Side Story. Same old rules—glimpses of the future after the finale, official spoilers galore. Timeline’s around Volume 24.

—He/He—

As Mysterious logged in, teleportation glows flickered around him. One by one, his Followers materialized.

"Brother." Qiyuan was the first to approach, her excitement palpable. Her black tail swished rapidly behind her, deliberately drawing attention.

Mysterious suspected Isabella had whispered something to her earlier.

Sure enough, the moment his gaze landed on her, Qiyuan spread her arms wide. "According to the rules set in ancient times," she declared, "today is a day for children to celebrate... So, may I replenish Brother’s energy?"

"Replenishing energy" was just her roundabout way of asking for a hug.

Cursed by misfortune, Qiyuan had grown cautious around rewards or gifts—ordinary things others took for granted were rare treasures to her. Even a simple embrace or a small bag of exotic snacks meant the world. She’d only ask on special occasions, or when she felt she’d truly earned it.

She’d even learned to ask formally first.

"...Of course." Mysterious had tried correcting her timid habits before, but with little success. He let it be.

Qiyuan’s eyes instantly lit up. She claimed her hug with satisfaction, then accepted a bag of cookies. Her tail perked up, radiating pure joy.

"..." Jiyue watched nearby, eyes wide and fixed on the scene. Her expression screamed *I want one too*.

"Jiyue? Do you want one as well?" Mysterious hadn’t missed her longing look.

"Y—No!" Her little foot was already lifting, but she forced it down. She wasn’t a child anymore. She needed Nameless to see her as an adult. Only then could she...

"Really?" Mysterious pressed gently.

Qiyuan’s ritualistic request had imbued even a simple hug with unexpected weight.

"..." Jiyue hesitated, torn between childish desire and adult pride.

Before she could decide, a pink blur shot past like a streak—crashing straight into Mysterious’s arms.

"Mama~!" Jasmine, the most affectionate of them all, clung to him. Unlike the others who held back, she always launched herself at him full-force. Compared to her, Qiyuan seemed almost reserved.

(Though with Qiyuan’s horns and headband, such a tackle might’ve impaled him.)

Jasmine’s reckless dive, however, ruffled feathers—or rather, scales.

"...Ji!"

Amethyst, who usually nested inside Mysterious’s clothes, sensed Jasmine’s approach and vanished into the Void just in time. It reappeared after the collision, letting out a disgruntled chirp at Jasmine’s near-crushing assault.

Despite years together, Amethyst still avoided mingling with other Followers. It preferred curling up with Mysterious or forming its own little Void clique with Roz.

Roz, easily bribed with snacks and blissfully dim-witted, made a terribly unreliable partner.

*Life’s tough*, Amethyst sighed inwardly.

But Jasmine wasn’t its only rival for attention.

"Master... I’d like a hug too..." Victoria edged closer, drawn by the *ritualistic* embraces the little ones received. Even adults wanted in.

"..." Seeing Victoria—the epitome of adulthood—join in, Jiyue panicked. She shuffled nearer too.

Angels and Dark Fiends centuries old, and one ancient being whose age hit six digits, wisely stayed out. But the crowd around Mysterious was already swelling.

Amethyst made a tactical retreat.

"Ji ji!" It called for its sidekick before fleeing.

But Roz’s attention was locked on Qiyuan’s cookies. The summons barely registered.

Amethyst tore open a Void Gate and slipped through.

"Going out?" Mysterious’s voice cut through the chatter. Only his head was visible above the sea of Followers.

"Ji."

"Be safe."

"Ji ji."

Before vanishing, Amethyst shot Roz one last look. The Void Lord had already squeezed beside Mysterious, clutching a half-eaten cookie. Her tongue darted out to lick crumbs from her lips—clearly craving more.

Amethyst wanted to shake its head. *No neck. Can’t do it.* It remembered: this airhead might be clueless, but she’d lived over a thousand years. Hardly a child.

*Disgraceful.*

Amethyst vanished into the Void, already plotting its destination.

Soon after, a speck no bigger than a pebble appeared in the Void Colosseum.

Amethyst unfolded its wing cases, releasing its Amethyst Bugs. Though its own form had grown vastly stronger since birth, the bugs remained unchanged. They swarmed around it, linking their magic into a single, shimmering entity. Only then did Amethyst march forward, tiny but mighty.

After a search, it found its target: Churutuha.

"Hm? Lady Amethyst? What brings you here?" Churutuha blinked in surprise at the armored insect. He peered behind it, then emitted a series of clicks to contact his mate.

"Ji ji, ji." *I came alone.*

"...I see." Churutuha nodded. He’d been scanning for Nameless. "Master Nameless isn’t with you... Is there something you need?"

"Ji, ji, ji ji ji ji ji ji ji, ji, ji..."

Amethyst wanted to know how to become human.

Most of Mysterious’s Followers—though non-human—could shift into human forms. Even that walking metal fortress usually walked as a person. Amethyst had never cared before. After all, burrowing into Mysterious’s clothes was its exclusive privilege; not even Victoria could claim that. But the physical gap made intimacy awkward. It wanted to nuzzle him freely, not struggle with this cumbersome body.

"Becoming human..." Churutuha stroked his chin. "For your own use? I know a method. Void Creatures only."

"Ji?" *What is it?*

"At—I can have my mate take you."

"Ji ji? Ji ji ji." *How long? Can’t be too long.*

"If all goes smoothly, we’ll be done by noon."

Churutuha’s method allowed shifting back and forth. But few Void Creatures wanted it. Human form was practical for tools, disastrous in battle. Evolution had weeded out most who tried: they either died out or got captured by Adventurers. Human-shaped Void Creatures were near-mythical.

Amethyst had no such worries.

"Ji!" *Let’s go!*

A mature Follower—and Roz’s boss—knew how to handle its own quests.

"..."

That afternoon, guided by the master-servant bond, a little girl in a violet dress walked into Moonfall City. She headed straight for a certain house.

In the courtyard, Mysterious was still surrounded by Followers—same scene as when Amethyst left, just a new location.

Though one thing had changed.

"...May I... also have one?" Nianyu stepped forward. After careful analysis, she’d decided to mimic their behavior. She craved closeness with Mysterious too. But guilt still coiled in her chest, keeping her usually hidden in the shadows.

"You may." Mysterious had never blamed her. Mistakes were part of growing up.

Though Nianyu could shift forms—and her true body was a massive mechanical dragon—by activation date, she was barely years old. She belonged here.

Nanming, barely a year older, felt similarly conflicted. She carried a predecessor’s memories... and had curves no child should possess. Posing as little as Amethyst felt absurd.

"I deserve a hug too!" Isabella joined the fray, utterly un-princess-like for the Second Era.

"Are *you* a child?" Mysterious was the only one who questioned her. Even Uniel hadn’t faced this.

"Of course I am!" Isabella bristled at the age doubt. "I’m younger than Susu! How am *I* not a child?"

She meant her creation date. By that logic, Primordial Ancestor would have to call Mysterious "brother." The thought was bizarre.

Mysterious had no answer.

What *was* a child? One young in years like Isabella? Or one young at heart like Qiyuan?

"I have a compromise," Isabella announced. "Not now. Save the hug for tonight—bedtime for little ones. That should work, right?"

"*That’s* what you wanted."

"Ehehe~"

"..."

Amethyst watched from the wall. Only when Mysterious looked up did it flip over and approach.

"Huh? Amethyst?" The Followers stared, stunned by the little girl.

Amethyst didn’t answer. She walked straight to Mysterious. From beneath her elegant shawl, Amethyst Bugs poured out, forming a protective ring around her. She’d gained a human shape—but her bugs remained unchanged.

Mysterious’s gaze flicked to her shawl. He wasn’t the only one thinking those bugs had crawled *up* from under her skirt.

Amethyst stopped before him. Then, before the stunned Followers, she locked onto Mysterious and activated a skill—yanking them both into a private space.

"What’s wrong?" Mysterious reached out, stroking her neck—a body part her original form lacked. She always loved this.

"Ji."

Important note: Human-shaped Amethyst *could* speak. This chirp was deliberate.

Whether his question was about her actions, her new form, or something else—no longer mattered.

Amethyst felt she should celebrate Mother’s Day. Taking care of her own little ones and silly Roz was quite troublesome… especially Roz, who was far more troublesome than her own kids.

But whether in physical form or actual age, Amethyst was still very young… a mom only this tall.

So sometimes, she just wanted to act spoiled.

After answering Mysterious’s question with a completely meaningless “cry,” she grabbed his clothes, yanked them apart, and buried her head inside.

This was her safest home, but like this, she clearly couldn’t squeeze in.

After a moment of nuzzling, Amethyst transformed back into that tiny Amethyst bug. She landed inside Mysterious’s clothes, fumbling with her little claws to pull the fabric over herself.

The adorable gesture made Mysterious want to laugh, but he held it back and simply smoothed his clothes back on.

Once the skill ended, Mysterious returned to his courtyard.

Watching Nanming still hesitate, Mysterious spoke up.

“Nanming, coming?”

After all, who isn’t a child at heart?