About thirty minutes after Ryu left with Hina, Baka arrived at the inn with the prince. As he exploded through the front doors, he quickly told Tensai to wait in the lobby as he ran around the fountain to Megami's room. He frantically started banging on her door while urgently saying, "Megami, Ryu is in trouble!" The door suddenly swung open as she said, "What happened?!" The excessively loud knocking woke up Chinmoku as she emerged from her room a few doors down. She yawned as she said, "What is all the commotion out here?" Baka quickly told them about the powerful demons showing up in the courtyard. He explained how Ryu made a deal with them to let them pass through the castle in exchange for being taken to Jinsoku. He paused to catch his breath before continuing, "... And when I looked back into the ballroom, they were gone. I have no idea where he went. He told me to bring the prince back here. What should we do?"
Megami was completely stunned as a million thoughts started to race through her head. Her biggest concern was that Ryu naively took their word and walked himself right into a trap. Chinmoku could see she was spiraling as she reassuringly said, "We all know he is by far the most powerful of the four of us. If he got himself into any trouble, I am sure he can handle it." Megami temporarily felt relieved by her words as she commandingly said, "You are right. Baka go stay by the prince's side while we get ready. We will meet you out front in a minute." He nodded before running back to the lobby as the two of them quickly got ready. As they came up, the prince waved at them while saying, "Megami and Chinmoku, I am glad to see you guys. I am sorry we had to wake you." As they all stood together in the lobby, Megami said, "We have to get back to the ballroom. They must of went through a mirror portal." Baka looked confuse as the mention of teleportation while Tensai grew serious as he said, "That magic is supposed to be extremely rare. You are saying there is a demon that has the ability?"
She nodded while saying, "It is not the first time we have seen one. If the connection is still active, we can go through it and figure out where they took him." The four of them swiftly made there way back to the castle. As they busted through the doors to the ballroom, they quickly came to a stop as soon as they noticed Denki leaning back in a chair at one of the tables on the right side of the floor. His eyes were closed as he hummed a little tune to himself. Megami demandingly said, "Where did you guys take Ryu, demon?" His murmuring abruptly stopped as he open his eyes and said, "My name is Denki." She grew annoyed at him for not answering her question as she pointed her scythe at him and said, "Like I care what your name is demon. Tell us where Ryu is now or else." His chair slammed back into the ground as he forcefully leaned forward. He sharply stood up before saying, "You think you can threaten me?"
Baka got the feeling it was not a good idea to provoke the demon captain as he grabbed Megami's arm while concerningly saying, "I don't think we should make him mad." She jerked her arm away as she turned to him and angrily said, "We don't have time to have a conversation with him. If the demon..." Before she could finish speaking, Baka suddenly shoved her out of the way as he hardened his torso just as a golden blur whizzed by and slammed into his shoulder. A loud metallic 'Clang' echoed off of the walls as he went flipping over a table behind them from the force of the strike. Chinmoku quickly grabbed the prince and retreated back toward the entrance of the room while Megami scrabbled back to her feet. As the demon captain caught his returning chakram, he arrogantly said, "I told you it was Denki human." She ignored him as she swiftly summoned three spirit swordsmen in front of herself before firing several rods of white light at him. He remained still as his second chakram came to life. They both flew in front of him and rapidly deflected her magic as electricity crackled off of them.
The two of them whizzed around the specters slicing at them and keeping them from getting close to him. Baka was still lying on the ground as he groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. As he stood up, Chinmoku loudly said, "Stop being lazy Baka. Megami needs your help to fight him." He nodded while turning around. To his surprise, he watched as she suddenly decided to charge the demon captain. The chakrams rapidly flew toward her to cut her down, but her spirits quickly jumped in front of them. They grabbed the blades temporarily immobilizing them as she leapt into the air. As the point of her scythe swung down toward his head, he was forced to create a field of electricity to protect himself. Her weapon slammed into his defense and exploded launching her backwards. Baka was ready though as he flew through the smoke of the destroyed shield. His steel fist smashed into Denki's nose and sent him flying.
His body blasted several tables in half as he came to a stop near the other set of double doors on the opposite side of the ballroom. Dust rained down on the trail he had made as he frustratingly laid under a pile of rubble. As he sat up, Baka tried to follow up his initial strike with a flying knee. The demon captains chakrams had broken free though shortly after he had gotten punched and now speedily flew toward Baka in midair. He quickly hardened his body as one of them slammed into his knee while the other smashed into his forearm. The force was much stronger this time as he rocketed across the room into the wall smashing a hole in it as bricks collapsed around him. As Denki stood up, he wiped away a little trail of black blood that was running from his nose. He swiftly grabbed his chakrams out of the air before cracking his neck and excitedly saying, "This should be good. Three v One. Let's have some fun." Prince Tensai gave Chinmoku a little shove while saying, "I will be fine here. Go help your friends." She looked back at him and nodded before sprinting across the room. As she came to a stop next to Megami, she said, "I am here to help. Let's take him down together."
Before they could discuss a plan, lightening raced across the room toward them. Chinmoku quickly disappeared into the shadows just as the spell charred the ground she was just standing on. Megami swiftly casted Earth Wall using the dirt underneath the floor to effectively absorb the electricity aimed at her. Denki shot across the opening between them and smashed his way through her spell, but he failed to realize he fell right into her trap. A brilliant ball of white light suddenly exploded briefly illuminating the entire room before dissipating away. The demon captain was temporarily blinded from the sneak attack allowing her to leap out of his way. Several shadow spikes quickly darted at him as he landed on the ground, but he effortlessly deflected them as he used his other senses to precisely detect them before releasing both of his chakrams. As he rubbed his eyes, Megami slammed her scythe on the floor while saying, "Spirit Reaper." A yellow glow started to bathe the entire room as a golden spirit emerged with a cowl hiding its black face. It floated in the air with a wispy trail for its lower half. It held two ebony sickles in its hands as it exhaled a chilling breath.
Chinmoku suddenly exited from a dark spot next to Megami and held her hands up while saying, "Shadow Copy." A second reaper started to materialize next to the first one, but it was different. It was black like a void of emptiness with a white face being hidden by its cowl. It held two ivory sickles as it ominously floated next to the other one. As Denki regained his vision, his voice was a little surprised as he said, "Who are you guys?" In that moment, Baka dramatically emerged from the rubble behind his comrades and boldly said, "We are Shadowflare." An awkward silence fell upon the room for several seconds as the demon captain started laughing. Baka angrily shot past his comrades like a blur towards him. His steel fist slammed into the chakrams as they whizzed in front of their owner.
The reapers swiftly flanked the demon captain and swung their sickles at him forcing him to retreat as his blades raced back to him. They chased him around the room slowly finding success as several minor cuts started to appear on the demon captain. Denki's agitation quickly grew as they ganged up on him leaving him no opportunities to attack back. Lightening, magical spears, and shadow blades whizzed around the room slowly destroying everything. Roughly forty-five minutes went by as they continued to battle, but both sides were growing fatigued. Baka stopped his pursuit of the demon captain to quickly regroup with Megami and Chinmoku. The reapers backed off as well as Denki came to a stop in front of the double doors to the courtyard. His breathing was heavy, and he was bleeding from several cuts as black blood dripped onto the floor. As Baka wiped his sweat away from his brow, he said, "We need to put an end to this before we have no magic left." Megami nodded in agreeance before turning to him and whispering something in his ear. He reluctantly groaned as she finished speaking just as Denki's chakrams raced toward them.
The reapers quickly intercepted and deflected them away, but the demon captain had trailed behind his weapons. As he leapt into the air, he palmed both of their faces and sent a surge of electricity through both of his hands causing both of them to explode into a cloud of magical particles. As he landed back on the ground, he caught his chakrams and quickly threw them again as he sprinted at Megami. One of his blades whizzed toward Chinmoku while the other raced toward Baka as he attempted to strike at all of them. Megami had predicted this though with her clairvoyance as Baka ran toward the chakram aimed at him. He slid underneath it while grabbing the handle and twisting his body toward the ground. As he slammed it down into the floor, Chinmoku coated herself in darkness on the other side and used her swift reflexes to catch the blade out of the air. She quickly anchored herself to the ground with shadow magic to keep the weapon from moving effectively isolating the demon general from his chakrams as Megami swiftly said, "Heavenly Judgment."
A bright golden light suddenly illuminated the entire room from the ceiling as white chains shot out from the circle. The shackles raced toward Denki just as he lunged at her to attack with his fist encased in lightening. His knuckles were centimeters away from her face as the chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles stopping him dead in his tracks. He was quickly yanked backwards and suspended in midair completely restrained as he tried to call his chakrams back. When they did not return to him, he finally noticed they were being held by the other two. He could sense he was in a vulnerable position as he tried to surge his blades with electricity in an attempt to free them. Chinmoku and Baka gritted their teeth in pain refusing to let go of them as Megami charged at him with her blade trailing across the ground. The demon captain tried to thrash around, but he was firmly held in place as he watched her leap into the air. He attempted to create an electrical barrier, but his magic failed to work within the golden glow bathing the room. The holy spell negated his dark energy effectively causing him to lose all of his power. He desperately said, "Stop" just as her scythe effortlessly sliced through his neck decapitating him.
As she landed back on the floor, his head fell to the ground and black blood started spewing out from the cut. His chakrams turned still, and the electricity within them dissipated away. Her spell vanished and released his lifeless body causing a loud "thud" as it fell to the floor. Megami collapsed to her knees in exhaustion from expending so much magic as Baka tried to regain feeling in his hands. They were still shaking from the electrical current of the chakram as Chinmoku dropped the one she was holding. The prince started walking over to the teleporter while saying, "That was incredible teamwork and tenacity from you guys to defeat such a powerful enemy. Do you guys need a minute to recoup? There may be more demons waiting for us on the other side of this portal." Megami struggled to her feet while heavily leaning on her staff as she said, "We cannot wait. Ryu could be in trouble as we speak."
She tried to walk towards him but quickly fell back to one knee as Chinmoku said, "If he is in trouble, we are in no shape to help him at the moment. Let's take a break." Megami reluctantly nodded as they all sat down and started to tend to their wounds. Luckily, they had only sustained minor cuts and bruises. About thirty minutes went by before Megami got to her feet and said, "I am ready to go, how about you guys?" Baka and Chinmoku both nodded as they got up. They all anxiously stared at the mirror for several seconds before Tensai finally cleared his throat and said, "So, who is going first?" Baka bravely puffed his chest while punching his fist together as he said, "I will." As he stepped up to the teleporter, he slowly put his hand through it. He was relieved that nothing had happened as he went all the way inside. The glass shimmered before going still again as Chinmoku decided to rip the band-aid off next. She quickly leapt into it and disappeared leaving them behind as Megami nervously pushed her glasses up. She took a deep breath before telling herself, "I got this" as she walked through the mirror.
As soon as she entered the teleporter, she instantly regretted it. Ryu had never told them how it felt travelling within one. The world twisted, expanded, and compressed all within a couple of seconds as she fell out of the portal onto the wet grass in the field outside of Unemi. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the downpour quickly soaked her. Chinmoku grabbed her arm and helped her up as she tried not to throw up. Just as she got out of the way, the prince comfortably stepped out of the mirror as if he had used this method of travelling quite frequently. They all stared at him dumbfounded as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while saying, "I never said I haven't used one of these. I just said the magic is rare." Megami shook her head when they suddenly heard a faint "clang" of swords colliding. As they looked toward the city, they quickly realized all the charred places around the forest. Baka could see the wall through the branches as he said, "Look at the gate. We must have just missed a massive fight." Megami had a bad feeling as she started to run toward the city while loudly saying, "Let's go!"
As they neared the entrance, Chinmoku abruptly stopped while grabbing Megami's arm. She pointed up at the sky where the rain was suspended in midair as it fell toward the ground. They all knew that magic had to be Ryu's as Baka said, "Should we wait till the spell goes away before entering?" Megami reluctantly nodded as she turned back. She anxiously stared at the water for almost a minute before it finally started falling again. She quickly said, "Now!" As they rushed inside, they could not believe how badly the city had been damaged. Multiple buildings were destroyed and there was several injured people being tended to all over the place. Megami swiftly grabbed a soldier's arm that was running by as she commandingly said, "What happened here?" He briefly looked them over and quickly recognized them. His voice was full of relief as he said, "You are part of Ryu's party. Thank the heavens you are. The day was peaceful till Ryu suddenly appeared outside of the city fighting an insanely powerful demon. He had to abandon the battle though when Jinsoku decided to start attacking people in the plaza. He should be there now if you want to go help him."
She nodded before waving to her friends to follow her as she sprinted toward the square. They stopped at the edge of the opening and started scanning the area as they tried to find Ryu. Chisai had heard them approaching and had quickly hidden herself in case it was more demons. As she smelled the air, she realized Megami's scent and came out of her spot. She waved at them through the hole in the wall while saying, "Over here guys." As they ran over, they were left shocked at the sight of Jinsoku and Kasai lying dead on the ground. As soon as Megami saw Ryu, she ran over to him to see if he was alive. She quickly dropped her scythe and fell to the floor next to him. She lifted his head into her lap and was relieved to find him still breathing. Chinmoku saw Mr. Tetsu lying unconscious on the ground to their right, so she ran over to him to make sure he was okay. Luckily, he had nothing more than bruises as Baka said, "What happened here?" The prince grabbed his shoulder while saying, "What is more important, is that we make sure everyone is okay. Go help the guards find any survivors that could possibly be trapped under rubble."
It wasn't till deep into the night before everyone had been rescued and treated for their injuries. The prince believed it was best for them to rest and discuss what had occurred with Souatari in the morning. They were all too exhausted to protest as they made their way to the inn. Luckily, miss Rina had some rooms available for them as they got some well-deserved rest. The next day the sun was high in the sky as they made their way to the adventurer hall. People were scrambling around on the street as everyone tried to work together to repair the damage to the city. As they made their way into the guild, they found Yasei manning the receptionist desk by herself. As they approached, Megami noticed her left arm was in a sling as she concernedly said, "Are you okay?" She waved with her right that it was no big deal while saying, "I dislocated my elbow from all the chaos yesterday. It will heal in a few weeks." Chinmoku smiled at her while saying, "I am glad you are okay. Is the guild leader in?" Yasei nodded as she said, "He is. Feel free to head up to his office." They all bowed before making their way upstairs. As Megami knocked on the door, they heard Souatari's muffled gruff voice say, "Come in."
As they entered, he instantly recognized the first prince. He quickly stood up and deeply bowed to him as Tensai awkwardly smiled and said, "No need for the formalities. We are all friends here." Souatari nodded before sitting back down and saying, "What is the lord of our kingdom doing in my office?" Tensai's voice failed to hide his concern as he said, "These three with me are my personal bodyguards. Their leader Ryu is why we are here. Can we please get an update on his status?" The guild leader motioned for them to sit down as he said, "He is completely fine. We monitored him all night to ensure he was still one of us. He used a large amount of dark magic which has appeared to make it his dominant ability for the moment. All of his wounds rapidly healed on their own without our treatment. We are just waiting for him to wake up now." They all sighed in relief as Baka curiously asked the question on everyone's mind of what had happened. The guild leader explained to them everything he could for the next fifteen minutes.
As he finished speaking the prince said, "Were you able to recover the mirror in the forest?" Souatari shook his head no while saying, "When our adventurers got there, they found the mirror destroyed." Tensai nodded as he said, "I see. Then I must depart immediately back to the capital. It will take roughly a week for me to get back. If any of our enemies discover that I am gone, it could be very bad for our kingdom." Chinmoku quickly interjected her way into the conversation as she said, "Me and Baka will go with you. Megami can wait here with Ryu till he is awake." The prince stood up while saying, "That is a great plan. As soon as he is up and moving, please depart immediately back to the capital with him Megami." As everyone else got their feet, she said, "Of course sire." They all went downstairs and outside to find a carriage. Baka generously paid a man to take them in his wagon without stopping, so they could make it back as quickly as possible. As they left, Megami went back inside and grabbed Ryu. She carried him across town to the inn before putting him back down in his old bedroom.
A week went by before Ryu finally woke up one afternoon. Macie was switching his pillows like she did every day as he opened his eyes. The movement had awakened him from his slumber as he raspily said, "Macie?" She jumped backwards slightly startled as her tail puffed up. She quickly realized he had come out of his coma as she excitedly said, "Ryu, you are finally awake!" As he sat up, he glanced outside the window to see the setting sun. He started to rub his eyes while saying, "How long have I been out?" She started playing with her hair while slightly blushing as she said, "It has been seven days. We have all been worried about you. How do you feel?" He surprisingly felt well rested as he started looking himself over. He was a little stunned that he had no injuries as he glanced back up at her. He gently smiled as he said, "I feel rather refreshed. I am actually curious about why you are and also where we are?" Her tone turned slightly sad as she said, "You are at the Calming Inn in Unemi. Miss Rina needed a new maid around here after what happened to Kasai."
Ryu's normal eye started hurting as he palmed his face while hunching over. Macie quickly touched his arm while concerningly saying, "Are you okay?" He had yet to remember what had happened to the city as the memories came flooding back. His black aura mixed with flecks of gold started to seep off of him as he gripped the sheets in pain while screaming out, "Ahhhh!" She was struggling to figure out what was wrong with him as she tried to comfort him. His hair started to turn black as Megami suddenly busted through the door. She quickly ran to his side next to Macie and grabbed his hand while softly saying, "It is okay Ryu. I am here." His red eyes snapped to her face as tears streaked down his cheeks. His voice was full of anguish as he said, "I killed them Megami." She shook her head no as she gently caressed his cheek while saying, "You set them free. They are together forever now because of you. They wouldn't want you to beat yourself up like this."
His aura started to dissipate away as he continued to stare into her caring eyes. He felt a sense of peace as he went back to normal and settled back down in his bed. Macie quickly got up feeling slightly embarrassed to be there during their intimate moment as she awkwardly said, "Since you have this handled, I will go get him his meal. He'll need plenty of food to help him get back to normal." She ran out of the room before either one of them could say anything. As they both realized how close they were to each other, they both turned red and looked away from each other. Ryu nervously cleared his throat as he curiously asked, "How are you here by the way? Is everyone here?" She shook her head no while saying, "They left a week ago with the prince to get back to the capital. We came through the same portal you did in the ballroom." At the mention of Tensai being brought to the city, he scolding said, "I told Baka to tell you guys to protect him. Why did you bring him here?" She made a pouty face while saying, "We couldn't leave you behind. We killed one of the demon captains just to get to you."
He loudly exclaimed, "What!?" As Macie entered the room with their meals, Ryu excitedly said, "Who?" Megami shrugged her shoulders as she twirled one of her locks as she thought about it. He was on the edge of his seat waiting for a name as Macie handed them their bowls of rabbit stew. As she left the room, Megami still had not answered the question as Ryu said, "Soooo, the name of this captain was..." She finally put her finger in the air as she remembered his name and said, "It was Denki." His jaw almost fell into his soup as she just casually started eating. He stuttered his words as he said, "He.. was.. the fifth rank.. captain." Her expression quickly changed to astonishment as she proudly said, "Well we handled him without any major injuries, so we must be getting pretty strong." He nodded in agreeance as they quietly ate their meals together and watched the sun disappear outside of the window.
As they finished, she stood up and grabbed his bowl while saying, "I think it is time for you to get some rest. Tomorrow we can see how well you are able to move around. I will be right across the hall if you need me." He nodded as he got underneath his blankets and said, "Good night Megami." As she closed his door, she softly said, "Good night Ryu." The next morning, he woke up extremely early, so he decided to go for a run before breakfast. As he made his way out onto the street, he was a little surprised by the resiliency of the people. The majority of the rubble throughout the street had been removed and repairs were quickly being made. Most buildings at least had walls and roofs again as he came to a stop at the plaza. Unfortunately, the fountain was still destroyed as he continued on his way. As he exited the front gate, the guards politely waved at him like he had never left. The air was cold, but it was evident winter was nearing an end as he started to run around the city walls.
His body felt light as he broke into a full sprint. He quickly did three laps around the area and was barely sweating at all even though he did them at maximum speed. He had a sense he could go for hours as he started to go even faster. He was almost a blur as he rapidly circled the city before coming to a stop about thirty minutes later. He had completed twenty laps like it was nothing at all, but to ensure he would not have any delayed soreness later though, he decided to cast Recovery on himself. Nothing happened though when he tried to channel his magic for the spell. That is when he noticed his MP was stuck at zero. He was very confused about why it was not regenerating as he made his way back to the inn. The sun was just coming over the horizon as he entered through the doors to the lodging. Macie was doing a spot cleaning of the dining room tables as he came in. As soon as she saw it was him, she ran over while concerningly saying, "What are you doing out of bed?" He waved her off as he said, "I felt like going for a run. I feel fantastic so no reason to stay cooped up inside."
Just as he finished, Megami came running down the stairs while yelling, "He is gone!" She was trying to put a black jacket on, but it was stuck on her head as she ran right into him. As they both tumbled to the floor, her face popped out of the hood. They were centimeters apart as he jokingly said, "I think you have solved the mystery of your missing person." She started blushing as she pushed him down into the ground while getting up. As she fixed her outfit, she frustratingly said, "What are you doing out of bed? You are supposed to be taking it slow." He started rubbing the back of his head as he got to his feet and said, "I am actually feeling better than ever, so I decided to go for a run." He paused as he started to twirl his finger through his hair while turning his head away and quickly saying, "My magic is all messed up though." She snapped around and said, "What was that?" He sighed as he said, "My mana is stuck at zero. I can't cast any spells." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the door while urgently saying, "We need to go to Souatari now." He swiftly objected as he said, "Can't we go after breakfast? I am starving. Megami..." His voice trailed off as the doors shut behind them. Macie shook her head and giggled to herself as she got back to work.
It wasn't long before they exploded through the entrance to the guild hall. As she came to a stop at the receptionist's desk, Ryu's feet got tangled up from being dragged, and his momentum caused him to face plant right into the front of the counter. As he slide down to the floor, Yasei leaned over the edge to check on him while asking, "Should he be out of bed?" Megami yanked on his arm trying to pull him back up as she said, "He is apparently healthy as an ox, but he has no magic. Is Souatari here?" Before Yasei could reply, the guild leader walked up behind them and cleared his throat as he said, "I am right here kiddos. Why is Ryu with you though?" She motioned for him to explain himself as he sighed and said, "My mana is stuck at zero sir." Souatari started to rub his chin slightly puzzled by the news as he thought about what was causing the issue. After several seconds he finally asked, "Can you please channel your magic for me?" Ryu nodded as he released his control allowing his aura to emanate off of his body. It was mainly dark and sinister with some flecks of his normal gold in it.
Souatari continued to stare at his mana as he went, "Hmmmmm" before finally saying, "You used to much of the demonic power within you when you were fighting." Megami covered her mouth in shock as Ryu said, "Am I okay?" The guild leader waved his concern off while saying, "You appear to still be in control, so you have no need to be concerned, but..." As he trailed off Megami anxiously said, "But what?" Souatari glanced away as he said, "You are more accursed than human at this point in time." She grabbed Ryu's arm and buried her face in his arm as she dramatically said, "It will be okay. You will always have me by your side no matter what." Souatari started laughing before wiping away a tear of joy as he said, "It isn't permanent Megami." He paused as he looked at Ryu before continuing, "It is vital you do not use anymore of the dark magic. You need to steady your feelings and practice repressing the negative mana while coaxing your normal aura back out."
Ryu sighed in relief as he said, "Thank goodness. Now can I ask you guys something." Souatari and Megami both looked at each other slightly puzzled as they nodded. He smiled as he took a deep breath before saying, "Where is Jinsoku's and Kasai's bodies? Have you guys already had the funeral for them?" Megami grabbed both of his hands as she warmly stared into his eyes while comfortingly saying, "We had to lay them to rest a few days after the battle. We weren't sure when you were going to wake up this time. We can go visit their graves now if you want." A single tear ran down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away while nodding. She smiled softly at him as she said, "Thank you for the information Souatari. We will see you again later." He bowed to them before making his way up the staircase while saying, "Take it easy for the next few days kid. Death has already taken so many people we hold dear in our hearts. Nobody wants you to join them on their journeys." Ryu nodded as he and Megami turned to leave.
As they exited back to the street, she waved at him to follow her as they made their way out of the city. She led him down the path towards the field he had spent so many months training together with Jinsoku. As they entered the edge of the clearing, he noticed the two gravestones across the way under the big oak tree that the weapons used to sit under. They came to a stop in front of them as Megami said, "I thought you would want them buried in a peaceful place, so I made sure the guild leader had them laid to rest here. What do you think?" He painfully smiled at her as he said, "I couldn't have picked a better spot. Thank you, Megami." He stared at their graves for several minutes in silence before she grabbed his hand and softly said, "I will give you some time alone. I will be right over there if you need me." He nodded as she walked back to the edge of the field as he stayed frozen in his spot. Time continued to pass by as the world continued to revolve. The wind would gust then settle as leaves ruffled across the ground and clouds passed by overhead.
He suddenly smiled to himself as a he quietly said, "Thank you both for everything." As he leaned down, he put one hand on both of their head stones. His voice was happily somber as he said, "You guys better be an official couple by the time I see you again." He stood back up and started to walk away as a tear ran down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away as he neared Megami while saying, "Let's go get some breakfast." She smiled at him before holding her hand out for him to take. He paused for a moment before grabbing it as they made their way back to the city. The day was rather beautiful and warm as they walked back to town. It would not be long before winter would part and let way to spring. As they strolled through the streets on their way back to the inn, Ryu started to notice that several people were avoiding eye contact with him and keeping their distance from them.
He decided to ask Megami as he whispered to her, "Is something wrong with me?" She quickly looked him over before saying, "No, I don't see anything. Why?" He did not want to worry her, so he said, "No reason. I think I am just being paranoid." As they entered the inn, Macie swiftly greeted them while ushering them over to a table. Several minutes went by before Ryu noticed the couple sitting next to them was staring at him. He awkwardly smiled as he asked them, "Do I have something on my face?" They quickly adverted their gaze as the man grumbly said, "No." As Macie came back with their food, the couple abruptly got up and left leaving Ryu confused as he said out loud, "Why is everyone being so weird today?" Megami was puzzled by his question, but Macie knew what was going on as she said, "Some people are just concerned about you possibly being a demon in disguise." He was shocked as he pushed his hair back before saying, "Why would they think that?" She gently patted him on the arm as she comfortingly said, "It is only because of your battle in the town center that some individuals are confused on your status right now, but the majority of people have no doubt that you are still human so don't worry about it. Things will be back to normal before you know it."
Her words brought him some solace for the moment as he nodded and started to eat his meal. As he finished devouring the delicious food, he stood up while saying, "I am going to go upstairs and practice channeling my magic. The faster I fix my mana, the faster we can depart for the capital." Megami was reading her book and sipping on her coffee as she briefly looked up at him. She smiled while saying, "That is a fantastic idea. Remember to stay calm." He nodded as he left her and went to his room. He practiced the entire afternoon trying to correct his aura before falling asleep deep into the night. The next week went by excruciatingly slow as he continued to work on fixing his magic. It took three days just for him to get his MP to finally start regenerating. By the fifth evening, he had managed to restore his aura to mostly gold. As he woke up at the end of the week, it was finally time to head back to Shinjitsu.
As he came downstairs, Megami and Macie were waiting for him. They had become much closer over the past two weeks as he sat down with them. Macie quickly departed to get them their meals while Megami asked Ryu, "How is your magic today?" He proudly smiled as he said, "Great. It took a lot of patience, but I am basically back to normal." He started to release his mana for her to see his progress as he continued, "My MP is able to regenerate to the max now as well." She shut her book as Macie came back while happily saying. "I am glad you are back to your usual self. Chinmoku and Baka will be glad to see you." He had started eating as she was talking and just nodded as she finished. She rolled her eyes at him as she took a sip of her coffee. Several minutes passed by before they were both done with their breakfast. As they both got up from the table to retrieve their things from their rooms, Ryu said, "Let's hurry up, so we can get on the road. I am anxious to get back to our assignment." They were only briefly gone before rushing back down and out the door to the inn.
Macie followed them out and started waving goodbye while saying, "Be safe!" They both smiled as they waved back to her before continuing toward the city exit. Ryu was able to pay for a carriage to carry them back to the capital without any issues, but the man was hesitant to accept his offer for some reason. As they settled down inside, he had a bad feeling about going back because of his interaction with the coachman. He decided to try to distract himself though as he started to practice various spells. As the day passed and night came, they both fell asleep opposite of each other in the back of the wagon. Several more uneventful evenings would pass before their arrival back in the capital.