In the grand, sparkling throne room of the Satoria Federation, Haruto sat upon his throne, slightly leaning to one side as sunlight from the massive windows settled beautifully across him.
On his right stood Liora, Chloe, and Lunara, each wearing a serious, unreadable expression, while Vhalzareth, Fuyume, and Velara stood on the opposite side of the throne room.
Haruto's golden eyes settled upon Miyuki and Sora, who were kneeling on one knee upon the crimson carpet with golden edges.
"Miyuki Satoru... Sora Satoru..." Haruto said calmly, resting his head against one hand. "You girls are intelligent, so you must already know the purpose of your summons."
"Huh... yes, Father..." Sora replied softly as she and Miyuki exchanged a nervous glance.
Velara noticed the exchange immediately, her eyes narrowing with quiet seriousness.
"Good. Then, first, I am not against the action you two committed," Haruto said as the hand supporting his head tightened slightly. "What angers me is that you chose to separate yourselves from me and lie to me."
The last words struck Haruto's devoted subordinates like a sudden blow, leaving shock and surprise across their faces.
(Separation... and a lie...? No...) Velara thought in genuine disbelief as she sharply turned toward Sora and Miyuki, her eyes widening.
(Uhh... I'm sorry, Sister.) Miyuki thought when she noticed Velara staring at them before lowering her head in shame, unable to maintain eye contact.
"It pains me to do this as well, but the only answer to your violation of my existence is punishment," Haruto said coldly, though the words carried far more weight than anyone had expected.
"Punishment?!" Velara exclaimed, panic immediately entering her voice. "Father, please reconsider it!"
She knew exactly what awaited them if Haruto carried out his decision, and that knowledge made her hands tremble faintly at her sides.
"Velara, don't test me."
Haruto's voice remained cold, each word carrying a finality that left no room for argument.
Velara immediately fell silent and retreated, lowering her gaze as she stepped back into place.
"Father, why are you punishing us?" Sora protested, her voice becoming more desperate. "The Arachnids commit sins over and over, yet they receive no punishment."
Vhalzareth's eyes narrowed as he watched Sora, clearly displeased by her refusal to accept the punishment.
"Huh?!" Liora's expression twisted with anger. "Are you trying to say that we Arachnids don't live up to our God's laws?"
"Exactly!" Sora snapped angrily as her hands tightened into fists. "Father, you showed you Arachnid people infinite patience. If our purpose is service, why does our emotional independence suddenly make us guilty?"
"Y-You..." Liora growled, anger rising in her voice as she took a step forward.
Before she could say anything more, Haruto raised one hand, silently signaling everyone to remain quiet.
His palm opened toward Sora and Miyuki.
A purple light suddenly surrounded Miyuki while a white light enveloped Sora. The air within the throne room trembled as a powerful force began drawing itself out from their bodies.
Then, two spheres emerged.
The force continued to pull until the spheres completely separated from them, hovering in the air before slowly drifting toward Haruto's open palm.
Haruto had removed his divine presence from them.
Without his divine presence, they would no longer be able to communicate with Haruto, and the purpose that had once defined their existence would disappear.
More importantly, the divine connection that had stabilized their immense power was gone.
Their existence would become unstable, and the power within them could eventually bring destruction wherever they went. They would be feared by everyone, much like the way demons were feared in the fantasies of lesser worlds.
The moment the divine presence was completely withdrawn, both Sora and Miyuki collapsed unconscious onto the crimson carpet.
The two spheres continued hovering above Haruto's palm, their light quietly pulsing within the throne room.
"I have no need for disobedient creatures."
Haruto's voice remained calm, but the authority behind it caused the entire room to fall silent.
"From this moment onward, Sora Satoru and Miyuki Satoru are exiled from my empire."
He closed his hand slightly, causing the two spheres to disappear into his "Pocket Realm".
"Velara, send them out."
"Okay..." Velara replied softly, lowering her head.
In a single step, Velara appeared between the unconscious bodies of Sora and Miyuki.
She carefully placed one hand beneath each of their backs before lifting them without making a sound. A faint distortion formed around her body, and in the next instant, she teleported away with both of them.
Haruto remained seated upon his throne, his golden eyes following the empty space where the three had disappeared.
"Take this to heart, my subordinates. Any betrayal or attempt to separate yourselves from me will meet the same outcome," Haruto said calmly.
"Yes, my Lord."
The voices of all Haruto's subordinates echoed throughout the grand throne room at the same time.
"Our only purpose is to remain in your service."
Their expressions were solemn and devoted as they lowered their heads before their ruler, while the sunlight continued pouring through the massive windows and illuminating the crimson floor beneath them.
Somewhere else, Ronóva rested peacefully inside an elegant royal bathtub surrounded by candles and scattered rose petals, while the luxurious bathroom created an atmosphere that felt more like a private royal sanctuary than an ordinary place to bathe.
(Ugh, my kingdom's finances are declining because of the alliance between the Solmaria Kingdom and the Satoria Federation.)
Ronóva rested her head against the side of the bathtub, allowing herself a moment of quiet thought as the political situation continued occupying her mind.
(Politics are clouding my thoughts too much. I should focus on something more pleasant, like my dear daughter Yomi.)
The thought alone brought a warm smile to Ronóva's face, her expression becoming noticeably softer as she imagined Yomi.
Without warning, Haruto appeared near the entrance with one hand resting inside his pocket, his expression calm and composed despite the faint seriousness remaining within his golden eyes.
"Instant Teleportation"
"Oh, hi, darling~," Ronóva said pleasantly as she folded her arms over the side of the bathtub and rested her chin upon them. "I was just thinking about you."
"Really?" Haruto asked as he walked toward her before taking a seat on the elegant chair positioned beside the bathtub. "Was it something bad? Judging from that smile, I imagine it was."
Ronóva released a soft giggle that filled the luxurious room with a gentle warmth.
"Very good~. I was thinking about how your decisions have influenced my kingdom's finances, which is rather ironic when you think about it~."
"Oh, I see," Haruto replied as he leaned forward slightly. "So my trade agreements with the Solmaria Kingdom have affected your financial situation."
"Unfortunately, they have," Ronóva answered with a playful expression. "And don't even think about offering me assistance, because I'll find my own solution, alright, darling~?"
"Of course," Haruto replied calmly. "Although I am curious how you knew I was about to suggest helping."
Ronóva smiled knowingly as she rested her cheek against her hand.
"Silly~, it doesn't take any special ability to understand what my husband is thinking," she said with quiet amusement. "Besides, I know you well enough to recognize that expression."
"Husband?" Haruto repeated with mild surprise. "We aren't married yet. I've only given you a promise ring."
Ronóva gently raised a finger toward him, stopping his explanation before it could continue.
"Now, there~, we don't need a marriage ceremony for me to call you my husband," Ronóva replied with a warm smile. "You're mine, after all, and that isn't something I intend to change."
Haruto remained silent for a moment, his expression briefly caught between surprise and amusement.
"...Yeah, I suppose that's fair."
Ronóva leaned back comfortably as she looked into Haruto's luminous golden eyes.
"So, dearest, is there something you needed from me?"
"In a way, yes," Haruto answered as he rested one arm against the chair. "I came to ask whether you'd like to go on a date with me, or perhaps we could take Yomi with us and spend some time together as a family."
Ronóva's eyes widened slightly before her expression immediately softened into a genuine smile.
"I'd like that," she answered warmly. "The three of us should spend some time together."
"Yeah," Haruto replied quietly.
(I'm still bothered by the fact that I exiled Sora and Miyuki. Perhaps spending some time with Ronóva and Yomi will help me stop thinking about it for a while.)
Haruto leaned closer and kissed Ronóva gently, allowing the moment to linger instead of immediately pulling away. Ronóva's eyes gradually closed as she relaxed into the affection, her expression softening while the quiet atmosphere of the royal bathroom seemed to fade around them.
Haruto remained close to her for several moments before slowly pulling back, his golden eyes meeting hers as a faint warmth settled within his usually composed expression.
(I don't know why, but it feels like something is troubling him.)
Ronóva's golden eyes softened as she studied his expression.
(Whatever it is, I'll stay beside him and make sure he doesn't have to carry it alone.)
Haruto lowered his gaze for a moment, his usual composure returning as he considered how strangely peaceful he felt around her.
(Strange... being with her gives me a sense of peace. Perhaps I should open up more, because I genuinely love her.)
Elsewhere, beneath an endless desert sky, sparkling hills of golden sand stretched toward the horizon while the brilliant sun hung high above them, sending waves of heat across the barren landscape.
Sora and Miyuki stood together before Velara, neither of them able to meet her softened gaze as the silence between the three sisters carried everything they struggled to say.
"So this will be the last time we'll see each other," Velara said quietly, her expression softening into a gentle smile as she tried to ease the tension between them. "Be strong out there, alright? Wherever you end up, don't let yourselves lose sight of who you are."
"Yeah..." Miyuki answered softly, her eyes remaining fixed upon the ground as though there were something fascinating hidden beneath the sand. "We're sorry, Sister."
"Don't apologize," Velara replied as she gently interrupted her. "Whatever happened has already happened, so all you can do now is move forward."
Velara then pressed a heavy bag into Sora's hands, causing the younger girl to glance down at it with a confused expression.
"Here are five hundred and ninety thousand World Coins," Velara explained calmly. "It doesn't matter where you decide to go after this, but make sure you have enough to survive wherever you end up."
"Sister, I..." Sora's voice trembled as her eyes began filling with tears. "I don't know what to say."
Before Velara could respond, Sora suddenly stepped forward and embraced her tightly, tears slipping freely down her cheeks as she finally allowed the emotions she had been suppressing to surface.
"I've brought betrayal and shame upon Father," Sora cried softly against Velara's shoulder while Velara gently stroked her hair. "I don't want to be separated from him...none of us wanted this."
Miyuki quietly wiped her eyes with the inside of her sleeve, desperately trying to hold back her own tears while Sora continued crying against Velara.
Without Haruto's presence surrounding them as it once had, both sisters felt an unfamiliar emptiness within their souls, as though something fundamental had been taken away from their existence.
"Father may have exiled you both and removed his Divine Presence from you," Velara said gently as she continued comforting Sora, "but that doesn't mean he stopped loving you."
Velara's smile trembled slightly as a single tear slipped down her cheek.
"If he truly didn't love you anymore, he wouldn't have given either of you the chance to choose what you do with your lives from here."
Sora remained silent against her shoulder, while Miyuki finally lowered her gaze again, allowing Velara's words to settle within the silence of the desert.
For a moment, none of them spoke, yet the warmth of the sun seemed almost insignificant compared to the heaviness settling inside their hearts.