"...Mio?"
The silver-haired spirit murmured the na softly, as though savoring its aning.
After a mont, she lifted her head and smiled beautifully.
"It sounds lovely. I like it. Thank you."
"Ohhh—"
Kurumi glanced between Setsuna and the blissful Spirit of Origin.
"My, my, you're quite the sweet-talker, aren't you? She's already accepted the na you gave her so easily."
"Well then, should I give you a cute nickna too?"
Setsuna smirked and nodded.
"For example…"
"Stop! That's too cringey!"
Kurumi hugged herself, shuddering as though fending off a chill.
"…"
At that mont, Mio noticed Kurumi as well.
She stepped closer, gently sniffed the air near her, and then extended her delicate hand to softly touch Kurumi's face.
"There's… sothing familiar about you."
"Have I t you before?"
"!!!"
Kurumi froze in place, stunned as Mio's hand caressed her face. She remained completely still.
Inside Kurumi's body resided a Spirit Crystal, originally granted to her by Mio on the prior worldline—a fragnt of Mio's own power.
Even though they had crossed ti and space, the Spirit of Origin could still sense it.
Kurumi's transformation into a Spirit, her subsequent manipulation, and the profound shift in her life all stemd from this entity now standing before her.
Once, she had been willing to pay any price for revenge.
But now, this being—who in so sense was her mother—looked at her with innocent bewildernt.
"I feel like… you and I are very alike…"
"It's as if… you're a part of …"
Mio cupped Kurumi's face in both hands, gazing intently into her eyes. Instinctively, she recognized the Spirit Crystal within Kurumi.
Despite her recent ergence into the world, Mio's presence was already overwhelming.
At such close range, Kurumi found herself utterly unable to resist, as if every ounce of her strength had been sapped.
"How strange… why do I feel this way…"
Mio murmured softly, lost in thought.
Her mind briefly reviewed the fragnts of knowledge Setsuna had just imparted to her, trying to make sense of the sensations.
"Could it be that you're my child?"
Mio suddenly asked, looking at Kurumi.
"???"
Kurumi was completely dumbfounded by the question.
She had imagined countless scenarios for eting the Spirit of Origin, but never in her wildest dreams did she expect Mio to touch her face and declare herself her mother.
"Uh... uh..."
"Technically speaking, your conclusion isn't wrong. You are her mother in the sense of being a Spirit," Setsuna nodded, confirming Mio's statent.
"Oh..."
Mio, who already had a natural affection for the man teaching her, lowered her head and thought for a few seconds. Her beautiful eyes turned thoughtfully before she straightened up, organizing the relationships in her mind.
Then, she reached out and poked Kurumi's cheek.
"In that case, you should call Mom."
"???"
Kurumi: "..."
Mio then pointed at Setsuna:
"And you should call him Dad."
Setsuna nodded in agreent and patted Kurumi on the head.
"From a generational standpoint, that's correct. Call Dad."
"!!!???"
Kurumi nearly slamd the table in frustration.
What nonsense is this?
Wasn't I just tricked by Setsuna into traveling across the world to save my friend?!
How did I suddenly gain a set of parents?! And not just any parents—ones who were entirely parachuted into my life?!
In the past, if anyone dared speak like this, she'd be sure to teach them a lesson.
But here? She couldn't even overturn the taphorical table.
Setsuna, the Spirit of Origin, the dragon maid, and even the shipgirls were all forces she couldn't ss with.
"Be polite now—"
"Co on, call Mom."
Mio was unrelenting, her personality surprisingly persistent.
Like a mother teaching her child, she wrapped Kurumi in a gentle embrace, urging her to say the word.
"Don't be afraid, my child. I'll protect you..."
Mio whispered softly.
"Wasn't it you who tricked back then?!"
Kurumi roared inwardly but dared not voice her frustration.
She could feel that if she didn't say sothing, Mio wouldn't let it go.
Like a stubborn child, the newly born Spirit of Origin clung to her determination.
Kurumi cast a pleading glance at Setsuna.
"Ah, what a beautiful mont of reconciliation," Setsuna clapped his hands, thoroughly satisfied.
"Rember to call Dad from now on."
"Not happening!"
Kurumi gritted her teeth as Mio cradled her, patting her head, stroking her hair, and playing with her as though she were a pet.
Running wasn't an option. Fighting back was futile. All she could do was endure being treated like a toy.
"It's fine. There'll be plenty of chances for you to call that in the future."
"Whether here or elsewhere."
Setsuna whistled and signaled the ship to continue its course.
...
Mio's comprehension was extraordinary.
In just two days, she had mastered several languages and could communicate effortlessly with Setsuna and others.
To foster their bond and teach her about the basics of human society, Setsuna used Belfast's ship as their base and took her on a scenic tour.
The starship departed, heading westward.
Mio's endless curiosity about the unfamiliar world made her cling to Setsuna like a hatchling to its parent.
For such a pure and untainted girl, Setsuna couldn't help but marvel at how easy it was to "conquer" the Spirit of Origin.
—The caveat being that one had to be in the right place at the right ti.
Moreover, without even realizing it, Mio had already begun to demonstrate her imnse power.
...
...
Setsuna strolled hand-in-hand with Mio on a peach blossom island.
He had hoped to witness the island's fad sea of blooming peach blossoms, but it seed he had arrived too early.
Aside from a few scattered buds, not a single peach blossom was in sight.
"Uh, maybe we should head sowhere else? Peach blossoms in the south might bloom earlier..."
Setsuna scratched his head awkwardly.
Just as the words left his mouth—
Mio closed her eyes, bringing her hands together in a prayer-like gesture. Behind her, a colossal tree-shaped angel appeared, with a fissure in its center housing a pink-haired, red-eyed tree spirit.
[Ain-Soph (Samsara of Paradise)]
As the tree's roots extended outward, the surrounding area rapidly transford into a monochro world of black and white.
This was Mio's second angel, the Angel of Laws, which converted the real world into an alternate dinsion, where Mio was nearly omnipotent, capable of rewriting all rules.
"Let the peach blossoms bloom," Mio said softly.
Swoosh—
The world returned to full color.
All around them, peach blossoms burst into full bloom. Despite it being early spring, the blossoms on the entire island were more vibrant and lush than they had ever been, rivaling any place on Earth.
Mio plucked a peach blossom branch, her face lighting up as she handed it to Setsuna.
"Is it beautiful?"
"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful..."
The others stood frozen, dumbfounded.
Fortunately, Mio was an innocent romantic at heart, with no sinister intentions. Otherwise, the world would be in serious trouble.
...
Northern Europe, Lapland
Mio leaned against Setsuna's shoulder as they watched the northern lights dance across the snowy landscape.
"Do you know this is Santa Claus's hotown? Every year, many people co here to make wishes," Setsuna said casually, sharing local customs and traditions.
"Make wishes? What does that an?"
Mio struggled to comprehend why humans would make wishes to sothing that didn't exist.
"It's when people hope for things to happen the way they want or for certain things to co true," Setsuna explained after a mont of thought.
"Then I don't need to make wishes… Hmm… Although, bringing people back to life is sothing I don't think I can do," Mio said thoughtfully, then turned to Setsuna with a serious expression.
"So, you must promise not to get involved in anything too dangerous, okay?"
Though their ti together had been brief, she had developed a sense of reliance on him and found his company enjoyable.
"…"
"I know…" Setsuna replied.
The others, who were familiar with the original storyline, couldn't help but grimace at her words.
If Setsuna were to actually die, they couldn't begin to imagine how the Spirit of Origin might unravel the world.
"…"
Kurumi patted Setsuna on the shoulder.
"For the sake of world peace, you'd better stay alive!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon/DaoOfHeaven
User Comments
0 comments from readers