The Victory after Decades and a Sad Crocodile

“Peasant, can’t we take him down immediately?” Hal asked.

Kousuke dropped his pistols. He had no more bullets. “He’s gonna enter his second phase. So yes, we can. But even though we lower his defense with [Defense Debuff] and attack with [Physical Pierce], the Giant One-eyed Minotaur still has a high physical defense. Therefore, magic attacks are preferable.”

Glancing at Arabella, Kousuke said, “Speaking of magic attacks, that monster is going to attack anyone who spams them. This humble person requests you to help her, Your Grace.”

“KHUOOO!!!” The minotaur screamed louder than ever.

He raised his stalagmite and swung it down to Arabella. Although “Plot Armor” was working, Arabella still shouted, “[Blessing Shield]!” to feel safe. Hal also moved the huge hands to cover her.

“First attack pattern,” Kousuke said in a low voice. The silver trapezoid didn’t work anymore because it lacked MP. “He’s gonna swing his stalagmite up and down. So his attack range is narrow.”

The minotaur raised the stalagmite and swung it to Arabella horizontally. Hal quickly changed the position of the huge hands.

“Second,” Kousuke resumed, “he’s gonna swing it horizontally. His attack range becomes wider.”

The minotaur raised his stalagmite and now swung it diagonally to Arabella. Hal, once again, protected her.

“Third,” Kousuke said, “a diagonal swing. He only has those three attack patterns. He uses them randomly. Pretty simple, right?”

“MY DUMB FIANCE,” Arabella lost her patience. “Can you help us instead?!!”

But Kousuke shouted, “My lady! I love your angry expression!”

“[Air Freeze]!” Arabella directed her arm into Kousuke and attacked him instead.

SHIT!

Luckily, Kousuke rolled and avoided the lances.

“Peasant, do you know that miracles can be considered fractional attacks? Physical and magic,” Hal explained. “I can use the cubes as a physical attack, but since they also fly, they are magic attacks too.”

“That means we can end him immediately with a bam. Aren’t those God’s hands powerful?” Kousuke responded.

“No, they would break. The cubes aren’t sturdy enough.”

“Hmm,” Kousuke rubbed his chin, “let’s just spam him with magic skills, then.”

Hal gazed at Kousuke for a while. “Peasant, aren’t you the Saint of Immunity?”

“Yeah, I’m cool, right?”

“Before we slept together, I actually tried to break your body with the cubes,” Hal said, “that’s why I said it was so intense. But your body was very sturdy.”

“Very cool, indeed, I am,” Kousuke said proudly. But when he saw Hal smirk, he realized. Oh, SHIT!

Without further ado, Hal grabbed Kousuke and descended onto the minotaur’s head. He also raised Kousuke’s weight about a millionfold. He shouted, “SMASH IT!”

Amidst Kousuke’s “KYAAA!” scream, the minotaur’s head became deformed, but strangely it got back like in a cartoon. However, because the smash was so hard, it still managed to shake the ritual field!

The minotaur touched and rotated his forehead. He looked in pain. Then he turned around and jumped into the water. He never came back.

Everyone in the World of Library was stunned. Then they shouted for joy.

Unbelievably, they won. After decades.

***

Mochita walked like a puppy again. He strolled around the ritual field and saw a crocodile sitting on the edge of the field.

That crocodile made a curve with his body: he looked sad. He also sighed.

“Hey, friend,” Mochita greeted.

The crocodile glanced at Mochita and looked down at the water again. “Oh, hey, good doggo.”

Mochita tilted his head. “Do you know me, friend?”

“A dolphin asked me where to find grass. When I asked him why, he told me about you,” the crocodile said. “Surprisingly, he was normal. He wasn’t edgy and didn’t have a purple dorsal fin like the other dolphins.”

“Purple?”

“Yeah, strange, right? Are they evolving? Who knows. I’m just a crocodile, not a human.”

“I see,” Mochita sat beside the crocodile. “So what happens to you, my friend? You look sad.”

The crocodile sighed again. “Recently, my girlfriend and I bicker almost every day. For example, I like bull buffalos because they are so thick when I chew them. So when she asked for food, I brought her one. But she cursed at me for no reason.”

“Hmm,” Mochita stuck out his tongue, “why?”

“Right?” the crocodile looked at Mochita for a moment. “She also wanted to swim somewhere exciting, so I brought her to this town. Isn’t it exciting when we fall from that waterfall? But she cursed at me again.”

“My friend,” Mochita said, carefully, “sometimes, it’s not about food or waterfall, but an underlying problem. Sorry if I’m wrong. Did you ask her about what she wanted? My master’s fiance was busy with his own world. But now he starts to care. How lovely.”

“Ah...” the crocodile came to a realization. “You are right. I’m ashamed. I should have asked her what she wanted to eat or where she wanted to go. I guess I was too dominant. Maybe she also had some good ideas that I never thought of before.”

The crocodile looked excited. He hastily approached the water, he was going to swim, but before he left, he turned around and said to Mochita, “Doggo, you are indeed a good dog. Thanks, friend. If we meet again one day, I will treat you something. Ah, wait, what do you want?”

Mochita shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, my friend. But fishes are okay. My master loves them.” Then he raised his right paw and waved it. “See you, my friend, until we meet again.”

The crocodile smiled (revealing his teeth), waved his front leg, and jumped into the water. Now it became clear that something ominous affected some animals. And why purple? Anomaly? Nobody knew at that time. But at least, the crocodile would reconcile with his girlfriend and his story would be wholesome romance.

***

A day passed after the victory.

Everyone was at the shore where Scolastica’s ship docked, except Felis. She needed new eyeglasses.

Adelina rode Mochita, and they went into the main deck by a nearby cube. Zaracas greeted them, while Scolastica just peeked at everybody else on the shore. She saw Flavia who cried and hugged Hal.

Flavia buried her face on Hal’s chest. “Hal!!!” Flavia protested. “Why do you have to go? What’s the point if we become separated!!”

Hal pushed away Flavia and said, “With your miracle, we can still see each other again in the future, Your Holiness. And more importantly, you don’t have to sacrifice yourself anymore.”

They gazed at each other for a while. And then they kissed.

Damn it. I’m jealous.

Kousuke moved closer to Arabella and whispered, “My lady, don’t you think that’s sweet? So I wonder if I can kiss you later. To celebrate our victory. Don’t you feel happy and want to hug someone?”

Arabella just smiled. She then whispered to Kousuke without looking at him, “Let’s save that for our wedding, my fiance.” Emotional damage!

Haven’t we become much closer??

She didn’t look at Kousuke because she focused on that couple’s kiss. Hal had to lower his head because Flavia was short, although Flavia already stood on her toes. But it was still sweet.

“Don’t forget to visit me, Your Holiness,” Hal requested.

“OK!! I will visit you every day, although you suck!!”

He raised his hands, and many cubes flew to the passageway. He decided to go with Kousuke because he had been banished. Hal’s miracle was manipulating the weight of anything he, or the cubes, touched. So with the cubes inside the ship, he could make Scolastica’s ship fly!

Like God’s miracles that can reach anywhere, a saint or saintess’ miracle can also work remotely. That’s why although Hal is far away, this town won’t sink.

Well, if he has a child, he can also share his burden because a saint’s child may inherit their parent’s miracle.

Oh, shit. Hal and Flavia are going to do it on the ship, aren’t they?!

“[Anti Gravity],” Kousuke and Arabella chanted. They were able to leap to the main deck because [Anti Gravity] could reduce gravity.

Before he stepped on a cube and went to the ship, Hal looked at his twin brother Rauf. “Goodbye, Brother. I wish you meet a woman who can make you flexible. So you will break those goddamn rules and pass on your miracle to your offspring.”

Rauf just chuckled. “If I get drunk and make a mistake, it doesn’t count as intentionally breaking the rule, Brother. It can’t be helped.”

“You are actually a sly one, Rauf.” Hal chuckled.

Rauf and the knights bowed. Hal waved as the ship was levitated. And Flavia just clasped her hands and smiled.

Finally, Kousuke and Arabella could go to the floating island. What would they encounter? Would Kousuke get a kiss? Who knew.

[End of “The Man Who Teaches Me Love, Even BL” Arc.
Next Arc: “I See You Again”]