Valentine’s Day was an event that had been introduced to this world from my own, and by now, it had become thoroughly integrated into the local culture.
On the day before Valentine’s Day, however, the god of the world from which the holiday originated was tilting her head in genuine confusion before me.
"Question. Event, calculation."
"Um, Eden-san? Could you please speak normally, if possible?"
"Valentine’s Day is an event where one seeks affection in exchange for chocolate. Is it truly a happy thing to receive sweets predicated on such a calculation? Is such an event even necessary?"
"That’s a bit blunt..."
"What do you think, Kaito Miyama?"
"Me? Well, let’s see..."
Listening to Eden-san’s words, which sounded sincerely puzzled, I could only manage a wry smile. Her way of speaking was as direct as ever, but she didn’t mean it as an insult; she was likely asking out of simple, intellectual curiosity.
"Not everyone can convey their emotions as openly as you do, Eden-san. Valentine’s Day serves as a catalyst to express feelings that are otherwise hard to put into words. It allows people to show their everyday affection through the medium of chocolate. So, I think it’s necessary, after all. Maybe not absolutely essential, but..."
"I see. This is educational. As expected of... my beloved child."
I felt a sudden chill. The moment those words left Eden-san’s lips, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
This was bad. Very bad. Her switch had just flipped.
I had known Eden-san for a fairly long time now, and I had come to understand her personality to some extent. Usually, she appeared calm, detached, and perfectly rational, but her true terror only revealed itself once that switch was turned on.
As long as she called me "Kaito Miyama," I was safe. But the moment she started calling me "my beloved child," it was a sign that her obsessive mode had been triggered. It was an extremely dangerous state, and at that point, there was no longer any escape.
"Then I, too, shall grant chocolate to my child."
"T-Thank you."
"It is quite alright. To see my beloved child rejoice... nothing makes me happier than that."
"I-I see..."
As I accepted the chocolate that had suddenly appeared, my hands were trembling. Eden-san placed her hand over mine and slowly began to caress it. Deep within her eyes—which were usually a bright, kaleidoscopic color—I thought I saw something thick and black swirling. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Ah, yes... My child, let me feed you this chocolate with my own hands."
"Eh? Ah, no..."
When she was like this, Eden-san was incredibly dangerous. The most terrifying part was that even if I flatly rejected her...
"I-It’s okay! I’ll eat it myself!"
"My, to think you have no need of my assistance... As expected of my beloved child, how magnificent you are."
Her affection for me would somehow skyrocket regardless of my response. This was the true horror of Eden-san’s "ON" mode: no matter what I said or did, she interpreted it in a way that further exploded her devotion. It wasn't just "total affirmation"—it was a level of obsessive interpretation that felt genuinely threatening. Every word and action of mine was filtered through her love and used as a reason to force even more pampering upon me.
"Ah, my child... you are so robust. Truly, a man is one who stands firmly on his own. My child, even the way you attempt to eat the chocolate is wonderful. Your masculine fingers, the way you pinch the candy, your lustrous lips, your handsome face—all of it, everything is so precious. Ah, my child... show me more of your face. Capture my form with those eyes. Hear my voice with those ears. Feel me with that skin. Ah, it is so wonderful. My beloved child... you have eaten the first chocolate. How splendid. Come, there are still many left. Do not hold back; eat to your heart’s content. I shall be watching you forever. I will not miss a single frame of your existence, not even for a fraction of a second. Ah, do not worry. Even without recording equipment, I, as a God, can etch your image into my mind for eternity. Every single movement of your cells is beautiful and manly... Ah, my beloved child. Why do you never cease to captivate my heart so? To hold a God so captive, you are a truly sinful human. But it is alright. I am your ally. I affirm everything. I shall spoil you until you are a puddle. I shall love you until you melt. Ah, yes, that is right... ready-made goods do not suit you. I shall create new ingredients just for you. I shall create an anniversary to gift them to you. I shall create a national holiday for your sake. Yes, that would be best. Ah, but if I do that, the common insects who cannot comprehend your brilliance will swarm around you. That will not do. My beloved child would be stained. Of course, should that happen, I would erase everything for you, but your kind self would surely be pained by it. In that case, let us postpone the creation of the holiday. Ah, but rest assured. Instead, I shall create a truly sweet ingredient. Just for you, yes, that is it. No one other than you needs to taste it. Yours alone..."
I was terrified. I hadn't said a single word, yet she was driving the conversation forward at breakneck speed, even going so far as to suggest creating national holidays in my honor.
My body was trembling from the sheer weight of her madness-tinged affection. Perhaps that was why I fumbled the chocolate; it grazed the side of my mouth and fell.
"Ah..."
"Ah, this will not do... my child. Your skin has been stained..."
Before I could react, she leaned in and licked the chocolate off my lip without a moment's hesitation.
"E-Eden-san?! Wh-What are you—?!"
"I will not allow any stain upon my beloved child’s body. Rest assured. I shall make you clean... from every corner of your body to the very last... I shall make you clean."
"Wait?! Hold on—!"
"This is a body I adjusted specifically for you... I am certain you will find it to your liking. Now, my beloved child... taste my body to your heart's content."
I was pushed down in one smooth motion. Eden-san’s eyes were practically glowing with a manic light, and I could have sworn I saw heart marks in her pupils. She leaned in with a deep, unsettling smile, her face inches from mine.
The difference in power was absolute; I was a carp on a cutting board. As I trembled under the weight of an affection that felt like a collapsing dam, her "specially adjusted" body pressed against mine—
"Hmph!"
—And she was immediately punched into the distance by Kuro, who had appeared out of nowhere.
However, as expected of Eden-san, she didn't seem to take any actual damage. She returned in an instant, her gaze fixed coldly on Kuro.
"What do you think you are doing, Half of God? To dare interfere with my tryst with my beloved child... I will not forgive this."
"I'm the one who won't forgive you! I look away for one second and it's this! How many times do I have to tell you not to forcibly attack Kaito-kun?"
"It is not forcible. This body exists for my child’s sake. It is the natural providence of the world to offer it to him... If you interfere, I shall eliminate you."
"Just try it, God of Lust..."
And then, a world-shaking brawl began.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. This was, in fact, the eighth time that an angry Kuro had punched Eden-san away for trying to force herself on me at every opportunity.
As the two of them created a subspace and began their fight, I watched them from a distance and finished the rest of the chocolate Eden-san had given me.