Chapter 657: World Salvation, Unlocked

"Fool..."

Wiping away her tears, a smile of relief formed on Natsumi's face.

"You are the dumbest man I've ever met, Yuki..."

Natsumi couldn't believe it. The Emperor, the strongest spirit recognized by Ratatoskr, was actually an idiot.

An idiot who would turn his back on a woman like her, who appeared out of nowhere and caused him trouble.

An idiot who, even knowing she was going to kill him, was still willing to trust her. This was both the dumbest and the sweetest thing Natsumi had ever seen.

What kind of men had Natsumi encountered?

She had come across many during her travels as an older sister figure (Onee-san), but whether they were scared of her or fell in love with her, there wasn't a single man—or rather, not a single being—that had accepted her true form.

Everyone either ignored or fled from her, but this man in front of her already knew who she was, and still, he didn't push her away, even knowing she might kill him.

To be honest, Natsumi couldn't handle it. Her heart pounded, and her face turned red. She mustered all her courage and hugged the boy in front of her. At the same time, anger welled up inside her as she lifted her head and began to lightly punch Yuki's chest.

Her small fists were so cute that Yuki didn't feel any pain—it was more like a massage...

"Idiot, idiot, idiot... Don't ever do that again! Don't do such stupid things again! Next time, it'll definitely kill you!"

"Hehehe."

Yuki smiled in response. Natsumi's attitude was so adorable that Yuki could hardly resist the urge to embrace her.

"You know, I can't tell if you're praising me or scolding me."

"I'm scolding you, idiot! Only a fool would turn his back on their assassin!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is!"

"Then I'll leave it to you. I'm not very good at it. My back is yours now..."

"What?"

Natsumi didn't understand at first, but after seeing Yuki extend his hand toward her, her face flushed, and she took his hand without hesitation.

"Hmph! I guess I have no choice. Leave it to me! A fool like you can't take care of yourself, and someone else might deceive you. But don't get any ideas... I'm only doing this out of charity. It's a crime to mess with fools."

"Hehehe..."

Her tsundere attitude made Yuki laugh, while Natsumi puffed out her cheeks.

"What are you laughing at!?"

"Sorry... I just can't help it."

"Ahhh! Shut up!"

After a brief spat between them, they fell silent again, an awkward yet expectant silence, especially for Natsumi, who fiddled with her fingers before asking hesitantly...

"Hey... Yuki... does... does it feel good?"

"Hm?"

"You know... 'that.'"

"Oh... that."

Of course, Natsumi wasn't referring to anything sexual or dirty. She was more curious about what was called 'Resonance.'

According to Mukuro and Nia, it was a highly addictive sensation. It felt so good that Mukuro often sought out Yuki because of it. Even the Yamai sisters were no exception. As a little witch, Natsumi couldn't help but be curious, especially when Kotori would grind her teeth in anger and jealousy.

Natsumi wanted to feel it too, but since her relationship with Yuki wasn't that close yet and she had a mission, she couldn't gather the courage to ask.

Until now...

"Are you sure? There's a seal on you that prevents it, but if I release it, some 'things' might happen."

The resonance among the spirits grew stronger with each passing day, especially when Yuki maintained close contact with any of them. Yuki had been suppressing this desire, fearing that either he or the girls would lose control. Only when they bonded with the crown would this feeling become manageable.

But with Natsumi, who had been in close contact for several days without triggering resonance, releasing the seal could cause her to lose control, and 'things' might happen between them.

"...."

Natsumi didn't speak, but she gathered her courage and firmly grasped Yuki's hand.

"I understand..."

Such determination wasn't something Yuki was going to ignore. So, embracing the little witch, Yuki sank into the shadows—this wasn't the right place for such things...

---

"That was close..."

Wiping the cold sweat from his face, Yuki sighed helplessly.

"Still, the reward was worth it. High Destroyer..."

Looking into his spiritual world and sensing his energy levels, Yuki couldn't help but smile. The risk of nearly unleashing the Demon King was outweighed by the incredible boost in power.

(Still, I underestimated the Resonance...)

After releasing the seal, that strange sensation within Natsumi couldn't be stopped, and Yuki had to take drastic measures to calm her. Fortunately, Natsumi regained her senses and joined the crown.

This change was welcomed by Yuki, although his carelessness had almost cost him his spiritual equilibrium.

After all, none of his administrators were currently in his spiritual world. Kurumi, Nia, and Mukuro were still resting, so Yuki had faced the Sky Castle alone. Luckily, Michael, a powerful sealing angel, was able to prevent the worst, and the Ocarina once again calmed the Demon King, although it caused more cracks.

But from another perspective, the danger also brought great gains. With Natsumi taking the throne, Kurumi, Nia, and Mukuro awakened from their slumber. With their help, Yuki stabilized his spiritual world, further increasing his strength.

"The power to destroy a level-2 world..."

This was the standard rank of a god and also that of a Champion, meaning Yuki no longer had to worry about being unable to bear the weight of the world and could protect it without issue.

However...

"The Gudodamas... have disappeared."

Although he hadn't awakened the Six Paths Senjutsu, the Gudodamas were still usable. However, as the Thrones were being occupied, the Crown began assimilating Yuki's powers.

As a Champion, Yuki's soul was pure Order, and with Natsumi, a part of his soul was completed, closing one of the cracks in the crown. Consequently, the powers Yuki had awakened in the ninja world—those that were not pure—were being assimilated by the Thrones. Or more specifically...

Kurumi devoured the Gudodamas, and they now resided within her shadow dimension.

"Is that good or bad?"

Yuki didn't know what to think. To be honest, he felt a bit sad—those were his powers. But now, as a Champion, he was reclaiming the powers that rightfully belonged to him, and the abilities he gained afterward were being devoured.

This realization shook Yuki. He couldn't control this change, and if it continued, even his Sharingan and Rinnegan might be consumed by his adorable spirits...

"Est, Eggy, Aiwass..."

Not to mention his cute tenants—it was possible that once the crown was fully restored, they would be expelled from his spiritual world. After all, they were impure. The thought of the future gave Yuki a headache, though he understood what was happening...

The powers he awakened in the shinobi world, his lineage, and even the Apocalypse Virus, were external forces that had fused with him only because his soul and crown were fragmented. Their purpose had been to help him grow, protect himself, and regain his strength.

Now that his soul and crown were healing, these powers that should never have fused with him were being devoured, accumulating more strength and making him even stronger than the Hero of the Void once was.

"Requiem... is too possessive..."

The coffin of weapons didn't allow any impure power other than Order. It was the only weapon, and the crown itself had formed thanks to it. Therefore, it was the most important companion and weapon for the Hero of the Void.

Fortunately, even though the powers were being devoured, their abilities remained. For instance, the shadow dimension could now be used as a shield, just like the Gudodamas.

But while Yuki contemplated these changes, the chat room, which had been silent until now, suddenly sprang to life.

Ding

[Terms have been fulfilled...]

[Loading...]

[10%... 50%... 100%]

[The Time Emperor's strength has met the minimum requirement for the System.]

[The World Salvation Function is now open...]

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TN: Heh I wonder what it is...