Urged on by the night, lamps across the city lit one after another.
With the silver ornament in her hair, Syr kept asking the same questions on the way to the restaurant—"Does it suit me?", "Am I pretty?", "Do you like it?"—again and again.
Every time Takumi answered and praised her, Syr would brighten instantly, smiling shyly from ear to ear.
"Hehe… hehe…"
Watching her giggle beside him, Takumi felt the whiplash hit hard.
He'd thought the Goddess of Beauty was a calculating, terrifying yandere.
But right now, she was just… dopey and adorable.
Like a puppy that wanted attention—any chance she got, she'd hook his arm and press her whole body against him.
Honestly, if he hadn't already booked tonight's itinerary, Takumi would've snapped halfway through the walk.
He kept his heat under control until he finally saw a ship docked by the riverbank, and only then did he breathe easier.
"Syr, we're here. This is the restaurant I reserved—The Waterboat Key."
"Wah—Takumi-san, you must've spent so long choosing this!"
Seeing the huge ship, Syr looked delighted beyond words.
Everyone wanted to feel like their boyfriend had put in real effort. Being cherished like that made her heart flutter even more.
…
But as the two of them boarded…
Hestia's squad—who'd been searching all day—finally found them.
Hestia's legs weren't wobbling anymore, and she seized the chance to sneak onto the ship.
Everyone else copied her, blending in by replacing staff members in their own way.
Takumi glanced around and almost lost the ability to speak.
The servers now included Chloe, Lunoire, and Anya.
Anya didn't even bother hiding it—when she served a dish, she winked at him like it was a private joke.
And then…
Staaare~~~
The combined gaze of far too many girls made Takumi inhale slowly.
At least he'd warned Hestia ahead of time.
She was furious in words, but at this point she didn't actually rush over to interrupt.
Instead, she sat in a corner like a gremlin and stalked them with pure spite.
"Mmph… damn you, Syr-whatever!"
Hestia vented her rage on a steak, tearing into it like it owed her money.
The angrier she got, the harder she ate.
Ais, strangely, looked calm.
She still hadn't figured out why her chest felt so tight.
At another table, Alise, Lyra, Kaguya, and Ryuu sat together, watching Takumi and Syr's dinner with jealous eyes—quietly imagining how different things would feel if the date were theirs.
Kaguya, in particular, remembered Takumi saying he could treat her condition.
"Hmph. Next time, I'll use the treatment excuse…"
Ryuu kept muttering about how "this is too impure."
Lyra, meanwhile, was chatting with Lili about whether a pallum body could handle Takumi without snapping in half.
…
Then the ship broadcast chimed.
[The Waterboat Key is now departing. Please enjoy a pleasant dining voyage aboard.]
The vessel began to glide forward.
Takumi watched the girls drifting around his orbit and decided to pretend he didn't see them.
And since so many people were already here, he didn't bother maintaining the cognition barrier anymore.
Once he released it, his presence became visible to everyone.
Fortunately, anyone who could afford this floating restaurant was either wealthy or high-status.
No screaming, no stampedes—just polite greetings before they returned to their seats.
With music playing softly, Takumi and Syr looked out over Orario's nightscape from the water.
It was nothing like the streets—somehow it felt like traveling in a foreign country.
The city on the shore glittered with color. The water shimmered and rolled gently beneath them, and the faint sound of waves brushed the ears.
Syr narrowed her eyes, savoring it too.
But before long, a sudden impact shattered the mood.
After a hard jolt, the entire ship began to rock.
Takumi looked up.
A narrow ice bridge had formed against the ship's side, blocking its path.
And on the shore, a group of people roared as they charged toward them.
"Suppress the ship—now!"
Takumi's expression went flat the moment he recognized them.
Freya Familia.
He'd only dropped the cognition barrier for a moment and they were already here.
Honestly, the bigger issue was obvious:
Hestia and the others had probably exposed his location.
"Charge!!"
"Find that lady—rip her away from that guy!"
"Even if you can't win, MOVE! For our lady—death is worth it!!"
Takumi was almost impressed by their courage.
Right then, Syr grabbed his hand.
"Takumi-san… please take me away~~"
Her eyes were serious.
She didn't want Takumi clashing with them and more importantly, there were just too many eyes here.
She wanted privacy. She didn't want their date ruined.
Takumi understood immediately. He laced his fingers with hers.
"…Alright. If that's what you want—then as you wish."
He looked down at the adventurers racing over the ice bridge and tapped the air with a fingertip.
"Anyone who ruins my mood again… earns a death sentence."
Ripples spread through the air.
A cold, razor-sharp chill poured outward—instantly freezing every adventurer sprinting across the ice bridge into solid statues.
Then Takumi wrapped an arm around Syr's slim waist and jumped.
They shot into the sky and vanished into the night.
"AAAH!! Damn Freya Familia! I finally caught up!!"
Hestia screamed as Takumi disappeared… and angrily devoured another full bowl of food.
The other girls exchanged looks—less furious than Hestia, but still disappointed.
They hadn't even gotten a chance to wedge themselves in.
…
High above the city, Syr clung close as they flew.
She stared at Takumi's handsome face, then looked down at Orario's glowing lights.
The wind brushed her cheeks, cold and sharp and a rush of excitement surged through her whole body.
"Hahaha!!"
"It's like you stole me right out of the enemy's hands!"
"This feeling is incredible, Takumi-san!!"
Syr beamed, giddy and flushed, her pale-gray eyes sparkling like stars.
...
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