Only after the blond man disappeared from his sight did Arthur finally let out a slow breath and retract his aura.
The oppressive atmosphere that had filled the room vanished instantly, as if it had never been there.
"I'm sorry if I scared you all…"
When he turned around, he immediately noticed the state everyone was in.
Kiba still looked slightly shaken, though there was also relief in his expression. Seeing Arthur's overwhelming strength had reassured him that Rias would be safe no matter what happened.
Asia seemed mostly unaffected. As the only normal human present, she had not truly perceived the weight of Arthur's aura, so she simply looked at him with her usual gentle concern.
Rias, on the other hand, was practically glowing. To her, Arthur looked exactly like a protagonist from one of the romance manga she secretly adored.
Akeno had been the closest to him when everything happened, so she had felt the pressure more clearly than anyone except Grayfia. There was a faint trace of fear lingering in her eyes… but it was overshadowed by excitement and something far deeper.
She had been protected.
Grayfia remained composed, as expected. That level of pressure was not enough to disturb her.
Koneko, however, was a completely different story.
Her small body trembled slightly as her instincts screamed at her never to provoke the being standing before her.
Arthur noticed immediately.
Without saying anything, he walked over and gently placed his hand on her head.
He began to stroke her hair slowly.
Koneko stiffened at first… but then her body gradually relaxed.
A soft sound escaped her lips, something very close to a quiet purr.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"So you like that…"
After calming her down, he straightened up and addressed the group.
"Since everything is settled, I'll head home first. Does anyone want to come with me?"
Akeno raised her hand almost instantly.
"I'll go with you."
Rias shook her head.
"I still have things to take care of, so I'll return later."
Asia hesitated before speaking softly.
"I'll stay with Rias-san."
Arthur nodded.
"In that case, I'll see you all later."
He and Akeno left together.
Grayfia took a step forward as if she wanted to stop him. There was something she needed to tell him, a message from Sirzechs himself… but before she could speak, Arthur had already vanished.
---
Outside, Arthur slowed his pace.
Instead of heading straight home, he decided to take a walk.
Akeno, meanwhile, had firmly attached herself to his arm, pressing close against him without the slightest hesitation.
Her body leaned into his side, her chest pressing softly against his arm as she smiled with clear satisfaction.
For once, she had him all to herself.
"Are you taking me on a date~?" she asked playfully.
Arthur glanced at her and smiled.
"Yes."
The simple answer made her blink in surprise before her cheeks turned slightly pink.
"I suppose I haven't been giving you enough attention lately," he continued. "I took Asia shopping, and I spent the entire week training with Rias every night."
Akeno nodded slowly, pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.
"My boyfriend ignored me to go play with other girls… sob, sob."
Arthur laughed softly before pulling her closer.
"If you put it like that, then you're right. I'll make it up to you."
He paused, then wrapped his arms around her in a warm, sudden embrace.
Akeno froze for a moment.
Her face turned bright red almost instantly.
"W-What is this…?"
Arthur smirked slightly.
"Who would've thought someone as seductive as you would be this weak to affection?"
Before she could respond, she lightly pinched his side in retaliation.
"Hey…"
Arthur didn't even flinch.
"Sorry, sorry," he said with a laugh. "You're just too cute."
Without warning, he lifted her into his arms.
Akeno instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Where are we going?"
"To the cinema."
---
They booked the entire cinema.
The room was completely empty, the soft glow of the screen casting shifting colors across the dark space, creating an almost unreal atmosphere that felt detached from the rest of the world.
Akeno didn't hesitate for even a second.
Instead of sitting beside Arthur, she settled directly onto his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world, her body fitting perfectly against his as she leaned back slightly into his chest.
He didn't stop her.
If anything, his arms naturally wrapped around her waist, holding her in place as though he had been waiting for this moment.
Between them rested a large bucket of popcorn.
Every now and then, Akeno would pick up a piece and bring it to his lips, her fingers lingering just a fraction longer than necessary, her eyes watching him closely with a teasing glint.
"Open your mouth~"
Arthur leaned forward slightly, taking the popcorn from her fingers without breaking eye contact.
Their faces were close.
Too close.
Close enough that he could feel her breath brushing lightly against his lips.
At some point, neither of them was paying attention to the movie anymore.
The quiet of the empty theater wrapped around them, amplifying every small movement, every breath, every subtle shift of their bodies.
Akeno was the first to move.
She tilted her head slightly, her lips parting just a little before she leaned in and pressed them softly against his.
The kiss started slow, almost testing, but there was nothing hesitant about the way her fingers curled into his shirt.
Arthur responded immediately, his hand tightening slightly at her waist as he pulled her closer, deepening the contact without breaking the gentle rhythm.
Akeno let out a soft breath against his lips, something between a sigh and a quiet sound she didn't even seem aware of making.
The kiss lingered.
It grew warmer.
Closer.
Their lips moved against each other in a slow, unhurried rhythm, but the tension between them continued to build with every passing second.
Akeno shifted slightly on his lap, turning her body so she could face him more directly, her knees pressing against either side of him as her arms wrapped loosely around his neck.
Now there was no distance left between them.
When she kissed him again, it wasn't tentative anymore.
It was deeper.
More demanding.
A faint, breathy sound slipped past her lips as she leaned into him, her body pressing closer, as if she was unconsciously chasing that warmth.
Arthur's grip tightened.
One hand slid slightly up her back, holding her firmly in place as their breathing grew uneven, their movements less controlled than before.
The soft sounds between them became more noticeable in the quiet theater — the faint brushing of lips, uneven breaths, quiet sighs that neither of them tried to suppress anymore.
Akeno pulled back just slightly, her forehead resting against his, her breathing warm and unsteady.
But it didn't last.
She leaned in again, this time with even less restraint.
Her lips found his once more, slower at first, then gradually deepening as if she was savoring every second while losing herself in it at the same time.
Arthur responded just as strongly, pulling her closer until there was no space left between their bodies.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
The movie.
The world outside.
Even time itself seemed to blur.
It was just them.
Just this.
Just the quiet, overwhelming closeness neither of them wanted to break.
Akeno's fingers tightened slightly at the back of his neck, a soft sound escaping her again as she pressed closer, completely absorbed in the moment, as if she had forgotten where they were entirely.
And honestly—
Arthur wasn't much better.
Then suddenly—
The faint creak of the door broke through the silence.
Both of them froze.
A female employee peeked inside, likely checking whether the theater was empty.
The moment her eyes landed on them, she went completely still.
Her face turned bright red almost instantly.
"I-I'm so sorry!"
She turned around immediately and shut the door behind her.
For a brief moment, silence returned.
Then—
Akeno buried her face into Arthur's shoulder, laughing softly, her voice still slightly breathless.
"Well… that was embarrassing."
Arthur let out a quiet chuckle, his hand still resting on her back.
"I think we got carried away."
Akeno lifted her head slightly, her eyes still warm, still lingering in that same mood.
"…Just a little."
Reluctantly, they separated, though neither of them moved very far from the other.
Hand in hand, they left the theater together, the lingering warmth between them refusing to fade even as they stepped back into the outside world.
---
Just as bedtime was approaching, Rias suddenly returned carrying a stack of recorded videos of Riser's past Rating Games.
Without saying anything at first, she placed them down in front of Arthur with a serious expression.
"I know you're incredibly strong," she said, her voice softer than usual but firm with concern, "but I think you should at least look these over so you don't run into any unexpected problems tomorrow."
Arthur glanced at the recordings, then back at her.
She was right.
Even though he possessed [Instinct], relying purely on intuition without proper information would inevitably lead to blind spots. No matter how powerful he was, a lack of knowledge could still result in mistakes, especially against someone who had far more combat experience in structured battles like Rating Games.
The four of them gathered in the living room and sat close together as the recordings began to play on the television.
Arthur leaned back slightly, his gaze focused, while Rias sat beside him and Akeno and Asia positioned themselves nearby, all watching in quiet concentration.
Despite having spent considerable time in this world, Arthur still found it somewhat strange that modern conveniences were not as advanced here as in his previous life. There were no sleek smartphones, no ultra-thin displays, and even the television they were using felt outdated compared to what he remembered.
'With my abilities… I could probably recreate all of that myself.'
The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he pushed it aside. There were more important matters to focus on.
His attention returned to the screen.
From what he observed, Riser's entire combat philosophy revolved around one fundamental advantage—his immortality.
Every strategy, every decision, every movement he made was built upon that foundation.
Even when his team was pushed to the brink, Riser would step forward himself, using his regenerative ability to endure damage while gradually wearing down his opponents until they broke.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly.
'That won't work against me.'
Thanks to [Magic Power Manipulation] and [Magic Power Manifestation], he had already developed a method to interfere with and nullify the Phenex clan's regenerative advantage.
Even so, he could not deny one thing.
Riser possessed an exceptional level of mental endurance.
His body regenerated, but the pain remained.
And yet, he continued fighting through it without hesitation.
Arthur respected that… to a certain extent.
Still, if he were able to fully utilize magic, the battle would become even simpler. Unfortunately, his current understanding of magic was still lacking. He clearly remembered the frustration of trying to read the grimoire he had obtained from the system and failing to comprehend even the most basic structures within it.
Magic was not something that could be brute-forced.
It required knowledge, understanding, and proper execution.
'For now… I'll focus on what I'm best at.'
Physical combat.
Control.
Instinct.
That would be enough.
After a couple of hours, they finished reviewing all the recordings.
The tension in the room eased slightly as the screen went dark.
One by one, they began preparing for bed.
Tonight, however, things were a little different.
Perhaps out of consideration, Akeno and Asia quietly left the room, leaving Arthur and Rias alone together.
The atmosphere shifted almost immediately.
The silence felt softer, more intimate.
Rias stood there for a moment, clearly hesitating before speaking.
"…Are you upset?"
Arthur looked at her, genuinely confused.
"Why would I be?"
Rias lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers tightening around the edge of her sleeve.
"I used you… to deal with my engagement."
Arthur blinked… and then laughed softly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
His voice carried no trace of annoyance, only warmth.
"I'm doing this because I love you. Besides, I already knew everything before you told me that night."
Rias looked up in surprise.
Her expression shifted quickly, suspicion flashing across her face.
"…Akeno."
Arthur simply smiled and said nothing.
"Even if you hadn't asked me," he continued, his tone becoming more serious, "I would have gone to teach Riser a lesson anyway."
He held her gaze firmly, making sure she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
Rias's lips trembled slightly.
"Thank you… I just… I…"
Her voice broke.
Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them.
Arthur didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
His embrace was steady, reassuring, grounding.
"In the future," he said quietly, "if something feels like too much for you to handle, don't carry it alone. Tell me. I'll deal with it."
Rias let out a soft, tearful laugh against his chest.
"Then I'd be completely useless," she murmured. "No… I'll become strong enough to solve your problems too."
Arthur chuckled.
"In that case, I'll just make you strong and then stay at home playing video games all day."
Rias lifted her head slightly, her earlier sadness fading into a small, genuine smile.
"That actually sounds nice… maybe then you'll stop bringing other women home."
Arthur made an exaggerated expression of discomfort.
"…That might be difficult."
Rias sighed, though there was no real bitterness in it anymore.
In fact, there was something softer behind her expression now.
Perhaps… it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
A big, lively, slightly chaotic family.
The thought didn't seem so unpleasant anymore.
And as she leaned back into his embrace, her worries slowly melted away.
-
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Current Chapter - 61 ( New World - Danmachi )
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