380. The appealing truth of a couple's relationship.

WARNING!

The story contains graphic depictions of violence, sexuality, strong language, and/or other mature themes.

[The Fiend Lord: Arc 18]

Once upon a time, on Planet Earth, a young girl was born; the story goes that her identity was never adequately clarified, but she was effectively known as the 'Holy Light.'

Her title depicted the real life of one's planet. Humankind did not know the Dimensions that had appeared alongside her birth, only of the Spirits that had been destroyed or disappeared.

The woman... The Holy Light, the heir of all the inhabitants, was not born alone. The arrival of the Demon God, whose name was Rez, caused anarchy, and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Humans terrified him because of his recklessness and hunger for blood, and Demons started to manifest all over the Earth and The World of Zero, alongside alternate races such as The Inner Fiends, The Shades, Wraiths, and Spirits.

To combat the challenge, a new breed of people has awakened, the 'Spiritual Duelists' and 'Substitute-Duelists,' who have been dubbed the "First Army to Face Evil."

With their Legendary Weapons, the Ginken. This swarm of humans increased the world's cleanliness to the greatest extent possible, overwhelming the Demons of various grades and placing their survival at risk.

But, after several years of waiting, the 'Holy Light' gave birth to a human child, a girl of theoretically greater worth than Zero herself, but unlikely to become the next 'Holy Light,' their Goddess gave the girl to a friendly family, and since her mother needed to participate in protecting the divinity, the girl's memories were wiped.

But there is another royalty trapped within the shadows that have been concealed for millennia, even longer than the birth of a Demon...

The only one who has beaten the 'Holy Light's own is the Fiend Lord. Its lurkers will undoubtedly be wiped out, and the newfound foe will ready the battlefield...

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:20 pm -

When Elliot arrived at the guild, Codey searched for the top of his backpack and began searching for the same message. "Huh? Y-You're still awake?" Elliot was perplexed as he looked at Codey.

"Oh, hey... Good afternoon. How did your date with Ayuka go?" Codey wondered, flapping the note and brushing off the ashes. "It... went, interesting... that's all I can tell..." Elliot spoke up as he held the door open. "Oh, really? Did you get the kiss?" When Codey winked, he smirked. "No, there were no dates in the end... Overall, she just saw it as a fun exchange..." Elliot yawned and claimed.

"But... You seem to be fine?" Codey wondered as he passed by. "I suppose there's only a slim possibility I'll be able to win her heart... Anyway, I shouldn't be too concerned about it... She's definitely not going to like me..." Elliot said as he leaned against the wall. "True, but we should admire her... She had a single crush that she has yet to abandon..." When yawning, Codey spoke up.

"... You're referring to Tim, aren't you?" Codey blinked in surprise. "Wait, did she even mention you that?" Codey was perplexed and inquired. "I guessed correctly... Besides, she confirmed it when I asked..." Codey was irritated by this.

"H-Hey... I'm sorry... Maybe you won't be able to find the person of your dreams, but I'm sure you'll be able to find somebody for the future... What do you think? Should we go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat?" When dropping the letter, Codey was perplexed.

"Sure, why not?". Finally, both of them went down the stairs silently so as not to wake anybody up.

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:25 pm -

"Is there something more going on? Alternatively," However, Elliot denied the issue. "No, not at all. Yet I'm sure there are..." Elliot said this while sitting back in his chair and staring up into the light.

{"This ass is a jerk!" Elliot yelled as he rushed from the pub. "Yes, indeed! Get the heck out of here! Nobody here cares for you in the first place! Do you understand?! Never come back! Should you think so?!" Elliot yelled after Tim came to a halt and glanced behind him with his left eye.

"I'm not..." Elliot's eyes shook as Tim kept walking ahead through the snow.

"Damn it!" Elliot turned around when he saw his reflection on the ice. "W-what am I going to say to Ayuka...?" Still, in the end, Elliot paid and then returned to the guild.}

"But you seem to be deep in thought. I'm afraid that something happened that you're not trying to warn me about..." Codey said as he sipped his coffee and bit into his cereal.

"Even though there is, I wouldn't say anything... You'd just end up as irritated as I do..." Once he was slowly falling asleep, he said.

"Well, then... Okay, I won't keep asking... What about Tim, though... If you have any evidence of him?" Elliot, on the other hand, wanted to refuse once more. "No, and even if I did, What should I really do... He's changed..." That shocked Codey while also leaving him perplexed.

"I'm positive... when Tim comes back, we'll all be comfortable..." Since Elliot's eyes closed a little more, Codey chuckled. "Of course..."

("I wish you could have seen what had happened... And what he had taught me... But, unfortunately, we're unlikely to see him again.")

When rubbing his nose, Elliot reflected.

("I'm sure there was something that occurred... But, what is it? Wait a minute... talking about it.")

"What happened to Ayuka?" Codey questioned himself when looking at Elliot, who was staring at him.

"She stayed at the pub... it's going to close soon, so I'm sure she'll be on her way out..." Elliot spoke up, accompanied by a yawn. "Are you about to get her drunk?" When Elliot was bored, Codey winked.

"Well, you know... Codey..." Elliot was met with a glare at the precise moment. "What do you think?"

"What did I look like three years ago..." Elliot closed his eyes and whispered. "What's the deal with that, interesting... Yet I have to admit... You've improved a bit." Codey chuckled as he took another drink of coffee.

"You've mostly been perverted, which caused him to get beaten up like an ant... It was amusing, but I still felt bad when I came in to hit you... So don't be alarmed... I'm sure you have a justification for being this way... In the very least, you realize who everyone else is without their perversity..." Codey laughed, and Elliot smirked as he laughed.

"You never fail to make me laugh... Even if it means being stuck to the board... But, sincerely... thank you... if I never wanted to focus on usual thoughts and relationships, I had you to support me... to take care of me stopping." Elliot grinned as he picked up the sandwich and bit into it.

"Of course... Now eat up, it's a long night..."

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:30 pm -

Tim was seated at the counter, with the cup.

"Why don't you just return...?" Tim was silent for a few seconds while Ayuka thought and leaned up against the counter.

"... I considered coming next week... But now I'm not so confident..." Tim talked while shaking the cup and staring at it. "... I see... Well..." Ayuka spoke with a sidelong glance.

"I didn't need that coffee... but thank you..." Tim spoke before taking it up, and they both became silent for a few seconds until Tim took a drink.

"......."

"Are you... a virgin?"

Tim puked out the hot coffee that had fallen to the surface, his vocabulary questioned.

"Huh?" His eyes flinched as he shifted his gaze to her.

"You heard... answer the question..."

"Sorry..." Tim reached for the cloth when surprised and began to clean the poured coffee.

"W-Wait, where's this question coming from?"

She sent him a solemn expression. "I'm asking you if you're a virgin" She then turned back forward. "If it comes down to it, I'll let you do it with me."

"A-Ayuka, y-you're not saying too-" Tim was surprised. "Are you saying what I think you're saying...?" Tim wondered, looking up at her while he sat. "... I am ..." But with it, Tim still felt uneasy about the question.

"Is there something wrong about asking?"

"... N-No... I mean... How did you-". But she spoke up just as he was about to say something.

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:40 pm -

Ayuka sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, staring up at Tim, who seemed to be looking at the moonlight until Ayuka lifted her head to look.

"... I really have a lot to do... And I can't... get a handle on everything..."

Tim was agitated as he spoke. With it, Ayuka slowly stood up, looked at the moonlight in the capital, and reached for his hand while the warmth of their palms was shared, at which point each of them slowly reached out with their lips, and with it, the shadow cast out a kiss...

{"You.... what exactly are you up to?" Ayuka faced the back of the human, questioning with a genius frustration.

"Shouldn't I be saying the same thing of you? You attempted to confront this Demon with no weapons. Sure, you're more professional than him, just how much actual harm will you do with those frail legs and arms?"

He asked, with a half-back-headed eye twist, after it was revealed that Tim was the one who disrupted the fight. "Arms, and legs? Let me tell you something, Shinkaku Tim: I am a much more professional fighter than you perceive me to be..."

"What's the deal? How does a girl I've never met before, know my name... where is the logic in this?"}

As Tim was perplexed, Ayuka started to unzip her upper clothing, softly bending her arm at which point the top fell off, revealing her black bra within the night, as she lifted her head to look and still softly startled Tim.

Tim, who was feeling a little uneasy, grabbed for his hoodie and slowly dragged it off his body when it was slowly let go near the edge of the opened balcony, exposing his skin, until both of them slowly grasped for their lips as the light shone by once more.

{"So there you have it. How did it feel to be touched by such a lovely lady, Codey?" Elliot mocked Codey by slamming him against the shoulder. "Stop talking! She just did that to help me recover! You are a pervert!" When Tim's eyes got bored and sweat dripped down his brow, Codey screamed. "And there they are..." But with that, Tim turned to face Ayuka, who exchanged glances with her before eventually nodding.

("It will be difficult to see you go, but don't let us down. Ayuka, you ARE the next 'Holy Light.' ") Tim reflected.

("Thank you..., Tim...")}

Tim came into touch with a wound above Ayuka's right breast when shocked as her bra was untied.

"... The... cut... w-when did you get it-" But the moment he asked the question, Ayuka spoke up. "... I-I didn't say anything because... it felt... pointless..." But she clarified herself as she spoke.

{The girl who was listening to the conversation sensed a cut in her clothing near her right side of the chest as a whitened steam and smoke bestowed around her}

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:41 pm -

Ayuka's body lying at the bottom felt Tim's warmth on her body while, Tim reached with his mouth to kiss her, at which moment, Ayuka slowly reached his left arm, when trying to keep her breathing to a minimum.

- Yashikami City, Thursday, 11:44 pm -

Tim was staring at Ayuka, distraught over what he had done, leaving them alone for a year and not visiting, when it was seen that his tears were falling, but when Ayuka slowly sat up and reached into an embrace with her arms behind his neck and her knees leaned over his body hips, sitting on his knees, as the two kissed for the last time.

And clothing on the floor and the moonlight burning brilliantly...

To be continued...