“Geh! I actually lost to Asagao?!”
“That’s extremely rude even though we are enemies…”
Although I won the game of poker against Nil, I feel complicated deep down. I was expecting or even anticipating something evil or dreadful from him and something bad will happen. Then again, I am thankful none or any sort of like that happened.
I mean if he felt like crushing us, he can do it effortlessly.
Also…
Now that I am staring at his bare body, I feel nostalgic. After all, that was my own body not too long ago. Comparing to my current body now, I noticed how really small I became, how thin and how fragile looking this body is.
But not only that…
The identity of Nil that should be me become entirely someone else and I became an existence that is impossible just like what Nil spoke of.
Moreover, as I look at Nil’s body, it’s nothing sort of what I remembered of when it comes to its physiques. I remember that it’s a bit thin that it makes me look like androgynous and it doesn’t have much muscle to speak of.
Right now, as I stare at my previous body, it’s a lot more toned. The skinny arm that I remember is now bulging a little with biceps and triceps. The chests are visibly packed and array of abdominal muscles are slightly surfacing.
In short, the overall feature of my previous body was trained and became more toned except for the gender neutral face that stays the same.
I’m a little envious and frustrated that I wasn’t able to work out my body like that…
“Kyaa! Asagao is a pervert who stares at a man’s body!~ Kyaa!~”
“Shut up!”
“So, how is it, my body? Is it to your liking?”
“…”
“I’ll tell you this now but I don’t have any intention of returning it to you. No, it’s more accurate to say that you can never ever return to this body. It’s better if you stay with that body. It’s cuter and so adorable.”
“It’s easier for you to say…”
“Never mind that, Asagao, you’ve won so I think you have the privilege to ask something.”
“Ah! Right, I have so many things I wanted to ask…!”
“Like what?”
“Like…!”
The atmosphere becomes heavy and I am having difficulty in breathing. Casablanca and Hibiscus also got on four in the ground as their breathing becomes labored.
My chest tightens and my knees become wobbly. I am having difficulty to stand upright and my sweat starts flowing from my head. The whole place is being enclosed inside Nil’s intimidation that I haven’t felt in a while.
“You…bastard…this is…unfair…!”
“What unfair? I’m just standing here, you know? So, what do you want to ask about, Asagao?”
“Ack…ugh…”
“Do you want to ask why I killed all of those people? Do you want to know what are my plans?” Do you want to know what’s happening to this world? You can only choose one.”
“Haa…Haa…”
“Or…do you want to know why I know you are…frantic whenever a man holds your wrist like this?”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As he said so, he grabs my wrist and pulls it up.
The night where I am helpless against a devil immediately comes rushing back to my mind like it just happened yesterday.
That’s right…
That night left a huge scar in my mind and it became a trauma. It triggers when someone holds my wrist like this. It has been so long now but it never ceases to haunt me sometimes. It will never go away as long as I live. It’s a trauma that I might carry as long as I live.
But…
It is not something that can stop me!
I pull my hand out of his tight hold and free my wrist from his hand. I take a few steps back and stand straight and stare at him eye to eye.
“Nil, you cannot induce despair on me anymore! You may hurt me now but it won’t make my courage falter! I have gone through so many things and I will keep moving forward because people believed in me, like my Master and Milin. Their memories and everything we shared and even their deaths won’t anchor me down! I will use it to strengthen my resolve. So, never again I will let you break me!”
“Asagao…”
As I said that, I drew one of the swords that Master gave me and pointed it towards Nil. From this point, I cannot let him do as he pleases.
I will protect these two sisters of mine!
“Miss Asagao, we are not backing down now hearing you say all of that!”
“We are not entirely useless, Miss Asagao! Let’s join forces!”
“Y-You two!”
Casablanca and Hibiscus stand together with me, side by side.
Casablanca holds out the moon shaped blade as she fills it with magic and stands by my right. Hibiscus manipulates the cube in her palm and summoned a spirit hawk and a small wolf with greenish transparent color.
Casablanca looks at me with fierce passionate eyes when she is usually someone who looks like she will look down on people but, I am sure now that in her heart, courage shines like the moon.
Hibiscus’ eyes, even though she is reserved and timid, is showing how determined she is even if the enemy is too scary for her. Her heart is tranquil but when the situation calls, it burns like the sun.
“As you can see Nil, I am not alone! Even if you bring despair to this world, I will turn it into hope!”
“I see. You surely have grown some backbone, Asagao. But, let me tell you a fact, words alone cannot open the path to victory, you also need power, an astounding amount of…POWER!”
As he shouted, the whole place was dyed with purple light and his presence becomes stronger and I can feel that his power elevated to an abnormal level.
I would be really scared though if he isn’t just only wearing his underwear.
“So, Asagao, do you want to start this bout with you three against me?!”
“…What choice do I have?! You started it!”
Nil lowers his body and readies for an attack and likewise, I did so too. The twins also steady themselves and started chanting spells.
As we were about to jump at each other… a flash came behind us and shook the place while gusts of wind blew us a little.
BAM!
What happened…?!
As my senses caught up with the situation, a man with a metal arm, Ichirou, was in front of me holding out his sword towards Nil only to be stopped by bare hand of Hydrangea who appeared in front of Nil.
“Tsk!”
“Nice try, Hero Ichirou.”
Ichirou immediately pulls his sword out and Hydrangea released it to avoid being cut or so I thought but her hand is perfectly fine even after catching Ichirou’s sword.
Ichirou leaps backward, landing perfectly by my side and hold out his sword as if defending me.
“Asagao and you two little girls, are you all okay?!”
“Eh…ah…we’re fine…but…how did you find us?!”
“Hmm… I wonder too… I could just sense where you are…”
As we are talking, Hydrangea walks in front of Nil and began talking.
“It is because you two are already connected with a master-servant like relationship. That is one of the effect of Divine Possession or specifically, you, Hero Ichirou, as a possession, you are now already sensitive of your master’s presence that you could locate her.”
“A master-servant like relationship with Asagao?!”
“Yes, this idiot and I are the same. And that’s the very reason I am in charge of finding him whenever he is missing. Such hassle.”
“…”
“So, anyway, I am just here to pick up this man.”
“Oh? Your timing is so perfect like you are really anticipating this, Hy?”
Nil interjected as he asks a question towards Hydrangea.
“Who knows? Coincidence is much common than you think, my lord.”
“That’s not a coincidence anymore if it is much common, Hy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. More importantly, my lord, you should keep your word to the little missy there.”
“See! You really are watching!”
“Whatever do you mean, you stripping pervert?”
As they converse with each other, we kept our guard up. Also, with Ichirou here, we could now put up a fight.
Is what I wanted to say but the place is too cramped and who knows what will happen if it collapses.
Nil heaves a sigh and turns his back on us.
“Geez, Asagao, you can’t take such light joke. I told you right, I am not in the mood for a battle.”
“That isn’t some sort of light joke at all, you jerk.”
“Anyway, I had fun. We shall meet again, Asagao.”
“…”
“Also, you’ve been seeing the red moon right?”
“That red moon?!”
“Yes!~”
“What about it?!”
“You see, only those who divinity can see it. Is what I wanted to say but, it seems those who has the blood of Astlan Lionheart flowing in their veins can see it too.”
“What’s your point?!”
“That red moon is the second disaster. The first disaster is the flooding. You better remember that.”
“…I will.”
“Well, see you!”
Nil said as he waves his hand and Hydrangea opens a warp portal and both enters it.
BAM!
“Ow! Hy, stop it! You’re always doing that!”
“Whatever do you mean, my lord?”
Is what we last heard as the portal closes and vanishes in thin air...