A/N 2021: Old book I wrote. I came back after seeing a shit ton of comments. Ruins the surprise but whatever, better than being accused of shit I didn't do.
No she doesn't end up with a guy. It isn't queer baiting. I don't queer bait. I tried doing a fakeout.
Not wishing to waste time, I used the same suicidal method as I had with the first to quickly finish them off and enjoy this break I wished to take.
Collecting the third and final item, Dragon's Breath, I, walked out nonchalantly with Sage, as if it had simply been a casual walk in the park and not some crazy battle of life and death between two people of powerful calibre duking it out to the death.
Instead, I had come out completely 'uninjured', not a single tatter on my dress, let alone a wound,"How did you do it?" We walked towards the entrance at a comfortable pace.
"Hm?"
"How did you become this powerful?" He asked quietly,"I've been practicing since I was four and I've just barely managed to clinch third rank with the resources from the clan and aid from my father and the elders. You're what, no older than seventeen?"
"Sixteen." I answered softly. "Technically", I was already in my late thirties' on Earth and "technically" this girl I had inhibited was ten and "technically" this body had aged six years due to that water from the fountain of youth or whatever. With so many technicalities, I just went with what seemed reasonable—Sixteen, following my body's age. Ten would be insane and so would thirty-eight.
"Sixteen and you're able to defeat rank 6s like they're nothing," I laughed bitterly internally as I listened attentively,"Look at me, I'm just some pathetic son of my powerful and respected father. Some genius I am. Not to mention the thousands of rank 4s, there are hundreds of thousands of rank threes on this continent alone and millions more out there!"
If only I could dear Sage!
Had it not been for those bombs the kosmimarians so generously gifted me, I'd have given up on the notion of doing so long ago. The battle with the automaton had left a sense of alarm against rank 6 magisters within me.
"There is a phrase: Failure is the father of success," I quietly answered,"If you choose to live in a place of safety, not even daring to step out of your comfort zone, your progress will be slow. Only through trials and tribulations can one grow stronger. Isn't that what stories of heroes of the past say?"
"I suppose so."
"Unfortunately, you are of the righteous path. You are restricted in many ways unlike the lawless demonic or neutral paths. You are duty-bound and have to follow rules. That doesn't mean you can't grow stronger. It simply means you must find your own way to grow. Be independent." I patted his shoulder as we finally got out.
"Ehh? Out already? That's fantastic! Shall we go eat?" Gale clapped his hands together.
———
Dusk.
"Lucy, could ya help me out with something."
"Mm?"
The three items I picked out were imprints. The most convenient items. Unlike bulky swords, shields and armour or easily damaged things like jewellery, imprints allowed me to have my hands free while having more strength.
The first imprint used was the Sunheart. Just in between my two assets and below the blue heart, a imprint of a dragon coiled around a sun, glowing a dim gentle gold rested. It had a single but powerful use: It could store the heat from the sun and in matter of nanoseconds, release it all in one blindingly terrifying burst of fire.
The second imprint used was Dragon's Breath. It went on my belly, just a bit above the bellybutton. The easiest easiest way to describe it would be fire breath. It essentially allowed me to store fire and spit it out via my mouth. Used correctly, I found it would be a good sneak attack.
The last was one I couldn't use because my hands were too short. Midnight Owl had to be placed on the left upper back. So, I asked Lucius for help.
Passing him the paper, I took off my dress and bra, leaving me in my panties,"A-Artemis! What are you doing?!" Lucius screeched, covering his eyes like a terrified little girl.
I chortled at his innocence,"I need your help dummy. Paste the paper on the upper back and inject some mana." I laid face down on the bed, head supported by a soft white hemmed pillow.
After calming down, he obliged. As I felt the cool piece of paper and mix with the warm flow of mana, he commented,"What imprint is this peacock?"
"Peacock?"
"Mm. The one covering the right side of your back. It's very colourful." I frowned. I never noticed it since it was on my back. Thinking back, it could only be one thing: The chromatic flame. I'd felt some warmth shoot from my back and down my arms before the flame appeared in my hand. And it made sense seeing that all my abilities so far were displayed by imprints.
"It's a destructive fire ability I can't control well."
"I see," He slowly massaged the imprint, it like one of those temporary tattoos you added water to and applied pressure to stick, in this case the water being mana,"Artemis is very pretty." He suddenly commented without warning.
Obviously caught off-guard by this compliment, my face reddened to the likeness of a beet,"W-Where did that come from?"
"I heard you whispering last night that you were ugly and worthless. Please do not think that way, it will make me sad." He responded softly.
"I—I said that?"
"When sleeping, yes. Please know that you are pretty and cannot compare to any other woman in my eyes." His honesty and straightforwardness was endearing in my eyes, cute even. Perhaps that was why I liked him so much. These occasional praises and compliments made me feel like I was someone special, not just a person he liked liked but a person he liked liked liked, if that made any sense.
Maybe giving him a shot wasn't as bad a decision as I originally thought it would be.
I was a bonafide cynic, a disappointed idealist and very much edgy. Such preconceptions of love and joy I had when younger had been utterly demolished and forgotten by the jaded personality adulthood brought along for the ride. Now that I didn't have to worry about jobs, money and getting caught for murder, it truly let me experience a different side of life I hadn't seen before.
This feeling of...Contentment(?) was magnified by the fact that I had a lovable oaf with me. Though it had only been a month or two we'd been together, the bond I made with him was most definitely the strongest one I had with someone in decades.
"Done." I sat up and put on my bra, my hand feeling that red heart imprint on my collarbone. Despite it logically being cold, it felt hot. Searing.
"Hey." As if my body had a mind of its own, my mouth opened.
"Yeah?" Lucius turned to me.
"Close your eyes for a moment and sit still."
"Okay." He shut his eyes without hesitation.
My mind screamed for me to stop talking but my mouth opened, the words from the deepest pits of this girl's cold, black, shrivelled up heart that had been revived by him.
"I'm going to ramble for a bit. Don't talk. I just want you to listen," Letting out a shaky breath, I spilled the beans,"I'm not sure how I feel. It's not something I'd describe as that all-encompassing yet vague four letter word with a 'V'." I paused, frowning.
Emotions were the bane of control. I'd clearly lost control of my emotions. But right now? I didn't care. I just wanted to let it all out.
"I suppose it's more of an extreme fondness I have for you, if that makes sense. I enjoy being in your company and like it when you care about and for me. While I may not be the most pretty, the most talented or the most loving of people, you still accepted me for who I was. Whether it's because you truly do, or because of this heart imprint on our chests, I do not know. But what I can say with confidence is that I like like like you and..."
Oh god, am I actually doing this?
I leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek, face now redder than a tomato,"Goodnight!" I hollered, my voice climbing several octaves as I rapidly turned off the lights and covered myself with a blanket.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart was beating loudly in my ears at a million miles a minute, faster than the flapping of the wings of a hummingbird. My body was trembling yet as to the reason of such being fear or excitement, I simply couldn't tell you even if I wished to since I myself didn't even know.
I heard silence. Then faint chuckling as the bed creaked a little, large arms circling my waist as a callous voice whispered in my ear. The words made my heart skip a beat.
"I like you very much too."