Arthur woke up slowly, the transition from the cosmic to the domestic always a jarring, yet pleasant, shift.
He felt a gentle, warm weight settling on his right side.
There was a sleeping beauty with him. Aerith Gainsborough was curled tightly against him, her breathing soft and even.
She had such a cute, peaceful smile on her face right now, a sight that instantly smoothed the raw edges of Arthur's power.
She had been waiting for him to return from the dimensional dungeon for months, enduring the silence that came with his deep-dive assignments.
It was entirely understandable that she would want to anchor herself to him while he was physically present.
Arthur gently rubbed the softness of her cheek.
He didn't get up, instead choosing to simply lie there, letting her hug him for as long as she wished.
He quietly reached for the remote and turned on the local news.
He hadn't been staying in his home world much, and the media landscape was always shifting.
"I still have to go to see Sona and the others,"
He murmured, referencing his partners in other distinct, but non-Dungeon-controlled, universes.
The news channel was predictably focused on the meta-human issue, fueled by his recent intervention.
"We have confirmed that there are always people with supernatural powers before the beginning of the Dungeon Climber era,"
The anchor stated.
"They were originally called meta-humans. There was a group called the Brotherhood. And the other group that is still in the dark—the X-Men."
The report on mutants wasn't as hostile as Arthur thought it would be.
The world's gradual acceptance of the Dungeon Climbers—heroes who gained powers from a strange source—had created an unexpected buffer for mutants.
If the Tower could turn a normal human into a powerhouse, the mutants weren't so different; they were simply born into their power.
"Ummm…"
Aerith stirred, slowly waking up and looking at Arthur, who was focused on the holographic news feed.
She stretched languidly, her movements graceful and natural, before leaning in to plant a soft, sweet kiss on his cheek.
"Good morning, my sovereign of chaos."
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
Arthur kissed her back gently.
"Nope, I always wake up at this time,"
Aerith assured him, her smile radiant.
She got out of the bed, moving with an eternal elegance.
Her beauty was truly eternal; even moments after waking, she was breathtakingly perfect.
"I will make you hot coffee!"
Aerith declared, already moving toward the door with an earnest desire to be the supportive partner he needed.
She quickly went to the kitchen to bring Arthur the coffee that would kickstart his superhuman day.
Arthur couldn't help but feel a warm surge of happiness and profound gratitude to have her in his life.
They spent the whole morning together, talking about mundane life and his adventures, before Aerith eventually had to leave to take care of her flower shop, her connection to the simpler life she cherished.
Arthur didn't have anything immediate to do.
Tifa wasn't at home either, as she had to go to take care of her restaurant, ensuring the business ran smoothly.
"So lonely…"
Arthur sighed dramatically, lying back on the bed.
[Don't be sulky, darling. You have grown so much that we could eat you. But we can't do that for now.]
Great Red's voice suddenly spoke directly into his mind, rumbling with the playful, immense power of a True Dragon.
Ophis followed, her mental voice a soft, tired whisper.
[We haven't gone anywhere. However, because of that Magicule Breeder Reactor you got from the Tower. We have been busy suppressing it until you successfully evolved.]
Arthur's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
They had been completely silent during his entire time in the Tensura world.
He felt a deep, immediate guilt.
He realized that when he left the Tensura world so quickly to control his unstable power in the Dimensional Gap, it was Great Red and Ophis who bore the burden.
If they hadn't suppressed the explosive energy of his evolving Magicule Breeder Reactor, the entire Tensura world could have been wiped clean.
They couldn't contact him because any lapse in concentration could have meant a catastrophic loss of control.
[Are you going to go back to our universe today?]
Ophis asked, her voice sounding genuinely drained.
She must have expended immense power keeping his chaotic evolution contained.
"Yes, that is the plan. I don't really have anything to do here, but—"
"Sir, Ms. Hardy is contacting you. She said she has something urgent to report to you,"
JARVIS interrupted the cosmic conversation.
Arthur sighed, already knowing exactly what this was about.
"Let her through, JARVIS."
Felicia Hardy appeared on a comms hologram, her face stripped of its usual bravado and replaced with genuine worry.
She reported everything about the chaos in the Carolinas, but her voice broke as she got to the end.
"I left her there, but I haven't been able to contact her since the morning. She just ran off when the X-Men left. Please check on her, Arthur. I know she's trouble, but she's my partner in crime."
Felicia was truly close to Yuffie and genuinely worried about her well-being.
"Alright, wait a sec, Felicia."
Arthur quickly cut the comms and closed his eyes.
He used his senses, pushing his enhanced Hyper Focus across the continent.
He found her quickly—a whirlwind of chaotic, familiar energy.
She wasn't kidnapped or hurt. She was deep inside the X-Mansion.
Logan was chasing her around the Danger Room, swearing loudly, his claws out but retracted.
Kitty Pryde was helping her, using her phasing power to open shortcuts and lock doors.
And Kurt Wagner was joining in the fun, teleporting past obstacles with excited BAMFs.
They were having an absolute blast.
"She is okay and just having fun with her new friend,"
Arthur informed JARVIS with a mix of relief and profound irritation.
"I will bring her back. What a truly troublesome girl..."