Chapter 55

I leap from one rooftop to another and arrive at the mansion. I land on the ground, and I can see the Karasu Tengu, who is guarding the mansion, walking toward me and saying,

"Sir Ryan, Lady Yasaka told me to leave anyone coming with you to us. We will make sure she gets healed."

I nod, give him Asia, and say.

"Take care of her, okay?"

"Leave her to us, sir. We will take care of her."

"Thank you."

"It is not a problem. It is our duty, after all. You should go to Lady Yasaka's office, sir. Lady Yasaka is already waiting for you."

I nod and get inside the mansion. I walk to Yasaka's office and when I open the door, Yasaka throws herself at me. I force myself to keep standing and hug her back. She releases me and inspects my body from the top to the bottom.

Seeing no long-lasting damage, she nods her head and says.

"That is good. You are not injured."

"Of course. I promise you, right?"

"That you do. Take a seat. I am preparing some tea."

I take a seat and watch Yasaka make tea. As a tea drinker, Yasaka will not accept anything but a traditionally made tea. Because of this, it takes a few minutes before the tea is ready to be served.

I take the tea, smell the steam, and take a small sip. It is bitter, but there is a complex taste behind that bitterness. It is good but not to my taste. I like my tea a bit sweaters. After drinking our tea, Yasaka looks at me and says,

"Now, tell me about our new guest."

"Right. Her name is Asia Argento, an excommunicated nun from the Vatican. She has Twilight Healing and has a high affinity with Dragon."

I noticed the last one while taking her here. Knowing she will die, the unrestrained anger in my chest comes from my dragon side. It is not because I love her or anything; instead, it is a feeling of someone trying to steal a dragon's treasure.

Because of her affinity, she becomes something like a treasure to all dragons who get close to her.

And you did not want to steal from a dragon. They are possessive creatures and will kill anyone who dares to steal from them.

"Is that why you want to rescue her?"

"No. It is because she is pitiful. I cannot leave someone who longs for companionship to die inside an abandoned church. I also promised her to be her first friend, and what kind of friend am I not to rescue her when she is in trouble?"

She looks at me for a second before laughing.

"Fufufufu~ That is just like you, Ryan."

"Hey, stop it."

"Fufufufu~ I am sorry about that. Anyway, let's talk about her. I think we have three options. The first one is to give her to the Grigori Faction. They are the ones bringing her here, and I feel they can take care of her. I also know that Azazel will ensure she grows stronger and stands on her own two feet."

I nod my head and let Yasaka continue.

"The second one is to give her back to the church."

"No. They will kill her instead of taking care of her."

"That's what I thought. Then, the last one is to let her stay here. What do you think?"

I look at her for a few seconds before saying.

"I want the third option, but I cannot decide what she wants to do on my own. Let her decide what to do."

Yasaka smiles at me and nods her head.

"Very well. Let's wait for her to wake up. While we are waiting, let me go and call Azazel."

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|3rd POV|

Asia opens her eyes slowly and looks around for a few seconds. After looking around, she notices that she is not dead. She checks her body and checks her pulse. She is not dead.

"Ah, you are awake. Good."

She looks to the side and sees one of the Karasu Tengu walking toward her. Karasu Tengu looks at her briefly before putting his staff on her head. The tip of the staff shines a little, and after a few seconds, the Karasu Tengu nods and says.

"Your body is healthy. Eat a little bit more, and you are good. The mana in your body is stable and in great shape. You are good to go."

"Um. Um. Excuse me, but where am I?"

"Hmmm? You are in Youkai's Safe House, dear."

"Eh? Youkai?"

"Yes. You are rescued by one of ours. He is not a youkai. He is a human. You know him."

"Eh? I do?"

"Yes. His name is Ryan Hernandes."

Asia's eyes widen when she hears the name.

"Ryan, rescue me?"

"Yes. When Sir Ryan learns that the fallen angel wants to kill you and take away your Sacred Gear, he springs into action and attacks the abandoned church."

She looks at him in shock before she widens her eyes.

"Is he okay? Is Ryan okay?"

He smiles gently at her and says.

"He is doing great, dear. Sir Ryan is doing okay. Currently, he is with Lady Yasaka, our leader, talking with the leader of the Grigori. They are talking about you."

"Eh? About me?"

"Yes. They want to know where you want to go from now on. Speaking of which, let's take you to meet them."

Asia nods slowly, and Karasu Tengu takes her to the office. A few seconds later, they are in front of a room. The Karasu Tengu slowly opens the door and lets Asia get inside. Asia smiles brightly when she sees Ryan standing behind Yasaka.

"Ah, you are here. Please take a seat, dear."

Yasaka smiles kindly at her and lets Asia sit next to her. Ryan walks behind Asia to make sure she relaxes and feels safe.

With her sitting down, Yasaka then starts to explain the situation. Asia widens her eyes at the option before she suddenly tears up. Ryan walks next to her and says.

"Asia? Are you okay?"

"Can I really be free? Can I really choose? Do I deserve to stay with my friend? Do I deserve this?"

Ryan pats her head and gives her a sad and kind smile.

"You deserve this, Asia. You are a kind person that did not deserve what you have been through. Your trial is over. You can now enjoy your reward."

Asia did not stop crying and said.

"Then please… please accept me…. I want to stay… I want to be with you, Ryan… You are my first friend… Please…"

Ryan hugs her tightly and says.

"Welcome to the family, Asia. Welcome home."

"WAAAAH!"