Then Ken replied, his voice still carrying that deep monotone tone even as his chest continued to rise and fall heavily from exhaustion, "Well yeah, you know she carries herself high — she’s too proud — and well so many people don’t interact with her.

She even eats her lunch all alone on the roof.

That’s why I try to keep her company so she won’t be lonely... but well I get a lot of scoldings and bullying from her, but well I don’t think she really means that in a bad way.

That’s just how she is I guess."

Ken’s words came out between steadying breaths, his body still tense in its fighting stance, sweat tracing slow paths down the sides of his face while the hollow stare remained fixed on the taller figure before him.

Then Ken asked Ryū, tilting his head slightly with visible curiosity breaking through his usual flat expression, "But how did you know about us?"

Then Ryū, who was obviously lying, replied with a smooth, confident tone while his golden eyes glinted with amusement, "Well I’m in love with her and I want to marry her but I’m kind of shy."

The moment the words left his mouth, Ken’s mind raced. In his thoughts he thought, "Shy???? This guy isn’t really how I thought he was — all boss character type." The usually emotionless boy showed a brief flicker of genuine disbelief in his hollow eyes, his shoulders shifting slightly as he processed the unexpected confession from the imposing Dragon Lord standing before him.

Then he told Ryū in a straightforward tone, "You must be a good guy."

Then Ryū replied, his voice dropping into a more serious register as the golden dragons on his dark robe seemed to catch the light sharply, "Don’t get me all wrong... I’ve done so many things you can’t even imagine.

I’ve gotten so many lives killed due to my fights between monsters... I’m not a good guy."

The admission hung heavily in the air between them.

Ryū’s taller, muscular frame stood tall in the dark triad Chinese emperor-style attire, red-and-gold hair swaying gently in the breeze as his golden eyes looked directly at Ken with unapologetic honesty mixed with a hint of darkness.

Then Ryū suddenly rushed down to where the others were in high speed, his powerful body becoming a crimson-and-gold blur as he leaped from the damaged street level with explosive force.

Ken followed right behind him, pushing through his exhaustion to keep pace as both figures moved swiftly toward the group waiting below.

When they reached the others, Chris and the SCO agents were visibly surprised, their postures shifting with clear shock as they saw both Ryū and Ken approaching side by side, looking relatively normal after such an intense battle.

The SCO agents exchanged quick glances, their tactical gear rustling as they adjusted their stances.

Then the SCO agents spoke up, voices laced with confusion and suspicion, "Ken, what’s happening? You didn’t defeat him? And what’s with this attitude — as if Ken and Ryū were friends?"

Ken told them calmly, raising one hand in a placating gesture while still breathing heavily, "Not to worry, it’s no problem..." He then looked directly at Ryū and said with firm conviction, "I’ve told you... we will surely capture you.

Either you come in and work with the SCO or you will be held captive — imprisoned. We can’t let someone like you moving around freely."

Then Chris replied with their usual composed and slightly amused tone, adjusting their glasses as they spoke, "We’ll see how it goes then."

Then Chris, Ryū, Inferna, Yuri, and Muganda all left together. The group moved away from the scene with calm, unhurried steps — Inferna and Muganda still disguised as black mist hovering close to Ryū, while Yuri walked gracefully beside them.

Ryū’s dragon-embroidered robe flowed behind his tall, muscular frame as they departed.

As they were all going, Chris then asked Ryū in a quiet, curious voice, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Then Ryū replied with a small, satisfied smirk on his face, golden eyes looking ahead, "Well I really did enjoy this fight.

I thought that boy likes Chiyo because he’s always following her around at school."

Then Inferna said to him, her voice low and eager from within the swirling black mist, "Should I dispose of him?"

Then Ryū replied without hesitation, waving one hand dismissively, "No need for that... it’s not half bad. Since he’s not doing anything lewd with her, he can continue keeping her company at school." He paused for a moment before adding thoughtfully, "Then he said he would even try to go visit Chiyo at her school someday to see how she’s doing at school..."

The group continued walking away from the battlefield, the tall figure of Ryū in his imposing dark imperial attire leading the way, his red-and-gold hair catching the light as the coastal wind continued to blow gently around them.

Behind them, the SCO agents and Ken remained standing in the distance, watching the Dragon Lord and his companions disappear from view.