Ava Jones choked on her tea and took out a handkerchief to cover her coughs. Her breathing was erratic as she stared with blushed cheeks at Serena in the image. She knew Serena was bold from their earlier interactions but didn't expect this bombshell move.

Elder Dustin was also shocked at the two students in the image. His eyes were near bulging out of their sockets. He tried to say something, but his lips could only stay open in shock.

"This is quite unusual," Ava Jones's blush spread to her entire face. "What's the policy if two students decide to….to…." Her eyes were trembling, and her lips quivered; although she was an elder, she was also inexperienced in this area. "If they actually decide to do it, what's our policy?!"

She enjoyed seeing the budding romance and adored it, but if it went beyond a certain point, she didn't know how to react. Ava Jones couldn't help but feel the room had gotten hotter, and she was cooling herself down with Ein. One could almost see smoke floating out of her head.

Elder Dustin stammered in incoherent sounds as if he had lost his mind. This situation was unprecedented. "W-well, I suppose we have to turn off the image if it comes to that. How do we turn off the image again?"

…….

Oscar was again struck speechless by Serena's boldness regarding her efforts to seduce him. He was getting used to it and was calmer in dealing with her, but this one request from her sent him back to the throes of confusion.

Serena stepped forward while hugging a pillow and wearing an enticing smile. She took off her wing ribbon, letting the rest of her hair flow down. "So? What do you say?"

"Stop right there." Oscar put his hand up and said, "I don't understand. Before all this, you were repulsed by the times we had to interact together. How can you suddenly be so ok with all of this?"

"Because," Serena said with a bit of hesitation, "You are different. You were a random person before this, and I disliked those strangers and people with ulterior motives. I told you before, didn't I? It's ok if it's you because I'm in love with you."

Her green eyes glistened, reflecting Oscar in their pupils. She stepped closer again. "Besides, shouldn't you take responsibility?"

"Responsibility?" Oscar raised his eye in confusion. What was her ploy this time?

"Hmph, you touch a woman and carry her around for a long time in your arms, even seeing her underwear. You probably also saw while you threw me in the air." Serena pouted. "What's the proper course of action for this? You've already done much to me."

"I'm sorry for holding you without permission and for any accidents, but that's not something to take responsibility for. We acted as Exalts working together, not as lovers." Oscar rejected Serena's logic with his own.

"Tch." Serena clicked her tongue. "Guess I can't get you with that reason."

To Serena's surprise, Oscar stepped ahead and grabbed her shoulders. Her face instantly flushed red like a ripe tomato, and her eyes shook. She fidgeted while under Oscar's hands. "W-w-what? Do you agree with this? L-let me get ready."

Oscar shook his head and stared at her with his clear obsidian eyes. There was not a hint of lust or attraction in them. He said, "Please have more respect for yourself."

"Huh?" Serena was taken aback.

"You don't have to push yourself to this extent. I can tell you're also uncomfortable going this far, but you don't know how to stop. Just be yourself; you're a nice and strong girl, so there's no reason for this. You have enough charm not to do these things."

Serena pursed her lips and looked down, not wanting to look Oscar in the eye. "But you're not charmed by my other attempts. What else can I do?"

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I don't know," Oscar shook his head. "Who knows what the future will turn out to be, but I'll tell you for certain that giving yourself up isn't the way. Be confident in yourself."

Oscar himself didn't know how things might turn out with Celestina. Perhaps he would run out of love and find a new love, or get rejected and be heartbroken for a while, or perhaps they would go beyond mere book buddies into lovers. But he knew for certain that Serena's current actions had no future.

Serena could see how serious Oscar was about this and nodded with slightly flushed cheeks and a sincere smile. Quickly, she ran ahead and hugged him, rubbing against his sturdy chest with a seductive sigh. "This is still ok?"

"No!" Oscar separated from Serena. "But I suppose it's better than you asking to sleep with me. However, I'm still rejecting this every time you do it."

"So it's still within your limits?" Serena smiled.

"Not really," Oscar sighed and took his bedding, laying it down on the floor. "I'm going to sleep."

As he lay down and closed his eyes, the sound of something dropping next to him drew his attention. He turned his head to see that Serena had set up her bed right next to his, with a tiny bit of ground separating the two beds. His eyes twitched in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"What? I'm not sleeping with you. I'm sleeping next to my trial partner as a fellow Exalt." Serena smiled on the bed with a hand lifting her head by the cheek, looking at Oscar lovingly. "Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything. You're right; I should have more respect for myself. My charms should be enough to sway you eventually without trying to force it."

Oscar felt a headache coming in and got up. He picked up his bed and placed it elsewhere. However, Serena was right behind him and placed her bed beside his.

"Really?"

Serena teased. "We should get sleep. Otherwise, we might do a merry-go-round of beds in this place all night."

Oscar let out a huge sigh and dropped to his bed. The feeling of the soft blanket over him and the pillow encasing the back of his head lulled him to sleep. He snored softly into his dreams.

Serena was on her bed but not in the middle. She chose to lie down on the side closest to Oscar. Her eyes looked softly at Oscar's sleeping side profile as a loving sigh fell from her lips.

'Face me.'

'Turn to me.'

'Come on. I want to see you.'

As if answering her wishes, Oscar turned in his sleep, facing her directly. Serena smiled and reached her hand out, stroking Oscar's cheek. She hummed. "Your face isn't bad."

She shuffled closer until she was almost off the edge of the bed.

Serena felt Oscar's black hair and poked his nose with a giggle. She smiled sweetly at him with a watery pair of green eyes. "You really are a strange person. Telling me to respect and have confidence in myself when many others would jump at the opportunity. But that means you do think well about me enough to tell me."

Oscar shuffled slightly and turned to the other side, making Serena frown. She wanted to get into his bed and hug that amazing body, but she held herself back.

"I wonder what I can do to make you mine."

…….

"Be prepared," Oscar told Serena. "Move sparingly to conserve our stamina and Ein."

"Aren't you going to be carrying me all the while?" Serena looked at her axe.

"I had some time to think about it," Oscar took out his buckler and summoned his deer anima. "The crystals lit up in two places. This is also a team trial, so it should require a joint effort from us, just like in the lava chamber."

"We need to attack the crystals at the same time?" Serena frowned. If that was the case, then Oscar had no reason to carry her.

Oscar could tell right away from Serena's expression. He facepalmed and said, "You can move around with your water whip, and you still have other spells in your arsenal, right?"

"I do. It's the 'Grade One Tidal Surge'. I create a large wave that overwhelms an enemy; I didn't have any chances to use it last time."

"Then, let's move quickly and get to those two legs. Once we take those legs out, you move up and watch while I hit him to reveal the next targets." Oscar said.

"Got it," Serena moved up and hugged Oscar from behind. "Getting a confidence boost."

Oscar broke free of her grasp and said, "Let's get going."

They entered the grand hall and faced the Crystal Guardian. It immediately awoke to their presence, transformed, and began moving.

Oscar and Serena moved separately and fast. Serena used her 'Water Whip' to move by the pillars while Oscar dashed around with his Reis-empowered feet.

The Crystal Guardian split its arms, four on each side, to face them. The fists extended out like before. Oscar dodged well using his Prinstyct and dodged the fists as they hammered down on him.

Serena was high up on the pillars when the fists came roaring upwards. She smirked and canceled her spell to freefall down the air before the fists could reach her. She put another 'Water Whip' around the first leg on the right.

She propelled herself toward it and brandished her axes with her powerful double 'Tidal Edge' axes. "Together!"

Oscar was also right by his target, and he timed it with Serena. They attacked the leg at the same time: Oscar and his deer anima, Serena and her axe anima. Both struck with all their might.

The crystals on those two legs shattered, and the Crystal Guardian groaned.

Oscar and Serena smiled like warriors on a battlefield.

They could see the path to victory.