Three days had passed since the vision from Kurayami. Ace was sitting in class, thinking about what might happen today.
He leaned his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the blackboard.
'Should I report this to Kamiyama-san?' Ace wondered.
"Oi, Ace."
Masachika's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Ace turned and saw Masachika sitting half-facing him.
"You look more worn out than usual," Masachika said. "Didn't sleep much?" "A little," Ace replied shortly.
Alya, who was sitting next to Masachika, glanced back as well. "You've been 'a little' a lot lately."
The bell rang, the teacher entered, and class began. Ace tried to focus, but his mind kept drifting.
His fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, an unconscious rhythm.
From the seat beside him, Lala glanced at Ace out of the corner of her eye. The finger tapping, the empty stare, the slightly heavier breathing than usual. All signs she knew too well.
'He's thinking about something again…' she thought.
The bell rang. The classroom immediately filled with the sound of chairs scraping and spontaneous chatter.
During the break, they went to the cafeteria and sat in a relatively quiet corner. Just the two of them. The others were busy with their own things.
For a few minutes, there was only the sound of spoons and plates.
Lala watched Ace as she chewed. "You're restless."
Ace stopped eating. "Is it that obvious?" "Yes," Lala answered without hesitation. "You look like someone waiting for something to fall from the sky."
Ace let out a short laugh. "Hopefully not literally."
Lala leaned forward slightly. "If there's a problem, you can tell me."
Ace fell silent. He stared at the rice on his plate, then sighed softly. "I'm just… thinking about what's ahead."
"How far ahead?" Lala asked. "I don't know. Today. Or very soon."
Lala looked at him for a long moment, then smiled faintly, as if she had made up her mind.
"Then… after school, come with me." Ace raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"
"A date," Lala said lightly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ace almost choked. "What?"
"Yes! I read it in a book I bought. If your partner is restless or sad, you should take them on a date! And besides, dates sound fun!" Lala replied.
The next classes passed quickly.
Finally, the dismissal bell rang.
Students began packing up. Lala stood beside Ace.
"Ace?" she asked softly. "So?"
Ace opened his mouth, then closed it again. He turned toward the window. The afternoon sky looked calm. Too calm.
Just as Ace was about to answer, the system interrupted.
[Host, just accept Lala's invitation.]
'Why?'
[Host, you need to calm down. Don't think about that dragon for now. When the time comes, I'll inform you an hour in advance.]
'Are you sure?'
[This issue isn't too serious since you can prevent it. Calm yourself and accept Lala's invitation.]
Ace let out a small, relieved breath and smiled. "Sure."
Lala's eyes immediately lit up. "Really?" "Yeah. Let's go."
They walked out of the school gate side by side. A gentle evening breeze blew past them. For a moment, Ace allowed himself to enjoy the walk.
They didn't plan anything. Their footsteps decided the direction.
First, they stopped at a takoyaki stand near the station. Lala ordered two portions without asking and handed one box to Ace. "Share," she said simply.
Ace chuckled. "You're the hungry one." "Exactly."
Steam rose from the paper box. Lala, too excited, bit into a takoyaki ball without waiting for it to cool. "Hot-!" Ace reflexively handed her his drink. "That's why you should take it slow." Lala accepted it, cheeks puffed out, then laughed shyly. "Hehe."
They continued walking and entered a small, quiet bookstore. Lala pulled Ace toward the light novel section, pointing at several titles with a serious expression.
They left the shop as the sun sank lower. Streetlights began to turn on. At a small park, Lala sat on a swing and gently swayed. "Push me," she said.
Ace pushed lightly. The evening breeze brushed through Lala's hair, her soft laughter falling in rhythm with the swing.
Some kids passed by, laughing loudly. Lala stopped and looked up at the sky. "You look more relaxed," she said. Ace realized his shoulders were no longer tense. "Maybe."
They bought ice cream. Lala chose a strange flavor, an overly sweet mix. "So?" Ace asked. Lala tasted it, grimaced, then laughed. "Bad choice." Ace switched ice creams with her without a word. Lala blinked, then smiled widely. "Thanks."
Dusk turned into night.
Ace carried Lala in a princess carry and mounted Evildiver, heading toward the mountain where the dragon would appear.
'The date was so fun, I almost forgot! System, how much longer?'
[10… 9… 8… 7…]
'Don't count down, you're making me more nervous!' Ace thought.
"Ace, why are we going to the mountain?" Lala asked. "A dragon is going to appear. That's what's been making me restless all day," Ace replied.
Lala's eyes sparkled. "A dragon! You mean the kind that breathes fire and uses lots of magic like in books?!"
"Yes, that kind. But this one is injured, so we have to help it," Ace said. "Of course! Lala is always ready to help!" Lala replied.
At that moment, a tear appeared in the sky. Ace, already holding the Barrier Book, opened it.
"BARRIER BOOK!"
A barrier formed, covering a wide area where the dragon had fallen. "That's the dragon, Ace!" Lala said excitedly. "Yeah," Ace replied.
They landed some distance away and walked closer.
The dragon glared at them threateningly. "Humans, leave, or you will face the consequences!" it warned.
"Calm down. We're here to help you," Ace said.
The dragon looked confused. "Help me? Were you the one who set up this barrier?"
"Yes. It's to keep evil creatures like demons from coming here and hurting you."
"I was defeated by demons? Hahaha! You're funny, human," the dragon said.
"Normally, no. But in your current condition, are you sure?" Ace asked.
"…You're right. With this sword stuck in me, I'll probably die soon," the dragon admitted.
"You must have a name. What is it?" Ace asked.
"My name is Tohru," the dragon replied.
Ace fell silent for a moment.
"…Tohru?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow slightly.
There was a brief pause, because the name hit his memories harder than expected.
'A dragon with a sword stuck in its back… It's been a long time since I watched Maid Dragon, so I forgot,' Ace thought.
"My name is Akashi Ace. You can call me Ace," Ace introduced himself.
While they were talking, Lala climbed onto Tohru's back. "This sword must hurt. I'll pull it out," Lala said.
"Don't, human!" But Lala had already pulled the sword out.
"…"
"All right, I pulled it out," Lala said, giving a thumbs-up.
"…Thanks, I guess," Tohru said.
"No problem," Lala replied.
Tohru observed Lala. "You're not human, are you?" "Nope. I'm a Devilukean from Planet Deviluke," Lala answered.
Tohru turned to Ace. "You're human, but I can smell dragon on you."
'Is it because of my Sacred Gear?' Ace thought.
At that moment, Ace's phone rang. "Hello, Yuki. What's wrong?"
"Ace, it's bad! Grandpa knows about Sword of Logos!"
"…And?"
"And what do you mean 'and'?! Grandpa investigated you and found out you're connected to Sword of Logos!"
"Yeah… so?"
"Isn't Sword of Logos supposed to be a secret organization? Why are you so calm about it being exposed?"
"So what do you want me to do? 'Silence' your grandpa? You're asking your boyfriend to silence your grandpa. What an unfilial granddaughter."
"Ugh, whatever." Yuki hung up.
Ace scratched his head, confused by Yuki's reaction. He turned back to Tohru and saw Lala and Tohru, now in human form, chatting while sitting on the ground.
Ace approached them. "Tohru, since it's safe now, it's better if you leave before something happens and makes things more complicated."
"Hmph. Just demons. Not a problem," Tohru said.
"Maybe not, but they're annoying. Come on, Lala, let's go home," Ace said.
Lala stood up. "Okay~ Bye-bye, Tohru. Remember what I told you." She walked toward Ace.
Ace dismissed the barrier and summoned Evildiver. While flying, Ace spoke, "Lala, since we're already on the mountain, do you want to try your armor?"
"Yes! Finally, I can use it again!" Lala said excitedly.
They landed.
"All right, Peke, let's go!" Lala said.
"Ready, Lala-sama!" Peke replied.
"Henshin!"
Pink-golden light enveloped Lala, forming a slim knight-like armor with floral accents.
The armor was soft pink with gold lines. A blooming flower was engraved on the chest as its core symbol. The shoulder guards resembled large petals, while the waist plates were layered like flower leaves, flexing smoothly as she moved. The arm and leg guards were sleek, decorated with gently glowing vine patterns.
The helmet was open-faced, framing her face, with small petal ornaments on the sides.
They eliminated the cursed spirits around the mountain before finally returning home.