Rise of the Harem King

Vesta's body laid among the smoldering ruins of the arena, covered in soot and dried blood.

Her entire form was raw flesh, except for the areas so severely burned that only exposed bone remained, blackened by the flames.

Her chest still rose and fell almost imperceptibly, a sign that, somehow, she was still alive, though on the brink of death.

The insane strength that had been driving her was gone, and now all that remained was a broken body, unconscious and unmoving like a shattered statue.

Inanna walked toward her in silence, her light steps contrasting with the devastation around her.

Her eyes studied the scene with a strange mixture of respect and sorrow.

She knew. Vesta could no longer continue, and since she was unconscious, she couldn't declare her own surrender.

"Then I'll do it for you…" Inanna whispered, her voice serene.

With a subtle gesture, she extended her hand, and a golden aura began to envelop the fallen warrior's body.

It was a delicate yet powerful energy, like a warm blanket covering a flame about to go out. Gradually, the worst of her wounds stabilized, and her breathing became less erratic.

"You fought beyond the limits of the impossible…" murmured Inanna. "But now it's time to rest."

With another motion, she summoned a magic circle beneath her feet.

Lights spun, ancient symbols flared for a moment, and then Vesta's body vanished in a wave of golden particles, teleported directly to the temple's treatment center.

She would remain hospitalized for a long time, but she could recover fully.

"You two should really know when to stop," Inanna sighed, turning toward the boy lying completely exhausted.

Every part of his body ached, and he couldn't move a single muscle.

"I thought you'd at least hold back enough to keep her body intact," she remarked with a playful tone. "But don't worry, she'll recover completely."

Davi didn't have the strength to react or say anything, so the woman simply sighed. There was no fun in teasing him when he was in that state. He didn't even have the energy to respond.

"You can rest now." She wrapped Davi in a gentle golden aura that began helping him recover.

Then she created a small sub-dimension just for him.

〇〇〇

Luna slowly opened her eyes, her head aching and her body feeling strangely tired. They were side effects of exposure to divine power.

Looking around, she noticed she was in a white room with nothing that particularly caught her attention.

"Where's Davi…" she murmured as her memories slowly returned.

She only remembered being at Amelia's mansion with Davi and the other girls, and then, suddenly, a golden light had enveloped him.

Worried, she tried to force herself up, but nearly collapsed to the floor, her body was still adjusting to the divine energy of the place.

"I see you've woken up," Inanna commented softly, appearing in front of Luna.

"Who are you?" Luna asked in surprise, taking a step back, wary of the presence that had suddenly appeared.

"That's always the first question humans ask," she said with a light laugh. "But it'll be easier to let your boyfriend explain."

"You know where Davi is?" Luna replied immediately.

"Yes, you don't need to worry." She snapped her fingers, making a door appear in the otherwise empty room. "I'll take you to him. Follow me."

Still a little suspicious, Luna followed the woman.

Luna followed Inanna cautiously, her steps unsteady as she was still feeling quite weak, but at each second things seemed to get better.

They walked for less than five minutes down a straight hallway, completely white, with no doors or any kind of decoration. Then, they reached the end of the hall, where a single door stood.

Inside, Davi laid on a cushioned cot, his body limp and exhausted, every muscle slack from the ordeal.

A girl with wolf-like ears and a nurse's outfit knelt beside him, her delicate hands gently tending to his wounds with a focused tenderness.

Her white tail swayed slightly as she worked, applying a glowing salve to his bruised arms. The sight of him so vulnerable tightened Luna's chest.

"Okay, are you able to eat?" Finishing her main jog, the nurse asked Davi as she picked a small plate with fruits.

"Davi…" Luna whispered, drawing both their attention to her.

"Oh! You must be Luna, right?" the nurse asked, stepping aside to let Luna into Davi's field of view.

Meanwhile, Inanna had already disappeared, she couldn't spend the whole day just teasing the amusing humans. After all, even goddesses had work to do.

"Yeah, I'm," Luna answered and rushed to be beside her man.

She dropped to her knees beside him, brushing a strand of hair from his sweat-dampened forehead. His eyes fluttered open, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he recognized her.

"Luna…" he rasped, his voice weak but warm. "You're here…"

She nodded, "How are you feeling? How did things end up like that?" She asked with a voice full of worry. Her fingers traced his jaw, grounding herself in his presence.

"He has no dangerous wounds," the nurse said. "Actually, he doesn't have any serious injuries besides a few scratches, but he used way too much energy. Like, really too much, his body desperately needs rest."

The nurse looked up, her ears twitching, and offered a shy smile. "That said, there's no need to worry. As long as he avoids physical effort or using mana over the next week, he'll be completely fine," she finished explaining

"I understand…" Luna murmured. "Does he need any special medical attention, then?"

The nurse gave Luna a soft smile, already imagining where this conversation was heading.

"No, he just needs someone by his side at all times. The less effort he makes, the better."

"Then thank you, but you can leave that to me," Luna replied with quiet determination. "I'll take very good care of him, I promise".

The nurse hesitated for a moment, then nodded, offering a respectful bow before slipping out of the room. It was better to leave the patient in the hands of someone who truly loved him.

Of course, Davi was the village's hero, chosen by their motherly goddess, admired by all. Everyone loved him in their own way.

But Luna was a human and actually knew him, they had a special connection.

Now alone, Luna leaned closer, resting her forehead gently against Davi's.

"You idiot," she whispered, her voice a mix of affection and scolding. "You need to stop getting hurt like this."

His hand found hers and squeezed weakly. She smiled through her tears.

Their faces drew nearer, the air between them thick with unspoken emotion. Then, slowly, their lips met in a tender, lingering kiss.

And in that moment, the world outside faded into nothing. There was only the warmth of their connection.

And for the next week, Luna would take care of Davi's every need, she wouldn't let him raise even a thinger.

Not long after, Inanna came to Davi again, this time to advise him to take his prize for winning the battle, as Vesta was fully recovered.