(Arthur Leywin)
The portal shimmered out of life and died out as me and Arisu stepped outside the teleportation frame.
"So, we should-"
Acting deaf to my presence, Arisu walked ahead of me, her lustrous locks flowing wildly in the untamed gusts of wind that surrounded us.
"Dicathen's encampment 20 miles down this hill. Alacryans are approaching from that side." Arisu reported, her voice stern and determined and hints of melancholy in them. "I will take the retainer out." She said and was about to take flight as I dashed forward and held her by her arm, cancelling her flight out.
"You shouldn't fight right now." As I firmly grasped her and drew her closer, I couldn't help but notice the glistening pools of moisture in her eyes, mirroring the setting sun that seemed to be swallowed by the horizon. The drowning sun reflected at the bottom of her honey-coloured pupil, making it seem like it has a neon glow in it.
"You don't have to decide it for me." Her response was saturated with a profound sense of disappointment that was difficult to fully grasp, as if the weight of her letdown was too immense to be conveyed in mere words.
I tightened my grip on her arm, halting her movement so completely that she was rendered immobile, unable to budge even a fraction of an inch. Initially, she fought against my hold, but eventually, her efforts waned, and her shoulders shuddered slightly and her voice quivered, "Why?"
"Now is not the time. You know that as well." I replied, trying to provide some sort of comfort despite knowing that it would all end in vain. She wasn't stupid but her judgment was being clouded by her emotions. Emotions tend to do this to humans, corroding their insides and casting a bewitching veil on common sense. Her feelings after a certain point in time had been quite apparent but despite me being not thinking much of it, they kept evolving in multiple forms. However, I can't let her make a decision that would endanger her life... just yet.
"Then when, huh? Why don't you give me a definitive answer?" She asked, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.
"Maybe later, but not now." I replied, looking back at her.
"Maybe?" She got closer and raised herself up until she was at my eye level as I lowered my head, "You will regret doing something else." She said and walked away as I let out a sigh.
"Ohoo? Lover's squabble? How disgusting. Very disgusting. Seeing you lessers engage in acts of love... disgusting, how very disgusting."
A voice resounded in the dead calm of the forest. The voice was jagged, like the vocal cords being damaged by thorns as the witch-like laugh bounced all around the forest with an extremely high pitch.
"Ugh, now who is this?" Arisu grumbled as she looked around, her golden eyes already starting to morph into a brighter shade of orange.
"Disgutin-"
Before she could speak again, I punched the tree beside Arisu and my hand connected with someone's jaw. As soon as the crunch of bones breaking resounded, I felt a piercing heat on my hand. Immediately withdrawing my hand, I noticed a sickly green liquid seeping into the ground, as it sizzled and made a hole into it.
Acidic properties infused into water mana---Vritra mana arts.
I looked up and saw a tall, sickly thin, and pale woman. She was wearing a sparkling black dress and a ceramic doll-like face mask that had now a crack in the middle. The mask broke and fell like two seperate pieces on the ground despite her desperately trying to hold it in one piece. Her hair was long black and scraggly tied in two ponytails which hung behind her head. A bow was tied at each end of each ponytail. She also had a bump above her forehead under her hair, which was most likely her Vritra Horn.
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COTE x TBATE | A Masterpiece
Fanfiction"You may come to regret trying to manipulate me." "You may have invaded my mind and my body, but if one thing an asura always keeps, is his pri-" "Pride? What use is that when you don't even have your own life in your hands?" ...
