Within her room, Shizuka couldn't help but keep on staring upon the necklace Rasha had gifted her. She keeps reminding herself of the strong, handsome man, but no matter how many times she invisions him within her mind, she fails to even blush. She simply couldn't make sense of what had happened earlier.

"Lord, what was that vision I saw all about? The frightening feeling I felt… Why were his eyes glowing awfully red like that? It's almost as if I stared into hell itself…" Shizuka attempts to put together everything that had happened, fidgeting with the pendant.

She peered out the window, the moonlight shines brightly against her pale skin and the cold wind flutters her hair. As she felt her mind calm, she took her coat from her hanger and made her way outside to journey to the shrine once again. The usual breeze that calmed her somehow felt off, as if someone had tampered with the wind, but it was comforting enough to keep her walking towards the shrine. She lit a candle and clasped in between her hands, kneeling and pleading in front of the statue within the shrine.

Shizuka's mind was preoccupied as Yasha and Kendatsuba arrived from the skies above. They first seek to investigate the shrine, and to their convenience, Kendatsuba recognised the woman inside the shrine, it was the woman Ashura had been seeing. Kendatsuba, as a demon of great musical taste and affection, felt a strong bond between Ashura and her, just from the way she's reciting her words. But, for whatever reason unbeknownst to them, the woman is heard repeating the name "Rasha" countless times. Just who is  this Rasha?

“It is at most certain, she’s the one Ashura's been meeting with, I'm sure of it. But just who is Rasha?” Kendatsuba expresses his confusion.

“Are you sure you aren't mistaken? She’s a peasant! You're aware of Ashura's high standards, right? don’t joke around at a time like this, Kendatsuba!” Yasha replies with concern.

“I wouldn't joke on an occasion like this, trust me, Yasha. I’m most certain. It is written all over her face.” Kendatsuba uttered his words as he steps closer to the woman, changing his appearance to that of a lost traveler in golden robes. Yasha soon followed, also changing his appearance to a man outfitted with a silver cloak.

“My apologies Ma'am, It appears I have found myself to be lost. What name does this village have?” Shizuka was caught off guard by the appearance of these two men, one adorned in a lavish and opulent robe, the other outfitted with a cloak that shimmered like moonlight. Their sudden appearance was so startling to Shizuka that she flung her candle towards the two. Shizuka gasped and covered her mouth, realizing the action she had done.

“Oh my god! I apologize, mister! I didn’t mean to throw that candle at you, please forgive me…” Shizuka kept her kneeling pose, lowering her head.

“No need to apologize, Ma'am. It was my mistake for approaching so suddenly” Kendatsuba reassures her, flashing her with a comforting smile.

“I've tried to warn him already, haha. Silly, he doesn't understand how startling he could look sometimes." Yasha pats Kendatsuba's back with force as he steps closer towards Shizuka.

"It's all right, I'm okay," Shizuka reassures, while attempting to regain her composure. "But may I ask, what brings two noble gentlemen like yourselves to this place?" she inquires, grabbing her candle.

"We're travelers, exploring the wide world God has blessed us with, but we took one too many turns and now we're lost… Do you happen to know a Kingdom near where we are? It would be a great help." Yasha delivers his question as he lights up the surrounding candles.

"Yes, I do. Look around those two mountains, below that mountain is the closest city from here, but I advise you to journey by horse, it would be excruciating to walk such a distance by foot." As Shizuka and Yasha exchange their words, Kendatsuba would notice a strangely familiar and intricately designed fire necklace enveloping her neck. He immediately recognised who the necklace belonged to.

As Ashura gazed upon the Shrine from above, alarm bells rang in his head as he realized Kendatsuba and Yasha were nowhere to be found. Suspicions confirmed by his necklace, he let out a roar of fury and descended to his fireplace, quaking the palace with his wrath. Fueled by diabolical coal, the fireplace revealed a vision of the missing demons within the flames.

Ashura closely examines the situation, what are these two planning to do? He knows that the two wouldn’t kill anyone, especially Kendatsuba who is known to be the most peaceful out of the three. However, he fears Yasha's curious and interrogative tactics, which is especially prevalent on those who caught his attention. Ashura could only watch in anger as he pondered what horrors these two could bring.

"Pardon me, but if I may ask who gifted you that necklace?" Kendatsuba's curiosity envelops him, "My apologies for my manners, but surely you wouldn't be able to afford that, could you?" 

Shizuka fiddled with the necklace as she responded.

“Why, yes it is, Sir. A beloved person gifted me this as an item to remember him by. He said that whenever I long for him, I only need to whisper his name toward the necklace and he'll hear me no matter where he is." Shizuka blushes as she responded, toying with the pendant.

Upon hearing Shizuka’s explanation, Yasha confirmed his suspicions towards that necklace. He looked over to Kendatsuba who only nodded.

"You know, I think I've seen a similar necklace before. Rumor has it that it contains magical properties that could be released if the one who wears it is experiencing the harshest of emotions." Yasha begins to truly test the water, studying Shizuka's reaction closely.

“What do you mean by that, Sir?” Shizuka queried.

"The necklace holds a great power that can only be unlocked in times of intense emotion - specifically, sadness, anger, or fear. Only these emotions could trigger such power," Yasha warned, with Kendatsuba looking at him with a stern expression, he pondered what consequences could hold from Yasha's actions.

Kendatsuba would suddenly grab Yasha by his collar, dragging him out of the Shrine.

"That's quite enough, friend, we already have our much needed information, we're going to that kingdom, now." Kendatsuba would walk at alarming speeds, and before Shizuka could even say goodbye, they had already vanished beyond the horizons.

"What strange men… we haven't even exchanged names yet." Shizuka sits down outside the palace, placing her head on her hand and watching the horizon. 

The two Demons arrive at Ashura's place, hoping to talk some sense into him yet again with their newly found information, unbeknownst to them however, the front door of their palace swung open, hitting the walls with a loud crash as Ashura storms out into his front yard. His infernal rage boiling over as he laid eyes on Kendatsuba and Yasha. 

"What in the abyss do you two think you're doing, visiting Shizuka without my permission? Do you have any idea how much you've invaded my privacy with your actions?" His voice was like thunder, shaking the very foundations of the palace. 

"You two are supposed to be my loyal companions, but instead you betray me by going behind my back and meddling in my affairs. I trusted you, and this is how you repay me?" He glared at them with eyes, blazing with fury, daring them to speak a word in their defense.

The two demons could only sigh, they knew whatever word they had to say would only leave through Ashura's opposing ear. If they want to smack some sense into Ashura, they have to seek outside help. Without saying a word, the both of them flew away in an unknown direction, leaving Ashura by himself

"Hey! Where do you think you two are going!?" Ashura's legs twitched for a moment, but he couldn't help but see them leaving as a blessing itself. Soon after watching the two fly out of his vision, he slowly went inside his palace and headed towards his throne room.

🔥🔥🔥

Three days had passed since Rasha last visited Shizuka. Today Yasha and Kendatsuba are seen journeying back to Ashura's palace to inform him of something quite important. Ashura sourly opens the door as the two demons by his doorstep notifies that King Ryūō had summoned him to discuss an important matter. Ashura shoves the two demons aside, reluctantly following their order, but he already knew what this was all about and wanted to make it quick.

Kendatsuba and Yasha waited outside as Ashura entered Ryūō's palace, he noticed despite his throne room's stupendous length there was no one but Ryūō and himself occupying the room, and he could tell the atmosphere of the room was not at its best either. As it turns out, he had received news from Kendatsuba and Yasha. Realizing the scale of the situation, he knew he had to talk to Ashura in private, even the two demons who informed him were not allowed in.

"I believe you are already aware as to why I've summoned you today, Ashura?” Ryūō begins his talk.

"I know, and no matter  how much you ask me, I wouldn't be able to answer. It's strange isn't it? Me? Ashura? The warrior above all? I don't even know what's with me and staying around the likes of mortals, especially her! If I were truly myself, I would've killed her long ago for being such a weak creature, haha!" Ashura is earnestly trying to put into words his thoughts and feelings, but he struggles to fully articulate them. Despite this, Ryūō remains stoic, his expression unchanging as he understands the inner turmoil Ashura is experiencing.

"Ashura, the mortal you've been visiting, what is your opinion of them and your relationship with them?" Ryūō attempts to dig further into Ashura's own thoughts regarding the matter.

"Shizuka… she's…" without realizing, Ashura's head faces downwards, "well she's a lot nicer than anyone I've met in heaven, her face is always so relaxed and… w-well by that I mean she's WEAK of course! Haha… But, for whatever reason I suppose she's a bit of a friend to me, but almost… better in a way since every time I meet her, my soul feels-"

"Stop." Ryūō cuts through Ashura's words.

"That's enough information, Ashura. I understand what you're going through, Ashura. Your relations with the mortals, your foreign emotion, your sudden outbursts of anger when people intrude on your life with that mortal." With Ryūō finally gathering enough information that supports his thoughts, he's ready to break the news to Ashura.

"Really? I've been trying to make sense of this for a while now! Why in the fresh hell would I be friends with a-"

"You're in love." Ryūō's words snaps Ashura's perception of his world in half.

"...love? Ryūō, I don't… even know what that means." Ashura attempts to express his confusion, yet….

BANG.

"Don't lie to me, Ashura. I know you're the warrior above all else and you weren't built to comprehend such feelings, but I know you at least understand what it means." The whole room could feel the hands of Ryūō bash down upon his table, cracks formed around where his hand had impacted the surface.

"If it's not love, then why do you constantly need to visit a mortal? Creatures you find vile and disgusting for being too weak for their own good? You know you have other great friends in God's multiple realms. Besides, you've already admitted in your own words that the mortal is a better friend. What does that mean? What does it mean if it's not love?" Ryūō's words kept impaling the heart of Ashura so deep he could physically feel the pressure.

"Ryūō, please, It's only because she's such an eye-catching person, you know? I want to understand why such a weak creature would not strengthen themselves but instead rely on the blessing of God…" Even while answering, Ashura's head remains tilted towards the floor. His hands placed on his elbow and his knees touching each other.

Instead of responding, Ryūō could only laugh, covering his face with his hand.

"My god, is it truly that hard for you to admit love, Ashura?" Ryūō then held onto Ashura by his wrist, dragging him onto his pond. He sprinkled a light amount of ethereal pollen onto the surface of the water, where an image of Shizuka and Rasha appears, the day where they enjoyed the sunset.

Ashura panics as he plunges his hand into the water up to his elbow, obscuring the image of Shizuka from his hand splashing around.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Ashura sternly demands an answer.

"If that was not love, then tell me, Great Demon Ashura, what exactly was that?" Ryūō's counter question stuns Ashura, he couldn't move his lips. 

"I know exactly what's going through that thick skull of yours. Now, when will you finally embrace your feelings? You know it's impossible to erase such a strong, prominent emotion, especially when it is so pure… but you know the laws of the universe itself won't allow a mortal to be with the likes of you, that's why I'm here to help…" In spite of Ryūō lending his hand, Ashura despises his cornering question. It is exactly like the time Yasha and Kendatsuba intervened. 

Ashura tries to leave the palace, but Ryūō was quick to notice this. With two claps of his hands, his pet Dragon seemingly came out of nowhere, blocking the palace's entrance.

"Perhaps it will not be today, but you will have to come to accept your feelings, Ashura. There is no greater power than the laws of the world that God has set since the very beginning. If you continue on with your actions, you will face up to the consequences." Ryūō smirks as he delivers his line.

“For how long do you and those two insolent pests plan on pestering me for? How long, Ryūō!?” Flames begin to erupt around the building, the sheer heat of it evaporates surrounding waters. Ryūō's pet dragon fled in response.

“Your burden, your weights on your shoulders, we three will continue being those weights until you finally admit your feelings and seek the proper proper help your friends have all been trying to aid you with!” Ryūō's words always seem to fail penetrating Ashura's stubborn mind, its constant poking only causes him to enrage more and more.

“I'm not in love! I was never in love! Shizuka is merely a friend to me, the best out of all of you! And my recent experience with you three have only strengthened my argument further!" His yelling caused the burning within the castle to blaze further. He storms outside the palace, leaving a trail of infernal flames behind him.

With the current circumstances and the state of his palace, Ryūō was left with no choice but to let Ashura leave the premises.

“Well then, I suppose if I'm not able to show the truth to you, the world will.”