From a Foe to a Friend

Everyone is busy. This is no good.

Kousuke noticed that everyone left the minotaur alone and fought each other instead. He, the minotaur, was supposed to block and then attack anyone who attacked him after someone damaged his left eye. But no one attacked him. So, the Giant Minotaur looked around like a lonely boy.

Luckily, Hal stunned him when that monster noticed I was going to take a shot. Otherwise, I might miss the shot.

Kousuke dropped his rifle and took his two 9mm caliber pistols on the table. He lifted them and made a cool pose. Then he directed his pistols and started shouting, “Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!”

Of course, the shouting wasn’t necessary. But why not.

The minotaur made an “x” with his arms and blocked some of Kousuke’s bullets. He would attack only after Kousuke was done. A passive event boss.

“[Weapon Buff], [Speed Booster], [Nailing Thrust],” Felis said. She also put her sword beside her right ear. She was going to do that, her ultimate move.

Arabella raised her hand and shouted, “Dekever’s Calibur, D. Calibur!” A blinding sword was formed above Arabella. It landed on her hand when she said, “[Stance Buff].”

“Abbado’s Blessing,” Felis said and vanished! [Speed Booster] made her speed close to the speed of light. While “Abbado’s Blessing” activated the power of that ruby stone on her sword: her attack skill wouldn’t miss and would be more powerful.

But Arabella had muttered, “Plot Armor.” And she calmly moved her sword to block Felis’ attack.

“What?!” Felis was halted all of a sudden, accompanied by a clank. Her sword just tapped Arabella’s sword.

“Lady Felis,” Arabella said. “I guess the miracle that was bestowed on Dekever’s bloodline is stronger than your blessing. Although ‘Plot Armor’ sometimes doesn’t work, we know when it can be effective. It can resist ANYTHING. That’s another reason why our duchy is powerful.”

Felis chuckled. “What an unpredictable miracle. But, unpredictability also kills people.”

“Is that necessary to say, Lady Felis?” Arabella caught on to Felis’ provoking intention and sharp tongue. Her father died due to unpredictability after all.

Felis spat her saliva out. “It is. I say so.”

Arabella’s gaze was full of rage. She grabbed Felis’ sword hilt and pulled her ear closer. “It can also destroy ANYTHING,” she whispered and touched Felis’ ruby stone. With a mere thumb, Arabella crushed the ruby.

Taking advantage of Felis’ shock, Arabella released her sword---it then disappeared---and swung her leg onto Felis’ head. One shouldn’t have aimed at a head because the consequences were usually more severe. So she was very angry that she couldn’t control herself.

Her foot slammed Felis’ head face down. The ground cracked. Felis’ eyeglasses also cracked. But fortunately, Abbado’s Blessing always worked for a while, even when the ruby stone had been broken. It saved Felis.

“Lady Felis. Did I ever sharpen my words to you?” Arabella asserted. “You may bash, criticize, or mock my decisions or the duchy. But not something personal or my family. My father, especially.”

Felis was quiet for a moment. “This is who I am, my lady. I apologize on behalf of the adventurer guild. However, a cringe person will be always cringe. We can repress how they behave, but they still cringe inside or meagerly change. So I myself won’t apologize to you. In fact, I would smirk at this moment and ask you, aren’t you a villainess, my lady? I almost got killed.”

Arabella surprisingly grinned. She replied, “I am.”

“So,” Arabella resumed, “we have reached a mutual understanding and accepted each other. We become friends.” She raised her hand around her mouth. “Oh. But you are probably going to retort, like, friends? Between whom?”

Felis glanced upward and met Arabella’s gaze. They smirked at the same time.

Arabella turned around and said, “Don’t worry about the ritual. We would stop if we can’t defeat that monster. Although I’m not sure about Sir Hal. I’m afraid he would sacrifice himself. For love.”

“[Air Freeze]!” Arabella showed off her new magic skill and used it repeatedly. It sounded like [Air Cut]. So she seemed to have a new addiction.

“[Charge]! [Air Freeze]! [Air Freeze]!” Repeatedly, the air above her became frozen and formed many lances of ice. Those sharp lances moved fast toward the minotaur.

When the minotaur was going to approach Arabella, Kousuke shot him. So he changed his target. But then Arabella shot him with her lances. So again, he changed his target. Over and over, without eventually attacking. What a dumb boss.

But he also let Kousuke and Arabella protect each other unconsciously. Sweet.

“God’s Hands,” Hal said calmly. The cubes around him united and formed two huge hands behind him. He put his hand in his trouser pocket. The wind also blew his crimson jacket. He looked like a chad.

When Rauf threw his lance of light, Hal’s huge hands swiftly moved forward and made a cover. Thus, they deflected his lance. Then they went back.

Rauf grabbed his lance and stopped his horse of light in midair. Hal also wasn’t going to attack with the huge hands. Why? Like in anime, it was time for a talk.

“Brother. Do you forget what happened to our parents?” Rauf asked.

“I do not forget that, Rauf,” Hal replied. He directed his hand at Kousuke. “But can you see? After that peasant damaged his left eye, that monster could be bled profusely. That’s his weakness, that peasant told me. This time, we won’t lose. That monster isn't divine at all.”

After Rauf glanced at Kousuke, he said to Hal, “As a duke, and a ruler, we should not break our own rules, Brother. We have to set an example.

Also, do you remember that we will get banished from this place if we break them?”

Hal looked frustrated and brushed his hair. “ARGH, Rauf! You’re damn stubborn! If you don’t want to be banished, then you can let ME be banished!”

Hal took out his hand from his pocket and made a swing forward. The huge right hand swung its palm to Rauf.

Rauf just spread his left fingers and shouted, “Light Shield!” Thus, a huge shield of light was formed in the air, and it halted the right huge hand!

However, it was all distraction. The left huge hand was already beside Rauf. Before it hit Rauf, Hal said, “Brother, I beg of you, please look after Flavia. I will endure the banishment.”

Then he raised the corner of his lips. “Now, sleep.”

BAM!

Rauf got slammed like a fly between the huge hands. His golden cross pendant cracked. It was an amulet that could save whoever was closest to it from a life-threatening situation for a while.

Then, the huge hands scattered. And Rauf fell.

Hal, on the other hand, once again, prepared to lose everything for his lover.

Epic.