The next evening, the Toujou men arrived in formal suits, carrying gifts. Mio and Maria greeted them and led them to the dining room. To keep the atmosphere intimate, Ethan had cleared the house of the other girls, leaving only himself, Mio, Maria, and Sophia.
Sophia sat to Ethan's left, her hand trembling. Ethan reached under the table and squeezed her soft, slender hand. "Relax. Basara is a good kid. Jin raised him well."
"Mm..." Under his touch, Sophia calmed down—until the men walked in. Then she panicked. She was wearing her usual skimpy Valkyrie armor. "Oh no... I forgot to change into a dress. First impressions are everything!"
Ethan laughed. "Basara, it's just dinner at my place. Why the suits?"
Basara immediately threw his father under the bus. "I told him it was weird, but Dad insisted we had to 'make a good impression.'"
Jin coughed, rubbing Basara's spiky hair. "Sophia... it's been a long time. It's not about the clothes; it's about respect."
"Yes. Long time no see," Sophia replied curtly, her eyes locked on Basara. Seeing that he didn't look at her with disgust or resentment, she finally let out a breath.
Dinner began in an awkward silence. Jin tried to make small talk, but Sophia ignored him entirely. It was Maria and Mio who finally broke the ice, their cheerful banter allowing Basara and Sophia to start a real conversation.
As the meal ended, Sophia finally looked at Basara. "Basara... I'm sorry. For all those years... for not being there."
Basara scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "It's okay. It's in the past. I know you and... Mom (Raphaeline) had your reasons. You were victims, too."
He was so understanding that Sophia's eyes welled with tears. She reached out and materialized a gift—a beautiful, pitch-black katana crafted from rare Demon Realm ore. It was her own blade from her youth.
"I don't have much, but... please take this."
Basara looked at the slender, elegant blade. He was used to the heavy, wide blade of Brynhildr. "Thank you, Mom... but I have my sword. This would be wasted on me." He summoned Brynhildr, the silver Greatsword humming with Demon King-level power.
Sophia wasn't offended; she was proud. They spent the next hour talking about his childhood. Finally, she asked the question that had been haunting her: "Basara... do you want me to be your mother?"
"Clear that up, Sophia," Ethan interrupted, "before someone gets the wrong idea."
Sophia glanced at Jin and hurried to add: "I mean, I want to fulfill my duties as a mother. I don't mean I'm getting back together with that guy."
Jin, a sharp old fox, had already noticed the sparks between Ethan and Sophia. He felt a pang of loss, followed by an intense urge to watch the drama unfold. "Don't mind me. Basara is almost an adult. I'll probably be away from home most of the year anyway."
"As if you were ever home before," Basara rolled his eyes. He turned to Sophia. "Sophia-mom... I'm nearly an adult. I'm happy to know you, but I'm independent now. We don't need to force a 'traditional' household."
Sophia sighed. It was the truth. She had missed the chance to raise him, and she didn't even know how to cook or do laundry. But the bond was acknowledged. They were family now.
"Alright," Ethan said, steering the conversation. "Let's talk about rescuing Raphaeline."
The mood shifted. Raphaeline was the final piece of the puzzle. But Jin Toujou, wanting to see Ethan squirm, threw a wrench in the gears. "The rescue can wait until after the school holidays. But before that... Ethan, shouldn't you explain your relationship with Sophia?"
The room went silent. Sophia jumped, her hand flying away from Ethan's under the table as she scooted her chair back. Her face turned bright red.
Ethan didn't flinch. He hadn't planned on keeping it a secret forever. "I'm pursuing Sophia, and she's close to saying yes."
Ignoring Sophia's warning glare, Ethan reached out and pulled her by the waist. When he tried to lean in for a kiss, she shoved his face away with a palm, her face crimson. Basara's eyes went wide. He knew Ethan was a womanizer, but his own mother?
Basara's vision went dark. His best friend's handsome face suddenly looked very punchable. He didn't care if he could win; he needed to hit something.
BOOM!
Brynhildr flashed, and a massive crescent of green mana tore through the room toward Ethan. The expensive solid wood dining table was sliced in half. Sophia, Jin, and the girls leaped back as Ethan took the hit head-on.
Ethan didn't fight back. He knew he deserved this, and he couldn't exactly beat his best friend to a pulp in front of his new mother.
"URGH!"
The battle lasted fifteen minutes. The luxury living room was reduced to rubble. If Sophia hadn't maintained a barrier, the entire neighborhood would have been leveled. Ethan stood in the dust, his clothes torn and face covered in soot, watching Basara sheath his sword and walk away without a word.
"Hey!" Ethan coughed. "That's it! No more bringing this up in the future!"
Basara didn't look back. He realized now that Ethan wouldn't stop until he had every beautiful goddess in the world. He realized Raphaeline was probably next on Ethan's list—no wonder he was so eager for the rescue!
Ethan shouted after him, "I'm serious! Next time you swing at me, I'm hitting back!"
Basara's veins popped on his forehead. He decided right then: he was going to train harder than ever, if only to give Ethan a proper thrashing one day.
That night, Ethan stayed in the room shared by Sophia and Lihara. Under Lihara's playful provocation, Ethan couldn't help himself. He began "cultivating" right in front of Sophia.
At first, he was worried she'd be angry. But Sophia just watched silently. When Lihara reached her peak, Sophia stood up, dispelled her armor, and pressed her naked, warm body against Ethan's back.
Ethan turned, his "dragon" throbbing with excitement. He embraced her, feeling her smooth, tight skin against his. "Sophia... you're not mad?"
She gave him a sultry, sidelong glance. "I was never mad... just embarrassed."
The fight with Basara had actually helped. Since Basara didn't disown her, she felt the final barrier had crumbled. She was a Valkyrie, a woman of action. She wrapped her long, silky legs around his waist and pulled him in.
"Don't talk," she whispered into his ear. "Just show me what all the fuss is about."