Cutting Ties

I put a hand on my reddened cheek looking amazed at my girlfriend.

"Sa... Sana?"

"What's wrong with you? Why are you like this? You're nothing like what you were before, When we started dating you were more cool, more capable, how did you become like this?!"

Everyone was looking at me with different gazes, Lilith couldn't hide her anger, Morgiana seemed satisfied, Erick laughed openly and Marie, her head turned towards the window, trembled. What had to be done for something so simple...

"I... Sorry..."

"You disgust me... If I knew you would turn like this... I would never..."

"Asking me to date you just because I was an Avatar? Yeah, probably."

She froze for a second, and another small laugh from Marie sounded in the back. Leon stood up abruptly.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"Here comes Ero-sama."

"How could you act like that after all she's done for you? I expected you to take it with more maturity but now you're going too far."

" Really? Don't you think you're the one going too far right now? It's between two people dating, so do you mind staying out of it?

The expression on Leon's face took a turn at 180, my companions looked at me annoyed, except for Marie who stifled her bursts of laughter by placing her stuffed animal on her face. He got up and walked towards me, but stopped when Liliana intervened.

"Sir Leon, if you do anything violent towards your teammate, I will have to reconsider my decision to join you."

He observed the young girl, looking terribly bored, and turned his gaze to another person.

"I didn't think of wasting my energy on this trash, I have better priorities. Do you believe me now, Sana?"

She shook her head in answer and walked away from me and stopped behind Leon who whispered inaudible words to her.

"You're not wrong, When I met you, you were so different, you were more mature... But now you're just the shadow of yourself."

"But... What about our love for each other? We can always work it out even if I'm not on your team..."

"We're breaking up. I can't go out with you anymore, I forgave you when I found out you cheated on me, but now I can't take it anymore."

"Cheated?" I was surprised.

Leon hugged her as she cried intently, all the while looking at me with a hateful look, but somehow I could see a faint flash of mockery. Morgiana muttered an insult, Erick smiled and Lilith shuddered in frustration. I could very easily understand everyone's emotions and therefore this situation was horribly easy to understand.

Leon loved Sana ever since she and Lilith joined us, but no matter what he tried, Sana only cared about me and indirectly confessed to me several times after our missions. I finally accepted it and we have been dating ever since, but after a while, a certain pattern appeared.

Leon was the best fighter on our team, taking on a DPS and tank role, while I was the lackluster little debuff. All people's attention went to Leon and soon Sana urged me to try harder to catch up with Leon. My response to her insistence was the beginning of her behavior change "I don't need this."

I just smiled at her, seeing her hugging Leon so warmly.

"You shouldn't cry, you got what you wanted after all, right, Sana?"

Leon stood up to me, looking haughty.

"From now on, she's under my care, I don't allow you to talk to her or any girl on this team."

"... My condolences, Erick."

"You shit!"

Erick took his dagger and rushed at me but Leon, with a wave of his hand, stopped him, knowing Liliana's reaction.

"It's enough, you won't soil this team anymore. Now take your money and disappear."

"Yeah, keep an eye on the village, the day we'll be a world-recognized team, we won't have time to take care of that backwater." Erick added with a disgusting smile.

I looked at my other teammates and put a hand on Liliana's shoulder. She turned to me, visibly saddened by my situation.

"It's OK, I don't want to give the wrong impression of your new teammates, I'll be leaving now then. Sorry to show you that scene."

She just sighed and let her guard down. I smiled and turned to everyone.

"Lilith, it looks like we'll have to settle our little war another time."

She wanted to say something but just looked away, still shaking. I managed to see a drop fall from her eyes.

"Morgiana, good luck becoming the strongest. You don't need my help for that."

" For what? Have I already asked for your help?

"And I hope you won't. Sana, before being honest with others, you should be honest with yourself. It's also a way to get stronger."

She didn't answer but hugged Leon who wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Leon, if you really want to be the best team in the world, you should also invite Hope, or is it mandatory to be a woman to join the team?"

"Huh? What are you even saying? You can't have 2 heroes on the same team as a starter, that's all!"

"Who decided that? You know me well, it's useless, but good luck in building your harem guild. Oh, that reminds me of Erick."

"Say something stupid and I'll kill you."

"I already said your name. You should have hit me by now, it's the only time in your life you could touch me and get away with it."

"Fuck you, you idiot! Leon, I swear to kill him if he doesn't leave now!"

"Dora, that's enough!"

"Fine, fine, talk about a husband defending his wife, geez."

I took the bag and prepared to leave, but as I stood in the doorway, someone pulled me up. I turned around, recognizing Marie's frail grip.

"So? Did that bring tears to your eyes too?"

"Your acting was too bad, Idiora, you wouldn't even make a mother cry."

"It's because I'm a good son, but you still moved, I technically win."

She made a slight noise with her mouth before handing me the stuffed animal she had been holding all this time.

" Eh? Are you leaving me with Chubastic?

"It's Mr.Chub, Idiora, take him with you, no excuses."

I took the toy in one hand, the bag of pebbles in the other, but somehow this stuffed animal felt heavier. Marie was a puppeteer, as such, she used her magic to create stuffed animals that she used in battle, Chubastic was her very first creation, the one she never used, and she gave it to me.

"Take good care of it, it will be my replacement to accompany you, don't you dare lose it." Wise words from the youngest among us.

"... You trust me too much. But I will take responsibility."

We smiled at each other and I left, as I turned my back, I didn't see the change of expression on her face. We knew each other for a very long time, and probably better than anyone else in our group. She was the last one to join our team.

After a while, we became very close, but our aspirations diverged. Only she knew the real meaning of my departure.

Leon sighed in satisfaction and patted her head.

"It's for the best, he was holding you back..."

She abruptly pushed his hand away, he was shocked for a moment by this new facial expression in the young girl, her eyes shining with tears and the tip of her nose rosy.

"Don't ever touch me again. I'm only following you because of the team, don't get too cocky."

She went to a room behind. Leon sighed, not really annoyed.

"That's one of the reasons we had to deal with him quickly, he's simple-minded and knows how to play with girls, he just tried that with you too Liliana, I hope Marie gets the hang of it soon."

"Yeah, I heard he sometimes goes to her room at night, what a creep." Erick added.

"Could you stop with that? What are you even trying to do?"

An angry Lilith rushed out of the place, soon followed by Sana. Morgiana, after slowly closing the door, turned to Leon and Erick.

"Listen, boys, I know how you feel about him but let's get this straight, I only had a problem with him not trying to evolve, but your little game of bad boy playing with girls is getting boring. Someone who never showed interest in women even when they were around naked probably wouldn't do something like that."

"It's just your opinion, you can't deny that he often sleeps in Marie's room. Putting him out was also a way to keep Marie and Sana on the team. In the end, the bad guy is ejected."

Morgiana and Leon stared at each other under Liliana's troubled gaze. Meanwhile, in the village, I continued my walk aimlessly, Whenever I passed a group of people, they stopped talking and looked at me, intrigued by my face.

I passed near a trader, usually irritable, but this one was deviating from my path when he saw me pass. Finally, a farmer in front of her stall called out to me.

"Hey son, if you're so happy, why don't you buy something?"

I looked at her, with the biggest smile I've ever put on my face, and answered in a voice, quivering with euphoria.

"Fine, give me whatever you want for this money."