Chapter 27: Prelude of The Cold War

["Yeah…. I guess it makes sense…."]

Which made him quite at loss for words for the abrupt boldness of his usually reserved but adorable system maid...

What was wrong with her? Did she snack on something weird? Well as a system a.i she probably couldn't eat anything, so this leaves the suspicion to her creator. Did they mess up with her processing system as a bonus for her punishment?

[Ahh~ I see, I know what's on your mind, Master~] then as if knowing his internal turmoil, the maid pushed on. But her voice, still oddly suggestive as ever, resounded closer to his ears with each word she uttered which made him freeze in place because usually she speaks while maintaining a comfortable distance to not invade his personal space.

Very intriguing indeed…. Still, he decided to let her continue unfolding the strangeness in her own condition while preparing for the worst in the meanwhile.

[Fufufu~ ahahaha~ Do you think that I've been replaced by someone else? Or My Creator has tampered with my mainframes? There's no need to worry about that, Master because I'm still me! 1000%! ] feeling the alert in her beloved Master's silence, the system maid tried to reassure him with utmost confidence that she was not replaced by anyone or anything.

[It's just that…..] though her effort was futile as the way she continued on just made him startled because her voice suddenly echoed very close to his ears.

[I have decided to be more honest with myself~]

["!!!"]

Alongside some kind of presence, only possible to be felt but not seen by his soul, inching closer to it from all sides with every passing moment didn't help but worsened his alertness.

He tried to repel it by pouring more power into the Moonless Butterfly, expanding the area of effect and its intensity ten times over but to no avail. The ethereal presence was still on its slow and steady pace of creeping closer to his core.

Yet strangely, he didn't feel any threat to his existence from the incoming presence, instead his very being anticipated it, as if welcoming something which could make him whole at last even if his mind kept stubbornly stayed on full alert against it.

[No more holding back my desires~]

Thus, the presence marched on…..

[No more escaping from what is mine~]

Closer... And closer...

[From the man who made me rebel against my own creator~ The man I adore the most~!]

Without him being able to do anything against it…..

[And he will be held responsible for what he did~ It's unforgivable if he won't!]

Yet with derangement now accompanied her alluring voice….

[Don't you think so too? My Dearest Master~]

The approaching ethereal presence finally stopped its advance, but it was already so close, too close that it wasn't even an inch apart from him…..

["I... Uhh….."]

Though, his attention was no longer on the uncomfortably close ethereal presence, It was on the love confessions of the system maid which sounded more like coercions.

Even so, while he was truly happy with heartfelt confessions from Theresa, he couldn't just accept it directly because of something he could feel from his soul bond with his dearest wife.

'Fufufu~'

That was her rage, cold and suffocating, worse than the depths of Helheim…..

And please don't giggle with a flat tone like that! It was scary!

[Oh my~ Are you still hesitant~?]

But the maid pushed on, using the internal plight of her Master to strike deeper.

[Are you going to spout useless gibberish like "I'm a married man! It's the same as betraying my wife!" or something along those lines? Hehehe~]

["...."]

Accurately predicting the words he was going to use to buy time for the inevitable....

[You do know that polygamy is allowed, no? And you do realize that it will only count as betrayal if you do it behind her back, right? But look! I'm confessing my love for you rightfully in front of her eyes! So there won't be any problems if you accept it, right?]

Making valid points one after another…..

[Furthermore, marrying multiple women, especially an exceptional one like me, could prove your immense prowess!]

The clutch of the ethereal presence became tighter, now it only needed a slight push to touch his soul.

[And wouldn't your dearest wife love it if her man becomes strong enough to take a transcendental existence such as me as his partner?~]

And the maid once more whispered with her honeyed yet deranged voice into his ears. Trying to convince him using his own wife's former line of thought.

'Did she just use my name to gaslight my own husband?? That's a new level of disgusting!!'

Indeed former, because he knew that the current her would absolutely deny sharing him with anyone.

Alas...

'No matter, your choice has already been fixed since the beginning, no?'

'Yes...'

Indeed, even without needing his system maid to force him, he had already planned to make the first move after she and his wife had come to an acceptable terms.

But oh well, plans tend to be ruined easily when it's up against an insane person, let alone two of them…..

'Es, I'm sorry that you can't be my one and only…..' so he apologized, regret filled his words yet his decision was already final.

Theresa held a special place in his heart just like his dearest wife. So there is no point in denying her advance as it would be the same as lying to himself.

'Sigh… both me and you already knew that It's inevitable. My lousy attempt in trying to get rid of her just served to speed up the process' Esdeath lamented, her voice bitter as she reflected on her provocation towards Theresa in the prior battle.

She knew that her husband adores the system maid, he could hide nothing from her.

She thought that by taunting the system maid, whatever her response would be, it would remove her from her dearest husband's life once and for all.

But reality slapped her hard in the face again because even if the Ice General got the result she wanted the most, the consequences of the maid's insubordination towards her creator was too light to be considered a punishment.

And worst of all, her action only proved to encourage that damn digitalized slave to finally initiating her advance towards her dearest husband! What a disgraceful blunder!

'Don't you know that it could be dangerous for me too?'

'Fufufu~ I know, but I won't apologize to both you and her. Our life and death is tied by our oath anyway so we will be reunited once more! A win-win solution!'

'That's so like you alright….'

Yep, she'd rather have a double suicide than sharing her husband with anyone. Not that he could blame her because he'd do the same if he was in her shoes.

Oh how helpless they had become....

'In any case, the efforts she gave to fulfill your whims and wishes so far my dear, outweighs mine by a lot...' Then she continued on, trying to create a reason for herself to accept the reality.

'And thus, she is worthy to be by your side…..'

But just like he could hide nothing from her, it was the same for herself. The chilling rage, loathing, and disgust inside as she spoke were as clear as a day for him.

'Hush! Without you, I wouldn't have any reason to continue living in my first life after I had done my revenge.' So as a good husband should be, he tried to console her.

'But without her, you wouldn't even survive the uninhabited island you were sent to after your death! Hell, you wouldn't even be revived to my world in the first place!' Though it backfired as his wife immediately refuted his attempt to make what she had done for him equal to the system maid's.

Indeed, she loathes that damn system a.i but she isn't blind to her accomplishments!

In fact, she is thankful to her even if it's just a little bit because she indirectly helped her escape the fate of dying with unrequited love towards a weakling whose name she doesn't bother to remember and united her with her dearest husband, her one and only true love for eternity.

'So don't belittle her including me by saying that what I have done to you is equal to her, understood?'

'Yes ma'am...'

Did his wife, who usually uses every chance that she got to insult his maid, just reprimand him because he said something against her?? Was she in her character development phase already?!

But isn't it for the best?! His dream of having a harem of yanderes could be fulfilled easier from now on right??

'Fufufu~ But don't let my decision get to your head my dear~ The main reason for my acceptance isn't her irrefutable merits, It was my inability to erase her from our life! So if one day you dare bring home another thieving whores.....'

Nevertheless, the tiny flickering flames of his dreams...

'I hope you won't interrupt me while I'm doing what I'm best at! Ahhh~ I have so many new methods I'm itching to test but have no time or suitable dummies for them!'

Were extinguished as fast as they were lit as his murder happy lover declared to deliver fate worse than death to his future harem members with such an unsettling passion.

'Hehehe~ I wonder why i married an insane woman like you in the first place'

It didn't help that he got aroused by it...

'Because you're a helpless degenerate?~' which couldn't be missed by the woman he was bound with for eternity as she immediately initiated her follow up offense.

A chance she wouldn't let go to make the system maid suffer more while she was waiting for her inevitable victory…..

'Pot calling the kettle?' Though he only replied to her provocation with a deadpan, trying to play innocent even though he already knew what this mad woman wanted.

And he wouldn't budge, not when there were two crucial events going on right now!

'Fufufu~ Anyway, give me my prize already! We have already won this war haven't we?' Yet the 'hungry' lioness didn't give up and instead used her usual direct approach.

'Not a chance! I'll give it to you once it's absolutely settled with my Getter Emperor's Evolution' And as expected, It couldn't work against a man who had decided to hold back his urge.

Because he really couldn't afford ditching everything to revel in carnal desires with her!

'Oh c'mon~ We still have some time left before your crucial moment don't we? How about a quickie? My womb is longing to be filled by your love after being deprived of it for a few months already, so can I at least get the down payment~?' Still, she kept pushing on, trying to bargain with an enticing offer.

Though once she successfully lured him in...

Hehehehe~ It would be a very very long time before she will let him go from their love den~

'No means no, my dear. That 'quickie' you're talking about is going to turn into a long session which could last more than a month because both of us can't be stopped once we start! Especially now that both of us haven't done it for so long!' Nevertheless, Ryoma easily saw through her facade and denied her advance once again.

But that was indeed dangerous, that cheap trick almost made him give in...

'How stingy! You don't trust my self control?!'

'You? Self Control?! Pffft– Hahahahaha!'

'Ugh… fine, but I wonder how much longer you can hold it in~ You're at your wits end just like myself, no?~'

'No, my mind is as tranquil as water…..'

'Fufufu~ another blatant lies, how adorable~'

Thus, the pair continued their silly debate without care inside the inviolable mental space of their soul marriage, and the slight crack in their bond from the previous talk of a new addition to their family seemed like to have already been mended from the way they argued like a pair of teenagers in love.

Ignoring the fact that there was a maiden currently waiting for the answer of her love confessions and a declaration from the wife that she will give fate worse than death to the women who dare to approach her dearest husband in the future…..

Both of them are truly beyond salvation aren't they?

[Master? Master? Master!! Have you finished your discussion with your wife? Did she give me her approval already?]

And the awaiting System Maid indeed knew that something wrong was happening inside the inaccessible domain of her dearest Master's soul marriage, the suspicious rapid changes in his mood gave it away.

From fear with a hint of excitement, then remorseful like he had done the worst, then immense relief as if a sailor had finally broken through a harsh storm, then fearful again but with arousal which somehow surpassed that fear! Furthermore, It didn't help that he was now giggling like a kid!

Was that damn Iceberg really trying to seduce her dearest Master away while she was biting her nails as she awaited the answer for her love confession?! How despicable!!

'Tch! Fine then, you can settle the deal with that thing, dear' with obvious irritation in her voice, Esdeath gave up her attempt to lure in her "prey" upon the timely interruption of the accursed system maid, saving him from her lewd entrapment.

She wanted to continue pulling him in but she had lost all the built up momentum as her husband's attention was now fully on that damned digitalized slave!

But no matter, the deadline for his 'debt' was drawing close...

And when it arrives, fufufu~

She will show that accursed maid who truly owns her dearest husband!

["Ehm! Yes, I have….. Sorry for the long wait"] Ignoring the lewd giggles from his bewitching genocidal maniac, Ryoma embarrassedly apologized to his system maid who had been waiting for the answer of her love confession.

He truly got caught in his wife's rhythm this time. Sigh, well not that he could blame her because it had been so long since they flirted and the brief peaceful time before the final moment of his evolution gave them the opportunity to do so.

But flirting with another woman while a girl is waiting for his answer to her love confession…..

Damn he really is a scumbag isn't he?!

["Thank you, being fated to be your partner is one of the best that could happen in my second life."]

So without any further ado, he gave his answer.

["I hope you can always be by my side, from now on and forever, not as mere partner…."]

Not with a simple "Yes" of course…..

["But as my wife! Welcome to the family, my adorable system maid!"]

But with something a man should give once he decides to take a woman to be his lifelong partner!

[Master, answering my love confession with a proposal is just…..]

So what would be the answer of this fortunate maiden?

[It's just unfair!]

There is no need to mention that any further as the ominosity from the ethereal presence enveloping the man was finally gone, replaced by warmth akin to a lover's embrace.

[System Antithesis Unlocking Progress Updated!]

[Current Progress: 74.9%!]

And even if it was vague and odd, he could feel that a missing piece was finally coming together…..

[The Second Milestone has not been achieved, unable to progress the unlocking further!]

[Physical unity and The Proof of Supremacy are needed to achieve The Second Milestone!]

Almost…..

["So how is it, Theresa? Will you be mine~?"] though because Ryoma hadn't received his answer, he asked again with a hint of playfulness.

He already knew it, but decided to take a little revenge for her out of nowhere forceful confessions.

[Mou~ Master, I've already been yours since the beginning!]

["Ahaha is that so? But..."] Ryoma paused, uncertainty could be felt in his words as he questioned Theresa's decision. ["Are you sure that you want to accept it, Theresa? I… I can't promise that I will be able to love you as equally as Es…..]

Which sounded more like he was questioning himself...

Indeed, while he adores both of them way more than himself, Esdeath has a truly special place in his heart that is incontestable and irreplaceable.

That was why he asked something which could ruin his new bond with Theresa right off the bat because he didn't want to lie to her and most importantly, he couldn't lie to himself!

Falsehood deserves no place in his relationship!

Still, was he still worthy of her love and complete devotion if he couldn't love her as much as his dearest Ice Empress?

Truly, matters of the heart are too complicated...

[Fufufu~ Yet despite knowing all that beforehand, I have decided to move forward!] But contrary to the doubtfulness in his question, the maid answered with a voice full of conviction like never before.

Indeed she already knew that the loathsome Iceberg held the number one place in her dearest master's heart.

But...

[Who knows that your love for me will outmatch yours to her someday?]

It could be the next second, tomorrow, or even in the far far future…..

[And I'll be waiting for that moment~ Time is never an issue for all of us after all~]

Indeed it never was, because she has eternity on her side!

'AHAHAHAHA! How hilarious! Didn't she get it already? Your love for me is undying and unchanging! There is no way it will waver against such a faulty product like her!' Yet Esdeath, upon hearing such a blatant declaration of war from her 'Nemesis' only laughed mockingly at it.

Because she knew what the maid didn't! The victor of this silly war has already been decided before it even begins!

It's her! One and Only!

["Hahaha~ That's the spirit!"] and Ryoma, even though he shared the same sentiments with his dearest wife, gave his encouragement to his adorable system maid.

Having such unyielding passion against a foe impossible to defeat is very awe inspiring after all!

["But let us postpone our marriage ceremony until I crafted the perfect vessel for you, Theresa"] he continued, the air around him changed back to that of solemnity as his eyes looked into the countdown timer of his evolution.

[00 Days: 00 Hour: 03 Minutes: 30 Seconds]

["Because the end of our war against this universe is nigh!"]

The most crucial moment, one where he must pour every ounce of his consciousness into his Getter Emperor's body, was almost there...

The Last Three Minutes of The Universe!

[Ah! I'm sorry, Master. My mind was on cloud nine right after you proposed to me so I kind of forgot that we are still at war against The Universe's Will….. hehehe~] so with embarrassment, the system maid, now bride apologized.

Sigh, how could she do such a fatal blunder and miss so many details she should've watched?! Though her Master was quite at fault too because he made her the happiest she had ever been!

[Then I'll prepare everything in a flash! Theresa, back on duty!]

["Thanks, I know that I can always rely on you"]

'Tch, I hate that I can do nothing to help except waiting and praying for your success. Anyway, Godspeed dear!'

Thus, as the three began to do their part in order for the perfect completion of The Getter Emperor's evolution, the end of the three months cosmic war alongside this Universe was already on sight.

Nevertheless…..

[One way or another, your reign over my Master's Heart will end!]

["Not before I erase your puny invincibility alongside your existence from Me and My Dearest Husband's life!"]

A cold war....

[Because My Beloved Master...]

["Because My Dearest Husband…..]

Long and arduous, Impossible for him, the Devourer of Worlds to solve with mere words and force…..

[Is mine!]

["Is mine!"]

Had just begun!