Darksteel

Chapter 38; How NOT to Graduate.

The Iron Guild sat in morbid silence, staring at the pit of Monsters before them. 

By now, other Guilds had begun to arrive behind them and, upon seeing the grim fate that awaited them, were flung into a sense of despair, with a few poor souls attempting to fight their way through the pit, only to be ripped to pieces, their screams echoing off the stone walls.

"Asta," Nico pleaded, "Please. You have to do something."

"They'll see. They'll know..." Asta whispered back. His hands were shaking so terribly that he could barely hold his sword. His stomach roiled at the sound of the shrieks of the Monsters in the pit and not even Alphonse could console him.

He was torn.

 If he led the boys out of the maze, the whole school would know that he was a Monster Lord. Though he doubted it mattered much anymore, since everything seemed to be coming to an end anyway. 

Yet there was still the matter of how the other boys would react; would they turn on him? Hurt him? And yet... If he saved all these lives, was not that worth it?

He looked at Nico then, gazing at her delicate features, her short, black shaggy hair, the slight upturn of her nose. 

Blimey, she was so beautiful, so perfect in his eyes, and if Asta could not bring himself to save all these other boys, then he COULD bring himself to save her. 

Thus, grasping her hand tightly, he looked deep into her eyes, his voice barely above the thrashing of the monsters in the pit. "Nico, if I die..."

But she only shook her head fiercly, tears in her eyes. "No, stop, don't say that! You WILL make it, we all will--"

Pressing a finger to her lips, Asta forgot to be shy, forgot to be embarrassed. Instead he was simply, at that moment, HIM, unafraid as he gently cupped her face in his hand.

 "I just wanted to say that if I don't make it... just know that I think that you are the the most beautiful girl in Tirus; you are smart, brave, and... I love you. So, so much."

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

It was soft and sweet, just like how he would have imagined it to be, and after a moment, she kissed him back. Hard. 

Asta felt her heart fluttering against his, her breath mixing with his own, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, pressing their bodies together. But, as so many wonderful things do, the kiss came to an end, and Asta pulled back slightly, grinning.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that." he breathed, his heart still beating fast.

Nico chuckled lightly, "You don't know how long I've wanted you to." she then grew serious, "But we still happen to be in the maze. Have you decided what you are going to do?"

Asta breathed in once to calm his pounding heart. He then replied with only, "Yes." Then walked towards the pit. Yet before he had made it far, Nico stopped him, kissed him again briefly on the cheek, and whispered the three words that made his heart soar. 

 "I love you too."

                                ...................................

Asta stood at the edge of the pit, the Monsters writhing wildly before him, the boys anxiously whispering behind. 

To his right stood Nico, who nodded at him encouragingly, and on his left was Adar, a stone-faced guardian.

Closing his eyes, Asta took a deep breath and felt for the power that flowed inside him like liquid fire. He summoned it, pulling it from the depths of his being and letting it course through his veins, burning with power that he did not fully understand.