(Titus's (Ferdiad's) POV)
Five years had passed.
I burst into Scathach's room, finding her engrossed in drawing comics. What used to be a simple space with just a sofa set and a bookshelf had transformed into a modern room, reminiscent of an artist's den, devoid of technology except for the lighting.
"Shishou!" I exclaimed, catching her attention. She turned, surprised by my sudden entrance. "Titus? Is that really you? What's with this beard? And have you gained weight over the past few months?"
Having been confined to my room for almost half a year, I hadn't been cultivating in seclusion or anything. As for my appearance, I couldn't see myself, but I had indeed grown a beard and developed a belly. There was also a lingering smell, something akin to, well, not the most pleasant scent.
Yet, none of that bothered me. The reason for my rush to her room slipped my mind as soon as I laid eyes on her. All I could see was my beautiful wife in tight jeans and a short white t-shirt.
"What the..." Scathach questioned in surprise as I swept her up with one arm, pulling her close and sealing her lips. She displayed a helpless smile but then closed her eyes as we became entwined in a passionate kiss.
Noise of slurping echoed in the room. My right arm fondled her breasts while by other hand slipped inside her pant, playing with her thighs and holes.
As usual she didn't moan or showed any kind of resistance even though I was dirty and smelled shit. Instead she held on to me gently while I enjoyed the sensation of her perfect body.
However, I started to get heated when Scathach started to dominate.
But it was when I remembered something and abruptly ended the kiss.
"Phua!" I gasped, pulling back to catch my breath. Reluctantly, I had to admit she was far superior in the kissing department.
Scathach chuckled, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Already admitting defeat?" Her teasing tone held a hint of amusement. "Although it would've been wise to wash up first. Any other girl in my place would've faltered from that stretch and perished."
"That's not why I was here!" I exclaimed, cutting off any questions from Scathach. Before she could inquire further, I took her hands, and in an instant, we vanished from the room.
Suddenly, we found ourselves outside, standing before a cubic-shaped structure. It appeared as a closed white-bricked room with a solitary entrance. "What is this?" Scathach questioned, her expression filled with confusion as she approached and touched the wall of the room.
"It's a fail-safe plan I've been constructing for the past five years!" I grinned proudly. Without delay, I swung the door open and gestured for Scathach to enter. "Come in."
She nodded and stepped inside, finding herself in a simple yet spacious area. It resembled an ordinary house, complete with a bed, seating arrangements, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The lighting was efficient, leaving no dark corners.
"This place looks... normal," Scathach remarked, surveying the room.
"Exactly! Its entire purpose is to be normal!" I declared dramatically, striking a few poses.
"Okay, I appreciate the Lord Dio poses, but what's with the theatrics, Titus?" Scathach inquired.
"Call me Super Genius, the one-in-a-million-years prodigy, Lord Titus Dusklock! Hahaha!" I laughed, attempting to flip my hair, which stubbornly refused to budge. I guess my hair was just too sticky.
Scathach narrowed her eyes skeptically.
Realizing my misstep, I coughed and swiftly produced a new volume of Jojo. "Since you've already read all the volumes of Jojo, why not relax here and read this spin-off? It's called Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan."
"How dare you hide this from me all this time?" Scathach's glare was piercing, emanating a palpable aura of anger.
I yelped, feeling the weight of her sheer fury.
"Okay, enjoy reading it!" I hastily tossed the book toward Scathach and bolted outside, slamming the door shut behind me.
I was pretty sure that she would be surprised later on.
----
(3rd Person's POV)
Scathach sighed, though a faint smile graced her lips.
Seeing Titus with his long, unkempt beard and disheveled appearance had irked her a bit. To add to that, it seemed he had gained some weight, making him look more like a beggar in his forties than a 25-year-old. Despite her slight disappointment, Scathach couldn't bring herself to truly be upset. After all, Titus wasn't just a student; he was her husband, and she desired nothing but the best for him.
Over the last five years, Titus had dedicated himself to learning magecraft and earnestly training with her. Despite his somewhat messy exterior, Scathach couldn't fault him. In fact, she marveled at how he managed to keep up with her bizarre shenanigans.
When Titus requested some time off to focus on something important, Scathach, despite her concerns for his well-being, granted him the leave.
During his absence, an unusual feeling crept over her—boredom. It had been a while since she'd felt such a yearning for someone's presence.
Now that Titus was back, alive and well, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and gladness to see him again.
"Let's read it here," Scathach murmured, settling onto the sofa and immersing herself in the book. Over the past five years, she had devoured almost all the Jojo volumes in Titus's collection. Despite not knowing Japanese initially, she had learned it from him. Having read every volume, she decided to craft her own fanfics based on the art. And, of course, Titus was there to provide ink and paper.
Although other comics were there in Titus's inventory, she opted to save them for later. For the next 20 minutes, Scathach delved into the comic, relishing the story until the room's door swung open.
"Hmm? You've already washed up? Wait..." Scathach began, noticing Titus's clean-shaven face and groomed hair. Initially thinking he used magic to achieve the cleanliness, her attention shifted to his lean physique. "How did you lose weight? Magecraft?"
Scathach held disdain for body modifications, staunchly believing in shaping one's physique through pure training. She questioned if Titus had resorted to any spells to shed weight, though she found it unlikely given his earnest nature and his respect for Scathach's teachings.
Perplexed about Titus's sudden transformation, she couldn't believe he achieved it solely through training. Unless he had been cosplaying someone before, she couldn't fathom his weight loss through sheer exercise.
"Nope!" Titus grinned, his eyes sparkling. "I exercised for the whole month to get in shape."
Scathach widened her eyes, taken aback by Titus's revelation. The next words he spoke added another layer to the mystery.
"You see, time flows slowly in this room compared to the outside. So, this is a special room. I call it..." Titus tapped his chin thoughtfully before smirking, "How about the Reverse Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
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Bonus chapter in few moments.