Chapter 20:

  Yandere Awakening

  (Some time ter, Maya POV)

  "Sir, this is highly irregur," Maya stated with a bit of apprehension, "I can't accept this..."

  "You said it yourself," Sir Lucas told her smugly, csping the bracelet around her wrist, "It's my money and I can do with it what I want, right?"

  Maya cursed herself for saying such a thing to him, but could not escape the happiness she felt beating within her heart. She had never received a gift like this, unbidden and without any ulterior motives. During the consultation with the jeweler, Sir Lucas had surprised her when he asked about a bracelet. She believed it to be for Elizabeth, but then upon leaving the store, he had asked her to hold out her hand.

  Thus, she found herself with this beautiful silver bracelet around her wrist. It was intricately made of silver star metal. A thin metal bar connected to a delicate chain that fastened it all together. The metallic bar curved against her wrist perfectly and was carved with depictions of flowers along a vine. Because of the material and technique used to make it, whenever the light hit the flowers, they all shone with various colors.

  It was beautiful. Too beautiful for her.

  "Sir, this is-" Maya began to protest again, but he would hear none of it.

  "Is it too much?" Sir Lucas asked, a bit worried, "I didn't want something that might csh with your typical outfits, but...I don't know. I thought I saw you looking at it, was I wrong?"

  "...No, you were not, Sir," Maya answered quietly, feeling shy.

  Maya had thought she had been subtle, but it seemed he noticed. Yes, she did look at it. It was a beautiful piece. She loved the way the flowers each had a different color when the light hit them. To be honest, she was a little disappointed when he bought it, thinking it would go to El, but to her surprise, it was for her. She didn't know how to feel.

  She had been taught to hide her emotions. Of course, she had loosened up quite a bit around him. It seemed that El was right. They had been good friends in the past.

  Maya simply felt comfortable around him. As if she didn't have to hide herself or who she was. Yet, there was a constant fear. What if he truly discovered what was underneath?

  She never had a friend before, other than El. Especially not a boy. Her family was quite particur about that when she was growing up. Well, she supposed it was a good thing they had no control over her life anymore. Though, they still had a hold on her.

  It wasn't easy to forget. She was just gd her sister was safe.

  "Good, I'm gd," Sir Lucas smiled widely, quite happy about the fact it wasn't too much, "I was a bit worried, but good to see I was right. Think of it as me saying thank you, and to cement our friendship. You've been good to me."

  Maya felt embarrassed having heard these words, but she was gd to have heard them. She had been worried as well. No one besides El liked to be around her. They all thought she was too much of a stickler. She couldn't help it. It was how she was raised. To be proper at all times and to do as she was told.

  El had taught her she didn't have to be, but it was difficult. A constant struggle. She didn't deserve such nice things. She wasn't worth it. Her parents made her believe she was worth only so much as they allowed. They didn't allow this.

  Gifts from boys, even something as innocent as this, were always shunned. It was a good thing she had more freedom in her life, and because of how warmly he had welcomed her into his life, that made this gift all the more precious. She couldn't have been happier.

  "I'm just doing as I should," Maya gave an excuse, her tone typical of her professionalism.

  "Oh, come on," he stated with a roll of his eyes, "Don't give me that. You could always say no. I can take it back, if you don't want it."

  In a sudden heat of the moment reaction, Maya clutched the wrist which held the bracelet to her chest, gring at him. How could he say that? He gave it to her. He...was smiling with an amused expression on his face. She realized she acted just as he wanted her to.

  "...You don't have to do that," Maya told him, feeling her heart beating rapidly from embarrassment, though kept her face as stoic as possible, "You went through the trouble of buying it, and...it's not like I don't like it. I'm just not used to receiving gifts, Sir."

  "Well, a first time for everything, Maya," he said to her gently, "I didn't mean to overstep or anything. Sorry."

  "You didn't," Maya stated, looking down in thought as she rexed herself, "I should be the one to apologize. You're worried about me, aren't you?"

  Sir Lucas flinched as she hit the nail on the head. Maya smiled warmly, allowing herself to show some emotion. He certainly was kind. He didn't know everything about her life or her past. She felt guilty for not telling him, but it wasn't something she could just tell anyone.

  "Am I meddling too much?" he asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm being pushy, aren't I?"

  "Not at all," Maya assured him, "Ms. Falcrest warned me you could be incredibly curious."

  He blushed, looking away sulkily. It was quite adorable. Maya had to hold back a ugh. He was a bit childish at times, which wasn't a bad thing. As he looked away, his eyes widened in excitement. She saw that he was looking at a sweets and ice cream shop.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked, changing the subject.

  "A little, yes," Maya answered, being honest as her stomach did feel a little peckish, "Shall we grab some food together, Sir."

  "No, that's alright," Sir Lucas smiled, scratching Azure under the chin, "We can go get it and meet you at the tables."

  Maya's heart seized in her chest. She was not supposed to let him out of her sights.

  "Ms. Falcrest instructed me not to leave your side, Sir," Maya told her firmly, "We should stick together."

  "Hmm," he thought for a moment, "I guess you're right, but...it should be fine, right? The tables aren't too far away, and it'll be quick."

  Maya looked from the food shops to where the tables were, and he was right. They weren't too far away. Still, she had a bad feeling. Her instincts were telling her to deny him and stick by his side.

  "You're always getting things," Sir Lucas told her, "You should take care of yourself as well. If you're not rested, how can you protect me, huh?"

  "...You have a point, but I don't like it," Maya stated with a heavy sigh, narrowing her eyes at him, "Fine, but make it quick. If anything happens to you, Ms. Falcrest will have my head."

  "Wouldn't want that, now would we?" he teased, though both of them knew the truth of her statement, "So, what do you want?"

  "Strawberry cheesecake," Maya told him, feeling defeated, "A bowl, please."

  "Seriously!?" Sir Lucas grew overly excited, "Same! Two bowls of Strawberry cheesecake ice cream coming right up!"

  Before she could say anything else, he was already off. She watched him make his way to the store, and only after he entered, did she attempt to find a table.

  "...Same, huh?" Maya allowed herself a smile, finding it curious they both like the same type of ice cream.

  It was a pleasant feeling. One that she thought to hold onto for a little while. Mulling it over and trying to understand how it made her feel. It was an unfortunate thing that, not long after she sat down in the chair at the table, did her senses alert her to something wrong.

  It shouldn't take him long to get two bowls of ice cream. Gncing over in the direction of the store, her heart froze. She could see into the shop through the windows on the outside, but could not see him within. Where did he go? Opening her senses, she felt it. The slight pull of magic that didn't belong. In that instant, Maya entered into a terrifying state.

  Her face became like stone and her mind focused. It wasn't long since he entered the store, and so he couldn't have gotten far. Most likely lured by the magic she felt. Among the crowd of people, she was but one, and then there were none. She was gone, like a whisper upon the wind. None to miss her, for none could sense her.

  She had honed her skills for her entire life. She was not prideful, but she knew her worth. No matter how hard her parents tried to control her, they simply made the weapon that led to their defeat. A weapon now wielded by El, and by extension, Lucas.

  She found them in an alleyway, not far from the store. Beyond the sight of those in the Pza, where a scream could not be heard amid the sounds of the people. It was a clever tactic, to lure him this far, but a fatal mistake.

  A woman with auburn hair stood over Lucas, smiling down at him sciviously. A man cd in lightweight metal armor stood nearby, along with three individuals that were identical to each other. They licked thin bdes in anticipation, a wild look in their eyes. Maya noticed that a prismatic barrier had been erected around Lucas, protecting him and Azure, who he held within his arms protectively.

  A rage went through Maya then, surprising her by the sheer ferocity she felt. His clothes had been all but destroyed, slowly disintegrating as its enchantment was used up. His gaze was defiant as he gred up at the woman standing over him. There was a hesitation in Maya as she approached, knowing that if she appeared now, he would see who she truly was. What she truly was.

  Her only hope is that once that barrier was down, she could move in quickly and get him out. She was positive she was faster than any of those present. They would not have the chance to act, and so she waited, watching for the right moment.

  "A barrier..." the woman's sickly-sweet voice spoke, reaching towards it to find that her hand slipped through, "A fatal fw...it seems to only protect from attacks."

  "This was too easy," one of the triplets practically cackled, "Can't believe he fell for it. This brat made excellent bait."

  Maya noticed a small child, huddled in fear of these five individuals. They were injured and bleeding, whimpering on the ground next to them.

  "Yuki was worried for nothing," another of them ughed, "That guard of his was useless as well, just as we thought."

  "You know..." the woman spoke, reaching further into the barrier towards Lucas, "If you had just fell under my spell, they wouldn't have gotten hurt."

  "Fuck you," Lucas spat.

  As Maya grew closer, she felt something inside of her snap. The woman who was reaching towards Lucas caressed a finger under his chin. It was provocative and Lucas's expression twisted into disgust. This set Maya's heart burning with rage. How dare she touch him with those poisonous cws. He didn't want to be touched by them.

  "You're not quite my type, dear," the woman replied with a smirk, "But, once this barrier is done, we'll have lots of fun. I'm going to enjoy seeing that bitch's reaction when-"

  The woman's words were cut off as she found that her hand was no longer attached to her body. In fact, neither was her arm. Spurned into faster action at seeing this woman touch Lucas, Maya threw away her hesitation. Crimson liquid sprayed from the wound as Maya's twin daggers, curved and wicked, glistened with the blood of that woman.

  She had cut several times into her flesh, eviscerating her entire arm. Her eyes locked in on them with a deadly intent.

  "How dare you touch him," Maya's words were like ice, "You're not fit to."

  Something inside of Maya exploded. Something she had no idea she had. He was a precious friend who had shown her that it was okay to be herself. That she could show who she really was and do what she wanted, and what she wanted was to keep him safe. Even if it meant she had to show him a side of her that she didn't like to show anyone.

  How dare anyone with ill-intent touch him. How dare they try to harm him. How dare they try to kill him.

  "M-Maya?" Lucas called her name tentatively, her heart aching.

  Was he scared of her? She was afraid to look.

  "Just wait there, Sir," Maya told him, speaking politely while her cold gre focused on those before her, "This will be over soon, alright?"

  "...Yeah," he answered, sounding as if he was relieved, "Just...be careful, okay? Don't harm the kid. They were forced."

  "Of course, as you say," Maya nodded her acceptance of the order.

  The man cd in armor held the woman whose arm was bleeding profusely. They had downed a potion, yet it still wasn't helping.

  "Don't bother," Maya told them, flicking her wrists expertly to clean off her bdes, "Nothing cut by these can be healed easily. Don't worry though, you won't be alive long enough for it to matter. Now, which one of you activated the barrier?"

  "W-What the fuck!?" The woman spat, "You were a Pyer? There's no records!"

  "...Orchid," the man cd in armor spoke for the first time, his voice slightly deep, calm.

  "Excuse me?" the woman inquired, noticing the man was showing interest in Maya, "Orchid?"

  "Yes," the man nodded, and Maya felt his gaze pass to her bdes, "I could never forget those bdes. The sweeping guard over the hilt designed like an orchid. They always wore a mask and nondescript clothing, so no one knew their face or gender, but those bdes...there's no mistaking it."

  "So...that's why they weren't registered?" The woman asked and the man nodded.

  "They're registered under the name Orchid," the man expined, standing to face Maya, "To think, the guard that woman pced on him was you. It's an honor."

  "...Was it you?" Maya asked, ignoring his praise, for she did not care, "Did you activate the barrier?"

  Slowly, the man reached under behind his back, pulling from hidden sheaths two scimitars.

  "I am under no obligation to tell you," they replied, a mistake on their part, "I'll take the title of best assass...in?"

  The man's words became confused as Maya disappeared from his vision. Maya had no reason to wait around. His droning was bothersome, and the longer she waited, the more danger Lucas would be in. She had wanted to know who to kill first, but...what did it matter? They would all die regardless for the crime of attacking him.

  Maya utilized both [Shadow Step] and [Perception Distortion] to bypass their senses. Moving faster than they could think. Slowly, the world would begin to tilt for the man in the mask as their head was removed from their shoulders. It fell with a resounding spt as Maya appeared before the woman whose arm she previously took.

  "I asked...who did it?" Maya repeated, gring down at the woman who was now fully afraid.

  "S-Steel? Steel!" the woman was in shock, seeing the man's body colpse after his head had fallen, "You bitch! It was me! You didn't have to-"

  Maya's wrist flicked, her bde cutting the woman's other arm into pieces. Her words cut off as her screams rose into the air.

  "Thank you," Maya told her with a malicious smile, "Now, sit there like a good little girl while I take care of your friends."

  The trio were already moving. Their eyes filled with madness.

  "I don't care who you are!" one of them yelled, holding their bde though, "We're the Thompson Trio! We'll slice and dice you until you can't-"

  She noticed the activation of [Acceleration] and countered with her own. It was a basic skill for mobility types, and hers was honed to perfection. [Bde Dance] followed by [Clean Cut] was all she needed to dissect them. Her moves were elegant, dodging their strikes with perfect precision.

  By the time she composed herself, standing tall, the trio were nothing but pieces of meat upon the floor. Blood spttered everything, including herself. For someone who could keep up with El, this was child's py to Maya. Now, who hired such amateurs?

  "...Speak before you bleed out," Maya told the woman, now cowering away, kicking against the ground to try and move as far from Maya as she could without the use of her arms, "Who hired you?"

  "B-Bryan! Bryan Callister!" The woman shouted, full-blown panic set in, "D-Don't kill me! Please! I won't come near him again, I-"

  The woman pleaded for her life, but Maya was used to hearing such things. Without a second thought, Maya slit her throat for a slow death. Her words garbled as blood poured forth from every orifice.

  "No, you won't," Maya told her coldly, "And you should have never done so in the first pce."

  Flicking her bdes free of blood, she returned them to her inventory and made her way to Lucas. She steeled herself for fear of facing him after showing him such a dispy. Even El never wanted him to see blood like this, but she had no choice. She had lost herself in the moment and could only hope that he did not fear her.

  As she approached him, she noticed the blood upon her, a spttering of it on the bracelet he had given her. A rge amount of guilt washed over her then.

  "Are you alright?" Maya asked, avoiding eye contact with Lucas, unable to face him, "I do apologize, I seem to have gotten your gift dirty. I-"

  Before she could saw anything else, she felt arms wrap around her as Lucas hugged her. He held her tightly in an embrace she was not quite used to, yet didn't hate. Her eyes widening in surprise.

  "I don't care about that," he told her quietly into her ear, "I'm just gd you're alright. I was worried for a while, but...I guess I didn't need to be. You're fucking badass."

  All tension seemed to leave her body then. She returned his hug, albeit confusingly, with one arm hesitantly around him. He...wasn't afraid? In fact, he had been worried about her. Moving her hand from his back to the back of his head, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

  "She was right..." Maya whispered teasingly, "You really are a fool. I'm stronger than I look. You're the one who was in danger."

  "Heh, I guess so, but still...I'm gd you're alright," his hold on her grew tighter for a brief moment, "Uhm, by the way...you wouldn't happen to have any extra clothes in that inventory of yours, do you?"

  He awkwardly stepped back, a blush to his face as he motioned to the clothes that were barely holding together.

  "I was hoping I was wrong when I heard it would destroy the item, but..." he shrugged, trying to cover himself as modestly as he could, "Seems it was literal..."

  "Pfft, of course, Luke," Maya told him with a slight ugh, reaching into her inventory for some spare clothes which she always kept in there for emergencies, "Here, you can wear this."

  Pulling out some sweatpants and a baggy shirt, she handed them to him, only to pause as she saw him looking at her with wide eyes. It made her self-conscious, knowing she was covered in blood.

  "Is...everything alright?" Maya inquired, worried he might actually be afraid now that he realized how she looked.

  "Yeah, it's just..." Luke marveled at her, taking the clothes as if they were the most precious things in the world, "You called me Luke instead of Sir. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

  Maya felt a flush of embarrassment run through her as she realized that she had, in fact, called him Luke instead of Sir. Since when had she allowed herself to grow that close to him?

  "You must have been hearing things, Sir," Maya told him, attempting to hide her embarrassment, though her face which felt like the sun probably gave her away.

  "No, I'm pretty sure you said it!" He procimed adamantly, "You definitely did! Say it again!"

  "Sir, please...hurry up and get dressed," Maya told him firmly, having a harder time hiding her embarrassment.

  "Come ooon,~" Luke pleaded, giving her puppy dog eyes, "You definitely said it!"

  "I don't know what you mean, Luke," Maya smirked, pushing him into a side alcove of the alleyway, "Just hurry up and get dressed. You're being indecent."

  "Ha! I knew it!" He excimed happily, "See, you can be formal!"

  Maya hid her smile behind his back as she gave him one final push before turning around to address the situation. Who gave him the right to be so obnoxiously fun to be around? She had never had a friend quite like him. He had a way of getting under her skin in the best of ways.

  Capable of making her break the facade she so strongly kept up. What she had been taught all her life to do. The mask she kept in order to protect herself. She had to remember...her parents had no hold on her anymore. El had made sure of that.

  Smiling to herself, Maya breathed a sigh of relief. Lucas was safe, and all the remained was the cleanup. Looking towards a bunch of garbage cans and crates, she noticed the visage of a small, frightened child. Her eyes full of terror.

  Not everyone could be like Lucas and El, unafraid and caring. The somber reality hit Maya hard, and so she waited for him to finish getting dressed so he could help calm the child. Afterwards, Maya made a few calls in order to get this cleaned up, not least of which was a private [Message] to El.

  ---

  "Bryan hired assassins" – Maya Rosengard

  "They're dead. Luke is safe" – Maya Rosengard

  "Foolish bastard. I warned him" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "More importantly. Luke, huh?" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "...Shut up, El" – Maya Rosengard

  -----

  Nikushimi