Journey to Godhood Begins in Frieren

"Dad?"

When Hoshimiya Mukuro heard that word, she froze.

She had sealed her emotions away; in theory she shouldn't be surprised.

But having someone suddenly appear and call himself her father—unless you truly had no heart and were basically a robot, it was impossible not to react at all.

"Yes, I'm your father," Shichen nodded, his smile gentle.

"You really are something…" Yatogami Tenka's exasperated voice echoed from inside him.

She hadn't spoken up in a long time, but this time, she just couldn't help it.

This guy not only loved taking advantage, he also always wanted to play "dad."

Way too shameless.

"Father…? Art thou deceiving me? I hold no memory of thee, nor any recollection related to thee," Hoshimiya Mukuro replied without anger at his bold claim.

She had long since forgotten how to get angry.

"You don't know me, but I know you, Mukuro."

"Thou even knowest mine name… who art thou truly?"

Mukuro suddenly aimed the scepter in her hand at him. Without warning, golden light scattered; spiritual power burst out and wrapped toward him.

She was clearly hostile.

Shichen had expected that. A convex, mirror-like transparent barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the golden rays entirely.

"Hm. Thou seemst to have some skill," Mukuro murmured, lowering her staff.

"Attacking your father out of nowhere—isn't that a bit rude?" Shichen smiled, completely unfazed.

"Thou art not my father. Cease thy lies."

"Are you sure? Do you have any memories of your parents?" he countered.

"I remember not when I came to be, nor why I exist here. How could I still hold memories of parents?"

"Then why not believe what I say? Haven't you noticed our powers are similar? Your power comes from me."

"Even if that were so, 'tis of no consequence," Mukuro shook her head indifferently.

"Why?"

"By choosing to remain here, I have discarded all and stopped caring for all—be it parents or anything else. Thus, whether thou art my father or not is meaningless."

"How can it be meaningless? You're my daughter. Of course I came here to bring you home—I haven't fulfilled my role as a father at all."

"Fulfilled a father's role? And why now?" Mukuro asked in return.

"Because I've only just found you. I haven't had the chance to look after you, to give you happiness, to let you feel joy," Shichen said softly.

He naturally liked Mukuro—not only for her appearance, but also for how much her younger self had treasured her family, how deeply she'd longed for kinship. It made people want to protect her.

Her possessiveness had been a bit intense, sure, but she'd been a child. It was normal.

"Happiness? Joy? On what grounds dost thou assert that I require such things?" Mukuro asked.

"Because you're a person. That's what humans long for most," Shichen answered directly.

People who claimed they didn't need these things were usually just cornered by life, putting on a brave front. No one truly didn't need them.

Otherwise… what was the point of living?

"No. I have no such need," Mukuro lightly shook her head.

"Impossible."

"'Tis not impossible. I have already discarded them."

Mukuro explained calmly,

"I no longer feel loneliness—not only loneliness, but pain and itch, sorrow, rage, even excitement, joy, pleasure… and love. I sense none of it… for I have long ago locked such feelings away."

She lifted the staff in her hand, indicating the reason for her lack of emotion.

That angel of hers didn't only seal away the "skills" of objects—it could seal a heart's "functions" as well.

"Michael, the Key and Lock Angel, huh?" Shichen spoke its name.

"Thou knowest even this? But since thou knowest mine name, 'tis not so surprising," Mukuro said without much interest.

"Mukuro, do you truly not want to feel happiness and joy?" Shichen pressed.

"Indeed," Mukuro nodded.

"They are unnecessary."

"But the you from the past definitely didn't think so."

"'Tis irrelevant. The current me can no longer know."

"In that case, why keep the ability to speak? Didn't you leave that just so someone could talk to you?"

"Nay. I preserved language only so as not to become a mute corpse… All I desire is to be disturbed by nothing. That is why I came to this place, beyond the reach of all things—space. Furthermore, whether fury or love—any emotion that might disrupt this stillness I have sealed away," Mukuro said flatly, expressionless.

"Heh…" Shichen couldn't help but laugh.

"What dost thou laugh at?"

"I'm laughing because you're lying to yourself."

"Lying to… myself?"

"You say you don't want to be disturbed by anything. If that were true, you wouldn't have bothered keeping language. Communication is nothing but disturbance."

"If thou wilt not be reasoned with… then I shall simply drive thee away."

Mukuro had no interest in whether his words were true. She only obeyed the resolve she'd set at the beginning.

She did not want to be disturbed. By anything.

She raised the staff in her hand again, pointing it at Shichen. The amber hue of her eyes turned even colder.

No—that eye had always been cold. Her face had remained expressionless from the start.

With her heart locked, she was no different from a robot.

And Shichen refused to let her stay like that.

Whether it was selfishness, his goal of "collecting" all the spirits, or his own greed… at the very least, it was true that he genuinely didn't want her to remain alone in space, half-human in shape but cut off from life.

Bringing her back down to the world—he wasn't sure if that would be good for her.

But letting her experience the full spectrum of human joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness… that definitely wasn't a bad thing.

Humans were born to experience those things.

Mukuro only thought she didn't need them because she had locked her heart away.

If she truly didn't need them, she wouldn't have needed to seal them at all. Someone who's truly given up doesn't need external tools.

And Shichen knew why she'd sealed her own heart.

If she claimed she didn't need those emotions, then they could simply unlock them and see.

"Mukuro, do you remember what I said when I first got here?" Shichen suddenly asked.

"At the beginning?" Mukuro frowned slightly.

"I said… I'm your father."

"That is impossible. Thou lookest so young, and we share not the slightest resemblance—aside from both having unusual powers."

"Didn't you forget how long you've been floating out here? Haven't you stayed the same this whole time?"

Even so, though Mukuro's appearance stayed at fourteen or fifteen, her figure was… extraordinary.

Her cheongsam-like Astral Dress hugged her tightly, tracing out a breathtakingly seductive silhouette. It was the sort of body that would leave any normal man staring.

Among all the spirits like Tohka and the others, Mukuro's figure was probably the best.

Her development was amazing.

"Even so, I still do not believe thou art my father."

"Is that so?"

Shichen smiled, then raised his hand out to the side, spreading his fingers as if grasping something invisible.

"Haniel—Angel of Copies."

In his hand appeared a broom, with an ornament at the end shaped like a fan of unfolded mirrors.

"Ah, that's my angel," Natsumi breathed inside the Fraxinus.

The weapon Shichen held was her angel. She had no idea how he was doing this.

"Oho~ so Shichen sucked your blood too, huh," Nia laughed.

"Eh? H-How do you know that?" Natsumi went bright red.

"Don't you know his ability? As long as he drinks a spirit's blood, he can use her power," Nia explained, amused.

"So that's how it is!"

"Wait… does that mean he's sucked all of you?" Tohka stared at everyone.

"Well… what do you think?"

"Unfair!"

"Forget that for now—why is Darling using Natsumi's angel? Mine's pretty good too. I wanted to hear Darling sing again…" Miku pouted.

"Onii-chan must have his reasons," Kotori said calmly.

Shichen did indeed have an idea. He spun the broom once and called:

"Kaleidoscope—Angel of Transformation."

The broom flared with light, and its shape began to change. In a moment, it had become identical to Mukuro's staff.

"Th-That is…?" Mukuro stared, stunned.

Her angel had been copied?

"Mukuro, ready?" Shichen finally turned his gaze back to her, smiling confidently.

"What dost thou intend?" she asked warily.

"Simple. Since you say you don't need those emotions, I'll unlock the lock on your heart and let you verify it for yourself."

"Thou meddlest too much!"

"I am your father. What's wrong with meddling? If talking won't work… then we'll do this the hard way. It's—family discipline time."

"Thou thinkest to do this with that counterfeit?"

"Underestimating me, huh?" Shichen chuckled.