Chapter 31: Chapter 31

More inmates gathered to watch the contest that was about to begin. Pari and Sara were set to take on the five members of a Rough Rider party by themselves. This would be an extremely difficult challenge—the opponents the pair would be facing were competent fighters and a tier higher in experience.

But the magical girls had been continually seeking out more intensive training. May felt the decision to focus on PvP was already paying off. Everyone had improved, though Pari had made the most remarkable progress. Perhaps standing up to Cassandra and her parents had given her new confidence, or the countless hours of practice were finally clicking. Either way, she now had her own reputation as a highly promising adventurer.

The battle started with a reckless charge from the larger group, who were obviously hoping to win quickly. The two women conducted a mobile defense, leaving their opponents to get in each others’ way. The men were unable to properly flank, and their aggression led to a quick defeat for one of their combatants—Sara’s spear struck suddenly through his heart. After his health dropped to zero, he stepped aside to join the small crowd of onlookers and cheer on his comrades.

The various spectators cried out in favor of one side or the other. The four remaining attackers settled into a more cautious offense, still trying to pin down their opposition. Three of the men had their weapons alight with strike spells, and the healers on both sides were kept busy by minor wounds.

Though she had initially focused on the struggle before her, May soon took note of Clare. Having known her for a while, the demon player picked up on tiny reactions. Whenever Sara took even a minor scratch, Clare seemed bothered. And clearly, the redheaded woman was focused more strongly on the healer than anyone else.

It was an impulsive decision, but May finally decided to address something that had been bothering her for a while. “Clare, follow me. There’s something we need to talk about.”

Though confused, the tank followed May to the edge of the crowd. They spoke softly to avoid being overheard, but still watched Sara and Pari’s contest.

There was no sense in beating around the bush. “You’re in love with Sara,” May told Clare.

“I’m...I’m not—”

“It’s been obvious for weeks. Let’s skip the part where you lie to me.”

“...She doesn’t know, does she?” Clare whispered miserably.

“She didn’t believe me when I told her. Clever or not, she wouldn’t know romance if it bit her in the ass.”

Clare’s relief was just as obvious. “Please don’t tell her I admitted it.”

“Of course I’m not gonna tell her. You’d better not either.”

“I wasn’t going to. I couldn’t bring myself to ask for any more consideration from her after what I’ve done.”

“Good. Because if she ever found out, she might return your feelings out of pity. That’s how bad I think she feels for you.”

This speculation made Clare look sick with grief. “You’re right. She deserves so much better than me. It’s horrible that I even let myself think of her that way.”

“I...” Seeing how utterly miserable she looked sapped May’s resolve. She sighed. “Look, I may not have forgiven you, but she has. So I’m not saying to beat yourself up over emotions you can’t control. Just do a better job of hiding them.”

“I will. ...But what you said, about her not knowing romance... I think you and Sara should get serious. I don’t want her to be lonely.”

“Neither of us wants to change our relationship,” May said defensively.

“Or is it that you have feelings for Pari, and Sara suspects that?”

“Nothing’s gonna happen there. ...Pari’s a nun, or she will be.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Let’s just wrap this up. We don’t want whoever is sifting through footage for our show to think this conversation is worth listening to.”

“Fine. Just make sure you don’t string Sara along. Maybe she could be happy with Justine if you stepped aside,” Clare said bitterly. The tank then walked closer to the contest. May followed.

Once more watching Pari and Sara battle from close up, May did her best to hide her own turmoil. She had told herself plenty of times that she could accept Pari’s choice and move on...but she had not really done that, had she?

She was beautiful, brilliant, kind, and the chemistry was pretty good. Maybe they were not a perfect fit in terms of interests or personality, but opposites could attract.

May had of course known for a long time that her interest in Pari went beyond the physical. But now she was forced to admit that for the first time in her life, she actually was in love. And maybe that was not fair to Pari or Sara. But what should she do about it?

It occurred to May that Clare was actually being more mature about her unrequited love—she had genuinely given up on it, and the fact that she wanted Sara to be with someone else was proof.

The battle before her drew May from her musings. Pari finally managed a crit on one of her opponents. Now that her battle was one-on-one, it did not take long for her other adversary to fall.

With the two sides evened out, the rest was a nearly foregone conclusion. Sara soon ran through one of the men, followed only seconds later by Pari landing the final blow of the contest. The cheers from everyone, including May and Clare, grew that much louder.

Somewhere nearby, John’s booming laugh was heard. “Truly an excellent display of prowess!” It seemed he had caught at least part of the contest.

Pari and Sara disappeared their armaments and hugged each other in excitement. After exchanging the usual bows with their opponents, they ran to rejoin the other magical girls.

“Did you see that at the beginning?” Sara asked Clare excitedly. “I had three of them on me, and then bam! Right through the heart.”

“You were amazing,” Clare told her sincerely.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt combat flow so easily,” Pari said to May. “It was all just instinct!”

“You’re gonna leave me in the dust at this rate.” May was surprised to find that the possibility did not bother her in the slightest—whatever kept Pari safe was what she wanted.

“I’m a long way from that,” the mage said self-consciously.

“I don’t doubt you—you’ve already come so far.” Pari beamed in response, and her lovely smile hurt May’s heart.

But what right did she have to ruin Pari’s dream? And if she did respect her friend’s wishes, could she find a way to move on?