Chapter 364: The Beginning Of The End [XXVI]

The students were still frozen in shock after seeing Lunara kill Ardeon so easily. Some had their hands over their mouths while others stepped back without even realizing it.

Before anyone could speak, Lunara’s voice rang across the area.

“Because the Valkyric Division has thoughts on betraying the academy’s expectation, a full-on quote, massacre will happen to it, eliminating any member.”

“Because the Valkyric Division planned to betray the academy,” she state calmly, “a full massacre will be carried out. Every member will be eliminated.”

Her words hit the crowd like a cold wind.

Many students gasped.

Some backed away even more.

Others stared at Lunara as if she had just declared war on the world.

But the professor only nodded, as if he had expected this level of ruthlessness from her.

And after that… Lunara walked toward Aestrea and stopped right in front of him.

“….”

They silently stared at each other until Aestrea looked over to see her favorability that remained unchanged, standing at the seventy-one points.

“…Aestrea, I…”

Lunara opened her mouth, sounding unsure for the first time, but before she could finish her words, Aestrea interrupted her directly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll resign as your secretary,” he spoke lightly.

’…There’s no more useful information for me either way,’ he added inwardly.

“N-no… t-that’s not…!” Lunara’s face suddenly turned red. Her words tangled up, and she looked away for a second.

Aestrea blinked at her, confused.

Then he raised his hand slowly and drew a small circle in the air.

FWIP!

A faint blue barrier spread out around the two of them, blocking outside sound.

“…Is this better?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh… yes,” she nodded quickly.

Honestly, it was quite weird that someone who had a stone-cold face since the day they met was now wearing the most shy and nervous expression ever.

She swallowed once before her soft lips parted.

“So… y-you don’t need to resign!”

“…About that, I was thinking of resigning either way,” Aestrea brushed her words away directly, causing her face to drop.

“O-oh…” she bit the inside of her lip, eyes shifting to the side.

She clearly didn’t know how to say what she wanted to say.

So, she closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths… and slowly, her flushed cheeks got back to their normal skin color.

Aestrea was a bit surprised at how easily she handled her emotions, but then, her next words shocked him entirely.

“Date me,” she practically ordered him in that same familiar mechanical tone.

Aestrea frowned slighly.

Honestly… He truly didn’t like her, not even close. The resentment he carried from past reincarnations made it feel impossible.

“You do not have the right to refuse,” she added.

Aestrea opened his mouth immediately.

“No.”

Lunara blinked at his refusal.

“No…? Did you not hear what I—”

“I heard you,” he replied flatly.

“And the answer is still no.”

Before he could say anything else, Lunara suddenly stepped forward.

Fwip, thud!

Aestrea hit the ground of the barrier that was so fast that he barely understood what happened.

One moment he was standing, the next he was on his back with Lunara pinning him down.

Her hand pressed against his shoulder, her knee against his side, her mechanical eyes staring straight into his glowing red ones.

“…What are you doing?” Aestrea asked calmly, though his eyebrow twitched.

“I am preventing your escape.”

“I wasn’t escaping. I was rejecting you.”

“That is the same thing,” she replied without hesitation.

“…It’s not.”

“It is.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

They stared at each other like two children arguing over a toy.

Aestrea tried to move his arm.

Clack…!

Her grip tightened instantly.

“Are you seriously restraining me?” he sighed deeply.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You said no.”

“…That’s how rejecting someone usually works.”

“I do not accept that.”

Aestrea gave her a long, annoyed look, his face was practically saying:

Are you hearing yourself right now?

Lunara leaned a little closer, her hair brushing against his cheek.

“Aestrea. I want you.”

“That’s not a reason to sit on me.”

“It is.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“Is this some kind of ancient courtship ritual of your people?” Aestrea asked while staring at the ceiling of the barrier.

“No,” she answered. “It is simply efficient.”

“Efficient. Right.” Aestrea blinked slowly.

Silence passed between them.

He tried again, pushing lightly against her shoulder.

Clack, clack!

She tightened her hold again, expression unchanging.

“…You do know I could push you away if I wanted to, right?” he asked.

“No, you’re not strong enough,” she answered calmly.

“I am.”

“No.”

“…Yes.”

“No.”

Aestrea closed his eyes, exhaled, and opened them again.

“Lunara, just get off.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Lunara.”

“…No.”

He stared at her with dead eyes.

She stared back like she had infinite patience.

“This is ridiculous…” Aestrea finally muttered.

“Are you embarrassed?” Lunara’s face softened just a little.

“…Why would I be embarrassed?”

“You are blushing.”

“I’m not,” Aestrea froze.

“You are.”

She leaned closer, her face barely inches away, studying him like a scientist examining a rare insect.

Aestrea finally snapped.

“Lunara, I swear to the heavens, if you don’t get off me, I will—”

“You will date me?”

“No!”

She nodded calmly.

“Then I will continue restraining you.”

’…What the fuck is wrong with this woman? Why is she so fucking pushy? She wasn’t like this in my past reincarnations!’ Aestrea complained inwardly.

Noticing Aestrea’s impatient face, Lunara grinned mechanically.

“Don’t worry, we have infinite lifespan, and since I’m the Student Council President, I can easily give a reason for your absence from classes.”

Aestrea glared at her after hearing her words.

“…Fuck you.”

Lunara’s eyes lit up so fast it almost looked like sparks jumped inside them.

“Will you?!”

Aestrea stared at her as she had just spoken in an ancient demonic language.

“No! That wasn’t an invitation!”

“Then why did you say that?” She tilted her head, her mechanical eyes scanning his face as if trying to decode a glitch.

“Because you’re being annoyingly impossible.”

“Impossible and effective,” she corrected.

“Not effective!”

“It is,” she purred, leaning in slightly.

“You are flustered.”

“I’m annoyed.”

“You are flustered.”

“I AM ANNOY—hey—!”

Lunara suddenly shifted her position, leaning closer until her chest lightly pressed against him and her hair spilled down like a curtain around their faces.

She wasn’t doing anything explicit, but Aestrea still froze on the spot.

Her body warmth seeped through his clothes.

Her voice lowered a little.

“Aestrea… do you feel cornered now?”

“No,” he lied immediately.

She looked down at him, calmly analyzing his expression.

“You are lying.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

He tried to shift away, but Lunara smoothly moved with him, keeping him pinned under her without even straining.

“Stop leaning so close,” he muttered.

“Why?” she whispered. “Does it bother you?”

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.

Her lips curved instantly.

“Then it is working.”

“Lunara, for the love of every god in existence, move,” Aestrea groaned.

She didn’t.

Instead, she slowly shifted her weight so he felt even less able to escape. Her face hovered right above his, her breath brushing lightly against his cheek.

“Aestrea,” she called out softly.

“I am very serious.”

“You’re also insane.”

“Possibly,” she admitted. “But I know what I want.”

“And you’re making terrible decisions,” he shot back.

“Am I?” she asked.

Lunara lowered her head just enough that her nose almost touched his, then, as if thinking about something, she asked:

“Tell me,” she murmured, “why do you dislike me so much?”

Aestrea’s expression darkened, his breath steadying despite her closeness.

“…Because every version of you I’ve met has been trouble.”

“Versions?” Lunara blinked.

“Nothing,” he snapped.

’…Dammit, how did I let that slip?!’

She stared at him for a long moment, silent, reading him like a page she slowly understood was more complicated than expected.

Then she leaned closer again, and Aestrea stiffened.

“Lunara. Don’t.”

“I want you to look only at me,” she stated.

“I look at everyone,” he said.

“Then I will change that.”

“That’s not—hey—! Stop moving—!”

She slightly pressed him down again, not painfully, just firmly enough to keep him in place. Her cheeks were tinted faintly this time, her first real sign of emotion.

“…If this is what it takes,” she whispered, “then I will not let go.”

’…Do I really need to date her to get out of here?’ Aestrea furrowed his eyebrows.

He was honestly considering using his racial divine ability just to get out of there, but if he did, his whole existence would be targeted by the whole divine realm.

’…Whatever… I’m simply pretending to accept and then avoid her as much as I can. Just as I’m doing with Selindra…’

“…Fine.”

Lunara blinked.

“Fine…?”

“I’ll date you,” he muttered, the words leaving his mouth like they carried physical weight.

“There. Happy now?”

For a moment, Lunara didn’t move.

Her eyes widened just the slightest bit.

Then everything about her expression shifted, like a cold, rigid machine suddenly warming into something human.

Her posture relaxed, her face softened, and even the hard, metallic glow in her eyes dimmed into something gentler, warmer.

A genuine smile formed slowly on her lips.

Aestrea froze, momentarily dazzled by the sudden change, his mind stuttering as all logic had stopped.

Then he shook his head violently.

’Nope. Not falling for that. Absolutely not.’

Lunara finally loosened her grip and stood up, her movements light and graceful. She dusted off her clothes and looked down at him with a warmth he had never seen from her.

“…Thank you,” she murmured.

Aestrea turned away.

“Whatever.”

He stood up, ready to leave, ready to get as far away from this barrier as possible, but as soon as he took one step, Lunara’s hand shot forward.

Fwoop!

She grabbed him by the waist.

“Wha—hey—!”

With one smooth motion, she bent him slightly backward, making him stumble right into her arms.

His breath hitched as he found himself staring up at her again, except this time her face was far too close.

“Lunara—don’t—”

She leaned down.

Smooch~~

A gentle kiss landed right on his forehead.

Aestrea went stiff as stone.

“I’ll see you later, sweetheart~” she whispered in a soft, playful tone that absolutely did not match her usual cold personality.

Fwooshh…

She vanished, her figure dissolving into a trail of fading light.

Aestrea stood there in complete silence.

Thud…!

He almost fell on his butt, catching himself at the last second as he frantically wiped his forehead.

“What the actual fuck?!”

He kept wiping, even though the kiss didn’t leave anything behind.

“Sweetheart?! Are you kidding me?!”

He dragged his hands down his face, glaring at the empty air where she had been just moments before.

“…This is going to be a nightmare,” he muttered.

“What am I supposed to tell Luna…?”

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