KAMUI DIMENSION
"Anyway, this is your room, Riser-sama." Merlin stopped in front of the door, keeping a neutral tone as she presented the space without hesitation.
Riser didn't respond right away.
His gaze remained fixed on the structure ahead, evaluating it without hurry before giving any reaction.
'Bigger than necessary… but efficient.'
"Was it your idea?" He spoke simply, without taking his eyes off the door.
"Yes." Merlin kept her tone steady. "I followed the functional pattern you usually prefer."
HNMPH.
"It was Merlin, dear." Hancock crossed her arms slightly, not hiding her dissatisfaction. "She wouldn't even let me see it… much less give my opinion about our room."
Merlin answered before Riser could speak.
"I already explained that to you." Her tone remained calm, but firm. "Your room is in the main wing, in front of mine. This space is exclusive to Riser."
Hancock took a short step forward, bringing her presence closer.
"My room is the same as my husband's." She spoke directly, holding her gaze. "There's no such thing as separating us."
Riser turned his face toward her.
"It doesn't make any difference." He kept his tone simple, without weight. "A room is just space."
Hancock didn't back down.
"It does make a difference." She held his gaze, stepping half a step forward. "I won't accept being separated from you because of organization."
Merlin didn't change her posture.
"It's not organization." She replied directly. "It's functionality."
Riser didn't enter the conflict.
He simply reached for the doorknob and opened the door.
The movement ended the discussion without needing more words.
The three entered.
Riser saw a luxury room with a giant bed in the center, enough to understand the space without needing to analyze beyond what was necessary. His gaze passed over it directly, registering the size and usefulness without showing greater interest.
"See? Look at the size of this bed, how is my dear supposed to sleep here without me?" Hancock took a step forward, already pointing directly at the main point.
"The bed is large precisely for that." Merlin answered without changing her tone. "For you or me to sleep here."
Hancock stopped.
Her expression changed instantly, her gaze leaving the bed and returning to Merlin as if trying to understand what she had just heard. Her reasoning stalled for a second, and her posture lost its initial firmness.
"You… what?" She tilted her head slightly, clearly confused. "You're saying that…"
Merlin kept her gaze on her.
"That there is no restriction." She answered directly. "I said it's Riser-sama's room, but that doesn't prevent its use."
Hancock blinked once.
The internal conflict was visible, trying to fit her own position with the logic Merlin had presented. The resistance was still there, but now without a clear direction.
"That doesn't make sense…" She murmured softly, more to herself than to either of them.
Riser brought a hand to his face and let out a brief breath.
Hnff.
The sound came out dry, without interfering in the situation, but making it clear that it wasn't something he intended to explore further.
Merlin continued.
"I said it's Riser-sama's room." She kept her tone calm. "But you can sleep here as much as you want… when he wants."
Hancock remained silent for a moment.
Her gaze slowly returned to the bed, then to Riser, and then to Merlin again. Her reasoning finally aligned, and the change came clearly in her expression.
"So…" She took a small step forward, now lighter. "Then there's no problem."
Merlin didn't answer.
Hancock smiled.
"Then it's settled." She crossed her arms slightly, now satisfied. "I'm staying here."
"Great… now that you've both decided about my room, let's get to what matters most." Riser spoke directly, already moving toward the bed without leaving room for more discussion.
He lay down without hesitation, taking the center as if that were the natural point, and didn't waste time looking to the sides.
The two understood.
Hancock was the first to move, lying down on one side without hiding her satisfaction. Merlin came right after, taking the other side without changing her behavior, maintaining a controlled posture even in that situation.
Riser began to speak.
He explained the world directly, without going into unnecessary detail, giving only enough to bring the two of them in line with the current situation. Neither of them interrupted, only absorbing the information while the scene settled into that new rhythm.
Time passed.
___
"A simple cleaning spell and the Uchiha district will be as good as new." Merlin spoke without hesitation, keeping her gaze ahead while already mentally organizing the process.
"I'm counting on you for that." Riser answered directly, without needing to reinforce anything more.
"I used to be a pirate… now I'll be a ninja." Hancock spoke excitedly, slightly turning her face toward him. "That fits better than I expected."
"Yes… but I still don't want to show either of you to the public." Riser kept his tone steady. "I need to take advantage of this."
"Of course, dear… however you want." Hancock answered without resistance, accepting the decision instantly.
Merlin didn't lose focus.
"When do you intend to return to the village?" She asked, keeping a neutral tone.
Riser remained silent for a moment.
'It should already be night there… maybe something interesting happened… or maybe not. Tomorrow I'll think about it.'
The two stayed silent, waiting.
The expectation wasn't hidden.
He simply closed his eyes slightly, maintaining a relaxed posture as if he had already made the decision before even being pressed.
"I'm staying here." He spoke simply, without opening his eyes. "Today it's not worth going back."
Hancock didn't hide her reaction.
"Then even better." She moved a little closer, adjusting her position without hesitation. "That way you don't have to leave here."
Merlin just gave a slight nod.
"Understood." She kept her tone neutral, without questioning the decision. "Then I'll start organizing the district tomorrow."
Riser didn't open his eyes.
"Do that." He answered directly, without changing his tone. "I want that ready as soon as possible."
Hancock slightly turned her face toward him.
"So after that… are we going out?" She asked, keeping her interest clear.
"After that, maybe." Riser answered simply. "Depends on what I find."
Merlin didn't lose focus.
"Then tomorrow you return to the village." She spoke directly, already aligning the sequence. "And assess the situation before acting."
Riser didn't answer immediately.
"Yes." He confirmed without opening his eyes.
Hancock didn't wait any longer.
She turned her body completely, positioning herself on top of him without hesitation, bringing her face closer naturally, as if that were the only possible choice at that moment.
"Then there's no reason to wait." She spoke softly, keeping her gaze fixed on him. "You already decided to stay."
Merlin didn't react.
She only watched for a moment, already understanding the direction of the situation, without showing real discomfort at it.
Riser opened his eyes.
His gaze went directly to Hancock, but it didn't remain only on her.
He raised one hand and lightly pulled Merlin by the arm, bringing her closer, reducing the distance between the three without asking permission.
Merlin didn't resist.
She simply adjusted her position naturally, accepting the action without question.
Hancock froze.
Her gaze changed in the same instant, dropping to the movement before returning to his face.
"Riser…" Her tone came out lower, with a slight pout forming before she even noticed.
Riser kept his gaze on her.
"Things have changed." He spoke simply, without detour. "And I'm not going to limit that."
Hancock didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze stayed fixed on him, trying to understand how far that went.
"You're saying that…" She didn't finish.
"I'm saying that you're not the only one." Riser finished directly, without changing his tone.
Silence came.
But it didn't break the connection.
Hancock looked away for a second, the pout becoming more evident, the reaction more instinctive than rational.
"That…" She breathed lightly. "That's not fair."
Riser didn't change his expression.
"It's not about fairness." He answered directly. "It's about how I do things."
Merlin remained silent, watching without interfering, only registering the dynamic that was forming.
Hancock stayed quiet for a moment.
Her gaze slowly returned to him, and even with the dissatisfaction clear, there was no real retreat in her posture.
"…I don't like that." She spoke softly.
Riser didn't answer.
Hancock closed her eyes slightly for a second, as if reorganizing her own thoughts before continuing.
"But…" She opened her eyes again, firm. "If it's you… then I accept it."
The pout disappeared.
But not the attachment.
She moved closer once again, reducing the distance without hesitation, as if reaffirming her own decision.
"But don't expect me to make it easy." She added, now looking directly at Merlin. "I'm not going to lose space."
Merlin didn't back down.
"It's not a competition." She answered simply.
Hancock smiled slightly.
"For me it is."
Riser didn't interfere.
He simply closed his eyes again, maintaining his position as if that resolution was already enough.
The dynamic was defined.
And neither of them left.
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