Within the skies, Ashura visits Kendatsuba's Palace in order to deliver information regarding mortals who strive to become a musician, however they quickly found out that Kendatsuba’s shrine had been demolished. Ashura had expected for Kendatsuba to react irrationally and full of outrage, but Kendatsuba simply smirked at the news.

"Why are you smiling? The Shrine dedicated to you has been pulverized and you’re only smiling?" Ashura is greatly confused towards Kendatsuba’s manner.

"It's okay, I’ve already heard that prayer from the mortal, I'll visit their Shrine soon enough, after we’ve discussed your problem, of course." Kendatsuba replies with a smug grin.

Ashura was quite shocked and caught off guard, as it turns out, Kendatsuba has been watching him since the beginning and witnessed Ashura often coming down to earth to visit Shizuka. Yet, Ashura thought his demonic power had protected him and concealed his presence when he changed his form into a human. But for how long can his spell hold it? How long did he hide his other forms from Kendatsuba, Yasha, and even the Wise Ryuou? How will they act when they know he is looking at a mortal with special attention.

 "What do you mean by that nonsense?" Ashura questions, avoiding eye contact.

"I see that you often visit Earth, heading towards that Shrine, placed perfectly below your Palace.” Kendatsuba pushes his statements deeper into Ashura. “Is there anything that caught your eye, Ashura? Or it’s someone, perhaps?"

"What? Nonsense! Why and for what reason would I waste my time visiting some loathsome mortals? Besides, I only come once in a while to investigate the Shrine and how there’s so few people who stop by." Ashura stands his ground, he refuses to tell the truth.

"Really? Yet, I feel  that something is different when you go down to Earth. I've seen quite a hefty amount of strange things over my vast lifespan, yet this is simply quite an interesting case. It is something that I never know.. do you know what's that ?" 

"What exactly are you trying to tell me, Kendatsuba! Enough with all of this rubbish! Just state what exactly it is that you want to tell me!"

Kendatsuba smirks and reaches his hand over to Ashura's shoulder.

"My friend, my good friend. I feel and know something different and fishy happened to you a month ago. If I am not mistaken, there's a mortal being that prays for protection, but you judge them as a weak life form that only asks for protection without even knowing what they're doing down there. Remember, we're demons that have the power to protect and destroy our obstacles, but they don't, Ashura. They are simply a human being" Kendatsuba’s spiel only infuriates Ashura further.

"For Heaven’s Sake, Kendatsuba! What exactly do you wanna tell,  huh? My patience may have its limit, but my infernal anger does not!" Ashura’s intimidation only widened Kendatsuba’s grin.

"When will our Ashura finally follow his heart? For how long will you keep on lying to yourself? For how long will you keep denying what your heart has to say? For how long, Ashura? When will the Great Ashura finally succumb to his feelings?" 

Ashura bit his lips, He simply could only stand there, motionless. Kendatsuba already knows that his friend is lying through his teeth ever since he found someone that completely transformed his personality. Kendatsuba and Yasha also knew that Ashura becomes increasingly suspicious every day as time goes by. But for how long will he hide his own feelings for Shizuka?

"I don't know what you're on about, Kendatsuba. Besides I only came to inform you regarding your destroyed Shrine, that's all" After stating his words, Ashura left from Kendatsuba's presence and flew away from his palace. 

"My apologies, Ashura, but you can't deny the fact that you are in love with a mortal being. I’m not entirely sure who this person might be, but soon enough I'll find out..." Kendatsuba stands from his balcony, watching Ashura fade beyond the clouds.

🔥🔥🔥

Ashura dived down to visit Earth to Shizuka's Shrine, however, he didn't change his form, instead opting to turn himself invisible to the eyes of mere humans in order to keep watching Shizuka from afar. He witnesses Shizuka visit the lake where they first met. Ashura went to take a closer look at Shizuka. 

"Oh God, why have I become like this? What kind of feeling is this?" Shizuka ponders as she skips stones across the lake.

For a while, Ashura thought for a moment that Shizuka was just mumbling nonsense.

"Can she feel my presence here?" Ashura hopes his concealing spell works this time around. 

Ashura steps ever so closer towards her, waiting for any kind of reaction from her, but Shizuka doesn't seem to sense him at all, even at an arm's length. Shizuka even began to pick some flowers near the lake, disregarding her surroundings.

"Just as I thought, she cannot feel my presence in any way" He thought to himself.

Though the second Ashura is about to fly off, Shizuka suddenly stood up, seemingly staring at him right in his eyes. The invisible Ashura is now locking eye-contact with Shizuka. She gave out a warm smile and opened her lips.

“Rasha, is that your presence I feel? Heh, I’m imagining things, it almost feels like he is right there…” Shizuka doubts herself.

“Though if you really are here…” Shizuka continues, acting as if Rasha is truly there, “You know, you said that if I called your name, you’d come to my rescue, right? It’s almost as if it had happened in my dream… The second I yelled out your name with all my might, I woke up so peacefully… Thank you, Rasha, with all my heart.”

It's as if the world had stopped during the burst of an explosion, Ashura's heart was struck by Shizuka's words. His body may be frozen, but his mouth began curving upwards. The very first time the Demon Ashura ever genuinely smiled out of love. 

🔥🔥🔥

A week has passed, and neither Ashura nor Shizuka have asked about each other's feelings. As time goes by, Shizuka calls out to Rasha's name even more for every passing day anytime she visits the Shrine. Talking with her father and even blabbering to her best friend during her Girl’s night out. Even though it's been a week since they both last met, it didn't influence each other's feelings for eachother negatively, as it turns out their feelings only grew bigger and bigger. Though for Ashura, he is still  constrained within his dilemma and confusion regarding his feelings for Shizuka. Ashura keeps asking himself concerning his feelings, but then again and again his heart and his mind along with his ego could never seem to come to an agreement.

Shizuka would often visit the lake where they first met and talk to herself until sunset. Occasionally, she would write a short poem for Rasha that she intends to recite to him. Whilst writing her poem, she visualizes Rasha's face and imagines the things they would do together as a happy couple.  One of her favorite poems went reads:

🔥🔥🔥

Lotus above the Lake

I thought that my heart would never feel love.

I thought that my mind would never feel comfortable with a smile.

I thought that my lips would never miss saying your name.

I thought that I could live freely within this lifestyle.

Like a Lotus above the Lake.

Peaceful and full of grace.

My life is just as simple as a Lotus above the Lake.

Then you came, it all felt like a warm embrace.

I believe in a God that will happily grant my wish.

I believe in a God that will happily hear my prayers.

I beg Him to allow my dream to flourish.

To fall in love with his creation without despair.

🔥🔥🔥

Since this is the first time Shizuka ever experienced love, she truly did not know what or how she should act if Rasha were to suddenly come and visit her village again. What should she wear and what gift should she present for him? Her cautiousness causes her to spend hours dressing herself just to walk to the nearby market, which her father finds quite amusing. 

That morning, Shizuka had just finished praying at Shrine, and her father had departed to visit his brother in another village, leaving Shizuka alone by herself until the dusk of sunset. Her best friend too was away to a great temple far from her village to accompany her dad. 

With no one else around, Shizuka decided to visit the great river that runs across her village, leading right towards the Capital City.  She doesn’t visit the river often but she felt that nothing else could be done to feed her bored mind. 

Once she had arrived, she decided to stop by near the river, spreading her picnic rug along the winded grass and sitting down to grab her meal out of her basket. Though the second she revealed her food, surrounding wildlife started to crowd around, eyeing her hands and her basket. 

Notably though, the local birds kept swooping down, harassing her. Infuriated, she stood up and tried to walk away, but one final swoop of the bird misplaced her step, causing her to stumble onto the roaring river that she kept so close to.

Shizuka cries out in despair and even though she knows how to swim, the water of the river is immensely strong and overpowers her swimming strength with ease. Her body could do nothing but be swept under the river’s might. 

Slowly her screams dampen under the thunderous current of the river, her lungs incrementally filling with the river’s water. Her struggles only made her situation worsen, the water entering her mouth faster with her odd breathing pattern. With her last available breath, she calls out.

“R...Rasha…”