CHAPTER 17 —
The first feeling Haruto registered…
was warmth.
Not the suffocating heat of divine explosions or the crushing presence of a god's avatar.
But gentleness.
Soft. Warm. Human.
A small weight rested against his arm. Something soft clutched his shirt, tiny fingers curled tightly — as if someone feared he might disappear.
Haruto slowly opened his eyes.
Airi slept beside him, curled like a kitten, cheek resting on his arm, her other hand gripping his T shirt. Her breathing was steady and slow. The faint morning light from the temple window washed her in gold, making her look unreal.
Haruto stared at her.
Airi.
The girl who had saved him from the God of Dominion's poison.
The girl who chose love in a world ruled by power.
She clutched him with such intensity that the cloth of his shirt wrinkled beneath her fingers.
He whispered, voice soft as silk.
"I am going to protect you with my life."
He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You are my life. My heart. My world. My everything."
He leaned slightly closer, whispering like he was confessing to the wind.
"You are my sister after all."
Airi shifted in her sleep, face scrunching up adorably. Then she slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them with her small fists.
"Onii chan…?"
Her voice was still foggy with sleep.
Haruto smiled.
"Good morning."
Airi blinked at him, then — as if remembering everything — her expression softened.
"Good morning… onii chan."
She snuggled a little closer.
"And don't forget. I will also protect you."
Haruto blinked.
"…huh?"
Airi nodded firmly, like she was declaring law.
"You protect me because you are my onii chan. I protect you because you are my onii chan."
Haruto stared at her.
"…that makes no logical sense."
"It makes sense emotionally."
He laughed — a rare, unguarded laugh that reached his eyes.
"Fair enough."
Airi sat up, still clinging to his sleeve.
Haruto stretched his limbs for the first time since awakening.
"Let's make breakfast together. Shall we?"
Airi's face lit up instantly like fireworks.
"Yeahhh why not I was waiting for it!"
She suddenly froze.
"…but there's a problem."
Haruto turned serious in 0.2 seconds.
"What? What happened?"
Airi dramatically put a hand on her head and groaned.
"Onii chan… I can't walk…"
Haruto panicked and leaned forward.
"You can't walk? Are you sick? Fever? Dizzy?"
He pressed his forehead against hers, checking temperature.
Their foreheads touched.
Haruto's breath caught.
Airi's eyes widened.
Her heart jumped.
"O… onii chan…"
"You don't have a fever…" Haruto murmured, completely missing the blush coloring her cheeks. "Then what happened? Why can't you walk?"
Airi cleared her throat and put on her most pitiful expression.
"I used all of my mana last night to heal you… my body feels weak… I can't move…"
That was a lie.
A huge lie.
Her mana reserves were ridiculous.
But she wanted to be carried.
Haruto, blinded by worry, nodded without hesitation.
"If you can't walk… should I pick you up?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Haruto slid one arm under her legs and another behind her back. He lifted her effortlessly, cradling her close.
Airi wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest.
"Comfortable?"
Airi nodded, closing her eyes.
"Very."
Outside the room — as Haruto walked carrying Airi like a bride — they passed guards, dark elves, fairies, wolves, even dragons in disguised human forms.
Everyone reacted the same way.
Fairies: "Kyaa they look so cute together!"
Dark elves: "The Princess and the Lord… truly divine…"
Dragons: "Just date already."
Haruto: "Why are people staring?"
Airi clung tighter.
"Because they admire your devotion."
Haruto blinked slowly.
"…what does that even mean?"
Airi smiled innocently.
"Nothing."
SCENE SHIFTS TO AETHERIA KITCHEN
Haruto gently set Airi down on a chair near the counter.
He began preparing breakfast — chopping vegetables while heating a pan. Airi watched him intently, swinging her legs.
"You look like a house husband," she commented.
Haruto froze.
"…what?"
Airi held her chin, pretending to be wise.
"Handsome. Focused. Silent. Cooking in the morning. House husband."
"I am not—"
"You are."
He sighed.
"Then what does that make you?"
Airi grinned.
"The beloved cute wife—"
Haruto immediately cut her off.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because we are siblings."
Airi stuck her tongue out.
"Still beloved."
He ignored her.
Then footsteps echoed behind them.
Frost entered first, hair messy, yawning like a wolf.
"Breakfast ready?"
"No."
Lunara followed, yawning elegantly, dragon eyes half open.
"Smells good. I want three plates."
"No."
Lyria floated in, already glowing and graceful.
"I want pancakes!"
"No."
Airi crossed her arms and glared at them all.
"Breakfast is made only for me."
Haruto sighed.
"We can make more. They are our friends."
Airi pouted.
"Fine. If onii chan wants it, you can all eat…"
Lunara whispered to Frost.
"She's possessive."
Frost nodded.
"She reminds me of a dragon who guards treasure."
"I heard that," Airi muttered.
They sat around while Haruto cooked, Airi helping pass ingredients (though she still pretended she couldn't walk).
Breakfast ended with everyone eating happily.
After the plates were cleared, Frost stood.
"Airi. Should we purify Yumi now?"
Airi nodded.
"Yes. Let's go."
SCENE SHIFTS TO UNDERGROUND PURIFICATION CHAMBER
Beneath Aetheria existed a sealed floor of ancient stone — a room used for containing volatile mana.
Two dragon knights guarded the entrance.
They saluted respectfully.
"Princess Airi. Lord Haruto."
Inside, a transparent barrier shimmered around Yumi. She sat on the floor hugging her knees, her body trembling. Dark veins still crawled across her skin — remnants of Dominion's corruption.
Lyria's barrier glowed around her, sealing the corrupted mana.
Lunara stepped beside Airi.
"If purification fails, I will kill her instantly."
Airi didn't look away from Yumi.
"You won't need to."
Haruto walked to Airi's side.
"I'm here."
Airi exhaled slowly.
Time to save her.
She entered the barrier.
It dissolved at her touch.
The corrupted mana reacted instantly, swirling violently.
Yumi flinched.
"I… don't want to hurt anyone…"
Airi kneeled in front of her.
"You won't. I am here."
Yumi's voice trembled, broken.
"Why… why are you helping me…? Dominion ordered me to kill you…"
Airi placed her hand on Yumi's cheek.
"You hesitated."
Yumi froze.
Airi continued gently.
"You aimed at the floor instead of at us."
Haruto felt something tighten in his chest.
Airi saw everything.
Not with eyes.
With heart.
Airi placed her hand over Yumi's chest.
"Mana Purification: Release."
Light bloomed from Airi, soft yet fierce.
The corrupted mana resisted violently.
Wind erupted through the room, swirling like a tornado.
"Onii Chan—"
"I know."
Haruto grabbed her hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
Airi spoke through clenched teeth.
"We need to give her mana after removing the corrupted one… or she will die…"
They linked hands — their mana merging.
Seconds later—
BOOM.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Wind cut across the walls like invisible blades. Cracks ran along the stone floor. The barrier shattered like glass.
But—
"Rapid barrier deployment!"
Lyria, Lunara, and Frost reacted instantly.
A triple-layered shield surrounded the room, trapping the destructive mana inside.
Haruto poured his mana into Yumi's body.
Airi followed, her voice trembling but unwavering.
"You are not alone."
Yumi gasped — as if taking her first breath in years.
Light burst from Airi's palm.
The dark veins vanished.
The room fell silent.
Yumi collapsed forward, sobbing into Airi's chest.
"T… thank you… thank you…"
Airi hugged her tightly.
"You're safe."
Haruto exhaled in relief.
She did it.
Airi saved someone even fate had abandoned.
NOWSCENE SHIFTS TO GREAT PLAZA OF AETHERIA (VICTORY BANQUET)
Night fell on Aetheria.
The central plaza shimmered with floating lanterns. Fairy lights drifted like stardust. Dragons disguised as humans leaned around casually. Dark elves carried platters of food carved from darkwood. Wolves lay near the tables, being hugged by fairies.
Airi sat beside Haruto, swinging her legs.
Dark elves bowed when she passed.
Fairies called her "Eternal."
Dragons called her "Princess."
Airi didn't like attention.
She hid behind Haruto.
"Stop hiding behind me," he murmured.
"I don't know how to exist in the world without you in front of me," she whispered.
Haruto froze.
That was… too honest.
Food arrived — a mountain of roasted meats, glowing fruits, magical drinks.
Frost sat across from them.
"To Haruto," he declared, slamming his drink.
Lunara raised hers next.
"To Airi, who saved us all."
Fairies fluttered overhead, waving luminous sparkles.
Haruto looked away, embarrassed.
"You don't have to—"
Airi pointed immediately.
"He saved everyone. Praise him more."
Haruto blinked.
"I thought you didn't want anyone else near me?"
"That was before breakfast. This is now."
"By the way, how are you even moving?"
"Uhh.. that... I am fine now!"
Haruto laughed.
Fairies giggled.
Dragons smirked.
Dark elves nodded like this was divine logic.
Yumi quietly sat at the edge of the table.
Airi stood, walked over, grabbed her hand, and dragged her back.
Yumi froze, wide-eyed.
"W… why? I almost killed—"
Airi cut her off by shoving food into her hands.
"No one eats alone here. You stay."
Haruto nodded once.
"Survivors deserve a seat."
Yumi trembled.
Then she cried silently, eating while tears dripped onto her plate.
Frost whispered to Lunara.
"She was scarier when she was corrupted."
Lunara nodded.
"She's adorable when emotional."
AFTER BANQUET — LAKE CLIFF
After everyone fell asleep in various chaotic positions — wolves snoring, fairies passed out, dragons arguing over food — Haruto walked alone to the cliff.
Moonlight reflected on the lake below.
He opened the shop.
━━━━━━━━━━━
▷ SHOP ◁
━━━━━━━━━━━
• Weapons
• Tools
• Basic Items
• ??? (Locked)
• ??? (Locked)
The interface shifted.
New categories appeared.
Advanced
• Legendary
• Mythic
Haruto scrolled.
The hidden weapon category flashed with golden light.
━━━━━━━━━━━
Achievement Unlocked:
Faced a Formidable Opponent — GOD TIER
━━━━━━━━━━━
The Mythic weapon finally revealed itself.
━━━━━━━━━━━
MYTHIC WEAPON UNLOCKED
★ Mythic: ECLIPSE EDGE — The Blade That Defies Fate
Cost: 1,000,000 Mana
Requirement Met: Challenged a God's Authority
━━━━━━━━━━━
Haruto whispered.
"…defies fate?"
A soft voice behind him answered.
"Onii chan…?"
Airi stood barefoot, wearing her rabbit night dress, hugging a pillow.
"You disappeared from my bed again."
Haruto quickly closed the shop window.
Airi walked closer.
"Are you hiding something?"
He sighed and reopened it.
Airi leaned in.
"Ooh… mythic… and scary…"
Haruto waited for her reaction.
Instead Airi touched his hand gently.
"Onii chan."
He looked at her.
"If you face that god again…"
She placed his hand against her cheek.
"…I will stand beside you."
He swallowed.
"Airi… that's dangerous."
She leaned her forehead against his.
Their breaths mingled.
"Onii Chan... When you fall… I will catch you."
Haruto closed his arms around her.
"And when you cry… I will hold you."
Airi's eyes softened.
"We fight gods together."
Haruto inhaled sharply — not from fear.
But from her.
Finally…
They stood together under the moon, two silhouettes against destiny.
Not monsters.
Not demons.
Just siblings who loved each other more fiercely than the world could comprehend.
Airi whispered, smiling softly.
"Onii chan… we are unstoppable."
He pressed his forehead to hers.
"Yes."
Because heaven itself now feared them.
And fate had no power…
over a bond like this.
ARC 2 — END
Next: ARC 3 — Shadows of Diplomacy