Hal-Castemour is an interesting place. Even though both it and Jeraldine are coastal cities, this has a different flavour.

It's subtle, I suppose. The smells of spices and fish are a lot more evident here. People crowd in different places. The buildings are made with a different stone, whiter. Ships of all shapes and sizes wrestle with the local cove.

And it has, to my surprise, a bustling beach market. Jeraldine, the city, was built around sheer cliffs and a roaring river, but this has a glistening white beach, like some kind of resort. It certainly would be drowning in tourists back on Earth.

And here I am, being one of them. And look, I am being a riajuu here too, on a date with a pretty princess. Should I go die?... haha...

She really is a stunner. I knew it from the start, but... well... her silver hair waves in the sea breeze, as she has a hand to her head, looking out over the beach wistfully.

Although, typical for Aria, she then basically inhales a meat roll, stuffing it into her cheeks and looking like a hamster, a trickle of gravy running out of her chops as she gulps it down.

I snicker, then pop a finger on her chin, swiping the gravy on it, and then licking it off.

She almost backflips over the dividing beach wall in shock.

"E-Elijah whuwhuwhat areyoudoing!" She cries.

"Mmm... delicious" I say.

She squirms and blushes furiously.

"I... you're gonna give me a heart attack! And indigestion!" She exclaims, balling her fists.

So cute. I ruffle her head.

"Ngh... this really bold Elijah is weird..."

"Do you hate it?" I ask, withdrawing my hand.

"N-no... I..." she looks under her silver eyelashes.

Then she burps in a hic.

I snicker and she moans...

"I'm a-already s-spoiling this though..." she sighs under her breath.

"Why do you think that?" I say.

"W-well... I'm bouncing around and stuffing my face and its! Its... really not being much of a lady, and men like that on dates and its really..."

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"Aria. You suck at being a lady. And you're an idiot." I state.

Her lip quivers and she looks about to cry.

I just laugh.

"But that is what makes you unique!" I exclaim. "You're a musclehead and a beauty all at once. It's such a wonderful thing! And any man who can't see past that... to this glorious, burnished diamond that you are, is way more of an idiot!"

She gapes, and then she starts crying gushes of tears. Ah man... there’s a lot of crying lately…

I grab her in a hug and rub her back.

"Hic! I thought! ... I! Fought that you... might... hic... hate me... c-collecting all these other girls... that I... was just... just... just the s-s-summoner to you. That I... that you..."

I look into her big crying blue eyes as I rub her back. Her tears stop.

"You really are an idiot." I smile. "And so am I, I guess. I am guilty of not appreciating you enough... and I've caused this. So, in all..."

She suddenly looks up to me, purses her lips, leaps on her tiptoes, and presses her mouth up to mine.

Just a short one. Nothing like that weird dream. But a smooch none the less. She tastes of gravy.

She then shies, and leaps away from my grasp as I'm shocked.

"Hehehe..." she snickers. "I kissed onii-chan...!"

My nose wants to explode from the cuteness.

She then puts a finger to her mouth and licks her lips slightly, looking under her eyes. It's a mature gesture more at home on Seria, but that only widens her wonderful dissonance.

I realise then, and so does she, that it seems we caused a bit of a scene among this bustling crowd. There is laughter and cooing.

Aria goes bright red, and then, shockingly, grabs my hand and starts running.

It's a good job I'm fitter than before, else her super strength would have had me dragging along like a wheeled suitcase.

...

...

"Hahhh..." she exhales. "I-I think I'm safe now. Oh gods! I did something so embarrassing in public!"

Apparently locking arms with me yesterday was fine though.

I snicker and ruffle her head again and she pouts.

We're still in the market outskirts, which bleeds into one of the seaward streets, but it is indeed quiet here. Our only witness is a now a merchant man grinning from behind his stall here.

I feel a very mild sense of danger, and I suddenly realise why. His stall is of jewellery, and we likely scream 'next mark!' to him.

"Good sir, madam! Please peruse my wares! Finest jewels and metals!" He calls, realising I'm looking over Aria's shoulder to him.

Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt. Aria's hand is still in mine, so I start to drag her for a change.

She blushes as she realises what is going on.

Although it is a collection of mostly baubles, there are a handful of really nice pieces here. One particular necklace catches my eye. It is probably only iron, but it has a string of small lovely sapphires in teardrop shapes. They're the colour of Aria's eyes. I pick it up and turn to hold it up to her neck.

"This would look fantastic on you, I think. We got a few Myriads to spare now, right?"

Aria suddenly goes insanely red and fidgets.

"E-ELIJAH!! Y-you...!! Do you realise you...!! Right now you...!!!" She cries out.

And then strangely... all of a sudden, my danger sense soars like a surging tide.

I instinctively try to dodge something, pushing Aria back suddenly.

The necklace flies into the air, spins on the spot.

And my hand... falls off.

The sapphires burst into the air, but like a whip, the metal of the necklace then shoots right at me, stabbing me right below the shoulder, just above the breastplate.

Blood splatters Aria's face as I cough up something and fall, my stump of an arm flailing.

Ha... even when gaping in horror, she is so cute.

I literally don't understand anything.

Except the pain.

I scream out a choked wheeze. My eyes roll back, and I pass out.