Snow-capped peaks surrounded a tranquil valley where streams murmured softly beneath blooming cherry trees.
Amid that breathtaking scenery, a seven-story pagoda rose tall and proud.
Yet when Takumi stepped inside, the structure trembled—and collapsed entirely with a thunderous crash.
With no choice, he rebuilt the foundation from scratch, dividing the tower into two smaller ones: a three-story pagoda and a four-story pagoda standing side by side. The new base proved far more stable; no matter how many times Takumi entered or exited, they swayed slightly but never fell again.
Still, the road had an end. When the pagodas were filled one after another, they inevitably crumbled once more. (T/N: I won't make a R18 scene of this, I apologize in advance :)
Amid the collapse's glittering dust and fading light, Takumi saw the Divine Bird Egg glowing faintly, its shell covered in cracks.
"It seems the egg is finally about to hatch."
At his words, the exhausted girls turned their eyes toward it. Eve struggled to her feet, spreading her wings over Takumi's back for support.
"It's a child born from your magic and your heart… I wonder what it will be like."
Takumi shook his head lightly. "It didn't just absorb my magic and spirit—it absorbed everyone's."
He ran a hand along the slick, damp shell.
The words made all the girls freeze. Then, one by one, their faces flushed crimson and their hearts began to race.
"So… that means this is our child with Takumi-sama?!" x7
"…More or less."
Seeing their sudden excitement, Takumi blinked dumbly and nodded.
The next instant, the exhausted women came back to life as if reborn. Setsuna, her face bright red, wagged her tail while gently stroking her still-flat stomach.
"I'm so happy! Even if I couldn't bear a real child, at least I get to fulfill that dream this way. But next time, I'll work hard to give birth to the real one!"
Lapiz clapped her hands cheerfully. "A child of the Hero-sama~ I want one too!"
Kureha brushed a hand over her chest, her tone soft and teasing. "Does the child… need any more nurturing~?"
Anna stared at the egg dreamily. "Our child, Takumi-kun~~"
Eve folded her arms, trying to sound composed even as her ears reddened. "I don't think it's my child with Takumi-sama, but since it's part of our family, I'll help take care of it… That's all."
Flare pressed her flushed cheeks, her voice melting with affection. "This is the crystallization of my love with Master. Hearing that only makes me want to cherish it even more~"
Even Norn sighed, gently holding Takumi's hand as she looked down at the egg. "My feelings are… complicated. I'm glad to have a child with Takumi-sama, but it's obvious I contributed the least mana, so my share's the smallest..."
Under their collective anticipation, the shell finally cracked open.
From within leapt a small pink fox—and it jumped straight into Takumi's arms.
"..."
A Divine Bird Egg… giving birth to a fox.
That surreal sight hit Takumi like a hammer to the skull. After a long pause, watching the girls crowd around the little creature, he simply sighed.
"In this world, I guess anything can happen."
"What an incredible creature… What kind of monster is it?"
"Setsuna knew it was a fox the moment she saw it! Definitely the child of Setsuna and Takumi-sama!"
"It's everyone's child!"
"Let me hold her!"
"Me too, me too!"
The commotion grew louder as Takumi activated the Jade Eye to inspect the newborn's attributes.
[Name: Undecided]
[Race: Platinum One-Tailed Guren Fox]
[Rank: Divine Beast]
[Level: 30 (Intermediate)]
[Traits: Divine Beast's Child (Purple), Guren Flame (Purple), Purification Power (Purple), Shapeshifting (Blue)]
[Divine Beast's Child (Purple): A divine beast born from the combined mana of many, possessing extraordinary potential.]
[Guren Flame (Purple): Innately controls fire, capable of unleashing the ultimate flame that burns all.]
[Purification Power (Purple): Holds the ability to cleanse all corruption and evil.]
[Shapeshifting (Blue): Can freely change into various forms by nature.]
"Level thirty right from birth, huh? Guess my mana didn't go to waste. These traits are amazing… I have to farm at least one of them."
He gently examined the fox in his arms. "It's female. Perfect."
He nodded in satisfaction and set her down. Had it been a male, he would've ended it instantly. But a female? That meant he could keep her alive—and slowly draw out all her traits later.
"[Master–Servant Contract]!"
Even if she was his own offspring, a Divine Beast needed to be bound for safety. After forming the contract, Takumi handed her over to the girls.
"Fururuuu~"
The fox purred contentedly, oblivious that she'd nearly been killed moments ago. As she nestled against Flare's soft chest, Flare smiled tenderly.
"Takumi-sama, what should we name her?"
"Hm… 'Little Red'... yeah, no."
The fox's ears twitched sharply, and she gave him a wounded glare. Takumi chuckled, quickly changing his tone.
After a moment of thought, he looked at her traits and decided: "She can command the flames of crimson lotus… Let's name her Guren."
Though the name came to him casually, the girls all found it beautiful. And the little fox—clearly relieved not to be called Little Red—happily accepted her new name.
Within moments, Guren curled up and drifted into a peaceful slumber. Her fluffy paws kneaded the air, her tiny body warm and relaxed.
Watching her sleep so soundly, Takumi didn't disturb her. He just eyed her trait list once more.
"Shapeshifting, huh? So she'll probably be able to take human form. Well, she just arrived in this world—I'll let her rest for now. The trait farming can wait."
He cast her a knowing smile before checking his World-Crossing Gate progress.
[World-Crossing Gate: 90%]
"Almost full already. Nice."
In high spirits, Takumi changed clothes and stepped out of the Interdimensional Realm. Under the night sky, he inhaled the cool breeze and smiled faintly.
"Haa~ After that whole rush, a good night's sleep sounds perfect."
Though his stamina remained boundless, he had spent plenty of energy earlier. "After some rest, I'll help Mio break her limit next. That should go much smoother."
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a strange sensation stirred within him—A pulse from the [Love Curse] trait.
A "love radar," of sorts. Like a side channel to the [Master–Servant Contract], it let him sense the emotions and whereabouts of those tied to him—and if any of them were in danger, his heart would instinctively tighten in alarm.
...
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