The living room was quiet.
Only the soft clink of porcelain and the faint hum of night insects outside broke the silence.
Tessandra sat by the window, tea warming her hands, eyes distant as the moonlight washed over the garden. Her posture was calm, composed—yet her thoughts were anything but.
A voice spoke behind her, amused and familiar.
"That look usually means you're fighting a war in your head. I'd understand if it was about me."
She smiled before even turning.
"You always come at the right time, John."
John stepped into view and sat beside her as if he had always belonged there. He poured tea for both of them, the steam curling lazily upward, and took a sip.
"How've you been holding up these days?"
Tessandra stared out the window again, the night sky reflected faintly in her eyes.
"I won't hide it," she said quietly. "You already noticed. I fell for you."
John didn't interrupt. He listened.
"I'm Tessandra Liones… but the name you knew wasn't entirely the truth. A few months ago, I took the alias Seraphine—from Isola Tenebris. You've met her. You already knew."
She smiled faintly.
"The Liones bloodline is a royal family. I'm the second eldest daughter. My older sister, Serene, and my brother, Kai, are both transcendent circuit users. And my father—Gillian Liones—he's… different."
John glanced at her.
"He's strong enough to fight multiple unmeasurable beings at once and walk away untouched," Tessandra continued. "And he does it without using his circuit."
John raised an eyebrow slightly.
"He forbade himself from using it after an incident two years ago. Since then, he relies solely on martial arts. The Liones bloodline has always been exceptional in that regard—every generation. Some awaken martial circuits, some elemental, but all of us are trained to mastery."
She turned to face him.
"I have a martial circuit."
John looked at her more closely now.
"My father used a technique called Misdirection," she said, smiling. "That's why everyone thinks I have gravity and time abilities."
She stood, turned her back to him, and gently pulled her hair aside. The moonlight revealed a tattoo etched across her back—an intricate sigil resembling interlocking rings and sharpened arcs, converging into a single point at the spine. It looked ancient, refined, and impossibly precise—like a diagram of perfect combat.
"The Apex Martial Circuit."
She pulled her top back on and sat beside him again.
"It lets me alter the outcome of anything martial-related. The longer a fight goes on, the stronger I become. I don't lose stamina. Anything that injures me once can never injure me again. My adaptive combat is… advanced."
She exhaled slowly.
"If I stop holding back and use my original power, I could threaten at least four conceptual beings with martial arts alone."
John let out a low whistle. "That's… impressive."
Her smile faded.
"My father arranged a marriage for me. A man named Ifran Dynasty—an ether circuit user, shadow-based. Two days from now was supposed to be our wedding."
Her hands tightened around the cup.
"Every time I see him, I feel sick. But my father wouldn't listen. So I ran. I came here, built influence, prepared myself… waiting for the day they found me."
Her voice wavered.
"Then I met you."
She laughed softly and cried at the same time.
"When Kaelen became a hero, I had to act—and now my father knows where I am. He'll send the Ten Guardians of the Liones Family to bring me back. They won't hurt me… but I don't want to go."
She finally looked at John.
John stood.
Slowly, deliberately, he removed his black suit and mask—revealing himself again, just as he had on their date. He took a disposable towel, knelt in front of her, and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"You don't have to worry about any of that," he said calmly. "I'm here."
Her breath caught.
"As long as you're in my presence," John continued, voice steady and absolute, "not even a god could take you from me."
He straightened.
"Let the guardians come. I'll see what makes them so special."
Tessandra hugged him tightly, burying her face against his chest.
A familiar presence echoed in John's mind.
Arata (telepathically): Hug her back, John. Don't leave her hanging like that.
John smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"It'll be okay, Tess," he said quietly. "Just keep doing what you do every day."
He stepped back and reached into his pocket.
"Since you're mine," he added casually, "I'll give you something."
He took out a small blue pendant, faintly glowing with layered authority. He gestured for her to stand and gently placed it around her neck.
"Don't restrict your freedom by hiding," John said. "You represent me. Walk with your head high. Matters like this are trivial to me."
He guided her back down.
"Go to the appointment," he said. "Look Ifran in the eye. Tell him you don't like him. Tell your father to respect your choice as a grown woman."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"If they try to force you… tell them your heart belongs to John Merciless."
Tessandra smiled through her tears.
"And if they attack?"
John tapped the pendant lightly.
"Hold it. Say my name. I'll be there."
She hugged him again. "Thank you… truly."
She hesitated, then whispered, "Can you stay tonight? Kaelen went home… it's just me."
John smiled. "I don't mind."
Later that night, they lay side by side, the room quiet and warm. Tessandra rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"This is new to you, isn't it?" she asked softly.
"Yes," John replied. "But that doesn't mean I can't handle you."
She laughed quietly.
He leaned down and kissed her—gentle, certain, unhurried.
Far away, at Hoshigawa, Arata laughed into his tea.
"That's my boy, John."