The air in the lavish study hummed with a tension thick enough to cut. Riku knelt, his face earnest, the golden ring with its fiery red gem held out as an offering. Think Nirvalen, legendary mage and leader of the elves, was utterly silent, her emerald eyes fixed on him, a maelstrom of thoughts churning behind their ancient depths.
Even Black March, a sentient weapon that had witnessed countless battles and betrayals, felt a flicker of surprise. 'So, Riku wants to team up with the elves on the pretense of love, or has he actually fallen for her?' the blade hummed within Riku's mind, a quiet inquiry. 'Come to think of it, I don't think any girl would decline him.'
But then, black March thought with concern. 'However, that tactic won't work on Think Nirvalen. She's the smartest of all elves. There's no way she would accept. After all, she already had a lover. Yes, she loved Nina Clive, who was also a girl.' The irony was almost palpable.
Think, meanwhile, was indeed grinding through the implications of Riku's confession. A subtle, internal grin began to form on her face, unseen by Riku. 'Oh, ghost, you're really so smart,' she thought, the words dripping with a condescending amusement. 'I actually considered you a threat for a moment, against whom even I was helpless. But now you gave this proposal. I don't know if you actually fell for me or not, but I can use you, and then, dump you like trash.' Her ancient mind, cold and calculating, had already charted a course of pure, ruthless exploitation.
Riku, completely oblivious to her internal machinations, was lost in his own triumphant thoughts. 'So, are you enjoying it?' he mentally gloated, directing his thoughts towards the System, or perhaps the 'fate' he was now so expertly manipulating. 'How was my plan? My grand plan of confession? You didn't expect it, right? Are you excited? Thrilled? Or... did you still not understand my plan?'
Think's voice broke the charged silence, calm and inquisitive. "What exactly would I have to do?"
Riku's smile widened, a confident, dazzling display. "All you have to do is say—'I accept'."
A flicker of suspicion, sharp and piercing, entered Think's eyes. "Ghost, are you trying to fool me?"
Riku shook his head slowly, his expression utterly sincere. "I have no reason to fool you. Why would I confess to someone, offering to reveal everything, if I didn't genuinely love you? This isn't a game for me anymore, Think. This is... destiny." He paused, his gaze deepening, a powerful earnestness radiating from him. "Soon, you'll understand my love. And you will love me back too."
A strange, disquieting thought passed through Black March's processing. 'Maybe Riku's mind wasn't working right. Or something may have played with his mind.' The weapon was not wrong. There was no way Think Nirvalen would genuinely love him back. Even if she accepted his "love," it would be just to use him, and she would undoubtedly throw him out as soon as she was done with him.
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken promises and hidden agendas. Think's emerald eyes scanned Riku's face, searching, probing, finding nothing but an earnest, overwhelming conviction. Her own internal calculus concluded. The risk was negligible. The potential gain, immense. The sheer audacity of his offer, the depth of his apparent "love," was a weapon she could wield.
A slow, deliberate smile touched Think Nirvalen's lips, beautiful and utterly devoid of genuine warmth.
Then, she uttered the two words Riku had gambled everything on.
"I accept."
The words, "I accept," hung in the air, a silent testament to Think Nirvalen's cold calculation. But the moment they left her lips, the opulent study was bathed in an ethereal glow.
A new notification, stark and undeniable, flashed in Riku's mind, distinct from the usual System prompts:
[Soul Transfer Taking Place]
A devilish smile spread across riku's face.
Light, blinding and pure, erupted from the golden ring, engulfing Think completely. "What is—" she began, her emerald eyes widening in shock, her hands instinctively moving to weave a spell. But before she could complete even a single incantation, the light solidified around her, pulling her inward with an irresistible force. In a blink, the space where the elf had knelt was empty. She was gone, absorbed into the radiant confines of the ring.
This wasn't just any ring. It was Braham's Ring, the artifact from Max Level Newbie, capable of trapping any non-human creature. The moment Think uttered "I accept," the condition for soul transfer had been perfectly met, fulfilling a binding, magical contract forged by her own words.
'welcome to your new home' riku thought.
From within the confines of Braham's Ring, Think's furious voice echoed, distorted but clear.
"What's happening! Get me out of here!!" She demanded.
Riku remained utterly unbothered, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touching his lips. Her anger was irrelevant.
However, his intricate play wasn't over. Nina Clive was still out there, lurking somewhere nearby, think's lover and subordinate who wouldn't let him simply walk away.
"Think," Riku said, his voice calm, directed at the ring on his finger, knowing Nina would likely be listening. "I am not truly your enemy. I need your help. After this, I promise I will safely return you to where you belong, and I will assist you. I could have forced your cooperation, yes, but that was never my preferred method." He needed Nina to believe he was harmless, to allow him to leave without a confrontation. If she chose to fight, Black March was ready, but Riku sought a peaceful resolution if possible.
He turned, taking a deliberate step towards the study's exit. Just as he reached the doorway, a figure emerged from behind a grand pillar, blocking his path. It was Nina Clive, her emerald eyes blazing with fierce determination, her hand already moving towards a prepared spell.
"Stop!" Nina's voice was sharp, resolute. "Think is incredibly important to me. I won't let you take her. I will fight you, even if it costs me my life!"