"No way! Absolutely not! I refuse!"
"Save it. Bronya, read the charges."
Completely ignoring the struggling Dark Seele, whose legs were flailing wildly in the air, Elias nodded to Bronya, who was already standing calmly at the side.
After all, Elias was a man of ceremony.
Bronya nodded with her usual expressionless face.
Then, from who-knows-where, she pulled out a luxuriously crafted piece of parchment. Written on it were the complete rules of the House of the Hearth:
Things like: bedtime is before 10 PM, no more than one hour of video games per day, no jumping on the bed with shoes, and always protect your family when it counts.
"Ahem. Dark Seele has violated Rule 11: No harming family members in any form. The punishment is a spanking. Considering it's a first offense, sentence reduction is permitted..."
"Dark Seele, Bronya advises you not to struggle. Sometimes pride really isn't that important."
As she said this, Bronya subconsciously rubbed her own backside. Back in her younger, more rebellious days, she'd tried to sneak in late-night gaming, thinking she could outsmart Elias.
She ended up violating both the no-staying-up-late rule and the gaming time limit rule—and got a three-day computer ban plus a spanking.
After that, Bronya became a law-abiding little duck and was entrusted with preserving the House of the Hearth's rulebook.
(It's a hard memory to forget... Though Bronya's violations were relatively mild. Hurting family is a serious offense—it requires public punishment as a warning to others.)
"No way I'm just going to sit here and take this! Hey! Seele! Come out and take the fall for me!"
"Not happening. Seele is not allowed to come out right now. And if possible, cut off sensory synchronization too."
"O-okay, Papa Elias."
Dark Seele had tried to swap places and flee into their shared mental space.
But even though she was far stronger than White Seele, the latter was still the dominant personality and had full control of the body.
Seele could allow Dark Seele to take control—or stop her at will.
Seeing that she was locked out, Dark Seele's face went pale. Just moments ago, she'd fought hard to control the body... and now she wished she could throw it back.
"Papa Elias, please wait."
"Hm? What is it, Bronya?"
"Big sister!"
Just as Elias was about to begin the punishment, Bronya interrupted.
Dark Seele immediately felt hopeful. Was Bronya actually about to plead for her? Her goodwill toward Bronya skyrocketed.
However...
After stopping Elias, Bronya ran off. When she returned, she was holding a long black wig—the same kind Rozaliya had used in a recent play.
"Even though Dark Seele is being punished, it's still Seele's body. Bronya must protect her sister's dignity. So... please wear this while being punished."
"Oh~ Great idea, Bronya. So thoughtful. This way we can visually distinguish you from normal Seele."
"GREAT idea my butt! Let me go! Put me down!"
In the end, Dark Seele was forced to wear the long black wig. Now, aside from her eye color and outfit, she looked exactly like [Stygian Nymph] from the game.
And then... the inevitable punishment began.
As Elias' palm came down—
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Dark Seele gritted her teeth in humiliation but could do nothing about it, her shame reaching astronomical levels.
All she could do was bury her blushing face in her hands—her cheeks red enough to drip. Even with her usual pride and competitiveness, Dark Seele now just wanted to cry.
Her debut day in the House of the Hearth... and she got publicly spanked.
Perfect. Dignity: gone. If she'd known, she would've stayed hidden in the mental space forever.
"Hah! Serves you right, other Seele!"
Sin Mal had regained consciousness. Though still rattled, the sight of Dark Seele getting punished by beloved Papa Elias was deeply satisfying.
The others rolled their eyes at her smugness. Unspoken thought: "Sin Mal, you're the last person qualified to mock someone about spankings. You've had more than anyone."
...
The next day—
The entire House of the Hearth was decorated with balloons, ribbons, and music. A huge banner in the hall read: [Welcome, Dark Seele, to the House of the Hearth!]
It had been a long time since they'd welcomed a new member. And with Elias' wallet nice and full, they decided to go all out. This was, by far, the most extravagant welcome party the house had ever thrown.
As for the guest of honor...
Dark Seele's feelings were complicated.
"...I don't even know what to say."
"Come on, other me. Cheer up! Everyone worked hard to make this welcome party just for you," White Seele encouraged.
"But I just got... you know, by that guy yesterday. Then today I get this big warm welcome? Even I don't know how to feel about that!"
"I understand how you feel. But let's leave yesterday in the past, okay? Also... please don't call Papa Elias 'that guy.' Show some respect."
"Ugh, fine. Father Dearest! Happy now?" Dark Seele sighed, rubbing her temple.
Seriously, her other self was beyond help. Then again... pretty much everyone in the house was an unapologetic Papa Elias fangirl. A whole house of rebellious daughters!
Today, White Seele had handed over control of the body, saying Dark Seele should attend her own welcome party.
As for how she really felt...
Well~ it wasn't all bad. The food was tasty, the gifts were nice, and at least now everyone understood who she was—fewer misunderstandings down the line.
Classic tsundere: grumbling outside, grateful inside.
Currently, she was happily devouring the spicy dishes Elias had personally made. Even though she tried to keep a neutral expression, her gleeful energy was obvious.
Meanwhile, White Seele—still synced via senses—was crying from the spiciness.
As a side note, Sin Mal had also awakened a love for spicy food. The two of them, still salty from their fight last night, were now in a chili-eating showdown.
"Looks like we've added a new source of chaos to the house."
"Hehe, yeah—but I think it's great. Dark Seele's not a bad person. She's a bit tsundere, but fiercely loyal. And... I think a lively home is a happy one."
"Mm! Bronya agrees."
Watching Dark Seele bicker and blend in with everyone, Bronya smiled. She had fully accepted Dark Seele as White Seele's twin sister.
Bronya logic: Seele is my sister. Dark Seele is Seele's sister. Therefore, Dark Seele is also my sister!
As the big sister figure of the House of the Hearth, she couldn't be happier that their family had grown.
Elias: At this rate, I'm going to end up assembling [Stygian Nymph] ahead of schedule...
In the original storyline, the full awakening of the Stigmata happened within the Sea of Quanta. But with Elias' interference, it might happen earlier—after all, the two Seele personalities had already reconciled.
Thanks to Elias' guidance, White Seele now saw Dark Seele as a somewhat difficult but well-meaning twin sister—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.
Though one was still tsundere and the other a bit timid, they no longer rejected each other.
That mutual acceptance was stabilizing the power flowing from the Stigmata.
"And with Dark Seele around, I feel a lot safer," Elias thought to himself.
...
A lot of time passed after that.
Although Elias had completely wiped out the group that originally kidnapped Seele, somehow, news of the girl still leaked.
More and more organizations learned that a girl named Seele Vollerei was a natural Stigmata awakener.
Some came with noble ideals, wanting to "serve humanity" by taking her in.
Others came with far less friendly intentions—trying to outright abduct her, or even target other girls from the House of the Hearth.
But of course, none of their plans ever succeeded.
Because Elias was here!
...
"Only this many today? Guess I've killed most of them off."
Bathed in pale moonlight, Elias casually tossed a few half-dead infiltrators into the House of the Hearth's garbage bin. They'd be dead in a few minutes anyway.
That night saw only five waves of attacks.
Naturally, he defeated them all.
Lately, the trash bins outside the House of the Hearth had been filled with the bodies of those who dared target his girls.
Admittedly, the body-filled bins served as a rather effective deterrent—it cut down on Elias' workload.
"Y-you can't do this! That girl's Stigmata holds power that could change the world! We could study it together—share that power and—"
"Shut up. That's your dying regret?"
Elias stared coldly, picked up the man's own weapon, and emptied the clip into him.
"Power, shmower. That girl is not some lab experiment. I'll never allow it. I'm her father, after all."
Many had come over the weeks. Some no-name groups weren't worth mentioning, but even major powers like Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent had quietly sent agents hoping to take Seele.
Elias drove all of them away without exception.
By the time he arrived in this timeline, he already had the power of an S-Rank Valkyrie. Since then, he'd developed a method to combine Herrscher of Death powers with base Elysia configs—allowing his strength to increase every passing moment.
At this point, unless those major groups sent everything they had, they had no hope of taking anything from him.
After all, the Second Eruption hadn't happened too long ago. Both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were still licking their wounds.
(Schicksal was battered by Elias-as-Herrscher of the Void. Anti-Entropy had been nearly dismantled by Otto.)
And Schicksal? They didn't even have a single active S-Rank Valkyrie.
Even those who tried to strike when Elias was away failed.
Because with Dark Seele around, Seele had a powerful, round-the-clock bodyguard.
Those who mistook her for a harmless little girl... all met gruesome ends.
Later that night, back at home—
"Papa Elias, thank you for your hard work."
"Mm. Seems like the attacks are dying down. I think things might go back to normal soon."
"...I'm sorry. It's all because of me that Papa Elias and everyone else had to go through all this trouble."
Kind-hearted Seele lowered her head in guilt.
Because of her, the peaceful days at the House of the Hearth had been disturbed. Not only did she trouble Elias, but she also put everyone else in danger.
She felt truly remorseful. For a while, she even wondered if things would be better if she just disappeared.
If she were gone...
Would everything return to peace? Would that be better for Papa Elias and the House of the Hearth?
Even though she didn't say it out loud, Elias, Bronya, and Dark Seele instantly sensed what was going through her mind.
"Don't say things like that, Seele. You've never hurt anyone. You're the kindest girl in the world—thoughtful, helpful, always thinking of others. If you've done nothing wrong, you shouldn't suffer this kind of unfairness."
"Exactly, Seele. It's those people who targeted you who are at fault. They're the ones disturbing our peaceful lives. Don't worry, Papa Elias and I will always protect you," Bronya added.
"Hmph! Father and Big Sis are absolutely right. Crybaby, stop blaming yourself. No matter how many weaklings show up, they're no match for me."
"You just happened to be born with power, Seele. That doesn't make you guilty of anything. If anything's wrong, it's this messed up world that punishes good people."
Their love and reassurance soothed Seele's heart.
Not a single person ever suggested handing her over. Even Sin Mal—who usually clashed with Seele—firmly refused to compromise, loudly declaring she'd fight the bad guys herself.
Only to be promptly held down by Elias.
Fight? Fight what?
There was no need to fight.
Their beloved Papa Elias could handle these enemies like slicing vegetables. There was nothing for them to worry about—just keep living their peaceful, happy lives.
And indeed, that's exactly how it went.
No matter what tactics those organizations used, Elias shut them all down—single-handedly.
Forget kidnapping Seele—most never even caught a glimpse of her before being obliterated.
So despite the turbulent undercurrents, daily life at the House of the Hearth went on uninterrupted... aside from having to occasionally take the trash a bit farther.
That night—
"If only I could help Papa Elias too... help drive away the bad guys," Seele murmured while staring at the ceiling from her bed.
"Huh? What nonsense are you muttering now? Leave the fighting to me."
In the mental space, Dark Seele frowned. What was this girl worrying about again?
She had herself and Papa to protect them—and if needed, Bronya too. The three of them together were unstoppable.
Crybaby Seele didn't need to worry. She was too soft, too sensitive, and hated violence—what kind of fighter would she be? Hurting others just wasn't her thing. She didn't need to do that.
"I know... but I just don't want to always be the one protected. Sometimes, I want to protect Papa Elias, Big Sis Bronya... and you, too."
"Hmph! As if I need your protection," Dark Seele scoffed with arms crossed—though secretly pleased.
"I know everyone's strong... you, Papa, and Bronya," Seele said with a shaky smile.
But she didn't want to always be a burden.
She knew Papa Elias was powerful—so strong she couldn't even imagine it. He could take down towering white Honkai Beasts with ease.
But what if... just what if...
What if he ever got hurt protecting her?
She didn't know what she'd do.
She'd regret it for the rest of her life.
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