Chapter 94 Ego
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The rainbow eyes, which had been staring into the void, finally turned in Yuuri’s direction. The small, tightly-drawn lips seemed to soften ever so slightly, almost as if Shelm were smiling at him.
A searing, gouging sensation—Swoop!—ripped through the inside of his chest. It was a feeling unnervingly similar to the overwhelming awe he’d felt the very first time he stood before Shelm, right after she’d bestowed the salvation of reincarnation. Suddenly, without any rational context, Yuuri was made to understand his own utter foolishness; the self-reproach was so intense he nearly collapsed.
”Oh, me! Mmmph, sudden, aren’t ya, darling? So rough!” Shelm whimpered, her voice breathy and musical.
Frantic, Yuuri pulled Shelm into an embrace. His hand dove beneath the thin, flowing cloth she wore, seizing her large, perfectly-shaped breasts—more than a handful—and began to knead them fiercely. This was the divine aura emanating from Ai, the recently-formed ego. The sheer, terrifying power of that intense burst of will threatened to purify away every single wicked thought he had harbored.
He’d made a decision to embrace the sub-divinity, named Ai at the chief goddess’s own request. Just as he had avoided coupling with a soulless, purely physical doll, he refused to be intimate solely out of reverence. To seek out another person required a proactive sense of responsibility toward the relationship, joyfully coupled with desire. What difference would a worshipper, whose emotional range was flattened by praise, have from the very soulless aspect of divinity he’d rejected?
Therefore, he could not surrender to Ai’s divine authority. He had to drown himself in Shelm’s body to ride out the flood of divine pressure, ensuring his mortal desires weren’t washed away. He reached out, his tongue tracing the ultimate beauty that tempted him to kneel, profaning it to endure the overwhelming aura she was unleashing.
To any observer, it was a pathetic sight: a grown man clinging desperately to a girl whose head barely reached his chest. But the naked divine will was not so gentle that it could be countered by mere shame.
Whether she was satisfied by her terrified lover’s quick thinking to protect his own heart, Yuuri couldn’t tell, but Shelm happily accepted the rough handling, her voice nasal and pinched as his large hands kept working her over.
”Kufufu, Mmm… Why, ‘Watashi’! I know you want to look your best because you’re happy Yuuri-kun is embracing you, but slow your power down, sugah! My Apostle is still so small! If you hit him with such intense ki, he’ll be bleached out completely, won’t he?!”
She was the ultimate authority in this space. Her will alone could settle the matter. Yet, Shelm merely admonished the newborn aspect in a nasal voice while being pawed at by her whimpering lover, displaying not a shred of dignity.
It’s impossible for a human to know if the communication exchanged there was purely verbal. But as soon as the utterly undignified Shelm finished her admonishment, the pressure that had been aggressively striking Yuuri from Ai’s body vanished as if it were a lie.
”Ugh, fufu! Kufufu! You’re fine now, my sweet, you’re fine! There, there, were you scared, little one? Ah, no, no, no! You have to be with Ai now, you can’t keep clinging to me!”
The sensation—which had felt like his body was boiling from the inside—was gone. But to say he felt relief would be a lie. The moment the tension released, sweat began to pour from his entire body like a waterfall. If he hadn’t been clinging to Shelm, he would have collapsed right there on the bed.
He took advantage of this, kneading the nearby goddess’s breast to check the feeling in his now-limp body. As he indulged in Shelm, who had offered herself despite her playful mockery, strength gradually returned to his legs and core.
”Nffuh! Y-Yuuri-kun, could you stop now, please? If you want to knead breasts that badly, you should knead Ai’s! Ah, if you make me put forth too much effort, it might turn into a forced situation!”
”—Cheh, I thought I could push it through this way,” Yuuri grumbled.
He understood the importance of facing the god he had named. However, he definitely still felt the urge for an intimate thank you with Shelm now that she was within reach. He’d inflated his wicked thoughts, raised his arousal, and hoped for an opportune moment. But unlike a servant who can’t defy her master, the goddess’s will was firm, even in the throes of pleasure.
Reluctantly, Yuuri pulled his hands away from her wonderfully pliable body. Shelm then tucked her breasts back into the thin, open cloth, pouting with her back still turned to him.
”Nnn, mou! I’ll take care of you later, so go and perform your duty properly! B-But remember that Ai is ‘Watashi’ too! Yuuri-kun, who is used to having superior intimacy with a servant, might actually be turned back upon!”
”Ugh! We won’t know unless we try, will we?! Remember those words, you!” Yuuri snapped back.
He leapt at the exchange condition offered by the vexed goddess, like a child being lured by sweets. Yet, the last time he had been intimate with Shelm, her body was that of her Miko, Marina. This time, however, it was unmistakably the goddess’s own body. Even if it was Ai’s, untamed and uninitiated, her specifications were unknown.
Pushed forward by Shelm’s hateful grin, Yuuri approached Ai, who was staring blankly at him. She was likely still unstable in controlling her power, because the hub of emotion had been inserted between her perception and judgment. Approaching carelessly ran the risk of an explosion, but since Shelm had given her stamp of approval, he had to believe she’d provided at least a minimum of protection.
The moment Yuuri touched the hand that had gone limp when she stopped the divine leak, he saw her delicate shoulder twitch.
”…Tell me, Ai. Do you know who I am?”
”Ah… u…”
He spoke to the newborn ego as gently as possible. She was the system that controlled all the Skills scattered across the world. She certainly had more than enough ability to replicate a human personality, but establishing a sense of self—figuring out how to behave as a recognized person—was a completely different matter.
”Ai, answer me. Ai.”
”A-Ah…”
Yuuri took her hand and enclosed it with both of his, gently stroking her slender fingers repeatedly, as if teaching her about human contact. Her skin was white and flawless, identical to Shelm’s. As he repeatedly confirmed the soft sensation of her fingers, he saw the focus return to her rainbow-colored eyes as they met his.
”…I’m, Ai.”
”—! That’s right, you’re Ai. Do you know My name? The one who gave you your name?”
Ai continued to look at him, speaking very little. Yuuri tried to suppress his anxiety, reminding himself not to rush. Would any highly intelligent entity, immediately after its birth, accept an order to surrender its body to a being clearly inferior to itself?
Moreover, she was still completely nude beneath the starry sky, which did nothing to improve the impression she was bound to form of being embraced.
”It’s alright. Elder Brother’s masculine body is very charming.”
”Oh, oh! You can actually talk—! Wait, Elder Brother!?”
Yuuri reflexively turned back, intending to ask Shelm for guidance, but she was just trembling with suppressed laughter, keeping her mouth shut. He felt a flash of anger at her obvious amusement, but the Chief Divinity’s composed attitude was evidence that this was not an unforeseen circumstance. He turned back to Ai.
”Ah, well. I’m just a tiny human who can’t do anything without the Skills you manage. I’m not really the type to be called Elder Brother.”
”No. ‘Watashi’ was only just born now. Even if my God-Self has existed for a great deal of time, it remains a fact that Elder Brother is older than ‘Watashi’. …But if you dislike it, I shall change the form of address.”
To be honest, Yuuri couldn’t understand why Ai was so genuinely benevolent. As his head swam with layers of questions, Ai offered a bittersweet smile and snuggled into his arms.
”It seems you are at a loss for how to approach me.”
”A-Ah. Have I done anything for you to evaluate me so highly? I only know how a human grows, so I have no idea what values a self-aware being that just acquired an ego through naming might possess.”
”I understand. Stated simply, I am no different from the Chief Divinity, Shelm. By gaining information, I can define a self that thinks similarly to a human. Furthermore, I hold affection for the individual Yuuri, calling you Elder Brother, because you utilize the very Skills that are the foundation of my Divinity with the highest efficiency. Being named by such an individual, there is no reason for me to disdain offering this newly acquired body.”
Ai’s tone shifted to something slightly more detached and mechanical. This was likely her consideration: she had startled him by closing the distance too quickly, and was now providing information matter-of-factly to prompt a calm assessment on his part.
While it was too soon to draw a final conclusion, Ai had clearly processed more information than any human could before making this judgment. She truly was the second Shelm. The two deities were polar opposites in demeanor, yet their approach to establishing a presence that enhanced divine power through Skill utilization was identical.
”I understand. I was startled at first, but call me whatever you wish. However, if you truly don’t want to be embraced by me after being suddenly created, then tell me! Even if you can’t disobey an order, I’ll end it as easily as possible, and I’ll chew out that one later.”
”I appreciate your concern, Elder Brother. However, I am quite fond of you. Based on the first emotion I ever possessed, I judge you to be agreeable, and from a Divinity standpoint, the judgment is the same. As the Administrator of Skills, I cannot help but highly value your contribution to the increase of my authority.”
Ai’s logical and straightforward declaration of affection completely erased any lingering doubts about her trivial intelligence. This girl, leaning close, her cheeks flushed, was a goddess no different from Shelm, merely with a different personality. That is precisely why betraying Ai’s trust was terrifying.
”And besides… just like the Chief Divinity, I… I seem to like that sort of thing, too! Hehe! Therefore, the thought of Elder Brother being my first partner—I couldn’t possibly dislike it!”
”Guh! You’re saying that with that face! Are you sure? I’m just a little human, Ai. For a while, I won’t be able to see anything but you.”
”Yes! For now, look only at me! Please engrave your existence deep into My core so that I can think of you forever!”
Ai’s pure request completely blew away Yuuri’s hesitation toward a Goddess, his internal rebellion against Shelm’s coercion, all of it. His hand slipped through the gap in the thin cloth to touch her white skin—skin that no one else had ever touched—indulging his desire to explore. He deliberately avoided reaching for her breasts or her hidden core, instead pulling her slender body closer and gently lowering his face toward her lips.
”Ah… M-My brother! I can finally offer it! This body created just for you! You will take it, won’t you? You will cherish it, won’t you?!”
”Of course I will! I won’t hand you over to anyone as long as I live! I’ll cultivate the Skills or whatever else it takes to ensure you never grow tired of me!”
There was no doubt that Shelm had successfully danced him around her palm until now. If the ultimate expression of that manipulation was this plan—providing her own aspect to ensure he couldn’t leave—then it had been a resounding success.
What result was Shelm hoping for, to go to such lengths? She was likely watching this all unfold, wearing her usual flippant smile, but Yuuri had no intention of turning back to confirm it. What mattered now was facing this innocent girl with absolute honesty.
”I’m so happy, my brother!” Ai whispered dreamily.
Yuuri met her gaze and pressed his lips to her own, sealing the moment. Even looking directly into the divine eyes—the strongest manifestation of a god’s power—no longer confused him with their authority.
—Now, the time to act.
Determinedly, he cleared all superfluous thoughts from his mind, met her tear-filled, rainbow eyes, parted her soft lips, and slowly inserted his tongue.
Notes:
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
• Ai – The recently-formed sub-divinity/ego who manages the world’s Skills. Her sudden, intense burst of divine will (“ki”) almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. Called Yuuri “Elder Brother” and declared genuine affection and trust based on his efficiency with her Skills.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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