Chapter 458: Troublesome Treatment
One could only say the middle-aged god's concerns were justified—such naive goddesses could easily be tricked into bearing children someday.
Raphaeline, who had surrendered without a fight, was a fool, but these two weren't much wiser.
"Sister Sif, Sister Frigg, by the time it happens, it'll be too late."
Chisato Hasegawa grew anxious, sensing several powerful auras within her perception range.
If Chisato Hasegawa could sense them, naturally Frigg and Sif could too.
The two instead urged Chisato Hasegawa to leave quickly. If she delayed any longer and got surrounded, she would truly be trapped.
Seeing that Frigg and Sif wouldn't believe until faced with undeniable proof, no matter how frantic Chisato Hasegawa felt, there was nothing more she could do.
"Sister Frigg, Sister Sif, I will come back to save you."
In the end, she could only leave this promise behind, resolutely activating a teleportation spell to depart from the alternate dimension.
No sooner had Chisato Hasegawa left than six male chief gods arrived.
What followed was predictable. Not seeing Chisato Hasegawa but only Frigg and Sif, they didn't even bother with explanations, overpowering and suppressing the two goddesses with sheer force.
Only when their powers were completely sealed did Frigg and Sif finally believe Chisato Hasegawa's words.
They deeply regretted it, but it was too late.
Meanwhile, Haruto kept his soul network active. Once Chisato Hasegawa safely escaped, the last trace of worry in his heart vanished completely.
With Haruto determined to leave, the middle-aged god couldn't stop him.
The gleaming Red Dragon Claw swept aside the middle-aged god's weapon, and the crimson Red Dragon Armor stomped the air with a sonic boom, transforming into a red lightning bolt that vanished into the horizon.
The middle-aged god, looking at his trembling arm, gave up on pursuit.
Although Raphaeline had been rescued, her divine core had already been completely drained. The worst outcome was merely losing Afureia's divine core.
Losing one of the Ten Chief Gods was still within his acceptable range.
Seeing the middle-aged god didn't pursue further, an idea suddenly crossed Haruto's mind.
Although Frigg and Sif had been suppressed, given the strength of those six chief gods, if he acted unexpectedly, Haruto might have a chance to intercept them midway.
However, if he really did that, there would likely be no peaceful days afterward.
The worried thought flashed through his mind—if there was no opportunity, so be it, but if there was a chance and he didn't act to rescue them, Haruto wouldn't be able to live with himself.
A red lightning bolt traced a '7' shape across the sky as he swiftly headed in another direction.
The middle-aged god was momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage.
He almost instantly understood what Haruto intended to do and immediately pursued at his maximum speed without hesitation.
But he was still a step too late. By the time he arrived, aside from the six disheveled male chief gods, there was no trace of the goddesses left.
"What a Red Dragon Emperor…"
The middle-aged god laughed in extreme anger and coldly ordered, "Begin immediate pre-war mobilization. Prepare for war with the Underworld."
Haruto and the Gremory family were already inseparable, and he also maintained good relations with the Sitri and Phenex families.
To take action against Haruto, the Underworld was an unavoidable obstacle.
But what the middle-aged god didn't expect was that when he tried to act, not only the Underworld but even the Fallen Angels and those 'traitors' united to resist them.
Regardless of Haruto's relationship with the Fallen Angels and angels, the peace treaty between the three factions had just been signed—how could they allow the Ten Chief Gods, who were little different from the Old Satan Faction from the Abyss, to destroy it?
Due to the overwhelming resistance, before Haruto proactively extracted and returned the inherited godhood from Chisato Hasegawa and the other two, the middle-aged god couldn't even take a single step beyond the divine realm.
Of course, all this came later.
At that moment, Haruto was rapidly teleporting while holding the two goddesses whose powers had been sealed.
After ensuring no one was following, he stopped and used long-distance spatial teleportation to bring the two goddesses back to the large oceanfront mansion in the human world.
"Sister Frigg and Sister Sif?!"
Chisato Hasegawa had just returned and was worrying about the two goddesses when she saw Haruto appear before her, holding one in each arm.
"Chisato-nee, I'll leave these two in your care for now."
Haruto handed the still dazed Frigg and Sif to Chisato Hasegawa and asked, "Have Sapphire and the others returned? How is Raphaeline doing?"
Chisato took the two goddesses and, without bothering to ask Haruto for details, quickly replied, "Everyone's back. Toujou Jin took the freed Basara and left first. Sister Raphaeline is in my room—I was just about to continue treating her."
"Are you confident you can heal her?"
Thinking of Raphaeline's nearly extinguished soul flame, Haruto couldn't help but worry.
Forcibly extracting her godhood was equivalent to draining all the energy essence, mental power, and even soul power from her body.
That Raphaeline was still alive was solely due to her originally immense strength—the remaining soul flame hadn't completely burned out yet.
But it was only a matter of time; such injuries were almost irreversible.
As expected, Chisato's answer showed she had no confidence at all.
Even with her abilities, she could at most delay the extinguishing of Raphaeline's soul flame.
"Let me try using my dual cultivation ability…"
"No."
Before Haruto could finish, Chisato Hasegawa cut him off.
"If possible, I'd want you to use the dual cultivation ability to heal Sister Raphaeline immediately, but she's currently too weak to withstand the impact of your powerful life energy."
"To meet the minimum conditions for dual cultivation, we need to at least restore Sister Raphaeline's soul strength to that of an ordinary person."
Haruto was at a loss now. They had no means to treat Raphaeline, not even to restore her soul to ordinary strength.
"Wait - Phoenix Tears!"
Haruto suddenly remembered the Phenex family's secret treasure, a powerful healing item that could instantly restore all injuries with just one drop.
Although it was a demon's secret treasure, what made it effective should be the Phenex bloodline ability. Raphaeline, with her angelic characteristics, should be able to use it.
"Hmm, we can give it a try."
Chisato Hasegawa's eyes also lit up. While completely curing Raphaeline with Phoenix Tears was impossible, if they could just restore her soul a little, they could leave the rest to Haruto.
"I'll go find Ravel right now. You get them settled first."
After Haruto left, Chisato Hasegawa first released the restraints on the two goddesses Frigg and Sif, then explained the current situation to them.
"Sister Frigg, Sister Sif, it would be best for you to stay here for now. In this place, the Ten Chief Gods can't touch you."
The two goddesses, having narrowly escaped death, were currently at a loss. They ultimately decided to follow Chisato Hasegawa's suggestion and stay temporarily.
Part of it was fear of being captured and having their bones extracted and marrow drained, but also because this was their first time leaving the divine realm, and they had no idea what to do.
After settling Frigg and Sif, Chisato Hasegawa ignored her own internal injuries from forcibly breaking the contract and the resulting backlash. She left and returned to her room to sustain the life of the unconscious Raphaeline.
A few minutes later, Haruto arrived in the room with a bottle of Phoenix Tears.
As the most beloved youngest daughter, Ravel naturally possessed such life-saving premium items.
Not only did she have them, but she had quite a number of them.
While Phoenix Tears were precious to others, within the Phenex family, especially among the main lineage, their importance was rather moderate.
Because they could be mass-produced.
Looking at the golden-haired sleeping beauty on the bed wearing light pink pajamas, Haruto poured out a drop and let it drip between her pale, thin lips.
The pearl-like crystalline drop instantly merged with Raphaeline's delicate body, transforming into the purest energy to repair her physical injuries.
The external injuries were secondary; both Haruto and Chisato Hasegawa focused their attention on Raphaeline's soul flame.
As the drop of Phoenix Tears merged, the soul flame clearly burned a bit brighter.
However, the increase was minimal - so small that if they hadn't been watching closely, they would hardly have noticed.
"It is effective..."
Chisato Hasegawa frowned deeply, "But at this rate, we'd need at least several hundred drops to restore Sister Raphaeline's soul to ordinary levels..."
Several hundred drops was indeed an outrageous amount. Even Ravel only carried about a dozen drops with her, all of which were now in the small bottle in Haruto's hand.
And they needed to act quickly - Raphaeline's damaged soul was dissipating every moment. Each additional day they delayed would require more Phoenix Tears.
Haruto fed the remaining Phoenix Tears into Raphaeline's small mouth and said, "I'll go ask. I hope the Phenex family has enough in stock."
Before leaving, Haruto looked at Raphaeline, who had regained some color and at least had all her wounds healed, and asked curiously, "Qianli Jie, you were so quick. You've already cleaned Raphaeline's body and even changed her clothes?"
"Not me. It was Sapphire and Liala who did it."
Chisato Hasegawa shrugged. "I came back around the same time as you. They returned a while earlier."
"I see."
Haruto nodded, suddenly realizing he hadn't seen Sapphire and Liala since returning.
Just as he was about to ask, familiar voices came from outside the door.
"Afureia, can Raphaeline's injuries be healed?"
Before the words faded, the door was pushed open, and in came Sapphire and Liala.
The two had changed into fresh clothes, their hair still damp with a misty steam, looking as if they had just stepped out of a bath.
The previous battle had left them filthy, so after cleaning Raphaeline, they decided to wash up as well.
With hope restored, Chisato Hasegawa had calmed down considerably.
She glanced at Haruto and said lightly, "There's a way, but some preparations are still needed."
Sapphire and Liala, of course, knew about Haruto's unique healing talent—there was a group of demons in the mansion who clamored daily for Haruto's treatment.
"You all chat. I'll go find Ravel first."
Saving lives couldn't be delayed. Haruto didn't linger any longer and set off again in pursuit of Phoenix Tears.
...
Underworld, Phenex family.
The acting family head, Ravel, looked at her youngest sister with a helpless expression before turning to Haruto. "Red Dragon Emperor, it's not that I won't help you, but asking for several hundred drops at once—you'll have to give me some time to gather them."
Phoenix Tears could be mass-produced, but they didn't stockpile excessive amounts of such items.
Generally, each important family member received one drop per month, and the rest were sold off.
While many, like Ravel, had a dozen or so drops on hand, Ravel couldn't produce several hundred immediately. Given some time, however, she could collect them from various family members without issue.
Several hundred drops sounded like a lot, but even 500 drops, at 10 drops per person, would only require fifty people.
In reality, it wouldn't take that many. Haruto estimated around two hundred drops would suffice.
Averaging 15 drops per person, less than twenty people would be enough to gather the required amount.
In fact, if Haruto weren't in such a hurry, waiting a few days for the monthly allocation to be distributed would directly provide him with the quantity he needed.
"Selling to anyone is selling, so let's just consider this batch mostly sold to Haruto."
"Alright, thank you, Sect Master. I'll make up for the owed payment later."
Haruto reached out and gently patted Ravel's head a few times. "If possible, please hurry. I'll owe you a favor."
"Red Dragon Emperor, you jest." Ravel looked at Ravel's satisfied smile and chuckled lightly. "Just treat Ravel well."
"Don't worry about that. I would do so even without you saying it."
Haruto spoke with confidence. Although his relationships were complicated, he had never treated any girl poorly.
Especially since Ravel was his Queen—he might neglect others, but never her.
The next day, Haruto made another trip to the Underworld and brought back three hundred drops of Phoenix Tears from Ravel.
With Chisato Hasegawa's help, they used 268 drops, plus the previous 16 drops, totaling 284 drops, finally restoring Raphaeline's fragmented soul to the level of an ordinary person.
"Sister..."
Chisato Hasegawa held Raphaeline's hand, gazing at her slightly opened eyes, and called out softly.
Although her soul was restored, its strength was too low. It took Raphaeline a long time to barely adapt.
She looked at Chisato Hasegawa and spoke weakly.
"Afureia... is that you... Where is this...?"
"Raphaeline, this is the human world. You're in my room now."
"The human world...? How did I get here?"
"Sister, rest first. I'll explain everything to you slowly."
Chisato Hasegawa comforted Raphaeline while gradually explaining the events of recent years, focusing mainly on Haruto.
Though Raphaeline's body was depleted, her foundation as a deity remained. Even with her energy drained, she still possessed the strength of an intermediate angel.
Now that her soul was restored and her consciousness revived, there was no immediate worry of her perishing.
However, her soul was too weak to control her body.
Haruto couldn't bear such an emotional scene and simply left, allowing the two sisters to be alone.
Without outsiders, the two sisters could more freely confide in each other.
Yes, exactly—confide in each other.
Raphaeline and Afureia shared feelings that went beyond ordinary sisterhood; they had even been intimate with each other long ago.
After pouring out their hearts, the conversation finally turned to Haruto.
"Raphaeline, given your current condition, the best way to recover is through Haruto's dual cultivation ability."
"Afureia, I understand. I'm willing to share with you..."
Having endured life-and-death hardships, Raphaeline had long since let go of many things.
After learning the general course of events from Chisato Hasegawa, she naturally felt a trace of goodwill toward Haruto.
The people she was familiar with and could barely call friends were all gathered around Haruto.
Sapphire, Sheila, Frigg, Sif, Toujou Jin, Toujou Basara...
Frigg and Sif were unexpected, but to Raphaeline, that didn't matter.
Even without this coincidence, the fact that Haruto had saved her, and that dual cultivation could heal her and help her regain—or even surpass—her former strength, made her completely unopposed to it.
Of course, the main reason was Chisato Hasegawa's supportive attitude.
After dual cultivating with Haruto, she no longer had to be separated from her dear Afureia and could openly embrace her, completely merging into one through Haruto.
Neither Chisato Hasegawa nor Raphaeline were the type to procrastinate, and this paralyzed state was truly unbearable. After a brief discussion, they decided to begin treatment that very night.
Saving lives was naturally the top priority, so Haruto resolutely postponed dual cultivation sessions with other beauties.
With Chisato Hasegawa's assistance, the immobilized Raphaeline was changed into new clothes once more. Seemingly to mark the occasion of their first dual cultivation, she was dressed in an extravagant white lace wedding gown this time.
Unlike seductive-style sleepwear, this wedding dress was exceptionally gorgeous and elegant. From the glittering crown and majestic long gown to the delicate white lace gloves, stockings, and elegant high heels—every element showcased the dress's luxury. The intricate golden patterns woven throughout imbued it with an aura of sacred inviolability.
This was originally prepared by Chisato Hasegawa for herself, but she had been too shy to wear it previously. Now, it was perfect for dressing the unresisting Raphaeline.
Dressed like this for dual cultivation with Haruto, Raphaeline felt intensely bashful. Yet in her current physical state, she could only submit to others' arrangements.
This proved to be quite a delightful surprise. With time still early, Haruto decided to thoroughly appreciate and savor the sight before him—a golden-haired, buxom Valkyrie in an exquisite wedding gown.
Haruto approached the bed where Raphaeline lay, observing the sisters Chisato Hasegawa and Raphaeline resting side by side. Though the treatment was for Raphaeline, Chisato Hasegawa naturally remained present. Without her, the atmosphere between Haruto and Raphaeline would be awkward, as they hadn't exchanged a single word so far.
Additionally, while Raphaeline's condition permitted dual cultivation, it couldn't be overdone. Chisato Hasegawa would take over enduring Haruto's impact once Raphaeline reached her limit.
Raphaeline in her holy wedding dress appeared to be asleep, but Haruto knew she was fully awake—her long eyelashes trembled incessantly. Though pretending to sleep, Raphaeline had long been mentally prepared. After seeing Haruto in person, she held no unfavorable impressions whatsoever.
However, for someone with no prior experience, Haruto's burning gaze still made her profoundly shy.