[54] The End of an Arc
Alicia awoke to a cold kiss mixed with her warmth. The two girls were entangled in each other's embrace. A smile gleamed at her. As the mana well died from red to its naturally, flowing, clear blue, Claire pulled both of them from the sensation that felt as water did and broke apart into the surface.
When they reached the edge of the well, the rest of the remaining raid group pulled them up.
The first thing Claire noticed was that her stats had jumped to A+ on each, save for her strength which was now B, putting her at an overall S rank. As she wondered if that was due to the crimson mana well, or its current familiar state, she next noticed the strength to which Alicia held her hand. In that short span, they had both seen a past that belonged to her.
"Could we leave the dungeon now?" Via was the first to speak.
"Huh? What about the rest of the group outside the forest?" Allen asked.
"None. Of. My. Business. We already finished all we came here for. Let me out dangit."
"Wow you're cold," Verra said as the two twins nodded their bald heads.
Claire chuckled momentarily at the bunny who rolled her eyes. Then a thought struck her about the girl who wished to duel the Sword Saint once more.
"Here," She said, "Why don't you have this?"
In her grasp was a ruby gem in the shape of a heart, shining under the sun.
". . .holy, is that what I think it is!? Wait—you're really giving it to me!?"
Before any further questions could be thrown their way, Claire and Alicia disappeared.
"Cheater, come back here! How the fuck do you have a Dragon's Heart!?"
———
"Woah, so he was a hidden villain? I would have never guessed," Clara looked shocked as Claire recounted the tale of the dungeon. "I suppose that explains who bought the Philosopher's Stone from us and what they did with it. . ."
Then the guild receptionist of Aclair laughed.
"Of course, love saved you two, huh~?" She grinned.
Claire rolled her eyes, but supposed it was true. As expected of an isekai, the secret of breaking apart a demonic well changing whom she held dear was a kiss. Or, more aptly, love. She looked left to see a staunchly smiling, happy, Alicia by her side and decided it wasn't a bad thing to be trapped in another world from time to time.
She glanced back at the receptionist and extended a hand.
"You are correct. But I would like our gold coins now."
". . .wow you ruined the mood."
"Gold coins, please."
"Finnnne."
Clara pursed her lips but still relented and handed Claire a pouch that clunked.
With the 1 gold coin from joint the expedition, and those gained from selling off the Demonic Cores they had obtained, Claire found that they had exactly 27 gold coins, a far cry from 100.
She felt cheated but could only sigh.
"What, disappointed? You know your Guardian's Core alone sold for 5 gold coins, right?"
"And how much is its actual market value. . ?" Claire narrowed her eyes.
"Eek—"
Claire did not bother to continue. They had initially entered the dungeon to get enough funds to buy a plot of land but, at this point, she did not really care.
She smiled as she gripped Alicia's hand tighter.
"Well, I'll see you later I suppose."
"See you two~"
The two disappeared, leaving behind a stunned Clara. "Wah, she can do that?"
The next moment they appeared within a familiar room that resides in a Glacial Tower.
"Whew, finally, this arc is over."
They sat side by side and took off their clothing while Claire rubbed her temple. She sighed once again, feeling as if she had aged a bit, then smiled as she turned to her partner.
"Alright, let's take a bat—!"
Yet, before she knew it, Claire found herself pushed onto the bed. A few tumble of seconds later and she blinked her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She asked, noticing that a naked girl atop another naked girl was quite. . .a position.
"You came for me," The vampire muttered.
"Of course I did, you're my partner," She replied as if it were the obvious.
"Claire. . ."
The Ice Queen looked at the lustful expression of her partner and smiled. She placed a hand upon the mask-less face of Alicia and, realized, that both of them wanted each other's embrace once more. That both wanted to feel the intermingling of their coldness and warmth as it had been within that well.
"You can do whatever you want. . ." She said, pulling the girl closer.