The morning after the emotional meltdown that nearly melted reality itself started with a surprisingly peaceful breeze, birds chirping like nothing had happened — as if two girls hadn't just unlocked max affection, unleashed elemental chaos, and nearly ripped the fabric of spacetime apart out of sheer romantic frustration. MC awoke groggy, disoriented, and slightly crispy around the edges, his hair still smelling faintly of cinnamon and ozone. He blinked, looked around the quiet camp, and immediately noticed something was very, very wrong.
Where Lina and Iris usually slept, there was now just one... person? Entity? Mass of magic and limbs?
He scrambled up with all the grace of a man who didn't know whether he was in danger, dreaming, or dead. The figure before him was floating slightly above the ground, wrapped in flickering bands of fire and shimmering clocks, their form glowing with fused energy that pulsed erratically like a potion about to explode. Hair half-silver, half-crimson. Eyes shifting between cold precision and fiery temper. Voice layered and glitchy as it muttered, "He is… such… a moron."
MC let out a squeak.
Then the System chimed in, way too calmly for the situation:[Emergency Fusion Mode: ACTIVE][Participants: Lina (100% Affection), Iris (100% Affection)][Status: Fused][Stability Rating: 1 out of 10][Side Effects: Unpredictable behavior, magical leakage, passive aggression]
He staggered backward. "Wh-wh-what do you mean fused?! Like… mentally? Physically? Spiritually? Can I undo it? There has to be a cancel button! Where's the cancel button?!"
The fusion entity turned toward him, a glitchy grin spreading across its face. "MC…" it said, and the name sounded like it came from two mouths at once. "You forgot to feed the squirrel army."
He blinked. "What?"
The fused girl raised a glowing hand, and a blast of half-fire, half-stasis shot past his shoulder and vaporized a tree. "That was a warning shot," she — they — said sweetly.
Panicking, he rushed to his bag, frantically rummaging through potions, scrolls, and snacks. Nothing said "De-Fuse" or "Fix Your Love Life With Science." Meanwhile, Kaela, Luna, and Jax peeked from behind a boulder, watching the events unfold like an especially cursed soap opera.
Kaela whispered, "Should we help?"
Luna shook her head. "They'll incinerate the forest or freeze the sun or… kiss him to death. Either way, I don't want to be nearby."
Jax was playing a dramatic tune under his breath, narrating with flair. "And thus, the Harem King met his greatest trial — not war, nor monsters, but two girls sharing a body and one brain cell fueled by emotional spite."
Back at the epicenter of the disaster, MC tried reason.
"Okay, Iris-Lina… Li-ris? Irina? Whatever you are right now, listen — you're both amazing, strong, terrifying individuals with your own distinct traumas and charms, and I would very much like you not to explode."
The fusion twitched.
"Did… did he just try a friendship speech on us?"
"I think he did."
"Ugh. Classic MC move."
"He hasn't changed at all. But his hair's cuter when it's singed."
"Agreed. Still… he needs to suffer a little."
Before he could ask what that meant, they snapped their fingers and a glowing cage of ticking flame materialized around him. Not dangerous, just… inconvenient. And very hot.
"Trial by embarrassment," they said in eerie unison.
Trapped in a fiery time-looping cage, MC began nervously pacing. "Okay. Okay. No big deal. I just have to figure out how to defuse the situation. Literally."
He turned to the System again. "Give me options. Anything."
[Possible Solutions:]
Emotional Clarity from All Involved Parties — Unlikely.
A Third Fusion Partner to Destabilize the Dual Link — Dangerous. Possibly fatal.
Wait Until Mana Burnout Reverts the Process — ETA: 4 hours. Side effect: extreme mood swings.
MC sighed. "Oh, perfect."
For the next few hours, chaos reigned. The fusion walked around camp critiquing everyone's posture, organizing the gear by color-coded threat levels, then baking muffins in the middle of a battle simulation. Their magic pulsed unpredictably — one moment freezing bugs mid-air, the next incinerating a rock out of boredom. MC tried several times to reason with them, but each attempt was met with either flirtation, fury, or philosophical debate about whether soup counted as a drink or a food. He was emotionally exhausted.
Finally, as the sun dipped low and the fusion glowed like a collapsing star, something shifted. The aura around them flickered. They stumbled slightly, clutching their head.
"Iris?" MC called out.
"Lina?" he added, just in case.
Both voices replied at once. "We are… tired of sharing."
With a dramatic pop and a magical pulse that knocked over Kaela's tent, the two girls were suddenly two again. They blinked, swayed, and promptly collapsed onto the grass, groaning.
MC rushed over, relieved. "You're okay!"
Lina groaned, "My head's full of time math."
Iris muttered, "My hands smell like chili powder."
They looked at each other, then away, then — despite themselves — started laughing. Tired, embarrassed, overwhelmed laughter. And somehow, that made MC feel better than any victory.
Then the System pinged again, ever the messenger of dread.[Note: Fusion Link potential remains. Stability: 3%. Emotional danger level: Extremely High.]
MC stared at the notification, then at the girls — one still glowing faintly, the other poking a squirrel with a confused expression — and sighed.
He was so doomed.
END OF CHAPTER 42