The flames went out.

The light of the flames that had once risen to sky—the heat from burning even gold at one point, suddenly vanished without a trace

 （Huh? I wonder what's wrong—）

It turned into pain. Pain surged from my chest and stomach, shoulder blades or the crown of his head all at once—it was as if a flood had broken through an embankment

 （Where am I—）

What answered her was intense pain. All of it pounded in my head, and the sound mixed with that heartbeat so loud I couldn't sleep

 （Shut up! Just shut your mouth. I'll wake you—） Li Sushang slowly opened her eyes. It was a familiar ceiling, the cabin I'd grown accustomed to. The person staring at me by my side had also looked very well-recognized

...I felt safe, and I was so used to seeing her that it seemed the same as always.

 「Master... Takumi?」 「Yes.」 Lingshuang replied without wasting a single moment. 「Heheh. I... Ouch!」 The girl tried to sit up, but she immediately cried out in pain. The wounds from his battle with Ma Feima weren't light. At this moment, just moving a little was enough to make him feel unbearable pain all over

Huh?

Ma Feima?

 「Ah!」 As if waking up from a dream, Sushang spoke hastily without paying any attention to the pain. 「Master, there's trouble! Teacher and aunt are here.」 「What are you in such a hurry for? You're afraid of Lord Yanqingsama.」 Lingshuang spoke coldly. 「Who do you think sent us off? Don't worry. If I treat your wounds, we will kick that man out of the house!」 「Huh...?」 A violent pain assaulted the girl's head, and she couldn’t think carefully about it. 「Ah—a Raksha?! Master, the blond one」 「I'll be by your side.」 Having been told that, Sushang looked to her side and saw a Raksha sleeping next door. It was a little surprising, but this had been the first time I’d seen him close his eyes since we met.

...Sadness welled up in her innocent heart, like sympathy.

The blond-haired man who was fast asleep had the grace of a god, clear as day.

But right now, he seemed closer to flesh and blood than when she was awake.

She didn’t try to gloss over it or hide, nor did she worry about the past and fixate on her future.

The Raksha was simply sleeping. He slept, no different from any other normal person in the world...

Maybe... this is his true form?

 ...Huh? Where could he be? 「Aaahh----」 The girl instinctively pulled on the comforter and kicked a Raksha with her foot. The blond outlander fell off the bed and toppled over, but he still didn’t wake up. 「Wh-why is this person standing next to me...?」 Her face turns bright red. Tears are welling up in her eyes, and she looks like they're about to fall out of them at any moment... But Lingshuang is completely unfazed by it all! 「There's only one bed, right? Where am I supposed to put her if she doesn’t sleep beside you. On the floor...」 「M-Master, there's a bed at your place too!」 「――If I put this person to sleep, where will i go?」 「I-I can't do that! Not yet...」 Unable to speak, Sushang sobbed. 「Master—it’s not good for a man and woman to make direct contact!」 「Huh...?」 Master lowered her eyes and silently thought. The girl sighed and suddenly realized something. It would be a little unreasonable to have her master understand this kind of common sense, wouldn't it? After all—