Chisato explained that after signing the contract, she could feel the sheer strength of Ethan's soul. It was so strong it should have transformed already. The fact that it hadn't suggested an internal conflict.
They reached a conclusion: to complete the metamorphosis, Ethan had to solve the "NTR Victim" (Beta) template. It wasn't that the template would disappear after God-rank, but rather that he had to overcome it to reach God-rank. He had to refine his soul by purifying the "Beta" energy.
"Um... Mr. Ethan, I have an idea too," Asia, the blonde nun, said softly. She looked nervous being the center of attention.
"Go ahead, Asia," Ethan encouraged.
"In the church, the priests used to say that all thoughts, good or bad, are part of you. You have to face the bad thoughts and conquer them to truly solve the problem. I think the 'Beta' influence is part of your soul. You should face it, then defeat it."
Ethan smiled and kissed her tender cheek. "Thank you, Asia." Her simple logic hit the mark.
The "Beta" template and the "Dual-Cultivation" panel were both innate soul abilities. Ethan had long suppressed the "Beta" side with his overwhelming power, never giving it a chance to manifest. To face it, he needed to stop suppressing it.
Step one: Face the Inner Demon. Ethan learned a self-sealing spell from Chisato. By sealing his active magic and power, the suppressed "Beta" destiny immediately began to stir. He kept his physical stats (S-rank from martial arts) and his passive instincts, but he was effectively "human" again.
Immediately, he felt a change. Even though he was in his mansion surrounded by girls who loved him, he felt a wave of "malice" coming from all directions. This was the Inner Demon—the soul's manifestation of his "Beta" template.
"Slow down," Ethan told himself. "I need to study how this talent actually works to defeat it."
Being "normal" had immediate effects. At Kuoh Academy, ordinary girls almost went into heat just being near him—only those with strong wills could resist his soul-level attraction. To not spoil his "training," Rias and the others kept their distance at school.
Without his powerful harem acting as a shield, the "Beta" template went into overdrive. Within a week, Ethan was back to his early days of transmigration. He received love letters every other day and had to meet girls for confessions under the leafless cherry blossom tree.
But where there are girls, there are "bullies." By the end of the week, guys started looking for trouble again. But Ethan wasn't a weakling anymore. Even with his magic sealed, his S-rank physical conditioning and elite martial arts meant he could take on dozens of ordinary thugs with ease.