"So this... is your selfishness, Papa?"
Tears streamed uncontrollably from Bronya's eyes.
She clung tightly to Elias' neck, burying her small face into his chest.
"Yes, this is my selfishness. I wish for those I love to live forever, to be immortal and unscathed, without illness, pain, or sorrow. So... I won't let you fight, Bronya. Leave this to your Papa."
"Papa Elias is always so gentle. Even though we're not related by blood, you've always treated us so kindly. Bronya... Bronya really..."
"Blood doesn't determine whether we're family. It's the bonds and emotions we share. That's what I believe. I will bring Seele back. So, Bronya, stay home and be good. Or... do you not trust me?"
"Bronya trusts Papa Elias more than anyone in this world... even more than herself."
"Mm~"
In the end, Bronya gave in and stayed at home. Seeing her finally give up on fighting, Elias sighed in relief and turned to look into the distance.
Cold rain fell from the sky.
But it couldn't extinguish the raging fury in Elias' heart.
"You dare take my precious family from me... Ah... No matter who you are, I will get her back! I swear it!!"
The next second, Elias' figure vanished from sight.
With speed invisible to the human eye, he chased after the direction Seele had been taken. His piercing golden eyes gleamed like a bloodthirsty lion.
Tonight, a storm of blood would be unleashed.
...
Inside the kidnappers' hideout—
Seele was bound at the hands and feet, with tape over her mouth. She shivered in the corner.
Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes. Fear gripped her heart.
(So scary... What do these people want? Papa... Papa Elias... Please come save me... I want to go home...)
Even though she was just a powerless girl, three or four armed kidnappers were watching her closely. It showed just how much they valued her.
One female kidnapper, with purple hair and tan skin, glanced at Seele and spoke with visible confusion.
"I really don't get what your clients are thinking. There are plenty of women in this country who'd sell their bodies for five bucks, and yet they're paying three million dollars to have us kidnap this little girl. Are you sure someone from this orphanage can pay that kind of ransom?"
"Hmph, what do you know? Her value is beyond measure. This girl's body holds a power that could change the world! Hehe~ Just thinking about it gets me excited."
"Tch, sounds like a bunch of rich perverts. Not that I'm complaining—after this job, I'm retiring."
"Don't be careless. The man who adopted this girl is suspected to be White Dove, the number one ranked mercenary. Well~ if he's not, great. But if he is, and he dares show up, he's walking straight to his death."
The man glanced at a specially prepared Honkai energy weapon. In this world, weapons were either infused with Honkai energy or not. The latter were toys compared to the former.
He believed White Dove was just an ordinary man, someone who hadn't even touched the real side of the world. Against Honkai weapons, he would be killed in a single strike.
(They said Papa Elias is a mercenary...? No... No, he can't come! It's dangerous!)
Hearing the kidnappers' conversation, Seele panicked. She began struggling—not to escape, but to damage the watch on her wrist that had a tracking function.
Even though Seele desperately wanted to be rescued, more than anything, she didn't want her beloved Papa Elias to be hurt. Just thinking about these people trying to kill him brought forth a surge of courage from her fear-filled heart.
She would rather go unfound, unrescued—
Than allow the most important person to come to harm.
"Huh? What's this brat doing? Why is she slamming into the wall? Is something wrong with her head?"
"...Go check. Something's up with her watch."
"Eh~ Seriously? Even that can go wrong?"
But before they could act, the lights in the entire room suddenly went dark!
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Footsteps echoed clearly—each step pounding like a drum on their hearts. Mixed in with the sound were the screams of the guards stationed outside.
"Wh-what's going on?! Get the backup power on!"
"Hey! What's happening outside?! Report!"
Then the lights came back on.
"!!!" xN
The kidnappers were horrified to see another person standing in the room—wielding a massive war scythe, with golden eyes that blazed like fire. He looked like death itself, come to their doorstep.
"White hair! Scythe! It's White Dove!!"
"Take him down! Shoot! Shoot!!"
"Found you. So you're the worms who took someone precious from me."
Ratatatatatatatata—!
A hail of bullets flew toward Elias. The calmness they had before was gone. Some things you don't truly understand until they appear before your eyes—only then do you realize the overwhelming pressure and terror.
They squeezed their triggers desperately—only the barrage of gunfire could slightly relieve the fear clawing at them.
But when their magazines were empty and half the room was riddled with bullet holes, they were stunned to realize—
Elias had vanished.
The next second, his voice came from behind them.
"Seele, are you okay?"
"Papa Elias, I-I'm fine, but..."
"It's alright, don't be scared. Now that I'm here, everything's going to be okay. Seele, close your eyes. You shouldn't see what's going to happen next."
At some point, Elias had already appeared behind them.
He tore off the ropes binding Seele's hands and feet, gently peeled the tape from her mouth, and pulled the trembling girl into his arms. One hand covered her eyes.
"Damn it! When did he get behind us?!"
"The weapon—use the weapon, now!"
"Die, White Dove!!"
The leader pulled out a high-tech hand cannon, his hands shaking as he aimed the barrel at Elias. Clenching his teeth, he pulled the trigger with all his might.
A Honkai energy-charged blast launched toward Elias—but just before impact, it was swallowed by a portal.
Snap!
Elias snapped his fingers.
The portal reappeared—
Only this time, it opened in the direction of the kidnappers. The same energy blast burst out and struck the shooter directly, reducing him to dust.
"Wh-what... what the hell?!"
"Didn't they say White Dove was just a normal guy?!"
"The intel was wrong! Abort mission! Retreat!!"
"Now you want to run? Not happening!!"
Elias stomped his foot, and in that instant, every space within view froze solid. The enemies who had just tried to flee were completely immobilized, unable to move an inch.
"You dared to lay hands on something that must never be touched... on the most precious treasure in my life! Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable! You must pay the price. You must taste agony... Are you ready to repent?"
The Herrscher of Death's authority awakened through Elias' fury.
Every cell in the kidnappers' bodies tore, ruptured, and twisted. The pain that followed was beyond anything imaginable—so intense that death itself became the only relief.
Even a Fool bound by a five-hundred-year-old obsession wouldn't have been able to endure such torment, let alone this group of weak-willed criminals. The air filled with their howls and screams.
And when they had been tortured to the point that they could no longer even scream, Elias finally raised his war scythe high—and, like a true Reaper, reaped their lives.
...
"Sorry, Seele... for leaving you with such horrible memories."
After letting out all his rage—
Elias immediately regretted it.
His extreme emotions had once again gotten the better of him. Thinking back, although he had covered Seele's eyes, she could still hear those agonizing screams.
Now, Seele was curled up in his arms, like a terrified little animal. Still, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to draw warmth from his body.
"It's okay. Seele was scared, but... Papa Elias got angry because something happened to me, right?"
Though she said that, her trembling body betrayed her fear.
And of course she'd be afraid. As a sweet, well-protected girl under Elias' care, Seele had never seen anything like what had just happened.
Those soul-wrenching screams had overloaded her mind. Seele wasn't someone who took joy in others' pain—not even if those people were trying to hurt her.
But accompanying that fear was also something else: shock.
(Seele never knew Papa Elias could be like that... So this is another side of him? Big sis Bronya must know... This passionate, furious, violent side of him...)
She was shocked by a side of Elias she had never seen—but she didn't hate it. Because she understood: he became like that because someone tried to hurt her.
"Sigh..."
Elias let out a deep sigh. He could read the thoughts in Seele's eyes, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to be honest.
"Seele, do you remember that seaside trip, when everyone argued over whether I or Nata was the kindest person in the world?"
"Yes, Seele remembers that."
"The truth is... neither I nor Nata are good people. Sometimes, people call me a devil, a demon, even death itself. But... I just didn't want to show that side of me to you girls. I didn't want you to be afraid of me. After all, you're the most important people in my life."
"That's not true! Seele would never be afraid of Papa!"
Seele, who had been trembling in fear just moments ago, suddenly sat up straight, full of conviction.
The fear that once filled her heart had already faded. What now remained was a quiet, powerful emotion that couldn't be put into words. Seeing this hidden side of Elias had moved her deeply.
Seele didn't care how others saw Elias.
All she knew now was that the kind, gentle side of him—he showed that only to them.
Seele had never realized how precious the warmth she took for granted really was.
The thought that she and the others at the House of the Hearth were the only ones to receive this man's gentleness—his complete love—made her heart race. She couldn't describe the feeling in words, only that...
She and the others were truly lucky.
"Seele wasn't scared. Seele loves Papa Elias the most. Thank you... for getting angry because of me."
"Of course I did. Alright, let's go home now. We don't want to keep Bronya and the others waiting too long."
"Mm!" Seele nodded firmly.
Elias gently wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, then carried her on his back and began walking toward the House of the Hearth.
Just then, the rain stopped.
The night sky looked freshly washed, stunningly beautiful. Above them, countless stars sparkled, and the deep, romantic sky resembled a black velvet jewelry box filled with gems.
"Next time, let's get a few telescopes. On nights like this, we can all come out and stargaze together," Elias suddenly said.
"Yeah, everyone would love that."
"If we're lucky, we might even catch a shooting star. Back where I'm from, there's a legend that if you wish on a shooting star, your wish will come true. Do you have a wish, Seele?"
"I do, but... I can't tell you."
The girl on his back tightened her arms around his neck just a bit. A soft blush bloomed on her cheeks—one Elias couldn't see.
(Like wishing to marry Papa Elias or something... No way I could ever say that out loud!) Just thinking about it made her feel like her head was about to overheat.
...
When Elias returned carrying Seele on his back, the girls who had been waiting anxiously at the door rushed over to surround them, bombarding them with concerned questions about injuries.
Even Bronya, usually calm and composed, lost her cool and hugged Seele tightly. She had long considered Seele her most important little sister—just beneath Elias in her heart.
"Everyone, we're home."
"Welcome back, Papa Elias, Seele."
That evening, just as they had planned, they all shared a hot pot meal. Notably, everyone kept piling food into Seele's bowl out of concern—nearly stuffing the poor girl to death.
Of course, Elias knew the matter wasn't over. After the girls fell asleep, he contacted Raven and tracked down the organization behind Seele's kidnapping. That very night, he annihilated them all.
He figured they probably hadn't leaked the information about Seele's stigmata to outside forces. But still, he couldn't risk it. After all, the dead were the best at keeping secrets.
When his war scythe sliced off the final head, Elias sat down in the sea of corpses and blood, finally letting out a breath.
In that moment, he felt like he could use a cigarette... though he didn't actually smoke.
"This plot feels oddly familiar somehow... Even though it's pretty different, if I'm not wrong, tonight might just be the catalyst for Dark Seele's awakening."
He spoke to himself.
And just as he predicted—
Late that night, in the silent House of the Hearth—
Though she should've been fast asleep from sheer exhaustion, Seele suddenly opened her eyes. They were no longer her usual gentle blue, but vivid crimson—eyes like blood.
"Finally... finally awakened. Oh my~ This useless crybaby caused Father trouble again today, didn't she? Really can't be helped. From now on, I'll protect both you and Father, Seele~"
The stigmata on her chest now glowed brighter than ever, emitting a faint red light even in the dark bedroom.
By its glow, she looked into the mirror on her desk—
And showed a seductive, excited smile that the usual Seele would never wear.
...
The next day—
After what had happened, Elias decided to temporarily close shop and spend some peaceful days at home with the girls, ensuring no one else dared lay a finger on them.
Raven voiced her strong objections, of course, but it was pointless. Elias simply said he'd been wanting to take it easy anyway—and besides, they had enough money now.
At that moment, he was sitting leisurely by the fireplace, reading a book.
Bronya sat beside him, tinkering with her laptop.
Recently, Elias had bought her a ton of computer parts as gifts, and Bronya was eagerly upgrading her machine. Her only requirement? Being able to run five games at once without lag.
But then—
"Papa Elias, Seele wants to read here too," said Seele, walking over as if nothing were unusual.
"Hm? Sure, come sit."
"No need for that. Here is fine."
The red-eyed Seele said with a soft chuckle—
Then, to Bronya's utter shock, she sat directly on Elias' lap.
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