I'm Not Going Anywhere
"Finn Doria, you pervert! Are you peeping on me?!"
Ashe's furious scream split the air, her bare feet balanced lightly atop the water's surface.
They had already surfaced from the lake and hastily dressed. But even clothed, Ashe was burning with such wrath that flames literally danced around her body—her soulforce surging in blazing arcs.
Not far away, Finn raised both hands in surrender, beads of sweat gliding down his temple as he stammered in his most innocent tone, "Of course not! I had no idea you were under there! And even if I did—no, wait, why would I—ah?"
He cut himself off when he saw Ashe lunge across the water, her blazing fist rocketing straight for his face.
Finn's eyes widened, and in a swift motion, he caught her fist. It didn't burn him in the slightest—he was a 5th Level Profound Rank, and Ashe, for all her rage, was only 5th Level Scarlet Gold Rank.
The moment he blocked her strike, Ashe's fury only multiplied. She struggled furiously, her crimson hair whipping around her face.
"You'll pay for that!" she shrieked, voice trembling with indignation. "I will not let some shameless pervert go unpunished for violating me!"
Finn felt a headache forming. He hadn't meant to see her naked body—it had been an accident, no more than an instant…
But Ashe clearly didn't care about excuses.
With a furious snarl, she infused her foot with soulforce and launched a vicious kick toward Finn's ribs.
He reflexively caught her leg—only to freeze as his hand closed around her smooth, soft thigh.
Ashe let out a strangled gasp, her entire face turning scarlet. Her red eyes glared daggers into him as he met her gaze with a flustered, innocent look.
"You—!" she choked out, her voice caught between outrage and mortification.
"That's it!"
Gritting her teeth, she jumped, swinging her other foot up in a savage arc aimed at Finn's jaw.
Finn let go of her arm and leg in a rush, leaping backward across the water's surface to evade her kick.
They landed, facing each other—both standing lightly atop the lake. An outsider would have been awed to see two young Adventurers calmly standing on water, but to them, it was nothing special.
Finn closed his eyes and raised a hand in a placating gesture. "Miss Ashe—"
WHAM!
Before he could finish, her flaming fist collided squarely with his handsome face.
Ashe froze in shock as Finn didn't even flinch. His head barely tilted from the impact, though his nose reddened instantly. A thin stream of blood trickled down and splashed into the water below.
Seeing this, Finn sighed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He forced a strained smile.
"Miss Ashe… Could you please let me explain—"
But Ashe wasn't listening.
Her hand clenched around her interspatial ring—and in an instant, a crimson sword materialized in her grip.
She wreathed her blade in searing soulforce and charged with a furious roar, slashing wildly.
Finn lifted a single finger, meeting each blow calmly. Sparks flew as her sword struck against the fortified soulforce around his hand. Ashe's strikes came faster, her eyes glinting with unrelenting wrath.
But no matter how many times she slashed, she couldn't so much as scratch him.
Finn didn't move, didn't retaliate. He simply deflected each attack, one finger against her flaming sword.
'She's really serious about this,' he thought in exasperation.
He understood he'd made a mistake—jumping into the lake without checking first—but wasn't this a bit excessive?
'All I did was see it…I didn't even touch her!'
Though, if he were honest…for a moment he did feel the softness of her thigh. A memory he'd never admit aloud.
Despite the flurry of attacks, Finn's mind began to drift, recalling the beautiful image beneath the lake's surface. He didn't notice that his nose had begun bleeding again.
When Ashe finally realized her strikes were utterly ineffective, her scowl deepened. She noticed the fresh blood trickling from Finn's nose and felt a wave of disgust and humiliation.
'He's thinking about it again!'
Her face burned hotter.
"Hmph! Do you think you can just get away with this because you're Profound Rank? Even if you were a Sky Rank Adventurer, I wouldn't forgive you!"
With a final glare, she leapt backward, landing several paces away.
Finn exhaled a sigh of relief as her attacks ceased. His head was throbbing. He never imagined this girl could be so relentless.
He was a gentleman—he refused to raise his hand against a woman. Unless, of course, it was someone truly vile like Tiffanya.
Calmly, he looked up and gave Ashe a tentative smile.
"Miss Ashe…it was just a misunderstanding. You don't have to be so angry. After all…you saw me naked, too. Doesn't that make us even?"
The words had barely left his mouth before Ashe's face turned the color of a ripe tomato.
Images of that…thing she'd glimpsed under the water flashed through her mind.
Her whole body trembled with renewed rage.
"You…!"
Her aura exploded, pouring into her sword until flames coiled along the blade's length. She raised it high, her voice cracking with fury.
Vermillion Slash!
A blazing bird-shaped wave erupted from the sword, shrieking across the lake toward Finn.
With a resigned sigh, Finn shielded himself in soulforce to protect his clothes from the searing heat.
When the attack dissipated, Ashe stood panting, her shoulders shaking. She'd overexerted herself—her energy nearly depleted by her nonstop barrage.
She cursed herself. She'd let her emotions cloud her mind, burning through her strength for nothing.
Gritting her teeth, she pulled a small vial from her interspatial ring and swallowed a shimmering pill. A surge of restorative energy coursed through her body, washing away her exhaustion.
Her glare returned, as fierce as ever.
Finn watched her with a weary expression, scratching the back of his head. She was really planning to keep this up.
--
BANG!
Two hours later, the sky had grown dark, but Ashe still hadn't stopped.
The once tranquil lake was now a battlefield.
She'd already consumed five recovery pills and still showed no sign of stopping. Her determination to see him "punished" bordered on obsession.
Finn's patience was fraying. Ashe was even contemplating taking a forbidden pill just to raise her strength enough to hurt him.
Before she could swallow it, Finn appeared before her in a flicker of movement and snatched the vial from her hand.
Returning to his previous spot, he lifted the bottle and sniffed it curiously.
"Give that back!" Ashe screamed, her voice hoarse.
She genuinely believed that if she could just reach 6th Level Scarlet Gold Rank, she might finally wound him—even a scratch.
But she was deluding herself. Even with the forbidden pill, she'd never pierce his defenses. All she'd accomplish was throwing her life away.
Finn couldn't allow that.
She was the first person from the Cloud Soaring Sect who had shown him kindness.
No matter how unreasonable she was, he wouldn't let her destroy herself.
"…Do you really want to risk your life over this?" he asked softly. "You've refused to listen and keep attacking me."
Ashe glared, voice shaking with indignation.
"If you want forgiveness…you'll gouge out your own eyes! Swear never to speak of what you saw!"
Finn stared blankly.
'This girl is insane…'
"…Miss Ashe, I treasure my eyes. I'm not ready to be blind. Can we please resolve this peacefully?"
"Hmph! Fine!" she snapped. "Then pay me a thousand Advance Scarlet Pills! If you can't, I'll take your eyes myself!"
She didn't mean it, not truly. She was too young, too hot-blooded, too humiliated to think rationally.
Finn's expression twisted in disbelief.
A thousand Advance Scarlet Pills—just for seeing her naked?
"That's…a bit much, isn't it?" he asked carefully. "Those are Rank 5 pills—each worth five hundred thousand gold coins—"
"Exactly!" Ashe huffed. "Because I know you can't possibly give me that many! Now hand over your eyes!"
Finn rubbed his temple, fighting a smile.
"…Actually, I could give you a thousand pills. But only if you let me hold you…"
The moment the words left his mouth, Ashe's face exploded red.
Before she could unleash another attack, a ripple of energy pulsed beneath the lake.
Both of them went still, the tension between them forgotten.
The water began to churn, frothing with rising waves.
A moment later, a colossal creature emerged—its shriek splitting the air.
Ashe's expression hardened.
It was a Supreme Mantis Shrimp—its armored body glistening orange beneath the fading light. Two massive scythe-like claws glistened as it clacked its jaws.
A Fourth Grade Vicious Beast…equivalent to a 7th Level Scarlet Gold Rank.
Finn prepared to step forward, intending to scare it away.
But Ashe's voice cut him off—sharp and indignant.
"That one's mine!" she declared. "Stay where you are—and don't you dare run. When I'm finished here, I'll make you pay for everything you've done!"
Finn met her gaze, studying her serious face.
She was determined—but the beast was far above her level. Even with her sword and skills, she could barely contend with an ordinary 6th Level opponent.
'Will she be alright?' he wondered.
Still, he nodded calmly.
"Don't worry, Miss Ashe. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere."