Sun rose in the morning sky and sunlight washed over the Earth. Sunlight entered Philip's room until it reached his eyes. He was awoken from the change in brightness on his eyes. He can be easily woken up like this or his body clock woke him up
As he woke up, he felt a massive wave of satisfaction and bliss. His virginity has been stolen for the first time in his life, as well as Justine's virginity. A blanket covers his lower half of his body while Justine is covered up to her shoulders. Her head rest on his right arm and she is sleeping soundly
He reminisced about what happened last night and he became hard again. He frowned because he didn't want to take advantage of Justine like that. He would like to do it, but he needs her consent. Besides, seemed like Justine was exhausted after their exercise last night. Philip didn't want to make her tired too much
Well, since Justine can manipulate her own energy so that she won't get exhausted or tired. They might have an endless session until morning or until one of them loses and gets tired
Just then, the blanket ruffled on Justine's body. She squirmed and hummed until she woke up. She rubbed her eyes and opened them and saw Philip looking at her with serene eyes
Slowly, Justine realized what just happened. Her face beamed a her cheeks became redder and redder
"Good morning"
"Good... Morning..."
Philip greeted Justine and hugged her. Justine was very embarassed and she burried her face on his chest. Of course, Philip felt that something is rising in him. Justine felt this and jolted. She became even more embarrassed and her heart raised
Eventually, they did another session of bible study with Justine doing all the talking with her mouth
<3<3<3
After one hour, they finally calmed down and relieved themselves. They took a bath one after the other. They were happy together, Justine was smiling but Philip is hiding it since he was not used to smiling during half of his life
They changed outfits with Justine wearing a white high-waisted skirt and a navy blue tucked-in blouse. Her blonde hair and blue eyes complimented her blue blouse and the white skirt, it definitely entranced Philip after he saw her
Meanwhile, like always, Philip wore a dark gray hoodie, but this time, his hoodie is sleaveless. He also wore jeans, a simple outfit for everyday life
"What are your plans for today?"
Justine asked with anticipation
"I don't know... I'm thinking about hanging out with everyone for the rest of the day"
"Really?"
"Yeah! It will be fun..."
"Why do you sound melancholic?"
"I'm predicting that something big will happen tomorrow"
"Like what?"
"I don't know..."
"Is it okay if I come with you?"
"That's fine! But I don't know if they'll allow it"
"Who?"
"I actually don't know..."
"The future is that blurry, huh?"
"Yup... Anyways... Ready to go?"
"Where are we going?"
"Just hanging out with everyone in the backyard"
Philip and Justine talked about their plans for the day as they walked through the hallways towards the Lounge Area to see if anyone is hanging out there
"I think it would be nice to have a picnic at the backyard with Mei'er's flower there"
"It would be nice to just relax there"
"Yeah, and we can invite everyone to get together to rest for one day once in a while"
"Yeah! Let's do that. I'm guessing something big will happen in the next few days? That's the reason we're going to enjoy today resting and hanging out?"
"You could say that, yup"
"I see... Then let's make that happen"
By the time they finished their planning, they already arrived at the Lounge Area and saw a few people chilling inside
There were the siblings that is Natsuki, Natsume, and Natsu. Natsuki was reading something on a book, Natsume is browsing her phone, and Natsu is drinking her wine like usual
"Oh! You decided to stay?"
Philip teased Natsu to gauge her personality and adapt accordingly
"My younger sisters live here. It's my choice to leave or not. Besides, since you're the Homeowner, you could've made me leave rather than me choosing. What's your motive?"
Natsu answered with logic and asked Philip with a discerning eye as she narrowed her eyes. Philip was impressed by her quick thinking and logic. He decided to stay neutral for now
"Of course I won't be too harsh Natsuki and Natsume's sister. I want to be as hospitable as possible unless they're disrespectful"
"I see..."
Natsu then became quiet and minded her own business. She seems to be wary of something or another
"By the way, do you guys want to join us for a picnic?"
Philip asked which caught Natsu's interest. Natsuki and Natsume also seemed interested
"Yeah!"
Of course, Natsume immediately agreed, as long as Philip was the one asking
"Where are we going to have a picnic?"
Natsuki asked
"Just at the backyard. We'll just spend the entirety of the day relaxing and resting. No work at all"
"I mean... Yeah, I could go for a relaxing picnic"
Natsuki then agreed
"How about you, Natsu?"
Philip turned to Natsu and asked
"I'll pass. I'll just watch from the side"
"Huh? If you're just going to watch, why not just join us? We'll also get to know each other"
"I like my alone time"
"Hm... Alright fine, do what ever you want"
"When are we starting?"
Natsume asked
"Maybe, about an hour from now? After I go and invite everyone"
"Okay! We'll chill here for now then"
"Alright, I'll go now"
Philip and Justine then left to go the others' room. After they left, Natsuki started to gossip
"Hey, did you see Justine's appearance? She looks different! She seems blooming and... I can't pinpoint it!"
"What do you mean?"
Natsume seemed to feign ignorance
"Uh, you're too young to understand! I swear, maybe something happened between her and Philip?"
"Really? Huh, I'm envious. Whatever happened between them should stay between them. One day, I'll get my chance with Philip"
"Wow, you really love him, huh? Why do you love him? What happened?"
"I don't know... I just felt it and I always feel shy and my heart beats whenever I see him"
"Huh? You're shy even though you're confident and shameless in front of him?"
"Uh... Hehe!"
"Haaah... Well, anyways, I wonder what happened to Justine"
Natsuki asked to herself. Natsu tipped her wine glass while looking at Natsuki with one eye like a badass
"It seemed like her cherry was popped"
Natsu answered based on her logic and knowledge. This made Natsuki and Natsume look at her with wide eyes, shocked faces, and mouths agape
"What?!!!"
Natsuki exclaimed loudly
"..."
Natsume was silent. It wasn't because her hope was lost or she was angry from jealousy. It was because her eyes were blazing like she felt she was challenged. She stood up and pumped her fists in anticipation
Meanwhile, Natsuki held her head in disbelief while muttering to herself in shock. Natsu however, looked at Natsume and began to deeply worry about her. She also shook her head because that was only her guess, she wasn't one hundred percent sure if it's true. She only pieced the puzzles and that's how she came to that conclusion
Although, she seemed to believe her conclusion anyways and looked at Philip in a new light
~~~
After an hour and a half, Philip and Justine invited most of the residents in the mansion
Alucard was interested in the picnic. He was smiling while sipping the tea in his room. Sai doesn't care but if Alucard is coming, she'll naturally follow. She was browsing the internet on a smartphone and tablet because she became extremely interested in this technology. She never had the chance to touch a phone since she came into this world because she's roaming around the world eating different cuisines
Camille agreed with a smile and immediately prepared. She planned to have a an umbrella and she requested for a beach bench from Jude, which she immediately got. She also changed outfits that fits the theme of having a picnic to relax
Vanessa was still working and politely refuse. She wanted to finish testing and research on the mysterious vials. Justine tried to persuade her and Vanessa wavered. Eventually, she decided to join and she'll be a few hours late. Philip and Justine nodded to her confirmation and left her to her experimentations
They then went to Kyouko's room and knocket. She didn't respond at all and they waited for a few minutes. Justine explained Kyouko's situation to Philip as to why she was avoiding her but Philip knew the truth. He was not sure if Justine has an idea. He'll talk about it with her when the time comes
Bea was still deciphering the One-paged Book and as soon as she was invited. She closed her eyes and closed the book. She stood up and walked towards the other room without batting an eye to the two of them. She ate, drank, bathed, and changed clothes. She accepted the invitation and thought that resting after two weeks of hardwork is rewarding
Finally, they went to Mei'er last since her room is next to the backyard. They asked Mei'er for some relaxing and fragrant flowers to have in the picnic. Mei'er became excited and her face beamed. She quickly cultivated flowers using her Flower Manifestation ability
Of course, Jude and Mathilda will be there, supporting the maids and butlers while serving the rest. They will also have a relaxing time for later as Philip planned for them
~~~
A few hours later, it was high noon, everyone was present except for Kyouko and Vanessa. Vanessa will come later though
A large blanket was laid on the grass in front of a large oak tree that has a shadow that covers half of the large blanket
Food were served like sandwiches, pies, bread, juice, soda, and many more
Philip sat with his back leaned against the tree. Justine was next to him and Mei'er is lying down with her head on his left thigh. Natsuki and Natsume is opposite from them and Bea ate desserts non-stop while having an innocent expression
Camille was laying down on a blue beach bench with a blue umbrella attached to it. She wore revealing clothes with sunglasses. She holds a cocktail drink on her hand and sips on it occasionally. It looks like she is on an actual beach
Although, her Cursed Energies are still swirling around her in a helix formation. Only Philip and Justine seems to notice it. Philip planned to talk to her after the event tomorrow to next week
Meanwhile, Natsu was sitting on a chair in a distance with a tea table full of desserts and a wine bottle. She was only observing everyone from the distance for multiple reason
One, she is aware that not everyone like her because of her agressive mature. Second, she likes observing people because she never experienced anything that an ordinary person experience. Lastly, she just felt like it and she likes her alone time with a far company
Few hours have passed, everybody had a good time. Idle talks, story telling, jokes and banter, relaxing silence. The Fragrant Blooms and Icy Petals flowers helped to make everything as relaxing as possible, thanks to Mei'er
They played games as Natsume, Mei'er, an Philip player tagged. Mei'er was laughing but there was no voice and sound coming from her mouth. Seems like Mei'er was used to not creating any sounds from her mouth
It was then that Philip paid attention to the sisters now. He decided to fix their problems and obtain their golden sphere in the Fate Timeline
"Natsuki, Natsume..."
Philip called out to them
"Yeah?"
Natsume replied and Natsuki turned her head
"About your abilities... Do the two of you have any problems?"
Natsuki and Natsume was surprised from Philip's sudden question about their abilities. Philip feigned ignorance that he already know what their problem is. It is also to avoid suspicion because he knew it from Vanessa's memory
"Uhm..."
Natsume avoided Philip's gaze while Natsuki looked at Philip with raised chin and narrowed eyes. She seemed skeptical about telling Philip about the problems of their abilities
In the end, Natsuki sighed and decided to tell Philip. Something tells her to trust Philip and that she won't forget it
"Yes, we have a problem in both of our abilities"
Natsuki confirmed. Natsu only looked at them with discerning eyes, interested in their conversation
"I have the ability of Burst Flare. The problem is that I can't control the fire and it tends to burst and explode in the slightest change in Mana transfer in my body. It becomes out of control and scorches everything around me. Ever since then, I never used my ability or tried to train, unless someone powerful enough to stop my flames is present and they stop my ability"
Natsuki explained the nature of her ability
"This is also why Justine brought me this Obsidian Amulet as a gift. I can feel that the amulet is helping me control my ability. But, it can only control that much and not fully"
Natsuki held the Obsidian Amulet on his neck
"My ability is called Flame Crawler. That's it. I can produce flames that can only crawl. It doesn't burn anything and it's very slow. Justine nee-san gave me this hexagonal stone that can amplify my ability. I never tried it since then because I lost hope. I'm just happy to living here with everyone"
Natsume smiled but it was obvious that she's hiding her pain. She felt that she seemed to be most useless person in the mansion because her ability doesn't do anything than just creating harmless fire
Natsu frowned from Natsume's demeanor while Philip nodded in understanding
"What if I told you two that I can help with mastering both of your abilities?"
The siblings' ears popped up after hearing Philip's words
"You can do that?!"
Natsume was the first one to ask
"Yup!"
Natsuki and Natsume trembled from Philip's affirmation. However, Natsu seemed to have been agitated
"And how are you going to do that? Our head family are the only ones who are capable in cultivating and making their abilities useful and unlocking their full potential"
"So, you're still pushing to take Natsuki and Natsume to Japan? When they choose to live here and have a chance to fix their abilities and not have a gruelling cultivation and training?"
"Gruelling?!"
"Yeah! Doesn't everyone in your family bathe in molten magma inside a family crucible or pot? Don't they literally burn you to fix your abilities?"
Philip asked Natsu which made her tremble
"How did you know about that?!! Those are family secrets!"
Natsu asked agitatedly. She panicked as to how Philip knew the methods of the Natsu Clan
Of course, Philip didn't tell Natsu how he found about it. It's just that he used Clairvoyance and saw that several people that has weak fire abilities are undergoing the same Fire Tempering Crucible method somewhere in Japan
These methods were first invented six months after the transition of Mysticism Age by the head father of the Natsu Clan in Japan. Their family members one by one obtained a kind of fire ability but each abilities were weak and incomplete for some reason. The head father invented the cultivation and training methods to compensate for their lack of power
But to Philip's eyes, the methods are still incomplete and just poison to everyone who has done it
What the Natsu Clan want is to take Natsuki and Natsume to have them undergo the Fite Tempering Crucible, so that they will have more assets and pawns to use. Ultimately, Philip wanted to avoid that because his title as the Homeowner is to protect everyone who lives in the mansion
He'll destroy the Natsu Clan if it's needed to protect Natsuki and Natsume
"Why are you ignoring me?! Did you send spies in our clan?!"
"No? Let me just say this... I'm powerful to kill that Goddess right there"
Philip pointed to Sai which she jolted and hugged Alucard in fear. Alucard wrapped his arm around her and looked at Philip with respectful eyes. He knows he would never do anything to Sai, especially that she became super close to him
"What?? How would a Goddess be right here?!"
It was then that Sai glared at Natsu while releasing a small amount of Divine Energy. This made Natsu jolt and shiver that made her quiet
"As I was saying..."
Philip continued
"I can make remove the limits of your abilities so that you guys can never have any problems ever again"
"Really? You'll do that for us?"
Natsume became teary eyed
"Yes, it is needed"
"How are you going to do it?"
Natsuki asked
"It's a secret. But first, both show me your abilities"
Philip stood up and went to a wide open space so that the picnic blanket adn the tree won't get burned. Natsuki and Natsume followed suit. Natsu only observed them with deeply narrowed eyes in an discerning manner
Natsuki has a troubled look on her face and she hesitated to use her ability because she was scared. On the other hand, Natsume casually opened her hand and a very calm flame was generated on his palm. The flame crawled and wrapped around her arm like a snake
"I see..."
Philip looked at Natsume's flame. The flame was brightly glowing, like a hot molten metal ball, and the surface has calmly burning fire that sways. The flame also seemed to act like a worm or a pet snake that snuggles very close to its owner
"Natsuki?"
Philip noticed Natsuki's hesitation
"Look, just like the lessons from anime... If you don't face your fears, you wont be able to move forward. Don't let your fear devour you, devour it instead. If you overcome your fears, you'll be the strongest you'll ever be"
Philip gave several advice to Natsuki. Some of them applies to his belief in life. That's the reason why he has no fears, except for the unknown
Natsuki was enlightened. She lifted her head and looked up. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes
She concentrated and suddenly opened her eyes. Her brown eyes turned orange as it burned and flared up
Fire genereated at the corner of her left eye and crawled towards the back of her head. Her blonde hair levitated and the ends of her hair generated fire. Fire bursted on her right shoulder down to her arm. Rings of fire orbitted on her body and a large orb of fire covered her left hand. Her thighs and legs caught on fire and liquid fire dropped on the ground which created fire and flames
Natsuki didn't talk and just looked at Philip. Her face is seemed to be filled with struggle and she wasn't moving at all
"Okay, I've seen it all... Release your ability before you lose control"
Philip asked Natsuki to deactivate her ability but Natsuki wasn't moving at all. It was then that her entire hair went into flames. Her didn't burn into ashes, her hair literally becme fire. Splashes of fire oozed out from the cracks of her skin and parts of her body became a flamethrower. Fire spiralled around her body like a tornado and a sphere of fire with a radius of ten meters was generated around her. The sphere was slowly being filled with fire as bursts of fire was being generated from her body
The Obsidian Amulet on her neck was fluttering until it cracked and eventually shattered into pieces as the pieces melted inside the sphere of fire
"Hmmm..."
Natsume ran back to avoid the sphere of fire while Philip stood still and observed Natsuki
Jude, Mathilda, Justine, and the rest became wary and they put their guard up. They didn't act because Philip is already facing her, they already know Philip's prowess. Sai was only watching, interested in the unstable fire ability user, and waiting whether she needs to act
Instead, Natsu panicked and jumped from her seat with her shoulders down to her hands burning with purple plasma
"Damn it! What are we going to do now?! We'll have a hard time controlling her ability!"
Philip looked incredulously at Natsu with raised eyebrow
"Why are you panicking so much? Didn't I tell you that I can make unlock the full potential of their abilities?"
"HA?! How are you going to do that will all those flames?! You stand no chance against it, except for me or Justine"
"Heh... Just watch"
Philip slowly walked toward the sphere of fire. Flaming arcs and flares almost reached him but it just missed him. He walked closer until he was a few meters closer to the surface of the sphere
He raised his right hand as he walked closer and closer and white lines rapidly crawled all over his skin. His eye glowed golden