What Will You Choose?

I am to you... What Ui Feng is to her-

The similarities between Lyu and the Silver-Grade Beast weren't numerous, but it was enough for Lei to draw some conclusions.

The Beast lived in the stables, and so did she.

Lyu used to be a Servant, but she was thrown out for some reason, found herself with nowhere to go, and ended up in the forest. Ui Feng took her in.

The Beast had been brought to submission through pain and fear. Ui Feng's actions made it clear that he didn't have a problem getting physical to get a point across when it came to Lyu. He let her use the lavatory, but that probably was only now that it was time to meet the Young Master. Before that, she was dirty, left in the stables to live like an animal. 

Since the Young Master came out of seclusion, Lyu had been slapped at least twice by Ui Feng. Borara's reaction made it obvious that a bond had formed between the two. That seeing get hurt reminded the Beast of the suffering it used to go through and endure.

Two (seemingly)weak and feeble beings left in the stables. Unwanted and treated like worthless objects. It wasn't difficult to imagine a bond forming between the two.

She approached it, it growled. She shared her food with it, it growled... Lei wasn't interested in figuring out how that bond had been made exactly. He assumed it had gone some way similar.

The Young Master wanted to tame the Silver-Grade Beast completely. Using it to pull a carriage, or as a pet on a leash by the Young Master's side simply to dissuade enemies wasn't enough.

He wanted it to fight for him.

The Beast's hatred for Ui Feng had been made clear the moment he laid hands on Lyu.

Which is why...

"Young Master...?"

"Take my hand. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Young Master-" Lyu answered before shuddering suddenly at the sound of the last assassin's scream.

A scream cut short, as the Silver-Grade Beast tore his body in half.

Unlike earlier, she didn't let go of the Young Master's hand right away.

She immediately turned in the direction of the Beast.

The expression on her face made her thoughts obvious. 

'This isn't the Borara I know... Must be what she's thinking, huh?'

Her grip around the Young Master's hand tightened slightly and involuntarily.

'Time to gamble.' The Young Master thought as he stepped forward.

Lyu really didn't want to take a step in that direction, which made her realize that she hadn't let go of the Young Master's hand.

The pressure exerted by her grip lessened. Her fingers unfolded from around his hand. She let go.

He didn't.

The Young Master directed his gaze towards her.

She was staring at the ground.

"What are you doing?" Lei asked.

"Young Master...?"

"We need to attach the reins back on him."

"But... Young Master-"

"Don't tell me you're scared? Of Borara?" The Young Master asked in a humorous tone.

"No, it's just that..." She pulled against his grip, trying to free herself. Lyu used just enough force to check if there was resistance or not. Far from enough to make her intent known.

The Young Master's gaze went back to the roaring Silver-Grade Beast.

He slowly lowered his gaze towards the river of blood and the body parts that flowed down that river.

"He protected you, didn't he?" 

"..." Lyu pressed her lips together. "Mm." She nodded weakly.

"You can't be scared of him after that. He did this for you, you know?"

A handful of seconds passed, and her grip around the Young Master's hand tightened once more. 

"Mm." 

The Young Master's free hand moved towards her face. She winced and closed her eyes. With a curled index finger, he lifted her chin up. She opened her eyes and shuddered.

"Don't look away."

"But..."

"Had he not done that, it would have been your blood on the ground. Your limbs torn apart." The Young Master explained coldly. "Maybe even ours." He added as he turned towards the growling Silver-Grade Beast once more. "He did this for you, Lyu. So don't look away. And don't be afraid of him."

She nodded, opened her eyes wide, and took a deep breath in.

The nauseating metallic smell she had been trying to ignore by taking quick and shallow breaths hit her suddenly, burning at her nostrils. She pressed her lips together, but didn't close her eyes or look away. This kind of smell... This kind of blood pouring... It wasn't the first time. But it did bring back bad memories.

Lyu took a step forward, joining the Young Master's side. Because this and that were different. Old memories shouldn't have an impact on this. On Borara.

The growling Silver-Grade Beast was more terrifying than ever. In fact, it was the first time that Lyu thought of it as a Beast. Or rather, she came to truly understand why Borara was called a Beast by most.

The two walked towards that Beast. Closer and closer.

She was shaking. She held his hand tighter.

'You got angry on her behalf many times. You hate those who hurt her, don't you? You hate Ui Feng. You fear me.'

On the Young Master's face, a daring smile.

'What now?' Lei thought to himself as only a handful of steps separated them from the roaring Beast. 

Its eye stared at the Young Master as it roared and roared.

'The one you fear...'

Lyu stepped forward. Their hands parted ways.

'And the one you love coming together.'

The Beast didn't stop roaring. Lyu shuddered, but she didn't stop advancing.

'What will you choose?'