Carmen's fingers trembled slightly as she walked through the stone corridors toward Nero's room.

Her shoulder-length auburn hair was neatly brushed for once, and she'd actually bothered with makeup this morning, though she'd never admit why.

The former college psychology student turned reluctant mind controller had spent the last hour psyching herself up for this simple task.

Just knock on the door.

Wake him up.

Say the others are waiting.

Easy, right?

"..."

Her face burned hotter with each step as memories from last night invaded her thoughts uninvited.

Those sounds.

Those incredibly detailed, crystal-clear, absolutely impossible-to-ignore sounds that had echoed through the entire settlement for hours.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

The rhythmic impacts against what was presumably a bed frame.

The breathless moans that started soft and grew progressively louder.

The unmistakable voice of Aurelia, normally so composed and stoic, crying out in ways that made everyone blush furiously.

And Nero's deeper responses, punctuated by the kind of primal satisfaction that left zero doubt about what was happening behind those stone walls.

Carmen had tried covering her ears.

She even tried using her psychological abilities to dampen her own awareness.

… But nothing worked.

The very lovely and passionate couple's love-making affected everyone.

Heck, the entire settlement had been subjected to what amounted to live audio documentation of their heroes' "extremely enthusiastic and hot celebration".

"Dammit..."

Steam practically rose from her head as she tried shaking the memories loose.

The six former wives had drawn straws last night to determine who would be the unfortunate soul tasked with waking Nero this morning.

Rock, paper, scissors.

Best of three rounds.

And Carmen, despite her psychology training and supposed understanding of probability, had lost spectacularly to everyone else.

… Definitely plot armor.

Frila gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Isabell had offered a thumbs up of encouragement.

Nell simply looked relieved it wasn't her.

Dia had wished her luck with barely concealed amusement.

While Zara laughed outright at Carmen's misfortune.

Weren't they all in this together?

… Those traitors.

"..."

She finally arrived at Nero's door, her heart hammering against her ribs like it was trying to escape.

Get it together.

She was a grown woman.

She'd been through literal mind control and apocalyptic battles.

She could handle knocking on a door without having a complete meltdown.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"Uh... Nero? Are you awake?"

Her voice came out higher-pitched than intended, betraying her nervousness.

Silence.

… Oh god, what if she'd interrupted something?

What if they were still–

"... Yeah, I'm up. We'll catch up in a bit."

Nero's voice filtered through the door, sounding surprisingly normal and alert given the marathon session everyone had been forced to overhear.

Relief flooded through her so fast she nearly stumbled.

"... R-Right! The others are waiting, but take your time! No rush! We're just preparing the celebration so whenever you're ready that's totally fine, t-that's it!"

She was rambling.

Stop rambling.

"–okay bye!"

Carmen practically fled down the corridor, her face burning so hot she was convinced she might spontaneously combust.

Behind the door, Nero let out a long sigh and ran his hands through his disheveled hair.

***

"..."

His gaze drifted back to the divine perfection of a woman still sleeping peacefully in his bed.

Aurelia.

His angel.

And finally his lover.

His... SSR-tier waifu summon?

"..."

The interface hovering in his vision was completely different from anything he'd seen before.

===

Summon: Aurelia – "First Star Valkyrie" (SSR)

Race: Angel

Class: Valkyrie

Type: Melee/Vanguard/All-Rounder

Affection Gauge: 90%

STR: ✦✦✦

DEX: ✦✦✦

INT: ✦✦

VIT: ✦✦✦

CHA: ✦✦✦✦

– Notable Skills –

[Divine Slash (Master)]

[Star Barrier (Master)]

[Light's Wrath (Master)]

===

Let alone the angel somehow evolving from SR-tier to SSR without his notice...

'What the hell…'

The previous summon interface was gone and was now replaced with the new "star system".

Truthfully, the new interface was very gacha-like yet elegant due to its simplicity.

Her stats were clustered at three stars, with her charisma pushing into that fourth tier… Well, that's obvious considering her perfect charm.

But what did these stars actually represent and what's the max numbers?

[Good morning, Master! Aria is so happy to see Master looking so refreshed and satisfied!]

The cheerful voice of his system assistant chimed in, her enthusiasm palpable even through the mental connection.

'Good morning, Aria… Yeah, it was the best night of my life… but before that, I need you to explain this new interface. Specifically, these star measurements for each stat.'

[Oh! Master has finally noticed the new summon interface!]

Her excitement was almost infectious.

[Now that the Waifu Summoner's unique ability has been fully unrestrained from the world's system limitations, the original interface for each summon has been fully restored! The star system is THE definitive measurement of true power surpassing the norms of the usual power scaling!]

She paused, and her tone shifted to something more educational.

[Let Aria break it down for Master! One to two stars represents the common to advanced range… basically competent fighters who've mastered conventional techniques. Nothing special specifically, but are considering solid foundations and treasures in the grand scheme of things!]

'Okay, that makes sense.'

[Three to four stars is where things get supernatural! These are individuals who've reached master level in their respective fields. They can perform feats that bend the flow of large-scale wars through sheer skill, and dominate most battlefields. Aurelia is solidly in this category!]

Nero's eyes widened slightly as he processed that information.

So three to four stars was already considered supernatural to master level.

[But wait, there's more! Five to six stars represents those who broke their limits entirely! The Transcendents! They are grandmasters who overcame the natural boundaries of their existence! Their skills can bend the laws of reality itself! Their prowess are on par and can sometimes even surpass most major gods!]

The weight of that explanation hit him like a truck.

If Aurelia at three to four stars was already absurdly powerful...

What the hell would a five or six star being look like?

Well they would probably have the power to slice space itself… or something like that right?

[And finally... seven stars. The mystical and mythological pinnacle that signifies "Absolute"... They are considered beings who broke all kinds of limiter and surpassed the laws of reality itself, common sense does not apply to them! … Aria has only heard about the existence of the seven-star ratings from the myths and legends so far…]

"..."

Nero sat back, his mind reeling from the implications.

Aurelia was at the supernatural to master level range with her three to four star ratings.

And she was already one of the strongest beings he'd encountered.

The fact that there were potentially three more tiers above her current level was absolutely terrifying.

'So when Aurelia fought Vex'ahlia and awakened that mysterious starlight power...'

[That was probably a temporary boost beyond her current rating! Maybe she touched five or even six stars for a brief moment! … But without being able to consciously access that power now, she's settled back to her natural three to four star master level!]

'And she was SR-tier when I first summoned her...'

[Correct! The tier classifications: R, SR, SSR, UR indicate potential and rarity, but the star system measures actual current power! Aurelia was always meant to be SSR-tier, but the restraints kept her sealed at SR. Now that she's recovered her memories and much of her original strength, her true tier is showing!]

Aria's explanation continued with barely contained excitement.

[It must be an awakening, Master! A rare occurrence where a summon breaks through the restraints that the world placed on them! When intense emotional experiences or life-threatening situations push them beyond their limits, their true nature gets revealed!]

'Or...'

[Or it could be power recovery! Some summons arrive with sealed or diminished abilities due to circumstances in their past. As they regain their original strength, their tier classification updates to reflect their true nature!]

Nero's mind drifted back to their conversation after he'd been revived.

Aurelia had mentioned remembering everything now.

All her past experiences, her true identity as the First Star Valkyrie, the eons of combat and service she'd rendered before her supposed death.

She'd described how a mysterious starlight power had enveloped her during the battle with Vex'ahlia.

How she'd absolute destroyed an enemy like a bug that should have been beyond her capabilities when her memories and original power was sealed.

And how that same mysterious power had vanished back inside her body afterward, leaving only her original divine silvery energy accessible she once had in the past.

"..."

He looked at her sleeping form more carefully now.

Even knowing she was "only" at the three to four star supernatural to master level, it's now because she regained her past prowess and mastery.

Meaning, during when she still has her memories fragmented, she was definitely lower than what is currently being shown right now… probably about 2-3 star ratings…

Right now, she's definitely powerful enough to easily defeat Vex'ahlia, even if she cannot effortlessly overpower her when she had that mysterious starlight energy boosting her prowess at that time.

And if she ever fully and permanently awakened that mysterious starlight power again and pushed into five or six stars...

Or gods forbid, somehow reached that mythical seven star absolute rating...

"..."

He looked more carefully at her peaceful expression.

Her silver hair caught the morning sunlight streaming through the window gaps, creating an almost ethereal halo effect.

Her features, always beautiful, now held a classical perfection that spoke of eons of refinement.

Her body, fully exposed under the sun's rays in all its pristine glory, radiated the kind of flawless beauty that could only belong to someone who'd transcended normal limitations.

"..."

Nero couldn't believe this same beauty moaning loudly under his touches last night actually possessed a prowess that can actually bend reality.

What an extraordinary lover he has right now.

"Mhm…"

Perhaps sensing the loss of his comforting warmth, Aurelia's eyes trembled slightly beneath their lids.

Her breathing pattern shifted from deep sleep to lighter awareness.

And then those golden eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first before gradually sharpening as consciousness returned.

For a moment, she simply stared at the ceiling, her expression peaceful and content.

Then memories of last night clearly crashed back into her awareness all at once.

"!!!"

Her entire face went from pale to bright red in approximately 0.3 seconds flat.

The composure of the legendary First Star Valkyrie shattered completely as she processed exactly how shameless she'd been.

How loudly she'd moaned.

How desperately she'd begged for more.

How she'd completely abandoned every shred of dignity and restraint in favor of pure carnal pleasure.

"I... I cannot believe I..."

Her voice came out as a mortified whisper as she covered her burning face with both hands.

"Did I really... say those things? Make those sounds? Act so…"

"Adorable?"

Nero's voice cut through her spiral of embarrassment as he moved closer with a teasing smile.

Before she could protest or try to escape, his arms wrapped around her exposed form, pulling her against his chest in a gentle embrace.

"W-Wait, Lord Nero, I need to—"

"Shhh."

He held her tighter, his warmth surrounding her like a protective cocoon.

"You were perfect last night. Every sound, every reaction, every moment was absolutely perfect."

"..."

Aurelia's protests died in her throat as his sincerity washed over her through their mental connection.

No mockery, no judgment, just genuine affection and satisfaction.

"Besides," he continued with a playful tone creeping in, "I'm pretty sure everyone in the settlement heard us anyway, so there's no point being embarrassed now."

"... E-Everyone?!"

Her renewed mortification was so intense she actually tried to bury her face in his chest to escape reality.

Nero couldn't help but chuckle as he stroked her hair soothingly.

And what followed was another tender session between the new lovers, though considerably quieter and more restrained than their enthusiastic nighttime activities.

***

By the time Nero and Aurelia finally emerged from his room, both looking considerably more composed (excluding the faint blush from the angel's face).

The settlement had transformed into something resembling organized chaos.

"Oh! Our main heroes have finally arrived!"

Jin's enthusiastic voice boomed across the open area where most of the survivors had gathered.

The sight that greeted Nero and Aurelia was honestly overwhelming.

Makeshift banners hung between buildings, cobbled together from salvaged fabric and painted with surprisingly artistic designs celebrating their victory.

Tables had been constructed from scavenged materials, already laden with food that shouldn't have been possible given their limited supplies.

Survivors who'd been dealing with injuries or exhaustion just days ago were now laughing and working together with renewed energy.

Music played from somewhere, probably someone's salvaged phone or portable speaker running on precious battery reserves.

Children who'd been terrified and traumatized by the constant danger were actually playing, their laughter echoing through the settlement like the most beautiful sound imaginable.

"This is..."

Nero's voice trailed off as he took in the full scope of what everyone had prepared.

Jin approached with her characteristic easy grin, though there was something knowing in her eyes that made both him and Aurelia suddenly very interested in looking literally anywhere else.

"Welcome to the 'We Didn't All Die Horribly' celebration," she announced cheerfully.

"Also known as the 'Thank God We Have a Competent Leader' festival, or alternatively, the 'Let's Pretend We Didn't Hear Anything Last Night' party."

"..."

Both Nero and Aurelia's faces went red simultaneously.

The gathering crowd erupted in good-natured laughter and cheers, clearly having waited for exactly this moment to embarrass their heroes.

"Speech! Speech!" someone called out.

"Yeah, tell us how you really feel about each other!" another voice added with obvious mischief.

"I want details about those combat techniques!" a third person shouted, and Nero was 90% sure they weren't talking about actual fighting.

"..."

Aurelia looked like she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

But Nero, after a moment of shared mortification, found himself genuinely smiling.

These people, this rowdy, shameless, absolutely ridiculous group of survivors who'd been through hell together, were his family now.

And judging by the warmth spreading through his chest and the gentle squeeze of Aurelia's hand in his...

Life was pretty damn good.

And then came,

"Mr. Nero!"

"Yo, Nero!"

"Nero!"

They were voices that immediately made him smile in relief.

Needless to say, it's the trio of friends.

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