Under the crimson sunset sky, Lux—in the form of Takamiya Mayuri—smiled faintly. To captivate a "Son of Destiny," she certainly couldn't use ordinary methods.
Takamiya Mayuri's charm wasn't something easily ignored. How could a young man in the midst of puberty not be affected by such perfect beauty?
Lux knew with certainty that beauty alone wasn't enough to sway the heart of a "Son of Destiny." After all, protagonists like Shou would inevitably be surrounded by many beautiful girls throughout their journey. Immunity to physical charm was a natural trait for the 'chosen ones' like him.
Moreover, Shou was the tormented protagonist type—betrayed by his lover, leaving a gaping wound in his heart. Distrust of women had become a protective fortress difficult to penetrate.
To overcome this, Lux created a scenario that Shou wouldn't forget.
Their meeting beneath the falling cherry blossoms was no coincidence. Every falling petal, every breeze, even the sunlight illuminating her face—everything had been perfectly orchestrated.
The first step was confirming whether Shou could see her Angel. When the System gave a positive response, Lux's lips curved into a smile so subtle it was barely visible.
After Shou saw her Angel, Lux was confident the young man would be swept into the current of his destiny. If not, the title "Son of Destiny" would be nothing but empty words.
A Son of Destiny always possessed a magnetic attraction to mystery and danger. Like moths drawn to flame, he would approach trouble even if his life became the stake.
In this case, Lux indeed intended to become one of Shou's contracted beings. However, she couldn't simply approach him—too suspicious. She needed to prepare the perfect bait...
And Shou—without realizing it—stepped right into the web she had prepared.
The young man approached her with eyes gleaming with curiosity. As predicted, he proposed a contract. Not merely because he was enchanted, but because his instincts recognized the extraordinary power hidden behind Lux's beauty.
There were three reasons why Lux accepted the contract.
First, to observe the "Son of Destiny" up close. Second, to see how many 'Achievement Points' Shou could generate.
And third—a reason she was reluctant to acknowledge even to herself—Lux was curious whether Shou could control Takamiya Mayuri's power that even she hadn't fully mastered.
***
BOOOMM!
"AAARGGH!"
A white lightning bolt streaked through the air but lost control midway. The figure was violently thrown back, crashing into a tree trunk until cracks spread in all directions.
If he were still an ordinary human like before, his body would have been shattered to pieces!
[Host, are you alright?]
"Hah... hah... I'm... fine..."
Shou lay flat on the ground, his breath ragged. Cold sweat trickled from his temples as he tried to calm his irregular heartbeat.
After trying his new power, he had to admit one thing—
'THIS POWER IS EXTRAORDINARY!'
The sensation of energy flowing as if inexhaustible made his blood rush. Mayuri's Angel, Kerubiel, was an Angel with lightning elements that allowed him to manifest and control lightning for various purposes.
And that was just one of the six Angels possessed by Mayuri, known as the 'Five Angel of Spirit.'
As a Spirit born purely from the emotions and feelings of six other Spirits, Mayuri had access to use portions of the power of those six Spirits.
First Angel, Sandalphon—the sword belonging to the Spirit named Yatogami Tohka. This sword could cleave anything, even space and time itself.
Second Angel, Zadkiel—the Angel ruling over ice belonging to the Spirit named Himekawa Yoshino. One breath, and even hell would freeze.
Third Angel, Camael—the Angel controlling fire belonging to Itsuka Kotori. Fire that could devour everything until nothing remained.
Fourth Angel, Raphael—the wind Angel belonging to the twin Spirits Kaguya and Yuzuru. Power to tear the sky and blow away mountains.
Fifth Angel, Gabriel—the Angel belonging to Izayoi Miku. With sound waves, it could control the mind of anyone who heard it.
Although Mayuri had access to all five Angels, she couldn't unleash their full potential. Her original Angel was only Kerubiel.
Shou, still adapting to his new power, was far from accustomed. His body needed time to adjust to the extraordinary energy flowing through his veins.
To prevent his body from exploding due to overload, the System automatically withheld most of Mayuri's power. Gradually, as Shou's strength increased, those limitations would be released.
Though not yet able to summon Mayuri's Angel and the five other Spirits, Shou managed to control a small portion of lightning from Mayuri's Angel power. Cleverly, he utilized it to increase his speed.
In an instant, Shou had transformed into a speedster reminiscent of The Flash from DC Comics—though not yet perfect.
Sometimes, however, Shou still woke up in the middle of the night, trembling at the thought of Mayuri's potential power that encompassed almost all elements.
Especially Angel Gabriel—the ability to control minds through sound waves.
Perhaps not effective against powerful creatures, but Angel Gabriel could simultaneously control the minds of all weak creatures throughout the world!
Imagine millions—no, billions of forces under one person's control.
Terrifying.
Shou shuddered, realizing how formidable Mayuri was. If she wished, this world could kneel at her feet.
Fortunately, Mayuri wasn't the power-hungry type. She more resembled a peaceful girl, always full of curiosity and seemingly calm facing anything.
[That girl is truly perfect...]
"Yes, you're right."
Shou couldn't deny the System's statement. Viewed from any angle—appearance, power, personality—everything was flawless.
He even doubted if there was a second being like Mayuri in the entire universe.
Shou rose with difficulty, his muscles protesting from intensive training. "Ugh..."
"You always surprise me. I didn't expect you could control it this far..."
Somehow, a figure with long blonde hair and pink eyes sat gracefully on a tree branch above him. She wore a white uniform that contrasted with the sunset sky. A lollipop stuck in her thin lips while her expression remained calm.
She wasn't bothered at all even when the wind occasionally blew up her skirt.
Shou's face reddened. He quickly looked away. "S-since when have you been here?"
"Since you started practicing using my power," Mayuri answered without emotion, then jumped down gracefully. Her pair of pink eyes observed Shou from head to toe.
"Good. In just a few days, you can already control part of my power without losing control."
"Ah, yes... You yourself can't control it well, right?"
Mayuri nodded once. "Correct. I suppose you already know the reason?"
"Because..." Shou swallowed, "you are a Spirit born from the feelings of love of six Spirits."
Mayuri tilted her head slightly. The sunset light highlighted her blonde strands until they shimmered like gold. "Your guess is correct. Is this one of the contract's advantages?"
"Y-yes..." Shou averted his face, haunted by guilt.
Actually, their contract didn't have such an advantage. The System had told him directly. He felt guilty for having lied to the girl.
Honestly, he still found it difficult to believe that information. How could there be a being born from the feelings of love of six Spirits?
There were indeed some anomaly cases such as consciousness born because of Talent itself. But being born from feelings of love? That was truly beyond reason.
'But it still makes sense compared to my own System...' Shou sighed, secretly stealing glances at Mayuri beside him.
The girl's beauty was like a living painting—her blonde hair swaying gently in the breeze, her clear eyes reflecting the sunset sky, and the faint fragrant aroma emanating from her body.
Shou was almost entranced.
'She's really beautiful...'
For Shou who had always considered this world unfair and cruel, the existence of a girl like Mayuri felt like a dream. Such a girl existed only in his fantasies, but now stood right before him.
His heartbeat always raced faster whenever he looked at the girl.
'Maybe with this girl... I could...'
[Host, be aware. System knows she's beautiful, but it's impolite to stare too long]
"Huh?!" Shou was startled, drawing Mayuri's attention.
"Is there a problem?" the girl asked flatly.
"N-no..." Shou shook his head in panic, his face reddening further.
"But I sense you're embarrassed without a clear reason."
"S-stop sensing my emotions with your Divine Protection! Don't you understand the meaning of privacy?!" Shou shouted in frustration.
Both his feelings and emotions were always open to Mayuri thanks to the Divine Protection of Life Goddess—the ability to sense others' emotions and feelings.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times Sorata asked, Mayuri remained indifferent.
And honestly, Shou envied that Divine Protection. He wanted so much to know what Mayuri truly felt about him...
Perhaps to keep her Angel from losing control, Mayuri always maintained her emotions calm. Shou had never even seen the girl display emotion on her face. Let alone emotion, she never even smiled.
In any condition, Mayuri always maintained a calm expression. Even if the sky fell, she might still appear peaceful.
From the bottom of his heart, Shou wanted to see the girl's smile...
"What is it again?" asked Mayuri, catching Shou's gaze.
"N-nothing."
"You feel embarrassed-"
"I told you to stop peeking at my feelings!" Shou exploded.
Truly ironic. This girl was almost perfect in every way, yet sometimes could be so annoying!
Shou sighed resignedly, but his eyes still couldn't leave Mayuri's figure.
The girl bit her lollipop while playing with falling flower petals, touching their tips with her pale slender fingers.
'Maybe with her, my life could change...'
But the shadow of his traitorous lover and the handsome man who took everything from him haunted his mind again. His face darkened.
'I will have revenge. They must pay for everything.'
Sensing a wave of hatred from the young man, Mayuri glanced at him briefly. "I don't know what you want to do," she said calmly, "but be careful."
Shou was startled, then looked at the girl with sparkling eyes. His mood instantly brightened.
"Of course!" he replied with a broad smile.
***
Night enveloped the city. Stars scattered across the sky like diamonds on black velvet.
Sitting atop a skyscraper, Mayuri—Or Lux (Mayuri) observed calmly. Her expression was unreadable as the night wind played with her blonde hair.
After glancing at Kerubiel floating in the air, she shifted her gaze downward—toward the luxurious residential complex of the Circle Noble Family, one of the Count-level nobles.
And coincidentally... the son of this family had dared to insult the "Son of Destiny."
'Now show me... how you take your revenge, Son of Destiny.'
Lux (Mayuri) narrowed her eyes when catching a cloaked silhouette hiding behind a wall. That figure was none other than Shou.
Shou's heart pounded. This would be his first battle—his first chance to prove himself. Though nervous, he remained confident.
Over the past two weeks, he had trained his body and power to the maximum limit. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was now equivalent to a Rank B+ Hunter.
Based on his investigation, the Circle Family Head's power was only equivalent to Rank B. Logically, their executives and subordinates must be even weaker.
Shou would show them they could no longer oppress him just because he was once weak!
"Stop! Who are you?! What are you doing in the middle of the night?!"
Two gate guards of the Circle Family complex assumed vigilant stances. They observed the suspicious cloaked figure before them with hands ready on their sword hilts.
"Who am I?" Shou answered indifferently, before his voice turned cold and piercing. "I am... the one who will bury you all tonight!"
The guards' expressions changed. "You-" Their anger quickly turned to horror as intense flashes began gathering in both of the young man's hands, illuminating the surrounding area with golden light.
"DIE-!!"
BOOOOM!!!
Golden yellow light exploded in the darkness of night, blinding and deafening.
From a distance, Lux (Mayuri) observed how Shou took his revenge. Judging from his personality, Sorata was the type who would spare no one, not even small children and innocent people.
Lux (Mayuri) didn't judge. She knew that if she hadn't appeared in the young man's life, Sorata would surely have fallen into an endless spiral of darkness.
Lux (Mayuri) turned, preparing to leave. She could already guess the end of all this, but...
"Please don't let them get hurt..."
Her steps halted. A faint voice so gentle and fragile whispered in her mind, making her heart beat faster.
Trying to calm herself so as not to lose control over Kerubiel, Lux (Mayuri) took a deep breath. She remained silent for a moment before finally whispering:
"...Just this once."
[Ding! Do you wish to release the Takamiya Mayuri Character Template?]
Gazing at the chaotic scene below, Lux (Mayuri)'s expression remained calm. Releasing the Character Template wouldn't significantly affect anything.
Unless she herself desired it, Angel Kerubiel in the sky and her contract with Shou would remain...
Therefore...
"Release."
[Ding! Understood!]
Takamiya Mayuri's beautiful appearance vanished instantly, replaced by a new figure.
Snow-white hair, a pair of beautiful heterochromatic eyes, a black Shadow Order Guild cloak, and a skull mask concealing her identity.
Her height was like a 14-year-old teenager, but the aura she emanated was far older and mysterious—threatening in the silence of night.
'I take back my words. Now show me... how strong is the destiny of a Son of Destiny really?'
Lux Frost's gaze shone coldly as an ice sword formed in her hand. Traces of frost remained where she stood as her figure disappeared in an instant, darting down to the battlefield.