Nikushimi

  Chapter 5:

  Dinner Invitation

  Elizabeth had been nervous when she had awoken once more. She could still feel his blood on her hands. Still feel his warmth leave his body. What was a world without him in it? What did it matter if he was not alive?

  The world could burn to ash so long as he remained. There was a time when she would have thought otherwise. Where she would have continued to try and make the world a better pce, but without him it was just a bittersweet existence. Her countless victories mattered not when he was not there to greet her when she returned.

  His smile, his touch, his ugh. All of it gave her life. After a while, she couldn't live without him. The worlds in which he died were dull. A drab imitation of what could be. She lost the will to fight. To survive.

  She couldn't care less about the countless others in the world. He gave her meaning. The only thing that kept her remotely humane, was the fact that he would be upset if she wasn't. Oh, but how she took great pleasure in dissecting those who got in her way. Woe to those who harmed him.

  "My Lucas..." Elizabeth cooed, caressing one of the many photos she had of him pstered to the walls of her private room, "This time, I'll make sure you live. I'll succeed this time...with you by my side. This rotten world...I'll never know why you wanted to save it, but...if it is your wish, I'll make it come true."

  Her eyes held a heavy fervor of obsession. He was hers. She didn't go through all that she did just to lose him. Not again.

  "Not again..." She mumbled as if in a trance, biting her lower lip, "Ah...That's right."

  She smiled deeply, lifting her fingers to her lips. She forced herself to stop, recalling earlier today. He was just like how he always was, and it was adorable how he reacted once he realized what he had done. Her heart fluttered wildly, and soon she lost herself to pleasure while thinking about him.

  She could still recall his scent and feel his touch. It was enough to send her over the edge. It had been so long since she had actually felt him. She had stayed by his side at first when she began to regress, but being so close to her put him in danger. No matter what she tried.

  This was early on, but it soon weighed on her and she began distancing herself. Watching from a distance. He lived longer, but always met with death or...she would die before she could accomplish what she needed to. The st time was the final straw.

  She moaned his name, ecstasy running through her body. As she came down from the high of it all, she recalled how happy she was when he almost immediately figured out what she was. It made things a little easier to expin things to him, but also worrisome. She saw the signs of it and had been prepared just in case. It was the first time he recalled anything, even if it was vague.

  Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth composed herself. She had become overwhelmed seeing him again, holding herself back, but now...now she had work to do.

  -----

  "The Captain seems in high spirits today," The Archer commented, taking a deep drink of water before wiping his face with the sleeve of his tunic, "You think something happened?"

  The Zero Squad of Aegis was currently in the dungeon, Mothar's Pin. It was recently discovered in an abandoned hospital in District 3 of City W. Its strength had been measured at A-Rank, but despite that, Zero Squad was at ease. There wasn't much for them to do.

  The party consisted of five members. Richard the Deadeye. An Archer with a penchant for always hitting their mark. A middle-aged man with dark, greying shoulder length hair tied back in a small ponytail. Sun tanned skin and sky-blue eyes with a considerably bulky build for an Archer.

  He was a veteran Pyer active since the beginning. His astute sense helped to defend against ambushes and so was a bit keen on even subtle changes around him.

  Ailyah the Silver. She gained this moniker due to her unnaturally silver hair, despite her young age, as well as silvery blue eyes. It was quite on the nose for a name, but she took to it in stride. Many individuals during the first break underwent changes that drastically altered their appearances. Ailyah was the teams support with the buffs she offered.

  She is a carefree individual with mahogany skin and a slight addiction to sweets. This caused her to be a slightly pudgy woman, but nothing she didn't own. She enjoyed her life, and that's all that mattered to her.

  There were two others, besides the leader, who weren't part of the normal squad. These two individuals were newly awakened Pyers who they were put in charge of. Trevor and Priscil. Two siblings, twins, who were just 20-years old. Soft brown hair and smooth, fair skin with freckles across their faces. Priscil had green eyes while her brother, Trevor, held a hazel hue.

  There was an innocence to them that Ailyah and Richard almost envied.

  "Are you sure, Ricky?" Ailyah asked curiously, biting down into a creampuff with delight, "She seems like the typical Captain to me."

  "Are you sure about that?" Richard asked, looking towards where their leader was.

  The group of four, who had been sitting on a nearby rock outcropping, gnced in the same direction. The newbies eyes were wide in both awe and fear. Before them was a scorched nd that was once filled with luscious waist-high grass. Blue and green fmes licked at the corpses of a horde of ogres, rge creatures standing twice the height of the tallest human. Their rge muscles proved fruitless under the oppressive force of their leader.

  Standing amongst the smoldering nd and corpses, among a small hill, was Elizabeth Falcrest. Cd in dark pte armor that somehow didn't subtract from her beauty. Its dark metal shimmered a deep green. Her teal-colored hair flickered with the same fme that burned around her, as if it was a part of her. The same fmes flickered along the elegant bde of the slightly curved sabre in her right hand.

  "Well, I admit it is quicker than normal," Ailyah stated, finishing off her creampuff, "But isn't this normal? She's always been efficient."

  "We were supposed to train the newbies," Richard pointed his thumb at the two of them, "How are we supposed to do that when she killed the boss already? It's only been thirty minutes."

  The small hill that Elizabeth was standing on, was none other than the leader of the Ogres. An A+ Ranked monster known as an Ogre Lord. In other parts of the world, they're known as Kijin. They had barely trekked into Mothar's Pin, when she had told them to keep up. Ailyah began to realize that Richard was right, she did seem in a better mood than normal. Usually, she doesn't even tell them to keep up.

  "Hmm, I wonder what it is?" Ailyah thought to herself, nonchantly dusting her hands off and jumping from her rock, "Well, no point in thinking too hard about it. The dungeon will be closing soon. Let's get the cores. At the very least, the newbies can learn how to harvest."

  As the four of them began to collect what was needed, they couldn't help but wonder what their leader was thinking about, staring off into the distance as if taking in her achievement. Their admiration, especially the newbies, grew for her in that moment. Looking as regal as she did.

  However, unbeknownst to them, her thoughts weren't on anything like victory or what dungeon she would clear next. Nor was it on saving the world. No, her mind was on the one thing that was important to her.

  "I wonder what I should wear to dinner with Lucas..." A light blush crossed her face as she looked forward to seeing him and his reactions.

  -----

  I had attempted to rest after departing from Elizabeth. Everything felt so surreal, and this was only amplified as I heard a knock on my door barely an hour ter. I found myself surprised to find Maya on the other side of the door, along with at least five other individuals.

  "Pardon the intrusion," Maya stated professionally, the first time I heard her talk; it was a bit brisk, but not unkind; She was simply professional, "I've been ordered to prepare you for ter."

  "For ter?" I inquired, not having much time to process as they all made their way inside.

  Pushing past me, the five individuals began setting up various equipment that looked like something you'd find in a tailor's shop. Swaths of cloth, pins, measuring devices, and more. It was enough to make me dizzy. Especially as they began moving my furniture, which generated anxiety as I had everything in its pce, even if it wasn't the cleanest.

  Maya walked in after them, closing the door as she looked around. With all of them in my small, one room apartment, it felt a little cramped. As the individuals, all dressed in quite fashionable yet professional clothing, positioned me, I found myself at their whims.

  "Miss Falcrest requested that I prepare for you clothes for this evening," Maya expined, looking around the area, "It seems she made the right decision...I doubt anything here would be appropriate."

  "H-Hey!" I remarked, feeling quite irritated at her insinuation, "I know I don't have much, but damn. If you have something against me, then-"

  "You mistake me," Maya interrupted, her face completely stoic.

  Reaching up to her face, she removed her sungsses to reveal surprisingly beautiful violet eyes. They were clear and held a determined resolve. One of, who I assumed were tailors now, lifted my arm to measure it while another controlled my waist to get a measurement. It was a bit sudden and embarrassing.

  "I simply wish to make you presentable," Maya informed me pinly, "I did not mean for you to take offense. It is just the simple truth."

  "...Well, even so," I let out a sigh, mumbling a bit dejectedly, "Didn't have to say it like that..."

  "I apologize for any perceived offense," She was straightforward, but seemed sincere in her apologize, "I have been told at times that I can be...abrasive. I simply wish to carry out my orders in a timely manner."

  Gncing at her, I couldn't help but wonder what her circumstances were. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that, despite her seemingly stonewall of a face, she seemed to genuinely be concerned about coming off as too abrasive. It was ever so subtle, but her eyes flitted around nervously, and she seemed to be chewing on her tongue.

  "...Alright, I get it," I told her, feeling uncomfortable remaining upset at her, "It's fine."

  "So, I am forgiven?" She asked, her eyes flicking to me.

  The way she was speaking politely, and the slight hint of hopefulness in her usually calm tone, oddly warmed my heart.

  "Yeah," I nodded affirmatively.

  I could swear that she almost immediately rexed, as I felt the entire atmosphere change suddenly. She looked away, seeming relieved, and though I wasn't sure, I could swear that I saw a slight smile to the edge of her lips. It was adorable and I felt myself happy that she seemed to be more at ease.

  "So..." I spoke up as my other arm was lifted and more measurements were taken, trying to change the subject as well as sate my curiosity, "You said something about tonight, but...what's going on tonight?"

  "Ah, my apologies," She stated, back to her normal tone, which seemed oddly more rexed now, "Miss Facrest wishes to have dinner with you. She told me that you probably wouldn't have anything to wear, and insisted I get something made for you."

  "...Well, she isn't wrong," I felt my heart flutter at the idea of seeing Elizabeth so soon after departing from her, and also a heat of embarrassment from being called out so accurately, "Both of you are correct. I don't have anything, but...is this really okay? I don't have the money and it isn't long before nightfall. Will they have time?"

  It was at that moment that I heard something quite odd. Not odd in a bad way, but odd in that I wasn't expecting it. Maya ughed. It was light and amused, though she quickly composed herself.

  "I apologize once again," She stated with a slight amusement to her tone, "Miss Falcrest told me you'd say something like that, and I found it quite entertaining how accurate she was. Do not worry. Money is no issue, and they are very skilled workers. It'll be done on time, and before you compin, as she told me you would, she told me to tell you that your company is compensation enough."

  "That..." I felt myself grow incredibly warm and embarrassed, as I wasn't only just called out, but I was called out before I had even reacted; read like a book, "Fine. I don't like it, but I can't exactly argue."

  "Wonderful," Maya pced her hands together before her and for the first time, she smiled, "I'm sure Miss Falcrest will be delighted to hear that. Dinner is at seven. I will be here with your clothes by six so that you may dress, and I can deliver you on time."

  Maya's smile was dazzling, and it made me wonder why she didn't do so more often.

  "Deliver, huh?" I chuckled at the thought of me being some kind of package or present, "That sounds good. I'll be here."

  Before I knew it, they had taken all my measurements and were packed up. All my furniture was put back exactly where I like it, which was curiously intriguing, but I was appreciative. Maya bowed to me, hands csped before her, and headed out with the rest. As the door closed behind her, I found myself suddenly hit with exhaustion.

  Slumping down onto the couch, I held my face in my hands.

  "Dinner, huh?" I smirked, feeling my heart beating rapidly, "I can't wait..."

  And with that, I ensured that I rested well beforehand, showering before my clothes arrived that evening.

  -----