Chapter 42: Chapter 42: To Whom I Love
Within the darkness lit only by dark green light, two figures stood overlapping.
Mere inches away, their faces close, their lips anticipating the other.
As they fell into each other's embrace, just before their connection could blossom, Aziel suddenly halted.
"Hm…?"
Suzu, with her eyes closed, felt confused and slightly aggrieved at having not been kissed yet even as she awaited it.
However, upon opening her eyes, she realized that the man she finally claimed as her own had turned his head, looking at something behind him.
"Tch…"
Sending an irritated glance at Aziel's side profile, she craned her neck, casting her gaze at the 'something' that had served as his distraction.
There they stood, a petite figure with long, flowing locks of golden hair and crimson red eyes that glimmered like precious gems.
Expressionless, the girl's piercing stare poured over them, though she remained completely silent.
It was, of course, none other than Yue herself.
"Well ain't this awkward…"
Suzu remarked shamelessly, watching the unresponsive vampire girl with a bored look.
Yue's gaze drifted toward her momentarily, before slowly shifting back to Aziel, not moving an inch nor saying anything.
Meanwhile, Aziel allowed his eyes to roam the surrounding area, lazily scanning the rugged walls and uneven floor with no aim in particular.
It was a strange feeling he hadn't ever experienced.
Like getting caught with his pants down, it was inexplicable.
There was no sense of embarrassment or shame, but a silent awkwardness that he found utterly repulsive.
And the quiet atmosphere did nothing to help that strange feeling either.
Then, without saying a word, Yue began walking toward them, unhurried and without any sign of anger.
Perhaps it was because of this that her uncanny silence seemed even scarier than an outburst of fury.
As she closed in within a few inches of himself, Aziel, having already separated from Suzu, looked down at her small figure in mild puzzlement.
Still, she gave him no time to ponder before grabbing hold of his arm, locking her own around his as she wordlessly led him away.
This silent exchange that only happened within the span of a few seconds left Suzu at a loss for what to do in this situation.
Considering how close they always were to initiating a death match, any word or action of hers during this time would undoubtedly lead to such an outcome.
Thus, she tactfully decided to keep quiet, since, though she was irritated, she also wasn't in the mood to fight either.
Sighing, Suzu watched as their figures continued getting further away, before following suit not too far behind.
Staring straight ahead at the both of them, she briefly met Yue's gaze as the girl turned back and gave her one final glance.
There were no sparks or tension.
No animosity or pressure.
It was merely an implicit understanding.
Nothing more than letting the other know that they were aware.
Yes.
Completely aware of each other's presence.
*
*
*
"Did you…have fun…?"
Yue walked steadily alongside Aziel, keeping his arm tangled within her grasp.
She kept her crimson eyes trained on his face, staring pointedly, not letting her gaze stray for even a moment.
Still, despite her cold, almost uncaring tone, Aziel continued looking on ahead, responding casually without meeting her gaze.
"Have fun…?"
"Mn…"
"Hm… I don't really have fun, so I don't know…"
"I see…"
Merely acknowledging his sorry excuse for an answer, Yue silently grabbed hold of his hand, her arm still wrapped around his.
Slowly, she lifted it up, bringing it closer to her face in a casual gesture.
Her hands were quite small compared to his, but she didn't mind, instead choosing to interlock her fingers between his own as she stared at them both, absentmindedly observing this display.
Although his hand was still relaxed and straightened, it wasn't long before he too held hers firmly, largely overlapping her dainty fingers.
Like lovers, no words needed to be exchanged.
It was a form of communication, one that could only be understood by each other.
By those who shared a bond.
"Fu~…"
A satisfied sigh escaped Yue's lips as her gaze softened.
The slightly rigid, stale, and moody atmosphere surrounding her had dissipated, suddenly replaced by a silent but gentle delight, as if the bright sun had shone through dark, dreary clouds.
If nothing else, just this much, just the confirmation of his feelings that remained unchanged was enough.
"…You enjoying yourself…?"
Aziel finally glanced down at her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Even so, Yue paid it no mind and answered as she normally would, if not slightly more cheerful than usual.
"Mn…!"
From the start, she'd been prepared.
The words spoken straight from her lips, solidifying her resolve to remain by his side no matter the cost.
If he desired another, she would, in turn, have him love her even more.
Their existences were tied to one another.
Between them, it was something special.
The intrusion of Suzu meant nothing, and it wouldn't change anything either.
If her earlier outburst were due to insecurities, then now, the composure she displayed at this moment was due to trust.
Yue trusted herself, and most of all, she trusted the man she loved.
Aziel wouldn't leave her, but she also realized that she was incapable of monopolizing him for herself.
What had occurred earlier was bound to happen, something she had foreseen.
The dynamic between both Suzu and Aziel, she couldn't sever that connection.
The only feasible way she imagined ridding herself of an unwanted rival was just killing her outright, but that also came with the uncertainty of whether or not she could actually bury that white haired girl.
Thus, she had no choice but to give up that notion in light of the risks.
Still, this was a result she could accept, if not reluctantly.
Of course, this didn't mean that she suddenly liked Suzu, or was even cordial by any stretch of the word.
No, she would merely tolerate her existence for Aziel's sake.
This was her confidence.
Her steadfast belief that he wouldn't ever be taken away from her.
"Aziel…"
Yue turned her gaze up toward him,
"I won't let her have you."
"...."
"You belong to me."
"Right…"
A declaration.
A statement of fact.
A rather simple one as well.
However…
If one were to put it in even simpler terms, it would become a vow.
A vow of dedication and unconditional love.
Truly—
Till death…do us part.
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The rocky outcroppings of the labyrinth surrounded them as they stood in front of a wide opening.
A path of what seemed like metal mixed with smooth stone lay out ahead, leading into a vast room that made the three figures standing there seem like ants in comparison.
The jagged walls were lined with a mixture of bioluminescent moss and wild vines, emitting the same dark green glow as the rest of the areas throughout this floor.
From the path in which they stood; a circular metal platform that was equally leveled with the ground sat in the center of the room.
Its appearance, otherwise extravagant if not for the long patches of grass sprouting out at odd intervals from most of its crevices, seemingly old and unused.
Still, the trio only made eye-contact with one another as they came upon this scene.
"...There's no floor guardian here."
Yue finally spoke.
"True, and the entrance to the next floor is just on the other side."
Suzu chimed in, half-heartedly agreeing to the blonde vampire's words.
"It's definitely not that simple. It'll probably just pop out once we go further in."
Aziel stared into the room as he shed light on the most cliche routine, eliciting a nod of agreement from both of the girls.
Seeing as this labyrinth was exactly that kind of place, it stood to reason that his theory was more than likely correct.
After all, to even the strongest warriors living on Tortus, including the summoned heroes, any monster hiding in the depths of the true Orcus Labyrinth that randomly popped out would undoubtedly prove fatal.
Even on just their current floor, the grotesque Arachne that frequently revealed themselves from their nests were the size of humans, possessing speed unlike any other.
Their deadly venom and webs were enough to bring destruction to an entire city, much less a somewhat powerful resident of Tortus.
And seeing as the trio were able to dispatch such creatures without even the slightest bit of effort, it meant that they were on an entirely different level.
A stark contrast to the average level of strength in this world.
"Well, I guess we'll have to drag that creepy, disgusting, slimy son of a bitch out…"
"M-mn…"
"Don't…don't give it a description for god's sake…"
Both Yue and Suzu visibly cringed at the thought of whatever he described suddenly showing up.
Just imagining something slimy and even more grotesque than the spiders they'd faced so far pop up out of nowhere made them want to vomit.
The twinkle in Aziel's eyes made it obvious that he found their reactions somehow amusing, but the girls had nowhere near enough patience to try and correct his attitude at this point.
Soon, all three of them entered the room, walking past the extra-large corridor and treading the pathway that seemed unreasonably ornate.
The silent atmosphere between Yue and Suzu was no longer one of strain, but as though an invisible barrier had been erected that divided them.
They most certainly weren't friends and also couldn't be considered enemies anymore, if they ever could've been.
It was an awkward situation where they both acknowledged each other's presence, yet didn't know how to approach the other, nor did they have any desire to.
Aziel, on the other hand, showed no difference in attention to either of them, continuing on as though nothing happened.
Whether it was because he believed that it would naturally sort itself out, or he had some plan to speed up the process, no one knew.
Still, what really mattered at present, was the incomparably large magic circle that suddenly appeared across the room from where they were standing.
It glowed blood red as the geometric shapes contained within lit up one after another. Waves of mana radiated from it, overwhelming and suffocating.
If one thought the Behemoth of the 60th upper floor was huge, this one could only be called Enormous.
*GROOOOOOOOOO!*
The ground shook with extreme intensity, enough to knock an ordinary person off balance in an instant.
"This is…"
"Ah… this is gonna be one hell of a monster…"
The two girls watched on in astonishment, silently anticipating what kind of creature would emerge from the blood red magic circle.
However, since the theme of this floor had already been emphasized one too many times, it was obvious what sort of monster would appear.
And in no more than a few seconds later, they soon got their answer.
*KIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!*
An ear-piercing screech resounded throughout the vast room, echoing across the walls.
What emerged on the opposite end of the room was unforeseen.
A monster on the level in which they had yet to face so far.
Standing at almost 10 meters tall, a giant, no, a colossal spider stood imposingly on all eight legs.
Its menacing eight red eyes stared down at the trio with unbridled wrath, no doubt prepared to swallow them whole.
The monster's horrifying fangs clacked loudly, hoping to instill fear in those who dared oppose it.
But even without that gesture, one would be forced to realize solely from its size…that it was a creature that wasn't to be trifled with.
"Arachne Queen, huh…"
Aziel voiced, his eyes scanning the monster ahead with not an ounce of fright.
There was no reason to be afraid, nor were the two girls particularly alarmed by its level of terror.
The trio stood upright, staring what others would deem death itself straight in the eyes.
No matter if it was truly an abyss without end or an almighty god, they couldn't be shaken.
That wasn't their standard.
It wasn't their routine.
After all, the only option they had…was to prepare themselves for the battle soon to commence.
______________________
Listen, I don't think it's too much to ask for a few power stones, right?
No, wait, I'll tell you a scary truth before that though.
I honestly didn't think I'd post today, but I did.
Would you look at that.
I wanted to post one yesterday, but I ran out of time, so here's what you desire.
Anyawys, laeve smoe poewr steones for me.
I wonder how many of yall read that whole sentence while it was completely misspelled(lol).
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