CHAPTER 5: THE NEAR MISS

When Mine woke up, she had been expecting Sanfred to be standing over her. Instead, her eyes opened, and no one was there. The usual lack of ambience from the birds singing was absent as well.

Instead, just outside the shed, human voices were abundant.

"If you know what's good for you, show us some papers. Prove that you're delivering goods for the Empire."

Mine tensed up. She realized that Sanfred was out there, possibly surrounded by Imperial soldiers. That meant his life was at risk. Of course, it went without saying that her life was at risk as well. She was wanted, and the soldiers would see no reason not to steal her away to get the credit themselves. There was little time for her to think.

"I ran into some bandits the other day. They stole some of my supplies… including the papers proving my credentials." Sanfred was speaking matter-of-factly, with his typical dose of disinterest. Perhaps he would convince the soldiers if he played it cool.

Mine couldn't risk sticking her head out of the shed. She waited silently, hoping that Sanfred would ward them away. If she made a run for it, they'd catch up to her since they most likely had horses.

Then she got an idea. Her weapon was just outside the shed, covered in bags of salt. If she managed to get it, she could kill all of them. Even ten soldiers would be powerless against her while she had her Imperial Arms. The only question was could she acquire it quickly enough to assure success?

Outside, the conversation carried on. "You look like a professional liar."

"Come on," Sanfred protested, sounding bored. "That's obviously… not a real thing."

"Of course, it is."

"You don't get paid just for being a master liar. You still have to have an actual job position."

"A clever lie."

"What?" Sanfred pressed his hand to his face. "What do you idiots want?"

"We're taking you in. And we're taking these supplies as well. I have a hunch that they're stolen."

"You're arresting me off a hunch? Doesn't sound very professional."

At that point, Mine took a tiny peek around the shed door, so she could size up the enemy. She was startled to realize that there were at least twenty soldiers positioned outside, and they were starting to take their horses out toward the other side of the hill, to guard the area. Sanfred stood alone, and he didn't even have his sword. Mine moved another inch outward, so she could check for her rifle. It was where she remembered, and apparently Sanfred's scimitar was propped up against the side of the shed as well.

"We may be acting out of line," the soldier admitted, taking a couple steps forward, flaunting his muscles. "But we'll still be delivering these supplies to the Empire. We can twist the story well enough to justify our actions."

Sanfred nodded in impressment. "Oh! So that's what you mean by a professional liar! Like, an add-on to your actual job. You see that makes sense now."

That seemed to finally remove what was left of the soldier's patience. "Cut him down!" he shouted, unsheathing his own sword as well. Rather than waiting for his men to help, the soldier, likely a lieutenant, went for a swift thrust toward Sanfred's chest.

Instead of being skewered, Sanfred evaded the blow. He moved in short motions, but they were fast. The next thrust missed by the same distance. The attacks came from the left and then right, but Sanfred was ahead of them each time. His skills as a matador appeared to be on full display.

"You're a quick bastard," the lieutenant complimented. "Guess I'll just have to be faster!" Sure enough, he increased his speed and combinations, unleashing a torrent of swipes now.

But that was what Sanfred was waiting for. He was gradually allowing the attacks to move closer to him, while still avoiding them. Finally, he was so close that he grabbed the lieutenant's wrist holding the sword and locked his arm in place. Sanfred brought his knee in a swift blast to the man's liver, which stunned him instantly. It would only buy Sanfred a few seconds, but that was more than enough for him. He wrenched the sword free and slashed the lieutenant's throat, quickly ending his life.

"Oh damn!"

"No way!" The soldiers were shouting in confusion.

Sanfred just glanced at them and grinned. "I seem to recall your superior officer gave you orders. Cut me down."

That got them to refocus. The soldiers charged in on foot, as well as by horse. Unfortunately, they quickly crowded each other, making for a clumsy approach. Which apparently was what Sanfred was waiting for. He immediately launched toward the nearest rider, cutting the horse's lead leg, causing the beast to neigh loudly in pain as it went down. The rider was thrown off, crashing his head into the ground. Sanfred leaped off the horse and went airborne, aiming for another rider. His foot was up and delivering a kick which dismissed the man, and Sanfred took the horse for himself. From there, he pulled the reins and sent the horse charging toward the other riders, only to leap free of the beast before the collision. Most of them managed to get out of the way, but the chaos that erupted as a result still paid dividends.

Meanwhile, Mine growled to herself. She had to do something. With so much chaos going on, it was the right time to reclaim her weapon. After one last glance at the battle, she bolted out of the shed and slid on the ground by the Imperial Arms. She grabbed it and pulled it out from under all the bags, then took aim. It activated, humming to familiar life, and then she opened fire.

In one shot, she wiped out several of the soldiers riding the horses.

"Whoa," Sanfred muttered once he realized what Mine was up to. In fact, he stopped thinking about attacking and worried more about movement. When the next blast came, he was already pulling away, reaching the hillside just past the shed. Unfortunately, that cut off his retreat option… unless he tried another way. Sanfred dug his feet into the hill and sprinted upward, ascending the steep hill thanks to his great speed. Upon reaching the top, he chucked the sword down, catching one of the soldiers directly in the face.

Mine fired a third blast, aiming for the legs. Most of the soldiers fell to the ground, screaming in pain, no longer able to walk. "Serves you right," she thought out loud, suddenly pleased to have her power in her possession once again.

That put an end to things in a hurry. The few remaining soldiers were now simply running for their lives. Even so, Mine took aim and fired at them as well. If any survivors made it back to the capital, it would only make things worse for her. Best not to give them the chance. After a few more well-aimed blasts, Mine took them out.

"That was impressive," Sanfred declared from atop the hill. "Your aim remained competent, even after the past couple days of discomfort."

"Don't ever underestimate my aim," she said, glaring up at him now. "Now then, it's time to rediscuss the terms of our relationship."

"Oh?" Sanfred slid down the hill, landing several yards away from Mine. Even after the intense combat, he was strangely calm.

Mine didn't lose her focus as she kept her aim fixed on Sanfred. "I'm not going to be traded off to be married to some creep."

"Maybe he's a good guy," Sanfred suggested. "You won't know until you meet him."

"Any kind of man who wants to do something like that could only be a monster," she stated firmly. "Now then, I've started to grow accustomed to you, Sanfred. Don't make me have to shoot you."

He kept his hands up, realizing she was not messing around. "I don't think you will," he said calmly, hoping to deescalate the situation.

"You're fast," she admitted. "But you won't be able to escape my blast from this range."

"You are probably right," he replied.

"Not probably. Definitely."

"Kind of cocky."

"It's not cocky if it's the truth."

Sanfred raised an eyebrow. "Very well. State your terms."

Mine tried to think it over, while still keeping her focus on Sanfred's movements, in case he tried to break free. "I'm… well…"

"Take your time," he offered.

"Shut it!" She stomped her foot irritably. "God, why do you have to be such a jerk?"

"Says the one pointing a sniper rifle right at my testicles," Sanfred stated uncomfortably.

Mine winced in surprise, then moved her aim upward. Now she was facing Sanfred's chest, where the scar was visible still. And she felt her tension dissipate somewhat.

Apparently, Sanfred noticed her change. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" she asked impatiently.

The look on his face was unmistakable. "You're attracted to me. I probably never would have guessed it."

"SHUT UP!" She didn't hold back now. Her finger pulled the trigger, and a blast rang out, directly toward Sanfred. Even Mine wasn't expecting to have done that, and her mouth dropped in shock. What was more shocking was that Sanfred did not attempt to dodge. Instead, he was completely motionless, while the blast soared over… through him. Just underneath his armpit, in the gap between his arm and waist side. The blast inexplicably missed him.

"Whoa," Sanfred muttered humorously, like nothing even happened. He quietly walked over toward Mine.

Hesitantly, she lowered her weapon, still somewhat shocked over what had just happened. "I'm… sorry…" she stammered.

"Now, now," Sanfred said calmly, holding his hand toward the gun. "No need to worry about it. No harm done."

Even now, she was still thinking about it. How close that had been to landing. That blast would have killed him. "Wait a minute… why do I even care?" Inside, her turmoil was growing turbulent.

Outside, Sanfred just quietly took the Imperial Arms from her and set it down on the ground nearby. Then he stared at her quietly, looking right into her eyes. "Are you going to be all right?"

Mine didn't respond. She was still distraught over her thoughts. She had a crush on him, as stupid as it sounded. It was completely insane. By killing him, she would have become free to return home to Night Raid. But instead, she missed. And now she realized… she missed on purpose. That was the only explanation.

Suddenly, Sanfred took a hold of Mine's wrist. She struggled, slightly confused, as she expected to be captured and bound once again. But Sanfred was gentle this time, and he instead led her to the hillside just beyond the shed. "Maybe you should sit down," he suggested, guiding her over. They sat down together, letting their feet dangle over the side of the hill overlooking the small valley below. "Did you miss on purpose?" he asked her.

She wasn't sure if it was logical to reveal the answer. Her mind wasn't working at all right now. "Yes," she confessed, finding no strength to lie.

"That's interesting." Sanfred leaned back on his elbows. "I must admit I wasn't expecting it from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply.

"You're a fashionable doll assassin," Sanfred said, in his unfeeling voice from before.

"Don't call me that," Mine ordered, glaring right into his eyes. "I am not a doll. And just because I like to dress like this, doesn't mean that I don't have feelings, too."

"So, you admit it? You have a crush on me?"

"No!"

He pulled away, looking nervous for once. "Very well."

"Now who's being cocky?" she asked smugly.

"Not cocky if it's the truth," he pointed out with a smirk. "Those are your words."

Every hair on Mine's body was tensed up, and she was enraged. But her will to defy it had diminished. It was like arguing with herself here. She couldn't really fight that kind of battle. "Fine… it's true." She looked away, refusing to meet Sanfred's eyes after confessing it.

"Called it." Aside from his little victory declaration, Sanfred kept quiet. Now he was thinking it over as well. Strange as it was, he found her to be intriguing, in a way he hadn't felt before.

Mine was convinced she would accomplish nothing by even sharing her feelings. She just sat there quietly, figuring that eventually Sanfred would grab her and try to tie her up once again. Her weapon was several yards away right now. If he tried to take her prisoner again, she wasn't going to hold back. Next time… she wouldn't miss her shot.

Suddenly, Sanfred was very close to Mine. She wasn't sure when he even scooted over. It was like it happened in one swift motion. "Want to do something?" he asked.

Although she wasn't sure what he meant, she felt the wave of excitement sweep over her. Suddenly, the politics surrounding their meeting were no longer meaningful. All that mattered now was that he was there in front of her.

Mine was staring and not answering, so Sanfred took the initiative. He fetched her in his arms and lifted her up, ferrying her entire body until she was resting on his lap. Then he cushioned her back with his left arm and got her to look into his blue eyes. Even then, he didn't budge.

Inside, Mine heard two words. "Fuck it." With that, she made her move. She lunged forward and pressed her lips against Sanfred's, half-expecting it to be unpleasant. Instead, she enjoyed it immensely. He kissed her back, returning her passion. She hadn't ever experienced this kind of thing.

"Whoa," he said in a soft voice.

When she looked back at his eyes, she was expecting a mocking gaze. Instead, he looked pleased. And eager. It was the first time that Sanfred looked like a young man.

Mine didn't want to talk. She figured that she would lose the aura once she was returned to reality by even the slightest margin. Instead, she dug her hands into Sanfred's hair and kept his face against hers so she could kiss him some more. By now, she was sticking her tongue in as well, wondering if he truly felt nothing due to his taste and smell being extinguished from the curse. Either way, she couldn't tell, because Sanfred appeared aroused as well.

What came next surprised Mine. Sanfred repositioned Mine so that she fell into his lap, while he was sitting directly behind her. Now he had his hands free, and he took them in front of her and pressed them against her breasts. She nearly flipped out just from that. A man had his hands on her breasts. But she liked the feeling of it. In fact, Sanfred was moving slow, and that reassured her of the validity in her attraction to him. He hadn't struck her as a pervert before and it would be a shame if he turned out to be one now. Instead, he was more of a gentle lover.

After nearly a minute passed, Sanfred took it that Mine was okay with his actions. He massaged her breasts, moving from bottom to top, and working on her nipples. Even with her dress on, she felt each motion. Her moaning was an almost unconscious sound at this point. Part of her wanted to keep everything bottled in, but she was losing that battle fast. Even if she enjoyed this, she was not going to let Sanfred take her virginity just like that. It would be wrong to forsake something so sacred with so little resistance.

Just like that, Mine permitted reality to sneak back in. She sighed and nervously grabbed both of Sanfred's hands, hoping he wouldn't do something sinister once she said her next bit. "That's enough."

"All right." He held his hands in the air, immediately accepting the halt.

Mine exhaled in relief. She wasn't sure how to climb away from him without touching him more. Now, she just wanted to escape. The feelings were not far away, but she was embarrassed enough as it was having acted in a way she never had in her life.

Instead, Sanfred crawled backwards, giving her space. He rose to his feet and made his way over toward the shed, taking only a single glance at the rifle on the ground nearby.

Even so, that was enough to get Mine to rush over to it. She reclaimed her weapon and took aim at Sanfred.

When he faced her again, he just shook his head. "I imagine a lot of emotions are running through your mind right about now. But no need to point that thing at me."

"I won't be taken," she declared.

Sanfred squinted at her suspiciously. "Do you mean taken to the Empire or… taken?"

Upon hearing that, her eyes widened in horror. Enough embarrassment. She couldn't bare it anymore. "I'm leaving!" She kept the gun pointed at Sanfred while she slowly headed toward the two remaining horses. She unfastened the rope on one and tried to figure out how to climb while also holding her gun in place. It was clumsy, but she did finally mount the steed. The entire time, Sanfred stood motionless in the same spot, watching her curiously.

"Goodbye," she spoke, feeling her nerves vanish in a flash.

"Adios," he said in response.

Mine felt her insides get mushy… but she rode on anyway. To her surprise, Sanfred made no attempts to stop her.

In a way, she was disappointed in that as well.