Before departure, Bokue boiled water and prepared three cups of tea.
He placed the tea on the office desk, then escorted Hasegawa Chisato to the Hero's Village—casually dropping one compressed spiritual energy bomb that leveled entire mountain ranges. Subsequently, they proceeded directly toward Vatican's divine realm entrance. Upon entry, immediate slaughter commenced. He tore through deities bare-handed throughout his advance until the entire highest heaven became blood-soaked ground. Even the supreme divine throne—sacred and inviolable to the Ancient Ten Gods—received one punch, transforming it into a squatting-style latrine. After rescuing Raphaeline from her sealing and completing the full circuit back to Saikai Academy's infirmary—the tea remained almost too hot to touch.
Fifteen minutes remained before first afternoon period concluded.
"Simpler than anticipated."
Magnetic brilliance flashed briefly through the silent, empty infirmary. Emerging from that radiance, Bokue cradled one quietly-slumbering young blonde woman while Hasegawa Chisato accompanied him.
While delivering casual commentary, Bokue carried the sleeping blonde toward the infirmary's interior rest area—gently positioning her on bedding.
Subsequently, with slight delayed awareness, he glanced toward the black-haired school nurse who'd just followed him into the compartment.
"We didn't rescue the wrong person, right?"
"...No."
Hasegawa Chisato shook her head. Her gaze settled quietly upon that figure occupying the bed—intimately familiar beyond measure.
"I couldn't mistake her aura. This is definitely my sister, Raphaeline... formerly one of the Ancient Ten Gods."
Correct—"formerly."
Since her divine realm departure, the remaining Ten Gods had placed Raphaeline under house arrest to prevent direct defection—essentially using her as hostage.
Though currently, such matters had become irrelevant. Like the universe's temporal river witnessing endless stellar births and extinctions, this world's pantheon systems equally numbered in thousands upon thousands.
Today's so-called Ten Gods had thoroughly transformed into past tense.
She'd witnessed Bokue personally invading the divine realm. His dual fists shattered heaven and earth. Those once-lofty Ancient Ten Gods proved as fragile as teetering scarecrows within the young man's grasp—effortlessly torn into scattered pieces, their blood saturating every inch of divine territory like ink.
"Alright... what comes next?"
Observing the still-unconscious Raphaeline on bedding, Bokue scratched his cheek.
As Hasegawa Chisato's sister, Raphaeline possessed equally exquisite beauty. Her dazzling golden hair matched Chisato's divine power activation state perfectly. Her facial lines radiated even gentler, more graceful contours. She wore a holy maiden's crown featuring angel wings cast on both sides. Long elven ears ensured that even during slumber, she continuously radiated flawless, sacred brilliance—fully deserving her goddess designation.
Except... regarding developmental proportions, she genuinely lagged behind Hasegawa Chisato somewhat.
Though considering their "Ancient Ten Gods" designation probably meant each possessed five-digit ages minimum—growth potential had likely exhausted itself completely long ago.
This realization carried inevitable disappointment.
"This is... I see. Currently, Nee-san's power remains sealed."
Hasegawa Chisato advanced, grasping the slumbering blonde's fingertips before comprehending circumstances immediately.
"Apparently, the remaining Ancient Ten Gods—to prevent Nee-san from developing defection intentions—not only restricted her physical freedom but sealed her powers simultaneously... We must remove the seal suppressing Nee-san's strength. Once power restoration occurs, she'll awaken."
"Understood."
Bokue nodded gently before receiving Raphaeline's delicate hand from the school nurse—gripping it softly within his palm.
Previously, carrying her while armor remained intact had generated minimal sensations. Except after removing her gauntlets, establishing direct fingertip-to-palm contact revealed obvious chill radiating from within.
Obviously, power sealing had generated extreme bodily weakness—like Chinese martial arts novels describing blocked meridians preventing energy circulation.
Given such circumstances, reverse flow infusion became necessary.
The Ten Gods' collective seal possessed formidable strength admittedly. Though in Bokue's perspective, it differed negligibly from tissue paper.
After all, he'd torn through the Ten Gods themselves as easily as rotisserie chickens—let alone their sealing techniques.
Hummm—
Five fingers connected. Instantaneously, warmth approaching searing intensity surged from the young man's fingertips into Raphaeline's interior—racing along blood vessels and meridians with torrential momentum. Wherever this force passed resembled scalding hot springs erupting from volcanic crevices, washing across snow-covered mountains—dissolving accumulated snow naturally, clearing pathways effortlessly.
"Mm..."
As seals throughout Raphaeline's interior shattered completely, golden divine power radiance suddenly expanded outward—using her body as epicenter. Golden brilliance suffused her hair, generating instant vivid animation. Dazzling golden light permeated atmospheric layers through hair strands—as if divine flames ascended from her form.
Simultaneously, the previously-comatose golden-haired sleeping beauty—who'd remained unresponsive since seal extraction—parted her cherry lips fractionally. Indistinct murmurs emerged from between teeth.
Then she gradually opened her eyes.
"Afureia...? Plus, you are..."
"Nee-san!"
Before Raphaeline could complete her awakening's first sentence, Hasegawa Chisato—waiting bedside throughout—lunged forward directly. The momentum even displaced the young man slightly—who'd been infusing power while clearing residual sealing traces. She embraced the bed's golden-haired woman firmly.
"Forgive me for keeping you waiting so long..."
"Afureia..."
Though circumstances remained unclear, encountering her sister here prompted Raphaeline to disregard other concerns. Gentle smiles curved her lips while one hand stroked her sister's back tenderly.
"This sensation... mm, this location exists beyond the divine realm, correct? Since I'm present here, that confirms your success, Afureia. Naturally, that means you must be..."
She redirected her gaze toward the young man equally positioned bedside. Her eyes—previously bewildered upon awakening—now radiated considerable comprehension.
Correct. Only one individual across this world possessed both capability and willingness executing such feats: the young man their sisters had deliberately protected years ago—accepting one's exile plus another's sealing as payment.
"Bokue Keikain. Just call me Bokue."
Bokue deployed his familiar introductory script before supplementing one additional statement.
"Simultaneously, your sister's... husband."
"Mm~"
As continuous power infusion progressed, Raphaeline's complexion grew increasingly rosy—gradually recovering healthy conditions. She'd even achieved sufficient mood for joking.
"I see. Never anticipated the child our sisters decided protecting years ago would successfully claim our Afureia. How wonderful~"
"Nee-san..."
Raphaeline's statement barely concluded when Hasegawa Chisato—previously draped across her—suddenly lifted her head. Though tears of emotion reddened her eyes fractionally, her features now displayed subtly mysterious smiles.
"No worries, Nee-san. Going forward, Bokue will become your man as well."
"...Eh?"
<><><><><>
~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)