The sound barrier still surrounds them.
The office is silent.
Viktoria stands before Zumi… trembling, breathless, overwhelmed in the most reverent way.
She steps out from behind her throne-like chair and walks toward him slowly, each step softer than the last, her heels barely touching the porcelain tile.
She stops only inches away from him.
Her voice is quiet, steady, surrendered:
Viktoria:
"…Zumi…
I'm ready to follow you anywhere."
Gia watches from the side, arms crossed, a proud smirk curving her lips.
Gia (thinking):
Oh yes… she's already his.
And Zumi knows.
She is ready.
Ready to rise.
Ready to ascend.
Ready to become his goddess of intellect.
Zumi lifts his chin slightly.
His posture remains relaxed, kingly, certain.
He doesn't touch her.
He doesn't need to.
Zumi closes his eyes for a brief moment.
His thoughts sharpen.
Zumi (internally):
Celestia… initiate the Ascension Protocol.
A calm, divine feminine voice echoes in his mind:
Celestia:
"✨ Acknowledged, my King.
Opening Pantheon Ascension Interface."
A brilliant gold interface appears before Zumi's eyes — visible only to him.
A blank field awaits him:
CANDIDATE NAME: (Empty)
Think of the individual you wish to ascend.
Zumi thinks her name.
Viktoria Sergeyevna Volkov
Immediately, her face, her soul signature, her spiritual blueprint all materialize in glowing gold.
Select Rank:
Two options glow:
Greater Goddess
Supreme Goddess
Zumi knows where she must begin.
He thinks:
Greater Goddess.
Celestia narrates:
Celestia:
"Rank confirmed. Preparing domain alignment."
Domain and Title Selection:
The interface scans her.
A golden ripple flows over Viktoria's body—she shivers, feeling something divine touch her soul.
Then suggestions appear:
Suggested Titles:
"Greater Goddess of Strategy"
"Greater Goddess of Insight"
"Greater Goddess of Knowledge"
"Greater Goddess of Intellect" ← Highlighted
Celestia explains:
Celestia:
"This candidate possesses the Spirit of Intellect in her lineage.
Optimal ascension domain: Intellect."
Zumi agrees.
He thinks:
Greater Goddess of Intellect.
The interface locks it in.
A summary appears:
ASCENSION SUMMARY
Candidate: Viktoria Sergeyevna Volkov
Rank: Greater Goddess
Title: Greater Goddess of Intellect
Pantheon Role: Direct subordinate to Zumi, King of the Divine Pantheon
PROCEED WITH ASCENSION?
YES / NO
Zumi thinks:
Yes.
Celestia's voice resonates like thunder hidden beneath silk:
Celestia:
"Ascension acknowledged.
Rewriting essence…
Elevating divinity…
Binding soul to the Pantheon."
The world stops.
A pulse of pure golden-white light bursts from Viktoria's chest—silent, smooth, bright enough to illuminate the entire office.
Her eyes widen—
Then close as tears slip down her cheeks.
Not sadness.
Rebirth.
Her consciousness deepens.
Her aura multiplies.
Her spirit expands beyond human comprehension.
Her presence becomes sharper, clearer, radiant—
intellect elevated to the divine plane.
Gia feels it.
She inhales softly.
Gia:
"…Welcome to divinity, Viktoria."
Viktoria opens her eyes.
They glow faintly—
not with power that overwhelms…
But power that understands everything.
Her intellect rises like a second heartbeat, faster, deeper, infinite.
She drops to one knee before Zumi without thinking.
A goddess kneeling before her king.
Viktoria (breathless):
"…I can feel everything…
patterns, logic, futures…
Zumi… my king…
thank you…"
Her voice breaks.
For the first time in her life—
she cries, not from weakness, but from ascension.
Across the Pantheon, every goddess receives:
[SYSTEM NOTICE:
Under the Divine King Zumi, Viktoria Volkov has ascended.
She is now:
⭐ GREATER GODDESS OF INTELLECT ⭐ ]
Bia.
Serafina.
Leafa.
Hina.
All of them pause and nod with understanding.
Another powerful woman joins their divine ranks.
A new tab appears:
⚜️ Pantheon Management Interface: UNLOCKED
Viktoria's panel shows:
Rank: Greater Goddess
Domain: Intellect
Loyalty: 100/100
Emotional Bond: Complete
Potential: Extreme (Eligible for Supreme upgrade later)
Viktoria rises slowly to her feet.
She is different now.
A goddess wearing the skin of an empress.
She steps close to Zumi…
Places her hand over her heart…
And whispers:
Viktoria:
"My mind, my loyalty, my ambition…
all belong to you now."
Viktoria:
"As your Greater Goddess of Intellect…
I will guide your empire…
and kneel only to you."
Gia smirks again, unable to hide her satisfaction.
Gia:
"She's perfect."
And Zumi?
He simply nods—
The quiet king of gods and mortals alike.
Viktoria remains standing before Zumi, her hands trembling slightly from the overwhelming surge of divine energy now flowing through her veins. Her eyes still glow faintly with that soft, impossible brilliance of intellect awakened.
But Zumi steps closer — only by a foot, but the gesture softens her posture instantly.
He lifts a hand, not to touch her, but to halt her instinct to kneel again.
His voice is warm. Solid.
The kind of voice that tells a goddess it's safe to breathe.
Zumi (calm):
"Viktoria… you don't have to bow to me every time you see me."
Her breath catches.
Zumi:
"You are a goddess now.
A leader.
A queen in your own right."
She gazes at him, stunned — not by what he said, but by the kindness in it. A man of his power could demand worship. He could demand obedience. He could demand she kneel indefinitely.
Instead…
He lifts her.
He honors her.
He respects her.
Her voice trembles softly:
Viktoria:
"…then when should I bow?"
Zumi's lips curl in a small, knowing smile.
Zumi:
"Only when your heart tells you to.
Not your position."
Her pulse jumps hard at that, her emotional bond deepening even further.
Gia smirks quietly; she's watched dozens of powerful women melt under Zumi's natural gravity… but Viktoria, with her new goddess intellect, is falling in a uniquely beautiful way — consciously, willingly, fully.
Zumi gestures to her red-black throne-like chair.
Zumi:
"Stand tall, Viktoria. In the eyes of the world, you remain the CEO you always were."
She straightens instinctively — posture regal, composed, absolute.
But her eyes soften with a newfound trust as she looks at him.
Zumi:
"With me… you don't have to be the Red Empress every moment.
You can relax.
You can breathe."
Her throat tightens.
No one has ever told her that before.
Power was always a mask she could never take off.
Now?
He lets her remove it.
Zumi turns his gaze toward Gia.
Zumi:
"Gia will acquire fifty percent of the remaining company shares."
Gia gives a crisp nod.
Gia:
"Already in motion."
Zumi:
"Once transferred, the official registry will list the new leadership."
He meets Viktoria's eyes — a divine king speaking to his newly ascended goddess.
Zumi:
"Put my name, Zumi Kogane, as CEO."
Her breath quickens.
Not because she is losing her position —
But because she understands the symbolism.
He isn't dethroning her.
He is aligning their thrones.
Zumi:
"And your name will remain as Co-CEO."
Viktoria nods immediately.
No hesitation.
No analysis needed.
Her divine intellect does not rebel — it aligns.
Viktoria:
"It will be done today."
Zumi's presence presses softly against her aura as he speaks:
Zumi:
"You will still run the company as you always have.
You will still lead your people.
You will still be their empress."
He steps closer — the distance between them now only inches.
Zumi:
"But now you do it beside me."
Her lips part.
Her heartbeat stutters.
This…
This is partnership on a cosmic scale.
Her voice is soft, reverent, not from fear but from love blooming where she never expected to feel it.
Viktoria:
"…Zumi… I will make the announcement.
And I will announce it proudly."
She places a hand over her heart.
Viktoria:
"And I will stand beside you — in the boardroom, in the city, and in your pantheon."
A faint glow pulses behind her eyes again —
a divine intellect accepting its place beside a divine king.
Gia exhales with a grin.
Gia:
"Welcome to the family, Viktoria."
Viktoria smiles — the rarest expression anyone has ever seen from her.
Viktoria:
"I'm honored."
But then she looks back at Zumi…
And her expression becomes something deeper.
Loose.
Warm.
Completely surrendered in spirit.
Viktoria:
"With you, Zumi…
I finally feel like I don't have to rule alone."
Zumi rests a hand lightly at her shoulder — the touch grounding, reassuring, claiming.
Zumi:
"You never will again."
Hours have passed.
Many hours.
The staff on the top floors of the Volkov Tower have been whispering nonstop:
"What are they discussing?"
"A merger? A takeover?"
"Why hasn't she come out yet?"
"Do we need to call security?"
Her bodyguards — the Scarlet Guard, her most elite protectors — stand posted in the hallway.
Veterans who have seen Viktoria tear down billionaires with a single conversation.
Soldiers who have watched her freeze oligarchs to silence with one glare.
None of them have ever known her to keep a stranger in her office for this long.
Tension is building.
And then—
The office door opens.
Everything stops.
Zumi walks out with the same quiet, unstoppable confidence he had when he arrived.
Not arrogant.
Not swaggering.
Just present.
A gravitational force in human form.
People feel it instantly.
Executives straighten their posture.
Assistants instinctively step aside.
Even the Scarlet Guards shift their stance, subtly widening their feet for grounding.
He doesn't even look at them.
Yet every single person feels seen by him anyway.
A few whisper:
"Who… is he?"
"That presence…"
"Feels like a king walking through."
Gia walks behind him, not beside him.
Not in front.
Behind.
Elegant, lethal, calm — a shadow who knows her master needs no protection and yet still watches every corner.
Her smile is small, smug, deeply satisfied.
She knows what just happened inside that office.
When the staff see her confident, knowing expression, the whispers increase:
"She knows him?"
"Is she his partner? His guard?"
"She looks like she's proud of what happened in there…"
Gia simply smirks.
She knows more than any of them ever will.
The door closes softly behind her.
And the Red Empress steps out.
But not the one they know.
Not the frost queen.
Not the distant CEO whose emotions are locked behind ten thousand walls.
Instead—
She looks calm.
Soft.
Warm.
Her expression isn't cold determination…
It's something close to serenity.
And then—
She looks at Zumi.
Everyone sees it.
Everyone.
Her eyes…
Her lips…
Her posture…
Everything about her says:
"I have fallen for him."
Completely.
Hopelessly.
Before the whole world.
The hallway goes dead silent.
A tension thicker than marble hangs in the air.
Her lead bodyguard, Anton—a stone-faced veteran who has guarded her for thirteen years—actually blinks twice, confused.
Anton's thoughts:
…She's never looked at a man like that.
Ever.
Not in all the years I've known her.
Her second guard, Yelena, covers her mouth to hide her shock.
Yelena (thinking):
That's… affection.
Actual affection.
Viktoria Volkov?
Our Viktoria?
Executives stare as though witnessing a celestial event.
Assistants freeze mid-step.
The receptionist nearly drops her tablet.
"She's smiling…?"
"No—she's glowing."
"Look at her… she's peaceful."
"What did he DO to her?"
"Who IS this man?"
"She's looking at him like… like he's her entire world."
"My god… the Red Empress is in love."
Someone mutters:
"Impossible… Viktoria doesn't DO love."
Another whispers:
"…looks like she does now."
These elite soldiers have faced bullets, blades, and global threats.
But nothing has ever shaken them like this.
Anton grips his earpiece, stunned.
Yelena actually takes a step back, whispering under her breath:
Yelena:
"…She's calm.
Our boss is calm.
Around a man."
Anton nods slowly.
Anton:
"This Zumi… he isn't just anyone."
Their loyalty to Viktoria is absolute — and that loyalty now begins extending to Zumi without even realizing it.
Because if Viktoria trusts him like this…
Then he must be someone beyond comprehension.
And this is what truly destroys the floor:
She walks slightly behind Zumi.
Not because she is submissive.
But because her body naturally aligns with his path, not hers.
It's instinctual.
Her presence, once sharp enough to command rooms effortlessly, now blends seamlessly with his, forming a single unified aura.
She is still powerful.
Still a leader.
Still a queen.
But now—
She is a queen walking behind her king.
The staff see it.
And they cannot believe it.
Right before they reach the elevator, Viktoria glances at Zumi.
Soft.
Devoted.
Her eyes full of a warmth she has never shown anyone.
Not her staff.
Not her guards.
Not her friends.
Not her rivals.
Not anyone.
The floor collectively gasps.
Anton nearly drops his firearm.
Anton (thinking):
Dear god… she's gone.
She's utterly, completely gone for him.
Gia glances at Viktoria, smirks, and whispers just loud enough for the closest guards to hear:
Gia:
"You'll be seeing a lot more of this."
The guards stare at her.
She simply lifts a brow:
Gia:
"He's not just her CEO now.
He's her King."
The hallway is silent.
Everyone is still staring — stunned by Viktoria's softened expression, the way she walks behind Zumi, the gentle warmth in her eyes.
But then…
Viktoria stops.
Right as Zumi reaches the elevator.
He turns when he feels her presence halt behind him.
Their eyes meet.
Something unspoken happens —
a pull, a gravity, a connection too deep for words.
And Viktoria—
The Red Empress, the Ice Queen, the unshakable ruler of the Volkov empire—
crosses the remaining distance and wraps her arms around Zumi.
This isn't a polite embrace.
This isn't a business gesture.
This isn't friendly.
This is a soul-level hug.
The kind of hug someone gives to a man she trusts with her life.
The kind of hug a woman gives a man she has fallen for completely.
The kind of hug that lingers in the skin, in the heart, in the breath…
Even after the bodies separate.
She presses her forehead into his chest.
Her arms tighten around him.
Her breath shivers against him.
Staff members gasp.
Her elite guards stare.
The receptionist covers her mouth.
Executives freeze mid-step.
This is Viktoria Volkov — hugging a man like she loves him.
Anton, her chief guard of 13 years, nearly drops his weapon.
Anton (internally):
She's… hugging him.
Viktoria is hugging him like—like he's the center of her world.
Yelena's eyes go wide, tears threatening from the shock.
Yelena:
"Oh my god…"
People can't look away.
The hug lasts far longer than a normal embrace.
Zumi doesn't pull away.
He wraps an arm around her waist, gently, reassuringly.
His other hand comes up to her back, steady and warm.
And Viktoria melts further into him.
This is the kind of hug that makes time slow.
A hug that makes everyone watching feel like they've intruded on something sacred.
Finally, Viktoria loosens her hold — but only slightly.
Zumi lifts a hand to her cheek, guiding her face upward.
She looks up at him with parted lips, breath trembling, eyes warm in a way no one has ever seen.
And then…
Zumi leans in and kisses her on the forehead.
The watching staff silently explode in disbelief.
Executives freeze like statues.
Her guards stare like they just witnessed a miracle.
Anton actually whispers:
Anton:
"…holy mother of—"
Yelena covers her mouth and squeals softly.
Assistants start whispering furiously:
"THAT WAS A FOREHEAD KISS!"
"HE KISSED THE RED EMPRESS!"
"SHE LET HIM!"
"NO—she wanted him to!"
"Viktoria Volkov is GONE for this man."
And Viktoria?
Her eyes close.
Her breath stops.
Her entire body leans into the kiss like she's been starving for affection all her life.
Even after he pulls away…
She can still feel it.
Her forehead tingles.
Her chest warms.
Her mind is silent.
She is undone.
Completely undone.