Chapter 599: No Longer

Ryu's eyes shot open, his heart beating erratically. He almost instantly realized that his head was resting on someone's lap. But, when his vision cleared and he saw who it was, his stomach dropped. 

His body rose like a shot out of a canon, his arms wrapping around the figure with almost too much strength. If not for the strength of the individual, they might have been torn directly in two by his grip. 

"Hoho, dear. Haven't you grown too much to still be acting so spoiled, Little Ryu?"

Ryu's grip tightened, his jaw clenching so hard that even his own teeth began to crack, on the verge of shattering completely. 

Ryu hardly registered the world of white around him, all he could sense and feel was the woman in his arms right now. Compared to the last time he had seen her, she seemed to have aged considerably. From a city toppling beauty, the wear of age had left its mark on her.