Chapter 1348 Defeat Of A Genius
1348 Defeat Of A Genius
"… You're pretty weak."
Serah had never heard those words being directed at her before.
Not even once.
She was either the one who thought or said that about others.
Ever since she was a kid, she had been praised for her overall Magical Prowess. She was a genius that came only once in a generation.
No, she even exceeded that!
So why…?
Why was she being called weak?
"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Serah's voice reached a climax the instant she was able to process the words uttered to her.
~BOOOM!~
The ground beneath her shattered, and everything else for a small distance trembled.
Her eyes were burning with rage, and pure embers of Mana caused her irises to glow even brighter than before.
Her crimson hair rose, as if they were being pulled by someone above her, and several more veins appeared on her face.
"ME? WEAK?!"
She swiftly turned to lash at the boy behind her, but he had quickly moved out of the way and created some distance between them.
"Come back here!" Growling while glaring intently at him, she began her charge.
~BOOOM!~
The earth she trampled on as she advanced to her target broke apart as the sizzling heat in the air caused an illusion of space warping.
In no time at all, she was right in front of the boy.
"You can't call me that!"
~WHOOM!~
Her first strike was expertly dodged by the boy, as he simply moved his head from the blow's trajectory.
He seemed perfectly unfazed by the force behind her strike.
"No one calls me that"
Serah quickly followed-up with the next strike, holding far more ferocity than the first.
The blades of grass underneath the two of them violently danced as she brought this next strike towards him.
~WHAM!~
They made contact… but with the boy's hand.
"W-what?!"
Serah's brain could not properly process the information that her widened eyes were relating to her.
The guy she thought she would pummel to death had just casually caught her punch.
Blue energy flickered around his hand as he slowly twisted his rust in response to her vibrating hand. It seemed he was just as calm as she was mad.
"Your hand is soft. It's clear you've not worked hard for a single day of your life."
Serah hated how that sounded like an insult when she had previously taken pride in it.
Her privileged upbringing allowed her to enjoy the best of life without having to struggle for it, and her immense talent meant everything came easy for her.
It was always something to be proud about.
But…
"You really have no right to boast."
… This boy's words had just shattered her reality.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, YOU FOO—!"
~WHOOSH!~
Before Serah could properly complete her sentence or send another strike, she felt something hot and hard press against her stomach.
It was a fist, and its overwhelming force was enough to cause all her senses to turn blurry the moment she felt the impact.
'H-huh…?'
Serah's body grew numb, and she could see herself trembling.
Before she realized it, she had collapsed on the floor, completely paralyzed.
'What is happening to me…?'
It couldn't have been because of that single hit, right? Just one blow couldn't have caused her—the mighty Serah Crimson—to fall so shamefully…
… Right?!
"You shouldn't call me a fool. I have a name, you know?" She heard the boy's voice echo in her ear as she struggled to breathe.
Her vision was blurry, so she couldn't clearly see his face.
Serah was certain the boy was smiling triumphantly as he stared down at her pathetic state.
She was wrong, though.
The boy simply stared at her the same way he had always done
—with an aloof, uncaring attitude.
He really couldn't have cared less.
"Happy birthday, Serah Crimson. That's your name, right?"
Hearing him say her name caused her chest to tighten.
She wanted to protest—to tell him never to utter her name ever again.
But… she couldn't.
Not only because she could barely breathe, talkless of speaking, but also because of the underlying principle that she had lived by all these years.
… The weak controls the strong!
"By your logic, that means I can basically tell you what to do, right?"
Serah could not argue with the boy.
He was stronger than her in every conceivable way, which meant one thing.
He was right!
The boy slowly squatted, bringing himself closer to her helpless form as he could.
He placed his hand on her face and tilted her head by raising her chin.
His small fingers were heavily pasted on her puffy cheeks as her face was forced to mirror his.
'W-what is he about to do? Don't tell me…?!' Serah's eyes bulged even more than they already had.
She could only think of one reason why a boy would be doing this to her—a girl.
'C-could it be…?!'
As the thought echoed in Serah's head, she could feel her cheeks becoming hot and her emotions in a strange dance.
She didn't know how to feel amidst her frustration and excitement. She could only stare at the blurry face of the one who defeated her.
"Call me by my name. Neron. Neron Kaelid."
"E-eh…?"
Serah thought she didn't hear him quite well.
"No more of this 'Fool' business. I'm Neron, just as you're Serah."
Serah couldn't believe that this was all he was saying—or doing
—even with this opportunity that he had.
"W-why…?" She murmured.
Did he find her unappealing? Was she really so worthless that she couldn't even be considered at all?
This very night, her pride had been so badly hurt.
She couldn't stand it anymore.
Serah desperately needed a win!
"Neron, you…" In response to her words, the boy called Neron drew his face closer to her.
Unfortunately for him, he never saw coming what she did next.
"Mmmphhh!!"
Serah locked her lips with his and forced the both of them to share a kiss.
It didnt last for very long, and it was as awkward as it was disgusting.
But Serah didn't mind.
'Neron… Neron Kaelid…'
As he struggled to dislodge himself from the kids, finally succeeding in pushing her away, Sereh had one burning thought within her.
'… I won't lose next time!'
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
Looks like this is when Serah's habit of assaulting Neron with kisses began.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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