Allen crossed into the Celestial Spirit World alongside the spirit of maiden, Virgo. Once there, he was hit by the sheer difference of that realm, feeling firsthand what it meant for that world to be unfit for humans. Among the issues, not being able to breathe was the main one—but it posed no problem for Allen.
He gently stroked the pink-haired maid's head, who, despite her emotionless face, was visibly worried.
"Thank you, Virgo... From here on, I'll handle the rest." Allen smiled and began walking toward the enormous door in the distance.
Virgo reached out as if to stop him from confronting the Celestial Spirit King, but in the end, she didn't. The girl knew nothing could stop her master once he'd decided.
"..."
As Allen approached the King, the pressure around him increased drastically. Those watching through the live-stream that the System had naturally started knew this was very different from the original story. Unlike when Lucy was invited, Allen was not a guest—he was an intruder. Consequently, everything was hostile towards him.
The density of celestial magic was crushing his body, the storm of pressure from the King attempting to subdue him. Yet despite it all, there was no visible change in Allen's expression.
Allen stopped in front of the Celestial Spirit King, a massive spirit. His most distinctive features were his large mustache, blue skin, and glowing red eyes. He wore turquoise and gold armor, a sea-green cape, and a matching helmet adorned with a peacock feather and curved horns on each side.
Allen didn't show hostility just from seeing him. After meeting several celestial spirits, he'd formed a certain impression—they might be quirky, strange, or have unusual fetishes or personalities, but none of them had ever shown malice. So Allen believed the Celestial King would be the same and that things could be resolved through words.
Looks like he was wrong…
...
"Damn!"
Allen clapped his hands together, channeling all his magic and entering full combat mode. He'd been caught off guard. Even if he'd considered the possibility of conflict in the Celestial World, he hadn't expected this situation.
And then he saw them—two crimson lights glowing above the King's head. The situation had just gotten worse.
Multiple people had warned Allen—his girlfriends, his dolls, the Chat, even the System itself—all of them had considered the same terrifying possibility: what if someone had more than one Lucifer Particle?
Allen clenched his teeth. Setting aside José Porla, the reality was clear—he hadn't even been able to defeat Deliora with just one particle.
And now he was facing the Celestial Spirit King—the strongest of all celestial spirits, ruler of this world—armed with two?
"Composite Magic!"
Allen didn't hesitate. Given the situation, he had to strike first—and with everything he had—or risk losing again.
But...
"Young human..." the King spoke, interrupting Allen's spellcasting. Something felt... off.
"...?" Allen noticed the King hadn't made a single move to attack. He let out a breath, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. Letting his guard down could cost him everything—but his instincts were telling him maybe he'd jumped the gun.
Kimiko – Wait, is that old guy in armor not evil?
Gwen – Careful! Remember José Porla kept his own ego even with Lucifer's power—don't lower your guard!
Starfire – But the mustached old guy isn't even attacking...
Samantha – Sweetie, please don't let your guard down. This could be a trap...
Unohana – I agree. Better to risk offending someone than risk your life. If he's not corrupted, there's always time to apologize.
Allen considered it for a moment, easing the tension a bit—but he didn't release the magic.
"Old man, do you even know what those things above your head are?"
The Celestial King stared deeply at Allen. After a tense pause... he burst out laughing. His laughter echoed loudly due to his sheer size. Then, he sat down and smiled warmly.
"Why don't you have a seat?"
"Huh?.... well, there seems to be no problem..." Allen exhaled and let go of the tension in his body.
The Celestial Spirit King sat down, pouring a mug of his favorite drink for Allen.
"Come now, don't be shy, young human."
"My name is Allen Walker... Your Majesty?"
"Haha, no need for formalities," the King laughed before taking a drink and meeting Allen's gaze. "I imagine you have questions... but we just wanted to give you a proper welcome."
Allen raised an eyebrow. "A welcome? For me? Why?"
Allen had no real connection to celestial spirits, aside from Virgo. His magic couldn't be sensed, his presence was unknown, and he hadn't even been in this world long. For an immortal being, Allen's time was less than a blink. There was no reason for the King to even notice him.
The King smiled, pointing at Allen's waist. "I don't know who you are, where you come from, or what your goal is. But I can feel your bond with your spirits. In my long life, I've rarely seen a connection as strong and you've done it with so many spirits.... that only makes me appreciate you more... even though I don't know any of them..."
Allen cleared his throat. Considering the relationship he had with his dolls, he understood why their bond was so strong. He looked down at the keys on his belt. There was a small lie in all this—only Kurumi was a true spirit. Jalter was a heroic spirit, and Artoria had reached divinity. Still, the connection was real. "They are as important as my life..."
The Spirit King smiled.
Allen finally let his guard down, seeing there was no need to remain tense. "Old man, why are you okay? No, better yet—why did you reject the power?"
The Celestial King smiled. "I felt it... at that moment, I knew. If I had wanted it, I could've had immense power—far more than I ever possessed in my prime..."
"..."
"But I didn't want it. That power—I don't need it!"
"...!"
"Allen, this power is dangerous. It's changing the world, isn't it?"
Allen's eyes sharpened like blades. "Yes... unfortunately. But I'll do my best to reclaim it."
"I see... I had planned to guard it until the right time, to ensure it didn't fall into the wrong hands," the King said, smiling as he extended his hand. The Lucifer Particles floated forward, "But my friend... it seems that won't be necessary."
The particles hovered before Allen. At that moment, a crystal orb appeared and sealed them inside.
[Lucifer Particles: 4]
"Old man... are you sure about this?!" Allen's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I am. I owe it to you—for showing me that there are still humans who treat their spirits with such love and care."
Allen shrugged. "Well, I do love them a lot."
....
Albedo – Ah❤️~ I love you too❤️~
Makima – I'm surprised you can say that without a hint of embarrassment... but then again, that's just you.
Rebecca – Of course, he loves us! He's proven it more than a hundred times by now... Hahaha
Harley – What?! Hey Becca, that's not fair! Daddy, I'm so far behind! I demand equal affection!
Esdeath – You two ruin the mood... but thanks❤️
Wednesday – Your sweet words are as painfully saccharine as a stab to the heart with a candy cane... but I've gotten used to it. My beloved...
Artoria – There's only one thing I value above all else... and that's been true since that day... when I gave you my life.
Nokotan – Nu-nu-nu~ I knew it was only a matter of time before Master fell for my charms!~
Bocchi – *Faints*
2B – Thank you. Today and always, you are my everything.
Jalter – Tsk, what the hell are you all saying?! You've all lost your minds! There's no way I love that shameless womanizer!
Kurumi – Ara~ You say that with your face red and while rolling around your room in embarrassment. How cute~
....
"..." Allen smiled as he heard the voices of his dolls.
Through all this time, they had always been by his side—like guardians and companions. Unfortunately, Allen doesn't have enough power to summon all of them at once. Still, he always felt their presence with him, and that's why he always carried their keys.
"My eyes weren't wrong! Allen, you're someone worthy of my trust!"
"It's an honor, Your Majesty," Allen replied with his usual half-smile. "By the way, there's something I'd like to discuss with you..."
"Hmm, is it about Leo?"
Allen glanced sideways at the King. "That's right..."
....
Back in the human world, Lucy and Juvia looked anxiously at the spot where Allen had disappeared. Five minutes had passed as they waited, hoping he would return safely. Erza, meanwhile, had a serious look that radiated confidence—she believed that no matter who Allen faced, he would not fall.
"Tsk, damn it!" Loke punched the wall. Guilt gnawed at him with every passing second. He might not like Allen, maybe even fear him, but he could never be glad to see him in danger because of his own mistake. "I shouldn't have asked for his help!"
"That's not true," Lucy said, shaking her head as she continued looking toward the place where Allen vanished. "Allen's right. You didn't do anything wrong. No one should be punished for protecting a friend."
"Lucy-chan?... Haha, I am... pathetic in the end..." Loke scoffed at himself, his pride shattered. In that moment, even Lucy's back seemed more noble than the proud Celestial Spirit, Leo. But his self-loathing was cut short by a sudden realization. "Wait! I forgot about the problem of time!"
"What?!"
Loke gasped. "Listen—the flow of time in the Celestial Spirit World is different from the human world. A single day there could—"
Before he could finish, a magic circle lit up on the ground, and from it emerged Allen and Virgo.
Lucy's eyes welled up with tears, but before she could leap into Allen's arms, Juvia shoved her aside and tackled him with a hug.
"Allen-sama! I'm so glad you're safe! ❤️~"
"You!!" Lucy got up, ready to fight Juvia.
"Wait, how did you come back so fast?!" Loke rushed over to Allen and started inspecting him. "Don't tell me the transfer failed?!"
"Nope. It was flawless," Virgo replied proudly.
Allen blinked slowly, then realized what Loke meant—and the truth was even harder to accept. Thanks to his past experiences, Allen recognized the time discrepancy and was able to avoid it using the system's temporal anchor. That way, the flow of time between both worlds remained perfectly synchronized.
"In any case, Loke, Leo—whatever—you can go back to the Celestial Spirit World now..."
"Huh?" Loke stood dumbfounded.
"You heard me. The old guy with the mustache said you can return now. Oh, and leave your key with Lucy—she's got a lot of potential as a Celestial Mage."
"Huh?!" Lucy's eyes widened, pointing to herself in disbelief.
"Of course," Allen said, patting her head gently.
Lucy blushed, Juvia fumed with jealousy, and Erza let out a quiet sigh of relief. Despite her calm demeanor, even she had been worried deep down.
"Allen... I don't even know what to say..." Loke bowed his head. "But for now—please forgive me! I was rude to you. Honestly, I was a little jealous... I'd been rejected by both Mirajane and Erza in the past, and I just couldn't understand how a plain-looking guy like you could win over such beautiful women..."
Allen scowled. "Are you... Thanking me or insulting me?"
Most of the girls, the dolls, and Allen's audience laughed.
Loke bowed again. "I won't forget this favor..."
"You'd better not. It'll be ten million," Allen replied, his voice void of emotion.
"Ten million?!" Loke looked stunned. Even an elite mage would struggle to cough up that much.
"And your key. Hand it over."
"Do you have no mercy?!"
Loke felt like he was being robbed. Of course, he never expected Allen to help for free, but he also hadn't imagined it'd cost him this much. He looked at Allen with a defeated expression, though a small smirk lingered on his lips.
"Fine, you thief..." Loke tossed his key to Allen before beginning to vanish. He winked at Lucy. "See you tomorrow, ladies! And remember—if Allen ever starts acting like a jerk, I'm always available~"
"Virgo..."
"Yes, Master."
Virgo handed Allen a whip. He gripped it tightly, and just before Leo disappeared, he whipped him—right in the groin.
"AHHHHH!" Leo crumpled to the ground in agony.
"I warned you! Next time I'll give you Testicular Torsion." Allen said with disdain. No one disrespected him in his own home and got away with it.
"No!" Leo disappeared, scared, he had no idea what that was, but he felt it would hurt even his grandchildren.
"Well... he had that coming," Lucy said, completely unfazed.
Juvia snorted, covering her nose. "Juvia feels dirty for even feeling sorry for such a rude man."
Erza laughed and then looked at Allen with playful eyes and a faint smile. "Loke's a fool... but I have to admit, it felt nice to see you defend us like that. Though now I'm curious—who were you more jealous of?"
Lucy and Juvia both stiffened and blushed. It was true—Allen's earlier actions did feel like jealousy. But... for whom? Lucy? Juvia? Erza?
"Who knows..."
The three girls stared at Allen, who simply gave a faint smile. His calm, ocean-like eyes were impossible to read—none of the three could figure out whose place in Allen's heart was deepest.
....
(Three days later...)
The sun shone high above a bustling, tropical beach—Fiore's most famous tourist destination, Akane Resort. Between the waves and the golden sand, people from all walks of life came to forget their troubles.
Allen stood on the shore, gazing out at the sea with an awe-inspiring view. This trip was thanks to Loke, who, as partial repayment of his massive debt, gave Allen an all-expenses-paid vacation package for five people. Naturally, Allen didn't turn it down.
"Allen-kun~ Did we keep you waiting?" Allen turned around—and was blinded by a group of girls in swimsuits.
He had a feeling that Natsu and Gray would somehow crash this adventure, like always. But he wasn't going to waste this opportunity on a pair of idiots who only ever annoyed him. So, this time, he invited only girls. You can call him a shameless bastard—but no matter how down Allen Walker might get, he never stops being a shameless womanizer.
---
On a remote island surrounded by sea, a massive twisted structure loomed toward the sky. The scent of blood and suffering hung heavy in the air—who knows how many slaves had lived and died to construct such a monstrosity?
This was the Tower of Heaven.
At the center, a young man with blue hair sat on a throne. Another man approached him—long black hair, white robes.
"Jellal-sama, Simon and the others have departed for Akane Resort... but I don't understand why you're so interested in that traitor. With your power, eliminating her should've been simple."
Stimulated by the mention of Erza, Jellal grinned with malice. "That wouldn't have been fun... and I hate boring things."
"I see..."
"But now that the Tower of Heaven is complete, I can't afford to leave dangerous enemies alive. That's why Erza will be the sacrifice to fulfill our dream..."
The long-haired man wondered—if that was the case, why not just order her killed? Wouldn't that be safer?
Jellal's smile faded. "Though right now, there's a problem bigger than Erza... I should take this chance to lure him in and destroy him..."
His eyes glowed a demonic red, the pressure around him growing intense. In his mind, he saw an image of Erza smiling in Allen's arms—and the photograph of them kissing. Jellal's eyes grew even colder.
'Allen Walker...'
===
A/N: Only Loke could be worthy of breaking the Taboo and using Testicular Torsion on him. 🍷🗿