Chapter 48 new emotions (part 1)

—Luna Hazard's perspective.

—Moments before.

"Baam!!!".

From one moment to the next, Luna looked at Asher's blood pouring out of his hand. Her mind instantly went blank and she didn't react.

"Drip" "Drip" "Drip" "Drip!"

Luna looked at the spilled blood on the floor. Her mind went into a state of confusion and nervousness. She couldn't react instantly, she couldn't comprehend it. She felt strange, she couldn't move or speak. The blood continued to spill until Gloriana spoke, but her voice was unavoidable and shaky.

"Asher... You-your hand..."

It was to be expected. Seeing such a scene right in front of her eyes was a very terrifying act, something she never wanted to see even once.

Luna couldn't utter a single word. She was frightened. If it wasn't for those two, she would be dead. Her body would be on the ground, bleeding from her head, if those two hadn't stopped that mana bullet. She was scared.

Her heart was beating so fast and loud, you could even hear it.

Of course, the screams of the people around were loud. Everyone was saying "run" and things like that as panic gripped the whole building.

Glass, which in an instant shattered, was lying all around them, but what Luna was looking at was more of a hole in Asher's hand.

Gloriana spoke at that moment.

"Are you... okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Luna couldn't believe Asher's reaction. It was as if Asher was used to this kind of situation. Of course, Asher already died once, he was an assassin all his life, he was in danger in this new world. It was somewhat normal his reaction, but Luna didn't know him at all.

Not only Luna was in shock, so was Gloriana, but she reacted faster than Luna.

Then she plucked up her courage and spoke.

"What do you say? Your-your hand has a hole in it."

Despite having spoken almost normally, inside she was in great shock. She could barely utter those words. She couldn't believe everything she was seeing.

She tried to control her emotional impulses. She shouldn't be this scared.

She could barely react, but that didn't stop her thoughts. Of course, her thoughts were in a great chaos.

"I almost died..." The thought crossed her mind in an instant.

"I really did come close to dying." Her heart was beating so hard and uncontrollably.

"I can't believe I'm alive..." A mixture of relief and fear engulfed her.

The trembling in her hands was proof of how close she had come to dying just seconds ago.

Of course, her emotional thoughts didn't end there. But Luna knew that what happened a few seconds ago is over. She was close to dying, but she's alive.

"I'll go after them." Encrid's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Then, Encrid disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Luna was so out of control.

It felt suffocating, something she had never felt before.

But fortunately, she's alive.

Then, Luna looked at her best friend, Gloriana. She, of course, was in the same condition, but not as exaggeratedly as Luna.

"Don't worry," Isabella's voice echoed in Luna's head.

"Asher..."

"Don't worry, I'll heal your hand."

Quickly, Luna felt a great relief after seeing Asher healed. But still, she was so scared. Anyone would feel this way in a situation like this.

It's not like it's a normal thing, but fear reactions are normal.

"Why..." thought Luna.

"I shouldn't have left the castle," she thought about it very carefully.

"None of this would have happened. Asher wouldn't... I wouldn't have been hurt."

Luna's feelings for Asher were running strong at the moment. She thought it was because of Gloriana and her.

"That was targeting Gloriana and me."

Of course, whoever the killer was was aiming at Gloriana and Luna. After all, the two of them are very important: one is the heir to the throne and the other is from one of the ten most powerful great wizard families on the continent.

It's normal for Luna to think about that.

Then Asher spoke, but Luna was surprised by his words.

"The two of them... they shouldn't leave the castle.... If they die I..."

To Luna, those words felt somewhat different. It was as if they addressed some unique feelings on Asher's part, feelings she never thought she had heard from the cold and emotionless Asher. It was something that left her speechless. Of that Luna was sure. After all, his words had meaning.

It was then that Isabella spoke.

"Hey kid, I thought you had no feelings."

"Uh... What the...? So that's what I felt." I was instantly shocked.

Luna couldn't believe that.

"You... you've never felt any feelings similar to what you're feeling now?"

Of course, Luna could maybe have guessed something like that, but.... Actually Asher had always been like that.

Then Isabella spoke again.

"We'd better go somewhere more enclosed, it's still dangerous here."

Luna calmed down more. After all, she didn't think she would be in danger if she left this place and went to a safer one.

Then she got up from her seat. Her legs were shaking, but still she walked until she came to a place and stopped.

Luna looked at Asher for a few moments, but his face was so surprised that Luna had nothing to say.

Asher, of course, looked at her. Gloriana, who was standing next to him, also looked at Asher in a surprised manner.

"What was that?" Luna asked herself.

After looking at Asher's face, Luna felt a little strange. It was the first time she had ever looked at Asher like that, scared. In fact, she didn't know exactly what kind of expression that was on his face.

It was different, as if he had seen something that scared him for a moment. Quickly, Asher turned his head.

"Cute..."

"Cute..."

Luna and Gloriana said at the same time.

"..."

Then they both looked at each other with the same expression. They both, for some reason, looked at Asher's expression that way.

"He... No, what the hell am I saying?" Quickly, Luna turned around and kept walking.

Gloriana followed her as well, but the moment Luna turned to look at Gloriana....

"You... you're blushing."

Everything that happened a few minutes ago wasn't even affecting them anymore. Rather, by the expression Asher made, it left Luna and Gloriana with some embarrassing thoughts.

***

-Scene change.

-Perspective of Gloriana Mengral.

"Cute..."

"Cute..."

The moment Gloriana blurted out those words, so did Luna.

Then, Gloriana looked at her best friend next to her, who also said the same words in the same second.

"W-what... was that."

Gloriana felt strange, but... those words she said weren't some jokes for her. But Luna said it too.

It was as if they were both thinking at the same time. The previous situation, rather, they already forgot it. Their thoughts were now focused on Asher, simply because of the expression Gloriana thought was cute. It was enough for her to put aside what happened with the mana bullet.

"Why, why, why, why?" she repeated the same word to herself over and over again.

"I still... feel afraid," she said to herself.

Gloriana's thoughts were somewhere between fear and by Asher's expression.

It was a strange thing, two kinds of thoughts at the same time.

On the one hand, her death was near; on the other hand, seeing Asher like this all of a sudden was a big shock for Gloriana.

"No, I must concentrate. I'd better follow Isabella."

Gloriana repeated the word to herself, then put aside all her thoughts and started to follow Isabella from behind. Luna did the same as her and then they both followed Isabella, not before looking for a second at Asher, who turned his head the instant Gloriana looked at him.

"No... Why... but it's cute?"

Was all she said before Asher started walking the same way.

Gloriana simply forgot and let it go about her near death, but she still felt afraid. She was close to dying; her legs were shaking and her breathing was uncontrolled, her heart was also beating so hard.

She was relieved and at the same time she was afraid, a very strange reaction.

***

—Change of scene.

—Asher Frostblade's perspective.

What the hell was he feeling? New emotions, new thoughts I had never felt before.

Fear and shame, what the hell was he feeling?

"Shit..." I cursed silently.

Not only was I angry, I almost lost two people there and all because I'm not strong enough.

Fortunately, Encrid was there at the time, and he is very strong. Of that I was sure. But if I hadn't reached out, my help would have been useless, all because of a weak body.

I had promised that no one would be harmed as long as he was near me. Instead of killing, I promised myself to take care of others, I promised myself many things, but I'm still not fulfilling them.

"Shit... It's not right, there was no death, but..." I didn't finish my thought.

I gritted my teeth and thought.

"I don't know who it was, but.... Encrid will look for him."

Sure enough, Encrid disappeared to look for the killer in an instant. I just had to wait and find out who he is and why he was on an assassination mission, who ordered him all that and also find out what organization or group of assassins was behind it.

If I want to live in peace, I had to find those guys and kill them.

I don't want to see deaths in front of my eyes; I promised myself not to kill innocent people and not to see an unwanted death in front of my eyes.

I was angry, I was not very well in my thoughts, but I controlled myself. I returned to my normal state, the usual cold and emotionless one. It was the habit and I wanted to remove that habit, but it is impossible. It was only the emotions of this body that caused me to have these strange reactions every moment.

At first it was hard to handle new emotions, but I got used to it and managed to control them.

"I must follow the others." I looked at the three who were walking away and then started to follow them.

"There is no one, it looks like they ran down."

It's normal for people to run and look for a safe place when there are situations like this. After all, there was an assassination attempt in this place.

"But how the hell couldn't I feel it?"

He had a sense of an assassin, but that didn't mean he knew where his whereabouts were. Even Encrid couldn't detect it, being an eighth circle mage, someone very strong and with well-developed senses. But still, he did not sense the assassin's presence or his location.

It's very frustrating, but... nothing could be done anymore.

We went down to the second floor of the building. People were scared, well, that reaction is to be expected. I watched it all the time, both on the news and in person in my previous life. I was used to it.

The atmosphere, on the other hand, was thick. Even people's heartbeat resonated so loudly.

Of course, the murmurs of people and the concern of others were also very clear. I ignored all that and simply followed from behind the girls. We kept walking, then we came to a large room where there were tables with lots of seats. Most of the people were here, being a very closed off place from the outside, so it's not dangerous.

"No danger anymore though."

Encrid was taking care of the assassin and there was no need to be here anymore, but I simply followed the three of them.

Of course, there was Isabella. I still can't see her power, but I think I know she's definitely not weak. Perhaps she is just as strong as Encrid, though that too could not be the case.

"Let's be here for a moment, we must protect the people in case there's an incident."

Isabella spoke; from her tone of voice she seemed to be worried about the people. Well, after all, all the people in this building were ordinary people who can't use mana or don't have strength like a knight or someone who trains.

"I already found the killer. Go up to the top floor of the building. I'll be there." Then Encrid's voice echoed in my head.

"How did he...?" I wondered for a moment, but let it go. Then I looked at Isabella and said:

"I'll be right back, it looks like Encrid already found him." Then Luna and Gloriana spoke up.

"Asher, it's dangerous outside."

"That's right, we almost died a moment ago. It's best you don't wander off."

"Uh..." I was surprised by the concern of the two of them. Then I responded by trying to calm them down.

"It's not okay. The man who was with us a few minutes ago is waiting for me. He's an eighth circle wizard, so don't worry."

"Eighth circle...?" Luna and Gloriana spoke at the same time.

Then, I quickly separated from them and went up to the top floor. Once I got there, exactly on the rooftop of the building, I saw a man on the ground with serious injuries, while Encrid was right in front of him.

"So it was you..." I spoke then, but my tone of voice was stern and uncontrolled. I was very angry at that moment....