After Battle

Because the event finished before the third day, the event organizers changed a bit some schedules and arrangements for the awarding. That is mostly because apparently, while we were away, a Royalty visited and watched the event from the academy.

As for who this Royalty is, apparently it was Prince Arlen. He was so entertained by the feats we did that he decided to offer his own award to our team that won.

Since there were things that had to be rushed, the awarding will happen on the 3rd day which is today.

Currently, both of my bodies are resting in the treatment room in the hospital that Archie's father runs. The others are also here but most have left after recovery.

Though I'm awake as Rose, Red as expected can't because I pushed that body to the limit. I don't know why, but they put my selves in the same bed.

Charles is in a different room because he had to have his hand reconnected to his arm.

"Hey, you're finally awake."

While I was still trying to adjust my eyes to the light from the ceiling, I heard a familiar voice next to me.

"Archie... you're alright."

"Well yeah, I went down first. I had more time to recover."

Archie was sitting next to me while peeling oranges and eating them.

"I had a weird dream that we won."

When I said that, Archie couldn't help but let out a chuckle. After that, he takes an orange piece and puts it on my mouth.

Immediately, the refreshing zesty flavour and scent of the orange fills my mouth and nose.

"Idiot, we won, and that's thanks to you. You should be proud of yourself."

Though he said that with a cheerful voice, for some reason, I could see something different from his eyes.

I have known Archie since we were kids. To me, he's basically a brother to me. I know and understand him better than everyone else and I'm confident in it. To see him like this, it's obviously bitter about something.

When his gaze met mine, he understood that I know what he feels.

"I-I'm sorry for dampening the mood even though I wanted to celebrate it."

"It's alright, I want to hear it from you. What bothers you?"

While scratching his head, he meekly opens his mouth and confesses.

"I-I felt a bit useless."

"I fucking knew you'd say that!"

Since a bit of my strength has been recovered, I lifted my arm and formed a fist and hit him with it on the thigh.

"Dude, you're not useless. I know you think you didn't perform enough in that fight, but at least put credit to where it's due. Even with your weak magic capacity, you manage to go toe on toe with several Elite Class A members. You have the skill to overcome the gap in power."

"Red..."

"It's Rose now, and if you ever call yourself useless again, I'll kiss you and drain your strength until you realize that it's the only thing you want, not magic."

"If I was Charles, I would've probably be glad to be threatened with a good time."

Both of us couldn't help but let out a laugh that echoed in the room. It probably bothered some people, but there were people who couldn't help but get carried by our atmosphere.

"Oh, Rose. You're finally awake."

With a glass of water on hand, Delcie approaches us while beaming with smile.

"You look very energetic. Have you recovered already?"

"More than okay now! Thank you for asking. By the way, I saw the recording of your final battle! That was amazing!"

"If it weren't for the Magic Book about Dark Magic, I don't know if I can manage that fight. Thanks to you, I was able to use most of my power's potential."

While thanking her, I lowered my head and put my hand on my chest to express how deep my gratitude is.

I am being honest. I seriously don't know how I could win if I didn't learn Dark Magic spells beforehand.

When I looked at her face, it was blushing real hard. Wait, I'm still Rose, why is she giving me that look?

"T-that means you owe me right?"

"Well... if you put it that way, I guess I do."

"T-then..."

"Oh, Sir Red. You're finally awake!"

From behind Delcie, Rhie suddenly appears holding her own glass of water as well. I'm glad she's doing well, but what is she doing here?

"I'm glad to see you doing well."

"I didn't get hurt that much because of my healing magic, but I'm glad to know you are worried for me."

"Excuse me, but why are you in our room? Isn't Class B's on the other side?"

"Oh, Miss Garaval. Is it wrong to visit a friend?"

"No, but you should know your manners Miss Fvenai. We're still talking here."

"N-now now, ladies. Rose just woke up and is still recovering, can we not have this right now?"

For some reason, there's tension between the Delcie and Rhie. Delcie, I can somewhat understand, but Rhie? I'm not quite sure.

It's a good thing that Archie is here to break it up. Rather, I'm quite surprised he is talking to them on his own.

"Anyhow, Congratulations for winning Sir Red. Or, should I say, Crimson Riot?"

Huh? What did Rhie say just now?

It seems that I'm being left out on something. Everyone in the room is giggling even the people listening to us.

"What do you mean by that?"

Before saying anything, she goes on the other side of the bed and sits next to where Red is laying asleep.

"With your identity being fully known, everyone got interested in watching you. After all, a person having two natural bodies of opposite genders is unheard of. And during that fight, you were shining. And your red hair became like a trademark for your fast sword art."

Though Rhie was praising me, Archie was holding his mouth from laughing at me.

"In a nutshell, you have a title now. With the feat you performed in that battle, the whole city has acknowledged your skill and has granted you the name of Crimson Riot. And that's not all!"

"Apparently, this title is blessed by several high authorities. Prince Arlen, Princess Ofelia, and some Archangel that was visiting."

Whoa... so many things happened at once. What is happening?

"Dude, you're smiling."

Teasingly, Archie points out my face. It seems that my emotions are much more obvious when I am Rose.

But I can't help it! I'm way too happy about it!

Getting a title means getting prestige. If I earn enough prestige, I may be able to become a noble on my own someday and if that happens, I can finally have a chance in becoming a Royal Magic Knight!

It's another step closer to my goal!

"Leaving that aside, how come you're awake and this body isn't?"

Rhie asks as she touches Red's face. Although that part of me cannot wake up right now, I can still feel her finger poking my face.

"It's just something that happens when I run out of magic with that body. Unfortunately, I don't recover power like other people."

"Why is that?"

"Most of my power gets rerouted to this body because this body is Pure-Blood Succubus and that body is Half-Blood Incubus."

"Why didn't you say so immediately?"

"Huh?"

Before I could react, Rhie presses Red's cheeks to make his mouth open up. After that, she leans in and presses her mouth and immediately push her tongue in.

All of us in the room were stunned by her action that we were at a loss for words.

Although that body of mine can't move, I can still feel everything! I can even tell that she just ate grapes from the flavour of her saliva!

It didn't take a while before I swallowed some of her saliva and begun recovering power.

Because of the sudden surge of power, I my head felt like it was about to split open as my Incubus instincts were fighting against my consciousness.

Before I realized it, I was already holding Rhie's back and head pushed down to my face from Red's perspective.

"W-wait-!"

Rhie wanted to take a breather, but my incubus instincts were much stronger than before that I couldn't even properly move as Rose.

When I finally got enough magic, I was finally able to gain control and stop my urges and lets go of Rhie.

As we parted lips, Rhie felt weak and rested herself on my chest. Though teary eyed, she was looking at me with a bewitching smile because of her wet lips.

"You're much manlier than I expected."

"That was your fault."

Delcie runs to Red's side and shoved Rhie back and then put her arms on his shoulders. Not only that she's hurting me, she's scaring me! Her face looks really angry right now.

"You haven't recovered, right!?"

"N-no... actually-"

"Then that means you still need more essence!"

"N-"

Before I could finish my answer, Delcie presses her lips unto mine. Although clumsy, she's trying her hardest. Even though the usual transfer would be me swallowing her saliva, she's swallowing mine instead.

"Wow, dude. It's amazing how you got two girls infatuated with you this much. Is this the power of an Incubus?"

"Shut up. I don't even know what to do anymore."

Though Red is the one with a mouthful of Delcie and Rhie, it was Rose who felt her throat feeling parched so she drank water.

After a while, Delcie finally calmed down. But after realizing that she did something so bold, she buried her face on Red's face and couldn't look at me for a while.

"You two, I appreciate the gesture to help me. But there's really no need for you to push yourself to a commoner like me. Rather, I don't know what to do with your feelings. Especially you Miss Rhie, we just met."

Hearing my side of the subject, Rhie simply lets out a laugh as if I said something funny.

"Let's just say that it's an investment for the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... as the second daughter in five siblings, I have no inheritance to speak of sorts. So I decided to learn sword arts to become a Magic Knight to secure my future. I think most of us who enrolled here have the same exact situation."

"Is that why you were so adamant in experiencing actual fight?"

"That is correct. But what I didn't expect was to get charmed by someone in the battlefield both literally and figuratively."

When she says it like that, I can't help but feel embarrassed about it.

"So, I want to ask, will you take me as your bride?"

HUH?!

"Even taking me as your mistress is fine. To be honest, I never really tried to think about marriage. I was too focused on gaining experience to become a magic knight so I hope you'll take care of me."

"Hold on! Hold on! Pull the reigns back a bit! You're going too fast I'm having a hard time catching up!"

Because it was all too sudden, I couldn't help but nearly get carried away for a ride.

"First of all, we just met! Just because you feel something for me doesn't mean it's real. I'm an incubus for goodness sake! Second, why are you assuming I'll take you as my bride or mistress? I'm not even a noble yet!"

Though I'm being harsh here and making her look like an idiot, it's the truth! What she just said to me, a commoner, is scandalous in and of itself.

But despite that, for some reason, only a chuckle came out of her.

"You said 'yet' just now. So my guess was right, you are trying to become one."

"I..."

"And yes, you are right, we just met. But you showed me kindness in a battlefield and listened to my plea. And to add, despite having the ability to control me, you didn't."

"Well, if I did that, I would've been disqualified, and probably be imprisoned for misusing my eyes."

"I mean, take advantage. I remember everything you know. And because of that, I know you are a man of pride and integrity. I would be a fool to let you go."

Despite saying words that could make anyone embarrassed, Rhie firmly and proudly declares it. So proud that I could see both my faces turn red as I am the recipient of her feelings.

"I... I am beyond honoured that you think so highly of me. But can you give me time to think about it? I have something else to prioritize at the moment. I don't think I'm open for such relationship right now."

"That's alright, it gives us more time to learn about each other. I hope we get along from now on."

Rhie, I didn't take her for someone to be so assertive. It honestly throws me off that she can casually say such things.

"As I have said what I needed to say, I'll leave for now. I have to go back to my team. See you at school."

After saying her goodbyes, Rhie stands and leaves our room. Now it's just Archie, the Me's, and Delcie who has been grumbling while glaring at me.

"Got to hand it to you man, not only that you managed to make my cousin fall in love with you, you got yourself two new girls."

"Hey, careful with saying such things, man! Surely enough, you didn't catch feelings for me. Right, Delcie?"

Just when I was trying to save Delcie from the embarrassment, for some reason, she isn't showing signs of denying it. Rather, she slowly looks up to my face with upturned eyes and blushing cheeks.

"No fucking way..."

"It's your fault in the first place!"

While screaming out so, she hits her head on my chest so hard it made me cough and feel like my bones would crack again.

"I know you're aware of my feelings developing for you. I appreciated the fact that you were treating me like you normally do ever since you saved me during my duel with Charles, but can you blame me if I couldn't help but fall for you after that?"

S-so heavy, her feelings are too heavy!

I'm glad that she's being honest, but is she even aware of what she's saying to me?

"Commoner or Noble, it doesn't matter to me anymore! I like you, Red!"

IS SHE AWARE OF WHAT SHE'S SAYING!?

Immediately as Rose, I grab Archie who was listening and laughing the entire time.

"Dude, she's not under my charm spell, right!? RIGHT!?"

"Nope!"

And to my surprise, I felt Delcie's hand grab Rose's other hand.

"It doesn't matter to me if it's Red or Rose I'm talking to. I like this you."

She then switches her gaze to Red, but with her eyes looking like she's about to cry from embarrassment.

Now that I know what she truly feels for me, I feel really torn inside. Her sincerity is wasted on me.

"I'm thankful, like really thankful, that you see me that way. But-"

"I'm aware about the angel and the child."

-End of Chapter-