Zumi stood in the center of the living room, his new divine human form radiating quiet, controlled authority. His golden eyes glowed faintly, his suit shimmering with hints of heat and shadow.
The girls stood frozen for several seconds— then Bia swallowed hard and stepped forward first.
⭐ Bia — Goddess of Force
She placed her hand on his chest.
Instantly, her muscles tightened, like her strength had doubled just by touching him.
Her breath hitched.
"…Zumi… your aura feels like a mountain. A golden mountain sitting on top of a star."
Zumi gave a low, husky chuckle.
"You always were good at metaphors."
Her entire body warmed. She stepped back, face flushed and glowing.
⭐ Serafina — Supreme Goddess of Darkness
Serafina circled him like a panther, examining every inch of his new form.
Then she reached out and slid a single finger along his jawline.
Her shadows trembled.
"…Your presence bends darkness itself… Zumi, this is—"
His voice dropped, smooth and deep:
"Does it scare you?"
A slow smirk spread across her lips.
"No. It excites me."
She stepped back before she lost control.
⭐ Leafa — Supreme Goddess of Nature
Leafa approached shyly, placing a hand on his arm.
A soft breeze filled the room—flowers bloomed in the air like tiny emerald lights.
Her eyes widened.
"Your aura… it harmonizes with mine. It feels like nature is bowing to you."
Zumi brushed a strand of green hair behind her ear.
"As long as you're by my side, Nature will always welcome me."
Her whole face blushed pink.
⭐ Hina — Greater Goddess of Shadow Flame
Hina crept closer hesitantly.
She touched his hand— then immediately pulled back, overwhelmed.
"Th-That's… too much power…"
Zumi gently took her hand again and squeezed.
"You're safe. Always."
Hina melted on the spot.
⭐ Gia
Gia approached like she always did—confident.
But the moment her palm touched his shoulder, her eyes widened sharply.
"…What the hell—? Your aura feels like an eclipse wrapped in fire."
Zumi raised an eyebrow.
"Is that your professional opinion?"
She laughed—nervously, which was rare.
"I take it back. That aura is illegal."
⭐ Kasumi
Kasumi walked up quietly, her hand trembling slightly before she pressed it to his chest.
She inhaled sharply.
"My blade… it just knelt. Inside me."
Zumi leaned closer, his new voice warm:
"Good. Your sword recognizes its lord."
She nearly fainted.
⭐ Jasmine
Jasmine touched him with the gentlest fingertips.
She froze.
"…You feel… warm. Safe. Like someone I could sleep beside and not worry about anything."
Zumi smiled softly.
"You already do."
Her cheeks lit up.
⭐ Kathy
Kathy touched his shoulder— and instantly stepped back, eyes wide.
"That is the energy of a battlefield conqueror… I feel like saluting you."
Zumi gave her a calm nod.
"Your instincts are sharp. Never lose that."
Her heart flipped.
⭐ Catherine
She stood before him last.
Strong. Fierce. But trembling.
She reached out—both hands—and placed them on his chest.
Nothing could have prepared her.
Her breath hitched. Her knees weakened.
Her tattoos vibrated with power.
"…Zumi… you look— you feel—like the man I always dreamed existed."
He gently lifted her chin.
"I'm still yours. No matter how much power I gain."
Catherine melted into him, forehead resting on his chest.
They crowded around him— touching his arms, shoulders, chest, back.
Not lustful.
Not desperate.
But reverent. Loving. Bonded.
A circle of devotion around their transformed king.
Zumi closed his eyes, feeling each heartbeat around him.
His voice, low and divine:
"All of you… You're my strength."
Some girls teared up.
Some smiled.
Some pressed closer.
But every single one of them felt the bond tighten.
A promise made without words.
Zumi pulled out his phone.
The girls fell silent instantly.
He called Jonathan.
Ring… ring…
"Hello?"
Zumi spoke:
"Jonathan."
His new voice poured through the phone like a divine bassline.
Jonathan froze.
"...Zumi…? Is that really you?"
"It's me."
"Your voice—what happened??"
"I'll explain later. For now, I'm sending you new photos. Replace every ID I have before the day ends. I want full integration in 24 hours."
Jonathan swallowed audibly.
"Yes, sir. Send the files."
Zumi handed her the phone.
"Take them exactly how IDs require."
Gia nodded, recovering from her shock.
Zumi remained perfectly still while Gia worked, her camera capturing everything Jonathan would need: his face from every angle, his expression carefully neutral, his full divine form against various backgrounds. With each click of the shutter, his new identity became more official, more real. When she finished, Gia transmitted the complete portfolio to Jonathan with a single tap.
Jonathan texted back:
"Received. Understood. The world will know this face by tonight."
As the girls finished admiring him and drifted into excited chatter around the room, Zumi suddenly felt a soft pulse against his mind.
A familiar warmth.
A voice only he could hear.
Celestia.
Her tone was calm, gentle, yet carrying that infinite authority of a system goddess:
"Zumi… prepare yourself.
The next stage of your evolution will not be gentle."
Zumi's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Another transformation?"
A soothing hum rolled through his mind.
"Yes. But unlike today's awakening…
the second stage will only trigger at a pivotal moment in battle.
Only when your back is against the wall, when defeat seems inevitable,
will the Monkey King's deeper divinity erupt."
Zumi exhaled slowly, letting the words sink in.
Celestia continued:
"It will be a moment of crisis…
but also your greatest breakthrough."
Her voice softened—something rare for her.
"Until then…
Enjoy your life.
Enjoy your new form.
Enjoy your women.
Your Heaven is forming, your destiny unfolding, and your power… rising."
Then a golden crest formed before his inner vision—
a divine insignia of swirling flames, shadows, and mischief.
Celestia declared:
🔱 NEW TITLE ACQUIRED
ALPHA GOD OF THE TRICKSTER
Zumi blinked once.
Celestia elaborated:
"This title embodies your origin as Sun Wukong,
your ascendant divinity,
and your role as the cunning, unpredictable ruler of Elysium.
Trickster does not mean clown…
It means untouchable.
Unpredictable.
A god whose strategies cannot be read,
whose plans cannot be stopped,
and whose enemies will never see the final strike coming."
A new aura pulsed inside his chest—
light and shadow twisting around one another
like two serpents worshiping a king.
It did not change his physical appearance…
But the girls—every single one of them—
stopped talking at once.
A ripple of instinct ran through them.
Bia whispered:
"…Zumi… did something just happen…?"
Zumi smirked, the corner of his lips lifting with calm, dangerous amusement.
His new voice, smooth and divine:
"Nothing to worry about…
Just another upgrade."
Their hearts skipped.
Catherine actually shivered.
Serafina smirked knowingly.
Leafa blushed.
Gia's knees nearly gave out.
Hina hid behind Serafina, flustered.
Kasumi's sword in the next room hummed.
And Jasmine whispered:
"…my god…"
Zumi exhaled once, letting his aura dim so they wouldn't faint.
"Let's enjoy the day."
And for now…
He did.
Because the next stage—
the next eruption of power—
would come only in the heart of danger.
Only when the Alpha God
was pushed against the wall.
Only when the Monkey King
was ready to rise again.
Catherine's phone vibrated softly in her pocket.
She stepped aside into a quieter corner of the mansion living room as everyone chatted and trained around her. She answered immediately.
"Father?"
Victor Dragna's voice came through the line, stern as always…
but softer than most ever heard.
"Catherine. Just checking in."
Her expression warmed—something rare, something almost childlike.
"Everything's fine. I'm at Zumi's mansion… with the Kogane family."
Victor hummed thoughtfully.
"They're treating you well?"
Catherine glanced back at the girls laughing in the kitchen, Leafa and Gia teasing Bia, Serafina sipping tea with dangerous elegance, and Zumi sitting in the middle of all of them like the calm center of a divine storm.
She smiled.
"Very well. They're… good people.
Zumi takes good care of everyone. Including me."
There was a pause on Victor's side.
He knew what those words meant.
"And the exams? You said you were attending high school?"
Catherine nodded even though he couldn't see.
"Yes. I took the entrance exams with everyone.
I'll be going with Zumi."
Victor exhaled through his nose, but it wasn't disapproval.
If anything…
It was relief.
"As long as he's there… I'm fine with it."
Catherine froze for a second.
Her father had never allowed her to do anything like this—
never allowed her to just… live.
She swallowed softly.
"…Thank you, Father."
Victor cleared his throat sharply, as if catching himself being too sentimental.
"You've spent your whole life training.
Never had a chance to be a normal girl.
I may not… say it…
but if this gives you something you've never had…"
His voice faltered.
Just slightly.
"…I'm grateful."
Catherine's eyes softened.
Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"Zumi gave me that chance."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Victor spoke again, returning to business—but a different kind of tone lingered underneath.
"For now, everything on my end is stable.
But the rumors have already started spreading."
Catherine's eyes sharpened.
"Rumors?"
Victor sighed.
"They're saying the Umbra Court formed an alliance with an unknown rising family.
They don't know his strength, so…
there's no immediate retaliation."
Catherine crossed her arms.
"Because we're considered the weakest of the Ten Families."
"Exactly."
Victor agreed.
"They're cautious, but not afraid yet."
Catherine smirked.
"Oh… they will be."
Victor almost smiled.
Almost.
"Just stay sharp.
And… Catherine…"
His voice softened again—barely.
"…I'm glad you found people who care for you."
Her heart warmed.
"Me too, Father."
Catherine slipped her phone back into her pocket and exhaled softly. When she turned around, she found all the girls watching her—some subtle, some not.
Bia smirked, leaning her chin into her palm.
"That little smile… that was Daddy Dragna, wasn't it?"
Catherine flushed slightly.
"He just wanted to check in."
Serafina raised a brow, swirling a shadowy wisp between her fingers.
"And how are things on the… darker side of the city?"
Catherine walked back toward them and joined the circle, crossing her arms comfortably.
"Rumors are spreading already."
Everyone paused.
Even Zumi's transformed, divine-enhanced eyes shifted toward her.
Catherine continued:
"They're saying the Umbra Court formed an alliance with some unknown rising family."
Jasmine muttered under her breath:
"Unknown. That's funny."
Gia nodded.
"Of course rumors are moving fast. Victor Dragna suddenly backing someone? That shakes the entire underworld."
Aurora's ears twitched.
"Are other families planning anything?"
Catherine shook her head.
"Not yet. The Umbra Court is the weakest of the ten families— so they don't see us as a threat. They're cautious, but not scared."
Her eyes lowered slightly.
A subtle crease of concern tightened her expression.
"But still… it means eyes are already turning toward my father. And toward Zumi."
For a brief moment, the warrior inside her—the fighter who grew up in danger—surfaced. Not fear.
Just awareness.
Preparedness.
Leafa touched Catherine's arm gently, her voice soft and warm.
"It's normal to worry about those you love."
Catherine blinked at the word love, but didn't deny it.
Zumi stood up from the couch.
His new divine presence radiated with calm, controlled dominance. His voice—deeper, smoother, richer—filled the room completely.
"Catherine."
She looked up at him instinctively, as if her body responded before her mind did.
Zumi stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Warm. Solid. Unshakable.
"You don't need to worry."
She swallowed softly.
"I'm not scared—just… thinking ahead. If they start probing into the alliance, your name will come up. And if any danger heads toward my father—"
Zumi gently tilted her chin up with two fingers.
Every girl watching felt the shift in energy.
His voice lowered.
"If your father is ever in danger… I will be there. No matter what."
Catherine's breath caught.
Her heart thundered.
He continued, tone absolute:
"No one touches the Umbra Court. No one touches your father. No one touches you."
The divinity in his aura pulsed—subtle but undeniable.
Catherine's eyes softened until they practically glowed.
She whispered:
"…Thank you, Zumi."
He brushed a thumb over her cheek.
"You're part of this family now. That means your family is mine as well."
Behind them:
Bia beamed proudly
Hina clasped her hands together
Jasmine smirked softly
Serafina nodded with dark satisfaction
Leafa smiled warmly
Gia whispered, "He's so smooth…"
Kathy just blushed
Aurora wagged her tail happily
Catherine felt something warm unfurl inside her chest.
Security.
Belonging.
Love.
All wrapped together in one man.
She stepped closer and rested her forehead lightly against his chest for a moment—just long enough to breathe him in.
Then she exhaled.
"Okay." Her voice steadier. Stronger. "If you say it's fine… then I believe you."
And she did.
Completely.