"You've taken a liking to me?!"
Hearing Arthur say that, Akua Shuzen's eyes widened slightly, her pupils trembling as a faint blush colored her pale cheeks.
She hadn't expected Arthur to be so blunt.
Just a while ago, he'd wanted to kill her—and now he was saying he liked her?
How did that make sense?
The shy flutter in her heart came and went in an instant.
Frowning slightly, Akua Shuzen asked,
"Aren't you afraid Mengxiang will be hurt by this?"
"You mean?" Arthur looked at her, amused.
"You're… seeing other women," she said quietly.
Arthur smiled, the corner of his lips curving upward.
"Don't worry. I already told Mengxiang about that. She agreed."
Akua Shuzen: "..."
Well, what else could she say to that?
After a brief pause, Arthur spoke again.
"Alright then, I'll give you seven days. Give me your answer after that."
"...Okay."
Akua Shuzen nodded softly.
Then she lifted her gaze toward the second-floor bedroom, hesitated for a moment, and said,
"I'm heading out. Tell Mengxiang for me—I've got something to take care of. I'll come see her again in seven days."
"Got it." Arthur nodded.
Turning around, Akua Shuzen walked toward the courtyard, preparing to leave.
"Wait."
Arthur suddenly called out to her.
"???"
She stopped and turned back.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"You're leaving already? Take something with you."
"Something?" Akua Shuzen blinked, puzzled.
Arthur turned toward the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out a bottle of his special tomato juice blend, walking back to hand it to her.
"This—are you sure?"
Akua Shuzen stared at the bottle, her heart leaping with both surprise and joy.
She hadn't expected him to give her a bottle to take home.
As much as she wanted it, the thought of their current complicated relationship made her hesitate.
Seeing her biting her lip in hesitation, Arthur's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Come on, take it," he said with a grin.
"Once I give something away, I don't take it back. If you don't want it, toss it somewhere."
"No! I'll take it—I want it!"
The moment he said that, Akua Shuzen snatched the bottle from his hand, a small, happy smile tugging at her lips—one she couldn't quite hide.
Seeing her take the bait, Arthur, the seasoned fisherman, was delighted.
You're happy, I'm happy.
A win-win situation.
"I'll get going then. Thank you."
Holding the tomato juice close, Akua Shuzen gave him a polite nod and leapt lightly into the air, vanishing swiftly over the courtyard wall.
"Doesn't take the normal route, huh?"
Watching her leave that way instead of using the front door, Arthur couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head before turning to head upstairs.
What's that?
You think he should've reminded her to use the door?
Since when did anyone need reminding to use a door?
Leaving Arthur's house, Akua Shuzen sped toward Fukushima Prefecture—so fast that no ordinary human could have seen her move.
Meanwhile, in another world—
Hours earlier.
After wandering around Japan for a bit, Tohru activated her magic and opened a spatial portal, returning to the world where she was born.
After visiting several familiar places, she made up her mind.
She would go find Arthur.
She wanted to experience a new life—
her own decision, just like that thief girl before her.
Perhaps… this too was a kind of freedom.
When she made that decision, Arthur's Compendium of All Things lit up with her name.
Afterward, Tohru didn't rush back to Earth's main world.
Instead, she sought out a few friends—
Lucoa, Fafnir, and the others.
As dawn approached, after saying her goodbyes, Tohru invoked her magic once more, opening a new portal bound for Earth.
She didn't know that, not long after her departure,
another dragon would follow her trail—
tearing open a rift in space and crossing into the human world.
When Tohru reappeared on Earth—
Far above the atmosphere, beyond layers of invisible spatial barriers, in the Celestial Realm—
"That dragon again."
A golden-haired angel frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing, golden light flickering faintly within them.
Across an unfathomable distance, she peered through layer upon layer of space, locking onto Tohru's form.
She observed for a while, then relaxed.
Tohru didn't seem to be here to cause trouble.
The angel withdrew her gaze.
As long as the dragon caused no disturbance, there would be no problem.
Even if she came from another world—
To this angel, all beings were equal:
angels, demons, otherworldly dragons alike.
She held no prejudice—
not even against the ghosts and yokai that roamed Earth.
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