Chapter 47: I couldn't do it.
"Tsk, look at the mouth on her huh. So stuck up your nose is in the clouds."
"She isn't even all that pretty anyway, you got a nice rack but so what? I am guessing you ride cock for cash if even John can bang you. How much for a pop?"
Look at these fuckers, the moment Lilly denied any chance of getting intimate with them they immediately resolve themselves to demeaning her. How childish could they get?
"{Pack}, {Withstand}, {Endure}, {Hike}."
'I mean really, just how bored are these bastards to be even doing shit like this? Lilly might be annoying, but she was an innocent princess. I guess I needed to give these bastards a talking too,' I inwardly thought.
"JOHN!"
At that moment I felt my hands wet with a warm sticky fluid. Huh? What was I doing just now?
"JOHN! CALM DOWN!"
Lilly's voice brought me back to my senses. I found douche 2 being strangled with my left hand with his face badly bruised and bleeding. Even his jaw broken, how brutal.
Douche 1 was on the floor about almost 40 yards away smashed up against a wall. His head was red from bleeding so much. the man's skull must have hit something hard.
I then noticed that my right fist was damp from fresh blood. Hmm? When did I punched him?
"Dear, please let him go. Reapers are forbidden from harming humans. We need to leave!"
Lilly genuinely sounded scared of IRIS. I let go of douche 2 as he crumpled on the floor. As {listen} was active I heard him begging for mercy.
"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me."
I followed Lilly as she pulled me into a dark alleyway and forced me to sit down.
"What the hell was that dear?! Words are just words. How can you be so impulsive!? You could have killed them if I didn't stop you in time. People even made videos of it!" my companion complained in earnest.
She then took a handkerchief from her handbag and began wiping the blood from my fist.
"I already died once dear. Being insulted by such words no longer bothers me. Especially if the ones making the insults are nothing but dogs. Look at how dirty you have become. Luckily your hand is completely fine.
"Just how many {fates} did you use just to punch them? It was a complete waste of souls! Goodness, I saw it from your fight with father but seeing it up close was really something else."
Seeing this beautiful woman put more concern over my matters than the insults she got made my heart warm. Unconsciously I caressed her cheek as she continued to complain.
"I couldn't do it."
"Excuse me? What are you talking about dear?"
"I couldn't bear to let such fuckers insult you. It never bothered me when I was the butt of their jokes. But for them to say such garbage about you when you are nothing but noble didn't sit right with me," I explained with a serious face.
The woman in front of me froze in silence when she heard my words. Her face looked like she was in turmoil internally. I guessed seeing me suddenly becoming violent scared her off.
I mean what if I laid my hands on her next? A lock of her hair fell out of place. It seemed unsightly so I tucked it behind her ear, so it looked neat.
"There, perfect once more. Anyway, I apologize for my actions Lilly, but I do not regret beating them. If IRIS comes for me, let them. This is my matter not yours."
It did not escape my notice that Lilly flinched like a scared animal when I fixed her hair. It reminded me of how I looked whenever my dad talked to me after a beating.
'Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I need to be more careful in the future.'
Still unable to get a reply I stood up and brushed off my pants. I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could prepare the armory to be part of my {Auto}. As for tomorrow, I intended to use it entirely to get familiar with my new weapons in preparation for my return to Hellsgate.
"I still have matters to attend to. Can you stand Lilly? If you find me repulsive, we can part ways here."
Lilly then stretched her hand like a lady waiting for her escort. I took it and pulled her up. When her eyes met mine, they were focused like alight with fiery passion. Her next words were something I didn't expect.
"How could I be scared of you? All my life I was perfect, the one people expected to be the best. I was never allowed to fail. I reached where I am through nothing but sheer effort. But you know, its lonely at the top. 'She doesn't need any help,' I would often hear them say."
Hmm, it sounded like something you heard from anime and drama's the world of the elite truly was different.
"The only ones who had the pedigree to chastise me were princes or Revenants. And as we had a strict hierarchy no one defended one another. If you were lower, you had no right to talk back at anyone. My own father never cared enough to interfere as he felt it was nothing more than children squabbling."
The more I heard the less sense it made. I had known that the medieval nobility placed value in bloodlines but not talking back because you were lower. What the fuck was that about?
'Though I guess, if Revenants did interfere it would lead to wars which would have horrified IRIS.'
Lilly then whipped her handkerchief around my neck and caught the other side. The moment she pulled it I was brought closer towards her body. A seductive smile was on her lips as her voice which was sweet as honey entered my ears.
"It feels amazing to have someone defend you with no strings attached. Thank you dear, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. You made mine skip a beat just now. Shall we head home?"
We then returned to my place via the Metro and parted ways when a car came to pick her up. The chauffeur gave me dirty looks as he helped Lilly into the vehicle. What was this guy's problem? Lilly opened the car window and spoke like there was no one else around.
"I will come see you on Monday dear. Please don't miss me too much. Do consider moving out of this apartment complex. I can connect you with real estate agents if you want. I live quite far so it would be better if you move closer to me instead."
"Thank you for your advice, Lilly. I will think about it."
"Please do. Thank you for the date today, dear. I never had so much fun before. Good night."
"I am glad you enjoyed it then. I had fun too. Take care on your way home."
After spending a day with the princess of the north American battlefront I found myself harboring bittersweet feelings once she left.
Lilly was incredibly prideful but at the same time noble. She was extremely childish in some areas but was dependable in others. And she choose to ally herself with me.
'I wonder what will happen in the future?'
I then entered my apartment building, took a quick shower and crashed on my bed. With same familiar ceiling in front of me it was like I was still the same old John smith from a week ago. However, as I placed my hands on the soulgem on my neck it proved that such a belief was false.
Suddenly my cheap-ass phone began to ring. When I checked the caller id it just listed the phone number. I decided to pick it up out of curiosity and listened quietly.
"John?"
It was a familiar masculine voice; one I held in high regard during most of my youth. And one I could never forget.
"Harry."
"Hi John! Long time. How are you?"
"Cut the bullshit Harry, tell me what you want."
"… Are you still angry about me and Caroline? It's been years. We both apologized to you numerous times can't you just get over it?"
"I am hanging up," I answered in monotone.
"Wait! Sorry, the class is having a reunion next week. Everyone is coming. You should come too."
I never liked going to such events. The people there were just comparing dick sizes by measuring how much each person achieved since graduating. I haven't attended any since Caroline and I broke up.
In annoyance I demanded a reason for the hassle. "Why should I?"
"Caroline said she misses you."
'Then she shouldn't have fucked you behind my back you bastard,' I cursed in my mind.
"Do not call me again."
"Wait! John! It's at Rustler's Rooste on 48th street next Sunday. At 7 pm. Please come for old time's sake. Just this once."
I hung up not even wanting to respond. Harry was my best friend; in high school his family owned a small shop. His dad eventually scored a deal to sugar rights in Phoenix, so they rapidly rose in wealth. We originally bonded because we had similar situations of being neglected children.
When he became rich, he still hung out with me. Naturally my childhood sweetheart Caroline also stuck to me like glue. The three of us became best friends.
Soon Caroline and I became an item. Harry was happy for us, but I later learned he was jealous. Due to having lots of money to spend, he ended up hooking up with girls left and right.
After we graduated from high school, I attend a community college while Caroline went to Grand Canyon university, one of the premier universities in Phoenix. It was there she met again with Harry all while I slaved at part time jobs to make ends meet.
Fast forward a couple of years and they hooked up behind my back and I only found out by accident. Remembering all this made me feel angry and bitter.
"Screw this, lets gets some shut eye. We still have a big day tomorrow."