Translator: Reflet

  Editor: ryunakama

  As he was gazing beyond the wall, Ruri called out to him.

  “Darling.”


  “Hm?”


  “Darling.”


  “What?”


  “Darling.”


  Ruri continued to use the same phrase. She still seemed to be in the same mood as earlier, but her speech was becoming better and better.

  “Darling!”


  And at long last, it became a triumphant expression of her feelings for him that contended with the other brides.

  “Ah, I see.”


  “See…what?”


  “You have several important phrases that you say without pausing. I just realized how you manage it.”


  “Oho, I seee, so that is how she does iiit.”


  “Is it…now?”


  Ruri tilted her head. She was not exactly embarrassed, but nor was she totally out of it. It was more like she had not taken notice until now.

  “Oh, and what am I supposed to do?”


  “What do you mean?”


  “Well of course I mean the proper thing to call her.”


  “We already said just leave it at Yuri-chan, right?”


  He figured they may as well keep it as is now that Ruri seemed to still be okay with it. After all, this was the Yurikago Yuri-chan they were talking about.

  “No, I do not mean that.”


  “Hm?”


  “I mean Yami-chan.”


  “…Oh.”


  Taiyou realized what she meant.

  Shirokiyami, therefore Yami-chan. That was how Hera had first referred to her. Now that she was Ruri, should they change the way they called her name too?

  “Right, what should we do, Ruri?”


  “Just what you’ve called me all this time…Yami-chan.”


  “You sure?”


  Ruri nodded.

  “And you…are Darling.”


  “Ooo!”


  Hera raised her voice, grinning.

  “I am so very sorry for my insensitivity. And I hope you enjoy yourselves~”


  Taiyou became slightly embarrassed. Ruri’s tone had finally become a little more clear. It was still a little reserved, but now she was speaking more straightforwardly.

  “I indeed understand. I shall call her Yami-chan as always.”


  “Mm, thanks.”


  “No problem, indeed!”


  “Darling.”


  “Hm?”


  “I’d like to challenge you to…”


  About to say one thing, she cleared her throat and changed her sentence.

  “Could you…come along with me?”


  Her pestering expression made her so adorable.

  There was then a thunderous roar and a shockwave from fist and blade, sending Taiyou flying back.

  “No way!”


  This was completely unexpected for him. A first.

  In the open lot, under the dimly lit street lanterns and moon.

  Ruri came flying at him with her katana, and Taiyou intercepted her with his fist using 70% of his power. From their previous fights, she would either dodge or be sent back, but this time around, Taiyou was launched back. She had the upper hand in power this time.

  “How pitiful, Taiyou-chan!”


  Hera exclaimed gleefully from the side, like a spectator at a sports game.

  “Kuh!”


  Regaining his composure, Taiyou once again lunged at her. This time he was ready to pound a 100%-powered punch into her.

  A thunderous noise echoed again.

  His long-jump punch was repelled by the blade.

  This was a tie. Or, no, he was slightly losing. To Taiyou, whose power should have been greater than hers, this was devastating.

  “Heehee.”


  A smile unfolded from the corner of Ruri’s lips. Taiyou was immediately infatuated. Her white hair fluttered in the wind, emitting particles of light. Her beauty was the stuff of fantasy. And that was enough to stop Taiyou in his tracks.

  “Here I go…watch out.”


  The next instant, she vanished.

  “Ooo.”


  Hera made a nonchalant reaction. Meanwhile, Taiyou unfortunately felt the opposite way.

  She had fully disappeared. No voice or smell either. None of Taiyou’s four senses could detect her, as if she were gone for good.

  But then–


  “–mm!”


  He held his breath, and then felt her presence. He remembered well that mass of bloodlust he had felt when they first met. It enveloped him.

  Here! She’s here! Ruri is unmistakably here!

  He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but he recognized her presence.

  It was a reflex of sorts. Before his brain could even give the instructions, he had thrown out a backhand, cutting through the air with a moaning sound–and ripping through Ruri’s illusion.

  “So that’s what it is.”


  “Mhm…I became just a bit quicker.”


  “I don’t think ‘a bit’ is the right word choice…”


  “Then, a bit more?”


  “Wait, wha–”


  Taiyou barely had the time to grimace before he took notice of several Ruris, and this time he could hear and smell them as well. But in exchange, Ruri had completely erased her presence. She should still be right there, yet it was like she wasn’t.

  “That’s amazing.”


  Taiyou became happy.