Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

By reflex, Ryan pulled Alya away, shielding her from the debris flying through the air.

Alya let out a frightened scream, clinging to him.

Ryan, on the other hand, analyzed the situation with sharp eyes.

"What the hell was that!?"

Chaos spread around them. People ran and screamed, trying to escape the confusion.

That's when Ryan noticed something even worse—the ceiling was starting to crack.

"I'm not sticking around to see what happens next!"

Without hesitation, he firmly embraced Alya and activated his ability.

Time began to rewind, everything moving backward like a film in reverse, until—

"Since this is like a date… I guess I can take this liberty!"

Ryan repeated the phrase, holding Alya's hand again.

This time, however, he already knew what would happen next.

Alya reacted the same way, but before she could continue, Ryan gently cut her off:

"Alya, before we go there, can I take you somewhere else first?"

Alya tilted her head, puffing her cheeks slightly.

"Ah… But I'm really looking forward to the ice cream..."

Ryan smiled, trying to sound casual while searching for an excuse to steer her away from the imminent danger.

"Relax… We'll go there… later."

And this time, he'd make sure nothing got out of control.

Alya sighed, making a small pout.

"Okay... I guess I can wait a little longer for my ice cream..."

Ryan smiled and gently pulled her away from the area where the explosion would happen.

"I promise it'll be quick. I just want to buy a coffee maker for myself!"

As he looked for the nearest exit, he thought to himself:

"Alright, get Alya out of here and then bail. I'm no superhero to get involved in this..."

But just as he finished the thought—

BOOM!

The explosion echoed behind them, shaking the ground.

Alya let out a frightened scream and clung to Ryan's arm.

"W-what was that, Kuze-kun!?"

Before she could understand what was happening, Ryan scooped her up in his arms without hesitation.

"Better not stick around to find out!"

He bolted out of the mall, holding Alya firmly as she protested, red with embarrassment.

"A-Again with you carrying meeee!?"

When they finally made it outside, the echoes of chaos were left behind, replaced by the murmurs of the people around them.

"Did you see that? The second floor just collapsed!" a man commented, startled.

Another quickly replied:

"No idea what happened, but it looks like there are firefighters inside the mall. They're already rushing in!"

Ryan set Alya back on her feet, and she looked back, still a little shaky.

"Wow... Good thing you got us out of there... That was really lucky!"

Ryan sighed, scanning the area to make sure they were safe. Then, he placed his hands on Alya's shoulders, trying to calm her.

"Really... Seems like the gods were smiling on us."

But he noticed Alya was still worried. Without thinking too much, he raised his hand and gently held her chin, guiding her gaze to him.

"Hey... Relax. You heard, right? The firefighters are already helping people inside."

Alya blinked a few times, trying to contain her worry. Her voice came out automatically:

"I hope there aren't too many injured..."

Ryan, without letting go of her hand, gave a reassuring squeeze and smiled.

"Let's get going. I'd rather see your smiling face."

Alya took a deep breath, trying to dissipate the tension, and then gave a gentle smile, softly squeezing Ryan's hand in return.

They walked away from the mall, and as they did, Ryan checked his phone. There was an aquarium nearby.

With a few well-placed jokes and flirts, he managed to convince Alya to accompany him. Slowly, the animated sparkle in her eyes returned.

"Look, the line to get in is pretty short!" Ryan commented.

Alya smiled adorably.

"I think the marine world is soooo amazing!"

The two approached the entrance, and Ryan paid for both their tickets.

As he collected the tickets, a tired female voice caught his attention:

"Excuse me, sir!"

Ryan and Alya turned at the same time—and found a girl.

The girl's black hair, slightly messy in a charming way, fell in soft strands around her delicate face.

A white headband adorned her head, keeping some rebellious strands away and further highlighting her large, expressive eyes, which trembled slightly, as if she had run all the way there.

Her light blue dress, though simple, had a discreet elegance. The delicate cut featured short sleeves adorned with light ruffles, giving her a youthful and innocent air. The subtly cinched waist accentuated her slender figure, and the skirt flowed gently with every movement.

Still catching her breath from running, the girl spoke between gasps:

"Sorry to bother you... Do you know where the swordfish are?"

Ryan smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry, I don't know the place."

Before the girl could get disappointed, Alya intervened with a gentle smile:

"They're in section 3B!"

Ryan turned to Alya, surprised.

"You've been here before?"

Alya closed her eyes and tilted her head adorably, as if it were obvious.

"I've come a few times with Masha."

The girl seemed genuinely excited by the answer and waved energetically.

"Thank you sooo much! Ki-hihi!"

She then ran to the reception to buy her tickets, disappearing into the crowd.

Ryan watched the scene for a moment before looking back at Alya, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Now I want to see those fish too."

Alya smiled back, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"Then I'll show you the most amazing ones!"

As soon as they entered the aquarium, Alya began excitedly explaining details about marine life. Ryan listened attentively, noticing the sparkle in her eyes whenever she shared a fun fact. To Alya, Ryan always seemed to know everything—so it was rare to have the chance to teach him something.

Time flew by as they explored the exhibits, until they reached the huge tank where the swordfish were.

Alya stopped in front of the glass, gesturing animatedly with her finger.

"And these here! They're the Xiphias gladius! Or, as you call them, the famous swordfish!"

Ryan watched the massive fish gliding through the water, intrigued.

"I could've sworn they were sharks..."

Alya, confident in her knowledge, crossed her arms and replied in a professorial tone:

"I think you're confusing them with hammerhead sharks! But unfortunately, we don't have those here..."

As she spoke, Alya noticed the girl from earlier standing in front of the tank, watching the fish with an enchanted look.

"Look! I'm glad she found it!" Alya commented, pointing at her with a satisfied smile.

Ryan followed Alya's gaze and observed the girl more closely. There was something in the way she looked at the fish—a glimmer in her eyes that, at first glance, seemed like fascination. But when Ryan looked closer...

"That's strange..." he thought. "She seems kind of... melancholic?"

His train of thought, however, was abruptly interrupted.

BOOM!

An explosion.

Again.

Ryan acted instinctively, pulling Alya against his chest as she let out a frightened scream. The explosion caused the huge glass tank to shatter, sending a brutal wave of water and fish in all directions. The impact swept dozens of people through the corridors, plunging the place into absolute chaos.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS CITY!?" Ryan shouted, holding Alya tightly to protect her from the flood.

He didn't waste any time. He closed his eyes and focused his energy, rewinding time like a video in reverse, watching everything collapse backward until it stopped at the right moment.

When he opened his eyes, he was once again beside Alya, just before suggesting the aquarium. Without hesitation, he turned to her with a casual smile.

"How about we sit in the square for a bit?"

Alya blinked a few times, surprised, before pointing excitedly at his phone.

"Hey, there's an aquarium nearby! I love that place so much! How about we go together?"

Ryan forced an awkward smile, trying to disguise his discomfort.

"You know... My instincts are telling me it's not a good idea to go there..."

Alya furrowed her brows, visibly frustrated.

"Aww... I really wanted to tell you about the fish there..."

She puffed out her cheeks, making her typical cute expression.

Before the conversation could continue, a familiar voice interrupted:

"Excuse me, sir!"

The two turned at the same time and, once again, found the girl in the light blue dress. She was still slightly out of breath, as if she had run all the way there.

"Sorry to bother you, do you know where the swordfish are?"

Alya opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, Ryan stepped in.

"They're in section C1!"

The girl smiled, waved gratefully, and ran to the reception.

"Thank you sooo much! Ki-hihi!"

Alya blinked a few times before quickly turning to Ryan, indignant.

"H-hey! You gave her the wrong directions! They're in 3-B!"

Ryan raised his finger with a playful air.

"First rule of the jungle: don't trust anyone!"

Alya puffed adorably.

"But she doesn't know that..."

Ryan winked at her with a mischievous smile.

"She'll find out soon enough."

Deep down, though, he knew the real intention behind it. By sending her to the other side of the aquarium, he was keeping her away from the imminent explosion.

"If everything goes like before, at least she has a chance to survive..." he thought, glancing at the girl for a moment.

But then, something different happened. A detail that hadn't occurred the first time.

His phone started ringing.

He frowned, pulling the device from his pocket while muttering under his breath.

"Huh? This didn't happen before..."

"Ah, sorry, Alya. I'll see who it is."

"No problem." Alya replied with a gentle smile.

Ryan unlocked the screen and groaned when he saw the name on the display.

"Gensei Suou... Of all times?"

He answered the call, already frustrated.

"Hello, hello? You said you'd only need me in two days..."

On the other end of the line, Gensei's voice was firm and direct:

"Change of plans. Your target is near you and is about to be attacked."

Ryan closed his eyes for a brief moment, containing his irritation, before clenching his fist.

"What the hell... I'm in the middle of a date with my russian girl!"

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Hellooo, Readrs! 💕 I'm absolutely loving your comments! What do you think about Ryan's relationship with the girls? Hehe~ You won't believe what's coming next! 😏✨

I have a little challenge for you! For every 100 POWER STONES, I'll release ONE EXTRA CHAPTER! 📖🎉

Let's work together to reach the top 50 this week! I love you all with aaall my heart! 💖

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Here's the link to my Patreon! ✨( Soon I'll be increasing it to 30! And if I go totally crazyyy… who knows, maybe 40?! 🤭💖)

patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph