(Juwan's POV.)
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Fuck you Lecitia!
I look up slightly to see what's happening while I spit out blood from my mouth.
"My babies fits you perfectly, Juwan Dela Cruz."I heard Lecitia's voice inside my head.
What is this? Telepathy?
"Mhmm, not quiet... but for convenience, let's call it that." She told me as bullet like lights flies toward her as she avoids it.
Lovely Aerin is currently lashing out. She's using her skills wildly but Lecitia is just avoiding them.
Still, these black energy pikes are digging on my body. It hurts like hell.
"I'm sure you can handle being impaled by my precious babies, you're a tough man after all." I heard Lecitia's voice as she uses her spade to parry one of Lovely's [Love Missiles].
But why impale me in the first place?!
"Ara, do you not know how effective it is for a gentleman to save a damsel out of harm's way? It will surely swoon any maiden's heart."She said inside my head as she continue to avoid Lovely's attacks.
Well, she's right.
"Now, be a dear and act dead. I'll play with her for a bit."She said, raising her spade as multiple black pikes rain down on the area.
We're in the city so there's enough space to move around... but the problem are the buildings and the frozen civilians. I'm pretty sure Lecitia doesn't care about them.
And well, with Lovely's current state, I doubt she'll notice them. I kept watching them, acting dead as I saw debris fly around as their skills hit the ground, the walls of the buildings, and the stuffs around us.
"Why?!" I heard Lovely scream at Lecitia as she flies around, firing[ Love Missiles] one after another.
"Why did you get him involved!?" Lovely continued as she seals Lecitia's movements using [Heart-shaped Box].
Lecitia used her black pikes to crack the [Heart-shaped Box], flying upwards as she swung her Spade downwards as black energy builds up, hitting Lovely with a powerful impact as her skill flight was forcibly cancelled.
Lovely stood up, ignoring how she just got hit as she casted another set of [Love Missiles].
She's burning her mana reserves.
Lecitia smiled, watching as Lovely rush in unlike her earlier ranged tactics. She threw a [Lovestruck Grenade] as it explodes, creating pink smoke.
"Smart." Lecitia said as she moved her head away slightly, avoiding Lovely's attack.
Suddenly, Lovely appeared infront of Lecitia, swinging her wand... but Lecitia easily avoids it.
Lecitia swung her spade downwards, expecting to hit Lovely's leg but Lovely leaped upwards.
Expecting for Lovely's landing, Lecitia swung her spade behind her, but she didn't hit anything.
"What?"
She looked up as she saw Lovely floating upside down, her eyes locked with Lecitia as she releases the [Love Missiles]. Lecitia smiles as she realizes that she got wounded by such a trick.
"I'll kill you." I heard Lovely uttered as she smashed her wand downwards at Lecitia's head.
Lecitia avoided it, only for Lovely to release her [Lovestruck Grenade] directly in her face.
Pink smoke covered my view. Lovely is definitely almost out of mana now, but her last attack was dangerous even for someone like Lecitia.
"[Rain of Spades]." I heard Lecitia casted as pikes appeared out of thin air, raining down onto the ground, each one sounds like a bullet shot.
The smoke clears due to her attack as I saw Lovely inside her own [Heart-shaped Box]. Damn, you can use that for defense?
Lecitia's face has some burns, her right shoulder burnt and badly injured as she giggles. Lovely is badly beaten, her outfit ripped and tattered, her nose bleeding due to mana exhaustion.
"I'll kill you..."
"I'll definitely kill you...!"
Lovely kept saying as her pink eyes glow with determination.
Kill?
The Lovely in the game would never think of doing that to anyone.
"I must admit, I underestimated this friend of yours."Lecitia said to my brain as I see how burnt her shoulder is.
She raised her Spade as it glows slightly, her eyes glowing bright red as she points her spade at Lovely.
"[Grave Digger]." She uttered.
Shit-- Wait!
Before I can even react, I saw flashing lights about to hit Lecitia. It's definitely the [Love Missiles], fuck it's the [Love Missiles]!
Lecitia didn't avoid the attacks. Lovely, who's badly beaten, nose bleeding and all, kept throwing her skills at Lecitia. Her pink eyes glowing pink as she basically runs toward Lecitia.
Her attacks hit Lecitia's spade again and again as Lecitia smile. Shit this is why this woman is bad against ranged characters!
Lecitia's eyes started to glow even more, dark energy oozes out of her body as she raised her spade upwards. Lovely continues to run towards her, her eyes blank as if she only has one goal in mind.
I felt the Pikes disappear as my body starts to heal due to the [Heart of the Ram]. Yeah no, Lecitia's taking this seriously now. She probably cancelled her skills to focus on this one.
I immediately stood up, rushing towards Lovely as my blood drips out of my body like a damn faucet.
"Rejoice! As I show you the War Maiden's might!" I heard Lecitia said as all the energy got sucked into her Spade, ready to let out all the attacks her Spade absorbed.
The air surrounding us became suffocating as her Spade emits a red, black, and gold light that swirls in an unstable manner.
"Bear Witness and Sing thy Praises." Suddenly all the energy disappeared in an instant.
[Atrivium].
Lecitia uttered her Spade's true name, swinging it downwards as release a devastating beam of energy, destroying everything in it's path.
The frozen civilians basically evaporated with the strike, and now it's coming towards me in such a fast rate. I'll probably-- definitely die if I take that head on.
But if I don't, then Lovely will.
Fuck it! I pushed myself as I reach Lovely, just a second away before she got hit as I'm now in harm's way.
"J..Juwan?" I heard Lovely uttered.
Please for the love of fuck, plot armor! Please! Please work! I try remembering the sensation of how my skill [Evade] works. I look at the beam that's in front of me as I realized that in a split second, that will hit me.
So please work--! Evade!
But it didn't work. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worst when the beam suddenly moved to the left. It grazed me as it felt painful enough as if my whole body will get ripped apart but not painful enough to kill me.
"I apologize." I heard Lecitia's voice in my head. I looked at her as she smiles, the beam of light slowly dissipating.
"I got too immersed fighting that girl that I forgot to hold back." She continues as she walked towards me and Lovely.
I flopped down on the ground as Lovely started to crawl towards me.
"Juwan! Juwan--! Ahhh...!" Lovely calls out to me but it's obvious that she can't even process proper words right now.
"You got saved again by this... bystander." Lecitia said to Lovely with disgust in her voice, damn her acting is good.
Lovely looked at Lecitia, her eyes filled with determination as she positioned herself in front of me, as if protecting me. Suddenly, Lecitia fell to her knees, acting as if the fatigue caught up to her.
"[Love--]!"
"I'll let you live for now." Lecitia said, smacking Lovely's wand cancelling her casting.
Due to Lovely's fatigue and mana exhaustion, her transformation forcefully deactivated. Her injuries are gone, as they start to convert into immense fatigue.
Lovely felt like collapsing immediately but she was desperately clinging to my arm, determined to stay by my side.
"You've satisfied my cravings for entertainment, it would be a shame to end you here." She continued, her eyes landing at me while she weakly stood up.
You're-- really good at this!
"Ofcourse, a queen such as I am will always be competent with everything I do." She said telepathically as she smiles.
She started to walk away from Lovely as she puts her spade away.
"W-wait--!" Suddenly, Lovely called out to her.
"My patience has limits, girl." Lecitia said to Lovely, her gaze is terrifyingly dangerous.
Lovely can't help but stop talking as Lecitia's gaze feels suffocating. Lecitia looked at me and smiled before laughing like a maniac.
"I see, since I'll be the one leaving, it's common courtesy to leave something behind. Very well." Lecitia said as she pulls out a potion out of thin air, containing a clear liquid inside.
"Here, a potion." She said, basically dropping it front of Lovely in such a disrespectful way.
Lovely's eyes widened with the mention of potion as she immediately opened it, and poured it on me. Her breathing seems desperate.
Lecitia watched, then she chuckled, and then turning it to a full blown laugh as she watch Lovely wait for an effect, any effect.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You fool! The potion only works for others when you feel love towards them." Lecitia said, mocking Lovely's actions and efforts.
"And I doubt that you have any for this man, for someone to defy the laws of time dilation just to save someone he likes, which is you. Ahh truly what a shame." Lecitia said, whispering to Lovely's ears as tears form in her eyes.
"No-- that's not-- I--!" Lovely uttered, her hands shaking.
My [Eyes of the Seer] activated as I look at the liquid that was just poured on me.
[Glowing water: Water that glows after 1 minute of being poured.]
Oh this bitch a scammer.
"Now then, I shall take my leave."Lecitia said telepathically as she saw my passive skill heal me. Suddenly, the water that was poured on me glows hard, as if something magical is happening to me.
Lovely's eyes widened with what she's seeing as she basically grabs my hand. Her eyes filled with worry, her focus completely on me.
"...It seems that I was mistaken." Lecitia said to Lovely as her final line with this act. Seriously, she's so good at acting what the hell.
She winked at me as I sneakily raised a thumbs up before the air surrounding her warped, disappearing out of thin air.
My wounds are getting healed by the [Heart of the Ram] so I waited for 4 minutes until the light stopped glowing to make it look like I've healed enough to be out of danger.
I gently sat up, groaning as I play my part. Lecitia did all of this to help, no way in hell am I gonna fumble with my acting.
"Ugh.. my head--. What--?"
Before I could even finish my sentence, Lovely hugged me tightly. Tears flowing down her eyes as she starts to sob uncontrollably.
"Juwan! Juwan!" She calls out my name, her tears making my shirt damp.
"Lovely? What happened?" I asked her as she just hugged me tighter.
"I'm so glad! I'm so glad you're ok Juwan!" She said, crying as her sobbing gets louder.
She sobs hard, nuzzling harder on my chest.
"Are you ok? Seriously what happened?" I asked her, pretending as if I have no idea on what happened earlier.
She fell for it, believing that I really have no idea on what's happening as she lets out this deep sigh of relief.
"Nothing! I... I just want to hug you..!" She said, still crying but not as hard as earlier.
"I really.... just... wanted to..." She passed out.
I held her tightly, making sure that she doesn't flop down. Her breathing is unstable and she just looks so tired. Well yeah no shit, that's the side effect of using the white card.
Now I feel kinda bad for making her go through this.
...
"Let's just commit to it." I said to myself, pushing out the guilt I felt as I carry Lovely.
.
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(Lovely's POV.)
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The sensation of warm blood on my face. The sight of seeing Juwan's body riddled with black spearlike things. The sight of the woman who did it to him.
Why did he have to get involved? Was it because I was careless? Was it because I was too weak?
Why?
Just why?
"Move! You dumbass!" Suddenly, a scene played in my mind.
The night I accepted the card, the night that I became a magical girl. Someone pulled me out from danger, giving me time to fully transform.
They saved me.
And I don't even remember them.
But why am I remembering this now? Is it my punishment for not being able to protect Juwan properly? Is it to remind me that I'm just as weak as I was before?
"You got saved again by this... bystander." I remember that woman's words when Juwan suddenly pushed me away out of danger.
He dragged me away out of danger, even though normal people can't move during the time stop... he still dragged me away even when he was bleeding so much.
Why?
Why am I like this?
JUST WHY--!
"Lovely!" Suddenly, I heard a voice call out to me. Their hands on my shoulder, gently shaking me.
I gasped as tears falls down my cheek. I looked at who was shaking me as I see Juwan, his face filled with worry.
"Sorry-- You suddenly started to cry loudly while sleeping so I--?"
I didn't let him finish talking. I hugged him as tight as I can. He's in front of me, talking to me! He's alive!
"W-Well aren't you in a hugging mood today?" He said, teasing me. But I don't care.
I kept hugging him, I don't want to let go of him, I feel like I'll suddenly lose him if I let go.
"...This is the second time you hug me like this today. I might get the wrong Idea, you know." Juwan said, his voice slightly trembling as I just keep hugging him.
Right, I hugged him like this earlier as well. That's right, he doesn't have any memories of what happened. Maybe it's a side effect of the time stop?
Honestly I don't care.
I just don't want to let go of this man.
He didn't talk for a few seconds. Suddenly, I felt his arms hugging me as well.
"There there, I don't know what you dreamt of but it's alright now. You're alright now." He said, his voice soothing as his hand brushes on my hair.
Even now, he's comforting me when I'm supposed to be the one making sure if he's okay in the first place.
Right! His injuries!
"W-Whoa what are you--?!" I heard his protests as I raised his shirt, checking for any injuries.
None. There's no injuries whatsoever, not even a scratch.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"U-Uh.. Lovely. I don't think-- umm..."
Hmm?
I looked up at him and saw his face red and flustered.
Then it hit me. I'm raising his clothes! Like a pervert!
"I- I'm sorry!" I said as I pulled it back down as he covers his face with his hand.
"It's okay... I just-- I was just not prepared." He replied to me as he started to calm down.
Thank gosh there's no signs of injuries in his body. I guess that woman's potion was effective huh.
Suddenly, the woman's words played back on my mind.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You fool! The potion only works for others when you feel love towards them."
I felt my face heating up!
Wait! Does that mean that I have feelings for--!
Suddenly, I felt his hand on my hair, gently rustling it as I calm down.
"I feel like you're overthinking again." He told me.
...seriously.
"Mhmm, I was overthinking... kinda." I replied to him honestly.
I looked around, realizing that I'm currently in an unfamiliar place. I noticed my bag and other stuffs are just beside us.
"Umm, where--?"
"Oh-- ah. You suddenly passed out so I... I kinda panicked and brought you back to my apartment." He said, trying to avoid my gaze.
"This is your apartment?" I asked him as I look outside the small room and to the small living room.
So he's been living in a place like this huh.
"Sorry."
"Hmm? What for?" I asked him.
"Well, it's creepy and dangerous for a guy to bring an unconscious girl to their house." He said, scratching his head.
I chuckled, realizing that despite how reliable he is, he also has this cute side.
"Dummy, it's okay. You did it for my sake anyways." I told him, my hand instinctively patting his hair.
He sat silently, letting me pat him as he suddenly hugs me. I let him as I keep patting him.
He gently lets go of the hug, his face red as I wondered why he stopped hugging me.
"This is making me feel like we're a couple. It's dangerous..." He said, averting his gaze as his ears turn red.
I can't help but giggle at his words.
"A-anyways, it's already this late! Let me walk you to the station." Juwan said as he stood up.
"..Mhmm, sure." I replied to him.
.
.
We walked till we reached the station, both of us silent as I felt my heartbeat basically going wild on the way here.
He even went in with me as we go both down to the train.
"I thought you'd only walk me to the station?" I asked him, my voice lower than normal.
"I don't feel comfortable not accompanying you till you get hone safely." He told me as the train door closes.
"Pftt, Is that so?" I said as he looks at me, sighing slightly before smiling.
"Well, I do have an ulterior motive."
"You're really a bad man, you know that?" I told him as he giggles.
"Very bad yes. I'm just so evil that I want to spend more time with the girl I like." He said, leaning down near my ear as I giggle.
"That's not what makes you bad though." I told him.
"Oh? Then what does?" He asked as the train moves.
"You making my heart beat so fast." I told him as his face turned red.
He stayed silent, his face turning red as I gently grabbed onto his arms. God where did I find the confidence to say something like that?!
As soon as we reach my station, the both of us walked out of the train. He's really gonna walk me home huh?
"Hey Juwan?"
"Hmm?"
"Since when did you start liking me?" I asked him as we continue to walk.
"When?" He repeated as he went to a deep thought.
I waited for his response, walking slowly as we reach the residential area.
"Since the day I met you."
Since the day he met me?!
T-That's crazy! He's crazy! What the heck!
"M-My house is this direction! U-umm! I'll go by myself!" I said as I try to calm my thoughts.
"Oh, okay. Thanks for today, I had fun." He told me as he smiles.
I stopped on my tracks, looking at him as I smile back.
"Me too. I really had fun." I replied to him.
If only the outbreak didn't happen then we would've had more time to spend with each other.
"I'm really glad you had fun, especially with a dumbass like me." He said as he started walking away.
"Oh come on, you're not a dumb--"
"Move! You dumbass!"
"--ass?"
I watch him walk away as my heart beat even faster. My memories from that night playing so clearly as I start to recognise my savior's voice.
"...It was... you?"
I uttered as Juwan's silhouette completely disappear.