In Ronóva's luxurious chambers, her voice trembled, heavy with breath, her tone shy and shaking.
"C-can you be gentle… you're hurting me a little…"
"You keep moving. I can't put it in properly," Haruto muttered, frustration showing.
In his hands, he held a crystal orb swirling with black-crimson smoke. Pressing it against Ronóva's bare chest, her upper body revealed, the air thickened with tension.
Ronóva flushed red as Haruto's hand slid to her waist.
(Why am I blushing? It's not like this is the first time he's touched me…) Haruto thought nervously, his composure faltering.
"I'm going to put the Archetype Catalyst in now," he said firmly.
Ronóva's hand shot up, trembling as she grabbed Haruto's arm.
"When we do this… will we still see each other?" she asked, voice laced with worry.
Haruto tilted his head up—only to be blocked by her chest. He froze, heat rushing to his face.
"Y-yeah… I'll still meet you," he answered, trying desperately not to notice. After all, he was still just a teenager.
Ronóva's lips curved into a soft smile, happiness blooming in her eyes.
But Haruto's tone darkened. "Ronóva… when we go through with this… you won't be human anymore."
Her smile faded, the weight of his words settling on her.
"I know. I already accepted it… but Haruto, do you know what I'll become?" she asked softly, almost pleading.
(I don't know. Seraphina does… but I told her not to tell me. I don't want to know what my choices will make of the future.) Haruto thought grimly.
"I don't know exactly," he admitted, "but… whatever you become, it'll reflect who you are inside."
The Catalyst sank into her chest. Ronóva let out a soft moan as her body shuddered.
A golden aura bloomed around her… but in an instant it darkened, black radiance swallowing the room. Without hesitation, Seraphina's will activated—a sound barrier wrapping the chamber, muting the chaos from the outside world.
The black aura thrashed wildly, tails of shadow smashing mirrors, cracking walls, knocking over ornaments. One surged at Haruto from the right—he vanished in a blink, his sheer speed carrying him onto a table in the far corner.
"What's going on?!" Haruto demanded.
["Observation: The shift from gold to black aura indicates a nature alteration within the host,"] Seraphina's calm voice echoed.
The shadows suddenly collapsed inward. Ronóva's body went limp, falling—Haruto caught her just in time.
["The change in nature was successful."]
Haruto stared at Seraphina, confused. "Change in nature…?"
[Golden symbols shimmered faintly in the air, each glyph pulsing like the heartbeat of a higher truth.]
["It signifies a fundamental shift in classification of existence,"] Seraphina explained.
["It is not merely personality—it is soul resonance, ontological role, and narrative weight itself that alters."]
["They cease to be who they once were… and instead embody something entirely new."]
["In her case… Ronóva is no longer simply a person."]
The glyphs flared brighter, their golden light casting long shadows over the bed.
["She has become the living concept of Death itself."]
Haruto gently lifted Ronóva, laying her on the vast king-sized bed. He stepped back, eyes narrowing as he studied her motionless form.
"...Is she going to be okay?" Haruto asked quietly.
["Yes. She is undergoing a biological metamorphosis. A deep sleep is required."] Seraphina's voice was calm, almost clinical.
Haruto pulled a white blanket over her, the fabric sliding smoothly across her frame. His gaze lingered on her face—so peaceful, so delicate, yet carrying the weight of what she had just become. Slowly, unconsciously, he leaned closer, the distance between them shrinking.
"I always lose control around you, Ronóva… you know that," he whispered, voice soft and almost pained.
Outside the chamber, a faint movement stirred. A girl with short purple hair and piercing yellow eyes—dressed neatly in a maid's outfit—raised her hand to knock on the door.
But Haruto had already noticed.
His fingers flicked with effortless precision. The ruined mirrors, shattered walls, overturned tables—all the wreckage from Ronóva's transformation—repaired themselves in an instant. Time bent backward under his will, flowing in reverse.
The room breathed back to perfection, as though nothing had ever happened.
The maid knocked gently—once, twice, three times. Silence.
Her brow furrowed, but still, she eased the door open. Inside, Ronóva lay peacefully on the king-sized bed, her chest rising and falling in quiet rhythm. The maid's lips curved into a small, relieved smile. She shut the door again without a word, careful not to disturb her lady's rest.
The room returned to silence. Haruto was nowhere to be seen.
---
Meanwhile, in the Demon Lord Council…
A thunderous slam echoed through the chamber. Orpheus's palms struck the table hard enough to rattle the black crystal surface.
"That can't be true! You're saying the Spider Emperor is back? Impossible—he was annihilated beyond revival!" His voice dripped with anger.
Hoshika brushed a lock of silver hair behind her ear, her movements graceful and deliberate.
"It's true. You should've sensed his awakening. But then again…" Her tone was calm, almost mocking. "…at your level, perhaps it slipped right past you."
Orpheus's glare burned across the table, but she didn't flinch.
Azuraith tilted her head, her ridged black horns catching the dim crimson glow of the council chamber.
"Shouldn't it have taken at least 100 billion years for the Spider King to evolve?" she asked, confusion cutting through her refined poise.
"Yes. Normally." Camille interjected, her crimson eyes narrowing. "The Spider King was weak—no true ego, a shell at best. But…"
Reinhard leaned forward, voice low and sharp.
"But what?"
Camille's lips curved faintly as she continued.
"Four months ago, I sent my subordinate, Mei, to aid the Elarion Skyhold Kingdom. They ventured into the Blackwood Forest—into the Spider King's domain."
Azuraith's eyes gleamed. "A fateful encounter, then?"
Camille nodded. "The adventurers killed some of his spider-kin along the way. He retaliated. Three of Skyhold's adventurers died within minutes."
Reinhard leaned back, folding his arms. "So that explains the war that followed. His existence has become a wildfire spreading across the world."
Azuraith's lips curved into a sly smile.
"I've heard more about his food than his power. They say his nation's cuisine is… unforgettable."
"Yes," Camille agreed, almost laughing. "I managed to acquire one of their chocolate cakes. Rich, sweet, decadent—it was divine."
Orpheus scowled. "Enough about cakes. What's his name? We can't keep calling him Spider King, or Emperor, or whatever title sticks."
Camille's crimson gaze glinted. "His name… is Haruto."
The chamber fell silent.
Hoshika's golden eyes widened—just a fraction, but enough for those who knew her well to notice.
(Haruto…? No. It can't be. That's a Japanese name. There's no way… no way it could be my younger brother, Haruto Satoru… No, don't overreact. Don't—)
But the thought burned, unstoppable.
Her mind was dragged into memory.
Flashes of another world. A bustling modern city, skyscrapers piercing the sky, neon lights painting the night. Cars rushing through busy streets.
Then—impact.
A black car, windows tinted, spun violently as a truck barreled into its side. Glass shattered, metal crumpled, and the vehicle rolled end over end. The sound of screeching tires and panicked screams tore through the air.
People gathered, shouting in shock.
And within the chaos—
A face.
A boy's face.
Her brother.