Ryu didn't have any words of comfort for Melody, he could only listen to her words and watch her silently leave. He himself didn't truly understand Fate, so what was the point in responding with empty platitudes? There was none…
Over the next few days, under Ailsa's orders, Ryu did nothing but rest. In truth, he was shocked by his own level of fatigue. He slept for almost three days the first time he closed his eyes and awoke to find Ailsa in her full, more than six-foot-tall form massaging him.
Ryu had never felt more comfortable in his life, and that was including his life on the Shrine Plane. It was as though years of hidden hardships were being pulled from his body as her soft hands glided across his toned back.
'This is my Cultus Clan's Core Martial Art.' Ailsa suddenly spoke into Ryu's mind, noticing that he had awoken. 'Though our healing abilities are severely lacking in comparison to Ficia Sprites in battle or other practical situations, we aren't much inferior to them in calm situations such as this one.'
Ryu could sense that there was still a barrier between Ailsa's words and her thoughts, but there was nothing he could do about his own inner feelings. He couldn't accept Ailsa like he accepted Elena just because she wanted him to.
'I can't stay in my true form for very long, at most about ten minutes a day. I also don't have enough strength to complete the full Martial Art, but it should be enough for your current cultivation.'
A Martial Art was a technique that relied on nothing else but the natural abilities of the body. Theoretically, even a mortal who had never cultivated a day in their life could execute a Martial Art. But, obviously, it wasn't that simple or else Ailsa's strength wouldn't limit her ability to complete one.
Ryu's Martial Forms fell under this category. Obviously, only those with the appropriate blood could perform Ryu's inherited Martial Forms. In the same way, the Martial Art of the Cultus Faeries could only be performed by Cultus Faeries.
'You're quite lucky.' Ailsa said softly. 'I couldn't find you in your past life, so I suddenly gained nine cycles of a hundred million years of extra experience I wouldn't have had. My [Cultus Martial Art] is far more refined than it had been in the past… I don't believe any Ficia Faerie can outdo me in healing you now.'
The more Ailsa spoke, the more uncomfortable Ryu became. It was as though she was marketing herself.
Ryu closed his eyes, a deep sigh reverberating from the depths of his soul.
'As long as you let me massage you like this everyday, no matter how hard your training is, you'll wake up feeling fresh for the next r –.'
Suddenly, Ryu abruptly pushed himself up, startling Ailsa. The towel that had covered his decency fell, but Ryu hardly cared. He assumed that Ailsa had already seen it all anyway since she was the only one who could have undressed him.
Ailsa shrunk back a step, but Ryu's hands had already grabbed her shoulders. He scanned her ruby red eyes.
Even in her slight surprise and panic, Ailsa was truly one of the most beautiful women Ryu had ever seen. Everything from the small slope of her nose to her full pink lips could make a man's heart palpitate, but this wasn't what Ryu was paying attention to now. He wanted to understand. He wanted to know what had changed since the last time they spoke. What happened to the unflappable Ailsa? Why was she acting like this?
Ailsa bit her bottom lip. They were so soft that even the faintest pressure left a line of red.
'I feel that I've been too harsh on you.' Ailsa replied without Ryu having to speak. 'It's too much for me to expect someone who has only known one world to comprehend the worlds of everyone else.
'This is why Cultus Faeries and their Life Partners are paired from birth, so that they can grow together. But I expected a level of maturity from you that you have every right to not have yet. This is my mistake.'
Ryu's grip on Ailsa's shoulders tightened. It wasn't to an unbearable degree, but it was definitely enough to make her feel slightly uncomfortable. Her body was too weak outside the Faerie World.
"No." Ryu spoke. "I want you to continue pushing me in that way, you have nothing to apologize for."
Ryu's grip loosened slightly. "You've never spoken a word of falsehood, everything you said is correct. Even if I couldn't accept them immediately, it doesn't mean I can't see this… I don't have the time to slowly mature. To become the man I want to be… I need you Ailsa."
Ailsa trembled slightly.
Ryu smiled. It wasn't his normal smile that sent shivers down the spines of those who met it, but a genuine smile. He found that there was a deep revulsion within the depths of his heart whenever he tried to push Ailsa away. He knew that he was too inflexible. Who said that Ailsa needed to be his woman for them to have a close relationship?
"You know," Ryu said lightly, "I once had a big sister who was a half Faerie. I'm not sure whether she's alive anymore or not, and I'm not saying I want you to replace her, but…"
Ailsa grinned wildly, the lost spark in her ruby eyes suddenly blazing to life once more. Her smile was so dazzling that Ryu felt his heart skip a beat.
'You better call me Big Sis from now on, I won't respond to any other form of address!'
Ryu's soul stirred. He suddenly felt that his connection with Ailsa had deepened considerably.
'Good.' Ailsa's small hands clasped Ryu's cheeks. 'I can see a path forward now! Listen to Big Sis well, she'll guide you to the promised land.'
Ryu shook his head as Ailsa seemed to lose herself in her own little world.
'First, we'll have to prepare your body. That is the easiest and most straight forward thing to do. The Mental and Qi Realms require finesse, but for the Body Realm, as long as you're willing to endure pain, you can always move forward. But, we've been doing it inappropriately until now. You have to remember that just like different qi can have affinities, blood can as well. You should be taking Spiritual Roots from beasts that share affinities with your blood, or else you're just wasting too many resources in the conversion. We need to start hunting ice, fire and lightning beasts!
'Second, is your Mental Realm. This is the weakest of your three Realms, but it's incredibly important for the path you want to take. Don't worry, Big Sis will definitely bully those Zu Ancestors into submission!'