The familiar, disembodied voice of the system was Ren's alarm clock one morning. He groggily opened his eyes and sighed, annoyed by the interruption to his peaceful sleep. "What is it?" he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"A higher being wishes to grant you a quest," the system reported, its tone devoid of emotion.
Ren, whose life had become one of comfortable monotony, wasn't interested. "What do I get in return?" he asked, simply out of habit.
"An additional upgrade to your current power."
Ren scoffed. He was already overpowered. He didn't need more strength, more money, or more skills. "What is the quest?"
"The quest is to use your 'Ticket of Relationship' on the Nakano sisters and make them your lovers," the system said, its voice unwavering.
Ren paused. He had already used a ticket on Ichika, and he knew the other sisters—Itsuki, Nino, Yotsuba, and Miku—were already holding back their feelings for him out of respect for their sister. He considered the request. It was an easy quest, and the reward, even if he didn't need it now, might be useful in the future. A chance to gain a 'higher being's' favor was not something to be taken lightly.
"Very well," he said, and with a thought, he used four of his 'Tickets of Relationship' on the remaining Nakano siblings, adding the command that they should not only love him but be open to him having other lovers. He even included a clause that they should be loyal only to him. He felt a cringe at his own words, but it was a necessary evil.
The moment he used the tickets, an agonizing pain ripped through his body. Unlike the mild headaches he had experienced in the past, this was a mind-numbing, body-shattering pain that was almost impossible to bear. He felt a sharp, cracking sensation throughout his body, his bones feeling as if they were being ground into dust. Tears of blood streamed from his eyes, and a cough racked his body, bringing up a mouthful of blood.
He had been tricked. This wasn't just a simple quest; it was a test, a trap set by the higher being. They had wanted to see if his human body could handle the power of four tickets at once. "Are you entertained?" he thought, his voice laced with a bitter, sarcastic rage.
His mind was invaded by memories, both familiar and strange, but the pain was so intense that he couldn't even begin to decipher them. He gritted his teeth, a scream building in his throat, but he bit it back, not wanting to scare the other residents. His body was cracking, his vision blurring, and he knew he was at his limit.
A bright, warm light appeared in front of him. It was comforting, a beautiful solace in the midst of his pain. He wanted to go to it, to lay down and rest. He saw a bed, and he finally let go, his body falling towards it, his consciousness slipping away.
But just before he could enter the light, a hand grabbed him and yanked him back. He fell to the ground, and his eyes shot open. The faces of all the Yuragi-sou residents, their eyes wide and filled with tears, surrounded him.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice weak and raspy. "Why are you all crying?"
"Ren-kun!" Chitose sobbed, her face pale with fear. "We found you... you were covered in blood. You were in a critical condition!"
Ren looked down at himself. He was, indeed, covered in his own blood. He had been so out of it that he hadn't even noticed.
"Fortunately," Chitose continued, "I was able to use my luck manipulation to help your rate of survival. Nonko and Yaya used their healing spells on you, and Sagiri and Hibari made some medicine for you to drink."
Ren looked at the worried faces around him, his heart swelling with a warmth that was far greater than any healing spell. They had been trying to help him. They were about to call an ambulance when he finally woke up.
"I'm sorry for making you all worry," he said, a genuine apology in his voice.
No one replied. Instead, they all hugged him at once, a collective embrace filled with relief and love. The sudden pressure caused another surge of pain to rip through his body, and his vision went black. He fell unconscious once more, but this time, it was not from pain. It was from exhaustion, the deep sleep of a man who was safe, loved, and finally at rest.