The empty earth was a stretch of green. A light breeze rippled through the grass, a few green blades flicking up into the air as the girl stared straight ahead, eyes firm and unwavering.

Facing her was another girl with a smile on her face. In her eyes, there was a silent message—pure, unshakable confidence.

Since they’d agreed on a duel, they had no choice but to pick a place with no people around. Otherwise, it’d mess up the lives of those in the Outer World.

This place was perfect. As far as the eye could see, not a single extra soul. Clearly, it had been prepared on purpose—only two people stood here.

Aya took a deep breath to steady herself, gaze fixed on the girl in front of her.

She knew very well how strong Asagi Renka—Lian Hua—was. As a direct blood relative of the Clan Head, her strength was in no way inferior to Aya’s.

The real problem was that Asagi Renka’s ability was something Yie Caiyin Aya had no way to deal with.

That was the truly tricky part.

“What’s wrong, Aya? Don’t wanna fight anymore?”

Lian Hua asked with a half-smile.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s start.”

At this point, there was no backing out. She could only go forward.

Aya wasn’t going to surrender just like that. Other than facing it head-on, she had no other option.

Lian Hua gave a small, careless smile, then stepped back, waiting for Aya to make the first move. Seeing her stand there with no guard up, Aya frowned in confusion.

“Lian Hua, you’re not getting a weapon?”

“No need. I don’t need one~”

“At least take a dagger. Otherwise you’ll get hurt.”

As she spoke, Aya tossed a dagger over to Lian Hua. Lian Hua felt the cold metal in her palm. It didn’t feel strange to her at all—if anything, it felt natural.

In the Underworld, carrying weapons was normal. Especially for someone like Yie Caiyin Aya—she was never short on blades.

“Well then, Aya, I won’t be holding back~”

Lian Hua twirled the dagger playfully, smiling seductively as her burning gaze locked onto Aya, like she wanted to devour her.

“Yeah.”

Aya answered her with a confident smile of her own.

A sudden gust swept across the field. Aya’s feet moved, and in an instant she vanished from her original spot. The next second, she was right in front of the other girl, and she swung her first punch without a shred of hesitation.

But Lian Hua caught her attack with ease, even watching her with a faint smile. Aya froze for a moment, then quickly pulled back to open some distance. Lian Hua didn’t give her the chance. With a single step like an arrow, she lunged forward, grabbed Aya’s shoulder, and threw her over her hip. Aya’s waist almost snapped in half.

What the hell is with this brutality?!

But that also gave Aya a chance to fight back. She quickly grabbed Lian Hua’s collar and swung her small fist down. Yet Lian Hua slipped away from every hit with ease. Without exception, every one of Aya’s attacks was dodged. She didn’t even touch a strand of Lian Hua’s hair, while Aya herself was getting dirtier and dirtier.

Someone who didn’t know better would definitely think they were brawling. But in truth, they were just sparring. It was only because there was a bet riding on it that they were going all out.

Aya, panting hard, stood in stark contrast to Lian Hua, who was still smiling calmly.

How is she doing this? It’s like…

Aya bit down, a little unwilling, and decided she wouldn’t hold back any longer. She stirred the power within her, letting it surge from the inside out.

Boom!

A violent explosion blossomed on the open ground, flaring out like a flower, dazzling and bright.

“Already using ‘Air Burst’ this early, huh.”

Faced with such a dangerous attack, Lian Hua only laughed it off. She didn’t look the least bit worried about her situation.

In her vision, time had gone still. She could clearly see the diameter of every explosion and how far each blast would spread.

Lian Hua stayed perfectly calm. Her heartbeat had almost stopped. Deep in her eyes, a faint green hue seemed to bloom.

She could feel it—time around her had slowed. It was like she was standing in a different world.

Then she moved, feet darting through the explosions, running through the storm of blasts without getting hit even once.

No way!

Aya was shocked. Her trump card shouldn’t be so weak that it couldn’t even scratch her. At the very least, there should’ve been some impact. But Lian Hua moved like nothing was happening.

Lian Hua smiled, turning lightly, step by step, letting her movements flow with the blooming clouds of smoke and fire, almost like she was dancing among them.

“You dare look down on me that much?!”

Seeing Lian Hua so at ease, Aya suddenly felt a surge of anger. She poured more Mystic Power into motion, sending out even more explosions.

If nothing unexpected happened, Lian Hua should’ve been blown into a bloody mess.

But in Lian Hua’s eyes, every attack had a visible path—even the future did.

“Ara, Aya, losing your cool already? What a shame~”

She could see it clearly. Where the blasts would bloom, where the shockwaves would hit.

Boom!

A violent shockwave tore across the ground, blowing all the grass away and leaving only a charred black crater.

“Hah… hah…”

Aya was breathing hard—she’d used too much Mystic Power all at once and felt drained. She looked at the devastation she’d caused and figured Lian Hua wouldn’t be attacking for a while, so she let her guard down a little.

And in that single instant of slack, Aya got caught.

She suddenly felt a cold, silver blade pressing against her neck. The one behind her was Asagi Renka—Lian Hua.

Cold sweat broke out all over Aya’s back. How did she do that?!

“You lost, Aya~”

“Tch…”

“What’s wrong? Wondering how I got to you without a scratch?”

“…Yeah.”

Aya nodded. She’d lost anyway. She at least wanted to know why.

“Honestly, Aya, you never thought about which clan I’m from? It’s not that hard to guess, you know.”

Lian Hua smiled, like she really couldn’t help her, gently reminding the still-confused Aya.

Speaking of which, the Asakura Family’s secret art was…

!

“The Asakura Family’s secret art… ‘Future Sight’…”

Aya forced the words out, throat dry.

Of course. Lian Hua had dodged every attack, no matter when or from where, like she already knew what was coming.

Yes. This was ‘Future Sight’.

She could predict attacks within a certain window of the future, along with the best direction to dodge and how to respond. It was basically a cheat. The Asakura Family’s proud secret art. So far, no one had ever cracked it.

In that case, Aya losing was only natural.

Lian Hua’s secret art completely crushed her.

It did have a weakness—it couldn’t foresee a far-off future. But in a fight, that window was more than enough. That flaw could be ignored most of the time.

“Well then, since you lost, it’s time to take your punishment~”

“Punishment? What is—ah~”

Aya had just started to ask when her words turned into a moan.

Lian Hua was grinning triumphantly, her free hand wrapped around the soft “white bunny” on Aya’s chest, her gaze burning hot.

“L-Lian Hua, stop… not there…”

“No… can… do~ Good girls have to accept their punishment~”

“Mmm…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you taste heaven again real soon~”

Lian Hua happily toyed with Aya’s body, impatience clear in every move as she tossed the dagger aside. With one shove, she pinned Aya down onto the ground.

Soft lips pressed tightly together. Aya could feel the girl beneath her resisting. Lian Hua pried her lips open, slipped her tongue inside, and attacked.

The moans grew even sweeter, making someone more and more excited, her hands wandering restlessly over Aya’s body.

It had been a long time since she’d felt this. Ever since that time she and Aya crossed that line, she’d been missing it.

Now that Aya was right here, there was no way Lian Hua was letting her go.

Thinking that, Lian Hua still wasn’t satisfied. She stood up and scooped the dazed Aya into her arms in a princess carry.

Seeing this, Aya panicked and started struggling.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To get a room.”

…

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“How could I~ Didn’t you say if you lost, you’d go get a room with me~? Come on, let’s go enjoy some long-overdue fun~”

“Wait, no, I’m not going!”

“Too bad. I already booked the room.”

“When did you even do that?!”

“Who knows~ Anyway, we’re going~”

Lian Hua hugged her “prize” proudly, a smug “just as planned” smile on her face. Ignoring Aya’s struggles, she headed straight for the forbidden sanctuary.

Since a certain someone fell for the trap, she could only obediently get eaten.

——————————————————————————

“Ah… ahhh~”

With Aya’s final cry, she fell into heaven and was left gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.

Right now, she lay completely bare on the soft bed, side by side with Lian Hua, who was just as naked, like a pair of newborns.

As indescribably pleasant as this kind of thing was, it still burned through stamina.

And Lian Hua really was the type to say it and do it, never leaving any room to resist. Every single time, she pushed Aya to the brink of death and back.

Counting from earlier, she had no idea how long they’d been at it. Aya was exhausted, her waist really wouldn’t straighten anymore. Damn this Lian Hua.

“So, Aya, how was it? That long-lost taste felt pretty good, right~?”

Lian Hua asked with a squinting smile, turning to the girl beside her.

Aya didn’t have the strength to respond. She just turned over and pulled the blanket over herself.

“I’ll never get married now…”

After being treated like this, Aya swore she’d never be normal again in this lifetime.

Ever since she and Lian Hua crossed that line, their relationship had changed.

She didn’t even know when it started becoming like this.

Though, it was true—Aya didn’t want to lose Lian Hua.

But still, this isn’t right.

“Then marry me, how about it, Aya?”

“No…”

“Ehh, that’s so mean~”

Ignoring Lian Hua’s whining, Aya just buried herself in silence.

Lian Hua smiled. Of course she knew what Aya was thinking.

“I’m sorry, Aya. I have to do this. Becoming enemies with the Church is something I can’t avoid.”

“…You really can’t not go?”

“I can’t. I have reasons I can’t walk away from.”

“I see…”

“And besides, I…”

“?”

“I like you, Aya.”

She didn’t know when she’d started liking her. By the time she realized it, it was already…

But that was fine. They still had time. Just a few more years, and they could definitely be together again.

No matter how much hardship came, it didn’t matter. As long as they got through it, that was enough.

Asagi Renka, Lian Hua, loved Yie Caiyin Aya deeply. That was an undeniable fact.

Back then, when she forcibly claimed Aya, it was because she liked her so much she couldn’t hold back that impulse.

The first time, Lian Hua made the person she loved cry. The first time, she felt guilt.

And from that moment on, everything between them had changed.

Still, it was fine. They’d gone back to how they used to be, once again...

Even though the one acting cold was still her, and the one being all clingy and taking advantage was also her.

But now, she’d finally said it. So there were no regrets left.

Asagi Renka had only wanted to say those words—I like you.

That wish alone was enough.