Chapter 152: Pact.
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"What do we do now? The universe as we see it will become stagnant and lifeless soon, with only Sitri, just as you had envisioned and declared." Ikaris interrupted Sol's shock bringing his attention back to her.
"Before that... What's with these statuses?" Sol asked, stepping away from Dina and Arla and standing next to her. "I don't understand what's-"
"It is your will, and my acceptance which led to this outcome." Ikaris lowered her gaze somewhat guiltily. "For a while, maybe after Arla confessed her feelings, I had a guess that this would happen, and I have become less uncomfortable with the idea since then, Sol, it is okay for you to-"
"Hold on." Sol interrupted her, shaking his head, it didn't feel right, as if his own opinion had been disregarded and as if her feelings were being swept under the rug, it felt almost rushed from her end. "Is this acceptance or willingness, Ikaris, there's a very clear contrast between the two, isn't there?"
"My only wish is to serve you, and for you to be happy, my happiness comes from being in your care." Her expressions softened and Sol took a deep breath and looked at the system.
"Why is this happening?"
"It was not by my design, master Vestic," She responded.
"You have grown inexplicably close to the women around you, when you should have pushed them away, or been more assertive of where your intentions lay, you instead invited them, and as Milady had instructed you; opened your heart, the clear result as you can see is their unyielding devotion to you, and your affection toward them as more than just colleagues or allies." She finished with a stare.
"This happened because I...?"
"Do not trample on their hearts like this." Ikaris took Sol's hand and spoke directly into his mind. "You are more than aware of Dina's undying affection for you, this is no news, you have kept her close and she has felt loved in return, you adore her, and you gave Arla that place in your heart where Jun was supposed to be..." She scolded him.
"I do not dislike the thought of having sisters, what I worry about is losing my place at your-"
"I would never!" Sol snapped as soon as she mentioned it. "I really don't... I could never, Ikaris you're irreplaceable-"
" But does that mean I have to be alone?" She asked him orally, and he took a deep breath and released it, falling backwards into a seat that appeared and resting his hand on his head.
"Sorry..." Sol looked up at Dina and Arla. "It's unfair that this happened to you two."
"I do not mind, simply being by your side have made these last few the happiest days of my life, if only for a short while my dreams of being your lover came true, if this is where you sever that tie I am willing to lose everything again." Arla smiled sadly at him, but Dina had a far more serious expression as she stood there with her eyes locked to the ground and one arm securely holding on to the other.
"I... still do not want to give up." She narrowed her eyes and blinked rapidly when she felt tears approaching. "When I saw the system window earlier, it felt like the world had stopped for me, I've never felt so much happiness since consciously knowing myself, why would I, why should I give that away?" She looked up at him, and then at Ikaris apologetically.
"I feel like if I step back now, you'll disappear forever and never return, that's how it feels."
Arla wanted to speak more but she felt at odds compared to Dina, she knew the student she had nurtured had strong feelings for sol, unlike her who first felt security and trust before her emotions had been invested, she didn't want to compete, she just wanted to not be discarded.
"This is quite the turnaround." Gadriel mumbled to her sister while the two of them stood ways away and observed.
"Could you not?" Ikaris stared straight at them, and the goddess covered her mouth with a nod and looked away.
"Sol," Dina spoke up again, startling him when she walked up before him and fell to her knees at his side resting her hands on his leg and lowering her forehead onto them as she built the courage to speak. "Master..."
"Dina-"
"Please let me finish." She cut him off, and Ikaris who was standing next to him sat on the other side next to him and crossed her arms, curious about what came next, but also slightly unnerved by it.
"I won't ask you for anything, I won't ever complain, I will not bother you, I'll keep my distance and do as I'm told, whatever it may be, all I wish for is that where you go, I go with you, because if I lose the only happiness I've ever had I'll be completely lost." She raised her eyes and stared up at him. "I promise, I won't cause any-"
"Stop it." Sol closed his eyes and sighed, causing her to suck in a breath when he raised his hand and rested it on her head with an unreadable expression that slowly progressed into a soft smile. "Just stop, I can't do that to you, I won't treat you like some kind of pet."
"But if it's even a pet-"
"Seriously, that's enough." Sol tapped her head and then raised her hand, standing and helping her to stand while Ikaris sighed and gave him a small smile as well.
"Honestly, this is the most indecisive I have ever seen you," Ikaris rested her hand on his shoulder and stood, holding his and Dina's hands together and gesturing to Arla as well. "You too."
"Me?" The elf asked, and Ikaris nodded and gestured for her to hurry over, which she quickly complied with.
"What are you doing?"
"I am a little upset," Ikaris answered Sol whilst looking at Arla. "Upset at myself I mean." She confessed. "I knew this could happen and I simply watched it unfold, and now it has reached a point where I have a moral choice I never expected I would have to make, at least not this soon." She took Arla's hand and held all of their hands together.
In contact with Sol, the crests on her body began humming and shining in gold, like his Godslayer Divinity, Arla's sigils which were identical to hers began humming with blue mana pulsing around her, and very slowly, with Sol's permission, sigils started being etched across Dina's arms as well, which quickly ran up her sleeves and across her body, locking around her neck with an audible *click in the shape of a small heart with a keyhole in the middle of it and a pair of wings.
Ikaris's neck sigil was the shape of ten wings wings with a heart in the middle, while Arla's was in the form of a heart with a single pair of wings folded around it.
And then, the Sigil that had been on Sol's hand lit up in gold as well, at first it was a simple crest on the back of his hand, but he watched it get manipulated and morphed into a large flower that took up his forearm and spread vines around his wrist, locking just above his palm in the shape of three dots connected to each other.
"Sol, dear." Ikaris stared up at him after she had finished changing the nature of their contract.
"I do not want to be separated from them, I do not want to lose them, when I was in that cocoon it was terrifying, and all I could think of were my recent memories, from meeting you, and everyone else, I have grown attached to these girls..." She released his hand and pulled Dina and Arla into a hug in front of him.
"Resting their heads on her breasts and smiling lovingly with her cheek rested on Dina's head while the mage was too stunned to speak.
"Thank you..." Arla sucked in a breath, holding Ikaris first and burying her face in her side while Dina stared at her. "I could never muster the courage-"
"I know your heart, Arla." Ikaris caressed her head and then did the same to Dina. "And yours, more than even you do, so let us make a pact here and now."
"Pact?"
"Yes," Ikaris nodded whils Sol and all the other gods watched wordlessly.
"Our master is the head, we never disobey nor do we ever question his decisions, our roles are his pleasure and peace, we will not compete, nor will we disturb that peace, I am the body, and you two will follow as my right and left hands, so long as you follow these simple directions we can coexist in harmony." Ikaris held them a little tighter.
Ikaris his body, Dina his right, and Arla his left.
"I have no issue, I am grateful, eternally, I may never again raise a word of protest or complaint to my Master." Arla spoke first, hugging Ikaris tighter as she assumed something of a mother-like role for the Elf. "Thank you."
"Is this fine with you as well?" Ikaris looked at Dina, and the mage lowered her gaze and stared at Sol in her peripheral with a deep blush, steaming from the top of her head as her hands locked around Ikaris and Arla, and she finally relaxed.
"Yes, I agree; I have no complaint with this arrangement either," Dina sunk deeper into Ikaris with a low squeal while the goddess started smiling at how her usual shyness was at an all-time high. "I will serve my master to the best of my abilities," She whispered turning even redder as she uttered the embarrassing words.
"Now then..." Ikaris looked up at Sol with her brow raised.
"Husband, what will you do?"