Chapter Twelve

        Shido and origami were currently travelling to the beach in a bus. Origami, who was sitting beside him, had her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, refusing to even budge despite all his requests. Shido merely sighed and mentally chuckled at her actions. Still, it wasn't like he was complaining. Origami wrapping her arms around him and hugging him wasn't something that he minded but instead was ecstatic over.

        Soon , the bus came to a screeching halt as they reached their destination. Shido got up and stretched out his hand towards origami. Origami, who was slightly surprised by this action, took a moment but soon had her usual calm expression back as she got up and held hands with Shido while getting off the bus.

       After getting on the beach, Shido turned to origami and asked, " So what do you want to do, Origami ? Should we stroll for a while or should we go for a swim first ? " Origami pondered over it for a while but then said, " Can we swim afterwards ? I want to enjoy the scenery here . " Shido nodded to her as both of them walked along the beach while holding hands. Origami wasn't kidding when she said that she wanted to enjoy the scenery. The hills in the distance, the boats near the horizon, seemingly about to fall off the edge of the world and the gentle afternoon breeze that skimmed gracefully on the surface of the water which gleamed like a crystal under the rays of the sun. Truly, it was as scenic as it could get.

           Of course, for Shido none of this mattered. He simply kept staring at the face of origami, which now held eyes filled with wonder despite her usual expressionless look. This was his utopia. Not gem filled caves nor chests filled with divine weapons, No. This was all he wished for. The happiness of his family. Was he a sinner to wish for that ? He didn't know. Even after 130 years , he didn't know the answer to the question. However, if the answer was yes, then he would happily be branded as such for eternity ; as long as it came at the cost of his family's happiness.

         His thoughts were interrupted when origami turned to him with a questioning look as she asked, " Why are you staring at me ? " Had it been anyone else, he could have bullshited his way out of it, but not with origami, the master stalker. So he decided to reply honestly and asked in turn , " What ? Is it wrong for me to stare at my girlfriend ? "  Origami shook her head and said, " No , but you don't usually do that . "  Shido sighed and said, " Well yes , but I still do like to indulge myself from time to time. And I do really think that you look cute. "

             Contrary to her usual self, origami had a slight blush on her face after hearing Shido's response. She pretended ( or at least tried to ) that she wasn't affected and asked in her usual monotone voice, " So do you think I'm the cutest ? "  Shido stepped back and folded his arms as he had a look of deep contemplation. It was one of the few moments when he didn't have an answer to a query right away, which was extremely rare, considering that he had( almost ) all of the Cosmos's knowledge.

      After a few seconds had passed, he pulled his hair in frustration and nearly screamed , " Argh, it's nothing like that ! I find all of you cute ! But I don't love any one of you more than the other, but at that same time each of you are special to me ! " Origami inched closer to him and said, " Then why did you have to think for exactly 4.675 seconds to answer ? " This time however, Shido's response was quick as he said, " Because I couldn't find the right words to express myself. In case you don't remember, I only had one ' Friend ' in my entire academic life. And except for Tonomachi, I'm pretty much a loner. So I do have trouble expressing myself at times, especially to you girls. "

         Origami pondered over it for a while, before replying by saying, " Alright. Your answer is satisfactory. But if I can't qualify for the cutest, I'll ensure that you select me for the sexiest among all of them. " Shido sighed as he simply said, " Please don't. "  In a rare instance, origami chuckled softly as she ran ahead of him and went ahead until her feet were fully submerged in water.

          As she urged Shido to join her , suddenly she found something touching her feet. She looked down and saw a small turtle. She gently picked up the turtle and inspected it closely. At the very least, it had no injuries on its body. Shido approached her and said calmly, " It's a rather young one. It must have been separated because of the hurricane last night. " Origami nodded at his words, agreeing with his assumption.

         Shido then spoke again as he said, " Had you not found him , the poor guy would have become a meal for some predator. Of course, if you do leave him now, he'll end up the same way. " Origami looked towards him expectantly and said, " So there's nothing we can do ? " Shido sighed and said, " That's just the Circle Of Life. You can't change it , just because you feel like it. You may feel bad for the young turtle that loses its life, but would you not feel equally bad if a young bird's chick dies of starvation ? That's just how the world is. It's cruel, unfair and unforgiving. Stepping and interrupting the natural cycle just to suit your own needs is nothing short of selfish. "

           As origami lowered her head in contemplation, Shido smiled and said, " However, in case you've forgotten, you're human. Interrupting and disrupting natural cycles is kinda their speciality. So it's not wrong on your part to save it. And as for the bird , humans have created multiple feeding grounds for it just for their own amusement, so don't worry about it. We can drop the turtle at one of the aquariums. They'll understand our situation. Of course, we probably won't get to enjoy our seaside date then…... "

         Origami shook her head and said, " It's alright. Just traveling beside you was enough of a date for me. " Shido chucked softly as he headpatted her and said, " I didn't say that our date would end now, did I ? If you don't mind, we can continue our date at the aquarium . Is that alright with you ? " Origami nodded her head with a smile on her face, seemingly happy with the decision.  She carried the turtle gently as both she and Shido now made their way towards a nearby aquarium.

          After explaining to the authorities at the aquarium about the turtle, they thanked them for their actions. After that , both of them made their way inside the exhibit. Inside the glass, origami had eyes filled with wonder as she observed the fishes around her. Shido, seeing her eyes fixed on one of the fishes, spoke up and said, " That's a Green Humphead Parrotfish, which is the largest species among parrotfish , growing upto 1.5 m long . Scientific name Bolbometopon muricatum , belonging to the order Labiformes and family Scaridae. It is found on reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea in the west to Samoa in the east, and from the Yaeyama Islands in the north to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, in the south. It does fall under the classification of endangered species, mostly due to overfishing. "

       Origami asked Shido curiously, " How do you know so much about them ? " Shido had a smile on his face as he said , " You know, I'm something of a Scientist Myself. " As Shido stood with a proud expression, origami merely kept staring at him intently. Seeing her lack of reaction, Shido finally sighed in defeat and said, " It was a joke….. " Origami shook her head in disappointment and said, " I know. It just was surprising to see someone other than me so well informed. " Shido merely chuckled nervously on hearing this.

             After that, the rest of the date consisted of then enjoying the dolphin shows that the aquarium presented, after which they then made their way outside. As they were walking, origami tugged at Shido's arm and said, " I want to end the date with something special. Can we go to a hot spring ? "  Shido sighed and said, " The nearest hot spring has co-ed baths…… "  Origami clicked her tongue in annoyance as she said, " How did you know that ? " Shido sighed again and said, " I knew that you'd try to pull something like that, so I checked in advance to prevent an embarrassing situation. However, I can do something to compensate for it. "

           Saying this, Shido lifted origami in a bridal carry. Her face was extremely close to his chest due to which her breathing became heavy. Shido merely chuckled at her reaction as he carried her towards a seat nearby. After seating himself, he then placed origami's head on his lap and began to pet her head gently. From an outsider's perspective, it may have not been much, but to origami, it was more than anything she could ask for. She didn't want elaborate and fancy dates or something special. As long as she could spend time with and beside Shido, she was content. That was all that she wanted and that was what she was receiving. So she was definitely more than happy.

                 ---------------X--------------

Location : The training grounds

           Chiyome and Shido stood in an open field. Kaguya and Yuzuru were seated under the shade of a tree nearby. Shido walked up to a large bag and took out an ordinary katana out of it. He then turned towards Chiyome and said, " For today, we'll be doing something different. " Chiyome's eyes lit up with excitement and anticipation on hearing this. Shido smiled and said, " While I certainly believe that you are improving, there is one thing that I can confidently say about you with certainty. "

        Chiyome was eagerly waiting for his words as she herself was curious to know what her Sensei thought about her. Maybe he would praise her fast learning skills or maybe her combat prowess ?! Her hopes however, were dashed when Shido said, " You jump headfirst into fights like an overeager chimp. You can't differentiate between a fight that you're winning and one that you're about to lose. That is your biggest weakness. You also focus solely on offense, leaving more openings than a block of Emmentaler cheese. It is precisely the reason why I'm trying to impart to you the Dwarpala's Swordstyle, so that you at least have a chance of surviving on the battlefield. "

       Chiyome had a crestfallen expression on hearing that. The worst part was, she agreed with everything that her teacher said. But it definitely hurt more when it was stated so openly and clearly. Shido , sensing her emotions, spoke up again and said, " However, that isn't to say that you're completely hopeless. You do indeed learn and grasp things quickly, once you set your mind on it. And while I don't completely approve of you depending on your instincts solely for fights , they are certainly good enough to keep you out of harm's way, at least most of the time. "

       Chiyome was at least slightly cheered up on hearing Shido's consolation. The yamai sisters on the other hand were completely caught off guard and surprised by this. They had always seen Shido in a friendly manner or as an extremely kind hearted yet ordinary individual. However, his current demeanor was of an analytical individual, like an veteran master guiding and imparting knowledge to a young child.

       Shido sighed and spoke up as he said," Of course, over the upcoming days I'll be ensuring that you learn to not leave such glaring openings during your battle. And the techniques from the Dwarpala's Swordstyle will help you out too. However, for today, we'll be doing something different. We'll be learning a new technique that will help your offensive capability. " Chiyome, who had a slightly confused expression on her face, asked nervously, " Um , Sensei ? I have a question. If you want me to improve my defensive capabilities, why are you teaching me an offensive skill ? Doesn't that seem counterintuitive ? Not that I doubt your decisions or anything , nothing like that ! I hope that you don't mind my questions, please ! "

          A part of Chiyome expected that at any moment, her teacher's blade would come swinging down on her head for her trying to question him, but that blow never came. Instead, she saw that her teacher was instead smirking as he spoke up and said, " Of course not. On the contrary, I'm happy that you're actually questioning me. That shows that you aren't just blindly following my instructions, but actually understanding and comprehending them. But to answer your question, you see, I've found that a large amount of your mistakes arise when you rush towards your opponent to close the distance between both of you. That is understandable, as all of your techniques are close ranged , so it's necessary for you to do so. However, this exposes yourself to unnecessary danger. Danger , which could lead to your death on the battlefield. "

         Chiyome scratched her head in confusion and said, " I mean, you're not wrong , but can't I just use sword techniques that use Qi to attack from a long range ? I mean, sure , I currently don't know any of those considering that some of those require an enormous amount of Qi and hence even if I did, I'd be only able to use one of those a dozen times and then exhaust myself. Of course, I will learn those in the future, after I've increased my cultivation level you know ! "

          Shido sighed and said, " And that's where you are mistaken. You place unnecessary importance on Qi. As strong and useful as Qi is , it should be an asset to your skills, not something that you depend on exclusively. You mistake your sidearm for your primary weapon. Remember, even in the past, after the introduction of guns, samurai didn't just abandon their blades. Did they use guns extensively ? Absolutely. But they never let their gun overtake their blade. For a swordsman, a blade is the extension of their own self. To give anything else more importance than it is the same as insulting your own self. As such, you must hone your skills with the blade too rather than relying on Qi. And if you think that all of this is just old people being old people and clinging on to their old ideals , think about this from a practical perspective. Your Qi source is limited, however your skills are not. If you run out in the middle of a battle, nothing else other than your blade and your skills will come to your rescue. Do remember that. "

         Chiyome was silent for a while, taking in and understanding Shido's words intently. Chiyome then spoke in a solemn tone and said, " I ….. understand, Sensei. Forgive my ignorance. I assure you that I'll put up a better performance from now on….. " Shido smiled and flicked her forehead. He then said, " Enough with the depressive behaviour, okay ? Besides, it's my job to teach you this stuff. So as long as you cooperate with me, there won't be any problems. That said, I think I should demonstrate to you the technique that I'll be teaching you today. "

        Shido then moved away from her and went in front of a target that he had set up beforehand. The target was a cuboidal wooden block, roughly four feet in size. It was at a distance of 25 feet ( 7.62 m ) away from him. Shido gripped his katana and took a deep breath. He then did a strange maneuver which involved swinging the blade around him which ended in an overhead swing. However, as soon as he did that, a large sound similar to an exploding bomb rung through the air and the wooden block exploded into million fragments immediately.

         While everyone was trying to process what they had just seen, their eyes turned to Shido as they witnessed a horrific sight in front of them. Shido's body was in an extremely injured state. Blood flowed out of his eyes , ears and nose. His t-shirt was shredded, leaving him half-naked. The worst condition, however, was his arm. His arm was coiled and twisted , as if someone had caught a hold of it and forcefully twisted it.

          Kaguya and Yuzuru screamed at the sight in front of them as they rushed to his side. Chiyome was panicking, as she was frozen out of fear as she didn't know any healing spells to help Shido. Kaguya spoke up in a trembling tone as she said, " We - We have to get help from Fraxinus ! Do-Don't wo-worry !  We'll contact them now !! '' Shido however, nearly screamed as he said, " Guys ! Don't panic! I'm fine ! Ifreet's healing ! Remember ?! "

          And true to his words, blue flames began to dance around all the parts he was injured. His arm began to twist back in shape as cracking noises of bone could be heard. After he was healed, Yuzuru screamed as she shook him angrily and asked , " What the hell was that ?! Why do you always hurt yourself ?! Why was this necessary ?!...... " Both her and kaguya had broken down into tears because of this. Shido panicked and embraced both of them in a hug in an attempt to calm them down.

           He spoke in an apologetic tone and said, " Look, it's alright, okay ! Besides, only my arm was injured ! The injuries in my ear and nose were only because of the sonic boom, so it's not that serious ! Please calm down, okay ?! " Kaguya screamed in rage as she said, " How can we calm down when you keep hurting yourself ?! " Shido sighed and said, " Look, I did this only for the sake of demonstration ! Besides, I've seen worse ! Like that time I was crushed under a concrete block while trying to save tohka when she became inversed after being captured by AST , or that time my blood itself was frozen when I tried to save yoshino, or that time when Ellen pierced my heart with her plasma blade or that time when I fell from near earth orbit with mukuro in my arms ! That was the craziest at that time for me ! Look, what I'm trying to say is , I've seen worse , and it's not like I use this move on a regular basis you know ?! "

        As all of them comprehended Shido's words , they realized how awful his life had been. How much he had suffered. Of how ' Getting Hurt ' was such a normal thing to him that he was barely fazed by it. After both of them had calmed down, Chiyome spoke up and said, " How the hell did you do that ?! " Shido calmly replied by saying, " What you saw is a sword skill that I developed. It uses a corkscrewing motion to essentially create a small and thin column of wind that travels in a straight line with an effective range of about 25 feet. The final swing is what essentially ' pushes ' it forward.  Of course, there are limitations to it. First, you need an enchanted sword so as to not have it bended and turned into a pretzel because of the forces. Second, your body , especially the bones in your arms must be strong enough to execute the move. Not only that, you should be able to endure the shockwave created by a literal sonic boom near your face , or you'll end up with ruptured eardrums, blown up eyeballs, exploded lungs and much more. Of course, the body of a Warrior is way more durable than a normal human, so it shouldn't pose any problems. I could do that because of my healing, so there's that. "

            Chiyome was slightly confused as she said, " That's alright but I don't understand why all of your techniques involve so much….. bloodshed ? " Shido spoke with a slightly annoyed expression and said, " Hey ! It's not my fault that all of the moves that I invent are beyond the capabilities of normal humans ! Besides, I still have my healing you know ! " And it was true. Shido had deliberately weakened his body to the level of a normal human. Otherwise even without strengthening with Qi, his body was strong enough to shrug off sustained fire from fifty calibre bullets . There wasn't a single type of artillery he wasn't targeted by in his life. Anti-aircraft rifles, anti-material rifles, machine guns , rail-guns, fission bombs, fusion bombs, torpedoes, laser rifles and so on. There existed not a type of gun or artillery in human history that he had not been targeted by. Of course, that was to be expected as he had the largest bounty on any one individual's head in the entire history of humanity in the past. Of course, no human other than Mitsuhide knew about that.

         His thoughts were interrupted when Chiyome spoke up and asked, " I see. So will my arms break too when I use thistechnique ? "  Shido sighed and said, " Of course not. You're still a warrior despite your low cultivation level. Of course, you'll suffer some nasty bruises and wish your arms would have broken but they won't actually. And as your cultivation level increases and your body strengthens itself by undergoing metamorphosis, you'll even be able to spam it considering that it's a technique based purely on skill and it requires no Qi for activation. This'll surely give you an edge in battle. "

        As Chiyome understood the meaning of Shido's words , she began to grow excited. A technique which doesn't require any Qi for using and is still powerful enough to blast a block of wood ?! Hell yeah she was going to abuse it ! Of course, she probably won't be able to ask her Sensei for a repeated demonstration otherwise the yamai sisters would kill her for repeatedly hurting their husband. But she had seen it once and her Sensei could at least give her pointers , right ?! But she still had one question in her mind that she wanted the answer to.

            She asked Shido curiously, " But I still have two questions, Sensei . First , why didn't you use this technique during the first battle against me ? Sure , it's not exactly the safest, but it sure is a lot less damaging than the technique that you first used against me. And secondly, what is this technique's name ? " Shido replied in a deadpan tone as he said, " That's because I only yesterday invented this technique . " Hearing this, everyone's mind came to a sudden halt. Chiyome screamed as she said , " What ?! " Shido replied nonchalantly and said, " Well, yeah. I invented this after our training yesterday as I was going through our training to identify your strengths and weaknesses. I suddenly remembered about Kaguya and Yuzuru's powers , so I made this skill on its basis. Of course, I had to design each stance and execution on my own, so it's more appropriate to say that their powers were more like inspiration for me. "

           Yuzuru spoke up and inquired, " Question. You had dates with Tohka and Miku yesterday. So when did you practice the technique ? Did you sneak out of your room at night for that ? " Shido scratched his head sheepishly and said, " Well, truth is, this was the first time I practically executed the move ! Sure , I had mentally planned stance to the smallest detail in my mind, kinda like a simulation but this was the first practical test ! And it was better than I expected ! "

        Chiyome's eyes twitched rapidly in anger and a tinge of jealousy. What sort of madman invents an entire new technique in half a fucking day and nails it on his first bloody attempt ?! This was outrageous ! Unfair ! Why does her teacher have to be so fucking skilled ?! He isn't even a cultivator ! Still, all she could do was sigh considering that it wasn't his fault that he was so talented and she wasn't. So all she could do was learn from him and better herself.

        Shido began speaking once again as he said, " And as for your second question, the name of this technique is…… "  All of them were waiting in anticipation to hear the name of the technique. Shido's dramatic pause just added more to that feeling. Their hopes were shattered however when Shido replied by saying, " I honestly haven't thought of one yet. " Hearing this, all three of them facepalmed. How could someone so talented be so stupid ?

           Shido , annoyed by this , said , " Hey ! In my defense, I only thought of this yesterday ! Besides, I'm not exactly going to use it on a regular basis ! " And that was true. Why the hell would he waste time on such a pathetically weak move when he could just Will and use the Law of Wind to create a Category Five hurricane without any effort if he wanted. The others however were unaware of this and they merely thought that Shido said this as he was not a cultivator and a rather kind and peaceful person. ( I myself really chuckled when typing this last sentence )

         Chiyome shook her head and sighed as she said, " We'll think of something afterwards, Sensei. But can we begin with our training ? " Shido smiled and said, " Of course ! But first let me get something important ! " Saying this, he walked towards the bag from which he took out the katanas and took out an object which looked like a metallic Shinai. Swinging it around a couple of times , Shido said with a smile on his face, " You see, one of my friends runs a blacksmith shop. So , I commissioned him this beauty here. It's design is of a typical Shinai, but the only difference is that instead of bamboo fibres , it consists of tightly wound flexible titanium alloy rods. It weighs approximately 11.5 kilogrammes. The weight of an average claymore is about 2.5 kgs with the largest to date weighing just 10 kgs. Of course, due to the combination of presence of spiritual mana inside me and my training regimen, I can easily lift and swing this eleven and half kilo sword. Of course, it's still a far cry from most of the feats that warriors, especially higher realm ones can accomplish. "

      Chiyome, who was slightly afraid after hearing this, let out a nervous chuckle and said, " I - I see ! So , should we begin our training ?! " Shido , sensing her fear , had a creepy grin plastered on his face as he said," What's the rush ? Besides, as I was saying, the sword is eleven and half kilos. The average human can swing a sword at about 70 kmph . I, however, can swing it at speeds up to 90 kmph regardless of the weight of the blade. So , when I strike anything with it , say for instance human bone , it will impart 3593.75 Joules of kinetic energy to the object. Of course, not enough to completely break the bones of a cultivator, but more than enough to cause microfractures . And that has the added benefit that I can strike the same spot multiple times before it finally breaks and the part is rendered immobile ! "

           As Chiyome was quite literally shaking in fear , Shido merely smiled. He said, " I did say yesterday that we were going to have special training today , didn't I ? Besides, I'll only be hitting you once and that too on your limbs whenever you make a mistake ! And don't worry, I've asked Kotori to make available a medical realizer so that we can heal any broken bones of yours. It takes the realizer seven minutes and twelve seconds to completely fix a fractured bone. We have three hours of training time before my date , so we best begin right now ! "

         Chiyome was on the verge of tears, spoke in a trembling tone, " Se-Sensei ! I-I'll die ! " Shido still maintained the smile on his face and said calmly, " Don't worry. If required, I'll kill Death to resurrect you. " Chiyome, who had completely broken down into tears screamed as she said, " Oh God ! Save me ! " Shido still maintained his stiff smile and dragged her as he said, " God Is Dead And I Have Killed Him. "  Both the yamai sisters were shivering in fear to see this unexplored side of Shido's personality. And while none of them knew this, Shido had spoken the truth in a certain sense. He had indeed killed the God(ess) of Earth in the past. But the others truly had no idea about this……

                  ---------------X--------------

Location : A Mountain Top, 240 Kms away from Tengu city

Time : Late night ( Around 9: 00 PM )

          Shido and mukuro made their way, steadily trekking and making their way towards the mountain top. Of course, it was easier for mukuro, considering that she had nothing in her hands while Shido was carrying a large backpack which seemed to be bigger than himself on his back. Despite her repeated requests, Shido refused to let mukuro carry it or even remove a few items from the bag and then let her carry them with her. Shido had held onto her hands while giving the excuse that it was to prevent them from getting seperated. Of course, this was complete bullshit and Shido just wanted a reason to hold Mukuro's hands .

        When they had finally reached the top, they found a small clearing without any vegetation, surrounded by trees. It seemed that someone or rather some people had cleared the trees to create a spot for setting up camp. Mukuro then turned her head towards the sky and she saw a truly mesmerising sight. As far as the eyes could see, thousands of stars decorated the sky. Mukuro, who was fascinated by stars since childhood, found this to be a breathtaking sight.

       Shido placed down the large bag on the ground. He looked at Mukuro with a smile and then said, " So do you enjoy the view ? " Mukuro turned to Shido with a smile on her face and said, " Of course, Nushi-sama. Muku is truly happy to see this. However, she is even happier that she got to see this alongside you. " Shido , slightly embarrassed by this , scratched his cheek and said, " Tha-Thanks. I found out about this place from an acquaintance of mine who told me this spot was perfect for camping and stargazing. So I thought why not have our date here ? "

          Mukuro then looked towards the bag and asked in surprise , " Is that what's inside the bag Nushi-sama ? Camping gear ? " Shido smirked and said, " Yup. I've taken care of everything ! Pots , pans , food, water , tents and sleeping bags too ! "  Mukuro's eyes widened in surprise as she said, " Nushi-sama ! You mustn't burden yourself like this ! What if - "  She however was interrupted by Shido when he got up and placed his hands on her shoulder and said, " Mukuro . Anything done for your happiness is not a burden for me. It never will be. Trust me. "

          While Mukuro wanted to retort his statements, the sincere look in Shido's eyes prevented her from doing so. So instead she just quietly nodded her head in agreement. Shido smiled and stepped back as he said, " While we've already had our meals , I've brought plenty of snacks and some supplies in case we do get hungry. I'll just start a small campfire for us first. " Mukuro looked at him in anticipation until he pulled out a small axe out of the bag.

          Sensing Mukuro's shock at this , Shido replied calmly and said, " Don't worry, it's just your standard camping axe. Besides, what other option was there ? Carry ten kgs of firewood on my back ? " As Shido went towards a nearby thicket to gather some branches , Mukuro asked him with a slightly teasing tone , " And how exactly are you going to start the fire Nushi-sama ? Are you going to hit rocks against each other for half an hour ? " Shido stopped in his path and looked at her in a deadpan expression and said, " No. I've brought one of those 300 Yen ( About 3 dollars ) fire starter kits. Just because I like camping a bit doesn't mean I'm going to go complete caveman on you , you know ? " Hearing his reaction, Mukuro giggled.

         After the camp had been set up, Shido sat on the ground and gestured to Mukuro to sit beside him. Of course, just when she was about to sit, he pulled her towards himself so that she was now directly sitting on his lap. He then wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on her neck. Mukuro, caught off guard by this, stuttered as she said, " Nu-Nushi - Sa-Sama ! Wh-What is the meaning of this ?! " Shido smiled after seeing Mukuro's embarrassment and said, " What ? Is there something wrong with my girlfriend sitting on my lap ? "

           The slight flirtatious undertones in Shido's voice was not lost on Mukuro. And while she did enjoy her current situation, it was still embarrassing to say the least. Sensing her emotions, Shido placed his hand on her head and began to pat her gently. He then took out a pocket watch and gazed at the time before smirking. He then said, " Relax. Don't worry too much about it. Besides, as nice as it feels to have your girlfriend sit on your lap, I've actually called you here for something else. You see, my acquaintance who suggested this spot actually works at an Observatory. And he told me that there's something special going to happen right now. So look up and enjoy the view ! "

         While she was still confused, she regardless turned her attention to the sky. And she was immediately greeted with a mesmerising sight. Thousands of bright lights descended to the earth, as if someone had plucked the stars that graced the heavens and let them descend to the earth. For her, who had never witnessed a meteor shower in her life, it was a truly beautiful sight. Yet what made the memory even more cherishable was the fact that she was with her loved one. She would treasure this moment for the rest of her life……

         Of course, what she didn't know was the fact that it wasn't just her that was enjoying this sight. The same sights were gracing the skies of every nation around the world at the same time. And while most people around the world were either amazed or mesmerized by the sights, not everyone was happy. The US military in particular, were in a state of massive panic. And why wouldn't they be ? After all, it's not an everyday occurrence where all of your satellites comprising the orbital bombardment system that you spent forty years on and which cost 1349 billion dollars just fell down all over the world. But then again, it's not everyday that the entire world makes an enemy out of a certain blue haired Scion of Darkness……...

                  ---------------X--------------

And the chapter is done ! Sorry about this, but as you may have guessed, college has really reduced my publishing speed. And yeah, I agree this an extremely short chapter, but I am sorry for that. And in case any of you may be wondering why miku got an entire chapter for a date while origami got such a short section, it's not because I hate origami or anything. It's just because of her charecter. Think about it. Had Shido just told her that she could cuddle with him for the entire day, she would have happily accepted that in place of a date. She is happy as long as she's beside Shido. The next date will be of the Yamai sisters and Nia. After that will be natsumi and kurumi's turn. After that, it will be a timeskip of one month and the next arc of the story will finally begin. The staple of all Shounen anime, The Tournament Arc ! Or as it will be for this book, The Butchering Arc ! So with that said, once again, feel free to ask any questions or any suggestions for improvement !

Word count : 6060 words