In the underground workshop of the Tohsaka family, faint magical lights illuminated a room filled with various tools, mana crystals, and magic circles engraved across the floor and walls.
The air there felt warm from the continuous flow of mana, moving gently like the faint breathing of an ancient machine that never truly stopped working.
On a long sofa, Ishtar sat casually with her legs crossed and her arms folded under her chest. Her blood-red gaze was fixed on Kuro, who stood not far in front of her.
"What I'm teaching you is charm magic," Ishtar said in a calm, teacher-like tone. "A magic that allows you to make anything in this world submit to your will."
She lifted her chin slightly.
"Including the World Texture."
The atmosphere in the workshop subtly shifted at that term. The mana in the air rippled faintly, as if the room itself reacted to the concept being spoken.
"In other words…" Ishtar continued, narrowing her eyes, "I'm teaching you how to utilize your Divinity."
The corner of her lips curled slightly.
"Even if you could be called nothing more than a failed god, a god is still a god."
Kuro only smiled faintly at the insult, delivered far too casually.
And as usual, Ishtar continued without caring about his reaction.
"On top of that, your charm itself already far surpasses that of ordinary humans."
Her crimson gaze briefly swept over Kuro's body before she clicked her tongue lightly.
"So you're actually quite suited for this."
However, a few seconds later, her tone turned slightly more serious.
"Still, control is the most important thing."
In front of Kuro, several small gemstones began to float gently in the air.
Thin strands of mana flowed from Ishtar's fingertips like nearly invisible threads of light. Her movements were soft and elegant—far more like someone crafting art than performing Magecraft.
Slowly, the gemstones began to move.
Fragments of crystal merged together with extraordinary precision.
Petal by petal formed silently in the air, like a flower blooming on the surface of a still lake.
There was no large mana explosion.
No flashy effects.
Only extremely delicate, near-perfect control.
Eventually, a crystal lotus flower formed completely, hovering in front of Kuro.
Every detail was intricately precise, its reflections so vivid it looked like a real flower blooming under sunlight.
Silence filled the workshop for several seconds.
Then Ishtar's brow twitched slightly.
"…Hoh."
Her tone carried mild surprise.
She had only demonstrated it once.
Yet Kuro reproduced it almost flawlessly. The result was too perfect to be considered a first attempt.
Kuro stared at the crystal lotus for a moment before calmly lowering all remaining floating gems onto the table.
"A mana control level like this is easy," he said calmly. "I've mastered it a long time ago."
Ishtar clicked her tongue.
"You really are a strange monster."
Even though her tone sounded annoyed, the corner of her lips lifted slightly. She seemed satisfied with the result, though her pride as a teacher refused to admit it openly.
"And don't get arrogant," she continued, crossing her arms. "People like that are usually the first to fall."
She closed her eyes briefly before speaking again.
"Repeat it. One hundred times. Only then will I believe you've truly mastered it."
Kuro only gave a faint smile before once again controlling the surrounding mana.
Dozens of crystal gems floated into the air again, slowly spinning under his control.
Soft light particles spread through the workshop, making the underground room look as if it were filled with drifting transparent fireflies.
Several minutes passed in comfortable silence.
Then, without stopping his control, Kuro suddenly spoke.
"Hey."
Ishtar opened one eye slightly.
"What."
"That contract proposal for additional mana…" Kuro casually glanced at her. "Is it still valid?"
The movement of the floating gems paused for a fraction of a second.
Ishtar slowly opened both eyes and stared at him flatly.
"…You're still talking about that?"
"Maintaining a Divine Spirit requires a significant amount of mana," Kuro replied calmly. "Even with a human vessel."
Ishtar narrowed her eyes. "You think I'll just accept because you said so?"
"Not exactly." Kuro shrugged lightly. "I'm just offering an efficient solution."
"Hmph." Ishtar turned her face away, crossing her legs again. "Humans usually use 'efficiency' as an excuse to hide their intentions."
"What if I say there are no other intentions?"
"That makes it even more suspicious."
Kuro chuckled softly at her quick reply. Meanwhile, Ishtar stole a glance at the crystal lotus on the table, still radiating stable mana without the slightest instability.
"…Annoying," she muttered quietly.
Of course she knew he was right.
Even with Rin's extremely high compatibility, a Divine Spirit's manifestation still consumed a massive amount of energy—something nearly impossible to sustain in an era where Mystery had thinned like a dried river.
And on the other hand, Kuro himself was absurd. His mana quality was too high for a human. Warm. Dense. Stable. That was what made him both annoying… and useful.
"Tch."
Ishtar turned her face away, arms still crossed tightly, as if trying to preserve the last bit of dignity she had left.
"You're a really stubborn human."
A few seconds of silence filled the workshop.
Finally, Ishtar let out a long sigh, as if surrendering to temptation that had been right in front of her all along.
"Fine." Her blood-red gaze returned to Kuro. "We make a contract."
But before Kuro could respond, Ishtar raised a finger and pointed at him.
"But I have conditions." A proud, goddess-like smile formed on her beautiful face. "You must spoil me and serve me wholeheartedly."
She lifted her chin proudly, as if this were the most natural demand for an existence like hers.
"High-quality gemstone offerings and that tea must also be provided every day."
Kuro paused for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh. "Quite an expensive contract."
"Of course." Ishtar crossed her arms. "I am a goddess."
A faint smile returned to Kuro's face. "But worth it for a goddess like you."
As soon as those words were spoken, all floating gemstones slowly descended and neatly arranged themselves on the workshop table.
Their multicolored glow filled the underground room like a sea of small stars scattered beneath the earth.
On the other side, Ishtar slowly stood up from the sofa. She walked forward calmly until she stood directly in front of Kuro.
The distance between them was close.
Kuro raised his right hand, palm open toward Ishtar.
"Declaration." His voice turned far calmer than usual. "Let me possess you. Let my fate rest at the edge of your spear."
Silence filled the workshop.
Slowly, mana particles began flowing out of Kuro's body like fireflies in the night.
"With the name Kuro Tokito…" he continued softly. "If my will does not oppose yours, then answer me."
His crimson gaze met Ishtar's directly.
"Are you willing to place my destiny in your hands?"
Ishtar remained silent for several seconds. Her blood-red eyes narrowed slightly, as if evaluating something even she did not fully understand.
(Note: The MC has two names—his past identity as Cain Ainsworth, sealed away by the system, and his present identity as Kuro Tokito. It is natural for Ishtar to be confused.)
Then slowly, she raised her right hand and placed her palm against his.
"With the name Ishtar."
Her divine aura gently radiated outward—soft yet majestic, like a star-filled night sky.
"Goddess of Venus," her lips curled slightly. "I swear."
Instantly, magical energy surged between them.
Soft mana light enveloped Ishtar's body like a warm blanket, signaling that the contract had been successfully formed.
The air in the workshop filled with drifting particles of light that danced briefly before fading away like fragments of a dream.
Their hands slowly lowered.
Ishtar stared at her own palm for a few seconds with an unreadable expression. But a faint smile was clearly present on her face.
Kuro observed her reaction before giving a faint smile.
"You know…" he said casually.
"Hm?"
"That contract just now felt like we got married."
Silence.
The next second, Ishtar's face turned bright red.
"HAH?!"
The magical aura in the workshop trembled violently, making several small crystals on nearby shelves shake.
"W-What are you suddenly saying, disrespectful human?!"
She quickly stepped back while pointing at Kuro, her face completely flushed.
"That's just a normal contract!" Her gaze wavered slightly. "E-even if… the atmosphere was a bit like an ancient Mesopotamian ritual but—"
Ishtar froze mid-sentence, realizing she had only made things worse.
Kuro tried to hold back his laughter, turning his face slightly away.
Meanwhile, Ishtar covered half her face with her hand, clicking her tongue in a mix of embarrassment and irritation.
"…Annoying."
______
Author's Note:
I'm sorry, my dear readers, for not updating for long time!!!
It was simply because I've been quite busy, so it was difficult to update chapters, write, edit, and translate everything.
My original intention was to finish this fanfiction. A small spoiler: this fanfic will end before reaching Chapter 200 😅
Once again, I'm sorry. Please continue to support me—creating works, even fanfiction, is not easy.
Please leave your comments, power stones, and your best reviews 😅