"... Uh."
A young girl with enchanting features slowly opened her heavy eyelids. Her vision remained blurry, as if obscured by a thin mist.
Golden hair cascaded softly past her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. A pair of pink irises shimmered like gemstones under the dim light. Sharp pain pierced her head, forcing her slender fingers to touch her throbbing temple.
[ Ding! System with Host ]
"...Could you explain what happened?" she asked in a soft yet clear voice.
She wasn't sure why, but her instincts as an Assassin whispered that this was crucial. Something had happened—something that changed everything.
[ Understood ]
The System began explaining, revealing one buried truth after another. And as the words flowed, her beautiful face grew increasingly troubled.
"That's... truly shocking."
Silence enveloped the room after the explanation finished. Her fingers tightly gripped the edge of the blanket. So much had happened during her unconsciousness—especially the appearance of the Goddess of Life who intended to make her a follower... or more precisely, her 'Child.'
She knew the Goddess of Life. This should have been a blessing—a Goddess offering her protection. Yet a bitter smile formed faintly at the corner of her lips.
...Because she was not at all the innocent and pure child the Goddess believed her to be. What the Goddess saw was merely the original character template. Essentially, she had deceived a Goddess—a sin that might cost her life when the deception was uncovered.
But there was a more pressing matter now...
"Takamiya Mayuri..."
Lux—or now Lux (Mayuri)—uttered that name in an almost whisper. Who would have thought that Mayuri's original consciousness still remained and was trying to take over her body?
Fortunately, she had the System. Without it, this body would certainly have become completely Mayuri's again.
Lux (Mayuri) walked toward the mirror not far from where she had been lying. The reflection showed a beautiful girl wearing elegant green attire. Her eyes narrowed, assessing.
Without doubt, these clothes were the Goddess of Life's choice. Though beautiful and very fitting for her appearance, something within her felt alien to this attire. Without hesitation, she waved her hand with an elegant gesture.
Silvery light enveloped her body. As the light faded, a white sailor uniform with black stripes had replaced her green dress. Black stockings perfectly wrapped her slender legs up to mid-thigh, giving an elegant yet mysterious impression. Part of her blonde hair was tied with a white ribbon forming a small ponytail on the right side, while a pink school bag appeared in her hand. The final touch was a pair of pearl earrings that now shone clear blue in both ears.
Looking at her reflection, Lux (Mayuri)'s expression remained calm, though in her heart there was surprise.
'...No wonder the Goddess of Life considered her very pure, because she indeed looks that way,' she thought, observing the figure that appeared so innocent in the mirror—a perfect mask hiding her true identity.
Her gaze shifted to the window, looking at the outside world that awaited. With a voice as clear as crystal, she said:
"...I'm going out."
***
Dusk was falling when Lux (Mayuri) sat on a park bench, her eyes fixed on the giant black winged sphere hanging in the sky—a phenomenon visible only to those with certain privileges.
She meticulously analyzed information about the original Mayuri's powers stored in her memory. And indeed—this Spirit was extraordinarily powerful. Her Angel could pulverize mountains with a single attack.
Mayuri's memories, which she could now access, revealed terrifying destructive power. However, the problem lay in one crucial fact...
"I cannot control it..." she whispered to the evening breeze.
Takamiya Mayuri was indeed exceptional thanks to her Angel. Yet ironically, that power often became a double-edged sword due to its uncontrollable nature.
'Angel,' the term for the powers or weapons of Spirits. Spirits weren't an alien race or creatures from another dimension—they were humans transformed by the Crystal Sephira embedded in their bodies.
But Takamiya Mayuri was different. She wasn't a human transformed into a Spirit. She was a pure Spirit with an... unusual birth.
Six Spirits fell in love with the same young man. Their deep feelings created uncontrolled reiryoku fluctuations. From this combination of love and spiritual energy, Takamiya Mayuri was born—inheriting parts of the personalities and feelings of all six Spirits.
Tragically, after inheriting those six feelings, Mayuri became trapped in an intense circle of jealousy—strong emotions that made her Angel almost impossible to control.
To tame the Angel, Mayuri's power had to be taken—an action equivalent to killing her. However, to protect the young man she loved, Mayuri was willing to disappear from this world forever...
"And now... I am Takamiya Mayuri. The girl who sacrificed herself for a man... she loved."
Thump!
Lux (Mayuri)'s heart pounded hard. Her breathing quickened as waves of foreign emotions began to surge in her chest—feelings of love so deep they felt painful.
'Damn, these feelings of love are too strong. I must stay calm or my Angel will lose control.'
Lux (Mayuri) took a deep breath, closing her eyes to find tranquility amidst the emotional storm. If she weren't a man in her soul, she might have completely submerged in Takamiya Mayuri's identity by now.
With full concentration, she calmed her turbulent emotions, putting on a mask of serenity without a hint of a smile. The Divine Protection from the Goddess of Life did help her control her power, but that protection wouldn't last long.
'It seems I need to return to my original form...'
Lux (Mayuri) sighed internally. Although Takamiya Mayuri's template was very powerful, without perfect control over her powers, it was all in vain. Mayuri's feelings of love were also a major problem. She could contain them now, but she wasn't sure she could do so forever.
'Divine Ice Emperor would be more useful at a time like this...'
'Divine Ice Emperor'—a talent that froze her emotions to zero, making her immune to any emotional turmoil. Unfortunately, her abilities as 'Lux Frost' didn't function in this Character template.
Just as Lux (Mayuri) was about to decide to release her Character template and directly kill her mission target, a wave of foreign feelings suddenly attacked her.
'These feelings... Hatred? Anger? Vengeance?'
She was stunned. These dark emotions weren't hers, nor from the original Mayuri who knew no hatred. This wasn't part of the legacy of the six Spirits that gave birth to her.
Driven by curiosity, Lux (Mayuri) rose and followed her instincts. She walked gracefully along the path, each step almost silent. None of the pedestrians she passed looked at her as if she didn't exist.
This was an advantage for her. Lux (Mayuri) didn't want to draw excessive attention with her almost inhuman beauty...
***
"Why... WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME! ANSWER ME, KALDIA!"
A desperate cry shattered the night's silence. Shou, a young man with eyes flashing with anger, stared in disbelief at the girl he loved now in another man's embrace.
Shou was one of the few students who had successfully awakened a Talent. Unfortunately, his Talent was nearly useless—even considered trash—which made him a constant target of ridicule and mockery.
He hadn't cared much about it until now. Because by his side, there had always been a beautiful girl who loved him—or at least that's what he thought.
But now, his world collapsed. The girl he adored, the one in whom he had placed all his love and trust, was in the intimate embrace of another man!
The sight seemed to tear his soul to its deepest core.
"Why am I asking? Isn't it obvious?" The girl looked at him with a piercing cold gaze. There was no longer any tenderness in her eyes. "You're too weak and poor. I doubt I could survive with you."
Each word felt like a dagger stabbing Shou's chest. His chest rose and fell, his breathing rapid. Anger and disappointment mixed into a poison that burned every cell in his body.
"YOU! YOU!" Shou could barely find words. The only thing he could think of was the desire to kill the traitor before him.
"Enough, darling. He might die from too much anger," said the man who embraced the girl with a mocking tone. "But it's true, living with you would only make her suffer. Give up..."
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Shou lunged forward, fist raised ready to smash his arrogant face.
But a large hand caught his punch in mid-air. Shou flinched, turning with a shocked expression.
A large man with a pot belly stood beside him, grinning disgustingly.
The handsome man shook his head. "Fighting me? Do you think you're worthy?" Then he nodded to his bodyguard. "Teach him a lesson until he realizes he's just trash."
"Yes, Boss." The fat man grinned widely before delivering a solid blow to Shou's chest.
Shou's thin body was flung like a doll, landing hard on the asphalt. Fresh blood spurted from his mouth as he coughed, clutching his chest that felt crushed. He was sure several of his ribs were broken.
With blurred vision, he saw the silhouettes of his ex-girlfriend and the man slowly walking away. Hatred welled up in his chest, giving him one last strength to shout:
"I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER BEING BORN INTO THIS WORLD! JUST WAIT—"
"SHUT UP!"
BAM!
A heavy boot stomped on his head without mercy, smashing it against the concrete until it cracked. The fat man spat on his bloodied face.
"You're lucky the Young Master doesn't intend to kill you. If not, you'd already be wild dog food!"
With a disgusted look, the man continued punch after punch until Shou's body no longer moved. After his satisfaction, he spat once more before leaving, abandoning the helpless figure in the dark alley.
Seconds passed into minutes. Minutes rolled into hours. Slowly, Shou's fingers twitched. With an almost invisible movement, he tried to crawl—desperate, broken, but filled with vengeance burning to the marrow of his bones.
'Damn... damn... DAMN IT! I SWEAR I'LL KILL THOSE WHO LOOK DOWN ON ME!'
His internal scream echoed in the night's silence. But behind his anger lay desperation. How could someone with trash Talent like him take revenge against high-powered Hunters?
He wasn't even tougher than a Goblin. When hope had almost completely disappeared, a voice chimed in his mind:
[ Ding! Qualified Host detected! ]
[ Ding! System's name is 'Divine Contract System', from now on System will make Host one of the strongest beings in the world! ]
A transparent panel appeared before him. Shou was stunned momentarily, trying to understand the situation. Then... maniacal laughter erupted from his cracked lips.
Who said he couldn't get revenge?
Who said he was too weak?
Who said he couldn't get a beautiful girl?
With this System, all dreams would become reality!
Shou was almost impatient to explore his new System's potential, but awareness of his broken body forced him to restrain himself. With iron determination, he dragged his shattered body, seeking a safe place to recover.
Without him realizing, a pair of eyes had been watching him from beginning to end.
On the roof of a building not far away, Lux (Mayuri) sat calmly with one leg elegantly folded. Without changing expression, she stared at the drama that had just unfolded below. A lollipop rotated between her lips as she closed her eyes listening to a voice only she could hear.
[ Ding! A Child of Destiny detected! ]
The twilight shadows stretched across her beautiful face, hiding the dangerous gleam that momentarily appeared in her pink eyes. The night breeze caressed her golden hair as a new destiny began to weave itself in the darkness.