Akira stared at those words: permanently altered.

That was the part that made him hesitate. He'd be changing her fundamentally, rewriting her biology, making her something... other. Was that fair? Did he have the right?

"Second thoughts?" Ai asked.

"She doesn't fully understand what this world is like. The dangers, the costs. If I give her this seed, she can never go back to being normal. Ever."

"True. But darling, she's already not normal. I mean, not anymore. The moment you told her the truth, the moment you bonded with her, she crossed a line. There's no going back from knowledge."

"That's different from physically changing her."

"Is it? You've already altered her reality. Her perception of the world is fundamentally different now. At least with the seed, you'd give her the tools to survive in that new reality."

Akira thought about Ayame. About Agent Sato. About the next gate that would inevitably open. Rina was right… if she couldn't defend herself, she'd be a liability… a target.

"But what if it changes her personality? What if she becomes someone else?"

"The seed enhances latent abilities. It doesn't rewrite personality. She'll still be Rina… just stronger, faster, and more capable."

"And if something goes wrong during integration?"

"Compatibility is 94%. That's exceptionally high. The risk is minimal."

But minimal wasn't zero.

Akira looked down at Rina, still nestled against his chest, trusting him completely. She'd already proven she'd do anything to stay by his side. The question was: would he do what was necessary to keep her safe?

Or would his hesitation get her killed?

He made his decision: less explanation, more action. She didn't need to know all the technical details; she just needed to understand that it would keep her safe.

"Rina," he said quietly, summoning the seed from his inventory. It materialised in his hand as a small crystalline pendant on a silver chain, pulsing with soft violet light. "I want to give you something."

She looked at it curiously, sitting up. "It's beautiful. What is it?"

"Protection," he said simply. "For when I can't be there."

"I don't understand."

"You will." He held it up between them. "This will help to defend yourself. To sense danger before it comes. To be stronger than any normal person." He paused, meeting her eyes directly. "But once you accept it, there's no going back. It will change you permanently."

Rina stared at the pendant, then back at him. "Would it help me protect you?"

"Well… yes??"

"Would it keep me from being a liability if any bad things comes after you?"

"Yes."

"Then I want it." Her voice was firm. "I told you I'm not fragile. Let me prove it."

"Rina, think about this…"

"I have thought about it." She sat up fully now, naked and unashamed, her eyes sparkling with determination. "You said we're equals. That means I get to be with you, not hide behind you. If this thing gives me that, then I want it."

Akira felt a swell of emotion: pride, fear, affection all mixed together. "It might hurt."

"I can handle pain."

"It'll change who you are."

"Good. I'm tired of being the girl who was broken by her ex or just the popular cheerleader who doesn't know anything else. I want to be someone new. Someone strong." She held out her hand. "Give it to me, Akira. Let me be your partner in this. Really your partner."

He hesitated for just a moment longer, then placed the pendant in her palm.

It pulsed once, twice, then began to glow brighter.

"What do I…" Rina started to ask.

The pendant suddenly shot forward, pressing against her chest right above her heart. Rina gasped, her back arching as it began to sink into her skin, the chain dissolving into light.

"Akira, what's…"

Her words cut off as her eyes rolled back and her body convulsed. Akira caught her before she could fall, holding her as the seed burrowed deeper, violet light spreading through her veins like wildfire.

[SOUL SEED INTEGRATION: INITIATED]

[HOST: RINA KAWAMURA]

[COMPATIBILITY: 94%]

[PROCESS WILL TAKE 3-5 MINUTES]

[WARNING: HOST WILL EXPERIENCE INTENSE SENSATIONS]

Rina's body was burning up, and her skin felt feverish to the touch. She writhed in his arms and breathed in sharp gasps as the power rewrote her biology from the inside out.

"Akira..." she whimpered. "It's... too much..."

"I'm here," he said, holding her tighter. "I've got you. Just breathe through it."

Her fingers dug into his shoulders hard enough to leave marks as another wave hit her. Her eyes, when they opened, were glowing faintly violet.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, her body went limp. The glow faded, and she slumped against him, unconscious.

"Ai, is she—"

"She's fine, darling. Just exhausted. The integration was successful. She'll wake up in a few hours with her new abilities."

Akira carefully lifted Rina, carried her to her bed, and covered her with a blanket. He watched her for a moment, her chest rising and falling steadily, and a faint violet shimmer was still visible beneath her skin.

He kissed her forehead once, then quietly left her room and returned to his own.

—

Alone in his room, Akira lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The events of the day played through his mind—Ayame's surveillance, the conversation with Ayaka, the art room incident, and now Rina.

"You're building quite the network, darling," Ai observed. "A harem of empowered women, each one bound to you in different ways."

"It's not like I planned this."

"Didn't you? The moment you killed that lust demon, this was always the trajectory. Power attracts. And you, my dear host, are becoming quite powerful."

Akira activated Heart Strings, curious to see all his connections at once.

Threads of light bloomed in his vision, stretching out from his chest like a spider's web. Without seeing where the strings led to, he could tell which was which:

Mia – crimson-gold, which is a mix of possessive love, fear of loss and barely contained jealousy; Rina - silver-blue, signifying trust and loyalty; Aoi's was pale pink, showing her growing rebellion and awakening desire; Mei's eas a warm amber thread… maternal affection tinged with sensual hunger; Yuki's was a curious thin lavender colour.

And then... there was one more thread… one he hadn't noticed before.

It was thin, barely visible, and almost transparent. But it was definitely there, leading so far he couldn't tell where it ended. The colour was unusual… shifting between pale green and icy blue, like frost forming on glass.

"What is that?" Akira focused on the strange thread.

"Interesting," Ai murmured. "That's... unexpected. Someone else is forming a bond with you. But the nature of it is unclear. Could be attraction, could be obsession, could be something else entirely."

"Sakura?"

"Possibly. Though the colour suggests something colder and more calculating."

Akira's stomach dropped. "Ayame."

"That would be my guess. You're on her mind constantly. Whether that's professional interest or something more personal, I can't tell yet. But darling, she's thinking about you. A lot."

The thread pulsed faintly, and Akira felt a chill run down his spine.

For some reason, that's even more unsettling than having her watch me like a hawk. How did this even happen?

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