"…Then… could you tell me about your past life, Rider?"
As soon as Sion hesitantly uttered those words, it felt as though the lights in the hangar softened ever so subtly. The cold, industrial white light seemed to warm, seeping gently into the heart.
Staring at the girl before him, who was struggling to maintain her alchemist's dignity and rational defenses, Steve found himself slowly giving way to a deeper, more twisted pleasure—he longed to see more of her emotions.
She feared the unknown—so give her something known. Even if this known might crush her logical circuits like an antimatter bomb.
"…Since you asked, I have no reason to hide it."
"After all, for both Master and Servant, trust is the basis of all tactics."
Steve turned, leaned back against the silent red mecha, arms folded, and stared far off through the transparent metal of the hangar dome.
As he began to speak of another world, his voice grew deep and intoxicating.
He described a hopeless world ruled by twenty-seven Dead Apostles. There, humanity's history was flatly denied, the Heroic Spirit summoning system was never established, Gaia's will crushed Alaya's, and eternal night was the setting of all.
He spoke—not about his own feats—but of sending humans into space, resolving the conflict between Earth and humanity by a wild plan to sanctify the planet, and, in doing so, meeting a woman called Sion.
Sion listened quietly the whole while. At the start, her expression remained in serious academic discussion mode, analyzing the parallel world's magical foundation and calculating the worldline shift rate based on Dead Apostle supremacy.
Yet, as Steve's tale deepened—and more "he" and "she" moments slipped in—Sion's gaze began to shift.
Ether threads behind her quivered restlessly, like pheromones in the air, as if trying to catch something intangible. Unconsciously, her fingers clenched her handcuffs, and her breath grew slightly ragged.
"…That's why I am here now."
Breaking off from the distant past, Steve refocused on the girl before him. The smile at the corner of his lips hinted at something, a calmness like a hunter watching prey enter his net, and a tenderness that belonged only to a husband gazing at his wife.
"The relic originally prepared—was supposed to be that of Captain Nemo, right? In terms of compatibility and as a catalyst, in theory you should've summoned that phantom spirit."
"But, Sion, in the world of magecraft, fate is often stronger than catalyst."
With a single stride, he closed the physical gap between them. The oppressive aura of the Supreme Commander of the Federation Army instantly melted away, replaced by heart-throbbing intimacy.
"My summoning succeeded, forcibly overriding the intended target, because in that summoning circle, you were the strongest relic. In that other world…"
Steve lowered himself near her already reddened ear, and whispered something no one else could hear.
"In a parallel future where I lived… We were husband and wife in our past lives."
"You were—until death parted us—my one and only companion…"
Total silence.
It was as if time itself stopped in the hangar—even the hydraulic sounds of the working AI robots seemed to fade away.
Only the pounding of Sion's suddenly racing heart echoed, deafening. One second. Two. Three.
Sion, Atlas Academy prodigy with parallel reasoning prowess, was now like an overclocked quantum computer suffering a fatal crash.
"H-husband… husband… M-married?!"
Finally, a shriek that forsook all composure and reason broke the stillness.
Sion staggered back a few steps, colliding with the cold bulkhead before stopping. Her cheeks rapidly flushed, spreading from ears to neck, her face as red as a boiled shrimp, and one could almost see steam rising off her head.
"Wait, wait! But how! Statistically—no, from fixed-band quantum recording theory—parallel universe isotope interference exists but—but—!"
Her hands flailed in air, Etherlites behind her seething and dancing uncontrollably like a nest of startled serpents. She tried to process the revelation using parallel thinking, but every subroutine reached the same result: [Logic Error: Emotional Module Overflow]
"So… Me? You too? We were married? For life?!"
Her eyes grew wide as she looked at Steve's handsome, mature face—only to nervously avert her gaze a split second later. Countless images darted through her mind: not academic scenarios, but scenes plucked from shoujo manga or late-night fantasies. Everyday bits of cohabitation, gentle care, and—inevitably—more intimate moments.
Having spent her whole life cloistered in Atlas Institute, rich in theory yet entirely lacking in practical experience, this was a bombshell against her very worldview.
"How… How is that even possible? By all my calculations, it was clear I'd either grow old alone in pursuit of the ultimate problem, or, at best, dedicate my life to humanity's survival… Why… why marriage…?"
She muttered incoherently, trying to patch her crumbling worldview with collapsing logic. Yet the more she calculated, the more Steve's honest, forthright gaze lingered in her heart.
Atlas alchemists treasured results most of all. And the result before her—his summoning—was an undeniable fact. If not for a bond this strong, a destiny carved deep into their souls, how could he have broken through the wall of time to come to her against all odds?
"Fate… is stronger than any catalyst…"
Sion echoed Steve's words, muttering to herself. Her heart thudded so wildly it might leap from her chest. The awe and distance born of difference in status had been replaced by something far more complex—an intense, burning blush.
When she looked at Steve again, her expression had changed. She was no longer looking at a Supreme Commander, nor at a menacing unknown. She gazed upon someone who had boldly barged into her life and claimed superiority over her—her destined other.
That look now bore shyness and confusion—and, perhaps, an expectation even she hadn't realized.
Seeing the girl lost in complete confusion, Steve experienced a wicked little thrill—but he also knew very well that excess was just as bad as lack. Too much stimulation, and this genius alchemist might genuinely faint from overheating.
"Of course… that all happened in that world," he interjected at the proper time, giving her a graceful escape—if a rather weak one.
"To the you of this world, I'm just a servant. I'd never be so arrogant as to demand you inherit those memories or feelings. You have your own life, Sion."
"I just wish to tell you—there's no need to fear me, or feel alienated."
Once more, he extended his hand—this time in a gentler, more natural way.
"No matter what world I'm from, neither I nor fate could ever be your enemy."
"Now, will you show me yet another hope of this world, my Master…?"
Sion tried to steady her racing heart with a deep breath. She stared at the outstretched hand before her—the very same hand that had once grasped hers and led her through her whole life in another world.
She hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out and grasped his hand gently, yet firmly. His palm felt as hot as ever.
But this time—she no longer felt any fear. The flush in her cheeks hadn't faded; the Etherlites behind her still trembled slightly; yet a new light called trust now shone in her eyes.
"I see," she murmured softly.
"Rider—no, Steve."
She called his name tenderly, her voice still a bit shaky but already regaining its usual composure (even if faked).
"If you're someone I have acknowledged… then even if you're a monster, even if you're a Demon King… I'll trust in your calculations."
"But! As for that… as for the details of any marital relationship… In the future, you're strictly forbidden to mention it in public!"
"That's… an order! Understand?!"
Looking at her, so serious yet so adorably desperate to maintain her dignity as Master, Steve couldn't help but burst out laughing again.
This familiar type, the tsundere yet pure-hearted science girl… it's not so bad.
The spirit, the attitude he once knew… He truly missed them.