'How?' despite the pain that assaulted him, Adeius looked at the person that showed no reaction to his trump card.
"How?" This time, he repeated the question aloud and the boy named Said grinned and raised a finger.
"The reason why people don't go using their ultimate cards willy billy is because of used too much, someone will eventually create a counter for it. Well, it's no problem if it's so strong no one would be able to defeat you without a handicap but you are not on that level yet."
At this point, Adeius prepared himself for death. The true one this time.
'Like hell!' Adeius struggled to his feet aas black blood, the colour of blood stained by death energy leaked from his wounds.
"I... won't... accept..." He tried to draw up a magic circle but felt his already turbulent mana go out of control and he collapsed to the ground.
"Hmm... This could be a good opportunity." Adeius thought he heard someone say something but his mind was too hazy to actually think things through.
...
"Katarina, are you okay?" I stepped in front of my fiancée and noticed the tear stains on her cheeks and started panicking.
"Are you alright?" If you aren't, my father would kill me and I like my life.
"I'm fine." A ball of water appeared and splashed on Katarina's face and she sighed and clenched her hand.
Before I could say anything, she slammed her fist into my stomach but since I was in battle mode, it barely hurt at all.
Immediately after, she collapsed onto my chest and I flailed my arms awkwardly whe she opee her mouth to speak.
"How are you so strong?" She asked me and I scratched my head while trying to search for an answer that won't mentally break a person.
I mean, I trained with lightning, poison, sea pressure, multiple weights, areas with increased gravity and that was just the beginning.
Putting another person, talk not of the princess of kingdom would be nothing short of foolish.
I planned to tell her something random when I looked into her eyes and the words got stuck in my throat.
Those eyes...I felt like I've seen them before. Eyes containing such a fierce passion and hunger.
Eyes that won't submit to anything less than one's ideals.
Eyes that would even cross worlds in order to achieve their dream.
Her eyes... I could see myself in them.
Which was why...
"Sorry, but I don't know how."
I gently extracted her from my body and she looked at me with eyes that I could feel stabbing stabbing my conscience but I steeled my heart to tell her the truth.
"For those who want to become strong, the only path they can follow is the one best suited to themselves. My path is my mine and mine alone and yours..." I pointed at her chest and said with conviction that I honestly through the course of an entire life.
"... Is yours. Never compromise on it."
"I see." She lowered her head and I worried for a moment that I may have made her sad when she turned and smiled at me.
"Then I will. Thank you."
I think my breath stopped there for a second. Out of all the smiles I've seen her with, that seemed like the brightest and purest.
"... You're welcome." I muttered and went to the main issue.
"Earlier, you said you had a way to subdued a creature, right?"
"Yeah." A towel appeared in her hand from god knows where and she used it to wipe herself.
As a gentleman, I took the privilege to look cause, why not?
She seemed a bit preoccupied with the matter at hand and didn't notice me.
Some may think I'm a pedo but technically, I'm still a kid so it's legal.
I think. I hope.
While having thoughts like that, I heard the rustling of clothes behind me and almost wanted to shout but held it in. The rustling sound eventually stopped and I turned to see Katarina wearing a new set of clothes similar to the one she had on before.
"It's amazing how a princess can so shamelessly dress herself in front of another person." I commented and she shrugged.
"It's fine. You're my fiancé after all."
"Yeah but we're breaking up as soon as we grow up, remember?"
"About that... I don't think I will."
"Eh?"
I woke up in a dark place and turned on the lamp by my side and found myself in my room.
"Whew, thank god it was just a dream."
"No, it's reality." I saw my fiancée's face but I must have been hallucinating it.
"No seriously, wake up." I stood up from the beds ignoring the voice in my head when a blunt object hit my head and the room shattered and I found myself in a black world.
Where wasi? I looked around but saw nothing but darkness and began to wonder what the voice that called out to me was when a bright light suddenly appeared and when it reversed, I found myself in a dark cavern with the only source of light being a small orb that pulsated softly.
"You're awake. For a moment there, I was worried." Katarina peered at me from above and I became aware of the fact I was lying on her lap.
"What happened?" I said as I sat up and looked around.
From the looks of it, I hadn't been out for long, at most a minute or two.
"It's damage from taking on so many soil attacks. While you were miraculously able to heal a portion of your damaged soul with your magic, it didn't take care of it and coupled with the news of me wanting to marry you, it hit all at once causing you to faint."
"I see." I was focused on the first half of her sentence when the latter half reminded me of what happens and I jolted and looked at her.
"Wait! Please don't just say stuff like that like we're going to go grab something from a convenience store!"
"Convenience store?" Katarina tilted her head but I had no intention of getting distracted and raise my voice.
"Didn't we agree to break the engagement once we were both of age? Then what's with the backstabbing?!"
"Did you really expect me to let go of such a precious card like you without any struggle?"
"Yes!"
"Well, I'm not. It would have been one thing if I didn't see you in action but once I saw you, I knew I had to do everything possible to keep you attached to me. And with that..." She placed her hand on my shoulder and I thought about brushing it off but decided to spend the energy thinking how to escape the situation.
Katarina looked at me with a sickly sweet smile and I felt my empty stomach turn and she said in a girly voice so unlike her "Take care of me, husband~"