205: The Healer's Light, Part Twelve

The Healer's Light, Part Twelve

"So... This is it?" Erin asked. 

"I think so." Neve's head remained tilted up, staring at the structure before them in awe. 

The boss marker on the map sat in the middle of this massive building. Built like a stadium, if Neve was reading the map right, this one building alone was almost as large as the entire Second Floor had been. 

Looking over to the right, Neve found the main path that would have brought them here, absolutely packed with enemies. A gauntlet of battles that she skipped thanks to her {Reconstruction} enhancement of Lia's clothes. 

[I'm glad I went through with that,] Neve thought, patting herself on the back for once. 

Erin whistled. 

"Looks like you could fit five kingdoms in there," she said. "Selene? What do you think?" 

"..."

"No? Nothing? Between this and the complete silence when Neve was going down on you, it seems you certainly are a hard woman to impress." 

Neve rolled her eyes, turning around and walking away. 

"Hm? Was that too much?" Erin asked with a smirk, slithering next to her. 

"We need Aphria to come with us," Neve explained. "I wanna go get her." 

"Ah, I see." Erin sounded strangely relieved just then. "But, how exactly will you convince her? It didn't seem like she had any intention at all to come back outside the camp last we saw her." 

"It's going to be hard, yeah, but I have to try to talk her into it somehow." 

"You're going to... 'talk' her into it, are you?" 

Ordinarily, Neve would have just seen this as another snarky remark from Erin. She was fond of making them, after all. However, there was something about the tone with which she said it, and the way Erin's eyes lingered on Neve from the side, waiting for an answer, that made Neve respond: 

"I might... Why? Are you jealous?" 

There was a moment of silence. Maybe Erin had been caught off-guard. She straightened up, however, and said: 

"Of course! How could I not be? You've been treating complete strangers like royalty more than me lately. You know, the actual princess? Why wouldn't I be?" She wrapped her arms around Neve. "Ahh~ My summoner is always so distant..." 

[... Is that right?] 

---

They found themselves back at the Safe Zone before long. 

Aphria was sitting in the same spot as she usually was, but instead of taking those casual sips from her cup Neve had seen many times since arriving at this Floor she was just staring at it.

Erin stayed near the tent, along with Selene, as Neve walked over to the table and sat down on the opposite side. 

Aphria didn't even notice her. 

"Hey," Neve said and the angel's eyes snapped up. As soon as they did, they roamed down, finding their way to the healer's body. Wearing Lia's rags, Neve felt very exposed. "We found this huge building. Bigger than any other in this city. Does it ring a bell?" 

"I'm not too sure what that expression means, but I believe I know what building you're talking about. That's the Hall of Miracles." Aphria uttered in a way that let Neve know that place had likely hosted quite a few of Aphria's memories. "Its size is certainly imposing, but don't be fooled, the path to the heart of the building, which I imagine is where you're headed, is quite straightforward. Good luck with it, though. There will likely be a great many different obstacles in the way, but you've done well this far. You should be able to handle it." 

The latter part of that sentence, "on your own", went unsaid, but Neve picked up on it anyway. 

That was not an option, however. In order to complete her Floor Quest, Neve required Aphria to follow her into the Boss Room. 

So, trying to be as convincing as possible, Neve took Aphria's hands and said: 

"Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you," Neve said. "To actually complete the thing I came here to do, I need you to be there with me in that building." 

"I-" 

"I don't need you to fight," Neve cut her off. "I don't need you to watch any fights, I don't need you to even see the enemies I take on, I don't need much from you at all. I just need you to be there when I reach the end." 

"..." 

Aphria remained silent, looking into Neve's eyes. 

It was hard to tell whether Neve was getting through to her due to her choosing the right words, her outfit, or a combination of both. The System gave her no indication. But, she kept going. 

"You've already come out of the Safe Zone a few times to help me. I just need you to do that one more time, and then my job here's done, and I'll get out of your hair." 

"... That expression made more sense to me than your bell-ringing one." Aphria looked back down at the cup of tea, like the object was whispering things to her that Neve couldn't hear. "That is all you need?" She asked so quietly Neve nearly didn't hear her. 

"Yes," the healer replied definitively. "That's all. I promise." 

She watched as Aphria debated the matter internally. 

[Maybe I need to sweeten the deal, a little?] 

"And, like I said before, if you help me with this, I-" 

"That won't be necessary," Aphria replied softly. "Unfortunately, seeing my city again has... taken me out of the mood." She sighed. "I'll help. But, I'd prefer it if you leave as quickly as possible after I do. Alright? Keep your promise."

[Oh. Uh, okay, then.] 

"I will." 

"If your Unity Trials are anything like mine were, I'm guessing the enemies you fight in the Hall of Miracles will be tougher to defeat than the ones you've fought up until now. I would advise that you take the rest of the day off. Get ready." 

Neve raised a brow at that. 

[Is this the System's way of telling me I'm allowed to stall for a day?] 

"Can it truly be called stalling if you're preparing for your final fights?" Tamira asked in Neve's mind. "Besides, don't forget that while you're here having a pleasant conversation over some tea, the outside world is being overrun by monsters. Every extra second you spend here means someone dies. It's up to you to decide whether a little bit of rest is worth it or not." 

It wasn't a hard choice to make. 

"I understand," Neve told Aphria. "Thank you. Seriously, I appreciate it." 

Aphria didn't say anything. 

With that conversation out of the way, Neve was done for the day. 

Tomorrow, she would end the Final Challenge. It was surreal to think about, but one way or another, this was it. Whether she died at the hands of an enemy or cleared the last fights and saved whatever was left of the world, this was it. 

[I should probably let Charlotte know I'll be taking the boss on tomorrow, though. Then, she can let everyone else know, and hopefully, people won't throw themselves at monsters while I'm asleep. Hold out, people,] Neve begged them. [Hold out.] 

With this conversation done, there was just one more thing Neve needed to do. No, something she wanted to do. 

And, to do it, Neve walked over to her tent, where she found Erin sitting on her bed. 

She was holding a book in her hands. One of the various pieces of literature Neve had bought for her earlier. The lamia didn't seem too interested in it, though. 

Looking at her like this, Neve felt a wave of guilt crash into her shoulders. 

Erin looked sad, but that expression faded as soon as she noticed Neve approaching and her face changed to reflect the usual confident exterior she would put up. 

"Is it time?" She asked.  1

"No," Neve replied, walking over and sitting next to her. "I'm gonna take the rest of the day off. We'll head out first thing in the morning." 

"Is that right? What are you doing here, then? Don't you have something more... entertaining scheduled? Or... Ah, I see," she closed her book. "My apologies. I'll tell her to come in." 

She went to stand but Neve stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. 

Erin froze. Her crimson irises looked back at Neve with some confusion. 

"No, uh, that's not happening. I just wanted to spend some time with you." 

Whatever Erin had been expecting to hear, that certainly hadn't been it. 

She laughed. 

"That's sweet of you, but you shouldn't be canceling any plans for my sake." She shrugged. "I'm your summon. Once this is over, if you ever want to spend any time with me you can just summon me. Aphria won't be with you forever, though. Go have your fun, it's fine." 

"Is that what you want?" 

Neve's question floated in the air for a little bit, as Erin's smile briefly faded. Only briefly, though. 

"It doesn't matter what I want." 

[Why? Because you're a summon?] 

Suddenly, Neve recalled what Erin had told her back when she first let the woman know about the System. 

[You wanted to "feel real"... Have I done a bad job at helping with that?] 

"It matters to me," Neve replied. She made sure to look into the lamia's eyes as she said that, hoping she could show her resolve. 

Again, the smile on Erin's face faded away briefly. 

"It shouldn't." 

"It does." 

Erin turned away for a moment, likely considering how to react to that. Eventually, she said: 

"I fear that your idea of 'spending time together' might differ from mine. Are you sure?" 

Now, it was Neve's turn to hesitate. She didn't do so for long, however, as she quickly replied: 

"I am. If that's what you want." 

Erin burst out laughing. 

[Huh?] 

Shaking her head, Erin looked away. 

"Neve, that's not how it works," she stated. "I'd only want to if that's what you wanted as well. But, that does not appear to be the case. Or, at least, I rank slightly lower than others on the list of women you'd like to be with, anyway." 

A casual glance thrown behind Neve made the healer turn around, finding Selene standing by the tent's flaps. 

"I- uh, Selene, can you wait outside?" The charmed enemy walked out. "Erin, that's different. I..." 

Neve stopped. 

Finally, Erin fully let that mask of royal arrogance drop. 

And, what was left was a woman who clearly looked saddened by the idea that Neve would rather go down on a mindless enemy than do anything romantic with her. 

Even if she was trying not to let it get to her, it was clear to see. 

Thankfully, however, this made things quite a bit simpler. Neve was finally left with a situation she could understand. 

The healer inhaled sharply. 

She stood up and walked in front of the lamia. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on Erin's cheeks and tilted her head up, forcing those red eyes to look back at her own. 

In this moment, with Erin sitting in front of her like this, it all became obvious. Someone she cared for needed to be cheered up, and she knew how to do it. 

"You don't have to-" 

Neve cut her off as she had before, giving her a light kiss. 

Keeping her hands where they were, Neve remained just a few inches away. 

"... I told you, you shouldn't do that," Erin told her quietly. 

"Well, I suck with words, so... Yeah," Neve replied, before leaning in and kissing her again. 

This time, the soft, tentative touch between their lips stretched on for far longer. Neve's skin felt like it was being set on fire. She felt a lot more nervous now than she had when she "charmed" Selene or Viscera. 

Maybe even more than when she was with Ahlakan. 

As they separated again, once more, their eyes made contact. But, this time, there was an entirely different feeling in Erin's eyes. 

One Neve had seen glimpses of a few times. 

"Neve..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Are you absolutely certain you want to cross this line?" 

"I am," Neve replied quickly, and easily. 

Erin shook her head. 

"Say it." She smiled a little. "I know you're bad with words, but you can manage that, can't you?" 

Neve tilted her head a little, stopping for a moment. 

[... That's a little embarrassing.] 

But, pushing through, she said: 

"I want this." 

The instant those words left her mouth, Erin grabbed her by her wrists and flipped her onto the bed. 

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