The atmosphere in Hayato's house changed completely after Lilith's arrival. Although the Mother of Desire said she could reside in a spiritual form, she chose to manifest physically almost all the time, with the reasoning that "it's more enjoyable to observe human reactions directly".
Her elegant night chair and small table had now become a permanent fixture in the corner of the living room, clashing with Hayato's minimalist decor.
After an awkward lunch—where Lilith only sipped wine she had manifested herself while observing Hayato and Lala eat sandwiches—Hayato decided to start training immediately.
Time was not on his side. School would start in two days, and the major threats of this world would not wait.
"You said you could help me understand the Arc of Embodiment more deeply," said Hayato, standing in the middle of the same backyard.
Lala sat on the back steps, watching seriously, while Peke flew in circles above his head.
Lilith, who was still sitting in her lounge chair that had now been moved to the yard, nodded slowly.
"Your power is unique, Master. It's not magic manipulating existing energy, nor is it physical strength. It's the rewriting of local reality based on your imagination and understanding. Tier 1 helps you manifest simple objects. Tier 2 improves efficiency and complexity. But Tier 3…"
Her eyes sparkled. "Tier 3 is when you start playing with the concepts themselves."
"An example?" asked Hayato, trying to stay focused even though Lilith's captivating aura was still felt at the edge of his awareness.
"Imagine a knife," said Lilith.
"Tier 1, you can manifest an ordinary iron knife. Tier 2, you can make a knife from rare steel with perfect sharpness. But Tier 3…"
She raised her hand, and in the air, a shadow of a knife formed—not shiny, almost like a crack in space.
"You can manifest the 'concept of sharpness'. Something that doesn't have the shape of a knife, but cuts anything your imagination deems 'cuttable'. Or, the 'concept of protection' that isn't shaped like a shield, but makes you immune to specific types of attacks."
Hayato digested her words. It made sense. Until now, he had always thought of physical objects. But the true power of the Arc of Embodiment was at the abstract level.
"Your problem, Master," Lilith continued, "is that you're too bound to the physical world. Your background as a human—even in your previous life—makes you think inside a box: objects, tools, weapons. You need to learn to think like a writer or philosopher. What is 'time'? What is 'space'? What is 'cause and effect'? Once you start understanding those concepts intuitively, you can start 'manifesting' them."
"Isn't that too high-level for now?" protested Hayato. "I can't even make perfect food yet."
"Because you're stuck on the physical details of the food, not on the concepts of 'enjoyment', 'nutrition', or 'satisfaction'," Lilith retorted.
"Try now. Don't think about a strawberry cake. Think about… the concept of 'pleasant sweetness'."
Hayato closed his eyes. He tried. But his mind immediately jumped to the cake's texture, the red color of strawberries, white cream… All physical.
"See? Difficult," said Lilith. But she smiled.
"Let's start with something closer to your subconscious. Trauma."
Hayato opened his eyes, glaring. "What?"
"Trauma is a powerful concept. You have it—betrayal, pain, distrust. It's a part of you. Try to manifest that feeling."
"This is a bad idea," grumbled Hayato.
"But effective," Lilith argued. "Your power is connected to your soul. Understanding the deepest parts of yourself is the key. I will help you. Try to focus on that memory. Feel again the cold of the knife, the shock, the feeling of betrayal."
Hayato took a deep breath. He didn't want to go back there. But Lilith was right. Until now, he had tried to forget, to suppress. But maybe, to control his power, he had to make peace with the darkest parts of himself.
Hesitantly, he closed his eyes again. He let the memory come—dusk in Kabukicho, footsteps, then the cold jolt in his back.
The spreading warmth. And the most painful: the empty stare of his friend before turning away.
The pain. Betrayal. Loneliness.
Unconsciously, his fists clenched. The air around him began to vibrate. Lala, watching from a distance, felt a strange change—as if the atmosphere became heavy and gloomy.
In the palm of Hayato's hand, something began to form. Not a physical object. But a color—a dense gray that seemed to absorb light. And a sensation—a feeling of emptiness, bitterness, a cold that pierced the bone.
"That's it," Lilith whispered, her voice full of satisfaction. "You've manifested the 'Concept of Betrayal'. Or at least, a fragment of it. See? You can."
Hayato opened his eyes, panting. In his palm, that dense, smoke-like gray mass churned.
It felt… terrible. Like holding the core of all his suffering. Quickly, he dispelled it with a thought. But the lesson was learned.
"He… made a feeling?" Lala asked in a small voice.
"Not a feeling in the sense of ordinary emotion," Lilith explained.
"But the essence of the concept from that experience. That is the first step towards Tier 3. Now, try something lighter. The concept of 'connection' or 'bond'. Think about your new bond with Lala."
Hayato was still reeling from the previous experience, but he nodded. This time, he thought of Lala. Her cheerfulness, her naive trust, her warmth when hugging.
He thought of the feeling of having someone who accepted him unconditionally, even though the situation was chaotic.
In his hand, a soft golden light began to sparkle, warm like morning sunlight. It had no shape, but radiated a feeling of safety and connectedness.
"Good," praised Lilith. "You learn quickly. Now, try to combine. Create a 'shield' not made of steel, but from the 'concept of protection against betrayal'."
That was more complicated. Hayato tried. He took the gray fragment from earlier, but didn't let it dominate.
He wrapped it with the golden light, imagining a layer of defense that would not only block physical attacks, but also malicious intent, lies, betrayal.
His left arm was suddenly enveloped in a layer of transparent energy that shimmered like oil on water—sometimes showing a golden gleam, sometimes a grayish hue.
[SERA: Host, significant increase in power synchronization detected. Conceptual understanding level increased by 12%. Estimated time to unlock Tier 3: reduced.]
"Amazing!" exclaimed Lala, clapping her hands.
Hayato looked at his arm, then dispelled the shield. He felt mentally tired, but also… satisfied. This was progress.
"Practice like this every day," ordered Lilith.
"And not just here. Try in everyday situations. When you drink tea, think of the concept of 'calmness'. When walking, think of the concepts of 'movement' or 'distance'. Integrate your power with your perception of the world."
Hayato nodded. That made sense.
"And for you, Alien Princess," Lilith turned to Lala.
"Your power lies in creation. But do you understand the concepts behind your inventions? Or do you just assemble parts based on intuition?"
Lala looked thoughtful. "I… usually get an idea, then my hands move on their own. I know what I want to make, and how to do it."
"That's good. But think deeper. When you create a teleportation device, what is its basic concept? 'Spatial displacement'? 'Dimensional folding'? Understanding that concept will help you not only make tools, but maybe… manipulate space itself someday."
Lala's eyes sparkled. "That's a great idea! I'll try it!"
The afternoon was spent with intensive training. Hayato succeeded in manifesting several other simple concepts: "Illumination" (light without a source), "Silence" (a small area where sound is dampened), and even "Temperature Difference" (creating hot and cold spots in the air side by side). Every small success made him more confident.
As the sun began to set, they rested in the living room. Lilith had "beautified" the room with aesthetic projections—virtual candles, Baroque-style paintings that moved slowly, and subtle scents of vanilla and cinnamon.
"In 2 Days," said Hayato, while drinking water, "I have to prepare for school. Lala, your registration documents are done. You'll be in class 2-F, the same as me at Sobu High."
"School uniform!" exclaimed Lala joyfully. "I'm curious what it's like!"
"You'll look adorable," Lilith commented with a smile.
"And me? Should I attend school too, Master? I could disguise myself as a substitute teacher… or a mysterious transfer student."
"Yes," answered Hayato. "But you can't interfere too far in human affairs. School will be chaotic enough with Lala's presence."
"Alright," Lilith said happily. "But allow me to give you a 'gift' for your school preparation."
She walked closer to Hayato, and before Hayato could dodge, she placed the tip of her finger on Hayato's forehead. Information—not words, but understanding—flowed into Hayato's mind.
The concept of 'Accelerated Learning'. The concept of 'Clear Memory'. The concept of 'Calmness under Social Pressure'.
Hayato gasped. It wasn't a skill. But a kind of conceptual "blessing" embedded in his consciousness. He suddenly felt it easier to understand complex things, remember details, and remain calm.
"That…"
"A small gift," said Lilith. "Think of it as a tool. But remember, Master. Everything has a price. The more you rely on conceptual power, the deeper you become entangled in the game of reality. Be careful."
That night, as Hayato lay in his bed. To his right, Lala sat quietly, her eyes occasionally glancing towards Hayato with a look full of attention.
To his left, Lilith sat with an elegant posture, her dark divine aura faintly felt but now felt comfortable and familiar.
Hayato took a deep breath, then turned towards Lilith. His face was serious, but in his eyes, there was a warmth of sincerity.
"Thank you, Lilith," he said slowly. "Without you… I might have been stuck at Tier-2 much longer. And…" he paused for a moment, as if gathering words.
"And I forgot one important thing."
Lilith tilted her head, a faint smile spreading on her lips. "What is it, Master?"
"I forgot to formally ask you to join the Party," answered Hayato, his voice firm.
Before Lilith could ask further, a blue holographic display suddenly appeared before her eyes, floating in the air.
The screen was transparent, filled with text and buttons flickering with blue-green light, exactly like an in-game interface.
"Oh," murmured Lilith, her eyes sparkling with interest. "This is interesting. As if truly inside a game."
Her slender, pale finger reached towards the "Accept" button blinking in the middle of the screen. The tip of her finger touched the panel of light; a warm and familiar wave of energy flowed through her arm.
[Party Invitation Sent…]
Target: Lilith
Race: Demonic Goddess
Status: Invitation Accepted
Device Synchronization: Successful
SERA Neural-link: Connected
Lilith Reality Protection: Active (Level ???)
Party Chat Access: Granted
[Party: Family]
Hayato Hayama– Level: ??? (No Longer Relevant)
Lala Satalin Deviluke– Level: 130
Lilith– Level: ???
Lilith observed the status window opened before her. Her eyes swept over each line of information, processing the meaning behind the texts.
"The Party name… 'Family'?" she said, her voice soft yet full of curiosity.
"And there's a Level concept too, even though they're all question marks. But…" She frowned slightly, feeling something within herself.
"I don't feel restricted. On the contrary, it feels more… free."
"That's because your status and power have been converted into my system," Hayato explained while reclining on his seat.
"Most likely, the concept of your 'Saint Graph' from your original world no longer applies here. Now you operate under different rules."
He closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing a yawn. "Better I sleep first. Tomorrow morning, AI SERA will handle all the school transfer documents and other paperwork for you. And we also have to go shopping – school uniforms, books, stationery…" his voice grew softer, suppressed by sleepiness.
"Goodnight, Lilith."
He then tilted his head to the right. "Goodnight to you too, Lala."
"Goodnight, Hayato," Lilith replied softly, a small smile still floating on her lips.
"Good rest, Hayato," murmured Lala, her green eyes looking softly at Hayato before also closing her eyes.
A few moments in the silence, before sleep completely absorbed his consciousness, Hayato opened his system interface once more in his mind. A progress bar appeared in his field of vision, filled with blue light reaching about three-quarters of its length.
He opened his system. His status now showed:
Name: Hayato Hayama
Main Power: Arc of Embodiment (Tier 2 – 78%)
Conceptual Understanding: Basic
Party Member: 2 [Lala Satalin Deviluke, Lilith (Berserker)]
Seventy-eight percent. Just a little more to Tier 3.
Beside him, Lilith stayed awake a few moments longer. Her green eyes looked at the blue "Party" screen that was still open, her fingers carefully exploring the unfamiliar yet intriguing interface.
A new connection, a new beginning, within a "Family". The smile on her face, for the first time in a very long time, felt light and sincere, before she too finally closed her eyes, drifting off into the same peaceful night.