Kanae stared blankly at the man before her. At that moment, all the fear and confusion in her heart were utterly shattered by this fervent sense of security.
She closed her eyes, rose onto her toes, and gently pressed her warm, soft lips against Rokuya's, still taut from his vow.
The night breeze stilled, and the river fell silent. Beneath Tokyo Prefecture's dazzling lights, the two embraced tightly once again.
Within Rokuya, [Oath of Protection] on the system panel was flashing wildly, and the unlock progress for Invincible Might blazed with dazzling golden light at that moment. But he no longer cared about any of it.
He knew only that the woman in his arms was everything that gave his life in this other world meaning, someone he would protect even if it cost him everything.
Even after his vacation had ended, the night breeze along the river still carried a lingering tenderness.
Kanae Kocho's delicately scented embrace seemed to linger against his chest as Takanashi Rokuno stood on a wharf on the outskirts of Tokyo Prefecture and drew a deep breath of cold, briny wind.
"Caw-south! South! Something's wrong on Hachijo Island! Fishermen missing! Caw!" The Kasugai Crow circled overhead, its piercing cries tearing through the quiet night.
Annoyed at the interruption, Rokuya narrowed his eyes slightly, dark blue magic flickering briefly in their depths. "Hachijo Island..." he murmured. Then he pushed off, leaping like an arrow loosed from a bow onto an empty boat moored by the shore. He poured magic into the oars, and the little boat tore through the waves at a speed that defied the laws of physics, heading straight south.
The instant he stepped onto the island, Rokuya's brows drew tightly together.
It was too quiet.
Aside from the sound of waves striking