My Eccentric Harem

Aoyama had grown accustomed to the rhythm of life with Aqua. The once-chaotic goddess was slowly settling into something that resembled normalcy, and while she still had her moments of absurdity, he couldn't deny that her presence had become... comforting.

That is, until the system threw a curveball.

---

It was late in the evening, and Aoyama was reviewing notes for an upcoming test while Aqua doodled on her sketchpad. The quiet was broken by the familiar, shimmering light of the Harem System interface appearing in mid-air.

"Not this again," Aoyama groaned.

Aqua peered over his shoulder. "What's it say this time?"

The interface displayed a new notification:

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Challenge Activated

Task: Protect Aqua from an incoming threat.

Reward: +10 Affection Points.

Failure: Affection Points -10.

---

Aoyama's stomach sank. "Protect you? From what?"

As if in answer, the lights in the apartment flickered ominously. A chill swept through the room, and Aqua stiffened, clutching her sketchpad.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice unusually shaky.

Before Aoyama could respond, a swirling portal opened in the center of the room. From it emerged a grotesque, shadowy figure, its glowing red eyes fixated on Aqua.

"Oh, come on!" Aoyama shouted, scrambling to his feet. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a wraith!" Aqua exclaimed, backing toward the corner. "Why is there a wraith in your apartment?!"

"You're asking me?" Aoyama yelled, grabbing the nearest object—a broom—and brandishing it like a weapon. "You're the goddess! Do something!"

"I can't!" Aqua cried. "My powers are sealed in this world, remember?"

The wraith let out an ear-piercing screech and lunged toward Aqua. Aoyama didn't think—he moved. Swinging the broom with all his strength, he managed to knock the creature back a few steps.

"Stay behind me!" he ordered, his voice more commanding than he expected.

Aqua nodded, her usual bravado replaced by genuine fear. "Be careful, Aoyama!"

---

The fight was chaotic. The wraith was fast and relentless, its clawed hands swiping at Aoyama as he tried to keep it at bay. His heart pounded in his chest, and his grip on the broom tightened.

"Any ideas on how to get rid of this thing?" he shouted over his shoulder.

Aqua hesitated, then her eyes lit up. "Salt! Wraiths hate salt! Do you have any?"

"Salt?!" Aoyama glanced toward the kitchen. "You're kidding me!"

"Just trust me!" Aqua yelled.

With no other options, Aoyama darted toward the kitchen, narrowly avoiding the wraith's claws. He grabbed the salt shaker and hurled it at Aqua. "Here!"

Aqua caught it with surprising agility. "Hold it off for a second!"

"How do you expect me to do that?!" Aoyama demanded, jabbing the wraith with the broom.

"Figure it out!" Aqua shot back, unscrewing the cap and pouring the salt into her hands. She muttered something under her breath—a prayer, perhaps—and then flung the salt at the wraith.

The creature let out a horrible screech, its shadowy form writhing as the salt hit it. Within moments, it dissolved into a cloud of black mist, disappearing back into the portal.

The silence that followed was deafening.

---

Aoyama collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. "What the hell just happened?"

Aqua dropped the salt shaker, her hands trembling. "That... that shouldn't have happened. Wraiths aren't supposed to appear here."

"Well, it did," Aoyama said, his voice shaky. "And it tried to kill you."

Aqua looked at him, her usual confidence replaced by a vulnerability he'd rarely seen. "Aoyama, I—thank you. You didn't have to... but you did."

"Of course I did," Aoyama said, meeting her gaze. "What kind of person would I be if I just stood there?"

Aqua's eyes softened, and for a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something more. But instead, she simply nodded.

---

Later that night, as Aoyama lay on his futon, the system interface appeared again.

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Challenge Complete

Reward: +10 Affection Points.

New Affection Level: 90/100.

---

"Ninety," Aoyama murmured, staring at the number. "We're so close."

He glanced at Aqua, who was curled up on her futon, her back to him. She hadn't said much after the wraith disappeared, but he could tell the encounter had shaken her.

For the first time, Aoyama wondered if this system was more than just a random gimmick. Maybe it was testing them, pushing them toward something neither of them fully understood.

And as he drifted off to sleep, one thought lingered in his mind:

What happens when we reach 100?

---

To Be Continued...