Shuo caught Misaki-sensei in a sudden embrace. Instinctively, she fired off a sharp elbow behind her—but Shuo was gone before she could even graze his shadow.
"Damn brat! Is dodging all you know how to do?!"
She scowled, frustration boiling over. "Coward! Why don't you face me head-on?"
Misaki's patience was snapping. She'd cranked her spiritual power to the max, even if fighting in a qipao was a pain. And still, she couldn't even brush the hem of his jacket. Shuo's sheer speed had her feeling helpless.
"Tch, maybe I've teased her enough. She's about to lose it," Shuo thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
He stopped abruptly. Misaki, caught off guard, nearly barreled into him.
She steadied herself, glaring up at him, not sure what he was planning next.
"Sensei," Shuo said, grinning, "since you're a martial arts specialist, how about I give you a fair shot? Come on—let's go hand to hand."
He slid into a fighting stance, inviting her in.
Misaki's eyes flashed with renewed fire. Finally, this cocky punk was done running—now she'd show him what one of the Four Immortal Fists could do.
But Shuo didn't even need magic to dominate her.
Misaki gathered her power, both fists crackling with immortal energy, and threw a punch straight for Shuo's chest.
"Clang!"
Her fist landed, but it felt like she'd struck a steel wall. Shuo didn't even flinch—he just grinned, infuriatingly smug.
Misaki's eyes went wide. She lashed out again, and again—each punch meeting the same unyielding resistance.
Pain shot through her knuckles. She finally had to stop, hands aching.
She'd gone all out, and it hadn't even fazed him. The realization hit hard.
Misaki looked up, disbelief and defeat flickering in her eyes. Shuo just stood there, smiling.
He shrugged, helpless. "Sensei, I even let you hit me. Still no luck, huh?"
"!!!"
He was mocking her, but she had nothing left to throw at him.
Still, Misaki refused to back down. "Even if I can't beat you, you still sexually harassed someone. That's a crime!"
Shuo's gaze snapped to Dimamber, who was watching the show with way too much interest. His tone turned playful—and just a bit menacing. "You'd better clear things up, or you can forget about drinking my blood ever again. And you'll be getting a serious spanking when we get home."
Dimamber blanched. No blood? And a spanking? She hurried over, babbling an explanation to Misaki until the truth was finally out.
Misaki's face twitched as she processed it all, then looked at Shuo, mortified.
Shuo's trademark smirk returned. "So, Misaki-sensei, anything you'd like to say to me?"
She rubbed the back of her head, voice small. "About earlier… I'm sorry. I misunderstood."
What a nightmare—beaten by her own student, now apologizing to him. Misaki wanted to sink through the floor.
"A verbal apology won't cut it," Shuo said, lips curling upward. "I want a real gift."
"A real gift? What do you want?" Misaki frowned, confused.
Shuo's eyes swept over her, then—blink—he was right in front of her.
Misaki startled, slipped, and would have fallen if Shuo hadn't caught her. Suddenly, she was pressed tight in his arms, face to face, completely unable to move.
She stared at him, cheeks blazing. This close, she could barely breathe.
"Let me go!" she demanded, struggling, mortified and furious.
But Shuo's grip was iron. "Actually, the only gift I want is you, Misaki-sensei. I've decided—I'm making you mine."
He could smell her subtle, clean fragrance, feel her warmth. It was intoxicating.
Before she could protest, Shuo lowered his head and kissed her—deep, hungry, relentless. Only when she was breathless did he finally release her.
"From now on, you're my woman. Got it?" he whispered, planting a final kiss on her cheek before letting her go and grabbing Dimamber to leave.
It was a long time before Misaki's ragged breathing slowed. She touched her lips, mind spinning with the memory of his kiss and his words.
That infuriating guy… No one had ever gotten this close to her before—her strength and reputation had always kept men at bay. But maybe, just maybe, Shuo was the one she'd been waiting for.
With that thought, her cheeks burned even hotter, a strange mix of embarrassment and anticipation fluttering in her chest.
—
Back at the castle, Shuo dropped Dimamber off, then headed to school to pick up Nagisa, Asagi, and Yukina. He explained Dimamber's arrival on the way.
Asagi shot him a look—definitely jealous, but she didn't say a word.
Nagisa, ever the optimist, just beamed. As long as she could be with Shuo, she was happy.
Yukina's expression was complicated. Remembering what Nagisa and Asagi had said yesterday, her face turned bright red.
Soon, Shuo led the three girls into his newly built castle. When Asagi and Nagisa saw Dimamber, their jaws dropped.
"She looks just like Aurora!"
Dimamber and Aurora could have been twins—if not for their different auras, you'd swear they were the same person.
"Aurora, come meet your old friend!" Shuo called.
A girl with the same face as Dimamber appeared, though her hair shimmered with iridescent color and her presence was gentler, more serene.
Aurora had once been created as the artificial monitor for the Fourth Primogenitor, housing the twelfth familiar, the Enchantress's Azure Ice. She'd died alongside the original Fourth's soul, her will and familiar merging with Nagisa. But after Nagisa drank Shuo's blood, Aurora had been revived.
Dimamber, still clutching her game controller, stared in shock. "Aurora… you're really alive?"
She'd thought Shuo was lying—she'd seen Aurora die with her own eyes. Yet here she was, smiling.
"Long time no see, Dimamber," Aurora said, giving her lookalike a gentle wave.
"To celebrate Dimamber joining us, we need a real party tonight!" Shuo declared.
Everyone gathered around the table, raising their glasses in a toast to new beginnings.
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