A Tender Moment

'What a complete and utter mess,' I thought to myself, surveying the scene that was starting to settle with the arrival of the authorities.

Both Liona and Kimi were sound asleep, and Urisha had a mere ten minutes' worth of usage before succumbing to slumber as well.

At first, ten minutes may seem like a substantial amount of frozen time, but given the impending major event on the horizon, it was most definitely insufficient.

There was the option to reset the clock by wasting the remaining minutes but as it took Urisha an excruciatingly long half a year to wake up, that wasn't a choice I had the luxury of making.

Yes, you heard that right.

A full six months of slumber.

Consequently, once I do utilize the ability for the upcoming event, I would be left without it for the rest of the second semester, a period marked by numerous battles against demons and corrupt individuals at the academy, be they, students or teachers.

Vaulheshia and Yanari were the only artifacts at my disposal that remained awake but I was hesitant to employ them due to their resting period also being very long.

'But if I want to survive the incoming events... I'll have to rely on them,' I sighed, acknowledging that the inevitable was coming.

There were more artifacts for me to discover and own but the situation for acquiring them was very unique or they were halfway across the world.

Usually, Liona and Kimi falling asleep after depleting their ability wasn't a significant concern of mine since Liona would awaken in a mere ten days and Kimi in a measly two.

However, it was unfortunate that Liona fell asleep in an all-out battle with all these people because I was forced to sort to pulling out a card I had planned on keeping hidden for a little longer.

What am I referring to?

Well, when Liona inevitably went to sleep, my only recourse was to utilize my codes — a prospect I dreaded.

When I entered this restaurant, I had three hundred code usages in total from defeating Diamesca and Draven, and fulling other minor but still pretty difficult oaths.

Less than an hour later and I found myself with less than half that original number.

It was understandable why the usage number dwindled so low because I had been rapidly consuming six of my 22 codes.

One was unleashing the full power of a typical fireball.

Another was creating forceful gusts of wind capable of launching people into the air.

The third was explosive punches that literally caused detonations on impact.

Fourth was a temporary blindness effect that lasted two short but meaningful seconds.

The fifth code I used was creating this large wooden branch that could either impale my enemies or shield me from attacks.

And lastly, the sixth code I spammed during the battle was this water blade that possessed the ability to slice things despite its soft watery nature.

'One hundred and fifty usages left,' I sighed.

That number seems substantial but given the specific enemy I was preparing to face, it felt like a meager survival allowance.

'Damn... I'll need to complete even more oaths,' I told myself in despair, contemplating my options.

Yet, even then, even if I were to focus a hundred percent of my time on fulfilling oaths, none of the feasible ones I could accomplish at the moment would grant me as many code usages as slaying a demon or a vampire would.

Originally, I had planned to accumulate four hundred usages before the imminent battle, a number that was also toeing the line of being too few.

But now, I would be fortunate to have even close to a three hundred.

My gaze shifted over to Ichiko who despite her bloodied state, her beauty wasn't affected whatsoever.

She looked clearly embarrassed by the chaos she had inadvertently caused.

It was evident to me that she was the source of this ambush because the assassins spoke the same language as her.

She knew that I knew this because she eventually averted her gaze and this anger began to smolder in her eyes.

'This unexpected skirmish wasn't part of my plans,' I thought, as I couldn't help but feel uneasy about how Ichiko's sudden presence in my life was beginning to attract even more unforeseen complications.

Even her existence alone was an unforeseen complication.

"Here you go, young master," said Jerman who despite being in the same battle that I was involved in, barely looked any different other than a few splashes of blood on his shoes.

Accepting the towel handed to me by Jerman who grabbed it without my instructions, I began wiping the blood from my face.

As I observed the once-white cloth turn a deeper shade of crimson the more I wiped my body with it, I was hit with the reality that I had just taken the lives of dozens of men and women.

A reality that I needed to confront.

Like a fireball to the face, the memories of slitting their throats, impaling their hearts, cleaving them in two, or obliterating their heads with explosive punches flooded my mind.

It was a peculiar sensation, sending another person's soul off into the afterlife, one to which I had not grown accustomed to yet.

I had never before extinguished a life with my own hands — perhaps with my words, but never physically.

'Now that I think about it... this is a first.'

For a few moments, I stood there in silence, contemplating the gravity of my actions before shifting my attention to scrubbing my hair with the stained towel.

'They were trying to kill me,' I reminded myself. 'I was just protecting my life and those around me.'

And like that, my composure was regained and I began approaching Ichiko as though I had come to terms with the actions I conducted.

True to her embodiment of the two words, perfect elegance, any traces of embarrassment or anger was suppressed and she welcomed my presence with a natural smile.

"Are you alright?" I inquired, concerned for her well-being.

I sent her assistance whenever I could but there were moments when I couldn't help but leave her to her own device during the battle.

"Other than my torn and blood-soaked dress, I'm perfectly fine," she replied, her steady and as sweet as ever.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

There was a brief moment of silence before she said, "I suppose you're wondering who attacked us and why."

I observed her, noting that she was slightly hesitant to reveal the truth. I assumed this was because it would paint her in a negative light and potentially ruin the perfect image I had of her.

Yet, I also detected her willingness to disclose the truth to me.

Was this because she was driven by the desire to maintain strong ties between our families and withholding secrets was a surefire way to ensure that wouldn't happen?

Or was it a reflection of her affection for me, leading her to feel guilty about keeping secrets?

Only time would reveal her true motivations but I felt like it was a combination of both.

"I assume this conflict comes from your country and it has spilled over into mine," I surmised.

She nodded in agreement, not surprised by my judgment.

"Yesterday, the Kitani clan sought the assistance of our clan in their impending war against the Goto clan," she began explaining. "We, the Asano, chose to ally with the Kitani because we deemed that the Goto clan were the ones in the wrong."

She looked down at the body of a dead assassin just in front of her.

"While I can't be certain that these assassins are affiliated with the Goto clan because none of them wore any particular clothing or revealed their secrets before suiciding, it would make the most sense given the recent circumstances."

I gazed at Ichiko, concern about my response evident in her eyes.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked. "I brought danger your way even though we've only known each other for two days."

"No, no, Ichiko. I'm not angry," I reassured her softly, my voice filled with fake warmth and false sincerity.

'I am a little angry.'

"This is the lifestyle I imagined when they told me that I was engaged to you," I told her.

"Is that so?" she asked, embarrassed by the implications.

"Don't feel ashamed about the life that you live. I think it's admirable to navigate your own path in a world where wars are legalized by the government and Emperor. I was a little taken by surprise but... I'm not angry," I repeated myself to get the point across.

I leaned in closer, pressing my forehead against hers as I continued to speak in a tender voice.

"Plus, I saw your strength in battle. I must say, it's nice to know that my fiancée isn't someone who needs too much protection. I can have your back... and you can have mine."

I watched as a wave of relief washed over Ichiko's face as my words sank in.

She must've sensed the genuine affection in my voice and felt the sincerity in my touch.

'Sincerity my ass,' I scoffed.

The fear and uncertainty that had clouded her mind began to dissipate, replaced by the perfect elegance that she demonstrated when we first met.

"Do you mean it?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

I nodded, a gentle smile gracing my lips. "Yes, my dear fiancée. I meant every word I just said."

I could see her face flutter with joy as a radiant smile broke through her previously nervous and angry expression.

As our foreheads separated, she placed her hand on her cheek as if to hide herself away.

"Thank you for those kind words, Bell. It means a lot to hear that from someone who I will be spending the rest of my life with," she replied.

'The rest of her life,' I nearly choked.

Our eyes locked once again and quickly, she suppressed the emotions on her face, realizing that she was revealing too much of herself.

As we sat down, watching as the workers cleaned up the mess and the police began their investigation, Ichiko began explaining her plans to me.

"I just texted my parents and we'll be leaving this place earlier than scheduled," she informed me.

"May I ask why?"

"My parents can't help but feel bad for putting their future son-in-law's life in danger and they would like to resolve the issue with the Goto as soon as possible," she explained.

I tried to conceal my excitement as best as I could.

"Do you have to go with them?" I asked.

With a bitter smile, she answered, "I need to be there to minimize the number of deaths our people will inevitably face in battle."

Pretending to be saddened by her impending departure, my heart was beating with excitement as it finally got to take a sigh of relief.

But in the present moment, I couldn't celebrate so soon so I grabbed her hand and held it in mine.

She looked at me with widened eyes before turning her gaze back in front of her.

"I'll pray for your clan's success as well as your safety," I told her.

"Thank you."

And before I could react, a gentle kiss was pressed against the side of my forehead.

I blinked a few times before turning my head to see Ichiko who had the perfect poker face on.

'Please just go home already,' I begged.