Finally, the kiss ended.

Akira pulled back just slightly and looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes half-lidded and sparkling. He smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Lyra… I won't let you end up alone."

"Mm… I believe you."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the conviction in it was unmistakable.

They remained like that for a moment longer before Lyra gently slipped out of his embrace and stood up.

With a sly grin, she lightly patted Akira's hand and said, "Alright, alright, you still have business to take care of, right? Don't spend all your time on me. There are other girls waiting too, you know."

As she spoke, she began gathering the small bombs and materials on the table and packed them efficiently into her belt pouch.

Then, as if on cue, she suddenly paused, glanced over her shoulder, and flashed him a knowing smile.

"…Oh, and Akira."

She turned fully, her pink eyes gleaming with playfulness.

"Come to my room tonight."

Akira blinked. "Huh? For what?"

"Nothing serious." She replied, a teasing light in her gaze. "Just a little reward for earlier."

The sly wink she threw his way immediately set Akira's mind racing.

His face twitched, thoughts flashing rapidly through his brain.

He remembered the night Lyra had boldly slipped into his tent during the last expedition. That mischievous grin of hers, that fearless initiative…

A faint gulp escaped his throat.

"…You're giving it away that easily?" He asked in a low voice, clearly shaken.

"Why?" Lyra leaned closer, smirking. "Having second thoughts now?"

Her eyes sparkled with teasing danger, and her voice dipped just enough to give goosebumps.

"No, it's just… isn't it kind of fast?" Akira scratched the back of his head nervously, averting his gaze.

Lyra chuckled, clearly amused. "Akira… aren't you the man here? Shouldn't you be the one taking the lead?"

Her teasing tone dared him to rise to the occasion.

Akira inhaled deeply, steeling himself. His gaze met hers, firm and unwavering.

"…Alright. I'll be there tonight."

Lyra nodded in satisfaction. "Good boy."

Standing on her tiptoes, she patted his shoulder like a satisfied general rewarding a brave soldier.

She thought to herself, 'Don't blame me for getting ahead. You all just weren't fast enough. Hehe…'

The grin on her lips grew brighter and brighter.

Watching her, Akira wasn't sure whether he'd won or if he was being led around by this tiny, dangerous girl.

With a bounce in her step, Lyra turned and skipped toward the exit. Her strides were light, her mood clearly elated—like a little girl who'd just won a prize.

"Then I'll get back to work. See you tonight." She said over her shoulder, her voice laced with anticipation and mischief.

Akira stood frozen in place, watching her leave, emotions swirling in his heart.

Not long after, Lyra made her way up the stairs leading toward the girls' dormitories. At the landing, she bumped into a familiar group.

Iska spotted her first and waved energetically. "Hey, Lyra! Bombs ready?"

Lyra gave a quick nod. "All prepped. What about you guys? Weren't you out exploring?"

Noin stepped forward with a grin, immediately wrapping an arm around Lyra's shoulders. "We were, but Akira said he'd come with us, so we had to grab him before he escapes."

"Exactly." Lyra agreed, laughing.

"Right, right." The others echoed.

"Let's go shopping together!" Iska chimed in. "You're running low on hair dye, right?"

As she spoke, Iska reached out and playfully tousled Lyra's short pink hair.

Without warning, Noin and Iska grabbed her from both sides and tried to lift her off the ground.

"Hey, stop that! I said I've still got things to do."

Lyra struggled half-heartedly as they tightened their grip, her voice full of mock indignation and amusement.

Suddenly, the two girls deflated like punctured balloons, frustration plain on their faces.

Neze's ears twitched slightly, and a hint of concern surfaced in her gentle eyes. "Still… Akira hasn't come back yet. Do you think he ran into trouble?"

Before the atmosphere could turn heavy, Lyra chuckled softly. A mysterious smile crept onto her lips as she leaned in slightly and said with a teasing tone, "As for little Akira... he's already in the hall."

"What?! He's back?!"

A bright spark lit up in both Noin and Iska's eyes at once. Without wasting another second, they dropped Lyra on the spot and dashed down the corridor like excited children chasing a festival parade.

"Let's go catch Akira!" Their voices echoed loudly, brimming with joy and anticipation.

"Wait, wait for me! I'm coming too! I'll go ahead, Lyra."

Neze called after them, waving one hand as she took off in pursuit, her footsteps brisk but graceful.

Lyra raised her hand lazily in farewell, watching the trio disappear down the hallway with a faint, doting smile.

"Have fun." She whispered, almost to herself.

The smile she wore held not just amusement but also a quiet affection, as if watching over mischief-prone little sisters.

— — —

In the hall, Akira sat calmly on the sofa, one hand outstretched before him. Suspended in the air above his palm were a few shimmering droplets of blood, slowly swirling like rubies in midair.

He stared at them intently, his voice quiet and thoughtful.

"…It doesn't feel like a curse. More like a congenital terminal condition or something."

Had anyone stood before him at that moment, they would have witnessed a strange transformation.

Akira's usually dark eyes had changed—one remained a deep black, but the other shimmered with a vivid crimson hue.

In that red iris, a swirling vortex of blood seemed to churn slowly, casting off a faint, eerie glow. Each strand of bloodlight within it radiated a strange, dangerous aura—like it could tear the air apart at any moment.

The process of job conversion, once reliant on the system's aid, had gradually become easier as Akira deepened his understanding of the five subclasses and honed his mastery through relentless practice.

Now, even while maintaining his main class, he could partially tap into the powers of the others.

For instance, during his past interactions with Kaguya, Akira had once used his Blood Mage abilities to absorb the deadly poison from her body—an act that brought him dangerously close to her.

Kaguya, hailing from a noble family in the Far East, carried a terrifying legacy. Due to the unique mission of her lineage—to protect their nation's laws and justice—her body had been altered through a secret hereditary process, turning her into a living weapon. A single touch from her could fatally poison even high-level adventurers.

Akira's Blood Mage class allowed him to analyze and absorb blood. Through that ability, he could perceive the impurities within blood—be it curses, hatred, resentment, or lingering traces of otherworldly energies.

In cases of deeper analysis, he could even glimpse into the memories and essence of the person whose blood he held.

And now, with Alfia's blood in his grasp, he was certain. Her frailty wasn't due to any external curse. It was something deeper, something written into her very being—a terminal illness.

His brows furrowed at the realization, and a subtle emotion flickered across his eyes.

"…A shame." Akira whispered, lowering his hand.

"But maybe there's still time. I should head to the library next, see if there are any records about Alfia. Someone like her—so strong—there must be something…"

Just as that thought passed through his mind—

Bang!

The door slammed open, jolting Akira from his reverie. Instinctively, his hand clenched, and the blood droplets were instantly drawn back into his body as fine threads, disappearing without a trace.

At the same moment, the red gleam in his right eye vanished, returning his gaze to their usual calm black.

In the blink of an eye, Akira stood from the couch, a composed expression already settling over his features, hiding away the mysterious scene from mere moments ago.