Chapter 46: The Way Out of a Shuraba (Crisis)

Rose: So whos the girl?

Although she smiled cheerfully, Igni sensed something ominous and dark behind her words, and cold sweat dripped from Ignis face as he said truthfully.

Igni: Shshes someone Im guarding...for a Quest given to me by the school.

Kurara: Im...Ignis...girlfriend...too

Igni: Excuse me?

Igni tilted his head at Kuraras words.

Normally, these words should have excited him, but every piece of Ignis instinct is screaming that this is not an appropriate time.

Igni: (Ththats DEFINITELY a subject we should not touch at the moment..!!)

Rose: Ignisgirlfriend?

Rose tilts her head with the smile frozen on her face.

Rose: OHHH!! I understand now! Thats your <character setting>!

But from Roses end, more mysterious words flooded out.

Rose: Because you cant see, right? And Ignis excommunicated from his family!

Igni: How do you know about me getting thrown out.?

Rose: I know EVERYTHING about you, Igni!

An answer that really didnt answer anything was the reply, and Igni couldnt continue the conversation.

It was Ignis defense mechanisms and instincts that warned him to not poke any further.

Kurara: ......character setting.?

Rose: Yes! Exactly. You must be..Ignis step-sister! After Igni was thrown out of his house, your family took him in. And kind hearted Igni couldnt just leave his blind-sister alone, so he is taking you out around the city. And since youve never had a boyfriend before, kind, big-brother Igni said hell be your boyfriend for the day. Yes, a magnificent deduction from an ace detective if I say so myself.

Igni: (Wow, shes really gone over the top with that storyline)

Igni emotionally detaches himself and observes the situation as a bystander.

Kurara: No.youre wrong. Igni and I..are..dating.

Rose: For just today, right?

Igni: (Ththis isnt good..!)

Igni: (The two arent communicating on the same wavelength!!)

Although its about him, Igni's bad habit kicks in as he still observes this meltdown as a bystander.

Kurara: ........no...its true..

Rose: OHHH!! I understand now! You must be a princess of some country or the daughter of a noble! So thats why you asked Igni to guard you! Ignis the winner of the Tournament, so theres no better man for the job than him!

Igni: How do you know about the tournament.?

Rose: Well, I can understand that. Ignis strong and so amazing! So I can understand why as one of his devoted fans, you asked him to escort you around town as a boyfriend. I know every good thing about Igni, so I can understand your feelings well!

Igni: ................

Rose completely ignores Ignis interjection and continues to talk uninterrupted.

Kurara also didnt know what else to say to Rose and fell silent.

Lady Rose, please do not move around on your own so much within the city.

And out of a horse carriage, a beautiful woman stepped out.

Igni: (Is Rose always with someone beautiful like that?)

....is what Igni was thinking as he tilted his head when

!! Lady Rose! Please step away from that woman!!

And as soon as the lady accompanying Rose yelled

Igni was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and pulled back quickly.

{Water Bullet}!

And she fired a spell in the middle of town!

And Kurara, who pulled Igni behind her, responded calmly and quickly.

Kurara: .....[Dull] {Sloth}

<She cut the spell in half>.

Igni: .............huh?

Ignis head tilted at the incomprehensible scene.

Igni: (Was it possible to cut a spell with a sword..?)

Youre still carrying that annoying Magic Artifact. Kurara!

Kurara: .......and you still..in the middle of town..use spells.Floria.

Igni: (........she knows her?)

Igni: Is that someone you know, Kurara?

Kurara: Shes the [Extreme] of [Water].

Igni: Oh, I see.

Shes a beautiful woman so Igni memorized her face and name.

He will never forget it now.

Because Floria fired her spell, the people around them are panicking.

The crowds disperse and are scattering in all directions away from the two.

Rose: Hey, Floria! That could have hit Igni!

Floria: Do you think I would make such an error?

Rose: Theres always a possibility!!!

Igni: (II dont know whats going on, but Rose is scolding her.)

Kurara: Floria..I have.Igni with me.

Floria: .......I dont know how you got hold of the information, but Im not letting you take Lady Rose.

Kurara: Thats not..your choice.to make.

Kurara laughs and a single, silver-white longsword is held in her hands.

Although Kurara shouldnt be able to <see>, she had her sword in a ready stance straight towards Floria.

Kurara: Okay, Miss [Saint]. Ill give you..two choices.

Rose: A choice?

In between Igni and Rose stood Kurara and Floria. Both are [Extreme]s.

If they fight in the middle of town, theres going to be an unbelievable amount of collateral damage towards the common people.

Kurara: Yes. I will...break up.with Igni..but in return..youll come to..[Alelimenia]. Otherwise.I will continue..to date Igni. So which.do you choose?

Igni: (Alelimenia is the Elves country. Why is Kurara trying to take Rose there?)

Igni: (And why is Kurara saying that were going out?)

Igni: (........wait...has my reign of popularity finally begun???)

Rose: (OOf course Ill go! Ill never let anything come between the bonds of Igni and myself

Floria: Lady Rose, shes lying.

Rose: Llying?! Whats she lying about, Floria?!

Floria: Shes lying about being in a relationship with Sir Igni and herself.

Rose: Hhow do you know that?!

Floria: Theres no way someone who is that depraved would be able to date anyone.

Igni: Oof.!

Misunderstanding, Igni threw himself in the path of the comment and his heart was shattered...

Kurara: Igni..those criticisms...were directed towards...me.

Realizing what happened, Kurara reaches out a helping hand towards Igni.

Rose: Oh, thats a relief. Theres no way Igni would date anyone other than me.

Floria: ..............................yes.

Florias reply is brief.

In her many years, her experience has taught her to say as little as possible during these situations.

Rose: Now give back Igni! We know that you two arent dating!

Kurara: ........thats.a problem. I was...going to..bait you..with Igni..

Igni: .......what?

Igni reflected on Kuraras words.

Bbait? What does she mean.?

Kurara: Igni...is the easiest way..to get..the attention of.the [Saint]....so..walking around..town like this..would probably..draw her out..is.what I..thought.

His delusions of popularity were washed away by the cruel waves of reality and Ignis heart was on the verge of crumbling to pieces.

Feeling dizzy all of a sudden, Igni forgot all the Secret Arts and Etiquettes of Popularity and asked Kurara upfront.

Igni: YYou were just using me for my body?!

Kurara: Thats.not the..way I would..put it but.

Igni: What about your interest in my spell?

Kurara: That was..true.

Kurara answered him clearly.

Apparently, her intentions there were genuine and sincere.

Rose: So what! I have interest in Ignis spell too!!

Floria: Lady Rose, theres no reason to compete with that woman.

Rose: ERRRGH!! FLORIA!! GET THAT WOMAN AWAY FROM IGNI!!

Floria: Yes, that was my intention all along.

Water balls appear around Floria.

Three water balls orbit and rotate around her very beautifully.

Facing her, Kurara has not moved an inch and held her sword with her right hand.

Rose: Beat her to a pulp! Teach her what happens when you place your dirty hands on my Igni!

Kurara: Igni...please..protect me...2 versus 1...is..too much of a..disadvantage.

Combat Analysis.

Igni doesnt know how she calculated the combat strength difference between herself and the other two, but she reached out for Ignis help.

Rose: NO! IGNI!! YOU CANT PROTECT HER!!

Kurara: Igni.please

Rose: IGNI!!

Both Kurara and Rose throw their words desperately towards Igni.

Igni: (Whwhat..should I do!!)

He feels his heart get wrenched and burned from the pain!!

Igni: (Wait! Yes.havent I...somewhere?!)

<<<<>>>>

[Oye, Igni. If you become popular, there is a fate you cannot avoid.]

[What is it?]

[You will encounter a shuraba {a romantic crisis}]

[You told me about that already.]

[Yes, but we should review regardless. Listen well.]

[Ookay]

[When I was young, I was going on a date with this woman.]

[And?]

[I forgot that I double-booked with a different woman, and both women met on the same day, at the same place, at the same time.]

[........huh?!]

Igni felt sweat in his palm as his tightened his fists from the drama that must have ensued.

[GGrandpa..so..how did you resolve that..?]

[For starters, I let them punch me.]

[Excuse me?]

Not understanding, Igni tilts his head.

[There was..no other way!!]

[.............................................]

[You cannot.lend a hand to either side..!!!]

<<<<>>>>

Igni: (I didnt understand what he meant at the time but...hes right!!)

Igni: (GGrandpa was..always right!!)

Igni: (He was not wrong..!!!)

Igni: (Youre.amazing, Grandpa!!!!)

Igni: (Thats why youre..an [Extreme]!!

Kurara: ......Igni.

Rose: IGNI!!

To quiet down the two, Igni raises his palms up towards them.

Igni: I understand now. You two.

Kurara: You understand..what..?

Rose: I knew you would understand, Igni.

Coming to the perfect solution, Igni looks at both Kurara and Rose with joy spilling over from his smile.

Igni: Fire those spells.at me.

In a flash, a heavy silence fell over the entire scene.