Chapter 137: Impossible Shot

“This can’t be real…” One elf whispered. “He’s joking, right?”

“I don’t think he’s joking.” another murmured. “He looks dead serious.”

Luna’s hands flew to her mouth. “Luca…what are you thinking?”

Even the males, who usually mocked him, were shifting uneasily now.

And standing there, Lulu herself went pale.

Her earlier excitement drained away, replaced by a trembling dread as the reality of what was happening sank in.

Her body started shaking slightly and she took the fruit out of her mouth to speak.

“Luca…I—I don’t think I can do this. Can I…um, maybe someone else go instead?”

Luca’s expression softened as he looked at her trembling form.

Slowly, he knelt down so his eyes were level with hers.

“Lulu.” He said gently. “Do you trust me?”

She blinked, frozen. “Huh?”

“Do you trust me from the bottom of your heart that I won’t ever do anything to harm you?”

“If you do, then just keep that fruit where it is. Don’t move.”

“And I promise you…nothing bad will happen.”

His tone was steady, his eyes clear and sincere.

And for a moment, all the fear inside Lulu quieted.

She remembered everything he’d done for her—the chickens, the laughter, how he’d never once let her down.

He’d made her cry from happiness more times than fear.

And even though her heart was pounding in her chest, she finally gave in.

“I…I do.” She whispered.

“Then.” He said softly. “Bite the fruit again. And don’t move.”

Lulu hesitated only a second more before nodding, her hands trembling as she lifted the fruit back to her mouth and bit down on it.

The gasps that followed rippled through the entire crowd.

Even Julius, standing among the males, looked startled.

“Is that girl freaking crazy?!”

“She’s trusting him.” Luna whispered, clutching her chest. “She really trusts him that much…”

Leona, however, wasn’t calm at all.

The mask of her usual composure cracked completely.

“No. No, this is too far!” She hissed under her breath. “He’s placing the arrow near her mouth! That’s my daughter! This isn’t safe!”

But before she could take another step, Nyx’s hand gently caught her wrist.

“Calm down, Leona.” Nyx said tenderly.

“Calm down?!” Leona protested, not even caring about keeping her facade anymore. “Lulu could die!”

Nyx’s eyes gleamed, but her tone was steady and warm.

“You know Luca wouldn’t do anything he’s not sure of.” She said. “He’s not reckless. Not when it comes to her.”

Leona hesitated, breathing heavily. “But—”

Nyx smiled faintly.

“Trust me, Leona. I’ve seen how he treats Lulu. You’ve seen it too. He spoils her more than anyone.”

“Do you really think he’d ever let harm come to her?”

Leona’s lips parted—but no words came out.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Luca. But she just cared about her daughter too much.

But at the same time, she trusted Nyx.

She knew how fiercely protective her sister was of Lulu, and if Nyx wasn’t panicking, then maybe—just maybe—it really was safe.

Leona swallowed hard, then exhaled slowly.

“…Fine.” She whispered. “But if anything happens to her…”

Nyx chuckled softly. “Then I’ll be the first to put an arrow through him.”

Leona managed a stiff nod, though her eyes never left her daughter.

Meanwhile, at the far end, Luca had already retrieved the bow from Luna, who handed it to him nervously.

“Luca…” She said, voice shaking. “…are you really sure about this?”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Completely.”

Then he walked back to his spot and as he notched the arrow, pulled back the bowstring and finally took aim—

—every single elf present had their own thoughts racing through their heads.

The female elves—those who adored Lulu, who saw her as the cheerful light of the village—were clasping their hands tightly, whispering prayers under their breath.

“Please…spirits of the forest…protect her…don’t let anything happen to Lulu…”

Leona’s throat went dry, she was a mother, not a spectator. Her lips moved wordlessly, whispering an ancient forest prayer to the spirits, hoping they would watch over her daughter.

Luna, on the other hand, could barely speak, clutching her hands to her chest, her heart hammering violently as she watched.

Lulu herself trembled from head to toe, but she didn’t move. Not an inch.

She didn’t even blink since she remembered Luca’s words—don’t move no matter what—and she held onto them like a lifeline.

Even Nyx, had lost a bit of her usual smirk.

Her expression was composed, yes, but the way her fingers twitched at her sides betrayed her nerves.

Still, she didn’t move to stop him. She’d told Leona to trust Luca, and she would stand by those words.

Across the clearing, even the male elves were uneasy. They fidgeted, glancing at each other, muttering nervously under their breaths.

“She’s cuckoo.” One whispered.

“She’s…She’s actually going to let him shoot?”

“She’s beautiful…What a waste if he—”

They didn’t dare finish the sentence.

But not all of them looked sympathetic.

Among the crowd, Julius stood tall with his arms crossed, and a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

He wasn’t worried.

He wasn’t even pretending to be.

In fact, he was hoping for the worst.

The idea that his daughter could die in front of everyone didn’t faze him—it excited him.

Because if Luca failed, if the arrow even grazed Lulu, the entire village would turn against the hero instantly.

All of their faith, their cheers, their admiration—it would vanish in a heartbeat.

He’d lose a daughter, yes.

But in Julius’s twisted mind, it was a fair price.

He thought smugly, ’Go ahead, human. Show off. Let’s see how smug you’ll be when the arrow you shoot kills the girl everyone loves.’

He hid a grin behind his hand as he watched Luca take aim.

But Luca, as always, didn’t seem to care about anyone’s reactions.

His expression was serene, confident, focused entirely on the trembling elf girl before him.

He raised the bow slightly higher…then paused.

Everyone’s breath caught.

“Is he…hesitating?” Someone whispered.

But Luca didn’t hesitate.

Instead, he suddenly shifted his aim—not at Lulu, but straight up toward the sky.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“What—?!”

“Why is he aiming up?!”

“Did he miss his balance?!”

And before anyone could ask again—

TWANG!

The arrow shot upward with a sharp whistle, vanishing into the sunlight above the treetops.

Screams broke out instantly.

“HE MISSED!”

“HE SLIPPED!”

“EVERYONE TAKE COVER!”

The crowd ducked and scrambled, shielding their heads. Even the male elves crouched low, shouting,

But just as everyone was panicking, Luca’s calm voice broke through.

“Lulu…”

He said, in a unwavering manner.

“…don’t you dare move.”

His voice carried such quiet certainty that it cut through the noise like a bell.

And Lulu, who had instinctively started to flinch, froze again on the spot—and somehow, despite her terror, she obeyed.

She stayed perfectly still, the fruit still clenched between her teeth.

Seconds passed. The wind rustled.

Then—

Fwsssssh!

A sound sliced through the air, growing louder by the second.

The arrow was coming back down.

It was falling fast.

And it was heading straight for Lulu.

Every elf screamed at once.

“MOVE!”

“LUUUUUUULU!”

“IT’S GOING TO HIT HER!”

“SHE’S DEAD!”

But Lulu didn’t move. Her body was frozen, her eyes wide, and every muscle in her body locked tight from fear.

And then—

THUNK!

The arrow struck.

Gasps exploded everywhere—but they weren’t screams of horror.

Because the arrow hadn’t pierced Lulu.

It had gone clean through the fruit in her mouth, splitting it perfectly in half, before embedding itself deep into the earth right beneath her feet.

Juice dripped from the halves as they slid down and fell into her shaking hands.

For a heartbeat, there was nothing but silence.

Then one elf, near the front, leaned forward with trembling hands and whispered,

“He…he did it…”

And then, louder,

“He DID it! HE ACTUALLY DID IT!!”

The clearing erupted.

“HE HIT THE FRUIT!”

“HE DIDN’T EVEN TOUCH HER!”

“IT’S A MIRACLE!”

“That’s not a miracle.” One elf shouted, his voice full of awe. “That’s pure calculation! He shot the arrow upward so it would arc perfectly down and pierce the fruit without even grazing her!”

Another said, “He calculated the angle, the air resistance, the drop rate—all of it! From instinct! No magic! Just sheer skill!”

“Unbelievable!”

“Amazing!”

“THE HERO’S A FREAKING GENIUS!”

“Now I want him to shoot me now!”

Cheers, laughter, and disbelief all collided into one joyous uproar. The female elves were crying from relief, shouting his name. Even some of the males, despite their pride, couldn’t help but be impressed.

Luna and Leona both collapsed onto one another, gasping as if they’d been holding their breath for hours.

Leona wiped at her tears, her voice trembling.

“She’s safe…She’s actually safe…”

Luna laughed weakly beside her.

“I think I almost fainted…”

Nyx wiped the sweat from her brow with a smirk.

“Honestly…” She muttered jokingly. “…I thought that the next I was going to meet Lulu was in heaven, when he shot it into the sky.”

Meanwhile, at the center of all the noise, Lulu had fallen onto her knees, breathing heavily.

The fruit slipped from her mouth, rolling across the grass.

She looked at the arrow embedded in the dirt inches from her toes, her whole body trembling.

Then she started laughing—a shaky, disbelieving laugh that bubbled out of her chest.

“Oh spirits above, I’m alive…”

“…I’M ACTUALLY ALIVE!”

Her laughter was contagious. The elves nearby joined in, cheering louder than ever.

Then a shadow fell over her.

She looked up—and there was Luca, standing in front of her with a gentle smile. He extended his hand.

“So.” He said lightly. “What do you think? Wasn’t that crazier than the last one?”

Lulu blinked up at him for a moment, and then a big, radiant smile spread across her face. Without a second thought, she jumped up and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“LUCA!!!” She shouted, hugging him tight enough to make him stumble back a step. “YOU IDIOT! YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT! I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE!”

He chuckled, patting her head.

“But you didn’t. You trusted me and see? I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I mean I didn’t die…” Lulu pressed her face into his chest, laughing through tears. “…but you definitely gave me a heart attack!”

The crowd’s cheers softened into smiles as they watched the two of them cling to each other—a picture of trust and relief, stronger now than before.

Meanwhile, Luna looked at the two of them, her lips curling into a small, bittersweet smile.

“I wanted to prove myself to him…” She murmured softly, almost to herself. “But I guess my little sister beat me to it.”

Nyx, beside her, chuckled. “Well, you’ll get your chance eventually.”

And from the edge of the crowd, Julius’s smile had vanished entirely. His plan, his smug anticipation—all of it crushed in that single arrow’s fall.

He could only grit his teeth as the cheers grew louder, drowning him out completely.

Because the village had witnessed something impossible—not just a display of skill, but of faith.

And in that moment, there wasn’t a single soul in the elven village who didn’t believe in Luca.

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