The moment Hela vanished, the space around Ryuuto shimmered—and she reappeared beside him again, completely transformed.
A few minutes ago, she'd been dressed in her usual regal, intimidating armor—fit for the Queen of the Underworld. Now? She looked like she'd stepped straight out of a Japanese high school romance anime. A crisp white blouse, a blue plaid skirt, and her long black hair fluttering in the wind.
If not for the faint, unearthly chill in her aura, Ryuuto would've mistaken her for some innocent schoolgirl.
"...You done?" he asked, raising a brow.
Hela smiled proudly. "All settled. I told Odin we're bound by a contract. He won't dare interfere anymore."
Ryuuto snorted. "That easy to fool him, huh?"
"Not fooling," Hela said with a flick of her hair. "It's my right. I can forge soul contracts with mortals. Even Odin—'King of the Gods' or not—can't question that. He rules Asgard; I rule Niflheim. Separate jurisdictions."
"Must be nice," Ryuuto muttered. "So if I point at someone and say I hate their guts, you can just… snatch their soul away?"
"Of course," she replied sweetly. "If—" she leaned closer, her voice teasing "—you marry me and come back to the Underworld as my king."
He exhaled sharply. "That's one hell of a price tag."
"The choice is yours," she said lightly. "For now… let's go on our date."
Ryuuto hesitated. Truth be told, he'd never been on a proper date before—not in this life, or the last. He wasn't even sure what counted as one. So he decided to just… walk. Maybe let her experience the human world a bit. With how regal and detached she usually was, he figured everything up here would feel new to her anyway.
–––
Meanwhile, back at the Axville School kitchen, Natasha Romanoff found Susan humming cheerfully while learning to make cheese.
"Need any taste testers?" Natasha asked casually.
Without hesitation, Susan cut off a slice and handed it over.
Natasha took a bite. "Hm. Not bad. You're pretty good at this."
"I want to make something delicious for my sweetheart!" Susan said with a dreamy smile. "Being in love feels amazing, doesn't it?"
Natasha froze mid-bite.
Yeah… about that.
Should she tell Susan that Ryuuto was currently on a date with Hela, Queen of the Underworld? Probably not, unless she wanted an emotional explosion in the kitchen.
While Natasha debated internally, Susan suddenly looked guilty. "Sorry, Natasha. I shouldn't keep mentioning Ryuuto in front of you. I know you used to… kinda like him. When I first visited your place, if you two hadn't been sleeping in separate rooms, I would've assumed you were a couple."
Natasha choked on her cheese. "Wha—what are you talking about? We're just friends! You're overthinking it."
Susan narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't feel like I am."
Natasha averted her gaze. "Even if I did like him—which I don't!—he's seventy years younger than me. That'd be ridiculous."
"So, what—you're into eighty-year-old men now?" Susan teased.
"Absolutely not! I was just making a point!"
Susan giggled. "Alright, alright. I'll drop it. Anyway, I'm taking this plate to Ryuuto. He needs to try my 'love cheese.'"
Natasha almost dropped her fork. "He's… not in his room."
"Then where is he?"
"I—uh—don't know?"
"Then how do you know he's not in his room?"
Caught off guard, Natasha stammered, "I—I guessed?"
"Right. Guess I'll check for myself."
Before Natasha could stop her, Susan left the kitchen.
–––
A minute later, Katie Dee walked in, drying her hands.
"Hey, sis Natasha, did you tell Susan yet?"
"Tell her what?" Natasha sighed. "That Ryuuto's off on a date with Hela? No way. She'd explode. And honestly, we need this date to happen. If Ryuuto refuses, Hela could wipe us all out. Queen of the Underworld—she's not someone you want mad. Even if he beat her once, she could just teleport behind us and scythe us in half. We'd never even see it coming."
Katie frowned. "Didn't he already defeat her though?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she listens to him. You can't beat a goddess of death into obedience." Natasha sighed again. "Honestly, the only one who might survive if she loses her temper is Ryuuto himself."
Katie nodded slowly. "...Fair point."
And then—
Susan shimmered into view right in front of them, dropping her invisibility like a horror movie jump-scare.
Both Natasha and Katie flinched.
"You two are hiding something," Susan said flatly. "Tell me. Now."
There was no point lying anymore. Natasha sighed, rubbing her temple, and explained everything—the deal, the date, Hela's threat, all of it.
When she finished, Susan just said one word. "Oh."
Natasha blinked. "That's it? Just 'oh'? You're not… mad?"
"Why should I be?" Susan smiled faintly. "It's not like Ryuuto wants to date her. He's doing it to keep everyone safe. That's a valid reason. Why would I be angry about that?"
Natasha looked utterly baffled. "You're seriously not jealous?"
"Nope," Susan said brightly. "He's protecting us. That's what matters. I'll just stay home, be a good girlfriend, and wait for him to come back."
Katie leaned over to whisper to Natasha. "Is she… in denial?"
Natasha exhaled. "Either that, or she's way scarier than I thought."