[MashUp] Ch 32: Am I Amazing or what?

— — — — — — 

In the corner of the parking lot.

Takuma leaned casually against a car, sizing up the blonde girl standing in front of him.

"Tohru. I can take you in."

"But in my house, we play by my rules."

"Mm-hm! No problem!"

Tohru nodded like a bobblehead, golden eyes sparkling with anticipation, terrified he might change his mind.

He raised a finger, like he was lecturing a mischievous husky.

"Rule one: when we're outside, you keep your horns and tail hidden."

"I don't feel like explaining to people why I'm walking a mythical creature down the street."

"Rule two: you follow my lead. Always."

He suddenly leaned in close, an evil grin tugging at his lips, lowering his voice.

"For example, if I say we're having dragon hotpot tonight…"

"…then you wash yourself nice and clean, hop into the pot with a smile, got it?"

Tohru's cheeks flushed at the warmth of his breath, but she still nodded hard, those golden eyes brimming with blind trust.

"I understand, Takuma!"

Tohru clenched her face red with effort. The four horns on her head vanished with a whoosh.

But her thick green tail? Didn't budge.

Instead, under the tension, it lashed out with a loud crack!

A Porsche parked nearby instantly crumpled into scrap metal.

The car alarm shattered the quiet of the lot.

"…"

Takuma's grin froze.

In his mind, that shiny black card sprouted wings and flapped away.

The very next second—

Without sparing the wreck a glance, he walked away fast.

So fast it looked like he was fleeing a crime scene.

Tohru just blinked, puzzled.

"Takuma, why are you running?"

Running?

If he didn't run, the five million yen he'd barely gotten his hands on would flip into a mountain of debt that would crush him for life

And as an undocumented "transmigrant," if he landed in jail, it'd all be over.

---

Yokohama shopping district.

The two of them moved like fugitives, dodging every camera.

Priority one: deal with Tohru's ridiculously noticeable appearance.

"Hey."

Takuma stopped, pointing at the tail swishing behind her.

"Your 'Perception Blocking' barrier still works, right?"

"If you can't hide the tail, that's our only option."

"Ohhh!"

Tohru's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly. An invisible ripple spread out from her.

Passersby glanced her way… and immediately saw nothing. Just air.

Takuma gave a small nod, almost fooled into thinking the crisis was solved.

But he'd forgotten one crucial thing.

Perception could be tricked.

Physics could not.

...

Strolling down the busy street, Tohru acted like a kid on her first trip to the city—eyes darting everywhere, drinking in the human world with unrestrained dragon curiosity.

Suddenly, she stopped.

"Takuma, I'm thirsty."

"There's a vending machine over there," Takuma said absently.

"Vending… machine? What's that? Something you can eat?"

Her confusion lasted all of two seconds before her eyes landed on a red, sturdy-looking iron pipe on the sidewalk.

A fire hydrant.

To Tohru, it looked exactly like a public water dispenser.

Before Takuma could react, she lifted her long leg and gave it a gentle kick.

BOOM!

The hydrant exploded.

A geyser shot skyward, drenching everyone in a thirty-meter radius.

Screams, honking horns, chaos everywhere.

Onlookers stared in horror.

The hydrant… just blew itself up?!

Takuma slapped a hand over his face.

In the uproar, he grabbed the dumb dragon—who was about to stick her mouth over the spray—and bolted.

Half an hour in. Another crime.

They ducked into a side street.

"Are you insane?! That was a fire hydrant! You can't just kick those!"

"Why not?"

Tohru tilted her head innocently.

"It looked sturdy, full of water… perfect as a public supply, wasn't it?"

"…"

Takuma felt like he was arguing with an alien species.

Before he could launch into another lecture, Tohru stopped again, this time outside a bakery.

She pressed her nose to the glass, golden eyes glittering.

"Takuma, this smells so good! I want it!"

"Then buy it!"

His patience was fraying fast.

"Buy? Why buy?"

Tohru looked completely serious.

"I am the mighty Chaos Dragon!"

"Allowing mortals the honor of me tasting their food is the highest glory they could ask for!"

And before Takuma's horrified eyes, she tapped a finger against the tempered glass display.

CRASH!

The entire window shattered.

Tohru daintily plucked out a croissant, took a satisfied bite, and chewed with delight.

Inside, alarms blared.

Takuma yanked her away before the baker could rush out.

...

"TOHRU!!!"

Finally, in an empty alley, he broke down.

"Keep this up and I'm dragging you back to the damn mountain!"

"Why?!" Tohru mumbled around a mouthful of bread, looking genuinely wronged.

"They should be grateful! Feeding a dragon? That's bragging rights for life!"

Then, as if remembering something, she broke her croissant in half and offered it to him.

"Here, Takuma. Don't be mad, okay?"

Takuma stared at the slobbered bread. His will to argue drained away completely.

Forget it.

Education was impossible.

Priority now: buy her some normal clothes, lock her up at home, and never let her outside again.

Dragging her along, he stepped into a large clothing mall.

But of course, Tohru stopped dead again.

This time in front of a maid café.

Inside, girls in frilly black-and-white uniforms bowed, smiled, and set down plates for customers who beamed like they were in heaven.

Tohru's eyes sparkled.

She tugged on his sleeve, pointing inside with grave seriousness.

"Takuma, I've observed something!"

"Wearing that special uniform seems to efficiently provide the creatures called 'Masters' with a strong positive emotion called 'happiness'!"

A vein throbbed on Takuma's forehead.

"That's a maid outfit. It's… cosplay."

"Cosplay?" Tohru tilted her head, then nodded hard, drawing her own conclusion.

"I understand! I'll cosplay too!"

"Because! This is the ultimate ritual of service that makes people happy!"

"Takuma, I want to wear that. Now!"

Her tone was stubborn, unwavering. "I want to be… the maid who makes you happiest!"

Takuma: "…"

He surrendered all thought.

…

Fifteen minutes later, in a dressing room mirror, Tohru admired herself curiously.

A classic black-and-white maid uniform hugged her voluptuous frame. White tights, lace gloves, neat brown shoes.

Takuma leaned against the doorframe, watching her preen. He asked casually, "Size fits?"

"Perfect!" Tohru puffed her chest proudly.

"Of course it fits. 'Dragon' starts with D, so my bust size must be D too!"

Takuma checked her, and then his gaze dropped.

Wait a damn sec. 

"Hold on," he cut in. "There's a problem with that outfit."

Tohru tensed, spinning toward him.

"A p-problem? Is it ugly?!"

Instead of answering, Takuma pointed behind her.

Right where her tail should be.

"…How exactly did you get those tights on?"

Tohru had a dragon tail, so how could she possibly wear tight clothing like tights that normally cover the waist and hips?

"Oh, that?" Tohru relaxed immediately.

Her face lit with admiration, as if praising his perceptiveness.

"Takuma, you really think of everything!"

She twisted her waist proudly, showing off her curves.

"I used a little dragon magic. Opened a neat little hole in the back so my tail slips through freely!"

"No matter how high the waist goes, no problem! Surprisingly comfy too. Human clothes have their perks~"

Her tone dripped with pride.

Takuma wasn't sure what she meant, so he held his tongue. Experience told him she'd keep talking anyway.

Then Tohru's cheeks suddenly turned red.

She shuffled closer, glancing away shyly, voice barely a whisper. "Ta… Takuma…"

"Do you… want to take a look?"

"I made the hole really smooth and round. It won't snag the fabric, I promise!"

Seeing him silent, she panicked, puffed up her chest again, and blurted loudly: "And that's not all! My magic can do precise work too!"

"The hydrant, the window, even that car I kinda smashed earlier—"

She ticked them off proudly on her fingers. "Say the word, and I can fix them all good as new!"

Hands on her hips, tail swishing sky-high, she beamed.

"Well? Takuma? Am I amazing or what?!"

"..."

Takuma's face froze.

Memories flashed—dragging her through streets, dodging cameras, heart pounding, chaos trailing behind. He was kinda criminal now.

And over it all, her voice echoed like a broken record: "Am I amazing or what?!"

His blood pressure spiked.

He opened his eyes, staring blankly at this smug disaster of a dragon.

Decision made.

First thing at home: enroll her in a crash course on basic human common sense.

Preferably military-style. Anything that would make her suffer.

"Let's go. I'm taking you somewhere."

He dragged her out, bags in hand, sighing.

"Because of you, I haven't even gone to work today."

Tohru tilted her head, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Takuma, what's 'work'? Some kind of powerful ritual? Or a pledge of territory?"

"Work is…"

Takuma stumbled, trying to phrase it in dragon terms.

"It's dealing with troublemakers. Making sure they behave and don't cause me problems."

He was thinking of the lazy idiots at the amusement park.

Tohru heard something entirely different.

Her eyes lit up like she'd found her life's calling.

A terrifying aura of giddy destruction radiated from her.

"I get it!"

She clenched her fists, grinning brightly.

"Work means crushing every insolent fool who dares defy you into dust, right?!"

She leaned in close, lowering her voice eagerly. "Takuma, how do you want them to die? Burned to ash? Torn to pieces? Or…"

Her smile turned sweetly terrifying.

"…should I just kill them all and swallow them whole?"

Cold sweat drenched Takuma's back.

"Shut up!"

He clamped a hand over her mouth, dragging her like a sack of potatoes.

"From now on, until I teach you properly, don't say the word 'work' ever again! Not once!"

Flagging down a cab, he barked, "Driver, to Amagi Brilliant Park."

.

.

.