Day 21 - Morning
I woke to find Yuzuriha sitting in my room.
Not standing in the doorway like a normal person. Not waiting in the hall. Actually sitting in a chair she'd somehow procured, watching me sleep with those gold-flecked crimson eyes that promised either salvation or damnation depending on her mood.
"Good morning, Warden," she purred.
I shot upright, immediately tangling in wings, tails (both mine and Nyx's), and at least three fairies who'd nested in various parts of my anatomy.
"How did you get in here?"
"I walked. The door wasn't locked." Her smile was slow, deliberate, the kind of smile that had probably caused wars. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did until someone invaded my bedroom!"
Nyx stirred, cracking one eye open, then closing it again with a mental sigh. Your trial is starting early, apparently.
This is NOT normal!
It's Oni tradition. The trial of will begins the moment you wake up. She's testing if you panic, how you handle surprises, whether you can maintain composure under pressure. A pause. Also she's definitely trying to fluster you. It's working.
It absolutely was working.
Yuzuriha stood with the kind of fluid grace that made simple movement look like an art form. She wore significantly less than yesterday, her clothing seemed designed by someone who understood exactly how much coverage was technically acceptable while maximizing... impact.
"The trial begins now," she said, circling my bed like a predator evaluating prey. "For the next twelve hours, you will be tested on your willpower, emotional control, and ability to remain true to yourself despite distractions."
"Distractions," I repeated, watching her move.
"Distractions." Her smile widened. "I'll be providing them. The trial has three phases: temptation of the body, temptation of the mind, and temptation of the soul. Fail any phase, and you fail the trial."
"What constitutes failure?"
"Giving in to what you think you want instead of what you actually need. Making decisions from weakness instead of strength. Forgetting who you are in pursuit of momentary pleasure." She stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. "Or simply breaking. That's always an option."
Through the bonds:
Nyx: Don't break. It would be embarrassing.
Lira: But if you DO break, make sure we get details!
Pip: Lira!
Lira: What? I'm invested in the drama!
Siraq: ...why am I even part of this conversation.
Because apparently all my relationship bonds came with built-in commentary tracks.
"Fine," I said, trying to channel some dignity while untangling from the nest of beings I'd been sleeping with. "I accept the trial. But ground rules: no one gets hurt, no permanent consequences, and at any point I can call for an actual break if this gets genuinely uncomfortable."
Yuzuriha's expression shifted, surprise followed by approval. "You set boundaries even when being tested. Interesting." She nodded. "Agreed. This is a trial, not torture. Your limits will be respected."
"Good. Then let's begin."
Her smile returned, sultry and challenging. "Oh, we already have."
Phase One: Temptation of the Body
She'd set up the first challenge in the training ground, and I immediately understood why.
"Hand-to-hand combat," Yuzuriha announced to the gathered crowd, because of course, there was a crowd; privacy was apparently not a thing in Ashenhearth. "No weapons. No magic. Just skill and physical prowess."
"That doesn't sound like a will trial."
"Doesn't it?" She stretched, and the movement was clearly calculated to distract. It worked. "The trial isn't the combat. It's maintaining focus during the combat. While I do everything in my power to break your concentration."
Oh. Oh no.
Kasumi was watching from the sidelines, eyes bright with interest. Momo sat beside her, taking notes in a small book. Nyx lounged on her throne, projecting supreme confidence through the bond. The fairies had set up what looked like a judging panel. Even Siraq had emerged to watch, her expression carefully neutral.
Yuzuriha took her position across from me. "Begin!"
She attacked, and I immediately understood the nature of the trial.
Every movement she made was technically perfect combat form... and also deeply, deliberately sensual. A kick that required her to bend in ways that emphasized flexibility. Grappling holds that brought us into close contact. Defensive maneuvers that somehow always resulted in... suggestive positions.
And through it all, she talked.
"You're tense, Knox. Relax. Let yourself feel." Her voice was honey and smoke. "You're allowed to enjoy this, you know. Fighting can be... pleasurable."
I blocked, dodged, tried to maintain focus on the actual combat rather than the delivery system. But she was good. Better than good. Every technique designed to test not just my physical skill but my mental discipline.
She got me in a hold, her body pressed against my back, lips next to my ear. "You're strong. I can feel it. All that power, barely restrained. Don't you want to let go? Just for a moment?"
Through the bond, Nyx's amusement was unhelpful: She's very good at this.
Not helping!
I'm not supposed to help. This is your trial. Then, warmer: But you're doing well. Stay focused on what matters.
What mattered. Right.
I broke the hold, using leverage and my tail for unexpected angles. Created distance. Took a breath.
"Nice try," I said. "But I've faced worse distractions in the dungeon."
"Have you?" She closed the distance again, movements like water. "The dungeon tried to break you with fear and pain. I'm offering pleasure. Which is harder to resist?"
She had a point.
We continued the bout, and I started to see the pattern. Every position she forced me into, every moment of contact, was designed to trigger instinctive responses. The fight-or-flight system redirected into attraction. Physical proximity creating chemical reactions in the brain.
It was sophisticated psychological warfare wrapped in beautiful, deadly packaging.
But here's what Yuzuriha hadn't counted on: I'd spent five weeks in a place that bent reality and attacked my mind constantly. I'd learned to separate what I felt from what I thought. To acknowledge attraction without being controlled by it.
"You're beautiful," I said, catching her wrist mid-strike. "And dangerous. And very good at this. But you're still you, and I'm still me, and neither of us is defined by physical attraction alone."
Her eyes widened. Then she smiled, genuine surprise mixed with respect.
"You acknowledge it instead of denying it. Clever."
"Honesty tends to work better than repression."
She tested me a few more times, pushing boundaries, seeing if I'd break. But each time, I met her with the same approach: acknowledgment without surrender, appreciation without loss of self.
Finally, she stepped back, breathing slightly harder from exertion.
"Phase one: passed. You maintained focus while acknowledging distraction. Many fail here... either by giving in completely or by becoming so defensive they lose sight of the actual challenge." She bowed, a gesture of genuine respect. "Well done, Warden."
The crowd applauded. Kasumi was grinning proudly. Momo made more notes. Nyx sent warmth through the bond: Told you you'd do fine.
But Yuzuriha's smile turned knowing. "However, the body is the easiest aspect to control. Next comes the mind. And that... that's where things get interesting."
Phase Two: Temptation of the Mind
She led me to a room I'd never seen before, one of the completed sections of the fortress that the Oni had apparently claimed for their preparation.
The space was dimly lit, filled with cushions and low tables, scented smoke curling from braziers. It felt like stepping into a dream, or a very specific type of fantasy.
"Sit," Yuzuriha instructed, gesturing to the cushions.
I sat, suddenly very aware that we were alone. The crowd had been left outside. Even Nyx's presence through the bond felt muted, like the room itself dampened outside influences.
Yuzuriha settled across from me, and in the low light, she looked like something from mythology... dangerous beauty given form.
"The trial of the mind is simpler than the body," she said, pouring tea from a delicate pot. "We talk. Just talk. And I ask you questions. Answer honestly, and you pass. Lie to yourself or to me, and you fail."
"That's it?"
"That's it." She offered me a cup. The tea smelled like jasmine and something else, something that made my head feel pleasantly light. "But honesty is harder than combat for most people."
I took the cup but didn't drink yet. "Is the tea drugged?"
"It's enhanced. Mild truth serum properties. Lowers inhibitions just enough to make lying uncomfortable." Her smile was sharp. "You can refuse it. But the trial will be harder without it."
I studied the tea, studied her, then made my decision. I drank.
Warmth spread through my chest. My thoughts felt clearer but also more immediate, harder to filter.
"Good," Yuzuriha said, sipping her own tea. "Let's begin. First question: Why did you accept our trials?"
The answer came out before I could craft it: "Because refusing felt like cowardice. And because I was curious about you. About what Oni warriors are really like beyond the stories."
"Honest. Good." She set down her cup. "Second question: What do you actually want from life? Not what you think you should want. What do you really want?"
I felt the truth serum pull at me, demanding honesty. "I want to stop running from the past. I want to build something that lasts. I want to protect people who matter to me without losing myself in the process. And..." I hesitated.
"And?" she pressed gently.
"And I want to prove that being broken doesn't mean being worthless. That you can take damage and still become something worth keeping around."
The vulnerability of the admission hung between us. Yuzuriha's expression softened, something genuine showing through her seductive facade.
"Third question: What do you see when you look at me?"
"Beauty. Danger. Intelligence wrapped in deliberate presentation. Someone who's used to using attraction as a weapon but might be tired of people only seeing the weapon." I met her eyes. "And loneliness. The same kind I recognize in myself. The kind that comes from being powerful enough that everyone sees your strength but no one sees you."
She was very still. Then: "No one's ever said that to me before."
"They probably thought it. But saying it requires seeing past the intimidation factor."
"And you're not intimidated?"
"Oh, I'm terrified. But I'm also curious, and curiosity tends to win over fear for me."
She laughed, the sound warmer than her usual sultry purr. "Next question: Are you attracted to me?"
The truth serum made lying impossible: "Yes. You're gorgeous, confident, and clearly skilled at everything you do. Not being attracted would require being dead."
"But?"
"But attraction isn't the same as action. I can acknowledge that you're attractive without needing to do anything about it. And more importantly, I can see that this whole trial is designed to test if I can make that distinction."
"Very good." She poured more tea. "The mind trial isn't about resisting temptation... It's about understanding yourself well enough to know what you really want versus what you think you should want. Many men fail here because they convince themselves that physical attraction means they should pursue it, regardless of consequences."
"And women?"
"Women usually fail because they convince themselves they don't want things they actually do want. Self-denial versus self-indulgence. Both are failures of honest assessment."
She leaned forward, and in the low light, her eyes reflected the brazier flames. "Final question for this phase: If I offered myself to you right now, completely and genuinely, what would you do?"
The truth serum pulled the answer out: "I'd be honored. And tempted. And I'd say no."
"Why?"
"Because accepting would be making a decision based on the moment rather than on what's actually right. You're testing me. This whole thing is a test. And even if it wasn't, making that choice while under the influence of truth serum and in a deliberately seductive environment wouldn't be making a real choice... it would be reacting to circumstances."
"And what if the circumstances were different?"
"Then we'd need to have a genuine conversation about intentions, feelings, and whether there's actually something real between us or just mutual attraction and respect. Which is a conversation that requires clarity, time, and probably input from people I'm already committed to."
Yuzuriha sat back, and for the first time since I'd met her, her smile was completely genuine, no seduction, no testing, just real pleasure.
"Phase two: passed. You understand yourself well enough to distinguish between wanting something and needing it. Between momentary desire and lasting intention." She stood, offering her hand. "The mind is yours to command, Knox Ashford. That's rarer than you think."
I took her hand, letting her pull me to my feet. The room spun slightly from the tea's effects.
"How long does the truth serum last?"
"Another hour or so. Why?"
"Because I'd like to ask you some questions now. If we're being honest."
She blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Go ahead."
"Why are you really here? Not the official reason about the altars. The real reason."
The truth serum worked both ways, I saw it in her eyes as she struggled with automatic deflection before giving in to honesty.
"Because we're lonely too. The three of us. Oni society values strength above all else, and we're strong enough that no one challenges us anymore. No one sees us as people... only as warriors, as symbols, as threats or opportunities." Her voice softened. "We heard about you and thought... maybe someone who conquered a dungeon alone, who built a family from broken pieces, might understand what it's like to be powerful and still feel empty."
"I do understand that."
"I know. I can see it." She squeezed my hand briefly before releasing it. "That's why I'm actually rooting for you to pass the final trial. Not because it's my job to test you, but because..." She paused, vulnerability flickering across her face. "Because maybe if you pass, it means there's hope for us too. That being strong doesn't have to mean being alone."
The honesty in her words hit harder than any of her seduction attempts. This wasn't Yuzuriha the temptress. This was Yuzuriha the person, admitting to the same fears I'd been carrying.
"You don't have to be alone," I said quietly. "None of you do. That's kind of the whole point of what we're building here."
"We'll see if you still feel that way after the final trial." She gestured toward the door. "Phase three begins at sunset. The trial of the soul. That's when we discover who you really are, beneath all the choices and control."
"Looking forward to it."
"Liar." But she smiled. "Rest. Eat. Prepare. The final trial is the hardest because it requires confronting not what you want or think, but what you fear."
Interlude: Reactions and Preparation
I emerged from the trial room to find approximately half of Ashenhearth waiting outside.
Nyx immediately swept me into her arms, checking me over like I'd been through combat. Through the bond, her concern was palpable: Are you alright?
Fine. Just mildly drugged with truth serum.
...I'm sorry, WHAT?
"She gave me truth serum tea. For the mind trial. It was voluntary," I added quickly as her eyes blazed with protective fury.
"The Oni," Lira announced from my shoulder, "are insane."
"The Oni," Pip corrected, "are thorough. There's a difference."
Kasumi approached, looking proud. "You're doing well. Yuzuriha said you passed both phases cleanly."
"She seemed surprised."
"Most men either fail the body trial by giving in, or fail the mind trial by lying to themselves about their intentions. You did neither." She grinned. "I knew you wouldn't. You're too honest for your own good."
"Is that a compliment?"
"From a warrior culture that values straightforward strength? Yes."
Siraq had been watching from a distance, but now she approached. Through our bond, I felt her complicated tangle of emotions, pride, concern, and something that might have been jealousy.
"You handled that well," she said carefully.
"You watched?"
"Everyone watched the first phase. The second phase was private, but Yuzuriha briefed us after." She met my eyes. "She likes you. Genuinely. Not just as a trial subject."
"I... noticed."
"How do you feel about that?"
The truth serum was still active, pulling honest answers: "Flattered. Overwhelmed. Concerned about adding more complexity to an already complicated situation. And also kind of relieved that someone else understands what it's like to be strong and lonely at the same time."
Siraq's expression softened. "That last part. Yes. I understand that too."
We stood there for a moment, the conversation happening as much through the bond as through words. She understood, she'd been alone with her strength for years too. The isolation that came with being powerful enough that people either feared you or wanted to use you.
"The final trial is at sunset," I said, breaking the moment. "Any advice?"
"Yes." She stepped closer, voice dropping so only I could hear. "Remember who you are. Not who people want you to be, not who you think you should be. Just... you. That's always been enough."
Then she was gone, leaving me with the warmth of her words and the growing realization that my life had become impossibly complicated.
Kota bounded over, entirely too cheerful. "Knox! We're taking bets on the final trial! Yorrik says you'll pass easily, but I think it'll be close, and Matron Siraq won't tell us her opinion, but she keeps watching you with this LOOK, and..."
"Kota," I said tiredly, "I need food and probably a nap before facing trial three."
"Right! Food! I'll get everyone organized!" He bounded off, leaving me with Nyx and the fairy wives.
"Truth serum," Nyx said, her tone suggesting this conversation was far from over. "Really."
"It was voluntary and part of the trial," I repeated.
"And what did you tell her? Under this truth serum?"
The serum was still active. The answer came out unfiltered: "That I'm attracted to her but I wouldn't act on it. That I want to build something lasting instead of pursuing momentary pleasure. That I see loneliness in her that matches my own. And that maybe the reason I keep accepting complicated situations is because I'm trying to prove that broken people can still build something beautiful."
Nyx was quiet for a moment. Then she pulled me close, her forehead resting against mine. Through the bond: You're going to make me cry, and I'm a dragon. We don't cry.
Pretty sure I've seen you cry.
Those were tactical tears. Completely different.
Lira and Pip had been uncharacteristically quiet, but now Lira spoke: "Knox, do you want them here? The Oni? Actually want them, not just feel obligated because they traveled far or because they're testing you?"
The truth serum pulled the answer: "I don't know yet. I want to understand them better. I want to see if what Yuzuriha said is true... if they're actually looking for belonging and not just testing some random chimera who activated magical altars. And yes, part of me wants them here because they're powerful and skilled and would make Ashenhearth stronger. But also because they're lonely, and I remember what that feels like."
"Good answer," Pip said softly. "Honest. That's what matters."
We made our way to the dining hall, and I tried to prepare myself mentally for whatever the final trial would bring.
Trial of the soul. Confronting what I feared most.
I had a pretty good idea what that would look like, and I wasn't looking forward to it.
Phase Three: Trial of the Soul
Sunset painted Ashenhearth in shades of amber and shadow. Yuzuriha had chosen the Hall of Stories for the final trial, the sacred space feeling appropriate for something called "trial of the soul."
The entire population of Ashenhearth gathered, but they maintained distance, this trial was meant to be witnessed but not interrupted.
Yuzuriha stood at the center, and something about her had changed. The seductive warrior was gone, replaced by something older, more primal. Her tattoos glowed with active magic, and her eyes held the weight of ancient Oni traditions.
"Knox Ashford," she said formally, "you have passed the trials of body and mind. You have proven your strength and your honesty. Now comes the final test, the trial of the soul. Here, you will face not my judgment, but your own."
She raised her hands, and magic flooded the hall. Reality bent.
"In this trial, you will confront your deepest fear. Not physical danger... you've proven you can face that. Not temptation... you've shown you can resist. This is about facing the truth of who you are and who you fear becoming."
The world shifted.
Suddenly I wasn't in the hall anymore. I was standing in a mirror-maze, each reflection showing a different version of myself:
The Knox who never left Earth, who drowned in grief and gave up completely.
The Knox who let power corrupt him, who became the monster everyone feared.
The Knox who failed everyone, Nyx dead, the fairies scattered, Ashenhearth in ruins.
The Knox who succeeded at everything but remained empty, powerful and alone.
And in the center of it all, standing with her back to me: Emma.
"No," I said immediately. "We're not doing this again. The dungeon already tried this."
She turned, and she was exactly as I remembered, hollow-eyed, track marks on her arms, the last stages of addiction written across her face. But her voice was mine:
"The dungeon showed you the past. I'm showing you the future." Emma gestured to the mirrors. "Every path leads to failure, Knox. Either you become the monster, or you fail to protect what you love, or you succeed at everything external while remaining broken inside. There's no winning. Only choosing which way you lose."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?" The Emma-that-wasn't-Emma moved between the mirrors. "Look at yourself. You've built a home, found love, gathered people around you. But inside? You're still the broken man who woke up in a swamp, still running from grief, still convinced that if you just prove yourself enough, you'll finally feel whole."
The words hit like physical blows because they had the weight of truth behind them.
"You'll never be enough," the vision continued. "For Nyx, for the fairies, for Siraq, for these Oni warriors. They see strength and think it means wholeness. But you know the truth, you're just very good at appearing functional while slowly falling apart inside."
The mirrors began to crack, each one showing a different failure:
Nyx dying because I wasn't strong enough.
The fairies leaving because I couldn't maintain the happiness they needed.
Siraq realizing I was more burden than partner.
The Oni seeing through my facade to the broken thing underneath.
Ashenhearth falling because I built on a foundation of trauma instead of strength.
"Stop," I said, but my voice was weak.
"Why? This is the truth you're afraid of. That no matter how strong you become, how many people you protect, how much you build... you'll always be the broken thing that couldn't save anyone, starting with me."
I stood there, surrounded by failures, by fears, by every nightmare that lived in the spaces between heartbeats.
And then I did something that probably wasn't what the trial expected.
I laughed.
Not hysterically. Not from breaking. But from sudden, crystalline clarity.
"You're right," I said to the vision. "I am broken. I did fail you, Emma. I couldn't save you from addiction, and I'll carry that forever. And yes, I'm building all of this partly because I'm terrified of failing again."
The vision of Emma looked surprised.
"But here's what you're wrong about: being broken doesn't mean being worthless. Being afraid doesn't mean being weak. And building something good out of trauma isn't avoidance... it's alchemy."
I walked forward, approaching each mirror in turn. "Yes, these futures could happen. Any of them. I might fail to protect Nyx. The fairies might leave. Siraq might decide I'm too complicated. The Oni might see through whatever front I'm putting up. Ashenhearth might fall."
The mirrors pulsed, uncertain.
"But those possibilities don't define me. What defines me is that I keep trying anyway. That I wake up every day and choose to build instead of surrender. That I love people fully despite knowing I might lose them. That I accept my brokenness and work with it instead of pretending to be whole."
I reached out and touched the nearest mirror. It didn't crack, it cleared, showing something different. Me, older, scarred, still obviously carrying damage... but smiling. Surrounded by family. Standing in a completed Ashenhearth that had weathered storms and survived.
Not perfect. But real.
"I'm not afraid of failing," I said, the truth of it settling into my bones. "I'm afraid of not trying because fear of failure stops me. And you know what? I'm done being controlled by that fear."
I turned to face the Emma-vision directly. "You died. I couldn't save you. That's a fact I'll never escape. But I can choose what I do with that fact, let it destroy me, or let it drive me to make sure others don't face the same loneliness and pain that consumed you."
The vision wavered. "And what about when you fail again?"
"When I fail... not if, because I will fail sometimes... I'll get back up. That's what broken people do. We fall apart, and reform and keep going, because the alternative is giving up, and I'm too stubborn for that."
The mirrors shattered.
Not violently, they dissolved into light, each reflection transforming into something new. Possibilities instead of certainties. Futures that could be shaped rather than feared.
And the Emma-vision smiled, a real smile, the one I remembered from before addiction took hold.
"Took you long enough to figure that out, Knox."
"Better late than never."
"Way better." She stepped forward, and now she was just a memory, no longer a weapon. "I'm proud of you. For surviving. For building something. For letting yourself be broken and loved anyway."
"I wish you could have done the same."
"Me too. But you can't save everyone. You can only save the ones who want to be saved, and make sure the ones who don't make it aren't forgotten." She began to fade. "Live, Knox. Really live. Not just survive... live. You've earned it."
Then she was gone, and I was back in the Hall of Stories.
Yuzuriha stood before me, and there were tears on her face.
"No one," she said softly, "has ever turned the soul trial into self-acceptance before. Most people fight the visions, deny them, or break under their weight. You just... acknowledged everything and chose to keep going anyway."
"Did I pass?"
"You transcended the trial." She bowed, deep and formal. "Knox Ashford, you have faced your demons and emerged not unscathed, but unbowed. You carry your damage as proof of survival, not as shame. Your soul is your own, tempered by loss but not broken by it."
She straightened, and the formality dropped away. What remained was genuine emotion, admiration, attraction, and something deeper.
"I would be honored to stand beside you. To guard this place you're building. To learn how to carry brokenness with the same grace you do." Her voice dropped. "If you'll have us."
Behind her, Kasumi and Momo approached. Kasumi was grinning through tears of her own. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. You're incredible."
Momo simply nodded, but her eyes shone. "Intelligence matched with emotional strength. Rare. Precious."
The three Oni knelt, and the hall went silent.
"We offer ourselves to Ashenhearth," Yuzuriha said formally. "To its Warden. Not as conquerors or guests, but as family, if you'll have us."
I stood there, overwhelmed, still processing the emotional gut-punch of the trial. Through the bonds:
Nyx: Yes. Absolutely yes. They're perfect for us.
Lira: They made you cry! We're keeping them!
Pip: Welcome them properly. They've earned it.
Siraq: ...I approve. They understand what you've built here.
I stepped forward, offering my hand to Yuzuriha. "Welcome home. All three of you."
She took my hand, and magic flared, not a soul bond like with Nyx, but something significant nonetheless. A connection forged through trials and understanding, the beginning of something that could grow into depth.
Kasumi grabbed me next, pulling me into a hug that cracked my ribs. "You're AMAZING! We're going to spar every day! And train! And I'm going to learn everything about how you fight!"
Momo's approach was gentler, but her hug was just as fierce. "Thank you for seeing us. For letting us be more than weapons."
The hall erupted in cheers. The fairies launched into an impromptu celebration song. The bear kin began organizing yet another feast. Nyx transformed into dragon form and roared her approval to the sky.
And I stood there, surrounded by growing family, thinking about how I'd gone from sleeping in a tree hollow to having an actual support system in just a few weeks.
"My life is insane," I said to no one in particular.
Yuzuriha appeared at my side, her seductive mask back in place but with genuine warmth underneath. "Yes. But it's also beautiful. Chaotic, complicated, and beautiful."
"Fair assessment."
She leaned close, voice dropping to that purr. "Also, Knox? Now that the trial is over and you've officially accepted us..."
"Yes?"
"I'm absolutely going to flirt with you. Regularly. Just so you know."
"That's... good to know?"
"Good." She kissed my cheek, a gesture both innocent and promising. "Welcome to having Oni in your life. We're very affectionate. And competitive. And possessive. And..."
"I'm getting a picture."
"Good. Now come. Your fairy wives are organizing rooms for us, your dragon mate wants to celebrate properly, and I believe Kasumi has already challenged three bear kin to sparring matches."
"It's been ten minutes."
"Yes. We work fast."
[ALL TRIALS: PASSED]
[ONI DELEGATION STATUS: APPROVED - FAMILY MEMBERS]
[YUZURIHA: INTRIGUED - DEVOTED]
[KASUMI: SMITTEN - OBSESSED]
[MOMO: IMPRESSED - ENCHANTED]
[ASHENHEARTH POPULATION: GROWING]
[COMPLEXITY LEVEL: MAXIMUM]
"Yeah," I said, following Yuzuriha toward the celebration. "That sounds about right."