Chương 53: Let Tomorrow Wait

After my meeting with the Guild, which had somehow ended with the continent mobilizing instead of anyone else being thrown through a wall, Akane and I parted ways with the others. Adrian still had information to distribute, while Vera and Malcolm had their own preparations to oversee. The Guild, meanwhile, had an entire continent to frighten into taking the invasion seriously. So I took Akane's hand and wandered into Ravenport without any particular destination in mind.

The city was busy beneath the late afternoon light, but people had a remarkable habit of giving me space. Conversations quieted as we approached. Several adventurers straightened and stepped aside, while two men I vaguely recognized from Ravenport's less respectable businesses crossed the street before we reached them. I was famous, certainly, just not in the way celebrities had been in my old world. No one rushed toward me asking for photographs or desperate for a moment of attention.

My reputation encouraged considerably healthier instincts. Most people preferred to admire me from a respectful distance and hope I happened to be in a good mood. Perfectly reasonable behavior… Beside me, Akane watched it all with amusement. One of her hidden tails briefly disturbed the illusion behind her, causing a nearby street vendor to nearly drop his tray. Her fingers tightened gently around mine.

"Are you taking me on a date?" The warmth and barely concealed excitement in her voice made me glance sideways.

"I suppose you could call it that." Her ears immediately perked. A terrible sign…

"You suppose?"

"We're leaving for the Demon Continent in a few days; the outcome remains uncertain, and I decided spending an afternoon walking through the city without anyone interrupting us might be enjoyable." Akane considered that.

"Romantic."

"I try."

"You absolutely do not."

"Guilty." I couldn't help but smirk slightly. Her shoulder pressed against my arm as she moved closer. Beneath the illusion hiding her tails from the public, I felt one of them curl comfortably around my waist. I glanced toward her and found the teasing smile had softened. She had heard the concern beneath my words without me ever needing to say it aloud, which was becoming increasingly inconvenient.

"This time," she murmured, "if things become too dangerous, we leave." I did not answer immediately. Late afternoon had begun settling over Ravenport, and the city's streetlights were slowly awakening. The air carried the scent of approaching rain, salt from the distant ocean, roasted food from nearby stalls, and the faint metallic tang of magical machinery running beneath the modern streets. Akane tightened her hold on my hand.

"I cannot lose you a second time." There was no playfulness in her voice now, but when I looked at her, a small, tired smile still found its way onto my face.

"No one on our side is dying if I can prevent it. If the situation becomes impossible, we retreat. We survive, regroup, and find another way." Akane studied me carefully.

"But?" Somehow, Akane noticed that too. She really was beginning to understand me far too well, and I was not entirely sure how I felt about that. Slightly irritated, apparently. I turned my attention toward the skyline instead. Vaust Royale rose above the surrounding buildings, its black-glass exterior catching streaks of violet light while Ravenport stretched outward around it. Over the decades, the city had become something I had never meant to care about this much. Yet somehow, I did.

"It would still sadden me to lose everything I have built here." Akane rested her head lightly against my shoulder without slowing our pace.

"Better than dying."

"Yes."

"I also doubt my mother can interfere with time again."

"That's probably for the best."

"She would be incredibly smug if she could." I glanced at her.

"Are goddesses permitted to be smug?"

"My mother may have invented it."

"That explains you." Akane laughed, and the sound loosened something inside my chest that I had not realized was tense. We continued walking. Ravenport was not a gentle city, but there was beauty in the sharpness of it. Towers of dark stone and glass crowded against the evening sky while neon signs painted the streets violet, crimson, gold, and blue. Fountains caught those colors and scattered them across the pavement like broken jewels.

Humans moved alongside werewolves, vampires, beastkin, demi-humans, and creatures whose species I had never cared enough to ask about. A few people stared as we passed, but most had enough sense not to make it obvious. Then a jewelry store caught my attention. It occupied the corner beneath a sign written in elegant silver script, its entrance framed by polished black marble and softly lit display windows.

The entire place looked expensive enough to discourage casual browsers while still making certain anyone with money noticed it. I slowed to a stop, and Akane naturally stopped beside me. Her gaze followed mine toward the display window, where necklaces, rings, bracelets, and jeweled ornaments glittered beneath soft golden light. One of her ears twitched. I cleared my throat.

"Let us purchase something for each other." Akane turned toward me so quickly that her hair swept across one shoulder.

"Really?"

"Do not make that face."

"What face?"

"The one suggesting I have just handed you the moon." Her smile widened.

"You offered me jewelry."

"I haven't purchased anything yet."

"But you suggested it." Her expression grew unbearably pleased.

"That's emotionally charged jewelry."

"I regret speaking." A sigh escaped my lips.

"No, you do not." Unfortunately, she was correct. I opened the door before she could enjoy that fact any further. A soft bell chimed as we entered. The shop smelled faintly of polished wood, perfume, metal, and protective wards. Glass cases lined the walls, filled with rings, lockets, bracelets, watches, chokers, earrings, brooches, and elaborate hair ornaments set with stones that shimmered beneath enchanted lighting.

A woman emerged from behind the counter wearing the professionally pleasant smile of someone accustomed to wealthy customers. Then she recognized me, and her professional smile faltered for the briefest moment before she recovered with impressive composure.

"Lady Vaust." She offered a respectful bow.

"Welcome. How may we assist you?" I glanced at Akane. She was trying very hard not to bounce. There was something deeply strange about watching a nine-tailed demigoddess attempt to contain that much excitement.

"I'm looking for jewelry with a fox motif. Gold or yellow gemstones, preferably something worn around the neck." Akane's attention snapped toward me. I ignored her. The jeweler considered the request.

"We may have several fox designs, although nothing currently displayed feels appropriate for your companion." Smart woman…

"If you prefer, we can create something custom. Perhaps a pendant with golden stonework, white-gold detailing, and a more elegant fox design?"

"That sounds acceptable. Nothing childish, and nothing so small that the details disappear." Akane squeezed my hand hard enough that a normal person's bones would have become an abstract concept.

"So she can always be near your heart?" she asked sweetly. I slowly turned toward Akane and found her staring back with glowing golden eyes, looking entirely too pleased with herself. Dangerous fox… Beside us, the jeweler suddenly became interested in her notes.

"Yes, obviously. I chose a necklace because wearing it around the ankle would be impractical." Akane laughed while the jeweler continued writing with impressive discipline, wisely pretending not to notice anything between us. Once she finished, Akane stepped forward.

"I would like a locket." That caught my attention.

"With room for a picture," she explained.

"Violet sapphires, if possible. Something dark and elegant." A smile slipped onto my face before I could stop it, and Akane caught the reaction immediately. I turned toward the jeweler.

"Make that two lockets." Akane blinked.

"One with violet sapphires and another using stones that match her eyes." I gestured toward Akane. The jeweler glanced between us, clearly making a heroic attempt to remain professional while the romantic atmosphere in the shop thickened enough to become a commercial product of its own.

"Yellow sapphire would probably give the closest color, although gold topaz, citrine, or amber could also work beautifully. We can prepare both pieces within several days once the designs are finalized." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Before the end of the week." I suggested, but it was more of a command.

"Of course." The worker gave a polite smile.

"Money is not an issue." That sentence had solved an impressive number of problems throughout my life, and this occasion proved no different. Paperwork appeared almost immediately, followed by sketches, measurements, metal samples, and enough gemstones to make the counter glitter beneath the lights. Akane approached the design of my locket with the seriousness of someone selecting an artifact for a royal tomb, rejecting several options before finally finding one she considered worthy of me.

I was considerably less expressive while choosing hers, although internally I was just as certain about what I wanted. Once the designs were settled, the jeweler assured us both pieces would be finished before our departure. It was sentimental, perhaps even a little foolish, but the thought carried a strange importance I could not dismiss. When we stepped back onto the street, Akane was practically glowing with happiness, and the sight was proving dangerously effective against what remained of my defenses.

"So," she began while lightly swinging our joined hands, "I see you're finally accepting your fate." A smirk pulled at my lips.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope." Akane moved before I could respond, a quick blur of dark hair followed by a brief kiss against my lips. By the time I recovered, she was already walking again as though she had not just assaulted what little remained of my public dignity. I said nothing, although the smile lingering on my face betrayed me anyway. Traitorous emotions… From there, we made our way toward one of Ravenport's more popular waterfront restaurants.

Akane had specifically refused to eat anywhere inside Vaust Royale because, according to her, taking someone on a date at a place you owned was "financially suspicious." When I pointed out that House Vaust held interests in several businesses throughout the city, she promptly scolded me not to ruin the illusion. So I allowed it. The restaurant overlooked the water through broad glass walls, its interior finished in dark wood and soft golden light.

Privacy wards surrounded each booth, strong enough to give the many different species living in Ravenport a little freedom from pretending everyone possessed human table manners. The host nearly swallowed his tongue when he recognized me, but Akane barely seemed to notice. She took control of the ordering almost immediately and proceeded with enough enthusiasm that, by the time she finished, the server had written down enough food to feed a small military unit. I stared across the table at her.

Akane smiled with perfect innocence.

"What?"

"You eat like someone preparing to hibernate through winter."

"I have been through a lot."

"You ate this much at breakfast."

"I was recovering emotionally."

"From what?"

"You."

"How convenient." Despite her figure, Akane ate enough for several people. Plates of meat, noodles, dumplings, seafood, and pastries disappeared with alarming speed, along with a dessert that arrived halfway through the meal because Akane had apparently decided courses were optional.

"You truly don't gain weight?" She licked a trace of sauce from her thumb.

"No."

"Divine gift?" I suggested.

"Divine gift." She repeated without thinking.

"I suppose I can relate." Her ears tilted toward me.

"I'm a primordial vampire. My body appears determined to remain exactly as annoyingly perfect as it chooses." Akane's eyes traveled over me with absolutely no attempt at discretion.

"Annoyingly perfect sounds accurate."

"Stop looking at me like that in public."

"Not happening." The feeding started halfway through dinner and seemed harmless enough at first. Akane held up a bite of food; I stared at it, she stared back, and eventually I gave in with a sigh. That should have satisfied her. Naturally, it did not. She began switching between dishes and sauces, watching my reactions with irritating precision and growing more pleased every time she discovered something I especially liked.

Forks gave way to chopsticks, then to her fingers, until eventually she decided none of those methods were intimate enough. Akane leaned closer with another bite held between her lips, making her intentions painfully obvious. I stared at her. She smiled.

"No." The fact that she wanted to be this affectionate in the middle of a restaurant was already ridiculous enough.

"Hela."

"Absolutely not."

"It's a date."

"That's not an argument."

"It is romantic."

"It's a public health violation."

"We're immortal."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Akane only leaned farther across the table, completely unbothered by my objections. The offending bite remained between her lips while her golden eyes watched me with the patient confidence of someone who had already decided how this was going to end. I should have refused. There was still a small piece of my dignity worth defending. Instead, after enduring what I considered a severe amount of embarrassment, I finally gave in and allowed the fox her victory.

Akane looked unbearably pleased with herself. I was becoming far too easy for this woman to manipulate, possibly even worse than I was with Celeste. That realization should have horrified me more than it did. The problem was that resisting Akane increasingly felt less like maintaining control and more like denying something that had already become strangely natural between us. We had known each other for only a handful of days in this timeline, yet sitting across from her felt almost impossibly familiar.

It was more than simple comfort. There was a sense of recognition beneath it, as though some forgotten part of me had been waiting for her long before I understood why. That thought lingered while Akane continued feeding me with absolutely no regard for my remaining dignity. Any trace of sauce near my lips was quickly dealt with by her personally, usually in a manner that made it very clear shame had never been included among her divine gifts.

A server approached our booth once, caught sight of us, turned an impressive shade of red, and immediately retreated without asking whether we needed anything. Wise… When Akane finally settled back into her seat, looking thoroughly satisfied with herself, I stared across the table. She smiled.

"What?" A question escaped before caution could stop it.

"Is this what being in love feels like?" For a moment, neither of us moved. The question had slipped out far more honestly than I intended, and the sudden weight of it left me looking toward the window instead, where Ravenport's lights shimmered across the glass. Beneath the table, Akane slipped her hand over mine.

"What do you mean?" I considered the answer carefully.

"It's strange. Things that would make me lose patience with anyone else barely seem to matter when it's you." I frowned slightly.

"Annoying, certainly. But somehow still worth putting up with." Akane laughed softly.

"So what you're saying is that you tolerate me?"

"Do not become greedy."

"I'm extremely greedy."

"I noticed." Her thumb brushed slowly over my knuckles.

"Love does not mean enduring everything. Cruelty should still hurt. Betrayal should still matter, and no one should be allowed to treat your heart carelessly just because they know you love them." I looked back at her. The amusement had faded from Akane's expression.

"But it does make strange things precious. Habits that should annoy you become familiar. Boldness becomes warmth. Even flaws become pieces of the person you instinctively reach for."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It is."

"You admit that?"

"Of course." Akane lifted my hand and pressed a gentle kiss against my fingers.

"Anything powerful enough to change your life is dangerous." I considered that in silence.

"That was almost poetic." Akane's eyes narrowed.

"I can be poetic."

"Can you?"

"Occasionally." A smile nearly escaped me. After dinner, we simply walked. There was no destination, just spending time together. Ravenport had fully awakened to nightlife. Neon and moonlight mingled across streets still damp from an earlier rain. Music drifted from clubs and performance halls while fountains illuminated the entrances to hotels, restaurants, theaters, and office towers. With growing satisfaction, I noticed how many buildings had copied Vaust Royale's fondness for decorative water features.

Some had done so tastefully. Others should have been ashamed. One establishment had attempted a dragon-shaped fountain so poorly that I briefly considered purchasing the entire building simply to correct it. Akane followed my stare and laughed.

"You look proud."

"I started a trend."

"You created half the city's aesthetic."

"Accidentally."

"Still counts." We crossed a plaza where synchronized fountains curved over violet lights. Children ran through drifting mist while their parents watched from nearby benches. A werewolf couple posed for pictures beside a statue, while a vampire in an expensive red coat argued with a parking meter as though the machine had personally insulted his bloodline.

Ravenport was ridiculous, violent, loud, and frequently troublesome, but somewhere along the way, all of that chaos had become something I cared about far more than I intended. It had become a part of me. Akane slipped an arm around my waist as we walked. For the rest of the evening, I found myself giving in whenever affection surfaced between us. Akane, of course, had never needed much encouragement. If anything, I was simply becoming less determined to resist her.

Sometimes it was a kiss beneath a streetlamp or our fingers linking as we crossed a crowded market. Other times she leaned against me on a bridge while violet light shimmered across the water below. At one point, I brushed my fingers over one of her ears simply because I had discovered how much it made her shiver, and one of her hidden tails immediately curled around my waist in retaliation. We moved through Ravenport inside a small world that seemed to belong only to us.

People stared, some whispered, and most wisely kept their distance. I already had Celeste and Aura interfering with my private life whenever they pleased. Strangers were far easier to manage. At least strangers understood fear. Eventually, Akane stopped in front of a darkened shop window and studied our reflection.

Silver hair and violet eyes stood beside black hair and gold, my darker clothing contrasting sharply with hers while her fox ears rose above her head and the faintest distortion of hidden tails shimmered behind her. She looked at our reflection for a moment longer before resting her head against my shoulder.

"We look good together."

"Also dangerous," I added.

"That too."

"Mostly dangerous."

"That can also be romantic." I glanced down at her.

"With you, apparently anything can be romantic."

"Demon massacre date." A sigh escaped me.

"Yes… I remember." Our date did not truly end that night. Over the following days, pieces of it repeated themselves, sometimes deliberately and sometimes because we simply found ourselves together. We tried other restaurants and wandered parts of Ravenport I had not bothered visiting in years. Akane bought earrings because the stones reminded her of my eyes and immediately insisted on wearing them.

I bought her a dark coat embroidered with silver and violet because she looked far too pleased while trying it on, and apparently my financial judgment deteriorated whenever she smiled at me. We walked along the harbor after sunset, watched dancers perform beneath violet lights from a private balcony, and found a quiet garden nestled between two towers where moonflowers bloomed beneath artificial stars.

Every night, Akane returned to my room, although I was becoming increasingly uncertain whether calling it only mine was still accurate. Our room? No… possibly? Damn it. She held me while we slept as though some part of her still feared I might disappear if she loosened her grip. I usually let her, and on more than one occasion, I even found myself reaching for her first. I would deny that under interrogation. Unfortunately, Akane remembered every one of those moments far too clearly.

By the fourth day, Celeste and Aura had apparently decided Akane had monopolized enough of my attention. Celeste entered my office without bothering to knock, while Aura followed close behind with her arms crossed and an expression that made it clear they had arrived to complain.

"We have complaints," Celeste announced.

"Go away." I waved a hand.

"You haven't heard them yet."

"I sensed them approaching." Aura pointed accusingly toward me.

"You keep leaving with that fox." My gaze fell on her without denying or confirming with words. Celeste threw both hands into the air.

"Exactly!"

"That was an observation, not a complaint."

"It's an emotional complaint."

"I don't accept those." Akane sat on the edge of my desk with one leg crossed over the other, watching the proceedings with amused golden eyes. Celeste pointed at her.

"She has had you to herself for several days." Akane smiled.

"Yes."

"You admit it?"

"Proudly." Aura's tail snapped irritably behind her.

"We want to go have fun too."

"You hate most public places."

"I still like being invited." Celeste nodded with absurd solemnity.

"It's about inclusion."

"More like it's about both of you being nosy."

"That too." She just admitted it so easily. I glanced toward Akane, expecting possessiveness or at least one territorial remark. Instead, her expression softened.

"I do not mind." That surprised me enough to earn my full attention. Akane leaned slightly closer.

"I have had you mostly to myself for several days. I can share a little." Celeste gasped dramatically.

"Growth."

"Do not call it that." Akane's smile immediately turned dangerous.

"Besides, I still have the nights." Celeste stared at Akane for several seconds, visibly offended by the implication. Aura glanced between the two of us, clearly trying to decide whether she had missed something important. I rubbed a hand over my face.

"Akane."

"What?" She knew exactly what I meant, but the fox only laughed, entirely unrepentant. With that settled, what had started as a dates between the two of us temporarily became a family outing. Celeste dragged us through shops, restaurants, and two entertainment floors inside Vaust Royale that she claimed I had somehow failed to appreciate despite owning them. Aura demanded an excursion to an aerial racing arena because apparently criticizing the flying technique of strangers qualified as recreation.

Akane behaved surprisingly well throughout the outing. Perhaps a little too well… She still provoked Celeste whenever the opportunity presented itself and kissed me once purely because Celeste had become particularly smug, but there was none of the possessiveness I had expected. Akane had spent the last several days guarding my attention like a dragon sitting on treasure, yet now she seemed perfectly content to let Celeste and Aura pull me from one attraction to the next. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It never did. That was somehow more concerning. By the end of the evening, Celeste had won three carnival games and declared herself "emotionally restored." Aura purchased a dragon plush, then spent the next hour behaving as though the rest of us had collectively imagined the transaction. Akane simply walked beside me, looking more peaceful than I had seen her since she arrived. Every so often, I caught myself studying her.

Was she genuinely comfortable sharing my attention now, or was she storing up several days of possessiveness for later? With Akane, both possibilities felt equally plausible. Still, there was something different in her expression that night. She seemed content simply being there with us, watching Celeste chatter and Aura pretend not to care about the plush tucked beneath her arm. The war had not disappeared, and neither had the fear surrounding it.

For several days, however, we had allowed ourselves to live instead of spending every waking moment preparing for whatever might kill us. I suspected that mattered to Akane more than she ever said aloud. Perhaps in the timeline she remembered, there had always been another battle, another siege, another emergency demanding attention first. Happiness could wait until later. Eventually, there had been no "later," and Akane had clearly decided she would never make that mistake again.

Somewhere along the way, I had started to feel the same. On the final night before our departure, once Celeste and Aura had finally decided they had received enough attention to stop complaining, Akane and I returned to my room. The moment the door closed behind us, she remained leaning against it and watched me with unusually soft golden eyes. For some reason, after how generously she had shared me all evening, that look made me slightly nervous.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking me on dates."

"I took you on walks."

"Dates."

"Expensive walks."

"Dates." I sighed.

"Fine… dates." Her smile became radiant, unfairly so… Akane crossed the room and wrapped her arms around my waist, but this time there was none of her usual teasing or sharp flirtation. She simply held me, and I let my hands settle against her back as I returned the embrace. Tomorrow, we would leave Ravenport. Aura would carry us across the sea toward the Demon Continent, where we intended to tear apart armies, destroy spires, and buy the rest of the world whatever time we could.

None of us knew exactly what waited for us on the Demon Continent, but for tonight, that uncertainty could remain outside the room. Akane held me close, and I returned the embrace just as tightly.

"I don't know what's going to happen." My words came out in a whisper.

"I know."

"I do not make promises when I cannot guarantee them." Her arms tightened slightly.

"I know that too." I pulled back just enough to meet her eyes.

"But if there is a way for both of us to come home, I will find it." Akane stared at me for several seconds. Her golden eyes shimmered.

"That's enough." I brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face.

"Then whatever happens tomorrow, we come back together." Her expression softened.

"Absolutely." She said it as if it were a resolution.