Daddy

The crowd roared without a care in the world, as if fights to the death were one of the greatest forms of entertainment. The band from the Bardic Legion had stopped playing their ghoulish metal. The singer stepped forward.

"We are Electric Graveyard! Goodnight!" She shouted. The lights of the stage faded, and the smoke disappeared as shadow consumed them, and with the sound of electric static, the stage ceased to exist.

Aki vaulted over the makeshift fence, dividing the mosh pit from the battlefield area. She ran to Haruto's side, followed by a stunned but ecstatic System. She pulled a potion from her bag, ready to shove it down his throat.

"Haruto! I made some more regeneration potions." She said, pushing them at him. He stared up at her in unmoving irritation. "One of them is bound to work as intended..."

With a grimace and a sigh, Haruto opened his mouth. "Ahhhh!"

Aki smiled sweetly as she poured them into his mouth, one at a time. The first one turned him green for a while, regrowing a portion of his severed arm. The second finished patching him up, and an Oni-like horn grew from his forehead. He sat up, only to meet the carving end of a hammer and chisel, as Aki removed the horn. He fell back once again, cupping his face and rolling around in pain, as Aki placed the horn into her bag with the other ingredients for later use.

"Can I pick a winner or what?" The System shouted. "I knew you could do it the whole time. I never doubted you once!"

Haruto screamed into his hands, muffling his anger at the both of them. Aki didn't even notice his anger as she fell on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The System dove into the pile to join the hug, using his new hands to embrace his summoned hero. Even the humble stick nuzzled itself up to them on its own.

The crowd pressed closer to the barrier, cheering and drinking. A man was sketching the scene of Haruto holding his stick to the sky in heroic fashion. They didn’t know the context or the reason, but they knew this outcome would reshape the world. Whenever the Bardic Legion appeared, things always changed.

A few kids riding on the shoulders of their parents began to shout.

"Do the horn again!”
"What's your name?"
"What's your job!?"

A sharp click cut through the cheers. An open briefcase curved along the ground, carving a path with chomping jaws, and scooping up the unconscious Kael. The cord connecting the briefcase to the handle retracted, pulling Kael to Elenore's side.

She clicked her heels against the stone. Her briefcase looked like a proud dog on a walk with its owner. Elenore readied herself, pulling the needle and thread from beneath her partner.

"While I'm surprised Kael was defeated, that doesn't mean you've won." She sneered. "I'll just have to finish this transaction myself."

Aki froze against Haruto. The System stiffened, hiding behind him. Haruto dragged his head up, holding Yggdrasil weakly in front of him.

“You’ve wasted our time,” Elenore said, her briefcase watching with beady red eyes. “Now, I’ll be taking the System!”

Haruto forced himself to his feet. Yggdrasil trembled faintly in his hand. He knew he didn’t have a swing left in him.

The crowd fell silent as a silhouette emerged behind Haruto, dwarfing him. A massive man, broad of chest and thick of arm, carrying the warmth of a hearth. His presence radiated cuddliness and authority in equal measure.

Elenore’s eyes widened behind her cracked glasses. She stood up straight, snapping her fingers at her briefcase to make it heel. A cold sweat fell down her cheek.

The man stepped into the light, revealing a full beard and gentle eyes behind square frames. His stomach rounded to a paunch, making his sheer bulk more intimidating. He clapped one giant hand on Haruto’s shoulder, steadying him with fatherly strength.

“That’s enough,” he said in a low, rumbling voice. “You don’t touch guests in my town.”

"D-Daddy..." Elenore's voice trembled.

"Daddy!" Aki said happily.

“Hey there, baby!” Harlan said, his grin wide. "How's my little Aki-mist?"

"I've had a pretty good day, all things considered." Aki replied, glancing at Haruto with a smile. He looked Haruto up and down in scrutiny, sizing him up as any father would.

Daddy's gaze shifted to Elenore, his face stern. “You’ve had your fun, young lady. Pick up your boy and head on home.”

His voice resounded in her chest like a child being sent to her room. Her jaw tightened. She felt compelled to retreat, down to her very bones.

“I'm leaving because I want to! Not because you told me too.” She said loudly, pulling Kael’s unconscious body along in her case’s mouth. Without another glance, she clicked her heels and disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Daddy watched her go until she was swallowed by darkness. Only then did he let out a rumbling chuckle. “That one’s always been trouble.”

The massive man turned, crouching slightly to bring himself closer to Haruto’s eye level. His hand, heavy and warm, settled on Haruto’s shoulder again.

“The name’s Harlan Eldenwood,” he said, face beaming like sunlight. “But you can call me Daddy, son.”

Before Haruto could protest, Harlan pulled him into a soft embrace. A strange feeling came over him, almost hypnotic. Haruto felt warm, accepted, and loved. With hardly any control over his actions, Haruto returned the hug, wrapping his arms around the strange man he just met. His mind screamed that this was insane, but the tired, lonely part, clung to the warmth like it might vanish if he let go.

The crowd roared again, louder than before, as if the embrace itself was the true finale. A drunk in the front row sobbed uncontrollably, clutching his drink. Lyra's fireworks exploded in the sky, marking the celebration. Aki tightened her grip around Haruto’s arm, pulling him away from Daddy.

The System peeked up nervously from the safety of Haruto’s shoulder. “So… does this mean we’re, uh… safe now?”

“Safe?” Daddy laughed, the sound rolling out like thunder wrapped in velvet. “No, son. Not safe. But you’ve got a place here. If you need it.”

The System nodded quickly, pretending to have understood the wisdom in Daddy’s words. Haruto stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Daddy Eldenwood. Haruto, however, could only stare, still half-broken, half-healed, and entirely overwhelmed.

Haruto’s first meeting with Harlan Eldenwood, the Father Hero, ended not with a clash, but with a hug.