Tohru froze completely.
Her delicate face was full of disbelief.
Has Rayleigh lost his mind?
He was actually pinching her father's face?!
At this rate, the grass on his grave would be a meter tall by next year!
Above them, the once-clear sky darkened.
Clouds rolled in thick and heavy, boiling with fury, as though the heavens themselves needed to vent their rage.
Rayleigh's hand kept tugging at the old dragon's cheek, utterly oblivious to the danger.
The End Emperor's expression grew darker and darker, matching the storm outside.
The next moment, an overwhelming pressure exploded from his body.
Rayleigh's face turned deathly pale. Instinct took over—he jumped back to the counter in an instant.
"Human, you must apologize for your insolence."
The End Emperor raised a hand, releasing a surge of destructive energy straight toward him.
"Father, dame!"
Tohru rushed forward to stop him—
but she was too late.
Rayleigh reacted as fast as his body could move.
He crossed his arms, coating them in Armament Haki, ready to block the blow.
At that instant, a red magic circle covered in runes materialized before him.
Boom!
The barrier shattered under the blast, dispersing the energy into thin air.
Rayleigh exhaled in relief.
Across the room, Tohru, Lucoa, and the End Emperor all widened their eyes in shock.
That was Dragon Magic.
How could a human possibly use dragon magic?!
Ronn stood up slowly, voice calm but firm.
"Fighting is forbidden in my tavern."
Fortunately, the End Emperor hadn't used his full strength—he'd only intended to teach Rayleigh a lesson.
Otherwise, even with his new magic, Ronn might not have stopped the attack.
"That's your rule, not mine,"
the End Emperor said coldly as he strode toward Tohru, scarlet dragon wings spreading wide from his back.
The oppressive aura in the room spiked again.
Ronn merely shrugged.
"True. But if Tohru chooses to go with you, I won't stop her."
It was, after all, a matter between father and daughter.
As long as the old dragon didn't try to force her, Ronn had no right to interfere.
"I don't want to leave!"
Tohru stepped beside Ronn, clutching tightly at his sleeve.
The End Emperor sighed deeply.
"This is the law of worlds.
Even if this place differs from other realms, it's still fragile.
A dragon's presence will only disturb the balance."
Rayleigh's face darkened.
Who the hell are you calling weak…?
He almost rushed up to argue—
but then remembered he hadn't finished his stash of Size-Changing Pills yet.
Dying now would be a terrible waste.
He stayed put.
At that moment, Lucoa rose gracefully from her seat, smiling like a cat who already knew the outcome.
"With me here," she said lightly,
"do you really think this world's balance could be disturbed?"
"And besides, Tohru will return eventually. You don't need to worry so much.
Why not sit down and have a drink? The liquor here is excellent."
She pulled a bottle from the shelf and handed it to him.
The End Emperor frowned.
"You, a member of the Neutral Faction, meddling in such trivial matters?"
In all his long life, he'd never known Lucoa to involve herself in anything.
If she wasn't sleeping, she was watching events unfold from afar.
"This isn't trivial," Lucoa said with a sly grin, patting Ronn's shoulder.
"I'm working here now. If Tohru leaves, I'll have to actually do my job instead of slacking off."
Then she leaned close to Ronn's ear and whispered teasingly,
"If she's gone, our little five-player team will be one short. Don't you think I deserve a reward?"
Ronn replied righteously, "Looks like… light rain to the south."
Lucoa blinked, then burst into laughter so hard her chest quivered.
"Hahaha! You really are something."
Watching the two of them flirt so casually,
the End Emperor reconsidered his purpose for coming.
He had wanted to prevent Tohru from upsetting this world's balance—
to avoid drawing the attention of any Creator-level beings.
But now that he looked around, he sensed no true gods here—
only a childlike entity barely eight hundred years old at best.
And more importantly…
between Lucoa's assurance and this human's mysterious power—
a man who could wield dragon magic and pierce the barriers between worlds—
perhaps letting Tohru stay here for a while wasn't such a bad idea.
"In that case," the End Emperor said finally, retracting his wings and aura,
"let her remain here for now."
"Thank you, Father!"
Tohru's eyes sparkled with relief.
The old dragon sighed, opened the bottle, and took a deep swig.
Gulp—
The rich aroma filled the tavern.
Smooth, mellow, with a lingering aftertaste—it was far beyond anything he'd ever tasted.
"Excellent wine," he said with satisfaction.
Then his brow furrowed again.
"Since I'm in your tavern," he said gruffly,
"can you not let that cursed voice echo in my head every morning?"
It had been torture—absolute torture.
For several days straight before his arrival,
his mind had been invaded at exactly seven in the morning:
"The Multiversal Tavern invites you to visit. Will you accept?"
Even when he refused, the same voice came again the next morning at seven sharp.
He hadn't had a proper night's sleep in days.
Even his magic wards couldn't shut it out.
"It shouldn't happen again," Ronn said awkwardly, scratching his nose.
He hadn't expected the system to force-invite a guest's "confession target."
Apparently, the End Emperor had been one of them—
linked to Tohru's earlier emotional outpouring.
"Good."
The End Emperor nodded, about to take another sip—
when his eyes caught on something hanging on the wall.
A massive sword.
His pupils contracted sharply.
That sword—
wasn't it forged by the combined power of the gods?
"When I was gravely injured, struck by that blade, Ronn saved me,"
Tohru explained quickly when she noticed her father's expression.
Hearing that, the End Emperor fell silent.
But deep within his ancient eyes, faint embers of fury flickered.
"I'll go," he said at last, finishing the bottle in one breath.
"I'll visit again."
He turned and headed for the door.
"You haven't paid," Ronn said casually.
The End Emperor nearly tripped on the threshold.
Seriously?!
My daughter works here for free, and you're charging me for a drink?
I ought to burn this place down!
Tohru, sweeping the floor nearby, covered her mouth and snickered.
"This will cover it,"
the old dragon muttered, hurling several glowing gems onto the counter before vanishing from the world altogether.
Lucoa chuckled softly.
"Heh… such a doting father."
"I don't think so," Rayleigh said, frowning.
"When he heard Tohru almost died, he didn't even flinch."
"He's probably gone back to declare war on the gods,"
Ronn said quietly.
"When he heard she'd nearly died, I could see fire in his eyes.
Some fathers just don't express love with words."
Tohru smiled faintly, memories of her childhood surfacing.
Those were happy days—
days without endless battles, when her father stayed by her side.
Just then—
Ding-ling…
The tavern door creaked open again.
A pale, flawless foot stepped inside,
its ankle adorned with a delicate golden bell that chimed softly with every movement.
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