The sky was bruised with the colour of dusk as Elias stepped into the academy courtyard, his hands in his pockets, his senses burning.
Something was off.
The usual heat that stirred around him—glances from girls, the invisible pull of desire and tension—felt… fractured. As if something had hijacked the current flowing around him.
[System Alert: Emotional Network Interference Detected.]
His jaw clenched.
"Who the hell is interfering with my system?"
Before the system could answer, the answer walked right through the main gates.
Tall, silver-haired, and radiating confidence that wasn't earned but installed—the guy walked like the world owed him, and girls already began drifting toward him like flies to honey.
> "Who is that?"
"He's… wow."
"I feel warm just looking at him…"
Elias watched silently, eyes narrowing.
> [Name: Caelum Drayke]
[System Signature Detected: Lust Protocol Beta – Marked as Unstable Copy]
[WARNING: Interference confirmed. Rival Host Active.]
His throat went dry.
The Lust System had a copy?
---
"Yo." Caelum flashed a cocky grin as he reached Elias, stopping just short of being too close. "You must be Elias. Been hearing your name since I transferred in. Girls won't shut up about you."
Elias didn't respond. His eyes were already scanning the crowd. Aya. Lilith. Even Naomi, the calm one, looked slightly dazed by Caelum's presence.
Aya's brows furrowed. "Elias… something's wrong with him. He doesn't feel… normal."
Lilith, always sensitive to system energies, nodded. "His aura is synthetic. Not human."
> [System Update Available: Rival Host Detected. Emotional Chaos Threshold Elevated. All affection metrics now under threat.]
> New Objective: Do not lose control of the Harem Core.
> Optional Bonus: Break Rival's System Stability via Emotional Disruption.
Elias's heartbeat quickened. It wasn't just jealousy now—it was war.
Caelum leaned closer, speaking low. "Let's make it fun, yeah? First to have three girls confess willingly… wins."
---
Later that night.
Elias sat on the edge of his bed. The system UI hovered in front of him, glitching faintly. His core girls were drifting—some pulled toward Caelum's unnatural charm, others confused by their own emotional reactions.
The room felt colder. Darker. His system pulsed, and his reflection in the window looked sharper, more dangerous.
> [Trial Activated: Harem Authority Reinforcement – Emotional Lockdown Sequence Available.]
He stood up slowly.
"No more passivity," he muttered. "You want a war, Caelum? I'll show you what a real Harem Lord is."
The moon was hanging high, but sleep hadn't touched anyone in Dorm Sector 7.
Aya sat in her room, staring blankly at the small mirror in her palm. Her fingers trembled. It wasn't just confusion—it was guilt.
She'd smiled at Caelum today. Even laughed at something stupid he said.
And Elias had seen it.
A knock sounded. Sharp. Controlled. The one knock that made her spine straighten.
"Elias…"
She opened the door—and froze.
He didn't say a word. His eyes weren't cold, but they weren't kind either. He walked past her into the room like he owned it. And in a way… he did.
"You're confused," he said without turning. "That's natural. He's an artificial spark meant to burn through loyalty."
Aya swallowed hard. "You saw—"
"I saw everything."
The room pulsed. Not with heat. With pressure. Emotional gravity.
He turned to her slowly, his presence now dominating.
"You're mine, Aya," he said simply. "And if you ever forget that—this system will remind you."
A golden thread pulsed between them. The Harem Bond.
> [System Trait Activated: Anchor of Affection]
[Aya's Emotional Loyalty: Stabilizing… 65% → 87%]
A tremor passed through her body. She could feel it—the emotions, the need, the shame—and the possessiveness curling around her like smoke.
And she liked it.
"I won't stray again," she whispered, looking away. "I just… I didn't know how strong he was."
Elias placed his hand under her chin, lifting it gently.
"You don't need to know his strength. You need to remember mine."
---
Elsewhere, in Lilith's private quarters.
She moved like a whisper through the arcane console embedded in her room wall—her Succubus bloodline allowing her access to parts of the system even Elias hadn't touched yet.
Caelum's profile blinked on screen.
> [Name: Caelum Drayke]
[System Core: Lust Protocol Beta – Incomplete Copy]
[Stability Rating: D+]
[Artificial Charm Module: Overriding Consent Barriers]
Lilith's eyes widened.
> "He's cheating… using a system that bypasses real emotions. That's not seduction—it's corruption."
Suddenly, the screen glitched—then locked. A shadowy figure appeared, whispering in demonic script:
"You're watching something not meant for your eyes, demon girl."
Lilith stepped back, skin chilled. She needed to tell Elias.
---
Back at the training field.
Elias arrived early. Caelum was already there, shirtless, sparring two female students. Their giggles were loud enough to boil blood.
Caelum smirked. "Thought you wouldn't show."
"I came to watch your system crash in real time."
"Oh?" Caelum chuckled. "That confidence… Is that because of the redhead? Aya? She practically melted when I looked at her."
Elias smiled.
"You're the kind of guy who plays with sparks."
He stepped closer, just enough for tension to hiss between them.
"I'm the kind of guy who burns down the room."