After finishing work at noon, Shichen, Tohru, and Chisato Nishikigi had lunch together.
Tohru had prepared a very rich meal, and both of them kept putting food on Shichen's plate, not giving him a chance to serve himself.
Utaha Kasumigaoka had not returned, and Shichen hadn't informed her. He planned to pick her up after school in the afternoon to give her a surprise.
After lunch, Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi were a bit clingy. While there were no customers, they held Shichen, one on each side, not letting him go anywhere.
He naturally wasn't averse to their behavior; rather, he quite liked it.
They told him about what had happened over the past month. There wasn't much to tell; it was no different from when he was there.
No one had disturbed them either.
Shichen had originally thought someone would try to pursue them while he was away, as their looks were too captivating, enough to make people infatuated.
Attraction between different genders is a natural law of the world.
It was good that no one had, saving him from getting jealous.
"Oh right, why do those customers call you Chisato-chan? Did you win them over so quickly?" After listening to their accounts, Shichen couldn't help but ask Chisato Nishikigi.
"That, well, it's all Tohru's fault." Chisato Nishikigi gave Tohru a playful glare.
Shichen also looked at her.
"What does it have to do with me?" Tohru asked in confusion.
"It's all because of you, constantly shouting my name every day, and the customers heard it."
"Oh, so they started calling you that on their own?" Shichen realized.
"Mm." Chisato Nishikigi nodded, happily looking at Shichen: "Chen ge, why did you suddenly ask about this? Are you perhaps jealous?"
"What? Is it not allowed?" Shichen admitted generously.
"Of course it is, I'm so happy!" Chisato Nishikigi smiled brightly.
"Really?" Shichen also started to laugh.
"Jealous of what? Why is Lord Chen jealous of Chisato? What happened? I want Lord Chen to be jealous of me too!" Tohru didn't understand what they were talking about at all, but that didn't stop her from joining in the fun.
"Alright, alright, next time for sure."
"Hehe~"
In the afternoon, Shichen changed into his manager's uniform and returned to his manager position, sitting idly behind the cash register.
Because there were few customers, Chisato Nishikigi and Tohru were in the kitchen researching new dishes, and they wouldn't let Shichen watch.
In fact, many of the dishes they ate at noon were ones they had researched, but since they dared to make them, they must have been successful.
Shichen would have preferred to watch them complete a dish step by step, especially since the main purpose was for him to eat it.
But girls, they are easily shy, and if it's not a finished product, they are too embarrassed to bring it out.
Tohru had now fully adapted to being a girl. She had human common sense and a girl's personality.
But she was still a little perverted dragon.
Because they didn't research for long, Tohru came out of the kitchen and pulled Shichen to buy ingredients.
Buying ingredients had always been Tohru's job, as it was convenient for her to transport them back, and even with Shichen, Chisato Nishikigi didn't suspect anything.
But Shichen didn't think so.
And just as he thought, shortly after they left the coffee shop, she cast an invisibility spell, then transformed back into a giant dragon, carrying Shichen into the sky.
Shichen no longer spoke against his true feelings; he lay on Tohru's back, waiting for her to take him to their destination. Perfect, he still wanted revenge.
This time, he would show the dragon maid his prowess.
"Lord Chen, we've arrived."
"It's still here." Shichen sat up and realized that the place Tohru had brought him to was where they had previously used the sky as their blanket.
Clouds quickly gathered, forming a large cotton-like bed, big enough for Tohru to roll around on.
Once bitten, twice shy. Shichen jumped off Tohru's back, landing softly on the cloud bed.
"Lord Chen, you...?" Tohru noticed Shichen's difference.
"Didn't I tell you? I went to gain power, not to play around." Shichen looked up at her, hands on his hips, showing off.
"Lord Chen is amazing!" Tohru was genuinely happy for Shichen's increased strength. Immediately, her body shrunk, and she transformed back into human form, completely naked, and descended.
"I'm very powerful now, you know. It won't be long before I can get revenge for you." Shichen's gaze fell on Tohru's body, undisguised.
"Mm hm, I believe in Lord Chen!" Tohru was naturally not shy.
"Don't you want to know how strong I've become?" Shichen couldn't help but ask.
"Lord Chen, now is not the time to talk about such things!" Tohru smiled widely, slowly walking towards Shichen.
"...Alright, I'll let you know how strong I've become later."
"Hm?" Tohru tilted her head in confusion.
Shichen didn't explain, but asked cautiously: "Is the barrier set up?"
"It's set up, no one will discover us here!" Tohru became increasingly excited.
"Then it's fine."
"Lord Chen, shall I help you take off your clothes?" Tohru eagerly reached out.
"Alright..." Shichen twitched his lips, turning his back to her.
"Hehe~" Tohru hugged Shichen from behind, then began unbuttoning his clothes.
"..." Feeling the softness on his back, Shichen's heart pounded, and his breathing quickened.
His pupils turned scarlet, and his fangs stirred, then slowly grew out. At this moment, he suddenly wanted to drink blood.
This wasn't a vampire's impulse, but rather the Ancestral Beasts urging him to offer them blood, to awaken them.
It was clear that Tohru was qualified, even though she had already given herself to Shichen.
Now Shichen possessed the body of a True Ancestor, with vast magical power within him. The Ancestral Beasts residing in the divine fragments finally couldn't endure it any longer.
"Lord Chen..."
Tohru's voice chimed. He didn't know where she learned to undress so skillfully, but Shichen's manager uniform had already fallen to the ground, leaving only a pair of black boxer briefs.
Shichen turned around, his scarlet eyes captivating. His gaze fell on Tohru's fair and delicate neck, his eyes burning.
"Lord Chen?" Tohru looked at him in confusion.
"Tohru..." Shichen's breathing was heavy: "I might need a little of your blood."
"Blood?" Tohru blinked: "Lord Chen, my blood is highly poisonous to humans."
"It should be fine for me."
"Is that so? Then Lord Chen, please take it." Tohru smiled slightly.
"Mm!"
Shichen couldn't hold back, embracing Tohru tightly, burying his head in her left neck, his fangs piercing into her neck.
"Mm..." Tohru's eyes were hazy, and she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
This wasn't just simple bloodsucking, nor was it a vampire's feeding. For vampires, this was a different kind of pleasure.
Tohru was aroused.
Shichen greedily sucked Tohru's hot blood. He had expected a metallic or fishy taste, but it was sweet and delicious.
No wonder in the world of Strike the Blood, vampires were humanity's greatest enemy.
Shichen didn't dare to drink too much. When one of the divine fragments within him began to glow, he stopped.
"Caw—!"
Just then, a loud cry echoed within Shichen's body, followed by a massive surge of magical power that shot from him towards the sky.
That magical energy stopped at the top of the barrier, slowly forming a giant, colorful bird-beast. It began to soar and dance.
"That is..." Shichen recognized its appearance at once.
So, his Ancestral Beasts were them?
No wonder the Fourth Progenitor's Ancestral Beasts weren't suitable for him. Compared to these, they seemed a bit lacking.
"Lord Chen..." Tohru's hazy voice sounded.
Shichen looked down at the alluring Tohru, her charming face, and her blood-stained neck.
Now didn't seem like the time to worry about Ancestral Beasts.
Shichen leaned down and fiercely kissed Tohru.
Tohru wrapped her arms around him, giving a passionate response.
"Caw—!"
In the sky, colorful bird-beasts cried out, while on the clouds, there was a maiden's song.
The two combined were not strange at all; on the contrary, they were remarkably harmonious.