Lucifer: Godless Reawakening-Chapter 262: Blooming romance

The sun hung high over the open training ground. Dust shimmered in the heat.

Wood struck wood.

Clack.

Natalie drove forward first, wooden shield snapping up to deflect Kevin’s downward slash. The impact thudded through her arm. She twisted, shield slamming toward his ribs.

Kevin pivoted, the wooden sword skimming past the shield’s rim as he stepped inside her guard.

They both stared into each other’s eyes before, "You’re slow," he said.

She shoved him back with raw force. "You wish."

They separated for half a breath, then collided again.

Kevin’s blade cut low. Natalie dropped her shield just in time. The strike rang against it and she countered with a sharp bash aimed at his jaw.

He ducked. The shield brushed his hair.

Fueh, it was close.

He retaliated with three clean strikes. High. Mid. Thigh.

Natalie blocked the first two. The third clipped her leg.

She hissed and swung wide, frustration laced in the attack.

Kevin caught the edge of her shield with his blade and twisted, forcing her off balance. She spun with it instead of resisting, using the momentum to ram her shoulder into his chest.

Both staggered.

Dust rose around their feet.

"You’re improving," Kevin muttered, circling.

Natalie smirked. "I was holding back."

She charged.

Her shield punched forward like a battering ram. Kevin braced, slid to the side, and brought his sword down hard against the shield’s top rim. The crack echoed across the field.

Natalie pushed upward with a shout.

Kevin leapt back a fraction too slow.

The shield grazed his shoulder.

He grinned.

Then he stepped in.

One swift feint to the left. Natalie shifted to block.

A little late.

His wooden sword tapped her collarbone cleanly.

There was a stretch of silence before she finally groaned. "I thought I had grown stronger and could finally claim a victory."

Kevin grinned. "Did you think I was just lazing around while you sharpened your skills? No, no, no, Nat. To keep up with these training spars, I’ve been putting in extra effort every night, training an additional hour."

They both have gone through experiences recently that has forced them to grow not just as a fighter but as a warrior.

What they have learned isn’t how to slash and ram their bodies into the enemy. They have acquired battle awareness and things one should be careful about in a chaotic atmosphere. And that had brought a calmness to them which couldn’t be learned by reading books but only after going through experiences.

Natalie huffed. "Well, the same goes for me. Sometimes I train longer just so I can beat you one day."

Kevin’s grin widened. "Whatever motivation it takes to keep you pushing forward."

They walked to the side and rested their weapons on the bench.

Grabbing a dry towel, Natalie wiped the sweat from her cheeks and glanced at Kevin as he took a long drink of water.

Hesitantly, she spoke. "Kevin... I was thinking—"

"Kevin!"

A voice cut her off as someone approached him from behind.

As Kevin and Natalie turned, they saw a familiar duo heading toward them.

Laila and Lizel.

"You’re finally done with training?" Laila asked, annoyance curling through her voice.

Lizel hurried over to Kevin and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You’re going to get a heat stroke."

Natalie hummed softly. "Are you two heading somewhere?" They weren’t wearing their school uniforms.

Laila nodded. "Yeah, we’re going shopping. Kevin promised to join us, yet here he is, training with you." She crossed her arms.

"Shopping? You guys... didn’t tell me?" Natalie tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Lizel froze and glanced at Laila before the latter replied, "Well... you’ve been spending time with Emma and the others lately, so we thought you already had plans."

Lizel quickly nodded. "We really thought you’d be having dinner with them again today. That’s why..."

"Oh." Natalie exhaled softly, her smile dimming.

Kevin suddenly spoke up. "You can come with us if you don’t have any plans—"

"Ah! I just remembered." Natalie forced a light laugh. "I asked Gizel to help me with botany. She’ll kill me if I’m late."

Laila shrugged. "Didn’t I tell you guys?" She shook her head lightly. "Well, see you later, Nat." With that, she tugged Kevin along, Lizel clinging to his arm as the two of them chatted and laughed beside him.

As the distance between them grew, Natalie felt a quiet crack form in her chest.

Those three, aside from Emma, were the only ones who had never judged her rash temper or loud personality. They had stood by her, shared old grief and fragile dreams of the future.

Yet lately, she had begun to notice something.

Laila, in particular, had grown cautious around her.

Maybe it was because Natalie was the only one among them chosen to participate not only in the Goblet of Honor but in this training program as well alongside Kevin.

She must have thought Natalie had used the opportunity to grow closer to him which gave birth to the caution

"But... it’s not just Kevin who connected us," Natalie muttered under her breath.

She knew they all liked Kevin, just as she did. But beyond that, she had believed she shared something genuine with Laila and Lizel too.

She had considered them friends.

But perhaps... that feeling had only existed on her side.

Thunk.

The dull sound behind her made Natalie flinch.

She turned to see a familiar pink-haired boy scrambling to his feet, face flushed and eyes wide. He turned quickly and began to hurry away, only to slam into something again.

Thunk.

Natalie walked over and offered him a hand. "Are you okay? Watch where you’re going, Loid."

Loid stiffened the moment she came close.

Being this near to his crush was already overwhelming. On top of that, she was holding his arm, guiding him carefully to the nearest bench before helping him sit down.

"Why do you always panic whenever you show up in front of me? Just two days ago, you shouted in my face like I had stolen your coins or something."

Loid flushed even harder. "I-I wasn’t shouting! I just... get nervous easily."

Natalie’s left brow was curled in curiosity. "Then how do you even live with that guy? I can hardly believe you manage to say a single word in his presence."

Loid tilted his head, genuinely confused. "William? No, I talk to him a lot, actually."

Natalie blinked in surprise. "You don’t say. That guy can hold a conversation with someone other than Emma?"

Loid gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his cheek. "Well... I usually have to mention Miss Emma first to get his attention. Ahaha."

Natalie pressed her fingers to her brow, but a chuckle slipped through anyway.

When she smiled, Loid’s shoulders finally relaxed. "It looks better..."

Natalie glanced at him. "What does?"

"A smile on your face."

Her cheeks warmed instantly. "Hey... did you overhear our conversation just now?"

Loid nodded without trying to deny it. "A little. And I’m sorry on their behalf for leaving you behind like that."

Natalie scoffed. "Why are you apologizing? It’s not like you did anything wrong."

He lowered his gaze slightly. "Maybe not... but it really hurt to see you sad. I didn’t know whether to approach you or step back. I know Miss Natalie doesn’t like being comforted."

Her cheeks grew even warmer. She lightly punched his shoulder. "You seem to know a lot about me. What are you, a stalker?"

He immediately raised both hands in surrender. "I swear I would never do something like that."

"I wouldn’t expect you to," she replied with a soft smile, though the sudden racing of her heart left her unsettled.

After a brief pause, she asked, "What did you shout two days ago? And... sorry for hitting you. You startled me."

Loid smiled, still shy but steadier now. "I’m sorry about that too. I just... wanted to ask if you’d have dinner with me. In the common hall. Nothing special."

Natalie’s lips curved faintly. "Is that a proposal to date?"

Loid’s brain froze, his whole face turning red as a strawberry as he raised his hands in several directions, incomprehensible words leaving his lips.

Natalie laughed aloud at his reaction.

....

Far away, from the window of the library, a certain blond young man saw this scene, a faint smile tugging at his lips before he gave a brief nod of appreciation.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.