[Zaelum: The raw only have like 4 more chapters than now, so don't sub if you want more chapters of this fic, as the author don't have them yet xD]
"Two hours?"
"Again?!"
Zyhark was taken aback at first, then his spirits lifted.
With the prior experience from Yukinoshita Yukino, he knew time was tight, and he understood what a girl who had just arrived in another world, lost and helpless, needed most at this moment.
It wasn't coercion, but space to choose and a hope that sounded reasonable.
Zyhark didn't rush out to search aimlessly; instead, he gathered his thoughts, and walked out of the room at an easy pace.
Sure enough.
At the end of the plush-carpeted corridor of the luxury inn, near the window's shadow, he saw a girl curled up there.
Shiina Mahiru sat on the floor hugging her knees, her damp linen-blonde hair hanging loose.
She buried her face deep in the crook of her arms.
Her still-dripping, thin school uniform made her look like a kitten abandoned in the rain.
Helpless, yet stubborn.
She hadn't gone far.
Perhaps because there was nowhere to go.
Or perhaps because she was waiting for something.
Seeing this, Zyhark didn't approach immediately.
He kept a few steps of distance, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall.
He spoke in the calmest voice he could manage, breaking the silence:
"Have you calmed down?"
Shiina Mahiru's shoulders twitched slightly, but she didn't raise her head, nor did she speak.
"I know,"
Zyhark continued, his voice no longer bearing the aloofness of a god as before, but tinged with understanding—and a hint of coaxing:
"being suddenly brought to a completely unfamiliar world—it's normal to feel fear and rejection."
"But, Mahiru, think of it from another angle—this might also be an opportunity."
"An opportunity…"
"to say a complete farewell to that suffocating life."
"To say goodbye to those who don't cherish you and only hurt you."
Zyhark deliberately pressed on the pain point in her heart:
"In this world,"
"no one knows your past."
"No one will measure you against 'someone else's perfect child' or the standard of a 'flawless angel.'"
"You can put down every mask and simply be yourself."
Shiina Mahiru's arms tightened around her knees for a moment.
"Joining my [Familia] isn't merely becoming my servant."
"It means you will receive power beyond the mortal—[Falna of the Gods]."
"It can draw out your potential."
"Let you have the strength to protect yourself, and even explore this vast and wondrous other world."
"You can become strong, no longer fragile and easy to bully."
He paused— and threw out the most tempting chip:
"Also, as our [Familia] grows…"
"when I recover more of my power, traveling between worlds won't be impossible."
"When that time comes, if you want to go back for a look, or… to put some things to rest,"
"we might find a way."
These words, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sent ripples across Mahiru's heart.
Farewell to the past…
Gain strength…
A new beginning…
And perhaps…
a chance to return?
She still didn't lift her head, but Zyhark could feel she was thinking seriously.
Silence settled over the corridor; only Orario's distant bustle drifted in through the window.
After a long while, Shiina Mahiru finally raised her head.
Those caramel eyes still held a damp sheen and a faint flush.
Most of the confusion and resistance had faded.
What replaced them was— a cool weighing of pros and cons, and a trace of burn-the-boats resolve.
She looked up at Zyhark, her voice a little hoarse:
"Can you… promise not to force me to do anything I don't want to do?"
"And… what you said about power and future possibilities…"
"I swear it in the name of a god,"
Zyhark inclined his head slightly, expression solemn:
"respecting your will is my basic principle as a main god."
"As for power and the future—that's what we must strive for together."
Shiina Mahiru looked deeply at him, as if to verify the truth in his words.
A few seconds later, she gave the faintest nod and said, almost inaudibly:
"…I understand."
"I'm… willing to join your [Familia]."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations on completing the limited-time task!]
[Reward: Crossover Heroine Summon Card ×1, delivered to System Space.]
A stone dropped from Zyhark's heart; a genuine smile touched his lips:
"Welcome, Mahiru."
…
Back in the warm room,
Zyhark began explaining the details of the [Falna] to Shiina Mahiru.
"The so-called [Falna of the Gods]"
"is me using 'divine blood' as the primer, to inscribe sacred script on your back."
"It draws out your potential—strength, speed, endurance, magic, and so on—"
"all presented as data."
"It lets you see your growth, and by accumulating 〖Deeds〗 you can raise those numbers."
"When you break through level barriers, your strength undergoes a qualitative leap."
"Simply put, it's the foundation for growing strong and standing firm in this world."
Shiina Mahiru listened quietly.
Smart as she was, she quickly grasped the core meaning of [Falna]: a controllable, visualized path of evolution.
Her fear of the unknown in this strange world lessened quite a bit.
At least… she now had a clear direction to move toward.
"Well then."
"Let's form the contract now."
As Zyhark spoke, he took out a special silver needle:
"I need you to… remove your top and lie on your stomach."
At those words, Shiina Mahiru's body went rigid; the easing expression on her face tightened again.
Her caramel eyes flashed wary—full of "so it is" and "ulterior motives."
She stepped back half a pace on reflex, hands guarding her chest, her tone laced with reined-in shame and frosty sarcasm:
"So… this is your true aim?"
"Using 'Falna' and 'contract' as a pretext to do something so… improper."
"As expected."
"Regardless of the world, men's thinking is ruled by hormones like primitive creatures. Utterly disappointing."
Looking at her—like a startled fawn trying to act composed—
Zyhark felt both amused and helpless.
He sighed, and did his best to make his expression look impeccably upright:
"Hey now, don't think so ill of me."
"This is a necessary rite—every [Familia] member goes through it, male or female."
"To inscribe the [Falna], I need direct contact with the back's skin."
"That way my 'divine blood' can merge effectively and activate your potential."
"If I really meant you harm, with my power, would I need a roundabout excuse like this?"
He tapped his own face, half-joking:
"Besides—does this face look like it needs trickery?"
Mahiru stared into his eyes, as if judging the truth of his words.
She glanced again at his admittedly flawless, handsome features.
After a long struggle between reason and embarrassment, reason won out.
She turned her back.
With faintly trembling fingers, she began unbuttoning her rain-soaked uniform.
The wet jacket and blouse slipped away, revealing smooth, pale skin of her back.
Because of the chill and nerves, her skin pebbled with gooseflesh; her shoulder blades traced a delicate, fragile line.
She quickly lay down on the soft, wide bed, burying her face in the pillow, leaving only that jade-smooth, graceful back toward Zyhark.
Her linen hair spread in disarray upon the pillow.
Zyhark gave a tiny shake of the head, reined in his thoughts, and looked no more.
He took up the silver needle, pricked his fingertip carefully; a drop of god-power-laced blood welled up.
He leaned over, and let his "divine blood" fall upon that faintly trembling, alabaster skin.
Vmm—
Phosphorescence flickered.
A ripple like spatial waves spread across her back.
Profound sacred letters and a personalized demon sigil surfaced at once.
As the "divine blood" merged into her body, her parameters came into crisp relief:
…
Shiina Mahiru
Lv.1
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
〖Development Ability〗
〖Magic〗
[Angel Descent]
· Light attribute.
· Additional magic.
· Increases offense, defense, speed; boosts reaction time and perception; grants short-distance flight.
· Chant: "—Remove the mask, and grant me the power of light."
[Yata Light Orbs]
· Quick-cast magic.
· Automatically tracks and homes on targets.
· No chanting required.
〖Skills〗
[Chef of Comfort]
· Food you cook carries restorative effects; slightly restores mental strength and mana.
[Fallen Angel]
· Freely activated.
· Guarantees collapse into unconsciousness after use.
· Transcendent amplification of mana and psyche.
· Huge boost to all ability values.
…
"Two magics, two skills… and they're light attribute plus practical support…"
"And another extremely rare 'Additional Magic,' huh?"
Gazing at the panel, Zyhark marveled inwardly.
The practicality of the magics and the potential of the skills were in no way inferior to Yukino's!
[Yata Light Orbs] with auto-tracking and no chanting was a bona fide godsend.
[Chef of Comfort] was a divine skill for daily life and team logistics.
[Fallen Angel] had a huge downside, yes—but in a pinch, an absolute game-changer!
Zyhark took out parchment and made a full rubbing of the data, nthen handed it to Mahiru, who had sat up and wrapped herself in the quilt again.
"Mahiru, your potential is remarkable,"
Zyhark said with heartfelt admiration:
"Light magic, auto-tracking, and a skill to make restorative food…"
"You're a natural-born talent for support and ranged combat!"
"Of course,"
"you won't be shabby up close, either."
Mahiru accepted the parchment and studied the detailed numbers.
Surprise flickered through her caramel eyes, but serenity soon returned.
She seemed not overly excited by her abilities—only gave a small nod:
"I… will make good use of this power."
"All right, the rite's done."
"Go take a hot bath first—wearing wet clothes will make you sick."
Zyhark reminded her:
"There are clean bath towels in the bathroom."
Only then did Mahiru remember she was still in a soaked uniform.
Her cheeks tinged pink; she murmured a soft "thank you," then hurried into the bathroom with a towel.
After quite a while, the sound of water stopped.
A moment later, the bathroom door eased open.
Zyhark looked over at the sound—and his breath hitched.
Mahiru stepped out wrapped in a white bath towel.
The towel only barely covered to her upper thighs, exposing rounded fragrant shoulders and a fine collarbone, and a pair of straight, even, alabaster legs.
Her linen hair hung damp down her back, the tips still dripping.
With the warmth of the water, her already fair skin was suffused with a faint pink, like the soft blush of sakura mochi—utterly delectable to the eye.
Even wrapped in a towel, one could still see the petite yet excellently proportioned lines beneath.
Especially the far fuller rise at her chest than Yukino's— tracing a breathtaking curve under the towel.
"D-Don't stare…"
She seemed a little shy, head lowered, hands nervously clutching the edge of the towel at her chest.
Those caramel eyes were misted with steam; she snuck a glance at Zyhark— then looked away at once, cheeks flushed like ripe apples.
Zyhark felt his heartbeat skip several beats.
He forced his gaze aside and coughed twice:
"Um…"
"why don't you borrow my shirt for now?"
"I'll have the inn staff dry your wet clothes."
Zyhark couldn't help grumbling inwardly:
"Is the System… doing precision drops?"
"One ice-type poison-tongued queen, one light-type angelic drenched chick…"
"This [Familia] is going to be lively."
...
…
(End of Chapter)
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