One day later.
Kuro's journey to South Africa—which should have taken more than ten hours—ended in just two hours thanks to the Vimana he piloted.
Even though the Vimana could travel far faster, reducing the trip to mere minutes.
However, Kuro deliberately did not do so.
He chose to enjoy the journey.
Now, beneath the busy skies of Johannesburg, Kuro walked casually along the sidewalk, accompanied by Kama at his side—in her adult form resembling Sakura Matou.
Her presence… was impossible to ignore.
Several passersby couldn't help but turn their heads, even stopping for a moment.
Not because they consciously understood why, but more like… they were drawn in for reasons they couldn't explain.
Her long silver hair reflected the sunlight. Her red eyes were hidden behind black-framed glasses.
Her well-proportioned body was wrapped in black clothing, layered with a long purple coat with fur-lined edges on the collar and hood.
That "goddess of love" aura… was far too strong to conceal.
Unlike Kuro.
Even though his own charm far surpassed that of ordinary humans, his appearance seemed plain—masked by a Mystic Code that suppressed attention to his presence.
He glanced to the side, then let out a soft sigh.
…Just as he expected.
Initially, the one who was supposed to accompany him was Xu Fu. However, due to other more important matters, that position was now taken by Kama.
Kama turned her head, then casually wrapped her arm around Kuro's, leaning her body slightly closer.
"What is it, Master?" she said softly, her voice almost caressing. "Why does your expression look like… you're not happy I'm here?"
Kuro kept looking straight ahead, his pace unchanged.
"Not really…" he replied flatly, without hesitation.
Yet the faint breath that slipped out afterward suggested something slightly different.
Kama smiled faintly, pressing her soft cheek more firmly against Kuro's shoulder.
"Lying isn't good, you know…" she murmured. "Be honest, Master. To your girlfriend who always gives you love."
A brief silence.
Kuro didn't respond immediately. He only glanced sideways for a moment before looking forward again.
"Even in another world…" he said flatly, "your beauty is still too noticeable. And the problem is… you have no intention of hiding it at all."
Kama blushed faintly, but still maintained her position.
"Of course~ I am the goddess of love," she replied lightly, full of confidence.
Kuro gave a faint smirk.
"Correction. No," he said casually. "You're a Succubus Goddess."
Immediately, Kama's brows furrowed.
"…Mean," she replied quickly, her tone slightly irritated. She lightly pinched Kuro's arm. "You're casually labeling me again. I'm a goddess of love, not some lowly creature like that."
Kuro glanced at her again, this time with a mildly amused expression.
"Oh yeah?" he said lightly.
"Yes," Kama replied firmly, turning her face away slightly. "At least choose a more appropriate term."
Kuro let out a soft snort.
"Yeah, yeah… alright," he said casually, "how about a being that tries to drain me dry."
Kama immediately turned back to him, now glaring—an expression mixed with annoyance and offense.
"That's also mean," she protested. "I'm not that brutal."
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping—softer, but carrying pressure.
"…And even if I were," she continued quietly, "it's because Master is too weak to resist, not my fault."
Kuro let out a soft chuckle.
Clearly—he had been provoking her reaction on purpose.
And as usual, Kama had taken the bait… even if she had no real intention of stepping away.
Kama fell silent for a moment.
The slightly sharp look in her eyes softened—almost as if she had just realized something.
"…Hmph."
She gave a small huff, then glanced at Kuro from the side.
"You really are just teasing me, Master-san," she murmured. "So mean."
Her tone wasn't truly serious. More like a light complaint she was already used to.
Then she let out a small sigh.
"…Forget it."
With a casual motion, Kama released her hold on Kuro's arm.
She stepped ahead, then turned around to face him while walking backward, keeping a few steps of distance between them. A small smile returned to her face.
"Speaking of this world," she continued, her tone becoming lighter, "this place is very interesting, you know, Master-san?"
She raised her hand slightly, as if sensing something in the air.
"I can feel it… desire. Love. The emotions of every living being here."
Her smile widened slightly.
"Not just humans… but anything with intelligence."
Kama turned gently, her steps light before she eventually returned to walking beside Kuro again.
And this time, her tone lowered slightly.
"…And not just living beings."
She glanced downward, as if pointing toward something far beyond human sight.
"I can also feel something inside this planet. Right at its core."
A brief silence.
"How strange," she murmured softly. "Now I'm curious about what that is…"
Her smile shifted—faintly sharper, more inquisitive.
"…and whether I can destroy it."
Kuro glanced at Kama for a moment, then returned his gaze to the busy streets of Johannesburg.
His tone remained calm, almost flat.
"That's normal if you can sense that," he said casually.
He slipped one hand into his pocket, his steps steady.
"Because beyond this planet… there are indeed other forms of life. Not animals, not humans. But beings with their own intelligence."
He paused briefly, then continued without much emotion.
"Even on a scale far larger than that."
Kama turned slightly toward him, but didn't interrupt.
Kuro continued, his tone becoming a bit more serious.
"What exists at the core of this planet is called a Celestial."
He briefly glanced downward, as if actually "feeling" the presence despite it being invisible.
"And yes… you could destroy it."
He gave a light shrug.
"Maybe it wouldn't be easy. Or… maybe it wouldn't be that difficult either."
Kuro's gaze returned forward.
"If you have a strong enough motive, things like that become relative."
A brief silence.
Then he added in a calm, cold tone:
"Because in the end, nothing is truly eternal in this world. Even Celestials can die."
Kama fell silent.
Her steps slowed slightly.
Her gaze sharpened—not in anger, but more like… she was evaluating something she had just learned.
"…Celestial," she repeated softly.
She raised her hand slightly, as if still "feeling" something deep beneath the ground, far within the world itself.
Then she smiled faintly.
"So that's what it's called…"
Kama turned toward Kuro.
"Master-san," she said softly, but with a deeper sense of curiosity beneath it, "you speak as if destroying it is something normal."
She paused for a moment, then continued more quietly.
"…Then can you do it too?"
Her gaze was no longer merely teasing.
It had become serious.
Sharper.
And slightly… curious about Kuro's own limits.
Kuro smiled faintly, then gave a casual shrug.
"Answers not have found…"
Kama fell silent for a moment.
Then—her brows slowly furrowed.
"…That's not proper grammar," she said flatly, looking at him with a slightly annoyed expression.
But a few seconds later, she let out a small sigh.
"…Ah, but I suppose that's how it is."
Her tone softened. She turned forward, walking beside Kuro without touching him this time.
"Not that you don't know…" she murmured, "but that you simply have no reason yet to search for the answer."
Kama glanced at Kuro from the side.
A faint smile appeared on her lips—calmer now, but also deeper.
"If someday you truly want to know…" she continued softly, "I'm sure the answer will come to you on its own."
She paused briefly, then added in a lightly teasing tone:
"And when that happens, Master-san might do something very… unreasonable."
Kama gave a small chuckle.
"Maybe destroy a Celestial…" she said casually, "or maybe even save it."
She tilted her head, looking at Kuro with slightly narrowed eyes filled with curiosity.
"…I'm kind of looking forward to which choice you'll make."
***
A short while later, their steps brought them to the coastline.
The sea had receded far beyond the horizon—unnaturally so, as if it were a sign of an approaching catastrophe like a tsunami.
Yet in reality… nothing happened.
Only the exposed seabed stretched out endlessly, filled with cargo ships that looked as though they had been stranded.
And yet, some of them still stood upright, barely maintained—with rust marking their sides.
A perfect place to hide something.
Now, Kuro and Kama stood near one of those ships.
In Kama's right hand was a bag filled with hundreds of gold coins.
In front of them stood an African man armed with a rifle, on guard.
At least… he was supposed to be.
His gaze was fixed.
Not on Kuro—but on Kama.
Empty.
Enthralled.
As if his entire will was slowly being eroded, replaced by a strange impulse to please the figure before him. Even simply hearing whether his "name was correct or not" already felt like enough for him.
___
Author's note:
Hey, where are you everyone?
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