Toki... she's completely lost it...
So bold!?
Daren's eyes widened in shock.
His brain short-circuited. Blank. Frozen.
He couldn't even put into words what he was seeing.
The oil lamp in the room cast a soft, dreamlike glow. The breathtaking beauty in a kimono had untied her sash, her pale green hair cascading over smooth, snowy shoulders.
Aside from a pair of long white stockings—she wore nothing else.
Her deep blue eyes shimmered with a gentle haze as they met his, her cheeks blushing with shy warmth.
Amatsuki Toki stood before a classical ukiyo-e screen, rising slightly onto her toes. Timid yet willing, her long lashes fluttered like wings. That delicate green hair swayed gently in the night breeze, her slender arms subtly opened in welcome, radiating a heartbreaking, radiant beauty.
Daren had seen countless women in his life—but in this moment, he was utterly stunned.
The frustration he'd carried from earlier with Gion was instantly obliterated in the face of this delicate, ethereal vision.
His instincts overwhelmed all logic and restraint.
"If you don't go for it now, are you even a man?"
...
By the time Daren snapped out of it, the room was a complete mess.
His uniform was scattered across the floor. He lay on the soft tatami mats, next to an oil lamp that had long since gone out.
The night was calm. Moonlight filtered in gently.
The stars overhead blanketed the sky like a net of glimmering pearls, their light spilling through the courtyard window and landing softly on the girl asleep in his arms.
Daren let out a long breath. Amatsuki Toki lay against him, her body soft and weightless, like she had no bones at all.
Now fully awake, he gave a helpless smile.
He hadn't expected her to be this forward—to pull such a bold move out of nowhere.
Who could've resisted that!?
Toki's beauty was unlike any other.
She carried the grace of a traditional Wano woman—elegant, restrained, gentle—but beneath that gentleness was a quiet, resolute fire. Something wild. Something fierce.
If Gion was a rose—proud, brilliant, and untouchable—then Toki, just as she once said herself, was a cherry blossom. Beautiful, fleeting, and tragic.
This was the soul of Wano: a land shaped not just by samurai and their Bushido code, but by a cultural belief that a brief moment of splendor could outweigh the sorrow of a short life.
There's a line of poetry that captures it perfectly:
"Live like a summer flower, die like an autumn leaf."
To dance. That is enough.
It's the essence of the real world's Eastern tradition—and Wano carries that same spirit.
Still, even Daren hadn't expected someone as serene as Toki to be capable of something so wildly... out of character.
Jealousy really does make people reckless.
He'd just soothed the jealous Gion, only to come home to this?
It was just...
Too...
Too damn amazing.
Daren's lips curled into a faint smile. As he held the girl close, his hands started to wander again.
A perfect fit in his grasp.
"Mm..."
Toki let out a soft murmur and shifted gently in his arms, her petite nose wrinkling slightly. Her lashes quivered, a rosy hue blooming across her cheeks.
Daren chuckled, voice low with mischief as he whispered beside her ear,
"Quit pretending to be asleep, Toki."
Her lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her deep blue gaze, shimmering like polished agate, held a misty glaze. She shot him a look—part shyness, part annoyance. But the gentle, lazy curve of her brows added a mature, seductive elegance.
The innocence of a young girl and the allure of a grown woman—melded perfectly in that moment.
Under the moonlight, her face glowed with a soft, mystical light, giving her an almost otherworldly charm.
That unparalleled beauty hit Daren like a freight train.
It crashed through his chest, making it impossible to stay calm.
For a brief second, it all felt unreal—like he was dreaming. Too perfect to be true.
He swallowed.
The fire in his heart flared up again.
"How about... we go again?"
Toki shot him a side glance. That one look—infused with a hint of married-woman charm—was devastatingly seductive.
But her tone remained as soft and gentle as ever.
"Wasn't... that enough?"
Daren's eyes gleamed. As if recalling something, a devilish grin tugged at his lips.
"How about this time... you keep the kimono on?"
Toki froze—then seemed to catch on.
Her face turned scarlet in an instant.
...
The next morning.
Daren woke up in bed.
"...I'm screwed."
He shifted slightly—only to realize, to his surprise, that his whole body felt stiff. Muscles sore, legs weak.
He felt completely drained.
Daren: ...
"Don't tell me I've actually gotten... worn out?"
His mouth twitched. Instinctively, he checked his "physical stats," and after confirming that nothing had changed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Must've been the lingering effect of overexerting his Haki during that attempt to suppress Enma—hadn't fully recovered yet. Combine that with last night's "battle"... yeah, no wonder he felt exhausted.
He glanced down at Amatsuki Toki, still fast asleep on his chest, and couldn't help but recall the madness of last night—a scene that would require a 100,000-word redacted version to explain.
A knowing grin crept onto his face.
Toki was officially his woman now.
So... does that mean Momonosuke won't be born?
Daren rubbed the stubble on his chin, thoroughly amused by the thought.
After lying there for a few more minutes, he gently kissed Toki's smooth forehead, carefully slid his arm out from under her, and quietly got out of bed without waking her.
Unlike his monster-level body, Toki's physique was just that of a normal woman. No way she could keep up with his "assault" without some serious rest.
He threw on his uniform, headed to the kitchen, and quickly made breakfast—left a portion for Toki—then grabbed a hard-boiled egg and, still feeling sore all over, leaned against the wall and made his way to the door.
But the moment he opened it, Daren froze.
His entire body went rigid.
Standing right outside was Gion, holding a steaming breakfast in one hand. Her other hand was raised, about to knock.
Their eyes met.
Gion stared at Daren, who was supporting his back against the wall like he was barely holding himself up. She blinked, stunned.
Daren: ...
He gave a smile that looked even worse than crying.
"Dear, are you heading out?"
A soft, gentle voice called out from behind him.
...Dead.
Daren felt like he'd just been struck by lightning.
His neck creaked as he turned around bit by bit.
There stood Toki, framed in the doorway, casually wearing one of his white dress shirts. Her cheeks were still tinged with the glow of last night's warmth.
She glanced at Gion and offered a serene smile.
"Good morning, Gion-san."
Gion stood there silently.
Clatter...
The breakfast in her hand fell to the ground. Soy milk spilled across the pavement.
Daren felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine. A murderous aura slowly began to radiate from Gion.
She turned her head ever so slowly, eyes expressionless as she stared at Daren.
Shadows clouded her gaze.
"Husband?"
Daren's eye twitched.
Then Gion smiled.
To Daren, it looked terrifying.
"Well then, congratulations, Commodore Daren."
With that, she spun around and walked away, her stride fast and forceful.
With her back to him, her eyes quickly turned red.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them.
Daren: "..."
He reached out instinctively, then stopped and pulled his hand back.
After a long silence, Daren clenched his teeth.
"I really need to learn Observation Haki."