Chapter 50

The one thing she could not bear was falling into that darkness again.

"Are you all right?"

Shen He noticed that something was wrong with Shiki Ryougi as well.

He leaned in front of Shiki Ryougi and watched her with concern, but suddenly, she grabbed his hand.

"No... there aren't any on you."

In Shiki Ryougi's vision, Shen He was the only thing in the entire world that had color, untouched by those dark lines.

"...No Lines of Death?" Shen He clasped her small hand in return and soothed her softly. "Relax. You can turn this power off. And don't worry, Servants can't harm their Masters."

Of course, Shen He himself could die and be injured. If there was any reason Shiki Ryougi could not see the Lines of Death on him, it could only be the restriction that Servants could not harm their Masters.

After the initial discomfort and fear, Shiki Ryougi gradually calmed down. With several deep breaths, that world filled with "death" finally faded away.

She looked around. It was a very simple room. An exquisite young girl stood beside the bed, her soft golden hair gleaming in the sunlight.

"How do you feel now?" Shen He let go of her hand and waved his fingers in front of her eyes. "Try moving around a little."

"I feel..." Shiki Ryougi swung her arm, and the air suddenly let out a sharp whistle. "This doesn't feel like my body."

"That's because I've been strengthening you all along." Shen He stood with a smile and held out his hand. "Then, welcome to the real world once again, Shiki."

At this point, Shen He had three companions by his side.

There was no grand celebration. They simply summoned Saiki Kusuo, and together with Violet, the four of them held a small party to celebrate Shiki Ryougi's awakening. Shen He cooked personally, preparing an entire table of delicious food, including Saiki's favorite coffee jelly and Violet's favorite strawberry cake.

And of course, Shen He's favorite hot pot.

"Wow, truly, the greatest pleasure in life is having a satisfying feast." Shen He swallowed as he stared at the lamb in the pot, then turned to Shiki Ryougi beside him. "Shiki, just tell me whatever you like to eat. You're the star today."

"I don't like spicy food."

Shiki Ryougi stared at the hot pot before her, its broth completely red.

"...I should've made a divided pot. Good thing I came prepared." Shen He got up and ran into the kitchen. When he returned, he carried a steaming pot of chicken soup. "Ta-da! This is one of my signature dishes. Back in the day, I won the hearts of several foodie girls with this chicken soup alone."

Shen He put large chunks of potato and carrot into the chicken soup. Once they had cooked until soft, one bite together with the rich, fragrant broth would melt in the mouth. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.

As Shiki Ryougi watched Shen He ladle a full bowl of chicken soup for her, she finally understood how he differed from the boy in her memories.

She was very bad at dealing with people who acted so familiar from the start.

Still... she took a small sip with her spoon. It really was delicious...

"Didn't you say there was something that needed my strength?"

Perhaps feeling that it was not right to simply accept his care, Shiki Ryougi took the initiative to ask about the work.

"Yeah. Tomorrow, we're taking a trip to Mexico. Just the four of us. The enemy might be an automated suit of armor called the Destroyer, or even a 'god.'" Shen He spoke while eating lamb. "But even if we don't intervene, it should be resolved perfectly in the end. We'll discuss the details once we get there. My goal is to become someone qualified to interfere in the family affairs of Odin, the king of the gods."

Preventing Asgard's destruction was something Shen He planned to do.

Whether in strength or scale, Asgard far surpassed Earth. It possessed advanced technology, powerful warriors, miraculous magic, and was considered outstanding even among civilizations across the universe.

Yet such a brilliant civilization was ultimately destroyed by a royal civil war. It was impossible not to sigh with regret.