A flash of light invaded his vision as several translucent windows appeared in front of his eyes:

[You have made a minor plot change in Against the Gods! Congratulations! You will receive the following reward: Serenitea Pot]

[You have made a major plot change in Arifureta! Congratulations! You will receive the following reward: Chain Breaker]

The ethereal voice of the self-proclaimed "Siara" echoed in his mind. Yuu frowned at the first item, a teapot that had appeared in a remote corner of his inventory. But the second reward immediately caught his attention.

"Chain Breaker" was not a conventional item. A slight tremor ran through his body as an illusory sound, similar to the breaking of chains, echoed within him. The restraints that had imprisoned his power loosened, allowing a small portion of his original power to flow again.

Though the surge was not overwhelming, Yuu clearly sensed that familiar tingle of energy coursing through his veins. These two things, the teapot and the partial release, were the system's incentives for altering the plots of other franchises.

'So this is what I get for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong...'

A wry smile curved Yuu's lips as he reflected on the massive change he had brought to Arifureta. Bringing Yue to this plane before her original story had even begun had practically wiped her out of existence!

What would become of the protagonist without his central motivation? Would he become a true monster without anyone to guide him?

Well, Yuu didn't really care what would happen in that world now. His attention was drawn to the other message―the "minor change" in Against the Gods. Although he had met Jasmine, one of the main heroines, he hadn't really done much to alter things there.

He could have revealed a crucial point to Jasmine that would have affected the entire plot, but it was merely an experiment. Now that he had turned her into a "Fate-less" being, he wanted to see what effect it would have on that world. Could Jasmine bring about a significant change without any further intervention on his part? That made him curious.

Still, it was inconvenient that "Danmachi" was not considered a relevant change by this "system". After all, Loki was only a minor character in that world.

He focused on the most relevant information that the translucent screen showed him, especially one particular detail:

[Power: Tier 8 - Urban | Multi-City Block Level

Power Sealed: ?????]

So he had upgraded from a "City Block" rank to one capable of devastating multiple blocks! A minor advancement from the perspective of his true potential, but ...

It was undeniable that he was regaining the abilities that had been taken from him, albeit slowly. This "system" was giving him back crumbs of his true power in exchange for pandering to its whims.

Yuu diverted his attention to the other relevant section:

[Abilities: Teleportation ― Grace ― Infinity Serpent ― Destiny Eyes ― Destiny Eraser]

The system had listed his racial abilities as "Aeon" under these cryptic terms. "Grace" was supposed to be the link that connected him to Yue as his Emanator. It was only through the energy of that castle that this ability could be unlocked.

Destiny Eyes and Destiny Eraser... Abilities he had apparently gained by becoming the "owner" of the Pillar: Castle of Destiny.

The first allowed him to see the fate of any being within the castle. The second, to erase that fate completely, turning them into a "Fate-less" being... Powerful abilities indeed.

However, he could sense that the Castle had a core that still did not recognize Yuu as its true master. For now, these abilities were just the basics. But as he absorbed more of the core from that place, better things would be bestowed upon him.

He closed the status window with a curt gesture and averted his attention beyond the horizon. It was still mid-afternoon and only a few minutes had passed since they arrived in Kuoh Town.

Yuu turned his head slightly to look at Yue, who was sitting quietly next to him on the edge of the building. The little vampire hadn't uttered a word, but her curiosity was evident in those big crimson eyes that were staring at the bright lights stretching out beneath her feet.

She must have sensed his gaze, for she quickly turned to Yuu and pointed down before asking:

"This is your world, Aegis? It's beautiful..."

For Yue, coming from a world of medieval buildings and culture, this urban panorama must have been an overwhelming change.

Despite the obvious disorientation she must have felt, one could see the fascination shining in her crimson eyes as she took in the buildings that made up this town. Indeed, an environment completely alien to her home reality.

"My world, huh?" He replied with a slight shake of his head and an amused smile. "No, I don't have a fixed world to belong to."

After all, Yuu was no longer a mere inhabitant of a single plane of existence.

His original world had been an ordinary Earth, until death led him to be reborn in another, completely alien dimension. After that, as his power increased, traveling between planets and universes became a trivial task. In his millions of years, he had experienced countless cultures throughout the cosmos...

"You are free to consider it your new home if you wish. But for an unrooted wanderer like me, the entire universe is a vast road to travel..."

Contrary to his expectations, Yue shook her head vigorously.

Like a little kitten, the vampiress crawled over to Yuu and climbed into his lap, pressing her body against his before answering:

"I've said it before... you are my home. Where Aegis goes, I go."

Such an absolute and unconditional statement, coming from this existence that was just getting to know him...

For Yue, nothing else mattered now but to remain at his side for eternity. As a devoted Emanator, she would do anything to make herself indispensable to her Aeon. The latter was just an excuse, of course. Yue just wanted to be with him.

"Is that so?" He nodded softly as he stroked her cheek. "Fine. By the way, you can call me Yuu. That's the fake name I use in this world."

Her crimson eyes lit up with joy. "Yuu... sounds similar to mine, fufu~"

The petite vampire enjoyed the more trivial ironies and connections.

"Then let's get to know our new 'home', what do you think?" Yuu suggested getting up and putting Yue down, pulling an adorable pout from the vampiress.

She wanted to be pampered and cuddled!

Before she could respond, Yuu brought the object the "system" had rewarded him with into view. Yue tilted her head curiously as she looked at the teapot he was holding.

"Our home... that?"

"Mm. This is called Serenitea Pot."

An item from the game universe known as Genshin Impact. A very useful reward, considering that Yuu only had a nearly ruined house.

Before Yue could ask anything else, the teapot's mouth began to glow. In an instant, their bodies were pulled as if by a powerful vortex.

When they blinked again, they found themselves in a completely different environment: the inside of the Serenitea Pot.

"This is..."

Yue's crimson eyes widened in awe as she took in her new surroundings. A floating island in mid-air, covered with invigorating green grass, and a translucent bridge leading to another landmass with a large tree on either side.

Below her feet, the void stretched out, but above her head, ethereal clouds and a huge sun shone, illuminating every corner of this small plane.

Yue's gaze finally settled on the central structure: a huge mansion built in the traditional Japanese style.

"Let's go!" Yuu urged her, taking her small hand between his.

When they opened the door, the interior seemed empty, but perfectly clean, without a speck of dust. It was made for them to shape as they wished.

"Well, I guess we'll spend today getting furniture for this place."