Hiro’s gaze was fixed on Constantine’s blade, which reflected a dark, metallic light in the dimness of the house.
Black.
His blade is completely black.
He suddenly started moving, completely ignoring Constantine as if he did not even exist, walking calmly out of the house with measured steps that betrayed no urgency.
He stopped about two meters from the entrance, staring at the cobblestone ground with intense concentration.
“Do not test my patience any more than you already have.”
Then he slowly turned back toward Constantine, looking him up and down several times.
“I hate being followed without my consent or knowledge.”
He paused.
“Cassian has absolutely no need for your safety or your protection the way you seem to think, because we are already very good together.”
His voice dropped lower.
“Cassian and I are extremely close, you see. We wake up together every morning, we eat together at every meal, we spend the day together, we sleep together every night in the same bed.”
He let the silence stretch uncomfortably.
“We press ourselves against each other like lovers.”
Another calculated pause.
“And much more than that.”
He pronounced those last words with deliberate slowness, letting them resonate in the stagnant air, each syllable weighing heavily to create implications that the imagination could fill in.
Let him think what he wants.
Let him imagine what he wants.
Constantine’s jaw visibly clenched.
“I have more than enough of listening to you talk.”
He discharged mana into his legs, creating a bluish electric glow, then executed an instant dash that propelled him behind Hiro in a fraction of a second.
CLANG.
Hiro had blocked the attack with his sword without really moving from his initial position, as if he had anticipated exactly where Constantine would strike.
Constantine immediately pivoted, launching a series of rapid and precise strikes that would have overwhelmed most ordinary fighters.
They exchanged several sword blows in a deadly ballet where neither managed to get past the other’s defense for several long seconds that stretched like minutes.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
The metal sang with every impact.
Finally Hiro stepped back slightly to readjust his position and regain better balance.
Constantine immediately noticed the retreat and decided to apply more aggressive pressure on Hiro by advancing quickly.
He is losing ground.
Keep pushing.
But Hiro suddenly advanced toward him instead of continuing to retreat as Constantine had logically expected.
What?!
Hiro stopped his attack halfway to provoke a useless defensive parry from Constantine, who instinctively raised his blade.
Then he really attacked this time, much faster and from a completely different angle.
Constantine’s blade slid dangerously along Hiro’s toward his exposed hand.
Hiro gave a sharp sideways snap to violently deflect the blade before it could touch his skin.
They both stepped back simultaneously.
Constantine slowly slid his free hand along his black sword without ever taking his intense gaze off Hiro.
The sword began to crackle with visible electric energy, luminous arcs running across its entire metal surface in a complex network of bluish light.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
He is impressive.
A rank C adventurer who defends this well against me.
With the exact same sequence of strikes, I would have beaten anyone else of the same rank without difficulty.
What makes him different?
Hiro observed the crackling sword attentively.
So this is what a rank B looks like.
He is indeed strong.
But strong does not mean invincible at all.
He clearly saw the red marker floating above Constantine’s head.
Red.
But I am not too worried.
I have already defeated plenty of enemies marked red before.
Red perhaps simply means he is slightly stronger than me.
Not exactly the same level but close enough to be considered a manageable challenge.
There is perhaps a small possibility that he is much stronger than me.
But I do not really believe that.
Our exchanges of blows have allowed me to correctly judge my opponent.
He is not an unmanageable or insurmountable threat.
Constantine discharged mana into his legs again and executed an instant dash toward Hiro while sweeping the ground with his electrified sword.
Hiro jumped vertically several meters into the air to completely dodge the attack.
He did exactly the same thing again.
I was not expecting that.
I had blocked the first time so I logically thought he would not try the same approach again.
I was negligent.
And now I am completely vulnerable in the air with no foothold.
Constantine immediately leaped after him with his sword pointed directly at Hiro’s chest.
It was obviously predictable.
Literally a golden opportunity not to miss.
Anyone would do the same.
Hiro pointed his sword toward Constantine who was rising rapidly.
“Lava Eruption.”
From the tip of the sword, a massive jet of liquid lava was projected with explosive force.
Constantine was forced to twist in the air to dodge the lethal projectile, which completely threw off his trajectory toward Hiro.
His blade nevertheless touched Hiro’s for a fraction of a second.
He immediately sent a powerful electric current that traveled the entire length of the metal sword.
Hiro’s hand became completely numb and paralyzed, preventing him from aiming properly at Constantine who was now exposed and vulnerable to the still-active lava jet.
They both landed heavily on the cobblestone ground.
Irritation was clearly visible on both their faces with clenched jaws and dark looks.
Perhaps I should really give it my all.
Stop underestimating him.
They both thought the exact same thing at the same time, displaying tense smiles that revealed their teeth clenched in annoyance.
The metallic noise of their confrontation had gradually attracted the attention of the residents of the surrounding houses.
Faces appeared at windows.
Doors cracked open cautiously.
A dog had been barking frantically for several minutes already without interruption.
Constantine and Hiro both knew it.
We have to stop now.
Before this goes too far.
The guild strictly forbade murder between registered adventurers under penalty of extremely severe sanctions including permanent expulsion and potentially imprisonment.
They risked severe punishment if one killed the other.
Especially in front of civilian witnesses who could testify.
Constantine slowly sheathed his sword with a deliberate movement.
“You have gotten yourself into very big trouble today.”
He turned on his heels and walked away quickly.
I am going to report him for murder as soon as I reach the guild.
Let them send investigators to check this house.
Let them find the body he massacred.
---
Constantine arrived in front of the guild’s large imposing building a few minutes later.
Then he stopped dead on the steps.
Wait.
Why exactly did I come here?
I had left Cassian and Charlotte to discreetly follow Hiro.
And now I am here.
To do what again?
He scratched his head in confusion.
It was something important.
A specific task I absolutely had to accomplish.
But I cannot remember it at all.
He shrugged.
It was perhaps nothing important after all.
If it was really crucial I would remember.
He went back down the steps, deciding to go find Charlotte.
---
It was late now.
Night had completely fallen over Veritas with only a few streetlamps faintly illuminating the deserted streets.
Everyone was sleeping peacefully in one of the rooms of the guild lodging.
Cassian was methodically exploring the lodging, opening every drawer, every cupboard, every closet with a curiosity that bordered on absolute boredom.
I have nothing else to do anyway.
It had not been very long since Hiro, Lena, and Lucia had gone to bed.
I want to wait a little longer to make sure they are really deeply asleep.
That they will not come looking for me like the last times.
So she explored, occasionally finding food hidden in completely improbable cupboards.
Cookies behind the plates.
Cheese in the linen closet.
Who stores food like that?
She opened a large closet near the entrance.
The maid outfit.
Yes, Master ?
Shock.
Total incomprehension.
What is this doing here?!
How is this possible?!
She frantically looked around to check if she was alone.
No one.
Am I the only one who found it?
Or has someone else seen it too?
She began to seriously wonder if this outfit was following her like a walking curse.
It spawned in the closet.
That is the only logical explanation.
The outfit is actively stalking me.
She quickly pulled the outfit out of the closet, holding it at arm’s length as if it were something radioactive.
This is a very bad hiding place here.
Anyone could open this closet.
Absolutely no one else must ever see this.
Especially not Hiro.
Or Lena.
Or Lucia.
Or anyone else in this world.
She briefly thought of throwing the outfit out the window into the street below.
But it would probably come back.
If it can spawn in a closed closet, it can certainly return after being thrown out.
It is exactly the kind of persistent curse that refuses to disappear.
She desperately searched for a better hiding place while sweeping her gaze across the entire room.
A large massive wardrobe against the wall.
Perfect.
Cassian hurled the outfit with force above the wardrobe where it landed with a muffled thud.
There.
No one will be able to find it up there.
No one here is tall enough to look above this wardrobe.
Even Hiro who is the tallest in the group could not see without climbing on a chair.
She let out a long sigh of relief.
Later, after waiting another twenty minutes to be absolutely certain that everyone was deeply asleep, she cautiously entered a free room.
Finally.
I will be able to sleep alone peacefully without waking up surrounded by people.
She slipped under the covers that smelled clean and fresh.
The night passed quietly without interruption or unwanted intrusion, gradually giving way to morning with its first rays of sunlight filtering through the partially open curtains.
Cassian slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the light.
She moved her arm slightly to stretch.
No one.
Perfect.
Exactly as I wanted.
Alone in my bed with no one pressed against me.
But something was wrong.
Something she could not immediately identify.
She did not feel fresh for the day that was beginning.
Not rested.
Not energized.
Strange.
Yet the last two nights when I woke up surrounded by everyone, I had the impression I had slept incredibly well.
Better than I had slept in weeks.
She shifted slightly on the bed, changing position.
What exactly is wrong?
In all the rooms, the beds are exactly the same.
The same mattress quality.
The same pillows.
The same blankets.
What was different those last two nights?
She sat up in bed, thinking intensely.
The others were there.
Hiro.
Lena.
Lucia.
But especially…
Slowly, the realization began to seep into her mind like an obvious truth she had refused to see.
Could it be… Hiro?
Do I sleep better when he is near me?
No.
No no no.
That is ridiculous.
Completely absurd.
It cannot be that.
But she could not ignore the fact that the two best nights of sleep she had had recently were exactly those when she had woken up with her head resting against Hiro’s chest.
Fuck.
It really is that.
I sleep better when that idiot is there.
She suddenly lay back down, staring at the ceiling with an expression oscillating between disbelief and annoyance.
What exactly does that mean?
Why would my body react like that?
Why him specifically?
She closed her eyes, trying not to overanalyze this troubling discovery.
It is probably just a coincidence.
Two nights do not constitute a sufficient statistical sample to draw definitive conclusions.
I am going to sleep alone again tonight.
And if I sleep badly again, then…
She refused to finish that thought.
