Free Web NovelChapter 61: _Shamelessly Horny Host
[WARNING: Target’s Mental state is unstable.]
’Yeah, we can see that!’
Ambrose gulped, taking a couple more steps back as Leo inched forward. The A-Rank Esper moved erratically, eyes hollow and body burning with more flames than he could take.
’His aether energy reserves are being pushed to the limits,’ Ambrose thought to himself. ’If he’s not brought down or stopped somehow...’
An Esper with fire manipulation going berserk felt like a recipe for disaster. The eventual explosion of aether energy would easily decimate most of the city.
"Devon." Ambrose’s head angled to the S-Rank who still hadn’t moved. "We have to make a move before him. If he starts using his powers in this state he’ll—"
He didn’t get the chance to finish.
Leo flung an arm violently, sending a massive blast of red flames at them. Ambrose’s first instinct was to dodge, his feet pushing him backwards. The flames missed him by inches as he crashed and landed on the asphalt.
"Fuck me..." he grunted, eyes immediately widening in alarm.
One of his boots wasn’t fortunate enough to avoid the blast and had evaporated clean off his feet. But surprisingly? His foot was unscarred, only feeling warmer than usual.
’Ehm... Aura, what the fuck?’
[The host gained passive heat and fire resistance skills after copying Devon’s abilities... remember?]
His chest fell with a relieved breath.
Well, this changes things.
"Ambrose?!" Devon, meanwhile, hadn’t placed much effort into dodging. He waved past the fire, letting out a sigh when he saw Ambrose lying on the floor with no visible bruises.
"You need to get out of here." The Esper grabbed his armpit, pulling him up. "One wrong blast from Leo and you’ll be nothing but ash."
Ambrose gave a sarcastic smile. "Aw, thanks for the vote of confidence, darling."
Just then, Leo roared, slamming a foot on the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed around him as a ginormous wall of flames erupted in front of him.
As the flaming wall tore through the street, heading straight for Devon and Ambrose, Leo didn’t stop, swinging his arms over and over, each time sending fireballs at them.
"Shit!" Ambrose docked hard, despite his heat resistance; he and Devon snaked their way through a manoeuvre until they crept into a cramped alleyway.
Both men backed either wall, the Guide’s lips twitching when he and Devon’s bodies brushed against each other. "You’ll have to get me dinner one of these days." He found himself teasing.
Maybe it was the adrenaline or the realisation that he couldn’t get killed by these attacks that was getting to his head.
[Neither. You’re just one shamelessly horny host.]
[WARNING: Target’s Aether energy reserves are at critical levels.]
"Focus, Ambrose." Devon hissed, grabbing one of his wrists and pinning him to the wall. "Stay here. I’ll hold him off and wear him out until—"
"Until he explodes and wipes out the entire block and more?" Ambrose scoffed, shaking his head. "You and I know what he needs if you’re too reluctant to fight."
Outside the alley, the street was swallowed by flames and smoke, crackling and licking through the asphalt like it was alive.
"No, I don’t know." Devon wiped off sweat. How was the Guide not dying from Hyperthermia by now? "And it better not be what I’m thinking."
Ambrose’s mouth curled with a wry smile. "If you were thinking of me temporarily guiding him then—"
"Are you fucking insane?!"
The flames outside roared like a beast, practically calling for attention. Devon’s jaw clenched, eyes pinned on Ambrose. "Just because you successfully guided me once doesn’t mean you can go around doing the same for berserk A-Ranks."
"Does it look like we’ve got another option?" Ambrose snapped. "It’s either this or you killing him and you and I know damn well how difficult that’ll be since he’s mostly fire resistant."
Devon’s head swirled with multiple conflicting feelings. He was confident in winning if he fought Leo head-on... he was also confident in his flames being hotter.
But Ambrose was right. He couldn’t bring himself to kill him. So—against all odds—
"We don’t have many shots." Devon exhaled through his mouth, his back straightening. "I’ll clear his flames while you’ll try getting close enough to start a Guide link."
Ambrose smiled, about taking a step when Devon’s grip on his wrist tightened. Warning, worry and fear flickered in those golden eyes all at once.
"Please... don’t get cocky." He muttered. "Be careful."
The Guide’s smile faltered, lips thinning into something more serious. "You too."
With that, Devon spun to the alleyway’s entrance, eyes shutting as he drew in a deep breath. When his eyes opened again he waved both hands forward, dispelling the flames and smoke blocking them.
Ambrose braced himself, reaching out to Aura. ’How many more minutes do I have for that stealth potion?’
[56 seconds.]
... Seconds?!
His fingers twitched as he braced himself. One shot. Get close enough to Leo without raising any suspicions from Devon. Shouldn’t be hard, right?
"Now, Rose!"
Upon hearing Devon’s shout, Ambrose darted into the street, head immediately swinging toward the direction he last saw Leo.
The A-Rank was still there, arms looking limp beside him. Enhanced sight allowed the Guide to see that he was bleeding from his nose and ears. Fortunately, all his attention was on the Esper who cleared his flames seconds ago.
Ambrose took a final glance at Devon before pulling out a fist. "Let’s end this." He conjured a ball of blue flames, squeezing it between his fingers.
As the flames snuffed out, smoke surrounded him, giving him enough cover to use the stealth potion cloak. He then dashed toward Leo, lungs burning with adrenaline.
[150 meters from target.]
[Host needs to be within 10 meters to be able to establish successful Guiding.]
Ambrose pushed forward harder, zigzagging through debris and flaking embers.
At the other end of the street, Devon’s brows furrowed. He’d seen the Guide run out of the alleyway, unharmed, but now he had no clue where he was.
’God damnit, Ambrose.’ he cursed mentally, punching through a fireball attack from Leo. ’Please, make this work.’
[70 meters from target.]
[Stealth time left: 24 seconds.]
Ambrose’s jaw worked.
Beneath his skin, his aether energy began pulsing, ready to create the temporary link the second he gets within range.
[50 meters... 46... 41... 35...]
Almost there.
Just a little more—
Leo suddenly roared, arms spread out as the red flames surrounding him exploded outward. The force of the blast didn’t burn Ambrose but it was strong enough to disorient him, making the stealth potion’s effect flicker.
Instantly, cold ran through his bones, a ringing sensation hitting his ears.
Death Sense.
Not for him, of course. But for Leo!
’Fuck,’ the stealth effects blinked back around him. ’He’s running out of time.’
Death Sense was only supposed to give him a five-second warning before someone died.
Sure enough, cracks began appearing on Leo’s skin, like porcelain tossed into fire. Ambrose took one last leap forward, forcing himself into the needed Guiding zone.
His heart was in his throat, the stealth skill clearing permanently this time. He grunted, stretching a hand toward Leo. Invisible strands of aether energy latched onto the man right when his body seemed like it was about to burst.
[Temporary link established.]
[Guiding process activated.]
Leo’s body jerked, his head snapping to Ambrose on the sidewalk to his far left. He snarled, focus leaving Devon as he advanced toward the Guide.
"Ambrose!" Devon panicked, rocketing himself into the air.
He’d wanted Leo to be saved. He really had. But with Ambrose’s life at such risk, it no longer seemed like an option he needed anymore.
If it came down to it... he would choose Ambrose.
However, just when he was about to fly to the Guide, pick him up and fly them out of here—
—A miracle happened.
Leo halted on his tracks, his arms falling to his side like he was in a trance. The flames on his body died out gradually, his head arching heavenward.
Ambrose pushed out more aether energy, feeling the way the strands coiled around Leo’s. Cooling his reserves. And then replenishing them, while simultaneously calming his psyche.
Screaming thoughts threatened to flow out of Leo and attack Ambrose’s mental walls but he ignored them.
By the time it was over, Ambrose stumbled backwards from a slight dizziness while Leo’s cracked skin healed completely. The A-Rank was about to fall to his knees when Devon caught him.
"Easy does it," Devon’s mouth quivered with a relieved smile, his fingers rubbing off ash from his nephew’s face. "You’re... you’re okay."
Leo couldn’t respond, falling into a deep sleep. The strain from all the aether energy he was letting out finally caught up with him.
After carefully lowering the lad to the ground, Devon rushed to Ambrose’s side.
The Guide searched for a spot to crash when Devon’s arm wrapped around his waist, keeping his feet stable.
"I can’t believe you actually did it," the Esper grinned from ear to ear, holding back from kissing him. He pressed a kiss on his cheek instead. "I owe you. Big time. You’re—"
"What about we start with you getting me that dinner I talked about?" Although Ambrose was woozy, the words still split out easily. "I could... also use a side of getting the fuck out of this city..."
Devon huffed.
He took in the destruction the battle had left behind. That’s if they could call it a ’battle’. To think it would’ve been way worse if Ambrose didn’t step in on time.
"... Fine by me then." He helped Ambrose to his nephew’s side, already calculating the logistics of how to take them both back to the harbour. "This city is soon going to be ground zero anyway."
