Dancing Partners

Eula flicked her wrist, her claymore appearing in her hand, and charged forward, completely smashing them down one by one with a furry of slashes and strikes. With her skill and strength, the enemies did not have any opportunity to approach her, being destroyed as they got near.

"Let's move a little" Allen draw his sword, slicing through the skeletons while cutting through their marks, killing them with the minimum strength and great precision.

Looking at Eula, Allen couldn't help to think about the strange image. Her strikes were wide and powerful, however, she moved with such grace, elegance and precision that she seemed more to be dancing, the sword being completely part of her.

'It's beautiful'

In the end, there was really no need for Allen to act, he only being to take down two enemies while Eula took all the remaining ones.

"Let's continue" Eula said pushing the door to the next zone. The next area was a long corridor with a strange pattern on the wall, ceiling and ground. And just as they entered, a music started to sound. The music was instrumental with a very regular rhythm as if trying to mark something.

*Shaf* Suddenly in front of them surged some steel spears from the ground that quickly backed down, disappearing. Following it, more traps started to surge all over the corridor, pendulums, sudden holes, arrows... all sort of traps appeared and disappeared at sudden intervals.

"How skilled of a dancer are you, Allen?" Eula inquired, turning her gaze towards him.

"Average, I suppose. I don't really dance much" Allen answered. His ability to dance was a little strange because, in this life, he had not danced even once and in the previous the number wasn't much bigger. However, the same as he could play almost every instrument after becoming Columbina, he was quite sure that he would be able to dance quite well, one of the perks of bonding with his Delusion. "Why?"

"This is the path we must take to pass this trial," Eula replied, her voice firm and resolute. "The melody you hear is the Lawrence family's traditional 'Dance of Sacrifice,' and the traps we encounter along the way are the exact steps of Act 3, known as the 'Flickering Candlelight' sequence." She spoke with authority, confident in her knowledge of her clan's traditions and customs.

Eula bowed and offered her hand to Allen "Might I have this dance?"

"Shouldn't the boy be the lead?"

"Are you that confident?" Eula asked with a smile.

"I suppose not" Allen let his hand be taken by Eula who listening to the music, waited until it started new.

"Now" Eula led Allen onto the corridor with grace and poise as the music began.

She quickly took the lead, pushing Allen's body against her, making Allen feel her perfect curves while she started guiding Allen with gentle yet firm movements.

*Shaf* Spears surged behind them as they just passed.

The tempo was slow and deliberate, Eula executing each step with precision and elegance, Allen perfectly letting himself be led.

*Shag!* *Sho!* More traps were activated, but their perfect synchronized movements avoided them all, Eula completely reading where they would appear as in the end, this was a dance and as always for her in her clan, she couldn't fail in it.

As they progressed through the corridor, the music changed, and a new sequence began. Eula's movements became more intricate and complex. She swept across the floor as she expertly navigated the steps of the dance. Allen followed her lead, a little entranced by her skill and beauty.

With each movement, Eula exuded confidence and mastery, embodying the spirit of the Lawrence family's traditional dance. There was no doubt or fear in her steps, she had entered into a state of her own with only the music and Allen in it, completely ignoring the traps and dangers around, making even Allen forget about them, leaving them completely to her, completely trusting her. Allen did not know why, but he really thought of Eula as someone reliable and trustworthy.

Together, they moved in perfect synchronicity, lost in the moment and the timeless beauty of the dance until the music stopped and both found themselves on the other side of the corridor, having crossed through it without any problem.

'I should have needed to waste a lot of time, learning the pattern, before actually doing it and even then, I'll need to be fully wary, to not fail, needing my sword to guard myself.' Allen thought as he looked at Eula in wonder 'As it could be expected by a Family Domain, really being easier for Lawrences who know the customs. But that doesn't make it less impressive, Eula is really good at this to be able to perfectly dance like that.'

"That was a wonderful dance," Eula said with a smile. "You really have a natural talent for this dance, I must say. Not even my uncle could follow me so well." She smiled at the memory before continuing, "We should definitely do this again sometime. Perhaps when we have a chance to practice together, we could make the dance even more impressive."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Allen said with a smile. "But next time, I'd like to take the lead role."

Eula chuckled in response. "If you're confident in your ability to keep up with me, I see no reason not to give it a try," she said, a playful glint in her eye. "I must warn you though, the lead role requires more than just following the steps. You must be able to anticipate my movements and adjust accordingly."

"I'll take up the challenge." Allen answered

"I'll look forward to it." Eula gave Allen a playful smile, and they continued on their way through the domain, reaching a wide door with the Glacial Seal drawn on it.

"It seems that this is the end. Let's see the secrets left behind." Eula said as she opened the door, entering a huge hall.

Allen could sense the familiarity with the one that he completed with Dottore. A similar decorated blue hall, with a door at one side with a plant in the middle of it. The differences were a strange pattern that was all over the ground and that the plant in the middle wasn't a frozen tree, but a huge bloomed flower.

"Come along," Eula said as she stepped forward over the flower. She then turned around to face Allen and gestured for him to follow. "Let's see what this is." She stood before the flowed waiting for Allen.

"Let's see... I'm quite curio-" Just as Allen stepped forward, the pattern all over the room started shining, all of it converging into a circle around Allen, shining brightly over him.

'A trap!' Allen quickly jumped backward, ready to guard himself against any possible danger.

"There's no need to fear, it's not a trap," Eula reassured him, her eyes focused on the light, entranced by it as a smile slowly grew on her lips. "I knew it..."

Once the light reached its peak, it disappeared, leaving in front of Allen what seemed to be an ornament made of ice with a form that was depicted all over the domain, the Glacial Seal.

The ornament floated towards Allen, laying on his hands. He could feel the cold and a strange power emanating from it. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

*Pa* Eula tackled Allen into a strong hug, taking him by surprise.

"Wha-?!" Allen was unable to react and was ready to struggle when he saw Eula's face. It wasn't the face of a knight, nor of the noble lady that she always acted as. It was a pure expression with nothing to hide, a bright smile, eyes full of longing and strong emotion that Allen could recognize as love.

"Little brother!" she exclaimed, holding him tightly.