Harem Sync: Divine Edition-Chapter 15: The Last Man Standing

♦ [Shadow Binding]

◊ Shadow chains that bind the target for 30 seconds

♦ [Mind Whisper]

◊ Plants suggestions in the target’s mind (works best on targets with low Intelligence)

[CHOICE CONFIRMED]

[INTEGRATING ABILITY...]

[10%... 30%... 50%... 80%... 100%]

[SUCCESS]

Haru felt the abilities integrate into his body. As if new synapses were being created in his brain. Knowledge flowing.

He smiled. "Now we’re talking..."

He stood up. He looked around.

The mansion’s soldiers were retreating. Many were wounded, holding their arms and legs, bleeding. But they were alive. The cultists had fled when they saw Arwin die, their leadership eliminated, their cult collapsing.

No one had died. Haru had arrived quickly, before the deaths happened. But there were wounded. Many.

The blond knight, the one from the day of the interrogation, the one who had pressed his sword against Haru’s neck, came up to him. He was painted with blood from the battle. His armor was cracked and dented. His helmet was missing. His hair was matted with sweat and dirt.

He stared at Haru, about to speak, but Haru spoke first.

"You don’t have to apologize. I did my job, just as you did yours."

Haru knew. He knew he was there to apologize. And to thank him. The knight blinked. Then he smiled. A tired but genuine smile.

"You’re full of surprises."

He held out his hand.

"My name is Calvin Grosmot."

Haru shook his hand.

"Haru Mizuki."

Calvin held on a second longer than necessary. Then he let go.

"I hope to fight you on election day."

He turned his back and walked away, limping slightly.

Isabela stared at Haru. Still standing where he had left her. Eyes wide. Processing. The white fire. The divine aura. Time freezing (or seemed to freeze, she wasn’t sure). The way Haru had destroyed Arwin, a wizard she could barely scratch.

And then she remembered the stories. The ancient legends.

There was a god in the scriptures of House Valtherion. A lesser god, forgotten by most. He had no temples. He had no priests. But he was in the ancient books, in the stories her grandfather told her when she was a child.

The Herald of White Flames.

It was said that in times of great darkness, when evil threatened to consume the world, he would send a messenger. A chosen one. Someone who would carry the flames of purification, not destructive fire, but fire that cleanses. That renews.

White flames, like Haru’s.

"It can’t be..." she murmured softly.

But it made sense, it all made sense.

Why would an ordinary slave have such power? Why did he know things he shouldn’t know? Why could he predict attacks? Why did he appear suddenly?

Because he wasn’t ordinary, he was the Herald.

Haru approached her.

"You’re thinking too much," he said, his voice tired but light.

Isabela snapped out of her trance. She looked at him, her eyes shining. Different. As if she were seeing him for the first time.

"You..." she began, her voice trembling. "You’re the Herald, aren’t you?"

Haru frowned.

"...What?"

"The Herald of White Flames." Isabela took a step forward. "In my family’s ancient scriptures, it talks about a lesser god who sends messengers in times of darkness. They carry white flames. Flames that purify. And you..."

She pointed to the scorched ground around them. To Arwin’s headless body. To the marks of white fire still glowing faintly on the stones.

"You have the flames."

Haru blinked. He didn’t know what a "Herald" was. He didn’t know about that legend. But... He looked at his own fingers. He remembered the white aura. The power Chronia had passed on to him when he touched her breasts.

"I..."

He stopped, thinking quickly. If Isabela believes he is some kind of prophet... that could be useful. Very useful, but at the same time...

"Now it all makes sense!" Isabela continued, her voice becoming more excited. "That’s why you knew the attack was coming! That’s why you managed to defeat Arwin alone! That’s why you—"

"Isabela." Haru interrupted her. His voice was firm.

She stopped.

Haru sighed.

"Honestly? I don’t even know what I am."

Isabela was about to speak, but he raised his hand.

"But if you think I am... that’s fine. I won’t deny it."

Isabela’s eyes widened.

Haru took a step closer.

"Just... I need you to treat me the same way you always have."

Isabela blinked. Confused.

"What do you mean?"

"No reverence. No formality. No... distance." Haru looked directly into her eyes. "What I want... is to count on you on my own merits. Not because you think I’m some prophet sent by a god. Do you understand?"

Isabela was silent, processing his words.

"Are you... sure?" she asked, her voice low. "If you really are the Herald, I should—"

"I’m sure." Haru confirmed.

Isabela looked at him for another second, then nodded slowly.

"...Okay. I’ll... try."

Haru smiled. Slightly.

"Thank you."

Isabela took a step forward and suddenly hugged him. Tightly.

Her face buried in his chest. Her arms around his waist. Squeezing.

Haru froze for a second.

"Thank you..." Isabela murmured, her voice muffled. "For saving me. Again."

Haru felt her body trembling slightly.

He realized.

She was holding back tears.

"Cedrick..." Isabela continued. "The butler who had always been with me for as long as I could remember... in the end, he was a traitor. And I didn’t realize it. I trusted him. And he was going to... he was going to..."

She couldn’t finish the sentence. Haru put one hand on her back. The other on her hair.

"Calm down," he said, his voice soft. "It’s over..."

Isabela tightened her embrace.

Haru tried to stay calm, but his body was reacting.

She was pressed against him. Her soft breasts against his chest. The smell of her hair. Her warm breath on his neck.

"Don’t get hard. Don’t get hard. DON’T GET HARD," Haru thought desperately.

But it was a losing battle. He felt it.

"Shit."

Isabela didn’t seem to notice. Or she pretended not to notice. They stayed like that for a few more seconds, then a notification appeared.

[Isabela Valtherion: Trust 100%]

◊ She would kill for you.

Haru read it and smiled inside. "It was worth it," he thought.

The baron arrived at the mansion, his green eyes scanning the courtyard.

Blood. Bodies. Fire marks. Cracked stones.

He had come back the way he came. Somehow, someone had managed to send an urgent message about the attack. About the invasion.

He strode into the mansion. His eyes scanned the room, searching for one person. Isabela.

And then he saw her, there, in the middle of the destroyed courtyard, she was hugging someone. Haru.

The baron stopped. He took a deep breath. Relieved, she was alive.

Haru felt an overwhelming presence behind him.

As if the air had become heavier. More dense. A pressure that made his dick instantly wilt.

"Thank you, universe," he thought, relieved.

As he was about to turn around, Isabela, who was still hugging him, shouted:

"Father!"

She let go of Haru and ran.

She threw herself into the baron’s arms.

The baron caught her, holding her tight. He was cold, to a certain extent. But at that moment, he hugged his daughter as if he hadn’t seen her in years. And out of the corner of his eye, while holding Isabela, he looked at Haru.

His green eyes glowed red. For a second.

Haru swallowed hard.

The other soldiers and servants began to gather around the baron. They wanted to hear what he would say. They wanted orders. Haru went too. Slowly.

The baron released Isabela. He looked at everyone.

"Clean the mansion. Now. I want everything spotless by noon tomorrow."

No one complained.

The night and the following day were devoted to total cleaning.

Bodies were collected. Mutilated limbs were gathered and burned. Blood was washed away. Weapons were collected. The ashes of monsters scattered on the floor were swept up and discarded.

Haru had no time to rest; he worked hard. Like everyone else, he carried bodies. He scrubbed stones. He swept ashes.

In the morning (6/7), everyone ate together. It was the first time Haru had seen the slaves eat in the morning.

Isabela, sitting next to him, explained quietly:

"My father... he didn’t forbid breakfast out of cruelty. It was because there wasn’t enough money. The House of Valtherion wasn’t as rich as it seemed."

Haru looked at her, surprised.

Isabela continued:

"But after what happened... he allowed it. For everyone."

Haru nodded. He ate his bread in silence.

After the cleaning was finished at noon, the baron gathered everyone in the courtyard.

"Tomorrow, there will be an election for Isabela’s personal bodyguard."

He paused. He looked at each of the candidates.

"Everyone who participates must rest. It is mandatory. Tomorrow morning, no one elected should work. Train, meditate, do whatever you want. But don’t waste your energy."

The candidates nodded.

The next day, Haru took advantage of his free time. From morning until afternoon, he went to the forest with pieces of bread in his pocket. He sat under a tree. He opened the system.

He began to hack the system to acquire the hacker class.

He tried to hack into fictitious systems. He forced errors. He studied the logs.

[HACKER SKILL: 35/100 → 42/100]

Slow progress. But steady.

At the mansion, Isabela looked for Haru, searched the stable. The courtyard. The corridors.

Nothing.

"Where did he go...?" she muttered, worried.

Maximus whinnied. As if he knew, but couldn’t speak.

Finally, the afternoon arrived.

Haru returned from the forest. Sweaty. Tired. But mentally sharp.

Time to see who would be Isabela’s guard.

The training courtyard was crowded with servants, all wanting to watch. It was the most important event of the year there.

In the center of the courtyard were only those who would compete for the position. Twelve men. Lined up in a row.

The baron sat on a raised chair, arranged especially for him. Isabela stood beside him, looking at the candidates.

The baron stood up.

"The rules are simple," he said, his voice echoing. "It will be everyone against everyone. Do not kill. Do not maim. You may break bones if necessary. The last one standing takes the position."

The warriors nodded, Haru kept his head down. Listening to everything.

The baron continued:

"Anyone who wants to give up, leave now."

Silence for five seconds.

Then a guy in the back stepped forward.

"I, Marcus Delion, give up this battle," he said, his voice firm. "I leave it to those who are capable of protecting Miss Isabela to fight among themselves."

He turned his back and left, another stepped forward. "I give up too."

Another. "I give up." Another.

Haru raised his head, confused.

"What the hell is going on?"

Calvin, who was next to him, chuckled softly.

"Most of them saw you fight that wizard. That was enough for them to give up their positions."

Haru blinked.

"...Really?"

Calvin smiled.

"Fuck them," he said, turning to Haru. "It’s going to be you and me."

The baron, from where he stood, smiled. Discreetly, he already knew this would happen. When Haru realized it, there were only two candidates left.

Him. And Calvin.

The baron announced in a loud voice:

"With no more withdrawals... may the last man standing win!"