Chapter 16: Ember Eyes

"Ugh!! [Enhance]" As the aftermath of the explosion raging, Vincent did his best to ensure Alisa's and Shizuku's safety.

His magic strengthened him, but he couldn't avoid injuries from some debris that came flying in his direction.

His fingers almost digging into the room hard floor with how hard he grabbed it to not get flown away.

"What happened!?" "Ah! Hey! Where're you touching!?"

He can hear discomforted from Alisa's and Shizuku's scream, and he didn't like it, but there's nothing he can do. Yep, nothing he can do.

…

Who's he kidding? He totally enjoying it.

In addition, the soft sensation of their body under him was the one igniting his spirit.

'Is this what they said about winning the battle before it ends? How can their body be so soft and fragrant even in this situation?'

It could be said Vincent had a very selective perceptive when it came to what he wants.

Pain was not the least of a concern to him in this moment when he can experience the smooth, soft marshmallow like sensation from the two beauties in his embraced.

He want to thoroughly engrave any detail in his memory but, he's not a complete degenerate to only focus on that now.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Fred being flown away from the blast. The vines that Alisa conjured to restrain him now lay scattered, burnt, and charred.

His condition should be worse since he was tangled with Alisa's vine when the explosions occurred. Meaning he got to feel the full power of the blasts before getting tossed like a rag he is.

It would be real shocked if he stood his feet even with that.

Let's not talk about the robed group. Surely few would come out with light injuries.

Moments later, as the echoes of the explosions reverberated through the dungeon, the dust in the air began to settle.

Vincent, his ears still ringing from the explosions, quickly got to his feet and assessed the situation.

Alisa and Shizuku seemed shaken, dazed, but unharmed.

"Are you two okay?" Vincent asked, concerned.

Shizuku, recovering from the shock, looked around with wide eyes before focusing on him. "What just happened? Who are you?"

Confusion was evident in her tone, but not an ounce of hostility. Though clueless, she's knew that this man had saved them from the worse.

Vincent frowned. He heard her voice, but the ringing in his ears made it unclear to him.

He signalled to his ears before continuing.

"Explanation later. I can't hear from you clearly yet. All you need to know is that I want to help."

He flashed the most reassuring smile he could, but his messy attire only made it seem funny for Shizuku.

"Hehe, alright. Thanks then," she chuckled.

"Now, which one of you can use big scale magic?" Vincent asked to the two maidens.

Alisa also came to her sense, and she looked at Vincent in amused. She exchanged looks with Shizuku before they nodded.

Tacit understanding between them to not delve into useless thought yet.

"I can do it." Alisa said with determined eyes, raising her hand like a kindergartener about to answer her first question.

'Gosh! She's cute!' Vincent relished inside but he stay serious on outside.

"Yosh! Then ready your spell for the last bombardment. Release it when I give a signal."

He then looked at Shizuku's beautiful amethyst eyes. "I'll be a vanguard while you act as defender. Protect Alisa with all you got so that she can focus on her magic."

She's smirk in confidence before giving him a resolute thumps up and said: "Leave it to me. I'll even lay down my life."

Vincent smiled

'I know. If I'm right, you did just that originally in the game, causing Alisa a severe emotional wound. There's no way I'll let that happen anymore…But gosh! This one is cute too. Cute and cool beauty!'

"No, you can't. I'll do my best too, so Shizuku doesn't need to push herself too much." Alisa chimed, determined and a bit angry, clearly didn't like even the idea of her friend sacrificing herself for her.

"…Right, I understand," Shizuku replied, a helpless smile on her face.

 "Of course, if it comes to that, I'll protect you both. And I assure you, as long as this life breathing, I will not let you two die." Vincent turned around as he said that.

His state would get ugly later and he didn't want them to see it. Waste on him since their expression truly worth watching now.

Alisa, usually composed and confident, found herself at a loss for words. Her blue eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, trying to process Vincent's words. Rosy hue adorned her face. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound escaped.

Shizuku, with her amethyst eyes sparkling, looked at Vincent in a mix of surprise and flustered amusement. The confident demeanor she had maintained earlier wavered for a moment.

She tried to respond, but her words stumbled over each other. "W-what with him? We don't even know each other's name…" At the end, only a low muttering came out of her mouth. 'Ah, my face getting hot,' she shook her head left and right in an attempt to calm her mind.

"R-right!?" Alisa replied, fanning her face.

She glanced at Vincent, but then realized he was already focused on something else.

She pouted, feeling foolish for getting worked up alone.

Shizuku sighed, looking at her friend childish behaviour, before she decide to switch her gear. "Let's get ready too."

"Yes,"

They got up on their feet to ready themselves.

"Oh," Vincent turned his head at them with a wry smile, "Well, I'll be fine, so please don't worry too much."

Shizuku and Alisa tilted their head.

Question marks floated on both girl's head but Vincent didn't explain anything more and back to his business.

He gulped dry saliva, readying himself, gripping Ember Eyes he just brought out tightly in his hands.

'It's just like the game. Let's hope it's not too intense,'

With a resolute gaze, he channelled his arcane into the eyes, activating the item.

The arcane energy coursing through them.

Then, the pain came. Intense pain he never felt before.

"Aaaarggghhhh!!!"

Howling scream reverberated, shocked and scared everyone out of their wits.

"Hey!" "What happened!?" Alisa and Shizuku shouted in panic.

They tried to approach him, but he gestured them to not come.

"No, I'm okay. F-focus on preparation." The pain made speech difficult, but he did his best to convey his intention.

His voice was not high, but they could feel the seriousness in them.

They hesitated a lot at that moment, but finally Alisa pulled Shizuku back. She looked at her, conveying her decision to trust this man with her eyes.

Shizuku closed her eyes tightly for a moment, conflicted with what to do, before she followed along. "…Ok"

Burning, crashing, every painful sensation came to Vincent's mind, but nothing compared to this. He tried to muffle the pain at first, but it's too much even for him.

The feeling of his own eyes disintegrated slowly inside out from his perspective was not something he could endure silently how prepared he was.

Along with his vision darkening bit by bit from the corner, causing unknown fear deep inside him even when he knew everything was going to be alright.

As the pain peaked, he felt as though his very being was unraveling, tethered only by the sheer force of his will.

Pain from his eyes went to brain before spreading to entire body.

He's aware not a long time had passed, but he felt like eternity had passed in pain.

If he's some anime character, surely his hair would turn blonde or white now.

Alisa and Shizuku, standing a cautious distance away, exchanged worried glances. The intensity of Vincent's screams tore through the air, making them feel helpless.

"Hey, hey. He's going to be alright, right, right?" Alisa asked, panic etched across her face.

Despite being the one who previously prevented Shizuku, she is now the one that is more restless between the two.

Shizuku bit her lip in frustration. "I don't know. This…it's beyond anything I've seen before." Her attention was on the dual colored arcane that already enveloped Vincent.

"Ugh…what to do, Shizuku?"

"…Let's just hope he can succeed, whatever he's doing…We need to do our part."

Their expressions shifted from concern to determination as they nodded in agreement. They redirected their focus to the task at hand, knowing that their survival depended on their readiness.

Vincent's vision continued to fragment, the world around him dissipating into complete darkness. He would be scared shitless if not for the sensation of the dissipating mass in his palms, and he's sure that everything moved according to what it was supposed to be.

He felt a surge of power coursing through him, focusing on the area his original eyes formerly were. Until the item 'Ember Eyes' completely disappeared from his hands.

The purple and ember colored arcane energy, intertwining with his very essence. They gathered and compressed together, forming a new pair of eyes for him.

The one that would never separate from him forever, even in death, unless he allowed it.

He closed his eyes for a bit to get used to them first.

Just as Vincent finished, the dust had settled, revealing the chaos left in their wake.

The robed figures were beginning to regroup. Max, the leader, struggled to his feet, his hood now singed and tattered everywhere.

His companions lay scattered around him, some unconscious, others moaning in pain but unmoving. Only a handful of them could stand properly.

Fred, too, was struggling to rise from the ground, battered and bruised. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt fabric and the metallic tang of blood.

Vincent slowly opened his eyelids.

"Sorry for worrying you two. Are you ready?" He asked with a light smile as his gaze locked to Alisa and Shizuku, revealing an unforgettable scene that took their breath away. Their eyes widened.

Both maiden were caught off guard from what they saw.

An enchanting pair of eyes looked at them in amusement. The first thing that came to mind was beautiful. The reddish-brown eyes emanate a subtle warmth akin to gently smoldering embers, casting a mesmerizing glow that captivated both Alisa and Shizuku.

'Hmm, so this is how they're work. Fascinating.' Vincent mused to himself.

As they observed him, Vincent also closely scrutinized them, testing the capabilities of his new vision.

In the game, these eyes will give a considerable increase percentage for dodge rate and critical rate of the character when it first equipped, but now he can see for himself how it work.

His senses heightened greatly.

He could discern the subtle nuances in the girl's expression. Each time something happens, his sense would catch it faster than before.

But that was not what he was fascinated by.

He could see several glowing spots were visible on Alisa's and Shizuku's bodies. The size and color varied. Some were big, and some were small.

There's three colors visible which he could focus on what he wants. Green in some parts that's a bit sensitive.

Red in dangerous parts of the body that could directly cause most damage.

Finally, pink color in the parts that are most sensitive area on the body; guaranteed to make any woman rolled their eyes with protruding tongue under you.

'What a cheat!'

Vincent, now fully aware of the impact his transformation had, broke into a lighthearted smile, masking his excitement.