Hello all and Happy New Year!
I said the same thing like two chapters ago... but this is, by far, the longest chapter I have ever wrote in all my fanfictions. Consider it my personal Christmas gift to you!
Just a quick answer here to Hakuryuu: I already considered a Hinowa ga Yuku! fic... maybe to celebrate the 100k I will come up with a short or long story in this universe, after leading all of my other projects :)
Please do enjoy this chapter!
When the nobles of the Old Empire had been arrested after the attempted assassination of Lux and the kidnapping of Airi, they had been placed in tower cells with a certain degree of comfort, considering their rank and the well-placed friends they had.
Their act of open rebellion, however, had changed that. As their forces had been crushed and their friends had abandoned them, they had been relegated to the underground jails of the royal palace like common criminals.
Lighted only by the torches in the corridor of their cells, with only a bucket to relieve themselves in, their arrogance and vanity had soon given way to fear and anguish.
There were about fifteen lords and nobles who had participated in this attempt at rebellion, and although their plan had been carefully worked out, it had failed.
As they ruminated and waited silently for the time when they would be picked up for trial that evening (or at least, they assumed it was evening, since it was their last meal of the day), they heard footsteps resounding on the stone slabs.
This puzzled many, or at least, those who had kept their lucidity and had not allowed themselves to be overcome by despair and bitterness, and who spent their time leaning against the wall, staring blankly or whispering incoherent words.
Warg Kreutzer stood up. This elderly but hard-faced man was one of the Four Great Nobles, the most powerful and influential Dukes of the New Kindom. Or at least he was, until his recent disgrace.
His son, Balzeride Kreutzer, was dead, betrayed by his business partner, Hayes. Balzeride was said to have twice the ambition of his father, but half the ability.
Arrogant, reckless, he was too eager to climb up the ranks, and it had been his downfall. His actions had not bothered Warg in the least, who had given him his assent, but only his failure had enraged him.
Warg had therefore tried, after the arrest and death of his son, to take his revenge. He had participated, in secret, in the attack on Princess Lizsharte and on the Capital by the army of the Old Empire by providing men and resources, without succeeding.
Later, he had also supported the plot to assassinate former Prince Lux Arcadia, and to seize his sister in order to resurrect the ancient Arcadia lineage, with the help and advice of an accomplice.
When their plan failed and he and the other conspirators were arrested, it was still he who decided to launch a surprise attack on Cross Field with the rest of their forces and drew up the plan to eliminate the Syvalles.
The footsteps ceased, and Warg approached the cell bars to get a better view under the torches.
A hateful grin twisted his face as he recognized the visitor who had just stopped in front of the cell bars, escorted by twenty guards in long black coats.
"You!"
He grabbed the bars as if he could bend them, his teeth grinding in rage.
"You traitor! You filthy shrimp!"
"Oh? Me, a shrimp? Ic am not the one who is forced to hide in a place as damp as it is dirty."
"Just wait until I get out of here. I shall tell the others, and the whole world will know that-"
"Get out of here"? My lord, I fear you will never see daylight again."
"What are you talking about? If you think you are going to stop us from speaking at our trial-"
"Trial?"
The hooded figure giggled with a loud, cruel laughter.
This laughter attracted other nobles of the Old Empire, even those who were drowsy, and crowded in with Warg.
"Ah, it is true that you are not aware of it. My condolences, my lords."
Warg frowned.
"For what reason?"
"You died trying to escape."
"?!"
The nobles stood there, stunned for a moment, while the guards drew their swords.
"You will take my secrets to the grave. But I will have yours before you die."
The figure turned to the guards.
"Take them to our new torture chambers... Beware that no one sees you."
One guard nodded, then inserted the key into the cell door before pushing it.
The nobles tried to escape, to struggle, but they were unarmed, while their oppressors wore armour and carried swords.
One by one they were dragged out of the black cell, screaming and begging.
Warg, who had retreated to the bottom of the cell when the guards had seized his acolytes, was the last. Hearing the cries of terror from the other nobles, and fearing the suffering he would endure before he died, he swallowed his dignity.
"Very well," he said. I yield. Spare me, and I will do whatever you want. Whatever you demand, I will do it without a fight, so..."
" Clearly, you are a narrow-minded man. I no longer need you or your services. You and your bunch of fools have served your time. The only service you can do me is to tell me everything you have been hiding from me and then die quickly."
" I will tell you everything I know-"
"Oh, yes, you will. But you will die nonetheless."
At these words, Warg fell to his knees. All arrogance had left him. He was no longer a nobleman, no longer a lord: only a man afraid of dying.
"Mercy. Mercy, please. I will give you anything you want. I will even give you my daughters, if you want to marry them to whomever you like... or even marry them yourself!"
If selling his own offspring would allow him to survive to get revenge one day, then he would still do it...
"I have seen your daughters. They have no chin, no teats and no wits."
With a sneer, the figure nodded to the guards, who grabbed Warg by the arms and dragged him, paralyzed with fear, to a fate far worse than captivity.
One week later, after the battle of the Syvalles.
Several days had passed since the burial of the fallen Syvalles, and the rest of the order and the entire Crossfield Academy were still mourning.
Every day the students went to flower the monument that had been erected for them in the Academy. Others also went to their graves to pay their respects.
There was a somewhat gloomy atmosphere at the Academy, but this collective event had also served to strengthen the Syvalles and the determination of the students to join the order.
Many of them had taken extra classes, either under the tutelage of more experienced teachers or senpai.
This sudden surge of volunteers (Drag-Riding lessons used to be considered fun, more than real training by most noble daughters) quickly put Relie in a difficult situation.
The number of teachers was clearly insufficient, and asking the Syvalles (themselves students) every day overloaded them too much. It was possible to call on professionals from the New Kingdom army, but few had the necessary pedagogy to teach the art of combat to girls from noble families.
It was therefore decided to give extra classes only to those whose potential and physical abilities allowed it.
Indeed, many girls, even if they had a high compatibility rate, were unable to bear the physical and mental burden imposed by the Drag-Rides; Airi was a very good example of this.
These volunteers, who unfortunately did not have the size to fight, were therefore redirected to non-combat units such as mechanics or Ruins research.
Lux, after further medical examination, was allowed to fly a Drag-Ride again and gave lessons to the most promising recruits.
As one of the strongest fighters in the New Kingdom, he not only taught them the essential piloting and movement skills needed in combat, but, by analyzing each recruit, he was able to give them personalized advices on how to improve.
This morning, he finished introducing a dozen girls to the management of the Barrier and Howling Roar on the Academy's outdoor training ground.
"Even though these techniques can save your life and repel an attack or an enemy, the best thing to do is to dodge, especially if you're fighting a Wyvern. The defensive potential of Drag-Rides in general is not their strong point."
"Oh..."
"Thank you, Lux-kun!"
The enthusiasm of her "students" made Lux smile. It had been a few days since Relie had requisitioned him, but he liked to be helpful.
"That's all for today. Any questions?"
"Yes! Could you tell us about your relationship with Celis-senpai?"
"Oh, yes! I want to know, too!"
"Me, too! Me, too!
"Err..."
The only shadow in the picture was that literally all the students at the Academy were asking him the same question, in different forms.
Celis' accidental confession, as they returned from the battle, had spread like wildfire throughout the Academy.
He himself had thought it was a dream, but two days later, as he heard Celis' words in his head over and over again and the whole campus was talking about it, he was forced to admit that it was reality.
So every time someone asked him that question...
"...errr, I have to go. See you next class!"
Lux was running away.
Of course, that was not helping: his mysterious refusal to cooperate only made the rumors worse and more outrageous.
Indeed, Celis apparently behaved the same way when asked the same question: their similar behaviour only gave the impression that they were in a relationship.
Lux had not had the courage to see Celis again since that day. To think that they had managed to clear up the misunderstanding between them a few days earlier...
This time it was not a misunderstanding, since Celis' feelings were very clear: the entire Syvalles order had witnessed it...
No, the problem clearly laid with him. Lux was aware of it.
After escaping from the horde of curious girls chasing him, Lux stopped for a moment in a deserted corridor of the Academy, uttering a huge sigh.
"What should I do..."
His feelings, Lux knew about them. He realized it the other night.
He was pretty sure he loved Celis. Not as a senpai, not as a comrade, but the way a man loved a woman.
But his situation had not changed. He was still a criminal... and even if the New Kingdom agreed to take off his collar, he himself still did not think he was worthy of it.
Nor could he, nor would he place that burden on Celis. What kind of a man would make the woman he loved suffer...
And yet, because of his inaction, he would still make her suffer, while suffering himself.
His indecision was a weight on his shoulders. The moment when he would have to make a choice was getting closer, and he knew it. But he still could not decide on the best course of action to take.
While Lux was plagued by indecision and doubt (paradoxically proving his feelings, as he certainly did not want to hurt Celis), Celis was equally conflicted.
While part of her was happy that she had been able to clearly express her feelings towards Lux without creating a misunderstanding, the rest of her being regretted having done so in public, this way.
The information quickly spread to her friends, who winked at her and wished her happiness.
The majority of the girls at the Academy, all of whom had to some degree coveted Lux, now considered him Celis' preserve and had given up (except Krulcifer, Lisha, Philuffy and Yoruka of course).
Tillfur had offered to have her make personalized engagement rings, while Noct had given her with a thumbs-up the coordinates of a weaver friend who specialized in wedding dresses.
His own father, Dist Ralgris, was not to be outdone. As soon as the news of her confession reached him, he had sent a long letter of appreciation to his daughter for her choice, as well as congratulations on her victory over the rebels.
Apparently, these two events had made him forgive Celis for what he had believed to be her slackening and what had happened at the White Days festival.
Dist also offered to arrange a formal engagement as soon as Lux agreed, to have his criminal necklace removed at the same time (he never even seemed to imagine he would refuse) and was looking forward to being a grandfather soon.
This torrent of attention towards her plunged Celis into total disarray. As a novice in love, she had not really considered what it meant to be in a relationship: she had only listened to her feelings.
Projecting herself for real into a future with Lux by her side, as a husband and father of their children, always plunged her into such a state that she would later blame herself for her perverse and impure thoughts.
Her biggest problem was that she had not seen Lux since that day, which worried her more than anything else.
That same morning, she gathered her courage and decided to confide her doubts to someone.
She was in the gardens of the Academy, in the shadow of a leafy tree.
"You understand... I think these are my true feelings. I have not lied about them. But... what I fear is that I may have put Lux in an untenable situation. After all, we explained ourselves the other day, and we cleared up all those misunderstandings... but I fear that I may have ruined our relationship again."
In front of the silence of her audience, she replied.
" I am not sure that he loves me in return. He may not see me as a woman, but simply as a comrade or a senpai. Maybe this is why he avoids me... because he is not sharing my feelings, and he has no desire to embarrass me or hurt me."
One of the chicks in the bird's nest she was addressing made a high-pitched squeak.
"Yes, of course I am also afraid of his reply. If he answered that he did not love me, I think... it would hurt me terribly. But on the other hand, I cannot help hoping... I am afraid of his answer, but to ignore it hurts me too. What should I do? Should I try to talk to him alone again? "I do not know if I will have the courage..."
Celis looked at the three chicks in turn, hoping for an answer.
"And then Father's letter was strange. It seemed like he was happy... I had never seen him write like that. Ah... why did I have to say that on this day..."
A few mels away, Sharis, Tillfur and Noct watched Celis languishing next to a nest of chicks with an anxious eye.
"Uwaah... it's worse than I thought."
"Yes. Celis-senpai seems really shaken up."
"... These two..."
The Triad let out a collective sigh, once again in front of the complexity of the relationship between Celis and Lux.
It was clear that, without a little help from fate, these two would never confess their feelings...
The Triad also coveted Lux to some extent, but knew full well that the opposition was too strong. So they decided to step back (this did notmean they would have refused if Lux had made advances to them) and take on the role of support for the clumsiest of contenders.
Sharis helped Celis, Noct, her, Airi (a forbidden relationship that despite this, she simply could not give up) and Tillfur, Lisha.
Nevertheless, as Celis had gotten a step ahead of the others (who, far from lining up to confess their feelings to Lux, seemed to be waiting to see how it would go with Celis, probably for fear of her answer), they agreed to help her at least give her a chance.
If Lux rejected her, then they would not insist... but they had to at least give them a chance.
Sharis looked at her best friend with a melancholic look on her face.
"We should help them..."
Sharis had decided earlier to stop stepping back and to be honest to her feelings for Lux, so as not to feel hypocritical anymore. But seeing them both suffering like that, she could not just sit back and do nothing.
"Yes. But it will not be easy. Given their condition, if we try to reunite them "by chance", they will run away at once."
"That's right... Celis-senpai is the queen of the escape in this kind of case."
Sharis smiled bitterly: Noct and Tillfur were right.
An indirect or stealthy approach, such as having them meet by coincidence, would surely not give good results.
At this stage, making them see each other or spend time together would not solve anything.
"I'm... pretty sure Lux has a thing for Celis."
As badly as it hurt her to admit it, Sharis managed to utter those words.
"Yes. This is blindly obvious, even to blind people."
"But in that case, why doesn't he say anything?"
"That's the question... we need to know more about his love affairs. He is a prince after all: even if he is purer than normally possible, he has already had at least one love affair, don't you think?"
Sharis thought about it for a few seconds. If they wanted to take action, they needed more information.
The only person who could tell them more about it was...
" Did Nii-san ever have a romantic relationship with anyone? Sharis-senpai, are you sure about what you are asking?"
From the look on her face, you would think Airi had just swallowed a lemon.
"...when you say it like that, it does seem..."
"Unrealistic."
"Impossible."
Noct and Tillfur completed Sharis' sentence.
They had gone to meet Airi, looking for information, and invited her to a tea shop in town.
Airi brought her cup to her lips, took a sip, then blinked.
"More seriously... You know the answer. Although Nii-san has had many candidates..."
Sharis noticed that Airi's tone of voice was reprobative when she said these words.
"... he never formally dated anyone."
" Perhaps he has, without your knowledge?"
"That's not possible. I'm monitoring him closely to make sure he doesn't-hm... to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Airi coughed, then changed the subject.
"What about you? Why do you want to know that? Perhaps you also wish to monopolize Nii-san?"
Airi's tone was only half joking.
With a forced laugh, the Triad explained the situation to Airi (although she was aware of Celis' involuntary confession).
"In conclusion... we don't understand why their situation seems to stall. We would like to hear Lux's feelings about it."
"Yes. But before we do anything, we need to understand why he's not responding to Celis' confession. If we force them to see each other and the problem is somewhere else... we'll only make it worse."
"It's almost as if Lux-cchi is opposed to any relationship, and he's holding back... so we can't get to know his true feelings."
Airi raised an eyebrow.
"You almost hit the bull's eye, actually."
"Huh?"
Airi's enigmatic answer took them aback.
"At this point, it is no use of hiding it anymore, I guess. Especially given the situation. I'll tell you why Nii-san is so... vague about his own feelings."
Airi folded her hands and paused, putting some order in her thoughts.
"The truth is, Nii-san has always decided to put aside his own feelings and not fall in love with anyone. It's not that he can't, but that he doesn't want to."
The Triad stood silent.
"But... why would he decide such a thing?"
"Because... Nii-san is a person who is very harsh with himself. He has his ideals, and most of all, he doesn't want to hurt others. He feels that he's already done enough harm to others since the fall of the Arcadia Empire."
"...Yet he's the one who contributed to the fall of tyranny, isn't he?"
The Triad knew that Lux was the Black Hero.
"Yes... but he still can't forgive himself for his mistakes. Furthermore, despite his heroic actions, Nii-san is like me, a war criminal. He has a huge debt to repay, and his status... does not even allow him to marry."
Sharis, Tillfur and Noct were stunned by this statement. They did not think his burden was so hard to bear.
"It's unfair..."
"Yes. Lux-san has done more for this country than most nobles who judge it, and yet..."
"So... If he doesn't respond to the feelings of others, it's because he doesn't want to impose his debt on them, but more importantly, he has no hope of getting married, so he would only dishonour them..."
Sharis summed up the situation in a whisper, while blaming herself inwardly.
She always thought Lux was just indecisive. She had never imagined that.
"But after he was designed as Lisha-sama's knight, and considering his brave actions... why do they still treat him like a criminal?"
"In truth, Nii-san has already been offered to remove his criminal collar and forgive our debt. But Nii-san refused. First, because he does not want to be indebted to the nobles by asking this favor... but also because he feels he is not worthy."
Airi looked down, speaking in a barely perceptible voice.
"Pardon?"
"Nii-san holds himself in low esteem, despite all our attempts to prove him wrong. He thinks that because of his mistakes, he doesn't have the right to taste happiness, and therefore refuses to even consider getting involved with anyone. You know, during his years as the Chore Prince, he received many confessions. He refused them all for this reason."
Airi finished her cup of tea with a sad expression on her face.
"That's why Nii-san is not engaging himself in any relationship. I think despite everything that's happened, despite all the people he's met... he still believes he has no right to love and be loved in return. And he also doesn't want to bother anyone with the burden he carries. I think the realization that he might have feelings for Celis-senpai made him ironically very sad."
A heavy silence greeted Airi's statement.
It took nearly a minute before Sharis came to her senses and stood up.
"Thank you very much, Airi. I think I understand Lux better now."
"Yes. Me too."
"Me too..."
Airi waved his hand.
"It's nothing. Honestly, it felt good to talk about it too... but if I may ask, what are you going to do now? For Nii-san and Celis-senpai... and you."
Airi's eyes proved Sharis she had seen through her.
Sharis pondered the question.
Lux was far too self-conscious and opposed a barrage of logical arguments to contain his true feelings.
If they wanted to make him understand that he was wrong... they would have to force him to confess his true feelings, so that he could no longer deny them.
While Sharis was thinking about it, he had an idea. Risky, daring, but one that would give Celis a chance... and herself.
"I have a plan."
She outlined it to her friends, who were stunned by it.
Airi finally broke the silence.
"Are you sure about this? If the answer Nii-san gives is not what you expect..."
"...I know. Whatever happens, there's gonna be a loser in this story. But I don't want to lie to myself anymore either."
For Sharis, hiding her true feelings was a hypocritical act: that was why she had previously resolved to fight her own battle.
But, on the other hand, it was selfish of her to want to monopolize Lux, especially if the latter had feelings for Celis.
Love was complicated, but Sharis wanted to act fairly. That was why she had come up with an idea that would allow her to be true to her feelings whilst at the same time helping her friend.
She was simply going to rely on Lux, and listen to whomever he would choose.
"I get it. To be honest, I'm a little worried, but if it's for Nii-san's sake... I won't stand in the way."
The next day, without wasting any time, Sharis went to see Lux while he was eating breakfast, for once without being harassed by anyone.
Even Philuffy, who usually ignored the flirting of the other girls, seemed to sulk this time. Sharis almost felt guilty about disturbing Lux's peace of mind, as he rarely enjoyed it.
While Lux was nibbling on white bread toast without much appetite, Sharis suddenly sat down in front of him.
"Hello, Lux."
"Eh... Sharis-senpai? Hello?"
Seeing Sharis' creepy smile, Lux had a bad feeling.
"I... can I help you?"
"More than you think."
Sharis folded her hands in front of her chin.
"Do you remember that... during the White Days Festival, I was supposed to have half a day with you?"
"...yes..."
Indeed, following the threats to which Lux and Airi had been subjected, it had been decided that they would each have an escort of at least one Syvalle. While Yoruka would guard Airi, the others would take turns taking care of Lux.
Unfortunately, before Sharis' turn came, Lux had been the victim of an attack and, because he had to recover in the infirmary, Sharis and the others had not been given this privilege.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you out on a date. It wouldn't be fair to the others, who also missed the opportunity."
Oddly enough, it did not reassure Lux at all.
"However, I would like you to do me a favor..."
"Eh?"
Sharis' gaze became piercing... but also, somehow, embarrassed.
"I'd like you to give me a sparring match. Wyvern versus Wyvern. This will be your way of paying back your debt..."
"Of course!"
Lux, surprised and relieved by the request, gave his consent even before Sharis finished his sentence.
Which turned out to be a grave mistake.
"...on the condition that the winner will have the right to ask the loser something, which the loser cannot refuse."
Sharis smiled devilishly, while Lux felt drops of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Uh... I..."
"But since you agreed, it's perfect! I'll meet you on practice field number three an hour after school's over, okay? Thank you!"
Before Lux could reconsider, Sharis went ahead and left, leaving him to his breakfast.
After the shock, Lux forced himself to finish his meal. He did not really understand what Sharis was trying to accomplish.
Even though he was not flying his Bahamut, Lux thought (without underestimating her) that he could beat Sharis. He would not even have to hurt her, but simply force her to exhaustion, as he did with his usual opponents in tournaments...
Nevertheless, doubt remained. Why did she impose such a punishment game on the loser if she thought she did not have a serious chance of winning?
Sharis was anything but stupid. It was possible she had made progress in combat, or even had a plan to defeat Lux.
Lux tried his best to figure out what that might be, but failed.
For Lux, the day passed at a snail's pace. Because of the fight, which surely contained a trap of some kind, and Celis' accidental confession that he still had no idea how to deal with, a certain anxiety set in, a feeling of uneasiness that he was unable to shake off.
Finally, after what seemed to him to be an eternity, the day (which he had spent thinking about all this without finding an answer) ended without any noticeable incident. Lux almost wanted something to happen to make him forget his problems for a few minutes.
True to his word, anxious but also curious, Lux gave company to his classmates to find the way to the training ground where Sharis had given him an appointment.
The third training ground was the farthest from the Drag-Rides hangar and the Academy locker rooms. It was rarely used, and was maintained by the students who were punished; it was rumoured on the campus that the only reason for its existence was to punish those who did not turn in their homework on time.
The weather was cloudy: the windy day had started with a bright sun, but the wind soon had brought dark clouds, which seemed loaded with rain, even to inexperienced eyes.
It was not raining yet, but Lux sensed that it was only a matter of time. Fighting in the rain did not directly affect the performance of a Drag-Ride, but it did have a strong effect on the visibility and agility of the pilots.
Lux made a detour to the locker room to get into pilot suit, but when he arrived on the field he saw that Sharis was already waiting for him with Noct and Tillfur. Unlike their friend, they were not in Pilot Suits but in casual uniforms.
"Hello..."
Lux, uneasy, greeted the Triad.
"Come on, don't look so scared, Lux-cchi! Sharis will be your only opponent, I promise."
"Yes. We're here as witnesses. We will not interfere."
"I'm glad you didn't back out, Lux. Come on, let us not waste time. I'd like to wrap this up before it rains!"
Lux nodded.
They both walked to the center of the field, then each took twenty steps apart.
Tillfur then spoke.
"Good. The training match between Sharis Baltshift and Lux Arcadia is about to begin. Fighters will have to use a Wyvern and the loser will have to obey a request from the winner."
Lux was not surprised by this. He had no intention of using his Bahamut in the first place.
"The fight will end when one of the fighters is no longer able to fight, or gives up. The referees alone will have the right to interrupt the match and decide whether or not the contestants are able to continue."
In other words, if Noct or Tillfur declared that one of them was no longer able to fight, the victory would go to the other.
Lux was not worried about this, he knew his friends would behave fairly.
" Lastly... there's no time limit."
"Huh?"
That last part surprised Lux.
Usually, all the Drag-Knights fights had a time limit. This encouraged many fighters to unleash their full range of techniques to win the fight as quickly as possible. Lux, on the other hand, used this rule the other way around, dodging and letting others get tired.
This way of fighting had earned him his nickname, the Weakest Undefeated, and the contempt of many.
Not setting a time limit, when Lux was clearly more enduring than Sharis, was tantamount to giving him an advantage...
(The further we go, the less I understand...)
"Do you agree to abide by these rules?"
"Yes, I do."
Sharis showed no hesitation.
"...Yes."
Lux nodded after a brief moment. There was only one way, after all, to get to the bottom of this.
"Summon your Drag-Rides."
Sharis drew her Sword Device when Tillfur gave the signal, then recited her password.
"Come forth, Wing Dragon of the crest which is the symbol of power. Fly in accordance with my sword, Wyvern!"
Particles of light appeared all around the sword of Sharis, then around her silhouette, before materialising her Wyvern.
Lux imitated her.
"Come forth, the Branded Wing Dragon which is the symbol of power. Obey my sword and fly, Wyvern."
His Wyvern, similar to Sharis', covered him, and Lux drew his Blade with his right hand, while he equipped his Breath Gun with his left.
Noct and Tillfur retreated to a respectable distance, then...
"Begin!"
Sharis rushed towards Lux, her face determined.
Lux made his decision in an instant. He would not hurt Sharis. Even though she called it a training fight, no one could be fooled: she just wanted to make him do something.
That way, Lux hoped, she would not blame him if he put all the odds in his favor. And to do that, he would just dodge and stall until she exhausted herself. That way, he would not risk hurting her.
Lux cleared his mind, and avoided the first blows of Sharis.
Thirty minutes later, the fight was still raging. Or it would have been more correct to say that Sharis was stirring the air with her blows while Lux was dodging.
On the rare occasions that she managed to place a shot, Lux would push her back with either his own Blade or a Howling Roar; he would dodge the bullets from her Breath Gun or let his barrier stop them.
For the rest, he literally danced in the air, demonstrating his superior Wyvern handling skills. Even Noct and Tillfur, who had already witnessed many of the fights Lux had been involved in, were speechless.
It was like a butterfly fluttering in the sky, while its pursuer tried in vain to catch it, let alone shoot it.
Yet Sharis showed no sign of discouragement. Lux was not surprised, but he was a bit worried.
With the violent movements she was making without a break, Sharis was burning up a lot of energy; she did not have Lux's stamina, and if she was not careful, she could lose control of her Drag-Ride.
(If this happens, she could...)
Lux shook his head and decided to change his strategy; he had to neutralize Sharis for her own safety.
He dived to the ground, recovered at the last moment, and released a burst towards his senpai, who avoided the projectiles by rolling over.
Sharis, her face soaked in sweat, smiled at him.
"So this is it, you're getting down to business?"
"Yes. Don't blame me, Sharis-senpai."
"Don't underestimate me!"
To Lux's surprise, Sharis dematerialized her Breath Gun and made a second Blade appear in her left hand.
They both moved at the same time, and a new dance began: the dance of swords and the song of steel.
The majority of Wyverns users chose to use a Blade and a Breath Gun for greater flexibility.
Equipping two Blades increased offensive capability in close combat, but reduced defensive potential and did not allow for mid-distance combat.
Lux, who initially did not understand such a change in Sharis, saw her true purpose after their first exchanges of blows.
She simply wanted to destabilize him by adopting an unusual style.
Sharis probably felt that fighting the way Lux knew would be riskier because he would be able to predict her movements easily.
She deployed all her talent and skill in a hurricane of blows, raining steel down on Lux.
Sharis, like most Syvalles, was overshadowed by her fellow comrades equipped with Divine Drag-Rides, yet this fearsome fighter who had been training since she was a child fully deserved her place in the Syvalles order.
She proved it to Lux, with her mastery of double Blades. Her blows followed one another without ever intertwining or getting in the way.
Without Lux's ability to analyze and predict the movements of his opponents, he probably would not have been able to hold against her with his Wyvern alone.
After a few seconds, Lux preferred to take his Breath Gun off his Breath Gun to grab his Blade with both hands and repel Sharis' attacks.
His mastery of the sword once again amazed his comrades. Lux was able to parry Sharis' blows with a minimum of movement from his own Blade, using only his ability of prediction.
"Oi, oi... am I dreaming? Sharis throws twice as many strikes as he does, but he stops them all..."
"Yes. She's awesome, but Lux-san is really terrifying."
Tillfur and Noct could not help but admire the talent of the two fighters.
(...Yosh, I get it.)
Suddenly, Lux's eyes changed. Sharis saw it and a shiver went through her spine.
Lux's eyes, which had been alert a few moments earlier, had just turned into two flints.
He had finished sensing and analyzing Sharis' movement patterns.
The change was immediate.
Instead of being constantly on the defensive, Lux began to fight back.
One hit. Two hits. Three hits. Which soon became four, five, six, then ten.
Before Sharis could even realize it, the tables had turned, and now it was Lux who was pushing her back under a storm of blows, as she tried to defend herself as best she could.
Using her two Blades turned against her: carried with both hands, Lux's blows were stronger, and she was unable to parry them completely with one hand.
It took Lux only a few minutes to understand the style that Sharis had improvised to try to beat him, and to turn it against her.
The worst thing, if one could say so, was that Lux used none of the special moves he had developed, such as Quick Draw or Recoil Burst: only his senses, his talent and the result of his daily training.
Sharis, exhausted by her previous attacks and Lux's blows to her unit, began to tremble under the effort.
Nevertheless, a smile flashed briefly on her face.
(Lux is far too strong... as expected. Everything is going according to my expectations).
Lux, unaware of his senpai's thoughts, was getting worried. Despite his dominance, despite the damage Sharis was gradually suffering, she showed no signs of mentally faltering.
He could feel that she was almost physically exhausted: her movements were becoming sluggish, her parries were slower, and she was panting.
Suddenly, the lines carved on the airframe of Sharis Wyvern became tinged with red lights, as it began to shake.
The first signs of rampaging.
Lux instantly stopped his attacks and retreated. Sharis tried to chase him, but had to stop, unable to get off the ground.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
"Sharis-senpai, stop! If you keep going, your Drag-Ride's gonna-"
"The fight... isn't over."
Sharis would not let him finish and tried to lift her cracked Blades, but ultimately failed.
Lux bit his lip and turned to Noct and Tillfur.
"Stop the fight! Sharis is in no condition to fight anymore..."
But to his amazement, Noct shook her head.
"No. The fight continues."
"What?!"
"It's not over until one of you gives up or the referees decide it's over. And as referees, we decide that you must continue."
Lux stared at them in amazement, while Sharis smiled, despite her trembling and the sweat dripping from her forehead.
(I must end this...)
Lux flexes his muscles, ready to throw his Drag-Ride to deliver a decisive blow to Sharis who would dispatch his Wyvern, but...
He noticed that Sharis, far from preparing for his assault, had exposed herself completely. It was as if she was offering her entire body as a target.
Yet her Drag-Ride continued to glow and tremble, a sign that she would lose control any minute.
By hitting her, Lux, rather than ending the fight without injury, could provoke a reaction with Sharis' Drag-Ride about to go on rampage.
There was no certainty that he could either save her or kill her instantly.
(... I can't take that risk. If she refuses to give up, then I'm gonna-)
"!"
Then everything came together in Lux's mind.
Sharis had it all planned from the beginning.
She planned that, for all her talent, she was no match for Lux.
If she had gone to such lengths, it was because she knew the outcome and knew she would lose control of her Drag-Ride.
And she knew, more than anything else, that Lux would rather give up than putting her life at risk.
Sharis had literally taken her own life hostage: either Lux would give up, or she would pay the consequences.
Of course, Noct and Tillfur were part of this conspiracy. All three of them felt terribly bad about using Lux's kindness in such a way, but it was the only solution for their plan to work.
And, of course, they had no doubts about Lux at all. They knew exactly what choice he would make.
Lux, on the other hand, was not angered when he realized their scheming. Instead, he was surprised... and scared.
What did Sharis want him to do, to go to such lengths?...
Lux had no time to think about that. Realizing that he was checkmate, it was better to admit defeat now and put an end to Sharis' ordeal, who was shaking all over.
"I get it. I give up."
With those simple words, Lux dematerialised his Wyvern.
"The winner is Sharis Baltshift!"
As soon as Tillfur proclaimed the end of the duel, Sharis imitated Lux and, overcome by fatigue, felt her legs dangling beneath her.
She would have fallen to the ground if Lux, who had run, had not gently caught her by the shoulders.
The anguish seized him when he noticed that she was still trembling under the effort she had had to maintain.
(Ten more seconds and who knows what would have happened...)
Sharis, who had seemed so strong and energetic all along, was now so fragile...
"I... Won..."
Despite her exhaustion and the pain that was probably plowing all her muscles, Sharis managed to laugh a little.
Strands of sweat-soaked hair barred her forehead.
Lux could not help but smile back at her despite the situation.
"Yes. You won, Sharis-senpai."
Plic. Ploc.
Lux felt cold raindrops falling on his neck. It was starting to rain, as if to tell them it was time to go home.
Tillfur, who came to help and make sure Sharis was ok, put her arm over her shoulder. Lux did the same, and together they helped her hobble back to the Academy.
As they walked in the rain that was falling harder and harder, Lux replayed the events in his mind.
(... the Triad is really, really scary...)
That was his conclusion after the setup he had suffered.
Despite her fatigue, Sharis insisted on telling Lux what he would have to do right after their fight.
Nevertheless, everyone went to take a shower and put on clean clothes beforehand; Sharis assured him that a good shower would make her feel better.
Lux would have preferred her to rest for the rest of the evening before anything else, but changing her mind proved to be impossible.
He was to met her at half past eight in the evening near one of the inner gardens of the Academy (the one precisely where Lux had seen Celis talking to a hedgehog), after dinner.
Lux could not help but wondering why she wanted to tell him what she wanted him to do here.
He complied, however, and went to the meeting place at the appointed time.
The rain was still pouring down, watering the open-air garden as well. The air was humid, but refreshing after the fight he had fought and the hot bath he had just enjoyed.
The Academy was strangely quiet tonight, as was the town of Cross Field, probably because of the rain.
The rain was absorbing the sounds, making people stay home.
Barely visible because of the lack of light, Sharis was waiting for him, leaning against one of the pillars in the corridor, surrounding the garden. Lamps placed at regular intervals provided poor but sufficient lighting.
Like him, she had donned her usual Cross Field Academy uniform.
She seemed lost in thought, and had a melancholic look on her face that Lux did not know.
He hesitated for a moment, then, in order not to surprise her, called her softly.
"Sharis-senpai."
Sharis looked up.
"Lux."
She had an embarrassed grin.
"Thank you for coming. I wanted to tell you, first of all... I'm sorry I did... all this. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair to you."
Lux had a wry smile.
"It... it doesn't matter."
"It does matter. But I want you to understand that... I didn't do it just for me, okay?"
Lux did not understand the meaning of Sharis' words, but she seemed genuinely hurt.
"I don't resent you, Sharis-senpai. I promise."
Sharis looked down.
"You're kind, Lux. Maybe that's why I..."
She shook her head.
" Leave it. As I said before... as I won our fight... I have the right to ask you a favor."
"Yes."
"And, whatever I ask, you gave your word that you would do it."
"...Yes."
"...Good. Then..."
Sharis took a breath, closed her eyes...
"...I want you to be my lover and go out with me."
Lux thought for a moment he heard it wrong. Yet there could be no mistake.
Sharis had pronounced the words clearly in a firm voice, despite her red cheeks.
But... did that mean that...
"Sharis-senpai... you..."
Lux stammered, then pulled himself together.
"You... you want us to pretend, like I did with Krulcifer-san?"
Sharis obviously was not expecting that question. She hesitated before going on, too.
"No. I want us to be a real couple."
"But... that kind of thing only happens with the person you love, right?"
"Because you think I don't love you, you idiot?!"
Sharis exploded, startling Lux.
"I..."
"Of course not, you didn't believe it! You didn't even think about it! You spend your time believing yourself unworthy of any friendship, any affection, any love! You don't think of those who suffer even more than you do! You think only about yourself!"
Sharis was almost screaming now.
At the same moment, a bolt of thunder tore through the atmosphere, illuminating Lux's face, as pale as if she had hit him.
This vision instantly calmed Sharis. She realized that she had been consumed with anger and grief, and that she had said unfair things.
She took several deep breaths and then moved closer to Lux. The sound of rain falling a few mels away from them drowned out her footsteps.
Sharis stopped one mel away from Lux and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry," she said. Please forget what I just said. It was... it was... it was stupid of me."
"…"
"But... since you're so slow to understand, so oblivious to this sort of thing, I will tell it you clearly, Lux."
Sharis raised her head and plunged her eyes into Lux's. She read the confusion, the sadness, the surprise.
"...I love you."
"Sharis-senpai?..."
"It took me a long time to understand and accept it... At first I thought it was just affection for a friend and a comrade. After all, I had at first mistrusted and doubted you. You embodied everything that was feared, the last male prince of the Arcadia Lineage..."
Sharis had a poor smile.
"And then, little by little... I discovered that you had nothing in common with the imperial family that I had been depicted as the absolute evil. You were helpful, kind, selfless, confident... whatever happened, you were always there to help us... to help me. Whether it was in everyday life, in our fights, or in our trials. You spent all your time giving of yourself or putting yourself in danger to save us. A true Prince of fairy tales."
Sharis sighed.
" At first, I put my feelings aside... I was a little like you, deep down. I thought I wasn't really worthy of you, and more importantly, there was so much better persons for you. I just stuck to my role of supporter, but I ended up regretting it. I didn't want to lie to myself anymore, I didn't want to deny my feelings."
Strangely enough, Sharis was calm. To finally be able to confide everything she felt to the one she loved was soothing, more soothing than she could have imagined.
"I thought I'd fallen in love with you bit by bit, but... I didn't. It was love at first sight."
She gently took Lux's hand, a gesture she would've easily made before when she wanted to tease him, but now it was taking on a whole new meaning.
" I have always loved you."
When she repeated these words, Sharis shivered. Now that she had been able to explain her love to Lux... ...those few words had a much greater weight, a much greater power.
"I love the way you're easily flustered. I love the way you smile when you're embarrassed. I love your courage, your determination never to abandon others in need. I love your resolve, your clumsiness occasionally, the way you look as sweet as you are. I also love your nasty habit of always wanting to sacrifice yourself for others. Do you get it, Lux? I love you just the way you are. I love you."
Sharis took another breath.
"So... like I asked you... become my lover."
Lux's eyes and face were impassive. Sharis was unable to read his emotions.
A second passed that seemed like a minute, an hour to Sharis.
Then Lux finally opened his mouth.
"... I'm sorry. I just can't."
He bowed his head, his voice full of genuine sorrow.
Those few words pierced Sharis' heart like daggers. Nevertheless, she did not falter.
"Why?.."
She knew she would regret the answer even more than her rejection, but she was not to give up.
"Because..."
Lux hesitated, calmly choosing her words, gently rejecting Sharis' hand.
"Because I don't love you..."
Sharis did his best not to give in to the pain that was tearing her chest and burst into tears. She had to hold on. Until the end.
"And why don't you love me?"
Without giving Lux time to think, she went on to ask more questions.
"Do you think I'm too much of a tomboy? Annoying? Repulsive? If you refuse to keep your word and do what I want, then answer!"
"No, I-"
"No? Then why don't you love me? I'm ready to give you everything I have. To give myself completely to you. Then why do you turn me down? Is there any reason you wouldn't want to spend your life with me?!"
"That's not it..."
Lux shook his head, haggard.
He hesitated to answer. Giving voice to his feelings would make them more... real, something he could not normally afford.
However... Lux felt he owed Sharis at least the truth. Out of respect for her, for her feelings, if he refused her love, to which he had been blind all this time, he should at least tell her why.
"If I cannot answer you, Sharis-senpai, it is because..."
The words stuck in his throat for a moment.
"...I love someone else."
Sharis showed no surprise. Why would she? She knew why. She had always known.
Something inside her, however, snapped in her anger, leaving her dazed.
"...it's, Celis, isn't it?"
She found the strength to whisper the name of her dearest friend, and her most dangerous love rival.
And then...
"Liar."
She shook her head, as if she refused to believe it.
"?!"
"It can't be Celis. I know she loves you, but you... here, look, you weren't even sure yourself."
Sharis did her best to look cold in front of Lux's surprised face.
"Even though she loves you, you don't love her. Want to prove me wrong? You never answered her feelings, even though they were crystal clear to everyone. And even after she admitted her feelings the other day... you avoided her, you kept running away from her. That's why I know you don't love her. Just admit it."
Lux stumbled back, like she punched him.
"That's not true... I..."
"Oh? Well, if it isn't true, prove it to me. Prove it's not a lie. Say it out loud: Say you love her!"
Lux opened and closed his mouth several times, finally letting out a grim laughter, which caught Sharis off guard.
"...I can't do that either."
"…"
"I wish, though. I'd like to say it out loud. I'd like to say it to Celis-senpai. I wish... but I can't. I can't tell her how I feel about her."
"Why?"
"Because it wouldn't do any good. Even if we share the same feelings, I'm a criminal. I can't marry, I'd only be a burden, and... I have no such right."
Lux looked at his hands like they were dirty.
"I'm not a hero. I've never saved anyone. I wish I could live up to my senpai, who always does her best, despite her clumsiness... who's always there for me... who's more precious to me than anything."
He clenched his fists.
"I would like to... but I can't! I can't because I know we'll never find happiness because of me!..."
Lux lowered his voice, and Sharis was shocked to see tears appearing in his grey eyes.
She had never seen him like this before.
"I... I wish I never met Celis-senpai. I only caused her pain because of my status... my indecision... my very existence. She would have been better...without me."
"You are wrong."
At that very moment, a loud, stern voice answered him, echoing through the hallway, despite the noise caused by the heavy rain that kept falling outside.
A silhouette appeared at the corner of the corridor facing Lux.
Celis walked forward in the darkness, until one of the lamps in the corridor revealed her. She, too, was fully dressed, and her face showed that she had been present for their entire conversation.
"Celis... senpai..."
Lux froze, as he could not believe what he was seeing.
(She... heard everything...)
Lux did not even see Sharis backing down, silent.
His eyes were fixed on Celis' face, who kept moving towards him.
Before he could say a word, Celis embraced him.
Her warmth, her touch, her smell he had already tasted before, overwhelmed his senses as he tried to understand what was going on.
Celis' right hand came to caress his head in a soothing gesture, while her head rested on his shoulder.
"You are wrong, Lux... you saved a lot of people, and you saved me..."
"!"
"You protected me, just as you promised. You lived up to your clumsy senpai... You are not what you say you are... I am glad I met you. So please, do not say such sad things..."
The wall that Lux had erected around his heart, this wall of cold logic and arguments, began to melt under the warmth of Celis' and her words.
"And again, you are wrong... I am sure we can both find happiness. In any case, I... I will be forever happy to be by your side... what about you?"
"I... I... I..."
Lux could not think straight.
Sharis' assaults, her own feelings, and the infinite love his senpai was showing towards him had destroyed all logical reasoning within him.
All the feelings he had suppressed, all these years, were now overwhelming him: the dam he had placed to contain them was giving way, while a thousand emotions were flowing through him.
Stunned by this violent stream of unknown feelings, Lux could only stammer a few words.
"Celis... senpai... I have the right... to be happy?..."
"Yes... Lux."
"With... you?..."
"...yes."
Unable to stop the overflowing tears, Lux broke down, crying in his senpai's arms, surrendering to her warmth.
They were tears of relief, of joy, tears of the fact that the person he loved had told him he had a deserved happiness. Something that he had forbidden himself out of reason, but that he had always hoped for, deep down inside.
Celis gently cradled him, her love for him so strong that she felt her heart would burst.
Listening to his conversation with Sharis, the latter's confession, Celis had finally understood Lux: she could see him now. Not the Lux she had imagined, nor the role he was imposing on himself: she now saw Lux as he truly was, and loved him even more.
Lux, still clinging to her, collapsed on his knees, but far from letting go of him, she went down with him, so that they found themselves further entwined, their knees touching each other and touching the ground.
"I will love you forever, Lux..."
Sharis, on the other hand, had retreated as soon as Celis had arrived without being noticed, her role being over.
She stopped a few corridors away and burst into tears, but unlike Lux and Celis, she was not shedding tears of joy.
She was crying a love she had always known to be impossible.
And yet, her plan had worked as planned.
She had orchestrated everything from the beginning: the request to Lux, their duel, her confession, while inviting Celis to spy on them...
And, as she had feared, everything went as she had planned.
With his back against the wall, Lux had finally revealed his true feelings... and his love for Celis.
Celis, who listened to her, had been able to heal his wounds, bringing them both the happiness and warmth they both longed for without admitting it to each other.
That was Sharis plan. It was what she had predicted. And yet...
Yet...
By coming up with this plan, she had hoped that Lux would accept her feelings for him.
She had hoped, by playing this do or die plan, one she knew to be a lost cause, that fate would smile upon her.
Even if she had been lying to herself, knowing full well that even if she confessed to him, Lux would not choose her...
Even knowing that, she had hoped. She had hoped, and when her hope was shattered, her heart suffered the same fate.
She loved Lux, but Lux did not love her.
In the end, it was all there was to it.
Sharis fell on her knees, her tears falling to the ground, and let out a long shriek of sorrow that remained unanswered.
And rain fell over the town.
Well... you noticed it by now but, I really like Sharis character (not as much as Celis but not so far). Why? I don't know (Tokyo Teddy Bear reference). She's not a main character, her own behavior is not really standing out compared to some characters... and yet, I really like her.
Sharis was conflicted, as she wanted to remain true to her feelings and not play the support role anymore. Yet, she knew she stood no chance, so she came up with a plan that allowed her to express her feelings to Lux himself, but, "in case" he did not accept them, to allow Celis to reach her happy end.
In a way, Sharis is like Lux, as she did not hesitate there to sacrifice her own happiness.
How was this chapter ? Did you enjoy it? I really wanted the feelings of Lux, Sharis and Celis to come out here and now.
At a certain point, the characters grow tired of misunderstandings and stalling situations, so big changes/events like this one happen... at least, this is what I wanted to depict.
On another note, I hope you had a good New Year eve (yeah I'm 11 days late, what about it?!) and that 2020 will be a wonderful year to all of you (I love you too, my silent lurkers that never comment haha).
I will do my best to bring you the best stories I can write for this year!
Just a reminder of the works currently coming out:
- Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut fic (this one)
- Doki Doki Literature Club! fic (slowly updating/writing)
To come later, after Bahamut fic is achieved:
- Date A Live (Nia Chronicle rewrite + short DAL stories)
- Probably a Hinowa ga Yuku!/Akame ga Kill fic
That's it for now. Do not hesitate to leave your feedback in the reviews to motivate me, or if you have any question (or just want to say my work is sh*t if you wish to, lol).
Take care and see you!