The ritual of semi-spiritualization.
When Gadiel underwent the ritual of semi-spiritualization, Elen was brought down to the castle’s underground with Origin.
There, the Dual Goddesses, Ark, and Lovell were already waiting.
The Dual Goddesses noticed Elen and waved their hands playfully toward her. Elen and Origin waved back.
In the center of the underground space stood a massive, blindingly white magical circle and something resembling a pedestal.
At the moment the door opened, Elen couldn’t help but recall Ark’s prison beneath the academy—same sealed, suffocating space. Her face paled slightly.
Yet, surprisingly, her feet moved toward the pedestal.
Maybe it was the glowing magic circle, or perhaps the way the entire space was blanketed in white, like the Dual Goddesses’ boundary—so bright it hurt the eyes.
If the room had been darker… she’d have hesitated for sure.
“Reminds me of Lovell’s time, doesn’t it?”
As Vaal spoke, a section just above the pedestal flared brighter.
In the next instant, Gadiel’s body—still lying down—rose into the air and was gently placed onto the pedestal.
The barrier remained intact around Gadiel.
Staring at Gadiel, still asleep with that pale, blank face, Elen couldn’t help but rush forward.
“Elen-chan, you’re okay, aren’t you?”
Vaal chuckled, placing both hands on Elen’s shoulders.
“Is this where the half-spirit transformation begins…?”
Lovell muttered, frowning deeply.
Thinking about how his own body had gone through this… it must still feel complicated, somehow.
“Lovell’s time was rough. Origin-chan just wouldn’t stop crying, no matter how long it went on.”
“Yeah~. The body was so ruined, we had to rebuild it from scratch.”
"...Primal form?"
Lovell twitched at the strange word.
"W-w-wait a minute!"
Elen flustered. Lovell didn’t know most of her body had been rebuilt from scratch.
Origin hadn’t told Lovell on purpose—Elen panicked, glancing back and forth between Origin and Lovell, wondering if she’d just blown it.
"Your body was a mess after the Monster Tempest, wasn’t it?"
"Right. It took forever to repair your body."
"...If you repaired it, then what’s a 'primal form'? Are you using a primal form for the Prince’s body too?"
"A primal form is a spirit’s body without a soul. Once a soul leaves a body, it can’t cling back. So we had to use your old body as a vessel and build a new one from scratch..."
Origin’s quiet confession left Lovell utterly bewildered.
Then, looking down at his own body, he slowly nodded—like something finally clicked.
"Wait, that's why you stopped aging!?"
"Father... are you really there!?"
Elen blurted out, caught off guard by how serious the situation had become.
To her surprise, Origin looked equally stunned.
Then, slowly, Origin began to cry—tears welling up, glistening in her eyes. Lovell and Elen both froze in shock.
"I... I just... took over Lovell's body... without asking..."
"Yeah, I get it now....Ori, come here."
Lovell pulled the weeping Origin close, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"If I can stay with you, Ori, I don't care what happens to me."
"Love...?"
"Thanks to you, I got to see Mother and my little brother again. And you gave me so many family members. Back then, I'd already given up on everything. Nothing’s ever felt this good."
"…………"
"Thank you, Ori, for letting me stay by your side."
"Uuu... you~!"
Watching the two embrace, Elen finally exhaled—relieved.
The more guilty she felt, the clearer Origin’s expression looked.
(Being by your side… that’s nice… really nice…)
She suddenly thought, I want to be like that someday. In that moment, a certain image popped into her head—and Elen’s face instantly flared red.
(Whaaat! Whaaat! Whaaat!)
Shaking her head frantically, trying to banish the fantasy.
Then she looked up—and met Van’s gaze. He was grinning like he’d read her mind.
(Whaaaaa—!)
“Fufu, Elen-chan’s so cute!”
She was suddenly yanked into Van’s arms, her face buried in his ample chest.
“Mmmmmmmmm…”
“Oh my, that’s nice~ I want to squeeze Elen-chan too!”
“Elen-chan, you’re so soft—fits right in!”
“Really now!”
Van’s here! Elen instinctively reached for Arc for help.
But Arc, clearly bored out of his mind, just kept rowing—clop, clop, clop.
(Asleep…!)
Drowning…! The thought flashed through her mind just as Lovell freed her, and Elen gasped, wheezing for air.
“Never let your guard down!”
“Aaaah, Elen-chan!”
“Sorry, Elen-chan… you’re just so cute I couldn’t help myself…”
The Dual Goddesses giggled.
Elen hid behind Lovell, eyes narrowed at the pair.
“Aaaah, did I offend you…!?”
“N-no, Elen-chan…!”
“Uuu… I thought I was gonna get killed…”
“Aaaah, sorry! Sorry!”
“No more, I swear!”
“Hmph! Stay away from Elen! You fallen goddesses!”
Elen noticed, through her tears, that Origin was smiling faintly at Lovell’s determined efforts to protect her.
(Thank goodness...)
Better off without worries, that’s a given.
While scolding Lovell, Lovell roughly shook Ark awake, who had just been about to fall asleep.
So when Ark rubbed his eyes and said, “Still…?” Lovell clapped his hands to wrap things up quickly.
"Ori, are you sure your body's holding up?"
Yes, everyone’s gonna help out.
Right... don’t push yourself. You’re not even second fiddle to the Prince, okay?
"Father!!"
Lovell remains unruffled despite Elen's anger.
The Dual Goddesses gazed at it and sighed.
The one who saved Elen’s life…
"Seriously. Such a self-centered person."
I don’t need to hear it from you guys!
Ignoring Lovell gnashing at the Dual Goddesses, Origin and the Dual Goddesses began their spell.
Around Origin’s core, multiple layers of magical sigils unfurled—supported and guided by the Dual Goddesses like a chorus of hands.
Watching that, Ark seemed to be gathering the ambient magic around them, lending assistance in turn.
All Elen could perceive was the movement of power—what exactly they were doing, she couldn’t tell.
Just as she thought the scene would linger, the magical sigils encircling Origin were suddenly sucked into Gadiel’s body.
Then, when Origin raised both hands into the air, Elen noticed a floating, bubble-like mass glowing with iridescent light.
She knew it was interference of light, yet somehow… it looked familiar.
“You’re being guarded by Elen-chan, aren’t you?”
“Huh-huh-huh.”
Gazing at the rainbow glow, the Dual Goddesses giggled, delighted.
Lovell was the first to catch what lay beneath those words, his head tilting slightly as he furrowed his brow.
He didn’t shout or act out like he was interfering with Origin—no, he stayed quiet—but Elen was anything but calm.
(Stupid—! Seriously—!)
Elen’s face was a mess—flushed red, then pale, then something entirely unidentifiable.
The Dual Goddesses giggled softly, clearly realizing it was Elen’s power at work.
That rainbow glow? That was Gadiel’s soul, bound to Elen through their contract.
Gadiel’s soul slid smoothly into the space near his chest, vanishing completely.
Then—just for a second—there was a faint *click*, like a missing piece finally fitting into place.
The glowing magic circle faded gently, and the barrier shielding Gadiel dissolved into nothing.
“Phew…”
The sound of Origin exhaling made Elen blurt out, “Is it… over?”
“Yeah, it’s done. Now it’s just a matter of waking up.”
Hearing Origin’s words, Elen let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“Origin-chan, good job! Lovell took a year to wake up from here, but how about you, Papa? Think you’ll be quicker?”
“Eh… that long, huh…?”
“Oh? Didn’t I mention it?”
“Um… half-spirit form was set for half a year after birth… ah.”
Right. Gadiel’s half-spirit transformation had been delayed until after Origin’s birth.
True, Lovell had taken about a year to wake up, I’ve heard.
Elen’s shoulders slumped.
(Thought I’d be able to talk to him right away… guess I’ll have to bother Dr. Trita again.)
Lovell, seeing Elen’s face, suddenly looked like he’d just read her mind.
Of course not… not my own daughter… she’s got this complicated look on her face.
The Dual Goddesses let out a soft “Ara ara,” seeing Lovell’s expression.
“Honestly, when it comes to Elen, you’re sharp, aren’t you?”
“Honestly, I’m surprised you managed to keep it hidden for half a year…”
Just as they spoke, a man’s groan cut through the air.
“Huh?”
Elen panicked and rushed to Gadiel’s side.
Even Origin and the others seemed startled.
“Ah… could it really be already?”
“Ugh…”
Gadiel frowned, his brow knitting. He tried to open his eyes, but the room was too bright—he winced instead.
“The body was unharmed, so the base form was simple enough… but I never thought the soul’s anchoring would be this fast.”
Origin, who’d performed the ritual, couldn’t hide her own surprise.
There was no visible change like the shift in hair color we’d seen with Lovell.
If anything, that lack of change seemed to explain why Gadiel had awakened so quickly.
“…E-len?”
“Gadiel!”
Elen gripped Gadiel’s hand tightly, using it as leverage as he groaned and pushed himself up onto his elbows.
“My… eyes…”
“Eyes? What’s wrong with your eyes? Too bright?”
“The world…”
Elen’s face twisted with worry as Gadiel’s voice came out foggy and distant—then slowly, his eyes began to open.
“M-my!”
“Good heavens!”
No wonder the Dual Goddesses were stunned. Gadiel’s eyes had turned the same seven colors as Elen’s.
Though… maybe it was just the lingering influence of his original eye color. They seemed to lean more toward blue.
“…What in the world is going on?”
A low, almost ground-hugging voice came from Lovell, who’d just seen Gadiel’s eyes.