The air flies past his ears, rendering him deaf to Stella’s screams, let alone his own. Without thinking, Agami boosts himself closer to get a better grip on Stella, holding him closer to his chest with his left arm. He points upward with his fist and focuses, drawing Soul Power to his fist. A powerful stream bursts from it. Their descent begins slowing; it is more consistent and stronger than the first time he attempted this. He comes to a halt above the ground, grabbing the attention of curious pedestrians.

  The jetstream suddenly cuts off as he lets go of his fist, and they land somewhat gently. He looks at his arm, impressed with how his training has been paying off. He thought it was a waste to spend hours practising between his training with Sharpshooter, but this never felt so natural. The only thing surprising him is the absence of fatigue from his Soul Power use.

  “Getting a little confident, are you~” Stella grins.

  “Not really, I’m just impressed with how much I improved with the Armament,” Agami says, his eyes fixed on his right arm.

  “That’s nice to hear, but you can let me go now.”

  “Huh?” Agami realises he is still holding Stella while a crowd is staring at them, some with their phones out. He immediately lets go of her and takes a few steps back. He begins bowing furiously, blurting, “Sorry! Sorry!”

  She takes his left hand and pulls him as she begins to run. “Let’s get out of here before the old man catches us!” Agami can only nod.

  Suddenly, he can feel his right arm pulling toward the hotel, trying to drag him back.

  Tenmei?

  “I do not know what has gotten into you today, but we cannot risk everything because of this woman! Return! Now!” Tenmei commands, his voice sounding uncharacteristically furious.

  Agami ignores his voice and tries to regain control of his arm.

  While the battle is ensuing within Agami, Stella makes them take a right, bringing them to a busy street.

  Trust me! I know what I am doing!

  “Agami, you are being naive. This recklessness will not bring anything good!”

  They turn left and arrive at a shopping venue. Stella stops to catch her breath while Agami continues communicating with Tenmei.

  Let me make this mistake then! I have been resurrected and trapped in that stupid hotel for a week now! I want to see what the world is like. Isn’t that what you wanted as well?!

  “Yes, but not when it would risk everything I sacrificed!” Tenmei shouts. “Without you, all of this will be for naught! You need to respect your role in all of this!”

  “I didn’t ask for this! You made that decision, not me! I will help against the Benefactors, but I will still live my life!” Agami shouts, earning the suspicious looks of passersby for the second time that day.

  “Calm yourself, Agami. You are letting your emotions control you. You are not thinking clearly.”

  “Hmph.” Agami returns to curious Stella and says, “Let's go.”

  She raises an eyebrow and tilts her head slightly. “You're not going to tell me what that's about?”

  Agami looks around and notices the people watching them as they pass by. “Not now. Especially not here.”

  The two move through the shopping venue in an effort to find a quiet place to talk. While they make their way, he can still feel Tenmei trying to pull his arm back to the hotel. They eventually stop by a quiet restaurant.

  The restaurant name is 5 Tastes. It is modestly sized restaurant, arranged in a single open room with evenly spaced tables and a narrow path running between them. On the far end, there are also tables for those who wish to dine outside. But from the lavish decorations and seating, it costs more than a little extra. The warm overhead lights cast a steady glow across the polished wooden floor, revealing the various vintage posters of products that Agami isn't sure existed or not. A faint smell of cooked spices and sizzling meat filled the air. The restaurant has a few patrons– some are with families, some with friends, and some just sitting by the bar.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Taking a seat at one of the empty tables, Stella immediately grabs the menu and begins reading it while Agami looks around. As he returns to her, she flashes the menu at him and points at a strange-looking item.

  Agami squints and reads the title, “Tower of Torture?”

  “Yep, each level is a different intensity in heat,” she smiles.

  He looks at the price. Thirty Basks. “This is super expensive! How are we going to pay for it?”

  She crosses her arms and smirks, “Heh, heh. Brave of you to assume we are going to pay.”

  “No, we aren't dine and dashing,” Agami tells her.

  She pouts. “Fine~”

  They order the Tower of Torture for the two of them to share. While they wait for their meal, Agami can't help but stare outside the window, worried about any Ascenders following them.

  He suddenly feels something cold and wet touch his left cheek. Turning, he notices Stella chuckling as she is holding an ice cube she took from her drink.

  He wipes it off as she places it back in her drink. She sighs, “Relax, there aren't any cultists around.”

  “I know that, but they can find us at any moment,” Agami argues.

  “So can that old man.”

  “I'm not old, I'm only 39,” a gruff voice behind her says. An embarrassed expression comes over Stella's face as she nervously scratches her head. Agami feels his heart drop as an annoyed Gearfried takes the seat on his right.

  Before Agami can answer, Gearfried sarcastically says to Stella, “Nice job on the stove.” Stella nervously chuckles. “I told you two 'no’ and you disobeyed me. You–” he points to Stella, ”I don't know you, but you are on thin ice. And you–” He points to Agami, “I didn't expect this from you. If you wanted to get out, you should have come to me if you want to get out. I thought we came to an understanding. Why?”

  “I wa-” Stella tries to interject, but is cut off by Gearfried.

  “This is between my nephew and I,” Gearfried coldly tells her.

  Stella pouts and looks toward Agami. Agami suddenly feels a large amount of pressure, similar to the time he first met Gearfried. Strangely, it doesn't feel as daunting as before; he feels more in control. He looks at Gearfried and answers, “I wanted to have fun.”

  “Fun?” Gearfried repeats. Stella watches quietly as she takes a sip from her cold drink.

  “Ever since I came back to life, I have always been fighting, training, or feeling inadequate. I just want to get away and forget the world is depending on me, even if only for a little bit,” Agami finishes, his eyes unwavering.

  Gearfried remains silent for a bit. His expression remains serious. Agami glances at Stella, who is watching closely.

  Their waiter returns and places a ten-tiered serving tray on the table, resembling a tower. At a glance, each tier had a different type of food with a small nameplate on it. The smell of the sauces and foods is whetting his appetite sharply.

  Gearfried sighs and says, “I understand, but you need to remember the climate right now. We can't take unnecessary risks like this. Just ask me properly next time, and don't try to sneak out. Or else there will be repercussions. Understood?” Agami nods his head. “Good, then let's relax for a bit.”

  Agami feels more relaxed after his words. He smiles and simply says, “Thanks.” He looks at Stella, who gives a smug thumbs up.

  Gearfried turns his attention to the Tower of Torture and takes a chip from the bottom. Before he takes a bite, he says, “The hell is this?”

  Stella smirks and answers, “It is the Tower of Torture~” As soon as Gearfried bites, he is overcome with a violent coughing fit. “And the bottom level is the hottest.” She smiles as Gearfried grabs Agami's drink and chugs it.

  He slams the glass on the table and shouts, “WHY IS THIS DRINK HOT?!” A worried waiter walks up to him with a strange-looking fruit. Without hesitation, he grabs it and puts it in his mouth. He calms down after eating it and thanks the waiter.

  “Guess I'm starting on the top,” Stella cheekily adds as she reaches for the meat kebab on the top level, known as the ‘Heaven’ section.

  “Same here.” Agami wishes to avoid what happened to his uncle. As he reaches, their hands come in contact.

  With a shocked expression, Stella gasps, “Is this– fate?” She blushes and pulls a shy expression.

  Agami's face turns red, and he looks at Gearfried in worry, who is busy grabbing another chip from the ‘Pit of Hell’.

  “She's messing with you,” Gearfried calmly answers.

  He looks back at Stella, who is struggling to keep a straight face. Agami narrows his eyes and takes all of the kebabs, leaving none for Stella.

  Her expression immediately changes as she angrily shouts, “Hey!”

  Before I Sleep, Gambler, and True Soul weekly. This should help keep releases consistent and avoid long gaps between uploads.