Reiz turned his head and looked at Linoshi.
She stood right beside him, in the same spot and the same pose, as if she hadn't moved in seven days and seven nights.
"What about you? Have you been by my side this whole time?" Reiz asked softly, warmth welling in his heart.
"Oh, I was watching you train." Linoshi giggled, her blue eyes curving into crescents, a hint of pride on her face.
"Really?" Reiz was touched.
A warm current welled up from his heart and flowed through his entire body, making his eyes sting slightly.
In his previous life, Reiz had pursued the prettiest girl at school.
He brought her breakfast every day and waited outside her dorm in all kinds of weather, doing almost anything she asked of him.
He'd thought his sincere feelings would earn her affection, and that if he tried hard enough, he could win her over.
In the end, however, the girl had politely rejected him, saying she needed to focus on her studies.
The sun had been shining brightly that day, too, but his heart had felt as cold as if he'd fallen into an ice cellar.
After being reborn in the Dragon Ball World, Reiz had long since decided he wouldn't fall in love again.
After all, the Dragon Ball World had plenty of beautiful women with distinctive personalities.
Bulma, for example. Android 18, Videl...
Any one of them was prettier than the girl from his previous life.
He'd thought he could keep his heart calm, focus on training, and make something of himself in this world.
But now, this apprentice Angel before him had touched his heart.
She'd stayed with him for seven days and seven nights without a single complaint.
She hadn't merely been by his side. She'd watched over him and kept him company without leaving for even a moment.
If I could protect this girl properly in this life...
The problem was, she was an Angel!
Did she even need me to protect her?
Reiz's thoughts swirled, but he decided not to dwell on something so complicated.
If he wanted to protect her, he'd have to become stronger than her!
"Are you hungry?" Linoshi smiled sweetly and suddenly pointed to a spot on the left. "I tried making a whole roast lamb the way you did. It's still warm, so you can eat it now."
Reiz turned to look and, sure enough, there was a whole roast lamb over there.
It was propped on a simple spit, its golden skin glistening faintly with oil.
Linoshi had even put charcoal beneath it to keep the lamb warm and at a steady temperature.
Reiz was definitely hungry.
After all, he hadn't eaten anything for seven days and seven nights.
He hadn't noticed while he was training, but the moment he saw food, hunger surged over him like a tide, and his empty stomach began to cramp.
"Thank you," Reiz said quickly, feeling even more touched.
If only this girl were my girlfriend.
What a cute, kind, beautiful Angel.
He gazed at Linoshi's lovely face, the light shining in her blue eyes, and her gentle smile. His heart began to beat a little faster.
"But I'm not sure it'll taste good," Linoshi said, lowering her head shyly. Her fingers rubbed at her Battle Suit, and her voice held a hint of nervousness.
"That's all right." Reiz smiled and strode toward the roast lamb.
The two of them walked over to it together.
Reiz grabbed a leg and tore it off with a tug.
The lamb leg was golden brown and crisp on the outside, with steam still rising from it.
He turned and handed it to Linoshi.
"You eat it. I'm not hungry," Linoshi said, gently waving her hand as she took a small step back.
"Okay." Reiz nodded without making a fuss.
Angels didn't feel hunger, after all. They ate simply to enjoy the food.
Reiz picked up the lamb leg and held it to his nose.
It smelled pretty good, about the same as the lamb he'd roasted before.
Reassured, he opened his mouth and took a big bite.
But the moment he bit down, Reiz choked and nearly spat the meat out.
The taste burst across his tongue, assaulting his taste buds.
When you said it might not taste good... were you serious?
This wasn't just not good. It was awful!
Reiz nearly cried.
This was the worst roast meat he'd eaten since coming to this world.
The outside looked golden and crisp, but when he bit into it, it was like chewing wax. It didn't taste remotely like delicious lamb should.
There were far too many seasonings. It was bitter with salt, and had a strange, astringent aftertaste. It seemed both undercooked and overdone.
"Doesn't it taste good?" Linoshi asked quickly, momentarily taken aback by Reiz's expression.
Her brow furrowed slightly, and her blue eyes were full of concern and a hint of nervousness.
"It's... it's okay." The corner of Reiz's mouth twitched as he answered, torn between laughter and tears.
As for the lamb in his mouth, he couldn't bring himself to spit it out.
Linoshi had gone to so much trouble to make the roast lamb. After she'd stayed by his side for seven days and seven nights, the least he could do was eat some.
He chewed with effort and swallowed it with difficulty.
"Is it okay? Did you pick up even a little of my technique?" Linoshi asked excitedly. Her blue eyes sparkled as she gazed at him, full of anticipation.
"Not quite..." Reiz said with a helpless smile.
Then Reiz took a few more bites of the lamb leg.
He tried not to taste it, swallowing it down without chewing much.
As he ate, Reiz felt as if there were bits of ash all over his mouth.
He touched his tongue to them and nearly broke down in tears.
The inside was burned!
It had turned to ash!
Blackened chunks of charcoal were mixed in with the meat. They crumbled into powder with every chew, filling his mouth with a bitter, charred taste.
This was ridiculous!
Had Linoshi used Angel Power to roast the lamb?
Whatever!
He had to fill his stomach first!
Reiz forced himself to swallow the meat along with the ash.
Damn...
It was scratching his throat!
The coarse charcoal scraped as it went down, leaving a prickling sensation, like he'd swallowed a handful of sand.
Good thing he'd been reborn as a Saiyan!
If an ordinary Earthling had eaten this, they might have gotten seriously ill.
"By the way, how long do you think it'll be before I master the basics of Ultra Instinct?" Reiz asked solemnly, trying to distract himself and stop thinking about that strange taste in his mouth.
"You're just a little bit away! You're almost ready to master the basics!" Linoshi said, genuinely happy for Reiz, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.
"That soon?" Reiz immediately grew excited, his eyes shining.
"Yeah, yeah... I didn't expect you to be born suited to training in Ultra Instinct!" Linoshi said happily, giving a light hop in place. "No one outside our family has ever been able to train in this technique! My dad will be so happy when he hears about this!"
"Huh? Your dad... Didn't you say your dad had already died in battle?" Reiz tried to keep from laughing, but nearly lost control.
Holding back his laughter, he looked at Linoshi, curious to see how she'd explain herself.
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