DEAREST

PART 2: FAITHLESS HERO, Ch. 3

3

Luciana's movements are decisive and she shows a deep confidence in her attack mode.

She goes first, thrusting her sword towards the demon she's fighting, prompting him to respond.

But, for some reason, he reacts calmly to her attacks. He dodges Luciana's swords easily, with a restraint that makes one think he doesn't intend any harm.

This irritates Luciana, who moves away and stops to examine her enemy for a moment.

"Oh, come on! Why so soft, demon? You think you can't fight me because I'm a human?"

She is visibly frustrated. After all that training, having him about to escape her attack seems to pose a humiliation for her.

"Swords... They are not my specialty, if I'm allowed a word of honesty."

Luciana wheezed in response, and her arms fell heavily to each side of her body.

"Hand to hand, then? If you've come to me, in that case, you must tell me how do you wanna fight."

"I was simply hoping we could talk."

For a second, Luciana stays as still as a statue. Eyes wide open and an eyebrow sharply curled, she just looks at the demon in clear perplexion.

"That woman who is watching over you is manipulating you. She is the enemy!"

"Huh?" Confused, Luciana's eyebrows wrinkle even more strongly, deepening her expression. "Stop talking nonsense. Fight!"

Luciana tries once again, this time without any restraint.

Luciana lo intenta de nuevo, esta vez sin contenerse. Even though the demon has claimed that he hasn't come to fight—and, as a matter of fact, he doesn't look like a demon who actually fights with swords—he dodges her attacks quite well, presenting, for a moment, a small challenge for my warrior.

I am observing this dramatic battle in complete silence and admiration, and the only thing I know in this moment are those images that my eyes absorb with utmost care and scrutiny.

Ah. No wonder now that my father thought that this was the perfect gift. She has exactly what I lack: an incredible presence on the battlefield, with striking, impeccable and impressive movements. Because of her quick response, I can barely make out her swords' shape moving all around and against the demon's long nails.

It even makes me consider a slight possibility of victory. If she continues to fight this well, against enemies like this second-class demon, the odds are in our favor.

Suddenly, the rhythm of the battle changes, and the demon manages to grab one of Luciana's swords in his hand, the one with the symbol on the palm. Luciana frowns, trying to move her sword away, but her eyes then open with shock, and, drastically, she releases the sword she held tightly.

A thin thread of steam comes out from the demon's hands.

Heat manipulation, I murmur. And I lean back in the seat.

"He won't let you go with mere swords, Luciana," I say regretfully, as I'm thinking of a way to block this type of attack.

"You are quite resistant to heat, my dear girl. That's because you're a great shield," The demon explains with a gentle tone, as if addressing a small child.

How is it possible that this demon speaks so of her? But, as I analyze the symbol in his hand, I realize that it represents an ancient circle of astrology...

"An... Astrologer demon?!" I exclaim, covering my lips with my hand.

Despite this discovery, and the alarm in my voice when saying it, Luciana doesn't flinch. Instead, she lets out a dry laugh.