(A/N: Hi again! Hope your day is going great, and I send platonic hugs (or just polite handshakes) to those that aren't having such a good day D: Maybe this update will brighten up your spirits a bit!!
At the speed I'm going at, you can probably expect monthly updates from now on. I will post an announcement the day before I publish a chapter. Chapter 50 is an important one, but I have a good idea as to what I have to write, so expect that soon.
Thanks for sticking around! <3
-AJ)
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~Previously~
Bounding through the hallways, I could hear every beat of my heart and feel my shoes bang against the floor with each step. I was hyper aware of everything going on around me, and at first I assumed it was just because of the adrenaline, but then I grew cautious.
I turned around. Nothing.
Catching my breath quickly, I hurried on and decided to not look back. I couldn't afford a detour-my only goal was to get to that bathroom and get that Onigiri.
But I can't believe I was foolish enough to miss the two pairs of eyes that followed my every move.
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"She was a wild, wicked slip of a girl. She burned too bright for this world."
-Emily Brontë
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|Reader's POV|
If you walked in on a person shoving rice balls into their pockets in a bathroom, wouldn't you be concerned?
That was the only thing my dumbass, anxious brain was worrying about. What if someone walked in on me?
'Well that isn't even possible. All the nations are recovering in a room far away from me.' Acknowledging the weight on my waist when I stood up, I grabbed my sword and adjusted my belt so its bulging pockets wouldn't obstruct my movements. 'America and Canada are counting on me, gosh darn it. I've got more important things to worry about. What's wrong with me?'
I spun around and began running. Time slowed. Wind rushed past my cheeks, then suddenly stopped. My feet felt nothing but air. As I tipped backwards toward the ground, the man towering in front of me grew more enormous. His broad shoulders and tall, well-built figure loomed over me. The last thing I could catch was his light pink eyes, which were peeking out from under the black field cap over his head.
The back of my head was numb. I assumed I knew the reason why chills were creeping along my arms, but I was incorrect. Sure, the bathroom tiles were alarmingly frigid, but his steel, murderous glare made my entire body shiver.
Scratch that. Someone really did walk in on me-and it just so happened to be a huge, beefy murderer.
As he slowly formed a grin, his face scrunched up and the scar along his cheek followed the movements of his wrinkles. Before I could even have a second to process what was going on, his knees buckled and he raised his arm.
Tucking my arms under my body, I rolled to the side. My muscles finally sensed the danger when his fist collided with the floor. Shards from the tiles jolted into the air. The reverberating crash shook me to the core. I picked myself off the ground and settled into a crouching pose with my palms pressed against the ground.
In the middle of catching my breath, I got it taken away again. My head snapped downwards as I narrowly dodged the sharp edge of a sword. No, I realized when I looked up once more.
Red eyes stared back at me. It was a katana.
Leaping into a standing position, my feet skidded and zipped along the bathroom tiles. Dodging my opponent's precise stabs and slashes was difficult enough. Feeling the rhythm of his attacks, I pushed back and parried. Our swords clashed together as if they were engaged in a dangerous dance-one misstep and the balance would be thrown off.
"Man, all I came here to do was take a piss, and I honestly feel so attacked right now." I tried to make conversation, but he was having none of it. How boring.
I barely kept up with him. I was currently exerting all my energy into not getting sliced in half, but I was still interested in the peculiar look of my opponent. Other than the vibrant color of his eyes, he was dressed in the exact same way as Japan, only in black.
'A 2p for sure.' I concluded. He fit Luciano's description well-they have an unusual eye color, violent intent, and the look of their 1p counterpart if they were either a murderer or part of a gang. Being reminded of Luciano, I attempted to talk to him.
'...Vargas? I'm in a bit of trouble. If you're still recharging and you don't have enough energy, it's okay. Stay there. I'll be back soon to visit you. I just need to-'
A sudden thud. There was a swelling of heat on my face, so much that it felt as if my cheek were burning. Gripping my chin in pain, I caught my balance and forced myself to remain standing. It had slipped my mind that I was outnumbered.
I began to slowly move my jaw to make sure that my teeth were still intact. My lungs heaved in air, and wheezed out shaky breaths. Out of nowhere, the katana's blade was dangerously near my face again. My arm instinctively reached out and I was able to catch his sword in mine. I gritted my teeth, struggling to beat him in strength.
Then the punches returned. Hastily pulling my sword away to dodge, the force of his katana lunged forward and cut my thigh. Fire sunk into my skin and its flames pierced my wounds. Their merciless didn't slow. I stuck to dodging until I suddenly couldn't anymore.
A kick to my stomach and black dots clouded my vision. I coughed out a little something more than just spit. I was cornered.
'Maybe...maybe I won't get to visit...after all...
I'm sorry.'
A loud, booming crack.
The faint sound of a swishing knife, followed by the thud of two bodies collapsing to the floor. Then it was the clicking of boots and his face in front of mine.
"At least be considerate and say sorry to me in person, will you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Despite every ache in my body, I reached over and lightly punched him in the arm. "I would never apologize to you."
Luciano smiled softly and I thought everything was fine until, before I could pull back, he held my hand. "Well, I apologize. Sincerely."
His fingers were cold to the touch. I met his gaze and inspected his eyes for some kind of lie or hint of sarcasm, but there really was only truth.
"It's alright." I whispered, noticing that my voice was failing me. "I forgive you. It wasn't your fault."
"I know that. Yet why do I still feel this guilt in my chest, (Name)?" He was choking up, confusion and rage being set aflame in his magenta orbs. Luciano slammed his hand against the wall, right above my shoulder. "Why?! This isn't me! I could take advantage of you at times like these, but I choose not to. Every. Damn. Time. Wh...Why is that?"
I refused to flinch. I took a deep breath and replied, "Because, no matter how hard you try to deny it, you care for me, Luciano."
A flicker of vulnerability in his expression. Seconds passed by. All of a sudden, he started to chuckle. Quietly at first.
He slid his palm off of the wall and shook his head. Surprisingly, instead of hiding it, he let that emotion spread across his facial features; his cheeks became rosy red and a laugh belted from his throat.
"Hmm, is that so? I suppose you're right."
Because it hurt to laugh, I responded with a small smile. "You don't scare me anymore, you know. Now be a dear and pass me a band-aid from me bag."
"Yes, ma'am."
Too tired to move, I let him rest our clasped hands on his lap. He grabbed the first aid kit from my bag with his free hand and got to work. The coolness of his hand served as a distraction from the pain while he opened the box and searched for a bandage. Trying to forget about how hard it was to breathe, I stared at his hand, which laid on top of mine. I noted how, twice if I counted correctly, his knuckles flexed when he gently caressed my hand.
Luciano applied a band-aid to my cheek, then grabbed a roll of gauze. He proceeded to unfurl the roll and rip off a part of it with his teeth. I was in the process of eating an Onigiri and, honestly, I was looking at him for longer than I should've.
"Now, I understand if you don't want to let go, but I need both hands to wrap it around your leg." He said with a smug smirk.
"Yeah, that won't be a problem." I deadpanned, tugging my hand from his lap and resting it on the ground. I lifted my leg and he started to wrap the gauze around the cut on my thigh.
"Says the girl who was staring at me."
Damn, you don't just say that and expect me not to choke on my rice ball! I quickly finished eating and I gave him a dramatic gasp, looking at him incredulously. "I was not."
At that exact moment, he tightened the bandage so I couldn't argue back. "Yes, you were, don't deny it. I may care for you, but you can't resist my charm~" Luciano arched his eyebrow, stood up and offered his arm.
"Oh save me the egotistic talk about how all 'high and mighty' you are." I rolled my eyes and grabbed hold of his upper arm to pull myself up. "What are we going to do with them?" I gestured to the Germany and Japan lookalikes.
"I wish I could just leave these two idiots like this, but I can't." Luciano sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll take care of them. I'll let them introduce themselves to you when they awaken. And yes, if you haven't figured it out already, they are 2ps."
I unhooked my arm from his and steadied myself on my own. "Good to know. By the way, while I was fighting, I couldn't talk to you. What happened to our...telepathic...uh-"
"Connection?" He provided. "I believe that it was interrupted by the Oni. How, I have no idea, but I just have...a gut feeling. For now, however, that's not the least of your worries."
He nodded solemnly. "You have a job to do. Go ahead."
"No need to tell me twice." I went to the door and looked behind my shoulder, beaming at him. "Thank you, Luci."
He crossed his arms and glanced at me. "Wh-Whatever..."
"I'll see you soon." A wave, a smile and I was off, running down the hallway.
---
Luciano was alone. Until he wasn't.
"YoU cAn'T KeEp HeR iN tHe DaRk FoReVeR."
"Maybe...maybe I can't..." He whipped around, a flurry of anger as he stormed towards the voice, haunting and maddening.
"But I'm sure as hell that I'm never going to let you lay a hand on her."
He swiped a hand at the darkness, which contorted and disappeared to the opposite wall of the room.
"ThAt'S aDoRaBLE, ReALLY. BuT iT WoN'T LaSt. YoU dOn'T StAnD A cHAnCe.
AnD i DoN'T mEaN AgAiNsT mYsELF."
"...I know."
"pLeAsANT ChAt. FaReWeLL."
"Go to hell."
"gLaDLY. oH, AnD dOn'T Be ShoCkEd iF I SeNd A LiTtLe sUrPRiSe LaTeR."
"A surprise? What-"
Magenta eyes met darkness. Nothingness.
Luciano turned around as he grumbled under his breath, "Fuck, I hate her..."
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||THE FINAL CHAPTER OF PART 1 OF THE GUIDE TO THE PROTECTOR WILL BE POSTED ON JUNE 10TH. ||
||GOOD LUCK||