章 32: Chapter 32: Silent Envy (1)
Silence pervaded the tense atmosphere, not even the sound of breathing could be heard. Particles of dust and debris continued drifting throughout the dreary room, giving the scene a somewhat ominous appearance.
Two figures stood locked in place, engaging in a fierce stare off.
Yue, a young girl with golden blonde hair and crimson eyes stared coldly at her mysterious adversary, her face an expressionless mask. Her hair fluttered softly as if caressed by a faint breeze, enveloped in a mystical aura that made her look the part of a divine being.
However, standing opposite her, a girl with spiraling locks of snow-white hair and fiendish dark red eyes stared right back, an air of indifference that held no regard for anyone or anything oozed from her demeanor.
The two pairs of distinct red eyes gazed at each other, radiating a savage killing intent that would've no doubt traumatized any ordinary person on the spot.
It was, in fact, a menacing standoff between two extremely powerful forces, one that could turn deadly at a moment's notice.
The strained surrounding atmosphere was almost suffocating, exuding unusually grim undertones.
If this was allowed to continue for much longer, it would surely turn into a brutal deathmatch, an all-out brawl that wouldn't end until the other was completely annihilated.
However, it wouldn't do to forget the other occupant sitting in the room, a young man who, at present, watched everything unfold with a bearing of complete nonchalance.
"Both of you must've forgotten I was here or some shit, but I'll tell you right now; you either fight, or sit the hell down somewhere…"
A deep, languid voice cut through the unbearable atmosphere, and though it felt pleasing to the ear, it commanded unmatched authority.
In an instant, he captured the attention of Yue and her opponent, their expressions changing in one way or another.
Yue, in particular, could tell at a glance what Aziel was thinking just from the look on his face. Definitely something along the lines of; 'Don't waste my damn time', or the like.
Still, she was slightly bewildered to see him remaining seated comfortably in his initial position without moving, as if the threat of this newly arrived girl didn't mean much.
Though upon realizing this fact, she sat back down right beside him, obeying his words and believing in the unparalleled confidence he exuded. As she positioned herself close beside him, she stared dazedly at his charming side profile.
Clearing her throat, Yue attempted to distract herself from how tempting he looked. She would have otherwise been ready to pounce on him if not for the dangerous individual standing just ahead.
Thinking this, she sent the white-haired girl a none too pleasant gaze.
On the other hand, the white-haired girl, or more specifically, Suzu Taniguchi, immediately stiffened in place. Her eyes widened slightly, a brief recollection of past events flashing past them.
Upon first entering the room, Suzu had merely registered another presence in the vicinity without examining them in detail. She obviously cared nothing for anything she laid eyes on. But as that all too familiar voice reached her ears, almost on reflex, her head immediately snapped toward the source.
Although she hadn't seen 'that' man's face due to having nearly died in the midst of her transformation, that voice in particular, she would never forget.
And yet, there he sat, the man who'd saved her had been sitting only a few meters away. The one who brought her back from the brink of death, an inevitable end she was sure to arrive at if not for him.
For a moment, even unknown to Suzu herself, a strange, inexplicable sensation briefly manifested within her chest.
Like an electric spark, it was so brief that she didn't even have time to notice it.
Meanwhile, Yue took in Suzu's odd reaction and stared at her vigilantly. While she was certain no one could ever harm Aziel even if they tried, she instinctively felt on guard in front of this…intruder.
Displeasure filled her heart as she realized Suzu hadn't taken her eyes off him even once. She was fixated, openly staring at Aziel as if she knew him.
Though it was natural that Aziel would charm most women due to his undeniable allure, to Yue, he was already taken. He was hers, that much, at least in her mind, had already been confirmed.
Gingerly taking Aziel's muscular arm within her grasp, she felt immense delight at having established the upper hand against this mysterious girl she'd just met.
It also didn't help that the white-haired girl looked in no way worse than Yue herself. That fact alone forced the insecurities she buried deep within to gradually resurface, she herself being none the wiser.
"You're still here…? Breaking and entering is quite a strange hobby, do you perhaps enjoy being a terrorist?"
Aziel suddenly voiced, tilting his head in mock confusion.
Suzu instantly snapped out of her daze upon hearing his sarcastic remark, her thoughts slowing even further as she noticed how close he and Yue seemed.
Still, she faintly recognized the fact that he had no intention of bringing up their past meeting or anything related, so she decided to do the same, albeit slightly dissatisfied.
"Does it matter to you? As far as I know, my hobbies aren't any of your concern. But you seem quite strong, so you can easily just make another hideout for you and your girlfriend, right? No harm done."
Suzu crossed her arms, her tone coming out a bit harsher than she'd expected. Staring into Aziel's pale golden eyes, she assumed the same indifference she had toward Yue.
Though the rigid and deadly atmosphere had eased somewhat, the vigilance in her actions had yet to vanish completely.
"Oh…? I thought I heard you were gonna kill us or something, whatever happened to that?"
Suzu flinched, just now remembering what she had said upon arriving. Even so, she didn't back down, her eyes narrowing.
"Do you want to be killed…?"
Scoffing faintly, the surrounding temperature dropped a few degrees as Aziel raised a single brow.
"Do you think you can kill me…?"
"Ah…"
Though he spoke in a monotone, his words carried a heavy intensity, one that caught Suzu completely off guard.
She stumbled backward, her face twisting in discomfort. It was as if his voice had infiltrated her mind, echoing loudly on repeat.
This also brought along the realization that, the actual difference in strength between the two, was incomparably vast.
Yue observed their interaction with unreserved satisfaction, finding this scene where Suzu was being driven into a corner far too appealing.
Although she was initially quite annoyed at having been excluded from the conversation, her displeasure cleared up almost immediately as she watched the white-haired girl get the treatment she deserved.
Suzu gradually steadied herself, already irked at being shown reality by the man who saved her, but as she noticed Yue's derisive gaze, her aggravation reached its peak.
She truly wanted to ignore the vampire entirely.
She honestly didn't care about the intimate contact 'that' man and Yue seemed to be engaging in.
It really didn't matter to her.
That was exactly why—
"What're you looking at, you dumb bimbo…!?"
Suzu's mouth moved automatically.
She furrowed her brows, scowling in contempt.
She didn't know why she felt such loathing toward the blonde, but from the moment she first saw her getting cozy with 'that' man, Suzu's dislike toward her skyrocketed.
"What…did you just say?"
Upon hearing her words, Yue's frigid expression became even colder, emanating a murderous aura that one wouldn't usually expect from such a stoic girl.
It was enough to raise the hair on one's arms.
The air in the room seemed to palpitate with unseen ferocity, both girls showing a frightening display of will.
And yet—
"You're gonna let her talk to you like that…?"
Aziel, being the toxic man that he was, didn't hesitate to instigate the situation. He leaned back, glancing at Yue out of the corners of his eyes with mild incredulity.
Though he was capable of stopping things from escalating all on his own, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly amused by this situation.
However, that seemed to be the last straw, prompting Yue to immediately stand up. For one, she didn't want to be embarrassed in front of her beloved, and two, that white haired girl was just too infuriating.
Multiple drops of blood manifested in the air around her figure, spinning rapidly as they warped into the shape of thin needles, approximately 20 centimeters long.
Even some of the strongest creatures currently existing in this labyrinth would become nothing more than pin cushions in front of such an attack.
Still, not wanting to be outdone, glowing red spheres suddenly appeared at Suzu's side, their transparency allowed one to see straight through them. Then, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering, the spheres all broke apart into countless deadly shards.
They swirled around her like a stream of flowing water, making it evident that if one were to be targeted by this lethal assault, they would no doubt meet a swift and painful end.
The two girls faced each other silently, their hair and clothes fluttering wildly as golden and dark crimson mana billowed forth, thrumming in an array of brilliant light.
The result of their clash would undoubtedly become the cause for disaster, bringing about tremendous devastation to their immediate surroundings.
Finally seen enough, Aziel slowly sat up straight, reaching out to grab Yue's thigh before pinching it softly.
"Mn…!?"
She jumped with a start, completely bewildered at his sudden actions. Swiftly turning around, she gave him a confused but somewhat vexed glare, indicating that she was not at all pleased.
Though it was more surprising than painful, or rather, not painful at all, she was in the middle of an intense standoff. It wouldn't do to get distracted during such a critical situation, thus, her dismay.
However, Aziel didn't seem to care too much about that, calmly opening his mouth to speak.
"...That's enough."
And that was all that needed to be said for Yue to comply, even if slightly hesitant on her part. She glanced one last time in Suzu's direction, before ignoring her as she dissipated the multitude of blood needles surrounding her.
Suzu, on the other hand, had already realized that his words were not only directed at Yue, but her as well. But despite that, she wasn't willing to back down that easily.
Staring defiantly down at Aziel, she felt that if her guard was still raised, she wouldn't be taken by surprise this time.
Yet—
"Take a seat…"
An overbearing and oppressive atmosphere enveloped him, his voice echoing across the walls of the labyrinth.
Aziel's eyes flickered, turning a deep shade of gold, almost completely black in color. He rested his chin against his hand, staring straight at Suzu as if she were a lesser creature.
And it wasn't too far from the truth either, this was the true might of a higher existence, a being far outside the scope of normality.
"...Ngh!"
Suzu took a wide step backward, the shards of her forcefield raised defensively as if faced with a monster she couldn't hope to outmatch.
Her expression cramped up bitterly, feeling more than a little discomfort from the intense pressure, both from the outside and in.
It definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling to have this kind of powerful pressure directed at her, much less if it came from the man who she considered her savior.
This wasn't the kind of second meeting she anticipated having with him, that was, on the off chance she ever saw him again.
"Damnit…!"
This wasn't the way she imagined this scenario going.
She truthfully didn't want to be antagonistic, but seeing that blonde haired girl cuddle up to him so happily had sparked something vile within her.
Suzu didn't know, or at least, didn't want to believe what she was feeling, but the dark sludge gathering at the corner of her heart was undeniable.
It was very distinct, a nauseating feeling of envy.
As a few seconds passed, Suzu eventually caved in, deciding to heed his order instead of continuing to rebel. Not due to the fact that she couldn't win, but because some part of her still didn't want to be hated by him.
She couldn't put it into words exactly what it was.
She didn't like or even love him romantically, but she knew one thing for certain, allowing someone else by his side was unacceptable, especially someone like Yue.
"What, do you just force everyone into submission…"
Suzu mumbled under her breath as she walked over.
Aziel ignored her words and lowered the pressure he released upon noticing her compliance, letting her come forward and sit down in front of them.
The fire lighting the room had already been extinguished, yet none of them had any trouble making out each other's figures within the darkness.
They all stared silently, an awkward atmosphere gradually forming in place of the previous one.
Aziel cast a languid gaze on the white-haired girl while Yue merely watched on with an icy glare, not liking this situation one bit.
"So…what's your name, tough guy?"
Suzu asked, being the first to speak amongst the three. Since they hadn't introduced themselves yet, this was the best opportunity.
Though if one thing was abundantly clear, she absolutely refused to acknowledge Yue's presence at all, her question directed only at Aziel himself.
"Did you think I'd answer your question if you hadn't even introduced yourself yet…? I thought that much should be obvious, but it seems you're not capable of thinking properly…"
Aziel shook his head, squinting his eyes in mild ridicule.
A vein pulsed on Suzu's forehead despite her unchanging expression, causing her to suck in multiple deep breaths in order to calm herself down. After a moment, she smiled, not bothering to hide her irritation as she answered.
"Well, I'm Suzu, Suzu Taniguchi—"
"Don't smile if you don't mean it…"
"Oh hell, just introduce yourself already…!"
By now, Suzu had already realized that he was trying to get under her skin, but despite her best efforts, his words always managed to slip past her defenses.
She figured he might've had a certain skill for it, which was, shockingly, right on the mark.
"...I go by Aziel Nox."
"...Yue."
Both Aziel and Yue answered, Yue completely undeterred by the fact that she hadn't even been asked.
As usual though, Suzu paid her no attention, muttering only Aziel's name to herself in slight surprise.
"Aziel, huh… That's a pretty cool name, I like it…"
But, of course, Aziel couldn't help but rain on her parade.
"Am I supposed to be flattered…?"
"You're supposed to accept the compliment like a normal person, thank you very much…"
Her swift response and even tone made it obvious that she was already getting used to his attitude.
Her adaptability was truly on another level.
Meanwhile, Yue continued gazing at her resentfully, evidently pissed off by her dismissive behavior.
It was one thing to treat her like this while they were fighting, but now, this was just a blatant disregard. A sort of disdain for her presence itself.
And so, since this was indeed the case, Yue also decided to be petty.
She scooted over, gaining enough distance to lean down, laying her head on top of Aziel's thigh in a lavish display of intimacy. All the while, she eyed Suzu with visible hauteur, even going as far as to let out a satisfied moan.
"Mn~..."
Having no choice but to notice her provocative actions, Suzu watched on with a blank expression, her eyes twitching at the sound of Yue's 'fulfillment'.
Opening her mouth to speak, she closed it a moment later, thinking better of it. She looked absently at what was, in her eyes, a harmonious scene between two lovers and felt a sickening feeling rush to her stomach.
Suzu immediately shot to her feet, turning her back on this abhorrent sight with an indifferent expression and leaving behind the bitterness settling at the tip of her tongue.
"...Fucking love birds."
Then, she began walking away without hesitation, unwilling to just accept this happening in front of her. After all, if she were to go a step further, it would once again devolve into another fight.
However, one person in particular didn't seem to want to let this go, and for once, it wasn't Aziel.
"Jealous?"
Yue's voice echoed quietly, her tone conveying an obvious condescension.
If her opponent, who was clearly interested in Aziel, had already backed off, she considered this her victory.
Suzu stopped for a moment, casting her gaze toward the ground as she thought over it briefly, before turning her head to the side.
"Those internet memes were right; Blonde's really are stupid."
With that, she walked off, leaving behind a disgruntled Yue glaring coldly at her.
Although she wasn't aware of what she was referring to exactly, she knew well enough to realize that she'd just been insulted indirectly.
Despite having been able to chase off a potential rival, Yue wasn't at all satisfied with the way it ended.
It could even be said that—it was her loss instead.
______________________
I won't lie, I had to take a break for a moment, so I'll apologize for the late chapter.
I have school, and juggling assignments with posting chapters isn't that difficult for me, but there's definitely going to be a delay between chapters. How long? Idk
But....
Like always, throw your stones at the author.
Stone him to oblivion.
And...give him more pOwEr~
週次パワーステータス
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