Journey to Godhood Begins in Frieren

The epicenter of the spirit-power surge was the school's athletic field.

The moment the alarms sounded, all students were rushed into the shelters—including Tohka and the others. With teachers supervising, it wasn't easy for them to slip away.

And since this clearly involved Mukuro, they trusted Shichen to handle it, so they didn't force their way out to check. They'd only known Mukuro for a short time, but they were all Spirits—and kind-hearted by nature. None of them wanted anything bad to happen to her.

Shichen arrived instantly via spatial transfer, before the AST could get there. And the scene on the field was exactly what he expected.

There were two presences.

One was a once-brilliant figure now drowned in darkness—wrapped in pitch-black spirit energy, radiating despair. She was on her knees. Her golden hair, usually radiant, was completely loose and scattered across the ground, dulled and lifeless.

Beside that dark, dim figure stood a "mosaic" blur—calm, leisurely, as if it were enjoying the view.

Mukuro was clutching her head and screaming. Her voice, normally youthful and clear, was now soaked in hopelessness.

"Mukuro!"

Shichen appeared at her side and pressed a hand to her shoulder. He circulated inversion power to stop her from tipping into full despair and Inversion.

He'd long since learned the "shape" of Inversion—how it formed, how it rose, where to cut it off. Suppressing Mukuro's runaway energy was easy for him.

But even with the surge restrained, she was still crying out in agony.

Shichen turned sharply to the motionless mosaic.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"Mukuro~… we finally… meet again," the mosaic replied in a gentle woman's voice.

"What did you do to Mukuro?" Shichen pressed.

"Why do you care about her? You've only known her for a day," the mosaic asked, sounding faintly hurt.

"At least that's longer than I've known you," Shichen shot back coldly.

"..."

The mosaic fell silent. The scrambled static around it churned violently, warping as if it might collapse and scatter. For a brief instant, a flash of silvery-white bled through its distortion.

"Why… would you say that?" it asked, voice trembling with pain.

"What you did before, I could've ignored. But this time is different. You nearly pushed Mukuro into Inversion—into despair."

"I-I didn't…" it denied quickly.

"You think I'm stupid?"

"No! Shichen, listen— I wasn't trying to make her Invert. I knew you'd come, so I was watching her…" It rushed the explanation out, pitiful and frantic.

"And you think I believe you?" Shichen's voice was flat.

"Shichen… you won't believe me?" it asked helplessly.

"Tell me what you did to Mukuro," Shichen said, stern and unyielding.

"I—I only unsealed her memories. I didn't expect it to hurt her that much… But I controlled the spirit power inside her. I swear I'm telling the truth!"

"You unsealed her memories?"

Shichen already knew. Nothing else would've shoved Mukuro toward Inversion this fast.

Because in the past, when she was still naïve, she'd done something childish—something cruel—that hurt someone important to her.

Mistakes you make as a kid can feel like the sky falling when you look back. And Mukuro's mistake had been… worse than most. Afterward, she'd fled to the emptiness of space to hide.

Now that those memories had been forced back on her, with her heart still immature and fragile, the guilt and remorse were more than enough to crush her.

"I… I couldn't wait anymore," the mosaic whispered.

"Couldn't wait?"

"Shichen… I won't do things you hate anymore. My goal is already achieved."

"You think you can just leave now?"

"Someone's coming to interfere. Later… when you're done… I'll come find you myself. Then we'll have a real reunion."

"..."

Shichen didn't stop it.

He watched the mosaic vanish—no trace, no residue, nothing at all.

Whooo—

The instant it disappeared, noise tore through the sky—sleek, fully-equipped figures flying in fast and clean.

AST units.

Shichen didn't want them interfering. He scooped Mukuro up and vanished on the spot.

When AST arrived, the field was empty. The spirit-wave signature was gone too. The air still held faint residue, but there was no trail to follow.

And there was no Spacequake.

"Where's the Spirit?"

"Why is there nothing here?"

"What is this—did the alarm malfunction?"

"No Spacequake is a good thing. Regroup and report!"

"Yes!"

AST had rushed in for nothing, but at least it was a "good" outcome—no Spacequake meant the city was safe.

The alert was lifted quickly. Tohka and the others came out of the shelter and went right back to class.

Before Shichen ever arrived in this world, Spacequake alarms had basically been routine. People were used to it.

Alarm ends, life continues—work, classes, lounging—like nothing happened.

Tohka and the others returned to their classroom too. If nothing happened, that meant Shichen had handled it.

Back to boring lessons.

Shichen didn't bring Mukuro home. Instead, he went to the apartment Kurumi and the others used to live in—he didn't want Yoshino and Natsumi worrying.

Thankfully, Kurumi and Sawa's old place hadn't been fully given up yet.

Shichen pulled a large, soft bed from the Gate of Babylon and laid Mukuro down.

She was still clutching her head, face twisted in pain, curled up tight. Her golden hair spilled across the white sheets like something out of a fairytale—like Sleeping Beauty, but trembling.

"Mukuro, it's okay now," Shichen said softly, sitting on the bed and stroking her hair.

"It's my fault… it's all my fault…" she choked out.

She wasn't using archaic speech anymore. She was just… raw. Honest. Regret pouring out with no filter.

Shichen could only keep soothing her.

"Don't worry. Don't worry, Mukuro. I'm here."

"Husband…" Mukuro cracked her eyes open, looked at him, then sat up and threw herself into his arms.

She was helpless right now. She needed something to hold onto.

Shichen wrapped her up and gently patted her back, letting silence do what words couldn't.

Mukuro was breathtaking—cute, beautiful, flawless—but to Shichen, she still felt like someone young at heart.

Her mindset wasn't mature.

He adored her. Of course he'd spoil her, indulge her, let her be clingy—so long as she didn't hurt the people he cared about.

If she truly didn't care about the past, if she felt no guilt for what she'd done, Shichen wouldn't have forced it. If she could be happy now, that would've been enough.

But she clearly couldn't.

She'd sealed her memories. Sealed her emotions. Exiled herself alone into space. She'd done all of that because she couldn't forgive herself—because she couldn't let go.

If he wanted her to be truly okay someday—truly happy—then she had to face it. She had to be freed from it.

"It's okay. I'll stay by your side forever," Shichen said calmly. "Didn't I tell you? I'll make you happy."

"B-but I…" Mukuro tried to speak, voice breaking.

"I know," Shichen said quietly. "You did something unforgivable to people you cared about."

"Husband… how do you…?" Mukuro looked up at him, stunned.

Shichen lowered his gaze and smiled warmly. "I may have lied about being your dad to lower your guard… but everything else I said was true. I know everything about you."

"R-really?" Mukuro couldn't believe it.

"This time, I'm not lying."

"Then why would you still…" Her voice shook.

"Because I like you," Shichen said, ruffling her hair.

"Like… me?"

"Yeah. Not just your looks. Not because you're a Spirit. I just like you—your clumsiness, your naïveté, your little schemes… even the parts of you you're ashamed of."

"W-why?" Mukuro asked, dazed.

"Since when does liking someone need a reason?"

"But… we didn't even know each other…"

"That's true for you," Shichen said with a gentle smile. "But I've known you for a long time."

"A long time…?"

"Yeah. A long time."

"Husband…" Mukuro stared at him. And somehow, she believed him.

Because she didn't think she had anything worth loving—especially if he knew her worst mistake.

So if he still said he liked her… then it wasn't shallow. It was real.

"So, Mukuro… no—starting today I'm calling you 'Roku.'" Shichen smiled.

"Roku?" Mukuro blinked.

"My pet name for you. If you don't like it—"

"No! I like it!" Mukuro said immediately.

"Good. Then from now on, I'll call you Roku—and it'll be a name only I use."

Mukuro nodded hard, smiling through the tears.

"Roku," Shichen said, holding her close, calm and steady. "You don't have to run from the past. You have me. I'll stay beside you. Don't be afraid. No matter what you did… you don't have to face it alone. Be brave. I'm right here."

"Husband…"