A Daring Declaration

As Lydia reached Alex, he noticed her approach and began to raise his hand, ready to reassure her that everything was fine. But before he could, Lydia tackled him gently into a hug, burying her face into his chest. He felt her tears soaking through his shirt as she softly sobbed.

"L-Lydia?!" Alex asked frantically. He was confused as to why she was crying when he was safe and sound.

"You big dummy..." Lydia whispered softly, tightening her grip around him.

"Ah... sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry," Alex responded, his voice filled with regret.

Lydia raised her head from his chest, her eyes brimming with concern and sorrow as she looked up at him. "No, I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. She buried her face into his chest again. "I should have stopped you. You wouldn't have had to get hurt if we didn't..."

Alex winced slightly but managed a reassuring smile. "I-I'm alright, Lydia. No one could have expected this to happen. And look, I only got a cut on my hand, that's all."

He showed her the palm of his injured hand, and Lydia glanced at it for a second before gasping. "Ah! You're still bleeding!" She quickly began tearing the edges of her dress and wrapping it around his injured hand.

"A-Ah, Lydia, you don't have to do that..." Alex panicked and tried to stop her, but she continued without saying a word until his hand was bandaged adequately with her makeshift cloth. As she finished, she whispered with a soft blush on her cheeks, "Thank you, Alex. For wanting to protect me."

Not expecting such sincere gratitude, Alex nodded awkwardly, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

Aoi and Crawson, standing nearby, watched the scene unfold with impressed expressions. Still sitting on the ground, Scarface finally managed to sit up, a broad grin spreading across his face.

"Impressive, fresh meat," Scarface praised, his voice rough but sincere. "Not many have the guts to face me. Much less have beaten me."

Alex awkwardly tried to downplay the compliment, waving his good hand dismissively. "A-Ah, no, I'm sorry for being violent towards you. I couldn't stand by and watch..."

Aoi stepped forward quickly, her voice filled with excitement. "My! Were you trying to protect me from that brute? How gentlemanly!" Grabbing Alex's good hand and holding it tightly, she continued eagerly, "Strong and brave gentlemen like yourself are most welcome in the Shifters! Please, I must invite you to come and stay with us..."

"Caaaw. Why must you always be like this, Lady Kurokami? Please, leave the young man to rest for a minute," Crawson interjected as he moved closer, casting a judgmental glance at Aoi before turning to Alex. "That was sincerely an impressive fight. I commend you on a job well done, Mr. Alex. I won't force you, but I maintain my offer for you to come and work for us anytime you want. We have amazing worker benefits, and we can give you a better cut as well…"

"Huh?! But you're doing the same thing as me! Why do I get judged for wanting to recruit brave and strong gentlemen?" Aoi retorted, ready to pick a fight with Crawson once again.

"Caw. Because it'll be a waste of talent," Crawson chuckled sarcastically while Aoi glared at him with fiery eyes.

"Hmph! Ignoring the idiotic credit-grubbing crow, we can offer you so much, Alex. Priority food queues, better rooms, free and unlimited use of our many useful services, and most importantly, wouldn't you like to come and work for me? Your damsel-in-distress you've just saved, hmm? I'm happy to do anything for you…" Aoi moved closer and closer to Alex, her insistence increasing as she hoped he would agree under the pressure of her forwardness.

But Lydia suddenly cut between them and stood imposingly as if to protect Alex from Aoi.

"My! Lydia, my dear sister-in-faith, are you coming between me and a gentleman?" Aoi gazed at Lydia, grinning tauntingly. There was no aggression in her tone, only a playful tease. "Even if it's for you or Sister Linda, I have you know that I simply refuse to back down from this! Such a high-value gentleman before me is simply irresistible!"

Lydia pouted and refused to move out of the way. "You're just trying to take him because you want him to fight for you in your turf wars!" she accused, standing her ground firmly.

"My! What an unpleasant accusation! I simply wanted to invite the hero who saved me back to my place so I could reward him properly!" Aoi sighed exasperatedly, portraying herself as a victim who had been wrongfully accused. "Is it so wrong to want to reward a hero who has done well in service of a lady?"

"U-uh, pardon my interruption, Miss Kurokami. I appreciate your intentions to reward me, but…" Alex tried to interject, but Aoi was one step ahead.

"Oh my! My dear hero, please, there's no need to be so formal with me. Just 'Aoi' is fine." With the swift movements of a predator, Aoi darted past Lydia and grabbed Alex's hands once again, insisting on her agenda to bring him to the Shifters' side. "Won't you consider my proposal more seriously, hmm? Besides, my Shifters would be more than happy to welcome you to our big family! Right, my dears?!" As soon as Aoi spoke, the Shifters in the crowd cheered energetically, showing their enthusiasm.

"U-uh…I-I…uh…" Alex was overwhelmed by Aoi's forwardness, his anxiety flaring up in stark contrast to his fierce demeanour during the fight with Scarface, who suddenly spoke up.

"HAHAHA! You dumb wolf! Even I can see that the fresh meat doesn't want to join you! He obviously wants to join us!" Pulling Alex away from Aoi and giving him a hearty pat on the back, Scarface cackled with amusement. "Giving us such a great fight shows that! A fighter this good would want to fight with us more! Right, boys?!" The Psychos crowd began cheering, their support for their boss loud and clear.

"Caw. If you're putting it that way, the Scabs would also be happy to have him join us. He would best fit in with us with his skills and abilities. Isn't that right, people?!" Crawson raised his voice, eliciting soft but determined cheers from his followers.

Lydia, who had been standing there pouting, suddenly spoke up loudly, pulling Alex away from Scarface and grabbing his arm. "Will you guys stop it?! You're making Alex uncomfortable! Besides, he's not going anywhere with you guys! My grandfather, mother, and I can take care of him just fine, and he's comfortable with us, too, so that's that!"

The leaders exchanged sceptical glances. "My! Lydia, that's a big statement you're making. What exactly, I must ask, can you and the Empaths offer him to make him feel comfortable, hmm? I'm pretty sure we can offer him double whatever you and your people can!" Aoi said patronisingly, her tone tinged with annoyance.

Lydia's face flushed with frustration as she stepped forward to confront the leaders, her eyes blazing with determination. "We can offer him a safe place, a family!"

"So can we! My Shifters especially!" Aoi responded quickly. The other leaders chimed in, each trying to outdo the others to recruit Alex.

The argument grew more heated, voices overlapping, as the leaders continued to raise their offers. The air crackled with tension, each leader vying to be heard over the others until they all started losing their breath, ideas running thin.

Aoi turned to Lydia, her tone taunting, trying to break her will one last time. "And what exactly can you offer him, Lydia? What do you have that's worth more than the benefits we're promising?"

A tense silence fell over the crowd. Lydia winced, her frustration and desperation evident. She looked directly at Alex, her mind racing for an answer, before dropping her gaze, her expressions hidden.

"See? There's nothing you can offer yourself to him, is there?" Aoi smirked, thinking she had finally gained the upper hand.

"No. There is!" Lydia replied suddenly, her voice trembling but resolute.

"Eh? Huh! There is? What is it then?" Aoi taunted, eager to maintain her advantage.

Alex watched Lydia, concern etched on his face as he stepped closer, wanting to check on her. "Lydia?" he asked gently.

Lydia suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to hold Alex's face gently. Her blushing face came close, and before Alex could react… he felt her lips on his.

The shock was palpable. The crowd, the leaders, even Jeb and Linda, stood in stunned silence. Lydia, known for her poise and grace, was a popular celebrity among their communities. Her daring and bold kiss was nothing short of scandalous.

Lydia held onto the kiss for a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity before finally pulling back and looking deeply into Alex's stunned eyes.

"L-LYDIA?!" Alex yelped, unable to believe what had just happened.

"There is something I can offer," Lydia declared, her voice firm despite the flush on her cheeks. She turned to face Aoi and the other leaders, her gaze unwavering. "I can offer myself!"

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!" A collective gasp erupted across the area, and Lydia's bold declaration soon stunned everyone into silence.