Chapter 160: Bromance with protagonist
Neither of them flinched.
Eren and Alice stood locked in place, broken swords at each other. Arena’s dirt clung to their sweaty foreheads, chests heaving in ragged unison, yet both of them were grinning like absolute fools who had just pulled off the greatest heist.
Up on the stone tiers, nobody dared to breathe. The students and instructors sat frozen, completely mesmerized by the realization that they had just witnessed peak without paying a dime.
The bald referee, finally rebooting his shattered composure after several seconds of stunned silence, cleared his throat and raised his hand high.
"That is enough!" the instructor announced. "Weapons down! The assessment concludes in a Draw!"
The tension broke.
"Ah, fuck... my feet are completely on fire," Eren groaned, collapsing on his back into the warm sand, staring up at the vaulted arena ceiling. Alice’s wobbling legs finally gave out, her ass parked against the ground.
She sat there with her hands braced behind her, chest rising and falling. Then, looking down at the idiot in front of her, a soft chuckle bubbled up from her lips.
"That was... really so much fun," Alice breathed, wiping her cheek.
Eren let out a hearty, breathless laugh, his dark eyes sparkling with thrill. "Right? An absolute blast. Even if I need a new pair of boots."
Their chuckles quickly turned into pure laughter—the kind of overjoyed, post-adrenaline ease shared by two battle maniacs who had forgotten about the world.
The crowd watched in baffled silence, utterly charmed by the ridiculous sight of the untouchable golden Saintess and the notorious academy stalker giggling like schoolkids in a sandbox.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A pair of cheerful claps echoed, and heads turned toward the upper seats.
Violet was clapping with enthusiasm, her purple eyes gleaming with excitement, a brilliant, genuine smile lighting up her face. The blue-haired villainess began a slow round of applause with a proud smirk on her lips. Her noble circle immediately joined in, and within seconds, the rhythm caught fire.
The entire arena erupted into a standing ovation.
***
A few moments later, Eren was lounging back on a wooden bench just outside the dueling ground. His charred, smoking boots sat abandoned, showing off his burned, blackened feet.
Down on her knees directly before him was the Saintess herself. Alice had her sleeves rolled up, her delicate palms hovering inches over his feet as a soothing, warm golden mana gently stitched his burned skin back together.
[DING.]
[Achievement unlocked: Going toe-to-toe with the Heavenly Chosen Protagonist to a standstill.]
[Reward: +500 Fate Points.]
[Current Balance: 1,000 FP.]
The system’s melodic voice echoed inside his mind.
’Hey, system,’ Eren mused internally, his blue eyes flickering with amusement. ’Is this grand total finally enough to buy that thing from my wishlist?’
[Affirmative, Host.]
[It cost exactly 800 FP. Would you like to confirm the transaction right now?]
’Do it,’ Eren replied without hesitation. ’I need a proper thank-you gift for my muscle-mommy girlfriend after her advice saved my neck down there.’
[Purchase confirmed!]
[The item has been transferred directly to your Inventory.]
[Remaining Balance: 200 FP.]
Just as Alice finished channeling her holy light, leaving his feet completely restored and smooth, the massive, bald instructor stomped over. His heavy boots echoed, arms crossed as he glared down at the two troublemakers with lingering frustration and reluctant awe.
"You two," the instructor grumbled, his voice rumbling. "You managed to turn a standard mock assessment into a near-lethal duel. Do you have any idea how much trouble you nearly caused me?"
Alice and Eren immediately synchronized their movements, both looking away with identical, sheepish grins while awkwardly scratching their cheeks.
"You both deserve a week of disciplinary yard duty for that stunt," the bald instructor frowned.
"Whaaaat?!" both blurted out in tragic unison, their expressions dropping into exaggerated misery.
The instructor held the stern glare for a few seconds before a broad, toothy grin appeared on his face.
"But... I’m exempting you both this once," he chuckled, shaking his head. "That clash was the most magnificent display of raw combat instinct this academy has seen all semester. And nobody lost a limb, which saves my pension."
He shifted his gaze squarely onto the dark-haired youth, nodding with deep approval. "Especially you, Volsver. You’ve been failing the practical physical assessments for two straight years. Keep pulling off insane stunts like that upward blast, and I’ll personally sign off on your passing grade myself."
"Much appreciated, Instructor," Eren smiled, offering a casual two-finger salute.
"Get yourselves cleaned up," the bald giant laughed, turning and walking away with a deep, rumbling chuckle that echoed through the arena.
Once they were left alone, Alice let out a theatrical sigh and pushed herself up from the floor. She dusted off her knees and looked down at the reckless idiot still lounging comfortably on the bench.
"Honestly, Eren..." Alice murmured, her eyes shimmering with amazement. "I’m still trying to process how you went toe-to-toe with my divine aura using nothing but the leftover, borrowed mana from Violet."
Eren flashed her an unbothered smirk, wiggling his freshly healed toes. "Who says I need mana? Pretty sure I could’ve matched you using these bare fists."
Alice laughs, rolling her eyes with fond exasperation.
"Keep dreaming in your delusions, Volsver," she giggled, giving his shoulder a firm, playful tap with her small fist.
Turning around, the blonde Saintess waved a hand over her shoulder as she began walking toward the locker rooms.
"See you next time, Eren. Try not to blow your boots off before our next match."
As the golden-haired Saintess disappeared, a crisp, rhythmic clap echoed from behind the bench.
Eren turned his head to find a hot, athletic figure walking toward him. The tanned knight had a proud, amused smirk, her pink ponytail swaying with each step.
"So, how was my performance, Captain?" Eren asked cheerfully, resting his forearms against the wooden backrest. "Did I pass your standards?"
Instead of answering immediately, Emma closed the distance and leaned her tall frame over the bench. Reaching down with a calloused hand, she caught him under the chin, tilting his handsome face upward until his blue eyes were locked with her fierce storm-grey gaze.
"You are completely, undeniably reckless, brat," Emma murmured.
Though her tone carried the sharp authority of Volsver’s premier swordmaster, the concern and genuine admiration visible through her gaze. Her eyes drifted down to his feet, her brows furrowing.
"Blowing your own legs just to gain mid-air leverage?" she clicked her tongue softly.
"Why the hell are you risking life and limb like a suicidal maniac in a simple mock assessment? Your father sent me to this academy to keep you breathing, not to drag your charred corpse back to the ducal estate."
’Damn this overprotective muscle-mommy,’ Eren mused with delight.
______________
(I wanted to start the assassin story for WPC. But it’s different concept and I’m not sure I can do that. Well, yeah I made unique action in my main account. But this... I don’t know how to kick start this new story)
(But, I will try to make it)