Rapid sets of sharp, lightning crackles accompanied footsteps echoed through the secret tunnel. The lightning sounds caught the attention of the many skeleton soldiers, making them get into combative stances, only for them to be smashed to pieces as two dark lightning-covered objects barreled through the skeletons, and continued through the corridor.
Temperance and Skull (running on all fours) were neck and neck as they booked it through the secret tunnel, unintentionally steamrolling any unfortunate skeleton soldiers that they ran into. Skull glanced over at Temperance, making sure to do it in such a way she wouldn't be caught by Temperance, and was still able to see where she was going.
"Impressive...," Skull murmured to herself. Temperance raised an eyebrow at Skull's works before he looked over her.
"Impressive?" Temperance asked curiously before he ran slightly ahead, turned around, and ran backwards in front of Skull. Skull energetically nodded her head, pushing herself upright, and continued to run on her feet.
"Yeah! The only people I know who are faster than me are my parents, my older siblings, and Mr Xero," Skull explained. Temperance nodded his head as he listened to Skull's explanation; he was moments away from replying to Skull but his attention was diverted as Skull frantically pointed at something behind Temperance. Temperance's ears perked up, attempting to pick up any source of noise that could be the thing Skull was pointing at.
Temperance tilted his head at Skull with a lost look on his face; he slowly turned his head and didn't have the chance to see what was in front of him before he slammed face first into a darksteel metal door, sinking a few inches into the door, with a loud clang. Temperance felt the heat in his face rapidly flee from his body and into the door. Skull, surrounded by a ball of her tails, bounced against the wall before unwrapping her tails from around her body, and hurrying over to Temperance, as he pulled himself out of the door.
"You good? That sounded... kinda... ba-" Skull uttered, freezing mid-sentence along with her tails spiking up as her body shivered when her eyes locked with the small amount of blood coming out of Temperance's nose. Temperance attempted to ask Skull what was wrong, but when he took a step towards Skull she instinctively moved away from Temperance.
"What's wrong?" Temperance ask as his nose twitched, making him rub his nose, and feel a burning sensation when he did. Temperance blanketed his face with a thin veil of water mana and washed away the blood on his face.
"Better?". Skull cautiously approached, crawling towards Temperance on all fours with glaring at Temperance's face with unwavering focus. Skull shuffled up to Temperance, scaling up the side of Temperance's body, and eyeing Temperance's face. Skull let out a meek, relieved sigh as she looked at Temperance's bloodless face.
"Yeah..., just be more careful next time," Skull murmured in a huff as she pouted and frowned.
"What's wrong now?". Skull disgruntledly huffed, rolling her eyes away from Temperance, and jumped down to the ground as she held her tongue.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
"You won...," Skull uttered under her breath as she sat down on the ground, and crossed her arms. Temperance's eye widened, upon remembering the whole race thing. Temperance gazed down at Skull as she moodily swayed her head from side-to-side, and muttered about her supposed loss. Temperance playfully rolled his eyes, as a vague vision of a girl, possessing long and spikey, pale lime and dark teal hair, sitting on a grassy green hill appeared in front of him.
"If you had to choose, would you rather me act like a tsundere who's garbage at being one or a kuudere who's on the verge of...," the girl said with a formal yet tomboyish tone, lightly biting her bottom lip as she pondered over what the last word should be.
"How about you just act like a house cat, then you'd be doing both," the person, whose POV Temperance is looking through; along with him having a voice that was a mix of Teach's and a person who Temperance didn't recognise. The girl aggressively flailed her arms about at hearing the POV male's remark, cursing to herself as it donned on her the options were just how her pet cats act.
"You still there, Tempster?" Skull asked, lightly tapping Temperance's face until he came back to reality. Temperance blinked a few times and instinctively placed a hand over his left eye.
"Yeah..., just thinking about...,". Temperance shook his head, the vision he saw becoming nothing but a blur as he forced it out of his mind. Skull tilted her head and lightly tapped Temperance's shoulder, as he continued to be silent.
"I was just thinking, the race technically isn't over given neither of us has entered the boss room yet," Temperance muttered, intentionally using an air-head sounding tone. Skull's ears perked up and her eyes widened, having a wave of realising washing over her face as the implication of Temperance's words donned on her. Skull lept off of Temperance and rushed the metal door.
She pressed her hands against the door, and rapidly shook on the spot as she pushed against the door with all her might, causing her face to turn red from the exertion. Her feet slid backwards as she continued to push against the door before she started to run on the spot when she was about to fall over.
"Umm...," Temperance slowly uttered as he looked at the hinges of the door. Skull heard repeated finger snapping next to her ear; she push herself off the door, slumping back onto her tails with sweat running down her face. Skull breathed heavily and meandered her gaze over at Temperance. Skull followed Temperance's hand with her half-open, heavy eyes until her eyes met with the sign that said pull door.
"O-ooh; I... feel... could we put the race... on hold?" Skull murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open until they eventually faltered and closed despite her efforts. Temperance blindly stared at Skull as she lightly snored. Temperance rubbed the back of his head muttering to himself about his situation. Temperance crossed his arms, swiftly sat on the ground, crossed his legs, and unleashed a disgruntled exhale.
"What's with all the females I've met being sleep-loving, children?". Temperance mused over his situation, joking it must be some curse as he closed his eyes, and meditated.
"You think you're cursed?" Nakamai asked. Temperance opened his eyes and was greeted by Nakamai being a few inches away from his face. Temperance lightly guided Nakamai away from his face with his hand and looked around the surrounding area of his azuregate.
"Where's Teach?". Nakamai shrugged as she floated around Temperance.
"The same place he goes when he's not training you," Nakamai said with a stern tone.
"I see....". Temperance lowered his head and stared deeply into the palm of his left hand. He clenched his hand and asked Nakamai how she was doing on manifesting her physical body. Nakamai paused for a split second before her cheeks glowed a faint red, and she nervously giggled.
"You haven't been trying, have you?". Temperance stared at a motionless Nakamai, who slumped her head downwards as she meekly confirmed Temperance's suspicions.