"Safe travels, both of you."
Just as she had when greeting them earlier, Airmid gave a deep, graceful bow.
Adi, unable to wave with her arms full, beamed instead. "Bye, Airmid."
"See you next time, Airmid-san." Akira adjusted his stance, one hand on his hip as he gave a brief wave.
And the crate of precious medicine?
It floated obediently at his side, shimmering faintly in the sun.
Adi's eyes narrowed. She puffed her cheeks in mock anger. "Ohhh. So you can float things. And here I was carrying mine the whole time until my arms went numb."
She shook her arm dramatically, pretending to be exhausted. Then, with a sly blink, she held her box out toward him. Though with her Level 3 strength the weight was nothing, her eyes clearly said: Take it for me, won't you?
But Akira merely crossed his arms into an X and grinned. "Nope. That's a task Shakti gave you. I'm already being generous carrying one, why would I take a loss?"
"You—! How could you be so mean!"
Adi tried to push the box into his arms, but Akira easily dodged.
From behind, Airmid's lips curved just slightly. Hands folded before her, she whispered a quiet prayer, "May you both return safely from the next battle."
The two continued on until they reached a lively square filled with the chatter of merchants and customers.
With her hands finally free, Adi wandered from stall to stall before purchasing two pieces of soft, freshly baked cake.
At first, the attack from evilus had left her spirit somewhat dim but ever since meeting Akira again, the gloom had lifted. When she was with him, her heart felt like the sky after a storm, brighter, warmer, with a rainbow stretching across the horizon.
Smiling, she held one piece toward him. "Ah—"
Akira leaned forward, taking a bite. His lips brushed against her fingertips, warm and fleeting, leaving behind the faintest sensation. The cake itself was soft and sweet, melting instantly on the tongue.
"Mmm. I didn't expect something so plain-looking to taste this good."
Seeing his satisfied expression, Adi's smile widened. She took the same fingers, pinched another piece, and popped it into her mouth.
Halfway through chewing, her gaze fell on the faint moisture left on her fingertips.
Her mind blanked for a beat. 'Wait… is this… Akira's—?'
A rush of heat colored her cheeks. She stared at her fingers, and before she could stop herself, a soft laugh slipped out.
Akira gave her a strange look and asked, "What's with that face? You look like an idiot."
"N-Nothing." Adi waved her free hand frantically, stammering, "I just thought this cake was really good. It made me a little too happy."
Her voice trailed off as she shoved the remaining cake into her mouth, cheeks puffed like a squirrel's. The sight made Akira's fingers twitch with the urge to pinch them.
At the entrance beneath the towering statue of Ganesha, the air was filled with the mingled scents of dust and incense.
Akira shifted the heavy box in his arms and handed it to a nearby member of the Ganesha Familia.
"I'll take you this far, Adi. From here, I'm heading to the streets to help out. There are still several homes in Orario damaged by the evilus attack that haven't been cleaned up yet."
He glanced at her with an easy smile, though his tone carried the faint weight of responsibility. "Alise and the others wanted to volunteer as well, but I refused. They need to rest before the next battle."
Since the raid, some of the displaced citizens had taken temporary shelter in the bases of the major familias. But Akira knew that there was no true urgency to rebuild. Not yet. In these uncertain times, newly restored homes could just as easily be reduced to rubble again. The priority now was clear: protect the people, and prepare for the next strike from evilus.
Adi stood there, gaze fixed on Akira's back as he prepared to leave. An odd impulse surged within her chest. Without a second thought, she set her own box onto the arms of an elephant-headed Ganesha warrior, who, much to her annoyance, was still munching on melon slices as if nothing in the world could faze him.
Then she ran. Her steps were quick, decisive. When she reached Akira, she rose onto her toes, her arms slipping gently around his neck. Her breath was warm against his ear, her heartbeat quickening in the brief closeness.
"Bye, Akira." She whispered, her voice so soft only the two of them could hear it.
She lingered a heartbeat longer before letting go, stepping back with a bright, unrestrained smile.
"See you in two nights."
She kept retreating, her hand raised in farewell, her eyes locked on his until the last possible moment. Sunlight caught her figure, outlining her in gold. The breeze toyed with her hair, carrying her scent just far enough to make Akira's heart stir unexpectedly.
"…Bye-bye."
With that, he turned and joined the volunteer crew. The work was divided with extreme efficiency. Some hauled heavy rubble from the ruins, others combed through the debris for anything salvageable.
An adventurer overseeing the site spotted him and said, "Akira-sama, there's still a wide section that needs clearing. Can I leave it to you?"
Akira nodded and got to work, his magic making short work of the stubborn debris. Slowly, through the combined efforts of many, the streets began to regain their familiar shape.
Night came.
Akira lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling in the quiet room. "Looks like I can actually sleep well tonight."
He'd waited for the girls for a while, but when they didn't arrive, he assumed there would be a truce tonight. His eyelids began to droop.
Knock. Knock.
The sound was soft, deliberate.
His drowsiness evaporated instantly. He sat up, slapped his cheeks lightly to wake himself, and moved to the door. When it swung open, the figure waiting outside was not who he had expected.
"…Ryuu?"
His hand froze on the door handle. For a moment, surprise flickered across his face, but it quickly gave way to a small, welcoming smile.
"It's so late. Did something happen?"
Bathed in silver moonlight, Ryuu's slender frame seemed even more delicate. She stood with her head slightly lowered, her bangs veiling her eyes.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour." She murmured.
When she looked up, her gaze was calm, but beneath it lingered an urgency he couldn't quite name. "I… have some questions I want to ask you."
Akira stepped aside. "Come in."
He pulled out a chair for her. "You're welcome to sit."
The room fell into a stillness, broken only by the faint clink of glass as he poured her water. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he waited without pressing her.
Ryuu sipped the water, took a slow breath, and then—
"Akira… what do you think of me?"
A while ago.
That morning, after Akira had fled in a flustered mess, he hadn't seen what had happened next.
Alise had gathered every member of the familia. The girls assumed it was the usual council meeting, plans for the week, discussions of justice, the standard fare. Instead, Alise lobbed a verbal depth charge.
"Everyone, how about becoming Akira's wife?"
Ryuu, already aware of certain background details, had expected shock, perhaps outrage, but the room did not erupt in chaos. No one dismissed the idea outright. In fact, they seemed more concerned with whether Alise had gone insane again, or whether Akira was in some kind of trouble, before quickly shifting to enthusiastic discussion.