The Dark Rebirth of Pandora: Revenge of the Abyss

Chapter 575: Light Help with Romance

”...Azazel, this isn’t what I had in mind when I said we’d have a date...” Eclipsya says to me while we’re hanging upside down in some monster’s cave.

”Seriously?”

”Why would you think I’d want to watch two monsters fight in a cave? Besides, I was the one who handcuffed you to take you on a date, so why did you get to pick the spot?”

”Hehehe, I just wanted to show you something cool! Plus, look, I’m still cuffed!” I say, stretching my hands out toward her, while I’m stuck to the ceiling with magic.

”...This isn’t what I wanted. I was planning on taking you to... forget it...” She looks discouraged.

”Eclipsya, you seem sad...”

”Ughh... you ruin all my plans and goals with stupid stuff, or pervy stuff... it’s frustrating.” Eclipsya snaps her fingers, killing the monster down below as she releases herself from the ceiling and drops to the floor.

”Oh, Eclipsya, I’m sorry, it’s just that...”

”No, I don’t want to hear it. It’s frustrating, and it’s not going to change. Why can’t you just be quiet and enjoy the things I do for you? Do you have any idea how much work it is to kidnap you?”

”The schedules are extremely complex. It has to be days with no classes, nothing important, and I have to deal with your mother, who might show up out of nowhere to take you away from me.”

”So far, out of the 8 dates I’ve planned, you’ve ruined 7 of them...”

”But...”

”No buts, Azazel. It’s irritatingly childish of you.” Eclipsya leaves the cave, kicking at rocks along the way.

”...” It’s hard to feel anything about these kidnappings. I’m not scared of her kidnapping me, and it’s not really a bother, so I thought she wouldn’t mind if I livened up the date a little. After all, her dates always seem so... bland.

”Ughh... dates are so hard... and love is so complicated... maybe I should improve...” I know she loves me, but everything she does just seems... cute. Why can’t I react the way a normal person would?

I create a flying beast out of blood and start flying toward the castle. Looks like my date with Eclipsya ended in failure, so I’m going to find someone to talk to. Am I the one in the wrong here?

Clearly, Kaelith doesn’t know a damn thing about dating! I followed her advice, and it just made Eclipsya angry, because it makes it seem like I don’t love her the way she loves me. But I do like her; I just show it the wrong way.

”Who could help me behave the right way on a date...” Can’t be Mama Grimm, she’s misbehaved and pervy. Can’t be Kaelith, either.

There’s Calypso, Freya, and Aokitsu, but Calypso’s a bit slow, Freya’s a bit cold, and Aokitsu can’t tell the difference between a date and just hanging out.

’Why is romance so hard!!... I wish Mama Pandora was here. I’m sure she’d know what to do. She always took perfect care of everyone she loved, in just the right way...’ I think the best option is probably Elena.

She’s responsible, and she really understood how Mama Pandora thought. Even though Elena’s really busy, I need this help, because I don’t want to keep hurting Eclipsya with the stupid things I do.

”Aqua and Lycoris make romance look so easy...” Those two have their perfect relationship, and it makes me a little jealous. I like the special dating relationship I have with Eclipsya, but when it comes to gifts or going out, neither of us is good at it.

”Aaaahhhh, how embarrassing!! I can’t believe I’m losing to my younger sisters!! I’m the oldest! I should know how to do this!!” I’m too proud to ask them for their secret, but I love Eclipsya too much to stay quiet, so I have to improve.

...

...

...

”Sister Aqua, Sister Eclipsya looks mad.” Lycoris says to me as I glance to the side, seeing Eclipsya drinking a glass of something at a table a little ways off. Lycoris and I are at the café in front of the academy, working on a study about monsters.

”And?” I ask, uninterested.

”Should we call her over?”

”What?!”

”She looks so sad! And she’s our sister too.”

”...”

’Tsk. Lycoris can be so empathetic towards that damned woman...’

”Fine, as long as she doesn’t interrupt...” The moment I say that, Lycoris jumps up excitedly and runs over to Eclipsya. They have a brief conversation, and soon Lycoris pulls Eclipsya over to our table.

”So?” I ask, marking a wrong answer Lycoris had put down.

”Sister Eclipsya says she’s sad because every date she plans goes wrong, because Sister Azazel doesn’t react the way she’s supposed to! And it makes sense, Sister Azazel is pretty impulsive, chaotic, etc.” Sister Lycoris says, sitting back down while Eclipsya sits quietly beside her.

”...” I stare at my rival, who looks so discouraged. It bothers me. This is my rival? The girl who competes with me? She looks pathetic, and I don’t like it.

”You were better before. Your grades have slipped a bit, too; I got first place. If you keep this up, I’ll grind you into the dirt.” I say, trying to piss her off.

”...”

”...Lycoris, give your drink to Eclipsya.” Lycoris looks confused, but obeys. Eclipsya stares at me, confused.

”Drink it.”

”I... okay...” She says without any enthusiasm, taking the drink and having a sip. I give an arrogant smile as she makes a confused face.

”What is this?”

”Café au lait. Lycoris loves it.” When I say that, Lycoris blushes.

”It tastes kind of bitter in a weird way... and the texture is strange for café au lait...”

”That’s because it’s my milk.”

”...”

”...YOU FILTHY BITCH!” She stands up furiously after a brief moment of silence, realizing what kind of ”milk” it is.

”So? How did my cum taste?”

”I’m going to kill you!” She points her hand at me, forgetting her sadness for an instant.

”Yeah, that’s the Eclipsya I know. Now shut up and sit down. How about you tell us why you’re looking so pathetic? I bet Lycoris and I can figure it out.” As I say this, I hear her teeth grinding. She really looks like she wants to attack, and she seems furious as Lycoris takes her drink back.

Lycoris loves drinking coffee with my special ”milk,” so it’s a drink she has often.

”I won’t forget this...” She says, sitting back down while, thankfully, the café is empty except for the cashier witnessing this exchange.

”Sister Eclipsya, you can talk to us! We’re all sisters! Even with the fights.”

”I told you, it’s all Azazel’s fault. She ruins every date I plan. Because of that busybody Grimm and academy studies, I only get one or two chances a month to grab Azazel for a date.”

”When Azazel ruins the date, it’s just annoying, because I spend time, effort, and money on it. My allowance is already gone, and I’m broke from spending so much on ideas that Azazel destroys.”

”It’s so irritating. Azazel has always been like this, but now that she’s destroying things I do for her, it’s gone from being a cute charm to just being frustrating. Because no matter what I do, Azazel will try to add her own personal touch to it.”

”On this last date, I spent three months’ savings. I rented a really expensive place and paid several people to do something amazing, but Azazel dragged me to a cave to watch two monsters fight, and I missed my reservation time.”

”In other words, I wasted three months of money, hours of planning, and all I got was frustration because of her. I love her more than anything, but not even my love can stop me from feeling frustrated and angry at her thoughtless attitude.” A tear wells up in Eclipsya’s eye.

’...’ Normally I’d mock her, but if Lycoris acted like that with me, I’d be sad too. In this case, I understand her pain. I won’t mock her because I’m in love too, and since I love Lycoris, it would really suck to suffer the same as Eclipsya.

”Have you ever stopped to think that you’re following your mother’s orders too much?” I say as they both look at me like I’ve grown a second head.

”What does my mother have to do with my dates failing if it’s Azazel’s fault?” Eclipsya asks, genuinely confused.

”Obviously it’s not Azazel’s fault, it’s your mother’s fault.” When I say this, they’re even more confused. After all, what would the goddess Tsukuyomi have to do with Eclipsya’s failed dates? But the truth is, she has everything to do with it.

”Eclipsya, you’re a genius at everything you set your mind to, but when it comes to feelings, you’re clueless!!” I can’t believe she’s so stupid about the emotional side. Or maybe I’m just a genius at it because I’m more primal and saw Mama Pandora and Mama Delphina’s relationship firsthand.

”Here’s the thing, Eclipsya. We’re monsters. We might be hybrids, but generally, we’re wild, territorial beings who give in to instincts sometimes. I really shouldn’t have to explain this.”

”Azazel is a vampire. She’s not going to be interested in a casual romantic date, a normal present, or an attempt to take her for a walk somewhere.”

”Those are things people with ’morals’ do. They’re not things beings like us do.”

”For Azazel, who’s a vampire, bloody, scary, and bizarre things are more attractive and will make her genuinely engaged. And with her personality, Azazel probably prefers exploring things and discovering mysteries.”

”Take Lycoris here, for example. She’s the wildest of the four of us, so I do things that are embarrassing for me, but that she loves. Like this coffee with ’milk.’ I find it embarrassing to do this, but Lycoris loves the taste and the smell. So instead of buying her something, I give her what she wants.”

”It’s basic logic. Your mother is someone who’s morally too good, and she passes that ’normal’ mindset onto you. But we’re not normal.”

”You, Eclipsya, are doing what you want, not what Azazel wants. And in love, we don’t just do what we want; we do what our partner wants.”

”Have you even asked why Azazel does what she does? Have you asked how she’d like the date? It’s ridiculous to want to take a vampire to a normal dinner.”

”Just because you like normal dates doesn’t mean Azazel is obligated to like them. You’re being narcissistic, only thinking about what you like.” I say honestly, eating a small cake, uninterested in Eclipsya’s pathetic romance.

”That... might be right... I never really thought much about what Azazel wanted from a date... I just kidnap her to do what I want.”

”There’s your answer, Eclipsya. Now get lost. Lycoris and I are studying. If Lycoris gets top marks on next week’s exam, we’re having a date at the water park Elena had built recently!”

”Elena and that great demon alchemist finally managed to create one of the relics Mama Pandora thought up. It can purify miasma from water much more easily, and over a gigantic area! With it, the city’s water supply has increased more than tenfold!” I can’t wait to see Lycoris in a swimsuit.

”Okay... sorry for the interruption... and Aqua... thanks for the help.” Eclipsya says, extending her hand to me.

”You’re my rival. You need to be at your best so I can crush you completely.” I say, shaking her hand as a sign of respect for our competition.