The tension in the room shifted from mystical to downright chaotic. Toya was vibrating with excitement, ready for his turn to summon, but Aeterna stepped forward, her tiny hand raised like a royal decree.
"Wait," she said, her voice small but commanding. "We aren't finished. Haruto hasn't officially given me the position of his daughter yet."
Haruto stared at her, completely baffled. "Are you crazy? You need a mother for that. Who's your mom supposed to be?"
The words hit the room like a flashbang. Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra all turned beet-red, their eyes darting away as they shared a moment of intense, awkward blushing. The idea of being the "mother" to the Origin's "father" was a mental load their systems weren't prepared for.
Aeterna rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Have you never heard of adoption, Papa?"
"This is so cringey!" Haruto groaned, rubbing his temples.
"It's the most overused cliche in my life. I'm not doing it."
Aeterna's expression went flat. The playful light in her eyes vanished, replaced by the cold, calculating gaze of the Empress.
"This isn't a suggestion. It's the final part of our deal. You want the Void Reaper at full power? You want the command? Then you accept the bond. It's 'Yes' or 'No'. There is no middle ground."
Haruto tried to negotiate. "Look, can you at least turn back into your older form? That one was badass. This kid version is just making everything complicated."
"Yes or No, Papa," she repeated, ignoring his plea.
Toya grabbed Haruto's arm, looking like he was about to cry.
"Bro, please! Just say yes! If you don't finish your contract, I can't start mine. Lilith and Vane are going to wake up any minute and find us here. I need a weapon spirit or I'm dead meat in the next zone. Just be a dad for the sake of the team!"
Haruto felt the walls closing in. The Goddesses were silent, Toya was begging, and Aeterna was staring him down with the weight of the Abyss.
Asobi whispered from the side, "Do what your heart tells you, Haruto."
Haruto scoffed internally. "In a game, you don't listen to your heart. You listen to your brain. And my brain says that without this girl, I'm just a Level 4 scrub with a fancy sword."
"Fine!" Haruto yelled, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Fine! You're my daughter. Whatever! But what am I supposed to tell people? How do I explain a white-haired nuke following me around calling me 'Papa'?"
Aeterna's face lit up with a triumphant, dazzling smile. She skipped over and grabbed his hand, her tiny fingers locking with his.
Aeterna stood there, looking like a literal angel in her white and red dress, but her words were like a permanent debuff to Haruto's social life.
"It's perfect, Papa," she said, her voice dripping with artificial innocence. "Whenever we meet anyone—kings, gods, or monsters—I'll just look up at them and tell them clearly: 'I am Haruto's daughter.'"
The atmosphere in the room turned from mystical to borderline toxic. The initial "Aww" had long since evaporated, replaced by a heavy, soul-crushing frustration.
Ivory and Bellona turned their heads slowly, their glares locking onto Lustra like heat-seeking missiles. The room was thick with the silent realization that they were now stuck in a "Family Roleplay" because of her big mouth.
"Lustra..." Ivory whispered, her voice dangerously calm,
"remind me again... why did you think this was a good idea?"
Lustra started sweating, waving her hands defensively as she backed away.
"I-I just thought it was a deep bond! I didn't think she'd actually commit to the bit this hard! Don't look at me like that!"
Haruto felt like his brain was about to overheat. In his mind, he was already calculating the "Social Reputation" penalty he was going to take once they left this mansion. He desperately wanted to jump back in time—to hit the 'Undo' button or reload the movement before Lustra ever opened her mouth.
"Can we just... stop?" Haruto pleaded, stepping toward Aeterna to try and hush her. He wanted to physically cover her mouth before she could say "Papa" one more time. "Look, the contract is signed. We're partners. Can we just go back to the 'Empress and Warrior' vibe? Please?"
Aeterna just giggled and dodged his hand with a quick, playful step. "Too late, Papa! The Soul-Bond has already registered the title. You can't delete a family connection now."
Toya's patience had finally reached its absolute limit. He was watching this "Father-Daughter" drama unfold like a glitch in the system that just wouldn't resolve. "Enough already! I didn't come here to watch a family reunion!" he groaned.
Knowing full well that touching the Empress was a death wish, but too frustrated to care, he scooped up the mini-Aeterna. Before she could even process the disrespect, he dumped her straight into Haruto's arms like he was passing off a live grenade.
Haruto went completely blank. His brain stalled as Aeterna, instead of vaporizing Toya, suddenly clung to Haruto, hugging him tightly. Haruto tried to set her down, but Toya gave him a pleading look that said, "Bro, just hold her for five minutes so I can get my power-up!"
Toya then turned to Ivory, practically dropping to his knees in a "beggar-style" plea. "Please! I'm begging you! It's finally my turn! Make me a legend!"
Ivory sighed, summoning the Logos Staff back into her hand.
"Fine, fine. Come here before I lose my mind."
Aeterna peeked over Haruto's shoulder and chirped, "All the best, Human!"
Haruto immediately shushed her.
"His name is Toya! He's my best friend, so show some respect."
Toya stood in the center of the hall. Ivory struck the floor with her staff, drawing the familiar glowing magic circle, but this time the hum of energy was deeper, more violent.
"Toya," Ivory said, her voice dropping all traces of humor.
"Are you ready for extreme physical pain?"
Toya gulped but nodded firmly. "I am."
"Listen to me," Ivory continued.
"You just survived a Level 60 Mana Fever. That was a brutal trial, but it means your physical endurance is now high enough to anchor a spirit. Your body can take the strain... but please, for the love of the Gods, don't die."
Aeterna looked at Ivory with a bored expression, her tiny hand resting on Haruto's shoulder.
"Pain? Death? Why are you humans always so dramatic about such small things?"
Ivory snapped, "Shh! Aeterna, this is a delicate process!"
Toya groaned, "Oh, here we go again."
Aeterna ignored Ivory's warning and smirked.
"I can summon a spirit for Toya that is far beyond his current caliber."
Ivory froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "That's impossible. Asobi, tell her!"
Asobi nodded solemnly. "It is a fundamental law. A human cannot possess a spirit that exceeds their internal caliber. Their souls would simply shatter."
"Is that so?" Aeterna giggled, snuggling closer into Haruto's arms.
"Then explain how Papa summoned me. Mana is defined by two things: Quantity and Quality. My Papa doesn't have high-tier ' Quantity' mana—he's just a normal guy—but his Quality is lovely. It's unhuman. That's why I only take 50% for a Void move. Usually, my final move costs 90% of a master's mana, but Papa is a special case."
Haruto stared at her, half-impressed and half-confused, while the Goddesses looked stunned. The logic was sound, even if it broke the conventional rules of the world.
Ivory admitted,
"Okay, the mana theory makes sense. But forcing a high-caliber spirit into a low-caliber body? I've never heard of that being done without the human dying."
Snap!
Aeterna flicked her fingers. Suddenly, the magic circle Ivory had drawn was instantly overwritten. A complex, geometric pattern of pitch-black and neon-violet lines erupted beneath Toya's feet. It was ten times more intricate and powerful than anything Ivory had ever seen.
"Just stand still, Human," Aeterna commanded.
Toya looked at the ground in awe. Ivory slowly let her staff vanish, realizing she was outclassed. She looked at Aeterna with deep suspicion.
"How can you be so sure he won't die? Pushing a human during an awakening is the most common cause of death."
Aeterna looked back at Ivory, her eyes cold and ancient.
"That is the difference between us, Ivory. You Goddesses merely 'summon' spirits from the existing world. I? I produce them. I am the Source. I don't find a weapon for the man—I create the weapon for the soul."
The room went dark. Aeterna whispered a command in a language that sounded like static. The ground beneath Toya began to liquefy into black ink.
"Because you are Papa's best friend," Aeterna said to Toya, "I'll give you a boost. Not because I like you, but because Papa wouldn't like it if you were weak."
Lustra and Bellona watched in silence, their hearts racing. They were witnessing something that defied the laws of the Heavens.