"Stare—" Nia was glaring at me again.

"..." I decided to ignore her and kept playing Gomoku with Loli.

Since Mira seemed to be out on some errand today, morning training was canceled. Loli had then begged me to play with her, so here I was, matching wits over a Gomoku board.

The rules were simple—just a quick explanation and she got the hang of it. I held back a little to keep the games competitive. After all, it was her first time playing; constantly crushing her wouldn’t be fun.

Though, to be honest, by the sixth match, I’d already lost the ability to beat her. Truly a tragic tale.

"Luo Sa, did you lose your memory?" Nia leaned in to stir trouble when I ignored her.

Haven’t you asked that before?

"Ah, who am I? Where am I? Who’s hitting me? Who should I hit?" Since she was getting in my face, I played along.

"Luo Sa, I win~" Loli plopped a black piece onto the board with a *plop*, beaming at me.

"Ah… lost again." My record now stood at 5 wins to 44 losses. Since Nia had conveniently appeared, I couldn’t *not* blame her. "Shoo, shoo. Get out of here. Your meddling made me lose."

"You’re blaming *me* for losing at Gomoku? You just suck at this!" Nia refused to take the fall.

"Fine, fine. So what’s your latest reason for thinking I’ve lost my memory?" I asked while setting up the next game.

"Because you haven’t changed at all these past few days. Still the same old you." Nia looked genuinely puzzled.

"What change? Suddenly mastering sorrow and achieving Rebirth Without Form?" I had to admire her persistence—constantly cooking up new schemes, each weirder than the last. Where did she even get these ideas?

"A few days ago, I told you my story. Shouldn’t people usually react… differently after hearing something like that?" Nia pressed.

"Why would they?" I already guessed where this was going. "You mean we’re not ‘normal people’?"

"...No, I mean—" Nia fumbled for words, utterly stuck.

"If I knew your past and pitied you, would it change your tragic history?"

"No."

"If I showed sympathy, would it improve your life now?"

"No..."

"And if I looked at you with pity every time we met, would you like that?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly." I shrugged. "What’s wrong with how things are now?"

Clearly, Nia was confused why my attitude hadn’t shifted. Did knowing her past somehow make her less *her*?

"I suppose you’re right." Nia nodded thoughtfully. "I think I’m starting to understand why Aefina chose you. You really are the only one who fits."

"Let’s get one thing straight," I said, eyes still on the board. "Stir trouble with me all you want, but don’t drag Aefina into it."

"Huh? I won?" I suddenly realized placing a piece here would win the game. How had Loli missed such an obvious move? But after so many matches, mistakes were normal—I’d already lost over forty times…

"Mhm. Luo Sa won." Loli’s smile never wavered… You let me win, didn’t you?

Loli waved her hand, and the pieces flew back into their box. Magic sure was convenient—no need to pick them up one by one. She stretched, a trace of fatigue flickering across her delicate face.

Gomoku was fun in short bursts, but endless rounds grew dull. The rules were too simple; no new tricks to discover. Repetition bred boredom.

"Tired of playing?" I could tell from her expression. Honestly, I was getting bored too.

Loli nodded, flopping backward onto the floor. She rolled sideways until her head rested on my lap—we’d been sitting on the ground, and with it being the hot season (Fire Season), catching a chill wasn’t a concern.

"By the way, how’s your injury healing?" It had been over a month since I found Loli, yet I’d never actually asked.

She bounced around daily like a hyperactive kitten—she must be nearly recovered. Just look at her rolling on the floor moments ago…

"I’m all better!" Loli puffed out her chest proudly, practically screaming *I can take on ten guys*.

"Mo Mo, cast Scan on Loli." Better safe than sorry.

Mo Mo fluttered over and cast the spell.

*Health Status: Healthy (Minor Injuries).*

The "Seven Sins Death Knell" ability was no longer marked *unavailable*, but it remained grayed out.

"See? Not fully healed yet." I tapped Loli’s forehead.

"I’m… fine." Loli scrambled up, using her "height advantage" to look down at me. I stood up—sitting had made me shorter—and now *I* loomed over her.

Just as I wondered what she was planning, Loli started undressing. Today’s outfit was a T-shirt and overalls. She unhooked the straps, then pulled off the shirt. Underneath, in the summer heat, she wore only a sports bra.

Her dramatic move drew Nia and Mo Mo’s attention. Both shot me looks dripping with disgust…

I’d thought she wanted to show her healed body.

Instead, a crimson glow flashed on her forehead. Two pairs of slender demon wings burst from her back, spreading in an X-shape. A long, slender demon tail sprouted behind her, its tip arrowhead-sharp. Her black horns lengthened visibly.

Anyone would recognize her now—a textbook demon.

But the most striking feature wasn’t the wings or tail. It was the crown of crimson flames burning at her brow. Change the color, and it’d look just like the Sky Guardian’s Dying Will Flames…

Aside from these changes, Loli remained frozen mid-motion, clutching her clothes. Watching her wings, I realized: *She stripped to avoid tearing her clothes, didn’t she?*

…Though your tail already ripped your pants, didn’t it?

"See? I’m fine!" To prove it, Loli fluttered her wings and lifted off the ground. Such tiny wings actually flying… Well, magic explained it.

After a few seconds, she landed—and stumbled forward like she was dizzy, collapsing into my arms.

"See? Not fine at all." Her forehead bumped mine as she fell. The crimson flames felt cool, like a breath of air against my skin.

Mesmerized, I reached out and touched the flames. My fingers passed through like mist, but I felt a faint warmth, like someone gently blowing on them.

"I *am* fine!" Loli insisted, her small face flushed with effort.

Except her cheeks weren’t flushed—they were paler than usual.

As if to confirm my worry, blood suddenly dripped from her nose.

"Holy—! You’re bleeding!" I tilted her head up and wiped the blood with my sleeve. "Keep your head up. Don’t move. Mira—no, Nia! Get some tissues!"

Raising the head might not stop nosebleeds, but it helped psychologically.

I wasn’t squeamish, but seeing Loli bleed made my pulse race. Flustered, I didn’t notice how my hands cradled her chin, tilting her face up—like lovers about to kiss across a height difference.

Loli wasn’t flustered at all. Even bleeding, she smiled up at me. And she *definitely* noticed our position. She rose on tiptoes, pressing closer, hands braced against my chest.

Nia returned with tissues, her expression unreadable. I hadn’t noticed.

"Alright, this should stop it. But put your wings away first?" I stuffed tissues into her nose and stepped back—my dad’s old remedy.

Loli nodded. The crimson flames dimmed, then vanished. Her tail and wings dissolved into red light. Her tense shoulders relaxed.

"Here. Get dressed." I handed back her clothes, which I’d caught when she bled.

"Okay." Loli obediently dressed, standing quietly beside me.

*At least like this, no one will take me away.*

"Why do you push yourself so hard?" I frowned at her, baffled.

I couldn’t understand. The Demon Realm’s eighteen lords had united to kill her. Nowhere in that realm was safe. No one she could truly rely on.

Loli could never show weakness—not even when injured. She *had* to appear strong. Years of survival had carved this habit into her soul. Forty days couldn’t erase it.

"Can… can I be weak?" Loli buried her face in my chest, arms wrapped around my waist. Her voice, muffled by tissues, carried a thick, adorable nasal twang.

"You *can*… but why be weak? Strength is admirable. Isn’t it better to be strong?" I hugged her shoulders, stroking her hair. "It’s okay to lean on others when you’re tired. Being strong doesn’t mean never needing help."

"But weakness is different. How could a weak person reclaim your Death Knell from those demons? And a weak leader can’t—" I paused abruptly. "Wait. What *will* you do when you’re healed? Return to the Demon Realm?"

Come to think of it, Loli never said she wanted to be the Demon Realm’s ruler. She’d barely mentioned defeating the Demon Lords or reclaiming her Death Knell. She seemed… uninterested.

"My injury’s healed!" Loli fell back on old habits.

I flicked her nose, stern-faced. "Didn’t I say no more pretending? Who was bleeding just now?"

"Hmph! Fine." Loli butted me with her horns. *Your horns have grown! Break that habit already!*

Still, Loli knew her limits well. Every time she nudged me gently with her horn, I just let her be.

"The future, huh..." Loli blinked, then turned to look at Nia and the others, and finally gazed up at me with a bright smile.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it~"