Arisu nodded slightly.
Originally, he hadn't planned to deal with Suzuki this early, but the system the other party carried posed too great a threat. Leaving him alive would always be a hidden danger.
If Suzuki had been like Reki and didn't have a system, he probably would've...
He had taken the risk of throwing the plot into chaos by killing him, so now he naturally had to restore the situation as quickly as possible.
The Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors had already left Kaguya with an extremely bad impression. If anything went wrong, Kaguya might never develop feelings for this "mortal," and everything involving the Otsutsuki Clan afterward would fall apart.
Arisu thought for a moment before making a decision.
He would step in himself. He would play the role of the Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors and personally push the plot forward.
With the experience from his previous reincarnation, he naturally knew what kind of personality and way of interacting Kaguya truly liked.
Arisu's appearance changed, instantly becoming the Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors.
But unlike Suzuki's lecherous, repressed, lustful demeanor before, he now carried the graceful bearing of a refined gentleman.
It was clearly the same face, yet the temperament was completely different.
Not bad looking.
Arisu looked down at his new outfit and gently flexed his fingers.
———
After becoming the Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors, Arisu didn't immediately approach Kaguya.
He deliberately ignored her for five full days.
During those five days, he only had the maids deliver tea and meals on time. He himself never showed up even once.
Occasionally, when he passed by the side hall, he would merely glance at it before turning and leaving, his attitude somewhat indifferent.
At first, Kaguya didn't pay it any attention.
But as the days passed, she realized this "Son of Heaven" was completely different from the man who had eagerly tried to please her before.
He neither pestered her nor deliberately tried to flatter her. It was as if her existence made no difference to him.
Instead, that sparked a trace of curiosity in Kaguya.
On the evening of the sixth day, when a maid brought dinner once again, Kaguya finally couldn't help asking, "Your Son of Heaven... what has he been busy with lately?"
The maid lowered her head and replied, "His Majesty said that since you enjoy peace and quiet, he didn't want to disturb you."
Kaguya froze slightly, and something unusual flashed across her eyes.
Late on the seventh night, she stood alone by the window, looking at the starry sky outside. For some reason, she felt faintly irritated.
Being completely ignored was something entirely new, and entirely unfamiliar, to her.
Just then, Arisu finally appeared.
Dressed in a plain white robe and carrying a cup of warm tea, he slowly walked into the hall.
Kaguya turned to look at him, her tone carrying a hint of probing.
"Why were you avoiding me before?"
"Because I know you don't like being bothered. You came here all alone. It must have been hard, right? If I'd circled around you every day like that man before, it would've only made you dislike me even more."
"Besides, I've been busy with state affairs lately and didn't have the time."
Arisu smiled faintly as he placed the teacup in front of her and spoke softly.
Kaguya was silent for a while and didn't argue.
Just as she thought the man before her was about to chat with her longer, Arisu clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Go to bed early."
Kaguya was stunned.
From that day on, Arisu began approaching her at an unhurried pace.
At that moment, ripples finally spread across the calm lake of Kaguya's heart.
She began taking the initiative to talk with the "Son of Heaven." She would stand beside him and watch the stars late at night. Whenever he draped an outer robe over her shoulders, a long-lost blush would appear on her cheeks.
Afterward, Arisu assigned a maid named Aino to serve Kaguya.
———
[Half A Month Later]
Standing before the hall, Kaguya looked at the man personally trimming flower branches for her, and her gaze had completely softened.
"You... why are you so good to me?"
She quietly walked behind Arisu and asked in a low voice.
Arisu turned around and smiled.
"You came here all alone, without any family. I can't bear to see that, so naturally I want to take better care of a helpless young woman like you.", Arisu said with a warm smile.
Kaguya's cheeks turned red, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She had never told this man that she possessed overwhelming power.
Looking at the refined and gentle man before her, who had always respected her, she lowered her proud head for the first time. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, carrying a trace of a young girl's shyness and affection.
"...You're really kind."
From that moment on, Otsutsuki Kaguya truly fell in love with the "Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors."
Seeing the tenderness in her eyes, Arisu raised the corners of his mouth slightly, but sighed quietly in his heart.
The plot... had finally been pulled back onto the right track by his own hands, little by little.
Time flew, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.
As the feelings between Otsutsuki Kaguya and the "Son of Heaven of the Land of Ancestors" grew deeper, the two finally became husband and wife in a proper ceremony.
———
[Meanwhile, At Mount Myoboku]
In the training grounds filled with sage energy.
"If you want to master peerless martial arts, you have to endure pain ordinary people can't endure!"
"Hang in there! One more round of Sage Art!"
The veins all over Reki's body bulged. His face was full of pain, yet he still gritted his teeth and forcibly circulated Mount Myoboku's Sage Art.
The natural energy of Sage Art rampaged through his body, slicing through his meridians like countless tiny blades. The pain far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.
The white-browed toad sat nearby, quietly watching the human youth training so diligently. Praise couldn't help appearing in its aged eyes.
"This human... truly is exceptionally talented."
It nodded slightly, raising its opinion of Reki another notch.
For a mortal body to endure such intense backlash from Sage Art in such a short time and still persevere was truly rare.
Just then, the scar-faced toad hurried over and respectfully lowered its head to report, "My lord, one of those two aliens has already married one of the human Sons of Heaven."
"As for the other... according to the information gathered by the toads, it fought the White Ape King for three days and three nights."
Hearing this, the white-browed toad frowned slightly.
After pondering for a moment, it slowly nodded and said in a deep voice, "It seems the situation is even more complicated than we expected... But that's fine. At least that human called Reki has more time to grow."
The white-browed toad looked back at Reki, who was immersed in bitter training. A calculating look flashed through its eyes.
"Keep working hard, child. Mount Myoboku... will devote all its strength to training you."
Reki didn't hear the conversation between the two toads.
He was completely focused on resisting the rampaging Sage Art energy inside his body. Sweat had already soaked through his clothes, yet he stubbornly continued to endure.
———
Another two years passed.
On this day, the weather was clear. Arisu and Kaguya changed into light traveling clothes and left the royal city to go hunting.
The two rode side by side. Kaguya wore simple hunting clothes, yet they still couldn't hide her unmatched beauty.
Arisu wore ordinary noble hunting attire, with a gentle smile always on his face. The husband and wife looked deeply devoted to each other.
Along the way, they passed a remote village.
Many villagers had gathered at the village entrance, surrounding a young man dressed in unusual clothing.
The young man clapped his hands together and was using Mount Myoboku Sage Art to treat a seriously injured villager.
Green healing light flowed from his palms, rapidly repairing the injured man's damaged muscles and bones, drawing constant gasps of amazement from the surrounding villagers, who knelt to thank him.
"That is...?"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly. At a glance, she could tell Reki was extraordinary.
"What is that young man doing? He can actually emit light out of thin air to heal people. Could he be a miracle doctor?"
Pretending to be an ordinary mortal, Arisu revealed a look of surprise and deliberately asked as though he didn't understand.
Reki was concentrating on the treatment when a sudden warning flared in his heart.
He abruptly looked up and met Kaguya's gaze. Those pale yet powerful eyes were clearly filled with scrutiny and surprise.
"Holy crap, Kaguya! This is bad! I've been discovered!"
Reki was horrified. He quickly transformed into a toad and hid inside the Peace Hotel to escape.