Alex, Aerith, and Claudia were still in the abandoned church, sitting on an old wooden bench and silently watching the flowerbed with yellow lilies. Aerith was insanely glad that this amazing flower was now growing in her little garden—and especially glad of what it now symbolized for her.
Clearly realizing what Alex had wanted to say by planting it here, Aerith simply could not stop sincerely rejoicing, trustingly pressing her cheek to his cheek. And thanks to this feeling, all the anxieties swarming inside her began rapidly retreating. She believed every word of Alex's and did not doubt for a second that he would keep the promise he had given.
Feeling how Aerith continued to comfortably press herself against him, Alex could not hide a warm smile: he was sincerely glad that his idea had worked and that Aerith had finally stopped being sad and blaming herself for all the troubles. After all, in everything that was happening from the very beginning to the end there was not a drop of her fault.
And she most certainly should not have tormented herself for agreeing to his plan to change predetermined fate for the sake of obtaining that long-awaited happy ending. Affectionately stroking the radiant Aerith's hair, Alex turned to Claudia, who was sitting on the other side of him. He immediately noticed how thoughtful and heavy her gaze was, directed at the yellow lilies.
Claudia herself at that moment was experiencing a real storm of emotions from the complete incomprehension of what was going on in her own mind. Before her eyes time and again flashed alien memories whose meaning she could not grasp. And these were not episodes from her real past at all—before her unfolded something completely different, frightening in its clarity.
Slowly raising her gaze to the punched ceiling through which Alex had fallen a week ago, Claudia frowned. In that same second a ragged, bright fragment of another reality flashed before her eyes: she saw the reactor in the Fifth Sector of the Upper Plate engulfed in flames, saw how Tifa in despair stretched a hand toward her and shouted the name "Cloud"…
And then powerful arms of Barret grabbed her and dragged her away while she herself slipped and rapidly flew into the abyss, and the grappling hook with which she had tried to catch herself and stop the fall broke right in her fingers! From these sudden visions Claudia jerked her head with a sharp motion, completely confused about exactly what had just appeared to her.
And again in her ears quietly sounded a painfully familiar echo-voice that whispered that this time she "didn't even have to fall." Feeling how a wild stabbing pain echoed in her temples, Claudia convulsively clutched her forehead when the pictures before her eyes began flashing at an even greater speed. Observing her state, Alex suddenly noticed how the transparent threads of the Lifestream flowing under the floor of the church were stretching toward Claudia's feet, as if trying to convey some message to her.
"Hey, are you all right?" Alex asked softly, placing a palm on Claudia's shoulder, and his touch worked instantly—the Lifestream that had been touching her legs immediately retreated back under the ground with a hiss.
"Yes, I'm fine… Just a small headache. And this church suddenly seemed very familiar to me," Claudia answered, shaking her head, slowly lowering her hand from her forehead and turning her head to Alex.
"Maybe you were simply in a similar church? For example, in your hometown?" Aerith assumed in a carefree tone, although she herself had perfectly noticed the strangeness that had happened to Claudia.
"Hmm… Possibly. I can barely remember what was happening there then. Those memories seem so distant… Sometimes it seems that not five years have passed since that moment, but far more," Claudia began speaking with a sigh, lowering her gaze to her palms in combat gloves and slowly clenching them into fists.
"But you do remember Tifa, right? You remember how you were friends, and even remember that promise you gave her on the water tower? You remember all that, right?" Alex began speaking with a smile, placing his palm on top of her clenched fists.
"Vaguely, but I remember… Did Tifa tell you that?" Claudia answered, nodding, and turned to Alex, not even trying to remove her hand from under his palm.
"Nope, the little flowers retold that to me in secret! I sit here out of boredom and loneliness and talk to the flowerbeds… Of course Tifa! I did say that I'm insanely interested in what you were like as a child. Were you always such a gloomy meanie or did you still know how to be a cutie?" Alex answered, rolling his eyes, and lightly bumped Claudia with his hip against her leg, from which her eyelid noticeably twitched.
"Really?! And what was she like?! Cute? Or even then did her vocabulary consist of only a couple of words like 'Mmm,' 'Yeah,' and 'Got it'?" Aerith cheerfully picked up, looking at Claudia with sincere excitement, whose eyelid from the teasing began twitching even more strongly.
"Well, her hair was definitely longer—I'm one hundred percent sure of that. But this recognizable Chocobo hairstyle was already with her even then," Alex declared with an extremely serious expression, nodding and pointing a finger at Claudia's disheveled strands.
"And that's all?! Only longer hair?! And here I thought I'd now hear juicy gossip about childhood love or about how she chased after boys with a stick at the ready! That would have been really cool!" Aerith drawled in a feignedly disappointed tone and began playfully shaking Alex by the shoulder.
"I didn't chase after anyone. It was absolutely uninteresting to me," Claudia began speaking in a dry, cutting voice, with her entire appearance demonstrating the desire for this conversation to end as soon as possible.
Hearing these words, Aerith turned her head to Claudia and disappointedly groaned like an offended teenager who had just been deprived of juicy gossip intended for savoring with friends. Noticing such a reaction from Aerith, Claudia again felt how her eyelid twitched, and once more sincerely regretted that she had agreed to come to this place at all.
And it was not only because of that strange psychosis she had experienced a few minutes earlier, but also because her personal past had without a twinge of conscience been made the main topic for discussion. Wearily shaking her head, Claudia averted her gaze and reflexively touched the hair at the back of her head.
Running her fingers through her disheveled strands, she caught herself thinking that she could not even remember why she had cut them at all. After all, in her memory the fact was clearly imprinted: earlier her hair had fallen to her very shoulder blades. And together with this thought in her head suddenly surfaced pictures of strange, forgotten days when she had stayed overnight at Tifa's house. How the latter with a smile had braided her long hair into two neat little braids and how they had whispered about their most cherished dreams and about who they wanted to become when they grew up…
When these images flashed before her eyes, Claudia for a short moment was amazed not only that, as it turned out, spending childhood with Tifa she had often stayed overnight at hers, but also that after these memories the habitual wild headache had not followed. On the contrary—deep in her chest a soft, tender warmth flared up, spreading in pleasant waves throughout her entire body, as if she had just found something precious that had long been lost.
Feeling this strange peace, Claudia closed her eyes and placed a palm on her chest, trying to feel the moment as finely as possible. However, the warmth quickly faded as soon as the memory came to an end. Opening her eyes, Claudia immediately felt two persistent, intent gazes upon herself. Turning her head, she saw how Alex and Aerith were looking at her with open curiosity and sincere amusement. Finding herself once again at the center of such specific attention, Claudia merely wearily sighed, sincerely not understanding why they every time stared at her with such a catch.
"What?" Claudia asked, frowning, and removed her hand from her chest, alternately shifting her gaze from Alex to Aerith.
"Nothing special… It's just that I consider it completely wrong to engage in something like that within the walls of God's house," Alex began speaking in a calm, lecturing tone, straining with all his might to restrain his lips that were ready to spread into laughter.
"Engage in what else?!" Claudia frowned even more strongly, perfectly seeing how the corners of Alex's lips were treacherously twitching.
"Well… pawing and kneading your own chest in such a holy place is absolutely improper!" Aerith blurted out with a wide, sly smile, poking a finger right into Claudia's chest.
"What, excuse me?.." Claudia asked again in complete confusion, finally falling into a stupor from this absurd turn of events.
Claudia absolutely did not understand what was even being talked about right now and what exactly she should not do in this holy place. But seeing how Aerith continued insistently and with a smile pointing a little finger right at her, Claudia slowly lowered her gaze. The moment she looked at her own chest, on which a moment ago her palm had still lain, the true meaning of what was happening instantly reached her.
Slowly raising her head, Claudia met Alex's gaze. A dense blush immediately flared up on her cheeks the moment she realized exactly where he had just been looking. But this color became even brighter when Alex carefreely raised a thumb upward, with his entire appearance showing that everything was in complete order and he had appreciated the mise-en-scène.
Gradually the bright blush on Claudia's cheeks began to recede, and in place of embarrassment came cold, boiling irritation directed exclusively at Alex. Without saying a word and not taking her heavy gaze off him, Claudia reached for the massive hilt of the Buster Sword that was leaning against the wooden bench.
Seeing what Claudia intended and perfectly understanding that this stern girl would definitely not hesitate to apply physical force against him, Alex instantly lit up with a sly thought. He needed to bring this situation to absolute, ringing absurdity! After all, only this way could he finally knock Claudia out of the gloomy reflections about the past that her traumatized mind continued desperately to block. The moment that characteristic cunning smirk spread across Alex's face, Claudia's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Boop…" Alex said with a sly smirk and carefreely poked a finger right into Claudia's stomach.
"Now you're definitely done for," Claudia hissed through her teeth, sharply squeezing her fingers on the hilt of the Buster Sword.
"Have you decided to finally mount me?" Alex flared with laughter and again poked her with a finger in the stomach.
"No… I'll simply finish you off," Claudia said through clenched teeth, and her grip on the hilt of the sword became even tighter.
"And if you don't succeed, will you kiss him afterward?" Aerith added with sincere amusement, comfortably resting her chin on Alex's shoulder and excitedly looking at the boiling Claudia.
"Let him not even hope for anything like that!" Claudia cut off with even greater irritation, already preparing to raise the Buster Sword for a strike.
"So if you don't succeed, you owe a little kiss… Boop!" Alex summed up in a cheerful tone and this time accurately poked a finger right into Claudia's nose.
Feeling how she was again unceremoniously poked in the nose, Claudia furiously ground her teeth, convulsively gripped the Buster Sword with both hands, and with a swing whirled it, aiming the blunt side of the edge right at Alex. Seeing the approaching massive blade, Alex with a deft motion embraced Aerith by the waist with one arm and sharply pushed off with both legs backward, forcing the wooden bench to tip over.
Because of the unexpected overturning of the bench Claudia almost lost her balance, since one of her legs at that moment was standing right on the seat. However, thanks to her phenomenal reaction she instantly restored her balance and immediately again swung the Buster Sword, aiming at the most vulnerable and unprotected place of any man.
Noticing where the crushing blade was directed, Alex—still holding Aerith with one arm—deftly rolled backward, pushing off with his free palm from the wooden floor. In that same second the Buster Sword with a deafening crash smashed into the massive boards of the bench, instantly smashing it into fine splinters!
Hanging on Alex like a funny koala, Aerith sincerely and joyfully laughed. What was happening vividly reminded her of that mad night when together with him and Dean they had found themselves on Don Corneo's underground arena, where Alex had just as deftly dodged flying rockets while holding her in his arms.
With a light and habitual motion pulling the Buster Sword out of the wrecked boards, Claudia bestowed upon Alex an extremely irritated gaze, with her entire appearance showing: this time she was not joking even once and was set absolutely seriously to properly beat him up. Seeing this stern, burning gaze, Alex merely slightly smiled and affectionately patted Aerith on the back, making it clear that it was time for her to slide down to the floor.
Narrowing her eyes, Aerith with a smile slightly wrinkled her little nose—she damnably wanted to ride on Alex's arms a little more while he easily dodged the blows, for for her this was far cooler than any city attractions. Offendedly sighing, Aerith slowly unclasped her arms and legs, carefully stepping back onto the wooden flooring.
"Just watch out—don't damage my little ones! Or else I'll beat both of you up!" Aerith said with feigned anger, playfully threatening Alex and Claudia with her little fist.
"You don't need to worry about the flowers. They won't suffer even a bit… Unlike someone else," Claudia said in a calm, cutting tone, casting a short glance at Aerith and then again fixing her gaze on Alex.
"Your cruel and menacing words are rooting out and breaking my tender, fragile heart… Ah!.." Alex began speaking in a feignedly dramatic voice, clutching his hand to his chest and bestowing upon Claudia a gaze full of bitter sorrow.
"I'm not going to break your heart… But your stupid head will definitely suffer! So that in the future even thoughts of another idiotic stunt don't arise in you," Claudia said with a barely noticeable, predatory smirk, holding the Buster Sword with one hand and aiming the tip right at Alex.
"Aha! You just admitted everything yourself!" Alex cried out with a sly victorious smile, accusatorily poking a finger right at Claudia.
Understanding that she had been caught, Claudia did not react in any way to Alex's jabs. After all, she herself did not properly know what exact feelings she experienced toward the guy who was standing right before her right now and making faces, contorting comic grimaces. For her he had become the first person who had rendered real help in the struggle against the tormenting attacks of headache that periodically rolled over her.
And every time this happened, Alex turned out to be nearby, helping to cope with the phantom torments. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with him, Claudia felt that she had acquired an incredibly reliable partner to whom without a shadow of doubt one could entrust the protection of one's own back. And what was no less important, she saw how much good and right he had done for those around. Each of his decisions was invariably built on the striving not to cause harm to the innocent—even if these people were ordinary rank-and-file security employees who worked for Shinra.
For a short moment Claudia even thought that the reason for all these noble deeds lay in the fact that Alex was an Ancient. However, she quickly rejected this thought, considering that all his actions were dictated exclusively by what kind of person he was in reality. Looking at Alex again, Claudia with surprise caught herself thinking: it was precisely in him that she saw that ideal SOLDIER that in the depths of her soul she had always dreamed of becoming herself. A true protector for those who were unable to protect themselves independently, and an unbreakable fighter against villains who brought harm to the innocent.
Slightly smirking at her own thoughts, Claudia could not deny the obvious: Alex insanely appealed to her as a person and as a bright personality. But as for deep romantic interest she was still not sure. She simply did not understand what this feeling was and how exactly it should be felt inside. It only seemed to her that this should be something tender and pleasant—that sensation when you are next to the one who is sincerely dear to you.
"So, are we going to fight or what? I of course perfectly understand that I'm the most handsome guy in this entire world… But I just want to remind you: if you don't manage to beat me up, then you owe a kiss!" Alex began speaking in a cheerful tone, unceremoniously tearing Claudia out of the abyss of her reflections.
"And I'll tell you once more: you'll manage without kisses! Because I'm completely certainly going to kick your ass!" Claudia responded with a light smirk, looking straight into Alex's eyes.
She tightly gripped the hilt of the Buster Sword with both hands and instantly stood in a classical combat stance, raising the massive hilt to eye level and lowering the crushing tip downward.
"Aha! I figured you out! You simply want to get closer to him under the guise of a stern fight in order to then tightly-tightly scoop Alex into a heap and start kissing! Got it-got it!" Aerith cried out with playful laughter, cheerfully peeking out from behind a massive stone column.
Hearing Aerith's sly words, Claudia slowly turned her head to her and with her entire appearance made it clear: she had not even thought of anything like that and most certainly was not going to kiss Alex. Aerith in response bestowed upon her an incredibly cheerful and sly gaze that literally screamed: "I don't believe you even a bit!"
Rolling her eyes, Claudia shifted her gaze to Alex, who was still imperturbably standing a few meters from her, holding one hand in the pocket of his coat. She perfectly realized how strong he was compared to her, and her combat instincts did not cease repeating: it was impossible to win this duel. But even so she insanely wanted to deliver a couple of proper blows to his head—simply for all those poisonous jabs he had managed to let slip in her direction.
Seeing Claudia's resolute, burning gaze ready to fight to the end, Alex slightly smiled and put his hand behind his back, hooking a karambit of hell steel with his finger. Of the weapons on him right now he had only this curved blade and the faithful "Jackal" pistol. Spinning the karambit on his finger, Alex looked at Claudia and beckoned her with his free hand, proposing that she attack first.
Noticing this challenging gesture, Claudia narrowed her eyes and slightly leaned forward. In that same second she sharply tore from her place and by means of several rapid lunges instantly closed the distance. Seeing that Alex was still motionless standing in place, Claudia swung the Buster Sword in a wide arc, aiming the blunt side of the edge right at the opponent's ribs.
Alex did not even think of dodging. Deftly spinning the karambit, he with ease swung his arm, rigidly intercepting the crushing blow. Having blocked the attack, Alex slightly narrowed his eyes, looking at Claudia practically point-blank. Not at all upset that her first thrust had not reached the goal, Claudia took a resolute step forward, approached even closer, and strained with all her might with both hands on the hilt of the Buster Sword, forcing the massive edge to scrape along the blade of the karambit.
Closing the distance literally flush, Claudia tried to use her own shoulder in order to with a powerful ram push Alex away. Instantly reacting to this trick, Alex pushed the hand with the karambit forward, hooking the guard of the Buster Sword and knocking the direction of her attack to the side. Because of this knocked impulse Claudia only slightly grazed Alex's shoulder with her shoulder and by inertia slipped past him.
Before losing her balance, Claudia sharply and ringingly struck the ground with her iron-shod boot, instantly restoring her balance, and immediately gripped the Buster Sword with one hand. Spinning on her supporting leg, she delivered a crushing circular blow, aiming right at Alex! Seeing the approaching blade, Alex merely slightly smirked and with a lightning-fast motion intercepted the blade, locking it tightly between his knee and elbow. Feeling that her massive sword was tightly stuck in this improvised trap, Claudia looked straight into Alex's eyes with predatory excitement.
"And what are you going to do next?" Alex asked with a smirk, not allowing Claudia to pull the weapon out of the steel grip.
"This!" Claudia answered with a victorious smile, instantly clenching her right hand into a tight fist.
Having finished speaking, Claudia with a sharp motion threw her fist forward, aiming right at Alex's face. Slightly narrowing his eyes, Alex barely noticeably moved his lips and exhaled a small ball of compressed air that precisely struck Claudia right in the center of the chest.
The moment the air projectile touched Claudia, she felt that her center of gravity had cunningly shifted, because of which the swung fist whistled past literally millimeters from Alex's cheek. Not understanding what strange magic had just occurred, Claudia instantly restored her balance, spun practically flush with Alex, and delivered a crushing elbow blow right to his temple!
At the very moment when Claudia's elbow was already ready to reach the goal, Alex simply placed a palm on her back and slightly pushed forward. And again Claudia's blow flew past, passing literally a centimeter from Alex's face. Narrowing her eyes from the boiling sports excitement, Claudia again spun in place, delivering a powerful sweeping kick.
But this time she was aiming not at Alex himself, but at the edge of the Buster Sword that he was still tightly holding between elbow and knee. The iron toe of Claudia's boot ringingly and accurately smashed into the guard of the sword. From this impulse the Buster Sword spun around its axis, turning toward Alex's body with the blade side. Seeing that her cunning design had been crowned with success, Claudia again spun on her supporting leg and delivered a crushing circular blow, aiming at the blunt side of the edge of the Buster Sword in order to with a power ram push her own weapon forward.
"This time I'll definitely reach you!" Claudia said with a barely noticeable victorious smile on her lips right at the moment of the kick against her sword.
"You really do have excellent reflexes. But still don't rush to rejoice ahead of time," Alex answered with a smile, with ease and on the fly figuring out exactly what his opponent had intended.
Quickly understanding exactly what Claudia was going to do, Alex could not help nodding with respect, highly evaluating her phenomenal combat instincts and how instantly she reacted to changes in the situation. And a moment before Claudia's foot was supposed to smash into the edge of the sword, Alex slightly lowered his leg and elbow. Because of this shift Claudia's foot only uselessly slid right over the blade. Understanding that her plan had been figured out on the fly, Claudia immediately wrapped her leg around Alex's arm and sharply pulled it back, forcing him to weaken the steel grip.
Feeling that Alex's arm had yielded, Claudia powerfully pushed off with her second leg from the floor, soaring upward. Jumping high enough, she from the air landed with her knee right on the flat-lying Buster Sword in order to with the full weight of her body finally knock her weapon out of the lock.
And at the same moment when the Buster Sword with a ring sprang out of Alex's grip, Claudia pushed off from the falling blade and from the air delivered a crushing knee blow right to his face! Stopping Claudia's knee literally a millimeter from his nose, Alex with a deft motion twisted the arm that she was still clinging to with her leg and tightly grabbed her by the slender thigh.
"Mmm… And they're much softer than I imagined. Quite pleasant," Alex said in a thoughtful, savoring tone, slightly squeezing his palm on Claudia's thigh.
"Since you like spreading your hands so much even in the heat of a duel… Then watch you don't get distracted!" Claudia cut off, narrowing her eyes, perfectly feeling how his fingers were squeezing her thigh.
Feeling how he again squeezed his palm on her thigh, Claudia slightly snorted and leaned a little forward, delivering a crushing elbow blow right to the crown of Alex's head. She had firmly promised to deliver a couple of blows to his stupid head and intended to keep this word at any cost. And when Claudia had already decided that she had finally managed to reach Alex, the world before her eyes unexpectedly turned over, and everything around stood upside down.
Quickly coming to herself from this dizzying feint, Claudia slipped out of Alex's grip, tightly wrapped her thighs around his neck, and with a death grip latched onto his arm, transitioning to a hard choking hold and armbar. Even more tightly squeezing her thighs around Alex's neck, she began straining with all her might to pull his arm toward herself, intending to dislocate the joint.
Alex himself at that moment was experiencing exclusively pleasant sensations from the elastic thighs that were squeezing his neck, and from his own hand that Claudia was desperately pressing to her chest. Being in such a specific pose, he could not help recalling his own wives who were obsessed with martial arts and who just as much loved to practice such ground techniques on him…
And such "spars" of theirs always ended with results that were not at all sporting. Aerith, observing this incredibly frank fight from the side, embarrassedly covered her face with her little palms, carefully peeking at them through the slits between her fingers. This pose evoked burning embarrassment in her—even though she herself was not at all shy about cuddling up to Alex and even sitting astride him during their long, sweet sessions of kissing.
"Do you surrender?" Claudia asked, even more strongly squeezing Alex's neck with her thighs.
"Nope. I'm just getting real pleasure from the process! Your thighs are still insanely soft… Despite the fact that you yourself are terribly callous," Alex answered with a provocative smirk, looking straight into the eyes of Claudia who was hanging on his outstretched arm.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll still dislocate your elbow for such perverted words?" Claudia asked with a threat, pulling his arm toward herself even more strongly.
"You can try, but that definitely won't work. Only if you yourself aren't afraid that I'll finally feel you up," Alex began speaking with a calm smile, slightly moving the hand that was clamped right between her breasts.
Feeling how Alex's hand provocatively moved between her breasts, Claudia tightly pressed her lips together and with doubled strength pulled his arm toward herself, this time finally intending to dislocate the joint for him. But the moment she pressed, a complete sensation was created as if she was desperately trying to bend a monolithic steel beam—and this despite the fact that Alex's arm itself seemed absolutely relaxed!
Changing her grip, Claudia tried to act on the joint with a doubled impulse, but the result remained the same. It still seemed to her that she was breaking lifeless strong rebar. Frowning, Claudia raised her gaze to Alex, who was looking at her with a cheerful, challenging gaze that literally egged her on: she could continue her futile attempts, or else he would seize the initiative.
Quickly figuring out that dislocating the joint on Alex's arm would not work, Claudia decided simply to strangle him with her thighs and even more strongly squeezed her legs around his neck. But instead of suffocation Alex felt only pleasant softness and involuntarily quietly snorted. Noticing that she could not even choke him, Claudia seriously boiled. She had nothing left but to deliver a direct blow to his stupid head in order to somehow vent the accumulated rage. Freeing one hand from the grip, Claudia swung and prepared to plant an elbow right into Alex's forehead. However, she completely failed to take into account that by releasing his arm she had given the opponent complete freedom of action.
Twisting his hand out of Claudia's weakened grip, Alex intended to grab her by the clothing in order to perform a clean throw over himself. But instead of dense fabric his fingers accidentally pressed into something incredibly soft and tender… from which Claudia against her will emitted a quiet, frank moan. And after this quiet sound a heavy, echoing silence hung in the ancient church. On Claudia's face instantly flared an entire range of emotions: wild embarrassment from the fact that she had emitted such a sound, and all-consuming irritation because of the fact that she had been so unceremoniously grabbed by the breast.
Aerith, observing this picture, from shock slightly opened her mouth, clearly not expecting from the stern Claudia such an embarrassing reaction. Even Alex himself for a moment was taken aback, mentally cursing the goddess Fortuna who eternally arranged around him such ambiguous confusions. Freezing in place, Alex purely on autopilot squeezed his palm once more. Claudia from this motion slightly tensed, and then furiously ground her teeth, literally burning him with her gaze.
Feeling this incinerating gaze upon himself, Alex carefully unclenched his fingers and deftly slipped out of the remnants of her grip. Trying not to delay even a second, Alex carefully scooped Claudia up by the waist, carefully set her on the wooden floor, and quickly adjusted her black sleeveless turtleneck while she continued to destroy him with her gaze.
"Finished?" Claudia began speaking in an extremely dry tone, looking down at Alex while he carefully smoothed the fabric of her turtleneck.
"Yeah. Now you look as if nothing happened at all," Alex answered with a carefree smile, straightening up and demonstrating a raised thumb upward.
"Won't you say anything else to me?" Claudia continued to stamp out the words, looking straight into his eyes with an absolutely empty gaze that promised nothing good.
"It was insanely soft and elastic," Alex answered with a maximally serious expression on his face, crossing his arms on his chest and affirmatively nodding.
"Got it… In that case, right now pay for your action!" Claudia said in an icy tone, putting all her weight into a crushing blow.
Having finished speaking, Claudia with all her strength swung her leg, aiming with polished accuracy right between Alex's legs. Seeing exactly where this crushing blow was supposed to land, Alex categorically was not going to put himself in the way. Even taking into account that his body was capable of without a single scratch withstanding attacks of entities that destroy entire universes and timelines, without feeling even a light tickle, accepting such a thrust in the current situation he frankly did not want. And a moment before Claudia's boot reached the goal, Alex lightning-fast jumped back, ending up next to Aerith who was still in silent shock after that ambiguous sound that Claudia had just emitted.
Having missed, Claudia shifted a heavy, crushingly cold gaze onto Alex and with a threatening crack cracked her knuckles, with her entire appearance making it clear: this time she was set extremely seriously and would not stop until she took revenge for the fact that he had unceremoniously grabbed her by the breast. Perfectly reading this silent sentence, Alex scooped Aerith up by the waist and in one jump leaped out through the broken stained-glass window of the church right onto the street.
Only upon finding herself in the fresh air did Aerith finally come to herself. Wrinkling her neat little nose, she immediately called Alex a shameless pervert for the fact that he had felt Claudia up. Paying not the slightest attention to her indignations, Alex at full speed rushed to run, tightly holding Aerith in his arms.
And the moment he had run only a couple of meters away, Claudia with a crash leaped out of that same broken window. Holding the Buster Sword at the ready, she instantly gained speed and raced after him on his heels. Looking over his shoulder, Alex cast a short glance at the pursuing Claudia, on whose face a mask of icy determination remained.
And this sight of a monolithic, imperturbable face suddenly awakened in Alex his inner gremlin, who literally screamed in his head that he simply had to pour oil on this blazing fire! Yielding to the temptation, Alex at the top of his voice shouted throughout the entire dump: "In return you can touch my chest!"
And the moment these mad words sounded in the air, Claudia furiously increased her pace, while Aerith sincerely giggled and playfully grabbed Alex by the chest right on the run.
To be continued...
(Phew, now I'm absolutely certain this marks the end of the calm before the storm. After all, I really wanted to show Claudia being flooded with memories from a parallel timeline—a result of her contact with the Lifestream. I simply couldn't leave that moment out; you understand, right? And of course, there had to be an awkward moment between them—that's only natural. Alex tends to get lucky in situations like that, even when it's the last thing on his mind. I trust you won't hold it against me. Right? Hehe, I'm sure of it. Now, time to eat. Peace, love, and if a girl is chasing you—run faster than she does.)
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