After bidding farewell to that enigmatic girl, Andrew returned to the party.
Burnice was standing on the bar, juggling her two flamethrowers, involuntarily shooting out jets of fire from time to time to liven things up to get the party going. The speakers blasted her exclusive two-hour-long track, "Despair Bar," its lively and wild rhythm driving the jubilant crowd of Blazewood, leaving them with no time for anything but cheering and dancing.
By this point, most people were already buzzed. Aside from the few who had passed out drunk in their seats, the rest were going wild on the dance floor, fired up by Burnice.
Arms waved in the air, erupting in euphoric shouts with every blast of flame. Then they'd grab the nearest bottle and pour it down their throats, not even caring what was inside.
With the situation this chaotic, no one noticed Andrew quietly returning to his seat.
The Silver Squad had needed treatment in the medical bay, so after they had their fill of food and drink, Piper was tasked with taking them back to base early. The only one left in the booth now was Belle, who had been waiting for Andrew.
Even with a Hunter's superhuman stamina, Andrew felt a trace of exhaustion after such a long day. As he finally sank into the sofa, he let out a sigh of relief, ready to get some rest.
Suddenly, he felt a furry little head snuggle up against his shoulder. He looked down.
It was none other than Belle.
When Belle leaned on his shoulder, she first instinctively looked up to confirm it was him. Then, she buried her head into his shoulder again, nuzzling him gently like a kitten and letting out a silly little giggle.
In an instant, Andrew's entire body froze solid. He was ten thousand times stiffer than a Hunter who'd been roasted by Miss Mira's flames.
Completely rigid, Andrew could only shift his eyes downward bit by bit. Belle, leaning on his shoulder, had a face flushed crimson. Her normally bright, intelligent eyes were now hazy and distant; she was clearly a little out of it.
Noticing that Andrew had gone completely still, Belle didn't back off. Instead, she decided to press her advantage.
The young girl's arms wrapped tightly around Andrew's, pulling it into her embrace. She then rubbed her head firmly against Andrew's chest a few times, as if trying to completely cover him in her scent.
As Belle continued to nuzzle against his chest, a unique, faint fragrance drifted into Andrew's nose. It was the same distinct scent he always noticed when entering her room.
Before this, Andrew had never believed in things like a person's natural fragrance, but now, he was a firm believer.
Feeling the warm, moist breath by his ear and the softness his arm was sinking into, Andrew was at a complete loss for what to do.
After nuzzling for a good while, Belle seemed finally satisfied. She looked up, grabbed the cup on the table in front of her, and held it out to Andrew.
"Andrew, you must be thirsty after all that nuzzling! Here, have some water."
In the firelight's glow, on the side of the transparent cup facing him, the girl's lipstick print was perfectly clear.
Before Andrew could react, Belle shoved her cup right into his mouth.
As Belle forced it on him, Andrew was caught off guard and swallowed a large gulp. The first thing he tasted was the sweetness of various juices, but that was immediately followed by a pungent, spicy alcoholic kick that shot straight to his head, a taste too strong to be masked by any mixer.
With that one mouthful, Andrew now understood why Belle was acting this way.
Even though Belle had only drunk half a glass, with this alcohol concentration, it had to be Spirytus! No wonder she was this drunk!
He had no idea where Belle had gotten this special concoction, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. He had to get her to a room to rest immediately.
Everyone else was busy partying with Burnice, and Caesar had gone straight to the workshop with Big Boss after the meal. Seeing that there was no one else to help, Andrew prepared to carry Belle back to the room Mayor Kasa had arranged for them.
But just as he tried to stand, Andrew suddenly found himself locked in Belle's death grip. She was clinging to him like an octopus, making it impossible for him to get up for the time being.
When the girl noticed Andrew trying to leave her embrace, her previously calm brow furrowed. Her hazy eyes opened, and she unconsciously called out.
"Andrew..."
Hearing his name, Andrew gave up on trying to stand up immediately and responded:
"I'm here."
Andrew's voice was calm. Sensing the anxiety in Belle's tone, he instinctively stopped moving. Andrew turned his head to look at the girl beside him, only to find her eyes fixed squarely on him.
The events of the day had shattered Belle's fantasy of a happy life where they could just be together forever. It was nothing else but that monster that appeared at the end of the Hollow disaster.
She had thought it was just an ordinary, small-scale concomitant Hollow disaster. Such minor Hollows appeared frequently in New Eridu, and at most, they would only contain Level 1 or 2 Ethereals. That's why Belle hadn't been worried at all about Andrew's proposal.
But within this seemingly insignificant Hollow disaster, they had encountered that incredibly ferocious monster.
Hollows... it was always the Hollows.
When Andrew had first started fighting, Belle had already detected some abnormal Ether fluctuations. However, trusting in Andrew, she followed his instructions and led the Silver Squad to rescue the other residents first.
Although she kept telling herself to trust Andrew, the worry in her heart grew like wild weeds.
It wasn't until the Hollow collapsed and Andrew reappeared before her that the worry finally dissipated. But the existence of that monster, something that absolutely should not have been in that Hollow, had brutally torn her fantasy to shreds.
In that moment, Belle was reminded once again that all of humanity was merely standing on a lone boat in the middle of the ocean.
Perhaps through humanity's efforts, this floating plank had grown much larger, but that didn't change the fact that humanity could be wiped out tomorrow.
A lone boat adrift on a stormy sea. A moment of calm is merely an illusion. When the inevitable Hollow disaster strikes again, no one can say for sure what their future holds.
Forever... no one dared to speak such a word. Everyone in New Eridu lived each day as if it were their last, trying their best to make it a good one.
The alcohol had muddled Belle's mind. Although her fantasy had been shattered, it had paradoxically made her recognize the true nature of her feelings for Andrew. It wasn't the bond between a Rope and a Proxy, nor was it simple friendship. It was something more, a step beyond that.
Looking into Belle's eyes as she gazed at him, her expressive eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, as if laying bare all the feelings in her heart. Seeing her like this, even the densest of men would realize her feelings for him.
But, a subconscious worry still gnawed at him. Staring into Belle's eyes, Andrew instinctively asked in a soft, roundabout way:
"Did you talk to the person you like today, Belle?"
Belle, who was about to say something, suddenly paused. Although Andrew's question was a bit abrupt, she quickly recovered and said playfully:
"I did~"
"So, what did you talk about?"
Hearing the follow-up question, Belle's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she broke into a happy smile again and said:
The initial effects of the alcohol had faded slightly, and her face, which was no longer so red, blushed once more.
Nevertheless, she firmly asked back:
"Well then, what did you say to the person you like today, Andrew?"
Hearing this question, Andrew pretended to think for a moment. Under Belle's somewhat nervous gaze, he lowered his head again, looked directly into her eyes, and said with a smile:
"What did I say?"
_____
🔥 New stories are out! 🔥
📚 New story: Something is Wrong with Ash's Pokémon Journey
For some reason our supervisor is missing. Take advantage of the 25% temporary freedom'! 🏃💨
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on all series.
✅ Get exclusive content and updates.
Help us hit our targets:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters (all stories)!
👻 P - Walnutchan