*Chapter 10: Trapped inside*
The three of them stood up, surveying their surroundings. Kagami seemed to be unharmed, as he had landed on his feet. Astaria, on the other hand, was nursing a sore backside and aching stomach. She'd nearly landed right on top of Kagami But he just avoided her, Making her Butt to take the brunt of the impact. To make matters worse, Charlotte had plummeted directly onto Astaria's stomach, leaving her gasping for breath. The pain was excruciating, and Astaria felt like she'd been through a traumatic experience, Dying not once but Twice. Surprisingly, Charlotte only complained of a slight pain in her Butt, Completely ignoring the person she landed on.
"And just like that, the protector of the multiverse died," Kagami said, a mischievous glint in his eye, Teasing Astaria.
"The heck are you talking about? I'm still alive," Charlotte responded, thinking Kagami was referring to her. Kagami just ignored Charlotte and continued, "Astaria's gone, taken down by butt pain. What a tragic ending for our supposed, Almighty goddess."
Astaria, clenching her fists and wiping away her tears in frustration, couldn't hold back her anger. "You could've caught me, you jerk! Asshole! That's no way to treat a cute girl!"
".. My bad, I will remember to do so next time." Kagami replied, but his apology didn't seem very sincere.
Charlotte, Watched the two taking it all in stride, and then said nonchalantly, "Oh, so you were talking about her? I see. Well, a little butt pain won't kill me anyway. So that makes sense."
"It was your fault, you brat! It's all your fault. I'm definitely telling the guild master about this!" Astaria cried out, her frustration reaching a boiling point. Hitting the ground unable to even stand.
Kagami believed (and was thinking) that the situation is indeed Charlotte's doing and fault, but he refrained from intervening further. After all, they were still in the dark about where they had landed, and unintentionally starting a fight in their current predicament would only make matters worse.
However, before the situation could be defused, Charlotte predatory Yellow eyes shined and she menacingly mused, "This place is dark, and from the dust all around, no one's been here for a long time. I wonder, if I silence you for good, would anybody even know?" She brandished her short sword, presumably intent on taking action.
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Astaria, overwhelmed with frustration and with tears in her eyes, stood up and defiantly responded, "Bring it on!"
The situation seemed poised to escalate when Kagami stepped in and intervened. He “lightly” tapped Charlotte on the head, inciting her fury(kinda), and then turned his attention to Astaria.
"What do you want?" Astaria hesitantly said.
Kagami sincerely suggested, "if you can't walk, and If it makes things better, I can carry you for a bit. How about that?"
Astaria, feeling defeated and no longer angry, with a disgusted look on her face she replied, "Yeah, no, I'm good." Kagami responded by “playfully” pulling her cheeks, causing her to cry once more.
Hours of effort passed, as the three attempted to find a way to escape from the dark room, with no apparent entrance or exit. But it was to no avail, It felt as though they were trapped in an indestructible, lightless, dark and empty box. Desperation set in as they tried to punch and slice at the walls to no avail.
"We're going to die! We're going to DIE!" Astaria cried, as she started to panic. Her panic intensifying by the moment.
Kagami, taking advantage of the situation, continued to tease her, further fueling her negative emotions.
"Shut up, both of you! If you can't be useful, just be quiet," Charlotte declared arrogantly.
The two looked at her Kagami wasn't effected much by her comment. Astaria, however, couldn't contain her frustration any longer. She rushed toward Charlotte, shaking her violently and shouting, "It's your fault! YOUR FAULT! If you die for your sins, the gates will open, and the Gods will forgive you! It's a test, It's a test, So die For Us!"
Charlotte, struggling to free herself from Astaria's grip, pleaded for her to let go while cursing her luck for meeting such a crazy person.
With the situation deteriorating rapidly, Kagami quickly stepped in to restore order and be the voice of reason. He wondered why he was the one playing this role, it didn't suit him. But he didn't have a real satisfying answer so he rolled with the act.
Kagami pulled Astaria away from Charlotte, giving both of them and especially Charlotte, a moment to catch a breath. As the dust seemed settled and tensions eased, Astaria, still shaken, raised her staff threateningly and lunged at Charlotte. Charlotte prepared herself for impact, However, Kagami was quicker and knocked Astaria out cold. Before she did anything her usual self might regret. (she will regret it, for sure).
"Damnit, I didn't expect her to actually break, and this quickly nonetheless," Kagami muttered, looking at Astaria with a mix of regret and sadness. "I guess it was also my fault... I should try and treat her better from now on."
Charlotte remained on high alert, aware that it was largely her fault. She couldn't help but feel a bit of regret, She kinda felt it from the beginning although she didn't outwardly show it.
Kagami expressions shifted to worry mixed with seriousness and a bit of a dark vibe started to become present around him. Charlotte remained vigilant, fearing that he might resort to more drastic measures. And go after her life, sooner than later. The strange feeling she suddenly felt, was getting stronger and stronger by the second.
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