<MOMENTS BEFORE>

Haru waited on a bench while Lilithine searched for her notes on consecration.

The shadows of the buildings behind created a comfortable environment amidst the absurd heat of the Capital; the only breeze came from the surrounding trees.

Students from the Cathedral hurried to find out why the bell had been rung. It was an emergency.

"Papa..." Yukihime said beside him, "...will Lilithine be my next mother?"

Haru leaned against the bench, watching the birds fly by—seagulls, pigeons, a few crows.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Yukihime, who was in the same pose as him, leaning back, legs dangling, hands in her lap.

He smiled, pondering, "How did I have a daughter so young...?"

"Do you want her to be your mother?"

Yukihime tilted her head, mirroring Haru’s gestures perfectly.

"I don’t... know..." she thought aloud. "She’s nice. I want her to teach me more magic."

"But you only met her today..." Haru turned to her. "Haru, my daughter... you want to take advantage of her."

"What do you mean!?"

"You want her as a mother just because she knows magic. Ohh! Where do you learn these things!?"

Yukihime crossed her arms, pouting. "Like father, like daughter..."

"I’m not like that!" Haru protested. "...Maybe."

Silence.

Then they both laughed together.

"Did Daddy call me Haru?" Yukihime asked suddenly, her eyes shining.

"And isn’t that your name... Haru?"

She blushed, her whole face red, a huge smile that she tried to hide by looking at the ground.

"I like it..." she murmured softly.

Haru scratched his head. "But like... which one do you prefer? Yuki? Yukihime? Haru?"

"All of them!" she replied excitedly. "Daddy can call me whatever he wants!"

"Even... brat?"

"NO!" She hit his arm, laughing.

"Little devil?"

"Daddy!"

"Cookie eater?"

"I like cookies!" she defended herself. "It’s not a crime!"

Haru suddenly picked her up, tickling her.

"And ice cream? And sweets? And stealing food from Mommy?"

"HAHAHAHA! STOP!" She struggled, laughing. "I don’t steal! I taste!"

"Try half a pan?"

"It was to make sure it was good!"

They stopped, laughing together.

Yukihime rested her head on his shoulder.

"Daddy..."

"Hm?"

"I’m happy." Haru felt a tightness in his chest, good but painful.

"Me too, Haru."

She lifted her head. "Really? Really, really?"

"Really, really."

"Happier than when you were in... in the other place?"

He paused, remembering Japan. His old life. Loneliness. Empty routine.

"Much happier."

Yukihime smiled and leaned back against him.

They stayed like that for a minute, father and daughter, comfortable silence, a light breeze.

Until Yukihime asked: "Daddy... if I grow up... will you still love me?"

"What!?" Haru looked at her. "Of course I will! Why do you ask that?"

"Because... children who grow up are forgotten. Nobody wanted to adopt. They only wanted babies."

Her voice grew small.

"... so maybe..."

Haru held her face in both hands, looking directly into her eyes.

"Listen carefully. It’s not because you’re a cute baby. It’s because you are you. And it doesn’t matter if you’re ten, twenty, fifty years old... you will always be my daughter. Understand?"

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Understand?" He repeated more firmly but affectionately.

"I-I understand..." her voice trembled.

He hugged her tightly.

"Silly. Never think about that again."

Lilithine arrived hurriedly, holding a notebook.

"Oh, sorry for the delay! I didn’t remember where I left it..."

She handed the notebook to Haru.

They stared at each other for a while, eyes locked, an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say.

Lilithine called to a passing nun. "Let’s go!"

"Oh, I have to go..." she said, hurrying away without looking back.

Yukihime looked at Haru, somewhat embarrassed.

"What was that?"

"It’s like looking at your mother..." Haru murmured, putting the notebook away.

"Which one?"

They were already leaving the bank.

"When I say ’your mother’ without saying names... I mean both of them. Isabela and Kira."

They walked a few steps before Haru stopped and looked at her seriously.

"Your mother sent me to spy on you, didn’t she?"

Yukihime froze. "...Yes. They sent me."

"You’re a *terrible spy.’"

"Sorry!" She lowered her head. "But... I do a lot for my father... but for my father I’ll do anything."

Haru processed that, the absolute loyalty of a ten-year-old child, and smiled.

"That’s right!" Haru crouched down, turning her back. "Go! Get on your father’s back!"

"Why?"

He looked at her over his shoulder, smiling.

"We’re going to fly away from here!"

"YAY!" she jumped onto his back.

Haru channeled mana into his legs and leaped high, landing directly on the nearest rooftop. Yukihime screamed with joy, holding on tightly.

And they began their parkour journey back home, father carrying daughter through the skies of the Capital, she laughing loudly, he grinning like an idiot.

...

On the other side, in the students’ meeting room.

Father Elias stood before, a serene expression, piercing blue eyes, white hair pulled back with military precision, a face with a vertical scar crossing his left eye.

Teacher above all others. Responsible for every student there.

Father Elias raised his hand and silence fell.

Everyone rose in unison and began praying in chorus:

"O Light that guides us through the darkness,

O Flame that purifies the corrupt,

O Truth that exposes lies,

O Sword that defends the innocent,

O Shield that protects the faithful,

O Voice that cries out for justice,

O Hand that lifts up the fallen..."

Amen echoed through the room.

Everyone sat down.

Father Elias walked to the center with measured steps, a commanding presence, an aura that made everyone pay attention without him needing to shout.

"Today..." his voice deep but clear, "...we will be receiving visitors."

Murmurs began.

He raised his hand again. Instant silence.

"But first... I want Your Holiness to receive them."

"Visitors?" Lilithine thought, sitting in the third row. "Who could it be?"

She looked around, other students also confused, whispering softly.

Father Elias continued:

"Visitors... Anomalous."

Lilithine froze. "Anomalous... Gamers...?"

"Therefore..." Father Elias looked at each student, "...if anyone knows anything... about someone suspicious... about abnormal behavior..."

He paused, letting the weight of the words sink in. "...It is your duty to report."

Absolute silence.

No one dared to breathe aloud.

"You may go... we will share more details after you have accumulated sufficient holiness," he finally said...

Everyone stood up and began to leave in tense silence.

Lilithine stood still. She remembered what Haru had said. The secrets of the Cathedral. The way he knew impossible things.

"Haru... he is...?"

"Lilithine." Father Elias’s voice.

She jumped, startled.

"Y-yes, Father?"

"Stay. I need to talk to you."

The room emptied completely.

Only she and Father Elias remained.

He walked until he was standing in front of her.

...

<PRESENT — FLAVIUS’S ROOM>

Flavius stood up, walking to the window with his hands behind his back. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Before we talk about any pact..." he paused, looking at the Capital outside, "...I have information that might interest you."

Haru and Genius exchanged suspicious glances.

"My contacts at the Cathedral..." Flavius turned, "...revealed something to me. Gossip, of course. But useful gossip."

He walked back and sat in the armchair.

"Apparently there’s an artifact kept in the Cathedral’s basement. Something ancient. Very ancient."

"And...?" Genius asked impatiently.

"And this artifact..." Flavius smiled, "...supposedly detects heretics. Anomalous individuals. Gamers."

Haru froze.

Genius held his breath for a second.

"What do you mean?" Haru asked slowly.

"Exactly what you heard." Flavius crossed his legs, relaxed. "Detection artifact. Put someone near it, it glows if it’s a Gamer. Simple. Efficient."

Genius muttered: "Damn... the game is adapting to us..."

Flavius continued playing the card. "And if I know this..." he looked directly at Haru and Genius, "...others know too."

He let it sink in.

"Other Gamers. Other nobles. Others... interested parties."

Haru processed quickly.

"If there’s an artifact that detects Gamers... Cathedral will start using it. Witch hunt. Everyone suspicious will be tested."

"And if other Gamers know... they’ll want to destroy or steal it."

"Race against time."

"You’ll want this." Flavius said confidently. "And if it’s not you... other Gamers will."

Flavius leaned forward.

"The question is: who gets there first?" "So..." Haru said slowly, "...you want us to steal the artifact?"

"And get there before the others..." Genius finished, "...so we can make a forced pact?"

Flavius clapped once. "Exactly! I see you’re quick."

He stood up and started walking again.

"I’ll technically be helping you. Gamers just want peace to deal with their plans, right? If this leaks out there... goodbye to peace."

He paused at the window.

"Cathedral starts testing everyone. Custodians hunting. Nobles with paranoia. Gamers being burned alive in the public square."

He turned, smiling.

"Or... you get the artifact first. Destroy it. Problem solved."

Genius glanced at Haru out of the corner of his eye.

```[GENIUS]: Too easy information. Smells BAD.

Obvious trap. He wants us to do dirty work and die in the process.

Haru replied mentally:

[HARU]: Then let’s see who SET the trap.

If it’s real, we catch them. If it’s fake, we figure out their game.

Genius spoke loudly: "How do we know this isn’t a trap? You order us to steal, Cathedral catches us, you go free."

"Because..." Flavius pointed to himself, "...if you die, I lose my sources of knowledge. Stupid of me."

It made sense. But Genius remained suspicious.

Haru thought differently:

"Trap or not... if the artifact exists, I need to destroy it... or at least learn about it."

"I have no choice."

"I accept." He said firmly.

Genius looked at him. "Seriously?"

"I have reasons." Haru responded by looking at Yukihime, who was playing with a doll, oblivious to the conversation.

Genius followed her gaze and understood.

"Ah... he has an NPC that matters. Emotional weakness. Typical."

But he said nothing.

"I accept as well," Genius said. "But on certain conditions."

"Which ones?" Flavius asked.