The world around him once again turned hazy and dreamlike. In the blink of an eye, Ryuji vanished from this dimension.
Time instantly began to slow—no, to freeze. Both Rin and Mai were caught in the current of halted time, their actions suspended mid-motion.
But Rias... she alone remained partially aware.
Of course, she couldn't completely resist the force that stilled time. This was not ordinary magic—it was a dimensional shift, a power far beyond mere mortals. Rias possessed certain privileges, being one of the most likely candidates to become the ruler of this dimension, but immunity was still out of reach.
After all, she was only a candidate, not the dimension's true creator or embodiment. Even if people often conflated the two, the distinction remained real.
Even if she truly were to become this dimension's master, she would never have full control over its laws.
And that was one of the reasons she had rejected that title.
As the temporal force approached her, Rias could only shake her head in resignation.
"He's left again, hasn't he...?"
With those words, even her time finally came to a halt—at least, from Ryuji's perspective.
Meanwhile, Ryuji himself had no idea what had transpired behind him. He was too focused on the figure slowly appearing before his eyes.
Then—he collapsed.
A crushing weight pressed down on his body, and it finally dawned on him what he'd forgotten.
The gravity setting.
He'd forgotten to disable the extreme gravity enchantment he'd cranked up earlier for training.
Panicking, Ryuji immediately channeled all his strength to shut it down—just in time to prevent his blood vessels and organs from sustaining serious damage.
But it was at that exact moment that Erina turned her head—and saw him.
Ryuji, still recovering, raised a slightly awkward hand in greeting. He had intended a cool entrance, maybe even to embrace her from behind with some flair.
But thanks to a small oversight, he now looked downright pitiful.
"Yo, Erina," he said with a sheepish smile.
However—
"Ryuji!!"
Erina didn't care about any of that. Her expression flashed from disbelief to conviction in an instant before she threw herself at him.
Her body collided with his unsteady frame, knocking him flat onto the floor.
Thankfully, the thick carpet cushioned the fall somewhat. But Ryuji, too busy making sure she wasn't hurt, didn't shield himself with magic in time. He landed with a thud.
"Is it really you, Ryuji?" she asked, her voice trembling with joy and fear.
Erina's hands moved frantically across his body, as if trying to find proof he was real—familiar scars, familiar warmth, anything that could confirm this wasn't just her imagination.
She had been certain he was dead. After all, he was the one who had saved her—who had sent her back to her own world while he stayed behind and ignited the gun powder in a desperate gamble.
She had seen him consumed by the explosion.
She had mourned him.
And yet now...
"Am I dreaming? You won't disappear again… will you?"
Tears streamed from her eyes as she touched his face, his chest, his arms—everything. Ryuji couldn't even sit up, but seeing her cry and smile all at once made him laugh softly.
He let himself fall back onto the carpet, content to lie there while she confirmed he was alive with every touch.
Still, he didn't forget to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her close.
"This isn't a dream," he murmured. "I've just gained some... miraculous power, that's all."
And finally, Erina believed it. She knew now that this wasn't a fantasy—and the man before her was truly him.
Even if his body had changed a little in inexplicable ways, there was no mistaking it.
He was her lecherous old man. The one she both hated and missed.
"Really...?"
Erina's hair fell over her face, hiding her eyes—but Ryuji could still see the tears shining in them.
"…Yeah. It's really me."
"You bastard!"
Erina raised her hand like she was going to slap him, but after a second of hesitation, she just sighed and stood up. Without a word, she pulled out her phone.
"人が来て,ここに侵入者がいます."("Someone come, there's an intruder here.")
Ryuji blinked. He didn't understand a word she said. His Japanese was only on par with the average netizen—enough to read AV titles, not to follow real conversations.
Still, he could guess why she was angry.
She was furious about how he had made the decision to send her back on his own during that critical moment.
Erina was strong-willed and proud. Even if she understood why Ryuji did it—logically—it didn't change how she felt. She had wanted to fight beside him to the very end.
And now, seeing him alive and well, the anger was only amplified.
"Miss! Are you all right?!"
Hisako Arato burst through the door only seconds after Erina's call, followed closely by two highly trained female bodyguards.
The moment they saw Ryuji, the two bodyguards launched into action without hesitation, moving swiftly to subdue the "intruder."
Ryuji instinctively reached for his gun and sword, magic flaring at his fingertips—but he stopped himself. This was Erina's home. He couldn't attack her people.
That moment of hesitation was all it took for the two women to grab his arms.
"What's going on?" he mouthed to Erina, confusion all over his face.
But Erina only looked away, crossing her arms coldly.
"Just escort him out. He's my fiancé," she said bluntly in Japanese.
"…Huh?"
Hisako, who had been preparing to land a kick on the intruder, froze mid-step, her expression twisting into disbelief.
She remembered that stretch of time when Erina had gone missing... and suddenly, everything clicked.
"Wait, Lady Erina… you mean—?"
"Yes. I met him during that time. He's the reason I survived. That's why I've decided—he'll be the next head of the Nakiri family's household."
She tried to sound calm, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her. She was seriously mad about how Ryuji had made decisions without her—but she was also serious about marrying him.
"…Wha…"
Hisako's jaw hung open as she stared at the scruffy, strangely dressed man. He didn't look rich. He didn't even look like a chef. He looked like someone who'd walked out of another era—or maybe another world.
"I just want to teach him a lesson for doing things on his own. Send him to Tōtsuki Academy. Oh, and arrange some documents. He doesn't have a Japanese ID."
"But, Lady Erina… what about the Headmaster?"
Hisako looked troubled. Even if she personally wanted to flay Ryuji alive for "stealing" her lady, she knew better than to argue against Erina's wishes. But convincing Senzaemon Nakiri, the powerful patriarch of the Nakiri family? That wouldn't be easy.
Erina didn't flinch.
"Just do it. I'll convince my grandfather myself. And if I have to leave the Nakiri family, I still choose to be with him. So just go."
She held her gaze, eyes burning with determination.
"Please, Hisako. As a friend… help me."
Hisako felt her chest tighten. Her lady had changed so much—become stronger, more mature. And she was crying. Quietly, but clearly, for someone she loved.
"I Understand, Miss.."
With that, Hisako immediately turned to leave, escorting Ryuji out alongside the two bodyguards.
Ryuji glanced at Erina, his face full of confusion. But all he saw was her haughty little head turned away, avoiding his gaze.
"You stubborn woman. If you're going to act like this, I'll have to find another girl just to annoy you."
Ryuji spoke with a sigh, though there was a teasing note in his voice.
"You wouldn't dare…! Hmph! You think I care? You're always acting without considering other people's feelings!"
Erina snapped back at him in fluent Chinese, her voice raised in anger. But almost immediately, she turned away again, pretending like she didn't care at all.
"Tsundere will ruin your life, you know," Ryuji muttered with a wry smile.
He didn't resist as the two bodyguards led him out of the estate.
Back in her room, Erina collapsed onto the bed, covering her face with her hands, a tangled mess of emotions in her chest.
She had already prepared herself for Ryuji's death. But now, seeing him suddenly return safe and sound, she was filled with joy—and a deep, aching fear that this might all be a dream.
But the fact that he had thrown her to safety and faced danger alone... that grudge? She was definitely going to settle it.
Clutching a pillow to her face, Erina soon cried tears of joy, soaking it through. When Hisako returned quietly to check on her, the sight made her heart ache.
Since her return, her lady had changed. More mature. The flaw of her "God Tongue" seemingly overcome. She'd even brought back a strange new type of meat—bizarre, yet delicious.
And yet, Hisako could still sense the darkness in Erina's heart.
But now, after seeing that mysterious, unreliable man again, that shadow seemed to lift—even if only a little.
Still…
That was such a textbook tsundere act.
Hisako couldn't help but silently complain in her mind.
—
As for Ryuji? It was just one confused moment after another.
First, he was dragged out of the house. Then, someone took his picture. Next thing he knew, he had a pile of documents and IDs in his hand.
Before he could catch his breath, he was whisked away to what looked like a luxurious campus. He stared blankly at the dorm building before being led inside.
Naturally, he started grumbling about Erina in his head.
As a grown man—and someone who'd watched his fair share of anime—Ryuji had a rough idea of what was going on.
She was mad at him for not letting her fight by his side. And now, sending him to this place? That was probably her way of making him learn to cook—even if only the bare minimum—so he could someday officially become the Nakiri family's son-in-law.
And how did he know?
Well, he couldn't speak Japanese, but Japanese and Chinese weren't that far apart. "Tōtsuki Culinary Academy" was written in big kanji characters on the entrance. It was impossible to pretend he didn't recognize it.
"Careful, Erina. Tsundere girls often end up losing in the end."
He tossed his documents and wallet—now stuffed with tens of thousands of yen—onto the desk. Then he took out a phone that looked identical to his old one.
There was only one number in the contacts.
He hesitated. In the end, he didn't call.
Erina had kicked him out. If he called now, she'd probably just hang up.
Tsundere. What a damn troublesome trait.
Originally, he'd hoped for a warm reunion. Maybe even some intimacy, followed by an emotional heart-to-heart. But now? With nothing better to do, he sprawled out on the bed and stretched.
He really wanted a good rest. After all, he'd arrived in the middle of the night and had been training all day.
So, he headed to the dorm's well-equipped bathroom, took a hot shower, and then dropped into bed.
—
Erina, however, had no such peace.
All night long, she clutched her phone tightly in both hands. Even if she would've hung up had Ryuji actually called, she still waited. But the call never came.
The next morning, Ryuji wanted to find something to eat. Unfortunately, in this elite culinary school, you didn't get to eat unless you cooked it yourself.
After wandering around, checking out the towering mountain and all the dorms with smoke rising from their kitchens, he gave up and returned to cook something himself.
The kitchen was fully stocked—with spices and meats galore—but he wasn't about to use any of it. Who knew if it would have the same weird aphrodisiac effects as Erina's cooking?
More importantly, he didn't know if Erina might suddenly show up. So, to be safe, he used the meat he'd brought with him—meat scavenged from the world of 7 Days to Die.
"Come to think of it, it was this meat that got me and Erina together in the first place."
Sighing, he chopped the meat—badly—and tossed the uneven chunks onto a professional-grade grill.
Soon, a strange, delicious aroma began wafting from the kitchen.
Nearby students began to notice—especially one voluptuous, tanned blonde girl who stopped dead in her tracks the moment the scent hit her nose.
"That smell!"
Unfamiliar meat—high quality, insanely high!
The incredible scent overwhelmed the senses of Mito Ikumi. Without hesitation, she turned her sharp gaze toward Ryuji's room and began striding toward it with purpose.
She had to know what kind of meat that was.
No way it was anything she'd ever seen before.
But it was definitely better than her family's premium Grade A5 wagyu.
And that made it absolutely worth investigating.
~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 PS.