Within a void existing outside the laws of the world, a place where even sound could not reach, stood the one known in the otherworld as the Earth God: Eden.
Her features were of such exquisite beauty they transcended art, and twenty wings unfurled behind her, radiating an atmosphere of sheer majesty. Bearing the true dignity of a deity standing at the summit of a world, Eden wore a look of profound, solemn contemplation.
(...I want to dote on my child. I want to dote on him with everything I am. I want to spoil him so thoroughly that every single cell in his body melts with bliss.)
Needless to say, there wasn't a single shred of dignity to be found in the actual content of her thoughts.
(But things are not going well. How regrettable, especially since my beloved child must be yearning for his mother’s love. It is all the fault of that Half of God. She does nothing but obstruct our trysts... The count has already exceeded a hundred times this year alone. Even for "Gentle Me," I have reached the absolute limit of my patience. She is as meddlesome as she is powerful. If I waste time dealing with her, the precious time I have to dote on my child will only decrease... There must be some clever solution. A way to eliminate that interloper so I can shower my child with love to my heart's content...?)
Eden bit her lip in frustration as she thought of Kuromueina, the woman she considered her archenemy. Of course, while Eden viewed Kuromueina as nothing more than a nuisance, to her beloved child—Kaito—the woman was a savior.
(In the first place, how does that Half of God even keep track of our meetings? Ah, I see. The necklace my child wears. She has placed a device upon it. Then the solution is simple. I only need to nullify the detection of that necklace. Yes, that's it! Once that is done, I can dote on my child without being disturbed! Now that I have decided, I shall start immediately...)
Clapping her hands as if she had hit upon a brilliant plan, Eden left the void and headed for the otherworld—all to envelop Kaito in her maddening love.
Once again, in the silent void, Eden sat with her hand on her chin, deep in thought.
("I had a bad feeling, so I came to check"... Is that Half of God some kind of wild beast? I wish she would act with even a modicum of logical basis. Truly unreasonable... At any rate, she interfered with me again. It is utterly unforgivable.)
Eden, who had attempted to dote on Kaito by using Detection Nullification on the necklace, had been intercepted as usual by Kuromueina—who had sensed her through pure "wild instinct"—and had been forced to return without achieving her goal.
With a hateful expression, Eden bit her lip hard as she desperately racked her brain for a new strategy.
(...That's it. Why don't I simply eliminate that Half of God before I go to my child? Then I could dote on him without any worry of interference. Delaying my arrival at his side is regrettable, but it is all for the sake of securing quality time for parent and child... I shall launch a swift preemptive strike.)
Her next plan: if Kuromueina was going to interfere, she would defeat her beforehand so that she couldn't. Having devised this strategy, Eden vanished from the void once more and headed for the otherworld.
As per usual, it was all to dote on Kaito.
For the third time, the void. Having failed yet again, Eden sat with a look of intense frustration.
(I was careless... If I lose the fight, I cannot reach my child to begin with. That detestable Half of God... she has grown stronger again. It might be for the best to stop trying to eliminate her through brute force. Lately, it feels as though she has lost all hesitation; she has started using attacks powerful enough to cause the Annihilation of my Split Bodies... It is such a hassle to re-create a new Split Body that suits my child's tastes and send it to the otherworld—!?)
Just as her thoughts reached that point, a flash of inspiration struck Eden like a bolt of lightning.
(I see! There is that way! That world is her home turf; there is no need for me to bother dealing with her there. Yes, exactly. I should just bring my child here. To him, my world is the home of his heart... Calling him back for a "homecoming" is a perfectly natural act. No matter how strong that Half of God may be, she cannot easily cross the wall between worlds. And even if she did cross it, I can move my Main Body in this realm. If I can respond with my Main Body, I have no reason to fear a mere Half of God!)
Having hit upon the inverse idea—bringing Kaito to her instead of going to him—Eden spread her wings vigorously and began her preparations.
(First, I shall successfully have my child return home without the Half of God noticing. It will be easy. My child's relatives live in this world, after all. I can conjure any number of reasons, like having him visit them. Oh, yes... I shall prepare the most magnificent scenery for the occasion. Doting on my child while we gaze together upon the land where he was born and raised... Splendid. It might also be good to prepare footage of my child when he was young. Watching my child's growth alongside him... This is truly a mother's privilege! Hehehe, I am very, very much looking forward to this.)
With dark hearts swirling deep in her eyes and a mad smile on her face, Eden swung into action.
And then, as per usual, back in the void. This time, Eden sat deep in thought while her physical form was roughly half-missing.
(...Fusing with Shallow Vernal is cheating. Grrr, Shallow Vernal... So you were my enemy as well. More importantly, how dare you damage my Main Body to such an extent. Thanks to that, my regeneration still isn't finished...)
Eden's plan had actually started off well. She had successfully invited Kaito to her world and guided him into her special space.
However, the very moment she thought she was finally going to dote on him to her heart's content, Kuromueina—who had fused with Shallow Vernal to reach her Complete Form—smashed through the world barrier and launched an assault.
Naturally, Eden had fought back with her Main Body, but the strength of the completed Kuromueina was nothing short of abnormal. Even with her almighty power, Eden's Main Body had been brutally beaten.
Hit with a Regeneration Seal and an Ability Seal to a ridiculous degree, she was currently spending her time slowly recovering.
(I truly felt the threat of Annihilation this time. I shall consider this a forbidden move from now on. Well, putting that aside, I suppose I should begin thinking of the next method to dote on my child...)
True to form, Eden had not learned her lesson in the slightest. She immediately began plotting her next attempt to dote on Kaito.
While it was an absolute ordeal for Kaito, the target of this obsession, Eden would continue to try again and again, changing her methods and disguises to dote on him.
Eventually, Eden would reach the conclusion that "If I become my child's lover, I can dote on him openly," leading to even further hardships for Kaito and desperate struggles for Kuromueina... but that is a story for another time.
The day when Kaito would finally buckle and accept Eden into his life, albeit with strict conditions, was still far in the future.
Eden Maman's Evaluation of Others
Kaito: My beloved child. I want to spoil him. Kuromueina: Archenemy. She is strong, which makes her troublesome. She has been getting increasingly merciless lately. Shallow Vernal: She betrayed me. I feel like Caesar. Alice: She doesn't compare to my child, but I evaluate her enough to remember her name. Aoi and Hina: They aren't on Kaito's level, but there is no doubt they are also my children. "Rely on mother if you are ever in trouble." Noin: It’s complicated... I am currently troubled over whether I should value her body or her soul more. Other Otherworld Residents: Lumps of talking meat. Other Earth-born: Basically my children.
???: "From next time, we're back to the main story! Does everyone remember where we were? That's right—starting next chapter, it's the super-popular date arc with a special, beautiful girl! This is guaranteed to get everyone's excitement through the roof!!"