The evening sun cast long, melancholic shadows across the sterile white walls of the recovery room. Rito sat on the edge of the bio-bed, flexing his fingers. His skin felt normal, but beneath the surface, he could feel a hum, a quiet, powerful vibration that hadn't been there three days ago.
Click.
The door clicked shut. Mikan, Lala, and the others had stepped out to give him a moment to dress and collect himself.
But one person remained.
Golden Darkness stood by the window, her back to him. Her silhouette was rigid, her shoulders tense. She hadn't looked at him since he woke up and declared he felt "great".
"Yami-chan." Rito said softly, standing up. He was wearing the clothes Mikan had brought him, jeans and a fresh t-shirt that fit a little tighter across the chest than his old ones.
Yami didn't turn. "Do not approach me."
"Why?"
"Why else? It's because I am a defect." Yami whispered, her voice trembling. "I was created to kill. But I even failed in that. Instead of eliminating the target... I corrupted him."
She spun around. Her red eyes were glistening, filled with a self-loathing so deep it hurt to look at.
"Look at you, Yuuki Rito." she said, gesturing to him. "You are not human anymore. That energy... it is mine. It is Darkness. I infected you with my curse. I turned a gentle boy into a weapon."
"I'm not a weapon." Rito said calmly, taking a step forward. "And I'm not corrupted. I chose this."
"You had chosen death!" Yami cried out. "You survived by a miracle mutation! Next time... next time my presence might destroy you completely. I cannot stay here. I cannot be near you."
She turned back to the window. The air around her warped.
Trans.
From her back, angelic wings took shape.
"I will leave." Yami declared, climbing onto the sill. "I will disappear into the galaxy. You will never see me again. It is the only way to keep you and people around you safe."
"No!" Rito shouted.
He reached out. He didn't think about how to stop her; he just knew he had to. His desire to keep her, to protect her from her own loneliness, surged through his new neural pathways.
His eyes flashed gold.
His right hand shot forward. He didn't activate the power consciously; his body simply responded to his will. The skin of his arm shimmered, dissolving into golden light before reforming instantly.
Shooom.
A tendril of golden energy shot from his palm. It wasn't a claw, and it wasn't a blade. It was a thick, braided rope of solid light.
It lashed out faster than the eye could follow. It wrapped around Yami's waist, pinning her wings to her sides, and yanked.
"Kyaa!"
Yami was pulled backward, off the windowsill. She flew across the room, landing softly on the bed right in front of Rito. The golden rope pulsed, binding her arms to her sides, unbreakable but gentle.
Yami stared at the rope, then up at Rito, her eyes wide with shock.
"Trans-Ability..." she whispered. "You... you used it."
Rito looked at his hand, the golden rope extending from his fingertips. He blinked, the gold fading from his irises. "I... I did?"
He looked at Yami. She looked terrified, expecting him to get unnerved by the direct consequence of the mutation, she even expected him to use his new power to punish her, to strike her.
But no such thing happened. Instead, Rito smiled. It was the same shy, sweet smile he had always worn, untouched by the mutation.
"See?" Rito said, the rope dissolving into motes of light that drifted back into his skin. "I'm not weak anymore. You didn't do anything bad Yami-chan. One might even say, you helped me."
He positioned himself next to her on the bed.
"You didn't do anything wrong." Rito said firmly. "Lacospo was the villain. You were just a girl trying to figure out where she belonged. And me being in that explosion? That was my choice. I'd do it again if that kind of situation arises."
Yami looked down at her hands. "But... I…"
"How about making a new contract." Rito suggested.
Yami looked up. "New... contract?"
"With me." Rito said. He held out his hand, his normal, human-looking hand. "Not as an assassin. Not as a weapon. Just... as a friend. As Yami-chan."
"Friend?" Yami repeated the word like it was a foreign language.
"Yeah. The terms are simple." Rito grinned. "You stay on Earth. You eat Mikan's cooking. You read manga. You hang out with us. You enjoy your life. That's it. That's the mission."
Yami stared at his hand. Her lip quivered. The walls she had built around her heart, the walls of "Golden Darkness", crumbled into dust.
Tears spilled over. Real, hot tears.
"That is... an illogical contract." she sobbed, reaching out and gripping his hand. "But... I accept."
Rito pulled her into a hug. He just held her, letting her rest her head against his chest.
Yami closed her eyes. She listened. Beneath the ribs, she heard it, his heart. It was beating strong and steady, a powerful, mutated rhythm that sounded like a drum of war, but felt like the safest place in the universe.
"Thank you..." she whispered.
…
They walked out of the clinic together.
The night air was cool, a welcome relief after the sterile atmosphere of the underground ward. Rito walked in the center, flanked by his family.
Lala held his left arm, her tail swishing happily now that he was safe. Mikan walked on his right; her hand tucked securely in his. Run, Haruna, Sachie, and Mami followed close behind, chattering excitedly about Rito's new "cool aura".
And walking slightly behind him, like a shadow, was Yami. She wasn't holding his hand, but she was close enough that her sleeve brushed his. She looked peaceful, clutching a bag of taiyaki Mikan had packed for her.
"We're home!" Lala cheered as the Yuuki household came into view.
Rito stopped at the gate. He looked up at his house. It looked the same, the warm lights, the familiar roof, but he felt different. He felt the hum of the Darkness energy in his veins. He felt the weight of the Golden Seals binding the girls to him more than ever.
He was now capable of being a real protector.
As they stepped onto the porch, a figure emerged from the shadows of the garden.
It was Zastin.
The swordsman looked grave. He wasn't wearing his usual relaxed expression. He stood at attention, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Rito-dono." Zastin bowed low. "I was waiting your return. And... I can sense the change in your energy."
Rito nodded. "Yeah. Things got a little crazy, Zastin. But we handled it."
"I can see that." Zastin said, eyeing Yami, who was standing calmly next to Mikan. 'You have even tamed the Golden Darkness. A feat worthy of the future King of Deviluke.'
'Sasuga, Rito-sama.'
He straightened up, his face serious.
"I am here to bring news from Deviluke. A transmission arrived from His Majesty just moments ago."
Lala tilted her head. "From Dad? Is he mad about the explosion of energy?"
"No, Princess." Zastin said. He pulled a holographic disc from his belt and activated it. "It concerns your sisters."
A grainy image flickered in the air. It was a royal decree.
"ALERT: SECOND PRINCESS NANA ASTAR DEVILUKE AND THIRD PRINCESS MOMO BELIA DEVILUKE HAVE FLEED THE ROYAL PALACE. DESTINATION: UNKNOWN."
"Nana and Momo ran away?!" Lala gasped.
"Tracking data suggests they stole a royal cruiser." Zastin explained. "Their trajectory... it leads here. To Earth."
Rito felt his eyelids twitch slightly. He remembered them well from his "Dream Memories". He remembered the chaos Nana and Momo brought, and more than anything, he remembered Momo's "Harem Plan", which he had inadvertently already started.
"They're coming here." Rito whispered.
"They will arrive soon." Zastin warned. "Prepare yourself to meet Lala-sama's family members, Rito-dono. The younger princesses are... a bit spirited."
…
High Orbit: Above Earth
A sleek, pink-and-black spaceship de-cloaked, shimmering into existence against the backdrop of the stars. It hung silently in the void, its sensors locked onto the blue planet below.
Inside the cockpit, two figures watched the main screen.
Nana Astar Deviluke leaned forward, her purple eyes narrowing as she chewed on a lollipop. She adjusted her twin-tails, looking skeptical.
"So, this is where Onee-sama is staying?" Nana scoffed. "It looks boring. And primitive."
She pointed at a blip on the radar, a massive, golden energy signature radiating from a small town on the eastern continent.
"But... what is that?" Nana asked, her voice hushed. "That energy reading... it's huge. It feels like a beast on the map."
Beside her, Momo Belia Deviluke smiled. It was a sweet, innocent smile that didn't quite hide the calculating intelligence in her eyes. She swiped a finger across her tablet, analyzing the data.
"That," Momo purred, "is Yuuki Rito. Onee-sama's fiancé."
She zoomed in on the image of the Yuuki household. She saw the energy signature of Rito, surrounded by the smaller, distinct signatures of the "Seal" girls.
"Oh my." Momo whispered, a flush rising on her cheeks. "He's already building a kingdom. Oh, this is a wonderful turn of events."
She turned to Nana, her tail twitching with excitement.
"Get ready for landing, Nana. I think we're going to like Earth."
The ship's thrusters flared.
The sisters began their descent.
Volume 7: The Golden Darkness Arc — END
*****
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