"Yo, I suppose this is our first formal meeting. I must say, your current look is finally a bit more pleasing to the eye than that nauseating clown makeup from before."
Facing Tsukasa's blunt and sharp words, Roswaal did not get angry. Instead, he let out his signature laugh with its bizarre intonation.
"Compared to my appearance, it is thanks to Tsukasa-san turning the tide this time that the village's losses were minimized. Isn't that the most worthy thing to celebrate?"
Emilia, who was nearby, also hurriedly stepped forward. With a hint of nervousness and gratitude, she bowed slightly.
"F-First meeting, Tsukasa-san. Thank you very much for saving the village and everyone."
Tsukasa completely ignored Roswaal's response and looked at the slightly stuttering Emilia.
His tone softened significantly. "There's no need for thanks. The credit for resolving this crisis lies with you and Subaru. If it weren't for you two, I would have no interest in dealing with these troublesome matters."
He shifted his focus, pointing the spearhead back at Roswaal. "Right, Roswaal?"
The smile on Roswaal's face remained unchanged, and an inscrutable light flickered in his heterochromatic eyes.
"Well... Tsukasa-san's words do have merit. However, you were the one who personally stepped in to resolve..."
"Haa—"
Before he could finish, Tsukasa let out a huge yawn, a look of obvious fatigue appearing on his face.
He looked back at Emilia and waved his hand. "Anyway, the trouble has been dealt with. I don't have the patience for the remaining cleanup. By the way..."
His gaze finally swept over Rem, who was being held tightly by Ram, and his voice seemed to soften slightly. "Rem, I'll be waiting for you."
The moment the words fell, under everyone's stunned gaze, Subaru's body suddenly lost all strength like a puppet with its strings cut and fell straight forward.
...
Inside the Consciousness Space, Tsukasa immediately saw Subaru staring at him with puffed-out cheeks and a face full of resentment.
Seeing this, he habitually reached out his hand, wanting to use his usual "head pat" to comfort her.
However, this time Subaru grabbed his hand, preventing him from succeeding. She gripped his wrist tightly, looking up with a huff, her voice laced with obvious jealousy. "I thought you were just a fake monk, but I didn't expect you're a big playboy."
"Hahahaha!"
Tsukasa was stunned for a moment before he couldn't help but laugh out loud, his hearty laughter echoing through the Consciousness Space.
At his laughter, Subaru's cheeks instantly turned bright red, like ripe apples. She became even more embarrassed and annoyed, shaking Tsukasa's arm.
"What's so funny? I don't know who it was just now, focusing only on talking to Rem outside and completely ignoring my existence."
Hearing Subaru's awkward complaining, Tsukasa barely managed to stop laughing, though the corners of his lips still held an irrepressible curve of amusement.
He turned his hand to gently squeeze Subaru's hand, his voice softening with a rare hint of seriousness. "Rem's experiences... those heavy pasts, I can't truly empathize with them. It's a darkness I've never touched. All I can do is follow my inner intuition to give her a pull."
He paused, looking at Subaru with a gentle gaze. "As for you, Subaru, whether it's you or Rem, in my eyes, you are both people who deserve to be treated with tenderness."
"Treated with tenderness..."
These few words tapped gently on Subaru's heart, causing her heartstrings to quiver.
Before the blush on her face could fade, a new wave of heat rushed up. She could only pretend to be calm and turn her face away.
"Humph! This time... this time I'll forgive you for Rem's sake. If you ever dare to ignore me again... humph."
She deliberately put on a "vicious" smile and waved her fist.
That cute attempt at being fierce made Tsukasa feel like he couldn't help but smile, though a strange chill seemed to rise behind him.
After finishing her "threat," Subaru walked over to the chair made of condensed consciousness where Tsukasa usually lay and sat down skillfully. She even conjured a cup of hot tea out of thin air, taking small sips while humming a tuneless, happy song.
After all, her body outside had temporarily "crashed" due to Tsukasa's excessive use. She couldn't go out even if she wanted to now.
Tsukasa looked at her leisurely manner, smiled helplessly, and pulled up a chair nearby, preparing to lie down and rest as usual.
However, just as his back touched the surface of the chair—
[Ding! Mission Completed: Chapter of the Oni Race's Past]
[Rewards Obtained: Cursed Technique power increased by 5%, Special Cursed Technique—Spirit Form, System Points +200]
[Spirit Form: Able to consume one's own mana to phase through physical objects (Note: Mana consumed by Spirit Form can only be recovered by entering the Consciousness Space.)]
A series of clear system prompts rang out deep in his mind without warning.
"!"
Tsukasa's body instantly froze, his eyes widening slightly in shock.
Compared to the routine increase in Cursed Technique power, what shook his heart even more was the special Cursed Technique Spirit Form.
What did this mean?
It meant he was no longer completely dependent on Subaru's body as a medium to appear in the outside world. He could act in an independent form through Spirit Form.
However...
After the initial ecstasy, calm thoughts quickly returned.
At this moment, he keenly noticed the key restriction—the mana consumed by Spirit Form could only be recovered by returning to the Consciousness Space. This meant there was a clear upper limit to the time he could spend active outside independently, it was destined not to last.
—
In an extremely luxurious guest room within the mansion.
The furnishings here were completely different from Subaru's simple personal bedroom. Its luxury was evident even in many unnecessary details. Even the ceiling, which ordinary people wouldn't notice, was covered in complex carvings and decorations.
This was certainly the norm for nobles to display authority and wealth, yet it also gave the room a sense of formal constraint.
In the center of this overly magnificent room, on a luxurious bed that was somewhat excessively spacious, Subaru still slept quietly, having not yet woken up.
The pink-haired maid, Ram, stood silently by the bed, watching the sleeping girl with a complex gaze.
Her inner state was far from as calm as her surface. Countless thoughts churned in her mind—just what did Tsukasa say to Rem?
What method did he use to knock open that door in Rem's heart, which was tightly closed to everyone, even to her, her own sister?
She clearly remembered that when Tsukasa returned carrying Rem on his back, the expression of relief on her sister's face, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted, was something she hadn't seen in years.
(End of Chapter)
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