♤Draft♤
"Free gift…?"
Hermay, is this another freebie… from you?
[ Nope ]
"Hm…" A faint hum slipped past Harmonia's lips, her curiosity sharpening. "Then who gave this free gift?"
[ Dear~ How should I know? ]
Harmonia heard the exact same reply—Hermay's usual response whenever the answer was beyond her knowledge. She already knew that pressing further would be pointless. If she asked again, Hermay would only echo the same line, unchanged and unhelpful.
So instead, she shifted the question.
"Hermay… can I open this gift?"
[ Of course, dear. It's yours, after all. Do you accept the gift? ]
"Yes." Harmonia answered without hesitation, her curiosity swelling, brimming, almost spilling over.
[ Analyzing… ]
[ Oh~ dear, it seems someone truly gifted you something valuable~ ]
"Really? Was it food again…? What is it, Hermay?"
[ Dear~ this time, it isn't food. It's something far better than food. ]
"Something… better than food?"
[ Yup. Congratulations, you have received— drum roll…
☆ Ding— an unnamed Zanpakutō! ]
"U–unnamed Z–Zanpakutō…? What is that, Hermay…?"
[ Dear~ a Zanpakutō is like that black blade, Shusui, that you received. ]
"What?! That cool blade? So this Zanpakutō is another cool weapon…? Wow… I want to see it."
[ Fufufu~ you're getting excited already, dear~ did you know that this unnamed Zanpakutō you've received possesses the ability to permanently copy another Zanpakutō? ]
"Huh…? I don't get it, Hermay…"
"Copy… another Zanpakutō?"
[ Yup. Imagine a Zanpakutō as a powerful, exquisite, or the cool blade—and what you've received is an unnamed weapon capable of permanently replicating another such blade. ]
"Wow… that unnamed blade can really do that? But Hermay… where will I even find another cool blade to copy?"
[ Dear~ well, you'll need to search for one. ]
"Yeah… let's do that… searching…"
[ And—not just that. Within your gift pack, you've also received another gift. ]
"What… another gift?" Her voice softened into a curious murmur. "I wonder where all these gifts are coming from…"
"Hermay… what is it?" Harmonia asked again, her curiosity clearly piqued—tinged with a subtle eagerness, her thoughts lingering not only on the gift itself, but on the unknown sender behind it.
[ Yup, another gift… and this time, it looks truly remarkable… (drum rolls 🥁)
Congratulations, you have received— ☆ Ding——Hōgyoku!!!! ]
"H–Hō-oh-go-yoku…?" Harmonia stuttered, the unfamiliar word rolling awkwardly off her tongue. "Hermay… what is that?"
She asked while slowly pushing herself up from her resting position. Her body rose with careful, measured movement—still sensitive, still adjusting—as a lingering trace of pleasure quietly pulsed through her lower half, something she had yet to fully shake off.
[ Dear~ I only have limited information about it. But this Hōgyoku possesses the ability to manifest the deepest desires within one's heart. ]
"Manifest… desire?" She murmured, brows knitting slightly as she tried to grasp it. "Like… a wish coming true?"
Her curiosity deepened, her voice soft but edged with anticipation.
"…Can I see it, Hermay?"
[ Of course. ]
A sudden distortion warped the space before Harmonia—no, more than that, the very fabric of reality fractured right in front of her. It wasn't a subtle ripple but a sharp, violent crack, like glass shattering in midair. The air itself split apart, forming jagged lines that spread outward from a single point, as though an unseen surface had been struck with immense force.
It looked like an invisible wall had always been there—hidden, intangible—until now. A transparent boundary separating her vision from something beyond. And that boundary was breaking.
Thin fissures multiplied, stretching and branching, carving across the unseen surface. Then, at the center, a small opening formed—no larger than her palm. The cracks widened, deepened, crawling outward as if something on the other side was forcing its way through.
The shards did not fall.
Instead, the fractured pieces of space lifted upward, drifting against gravity. They dissolved as they rose, breaking apart into countless translucent fragments that shimmered faintly before disintegrating into nothingness, vanishing into the air as though they had never existed.
The hole expanded.
And when it finally opened—
She saw it.
Beyond the fracture was nothing but void. A vast, empty darkness, swirling and rippling as though it were alive, folding into itself in slow, endless motion. It wasn't still—it breathed, shifted, churned in silent currents.
Yet her gaze wasn't drawn to the void itself.
It locked onto the object suspended at its center.
A clear, crystallized sphere hovered there, perfectly formed, its surface smooth and glasslike. Encased within it was a smaller orb—glowing faintly in hues of bluish-purple, pulsing with a quiet, unnatural light.
Harmonia's crimson eyes fixed onto the Hōgyoku, her gaze unblinking as she tried to decipher what truly lay before her. To her, it resembled nothing more than an accessory—a refined ornament, perhaps a gemstone of unusual clarity and allure.
Slowly, she lifted her slender right hand, her movements cautious, deliberate. She reached toward the fractured space, and her fingers were the first to breach it. The moment they passed through, she felt it—like brushing against the surface of water. A subtle resistance, soft yet tangible, rippling faintly against her skin as her fingers sank deeper into the void.
She didn't stop.
Her hand moved further in, the sensation enveloping her fingers as if the emptiness itself had texture. Then, gently, she pressed three fingers against the Hōgyoku.
The instant she made contact—
A warmth pulsed through it.
Soft. Steady. Alive.
It throbbed faintly beneath her touch, sending a quiet, rhythmic heat into her fingertips. Without hesitation, she wrapped her fingers around it, gripping the smooth, crystallized sphere, and began to pull.
Slowly… steadily…
She drew it out from the void.
And the moment it left—
The fracture began to mend.
The scattered cracks that once spread violently across the invisible boundary started to contract, pulling inward as though guided by an unseen force. The drifting shards reversed their motion, descending this time, reforming as they aligned themselves back into place.
Piece by piece, the space stitched itself together.
The jagged edges fused, the fissures sealed, and the opening shrank until nothing remained. The distortion faded, the invisible wall dissolving entirely, leaving no trace behind—not even a ripple.
It was as if it had never existed.
No crack. No void. No boundary.
Nothing.
Harmonia stood there, the Hōgyoku now resting in her grasp, as she watched reality return to its undisturbed state.
A single word slipped past her lips, quiet yet filled with awe.
"Cool…" 🫢
Then her crimson eyes lowered to the small gem resting delicately between her index, middle, and ring fingers. The sphere was clear, pristine—but the orb within it moved, shifting faintly. It pulsed.
She could feel it.
A steady, living rhythm—like a heartbeat.
As if the gem itself was alive.
"Hello… little Hugky~"
Then—
Badump—
The pulse grew stronger.
Clearer. Heavier.
It echoed against her fingertips, a firm, deliberate beat that sent a subtle tremor through her hand. And somehow—she felt it. Not just the motion, not just the warmth—
But a response.
"…Wow… Hugky just answered." Her voice softened, touched with quiet amazement. "Hermay… did you feel it too?"
[ Yup. Hugky has a will of its own. ]
"A will… of its own?" Harmonia murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the Hōgyoku more closely.
"Amazing…"
Her gaze lingered on it, intent, fascinated—yet the meaning behind those words didn't fully settle in her mind. She didn't truly understand what that "will" implied.
But she accepted it anyway.
"So little Hugky can make wishes come true…? Is that correct, Hermay?"
[ Well, yes—but it's closer to a subconscious desire manifestor rather than something that grants wishes outright. It can sense the hearts of those around it. But this Hugky feels… different. If you want, I can analyze it. ]
"Hm… so no wishing for food?" Harmonia asked, lifting the Hōgyoku toward her soft, pinkish lips. She pressed a gentle kiss against the tiny orb resting between her fingers.
[ No, dear~ it doesn't work that way. ]
"I understand," Harmonia replied softly. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Hermay… can I place this Hugky in my bag? I don't want to lose it."
She had received it as a gift—from someone unknown—and naturally, she needed to take care of it. In her mind, it was something precious, perhaps a keepsake. She didn't think too deeply about it. At the very beginning, she had only considered one thing—that this Hugky might somehow give her food—and that simple thought had lingered with her the entire time.
The moment she voiced her intention to store it, Hermay acted.
The Hōgyoku resting on her fingers dissolved, breaking apart into fine white particles before vanishing completely from her grasp.
Then Hermay's voice followed.
[ All done. Hugky has been stored in the private inventory. ]
"Thank you," Harmonia said.
Her gaze shifted back to the system panel once more. A new entry had appeared within the inventory.
• INVENTORY
◇ Money: 586 ¥
♤ Unnamed Zanpakutō
♧ Hōgyoku
The newly acquired rewards were stored within the system. Harmonia gave a small nod at that, acknowledging it.
"A cool blade… and Hugky…" she murmured under her breath, her voice laced with quiet fascination at the gifts someone had given her.
But it wasn't over.
[ Dear, you still have one more gift—and the reward for successfully synthesizing the Bleach source, a freebie, and today's reward. ]
"What… so many rewards?" Harmonia blinked, momentarily stunned. "One gift and two more rewards…? Is this my lucky day?"
She muttered it to herself, still trying to process everything. After all, this was the first time she had received five consecutive rewards all at once.
[ Dear~ what would you like to open first? The gift… or the rewards? ]
"Um…" She hesitated briefly, then answered, "Can I open the rewards first…?" Her tone carried an unmistakable hint of curiosity, anticipation quietly building.
[ No problem… so your reward for today (Bleach) is—
Congratulations, you have received… (drum rolls 🥁)… a Sōkyoku!!!! ]
"So–o–kyoku…?" Harmonia tilted her head, the unfamiliar term rolling uncertainly from her lips as she tried to grasp it.
[ Yup, a Sōkyoku—or Twinned Punishment. It's a naginata… another cool blade. ]
"Another cool blade… Can I see this one first, Hermay?"
[ Dear~ that would be a bad idea. This Sōkyoku is far too large to fit inside this room—it would most likely punch a hole straight through your ceiling. ]
"That big…?" Harmonia murmured, her gaze instinctively lifting toward the ceiling above her. She studied it for a moment before nodding slightly. "Yeah… that would definitely be a bad idea…"
Then Hermay's voice echoed again.
[ Dear~ don't worry. I'll adjust this one for you, so you can wield it easily—and you'll also be able to alter its size whenever you wish. ]
"Wow… you can do that? You're really amazing, Hermay…"
[ Not just that, dear~ if you want, I can also fuse the power of the Candy-Candy Fruit into this very blade. ]
"Fuse it…? Like mixing the two together?" Harmonia asked, her interest sharpening, clearly intrigued by the idea of combining abilities. "How?"
[ Well, it still depends on you if you want to do it. Fusing it is as simple as one plus one. So, dear… do you want to fuse it? ]
"Hm…" Harmonia tilted her head, visibly confused. "I don't really understand it… but—nope! Not my candy!"
She shook her head firmly, a decisive refusal. Whatever Hermay was suggesting, she wasn't going to risk her precious candy for it.
[ Well, I wouldn't want to see a fire phoenix turned into candy either. Fufufu~ ]
Harmonia raised a brow, repeating the unfamiliar phrase under her breath.
"Pho-o-enix-nis… to candy…?" She paused, then asked, "Hermay… what is a pho-oh-enix?"
[ Dear~ it's a large bird. And this Sōkyoku—this very blade—can transform into a massive fire bird. ]
Harmonia froze, clearly stunned by the explanation.
"A… blade that turns into a fire bird?" she echoed, her mind struggling to grasp the concept. The idea felt foreign, almost unreal.
[ Dear~ no need to overthink it. You know how you can create candy from your body, right? ]
Harmonia nodded. "Yup."
[ It's similar to that—just with the blade as its form. It possesses the ability to transform into a blazing fire bird at will. ]
"Oh… I understand now!" Harmonia said, nodding with a small spark of realization. "So this So-kyu-yo-ku can become a big fire bird…"
[ Yup. And if we were to fuse it with the Candy-Candy ability, that great fiery bird would surely become something… truly interesting. ]
Harmonia's mind wandered at that—imagining a massive bird engulfed in flames, its entire body composed of soft, pink candy.
"Puf~" A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as the image played in her head—the bird melting into its own candy body, dripping and reforming in a surreal, whimsical way.
[ How cute~ ]
Hermay murmured, watching Harmonia closely as she tried to hold back her laughter.
♤AM N. NOT.♤(っ－＿－)っ