The noise of the previous moment continued to echo through Linus' consciousness for a while before eventually morphing into a constant ringing that stayed inside his head. Even Maya seemed taken aback by Beyza's assault, as a part of her bloodlust faded in the chaos of shattered glass, replaced by a hint of fear.
Once calm returned, Linus, without another threat from Beyza, proceeded until he stood before Akira.
And now? What was all this about? He would have liked to ask, but even the thought of those words felt caught by Beyza, and he inwardly flinched as if she sat beside him in his mind, observing every thought he made.
"Touch him," Beyza commanded.
What?! Was this some kind of joke?! Linus almost blurted out something similar, but the fear of death that had arisen in him prevented him from doing anything so impulsive.
Trembling, his hand hovered above Akira. He hesitated for a moment, but another push of the gun against the back of his head reminded him that he had no choice.
Why, though? Why had Maya gone berserk, and why was Beyza standing behind him with a gun, forcing him to touch a dead person?! They would probably kill him too, no matter what he did. He had seen too much already. Then he laid his hand on Akira's. It was cold. Lifeless.
That's what I'm gonna look like very soon aswell.
Not even a single thought of fighting back—fighting for his life—came to his mind. He had simply given up. He would get killed in a room full of books by a group of psychotic bookworm cultists.
Suddenly, the entire room lit up in white light, so bright that Linus shielded his other hand over his face. The radiance emanated from Akira, but Linus kept his hand on him regardless. With each passing second, it grew brighter, as if the sun were falling from the sky, enveloping him in warm, comforting light.
Beyza seemed unsurprised—unblinded.
One last dazzling flare, then it was over. Linus blinked several times strainedly. It would take a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness again.
----------------------------------------
Power-Transfer activated!
Your Power: 99.999%
Soul-Bound's Power: 0.001%
----------------------------------------
Still unable to see, he heard a familiar voice. "Linus, you're here too?!"
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No, that couldn't be.
"Akira?!" Linus asked incredulously, not even knowing where he had heard that name before. Nonetheless, a certain joy shot through his body up to his face, where his lips turned upward.
"Just as alive and kicking!" Akira said, before an amused laughter rang out.
Could it really be? No, that was impossible! There was only one way to explain the whole situation. Now Linus knew what was going on here.
That bright light, it was his ascent to heaven, and now he was there with Akira. That must've been it. But in this moment, he didn't care—at least he wasn't alone.
"I... I'm sorry for letting you die!! I don't even know how I could forget about you! But now... now we're dead... it's all my fault! I... I—"
Suddenly, Linus felt two arms wrap around his back, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Shh~"
Akira's body was filled with life, and Linus felt an incredible sense of security flow from him into his own body. He returned the hug. However, as his hands touched Akira's back, a question arose within him. The hole that Maya had inflicted with the stake, where had it gone? Did humans take on a new form in heaven—regardless of their body in the material world?
Whatever it may be, Linus was glad that Akira was safe and sound again. "Where are we?" he asked both, curiously and worried.
"Hm...? In heaven, I suppose."
"Oh... I figured as much..."
"At least it feels like heaven when I'm with you, Linus-Minus."
"Ahem," a grim clearing of the throat interrupted the peaceful idyll between the two. Linus snapped his eyes open. Nothing but blood-stained walls and bookshelves appeared before him. That, and Akira's white hair, which nestled against his face.
Startled, he jumped up and took a few steps back. "Wh-what— I don't understand— How—"
"Yeah, me neither," Maya chimed in with a dark expression, throwing Beyza an expectant glance.
"Neither do I." Akira crossed his arms with a scowl—his tone sarcastic—his gaze serious.
Beyza turned to Maya. "As I suspected; Akira is not a vampire."
"Oh really?!" Akira asked surprised "Wish you told her earlier..."
"I wasn't entirely sure, so it came in handy when I saw that she had it out for you."
"You—You used me?!" Maya asked outraged.
"You wouldn't have been dissuaded anyway," she retorted.
Maya wanted to reply, but she seemed to know that Beyza was right. Although that only seemed to make her angrier.
"A-and what is he now? A human... or?!" Linus asked uncertainly. He could already answer the latter question himself, even if he didn't want to admit it. Akira surely wasn't human, but what was he then?!
Beyza gave him a penetrating look, which seemed to even shine through her black sunglasses. "The question is more what kind of creature you are now."
All eyes turned to Linus. "Wh-why are you looking at me like that?!" He tentatively touched his face. No changes noticeable. His gaze went down his body, but everything there was as usual too. "I-I-I'm a human—a completely normal human! Right?!"
At this moment, he wanted no answer other than 'Yes' from all three of them. But Beyza shook her head. Then her gaze shifted to Akira, as if she wanted to hand over the word to him.
He cleared his throat to break the tension. Linus' gaze was glued to his lips. "What...?! What am I now?!" He asked as he grabbed Akira by his shoulders and began shaking him slightly. "Come on, spit it out already!!"
An ambiguous grin spread across Akira's lips as he looked at him with sparkling eyes. Linus held his breath.
Then, half chuckling and half serious, he said, "You, my dear Linus, are now..."
"…My bitch!"