30 30 - Beautiful Things
"It's just facts..." Van continued.
[Van...] The dragon relayed, its voice tinged with sadness from his outburst.
'Imagine I accept these girls' newfound feelings. We even become friends. Hell, assume they all become part of my harem. Then what? Eventually, another guy like Max gets summoned, and we're back to square one; the people I grow to like get taken away because I didn't have the right skills to keep them.'
"This is bad...!" Lalyn murmured under her breath.
Amoria's face turned ashen as she and Lalyn worked their magic. "What's happening in there!?"
"That meatshield... The spell's unraveling his psyche!" Lalyn exclaimed, her frustration evident as she bit her lip.
"Was he cursed, as I suspected?" Lalyn's voice rose in intensity, her concern clear as she confronted Amoria while battling Van's repulsive force.
Amoria lowered her head, her expression grim, her breathing labored as she struggled to maintain her stance.
"There was no spell..." Amoria whispered softly.
"What!?"
"He... He only learned about Magus's death this morning. I found him... at his tomb," she continued, her voice barely audible.
"He found out just today!? Damn it, this is much worse than any curse... If this continues, he'll become nothing more than a hollow shell!" Lalyn exclaimed.
Amoria flinched, her complexion paling further, while Lalyn's expression remained resolute.
Lalyn clenched her teeth, her frustration rapidly increasing.
'Meatshield... come back to me... please... You've survived far tougher challenges than this!' Lalyn silently prayed, her mind overwhelmed with worry and determination.
Back in the tumultuous whirlwind of frost, Van once again lost sight of the guiding light that once illuminated his path.
'Eventually, it's going to happen again. I'll be alone. And what if the next person's skills affect Demons too? There's just... no point. No point to connections... to friendships...'
'...I should just disappear...'
[Van.]
(BACKGROUND MUSIC: Benson Boone - Beautiful Things)
The dragon's voice cut firmly through his thoughts.
[I have lived a long time... And as a being of longevity to another, let me bestow a piece of advice.]
Van lifted his head to meet the dragon's gaze.
[This world is infinite, isn't it?]
'...?'
[So much could happen. I once believed humans couldn't speak or make pacts with dragons, yet here we are. I thought a city like the capital couldn't exist amidst constant human conflicts.]
Arlyn's tone was tinged with nostalgia as she continued.
[...I also never believed I would love a human so deeply that I would bind myself to them in a pact. But it happened... I didn't think I could be happy with them, but...]
Van's vacant eyes met Arlyn's as she smiled warmly.
[...I am. Despite everything,]
[And even then, so many seemingly impossible things have occurred. Like Magus, who defeated the demon lord, and...]
She gently pressed her head against Van's once more.
[...A person like you exists. Someone who, despite the Goddess herself setting a dark path for him ahead, retains a Godly heart. That, perhaps, is the most powerful Passive any being could possess.]
[I could never have imagined... That a heart capable of defying fate could exist... Yet, here it is, in all its glory.]
Van remained silent, a somber smile crossing his lips as he placed his palm against the dragon's beak.
[...And for someone like you, with a heart like this, not to find genuine love and care that is indomitable, immune to the influence of skills or passives, in a world like this...]
[...The very possibility of that is zero.]
A flicker of light returned to Van's eyes.
"IT'S WORKING...!! SOMETHING'S HAPPENING!!!" Amoria shouted, sensing a positive shift within the frosty whirlwind.
Lalyn, a faint, relieved smile spreading across her face, thought silently, 'Arlyn... Thank you...'
[So, chin up,] Arlyn encouraged as she gently lifted his head with her beak, her eyes meeting his.
[You have a reunion long overdue; how about you enjoy it while you can?]
The ritual concluded, and the room fell silent except for the heavy, exhausted breathing of Lalyn, the priest, and Amoria, all collapsed on the floor, soaked in cold sweat.
"It... Worked...!!" Lalyn managed to gasp, relief washing over her as she noticed the runes had vanished from Van's body.
[Now, rest easy. You're surrounded by people who missed you terribly. Please... embrace that, for me... And for yourself.] Arlyn's voice resonated one last time before her presence faded.
As the silence deepened, Lalyn straightened her posture and swiftly made her way towards the exit, her steps quick and determined. "...LA...Lyn..." Van's voice stopped her.
She paused, turning slightly to look back.
"Thanks..." Van said softly, his voice carrying a weight of gratitude that filled the quiet of the church.
She sighed audibly, her tone dismissive.
"You are just a meatshield... Nothing more, nothing less. I... I did this as a favor for Amoria, not for you." Lalyn stated coldly.
Van chuckled as he was reminded of the early days by Lalyn's cold response, while Amoria's face twisted with indignation.
"Lalyn...!!" she almost growled.
"But... Just... Don't lose yourself anymore..." Lalyn added softly, her cheeks coloring as she averted her gaze.
"You're just... my meatshield... What would I do without my meatshield..." Her voice faded into a murmur, tinged with embarrassment.
Amoria's expression softened, a smile breaking through as she understood Lalyn's true sentiment.
Meanwhile, Van tilted his head, puzzled.
'My meatshield...?' He pondered.
"...Who is supposed to absorb attacks for me... Ridiculous... I have such a fragile... Meatshield... Stay strong, you airheaded... Meatshield..." Lalyn continued, her words trailing off.
Van's confusion deepened.
'The hell...?' He thought.
'Is she on drugs...?'
"And..." She added.
"...Thank you for looking out for my daughter yesterday." She briefly murmured.
Observing the exchange, Amoria smiled wistfully, resigning herself as Lalyn hurried out of the church.
'Hah... It really was her kid, then.'
