Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

Chapter 67 - 67: The Prodigious Nim, Part Thirty-Six

{Melisa}

The arena was buzzing with excitement as Melisa made her way through the crowd, the final rounds of the tournament already underway.

She spotted Armia in the stands, the darian girl's usually proud posture slumped and defeated.

Melisa's heart ached a bit for her.

She knew how much the tournament had meant to Armia, how hard she had worked to prove herself on this stage.

But, Armia had lost.

She slid into the seat beside Armia, offering a gentle smile as the darian girl looked up in surprise.

"Hey," Melisa said softly, laying a hand on Armia's shoulder.

Armia looked away, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I lost," she said, as if Melisa didn't know that, her voice rough and raw. "I gave it everything I had, but magic alone wasn't enough. I failed."

"You still did so well, though! You made it all the way to the semi-finals!"

"That wasn't enough," Armia shook her head. "I needed to win."

"Armia," she said firmly, squeezing the girl's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Let me ask you, three months ago, do you think you would have made it that far?"

Armia remained silent, her draconic tail curling in on itself a little.

"No, right? So, cheer up! You've improved so much."

Armia looked up, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes. But the sadness remained, a heavy weight on her broad shoulders.

Melisa glanced around, suddenly realizing that another familiar face was missing from the crowd.

"Where's Isabella?" she asked, frowning. "I thought she'd be here for the finals."

Armia shook her head, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"She dropped out," she said.

"What?"

Armia shrugged.

"As soon as she heard you weren't going to be in the tournament, she withdrew. Like, on the spot."

Melisa felt a flush of warmth at her cousin's dramatic gesture.

[Oh, Isabella. What am I going to do with you?]

She made a mental note to find the kitsune girl later and ask what exactly went through that impulsive, sex-and-magic-driven mind of hers.

As the tournament concluded, the crowd erupting into cheers for the victors, Armia seemed to shrink even further into herself. Melisa couldn't stand it any longer.

She pulled Armia into a tight, almost motherly hug. The darian girl stiffened for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden display of affection.

But then, slowly, she relaxed into the embrace, her strong arms coming up to encircle Melisa's waist. A strange purr, deeper, more guttural (befitting a dragon, in Melisa's mind) came out of Armia.

"It's going to be alright," Melisa murmured, her cheek pressed against Armia's shoulder. "You'll get plenty of other chances to show off. Trust me."

Armia pulled back slightly, her golden eyes

She knew exactly what her cousin was suggesting.

And god help her, she wanted it. Wanted it, and needed it, to help get her mind off everything that happened.

[Plus, I'm all out of Essence, too.]

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, her own voice barely above a whisper.

Isabella grinned, a wicked, promising thing.

"Come home with me tonight," she said, her hand sliding down to rest on the curve of Melisa's hip. "Let me show you how much I... appreciate you."

Melisa swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest.

This was it.

[... All of it's led up to this, huh?]

She felt more nervous now than she ever did thinking about the tournament.

And yet, she answered:

"Okay," she breathed. "Whenever you're ready."

Isabella grinned.

"Meet me at the gates at night. It's far too early for what I have in mind."