"Well… how should I put it. I suggest you wait for a while. If it still doesn't work then, we we can see whether another method is feasible. After all, this method… requires quite a big sacrifice from you."
Ryuji answered Tifa seriously. He could vaguely sense that, given Tifa's current state, if he told her outright that she would have to have a sexual relationship with him before she could go back, this girl would never accept it under any circumstances.
His instincts told him that the best approach was either to sleep with her before explaining that condition, or to see if the 7 Days to Die world will would assign him a mission during this period. Then he could ask whether the 7 Days to Die world will could send her back instead and afterward have her fight alongside him during later missions.
"And even after you go back, it won't really be over. Because you'll be dragged by a very nasty entity into other worlds to participate in missions; either to search for something called World Power or to look for world rules. The risks are very high, and there's a high chance that you'll have to complete at least one mission before you can truly go back."
Ryuji's words confused Tifa. She wasn't a highly educated girl; she'd grown up in a village. Although there had been a small school where she learned to read and write, she didn't really understand things like worlds and other such concepts.
In fact, most people in her village make a living by farming.
Calling her a country girl wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"I'll explain the details to you later. For now, just relax and stay here."
Ryuji patted Tifa on the shoulder, but the moment he touched her, he felt that something was off.
Tifa's body was very uncoordinated. Her life force was quite chaotic and through the resonance of life energy, he could tell that she had recently endured a near-fatal danger!
"I see…"
Tifa hesitated for a moment. Ryuji still hadn't really explained anything, but looking into his eyes and thinking about what she had just witnessed, she finally nodded.
"Thank you very much… I really don't know how to repay you."
Right now, she only had two paths. One was to contact the government and official authorities. Although Officer Chun-Li seemed like a good person, Tifa didn't want to trust any government or so-called official organizations.
Ryuji's side was filled with mysteries, but he was willing to take her in. He knew about her world, and although what he said sounded strange, it matched her experiences.
What did she even have that anyone would want to scheme for?
"It's nothing. We've gone through similar things, so it's only right that we look out for each other. And if you're interested later, I can tell you more…"
Ryuji casually stood up.
"Let's go, Mai. Could you help me find a room for Tifa? Also, my room should be fine, right?"
He looked at Mai as he asked.
"No problem. There are plenty of rooms in the dojo. We'll just need to buy some extra bedding. There's a mall right next door…"
Mai, not sensing any particular intention from Ryuji toward Tifa, glanced at Tifa's slightly slender figure before speaking.
"After dinner, let's take her to the supermarket. And you'll need to buy some clothes too."
"Alright."
Ryuji nodded and walked out with Mai, starting to prepare two rooms: one for Tifa and one for himself.
But just as he and Tifa were helping Mai tidy things up, a figure came running over, panting heavily. Without ceremony, she shoved the door open and leaned against the frame, staring at Ryuji.
"Hey! You! You…"
Chun-Li stood there catching her breath. She was holding a video camera and a camera, her expression complicated as she looked at Ryuji. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.
"Looks like you've confirmed it's not some kind of illusion, then?"
Ryuji smiled at Chun-Li and asked.
Chun-Li fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Her mind replayed everything that had happened during that past hour. She had first asked questions that only she and her father would know and her father had answered them flawlessly.
But she had considered that if this were her hallucination or if someone had mind-reading abilities, the same results could be fabricated. So, she had asked him for information she herself didn't know, to verify it.
For example, the phone number of a certain superior, details about someone's family situation and contact information of friends she didn't personally know.
And she verified once again that he was indeed her father.
During the process, she kept recording videos and taking photos to make sure it wasn't just her eyes playing tricks on her. She had even borrowed a passerby's polaroid camera to double-check.
Then, to make sure it wasn't collusion, she had compared her own blood with his for a DNA test. She even drew a vial of his blood herself and even called her master to check if there was anyone suspicious around her.
If her master noticed anything unusual, he would definitely come looking for her afterward.
But the result was that aside from the DNA comparison, which never had the chance to produce results, everything else matched.
Everything matched, except for a few minor details but those were within reasonable bounds. After all, people forget things.
As for the DNA results not coming out, the reason was simple: after one hour, her father's body and even the blood she had drawn, had turned into golden specks of light and disappeared.
She didn't know what to say.
But based purely on the evidence she had gathered, that had indeed been her father.
She looked at Ryuji. She knew that showing the resurrection ability wasn't simply to make her leave Tifa here. There were other intentions.
He wanted to win her over. And her father had reminded her of that during their hour together.
But… but…
"Ah, seriously… I don't even know what to say."
With trembling lips and a racing heart, Chun-Li finally spoke.
"I want to know, if I need you to act in an important situation, what price would I have to pay?"
Without beating around the bush. She looked at Ryuji and asked directly.
She had been extremely busy for the past hour. She had even taken the time to look into Hanzo Shiranui's records, as well as the couple's information, confirming that the three of them had been unquestionably dead.
And now they were alive and unlike her father, they didn't carry that urgency of someone with only one hour left. Clearly, their remaining lifespan was much longer.
If that was the case… then she needed to know...
What exactly was the price?
"If that's all, then when the time comes, you just need to participate in the King of Fighters tournament with me. After all, it's not easy to find teammates with real strength."
~~~~~~~~~~
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