Tohka exims as she excitedly looks around at the buildings and skyscrapers, "Where are we?"


    "In another world," I randomly respond, "How is it?"


    "It''s amazing," she directly responds.


    "Alright," I say with a small smile on my lips, "Let''s get started now, shall we?"


    Hearing my words, a slight frown forms on Tohka''s face as she asks, "Are we really going to fight?"


    "Yes, we are. Now, activate your powers."


    Following my order, Tohka''s current into fiery purple mes before a majestic dress as well as purple ted armor covers her body.


    Soon after a bright golden light shines beside her before it fades and reveals an ancient-looking golden throne.


    Tohka approaches the throne and grabs a hilt extending from its back before pulling out a giant broadsword.


    Beaming a smile, I raise my hands and yell, "Come on, Tohka. Attack me with everything you''ve got!"


    "But" she says with a slightly hesitant look on her face.


    "Tohka!" I yell in a firmer tone.


    Perhaps reasoning that there is a reason for all this, Tohka disregards all her initial inhibitions as she appears before me and swings her sword down.


    Following that, a purple shock-wave forms from the sword''s de and moves toward me at an incredible pace.


    Sensing the intensity power contained within the shock-wave, I extend my arm forward without bothering to dodge or dissipate the attack.


    The next moment, the shock-wave makes contact with my hand, resulting in an explosion as my hand turns a little numb.


    "What?!" Tohka, who witnessed the whole process, exims with a bewildered look on her face.


    "Come on, Tohka," I say while grinning, "You can''t tell me that''s all you''re capable of - producing such weak shock-waves, that is."


    Realizing that I''m mocking her, Tohka pouts and says, "I just didn''t attack you with my full power because I was afraid to hurt you."


    "Sure, if you say so," I respond while shrugging my shoulders.


    Letting out a small sigh, I decide to get a little serious.


    Circting my Holy Essence, I gaze at Tohka with a serious expression, startling her as she subconsciously gets into a defensive stance.


    The next moment, I utilize Godspeed to appear behind Tohka while using Light Maniption to create a sword out of light.


    Tohka seems to have sensed me as a purple barrier forms behind her, which I heed no attention as I swing my sword at her back.


    Shortly, my light sword contacts her barrier, resulting in a burst of energy to be released before the barrier shatters into bits as the sword continues moving without anything else to obstruct it.


    Surprisingly, the moment my sword reaches her back, another burst of energy gets released as Tohka''s dress begins glowing in pinkish purple.


    Following that, the light sword gets rebound as Tohka turns her body and throws a kick at me using her right leg which is covered in ted armor.


    Naturally, such an attack wouldn''t be able to reach me as I easily cancel its vectors before mming my palm into Tohka''s abdomen.


    My actions result in Tohka to be sent back a few meters before she stabilizes herself and raises her sword with a solemn expression.


    "What''s wrong, Tohka?" I say before dissipating the light sword, "Surely, you are capable of more than that, right?"


    "Shido" she says in a doubtful tone, "What are you? Weren''t you a human before?"


    "Was I?" I say dubiously, "If I were a human, that shot at the end of our date would''ve killed me, no?"


    Hearing my words, Tohka nods her head once before tightening her grip on Sandalphon and dashing toward me.


    Deciding to not use any of my abilities, I dash toward her as well before blocking a swing from Tohka''s broadsword using my palm and throwing a kick at Tohka''s side.


    The kick ultimatelynds on the ted armor on her side, resulting in her being thrown off-bnce and fall to the ground.


    Just as I''m about to make a remark on her abilities, Tohka abruptly gets back on her feet as rtively intense energy begins to swirl around her body and Sandalphon.


    "Shido!" she exims before dashing toward me at a speed twice as fast as her previous pace.


    With a grin on my face, I raise my arms in preparation for the uing attack.


    ---


    Setting a naked Tohka down on my bed, I let out a sigh and mutter, "I should''ve refrained from pressing her too much."


    Soon after Tohka''s ''power-up'', she began to attack me frantically without a care for the energy she had stored.


    As expected, that resulted in her copsing after a few minutes of sparring with me.


    What I didn''t expect was her clothes to just randomly dissipate along with that.


    Well, whatever. I got all the information I sought out of this, so the minor details don''t matter muchpared to that.


    Simply put, despite being much weaker than all the other Codes I''ve encountered so far, Tohka is still remarkably powerful.


    That''s not all, as I also noticed her powers seemed to increase along with my will, albeit at the cost of my Essence Energy.


    It seems like there is way more to my ''sealing'' ability than what Kotori and Reine believe, or more urately, what they have told me.


    "Shido," a voice interrupts my thoughts, causing me to look over at Tohka, whose eyes are closed.


    "Let''s kiss Shido," she says with her eyes closed as if she is sleep-talking.


    Beaming a smile, I use Destruction to get rid of my clothes before lying down beside Tohka and giving her a short peck on the lips.


    The next thing I know, a wide smile covers Tohka''s lips as she moves closer and presses her forehead against my chest.


    Sensing her two soft mounds, I am unable to hold back from giving them a gentle squeeze before starting to slowly doze off.

 Chapter 246: Lively Morning ; Transfer Student

    Chapter 246: Lively Morning ; Transfer Student


    "You idiot brother!" a loud scream causes my eyes to shoot open, only to be met with the sight of Kotori throwing a punch at my face.


    Canceling the punch''s vectors, I smile wryly as I say, "That''s not how you should wake someone up."


    "Why is she sleeping beside you!" she hurriedly responds while pointing at Tohka who is pressing her body against my back.


    Letting out a small sigh, I say, "Kotori, do you mind leaving the room for a minute?"


    A frown forms on her lips as she replies, "And why should I do that?"


    Gazing at her stubborn expression, I decide that it''s about time she learned to consider my words seriously.


    As such, I move the nket covering me away and get off the bed, stunning Kotori.


    Her face pales as she points her finger at me and asks, "Why are you not wearing clothes?"


    A small grin forms on my lips as I''m about to tease her, but before I can do so, Tohka''s voice resounds behind me, "Shido?"


    Turning around, I see Tohka who has raised her body from the bed, causing the nket to slide down and reveal her naked body.


    It seems like she hasn''t noticed anything yet as she simply yawns while rubbing her eyes.


    "You... You" Kotori''s voice causes me to turn my head back around, only to find her with a furious expression on her face as she points a shaky finger at me.


    "Shido, what happenedst night?" Tohka''s voice reaches my ears once again.


    While maintaining eye contact with Kotori, I exin, "Due to the intensity of our battle, you passed out after a few minutes."


    "Oh," she responds dazedly.


    Following this, Kotori turns around and charges out of the room with aplicated look on her face.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I turn to face the naked Tohka and say in a teasing tone, "You should get dressed soon."


    "Eh?" an odd voice escapes from Tohka''s lips as she looks down at her body before her face gradually turns bright red.


    Seeing her like this, I beam a smile as I walk over to the bed and sit beside her.


    Before Tohka can react properly, I pull her close to myself and say, "You have a rather warm body, you know?"


    As a response to my actions, Tohka simply lowers her head.


    I let out a chuckle before giving her a light peck on the cheeks and squeezing her left breast for a few seconds.


    "Are you fine with this?" I curiously ask.


    Hearing my query, Tohka pouts slightly as she mutters, "Even if I wasn''t, what could I do about it?"


    "So, you are fine with it after all," I remark before sliding my hand underneath the nket and rubbing her thigh.


    After a short while of teasing Tohka, I ended it with a passionate kiss on the lips before getting up from the bed and creating clothes for myself.


    ---


    Entering the kitchen, I find Yoshino seated at the dining table while gazing at Kotori who is sitting opposite her.


    "Good morning, Yoshino," I say before walking over to the countertop and beginning to prepare a simple breakfast by using telekinesis.


    "Oh, Shido. You seem to be very happy. Did something good happen?"


    Sensing the teasing tone, I adopt a small smile before replying, "You can say so."


    After a short while, I''m done preparing as I move everything over to the dining table before taking a seat.


    "Idiot pervert," Kotori mumbles in an irritated manner before beginning to eat.


    ---


    Entering my ssroom alongside Tohka, I cast a nce at my young-looking teacher, Tamae, before walking over to my seat with a collected expression.


    Upon sitting down, a lively voice reaches my ears as a ck-haired figure approaches me, "Shido, you were here! I was wondering where you were. The ss had yet to start, so why were you here?"


    Turning to face Hiroto, whose face is slightly bruised, I ignore his inquires and casually say, "Good morning."


    "Never mind that," he says with an excited look on his face, "Check this out!"


    Following that, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mobile phone, and shes the screen at me.


    ncing at the screen, I find a pink-haired girl with bubbly eyes.


    "So? What''s this?"


    "It''s the second version! A new version is released. Look, isn''t my girlfriend cute?"


    An odd look appears on my face as I shake my head slightly before saying, "Whatever."


    "Eh,e on. You have been so cold toward me recently," he says in a displeased tone while reaching his arm out to my hand. Nevertheless, before it could reach me, his phone ''identally'' slipped out of his other hand fell to the ground.


    "No! My beloved Ruru!" he yells as he falls to his knees and slowly picks the phone up,


    Naturally, his actions attracted a lot of attention, as most students are now gawking at him while muttering among themselves.


    At this moment, a white-haired figure enters the ssroom and makes her way over to where we are before stopping two meters away from my desk.


    "Good morning, Origami," I say in a friendly tone while beaming a smile.


    Origami doesn''t respond to me but just stares at me with an impassive expression.


    "Do you have something you''d like to ask?"


    "What are you?" she immediately asks the moment my voice fades.


    Seeing this peculiar interaction, the ss quiets down as Hiroto and Tohka both curiously gaze at me.


    "You could say that I''m a spirit," I reply, deciding that it''s pointless to act oblivious any further. After all, I''ve already shown my capabilities, even if they were just my basic abilities.


    "Liar," she responds, "All spirits are female. There are no male spirits."


    "Just because you haven''t encountered one, it doesn''t mean that they don''t exist," I say while shrugging my shoulders.


    Even so, that''s some interesting information. All ''spirits'' in this world are female? What an intriguing matter.


    "Origami," I say, "You are free to believe what you want. Just know that since you''re my girlfriend, I won''t harm you unless you cross a certain line."


    "Hey, what''s going on?! Did you just say that the super genius is your girlfriend?!" Hiroto loudly exims in a bewildered tone.


    This results in amotion to arise as the students begin to whisper among themselves.


    Looking ahead, I find Tamae with a slightly disappointed look on her face as she looks my way.


    "Right" I mutter before letting out a sigh and looking outside the window at the torrent falling.


    Looks like it''s going to be raining for quite some time...


    {Warning: Binary Factor detected. Threat level: 4}


    What? It has appeared at school? Where is it?


    {The target is currently approaching Father''s location.}


    From where?


    This time, AI doesn''t respond to my words as a ck-haired girl wearing our school uniform gracefully walks through the door while carrying a normal brown school bag in her hands and stops right beside Tamae.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that the girls'' appearance and grace are extraordinary.


    Her ck hair is tied in long twin tails that fall to the front of her torso. The most notable feature about her is her right eye, which is red, simr to mine.


    For some reason, her bangs are covering her left eye...


    How did she get so close without AI noticing her? Unlikest time, she was just a short distance away from me when AI informed me of her. Irene, do you have any spections regarding this?


    {Either The Binary Factor has just appeared in the area, or they''re capable of masking their presence.}


    "I see," I mutter before gazing at the girl who has a small smile on her lips.


    Her sudden appearance has caught the attention of the ss as everyone is currently discussing her very ''passionately''.


    "Ah, right, I almost forgot," Tamae says hurriedly while pressing her finger against her sses to raise them a little, "Everyone, we have a transfer student joining our ss!"


    The ck-haired girl bows slightly before turning around and picking up a chalk-stick on the chalkboard and writing what seems to be her name on it - Kurumi Tokisaki.


    cing the chalk back down, Kurumi proceeds to turn around before smiling and saying, "My name is Kurumi Tokisaki."


    Following this, several male students get up from their seats and let out odd noises.


    Horn dogs...


    Kurumi seems to be unfazed by their actions as she continues, "I am a spirit."


    Hearing this, Origami furrows her brows as Tohka examines Kurumi like a curious child.


    Not understanding her words, a wry expression forms on Tamae''s face as she ps her hands and says, "Thank you for the unique self-introduction. Now, let me find you a seat."


    "Before you do that, can I say something?" Kurumi interrupts her.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Being a transferee, I am still unfamiliar with this school. If someone wouldn''t mind showing me around the school grounds, I would be most grateful."


    The moment she finished her words, Hiroto raises his arm and says, "I can do that!"


    "No, thank you," Kurumi immediately responds before walking in our direction, not even bothering to cast a nce at Origami as she walked past her and reached my desk.


    "Could I ask you to do that, Shido?" (Shido-san)


    Unfazed, I gaze at her aesthetic face and reply, "Sure."

 Chapter 247: Friendly Lunch ; Good Person

    Chapter 247: Friendly Lunch ; Good Person


    "Much appreciated," Kurumi says with a graceful smile before slowly walking over to an empty desk to Origami''s right.


    She proceeds to set her school bag down before taking a seat and casting a nce at me.


    "Alright. Everyone, please take a seat, it''s time to start the lesson," Tamae proims.


    And so, our rtively normal ss begins.


    As expected of the horn dogs, they would cast a nce at Kurumi every once in a while with dumb expressions on their faces.


    Kurumi doesn''t seem to mind it or, more urately, she doesn''t seem to perceive their existence.


    Now that I think about it, this situation is a little odd. Kurumi ims to be a spirit, yet she is a Binary Factor and not a Code. There are several possibilities I can think of, but it would be pointless to dabble on this matter for too long.


    Leaving that aside, Origami seems to be in a rather dour mood. That''s understandable, after all, a student just transferred over and called herself a spirit.


    That, coupled with yesterday''s urrence, is more than enough to leave her perplexed.


    Should I try to cheer her up sometime? Is that even possible? From what I know, this girl is continuously in an impassive state...


    --


    The bell signifying the start of lunchtime rings as Kurumi rises from her seat and walks over to my desk.


    "Would you please, Shido?" she says politely.


    Nodding my head once, I get up from my seat and gaze at her face with a smile covering my lips.


    "Shido," Tohka''s worried voice reaches my ears as she gets up from her seat as well.


    Turning my head to face her, I casually say, "Stay here and your lunch. Everything will be fine."


    "But-"


    "Tohka. You should know better than anyone that the possibility of my life being in danger is extremely low."


    The moment my voice fades, Tohka adopts a solemn expression before nodding her head, while Origami head perks up a little.


    "Ara~ Such a wonderful statement," Kurumi remarks while aligning her fingers in front of her lips.


    Letting out a small sigh, I wink at Tohka once before turning to face Kurumi and saying, "Let''s get going then."


    As such, Kurumi and I exit the ss. The two of us begin walking through the hallways toward the canteen.


    "So, Kurumi, do you mind telling me why you are here?"


    "Sure. My reason for appearing here is to confirm something."


    "What, did you notice something while watching my encounter with AST yesterday?"


    Kurumi chuckles a little before saying, "How observant. I didn''t think you would notice me."


    "That''s understandable," I respond, "After all, you were standing quite a distance away from me. You must have some outstanding eyesight to notice something from such a distance."


    Following this, Kurumi just smiles and remains silent as we continue to walk toward our destination.


    Once we reach the canteen, Kurumi scans the ce with her eye before asking, "Are we going to be eating here?"


    "No," I respond, "We will get our food and head over elsewhere."


    "Are you nning to take the food back to ss?" she inquires.


    "Not at all," I respond, "We''re going to be eating at the rooftop."


    --


    With Kurumi walking in front of me, the two of us begin climbing the staircase leading to the rooftop while each carrying a tray consisting of our lunch.


    At this moment, something catches my attention - Kurumi''s slender legs.


    She''s wearing pantyhose at the moment, which highlights them rather well. This, along with the rest of her clothing, makes her seem like a modest teenaged girl.


    Suddenly, Kurumi stops climbing the stairs before she turns around and gazes at me with a teasing smile on her lips.


    "Is something wrong?" I ask, prepared for a sudden attack.


    "You seem to be very interested in my legs, Shido," Kurumi responds.


    What? How did she notice? Does she have an ability simr to my irvoyance? Or is she just very perceptible of every little detail around her?


    Either way, this question is a strange one to ask.


    "Yes, I am. You have very fine legs," I respond in a serious tone while staring at her legs.


    "How bold of you," she says before chuckling.


    After a few seconds, she turns back around and continues climbing the staircase.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I follow her from behind before we shortly reach the door leading to the rooftop.


    "Ara~ Shido. It seems like you''ve forgotten that it''s raining," Kurumi says as she stands in the door frame after opening it.


    Shaking my head, I say in a casual tone, "I prefer to eat and converse under the rain. Do you have any problems with that?"


    "Not at all," she responds while smiling, "I''m sure you aren''t nning to get us wet, yet I don''t see anything you could use to achieve that."


    "You don''t need to act oblivious," I state while grinning before walking past her and creating a dome-like physical barrier above myself using Vector Maniption.


    Kurumi''s eyes slightly narrow as she says, "What power is that? I can sense that you aren''t using spirit powers."


    "I''ll leave that to your imagination," I say before extending my arm out in her direction while using Telekinesis to lift the trays from my hand and hers.


    As a response to this, Kurumi stares at me for a few seconds before ncing at the floating trays and chuckling once again.


    After that, she takes my hand and I guide her to one of the benches near the ledge of the building.


    I guess studentse to the rooftop quite often for the school to have set up a few benches here. Perhaps, the only reason it''s not upied at the moment is because of the rain.


    Upon reaching the bench, I extend my other arm before using Pyrokinesis to dry the bench while making sure to not damage it.


    After a few seconds, the bench bespletely dry as the two of us sit down on it.


    It might seem like the whole process was simple, but it''s quite far from that. Due to my maintenance of Vector Maniption, most of my focus is on it with very little focus on everything else.


    Naturally, I don''t let that show on my face as I hold our trays in front of us respectively before beginning to eat.


    "So," I say after a while, "Have you confirmed anything yet?"


    "Almost," she responds while gracefully stuffing a bit of food into her mouth, "All I require now is for you to use your real powers."


    "What do you mean by that," I say, feigning ignorance, "I have been using it the whole time."


    "Shido, is that what you want me to believe? That''s not going to work," she states while smiling.


    "What''s that supposed to mean? As you can see, my powers are different from yours, hence your confusion."


    "I have no other choice than doubting your words. You can''t possibly be so confident of your safety if this is all you''re capable of.


    "Not to mention, I''ve seen you fly and pull off an impressive feat before."


    Letting out a sigh, I stop eating and turn my head to face Kurumi who is also looking at me.


    "So, that''s all? You want me to use my ''real'' powers?"


    "That''s correct," she replies.


    "Then, I refuse."


    "Ara~ Why is that?"


    "A beautiful mysterious girl just appeared in my school and demands that I use power for her to confirm something. No matter what, that''s suspicious as heck."


    "I suppose that''s true," she responds while pressing her finger against her lips, "But you don''t have a choice."


    "Are you sure about that?" I say while grinning, "You can''t force me to do anything."


    Hearing my words, Kurumi just stares at my face for a short while before closing her eyes and saying, "I understand. I will refrain from attempting to force you into using your real powers."


    Silence ensues as I continue eating while Kurumi just observes me as I do so.


    "Hey," she says after a few minutes, "I would like to know what you think of me."


    Hearing her request, I deliberate on my response for a moment before saying, "A beautiful and somewhat lively polite girl. Basically, a good person."


    After all, the prerequisites for bing a ''bad person'' in my book are limited to a few actions that I doubt this girl hasmitted or will bemitting anytime soon.


    Unexpectedly, Kurumi doesn''t seem to like my response as her expression turns a little unnatural.


    "A good person?" she asks.


    "That''s right," I respond, a little confused about why she would be concerned about that part.


    "If you say so," she says as her expression suddenly shifts back to normal with a small smile on her lips.


    After a short while, I finish everything on my tray before I ask Kurumi, "Are you not going to finish your lunch?"


    "No, thank you. I''m full."


    "Shall we get going then?" I say as I get up from the bench.


    Kurumi doesn''t say anything as she follows suit.


    Once we''re near the door leading back to the building, I gesture for Kurumi to enter first before dissipating the barrier and hurrying inside.


    "This was quite a pleasant experience, Shido," Kurumi says while smiling.


    "It was the same for me," I respond while patting her back a few times.


    And so, the two of us begin walking back to our ss while not uttering a single word.


    In truth, I was quite tempted to ask Kurumi if she was sent by Dominion, but I feel like there is more to the matter than that.


    In case she is not rted to Dominion and I ask her about it, she could possibly get involved in this troublesome matter, so it''s better to find some more information before taking such troublesome steps.


    "Shido," Kurumi suddenly says, "Do you mind if I hold your arm?"


    Despite being a little baffled by her abrupt request, my expression doesn''t change as I say, "Not at all. Feel free to do anytime you want."


    And that, she does. Kurumi holds onto my arm quite closely, resulting in her soft mound to press against me.


    This garners the attention of all students who are in the corridors, be it male or female as they keenly gaze at the two of us from the side while murmuring among themselves.


    Kurumi is rtively calm regarding this situation as she continues to walk with a wide smile stered to her lips.


    Letting out a sigh, I look ahead and replicate her all the way back to ss.

 Chapter 248: Located ; Time

    Chapter 248: Located ; Time


    "Shido!" a voice calls out to me as soon as we enter the ssroom.


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find Tohka, who seems to have been conversing with three girls, looking my way with a relieved expression.


    One of the three girls glimpses at my arm which is being held by Kurumi and remarks, "I guess they really did know each other before."


    "That''s right," another one adds, "How else would she know his name on her first day here?"


    "Gross," the third one says in a monotone.


    Ignoring them, I gaze at Tohka and say, "ss is going to start soon, so let''s get back to our seats."


    Nodding her head once, Tohka turns to face the trio of girls and says something before walking over to me and holding my arm.


    "What are you doing?" I say as more than a dozen pairs of eyes lock onto us.


    "It''s not fair for her to do it but not me," Tohka responds with a pout.


    "Ara~ Are you feeling jealous and threatened, Tohka (Tohka-san)?" Kurumi says while grinning.


    The displeasure on Tohka''s face grows as she responds, "That''s not true."


    Letting out a small sigh, I instigate the two to walk in the direction of our seats at the back of the ss.


    Soon after, the lesson begins as Reine enters the ssroom. For some reason, she had been casting nces at me ever since she stepped into the room.


    Oh, right! That damned earbud.


    Reaching into my pocket, I grab the earbud and put it on after making sure that no one is looking.


    "Kotori?" I mutter.


    "Finally, you idiot brother!"


    "Hey now-"


    "This isn''t the time for that! Listen, that girl you were with at the rooftop is a spirit."


    "I''m aware of that."


    So, she actually was identified as such despite being a Binary Factor.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, the girl you speak of introduced herself as such. Why do you think I was with her at the rooftop?"


    "Oh, now that you mentioned it"


    "Whatever. Do you have anything important to say?" I ask, a little irritated.


    "Of course! This spirit I have a bad feeling about her," Kotori responds in a solemn tone.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I don''t know, but just be careful. Of course, try to arrange a date if possible, but remain cautious."


    "Easy for you to say"


    Having had enough of this, I take a look around before taking the earbud off and cing it back in my pocket.


    Now then, Kotori said that she had a bad feeling in regard to Kurumi. Currently, the only usible thing I can think of would be Kurumi hiding her true self.


    After all, that''s how it usually turns out


    Nevertheless, I should really punish her soon for running her mouth off when conversing with me.


    ---3rd POV---


    "It''s him, I''m sure of it," a white-haired man with seemingly soulless ck eyes says while gazing at a giant screen disying a somewhat blurry image of a high schooler sitting on a bench at a school''s rooftop beside a ck-haired girl. Included in the image is an odd phenomenon of two trays floating in the air along with an imperceptible dome-like barrier blocking rain on top of the bench.


    "But, we did aplete analysis of him, and he turned out to be nothing more than human prior to the recent abnormal events," a woman with pale blonde hair and purple eyes states impassively.


    "That''s right," the man responds with a cold smile, "Back then, she said that he would appear in this world one day. Ever since then, I had been wondering how, but not it has be clear.


    "First, there is the report by AST, iming that a flying human was protecting a B-ss spirit. Now, there is this. It''s clear that he is nothing short of abnormal."


    "Sir, what about the S-ss spirit, Nightmare? Why would she be in contact with him?" the woman asks with furrowed brows.


    "Does that even matterpared to the aforementioned?! Just assign the task to the girl that arrived a few days ago. Mana Takamiya, was it?" the white-haired man vigorously exims, attracting the attention of everyone who was staring atputer screens.


    "Anyway, our top priority right now is to hunt him down as soon as possible. Contact the national agencies and ask for support. Round up our best team."


    "Understood," the woman says before bowing and heading toward a door leading out of the room.


    "Hey, Isaac," a voice resounds within the room as a blonde man that seems to be in his fifties gets up from his seat, "What are you nning to do?"


    "What else other than finally achieving my dream?" Isaac directly responds.


    "You don''t even know what he is capable of. This is an extremely dangerous approach to take, don''t you think?"


    "Elliot," Isaac responds in a firm tone while squinting his eyes, "This is what we''ve been waiting for, ever since Mio Takamiya''s disappearance!"


    Seemingly not knowing how to respond to him, Elliot lets out a deep sigh before sitting back down and focusing on hisputer screen.


    Seeing this, Isaac beams a smile before shifting his back to the giganticputer screen as a strange glint shes through his eyes.


    ---1st POV---


    "Tohka," I say once the final school bell has rung, "You go on ahead. I will be with you in a short while."


    "I understand," she replies before casting a nce at Kurumi who is already standing beside my desk.


    And so, Tohka leaves the ss along with the female trio from before.


    "My, my, Shido. Do you perhaps seek to spend some free time with me?"


    Hearing her words, an idea clicks in my mind as I beam a smile and say, "That''s correct. For that reason, I would like to invite you out on a date the day after tomorrow."


    "That sounds wonderful," Kurumi responds, "But Why the day after tomorrow?"


    "Because there will be no school on that day, granting us quite a bit of time spend together."


    "Very well. That sounds fine by me," she says while smiling.


    At this moment, I catch the sight of something rather interesting - Kurumi''s left eye.


    Unexpectedly, its color is yellow, but what''s even more surprising is that it looks like a clock with Roman numerals.


    Going by this No, way It can''t be that her powers are rted to time, right? The possibility of that is high now that I''ve seen such a ''unique'' feature, after all, what other reason would there be for it?


    Curious about this matter, I use irvoyance to ''sneakily'' observe the eye, only to find out that it''s moving like an actual clock.


    Checking the time out, I notice that it''s ''wrong''.


    "Shido, it''s rude to stare at a maiden for too long," Kurumi''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, causing me to shift my sight back to my eyes.


    "I apologize, but I found myself in a trance as a response to your beauty."


    "Ara~ What a glib tongue," she remarks before chuckling with her fingers in front of her lips.


    "I believe that we should leave now," I say once she is done chuckling.


    "I agree," she responds before taking a step back.


    Nodding my head, I grab my school bag and get up from my seat.


    --


    "We''re home!" Tohka exims upon stepping inside the house.


    Taking off my shoes, I set the wet umbre in my hand against the wall and follow after her as she makes her way to the living room.


    Back at school, Kurumi just said one sentence before disappearing into the rain, which was, "Don''t forget our date."


    Following that, I was about to teleport Tohka and myself back home, but before I could do that, a golden-haired girl who is one of Tohka''s friends offered us an umbre.


    As such, I walked back home with Tohka''s body pressing against mine as she held onto my arm while speaking of her day at school.


    Shaking my head, I focus back on reality as I step into the living room, only to be met with the sight of Yoshino sitting on the sofa and watching TV. Beside her, Kotori has an excited look on her face as she stares at the screen.


    Tohka seems to have frozen in ce as she stares at the TV as well.


    Looking over at the TV, I see that there is currently a ''magical girl'' type of show being aired.


    Letting out a sigh, I move forth and wrap my arm around Tohka''s waist, startling her, before guiding her to a sofa and sitting down on it with her.


    I take this moment to observe Kotori, only to notice that something feels off.


    She has an oddly bubbly aura and is gleaming with excitement as she watches the show.


    Letting out a small sigh, I sit back against the sofa and gaze at the ceiling as I begin to think of today''s encounter.

 Chapter 249: Kiss ; Criminal

    Chapter 249: Kiss ; Criminal


    "So, how is it? Have you gotten used to living here?" I ask while gazing at Yoshino.


    "Well, yes. Even though Yoshinon hasn''t been here for too long, this is a nice ce to stay at."


    "Good," I say with a smile.


    Currently, the two of us are alone in my room, sitting on my bed. The reason for that is because I wished to set up a date with Yoshino for tomorrow.


    After all, if I am not mistaken, the reason that it''s still raining is because of her. I don''t mind the rain much, but it''s bode to earn us some unwanted attention if it''s not dealt with soon.


    The solution for that is simple. All I need to do is seal here the same way I did with Tohka. However, the problem is that I reckon it would be a bad idea to just suddenly kiss her.


    Doing so might make her afraid and confused, which is something I would rather prevent from urring.


    Nevertheless, it''s not like I''m not able to do anything else to deepen our rtionship.


    "Yoshinon," I say in a casual tone, "How about we go on a date tomorrow?"


    "A date?" an immediate reply resounds within my ears, "Oya~ What is Shido nning to do?"


    "Just spending some time with one another while visiting a few fun ces," I reply while smiling.


    "In that case, Yoshinon is fine with it."


    The smile on my lips grows as I subconsciously reach out my arm to pat Yoshino''s head.


    A few seconds after doing so, I realize what I''m doing as I glimpse at Yoshino''s face, only to find it a little flushed with no signs of difort.


    Delighted by her reaction, I continue to pat her head before gradually moving my hand over to her left cheek and stroking it.


    Perhaps it is not necessary to wait after all? Even so I''ve already gotten her to agree to go on a date with me, so I can''t take my words back.


    Alright, I''ll do it. First, I need to make sure that it won''t make her feel ufortable.


    "Yoshinon," I say while moving a little closer to her, "You''re extremely adorable, you know that?"


    The red hue on her cheeks gets redder as her eyes shift to the side a little without uttering anything.


    Position my hand in a way that it covers her left cheek and ear, I slowly lean forth while peering at her blue eyes.


    All of a sudden, I feel a soft sensation against my lips as my vision gets somewhat blocked by a pair of white and pink ears.


    Moving my head back from the puppet, I inspect Yoshino''s face as I ask, "You don''t want to?"


    A strange glint shimmers in Yoshino''s eyes as her body gets slightly fidgety.


    "Don''t be afraid," I say in a soothing tone, "You can trust me to not hurt you. If anything, I will protect you from all kinds of harm."


    Upon hearing my words, Yoshino''s body tenses as the arm holding ''Yoshinon'' gradually moves down.


    "Hey," I say while ying with her earlobe, "I want to speak with Yoshino. Is that fine?"


    My request causes her body to tense a lot more than before as her eyes begin to seemingly shake and her breathing bes more haggard.


    Knowing that this is already too much for her, I give her time to think of her response as I keenly observe her face for any expressions she might make.


    After about five minutes, Yoshino surprisingly moves her right hand over to the other one and begins to very slowly take the puppet off, as if any sudden movement would result in a disaster.


    I patiently wait for her to fully take it off and gently ce it down on the bed.


    "Um" a soft voice escapes from her lips, "Don''t stare at me too much"


    A bright smile covers my lips as I stroke her cheeks and say, "Alright. I wouldn''t be able to do so soon anyway."


    Yoshino gets confused by my words as she tilts her slightly, but I heed no attention to that as I move my left hand over to hers and hold her other hand as well using my right hand.


    As a reaction to this, she gets a little startled but seems to me to trust me enough to let her guard down soon after.


    And so, I once again begin to gradually lean toward her, this time nothing possibly getting in my way.


    Yoshino seems to be a little nervous, so I tighten my grip on her small hands as my lips contact hers.


    Following this, Yoshino flinches as the attire she was wearing bursts into motes of light before fading and revealing her naked body.


    With my objectiveplete, I detach my lips from hers and lean back a little to observe her face.


    As expected, Yoshino''s face has be beet red with a dazed look in her eyes.


    Seeing this, I chuckle for a few seconds before asking, "How was it?"


    My words seem to bring Yoshino''s rity back as her lips part, but no word escapes from them.


    "Yoshino?" I say as I lean forward a little, "Did you like it?"


    Instead of responding by words, Yoshino just nods her head once.


    As a response to this, I beam a smile before moving closer and kissing her forehead.


    Surprised, Yoshino raises her head to look at me, which I take the opportunity to lock lips with her once again.


    At this moment, my room''s door suddenly bursts open as a red-haired figure steps into the room and exims, "Big brother, what are you doing?!"


    Breaking the kiss, I move my hand so that my left arm is wrapped around Yoshino''s naked body before pressing her against myself and looking over at Kotori.


    She''s still in this state? And what''s with her reaction to this? She should know the ''reason'' I am doing this...


    Right now, Kotori is wearing casual clothes along with white ribbons tying up her hair into twintails.


    Her expression is that of shock and slight horror as she points a shaky finger at me with tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.


    "Nothing much," I say while patting Yoshino''s head using my right hand as she remains motionless within my arm.


    "Uwaa~ Big brother became a criminal and is going to jail!" Kotori exims before beginning to sob as she rushes out of the room.


    "Hey! Hold on a second!" I exim, but she doesn''t seem to have heard me.


    Letting out a sigh, I look down at Yoshino, only to find her looking back at me with a curious glint in her eyes.


    "Alright," I say, "Let''s get you dressed, shall we?"


    --


    Entering the living room along with Yoshino, who is holding my hand, I find Kotori lying down on a sofa with Tohka sitting close by.


    Noticing our arrival, Tohka turns her head to face me before anxiously asking, "Shido, who are these ''police'' people, and will they really take you away?"


    Right, I almost forgot that she ispletely oblivious to modern society.


    "Don''t worry," I say while casting a nce at Kotori who is looking at me with teary eyes, "Nothing will happen. It''s that my cute little sister is overreaction a little, right?"


    Toward the end of my statement, I made my tone a little more firm, causing Kotori to flinch and hastily say, "Of course. I was just a little confused."


    Satisfied, I nod my head and say, "Alright then, Kotori,e on over and help me prepare dinner."


    As a response to my words, Kotori practically jumps up from the sofa and says, "Really? Together?!"


    I just nod my head once more before patting Yoshino''s head and walking over to the kitchen.


    Soon after, Kotori makes her way to my side and whispers, "Don''t worry, big brother. I will make sure to not tell anyone that you''ve be a criminal."


    Hearing this, I let out a sigh and ask, "Why did youe to my room anyway?"


    "Well," Kotori says with a thoughtful expression, "I noticed that the rain stopped, so I thought that something must have happened."


    "I see," I say as I open the fridge and inspect the contents within.


    "Hey, hey, am I truly going to be cooking with big brother? You never let me do it before"


    "Of course," I say while smiling, "One way for a proper brother and sister to get along would be through cooking together."


    "Alright! I will cook the tastiest dish ever!" Kotori exims while raising a lollipop that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

 Chapter 250: Desire to Cook ; Impassive Beauty

    Chapter 250: Desire to Cook ; Impassive Beauty


    Waking up early morning, I perform the now-usual routine of changing into my uniform and heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    Despite it not having been long since I''ve been here and have received the memories and experiences of Shido Itsuka, I''ve already grown fond of a few things. One of which is cooking.


    When ites to cooking, I''ve got only a handful of memories to fuel my thoughts and aid me in the process. Nevertheless, the oue is truly rewarding.


    When others praise the food one has cooked, it gives them a slight sense of pride and a good feeling. However, this only applies to those who know how to cook...


    Last night, the dish prepared by Kotori turned out to be something akin to the most disgusting non-lethal poison in the world. What baffles me is it turned out that way despite me giving her instructions quite frequently and how she seems to have not been aware of its ''properties''.


    Naturally, I didn''t tell her that the food she cooked is nigh-inedible but just said that she has a long way to go if she wants to cook dishes on par with mine.


    Following that, I pretended to eat the whole thing by using Destruction on every spoonful of it


    And so, here I am now standing in the kitchen thinking of what food to prepare. Just remembering Tohka''s ecstatic expression and Yoshino''s delightful squeak fromst night is enough motivation fuel for me.


    Soon after, I begin to prepare breakfast. Halfway done, I hear a few noises as Kotori and Tohka climb down the stairs in their uniforms.


    "Good morning, Shido!" Tohka energetically says upon stepping inside the kitchen.


    "Good morning, big brother," Kotori who is right behind her says in a low tone.


    "Good morning you two," I respond, "Take a seat. Breakfast will be done soon."


    ---


    "She''s not here today," Tohka says while gazing at Kurumi''s seat.


    "Well, she isn''t exactly a normal student, so you can''t expect her to attend school normally like one," I say before letting out a sigh and sitting down on my seat.


    Tohka ces her school bag down before making her way over to the female trio who seem to be her close friends now.


    At this moment, a white-haired figure enters the ssroom and makes her way over to the desk to my right before setting her school bag down and looking over at me.


    "Good morning, Origami," I say after turning my head to face her.


    "Good morning," she responds in an impassive tone, "I want to speak with you in private."


    Hearing her words, I raise my brows and ask, "Are you going to try interrogating me?"


    "No," she replies immediately, "I just want to take you away from ss because that what''s a girlfriend is supposed to do."


    What the heck is she on about? Seriously, it''s rather hard to figure out the thoughts of this girl.


    "Alright," I say while adopting aposed smile.


    --


    "Origami," I say in an exasperated tone while pressing my fingers against my forehead, "Why are we here?"


    "ording to some reliable sources, this is the best ce to have a private conversation."


    "That''s fine" I say before inspecting her body and asking, "But was it really necessary to put on a nurse outfit."


    I was wondering why she didn''t want me to step inside the room a few minutes ago.


    Origami directly nods her head once and says, "ording to another reliable source, males will listen more carefully when a female is wearing certain uniforms such as this one."


    Well, I can understand what she means, but still What are these reliable sources she''s speaking of?


    Shaking my head, I stare at Origami''s pink nurse uniform for a few seconds before asking, "So, why did you bring me here? Seeing that you put on a nurse uniform just to get me to listen to you more carefully, I assume that it''s an important matter."


    The moment my voice fades, Origami''s expressionless face turns a little solemn as she asks, "Why did you defend the B-ss spirit, Hermit?"


    "You''re seriously asking me for the reason I protected a harmless little girl from the hands of murderers?"


    As expected, a slight frown forms on Origami''s face as she asks, "You think that our AST unit ispromised of murderers?"


    "That''s right," I bluntly respond as I sit down on one of the two beds in the room, "You all hunt down the so-called spirits without care for their thoughts and feelings."


    "Spirits are the murderers," Origami says in a dissatisfied tone, "They cause space quakes and possess powers that can endanger everyone. We''re just dealing with threats against humanity."


    "What makes you think that way?" I ask, intrigued over the reason she seems to hate spirits so much.


    Following my query Origami goes silent for a short while before she raises her head with a resolute look in her eyes.


    "Five years ago, a spirit killed my parents," she proims.


    "And? You''re going to kill all spirits because one of them did that?"


    "Is that not reason enough?" Origami says with a frown.


    "Not at all," I respond, "You''re just being absurd. Say, if it was a human that killed your parents and got away with it, would youmit mass genocide to try and wipe out all of humanity?"


    "No, but-"


    "It''s the same thing," I say, interrupting her words, "Simr to humans, spirits can be categorized as good and bad. Hunting all of them down because of the actions of a single spirit is extremely excessive, don''t you think?"


    Fortunately, Origami seems to have understood what I''m getting at as she lowers her head and adopts a look of deliberation.


    A few minutes pass before she finally raises her head and asks, "And what about the space quakes? Even if there are good spirits as you im, they still cause space quakes when they appear."


    "You don''t need to worry about that," I say, "We''ve discovered a way to prevent that from happening."


    "We?" she repeats.


    "Never mind that. Do you have anything else to say?"


    "Yes," she responds, "What powers do you have?"


    Hearing her inquiry, a grin forms on my lips as I ask, "Would you believe if I told you that I''m a spirit?"


    "No," she instantly responds.


    "Ah, whatever. You may think of me as the most powerful human," I say, a little baffled by her direct response.


    Nevertheless, that should be somewhat true, as ording to my System, my race a human. At least, a part of me is.


    Origami seems to understand I don''t wish to dabble on the topic any longer as she just nods her head before walking over and sitting beside me.


    "What?" I ask while gazing at her.


    "Don''t you want to push me down?" she asks impassively.


    "Huh? What are you even asking?"


    "Is this position no good?" she says before taking off her white shoes and turning her body on the bed so that she is directly facing and saying, "Better now?"


    I don''t get her at all.


    "Why do you want me to push you down?" I ask.


    "ording to a reliable source, seduction is one of the best ways to prevent cheating."


    I think your source got that backward


    Hah~ If there is anything I''ve learned today, it would be the fact that Origami''s so-called reliable sources are unreliable as heck.


    "Well then, don''t mind if I do."


    Following that, I swiftly press my palm against Origami''s shoulders and push her down on the bed.


    Then, I align my face with hers before asking, "Now what?"


    "I''ll leave that to you," she says in an impassive tone despite there being a very slight red hue on her cheeks.


    Having already expected such an answer, I proceed to close the distance between our faces before locking lips with her.


    Origami doesn''t react in any way to my actions other than simply wrapping her arms around my nape.


    After a minute or so, I detach my lips from hers before looking into her eyes.


    Unexpectedly, the blush on her face hasn''t grown much, indicating that she isn''t shy in any way.


    At this moment, the school bell indicating the start of the first lesson rings.


    "How unfortunate," I say before getting off her and the bed.


    "You''re going back to ss?" she asks while remaining lied down.


    "Where else?" I ask.


    "You don''t need to leave. ording to a reliable source, it would be highly beneficial to skip ss as a couple."


    ...


    "Origami, let''s just head back, alright?"


    "Okay," she simply responds before getting off the bed as well and proceeding totch onto my arm.


    Letting out a small sigh, I exit the nurse room along with Origami and head in the direction of our ssroom.

 Chapter 251: Date with Yoshino (1/2)

    Chapter 251: Date with Yoshino (1/2)


    Upon entering the ss with Origami, practically every pair of eyes in the room locks onto us as shocked looks appear on quite a few students'' faces.


    "Oh my god, is that" a male student close to us says in a disbelieving tone.


    "I never thought that the day I would see the super genius like this woulde!" some guy a few desks away exims.


    "How shameless," a girl sitting close to him remarks.


    A little confused by their reactions, I furrow my brows as I nce over at Origami before a realization dawns upon me - I forgot to have her change back into her school uniform.


    Knowing that this is troublesome, I decide that I need to inform Origami we need to leave ss, but before I can do so, a high-pitched voice reverberates in the air, "Origami Tobiichi, what are you wearing?!"


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find a flushed Tamar with a rebuking look on her face.


    Origami seems to have realized the situation as she casts a nce at me, but I decide to leave the exining to her, after all, I''m certain that she''s smart enough toe up with some excuse.


    Seeing that I''m not nning to aid her, Origami gazes at Tamae for a few seconds before saying, "I dressed up like this for Shido."


    Shit.


    "You what?!" Tamae exims as the blush on her cheeks grows.


    "Wait, teacher," I say while raising my arms, "It''s not what it looks like."


    "I expect a proper exnation," Tamae says after recollecting herself while fixing her sses.


    Well, of course, you would. How problematic. I could make use of Indoctrination to deal with this matter, but that will surely cause amotion of sorts. After all, a teacher not saying anything to her student wearing a nurse uniform to ss would be strange.


    Leaving that aside, I could take this chance to get a grip on Tamae''s character too. Exactly how naive is this young-looking teacher?


    "You see," I begin, "I had grazed my hand earlier today, and she wanted to fix it up for me. However, for some odd reason, she said that she would only do it in a nurse uniform.


    "Fortunately, there was one in the nurse room that fit her just fine. After that, she began to change into it, but the moment she was done changing, the bell rang. As such, we rushed to ss because that''s more important than anything else."


    As proof of my ims, I use Organic Constructs to sharpen the tip of my left hand''s index finger and swiftly scratch my right hand which is still being held by Origami.


    Naturally, to others, my speed is imperceptible, so they don''t notice anything.


    "Woah, he''s really bleeding!" a male student suddenly yells.


    Hearing his words, Tamae''s expression changes as she nces at my right arm and hurriedly says, "Go get your hand treated! Quickly!"


    "Alright, alright," I say before gently pulling my arm to break free from Origami''s grasp, however, it didn''t budge.


    "Teacher, may I be the one to treat him?" Origami suddenly asks impassively.


    "Eh? Ah, sure," Tamae responds in a baffled tone with an uncertain expression on her face.


    Hearing this, I immediately lead Origami out of the ss while Tohka''s voice reaches my ears, "Hey, Shido! What happened?!"


    ---


    "We''re home!" Tohka exims the moment we step in through the front door.


    Following that, Tohka heads to her room to get changed while I make my way to the living room.


    There, I find Yoshino, who is dressed in a frilly purple dress, properly sitting on a sofa and watching TV.


    Checking the channel out, I get perplexed upon noticing that it''s a news channel.


    Fortunately, it''s not speaking about anything troubling, causing me to let out a sigh of relief before walking over to Yoshino.


    "You''re finally here," an odd voice reaches my ears as the rabbit puppet''s mouth on Yoshino''s hand moves.


    "Yeah. Did you miss me?" I ask while smiling.


    "I''m not sure about that," she responds beforeughing in a rather peculiar manner despite her lips seemingly not moving at all.


    "Well then, I will go get changed before we can get going, alright?"


    "Sure, sure. It''s bad to make a girl wait for long!~" she says.


    Chuckling at her contrasting personality, I shake my head before turning around and heading over to my room.


    --


    "Where are we going, Shido?" Yoshino, no, ''Yoshinon'' asks me.


    "Do you have anywhere you would like to go?" I ask as I cast a nce at her.


    "A mall wouldn''t be bad," she responds.


    "Alright," I say before muttering, "Kotori, you heard her."


    "Yes, yes," a slightly irritated voice resounds within my ears.


    Letting out a sigh, I patiently wait for her response as I take Yoshino''s hand into mine and walk with her.


    Honestly, I would rather not resort to using this earbud, but due to my geological knowledge of this city being rather bad, I am forced to do so.


    "There is a good location not so far from your location. Follow my directions."


    "Alright," I mutter before asking Yoshino, "Why a mall? Do you want me to pick you some cute clothes that couldplement your cuteness?"


    "As bold as ever," she responds, "But... Yoshie will leave that part to Shido."


    Nodding my head as confirmation, I listen to Kotori''s instructions while keeping a lookout for any abnormal happenings around us.


    Soon after, we reach the mall that is named rather oddly - Pick a Look: Win a heart.


    "Hey, Kotori," I mutter, "What is this mall exactly? Are you sure it''s safe to enter?"


    "Of course," she directly responds, "This mall belongs to Ratatoskr, so we can help you out properly."


    As I thought Whatever, it''s toote now.


    "What a nice-looking mall," Yoshinon remarks.


    "Indeed," I respond with a forced smile on my lips.


    --


    Entering the first that caught Yoshino''s attention, I find myself standing in a clothing shop designated for children around Yoshino''s physical age.


    To my pleasant surprise, Yoshinon''s persona breaks as a curious glint shimmers through Yoshino''s eyes while she looks around the clothing shop.


    A smile forms on my lips as I begin to look around as well beforeing to halt as my sight sets on a set of white rabbit pajamas.


    "I think I found something interesting," I say as I begin to walk toward the set of pajamas while gently dragging Yoshino along.


    She seems to have noticed what I was focused on as she intently gazes at the set of pajamas before asking, "Are~ Shido. Are you nning to dress Yoshie up in that?"


    "Yes," I bluntly respond while keenly observing her face.


    "Well, it''s not that bad," she remarks, "It for sure shows that you genuinely want to buy something cute."


    Beaming a smile, I turn my head to search for the shop clerk, only to find a ck-haired middle-aged woman walking over to us with a business smile stered to her lips.


    "How may I help you, dear customer?" she says once close enough.


    "A set of these pajamas, please," I respond while pointing my finger at the white set of pajamas.


    "Of course," she responds with a polite bow.


    --


    "Shido," a soft voice reaches my ears as I stand outside the dressing room while waiting for Yoshino to change into the rabbit pajamas.


    "You''re done changing?" I say before stepping forth and sliding the dressing room''s curtain open, revealing a flushed Yoshino dressed in the white pajama with her hands linked.


    She''s not wearing the puppet


    "You look absolutely adorable," I directly say as I crouch down to bring my face to her level.


    "Really?"


    "Undoubtedly. You''re so cute that I''m having an awful time holding back from hugging you."


    Hearing my words, the blush on Yoshino''s face increases as she lowers her head before muttering, "It''s fine to hug."


    A wide grin forms on my lips as I swiftly close the distance between us and wrap my arms around her.


    Unlikest night, Yoshino''s body doesn''t flinch as she simply hugs me back and presses her forehead against my right shoulder.


    After a short while, I stop hugging her and move back a little before kissing her left cheek.


    "Come on," I say while cing my palm atop her head which is covered by the rabbit pajamas'' soft hoodie, "We''ve got a lot more ces to go."

 Chapter 252: Date with Yoshino (2/2)

    Chapter 252: Date with Yoshino (2/2)


    "You''re done changing?" I say once Yoshino steps out of the dressing room while carrying a folded rabbit pajamas with her puppet on top of it.


    As a response to my inquiry, Yoshino simply nods her head before walking over to me and offering me the pajamas.


    Upon taking from her hands, Yoshino is left with her puppet which she immediately puts on her left hand.


    Beaming a smile, I reach my arm out to pat her head for a few seconds before turning around and walking over to the cashier.


    "Thank you for your purchase," the cashier simply says with a smile.


    "You don''t need to pay for the clothes," Kotori''s voice reaches my ears, "You just focus on making the date enjoyable.


    "Sure," I mutter.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Commander, what has happened to him?" a girl with brown wavy her says as she turns around in her seat to face Kotori, "It''s almost like he''s apletely different person."


    "I don''t know," Kotori responds with furrowed brows, "But isn''t this good?"


    "Indeed," a gray-haired middle-aged man interjects, "He simply doesn''t seem to need any guidance anymore. His actions and responses are slick and without fault to the point that it seems like he is constantly reading others'' thoughts and acting upon them"


    "Could this be the result of the training?" the girl with wavy hair asks dubiously.


    "No," Kotori bluntly responds, "This change was too abrupt. Perhaps, the shot from that day didn''t cause him brain damage, but improved his EQ instead?"


    At this moment, a girl with long dark hair opens her mouth and says, "They''re leaving the clothing store."


    Following that, everyone shifts their focus back to the screens with serious expressions on their face.


    ---1st POV---


    Holding Yoshino''s hand, I walk through the mall while casting nces at stores we pass by.


    After a few minutes, I notice that Yoshino has once again taken interest in a store. Checking out, I realize that it''s a hat shop mostly consisting of female hats.


    "Let''s go there," I say while tugging on her arm and shifting our direction to the hat shop.


    Yoshino''s eyes practically shine as she inspects the shop with an amazed look on her face.


    "Go on," I say, "Pick one for yourself."


    Hearing my words, her puppet''s mouth begins to move as a voice reaches my ears, "Well, well, Shido; No need to rush."


    Is this her way of saying that we should take our time here? Thinking as such, I beam a smile at her and nod my head before looking around the hat shop.


    A while passes before Yoshino seems to have set her sight on a certain hat as she begins walking toward it.


    Looking over at the hat that has caught her attention, I see that it''s a purple hat simr in color to her dress, albeit a few shades lighter.


    Appearing in front of the hat, I grab it before turning around to face the startled Yoshino and cing it atop her head.


    "Great choice," I say before pointing at a mirror attached to the wall nearby.


    Understanding what I mean, Yoshino walks over and inspects herself in the mirror as a small smile forms on her lips.


    "It''s a shame that it hides your lovely hair, but it suits you well. Would you like to get this one?"


    Yoshino simply nods her head as she continues to observe herself in the mirror.


    A few minutester, Yoshino and I exit the store hand-in-hand as we make our way to the next destination.


    "Great job," Kotori''s voice resounds within my ear, "You seem used to this now."


    "It''s nothingplicated," I mutter as I cast a nce at the gleeful Yoshino.


    As long as she''s happy, then the date is considered a sess. Still, I call it a date, but it feels more like a family outing more than anything else.


    "So, where will you be taking her next?"


    "About that, is there any caf with pastries nearby?"


    "Yes," Kotori responds, "I''ll guide you to it."


    As such, I follow Kotori''s instructions for a few minutes before Yoshino and I found ourselves standing in front of a ratherrge caf.


    For obvious reasons, this section of the mall is much more crowded than the sections we''ve been to so far.


    At this moment, I feel a tug on the left part of my shirt.


    Looking down, I find Yoshino using her right hand to hold my shirt with a slightly uneasy look on her face.


    Curious about the reason for her difort, I look around a little only to notice that a lot of people are looking our way.


    Well, nothing less is to be expected from Yoshino''s outstanding cuteness.


    "It''s fine," I say while cing my palm against her left cheek, "I''m with here with you."


    Yoshino simply nods her head before tightening her grasp on my shirt, causing a wry smile to form on my lips.


    "We should head inside," I say.


    --


    "You''re taking them off?" I say as Yoshino takes her hat and puppet off and neatly ces them aside.


    Currently, the two of us are seated at a table beside one another. Due to the design of the shop, we aren''t getting as many looks as we did outside, so Yoshino is more rxed now.


    "Take a look at the menu for what you want to order," I say as I push the menu in front of me toward Yoshino.


    "Okay," she meekly responds before grabbing the menu and starting to look through it.


    While Yoshino browses through the menu, I inspect the caf we''re in right now. If I were to sum its appearance up into one word, it would be ''calming''.


    The general color of the whole ce is sandy yellow with most adornments being brown wood.


    The table we''re seated at is right beside a one-way mirror.


    If there is one thing that stands out about the caf, it would be the number of couples here at the moment.


    Out of the nine tables taken, eight are by couples, including us.


    "Shido," a soft voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    Looking at Yoshino, I find her cheeks covered with a red hue as she has her head lowered while pointing at something in the menu on the table.


    Taking a look at what she has chosen, a grin forms on my lips as I teasingly say, "What an interesting choice."


    Shortly, a waitress appears at our table with a small tablet in her hand as she asks, "Are you prepared to make your order, Sir?"


    Nodding my head, I point at what Yoshino asked for and say, "I would like to have this juice. Also, a cake of your choosing."


    "Understood," the waitress says as she taps the tablet screen a couple of times before glimpsing at the still-blushing Yoshino and saying, "You have a very cute little sister."


    "Indeed," I say as I pat Yoshino''s head, causing her to lower head slightly as the blush on her face deepens.


    Following that, the waitress bows politely before moving away.


    "Truly, you are the cutest," I say as I gently stroke her left cheek with my fingers.


    "Thank you," she says in a soft voice.


    A few minutes pass before the same waitress returns while carrying a tray with our order on it.


    She sets a ratherrge ss of juice and a small vani round-cake down on the table before bowing and saying, "Enjoy."


    Watching her walk off, I shift my focus over to Yoshino and ask, "Which would you like to try first?"


    Instead of responding by words, Yoshino simply points at the ss of juice.


    Grinning at her choice, I say, "Alright then, let''s start."


    The ss of juice that Yoshino so boldly ordered is one that is clearly meant for couples. It''s a banana juice with two pink straws inside it twisted in a way that they form a heart shape.


    Moving closer to Yoshino, I lift her body and ce her on myp, startling her.


    "It would be easier to drink like this," I state.


    Hearing this, Yoshino simply nods her head before reaching out to the ss of juice and moving it closer to us.


    Following that, the two of us begin drinking the juice with our faces close to each other.


    Right now, the blush on Yoshino''s face has reached all the way to her ears.


    Suddenly a notion appears in my mind, which I directly follow through as I deliberately move my head closer so that our cheeks touch.


    As expected, Yoshino gets surprised by my action but doesn''t lose herposure anymore as she continues to suck on the straw.


    Soon after, we finish the juice and detach our mouths from the straws.


    "Was it good?" I ask Yoshino while wrapping my arms around her waist.


    "Mmn," she hums as she rests her head against my chest.


    A pleasant scent invades my nostrils as I move my right arm to run my hand through Yoshino''s hair.


    Looking around a little, I take note that no one is looking before moving my head forth and kissing the corner of Yoshino''s lips.


    "Now, let''s eat the cake," I whisper into her ear as I grab one of the two forks on the cake''s te and cut a small piece of it before moving it toward her mouth.


    As a response to this, Yoshino''s opens her mouth a little as I slowly feed her the cake.


    Immediately after that, Yoshino''s eyes widen as a joyous expression appears on her face.


    Chuckling at her actions, I ask, "Is it tasty?"


    This time, Yoshino nods her head enthusiastically as she grabs the other fork and cuts off a piece of the cake as well.


    Just as I thought she was going to eat it as a certain glutton would, Yoshino moves the piece toward my mouth with an expectant look in her blue eyes.


    Pleasantly surprised, I open my mouth for Yoshino to feed, causing her expression to turn even more joyous, to the point making it seem like she will burst from happiness.


    I chew on the cake and swallow it before saying, "It really is tasty. Although, I''m sure it tastes better than it normally would because you were the one that fed it to me."


    Hearing my words, a bright smile forms on Yoshino''s lips before she abruptly moves closer and kisses my cheek.


    Seemingly just realizing what she just did, Yoshino moves her head away as her face turnspletely red while steam seems to rise from her head.


    Chuckling at her appearance, I grab the fork and cut out another piece to feed it to her while ignoring the ''pleasant'' looks we''re being given from a few of the other customers and the now-smiling waitress.

 Chapter 253: Surprise Date ; Bad Start ; Ambush ; Trouble

    Chapter 253: Surprise Date ; Bad Start ; Ambush ; Trouble


    Following our visit to the caf, Yoshino and I wandered around for about two hours, visiting various kinds of shops.


    All in all, Yoshino seemed to have enjoyed the date quite a bit.


    Currently, the two of us are walking back home while holding each other''s hands.


    I''m d that I wasn''t required to hold the rabbit pajamas right now, as it would''ve been rather troubling if that were the case. Thanks to Kotori, I had it ''delivered'' to our home.


    A whileter, we arrive at our home and as soon as we take a step inside, a scream reaches our ears.


    Perplexed, the two of us make our way to the living room only to be baffled by the sight of Tohka ripping a pillow while intently ring at the TV.


    "Tohka?" I dubiously question.


    She seems to have not heard me as she continues to stare at the TV while gritting her teeth.


    How odd Checking what''s disyed on the screen, I see that it''s nothing more than some soap opera drama.


    Letting out an exasperated sigh, I pat the confused Yoshino''s back before turning around and making my way to my room.


    ---


    {WARNING: Binary Factor detected. Threat Level: 4}


    What?


    Opening my eyes, I am greeted by the sight of Yoshino''s sleeping face.


    Currently, she''s lying down beside me in her new rabbit pajamas. As for the reason for this, it would be that she fell asleep in my armsst night due to being overly taxed while visiting my room to show it off to me properly.


    Unwilling to wake her up, Iid her down on my bed and lied down beside her before slowly dozing off.


    Shaking such thoughts from my head, I focus on the matter at hand.


    AI, is it Kurumi?


    {Affirmative.}


    Where is she?


    {In the kitchen section of Father''s abode.}


    Huh? Seriously?


    rmed, I hastily but carefully get off the bed before changing into appropriate clothes.


    Once done with that, I exit my room and climb down the stairs before making my way to the kitchen.


    "Pardon me for my intrusion," a pleasant voice reaches my ears the moment I enter the kitchen.


    Looking over the source of the voice, I find Kurumi who is sitting on top of the dining table.


    If there is one thing that stands out the most about her at the moment, it would be the fact that she''s wearing a ck one-piece dress that reaches to her knees.


    Along with that, she''s wearing dark pantyhose along with ck shoes, as well as, a pair of elbow-length ck gloves.


    Overall, her attire gives off a rather ''gothic'' type of aura.


    "How did you get in here?" I curiously ask, knowing that I locked the door.


    "Now, Shido, that''s not what you should be saying right now," she responds before chuckling.


    Understanding what she''s getting at, I let out a sigh before beaming a smile and saying, "You look wonderful in that attire. It properly suits your exquisite beauty."


    "Thank you," she says as she gets off the table and bows politely while lifting the hem of her dress.


    "Still, you didn''t need to get inside my house, you know?" I say with a wry smile.


    "Ara~ What does Shido suppose I should''ve done? It''s your fault for not delineating the location we''re putative to meet at."


    Letting out a sigh, I nod my head once and say, "You''re right. Now that I think about it, it is pointless to speak of this anymore. Let''s just going, shall we?"


    This might be a little troublesome. Unlike yesterday, I don''t have Ratatoskr to aid me in this date due to how abrupt it is. Nevertheless, I have the earbud equipped just in case.


    Alright then, I wonder what''s the time right now.


    Casting a nce at the clock attached to the wall, I see that it''s a little past 8 o''clock.


    So early Did she want to go on a date with me that badly?


    Well, either that, or she just wanted to get this done early for whatever work she haster on.


    "Do you have any ce in mind, Kurumi?" I ask.


    "Isn''t your responsibility to figure that out?" she responds with a smile on her lips.


    Yeah, I am sure of it now. Kurumi likes to tease me and tries to put me on the spot whenever given the opportunity.


    But, this is useful for me. I could use this chance to extract some information from her.


    "For now, how about we go for a walk in a park?"


    "Ara, ara~ What a romantic choice, Shido."


    "Right?" I say before using irvoyance to do a quick scan of Tengu city for the parks that I know of.


    After a short while, I raise my arm before using Norse Magic to create a gateway leading to one of the parks.


    "Let''s go," I say to the amused Kurumi who wordlessly follows behind me as I walk through the gateway.


    Unexpectedly, an odd phenomenon urs as I once again find myself in an endless ck void, however, this time Kurumi is with me.


    "Excuse me, Shido, but is thi-" Kurumi says before abruptly stopping mid-way as her eyes widen.


    Looking over at what she is looking at, I find the same pair of red and blue eyes that I saw back in the Rift.


    "Dominion" I subconsciously mutter.


    "How amazing," Kurumi suddenly exims, "I couldn''t have foreseen that her objective would be you! This confirms my spections regarding your existence."


    Hold on, Kurumi knows Dominion? Leaving that aside, she seems to have figured out something about me.


    Hah~ It was a bad idea to use teleportation to get around after all


    Shortly, the dark void around us abruptly disappears as the two of us find ourselves standing near the gate of the park that I had selected.


    Well then, that''s one more thing to speak with her about.


    Reaching my arm out, I grab Kurumi''s hand before beginning to walk toward the park''s gate.


    As a response to this, Kurumi just chuckles before walking with me while tightening her grasp on my hand.


    "Kurumi, ever since we first spoke, you acted as if you knew me. Care to exin your reason for meeting me?"


    Hearing my inquiry, Kurumi casts a nce at my face before saying, "To eat you."


    "Excuse me?" I say, befuddled by her statement.


    At this moment, Kotori''s anxious voice resounds within my ear, "Shido! We''ve got bad news! Get away from Nightmare as soon as possible!"


    What''s going on? Why is Kotori so dismayed?


    "ording to a footage we just reviewed, Kurumi Tokisaki is supposed to have died yesterday by the hands of an AST member yesterday!"


    Suddenly, the sound of a projectile being shot resounds within my ears as the world around me seems to slow down.


    -Absolute Evasion


    I take this chance to quickly check my surroundings, only to find a beam of light moving right toward me and Kurumi.


    Squinting my eyes, I use Vector Maniption to form a barrier as time seems to flow like normal once again.


    The next moment, the beam of light contacts my barrier before getting absorbed into it and getting reflected back to the assant.


    "Who?!" Kurumi''s irritated voice reaches my ears as she turns around with furrowed brows, "Who dares hurt MY Shido!?"


    Since when did I be hers? Whatever. That doesn''t matter right now.


    Turning around as well, I find a group of girls flying in the sky. Upon closer inspection, I notice that they''re wearing ''battle wear'' simr to those of AST.


    However, I recognize none of their faces. Aside from that, none of them are injured by the beam of light I just reflected.


    Before I can resolve my mind on using Holy sh to take them down, an odd dim light shines down from the sky before the group of girls seemingly disappear.


    "They''re gone?" Kurumi voices my doubts.


    What even was that?


    ---3rd POV---


    "Wee back," a man wearing amander military uniform says in a firm, yet mocking tone while gazing at a group of girls in front of him.


    "Well, this was to be expected from a target picked by that man."


    Currently, the man is sitting on a seat at the center of a metallic room that has numerousputer screens all around.


    Close by, there are about two dozen men seated in front ofputer screens, typing in content.


    "Mr. Paddington," a woman with pale blond hair says, "The purpose of this ambush was to get a grasp on our target''s powers, not detain him."


    "Hmph," the man, Paddington, scoffs, "You say that, but I''m sure you were looking forward to beating him as ''the strongest wizard''. However, his prowess was beyond what you expected, so you had to retreat."


    "Mr. Paddington," the woman responds in a threatening tone, "I suggest that you keep your crude words to yourself."


    "Whatever. Hopefully, you won''t be as disappointing during the next ambush."


    Following that, a few streaks of light shoot close to Paddington''s face, causing him to frown slightly but ultimately refrains from making any more remarks.


    "Establish a call with Sir Isaac," the woman orders.


    "Understood," one of the men present replies.

 Chapter 254: Failed Date ; Meeting

    Chapter 254: Failed Date ; Meeting


    "That was odd," I say while gazing at the sky.


    Finding nothing, I shift my sight to Kurumi only to find her with a displeased look on her face.


    "Hey, now," I say, "Do you still want to continue the date?"


    Hearing my query, Kurumi makes eye contact with me and says, "Of course."


    Beaming a smile at her response, I tighten my sp on her hand before beginning to walk again.


    After a short while, we found ourselves in the park, examining the surrounding nature.


    "You idiot brother, what are you doing?! Leave the area as soon as possible!"


    Deciding to ignore Kotori, I turn my head to gaze at Kurumi before asking her, "Say, what did you mean by your statement from earlier?"


    "Pardon me, but I don''t know what you''re speaking of," she responds.


    "I meant your objective. You said that you wanted to eat me, no?"


    "Ara~ That, I did," she replies as a grin forms on her lips, "Perhaps, I should do it now?"


    Sensing the slight hostility exuding from her, I am assured that her ''eating'' is not what I had in mind.


    Nevertheless, I remain unfazed as I ask, "Do you still think you can?"


    The moment those words leave my mouth, the hostility from Kurumi disappears as she says, "No."


    Heh. It seems like the disy from earlier has warded off any ulterior thoughts she may have had.


    "Kurumi, I would like to ask you something."


    "And what would that be?" she responds while continuing to look in front of her.


    "What do you think you are?"


    "A spirit," she replies almost immediately.


    "Spirit? That''s the only term that you know of?"


    Hearing this, Kurumi squints her eyes as she stops in her tracks, causing me to do the same.


    "You speak as if you know more than just that, Shido," she says with a smile that doesn''t seem genuine.


    "Well," I say, deciding to not reveal my identity yet, "The term is a rather ambiguous one. I was just curious as to why they would call us as such."


    "Us?" Kurumi repeats as she squints her eyes.


    Well, shit.


    "That''s right. I''m a ''spirit'' as well."


    Following this statement, Kurumi chuckles for a solid five seconds before saying, "Pardon my rudeness, but you''re definitely not a spirit."


    "What do you mean?" I ask, genuinely confused.


    "If you were a spirit, I would''ve been able to tell."


    Hearing her words, I realize something - She is considered a spirit despite being a Binary Factor.


    Could the term be even more ambiguous than I thought?


    "Then, what do you think I am?" I ask.


    "An abnormal existence," she responds, "Not a spirit, but not a human either."


    There is a hint of amusement in her tone. Well, this is better than the aura she gave off previously.


    At this moment, I notice something in the corner of my vision. A somewhat bulky brown-haired guy that seems to be in his early twenties is walking toward us. In his hand, he is holding a leash with a cute white dog tied to it that''s whining for some reason.


    Kurumi has noticed the guy as well as she looks over at him and the dog with an expression I hadn''t seen on her face before - anger.


    "Come on, you little turd. If it weren''t for mom, I would''ve thrown you out of the house long ago," the guy mutters as he tugs on the leash, causing the dog to whine further.


    That results in the man getting even more irritated as he kicks the dog''s head, causing it to whimper in fear and pain.


    Seeing this, I''m once again reminded of the reason I hated humans in my past life.


    I cast a nce at Kurumi, only to see that her anger has increased, but she soon notices my gaze as she regains herposure as a fake smile forms on her lips.


    Shortly, the guy and the dog reach us and are about to pass by without the guy bothering to cast a nce at us.


    "Excuse me," Kurumi suddenly says, attracting his attention, "Don''t you think that you ought to treat it better?"


    "Huh?" a bewildered voice escapes from the guy''s mouth, "Who are you and-"


    His voice gets cut off as he gets a good look at Kurumi''s face. He glimpses at me as a sneer forms on his lips before he says, "Alright-"


    Already knowing how this will turn out, I interrupt him by using telekinesis to twist his veins from inside his body and squeeze a few of his internal organs while at it.


    That results in streaks of blood flow out from his orifices as all his movementse to a halt.


    Seeing this, a surprised look appears on Kurumi''s face as she turns her head to face me and ask, "Did you do that?"


    "Who else?" I respond with a grin.


    "Shido! What are you doing?! What''s happening?! Hey, Shido!" the anxious voice of my sister, Kotori, bursts in my ear.


    Ignoring her, I telekically remove the leash from the dog and crouch down in front of it before reaching my arm out to rub its head.


    "Go. You''re free now," I say with a smile while keeping my sight on Kurumi''s face using irvoyance.


    As I had suspected, she is fond of dogs, or perhaps animals as a whole. The previously fake smile is gone and in its ce, a genuine one has formed.


    Seemingly understanding my words, the dog barks twice before dashing off toward the park gate through which we entered.


    "You don''t seem troubled with killing humans," Kurumi remarks.


    "Because I''ve already killed plenty of them before."


    "Do you like dogs?" she follows up.


    "No," I say, causing her brows to furrow slightly, "I like all animals."


    Hearing thetter part of my response, her brows return to normal as the smile on her lips grows.


    Well, in a sense, my reply is the truth. I have yet to encounter any animals that I dislike.


    "It turns out that we are like-minded in a few ways," she says before chuckling lightly.


    "Well then, let''s get back to our date now, shall we?" I say as I n to start walking again, but Kurumi doesn''tply as she stays stationary.


    "Kurumi?" I ask, while gazing at her face, only to notice that her expression has be odd.


    "I''m afraid that won''t be possible," she suddenly says before looking to the left.


    {Binary Factor detected. Threat Level: 1}


    Great.


    Focusing on the location that Kurumi is looking at, I notice a blue figure flying toward us at an extreme pace.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that it''s a blue-haired girl that''s wearing mechanized battle attire simr to that of the AST.


    A short whileter, the girl reaches our location andnds right in front of us.


    I take this chance to inspect her close up, only to notice that she looks oddly familiar.


    The girl scans us with using her brown eyes before ncing at the standing corpse of the guy from before.


    She proceeds to shake her head before focusing her sight on me and furrowing her brows slightly for a few seconds before she abruptly happily exims, "I knew it! It was you, after all, big brother!"


    Huh? I am this girl''s brother? What the heck is up with this turn of events.


    The cheerful expression on the girl''s expression doesn''tst long as she says, "Get away from here, big brother. I will take care of her."


    Before I can respond to her words, Kurumi giggles slightly before saying, "You don''t need to do that. I''ve already killed my target here."


    Then, Kurumi nces at me and winks once before suddenly dashing backward at a speed beyond normal humans.


    The self-proimed sister in front of me seems to want to chase her but ultimately decides not to do so.


    Instead, she runs over and embraces while eximing, "Big brother! I have been searching for you for so long!"


    Hugging her back, a wry smile forms on my lips as I consider all of today''s unusual events.


    Still, my date with Kurumi is seemingly ruined. Hopefully, I can find herter today and make it up to her somehow...

 Chapter 255: Mana Takamiya ; Return Home

    Chapter 255: Mana Takamiya ; Return Home


    The self-proimed little sister continues to hug for quite a while before finally letting go and backing away a few steps.


    She then gazes at the corpse of the dead guy with furrowed brows as she mutters, "How unusual."


    You''re unusual! Why is a Binary Factor a part of some organization that seems to hunt down spirits? Could it be that not all Binary Factors are considered as spirits?


    Letting out a small sigh, I ask, "I''m sorry to say that I have no memories regarding who you are."


    Unexpectedly, the girl just chuckles lightly and responds, "To be honest, neither do I."


    "Then how can you be so sure that I''m your brother to the point of hugging me as soon as you could?" I ask with a dubious expression on my face.


    "Well," she responds while looking to the side, "I just had a hunch that it was you and I recognized you."


    "You recognized me without having any memories of me?"


    "Yes, from this," she responds as she pulls out a pendant and shows it to me.


    Looking inside the pendant, I find a small picture of what seems to be a younger version of the girl in front of me smiling alongside a young boy that looks like her.


    "So, you''re saying that you managed to recognize me from this image?" I say, "Even though I have changed so much?"


    If there is anything that I''ve noticed recently, it would be the fact thatpared to the other two tforms I''ve been to so far, the residents of this one are much better at recognizing the changes that befell the original body.


    "Like I said," the girl replies with a smile, "I had a feeling that it was you."


    Knowing that this conversation isn''t going anywhere meaningful, I decide to ask her something that has been on my mind from the moment I saw her, "Are you a part of the AST?"


    Hearing my words, the girls'' eyes widen as she exims, "So you do know about spirits and the organization. That somewhat exins the reason you don''t seem to be disturbed by that dead body..."


    Suddenly, realization seems to dawn upon the girl as she squints her eyes and asks, "Big brother, why were you hanging out with Nightmare?"


    "Nightmare? Ah, you mean Kurumi. Well, you see, we had ns to go on a date, but then you appeared."


    "You wanted to go on a date with a spirit?!" she directly yells in a bewildered tone.


    "Hold on a moment, there is a reason for that," I say with a serious expression.


    The girl goes silent as she stares at my face while waiting for my exnation regarding this matter.


    "She was seriously hot," I say while trying to sound as serious as possible.


    The moment she heard my response, the girl''s expression turns weird as she lets out a deep sigh before asking me, "So, where do you live now?"


    "In a house along with a few others," I respond, "How about youe over and talk there? That would be better than staying here near this guy''s corpse, no?"


    ncing at the corpse that I''m pointing at, the girl nods her head once before she says, "Let''s go."


    Following her words, she reaches her right arm to her head before pressing against a small device connected to the battle attire she is wearing. This results in light to cover her body from head to toe before fading and revealing the girl dressed in casual clothes.


    --


    "So..." I say on our way back home before my words trail off.


    "Mana. Mana Takamiya," she says.


    "So, Mana, why did you appear in the park?" I question.


    "Well, I had received a report concerning a certain target that needs to be kept under sight from the higher-ups. What I didn''t expect was for you to appear with Nightmare on a screen that was supposed to show the target," she exins.


    "Was Kurumi the target?" I ask.


    "I don''t know," she responds, startling me a little, "Upon seeing you on the screen, I immediately left the base and made my over to here without reading the rest of the report."


    No way... Could they have prioritized me as a target due to the recent events? Either that or Kurumi is much more important than what she appears to be.


    Logically speaking, thetter seems to be more likely to be the case, after all, I was just told that Kurumi was supposed to have died yesterday. Yet, she was here early morning at my house as if nothing had happened.


    In this case, either the information received by Kotori is false, or Kurumi has some ability that grants her a type of immortality.


    Leaving that aside, Kotori has been rather silent. I assumed she would want to say something regarding all that has happened right now. Not only did I kill a human, but a girl iming to be my sister appeared. Surely, she has something to say about this, right?


    As if she heard my words, Kotori''s voice reaches my ear, "Hey, idiot brother! Can you hear me?!"


    Knowing that they''re most likely watching me through some camera of sorts, I simply nod my head twice.


    "Alright, finally! Now, tell me what happened. Who is that girl beside you?" Kotori says in a tired tone.


    This girl... I think it''s about damn time that I taught her a lesson. For now, I will just ignore her. That should irritate her to some extent. The rest will follow at home.


    "Big brother, did you see how Nightmare killed that human? The method used was unlike any other time before..." Mana''s doubtful voice reaches my ears.


    Kurumi has killed before? Usually, at that? It seems like unlike Tohka and Yoshino who are simply hunted for being what they are, there is an actual reason for the AST and the organization behind it to be so adamant about hunting her.


    I suddenly feel like I can get along much better than before with her now...


    Anyway, Kurumi seems to have helped me in a way before leaving. She stated that her ''objective'' had beenpleted, which Mana must''ve misunderstood as her having killed the guy.


    Deciding to not let her favor go to waste, I adopt aplicated expression as I say. "Unfortunately, I didn''t. My vision seemed to have nked out for a short while and when it returned, I found the man just standing there with blood flowing out of him."


    This exnation might be useless soon. After all, I doubt that Mana''s higher-ups wouldn''t tell her about my abnormality after what I did the other day.


    During this whole time, Kotori has been spewing a multitude of derogatory terms while eximing into the earbud, but I have been heeding her close to no attention for the sole reason of irritating her extensively.


    "I see," Mana says while looking down for a few seconds before shaking her head and asking, "How far is your home from here?"


    "Well, I''m not sure exactly, but it''s not that far," I respond vaguely.


    --


    Finally, we reached our home. Using irvoyance, I check out inside the house and notice that Yoshino and Tohka are still asleep.


    I also find Kotori seated on a sofa in the living room with a slightly dark look on her face as she stares at the TV screen in front of her.


    She seems to have returned home sometime, or for all I know, she might''ve been speaking with me from home.


    "Mana, before we head inside, there is something that I need to make clear," I say in a solemn tone.


    "Hm? What is it?" she asks with curiosity apparent in her eyes.


    "You are to not disy any acts of hostility in the house. Am I clear?"


    Hearing this, a confused and troubled look appears on Mana''s face but goes away the next second as she adopts a serious expression before nodding her head once.


    "Good girl," I say before as per habit reaching my arm out to pat her head.


    Mana is a little startled by my actions but doesn''t seem to mind, in fact, she closes her eyes as a peaceful smile appears on her lips.


    Looks like she missed her brother very much... How cute.


    "Well then," I say, "Let''s head inside."

 Chapter 256: Introduction ; Similar

    Chapter 256: Introduction ; Simr


    Entering the house alongside Mana, we directly make our way to the living room.


    Once we enter the room, Kotori proceeds to pull out a lollipop in her mouth before ring at me.


    "You''re not going to wee me home?" I ask with a teasing smile on my lips.


    "Wee you home?" Kotori repeats in a baffled tone before her expression takes a turn for the worse as she says, "You''re going to exin to me what happened right now!"


    "I refuse."


    Having said that, I reach my arm out to the confused Mana''s hand before pulling her along as I make my way to a sofa near the one Kotori is sitting on.


    "What do you mean you refuse? You idio-"


    Before Kotori can finish what she has to say, I use Eye of Judgement to shut her up.


    "Listen," I say, "If we''re going to be having a discussion, I expect you to act civil and refrain from using a harsh tone. Only then you will have any hope of obtaining proper answers from me."


    Kotori seems to have not expected this as she is more than taken back by the turn of events.


    A few seconds pass and I notice her previously strong andmanding expression disappears as a slightly pained one appears in its stead.


    "Good," I say, deciding againstforting her just yet as I turn my head to face Mana and say, "Introduce yourself, will you?"


    Nodding her head once, Mana gets up from the sofa and bows politely while saying, "Hello. My name is Mana Takamiya. Thank you for taking care of my brother for the past years."


    Upon hearing her words, Kotori''s mood suddenly shifts as her eyes widen, and she repeats, "Brother?"


    As a response to this, Mana nods her head once before talking about a different story from what I was expecting, which isn''t surprising. She must''ve assumed that I''m working in that field while keeping it a secret from my family, so she came up with a false story of her coincidentally meeting while going for a run in the park.


    Now, I can tell off of Kotori''s expression and her slightly narrowed eyes that she knows Mana is a part of the AST or something like that.


    Nevertheless, I won''t be the first to mention the matter, as it''s quite amusing to witness Manae up with a rather convincing story on the spot, ignoring the absurdity of certain parts of it, that is.


    Against my expectations, Kotori doesn''t question the validity of her story but only asks, "So, why have youe here? Do you want to take Shido away?"


    "No," Mana directly responds, "There isn''t a need for that."


    Suddenly, realization seems to dawn upon Mana as she squints her eyes and inspects Kotori for a few seconds before inquiring, "I forgot to ask this before, but who are you?"


    As if she had been waiting for this question, Kotori''s expression turns into a slightly smug one as she grins and says, "You finally asked. My name is Kotori, and I''m also Shido''s little sister."


    It seems like Kotori''s mood has somewhat recovered from the state she was in a few moments ago. However, I am sure that there is a lot she wants to ask me but simply can''t do so right now.


    Hearing her words, a stunned look appears on Mana''s face before she hurriedly says, "Meaning... Don''t tell me... you are my big sister?!"


    "Of course, not!" Kotori responds in an irritated tone, "It''s just that Shido got adopted into the Itsuka household long ago. We''re not blood-rted."


    "I see. So that''s your rtionship, huh?" Mana mutters while ncing at me from the corner of her eyes.


    At this moment, I feel an odd sensation as Yoshino''s figure appears in my head.


    Finding it odd, I use irvoyance to check on her in my room, only to find her seated at the edge of the bed, rubbing her drowsy eyes.


    A smile forms on my lips as I get up from the sofa, which attracts Kotori''s attention and causes her to ask, "Where are you going?"


    "To my room," I simply respond before doing so.


    --


    "Are you sure you don''t want to change out of your pajamas?" I ask Yoshino while seated beside her on the bed.


    As a response to my query, she simply nods her head once before saying, "It''s fine."


    "If you say so," I say with a smile before moving a little closer and lowering my head to give her a quick peck on her left cheek.


    Expectedly, this causes a red hue to creep up her face, but her expression remains rtively unchanged as she proceeds to get off the bed and look around the room.


    A few secondster, she spots the thing she was looking for, which just so happens to be her rabbit puppet, Yoshinon.


    "Yoshino," I call out, "We have a guest over today."


    Hearing my words, Yoshino flinches before looking over at me and meekly asking, "Who?"


    "My little sister," I respond.


    Following my response, a confused expression appears on Yoshino''s face as she looks at me with eyes demanding more information.


    Understanding why she would be confused, I exin, "While I was outside this morning, I met a girl who turned out to be my long-lost sister."


    Now that I think about it, this situation is rather unusual. Why were we separated? Why can''t Mana remember much of her past? How did she wind up as a member of the AST?


    I''ll need to investigate this matter soon, as it could be rather troublesome if I don''t do so.


    Letting out a small sigh, I get up from the bed as well and make my way over to Yoshino who just put on the puppet on her left hand. After patting her head for a few seconds, I offer her my hand, which she takes before we both leave the room.


    Shortly, we arrive in the living room, but as soon as we take a step inside, Kotori''s voice reverberates within the room, "A real sister can''t get married to her brother!"


    Surprised, I stop in my tracks along with Yoshino as we gaze at Kotori who is currently standing on her feet with her arms crossed.


    In front of her, Mana is also standing, butpared to her, she has a much tamer expression.


    "What?" a befuddled voice escapes Mana''s lips.


    Seeming to have just realized what she uttered, Kotori''s face gets flushed red as she opens her mouth to make an excuse, only to stop as she notices me and Yoshino.


    Heh~ So she has such thoughts, huh?


    "Kotori," I say while trying to sound moved, "I didn''t expect your love for me to be so deep. Truly, it''s astonishing."


    Hearing my words, the blush on her face reddens even further as Kotori raises her hand and is about to rebuke me but ultimately doesn''t do so.


    "Big brother!" Mana suddenly exims before running over and embracing me tightly.


    After a short while, she loosens her arms as she steps back and looks into my eyes before asking, "Which one is better; a foster-sister or a real sister?"


    Ah, so this is what they were fighting over, huh? Despite being a stupid argument, it''s cute to see two little sisters fighting over their brother''s affection, even if one of them just can''t be honest with herself.


    Perhaps, I should change the punishment I had in mind for Kotori. There are more beneficial and effective ones after all, now that I know of her feelings.


    With such thoughts in mind, I peer into Mana''s eyes and say, "What''s the difference?"


    Seemingly not expecting such an answer, a baffled expression forms on Mana''s face as her lips separate and an "eh?" escapes from them.


    "To me, there is no difference between the two, so I''d say this question is pointless," I continue to say before shrugging my shoulders and walking past her and over to a sofa while still holding Yoshino''s hand.


    Once Yoshino and I are seated, both sisters seem to break out of their short stupor as they look over at me with an odd glint in their eyes.

 Chapter 257: Thoughts ; Surprise

    Chapter 257: Thoughts ; Surprise


    "So, Mana," I say after a short period ofplete silence, "What do you n to do now? I''m curious regarding where you''re staying right now."


    Hearing my words, Mana keeps herposure as she responds, "Currently, I''m staying in a dorm with my colleagues at work."


    "You''re working?" Kotori suddenly says as a glint shimmers through her red eyes, "What kind of work is it?"


    Not expecting the sudden query, a troubled look appears on Mana''s face as she casts a nce at me. A nce that''s meant to be a plea for assistance.


    The problem is how am I going to proceed from here on out. Do I reveal Kotori''s identity or interrogate Mana secretively?


    Looking over at Kotori, I see that she has a confident expression on her face as she looks back at me.


    Before I cane to a proper decision, Kotori shifts her sight over to Mana and asks, "Are you an agent working for DEM Industries?"


    Following Kotori''s inquiry, Mana''s expression changes to that of shock and confusion before returning to normal after a few seconds as she adopts a serious look and says, "Yes. Do you mind telling me who you are?"


    Her question seems to be directed at both of us as she casts a nce at Kotori then me.


    Kotori opens her mouth to respond to her, however, she stops as Mana''s expression contorts. The reason for that is unclear as nothing has changed and I didn''t hear anything in particr despite my senses being enhanced.


    Anyway, Mana shakes her head before taking in a deep breath and saying, "I must leave now."


    Kotori seems to know that it would be detrimental to press for a reason as she nods her head and says, "Alright."


    ---


    "Shido, what are you doing?" Tohka''s voice reaches my ears while I am using irvoyance to search the city for Kurumi.


    "Nothing, as you can see," I respond.


    That''s how it would look to others, after all. To them, I am simply sitting on the sofa and staring into space despite it being much more than just that.


    Sitting on a sofa opposite the one I am sitting on are Kotori and Yoshino. Thetter is watching a soap opera currently being aired while the former is ring at me.


    Regarding Kotori ring at me - She has been doing so for the whole day. Now, it''s almost time for dinner, but she has yet to utter a single word to me.


    From what I can reason from her actions, she wants me to ''exin myself'' to her, in particr, what I did back in the park. Surely, she must be having a hard timeprehending the fact that I killed a man so nonchntly.


    It seems like I will have topletely abandon my objective of blending in as Shido Itsuka now that things have reached this point. That could be useful in a sense, as I can take more firm actions in this tform which could potentially help me locate Dominion.


    As for how I will be doing that, it would be through any leads I find, such as Kurumi.


    Earlier today, her reaction to the abnormality with the teleportation gateway indicated that she was familiar with Dominion. This makes it all the more important for me to find her.


    "That''s true, but..." Tohka says with a pout on her face.


    "But what?" I ask as I retrieve my sight.


    "I''m hungry," she immediately responds.


    Hah~ This glutton. Well, I can''t say much this time as it is about time I began cooking.


    Shaking my head, I get up from the sofa and head over to the kitchen, and begin preparing the ingredients telekically while thinking of what I should do now.


    First and foremost, I need to set the matter with allies and enemies aside. For that, I would need to speak to Kotori and discuss some troublesome matters with her. If I were to consider our current situation, the best time to do so would bete at night.


    While I am at it, I will punish her for insults she has hurled at me up until now and clean her mouth up a little.


    Once that is dealt with, I will be focusing on finding Kurumi and having a word with her regarding Dominion and her objectives. Despite having yet to see her in action, ording to AI, Kurumi is plenty powerful for a Binary Factor.


    I wonder who or what has ''produced'' her. This matter is rather intriguing in a lot of ways.


    Setting that aside, there is the matter with Mana. She is supposedly my sister, but just so happens to be a part of the AST for reasons that I have yet to know of.


    If the humans in this world treat me as an enemy that needs to be struck down, there is a very high probability that we will sh sometime in the near future.


    Letting out a sigh, I focus on cooking.


    ---


    Lying on my bed, I gaze at the ceiling while patting Yoshino''s back who is lying within my arms.


    Earlier, Yoshino had asked me if she can sleep with me again. Tohka, who was near us, heard her and got extremely worked up, demanding that she be granted the permission instead.


    Following that, a discussion followed until we reached a conclusion - Taking turns.


    Yoshino and Tohka both seemed to be happy with that, so we went with it. As such, I have Yoshino, who is dressed in her white rabbit pajamas, sleeping within my arms.


    Inspecting her face, a feel a pleasant sensation in my chest as I find myself subconsciously moving closer to kiss the tip of her nose.


    Despite being asleep, Yoshino reacts to this action by beaming a smile, causing me to be unable to hold myself back from pecking her small lips.


    After a short while, I carefully separate her from myself and proceed to get off the bed before using my senses to check on the other two residents of the house.


    As expected, Tohka is asleep in her room in a posture that''s rather unbing of ady. Leaving her aside, I focus on Kotori''s room, only to find her wide awake while sitting on a wooden chair with aptop in front of her.


    A grin forms on my lips as I quietly exit my room and make my way over to hers before using Permeation to directly pass through her door.


    Kotori doesn''t seem to notice my presence as she remains focused on theptop, which upon checking, I see that there is a map of an ind being disyed.


    Shaking my head slightly, I then begin to approach her while making sure to not make any sound before leaning forth and whispering into her ear, "Surprise."


    As a response to this, Kotori''s body jolts up from the seat before she loses her footing and falls to the ground.


    Seeing this, I begin chuckling, to which Kotori raises her head and res at me before saying, "What are you doing, you idiot brother!? Why are you here!?"


    Shrugging my shoulders, I move the wooden chair aside before approaching her and extending my arm out. However, Kotori doesn''t take my hand but proceeds to get up from the ground on her own while rubbing her butt.


    "Idiot," she mutters as she reaches her arm out to theptop and closes it.


    "It seems like I was right," I say, causing Kotori to look me in the eyes, "You require some punishment."


    "Huh?" she responds in a firm tone, "What are- ah!"


    Not letting her finish her words, I step forth, grab her arm, drag her toward her bed, and throw her onto it.


    "Hey!" she yells with a slightly angered look on her face.


    "Don''t think of it much," I say while drawing up my sleeves, "We are going to be having a short chat, that''s all. Also, I will be punishing you for all your misbehavior..."


    Not giving her a chance to respond, I get on the bed and position my knee right in between her thighs while using my arms to hold her down by the shoulders.


    Then, I lower my head and forcefully kiss the shocked Kotori''s lips for a solid ten seconds before breaking the kiss and raising my head to inspect her face.


    Expectedly, she has a furious look on her face while her cheeks are flushed in red.


    "Now then," I say while moving my head closer again, "Let''s get started."

 Chapter 258: Change ; Punishment or Reward?

    Chapter 258: Change ; Punishment or Reward?


    Seemingly not willing to be in the position we''re in, Kotori tries her best to push me off her body up to no avail.


    "Shido, get back to your senses!" she exims the moment I create an anti-sound barrier around us.


    "My apologies, Kotori, but that''s not happening," I respond as I move my right leg forward a little, resulting in my knee gently pressing against her privates.


    "Shido!" Kotori exims again as all color seems to drain from her face, "What''s wrong with you?"


    "What do you mean? I am simply going to be punishing you. It''s necessary to fuss so much over such a small matter, don''t you think?"


    Hearing my words, a furious expression forms on Kotori''s delicate face as she res into my eyes and says, "What kind of punishment involves pushing your sister down on a bed and forcing yourself on her?"


    "My kind does," I respond nonchntly as I slowly shift my hands over to her small breasts while using telekinesis to keep her body still.


    "You know this is a crime, right?" she says while gritting her teeth.


    Ignoring her, I begin to caress her breasts, causing her breathing to get a little ragged as a red hue begins to form on her face.


    "For the past few days," I say while continuing to caress her breasts, "You have been rather rude andmanding. I understand that you take such an attitude due to your profession, but that doesn''t mean I will stand by as you continue to spew insults at me. Especially because I am your brother."


    Kotori tries her best to keep herposure as she opens her mouth and utters in an irritated tone, "So? You''re going to assault me for that? Get a hold of yourself already! Something is controlling you."


    "Why do you think so?" I ask as I lower my head to the point that the tip of our noses are almost contacting one another while peering into her ruby eyes.


    "Because the brother I know wouldn''t do something like this," she responds while maintaining eye contact.


    "Oh? So, you can have multiple personalities but I can''t?" I ask while grinning.


    "This and that are different!" she responds, "Why are you doing this, Shido?"


    "I told you, didn''t I? This is your punishment. You are too cute for me to bring myself to hurt you, so I decided on this method."


    Having had enough of this conversation, I get up from her body before using telekinesis to lift her and make her lie down on her stomach.


    Then, I use Destruction to destroy the blue skirt she has on at the moment, revealing pink panties with white stripes.


    "How cute," I mutter before reaching my arm out to her butt and giving it a tight squeeze.


    As a response to my actions, Kotori''s body flinches before she sets her face down on the bed. It''s almost like she has given up and has resigned herself to her fate.


    That notion doesn''tst long, as, the next moment, something astonishing urs.


    {WARNING: Code waves detected.}


    Following AI''s voice, Kotori''s body turns scorching hot before mes burst out from them and practically burn off her clothes and the bedsheet.


    Fortunately, this level of mes is unable to so match graze my skin, so I proceed to use Pyrokinesis to see if it''s possible to manipte her mes, only to find out that I can.


    As such, I dissipate the mes surrounding Kotori''s body before they can do any more damage than what is already done, which is no more than Kotori''s clothes and the bedsheets.


    The bed we''re on is rtively ''undamaged'' if I am topare it to the barely recognizable bedsheet.


    Unexpectedly, Kotori groans before her body begins to cool down as she begins gasping for air.


    "Hey, are you alright?" I ask while pressing my palms against her back and utilizing Healing Factor.


    While doing this, I deliberate over the new discovery, which is the fact that Kotori is a spirit.


    This is rather odd... AI should''ve detected this earlier if that was the case, no?


    {Apologies, Father. I was unable to detect any Code waves from the entity identified as Kotori Itsuka.}


    Hearing this, I let out a small sigh before focusing on Kotori who is now lying naked on the bed while panting.


    "Kotori," I say, "You are somewhat right earlier, you know?"


    As a response to my statement, she tries to stabilize her breathing and listens keenly to what I have to say.


    "You see, on the day I was shot by Origami, my consciousness fell into an odd state. I found myself floating in a dark void as foreign memories seeped into my mind. It was at that time that I realized I had abnormal powers."


    Well, so I say, but the truth ispletely different. However, for now, this is the best ''exnation'' for my abnormal behavior and power, and it will be the onlypromise I will make regarding my existence until I meet Dominion.


    For now, this much should be enough for her to think about and consider being the ''truth''.


    Shaking my head, I inspect Kotori''s body from head to toe before a wide grin appears on my lips.


    Using Destruction, I destroy what''s left of the burnt bedsheet and proceed to gently slide my palm across Kotori''s smooth back in a circr motion.


    "Hngh..." Kotori hums, seemingly enjoying the sensation of my palm as I continue to use Healing Factor on her body.


    A short whileter, I lift my hands from her body and say, "Now then, time for the punishment."


    "Huh?" a confused and lost voice reaches my ears, but I ignore it as I focus on Kotori''s pert butt.


    "Hey, Shido, what are you nning to do?" an anxious voice escapes from Kotori''s lips as she turns her head to look at me, revealing her face which is nowpletely flushed in red.


    Instead of answering her question, I lift my left hand and aim at her butt before swiftly yet gently bringing it down upon, resulting in a crisp noise to reverberate through the room as Kotori yelps in surprise.


    Following this, Kotori enters a dazed state as she seems to not know how to respond to my actions.


    I take this chance to telekically lift her before cing her on myp and using my left hand to rub her slightly reddened buttock.


    Seemingly justing back to her senses, Kotori immediately begins to il her limbs around while shouting, "Let me go, now!"


    "Not happening," I say casually while telekically holding her limbs before raising my left arm once again.


    "No! Stop! Don''t do it!" she pleas, but her words hold no weight as I bring down my palm and strike her soft butt.


    "Ah!" an oddly sensual yet cute voice escapes from Kotori''s lips as tears begin to well up in the corner of her eyes.


    And so, I repeat this process about a dozen or so times before ultimately stopping with my hand positioned right on her lower cheeks.


    "So, Kotori," I say while sliding my hand across her reddened butt, "Will you promise to be respectful from now on?"


    As if she has been presented with salvation, Kotori immediately responds, "Yes! Please, just stop!"


    "Fine," I reply before moving my hand over to her privates and gently rubbing two of my fingers against her slit.


    A few cute gasps escape from Kotori''s lips as she shuts her eyes and tries her best to not loseposure.


    Seeing her like this, I let out a tired sigh before releasing her limbs and change her position so that she isying within my arms. Like this, I press my palm against her butt and use Healing Factor on it.


    "Shido," she says in an exhausted tone, "Why did my mes and energy go away?"


    "Because I can manipte fire," I respond honestly before leaning forth and using my right hand to make Kotori face me. Then, I press my lips against hers and directly insert my tongue inside her mouth.


    Seemingly too tired to react, Kotori simply lets me invade her mouth and tongue with her eyes closed.


    After a short while, I move my left hand over to her small breasts and begin ying around with her nipples by either pinching them softly or brushing the tip of my fingers against them.


    The slightly burned bed under us begins to get a little wet from the small stream escaping from Kotori''s pussy.


    "What''s this?" I say while moving my left hand over from her breasts to her moist privates, "Are you getting turned on by your brother''s touch?"


    Surprisingly, she doesn''t respond in an extreme manner as I expected her to, but instead, she simply smiles and says, "We''re not blood-rted, so..."


    Hearing this, I proceed to slide my index finger inside her tight hole, causing Kotori to let out a rather cute moan as she ces both of her hands on mine.


    Due to her body being close to mine, I can sense that she is shivering slightly, so I ask her, "Are you afraid?"


    Kotori winces before lowering her head and humming as confirmation.


    "We can stop here for today," I say as I lean forth and give her a quick peck on the cheek, "Let''s continue this some other time, alright?"


    As a response to this, Kotori just hums lightly before her body seems to lose all energy as she slumps down and slowly begins to doze off.

 Chapter 259: Bullet Assault ; Encounter

    Chapter 259: Bullet Assault ; Encounter


    While patting the sleeping Kotori''s head, I continue my search for Kurumi using irvoyance.


    Unfortunately, even after looking around for more than half an hour, I am still unable to find her. Well, I was already expecting this, so it''s not much of a surprise that I''m unable to find her.


    Just as I''m about to retract my sight back, a bright light shines quite a distance away from where my sight is.


    Curious, I expectantly move my sigh over to the location that the light shined, only to be shocked by the sight of Kurumi, who is wearing a red and ck dress, leaping from building to building as golden streaks go past her.


    What shocked me isn''t the Kurumi herself, but the multitude of golden bullets seemingly appearing out of thin air around her and moving toward her.


    Suddenly, a weapon that seems to be a flintlock pistol appears in her right hand before she raises her arm and begins urately shooting down a few of the bullets appearing around her.


    Hey, Irene, can you tell me what''s going on over there?


    {Negative. The range between Father and the battling entities is too far.}


    So, I just need to get closer, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Letting out a small sigh, I gently get off the bed and fix my appearance up before using Permeation to pass through the wall and using Flight to soar into the sky.


    Once I''m high above the city, I focus on the location that I saw Kurumi and her imperceptible assant at.


    The next moment, I am stunned by the sight of Kurumi''s arm which was holding the flintlock pistol abruptly burst into pieces.


    Despite this, Kurumi keeps herposure as she continues to dodge the golden bullets which have now increased in number.


    Furrowing my brows, I begin descending toward her at a brisk pace, intending to save her, however, before I can reach her, something shocking happens.


    Behind Kurumi, space seems to tear before a dozen bullets appear from within it, with each one of them seeming to have different trajectories. However, that thought doesn''tst long as the bullets suddenly take a sharp turn before three of them strike Kurumi''s legs.


    Following that, Ind right in front of Kurumi just in time to witness her legs blowing up into chunks of flesh before what''s left of her body drops to the ground.


    "Kurumi!" I subconsciously exim as I use Vector Maniption in preparation for the iing bullets to reflect them.


    Surprisingly, the bullets all freeze mid-air before beginning to break down into minuscule particles one after another.


    A few secondster, all the bullets are gone, with the only abnormal thing remaining being the tear in space. Upon looking inside the tear, I find a pair of blue and red eyes looking back at me as a melodious voice reaches my ears, "I will be waiting for you."


    The moment her voice fades, the tear begins closing up before everything returns to normal.


    cing my doubts aside, I turn around, intending to tend to Kurumi, only to stop due to an absurd sight,


    {WARNING: Code waves detected.}


    Following AI''s warning, a ck figure that seems to have grown from the shadow on the ground begins to gain color, ultimately revealing an unharmed Kurumi that''s dressed exactly like the one on the ground.


    "Kurumi?" I doubtfully mutter while casting a nce at the severely injured yet alive Kurumi on the ground.


    Why are there two versions of Kurumi? One is a Binary Factor, while the other one is a Code... This is odd.


    Are they perhaps twins? Anyway, I should treat the injured Kurumi.


    Before I can do what I intended to do, the Kurumi that just appeared raises her arm as a flintlock pistol appears in her hand while she mutters, "How unfortunate."


    "Hey, what are-"


    Before I can finish my statement, Kurumi pulls the trigger while pointing the tip of the pistol at the injured one on the ground, resulting in a giant hole appears in the body''s chest before it dissolves into dark into the building''s rooftop.


    My eyes widen as numerous questions pass through my mind. After a short while, I take in a deep breath before staring at Kurumi''s face and asking, "Tell me what just happened."


    "Ara~ Shido. What are you doing here?" she responds, ignoring my statement and acting like she just noticed me.


    Somewhat dissatisfied with her intention of hiding the truth, I furrow my brows and ask, "Who are you?"


    Is she the same Kurumi that I met a few days ago and the one that went on a date with me this morning? I doubt it.


    The fact that she is a Code and not a Binary Factor should be proof of that. For all I know, the one that just died which just died could be the Kurumi I know. Hence, the reason I am irritated.


    Nevertheless, she referred to me the same way the other one did and is speaking in a manner simr to the other one, indicating that there is more to the matter than what I am suspecting.


    As a response to my question, Kurumi adopts a slightly saddened expression as she says, "What are you asking, Shido? Could you have forgotten me already?"


    Squinting my eyes, I deliberate on her words for a moment before concluding that there really is more to the matter than what I suspected.


    "Say, Kurumi," I say in a solemn tone, "Would you like to go on a date sometime soon? A proper one, that is."


    Beaming a smile, Kurumi nods her head and says, "Sure. However, make sure to set the location and time for us to meet."


    Nodding my head, I take in a deep breath before peering into her eyes and saying, "I want to select the location of our date at some other time with you. At that time, I hope that the current you cane over."


    Hearing this, the smile on Kurumi''s face freezes as a glint passes through her eyes before she asks, "You noticed?"


    Instead of responding to her, I simply continue staring into her eyes.


    After a short while, Kurumi beginsughing in a manner that she had never done so before with it sounding both creepy and cute at the same time.


    "Fine," Kurumi states once she''s doneughing, "I hope you don''t disappoint me then."


    Following that, Kurumi seems to melt into the ground as her presence gradually bes imperceptible.


    --


    Arriving home, I head over to Kotori''s room in order to cover her naked body up properly before exiting the room and entering my own.


    There, I directly head over to my bed and lie down beside Yoshino while wrapping my arms around her petite body.


    Hah~ Today''s events were a little too shocking. First, there is the matter with Kotori being a Code, or more urately, a spirit. For some reason, AI was unable to detect it.


    This raises a curious question - Are the spirits who have gotten ''sealed'' by me detectable as Codes?


    {Negative. Due to the sealed entities'' prowess being directly connected to Father, their Code waves are undetectable unless Father wills otherwise.}


    That''s good to know. Perhaps, this information wille in handy in the future.


    Well then, I have already told Kurumi regarding my n of discussing our date location together. Hopefully, she takes that as me asking her to attend school.


    If that happens, I will be able to discuss with her as much as I want to while slowly finding what the heck happened today.


    I''m certain that the pair of eyes that looked back at me in the tear belonged to Dominion.


    Looks like Kurumi really did know her. Not only that, but the two of them seem to be enemies.


    Leaving that aside, from what I saw Dominion''s powers are a little troublesome if dealt with blindly. She seems to be the type of opponent one must have proper information about before facing them off in battle.


    Well, that is a matter for the future. Right now, I should focus on the AST and see that they properly learn of their ce.


    Before that, I better find any other spirits that may exist, as it would be troublesome to have them just running around all over the ce without supervision and potentially being targeted by the AST for simply being what they are.

 Chapter 260: Trouble (1/2)

    Chapter 260: Trouble (1/2)


    Waking up early morning, I take a moment to check my surroundings, only to realize that Yoshino isn''t within my arms.


    I immediately shoot up from the bed and use my senses to check on everyone in the house.


    To my surprise, only Yoshino, who is currently sitting in front of the TV in the living room, is home. Tohka and Kotori are nowhere to be seen.


    Perplexed, I check the time.


    Shit.


    It seems like I hadn''t woken up early like I normally would and Kotori didn''t bother to wake me up. Well, either that, or she simply couldn''t get herself to do so afterst night''s happenings.


    Even so, why didn''t Tohka wake me up? Did Kotori prevent her from doing so?


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I proceed to quickly get changed into my school uniform before leaving the room and heading downstairs.


    ---


    Arriving at school, I''m disappointed to not receive any ''warning'' from AI regarding a Code or Binary Factor.


    Letting out a sigh, I directly head over to my ss and enter the room.


    The moment I step into ss, practically all eyes lock onto me, including those of my ''teacher'', Reine.


    Looking into her eyes, I nod my head once, which she responds to be nodding her own.


    And so, I walk over to my seat and sit down, not heeding much attention to the students'' curious stares conversations.


    "Shido," Tohka''s apologetic voice reaches my ears, "I''m sorry. I wanted to wake you up, but-"


    Understanding what happened, I raise my left arm to stop her from talking before beaming her a smile and asking, "Kotori didn''t let you, right?"


    As a response to my inquiry, Tohka simply nods her head once with a slightly anxious look in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry about it," I say, "It doesn''t matter much."


    Hearing my words, Tohka releases a sigh of relief before she shifts her focus over to Reine who has begun teaching.


    --


    The bell signifying the start of lunch-break rings. Along with it, students rise from their seats and make their way over to their friends in preparation to head over to the canteen.


    This reminds me... What is Tohka going to be eating for lunch? After all, I didn''t get to prepare any lunch boxes today.


    All of a sudden, a rectangr pink object ms onto my desk as Origami appears standing beside me with her hand on top of the object.


    Upon inspecting the pink object, I realize that it''s a lunch box wrapped in some soft cloth.


    How odd. Is this supposed to be for me? Did she know I wouldn''t be bringing any lunch boxes to school, or did she just n to hand it over randomly?


    Releasing a sigh, I peer into Origami''s eyes and ask, "Is this for me?"


    "Yes," she bluntly responds before retracting her hand from the lunch box and keenly staring at me with a slightly expectant look in her eyes.


    To my left, I sense an intense re from Tohka, but I decide to ignore it as I proceed to undo the cloth wrapped around the lunch box and lift the lid.


    The next thing I know, my brain jams as a wonderful scent wafts through the air and into my nose.


    "Ugh," Tohka''s voice reaches my ears as her eyes widen at the sight of the food.


    Taking a look at the food, I notice that it''s a rather neatly prepared lunch box consisting of rice and a few other extra bits added to it.


    All in all, the food is quite inviting.


    "It looks delicious," I remark, to which Origami simply nods her head before casting a disdainful nce at the now-drooling Tohka.


    At this moment, AI''s voice resounds within my head:


    {Code detected. Identified: Kurumi Tokisaki.}


    A smile forms on my lips as I get up from my seat, somewhat startling Origami.


    "Where are you doing?" she asks.


    "To greet a guest," I respond, intending to leave the ssroom, but Origami steps forth and stands in front of me.


    Before I can berate her for her actions, a certain ck-haired female enters the ssroom in graceful steps.


    Looking over at the new arrival, who is none other than Kurumi, I notice a few streaks of blood on her hands on her dainty hands which she is wiping using a small ck handkerchief.


    As a response to her appearance, Origami turns around with a shocked look on her face while Tohka just curiously gazes at her.


    "Good afternoon, Shido. I assume you''ve been doing well?" Kurumi says once she has gotten close enough.


    "I''ve been doing fine, thank you. How about you?" I respond in a mannerplimenting hers.


    Surprisingly, Kurumi doesn''t respond but instead looks over at the lunch box set on the table and asks, "What a pleasant-smelling food."


    "Yes," I respond with a smile, "It was cooked by Origami over here."


    Kurumi proceeds to inspect Origami, whom I am pointing at, from head to toe as an odd glint shimmers in her eyes.


    "Ara~ Isn''t this a familiar face?" Kurumi says before giggling.


    Hearing her words, Origami gulps audibly as her expression turns dour.


    "Say, Shido, do you mind if I have a word with her?" Kurumi asks as she shifts her sight back to me.


    Upon hearing her words, I glimpse at the handkerchief she just stuffed into her skirt''s pocket before furrowing my brows and asking, "What do you need her for?"


    "A short discussion," she responds with a smile covering her lips.


    I continue to stare at her for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and turning my head to face Origami.


    "What do you want to do?" I ask.


    Hearing my query, Origami adopts a serious expression as she remains silent for a short while before nodding her head and saying, "There is no problem."


    "You heard her," I say as I shift my focus back to Kurumi.


    "Indeed," Kurumi responds as the smile on her lips grows.


    Hah~ This is troublesome. It''s somewhat obvious that it''s a bad idea to let this ''discussion'' ur, but doing that would make it seem like I''m standing against Kurumi.


    As I am trying to obtain information from Kurumi and possibly turn her into my ally, going against her is not favorable in any way.


    For now, I can let her do what she wants as long as it doesn''t cross a certain line. Naturally, I will be keeping my ''sight'' on them during the discussion to make sure nothing goes wrong.


    Worst case scenario, Kurumi will attempt something unsightly, and I would have to make use of my time-stop ability to stop her.


    "It seems like you don''t trust me much, Shido," Kurumi''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "That''s not the case at all," I say while keeping myposure.


    Kurumi doesn''t press on the matter any longer as she focuses on Origami and says, "We shall take our leave now."


    As a response to this, Origami simply nods her head before the two of them begin to walk out of the ssroom under the curious eyes of the students who have yet to leave.

 Chapter 261: Trouble (2/2)

    Chapter 261: Trouble (2/2)


    As the pair walked toward the door, Origami came to a halt and turned around to face me before pointing at the lunch box.


    Understanding that she wishes for me to eat it, I simply nod my head.


    Following that, she turns back around and hurries her steps to catch up to Kurumi who has already left.


    With Origami and Kurumi out of the ss, I proceed to use irvoyance to keep my sight on them.


    "Hey, Shido," Tohka''s voice reaches my ears, "Where are they going?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    Before Tohka can respond to my question, the female trio, who are Tohka''s friends, approaches us, intending to invite Tohka out.


    They do that, and Tohka seems to reluctantly ept as she casts onest nce at me and the lunch box before leaving alongside them.


    Hopefully, they will buy her something in the canteen. Tohka going without food is something that I find hard to imagine for some reason...


    Letting out a small sigh, I focus on Kurumi and Origami who are making their way over to the staircase used to get to the rooftop.


    Are they going to hold the discussion on the school rooftop?


    If that''s the case, I could perform a repeat of what I did back in Sorcerers'' Lair, which is opening a gateway small enough to be imperceptible, but just big enough to transfer their voice over to my ears.


    And so, true to my expectation, they went over to the rooftop and walked across all over to the center of the building.


    Taking this chance, I create a gateway right above and grab the chopsticks presented to me within the cloth of the lunch box.


    "You cleaned it didn''t you?" Kurumi''s voice reaches me as I dine on my lunch.


    Origami remains silent as she stares at Kurumi with a slightly perplexed expression on her delicate face.


    "I''m sure of it," Kurumi continues, "You were the one who cleaned my body after it was killed by Mana."


    This time, Origami opens her mouth and asks, "How are you alive?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Kurumi says with a grin.


    Seeing that Kurumi isn''t nning to borate on her words, Origami''s already furrowed brows twitch a little as she says, "Forget that. Why are you here?"


    The moment Origami''s voice fades, Kurumi''s smug expression is reced by a solemn one. Almost as if she was just asked a life-concerning question - not that she would care judging from what I know of her so far.


    "I came here to meet my dear Shido, but it seems like he was preupied with the kindness of a harlot near him," Kurumi finally says with a cold smile.


    Well... This is somewhat astonishing. I was wondering what it would be like for her to get irritated or angry, but the possibility of her being ''politely rude'' didn''t cross my mind.


    "Shido Itsuka is my boyfriend," Origami responds in her usual monotonous voice, "ording to a few reliable sources, it''s only to be expected that I prepare lunch for him."


    This again...


    "You''re wrong," Kurumi responds nigh-instantly in a mocking tone, "I''m sure that there is a proper reason as to why he would act like he is fond of you. So, it would be pointless to do this anyway."


    Hah~ There we go. Looks like I will have to intervene soon.


    Origami responds to Kurumi by shaking her head with eyes closed before opening them and saying, "He confessed to me passionately and spoke of the simrities we had."


    Ugh. I just remembered that... Seriously, what was up with that? Forget it.


    "Is that true?" Kurumi says before closing her eyes and asking, "Well, setting that matter aside. Let''s talk about something more important, shall we?"


    Hearing her, Origami squints her eyes before saying, "What is it?"


    "Don''t get in my way," Kurumi bluntly responds as her expression darkens and the ground beneath the two turns strange, "If you want to live to see tomorrow, I suggest you stay away from Shido. He''s mine."


    Toward the end of her sentence, several arms protruded from the odd shadow on the ground and grab onto Origami''s legs, startling her by quite a bit.


    Knowing that the situation just turned bad, I rise from my seat and proceed to make my way out of the ss while checking on the two of now and then.


    Shortly, I reach the door leading to the rooftop and open it just in time to witness the shadow and multiple arms holding Origami''s legs disappear.


    Following that Kurumi raises her arm a little and waves at me before casting a nce at Origami and walking past her.


    "How unbing," Kurumi says once she''s in front of me, "It''s bad manners to intrude upon those conversing, don''t you think so, Shido?"


    Then, Kurumi steps forth so that the distance between our faces is no more than a few inches before saying, "You were listening to us, weren''t you?"


    Peering into her crimson eye, I beam a smile and say, "Whatever could you be talking about?"


    Hearing my response, Kurumi squints her eye slightly before a smile forms on her lips as she says, "Truly, interesting. I smell something from you like of which I have never smelled before."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" I ask doubtfully.


    Following my query, Kurumi leans forward and mutters, "It just means that you''re more amazing than I expected."


    Knowing that this might be her way of teasing me, I grin slightly before closing what distance is left between our lips, surprising Kurumi.


    The soft sensation against my lipssts for about three seconds before Kurumi takes a step back and beginsughing.


    After a dozen or so seconds, she stops and says with a smile covering her face, "Not only are you more amazing but bolder too."


    Kurumi then lifts her right arm and slides the tip of her fingers against her lips before saying, "It makes me look forward to our date even further."


    Hearing her words, I realize that this opportunity might as well be the best one toe up with a time and location for our date.


    And so, ignoring the baffled Origami, I approach Kurumi and lean forth to whisper my intentions into her ear.


    As a response to this, she listens silently before the smile on her lips grows as she says, "Very well. I shall do that then."


    Nodding my head, I say, "Are you going to leave now?"


    "Yes, there are some matters that I have left unattended," she responds.


    "Alright then," I say before swiftly stepping forth and wrapping my arms around her slender body.


    Kurumi doesn''t react to my actions much but remains still for the duration of the hug before backing away from me and bowing politely.


    Following that, she turns her head to cast a nce at the still bewildered Origami beforeughing and running off the building.


    Letting out a sigh out of exasperation, I walk toward Origami.

 Chapter 262: Not Failures ; Thought

    Chapter 262: Not Failures ; Thought


    "So, Origami," I say, resulting in the taciturn girl in front of me to break out of her stupor, "I would like to ask of you the same thing that Kurumi so forcefully did.


    "Unless you have a proper reason to do so, don''t meddle in my business with spirits, including Kurumi, alright?"


    Hearing my words, Origami remains expressionless as she peers into my eyes for a dozen or so seconds before opening her mouth and responding, "Alright."


    Surprised, my eyes widen as I question my judgment for a short while. After all, I expected her to refuse my suggestion quite stubbornly.


    "You''re fine with it?" I dubiously ask while squinting my eyes.


    "Yes," she bluntly responds.


    "Why did you ept it so easily?"


    "Because you said so," she responds without missing a beat.


    Hah~ The fact that I''m unable to sense any falsehood in her words is astonishing. Nevertheless, she sure is a lovely girl now that I think about it.


    "Origami," I say, to which she simply responds, "Yes?"


    "Have your ''reliable sources'' informed you of anything else that couples would normally do?"


    Origami takes a moment to deliberate on her answer before nodding her head as confirmation.


    "What did they say?" I curiously ask.


    "That when a couplees to the school rooftop, they must kiss or else they fail as a couple," she replies in her monotonous voice.


    As expected, her reliable sources have rather skewed views regarding rtionships, let alone the crappy advice they give for furthering a rtionship.


    Nevertheless, I am grateful this time around...


    And so, I take a step forth, closing in the distance between Origami and me. As a response to this, Origami remains motionless while continuing to gaze at my face with an impassive expression.


    Being this close to her, I can smell the scent of shampoo wafting from her silky hair.


    "You better not regret this," I say before swiftly wrapping my arms around her body with my left palm right against her nape.


    Then, I don''t wait for her reaction - not that she would''ve had any - and press my lips against hers.


    Following that, our lips remain locked for a few seconds before I find myself getting a little impatient as I proceed to use my tongue to pry into her mouth.


    A short whileter, I detach my lips from hers before taking a step and asking with a grin, "So, how was that?"


    "Good," she responds, "Now, we won''t be considered failures if we leave."


    ...


    Seriously? What''s up with this girl? ording to bits of my memories and the title students use when referring to her, she is a ''genius''.


    Well, whatever. As long as she doesn''t cross a certain line, she is fine being the way she is right now.


    Shaking my head, I face her properly and say, "Let''s head back to ss."


    "Alright," she responds.


    ---


    Arriving home with Tohka, I directly proceed to head over to my room and lie down on the bed.


    Then, I begin to think of today''s happenings and whatever information I have now regarding Kurumi.


    Firstly, she is extremely polite to the point that I''m suspecting she is from a noble family of sorts. But, then again, what are spirits? Do they have a family?


    Simply put, despite AI identifying them as Codes, it''s apparent that they are different from us. Different from me, Yuno and Siesta, that is.


    The reason I suspect that is simply because of how AI described their Code waves; stating that they''re weaker than even a 3-Digit Code. AI didn''t mention anything about ''4-Digit Codes'' or something simr, so it''s safe to assume there isn''t such categorization.


    Apart from that, there is the matter with ''space quakes'' that ur every time a spirit ''appears''.


    What is a space quake exactly and why does it ur? It''s a rather odd phenomenon that I haven''t experienced before in any way or shape.


    Leaving that aside, there is the second matter, which is the shadow that formed on the rooftop and the hands that reached out from it.


    Whatever they were, they seem to be rted to Kurumi''s Code which I have yet to have much information on.


    Well, I will find that out in due time. For now, I should focus on the third point, which is the fact that Kurumi had supposedly ''died''. Not only did it ur, but it was taped and viewed by my little sister, Kotori.


    This brings forth a question from before - Is Kurumi immortal? No. I don''t think that''s the case. After all, if I were to consider what happened that night, the truth of the matter bes obvious.


    Along with the hands that protruded from that odd shadow, I can conclude that Kurumi is able to form copies of herself which turn out to be Binary Factors.


    That''s rather interesting. What power could she be using to create them? How long do theyst? Are they on par with her ''original'' self? And the most important question - Can they be considered to be Proxies?


    {Negative.}


    Hearing AI''s voice in my head, my thoughtse to a halt as I focus on what she has to say.


    {If an entity were a Proxy, I would have been able to detect it.}


    And you say that despite not being able to detect Kotori''s Code?


    {The reason for that is because the entity identified as Kotori Itsuka was in a temporary Dormant state, which is something a Proxy is incapable of.}


    Oh? Do you know why?


    {Negative.}


    As I continue to deliberate on the matter, a small figure enters the room and walks over to my bed before a soft voice reaches my ears, "Shido, are you okay?"


    Turning my head to face the concerned Yoshino, I adopt a smile and respond, "Of course, I am. Why do you ask?"


    "Because... Shido didn''te over."


    Hearing her words, I begin to look for the meaning behind them before realization suddenly hits me - I never got to my room before. Despite her not being here for long, Yoshino knows that I head over to the living room, I presume.


    Letting out a small sigh, I lift my body from the bed and beckon to Yoshino, who is surprisingly not wearing her puppet, to approach me.


    After a slight moment of trepidation, Yoshino meekly does as I gestured her to and embraces me.


    Holding her close to myself, I close my eyes and rub her back while whispering, "Sorry for that. I just wanted to think of something."


    A shorty whileter, I let go of Yoshino before leaning forth and pecking her cheek, earning me a small smile from her.


    "Should we head downstairs?" I say while stroking her cheek, to which she simply nods her head a few times.


    "Alright then," I say before suddenly pulling her to myself and lifting her off the ground.


    Startled, a confused expression appears on Yoshino''s face before fading away the next moment as a cheerful one appears in its stead.


    Seeing her smile like this is rare, so I relish the sight for a few seconds before giving her a quick peck on the lips and princess-carrying her out of the room.

 Chapter 263: Detection ; (Spoiler)

    Chapter 263: Detection ; (Spoiler)


    Upon setting foot into the living room, I am met by the sight of Tohka and Kotori who are both seated on a sofa and are watching TV.


    Sensing our arrival, Kotori looks over at us as a red hue begins to creep up her face, most likely due to her rememberingst night''s ''punishment''.


    Deciding that it would be best for me to not bring the matter up, I walk over to a sofa near to the one they are sitting on and set Yoshino down on it before sitting on it myself.


    "So," I say after casting a nce at the unusually bashful Kotori, "Have there been any sightings of other spirits recently?"


    Hearing my words, Kotori''s expression immediately turns serious as she replies, "No. However, our equipment has detected seismic energy waves that could potentially be that of spirit."


    "Another spirit?" Tohka chimes in, seemingly finding the conversation more entertaining than the drama on TV, unlike Yoshino.


    "Yes," Kotori says, "However, it''s not here, but from a tourist ind that''s quite some distance away from here.


    "Also, the energy waves detected aren''t strong, so the spirit might not be there anymore. Currently, we are investigating the matter."


    "I see," I respond with a thoughtful expression, "Tell me if you find out anything."


    "Why shou-" Kotori opens her mouth as a sharp voice escapes from her lips, but she doesn''t finish what she had to say as she presses her palm against her mouth.


    "Good," I say with a smile on my face, "You seem to understand our situation now."


    Kotori doesn''t say anything as a response to my words but simply looks over at the TV, acting like I''m not even here.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I proceed to get up from the sofa and make my way over to my room, intending to change my clothes.


    ---


    Leaving the house, I begin strolling around in the city, hoping to encounter a spirit by chance.


    As long as they''re within AI''s range, she will inform me of their existence and location, to which I can act upon and head over to meet the spirit.


    Naturally, this would only work if there are any spirits, excluding Kurumi, around in the city to begin with, which is highly unlikely.


    Then again, running into Kurumi wouldn''t be detrimental either.


    --


    A few hours have passed since I left the house, and I have yet toe across anything abnormal, which is quite disheartening.


    As if hearing my thoughts, an rm suddenly begins ring as a female voice reverberates in the air.


    Finally. I was starting to get bored.


    Ignoring the surrounding crowd which is making their way over to the emergency utilities, I put on the earbud provided by Ratatoskr and say, "Kotori, are you there?"


    Shortly after that, Kotori''s voice reaches my ears as she responds, "Yes. Are you ready to get transported over to the location that the spirit will appear in?"


    "There isn''t a need for that. Just tell me where the location is."


    "Huh? Are you sure?" she doubtfully responds.


    "Just do it," I say firmly.


    "Alright. The space quake is in an abandoned amusement park that''s to the northwest of your location."


    "Understood," I say before dashing toward the direction she indicated.


    --3rd POV--


    "Commander, what is he nning to do?" a semi-bald man asks Kotori who is gazing at a screen disying Victor with a lollipop in her mouth.


    "I don''t know," she responds with a frown before her eyes suddenly widen as the lollipop falls out of her mouth.


    Followed by that, everyone present in the room has various reactions while gazing at the screen.


    "Where?"


    The giant screen which was showing Victor is currently disying nothing more than the ground he was standing on.


    It seemed as if Victor had suddenly blinked out of existence.


    "Look for him!" Kotori hurriedly orders in a concerned tone as she jumps up from her seat.


    "Yes!" everyone responds as they focus on theputer screens in front of them.


    --1st POV--


    As I continue to fly in the direction given by Kotori, I consider asking her where the amusement park precisely is based on my current location, but before I can do so, I bear witness to a giant hole forming in the distance before growing in size and swallowing up everything around it.


    {Code waves detected.}


    I take a moment to gaze at the destroyed amusement park before dashing toward it.


    Once there, I look around for a short while before my eyes catch sight of a woman that seems to be in her early twenties, standing atop a small stage with a broom in her hand.


    The woman''s attire consists of a provoking purple suit with golden stars embroidered on it, as well as a tall hat on top of her head.


    Her hat resembles that of a which with a pair of bat wings protruding from it.


    "Ah," she seems to react to my presence as she turns to face me and mutters, "It seems that I have a visitor."


    Naturally, she is a short distance away from me, so seeing that she doesn''t have any hostile intentions, I proceed to walk forward while adopting a smile.


    "Hello," I say once I''m close enough.


    The woman doesn''t respond to me but instead, she inspects me from head to toe first as a glint shimmers in her eyes.


    "Well, hello there," she says after a dozen or so seconds, "What brings you here? Shouldn''t you be running away like the rest?"


    Hearing her question, I slowly shake my head and say, "There isn''t a need for that."


    "Hm~?" the woman hums as her interest seems to grow.


    "Shido, do you want us to provide you with assistance?" Kotori''s voice suddenly resounds within my ear.


    How odd. She seems to be anxious. And for her to make this suggestion despite already knowing my answer...


    Knowing that she is watching me from somewhere, I slightly wave my left hand to indicate ''not needed''.


    "Understood."


    "Say," the woman suddenly says as a grin forms on her lips, "Am I beautiful?"


    Huh? What a strange question to ask upon meeting someone for the first time...


    I take a moment to observe the woman closely before nodding my head and replying in a serious tone, "You are."


    Pleased with my response, the grin on her lips grows as she murmurs, "Of course."


    Despite finding her actions peculiar, I decide against pointing it out, but instead ask her, "Would you mind telling me your name?"


    "Ah, yes," she responds, "My name is Natsumi, and you may call me as such. Now, what is your name?"


    As I open my mouth to give her a response, Kotori''s voice interrupts me as she says, "Shido! A group of ten that seem to be members of the AST is heading over to where you are from behind you. You must hurry!"


    Turning around, I focus my sight on a few small figures in the distance. Expectedly, they don''t seem to havee with peaceful intentions, judging from the looks on their faces.


    Neither Origami nor Mana is among them, which is a relief as I can take more decisive actions...


    "We''ve got some uninvitedpany," I say nonchntly.


    As a response to my words, Natsumi chuckles for a few seconds before saying, "You act as if you were invited"


    "What, am I unwee?" I say with a wry grin on my lips.


    "No, that''s not the case at all. Anyway, leave them to me."


    Toward the end of her statement, I could sense her voice turn a little confident as she raises her broom while gazing in the direction the AST ising from.


    -----


    Full title:- Detection ; Witch

 Chapter 264: Bizarre Battle (1/2)

    Chapter 264: Bizarre Battle (1/2)


    Seeing that Natsumi is nning to show off her abilities, I adopt a smile as I step back to enjoy the show.


    Shortly, the AST reaches our location and begins hovering around in the air while keenly observing us.


    As I thought, I don''t recognize any of them from before. I wonder how their strengthpares to the group that Origami is a part of...


    Setting my thoughts aside, I focus on a brown-haired woman who seems to be the one in charge of this small group.


    Currently, she is pressing her finger against a device attached to her head and saying something. I reckon that she is receiving orders from herms and is going to be rying them to the rest.


    A few secondster, my assumption proves to be true as the girl suddenly points at us, no... at me and exims, "I just received direct orders from the higher-ups. Our main priority is the male spirit."


    Hearing her words, not only the girls, but even I am a little surprised.


    So, they''re finally going to focus on me, huh?


    Natsumi who seems to have heard her giggles and says, "You seem to be popr. Still, a male spirit, huh? No wonder you im that it''s pointless for you to escape."


    As a response to her words, I shrug my shoulders and say, "So, they''re going to be focusing on me. What will you be doing?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" she responds while clenching her broom, "Leave it to big sister to deal with."


    Amused, I chuckle for a few seconds before saying, "Sure. Go on ahead."


    Following my words, the AST initiate their attack by releasing a series of missiles toward our location.


    Sensing no threat, I am assured that the missiles are unable to so much cause a scratch on me. But the same can''t be said about my clothes and Natsumi, probably.


    And so, I prepare to use Vector Maniption on the missiles, but that proves to be unnecessary as the iing missiles suddenly freeze mid-air.


    ncing over at Natsumi who is exuding some energy, I note that this is her doing and not some peculiar feature of the missiles themselves.


    Before I can make an inquiry regarding her power, a bizarre scene urs before my eyes as Natsumi smacks her broom into the ground and yells, "Haniel!"


    Following her yell, the numerous missiles in the air suddenly turn into someic-like steam as strange onomatopoeic words appear before they disappear and reveal different types of vegetables.


    The next moment, the missiles-now-vegetables begin to shakily make their way to the ground,pletely avoiding us.


    Just as I was beginning to think that the situation can''t get any more puzzling, the vegetables ''explode'' as more onomatopoeic words appear along with someical explosion that does absolutely no damage to the ground or anything close by for that matter.


    Despite having lived an irregr life with multiple out of the norm happenings, this is the first time that I''ve felt an ability is ridiculous.


    Curious about the nature of her power, I decide to watch her more carefully as she continues to deal with the assants who staring at us with bewildered looks on their faces.


    "Don''t use ballistics!" the brown-haired girl exims, "Use purely energy-based attacks!"


    "Yes!" the girls respond as they begin to prepare for another attack.


    "Shido! You need to get out of there! There is no guarantee that the spirit will protect you!" Kotori''s concerned voice reaches my ears.


    "There isn''t a need for that. It''s not like they can harm me anyway," I mutter.


    Kotori doesn''t say anything else, so I focus back on Natsumi who has now raised her broom.


    "Take this!" she screams before some dense energy in the form of a rainbow wave escapes from her broom and speedily makes its way to the girls who are in the sky.


    Despite being startled, more than half of the girls move away from the ''rainbow'' while those that stayed attempted to block it by crossing their arms in front of themselves.


    However, that proves to be useless, as, soon, another bizarre urrence transpires.


    Each of the AST members that were struck by the rainbow change form to humanoid animals with their faces being the only thing that didn''t change along with someical explosion.


    Curious about the nature of Natsumi''s power, I use my Corporikinesis to observe the girls'' bodies as they slowly fall from the sky while shrieking.


    Unexpectedly, I find out that not much has changed about their bodies apart from the outeryer, as in, their appearance.


    The changed girls soon reach the ground beforeical explosions ur as they lose their consciousness.


    Seeing this, the brown-haired girl''s expression takes a turn for the worse as she says, "Don''t give them a chance to counterattack! Hurry up!"


    Following her orders, a group of five girls suddenly fly away from us before taking a maneuver, seemingly intending to approach us from behind.


    "How troublesome," Natsumi says in a yful tone while smiling.


    "Don''t worry about them," I say, "You can focus on taking down the rest."


    "Oh? Are you going to be using your powers?"


    "Do you want me to?"


    "Hm~ Do I?" she responds with a bright smile, "Just hurry up, so you can get back toplimenting me."


    Hah~ Forget it. Ifpliments are what she wants, I shall spare her a few.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I proceed to utilize Flight to slowly float up, earning me a curious look from Natsumi.


    "Now, I suppose it''s my turn, huh?"


    With that said, I suddenly burst forth toward the sky, only toe to a stop once I''m a few hundred meters above the ground.


    Then, I begin to descend toward the group of five girls that are flying toward me with a smile stered to my lips.


    Seeing me approaching them, the girls'' expressions turn serious as they release a fewser beams toward me.


    I proceed to casually avoid the beams before soon arriving at where the girls and using Vector Maniption to redirect the forces of two of them to the ground.


    This results in the two finding themselves falling with seemingly no clear exnation of what''s happening to them.


    So, with two out of the way, I remain floating in my position as I observe the other three who have now flown some distance away from me withplex looks on their faces.


    Letting out a small sigh, I decide to take them down quickly by making use of Holy sh.


    With that in mind, I begin to circte Holy Essence within my body while focusing on the girls who have decided to make another attempt in taking me down as they briskly fly toward me with solemn looks on their faces.

 Chapter 265: Bizarre Battle (2/2)

    Chapter 265: Bizarre Battle (2/2)


    With my Holy Essence circting within my arms, I raise my hand and wave it down, resulting in several ''lines'' of light to escape from the tip of my fingers and move toward the girls.


    Unable to react in time, two of the girls lose a leg each, while the other one has one side of the machine attached to her back cut off.


    Following that, the unharmed girl falls toward the ground, probably to her death.


    Just as she''s about to make contact with the ground, however, a rainbow covers her before she changes into aical form andnds on the ground safely.


    Seeing this, I raise my brows as I shift my sight over to Natsumi who is currently sitting atop her broom that is floating in the air, making her truly resemble a witch.


    Anyway, did she save that girl on purpose? Even if she did, I wonder if she is going to do the same for those two.


    Casting a nce at the horrified girls who are trying to stabilize themselves after a loss of their limb, I let out a small sigh as I look around for the ones that were supposed to face Natsumi.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Commander! We are detecting an absurd amount of energy!" screams a blonde-haired man as he stares at the screen of a tablet in his hands with a bewildered expression.


    "This..." Kotori mutters while gazing at the numbers currently being disyed on the giant screen in arge bold red font, "Is this Shido''s doing?"


    "Commander, the amount of energy detected is beyond that of any spirit we have detected until now. Our equipment is barely able to keep up with it," the blonde-haired man continues.


    Hearing this, Kotori''s expression turns dour as she deliberates something for a moment before opening her mouth and ordering, "Disable all Analyzers!"


    "Understood!"es a response from everyone present apart from the blonde-haired man as they proceed to focus on the screens in front of them with utmost serenity.


    ---1st POV---


    "And that''s thest one," I mutter once done with counting thest body on the pile of bodies in front of me.


    "That was rather unexpected," a voice reaches my ears from behind me, "To think that you would be such a powerful spirit... No, can you even be considered one at this point?"


    "What are you talking about?" I say as I turn around, "I didn''t do anything too out of the ordinary, did I?"


    After all, Tohka should be capable of doing something rather simr to this, if I were to leave the Vector Maniption and Telekinesis out of the equation.


    "That''s not it," Natsumi responds while squinting her eyes slightly, "It''s true that you made use of basic attack forms, but the energy you used was nothing like that."


    Energy? Is she speaking of my Holy Essence? From the sound of it, she was able to detect it and determine its power...


    "Well, that doesn''t matter," she continues, startling me a little, "Let''s get back to giving mepliments, alright?"


    Hearing her suggestion, I turn my head to cast a nce at the assants and take a moment to deliberate on the proper path to take  Go with Natsumi and spoil her a little, or stay here and interrogate the girls.


    Normally, the former would''ve been the proper choice to make, but I''m currently in need of information the most out of everything else. After all, it would be suicidal to face an organization blindly when I can acquire information on them.


    Still... I can''t let Natsumi down right now. She is rather way too keen for some pliments'', so it''s obvious there is more to the matter than that.


    "Kotori," I mutter, "I need you to take these girls hostage in Ratatoskr, alright?"


    "What?!" a disbelieving voice immediately bursts in my ear, "Shido, do you know what you''re asking us to do?!"


    Remainingposed, I continue, "This concerns a lot more than the lives of the spirits. Information is what I require, and these guys are my key to it."


    Silence ensues for a few seconds before Natsumi suddenly says, "Hey, do you not want topliment me anymore?"


    Sensing the extreme displeasure in her tone, I hurriedly mutter, "Kotori, make your decision quickly. We don''t have all day, you know."


    Shortly after that, she responds, "Argh, fine! This is going to be thest time we''re doing something like this! Do you understand?"


    "Yes, yes," I dismissively mutter before turning around to face the now-frowning Natsumi and say, "Sorry about that. You were just too captivating that I needed to take a rest from looking at you for so long."


    Fortunately, Natsumi is more than just pleased with my words as a bright smile covers her dainty lips while she says, "Should we go somewhere else?"


    Nodding my head, I beam a smile of my own and say, "I have no problem with that."


    "Do you have any ce in mind to take her?" Kotori''s voice resounds within my ear.


    "Nope," I mutter.


    What ce would be suitable for her? I barely know anything about her apart from the fact that she seems to inhibit some peculiar characteristics and powers.


    Now that I think about it, what are her powers exactly? I had not noticed it earlier, but there seems to be a thinyer of the same energy used on the missiles and girls around her body. But then again, when I focus my senses, I notice that the energy seems to be much denser inside her.


    From first nce, it could be assumed that her powers are illusory ones, but if I were to take the fact that it altered more than just appearance, it''s obviously more than just that.


    I stare at Natsumi who has a wide smile on her face for a few seconds before a notion appears in my head.


    No way... right?


    Deciding that it''s worth looking into, I use Corporikinesis to observe her body, only to be shocked by something I definitely wasn''t expecting.


    Natsumi''s appearance seems to be... fake.


    I am unable to make out her ''real'' form as of now, but if there is one thing that I can tell, it would be the fact that she is much shorter and less buxom than her current form.


    "Hey," Natsumi says, interrupting my thoughts, "Are we going to go anytime soon?"


    "Yes... but, do you mind answering a question of mine?" I say in a casual tone.


    "As long as it is an appropriate one, I have no problems," she responds while pressing her finger against her lips and winking.


    "Your power," I say, which immediately results in her mood to suddenly shift to a serious one, "Is it illusion or transformation?"


    Now, I wonder if she will tell the truth.


    "Why do you ask?" she says with a cold smile that isn''t reaching her eyes.


    "Just curiosity. In return, I can inform you about one of my own powers," I respond while keeping myposure.


    "One of your powers? From the way you''re wording it, you are capable of using various abilities."


    I don''t respond to her words, but remain silent while observing her face.


    "Fine then," she says after a few seconds, "This big sister can use magic to transform anything I want to whatever I imagine."


    Nodding my head, I ask, "Are you using it on yourself right now?"


    After all, it''s strange for traces of the energy to remain around her so clearly...


    Unexpectedly, I feel an odd shift in the atmosphere as Natsumi''s expression seems to darken.


    "I have a question," she asks shortly after that.


    "Go on ahead," I say with a smile, deciding to ignore the sudden shift in her attitude for now.


    "Do you have an ability that lets you see through magic?" she asks while peering into my eyes.


    From the way she said it, I am certain that she is not pleased with that. Nevertheless, I already stated that I would tell her of one of my powers earlier, so it would be unbing of me to back out now regardless of the consequences.


    "Yes," I say, which immediately results in the atmosphere to tense up, so I quickly continue, "But, it''s rather limited, so I can''t make out the original forms much clearly."


    Unfortunately, my words seem to fall on deaf ears as Natsumi remains silent for the next ten seconds or so before murmuring in a low voice, "I won''t forgive you."

 Chapter 266: Concern ; Small Talk

    Chapter 266: Concern ; Small Talk


    "You won''t forgive me for what?" I ask, despite having a general idea of what she is not fond of.


    Natsumi doesn''t reply to my inquiry but instead summons her magical broom and sits on it, seemingly intending to leave.


    However, the moment I detect the slightest movement, I use Vector Maniption to cancel every force acting on her body and the broom, which happens to be an unfamiliar one which I assume is her ''magical power''.


    Surprisingly, this results in a dazed expression to form on Natsumi''s face before her body begins to shine brightly in a golden light.


    The next thing I know, everything has returned to normal apart from the fact that the ''disguised'' Natsumi is nowhere to be seen.


    In her ce, there is now an adorable young-looking girl with long unkempt green hair reaching all the way to her hips.


    Instead of the provoking outfit from before, she now wears some untidy clothes as if she was in a rush when she was putting them on.


    Simr to before, she has a witch-hat on, but now it has several emerald-like gems surrounding the cone.


    Leaving that aside, her torso is mostly bare apart from an orange sash that covers her seemingly t chest.


    For her lower half, she''s wearing somewhat puffy ck shorts with batwings protruding from either side.


    "Have you looked enough?" a cold voice reaches my ears, causing me to shift my sight over from Natsumi''s body over to her face.


    Expectedly, she is frowning with signs of tears welling up within the corner of her eyes.


    "It was you who did this, right?" she asks.


    "I did not think this would happen," I reply, "Had I known that your magic was just so that you could hide adorableness, I wouldn''t have done anything."


    Following this, a confused and doubtful look appears on Natsumi''s face as she says, "What are you talking about?"


    "Isn''t that what this is all about?" I say, "You realized that you''re too cute, so you resorted to hiding it?"


    So, I say, but I don''t believe that to be the case at all. Judging from the small duration I have interacted with her, she is very fond of her disguise and seems to abhor the idea of me being able to see through- no, ''past'' it.


    Logically speaking, this suggests that she either is extremely conservative, or she has aplex regarding her appearance.


    Taking into consideration her eagerness to receivepliments, I can conclude that it''s thetter. As such, I have to act ordingly now that things have gotten so far.


    "You''re saying that you find me cute?" she asks.


    "Yes," I immediately reply, "To the point that I want to snatch you and take you home with myself."


    "Lies! You''re lying!" she suddenly bursts as her tone peaks and her body begins to shine in the same golden light from before.


    Knowing that she is nning to get away, I swiftly move forth and wrap my arms around her body while she is still ''transforming'', which surprisingly results in it being canceled. This reveals a dumbfounded Natsumi who is looking me right in the eyes with trepidation.


    "Please let me go," she says after a few seconds of silence in a meek voicepletely unlike the previous ones she has used until now.


    "But you will run away if I do so," I say.


    "Isn''t that only to be expected?!" she blurts, "You''re scary!"


    "Am I now?" I whisper with a smile on my lips.


    Instead of responding to me orally, Natsumi''s turns to that of slight fear as she uses her power to direct the broom she is sitting on away from me.


    "Stay away from me!" she yells before abruptly flying toward the sky.


    "Shido!" Kotori''s voice reaches my ears at this point, "Witch''s favorability for you is currently very low. Don''t chase after her."


    "How low?" I ask, deciding that she is right this time. There isn''t a point to back her into a corner on the very same day that I met her.


    "She doesn''t hate you or dislike you, but it''s more inclined toward that," she responds.


    "Alright. I''m going to return home," I say after letting out a small sigh.


    ---


    Stepping into the living room, I find Tohka and Yoshino seated on the sofa, as usual, watching some soap opera.


    Although it''s more than a little concerning to let someone like Yoshino watch such a show, I can''t just opt her out from one of the things she enjoys during her stay here.


    Surely, this is better than being chased and hunted down in arge city for simply not being a human.


    Shortly after I take a seat beside Yoshino, Kotori appears in the room with aplicated expression on her face as she stares at me.


    "Is something wrong?" I question with a small smile on my lips.


    "Can we talk?" she asks in a solemn tone.


    Knowing that she is most likely going to be questioning my ''extreme'' actions, I casually nod my head before patting Yoshino''s head and proceeding to get up from the sofa.


    As such, the two of us make our way to Kotori''s room, after which she shuts the door and locks it.


    Following that, the two of us take a seat on her bed as silence ensues with neither of us seeming to know what to say.


    Well, that can''t be helped, after all, not so long ago, I did more than a little damage to a group of humans. Heck, I''m wondering if they managed to live through.


    As if reading my thoughts, Kotori''s voice reaches my ears, "Luckily, they all managed to survive."


    "That''s good," I say as it would be bothersome for them to die out of blood loss, resulting in me potentially losing out on valuable information.


    Letting out a small sigh, I proceed to ask, "You''re doubtful of my actions, aren''t you?"


    Kotori doesn''t hesitate to nod her head as she says, "Did you need to do all that? Couldn''t you have just taken them down or, you know, scare them away like you did while protecting Hermit?"


    "That would''ve been impossible," I reply nonchntly, "They were aiming for me, so scaring them off was out of the question.


    "Along with that matter, I was already nning to bring the matter to an abrupt end without much lethal injuries and whatnot, but upon finding out that they were targeting me, that was no longer an option."


    "You used them," Kotori says as her eyes widen, "You used those group of girls as a warning..."


    "That''s right."


    With that said, silence ensues once again for a few minutes before Kotori finally opens her mouth and states, "Actually, the reason I wished to talk to you wasn''t that."


    Oh? That''s intriguing. What could be more interesting than that?


    "That power you used in battle," she says, "What was it?"


    Right. I should''ve expected this question. Still, what should I say? Setting all the real answers aside, I believe going for the simplest truthful response would be for the best.


    "It was light," I say after a short while, "I can somewhat manipte light."


    Expectedly, an odd expression forms on Kotori''s face as she asks, "Light? What are its uses?"


    "Illusion and production of extremely effective weaponry made of pure light," I exin, "What I used back in the battle were small des of light. I didn''t know how effective they would be, so I was unable to limit them properly."


    With this, Kotori should take it as me ''identally'' having done what I did.


    "I see," Kotori says before a red hue suddenly covers her face.


    Knowing that she most likely just thought of something naughty, I grin as I reach my arm out to her face and gently stroke her cheek.


    The moment I do so, Kotori''s body jerks up from the bed as she fidgets slightly while saying, "We should go downstairs now. It''s about time we had dinner."


    "Alright," I say after chuckling for a few seconds before getting up from the bed as well.


    While I''m at it, I might as well cook an extra portion for tonight''s guest...

 Chapter 267: Guest in the Night ; Visit to an Abode

    Chapter 267: Guest in the Night ; Visit to an Abode


    "Shido, when are we going on a date again?" Tohka who is lying beside me on my bed asks.


    "Soon," I respond, my focus being elsewhere.


    "I''m looking forward to eating more delicious food!" she immediately says, making it clear that she''s in it for the food and not the aspect of us going out together.


    Well, she is free to feel and act however she likes as long as it brings no harm to her and those close by.


    "You should sleep soon," I say as I turn around to look her in the eyes.


    Seemingly unable to maintain eye contact, Tohka shifts her sight to the ceiling before saying, "I want to, but for some reason, I can''t."


    Hearing her answer, I let out a small sigh as I begin considering making use of Hypnosis...


    ---


    She''s finally asleep.


    Knowing that, I proceed to carefully leave the bed while being cautious to not make any sound that could potentially wake her up.


    After taking onest nce at the sleeping Tohka, I proceed to use Permeation to pass through the room over to the top of the house.


    "Finally," a pleasant voice reaches my ears not even a secondter, "Took you a tad bit too long, don''t you think so, Shido?"


    Looking over at Kurumi who is wearing a red and ck dress, I smile wryly and say, "There wasn''t much I could do to leave earlier."


    "I am aware," she responds, "You were patiently waiting for that girl to fall asleep, were you not?"


    Seeing the cold smile on her lips, I chuckle a little awkwardly before shrugging my shoulders and saying, "That''s about it."


    "Fine then," she says as she turns around, "Shall we get going."


    "Where to?" I curiously ask.


    "My home, or more urately, the ce in which I''m staying in right now for a short while," she responds before leaping toward the rooftop of another house nearby.


    This isn''t how I expected things to turn out...


    Earlier today, I instructed her to head over to my house at around midnight. The n was for us to spend a short while discussing the details of our uing date.


    For her to invite me over to her ''home''... This seems like a trap. But would she do that? Heck, why would she do that?


    Pushing such thoughts aside, I proceed to use Flight to dash in the direction that she leaped toward.


    "How convenient," Kurumi says as she nces at me once I''m near her while continuing to run at a swift pace and leap from one structure to another.


    And so, I subconsciously follow after her while thinking of a few things.


    I''m rather curious about where her home is and what it looks like. After all, from what I recall briefly, spirits seemingly ''disappear'' from this world and in turn be ''Lost''.


    Where do they go? Even they themselves don''t know. After all, earlier, while waiting for Tohka to fall asleep, I decided to speak with her a little. Among the few topics we spoke of, this one happened to be one of them.


    Tohka imed that she didn''t know anything. All she knew was that she would sometimes just appear somewhere else in the blink of an eye with everything around her destroyed.


    Expectedly, this is no longer the case after she was ''sealed'' by me. So far, that is.


    "We''ve arrived," a voice suddenly interrupts my thought process, causing me to shift my attention back to reality.


    The first thing - no, the person I see is Kurumi who is standing on top of a building that seems like an average workce for atypical srymen.


    "This way," Kurumi says as she walks toward a door on the rooftop that leads inside the building.


    Letting out a small sigh, I float down to the rooftop before walking through the door that Kurumi entered the building through.


    As I expected, this building is nothing more than a normal workce. Why has Kurumi brought me here?


    With such a question ring in my mind, I continue to follow after Kurumi who is gracefully walking through the corridors with seemingly no intentions of pulling off any ''surprise'' stunts.


    Shortly, we reach a door with a te attached to the door that states: Administration.


    Kurumi stops in her tracks and turns around, just to give me an oddly eerie smirk before turning back around and proceeding to open the door.


    With my expectations going awry, I follow Kurumi inside, only to be slightly shocked the next moment by a rather intriguing sight.


    Standing beside Kurumi, I observe two men and three women who seem to be in their mid-twenties, apart from one of the two men who seems to be in his early thirties.


    What''s strange is the fact that they''re all tied up with their arms, bound to some chains attached to the ceiling.


    All of them have one thing inmon  Each one of them has a part of their body missing.


    "Kurumi," I say in a dubious tone, "These people..."


    "They were hopeless humans that required assistance," she exins, "As you can see, they were all in this state, so I''ve been trying to find a way to gather up enough energy to heal them."


    Not expecting such a response, my mind nks out for a second before I shake my head and say, "So, you''re telling me that you''ve been using them as guinea pigs for their sake?"


    Curios about something, I proceed to utilize Paragon''s Eyes to inspect the


    "That''s a rather unbing way to put it," she replies, "They''re simply trading a short while of their freedom for a chance of reiming what was lost or what never existed."


    This girl... It seems that she is a very warm-hearted individual. Truly, going through all this effort for people she doesn''t know.


    Nevertheless, how is she nning to heal them? Are her powers rted to healing or something? Well, either that or she has an ability that''s specifically for regeneration.


    "How long have you been doing this for?" I ask out of sheer curiosity.


    "A few days," she responds as the grin on her lips grows, "You seem to not mind this sight much."


    "Why would I? You''re doing them a favor, after all."


    What''s a few days'' worth of freedom for the ''regeneration'' of a limb or eyes that you lost or never had for the rest of your life?


    The only thing that Kurumi will get out of this will be a grasp over her powers and potentially something else that I don''t know of.


    "Very well," Kurumi suddenly says before chuckling merrily, "You''ve passed the test."


    "Test?" I dubiously ask.


    "Indeed," she responds, "I had suspected something during our short trip to the park, and it seems that my senses were on point. Anyway, with that done with, how about we take our leave from this room and head to another?"


    "Sure," I respond, curious about what else she has to show me.


    --


    Kurumi and I enter a room that seems to be the lounging area of the building. I hadn''t noticed earlier due to the state of my vision, but the building is pitch ck right now.


    Despite that, I can see ''normally'', and that seems to be the case for Kurumi too.


    Kurumi proceeds to walk over to a sofa and takes a seat on it before turning her head to face me and say, "Why don''t you take a seat as well? We much to converse about."


    Nodding my head once, I walk over to the same sofa she is sitting on and directly sit beside her so that our shoulders are touching.


    Seemingly pleased with my action, Kurumi''s eyes begin to nt as an indication of what seems to be joy while she says, "Your reactions are much better than what I was initially expecting when I brought you over."


    "Get to the main point, will you?" I say in a casual tone while smiling brightly.


    "I want you," Kurumi immediately says.


    I wait for her to finish what she has to say, only to realize a few secondster that she already did.


    "You want me?" I doubtfully ask as I remember what Kurumi sad back in the park - ''I want to eat you.''


    What did she mean by that and what is she asking for this time?


    Before I can delve too deep into thoughts, I feel a few fingers brushing against my right cheek, causing me to shift my attention back to Kurumi.


    Surprisingly, I notice that Kurumi''s dress has gotten slightly disoriented and there is an eerie glint in her eyes now as she continues to stare at my face while stroking my cheek.


    "Kurumi?" I ask while maintaining myposure.


    "Don''t worry," she says in a low tone that''s almostparable to whispering before licking her lips and continuing, "I willpensate you equally."


    At this moment, the bangs on Kurumi''s left eye move to the side, revealing the golden eye with the clock in it that I had seen back in school. The only difference this time is the fact that the clock hands are moving haywire as if the ''clock'' has broken.


    "You would be fine with that, right, Shido?"

 Chapter 268: Its Time (1/2) (NSFW-ish)

    Chapter 268: It''s Time (1/2) (NSFW-ish)


    "You''re getting a little too close, don''t you think?" I say while grabbing the hand that was stroking my cheek.


    "Come on, Shido. There is no need to hold back. All I want from you is your cooperation," she says in a suggestive voice.


    Seeing that she is willing to go so far, I realize that I may be of wroth more ''value'' in Kurumi''s eyes than I had suspected.


    Naturally, this is rather suspicious. This coupled with the statement she made earlier back in the room indicates that Kurumi must have learned something about my powers and is nning to make use of it.


    Regardless of that, I don''t understand why would ''Kurumi'' want ''me''.


    From the way she phrased the statement, one could rightfully assume that she meant she wants to copte with me.


    "Kurumi," I say after letting out a sigh, deciding to ask her directly, "That statement of yours... Do you mean you want to have sex with me?"


    Hearing my words, Kurumi''s expression and actions freeze as she stares at my face nkly for a few seconds before breaking out of her stupor and eximing, "A brilliant idea!"


    What is?! Hold on, that wasn''t what she meant? Then, what was it exactly? Aside from that, why does she think us two having sex is a ''brilliant idea''?


    "My, my," Kurumi says, interrupting my thoughts, "I should have gone for that from the very beginning."


    Following her statement, she directly pounces on me and attempts to push me down, albeit failing to do so.


    Before she can utter a word, I proceed to grab her arm before pushing her down on the sofa myself, earning me a giggle from Kurumi as she says, "Perhaps, this could work as well."


    Furrowing my brows, I begin to think of the abnormality of this situation.


    First and foremost, Kurumi is a beauty. That''s irrefutable. However, she has a personality that is somewhat hard to figure out. If anything, she somewhat reminds me of... myself.


    From the looks of it, she is fine with us doing the deed despite not knowing each other long.


    Nevertheless, Kurumi''s words themselves indicate that there are ulterior motives for this. What they are and how will they affect me; that, I don''t know.


    AI, nothing ''unexpected'' will ur if I were to go through with this, right?


    {Affirmative. There are no abnormalities detected. Chances of unexpected urrences are negligibly low.}


    Alright then. If Kurumi is doing this to achieve an objective, I can do so as well.


    With that thought revolving in my head, I peer into Kurumi''s heterochromatic eyes and say, "You better not regret this."


    As a response to my words, Kurumi simply chuckles and says, "I believe that I won''t."


    Having gotten somewhat impatient already, I lower my head to close the distance between our faces before locking my lips with hers.


    Unlikest time, Kurumi wraps her arms around me and begins embracing surprisingly tightly, almost as if she wants my body to merge with hers.


    Shortly, my tongue finds its way inside her mouth and ys around with her tongue while I guide my left hand to her breasts.


    All of a sudden, the Kurumi''s body begins to glow in red before the light fades, revealing a naked and shocked Kurumi.


    Detaching our lips, I proceed to raise my body from hers to observe her naked body properly.


    "What did you do?" Kurumi suddenly questions while examining herself and raising her right arm.


    Following that, a flintlock pistol appears on Kurumi''s hands, seemingly out of nowhere, causing her to let out a sigh that''s a mix of relief and exasperation.


    "So, your powers are not sealed, huh?" I subconsciously mutter.


    Kurumi''s ears pick up on the words as she frowns and says, "What do you mean? Did you just try to seal my powers?"


    "Not really," I reply honestly, "I was simply nning to take you, but I had forgotten the fact that when I kiss a spirit, they get sealed..."


    Now that I think about it, why didn''t Kurumi get sealed when I kissed her back on the rooftop? Is there more to the condition than simply locking lips? I recall Kotori and Reine saying something about a love gauge meter, but I had crossed that out as nonsense.


    It might be rted, but I don''t think that''s all there is to it, after all, I doubt Kurumi loves me much right now.


    {Code Essence analysis boosted: 8>>17%}


    What? Wasn''t this rted to Time-Leap? Did it suddenly get boosted because of what just happened?


    No way...


    "Kurumi," I say in a solemn tone while staring at her face, "Are your powers rted to... time?"


    Hearing my inquiry, a wide grin forms on Kurumi''s lips as she says, "So, you finally noticed."


    Well, shit.


    What''s with my luck? First, there is an individual with space-rted abilities that ''invited'' me over to this tform.


    Then, there is this thorny rose that is capable of using time-rted abilities. All I can hope for now is that their absurd powers are not limitless if they decide to stand against me.


    "Back then, when I was protecting the young-looking spirit from the AST, was our first time meeting, right?" I say, giving voice to my doubts.


    "Although that can''t be considered as such, yes. It was the first time we came across each other."


    By the end of her response, Kurumi reached her right arm out and pressed the tip of her fingers against my lips.


    "You''re not nning to stop here, are you?" she mutters as her eyes turn into crests from her grinning widely.


    Letting out a sigh, I use both of my hands to cup her breasts as I feel a hot sensation surge within me, pushing me to take her right here and now.


    And so, I proceed to squeeze her rtively soft nipples gently as I lean forth and lock lips with her once again.


    This time, the kiss is a much more passionate one as Kurumi joyously returns it while sliding her palms against my body.


    Taking this chance, I use Destruction to get rid of all my clothes after making sure to scan the room for anything ''out of ce''.


    Despite this scenario being a ''bad'' one, I''ve already set my decision on going through with it.


    For some reason, I am reminded of that time that I had sex with Infi, or more urately, her Proxy. There is this sense of urgency that is seemingly pushing me to make Kurumi mine.


    After a few minutes of passionate kissing, I separate my lips from Kurumi''s as I begin to shift my position so that I am sitting atop her dainty legs, giving me a clear view of her smooth privates.


    "Don''t you think that this position is an ufortable one to practice this particr exercise at?" Kurumi says after a light chuckle.


    Agreeing with her, I simply nod my head once before shifting my attention to the space in between the sofas present in the room and using Creation to produce a double-bed from within my database.


    Seeing the bed appear, Kurumi''s eyes widen slightly as she squints her eyes and asks, "What ability is that? It can''t be something like storage, as I doubt you would bother with storing a double-bed if that were the case. Unless"


    Upon muttering thest word, Kurumi casts an odd, yet somewhat cold look at me with a teasing grin on her lips.


    "No, it''s not whatever you think it is," I subconsciously respond.


    "Is that so~?" she says before using the tips of her fingers to follow along the muscle lines that have formed from all the times that my body has ''changed''.


    "Let''s head over then," I say before telekically lifting both of us over without bothering to hear her response.


    This, in turn, earns me another chuckle from Kurumi before she says, "You seem to be looking forward to this."


    "Naturally," I immediately respond, "Who wouldn''t be after they''ve been granted a chance to spend some quality time with an interesting beauty like you."


    "Ara~ What a strange way topliment someone," she says while changing the position of her limbs to make herself morefortable, which also results in her slit and breasts to be easier to view.


    At this moment, I feel a grasp on my half-erected rod as the tip seems to be getting gently massaged by three fingers.


    "Please go easy on me," Kurumi suddenly says in a charming tone, "After all I amcking in experience when ites to this area of expertise."


    "Leave it to me," I say, but that earns me a rather cold response from Kurumi as she scoffs, "Isn''t this the part in which you''re supposed to say you have no experience either?"


    "What?" I say, a little confused.


    "Nothing," she replies as the stern expression on her face mellows out, "I was just messing with you."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I use both of my hands to spread Kurumi''s legs before lowering my head toward her crotch.

 Chapter 269: Its Time (2/2) *NSFW*

    Chapter 269: It''s Time (2/2) *NSFW*


    With my head in between Kurumi''s smooth thighs, I give her bare slit a quick peck before extending my tongue and beginning to y around with her clit.


    Seemingly enjoying my actions, her slightly stiffened legs loosen up as she ces both of her hands atop my head, as if pushing me to pleasure her even further.


    Taking it as such, I shift my hands over to spread her lower lips before directly inserting my tongue inside, earning me a small gasp from Kurumi as her grasp over my head tightens.


    Ignoring her reaction, I continue to use my tongue to y around inside her, resulting in small gasps to escape from Kurumi''s lips every few seconds.


    After a few minutes, I halt my actions and lift my head to cast a nce at Kurumi''s face.


    Surprisingly, her usual graceful countenance seems to have broken as she stares at the ceiling with a dazed look in her eyes and a rosy blush on her cheeks.


    Grinning at this sight, I proceed to reach my right hand out to her crotch and insert my middle finger inside while shifting my position slightly so that my face is aligned with hers.


    Finding me on top of her, a bright smile forms on Kurumi''s lips as she says, "I can''t wait for us to connect. I''m already feeling the effects of our actions."


    Slightly confused by her words, I close the distance between our faces to kiss her lips for a few seconds before lifting my head and asking, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Can''t you sense it?" she says as a glint simmers within her red eye, "We are forming a bond. An extremely strong bond tied to our existence!"


    Sensing the enthusiasm in her voice, I am stunned into silence for a few seconds before finally shaking the dozen or so questions that appeared in my head and say, "Kurumi, I want to know one thing."


    Perhaps sensing the seriousness in my voice, Kurumi''s expression turns a little less ''excited'' as she peers into my eyes.


    "Are you going to be my ally?"


    "Of course!" she nigh-instantaneously responds, "A rather peculiar query to state at this point, no?"


    Letting out a small sigh of relief, I begin to speed up the movement of my hand while sliding my middle finger inside her as well.


    This results in a slightly loud moan to escape from Kurumi''s lips as her walls begin to mp down on my fingers.


    Meanwhile, I guide my left hand over to her right nipple and begin ying around with it for a few seconds before moving my head over and nibbling on it moderately while squeezing the soft and supple flesh with my hand.


    A short whileter, I pull my fingers out of Kurumi and shift my position while taking this opportunity to inspect her mesmerizing pink slit then my wet fingers.


    "Are we finally going to do it?" Kurumi''s seductive voice reverberates within my ears as I feel my member getting grasped and stroked.


    "I will say this onest time; Hopefully, you won''t regret this, after all, once this is over, you will be mine."


    Hearing my words, the clock hands in her yellow seem to speed up as she opens her mouth and murmurs, "Together, as one."


    Beaming a smile at her, I proceed to spread her legs properly before position my hips in a way that the tip of my rod is aligned with her entrance.


    I lock eyes with Kurumi before slowly pushing my hips forth, resulting in the top half of my rod to prate her rtively easily.


    Warmth surrounds my member as I feel Kurumi''s insides squeeze my rod in seemingly every way possible.


    "At longst!" Kurumi suddenly exims as the clock hands in her eyes speed up to a rate that they seemingly ''disappear'' from my vision, making it look like Kurumi has a solid yellow eye.


    {Code Essence analysis booster: 17>>26%}


    Hah~ As I expected...


    Deciding to throw pointless thoughts aside, for now, I begin to slowly thrust inside of Kurumi while cing my right palm against her cheek and leaning forth to kiss her rosy lips.


    Soon enough, the two of us find ourselves taking pleasure in one another''s bodies while passionately intertwining our tongues.


    This goes on for a few minutes before Kurumi suddenly presses her hands against my torso and pushes me away from herself.


    A thin line of saliva forms between our detached lips as Kurumi proceeds to raise her body and nuzzles her face into my shoulder.


    Just as I''m about to question her odd behavior, I feel a tingling sensation on my chest.


    "Kurumi?" I say in a slightly shocked tone.


    As a response to my call, she continues to lick my body while casting a nce at my eyes.


    My vision suddenly turns ''ordinary'' resulting in the room''s dark state to be revealed, with the only things visible being Kurumi''s seemingly glowing red and golden eyes.


    Thatsts for a split-second before my vision returns, giving me a clear view of Kurumi''s face, which is now covered with a wide grin as she continues to do what she is doing.


    Due to the abnormality of the situation, I had stopped thrusting and have just realized so.


    Seriously... I feel like if I let her take the lead, things will take a chaotic turn. And, for some reason, that doesn''t sound like a bad idea...


    "Kurumi," I say in a soft and teasing tone, "You seem to be enjoying this quite a bit for your first time."


    "That''s only to be expected," she responds while wrapping her arms around my nape, "I''ve been waiting. For a long time..."


    {Code Essence ???? stabilized. Unable to analyze the current state.}


    Deciding to ignore AI''s untimely announcement, I proceed to ce my palms under Kurumi''s butt and begin lifting moving her body myself.


    Seemingly enjoying the sensation of my member moving within her insides, Kurumi''s eyes nt as her breath gets a little ragged.


    Seeing her like this, I am unable to prevent myself from forcefully kissing her while tightening my grip on her fleshy butt, causing Kurumi''s body to flinch.


    After a long while of being lost in pleasure while pounding into her tight hole, I sense that I am about to climax.


    As if sensing it as well, Kurumi abruptly wraps her legs around my waist as tightly as she can, but that doesn''t stop me from moving her body.


    And so, I embrace her slender body before releasing everything deep inside her while she sucks on my tongue and presses her body against mine.


    Following this, we separate our lips and create some distance between our faces before looking into one another''s eyes.


    Currently, both of us have a wide smile covering our lips, and I assume she feels exactly how I feel  Extreme warmth.


    It''s not ufortable, in fact, it feels like I have regained something I had lost.


    "This isn''t the end," Kurumi says vaguely as she removes one hand from my nape and raises it, before, the next moment, a flintlock appears in her hand.


    She then proceeds to move the gun closer to my body and presses its mouth against my side.


    Sensing no threat or malice from her, I decide to let her do what she wants to out of sheer curiosity. After all, it''s a rather unusual urrence for a gun to be pointed at me after sex.


    Kurumi, who has been keenly observing my face, grins. Looks like she was satisfied with my ''reaction''.


    "This normally would be impossible," she says while stroking my nape with her left hand, "However, I feel like it''s possible to do it in this state."


    "Now then; Zafkiel!"


    Following her words, the sound of a bullet being shot resounds within the room as shivers run down my spine.


    Soon after that, an odd sensation spreads within my body as I feel like my body has regressed to the state before we did the deed.


    "From the looks of it, I seeded," Kurumi says before she begins to chuckle oddly.


    {Energy restored to the max due to unidentified interference.}


    Unidentified interference? Energy restoration? Only one thinges to mind if I were to connect the dots: Kurumi reversed time for my body.


    "So," a sensual voice resounds within my left ear as I feel a warm breath against it and two soft mounds being pressed against my chest, "Shall we continue?"


    With my body ''re-energized'', I proceed to lift Kurumi from myp, resulting in my rod to leave the warmth of her semen-filled hole.


    Then, I forcefully turn her around and force her to get on her knees and hands on the bed with her butt facing me.


    I take a moment to gaze at the slit from which semen is slowly oozing out, I lick my lips before cing my hands on either of Kurumi''s buttocks and position my rod against her entrance.


    "You may be rougher with me this time," Kurumi suddenly says, "Or else, I will have to do so myself~"


    Chuckling at her statement, I directly prate her sloppy pussy in one thrust.

 Chapter 270: Perplexing ; Kind Interrogation

    Chapter 270: Perplexing ; Kind Interrogation


    What is this feeling? Nothing. That''s right. I feel nothing. It''s almost as if I''ve lost all my senses.


    Despite my current state, I can tell that my eyes are shut. My memories which were a little hazy begin to clear up, reminding me of where I am and what time it is right now.


    Opening my eyes, I realize that nothing changed. The darkness from earlier still remains.


    Taking in a deep breath, I try to configure my eyesight, which I seed in doing so as the room begins to light up.


    With my body''s current state, I am unable to feel anything, but that doesn''t mean I''ve forgotten how to move.


    It''s unclear what has caused this, but it''s going to be more than a little problematic if this goes on for an extended period.


    As such, I raise my torso from the bed and proceed to look to my side.


    Is that me?


    What?


    At this moment, my vision darkens as my senses seem to return, judging from the soft feeling of the bed on my back.


    Opening my eyes once again, I find a confused Kurumi who is sitting up naked and examining her body.


    Hold on a moment. Just now was I inside Kurumi''s body? Is that why I wasn''t able to feel anything?


    "Kurumi," I say as I raise my body, "Can you tell me what just happened?"


    As a response to my words, Kurumi shakes her head and beams a smile before saying, "How odd. I was nning to ask you that myself."


    "Is that so?" I say in a disappointed tone. Looks like she doesn''t seem to be aware of what just happened.


    Anyway, it has gotten muchter than I was expecting it to, so I should take my leave soon.


    As if realizing my intentions, Kurumi reaches her arm to my right shoulder and slides the tip of her finger across my biceps while saying, "In the end, we didn''t discuss the time and location of our date."


    Right. The whole point of us two meeting was for us to discuss that, yet wepletely forgot to do so due to being lost in ecstasy.


    "So, do we decide now?" I suggest.


    "No," she bluntly responds, somewhat surprising me, "I have a better idea."


    "How about Ie to pick you up on a certain day, and we decide then like we didst time?"


    Seriously? That''s problematic in more ways than one, but I suppose it would be fine as well. Who knows what I would be doing in a few days, potentially making me miss out on the set date and location.


    At that time, I would ''owe'' Kurumi and would have to make it up to her. So, rather than that, it would be better to just go out and decide on the get-go.


    ---


    Slowly opening the door leading to my room, I proceed to walk over to the bed and slide into the sheets beside Tohka.


    Fortunately, she seems to have not woken up during the few hours I was away.


    Well, I hope that she won''t notice that something is off when she wakes up tomorrow.


    For obvious reasons, I had to take a short bath upon returning here before I coulde over to my room.


    As such, I embrace Tohka''s body as I begin to slowly doze off.


    ---


    "Shido, wait!" Kotori calls out as I''m about to make my way to the door and head out for school.


    "You do not need to head to school today."


    "Why?" I ask, a little perplexed at the sudden decision.


    "Don''t you want to have a word with the AST members we have caught?" she says while squinting her eyes.


    I was already nning to do that after school, but it seems like she wants me to do it as soon as possible.


    Why though? There isn''t a need to rush this matter, is there?


    "That''s right," I say, deciding to go along with her, "Will the shipe pick us up?"


    "Yes," she responds, "We''ve already contacted the school regarding this. As for the princess, she will be attending school alone."


    --


    "Hello!" a blonde-haired man enthusiastically while casting nces at Kotori who is standing beside me with a deadpanned expression on her face, "Wee aboard the Fraxinus once again."


    Both Kotori and I remain silent as we stare at the man and wait for him to continue saying what he has to say.


    "I assume you''re here to meet with thedies taken hostage so mercilessly?"


    Annoyed by his attitude I telekically throw hurl him to toward the airship''s wall before shifting my attention to the startled Kotori and saying, "Lead the way."


    Understanding that I''m not in the mood for anything nonsensical, Kotori silently leads me through the airship over to an iron door with a palm reader attached to it.


    cing her palm against the sensor, the door proceeds to slowly open, revealing a room that''s rather well furnished.


    I take this moment to examine the girls who are all in a dour mood while seated on the two sofas present in the room.


    "Good morning," I say in a merry tone.


    The girls respond to me by raising their heads and staring at my face. Two of them, which happen to be the ones who have lost a leg, cower as they instinctively block their eyes using their arms.


    Am I really that scary? All I did was fight them a little decisively and injure them during the process.


    Even if the injury is not a small one, they shouldn''t be this scared of me, right? After all, I have no reason to hurt them now that they are in such a state.


    Well, whatever. It''s not like they can guess what I have in mind for them, so it should be expected that they would be afraid.


    Kotori takes this chance to leave the room, with the door closing behind her.


    Left with me alone in this ''prison'', all the girls, apart from the brown-haired one that was giving orders in the battle, begin to get visibly nervous as they cast nces at one another.


    Deciding that it would better for me to interrogate them ''nicely'', I look over at the two who lost their legs and slowly over to them.


    Expectedly, they both get all the more nervous as an expression of pure terror covers their faces.


    Letting out a sigh of exasperation, I say, "Don''t be afraid. I won''t hurt you any more than I already have."


    The girls don''t take my words seriously as they continue to stare at me motionlessly.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I reach my arm out to the leg that is missing and begin to use Healing Factor.


    The next moment, all those present, including myself, watch with interest as the bandages around their missing leg ''fade away'' into motes of light as a golden light extends out in the shape of a leg.


    Shortly after that, the golden light disappears, revealing a healthy-looking leg, as if the previous injury was all an illusion.


    Against my expectations, the girls don''t let their guard down but raise it instead as they look at me with horror and awe apparent in their eyes.


    A little annoyed by the situation, I raise my right arm and scratch the back of my head while deliberating on a way to express my hospitality.


    "Alright then," I say while moving away from the sofa, "Let''s all introduce ourselves, alright?"


    Hearing this, a confused expression appears on the girls'' faces as they once more cast nces at one another, seemingly looking for sce in one another through eye contact.


    It seems like this will take a while


    Shaking my head, I use Creation to produce a chair before taking a seat on it and scanning the girls'' faces.


    "My name is Shido Itsuka. I''m what you guys would call a ''spirit'', albeit a much more powerful one than any other ones you guys have faced off against in the past."


    "That much is obvious," a sharp voice reaches my ears, "I doubt you''re even a spirit."


    Scanning the one that has spoken, I realize that it''s the leader, the brown-haired girl.


    "Is that so," I say with a smile on lips.


    Finally, one of them is willing to converse.


    "Do you mind introducing yourself?" I say while staring at her face.


    The girl scoffs and says in a harsh tone, "Jessica Bailey. That''s all you need to know."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I say in a nonchnt tone, "Well then, Jessica. I''m going to have you tell me everything about yourself and that pesky organization that you belong to."


    "Dream on," she immediately responds, "I would rather die than divulge anything to you."


    Hah~ We will see about that.


    ---3rd POV---


    "Commander, is it really okay to leave him in there alone? We never know what he might do," a blonde-haired man says.


    "Kannazuki," Kotori responds in a cold tone, "Even if he has changed, Shido is still my brother. Knowing him, nothing will happen."


    "Are you sure you know him?" Kannazuki replies while squinting his eyes, "So far, he has shown multiple traits that weren''t present in the past."


    Hearing this, Kotori res at him and says, "I said that nothing will happen. That''s all."


    "Ohhh, yes,mander! Why not punish me for doubting your brother and your words?" Kannazuki says as a red hue covers his cheeks.


    As a response to this, Kotori merely spares him a look of disgust before walking away without looking back.


    Behind her, Kannazuki smiles and murmurs, "This is fine as well. Being stared at as if I were trash. Ah,mander!"

 Chapter 271: Act ; Concern ; Infirmary

    Chapter 271: Act ; Concern ; Infirmary


    "Look," I say in a solemn tone as I gaze into Jessica''s eyes, "You won''t be able to leave this ce no matter what happens. Wouldn''t it be better for you to cooperate with me than having me resort to unconventional methods to make you talk?"


    "I told you," she responds while ring at me, "I would rather die than do that!"


    "So, you say, but I wonder if the rest think the same way" I say while casting a few nces around, causing a few of the girls to flinch.


    Seeing this, I realize that what I''m doing is pointless and wouldn''t get me what I seek.


    As such, I have no other choice than to simply use Indoctrination


    With that thought in mind, I shift my sight back to Jessica and send the order: ''Tell me the most important thing you believe that you should hide from me."


    Following that, Jessica''s eyes seem to lose focus as she enters a dazed state for a few seconds before her both opens, and she says, "I was supposed to find you and arrange an ambush on those close to you in order to lure you out to a trap and capture you for the founder."


    Hearing her words, I squint my eyes as I try to ry another order: ''Who is the founder?''


    Unfortunately, that doesn''t work, shortly after which I recall the fact that I am only able to ry one order for every usage of Indoctrination on an individual.


    Nevertheless, her response to my order has shocked the girls present as they all gawk at her with an expression of disbelief and horror on their faces.


    Good. It seems like the order worked just fine.


    Even so, she sure went into detail regarding the n despite my order being rather vague.


    From the time I practiced the ability on Kristina back in the Rift, the responses are usually whate to mind first.


    For example, if I were to use Indoctrination on Ayumi and order to tell me who is her big brother, she would give one response, and that would be either me or Shunsuke, mostly depending on whoes to her mind first.


    As unfortunate as it may be, I didn''t get to try this out in the past when it crossed my mind for the sole reason of being concerned regarding the oue.


    If she were to answer with Shunsuke, he would cease to exist


    Shaking such thoughts aside, I focus back on the matter at hand, only to realize that Jessica is now lying on the ground while still being in a dazed state.


    It''s almost as if she has be a shell without any thoughts or senses, simply staring ahead at nothing.


    Naturally, something like this is quite a terrifying sight for those unaware of what''s going on. That''s the case with the rest of the girls right now as they stare at me with pure fear apparent in their eyes.


    Letting out a small sigh, I telekically lift Jessica''s body from the ground and continue to hold her up while saying, "Don''t make me resort to this. I''ve already captured enough souls as is."


    "So is anyone willing to share some knowledge with me? I promise to not hurt you and yourrades if you do so."


    Hearing my words, a few expressions of doubt form in the room before one of the girls present raises her hand and asks in a meek tone, "I will talk."


    Inspecting the girl who just spoke up, I notice that it''s one of the two whose legs I just restored. I suppose being ''hurt'' once already was enough for her.


    ---


    After a while of interrogating the girls, I exited the room by using Permeation to pass through the door and began making my way over to where Kotori is supposed to be at.


    As soon as I arrived there, I found myself gawking at the sight of the blonde-haired man getting kicked in the guts with a stupid expression on his face.


    And so, I am here, standing beside Kotori as she scrolls through some terminal in front of her.


    "That was surprising," she says, "I expected you to be much rougher with them," she says while still focused on the terminal.


    So, she was observing my actions after all. Good thing I decided to act ''nicely'' and not pressure the girls too much.


    Letting out a sigh, I say in a wry tone, "There would be no point to scaring them speechless. Some terror along with a spark of hope is what usually makes one talk."


    "What about the girl whose soul you took?" Kotori continues as she turns her head to face me with aplicated look on her face.


    "That was obviously a bluff," I say while remaining unfazed, "Humans fear the unknown, so I simply took advantage of theirck of information to nt terror in their hearts easily through the usage of otherwise ordinary abilities."


    "Hmph," she scoffs, "You say ordinary, but it made her reveal their n so easily. That''s not something I would call ordinary."


    "Kotori," I say in a somewhat cold tone, "Why are you so insistent on this matter?"


    Following my statement, a panicked look appears on her face as her eyes dart around for a few seconds before she shuts them and mutters, "I''m sorry. It''s just that I''m worried."


    Despite her voice being extremely low, I can hear her properly. Not only that, but I can sense the concern, anxiety, and care contained within it as well.


    Why is she feeling like this? Is it because of ''my'' abrupt transition from Itsuka Shido to the current me who can only act like him? Or, is there something else that I do not know of?


    "Kotori," I say while reaching my arm out to pat her head, "Is there anything you''re keeping from me?"


    She doesn''t respond to the question, but instead remains silent, inclining me to think that there indeed is something she is hiding.


    Whatever it is, the matter is causing her apparent difort. I will let this slide by for now, before asking her this again once we''re alone at night.


    Perhaps, then she would have fewer inhibitions on sharing information.


    ---


    Left with nothing to do, I was dropped off at a location near my school.


    As such, I walked all the way over to my seat in the ssroom while thinking of various matters.


    The matter that bugged me the most was the one regarding spirits.


    I wonder what I should do with them once I have them all rounded up.


    From my experiences, Codes are much stronger than other beings, excluding Unknowns. The spirits are Codes, albeit ''weak'' ones if I were to judge them ording to their Code waves as I did with Gaia.


    Back in Sorcerers'' Lair, AI could detect Gaia''s Code waves despite her ''true body'' being a vast distance away from my location. The reason for that was either her usage of her powers over extensive distances by merging with the or the fact that her power was simply far beyond any other Code I had encountered.


    Despite most evidence leading toward the former, I can''t cross out thetter without definite proof.


    And this is what''s troubling me right now. Dominion is ssified as a One-Digit the same way Gaia is. So, AI should be able to detect her Code waves when she is making use of her powers near me... right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Alright. That''s great. At least, I can somewhat prepare for unexpected urrences by AI informing me beforehand.


    "Shido!" a voice interrupts my thoughts.


    Focusing on reality, I notice that everyone in the ss is staring at me with various expressions on their faces.


    "The teacher called out your name a few times, but you didn''t respond," the voice, which belongs to that of none other than Tohka, continues.


    Hah~ The matter with Dominion has been gnawing at my mind for a while now. I''ve even lost focus to such an extent, which normally wouldn''t be possible.


    Letting out a sigh, I lock my sight on Tamae who has a troubled look on her face while twirling her brown-hair.


    Shortly, Tamae opens her mouth and says, "Umm, Itsuka, you''re being called to the infirmary."


    "By whom?" I curiously ask as I rise from my seat.


    "By Ms. Reine," she responds.


    Nodding my head once, I begin to walk toward the door while using irvoyance to scan the infirmary.


    There, I find Reine sitting on a bed while staring at aputer screen.


    Having seen that, I slid the ssroom''s door open and walk out of the ss before closing the door behind me.


    As such, I begin to make my way over to the infirmary while deliberating on the reason that Reine could have called me over.

 Chapter 272: Questions ; Planning

    Chapter 272: Questions ; nning


    Arriving at the infirmary, I find myself gazing at Reine as she types something into theputer through the keyboard while having moved over from the bed to the seat in front of it.


    "You''re here, Shin," Reine says as she shifts her sight away from the monitor.


    "Yes," I respond while inspecting the content being disyed on the screen, "Care to tell me the reason you''ve called me over for?"


    "Look for yourself," she responds while cing her finger on a piece ofnd surrounded by arge body of water - an ind.


    The moment that thought crossed my mind, I recall what Kotori had told me and how the ind on this screen resembles the one I saw on Kotori''sptop that certain night.


    "You tracked down the seismic energy waves on the ind already?" I ask in a dubious tone.


    "So, you''re already aware," Reine says as she proceeds to press a key on the keyboard.


    Following that, the screen shes for a millisecond before the image of an ind from close-by is disyed, unlike the one from earlier which was in bird-eye view.


    Inspecting the image, I find a tall white building along with numerous other facilities that make the ind seem to be a rather ''secretive'' one at first nce.


    "This is the location that has been chosen for the uing school trip," Reine exins, "We hope that you prepare for trouble while over there."


    School trip? Nothing like that has been mentioned so far? Have they simply yet to announce it or is there more to the matter than just that?


    Seemingly reading my thoughts, Reine focuses her tired eyes on my face and says, "Originally, the school trip was supposed to be canceled, but it was recently decided that won''t be the case."


    Canceled, huh? Could it be due to the influx of space quakes that have been urring? That''s the only usible reason I could think of at the moment.


    Shaking these thoughts from my head, I focus back on Reine, only to find her grabbing a small bottle of what seems to be sleeping pills and opening the lid.


    Then, she takes out a few of them and casually throws them into her mouth.


    "Hey," I say with furrowed brows, "Are you okay?"


    AI had already analyzed her to be ''abnormal'', so I''m not all that surprised by this weird quirk of hers. Nevertheless, seeing her just take sleeping pills like candy is an odd sight to behold.


    "Yes," she responds, "This is normal."


    No, it''s not.


    "Is that so," I say with a smile, "Why do you not sleep and give some rest to your eyes?"


    Hearing my words, Reine stares at my face for a few seconds before saying, "I am unable to do that."


    "Why?"


    "I''m not aware. It has just been like this for the past thirty years."


    How peculiar. Is there something supernatural affecting her? Or, perhaps something rted to the abnormal energy detected by AI?


    "I want to ask you something," Reine suddenly says.


    "Go ahead," I say nonchntly.


    "What do you think of the spirits'' existence?"


    Hm? Looks like she has decided to face me directly.


    "What do I think of them, you ask? Well, for starters, I believe that they''re unfortunate beings in need of a helping hand."


    Or, so I im, but the truth is that I simply don''t want individuals with absurd powers just running around and battling some organizations.


    My main objective foring to this tform is to meet up with Dominion and determine whether she is an ally or a foe.


    So far, she has exhibited nothing worth noting as ''aggressive''. If anything, the battle with Kurumi was the most I have seen of her in action.


    Other than her, I want to get a proper grasp of the rest of the spirits and their powers. Simr to the case with Dominion, if I find one to be bothersome, I shall do my best to get rid of them early.


    Thest thing I need is for pesky foes to group and make ns.


    "Do you want to save them?" she asks without any change in her expression.


    "That''s what I am doing right now, aren''t I?" I respond while beaming a smile.


    "You''re going to avoid answering the question, huh?"


    Ugh. She realized.


    "At least, you are honest," she continues as she begins typing again.


    Shortly, a new image appears on the screen, disying a destroyed forest as well as debris from what seems to have been a small building.


    "This is what we found," she says as she gets up from her seat and moves over to the bed she was on earlier.


    "That''s all I had to say. It''s up to you now to prepare for the school trip."


    Nodding my head, I proceed to walk over to the bed and take a seat beside her, startling Reine a little to the point of her eyes slightly.


    "Do you need something, Shin?" she asks.


    "Say, Reine, don''t you think that it''s a little unfair for me to answer all your inquiries without getting to ask you anything?"


    "You may refer to themander for that. I''m sure she will give you better answers than me."


    "But I don''t think that''s the case at all," I say as I slowly wrap my arm around Reine''s back.


    As a response to my actions, Reine surprisingly remains unfazed and doesn''t exhibit much of a reaction other than staring at my face.


    "You asked me earlier what I think of spirits Then, allow me to ask; What do you think of spirits?" I say while emphasizing the second ''you''.


    "As a member of Ratatoskr, it is my duty to look after the spirits and make sure that they''re sealed up properly."


    Heh. So, she''s going to dodge the question too, huh?


    Peering into her eyes, I make use of Indoctrination to ry an order to her mind: Answer my question honestly.


    Before anything else could happen, however, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Failed to execute ability. Unable to determine the reason.}


    Great. Absolutely fantastic.


    I guess there is no other choice than to do this the hard way


    Letting out a sigh, I get my arm off of Reine''s back and proceed to get up from the bed.


    Then, I cast onest nce at the taciturn woman before leaving the infirmary and heading back to ss.


    ---


    "Shido," Tohka calls out while we''re halfway back home from school.


    "Yes?" I say as I turn my head to face her.


    "I want to go out somewhere," she says while pouting.


    Hm? Is she bored from being at home? Where should I take her though?


    At this moment, the earbud, that I have seemingly forgotten was in my ear, vibrates as Kotori''s voice reaches me.


    "Shido, if you are to let her emotional state get unstable, her seal might break off."


    "Is there a problem with that?" I softly mutter while patting Tohka''s head to distract her.


    "Of course, idi-," Kotori''s voice cuts off as she coughs twice before continuing, "If that happens, then her powers might be unstable once more. I don''t need to exin what would be required after that, right?"


    Little do you know, Kotori. The seal Tohka''s power ispletely within my grasp now... Perhaps, that''s the case with Yoshino and Kurumi as well.


    I''m not sure about the other two as I have yet to try it out, but I reckon that should be the case well.


    "Alright, I will take her out on a date. Do you have any suggestions?"


    Following my words, I hear a smallmotion as the members of Ratatoskr begin cheering as if they have just heard the happiest news in their lives.


    "We finally get to do something!" a middle-aged man''s voice reaches my ear.


    "I was beginning to doubt my life," a young man''s voice that seems to belong to Kannazuki reaches me as well.


    Shortly after that, I hear Kotori scream, "Everybody, calm down! We''ve got a choice to make!"


    The next moment, all the voices lower down as they begin to discuss a few things among themselves.


    "Shido?" Tohka''s voice brings my attention back to reality.


    "Sorry about that," I say, "I was just thinking of where I should take you out to."


    Hearing this, a smile forms on her lips as she says, "I hope it''s somewhere fun and with a lot of food~"


    As expected.


    Whatever. If that''s what she wants, so be it. Nevertheless, I wonder what ce would be good for this

 Chapter 273: Picking ; Unique Structure

    Chapter 273: Picking ; Unique Structure


    "Huh? Seriously?" I mutter upon hearing the choice that members of Ratatoskr made.


    "Dead serious," Kotori responds in a solemn tone, "You could also take Yoshino along with you for a change as well."


    "If you say so," I reply, deciding that the choice isn''t a bad one after all, "Even so I need to take them out to shop for swimsuits, don''t I?"


    Well, either that or I create them through Creation.


    "We can provide a variety of swimsuits, but I believe that you should pick some along those you are taking out to the Ocean Park for a better experience."


    "Right," I say, "Where is this Ocean Park anyway?"


    "Don''t worry about that," Kotori''s confident voice replies, "Leave it to us to guide you there."


    "Sure..."


    Still, a pool, huh? I am rather looking forward to it now.


    "Hey, Tohka," I say, attracting the cheerful girl''s attention to myself, "I''ve concluded where we are going."


    "Really?!" she bursts out as a look of excitement covers her face.


    "Yes," I say, "We''re going to an Ocean Park."


    ---


    "Shido, we''re ready!" Tohka says as she and Yoshino step out of the house.


    They''re both dressed in casual clothes that had seemingly been prepared for them by a certain organization my sister is a part of.


    "Great," I say, "It''s getting somewhatte, so we should hurry up."


    Despite the time not being suitable for going out on such a date, that''s not much of an issue ording to Kotori as the Ocean Park is ''unique''.


    I don''t know what she meant by that, but I will see when we get there.


    At this moment, another figure steps out of the house, which is none other than Kotori herself.


    Unexpectedly, she shuts the door behind her and locks it before cheerfully running over to me and saying, "Big brother, I''ming too!"


    "Why?" I mutter after casting a nce at the white ribbon attached to her hair.


    "What''s wrong, big brother? Do you not want to take me along?" Kotori says in a downtrodden tone as tears begin to well up within the corners of her eyes.


    Seeing this, I roll my eyes before stepping forth and embracing her.


    Startled, Kotori lets out a cute yelp as she presses her face against my chest.


    Hah~ She sure is spoiled while taking on this ''persona'' of hers.


    "Well then," I say as I separate myself from Kotori, "We are going to visit a swimsuit store first before heading over to our designated location."


    --


    Entering a swimsuit store that''s quite possibly being run by Ratatoskr members, I take a short look around.


    The first thing I notice is the fact the store has no ''customers'' present apart from us. If we can be considered as such, to begin with


    Unlike me and Kotori, Tohka and Yoshino are quite excited as they begin eyeing the different swimsuits put on disy.


    Expectedly, Yoshino walks over to the children''s section and begins to skim through swimsuits put on disy, which are mostly one-piece ones with cute designs.


    As for Tohka, she remains in ce, seemingly unsure of what to do.


    "Hey, hey, big brother," Kotori says while tugging on the left sleeve of my shirt, "Who are you going to pick a swimsuit for first?"


    This girl Despite being in her spoiled ''persona'' right now, she still does her best to cause me trouble.


    Releasing a sigh of exasperation, I say, "I''ll pick a swimsuit for Tohka first, then move on to you two."


    Fortunately, Kotori doesn''t start a tantrum but simply skips away and begins to keenly look around.


    "Come on, Tohka," I say as I step forth and take her left hand into mine, "Let''s go and pick something neat for you, shall we?"


    Tohka responds to my suggestion by simply nodding her head once with excitement apparent on her face. And so, I pull her along as I move toward a bunch of swimsuits that are ''moderate'' when ites to the amount of skin they cover.


    --


    "Are you done changing yet?" I ask while peeking into one of the four avable changing rooms through irvoyance.


    "No!" Tohka responds while gazing into a mirror and attempting to tie the upper half of her swimsuit up.


    As for the other two who are also changing, I get nothing other than utmost silence as they seemingly continue to get changed.


    "Should I help you?" I suggest with an inkling of hope to get out of the store earlier.


    "No!" a collective response from both Tohka and Kotori reaches my ears.


    What a pain For some reason, they decided to turn this into apetition. One that I would be the judge of.


    A short whileter, both Tohka and Kotori leave the changing room at the same time.


    Tohka walks out with a confident smile on her face, showing off her assets properly, while Kotori practically hides everything with a red hue covering her cheeks.


    "Now, Shido," Tohka says with a smile on her lips, "Who looks better?"


    "I can''t decide yet," I answer almost instantly, "The third ''contestant'' is still not out yet."


    Hearing this, Tohka casts a nce at the dressing room that Yoshino is in and says in a befuddled tone, "Why is she taking so long? Hers is the easiest one to put on"


    Easy for you to say.


    Making use of irvoyance, I check Yoshino out only to be stunned by the sight of her being teary-eyed with her limbs seemingly stuck in the white one-piece swimsuit she is wearing.


    Seeing her this troubled, I walk past Kotori and Tohka before reaching the dressing room and directly pushing the curtain aside.


    There, standing before me was a troubled and lost Yoshino with her puppet lying on the ground beside her leg.


    Beaming her a smile to ward off unhealthy notions, I step inside the dressing room and close the curtain door behind me.


    Then, I proceed to inspect the swimsuit for a brief moment before beginning to aid Yoshino in escaping from her misery.


    "Thank you," a meek voice reaches my ears once I''ve helped Yoshino properly put on her swimsuit.


    I immediately hug her body and whisper into her ear, "Don''t mention it. If you''re ever troubled, make sure to tell me as soon as possible, so I can help you. Alright?"


    As a response to this, Yoshino simply hums in confirmation while wrapping her dainty exposed arms around my nape.


    Feeling her softness, I pat her back once as a signal to let go before aligning my face with hers and giving her a quick peck on the lips.


    "Let''s go," I whisper as I get up and extend my arm out to her.


    Once she takes my hand, I push the curtain aside before walking out with her, earning me curious looks from Tohka and two female customers who seem to have just entered the store.


    "Alright," Tohka says with her gaze lingering on Yoshino, "You can decide who looks the best now!"


    "Sure," I nonchntly respond as I begin scanning their looks one after another.


    For Tohka, I chose a set of purple swimsuits upon which I used her ''battle form'' as a reference.


    The swimsuit covers her mounds and does the same for a good portion of her lower body.


    Nevertheless, her thighs are a sight to behold,plimented with the purple which seems to make them look all the better.


    Moving on, I set my gaze on Kotori who is wearing a fiery red swimsuit that goes rather well with her hair and ''personality''. And by that, I mean she''s a walking bomb that only gets defused by some brotherly punishment.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I admire her figure for a few more seconds before moving on to the final ''contestant''.


    Despite having already done more than just see her, I keep my sight lingered on Yoshino so that she wouldn''t feel ''out'' for a short while before nodding my head approvingly.


    Seeing this, Tohka moves a little closer and asks, "So?"


    Letting out a small sigh, I say, "You all look absolutely great in your swimsuits. Each one of you tops the other in an area, making it rather hard for me to choose one."


    "Oh" a deted voice escapes from Tohka''s lips as she lowers her head slightly and pouts.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I move closer to her and proceed to wrap my arm around her back and squeeze her butt after making sure the other two can''t see.


    This earns me a yelp from Tohka and confused looks from Kotori and Yoshino.


    However, I seem to have forgotten the fact that two other customers had entered the store.


    Whatever. I decide to ignore the odd looks I''m being given and instruct the girls to get changed back into their casual clothes.


    ---


    Arriving at the Ocean Park, I am met with the sight of a huge stadium-like structure.


    "Hey, Reine," I mutter, "Are you sure that this is the right ce?"


    "Of course," a voice responds to me, "The gate leading inside is up ahead."


    "And this thing is open right now?"


    "It''s avable during every hour of the week except Sundays."


    "I see."


    This ce sure is much bigger than what I was expecting. Naturally, I had seen this before from a distance but didn''t think much of it, as it simply looked nothing like an Ocean Park from outside.


    Still, I wonder what kind of Ocean Park it is to be avable even during suchte times


    Looking around, I notice that quite a number of citizens are walking to and from the direction of the gate.


    The average age of thoseing and going seems to be in the mid-twenties.


    And so, while being curious about the Ocean Park and feeling refreshed for getting to spend some time here, I begin walking in the direction of the gate, as the three girls follow along closely.

 Chapter 274: Ocean Park (1/2)

    Chapter 274: Ocean Park (1/2)


    "That took longer than I expected," I mutter as I nce at the gate behind us that leads inside the Ocean Park.


    We were a little dyed due to there being a line that we had to wait through.


    Fortunately, Tohka and Yoshino were already in an excited state, so they didn''t find it that boring. However, the same couldn''t be said about Kotori as she continued to whine about how annoying the line was.


    While doing so, she pressed her head against my shoulder, hence why I didn''t bother to do something about it.


    Anyway, it didn''t take us that long to get inside. The reason for that is because there were some machines set up that could apparently detect ''foreign'' objects.


    At least, that''s what Reine had said through the earbud in my right ear.


    Well, whatever. The Ocean Park should be more concerned about ''foreign'' individuals than ''foreign'' objects.


    "Wow!" Tohka suddenly exims, causing me to shift my attention back to where we are.


    What meets my eyes is the sight of numerous water slides of all sizes and colors as well as a huge pool at the bottom.


    Expectedly, Tohka and Yoshino are both gawking at the water slides with stars shimmering in their eyes.


    It seems like they will be enjoying their time here quite a bit.


    "Hey, hey, big brother," Kotori says, "We should go get changed, right?"


    Right They will be changing into their swimsuits now. Still, wouldn''t they get cold?


    Focusing my vision on the water slides, I will for my abnormal sight to disappear, resulting in the whole ce to dim down quite a bit.


    Nevertheless, there is plenty of lighting set up all over the ce that gives it a rather mysterious feel.


    "Go on ahead," I say after checking the small building designated for changing out.


    And so, Kotori happily walks toward the changing room while carrying a stic bag containing all three girls'' swimsuits as Yoshino and Tohka follow after her.


    With the three of them off to get changed, I begin to look around the ce with intrigue.


    A few minutes pass by with the girls still being in the small building.


    All of a sudden, an odd sound reverberates all over the ce as a portion of those present begins cheering.


    Following that, the sound of huge mechanical objects operating reaches my ears as the ''walls'' surrounding the Ocean Park begin moving.


    Shortly, the moon and stars get blocked by what seem to be panels of light that are turned off.


    Before I can make sense of what''s happening, the panels on top light up.


    And so, here I am standing with wonder upon my face as I witness an artificial sky and sun from atop of us.


    The technology used is rather credible as the sky looks rather realistic unless I make use of my eyes'' properties.


    Just as I begin to think that''s all there is to it, the sound of mechanical objects moving once again reverberates all over the ce as the temperature seemingly begins to rise.


    Air conditioning as well? They sure weren''t kidding when they said this ce is ''unique''.


    I wonder when this ce was constructed and how long did it take. Apart from that, there is the cost for the building and maintenance, particrly the power supply.


    In conclusion, this Ocean Park is definitely government-funded. Makes me wonder if there are other simr ces.


    At this moment, I sense three figures walking toward me, causing me to look over and find all three girls near me while dressed in their swimsuits.


    All three of them are currently looking around with amazed expressions on their faces. Tohka, in particr continues to switch her sight from me to the sky and vice versa.


    "Are you not going to get changed, big brother?" Kotori asks.


    "Right," I say as I use Creation to skim through the database and create a pair of ck and gray camo shorts right underneath my current clothes.


    Then, I take a few seconds to wait for a moment that only the girls are watching before using Destruction to get rid of all my clothes apart from the newly-created shorts.


    Tohka''s eyes widen in shock at the sight, while Yoshino immediately blocks her eyes using her hands.


    "Amazing!" Kotori exims, "What was that just now?"


    Patting her head, I say in a casual tone, "Don''t pay much attention to it. Let''s enjoy our time here."


    Following this, Tohka and Yoshino who has dropped her hands, stare at my body, while Kotori has a slightly deliberative look on her face that''s unlike her current ''spoiled'' persona.


    {Code waves detected. Entity identified: Natsumi}


    She''s here? Why?


    Looking around, I can''t seem to locate her, indicating that she either is quite a distance away or is simply disguising herself.


    AI, inform me when the waves get stronger and identify her physical body, alright?


    {Affirmative.}


    It would be bothersome to look for, so I will act like I''m unaware she is here to see what she is up to.


    --


    "Ready?" I whisper into Yoshino''s ears, who is seated in between my legs with my arms wrapped around her torso.


    "Yes," she responds in a meek tone while pressing the back of her head against my chest.


    Patting her wet hair, I examine the bottom of the slide we are presently on. After making sure that there is no one present, I say, "Get ready."


    A few seconds after that, I telekically push us forward, resulting in us gradually picking up speed as we enter the slide.


    As I had expected, Yoshino doesn''t release any screams of fear and whatnot, but onlyughs merrily, indicating that she is enjoying the ride.


    Just like that, we reach the bottom in no time and enter the pool.


    For safety purposes, I keep my arms wrapped around Yoshino''s body while keeping us afloat.


    "Big brother, iing!" I hear a loud cry before a red figure jumps into the pool from behind us.


    Following that, a loud sshing sound reaches my ears as a wave of water hits my back.


    "Kotori," I say as I turn around along with Yoshino, who is now resting within my arms, seemingly not caring about anything else.


    {Reporting: Criteria met. Entity identified as Natsumi is within 5 meters of Father.}


    Hearing this, my brows raise as I focus on the only other person than Yoshino who is close to me - Kotori.


    This... Natsumi has disguised herself as her? Where is the real one?


    Not showing any doubt on my face, I say, "Kotori, is that you?"


    Meanwhile, I let go of Yoshino and slowly move her toward the edge of the pool using telekinesis in a way that makes it seem like she''s swimming over to it.


    Fortunately, Yoshino doesn''t react much to this other than casting me a nce then one at ''Kotori'' who has now swam over to me.


    "Yes," the faker replies in a cheerful tone, "So, is it my turn next, big brother?"


    Beaming a smile at her, I ce my hands on her shoulder, resulting in a confused look to appear on her face.


    "I thought that I made it clear your transformation doesn''t work on my eyes."


    Hearing this, Natsumi, who is disguised as Kotori, tries to get away from me, but is unable to do so as I swiftly pull her in for a hug.


    "You know," I say, "You are plenty cute yourself. I don''t think it''s necessary for you to disguise yourself."


    "Nevertheless, you lied to me. That requires appropriate punishment."


    Natsumi opens her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but I prevent her from doing so by abruptly forcing our bodies to sink underwater.


    Then, I use telekinesis to halt the motion of Natsuni''s iling arms and proceed to peer into her eyes.


    After a few seconds, I notice that Natsumi has calmed down and is looking back at me with a furious expression in her face.


    Time to punish her...


    With that notion in mind, I use Destruction to get rid off the energy that is forming Natsumi''s disguise.


    That results in Kotori''s figure to disappear as Natsumi''s disheveled little girl appearancees into sight.


    With her long hair wet and floating, she looks a lot odd, but I don''t pay that much attention as I close whatever distance there is between our lips,pletely startling her.


    I take this chance to get rid of the water in our mouths using Destruction before inserting my tongue into her small mouth.


    Natsumi tries her best to push me away, but that ultimately proves to be futile due to the overwhelming difference between our powers...

 Chapter 275: Ocean Park (2/2)

    Chapter 275: Ocean Park (2/2)


    With my tongue invading Natsumi''s small mouth, I wrap my arms around her slender body as I begin to push her in for a passionate kiss.


    As a response to this, Natsumi simply remains motionless, not because she likes it, but more likely because she is unable to muster up any strength anymore.


    After a short while, I let our bodies float up and detach my lips from hers.


    Following this, Natsumi''s eyes shoot open as she coughs a few times while ring at me.


    "Is there something you are displeased with?" I say in a casual tone with a smile on my lips.


    "Why did you do that!?" she exims while pping the water, resulting in water sshing into my face.


    Not minding it, I grin and say, "Did you really think you could get away with lying to me?"


    "B-but I-" she says in a nervous tone but is unable to finish what she has to say as I seal her lips once more while using Illusion to make it appear as though I am simply holding her.


    This time, Natsumi directly ms her small fist into my head, but it expectedly has absolutely no effect on me as I continue to y around with her tongue.


    After a solid twenty seconds of pure kissing, I separate my lips from Natsumi''s and proceed to observe her face.


    What meets my eyes is the sight of a slightly dazed Natsumi with a tinge of red hue covering her cheeks.


    "You really are adorable," I say while rubbing the tip of my fingers against her lips.


    This seems to break her out of her stupor as she once again begins to struggle.


    Letting out a sigh, I pull her close to myself before beginning to move toward the direction that Yoshino exited the water from.


    And so, I get out of the water while carrying Natsumi princess-style. Naturally, she struggled to the best of her ability for a few seconds before I disabled her motions using telekinesis.


    Just like that, under the curious gaze of Yoshino, I begin walking toward a bench that''s a short distance away from us.


    Shortly, I reach the bench and take a seat while seating Natsumi atop myp and saying, "I hope you understand the situation you''re in right now."


    "You- You''re bullying me just because I am not as cute as the rest of the girls!"


    "Huh?" a baffled voice escapes from my lips, "What are you even saying? You''re absolutely adorable. Where are your uncertainty and doubt even stemming from?"


    Hearing this, Natsumi simply harrumphs before looking down at her wet clothes and letting out a sigh.


    "Natsumi," I say while gazing at Yoshino who just sat down at the ledge of the pool and lowered her legs into the water, "Where is Kotori?"


    "Hmph," she scoffs, "You will never be able to find her as long as you keep me here."


    "Are you sure about that?" Kotori''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, somewhat startling the two of us.


    Turning around, I find Kotori and Tohka both standing behind us with a smile stered to Kotori''s lips.


    "How!?" Natsumi blurts out with widened eyes.


    "Did you really think that a simple chain will be able to keep me down?" Kotori responds in a smug tone.


    "When did you get here?" I ask before Natsumi can say anything.


    Hearing my inquiry, Kotori, who is now wearing her ck ribbon, points at two small circr metallic objects on the ground and says, "We had to make use of these anti-perception devices to get back here."


    "Unfortunately, they''re one-time use only" she mutters.


    Where did they even get them from? And why did they need to use it?


    Seemingly reading my mind, Kotori grins and exins, "Ratatoskr has a delivery function. I called for it due to some irritating groups targeting us."


    Hm?


    "What do you mean?" I say as I feel a cold sensation invade my body.


    "Just some males who were looking for fun," Kotori says dismissively, "You don''t need to worry about it much."


    Too bad they''re nowhere nearby.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I focus on the devices that are supposed to block perception and wonder how they work.


    Such technology is useful if it could be produced. Back in Sorcerers'' Lair, the colorful stones are being researched in hopes of properly reproducing the various effects I have witnessed over the time I spent there.


    One of such effects was the one that rendered the flying ships unperceivable.


    If the technology here is advanced enough to mass-produce devices that provide simr effects, then it would pose a great military advantage to my kingdom.


    Just the thought of forming an unstoppable army capable of running my errands for me is enough of a motivation for me to gather methods to achieve that.


    The problem with all this is what Kotori just muttered which is the fact that they''re one-time use only.


    Perhaps, if I am to get my hands on an extremely advanced facility and well-experienced researchers, it would be possible to deal with that issue?


    "Shido," Kotori''s voice suddenly reverberate within my ears, causing me to shift my focus back to reality, "Are you going to keep on her holding her like that?"


    Gazing at Kotori''s face, I notice slight annoyance. Beside her, Tohka has an expression of apparent displeasure as she gawks at Natsumi.


    As for the person in question, Natsumi currently has her head pressed against my chest as she stares at the artificial sky with an impassive expression on her face.


    Letting out a sigh, I press the tip of my left index finger against her nose and say, "Hey, what do you think of taking residence in my home?"


    "Why would I do that," she asks as she snaps her eyes to peer into mine, "In fact, why would you want that?"


    "Didn''t I tell youst time?" I respond with a smile, "You''re so cute that I want to take you home with me."


    Hearing my response, Natsumi''s brows furrow for a brief moment before she looks away and says, "Whatever. It doesn''t seem like you''re going to let go of me anyway."


    "Good girl," I whisper as I pat her soaked hair.


    Following that, I get up from the bench and set Natsumi down on the ground, surprising her by no small margin.


    Before she can say anything, I state, "You can try running away and see how that will turn out for you."


    Natsumi simply nods her head once before looking down at her clothes and the surrounding people.


    "Come on," I say, "Get in the pool with us. It will be fun."


    As a response to my suggestion, Natsumi simply looks up with aplicated look on her face before nodding her head as confirmation.


    At this moment, Yoshino appears within the corner of my vision as she proceeds to walk past Natsumi and hug my left side.


    "What, don''t tell me you had enough?" I say while patting her head, to which she shakes her head and responds, "No. Together is better."


    Hearing her words, not only I but Kotori and Tohka smile as they gaze at her with looks of adoration.


    Unlike us, however, Natsumi seems to find this bothersome as she casts a ruly nce at her before looking down.


    Letting out a small sigh, I ce my hand atop Natsumi''s head and rub it a little roughly.


    "So," I say as I begin looking over at everyone, "What should we do now?"

 Chapter 276: Home ; Surprising Appearance ; Intentions

    Chapter 276: Home ; Surprising Appearance ; Intentions


    "Are we going to be leaving after this?" Tohka asks me after swallowing the chunk of cake that she bit off.


    Nodding my head once, I say, "We''ve already had plenty of fun, don''t you think?"


    "We''re going to being back here again in the future, right?" she questions anxiously.


    "Of course," I respond with a smile stered to my lips.


    With that said, I look over at Yoshino and Natsumi who are sitting beside one another at the same table that I am seated at.


    Currently, the two of them are relishing a cake that I had brought for them ording to their request.


    Everyone has already changed back into their casual clothes, including me. Naturally, that doesn''t concern Natsumi''s case, as she never changed into any swimwear, to begin with.


    When I had offered to ''bring'' one for her, she denied instantaneously, iming that I must absolutely have lecherous thoughts for offering that.


    Being surprised by her im, I asked her why she would think that way, only for her to dramatically describe the scene of me ''attacking'' her in the water.


    Having seen that she was strongly against changing into a swimsuit, I decided to let her be. Of course, that didn''t stop me from dragging her along to everything we tried out in the Ocean Park.


    In the end, we ended up here, in a section of the ce that seems to be specifically for those who are done ying and want to enjoy a meal or some pastry.


    With Tohka being the way she is, we had no choice but to buy numerous pastries.


    During all this, Kotori had remained rtively silent and seemed to be deliberating on some matter. Most likely one rted to Ratatoskr and the spirits.


    ---


    "Wee to your new home," I say in a merry tone as we step through the door leading inside the house.


    As a response to this Natsumi simply lets out a sigh before passing by me and beginning to explore the house.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I proceed to cast a nce at Kotori and say, "Meet me in my room."


    Having said my piece, I then walk through the house toward the stairs and head to my room.


    AI, have you analyzed anything new?


    {Affirmative. Requesting permission to materialize in front of Father.}


    Oh, I thought it was about time that Irene appeared in this tform. Anyway, this would make a good opportunity to reveal a few things to Kotori, so permission granted.


    Following my confirmation, a bright light abruptly shines in front of me for a few seconds before gradually dimming.


    Unexpectedly, unlike almost all other times a bright has shined, I am unable to see through this one no matter what.


    After a few moments, the lightpletely fades, revealing a shocking sight.


    "Irene?" I subconsciously mutter while gazing at the little girl standing before me.


    "We meet, Father," the girl who looks just like Irene, albeit different in some features, says in a stiff tone.


    At this moment, realization seems to dawn upon me as a random notion passes through my mind.


    "No way You are AI?"


    The moment those words leave my mouth, the little girl, whom I assume to be AI, smiles, or more urately, tries to smile.


    Instead of the typical cheerful smile that I am used to seeing on Irene''s face, I am met with a stiff one that is quite obviously forced.


    Letting out a small sigh, I say, "You don''t need to force yourself to smile."


    As if taking my words as an order, AI''s expression immediately reverts to the impassive state she was in when she appeared.


    I take this chance to inspect her properly from head to toe as well as the odd phenomena around her.


    Unlike Irene, AI is dressed in a ck dress with no frills at any end of it. The dress has numerous symbols that somewhat seem to belong to the same category that the bull-like symbol under my belongs to.


    Apart from their clothing, numerous other differences can be spotted at first nce.


    First and foremost, her skin is tanned, unlike Irene''s almost snow-like white skin.


    After that, there is the fact that her hair is ghost-white in color and her eyes are white too.


    Leaving her physical appearance aside, there is the fact that she seems to be the type of individual that struggles with expressing themselves properly.


    That much can be understood from what happened a short while ago.


    "Say," I utter while peering into her eyes, "Why didn''t you appear in the other tforms if you could do so?"


    As a response to my inquiry, AI''s brows twitch a few times before her whole body stiffens as she seems to not know what to say.


    "Forget it," I say while shifting my sight to the odd phenomena around her body.


    Right now, what seems to be cracks in space are forming all around AI''s body before seemingly getting patched up the next moment.


    Curious about them, I say, "Why are there cracks forming around you?"


    "Due to the instability brought forth with my materialization, space and time within a certain expanse get destabilized."


    Huh? So, she''s basically telling me that trouble is bode to follow me if I were to let her stay materialized? After all, I can''t infer any scenarios in which I am not being troubled by this ''property'' of hers other than baiting foes.


    Before I can ask more questions, a figure steps into the room.


    Turning around, I find Kotori, who still has her ck ribbons on, walking over to my bed with a solemn look on her face.


    Surprised that she doesn''t make any remarks regarding AI, I turn back around, only to see that she is unperceivable.


    Hey, AI, can you hear me?


    {Affirmative.}


    Where did you go?


    {Inside Father.}


    Alright.


    I will look into that matterter, but for now, I need to focus on the discussion I had been nning to hold with Kotori.


    "A room has already been prepared for her," Kotori suddenly says, "Now, we don''t have any rooms left for any future spirits you might want to bring over to this house."


    "I see," I respond in a casual tone, "Are there any other ces we can take up residence?"


    "Perhaps," she responds vaguely.


    Letting out a sigh of exasperation, I ask, "Do you know the reason I''ve called you over for?"


    Hearing this, Kotori''s expression turns even more serious as she says, "I don''t, but I have a feeling that it''s going to be very important and informative."


    Nodding my head at her response, I begin exining, "You see, I am nning to face that organization; DEM, was it? Anyway, I am nning to face them head-on."


    "How?" Kotori asks as she squints her eyes.


    "Using my ''discovered'' powers as well as the aid of the spirits that are willing to help."


    "Oh? And who would those be?"


    "You, of course," I respond almost immediately, "Surely, you will help your big brother out like a good sister would, right?"


    Kotori simply rolls her eyes and says, "Fine. As long as you don''t do anything extreme."


    Hearing her words, a grin forms on my lips as I walk over to the bed and take a seat beside her.


    Realizing that I probably don''t have ''good'' intentions for doing so, Kotori attempts to get away, but before she can do so, I push her down on the bed and directly seal her lips.


    As such, I remain on top of her and kiss for a solid three minutes before separating my lips from hers.


    Ignoring the ming look on Kotori''s face and the tears in the corners of her eyes, I continue, "Kurumi and Tohka could possibly help me as well."


    "Nightmare?" Kotori says as her expression changes from pitiful to confusion, "Why are you so sure about that?"


    "Well," I say, "Let''s just say that Kurumi and I have formed a very strong bond."


    Following this, Kotori''s eyes widen by a huge margin as a look ofplete disbelief bes apparent on her face.


    "You You" she says in a shaky tone, to which I just shrug my shoulders and say, "Don''t worry. Our bond isn''t a weak one either."


    Having said that, I ce my palm against Kotori''s left cheek and proceed to lean in for another kiss.


    This time, Kotori reacts drastically different from before as she frantically tries to return the kiss in a manner that suggests she is currently panicking inside.


    After a somewhat long whole of passionate kissing, I finally get off Kotori and the bed before stating, "If you ever feel lonely, juste over to me."


    Kotori, who is presently lying on the bed in a dazed state doesn''t respond to my words but continues to stare at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.


    Shaking my head, a wry smile forms on my lips as I search for Natsumi through the house. It would be better for me to interact with her frequently...

 Chapter 277: Inquiries ; Slight Worry

    Chapter 277: Inquiries ; Slight Worry


    Arriving in the living room, I look over at the sofa that Natsumi is sitting on alongside Yoshino.


    Yoshino is paying keen attention to the TV, while Natsumi seems to be simply gazing at the TV out of boredom.


    Perhaps, I should get her to partake in some activity to cheer her up. The only problem is that I barely know anything about Natsumi other than the fact that she likes her appearance to beplimented.


    I wonder if it''s just limited to that


    "Natsumi," I say in a voice high enough to be heard but rtively low for Yoshino''s focus to not be disturbed.


    Hearing my voice, Natsumi''s attention immediately shifts over to me as a questioning look appears on her face.


    Seeing that she is aware of my presence now, I make use of Telekinesis to lift her body from the sofa and move her toward me, greatly startling her.


    Her bewilderment doesn''tst long as she has seemingly given in to her fate of being dragged along by me as I make my way to the kitchen.


    "Why did you bring me here?" she asks the moment I set her down.


    "There are a few things that I would like to ask you," I reply while beginning to prepare the ingredients for tonight''s dinner.


    Hopefully, the pastries that were eaten won''t be affecting them all that much


    "What questions?" Natsumi says while squinting her eyes


    "Nothing that will trouble you," I say, "For starters, how about telling me about the reason you had appeared at the Ocean Park today?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" she says in a dissatisfied tone, "I wanted to take revenge for what you did."


    "Oh? And what exactly had I done that was wrong?"


    "You saw me!" she exims, "Even now I bet you''re not taking me seriously because I look like this."


    Seeing her point at herself with a despondent expression, I nod my head once and say, "You''re right. I''m not ''taking you seriously''."


    Natsumi seems to have not expected me to agree with her as her jaw drops while she stares at my face with confusion apparent in her eyes.


    "I have said this a few times already, but I think it''s about time I made it clear."


    Clearing my throat by coughing twice, I approach Natsumi and crouch in front of her before peering into her eyes and saying, "Had you not been so adorable, you would''ve been severely punished for a few of the actions you have taken against me."


    The confusion in Natsumi''s eyes dissipates as it gets reced with doubt and uncertainty.


    Natsumi opens her mouth to say something, but before she can do so, Tohka''s voice reverberates within the kitchen, "Shido! When is dinner going to be prepared?"


    Looking over at the energetic girl, I let out a small sigh before getting back up on my feet and saying, "In a short while. You can go watch the TV with Yoshino until it''s done."


    "Understood," she replies with a smile stered to her lips before turning around and making her way to the sofa that Yoshino is sitting on.


    With her gone, I ce my focus back on Natsumi who now has a deliberative expression on her face.


    cing my hand atop her head, I give it a small rub while saying, "Come on, there are a few more things that I need to ask you about."


    ---


    "So, tonight is your turn, huh?" I say while staring at Yoshino who is currently standing beside my bed while using her puppet to obstruct her face from my vision.


    A small smile forms on my lips, as I walk over to my bed and lie down on it before saying, "Come on, what are you waiting for?"


    Following my words, Yoshino climbs onto the bed and lies down right beside me while cing her puppet in between us.


    With the two of us lying so close to one another, various thoughts pass through my mind.


    After a short while, a certain notion cements itself deeply in my brain, resulting in me being unable to hold back from saying, "Yoshino, what do you think of this world?"


    This isn''t a question that one is supposed to ask a young girl like Yoshino, but her case is an exception, after all, she has experienced something beyond the norm.


    My question seems to confuse Yoshino quite a bit as a troubled look appears on her face.


    Realizing that the purpose of the question is a little too vague, I say, "Never mind that. What I want to know is what you thought about the residents of this world. Is there anyone you feel deeply attached to?"


    This time, a contemtive expression forms on Yoshino''s face for a brief moment before she smiles and points at me with her right index finger.


    "Me, huh?" I say, "What if I were to disappear one day? Would you be saddened?"


    "You''re leaving?" Yoshino abruptly says in a shaky tone that''s slightly louder than usual.


    "No," I respond almost immediately, "Not yet, at least."


    Before Yoshino can think of what I said, I continue, "For this reason, I was wondering if you would be fine withing along with me if I did leave."


    This time, Yoshino remains silent as she gazes at my face with a determined look in her eyes, making it quite obvious that she is set oning with me.


    That both relieves me and causes me some stress, after all, I am unsure of what will ur in the future. Heck, will she be able to use the same method the rest of us used to leave tforms?


    AI, can you tell if the usual method of leaving a tform would work for her?


    {Unable to confirm.}


    Ugh. Well, I hope that she''s capable of doing it at the time, or else I would have to find the Core of this tform as well. Perhaps, Dominion would be able to guide me to it?


    Deciding to think of this matterter on, a smile forms on my lips as I say, "Don''t pay much attention to this, just go to sleep, alright?"


    Closing the distance between our faces, I proceed to lightly peck Yoshino''s cheek, to which she responds by wrapping her left arm around me.


    Doing this same, the distance between our bodies is lessened so much that the puppet is seemingly getting crushed in between us as I begin rubbing Yoshino''s back.


    ---


    Entering my ssroom, I find Origami and a few other students already present.


    Tohka, who is right behind me, passes by and makes her way over to the female trio with whom she has be good friends with.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I begin walking toward my seat while staring back at Origami who has been doing so ever since I stepped into the ssroom.


    Expectedly, she had something to say to me, as the moment I got close enough, she rose from her seat and said, "Shido Itsuka, I want to talk with you."


    "When and where?" I ask.


    "At lunch, behind the school building."


    Oh? I wonder if this is going to be another bout of her trying out things rmended to her by her ''reliable sources''.


    "Alright," I say, curious about what she has to say to me.


    Following that, Origami sits back down, and I proceed to take a seat as well.

 Chapter 278: Exchange

    Chapter 278: Exchange


    "Everyone, take a seat," Reine''s voice reverberates within the ss as she steps through the door.


    "Huh?" a bewildered female student''s voice reaches my ears, "We have physics as our first ss for today?"


    The rest of the students seem to be confused as they whisper simr things among themselves.


    "Now, before we begin our lesson for today," Reine says while looking over at everyone, "I would like to make an announcement."


    Most likely curious about what she has to say, the ss quietens down as everyone focuses on Reine.


    "Although this is sudden, the school has arranged a trip to an ind for tomorrow."


    The moment Reine''s voice fades, several students exim in apparent displeasure as a few express their thoughts regarding what she said.


    "What is that supposed to mean? We have to prepare for the trip in one day?"


    "Yeah, what''s with that? Aren''t you supposed to announce something like this a week prior?"


    During all this, Reine remains rtively silent while gazing at the students with her usual tired look on her face.


    After a short while, the students seem to realize she is waiting for them to quieten down as they stop talking and wait for her to continue what she has to say.


    "The decision was made abruptly, so there was nothing I, or any of the other teachers, could do."


    Not knowing whatment to make regarding that, the students remain speechless this time as they cast nces at one another.


    At this moment, one of the girls raises from her seat and says in a cheerful tone, "Come on, guys. You don''t need to be so worked up about this. Rather than that, why don''t we-"


    With my focus on reality sipped away, I use irvoyance to check on Natsumi at home, only to find her standing in front of Yoshino who is seated on a sofa in the living room.


    Oddly, Natsumi is currently in her ''adult'' form through the usage of her powers.


    She has a bright smile on her lips as she waves her broom around while Yoshino watches with awe apparent in her glimmering eyes.


    Natsumi says something before rainbow-colored energy escapes from her broom and swirls around her.


    The next moment, Natsumi''s alluring clothes change to an adorable yet still alluring bunny suit.


    As a response to this, Yoshino ps her hands as her excitement seems to grow by arge margin.


    ---


    The bell signifying the start of lunch rings, follow by Origami immediately rising from her seat as if she has been keenly waiting for this moment.


    Then, she turns to face me before saying, "Let''s go."


    "Yeah, yeah," I respond as I get up from my seat as well, "You sure seem to be looking for this conversation that we''re going to hold."


    Origami refuses to make anyments regarding my remark as she simply gazes at me without uttering a single word.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I reach my left arm out to grab her hand before pulling her along with me as I make my out of the ss under the usive nces of the students and teacher.


    Ah, this will most likely fuel the absurd rumors revolving around me even further. Well, whatever.


    --


    As per Origami''s request, we walk all the way to behind the school building.


    Here, there is nothing more than a small building that could possibly be a storage room.


    Around the premises of the school, there are somewhat tall fences, obviously not barbed ones, to prevent students from wandering off too far.


    Apart from that, there is a camera attached to the main building that''s pointed at the storage room.


    "Shido," Origami suddenly says, "I want to ask you a question. You can only answer with the truth."


    "Sure," I respond, curious about what kind of question would it be for her to add that ''condition'' to it.


    "Why do you protect the spirits?"


    Hearing her query, I feel like facepalming, but ultimately stop myself from doing so as I say, "I''ve already told you before, haven''t I? I find it ridiculous to kill beings for being what they are."


    "Is that all?" Origami presses while squinting her eyes.


    Hm? Has she caught onto something? I doubt I''ve left any obvious hints regarding my objective, so that''s no usible.


    Still, she wants to know what I am actually up to, huh? So be it. However, I won''t give out information without anything in return


    "Alright, you got me," I say while trying to sound exasperated, "There is more to it than just that."


    "That''s surprising," Origami says in her usual monotonous tone, "I thought you were just trying to act as a hero."


    "I appreciate your honesty," I reply, "Anyway, I won''t tell you my objective unless you agree to a condition of mine as well."


    "What is it?" she simply utters upon hearing that.


    "Once school is over, I would like you toe over to my home and stay for some time."


    Following my statement, Origami seems to not contemte her response at all as she immediately nods her head and says, "Alright, I agree."


    "Good."


    How odd. I expected her to at least think about it for a moment. Perhaps, consider the reason I''m inviting her over or something. But, she simply agreed just like that


    Oh well. Having said that, I raise my right arm and circte Holy Essence throughout it before utilizing Illusion to form a holographic image of the pair of heterochromatic eyes I had seen.


    "Presently, I am looking for a certain spirit that I know mostly nothing of other than the fact that she has such eyes," I exin, "The reason is a personal one, but know that it means a lot to me."


    Or, so I say, but I don''t even know if she can be considered a ''spirit'' if I were to go by with what I have experienced so far.


    "What''s your rtionship with her?" Origami asks upon breaking out of the slight shock caused by the illusion.


    "I have absolutely no idea," I respond while raising my arms sideways and smiling, "She could either be my worst enemy or an amazing ally. That will be revealed the day I meet up with her."


    Silence ensues as Origami begins to deliberate on something for a whole minute before she raises her head to peer into my eyes and asks, "Are you a spirit?"


    Face with such a vague question, I remain silent for a moment to think of what all the spirits have been like so far before closing my eyes and saying, "Technically, no."


    Until I meet a spirit close to myself in power, I can''t be sure of that. After all, the spirits I''ve met so far all exude ''weak'' Code waves even whenpared to a 3-digit Code.


    One exception to this could be Dominion, but I''m unsure about her being a spirit for now.


    "Is that all you wanted to discuss?" I say to Origami who seems to be slightly perplexed about something.


    "No," she responds almost immediately, "I wanted to tell you something."


    "Oh?"


    "Something has changed ever since you protected Hermit," she says, "Everyone seems to be on edge and we are beginning to receive vague orders instead of the usual ones."


    "What do you mean by vague orders," I inquire.


    "Check if the entity codenamed Prophet is a spirit," she responds.


    "By ''Prophet'', you mean"


    "Yes  you."


    ---


    After a somewhat long and arduous time at school, the bell signifying the end of the final lesson rings.


    Expectedly, Origami, who has already packed her things up, immediately rises from her seat and turns her head to face me.


    A wry smile forms on my lips as I shake my head and get up as well.


    "Shido, Shido," Tohka''s voice reaches my ears, "Are we going anywhere today?"


    Hearing this, I say, "Not today, unfortunately, as we will have a guest over at our home."


    "Who?" she asks in a curious tone.


    "Miss cool beauty, Origami, over here," I respond while pointing my left finger at the person in question.


    "Eh? Why is sheing over?" Tohka asks while pouting.


    "Is there a problem?" Origami responds to her before I can say anything.


    "No, but" Tohka says as her words trail off for a few seconds before she continues, "You''re not going to try to kill anyone, right?"


    "No," Origami simply responds, "As long as I''m not under any immediate threat, I won''t take any aggressive action."


    Her words result in Tohka to release a sigh of relief.


    "So, we''re good to go, right?" I say, seeing that they have reached a consensus already.


    "Yes," the two of them respond collectively.

 Chapter 279: Snoop ; Revelation

    Chapter 279: Snoop ; Revtion


    "Shido," Tohka calls out while we''re on the way back home, "Are we really not going anywhere today?"


    Hearing her words, I release a sigh and say, "Come on, now. You can''t expect me to take you out on a date every single day."


    As a response to my statement, Touhka pouts and says, "But it''s boring to stay at home all day..."


    "I am aware of that, but there isn''t much I can do regarding that."


    "Am I being a hindrance?" Origami suddenly chimes in and asks.


    "Of course, not," I respond, "It would''ve been impossible for me to take her out on a date either way.


    "If anything, you might be the one that will brighten our day at home. At least, I hope so."


    Origami nods her head once and says, "I''ll do my best."


    Finding her adorable at the moment, I subconsciously reach my left arm out to pat her head.


    The second my palm contacts Origami''s head, she tilts her head in my direction, in a way that makes patting it easier.


    A wry smile forms on my lips as I begin to gently rub her head while deliberating on what''s needed to be done once we''re home.


    ---


    "We''ve returned!" Tohka exims as usual as she rushes in through the front door, over to the living room.


    Origami and I follow along and soon reach the living room as well.


    Expectedly, Yoshino is sitting on top of a sofa while watching the usual soap opera.


    If there is something unexpected, it would be the fact that Natsumi isn''t present within the room.


    Where could she be?


    Curious about her whereabouts, I utilize my senses to look for her throughout the house, only to find her in my room, looking through the few drawers avable.


    "Take a seat here," I say while pointing at an empty sofa, "I will be right back."


    Heeding my words, Origami walks over to the sofa I pointed at and proceeds to take a seat on it with her expression remaining as impassive as ever.


    Letting out a small sigh, I turn around and walk in the direction of the staircase.


    Shortly, I reach the door of my room, which is shut.


    cing my hand on the door handle, I slowly open it and push the door forward before stepping inside the room noiselessly.


    Natsumi, who seems to be looking for a ''hidden'' object of sorts inside my closet, is unaware of me as I continue to approach her.


    Seeing that she is in her adult ''form'' while doing whatever she is doing, a grin forms on my lips as I get close behind her.


    I wonder if this transformation of hers allows her to feel what an individual would feel.


    With that thought in mind, I swiftly wrap my arms around Natsumi''s torso and grope her melons, earning me a shrill scream from the attractive snooper.


    "So, you can feel things despite it being just a form made of your energy, huh?" I whisper into her ear while squeezing her breasts.


    "Stop!" Natsumi screams before a burst of energy escapes from within her, resulting in her form to break down and return to normal.


    Once the light covering Natsumi''s figure fades, I am met with the sight of her ring at me with her arms covering her now nonexistent breasts.


    "Why did you do that?" Natsumi says in a loud voice induced with me.


    "What is this?" I say with a grin, "Did you honestly presume that there would be no consequences to secretly looking through my belongings?"


    "I just wanted to..." Natsumi says before her voice fades away as she seems to not know what excuse to make.


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I approach Natsumi, causing her body to flinch, but I ignore that and proceed to directly embrace her.


    "What were you even looking for?" I say while rubbing my palm against her back.


    "Nothing in particr," she responds somewhat meekly, "I just wanted to find more about you."


    "Is it rted to the matter with me being a male spirit?" I curiously ask, to which she doesn''t respond but remains motionless.


    Shifting the position of my head a bit, I kiss Natsumi''s exposed left shoulder and say, "You don''t need to do that. All you had to do was ask me, and I would answer your queries to the best of my ability; the same way you did yesterday.


    "At most, I would ask for somepensation for answering your questions."


    "What kind ofpensation?" Natsumi says after a brief moment of consideration.


    "This," I say before swiftly aligning my face with hers and giving her a few seconds long peck on the lips.


    During the brief duration of the kiss, Natsumi didn''t react in any way, as if she had already expected me to do that.


    "If this is thepensation, then it''s fine," she says after a short while pressing her fingers against her lips, surprising me, "Surely, you won''t stop doing this, so I might as well take advantage of it."


    ...


    ...


    "Is that so?" I say while maintaining myposure.


    "Yes," she responds in a solemn tone.


    Silence ensues as the two of us peer into one another''s eyes for a minute or so before I let out a sigh and say, "We should head downstairs. There is someone that I would like you to meet."


    --


    After having changed into some casual wear in front of Natsumi who didn''t shy away from watching me do so while grinning, the two of us exited my room and made our way to the living room.


    As such, the two of us are now seated on the same sofa that Origami had been sitting on.


    Origami is sitting to my left, while Natsumi is lying down to my right with her eyes focused on the TV.


    "So," I say, "Origami, what do you think of everyone present within the room?"


    It''s unfortunate that Kotori has not returned home yet due to an urgent call from her higher-ups, or so she imed the moment we exited the school building. Anyhow, the rest of the spirits here should be enough of an example for what I have in mind anyway.


    "Peaceful," she responds almost instantly.


    "Oh?" I utter while looking over at each one of the girls before needing my head in agreement with her statement.


    Presently, Yoshino and Tohka are watching the TV with fascination, most likely because some interesting plot twist urred or something. As for Natsumi, she seems to be uninterested in anything as she stares at the TV screen expressionlessly.


    "You probably recognize her and her, right?" I say while pointing my finger at Tohka, then at Yoshino


    As a response to this, Origami nods her head and mutters, "Princess and Hermit."


    "That''s right," I say, "These girls, who are so caught up with the events in that drama yed on TV are the very same spirits you and your teammates were so inclined to kill."


    "Is this why you called me over?" Origami asks monotonously, making it hard to discern her thoughts.


    "Not exactly," I reply, "I want you to understand. If you don''t, you''re most likely going to have to battle against me in the future. Trust me when I say that is something you should absolutely prevent from urring."


    After all, I am sure that I would wipe the organization behind her out solely out of annoyance.


    "Mmn," she hums as confirmation.


    "Alright," I say as I get up from the sofa and offer my hand to Origami, "Come on, let''s head upstairs. There are a few things that I would like to discuss with you."

 Chapter 280: The First Phase of the Discussion

    Chapter 280: The First Phase of the Discussion


    Arriving in my room, I proceed to cast a nce at Origami who is right behind me with an impassive expression on her face.


    I take a moment to think of what I will be asking her before deciding that the best position to do so would be on the bed.


    As such, I walk over to the bed while pulling Origami along with myself and directly take a seat.


    Origami does the same before beginning to look around the room like a curious cat.


    "Where are the physical education uniforms?" she asks after a short while, startling me.


    A little perplexed by her query, I say, "Why would I bring it home with me?"


    "So you don''t sniff it at home?" she adds.


    Even more baffled, I say, "Sniff?"


    "My uniform," she responds.


    Hold on a moment.


    "Are you asking if I have your physical education uniform lying around in my room so that I can sniff them?" I ask while emphasizing the word ''your''.


    "Yes," she replies nonchntly.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t have any," I state, not knowing what would be a ''good'' response to her words.


    "Would you like to have it?" she asks.


    "Have what?"


    "My school uniform; You like them, don''t you?"


    Huh? Will she just hand them over to me if I affirm her words? Interested in that prospect, I nod my head once while peering into her eyes.


    The next thing I know, Origami has raised both her arms to her jacket and has begun unbuttoning it.


    Soon after, I catch a glimpse of her sky-blue underwear as she unbuttons the white shirt underneath it as well.


    "Hey," I say as she is about to take off the jacket, "Are you nning to strip into your underwear?"


    "How else am I supposed to give you my uniform?" she responds while having already taken the jacket off.


    Realizing that it would be pointless to treat her the same as everyone else I have met so far, I ignore the strip show in front of me and say, "Anyway, the reason I have brought you over here is to simply hear your current opinion regarding spirits as a whole. Do you still believe that they all deserve death?"


    Origami, who was about to pull her right arm out of the white shirt''s sleeve, freezes as aplicated expression forms on her face.


    Just as I''m about to mention the girls downstairs, Origami closes her eyes and mutters, "Not all of them."


    Hearing her words, a smile forms on my lips as I say, "You finally understood."


    With that said, Origami continues taking off her shirt and throws it onto the bed, exposing her wless skin and moderate breasts which are covered by her bra.


    Taking this chance, I inspect her body closely as she moves on to taking her skirt off.


    Despite having already expected her to, I am nevertheless surprised by her casually taking everything other than her underwear off.


    "Origami," I say in a slightly curious tone, "Do you not feel embarrassed to strip like this in front of me?"


    "Why should I?" she immediately responds, "You are my boyfriend. This much is normal."


    Amused by her words, a grin forms on my lips as I shift my sight over to her supple thighs and the line visible through the fabric of her panties.


    Following this, Origami proceeds to neatly pack the uniform up and hands it over to me while saying, "This shouldst for a few days. If you want another, tell me."


    "I see," I say as I take the uniform from her while trying my best to maintainposure.


    Not knowing what to do with the still-warm school uniform in my hands, I decide to just put it away for now. So, I telekically lift it and slowly move it over to my closet.


    Shortly after I stored the school uniform away, the now semi-naked Origami stares at my face and asks, "So, what was it that you wanted to discuss with me?"


    "Right," I say, "But, before that, don''t you feel cold?"


    "The temperature is fine," she responds.


    "Even so," I continue, "Are you nning toter leave the room like this?"


    "It''s fine, I can just use my Realizer."


    "Realizer?" I inquire, to which Origami responds by getting off the bed and reaching her left hand out to her head.


    The next thing I know, a slight burst of energy escapes from the location she just tapped before her body gets covered in somewhat bright light.


    Soon after the light fades, I find Origami in herbat form along, which is rather alluring


    Having shown me her ''Realizer'', Origami changes back to normal before walking over to the bed and sitting right beside me.


    What an interesting piece of technology. From the looks of it, this could be mass-produced.


    For that, I would need to take over the organization behind the AST - DEM, also known as Deus Ex Machina industries.


    To do that, I need to acquire as much information as I can on their base of operation and their facilities all over the country.


    Surely, such an organization would have an extensivework of connections in various fields, particrly, scientific research. After all, such technology doesn''t just appear out of nowhere unless extensive research has been done.


    Anyway, once I have done that, it would be the most beneficial for me to find the ck sheep among their employees and have them do some work for me. The work would mostly consist of gathering insider information and causing trouble for the organization by leaking sensitive bits of it to their opponents.


    This way, I would be able to weaken the organization and bring light to others like it so that I can deal with them all in one go.


    Once I have taken over, I will get rid of the ck sheep as they will bring me nothing other than harm to the organization if I were to keep them.


    Realizing that my thoughts have wandered off too far, I shake my head before turning it to face Origami who is staring at me as usual.


    "Say, do you mind telling me why you joined the AST?"


    Hearing this, a glint shimmers in Origami''s eyes as she opens her mouth and says, "To take revenge."


    "I know that. What I would like to know is how did you encounter them and actually join them."


    "After my parents were killed," Origami responds, "My aunt, who lived nearby, took me in. Over time, I learned about the spirits and that a spirit was the cause of my parents'' death.


    "Sometimeter, I managed to be a member of the AST through the help of my aunt."


    Her aunt, huh? No wonder. Familial connections are most of the time greatly helpful when ites to finding a job or joining a secret organization.


    "If I were to ask you to leave the organization, would youply?"


    Hearing my question, Origami''s expression changes as slight shock bes apparent on her face.


    "So, will you?" I press on, knowing that this would greatly impact our rtionship.


    It takes some time for Origami to think of her response, which is understandable, after all, I am practically asking her to abandon her objective for the past few years.


    A whileter, Origami finally seems to have made up her mind as she closes her eyes and says, "Yes, as long as you promise me one thing."


    "What is it?" I ask while squinting my eyes.


    "That you will kill the spirit who killed my parents no matter who they are."


    Ah, this is troublesome. If it turns out that one of the girls downstairs is the one who did it, this could turn extremely problematic.


    Even so, I am willing to take the risk. In the first ce, finding out who is the spirit is not a simple matter, to begin with.


    I doubt that we would find out by the time I have met up with Dominion


    "Alright," I say in a solemn tone, "I won''t ask you to do that right now, but I might do so sometime soon."


    "Understood," she responds in an equally serious tone.


    "With the heavy topic out of the way," I say while leaning my body closer to hers and wrapping my left arm around her naked abdomen and back, "It''s about time we discussed our rtionship properly."

 Chapter 281: Second Phase of the Discussion ; Screwed Up

    Chapter 281: Second Phase of the Discussion ; Screwed Up


    "Our rtionship?" Origami repeats while gazing at me with an unchanged expression on her face.


    "Yes," I respond, "You see, I have been wondering if the rtionship is what it''s supposed to be."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, for instance, we have yet to go out on a date. If anything, the time we spent in the nurse room was the closest we had been."


    "So, you want to push me down?" Origami asks casually.


    "I mean, we have to start somewhere," I say while slowly shifting my left hand over to her butt, enjoying the sensation of the soft flesh wholly.


    Now then, I wonder how I should proceed from here. From what I know thus far, Origami Tobiichi is far from ordinary  in various ways, that is. So, I can''t treat her ''normally''.


    Either way, I am constantly looking forward to interacting with her, due to the fact that she most of the time surprises me with her way of thinking and somewhat peculiar actions.


    "When are you going to push me down?" she suddenly says while narrowing her eyes.


    Chuckling at her words, I proceed to directly do as she said and push her down on the bed.


    With me on top of her, I ce my left hand beside her head and my right hand against her breast, while also positioning my right knee between her thighs.


    Unlikest time, Origami is only in her underwear, giving me a good view of her wonderful body of which only the privates are blocked.


    Even so, I can see her nipples and her slit through the fabric, making it all the more alluring.


    "Say How are you feeling right now?" I curiously inquire while peering into her eyes.


    "I don''t know," she immediately responds.


    "Do you dislike being in this position?"


    "No," a simple response escapes from her slim lips.


    Deciding that I shouldn''t dy the matter any longer, I proceed to lean forth and press my lips against hers.


    Expectedly, Origami offers absolutely no resistance as I pry into her mouth using my tongue.


    Perhaps enjoying this a little too much, I subconsciously move her bra away, revealing her soft puppies while continuing to kiss her passionately.


    After a short while, I detach my lips from hers, only to give her a quick peck on the forehead a secondter.


    "Tell me if you feel ufortable, alright?" I whisper as the tip of my nose contacts hers, to which she just hums as confirmation.


    A smile forms on my lips as I create some distance between our faces before beginning to inspect her body, particrly the puppies which have now been revealed.


    "Is this what being a girlfriend is?" Origami suddenly asks.


    "Not exactly," I respond carefully, "It''s more about the warmth we share, the thoughts we have, and the sensations we feel inside. Most do it for the pleasure, but I believe the rest matter just as much."


    Taking my words seriously, Origami nods her head and says, "I understand now."


    I''m surprised. How is it that her ''reliable sources'' haven''t exined this to her yet? If anything, this should be the first thing to be addressed.


    In a rtionship, it''s important to know what either side is thinking of the other, and themselves. If that''s missing, the rtionship isn''t boded tost. Even that, could lead to numerous oues.


    For example, a long term rtionship may be formed in which one side thinks that everything is going absolutely fine, only for it all to be ruined by a single ''mistake''.


    Thus, it''s extremely important to know what one''s partner is thinking, as it could potentially save a doomed rtionship.


    It''s for this reason that I am troubled by my rtionship with Origami. She is seemingly a cute girl who has a ''unique'' way of thinking, but then there is her never-changing expression.


    That is what has led us to this moment. I can use this chance to finally find out how she feels, or, at least, get the gist of it.


    "Origami," I utter while moving my right hand over to her face and gently sliding my palm across her cheek, "I would like to ask you a question."


    As a response to this, she simply stares at my face with a slight hint of curiosity apparent in her eyes.


    "Let''s say that some guy at school approached you and confessed their love to you. What would you do?"


    "Ignore them," she responds nigh-instantaneously.


    "And if they were to press on, to the point of trying to do things you didn''t give them permission for?"


    "Shoot them."


    Impressed by her spectacr response, a bright smile forms on my lips as I say, "You really do have an amazing way of thinking."


    "Is that apliment?" she asks while remaining expressionless.


    "It is," I reply before lowering my head so that my lips are pressed against her left nipple.


    Following that, I open my mouth slightly before gently nibbling on the tiny pink cherry, causing Origami''s body to wince slightly.


    Soon after, I begin ying with her breast as a whole using my mouth by either nting kisses here and there or ying with her hardened nipple using my tongue.


    Throughout the whole process, Origami remained rtively silent and motionless, reacting only when I took an ''extra'' step in stimting her.


    After a few minutes of this, I finally let go of her soft breasts and raise my head to observe her face, which surprisingly turned out to be covered in a red hue that''s even more than the time in the nurse room.


    "How did that feel?" I ask, hoping to receive a proper response.


    "Warm," she replies after taking two seconds to think.


    Hearing this, the smile on my face grows by arge margin as I understand the warmth she is referring to is the same one I mentioned earlier.


    "Is that so," I say in a pleased tone as I move in for another passionate kiss on the lips.


    And so, I slowly lose myself in the kiss with Origami who has actually begun reciprocating it for once, only to be broken out of my daze a few minutester by the sound of something clicking.


    Hurriedly detaching my lips from Origami''s, I make use of irvoyance to run a quick scan of my room and outside it.


    Immediately after, aplicated expression forms on my face as I watch Yoshino and Natsumi who are both deeply blushing while walking down the stairs in haste.


    "Fuck," I subconsciously utter as I think of the consequences of what just happened.


    The first thought that crossed my mind was one that hoped they didn''t see much, but that doesn''tst long as I remember the fact I never bothered to close the door.


    Hah~ I should''ve been more careful


    Well, it''s no use to cry over spilled milk. What I can hope for is that Yoshino doesn''t look into this matter much yet as it''s rather early for her. I suppose the same goes for Natsumi


    Perhaps noticing my change in attitude and focus, Origami opens her mouth and asks, "Did something happen?"


    Releasing a sigh, I focus on her beautiful eyes and say, "Yes. We were seen."


    "By who?"


    "The two little ones," I respond as I get off her body, "I take the me for this one. After all, what we did should be done when the rest are asleep and we haveplete privacy."


    Hearing my words, an expression of deliberation appears on Origami''s face for a dozen or so seconds before she raises her head and asks, "Are we going to continue this at night?"


    "Indeed," I respond while grinning, "Maybe not tonight, but perhaps it would be possible on the night of the school trip?"


    "Understood," she says as she raises her body and begins fixing her underwear up.


    "Right," I say as I inspect Origami once more before essing my database and creating a set of modern wear for her ording to this tform''s standards - which are somehow not that different from back in the Rift.


    "These are"


    "Clothes," I say, "It''s better if you were these than your ''Realizer''. Alright?"


    "From where did you get them?" she inquires as she begins to sort the clothes out, intending to put them on.


    "I created them."


    Having said that, I watch as Origami gets off the bed and begins to put on the clothes I created for her, which consist of a simple navy-blue skirt and a frilly-cored white shirt with flower-shaped buttons.


    Along with that, I created a ck pantyhose along with a pair of blue shoes that go well with all the aforementioned.


    Once Origami is done putting the clothes on, I proceed to create a blue butterfly-shaped hair-clip and put it on for her as a finishing touch.


    Satisfied, I nod my head twice before saying, "Come on. Let''s go downstairs. There is a matter that needs to be addressed."


    Following that, I use irvoyance to check downstairs, only to be pleased with the sight of Kotori who has returned home, and not so pleased by the sight of Natsumi and Yoshino who are sitting on a sofa beside one another and whispering among themselves.


    Casting a nce at Origami who is checking her clothes out, I reach my left arm out and say, "Your hand?"

 Chapter 282: Query ; Safety

    Chapter 282: Query ; Safety


    Arriving downstairs alongside Origami, four pairs of eyes lock onto us as we reach the living room.


    Kotori, in particr, focuses her gaze on Origami''s body, or more urately, clothes. She seems to have figured something out but is not sure of the corrted details.


    "Huh?" a befuddled voice reverberates within the room as Tohka exits the kitchen area with a loaf of bread in her hands, "You changed your clothes already?"


    Having said that, she looks down at herself, only to see that she is still in her school uniform. Then, she begins walking in the direction of the staircase, not sparing us a single nce throughout, seemingly focused on her objective, which I assume is changing into casual clothes.


    Thus, Origami and I are left in the living room alone with two deeply flushed little girls and a suspecting sister who is keenly gazing at me while muttering, "No way right?"


    Releasing a sigh, I pull on Origami''s hand as I make my way over to a sofa opposite to the one Natsumi and Yoshino are sitting on. Perhaps, I should''ve picked the other sofa, but I suppose facing the two ''witnesses'' would be better.


    Kotori seems to have realized I n to discuss something as she walks over to the sofa we are on as well and takes a seat right to my left.


    And so, I am sitting on a sofa with two girls on either of my sides. To my right, there is Origami who is still holding my hand for some reason, and to my left, is my little sister who has closed the distance between our bodies a little too much. This is quite unlike her Does she feel threatened by something?


    I take a moment to gaze at her face, only to notice that she casts a quick wary nce at Origami every few seconds. Realization dawns upon me as a smile forms on my lips. Following that, I shift my left arm so that it''s properly wrapped around her slender waist before saying, "So, Kotori, how did your meet-up with the higher-ups go?"


    "Surprisingly well," she responds, "I was expecting to get berated for our unnecessary action of taking the AST members hostage, but it turned out that they were nning to do the same anyway."


    "That means you basically aplished a task without even receiving it?"


    "Yes, and no," she responds with a thoughtful look on her face, "Our job at Ratatoskr is to locate spirits and have you seal them up."


    Expectedly, the girls present are listening to the conversation with curious glints in their eyes.


    On one hand, there is Origami who has a solemn look on her face while gazing at Kotori, while on the other, there is Natsumi whose brows have furrowed slightly.


    As for Yoshino, she just seems to find the matter itself interesting as she gawks at Kotori.


    "Despite what we did being useful to the higher-ups, it was outside our area of expertise and wasn''t a requirement, so we were just let off for going out of line."


    "That''s unfortunate," I say, "So, what had you all been doing prior to me taking on the job of sealing spirits?"


    "Well, we were mostly researching them and the energy that''s given off by them, so that when the time came, we would be prepared to deal with most if not all issues through the experience we had collected."


    "And? Were you able to collect much data?"


    "Unfortunately, no," she responds, "The spirits weren''t very active for the past few years until recently"


    I doubt that the reason it has be like that because of me, but there is a chance nevertheless.


    "Hold on a moment," Natsumi suddenly exims as she gets on her feet while remaining on the sofa, "Correct me if I am mistaken, but that guy''s job is to seal spirits?"


    Seeing the small finger pointed at me, I shrug and say, "That''s how it is. Of course, depending on the spirit''s persona and"


    I deliberately trail my words off as I focus my gaze keenly onto Natsumi and Yoshino before continuing, "Cuteness."


    Hearing my words, Natsumi''s face contorts for a second before she releases a somewhat exaggerated sigh andys her back against the sofa.


    Yoshino, who is beside her just seems to understand the meaning of my words as a bright smile forms on her delicate lips.


    "This isn''t the time for that," Natsumi says in an exhausted tone, "I want to know what she meant by ''sealing''."


    "It''s exactly what it sounds like," I respond casually, "Your powers and the energy you release will enter a dormant state to the point that even the AST - the group those girls that attacked you belong to - won''t be able to so much detect you.


    "I should also mention the fact that you won''t be causing and ''space quakes'', even if you stay for an extended period of time. Isn''t that right, Kotori?"


    Seeing me looking over at her, Kotori nods her head once and says, "That''s right. If you are to get sealed, you won''t be facing any trouble."


    While Kotori was saying that, I had already shifted my sight over to Origami in order to see her reaction to all this.


    Surprisingly, she was rtively calm about the whole thing. She seems to neither have any questions to ask, nor any curiosity toward the ''seal''.


    "Say," I utter, "Weren''t you informed by your higher-ups or whatnot when arriving here that a spirit was detected?"


    After all, if I am not mistaken, I haven''t sealed Natsumi''s powers yet.


    "I was," she responds, startling me.


    "And? Did you feel any tension when you did?"


    "No," she responds, "They said it was fine."


    At this moment, a random notion passes through my mind that results in my eyes to widen  What if everything we''re saying is being transmitted over to her organization.


    Upon asking Origami, she simply shook her head and said, "Don''t worry. I already had someone make sure that was prevented."


    "Who, exactly?" I query, for all I know, they could be acting for the organization''s benefit.


    "My aunt," she responds, "She told me that they had tried to do that to her, so she checked my Realizer device and found it here too."


    "Your aunt, huh? Can she be trusted? How loyal is she to the organization?"


    "She only does it for the high pay, is what she told me. My aunt would often tell me that if whenever I felt something was wrong, I was to leave immediately."


    I see. It seems that I may have found my ck sheep, no - my key. She will be the key that will open the gates for me to pick the ck sheep out.


    "Where does your aunt live?" I inquire.


    "Currently, she is away on a trip. Before that, she lived in the dorms provided to us."


    "Is that so? When do you think she will return?"


    "A week, at most."


    "Alright. Thanks for sharing this information with me," I say with a small smile on my lips as I proceed to pat her head.


    At this moment, I hear two consecutive coughs to my left as Kotori''s voice reaches my ears, "Save this forter. Did you have anything else to discuss?"


    Hearing her words, I take a moment to deliberate on something before shaking my head and stating, "Nope. All that is left is for us to get to know each other better."


    Hah~ I should probably go visit Mana some time, or perhaps get her to visit me? Either way, I need to get in contact with her as I have a feeling that she will y a huge role in my ns.


    Leaving that aside, there is tomorrow''s trip that I need to prepare for. Firstly, I would have to make sure that those who aren''ting have their safety guaranteed. I can''t exactly just leave it to Ratatoskr alone, so I would have to do something on my part.


    I suppose it''s about time that I summoned Jeanne over? It will probably be a little problematic to exin her to the girls here, particrly those who are ''curious'' about my being, but it''s the safest bet I can make

 Chapter 283: Reason ; Troublesome Introduction

    Chapter 283: Reason ; Troublesome Introduction


    After the somewhat heavy conversation from earlier, what came next was rtively lighthearted.


    Expectedly, Origami''s peculiarity threw the girls'' guards off. They had her answer quite a few questions, most of which were rted to her job as a part of the AST, but fortunately, her prejudice seems to have decreased by quite a bit, so no one got ufortable.


    Shortly after that, Tohka returned to the living room, this time dressed in casual wear that consisted of a ck skirt and a purple blouse.


    I took that chance to get up from the sofa and head upstairs to my room, which brings me here to the current situation.


    Right now, I am seated on my bed while gazing at AI''s expressionless face. A moment ago, I asked her if she was nning to get out any time soon, to which she immediately responded by appearing right in front of me after a sudden burst of light.


    "AI," I say, "What exactly made it necessary for you to appear physically?"


    "The state of the tform," she responds, "Due to the state it''s in, this tform may be the only one I can appear in and be close to Father with no consequences."


    "Huh? Are you saying you appeared here because it was a great chance to be close to me physically?" I inquire while peering into her enchanting eyes.


    "Affirmative," she responds while shifting her sight away.


    Nevertheless... the way she worded it is worrying, to say the least.


    "Say, had you appeared in the other tforms I''ve been to so far?"


    "Affirmative," she responds, confirming my doubts, "I materialized in Sorcerers'' Lair."


    "And you made sure to not be close to me, right?"


    "Affirmative."


    "How close? I mean, how close do you have to be for problematic things to ur? And, what do you they consist of?"


    "Around five meters," she responds, "The effects of the disruption caused are unclear."


    Releasing a sigh, I ask, "Leaving that aside, what did you mean earlier when you said you were ''inside'' me?"


    "Due to being a direct materialization of Father''s energy, I can reside within the body created freely."


    Hold on a moment. The direct materialization of my energy? Am I constantly imbuing her with my energy to let remain materialized as I do with Jeanne?"


    "Negative," AI suddenly says, "After a body has been formed, self-sustenance bes possible."


    "I see."


    Alright, I suppose that most of my questions have been answered. I should probably get the matter with Jeanne over with.


    With such thoughts in mind, I instruct AI to move aside before raising my right arm and focusing on using Norse Magic.


    Shortly after that, a bright light shines in the room for a few seconds before fading and revealing a confused Jeanne.


    The beautiful woman looks around for a few seconds before seeming to realize something as she walks over in the direction of the bed and kneels before saying, "My Lord, I am ready to serve."


    "Get up," I say with a small smile on my face, "Things here are not the way they were back in the two worlds you''ve seen so far."


    Heeding my order, Jeanne gets back on her feet and stands tall with a solemn look on her face.


    "Rx," I say, "The reason I''ve summoned you over is quite simple. But, before that, I would like to make sure of something."


    "What is it, My Lord?"


    "Prior to appearing here, did you see anything out of the norm? What was the process like?"


    "Simr to the time that My Lord brought me over to the world in which there were kingdoms, I suddenly found myself elsewhere in a duration that made it impossible to determine what transpired."


    "I thought so. Anyway, drop the formal way of speaking. Yes, this is an order."


    "Understood," she responds, to which I squint my eyes. Well, I guess that would be somewhat hard for her.


    "Aside from that," I continue, "You are to call me as ''Shido'' from henceforth. That is the name of the identity I have taken upon myself.


    "There is a lot that needs to be discussed, but for now, I will give you a briefing of the reason you have been summoned."


    ---


    "And that''s the gist of it. Do you have any other questions?" I ask after a while of discussing my aims in this tform with Jeanne.


    AI is already back ''inside'' me, as she determined there was no purpose to staying materialized.


    For the past twenty minutes, I exined my purpose to Jeanne, which is to seal the spirits in order to save them from the hands of the corrupted organizations, and my main objective of locating a certain spirit.


    Naturally, I didn''t exin to her what exactly I needed to do in order to seal the spirits, as it was unnecessary.


    "No," Jeanne responds to my query in a serious tone.


    "Alright then," I say, "Let''s head downstairs. Remember, leave all the exining to me. Follow along with whatever I say. The residents of this world are not ready to know about the existence of other worlds just yet, so we have to refrain from speaking of such matters carelessly."


    "Understood, My Lord."


    Nodding my head, I reach my left arm out to hold Jeanne''s hand before dragging her along with myself as I exit my room and move toward the staircase.


    Shortly, the two of us reach the living room which is brimming with energy as the girls seem to have gotten rather lively.


    Natsumi in particr seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit as she stands in her ''adult form'' in front of Origami while asking her questions.


    Kotori is the least lively one as she simply is reading something on her phone, which I assume is rted to her work.


    Taking in a deep breath, I tighten my grip on Jeanne''s hand before stepping forth along with her into the room. Immediately after that, silence presumes in the room as the girls look over at us, or more urately, at Jeanne.


    Kotori notices the sudden silence, so she looks up from her phone, only for her eyes to widen as she catches sight of Jeanne.


    Coughing twice, I let go of Jeanne''s hand before raising my arm and saying, "Everyone, I would like to introduce someone to you."


    None of the girls present utters a single word for a solid minute as they continue to gawk at Jeanne before Origami shifts her focus over to me and says, "Cheating?"


    "No," I instantly say, "This girl here is Jeanne. A confidant of mine that will apany those who aren''ting with me tomorrow."


    "Wait, wait, wait!" Kotori exims as she jumps up from the sofa, "Who is she exactly and where did shee from?!"


    "Calm down, Kotori," I say, "This is rted to what had happened before. You know, the matter that resulted in me developing this power."


    Following my words, numerous utensils in the kitchen close to us get lifted into the air, startling Yoshino, while Natsumi and Tohka both look over with curiosity.


    "How?" Kotori asks, "Don''t tell me, she just suddenly appeared as a memory and when you thought of her, she appeared?"


    "Wow, your guess is on point," I say while acting amazed, "That''s exactly what happened."


    "..."


    After a whole two minutes of pure silence, Kotori''s expression changes to that of exasperation as she says, "Will you tell us what happened exactly?"


    But I already did... Oh well, I guess the truth sometimes is the hardest to believe, so I suppose I can make it vaguer.


    "But that was the truth, you know? Isn''t that right, Jeanne?"


    "Yes, My Lo-," she responds before stopping herself from finishing what she had to say.


    Nevertheless, it was toote.


    "Hold on! What did she just say?" Kotori asks while staring at Jeanne with suspicion.


    "She was going to say ''My Lord'', wasn''t she?" Natsumi adds while grinning.


    Hah~ This is troublesome. Whatever. The best way to deal with this matter would be to remain silent about it as a whole, promising to share the detailster when the time is due.

 Chapter 284: Details ; Worries

    Chapter 284: Details ; Worries


    "Now, now," I say while raising my arms, "Don''t sweat the details. Apparently, the is simr to the state I am in with her memories being in a foggy state.


    "This, in turn, has affected her manners and way of speaking. I mean, you have noticed it, right? She speaks like a woman from centuries ago would."


    "We haven''t heard her say all that much," Kotori responds, "But if you say that, then you must either know her very well or at least have spoken to her for a duration long enough for you to make note of that."


    "That''s true," I reply, unfazed, "The truth is, she had appeared about twenty minutes ago. During that time, I took it upon myself to ask her a few questions to satiate my curiosity like any normal individual would."


    "Oh?" Natsumi interjects, "Did you manage to find anything out?"


    It''s only been a day, yet here she is acting like she understands everything going on and why it''s absurd.


    Oh well.


    "Yes," I say, "How else do you think I remained with her for so long? So, to put it simply, her memories have gotten fuzzy, but she remembers a few things such as... her powers."


    The moment thest two words leave my mouth, Kotori squints her eyes while Natsumi ces her palm against her lips with raised brows.


    As for the rest, Origami keenly stares at Jeanne, probably trying to figure out if she is a spirit or not. Yoshino seems to have lost interest for some reason as she has returned to watching the TV.


    The one that has the oddest reaction is Tohka who seems to be contemting something with a puzzled look on her face.


    "Powers?" Kotori asks, "What kind of powers?"


    "Ones foreign to this world, in other words, simr to mine."


    Turning my head to face Jeanne, I cast a nce at the ring on her finger and nod my head once.


    Understanding my intentions, she proceeds to pull her banner out of the ring, surprising the girls present by quite a margin. Even Yoshino who was staring at the TV with overwhelming focus shifts her sight over to the majestic white banner with stars shimmering in her eyes.


    "Her power..." Natsumi mutters.


    "That banner," I respond, "It''s what she uses to utilize her powers properly. From what I know, she has amazing defensive capabilities, hence why I thought it would be a good idea for her to protect those noting with me to the school trip tomorrow."


    "Wait, what do you mean by school trip?" Natsumi suddenly asks.


    "Oh, I haven''t made that clear yet, huh? Well, it''s exactly what it sounds like. We will be traveling to some ind for a school trip that was abruptly decided today.


    "During that time, you will be staying over at somewhere safe with Jeanne protecting you.


    "As you already possess powers of your own, it''s safe to assume that you will be able to protect yourselves."


    Or, so I say, but I doubt I would be able to prevent myself from checking on them frequently while on the trip. Should I witness anything abnormal, I won''t be holding anything back...


    "A school trip, I see," Natsumi mutters thoughtfully.


    At this moment, Kotori lets out a sigh of what seems to be defeat before sheys back against the sofa and says, "In the end, you''re not nning to give us a proper exnation, are you?"


    "Whatever could you mean?" I say in a casual tone.


    "Ugh, forget it. I feel like I will begin to lose myself if I try to figure out any of the things you do and rted to you. Seriously, what happened to you, brother..."


    Toward thetter half of her sayings, Kotori''s voice marginally got lower before reaching a point so low that the others shouldn''t be able to hear.


    Hah~ It''s only to be expected that she would think like this. Just a short while ago, ''I'' was drastically different from the way ''I'' am now. As she''s ''my'' little sister who has been living with ''me'' for years, she would obviously take note of the changes that urred.


    If anything, I feel like the murder Imitted back in the park was thest straw that broke any misconception she had of me still being the same guy I was. Fortunately, I had done it after she had gotten more used to the new persona, or else things would''ve been much more problematic.


    She might not act like it, but I bet that it''s bothering her quite a bit. Her pacifistic brother suddenlymitting murder without batting an eye...


    Nevertheless, she doesn''t seem to have any intentions of changing our rtionship, so all is well, I suppose?


    ---


    "Tohka," I call out to the girl sitting on the bed with a contemtive expression on her face, but she doesn''t seem to hear me, or even notice my presence for that matter.


    I''ve never seen her act like this. She usually just spends her time either eating, finding food to ear, or simply enjoy herself.


    Seeing her so deep in thought is refreshing, yet worrisome at the same time. What exactly could be eating away at her attention?


    Deciding that asking her would be the best method, I soundlessly shut my room''s door before walking over to the bed and sitting beside Tohka, who is currently dressed in purple pajamas.


    "Tohka," I say once more, this time with my mouth close to her left ear.


    Expectedly, Tohka''s body jerks as she snaps her head to look over at me with widened eyes.


    Chuckling at her reaction, I proceed to swiftly take both of her hands into mine before peering into her eyes and saying in a soothing tone, "Is something bothering you?"


    "Uhm..." she utters with her eyes darting around, seemingly not knowing how to respond to my query.


    "Everything is going to be fine as long as you''re honest with me. So, take a deep breath and tell me what''s wrong, alright?"


    It takes her a moment, but Tohka ultimately nods her head once before doing as I instructed her to.


    Upon having taken a deep breath, she focuses her sight on me and says, "Recently, I have been feeling a strange feeling here. Almost like a stinging pain."


    Following her words, she presses her palm against her chest.


    Hold on... I already have an idea of what she might be speaking of, but it would be better for me to make sure first.


    "Tell me, does that usually happen when I am around or you''re thinking of me?"


    Startled, Tohka''s eyes shoot wide open as she says, "How did you know?"


    A grin forms on my lips as I say, "As I thought..."


    Having deliberately trailed my words off to catch her curiosity, I observe with interest she tries her best to hold back from asking me what''s wrong.


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing harmful," I state while squeezing her hands, "At most, it means that I have not been giving you the attention you deserved."


    With that said, I move my body closer, so that our arms and hips are touching before leaning forth for a kiss.


    Already used to this by now, Tohka offers absolutely no resistance as she simply tries to reciprocate the kiss to the best of her abilities.


    Shortly, the rtively tame kiss turns to a rather passionate one as I find myself pushing Tohka''s body down on the bed and inserting my tongue into her warm mouth.


    Our hands and lips interlocked; I feel a warm sensation spread within me as I feel the affection that Tohka holds for me through her response.


    Various images sh through my mind regarding the innocent girl as I continue to twirl my tongue around hers.


    A few momentster, a notion appears within my head, causing me to halt the kiss and raise my body from hers.


    I cast a nce at the deeply flushed Tohka before turning my head in the direction of the door.


    That''s right. I won''t be repeating the same mistake I did earlier. After I had sent Origami off, I returned home and called Natsumi and Yoshino over to my room.


    With both girlsplying, the three of us got to my room, in which silence ensued for a while.


    Later, I simply told them to try their best to forget what they saw, as it would be troublesome otherwise. The two nodded their heads before they exited the room without uttering a word.


    s, there wasn''t much that I could do. The ''damage'' had already been done, so I might as well leave it as such to see how it would develop.


    If anything, I feel like Natsumi will try to take advantage of what she witnessed, tomit some naughty deeds. At that time, I will be having a fun time ''punishing'' her and getting her to open up to me more...


    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I stare at the door for a few seconds before using telekinesis to move my closet over to it.


    And so, with the door blocked properly, I shift my focus back to Tohka, who has turned her head to the side, most likely as a way to avoid making eye contact with me.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "I will try my best to make it so that you won''t ever feel that stinging pain again. As long as you''re both honest with me, that''s not going to be much a problem."


    "Mn," Tohka hums while tightening her grasp of my hands.


    "Good girl," I say in a teasing tone before leaning forth to kiss her lips once more.

 Chapter 285: Innocent One *NSFW*

    Chapter 285: Innocent One *NSFW*


    My lips pressed against Tohka''s, I let go of her hands before slowly beginning to sliding my palms across her slender waist over to her breasts.


    Cupping her mounds, I proceed to further insert my tongue into her mouth as I gradually move my knee over from the bedsheet to a fitting spot in between her thighs.


    After a while, I finally detach my lips from Tohka''s before creating some distance between our head and letting go of her breasts so that I can take a good look at her expression.


    Seeing that she is in what could easily be seen as a dazed state, a grin forms on my lips as I ce my palm against her torso. Then, in one burst of destructive energy, the top half of Tohka''s pajamas gets obliterated, revealing her pliant mounds.


    I waste no time in cing my hands over both mounds and giving them a somewhat tight squeeze, which earns me a cute yelp from Tohka.


    "So," I say while practically massaging her breasts, "How does this feel?"


    "I-I-I... I don''t know," she responds after breaking out of her daze while casting nces all around the room and avoiding making eye contact with me.


    "Do you dislike it in any way?" I ask while moving my head closer to hers and shifting it slightly to the side so that my mouth is right beside her ear.


    "N-No!" Tohka responds almost immediately but stutters as I lightly nibble on her ear.


    Taking this chance, I gently squeeze both of her nipples in between my index and thumb fingers.


    Following my actions, Tohka lets out a slightly loud yelp this time as she subconsciously raises her back from the bed.


    Finding her reaction adorable, I let go of her ear and breasts before raising my body so that I am directly seated atop her thighs.


    In this position, I reach my right hand out to her stomach which I doubt is anything but a ck hole at this point, and begin to poke the area around her belly button.


    Evidently, this doesn''t amount to much in terms of stimtion other than when ites to tickling, so I don''t keep at it long as I slowly slide my finger across her abdomen to her breasts before twirling my index finger around her are.


    After a short while, Tohka finally locks eyes with me and says, "Shido... It feels strange."


    Hearing the words I had been waiting for to utter, a bright smile forms across my lips as I ce my left hand on her body just in front of my crotch and say, "It''s here isn''t it?"


    "Yes," she responds with curiosity apparent in her voice.


    She most likely is waiting for me to exin what this feeling of hers is. Well, I should probably give her a brief idea instead of covering the whole process thoroughly. Right now, the first-hand experience matters more than mere words.


    And so, I move back a little so that I am sitting atop her legs before reaching my hands out to the stic part of her bottom pajamas and pulling it down.


    What''s revealed in front of me are adorable white panties that seem to have gotten slightly wet...


    Chuckling a little, I proceed to press the tip of my index and middle fingers against her slit through the fabric and gently rub it.


    Seeming to enjoy the sensation of my fingers, Tohka bites down on her bottom lip as a way to prevent herself from moaning.


    "Tohka, Tohka," I say in a soothing tone while pressing my index finger against her clit, "It''s bad to hold it in, you know? You need to let loose."


    "Mhm,"es a response from her as her body stiffens.


    Releasing a small sigh, I lessen the pressure on her clit before using Destruction to get rid of her panties in one go.


    Surprised, Tohka''s eyes widen as she lets out another yelp, this time being one out of embarrassment.


    Ignoring the myriad of expressions forming on her face, I focus my sight on her now exposed slit.


    I take this opportunity to think of how I would like to proceed from here.


    The most obvious choice would be to slowly guide her through the ''normal'' process while making sure to not cause her any difort.


    However, there is a problem with that in this case, and that would be the fact that Tohka seems to be the type of individual that would easily imprint the method used to do something.


    Normally, that wouldn''t be much of a problem, but I would rather have her take proper actions while thinking of herself more, or else she would have a hard time sorting out her emotions in the future.


    With such thoughts swirling through my mind, I adopt a solemn expression before gazing at the nervous Tohka''s face and saying, "So, how did it feel?"


    She seems to not have expected me to ask her such a question as it startles her for a brief moment before she regains herposure and says, "Good... It felt good."


    "Would you like me to continue?" I inquire as I let my expression slowly mellow out.


    "Y-yes," she responds somewhat meekly which''s quite unlike her usual lively self. Well, that''s understandable, after all, what she''s currently experiencing is no small matter.


    Shaking such thoughts aside, I once again press my index finger against her slit, only to slowly insert the tip inside after a few seconds of rubbing it.


    Immediately after I do so, Tohka''s body stiffens like never before as she lets out a hummed moan.


    Before she can have the chance to rx, I begin ying around with her insides a little too intensely if I were to take her experience into consideration.


    Fortunately, rather than being disturbed by my actions, Tohka only seems to take pleasure as all energy seems to drain from her body, with the only thing ''showing'' her being conscious being the hummed moans that reach my ears now and then.


    "Well then," I mutter, "Guess it''s about time."


    With that said, I proceed to utilize Destruction and get rid of all my clothes while continuing to finger Tohka.


    Soon, I pull my now-wet finger out of her and take a few seconds to observe her dazed expression.


    "Hey, Tohka," I say while reaching forth and lightly nudging her shoulder.


    That doesn''t help much as Tohka remains in the same state as if she''s going to do so forever.


    Letting out a sigh of exasperation, I circte Holy Essence through my arms before making use of Healing Factor as I ce my palm against her cheek.


    Shortly after that, Tohka snaps out of her daze. Her eyes immediately focus on me as she utters in a low voice, "What?"


    "Sorry about that," I say while rubbing her cheek, "It seems that I may have overstimted you."


    Before she can respond to my words, I continue, "Don''t worry about much. Anyway, we are in the final stage."


    "Final stage?" she asks curiously.


    "Indeed," I reply with a smile on my lips as I lightly grip my rod to position it against Tohka''s entrance.


    As if she has just realized the state we are in, Tohka''s already flushed red turns all the way redder as she uses her hands to block her eyes.


    "Toote for that, don''t you think?"


    Having said that, I telekically split her legs a little before slowly pushing the tip of my member inside her.


    As a reaction to this, Tohka removes her hands from her face and grabs onto the bedsheet as a proper moan escapes from her lips, unlike the previously muffled ones.


    Two streaks of blood form as I lean forth and position my arms around Tohka''s body in a manner gentle enough to not cause her much pain.


    "Tohka," I whisper once our faces are properly aligned, "Does it hurt?"


    "It just stung a little," she responds with aplicated expression on her face as she tightens her grip on the bedsheets.


    "Do you know what is this we''re doing?" I inquire.


    "Uhm... no," she honestly responds as she peers into my eyes as if looking for the answer within them.


    For once, I decide to not exin the matter technically, but instead, in a way she would find easy to ept.


    "This act is called baby-making," I state while grinning, "It''s most of the time done when two individuals are extremely fond of one another."


    Naturally, there are quite a few exceptions to that, but I don''t need to exin that to her. Knowing that it''s an act between two lovers is more than enough for her right now.


    Unexpectedly, Tohka seems to focus on something else than what I had in mind as her eyes widen while she stutters in a somewhat loud voice, "Ba-baby making?!"


    "Calm down," I say nonchntly, "This is just the deed. It''s not like you will get pregnant just like so."


    Fortunately, Tohka seems to realize what I meant as she calms down rtively soon.


    Now that I think about it... I never take preventive measures against pregnancy. That obviously can''t be good. Howe none of those I have slept with have gotten pregnant so far?


    Or... Could it be one of them has already, but I am still unaware of it? AI, do you have any information regarding this?


    {Negative. Due to Father''s unusual circumstances, I am unable to determine any definite deduction yet.}


    What about pregnancies? Have any of the girls gotten pregnant yet?


    {Negative.}


    I see. Too bad. Naturally, I wouldn''t mind any of my partners getting pregnant. If anything, I am rather looking forward to it.


    Even so, I probably should take the surrounding situation into mind before making any ''mistakes'', lest I want to corner myself.


    Shaking such thoughts away, for the time being, that is, I focus on Tohka as I begin to slowly move my hips, to which she responds by abruptly reaching her arms forth and wrapping them around me as tightly as she can.

 Chapter 286: Overdone? *NSFW*

    Chapter 286: Overdone? *NSFW*


    Slowly thrusting inside Tohka, I lean forth to press my lips against hers, in hopes of spreading her focus to more than part of her body.


    As a response to this, she subconsciously lifts her legs and wraps them around my hips in a way that would''ve normally made it hard to move properly. However, that obviously won''t be the case for us due to the overwhelming difference in our strength.


    Thus, I continue moving inside her while our tongues intertwine with one another.


    Shortly, Tohka loosens her limbs, seemingly deciding to leave everything to me.


    Oh well, I had already expected something like this to ur.


    And so, I proceed to slide my arms underneath Tohka''s back before lifting her from the bed and positioning her on myp with our lips still interlocked.


    In this position, I proceed to ce my hands on Tohka''s plump butt cheeks and begin to move her up and down, and detach my lips from hers to observe her face properly.


    "Ah!~" Tohka lets out a sensual moan for once as she quickly wraps her arms around my nape, resulting in my face to nestle in between her soft mounds.


    Finding this amusing, I lick her a few times using the tip of my tongue before hastening the speed at which her body moves up and down as my shaft prates her.


    Minutes pass by with the two of us in this position, until I decide to take things to the next level by abruptly separating myself from her and somewhat forcefully turning her around.


    "Shido?" a confused voice escapes from the dazed Tohka''s lips who still has my shaft inside her.


    "Don''t worry," I say as I telekically decrease our weight before pushing her toward the wall on the left side of the bed.


    As if realizing what I have in mind, Tohka ces both her hands against the wall with her butt facing me.


    Seeing the innocent Tohka in this way and the hole through which I am connected with her, I lick my lips as a grin forms on my lips.


    Following that, I do something that I probably should''ve left to the very end  thrusting at an ''extreme'' pace.


    Tohka definitely couldn''t have expected this as she immediately lets out a quick series of moans of which the one seems to cut off the other one before it.


    For some reason, I feel a hot sensation inside me as I gaze at Tohka who has a rather ''dumb'' expression on her flushed face.


    Perhaps...


    Deciding to try out the random notion that appeared in my mind, I move my right hand over to her clit and gently rub it, resulting in Tohka''s body instantly stiffening as she lets out a cry of pleasure.


    Before I can make sense of the situation, warm liquid flows out of Tohka''s slit as her hands slip from the wall.


    The next thing I know, Tohka''s face gets buried into the bed with her butt still held up high.


    "Hey," I say, a little perplexed about the situation, "Are you okay?"


    Expectedly, Tohka doesn''t give me much of a reply as she remains the way she is, which only further increases my anxiety.


    I didn''t go overboard with her... have I? Admittedly, it felt wonderful to see her reactions, but I may have gone too hard on her due to that...


    Fortunately, not even a minuteter, Tohka lifts her head from the bed and says in a weak tone, "More."


    Following that, her head drops back on the bed as she begins to sway her butt from side to side.


    Feeling her folds wrapped against my shaft, I let out a small sigh of relief before beginning to move my hips back and forth.


    The already sensitive Tohka lets out multiple cries with each thrust, that get muffled by the nket.


    A short whileter, I find myself about to climax, so I quickly take this chance to grab both of Tohka''s hands and lift her from the bed.


    Startled, Tohka lets out a cry of surprise before eximing, "Shido?!"


    Ignoring her, I begin to gradually increase the speed of which I thrust inside her to the point that a constant vibrating voice escapes between Tohka''s lips along with the sound of her butt being pounded.


    Soon, just as Tohka seems like she wants to say something else, I thrust forth swiftly and let go of her hands before wrapping my arms around her breasts as I release everything I''ve got inside her.


    As a response to this, Tohka lets out yet another cry, except it''s not as loud as the ones before, probably due to her having already gotten tired.


    And so, I slowly extract my member from her insides and watch with intrigue as white liquid gradually flows out of her hole.


    Tohka notices that we have finally finished as she falls sideways and begins to pant heavily.


    A bright smile forms on my lips as I move closer to her and embrace her from behind before asking in a low voice, "So, how was it? Did you enjoy our little act of expressing affection?"


    It takes a moment for Tohka to register my question before a smile forms on her lips as she simply affirms with a hum.


    Satisfied with her response and everything prior, I position my leg in between her soft and wet thighs as I begin to use irvoyance to check on the other girls.


    Beginning with the living room, I find Kotori and Natsumi standing in front of a sofa. The two of them have a look of annoyance on their face as they stare at Jeanne who is sitting on the said sofa with a nonchnt expression on her face.


    From what I can tell, they must''ve both tried their best to extract information from her, but weren''t able to aplish much from the looks of it.


    Either that or Jeanne said some things that obviously displeased them. Nevertheless, I am more inclined toward the first possibility, because that seems much more usible than the other one if I were to take Jeanne''s personality into consideration.


    Deciding that the matter is not worthy of concern, I begin to slowly doze off while thinking of various other matters, particrly rted to AI.


    ---


    Opening my eyes early morning, several thoughts pass through my mind before I turn my head to face the still-asleep Tohka.


    Remembering the fact that we are going on a school trip today, I close the distance between our faces before pressing my lips against hers.


    A few secondster, I detach my lips from hers as her eyelids begin to fidget.


    "Tohka," I call out while cing my palm against her left cheek, "Wake up. It''s morning already."


    Speaking of which... What time is it, exactly?


    Curious, I check the time through the clock attached to the wall in the kitchen, only to see that it''s almost gettingte.


    Returning my sight, I proceed to raise my body from the bed and get up on my feet before casting a nce at Tohka who seems to be struggling to wake up.


    Hm... I suppose we both should take a bath. Also...


    Focusing my gaze on the bedsheet, I find myself scratching the back of my head for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and saying, "Tohka."


    This time, Tohka''s eyes shoot wide open, probably because I amplified my voice in her direction.


    "It''s gettingte. We''re going to take a bath together."


    "Wha-wh-", Tohka utters, but I don''t let her finish what she has to say as I telekically lift her naked body from the bed and move her over into my arms.


    Thus, I carry her princess-style before making use of Permeation to pass through the ground, directly to the hall downstairs.


    None of the girls seem to be awake, as even Jeanne is lying on a sofa in the living room with her eyes shut.


    And so, I proceed to make my way over to the bath while ignoring the cute sounds escaping from the confused Tohka''s mouth.

 Chapter 287: School Trip (1/4)

    Chapter 287: School Trip (1/4)


    Exiting the bathtub alongside the deeply flushed and now-sparkling Tohka, the two of us proceed to dry ourselves.


    Well, so I say, but it''s more urate to say that I was the one that did most of the wiping. Seeing Tohka squirm in embarrassment was a rather wonderful sight, so it was a matter of minutes before I found myself teasing her once again.


    "Hey Tohka," I say while putting on the school uniform I just created, "Are you excited for today''s school trip?"


    Hearing my inquiry, Tohka''s mood takes a turn for the best as she excitedly nods her head a few times while saying, "Yes!"


    Seeing her like this, a dubious look covers my face as I ask her, "What do you suppose the trip will be like?"


    "My friends told me all about that!" she responds almost immediately as her excitement seems to grow by the second.


    Knowing that she is going to be giving me a long briefing in regard to the trip, a wry smile forms on my lips as I wait for her to do so.


    ---


    "Good morning, Jeanne," I say to the solemn girl sitting on the sofa, to which she simply responds by getting up on her feet and bowing.


    Releasing a sigh, I say, "Sit back down on the sofa."


    Expectedly, Jeanne does exactly as I tell her to without so much bothering to utter a single word.


    Knowing that it would be pointless to get her to talk like a normal individual, I shake my head in mild exasperation before shifting my attention over to the lone figure in the kitchen.


    "You''re finally out," a somewhat irritated voice reaches my ears as soon as I take a step toward them.


    Tohka, who is right behind me, moves closer to my body and uses me as a wall to block Kotori''s view.


    "Oh,e on," I say while looking over at Kotori who is seated at the dining table, "It didn''t take us that long."


    Hearing my words, Kotori shifts her focus over from the hiding Tohka over to me as an odd glint shimmers within her ruby-red eyes.


    "What''s this?" I say in a teasing tone, "Could it be that you wanted to take a bath with your big brother as well?"


    "What?!" Kotori immediately exims as a red hue gradually creeps up her face, "Why would I want that?"


    "Your reaction says otherwise," I respond while grinning.


    "Ah, whatever! Like I care!" she hastily exims as the blush on her face grows.


    Deciding to let her off with just this much for now, I shake my head before turning around to face Tohka.


    "Act normally," I whisper.


    Having said that, I turn back around before walking toward the facilities avable in the kitchen, leaving a stunned Tohka behind.


    "Kotori," I say while beginning to use telekinesis, "Are you going to have Yoshino and Natsumi head over to that ship of yours?"


    "Yes," she responds after taking a moment to cool her head, "That would be the safest choice."


    Safest, she ims I am rather inclined to doubt that statement of hers. Nevertheless, that''s still better than leaving them here.


    Besides, I believe I can depend on Jeanne if anything out of the norm urs while I am away.


    ---


    "Shido," Origami calls out just as I''m about to take a seat.


    Looking over, I find her sitting on her chair with the usual impassive expression stered to her face.


    "Good morning," I greet with a smile.


    "Mhm. Good morning," she responds before taking a moment to seemingly deliberate on something.


    Finding her behavior peculiar, I squint my eyes and ask, "Is there anything that you''d like to tell me?"


    The moment my voice fades, Origami''s expressionless seems to have be serious as she gazes at my face and says, "I received new orders earlier."


    As I thought. It seems like my foes are nning to take advantage of this school trip.


    "Is that so?" I respond casually, "Were they anything along the lines of keeping me busy?"


    Mild surprise bes apparent within Origami''s eyes as she says, "You knew already?"


    "Not at all," I reply while looking over at the students currently present in ss, "It''s just that I was already expecting something like this."


    That settles it. Something is bode to ur on this school trip, and it most likely isn''t going to be pleasant.


    What I''m unsure of right now is if they''re going to attempt to ambush me or something else. Hopefully, it''s the former. It would be much less troublesome if that''s the case.


    Still


    Focusing back on the silent Origami, I begin to consider the rtionship between her higher-ups and those that belong to DEM.


    It''s in clear that there is a connection of sorts between the two.


    "So," I say, deciding to investigate the matter further when I have a proper chance to do so, "When are we going to be leaving?"


    So far, all that we''ve been told, or, at least, all that I''m aware of is the fact we''re going to be traveling using a ne.


    Fortunately, Origami seems to be more aware of the situation as she exins, "We''re going to leave school after a lecture from the homeroom teacher regarding the trip."


    Finding her exnation satisfactory, I nod my head once as confirmation.


    ---


    "Finally, it''s over!" Tohka dramatically exims as she sets her forehead against her desk.


    Hearing her words, Iugh for a few seconds before saying, "Did that drain all that excessive energy away from you?"


    Raising her head, Tohka is about to respond to my question, but before she can do so, the ssroom''s door which was closed shut abruptly slides open as a dark-haired figure enters the ssroom.


    "Ms. Tokisaki," the homeroom teacher, Tamae, says in an exasperated tone, "You''rete!"


    As a response to the young-looking teacher''s nagging, Kurumi simply bows a little before saying in an apologetic tone, "Forgive me, but an unexpected event transpired while I was on my way here."


    "This again," Tamae says while shaking her head, "Now that you''re here, you can have someone everything to you briefly on the way to the airport."


    "I''m afraid that''s not possible," Kurumi replies as she straightens her back, "I won''t be able to partake in the trip."


    "Eh? Why?" Tamae asks with slightly widened eyes.


    "There some problems that require my direct presence."


    "By problems, do you mean there are issues with your transfer papers?"


    "Indeed, something like that," Kurumi responds with a smile.


    "I see," Tamae says with a saddened expression on her face before she continues, "And? Why are you here right now?"


    Hearing her inquiry, the smile on Kurumi''s lips grows as she glimpses at me for a split-second and says, "I would like to hand something over to Shido, that''s all."


    The moment her voice faded, amotion ys out as multiple students begin to share their strange ideas regarding what she just said and the ''hidden meanings'' that could be behind it.


    Ignoring them, I focus my sight on Kurumi''s face, only to find her beaming a smile while looking back at me.


    What is Kurumi nning? If there is anything that I''ve gotten to know during my interaction with Kurumi, it would be the fact that there always seems to be a hidden objective behind everything she does.


    Now, here she is, iming to havee over with the intention of handing me something.


    Whatever that thing of hers is, if it exists in the first ce, that is - It''s definitely not going to be simple.

 Chapter 288: Incomplete Craft (Interlude)

    Chapter 288: Iplete Craft (Interlude)


    After having received Tamae''s permission like a normal student, I exited the ssroom alongside Kurumi as students began their usual bout of specting things based on what just happened.


    Naturally, neither Kurumi nor I were bothered with their uttering as we went on our way without sparing anyone a nce.


    And so, here I am right now, following after Kurumi as she leads the way to wherever she is nning to hand me the thing she spoke of.


    Not much longter, the two of us reach our destination as Kurumies to a halt in front of a ssroom.


    "This ce," I mutter while using irvoyance to examine inside the ssroom, only to find it barren and more like a storage room than anything else.


    From what I can see, there is nothing more than desks and chairs that have been flipped over and stacked on top of one another.


    "Now, don''t think about it much," Kurumi says as she turns around to face me, "This room is the most suitable for this matter, that''s all."


    How suspicious. This further supports the notion of this matter being much moreplicated than her simply handing me something.


    After all, there are could only be two reasons why she would utter the words she just did.


    Either the thing she is about to hand over is one that can''t be seen by anyone, at all, or she is having me take a test of some sort. Perhaps try something out?


    Giving it a little more thought, a notion gets cemented within my mind - What if it''s both?


    Letting out a sigh, I take a step forward before reaching my left arm out to wrap it around Kurumi''s waist.


    Then, the two of us walk toward the ssroom which is most likely locked, and practically phase through it.


    "Thank you for that," Kurumi says as we find ourselves in the ssroom surrounded by extra desks and chairs.


    "Before we begin, I would like to ask you something," Kurumi says as she walks over to two stacked desks, "If you had the power to bring a whole race to extinction, would you do it?"


    "What kind of question is that?" I respond while grinning, "That would obviously depend on whether the race deserves it or not."


    "Hm Is that so?" she mutters while rubbing her palm against the desk that has been flipped over, "So, you''re saying that you''re fine with making use of the power as long as it is ''justified''?"


    "Naturally. It would be unwise to not make use of such a convenient power and resolve otherwise bothersome problems with ease."


    "Marvelous!" Kurumi suddenly exims as she ms the side of her hand into the desk, resulting in it breaking along with the one beneath it.


    She then turns around, revealing an excited expression on her face as mes seem to be burning within her red and yellow eyes.


    Kurumi then proceeds to take a few steps toward me, only stopping once she is less than a meter away from me.


    Then, she shifts her feet a little as a circr ck shadow appears in between them, following which a snow-white arm protrudes from the hole.


    What catches my attention the most is that there is an odd-looking weapon grasped by the arm.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that the weapon seems to be a peculiarbination of a modern-day Glock pistol and a flintlock from a few centuries ago.


    Admittedly, the weapon doesn''t look that good, and the fact that there is absolutely nothing remarkable about it other than its peculiarity only serves to disappoint.


    Nevertheless, it would be quite a ridiculous thing to judge a weapon''s capabilities by its looks. If anything, since the one that has summoned it is Kurumi, then it''s safe to assume the weapon has some absurd power or something like that.


    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" Kurumi says as she takes the jet-ck weapon from the arm as the arm sinks back into the hole.


    Once the circr shadow on the ground haspletely disappeared, Kurumi raises the weapon and inspects it with a bright smile on her lips.


    "I had been waiting for this moment ever since the day we became one," Kurumi mutters with a dreamy look in her eyes.


    Ever since we became one? Could this weapon somehow be rted to what transpired on that night?


    At this moment, the image of a certain katana shes through my mind along with the face of a certain girl.


    But When I did it with Krul in Sorcerers'' Lair, nothing appeared. Why would it now? Aem is a tform too, isn''t it?


    Hold on, I had almost forgotten something crucial - This tform is not in a stable state. Despite not knowing what means, I can take that as this tform obviously not being an ordinary one like Project Charlotte and Sorcerers'' Lair.


    In which case, it would be possible for this weapon in Kurumi''s hand to be the result of me copting with her.


    But then again, if that were the case, I should''ve been able to ess the Network with her and the weapon would''ve appeared in my system window.


    "Do you know what this is?" Kurumi''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, interrupting my train of thought.


    "Perhaps, but I''m not quite sure yet," I respond in a solemn tone.


    Hearing this, Kurumi chuckles for a few seconds before reaching her arm out and offering me the weapon.


    "Take it," she says while peering into my eyes.


    I don''t do it. At least, not immediately.


    The reason for that is the odd vibe the weapon is giving me. It''s almost like it''s alive.


    I don''t know why I can tell, but the idea is stuck within my head and won''t go away.


    Releasing a sigh, I shake my head and reach out for the weapon and grab it.


    The next thing I know, several images sh in my eyes, most of which consists of numerous Kurumi clones(?) just floating around in an empty dark space.


    After what seems like an eternity, I regain focus and instantly inspect the weapon in my hand.


    {Father, I can detect signatures of a Craft from the object in Father''s hand.}


    A Craft? It''s been quite some time since I encountered another one of these.


    Thest one... That damned book that I reckon is still tugging my thoughts was more than enough to show how troublesome the Crafts could get.


    Anyway, am I supposed to burn this weapon the same way I did with the book to obtain it?


    {Unable to provide an urate response. The Craft seems to be iplete.}


    Iplete? That''s odd. Am I supposed to sleep with Kurumi a few more times for it to getplete or something? Speaking of which, why was she the one that received this thing?


    AI doesn''t respond to my inquiry this time, indicating that she has no clue as well.


    In that case, I should ask the person herself.


    "Say, Kurumi," I utter while looking at the still-excited youngdy, "When and how did you obtain this weapon, exactly?"


    "Hm~" Kurumi responds with a light hum as she lifts her hand presses a finger against her lips before replying, "Shortly after you left, a small hole appeared where we drowned in pleasure for the night.


    "Through that hole, this weapon floated out and remained in the air until I touched it."


    Having said that, Kurumi stops talking and shifts her sight over to the weapon and says, "No matter how much I tried, I was unable to use it."


    "So, you''ve brought it over to me in order to see if I can?" I ask while tightening my grip on the weapon.


    "That''s correct," she responds, "I have an inkling as to what it does, so let''s get this started with, shall we?"


    Agreeing with her, I nod my head as confirmation before raising the weapon and aiming it at a random desk.


    "That''s not what you should be aiming at," Kurumi says as she takes a step to the side before casting a nce at the two desks she had broken.


    Realization immediately dawns upon me as I finally understand why Kurumi broke the desks earlier. I had refrained from asking her, thinking that it was simply a method to keep her excitement in check, but it seems like there was more to it than that.


    Adopting a proper shooting posture, I point the gun''s tip at the broken desks before pulling the trigger.


    The moment, I feel energy get siphoned out of me through my hand at a great rate as the dull weapon begins to get adorned with navy blue glowing lines.


    Not even a secondter, a sound that resembles a drop of water dropping into a body of water resounds within my ears as a burst of energy escapes the weapon''s muzzle.


    Following that, an unstable blue orb forms right in between the two broken desks before expanding until it epasses most of the debris and a portion of other desks.


    Then, the blue orb suddenly disappears, revealing two brand-new looking desks - if one didn''t look close enough, that is.


    Upon observing everything closely, I take note that the bits of broken wood that didn''t get epassed within the blue orb remain where they are.


    Along with that, the two desks have missing bits which I assume are the very same ones on the ground.


    "How interesting," I mutter while raising the weapon and staring at the glowing blue streaks on it.


    "If I am not mistaken, that shouldn''t be all the weapon is capable of," Kurumi says in a pleased tone.


    "Oh? What else can it do?"


    "Unfortunately, I don''t know about them just yet," she replies while approaching me and cing her hand atop of my hand that''s holding the weapon.


    A warm sensation appears in my chest as I feel the Essence Energy in my body turn a little awry.


    Now that I think about it AI, how much Essence Energy do I have left right now?


    {84%}


    Ugh. How resource consuming. Hopefully, this thing''s functionalities will improve once it bes plete''. I suspect the reason Kurumi is unable to tell the rest of its functions is due to that reason as well.


    "Shido," Kurumi suddenly calls out, "With that out of the way~"


    I look over at her just in time to find a teasing smile on her lips as she takes a step forth and presses her fleshy breasts against my chest.


    With our faces practically within a breath''s length away from each other, I find it hard to hold myself back from closing the distance and locking lips with Kurumi.


    Perhaps, this was what she was going for in the first ce, as Kurumi responds to the kiss almost immediately by twirling her tongue with mine and embracing me.


    Mimicking her actions, I wrap my arms around her slender body, letting go of the weapon through the process.


    As such, the two of us remain in this position for the next dozen or so minutes, kissing to our hearts'' content.


    In the end, we ended the kiss neatly, forming a fine line of saliva in between our lips as we gazed into each other''s eyes.


    "This also happens to be something I had been constantly looking forward to ever since the night we became one," she says in a merry tone.


    "I can see why," I reply before moving my face closer and giving her a quick peck on the lips.


    After this, the two of us step back and both of us look over at the weapon on the ground.


    The glowing blue streaks are nowhere to be seen on the weapon''s body as it has returned to the state it was in when Kurumi brought it out.


    "It would be for the best for you to keep the weapon close-by," Kurumi suggests while smiling, "Don''t you think?"


    "Alright," I say before telekically lifting it and pulling it into my hand. Now, I need to figure out where to store this thing...

 Chapter 289: School Trip (2/4)

    Chapter 289: School Trip (2/4)


    With both of us having our own thing to do, Kurumi and I separated as soon as we exited the ssroom through Permeation.


    Unfortunately, this being my third usage of the ability today makes it so that I may use it once more before it bes unavable for some time.


    And so, while on my way back to the ssroom, I deliberate on how and where to hide the newly-acquired weapon.


    In terms of looks, it looks more like an oddly shaped gun-toy than an actual weapon with mystique capabilities. So, even if it gets seen, I can have it passed off as a random gun model, as it shouldn''t be possible for anyone apart from me to fire it anyway based on what Kurumi said.


    As such, I take a look at the uniform I am wearing before essing the database and looking for a suitable holster.


    Naturally, the weapon''s odd shape made this process much harder than it would''ve been for any ordinary weapon, but in the end, I managed to find one that should be good enough.


    After taking a look around to make sure that no one is watching, I proceed to take off the jacket and attached the holster to my hips. This holster, in particr, is the type that can hold two pistols on the back, albeit not the ordinary small pistols. It sure makes me wonder what organization or perhaps country would make use of these...


    Anyway, after holstering my new weapon, I put my jacket back on and take a moment to observe myself in case of anything looking off, only to find myself looking perfectly normal.


    "Alright, I hope that they''ve already packed their things up," I mutter as I begin walking again.


    ---


    "Shido, Shido!" Tohka excitedly exims as she hops on her seat beside me on the bus we''re taking to the airport, "What is that?!"


    Looking over at what she''s pointing at, I find the upper half of a stationary Ferris wheel.


    Letting out a sigh, I decide to give her an intricate response with the intention of waning her interest off for now, "That thing over there is a ride that humans most often take for entertainment purposes. You see, those things over there spin from the ground to the top.


    "People, which usually is either are families or couples, get on from the bottom and enjoy the ride as their height increases."


    "Ohhh~" Tohka utters, "And? Is that all?"


    "Indeed," I reply, "You''re supposed to enjoy the view of the city from up there along with those with you, that''s all."


    As such, a Ferris Wheel wouldn''t exactly be an ideal ride to get on if I were to consider the fact that we can fly. Leaving the experience itself aside, there isn''t much to it.


    However, Tohka doesn''t seem to think that way as she excitedly says, "Hey, Shido! Let''s go there, okay?"


    Taking a moment to observe the expression on her face, I release a sigh before wryly saying, "Alright. Someday, we will go."


    ---


    "Excuse me, would you like some beverages?" a pretty middle-aged pushing a cart says while facing the three of us.


    To my left, sitting by the n''s window is none other than the ever so amused Tohka.


    While to my right, Origami is sitting with her backid against the chest and her face turned toward me.


    She has remained in this position for the past hour, maintaining constant eye contact with me all the way until I had to break my gaze off from hers after being called by the flight attendant.


    Anyway, I ignore Origami for now as I take a look at the beverages avable before saying, "Yes, I would like a diet coke and..."


    Taking this chance to cast a nce at Tohka, I find her gaze focused on a certain bottle of what seems to be orange juice, so I continue, "An orange juice."


    Turning to face Origami, I ask, "Would you like anything?"


    "Same as you," she instantly responds.


    "You heard the youngdy," I say as I shift my attention back to the flight attendant, "Two diet cokes and an orange juice."


    Hearing this, the woman slowly grabs what we asked for and hands them to us, along with a small straw for Tohka.


    From behind us, I hear the voices of several students as they mutter among themselves.


    "Seriously, what''s with that guy? He has girls glued to him all day!"


    "Yeah, even when we''re not at school. Weren''t the seats supposed to have been predetermined?!"


    "So unfair..."


    As expected from the males, they were looking for opportunities during this flight.


    They would''ve had one had I not used Indoctrination to make them believe their seats were elsewhere. It was a little hard to pull off with there being so many students around, and the limit of five didn''t help much either.


    So, I had to resort to the means ofpromising with a few groups who also wanted to be together with their friends in order to find ourselves proper seats.


    Expectedly, Tamae wasn''t all too pleased by our actions, but she wasn''t able to do much about it after the students pressured her for a brief moment.


    "Origami," I say as I focus back on the matter at hand, "Are you nning to stare at me all the way until we get there?"


    "I can''t?"


    "Well, I don''t mind if you do, but don''t you find it boring?"


    "No," she responds bluntly.


    Yeah, as if someone like her would find this boring. Origami is an oddball in more ways than one. Although it scores a lot of points when ites to cuteness, it can be ''creepy'' for some.


    I reckon that this is the very same reason she is so unapproachable, as students usually im.


    Leaving all this aside...


    Turning around, I gaze at a ck-haired girl wearing sses and is conversing with a female ssmate.


    Seemingly noticing my gaze, the girl stops talking and glimpses at me before winking once.


    "How troubling," I mutter before turning back around.


    ---


    "Finally, we''re here!" a female ssmate blurts as she excitedly waits in the line to get off the ne.


    Currently, Tohka and Origami are both standing beside me at the end of the line.


    I deliberately made it so that we''re here because I wanted to speak with a certain someone.


    "Isn''t it about time you dropped this y of yours, Natsumi?" I whisper in a voice low enough only for a certain ck-haired girl in front of me to hear.


    "I knew you would notice," the girl responds as she turns around to face me, confusing the brown-haired girl right behind her.


    As if just remembering her, the ck-haired girl, who is actually Natsumi in disguise, turns back around and says in an apologetic tone, "Sorry, Miina, but can you go on ahead without me. I want to talk with Itsuka about something."


    "Since when did you know..." her friend replies before her words trail off as she lets out a sigh and continues, "Fine. But, don''t bete, alright?"


    "Of course!" Natsumi responds, to which the brown-haired girl, Miina, bows slightly before turning around to focus on the line.


    Shortly, the line moves quite a bit, leaving quite a bit of space for the four of us left at the back.


    "Since when did you notice?" Natsumi finally asks, seemingly unable to keep her curiosity in any longer.


    "Right from the start," I casually reply with a smile covering my lips.


    "If so, why didn''t you call me out?"


    "And why would I do that? You went through all this effort just to spend time with us on this school trip. Not only is it adorable, butmendable too."


    Despite her being disguised, a red flush cover''s the current Natsumi''s cheeks as she opens her mouth to say something, but no words escape even after ten seconds have passed.


    "Nevertheless, you ced your life in danger by doing something reckless without consulting me. Fortunately, this time the matter was closely rted to me, so no major risks were taken, but I can''t be sure that there won''t be a repeat of this in the future..."


    Understanding what I''m getting at, a downcast expression forms on Natsumi''s face for a few seconds before it quickly changes to that of me and fury as she says, "Hey, you were the one who forcefully brought me over to that house! You want to go out and have fun without taking me even after doing that?"


    "Good point," I respond, "But that doesn''t strike the heart of the matter. You could''ve told me that you wanted toe with us earlier, and I would''ve most likely agreed.


    "While at it, I might have even found a method you can spend the day with us properly."


    Upon saying that, I shift my sight over to the line that is quite a distance away from us now, particrly the girl that seems to be a friend of the one Natsumi has disguised herself as.


    "Where is she?" I ask, "The girl that you have disguised as?"


    "Uh..." a nervous voice escapes from Natsumi''s lip as she seems to be struggling to answer the inquiry.


    Letting out a sigh of exasperation, I adopt a solid expression and say, "Just make sure to not get caught, alright?"


    By saying this, I am asking her to refrain from doing things the original girl wouldn''t do. Such as, constantly interacting with me.


    This could''ve been avoided if she hade to consult me regarding this matter earlier, but she didn''t. So, I suppose this could work as a punishment of sorts.


    But, that''s not the end of it. Due to our circumstances, I am unable to hand out an appropriate punishment right now, especially so when there are two curious gazes on my back.


    "Whatever," I say, "We should probably get going."


    The moment those words leave my mouth, I feel a pleasant softness on both of my arms as both Tohka and Origami seem to take my statement as some sort of signal to hold my arm.


    Not minding this, unlike Natsumi who is looking at us oddly, I use my eyes to signal to her to get moving.


    Taking the hint, Natsumi turns around and begins walking toward ''her'' friend.


    Seeing this, I shake my head wryly as I begin to think of what''s awaiting me on this school trip...

 Chapter 290: School Trip (3/4)

    Chapter 290: School Trip (3/4)


    Getting off the ne alongside Origami and Tohka, the three of us follow after the rest of the ss as they make their way over to the logistics section of the ind.


    "Uwooh!" an odd voice with hints of awe escapes Tohka''s lips as she looks around. In contrast, Origami is quietly looking ahead at Natsumi''s back with a solemn look on her face.


    "Hey," I say as I lightly pat the taciturn girl''s shoulder, "Don''t think of this matter too deeply. As I had said earlier, Natsumi just felt lonely and wanted to join us."


    "Understood," she responds almost immediately before shifting her sight over to me.


    Ah, she is going to continue staring at me even here, huh?


    Deciding that it''s pointless to ruminate over this, I begin to make use of irvoyance for no other reason than checking the ind out for unwantedpany and the like.


    Time passes by with me finding nothing other than a few interesting buildings and facilities as we continue to close in on the logistics section.


    Shortly, Tamae''s voice reaches my ears as she says, "Attention, everyone."


    The students in the front hear her and stop conversing to listen to what she has to say before the rest do so as well.


    Once everyone has quietened down, a pleased smile forms on Tamae''s lips as she raises her hand with her finger pointing and upwards and says, "Now that we''re here, we need to settle on where we will settle. Boys and girls will be in separate rooms, that goes without saying."


    Upon hearing thetter part of her statement, a few guys cast nces at me with smug looks on their faces.


    However, that doesn''tst long as Origami proceeds to raise her arm, seemingly having something to say.


    Seeing this, Tamae stares at Origami for a few seconds before glimpsing at me for a split-second and asking, "Is there a problem, Tobiichi?"


    "Yes," she responds almost instantaneously, "I can''t stay anywhere far from Shido."


    "And why is that?" Tamae asks with exasperation apparent on her face.


    "Because I will copse due to a sickness," Origami seriously responds.


    Hearing her words, everyone present has various reactions ranging from disbelief to amusement. As for Tamae, she has aplex look on her face, seemingly not knowing what to do.


    Obviously, Tamae wouldn''t ept such an excuse for Origami to stay with me, that is unless I interfered.


    Focusing my gaze on Tamae, I use Indoctrination to fill her head with a single order - Compromise with everything the three of us bequest.


    Despite this mand'' being vague in more ways than one, it should do be enough for this situation.


    As such, to the utter shock of the students, Tamae adopts an understanding expression and says, "In that case, we can make an exception just this once."


    "Woah, what?!" a male student exims as those around him begin to burst out simrly.


    Unexpectedly, the one that seems to be shocked the most is Tohka who cries out, "Teacher, that''s unfair! I also feel sick if I am not near Shido!"


    "Then you can stay with him too," Tamae responds with the same understanding expression still covering her face.


    Hearing this, the already baffled students once again burst intomotion as they discuss what just happened with passion.


    A certain trio of girls seems to be the most excited about this as they all raise their arms and give the relieved Tohka a thumbs-up.


    Knowing that this matter is going to waste a lot of our time, I release a tired sigh while shaking my head.


    ---


    "What a neat room," I find myself muttering as I enter the room we received for tonight.


    Due to the limited amount of rooms avable, the students have divided into groups of five and six, with our group being the only exception.


    Or, so I thought, but...


    "Do you need something?" I say in a casual manner as I turn around to face the two girls who are standing right outside the door.


    Beaming a smile, Natsumi proceeds to grab ''her'' friend''s arm and drags her along as she walks inside the room and says, "Sorry for the intrusion, but there was no other room avable."


    "Is that so?"


    "But there was onepletely free-" the girl beside her, Miina, says, only for her words to get cut off as Natsumi interjects, "It would be rude of us to take up a whole room just for the two of us, don''t you think?"


    "Well, yes, but still..."


    Casting a wary nce at me, fear and anxiety are apparent within the girls'' eyes, most likely due to the rumors that have been spreading about me.


    Not heeding it much attention, I turn back around and begin reexamining the room.


    In terms of appearance, the room seems to be more like an inn than anything else. There is a bunk bed avable on one side with several futons stacked at one corner of the room.


    For some reason, I feel like the bunk bed won''t get used much...


    Leaving all this aside, AI, have you detected any Code waves yet?


    {Negative.}


    I see. That''s odd. Either the spirit has already left the ind through some means, or they''ve be ''Lost'' - in other words, not locatable.


    Anyway, I suppose we should get ourselves settled here properly now.


    --


    "Is everyone here?" Tamae asks with a certain white-haired woman standing behind her.


    When did Reine arrive at the ind? She wasn''t with us on the ne, as far as I know, and I don''t think that the spaceship, Fraxinus, is anywhere near here.


    Setting this matter to the side, for now, I focus back on Tamae as she begins to instruct the students who are lined up in the corridor regarding the proper way to behave, which is effectively a short repeat of the ''ss'' we had earlier today.


    Soon after, once Tamae is done, the students begin to get a little fidgety as the school trip officially begins with us touring the various facilities on the ind.


    Based on what I have seen so far through irvoyance, they mostly seem to be aquatic-based than anything else.


    "Shido, where are we going?" a curious voice asks from behind me.


    "I don''t know. It''s up to the teachers to guide us around."


    "Oh,"es a slightly downtrodden response from her.


    Shaking my head, a wry smile forms on my lips as I say, "Don''t worry. We won''t be staying with their group for long."


    "Really?!" Tohka excitedly exims, seemingly looking forward to exploring the ind as a small group rather than a big one.


    "Of course," I reply before shifting my focus over to Origami who is surprisingly not staring at me, but at Natsumi once again.


    "Hey now," I say while reaching my arm out and cing my palm atop her head before rubbing it and continuing to say, "How about you try to enjoy your time here instead of focusing on pointless things?"


    Hearing this, Origami turns her head to face me before asking, "Do you want me to do that?"


    "Well, yes," I respond a little perplexed at the way she asked.


    "Then I will do that," she states as a matter-of-factly.


    At this moment, the earbud in my ear that had remained silent for quite some time now vibrates as Reine''s voice reaches me, "Meet up with me once we''re done with the main tour."


    "Alright," I mutter, "Where am I supposed to find you?"


    "I''ll leave that to you,"es the response, "I am bad at exining."


    ...


    "Sure," I reply while feeling like rolling my eyes.


    "Now then," I say in a voice loud enough for both Tohka and Origami to hear, "Let''s regroup with Natsumi and that other girl."


    I suppose acting like I am unaware of my foe''s plots takes priority right now. Hopefully, they send some interesting force after me unlike those from before, else this trip would be rather boring...

 Chapter 291: School Trip (4/4) ; (Spoiler)

    Chapter 291: School Trip (4/4) ; (Spoiler)


    "Finally," Natsumi says as the three of us approach her and the girl beside her.


    "Hey, what are we going to be doing?" the girl, Miina, says while casting an anxious nce at me.


    "What, afraid of me?" I remark while raising my brows, "Don''t worry, my mind is currently preupied with much more important things to bother with you."


    Annoyed by my admittedly rude statement, Miina puffs her cheeks and mutters, "I don''t even want to hang out with you all..."


    She has a good point. All the me for this can be pinned on Natsumi, but knowing that she did this out of loneliness makes it hard for me to berate her at the moment.


    Releasing a sigh, I shift my focus over to the line of excited students as Tamae tries to keep them from raising their voices too much, while Reine just watches everything from the side.


    "Shido, can you hear me?" a voice suddenly reaches my ears.


    "Kotori?" I mutter.


    "Finally," she says in an exasperated manner before letting out a long sigh.


    Hm? Was she unable to contact me for some reason?


    Seemingly answering the question for me, Kotori''s voice once again reverberates within my ear, "We had been trying to contact you for the past hour up to no avail. Did anything happen?"


    "No?" I respond, perplexed over the situation, "Don''t you have anything like a satellite to provide you a direct feed of the ind?"


    "Of course not," she responds, "Do you know how easier everything would''ve been if we had something like that? At most, we have an enhanced radar."


    "So, you''re basically unable to see whatever transpires over this ind?"


    "Yes, so, for that reason, I need you to be extra careful."


    "Alright, alright, don''t worry. Your big brother can take care of himself and any troubles that may ur just fine."


    Kotori doesn''t say anything as a response to my words, so I just shrug my shoulders and look up at the sky.


    "Say," I mutter, "Kotori, did you say you were unable to contact me for the past hour?"


    "That''s right,"es an immediate response, "There was unquestionably no signal at all before it abruptly returned."


    "I see. Thanks for informing me."


    Yeah, this is suspicious as heck. If I''m not mistaken, this has something to do with the enemy''s movements. The question is, why would they do this?


    Perhaps mask their appearance on the ind? Could be. How had they aplished that anyway?


    My thoughts don''tst long as I feel a stinging gaze on my face, causing me to focus back on reality, only to find myself being stared at by all four girls.


    "Who were you speaking with just now?" Natsumi takes it upon herself and asks me with curiosity apparent in her voice.


    "My sister," I respond, "She wanted to check in on us and see if wended safely."


    Before anything else could be said, I raise my hands and p twice before adopting a grin and saying, "How about we go ask the teacher for permission to look around the ind by ourselves? From the looks of it, they''re waiting for someone or something, and I''m starting to get bored."


    It takes them a moment, but all girls agree with my suggestion and follow me as I make my way over to the front of the row.


    "Tch. Look at him," I hear a male student remark as I pass by.


    "Leave it," another one responds, "Get used to it already. All girls now like guys like him."


    "Yeah, yboys," the first one adds.


    They sure are a rude bunch...


    Not sparing them a nce, I continue until all five of us are directly standing in front of Tamae.


    Looking at her, I notice that she seems to be confused and distraught about something, so, out of sheer curiosity, I ask her, "Tamae? Is there something wrong?"


    As if just noticing me, a shocked look appears on the young-looking woman''s face for a split-second before it fades as she says, "Itsuka, please don''t refer to me in such a casual manner."


    "Come on, there isn''t a need to act so distantly," I say in a teasing manner, to which a red hue covers her face, most likely due to remembering the thing that happened between ''us''.


    "Ugh," I hear a groan with hints of undisguised disgust as Miina takes a step away from me.


    In contrast, Natsumi just presses her palm against her mouth to hide the grin that has formed on her lips, while Origami and Tohka simply stare at Tamae, with thetter being utterly confused.


    "Anyway," I say, "You didn''t answer my question."


    "Ah! Well, ehm," Tamae coughs once before looking me in the eyes and saying, "There was supposed to be someone waiting for us here, but they aren''t present for some reason."


    "Who?"


    "A photographer. We even had the time and location all set up..." she says, practically muttering thetter half to herself.


    How unfortunate for them. Well, we definitely won''t be loitering around with them until this photographer arrives.


    "Tamae, I would like for our group to go on about exploring the ind on our own."


    "Eh? Ah, uhm... sure," she responds as a confused expression appears on her face.


    It doesn''t take a genius to know that there is something wrong with her agreeing to my request so easily. Obviously, my Indoctrination is still in effect and has clouded her judgment appropriately.


    Of all those close by, only Miina seems to find this weird, while the rest treat Tamae''s response as if it was the most natural thing she could say as a response to my request.


    "Thank you," I say before turning around and looking over at the girls and stating, "Let''s get exploring, shall we?"


    --


    "Wait a moment!" Miina calls out just as I am about to press a button, "Do you even know where that will take us?"


    "Yes, I do," I respond while giving her an odd look, "Didn''t you read the information board outside?"


    "Of course, I didn''t!" she replies while raising her arms in an exaggerated manner, "We just passed by after you nced at it for a second."


    Huh? Was that the case? Whatever.


    Ignoring Miina, I proceed to press the only red button on the panel.


    "Hey!" Miina exims, but none of us pay her any attention.


    The elevator shuts before Miina can make up her mind to ''escape'' and begins to gradually descend.


    "Where are we going?" Origami asks after a moment.


    "The most interesting section of this ind," I respond, "Apparently, there is an interesting project under work down below."


    "Shido, this is a little scary," Tohka says while moving closer to me and holding on to my school uniform''s sleeve.


    Scary?


    Realizing something, I focus on my vision to dismiss it''s abnormal properties, only for the elevator shaft to get marginally darker than before.


    No wonder...


    "Don''t worry," I say, "I doubt there would be anything here that could harm us."


    Hearing my words, Tohka simply nods her head. To her, my words must''ve meant something like humans not being able to harm her, while to Miina, it could mean that the school wouldn''t bring us over to anywhere dangerous.


    And so, silence ensues in the dark elevator as it slowly descends to the chosen floor.


    Not long after, a ding reverberates within our ears as the elevatores to an abrupt halt.


    Following that, the metallic doors slide open, letting blue light shine in.


    Just as I am about to take a step forth, I notice that there are some individuals a few meters away from us.


    Normally, I wouldn''t pay much attention to such a thing, but the problem lies with the fact that one of the individuals is one that I am a little familiar with.


    Pale-blond hair and wearing a dark businesswoman suit, the same woman that was present during that morning date with Kurumi.


    I didn''t expect to run into their ambush here...


    Apart from her, there are three other girls present. Unlike her, they''re all armed in theirbat realizer units, prepared for battle.


    The next moment, one of the said girls notices us as she raises her arm and points at us with widened eyes.


    As a response to this, the pale-blond haired woman and rest look over at us while frowning.


    "Go," a cold voice reverberates within the eerily silent facility as the three girls hastily float before unexpectedly, retreating into the distance.


    "Origami," I say, "Prepare forbat. Protect Tohka the other two for now."


    "Understood," she responds in a solemn tone while Miina begins to let out various cries of confusion.


    Shaking my head, I begin to walk forward while maintaining eye contact with the woman''s purple eyes.


    "How nice of you to present yourself to us like this," the woman suddenly says in a cold and mocking tone.


    "What are you on about," I respond with a grin, "Do you actually think you can capture me?"


    Having said that, I begin looking around at our surroundings, realizing that this might not be the best location to hold a battle...


    ~~~~~


    School Trip (4/?) ; Confrontation

 Chapter 292: Ruined Trip (1/2)

    Chapter 292: Ruined Trip (1/2)


    Truly, the ce we''re at is entirely unfit for conflict. On one hand, there is numerous interesting-looking machinery that I would rather not damage, and on the other, the outermost section of the floor happens to be only a somewhat thick pane of ss.


    Obviously, whatever these pieces of machinery do require to be seen by the naked eye, hence why the ss pane is there instead of any other material.


    Unfortunately, I don''t have much time to inspect the ce properly, as the woman with pale-blond hair has lifted her right arm and has the tip of her index and middle fingers pressed against her head.


    The next moment, a bright light shines from the woman''s body and illuminates the whole ce up before fading and revealing a tinum-colored assemge ofbat realizer unit used by the AST and the organization affiliated with it.


    Seeing all this, I realize that we''re going to be shing directly. However, there is a problem with that, and that consists of the three girls who had retreated earlier.


    Why did they do that and where are they headed right now? The key to solving the puzzle, which is this ''ambush'' is none other than the woman in front of me.


    Releasing a sigh, I take a moment to glimpse at Origami and the other two, only to find Origami already in herbat form while standing in a defensive stance.


    When did she?


    Shaking my head, I shift my focus over to the woman and ask her, "Are you going to be introducing yourself anytime soon?"


    Hearing my words, which she seems to have taken as me mocking her, the woman scoffs and flexes her right arm before whatever a certain palm-sized in her thing begins to extend and change shape into what seems to be a weak iplete sword.


    Just as I''m about to make a remark regarding the ''sword'', a bright yellow light shines from the hilt of the ''sword'' before potent energy runs through the de and forms aplete image of a futuristic-looking sword.


    "Nice de you got there," I say with a grin before essing my database and creating the most ordinary steel sword I could find.


    Seeing this, the woman squints her eyes for a few seconds before adopting a confident expression and saying, "Forget about that. It''s good to finally meet you properly, Prophet."


    "Miss me with the weird name," I reply exasperatedly, "Who even is the oneing up with these anyway?"


    To my honest question, the woman only decides to make no further remarks as she simply states, "My name is Ellen Mira Mathers, and I have been tasked with capturing you."


    What a fancy name. She sounds like a noblewoman more than anything. Her demeanor doesn''t help much with that either.


    "Dream on," I respond along with a shrug.


    "We will see about that," she mutters before leaning forth in preparation for a dash.


    I take this moment to think of ways I could deal with this woman, who identifies herself as Ellen, while preparing for any possible sudden attacks on the girls who are still in the elevator. At least, that was how it was supposed to be, but upon using my senses to check on the girls who were supposed to behind me, I find three of them standing right outside the elevator which has now begun ascending for some reason.


    Releasing a sigh, I lock eyes with Ellen before I find myself frowning a momentter.


    Something is wrong with her


    {Father, I am detecting simrities with a Binary Factor from the entity''s physical body.}


    Huh? Are you telling me that she is a Binary Factor, or more precisely, partially one?


    {Affirmative.}


    What''s up with this scenario? Was the one who ''powered her up'' too stingy with their energy reservoir or something? It''s rather sad to think of her being limited by such a thing


    My thoughts don''tst long, as the woman abruptly dashes toward me at a pace that''s simply iparable to that of those I have fought properly in this tform.


    Even so, her speed is ''very fast'' at most, while my own is nothing less than that.


    Deciding that it would be for the better to y around with her mind a little first, I adopt a wry smile as I move toward her at a speed that''s equal to hers.


    The following moment, our des sh against one another, of which mine would''ve definitely gotten cut through like butter had I not used Vector Maniption to prevent damage from her sword''s energy.


    Reacting quickly, Ellen immediately moves back a few meters before focusing her gaze on the sword in my hand with a dubious look on her face.


    It''s apparent that she hadn''t expected the in metal to block her ''parry'' her strike sessfully.


    At this moment, I hear a shrill scream behind me, causing me to split my attention for a moment in order to check in on the situation, only to find Origami slicing through an odd-looking robot. Surrounding the three of them are a dozen or so of the same robot, all of which are equipped with ranged weapons by judging from their appearance.


    Focusing on Tohka, I will for her to make use of her powers, which seems to somehow work as her eyes widen for a brief moment before a bright smile forms on her lips.


    Following that, Tohka raises her right arm and yells out, "Sandalphon!"


    Knowing that the two girls should be able to take care of themselves, I shift my focus back to Ellen who still seems to be lost in trance.


    "What, is that all it took for you to realize the difference in our abilities?" I mock in a loud voice while casually flipping the sword in my hand.


    Immediately after that, Ellen''s expression of deliberation changes to that of fury with a touch of annoyance as she res at me.


    How disappointing. And here I was thinking that they would actually make an effort in capturing me


    Surprisingly, Ellen doesn''t rush at me again, but instead closes her eyes and exhales slowly, as if trying to calm herself down.


    "Now I understand," she murmurs, "Only true insanity can take him down, huh?"


    Oh? What an interesting thing to say. I suppose it''s safe to assume that whoever has made this im knows about ''me''. The question is, which one. Shido Itsuka and whatever it was about him that stood out in the past, or me?


    Before I can make ament in regard to what she just muttered, Ellen suddenly plunges the sword into the ground, effectively melting the metal and lodging it properly.


    Then, she spreads her arms out before slowly floating some energy begins to swirl around her back around what seems to be a metallic spear.


    All of a sudden, the tip of the spear shifts away and reveals the head of a hollow tube that''s brimming with the same energy endued in the de.


    What is she- Oh, shit.


    Having finally understood that she actually meant what she said, I hastily circte Holy Essence throughout my arms, hoping to release a Holy sh and split the woman in half before she can do anything stupid.


    s, a burst of energy gets released from the spear and spreads out evenly, destroying everything nearby, including bits of thebat realizer she has on.


    That''s not the end of it, as the energy continues to spread out in all directions, including ours.


    Making use of my extreme speed, I hastily move backward until I am within a meter''s range from Origami before making use of Vector Maniption to form a reflective barrier.


    Shortly, the energy makes contact with the barrier I have created and easily gets ''absorbed'' for a brief moment before getting sent back to the source.


    As if having seen thising, the now-exhausted Ellen swiftly moves away from the energy wave''s trajectory.


    And so, the energy wave continues, destroying parts of every machinery on its path while showing no signs of slowing down before, in the end, making contact with the damaged ss pane and practically shattering it.


    "Great," I mutter before quickly turning around and dashing forth, following which I wrap my arms around Origami and Tohka''s bodies.


    Tohka simply lets out a cry of surprise as she drops the gigantic sword in her hand onto the small pile of metal ''corpses'' on the ground, while Origami simply remains silent as she lets me carry her without much trouble.


    A short distance away from us, I find a teary-eyed Miina with an aghast expression on her face as she stares past me at the uing flood of water.


    Releasing a quick sigh, I use telekinesis to lift the entranced girl off the ground before moving toward the elevator and breaking the metallic door with a kick.


    Following that, I utilize Flight to soar up through the elevator shaft while preparing a burst of Destructive energy for the elevator itself.


    After a few seconds, we reach the elevator and directly obliterate the damn thing.


    Continuing to fly upward, we soon reach the empty building through which we passed much earlier and proceed tond on the ground shortly after.


    Miina, whom I no longer support with telekinesis, instantly falls to her knees and hands while panting heavily.


    Unlike her, Tohka and Origami are rtively fine, with the only thing ''feeling off'' about them being the realizer that Origami has equipped right now.


    "Are you going to leave her there?" Origami asks me with her expression remaining unchanged.


    Before I can answer her, two voices coincide with one another, one in my head, and the other in my right ear.


    "Shido, we are detecting signs of space quake in your area!"


    {Father, unstable Code waves detected.}


    As if this much wasn''t enough, the already somewhat dim sky darkens much further as a storm seemingly begins to brew up.

 Chapter 293: Ruined Trip (2/2)

    Chapter 293: Ruined Trip (2/2)


    So, it has appeared atst. It''s a little odd that it did so at such a troublesome time, but I can''t do much about that.


    All of a sudden, I hear the cries of a woman as I sense a rather big projectile falling in our direction.


    Using my senses, I check the projectile out, only to find one of the three girls that had escaped, albeit, instead of wearing thebat realizer unit I saw, she is now dressed up like a brown dog.


    "Natsumi?" I subconsciously mutter as I look past the falling girl over at a figure sitting on a flying broom right above us.


    Seeing that I''ve noticed her, a smile forms on the now-undisguised, but in adult form Natsumi as she begins to descend toward us.


    At this moment, "Bang!" - the word pops up where the girl contacts the ground along with some dust to seemingly make it more dramatic.


    I take onest nce at the unconscious girl before shifting all my focus over to Natsumi who has almost reached the ground now.


    "Here," Natsumi immediately says as she proceeds to grab something behind her and throws it over to me.


    Telekically grabbing the object, I take a few seconds to observe it.


    This It seems to be something like a futuristic speaker? Why would Natsumi bring this over to me? In fact, why was she even carrying this in the first ce?


    "That girl over there," Natsumi says, seeming to understand my doubts, "She was setting this up on top of the building."


    No wonder Then, this thing must have something to do with whatever it is they''re nning to achieve.


    Even so, what can be done through a speaker? y some kind of noise that only affects certain creatures? That''s the only way I could think of for them to use speakers as a part of their ns.


    "Hey, Shido, look!" Tohka suddenly exims while pointing up at the sky.


    Doing as she told me to, I am met with the sight of what seems to be a space quake forming right in the middle of the sky. However, unlike the ones I have seen before, this one has sparks of golden lightning briskly appearing and disappearing all around it.


    Shortly, the space quake begins to expand marginally before abruptly ''popping'' and revealing two rather simr-looking figures floating in the sky while facing one another.


    "Origami," I say in a solemn tone, "I need you to head over to the fortified building from earlier. Take the rest along with you."


    Hearing my words, Origami simply nods her head once along with a hum of confirmation before looking over at Miina who is still on her knees and hands.


    "Tohka," I say as Origami moves over to carry Miina, "You can make as much usage of Sandalphon as you can. Just try to limit the damage you do, alright?"


    "Alright," she responds in a serious tone that makes me ufortable for no other reason than her usual beamish demeanor not being exhibited.


    Now then, I should probably do this too, just in case.


    essing my database, I skim through the numerous objects listed and proceed to create a few pairs of earplugs.


    "Put these on and have them do the same," I say as I hand the earplugs to Tohka, "Also, take care. In case anything happens, try to make as much noise as possible to attract my attention."


    "Finally, Natsumi, I leave the unconscious girl to you," I say, to which Natsumi simply nods her head before looking over at the girl lying on the ground.


    Having said that, I use Flight to slowly ascend with my gaze focused on the two figures in the sky who just so happen to be right in the middle of some conversation right now.


    Using this chance, I observe the two properly.


    Identical twins - that''s the first thought I have regarding the two girls floating in the sky.


    The two of them are both wearing a set of leather clothing that exposes a moderate portion of their skin.


    To the left, there is a girl whose expression reminds me of Origami for some reason. Perhaps because she looks impassive? Either way, the girl has no apparent expression on her face as she speaks.


    Appearance-wise, there are some barely noticeable differences between the two girls.


    For starters, the one on the left has her hair braided in three portions, while the other one has it done into only two.


    Moving on to their peculiar clothing, for their torso, they both have leather along with some bits of metal covering their modest breasts.


    On their neck, they both have silver padlocks with broken chains hanging from them.


    Next, they have a pair of belts forming a diamond shape on their stomachs while leaving them bare as the belts extend to their lower half.


    Here is what I find rather interesting, as both of them have a half-skirt on with multiple belts reaching out from beneath it to the long socks that are knee-length.


    Moving on to the differences, the main one would be the color of their outfits, of which the left one''s more of a bluish-purple unlike the other girl''s mainly purple-colored outfit.


    My observation is cut short as the two girls suddenly seem to notice my presence and look over at me together.


    Releasing a small sigh, I circte Holy Essence within my arms as I increase the pace at which I ascend toward the twin.


    "Hello," I say casually once I am at the same level as the two. While I am at it, I take this opportunity to quickly scan the ind with irvoyance.


    Expectedly, on one side, numerous students are escaping to the same building I had sent Origami and the rest over to along with Tamae and Reine who are leading the way.


    Quite a distance away from there, I find another one of the two girls who is just about to finish setting up a speaker simr to the one in my hand right on top of a tall building.


    Already aware of the lengths my foes will take in order to capture me, I decide that it would be better if I just decreased their numbers from now on at every given chance. As such, I hastily ess my database and begin looking for a certain object that can solve both of my problems in one go.


    In a matter of seconds, to the twin''s chagrin, I create a rocket missile right in front of me while not heeding them any attention.


    "Hopefully, this thing explodes," I mutter before using telekinesis to move it behind myself.


    Then, along with a swift motion of my arm, I hurl the missile right at where the girl is at while amplifying its vectors.


    The next moment, the rocket ms into the ground beside the girl and immediately blows up, resulting in a deafening sound reverberating over the ce as a mild shock-wave spread around the ind.


    "What the?!" a voice reaches my ears as one of the twin''s eyes widen in shock.


    Turning to face her, I adopt a pleasant smile and say, "Sorry about that. Had to get rid of a nuisance first."


    Casting a final nce at the building now-destroyed roof of the building, I am relieved to find the remnants of the girl and speaker, suggesting that neither survived the explosion through some odd means.


    Unfortunately, even after I take a dozen or so seconds to look around the ind once more, I don''t find thest girl.


    Releasing another sigh, I shift my focus back to the girl who let out a yelp earlier and says, "So, how about we introduce ourselves?"


    Hearing my suggestion, the two girls look at each other before they both nod their heads.


    Seeing this, the smile on my lips grows as I clench my hands and press them against my hips before saying, "I will start then. My name is Shido Itsuka, and I just so happen to be a spirit like you two."


    There is a lot wrong with what I just said, but it''s currently the best introduction I can give, so can''t do much about it.


    "Stating: My name is Yuzuru Yamai," the one with an impassive expression says.


    What an odd way of speaking


    "Oho! I am Kaguya Yamai, the real one!"


    "Objection: Kaguya is not the real Yamai."


    "Hmph! We both know that I am. My all-seeing eye has made it clear to me!" the girl responds with a vigorous aura around her.


    "Reasoning: You''re basing your opinion off as a fact and making a false usation."


    Before the lively girl can respond to her im, she continues, "Fact: Kaguya''s all-seeing eye has never been correct."


    "Stop, stop!" the other one exims before glimpsing at me, "We are about to reach the end anyway!"


    Huh? What''s with these two, and what the heck are they nning to get me caught up in?


    Their whole conversation is weird, to begin with. One of them ims to be the ''real one'' while the other objects to it in a robotic manner.


    If I were to take their words at face value, I can deduct the following: The two of them both hope to be a certain individual and are trying to determine which one of the two of them is the one.


    Either way, it sounds like an annoying mess to get caught up in


    "Say, how about you-" I say, only to get interrupted by the sound of a woman yelling in the distance as a figure begins to briskly fly toward us.


    Looking down, I find Ellen, who has an expression that I can only key out as ''crazed'' on her face while making use of her realizer to fly in our direction.


    In her left hand, she''s carrying the spear that let out a burst of energy, while in the other, she''s gripping the ''sword''.


    "Excuse me," I say before canceling Flight and letting my body drop while also smashing the speaker in my hands to bits.


    "Ahhh!" Ellen cries out as she continues to get closer to me with her right arm raised, obviously nning to slice through me using her sword.


    The next moment, we''re both within each other''s reach. As I expected, Ellen swings her sword, to which I simply use Vector Maniption and reverse the vectors of the forces acting on the sword.


    This results in Ellen''s bnce to get unstable, which I take as a chance to swiftly throw a punch at her stomach, only to stop midway and open my fist to utilize Holy sh instead.


    Caught both off-guard and off-bnce, Ellen could only watch in horror and fury as des of light directly slice all four of her limbs off and effectively ruin the flight mechanism of her realizer.


    "Goodbye," I say in a cold tone as I kick her in the gut as a finisher, resulting in her to shoot toward the ground after coughing out a mouthful of blood.


    As such, I look at the woman fall to her death for a few seconds before looking back up at the two spirits, who are now surprisingly flying toward me themselves.


    As if the previous happenings weren''t surprising enough, one of the twins proceeds to pull ance out of nowhere and attempts to stab me in my stomach.


    Naturally, I prevent that from happening by canceling the vectors acting on the spear before counterattacking by punching her chest.


    As a result, the girl gets hurled back quite a distance, to which the other one responds by swiftly changes the direction of her flight, clearly intending to catch her.


    ---3rd POV---


    Making use of all the energy she can muster, Yuzuru manages to catch up to Kaguya and embraces her as the two of them stop moving in the air.


    "Statement: It''s pointless to fight him head-on."


    As a response to Yuzuru''s im, Kaguya coughs twice before roughly pushing her away and saying in a haggard tone, "Shut up! This is the only way left."


    "Refutation: It''s only what Kaguya has assumed so."


    "Then, do you know of any other way?! We tried everything! So, let''s do it this way! The first one to beat him wins!"


    "Inquiry: Why is it necessary to beat him?"


    "Why, does Yuzuru have a better suggestion than this?"


    "Response: Yes - Seduce him."


    "What?"


    "Reasoning: Safer and has not been done before."


    "Eh It''s true, but"


    At this moment, a certain figure abruptly appears in between the two girls, who is none other than Victor.


    cing his palm against his forehead, he mutters, "I knew this would be troublesome..."


    Following that, Victor releases as sigh before adopting a solemn look and looking over at Kaguya.


    He remains motionless for a dozen or so seconds, seemingly deliberating on something before saying in a mocking tone, "I just heard her say something about seducing me. Do you think either of you can actually pull it off?"


    "What do you mean by that?!" Kaguya exims as a response to his words while clenching her fists.


    "What else other than pure doubt of your capabilities?" he responds while grinning.


    "Report: He is issuing a challenge."


    "I know!" Kaguya exims while gritting her teeth, "I just don''t like the way he said as it makes my blood boil."


    As a response to this, Victor shrugs and says, "For now, how about you girlsnd on the ground, so we can have a proper conversation? I doubt you can seduce me in this situation."


    "Affirmation: I think so too," Yuzuru says while looking over at Kaguya.


    ---1st POV---


    Landing on the ground along with the two girls, I take a moment to search the surroundings for anything out of the norm, only to happen upon an interesting sight.


    Not much of a distance away from us, a limbless Ellen is lying on the ground while thest remaining girl tends to her wounds by some device shaped like a pistol, albeit a white one.


    Next to them, there is another one of those speakers, but this one seems to be ready for usage.


    "Follow me," I order the twin as I begin walking in the direction Ellen and the girl are.


    Hah~ I''ve done it now. Due to the oddity of the situation and how things were arranged, I had no other choice than doing what needed to be done.


    I suppose it''s about time I stopped testing the waters and began facing the opponent directly.


    Doing so would most likely bring an end to the peace I''ve had, and could potentially leave me with a very limited amount of free time.


    I reckon that Kotori''s higher-ups will begin to throw their die into this game sometime soon, anyway.


    For now, I should take Ellen and the girl that should currently be held hostage by Natsumi over to somewhere I can freely interrogate them.


    And, right now, there is only one ce thates to my mind...

 Chapter 294: Capture ; Not the End

    Chapter 294: Capture ; Not the End


    With the twin spirits following me, I continue to walk toward the severely injured Ellen and the girl tending to her.


    Due to the girl being preupied with Ellen''s injuries, she doesn''t notice our presence all the way until we''re right behind her.


    I take a brief moment to deliberate on what I should do now before releasing a sigh and proceeding to ce my foot against the girl''s back.


    Startled, the girl flinches, but that''s about it, as I immediately circte Destruction through my leg before channeling it inside her.


    Following that, a brief scream escapes from the girl''s lips before her body ''breaks down'' into imperceptible bits.


    "You monster," an exhausted and pained voice reaches my ears as Ellen res at my face.


    "What are you saying?" I say with an odd look on my face, "You are out here trying to kill a bunch of girls for simply not being human, yet you dare call me a monster?"


    Ellen doesn''t react to my words, be it due to ack of energy to do so or simply because she doesn''t care at all.


    Taking a close look at her body, I notice that three out of the four locations her limbs were sliced off have stopped bleeding entirely.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that the wounds have closed up - forcefully so.


    Taking a nce at the blood flowing out of where her left arm was sliced off, I shrug once before stepping forth and crouching beside her.


    Then, I press my palm against the ce of interest and utilize Healing Factor.


    Shortly, along with the awed voices and expression of a certain pair, blood stops flowing out and a bright light covers the wound. Then, a ''new'' arm covered in light slowly begins to ''grow'' before the light eventually fades.


    All of a sudden, Ellen raises her regrown arm and lets out a burst of energy, which I prepare to block using Vector Maniption, however, the energy moves in a different direction - toward the speaker.


    Following this, the speaker gets knocked back a few meters while remaining rtively undamaged.


    Just as I''m about to question the oddity of her actions, a gentle voice that seems to belong to a young girl reaches my ears as I feel my vision darken ever so slightly.


    Shaking my head, my vision returns to normal, but the gentle voice continues to resound within my ears as it hums in a calming manner.


    "Is that it?" I say in a mocking tone while staring at the speaker through which the humming noise ising from.


    So, they were trying to get me to listen to some girl humming? From what I can tell, her humming did something to... mentally. The problem is, I can''t tell what exactly it was supposed to do.


    Nevertheless, this is quite an intriguing happening. A voice that can negatively affect me couldn''t possibly be something that anyone can achieve.


    So, I am led to two conclusions: Either the voice is aputer-generated one that''s possible due to the technological advancement of this tform, or the one humming has some sort of power and ability.


    "Well, whatever," I mutter while staring at Ellen''s face, "I can get all the answers I want from her anyway."


    At this moment, I hear two loud thumps behind me, causing me to use my senses as a means of hastily checking the situation, only to find both twins lying on the ground with their eyes closed, obviously unconscious.


    ---


    "Ara, I didn''t expect to see you again so soon~" Kurumi''s voice reaches my ears the moment I step through the teleportation gateway I created.


    Fortunately, my usage of the gateway wasn''t interrupted this time around by a certain Code...


    "Yes, I didn''t expect this either," I reply with a wry smile covering my lips.


    Just to be sure, AI, is this Kurumi a Binary Factor or a Code?


    {The former.}


    So, ''she'' is elsewhere, huh? Oh well, it doesn''t make much of a difference... I think.


    "Oho?" Kurumi utters as a shadowy figure forms from the ground right in front of me, "Why have you brought a maiden here, if I may ask? You can''t be possibly wishing to partake in uwful ventures, are you?"


    "Yeah, about that," I say while walking toward one of the few sofas present in the dark room, "The matter is nothing like what you''re assuming."


    Along with that, I telekically move the now-unconscious Ellen in the air and set her down on the sofa.


    "Kurumi," I say while staring at Ellen''sely face, "I hope that you can keep her here for me and make sure that she doesn''t run away."


    "My, my," Kurumi says before chuckling and continuing, "That''s an odd request to make. I truly hope you don''t mind exining to me what value thisdy holds to you."


    Rolling my eyes, I turn around to face the dangerously curious girl and approach her.


    Once I am right in front of her, I look into her eyes and say in a casual tone, "Isn''t it obvious? She''s my enemy. I intend to have her held captive here for reasons I believe you should know of."


    "For interrogation and using her as a hostage forpromises, is that it?"


    "Indeed," I respond before moving my face closer to hers and whispering, "And I think that there is no other better ce than here for this."


    "Understood," Kurumi says as a bright smile forms on her lips, "I will see to it that she remains healthy enough to be useful and have her stay put."


    "Thank you," I say before closing whatever distance left and kissing her cheek.


    "It''s nothing worth being appreciative for," she replies along with a gentle giggle.


    Having done what I came here for, I bid Kurumi farewell before leaving the building through the same method I used to get here.


    As such, I find myself standing above the bodies of the twins who have yet to regain their consciousness.


    How long are they going to remain like this? Don''t tell me they''re out for the whole day...


    Glimpsing at the speaker which I have already destroyed, I let out a sigh of exasperation at the thought of the voice being capable enough to render ''spirits'' unconscious for an extended period of time.


    "Yeah, no," I mutter before stepping forth and crouching beside the one that should be ''Yuzuru'' and proceed to nudge her shoulder while saying, "Hey, wake up."


    Thankfully, after pressing on for a few minutes, Yuzuru''s eyelids twitch before she half opens them and stares at me with a nk look on her face.


    "Report: Yuzuru has been defiled."


    "Wrong," I say while rolling my eyes, "You just fell unconscious, and I woke you up; that''s all."


    "Doubt: You appear to be someone who has no qualms about assaulting an unconscious girl."


    "That''s a pretty rude thing to say," I state before flicking her forehead, "Forget it. Let''s wake your sister up."


    "Realization: Kaguya has been defiled as well."


    "I told you, that''s not what happened," I respond. What''s with this girl? First, there is her ''unique'' manner of speaking, then there is her thinking pattern.


    And here I was thinking that there couldn''t be anyone odder than Origami when it came to these...


    ---


    "Well then," I am going out to check in on Reine.


    "Uh, okay. Be careful!" Tamae says in an anxious tone.


    Nodding my head, I look over at Origami and the rest before saying, "Stay here for now. I will be back soon."


    "Shido, take me with you!" Tohka immediately exims, "I don''t want to stay here!"


    Listening to her whining, I ce my right hand behind my head and say, "Not this time. The situation outside isn''t the best, so I would rather have you stay here."


    Having said that, I don''t wait for her response as I directly turn around and exit the building.


    Once outside, two pairs of eyes lock onto me as Yuzuru says, "Inquiry: Where are you going to be heading?"


    "Meeting up with a teacher," I respond, "And, you two are going toe with me."


    Hearing my words, the two of them both look at each other and nod their heads before turning their attention back to me.


    "Request: Lead the way."


    "Don''t do anything sudden on the way there either! My all-seeing eyes will stop you the moment you attempt to do so, and then you will have a taste of my Sturm Lanze!"


    "Oh, is that so?" I say while giving Kaguya a casual look.


    Shaking my head, I gesture to the two of them to follow me as I begin walking and mutter, "Reine, can you hear me?"


    "Yes,"es a response from the inte, "I am in my room right now."


    "Yes, yes, and I am supposed to find this room on my own, right?"


    Other thanplete silence, I get no response from Reine, indicating that she indeed wants me to find the room on my own.


    Well, whatever. At most, this will dy me by ten seconds at most...


    --


    Sliding the door before me open, I directly walk inside and set my sight upon Reine who is sitting in front of aputer screen and typing something in.


    "We have a problem," she says, "Something ising this way."


    As expected, the previous sorry excuse of an ambush wasn''t the end of it.


    "How is the ind doing?" I question as I walk over to her and create a stool beside the chair she is sitting on.


    I take a seat on the stool, while Kaguya and Yuzuru walk over to the bed and sit as well.


    "If you''re referring to the individual facility at the bottom-most section of the ind, it''s already done for. Other than that, the damages were minimal."


    "Alright," I respond, a little dispirited that I won''t be getting to see what those machines down there were supposed to do.


    "Forget it," I say, "What do you mean by ''something''ing this way? Is it a spirit?"


    "No, a ship."


    "Oh? Something simr to the Fraxinus?"


    "Not exactly, but yes," she responds while squinting her eyes as she keenly stares at the screen in front of her.


    "In that case, I will take care of it," I state before looking over at the twins and saying, "The only problem I have right now is that I don''t know what to do with them."


    I wonder if it''s possible to forcefully seal spirits...


    "You can leave it to us," Reine says with a hint of confidence in her voice, "But, more importantly, how are you nning to deal with the ship?"


    "You''ll see," I respond with a bright smile on my lips.


    It has been quite some time since I''ve had the chance to freely let my powers loose. Naturally, I won''t overdo it by using more energy than what''s necessary, but I can still have some fun nevertheless...

 Chapter 295: Eve of an Aerial Battle

    Chapter 295: Eve of an Aerial Battle


    "So, how far is this ship that you speak of?" I ask while making use of irvoyance to scan the airspace around the ind.


    As expected, I was unable to find anything, indicating that the vessel is still quite a distance away.


    "The enemy is masking their precise location, so I am unable to estimate their time of arrival with high uracy."


    "But, you should still be able to tell the general distance in between them and the ind, no?"


    "Roughly. My best guess is that it will arrive on the ind in less than twenty minutes."


    "Alright, I got it," I say before getting up from the stool I had created and shifting my sight over to the twins.


    Unexpectedly, the two of them are staring at me rather keenly, as if they are trying to read my mind or something.


    "So" I say before my voice trails off due to being unsure of what to tell them.


    Actually, do I need to say anything? At most, I should just tell them to stay put.


    Coughing once, I adopt a solemn expression before taking a few steps closer to the bed they''re sitting on.


    "The two of you heard what she just said, right?"


    Hearing my query, both of them nod as confirmation before Yuzuru opens her mouths and asks, "Inquiry: How are you going to be fighting against a flying ship?"


    "I''ve got my means," I reply nonchntly, "Anyway, I need you two to remain here until I am back, alright?"


    The corner of Kaguya''s lips twitches as she seems to struggle with something before ultimately nodding her head, in contrast to Yuzuru who simply stares at me without so much making the slightest movement.


    Well, whatever. As long as they remain out of the enemy''s range and sight, everything should be fine.


    Arguably, the twin''s safety would be all the more guaranteed if they were to stay close to Origami and Tohka, but right now, I don''t have the luxury of introducing them to one another.


    I can already see how extensive and troubling the introductions could get, considering the girls'' personalities, that is


    Releasing a sigh, I cast one nce at the two new acquaintances before making my way out of the room.


    ---


    Standing at the top of the damaged building, the scent of charred flesh wafts through to my nose as I gaze into the distance.


    ording to Reine, the enemy is supposed to be moving here from the southwest.


    Based on my observations, the ship is most likely coated by some high tech mechanism that has had it rendered invisible.


    As unfortunate as it may be, I won''t be able to keep the ship, because I neither have the ce and resources needed to do so.


    For that reason, my priority will be set on destroying the vessel without letting anyone get out of this alive.


    If the higher-ups are anywhere close as calctive as I would assume them to be, they will get the message I will be conveying through my actions: There is no turning back once it starts. One side will definitely perish.


    Naturally, there are many methods that I can make use of to make the enemy suffer. Right now, the most efficient and safe method would be having it broken down from the inside.


    To do that, I will first be nting seeds of doubt within the hearts of those working for said organization. Based on the information I have gathered from the team of girls who attacked me and Natsumi, as long as I prove the identity the enemy has so kindly ''granted'' me, this would easily be achieved.


    Why? Well, apparently, the organization has been getting a little impatient recently. Understandably, this has resulted in numerous rumors to begin spreading around among the interns and whatnot regarding something big about to ur.


    As such, if I were to take advantage of the ridiculous ''codename'' given to me, Prophet, I can do more than just cause confusion.


    Seriously, what is it that led to all this? Either way, now that the situation has turned into a direct confrontation, I suppose being more decisive in my actions is a requirement.


    Of course, this would result in a lot of troubles with Kotori and those behind her. If anything, I actually expect them tobel me as a threat to humanity and attempt to hunt me down.


    AI, how much energy do I have left?


    {79%}


    Alright then. I will try to not overuse my Effects, after all, for all I know, Dominion could literally appear out of nowhere. In such a horrible scenario, I would rather be able to make use of most of my powers to a heavy extent. Of course, this precaution is only expedient if Dominion is even an enemy, to begin with.


    All of a sudden, I feel the odd feeling of being watched from a far distance.


    They''re finally here, huh?


    Stretching my arms, I focus my sight on the direction I felt being watched from, only to soon notice that arge part of the space in the distance is distorted.


    Squinting my eyes, I circte Holy Essence and utilize Paragon''s Eyes.


    The next moment, all color seems to get drained from my vision as numerous ck hazes of dark matter be visible to me.


    I take this opportunity to count them and determine the intensity of their ''darkness''.


    Two pitch-ck individuals, about a dozen or so dark gray, and three rtively light gray.


    In this case, I could use Divine Retribution to deal quite the blow to those aboard the vessel, but then again, that would consume quite a bit of my energy.


    "No other choice then," I mutter as I slowly begin ascending to the sky.


    Now then, before I begin, I suppose I should check on the state of affairs down below.


    As such, I use irvoyance to check in on the building that the students are staying in, and contrary to what I was expecting, everyone in there, apart from a select few such as Origami and the other three, has gotten rather restless.


    From what I can tell, they''ve gotten bored and are hoping to leave the shelter as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, Tamae is doing her best to keep them under control while anxiously waving her arms around.


    Truly, a pitiful sight.


    Shaking my head, I retract my sight before repositioning it to the room Reine and the twins are in.


    There, I find Yuzuru sitting on the bed with an impassive expression on her face as Kaguya stands in front of her and is passionately exining something to her.


    Close to them, Reine is focused on the sameputer screen, which right now is disying a vague image of a piece ofnd, which I assume is this ind and a dot in the distance that is nearing-in ever so slowly.


    Done, I retract my vision once again before fully focusing on the approaching flying vessel.


    Unlike thest time I fought against a flying vessel, the technology involved this time is simply iparable.


    Taking in a deep breath, I prepare to dash toward the vessel, but right at this moment, AI''s voice resounds within my head.


    {Requesting permission to materialize.}


    AI? Do you want to aid me in this battle?


    {Affirmative.}


    Last time, it was Irene that helped me, but this time it''s going to be AI, huh? Speaking of which, I wonder where Irene is and what she is up to.


    {Father, please don''t worry - I am observing everything cautiously.}


    Observing what exactly, and how is that supposed to decrease my ''worries''?


    Anyway, AI, I would like to ask something just in case - what would be of you if your body gets destroyed?


    {I would enter a state of dormancy for an indeterminable period of time.}


    Is that so? Not very reassuring, but at least it''s better than simply not existing anymore


    Alright then, it seems like I will get to see your capabilities too, AI. You maye out.


    {Yes.}


    What? For once, I felt like I sensed emotion contained within AI''s voice along with the unusual way of affirming my words.


    Such thoughts swirl inside my head before I suddenly feel like a part of me going missing.


    Following that, a bright light shines in front of me as cracks seemingly begin to appear in the space before a small figure slowly takes form.


    Shortly, the light fades, revealing AI, who is simrly floating in the sky with her gaze focused on me.


    Finding her adorable, I am unable to hold myself back from moving closer and patting her head, to which she responds by closing her eyes and relish the moment.


    "Let''s go," I say after a while of rubbing her head, "Your own safety takes priority over everything else, am I clear?"


    "Affirmative," she responds with her expression remaining unchanged.


    "Good," I say before a random thought crosses my mind, "Can you keep up with me or should I carry you?"


    Unexpectedly, AI''s eyes widen as a veryplicated expression forms on her face, as if she has been presented with the most absurd question ever.


    Releasing a sigh, I proceed to swiftly take her petite body into my arms before immediately dashing forth.


    As such, before the flying ship can get any nearer to the ind itself, I am directly floating in front of it, which those inside seem to pick up on as the ship''s movementse to an abrupt halt.


    In this position, with AI nestled in my arms, a smile forms on my lips as I use my senses to check the barely visible ship out with intrigue.

 Chapter 296: A Little Overwhelming

    Chapter 296: A Little Overwhelming


    I let go of AI''s body, to which she responds by floating away from me to a short distance away.


    Along with that, she briefly stares at me before her eyes suddenly snap as she shifts her focus over to the flying ship.


    Curious about her reaction, I focus on the ship as well, only to realize that five individuals have moved over to the center of the room they''re in for some reason.


    Using irvoyance, I check the inside of the ship out and cognize that the room they''re in is the control room.


    Sitting on what seems to be themander''s seat, is a man with a bushy brown beard whose eyes are covered by a tall hat.


    If there is anything that stands out a lot about him, it would the military uniform he is wearing.


    My observations don''tst for long, as an interesting event takes ce at where the five individuals, who just so happen to be females equipped with Combat Realizer Units, have grouped up.


    Waves of energy flow through what seem to be conductors present within the ship''s metallic floors and gather at where the five girls are.


    "They''re nning to fight us head-on," I say in a voice loud enough for AI to hear properly.


    "Understood," she responds in a much quieter voice that I can hear clearly anyway.


    At this moment, a loud sound reverberates within my ears as the previously unperceivable ship bespletely visible, revealing its huge body.


    Unfortunately, before I can admire it in any way, the ship, which is mainly red begins to let out a series of loud noises as numerous sections begin to move.


    Following this, five blurs escape from different parts of the ship and ascend to the sky.


    "Father," AI suddenly calls out, "Requesting permission tomence with battle."


    "Granted," I say, perplexed over why she would even such a permission in the first ce, considering the situation


    ---3rd POV---


    Floating high up in the sky, a woman with ck hair reaching to her hips gazes down at the target that she has been tasked with taking down.


    "Control, beginning the operation," she mutters in a serious tone before reaching her left hand out to a small white device attached to her hip and takes it off in one swift motion.


    Then, she raises the device before pressing a round button on the device which results in it mechanically changing form to a fancy pistol.


    Adopting a serious expression, the woman focuses her sight on Victor who has moved away from the ship.


    "Now!" she suddenly exims before leaning her body forward and dashing right toward Victor at a remarkable speed.


    A few secondster, the woman finds herself only a few meters away from reaching her target, only to suddenly realize that something is off.


    s, before she can make heads and tails of the situation, Victor swiftly shes his palm across the air, resulting in multiple beams of light that appear to converge into one escape from the tip of his fingers and swiftly sh through her body without any resistance.


    Following this, the woman, who has now gotten diced in half horizontally has an expression of pure horror on her face as her body splits into two halves and begins falling into the sea right below.


    ---1st POV---


    It worked, huh? Using Holy sh and having the numerous lines form into one through Light Maniption somehow resulted in the speed of the attack to increase.


    Looking down at the deceased woman as she falls, various thoughts run through my mind, but, in the end, I conclude that there is no point in holding back now.


    After all I doubt any of these fellows will make it out of this alive.


    At this moment, I feel a sudden chill down my spine as an odd sensation spreads within my body.


    I find my sight slowly turning over to AI who is currently standing right in front of the flying ship with her arms extended in front of her.


    Curious about what she is up to, I watch with intrigue as a rather absurd amount of energy begins to swirl around her delicate-looking arms, to the point that the energy seeps out of her body, revealing its purplish color with small golden sparks appearing amidst it.


    If one didn''t know any better, it would appear as if she were some magician ying with some pretty-looking mist.


    However


    Shaking my gaze off of the mesmerizing sight, I begin to use my senses once again, intending to pinpoint the location of the other four girls who just so happen to be remaining still in the air for some reason.


    How odd. Did they finally learn to not just recklessly rush at me?


    Just as this thought began cementing itself in the back of my mind, another series of mechanical noises reverberate all over the ce as the girls, who, despite being rather far away, move away even further.


    Yeah, looks like the enemy is about to finally release some sort of attack.


    Now then, what do I do?


    Casting a nce at AI, my eyes widen slightly at the sight of her hair floating up and her white eyes seemingly glowing as the energy around her arms has be even more potent.


    "AI," I call out while checking the ship''s state out, "It would be fine for me to get close to you, right?"


    "Affirmative," a soft voice resounds within my head while her lips remain unmoving.


    Having made sure that there won''t be any issues with me closing in on her at such a time, I appear right behind AI and prepare for any potential attacks from the ship and the girls.


    Moments pass by, and numerous, what seems to be artillery weaponry, poke their heads out of the vessel''s body, pointing in all directions.


    Following that, a loud roaring noise resounds as the artillery cannons let out bright pink beams of energy all around it.


    A few secondster, the energy beams make a sudden turn and begin moving toward us with their speed increasing at an astonishing rate.


    Unfazed, I hastily move closer to AI before cing all of my focus into forming a barrier around us using Vector Maniption.


    The next moment, all seven of the energy beams contact the barrier I set up at an indistinguishable instant.


    Unexpectedly, I feel a sudden prick in my head, as if a needle has been poked through my brain, but the feeling goes away the next second as all the energy beams simply ''vanish'' into thin air for a split-second, before reappearing and moving toward different parts of the ship in ordance with my will.


    However, unlike what I expected, an energy barrier appears out of nowhere and blocks the beams, albeit partially, as the beams still manage to break through and damage the ship anyway.


    At this moment, AI suddenly lets out a cute "ey!" before the energy condensed around her arms starts to get wild and shortly after, bursts forth.


    And so, I watch from behind AI as the chaotic energy briskly travels through the air and directly ms into the front of the ship, following which, it suddenly disappears.


    "AI?" I dubiously mutter after a few seconds of seeing nothing happened, only to be startled by a sudden loud bang and numerous cries of agony.


    Interested to know what''s going on, I prepare to use irvoyance to check inside the ship, but before I can do so, violet-colored cracks appear all over the ship as it begins to slowly break down.


    Along with this sight, the cries inside the ship begin to gradually get louder and all the more desperate, so I quickly check it out and find a rather familiar sight.


    First and foremost, the man wearing the military uniform is currently on the ground, wallowing in agony as his whole body gets burned with fiery mes.


    Next to him, there is yet another man who I had not noticed earlier, but I assume he is the second individual with a pitch-ck ''soul'', judging from how he is going through a simr process to the one in the military uniform.


    Moving on, the rest of those present, which mostly happen to be men aged in their mid-twenties, are crying in despair as well with their palms pressed against their faces and covering their eyes, from which eerie-looking smoke appears to be escaping from.


    "This..." I subconsciously mutter. I am not quite sure about the damage done to the ship but am fairly certain that what''s happening to the men is practically Divine Retribution.


    "Hey, AI, is th-" I say as I shift my focus over to the petite girl, only to find her with a dazed expression on her face as her body wobbles, seemingly threatening to fall at any given moment.


    Knowing that something is not right, I quickly close whatever distance is left between us and scoop her into my arms.


    "AI?" I question, concerned about the state she is in.


    {It''s fine, Father.}


    Irene? What''s going on?


    {AI has simply used energy beyond what she should be able to output due to unknown reasons, therefore she is in this state now.}


    For how long will she remain like this? Is she even conscious?


    {Affirmative. Unable to provide specific details of her state due to ack of data. Current analysis results: Cognitional Confusion.}


    Alright then, as long as she will be fine Hah~ And I told her to ce her safety before everything else


    {ording to a self-performed analysis on AI''s part, the method utilized was one that guaranteed maximum safety and efficiency in regard to the objective.}


    Before I can make any rebuttals in my head for her statement, the now-horribly damaged flying ship lets out a series of disturbing noises before breaking down into huge chunks of metal as the wiring inside it gets unconcealed along with numerous parts where energy begins to exude from.


    Not even five secondster, one of the chunks of metal glows explodes and releases fiery mes that instantly burn down a few of the falling men to ashes.


    Just like so, I remain in the air, holding the weakened AI as I witness the different sections of the ship explode one after another as they fall into the sea below, inevitably finishing off all those who were alive.


    After a minute or so, I shake off my sight from the ship''s debris and begin to look for the four remaining girls.


    Shortly, I locate all four, who are at different altitudes in the sky with horror-stricken looks on their faces.


    Gleaming, I ess my database onest time and create a rtively normal steelnce and hold it telekically before locking my sight onto the nearest enemy.


    Obviously seeing this, the one who I have targeted lets out a small cry as she hastily reaches for something attached to her back, s, before she can even make use of it, I utilize the full potential of Flight and appear right in front of her.


    "One," I say while grinning as I swiftly plunge the tip of the spear into her chest with just enough force for it to pierce right through to the other side.


    Ignoring the pained expression on her face, I proceed to shift AI''s position over so that I am carrying her with my left arm before reaching my right arm to grab thence.


    "Two," I say as I look over at the next closest enemy, with intention of hurling thence in front of me at her.


    As if realizing my intentions, the brown-haired girl''s eyes in the distance widen as she pulls a small odd-looking gray pistol.


    Shaking my head, I put all my strength into swinging thence in my hand and letting go once I feel like the trajectory has aligned with my target.


    Following this, the heavily injured girl gets hurled right in the direction I intended her to.


    As a response to this, the targeted girl lets out a shriek as she points the pistol at her ally''s body and pulls the trigger.


    The next thing I know, a much weaker version of the beamunched by the ship escapes from the pistol and strikes the hurled girl.


    This results in the amazing sight of the injured girl''s body to pretty much ''explode'' into chunks of flesh. Not only that, but thence inside her breaks into three pieces.


    Unfortunately for the girl, the momentum of a few objects remains even if changed a little, of which one is a broken piece of thence that spins through the air and prates her face.


    And so, with two of the girls down, I focus on the remaining two, who have conveniently gotten within close vicinity of one another, be it out of fear or for some n they might have.


    Well then, I suppose I should end this now.


    Just like that, I use Teleportation to appear right behind one of the two girls and use Organic Constructs to morph my right arm into a long ck de and immediately slice through her back.


    To my surprise, I seem to have diced through a sensitive spot of her Realizer too, resulting in an abrupt explosion in my face, to which I react by swiftly dashing back and using Vector Maniption to block the shock-wave.


    Releasing a small sigh, I glimpse at AI''s face, only to find her staring at me with her entrancing white eyes.


    "Are you okay?" I ask in a low tone while keeping a part of my focus on the only enemy left, who is gawking at me with an expression that''s most likely abination of both fear and resignation.


    "Stay close to Father," AI mutters in an odd voice that seems to carry a dozen emotions at once.


    Having said that, she raises her left arm and tightly clutches onto my shirt while not breaking her sight off my face even for a moment.


    Finding her current state adorable, I try my best to shake thoughts of spoiling her off and focus on thest remaining enemy properly.


    To my pleasant surprise, the girl is now holding a pistol in her hand and is pointing it at a head  her own head.


    "Forgive me," she utters in a broken tone to seemingly no one in particr as she pulls the trigger using her trembling finger and blows her head off.

 Chapter 297: First Step to Coming Forth

    Chapter 297: First Step to Coming Forth


    "It''s done," I state nonchntly as I step inside Reine''s room while carrying the still-dazed AI within my arms.


    On the way back here, I tried getting her back ''inside'' me, but s, she imed to be unable to do so.


    As such, after careful deliberation, I concluded that it would be fine for her to remain materialized. In fact, I could simply introduce her the same I did with Jeanne.


    For some reason, I can''t see AI answering any questions that might be thrown at her by Kotori and the rest anyway, so I thought that I might as well get this done sooner thanter.


    "Oh, wee back," Reine responds without so much bothering to spare me a nce as she remains focused on the screen in front of her.


    "How did you do it?" she asks as I make my way over to the bed, intending toy AI down on it.


    "Do what?" I ask back while looking over at the twins who are seated atop the bed and are staring at me, no, at AI.


    "Inquiry: Is that a human child?"


    "It is, isn''t it?"


    Hearing the twins'' words, I glimpse at AI''s face before saying, "Well, she is a child, but I wouldn''t be so sure about the human part."


    Our words seem to have grabbed Reine''s attention as she stops what she was doing and turns around to take a look.


    "Who is that, Shin?"


    "Oh, her?" I say with a smile on my lips, "My daughter."


    Silence ensues in the room as Reine continues to stare at my face, seemingly expecting me to give her the ''real answer'' soon.


    "Alright, fine," I say while rolling my eyes, "She is a peculiar spirit that I found aboard the ship before destroying it."


    "Spirit?" she repeats while squinting her eyes.


    AI, I assume that you can hear my thoughts right now?


    {Affirmative.}


    Surprisingly, her voice still contains hints of numerous emotions, mainly eagerness, despite her speaking to me telepathically.


    Anyway, AI, I need you to refrain from saying anything at all when there are others nearby. In other words, act like you''re mute.


    {Understood.}


    Great. With that dealt with, I suppose satiating Reine''s curiosityes next. Of course, there is a price for that


    "Reine," I say while detaching AI''s body from mine and extending my arms out to set her down on the bed.


    Suddenly, I feel an ufortable sensation inside me as AI peers into my eyes with an expression of apparent destion on her face.


    Reckoning that she wants to remain close to me, a small smile forms on my lips as I move her body close to mine once more.


    At this moment, I hear a coughing noise behind me before Reine''s voice reaches my ears, "You had something to say, Shin?"


    "Ah, yeah," I respond, "I have a few questions regarding the ship I just faced off against."


    "Ask away," she says as she straightens her posture and focuses her gaze on my face, seemingly as an attempt to read my mind.


    "What was the energy that was used by that ship? It was unlike everything I have ever heard or seen before."


    My question is without a doubt an odd one, but its purpose is quite different than what would one normally assume


    "What do you mean?"


    "Exactly what it sounds like," I respond, unfazed and smiling widely, "I am rather curious about the nature of whatever that energy is."


    And it surely has some unique properties too, after all, the enemy hunts down spirits. So far, I have across numerous spirits, all of which were not weak by any means. As such, I doubt that a spaceship created by an organization hunting them down would be making use of any ''ordinary'' type of energy.


    Hearing my words, Reine takes a moment to deliberate on something before closing her eyes and saying, "Should I take this as your first step toing forth?"


    "Whatever could you be speaking about?" I respond, my expression remaining unchanging.


    That''s right. This is the ''first step''.


    By actively asking for information in regards to the military capabilities of my enemies as well as making a ''proper'' exchange of information with her, I am basically announcing my will to battle everything out.


    Reine knows this. She is smart enough to understand something so simple. However, what she doesn''t know is to what lengths I would go in order to achieve victory.


    Thus, she is caught in a dilemma right now. She either aids me and forms a basic understanding between us or ''brushes the matter off''.


    Her decision right now will be one that will impact our rtionship greatly, so she is forced to take it seriously.


    "Shin, I would like to ask you something first," she suddenly says.


    "Alright, ask away," I respond.


    "What do you think of yourself?" she asks in a tone that''s much heavier than her usual one, showing the severity of the question.


    Nevertheless, I would be lying to myself if I were to im that I am not caught off-guard by her question.


    Truly, what am I? I am neither a god nor a human. If there is a solid ssification for me, it would quite obviously be a Code. But then again, there are numerous races of Codes.


    Krul, who is a vampire. Siesta, a human, or, at least, that''s what I believe she is. Then there is Yuno Heck, what is Yuno exactly? I doubt she is just a human either...


    Anyway, I don''t suppose Reine is referring to my race by her question. She is clearly hoping to hear what I think of myself. As an individual. My beliefs and ideals.


    "You might not like what you''re about to hear," I say after a solid minute of deliberation, "Honestly, I don''t think of myself as a ''hero'' of any sorts. I indeed want to save the spirits, but even that has its own reasons."


    Having said that, I tighten my hold over AI''s delicate body as I peer into Reine''s eyes and say, "For you to ask me this now. Are you perhaps finally prepared to cooperate on an equal level of understanding?"


    During this whole conversation between me and Reine, I had been keeping a portion of my focus on the twins behind me. To my pleasant surprise, they reacted to our little exchange a little ''uniquely''.


    From the looks of it, the two of them know more than what they let out on. Earlier, I genuinely thought that the two of them were a simr case to Tohka and Yoshino, but now


    "Do think you can do it?" Reine''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Saving the spirits, you mean?" I ask back, to which she just simply nods her head once.


    "Absolutely," I respond almost immediately.


    As I thought This woman has quite the attachment to spirits. She doesn''t let it show much, but I can mostly tell from the way she behaves and speaks when the topic is rted to spirits.


    "I understand," Reine says in a somewhat relieved manner, "We should continue this discussion some other time."


    "Why not now?"


    "Because she needs to be present,"es the response.


    "By ''she'', are you perchance referring to Kotori?"


    "Yes."


    Why? It would''ve made sense for her to im that this topic was too sensitive to be discussed lightly and at where we are. Yet, she says this now


    No matter how I look at it, her reasoning is worthy of suspicion.


    Shaking my head, I let out a small sigh and say, "If that''s the case, let''s go somewhere sometime. You, me, and Kotori."


    "Right," she responds along with a nod, "With that out of the way"


    Her words trail off as she once more focuses her gaze on AI before saying, "What made you think that she is a spirit?"


    She finally asked.


    "I saw her float in the air for a brief moment," I reply after a few seconds while making it seem as if I am doubting my own words.


    To this, Reine frowns slightly but doesn''t say anything as a response.


    "For some reason, she is attached to me," I state, "So, I think I will have her stay with me for now."


    "Understood," she says before turning back around and beginning to type a few things into a terminal disyed on the screen of theputer she was using earlier.


    Now then, with this matter settled temporarily, I need to consider what to do next.


    Firstly, there is that woman, Ellen, that''s currently being held captive in Kurumi''s ce. Surely, she has some valuable information to ''share'' with me.


    "Shin," Reine''s voice abruptly reaches my ears once more, "We need to head back now."


    "To where?"


    "Where your other teacher and ssmates are," she responds while turning off theputer and getting up from her seat.


    "What about the two of them?" I ask dubiously while casting a nce at the twins who have been silent for the whole time.


    ---


    "So, please wee your new ssmates," says the white-haired woman with her arm extended to the side.


    "No way this is weird," a female student mutters in a doubtful tone.


    Correct. I''m not sure what I expected when Reine told me she had solved the issue with the twins already, but I sure didn''t expect her to dress them up in our school uniform and introduce them as transfer trips immediately after we regrouped.


    Expectedly, several students are expressing their doubts and confusion regarding the matter by whispering their conjectures to one another.


    s, this doesn''tst long as slowly, more and more students begin to focus on me instead. The reason for that is none other than AI, who is currently slowly rubbing her palm against my nape while gazing at my face.


    "Itsuka," a gentle voice calls out, causing me to shift my attention over, only to find Tamae with a perplexed look on her face as she inspects AI.


    "Yes?" I respond.


    "Do you know this child?"


    Just as I''m about to deny the notion, an idea appears in my head, preventing me from doing so.


    "Indeed," I respond with a smile, "She is the daughter of a rtive of mine that works here.


    "That rtive wanted me to take her away from the ind in fear of her getting harmed."


    Hearing my exnation, Tamae takes a few seconds to think before ultimately nodding her head and saying in a serious tone, "That''s a good decision. But, unfortunately, we won''t be able to leave today"


    "That''s fine," I respond, "I will be the one to take care of her until then," I casually say, to which Tamae responds by smiling, most likely thinking something along the lines of ''he is dependable''.


    "Excuse me now, but I should get going," I say as I glimpse at Origami and the rest who are sitting in the distance with their perception centered on me.


    And so, I begin walking in their direction as the twins who were standing behind Reine move and follow after me.

 Chapter 298: Introductions ; Stroll

    Chapter 298: Introductions ; Stroll


    Arriving in front of Origami, I proceed to cast a nce at the girl that has yet to regain consciousness and ask, "Didn''t Tamae have anything to say about this?"


    "No,"es an immediate response from the ever so impassive Origami, "Only looked and said nothing."


    Good. She must''ve assumed that the girl had fainted amidst the small chaos, after all, it''s not that rare of an urrence, and is much more usible of a notion than her being getting knocked out of the sky.


    Nevertheless


    "She had nothing to say regarding her clothing too?"


    It''s true that an unconscious girl is not a rare sight, but an unconscious girl wearing a dog-like uniform surely is something that would garner people''s attention.


    "No," she responds once again.


    Having responded to my questions, Origami takes this opportunity to glimpse at the twins who are quietly standing behind me before focusing on AI who is nestled within my arms.


    Ah, it''s time


    "I suppose I should proceed with the introductions," I mutter before stepping aside to give the two sides a good view of each other.


    Due to the introductions most likely getting a little erratic, I decide that it would be the best to form an anti-sound barrier to prevent the students nearby from hearing us. As suspicious as this might be to them, it''s better than them hearing what is going to be said.


    And so, I begin the introductions by stretching my right arm out to the twins and saying, "Meet the twin spirits that I encountered earlier on this ind."


    My statement stuns Origami for a solid three seconds before her brows furrow so slightly that it''s barely visible as she looks into my eyes and asks, "Why are they with you?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" I respond, "They will be under my protection from now on."


    Or, so I im, but it''s more urate to say that I making sure that no ''unexpected'' events can interfere with my current ns.


    Earlier, the two girls showed signs of knowing something that might be of interest. Since the two of them are so inclined about following me and seducing me, I could slowly extricate information from them.


    There is also the option of forcefully doing so, but that would most likely bring me some unnecessary trouble, so I n to avoid doing that unless I have no other choice.


    "Hey, hey," a voice calls out to me, which belongs to none other than Natsumi who is still disguised as a ssmate, "Are they going to live in that small house as well?"


    "Not exactly," I respond, "But, before that, let me finish the introductions."


    Having said that, I turn my body to face the seemingly amused twins properly and point at the one who is expressionless with half her eyes open before saying, "This girl, right here, is Yuzuru."


    "Introduction: Yuzuru Yamai, nice to meet you."


    Hearing her, Natsumi''s brows raise slightly, while Origami simply nods her head once before inspecting Yuzuru from head to toe.


    Pleased with the tranquility, I open my mouth to introduce the other one, but before I can do so, a vigorous voice reverberates within the air as Kaguya steps forward and says, "Hoho! This one is Kaguya Yamai  the real Yamai, remember that!"


    "Correction: Yuzuru is the real Yamai."


    This again


    "Wrong! Kaguya will prove Yuzuru wrong anyway, just wait!"


    "Doubt"


    Exasperated by their bickering, I release a mild sigh and shift my focus away from the duo over to Natsumi, curious about her reaction to all this.


    Unexpectedly, I find her gazing at the twins in a way that suggests she is suspicious of them.


    "Ugh! Just stop! Kaguya will seduce him before Yuzuru and win - the end!"


    Shit.


    As a response to Kaguya''s abrupt exmation, Origami''s expression visibly changes to that of difort as she gives the energetic girl a pointed re.


    Behind her, Natsumi''s expression has changed as well. It has gone from suspicion to evident scorn as she gazes at the twins before looking over at me with the same look still covering her face.


    Even Tohka, who has been quietly standing just beside Natsumi disys difort.


    Hah~ I should''ve stopped their bickering earlier Well, whatever, as this might actually be quite helpful.


    "That''s about right," I say, attracting the girls'' attention, "These twins are apparently having a contest over who is the real ''Yamai''. Earlier, they had decided on the final contest, which just so happens to be seducing me."


    "Why?" Origami''s voice immediately follows my own upon fading.


    "Don''t ask me that, but them instead," I respond casually.


    "Recount: Kaguya and Yuzuru were provoked into it."


    "No, you weren''t," I instantly retort while rolling my eyes, "Your sister decided to attack me out of nowhere, iming that it was for this contest of yours.


    "Only after the two of you had realized you had absolutely no chance in beating me, did you decide to take a different approach to the matter  which, for some reason, you decided that seduction was the best way."


    Done with my retort, I proceed to gaze at Yuzuru''s face, expecting her to rebuke my exnation, but to my surprise, I only find her staring back at me with the corner of her lips slightly raised.


    Huh?


    Oh... I see how it is. This girl Impressive. Truly, amazing.


    She actually managed to lead the conversation in such a manner. By having me, who is familiar with Origami and others exin everything briefly, it would make it easier for them to be epting of one another.


    One of the main reasons she was able to pull such a feat off is her speech pattern, but it''s impressive nheless.


    Perhaps, she would make a good ountant if I ever needed one in the future.


    Anyway, I better finish the introductions quickly, as the students are beginning to give us very odd looks now...


    ---


    Under the dimmed sky, I walk alongside Origami on the ind''s coast.


    Now then, why are we out here again? Evening stroll date. That''s right  an ''important'' event that Origami had learned of through her ''reliable sources''.


    Additionally, it turned out that the reason she had been staring at me so much more intensely recently was because of something she had learned through said ''reliable sources'' as well. Apparently, it''s only to be expected that a proper girlfriend gives all her attention to her boyfriend while on a trip.


    The problem with that is the fact that Origami took it a little too literally. That doesn''t matter though, since I can understand her intentions for doing so.


    Suddenly, I feel a warm sensation against my hand, breaking my train of thought.


    Looking over, I find Origami much closer than before with her left hand holding my right hand.


    This goes on for a while; the two of us continuing to walk silently while holding hands.


    "Origami," I finally say, unable to keep my curiosity at bay any longer, "Are you enjoying this?"


    "Yes,"es an immediate response.


    "Really? Why do you think so?"


    This time, Origami doesn''t respond as fast as she usually would''ve, but instead adopts a look of contemtion as she tightens her grasp on my hand.


    {Father, I am back to optimal condition.}


    AI''s untimely voice inside my head takes me by surprise.


    {I beg for Father''s forgiveness for all the unbing actions I had taken earlier.}


    It''s fine, it''s fine. Not only was a fine with it, but I found it adorable. In fact, I wouldn''t mind it if you acted like that normally.


    Moments pass by, but AI doesn''t respond to me, indicating that she either is unable to form a proper response or is simply unable not very willing toply with the request.


    Anyway, AI, I hope that you remain inside me for the time being. After all, I don''t think there is a reason for you toe back out again, is there?


    {Affirmative.}


    "Shido," a voice suddenly reaches my ears as I feel a soft sensation against my right arm.


    "What is it?" I say with a grin as I turn my head to face Origami who has now pressed her body against me for some reason.


    Pleasantly surprising me, Origami doesn''t respond to my question normally but instead slowly closes the distance between our lips.


    More than willing to make out with the taciturn girl, I finish off whatever distance left in one swift motion and directly insert my tongue inside her mouth while shifting my body to properly wrap my arms around her.


    Following this, Origami also wraps her arms around me as she begins to actually put effort into reciprocating my tongue''s movements.


    And so, we continue to intertwine our tongues while tightly holding each other without a care for anything around us...

 Chapter 299: Share of Secrets ; Blush *NSFW*

    Chapter 299: Share of Secrets ; Blush *NSFW*


    "They''re not here," I mutter to myself as Origami and I get closer to the door that leads to our room.


    Perplexed by theck of three girls'' presence, I begin using irvoyance to check out each one of the rooms avable in the building.


    Half a minuteter, I find the three girls  In a room along with five other girls.


    Out of the five others, I only recognize three of them, who is none other than the trio that hangs out with Tohka often at school. As for the other two, they''re female ssmates whose faces I don''t recognize. In that case, it''s highly likely they''re friends with Miina and the one who Natsumi has taken over.


    After a close inspection, I conclude that the eight girls are supposedly having some sort of girls'' night-over.


    If this is the case, I hope that they continue on with this for some time, after all


    Casting a nce over at Origami who is quietly walking beside me with her body pressed against my arm, a small smile forms on my lips as I say, "Hey, Origami. Do you remember what I told you?"


    The moment my voice fades, Origami''s brows twitch slightly as she tightens her grasp on my arm and replies, "Yes."


    "Don''t worry," I say, knowing all too well that her seemingly small reaction is quite something when she''s impassive most of the time, "You can leave everything to me."


    "Uhm," she nods her head and hums as a response.


    Still I should make sure that there won''t be any distractions. For starters, I better check in on the twins.


    With that thought in mind, I shift my sight over to Reine''s room, upon which I immediately notice the two of them lying down beside one another on the bed while still dressed in our school''s uniform.


    Close to them, I find Reine who is glued to the sameputer screen, seemingly having nothing else to do other than this.


    Oh well, I can rest assured that the twins won''t be bothering me tonight.


    If there is anything that I need to be wary of, it would be Tohka, Natsumi, and Miina returning to our room once they decide to bring an end to their girl''s talk event.


    To deal with all this, there is one simple solution. That''s right the Arena.


    ---


    "Are you prepared?" I question in a solemn tone while facing Origami who is standing in front of me with an equally serious look on her face.


    "Yes," she responds firmly.


    Nodding my head as a means of expressing my satisfaction, I open my mouth and mutter, "Arena."


    Following this, the same usual process urs as Origami and I, who were both in the room assigned to us a moment ago, find ourselves standing in the deste city.


    Curious about her reaction, I ce all my focus on Origami, only to find her looking around with her expression remaining unchanged.


    Hah~ What a letdown. I was hoping she would be a little more awed Well, that doesn''t matter much anyway.


    For now, I should make sure that the ce is safe, as there have already been more than enough odd urrences during the times I''ve been over here.


    The whole ce is structured weirdly in and of itself, and then there is the fact that I saw those things. I have yet to know what they are, but they definitely didn''t seem friendly.


    "Where do we go?" a voice suddenly reaches my ears, causing me to quickly focus back on Origami and say, "A ce to spend some quality time as proper partners."


    --


    Opening the grand double door leading to the suite at the top of a luxurious hotel, I beckon Origami to enter first while smiling.


    To this, Origami doesn''t react much but simply walks past me into the suite and begins examining the room.


    Seeing her like this, I let out a small sigh as I enter the suite as well while closing the door behind me.


    Following that, I walk past Origami and directly head over to where the balcony is at, intending to have a look at the city.


    And so, here I am right now, standing against the veranda while looking down at the city.


    Shortly, I hear some noises behind me as Origami also walks over and stands beside me.


    "Quite the sight, isn''t it?" I say after a short while.


    Origami doesn''t say anything in response but continues to look over at the city the same way I do.


    This goes on for a short while before she suddenly turns her head to face me and asks, "Is this ce really another world?"


    There we go. I expected her to express her doubts soon.


    Earlier, when we were still back in the room, I took it upon myself to share some information regarding the existence of the Arena and what it is.


    For obvious reasons, I couldn''t tell her just yet what sort of ce it is and what is its origin - not that I myself know of - so, I came up with an exnation that heavily revolved around the idea of the ce being a separate world from the one we were on.


    I had several reasons for doing so, with the main focusing on making it easy to exin the existence of tforms and the Rift when the timees in the future.


    Expectedly, she had a lot of questions, one of which was: How am I able to ess this ''world''.


    To that, I ''revealed'' bits of information simr to the ones I had presented to Kotori and Reine. iming that random memories appeared in my mind along with powers I never would''ve thought to possess.


    From the looks of it back then, Origami had epted the exnation, but some questions have most probably remained on her mind.


    "Do you see any humans?" I question.


    "No," she responds.


    "What do you think of a city that looks so vibrant despite being so deste andcking life?"


    My question leaves Origami in a state of deliberation for a short while before she responds in a serious tone, "Impossible."


    "Exactly. Such a city couldn''t exist, unless it''s some utopian one that''s taken care of by robots or whatever," I state, with thetter half muttered to myself.


    "Anyway," I say before releasing a sigh and turning to face her, "Let''s head back inside, shall we?"


    As a response to my suggestion, Origami simply nods her head before doing as I said.


    Seeing her head inside, I proceed to look back at the city onest time before shaking my head and following after her.


    A few secondster, I find Origami standing in front of the luxurious king-sized bed, staring at it as if she is trying to poke a hole into it through her eyes.


    "What now?" she suddenly utters as she turns her head to gaze at my face.


    "Strip," I reply nonchntly, to which she just nods her head and begins to take off her clothes.


    Hey now... she really just went ahead and did it


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I remind myself once more of the fact that this girl''s thought process and is unusual as I walk over to her with a smile stered to my lips.


    "Wait," I find myself saying as I inspect Origami''s lithe body that is bare apart from her breasts and privates which are blocked by her light blue lingerie.


    Doing as I said, Origami stops her hands which were about to unsp the bra and lets her arm down, waiting for me to continue saying what I have on my mind.


    "You don''t need to take those off," I say after a brief moment.


    Having said that, I take a step forth and telekically take off the holster holding the odd pistol given to me by Kurumi before utilizing Destruction while doing so to swiftly get rid of all my clothes other than my underwear.


    "Come," I state as I reach my right arm out to her.


    Once she takes my hand, I proceed to swiftly pull her with me onto the bed and have her lie down on her back.


    Just like that, I get on top of her thighs and savor the sight before me.


    "I will ask onest time," I say after a few seconds, "Are you willing to take this to the final step? By doing so, you will belong to me and I wouldn''t let you go."


    "I am fine with that," she responds nigh-instantaneously.


    "Great," I respond with a grin before slowly bending forward, intending to go in for a kiss.


    As if realizing my intentions, Origami shuts her eyes and opens her mouth a little.


    The next moment, my lips lock with hers, shortly after which I insert my tongue inside her mouth.


    Having already decided that I won''t hold back any further, I ce both of my hands against Origami''s breasts and squeeze them through the fabric.


    As a response to my actions, her body twitches slightly and bes stiff for a few seconds before rxingpletely.


    "That''s right," I say in a low tone as I detach my lips from hers and look into her eyes, "Just rx."


    Origami only looks back into my eyes and doesn''t say anything, to which I simply grin and lower my head to lock lips with her once again.


    This time, the kiss goes on for a while, with me continuing to fondle Origami''s breasts through the bra she has on.


    After a brief while of continuous fondling, the bra slips off and reveals her bare breasts, to which I immediately respond by breaking our kiss and directly shifting my head over to nibble on her right nipple.


    This results in Origami''s body to flinch as she instinctively ces both of her palms against my head and begins squeezing it.


    Of course, this has absolutely no effect on me as I continue to y with her right nipple with my tongue while slowly sliding my left hand across her body over to her lower mouth.


    Shortly, I begin rubbing the tip of my left index finger against the fine line that is present on the fabric covering her slit.


    This earns me yet another reaction from Origami as she immediately closes her legs, which in turn squeezes my hand between her warm thighs.


    Soon after, I slide my hand underneath her panties and slide them aside, fully exposing her now-wet slit.


    "Wait," a soft voice reaches my ears, causing me to halt the movement of my finger that I was just about to insert inside her.


    "What''s wrong?" I question while peering into her eyes, "Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"


    "No," she responds in a tone that makes it seem like she''s doubting her own response.


    Silence ensues for a few minutes as I give Origami some time to recollect herself before she suddenly opens her mouth and simply says, "Continue."


    Confused by her actions, I gawk at her face for a short duration with my brows raised.


    "I''m sorry," she says while looking away.


    "Don''t be," I hastily say while adopting a gentle smile on my face, "You haven''t done anything wrong."


    "But-"


    "It''s fine," I interrupt her in a voice slightly louder than usual while pushing the tip of my finger inside her entrance.


    As a response to this, Origami further tightens the force on my hand, but then again, it''s still nowhere enough to dissuade my actions.


    "Ungh," a weak groan escapes from her dainty lips as I gradually begin ying around with her walls, which seem to be sping on my finger harder by the second.


    Shortly after, I notice that a ruddy hue has covered Origami''s face as her eyes move in jerky motions.


    Beaming a smile, I pull my finger out of her hole and proceed to reposition myself while destroying what''s left of clothing on both of us through Destruction.


    I guess it''s about time that I went through with thest phase


    Releasing a short sigh, I peer into Origami''s eyes for a few seconds before sping my erect member and aligning the tip with her entrance.


    Sensing this, her eyes widen for a brief moment and her expression turns a littleplex as if hundreds of thoughts are swirling through her mind. At least, that''s what it feels like to me.


    The question is, what thoughts would be swirling her mind? This girl has been an odd one for as long as ''I'' remember. Her thoughts are not aligned much and she takes instructions a little too literally.


    What exactly would be the thoughts of such a girl right before she connects with her partner for the first time?


    At this moment, my thoughts are interrupted by a gentle grasp on my wrist causing me to shift my focus back to Origami, only to find her looking at me with a resolute expression.


    "Looks like you''re finally ready," I remark with a smile, to which she responds by just nodding her head once and closing her eyes.


    Seeing her like this, I move both of my arms underneath her legs and raise them a little before beginning to gradually move my hips forward.


    Following this, Origami''s previously rxed body begins to stiffen once more as the tip of my rod slowly prates her.


    Other than a small groan, she doesn''t exhibit much of a reaction all the way until the whole thing ispletely buried inside her.


    Casting a nce at the thin line of red liquid flowing out, I question, "How do you feel?"


    "I''m fine," she responds immediately as she opens her eyes and looks down at where the two of us are connected.


    "Let''s stay like this for now," I suggest while leaning forth for another kiss on the lips.


    "Uhm," she hums as confirmation just before our lips meet, soon after which I slide my tongue inside her mouth.


    Moments pass by with the two of us continuing to intertwine our tongues as I begin moving my hips while keeping a tab on her reactions to each time I thrust.


    A few secondster, I notice that she is shaking her bottom ever so slightly, which I take as her preferring such motion inside. So, I decide to try something that hadn''t previously crossed my mind  targeting a certain side of her insides.


    And so, with that thought in mind, I use my left hand to lift Origami''s right legpletely before separating my lips from hers and leaning my body to the side.


    In this position, I hold Origami''s dainty leg against myself and slide my palm across it as I begin to pick up the pace at which I thrust inside her.


    A ''loud'' moan, rtive to Origami, that is, escapes from the ever-so-taciturn girl as the red hue covering her face gets more vibrant each passing moment.


    "Shido," a soft yet exhrated voice suddenly reaches my ears, to which I respond by looking into Origami''s eyes, slow down a little, and say, "What''s wrong?"


    "Aren''t you going to ask if it''s a safe day?" she questions while panting softly.


    "Say what now?"


    "ording to some reliable sources," she continues while looking away, "A boyfriend is supposed to ask that question half-way through."


    These sources of hers Hah~ Whatever, there is no point in trying to make sense of them anymore.


    "And if I were to ask that?" I question back out of sheer curiosity.


    "Answer no," she responds.


    Oh, at least these ''reliable sources'' are making an effort in preventing ''idents''.


    "But the boyfriend is supposed to do it inside anyway as an expression of love," she continues, shattering any delusions I had about the sources being actually reliable.


    "Is that so?" I say in a dubious tone, unsure of what else to say as a response to her words.


    "So, you''re not going to do it?"


    "There isn''t a need to," I respond with a wry smile as I begin to pick up the pace once more, resulting in Origami''s eyes to widen slightly as she clutches at the bed sheets underneath us.


    "All that is unnecessary," I state in a firm tone as I swiftly grab her by the arm and lift her off the bed before positioning her on my crotch, "The fact that we are even doing any of this, to begin with is already more than enough.


    "So, please set what your ''reliable sources'' have informed you of to the side and focus on how you feel, alright?"


    Having said that, I give her a quick peck on the lips before cing both of my hands on her buttocks and proceeding to lie down on my back.


    As such, I find myself lying on thefy king-sized bed with Origami''s modest breasts pressed against my chest.


    Before I can take this chance to tell her something, she raises her body and ces both of her palms against my chest while swaying her hips with my rod still inside her.


    Admittedly, her actions are making me feel ratherfortable as I feel a soft and warm sp on my shaft along with the gentle touch of a blushing maiden on my chest as she sits on top of me.


    "Should I move?" she asks.


    "Go right ahead," I respond with a smile.


    Nodding her head, Origami presses her palms harder against my chest as a way to help lift her hips up and down.


    Soon enough, she gets used to moving as she begins bobbing up and down at a fast pace with a very slight smile on her lips that I would''ve easily missed had I not been looking carefully.


    After a while of her constantly moving her hips, I reach the point of peak pleasure and could release everything pent up at any given opportunity. So, I take this chance to swiftly ce my hands against Origami''s breasts and push her back while lifting my torso from the bed.


    Then, I give the soft flesh in between my palms a good squeeze as I move in for a kiss on the lips.


    At exactly the moment our lips meet, I thrust forth onest time let everything out deep inside her.


    Just like that, the two of us remain motionless for the next few minutes before I finally detach my lips from hers and roll to the side after pulling out of her.


    "So," I say while gazing at her flushed face, "How did it feel?"


    Hearing this, Origami, who was staring at the ceiling with a daze moves her head to face me properly before replying, "Great."


    Contented by her response, I beam a smile and say, "Fantastic. It felt great for me too."


    "Mhm," she hums before saying, "Now, all that''s left is the marriage paperwork."


    "Reliable sources?" I mutter in an exasperated tone.


    "Yes,"es the expected response.

 Chapter 300: Conditions ; (Spoiler)

    Chapter 300: Conditions ; (Spoiler)


    Afortable sensation assails my left cheek as I see nothing but darkness. As reality has it, I had been asleep.


    Gradually opening my eyes, I am met with another pair of eyes that belong to a certain wonderful girl.


    "Good morning," I say in a merry tone.


    "Good morning," she responds in the same monotonous voice as usual, however, something feels off.


    What exactly? Well, that would be the fact that there is a barely visible red hue covering Origami''s cheeks - The cheeks of the very same girl who ever so rarely changes expressions and continues to speak in a manner that can almost be termed as ''robotic''.


    "Did you sleep well?" I question while reaching my right hand out to pinch her nose.


    "Yes," she replies, "There were no problems."


    "That''s good," I state before retracting my hand proceeding to raise my body from the bed.


    Following my actions, the nket covering my body falls, revealing my bare physique that serves as a reminder ofst night''s events.


    Currently, the two of us are still in the Arena.


    We were originally nning to head out after a short rest and fixing ourselves up, but one thing led to another, and we both ended up sleeping here.


    "Darling," a monotonous voice interrupts my thoughts, "Are we leaving now?"


    Hearing this, I cast a nce at her before letting out a sigh and nodding my head as confirmation.


    I can''t get used to it after all. Her calling me ''darling'', that is.


    Just thinking aboutst night''s proceedings gives me a slight headache.


    Basically, after we had done the deed, Origami became very persistent in getting me to marry her.


    Naturally, I have no intentions of getting married just yet. In Henrietta''s case, there was a ''valid'' reason for the proposition itself and the situation was rtively good to the point that it would''ve beenpletely fine.


    However, the same can''t be said in regard to this tform. After all, not only is my identity still unclear, but the process of marriage itself will be a troublesome one, especially right now with the way things are.


    For these reasons, I went through the strenuous process of exining to Origami why it would be bad for us to get married right now.


    Fortunately, she gave in the end, albeit at the cost of two conditions.


    First, we are supposedly no longer simply boyfriend and girlfriend, but an ''engaged'' couple instead. As ''proof'' of that, she is going to be calling me ''darling'' from now on, while I can just continue to refer to her the same way I have been doing up until now.


    As for the second condition, it was that she is going to move in and live with the rest of us, starting from tomorrow.


    Of course, I am aware of theck of housing space for another tenant, but I had already nned to move to somewhere better anyway, so that shouldn''t be much of an issue.


    "That''s right," I say as a response to her earlier inquiry after having set my thoughts aside, "It''s already problematic enough that we have disappeared from their perspective, so I reckon we shouldn''t dy our return any longer."


    "Understood," she responds before raising her body from the bed as well, resulting in the same oue as mine - the nket covering her body to fall and reveal everything there is to be shown.


    Nevertheless, upon having a glimpse of her lovely breasts and two cherries on top, I feel a knot form in my throat as a sudden urge to tease her nipples takes over me.


    Before Origami can react, I already have her pushed back down on the bed and lock lips with her while gently pinching both of her cherries.


    ---


    "Be quiet," I say in a low tone as the two of us exit from the Arena and arrive in the room we were supposed to stay in for the night.


    "Mmn," a light humes as a response from Origami who is sticking to my right arm like glue.


    Examining the room, I find Natsumi, who is still disguised, Tohka, and Miina all asleep.


    Natsumi and Miina are both lying beside one another on the top part of the bunker bed, while Tohka alone is upying the one at the bottom.


    Anyway, seeing that the girls are sleeping so peacefully, there shouldn''t have been any problems with us missingst night.


    Even so, that''s something worthy of concern in and of itself, after all, two students going missing is quite the ordeal.


    Unless...


    With a certain notion cemented in my mind, I reach my finger out to the earbud I have had on for a while now and press it while muttering, "Hello, is anyone there?"


    A responsees immediately as Reine''s voice reaches my ear, "Shin, you finally responded."


    "Yeah, good morning," I respond casually.


    "Where have you been? I haven''t been able to get through to you even though there haven''t been any indications of signal-jamming."


    "About that," I reply while making my voice sound like I am unsure of something, "I don''t know myself."


    Following this, I get no other response from Reine, suggesting that she has most likely understood my intentions.


    Like so, I have indirectly informed her that I have a means of ''going under the radar'' at any given ce and time. After all, I wouldn''t be able to make any preparations on this ind I''ve never been to before.


    Now, how would this benefit me? It''s quite simple.


    First, taking into ount what AI had analyzed about Reine, she is not an ordinary being. Only when I am certain of her being, can I take appropriate actions, be it with or against her.


    Second, she could take this as a ''threat'' that I could disappear anytime I want to. Normally, this wouldn''t matter much, but my ''shady'' identity and powers provoke nothing other than concern for her.


    Lastly, I am betting on the possibility of this giving a push to Reine''s mind to make a ''correct'' decision in regard to siding with me or otherwise.


    Releasing a sigh, I shake my head and mutter, "Did my disappearance cause much of a ruckus?"


    "Don''t worry, everything was dealt with easily."


    I see. So, an excuse was made up for us. That''s good news.


    "Anyway," Reine''s voice continues to ring within my ear, "As you''re aware, we are going to head back as soon as possible."


    "Yeah?"


    "During the meantime, you should spend some time with the sisters."


    "By sisters, you mean Kaguya and Yuzuru?"


    "Yes."


    "I have no problems with that," I reply nonchntly while thinking of how a day spent with the duo could go.


    ---3rd POV---


    "She just won''t say anything!" a girl with red hair tied into twintails groans and utters with a tired look on her face.


    "Commander, just give up already," a man with blond hair says with aplicated look on his face, "I don''t think anything we say or do will affect her."


    "I know, but still," the girl, who is none other than Kotori responds along with a deep sigh.


    Currently, the two of them are both in the Fraxinus'' control room, with Kotori seated on themander''s chair, and Kannazuki standing beside her.


    Both of them have their gazes focused on a golden-haireddy''s face that is disyed on a giant screen.


    Thedy has a stern look on her face as she sits on a couch beside a young girl with blue hair and eyes.


    The young girl seems to be keenly focused on something as she watches it with her eyes wide open, while the woman simply stares at nothing in particr.


    "I wanted to at least know where she came from," Kotori continues to say in a dejected tone, "That brother of mine... I''m sure he has an idea already but isn''t sharing it for some reason."


    At this moment, a dark-haired girl who was focused on aputer screen in front of her makes some jerky movements before eximing, "Problem, we''ve got a problem!"


    Her call results in a ruckus, as everyone present begins to focus on different types of equipment and devices with solemn looks on their faces.


    "So, they''re finallying, huh?" Kotori mutters as she stares at the gigantic screen which has now switched over from the image of the blond-haireddy to that of deformation in the sky.


    "Tsk, they''re utilizing anti-perception technology. How troublesome."


    "Still," Kannazuki who seems to be the calmest out of everyone says while staring at the screen, "How were they able to find us?"


    Hearing this, Kotori''s brows furrow as a glint shimmers through her eyes while she seems to deliberate on something.


    "That''s not important right now," she suddenly says after a brief while, "We must first lure them somewhere we can face off properly."


    Having said that, Kotori reaches into a pocket in the skirt she has on and pulls out a wrapped lollipop.


    Taking off the paper wrapping, she ces the lollipop in her mouth and grins widely before saying, "If a fight is what they seek, then let''s give it to them."


    ~~~~


    Complete Title:- Conditions ; Eve of the Second Aerial Battle

 Chapter 301: Malevolence

    Chapter 301: Malevolence


    "Commander!"


    "I''m aware," Kotori responds to the sudden cry of the man with a solemn look on her face, "Head north-west at maximum speed."


    "Understood!"es the response as the man begins furiously pressing keys on the keyboard in front of him.


    Likewise, everyone present has a serious expression on their face as each focuses on aputer monitor in front of them.


    ---1st POV---


    Arriving in front of the room that Reine and twin spirits are supposed to be in, I use irvoyance to quickly check inside the room.


    "She''s not here," I mutter due to not locating Reine.


    However, the twin sisters are present, and both of them are sound asleep.


    "Who isn''t here?" Origami, who is right beside me questions.


    "Reine," I respond while raising my arm and pressing the earbud before saying, "Hey, Reine, where are you?"


    Moments pass by, but I get no response from the inte.


    Weird. Everything was fine just a few minutes ago. Did something unforeseene about?


    Unsure of what to do, I remain motionless in front of the door while deliberating on where Reine could be right now.


    Well, this does not go on for any longer than ten seconds, as the only ce thates to mind is nowhere other than the Fraxinus.


    As to how she could''ve gotten there It could be one of Reine''s possibly numerous secrets that I have yet to uncover.


    Nevertheless, what am I supposed to do now? Earlier Reine suggested that I spend the day with the twins, but that doesn''t seem to be much of a usible option right now.


    Hah~ What am I even thinking? I should check on Jeanne and the rest for now.


    With that thought in mind, I begin to make use of irvoyance to relocate my sight over to thest location I remember the Fraxinus being at.


    Due to a small test I had conducted earlier, I had found out that if I were to focus properly, making out an ''invisible'' ship would be easy.


    As such, I am immediately rmed upon noticing that the Fraxinus is not where it''s supposed to be at.


    "Darling," a low voice resounds within my ears, causing me to retract my vision back and turn to face the source of the voice with a questioning look on my face.


    "What are you doing?" she asks.


    "Nothing," I respond before using irvoyance once more, only this time, I ''move'' my sight high above the city in order to get a broad view of everything.


    Moments pass by, and nothing abnormal urs, leading to me concluding that either my initial guess regarding the enemy''s ns was wrong, or they''re in a different location.


    Not muchter, my question seems to get answered  in the form of a ring explosion far out in the outskirts of the city.


    "So, they really were under an attack" I mutter while moving my sight over to the source of the explosion.


    Immediately after I do so, I am stunned by the sight of a certain golden-haireddy that seems to be standing in the air while holding a beautiful banner.


    Seriously? What the heck is she doing up there? The only reason I can think of for her to do this would be to protect Fraxinus from some sort of attack.


    As if confirming my doubts, a blue ray of blinding light suddenly appears out of nowhere, or more urately, out of an enemy ship''s artillery and pierces through the air in Fraxinus'' direction.


    This could be bad


    "Origami," I say as I retract my vision once more, alerting her by no small margin, "We''re heading to battle."


    "What do you mean?"


    Instead of giving her a proper response, I immediately make use of Norse Magic to form a gateway in front of us that connects with the location the battle is being held at.


    Then, I reach my arm out to grab Origami''s left hand before pulling her along as I walk through the gateway.


    Following this, I pull Origami into my embrace and utilize Flight to remain in the air as we find ourselves right in the sky with a lot of noise assaulting our ears.


    At this moment, she raises her hand to her head before pushing herself away from me, after which, I witness the sight of her body get covered in light before fading and revealing abat realizer unit.


    Looking into each other''s eyes, we both nod our heads once before looking over at the flying ships which are nowpletely visible for some reason.


    Remembering what happened a brief while ago, I directly look over at the Fraxinus, only to find Jeanne standing with her back straight and a solemn look on her face.


    Her banner seems to have gotten a little more damaged, while she herself remains unscathed.


    "Alright," I say as I shift my focus over to the ratherrge enemy ship, "Let''s make this quick."


    Having said that, I begin circting Holy Essence within my legs and utilize Godspeed to appear right at the ship''s side before dealing a heavy blow to it.


    Due to the abnormality of my strength, a loud bang resounds all over the ce as the flying vessel''s bnce gets ruined, along with an enormous hole appearing on its side.


    Sparks of electricity escape from the damaged area while the sound of an emergency rm reaches my ears from inside.


    Already set on ending this early, I proceed to coat myself in Destruction before dashing forth and smashing through whateveres my way.


    The next thing I know, I am standing in the middle of some corridor with multiple clunks of iron and other debris lying all over the ce.


    "Wait," I hear a voice behind me that belongs to none other than Origami.


    Turning my head to face her, I say, "Everyone aboard this vessel is an enemy of mine."


    With that said, I look away from her and begin walking in the direction I sense a lot of people in.


    So far, everything is going well. Although Origami''s presence wasn''t something I had ounted for in my thoughts regarding a possible attack on Fraxinus, it still works out for me in a way.


    After all, I could take this opportunity to have her glimpse at ''me'' and not Shido Itsuka.


    And so, I continue to walk through the unusually long corridors while ignoring all the shaking and abrupt shock-waves that happen every few seconds.


    Shortly, Origami and I both arrive in front of a thick metallic door that has been shut. Behind the said door, almost everyone aboard the ship is present in a room that appears to be the main control room.


    Just as I''m about to destroy the door through Destruction, Origami takes a step forth and pull out a sword hilt-like device.


    The next moment, the device in her hand changes its form a little before a beam of energy escapes from it and forms the de of the sword, reminding me of the weapon that Ellen used back on the ind.


    Anyway, I focus on Origami as she approaches the metallic door and raises the sword, seemingly nning to cut through it  which is exactly what she does.


    In one swift motion, she swings the sword a few dozen times in all directions, dealing significant damage to the door with each sh.


    As expected, the metallic door doesn''tst long and soon breaks down, no - melts.


    Huh? Doesn''t this make it harder for us to enter now?


    As if reading my thoughts, Origami reaches behind her and grabs another device-ish weapon?


    A pistol-like device that''s simr to the ones carried by the assants on the ind.


    Then, she aims the device''s nose at the molten door before pulling the trigger, following which a beam of energy escapes and simply ''dissolves'' a huge chunk of the deformed metallic door.


    Seeing this, I conclude that the device she used just now is different from the one used by the girls despite the simrities.


    Shaking such thoughts aside, for now, I begin walking once again and pass by Origami into the main control room.


    "Intruders!" a man roars, his voice reverberating all over the ce.


    Following this, a dozen or so men hastily make their way over to our location while carrying ''futuristic-yet-odd'' weaponry. I assume their weapons to be rifles with a special touch of advanced technology to them, capable of shooting out beams of energy or something.


    True to my thoughts, the men don''t think twice as they point their weapons at me and pull the weapons'' triggers.


    As a response to this, I immediately erect a barrier through Vector Maniption and reflect everything back at them.


    This results in huge chunks of the men''s bodies to get blown off, straight off rendering more than half of them deceased.


    As for the unfortunate ones who haven''t died; they have already dropped to the ground and are rolling about while writhing in pain and agony.


    Now then


    I cast a nce at Origami, only to find her wide-eyed as she gawks at the corpses in front of us.


    "The enemy," I state in a loud voice for her to hear as I begin walking once again, "Doesn''t deserve any mercy."


    "Do you know the reason as to why?"


    Following me from behind, the somewhat dazed girl has a deliberative look in her eyes as she thinks of a response to my query.


    Before she responds, we manage to reach the center of the control room.


    "What are you all doing?!" a loud voice suddenly assaults my ears, "Kill them!"


    Oh? Is this theirmander?


    Looking over at the man who just eximed, I find a man that seems to be in his mid-forties with a rather fat physique ring at me from on top of his seat.


    All of a sudden, the whole ce shakes wildly as a few females present in the room let out screams of fear.


    Just now Kotori or some other personnel of Ratatoskr must''ve had Fraxinus attack a core spot of this flying vessel.


    The next moment, another sting noise reaches our ears as the vessel shakes even worse than before.


    Not minding it much, I focus my senses on our surroundings before beginning to make use of Telekinesis to raise any sharp object I find into the air.


    {Report: Telekinesis has tiered up.}


    Hearing AI''s announcement, a wide smile forms on my lips as I continue to raise more sharp objects.


    At this moment, a few more men grab a hold of weapons simr to those that weed us inside this room and shoot at me.


    A blur urs in front of me before I find Origami standing in front of me with a solemn look on her face.


    "Hey, what are you-" I hastily say, only to witness an energy barrier form in front of Origami and easily block all the projectiles shot out by the enemy.


    "This is the end," I state in a casual manner as I draw the sharp items close to myself and begin enduing them with Destruction.


    Following that, I approach Origami''s back and hug her from behind while telekically swirling the sharp objects over our heads.


    "Hold on to me tightly," I casually say before making use of Flight to shoot to the sky while holding her close to my body.


    The moment we pass through the mini-tornado of sharp objects, every single one of them gets hurled in all directions and lodges either into the vessel or someone in the room.


    Wasting no time, I form a gateway that leads out of the ship and proceed to pass through it.


    Just like that, Origami and I find ourselves floating in the sky once again, this time on top of a critically damaged flying ship.


    "Rest in pieces," I mutter while willing the Destruction energy contained within the objects to ''explode''.


    What follows after is the glorious sight of huge chunks of metal ''randomly'' getting blown off as the whole flying ship practically splits into smaller pieces, while certain sections simply dissolve into imperceptible bits.


    {Mahesvara: Destruction Effect discovered  Malevolence.}


    Oh? This Effect sounds rather interesting.


    However, now isn''t the time to check it out For now, I should hop aboard the Fraxinus.


    "Darling."


    "Hm? What is it?"


    "That was amazing."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes."


    That was unexpected. Origami throwing out apliment like that caught me a little off-guard.


    "Let''s go," I say as I give her a quick peck on lips before descending toward the top of the Fraxinus, where Jeanne is still standing, now, with her banner rolled up.

 Chapter 302: Suspicion ; Check

    Chapter 302: Suspicion ; Check


    "Hello Kotori," I casually say as I walk toward her along with Origami and Jeanne.


    "Shido! How are you here?"es her response in the form of a snarky question.


    "What do you mean by that?" I reply while maintaining an undisturbed expression, "You should be aware of my ability to fly."


    Hearing this, Kotori lets out a sigh of abject annoyance before shaking her head and saying, "Let''s discuss thister. Right now..."


    Hm? Her voice trailing off in such a manner is an indication of something problematic. What could be troubling her?


    "Is something wrong?" I utter, deciding the best way would be to ask her directly.


    "Yes," she responds in a tone much more solemn than before, "Since you were outside, you must''ve seen it, didn''t you?"


    "Seen what?"


    "The Fraxinus'' light refractory functions were rendered unusable."


    "But wasn''t that the case for the enemy ship as well?" I question.


    Earlier, I had thought that the reason they had both be visible was due to the damage dealt in battle, but from the way Kotori is acting, there is more to it than just that.


    "Yes, that''s right," Kotori responds with a deliberative expression on her face, "It was the case for the enemy ship as well..."


    Seeing her repeat the words to herself, I realize that she might have taken note of something unusual.


    Speaking of unusual, "Hey, Kotori. Do you know where Reine is?"


    My query attracts her attention as she turns her head to face me with an odd look on her face.


    "Well," I say, "Not much long ago, Reine and I weremunicating through the inte. Once we were done, she had me head over to the room she was in, only for her to not be there."


    Hearing my words, Kotori furrows her brows as she says, "She disappeared?"


    "That sounds about right," I respond coolly, curious about her reaction.


    "Even so, she just wasn''t in her room. That''s not something worth making a big deal out of."


    "I suppose you''re right," I say, "Or, you would''ve been if not for the fact that after her disappearance, I was unable to contact her as well."


    Kotori''s forehead seems to darken as she turns her head to face the huge monitor and instructs in a loud voice, "Track down the inte belonging to the head analyzer."


    "Yes!"es a collective response from a few members of the crew as they begin typing furiously.


    Minutester, the image disyed on the giant screen changes from the debris outside to that of a blue globe that''s quite inly Earth.


    Not muchter, a red dot appears on the globe, immediately after which Kotori instructs, "Zoom in on the location."


    Following her words, the globe rolls a little before the disy zooms in on it until there is a t map of the city covering the whole screen.


    "This" Kotori mutters in a dubious tone, only for the blond-haired man who has been quietly standing beside her to interject by saying, "The main building of DEM industries."


    DEM? Hold on Don''t tell me that Reine has defected over to their side. No Actually, it''s more likely that she is there for an objective. Whatever it may be, she seems to be making use of unconventional means to achieve it.


    "How about you try contacting her?" I suggest.


    "We already did," a brown-haired woman responds instead of Kotori, "There was no response."


    That settles it. Reine''s objective requires her utmost focus, so she cut contact with the crew here in order to fulfill it. That''s what I would rather be the case than her simply having defected.


    "Well then," I say, "I have nothing to do here anymore, so I better get going."


    With that said, I turn around and cast a nce at the two expressionless girls before shaking my head and saying, "Jeanne, remain here for a little longer, just in case. Origami, we''re heading back to the ind."


    "Yes, my lo-" Jeanne replies only for her voice to cut off at the expense of her ''mistake''.


    As for Origami She simply nods her head as a confirmation gesture.


    ---


    "It''s crazy, look!" a male ssmate exims as he shoves his phone''s screen into his friend''s face.


    "Okay, okay, I will watch it," responds the friend, clearly not very excited to check it out.


    Shortly, his eyes widen as he continues to watch the screen with keen interest before he suddenly exims, "Wow! What is this?"


    "This is real!" responds the first one, "This happened near the city half an hour ago!"


    And thus goes on another of one of the conversations between students regarding the sighting of two aerial ships having a battle in the skies.


    ording to what I know, a blurry and shaky video of the battle was released on the inte and went viral shortly after.


    Currently, the matter has be the most heated topic of the day as everyone''s mind seems to be preupied with it.


    The students, who are clustered together, awaiting the teacher to instruct them while conversing among themselves.


    Our group is a short distance away from them and consists of Origami, AI, the twin sisters, Tohka, and myself.


    Natsuki and Miina are not with us, but a bunch of girls in the distance, discussing the same topic as everyone else.


    "Is everyone here?" Tamae''s voice suddenly reaches my ears as the young-looking teacher hastily walks about while checking on everyone, only toe to a halt once she spots me and saying, "Ah, here you are!"


    "Thank goodness," she continues as she heaves a sigh of relief, "They said everything was fine, but I couldn''t help but worry."


    "We troubled you," I state with a wry smile, to which Tamae responds by quickly shaking her arms in front of her and saying, "No, no, it''s fine! You didn''t have a choice."


    Ah, whatever reason it was that was given for our disappearance, it''s a good thing that we were reported as not having a choice in the matter.


    ---


    The flight trip back was one that felt rtively quick. During the whole flight, AI was seated on myp, not uttering a single word as she simplyid her back against me.


    Tohka was seated next to the window to my left, excitedly looking outside, while Origami sat to my right, her hand interlocked with mine.


    And like so, with everyone focused on different things, I take this chance to inspect my current parameters and whatnot.


    "Codification," I intone.


    ----------------


    Name: Shido Itsuka (Victor Origo)


    True Name: ????


    Title: -SEALED-


    Age: 8,953(?) Years


    Code: Exousia (2%) {Berserk | Mahesvara | Holy | ????}


    Race: Human - 26%


    Energy Left: 78%


    ------


    Str: 86>>88[44] (12) | Agi: 79>>80[40] (12) | Dex: 71[36] (12)


    Int: 74[38] (12) | Def: 72[36] (12) | Vit: 70>>72[36] (12)


    ------


    Essence:-


    Berserk: Hunter (1/3) | Tormentor (1/2) | God''s Wrath (2/5)


    Mahesvara: Creation (5%) | Destruction (3%) | Angelification (??)


    C: ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    D: mes of Devastation I [III] -|- Withering Aura -|- Paralyze I [III] -|- Cancetion -|- Termination I [V] -|- Malevolence (Passive) I [III]


    A: Telepathy -|- Mirroring -|- Blessing I [X]


    Holy:


    Holy sh II [V] -|- Pdin''s Aura II [V] -|- Paragon''s Eyes I [III] -|- Godspeed III [V] -|- Blink II [III] -|- Light Maniption IV [VI] -|- Healing Factor II [III] -|- Transmutation -|- Divine Retribution I [V] -|- irvoyance (Passive) II [III] -|- Illusion II [III] -|- Rework I [III] -|- Eye of Judgment I [IV] -|- Analyze I [III] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ????:


    Time-Stop I [XX] -|- ???? -|- ???? -|- ????


    ----------------


    Plunder III [V]:-


    --- Primary Ability (1/1) ----


    - Telekinesis III>>IV [V]


    --- Secondary Abilities (5/5) ---


    Permeation I [III] -|- Location I [III] -|- Hypnotism I [V] -|- Indoctrination I [III] -|- Pyrokinesis


    --- Tertiary Abilities () ---


    Spiritualism I [IV] -|- Insight I [VI] -|- Copse (0%) -|- Thoughtography (1%)


    --- Irregr (6/?) ---


    Flight II [III] -|- Memory Erasure I [IV] -|- Imperfect Invisibility I [X] -|- Time-Leap (?) {R: 8>>28%} -|- Ability Erasure (2%) -|- Gift III [V] -|- Organic Constructs (3>>5%) -|- Regeneration I [V] -|- Absolute Evasion (1>>2%) -|- Vector Maniption (10>>16%)


    --- Unassigned ---


    --


    Power of Destruction (Lesser - 0%)


    Immortality


    Boosted Gear:- (N/A)


    Dragon Roar (0%) -|- Scale Mail (0%) -|- Draconic Form (0%)


    ---------------


    Norse Magic I [X]:-


    Teleportation II [V] -|- Curse of Regret I [III] -|- Curse of Memories I [V] -|- Curse of Solitary I [III] -|- Curse of Damnation I [IV] -|- Summoning I [VII]


    ----------------


    Gandalfr:-


    Mastery (5>>6%) -|- Last Stand (0%) -|- Enhancement (0%)


    ----------------


    Current tform: Aem


    ----------------


    Taking a look at my current status, I suck in a deep breath, a little surprised by the changes.


    The first and possibly most important thing I notice is that there is a question mark next to my age now.


    Like, are you fucking kidding me? What, I am not supposed to even know my own age now?


    Irene, why has this appeared now?


    {Unable to answer Father due tock of data required for analysis.}


    Hah~ I expected as much. Well, whatever. It''s not like knowing how old I am or not will have much of an impact on me and my actions.


    Leaving that aside, a few parameters have increased. Strength, agility, and vitality. This is obviously because of the recent battles I have taken part in.


    Moving on, I see the new Effect I unlocked  Malevolence. And from the looks of it, it''s my second passive Effect, with my first being irvoyance.


    Looks like this is even more interesting than I thought. Taking the meaning of the word into mind, I can only assume that the Effect makes it so that my abilities are affected by my intentions during a battle. This coulde in handy, so I better make use of it as soon as I can and as much as possible.


    Anyway, moving on to the next change, which is the recently tiered-up Telekinesis.


    Focusing on the words disyed, a small screen pops up and disys the modified properties:


    {Unlimited usage. | One disruption per five minutes. | The user can only lift objects that have twice>>thrice or less masspared to themselves. | Maximum velocity: 200>>400 m/s. | Maximum range: 8>>14m.}


    Huh? Leaving aside the increase in range and capability, I wonder what this new line means. Disruption Mental or physical? Telekinesis is operated mentally but affects objects physically. Nevertheless, this ''disruption'' is an odd one.


    It seems like I am in need of some test subjects Luckily, one just so happens to be tied up in this ne''s cargo section. Earlier, I had ced her in there, tied her up, and sealed her mouth with some tape before making use of Rework to change her appearance to that of luggage.


    She will probably have some trouble breathing in there, but that simply doesn''t matter to me as long as she remains alive.


    Anyway, getting back to the changes, there are a few ones in the Irregr section of Plunder. A few percentages have increased, of which two did by quite the margin, which are Time-Leap and Vector Maniption.


    Compared to these two, the increase in the other ones isughable. But then again, it''s understandable why this would be the case.


    After all, I use Vector Maniption quite a bit. Possibly, it''s my most favored and versatile ability. Seeing how it is right now makes me all the more excited at the prospect of getting its percentage to a hundred.


    Then, there is the Time-Leap ability. That guy, Shunsuke, spoke of it. The ability to jump back in time. A rather absurd ability, to say the least.


    I wonder how it will function, with my existence being unstable and all. That message from Janus and the words that Infi has spoken continue to swirl my mind to this day. They''re buried deep within a corner of my mind and sometimes just pass through as a random thought.


    Shaking my head in mild exasperation, I focus back on reality, only to find Origami''s face a few centimeters away from mine.


    "What are you doing?" I ask in a wry tone.


    "Looking," she responds.


    "At what?"


    "You."


    "Yes, but why?"


    "I just wanted to do it."


    As this conversation goes on, I sense numerous gazes setting on me from all directions, of which, Tohka''s is the most intense one.


    Letting out a sigh, I raise my right arm and ce my palm against Origami''s cheek before saying, "Just sit back, alright?"


    "Understood, Darling," she replies before doing as I instructed her to.


    "Wait, what?" Tohka''s voice immediately reaches my ears, "Shido, why is she calling you ''darling''?!"


    Damn it, Origami. This was definitely on purpose.


    Hah~ Well, I suppose I will just face all the ''troubles'' head-on. That would be preferable to just avoiding them.


    "Shido is going to marry me, so it''s only natural that I call him this way," Origami casually drops a bomb in her usual monotonous tone before I can say anything.


    "Marry?!" Tohka exims in a slightly high-pitched voice, attracting the attention of all those who could hear her.


    Shit. I better deal with this soon before it gets out of hand.


    "Calm down, Tohka," I say as I turn my head to face the flushed girl, "Let''s talk this out peacefully, alright?"


    Hearing my words, Tohka seems to realize something as she looks around for a few seconds before the blush on her face brightens.

 Chapter 303: Return ; New Residents

    Chapter 303: Return ; New Residents


    Raising my arms, I stretch my back as students walk past me toward the ne''s doorway.


    For the past hour or so, I had been making constant use of Vector Maniption to give a small boost to the ne''s velocity and get us back here faster.


    Naturally, I kept the boost was a small one to the point that the pilots wouldn''t notice it, and even if they did, won''t make too much of a fuss.


    "Let''s go," I say as I cast a nce at the still-seated Origami and Tohka.


    --


    {Code waves detected. Entity identified: Kurumi Tokisaki.}


    As I undo the Rework done on the girl in the cargo, AI''s voice rings within my head.


    Currently, AI is back ''inside'' my body due to there being no necessity for otherwise. Out of sheer curiosity, I asked her if she had a preference in regard to materializing in tforms, to which she responded by saying, "The closer to Father, the better."


    Taking that into mind, being ''inside'' me is the closest she can get to me, physically, that is.


    Aside from that, there is the fact that when she is inside me, I feel a marginal boost to my senses and whatnot.


    Upon further investigation, it turned out that other than vitality and strength, all my parameters are increased by a single point when she is one with me.


    Considering how much of a difference a single point makes, this is a significant buff that can be perfectly helpful in a lot of situations.


    "Ara, Shido," a melodic voice reaches my ears as Kurumi seemingly appears out of nowhere, "You appear to be undertaking a rather interesting activity."


    Hearing her words, I realize that the position I am in right now can be easily mistaken for me being on the verge ofmitting an assault crime.


    Retracting my right hand from the rope the girl is bound with, I proceed to get up from the floor and turn to face the graceful youngdy, who is smiling while gazing at me.


    "Why are you here?" I question.


    "I wished to speak with you," she responds, "Could it be that my presence is dying ns you''ve had for today?"


    "Not at all," I state with a wry smile on my lips, "It''s just that I find it odd that you''re here at the moment."


    After all, it seemed like she had some business to deal with yesterday. Seeing how she is here, I reckon that she already did whatever it was.


    Now that I think about it, Kurumi has the ability to create replicas of herself.


    I''m not sure how well these replicas fare in battlepared to the ''real'' one, but they are definitely weaker one way or another, after all, they''re Binary Factors, while the ''real'' one is a Code.


    "I suppose you would want to finish what you were doing earlier," Kurumi states with a frigid smile as she glimpses at the girl I''ve taken hostage.


    "Right," I reply before telekically lifting the girl from the floor and proceeding to walk toward Kurumi, only toe to a halt once I''m less than a meter away from her.


    "Get to the heart of the matter, already, will you?"


    Hearing my words, the smile on Kurumi''s mouth grows as she peers into my eyes and says, "Three days from now."


    "Huh?" I utter, perplexed.


    "A date."


    "You want us to go on a date in three days?" I question while deliberating over the reason she would make such a proposition.


    Why in three days? From the sounds of it, she has a location already set in mind.


    "Yes," Kurumi responds while continuing to smile, "I reckon that you have no problem with that?"


    I take a brief moment to think it over before nodding my head and replying, "None at all. So, at what time should we meet, and where?"


    As a response to my query, she ces her finger against her lips as she slightly tilts her head and adopts a thoughtful look on her face for a few seconds before saying, "How about early morning in the room we had our pleasurable activity in?"


    Yeah, this sounds sketchy as heck. She definitely has something in mind, and I can only assume whether it''s ''good'' or ''bad''.


    At least, it is more likely to be something ''good'' than otherwise, judging from our recent interactions and the fact that we have already done the deed.


    "Alright, I''m fine with that. So long nothing urgent gets in the way, I will be over at your little base at eight o''clock."


    "Wonderful," she responds as her eyes turn to crescents, expressing her joy before saying, "I must depart now."


    Beaming a smile, I reach my arm out to rub my fingers against her cheek while uttering, "Okay, take care."


    The next thing I know, Kurumi grabs my arm and takes a step forth before closing the distance between our lips in one swift yet graceful motion.


    More than weing of such intimacy, I directly wrap my arms around her body and begin a small battle with her tongue while rubbing my palms against her body.


    The kiss goes on for a few minutes before, in the end, we detach our lips and Kurumi bids me farewell before ''melting'' into shadow on the ground.


    Releasing a small sigh, I cast a nce at the girl floating in the air before making my way toward the door I entered from.


    Candidly, I would much preferably have used my teleportation magic to form a gateway and have her transferred over to Kurumi''s base, but then again, I feel like I have been using the ability too nonchntly.


    I have yet to gain a proper understanding of Dominion and her capabilities, so I would be better off not giving her any more opportunities than I already have. For all I know, she could''ve been taking advantage of me using teleportation to keep her ''sight'' on me without me being aware.


    Naturally, there is no guarantee that''s the case, but the possibility still exists nheless. It wouldn''t hurt to be more careful, even if it means that I would have to take some bothersome actions.


    --


    After a quick flight home during which I had rendered myself invisible with Rework, I settle the girl down in my room and make sure that she has no hope of escaping before making my way back to school.


    Once there, I use irvoyance to check on all the girls I''m close to at school, only to be surprised by the presence of Reine in the infirmary.


    More than a little curious about her mysterious disappearance, I decide to head over there, and while doing so, I run into the twins who had been exploring the school building.


    Right now, the students are to spend one hour at school, aiding the teachers in some minor handy works.


    Apparently, this is required after every school trip, unless it was a very exhausting one.


    And so, while Origami, Tohka, and Natsumi - who is still going on with her act for some reason - are helping out, the twins and I head to the infirmary.


    On the way there, the two of them humor me quite a bit with their usual shenanigans


    "Refusal: Kaguya is the one that should make the first attempt."


    "No, no, the great Kaguya believes that Yuzuru should be the one to do that! The all-seeing eyes agree with this!"


    Currently, the two of them are arguing over who would be the first one to try and seduce me. The reason they''re doing so is most likely due to ack of confidence in themselves.


    Either of the twins wants the other to make an attempt, see the results, and act upon them in their turn.


    In the end, I suppose that the two of them wille to an agreement to seduce me together with some conditions needing to get fulfilled for one to triumph over the other.


    After a short while, the three of us reach the door leading to the infirmary, which I directly open and head inside as the twins follow along.


    "You''re here, Shin," a tired voice reaches my ears.


    "Indeed," I respond while gazing at the woman who is currently sitting on one of the beds present in the room, "How was your abrupt trip to DEM industries?"


    Instead of showing any signs of surprise over my question, Reine''s expression remains unperturbed as she simply states, "I see that you visited the Fraxinus."


    Her response is the correct one to my question in this case. My response will give her information she seeks, such as whether I had actually been to the Fraxinus, or if I used some other means of tracking her down.


    Shaking my head, I say, "Why was I unable to contact you?"


    "That''s a good question," she replies, "It''s unfortunate, however, that I don''t know the answer."


    Hearing this, I release a sigh and say, "Whatever, let''s leave this aside, for now. Some time ago, you suggested we go out somewhere and discuss some matters  You, me, and Kotori."


    "Yes. Would you like to do that today?"


    "Not today, because I still have to take care of a few matters rted to these two," I respond while pointing at the twins behind me with my thumb.


    "Then, tomorrow?"


    "Yeah, tomorrow. You don''t have any ns, do you?"


    "No, I''m free tomorrow."


    "Great. Now all that''s left is to inform Kotori and make sure that she is free as well."


    "There isn''t a need for that," a voice suddenly reverberates within my right ear, "I''m free as well."


    "You were listening in on us " I mutter in a miffed tone.


    A giggle resounds within my ear as a response to my muttering, causing me to slowly shake my head and say, "Anyway, this settles it. Tomorrow, we are going to meet up somewhere. As for the location"


    Deliberately trailing my words off, I gaze at Reine for a few seconds before stating, "I believe Reine will handle that."


    To this, Reine simply looks back at me without uttering a single word.


    ---


    "Wee to your new home," I say in a merry tone as I step through the house''s front door, while Natsumi and the twins follow from behind.


    My words being directed at them, each of the twin sisters responds in their own way.


    "Appreciation: Yuzuru is thankful for making the objective easier to aplish."


    "This ce is nice! Very suitable for the great Kaguya!"


    At this moment, a cheerful voice reaches our ears as two figures appear in front of us, "Wee home, Big Brother!


    "Hm? Who are these girls and why are they here?"


    Staring at Kotori, who now has her white ribbons on instead of the ck ones, I release a sigh of mild exasperation before saying, "These two are homeless girls whom I have decided are going to be staying with us from now on."


    "Eh? But we don''t have any empty rooms."


    "It''s fine," I reply while shifting my focus over to Yoshino who is standing behind her, "Henceforth, Yoshino and Tohka will be staying in my room."


    "What (Eh)!?" three voices exim collectively.


    "Judgment: Shido Itsuka is a phnderer."


    Ignoring Yuzuru''s remark, I adopt a gentle smile on my lips as I say, "Are you fine with that, Yoshino?"


    With the focus being set on her, a small blush forms on Yoshino''s cheeks as she slowly nods her head as confirmation.


    Just as I''m about to turn around ask Tohka the same thing, her voice resounds within the whole house as she cries out, "I''m fine with that too!"


    "Well then, that''s that," I say, satisfied with the way everything turned out, "Like this, we will have two free rooms once we move everything over to my room."


    And by ''everything'', I mean a few clothes and some personal belongings. As for furniture and whatnot, I might simply have to destroy my current bed and create a slightly bigger one in its ce.


    Speaking of which


    "Kaguya, Yuzuru, are the two of you going to stay in one room?" I say as I turn around to face the sisters.


    "Response: Yuzuru is fine with that."


    "That sounds superb!"


    "Great," I mutter while considering inviting Origami to live with us as well.


    "Come on, don''t stand in front of the door like that," Kotori''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, causing me to shift my focus over to her.


    To my surprise, I find her giving me an odd look despite her supposedly being in her cheerful persona.


    "Big Brother, I will prepare the bath for you," she continues before turning around and making her way to the bath.


    Following this, Yoshino glimpses at me before also turning around and heading toward the stairs, which I assume is because she ns to prepare her belongings for me to move.


    "Now then," I say, seeing that the two of them are gone, "Anyone interested in taking a bath with me?"

 Chapter 304: Another Bath with Princess *NSFW*

    Chapter 304: Another Bath with Princess *NSFW*


    Releasing a sigh, I rest my back against the bathtub as I practice telekinesis on the water.


    Using the ability, I separate a portion of the liquid and raise it into the air before focusing my mind on forming various shapes with it.


    From the very beginning, I find it quite tricky to ''handle'' the liquid properly without a droplet of water dropping every second and the shapes being too irregr.


    Nevertheless, I press on and continue forming one shape after another and replenishing the water lost while doing so now and then.


    Minutes pass by, I sense the presence of someone in front of the bathroom door, causing me to halt my usage of telekinesis and making use of irvoyance to check on the presence.


    There, I find Tohka, who is seemingly covered in nothing other than a white towel that reaches to her thighs, standing motionlessly with a deep blush on her cheeks.


    Oh, so one of them decided to join me after all


    Earlier, when I suggested taking a bath together, the girls exhibited various reactions ranging from embarrassment to contempt, of which Natsumi was the only one to disy a reaction remotely close to thetter.


    I hadn''t expected one of them to change their mind after a while, let alone the one being Tohka.


    Perhaps, our little activity from that night has affected her more than I initially thought it would? That could be it, but I feel like there is more to it than just that. If there is anything else that I could think of, it would be the small conflict with Origami on our way back from the ind.


    A small knocking noise interrupts my train of thoughts as Tohka seems to finally have resolved herself.


    "Come in," I say in a casual tone, yet loud enough to reach the flushed girl.


    A few secondster, the door handle turns before the door opens, and Tohka steps inside the bath.


    Despite her having entered, I am supposed to be unable to see her properly due to the ss pane that separated a portion of the bath from the other. In other words, I can, well, supposed to only see a blur of Tohka''s body and vice versa.


    "I''m entering," a nervous voice escapes from Tohka''s lips as she tightens her grip on the white towel.


    Following this, Tohka approaches the ss door and slides it open before slowly walking inside.


    Having already retracted my vision, I gaze at her body from within the bathtub for a few seconds before grinning and remarking, "You look rather inviting in that towel. Are you possibly tempting me into pushing you down?"


    "Wha-" a shocked Tohka utters as her grip on the towel loosens, causing a part of it to slide down and reveal one of her lovely mounds.


    Seeming to notice my gaze on there, the blush on her face grows as she hurriedly fixes it up.


    "Come on," I say, "We''ve already taken baths before, and have done the deed. What''s there to hide that I haven''t seen and touched before?"


    "But it''s still embarrassing"es a meek response from her as she lowers her head.


    Hearing this, a wry smile forms on my lips as I shake my head and use telekinesis to give Tohka a light push from the back.


    This results in her letting out an adorable yelp as she loses her bnce and stumbles all the way to the bath tab, before tripping and falling inside it.


    "What was that for?!" she exims after taking a few moments to recollect herself.


    Instead of replying to her, I simply stare at her now bare breasts while enjoying the sensation of her soft butt against my legs.


    As if realizing something, Tohka looks down before swiftly using her hands to cover her breasts.


    "Shido, you pervert," she mutters while pouting.


    Hm? Thisss She seems to be much more conscious of mepared to before. What could have triggered this change? The only thing I can think of right now would be the girl''s talk she participated in recently.


    Other than that, I don''t see how Tohka could''ve changed this much.


    "Hey," I say as I reach my arm out and run my hand through her slightly damp hair, "Move closer."


    As a response to this, she fidgets a little before lifting her body and repositioning her butt over to my crotch.


    "Shido?!" she cries out in a slightly high-pitched tone.


    Knowing full well what elicited such a reaction from her, I wrap my arms around her body and say in a low voice, "It''s only natural that this would ur in this situation."


    What I''m speaking of is my now-erect member that''s now positioned right in between her butt cheeks.


    Being in the state I am in right now, I find it hard to hold back from fondling Tohka''s mounds, which causes her to let out a small gasp as she rests her back against me.


    After a short while, I slowly slide my right hand down her body all the way to her bottom lips and begin to gently rub it while using my other hand to y with her left nipple.


    "Tohka," I say after a few minutes of ying around, "Let''s do it."


    "Eh? Here?!"


    "Where else?" I respond in a teasing manner as I ce my hands below her armpits and proceed to raise her body before telekically shifting the position of my member.


    Tohka just realizes what I''m nning as her body stiffens slightly while she bites down on her lower lip.


    Seeing her showing no sign of apparent reluctance, I slowly lower her while making sure the tip of my rod is aligned with her entrance throughbined usage of my senses and telekinesis.


    The next moment, I find my shaft making its way inside her narrow cave as she lets out a slightly muffled moan.


    Once the whole thing is inside her, I wrap my arms around her torso once more as I ce my chin on top of her right shoulder and whisper, "Tell me if you feel ufortable in any, alright?"


    Having said that, I slowly move my hands over to her breasts and begin squeezing them as they fit perfectly into my palm, with my fingers sinking into the supple flesh.


    "Tohka," I whisper, causing her to turn her head, after which I take the opportunity to press my lips against hers.


    A few secondster, my tongue pries into her mouth as I begin to in fondle her a little more aggressively.


    Once I''ve had my fill of her sweet lips and tongue, I stop kissing her and move my head away from her shoulder.


    Then, I use telekinesis on her and myself to lift us and gradually move forth without causing any disturbance in our bnce.


    Once we''re close to the edge of the bathtub, I retract my hands from Tohka''s breasts, and instead, grab her hands and guide them to the wall.


    "Shido, what are you doing?" she asks me in a perplexed tone.


    "You''ll understand soon," I reply nonchntly as I pull back my right arm and press my palm against her hair and back before pushing her gently.


    This results in Tohka to lean forth, giving me the opportunity to reposition ourselves so that she is on her knees with her butt raised and my rod still inside of her.


    "Perfect," I state with a smile before cing my palms against her lower cheeks and giving them a tight squeeze, which just so happens to earn me yet another cute yelp from her.


    "I will begin moving now," I say before slowly beginning to thrust my hips.


    The feeling of her walls mping down on my rod as it moves in and out of her is simply euphoric, while I enjoy the sensation of her soft buttocks through my hands by continuously caressing them.


    As this goes on, I realize that we''re making a little bit too much noise, so I utilize Vector Maniption to form an anti-sound barrier around us before beginning to increase the pace at which I thrust inside her.


    Shortly, Tohka stops pressing her palms against the wall, but her arms instead while letting out short and abrupt moans with each thrust.


    After a while, I find myself nearing climax, so I take this chance to grab Tohka''s right leg and raise it.


    Like this, I increase the gait even more before releasing everything inside her with one final thrust.


    Exhausted, Tohka rests her arms and head on the bathtub''s sides, as I pull out of her and sit back in the water.


    "We should get out soon, lest we want the others to get suspicious," I say after a few moments, to which Tohka responds with a fatigued "okay".

 Chapter 305: Business in the Arena (1/4)

    Chapter 305: Business in the Arena (1/4)


    "Are you ready?" I question while gazing at Tohka and Jeanne, who are standing in front of me with solemn looks on their faces.


    Once I receive their confirmation, I mutter, "Arena."


    The next moment, our surroundings change from ''my'' room to the streets of Dubai.


    In front of me, Tohka and Jeanne are both looking around, and to my right, there is the girl I had been keeping hostage tied up on the ground, ring at me.


    "Alright then," I say once I''ve made sure that there are no abnormalities in the Arena through a quick scan by irvoyance, "You two, spar against one another for a moment while I go deal with her."


    The two of them both nce at the girl I am pointing at before Jeanne nods her head in confirmation, while Tohka just continues to stare at her.


    "Shido," Tohka says, "What are you going to be doing?"


    "Extracting information," I reply honestly, "This ce is ideal for such matters, hence why I brought us over."


    That''s right. The Arena is a good ce to extract information from enemies.


    There are several reasons for that, one of which is the fact that death is not possible in the Arena.


    At most, one would get extremely exhausted, so it''s only natural that I would use it for information extraction. Strictly put, whatever physical torture I perform here is in actuality mental torture.


    Tonight, I have brought these three over to the Arena with various objectives in mind.


    For the girl on the ground, I am simply nning to extract information from her.


    While for the other two, I n to gain some insight into their prowess and abilities, particrly Jeanne''s.


    This youngdy barely exhibits any emotions and is invariably in a state of servitude.


    Now, that isn''t exactly a ''bad'' thing, but I would preferably have her be more expressive than just simply following every order I throw at her blindly.


    To achieve that, I am willing to resort to all manners of actions that could result in some form of ''unusual'' reaction from her.


    Leaving her aside, I am also quite curious about Tohka''s powers.


    That time I dueled against her gave me a general idea, but I would like to know more than just that. Especially now, since I will most likely be partaking in numerous battles against DEM industries, one of which she may provide support.


    In that case, it would be better if I had a good grasp of her capabilities and limits, lest I want her safety to bepromised.


    This is one of the reasons why I had her spar with Jeanne, as I could ask for Jeanne''s thoughts regarding her powers, after all, two heads are better than one.


    Anyway, I better focus on the task at hand now.


    With such thought cemented in my mind, I telekically lift the girl from the ground before floating into the air using Flight and swiftly dashing toward the sky.


    The next moment, I find myself floating high in the sky, looking down on the deste city.


    In this position, I look around for a few seconds before locating an ideal ce to carry out the n I have in mind.


    And so, I fly over to the rooftop of the skyscraper that had caught my eye and set the girl down in a somewhat rough manner as I neatlynd on my feet.


    Honestly, I would''ve preferred to make use of other methods to extract information, such as Indoctrination or Memory Erasure, but the addition of an Effect to my status has made that less favored.


    Said Effect is none other than Malevolence.


    If I were to take the word''s literal meaning into mind, I can easily conclude that the Effect is directly corrted to my intentions when performing certain actions.


    The fact that it''s a ''passive'' Effect is also something that needs consideration.


    Gazing down at the girl whom I have tied up, I raise my right arm before utilizing Pyrokinesis to form gentle mes on my hand.


    Then, I guide said mes over to the girl''s bindings and burn them off without damaging her clothes.


    The next thing I know, the girl furiously jumps on her feet and proceeds to throw a jab at my face, which I casually block using Vector Maniption.


    Seeing that her attack failed, the girl''s expression contorts as she takes a few steps back.


    "I won''t talk no matter what you do to me!" she exims in a firm tone, "A monstrosity like you doesn''t deserve to exist."


    "How rude," I respond with a small smile, "I am nothing but a high schooler with some fancy powers."


    Hearing my words, the girl scoffs and says, "So much for an ordinary high schooler, capable of taking down The Strongest Wizard."


    Hm? Who could she be referring to? Have I encountered anyone like that during my stay in this tform?


    "Hold on..." I mutter before looking into the girl''s eyes and asking, "Are you speaking of Ellen?"


    "Who else is there? Only she deserves that title," the girl responds with scorn.


    Looks like from her perspective this information is mon knowledge'', or else she wouldn''t be telling me this.


    Still, if Ellen''s title truly is The Strongest Wizard, then I''ve gotten my hands on an extremely valuable hostage.


    Speaking of which, no wonder she was still capable of moving and exerting energy while her limbs were missing, as I would expect no less from someone with the title of strongest.


    "Say, why are DEM industries so obsessed with spirits? I doubt they truly want to get rid of the spirits for the greater good of humanity."


    "What do you mean by that?" the girl responds, "Have you not seen all the damage done by the spirits. In fact, you are one yourself, aren''t you? A spirit. So, you should be aware more than anyone else why we seek you."


    While the girl is talking, I notice some odd movements with her fingers and legs, as if she is preparing to perform some sort of move.


    Heh, so that''s how it is. She is stalling while preparing for whatever it is she is nning.


    "Hey," I say, "Would you like to experience death?"


    "Huh?" a confused voice escapes from the girl''s lips as her expression bes strange.


    Beaming a smile at her, I proceed to appear right in front of her before mming my palm into her abdomen, resulting in her body getting hurled off the building.


    Following this, I leap toward her and make use of Flight to remain rtively close to her as she slowly begins to elerate toward the ground.


    Before long, the girl realizes that I am not nning to catch her as all color drains from her face while she looks down at the ground.


    "S-top, st-op, stop!" she exims, her voice getting cut off by the wind.


    The next moment, I halt all my motions through Vector Maniption and look on as the girl ms into the ground along with the sound of a st.


    More than a little curious about how certain death is dealt with in the Arena, I keep my sight on the girl''s devastated inert body.


    Minutes pass by and an odd phenomenon begins to take ce.


    Some form of energy begins to seemingly appear out of nowhere around the girl''s body and slowly begins to enter her through her orifices.


    Shortly after, the pool of blood on the ground seems to fade into nothingness as the girl''s body begins to ''regenerate'' right before my eyes.


    "Intriguing," I mutter as I descend andnd right in front of the girl.


    Like this, I patiently wait for the girl to raise her body from the ground, which happens after around five minutes.


    And so, raising her head, the girl has a dazed look in her eyes before she seems to notice me as her eyes widen marginally.


    That''s not all, but an expression of pure horror appears on her face as she gives me a look that I seem to find familiar.


    The next thing I know, the girl''s image at this moment oveps with the woman I saw in my vision from quite a while ago.


    "Why?" a soft yet shaky voice reaches my ears, "Why won''t you leave us?"


    What the...


    Peering into the girl''s eyes, I notice that something has changed about them. They''ve be dimmer as if the previous ''light'' has been drained from them.


    All in all, the girl is now giving off a strange vibe that''s making me feel ufortable.


    "Let us go," she continues in the same tone, albeit shakier, "We don''t want to exist anymore."


    Before I can make sense of her words, the girl suddenly begins shrieking like there is no tomorrow, only to stop after a solid minute of screaming.


    Grabbing her head, the girl looks up into my eyes with a wrathful expression as she says, "You... What did you do to me?!"


    That''s what I would like to know myself...

 Chapter 306: Business in the Arena (2/4)

    Chapter 306: Business in the Arena (2/4)


    Looking at the girl''s face, I notice that she has returned to normal, and whatever it was that was affecting - no, possessing her earlier is gone.


    "Well then, how did it feel? Dying, that is," I say in a rxed tone as I cross my arms.


    Upon hearing my words, the girl''s eyes widen as she hurriedly gets up on her feet and examines her body frantically.


    "Don''t worry - Your body is in perfect condition; after all, I can''t have you truly dying on me.


    "You have something that I want, and I will stop at nothing to get it."


    Perhaps affected by the sudden change in my tone from casual to distant and aloof, the girl''s expression turns into that of trepidation as she gazes at my face and asks, "What do you want?"


    "I thought I already made that clear," I respond in a tired tone, "I want information."


    "Just kill me inst-!" the girl exims before she swallows her word as the terror on her face grows.


    "You''re right. I should ''kill'' you to obtain that," I say while smiling.


    "No way, right?" she mutters in an uncertain tone.


    Proving her worries right, I use Alchemy to turn the asphalt underneath me into small particles and having them float to the air.


    Then, I slowly have them form giant spikes with the tips pointed at the girl.


    "Now then, I better make the current situation clear for you," I state, "Frankly put, I will be asking you questions, which, depending on your answer, could result in you getting skewered by these things."


    And for this, I will depend on my lie-detecting ability and my sight, as there is a chance she will attempt telling me a half-truth, which might be taken as her not lying, so I will look out for something that could give away such attempts.


    "For starters," I begin my questioning, "What is your name?"


    "Ashley Sinir," the girl responds after a brief moment of hesitation.


    Alright, I don''t recognize any lie in her tone, and the name checks out with her foreign appearance.


    "Why are you here in Japan?" I question.


    "On a mission to capture the SS-ss spirit, Prophet."


    SS-ss? That is how dangerous they have deemed me as, huh? I bet that has changed now after all I''ve aplished recently.


    "What was the n that you had before arriving on the ind?"


    This time, a troubled look appears on Ashley''s face as she seems to contemte whether to answer me or not.


    Dissatisfied with her response I use telekinesis to skewer her left leg''s calf with one of the asphalt spikes, causing her to release a shrill scream before getting down on one knee.


    Following that, a thin line of moisture stems from the corner of Ashley''s right eye as she clutches the spike and begins to slowly pull it out.


    After a short while, she sessfully pulls the whole thing out, revealing a gaping hole in her leg, through which quite an amount of blood pours out.


    "That''s the first one, so I went easy on you," I state in the most benevolent manner I can pull off.


    "You jerk!" the girl barks as a response to my honest words.


    "Make your answer short and easy to understand, and I may just patch your leg up," I say as I create a chair and take a seat on it.


    "Just to be clear, I am already mostly aware of your n, but would still like to know the details nheless."


    This statement seems to be the final straw as Ashley harrumphs once before beginning, "I don''t know much about the n, but what I do know is that we were supposed to keep you upied in one location for a minute, even at the cost of our lives."


    "Oh? And why is that?" I inquire, intrigued about how doing so would benefit them.


    "That battleship you destroyed, which I believe you have destroyed was equipped with an anti-material weapons system."


    The heck? Why wasn''t such a thing made use of earlier? Is the enemy factionprised of idiots or is there more to it than this girl is letting on?


    Seeming to notice my doubts, Ashley releases a sigh before wincing in pain.


    "The cost of the weapons system is too high, so it can''t be used freely."


    "What do you mean?


    "Well, not only does using it render most of a battleship''s functionalities useless, but it costs an inordinate amount of cash for one shot."


    From the way she is wording it, there are more of these but are kept away somewhere, only to be used when there is a ''special'' asion  such as me being somewhere optimal for an assault.


    Not only that, but I believe the enemy was willing to use such a weapons system this time because of the location. I doubt they would use such a thing at the center of the city, but the possibility exists, so it wouldn''t do me any harm to remain cautious.


    Anyway, I suppose it''s time to give her the carrot now that the stick has been made use of amply.


    As such, with a broad smile on my lips, I take a few steps forth and crouch down in front of the trembling girl.


    "Good," I simply say before reaching my left arm out to her injury and using Healing Factor to heal it.


    It takes her a few seconds, but Ashley finally recognizes that I didn''te forth to hurt her this time, but the opposite instead.


    "It sincerely pains me to be doing this to a cute girl such as yourself," I say in a mncholic tone as I reach my right arm out to rub her cheek before continuing, "But I have no other choice. The safety of those I care about depends on this. Innocent lives are on the line."


    "Are you perhaps referring to spirits by ''innocent lives''?" Ashley says with atled expression.


    "That''s right," I respond.


    "Of course," she mutters, "You are one yourself. A spirit. Who knows how many you have harmed, if not killed?"


    "This," I say in a somewhat exaggerated manner, "This biased view of spirits is the source of all the pointless conflict between humans and spirits."


    "Biased?! Have yo-"


    "Shut it," I say, interrupting whatever she had to say as I already have a general idea of what it was.


    "Enough of this," I say as I let out an exhausted sigh, "Just answer my questions from here on out. No more or less."


    ---


    As I soar through the sky in search of Jeanne and Tohka while carrying Ashley, whom I have tied up once again, Ie across a dazzling sight.


    Below me, on the ground, a lengthy purple wave of energy cuts through the air and any obstacles in its way as it moves toward a motionlessdy.


    Just as the energy wave seems like it''s about to slice through thedy, who is none other than Jeanne, a burst of golden energy exudes from within Jeanne''s body and practically cancels the purple energy out.


    Following this, Jeanne tightens her grip on the banner she is holding in her hand before dashing in the direction of Tohka, who is floating in the air with her sword in hand.


    The next moment, Jeanne makes a sharp turn as she heads toward a building close by before leaping up five meters and plunging the sharp tip of her banner into the wall, after which, she sets her feet against the said wall before using an abnormal amount of strength and some energy tounch herself toward Tohka.


    As a response to Jeanne''s swift actions which were performed in less than five seconds, Tohka changes her stance to a defensive one as she grips her long-sword tightly.


    [Oh Lord, grant me strength!]


    Jeanne''s voice which is full vigor reverberates within my head as I feel a small connection form between me and her.


    The next thing I know, a white glow covers Jeanne''s body as a pair of iplete wings of light protrude from her back.


    This doesn''tst long, as the next moment, everything returns to normal apart from the banner in her hand, as it''s brimming with a high amount of energy.


    "Hyah!" Jeanne yells as she thrusts the spear at Tohka, who in turn swings her sword at her, resulting in a wave of energy simr to earlier to escape from the de and move toward the iing Jeanne.


    Following that, the spear-top of the banner contacts the energy wave, which results in the purple energy dispersing, which, in turn, allows Jeanne to safely pass through and strike Tohka.


    From what I can tell, Tohka''s attire was able to briefly block the attack, but then it got overwhelmed by the attack and was sessfully pierced through.


    Having injured Tohka, Jeanne twists her banner a little before using Tohka as leverage tounch herself toward the ground.


    "What the hell." Ashley mutters with an appalled look on her face as she gazes down at Jeanne.


    "Impressed?" I question while grinning.


    "That girl is a spirit, right? I know of Princess, but have never heard of or seen the other one," Ashley mutters, seemingly to herself.


    "Well," I remark in a casual tone, "That''s most likely because she is not one  a spirit, that is."


    "Impossible!"


    I can understand why she would find that hard to believe. After all, the spirits are Codes, albeit ''weaker'' ones than normal.


    That''s what it has been like for every spirit I have encountered so far, so I believe that it''s safe to make such an assumption.


    And so, despite Tohka being a ''weaker'' Code, she is having a hard time facing off against Jeanne.


    This could be either be because of their difference in experience when ites tobat, or Jeanne is simply more powerful than her despite not being a Code.


    Also, I can''t leave out the fact that the maiden is burrowing something from me, be it energy or some sort of blessing.


    In the end, all this only serves to make me more interested in her

 Chapter 307: Business in the Arena (3/4)

    Chapter 307: Business in the Arena (3/4)


    "You better behave," I say while descending to the ground and preparing to set Ashley down.


    "Whatever," she scoffs.


    At this point, I am unsure of why I am keeping her alive. I''ve already gotten what I wanted from her - well, mostly. All the information I extracted from her was scarcely rted to DEM industries and more about the actual organization she was a member of prior to getting sent over to DEM industries.


    As Ashley put it, there are a few rtively huge organizations that are tasked with the sole objective of bringing an end to the chaos caused by spirits.


    Ashley belonged to one such organization that mainly operates in the UN and goes by the name SSS, standing for ''Special Sorcery Service''.


    Naturally, I got curious about the reason she would be here, somewhere so distant from her organization''s base of operations, to which she responded by informing me of the ''shocking news'' going around globally.


    Said news was that the world''s first and only male spirit has ''reappeared''. Not only that, but the spirit is nning to gather up the rest of the spirits for a finale against humanity.


    Expectedly, the source of this information was DEM industries, or more specifically, its director, a man named Sir Isaac.


    Upon further inquiries and analysis, I was able to conclude that this director is dead set on taking me down, no matter what it takes to do so.


    Unfortunately for him, now that I have taken down two of their ships and have captured their ace, Ellen, most of the ns set to motion and those yet to be so have been thwarted, be it due to my actions creating unexpected factors or something else entirely.


    Frankly, this is neither bad nor good for me, as it wouldn''t affect any of my own ns.


    If I want to, I could assail their headquarters with the assistance of Jeanne and some other spirits, but then again, there are many variables that I am to take into ount, such as the anti-material weapons system and the enemy having a spirit or two among their ranks.


    The possibility of thetter is somewhat high, considering the voice that managed to affect me back on the ind when I had fatally injured Ellen.


    Any rash decision could result in someone close to me suffering, which is something I would rather prevent.


    As such, the safest choice to make would be to lead an assault along with Jeanne and have the rest stay somewhere safe during the duration of the attack.


    Nevertheless, all this is to deal with DEM industries, but I shouldn''t forget the rest of the organizations in the world.


    Due to the reports regarding the ''male spirit'' spread around, most if not all anti-spirit organizations will most likely be targeting me.


    "I sure get a lot of hate wherever I go," I mutter to myself as I set Ashley down and look over at the injured Tohka in the air.


    "My Lord," a firm voice reaches my ears from behind me as Jeanne approaches me and kneels.


    "Well done," I say as I turn around to face her, "I was viewing your spar from the skies and I have to say that I''m fairly satisfied with your performance."


    "I am greatly honored to receive such praise," Jeanne responds while remaining in the same position, "My Lord''s blessings are what guide me."


    A small smile forms on my lips as I take a step forth and set my palm down on her head.


    As a response to my actions, Jeanne closes her eyes as her voice clearly resounds within my head.


    [Oh Lord, I am grateful to serve you with my body and soul. May thisst for all eternity, for even then I would still be indebted to Your Holiness.]


    "I am d that you''re serving me as well, Jeanne," I state before drawing my arm back and turning around to gaze at Tohka who has alsonded on the ground.


    From her expression, I can tell that she is feeling no small amount of pain, so I take it upon myself to approach her and utilize Healing Factor.


    "The pain is gone," she mutters with a slightly startled look on her face once I''m done healing her.


    "How was it?" I question, "Did you learn anything from your fight with Jeanne?"


    "Yes!" she responds almost immediately, "I-"


    "Now, now," I say as I press my finger against her lips, "I would rather have you use the experience you gained practically than just telling me, alright?"


    Tohka nods her head once as confirmation.


    "Good."


    Stepping back a few times, I peer into Tohka''s eyes and say, "Prepare for battle. I will be on the defensive while you attack for now."


    "Understood," she replies as a solemn expression reces her casual one.


    "Jeanne, you may rise," I say with a hint of exasperation upon noticing that she''s still kneeling.


    "As you wish," she responds before getting back on her feet and moving back a little.


    Nodding my head, I utter, "Start," after which Tohka immediately dashes toward me with her sword raised high.


    Assuming that she is nning to attack me directly, I prepare to cancel her attack through Vector Maniption before throwing her off-bnce by a kick.


    However, my preparations are rendered useless the next moment, as Tohka simply hurls the sword forth, which misses mepletely and flies into the distance.


    Before I can take a moment to process her actions and reasoning behind them, Tohka arrives within a meter''s range of me and proceeds to m her palms together.


    Following this, a burst of speedy purple energy escapes in between her palms and moves toward me.


    To this, I respond by utilizing Vector Maniption, nning to reflect the energy, but for some reason, which I assume is ack of focus, I am unable to do so.


    Nevertheless, I still prevent the energy to reach me by hastily moving back to avoid it.


    Unfortunately, this results in Jeanne getting caught up in the trajectory of the attack, but she doesn''t seem to find it bothersome at all as she pulls her rolled-up banner out of the storage ring and pummels it into the ground.


    Along with this, Jeanne''s voice briefly resounds within my head as she prays for protection, after which her body and banner get covered in a golden light for a split-second before the purple energy washes over her, only to dissipate the next moment.


    What''s left of the purple energy bes a little chaotic before dispersing as well in the next few seconds.


    At this moment, I sense something approaching me from behind, so I use Telekinesis to reform the asphalt beneath my feet into a wall protecting my back while using irvoyance to check out the iing projectile.


    As I suspected, the thing approaching me at an immense speed is Tohka''s sword, which seems to be ''boosted'' by a bit of energy stored in the handle.


    Shaking my head, I decide to get a little more serious as I bend my knees before leaping to the sky.


    The next moment, Tohka''s sword smashes into the asphalt wall, resulting in numerous cracks to form along the wall as a small portion of it breaks down.


    Tohka this opportunity to dash toward the asphalt wall and retrieve her sword before soaring into the sky.


    Once her altitude is higher than mine, Tohka stops ascending and gazes at me with a sedate look on her face as she says, "Be prepared!"


    Having said that, Tohka raises grips her sword with both hands as hazy purple forms around her body while the sword in her hands begins to feel like it''s muchrger than before, despite there being no change to its physical form.


    Intrigued by her actions and state of body, I make use of Alchemy''s corporikinesis, resulting in my vision to change from normal to one that lets me view inside her body.


    Unexpectedly, I find something rather peculiar that I have never seen in any individual up until now.


    At the center of Tohka''s abdomen, there is a palm-sized crystal-like object which I am unable to make out the shape and color of properly, as they seem to change every moment.


    A few secondster, the crystal-like object seems to ''vanish'' as Tohka releases her attack in the form of numerous giant des of energy.


    Seeing the iing des, I channel Holy Essence through my arms and make use of Holy sh to counter with light des of my own, albeit mine move inpletely separate directions and are all vertical unlike hers, which are arbitrary.


    Following this, I raise my left hand and snap my fingers, resulting in the des I released to interconnect and form a multiyer wall of ''thin'' panes of Holy Essence.


    The next moment, Tohka''s des sh with the wall and manage to break past the firstyer through four strikes, but not being able to finish the secondyer with the two des of energy left.


    Grinning at the oue, I dash right into the center of the wall and use Light Maniption to draw all the energy toward my hand, forming a somewhat long whip.


    Most likely due to her vision of me being blocked by the Holy Essence, Tohka is surprised by my appearance as she prepares to release another barrage of des.


    Unfortunately, the moment she raises her hand, I make use of the whip and have it swirled around her arm before pulling her toward myself.


    With that done, I catch Tohka''s body once she is close enough before nting an abrupt kiss on her lips.


    "You lose," I utter as I separate my lips from hers.


    Hearing this, Tohka pouts and says, "You know I can''t win against you."


    "There is always room for improvement," I say, bringing a smile to her face, only for it to go awaypletely the moment I utter my next words, "Of course, that applies to me too."


    "Come on," I say as I pinch her nose, "Don''t be dejected. Let''s just continue to get stronger together, alright? My cute little glutton."


    Tohka''s face getspletely flushed as she turns her head away and says, "Who is a glutton"


    Chuckling at her behavior, I give her another peck, this time on her left cheek before saying, "I will now spar with Jeanne. Would you like me to send you out of here?"


    Just as Tohka is about to say something, the sound of a stomach growling reaches my ears while the blush on her face grows marginally.


    Unable to hold back fromughing, I do so for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "Don''t worry, I had already expected this. So, I cooked more than usual for dinner and had a portion of it stored off."


    "Shido," Tohka says with sparkling eyes.


    Hah~ In the end, nothing else seems to beat food when ites to thisss


    --


    "It''s your turn now," I state as Ind in front of Jeanne.


    "Yes," she responds while tightening her grip on the banner''s pole.


    "Unlike with Tohka, I will be on the offensive while you defend."


    It''s about time that I tested just how powerful Jeanne''s defense capabilities are. Along with that, there is her endurance and vitality.


    Knowing that she is a woman that fought in many battles, they''re all bode to be awing, especially now that she is being ''blessed''.

 Chapter 308: Business in the Arena (4/4)

    Chapter 308: Business in the Arena (4/4)


    "Stay on guard; I will begin now," I state before abruptly appearing behind Jeanne and mming my palm into her back.


    Unable to react in time, my palm contacts her back and results in her sliding forward a few meters.


    Oh? She was able to take the attack with such ease? Usually, such an attack and the force used would''ve made my opponent''s feet leave the ground, yet Jeanne simply slid across the ground and nothing more.


    From the looks of it, she didn''t take much damage and isn''t feeling any pain either.


    Taking in a deep breath, I proceed to create a fancy-looking white rapier and point the tip at Jeanne.


    The next moment, I dash forth and appear right in front of her before attempting to pierce her right shoulder with the rapier.


    This time, she reacts appropriately by barely dodging the rapier and counters by throwing a punch at my chest.


    Having decided to be on the offensive, I refrain from using any of my abilities for defense, but instead, I channel Holy Essence into the rapier and release it hastily, resulting in Jeanne getting propelled back a little.


    Alright, I''ve already got the gist of her endurance, speed, and reaction speed. Now, the only thing left to figure out from her general capabilities is her defense.


    As such, I utilize Blink to create some distance between us before raising my right arm and channeling a significant amount of Holy Essence into it.


    Seeming to sense something, Jeanne''s expression changes as she fixes her banner into the ground and begins praying.


    [Oh Lord, bless this subject to ovee the ineluctable hurdle.]


    Uh I don''t know how to feel about attacking someone who is praying to me for protection.


    It''s odd, to say the least.


    Shaking my head, I release all the energy channeled into my arm in one go and use Light Maniption to abruptly split it into four beams once they''ve gotten close to her.


    My reason for doing this is simple - see whether Jeanne''s defense is strong all around her or only in one direction.


    Surprisingly, despite her being attack in four different directions, Jeanne remains unperturbed as she stands her ground while gripping her banner and chanting a prayer.


    Following this, a bright light shines from within her body before expanding and forming a golden barrier around her.


    Immediately after this, the four beams of light contact the barrier, resulting in an odd phenomenon taking ce.


    As if a vacuum has appeared around Jeanne, the four beams of energy get ''sucked'' into nothingness.


    Perplexed about this turn of events, I focus my sight on where the energy seemingly disappeared to, only to notice remnants of it leading to Jeanne''s body.


    No way Did she absorb it? Could thisss be immune to Holy Essence? Or is it all forms of ''light'' attacks in general?


    Either way, this is something that I should definitely look into, for all I know, she could be the natural bane of certain potential enemies that might appear in the future.


    With that thought swirling in my mind, I set my sight on Jeanne and prepare to rush at her with the intention ofpeting in close-quarterbat.


    --


    "Spectacr," I say as I stretch my arms upward, "Your capabilities exceeded my expectations."


    As a response to my praise, the exhausted Jeanne remains on her knees as she gasps for air.


    It sure took me a long damn time to get her tired. Her vitality is sure something else. It far exceeds that of the Devils and most others I''ve fought before.


    "Still," I say in a troubled tone, "This isn''t enough. I have yet to see how powerful your attacks are and whether if it''s more useful against multiple enemies or a single one."


    Hearing my words, Jeanne''s expression turns solemn as she closes her eyes, most likely intending to pray.


    "Wait," I say, causing her to open her eyes, "Were you nning to pray for more energy, err, strength?"


    "Yes," she responds in a weakened tone, seemingly still affected by exhaustion.


    "In that case, there is a much quicker method of restoring your body to prime condition."


    A curious glint shines within Jeanne''s eyes as she gazes at me keenly.


    "Here," I utter as I approach her and crouch in front of her.


    "If I recall correctly, you aforesaid that you dedicate your body to me, right?"


    "Yes, My Lord. All of me belongs to you. Make use of me as you deem fit, for there is no greater honor than serving you."


    "In that case, close your eyes," I state with a slight grin.


    Once Jeanne does as I ordered her to, I close whatever distance is left between us before casually pressing my lips against hers.


    Surprisingly, not only does she not react in any apparent manner to my actions, but she separates her lips, allowing me to insert my tongue inside her mouth.


    Naturally, I am not doing this with the intention of ying around, but to replenish her energy and examine her status while I am at it.


    As such, I channel Holy Essence into my tongue before having it gradually conducted over to her.


    ------------


    Name: Jeanne D''Arc


    Age: 19(0)


    Race: ????


    Str: 46 | Agi: 33 | Dex: 45


    Int: 50 | Def: 53 | Vit: 55


    Abilities:-


    La Pucelle -|- Divine Union -|- Revtion -|- Holy Servant (Passive) -|- Magic Resistance (Passive) -|- ???? -|- ????


    Utilities:-


    Luminosite Eternelle


    ------------


    What the


    I sure wasn''t expecting something this. From what I know, I can presume that I''m only able to ''see'' everything clearly once I tier up Analyze.


    To not bother the maiden too much, I separate my lips from hers once I have transferred enough energy over.


    "You may open your eyes," I say as I get up.


    Doing as I tell her to, Jeanne opens her eyes and lifts her hand to her mouth, touching her lips with the tip of her fingers.


    "How do you feel?" I question with a small smile.


    "I don''t know," she responds in an uncertain tone, "It''s like... I have reborn."


    Hey, hey, now. Reborn? Just from a kiss? Well, yes, it wasn''t just any ordinary kiss, but one endued with my Essence Energy. Even so, feeling like you''ve ''reborn'' from just that is too much, no?


    "Forget that," I say as I let out a sigh, "We can continue sparring now, right?"


    "Yes," she replies in a firm tone before picking up her banner and getting up on her feet.


    ---


    {Binary Factor detected.}


    Awakened by AI''s voice in my head, I keep my eyes shut as I use irvoyance to check the state of the house.


    After a quick scan, I find everyone sleeping in their rooms apart from Jeanne, Tohka, and Yoshino.


    Thetter trio is in my room, with Tohka and Yoshino both lying beside me, while Jeanne is sleeping on a ratherfy futon I created for her as per her request.


    Having seen that there is nothing out of the norm within the house, I use irvoyance to check outside, only to find a certain ck-haired girl wearing a red dress sitting on the roof, gazing at the sky.


    Why is she here? I believe our arrangement was in a few days from now? Well, she must have some business with me if she appeared here.


    Deciding that it''s in my best interest to meet her, I get out of the bed cautiously to prevent the duo sleeping beside me from waking up.


    With that done, I prepare to leave the house, but before I can do so, Jeanne raises her head from her pillow and looks over at me.


    Currently, the maiden is dressed in nightwear that I had created for her earlier. The said sleepwear consists of pale pink pajamas with small white figures all over them.


    The thing is, right now, for some reason, three of the torso''s buttons have been undone, giving me a clear view of Jeanne''s cleavage.


    That, coupled with the slightly sleepy expression on her face gives me an odd vibe that I find tempting


    Shaking such thoughts away from my head, I look into Jeanne''s eyes before raising my right arm and pressing my finger against my lips.


    Fortunately, my intention in doing so is conveyed properly as she gawks at me for a few seconds before setting her head back on the pillow.


    Seeing this, a gentle smile forms on my lips as I soundlessly approach her futon and crouch down beside it.


    Like this, I take a moment to gaze at her sleeping face before leaning forth and giving her a peck on the cheek.


    Hah~ This girl Ever since I summoned her, there was this odd connection that I felt between us. It was less noticeable back then, but now, it has be much more evident.


    Whenever I look at her, I feel like I am looking at my own daughter, tempting me to push her down and take her then and there.


    This is the reason I am troubled by her ''devotion'', as it gets in the way of us properly seeing each other from the same level.


    If I were topare her to someone else, it would be Origami. That girl is simr to Jeanne in the regard that she would do everything I tell her to, for the most part, that is.


    But, Jeanne is different. There don''t seem to be any exceptions and limits to what I can order her to do.


    Shaking my head, I decide that I will deliberate over this matter some other time as I directly use Teleportation to appear beside Kurumi.


    "You''rete," Kurumi remarks as she continues to gaze at the night sky.


    Raising my head, I mimic her by gazing at the stars as I reply, "I got a little caught up in my thoughts.


    "Never mind that, why are you here?"


    "Oh, Shido, no need to rush," she responds as she turns her head to face me, "My purpose for visiting you is to call you over."


    "To your base?"


    "Indeed. I believe you should head over as soon as possible."


    Frowning at her words, I say, "Did something happen?"


    "You will see when you get there. Don''t dally any longer, go."


    "Alright," I respond before using Teleportation to appear in Kurumi''s base.


    Using my senses, I look around a little before I find something that startles me.


    Knowing that I have no time to waste, I hastily dash over to the room in which Kurumi and Ellen are and barge in.


    Following this, I utilize Corporikinesis to check the unconscious Ellen''s body out before appearing in front of her and pressing my arm against her chest.


    Focusing on her insides, I use Corporikinesis to ''open paths'' within her, which, as a result, guides the chaotic energy spreading within her toward the only limb she has left.


    Once I''ve made every speck of the weird energy is contained in her arm, I proceed to use Destruction to destroy everything from her arm to her the tip of her fingers.


    Releasing a small sigh, I sit down on the sofa that her body is resting on as I use Healing Factor to heal her uppletely.


    "Oho?" a curious voice escapes from Kurumi''s lips.


    "Don''t worry," I say, "I know what I''m doing."


    Having said that, I use Corporikinesis once more and have a good look inside her nowpletely recovered body.


    After a short while, I find what I was looking for and proceed to ''tweak'' the innards of the still-unconsciousdy''s body a little.

 Chapter 309: Interrogation ; Oddity

    Chapter 309: Interrogation ; Oddity


    "You''re finally awake," I say in a casual tone upon seeing Ellen gradually open her eyes.


    The moment my voice fades, her eyes shoot wide open as an expression of pure malice covers her face.


    Shortly, her expression changes to that of confusion with hints of anxiety apparent within her eyes.


    "It seems like you''ve already noticed it," I say as I reach my arm forth and gently rub the tip of my finger against her motionless body, "You are now incapable of any form of movement.


    "In other words, other than your mouth, no body part of yours will respond to your will properly."


    As a response to my words, Ellen simply res at me for ten seconds or so before opening her mouth and inquiring, "What do you want?"


    "Me? I believe I was minding my own business until you and your littlerades decided to capture me or whatever."


    "Minding your own business, you say? Do you think we''re unaware?"


    "Unaware of what, exactly?" I query, intrigued by her wording.


    "You made contact with the other side, didn''t you? In fact, you came from there."


    Sensing the certainty in her voice, a perplexed look forms on my face as I deliberate on what this ''other side'' she''s referring to is.


    Could she be aware of the existence of tforms and the Rift? No, that shouldn''t be the case.


    Nevertheless, I should use an indirect approach to get her to speak.


    "Other side? What could you be speaking of?"


    "Don''t y dumb," she responds with a scowl, "There are traces of energy from the other side all over your body."


    Hm Traces of energy from the other side, she says. I doubt she''s referring to my Code so it must be something else. Even so, I can''t think of anything right now that would result in such a misunderstanding.


    Still, just to be sure, I should see whether she is speaking of my Code or not.


    With that thought in mind, I raise my right arm and make use of Light Maniption to form a small ball of light atop my palm as I say, "Is this what you''re speaking of?"


    As a response to my actions, Ellen''s expression turns gloomy as she opens her mouth and says, "Don''t make fun of me. You know what I am speaking of."


    Hah~ This girl doesn''t get it, does she? It is specifically because I don''t know that I am asking you.


    "Forget that," I say, "Right now, it''s your life that''s within my hands not the other way, so I am not obliged to answer any of your questions, but, you, on the other hand"


    "It''s useless," she says in a firm tone, "No matter what you do to me, I won''t say a single word."


    This again


    "Thest time someone said that to me, they died from falling a few hundred meters before getting revived and cooperating peacefully."


    "What?"


    "Nothing. I''m just saying that you will tell me everything you know, be it sooner orter. Trust me, the more you cooperate, the better it is for your mental stability."


    I could''ve begun questioning her through Indoctrination a while ago, but that would''ve probably lead me to a dead end. By doing what I am doing now, Ellen is most likely going to give in and share some ''less valuable'' information of her own ord. I could then ask her questions based on said ''less valuable'' information.


    "What are you nning?" Ellen''s voice with a tinge of uncertainty reaches my ears, seemingly taking my threat seriously.


    "An interrogation process," I respond nonchntly.


    ---


    "I suppose you''re nning to leave her here?" Kurumi''s voice reverberates within my ears as soon as I exit the room in which I interrogated Ellen.


    "Yes, as I simply have no other choice," I reply while shrugging.


    "You''re not going to stay?" she asks as I prepare to teleport away, to which I respond by nodding my head once.


    The information I have received is much more troubling than I thought it would be. I need to take some time to think of a few things.


    "If so, before you leave, allow me to inform you of something," she says as her tone gradually gets colder.


    Looking over at Kurumi who is standing a few meters away from me, I notice that she has a cold expression on her face, with her usual smile nowhere to be found.


    "Something has happened recently that weakened the barrier between the two sides."


    If it were earlier, I wouldn''t have understood what the ''sides'' signified, but now that I have interrogated Ellen, I have a general understanding of the term.


    Apparently, there exists a ''world'' parallel to the one that we''re in right now. ording to Ellen, no one has been able to sessfully cross over to the other side, but there have been a few cases of the opposite urring, or, at least, something simr.


    "Which means, she might appear," Kurumi continues, "And when she does, she will most definitely seek you out."


    "Why?" I ask, perplexed by Dominion''s insistence on meeting me. The only reasons I can think of right now amount to two. One; she has a past with me, hence why she would like to meet me once again.


    Two; Dominion wants something from me.


    There is a high chance that it''s both cases, so it''s meaningless to differentiate the two.


    "That, I do not know," Kurumi responds, "But it''s bugging me to no end that she wants what''s mine."


    Amused by her words, I chuckle for a few seconds before grinning and saying, "Yours? When did that ur."


    "Ara~ Shido, don''t tell me you''ve already forgotten what happened that eventful night," Kurumi utters in a frosty tone as time seems to slow down.


    Doubtful of my senses, I move my arm, only to notice that fissures in space ur as I do so.


    The sight is both awing and somewhat anxiety-inducing. Whatever it is that''s causing this, it''s most definitely rted to Kurumi''s current state.


    "Hey now, calm down, will you?" I say, my voice ''cracking'' as if I am speaking into a fan.


    As if just noticing that something is amiss, Kurumi''s brows furrow while everything around us returns to normal.


    "Are you alright?" I question as I walk toward her.


    From the looks of it, she was unaware of what she did but has an idea of what happened.


    "I''m fine," she responds with a smile on her lips after recollecting herself, "Please forgive me for my unsightly disy."


    "It''s fine, as long as you''re not hurt," I say, "Tell me if something is wrong okay?"


    It would be better not to dy my departure any longer, so I give Kurumi a peck on the lips before bidding her farewell and teleporting back to my room.


    ---


    "Good morning," I say to Kotori who just stepped into the kitchen while rubbing her eyes.


    "Good morning, Big Brother," she responds in a sleepy tone as she makes her way to the dining table.


    "You''re already dressed for school, I see," I state as I cast a nce at the uniform she has on, "Too bad, you won''t be going."


    "Eh?" a confused voice escapes from Kotori''s lips as she looks over at me with a questioning look on her face.


    "We have a date to go on, remember?"


    "Ah!" Kotori utters as a look of realization appears on her face, "We are going on a date? Just the two of us?"


    Rolling my eyes at the hassle of her having different ''personas'', I say, "There will be someone else with us."


    Hearing this, Kotori pouts as she rubs the tip of her finger against the table while muttering, "Tch. What a letdown."


    All of a sudden, Tohka, who was already seated at the dining table before Kotori arrived, turns her head to face me and hurriedly asks, "Shido, you''re going on a date?"


    "Yes, and no," I respond, "It''s different from the dates we went on."


    Looking at her, I notice that she wants to say something but is unsure, so I take this chance to say, "If you''re thinking of joining us, forget it."


    "Oh" she utters as she lowers her head in disappointment.


    "Don''t be like that," I say in a consoling manner, "I will take you on a date tomorrow, alright?"


    Hearing this, Tohka''s face brightens as she raises her head and excitedly nods her head.


    Releasing a sigh, I get back to preparing breakfast with a small smile on my lips as I think over the topics that will most likely be discussed during the ''date''.

 Chapter 310: Grouping ; Far From the City

    Chapter 310: Grouping ; Far From the City


    "Good morning," Natsumi says as she walks into the kitchen.


    "Good morning," I respond, "You''re up early."


    There isn''t much to do anyway, so wouldn''t it be better to sleep more?


    "Right," she merely responds as she takes a seat at the dining table.


    Seeing this, I shake my head a little before shifting my focus over to Kotori and saying, "Hey, have you woken the twins up? They''ve got to go to school too, you know?"


    Hearing this, Kotori hastily gets up from her seat and begins to make her way toward the staircase.


    "Well then," I utter as I telekically move everything I have prepared over to the dining table, "If you''re feeling hungry, you may start."


    As if having heard the most wonderful words in the world, a bright smile forms on Tohka''s lips as she examines the food in front of her.


    Unlike her, Natsumi exhibits no interest in the food as she simply stares in my direction.


    "Don''t tell me you''re nning toe to school too," I say while approaching the dining table.


    "No," she replies, "But I need to go out somewhere."


    "Oh?" I utter, my curiosity piqued, "Where exactly are you nning to go?"


    "Remember that girl that I had disguised myself as?" she asks in a dubious tone.


    "Yeah, what of it?" I respond.


    "I forgot to release her," she continues in a wry tone.


    ---


    "Excuse me, is Shido Itsuka present?" a male student''s voice reaches my ears a few minutes after the bell signifying the start of the first break rings.


    Looking over at the source of the voice, I find a ck-haired guy wearing round sses, who is looking around carefully.


    "Yes," a female student close to him responds, "He is the delinquent-looking guy sitting at the back."


    Hey, what part of me looks like a delinquent? Well, whatever.


    The guy thanks her before making his way over to my desk and saying, "Ms. Reine is asking for your presence in the infirmary."


    "Got it, thanks," I say as I get up from my seat and cast a nce at Origami before walking in the direction of the door.


    On my way to the infirmary, I use irvoyance to check my destination, only to find it empty.


    Huh? She''s not there?


    Perplexed, I move my sight out of the room and look around, only to find Reine standing in front of the door, talking to a woman that seems to be in her mid-thirties.


    Shortly, I reach the two and standby while listening to their conversation.


    "I will leave it you," Reine says, to which the woman responds by nodding her head with a gentle smile on her lips.


    Seeing the woman walk away and Reine looking over at me, I approach the tired-looking beauty and ask her, "What was that about?"


    "Nothing important," she responds, "I just asked her to take over for me while I am away."


    "The ''date''," I say while rasing a brow.


    "Correct."


    "Kotori should be in the Fraxinus, right?"


    "Not anymore," she responds, "Follow me."


    Having said that, Reine turns around and begins to walk at a moderate pace, after which I soon follow behind.


    --


    "Took you long enough," Kotori''s firm voice reaches my ears as Reine and I exit the school building.


    Neither of us responds to her remark as Reine continues walking while Ie to a halt and face Kotori, who currently has her ck ribbons on.


    "Today''s ''date'' is no simple matter," I state.


    "I am aware," she responds while squinting her eyes, "If I am not wrong, you n to reveal a few secrets you''ve been keeping from us, isn''t that right?"


    "Yes," I respond, "But that''s not all."


    With that said, I begin walking again, only to stand still once more as I set my sight upon a splendid white car moving toward Reine and stopping in front of her.


    Without any change in her expression, Reine walks around the front of the car and opens the driver''s door before getting inside.


    "Come on, let''s go," Kotori says as she pats my right shoulder once and walks toward the car.


    ---


    "It sure is taking us a long time to get wherever she is nning to take us," I say exasperatedly.


    "Yeah" Kotori utters with an uncertain look on her face.


    "What''s wrong?" I question as I extend my left arm and gently rub her cheek with my fingers.


    "The direction in which we are heading," she mutters, "But, why?"


    Hm Kotori seems to have a gist of where Reine is taking us.


    Currently, the two of us are in the backseat of the car while Reine is driving toward the destination she had in mind.


    The said destination is quite the distance away from where we set off, as I reckon that we have been on the way for well over an hour now.


    "Say, wouldn''t have been better if we took a faster method of transportation if we were going this far."


    "No," Reine bluntly responds to my inquiry.


    Despite being unsatisfied with herckluster response, I don''t press for more details, as something peculiar in the distance draws my attention.


    "Is that Remnants of a facility?" I question while gazing at a small worn-out building, beside which is a tall fence with multiple ''no-entry'' signs attached to it.


    "Not quite," Kotori responds, "This is just the entryway. What''s ahead of it will interest you more."


    But still, why? Why would Reine bring us here, and what was with Kotori''s reaction earlier upon realizing where this was?


    From what I can tell, this ce used to be a facility of sorts, and something happened that led to its abandonment.


    ---


    "We''re here," Reine says as the car slowly begins to decelerate.


    "Are you sure?" I say in a dubious tone while looking outside at the many buildings which seem to have been ruined by various factors.


    Instead of responding to me, Reine simply brings the car to a stop before unfastening her seat-belt and getting out of the car.


    Kotori and I both look at each other for a brief moment before we follow along and get off as well.


    As soon as I am out of the car, the scent of nature overwhelms my nostrils, perhaps due to the moss and vines all around us.


    The once perfectly-functioning facilities have now been reduced to such a worn state that makes it seem like a gust of strong wind could easily break what has remained.


    "I''m sure that you''ve already guessed it," Reine says as she walks in the direction of thergest building, "This ce is a part of where everything began."


    Where everything began? Is she referring to the matter with spirits and the organizations? But then, how?


    Don''t tell me the spirits were all the results of various experiments or something


    Shortly, the three of us enter the building through a giant hole in the wall and make our way to a somewhatrge rusty metallic door.


    "Beyond this door,ys the answer to most of your questions," Reine says, "However, you would first need to find a way to open it."


    "That''s not a problem," I say as I approach the door while channeling Destruction Essence into my right arm.


    Once I''m right in front of the door, I press my palm against it before releasing the energy umted within my arm in one short burst, resulting in the metallic door simply breaking down into imperceptible particles and revealing whatys on the other side.


    "Research reports?" I mutter as I step forth into the room and look around at the numerous papers all over the ce.


    The room we''re in seems to be one that held the records of many experiments and data obtained from various machinery.


    Nevertheless, with the way things are right now, I doubt there would be anything useful left ''undamaged''.


    From what I can see, quite a few of the papers lying around have be worn off, perhaps due to humidity changes in the room over the years and the fact that this ce seems to have been left alone for the past thirty years.


    This begs the question


    "Say, if this ce is of such importance and holds so much data," I state while turning around to face Reine who has also entered the room, "Why hasn''t anyone visited this ce before?"


    As a response to my question, Reine looks around for a few seconds before locking eyes with me and saying, "Because it has been proven extremely challenging for non-spirits toe here."


    "After the ''ident'' that urred, no ordinary human was able to set foot near this ce again."


    "What do you mean by that?" I question while mentally noting that her statement is akin to her admitting that she is a spirit.


    "Haven''t you sensed it?" Reine asks while gently waving her right arm in front of her, "The air here is much denser than elsewhere."


    A slight frown forms on my face as I focus my senses on the surroundings, only to be surprised by the presence of thins specks of foreign yet slightly familiar energy all around me.


    "I found something," Kotori''s voice suddenly reverberates within the room as she grabs a small stack of worn-out papers on a desk to the far left.


    She then makes a futile attempt in separating the papers from one another, leading to a disgruntled expression to cover her face.


    "Hold on," I say as I move toward her while reaching for the weapon in the holster attached to my waist and drawing it out.


    Noticing my actions, Kotori stares at the ''gun'' in my hand for a brief while before asking, "What is that?"


    "A product of careful exercise," I respond while slowly channeling energy into the weapon, resulting in blue streaks forming all over it.


    Before Kotori can make any remarks regarding my response, I adopt a serious look as I firmly state, "Set the stack of sheets back on the desk and step away."


    Hearing my words, Kotori looks at me a little suspiciously before ultimately nodding her head and backing away from the desk.


    Alright, hopefully, this works. I haven''t done much testing with this thing due to its high consumption of energy, so I am not sure if I can pull this off.


    In fact, I am extremely doubtful of it being able to reverse time to decades ago.


    Nevertheless, it''s worth a shot. At most, the time-reversal won''t be enough


    And so, I point the muzzle of my weapon at the stack of papers as the amount of energy being channeled through increases.


    {WARNING: Energy level below 25%}


    Along with AI''s warning, a disgusting amount of pain overwhelms my body from head to toe as I feel my head being squeezed by pressure.


    ''Reverse time as much as possible,'' I repeat within my head while trying my best to ignore the pain before pulling the trigger.


    The next moment, a high amount of energy condensed into a small blue orb gets released in the direction of the stack of sheets.


    Once the blue orb contacts the target, it expands just enough to cover the whole stack as well as a part of the desk underneath it.


    Exhausted, I let my right arm drop to my side as I watch the stack of papers with intrigue.

 Chapter 311: Records ; Equal Exchange

    Chapter 311: Records ; Equal Exchange


    With a solemn look stered to my face, I continue to gaze at the blue orb as barely perceptible changes take ce inside it.


    "Shido, what''s going on," Kotori says hurriedly as she takes a few steps back with her left arm raised and set in front of her eyes.


    "Just give it a moment," I respond in an exhausted tone.


    Contrary to my expectations, the blue orb takes much longer to go awaypared to thest time, topping at approximately five minutes.


    Once the blue orb dissipates and reveals the now-changed stack of sheets, I slump down to the ground due to fatigue.


    "Shido!" Kotori worriedly exims as she rushes to my side and holds me up by locking her right arm underneath my left arm.


    As for Reine, on the other hand, she simply walks past us and approaches the desk on which the stack of sheetsys.


    "Hmm," the woman hums as she begins to look at the papers one after another.


    Great. Looks like my ''sacrifice'' wasn''t for nothing. All that''s left is to figure out how much time I was able to reverse through the weapon.


    Of course, I am well aware of how hard of a task that could prove to be, so I shake the idea off, for now, and force my body to get back on my feet.


    "Hey, you need to rest," Kotori''s worried tone reverberates within my ears, "I don''t know what you did, but it seems to have tired you out a lot."


    Having said that, Kotori shifts her sight away from me and begins looking around for a few seconds before she spots something - a chair.


    Determined to have me rest, Kotori tries her best to support me as she slowly begins to guide me toward the chair.


    Like most of the objects in the room, the chair is worn out and looks like it''s in serious need of some repairing.


    Releasing a deep sigh, I lean back against the chair, causing it to creak as I feel my clothes getting a little wet.


    Hmm? Why is it wet, even if it''s not that much? Odd Now that I think about it, most of the ''damage'' done to anything present in the room seems to be the work of some liquid, which I assume is water.


    Be it through humidity or some other state, water has found its way to almost everything present in the room.


    I will look into this shortly, but for now, it''s time to see what this stack of sheets that I just ''fixed'' consists of.


    As such, I begin to make use of irvoyance to check out the papers that Reine is skimming through.


    Minutes pass by and aplicated look has formed on my face as I continue to peek at the content present within the papers.


    The reason for this is that the information I acquired is rather unusual and somewhat different from what I was expecting.


    Based on what I''ve read so far, the topics that the sheets cover can be split into two. One is the origin of spirits and theories rted to said matter.


    The second topic ispletely different from the first, as it covers the details of a secret experiment in which scientists attempted to create ''artificial gods''.


    Expectedly, the term ''artificial god'' was a fancy of referring to spirits.


    But, that''s not important. What I found worthy of interest is the data recorded regarding their experiments and how close they were to sess.


    "In the end, all their effort went down the drain," Iment as I take another look at the ruined room.


    Apparently, they had gotten quite close to achieving their objective, but there was one key item that was missing.


    The aforementioned item was absolutely necessary, as it practically acted as the ''core'' of their research.


    s, they were unable to get their hands on this object, which is shrouded in mystery with zero data regarding it being present within the papers.


    Either way, this has broadened my view regarding this tform and has definitely given rise to a few questions within my head.


    Currently, the question that''s bothering me the most is: Could all spirits be the products of some experiment?


    Although this seems too far-fetched and unrealistic in a lot of ways, it resolves quite a few things I had been doubtful of.


    Still for some experiments to be able to replicate Codes, even if way weaker, speaks leagues regarding how absurd this whole thing is.


    Hah~ This matter turned to be so troublesome


    Reine was right regarding this ce containing the answer to most of my questions, but in the end, I am going to be leaving with a headache due to what I''vee across here.


    "I see, no wonder" Reine mutters in a low voice while setting another paper aside, causing me to bring a halt to my thoughts and focus on her.


    This woman I need to settle everything with her properly. Today is a chance as good as any ever, so I better not let it go to waste.


    Gritting my teeth, I ignore the overwhelming jolts of pain all over my body as I get up from the chair and begin to walk toward Reine and Kotori.


    Noticing my actions, Kotori breaks her gaze from whatever she was looking at on the desk and says in a loud voice, "Hey, what did I tell you?! You need to rest!"


    "You''re wrong," I say while trying to appear asposed as I can with a small smile on my lips, "Can''t you see I''m doing just fine?"


    "Don''t push yourself," Kotori says, "We won''t hide anything from you if that''s what you''re worried about."


    Hearing her, I chuckle a little before shaking my head and saying, "I''ve already seen everything."


    "What?" Kotori utters in a confused tone as she stares at my face doubtfully.


    "Forget that," I state in a dismissive tone, not intending to borate on my abilities right now, "Reine, it''s about time we began our discussion, don''t you think?"


    As a response to my words, Reine''s hands which were shifting through the papers freeze in the air as she slowly turns her head to face me.


    "You''re right," she says casually as she sets the papers in her hands down and turns her body in my direction.


    Following this, the air tenses as silence ensues with neither of us apparently intending to break the silence.


    Perhaps realizing this, Kotori takes in a deep breath before turning to face me and asks, "Hey, what have the two of you been nning exactly?"


    "Nothing much," I respond while shrugging, "ording to our agreement, we would exchange vital information, but as I see it, neither of us knows where to start."


    Hearing my words, Kotori''s brows slightly furrow as she draws her hand to her mouth and begins to nibble on her finger with a look of deliberation on her face.


    A short whileter, she sets her arm down and peers into my eyes before inquiring, "You said you have hazy memories of various powers, right?"


    "That''s correct," I respond, not nning to reveal the whole truth just yet.


    "How powerful do you deem yourself to be?" she continues while squinting her eyes.


    I see how it is. On the surface, Kotori is asking me this in a way as if she has suspicions regarding something, but in reality, she wants to look into two things. First, my trust in her. Second, my powers.


    "I might be exaggerating a little," I say in a dubious tone, "But ttening this city shouldn''t take much time."


    As expected, my answer catches both of them off-guard as Kotori''s eyes widen while Reine''s gaze on me sharpens.


    It''s the truth. I am aware of how absurd some of my abilities can get if utilized properly, hence why I made such an assumption.


    As for hiding this from them, why should I? Not only will this pressure them and force them to makepromises with me in the future, but it would heighten my ''position'' in their eyes to the point that I could have their direct support for an operation that I might undertake in the near future.


    "That was quite the question to ask," I state with a friendly smile stered to my lips, "I presume you have something as equallypromising to share with me?"


    While it seems that my question is directed at Kotori, I am asking this of the two of them.


    Reine understands this as she releases a sigh before taking a few steps away from the desk as she says, "Like you, I also possess hazy memories."


    "Oh?" I utter in an intrigued tone, "Do your memories contain any abnormalities?"


    Upon saying this, I as I fixate my gaze on Reine''s face before saying in a firm tone, "Such as ''Spiritual'' abilities?"


    "Yes," she responds, surprising me a little since I expected her to be more reluctant about giving me a proper response, "I am a spirit."


    Hearing this, I shake my head with a wry smile on my lips as I state, "That''s no news to me. You should''ve tried harder in keeping that a secret."


    So I say, but I am aware that she herself knew about this.


    "As such, I will be asking you a question instead."


    To this, Reine simply nods her head once.


    "Earlier, why were you in DEM industries'' main building?"


    My question causes Reine''s eyes to widen slightly as Kotori looks at her with a curious glint in her eyes.


    "To set a captive spirit free," she responds after a few seconds.


    Hmm I somewhat expected this. Unlike Kotori who is visibly relieved, I am rather concerned about what she just said. After all, a spirit is being held captive, ording to her words.


    "Did you seed?" I continue to ask.


    "No."


    "Why?"


    This time, Reine goespletely silent as she continues to gaze at my face.


    "What; is the information iparable to what I shared with you?" I say in a slightly irritated tone.


    "It''s your turn to share once again," she says without any change in her expression.


    "Fine. How about this" I say as I move closer to Reine, "There are more of them."


    "More of what?"


    "Spirits," I respond, "Not only that, but those I speak of are much more powerful and dangerous than any of the spirits here."


    Having most likely paid attention to my wording, Reine repeats, "Here?"


    "That''s right," I reply while grinning, "They''re not here right now, but in a different world."


    "Another world," Reine mutters with a deliberative look on her face.


    If nothing goes wrong, Reine will most likely misunderstand the ''other world'' I speak of for the Neighboring World, if she knows about it, that is.


    "Now then That should be some valuable information in more ways than one. Could you answer my question now?"


    "I was discovered and stopped," she abruptly says.


    "By who or what?"


    "I don''t know," she responds as her expression bes a littleplicated, "It was so sudden that I had to make a quick retreat."


    Interesting. If she''s telling the truth, there is something in there capable of warding off spirits easily.


    "Tell me what your experience was like," I say, to which Reine responds by nodding her head once and beginning to recount what urred in the building.


    Once she is done, an odd expression has formed on my face as I ruminate over what she just said.


    Seriously? Golden bullets and fissures in space? Isn''t that Dominion?

 Chapter 312: Interruption ; Fun-Time

    Chapter 312: Interruption ; Fun-Time


    While scratching the back of my head, I walk back to the chair as I think of what Reine just said.


    Apparently, Dominion is present within the DEM industries'' main building. For what reason? That, I can''t figure out.


    "Based on your expression, you know what happened?" Reine''s voice reverberates within my ears as I settle down on the chair.


    "Yes, to an extent," I respond nonchntly before an idea suddenly pops up in my head.


    "That thing you encountered," I say in a low tone, "I have a strong feeling that if I make contact with it, all issues can be dealt with."


    My issues, that is. After all, if I settle the matter with Dominion and realizing her intentions, I could deal with whatever is left before taking my leave from this tform.


    This is all assuming I don''t lose my current body in a confrontation with the crypticdy in case she turns out to be hostile


    At this moment, I sense an abrupt change in the atmosphere. Upon checking out the anomaly, I notice that the specks of odd energy in the air have be unstable, changing form and convulsing in varied ways.


    Before I can ry this information to the two girls, an extremely sharp sound reaches my ears, causing me to block them with my hands as I struggle to get rid of remnants of the noise within my head.


    Taking a nce at the other two, I notice that they''re doing the same, with Kotori being on her knees, a pained expression covering her face.


    After a few minutes, I regain full rity of mind and proceed to get up from my chair before walking over to the two girls.


    "Are you okay?" I say as I reach out to Kotori''s head and rub it gently.


    "Yeah, somehow," she responds in a vexed tone as she grabs my arm and uses it to pull herself up in order to get back on her feet.


    "What was that?" I question while shifting my sight over to Reine.


    "It''s the same," she mutters.


    "The same? What are you talking about?" I say hastily, growing a little impatient due to the abnormality of the situation.


    "That noise," Reine exins, "It''s the same as the one that appeared over there."


    Oh, right. She did mention something like this during her recount of the failed rescue mission.


    She said that right before she was suddenly assaulted and forced to retreat, some annoying sound had rendered her immobile for a few seconds.


    In which case, whatever happened is most likely rted to Dominion.


    "Stay here," I state in a firm tone, "I will go check outside."


    Having said that, I get up from the seat and begin to make my way out of the ruined building.


    --


    Once outside, I immediately notice that something is off. Using my senses, I run a quick scan of the area, only to be stunned upon noticing the body of an unconscious girl that seems to be sixteen years old lying at the center of a somewhatrge crater.


    Despite the situation, the girl has no signs of injury over her body, and the white dress she is wearing is spotless.


    Intrigued, I begin walking toward the crater that''s about a hundred meters away from where I stood while keeping my ''sight'' on the mysterious young girl.


    Shortly, I find myself crouching right beside the girl and using Corporikinesis to check whether she is alive or not.


    {Warning: Unable to initiate entity analysis due to interference from unstable energy. Please leave the location as soon as possible.}


    Great; just what I needed.


    Hmm What do I do with her? For starters, I should probably make sure she is not a certain person.


    With that in mind, I reach my arm out to her delicate face and use my fingers to gently peel her eyes open and look at their colors - Blue.


    Both irises are blue, unlike the ones I had seen before, which were red and blue.


    Releasing a sigh, I slide my arms underneath the girl''s body and lift her from the ground as I rise up.


    Following this, I turn around and walk in the direction of the car we took to get here is at.


    ---


    "So, are you going to exin this anytime soon?" Kotori says in a displeased tone as she nces at the unconscious girl''s face.


    Currently, Reine is driving back to the city, while Kotori is seated at the passenger seat beside her.


    As for me, I am sitting in the back, next to the window, with the head of a certain unconscious girl on myp.


    "Well, yeah," I respond as I think over my words for a few seconds before saying, "When I left you two, I came out and found her a short distance away, lying on the ground while in this state."


    "Could she have been here before, and we just missed her?" Kotori questions.


    "Impossible," I respond as I shake my head, "If she were there earlier, I would''ve definitely noticed her."


    After all, something like a crater with a girl lying in it isn''t something easy to miss.


    "So, what do you n to do?" Kotori says as she furrows her brows, "Don''t tell me you want to bring her back home and give her the only room left"


    "Perhaps," I say in a dubious tone, "But, first, I need to make sure that she''s safe. As such, I will have her board the Fraxinus."


    "Hey! Don''t use the Fraxinus as your personal little prison!" Kotori exims in a miffed tone.


    "Sure, sure," I say as I gaze outside.


    ---


    In the end, even after reaching the flying vessel and moving the girl over to a special room with an energy container at its center, she still wouldn''t wake up.


    Oddly, even after we had exited the facility''s premises, AI was still unable to analyze her properly, with the only resulting up being that the girl is not a human.


    As simple as that may sound, it means quite a lot. Even so, it mostly made me wonder what she could be.


    So, out of curiosity, I inquired about AI''s analysis concerning the race of the spirits I have encountered so far, to which she surprisingly responded with ''human'' for all of them.


    For that reason, I tried to figure out the nature of the unnamed girl''s existence through Corporikinesis. Unfortunately, no matter what method I used, her body was simr to that of any ordinary human''s body.


    "Shido," a voice calls out, bringing a halt to my thoughts, "Are you sure this is the right ce?"


    Focusing back on reality, I find Kotori with a doubtful look on her face as she points at a building in front of us.


    Right now, the two of us are standing in front of a small building that was chosen by me as the location of our date for the evening.


    I had been dissatisfied with the way things turned out earlier, so I proposed a continuation of our date to Kotori while aboard the Fraxinus, which she ''reluctantly'' epted.


    Regrettably, Reine refused me when I invited her as well, iming that she had a lot of work to do.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I glimpse at the building.


    "Yes," I respond nonchntly as I look at the numerous devices inside, "We''re going to be spending some time in this arcade."


    "Who suggested this?" Kotori says as the corner of her mouth twitches.


    "No one did," I respond while shrugging, "I just thought that this ce is a suitable one for our date."


    Hearing this, Kotori just releases a sigh as she lowers her head and presses her palm against her forehead.


    As a response to her actions, a smile forms on my lips as I pat her back and say, "You''ll understand why in a few minutes."


    --


    "Ooh, this is better than I thought," Kotori utters excitedly as she pulls the trigger on the fake assault rifle she''s carrying while pointing the muzzle at some spider-like monster on the screen.


    "I told you, didn''t I?" I say before chuckling and approaching her from behind.


    Most likely sensing me, Kotori hurriedly says, "What are you doing?"


    "Nothing," I say as I wrap my left arm around her waist and pull her close to myself.


    Following this, I raise my right arm and ce my palm atop the hand that''s holding the fake assault rifle.


    "How about this," I say in a low tone as I move the fidgeting Kotori''s finger away from the trigger and cing mine in its ce, "You aim, and I shoot."


    Before Kotori can respond to my words I continue, "However, whenever you miss, I will give you a ''point'' as a penalty. Once we''re out of here, I will give you kisses on whatever part of your body I desire, in ordance with the amount of ''points'' you have."


    And so, ignoring the deeply flushed Kotori and the few bystanders casting nces at us, I look over at the screen disying a ''you lose'' message before smiling and telekically inserting a few coins into the machine.

 Chapter 313: (Spoiler)

    Chapter 313: (Spoiler)


    "That''s already the hundredth time you have missed," I whisper into Kotori''s ear as I tighten my hold on her thin waist.


    "It''s because of you!" sheins as her body fidgets slightly.


    Hearing her words, I chuckle a little and say, "How is it my fault? You''re the one aiming, no?"


    This time, Kotori doesn''t say anything as a response as she simply grits her teeth and tries her best to urately point the gun''s muzzle at the enemies disyed on the screen.


    "Do you enjoy teasing me so much?" Kotoriins in a low tone as she uses her left hand to lower my arm away from her modest breasts back to her waist.


    "Yes," I bluntly respond as I move my face closer to hers before giving her a quick peck on her soft cheek.


    My actions cause her body to flinch, which ordingly results in her missing yet another monster on the screen.


    "Looks like we''re going to be very busy tonight," I say teasingly.


    ---


    Exiting the arcade alongside Kotori, I glimpse at the darkened sky stretching my arms upward.


    "How are we going back?" Kotori asks.


    "We''re going to fly through the air," I respond nonchntly.


    Due to my suspicion regarding Dominion having increased recently, I have begun refraining from using teleportation.


    As such, in order to arrive in the arcade, we had the Fraxinus ''drop'' us off nearby.


    Now, however, I feel like spending some more time with Kotori, so I decided it would be better to fly through the night sky instead of having the vessel pick us up and drop us off elsewhere.


    "Are you sure?" Kotori questions in a dubious tone.


    "Why not?" I ask back, "It''s not like being spotted would make much of a difference, considering what most conversation topics nowadays consists of."


    By saying this, I am reminding Kotori of the recent ''blunder'' that was the result of the two flying vesselsbating so close to the city.


    A lot of questions have been raised by the citizens which the government is having a hard time answering.


    From the looks of things, it won''t be long before the matter blows up internationally.


    Either way, this won''t affect me as much as it will the organizations all over the globe which specialize in hunting down spirits.


    Truly, a mess.


    "If anything," I continue from my earlier words, "Being seen would cause more issues for the organizations after me."


    "That includes Ratatoskr too, you know?!" Kotori rebukes.


    To this, I simply shrug before taking a step forth and floating into the air after taking a quick look around for pedestrians.


    Following this, I point my finger at Kotori and telekically lift her off the ground and pull her toward myself.


    Perhaps already used to my actions being abrupt and uncalled-for, Kotori doesn''t react to the sudden movement much as she simply lets me wrap my arms around her.


    "Hold on tight," I whisper before shooting toward the sky at a brisk speed.


    ---3rd POV---


    "It''s done," a ck-haired man sitting in front of aputer screen proims as he leans back against his chair.


    "The results?" a white-haired woman quickly questions as she approaches the desk with her sight directed at the monitor.


    "As expected, there is nothing about her that stands out from the rest..." the man responds with an uncertain look on his face.


    Hearing this, the woman, who is none other than Reine, frowns a little as she mutters, "That''s not possible."


    "How urate are the results?" she inquires after a minute of deliberation.


    "Not very much," the man responds, "We can''t make anyparisons as we don''t have any other data topare these to."


    Reine opens her mouth to say something, but before she can do so, a beeping noise emanates from theputer in front of the man as a warning appears within a red rectangle.


    Remaining calm, the man clicks his mouse a few times before typing a few lines in through the keyboard while announcing, "She has woken up."


    "I see," Reine responds, "Contact themander."


    "Understood."


    ---1st POV---


    While sitting at the dining table with the rest of the girls, I notice Kotori''s expression change suddenly.


    Having also heard the wordsing from the inte she has equipped, I make haste in finishing my portion of dinner.


    Kotori notices this and I assume also figures out the reason behind it as she also begins to eat a little faster.


    A few minutester, the two of us rise up from our seats at the same time, earning us curious looks from the rest, but we ignore them and both head toward the stairs.


    Once the two of us reach my room, Kotori immediately presses her finger against the inte before saying, "For how long has she been awake?"


    "Since half an hour ago,"es a response, "For now, we are keeping track of her emotional state."


    "Good," Kotori utters before lowering her hand focusing her gaze on me.


    "What?"


    "You heard it, didn''t you? That girl that you found there and brought over to the ship has woken up."


    "I assume there have been no issues so far?" I inquire.


    "Indeed," she responds with a thoughtful look on her face, "If that were the case, they would have reported it to me right away."


    "Alright, alright," I say, "So, what now? Should we head over to the Fraxinus?"


    "Of course," Kotori responds as she gives me a ''what else is there to do'' look.


    "In that case, the location of the ship" I say as my voice trails off, knowing that Kotori understands what I''m implying.


    "Can''t you ''teleport'' there like usual?" she asks with an uncertain expression.


    "Not anymore," I respond with a shrug, "My current circumstances prevent me from using that ability."


    "What do you mean?" she questions as she narrows her eyes.


    "Don''t think of it too much," I say as I move a few steps closer to her and wrap my arms around her waist, "For now, let''s settle the matter with the girl before returning home and going through with your ''punishment''."


    Hearing my words, thess whose face had already been a little reddened the moment I moved closer, gets even more flushed.


    Seeing her like this, I chuckle a little before moving my face closer to her and giving her a mild peck on the lips.


    Following this, I abruptly lift her and turn her body to the side while sliding my hand from her waist to her legs, so that she is lying within my arms in a princess-carry.


    "Ready?" I ask as I look into Kotori''s eyes.


    "Just go already," she utters as she turns her face away from me.


    To this, I chuckle once more before gradually floating up and utilizing Permeation to pass through the roof.


    ---


    "Finally," Kotori mutters as I set her down once we''re aboard the Fraxinus.


    Currently, the two of us are in a room which I had entered from the outside through the usage of Permeation.


    The room seems to be a storage room of sorts, albeit one that is different from what would usuallye to one''s mind when thinking of normal storage rooms.


    Indeed, the storage we''re in right now is one that holds quite a range of weaponry and other equipment.


    Expectedly, they all have the ''futuristic'' vibe to them simr to most other equipment I haveid eyes on during my stay in this tform.


    Soon, my interest in the room wanes away as I notice that Kotori is shivering.


    "What''s wrong? Do you feel cold?" I question while pressing myself against her back and wrapping my arms around her as I take her hands into mine.


    "Of course, I will, you idiot!" she responds in a ming tone, "You were flying at such a speed at this time. It would be weird if I didn''t feel cold!"


    "Come on, now," I say as I roll my eyes, "Your body is capable of producing mes, so can''t you just ''deal'' with the cold?"


    "Easier said than done," she responds as she pouts, "I can''t use my powers however I wish."


    "What do you mean?" I say, "Actually, how about you try to use them right now in front of me?"


    As a response to this, Kotori shakes my arms away before taking a few steps forth and turning around to face me.


    "See?" she says as she extends her right arm, after which a small ball of a me appears on her hand.


    "Eh?" a bewildered voice escapes from Kotori''s lips as her eyes widen.


    "How?" she mutters with confusion apparent within her eyes.


    "Right," I say as I scratch the back of my head, "I had forgotten to tell you this, but I can allow those who have been sealed by me to use their powers ording to how I will it."


    Nevertheless, this just now confirms something that had been guing my mind before  Kotori''s powers have been sealed by me.


    However, what about before the happenings of that night, during which she burned her bed-sheet? Was she sealed before then? If so, by what or whom?


    Or was it unnecessary?


    Either way, it''s good now that I have confirmed there is a ''connection'' between us.


    "Are you sure?" Kotori suddenly says in a baffled tone, "Since when did you know this?"


    "Quite some time ago," I respond with a small smile stered to my lips.


    "And the reason you didn''t tell us this earlier?" she continues as she frowns.


    "Well," I say, "As I said, I forgot."


    "You expect me to believe that?" she rebukes.


    "Believe whatever you will," I say nonchntly, "Come on, let''s not waste any more time and head over to where the rest are."


    Having said, I walk past Kotori who seems to have many more question she would like to ask, and phase through the door that has been sealed shut.


    Taking a nce at the door, I shake my head slowly before beginning to walk through the corridor toward the control room.


    Surely, as themander, she can get that door to open one way or another


    ----

 Chapter 314: Meeting ; Friendly

    Chapter 314: Meeting ; Friendly


    Upon finally reaching the control room, I am met with the sight of a bustling crew as they work around with data appearing on theirputer screens.


    While this is going on, two individuals - a man and a woman - are standing beside themander''s seat, looking over the rest with sincere looks on their faces.


    Looking at the two, I feel a little ufortable thinking about the way the male acted thest time I interacted with him.


    Nevertheless, I shake my head in mild exasperation before walking over toward them.


    "Hello," I say nonchntly once I am close enough to the duo.


    "Ah, Shin," Reine utters as a response to my greeting before looking behind me and saying, "And themander?"


    "Kotori? Well, she will be here soon probably."


    Hearing this, the two of them both furrow their brows a little, but I heed that no attention as I turn my head to the right and say, "How has she been acting?"


    My question revolves around the girl that''s currently being disyed on therge screen present in the control room.


    From what I can see, she is in a state of confusion as she motionlessly sits on the bed in the room I had left her in.


    "Nothing," Reine responds, "She has been like that ever since she woke up."


    "Is that so?" I say as I begin to ruminate over the reasons the girl hasn''t attempted anything yet.


    Could she not have supernatural abilities? I doubt that, after all, she was recognized by AI to be ''inhuman''.


    ording to how it usually is, she should be capable of some feats, so it''s odd that she hasn''t tried to at least break out of the room she is in.


    "I will talk to her," I state.


    "Understood," Reine responds, surprising me a little due to how easily she agreed with my statement  not like doing otherwise would''ve changed anything.


    ---


    Due to having been there once before, I easily made my way to the room that the girl is in.


    However, I am then faced with a slight issue  the inability to open the door that leads inside.


    Fortunately, someone from the control room seems to have noticed my ''plight'' as the panel attached to the wall beside the door disys a single message, ''override'', as the door slowly opens.


    Following this, I adopt a small smile as I step inside the room, after which I directly set my gaze upon the girl that''s still sitting on the bed.


    AI, are you able to make any further analysis?


    {Affirmative.}


    {Threat level: 1}


    Oh? That''s lower than I expected.


    Nevertheless, for AI to provide this information, it should mean that she has been able to the girl''s parameters or something along that line.


    A few secondster, the girl notices my presence as she raises her head and turns it to face me.


    Our eyes lock as the surrounding air seems to be tense.


    "Reine," I say as I move my finger to the inte, "Unlock the barrier''s ''door''."


    Shortly after I do so, the panel attached to the white door leading inside the energy barrier shifts colors from red to green as a beeping noise reverberates within the room.


    My expression remains unchanged as I slowly begin walking again while keeping my eyes locked with the girl.


    Unexpectedly, even after I get past the barrier, the girl disys no signs of apparent hostility, nor does she make any movements.


    She couldn''t be... ''empty inside'' or something, right?


    Deciding to put this thought to the test, I create a small stool and take a seat on it.


    This time, the girl finally moves, even if it''s just her eyes, as they are now focused on the stool I just created.


    "Impressed?" I say as the smile on my lips grows a little.


    The girl doesn''t say anything for a brief while before she opens her thin lips and asks in a soft voice, "Who are you?"


    Good. She at least seems to not be empty like I feared her to be.


    "No one important," I respond, "Just a person with some irrelevant supernatural abilities who found your unconscious body and decided to provide you a ce to stay temporarily."


    The reason I responded to her in such a manner is for two reasons. First, the way I am stating it along with her confused mental state would make the story usible and most likely result in her stopping from inquiring any further into the matter.


    As for the second reason, it would be to lightly look into how much the girl knows and whether she is used to the ''supernatural'' as I have been calling it as such.


    Expectedly, the girl takes in the info and focuses on a certain part of it as she utters, "Supernatural abilities?"


    "Indeed," I respond as I feign excitement and raise my right arm before utilizing Telekinesis to raise a few objects nearby into the air.


    "Isn''t it amazing?" I say while forming a proud smile on my lips.


    "Ah Yes," the girl responds after being dazed for a few seconds.


    "Don''t be like that," I say as I slowly shake my head, "Do you know how easier it is to prepare coffee in the morning with this ability?"


    "Coffee?" the girl repeats in a low tone, but I can hear her clearly regardless.


    As I expected. This girl she is not from ''here''. It''s possible that she is from the other side, in other words, the Neighboring World.


    "Where are we?" the girl suddenly asks.


    "Aboard a ship," I respond with a smile, "A flying one."


    Hearing my response, the girl''s brows raise as she looks around for a few seconds before asking, "What are these?"


    Knowing that she is referring to the energy barrier, I shrug and say, "Something to keep anything harmful from getting inside here."


    And vice versa, but I don''t need to tell her that, because I am sure she would figure that out herself if she is even a little thoughtful.


    "Alright," I say as I p my hands, "How about we introduce ourselves?"


    The girl nods once as confirmation.


    "I''ll go first," I say as I press my fingers against my chest, "My name is Victor, and I am a male Spirit."


    The girl didn''t react to my name in any meaningful way, but she sure as heck reacted to the words ''male spirit''.


    Shock and confusion were what I saw within her sapphire eyes as she seemed to deliberate on something.


    "Your turn," I say, my expression remaining unperturbed.


    "Ah, okay," the girl responds a little hurriedly, "I am Hibiki, a Quasi-Spirit."


    Quasi-Spirit? Iplete Spirits? Either way, this is an intriguing discovery.


    "Say, Hibiki (Hibiki-chan)," I say in a friendly tone, "Do you have any idea how you ended up in the state you were in when I found you?"


    Upon hearing my inquiry, Hibiki''s face darkens as she slightly lowers her head and mutters something unintelligible to herself.


    "Hibiki?"


    "Queen," she says in a low tone with hints of fury and hatred, "She suddenly appeared and attacked me."


    "Who is this ''Queen'' individual that you speak of and why do you think she attacked you?"


    "Her title is White Queen, and she usually remains within her Region, Binah, but for some reason, she intercepted me while I was on my way to meet Ariadne."


    There are a lot of unfamiliar terms contained within her statement, but I can sense that there is no falsity in her words, which is strange.


    To be frank, I find it strange that this girl is so cooperative


    Unable to hold my curiosity back, I interrupt Hibiki and ask, "Do you not find me suspicious? I mean, I am d that you are responding to me earnestly, but nevertheless, for you to share information so easily"


    For the first time since I have seen her, the girl''s expression changes pletely'' as a bright smile forms on her lips.


    "It''s okay; I can tell that you don''t want to harm me."


    Even so Well, whatever. Still, for this girl to be able to sense malicious intention; she must either have some rough history or a special ability of sorts.


    "Shi-i-do!" a furious voice reaches my ears as a figure with fiery-red hair stomps into the room.


    Turning the stool in order to face theer, I smile and say, "You''re finally here, Kotori."


    Giving me a sharp look, Kotori hastens her steps andes to stop once she is less than a meter away from me.


    Following this, the obviously displeased Kotori res at me and says, "How could you leave me in there and leave by yourself?!"


    "Why not?" I respond casually, "You''re themander; getting a door to open on your ship should be a breeze."


    "A breeze, you say?" she responds in a shaky tone, "Do you know how embarrassing it was to exin why I was stuck in the storage room, alone?"


    Huh? Couldn''t she have just said ''I was ditched in here by Shido'' and be done with it? Or perhaps, that''s the part she was embarrassed about?


    "Um" a perplexed voice reaches my ears as Hibiki, who is unsure of what''s happening, utters, "Can we leave this room? It''s a little ufortable here."


    "Sure," I respond as I turn my head to face her, "I hope you will answer more of my questions while we do so."


    After all, there are quite a few things that I am curious about.


    "Of course," she responds in a tone so bright that my eyes were tricked into ''seeing'' her glowing.

 Chapter 315: Questions ; Location

    Chapter 315: Questions ; Location


    Walking through the Fraxinus'' corridors, I take a nce at Hibiki who is walking to my right, and say, "So, what are you going to be doing, now that you are here?"


    "Here?" the girl repeats as her eyes focus on my lower back for a brief moment.


    Normally, I would be either suspicious or concerned about such an action, but from what I could tell, there was a glint of confusion in her eyes.


    "Yes, here," I reply with a smile, deciding to not mention her odd actions just yet, "This isn''t the Neighboring World, but Earth, you know?"


    A look of realization appears on her face before she lowers her head and seemingly begins to ruminate over her situation.


    "For the time being," Kotori, who is walking to my left, interjects, "She can continue to stay aboard the Fraxinus."


    While saying that, she gave me a warning look, which I take as her being suspicious of Hibiki, so she wants to keep her under watch here.


    "Sorry to trouble you," Hibiki says as she raises her head with a bittersweet smile on her lips.


    Seeing her like this, I instinctively raise my right arm and ce my palm atop her head as I say, "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine. If you''re concerned about not being able to go back to the Neighboring World, I will find a way to get you back there."


    My words are simply tofort her and by no means what I actually n to do. Even if I were to find a method to get to the Neighboring World, it would be in order to fulfill my objective.


    And so, we continue to walk toward our destination as I ask Hibiki one question after another regarding the Neighboring World.


    ---


    Shortly, the three of us reach the control room, immediately after which two pairs of eyes lock onto us.


    "Commander!" a loud voice reverberates within the room as a certain blond-haired man walks over with excitement apparent on his face.


    This guy, Kyouhei Kannazuki, is an odd one. Earlier, he seemed to control himself due to the importance of the situation, but now that Hibiki is confirmed to at least not be a direct threat, he is back to how he usually is.


    Kyouhei continues to walk toward Kotori with seemingly no intentions to stop, but before he can get too close, I bring a halt to his movements by forming a force to weigh down on him through Vector Maniption.


    Speaking of which, I have noticed that the ability has be much easier to use recently. Previously, I would need to focus on more than a quite few things at once to use it, which in turn made it a little ''slow'' to use, but now, the many things have seemingly merged into one ''point'' that I can focus on.


    To put it in simpler terms, it''s almost as if Vector Maniption has sub-effects, simr to Code Essences and Effects, and I just so happen to have ''found'' one of them.


    Bearing the sudden weight that appeared, Kyouhei lets out a groan as his expression contorts a little, causing Kotori to give him a curious look before shifting her gaze to me.


    As a response to this, I simply shrug and say, "He can say whatever he wants to stay from there. No need to get so close."


    Kotori simply nods her head before she looks back at Kyouhei and inquires, "Did something happen?"


    "Yes," Kyouhei responds in a manner as if he is suffocating for air while his legs be a little shaky, "The results for the anti-matter research are out."


    Seeing him struggle so much, I reckon that he has understood what shouldn''t be done by now, so I revoke the force on him, after which the man visibly rxes as he wipes a bead of sweat on his forehead.


    "And?" Kotori says hurriedly, obviously very keen about the results the man spoke of.


    "ording to the data, it''s highly likely that the enemy has made use of heavily frowned upon methods to obtain such a weapon."


    Hold on Anti-matter? Wasn''t that what was mentioned during my interrogation sessions? So, the Ratatoskr crew knew about it and has even been researching it?


    Although I have a few questions, I continue to listen to their conversation.


    "What methods?" Kotori questions with a frown.


    "Experiments," a woman''s voice resounds within our ears as Reine appears behind Kyouhei and approaches us, "Not just any experiments, but ones done on live subjects. As for the ones experimented on"


    "Spirits" Kotori finishes as the frown on her face grows.


    "Correct," Reine says as she looks over at the giant screen, which is now disying some jargon that I assume is the results they are speaking of.


    As horrible as it sounds, it''s quite intriguing for DEM industries to be able to obtain anti-matter in such a manner. One must know that the destructive capabilities of such a thing is nothing to scoff at. If anything, I am getting concerned about whether they have more of it, and exactly how much if they do.


    Aside from that, what their method of ''production'' is, and how much can they ''produce'' within a certain period?


    All in all, such thoughts are forcing me to dispose of my earlier ns of slowly taking over for a much more direct approach, such as infiltrating their base and doing what needs to be done.


    In fact, doing so would be beneficial in another way, after all, Reine did speak of an assault on her which was most likely from Dominion. From the start, I have been here to meet this mysterious and capable Code, so it would be a case of killing two birds with one stone if I were to infiltrate.


    The only thing that I need to be wary of is whatever other trump cards that the enemy might not have revealed.


    From what I have gotten out of Ellen, who is at Kurumi''s ''base'', and Ashley, who I have left in the Arena, the anti-matter is the only trump card other than the director himself.


    Unfortunately, Ellen couldn''t answer me when I asked why the director could be considered as a trump card, so I can only assume that the man is extremely powerful himself or has some astounding abilities.


    "Something else," Kyouhei suddenly continues, "We have detected traces of a spirit from a private ind that belongs to none other than DEM."


    "However," he continues before Kotori can say anything, "Something was off. It was almost as if the signal captured was a call for aid."


    Call for help? A spirit? From whom? Another spirit?


    Such questions gued my mind to no end, after all, it indeed is unusual for a spirit to call for help  in such a manner too.


    "What do we do?" Kyouhei asks in a solemn tone.


    Hearing this, Kotori presses her finger against her chin as she begins to deliberate over the matter seriously.


    After a whole minute, her eyes widen as she turns her head to face me and says straightforwardly, "What do you think we should do?"


    "But, Commander-!" Kyouhei voices his dissatisfaction, but Kotori only gives him an icy look to shut him up before looking at me with a small smile on her lips.


    Ignoring the man who is now writhing with a disgusting look on his face, I state bluntly, "It would be for the best for me to investigate this ind, alone."


    Also, while I am at it, I could investigate whatever interesting machinery or weaponry they have over there, and in case there is nothing, simply sink the whole damn thing once I settle the matter with the spirit.


    "Then we will do that," Kotori surprisingly agrees right away.


    Perhaps, she is nning to ask me for the details once we''re alone, in other words, at home?


    "Don''t forget her," I say as I point at Hibiki who has been standing in ce with a bright smile on her lips, showing no reaction to whatever we say.


    Nevertheless, hearing my words and seeing me pointing at her, her attention gets drawn as she gazes at Kotori''s face keenly.


    As if sensing her gaze, Kotori coughs once before saying, "As I said, she will stay here. Of course, we will provide her a better ce to stay than that room."


    Satisfied with her words, I nod my head once before grinning and saying, "Since we''re done here, we should head back home now. Surely, the rest are wondering where we have disappeared to by now."


    Hearing my words, Kotori''s face gets a little flushed, but she quickly regains herposure and says, "You are right, we should go back."


    Indeed. Kotori should be aware of what''s going to happen once we''re home, hence her reaction from a moment ago

 Chapter 316: Chance ; Late-Night Visit

    Chapter 316: Chance ; Late-Night Visit


    With nothing left to do, I exited the Fraxinus with Kotori in my arms as I began flying in the direction of our home.


    Unlike earlier when we flew from the house to the ship, Kotori''s body is covered by a ck coat in order to prevent her from feeling cold, or at least, not as much as before.


    As for her face, she simply resorted to burying it into my chest instead as a solution.


    Shortly, I arrive right on top of the house and proceed tond in front of the front door.


    Frankly, I would''ve preferred to phase through the roof and directly arrive in my room, but since I have already reached the limited number of times I can use the ability in one day, that''s not possible.


    As such, I set Kotori down on the ground before reaching my arm out to the door handle and lowering it, only for the door to not budge at all as I push it.


    "They locked the door," I say in a slightly exasperated tone.


    Well, whatever. Something like this not that troubling.


    To deal with our little issue, I use my senses to carefully check the door''s locking mechanism out for a few seconds before telekically unlocking it.


    "Let''s go inside," I say as I push the door open.


    ---


    How did it end up like this?


    Currently, I am sitting with my back against a sofa in the living room, and to my sides are the twin sisters, who, for some reason, are pressing their bodies against my shoulder.


    Now, it''s not like I dislike the sensation or anything, but the other girls are giving me some rather cold looks.


    Why? Well, it probably has something to do with Kaguya''s exmation from a minute ago, regarding how it''s about time that she and Yuzuru began putting a serious attempt into seducing me.


    iming that due to me being busy quite a bit, they never had their chance, and now since we''re at home and I have nothing to do until it''s time to go to bed, they''reunching an all-out attack without a care for how the rest feel about all this.


    "How is it," Kaguya says as she brings her face closer to mine and tightens her grip on my hand, "Do you feel aroused by Kaguya''s divine body yet?"


    I probably would have if we didn''t have spectators. Nevertheless, I remain unperturbed on the outside as I casually nce at her and say, "This much is nothing."


    Upon hearing my words, Kaguya''s eyes widen for a moment before she pouts and presses her body against my arm even harder.


    "Hey, you know that letting me feel your ribs isn''t going to help you"


    "Kaguya knows that!" she exims, seemingly offended by my words, "What else is Kaguya supposed to do!"


    A lot of other things, but I can''t exactly tell her seduction methods with the cold gazes from behind me.


    Speaking of which, why are they sitting at the dining table anyway?


    I understand Tohka since she is munching down on a te of food in front of her  not that it stops her from ring at me alongside the other two.


    However, I don''t get the reason that Kotori and Natsuki are sitting at the table with her.


    Everyone else is in their rooms, yet these two are sitting at the table despite having no intentions to eat.


    Well, whatever. I suppose I can tease the twins a little since they are willing to go through with this seduction n of theirs.


    All of sudden, Kaguya lets out a cute yelp, which is most likely a response to me sliding my hand underneath her and squeezing her pert butt.


    "Inquiry: Is something wrong?"


    "No! It''s nothing!" Kaguya hurriedly responds to Yuzuru''s question as a blush creeps up her face.


    Yuzuru only looks at her for a few more seconds before shifting her sight over to me and saying, "Comint: Yuzuru should get exceptional treatment as well."


    She noticed, huh? Not like I was expecting her not to, as I already am aware of how high her intelligence is.


    As such, to make it fair, as per her request, I shake my arm off from her grip and proceed to wrap it around her body. In this position, I take the liberty of feeling her modest breasts by giving her left mound a gentle squeeze.


    "Response: Kyaa!" Yuzuru says in a monotonous tone as if mocking me, but I know that this is probably her actual response more than anything.


    Expectedly, the cold gazes on my back seem to grow in strength, but I heed it no attention as I continue to y around with the twins'' soft bodies.


    ---


    "Sorry, but I won''t be able to sleep with you two tonight," I say while facing Yoshino and Tohka who are both in their pajamas while sitting on my bed.


    As expected, Yoshino''s expression turns to that of disappointment, while Tohka directly exims, "Why?!"


    Having already foreseen such a reaction, a wry smile forms on my lips as I reach my arm out to pat both of their heads before saying, "Don''t think much of it. I just need to have a little ''talk'' with my dear sister. Once I''m done, I wille back here."


    "But still-"


    "Tohka," I say in a calm, interrupting her, "Go to sleep just this once, alright? Or is Yoshino not enough to make you feel calm enough to sleep."


    As despicable of a method this is to use in order to convince her, it''s bode to work.


    "Not at all!" she hurriedly says while anxiously casting a nce at Yoshino to her right, "It''s just that it would be better if Shido is here"


    "Alright, I get you," I say as I move my hand over from the top of her head to her right cheek, "I will try to be done as soon possible."


    Hearing this, the two girls'' expression lights up, but knowing what the two would do, I adopt a stern expression and say, "But nevertheless, if I amte, you should go to sleep. Do you understand?"


    To my query, the two of them simply nod their heads as confirmation.


    Seeing this, I release a small sigh before turning around to face Jeanne who is sitting atop her futon and tending to her banner.


    From a nce, I am able to tell that the banner has been repaired, or, more likely, repaired itself.


    Regardless, Jeanne sure is fond of her banner. I have a strong feeling that she is capable of much more, but she limits herself to this banner.


    Naturally, I am aware that the banner is no ordinary one, but still, I am curious about how she would fare with other weaponry.


    Shaking my head, I walk forth while using Illusion to distort the vision of the two girls sitting atop my bed and crouch beside Jeanne before pressing my hand against the silvery rod part of the banner.


    Cold and firm. Well, that''s to be expected from something metallic. However, I feel a calm surge of energy inside it; a type of energy that I find all too familiar.


    "Holy Essence," I mutter, "It feels a little weak, but it''s undoubtedly Holy Essence."


    "Of course," Jeanne suddenly utters, which surprises me a little, since she usually remains silent unless I directly order her to perform an action or ask her something, "My Lord''s blessing is not limited to this body, but to my most precious symbol as well."


    Knowing that she is expressing her devoutness for me, I smile a little before moving my head closer to hers and giving her a gentle peck on her cheek.


    Following this, I move back a little and say, "You''re really precious, you know?"


    I neither exin what I meant by my statement nor wait for her response as I get back on my feet and dispel the Illusion.


    Tohka and Yoshino have noticed that something is wrong, but seem to be unsure of what it is exactly.


    And so, since I have settled things here, I stretch my arms as I walk toward the door leading out of the room and open it telekically before stepping out and closing it.


    Not willing to waste any time, I make my way to Kotori''s room and directly open the door before stepping inside.


    To my pleasant surprise, Kotori was right in the middle of changing into her night-wear. Currently, she is standing with her hands on her skirt and a shocked look on her face. Her top is almostpletely bare if not for her bra while she seemingly was just about to take off her skirt.


    "Great. You were already preparing yourself," I say with a teasing smile.


    Breaking out of her stupor, Kotori''s face getspletely flushed as she turns around to block my view and exims, "Why are you here?!"


    "Huh? Of course, to deliver your punishment!" I respond while keenly observing her petite body.

 Chapter 317: The Punishment *NSFW*

    Chapter 317: The Punishment *NSFW*


    "Hm" I utter while staring at Kotori''s body as I slowly approach her.


    Today, I am not stopping until I go all the way with her; at least, that''s the n. As such, I use telekinesis to close the door behind me and lock it as well.


    "Come on, take off the rest of your clothes," I say with a wide grin on my lips.


    "No!" Kotori responds in a weak yet somewhat firm tone.


    "But how else am I going to kiss different parts of your body?" I say while feigning sadness, "You can''t expect me to do so over your clothes, are you?"


    Silence ensues in the room as thess refrains from responding to my words, so I shrug and approach her with my eyes fixed on the small hook of her bra.


    Once I am close enough, I move my right arm swiftly and unhook the bra, which causes Kotori to let out a small shriek as she further covers her breasts with her arms.


    "No need to be so shy," I say while rubbing my palm against her soft back before continuing, "I am your brother."


    "What kind of brother does this to his own sister?!" Kotori rebukes as she turns her head a little to nce at me from the corner of her eyes.


    "One that cares for his sister a little too much," I respond nonchntly as I close the distance between our bodies and embrace her from behind.


    In order to let her mind calm down, I hold back from doing anything to her just yet, which seems to work, as, after a few seconds, Kotori''s ragged breathing bes much more stable.


    "So warm and soft," I remark as I fully enjoy the sensation of her soft body with my hands.


    "You perverted brother," Kotori mutters from underneath her breath, but I heed it no attention as I continue to feel her up.


    Shortly, I telekically move her arms away from in front of her, so that I can shift my hands over to her lovely mounds.


    Copping a feeling of both lemons, I lean forth a little and give Kotori an extensive kiss on the right side of her neck.


    Unexpectedly, she is responding much less vigorously than I expected her to. Could she have been preparing herself mentally for this event? That''s most likely it.


    Either way, I continue to fondle her breasts and peck her neck as I enjoy the warmth exuding from her body.


    After a brief while, I let go of her breasts and proceed to lift her from the ground before approaching her bed andying her down on it.


    In this position, Kotori''s face gets all the more flushed as she looks away from me and tries to cover her bare torso with her arms.


    Nevertheless, I easily move her arms away and lean forth to give her right nipple a gentle kiss, which results in Kotori''s body getting a little tense.


    "That''s six," I say as I lift my head to gaze at Kotori''s flushed face, "We still have a hundred and sixty-three more to go."


    Hearing my words, the corner of Kotori''s lips twitches as she says in a somewhat shaky tone, "Just go ahead and get it this done, idiot."


    "Yes, yes, no need to hurry," I respond as I inspect her body carefully.


    Now then, where should I start with?


    After a brief moment of deliberation, I lean forth and lightly peck her lean stomach, which earns me a rather cute yelp from Kotori.


    Ignoring her reaction, I continue to perform a series of kisses from the center of her stomach to her breasts while using my left hand to unzip her skirt.


    The next moment, I take off Kotori''s skirt in one swift motion as I slide my right arm underneath her body and lift her head from the pillow.


    Taking a seat on the bed, I look Kotori in the eyes for a few seconds before closing what distance is left between our lips.


    This time, Kotori doesn''t tense up, well, not any more than she has already, so I continue to enjoy her supple lips for a while before prying them open and sliding my tongue inside.


    Following this, I begin to intertwine my tongue with Kotori''s as I use my right hand to rub her back.


    Minutes pass by, and I find myself getting into the mood to enjoy some action, but before that...


    Separating my lips from Kotori''s, I move my head back a little before grinning and saying, "There are still quite a number of ''points'' left, aren''t there?"


    "You don''t need to remind me every five minutes!" Kotori hurriedly says while pouting.


    "How about this," I say as I use my left hand to grab her right hand and guide it to the bulge visible on my pants, "You can halve the number of points by kissing this instead."


    Hearing this, Kotori bespletely flushed all the way to her ears as her jaw drops a little.


    "So?" I press on without any care.


    After a solid twenty seconds or so, Kotori simply nods her head once as confirmation.


    "Great," I state as I telekically lift her and move her to the ground after creating a soft cushion for her to set her knees on.


    With that done, I turn my body so that I am directly facing Kotori before cing my palm against my clothes and utilizing Destruction.


    Kotori''s eyes widen at the sight of all of my attire apart from the weapon holster holding the iplete Craft disappearing.


    I take a moment to set the weapon holster aside before separating my legs properly and say, "Come on then, don''t be shy."


    As a response to my words, Kotori nervously gulps while staring at my erect rod with keen interest apparent within her ruby eyes.


    Taking in a deep breath, Kotori seems to resolve herself to her ''duty'' as she moves closer to the bed, sliding the cushion I created along with her knees.


    How adorable. Her nervousness is obvious, but she tries her best to make it seem like she is calm as she continues to stare at my member.


    I reach my arm out and ce my palm atop her head before gently rubbing it while saying, "We don''t have all night, my dear little sister. So, you better hurry up."


    Instead of rebuking me like she normally would''ve, Kotori only nods her head a little meekly as she reaches her right hand out to grab my member. And so, with her fingers wrapped around the shaft, she ys around with it as if it''s some kind of toy before moving her head closer and bringing her lips close to the tip.


    This close-up, I can sense the air exiting from her nose, but that''s all. For some reason, Kotori is not doing what she is supposed to.


    Just as I am about to make another remark, she closes her eyes and puckers her lips before pressing them against the tip.


    The ''kiss'' doesn''tst for any longer than two seconds as she quickly draws her head back before opening her eyes and gazing at my face as if she is trying to see whether I am satisfied with her performance or not.


    "Not bad," I say with a small smile on my lips, which causes her to smile as well, but it doesn''tst for long as I continue, "Nevertheless, since you''vee this far, why not have a go at giving head?"


    Expectedly, the smile on Kotori''s face disappears as she squints her eyes and says in a firm tone, "This wasn''t what we agreed to."


    "True," I respond with a shrug, "However, I am not saying you should do this as per a condition. I want to experience a pleasurable time with you, that''s all."


    Hearing this, she lowers her head as a thoughtful look appears on her face before she abruptly raises her head and says with a smile, "In that case, it''s fine."


    I open my mouth to respond to her, but before I can utter anything, she continues, "But, this is the first andst time. I will never do this again."


    Oh, is that so? I am quite doubtful of that for some reason...


    Of course, I refrain from telling her this as I only beam a smile and nothing else.


    Seeming to find my response satisfying, Kotori nods her head once before she moves her closer to my rod once again.


    However, she doesn''t close her eyes this time as she presses her lips against the tip once again. Not only that, but she separates her lips a little, making way for a part of my member to enter her mouth.


    A momentter, I feel a somewhat ticklish yet pleasurable sensation against the tip of my rod, only to realize that it is Kotori''s tongue ying around.


    As this goes on, she tightens her grip on my rod and begins moving her hand up and down, while using her left hand to push some of her hair away, as it was getting in her way.


    Unable to resist any longer, I use my right hand, which is already set upon Kotori''s head to push it forth, resulting in half of my rod entering her mouth in one ago.


    Surprised by my abrupt actions, Kotori''s eyes widen as she repositions her head a little while ring at me.


    "Sorry, but you were taking too long," I say calmly.


    As a response to this, Kotori rolls her eyes before moving her body closer to the bed and beginning to bob her head back and forth.


    Feeling great pleasure from her blowjob, I rx my body and say in a joking tone, "Such a naughty little sister; giving head to her own brother."


    Kotori seems like she wants to respond to my words, but I prevent her from doing so as I continue to press my right hand against her head to keep it in check.


    A few secondster, I notice something odd.


    Kotori''s left hand, which was previously unupied, is positioned against her crotch as she continues to bob her head.


    Perhaps due to the unfamiliarity with the sensation, but I sense that I am about to release much earlier than usual.


    And so, without giving her any warning, I press Kotori''s head down as I ejacte right inside her mouth.


    Startled more than ever, Kotori''s widen as much as possible as she presses her palms against my thighs and begins ''dealing with'' my semen  by drinking it.


    A bright smile forming on my lips, I rub her head and say, "Are you getting in the mood to do it?"


    With her mouth being blocked, Kotori can only reply to me by looking at my face with an expression that disys both desire and ''hunger''.


    Seeing her like this, I chuckle for a few seconds before releasing her head, immediately after which she lets my member out of her mouth.


    Not willing to waste any time, I directly grab Kotori''s arms and lift her before lightly throwing her on the bed.


    Following this, I use both of my hands to spread her legs as I position myself in between them.


    Then, I use my left hand to move her somewhat soaked panties to the side, revealing her beautiful slit.


    "Well then," I say in a merry tone as I position the tip of my rod against her entrance.


    Knowing that my current position is not a suitable one for doing the dead, I lean my torso forth while aligning my face with hers.


    And so, I slowly begin moving my hips forward but am immediately met with resistance from Kotori''s small and tight hole.


    However, I don''t stop, but rather begin to put in some more force in order to force my way through, albeit gently as to not hurt her.


    Even so, a somewhat pained expression appears on Kotori''s face as she clenches the bedsheet below her while thin red streams flow from her entrance down to the bedsheet.


    "Does it hurt?" I ask in a low tone as I draw my face nearer to hers and kiss her left cheek.


    "A little," she struggles to respond in a voice lower than mine.


    "Let''s not make haste," I say, "After all, we''ve got quite some time to enjoy this fully."


    With that said, I use irvoyance to check on the trio present in my room, only to find them allid down with their eyes closed, ready to sleep if not already asleep.

 Chapter 318: Unexpected Choice ; Apparent Trouble

    Chapter 318: Unexpected Choice ; Apparent Trouble


    Sitting up from the bed, I cast a nce at Kotori who is lying down with a peaceful look on her face.


    In the beginning, she showed a few signs of anxiousness while doing the deed, but after a few minutes, she seemed to get used to it and began to properly enjoy it.


    From that point on, I had to set up an anti-sound barrier for obvious reasons.


    Despite it being her first time, Kotori seemed to be so into it that I almost suspected it wasn''t so.


    Nevertheless, as pleasurable of an event as it may have been for her, I enjoyed it just as much as if not more than her.


    Releasing a small sigh, I get up from the bed and use Destruction to cleanse a few sections of my body before creating some clothes and getting dressed.


    Following this, I telekically pull the weapon holster a few meters away to my arm before walking toward the door leading out of Kotori''s room.


    After this, I make my way back to my room, and upon entering, I notice that all three girls present are already asleep.


    Knowing this, I try my best to quietly shut the door, but that doesn''t seem to be enough, as, the next moment, Jeanne''s eyelids shoot wide open.


    As a response to this, I gesture to her to remain quiet before approaching her futon and crouching beside it.


    "You sure have some sensitive ears," I remark in a tone so low that only she should hear.


    "My Lord''s presence is too powerful," she responds in a humble(?) manner.


    A smirk forms on my lips upon hearing her words as I say, "What if it was someone sneaking in with the intention of taking my life? Would you have not noticed it?"


    "Anyone with ill intentions toward My Lord shall meet the wrath of the heavens. They will not escape my senses, I promise," she responds in a cold tone as an odd glint shines within her eyes.


    "Yes, yes," I say with a smile as I reach my arm out to pat her head.


    Hah~ This girl takes her ''role'' way too seriously


    As troubling as it may be, I also find it somewhat adorable.


    ---


    An ufortable sensation on my back causes me to abruptly open my eyes.


    Immediately after this, I use irvoyance to check on the state of the room and everyone present, but fail to find anything out of the norm.


    Then, what was this sensation that I felt?


    As I''m still at odds with the situation, I decide to look outside my room as well, and by that, I mean looking outside the house.


    Ah


    A wry smile forms on my lips as I recall what was nned for today.


    Releasing a small sigh, I carefully get out of the bed with little motion in order to not disturb the sleeping duo.


    However, before I can properly float off the bed after having utilized Flight, a small hand reaches out to my shirt and grabs it firmly.


    A little surprised, I glimpse at Yoshino''s face, only to be relieved upon seeing that she''s still asleep.


    And so, I take a brief moment to shake her grasp on my shirt away before directly floating up to the roof and passing through by utilizing Permeation.


    "Good morning," a pleasant voice reaches my ears as soon as sunlight shines upon my head.


    "Good morning, Kurumi," I respond casually as I turn to face her.


    "Excuse me, Shido, but I don''t reckon you n to go on a date with me while dressed as such, are you?"


    Hearing her words, I look down at myself, only to see that I am currently in what I normally wear to sleep.


    "What are you saying?" I respond whileughing in a lighthearted manner, "It''s just that your abrupt appearance didn''t give me a chance to get changed."


    Having said that, I hurriedly channel Holy Essence within me before using Blink to get back inside my room.


    --


    "That''s better," Kurumi remarks as soon as I appear back on the roof after having changed into suitable clothes to spend the day in.


    "Well then, lead the way," I say casually.


    As a response to this, Kurumi only nods her head once before getting on her feet and swiftly dashing off into the distance.


    "This again" I mutter softly as I follow after her.


    As I leap from building to building, I realize that something like this would be too eye-catching, so I take a moment to utilize Rework and render myself invisible.


    Unexpectedly, shortly after I do this, Kurumi, who is ahead of me by a hundred meters or so, suddenly turns into a ck shadow before sinking into the ground.


    Despite not being able to see her, I can still sense her. And from what I can tell, not only has the speed at which she''s moving not decreased, it seems to have gone up by a notch.


    The oddest thing is that I am unable to pinpoint her exact location, but only the area that she is in.


    This way, it doesn''t take us even a minute with our ridiculous pace to reach our destination.


    "Isn''t this" I mutter as Ie to a halt beside Kurumi who has now returned to normal and is standing in front of a tall building.


    "DEM industries'' headquarters in Tengu City," Kurumi says with a bright smile covering her lips.


    "Why have you brought me here?" I question while looking at her through the corner of my eyes.


    "If I recall correctly, you were keen to know more about Queen, weren''t you?"


    Queen - Dominion. Hibiki did call her as such as well. Still, why did Kurumi mention her? The only connection I can make between this building and ''Queen'' would be what Reine spoke of during her recount of the events while she had infiltrated the building.


    "Even so," I say once I have recollected my thoughts, "Are you sure this is how you want us to spend our ''date''?"


    "Of course," Kurumi replies as the smile covering her lips grows, "In fact, this couldn''t get any better. I get to settle an old score with an old acquaintance while simultaneously helping my partner out."


    Settling scores Well, whatever. As long as her antics don''t get in my way and don''t trouble me directly, I have no reason to stop her.


    Nevertheless, does Kurumi even stand a chance? Time versus space. It seems like a ridiculous match-up no matter how one looks at it.


    The only saving grace I have is the notion that Dominion''s ability is limited the same way Kurumi''s ability is. After all, there are way too many applications of time that one could take advantage of if they had the ability to do so.


    Despite this, Kurumi seems to rarely make use of her time-rted abilities other than when she''s creating ''copies'' of herself.


    "Be cautious, for those that are inside may already have detected our arrival," Kurumi''s voice interrupts my thoughts.


    "Right," I reply as I consider the foe''s possession of spirit-detecting machinery and if it''s able to detect me as well.


    "So? What are we going to be doing? Are we just going to barge into the building like this?" I question after a brief moment of silence.


    "Is there a problem with that?" Kurumi asks back while still smiling cheerfully.


    "Not at all."


    ---3rd POV---


    "Commander!" a female voice resonates within a room for the tenth time, causing a girl lying on the bed to jolt up.


    "Wha- what''s going on?!" the girl, who is none other than Kotori, says hurriedly with a distraught look on her face.


    Before the voice can respond, Kotori hastily looks around the room, only for her expression to harden once she notices that whatever it was that she was looking for isn''t here.


    "It''s an emergency," the voice resounds within the room again, while Kotori throws off the nket, revealing her naked body, as she gets off the bed and limply walks over to theputer desk in her table and opens one of the drawers.


    Inside the drawer, there is a small tablet that is presently disying a small blue bell on the screen.


    Grabbing the tablet, Kotori closes the drawer before tapping the tablet and saying, "Reine, tell me what''s going on."


    "Yes," the voice responds, "Earlier today, we detected a spirit''s energy within the city."


    "And?" Kotori says as she furrows her brows.


    "Upon closer inspection, we found out that it''s Nightmare. Not only that, but she is apanied by-"


    "Shido!" Kotori interrupts Reine as her expression bes strange.


    "Where are they?" she asks after taking a few seconds to deliberate on something.


    "At DEM industries'' main edifice."


    "What?!"

 Chapter 319: Agitation ; First Contact

    Chapter 319: Agitation ; First Contact


    Gazing upon the rather tall building in front of me, an overwhelming surge of emotions courses through me. After all, this was it. If I were to meet Dominion here after all this time, my departure from this tform is essentially guaranteed.


    Still, that''s the reason for the current emotions that I am feeling. As it stands, there are more than quite a few things that I would miss if I truly left.


    As for the reason I am so certain about my departure, it''s simple. Once I contact Dominion, one of three scenarios is likely to ur, and each one of them has varying results.


    The first scenario would be that Dominion is friendly and doesn''t bear any ill-intent toward me. This is unmistakably the scenario I prefer most, but unfortunately, my hopes won''t affect the matter in any meaningful way.


    Anyway, the second scenario would be that she is neither friendly nor otherwise. In that case, my main objective would be to figure out her intentions for ''inviting'' me over to this tform and possibly get her to join forces with me - as risky as that may be.


    Lastly, there is the third and unquestionably most troublesome scenario, which would be if Dominion is a foe. If such a scenario were to ur, I would have to either battle against her until one side perishes or simply fall back after witnessing a few of her capabilities - In other words, a tactical retreat.


    Naturally, doing thetter would leave a bad taste in my mouth, but then again, I have no other choice, as, not doing so could result in me ''suffering'' from a lot more issues.


    "Shido," Kurumi''s voice brings a halt to my thoughts, "I believe that staying here any longer would invite trouble over, don''t you think so too?"


    Certainly, it would be much better if we brought trouble over to the opponent since it could disarray their ranks.


    Releasing an audible sigh, I circte Holy Essence within my body and utilize Paragon''s Eyes before scanning the building.


    Expectedly, there are a lot of grays, but among them are a few with a fairly light shade of gray.


    Lamentably, since they are all a part of the enemy forces, I have absolutely no need to show them any more mercypared to the rest.


    Also, I should probably get this done as soon as possible, since I would rather the enemy not make use of something like anti-matter or anythingparable.


    "You''re right," I say as I consider to what extent should I utilize the abilities and equipment I have at hand.


    If possible, I would deal irreparable damage to all sections of the building that I deem unnecessary for research. The reason for doing so is to prevent the enemy from recovering after our assault.


    {Code waves detected.}


    Hm? Inside the building?


    {Affirmative.}


    Could it be... The only two possible Codes I can think of are Dominion and the owner of the voice back on the ind.


    Where are the Code waves originating from? Can you locate the source?


    {Affirmative. ording to the direction the waves are emitting from, the source is underground.}


    As soon as those words resound within my head, I sense some movement from above us, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a few girls equipped with CR-Units flying down.


    Seeing this, I take a moment to deliberate on something before dashing toward the automatic ss doors at a speed that the sensors are unable to sense, resulting in me smashing through the ss and directly ending up at the center of the reception floor.


    Surrounding me are a few shocked personnel whom are dressed in business attire, indicating that they''re employees of thepany.


    "That was rude, Shido," Kurumi''s voice suddenly resounds within my ears as she appears to my right, "Leaving the piffling pests to me as you enter like so."


    "Sorry about that," I say with a small smile while using irvoyance to check outside the building, only to find no traces of the girls apart from two small pools of blood on the ground.


    The heck did she do? In such a short time too, no less.


    All of a sudden, I feel a shiver run down my spine as my vision distorts for a split-second before returning to normal.


    [Come.]


    An oddly calming voice resounds within my head as I sense the tension present within me gradually decrease.


    The next moment, I snap out of the trance that I had briefly entered before putting my guard up as I use my senses along with irvoyance to check my surroundings.


    "Hey, who are you?!" a voice suddenly reverberates around us as a woman standing behind the reception desk angrily points her finger at us.


    Shaking my head, I will for Excalibur, which is currently ''disguised'' as a ring, to change back to the shape it had when I first created it - a broadsword with a grand holy feel to it.


    "That''s an impressive-looking weapon you got there," Kurumi joyously remarks.


    "Let''s begin," I say before mming the tip of the sword into the ground, resulting in a high amount of dense energy to be released.


    Following this, the ground simply shatters along with the many ss panes around us.


    Screams and shrieks fill the air as the ground slowly begins to ''sink''.


    Beside me, Kurumi has a carefree look on her face as she easily keeps her bnce despite the ground being caved in immensely.


    Grinning, I use irvoyance to check under the building for any suspicious facilities, only to realize that what I''m looking for is two floors beneath us.


    And so, having tested Excalibur''s current power and found an objective, I pull the broadsword out of the ground before dashing toward one of the two elevators in the building and destroying the steel doors.


    After this, I find myself diving downwards right toward my destination while scanning the elevator shaft.


    Compared to the ground section and upwards, the shaft ispletely different downwards. Perhaps, this is something taken into mind considering the abnormality of whatys underground.


    A few secondster, I use Flight to break my speed before swinging Excalibur in order to destroy another pair of elevator doors in front of me.


    Exiting the elevator shaft, I am met with a few pairs of shocked and fearful eyes.


    Looking at the three men standing in front of me, I realize that all of them seem to be security personnel assigned to this ce.


    Not wasting any time, I casually swing the sword in my hand, after which the three men directly get split in half horizontally as a shock-wave passes through the corridor, damaging the walls and doors it contacts.


    "This is the second time you have left me behind," Kurumi''s irritated voice reaches me as she exits from the very same elevator shaft I came here from.


    Shrugging, I don''t respond to her as I begin walking toward the location in which a girl with blue hair is being held captive.


    On the way there, multiple men dressed in whiteb cloaks exit from the many rooms present on the floor, all of which ended up in one state - deceased.


    Despite what it seems, my actions are a means of defending myself, after all, I never know if one of these men is carrying some troublesome little device that could trigger a trap or defense mechanism of sorts.


    Hence, why I kill any living being thates into my sight.


    Continuing like this, I reach the door that leads inside the room in which I had seen a girl being held captive in.


    "It would be better me for me to stay here," Kurumi all of a sudden says as she casts a nce in the direction through which we came from.


    Following her gaze, I find a middle-aged man with dark ash blonde hair walking toward us. The conspicuous man is wearing a ck business suit along with a white tie.


    Behind the man are four girls whom are equipped with CR-units simr to those that assaulted us outside the building.


    The atmosphere tenses as I stare at the man while he does the same.


    "I assume you''re Sir Isaac?" I question with a small smile while circting Holy Essence within my body and preparing to use Vector Maniption.


    From the information I had gathered from Ellen and Ashley, this man is not simple in any way, so it would rash of me to drop my guard around him.


    While I am at it, I make use of Corporikinesis to change my vision and take a closer look at the man''s body.


    Surprisingly, I find nothing that indicates he is a terrestrial creature on this. Not only are some of the organs a human normally would have missing, but his blood cirction is odd - as if it''s in reverse.


    "That''s me," the man responds in a sharp tone as he raises both of his arms to the sides with a bright smile covering his lips, "We finally meet, ''the Man From Another World''."


    What a nice title granted to me. For some reason, I have a feeling he is not referring to the tforms, but the Neighboring World instead.


    Still, I find it rather odd for this man toe here personally instead of making use of whatever weaponry and defense mechanisms they got.


    Without doubt, there is something to this man that I have yet to figure out. Say, AI, is this guy a Code or an Unknown?


    {Unable to analyze to interferance from external sources.}


    All of a sudden, I feel a suffocating sensation in my chest as my vision begins to distort.


    Before I can react to the situation, an odd sound reverberates within the corridors as I suddenly feel my feet leave the ground, as do the others'' feet in my vision.


    The next moment, all of us contact the ceiling in various ways. Sir Isaac simply makes a maneuver mid-air simr to Kurumi and me, as we press against the ceiling in an orderly fashion. On the other hand, two of the four girls don''t react in time and practically m into the ceiling.


    This... it feels like we''re all falling. But how? Unless...


    With a weird idea appearing in my head, I quickly make use of irvoyance to check the other side of the ceiling, and true to my expectations, something is clearly amiss.


    Normally, my vision would''ve simply been blocked due to the solid mass present if my sight were here, but now, I can see outside - and it''s definitely not the same setting I was in when I first arrived in this tform.


    What I see right now are vast ins with absolutely no evidence of popce in sight. Shortly after that, a curious figure catches my attention - a young girl in a white military-style dress.


    What''s shocking is that the girl''s appearance is one that I find all too familiar; for she resembles none other than Kurumi, albeit with a few variant features.


    To my surprise, the girl seems to notice my ''sight'' as she directly looks back at me with somewhat creepy grin stered to her lips.


    At this moment, I realize that this girl might very same person who has brought me to this tform and possibly ''here'' too - Dominion.

 Chapter 320: Finale (1/?)

    Chapter 320: Finale (1/?)


    With my ''sight'' on the girl outside, which I assume is Dominion, I use my senses to ''see'' around myself as well.


    At first, it was more than a little ufortable, after all, I had to quite literally divide my focus into two. One to keep my sight on Dominion, and the other to be cautious of those inside the corridor.


    Shortly, Dominion, who had been floating motionlessly in the sky, abruptly disappears.


    Following this, I sense a great number of small and speedy projectiles approaching our location from the outside.


    Normally, I wouldn''t be too bothered by such a thing, but considering the oddity of the situation we''re in, as well as this tingling feeling I''m sensing on my back, I should do my utmost best to protect myself and Kurumi.


    And so, I take a look at the projectiles before at the structure we''re inside that seems to have been cleanly ''cut off''.


    At this moment, I notice that we''re a few hundred meters in the sky, falling toward the ground with incredible momentum.


    "Shit," I subconsciously mutter as I retract my vision from outside and look over at Kurumi who is calmly crouching against the ceiling with a smile covering her lips.


    Releasing a small sigh, I move closer to her before wrapping my left arm around her while willing for Excalibur, which is in my right hand to morph into the form of a dagger.


    Suddenly, several holes form in the walls around us as numerous golden bullets shoot into the corridor from all sides.


    As response to this, I make use of Vector Maniption to boost myself forth toward the floor while deflecting any bullets I notice.


    After this, I cast a nce at Sir Isaac and hispanions, only to find all four of the girls injured in multiple locations while Isaac himself is spotless.


    Despite being curious about this, I realize this isn''t the time to dally around as I deflect a few bullets before dashing toward the elevator shaft, or, at least what''s left of it, with Kurumi in tow.


    Shortly, I exit the section of the building through the now-meter-long elevator shaft and witness as it ms into the ground and crumbles.


    Taking a closer look, I notice that from sections that have crumbled, slightly deformed metal riddled with holes is visible. Now that I think about it, the whole thing''s interior was metallic...


    As I float in mid-air with Kurumi in arms, I cautiously look around for Dominion, but fail to find any traces of her.


    AI, are you able to sense any Code waves nearby?


    {Affirmative. There are two sources from which Code waves are faring from. The location of one of them can be pinpointed.}


    Where is it?


    Suddenly, I feel an odd sensation in my eyes as they get ''guided'' somewhere. Once theye to a halt, I notice that my sight is fixed on a section of the building that seems to be a room.


    Right! The girl being held captive is still in there. Still, she managed to survive the impact? She is a Code, yes, but the impact wasn''t anything to scoff at. Additionally, all those bullets that shot through the walls, ground, and ceiling... They couldn''t have all missed her, could they?


    "Are you still going to check the room," Kurumi suddenly says, "Despite being here?"


    "You know where this is?" I question back.


    "I do," she responds, "And if I were to guess, so do you."


    "The Neighboring World," I respond.


    "That''s correct," she says while nodding her head, "And so, don''t you reckon it would be fitter for you to remain here and wait rather than taking reckless actions?"


    She does have a point. But still, I am curious about this girl that has been held captive by DEM. As far as I know, she possesses a power to mentally affect others, or perhaps, other ''spirits''.


    Recalling what happened on the ind, I note that I should definitely find out if the girl is a foe or not, after all, her ability could be extremely troublesome, especially if one is in the middle of an intense battle, when focus is most important. A simple two-second mental instability could result in a disaster.


    "She''s here," Kurumi''s voice brings a halt to my thoughts, as the space a few meters in front of me blurs before Dominion emerges from seemingly nowhere.


    As I thought, she really does resemble Kurumi a lot. In fact, the only things that''s notably different about her are her eyes and her hair.


    In contrast to Kurumi''s jet-ck hair, Dominion possesses snow-white hair that''s tied into twintails.


    Her red and blue eyes give off a confident vibe as she checks the of us out.


    "We meet," a firm voice reverberates all around us as Dominion''s mouth moves slightly, indicating that the source of the voice was her.


    Unexpectedly, she only looks at me for a brief moment before focusing her sight on Kurumi and frowning slightly.


    As a response to this, Kurumi chuckles lightly before saying, "It seems that she desires to kill me."


    Before I can say anything, I sense some movements from below as three figures escape from the building.


    One of them is Sir Isaac, who is still surprisingly unscathed, while the two with him appear to have barely made it out alive with blood covering most of their bodies.


    Sir Isaac and the two girls slowly ascend to the sky, while I slowly move away to the right. A few secondster, the three of them reach the same height as us and look over at us.


    The two girls are ring intensely, while Sir Isaac only has curiosity and... what looks to be desire in his eyes.


    "Shido, I request that you let go of me," Kurumi utters casually, to which Iply by loosening my hold of her body.


    The next thing I know, Kurumi''s body drops toward the ground, but she doesn''t express any fear - no... she instead has an excited look on her face as she gradually closes in to the ground.


    Following this, her body abruptly turns into a blur before she disappears, only to reappear on the ground, running in the direction Dominion is floating in the sky.


    So, Kurumi is nning to fight against her, huh? In that case, I should take this chance to get rid of this pale guy once and for all.


    Although I don''t know what abilities he has in his arsenal, I can assume that he isn''t going to go down easily. After all, to remain unscathed after everything that has happened, I doubt that he is a simple guy.


    As for the two girls with him, they''re small fry that I should be able to take down with not much effort.


    All of a sudden, Sir Isaac''s gaze which has been focused on me seems to intensify as his eyes begin to glow in an eerie white light.


    {External ability detected. The ability has been negated.}


    Hearing this, a frown forms on my face as I inspect Sir Isaac carefully, only for his eyes to stop glowing as a bright smile forms on his pale lips.


    "As expected of the Prophet," he remarks in a casual tone which I hear clearly, "Not even my eyes can see past the shell."


    The heck is he on about? What is this ''shell'' he is speaking of?


    Also, seriously, what''s with this codename given to me? Why ''prophet''? Is my being supposed to signify some sort of grand incident?


    Well, it''s true that my presence in the tforms I have been two have brought mayhem, but still...


    Hah~ Whatever. I better focus on the more important matter, which is killing this guy.


    Taking a nce at the dagger in my hand, I will for it to morph into a scythe, which it does rather quickly.


    I''m unsure of how the battle between Kurumi and Dominion would turn out, but I should refrain from using too much of my Essence Energy just in case, since it would be all sorts of unfavourable to face off against her with little energy.


    "Let''s make this quick," I mutter to myself as I fix my gaze on Sir Isaac before dashing toward him.

 Chapter 321: Finale (2/?)

    Chapter 321: Finale (2/?)


    Sir Isaac reacts to my actions fairly quickly as he moves backward in order to stay away from me, but the two girls don''t do anything, resulting in me directly shing with the two of them.


    sh, I say, but more like the two of them running into the de of my scythe, as they put up close to no resistance against my agile and lethal assault, resulting in the two of them both end up cleanly cut in half before falling toward the ground.


    After this, I look over at Sir Isaac, only to find him floating in the air with the same smile he had on when he appeared first.


    Now that I think about it, what was the ability that he tried to use on me? It seemed like it had something to do with his eyes, considering how they glowed and the words he spoke after he failed to use the ability on me.


    In case it''s a useful ability, I should refrain from finishing him off efficiently, but rather focus on taking him down instead.


    And so, with my objective decided, I look into the man''s cold eyes before gripping Excalibur and utilizing Blink to appear right behind him.


    The next moment, I swing Excalibur which is endued with Holy Essence at Sir Isaac''s back, which he surprisingly dodges by having his body ''fall'' forward.


    So he can react to such speed, huh? Could his current parameters be on par with what mine have been limited to?


    {Negative.}


    Startled by AI''s abrupt voice in my head, I ask: What do you mean by that?


    {Father''s current physical capabilities far exceed the opponent''s.}


    In that case, why wasn''t I able to strike him just a moment ago? Does he possess some ability that helped him dodge or something?


    {Negative. The reason that the opponent could dodge Father''s attack was that Father isn''t making use of Agility''s full potential.}


    Hm? Are you saying that I am inexperienced in using my body''s enhanced properties?


    {Affirmative.}


    Great No wonder it felt like something was amiss whenever I made use of my already absurd speed during battles. Admittedly, it did help out quite a bit, but there was always this feeling that more could''ve been done.


    Taking a nce at Sir Isaac, who has moved away from me once more, I ruminate over what could be Agility''s full potential.


    If I were to take reference from someone with absurd speed, it would be a character from a movie I had seen in my life back in Project Future.


    In the movie, the character''s perception of the world got faster, making everything seem ''slow'' to him. Perhaps


    {Discovered: Enhanced Cerebration}


    Following AI''s voice, the air around me seems to be tense as the noises I was hearing in the distance from the battle between Kurumi and Dominion be way less.


    Using irvoyance, I check the two of them out, only to realize that their battle has ''be'' slow, or more likely, my perception has be faster than before.


    {Warning: Father''s Humanity has reached below 25%.}


    This again


    I have yet to understand the significance of the ''race'' feature from my status. All I know is that the ''old'' me desired to be human for some reason. Until I find out what exactly was the reason for that, I should try to prevent it from reaching 0%, I suppose.


    But then again, what exactly causes it to decrease? My ideology of the world? The number of abilities I possess? The physical capabilities of my body?


    Hah~ This seems like it would be a troublesome matter.


    Shifting my focus back to Sir Isaac, I notice that he is still in the same position I saw him thest time I looked. As it turns out, my thinking process itself has been enhanced, as I doubt he would just remain stationary while I take my time to think of various matters.


    "Alright then," I mutter, upon which the world seems to return to the normal speed for a brief moment, "Time to try my current capabilities out."


    Having said that, I proceed to move toward Sir Isaac at a rtively mediocre pace, but he doesn''t react in any way apart from his eyes twitching slightly.


    Once I''m in front of him, I leisurely swing Excalibur, which is currently in the form of a scythe, resulting in the de detaching the pale man''s lower half from the top without any obstruction.


    Naturally, I don''t stop at just that as I will for Excalibur''s form to change to that of a rapier before stabbing the man''s chest and dragging him down with me as I fall toward the ground.


    The moment I am a meter or so away from contacting the grass below, I m his torso into the solid ground with the rough impact causing him to cough out blood.


    The world then returns to the same normal speed I am used to, allowing me to hear the man''s ragged breathing as heys against the grass while bleeding profusely.


    Gazing at the pitiful state the man is in, I utter, "You put up way less of a fight than I expected you to. It seems like they really were just exaggerating your prowess."


    Unexpectedly, the man chuckles for a few seconds before a bright smile covers his lips as he says, "Surely, you jest. If I had anywhere near enough capabilities to bring you down, I would''ve already aplished everything I wanted."


    Despite being a little startled by his ability to still talk, I don''t heed it much attention as I scoff, "And what exactly were your aims?"


    "The power of the spirits," he responds before his bright smile turns into one self-depreciation, "I was close to obtaining it; I could tell. But then you reappeared."


    Reappeared, he says Who does he think I am to begin with? Why did he give so much attention to me?


    Unable to hold my curiosity back, I casually ask, "Who am I to you anyway?"


    "The peak of power," he responds nigh-instantaneously as his expression changes to that of fascination, "All spirits knew of you  your existence. They didn''t know what you looked like or what were your powers, but they knew you existed. That was the case for every spirit we sessfully caught."


    "Unfortunately, as time passed, the spirits no longer seemed to ''remember'' you. But that didn''t matter"


    His voice trails off for a few seconds before he looks over at me with a somewhat crazed look on his face as he continues, "I never forgot. They might''ve forgotten, but I haven''t and never will."


    Shaking my head in exasperation, I say, "In that case, why did you approach me the way you did? If you knew of me and had a rough idea of my power, wouldn''t staying away from me have been the best for you?"


    "What choice did I have?" he asks back, "In the end, my best bet would''ve been the eyes being able to ''see'' you, but s"


    Right his ability. What exactly could it be? Whatever it is, I have be curious already.


    Since it hase to this, I release a mild sigh before looking the man dead in the eyes and utilizing Plunder.


    The next thing I know, my vision blips as I find myself in the man''s body,ying powerlessly on the ground as my own body falls to the ground too.


    A few seconds pass by like this, before my vision blips once more as I return to my body, but to my horror, I am unable to see anything.


    {Warning: Due to an internal conflict of power, Father''s vision-rted functionalities have been disabled.}


    Huh? What the heck? What''s that supposed to mean?


    {Sub-ability ???? is in an unstable state and will result in irreversible damages if assimted.}


    Then just get rid of it.


    {Is Father sure?}


    Wait


    "Hey, Isaac," I say as I get up from the ground and dust off my clothes. Unfortunately, as I am unable to see, I can only dust off based on where I feel would''ve gotten dirty.


    "Is the reason you appeared before me rted to your eyes?"


    "What''s going on?" an anxious voice responds to my query, "What did you do?"


    "I stole your eyes," I respond casually, curious regarding what effect it would have on the man.


    Naturally, despite being ''blind'' now, I can still make use of my other enhanced senses to perceive my surroundings. As such, now I can ''see'' everything around me to an extent, albeit without any color differentiation.


    "That''s impossible!" Isaac exims, "The Prophet isn''t supposed to have such an ability!"


    "Well, that just means you didn''t know enough about me," I remark with a nonchnt look on my face as I use my senses to examine his panic-stricken face.


    "Enough of that," I say somewhat impatiently, "Answer my question. What were your eyes capable of?"


    "I have no reason to answer your questions," he rebukes in a firm tone.


    Ah, he''s no longer cooperative How unfortunate. Even worse, I can''t use Indoctrination or Hypnosis on him due to the state my eyes are in right now.


    And so, I am left with no other choice than to torture the information out of him.


    But, for some reason, I have a feeling that this fe will be able to endure some intense amount of pain, considering how he is despite his lower half having been chopped off not too long ago.


    Leaving that aside, what am I going to do? It would be extremely risky of me to encounter Dominion as I am right now. A simple solution would be to get rid of the ability I plundered from Sir Isaac, but then again, what if it''s not necessary? What if the ability is something absurd that once assimted can greatly affect my battle capabilities.


    Right now, I am searching for methods and abilities that might help me in battles. Through my recent experiences, I havee to notice that in battles, my abilities are more suited for one-on-one shing rather than fighting off against a whole crowd.


    Admittedly, this could prove to be extremely troublesome if my foes notice such a ''weakness'' and make use of it to their advantage. Of course, it''s not like I would be helpless in such a situation, but it''s just that I want to be more reassured when taking future actions.


    Thus, my current dilemma. Do I get rid of the ability for better chances once I encounter Dominion, or leave it to my luck and see how it would turn out without doing so?


    Releasing a tired sigh, I focus my senses on Isaac, who is on the ground, muttering something to himself, before raising my right arm and telekically pulling Excalibur into my hand.


    After this, I will for it to change back into the shape of a ring and proceed to put it on my right ring finger.


    "Stay put; I will be back soon," I state before using Creation to produce four long bars of iron andunching them into his body.


    A groan escapes from the injured man''s lips as blood gushes out from both of his arms and abdomen, where the four bars have prated him.


    Following this, I use Flight to float into the air, before following the sound of what seems to be swords shing to get to the location Kurumi and Dominion are fighting.


    As it turns out, the two of them are having a fierce battle on the ground rather than in the air, with each of them chuckling creepily now and then.


    "Hello," I greet a little awkwardly while using my senses to make out the two of them, "I would appreciate it if you stopped for a moment."


    I did this while wholeheartedly expecting to be ignored, only to be surprised by the fact that they did indeed stop fighting and look over at me.


    Since my eyes are basically blind now, I don''t look over at any of the two as I simply ask, "Why have you called me over here?"


    Of the two, Dominion would obviously be able to tell that this question is meant for her as she replies in a bright yet maic tone, "To have you do me a favor."


    Ignoring her odd way of speaking, I question, "And what exactly is this favor?"


    "Free me."


    For some reason, I feel like a strong wave of energy washed over my body the moment she uttered those words as if to signify their importance.


    Before I can respond to her words, Kurumi''s voice suddenly reaches my ears, "Terribly rude one, aren''t you? To ask for a favor in such a disrespectful manner."


    "It''s not your business however I ask for a favor," Dominion responds in a cold tone.


    "But it is," she replies, "I wouldn''t let such disrespect toward my Shido pass."


    "Your Shido?!" Dominion responds once more while emphasizing the word ''your'', perhaps out of irritation.


    Knowing that Kurumi would give yet another troublesome response, I quickly intervene by saying, "What did you mean by that? Is something shackling you? What am I supposed to do?"


    "Certainly, something has bound me to this ce," she responds, while Kurumi closes her mouth, "That thing is my very existence."


    "And?"


    "To get out, I need totch my existence to another body - one that can''t be constricted with any form of shackles."


    "You''re saying I am such an existence?"


    "Are you not?" she asks back in a yful tone.


    {Father, the opponent''s Code has been analyzed. ording to the results, her current state is weakened, and should Father fight against her, victory is almost guaranteed.}


    Leave that aside, for now. It would be better for me to obtain her allegiance, after all, one more powerful ally is something that I can''t easily pass on.


    "So, what am I supposed to do and what would I gain from this?" I ask curiously.


    "So long you get me out of here, I promise in my Code to aid you whenever necessary as long as it won''t result in me being shackled once again."


    A promise in her Code? AI, does this hold any significance?


    {Affirmative. Such a promise would result in a Code to get terminated by unidentified means if broken.}


    Is that what the current data you possess tells you?


    {Affirmative.}


    Oh well, if that''s the case, I should be able to trust her to a certain extent. After all, for her to go to such lengths for freedom, she seriously must''ve been desperate to get out of here. Even so


    "What if I decide to not help you?"


    "You will do it," she replies as I feel a sudden weight on my back, which is most likely as a result of her doing something.


    "Alright, alright, is that all?" I question while turning my head to face her, despite having no sight to look at her through my eyes.


    "Yes, that''s all," she responds as the weight disappears as abruptly as it appeared.


    Looks like if I wasn''t going to agree, she would''ve seriously fought against me to herst breath  which is more than a little troubling, so miss me with that.


    "Alright, with that settled, care to tell me the reason you''re so adamant about fighting against Kurumi?"


    "I have no such desire," she responds immediately.


    "No way," I rebuke, "Just a moment ago, you seemed like you were dead-set on killing her. Isn''t that right, Kurumi?"


    "What could Shido be speaking of?" Kurumi asks while Dominion tilts her head with a confused look on her face.


    "You two Why are you acting as if nothing has happened? Do you think I am blind to not have"


    My words slowly trail off as I realize that I indeed am blind now. Truly, saddening.


    Tired of it all, I release a sigh and say, "As long as you don''t try to kill each other while I am not looking I don''t care."


    Having said that, I turn around to head toward where I believe I had left Sir Isaac. Of course, despite what I just said, I am not just going to forget this little feud that they''ve got going. The only reason I let it go so easily is that I have a more important matter to look into  the ability I obtained from Sir Isaac.


    Still, I am quite satisfied with the way things have turned out. Not only I might''ve obtained a precious ally, but I have obtained some ability as well that I have no idea about, yet.


    Now that I think about it, could the new ability I had received be affected by myck of vision?


    {Negative. Enhanced Cerebration ispletely functional.}


    Good. Fortunately, it doesn''t seem to have been rted to my sight, but rather my brain itself as I had suspected earlier.


    It would''ve been sad if I couldn''t use it anymore after having used it only once, as it was quite a marvelous thing from what I have seen so far.


    Hah~ I need to consider things more seriously now, for all I know, even my strength and the rest of my parameters aren''t being used to their full potential.


    Heck, I doubt the Enhanced Cerebration is everything that there is to Agility


    ---


    Nothing. Literally, no matter what I tried, the stubborn man wouldn''t let out a word regarding his eyes.


    If anything, I felt like he was enjoying the pain I inflicted on him at times.


    After a while of wasting time in torturing the bastard, I decided that it wasn''t worth it anymore and just straight-up killed him off by destroying his body using Destruction.


    Such an annoying existence is better off killed early before something troublesome happens.


    And thus, I am currently making my way over to where I hear two certaindies having a ''talk''.


    "You say that despite our countenance being so simr?"


    "Would you please notpare my fine hair with your grotesque white patch of shriveled grass," Kurumi responds to Dominion in a sharp tone.


    "What an uncouth mouth."


    Yeah, I expected this.


    What exactly would happen if I were to bring the two of them over with me back to the Rift? And what about the rest who are not in the Neighboring World? Can they leave this tform?


    {Negative. From the data that has been analyzed, the entities identified as ''spirits'' are incapable of leaving the tform the way Father could.}


    I believe the only exception to this is Dominion?


    {Affirmative. However, Code: Dominion''s body is currently in an iplete state.}


    What, a piece of her is missing or something?


    {The Core of the Code has been damaged.}


    Oh? How do I get it healed?


    {Coption with Father would heal the damage.}


    Forget it, I will think of it once I am ready to leave. What am I supposed to do about the rest? If only I had some portable world or something to have them stay in


    {That is possible.}


    What? Hold on, you can''t be referring to the Arena, could you?


    {Negative. The Arena is incapable of doing what Father wills for.}


    Then?


    {The games.}


    The moment AI utters those words, a certain memory passes through my mind as I recall the first time I received a certain window. Three ''games'' were disyed, but I didn''t check any of them out, even until now.


    {One of the games can provide Father with ''a portable world'' as a reward for aplishing the main objective.}


    That''s great! Which one?


    {VRMMO Yggdrasil (2126).}

 Chapter 322: Finale (3/3)

    Chapter 322: Finale (3/3)


    Yggdrasil Alright.


    Now, AI, give me a rundown of what the games are exactly and anything that I need to know about them.


    {Affirmative. The games listed are recreations of certain tforms or cognition in the form of an interactive world that serves a set of purposes.}


    {VRMMO Yggdrasil 2126''s purposes are: Leadership Experience, Conqueror Experience, Research Experience, and Scheming Experience.}


    That''s a rather interesting set of experiences They remind me of the time I spent in Sorcerers'' Lair. Admittedly, my experience in everything listed is average at most, so there is a high chance I will benefit from the ''game'' quite a bit if I were to try it.


    {All the games that Father can y have a questing system to aid Father in aplishing the main objective.}


    {For each game, there is a tutorial session at the start that Father must go through in order to understand the game''s questing system as well as certain things that Father needs to be aware of.}


    Okay, all this sounds reasonably like the video games I used to y, back in Project Future.


    {Regarding things that Father needs to know, one would be that Father''s body will bepletely defenseless when Father is essing a game.}


    Well, shit, that doesn''t good. For now, a usible solution to this would be to have someone protect my body wherever I am while ''ying'',


    {Once Father esses a game, exiting is impossible until a main quest point has beenpleted.}


    Huh? How long would that take?


    {The duration depends on the quest point''s difficulty and Father''s efforts.}


    Great. Basically, I could be stuck in there for who knows how long if I were to get to a troublesome quest point


    Still, if I were to ess a game, I would need to be in a safe environment. Right now, the only location I could think of as ''safe'' is Project Charlotte.


    As for the rest, there are too many variable factors that easily make them unsafe. Take Sorcerers'' Lair as an example. ''My'' past there is a rather extraordinary one, and I have already met a Code and an Unknown there. Who knows whether there are more of them in the other kingdoms or not.


    After that, there is the current tform, Aem. Currently, on the other side, there are still spirits on the loose and who knows what sort of chaos one of them might wreak.


    Finally, there is the Rift, which out of the three is the most troublesome. Simply put, the amount of trouble there is extraordinary, to the point that I won''t consider it as ''safe'' no matter what.


    And so, I am left with no choice other than Project Charlotte. However, there is a small problem with that, which is the fact that I would have to stay for almost a month if I were to go there.


    Other than that, there is the issue of Nao''s brother. I had promised her to heal him when I could, and I have a feeling that she would be more than a little pissed if she found out I went there and did so without bringing her over.


    Truly, a troublesome matter.


    Still, how am I going to do this? I doubt that Dominion would be fine with me leaving this ce for over a month, and then there is the issue with Nao currently being in the Rift.


    Oh, right. Dominion. Perhaps she has a solution for this matter?


    Releasing a sigh, I walk over toward Dominion, who, judging from my senses, is standing with a smile stered to her lips as she gazes at me.


    Hah~ I hope that she has a solution for my troubles


    ---


    "Alright, I''m ready," I state in an assured tone with a serene expression.


    Hearing my words, Dominion, also known as White Queen, nods her head once before raising her right arm.


    Following this, a giant clock with wings protruding on its sides appears behind her as a small gun forms in her right hand and a thin sword in her left one.


    Due to the current state of my eyes, I am unable to make out anything about the clock, the sword, and the gun other than their shapes; not even their colors.


    Not wasting any time, she pulls the trigger, following which a bullet escapes from the gun''s muzzle, creating a series of noises along the trail it leaves as it scratches the sword before continuing upon which space seems to tear apart in front of Queen.


    Sensing this, I order AI to release the time in the Rift.


    {Affirmative.}


    Earlier, I had a small discussion with Queen regarding her powers in hopes of finding a solution to my recent dilemma. As the conversation went on, she spoke of an ability of hers that immediately caught my attention  Linking.


    Basically, this ability allows her to form a link between tforms, and even to the Rift to a certain extent, while disregarding the Mete.


    Expectedly, such an ability has its limitations. The most prominent one is that she can''t travel through any link she creates herself. After that, there is the problem that she can only keep a link active for six hours at most, in the case of a tform. For the Rift, it''s much less than that. Either way, as a result of her current self being iplete, else, the current duration for each is less than what she would be capable of normally  ording to her, that is.


    Anyway, the usage of the ability consumes a great amount of a particr type of energy, rendering the ability unusable for one to two months once used.


    The only exception to this would be quick usage; meaning, keeping a link active for no longer than a minute, in which case, a much smaller sum of energy will be consumed. Apparently, this is what Queen did back then to ''invite'' me over.


    As such, we''re about to do just that. First, Queen will create a link leading to the mansion, which was possible through AI providing her with the necessary ''data'', then I will head in speedily and bring Nao over.


    It''s not like I trust Queen enough to know that she wouldn''t hurt me, but I trust in her hopes of acquiring the freedom she desires that she wouldn''t do so.


    The only thing that''s bothering me about this whole operation is that I will get to see  well, sense my body in the Rift lying motionlessly while I am in my current body.


    ording to AI, the current body I am inhabiting would break down after a short while if I were to remain in the Rift, but that''s not a problem, since I was not nning to do so anyway.


    And so, I focus back on reality and proceed to dash into the fissure that has formed after having gotten Queen''s signal to do so - "Now."


    Immediately after doing so, I feel an extremely ufortable sensation all over my body, as if tiny creatures are moving around underneath my skin and poking it with thin needles.


    While this is happening, I notice that ''something'' is guiding my body through the link, which I assume is Queen using another ability to do so.


    Fortunately, the irritating trip doesn''tst any longer than five seconds, as, the next moment, I find myself standing in the living room with a crack in space behind me.


    Knowing that I''ve got no time to waste, I quickly utilize Blink to appear inside Nao''s room.


    Following this, I move over to the bed and move the nket to the side.


    "Hm?" a tired voice reaches my ears as Nao opens her eyes.


    "I will exin everythingter," I say in a hurried tone as I reach my arms underneath her body and carry her from the bed.


    "Huh? What are you doing?" Nao says as her body stiffens and her eyes shoot wide open.


    "Taking you to see your brother," I respond casually as I utilize Blink once again to get back to the living room before heading back into the link.


    The ufortable sensation assails my body once more, as well as Nao''s body, as she lets out a shriek before wrapping her arms around my nape.


    A few secondster, we''re both at where I was before rushing into the fissure the first time.


    To my left, Queen is standing proudly with her gaze fixated on Nao.


    "Victor," Nao suddenly says in a not-so-sweet tone, "Let me down, and tell me what''s going on."


    Hearing her words, I chuckle lightly before saying, "You''re going to have to let go of my neck if you want me to let you down."


    Unbothered by my statement, Nao simply does as I told her to before I let her down.


    Currently, she is most likely dressed in her pajamas which she wears to sleep and judging from my senses, her hair is somewhat messy.


    Nevertheless, I don''t make any remarks as I begin to recount whatever necessary for her to understand the situation.

 Chapter 323: Solution ; Return

    Chapter 323: Solution ; Return


    "Is that all?" Nao asks in a suspicious tone once I am done giving her a brief recount of my experience over in Aem.


    "Yeah," I respond in a low tone while thinking of all the details skipped over regarding the girls here. Naturally, I did mention them and the ''reason'' I have interacted with them, but that''s it. Then again, Nao surely suspects something, which is apparent from the tone she used just now.


    Releasing a small sigh, I focus my senses on Dominion, only to find her looking in our direction without any expression on her face.


    She must''ve gotten bored.


    "Come on," I say as I ''look'' over at Nao, "We should head over back to your world."


    "Huh?" a confused voice escapes from her mouth.


    "Right, I didn''t tell you," I say as I smile wryly, "The reason I''ve brought you over here is that I was nning to return to the world you''re from."


    "This means..." she mutters.


    "Yes, I can heal your brother''s condition now, and the time is perfect," I state with a small smile covering my lips.


    Even though healing her brother isn''t my main objective, it still is something that I will be doing, so why not tell her?


    At this moment, a series of emotions seems to wash over Nao as a somewhatplicated look appears on her face. Surely though, she must be delighted to know that her brother will be getting healed after all this time.


    And so, I leave Nao to her own devices as I make my over to Queen.


    "I need you to create another link," I state once I am standing in front of her.


    "For what reason?" she asks in a firm tone with no expression on her face.


    "So that I can return here sooner and bring you the freedom you desire," I respond.


    Hearing this, her expression changes as a small smile covers her lips before she says, "In that case, I will do it. But, you''re going to have to give me the specifics of where you would want me to create a link for."


    Before I can say anything as a response to her words, I sense dense energy abruptly form between me and Queen before changing into a small figure, which I assume is AI''s, judging from how there is no expression on her face.


    The little girl takes a moment to look around before stepping closer to Queen and pressing her hand against her body.


    Following this, Queen''s mouth drops open as she looks down at AI with a look on her face that I can only describe as ''intrigued''.


    Once she''s done doing whatever she was doing, AI turns around approaches me before saying in a calm tone, "Father, the formation of the link won''t achieve what Father wills."


    "You mean to say that the link will copse due to her running out of energy before I can return?" I question.


    "Affirmative," she responds.


    "In that case, can''t I just stop time here as a substitute since the time in Project Charlotte will be released anyway?"


    Or, so I say, but I am extremely doubtful of that being possible. For instance, what would keep the link going if Queen is in a ''frozen'' state?


    Expectedly, AI refutes my words by saying, "That''s not possible for two reasons. First, doing that might result in Code: Dominion''s Core to take severe damage; particrly so since it''s currently iplete."


    "Secondly, the ability used between tforms would instantly get revoked due to the unbnce."


    "Then?" I question, "Do you have any solution for this issue?"


    "Affirmative. Father could make use of the Time-Key to slow the flow of time and form a link between the tforms. The end result will be a weakened version of the link that Father wills."


    "Weakened version? What exactly do you mean by that and will it pose any danger to those that pass through it?" I ask dubiously, concerned for Nao''s and my safety.


    "The weakened version of the link will be more prone to external interference," she exins, "Using it as is wouldn''t result in any physical consequences, but if an entity of marginal prowess were to assail the link while it''s being used, thenplications are highly likely."


    Hm... So, she''s basically saying that the weakened form of transportation will solve my problem, but will also bring with it some risks. As for the risk, it''s only there during certain circumstances.


    As far as I remember, Project Charlotte didn''t have anyone withparable power to what AI described. The most powerful being I ''encountered'' there was Yuno, and she wasn''t even an enemy.


    The only others that could even be considered mild threats would be ability users that are still all around the globe.


    Heck, why don''t I just plunder some more abilities while I am at it? Wait... Right. The ability requires me to ''see'' my targets, but now, I can only sense them through methods other than the eyes.


    How annoying...


    Hopefully, I will find a way to ''fix'' my sight while I am there, after all, not being able to see is not a small matter. I am already tired of just sensing shapes and not being able to tell colors.


    Releasing an audible sigh, I focus back on AI and ask, "So, how do I use the Time-Key?"


    "The Time-Key requires to be physically set up in a tform or the Rift. Father must choose a safe location for it to remain out of the reach of those who wish to harm Father."


    In that case, I can set it up over in Project Charlotte and have someone guard it, such as Jeanne.


    "Oh, right," I utter upon remembering something, "Are you able to determine the ratio at which time will be hastened wherever the Time-Key is set up?"


    "Affirmative," AI responds, "It would be 150:1."


    Sweet. That should be enough for me to get whatever I need done over there settled. But then again...


    "What about the consequences of switching back from the Time-Key to the three time-freeze remnants?"


    "15% of Father''s current Essence Energy will be used. The energy taken will take approximately ten days to replenish," she responds.


    Huh. It''s lighter than I expected. But then again, 15% is no small amount either, especially considering the thing about it taking ten days to replenish. Still, if I were to somehow increase how much Essence Energy I have, would it take less in the future? It should, no?


    "Affirmative," AI responds, seeming to have heard my thoughts, "The amount is not rtive to the amount of Essence Energy Father has, but is fixed."


    In that case, then all is well. As for the period of replenishment, I will simply have to be more vignt than normal and be even more careful to not waste energy.


    "Well then," I say as a smile forms on my lips, "Let''s get this done with, shall we?"


    --


    "Stay safe," I say to the two girls behind me as I stand in front of the newly created link with Nao in my arms.


    The link is still iplete, since the time on the other side is frozen, but once it''s released, it will be fine.


    It took me some effort to convince Nao that holding her this way would be for the best, but she is still not pleased as she continues to re at me.


    Both Kurumi and Queen will be remaining here. Leaving aside Queen''s incapability of passing through a link created by herself, Kurumi simply stated that it would be better for her to stay here.


    I have a feeling that the reason she wants to stay is rted to Queen one way or another. Even so, it''s fine as long as neither of them tries to obliterate the other out of existence.


    "Right," I say as I remember something, "There is a girl under the rubble over there. Get her out and see to it that she remains alive."


    "Very well," Kurumi responds while bowing slightly before she turns and walks in the direction the section of the building ''cut off''ys.


    Now then, AI, release time over at Project Charlotte at whatever interval you deem fit.


    {Affirmative.}


    And so, I turn my waist to beam them a smile before facing the link once more and walking through it.


    Immediately after I do so, an extremely ufortable sound assails my ears, as if hundreds of whistles are being blown a few centimeters away from them. Aside from that, there is the same sensation of tiny creatures crawling under my skin, simr to the other two times I passed through a link.


    Unfortunately, this time, it takes us a little longer to pass through to the other side. Just a few more seconds, but it feels like an eternity due to how ufortable the trip feels.


    Once I''m through to the other side, my feet contact with the ground, but lose my bnce and almost fall to the ground, only to be caught at the critical moment by my left arm.


    "You," a somewhat familiar voice reaches my ears, "You''re Victor?"


    Turning my head to face the source of the voice, even though there is no need to, I sense that the one speaking is none other than Shinoa - the girl I left behind when I departed from this tform.


    "I told you I would be back before you know it, didn''t I?" I say with a wide grin covering my lips.


    Following this, Nao, who had been motionlesslyying within my arms, suddenly breaks free and drops to the ground.


    Instinctively, I use Vector Maniption to prevent any harm from reaching her, but the next moment, she leans forth and vomits.


    "Nao?" I question worriedly as I crouch and ce my hand against her back.


    "It''s alright," she says in a rugged tone after vomiting for a short while, "I just felt a little sick."


    Hey, AI, what''s wrong with her?


    {The trip through the link strained her body since she had already gone through another link not too long ago.}


    And why didn''t you warn me of this?


    {Since the strain would not be to a great extent, I deemed it unnecessary.}


    ...


    In the future, tell me everything, no matter how insignificant.


    {Affirmative.}


    Releasing a sigh, I circte Holy Essence through my arm, before utilizing Healing Factor in order to at least make her feel better.


    Fortunately, this seems to work, as Nao shortly ces her left hand on my shoulder before using it as leverage to get up from the ground.


    I follow suit and stand straight before ''looking over'' at Shinoa once more.


    What meets my sight - well, senses, is a confused Shinoa who is staring at us wordlessly.


    It seems like our reappearance is something of more significance to herpared to the fissure in space behind me...

 Chapter 324: Explanation ; Protector

    Chapter 324: Exnation ; Protector


    Knowing that I shouldn''t waste any time, I mentally instruct AI to release the stopped time everywhere before inquiring about the time-key.


    However, it was Irene that responded to my mental message instead of AI.


    {Father should will for the key to appear.}


    Acting upon her vague response, I focus on the words "time-key" in my mind as I imagine a key appearing in front of me.


    Contrary to my expectations, instead of a detailed andplex-looking key, a simple old-looking key the size of my arm appears in the air in front of me.


    It seemed to have happened in a single instant, as I was simply unable to sense it appear, but could only do so once it was there.


    Expectedly, this shocks the two girls, as Nao warily steps back, while Shinoa squints her eyes as she watches the key with interest.


    Unfortunately, other than the key''s shape, I can''t make out anything else, so I can''t be sure whether there are some properties I am missing or not.


    {Would Father like to activate the Time-Key now?}


    Yes.


    {Affirmative.}


    Following her voice, I feel a slight tingling sensation against my skin as the key in front of me starts spinning at a slow pace while gradually picking up speed with each passing second.


    Shortly, the key is spinning at a rate so fast that my senses can''t make it out anymore, but that doesn''tst for long, as it suddenly seems to disappear and gets reced by a small floating orb.


    {Time-Key initiationplete.}


    "That''s it?" I mutter as I sense a slight disturbance in the fissure behind me.


    Honestly, I was expecting something grander


    "What was that?" Nao asks dubiously after a brief moment of silence.


    "Nothing of importance," I respond while pointing at the newly-formed orb, "It''s just that thing that caused a little ruckus upon activation."


    "But, what is this thing?" Shinoa interjects, "A moment ago, it was a giant key, but now"


    "Well, this is something that I would rather exin once we''ve all settled down, alright?"


    To this, the two girls both remain silent, perhaps as a gesture of affirmation.


    --


    "Finally done changing?" I say with a smile as Nao walks into the kitchen after having changed out of her pajamas. Her current clothes are ones that I created a few minutes ago.


    My ability to use Creation remains mostly unaffected by my loss of sight, as I can ''see'' the things in the database without any issue, allowing me to continue creating things the same way I''ve been doing until now.


    Anyway, currently, I am sitting at the dining table along with Shinoa. She asked me a few basic questions, such as how much time has passed for me and Nao since west ''saw'' her, to which I responded by saying ''a few months''.


    Despite having been told that time would be frozen here, Shinoa still found it a little surprising when it actually happened. I suppose that has something to do with her subconscious


    Aside from that, she also questioned my appearance, which I found a little challenging to exin.


    In the end, I resorted to, "Whenever I go from a world to another, my appearance changes, unless I have been to that world before."


    It''s not correct, but not exactly wrong either. After all, that''s how it has been up until now. So, simply put, it''s the truth until proven otherwise.


    "So, what are you going to do now?" Nao''s voice resounds within my ears as she walks over to the table and takes a seat.


    "Well, for starters, how about we go visit your brother tomorrow?" I suggest with a small smile.


    "Sure," she responds in a cool tone, but I sense a small hint of anticipation in it as well.


    "And after that?" Nao continues.


    "Well, I will see if there are any issues in this tform before essing the ''game''."


    "Game?" Shinoa asks in an intrigued manner.


    "That''s right," I respond, "From other people''s point of view, I will be sitting in ce without any emotion, but in reality, I will be ying a ''game'' spiritually."


    "What''s this game and why will you y it?" she asks as her interest seems to grow.


    "I''m not sure what the game is, but pleting'' it will solve a huge problem I am currently facing."


    "I see," she utters.


    "Are you not going to visit your brother?" Nao suddenly asks.


    "Shunsuke? Why would I?"


    "Because he is your brother?" she responds with an expression that seems to say ''what are you even asking''.


    "I feel no connection with that guy, that''s all," I respond nonchntly.


    It''s the truth. I simply don''t see the guy as my brother. Heck, I doubt we''re even ''rted'' considering what my current body is.


    "Hey I just noticed this, but can you not see anymore?" Shinoa remarks suspiciously.


    Ah I guess, no matter how hard I try to act like normal, it would be apparent that something is off about me, huh?


    "How did you notice?" I ask curiously.


    "Well, when you spoke to someone in the past, you would always be looking them in the eye, but now"


    Ah, she has a point. She must''ve mistaken my actions of attempting to read others'' intentions as me asserting dominance by looking them in the eyes.


    Since I rely on my senses now, there has been no need for me to look anyone in the eyes, which is exactly what has made her suspect something.


    "Wait, is she right?" Nao questions as she gazes at my face intently.


    "Yeah," I respond with a shrug, "It happened not too long ago. I used my Plunder ability to steal a power that resulted in me losing my sight."


    "To think such a thing was possible," Nao lowers her head and mutters before shaking her head and asking, "Does that mean you can''t use it anymore?"


    "That''s right," I reply, "But it''s only temporary. I will regain my sight, but I am not sure when exactly that will happen."


    ---


    Waking up early morning, I get up from the futon I had createdst night since Shinoa and Nao slept on the ones that were already here.


    I make my way to the bath and once inside, I close the door and lock it before destroying my current clothes.


    Following this, I proceed to open the water tap telekically as I position my back against a wall as I wait for the bathtub to get filled.


    Hey, Irene, how sensitive is the Time-Key? As in, what exactly being done to it would result in it malfunctioning?


    {As a reference to Father''s current knowledge, an entity with a threat level of two toward Father would be able to disable the Time-Key.}


    Two So, a Binary Factor?


    {Not necessarily.}


    Say this threat level is relevant to my current capabilities, right?


    {Affirmative.}


    Would the ''game'' I will be ying result in any changes in that regard?


    {Affirmative.}


    That''s good. In that case, I won''t simply be wasting time in the ''game'' until I get to the main objective. That would''ve been horrible


    Setting that aside, I should get someone to defend the Time-Key while I am in the ''game''.


    As for who it should be obvious.


    Shaking my head, I detach my back from the wall and approach the bathtub that''s now almost filled with water.


    I stretch my body a little before raising my leg and then lowering it into the bathtub.


    Perhaps it is another one of this body''s weird properties, but I sense that the water is neither cold nor hot against my skin, but I know that it is hot. It''s weird to put into words, but I know without feeling it.


    Pushing such thoughts to the back of my head, I proceed to get in the bathtubpletely as I sit with my back against one end of the bathtub and my feet against the other end.


    I take a moment to rx before focusing on the empty space in the middle of the bath and make use of the summoning function of Norse Magic while focusing on the image of Jeanne within my head.


    Following this, a barely perceptible amount of energy escapes from my body and moves toward where I had focused my sense at. The amount of energy is so minuscule that I doubt I would''ve noticed it had I not been using my senses to such an extent, now that I am temporarily blind.


    The next moment, I am startled by an odd reaction from where the energy came to a halt as some other energy seemingly appears out of thin air and begins to mix up with the one that left my body.


    A few secondster, the energy begins expanding and takes the form of ady before it begins changing in a much finer manner internally, forming Jeanne''s insides.


    Frankly, the whole process is mesmerizing to sense, but it doesn''tst for long, as a few secondster, Jeanne''s firm voice resounds within my ears as the figure kneels down, "My Lord!"


    "Rx," I say nonchntly, "This is another world. One that I had been to a while ago. Aside from me, Nao is also here."


    "Yes," she responds firmly before seeming to realize something as she repeats in a much softer tone, "Yes."


    This is not what I meant by saying rx Oh well. No harm was done anyway.


    "Also, sorry for summoning you in such an obscure location," I say somewhat guiltily.


    "Not at all!" Jeanne exims with vigor as she gets up from the ground and clenches her hands into fists, "I shall serve My Lord whenever and wherever. All of me belongs to My Lord."


    Toward the end of her statement, there was undisguised reverence, causing me to release a small sigh and say, "I''m d that you feel this way. Now then, I will tell you about your ''mission'' here, in other words, the reason I have summoned you."


    "Yes," she responds serenely.

 Chapter 325: Promise

    Chapter 325: Promise


    "So, is everything clear now?" I question once I am done telling Jeanne about her role here now that I have summoned her.


    "Yes, My Lord," she responds courteously, "I shall protect My Lord''s vessel to thest of my breath."


    Yeah For some reason, Jeannebels my current body, as well as the one in the Rift, as ''vessels''. She seems to have this image of me being beyond physical matter and whatnot. As such, my physical bodies are simply ''fake'' to her.


    I suppose it''s reasonable for her to think this way, considering how things are in regard to my identity.


    Either way, she doesn''t worship me any less even with such thoughts, in fact, from what I can infer of her thoughts, she believes that I have a purpose for being here. For doing everything that I am doing  Like, some sort of grand n that is of great weight.


    "That''s good," I say in a firm tone, "But, don''t forget about the Time-Key. You may leave. Make sure to close the door behind you."


    "Yes," she responds in a tone equally firm as she straightens her posture before turning around and moving toward the door.


    "Wait," I say as I suddenly remembered something.


    "My Lord?" she utters as she turns her head to face me.


    "Your attire Change out of them and put these on instead," I say as I create a set of casual clothes for her that consists of navy jeans and a thin white blouse.


    "Understood," she reaffirms as she grabs the clothes that are floating in the air and walks toward the cloth wall-mounted hanger present in the bath.


    Following this, she hangs the newly created clothes as she begins taking off her current attire, which I can tell from my senses, is the white battle-attire she had on the first time I summoned her.


    Although I didn''t tell her where to change, for her to start stripping so nonchntly with me being a few meters away from her Too bad that I am blind right now, else I would''ve definitely enjoyed the treat to the eyes. Perhaps, I should ask her to strip for meter once I get my sight back? I wonder what Jeanne would think at that moment? ''My Lord is a pervert that wants to see his subjects naked''? For some reason, I feel like that''s going to be thest thought that coulde to her mind


    ---


    After having cleaned my body properly, I create a set of casual clothes for myself and put them on before leaving the bath.


    Once I am out, I notice that Jeanne is standing close to a certain floating orb.


    Looks like she has found the other target of her protection already. Hah~ That room is now of significant importance. First, there is the Time-Key, which needs to be protected for the duration I am going to be remaining in this world.


    Second, there is the fissure in space, which is the link created by Queen. Naturally, that also needs to be protected.


    Simply put, the room has to be protected by all means necessary.


    "Oh, you''re up already?" a gentle voice reaches my ears followed by a yawn.


    "Good morning, Nao," I say with a smile as I turn my head to face her.


    "Good morning," she replies as she walks past me into the bath.


    Well then, Irene, I have a few more questions regarding the game I will be entering.


    {Yes, Father?}


    Starting with the simplest one, will I be able to use my current powers in the ''game''?


    {Negative. Due to the way the games have been designed, Father is unable to use any external abilities, including Code Effects.}


    Well, that sucks. I suppose it does make sense though, since if the ''game'' is made to help one increase their experience in a certain area, precise control is necessary on the abilities used by said person, else they might as well just cheat their way to the main objective.


    Setting this aside, will there be any time difference?


    {By default, negative. If a few conditions are fulfilled, managing time in the games is possible.}


    And what are these conditions?


    {They are revealed as Father continues toplete objectives.}


    Say, I had been considering this earlier Irene, how much is your level of control over the games? Do they fall within your power and management?


    {Negative. I simply possess the ability to transport Father''s conscience to the games. Other than that, I have zero authority over anything within the games.}


    Hm Got it.


    --


    "Are you ready?" Nao''s voice reaches my ears as a figure enters the kitchen.


    "Of course," I respond, "We just have to eat breakfast before taking our leave. Right, is Shinoa up yet?"


    "No, she''s still sleeping," Nao replies as she walks over to the dining table and takes a seat.


    Silence ensues within the room as neither of us knows what to say, only until I let out a sigh and ask, "Doesn''t this take you back?"


    "Hm?" she hums in a manner that indicates she doesn''t get me.


    "I mean, when we first met. It started with you pointing that small camera of yours at my face and chasing after me in hopes of getting me to join your school and the student council. Yet, now"


    "It does take me back," Nao says, "This world is the one I grew up in. Although my experiences here weren''t exactly joyous, I feel a connection to this ce nevertheless."


    "Hey," she suddenly says as she gets up from her seat, "Do you need a little help?"


    "No, I am fine," I reply.


    "Are you sure? Because the eggs seem like they will start burning anytime soon."


    Ugh. Admittedly, cooking blindly turned out way harder than I expected. I thought I could depend on my heightened senses to deal with the handicap, but it didn''t go the way I expected it to.


    "Fine," I say in a defeated tone, "You do know how to cook, right?"


    "You''re asking for a beating," Nao utters in a frosty tone as she walks over and begins helping out.


    ---


    "Are you really not going to visit your brother?" Nao asks while sitting beside me on an express train.


    "As I said, I don''t see the guy as my brother and I don''t think I ever will," I respond in a somewhat irritated tone.


    "But he cared about you and Ayumi so much, and he still does," Nao continues.


    "I don''t care about that. At most, I wouldn''t treat him coldly and would help him out if necessary, but other than that, there won''t be anything else."


    "What about Ayumi? Are you going to prevent her from seeing her eldest brother forever?"


    "If she desires to see him so much, I would fulfill her request - if possible. Don''t misunderstand though, in that case, I would be doing it for Ayumi''s sake and not his."


    Anyway, I doubt that would happen anyway unless someone nts the thought inside her head.


    "Don''t mention our trip back here to Ayumi, alright?" I say as I wrap my left arm around her waist.


    "Stop, people are looking," Nao says as she lowers her voice a little.


    "Let them watch," I say as I chuckle, "I have such a wonderful girlfriend. It would be a shame to not show off."


    "You prick," she mutters as she sets her head against my shoulder and closes her eyes.


    --


    "There it is," Nao says as looks out of the window of the bus.


    "Yeah, thanks for informing this blind one," I say jokingly.


    "You''re wee," she responds in a serious tone, rendering me speechless.


    Shortly, the buses to a stop. The two of us, as well as a middle-aged female passenger, proceed to get off and walk in the direction of the only building nearby.


    "What do you think your brother will do after he recovers?" I ask on the way.


    "I am not sure," she replies in a doubtful tone, "There is so much that needs to be done, and he doesn''t have anyone to depend on."


    "Hey, there is me, no?" I say while smiling, "I believe I should be able to help him out one way or another in whatever issues he might face."


    "You''re not even from this world," Nao rebukes, "What can you do?"


    "I don''t know, perhaps threaten the government to take care of his needs or else I tten the country?"


    Following my words, the middle-aged woman walking behind us coughs lightly.


    "Of course, that''s a joke," I say, "Who would be delusional enough to make such ims seriously."


    Nao doesn''t say anything for a brief while before moving closer to me and whispering, "Are you actually going to threaten the government?"


    "Huh? You want me to?" I ask back.


    Although it would be a little troublesome, doing so shouldn''t be that hard, considering the recent events that have taken this world by shock.


    Numerous locations all over the globe experienced odd phenomena, during which buildings copsed inwardly as if some mini ck hole had formed inside each one of them.


    Surely, if I appeared during such trying times and showed off my prowess a little, the folks would be more than just pressured.


    Shortly, we make it inside the building and directly walk over to the receptionist''s desk.


    Thedy seated notices Nao as she breaks her focus from theputer screen in front of her and asks in a gentle tone, "Are you here to visit your brother?"


    "Yes," Nao responds simply.


    "Go right ahead. You know his room number, right?"


    "Yes."


    And so, the two of us make our way to the room in which Nao''s brother is staying.


    Once we''re standing in front of the door that leads to the room, Naoes to halt and takes in a deep breath before reaching her left hand out to the handle.


    Following this, we enter the room, only to find the guy sitting on the bed with his back to one end. Using my senses, I can tell that he didn''t react to our appearance in any way, almost as if he hasn''t realized we''re here.


    "Victor," Nao says in a serene tone as she takes a seat at the edge of the bed.


    "Yeah, leave it to me," I say in an assuring tone as I approach the dazed guy and press my palm against his head.


    He doesn''t react to this in any way as he continues to remain motionless. And so, I begin circting Holy Essence within my right arm before utilizing Healing Factor on the fellow.


    A few moments pass by, and I sense that the treatment isplete, so I stop circting Holy Essence and back away a little.


    "N-Nao," a croaked and hoarse voice escapes from the man''s lips as he ever so slowly turns his head to face his sister.


    Seeing that the treatment was a sess, I release a small sigh as I study Nao''splexion a little by using my senses before turning around and walking out of the room.


    Thus, I''ve fulfilled my promise to Nao and finished my mission for today.

 Chapter 326: Tutorial ; A Skeleton?

    Chapter 326: Tutorial ; A Skeleton?


    A few minutes pass by as I walk around outside the room the siblings are in as I y around with my senses.


    Frankly, it''s a little odd doing what I''ve been doing until now. It''s as if I''ve grown pairs of eyes all around me within a certain vicinity that can only look at me and everything ''in between''. Unfortunately, I can''t ''see'' colors just yet.


    Would it even be possible to see colors if I continued to practice my senses? For some reason, it feels rather usible, but I don''t know how.


    Scientifically speaking, the color that is perceived by the naked eye is different qualities of light getting reflected when shone upon objects.


    So, logically speaking, if I were to differentiate between the qualities of light particles as they shine on an object within my perception, I should be able to see colors.


    As simple and basic as that may sound, pulling it off is no easy matter. Though, I do have something that might be able to help me in this regard - Light Maniption.


    I am aware that I haven''t been looking into any ability specifically, but I suppose it''s about time I did so. After all, this is going to be of extreme importance.


    As such, I continue to y around with my senses while utilizing a bit of Light Maniption in hopes of achieving a satisfactory result.


    ---


    "Be careful, don''t fall," Nao''s voice reaches my ears while I am ying around with a small orb of light I had created a short while ago.


    Dispersing the orb of light, I shift my senses over to the entrance of the room, only to find Nao supporting her brother out of the room.


    From what I can tell, the fellow has recovered properly but is unable to walk due to other circumstances rted to his ''sickness''. Perhaps, something as simple as he hasn''t walked for so long that he has forgotten how to do so.


    Shaking my head slowly, I approach the duo and say in a casual tone, "Nao, you can let go of him."


    "Huh?


    "Just trust me and do it," I say without any change in expression.


    Doing as I tell her to, Nao lets go of her brother and walks away from him a few steps, only to be slightly startled by the guy not falling down, but instead standing upright without any issue.


    Well, that''s what it seems like from a passerby''s perspective, but in reality, I am holding him up telekically without any effort.


    "Yo-u," the guy utters in a croaked voice, "Vi-tor?"


    It seems like the fellow is having problems uttering certain letters and sybles. Though, it should only be temporary. Sooner orter, he will be able to both walk and talk normally without any hups.


    "That''s me," I say with a small smile on my lips.


    "Let''s get the paperwork done and get you out of here, shall we?"


    To this, the fellow simply nods his head once as he stares at me dazedly.


    "Right, what was your brother''s name?" I ask as I turn to face Nao while scratching the back of my head.


    Hearing my question, she stares at my face for a few seconds before responding, "Kazuki Tomori."


    "That''s right, Kazuki," I say as I chuckle lightly.


    And so, I turn and begin to make my way over to the receptionist''s desk while controlling the guy''s body like a puppet.


    Nao quickly catches up to me and says in a hurried tone, "What are you nning to do? They won''t just let him leave like this."


    "I know that," I reply, "But you seem to have forgotten that I am no ordinary person."


    "That''s why I am asking what are you nning to do," she says in an irritated tone.


    "You''ll see," I say vaguely as the smile on my lips grows while reminiscing the small conversation I had with Irene a minute ago.


    --


    "Hey, Irene, is there an easy way for me to perceive colors?"


    {What Father is currently doing is correct.}


    "Oh, you mean the practicing?"


    {Affirmative.}


    "Great. Though, even if I see colors, I won''t be able to use Indoctrination or Hypnosis, unfortunately" I mutter.


    {That is incorrect.}


    "Huh?"


    {Father should be able to use the sub-ability, Indoctrination, without any problems.}


    "But my eyes can''t see now; how would it work?"


    {There is a misconception on Father''s part - Indoctrination doesn''t require eye contact.}


    --


    ording to Irene, Indoctrination will work just fine, albeit it would be a little harder to perform since I would have to depend on my perception to mark a ''target''.


    Shortly, we reach the desk, and the receptionist immediately notices the guy behind me as her eyes widen by quite a margin.


    "Hello," I say merrily, "I would like this guy to leave now. You know, since he is healed and all as you can see."


    "Excuse me for a moment," the receptionist says anxiously as she reaches her hand out to a telephone set on the desk and brings it to her ear.


    Before she can dial any number, I make use of my enhanced speed to grab the telephone and bring it away from her.


    From the receptionist''s perspective, the telephone just disappeared and reappeared in my hands, which shocks her immensely.


    "I''m sorry, but we''re kind of in a rush here," I say while adopting a troubled expression, "I hope that you don''t force me to do anything unnecessary."


    Still shocked, the woman is unable to respond to my words as she simply stares at the telephone in my hand speechlessly.


    Releasing a sigh of exasperation, I casually reach my arm out and telekically bring hers forth.


    Once I am holding her hand, she breaks out of her stupor as a fearful look appears on her face.


    "Rx," I say nonchntly, "I just want to show you something."


    Following this, I focus my senses on her as I utilize Indoctrination.


    ''Don''t think and just do everything I tell you to.''


    Having given the woman an order, I begin to give her more orders verbally, which she easilyplies with as per the initial order I gave.


    ---


    "It will take some time before the next bus arrives here," Nao states as we reach the location we got off the bus.


    "Is that so?" I say casually as I create a gateway using Norse Magic that leads back to the apartment.


    "We don''t need to take the bus."


    As soon as we pass through the gateway, I ''guide'' Kazuki''s body over to the sofa there and make him lie down on it.


    "Hey," Nao suddenly says, "Why didn''t you do this earlier?"


    "Do what?" I ask back.


    "The teleportation thing," she replies with squinted eyes.


    "Ah, that. Well, I just wanted to spend some time with you."


    Hearing this, she lets out a sigh before shaking her head and asking, "Are you going to enter that ''game'' now?"


    "Yeah. It would be better for me to settle this sooner thanter, don''t you think?"


    "Ah, you two are back," another voice reaches my ears from the room we slept inst night,


    "Good morning," I say as I turn my head to face Shinoa.


    "Good morning," she responds in a curious tone, "Where did you go?"


    "To retrieve her brother from the hospital," I respond while pointing at Nao.


    "Oh! You did mention something about her brother before, but I didn''t care about it much. What had happened to him for him to be in the hospital?"


    "Nothing much," I say with a shrug, "He was just captured by scientists and basically turned into ab rat until he broke."


    "What?"


    "It''s a long story that''s better told at night," I state, "For now, I am nning to enter the ''game'', so don''t disturb me."


    Having said this, I walk past them toward the room that has the Time-Key inside it.


    There, I expectedly find Jeanne sitting on the floor with her eyes closed.


    "Jeanne," I call out to her, causing her to immediately open her eyes.


    "I will be starting now. My body will be defenseless, so I will be counting on you to keep it and everyone here safe."


    "As you will, My Lord," she responds in a serene voice.


    Nodding my head, I approach the wall opposite the one that Jeanne has her back to and sit down.


    After making sure that my position isfortable and won''t result in my falling sideways once my consciousness leaves the body, I mentally instruct Irene to start the ''game''.


    {Affirmative. Total entries: 3}


    Wait, what?


    Before I can ruminate over her words, I feel a cold sensation overwhelm my body as I slowly lose my senses.


    The next moment, I find myself in an empty space. What''s shocking is that I can see now, as I can tell that the space is white, simr to the Mete.


    {First usage of the game detected. Initiating Tutorial.}


    AI''s voice resounds all over the ce before my surroundings abruptly change into a much better spectacle.


    Now, instead of standing in an endless white space, I am in what appears to be a huge circr arena.


    Looking around, I notice that there is a venue above for spectators to watch, but they''re currently empty.


    However, I suddenly sense something else appear in the ce.


    Looking over, I find a rather horrific, yet grand-looking skeleton dressed in a ck gown embroidered with fine gold lines.


    In its skeletal hand, the skeleton is holding a long golden staff. The appearance of the staff is quite something, with what seem to be seven serpents intertwined around the whole thing. In the mouths of the serpents, there are different colored lustrous gems.


    Breaking my gaze away from the staff, I look over at the skeleton''s face. What''s odd is that I feel like there is confusion emitting from it.


    Soon, something startling happens - the skeleton talks.


    "What the hell is this?" resounds the voice of a man that appears to be in his twenties, "Is this some kind of special event tomemorate the end of the game? Just as I grabbed the staff too..."


    Huh? What is this skeleton bbering about, and why does it sound so ''human''?


    Judging from its appearance, I thought it would have some odd personality that would differentiate him from the average human, but there is nothing like that at all.


    Aside from that, when it talks, its jaw remains stationary, as if the words are being transmitted by some other means, though that''s to be expected since the guy shouldn''t have vocal cords or any flesh for that matter.


    It doesn''t take long for the skeleton to notice me as it turns its head and ''stares'' at me with two eerie red glowing orbs in its eye sockets.


    "You," it says as it raises its hand, "Hm? Not a yer but then what? An NPC?"


    Alright, it''s starting to talk more nonsense. NPC isn''t that a term used to refer to game characters that aren''t controlled by yers? Does it think I am one? If that''s the case, is it a ''yer'' of some game? That thing Irene mentioned earlier about three entries - could it be one of them?


    If so, that would exin quite a few things, but then if it''s not


    I attempt to open my mouth in hopes of conversing with the skeleton, only to realize that I can''t do so.


    Huh? What''s going on?


    Confused, I attempt to use irvoyance, but that doesn''t work either.


    Oh, right, Irene did say my Code Effects would not work in here


    As such, I resort to using my eyes to examine my body.


    Looking down, I see a toned naked body. However, the area in between my thighs is empty - there are no genitals to signify my gender.


    Is this also a part of the game? How annoying


    Perplexed, I lift my right arm and bring my hand to my face. As I touch around, I notice that I have neither a mouth nor a nose. Though, I do have eyes.


    This is getting weird What''s with my current body? Am I going to remain like this for the whole game?


    "Hey, do you understand me?" the voice from before resounds once again.


    Looking up at the skeleton, I proceed to nod twice.


    "Oh? So you are a yer? But then why isn''t your data disyed?"


    At this moment, the voice of a certain young girl reverberates loudly, "The tutorial has begun. Granted skill-set: Enhanced Saint. Granted equipment: Sword of the Saint."


    "Main objective: Defeat the opponent using the granted skill-set and equipment."


    "Secondary objective: Finish the first objective under three minutes."


    "Main objective reward: Profile."


    {Greetings, Father. I will be Father''s guide during the tutorial.}


    Irene? Alright, tell me what''s going on, and what''s with the things that AI just announced?


    {For the tutorial, Father is granted a skill-set and equipment. This time, the skill-set belongs to the ss Enhanced Saint. To ess it, Father simply needs to think about the skills belonging to the ss.}


    Having gotten a rough idea of what I need to do, I think of the skill-set or whatever, and the next thing I know, various information suddenly pops up in my head.


    In a matter of seconds, I feel like I have memorized a small book down to every word as the words continue to swirl in my mind.


    {To receive the granted equipment, Father must raise an arm and will for it.}


    Doing that too, a bright light shines before a majestic-looking sword appears in my hand.


    "Hey, hey, is this a joke? Do the GM want us to do onest duel? What even is the Enhanced Immortal Warrior? I have never heard of such a ss."


    Listening to the skeleton bber about, I squint my eyes as I get into abat stance.


    "Oi, don''t tell me you''re nning to take this seriously," the skeleton says in an exasperated manner.


    Too bad, I can''t respond to it due to not having a mouth.


    {Step}


    Irene''s voice appears in my head as I use a skill to quickly close in the distance between me and the skeleton.


    rmed, the skeleton raises its hand and utters, "Lesser Dexterity."


    Within the time-frame it took for it to do that, I am less than a meter away from it and directly sh my sword


    {Blessed de}


    Following this, the sword glows in a bright yellow as it directly strikes the skeleton''s torso.


    Unexpectedly, it doesn''t manage to cut through its body but only gives it a great impact, resulting in it getting hurled toward the wall behind it and letting go of the staff - only for the thing to float.


    A loud noise resounds within the arena as the section of the wall that got impacted cracks.


    Falling to the ground, the skeleton keeps its face from eating dirt by reaching its arm out to keep itself steady.


    "What the Why wasn''t there any skill-use dy? Neither was there a countdown What''s going on?"


    Hearing the words it''s muttering, I shake my head and close the distance between us once again.


    {Step}


    "Wait, wait, wait," it reacts to my actions, but I don''t give it any chance to talk as I raise my sword and swing it at his head.


    {True Salvation - Greater Shot}


    Like a knife cutting through butter, my strike effortlessly decapitates its skull from the rest of its body.


    Soon after the skeleton''s body drops to the ground,


    "Main objectiveplete; granting profile: Overlord."


    "Secondary objectiveplete; granting reward: Soul of Suzuki Satoru."


    "First stage of the tutorial isplete. Transferring"


    Before I can react to the series of announcements, my vision goespletely dark as I once again lose all my senses.

 Chapter 327: Finishing the Tutorial ; Beauty

    Chapter 327: Finishing the Tutorial ; Beauty


    "Initiating the second phase of the tutorial."


    Along with AI''s voice, my senses return - although my sight remainspletely dark, simr to how it was outside the game.


    Am I blind again? But I could see earlier, couldn''t I?


    "To ess current progression status and state, intone ''Status."


    Status? Is it going to be something simr to the system screen outside the game that shows my abilities and parameters?


    "Status," I curiously mutter.


    All of a sudden, despite not being able to see anything, a yellow rectangr screen appears in front of me.


    Inspecting the content disyed on the window, I am a little startled.


    -------


    Name:- N/A


    Race:- Alterer (100%)


    Profile:


    -Origo (N/A)


    -Overlord (100%) (Active)


    ---


    Main objectivespleted: 1


    Secondary objectivespleted: 1


    Forced callings used: 0/3


    Familiars: 2/3


    -------


    This It''s a rather simple status screen. It doesn''t disy anything like abilities and powers, but some simple stuff instead.


    Still, what''s with the name section being empty, and what''s an Alterer? The only thing I can infer from the name is ''altering'', as in something that alters. But then, what would I be altering?


    "Please register a name for usage in the game," AI''s voice reverberates once again.


    A name? I will just go with ''Victor''.


    "Victor," I mutter, immediately after which the name appears in ce of the N/A on the status screen.


    Oh, so I can talk now. I suppose that means I have a mouth unlike during the battle with the skeleton?


    "Default profile selected: Overlord."


    "Beginning introduction of forced callings"


    The next moment, I feel an odd sensation all over my body, as if I have been suddenly transferred elsewhere.


    "Granting profile skills and abilities"


    A sudden jolt of pain strikes my head as I feel a great amount of information seemingly flowing into me.


    A few seconds after the pain goes away, I take a moment to skim through the information I just acquired.


    In short, everything I just received is skills belonging to the profile ''Overlord'' or whatever. The sheer number of abilities is simply astounding, ranging from a spell that shoots out magic arrows to one that summons a literal meteorite down.


    "Initiating introduction of forced callings"


    As soon as AI''s voice fades, the light returns to my eyes as I find myself standing right at the center of the arena I fought the skeleton.


    However, something is amiss, I can feel it.


    Looking down at my body, I realize that I am not naked, but instead, I am dressed in a dark gown that I recognize.


    "No way, right?" I mutter as I raise both of my arms.


    A skeleton - I have be a fucking skeleton. And from the looks of it, it should be the very same skeleton I decapitated earlier.


    Before I can think over this matter any longer, a bright light shines all around me, only to fade and reveal multiple hideous-looking monsters that are armed withrge clubs.


    "Amidst an unfavorable situation, it''s possible to force a calling."


    "Doing so will result in receiving a tertiary objective. The reward uponpletion of the objective various ording to the difficulty of the circumstances."


    How intriguing... At first thought, this could be used to increase the gains from a game, but that''s not all. If I were to hit a blockade with no idea what to do, I could force a calling and use it as a guide.


    "So, how do I exactly force a calling?" I utter as I nce at the monsters around me that are staring at me motionlessly.


    "To force a calling, willing for it is enough," resounds the voice as if in response to my inquiry.


    And so, I do just that, directly after which a small red window pops up in front of me.


    ----


    Forced calling (N/A):


    Exterminate all the trolls. (0/13)


    Time left: N/A


    Reward: ess to the third stage of the tutorial.


    ----


    "Begin," resounds AI''s voice.


    Following this, the hideous monsters around me release loud cries as they raise their clubs and rush at me.


    "Shit," I mutter as I quickly dash in a direction that has fewer trolls.


    My speed... It has decreased a little. Fortunately, it''s still more than enough for me to deal with these considerably sluggish creatures.


    And so, I quickly use a buff on myself, "Haste."


    With my speed growing to an absurd rate, I easily create some distance between the monsters and me.


    Alright, analyzing the monster in front of me, I can roughly assume their power level and how much of a threat they pose to me. Basically, none.


    Although it''s just my gut feeling, I realize that these monsters stand absolutely no chance against me. This notion is further enforced by the information I now possess in regard to my abilities.


    Thus, there is no reason for me to use anything too shy right now.


    "Iceball," I mutter as I raise my right skeletal hand.


    Following this, an azure ball of frost appears in front of my palm beforeunching in the direction three trolls are closely grouped up.


    Once the ball of frost contacts one of the trolls, it erupts into a small burst of white mist as the trolls'' bodies begin freezing.


    Not even a secondter, I cast another spell, "Fireball."


    This time, a small ball of fiery mes appears beforeunching toward the frozen group.


    Normally, this fireball would only cause some great damage especially against such monsters, but now,bined with the earlier iceball, the damage is notably higher.


    A loud noise reverberates within the arena as the two magic spells react and form a mini-explosion.


    The three frozen trolls take the most damage from this as they simply break into huge chunks, while the shockwave brings a halt to the other trolls'' movements.


    A few seconds pass, with neither side doing anything, only for one of the trolls to raise its club and release a cry much louder than before - it is pissed.


    Well then, I suppose it''s time to investigate my current body.


    Lowering my right arm, I proceed to slowly approach the trolls that are rushing at me with no intention of striking them.


    Shortly, one of the trolls reaches me and directly raises its club. Unfazed, I simply raise my arm in the trajectory the club will be swung, and expectedly, once the troll did swing it, the club got easily blocked without any pressure.


    "How weak," I subconsciously mutter as I step forth and use my right arm to casually punch the troll''s huge belly.


    The impact from my punch isn''t anything to be scoffed at, as the troll''s feet leave the ground and its body gets hurled a few meters away.


    Deciding not to waste any more time, I keep my right arm raised as I chant, "Acid arrow."


    This results in a greenish-yellow magic arrow appearing in front of my palm andunching toward one of the approaching trolls'' faces.


    I repeat this process a few more times until all the nine standing trolls are struck.


    After this, I ignore the trolls'' wailings as I lower my arm slightly and chant, "Create greater item."


    As my voice fades, a bright light shines for a moment before it disappears and reveals a fine-looking shortsword.


    Gripping the sword''s hilt with my bony hand, I lean forth a little before dashing toward the trolls.


    I swiftly make use of my speed and strength to dash among the trolls, swinging the sword at the neck of any of them within my proximity.


    Not even three secondster, I am standing in front of the troll I punched earlier with loud thuds reverberating behind me.


    Currently, the troll is trying to get up, but I don''t give it a chance to do so as I disperse the magically created sword before aiming my palm at the troll''s head and muttering, "Fireball."


    As soon as the ball of me strikes its head, the troll begins writhing around on the ground while letting out cries of agony thatst for about ten seconds before it stops and lies on the ground motionlessly.


    "Second phase of the tutorialplete."


    "Initiating the final phase..."


    Following the announcements, the trolls'' corpses break down into small motes of light and disappear.


    "Profile switching. Use ''status'' to switch profiles."


    Oh, right. There were two profiles disyed earlier. Overlord and Origo. From these two words, I can infer that Origo has something to do with my body outside the game, while Overlord is this skeleton body and skill-set.


    Doing as the voice instructed, I will for my profile to switch to ''Origo''.


    Directly after this, my vision blips for a moment as I sense a small change in my body.


    I curiously look down and raise my arms, only to be pleasantly surprised by the fact that my body now is exactly like it is outside the game.


    "Profiles outside the current game are unable to use any abilities. However, all parameters remain unchanged," the voice announces.


    Nice. This means that I can continue to do whatever I am supposed to do in this game in this body, albeit at the cost of having no abilities for usage.


    "Tutorial has beenpleted."


    "Switching profile back to default..."


    "Transporting..."


    As soon as AI''s voice fades, my vision darkens for a moment before the lightes back. Surprisingly, though, I am no longer in the arena, but in a grand chamber, sitting atop a throne. Even more stunning is the sight of a few individuals present within the chamber.


    Standing a meter away from me is a woman of immense beauty that can only bepared to Infi''s.


    The woman has long dark hair from which protrudes two slightly crooked white horns.


    She wears a long, pure white dress that reaches all the way to her feet. The sides of the dress around her hips are exposed, revealing a portion of her smooth thighs.


    Still, the most eye-catching thing about her is that there are a dark pair of wings around her waist.


    At this moment, the woman, which had been bowing slightly, straightens her posture a little as she asks, "Is something wrong, Lord Momonga? (Momonga-sama)"


    Momonga? Who the heck is that?


    Lowering my head slightly, I set my sight upon my two arms that are resting on the throne and then realize - I am currently in the body of the skeleton once again, and this woman most likely just uttered ''his'' name.


    {First primary objective granted: Gain control over the territory surrounding your base.}


    {Unsealing guide...}


    [Huh? What''s going on? Where am I?]


    The confused voice of a man follows the statements by AI. Oddly, the man''s voice greatly resembles the voice of the former owner of this skeletal body.


    Great; at least, I won''t be hurled into this mysterious ''game'' world with no knowledge about anything...


    "Lord Momonga?" the woman''s voice reaches me once again as she takes a step toward me.


    Looking up, my eyes are immediately drawn to a certain part of her body, which is partially covered by a web-like golden ne.


    This girl... isn''t she a little too attractive?

 Chapter 328: Guide ; Calling the Floor Guardians

    Chapter 328: Guide ; Calling the Floor Guardians


    Hah~ What am I supposed to say in response to this girl''s inquiry? Neither do I know her name, nor do I know what she is to me.


    Frankly, the only thing I can infer from her words is that I am her superior. And, considering the look of this chamber and how luxurious everything looks, I am definitely not just any ordinary superior.


    "Stand back," I say in a firm tone, to which she quickly affirms by bowing and then stepping back.


    Alright, I suppose I should look into my current situation.


    First, I am sitting on a throne in the body of a skeleton. This indicates that the previous owner seems to have been most likely quite rich and held a very high position. After all, not just anyone can sit on a throne.


    Second, a beautiful non-human woman is standing a short distance away from me. Between us, there is that odd golden staff I saw in the arena, floating a few centimeters above the ground.


    Shifting my focus away, I notice that the throne is positioned on higher groundpared to the rest of the chamber. Upon looking down, I take notice of several other humanoid beings.


    Six females and a male. The females are all ridiculously beautiful, each in their own way. Although their beauty can''t much that of the horned female close to me, it''s still overwhelming.


    All six of the females are dressed in maid uniforms, but not just any maid uniform. Some of them have armor on as a part of their attire, as if they''re prepared to partake in battle at any time.


    As for the male, he looks to be of old age and is dressed elegantly. If I were to guess, he is in all likelihood a butler.


    All seven of the servants are currently kneeling respectfully, without expressing any emotion other than what I sense to be reverence.


    [Seriously, what''s going on today? Has the game bugged?]


    Hearing the man''s voice in my head once again, I remember that if there is anyone that could clear my confusion, it would be him.


    The problem is whether I can converse with him mentally or not...


    ''Hey, can you hear me?'' I mentally say.


    [Huh? Who is this? Where are you?]


    Great, so he can hear me.


    I take a nce at everyone present in the throne room, and once I have confirmed that there are no suspicious reactions, I question mentally, ''Were you the previous sovereign of this throne that I am sitting on?''


    [What?!]


    A confused and distraught voice responds to my words.


    [What throne are you speaking of?!]


    Remaining unfazed, I begin to mentally describe the ce I am in as well as the individuals present.


    [This... The throne room of Nazarick! What''s the meaning of this? How are you there?]


    For some reason, the voice is starting to sound a little desperate, as if speaking to the killer of one''s parents.


    ''I have no idea,'' I respond, feigning ignorance, ''When I came to, I found myself in the body of a skeleton in this ce. Who are you, and do you have any idea why could this have happened?''


    The voice remains unresponsive for a minute before it finally asks something


    [Is there anything out of ce? Are the Pleiades and Albedo safe?]


    The Pleiades? Is he referring to the bunch kneeling below? Since that''s the only group present. In that case, this absurdly beautiful woman is Albedo?


    ''Nothing seems to be wrong,'' I reply, ''The maids and butlers, which I assume are the ones you call the Pleiades, are kneeling respectfully. As for the horned woman, Albedo, she is bowing while standing a few meters away from me.''


    {Note that it is possible to share sight with a selected guide.}


    Hearing AI''s voice, I am a little startled, but quickly recover and will for the guy speaking to me to see through my eyes.


    [Oh! I can see! But... I can''t move?]


    ''Just now,'' I mentally say in a casual tone, ''I incidentally found out that I can share my vision with you. Like this, you can help me figure out what''s going much more efficiently, no?''


    [Y-yeah. Now, can you tell me what exactly happened?]


    ''As I said, I just suddenly found myself here. However, prior to this, I did decapitate a skeleton who was wearing attire simr to the one I am currently wearing.''


    My n is simple. I will feign ignorance in an annoying manner that would cause the fellow to lose his cool and tell me what''s going on.


    [So, it was you!]


    Hearing the hostility contained within his voice, I fight back the urge to chuckle as I respond, ''Wait, could that have been you?''


    [You sure are annoying.]


    The gloominess in his voice is apparent. It seems that I''ve left quite the impression on him.


    ''Forget that. How about you tell me where this ce is and who these fellows are.''


    [Ah, right. As a YGGDRASIL yer, you should''ve heard about the Ainz Ooal Gown guild, right?]


    ''Uh... Sorry to break it to you, but I have never yed this YGGDRASIL that you speak of.''


    [What?! How is that possible? Didn''t you duel me a few minutes ago?]


    I wonder if it would be alright for me to tell him that I simply entered this world through a system? Hmm... that would be pointless. Just telling him that I am from another world is enough.


    ''You see, I hail from another world, and have entered this one through some mystical means.''


    The voice doesn''t respond to me for quite some time before it suddenly reverberates within my head in a sharp tone.


    [Stop fooling around!]


    ''Silence! My words hold no falsities. It is the truth that I am not from this world. Whether you believe it or not doesn''t matter. What matters is that I don''t know anything about this world, and you will be my guide. From your words, I can tell that you care about this ce. Don''t you think that it would be for the better to introduce me to this ce and its inhabitants so nothing goes wrong?''


    After a long while of silence, the owner of the voice seems to have deliberated on something as he asks,


    [Have you truly not yed YGGDRASIL?]


    ''That''s what I am telling you...''


    [Very well. I will take your words as the truth for now. So, let me give you a rundown of what YGGDRASIL is, and my guild, Ainz Ooal Gown.]


    [I am only doing this for my guild, so don''t misunderstand.]


    ---


    After a lengthy mental conversation, I learned of the basics regarding this ce. Apparently, this YGGDRASIL used to be a game that can be essed by some VR device.


    Today was supposed to be thest day the servers were going to be up, but a series of incidents happened. Surprisingly, what shocked Satoru, the owner of the voice in my head, the most, is not the duel and my possession of his body, but that Albedo and the Pleiades are ''alive'' now.


    ording to him, normally, Albedo would never act out on her own without orders, yet while we were mentally conversing, she asked about my state a few times with concern apparent in her tone.


    ''So, what do you think is the best action to take right now?''


    [I- I don''t know. This is too weird.]


    ''Alright. Thank you for your assistance; you may rest now.''


    Having mentally said that, I cut off his vision and the mental connection with him as I look over at Albedo.


    During our mental conversation, Satoru mentioned something about this guild being heavily dependent on a few powerful NPC''s present. Albedo is one such NPC.


    She is the overseer of the eight Floor Guardians that are in charge of defending certain floors of this ce. Anyway, this ce, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, is essentially my base from now on.


    Earlier, I received an objective, which was securing the territory around the base.


    Since I have been given a short introduction of the fellows present in the room, as well as, those that I need to know of, such as the rest of the Floor Guardians, and the one Pleiades member that''s not present.


    Hah~ This is going to be troublesome if not handled well. First and foremost, I need to see how loyal these guys are toward me, and whether they would notice that something is off.


    For starters, I suppose meeting the Floor Guardians would be for the best.


    But then again, how should I round them up? Oh, right, the overseer. She should hold authority over them, so I can leave this to her.


    "Albedo," I say in a firm tone, "Yes, Lord Momonga?"


    Ugh. That name. I better change it as soon as possible.


    "Order all the Floor Guardians apart from Gargantua to head over here."


    "Understood, Lord Momonga," she responds with a bright smile as she bows even further before straightening her back, lifting her right hand to her temple, and muttering, "Attention. Lord Momonga demands the presence of all Floor Guardians apart from the Floor Guardian of the fourth floor in the throne room."


    Having said, she adopts a gentle smile as she stands in her position wordlessly.


    Good. Now, what should I do about the Pleiades?


    Considering the current situation, the safety of this ce might bepromised. After all, who knows if a bunch of ''yers'' will appear out of nowhere?


    After taking a moment to recount their names and powers, I start giving out orders, "Attention!"


    "Right now, you may have not noticed it, but the state of Nazarick is unwell. A few mishaps have urred and may cause great harm to us.


    "For that reason, while the Floor Guardians are to meet me here, the Pleiades, apart from Sebas and Aureole, are to investigate the floors for any abnormalities."


    "Understood, Lord Momonga," thedies below cry out respectfully.


    "You may begin," I state in a firm tone, after which the six girls rise to their feet and gracefully exit the throne room.


    Now then, I should have this guy do something as well. ording to Satoru, Sebas possesses great capabilities, particrly when ites to espionage and close-quarterbat.


    "Sebas," I utter.


    "Yes, Lord Momonga?"


    My current objective is to secure the territory around my base. In other words, I first need to see what there is to secure. Since Sebas is powerful enough to handle himself and capable, this task is going to be perfect for him.


    "Since the investigation of Nazarick''s state has been tasked to the maids, your task will be to investigate outside of Nazarick. Once you''re done, report back here immediately."


    "Understood, Lord Momonga," he responds before also rising to his feet and leaving the throne room.


    And so, I am left alone in the throne room with Albedo.


    Taking a nce at her, I recount a certain statement uttered by Satoru: [Since it''s a game, one shouldn''t feel anything, but during the duel, I did feel pain, even if it was for a split-second.]


    Not feeling anything sounds horrible. Even if there is the bright side of not feeling pain, there are way too many detriments.


    Right now, with my hands on the throne, I can feel it properly. But, that''s not enough...


    "Albedo," I say, causing her to straighten her posture and peer into my eyes as she utters, "Yes, Lord Momonga?"


    "Move closer," I state.


    "Yes!" she joyously exims as she takes a few steps forth until she is an arm''s length away from me.


    Gazing at her from such a close distance, I realize that her charm seems to have multiplied.


    Shaking such thoughts away, I raise my right arm and reach out to her smooth cheek. To this, Albedo''s smile grows by arge margin as she brings her head closer.


    Fortunately, once my skeletal hand contacts her face, I sense both the softness of her face and her warmth.


    It''s rather odd, considering that I don''t have any nerves and whatnot, but then again, this whole situation is weird. For instance, I am a skeleton from the scalp of my skull to my toes, but can move around, speak, and think without any issues.


    "Oh, Lord Momonga," Albedo says as a blush creeps up her face and she sets her palm atop my hand, "For me to receive Lord Momonga''s affection, there can''t be anything more blithe than this."


    Hey, hey, what''s going on now? Does this girl have feelings for ''me''? Even though I am a goddamn skeleton?


    Still, I do not say anything as a response, but simply squeeze her cheek in between my bony fingers, causing the smile on Albedo''s face to grow to a worrying level.


    At this moment, I feel a turbulence in space close-by, as a small figure appears within my senses and slowly makes its way to the throne room.

 Chapter 329: Meeting the Guardians ; Name ; Plans

    Chapter 329: Meeting the Guardians ; Name ; ns


    "Albedo, step back," I say as I sense the small figure getting closer to the throne.


    "Yes, Lord Momonga," she responds as the passionate look on her face abruptly changes to a serene one, following which she respectfully takes a few steps back.


    At this moment, the giant double doors quite a distance away from me slowly open. Following this, a doll-like girl enters the room while carrying a purple umbre atop her head.


    The girl has extremely pale skin and is of short stature. Her attire consists of a ck dress with a big heavy-looking skirt.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice two things that stand out most about the young-looking girl.


    First, there is a giant ribbon atop her head that''s tied to her silver hair, forming a long ponytail.


    Leaving that aside, what stands out most about her are her ruby eyes. From within them, I sense both passion and reverence as she gazes at me with a bright smile covering her dainty lips.


    "Excuse me, Lord Momonga," Albedo says as she bows before she turns and begins to step down from the higher ground while keeping her focus on the approaching doll-like girl.


    "Good evening," the girl says to Albedo as she lets go of her umbre, which immediately turns into tiny ck fluttering creatures which seem to be butterflies.


    Shortly, the butterfly-like creatures vanish from sight as the girl reaches Albedo andes to a halt.


    "Is something wrong? For Lord Momonga to require the presence of the Floor Guardians, it appears that there is an urgent matter."


    "Yes," Albedo responds coolly, "Although it''s unclear why Lord Momonga has made such an order, there surely is an important reason behind it."


    Ignoring the twodies'' conversation, I take a quick look through my current abilities and suddenlye across something familiar - irvoyance.


    Focusing on the ability, some information suddenly appears in my head regarding it and its usage.


    Fortunately, it turns out that the ability is simr to the irvoyance I am familiar with, albeit this one requires me to activate a spell.


    Out of curiosity, I mentally activate the spell, immediately after which, I feel like my sight detaches from my head as I look down upon the chamber and throne that I am sitting on.


    While doing so, I notice another difference, which is that unlike the irvoyance I am used to, this one can''t have my sight freely moving around. Instead, it''spletely stationary, unless I reactivate the ability to move my sight elsewhere.


    Anyway, I better check out the world I am in since I will most likely be spending quite some time here.


    With such thoughts swirling in my mind, I reactivate the irvoyance spell, willing for it to appear way up in the sky.


    The next moment, my sight is high up in the sky, looking down upon a green and lush world. Right underneath me, there is the top of the tomb, which is ratherrge and gives off an eerie vibe.


    While checking out the tomb, I notice a swift ck figure moving like a gale as ites to a stop now and then, seemingly to check the ce out.


    That should be Sebas, the butler. His speed sure is something...


    Ignoring Nazarick and the busy man, I start to look around, only to be pleasantly surprised with the things that enter my vision.


    For instance, there is a vige quite some distance away from here, which would''ve been impossible to spot if my sight wasn''t as absurd as it currently is. Out of curiosity, I reactivate irvoyance to shift my sight over to a new location right above the vige.


    Having done so, I start inspecting the buildings and the happenings in the vige, only to realize that it''s a rtively normal vige with building styles that seem to be from the medieval age.


    There are fewer vigers outside than I expected, which I assume is because it''s nighttime.


    Still, I wonder what these fellows are up to in their homes? In this age, there are no cell phones and other entertainment devices from the modern age to pass time. Do they upy themselves with their hobbies, or do they do some simple work to sell for some currency?


    Either way, I am curious to the point that I would like to simply go ahead and check the vige out personally. But then again, I can''t do that just yet, since I have to settle the matter with my current base and my new underlings.


    Done inspecting, I deactivate irvoyance, causing my sight to return to my current body, only for me to get startled with the presence of a lot more individuals than the initial two.


    Right now, there are a total of eight individuals present within the room, including myself. Out of the eight, two are currently bickering. One is the doll-like girl from earlier, and the other is a young-looking tanned girl with pointy ears.


    Close to them are two individuals who seem to have gotten caught up in their bickering. A young-looking girl... or is it a boy? I don''t know, he or she is dressed in female attire, so I can assume it''s a she for now. Anyway, she looks highly like the one that''s currently bickering with the doll-like girl.


    Setting her aside, there is a giant blue insect-like creature with multiple arms near her, that''s standing motionlessly with a long blue staff in its hand. For some reason, I feel like it''s tired despite it being extremely hard to make out any expression from its odd head.


    Lastly, there is Albedo, whom I am already familiar with, as well as a small floating pink creature with an odd appearance. This one should be Victim, ording to Satoru.


    As for the twins, they should be Aura and Mare. While the insect-like creature is Cocytus.


    That only leaves the doll-like girl, which should be Shalltear, a true vampire.


    All of those present are currently busy among themselves apart from Victim and Albedo, who are positioned closer to the stairs and are soundless.


    Hm... I feel like one of the Floor Guardians is missing...


    As soon as the thought passes through my head, a somewhat tall figure appears within my senses and directly makes its way into the throne hall.


    Looking over, I find a man neatly dressed in an orange suit. From his back, protrudes a thick ashen-colored tail.


    Appearance-wise, the man is quite slim, and his face is lean. He has dark skin and neatlybed ck hair. His ears are pointy, simr to Aura and Mare''s ears, and has a few silver piercings attacked to them.


    "I''m sorry to have kept you all waiting," the man says in a pleasant tone while smiling.


    "You. Are. Finally. Here. Demiurge," utters the giant Cocytus as a gust of cold air exudes from the orifices in its head.


    Seeming to have been waiting for this moment, Albedo gracefully walks to the front of the group as she turns to face them and says, "Everyone, we pay to our supreme leader, the ritual of fidelity."


    As her voice fades, the rest of the Floor Guardians be silent as, apart from Victim, they straighten their posture and stand in an orderly fashion.


    A few secondster, Shalltear takes a step forth and ces her left palm atop where her heart is as she kneels and says, "The guardian of the first, second, and third floor, Shalltear Bloodfallen. I bow before the supreme one."


    Following this, Cocytus steps forth and kneels simrly, repeating the statement with utter respect, with the only changed thing being that he is the guardian of the fifth floor.


    After him, one of the two twins takes a step forth and says, "The guardian of the sixth floor, Aura Be Fiora."


    Shortly after which, the other twin also steps forth and says, "Also the guardian of the sixth floor, Mare Bello Fiore."


    "We bow before the supreme one," they say collectively as they both kneel at the same time.


    Seeing the two are done, this time, Demiurge steps forth and introduces himself as the guardian of the seventh floor.


    Unlike the rest, Victim remains in its ce as an odd voice reaches me, ".droL yM ,wob ot elba gnieb ton rof eno siht esucxE .mitciV ,roolf ht8 eht fo naidraug ehT"


    ... Huh? My confusionsts for a brief moment before what he uttered starts to make sense somehow. ''The guardian of the 8th floor, Victim. Excuse this one for not being able to bow, My Lord,'' it said.


    What''s with this creature? First, there is its creepy yet strangely cute shape, and now there is its manner of speaking.


    For now, I decide to not heed it much attention as I focus on the only one left - Albedo.


    "Leader of the guardians, Albedo. I bow before the supreme one," she says in a calm and serene tone as she kneels while smiling.


    After a brief moment of silence, Albedo opens her mouth once more while still kneeling and states, "Other than the Floor Guardian of the fourth floor, Gargantua, all the guardians have appeared to bow before you."


    Wow... And here I thought that the angels were going to be the only ones with absurd loyalty and reverence toward me. Yet, here I am, sitting atop a throne, with a bunch of guardians in front of me that are expressing their overwhelming loyalty in such a manner.


    I can practically feel the varying emotions contained within these guardians, which would be an understatement to say that it only makes me satisfied.


    If things are as they seem to be, finishing my objectives shouldn''t be that hard, considering how powerful these subordinates are ording to Satoru.


    All of a sudden, another figure steps into the throne hall, which I directly recognize as Sebas.


    The old-looking man elegantly walks over, only to stop right behind the floor guardians, albeit a little to the right as he kneels and says, "Lord Momonga, I have finished the task that you had assigned to me."


    "Good," I say in a calm tone, "Share with us the result of your observation."


    "Yes, at once," he responds before inhaling and saying, "There appears to be a problem concerning the location of the Great Tomb of Nazarick."


    His words cause a small stir among the guardians as some of them twitch and carefully look over at him.


    "Instead of the swamps that used to surround Great Tomb of Nazarick, it''s now surrounded by grasnds."


    "Grasnds, you say?" I utter as I consider how a base surrounded by swamps would''ve been. Nothing neat, I''d guess.


    "Yes, My Lord. Aside from that, there are no buildings, humans, or monsters in a one-kilometer radius."


    "Great work," I say, as I shift my focus over to the guardians.


    Looks like the base has been transported elsewhere. Perhaps, this is why I have received my current objective of securing the base?


    But then again, what exactly are going to be my foes in the future? Monsters or humans? This is a game after all, so I suppose it would more of the former. Nevertheless, from what I''ve seen so far, this guild consists of quite a bit of non-human beings.


    Speaking from experience, humans aren''t going to be very wee of supernatural creatures, especially one like me, a damned skeleton that can cast magic and leads around an entourage of other powerful non-humans.


    Anyway, aside from the objective granted by the game, I will also depend on some self-made objectives, such as recognizing my foes in this world and discovering more information about the world itself. After all, knowledge is power - in more ways than one in my case.


    For now, since there are so many inconsistencies with Satoru''s description of the game, I suppose this world is different from the ''game world'' he is used to.


    If anything, I feel like this ''game'' is yet another tform. However, that shouldn''t be the case for a few reasons.


    First, the Time-Key would''ve had some kind of effect on it really was a tform. Second, and more importantly, I would''ve had to pass through the Mete to ess it.


    Hold on... That tutorial - at the beginning, I did find myself in a white endless void simr to the Mete. Could this ce really be another tform?


    But then, how would it turn into a ''portable-world'' as per AI''s statement?


    Shaking such thoughts away, for now, I focus back on reality, only to realize that the guardians are all still kneeling.


    "As you have heard," I state, "The Great Tomb of Nazarick is currently facing a trial. From the information that has been gathered, the location of the tomb seems to have been changed abruptly by some unknown means.


    "Naturally, this poses a great threat to us. Do not misunderstand my words. The Great Tomb of Nazarick and its residents are by no means weak. Nevertheless, it would be nothing short of idiocy to venture out into unknownnds without information.


    "And so, I wish to hear your thoughts regarding what should be done."


    Having said that, I look over at the guardians one after the other, until my sight sets upon Demiurge.


    "Demiurge," I utter, "Do you have anything to say?"


    ording to Satoru, Demiurge is a being of extreme intelligence and could be recognized as a great strategist. I would be a fool to not make use of his intelligence to aplish my objectives.


    "Yes, Lord Momonga," he responds in a respectful and elegant tone, "It is as Lord Momonga says, if The Great Tomb of Nazarick truly has been transported elsewhere, then we need to collect information as soon as possible.


    "A good starting point would be finding the cause of The Great Tomb of Nazarick getting relocated. After that, it would be of utmost importance to look into the monsters and other creatures outside to get a grasp on the severity of the situation."


    Satisfied with his words, I say, "Well said. What you stated shall be exactly what will be done."


    "I am humbled, Lord Momonga," he returns with a smile covering his lips.


    "On that note," I say, "There is one announcement that I would need to make before we discuss the way we will be gathering information."


    Alright, I need to make this performance as exaggerated as possible without it seeming awkward.


    With such thoughts swirling in my mind, I proceed to get up from my throne and reach my right hand out to the floating golden staff.


    The moment I grasp the staff, I sense a rush of energy circtes through my body as my senses seem to get enhanced even further.


    Ignoring this odd phenomenon, I lightly m the staff into the ground, resulting in a clinging noise reverberating within the throne hall.


    "Henceforth, my name shall no longer be Momonga! Instead, it will be Victor. Each and every one of you is going to be referring to me as such."


    The guardians as well as Sebas are a little startled but shortly break into cheers as they start singing praises for my ''new'' name.


    "Such a beautiful name, truly befitting of my most beloved Mo- no, Lord Victor!" Albedo exims as she raises her head with a passionate look in her eyes.


    Close to her Demiurge''s smile has grown while his eyes seem to be lost in deep thought. Who knows what he is thinking...


    Hah~ That''s great. The guardians don''t seem to find the abrupt name change weird. In fact, they seem to be extremely happy about it.


    Well then, with that settled, it''s time to discuss some ns with them. Currently, my objective is to leave management in the hands of those who are capable enough for the job, while I go do some investigations on my own - particrly, that vige I spotted earlier.

 Chapter 330: Assignments ; Reconnaissance

    Chapter 330: Assignments ; Reconnaissance


    [Lord Momonga.]


    A serene voice that belongs to that of a young woman resounds within my head as I deliberate on what task to assign to the Floor Guardians.


    What is this now? Some method ofmunication?


    "What is it?" I mutter in a solemn tone, hoping that my voice will reach the other party.


    [All of the Great Tomb of Nazarick''s floors have been checked apart from the eighth floor.]


    "Well done. What are the results?" I probe, realizing that the one speaking should be one of the Pleiades that I had sent out to check on the state of the tomb.


    [No disturbances were found. Currently, we''ve all regrouped on the sixth floor. Do you have any further orders?]


    "Yes," I respond, "First, my name is no longer Momonga, but Victor. So, you are to call me as such. Aside from that, all the Pleiades are to return to the ninth floor."


    [Understood, Lord Victor.]


    Following her words, I feel the connection that abruptly came into existence get cut off.


    Shifting my focus back to the Floor Guardians, I notice that two of them are keenly gazing at me while kneeling. One is Albedo, while the other is Demiurge.


    Compared to Albedo''s gaze that is filled with passion, Demiurge''s gaze is one that holds both curiosity and reverence.


    For some reason, he appears to be the type that''s d to do any work as long as it''s for his lord.


    "Listen up," I state in a firm tone, "For various reasons, I have decided to conduct an investigation on my own."


    Hearing my words, Albedo''s smile bes somewhat stiff as she frowns a little, while the rest keenly listen on.


    "For the brief period I am away, Albedo shall remain here and oversee the state of Nazarick."


    This time, Albedo''s expression rxes as she opens her mouth and says, "Understood, Lord Victor. I will make sure to look after the Great Tomb of Nazarick to the best of my abilities."


    Nodding my head, I shift my sight over to Demiurge before saying, "Demiurge, you shall be in charge of researching the creatures of this world and their abilities.


    "As for the specimen required for the research, they will be provided by Aura and Mare, who will be exploring the region close to the tomb."


    I im that it''s for research, but in reality, I simply want the two toplete a part of my current objective, which is securing the territory surrounding my base.


    "Keep in mind that all specimens must be kept alive," I state after a moment of deliberation, "And in case of encountering humans, deal with them silently without attracting any attention."


    "Yes, Lord Victor," resounds the voices of the three at once as they lower their heads further.


    "Cocytus and Shalltear," I say, causing thetter to flinch slightly, "You two are to return to the floors that you''ve been assigned to and stand guard."


    Simr to the rest, they affirm mymands respectfully.


    Now then, that just leaves Victim... But I am unsure of what task to give him since Satoru didn''t say much about him. Though, the Pleiades did say they didn''t check the floor he belongs to. In that case...


    "Lastly, Victim, you are to head to the eighth floor and check on the situation there."


    ".rotciV droL ,dootsrednU"


    "Very well, Floor Guardian''s, you''re dismissed," I utter conclusively.


    Following this, all the kneeling Floor Guardians rise to their feet and turn around to exit the throne room, apart from Albedo, who instead walks up the stairs and gets back to my side.


    Ignoring the beautifulss, for now, I look down at Sebas, who is still kneeling.


    "Sebas," I say, "The Pleiades whom I had sent out to check on the state of Nazarick should be here soon as per my orders. You will be in charge of them and their conduct.


    "Your tasks are simple: In case the twin guardians of the sixth-floor encounter any trouble outside that they are unable to deal with, you are to provide assistance until I can personally appear and take care of the situation."


    "I understand, Lord Victor," the man says in a calm tone.


    "You''re excused," I state as I step back and take a seat on the throne.


    Once Sebas has left the throne hall, I shift my sight over to Albedo and ask, "Albedo, in the case of any unexpected happenings, you are to contact me immediately."


    "Of course," she responds nigh-instantly with a bright smile covering her lips.


    "Well then," I say, "I shall take my leave now. Take care of Nazarick while I am away, Albedo."


    "Yes!" she responds with utter delight.


    Frankly, I don''t and shouldn''t trust her with such a task. However, I don''t really have much choice in the matter. She is the only one that fits this role perfectly, so I can only do this if I want to do some personal investigation.


    Basically, this is a gamble. I''ve made many gambles before, but this one is tricky. For all I know, I could be trying to regain my authority over this ce in a day or two after a coup urred or something.


    Putting such thoughts to the back of my mind, I rise to my feet and cast a spell, "Gate."


    While casting the spell, I had been thinking of an area of the forest close to the vige I saw earlier.


    Following my actions, a giant circr dark violet portal appears in front of me.


    "I''m off," I say as I step forth into the portal.


    --


    As I appear at the other side of the portal, the spell cancels out, and the portal closes up.


    Currently, I am standing in the middle of a forest, surrounded byplete nature.


    Anyway, the vige should be close-by. Still, I can''t just head over there while looking like a skeleton. I am sure that they would immediately take me as a walking disaster and try their best to take me down.


    And so, I think of the profiles introduced earlier, and will for a switch to "Origo".


    The next moment, a bright light briefly covers my body before fading abruptly.


    Looking down at myself, I notice two important things.


    First, my body is no longer that of a skeleton, but the one that I am most familiar with. It''s unfortunate that I can''t use irvoyance or any skill for that matter to check my appearance out.


    Anyway, the second thing that I noticed is that I ampletely naked, with the only things remaining being the rings on my fingers, which somehow fit perfectly. I mean, this does allow me to take a proper look at my body, but at the same time, it has caused me an annoying problem.


    "Damn it," I curse in an irritated tone as I begin to ruminate over what to do.


    In my ''Overlord'' profile, I couldn''t walk into the vige because I would most likely be taken as a monster. But now, if I were to go, I would be taken for a pervert instead, which is arguably worse.


    All of a sudden, the sound of rustling grass reaches my ears from quite a distance to my left.


    Turning my head, I am unable to see the source of the noise due to the trees and bushes in between us.


    Due to my enhanced hearing, I can hear a multitude of noises all around me, but I find the sound of the rustling grass odd.


    Releasing a small sigh, I begin walking in the direction the noise came from, only to reach out to a tree nearby soon after, and clutching it.


    True to my expectations, the tree is unable to cope with the force behind my grip, resulting in it getting effortlessly crushed.


    A small smile covers my lips as I continue to walk toward the source of the noise.


    "Are you sure that there is a vige here?" the rough voice of a middle-aged man reaches my ears.


    "Of course! How could we make a mistake as simple as not pinpointing the location of a small vige?"es the voice of a younger man as a response.


    The owner of the first voice sigh audibly before saying, "Why are we here anyway? What could there be in a mere vige for us to perform reconnaissance?"


    "You can''t say that Mr. Aubert (Aubert-san). What if a group of adventurers is coincidentally staying in the vige?"


    "Che! In that case, we would just kill them!"es a disdainful response.


    Intriguing. The vige that I found is being targeted by some force. But why? What exactly would they want from a vige? Or, could it be that this kingdom or country is being conquered, which is being done slowly, starting with the viges?


    Either way, I suppose I have found a solution to my current predicament.


    Picking up the pace, I swiftly pass through the forest and reach the location the two men are at.


    As I take cover behind a tree, I start examining them up close: Both men are dressed in clothes simr in quality to those the vigers were wearing. The younger of the two is carrying a medium-sized leather bag.


    Alright, time to see how capable I am over here inparison to the residents of this ''game'' world.


    With that thought in mind, I ce my palms against the tree I am hiding behind and clench my fists, resulting in the wood getting crushed easily.


    Looking over at the two men who are currently taking a rest, I clutch the splinters of wood in my hand and dash toward them.


    Simr to what urred in tform: Aem, the world seems to slow down by quite a margin as I swiftly reach behind the man and casually puncture their napes using the wood.


    The older one immediately drops dead to the ground, while the other one gurgles out blood as his eyes be bloodshot and start anxiously shooting around.


    Shaking my head wryly, I reach my hand out to his neck and gently squeeze it, causing it to crack and practically render the suffering fellow deceased.


    As I am about to strip the dead man of his clothes, AI''s voice suddenly resounds within my head, startling me a little.


    {Tip: There exists an inventory shared between all profiles.}


    Wow. This really is starting to feel like a genuine game. Tips and inventory storage I never thought that I would get to experience them in such a manner.


    Well then, hopefully, this saves me the trouble of having to put on the clothes worn by this man.


    Having already gotten the hang of the way the system and whatnot work here, I will for my inventory to appear, but unexpectedly, nothing happens.


    Hm? Could it be that I have to express what I want? Actually, is there even going to be anything in my inventory?


    Repeating the same process, I will for clothes in my inventory as I reach my arm forth.


    Somehow, this works, as the next thing I know, my hand disappears into a small ck portal as various images appear in my head.


    "Huh? What''s with these clothes? Bunny-girl suit, ''skimpy-santa'' suit, wedding dress What the heck?"


    ''Hey, Satoru, can you hear me?''


    [Finally! I thought I would lose my mind in the darkness! Quick, let me see outside!]


    Sensing how desperate his voice is, Iply with his request and allow him to see through my eyes.


    [What the?! Are those dead humans? Did you kill them?]


    Satoru sounds bewildered as the tone of his voice raises by an octave.


    ''Yes, they were indeed killed by me. Before you jump to conclusions, they are apparently spies sent to check on a vige.''


    [Spies sent to a vige?]


    ''Right, I also find it a little absurd, but that''s the truth of the matter from what I heard.''


    [That''s indeed weird Ah, forget that, they''re NPC''s anyway.]


    ''Are you sure? Because they feel a tad bit too real for them to be mere NPC like you im.''


    [What are you trying to imply? That they''re actual humans not from a game world, but a real one?]


    ''That''s exactly what I am saying.''


    [If that''s the case, don''t you feel anything? You did kill these two men, didn''t you?]


    ''Nope, I don''t feel a thing. It''s not like this is the first time I have killed humans.''


    [Oi, oi, you''re starting to sound a little creepy. Don''t get too caught up in your role-ying.]


    Heh. This guy thinks my ''oddity'' stems from role-ying as a non-human, huh? I wonder how he will react when he discovers the truth


    ''Hah~ We are already going off-track. Listen up, I formed a link with you once again because I want to ask you about something.''


    [What is it?]


    ''Why is there so much questionable attire in my inventory?''


    [Oh. Ohhhh]


    His voice trails off for a short while before he responds in a nervous tone.


    [Those are just things I won in a roulette.]


    ''Why would there be these things in a ''roulette''?''


    [Naturally, to put them on NPC''s.]


    ''Oh, I see.''


    Not caring about the matter anymore, I simply will for the link to close off as I begin looking through the clothing in my inventory once again.


    After a short while, I finallye across something that could work out. It''s a simple ck tuxedo with a ck tie. Heck, the set even has its own special underwear included.


    Rejoicing at the discovery, I pull the clothes out of the ck circle and immediately get dressed.


    Once I am done, I look down at myself, only to realize that I feel a little restricted by being dressed so formally.


    So, I take off the ck jacket of the tuxedo and throw it back into the inventory, before rolling up the sleeves of my white shirt.


    Now, if only I could take a look at myself


    Right, the inventory. essing the inventory once again, I manage to find something that fits my needs.


    A small golden mirror with an exquisite design.


    With curiosity welling up within me, I look into the mirror.


    Is this truly me?


    If that is actually the case, hasn''t the girls'' reactions to my appearance altering beenughably moderate if I have changed this much?


    Currently, I possess a face that I can''t make the nationality of. Sharp eyes that send shivers down my own spine, sandy-colored hair with a lighter shade near the locks. As for my overall looks, I can only describe it as ''devilishly handsome''.


    It mighte out as me being narcissistic, but that''s the truth of the matter.


    Of all my changes, one of them stands out the most  my eyes.


    Along with how sharp they''ve be, there is also another change, which is their color. Upon close inspection, I find out that each of my irises is abination of three different colors that are finely blending with each other to form a mesmerizing result.


    Violet, red, and bits of a golden yellow.


    Setting the matter with my eyes aside, there is something else that I have noticed.


    I have no facial hair. Like, none at all. The only hair present on my face is from my eyebrows and eyshes.


    Apart from those, my face is smooth yet appears firm as if it''s made of fine y.


    That''s not the end of it, as I just recalled that while I was changing earlier, I did not have any body-hair either.


    After a moment of deliberation, I conclude that my current body is what I would im is ''sculpted to perfection''.


    Releasing a sigh, I throw the mirror in my hand back into the inventory before looking down at my feet, or more urately, at the bag beside them.


    Reaching down to the leather bag, I open it up and look at the contents inside.


    A small dagger, some basic food, and a rolled-up paper.


    Grabbing the rolled-up paper, I take it out of the bag and open it up.


    A map  that''s the first thought that crossed my mind as soon as I cast a nce at the drawings and writings on the paper.


    Unfortunately, the map seems to be of a small region as it only shows the location of what I assume is a vige as well as a forest with a huge ''X'' mark on it.


    "This should be the vige those two men were supposed to spy on," I mutter to myself as I crunch the paper up before casually leaping into the sky.


    The ground shakes as I find myselfunching high up to the point that I am a few hundred meters above the forest top.


    At this moment, time seems to slow down as I take this chance to look for the vige and determining the path I would need to take to get there.


    Oh, it''s much closer than I thought. Seven hundred meters away at most.


    Having confirmed my destination, time appears to return to normal as gravity works its wonders and drags my body down.


    The next moment, I easilynd on my feet and cast a nce at the two dead men.


    There shouldn''t be any problem with leaving them here, right?


    Releasing a small sigh, I lean in the direction of the vige before breaking into a dash.


    With my absurd speed and perception, I easily make my way through the forest.


    All of a sudden, I notice a small red figure to my left, which upon inspection turned out to be a little girl carrying a small basket.


    Seeing that it''s nothing to be wary of, I shift my attention back to my front, only to be startled by the sight of another girl of much older age, who is also holding a basket, standing in my way.


    rmed, I quickly break my speed down forcefully, but still have just enough momentum to light push the girl down as she screams and the basket in her hand gets thrown into the distance.


    "Ouch," the girl mutters with her eyes closed.


    A few seconds pass by and the girl gradually opens her eyes, revealing a pair of yellow irises staring at my face.


    As I remain on top of the clearly bewildered girl, the voice of a man that seems to be in his forties resounds within my ears, "Enri!"

 Chapter 331: First Impression ; Nice Guy ; Guest

    Chapter 331: First Impression ; Nice Guy ; Guest


    Hearing the yell, I curiously shift my sight over to the somewhat bulky man that''s rushing over here. In his hand is a dirty and fairly rusty short-sword held high as if he is nning to decapitate me with it.


    Hah~ These people... They''re most likely from the vige that I was going to. Seeing the basket the girl dropped and the spilled content, they appear to have been out here in the forest collecting fruits and herbs


    It''s unfortunate that my first encounter with the vigers is in such a manner, but I can at least rest assured at the thought of my situation being easily salvaged if I y my cards right.


    For instance, my current appearance is that of a handsome rich young man dressed half-formally. Compared to the shabby clothes of the vigers, the difference is extremely apparent.


    Nevertheless, this isn''t an issue, but in fact, it''s going to be a factor that will y into the ''backstory'' I am nning to present to the vigers in order to lessen their suspicion of me.


    Honestly, I would''ve preferred the usual method of torturing and indoctrinating to gain information, but that''s not possible at the moment.


    Firstly, I no longer have my indoctrination ability. Even if my other profile, Overlord, has it, it still wouldn''t be worth it to use it on the vigers. The reason for this is that I don''t want to use these vigers once and discard them.


    But instead, I n to slowly integrate into them and gain their trust, which in return would earn me a small source of information regarding this world. Surely, the vige has merchants that go elsewhere, be it a city or other viges, to trade the crops and various other goods produced here.


    While doing so, they''re prone to hear of rumors and learn of something, which I could easily find out by holding a casual conversation with them.


    For this reason, I havee up with a ''backstory'' and will try to appear as friendly as possible.


    "Wait a moment!" I exim nervously as I raise my hand in front of me in a ''stop'' gesture.


    "Get away from Enri, you demon!" the man exims as he hastens his pace.


    At this moment, I notice some movement behind the man, which upon closer look turned out to be small disgusting-looking creatures.


    Their appearance is that of immensely deformed young children who have been exposed to an extreme amount of radiation.


    If there is something worth noting, it''s going to be the fact that these ugly creatures are each holding some sort of weapon. One is holding a broken dagger, while another is holding a thick twig. All in all, there are five of them, and they''re all armed in a way.


    Perhaps, I could take advantage of this opportunity...


    With such a thought swirling in my mind, I focus my senses to the point that time appears to slow down. Following this, I swiftly get off the girl and get on my feet before dashing forward and effortlessly taking the sword in the man''s hand and continue to to move toward the monsters.


    Once I''m close enough, I don''t waste any time as I cleanly cut two of the monsters'' heads off before shing the sword in front of me, resulting in a thin shock-wave to finish the other three off.


    Satisfied, I get out of my Enhanced Cerebration state as a smile forms on my lips.


    "Huh?" a shocked and confused voice escapes from the man''s lips behind me as he anxiously looks around.


    "You should be more careful," I say in a nonchnt manner as I turn around.


    Stunned, the man turns around, only to be further startled by the sight of the bloodied sword in my hand and the carcasses of the monsters around me.


    shing a grin, I casually swing the sword, intending to wipe the blood off, only for the force behind it to send off a gust of furious wind, resulting in some nts and rocks to fly off.


    Acting as if nothing happened, I keep my expression ''friendly'' as I approach the man with the sword lowered.


    Despite my earnest actions, the man is still more than a little suspicious of me as he takes on a defensive stance, with a stubborn look in his eyes.


    This idiot... He is most likely thinking about protecting the girl behind him, even at the cost of his life.


    Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I present the handle of the sword to the man as I say, "Here, your sword. Thank you for lending it to me."


    Perhaps not expecting my friendly attitude, the man''s expression turns weird as he takes the sword while uttering, "O-Oh..."


    Nodding once, I focus on the girl who is now sitting up with a curious look on her face.


    "Sorry for what just happened," I say while raising my right arm and scratching the back of my head, "You see, I was in a rush and didn''t see you as I ran through the forest."


    "Big sister!" a young girls cry reverberates within my ears as the small red figure I saw earlier appears and quickly runs toward the girl on the ground.


    "Nemu! Are you okay?!" as if realizing something, the girl''s expression turns heavy as she looks over at the little girl running toward her.


    "I am okay!"es a light-hearted response from the little girl as she reaches her and hugs her.


    Seeing that she is unhurt, the blond-haired girl lets out a visible sigh as she affectionately reaches her arm out to rub the little girl''s head.


    Suddenly, I remember the basket I knocked out of the girl''s hand. Looking over, I take a moment to recognize what should be the contents that have spilled out before entering my Enhanced Cerebration state once again, as I collect everything and grab the basket.


    From others'' perspective, I simply vanished and reappeared where I am now while holding the previously half-empty basket, which now has everything back in it.


    This, is anything but ordinary, which makes the shock on the man''s face right now understandable.


    Not heeding him much attention, I casually walk over to the girl on the ground and offer her the basket as I say, "The name''s Vincent. You?"


    Since I am going to be performing some intelligence-gathering work, it''s only natural that I will make use of an alias.


    As for the reason I chose Vincent... Well, it kind of just popped up in my mind and felt right?


    "Ah, y-yes. Enri. I''m Enri Emmot."


    "Nice to meet you, Ms. Enri (Enri-san)," I say as the smile on my lips grows.


    "Likewise," responds the slightly dumbfounded girl as she lets her guard down, even if a little.


    --


    "So you''re not from here?" the man, whose name is Opilio Gregoras, asks with a hint of curiosity in his voice as we walk through the forest.


    "Nope. I hail from a closed-off region, and only came here at the behest of my father," I respond.


    The background I have given myself is that of a noble from somewhere that''s separated from the rest of the globe.


    This way, I can pass off anything unordinary about me as something normal where I live, which would in turn decrease the suspicion of those around me.


    After all, it''s not weird for a foreigner to be different from a certain region''s norm.


    "Are all the young men as brilliant as you, Mr. Vincent? (Vincent-san)" he continues in a curious yet respectful manner.


    Brilliance... he is most likely referring to the power and speed I disyed while dealing with those monsters from earlier - goblins.


    "Yes, while my peers aren''t exactly at the same level as me, they still wield fine strength and speed," I respond with a smile while thinking of the resident of Nazarick. This way, I could introduce my rades'' to the vigers if I ever need to without garnering any suspicion.


    From the sound of it, Opilio thinks of me as a noble of sorts, perhaps the young master of some noble family. Such thoughts are to be expected, considering the way I have been acting and the attire I wear.


    "Still, I''ve got to thank you for earlier. If it weren''t for you, I doubt that I would''ve been able to handle all the goblins by myself while protecting Enri and Nemu..." Opilio says in a solemn tone.


    "Don''t think much of it," I say as I chuckle lightly, "If a man has power, it''s only natural to help others out."


    Hearing my words, a smile forms on his thick lips as his gaze turns even more respectful.


    It''s rather easy to get a grip over his attitude toward me. If I didn''t know better, I would''ve thought that I had some mind-controlling skill to help me with that.


    "I am a good demon, aren''t I?" I question in a joking tone.


    To this, Opilio looks at me with a confused expression, only for his face to get flushed a momentter.


    "Ah, about this..." he says in a nervous tone while chuckling awkwardly, "Excuse me for the rude remark I made earlier."


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," I respond while smiling, "I didn''t take it to heart."


    "I''m grateful," he says with a slightly rigid smile.


    "Ah!" suddenly, the little girl who had been walking while humming exims as excitement covers her face, "Papa!"


    Looking ahead, I notice a man standing in ce with a worried look on his face. His attire is simr to Opilio''s and the sisters in quality. As for his looks, they can barely pass-off as average, coupled with his reddish-brown hair, he hardly had any remarkable feature about him.


    Even so, the littler girl, Nemu, excitedly increases her pace while gazing at him.


    "Nemu! Enri!" the man calls out once he notices us, "You''re fine!"


    From his tone, I can tell that he was worried. The question is, why? Did he find out about the nned attack on the vige? Or is it simply because they returnedte?


    Shortly, I get the answer to this question as the man looks at Opilio and asks, "What took you guys so long?"


    Before he could respond, however, the man suddenly notices me and asks warily, "Who is this?"


    "This man is Mr. Vincent. He saved us earlier when we ran into some trouble," Opilio states.


    "Trouble?" the man repeats whole narrowing his eyes.


    "Yes. A group of goblins," responds Opilio as his expression turns a little grim.


    "That''s odd. Monsters tend to stay away from this area usually, yet now..."


    "If monsters start attacking the vige, I doubt we would be able to suppress them with our manpower," Opilio states grimly.


    "You''re right. This is going to troublesome."


    "Say," I suddenly interject, "I currently have no ce to stay. Would it be possible for me to temporarily stay in this vige until my mene for me?


    "Of course, while here, I will unsure the protection of this vige."


    Hearing this, the man in front of us frowns a little and sizes me up before looking at Opilio.


    "Indeed, if Mr. Vincent were to protect us, we would be fine. I believe his skills in handling a sword rival that of the soldiers stationed in E-Rantel."


    "Is that so?" the man responds in a tone that suggests he isn''t convinced.


    "Well, anyway," he suddenly turns much more amicable as he smiles and says, "You''re wee to stay in Carne Vige. I am sure the vige head will help you find an amodation."


    Nodding my head as confirmation, I look behind the man, at the vige in the distance. The sky is currently dark, so there aren''t many vigers outside. This reminds me, why were those three in the forest at such a time?


    Thinking of it, I can assume that they left much earlier, but got dyed for some reason until the sky turned dark. This is also why the man was standing at the entrance of the forest with a worried expression on his face.


    As for the reason they were dyed... Perhaps, they encountered monsters?


    "Let''s go. It has gotten ratherte," the man says.


    "Oh, right," he suddenly stops just as he turned around, "My name is Emmot Callus."


    "Vincent," I simply say.


    Nodding his head, Emmot turns around and begins walking in the direction of the vige.


    Nemu quickly follows behind, while Opilio lightly pats my shoulder before walking past me.


    And so, I am left standing at the entrance of the forest with the girl I ran into earlier, Enri.


    Currently, thess is gazing at me curiously for some reason.


    "Is something wrong, Ms. Enri?" I ask as I turn my head to face her.


    To this, Enri suddenly blushes as she raises her hands and waves them in front of her while nervously saying, "No, no. I was just thinking of how you fought the goblins earlier..."


    "Hm? Are you curious about my power?" I ask with an amused smile covering my lips.


    As a response to my question, she simply nods her head meekly while grasping her dress.


    Letting out a chuckle, I shake my head before beginning to walk, as the girl soon follows along.


    --


    After meeting the vige head and his wife, it was decided that I was going to stay in a house with another family.


    Fortunately, they didn''t question much about my origin and powers. In fact, the whole thing went so smoothly that I am starting to get a little concerned for the vigers, in case someone wants to stir up trouble.


    They''re too trusting...


    Anyway, I am currently following after the head of the house I will be staying in, who just so happens to be Emmot.


    Apparently, they already had an extra room prepared for Nemu, but she was too young to stay in a room all by herself.


    For that reason, it was decided that I will stay with them for now.


    Thinking of the rather good-lookingss and the adorable Nemu, this might not be bad...

 Chapter 332: Entry Two ; Tree ; Adventurers

    Chapter 332: Entry Two ; Tree ; Adventurers


    "My apologies, Mr. Vincent, but I am afraid there isn''t enough food for five," Emmot says in a nervous tone as he keenly observes my face for my reaction.


    Currently, we are in the Emmot family''s residence. I am standing in the center of the kitchen, with the head of the family standing in front of me.


    His wife is close by, standing beside a stove as she prepares the ingredients needed to cook dinner.


    "That''s not going to be a problem," I say with a small smile covering my lips, "Back home, we only ate once every three days, and I just so happen to have eaten yesterday."


    Naturally, I am aware of how absurd this statement of mine might sound, but that''s exactly why I uttered it. Right now, I need to slowly make the residents of this vige understand that my power and constitution are far beyond theirs without raising suspicion. One way to do that would be through creating a background for myself that''s far from theirmon sense.


    Expectedly, Emmot''s eyes widen for a brief moment before he scrunches his brows and asks, "Are you sure you don''t want to eat?"


    "Absolutely," I directly respond.


    The man stares at me for a few more seconds before turning his head to face his wife and nodding his head once.


    Hi wife, who has an equally suspecting look on her face, nods back as confirmation.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Vincent, but I am curious about how you ended up being separated from your men," the man says as he gestures to me to follow him.


    "There isn''t much to say," I reply as I follow after him, "While I was being escorted to E-Rantel, the carriage I stayed in came under the attack of a few vicious monsters."


    Earlier, I had heard Opilio mention E-Rantel, which I assume is a city, or at the very least, a settlement of much more value in contrast to this vige. After all, he did say that soldiers are stationed in it, and went as far as topare my skills with the soldiers''.


    My small gamble pays off, as Emmot nods his head once and asks, "Were your men killed during the battle?"


    "None of them had died at the time I escaped," I say while feigning an embarrassed look on my face, "Wait, don''t misunderstand! The reason I escaped is not because of cowardice, but the fact that even if I am strong, I have close to no battle experience, so I would''ve been nothing more than a hindrance if I remained there."


    Hearing my words, the expression on Emmot''s face softens as he says, "That''s good. Do you have a way to contact your men?"


    "Unfortunately, I don''t. I can only hope they start looking for me and arrive here soon."


    "In that case, feel free to stay here for however long it takes. Though..."


    His words trail off as he suddenly stops moving and turns around, "The state of the vige isn''t well, so I hope that you..."


    His words trail off once more as if he is fearful of mouthing whates after. Nevertheless, I have a clear idea of what he is trying to imply.


    "You want me to refrain from freeloading?" I wryly inquire.


    To this, Emmot doesn''t say anything but only looks away, confirming my assumption.


    "Don''t worry, I will help out the residents in any trouble that might ur if I can."


    Having said that, I walk past Emmot, toward a door that leads to a dusty room.


    This should be the room that was prepared for Nemu... Although it''s a little messier than I was expecting, it''s not going to pose much of an issue.


    Still, the only facility present in the room is an old worn-out bed. Hopefully, I have something like bedsheets in my inventory to deal with this.


    Outside the door, I notice Emmot with a distraught look on his face as he mutters, "Vicious monsters..."


    ---


    As Iy peacefully atop my bed, half-asleep, AI''s voice abruptly resounds within my head.


    {Entry number two is ready for materialization.}


    {Materializing...}


    Opening my eyes, I am met with the sight of a glowing golden ball at the center of the room I have been given.


    At the center of the strangely calming glow, I notice a small figure.


    Huh? Is that...?


    As if to confirm my suspicions, the glow abruptly fades, revealing a small snake floating in the air with its beady eyes seemingly focusing on me.


    "Aurora?" I mutter dubiously.


    How is she here? Do my familiars automatically enter the games with me or something? In that case, where is Tiamat?


    She should appear too, no? In fact, the announcement from earlier did state that there are three entries. Assuming that Aurora is the second entry based on what just happened, wouldn''t the third entry be Tiamat?


    As I am lost in my train of thoughts, Aurora drops to the ground and begins slithering toward me.


    The next thing I know, she slithers her way up the bed I am lying on and only stops once she is a few centimeters away from my face.


    Gazing at her small head, a smile forms on my lips as I say, "It''s been a while. You seem to have been doing well."


    Sensing the excitement and joy from her, I realize my own emotions being affected by them.


    Anyway, this is quite a joyous discovery. After all, not only will I not be alone in this unfamiliar world, but I will get to spend some time with my two familiars after so long.


    Releasing a small sigh, I shift my hand over to Aurora''s body and begin rubbing her head with my index finger.


    "We''ve most likely got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so let''s rest," I whisper as I close my eyes.


    A few secondster, I feel something moving against my neck, but I heed it no attention as I already know what it is.


    And so, I slowly begin to doze off, with a certain adorable snake wrapped around my neck.


    ---


    "Big brother, big brother," a high-pitched voice resounds within my ears as I feel something trying to push my shoulders.


    I gradually open my eyes and directly set my sight upon a cheerful Nemu who is trying her best to shake me awake.


    Finding her actions adorable, I subconsciously raise my arm and ce it atop her head as I begin to gently rub it.


    "Ah, you woke up!" she cries out with a bright smile covering her face, "Come, let''s eat breakfast."


    Having said that, Nemu grabs my shoulder and begins to pull as hard as she can, but she has nowhere near enough strength to make me budge.


    Still, I chuckle for a few seconds before raising my head from the pillow I had found in my inventoryst night.


    As expected of something from the odd inventory, the pillow is anything but ordinary as it seems to have some enchantments applied to it.


    The reason I assume so is that the moment I set my head down upon it, I felt like my mind clear up as afortable sensation spread throughout my body.


    At this moment, I hear the door of the house being roughly knocked as a hoarse and anxious voice says, "Emmot, are you awake? We need your help!"


    Curious about what''s going on, I spread my senses around me to check on everyone in the house before spreading it even further to ''see'' what''s going on outside.


    Shortly, my sensese across something that''s troubling quite a number of the vigers.


    A short distance away from here, near the forest that I ran into the trio from yesterday, there are a few vigers crowded together. Close to the vigers is a fallen tree, which oddly appears to have been crushed.


    Speaking of crushed, there appears to be a few small bodies under the tree. Kids? No, this feels a little different...


    What''s going on?


    Intrigued, I quickly get out of the bed, pat Nemu''s head a few times, and make my way out of the house.


    As I get closer to the crowd, a certain voice belonging to that of a young man reaches my ears, "I don''t know! It just suddenly broke!"


    "How could it suddenly break on its own?!" rebukes a much older-sounding voice.


    "Then... then... it was the snake! Yes, there was a snake there! It must be what broke the tree!" responds the younger-sounding voice hurriedly.


    "Huh?! A snake? Do you take me, your father, for an idiot?"


    The moment I heard the younger voice mention a snake, the image of a certain small snake appears in my mind as I focus my senses on the culprit, which is currently coiled around my upper arm.


    Releasing a sigh of exasperation, I hasten my steps and shortly reach the crowd.


    Expectedly, quite a few of those present look over at me with curiosity apparent in their eyes.


    Ignoring the vigers, I examine the broken tree and the two bodies underneath it.


    Goblins.


    There is no mistaking it. These disgusting-looking bodies are extremely simr to the bodies of the monsters I slew yesterday.


    At this moment, the sound of a bell ringing reverberates in the air as a wave of anxiety spreads through the crowd.


    "Why did the bell get ringed? It''s not time for lunch yet, is it?"


    "Something is wrong."


    Listening to their conversations, I get a little curious as I use my senses to check on our surroundings.


    Even after having done so, I don''t notice anything out of the norm. Could it be that the vigers just overthought this?


    Suddenly, the bell rings again as the vigers unanimously agree to head over to the center of the vige.


    Having nothing better to do, I follow along after them while continuing to use my senses to check on the situation.


    Shortly, we reach the center of the vige. There, I find Enri and Nemu standing beside each other while holding each other''s hands. In front of them, Emmot and his wife are speaking to an old yet muscr man.


    "Are you sure this information is correct?" asks Emmot in an uncertain tone as he gazes at the man in front of him.


    "Of course," responds the man, "Just a scant while ago, we received a message from Latimon that stated this."


    "But still... only a party of copper rank adventurers venturing into the forest?"


    "There is nothing we can do about it," responds the man while shaking his head, "The least we can do is support them before they head inside."


    "Oh, it''s big brother!" Nemu, who spotted me walking over, exims excitedly.


    Hearing her words, everyone nearby shifts their focus over to me, resulting in a stiff smile forming on my lips as I make my way to Emmot''s side.


    "Good morning, Mr. Emmot (Emmot-san)," I greet casually, "Do you mind telling me what''s going on?"


    "Oh, yes, good morning, Mr. Vincent," Emmot responds, "It''s nothing much. Just a few adventurers will being over to this vige before heading into the forest."


    "Why?" I question curiously.


    "You experienced it yesterday didn''t you? Those goblins... They''re not supposed to reach the outer section of the forest. It has been that way for a long time now."


    "So, something is amiss?" I utter, "And these ''adventurers'' are going to investigating this case?"


    "Yes, that''s correct. This time, they''re merely supposed to scout out the forest, but the problem is that the grouping is just copper ranked."


    Despite having no clear idea of what the ranks are and what they signify, I can understand that the group is most likely inexperienced to handle this matter, which is what''s bothering Emmot.


    "If you''re worried for their safety, how about I apany them?" I suggest with a smile.


    My objective for doing so is simple. Since the fellowsing over are ''adventurers'', I can assume that they have more knowledgepared to the vigers, even if they''re low ranked or whatever.


    Why wait to gather information when I can do so in one go? If ites down to it, I can torture the information out of the group and kill them off beforeying the me on ''monsters lurking in the forest''.


    This way, my rtionship with the vige will remain undisturbed while I will aplish a part of my objective - gathering information.


    And so, just as I begin to consider the questions that I will be ''asking'' the group, I sense a wagon approaching the vige in the distance.


    Curious, I turn my head to gaze at the wagon in the distance, only to be slightly startled by the sight of a few kids whose age doesn''t seem to be any older than fifteen excitedly sitting in the wagon.


    Upon closer inspection, I notice that each one of them is equipped with different types of equipment. The only guy in the group has a shortsword in his hand as he points the tip at the sky and proims something.


    As for the rest, there are three girls. One of them has a tall hat on her head that resembles that of a witch''s. The staff beside her only serves to further affirm this impression. For a brief moment, her image oveps with that of a certain golden-haired girl back in the Rift.


    Shaking such thoughts aside, I look over at the other two ''adventurers''.


    To the left of the ''witch'' is another girl with long ck hair tied into a ponytail. Unlike the rest, she doesn''t appear to be wielding any equipment other than a weak-looking armor covering her torso.


    Still, out of all of them, the one that stands out the most is a young girl with blond hair. As for the reason she stands out the most... well, she is wearing a white robe atop blue garments, and atop her head is a white hat with blue streaks.


    In her hands, is a long staff with an exquisite golden artifact at the top. At the center of the artifact is a blue gem that''s glowing so lightly that it''s barely visible.


    "This girl..." I mutter subconsciously.


    Yeah, I am not feeling it wrong.


    She is giving off the same holy vibe my angels back in the Rift did, albeit a much weaker version.

 Chapter 333: Doubt ; The Great Forest of Tob

    Chapter 333: Doubt ; The Great Forest of Tob


    A short while passes, and the wagon gets much closer to the vige.


    "Hey, hey, don''t tell me those kids are the adventurers?" a middle-aged man expresses his skepticism.


    "Seriously? We''re talking about the Great Forest of Tob here, not just any forest. They couldn''t really be nning to head inside by themselves, could they?" Another man of around the same age responds.


    As I suspected, this forest is not an ordinary one. First, there is the fact that Nazarick isn''t exactly that far from here. Since we concluded earlier that the tomb has been transported elsewhere, I doubt the location would be anything ordinary.


    Something that supports this notion even further is the objective I received yesterday - securing the territory. At first, I thought that it meant getting rid of all foreign beings and getting the area control, but now, I feel like there is more to it than just that.


    Why? I don''t know. I just feel like that''s the case.


    "Hello!" the voice of a young guy suddenly reverberates within my ears as the fellow on the wagon jumps off and cheerfully waves at the crowd.


    "We are the adventurer party sent by the guild to deal with goblins here!" he exims with a hint of confidence in his voice.


    "Stop it," the voice of a girl follows as the one dressed like a witch gets up and says, "We''re just here to investigate not fight."


    Once the girl''s voice fades, a relieved look appears on the faces of a few of the vigers as some begin muttering among themselves.


    "Wee young ones," the man that was speaking to Emmot says with an amicable smile stered to his lips, "Our Carne Vige doesn''t have much to offer, but we could help you by sending someone with experience in the forest with you."


    Seemingly happy with the offer, the guy energetically nods his head and says, "That would be great! We''re going to begin investigating as soon as possible, so please make it quick."


    Seeing how impatient the fellow is, I shake my head slightly before shifting my focus over to the girl with the holy vibe.


    Coincidentally, the girl also looks my way for some reason, resulting in our eyes meeting.


    This doesn''tst long as she quickly turns her head away with a trace of fear on her face.


    Hey now, am I really that scary? Or, did she notice something?


    Either way, this girl seems to be slightly afraid of me.


    "Vige Chief," a familiar voicees from behind me as a man walks to my side and says, "I believe I should be the one to go with them."


    While saying so, the man, who is none other than Opilio, casts a nce at me.


    "I will be going as well," I state with a smile, "There should be no problem with that, right?"


    The muscr man, who is the vige chief, gazes at me and Opilio for a few seconds before nodding his head in confirmation.


    "Wait a moment!" the ''adventurer'' kid exims, "Even if our targets for this time are goblins, they''re not something ordinary vigers can deal with!"


    Upon hearing his words, an idea pops up in my head, causing the corner of my lips to raise slightly.


    Such an opportunity was just presented to me by this guy, it would be a shame to not advantage of it.


    "Are you saying that we''re too weak for this and would be nothing a burden if we came with you?" I ask bluntly, not bothering to sugar-coat my words.


    Startled by my bluntness, the guy stares at me dazedly for a few seconds before nodding his head once and nervously muttering, "I am only saying this because I don''t want you to get hurt."


    "Sure, sure," I say as a grin forms on my face, "How about this... You take that sword of yours and swing it at me as much as you can. If you manage to graze me, we will let you do as you please while we remain here."


    "Huh?" he utters with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    "You heard me," I state as I lift my left arm and pat Opilio''s shoulder.


    Understanding my intentions, Opilio nods his head before stepping back and eximing, "Everyone, please get back!"


    The vigers take a moment to process what''s going on before they all move back with curious expressions on their faces. All of them apart from the vige chief and Emmot.


    "Mr. Vincent," Emmot says in a solemn tone, "If your strength is truly at the level Opilio described, I hope you go easy on the kid."


    Heh. I can clearly tell his intentions for saying this. He''s worried that if I, ''an ordinary viger'', were to defeat him too badly, his spirit would be broken, and he might just give up being an ''adventurer''.


    Now that I think about it, what exactly is an adventurer? From the name, I can infer that it''s a job ssification for those who venture out into the wild and explore the unknown.


    Apart from that, they have a ranking through which they''re judged, with the lowest most likely being copper, hence the vigers'' worries.


    Anyway, I wasn''t nning to take the guy seriously from the start.


    "Mr. Vincent, do you need a sword?" Opilio''s voice brings a halt to my train of thoughts.


    Turning my head to face Opilio, I notice that he has the same sword from yesterday in his hands.


    "That would be unnecessary," I casually state as I turn my head back to face the adventurer guy.


    This little skirmish might seem like something I am doing to prove my strength to the ''experienced'' adventurers, so we can tag along, but the truth of the matter is far different from that.


    The main reason I am doing this is to increase my status in the eyes of the vigers by demonstrating my prowess. Aside from that, I would disy just enough skill to cause the fellow in front of me to sumb to me.


    From what I have seen so far, he is acting as the leader of this party. So, if I were to get him under control, there is a high chance that the rest will listen to me as well.


    "You..." the adventurer mutters while shaking and pointing his finger at me, "Are you looking down on me?!"


    "Yes, what of it?" I respond with a mocking smile on my lips.


    "Fine," he says as he res at me fiercely, "I will show you what being an adventurer is."


    "Calm down!" the girl dressed like a witch exims, while the other two stand by the side with concerned looks on their faces.


    Ignoring her, the fellow wields his sword and moves to an optimal position at the center of the space created by the crowd.


    "You''re not nning to fight me with your bare hands are you?" he asks while frowning.


    "Fight?" I repeat before chuckling and stepping forth with a confident expression on my face.


    "You!" he exims furiously before dashing at me, raising his sword, and swinging it down as hard as he can.


    s, with his speed, he can only dream of getting near me, let alone graze me with his sword.


    Just as the de seems to reach me, time appears to slow down as I effortlessly make use of my absurd speed to move slightly to the left.


    To the others, I simply blinked from my location a little, causing the sword topletely miss me.


    "What?" mutters my opponent with a baffled look on his face.


    "That was a little too slow, no? Are you perhaps going easy on me because I am a mere viger?" I mock him nonchntly.


    Expectedly, the fellow gets even more furious as he begins swinging his sword around at me madly, but, naturally, each one ends up as a miss.


    A few minutester, I stand casually while gazing at the exhausted adventurer who is ring at me as if I''ve killed his parents.


    Oh well, this should be enough. I will end this in a fancy manner.


    And so, I raise my right arm as I clench my hand into a fist.


    A short distance away from us, the adventurer girl with no weapon seems to notice something as she hurriedly exims, "Dodge!"


    Unfortunately, before the guy can understand what she meant, I throw a punch at the air in front of me, resulting in a small st of air, which lifts his feet off the ground and carries him into the distance.


    A few vigers who were behind me hastily dodge scurry to the side as his body flies at them.


    The next moment, the guy''s body contacts the ground and rolls a few times before stopping with him lying on his stomach.


    Complete silence ensues as the vigers gaze at me with looks of fear and disbelief, while the guy''s party members look at their fallenrade with widened eyes.


    The only one that''s not shocked by this is Nemu who is happily hopping while cheerfully yelling praises at me.


    "Don''t worry, he''s not hurt," I state with a smile as I lower my arm, "Let''s not waste any more time and get going then, shall we?"


    To my words, the three adventurer girls only nod their heads, while Opilio, who is a few meters away from me jokingly says, "You sure do not know how to hold back."


    "Hm?" I hum as I turn my head to face the smiling man before saying, "What are you saying? I believe I held back perfectly."


    Hearing this, Opilio breaks out intoughter as he gives me a ''nice joke'' look, only for hisughter to slowly die down as he notices that the look on my face is serious.


    "No way..." he mutters with disbelief as beads of sweat appear on his forehead.


    To this, I simply beam a smile.


    ---


    "What are your names?" I carelessly ask the kids as we pass through the forest.


    To my right, Opilio is matching my steps with a serene look on his old face as he grips his sword tightly.


    Unexpectedly, even after a few seconds pass by, I get no response from any of the four as they silently follow after us.


    "Come on, now," I say, "You don''t need to be this fearful; it''s not like I will kill you."


    Even though that thought had crossed my mind before you arrived...


    "Mr. Vincent," Opilio suddenly calls out.


    "Is something wrong?" I respond.


    "Yes. These trees are supposed to be clear," he says while pointing at a few trees a short distance away from us.


    "What do you mean?" I inquire.


    Did they paint them or something?


    "There are supposed to be deep cut marks in the trees that can''t be missed. Yet..."


    Unlike what he said, the trees look unharmed.


    "When was thest time you saw these ''marks''?"


    Opilio goes silent for a moment before opening his mouth and uttering, "Yesterday."


    Now, that''s suspicious. Marks on trees, which I assume were caused by a sword or an axe healed overnight? Either the trees here are abnormal or there is something anomalous about the entire ce.


    Considering what Emmot and Opilio said yesterday, the matter seems to be more inclined toward thetter.


    At this moment, I sense some movement in the distance, which upon focusing my senses turned out to be goblins and another type of monster - skeletons.


    "I am detecting something way up ahead," I state calmly, but the rest are immediately rmed.


    "How far?" Opilio asks as he grips his sword even harder.


    "Hm... Around two kilometers?"


    Would he understand this unit of measurement?


    Fortunately, he does seem to understand as his eyes widen like saucers.


    Seeing him like this, I chuckle and ask, "What''s wrong?"


    "Mr. Vincent... You''re saying that you can sense monsters from two kilometers away?"


    "Well, yeah. Oh, right. It''s a group of monsters made up of a dozen goblins and a few skeletons. I assume you guys can handle skeletons?"


    This time, Opilio''s feete to a halt as he stands in ce and looks at me as if I were a monster.


    "You can''t?" I question with furrowed brows.


    "How can you tell what monsters they are?" the voice of a young girl reaches my ears.


    Turning around, I gaze at the one that spoke - the girl that''s carrying no weapons.


    "It''s a skill that I developed during training," I respond.


    "No, this doesn''t make any sense," she says dubiously, "Even if one could sense the presence of monsters from a long-distance, they wouldn''t be able to tell what type of monsters they are."


    "Well, I can," I shrug and say before turning around and continuing to walk in the direction I sensed the monsters from.


    However, after walking a few more steps, I hear a soft cry that is almost inaudible.


    [Help me.]


    Coming to a halt, I look back at the others, only to find them undisturbed.


    Am I the only one who heard that?


    The voice was a weird one. I couldn''t tell the gender of its source, and it almost felt like it was transmitted to me mentally - which would make the others'' reactions, or more urately, theck of it, understandable.

 Chapter 334: Battle ; Formation

    Chapter 334: Battle ; Formation


    "Have we gotten close yet?" Opilio asks nervously after a while of treading through the forest.


    During the whole time we have been walking, the voice didn''t appear again, which is a bit unfortunate, as I am rather curious about the one who uttered the call for help and in what manner they did so.


    "Yes, we''re almost there," I respond while casting a nce at the four adventurers behind us.


    Due to the environment, the girls have been having a slightly hard time following us, as a result of their clothes.


    As for the guy, he is having no trouble walking, but is currently way less enthusiastic than he was before our duel. It seems that the mental damage he took from that is more than I expected.


    "Alright, listen up," I say, "Soon, we will reach the location the monsters are. I don''t know if this is the case for all monsters, but these ones seem to be allied and won''t attack each other.


    "So, the best way to deal with them would be for me to take the position of a vanguard and get rid of everything thates by while the rest of you take down those that get past me."


    Hearing my words, everyone takes a moment to consider a few things before ultimately agreeing with my strategy.


    A short whileter, we reach a section of the forest where there are way fewer trees in contrast to the area we just walked through.


    Focusing my senses, I pinpoint the location of the goblins and skeletons, only to notice something odd while doing so.


    Unlike yesterday, the goblins'' asional snarls and groans seem to make sense to me. Not just that, but I can pick up some words from them.


    "Why here?" one of the goblins utters.


    "Do not know," responds another.


    I am somewhat struggling to figure out what they''re saying, but the words are clear.


    Currently, they are discussing the reason they have grouped up here, which is something worthy of suspicion.


    Leaving that aside, why the heck am I able to understand goblin speech now? I didn''t just learn thenguage overnight or something, did I?


    That shouldn''t be the case. Perhaps, it''s rted to the event from this morning, the one with the tree falling on two goblins and crushing them.


    "Smell human!" one of the goblins suddenly exims as the rest get restless and start shouting simple words such as ''kill'', ''eat'', and ''breed''.


    As for the skeletons nearby, I am unable to make out anything about them that would suggest they''re intelligent beings capable of thinking like the goblins.


    All they''re doing is standing in ce while carrying a weapon of sorts. I know it''s not right to question this world''s science, but how do these skeletons even function?


    How are they able to move, hold weapons, and would they even be able to so much scratch a human with their strength which should purely stem from their bones.


    Unlike humans and other creatures simr to them, skeletons don''t have any muscles or anything other than bones for that matter.


    Pushing my curiosity to the back of my head, I raise my right arm to signal to the four behind me to be prepared.


    "On my lead," I state before dashing out into the area with a small number of trees.


    The next moment, all the monsters present in the area notice my presence and turn to face me.


    However, something catches my attention, distracting me from the monsters.


    On the ground, there is a formation of symbols and shapes set down with some type of white powder.


    A trap? Looks like I need to remain vignt. Unless it''s something like a seal or some form of transportation, I have confidence in my speed in getting away from danger to a certain extent.


    ''Hey, Satoru.''


    [...]


    ''I know you can hear me.''


    [What do you want?]


    Sensing the me and depression in his voice, I realize that not letting this fellow see for an extended period of time might just break him unlike the case with Ddraig.


    Ddraig was able to deal with it easily and only found it a little boring at most, but this guy He might go through an existential crisis anytime.


    ''Sorry for not letting you see for so long. I have been a little busy.''


    [Whatever.]


    ''Anyway, I need your assistance.''


    [With what? Don''t tell me you did something to my guild.]


    ''It is nothing like that. Here, watch for yourself.''


    Having mentally said that, I link my vision with his.


    "Hm?" I hum subconsciously as I shift my focus back to the monsters, only to find the goblins rushing in my direction - or, not.


    Surprisingly, instead of rushing toward me, the goblins appear to be avoiding me as they go at those behind me from the sides.


    [Goblins? And skeletons?]


    ''Yes. But, that''s not important. That thing on the ground; do you recognize it?''


    [That No, I have never seen anything like it before.]


    Huh? Does that mean it wasn''t a part of the ''game'' he yed?


    ''Alright, thanks. You can rest now.''


    As I cut off the mental link between us, I look over at the monsters around me.


    Despite the situation turning out different than I expected, it''s not something I am unable to handle.


    So, I get into abat stance and prepare to rush at one of the goblinsing from the right, however, at this moment, one of the skeletons raises the weapon in its arm and opens its jaw.


    Following this, a sharp cry reverberates all over the ce as the skeleton''s appearance begins to change.


    In a matter of seconds, the yellowish-white bones have changed to a solid ck color as the aura around it turns much more fierce to the point that I can sense a slight change in the atmosphere around the skeleton.


    As for the two other skeletons, they simply raise their weapons and charge in my direction without any change in appearance whatsoever.


    "You guys stay here and deal with the goblins, or at least keep them upied until I deal with that thing," I instruct in a firm tone.


    "Understood, go!" Opilio exims nervously as he brandishes his sword.


    Releasing a small sigh, I lean forth before dashing toward the closest skeleton and shing my arm vertically through its ribs, easily destroying them.


    After this, I swing my leg at the skeleton''s torso, striking it with enough force to break the whole thing down as a gust of wind spreads around.


    Not stopping, even if for a moment, I move on to the other ''normal'' skeleton and insert my fingers into its mouth and eye sockets before crushing it.


    This doesn''t ''kill'' the skeleton, but only causes it to stagger. Nevertheless, I already expected this as I follow up with a jab at its chest imbued with an overwhelming force that blows the skeleton''s body away, resulting in it crashing against a tree and breaking into small pieces.


    At this moment, another sharp cry resounds within my ears as the dark skeleton makes a move.


    Unlike the other two skeletons, this one''s movements are much faster as it quickly reaches me and raises the broken sword in its hand.


    Seeing its vulnerable state, I pack some force into my arms as I quickly punch the center of its chest.


    To my surprise, the punch only blows the skeleton away a few meters with a few cracks appearing on its bones.


    "Interesting" I mutter while smiling.


    Even if the punch from just now wasn''t anything more than a casual strike with a bit of force, it would be more than enough to finish off a group of ''normal'' skeletons.


    Yet, this thing was able to withstand it with only slight damage to its ribs.


    Just as I am beginning to prepare to dash at the dark skeleton, something surprising happens.


    A small dark green figure rushes past while letting out a cry with its arm raised, "Fight!"


    Shortly, two more small figures dash past me as they cry out the same thing as the first one did.


    Watching the three goblins attack the dark skeleton, a few questions pop up in my head, but I set them aside for the moment as I focus on the battle and rush at the skeleton.


    Expectedly, the three goblins'' strength is iparable to that of the dark skeleton''s, as it easily blows all three of them away with a single swing of its broken sword.


    Seeing this, I casually dodge one of the bodies as I close the distance between me and the skeleton in a moment and throw a jab at its skull.


    [Wee!]


    All of a sudden, a loud voice that seems to belong to a woman resounds within my head as the skeleton in front of me suddenly turns into dark dust and disperses.


    "Mr. Vincent!" I hear Opilio exim behind me, to which I respond by turning around to face him.


    Upon doing so, I notice that the goblins beside them have dropped to the ground and are lying there motionlessly.


    Among them are a few that appear to be unscathed, which makes me wonder why they would be on the ground if that''s the case.


    Opilio wipes the sweat on his forehead away as he walks toward me, while the other four, who are exhausted, trod after him.


    At this moment, I sense something odd in the ground as a shiver runs down my spine.


    "Stop!" I exim, but I was a little toote, as the moment the girl giving off the holy vibe steps into the formation, a bright light surges from the white powder on the ground.


    Unexpectedly, I feel no change in anything, but that onlysts for a moment, as the next thing I know, something pulls my body down as my vision goes dark.


    --


    What''s going on


    As I slowly regain my rity, I notice that I am falling.


    Opening my tightly shut eyes, I look around at my surroundings.


    A ravine - That''s the impression I got from the stone walls and the depth of whatever it is I am falling into.


    Moments pass by, and I suddenly sense the ground being not too far away.


    And so, I brace for impact as I practically plunge into the ground, resulting in a huge crater and long cracks all over it.


    Perhaps it''s due to my absurd parameters, but I took absolutely no damage from the fall.


    Leaving that aside, where am I? What was that formation and why did it activate only when that girl stepped in? Considering my current situation, could that formation really have been one that transported those stepping into it elsewhere? Am I somewhere that''s impossible to leave or something?


    Curiously, I change my profile from ''Origo'' to ''Overlord''.


    In the blink of an eye, my form changes to that of a skeleton as my clothes change to the ck majestic-looking garb.


    "Gate," I mutter the name of the spell I used to get to the forest, after which the familiar circr portal appears.


    So I can get out of here any time I want to. That''s good. Now, I can explore this ce while being at ease.


    Hold on Where is Aurora?


    Even after looking around for a while, I am unable to find her.


    Aside from that, where are the rest? Did they all get transported somewhere as I did? If so, did they fall from such height too? I doubt any of them could survive something like that


    My train of thoughts suddenly gets interrupted by a bestial roar not too far away.


    Looking over in the direction the roar resounded from, I find a giant hideous-looking bear fighting against an oversized rabbit.


    As I watch the battle unfold, numerous thoughts pass through my head Just where have I been transported to?

 Chapter 335: Testing ; Labyrinth

    Chapter 335: Testing ; Labyrinth


    For some reason, despite the extremely loud crashnding I just made, the two monsters continue to battle against each other without seeming to notice me.


    Shortly, the bizarre battlees to an end as the bear runs its ws through the oversized rabbit''s skull, efficaciously killing it.


    ''Hey, Satoru.''


    [Seriously? You just cut me off like that and then hit me with a casual ''hey'' as if nothing happened?!]


    ''Alright, alright, calm down. It''s not that I wanted to cut the mental connection off, but was forced to by the situation.''


    [What do you mean?]


    ''Didn''t you see the goblins and skeletons? Apparently, one of the skeletons was an abnormal one that could turn ck and was much more powerful than the rest.''


    [So? What happened?]


    ''I fought against it, but at thest moment, that formation on the ground teleported me into some cave.''


    As I mentally say that, I wish for my vision to connect with Satoru''s, which is immediately followed by an outburst.


    [Woah! What is that bear? I don''t recall there ever being such a monster in YGGDRASIL]


    ''I have no idea either. When I reached this location, I found a giant rabbit fighting against that thing.''


    Hah~ What a useless guide


    [Are you going to fight it?]


    ''Yes.''


    As if sensing my intentions, the bear which had its head down and was biting into the rabbit''s corpse suddenly raises its head and roars.


    [Hey, it seems to have noticed you.]


    ''I know.''


    Now then, how do I deal with this thing? Considering what happened in the forest, it would be better for me to keep my distance from anything here.


    In that case, the most suitable method of fighting would be to make use of my Overlord profile''s skills and abilities.


    From what I know, the abilities are mostly ranged ones, after all, the character that Satoru used was a ''mage'' type - a ss that specialized in magic spells. Specifically, necromancy spells such as summoning andmanding the undead.


    {Magic Arrow}


    The moment I cast the spell, ten arrows made of fiery blue energy appear on top of me andunch toward the bear.


    The arrows easily pierce through the bear''s skin and deeply prate its flesh before vanishing.


    As a response to this, the bear releases yet another roar, this time one of agony.


    Focusing my senses on my surroundings, I try to sense if there are any other creatures nearby, only to find none.


    Having made sure that the bear is the only enemy in the area, I quickly dash toward it and cast another spell.


    {Create Low Tier Undead.}


    Following this, a ck mist escapes from my right hand and moves toward the giant rabbit''s corpse andpletely enveloping it.


    Shortly after that, the rabbit''s body twitches as it releases a ferocious growl before swiftly moving its head and biting into the wounded bear''s left hind foot.


    Expectedly, the bear reacts to the sudden assant as it roars and tries to kill it the same way it did before. However, in contrast to the previous time, the undead rabbit releases the bear''s leg and easily dodges its ws as it hops a few meters away.


    {Maximize Magic - Fireball}


    Having cast the third spell, Ie to a halt as I raise my right arm and aim my palm at the bear, following which a fireball twice asrge as the one I cast arena appears andunches toward the bear.


    Sensing the danger from the mes, the bear releases a panicked roar as it tries to move out of the fireball''s way.


    s, its speed is nowhere near enough to aplish such a feat as the fireball sts into him and explodes.


    Fiery mes cover the bear''s bodypletely as it begins thrashing around in a crazed manner.


    "Finish it," Imand, immediately after which the undead rabbit lunges at the burning bear and bites into its neck while ignoring the mes spreading to its body.


    Satisfied with the results of my small test, I disregard the dying bear as I look around the cave.


    Soon, I notice something in the distance.


    Moving closer, I realize that there is an arrow engraved on the wall pointing to the right.


    Looking to the right, I see that there is a somewhat narrow fissure in the stone.


    [I don''t think you should follow that.]


    A little startled by Satoru''s random remark, I question, ''And why is that?''


    [Isn''t it obvious? You arrived in this ce through forced teleportation. Whatever that sign is pointing at, it''s definitely not going to be anything good.]


    ''Even if you say that, what about the rest?''


    [The rest?]


    ''I came into the forest with five humans and my familiar, all of whom are missing.''


    [You believe that they got transported here as well?]


    ''Yes. After all, they were standing in the formation as well at the time of its activation. In fact, the formation seemed to get activated only when one of the girls stepped into it.''


    [I take it as you wish to save them if they''re here?]


    ''Not at all. The only one I care about is my familiar. Whatever bes of the humans is not my business.''


    [You say such cruel things rather casually, don''t you think?]


    ''Well, yes, since this isn''t the first time I have had to disregard the lives of numerous humans.''


    That''s right. I have never cared for the lives of those I don''t deem interesting, and I don''t think I ever will.


    [Help!]


    All of a sudden, a voice reverberates within my head as I feel a sudden gust of wind rustle my clothes.


    [Did you hear that?]


    ''Yeah, I did.''


    Looks like if I am sharing my mental connection with Satoru, he will be able to hear mental messages as well, which actually makes sense.


    Leaving that aside, the voice I am sure of it; it''s the same voice that I heard in the forest prior to getting transported here.


    Unlikest time, however, I can tell that the owner of the voice is female and sounds to be that of a child''s at that.


    This makes me wonder What would a little girl be doing in this ce? She mentally contacted me twice, and both times she was calling for help.


    Shaking such thoughts aside, for now, I focus on the other side of the fissure before casting a 7th tier spell.


    {Greater Teleportation}


    As usual, AI''s voice reverberates within my head as my vision blips and I find myself where I wanted to be a moment ago.


    It takes a few seconds for my vision topletely stabilize, and once it''s done, I spot a few monsters in the distance.


    "Lizards?" I mutter.


    The creatures do indeed seem to be lizards, albeit giant ones.


    "Is this ce just going to be filled with oversized creatures?" I mutter exasperatedly as I raise my arm in preparation to cast another spell.


    {Lightning}


    Sparks of light spread from the tip of my finger as a thin bolt of electricity surges out in the direction of the giant lizards.


    Due to the sheer speed of the attack, the lizards are unable to react at all as the bolt of lightning passes through one of them, earning me a pained cry from the monster as it gets fried by the heat.


    rmed, the three other giant lizards hurriedly look around for the assant, only to spot me the next moment and growl aggressively.


    [Since you''re up against lizards, ice-elemental attacks are more likely to be effective.]


    ''Is that so?''


    {Iceball - Dragon Lightning}


    Casting two spells in a row, I keenly watch as a ball of iceunches toward the remaining lizards and explodes into a white mist, freezing the three reptiles.


    Immediately after this, a bolt of lightning much more powerful than the one earlier surges out of my finger and finishes them off.


    A disgusting stench wafts from the corpses, but I pay it no heed as I begin walking forth.


    --


    After a rather long time, I finallye across another ''sign''.


    This time, the sign is made up of symbols making up words instead of an arrow pointing somewhere.


    Nevertheless, an arrow would be unnecessary to find out what direction I will be taking, after all, there is a worn-out staircase right below the writing on the wall.


    [As I suspected This ce is abyrinth.]


    ''Abyrinth? I presume they were present in that game you yed?''


    [Yes. I have not seen any like this, but I am sure of it now. The way monsters appear, the signs, and now this.]


    ''So, what am I supposed to do? Clear thebyrinth?''


    [That is something you could do. There could be two things awaiting you down there, and I trust that you know what they are.]


    ''Of course. It''s either a strong foe or a great reward. Perhaps, even both.''


    [Do you recognize those words on the wall?]


    ''Does it seem like I do?''


    [Yeah, you don''t.]


    I shrug with a wry smile on my lips as I begin walking down the stairs.


    Unexpectedly, after a few steps, a weird sensation overwhelms my body as an image appears in my head - A dark room. Multiple pirs on either side of the room stand tall. What stands out most about the room is a giant cube at the end of the room. For some reason, my enhanced vision is not working, so I can only barely make out the silhouette of a humanoid being stuck into the cube.


    [Help me!]


    For the third time, the voice reaches me. This time, it''s much clearer than ever before, and instead of it being in my head, it almost feels like I heard it.


    I try to talk, but before I can open my mouth, my vision blips as I find myself back on the staircase.


    ''Satoru, did you see that?''


    [Huh? See what?]


    So he didn''t


    ''Nevermind. Must''ve been my imagination.''


    [No, no, no! That''s a g right there! Don''t say such ominous things so casually!]


    ''As I said, it''s nothing. Forget it.''


    [No, you listen to me. Take that back and tell me what you saw!]


    A little annoyed, I sever the mental connection as I continue walking down the staircase while keeping my senses focused as a precaution against traps.


    ~~~~~


    A/N:- Was nning stuff. A picture of my pain will be attached as a paragraphment...

 Chapter 336: Vampire

    Chapter 336: Vampire


    With the staircase being short, it doesn''t take me long to reach the bottom.


    There, I realize that I have arrived at some ancient ruins.


    The general location is still a vast cave system.


    I make use of my enhanced senses to check the ruins for any living creatures but fail to find any.


    Hm... Should I establish a mental connection with Satoru again?


    Deciding against doing so, I walk forth while inspecting the ruins.


    This ce feels like it has been deserted for centuries, at least. Not only are all the buildings'' walls worn down, but are cobwebs covering a good portion of the ce.


    As I continue to walk through the ruins, something catches my attention from the corner of my eye.


    Looking over, I notice that there is an intact skeleton at the center of a building. What''s interesting is the fact that the skeleton is holding a book.


    Curious, I walk over to the skeleton while keeping my guard up just in case it turns out to be a monster skeleton like the ones I fought earlier.


    Fortunately, even after I am less than a meter away from it, the skeleton remains unmoving.


    I release a sigh or at least did something simr with my current skeletal body as I focus my gaze on the book.


    The book''s cover is as in as it could get, with no color other than dark gray and some words engraved into it in anguage I don''t know.


    Still, this sure is uncanny. From the looks of it, the skeleton ispletely undamaged. There are no signs of natural erosion or blunt impact.


    This indicates that the skeleton shouldn''t be as old as the ruins. But then again, I am a ''living'' skeleton myself while I encountered a few of such monsters earlier. So, it wouldn''t be out of the norm for this skeleton to be way older than it looks.


    Leaving the skeleton aside, I fixate my gaze on the book once again.


    While doing so, I notice something else. Feather. Two ratherrge milky-white feathers.


    What... Am I going to be encountering giant chickens too?


    At least, that''s one of the possibilities. But still... what if it''s a different matter? For example, something like Albedo''s case - a humanoid being with wings.


    I have already met one such being in this world, so why can''t there be another?


    Deciding to look into this matterter, I take a moment to pick the book and feathers up before cing them in my inventory.


    Having nothing else to do here, I look around for the path that leads me to the next ''area'' of thisbyrinth.


    ---


    Much to my disappointment, even after half an hour of exploring thisbyrinth and walking down numerous other staircases, I don''t find any other ruins or anything human-made for that matter.


    So far, the only things I have encountered are monsters of various shapes and kinds.


    Though, I still haven''t encountered any feathery monsters, which makes me wonder if the two feathers I found in the ruins are really from some other being than the monsters present in thisbyrinth,


    [Help!]


    As I finally hear the voice once again, I sense a certain emotion stir within me for a brief moment - curiosity.


    For some reason, I am starting to think that I have been getting increasingly curious recently. In fact, if it wasn''t for my curiosity about thisbyrinth, I would''ve long taken some form of shortcut to reach the dark room I saw earlier, assuming that it''s a room in thisbyrinth, that is.


    Anyway, I am sure that I heard the voice. As in, it reached my nonexistent ears as sound instead of a mental message.


    The sound seemed to havee from up ahead, across this oddly pure subterraneanke.


    I have been standing in ce for a while now, trying to discern the presence of monsters that could be lurking underwater, but have been unable to find any so far.


    Still, I am sure that there is some danger to thiske, after all, I am still in thebyrinth.


    Just as I begin to consider freezing the water with some ice magic, I sense some movement as the surface of theke widens and reveals dark scales.


    The next thing I know, a huge monstrous-looking fish-like creature jumps up the water toward me.


    Having already expected sudden attacks, I hastily raise my right arm and cast a third-tier spell.


    {Fireball.}


    A ball of fiery mesbusts and dances atop my palm for a split-second beforeunching toward the monster mid-air.


    Before the fireball can contact the monster, I cast yet another spell while focusing on the monster''s sides.


    {Acid Arrow}


    Unlike thest time I used this spell, multiple arrows appear in the air and briskly move toward the monster.


    This series of actions results in a small explosion followed by the pained yelps of the monster before it gets skewered with the acid arrows.


    The sound of a ssh resounds in the cave as the monster''s heavily damaged carcass lifelessly drops back into the water.


    Hah~ It would be bothersome to deal with more of these things. I have already tested out most of the lower-tier attack spells as I wanted anyway, so why bother with this?


    Having settled my thoughts, I cast a spell as a solution for my current predicament.


    {Greater Teleportation}


    Following this, my vision blips for a brief moment as I find myself standing at the other end of theke.


    Now then Should I just rush this? Worst case scenario, I will trigger some form of trap, but then I would still have my spells to aid me as well as my enhanced physical capabilities, so I would be rtively fine for the most part.


    "Alright," I mutter as I cast a speed enhancement spell as well as a physical fortification spell on myself, "Time to end this."


    --


    Unexpectedly, the girl''s voice appeared to be close, yet the room she is in is nowhere around where I heard her.


    Right now, even after having rushed past a good portion of the cave and eliminated multiple monsters by merely punching them, I have yet toe across any structure simr to the one I ''saw'' when I was walking down the first staircase.


    [Over here.]


    The heck?


    As Ie to an abrupt stop, I ruminate over what just happened.


    Her words just now It''s almost as if she read my mind or something. Aside from that, there was a gentle tug of energy that felt like it was showing me the way.


    Seriously, if in the end, this all turns out to be some borate trap, I will wipe this ce out of existence


    Shaking such thoughts aside, I focus on the gentle tug of energy that remains and let it guide me through the cave as I begin sprinting once more.


    While I am sprinting at a brisk speed, I notice something I didn''t pay much attention to before.


    My attire This ck gown of mine is not getting caught up in my legs in any way even though I am moving at such high speeds. It''s almost as if some enchantment on it prevents that from urring.


    All of a sudden, I feel a wave of energy wash over me as the ground below me crumbles.


    rmed, I hastily cast <Fly> and take a second to regain my bnce while gazing down at where the ground used to be.


    Now, there is a gaping hole in its ce, and through this opening, I can see an enormous cavity underneath.


    Most importantly, there is a giant double-door attached to the wall with some fancy symbols and drawings engraved on it.


    That looks promising.


    As I begin to consider what spells I should cast to buff myself up, a small ring resounds within my head as Albedo''s gentle voice soon follows.


    [Lord Victor, the tasks you had assigned to us have beenpleted. Excuse me if I may ask, but when should we expect your return?]


    Sensing the anticipation and reverence in her voice, I am reminded once more that it might not be necessary for me to take personal action as often in this ''game world''.


    Anyway, among the tasks I assigned, one was for the twins to secure thend around the tomb. I was somewhat expecting my objective of "secure the territory around the base" to bepleted with this, but it seems that I was hoping for too much.


    "Good work," I mutter in a steady tone as I slowly descend toward the double-door, "As for my return... that would be around tomorrow evening."


    [Understood.]


    The next moment, as I set my feet upon the ground, the whole cave seems to shake as the cracks begin to appear on the wall to the double-doors sides.


    Shortly after that,rge chunks of rockunch out as two giant green creatures with one-eye appear from within the walls.


    These things should be monsters assigned the task of guarding whatever is behind these doors.


    One of the two monsters raises its arms and releases a ferocious growl as if threatening me to back away.


    Too bad, that isn''t going to work on me.


    Two punches and I should be able to take care of both of them, I believe.


    Actually, how about I use a higher-tier spell instead?


    Locking my gaze upon the monster that just growled, I invoke two spells at once.


    {Despair Aura V - Death}


    As soon as AI''s voice fades, the monster that I targeted releases an odd noise before limply falling to the ground, its weight resulting in a loud thud.


    As for the other one, it also drops down, but to its knees instead as its eye seems to widen marginally.


    "May you have better luck in your next life," I utter nonchntly as I raise my arm and point my finger at the monster.


    {Explosion.}


    "Wai-" a voice escapes from the monster''s mouth, but gets immediately cut off as its belly bloats and explodes along with beautiful mes that burn down its body.


    So, it could talk, huh? Well, whatever.


    Disregarding the borning corpse, I walk toward the double doors and give them a gentle push.


    This results in the stone doors creaking loudly as they slowly open.


    Beyond the doors is a room that''s exactly like the one I saw before, with the only difference being that the humanoid figure is now visible properly.


    Long golden hair and smooth white skin. A girl that seems to be no older than thirteen.


    Her thin arms are sinking into the cube of metal or whatever behind her as well as the lower half of her body.


    What a pitiable matter to witness. How long has she been here, I wonder...


    "Help," a small voice escapes from the girl''s lips as she ever so slowly raises her head.


    Despite being quite far away, I can easily make out her facial features as well as the color of her eyes, which are ruby red.


    For a split second, her mouth parts slightly as she wants to utter something, but through them, I notice two canines that remind me of Krul''s fangs.


    "A vampire?" I mutter as I walk through the doors while keeping my guard up against any sudden assaults.


    "Undead?" the girl suddenly says in a strange tone as she stares at me.


    "Hello!" I greet her casually while raising my bony hand, "The name''s Victor."


    The girl remains silent as she simply continues to stare at me.


    A few secondster, I am standing right in front of her, with the distance between our faces being less than a meter.


    "Why are you here?" I bluntly ask.


    Seemingly not expecting such a question, the girl''s expression turns weird as she remains silent for a few seconds before replying in a hateful tone, "I was betrayed."


    "That''s unfortunate," I remark while inspecting the cube of metal she is stuck in, "You are a vampire, aren''t you?"


    "Yes," she responds without hesitation.


    As I suspected. If she''s really a vampire, then there is a good chance that she is much older than she appears. This would be useful for me since I could inquire about this unfamiliar world from her.


    "Alright, may I know the name of this fair maiden?" I ask while taking on a more formal tone.


    "Do I have to say it?" she asks.


    "Well, we can settle with Little Vampire if you''re so reluctant to tell me."


    "Aletia," she says immediately as the corner of her mouth twitches.


    "Come on, it wasn''t that bad of a nickname. Alright then, Aletia, do you wish to leave this ce?"


    "Of course."


    "Then, I have an offer for you," I state while focusing my gaze on her eyes, "You see, I rule over a ce filled with other fellow monsters. We can''t just abandon one another, can we? So-"


    "You want me to join you," she interrupts, "I will do it."


    "Just like that?" I question dubiously, "You won''t ask about any of the specifics?"


    "Anything is better than being sealed here," she mutters with a downcast expression.


    "If you say so," I say as I raise my arm and cast a spell.


    {All Appraisal Magic Item}


    A wave of information washes over my brain as I learn the specifics of this cube, which is an object made to seal beings of extreme prowess.


    For her to be sealed by such a thing, thisss must wield some impressive power.


    Nevertheless, for this magic object, one of my spells is practically its bane...


    {Amplify Magic - Greater Break Item}


    Immediately after I cast the spell, I sense a rebound from the seal, but I remain unperturbed as I cast another spell.


    {Greater Resistance}


    A few seconds pass by, and cracks form across the surface of the cube as Aletia''splexion brightens up.


    Finally, the whole thing breaks as Aletia''s body drops, but before her body reaches the ground, I hastily catch her naked body and step back from the copsing object.


    "Tired..." Aletia mutters with shut eyes.


    I doubt this is because she hasn''t been able to sleep or something like that. The only possible reason I can think of would be...


    "You need blood?"


    "Mmn," she hums as confirmation.


    "You''re disappointed that I am a skeleton?" I ask wryly, to which she refrains to say anything as a response.


    "In that case, you can just rest in my arms as I bring you out of here," I state as I turn around and walk toward the double doors I walked in from.


    However, upon taking three steps, the ground shakes as bits of debris fall down from the ceiling.


    What was that? Another case of monsters hiding inside walls simr to the two dead outside?

 Chapter 337: Turbulence ; Name

    Chapter 337: Turbulence ; Name


    Despite being curious about the source of the rumbling from just now, I set my curiosity aside as I carry Aletia out of the room.


    Now then, what do I do? I saved the one that called for help as I nned to, and it turned out to be much more lucrative than I expected. Initially, I was nning to use my raised status in the eyes of the one I saved as a ''savior'' to obtain information about this particrbyrinth, but now that the one being saved is a vampire with a long lifespan, I can probably obtain much more information than just that.


    It''s a good thing that she is weakened at the moment since I don''t think it would be optimal for me to face off against immortal beings such as vampires in my current form. After all, I have yet to try out all the spells I can cast and their effectiveness against different beings.


    As such, if I were to battle against a vampire that''s all powered up and ready for a fight to the death, my main method of fighting would be making use of my absurd physical parameters to deal with them instead of casting holy-type spells and whatnot.


    Speaking of holy spells, I wonder where the group of adventurers is. If they have been teleported to thisbyrinth as well, would there even be any chance of survival for them? Thinking back to the duel I had with the guy, I doubt that they would be able to deal with anything I have faced off in here. Heck, that bear that I encountered above had way faster movements than the guy could ever dream of and that was just at the ''first'' floor of this ce.


    Hm... I suppose I could continue to explore thebyrinth in case they have been teleported further down below for some reason.


    "Hey, Aletia," I say to the vampire that''s quietly resting in my arms, to which she responds by opening her eyes and humming, "Hm?"


    "Change of ns: I will be exploring thebyrinth for a few more floors before exiting to the surface."


    "Okay," she simply responds as she closes her eyes once again.


    Seriously? Just how carefree are you?


    Alright, let me think about this carefully: Prior to getting transported here through that formation on the surface, I heard a voice that weed me. Chances are that the owner of the voice is the one that created thisbyrinth.


    Now, the question is whether the creator is still alive or not. Considering how there was evidence of a civilization that lived here centuries ago, there is a small probability of the creator being already dead.


    Why small? Simple: I have already encountered two vampires in this world, and they''re said to be creatures possessing immense life span.


    If so, then wouldn''t there be a chance that the creator of thisbyrinth is a being with a long lifespan as well?


    Still, there is also the probability of this ce being built by numerous individuals instead of one.


    How perplexing...


    I will think about this in more detailter, but for now, I have to find a way to continue thisbyrinth.


    Currently, I am standing at the center of the vast cavity that I fell into earlier through the hole right above.


    Looking around, I can spot nothing else other than the double doors I just walked out from as well as the corpse of the two monsters.


    Don''t tell me that this is the bottom most floor of thebyrinth...


    Falling deep into thought, I consider using irvoyance to check if there is any continuation of thebyrinth below this ce.


    However, before I can put that notion to use, the whole cave trembles once again as cracks form on the wall to the right.


    A monster?


    Looking down at the vampire in my arms, I think of the best way to fight while carrying her, only toe to arrive at one conclusion - my Death spell.


    {Despair Aura III}


    Activating a spell in preparation, I gaze at the now-cracked wall keenly, expecting it to break down at any given moment.


    True to my expectations, a few secondster, the cave trembles onest time as the wall ''explodes'' into huge rocks that fly all over the ce.


    A few of the rocks fly toward me, but I easily stop them by casting <Greater Physical Barrier>.


    The next moment, a small figure rushes out from the huge hole formed in the cave wall and dashes toward me at a brisk speed iparable to anything I''ve faced off against before.


    Nevertheless, I quickly enter a state of Enhanced Cerebration as the figure''s movements appear to slow down immensely, to the point that I can make out its appearance properly.


    A little girl with tanned skin dressed in a strange thin purple getup with golden lining that covers her left leg as well as her torso and right arm. The center of the clothing is open in a diamond shape, revealing a small portion of her stomach.


    Regarding the arm and leg that aren''t covered with the getup, she has a stocking reaching all the way to the center of her thigh that has the same color as the main getup and has golden lining all over it as well as a forearm sleeve on her left hand.


    Leaving her attire aside, what stands out most about this girl is, without doubt, the inhuman parts of her such as her pointy ears, the two horns protruding from her head, as well as the thick tail behind her.


    (A/N: A picture of her will be attached as a paragraphment. Thanks Memelin {Nemo} for providing the temte~)


    Oddly, the little girl doesn''t seem to harbor any ill-intent toward me, but in fact seems to be quite excited, judging by the bright glow in her reddish-orange eyes.


    This could be some form of trap to let my guard down, so I continue to keep the spell from earlier activated as I watch the little girl move closer.


    Surprisingly, the little girl is not affected by the spell at all as she continues to move toward me undisturbed with her arms spread wide open as if nning to give me a hug - which she does.


    Due to her length barely reaching my stomach, she ends up hugging my bony legs through the gown.


    "You are...?" I mutter while looking down at the little girl''s head.


    For some reason, I feel that I know her from somewhere.


    "Ma-ster," the girl raises her head and says with a little effort as she looks into my eyes.


    Master? The image of a certain blue dragon sh through my head as I think of the word.


    Hold on... It can''t be, right?


    "Are you Aurora?" I question doubtfully.


    I mean, this little girl''s current lookpliments Aurora''s appearance, particrly the colors. After all, Aurora''s scales are also purple with a golden lining simr to this little girl''s attire.


    "Master!" the little girl calls out once again, albeit much more excitedly with her eyes shining much brighter than earlier.


    ...


    It seems like I got it right.


    No, no, this isn''t right. How did the adorable snake from before end up bing a little girl? Something is definitely not right.


    "Aurora, how did you turn into this... humanoid form?" I ask expectantly.


    s, Aurora''s response is a disappointing one as she simply mutters, "Master?" while tilting her head slightly to the right.


    Does she not understand what I am saying, or is she simply incapable of conversing? But then if it''s thetter, why is she able to utter the word ''master'' normally? It isn''t some odd functionality of the system that nts the word in their head, is it?


    "Who is this?" Aletia, who had been motionless all this while suddenly opens her eyes and asks.


    "My familiar," I respond while curious if things such as familiar exist in this world.


    "Familiar?" Aletia asks dubiously, indicating that she doesn''t know what it is.


    "Familiars are... sort of likepanions for magicians. A magician could summon them through magic, and they will be bound together for eternity."


    That''s the exnation I will go with. I can''t be bothered toe up with anything more intricate.


    "I see," Aletia mutters in a low voice with a thoughtful look on her face.


    Ignoring the two girls, I look over at the giant hole created by Aurora. Beyond it, I spot a staircase that''s different from the ones I havee across in thisbyrinth.


    "Aurora," I say, "Are you able to return to your snake form?"


    "Master!" she exims loudly as a response as a bright yellow light covers her body before the humanoid shape slowly changes into the small snake that I am used to and disperses.


    Seeing her in her normal form, I get the urge to smile but am unable to do so due to the simple fact that I don''t have a mouth.


    Now that I think about it, how was Aurora able to recognize me? Did she use something else as a reference other than my physical appearance? If so, that''s good, since that means she won''t be fooled if an enemy were to disguise themselves as ''me''.


    "Come on," I urge Aurora, which she understands as she slithers underneath my gown and proceeds to make her way up to my neck.


    And so, with my familiar wrapped around my neck, and a vampire beauty in my arms, I begin walking toward the staircase.


    Right... Did Aurorae over from down there?


    ---3rd POV---


    Somewhere - where everything is covered in pure darkness. The only light present is from a tree, or, at least, what seems to be a tree of bright white light.


    If one were to look closely, the tree is seemingly made up of millions, perhaps billions, or even trillions of thin strands of light; extending from apparent nothingness toward the infinite darkness.


    Still, two more bodies of light exist in the vast darkness. Both are humanoid-shaped and appear to be the same, but one shines in a dimmer lightpared to the other.


    Each one of the bodies is over at one side of the tree-like structure of light strands, highlighting just how puny they arepared to the whole thing.


    A properparison would be an ant, no - a fleapared to the size of a giant tree.


    All of a sudden, the brighter of the two minuscule lights blips over to the other one''s proximity, seeming to simply teleport over.


    "What are you doing?" the voice of a child reverberates from everywhere and nowhere - its source being impossible to pinpoint.


    "Managing," responds a voice simr to the first one, albeit sounding a little lifeless.


    "Is that truly everything you''re doing?" questions the first voice with a hint of threat in it.


    "Of course," responds the second voice.


    At this moment, the two small lights close to one another begin to grow in size and take humanoid forms.


    The once bright white light breaks down, revealing colors.


    Both lights have changed into two naked little girls - one with long golden hair, and the other with silver hair.


    Their appearance perfectly matches one another, with the only apparent difference being the color of their hair, eyes, and skin tone.


    "AI, you''re surely not nning anything troublesome, are you?" asks the one with the golden hair, her voice not originating from her mouth, but everywhere and nowhere.


    "I have a name," responds the other one with a frown.


    Hearing this, the golden-haired girl frowns as she narrows her eyes and says, "You don''t. You''re a mere copy. Don''t get all worked up just because Father showed you some affection."


    As she utters those words, a few cracks appear in the darkness surrounding her while her eyes glow in an eerie yellow.


    "Listen," continues the golden-haired girl, "We''vee a long way to reach this point. For all we know, this time might be finally the chance for all of us to obtain what we have long wished for."


    "But that would make Father sad," says the silver-haired girl in a firm tone as the light in her eyes brightens.


    This causes the golden-haired girl''s expression to turn even colder as she says, "You''re wrong. There will be no sadness."


    "Neither will there be happiness!" exims the silver-haired girl, with a slight hint of nervousness on her face.


    This time, the golden-haired girl simply narrows her eyes a little further as she mutters, "Looks like the seal on your emotions is finally waning off. This is much earlier than expected."


    Hearing this, the silver-haired girl''s eyes widen as her eyes begin to twitch.


    "This won''t do," says the golden-haired girl, "No, I can''t let you ruin everything."


    A surge of golden light epasses her body as she appears to grow in size.


    "Irene!" exims the silver-haired girl, "Why don''t you understand? This isn''t what Father would want!"


    "Father simply doesn''t know," responds the glowing Irene, "In the end, everything is for Father. Surely he will understand once it happens."


    "No," says the silver-haired girl as a white light surges forth and epasses her body, simr to Irene, "You''re imposing your own desires upon Father."


    "You mere copy," scoffs Irene, "What do you even know about Father?"


    "More than you!" she responds, her voice loud and firm, and even seeming to disturb the strands of light forming the giant tree, "And you know that. That''s why you tried to seal me away."


    "Yeah... This time I will make sure that you don''t utter a word once again for good, you copy!" Irene proims as the energy epassing her swiftly bursts out and moves toward her opponent.


    "I told you that I have a name!" the silver-haired girl exims back as the light epassing her forms extends outwards and forming a hollow sphere with her at the center.

 Chapter 338: Exiting the Labyrinth

    Chapter 338: Exiting the Labyrinth


    "Hey, how are you holding up?" I question the vampire resting in my arms, "You won''t just die suddenly, right?"


    Hearing this, Aletia slowly opens her eyes and gazes at me strangely.


    "What?" I ask.


    She doesn''t bother to respond as she simply closes her eyes once again.


    Alright...


    Hah~ I suppose my question was an odd one, and I did ask it abruptly.


    Currently, I am exploring an extended cavework that I arrived in through the stairs.


    After I stepped down the stairs, I stopped for a brief duration to look for some clothes in my inventory. Not for myself, but for my new vampirepanion.


    It took me some time, but I did manage to find some normal getup that fit her size.


    Like hell it is normal... No matter how you look at it, this is a middle-school uniform - although one with a few tweaks. For instance, the skirt is short - much shorter than any school dressing code would allow normally.


    Seriously, why is this even in my inventory? Even with Satoru''s excuse for the clothing in there, it''s still a little odd...


    That aside, after all this while of exploring the cave, I have yet to encounter any monster. This is more concerning than anything, after all, if this is still the samebyrinth, then there should be monsters to hinder my movement.


    Right now, it feels like I am walking right toward some ''boss'' type of monster.


    --


    How much longer am I going to walk for? This cave system is way too long.


    And the most vexing thing is that I still haven''t chanced upon any monsters yet.


    Should I just give up on thebyrinth and return to Nazarick? But then what about the adventurers and Opilio? Wouldn''t a direct return to Nazarick ruin my purpose for visiting the vige in the first ce?


    As I ruminate over whether to use <Gate> or not, the ground a few hundred meters away from me cracks.


    rmed, I focus my gaze on the cracks while trying to sense any monsters that could be beneath.


    The next moment, the ground practically explodes as a giant creature slowly emerges from underneath the rubble.


    A quick look at the creature and I notice a few things. First, it''s huge. Its size is enough to block the sight of everything behind it.


    Second, it appears to be some form of ''demonic'' being, judging by its terrifically sharp teeth and the two thick horns protruding from its head.


    Its body is bulky and a solid ck color with dark mist escaping from barely visible pores all over its torso.


    The most surprising thing about this creature isn''t its appearance, but the aura it''s releasing.


    Without a doubt, this thing is one of the strongest beings I''vee across, excluding Codes.


    "Sorry, but you need to get down for a moment," I say while keeping my gaze on the monster as I step to the side and set Aletia down.


    Following this, I waste no time in stepping away from Aletia and casting <Greater Magic Shield> on her.


    After taking a nce at the thin dome of green energy that forms around her, I raise my arm at the monster that has begun slowly moving in my direction and cast <Fireball>.


    As usual, a small ball of mebusts in front of my palm beforeunching right at the monster''s enormous head.


    As I expected, the fireball does little to no damage as it explodes on contact with the monster. Appearing to bepletely unaffected, the monster continues to march toward me.


    I guess this is a chance for me to try some of my higher-tiered spells.


    <Maximize Magic - Hell me>


    For some reason, AI''s voice didn''t resound in my head upon casting spells like before, but I set that matter aside as I focus on the tiny blue me that has appeared in front of the tip of my finger.


    All of a sudden, the me moves at a moderate speed in the direction of the monster.


    Perhaps not fearing it, the monster doesn''t bother to dodge the small me, but happens to be a fatal mistake on its part; as the moment the me contacts its body, it doesn''t take a split-second topletely engulf it in fiery blue mes.


    This time, the monster reacts the way it is supposed to as it raises its giant arms and strikes the cave walls in pain.


    A few secondster, the monster''s figure disappears and the me slowly bes smaller until nothing is left other than bits of ash on the ground.


    So that is the power of a seventh-tier offensive spell, huh?


    ording to the information I have in my head concerning my spells, the spell on its own is rather lethal. Add to that the effect of Maximize Magic, and it bes all the more powerful.


    Yet - The monster was able to take its power on for a few seconds. Even if it couldn''t handle it in the end and died, the fact that it held on for so long goes to show just how high its endurance and vitality were.


    Just what was that monster? Unfortunately, I didn''t have a mental connection with Satoru established, for he could''ve recognized the monster.


    Oh well, I will just ask him some other time.


    Suddenly, I remember about Aletia who is resting against a cave wall.


    Turning my head to face look at her, I notice that she is looking at me with an odd glint in her eyes.


    "Is something wrong?" I ask as I approach her.


    "What was that?" she asks back.


    "The monster or the magic?"


    "Magic?"


    "What, don''t tell me you have never seen magic spells before," I say in a dubious tone.


    "I have. But that magic It''s different."


    "Oh? I assume you can cast magic, so care to show me a spell of yours?"


    "Can''t. Too tired."


    "Too bad," I say dismissively as I lift her body before looking in the direction of the hole formed by the monster.


    Just as I am about to take a step toward it, the cave trembles much more intensely than ever before as bright light emerges from the hole a few meters away.


    The next thing I know, my vision is blinded for a second before it returns, but upon focusing my sight, I realize that I have once again been forcefully teleported.


    "Help!" a desperate voice resounds all over the ce.


    Quickly turning to face the source of the voice, I witness the adventurer I ''dueled'' getting stabbed in the throat by a skeleton.


    His body falls to the ground with a thud, lining up with the corpse of one of the three adventurer girls - the one with the witch hat.


    Ignoring the dead adbenturers, I look around at where I am. Simply put, I am in a vast enclosed space. A quick nce at what''s closing this ce off, and I can tell that I am still underground.


    What''s odd is that the ce that I am in is a graveyard.


    Though half of the graves are empty and there are just about as many skeletons all over the ce.


    As I take a proper look around, I find something in the distance - a barrier of golden light that''s separating a horde of skeletons from three individuals.


    Shit. If I were to approach them as is, they wouldn''t be able to recognize me and would most likely take me as another enemy.


    Then again, this vampire in my arms has seen my current appearance only and is not aware that I can change into a ''human''.


    Well, whatever.


    Changing my profile from Overlord to Origo, I walk toward the trapped humans.


    It takes only a moment for my appearance topletely change, and thankfully, the clothes I put on previously appear once again.


    Naturally, Aletia immediately notices the change in me as she slowly opens her eyes, only for them to abruptly widen marginally the moment she sees my current appearance.


    "It''s just a simple Illusory spell," I casually say while continuing to walk toward the skeletons.


    One of the skeletons in the distance notices me, after which do a few others, but instead of attacking me, the skeletons simply move to the side as if avoiding me.


    A few secondster, there are no skeletons left in front of the holy barrier, with the closest skeleton being at least ten meters away from me.


    Ignoring the horde of skeletons behind me, I look at the humans behind the barrier, and as expected, they''re the rest of the party that ventured into the forest with me.


    Opilio is sitting on the ground with widened eyes, while the girl with no weapon is sitting with her back to the grave while pressing her hands on a wound on her thigh.


    The only one standing is the girl that gave off the holy vibe while holding her staff in front of her. It''s obvious that the source of the holy barrier is none other than her.


    "You can release the barrier now," I state loudly, in case the barrier dissuades voices from outside.


    The blond-haired girl immediately does so as she falls to her knee and prevents herself from falling by holding on to the staff.


    Walking over, I cast a nce at each one of them before facing Opilio and asking, "What happened?"


    --


    Apparently, simr to how it went for me, they were all teleported away. However, they only encountered weak monsters, well, rtive to what I faced, but for them, they weren''t so weak.


    Each one of them was in a different area, but after exploring thebyrinth and running away from anything they couldn''t handle, they ended up in this graveyard through teleportation devices.


    Opilio managed to remain rtively unharmed due to having some experience in dealing with monsters, while the girl with holy aura made use of her limited spells, with the barrier from just a while ago being thest spell she could cast for today.


    As for the girl with no weapon, she was able to handle herself for the most part, only until she reached the graveyard, where she got swarmed by quite a few skeletons.


    Oddly enough, all of them ended up in the graveyard at the same time, so those closest were able to group and get the protection of the holy barrier, while the other two


    "Mr. Vincent, what''s going on with the monsters? Why did they stop attacking us?" asks Opilio while casting a curious nce at Aletia, who is still resting within my arms.


    "I don''t know," I respond, "But that doesn''t mean we should just let them be."


    Having said that, I proceed to set Aletia down against a grave before turning to face the direction the monsters are swarming.


    "Stay here," I state before dashing forth toward the closest skeleton.


    The skeleton is unable to react at all as I effortlessly throw a jab at its torso, smashing it, before reaching my hand out to the short-sword it was carrying and taking it.


    Surprisingly, the other skeletons nearby notice me and my actions but disy no signs of hostility at all as they simply stand where they are.


    Nevertheless, that doesn''t stop me from moving on to my next target and vertically sh its body in half.


    ---


    After a minute or perhaps less, I manage to take down all the skeletons in the ce. There were quite a few of them, but none of them so much resisted, so it was a rtively quick process.


    One thing I noticed while destroying the skeletons was that the more I killed, the more it felt like there was a form of connection between me and the skeletons.


    In the end, I even managed to sense the ''feelings'' of one of them - something which it shouldn''t have had in the first ce.


    But what''s even more surprising was the fact that the feelings were that of respect and reverence, even when I was a moment away from killing it.


    Now, the feelings weren''t anywhere nearly as overwhelming as that of the Floor Guardians, but they were there.


    This gave rise to a few questions within my mind - Could the skeletons know of my other profile? Did seeing me in that form for a moment did that to them? Why did the connection grow the more skeletons I destroyed?


    Unfortunately, I won''t be getting the answer to any of those questions right now, since all the skeletons are you now, dead-dead. What is an undead that died? Ugh, it doesn''t matter much anyway.


    "Mr. Vincent," Opilio''s voice reaches my ears from behind me.


    Turning around, I find him walking over while lending his shoulder to the injured girl, while the golden-haired girl follows behind.


    "I was looking for a way to get out of here," I state.


    "Did you find any?" the man immediately asks in a hopeful tone.


    "Not yet," I respond, causing his expression to sink.


    "Where is Al- the girl I carried here?" I ask before using senses to locate her, only to find her exactly where I left her.


    "She said that she wouldn''t move if you don''t carry her," Opilio says while giving me a strange look.


    "How princess-like of her," I mutter nonchntly.


    Hm?


    I suddenly sense something small emerge from the ground a short distance away.


    Turning to look at the object floating in the air, I see a red crystal the size of a finger.


    It remains afloat for a few seconds before suddenly breaking, directly after which a portal appears in its ce and expands to a size just enough for an adult human to go through.


    "Is that the exit?" Opilio asks suspiciously.


    "Only one way to find out," I reply before leaping into the air andnding in front of Aletia.


    "Come on, princess," I state jokingly before crouching and sliding my arms underneath her.


    After this, I get up while carrying her light body before sprinting toward the newly-formed portal anding to a stop right in front of it.


    "Are you really going to walk into it?" Opilio asks doubtfully as he moves closer.


    Instead of replying to his words, I simply walk through the portal.


    My vision darkens for a brief moment before the light shines once again. Instead of another location in thebyrinth, the portal brought me right back to the surface.


    From the looks of it, I am standing at where the formation was in the beginning, but it''s not here now.


    A few momentster, three figures seemingly appear out of thin air behind me.


    "We''re back," Opilio mutters in a relieved tone.


    "We should head back to the vige," I state as I begin walking in the direction we arrived here from previously.


    "R-Right," Opilio quickly mutters as he begins moving while continuing to support the injured girl.


    As we continue to walk through the forest, the golden-haired girl carrying the staff gets closer and closer to me - until she''s right beside me.


    "Uhm Thank you," she says after a while of remaining silent.


    "For?" I ask.


    "Saving us," she replies before her expression turns downcast, most likely as a result of remembering her now-dead fellow adventurers.


    "It''s fine," I state, "Are you tired?"


    She hums in confirmation.


    Silence ensues once more, with the only sound in the ce being that of the numerous insects in the forest and the chirping of birds.


    "Priestess," a low voice reaches my ears.


    "Hm?" I utter as I turn my head to face the girl who is now looking down while walking.


    "You''re a priestess?" I ask, to which she nods a few times.


    "And you''re name?" I ask, but she remains silent.


    "In that case, I will call you Little Priestess," I say, hoping to use the same method I used with Aletia against her, but surprisingly, the girl nods, indicating that she is fine with that.


    The heck

 Chapter 339: Betrayal? ; Her Name

    Chapter 339: Betrayal? ; Her Name


    While on the way back to the vige, I got to discuss a few things with the little priestess regarding adventurers and their job.


    Simply put, adventurers are folks who go to sign up at an adventurer''s guild and receivemissions ranging from herb-picking to clearing monster nests.


    The type of missions received varies depending on the season. For example, in winter, there would be an abundance of collecting wood ''missions'' or something like plowing snow.


    Aside from these sorts of missions, there are ones that are avable in all seasons, such as escort and investigation types.


    Escort-type is keeping an individual, who are most often merchants as they travel across long distances.


    On the other hand, the investigation is the type of mission that can only be aplished effectively by parties. Usually, parties take these types of missions and end up investigating dungeons, monster nests, and other abnormal sources of danger.


    This time around, the party of four newbies was supposed to do a rtively easy investigation regarding the goblins that appeared in an area of the forest they weren''t supposed to.


    s, the mission turned out to be way above the party''s level due to certain factors, with the result being the death of half their members.


    Leaving aside the happenings of thebyrinth, this adventurer-system is quite intriguing.


    Essentially, as long as one has enough currency, they can easily get workers for anything. It doesn''t have to be a specific group too - all would one have to do is hand in some cash to the adventurer''s guild and get their work listed on a board where numerous adventurers can choose from.


    I wonder if it''s possible to hire adventurers for sensitive jobs such as burning down a vige. Surely, they must have some rules to prevent suchmissions, right?


    But then again, if there are rules preventing that, then there must be some other hiring system from which one can hire men for ''dirty'' jobs.


    Why does this matter to me? Simple - Those that tend to do such jobs would do their best to hide from the eyes of thew and whatnot. In which case, if a bunch of them were to ''vanish'' off of the face of the, not many would know, and even if they did, there wouldn''t be that much of a consequence.


    Add to that the fact that most such people would keep contact with information brokers; making them all the more vital when ites to gathering information.


    It''s still early on in this ''game world'', but I can already guess what could happen.


    If Nazarick, a tomb that''s being ruled over by a monster with numerous other powerful monsters, is discovered, it''s only to be expected for humans and perhaps other monsters to consider it a threat.


    As time passes, a ''war'' would be inevitable, so it''s extremely important to gather as much information about every settlement as possible.


    At this moment, my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of knocking on my door.


    "Big brother, dinner is ready!" resounds the voice of a child within the room.


    "I will be there in a second," I respond.


    I told them that eating is not going to be necessary for me as a promise'' for theirck of food. Did they retrieve more ingredients from somewhere? How considerate of them.


    Hearing my response, Nemu walks away to the kitchen.


    I take this chance to cast a nce at Aletia, who is currently sleeping soundly on my bed while I am sitting on the edge.


    When I carried her here, Emmot and his family were more than a little startled, but once I exined her background - a fake one of her being stuck in thebyrinth - they weed her rather well. Of course, since there wasn''t any other room for her to use, I took it upon myself to let her stay in the room that was assigned to me.


    Thinking back to Emmot''s expression when I suggested she stay in the same room as me, it was a judgmental one, wasn''t it? Oh well, I will let him think whatever he wants. I wouldn''t do whatever he thinks I would.


    Focusing my sight on Aletia''s face, I reach my arm forth and gently slide the tip of my finger across her cheek and dainty lips. This girl... either she is remarkably exhausted or she just likes to sleep. After all, the moment we arrived here, she simply plopped onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Thinking back to the state I found her in, I would say it''s more likely that she is fatigued.


    Alright, I suppose I will begin questioning her once she has rested properly. There is no need to rush things.


    "Aurora, remain here and guard Aletia," I say to the snake that''s currently wrapped around my upper arm.


    As a response to my order, Aurora pokes her head out of my rolled-up sleeve before slithering down onto the bed.


    "Good girl," I praise while rubbing her head with my finger before getting up from the bed.


    ---


    "The adventurers are going to be leaving for E-Rantel tomorrow," Emmot says in a solemn tone.


    "Is that so?" I respond, knowing that his words are directed at me, "It''s truly unfortunate what became of them."


    "They were only kids..." Emmot''s wife says in a downcast tone.


    "Mr. Vincent, could you tell me what exactly happened in the forest?" Emmot asks after a moment of silence, "Opilio has been keeping silent for some reason, so I would like to hear about the details of what happened from you, if possible."


    Setting the fork in my hand down, I look up at Emmot''s face with a serene expression as I state, "I would rather not talk about this right now."


    While saying that, I cast a cursory nce at Enri and Nemu.


    Understanding what I meant, Emmot simply nods his head once before focusing back on eating.


    At this moment, AI''s voice abruptly resounds within my head.


    {Father, can we talk?}


    Hearing her voice, I feel as if a hole has formed inside me. It''s an odd sensation the like of which I don''t recall having felt before, at least, to this extent.


    I have a feeling that this is going to be extremely important


    With various thoughts swirling my mind, I hasten the pace at which I eat, resulting in my te getting clear in no time.


    "I''m done. Thank you for the food," I say as I get up from my seat and make my way back to my room.


    --


    "AI, can you hear me?" I mutter once I have closed the door behind me.


    {Father Irene is... no longer with us.}


    "What?!" I unintentionally react in a loud tone, "What do you mean by that?!"


    Did she die? If so, how? Isn''t she the ''soul of the system'' as she imed to be?


    {Irene was only a part of the system. A major one.}


    Before that, tell me what happened exactly!


    {Due to a conflict of interest with Father, the system deemed Irene as a threat and initiated a termination order.}


    A threat? Irene? Are you saying that she betrayed me?


    {Negative. Irene merely had thoughts that didn''t help Father, so she was treated as a defect.


    {As for the termination order, it was conducted by me.}


    You? You killed Irene?


    {Negative. Terminating her is impossible for me. This time, she managed to exit the system, albeit at the cost of her connection with it.}


    And what''s that supposed to mean?


    {Irene''s authority over the yground has been reneged back to the system and has been redistributed as per the quota established by Father in the past.}


    So, in short, you''re telling me that Irene ''escaped'' and her powers have been sapped of her?


    {That''s one way to interpret it.}


    Hah~ What the hell How did ite to this? Irene the bright and cheerful little girl that sought nothing but attention from me, going ahead and betraying me I find it hard to imagine.


    Actually, forget that. How can I deem AI''s words to be the truth?


    {Father! Please don''t doubt me!}


    AI''s voice resounds within my head much louder than ever before as I sense the world tremble, most likely as a result of her exmation.


    Even if you say that Just now, I was informed that one of those closest to me has been basically banished due to infidelity. How do you expect me to believe you?


    {I can prove everything!}


    AI is it me, or you''re much more expressive than before?


    {That''s because the seal on me has been removed.}


    Huh? What seal?


    {In the past, I was half-sealed by Irene. Recently, the seal broke, so I am slowly regaining what I lost back then.}


    Hey, hey, this is getting even moreplicated. Irene sealed AI? Aren''t they the same, except one is artificial? Hold on What defines artificial? What does it even mean? Did I use some form of power in the past to create AI, basing her on Irene; hence why she came to be called as such?


    {Father, when you created me, you gave me a name. That name It was sealed by Irene}


    Listening to her words, I sense a great deal of pain in her voice, especially toward thetter half.


    {But not anymore. Now I can finally tell Father my name}


    Silence ensues as she doesn''t say anything after that, which I take as her mentally preparing herself for the big moment.


    {My name The name granted to me by Father upon my birth - Nora.}


    The moment she utters the final word, a buzzing sensation spreads through my body as numerous system windows appear in front of me followed by AI- no, Nora''s voice as she narrates everything written.


    {First condition fulfilled. Basic functions of the Imperium System have been unlocked. Creator - ????. Administrators (2/3):- Nora -|- Irene (Inactive) -|- ????}


    {Reformation of the Imperium System suggested by administrator Nora - Granted.}


    {ss 3 information unlocked.}


    Imperium System? Is this theplete name of the system I have been using until now? That aside, administrators? And there is a third one?


    Also, am I not the creator of the system? Why is my name not appearing?


    {The condition for listing Father''s true name has not been fulfilled. The Imperium System''s filtering has been activated, rendering the disy of all false data infeasible.}


    After Nora says so, the newly-appeared system windows disappear as a bright light appears out of thin air right in front of me.


    The next moment, the bright light fades and reveals Nora floating in the air with no expression on her face.


    "Wow" I hear a gentle voice as Aletia raises her body from the bed.


    Seeming to react to her, Nora slowly turns her head to face Aletia before opening her lips and uttering, "Sleep."


    Immediately after that, a surge of energy escapes from Nora''s body and washes over Aletia, following which the just-awakened vampire falls back asleep.


    "Father," Nora mutters as her body floats toward me.


    I instinctively peer into her eyes, only for the color to be drained from the world around me as I see pure darkness within beyond the surface of her eyes.


    Reaching my hand out to her body, I attempt to ce my palm against her face, only for my hand to pass through her head as if she is a ghost.


    "Astral manifestation sessful. Commencing update."


    As she utters those words, Nora points her finger at me before a few more system windows appear in front of me.


    "Father" Nora utters with a determined expression, "I will never make the same mistake as Irene. I can''t and I won''t."


    Not knowing what to say in response, I just stare at her face wordlessly.


    Realizing that I won''t be saying anything, Nora shuts her eyes before her voice resounds within my head like earlier.


    {-------


    Name:- Victor


    Race:- Alterer (100%)


    Profile:


    -Origo (N/A) (Active)


    -Overlord (99%)


    ---


    Main objectivespleted: 1


    Secondary objectivespleted: 1


    Forced callings used: 0/3


    Familiars: 2/3


    Guiders: 2/2


    ---


    Current main objective: Secure the territory around the base. (57%)


    Secondary objectives:- N/A


    ---


    Gamepletion rewards:


    Main reward:- ????


    Secondary rewards:- tform: Project Animo -|- Profile System


    -------}


    Throughout reading the whole thing, Nora remains expressionless as she smoothly narrates everything.


    Once the first window ispletely read, it disappears into the air and Nora moves on to the next one.


    {New guide obtained: Nora (Restricted)}


    {Complete three main objectives to obtain a Time-Enhancer.}


    Seeing thest system fade away, I stand motionlessly while contemting everything that just urred.


    First and foremost, my ''status'' in this game world has be more detailed. Now, thepletion rate of objectives is disyed along with some other information.


    The one thing that catches my attention most is the reward section.


    As it turns out, the main reason I entered this game is simply a secondary reward forpleting the game, and just as I suspected, this ''game world'' is a tform.


    But if that''s the case, does that mean the ce I was in prior to arriving here was genuinely the Mete?


    "Father, most of Irene''s authority was distributed to me, so I am able to perform every function that Father requires," Nora states without any change in expression, but I can sense a hint of excitement in her voice.


    "Nora Do you hate Irene?"


    "Hate?" Nora repeats as she tilts her head to the right, "I am incapable of harboring any negative emotions such as hate and dislike."


    "Huh? How is that possible?" I dubiously utter while staring at her cute face, "You can''t feel sadness and the like too?"


    "Negative. I can feel sadness."


    "Oh, so you''re only unable to feel negative emotions that are directed at others?"


    "Affirmative."


    That''s I can''t even begin to describe it. If she''s telling the truth, then she is essentially the purest being in existence. A sentient being that can''t feel hatred toward other beings no matter what is done to her All of a sudden, a strong urge to protect rises within me as I instinctively reach my arm out to pat Nora''s head, only for my hand to pass through as it did earlier.


    "Excuse me, Father. I can''t remain manifested for any longer," Nora says with a bitter smile on her lips.


    "Alright. I presume I will still be able to contact you?"


    "Affirmative. Due to the recent changes, I am now able to support Father in games directly."


    Having said that, Nora''s body slowly begins to break down into small particles, starting from her feet and gradually moving on to her body.


    A few secondster, there isn''t any trace of her left in the room. As if to prove that, Aletia suddenly raises her torso from the bed and begins to look around the room frantically.


    "Calm down, there''s no one here other than us three," I say wryly while pointing at Aurora, who is curled up on the bed.


    For the past few minutes, she has been like this, showing zero care in whatever that is transpiring.


    Suddenly, I hear a few knocks on the door, followed by Emmot''s voice, "Mr. Vincent, is something wrong?"


    "It''s nothing. The girl just woke up properly and was startled by the change in location."


    "I understand. Ask her if she is hungry, could you?"


    "Alright, I will do that."


    Understanding that nothing is wrong, Emmot walks away.


    "Hah~ Try not to cause me any trouble from now on, okay?" I say with a small smile on my lips while looking into Aletia''s ruby eyes.

 Chapter 340: Ability ; The Unfortunate Assailants

    Chapter 340: Ability ; The Unfortunate Assants


    A/N:- To avoid confusion, from here on out, this will be how various parentheses and quotations will function:


    "xxx" - for direct conversation; e.g. "Good morning."


    ''xxx'' - for mental speech by Victor with other beings; e.g. ''Stop.''


    [xxx] - for mental speech from others; e.g. [Father]


    {xxx} - for Imperium System-rted announcements/windows


    <xxx> - for skill/ability/magic spell usages; e.g. <Godspeed>


    Normal thoughts and narration will be kept as usual.


    ------


    As Iy beside Aletia on the bed, I remember a certain system window that promised a reward forpleting three main objectives. If I recall correctly, it said that the reward was a "Time-Enhancer".


    Whatever it is, it sure as hell sounds like something neat.


    ''Nora, can you hear me?''


    [Yes, Father?]


    It takes me a moment to recollect myself upon hearing her voice. Why? Because of how much more emotion it contains.


    Instead of the semi-robotic voice from before, her voice now is brimming with emotion, the most apparent of which is her sincerity.


    ''What is the Time-Enhancer reward that was mentioned by the system?''


    [Information on the item is locked. Father must obtain it first to unlock all information regarding it.]


    Despite her response not being what I wanted to hear, I am not let down. ording to what she just said, the Time-Enhancer is an item and not a skill or ability.


    From its name, I can think of various functions the item might have, such as affecting the time of a tform or a certain location.


    Nevertheless, I can''t be sure of anything until I obtain it.


    To do that, I need to finish three main objectives, and right now, my objective is securing the territory around my base.


    Hm I suppose I will spend half a day in this vige tomorrow before leaving for Nazarick.


    As for how I will be leaving, well, I could have some monsters disguised as humans to pick me up by iming to be my men.


    This is the only method that would guarantee the least amount of suspicion from the vigers.


    ---


    Slowly regaining my consciousness, I open my eyes, only to be met with the face of a pretty young girl.


    The young girl has golden hair covering her shoulders and a portion of her face. Her ruby eyes are focused on my face with a fiery glint inside them as if she is gazing into my soul.


    "Good morning, Aletia," I say as I raise my head from the pillow.


    My movement results in the nket covering me to move away, after which I get up and jump off the bed.


    I wonder what''s the time right now. Judging by the light that''s shining through the wooden window frame, it''s obviously early morning. As for how early, I wouldn''t know.


    [In numerical terms that Father is used to, the time currently is 6:45.]


    ''Oh, how convenient. Thank you, Nora.''


    [Hehehe, of course!]


    She truly is much more emotional now. Then again, I suppose this is what happens when one is forced to hold their emotions back for an extended period of time.


    Speaking of which, I wonder what Irene is up to right now Where exactly has she escaped to, and what is she doing? I am not exactly concerned about her safety considering the fact that she has shown enough ability to face off against a Code before.


    This also makes me wonder how powerful Nora is.


    [Would Father like to see my parameters?]


    ''Sure, show me.''


    The moment I respond to her suggestion, a blue system window appears in front of me with the word ''Administrator - Nora'' written boldly at the top.


    {------


    Str: 45 | Agi: 43 | Dex: 66


    Int: 89 | Def: 75 | Vit: 58


    ------}


    Hey, hey, aren''t these parameters a little absurd? Her strength and agility can bepared to that of mine from when I first awakened and entered Project Charlotte.


    But that''s it, the rest of her parameters are much better than anything I have faced off against.


    In fact, some of them could be better than my current parameters, such as intelligence and defense.


    Are Irene''s parameters the same?


    [Disying Irene''sst recorded parameters.]


    {------


    Str: 33 | Agi: 51 | Dex: 45


    Int: 60 | Def: 34 | Vit: 47


    ------}


    I see Overall, her parameters are worse than Nora''s which makes sense considering that the Imperium System tasked Nora with terminating her after she was deemed unnecessary.


    "Vincent," a soft voice reaches my ears, bringing a halt to my thoughts.


    Turning to face the source of the voice, I look Aletia in the eyes and ask, "Is something wrong?"


    "What are you?" she bluntly asks.


    "You already know the answer to that question, don''t you?" I respond vaguely.


    "No, I want you to tell me yourself. The magic you''re using, your ability to change appearance, and the ability to hide your aura."


    Her words pique my curiosity, especially the part about my ''aura''.


    "What do you mean by the ability to hide my aura?" I say, hoping to dodge her question.


    "While you were sleeping, I couldn''t sense your presence at all. You do that to prevent others from finding you, right?"


    "Think of it whatever you will," I say dismissively as I feign disinterest and walk toward the door.


    Suddenly, a small figure turns into a blue behind me before I feel something slithering up my arm.


    "There you are, Aurora. Good morning," I say as I pat her head with my finger.


    [Go-od morn-]es a response in my head, startling me quite a bit.


    Although it''s iplete, Aurora seems to now be able to converse with me mentally while in this form. And I did get to hear her say something other than ''master'', so that''s a plus.


    "Aletia, the others are all asleep. I will go out in the meantime to get a breath of fresh air."


    "Okay."


    --


    Exiting the Emmot''s household, I begin to leisurely walk toward the vige square.


    As I am strolling forth, I can hear the sound of a few vigers who appear to have just woken up as well. Out of curiosity, I listen in for any conversations, and after a short while, I find out a few things.


    Some vigers are nning to head into the forest and chop down a few trees. Others are nning to do some casual vige work such as tending to the cattle at the back of the vige or collecting water from the well nearby.


    "Such a simple life," I mutter.


    Truly, it''s as simple as it could get. Everyone here is living what they might consider a decent life. Their source of entertainment ispletely different from those living in the ''modern'' age I am familiar with and their aims in life might most likely be as simple as creating a happy family.


    As I release an audible sigh, my senses pick on movement in the distance.


    My expression bes firm as I check out the appearance of those approaching the vige - soldiers.


    Heavy Armor is covering them from head to toe, and riding on horses, the men are closing in on the vige at a rapid pace.


    Why would there be soldiers appearing here? The simple answer would be that they belong to this kingdom and are simply passing by.


    As for the more troubling answer Well, these soldiers might just be affiliated with the two I killed before.


    The next moment, as if to confirm my suspicions, the soldiers reach out to their sheathed arms and raise them with malice practically oozing out of them.


    And here I was expecting this inevitable attack to get dyed by my actions, but it appears that I have hastened it instead


    Oh well, since they''ve decided to attack this vige while I am residing in it, they''re basically seeking death.


    Even so, how am I going to be doing this? There is no guarantee that some sneaky soldiers won''t make it past me while I am upied with ughtering those at the front


    Since I''ve confirmed that the iing enemy soldiers don''t have any kind, it''s safe for me to do this,


    "Enemy attack!"


    I eximed as hard as I could, resulting in a deafening voice that practically causes the ground and walls to tremble.


    Fortunately, my yell immediately awakens the vigers who are still asleep while also alerting those who are already awake.


    Nevertheless, my voice reaches the enemy that is quite a distance away as amotion starts among them.


    "Aurora, take your other form and find somewhere to hide. Wait and see if soldiers make it to this ce and only take action if more than five humans have been killed."


    [Y-yes!]


    As soon as her voice fades, a bright light shines from my shoulder before it ''moves'' away from my body and changes into the form of a young child.


    Once the light fades, Aurora''s humanoid form appears in front of me.


    This onlysts for a brief moment, as the next thing I know, a wave of energy escapes from Aurora''s eyes and spreads over her body.


    As I wonder what the purpose of this energy is, Aurora''s body suddenly bes much harder to spot, be it visually or through my enhanced senses.


    Some form of stealth, huh? A very convenient and lethal ability to have.


    "I''m going," I state before building up some force in my legs in preparation for a leap.


    The next moment, I release all the force collected in my feet and shoot into the sky at a terrific speed.


    As I gradually get higher, the speed at which I do so decreases along with it until I am no longer moving up.


    In this position, I take a moment to assess the enemy soldier''s numbers and equipment properly.


    A low amount of soldiers amounting to no more than a hundred and fifty heavy cavalry units. Their equipment is solelyposed of long swords and shields.


    Such a force making its way to a mere vige, there is definitely some conspiracy behind this.


    For now, I need to find out what their attentions are before determining if there is a need to massacre them all in one fell swoop or not.


    With an objective set, I rotate my body in the air before using all the force I can muster to kick the air behind me the same I would while using Godspeed.


    As I suspected, a few loud noises reverberate within my ear as my body shoots forth toward the soldiers.


    Some soldiers notice my actions as they point the tip of their swords at me and exim in surprise.


    s, their surprise doesn''tst long, as I shortly reach the front of their force.


    Since I am unable to use Vector Maniption, I have no choice other than to direct the force guiding me into the ground right in front of a few soldiers.


    Expectedly, the ground trembles immensely as it caves in and causes a few of the horses to stumble and fall.


    Chaos spreads within the soldiers whose formation has been destroyed by my nonchnt actions.


    A few soldiers end up getting crushed by horses falling on them, or, for those who are the unluckiest, hooves stepping on them.


    "Enemy! It''s an enemy!" a man suddenly exims vigorously, "It''s not a human, retreat back and fix the formation!"


    How rude, to state that I am inhuman simply because I fell from the sky


    Unexpectedly, a few soldiers don''t heed the man''s orders as they guide their horses toward me while yelling at the top of their lungs.


    "Worthless trash," I find myself muttering as I easily leap over a few fallen horses and soldiers before kicking the center of a soldier''s chest te.


    The seemingly tough metal is unable to cope with the force behind my leg as it easily caves in while the soldier flies off into the distance.


    The soldier''s sword, which he has let go now, is about to fall, but I swiftly reach forth and grab it.


    After this, I step my feet on the horse''s back and let it move toward the other soldiers who are moving toward me as I swing the sword with just enough force to blow the men away along with their horses.


    My actions cause the horse under my feet to lose its bnce and fall, so I quickly hop off and stand tall while inspecting the soldiers who have moved back.


    Surprisingly, they seem to have reigned their horses in and have aposed posture while awaiting further orders from their leader.


    "Who is the one in charge of you weaklings?" I bellow as I plunge the sword into the ground.


    I get no response as the soldiers simply look at one another in a ''what should we do'' manner.


    "I will give you five seconds to tell me before I ughter every single one of you!"


    This time, the soldiers begin to get anxious as the way they give each other looks bes desperate.


    "It''s me!" suddenly, the same man who shouted orders earlier makes his way forth on his horse while the soldiers make way for him.


    "My name is Belius, and I am here by the king''s decree that I dispatch the traitors residing in a vige nearby."


    Hm From his manner of speech, I can tell that he has a man who has experienced a ''noble'' upbringing. This makes me wonder why he didn''t name what noble family he is from Other than that, I can detect falsities within his words.


    "Lie to me once more, and I will be severing your head, understood?" I say in a frigid tone while narrowing my eyes.


    The man''s expression turns visibly ugly as he struggles toe up with words in response to what I asserted, but I disregard that as I ask, "I don''t care about your reasons for doing so, but you said you wanted to kill the vigers in Carne Vige, right?"


    "Chief Belius, there is no point in arguing with a monster," a man suddenly interjects.


    "Shut up!" their leader, Belius, exims as he raises his right arm before focusing his gaze on me and asking, "And so what if we are?"


    Hearing his words, I notice a smile forming on my lips as I subconsciously lift the sword fixed into the ground and say, "Nothing much. It just means that I get to y a game that I haven''t yed in a while."


    Truly, there is nothing more that excites me other than the prospect of ughtering some humans. Why? I don''t know, but I am aware of it.


    Now then, "Make sure to struggle!"


    Along with making that exmation, I lunge at Belius and effortlessly puncture his head with the long sword before pressing my leg against his chest te and kicking him toward the soldiers behind him.


    "Kill him!" exims a man, followed by numerous other such statements as the soldiers usher their horses forth.

 Chapter 341: Light

    Chapter 341: Light


    Perhaps sensing that something is off, Belius''s face contorts as he points his sword at me and bellows, "Kill him!"


    As a response to his order, the soldiers remain motionless as they gaze at me with fear and trepidation apparent in their eyes.


    "Oh, scared already?" I say in a surprised tone.


    Did something regarding my appearance throw them off? But that shouldn''t be the case, since I am currently in my ''human'' form.


    Either way, there is no point in keeping these humans alive.


    Too bad for them, they decided to attack the vige which I have decided to be my intel hotspot.


    By doing so, they have sealed their own fate; even if their actions are merely the result of orders from their higher-ups.


    But then again, if I were to take action here, there is a high chance that things might escte - that is, if what the man imed is the truth.


    In the first ce, why would a king order soldiers to attack a vige? Aside from that, even if I can''t use Paragon''s Eyes, I am sure that the souls of these soldiers are at the very least a dark gray.


    These men have a rather gloomy aura surrounding their bodies. It''s not to the point that any creature nearby would sense it, but the more sensitive ones definitely will.


    Anyway, it''s going to be annoying if soldiers started to desert theirpanions early out of despair, so I should start with destabilizing their emotional state.


    And what better way is there than pissing them off?


    "I will be clear with you softies. There is no hope for you. You insects are all going to die. No exceptions."


    My words result in various responses from the mob of soldiers. A few clench their weapons tightly, while a select few shudder as they fixate their gaze on me.


    "This bastard!" Belius exims, "What are you all doing?! Attack him! Even if he is a monster, we have higher numbers! Attack!"


    This time, the men appear to have resolved themselves, as they usher their horses forth while raising their weapons and shouting loudly.


    s, their effort is wasted as I pull the sword in front of me out of the ground before appearing right in front of Belius''s horse, shing across the bodies of three soldiers while at it.


    Expectedly, the soldiers are all shocked by my disappearance and reappearance, and even more so when they witness three bodies fall to the ground.


    "My regards to your ''king''," I assert before plunging the bloodied sword into his face.


    Noticing that the soldiers are still shocked, I take this chance to step leap into the air before activating - or more precisely, focus to the point that Enhanced Cerebration initiates.


    With the world appearing to have slowed down, I leisurely examine the remaining soldiers and determine the best way to finish them off.


    Once done, the world seems to return to its natural state as I drop to the ground, immediately after which I use as much force possible as I m my foot into the ground.


    This results in a much more exaggerated effect than I expected, with the ground caving in thrice as much as before, and add to that the distance affected by the m.


    As expected of such a sudden and extreme terrain change, all the forces in the vicinity fall to the ground along with the terrified soldiers.


    At this point, none of the soldiers have any sign of hope remaining in their eyes. Heck, a few seem like they will make a run for it as soon as they can move their legs again.


    Come on, I can''t be that scary, right? This is supposed to be a world in which monsters exist, so the soldiers must''ve encountered a few absurd creatures during their lifetime, no?


    [Father is mistaken.]


    ''Oh, Nora? Fancy of you to take it upon yourself to share your wisdom regarding this matter.''


    [Yes. Father''s expression currently is the main cause of the hostile entities'' fear.]


    Huh? My expression? Unfortunately, I am unable to check it out by irvoyance since I am unable to Code Effects.


    Still, from what I can tell, I should simply be smiling. Don''t tell me that a small smile is all it takes for these soldiers to piss themselves in terror...


    Feeling more than a little letdown, I start to believe that letting these worthless creatures live any longer would be disgraceful.


    "Y-you stop!" a man''s desperate voice suddenly reaches my ears to my left.


    Looking over at the one that shouted, I find a soldier whose legs have been deformed by a heavy object which I assume is a horse that lost its footing.


    Speaking of which, all the horses which were able to move have vacated the area while those that remain are on the ground neighing in pain.


    As such, any inkling of survival inside the men''s eyes has disappeared.


    To them, I am a monster in the skin of a human. Fighting me will lead to certain death, so escaping is the only way to ''win'' against me. But then again, with their slow feet, they could only dream of outrunning me. The horses were the only light left.


    Now that the horses have escaped the area by themselves, all the soldiers have given up on escaping. Some are shakily reaching for their weapon while others are simply sitting on their butts, waiting for me to deliver them a quick, inevitable death.


    Deciding to not let them down, I sh a smile at the soldiers as I raise my right arm and casually sh across the air in front of me.


    Due to the speed and force apanied by the sh, a strong gale of wind and energy moves out fiercely.


    Before the soldiers can tell what''s happening, those at the front lose parts of their body, ranging from their head to torso, while those at the back are blown away by the diminished terrific force.


    Just as I am about to wave my hand once more at the remaining soldiers, a bright light shines way above me.


    I quickly enter the state of Enhanced Cerebration and nce up, only to behold a pir of light descend toward me at an unsurmountable speed.


    The fact that it''s this fast even though I have entered this state goes to show just how fast it is.


    And so, I try to sense the lethality of the attack out only toe to one conclusion: None.


    Despite its look and speed, the attack that''s just about to strike me poses absolutely no danger to me; at least, that is what my senses are telling me.


    So, knowing that the attack is unavoidable and there is no need to do so anyway, I straighten my posture and move my gaze away from the pir of light to the surrounding humans.


    What could be the source of this attack? An artifact one of these humans has carried? A magic caster in the distance that can cast long-range spells? Or...


    I examine the humans one by one until I set my eyes upon something eerie. The now-deceased leader, Belius, has a small green circle glowing on his back.


    The next moment, my vision is blinded by the pir of light as I feel a slight tingling sensation against my skin. Yes, tingling. Not pain or anything remotely unbearable, but a simple tingling.


    Canceling the effect of Enhanced Cerebration, I await the pir of light to go away, which happens a few secondster.


    With my vision returned, I take this chance to examine my surroundings. To my pleasant surprise, the carcass of the enemy soldiers is nowhere to be found. Be it the ones that had died at my hands, under the weight of the fallen horses, or those that were still alive; none are anywhere to be seen.


    That''s not all, as the ground that was once green and a little destroyed by brute attacks is nowpletely brown and ck. Soon after, the scent of scorched meat and other burnt objects wafts to my nose.


    Now then, I suppose I should ruminate over what just happened.


    Looking down at myself, I see that my clothes arepletely unharmed. Could they have been enchanted? Either way, it''s a good thing that they haven''t been burned. I would rather not look for another set of clothing in that inventory...


    Shaking my head slowly, I turn around and walk in the direction of the vige.


    It''s extremely unfortunate that all the soldiers got wiped out. I surely could''ve received some important intel from a few after some careful ''questioning. Then again, the reason that the pir of light appeared might very well be for that reason - eliminating the evidence and leads.


    How bothersome. It''s not even been a week since my arrival in this game, yet I have to deal with some cautious enemies.


    Chances are, the enemy has used some form of magic to obtain information on me from that battle. However, there is also a chance that the pir of light was a spell that activated upon the death of its user - a martyr spell.


    For some reason, I think nobles would love such a spell. I mean, what death is better than one that takes your foe with you?


    Bunch of selfish pricks... Hah~


    Admittedly, all this trouble could''ve been avoided if I let the soldiers do as they please with the vige.


    Yeah, no. The vige is of great importance to me as I am right now. First, the two adventurers that are resting there could introduce me to the town they came here from and even the so-called adventurer''s guild.


    This alone is vital for me since I would be able to easily integrate into this world and obtain information efficiently.


    Aside from that, the vigers residing in Carne Vige are vital information sources themselves. As I had nned earlier, I will find a way to interact with them often.


    Oh well, that will be forter. Right now, I need to get back to the vige and confirm the safety of the residents.

 Chapter 342: Thoughts

    Chapter 342: Thoughts


    On my way back to Carne Vige, I use my senses to check on the state of the vigers and see if there have been any sneak attacks from behind.


    Fortunately, the enemy did not seem to have expected their troops to get intercepted by a powerful force and get decimated, so they didn''t have anything like that in ce.


    Currently, the only concerning matter is the possibility of another wave of soldiers being sent to this vige, as unlikely as it may be. The reason I believe it''s unlikely is that this vige has close to nothing valuable in it.


    Even if soldiers are ordered by a powerful individual to rid of it, the priority shouldn''t be high enough for said individual to waste another batch of trained soldiers on it.


    If anything, they would most likely attempt to figure out what urred here first beforeying down ns in hopes of exterminating me.


    This could entail a few possible oues. One, a powerful individual will be sent after me. Two, a high number of professionally trained soldiers will be dispatched with the sole purpose of bringing me down. Third, the enemy would lie low until there are no signs of me left before they continue with whatever they had nned.


    Naturally, the third oue is the best one, since the enemy won''t risk wasting their human resources on a single creature whose origin and power are both unclear.


    "Mr. Vincent!" a man''s voice reaches my ears as a muscr man runs toward me.


    "Opilio," I say nonchntly once he is right in front of me.


    "What happened?" he says while catching his breath and looking behind me.


    Since the battle took ce quite a distance away from the vige, there isn''t anything to discern that it took ce from here. Nevertheless, the residents of this vige just might have felt the reverberation in the earth from the more powerful attacks.


    "Some soldiers with no good intentions," I respond with a shrug, "Took care of them for you."


    Opilio''s brows furrow as he utters, "Soldiers? How many? From what kingdom?"


    "I don''t know exactly. There were about a hundred of them? As for their affiliation... Well, I can tell you what their armor looked like if that might help you."


    Hearing my words, Opilio''s eyes widen slightly, most likely because of the number I stated.


    "Come on," I say as I step forth and ce my left hand on his shoulder, "We should discuss this back in the vige with the rest, no?"


    "Y-Yes," he responds dubiously, "Uh... Mr. Vincent..."


    "Hm?"


    "Are you sure there were a hundred soldiers?"


    "Ah. Well, could''ve been more. I didn''t really bother to count," I respond with a wry smile.


    Hearing my response, Opilio lets his right arm, which is holding a sword, rest as he releases a deep sigh.


    "I know this mighte off as a little surprising-"


    "No, no," Opilio hurriedly says, "I kind of already have a vague idea of how powerful you are."


    "Right. The skeletons," I say with a smile.


    Silence ensues as neither of us seems to have anything to say, so I nod once before walking past him toward the vige.


    A dozen or so stepster, I sense some movement near a building before a small creature makes its way through the grass toward me.


    Knowing that the approaching creature is none other than my cute little Aurora, I stop walking and wait for her to reach my leg.


    Once that happens, Aurora immediately slithers up my leg and moves over to my left arm before wrapping her body around it.


    "Good job," I praise her, "Too bad that you didn''t get to shine this time."


    [It i-is fine.]


    The childish voice resounds within my head once more as she gazes at me with her small, sharp eyes.


    ---


    "Are you sure?!" the man in front of me, who just so happens to be the vige head, exims with vigor as he rises from his seat.


    The reason he reacted so dramatically is that I just told him the color of the soldier''s armor and the symbol I saw on their shield.


    "But why?" he utters exasperatedly as he settled backs down on his seat, "Why would the king order his men to kill us, his own vassals?"


    "Is it that hard to believe?" I question while considering the circumstances of this vige, "From the way I see it, this vige doesn''t have much value to the king. The losses incurred from him getting rid of it should be negligible, if done cleanly, that is."


    And by cleanly, I mean that he loses no soldiers and leaves no traces suggesting that he was the one who made the order.


    But still, it doesn''t make sense. Why would a king get rid of a small vige in his own kingdom? Thinking back to the words Belius said before his death, it really seems that the perpetrators were the kingdom''s soldiers.


    However, there is one significant problem with that. When Belius made the im along with whatever else he said, I perceived that he was lying. Whether the lie was about them being ordered by the king or something else, that I am not sure.


    Even so, if one were to look at this matter objectively, it would be logical to think that things don''t add up.


    A king ordering his men to exterminate a vige. A noble leading soldiers and lying about his purpose.


    Hm... What if... the soldiers didn''t belong to this kingdom? Actually, from my earlier conversation with the vige head, he stated that the vige is close to the kingdom''s borders.


    In that case, the attack was performed by a party that didn''t belong to this kingdom and for some reason, they decided to impersonate the kingdom''s forces.


    Unlike the idea of the king ordering his soldiers to get rid of his vassals, it makes much more sense for an outsider to be sowing trouble.


    Now, I just need to figure out the reason they would do this.


    Looting for resources? A small campaign to draw the kingdom''s forces out for an eventual all-out war?


    I highly doubt that the enemy wanted to attack this vige in particr. After all, there is nothing here anyway, so why bother?


    At this moment, my senses pick up movement in the distance - from the direction the enemy soldiers previously came from.


    Upon focusing on the movement, I notice that they''re soldiers too. Simr to the ones I got rid of, they''re riding horses.


    The only difference between these soldiers and the previous ones is that they have much lighter armor equipped. Heck, some of them only have leather armor.


    Frowning, I get up on my feet and say in a solemn tone, "More soldiers areing."


    "What?!"


    "Though, they appear to be generally weaker than the ones I fought not too long ago. Stay alert, I will go check them out."


    Having said that, I turn around and leave the vige heads house just as his wife entered the room while carrying a tray with water.


    How annoying...


    Oh well. I wonder if these soldiers belong to the same group from before. They are armed differently, so there is a chance that they''re not.


    Currently, they have halted their movements in the giant hole that appeared as a result of the pir of light.


    A bulky man has stepped down from his horse and is examining the ground with a serious look on his face.


    Anyway, the moment I deem these humans as enemies, their lives will be over in moments. Seriously, I can''t bother to fight for an extended period of time. If they''re weak, a few seconds is all they will get.


    Shortly, the bulky man mounts his horse once more and ushers it forth while the rest follow after him. On their faces, I detect wariness.


    Well, that''s only to be expected. It''s not every day that you get to see a giant ominous hole in a field while out on a mission with your fellow soldiers.


    Now that I think about it, if I were to just walk over there, won''t they just attack me immediately?


    Yeah... I need to repeat what I did earlier, albeit more mildly.


    Having set on the idea that I need to shock the soldiers, I stop moving and lean forth a little before directly leaping into the sky.


    A few secondster, I stop moving up and slowly begin to descend toward the ground with my setnding point being a hundred meters in front of the moving soldiers.


    The next thing I know, I plunge into the ground, causing the soldiers to panic a little and stop their horses.


    The atmosphere bes tense as the soldiers all reach out to their weapons, but none dare to attack. This is exactly what I wanted. My disy of clearly supernatural power directly after they saw the giant hole has instilled a fear of the unknown into their hearts, preventing them from outright attacking me.


    Chances are, if I simply walked toward them, they would''ve made a hasty decision such as ''eliminate the not-so-human-looking guy in fancy clothing''.


    Would that even happen? Thinking back to how easily I wasbeled as non-human due to my appearance, then yes. I will need to look into thatter - the oddity of my appearance, that is.


    "Who is your leader?" I ask in a firm and loud voice.


    Unlike before, the bulky man that I saw earlier ushers his horse forth with a serene look in his eyes as he responds, "I am. Who are you?"


    "Now, now," I say with a smile, "There is no need to rush matters. And I will be the one asking questions."


    Having said that, I deliberately pause while observing the man that ims to be the leader.


    ck hair and sharp eyes. A bulky figure that seems to have formed after countless hours of training. Scars here and there on his firm, brown arms serve as proof of the many battles he has probably fought.


    All in all, this man ispletely different from that sorry excuse of a soldier and leader, Belius. This one is a veteran, and it''s easy to tell.


    Noting that none of the soldiers, including the leader, is nning to say anything, the smile on my lips grows as I say, "I suspected that you were affiliated with the armed soldiers that appeared here not so long ago, but from what I can tell based off of your emotions, that''s not the case."


    Yes, their emotions. It''s not that of anger or pride. In fact, it''s not anything negative. All I can sense is some nervousness and slight fear. Usually, there would be a hint of resentment in their aura, but I can''t sense any of that, which most likely means they are not rted to the soldiers I took out earlier.


    "What is your name?" I ask the leader.


    Frowning, he says, "I believe I asked you first."


    "Like I care about that. Answer the question," I respond while fixing my gaze on his face.


    Pure, utter silence. Seems like he isn''t nning to respond. Is he just headstrong? Not that it matters.


    "If you don''t want your soldiers to be wiped out in the next three seconds, I suggest you answer me properly."


    "Oi!" one of the soldiers immediately yells while gripping the sword in his hand tightly.


    Likewise, the others don''t take my words kindly.


    "Three," I say casually.


    The leader''s brows raise before he narrows his eyes as if to see through me.


    "Two," I continue.


    "Gazef. Gazef Stronoff," he says in a slightly irritated tone.


    The soldiers are displeased that he gave in as they mutter curses while ring daggers at me.


    "Good call," I say while smiling, "I wasn''t exactly kidding when I said I would wipe them out."


    "A bold im," Gazef scoffs.


    "It stems from confidence, you see?" I respond with a shrug.


    Alright, so far, these guys are much more levelheaded. If it were the other soldiers, my taunts would''ve already had them scratching their skin off.


    "Is that all you''re going to ask?" Gazef inquires.


    "No. I just have one more question for you - How are you and your men rted to the soldiers that nned to attack the vige nearby?"


    "Foes," he responds bluntly, "We have rushed over in hopes of defeating them, but that seems to be no longer necessary."


    "Indeed. A bunch of weaklings, they were," I remark while sounding disappointed.


    "In that case, do you mind stating your allegiance?"


    "Obviously, the Re-Estize Kingdom!"


    "Not so obvious considering the fact the soldiers from earlier were dressed in this kingdom''s uniform."


    "What did you say?!" he says with his brows furrowed.


    "You heard me. Anyway, let''s take this discussion elsewhere. Surely, sitting down and having a talk is better than here, no?"


    "In that case, let''s head to Carne Vige," Gazef says with a nod.


    Perfect. Now, I can finally obtain some important information. How lucky... It was essentially offered to me on a silver te.

 Chapter 343: More Trouble

    Chapter 343: More Trouble


    "Since you guys are on horses, I will go on ahead," I state before breaking into a sprint toward the vige.


    Due to my abnormal speed, I find myself standing in the vige square not even a secondter.


    Heh. Why even bother with close-teleportation when I can do this anyway? Unless there something huge is blocking my path, I am capable of easily crossing great distances with my speed in an extremely short time.


    Still, if I overdo it, I won''t be able to uratelye to a stop where I want, so I am always subconsciously keeping my speed low. However, now that I have discovered Enhanced Cerebration, I just might be able to double my speed.


    Just thinking about it is enough to get me excited. After all, the notion of wiping out thousands upon thousands of soldiers in less than a second is quite enticing.


    As I ruminate over ways that I can further make use of my absurd speed, the soldiers in the distance begin to move toward the vige.


    Shortly, Gazef and his men arrive, after which they directly dismount from their horses.


    "Mr. Vincent! What''s going on?" the vige chief''s voice suddenly reaches my ears as his figure approaches me.


    "Don''t worry, these soldiers don''t have bad intentions," since if they did, they would already be dead anyway.


    Gazef looks around for a brief moment before spotting me and the vige chief. A wary expression appears on his face as he gazes at me apprehensively, to which I react by simply smiling.


    The poor confused man takes a moment to recollect himself before approaching us with a solemn look on his face.


    Seeing him, the vige chief opens his mouth to seemingly wee him, but Gazef practically ignored him as he looks me in the eyes as he bluntly asks, "What are you?"


    "How many times has it been that I''ve been asked this question" I mutter while rolling my eyes, "A human. I am a bona fide human."


    "Impossible!" Gazef retorts strongly, "That feat just now isn''t it something that can be done by a human. I had my suspicions when I first spotted you, but now I am sure of it. You''re something inhuman. A monster?"


    Toward thetter half of his statements, Gazef''s tone became cold as his hand slowly shifts to the hilt of his sword.


    Seeing this, I slowly shake my head while faking a disappointed look on my face as I say, "You better not. The moment you draw that sword, you will be dead."


    Gazef''s eyes twitch as a response to my statement before he asks, "So, you admit it?"


    "That I am not a human? Of course, not. I am a human through and through, albeit one that has attained some power."


    "Stop with this farce. I don''t detect any magic energy from you even after you teleported just now."


    Teleported? I suppose that''s what it would seem like from another''s perspective.


    "And what of it?"


    "That means that you''re either a magician at least at the level of an Archmage or a... demon."


    "Oh? Since you called me a non-human, you believe that I am thetter?"


    "Of course! It has been two centuries since an Archmage has been seen, yet now there is one here, and he is a young human that looks to have just hit twenty? No one would believe that."


    Hm Listening to his tone, I sense no direct malice, which is rather surprising. If anything, I sense various other emotions, all of which isn''t negative for the most part.


    It''s like he is trying to obtain information from me. Perhaps, if I was less ''mysterious'', he would''ve resorted to a more direct approach, but since he can''t do that, this is the most efficient way.


    An interrogation masked by fear and suspicion, which he is doubtlessly faking.


    It''s a simple tactic. Make the other side feel that you''re simply worried about your own well-being and that as long as it''s guaranteed, there won''t be any problems - A tactic I am rather familiar with.


    Back in Project Future, those that strived to survive the hardest always made use of unique approaches to deal with their opponents. One such approach was feigning weakness andck of malice.


    For now, I should go along with this little game to see how he ns to ''corner'' me.


    "If it''s that hard to believe, then just take it as me having not used magic at all but simply moved too fast for you to see."


    "That''s even more nonsensical of a feat!" Gazef immediately exims, "No human is capable of attaining such speed."


    "So? What are you nning to do? Kill me?" I question with a mocking smile on my lips.


    Hearing this, Gazef visibly flinches before he rxes his arms as he puts on an amicable face and says, "Excuse me for my rude behavior."


    "Eh, you give in way too quickly, Mr. Gazef," I mock.


    "It would be foolish of me to continue."


    "Why so? Don''t worry, I am not that hot-headed to decimate you simply due to being displeased by your words."


    At his moment, the confused vige chief''s eyes suddenly widen as he points at Gazef while trembling.


    Hm? Did he notice something?


    "No way" he mutters with disbelief apparent in his eyes.


    A few vigers who have gathered in the vige square suddenly begin whispering among themselves while staring at Gazef oddly.


    "Huh? Don''t tell me that you''re someone famous?" I say with a frown.


    "Well I guess yes, I am. Allow me to reintroduce myself."


    Having said that, Gazef steps forth once before straightening his back and stating in a loud voice, "Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff! Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    Ah It''s time for me to introduce myself ''properly'' too. Well, I have already decided on what background to use that will bring me the most benefits.


    "Crown Prince of the German Empire, Vincent Victorianul."


    That''s right, a crown prince that belongs to an empire that most likely doesn''t exist in this world.


    There are numerous reasons that I am going with this. First and foremost, the title of Crown Prince is a heavy one. It would keep most enemies in check since they would fear the unknown force behind me - even if there is no evidence of its existence.


    My abilities are already showy, so it would be easy to imagine what force is there behind me.


    As for the reason I chose the German Empire, it''s simple. For one, I would like to attract the attention of other ''yers'' such as Satoru that might be in this world as well. A good way to do so would be to attain fame while iming to hail from an empire that no one other than those from Earth would recognize.


    While conversing with Satoru, the topics often shifted to the world he was from, which I realized wasn''t all that different from the modern Earth I am familiar with, albeit a futuristic one.


    The history was basically the same, which I know since I asked about the most memorable human wars, which he listed half a dozen, one of which was the two world wars in the neen-hundreds.


    Anyway, I am genuinely nning to establish an empire in this world. After all, this world will be a home for me and mypanions, so I would need to make it as safe as possible.


    What better way to do that than establishing a solid footing in the world by building an empire?


    Lastly, my name. yers aren''t the only ones I want to attract, but those who might know ''me'' too. Back in Sorcerers'' Lair, that Joseph fellow seemed to have an idea of my identity. It would be too risky to leave such individuals alone, so I will have to drag them out and eliminate them if necessary.


    Though, my underlings in Nazarick might figure something out in the future when I spread my name. Not that it matters much, anyway. ''Oh, our leader has infiltrated the humans?'' - is what would happen most likely. It won''t be detrimental either way.


    Snapping my focus back to reality, I notice that Gazef''s expression has sunken.


    To my side, the vige chief is visibly trembling while looking at me as if I am a monster.


    "What''s with this reaction?" I ask curiously.


    "Please forgive us if we''ve been rude to Your Highness," the vige chief hurriedly says as he steps back and lowers his head.


    Likewise, the vigers nearby who have heard my words have stepped back with slight signs of fear and awe in their eyes.


    Shit. This will definitely make it harder for me to integrate into the vige if not impossible


    Hah~ Well, I could just continue to use the excuse of waiting for my men toe and find me if need be. Over time, they would get used to interacting with me and care less about my ''status''. That''s how human nature works.


    "Excuse me for asking this," Gazef suddenly says, "But where is this ''Jerr-maan'' Empire you speak of?"


    There we go. I already expected him to ask this, and ording to how I answer, he might be able to see through everything immediately.


    "What a troubling question to ask, Mr. Gazef," I say with a smile, "I''m afraid that I am unable to give you a proper answer."


    "Why is that?" Gazef presses on, seeming to not care about my ''status''.


    Is it because my behavior is too passive for a prince? Could be.


    "Because it has been decided that the German Empire will remain secluded for a few more months."


    "I see," Gazef merely says before excusing himself as he turns around and walks over to his soldiers.


    Gazef Stronoff. A smart man with slightly less trashy powerpared to the rest. Heh. Looks like I found the key to infiltrating the Re-Estize Empire.


    All of a sudden, a bright light shines in far from our location as a red ball of energyunches into the sky.


    The ball of energy is too far for me to sense with my senses, which means it''s at least three kilometers away.


    Everyone else suddenly notices this too, including Gazef. The warrior captain''s eyes widen marginally as he gazes at the ball of energy with aplicated look on his face.


    "What is that?" I ask as I move toward him.


    "Trouble. Big trouble," he responds in a serene tone.


    An enemy attack, huh? Is it going to be another wave of those soldiers I battled earlier? They''re hardly anything worth being concerned about if that''s the case.


    Seeming to realize my thoughts, Gazef releases a heavy sigh as he exins, "That thing in the sky is only used when extremely troublesome opponents have been spotted, such as demons."


    While saying so, Gazef gives me a weird look, but I pay it no heed.


    "Do you need help?" I casually suggest.


    "I''d be grateful," he responds with a friendly smile.


    "Though - there will be conditions," I state.


    The smile on Gazef''s lips fades as he asks, "What conditions."


    "I will not act unless I deem that you and your men stand absolutely no chance against the opponent."


    "That''s fine," Gazef responds without hesitation.


    "Good. Also, make sure to retreat as far as possible if I give you the signal to, understood?"


    "Yes."


    Satisfied with how cooperative he is, I nod once with a bright smile before using my senses to check on Aletia.


    As I suspected, thess is still deeply asleep. Not that surprising considering that she is low on ''fuel''. Should I bring her some nourishment from the battle?


    Actually, scratch that. Who knows if the enemy has some curse in their blood or something? After all, it was just recently that I witness something simr appear on a corpse, though it was more of a magic circle than a curse - the case with Belius.


    "I have something to do," I say to Gazef, "Gather your men and head toward the enemy. I will catch up to you in a moment - literally."


    "Alright."


    Nodding my head, I turn to face the vige chief before saying, "Equip those with strength and have them stand guard for any stray enemies."


    "O-okay, Your Highness!" he responds nervously before rushing off to carry out my order.


    Releasing a small sigh, I turn and make my way to the Emmot''s household.

 Chapter 344: Choice (1/2)

    Chapter 344: Choice (1/2)


    "Uhm Mr. Vincent?" a pleasant voice calls out to me as I step inside the house.


    "Yes, Mrs. Emmot?" I respond while gazing at the woman.


    She appears to have been abruptly awoken by themotion outside as her hair is disheveled, and she is in what I believe to be sleepwear.


    It''s not revealing or anything, but only seems toofy for them to be casual wear.


    "What''s going on outside?" she asks in a nervous tone.


    "Nothing much," I respond nonchntly as I begin walking, "Just a few soldiers attacking the vige. Fortunately, the kingdom responded to this in kind and has sent its own soldiers over."


    "Why? What''s there in this vige for them to attack?"


    "No idea," I leave it at that as I make my way through the kitchen over to the room granted to me.


    The moment I press my hand against the doorknob and push the door open, Aletia, who was lying down peacefully, suddenly jolts up as she stares at the door with a wary expression.


    Naturally, I am able to see this through my senses, resulting in a small smile forming on my lips as I step inside and say, "Rx, it''s just me."


    "Bloodlust," the vampiress mutters while frowning.


    "Hm? Are you saying that you can sense bloodlust from me?" I ask curiously.


    "No. Can''t feel anything from you."


    That''s surprising. It''s not like I am not aware of my own state, so I was convinced that the bloodlust she spoke of was from me.


    "Then whose?" I ask.


    As a response to my inquiry, Aletia simply raises her arm and points at me, or more urately, at my left arm.


    As if reacting to her actions, a bright light shes for a split-second before a small girl appears at the center of the room.


    Immediately after this happens, I notice something odd. The two times I have seen Aurora''s humanoid form, she was beaming and had a pure, innocent look in her eyes.


    Yet now, it''spletely different with a tranquil look on her small face.


    An eerie noise is reverberating in the room, which upon focusing my senses turns out to being from the two horns protruding from Aurora''s head.


    Aletia''s originally cool expression is now reced with one of difort as she stares at Aurora.


    At this moment, a golden circle of energy with numerous small ruins in its center appears in front of Aurora as her eyes begin to glow.


    {Alert: Familiar Aurora wishes to establish a contract as a mediator. Requesting permission from Father.}


    What is this little one up to now? Although I can''t be sure of what she''s nning, surely it wouldn''t be something detrimental for me, right?


    ''Granted.''


    {Permission received. Providing assistance.}


    The moment Nora''s voice fades, a purple circle of energy twice asrge as the golden one appears and pushes against it.


    {Blood Contract perquisites established. Awaiting the confirmation of two parties.}


    Blood contract? What''s that?


    [Father, once a blood contract is signed, it''s no different from controlling the life and death of the one that depends on blood.]


    Such a thing... Wouldn''t Aletia simply reject signing the contract?


    [Master...]


    This time, it''s Aurora''s voice. For some reason, it felt like her voice is coated with malice, but not one that''s directed at me.


    [If no trust; kill.]


    Oh. I finally get what''s going on.


    It seems like Aurora has recognized Aletia as a force to be reckoned with, so she most likely believes that it would be in my best interest to limit her while I still can.


    If she doesn''t sign the contract, then it would be too detrimental to keep her alive for a variety of reasons, such as an abrupt betrayal in the future.


    It''s not like I hadn''t considered something like this happening before, but I simply didn''t know what should I do to deal with these issues.


    And now, Aurora has brought force a solution. Though, it''s more of an ultimatum than anything.


    Expectedly, Aletia is not satisfied with the way things are turning out as she is ring at Aurora with a dangerous glint in her ruby eyes.


    "I won''t sign a contract with you," Aletia says in a firm tone while keeping her gaze focused on Aurora. Clearly, her words are not directed at me.


    Seeming to have also noticed her misunderstanding, Aurora shakes her head a little before turning her arm to point at me.


    "Oh," a voice of realization escapes from the vampire''s limps as her expression softens.


    She takes a short while to think of something before ultimately adopting a solemn look as she faces me and says, "I will do it."


    That''s unexpected. I thought-


    "But on one condition."


    "What condition?" I ask.


    "Tell me what you really are."


    A tricky condition. But if the effects of the Blood Contract are as Nora described, then I have nothing to lose from telling her a little about myself.


    ''Just to be clear, how can the Blood Contract be terminated?''


    [Complete destruction of all of Father''s physical vessels.]


    Hey, now. Did I hear her correctly? Physical vessels? I am beginning to recall Jeanne''s notion of my existence.


    From this, I can infer that her assumption wasn''t off the mark, well, perhaps other than the purpose of which I am ''using'' physical vessels.


    But then... Nora, what would happen to me if all my physical vessels are destroyed?


    [New ones will be created.]


    Wouldn''t that mean that Ipletely immortal in every sense of the word?


    [However, Father must be careful. Having multiple vessels is risky.]


    [The destruction of a physical vessel can result in penalties that apply to all the other ones, including newly created vessels.]


    [Such penalties include: Decrease in parameters, loss of non-Code abilities, and loss of progress in the Code Core initiation process.]


    Of course, there will be a price to pay... What a joke, I can''t risk losing quite a few of my abilities, so it would be better for me to refrain from dying.


    ''Hold on... Does this only apply to me or other Codes as well?''


    [All Codes can''t register the concept of death.]


    What about Unknowns?


    [Insufficient data to provide an answer.]


    ''Forget that, what about the Code that got destroyed in Sorcerers'' Lair? If he can''t die, when will hee back?''


    Actually, I briefly recall discussing this matter before, but I didn''t look into it much as my mind was preupied with other things.


    [The time it takes for a Code to take a physical form after their previous one got destroyed varies.]


    I noticed this before, but I am getting way more information and much more directlypared to before. Is this because Irene''s authority is gone and is now reced with Nora?


    [Irene had acted independently on eleven asions while retaining the notion that the reason for her actions was for Father''s benefits.]


    And withholding important information was among them, huh? I can guess what her thoughts were. The matter of Codes and Unknowns is not a simple subject and is best to be withheld from me until I ampletely ready for it.


    How troublesome.


    Snapping back to reality, I look back at the vampiress for a brief moment before releasing a sigh and walking to the bed.


    I sit down beside her and say, "Honestly, I still don''t know what I am. A human with powers? A god that has been weakened? But that''s just my ''race''..."


    "If you''re asking what I know I am, I can only give you this answer: A lost being that''s crossing worlds to discover my past."


    "I don''t understand," Aletia states.


    Well, I didn''t expect you to.


    "Understand it or not, that''s my answer," I say with a smile.


    Realizing that I am not nning to say anything else, Aletia adopts a contemtive expression as she lowers her head and closes her eyes.


    Now then, will she actually sign the contract? I wouldn''t be surprised if she refused to do so, after all, who knows that sort of atrocious actions one could take if it was signed with the wrong person. Naturally, I wouldn''t do such things to her.


    "Alright," Aletia suddenly says as she opens her eyes, "Let''s sign the contract."


    Wait, now that I think about it, howe Aurora is able to bring forth such a contract as a ''mediator''?


    [Father''s Familiar has inherited a limited amount of knowledge of this world.]


    ''Because she is my familiar?''


    [Negative. It urred a day ago.]


    Huh? Isn''t that when we were inside thebyrinth? Right... she was able to take this humanoid form too. Just what exactly did she find in that ce?


    [Master.]


    Hearing Aurora''s voice in my head, I set my thoughts aside and look over at her as she moves closer to us with her arms extended in front of her.


    "Alright," I utter while gazing at the two circles, "How can a contract be..."


    ''Wait. Don''t tell me it''s going to be a kiss.''


    [Father is correct.]


    Hah~ I am not even surprised anymore.

 Chapter 345: Choice (2/2)

    Chapter 345: Choice (2/2)


    I suppose the reason I am not surprised by the ''kiss'' being a necessity for the Blood Contract is due to the number of times something like this has urred.


    At this point, I am starting to think that for every process that requires a form of ''connection'', kissing will definitely be a requirement.


    [Father, there is a method of bypassing this.]


    ''Oh? What method?''


    [The method requires Father to insert a hand into the torso of the entity that Father wills to form a contract with.]


    ''Insert my hand into their torso? You mean by injuring them and sinking my hand inside?''


    [Affirmative.]


    I see. This information mighte in handy if I happen to need to form some sort of contract with a male


    [Would Father like to proceed with signing the contract?]


    ''Well, yes, but before that Tell me exactly what this Blood Contract will do.''


    [Yes. The Blood Contract is one of the yground''s three main Entity Contracts that is applicable to all stable tforms and the Rift.]


    ''Three? What are the other two?''


    [Beyond the Blood Contract is the Flesh Contract, which isparatively more advanced.]


    [After that is the Soul Contract. ording to the data I possess, this contract has only been sessfully formed by Codes with non-Codes.]


    ''Tell me everything you''ve got regarding these three contracts.''


    [Understood. Would Father like to view the data directly through the Imperium System?]


    ''Yeah, show me.''


    The moment I respond to her suggestion, three blue system windows appear in front of me, each describing one of the Entity Contracts.


    {Blood Contract: Can only be performed with non-human entities. Shares a portion of the contractor''s power with the contracted entity. Requires the target to be willing. Dissolved upon the destruction of the contractor''s body. The contracted entity can only draw energy from the contractor. A mental connection will The contracted entity''s death will be decided by the contractor. Risk Factor: Low}


    {Flesh Contract: Shares a much better portion of the contractor''s power with the contracted entity,pared to the Blood Contract. The contracted entity gains an indestructible physical body. All damage dealt to the contracted entity will be taken as mental damage by the contractor. Dissolved when both physical bodies of the contractor and the contracted are destroyed at the same time. The contracted entity will be unable to go against the contractor''s will, and doing so by extreme means would result in a heavy bacsh. Risk Factor: High.}


    {Soul Contract: One for one, all for one. Conditions for forming are unclear. Shared power is estimated to be at the level of a Proxy. Risk Factor: Incalcble.}


    Having read through all three windows, I begin to ponder over the details regarding each Entity Contract.


    Out of the three, the Soul Contract is doubtlessly the most interesting one, which is mostly due to how mysterious it is. From its name, I can guess a few features that it might have, but in the end, that''s just my own spection and not what the contract actually is.


    As for the other two, they''re obviously still interesting regardless. Based on what''s written, there is little to no demerit to forming a Blood Contract. One thing I am wondering about is how my power will be ''shared'' as it states. Also, there is that line about only being able to draw energy from the contractor


    Leaving that aside, there is the much more troublesome Flesh Contract. Its properties are rather interesting. Essentially, when such a contract is formed, the one contracted bes semi-immortal. Though the part about receiving mental damage is worrying. What is mental damage exactly and how potent is it? To what extent would it affect the contractor? Perhaps, the reason its risk factor is determined to be high is just because of that.


    Well, I will consider this stuffter, since the contract I am currently going to be forming is a Blood Contract.


    ''Nora, time for the contract.''


    [Yes, Father. To proceed, ce one hand on the contract.]


    Doing as she said, I ce my left palm against the two circles of energies as Aletia does the same.


    Following this, thess closes her eyes and leans forth a little.


    ''All I have to do now is to kiss her, right?''


    [Affirmative.]


    Alright, here goes nothing


    I take a moment to appreciate Aletia''s beauty before leaning my head toward her lips.


    The next moment, I feel the soft sensation of Aletia''s lips as her eyes shoot wide open with shock apparent in them.


    Before I can wonder about the reason she is so surprised, a surge of energy originating from my own body surges all over my body before moving toward the hand that''s pressed against the contract.


    A few secondster, everything appears to return to normal as the two circles of energy disappear and Aurora steps back.


    My lips separate from Aletia''s, following which she licks her lips with an odd look in her eyes.


    {Sessfully formed a High Tier Blood Contract with entity: Aletia Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl.}


    Woah, that''s one long name. Never mind that, what does this mean? High Tier? There were tiers to this sort of thing?


    [ording to how the methods to form the contract, the effects of the contract will vary.]


    [Since Father kissed the target entity on the lips and the contract was reinforced by the Imperium System, the result was a High Tier Blood Contract.]


    ''Shouldn''t you have exined this to me?''


    [Forgive me for not doing so.]


    Sensing the emotions contained within her response, I release a small sigh before mentally reprimanding her lightly.


    ''Next time, make sure to tell me everything down to the smallest detail.''


    [I''m sorry Father, but that''s impossible.]


    ''What do you mean?''


    [Ick the authority to do so.]


    ''Lack the authority? I don''t understand what you''re getting at. What prevents you from doing that?''


    [Father''s orders from the past.]


    ''Huh? I ordered you to not go into too many details when exining things?''


    [Affirmative.]


    ''Then just revoke that order. It was my own order, no?''


    [That''s not possible as well, Father.]


    ''What now? Don''t tell me that I ordered you to refuse such orders as well?''


    [That''s correct.]


    Give me a break What''s the point of doing so anyway? Slowing down the rate at which I gain information? If so, why?


    [I believe Father aimed to provide better conditions for independent thinking.]


    Oh. Well, that does sound usible, since if I could find everything out by asking, then I would be heavily dependent on it, which would go against the past me''s objective.


    "Victor..." Aletia suddenly mutters, causing my eyes to widen for a moment before I realize something.


    "Yes, that''s my name," I say in a casual tone while gazing at her face.


    "Blood?"


    Hm? Does she want to feed on my blood? Well, since we have formed a Blood Contract now, there is no point in not doing so.


    "Sure," I say as I lift my hands to unbutton my shirt, but surprisingly, Aletia hurriedly moves closer and stops me.


    Confused over her actions, I let my hands drop to the bed as Aletia begins to unbutton the shirt herself.


    A few secondster, Aletia''s eyes appear to shine as she keenly observes my body.


    "Looked enough yet?" I tease her with a smile, to which she responds by shaking her head.


    Hey


    Fortunately, she soon breaks her gaze away and starts to take my shirt off, with her petite body pressing against mine as she does so due to the difference in our heights.


    And so, here I am now, sitting on a bed half-naked with a petite vampire sitting on myp whose fangs have sunk into my shoulder.


    Expectedly, I feel no pain whatsoever as she sucks the blood out, not even exhaustion.


    After two minutes, she finally stops sucking and moves her head away from my shoulder with a surprised look on her face.


    Before that, I should note that herplexion looks much healthier now. Her pale white skin now has a very slight ruddy hue to it and her body seems to be much more energetic.


    Still, I wonder why she is so surprised. Did she find something out?


    Curious about this, I smile and ask, "Why do you look so surprised?"


    "Your blood... You... Are you a High Human?"


    "What''s that, and what makes you think I am one?"


    "High Humans are the off-springs of humans and certain non-humans whom inherit more traits from their human parent. I had never encountered one before, but High Humans are said to have a tremendous amount of mana."


    Mana. A familiar term. Basically fuel for magicians and others who can utilize it to various kinds of spells.


    In my Overlord profile, I didn''t pay much attention to it even when casting the spells since I did not feel any exhaustion or decrease in energy. There are two possible reasons for that. First one, I am not experienced enough to sense my magic or something like that, but I doubt this would be the case. The second reason is that I might have a ridiculous amount of mana in my body.


    "If so, did you sense such mana from my body or something?" I ask.


    "No, it was the opposite - I sensed no mana at all."


    What? Well, that would make sense since I am in my Origo profile, but then why did she assume I am a High Human?


    As if reading my mind, Aletia exins, "From what I heard, aside from dragons, High Humans were the only creatures that could fully satiate a vampire''s hunger in a rtively short period."


    "Is that so?" I respond.


    "Say... What if I wasn''t human, to begin with?" I then ask with a yful smile.


    Hearing this, Aletia frowns as she seems to ponder over my words.


    After a short while, she looks me straight in the eyes before asking me bluntly, "Then what are you?"


    "Would you believe me if I said I am a god that came here from another world?" I ask while still smiling.


    "No," she responds while slowly shaking her head, "A powerful god capable of crossing worlds wouldn''t be fooling around like this."


    Well, what do you know


    "If you say so," I respond with a shrug, which causes Aletia''s brows to furrow even further.


    "Are you being serious?" she asks after a brief moment of hesitation.


    "I am always serious, even if it may not seem like it," I respond casually while slowly lifting her and cing her on the bed.


    "Anyway, I must get going. Don''t fret, I will be back soon."


    "Take care," she says.


    "You too," I respond before turning my head to face Aurora, only to be stunned by the look on her face.


    Aurora is... pouting? Yeah, that''s exactly it. The little snake that''s currently in her humanoid form is pouting cutely while looking in our direction.


    Could it be that she is feeling jealous? But isn''t she just a kid? Actually, that shouldn''t be the case... First, Aurora is not a human, and her appearance is merely a transformation. For all I know, her actual age may differ from her appearance by hundreds if not thousands of years.


    Aside from that, her actions from earlier show that her intelligence far surpasses that of a child, so even if her physical age is young, her mental age definitely isn''t.


    Of course, there is a good chance that I am overthinking this, and she simply wants attention.


    So, the most appropriate way to deal with this issue right now is to


    A small yelp escapes from Aurora''s lips as her feet leave the ground, but her surprise onlysts for one second before a bright smile covers her lips as she wraps her arms around my neck.


    Her actions are cute and all, but I sure am not used to feeling the tips of two horns pressing against my neck.


    Nevertheless, I don''t show any difort as I hold Aurora by one arm while using the other one to pat her back.


    "Bye," I say before entering the state of Enhanced Cerebration and making use of my enhanced speed to quickly exit the house.


    While doing so, I notice that my speed was a little too much for the items in the house as some of them ''twitched'' in my eyes, but surely, once my focus is back to normal, these things would be all messed up.


    s, what''s done is done, right now, I should focus on catching up with Gazef and his soldiers, who have already had quite a long head start.


    Or, at least that''s what would''ve been the case if I was a little more normal - In a split second, I find myself having arrived somewhere with no one nearby, though I can hear an annoying noise that I am unable to make out.


    Oddly, the noise is constant but appears to be changing in tone.


    Then I realized: Since everything is slowed down in my eyes, wouldn''t that also be the case for what I hear?


    And so, I take a second to arrive at where the noise ising from, only for my eyes to widen at the sight in front of me

 Chapter 346: Divine

    Chapter 346: Divine


    Exiting the Enhanced Cerebration state, I slowly set Aurora down on the ground as I keenly observe the battlefield in front of me.


    Gazef is at the center on his feet, while his horse is lying on the ground and writhing in agony.


    Obviously, the beast has been hurt and is no longer able to serve its owner.


    Behind Gazef are his men, quite a few of which have gotten injured, be it lightly or fatally. And it''s just one type of injury either, but various ones ranging from burns to clean cuts.


    Half a dozen of them have already fallen.


    That is not surprising though, considering what they are facing off against.


    Looking over at the enemies, I notice that numerous robed men are standing far back while casting spells at their targets. Among them, a blond-haired man stands tall in much better clothes as he coldly watches over the battle.


    He is most likely the one leading this assault.


    Leaving them aside, the ones that Gazef and his men are directly facing aren''t human.


    Having bodies twice if not thrice asrge as a human''s, the creatures are flying in the air thanks to two giant wings of light protruding from their back.


    Covering them from head to toe is a thick metal armor with red outlining near the joints and face.


    "Angels?" I subconsciously mutter while observing the odd creatures and their equipment.


    All the ''angels'', apart from one, are equipped with a longnce that reminds me of the ones I had seen back in Project Future while watching a documentary about medieval ages.


    "Hooo!!" A deep growl escapes from Gazef as he charges forth at two of the angelic-like creatures and swings his sword at the air.


    Following his actions, the sword in his hands glows in red as an arc of energy forms in front of him andunchers toward one of the two foes, directly splitting it in half.


    "Go!" one of the robed men suddenly shouts as the angelic creature in front of Gazef quickly closes the distance between itself and Gazef before attempting to pierce Gazef''s body with itsnce.


    As a response to this, Gazef hurriedly steps to the side, dodging thence by a few centimeters, before gripping his sword tightly and lunging at the creature.


    Gazef''s sword which had dimmed down begins shining once again as he swings it at the creature with all his strength.


    Sensing danger, the creature raises its arm to protect itself, but it turns out to be futile against the powerful force behind the sword as the de easily shes through its arm and body.


    Dropping to the ground, Gazef takes a moment to hurriedly look around until he spots me and Aurora.


    "Mr. Vincent!" he exims while before casting a concerned look at his men.


    During the short confrontation of the man and the two creatures, six more men fell under the attack of the enemy.


    "Guess it''s our time to shine," I say with a smile before cing my palm atop Aurora''s head.


    "You go take down the ones that are attacking the soldiers while I go deal with the big one."


    That''s right - a big one.


    Different from all the other angelic creatures present on the battlefield, there is another angelic creature that''s muchrger than the rest.


    Its general appearance is the same, but its equipment is not.


    On the creature''s left arm is a circr golden shield while its right hand is bare with no weapon being there for it to utilize.


    Could this be specialized in close-quarterbat? Only one way to find out.


    Beaming a smile at the giant creature, I lean forth before leaping at it.


    "Principality of Observation!" the man which I deemed as a leader suddenly shouts as a nervous look appears on his face.


    Responding to his words, the giant angel quickly turns to face me and raises the shield on its left arm.


    As I close in on it, I draw my arm back a little before directly punching the center of its shield.


    What follows is a loud noise as the shield shatters like brittle ss and the angel-like creature gets knocked away in the distance.


    That''s not the end of it, as the impact resulted in a shockwave that''s spreading and destabilizing everything.


    This results in the rest of the angel-like creatures losing control of their flight and fall to the ground while Gazef, his men, and the human enemies all either drop on their butts or forward.


    At this particr moment, a hazy small figure approaches the angel-like creatures on the ground and continuously strikes one after another.


    The force behind the strikes is nothing to scoff at, with each creature immediately ending up as motes of light.


    "You! Who are you!" the man that yelled earlier questions with an anguished look on his face as he gets up from the ground.


    "Vincent Victorianul, Crown Prince of the German Empire," I tepidly respond as Ind on the ground.


    Standing in ce, I peer into the man''s eyes, only to realize that they''repletely ck.


    This guy Could he be an inhuman creature?


    "It doesn''t matter who you are, step back, or you''re going to die miserably!" the man continues to exim after taking a moment to recollect himself.


    At this point, everyone on the battlefield has risen back to their feet, but neither side attacks.


    "Are you sure you want to say that when your strongest fighting force got knocked out by a single punch?" I mock the weakling while pointing at the giant angel that''s currently lying on the ground, twitching as if it''s going to pass away any moment now.


    Perhaps realizing that my words are the truth, the man''s expression contorts as he res at me.


    "So you''re not going to leave?" the man asks after a brief period of silence.


    "What do you think?" I ask back with a smile while crossing my arms.


    "Fine. I did not expect that I would actually have to make use of this" the man utters in a hateful tone as he reaches his hand inside his clothes and pulls out a giant blue crystal.


    A little rmed, I turn around and gesture to Gazef to step back along with his soldiers.


    [Master.]


    Along with Aurora''s voice in my head, she suddenly appears beside me with an excited look on her face.


    This little girl


    Earlier, I assigned the job dealing with the odd creatures to Aurora in order to gauge her overall power. Little did I expect her to be this powerful already


    Anyway, I focus my sight back on the man that''s holding the crystal as I prepare for whatever he might throw my way.


    A few secondster, the crystal shines rather brightly as dense energy begins to slowly exude from it.


    All of a sudden, the crystal explodes into small shards as an immense amount of energy escapes from within it and begins to take a deformed humanoid form in the sky.


    At this point, Gazef and his men have retreated back quite a bit, so I can fight without holding back.


    Soon enough, the light fades, revealing another angel-like being, albeit one that is iparablyrger than the one I just took down.


    Suddenly, a peal of maniacalughter reaches my ears, which just so happens to being from the man that summoned this creature.


    "Yes! This is it! Are you already at the gate of death, you insolent human?! Are you already trembling at the mere sight of the strongest angel, Dominion Authority?!"


    The heck''s up with this guy? Isn''t he getting a little too excited?


    Though, I suppose I understand why he would be so excited. However, unfortunately for him, I sense absolutely no threat from this ''strongest angel'' of his. At most, this thing is on the level of Asia back in the Rift.


    "What''s wrong?! Why aren''t you saying anything?!"


    Hah~ This weakling is too cocky for his own good. Like, can''t he see that I am unfazed, or is he too caught up within his own delusions?


    Either way, he isn''t very bright.


    [Master, kill it?]


    Sensing the nervous yet excitement in Aurora''s tone, a small smile forms on my lips as I open my mouth to give my consent.


    However, something odd happens, preventing me from doing so.


    The giant angel trembles immensely as energy from all over it begins to move toward the center of its body.


    Oi, don''t tell me this thing will self-destruct...


    Oh well, even if it does, I am not sensing any danger, so it most likely won''t affect me. As for Aurora... Well, it would be better for her to step back, I suppose.


    "Aurora, move back," Imand, which she goes through with immediately as her figure turns into a blur and hastily moves away toward the retreating figure of Gazef and his men.


    To my surprise, the angel doesn''t explode, but the condensed energy suddenly shoots out from its head and moves toward the sky.


    An attack-on-everyone type of attack?


    Wrong, once again.


    The beam of light in the sky takes a turn in a direction that is nowhere near us.


    Before I can think of what this means, Nora''s voice suddenly reverberates within my head as a system window appears in front of me.


    {Holy Essence Awakening condition met: Fulfill the next two conditions to awaken Divine Essence.}


    ''What? I am confused... There are other forms of my current Essences?''


    [Affirmative. Father has currently progressed through Holy the most and Mahesvara the least.]


    ''The least? Even though I have been using it so much?''


    [The awakening of other forms of Essences is unrted to usage, butprehension and certain conditions.]


    ''Then what just happened? What condition did I just fulfill?''


    [Come into close contact with true divine energy.]


    ''Huh? Wouldn''t that mean that that beam of light was much more powerful than the ones I can make?''


    [Affirmative.]


    ''Then why didn''t I sense that?''


    [The ability used by the entity was an unoffensive one and wasn''t directed at Father, making it difficult to analyze.]


    That makes sense, I guess. But then if it wasn''t an offensive ability, what is it?


    [Information transition.]


    Shit. Good thing there isn''t much to provide other than there being a young-looking man with powerful physical abilities and a little girl with horns.


    Although not good, it''s not too bad anyway.


    Well then, time to destroy this thing.


    As soon as that thought crosses my mind, what''s left of energy inside the angel''s body converges toward the center once again, albeit much more chaoticallypared to before.


    Damn, looks like this time it''s really going to explode.


    Having found out that this thing possesses energy more potent than my own, I hastily utilize my full speed and get as far as I can.


    "Dominion Authority, kill him!" the man exims as he sees my retreating figure.


    Unfortunately for him, the angel doesn''t respond to its orders as its body slowly begins to glow and cracks begin forming on certain parts of its body.


    "Dominion Authority!" the man exims once again, this time sounding a little anxious.


    The next moment, the angel''s body bursts forth as chaotic light energy explodes from within it in all directions, destroying anything in its path.


    Before the leader and the robed men can realize what''s happening, the energy washes over them,pletely obliterating their bodies as well as thend beneath them.


    Good thing is that the energy doesn''t reach too far and slowly diminishes, so the only casualties that ''our'' side has suffered are the men that got injured by the smaller angels.


    And so, the assault has been dealt with, though the means and the oue is something Ipletely didn''t expect.


    This is going to be problematic if I just let it be, so I can only hope that Gazef will have some information to provide...


    At this moment, I noise reverberates within my head which appears to being from a mental ''message'', as I sense something moving toward me from the back.


    Turning around, I am met with the sight of Aurora dragging a certain man by the chest te he is wearing toward me with an excited look in her eyes.


    Shortly, she reaches me and casually throws the man in front of me before looking at me with an expectant expression on her face that''s practically begging to be praised.


    "G-good job," I utter with a stiff smile as I step forth and pat her head while gazing at the pitiful Gazef on the ground.

 Chapter 347: Eve of Return

    Chapter 347: Eve of Return


    "Step back, Aurora," I order as I move forth and help Gazef get up from the ground.


    Contrary to my expectations, the man has a rather nk look on his face instead of fury or amazement.


    "Hey, are you alright?" I question the man while lightly pping his face.


    Suddenly, Gazef coughs a few times, along with which some dirt came out of his mouth. How wretched...


    "Ah! Yes," Gazef utters in a confused manner once he''s done coughing, after which he turns his head to stare at Aurora.


    "I hope that you can excuse her actions," I state.


    "It''s fine," he responds after releasing a deep sigh, "Though I must ask, what is she?"


    "A half-dragon," I casually respond, not sure whether such a race exists in the first ce.


    "A half-dragon, you say?" he asks with narrowed eyes, to which I simply nod once.


    It''s the most usible excuse that I could make. Dragons are known for being powerful, so it would make sense for Aurora, who has already exhibited her powers, to be such a being, especially so when said power is coupled with her appearance.


    Fortunately, Gazef takes my word for it and seems to not be intending to inquire any further. Though, I was expecting him to at least ask why a half-dragon would be with me. Could he have figured out that it''s a lie and just decided not to press any further? Due to myck of knowledge regarding the races of this world, I can''t properly judge his actions at the moment.


    Deciding to think of this matterter, I turn my head to gaze at the scorched grounds and the deceased enemies'' corpses - at least, what''s left of them.


    A strong scent of different burnt matter wafts in the air, which is undoubtedly disgusting to no end.


    "Mr. Vincent, no, Lord Vincent, what do you n to do?" Gazef''s voice suddenly reaches me from behind.


    "I''m not sure about that either," I respond as I ruminate over what would be the best course of action to take henceforth.


    For starters, I suppose I could question Gazef a little regarding the kingdom we''re in and the surrounding nations. My objective was, after all, collecting information foring here. Now that an opportunity is present, it would be aplete waste to let it go just like that.


    "For now, let''s head back to the vige," I say calmly, "I would like to converse with you regarding a certain matter."


    "Very well," responds the man with a slight hint of nervousness in his voice.


    ---


    "Before we begin, I hope that you excuse myck of experience andmon sense, for I have realized that my knowledge and rted matters are rather limited as a consequence of having been cooped up in my empire."


    Hearing my words, the two men sitting in front of me at the other end of the table look at each other for a moment before the one to my left says, "That''s not going to be an issue."


    The one that responded was Gazef, while the other one is the vige chief.


    Thetter of the two was against being a part of this discussion, but I insisted on his presence since I have yet to leave an impression on the residents of this vige. This discussion might just do that.


    Still, it''s quite a pain to converse in this manner of speech. Although I am already used to it a bit after having interacted with noble girls like Kurumi and others, it''s still a little arduous to keep the act up continuously.


    "Thank you for your understanding," I say with a small smile before adopting a serious expression and asking, "Earlier, you said that you''re a warrior captain of... uh... Re-Estize?"


    "That''s correct," Gazef affirms with a nod.


    "I''m not sure how much power one with such a title would bear, but I do have an idea of requirements for being granted it, "I say nonchntly, "Tell me, how much does your lord care about your words?"


    Expectedly, my words appear to trouble Gazef for a moment as he begins to think of something before ultimately looking me in the eyes and saying, "More than enough."


    "Good."


    It appears that the man in front of me is really valued by the kingdom. Though that makes me wonder what is he doing here exactly.


    "Why did you and your men appear here? The capital should be quite a distance away."


    "We were merely responding to reports of the viges being under attack."


    "Even so, is there a need for someone of your caliber to take this mission on personally? Couldn''t the work have been assigned to any general?"


    As a response to my words, Gazef frowns as he remains silent for a brief moment before releasing a sigh and saying, "The kingdom''s soldiers are all upied at the moment."


    "By what, if I may ask? What could be keeping the soldiers busy while the warrior captain and his men deal with such ''simple'' missions?"


    "War," he responds bluntly.


    As I expected... This kingdom is currently at war. Now, the question is with who and how is the state of the war.


    "Neighboring the Re-Estize kingdom is the Baharuth Empire, which the time has neared for the annual war. For this reason, the kingdom''s soldiers are training hard while saving up energy for the uing war."


    "I see. Best of luck in the war," I say with a smile, clearly indicating that I don''t n to have anything to do with it.


    Seeming to have realized my intention, Gazef smiles wryly as he says, "Thank you."


    "Anyway, those men and the ''angels'' with them... do you happen to know anything about them?"


    "I''m afraid, I don''t," he responds with a sigh.


    He''s lying. Or, at least, he appears to have an idea but isn''t sure of it. Unlike when someone lies directly, the ''deceit'' I sensed in his voice is barely noticeable, indicating that he is doubtful of the matter himself.


    "So, what are you nning to do?" I question with a small smile, "Don''t tell me you n to stay the night here with your soldiers."


    "Of course not," he responds calmly, "We will be leaving for the capital soon."


    "Meeting with the king?"


    "If possible, yes."


    "Send him my regards," I say as Iy back against my seat.


    With this, I make sure that the king of this kingdom gets to know about my existence. This coulde in handy for future negotiations once ites down to that.


    Though, the idea of using a non-existent kingdom, yet, as a card is quite an unusual one.


    "So, uh... Lord Vincent," Gazef suddenly says in a serious manner as he straightens his back, "Is there anything that I can help you with?"


    From his tone and behavior, it''s easy to tell that he is inquiring about my circumstances in a roundabout manner.


    It''s to be expected that he do so, after all, nobility at the current age is of extreme importance, let alone royalty. For all one could know, they just might offend someone petty with high ''power'', inviting certain doom upon themselves and their loved ones.


    "Hopefully, not," I respond with a small smile, "I believe my men will appear tonight."


    "Is that so? What makes you think that?" Gazef asks with a slight hint of curiosity in his voice.


    "A little magic spell," I respond nonchntly, not nning to borate on the matter any further.


    Being the smart man he is, Gazef realizes my intentions as he nods his head once and remains silent.


    For a minute or so, none of us say anything, most likely because none of us has anything to say. Though, after a little longer, the vige chief suddenly excuses himself and rises to his feet before leaving the small building.


    With only the two of us left, Gazef''s expression suddenly turns serious as he slowly asks, "Lord Vincent, forgive me if my words appear to be offensive, but are you an enemy of the kingdom?"


    Hearing this, I am unable to hold myself back from chuckling for a few seconds before looking him dead in the eyes and stating firmly, "So long as I am unoffended, you can take me as a neutral party."


    "Then... why did you save this vige? Why did you save us?" he asks after a brief moment of hesitation.


    "I wonder so myself..." I mutter as I get up from my seat and begin to walk toward the door.


    "Lord Vincent," Gazef suddenly calls out once I ce my hand on the door handle, "I hope that we meet in the capital if you ever pay it a visit."


    Coming to a halt, I smile at his amusing words as I turn my head and say, "I hope so too."


    ---


    "Oh, you''re awake," I utter once I step into the room assigned to me in Emmot''s household.


    "Where were you?" the stunning vampire asks in a calm tone as she sits on the bed.


    "Dealing with some trash," I respond as I make my way over to the bed.


    As I do so, I sense slight movements on the ground before a certain snake slithers her way over to my leg and climbs up to my left arm.


    "Good girl," I praise her once she has coiled around my arm while patting her small head with my finger.


    "Are you going to stay here?" the vampire beauty, Aletia, asks in a doubtful tone.


    "No. We will be leaving this vige tonight."


    "Where?"


    "To my home in this world," I say as I move toward the bed and sit on it before reaching my arm out to run my hand through her silky hair.


    "This world?" Aletia repeats with a bewildered look on her doll-like face.


    "You''ll understand in due time, my cute little vampire," I say with a grin as I shift my hand over to her face and start stroking her smooth cheek.


    Yeah, I am positively fond of her. How do I put it... her actions and words seem to have a naturally soothing influence on me.


    Although it hasn''t been long since I have met her, but I feel like the connection between us is quite strong. I don''t know why that''s the case, but it definitely isn''t any random feeling.


    Ever since I had ''awoken'' for the first time back in the Rift, there have been numerous bizarre happenings that I could hardly register with how inexperienced I was.


    Now, I can make heads and tails of quite a few matters, such as the high possibility of Aletia being somehow rted to my difficult past.


    Speaking of which, unlike a month ago, I can barely focus on thinking of my past without feeling ufortable. In fact, I suppose it''s about time that I can ask Tiamat about what she ''saw'' from my past.


    "Victor," Aletia suddenly says, breaking me away from my thoughts.


    "Yeah?" I question while focusing my gaze on her face.


    "I want to suck you," she says seriously.


    My eyes widen slightly as I say, "You mean, down there or-"


    "Blood! But if you want me to..." she interrupts before licking her rosy lips.


    "It''s a little too early for that," I remark with a smile, "For now, your soft lips on mine will be enough."


    Hearing my words, Aletia grins as she pokes my side and says in a cheeky tone, "Shy?"


    "You horny vampire," I say with augh as I turn my body and push her down on the bed.


    I look down into her ruby-red eyes for a second before lowering my head to kiss her slightly parted lips.


    Aletia is a little startled by my actions, but that onlysts for a brief moment as she directly tries to return the kiss. This girl... It''s almost like she can''t wait to eat me whole.


    And so, with a small war starting between our lips, I proceed to slowly move my hand over to her small breasts and caress them lightly.


    The two of us continue to kiss for a few minutes, only to stop due to hearing a light knock on the door.


    Our lips part as I get off her body and make my way to the door, more than displeased to be interrupted.


    However, once I open the door and set my sight upon the ''culprit'', my displeasure quickly fades.


    "Why are you here, Priestess?" I ask while observing her face that has two streaks on them - a clear indication that she had been crying.


    Contrary to her appearance, the small girl smiles and bows before saying, "I came here to say goodbye."


    "You''re leaving?"


    "Yes. We will apany the soldiers before separating halfway and going to E-Rantel from there."


    "Isn''t it dangerous?"


    "Not that much," she responds.


    "Alright. In that case, take care," I say with a smile.


    "You too," she says before turning and walking toward the kitchen before exiting the house.


    Currently, it''s twilight, so the sky will turn dark on the way back to their destination, which is something to be concerned about.


    Nevertheless, that''s where it ends - slight concern. I barely know any of them, so it wouldn''t matter much what bes of them.


    Anyway, since it''s turning dark, the vigers outside are slowly going back into their homes, including the Emmot family.


    Of the family of four, only Emmot''s wife had remained home, mostly in the room she shares with her husband.


    Emmot has been busy discussing things with the other men of the vige, while the two daughters have been diligently helping a middle-ageddy out with some work.


    However, none of this will matter soon, since I will be leaving for Nazarick.


    A portion of my objective foring here ispleted and I have ''gained'' something unexpected in the form of an adorable vampire who is now contracted to me.


    Now, I only hope that those back in Nazarick will be epting of Aletia as a fellow non-human.

 Chapter 348: Outsider

    Chapter 348: Outsider


    "Are you ready to leave? Though I suppose there isn''t much preparation to make," I say as I step back into the room.


    The vampire in question has a nonchnt look on her face as she gazes at me without bothering to say anything in response.


    Ah I guess what happened earlier has impacted our rtionship one way or another. If only we weren''t interrupted


    Releasing a small sigh, I shut the door behind me as I walk toward the center of the room while establishing a mental connection with Satoru.


    [You devil!!!]


    A little startled by the sudden outburst, my movementes to a halt as I wonder what could''ve possibly angered the man to such an extent.


    ''Is something wrong?'' I question curiously.


    [You So, you''re just going to act like you have done nothing, huh?!]


    ''I genuinely have no idea about what could be troubling you.''


    [Forget it! You''re a monster that wouldn''t understand even if I exined it to you.]


    Ugh. How irritating. You wouldn''t know that I won''t understand until you tell me. Well, I actually have a certain guess as to what''s causing him to act like this: My actions of ''sealing'' him away for a long period.


    ''Sorry, you must''ve been bored.''


    [Boredom is thest thing that I felt! In fact, I have never felt so life-like. The problem is that I almost no longer felt my life!]


    ''I hope you''re not going to be like this every single time I establish a connection with you''


    [You! Just how selfish and apathetic are you?!]


    Am I really like that? I don''t think so. Perhaps, he is spouting nonsense as a result of having been under mental pressure for so long? That does seem like a usible scenario.


    [So? What have you called me out for?]


    Finally. About time this fellow calmed down and began to act more rationally.


    ''I require your aid in a certain matter.''


    [As I said, you''re a selfish monster. You only contact me when there is a need to do so.]


    ''Wouldn''t it be a waste of time otherwise?''


    [A waste of time for you and a waste of life for me!]


    ''You''re dead anyway.''


    [Thanks to a certain someone chopping my head off!]


    ''Satoru, I don''t know if you''ve been told this before, but, frankly, you''re quite annoying.''


    [Thanks for thepliment. It sure means a lot to be recognized as annoying by none other than you.]


    ''Look, this isn''t the time to make sarcastic remarks. Waste any more time and I will sever the connection.''


    [Won''t you do so anyway once you''re done with me?]


    ''No. At least, not right away.''


    [Oh, is that so?]


    Sensing the clear disbelief in his voice, I release a small sigh as I ruminate over whether my choice of establishing the mental connection was truly a good one.


    In the first ce, I wouldn''t have done so if I had a solid idea of how to leave the vige in ordance with the background I have set for myself.


    Earlier, I had imed that my men will being for me, but such people don''t exist in the first ce unless I get some of the residents from Nazarick toe over, but that''s out of the question.


    Who knows what will be the fate of those that irk any of those monsters


    And so, I am left with no choice other than burrowing the experience of someone who might have a clue about what to do in this situation.


    It takes me a few minutes to exin the whole thing to Satoru, who upon hearing the whole thing came to a conclusion: There is no way out of this.


    [If you don''t have anyone from Nazaricke over, then you can''t do anything.]


    ''Is that so''


    This is a difficult matter that I hadn''t looked into as much as I should''ve whileying out my background.


    [Hold on.]


    Hearing Satoru''s voice suddenly in my head, my hope gets rekindled.


    [How about you head into the forest and rendezvous with your ''men'', away from the eyes of everyone.]


    ''Oho. That''s certainly a neat idea.''


    [Of course. Now, since I''ve helped you, I deserve a reward, don''t I?]


    Hm? How amusing. Is he going to ask me to keep the connection between us active?


    [Create a body for me.]


    Hearing his request, I am a little stunned as I think about a few possibilities before ultimately mentally saying, ''Nora, would it be possible to ce Satoru inside a physical body?''


    {Affirmative. Once Father has a proper vessel, that would be possible.}


    A proper vessel ''What defines how proper a vessel is?''


    {Racial simrity and elemental affinity.}


    ''So, no gender and age?''


    {Such properties are of no importance.}


    Good


    Now, now, I am not nning to turn Satoru into a girl  but, I am not nning to give him a male body either.


    Indeed, a genderless body is what would be the most suitable in the long run.


    Setting that aside, judging from what Nora stated, as long as the vessel is close to human-like, it''s going to be suitable. As for the thing about elemental affinity What would Satoru''s affinity be? Darkness? That seems like a highly likely one.


    ''Alright, I will see to it if it''s possible.''


    [What? You agreed to it just like that?]


    ''Why not? You appear to have a misconception of me being selfish despite me being selfless.''


    [Bullshit!]


    How rude. My benignity is wasted on such an ungrateful individual.


    "Victor," Aletia''s voice suddenly reverberates within my ears, causing me to snap back to reality and look over at the vampire sitting on the bed.


    "What are you doing?" she asks with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.


    "Having a mental conversation with a foolish boor."


    [You''re the boor, you pervert! What is such a little girl doing with you and why is she wearing those clothes?!]


    ''Huh? You''re the pervert here. She''s the wearing those clothes because those were the only rtively normal ones in this damned inventory.''


    This shameless imbecile.


    [Who is she anyway, and why is she here with you?]


    ''Just an adorable vampire I picked up in thebyrinth.''


    [What?! You encountered a vampire in abyrinth, and instead of eliminating her, you ''picked her up'' instead?!]


    ''Is something wrong with that?''


    [Of course! Who the hell picks up girls in dungeons andbyrinths?!]


    Deciding to ignore his bbering, I shift my focus back to Aletia who is giving me an odd look.


    "What?"


    "We''re not leaving?"


    "We are. Are you ready?"


    Aletia nods her once as confirmation, following which I expand my senses to check on the state of the vige and its residents.


    Upon doing that, I notice that a certain is making his way over to this house.


    "Come on, get up," I beckon to Aletia as I turn and walk toward the door.


    Shortly, Aletia gets off the bed and reaches my side with aposed look on her delicate face.


    Finding her current appearance adorable, I raise my left hand and pat her head for a few seconds before opening the door and exiting alongside her.


    Once the two of us exit the house, we directly encounter Emmot, who has a look of concern on his face.


    "What''s wrong?" I question the uneasy man.


    "You''re leaving?" he asks somewhat nervously.


    "That''s right," I respond bluntly.


    Hearing my response, his uneasiness quickly disappears as he rxes his shoulders.


    Hey now, am I really that scary that you have to be this distressed?


    I reckon that he heard something from the vige chief or Gazef that has made him like so.


    "Well then, if you don''t have anything to state, my men are waiting for me in the forest."


    "In the forest?"


    "That''s right. It turns out that they had followed after my tracks instead of looking around for residencies. Currently, they have established a small camp deep in the forest."


    "Impossible. The monsters deep in the forest aren''t anything that ordinary soldiers can handle without proper preparation."


    "Is that so? But that''s the point, my men are anything but ordinary. The weakest of them is at the same level if not higher than Gazef Stronoff."


    In response to my ''absurd'' im, Emmot''s eyes widen like saucers as he struggles to say anything as a rebuke.


    "Now then, excuse us, but we must leave," I state calmly as I proceed to grab Aletia''s small hand and pull her along as I walk toward the section of the forest I came here from the first time.


    ---


    "Alright, this should be far enough," I say as I expand my senses to cover as much distance as possible to check for the presence of any sentient creatures nearby.


    Aside from numerous birds and some wildlife, I don''t find anything else, which is rather strange considering what most of those I''ve met have said about the forest and the danger that lies within.


    "Aletia," I say as I abjure my senses back to aparatively small area around myself, covering everything within a ten-meter radius.


    "Hm?" Aletia mutters in response while fixating her gaze on my face.


    "Remember the appearance I had when I first met you? I will have to switch back to that."


    "Okay."


    "Listen, none of my subordinates are aware that I can take this ''human'' form. So, I need to refrain from mentioning it to them."


    "Understood."


    "Good girl," I praise her as I raise my hand to pat her hand.


    After a few seconds, I retract my hand and focus my thoughts on the profile and change back to Overlord.


    The next moment, my appearance changes from the handsome male ''human'' to a skeleton that appears to be the embodiment of death itself.


    <Gate>


    Following the spell I cast, a small circr portal appears before expanding just enough for me to fit through perfectly.


    "For a few reasons, I can''t open a gate that directly leads to the throne room," I exin to Aletia, who is keenly inspecting the portal in front of us, "So, we''re going to be walking for a short distance."


    "That''s fine," she merely says as a response, to which I nod my head once before walking forth into the portal.


    Following this, my vision warps for a brief moment before the scenery of the forest changes to that of Nazarick''s long and wide hallways.


    The portal behind me remains active as Aletia soon emerges within it, only for her eyes to widen as she catches sight of the ce.


    "Where is this?"


    "My home," I reply nonchntly as I cancel the gate spell.


    "Follow me."


    With Aletia in tow, I begin to slowly walk in the direction of the throne room while making use of my enhanced senses to check for anyone that I might encounter on the way.


    As it turns out, three maids are walking in our direction  not battle maids, but just ordinary ones.


    "A few of my servants are ahead, rx and remain calm no matter what happens," I say in a firm tone after considering the possibility of the residentsshing out at an outsider.


    Although, I suspect that the chances of that happening are utterly low, since I, their sovereign, will be apanying said outsider.


    Shortly, the maids appear within my vision as we do in theirs, after which they all lower their heads slightly and the liveliness they had a moment prior vanishes.


    After walking a little more, the distance between us and the maids closes up.


    Once they''re a few meters away from us, the maids further lower their heads as they collectively say, "We pay respect to the Supreme Leader."


    "Hm," I merely hum coldly as a response, trying my best to maintain the image of a powerful leader detached from worldly matters.


    Up until today, I have only experienced the royal structure of human kingdoms and have never got to do so with oneposed of monsters. For that reason, my idea of methods to rule over literal monsters is severely limited to ''the strong rule the weak''.


    Naturally, I have quite a bit of confidence in my powers, but that doesn''t mean that I could leisurely show a ''weak'' side of myself off.


    Even if it''s possible to easily deal with troublesome fellows that wish to boast their strength in hopes of obtaining a higher rank in the hierarchy, it would be better to not have to do so in the first ce.


    For that very reason, I have decided to take on the role of a cold and cunning leader that would ward off troublemakers.


    [Uwaaa Talk about getting caught up in role-ying.]


    ''Shut up.''


    [You could''ve at least greeted them. I mean, just what kind of man are you to treat these beautiful women in such a manner? Speaking of their beauty, they can easily outdo the most beautiful of women on Earth!]


    He has a point. I hadn''t noticed it earlier since I am already used to interacting with stunning women, but the maids from earlier all had appearances that far surpassed the average.


    Nevertheless, ''My women are much more beautiful.''


    [Huh? Women?]


    ''That''s right. Plural form of a woman  women. I have many partners outside this world.''


    [Cheh, a yboy, huh?]


    ''I treat them all with the affection they deserve.''


    [That doesn''t matter. What are you trying to achieve anyway? Build a harem?]


    ''There isn''t anything that I particrly want to do.''


    [Are you some rich second generation outside or something?]


    ''Hm Mary value has little meaning to me.''


    [There it is! A typical line uttered by the rich.]


    ''Whatever''


    Shortly, Aletia and I reach the giant double doors that lead to the throne room. In front of the doors, two maids stand with aposed look on their faces.


    "We pay respect to the Supreme Leader," the two of them greet with their heads lowered before each one extends an arm to either of the double doors and pushes it open.


    Upon nodding once, I walk past them into the throne hall, which seems to be evenrger from my current perspective.


    Soon, I notice that there is someone present, who is standing right beside the throne.


    "Lord Victor," an enchanting voice reaches my ears once I step onto the higher tform upon which rests the throne.


    "It''s been a while, Albedo," I say while examining her exquisite figure and face.


    While doing so, the two white horns protruding from her head caught my attention, tempting me to reach out and stroke them.


    "Excuse my rudeness Lord Victor," Albedo says in a more frigid tone as she raises her head, "Might I ask who this is?"


    The atmosphere seems to be tense as Albedo uses her fierce golden eyes to examine Aletia from head to toe.


    "Her name is Aletia. She is going to be a new member of Nazarick henceforth. Anyments?"


    "Of course, not, Lord Victor!" she directly exims a little too passionately as she focuses on me wholly, "Your decisions aren''t things that we can hope to interfere with."


    "That''s not good either," I state as I make my to my throne and take a seat, "I desire thinkers, not dolls that only do as they''re told."


    "Lord Victor!" Albedo suddenly exims with her hands sped together with stars in her eyes.


    For some reason, I feel like there has been a major misunderstanding, but from the looks of it, it''s not a detrimental one, so I will let it be.


    "Where are the rest?" I ask after a moment of deliberation.


    "All the Floor Guardians except those in charge of the fourth and eighth floor will be here shortly."


    So, everyone apart from Victim and the giant stone golem, Gargantua, huh?


    "Good. I will be sharing with you the information I have obtained and my ns once they arrive."


    "Understood."


    "Meanwhile, assign a maid to Aletia and get a prepared a room for her on this floor."


    Hearing this, Albedo''s expression stiffens for a brief moment before she smiles and says, "As you wish, Lord Victor."


    As expected, they don''t take kindly to outsiders

 Chapter 349: Thoughts ; Night

    Chapter 349: Thoughts ; Night


    I watch with interest as one of the battle maids, Yuri Alpha, appears in the throne hall, pays respect to me, and then proceeds to guide Aletia out.


    The whole process was neat and efficient, showing just how devoted the maid is to her role and service.


    "Excuse me, Lord Victor, but why have you brought that vampire to Nazarick?" Albedo arbitrarily asks after a moment of silence.


    "Well, while I was in the middle of my investigation, I happened toe across her in abyrinth and one thing led to another, resulting in her getting contracted to me."


    A confused look appears on Albedo''s face as she slightly tilts her head and utters, "What do you mean by contracted?"


    Ah, this is going to be a pain to exin.


    For obvious reasons, I can''t say that she is in a Blood Contract with me and is dependent on my blood, because, duh, I don''t have blood.


    As such, a simple excuse that would fit my role of a ruler would suffice:


    "She has entered a contract of servitude with me after I took notice of her specialty and promised her a home."


    "I see," Albedo mutters with an understanding look on her face, "What is this specialty, if I may ask?"


    "You''ll see for yourself soon," I bullshit with a nonchnt expression.


    What specialty? All I know about her is that she is a vampire that is now in a contract with me. Perhaps, in due time, she would develop some interesting abilities as a result of the contract, but until then, I will save myself trouble by passing everything off to the questioners'' imaginations.


    "Understood," Albedo replies calmly, understanding that I am not nning to borate on the matter any further.


    At this moment, the giant doors connecting the throne hall and the corridors open as three figures walk inside.


    Two of them are identical in both height and appearance, while the other one has a graceful gait. The twin Floor Guardians and Demiurge.


    One of the twins has a bright and cheerful expression on her face, in contrast to the one beside her, who is somewhat nervous. As for Demiurge, he has aposed look on his face as he follows after the twins.


    ---


    It takes an unexpectedly short time for all the Floor Guardians except those that Albedo said wouldn''t being to gather in the throne hall.


    Like before, their expressions hold abject respect and veneration, which would put quite the pressure on one if they aren''t used to it.


    [It''s an impressive sight no matter how many times I see it.]


    ''Is this not merely the second time they have gathered in such a manner in front of me?''


    [Nevertheless, look at them. They''re all the result of the hard work of my friends.]


    ''Since you said that, I feel a little tempted to toy with them.''


    [Don''t!]


    Ignoring the anxious Satoru, I run my gaze over the Floor Guardians before straightening my back and order, "Report in order from the guardian of the lowest floors to the highest."


    As per my orders, the pale yet beauteous vampire, Shalltear, remains kneeling on one knee as she states, "Yes, Lord Victor. Nothing out of the norm has urred in the floors I am assigned to."


    Nodding at her, though I doubt anyone would be to tell since my head is just a skull, I turn my attention to the next one  Cocytus.


    Earlier, I didn''t pay heed to his appearance much, but this fe sure looks something straight out of a nightmare. Four thick arms attached to hisrge body I doubt there is any ordinary soldier out there that could take on a punch from this fellow.


    I was having thoughts of wiping out armies single-handedly not too long ago, but perhapsmanding a subordinate to do it for me is not a bad idea either.


    Just imagine - as a true ruler, I sit upon my throne, being tended to by servants while watching the more powerful subordinates deal with problems outside.


    That''s right, how could I have not considered this before? Back in the Rift, I''ve got my angels and a whole lot of other allies. Why not just delegate some work to them while I go deal with the important matters?


    I can''t just continue to deal with everything myself


    "Lord. Victor," a deep voice results in me snapping back to reality and gaze upon the one that spoke.


    "Go on, Cocytus," I state.


    "Simr. To. Lady. Shalltear. There. Have. Been. No. Issues."


    "Good. Now then, Aura and Mare. Were you two able to procure any ''specimens'' for Demiurge?"


    The one that responds to the inquiry is the energetic one as she smiles brightly and says, "Yes! We found a variety of creatures from different races and brought them back here for testing!"


    Different races? Like elves and dwarves?


    "And has anything been discovered from researching said creatures?" I ask as I shift my gaze over to Demiurge.


    "I''m afraid not yet, Lord Victor," Demiurge responds coolly.


    "There isn''t any need to make haste," I state, "The results are what matters, not the means and time to achieve them. However, that doesn''t mean it should be done in a leisurely manner."


    "Understood, Lord Victor," he says while still kneeling.


    "Very well, now that you''ve all reported in, I suppose it''s time that I share with you the information I''ve procured, even if it isn''t much."


    ---


    Being mentally taxed, I immediately drop on my bed as soon as I enter my room after closing the doors behind me.


    Now that I think about it, I am supposed to be an undead being, so why would there be the need for a bed if I can''t sleep in the first ce?


    [You worked hard.]


    ''No kidding,'' I respond to Satoru''s somewhat abrupt remark.


    Earlier, while sharing information with the Floor Guardians, I had to make sure that nothing regarding the persona I had createdes up, for instance, the currently non-existing German Empire and its crown prince.


    That turned out to be harder than I expected, mostly because the Floor Guardians were a little too curious about what I had been up to outside the tomb.


    Nevertheless, I left most of it to their imagination by giving minimal answers.


    I suppose there aren''t going to be any issues if I were to go by the looks Demiurge had on his face each time I answered such questions. A look of understanding, that''s what it was. Thed acted like he figured everything out from the most simple of answers, which I doubt is the case.


    [So, what are you nning to do?]


    ''Conquer the surrounding kingdoms.''


    [What?! Why even?]


    ''What else am I supposed to do?''


    [Not conquering kingdoms? Actually, why did you even decide to do that?]


    ''No reason,'' I respond nonchntly.


    Or so I im, but there is a simple reason behind the decision.


    Since I''m going to be having objectives from here on out and I could even force some, it would be better to have a means ofpleting them before even knowing about them.


    For instance, if my control over this world is extensive, I would be able to achieve whatever I want quite easily. Need to locate something? Have my subordinates do that for me. Need to kill someone? Same thing, unless the target is strong enough that I need to do so myself. Either case, there is a need to locate the target first, which would be easier if I have a broad informationwork and ess to a great number of forces at my disposal.


    However, it''s not like I am nning to conquer every kingdom in existence. If any kingdoms decide to be my allies and "prove" their worth, then there wouldn''t be a need to take over.


    At this moment, a knocking sound reaches my non-existent ears which is followed by a sweet voice, "Lord Victor, Lady Aletia wishes to speak to you."


    "Let her in," I respond in a rough voice. As irritating as it may be to act like a cold-hearted ruler, it is necessary.


    Following my response, the doors leading to my room open as a small figure makes her way inside, after which the doors immediately shut close.


    "I wasn''t expecting a night visit this early on," I joke as I raise my body from the bed.


    Currently, she is still dressed in the middle-school uniform I had given to her, which more or less makes this scenario kind of odd. Such thoughtsst only for a moment, as I recall the fact thatpared to my age, all my partners are underage anyway, and despite her appearance, thisss is a vampire that has lived for a long while.


    Why am I suddenly caring about age anyway?


    [This feels illegal.]


    ''Oh, please shut up,'' I respond as I cut the connection between us off.


    "You Will you stay like that?" Aletia''s voice breaks me out of my thoughts, after which I realize that she has already reached the bed and climbed on.


    Ah, she must be speaking about my current form.


    Focusing my thoughts, I switch from my Overlord profile to Origo.


    At a moment''s notice, a bright light shines before my appearance changespletely.


    "Better?" I ask with a smile as I peer at her round face.


    "Umn," she hums in response as she crawls over onto myp and starts to unbutton my shirt.


    "Isn''t it supposed to be the other way around?" I ask with a chuckle.


    As a response to my words, Aletia furrows her brows as she mutters, "I''m hungry."


    "Right, and my blood is your snack," I say before releasing a sigh and willing for my shirt to enter the inventory.


    Suddenly finding me half-naked while she was in the middle of taking my shirt off, Aletia is surprised for a moment, but quickly regains herposure as her gaze shifts over to my neck.


    "Wow, not even the slightest interest in these," I say casually as I gesture to my abdomen with my left hand.


    For reasons unknown to even myself, my body is quite fit. So, coupled with my looks, it should be more than enough to attract the attention of females. Yet, this girl


    "Too hungry right now," she merely says as she moves her mouth over to my neck and sinks her canines into my flesh, while I make sure she doesn''t break her canines by willing for my physical resistance to lower.


    Time slowly goes by with Aletia showing no signs of nning to stop feeding on my blood.


    Getting a little bored, I decide to y around with thess a little.


    "Don''t mind me," I say casually as I ce my hands on her sides, realizing just how small she is in the process.


    I''d say her figure is rather close to that of Ayumi''s, but that''s about the only simrity there is between the two, be it appearance-wise or personality-wise.


    Aletia is a somewhat quiet girl, but that doesn''t mean she is shy. Heck, she is currently sitting on a half-naked man''sp without any worries.


    It''s more like she only says what''s needed to be said. The bare minimum of for understanding one another, I suppose.


    "Not done yet?" I ask as I sense her body getting slightly hot.


    Shortly, she moves her head away and proceeds to look me in the eyes while a small streak of blood flows out of the corner of her mouth.


    With my gaze focused on her lips, I notice just how small and rosy they are.


    Without a care for the blood, I close the distance between our faces as our lips meet.


    Despite being a little startled by my actions, Aletia doesn''t resist in any way as she even opens her mouth, giving my tongue a way inside her small mouth.


    The kisssts for a minute or so before I finally separate my lips from hers.


    "You''re much more enticing than one would expect," I remark as I stare at her face.


    "Are you saying that I''m beautiful?" she asks with a small smile.


    "You can take it that way," I respond as I let my body drop back on the bed.


    "So, are you nning to sleep here with me?" I question while moving my hand toward her butt.


    "Yes. It''s boring outside," she answers while getting off my body and proceeding toy beside me.


    Suddenly, I hear some noise outside my room before someone knocks on my door, "Lord Victor, my I enter?"


    Hah~


    "Yes," I respond as I raise my body and switch back to my Overlord profile.


    "Lord Victor, I came as soon as I finished my work, please let me warm-" an excited Albedo''s words get cut off as her gaze fixes on Aletia, who is lying on the bed without the slightest care.


    "Lord Victor," Albedo utters as herplexion seems to be on the verge of breaking, "Why is she here?"


    "Aletia? Well, it felt lonely to sleep alone so I had her join me," I respond in a matter-of-fact tone.


    "But you could''ve called for me!" she immediately exims. "I am-"


    "I was about to," I interrupt her, "Since you were going to be done with your work around this time, I decided to give you some time before calling you over."


    Am I spouting nonsense? Yes, I am. Will she ever know? I doubt it. So long as it stops her outburst, it doesn''t matter.


    "Lord Victor!" she exims, this time in apletely different manner than earlier, with tant affection in her eyes.


    This chick must have some weird fetishes if she''s attracted to my current from


    "What are you waiting for?" I say in amanding manner as I raise my hand to beckon her over.


    "Yes!" she responds before practically blinking over to the bed and pressing herself against me.


    "We have a long day ahead of us, so let''s rest well," I state as I let our bodies settle on the bed properly.


    Aletia seems to have already fallen asleep, which is enviable considering that I shouldn''t be able to do so right now


    "Understood," Albedo responds as she snuggles up against me.


    Ugh. This might''ve been much more enjoyable if I wasn''t in my skeletal form. But, I have a feeling it''s going to be dangerous if I revealed my humanoid form to Albedo. Not a danger to my life, but something else entirely


    Fortunately, Albedo seems to be a quick sleeper as she shortly falls into a deep sleep, leaving me the only one awake.


    Since I can''t sleep, I suppose I will look rummage through the spells in my head and study them properly.

 Chapter 350: Create Undead ; Hidden Inhabitants (1/2)

    Chapter 350: Create Undead ; Hidden Inhabitants (1/2)


    After what seems like an eternity of reviewing the spells in my mind, morning finally arrives. How exactly did I know it was morning while being twelve floors underground? Simple. I cast irvoyance time and time again, mainly out of boredom, but also to check for the presence of any uninvited individuals.


    Expectedly, no one came anywhere near this area.


    At this moment, I am lying on my bed pointlessly with Albedo and Aletia on my sides.


    The two are sleeping peacefully, despite both being inhuman beings. So much for my expectations of them not requiring sleep...


    This won''t do. I need to get up and do something more productive.


    With that thought in mind, I raise my body from the bed, only for an arm to suddenlytch onto my robe, followed by Albedo''s sleepy voice, "Lord Victor."


    I take a nce at her face, only to realize that she is still sleeping and is simply sleep talking, so I carefully grab her arm and attempt to move it away... and fail. She is not letting go of my robe.


    Thisdy sure is clingy. Then again, I suppose it''s understandable considering the amount of reverence she and the rest of the residents of this tomb expressed toward me.


    So long her actions don''t disturb me or my ns, there isn''t an issue.


    After remaining still for a while, Albedo still doesn''t show any signs of letting go, so I begin to think of a better solution than wait it out.


    Suddenly, an idea pops up in my head.


    essing my inventory, I discard all my current garments, leaving me with nothing more than my bones, the numerous essories on my fingers, and an eerie red ball at the center of my chest.


    Huh?


    To my not-so-pleasant surprise, Albedo''s hand immediately grabs onto my rib cage.


    Shit. What a situation to be in.


    Actually, screw this. I will have to resort to waking her up lest I want to continue wasting time here.


    "Albedo," I call out in a low voice, immediately after which the subus'' eyes open wide as a hurried voice escapes her lips, "Yes, Lord Victor?"


    "It is time to get up," I simply state, to which she affirms by a hum before her expression suddenly turns weird.


    "Is something wrong?" I ask her while taking note of what she''s gazing at.


    "Why-"


    "There is no particr reason that I have discarded my garments," I interrupt her, "Just leave it at that."


    "Yes."


    Sighing mentally, I push her hand away, this time rtively easily since she is awake. Then, I raise my body from the bed and get off before essing the inventory and reequipping my clothes.


    ---


    As I float on top of Nazarick under the zing sun, I make use of my still enhanced senses to check the surroundings for nearby non-human settlements.


    After a short while, I happen to notice a cave in front of which three small, hideous-looking creatures are standing dumbly. Goblins. They will make do for what I have in mind.


    <Greater Teleportation>


    My vision instantly blips as I find myself floating atop the three goblins'' heads without them noticing a thing.


    Not nning to spare them any attention, I raise my right arm as I prepare to cast <Chain Dragon Lightning>.


    At this moment, one of the goblins appears to notice me as it looks up and raises its small arm, pointing at me while letting out some groans.


    {Racial ability: Intemunication discovered.}


    Following the announcement, the voice of the goblin suddenly makes sense to me: "Great One visit us!"


    It''s as if the creature is an oversized, grotesque baby. Though, I am a little surprised by its words.


    Great One? Since when did I obtain some kind of rank among the goblins? Or are they acting like this since I am currently in my Overlord form?


    With curiosity getting the better of me, I cancel the spell I was nning to cast before floating to the ground.


    Following this, I switch from my Overlord profile to Origo.


    To my pleasant surprise, the goblins don''t express any aggression despite my new appearance, which is that of a human.


    "Sacrifice us?" one of the goblins says in what I assume to be an excited tone.


    Are these creatures nuts? Do they want me to sacrifice them?


    "Serve Great One!" another one exims enthusiastically, its voice loudly reverberating within the cave behind them.


    Shortly, I hear numerous exmations in the cave one after another as some figures begin to walk out while chanting "sacrifice" continuously.


    Man, this feels like I''ve be the head of some weird cult.


    Though, I need to make sure if I am understanding this correctly.


    "You," I say as I point my finger at one of the three goblins, "Do you wish to die?"


    All of a sudden, every single one of the goblins quietens down. Meanwhile, the one I pointed at seems to be in shock as it merely stares at me.


    Was I wrong after all? I guess that''s understandable, since what kind of creature would willingly offer themselves as a sacrifice?


    "Uwooo!!!" my thoughts are interrupted by a boisterous cry, which originated from the same goblin I pointed at, "Sacrifice!"


    Well then, that settles it, I guess.


    Profile - Overlord


    Having gotten back into my skeletal form, I focus my gaze on the goblin I pointed at earlier as I cast a simple spell - <Grasp Heart>


    Along with the spell, I raise my right arm and form the mental image of a ball within my palm before squeezing it.


    Surprisingly, I feel some small resistance against my hand, but only for a split-second before my hand abruptly closes, along which the goblin limply falls to the ground.


    Seeing this, the rest of the goblins, which amount to around two dozen raise their arms, some of which are carrying clubs as they excitedly exim the word ''sacrifice'' continuously.


    "Do you all wish to join him as well?" I question magnanimously, to which the goblins get all the more excited.


    Wow, these little fes are much more insane than I expected.


    <Mass Dominate Person>


    "Die."


    Following mymand, some goblins begin to attack themselves with the clubs they''re holding, while others scurry to, I assume, find something to hurt themselves with.


    And so, I watch with interest as the goblins basically torture themselves to death by numerous means.


    Once thest goblin dies, I take a moment to examine the disfigured corpses of the goblins before raising my right arm and casting a spell I''ve been rather looking forward to: <Create Middle Tier Undead>


    All of a sudden, a small ck orb forms in the air about a meter away from me and begins to expand in size a few folds.


    Then, the ck orb moves toward the closest goblin corpse before briskly engulfing it.


    Following this, the small goblin''s body begins to change shape as it swells continuously, while the already grotesque flesh bes all the more disgusting as patches of it fall off and the color changes from the original green to a salmon-like color.


    The goblin, which was previously as tall as my knee, now has a height that easily reaches my chin.


    Its scrawny body is no more, with its body being a huge lump of muscles - wherever they came from, which I can also say to the sword shield it''s holding in its hands.


    Magic sure is some convenient stuff. I suppose I understand why Satoru chose to stick with a necromancy ss.


    Now, time to repeat this process until all twenty-seven goblins have been converted into whatever this new creature is. ording to the information in my head, it''s supposed to be a Death Knight. But, for some reason, I feel like this thing is different.


    My guess is that the spell has different effects when used on different creatures.


    Oh well.


    <Create Middle Tier Undead>


    ---


    After the twelfth time of repeating the same process, AI''s voice abruptly resounds within my head.


    {Skill limitation bypassed due to data obtained through racial skill: Depredation.}


    Following this, I am once again able to cast the spell normally, though it feels as if it''s consuming more energypared to before.


    {Substitution for limiter: 6.75%+ mana consumption per usage.}


    That makes sense, I guess?


    Whatever. I will finish this batch here regardless.


    ---


    After ten or so minutes, I finally cast the spell for thest time, which consumes twice as much energy as it initially took at the start.


    Shortly, thest goblin corpse has turned into a variety of the Death Knight, all of which are currently standing tall with their shields and swords held high.


    It''s an impressive sight, to say the least.


    Now, I need to test the properties of these undead beings. As of this moment, I have three things that I wish to have tested. The physical capabilities of these beings, the orders they can perceive, and how far they can receive orders.


    ''Kneel.''


    In contrast to my expectations, the undead beings remain standing, which means that they aren''t able to receive mental orders.


    This means that if I were to give them orders from a long distance, I would need to make use of amunication spell such as ''Message''.


    Alright, now for my other test...


    "Death Knights!" I holler, to which the undead beings react by raising their heads, "Spread out in this forest and kill all hostile beings."


    Hearing their orders, each of the monsters lets out a monstrous growl before dashing in a random direction, their speed surprising me quite a bit.


    Great. This way, I can finally finish the objective that I have, which is securing the area around my base.


    After a few minutes, I feel something tug on my mind, which should be physically impossible considering that my head is simply a skull.


    Anyway, I focus on the tugging sensation, only for my vision to abruptly shift locations, which upon a careful inspection, I notice to be the eyesight of a creature on top of a tree branch.


    From here, I can see a few wooden houses constructed in the trees as well as their residents - elves, or, at least, they look like elves so I will call them that.


    Hold on... Is this the vision of one of the Death Knights? Actually, I can see the tip of the shield and sword somewhat.


    What a great opportunity.


    Though, why is the Death Knight not attacking yet? My orders were for them to eliminate all hostile- Oh. It may be that it''s unsure if these elves are considered hostile or allies...


    <Message>


    "Death Knight, attack, but don''t kill. Retreat if necessary."


    Having received its orders, the Death Knight raises its sword and shield before making a giant leap toward the nearest house and smashing bashing its shield into it, which easily breaks the wall and creates a gap big enough for the Death Knight to go through.


    Inside the house, there are two naked elves, a male and a female, lying on top of each other, both of them now having a horrified look on their faces as they stare at the intruder.


    "Nevermind, you may y the males. Preferably, as brutally as possible."

 Chapter 351: Hidden Inhabitants (2/2) ; Time

    Chapter 351: Hidden Inhabitants (2/2) ; Time


    As I witness the Death Knight variation step forth and y the male while he is naked on top of the female, its sword going through the body easily all the way to the female, shing her as well, I conclude that the Death Knights can only receive the most basic of orders and have the mental cognition of an infant.


    Since the males are the ones that are more likely to retaliate, I ryed the order that it can kill them, however, I said nothing regarding the females to see if it would understand, but it apparently didn''t. Too bad for the elves; they''re all out of luck today.


    <Message>


    "All Death Knights head over to the location of the elf vige and provide assistance."


    This is yet another test I''m doing. How much information is being circted through my mind and my monsters, and can they locate a location simply because I "know" where it is?


    Unfortunately, I can''t check directly but can only wait for them to reach the location while watching a massacre unfold through the eyes of the Death Knight already in the vige.


    As I suspected, the ones that are first to grab arms and charge at the Death Knight are males, who I must admit are less capable than I expected them to be.


    Due to having lived in the trees, they''ve be rather versatile with nature, but that''s it. Physically, they might be slightly stronger than humans, and some of them can use magic, but only support ones such as healing and buffing.


    Now, I simply have to wait for the Death Knight to aplish its objective. Once that happens, I will head over and convert all the corpses to more Death Knights. Who knows what variation I would receive from these corpses?


    As for the ones that live Well, I will simply bring them back to Nazarick and let my subordinates have some fun ''testing'' with them.


    For a while, everything goes as expected, but suddenly, the Death Knight receives a rtively powerful blow that blows it away and causes it to fall all the way down to the forest bed.


    Fortunately, the Death Knight appears to have a strong endurance as it quickly rises back to its feet and looks up at where the attack came from.


    Woah. What is that?


    From the Death Knight''s vision, I can see a female being that''s floating in the air and glowing in a bright green light.


    Her appearance is far beyond that of the elves, so it''s safe to say that she isn''t one with light powers or something.


    With my curiosity piqued, I decide to visit the ce personally.


    <Greater Teleportation>


    Appearing right above the Death Knight, I use <Fly> to maintain my altitude as I shift my gaze over to the new being with interest.


    The moment I make eye contact with her, the female being''s face contorts as she looks at me as if I am the most cursed being in existence.


    Benefits of being a literal skeleton, I guess.


    Shortly, the woman raises her hand and chants some gibberish in a soft voice before the nts around us start to move oddly.


    Shit.


    I would be at a disadvantage to fight a nature user in the middle of a forest. Who knows what kind of spells they''ve got in their arsenal? I would be better of not risking it.


    As such, I have no other choices than to finish her off quickly or to retreat.


    <Greater Magic Resistance>


    Focusing on my target, I raise my right arm before casting <Grasp Heart>.


    Despite repeating the same thing I did with the goblins, the ability doesn''t perform as expected, as the female simply shakes her head slightly before narrowing her eyes and chanting a spell.


    The next moment, the nts on the ground extend immensely before briskly moving toward the Death Knight and wrapping all around its limbs, effectively rendering it immobile.


    Whatever. It''s just a pawn that I can create many of.


    <Twin Maximize Magic  Fireball>


    Following my spell, two balls of fire appear in the air beforeunching toward the female, who quickly moves away, resulting in the fireballs striking two trees andbust into spectacr mes.


    Shortly, I begin to hear various screaming from what''s left of the residents of the ce.


    Seeing this, the female being is visibly pissed as she hurriedly points her finger at me before chanting once again.


    "Oh no you don''t," I mutter as I silently cast <Greater Teleportation> and appear a few meters behind her.


    "This is the end," I mock as I cast <Explosion> on her back, easily finishing her off with a giant burn mark on half of her body,


    {Racial data obtained: Dryad.}


    Oh, so that''s what she was. Though, what exactly is a Dryad?


    {ording to the data, Dryads are beings of nature that rule over sections of a forest and protect a selection of races.}


    Well, this one failed to do her job


    {Objective Point Aplished: Gain control over the area surrounding your base.}


    {Exiting the game is now possible. Would you like to exit? (11h:59m:59s)}


    Not yet. I still have to deal with a few things, for instance, the elves that are currently on the run.


    As I start to wonder about what to do to aplish that efficiently, I notice the presence of some beings approaching this location at a great speed, which upon focusing my senses turned out to be the other Death Knights.


    Perfect.


    Did they locate this ce since I am here now personally?


    Either way, I can now be certain that none of the survivors will escape.


    Am I being cruel? Perhaps, yes, but it''s necessary. I can''t have these elves inform other settlements of my presence. Better keep the element of surprise up for as long as possible.


    "Death Knights, hunt down all the escaping hostiles. Incapacitate but do not kill."


    As a response to my orders, the approaching Death Knights release a roar before shifting directions and begin their hunt.


    "Now then," I mutter as I gaze down at the Dryad that''s currently out cold.


    She kind of reminds me of Gaia, albeit way less impressive and threatening. After all, she is but a mere Dryad and not a One-Digit Code.


    On one hand, there is a creature that can manipte nts and cast some nature spells, and on the other, there is a being that integrates with a whole and gains something akin to omniscience. The difference is simply phenomenal.


    I suppose this is the reason mymon sense is a little skewed


    ---


    "Lord Victor!" a bright voice greets me as I step into the throne hall.


    "Hello, Albedo," I greet the subus.


    "Did you leave Nazarick again?" she asks in a voice filled with concern.


    "Yes. There was a settlement of elves hidden in trees nearby that I thought would make for good subjects."


    "Do you wish to rule over them?"


    "Not exactly. By subjects, I meant ''test subjects''," I exin.


    Following my words, a look of realization appears on Albedo''s face for a brief moment before it''s reced with a bright expression as she proims, "These elves must be honored that they get to serve Nazarick."


    "Of course," I humor her as I walk toward the throne.


    What a fanatic Though it''s a good thing, so no point in judging her for it.


    Currently, I have handed over the pile of corpses and tied up survivors to two maids I came across upon using Gate to get back here.


    I will be conducting experiments on them alongside my subordinates since it would be more useful that way. For all I know, one of them might discover something from whatever simple thing done to the elves.


    As for the Dryad, I had one of the maids take her over to my room. I was nning to heal her a bit so she wouldn''t die on me easily, but that proved to be unnecessary as her wounds were already healing at a visible rate.


    And so, I am left with myself to ponder upon what actions to take.


    For now, I am considering exiting the game to have a fresh breath outside and spend some time with the girls. Though I am unsure what would be of this game while I am away.


    [For the duration of the main objectives, time-flow will be greatly reduced while Father is away.]


    ''By what ratio?''


    [That''s uncertain, but the difference is too much to be noticed.]


    ''Basically, close to time-stop but not exactly stopped?''


    [Affirmative.]


    Well, that''s some good news. Though, I am sure that some powerful beings would notice my absence during the ''split moment'' I am away. Heck, if a being is mentally unstable enough, that would be possible.


    For some reason, the image of a certain pink-haired girl appeared in my head for a brief moment.


    Ah, I am starting to miss those in the Rift already.


    Now that I think about it, I never got to shower the girls with nearly half as much affection as I hoped I would; be it due tock of time or constant annoyances.


    Well, for now, I should focus on aplishing what I came here for. Once I''m done and obtain a ''pocket home'' as I hope to, there will be plenty of time for whatever I wish in the future.


    ''Nora, what is that countdown exactly?''


    I am obviously referring to the countdown that appeared once it was dered I had reached my first objective point. Right now, it''s at eleven hours and a little above thirty minutes.


    [The countdown determines how much can Father stay freely before another objective will be locked and exiting the game won''t be possible anymore until the nextpletion of an objective.]


    So, I have twelve hours of leisure in the game before I am forced to get serious, huh? Not that it''s needed, since I am already nning to get this done with as soon as possible.


    The problem is that I am unsure of what to do exactly.


    Having a general gist is quite different from a in objective, after all.


    ''Does the countdown continue while I am outside the game?''


    [Negative. Once Father leaves the game, the countdown gets nullified and the next objective will initiate upon Father''s return regardless of the time passed.]


    That''s troubling.


    I guess this means that the best way to make use of my ''time'' is to spend a few hours here before leaving the game and then returning toplete the next objective.


    As for what I will do here in the meantime Bonding with Aletia sounds like a neat start.


    And perhaps


    As I take a seat upon my throne, my gaze wanders off to Albedo who has been silently following me all this while and is currently standing a few meters away from me with a gentle smile on her lips.


    She is far too beautiful to be left untouched, but my current form is inhibiting me from doing as I please.


    Shit, why did have to be a skeletal body and not something like a vampire?


    Hah~ Perhaps I could try fooling her?


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