“So you’re just out here in the back! You suddenly disappeared, so I’ve been looking for you!”
Lufure hastily hid his fingertip when he heard her voice.
He looked up just in time to see Eleanor’s figure as she dashed towards him.
She was scowling, so he also unwittingly frowned.
“What, I don’t have any recollection of doing anything to make you look for me.”
Such a foul mouth.
He glared and unwittingly spat those words out at the girl who stopped right before him.
“Didn’t you go home already? Wait a sec, you’re not gonna tell me to send you home, huh? Who in the world would want to send such a hag like you!?”
“I’m not gonna say that! And here I am, looking for you out of worry and yet you’re so rude!!”
“Whaaat? Worry?”
Eleanor never failed to retort unflinchingly, so it was inevitable that they would quarrel.
‘I don’t mean to say this stuff, though….’
Normally, he would be able to patch this attitude up, but for some reason, things don’t go as planned when she’s before him.
“And why do you have to worry about me, huh, when you’re just a mere human yourself!”
“Huh!? Of course I will worry! You touched the filth, didn’t you!?”
“Filth…eh.”
Lufure unconsciously gripped the fingers that he hid.
Yes, Lufure did touch the filth.
He had accepted more filth even though his body was already at its limit so that Eleanor and the girls could escape, just so that he could save the captured Sofie.
His body felt heavy, and keeping his appearance was already strenuous enough — but there was no way Eleanor would know that.
He had been acting nonchalantly all the while.
And yet —
“Show me the part that touched the filth! Lufure-sama, you’re probably enduring it, right? You’re such a show off after all!”
“I’m not showing off!”
Eleanor hit the bull’s eye so Lufure immediately retorted, but she just ignored him with a laugh.
She cheekily snorted while staring straight at him — her face turned serious for a moment.
“I’ll purify that filth….If necessary.”
Eh — Lufure soundlessly muttered.
He blinked. Her chestnut hair and eyes filled his view when he looked down at her.
There was no trace of jest in her expression and it made Lufure choke on his words.
He didn’t know what to say for a moment.
“Lufure-sama, you helped us one way or the other, after all. Good timing, I haven’t purified Kami-sama’s filth yet, so I still have some magic energy remaining…. Well, it’s not really that much in the first place, though.”
She was a bit embarrassed while saying that, but she immediately shook her head, as if to regain her composure.
After explaining, she showed off a daring smile.
“It’s an emergency situation, so you’re better off using this rather than doing nothing, right?”
It was so like her to say that.
She was way too optimistic, and it was enviable.
Under the dark, starry sky, she puffed her chest even though she was not really a big deal, and it made Lufure unwittingly narrow his eyes.
He was supposed to be the Light, and yet she was the one who dazzled him.
“…You…”
The words that came out of his shut mouth were calmer than usual.
She was too carefree, so he asked in a tone that was mixed with a bit of helplessness.
“You do know what it means to purify filth, right?”
“Of course!”
She energetically nodded, then she suddenly gasped in realization as she looked up at him.
She had been really confident a few moments ago, but her face was now rapidly turning crimson.
“…! I-I don’t mean anything weird!! I-it’s not like sleeping….together, no nothing like that!!”
She hurriedly shook her head, flustered, before taking a step back.
Afterward, she stopped in her tracks, then she glared at Lufure, her face still flushed.
“Well, I say! You can purify just by holding hands! Why did lie!?” “…Ahh.”
After a brief moment, Lufure recalled the things he told Eleanor back then.
In order to purify the filth, there’s a need to sleep together — he felt he said something like that.
“That’s not really a lie, you know.”
The human must touch the filth as much as possible in order to purify it.
The deity must regulate the amount of filth he would hand over so that it would match the capacity of his partner — it was quite a difficult feat.
He might subject her to agony if he didn’t handle the filth well.
The skin-to-skin contact was a convenient way to distract her from that pain.
Moreover, the larger the surface area of contact, the higher the amount of filth that could be purified.
Naturally, that would happen while their bare bodies were on top of each other and they were distracted.
‘You can’t do that kind of thing without trusting each other, in the first place, right.’
From the humans’ point of view, they already knew the risk of being swallowed in the filth if a misjudgement occurred, and yet they would still willingly offer their bodies.
From the deities’ point of view, they already knew the pain that they might inflict, but they still hoped that their partner would be able to endure.
That’s how the relationship between the deities and the saintesses worked.
‘…Still, if she thinks that holding hands is enough, then so be it.’
That esteemed person surely went through it with only doing that.
That’s all she did — Lufure was somewhat relieved that she didn’t know the pain and what came after.
No way.
‘“Somewhat?” Stop kidding me.’
He bitterly sighed, before taking a step closer towards the blushing Eleanor.
They were close enough for him to touch her if he extended his arm. Eleanor was shocked at the abrupt closeness and she stiffened.
“Lufure-sama….!?”
He ignored her and stepped forward, only stopping when he was close enough to touch each other.
Eleanor bended backwards in surprise and was about to take a step back — but before she could do so, he had already grasped her shoulders as she tried to run away.
“You can’t purify it without touching, you know.”
“I-I know that, but…!”
If it’s just holding hands, then this closeness was unnecessary.
Lufure looked down at her, and his lips curved when she saw that she was on her guard, afraid that he would do something to her.
“… Sorry.”
He pulled her stiff shoulders, and Eleanor’s face drew closer to his as she stumbled.
He could see his reflection in her astounded eyes.
She looked clueless — his heart throbbed as he took in her defenselessness.
His eyes were drawn for a moment towards her lips that were pursed in confusion.
It was so easy to touch it, but — after a moment of hesitation, he pulled his gaze upwards.
He raised his hand and touched her slightly wavy bangs.
“I’m not as good at this as that person.”
He wanted to distract her even for a bit — or maybe it was a gesture of affection.
He brushed her bangs away with a finger, and softly kissed the forehead of the girl that he had always teased.
––––
T/N: Based on their description I’m imagining this scene between grown-up Momiji and Torhu of Furuba~ (because of the fez, people, not the personality) kyaaaahhhh (>,<)
Anyways, he really fell for her, huh…Too bad Kami-sama is too adorable so we can’t pine over the Second ML XD
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