Chapitre 15: 14. Little exercise
Luminous pondered over her wine, considering how to draw Acheron out of her stoic shell. She knew Acheron had her own ways of showing care, but often, those ways felt distant and indifferent. 'If only I could get her to be more affectionate,' she thought, twirling a lock of her silver hair absently. Her mind drifted back to Milim's suggestion about marriage, causing her cheeks to warm. She truly liked Acheron, but did Acheron feel the same way?
Determined to test the waters, Luminous decided to call Acheron for some 'training' that involved more physical contact. "Gunther," she called authoritatively.
Gunther appeared instantly, bowing. "Yes, my lady?"
"Could you fetch Acheron for me? I have a special task for her," Luminous instructed.
"Right away, my lady," Gunther responded, disappearing as swiftly as he had come.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Acheron wandered the halls, her brow furrowed in confusion. Despite Luminous's effort to mark each hallway, Acheron found herself hopelessly lost. She glanced around, trying to recall the correct path, when she spotted Gunther approaching.
"Lady Acheron," Gunther greeted with a bow, "Lady Luminous requests your presence. Allow me to escort you."
Acheron nodded, relieved. "Thank you, Gunther. I seem to have lost my way."
Gunther led her through the labyrinthine halls to Luminous's room, where Luminous lay on her sofa, looking as elegant as ever.
"Acheron," Luminous greeted with a smile. "Thank you for coming. I was wondering if you'd like to spar with me."
Acheron's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You wish to spar with me?"
"Yes," Luminous replied, her smile widening. "It's been a while since we've trained together. I think it would be... nice training."
Acheron nodded, though she couldn't hide her curiosity. "Very well. Let's go to the training ground."
They made their way to the training ground, where the atmosphere crackled with anticipation. Luminous knew she needed to keep Acheron at a distance; if Acheron got too close, the match would end quickly. She took to the air with her flight magic, her hands glowing with holy magic.
"Ready?" Luminous called out.
Acheron nodded, her eyes fixed on Luminous. "Begin."
Luminous started with a barrage of light magic, aiming to keep Acheron at bay. "Light Shower!" she cried, sending a cascade of radiant energy toward Acheron.
Acheron dodged with fluid grace, her movements precise and calculated. She didn't draw her katana, relying instead on her speed and agility. "You'll have to do better than that," she called back, a rare hint of a smile on her lips.
Luminous's eyes narrowed. She intensified her assault, using her spatial magic to teleport around the arena, attacking from unexpected angles. "Holy Pulse!" she shouted, sending a wave of holy energy toward Acheron.
Acheron countered with her connection to Nihility, erasing the barrage to ash as she advanced. "Flash Step," she murmured, her form blurring as she closed the distance.
Luminous knew she needed to up the ante. She combined her Blood Ray with holy magic, creating a powerful beam of destructive energy. "Holy Ray!" she shouted, aiming directly at Acheron.
Acheron couldn't erase this attack with Nihility. She drew her long katana, making a dashing slash to deflect the beam. The force of her strike dispersed the attack, but Luminous was ready. She teleported behind Acheron, attempting to catch her off guard. "Blood Carnival!"
Acheron sensed the attack and spun around, her katana meeting Luminous's magic with a clash of energy. She pushed forward, her speed and strength overpowering Luminous's defenses. "You're strong, but not fast enough," Acheron said softly, her voice carrying a rare note of admiration.
Luminous was breathing heavily, sweat glistening on her brow. She knew she had to resort to her trump card. She activated her unique skill, Lust, and her aura flared with dark energy. "Embrace Drain!" she called out, launching a wave of energy that sapped Acheron's strength.
Acheron staggered a little. She, pushed through the draining effect. "Impressive, but not enough," she replied. She closed the distance with blinding speed, her katana a blur as she slashed at Luminous.
Luminous barely managed to block with a hastily conjured shield of light. The impact sent her flying back, crashing into the ground. She struggled to her feet, determined not to give up. "I won't let you win so easily," she muttered.
Acheron advanced, her expression focused and intense. She swung her katana with deadly precision, forcing Luminous to defend desperately. Despite her best efforts, Luminous knew she was outmatched in close combat.
In a final, desperate move, Luminous summoned all her remaining energy. "Blood and Light, merge and strike! Disintegration!" she screamed, sending a massive beam of combined holy and blood magic toward Acheron.
Acheron didn't flinch. She drew upon her inner strength, channeling her ultimate skill as cracks of red electricity started to flow out of her katana. With a powerful slash, she cut through the wave of magic, dispersing it into nothingness. She moved with blinding speed, closing the gap and delivering a precise strike that disarmed Luminous.
The tip of Acheron's katana hovered inches from Luminous's throat. "Yield," Acheron said softly, her eyes locked onto Luminous's.
Breathing heavily, Luminous nodded. "I yield."
Acheron stepped back, sheathing her katana. "You fought well," she said, offering Luminous a hand.
Luminous took it, her heart pounding. "Thank you, Acheron."
As they walked back to the palace, Luminous's mind raced. 'Milim's question about marriage... Maybe there's more to explore here.' She glanced at Acheron, who walked beside her, stoic and calm as ever. 'It's harder than I thought. Even if I like her, is there a chance that she feels the same?'
She resolved to find out. For now, she would start with more skinship, getting Acheron used to physical affection. It was a small step, but one she hoped would bring them closer together.
---
Back in her chambers, Luminous sat pondering. She needed to test the waters, see if Acheron could reciprocate her feelings. "Maybe, just maybe, I can make her understand." With a determined smile, she began planning her next move.
(End of chapter)
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone