Chapter 153

Sapphyra

“No more.”

The only words I needed to say as my power left me. I couldn’t even feel the Genesis Dragon system within me anymore. It was like everything burned out of me the moment Guy put his neck on my claws.

And now?

Now my tail was barely blocking Barbie’s blades. It’d crept up and wrapped around Bayani’s neck, a safety scarf of pink leathery scales.

Not that the bastard deserved it.

“Tch.” Barbie sucked her teeth, pushing the dragonsbane covered blades into my tail. I winced and felt cold air hit my exposed skin.

“Get your filthy appendage off of me!” Bayani barked. I grit my teeth and tightened my tail.

Don’t choke him to death, Sapph, he ain’t worth it.

“Will you shut the fuck up and let me save you already?! Why is it so hard for you to let me do what I do best?!” I snarled at Bayani.

“Protection from a demon like you is worse than death itself.”

“Good! Because your dumbass ain’t dying on my watch anyway!” I took a step forward and glared at him, squatting low.

“I just don’t understand you.” Barbie asked, dropping the blades finally. Guy sheathed them and tossed them somewhere far away. “Why would you protect someone who actively hates you? He tried to kill you!”

“He’s my father.” I said, not sparing her a single glance. “He’s been trying to kill me for years and he’s always hated me.”

Lowering my voice, I softened my gaze on Bayani and took my tail off of his neck.

“And I’ll still save him anyway. Every single time.”

“Why?” Barbie whispered as a quest bar appeared over her head. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” I grinned at her.

[Wish Quest complete. Rewards granted.]

“Bayani is the whole reason I became a superhero. Not just to prove that my life means something but that everyone deserves to be saved. Even the lowest of the low like him.”

Bayani spit in my face but Guy blocked it with his wing.

“You wished to remember how to be a hero…” Guy mumbled, sighing softly. “I just wish—”

“Careful with that word.” I narrowed my eyes on his blushing face. He held up his hands, palms spread in surrender.

[Class given: Apex hero.]

My eyes couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t see it either, not with all the tears popping up.

It's not that I needed System to tell me who I always was. But the way Guy’s face was lighting up with hope right now? It makes it worth having that label.

“Wait, Sapph, does that mean you can…”

He didn’t need to finish the words. I knew exactly what he wanted.

I grinned at him, “Sys, say the magic words.”

[Apex Hero can absolutely grant the superhero class to others!]

“YES!” Guy leapt into the air like a certain video game character hitting a brick—fist raised and everything.

I’m surprised and a little sad he didn’t say yahoo.

“And how do I do that, by the way?” I crossed my arms, enjoying Guy’s moment of happiness in this very messed up situation. He’s always my ray of sunshine.

And today is definitely a cloudy day.

[He has to make an oath to follow you and then a verbal confirmation from you seals the deal]

Seems easy enough.

“Guy—”

“Sapphyra, I’ve been waiting for months to do this.” My brow raised.

This man got on one knee. And my heart did a fucking backflip.

“Hey wait, it doesn’t have to be that serious.” I quickly tried to convince him to get up, hiding my blush by shaking my head back and forth.

Bayani groaned. “Ugh, do I have to sit here for this? Blonde one, kill me already.”

Yet Barbie just stood there, watching somewhere far beyond me with a cold stillness. If Guy wasn’t so distracting, I would pay more attention to her.

“Oh no.” I didn’t like that look in his eye—it was too hungry. “We’ve gone against titans and heartache and our tyrannical son—”

“Your father.” I corrected him with a devilish grin.

“Never calling him that again—Anyway! My point is that there’s never been enough time to do this.”

I tapped my foot in slight discomfort.

“And now isn’t really an appropriate time to do it either!” I insisted. I didn’t want to hurt Guy but if he was about to do what I think he is, then I needed to gently shut that down.

“Sapph.” Guy sighed and shook his head with a rueful smile. “I’m not asking you to marry me.”

I blinked twice and scratched behind my ears, making sure I heard him right.

“You’re not?”

“No. I’m not.” Oh thank the goddess. “I am asking you to let me follow you until the end of time. To not only be your partner in protecting the world but as the person you can lean on when you need it the most.”

Hand placed on his chest, he lifted the other one to grasp mine. I sucked in a breath, feeling too many emotions slap me at once.

But they didn’t stop me from nodding.

“When you put it like that, how can I say no?” He smirked and rubbed his thumb across my knuckles.

“Alright. I’m granting you the superhero class, Guy. Don’t you dare disappoint me.” I whispered as he swept me off my feet and leaned me back, kissing me deeply.

If we weren’t where we currently were, this would be a very different kind of moment.

He pulled away and light enveloped him. White hot and all consuming, it nearly blinded me. When the light finished? He was back.

My Guy Dynamo was back in the flesh…with an upgrade to his suit.

“Mm, is that deep vee? And a battle skirt?” I circled him, taking in his new blue and white fit. It certainly didn’t hurt that his hair was long and wavy now, framing his square chiseled face. His blue wings had a white tint to them at the bottom and they draped around his

“It is. And you wanna know what else is new?” He motioned towards his crotch where a bit of metal caught my eye.

“Holy shit, a zipper? I’m jealous!” It may not sound like it but this is actually a pretty big deal. The amount of times I’ve had to break my suit at the crotch to go pee—it’s ridiculous.

[Class Gained: Beacon Protector]

The pop up over Guy's head was clear as day. He was back as a hero and better than ever.

One bright spot in the storm of shit today. Speaking of shit…

“Barbie.” I said firmly, turning towards her. She still had that far off look in her eye. “Hm?”

“Don’t ‘hm’ me. You know your ass is absolutely going to jail right?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Her eyes ,half-lidded, finally focused on me. “I don’t think I have to do anything else but sit here and wait for the grand finale.”

She spread her arms wide like she was soaking up the sun’s rays.

I raised a brow and shook my head, sharing a quick glance with Guy. We moved towards her.

But the sound of steady wingbeats behind us gave us pause. At first I thought it was another enemy but then his scent hit me.

Erek’s.

I turned around, a cocky grin on my face.

“You still sticking around cowboy?” I snorted, feeling full of myself. “I knew you—”

Erek was floating down, hat tucked over his face. I couldn’t see his eyes but I knew the dark stains on his shirt weren’t blood.

They smelled too salty for that.

Erek had been crying. And at first I couldn’t figure out why but as he got closer, I noticed the bundle of scrap in his arms, covered by a thick blanket.

And one warm brown hand flopped out from beneath the blanket, hitting the ground at my feet.

“I’m…I’m so sorry Darlin’.” He raised his head.

Guy gasped and covered his mouth.

Even Bayani turned his head away with a sharp intake of breath, the first time I’d ever seen him show anything other than hatred.

And Barbie? She was the worst of them all.

“I told you I would bring you your family back.” She whispered, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Well, aren’t you going to say hello to your mother?”