Sisters of the Divine Lineage
For a typical family, it would be utterly ordinary for an older sister to visit her younger sibling. But unfortunately, the household these two belonged to carried far more complicated circumstances.
Across Dimension 6-2 and the multiversal realms, numerous prestigious bloodlines endured. From the old nobility—who had been granted surnames ending in "ma" long ago and still clung to their status even in an era where all surface-level equality reigned—to the ancient gods who had bestowed those titles upon them in bygone days. Each had borne children, ensuring their lineages persisted.
The Dis Pater sisters, descendants of that divine house rooted in Dimension 12, carried the blood of gods in their veins. However, Okerus and Pluto, like many gods of their generation, had different mothers due to the irresponsible indiscretions of their carefree elders, who favored open liaisons. They were half-sisters, in the common parlance.
Yet there could be no divide between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. The ancient gods had laid the foundational laws of Dimension 12, and they had long permitted polygamy. The sisters were exalted beings, inheritors of divine blood. And for new generations like theirs, the influence of their forebears was inevitable.
In the end, Okerus and Pluto—who had been close since childhood—were torn apart by the factional wars openly raging among the family's adults. The group led by Okerus emerged victorious in the power struggle, while the elders who had championed Pluto as the next heir lost their influence. The root cause lay in Pluto's lack of interest in that path, but regardless, the sisters were forced into a relationship where they maintained psychological distance despite living under one roof, irrespective of their own wishes.
Especially once factions formed, Okerus could no longer treat her younger sister Pluto with easy familiarity. Whether she wanted to or not.
"So, what wind blew my big sis all the way here?"
Pluto, aware of this, masked her quiet delight with a teasing lilt, not forgetting to slip in a hint of petulance over Okerus's long absence.
"Well..."
Okerus, who always carried herself with unwavering poise before others, faltered at her sister's question.
"Forget it. You might not get it, sis, but just know I missed you."
With a bold grin, Pluto flashed another cheeky smile, took Okerus's hand, and led her out to the living room.
For a place housing a goddess incarnate in the mortal realm, it was astonishingly modest. Aside from a TV, a few appliances, a laptop, and a gaming console, the cramped living room held little else. Okerus fell silent at the sight.
Before the merger, Okerus had helmed the Dis Pater Credit Vault; now, she held the presidency of the Dimensional Credit Vault—an elite in society's upper echelons. Moreover, she wasn't one to hoard her wealth; she consciously scattered it, a deliberate habit of this particular goddess.
"Smaller than I expected."
"Says the one always nagging me to get used to living in this world..."
"My home wasn't inherited—I earned and bought it myself."
"Got it. Always so full of yourself. Want to borrow some comfy clothes?"
At Pluto's offer, Okerus glanced between her sister and herself. She wore her usual tight suit pants and three-piece ensemble, complete with leather gloves.
"Hm..."
The long flight had left her sweaty and uncomfortable. Truth be told, she yearned to change into something relaxed and rest.
"......"
But Okerus couldn't. Her travel bag was packed solely with outfits like the one she had on.
"Did you pack only suits again?"
Pluto asked with a deflated look, and Okerus hesitated before nodding.
"You're the only one who'd show up at her sister's place dressed like that."
"I didn't plan to stay long..."
"Wow, after all this time, you're making this goddess—person—feel super bummed out."
Pluto knew why her sister acted this way. Okerus had always harbored a peculiar stubbornness: she insisted on appearing flawless and impeccable before others, public or private. Despite her youthful visage belying her ancient years, as a goddess leading a bank, she needed that aura of steel. This attire embodied her resolve—to helm the colossal Dimensional Credit Vault.
Still, Pluto wondered if, before family rather than outsiders, she couldn't loosen up just a bit. She harbored that small hope, unspoken.
"Want to borrow some of mine for now?"
Okerus eyed Pluto and herself again. Pluto was slender; she had more curves. But their heights were similar enough. Baggy casual wear might just work.
Nod.
"Here. Sweatpants."
...Her expectations shattered spectacularly.
"......"
"Uh... kinda tight?"
"......"
"No, sis, you haven't gained weight. Don't worry. It's just that I got the small size. See? Room in the waist and calves. It's just snug elsewhere. Told you, you're fine!"
"If that's the case, then good..."
After wrestling with the size difference, Okerus collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
"There."
Thud.
Pluto plopped down beside her, gently resting her head on her big sister's shoulder as they continued talking.
"Bit out of order, but what's up with Kikiwai? I sensed your aura at the airport a while back, sent a clone, but you left quick."
"Ah, that. I had something to lend Elama."
"Hm. Busy bee, huh."
Pluto clicked her tongue softly, irked by her sister's masculine speech—a habit drilled into her since being named heir to Dis Pater.
"Still talking like that with family?"
"Sorry..."
She exuded charisma as the bank's president elsewhere, but before her slightly younger sister, Okerus was utterly powerless. Knowing why, Pluto began stroking Okerus's hair gently.
"You don't have to keep apologizing. I've never once resented you, sis. It was the uncles' fault—you never treated me badly."
"......"
It was always like this. Okerus fumbled every relationship outside of work. Pluto's role had forever been to understand her awkward sister, who struggled to voice her heart—who couldn't tell those precious to her just how dear they were.
Even showing up unannounced and letting herself in defied norms, yet Pluto didn't get mad. After all, she'd given Okerus the passcode and key herself.
But Pluto didn't play the mature one either. She simply nestled against her sister, just like when they were kids and she'd whine in Okerus's lap.
"Just drop by like this sometimes. That's all I need right now."
After years apart, sitting side by side, she whispered softly into Okerus's ear. Then, lifting her head abruptly, she asked,
"So, real reason you're back at Kikiwai so soon. Haven't heard yet. Here to see me, right?"
"Hm... half?"
"Tch."
Pluto pouted at Okerus's brutally honest reply. She had a hunch why her sister had come all the way home.
"It's that guy, huh. The man with the 'eye.'"
Kim Jian. Okerus nodded faintly at the name from Pluto's lips.
"But hiring some unknown painter as a full banker while you're on counter duty? That's crossing a line."
Okerus couldn't hide her wry smile, knowing Pluto wasn't serious.
"If he'd started with me, he'd be a branch manager by now at least."
"...Can't deny that. Might even have the bald guy's working under me."
"Bald guy?"
"Yeah. Deputy Manager Elama."
Pfft.
Okerus burst out laughing at her sister's grumbling.
"Big dreams. Getting Elama to take orders ain't easy."
"He butts heads with his boss that bad?"
"Treats his subordinates way softer, from what I hear."
"...Softer?"
Pluto recalled the file cabinet that had nearly beaned her head before clocking out—utterly forgetting her own sin of calling Elama bald.
"His mindset's so soft he ignores labor laws...?"
"Elama?"
"Y-yeah... no, never mind."
Pluto trailed off. He was the one human who treated her harshly despite knowing she was a goddess. Scared of what he'd do if she tattled to President Okerus, she couldn't spill the full truth of Kikiwai's daily chaos. At most, she embellished tales of the three factions' petty skirmishes for Okerus.
"Knew it'd be tough, but it is."
Okerus had planted Pluto incognito at Kikiwai for several reasons. The outpost was the frontline of her bank-wide integration policy. Her initial goal: force the three factions' heavyweights to clash repeatedly yet coalesce into one team. The recent Colossus Robotics loan had yielded satisfying results.
But she already knew from reports about the minor inter-faction sabotage. Securing evidence of interference by guC and guE executives gave her leverage against those two, a boon. Still, the ultimate aim of easing factional rivalry seemed distant.
Thus, Okerus couldn't contain her curiosity.
"So, how's Kim Jian doing? Holding up well?"
How was the man with special sight—whom she'd personally scouted from Dimension 3-1—faring at the outpost?
"That guy?"
Pluto pushed away her sister's suddenly intense face, leaning in too close, and shot back.
"Yeah."
"Really invested, huh."
"Elama bringing him to the outpost caught me off guard."
Kim Jian was plenty capable, and her subordinates argued he could buffer the factions' discord. As president, Okerus couldn't oppose Elama recruiting him. But the real reason she'd fast-tracked him via special hire wasn't specs or skill—it was far weightier.
"You're worried. Found a human with your 'stolen eye' after so long, and now you can't keep him close."
Okerus touched the eyepatch Pluto gently traced with slender fingers.
"...Thinking of snagging him when the chance comes. Somewhere my eye can reach. Back to HQ in Linden."
Okerus thought to herself: the socket long occupied by her prosthetic eye—the trace of absence—ached more sharply today than ever.