Unexpectedly, Ash's expression was not very surprised. He just held Sonia's hands tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to rub her into his body.
Sonia pursed her lips, her eyes misted, but her voice became more charming: "Okay? I'm willing to help you open a harem, not to mention Freya and the others, as well as Deda Rose, Qinna and other people related to you, you can enjoy them to your heart's content, even if the witches have objections, I will help you."
"You asked if it's okay, of course it's okay."
Ash said slowly:
"But if you ask if I dare, then of course I don't dare."
"I really do."
"I really don't dare either." Ash's voice was a little hoarse: "Why? We haven't seen each other for only eight days at most, why did you suddenly-"
"Because we've all died once."
Sonia grabbed Ash's back tightly with both hands, her fingers hooked like thorns, and refused to let go.
"You almost died in hell, and I almost died in heaven. The reason we can hug each other and feel each other's questions now is because we have received help from many people." She sniffed lightly and continued, "If it weren't for the help of Freya, I wouldn't be able to raise heaven in time; if it weren't for the witches' willingness to take risks, I wouldn't be able to unseal hell; if it weren't for the self-sacrifice of sister Death Maniac, you and I wouldn't be able to meet again."
"Why would they help you? Why would they help me?"
Sonia let out a long sigh, so deep that it seemed like an echo squeezed out from the wrinkles deep in her soul: "Because they love you."
"I used to believe that you only needed me, that the two of us could conquer the world and trample fate under our feet. No matter how many people you liked, they were just cannon fodder. I was your only destiny, so I always wanted to make you mine... But I was wrong."
"This battle between heaven and hell finally made me realize a fact -"
Sonia treated Ash's face with care, as if it were a work of art. She gently stroked Ash's cheek and said softly, "If you had only chosen me, we would have fallen by now. You don't just need me, you also need them... You need us."
"Love is not only a sentimental need for you, but also a necessity for survival. When Death Maniac and the others gave you the bond system, you were destined to embark on this path. A lone magician cannot defeat fate. Death Maniac has verified this truth countless times, so you must become the core that can connect us, gather everyone's strength to open up a new future..."
"You will have many lovers," she said in a very soft and low voice, as if telling him the biggest secret of the world: "I can only be one of them."
Ash's body trembled slightly, and he seemed to have lost his strength and leaned against Sonia. Now it was Sonia who smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, I'm really fine. After all, you didn't do this suddenly. You have been telling me that you want to have a harem since the beginning of the Faraway Space. You never gave me false hope. It was me who insisted for too long. It took me a whole year to accept this fact."
"Even if..."
"Um?"
"Even if that's true, why do you torture yourself like this?" Ash raised his head abruptly, his voice trembling slightly: "Why don't you lose your temper? Why do you force yourself? Why can't you be like before and not let me feel better when I'm sad?"
"Because it is necessary."
"How could there be such a need?"
"I can't help it. If your favorite person is a witch, I will definitely be jealous as always and try every means to win your favor. Because although witches also have possessiveness, in her heart, friendship and love are equally important. She won't have any objections to us being with you. If your favorite person is Yin Deng, it's even better. She only hopes that you can be happy with all her heart. She is even happy to see us being with you. If your favorite person is Vichy, that's also fine. Vichy is unexpectedly easy to please. No matter how you mess around with us, as long as you are sincere to her, she will forgive you and will never ruin the atmosphere of the team."
"If your favorite person is Freya, Shivlin, Annan, Tamashi... or even Felix!" Sonia took a deep breath and said softly: "Each of them will put the overall situation first and fulfill their responsibilities as queens to maintain your harem, so that I can continue to stick to myself, hold on to unrealistic fantasies and continue to struggle, like a demon concubine, trying every means to make you mine..."
"But the person you like most is me." Her voice was cheerful, but her ruby eyes were already tearful: "The person you prefer most is me, Sonia Servi!"
"Of course I can continue to lose my temper, continue to be jealous, and continue to torture you, and then you will always try every means to coax me, just like now you spent an afternoon just to cultivate beautiful flowers... Like a stupid couple, we keep quarreling and making up, torturing each other... But even if we don't drag the team into the quagmire, they will definitely feel resentment because of the injustice."
"You won't always have crises to divert internal conflicts," Sonia lowered her head, "and they won't always tolerate it."
Ash suddenly realized: "So you want me to treat everyone fairly..."
"Who makes me the most favored?" Sonia said with a smile, "So-called fairness means taking away too much and giving to those who don't have enough. The current situation is actually relatively easy to handle. When Freya and the others follow you and become angels, the number of people sharing will increase from four to eight, or even more. That will be the real challenge."
"But don't worry," she sniffed softly, "I will help you manage them... This is my responsibility as the "Queen."
Ash shook his head, "But—"
"No buts. You are the great Supreme of Magic, and I am the Six-Winged Divine Lord. We both have more important things to do." Sonia said, "We should use our precious afternoon on something more meaningful."
"But I didn't struggle until now just to live a meaningful life... I just wanted to do a lot of meaningless things with you to crawl out of hell!" Ash grabbed her shoulders and said excitedly, "Today is the first time I give you flowers. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, we will waste a lot of time experiencing different firsts... We have already agreed on this."
"Do you still remember the agreement?" Sonia rubbed her eyes and smiled: "Your first time is mine."
"Of course, didn't I say I never forgot you for a moment?"
"But it might be better if you could forget our past," the red-haired sword girl said with a gentle expression and an ethereal voice, "I am no longer bound by the past, but you still can't let go of the willful me."
"Because I am still so willful," Ash said stubbornly, "I will not accept a flawed ending."
"Yash," Sonia smiled and hugged him, "Before I met you, I was a vulgar, vain country girl who fantasized about solving all problems through marriage and whose life was as thin as paper."
"It was you who turned me into a magician's manual for the Six-Winged Lord. You have given me so much, and you have proved your love countless times."
“Now it’s my turn,” she said. “I’ve been willful for too long… I can’t keep doing this.”
"Let me have your back, okay?"
Ash remained silent, just kept shaking his head.
"Don't think it's a bad thing. This is actually a relief for me." Sonia buried herself in his arms, as intimate as if she was acting coquettishly: "I'm tired."
"I have been working hard since you left the Kingdom of Stars. From campus dating, to Senluo travel, to the Six-Wing Trial, not to mention that Sister Death Crazy has been helping me. She made you lose the memories of the witches and created opportunities for me as much as possible..."
"But I still can't make you devoted to me." Sonia knocked on Ash's head: "You are too stubborn, you fat bastard."
"Now that we have settled down, our relationship has improved. By the way, except for you and me who can completely share the virtual wings, the witches are still lacking a little bit and can't successfully borrow your supreme virtual wings. So even for their safety, you have to continue to improve your relationship with them in the next few days..."
"Look," she tilted her head and spread her hands, "Even if I'm kidding myself, I can't find any possibility of breaking you up."
"I really want to give up. I'm really tired."
"Since I failed to make you mine," Sonia's expression was gentle, her eyes full of love, but her hands were like a drowning person grabbing a lifebuoy, tightly grasping Ash's arm: "Then let me become yours."