The night had fallen over Kuoh like a velvet cloak dotted with stars. From the backyard of the mansion, Daniel contemplated the sky with a mix of fascination and resignation. The Deviluke ships, invisible to any Earthly technology, camouflaged themselves against the firmament like shadows among shadows, their silhouettes barely perceptible to someone with his heightened senses.
Lala was beside him, her robot Peke floating nearby, and her expression was unusually serious. For the first time since she appeared in his bathroom, the princess of Deviluke wasn't smiling.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice lower than usual. "I didn't want to bring trouble to your planet. I just needed to escape for a bit, think clearly..." She paused, and her violet eyes fixed on the sky. "I didn't expect them to follow me so fast."
"Zastin?" Daniel asked, remembering the name Lala had mentioned. "Is he important?"
"He's the captain of the royal guard. The most loyal man my father knows." Lala sighed, a small, frustrated sound. "He's been like an uncle to me since I was little. But when it comes to my father, he can't disobey. He'll do everything he can to take me back."
Daniel nodded slowly. His Observation Haki, always active, had already detected the figures descending from the ships. They were fast, coordinated, professional. Elite soldiers, without a doubt. People used to following orders without question.
"How many are there?" he asked.
"Twelve. Maybe fifteen." Lala looked at him, and for the first time, Daniel saw something like concern in her eyes. "Daniel, they're soldiers from Deviluke. My planet is technologically very advanced. Our warriors are trained from childhood. They are..."
"Strong?"
"Yes." She nodded, her lips pressed together. "Much stronger than any human. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
Daniel almost smiled. Almost.
"Lala," he said, and his voice was so calm that she blinked, surprised. "I've fought against gods. I've faced conceptual entities that threatened to erase reality. I've knocked out four hundred demons without lifting a finger." He turned towards her, and in his eyes there was a spark that Lala couldn't identify. "A few space soldiers don't scare me."
Lala opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, a voice cut through the night air.
"Princess Lala."
Both turned.
The figures had landed in the garden with the softness of falling leaves. Twelve soldiers, dressed in elegant but functional armor, their weapons glowing faintly under the starlight. And at the front, a man with dark hair and a noble bearing, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword that seemed more a status symbol than a weapon of war.
Zastin.
The captain of the royal guard of Deviluke slightly inclined his head towards Lala, a gesture of respect that did not hide the determination in his eyes.
"Your father, King Gid, requests your return to the planet. There have been... important developments regarding your future marriage." His gaze shifted to Daniel for a fraction of a second, evaluating him with the efficiency of an experienced warrior. "You must accompany us immediately."
"No," Lala replied, crossing her arms. "I'm not going back to have more disgusting suitors paraded in front of me. I've already told you, Zastin. I'm fed up."
"Princess..."
"Zastin." Lala's voice, normally cheerful and carefree, acquired an edge that surprised even Daniel. "I know the suitors father has brought me. They're perverts who only want my body and my title. They're greedy people who see Deviluke as spoils of war. And some..." She paused, and her eyes darkened. "Some are cruel, Zastin. I've seen how they treat their servants. I've seen the evil in their eyes. And I'm not going to marry any of them. I'd rather stay on this backwards planet with this kind human I met an hour ago than go back to that farce."
Zastin sighed. It was a tired sigh, from someone who has had this conversation many times.
"Princess, I understand your frustration. But I have no choice. I must take you back." He made a gesture with his hand, and two soldiers advanced. "Please, don't force us to use force."
"I'm not going to use force against you," Lala replied, and her voice was sad. "But I'm not going to leave with you. So... I guess we're at a stalemate."
The soldier who had approached Daniel—a young man, with a professional but not hostile expression—raised a gloved hand.
"I'm sorry," he said, and his tone was almost polite. "Nothing personal. I'm just following orders."
His hand moved towards Daniel, a quick, precise blow designed to knock out without causing permanent damage.
Daniel moved.
It wasn't a spectacular move. There were no explosions of power or battle cries. He simply... stepped aside. The soldier's fist grazed past his cheek, and in the same instant, Daniel's hand—without Boost, without Haki, just his base strength—struck the soldier's side with surgical precision.
The man fell like a sack of potatoes, unconscious before hitting the ground.
The silence that followed was so absolute you could hear the wind moving the leaves on the trees.
Lala's eyes widened. The soldiers, trained not to show surprise, couldn't help but tense up. And Zastin, the captain of the royal guard, the man who had seen countless combats throughout his long life, felt something he hadn't experienced in decades: genuine surprise.
"Interesting," he murmured, and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "Very interesting."
Daniel, for his part, wasn't even breathing heavily. He looked at the fallen soldier, then at Zastin, and his lips curved into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"'Nothing personal'?" he repeated, and his voice was as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. "Funny. Because it's starting to feel pretty personal to me."
Zastin studied him. His eyes, trained to assess threats in an instant, swept over Daniel's posture, his breathing, the way his feet were planted on the ground. And what he saw unsettled him.
This human was not a common human. His body was perfectly balanced, his muscles relaxed but ready, his gaze steady without the slightest trace of fear. It was the posture of an experienced warrior. Of someone who has seen death up close and decided they don't care.
"Remove the fallen one," Zastin ordered, his voice regaining its usual composure. The soldiers obeyed efficiently, taking away their unconscious comrade. "The rest of you, wait."
He turned towards Daniel, and this time he looked at him with genuine respect.
"Human. I don't know who you are or how you developed these skills on a planet as backwards as this. But you've impressed me." He drew his sword, a fluid movement that spoke of decades—perhaps centuries—of practice. "However, I cannot allow you to interfere. The princess must return with us."
Daniel didn't step back. Didn't flinch.
"And I cannot allow you to take a girl who just asked for my help." He raised his left arm, and the Boosted Gear shone under the starlight, its jewels sparkling with a crimson glow. "So I guess we're at a stalemate."
"Boosted Gear," Zastin murmured, and his eyes narrowed. "I've heard of those relics. The sacred objects of this planet. I didn't expect to find a wielder here." His sword rose, adopting a combat stance. "This will be interesting."
"BOOST," Daniel whispered.
Power flowed through him, doubling his strength, his speed, his reflexes. It wasn't necessary, not against a common opponent, but Zastin was no common opponent. Daniel knew it. He had felt it in his gaze, in his posture, in the way the very air seemed to vibrate around him.
This man was dangerous.
Zastin moved.
He was fast. Incredibly fast. Faster than any enemy Daniel had faced, with the possible exception of Nyx in her most unleashed form. His sword traced a silver arc in the darkness, aiming directly at Daniel's neck.
Daniel's Observation Haki activated instinctively.
And failed.
Not completely—he managed to perceive the intention of the attack, the general direction, the approximate timing—but the three seconds of anticipation he had cultivated with such effort were reduced to mere fractions of a second. He couldn't see the future. He could only feel the present with desperate clarity.
"What...!?" he managed to think, as his body moved purely by reflex, dodging the thrust by millimeters.
Zastin gave him no time to recover. His sword spun, changing direction with a fluidity that seemed supernatural. A horizontal slash, another vertical one, a thrust, a sweep—each attack flowed into the next without pause, without respite, like a lethal dance choreographed over centuries.
Daniel dodged, blocked with his forearm, ducked, twisted. His body, trained to the limit, responded with an efficiency that would have been impossible months ago. But he was on the defensive. Completely on the defensive.
"BOOST," he growled between his teeth.
Another increase. His speed doubled again. Now he could follow Zastin's movements clearly, anticipate his attacks an instant before they happened. Not three seconds, but one. Maybe two.
Enough.
Daniel counterattacked.
His fist, charged with two Boosts and a layer of Armament Haki, struck Zastin's sword with the force of a meteor. The clash resonated in the night like thunder, and Zastin felt the vibration travel up his arm to his shoulder.
"Impressive!" he exclaimed, and for the first time, a genuine smile curved his lips. "Truly impressive!"
His sword spun, deflecting Daniel's fist, and he counterattacked with a series of lightning-fast thrusts. Daniel dodged them all, his body moving with a fluidity that contradicted the brutality of his blows.
"BOOST," he said again.
Three Boosts.
Now the scales were tipping.
Daniel moved, and Zastin could barely follow him with his eyes. His fist—fast, lethal, precise—struck the side of the sword, deflecting it enough for his other fist, the left one, the one with the Boosted Gear, to head straight for Zastin's chest.
The captain of the royal guard defended himself as best he could, his sword spinning to block, but the impact sent him several meters back, his feet scraping the grass in a desperate attempt to maintain balance.
"BOOST."
Four Boosts.
Daniel appeared in front of him, and Zastin felt something he hadn't felt in centuries: fear. Not fear of dying—he had overcome that fear long ago—but fear of the real possibility of losing. Of being defeated by a human from a backwards planet, in front of his princess, in front of his men.
His sword rose to defend, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. Daniel's fist, wrapped in a crimson glow so intense it seemed solid, was heading towards him with the force of a god.
"STOP!"
Lala's voice cut through the night like a knife.
Both froze.
The princess of Deviluke was between them, her arms outstretched, her violet eyes blazing with a determination neither of them had seen before.
"Enough!" she said, and her voice was not that of the cheerful girl who had appeared in the bathroom. It was the voice of a princess. Of an heiress to the throne. Of someone used to being obeyed. "I will not allow you to keep fighting!"
Daniel lowered his fist slowly, though his posture remained alert. Zastin, panting slightly, straightened his back and sheathed his weapon with a movement that cost effort to disguise as dignified.
"Princess," he said, and his voice was hoarse, "I must insist..."
"No," Lala interrupted. "You will not insist, Zastin. Because I have found my fiancé."
The silence that followed was so absolute you could hear the beating of everyone's hearts.
Zastin blinked.
"Pardon?"
Lala pointed an accusing finger at Daniel.
"Him. Daniel. He is my fiancé."
Daniel felt the blood freeze in his veins.
"Wait," he said, raising his hands. "Wait a moment. Fiancé? What are you talking about?"
Lala looked at him with those bright violet eyes, and for the first time, Daniel saw something akin to cunning in her expression.
"When I appeared in your bathroom, Daniel... you grabbed my breast, right?"
Daniel opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"That... that was an accident. You appeared out of nowhere and I..."
"On Deviluke," Lala continued, ignoring his protests, "grabbing an unmarried woman's breast is a marriage proposal. It's an ancient tradition. Very, very serious."
Zastin looked at her, and his expression went from surprise to understanding, and from understanding to something Daniel couldn't identify.
"Princess," he said slowly, "are you saying that this human...?"
"Completed the ritual," Lala confirmed, nodding solemnly. "He grabbed my breast. Without my prior consent, certainly, but the ritual doesn't specify consent. It only specifies the action." She paused, and her lips sketched a barely perceptible smile. "So, according to the laws of Deviluke, Daniel Hernández is my official fiancé."
Daniel felt the ground open beneath his feet.
"No," he said weakly. "No, no, no. This can't be happening."
"Oh, but it is happening," Lala replied, and her smile widened. "And the best part is, now they can't force me to marry any other suitor. I already have one!"
Zastin looked at her for a long time. Then he looked at Daniel. Then he looked at the soldiers, who watched the scene with expressions ranging from astonishment to barely contained amusement.
"Human," he said finally, and his voice was carefully neutral, "is it true? Did you grab the princess's breast?"
Daniel closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. And accepted his fate.
"Yes," he replied, and the word tasted like defeat. "It's true."
Zastin nodded slowly.
"I understand."
He turned towards Lala, and for the first time, Daniel saw something like weariness in his eyes.
"Princess, you know this will not be easy to explain to your father. King Gid will not accept a human fiancé without a thorough investigation."
"Let him investigate all he wants," Lala replied, crossing her arms. "Daniel is strong. He is kind. He defended me without hesitation. And he completed the ritual. There's nothing to investigate."
Zastin sighed. It was a long, deep sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
"Very well," he said finally. "I order the retreat. We will inform the King of these... developments."
He turned to Daniel, and this time, his gaze contained something new. Respect? Curiosity? Warning?
"Human. You have proven to be more than you appear. Your power is impressive, your speed enviable, and your determination..." He paused, and something like a smile crossed his lips. "Your determination is worthy of a Deviluke warrior. Take good care of our princess. Because if you hurt her, no matter how many Boosts you have, I will come for you."
Daniel looked him directly in the eyes.
"I won't hurt her," he replied. "You can be sure of that."
Zastin nodded. Then, with a gesture, he ordered his soldiers to follow him. The figures ascended towards the invisible ships, their silhouettes dissolving into the darkness of the sky.
In a matter of seconds, the garden fell silent.
Only Daniel, Lala, and Peke, the small floating robot, remained under the stars.
"Well," said Lala, and her voice regained its usual cheerful tone, "that went better than expected!"
Daniel looked at her. Really looked at her, processing everything that had just happened.
"'Better than expected'?" he repeated weakly. "Better? You call this 'better'?"
"Sure." Lala smiled, radiant. "Now I have an official fiancé. I won't have to put up with boring suitors anymore. And you're strong, kind, and have an incredible magical gauntlet." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Speaking of the gauntlet!"
She approached him with a speed that took him by surprise and grabbed his left arm with both hands.
"Activate it again! Please, please, please!"
Daniel looked at her, confused.
"What?"
"The gauntlet! Your Boosted Gear! I want to see it again! It's fascinating. The energy it emits is unlike anything I've seen in the galaxy. How does it work? What powers it? Can you control the intensity? Have you tried...?"
"Lala," Daniel interrupted, raising a hand, "breathe."
She blinked, and then laughed.
"Oh, sorry. It's just that when I see something new that I don't understand, I get a little obsessed." She paused, and her cheeks tinted with a slight blush. "A little too much, sometimes."
Daniel couldn't help but smile. Despite all the chaos, the confusion, the absolute absurdity of the situation, there was something genuinely adorable in the way Lala got excited about science.
"It's okay," he said, and activated the Boosted Gear.
The crimson glow lit up the night, and Lala's eyes widened. Stars—literally stars—seemed to form in her pupils as she observed the gauntlet from every angle, spinning around it with an energy reminiscent of a child in a candy store.
"Incredible!" she exclaimed, touching the jewels with her fingertips. "The crystalline structure is fascinating! And this energy... it's not magical, it's not technological, it's..." She paused, frowning. "What is it?"
"It's the power of a dragon," Daniel replied. "An ancient dragon named Ddraig. He lives inside the gauntlet."
"A dragon?" Lala blinked. "Like the creatures from the stories of my childhood? They really exist?"
"They exist," Daniel confirmed. "And this one in particular is my partner."
"Partner," Ddraig repeated in his mind, and his voice was tinged with a pride Daniel hadn't heard from him before. "I like how that sounds, lad."
Lala, who couldn't hear the dragon, continued examining the gauntlet with an intensity bordering on obsessive.
"And how does it work? Does it accumulate energy and release it? Does it have limits? Can it...?"
"Lala," said Daniel, with infinite patience, "don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
She stopped. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, her expression softened.
"Yes," she admitted. "I guess so."
She sighed, and for the first time since she appeared, Daniel saw something like weariness on her face.
"Can we go to your house? It's a long story, and I'd rather tell it sitting down."
Daniel looked at her. Looked towards the mansion, where his girlfriends slept peacefully, unaware of the approaching chaos.
The idea of explaining this—of explaining any part of this—to Rias, to Sona, to Reynare, to all of them, gave him an immediate headache.
But he had no choice.
"Okay," he said finally. "Let's go home."
The mansion was silent when they entered. The lights were off, and the only sound was the ticking of the living room clock and the distant hum of the heating.
Daniel led Lala to the living room, turning on a lamp that bathed the room in a warm, soft light.
"Sit down," he said, pointing to the sofa. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Do you have milk?" Lala asked, sitting with the unconscious grace of someone who grew up in a palace. "On my planet, the milk from the local animals is delicious, but I've never tried Earth milk."
"We have milk," Daniel replied, and went to the kitchen.
He returned with two glasses of cold milk and sat across from her in the armchair.
"Okay," he said. "Start from the beginning. Who are you really? Why did you come here? And what the hell happened with that 'fiancé' thing?"
Lala took a sip of milk, and her eyes lit up.
"It's delicious! It's more... creamy? Sweet? I don't know how to explain it." She took another sip, then set the glass on the table. "Well. From the beginning, then."
She settled on the sofa, her legs crossed under her, and began to speak.
"I am Lala Satalin Deviluke, first princess of the planet Deviluke. My father is King Gid, the ruler of our star system and one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy." She paused, and her expression darkened slightly. "And he's also a man obsessed with his daughters marrying 'suitable suitors.'"
"Suitors?" Daniel asked.
"Loads of them." Lala made a vague gesture with her hand. "They come from all corners of the galaxy. Princes, warlords, heirs to commercial empires... they all want to marry me for my title, my position, the power they would gain by joining the royal family." Her eyes darkened. "And some... some are evil, Daniel. I've seen how they treat their servants. I've seen the cruelty in their eyes. I can't... I can't marry someone like that."
Daniel nodded slowly. He understood that feeling better than she knew.
"So you ran away."
"So I ran away," Lala confirmed. "I used my invention, the Warp-Warp Pyon-kun, to teleport to a random place. I didn't know where I'd end up. Could have been a deserted planet, or a dying star, or the void of space." She smiled, a radiant smile. "But I ended up here. In your bathroom. With you."
Daniel couldn't help but smile.
"That's... pretty lucky, actually."
"Lucky?" Lala tilted her head. "I don't know. Maybe it was fate. Maybe the universe wanted us to meet." She shrugged. "Or maybe my invention works better than I thought. Either option is possible."
There was a moment of silence. Then Daniel spoke:
"That fiancé thing... the breast-grabbing thing... is it real? Or was it just an excuse to make Zastin leave?"
Lala looked at him, and for the first time, Daniel saw something like seriousness in her eyes.
"It's real," she replied. "It's an ancient tradition of Deviluke. Very few people know about it, and almost no one practices it anymore. But it's still law. If a man grabs an unmarried woman's breast without her consent, it's considered a marriage proposal." She paused. "Technically, that means you are my official fiancé according to the laws of my planet."
Daniel exhaled slowly.
"Lala, I didn't know..."
"I know," she interrupted, with a soft smile. "I know. It was an accident. But it was also..." She paused, searching for the right words. "It was the first time in a long time that someone touched me without bad intentions. Without wanting to take advantage of me. Just... an accident. And then, when Zastin and the soldiers came, you defended me. Without hesitation. Without asking for anything in return."
Her eyes met his, and in them was a vulnerability Daniel hadn't seen before.
"I don't know what kind of person you are, Daniel. But I know you're good. And in my world, that's rarer than you think."
Daniel didn't know what to say. The words got stuck in his throat.
That's when they heard the footsteps on the stairs.
"Daniel?" Rias's voice, sleepy but alert, floated from the hallway. "Are you okay? I heard noises..."
And then she appeared in the doorway of the living room.
Rias Gremory, wrapped in a black silk robe that barely covered her thighs, her crimson hair tousled from sleep, her garnet eyes widening as she saw Lala sitting on the sofa.
Behind her, other presences materialized. Reynare, with her usual alert expression. Hikari and Hibiki, rubbing their eyes. Sakura, soft and silent. Tamamo, in her spiritual form, partially materializing with feline curiosity.
And Sona, the last to arrive, adjusting her glasses with a calm that fooled no one.
"Daniel," said Sona, and her voice was dangerously neutral, "who is she and why is she in our living room at this hour of the night?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
"This," he said, "is going to be a very long explanation."
Lala, for her part, smiled and waved cheerfully.
"Hi! I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke, princess of the planet Deviluke and Daniel's official fiancée according to the laws of my world. Nice to meet you all!"
The silence that followed was so absolute you could hear the dust falling from the curtains.
Rias blinked.
Reynare opened her mouth and closed it.
Hikari and Hibiki exchanged a glance.
Sakura blushed slightly.
Tamamo let out a low, amused laugh.
And Sona, the ever-stoic Sona, took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a gesture that spoke of infinite patience pushed to its limit.
"Daniel," she said, "would you like to explain why there is an alien princess in our living room who claims to be your fiancée?"
Daniel sighed.
And he began to speak.
The explanation took over an hour.
Daniel told everything—Lala's appearance in the shower, the accidental breast grab, the arrival of the ships, the fight with Zastin, the revelation of the Devilukean tradition, and Lala's decision to use him as an excuse to escape the suitors.
When he finished, the silence in the room was thick.
Rias was the first to speak.
"So," she said slowly, "you're saying that, according to the laws of another planet, you are engaged to an alien princess because you accidentally grabbed her breast?"
"Yes," Daniel replied, with the voice of a man who has accepted his fate. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"And this fight with Zastin?" Reynare asked, in a tone that suggested she was already evaluating the captain of the guard as a possible threat. "How strong is he?"
"Very strong," Daniel admitted. "I had to use four Boosts to overcome him. Without the Boosted Gear, he would have destroyed me."
Reynare nodded, processing the information.
"We'll have to watch him."
Hikari and Hibiki, for their part, had surrounded Lala and were examining her with a curiosity bordering on scientific.
"So you're a real princess?" Hikari asked.
"Yes!" Lala replied, radiant. "Well, technically I'm the first princess. My father is the king, so I'm the heiress to the throne."
"And you have spaceships?" added Hibiki.
"Loads of them. Well, my father has them. But I can use them whenever I want."
"And you can travel through the galaxy?"
"Sure. In fact, I just did to get here."
The twins exchanged a glance. Then, in unison:
"So cool."
Sakura, who had remained silent throughout the explanation, slowly approached Lala.
"Are you... are you okay?" she asked softly. "I mean, leaving your planet, your family, everything you know... it must be hard."
Lala looked at her, and for a moment, her smile softened.
"It is hard," she admitted. "But it's also exciting. For the first time in my life, I can choose. I can decide who I want to be, who I want to be with, what I want to do." She took Sakura's hand in hers. "And your Daniel is very kind. He defended me without hesitation. That means a lot to me."
Sakura smiled, a small but genuine smile.
"Daniel is like that," she said. "He always protects those who need it."
Tamamo, who had observed everything from the shadows, finally spoke:
"My husband has a special talent for attracting complicated situations, doesn't he?" Her voice was a mix of amusement and resignation. "First primordial goddesses, then fallen angels, then arrogant Phoenixes, and now interstellar princesses. I wonder what will be next."
"Please don't say that," Daniel replied. "I don't want to tempt fate."
Rias, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally approached Lala.
"Lala, right?" she said, and her voice was polite but firm. "I'm Rias Gremory. One of Daniel's fiancées."
Lala nodded, her violet eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I know. I can smell it on you. You smell like him." She paused, then smiled. "You all smell like him, actually. It's nice. Like a home."
Rias blinked, surprised by the response.
"That's... unexpectedly poetic."
"I'm a princess," Lala replied, shrugging. "I'm expected to be poetic every now and then."
There was a moment of silence. Then Sona spoke:
"So, to summarize: we have an alien princess in our house who, according to the laws of her planet, is Daniel's official fiancée. Her father, the king of an interstellar empire, will soon find out about this. And when he does, he will probably send representatives to... evaluate? Investigate? Attack?"
"Probably all three," Lala replied, without the slightest trace of concern. "But don't worry. Daniel is strong. And so am I. We'll be able to handle whatever comes."
The confidence in her voice was so absolute, so genuine, that for a moment, all those present felt that, maybe, things wouldn't be so terrible.
Daniel, for his part, just wanted to sleep.
"Can we continue this tomorrow?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "It's been a very, very long day."
Rias smiled, and for the first time since this conversation began, her expression softened.
"Of course, Daniel. Let's go to sleep." She looked at Lala. "I guess you'll need a place to stay."
"Can I stay with you all?" Lala asked, with those bright eyes that seemed incapable of asking for anything without sounding adorable.
Rias sighed. But she was smiling.
"I guess so. Welcome to the family, Lala."
Lala let out a small cry of joy and hugged Rias with surprising strength.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! We'll be best friends! You'll see!"
Rias, caught in the embrace of an alien princess, could only laugh.
"I think interesting times lie ahead."
That night, when everyone finally retired to their rooms—Lala installed in the guest room, although she had tried to sneak into Daniel's bed—Daniel lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Rias slept beside him, naked as was her custom, her steady breathing a balm for his tired soul. Reynare was curled up against his side, her wings folded. The twins formed a knot of limbs on the other side. Sakura lay peacefully, her hand intertwined with his.
And in the next room, an alien princess slept peacefully, dreaming of inventions and dragons and an uncertain but exciting future.
"Another day, another chaos," Daniel murmured.
"Such is the life of a hero, lad," Ddraig replied. "Never a moment's peace."
"Do you think we can handle this? An entire interstellar empire?"
"I don't know," the dragon admitted. "But if there's anyone who can, it's you. Because no matter how powerful your enemies are, you always find a way. Always."
Daniel smiled in the darkness.
"Thanks, Ddraig."
"Don't thank me. Just sleep. Tomorrow will be another day."
Daniel closed his eyes.
And as sleep claimed him, one last image crossed his mind: Lala, smiling radiantly, saying "we'll be best friends" with that absolute conviction that only the innocent possess.
The chaos would continue. The battles wouldn't cease. The enemies would multiply.
But for now, for this night, he was home.
That was enough.