MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

"I'm well aware that Lord Azazel can be naive, foolish, and often oblivious, and led us into trouble all the time, but that's no reason to attack him! Haven't we sworn to protect him forever?" Vivi passionately declared, her words carrying the weight of a solemn oath.

"Huh, is she praising him or insulting him? What's going on?" The collective thoughts of the group echoed in unison.

Desira's expression contorted into an oddity, her mouth stretching as if it sought to engulf her entire face. She shouted with a distorted intensity, "I don't care! That man has been the cause of my heartbreak and frustrations! He's the reason for my sufferings! It's better if he's dead!"

Elena attempted to reason with Desira, and stepped forward. "What did Azazel do to you anyway? It couldn't be that bad if you love him."

Ren felt a sense of relief as Elena and the others engaged Desira in conversation, buying him precious time to formulate a plan to defeat the formidable sorceress.

Desira took a dramatic pause before launching into a lengthy and animated speech about why she harbored such intense feelings of disdain for Azazel.

The misty atmosphere seemed to hang on her every word as she unleashed her grievances.

"Let me tell you the saga of my unrequited love for that wretched demon," she began, her voice oscillating between exasperation and a tinge of absurdity. "It all started with my subtle, yet utterly brilliant advances. I would send him the most intricate origami love letters, folded into shapes that would put even the most skilled paper crane enthusiast to shame."

Desira's hands moved dramatically as if folding invisible paper in the air, emphasizing the craftsmanship of her supposed love notes.

"But what did he do? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in mock despair. "He'd receive these masterpieces of affection and just stare at them like they were cryptic puzzles he couldn't decipher."

Sidelong glances were exchanged among everyone, their collective gaze landing on Azazel.

Azazel crossed his arms and adopted a contemplative expression, as if recalling something. "Hmm . . . if I recall, I commended your origami skills at that time, didn't I?"

"She wasn't seeking a compliment, you idiot!" Lorelai shouted at him. Even she grasped the concept. How could Azazel be so dense?

"I even sent him enchanted flowers that would bloom in the shape of hearts, just to express my undying love," Desira continued, a sigh escaping her lips. "And do you know what he said? 'Are this for me? Thanks.' And you proceed to give them to Lethargia!"

"Egh?! I just thought it would be better to give her those than me, a guy! She appreciated it more!" Azazel defended.

"Idiot," Lorelai repeated.

"You're the worst," Elena muttered.

Evie shook her head, speechless, while Ren sighed in disappointment.

"W-what?! Why are you guys looking at me like I'm a failure?" Azazel cried out.

"But wait, there's more!" Desira exclaimed. "I once organized a moonlit dinner for just the two of us – a romantic feast under the stars. The table was set with ethereal candlelight, soft music played in the background, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of love potions. And what did he say?"

The group leaned in, curious about the answer.

"He said, 'Is this some kind of team-building exercise? Are we celebrating something?! Wait, I will get the others!'" Desira recounted, her voice oozing with exasperation.

Desira paced back and forth as she continued her hilarious monologue. "I even composed love poems that would bring tears to the eyes of the most stoic demons. But did he appreciate my poetic prowess? No! He thought I was handing out recruitment flyers for a poetry club!

"Have you ever heard of sending love notes via enchanted carrier crows?" she asked no one. "Well, I tried that, thinking Azazel would be swept off his feet. The crows were trained to deliver sweet messages, but before they could rely my message he roasted and ate them!"

"They were tasty though," Azazel commented at the side.

"And then, I tried the classic 'accidentally-on-purpose brush of hands' maneuver," Desira revealed. "I made sure to subtly graze his hand with mine each time I have the opportunity. But, believe it or not, each time, he thought I was pickpocketing him!"

"I genuinely thought that," Azazel defended.

"I have more souls than you do! And you even owe me money!" Desira fought back with a vengeance.

"And the final straw," Desira declared dramatically, "was when I attempted a grand gesture of confessing my feelings with a skywritten message using magical flames. I wrote, 'Desira loves Obsidian X in letters that lit up the night sky. And how did he respond?"

Desira paused for effect, her eyes wide with incredulity. "He fidgeted from side to side, embarrassingly elbowed me, saying that I shouldn't have, and that he loves me too, with that despicable grin on his oblivious face!"

The group fell silent while Desira caught her breath, still seething with frustration.

Now, Ren and the others understood why Desira harbored such intense feelings and wanted to exact revenge on Azazel. After hearing her ordeal, they couldn't blame her.

"Agh . . . poor girl," Elena lamented, placing a hand over her lips as if holding back her tears.

"Now I know why you wanted to kill this idiot," Lorelai took a sharp breath and declared, "just this time, I will turn a blind eye to what you did to us. Go ahead and kill this idiot now."

"He deserves the death penalty," Evie chimed in with her stoic expression.

Ren nodded in agreement.

Azazel's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Hoi! Guy, what are you talking about?!"

Vivi sniffled and wiped her tears. "Please forgive Lord Azazel. You know how he is. It's not that he didn't respect your feelings; it's just that he didn't think of you as anything other than a sister and a friend that's why he is so oblivious."

"And that's even worse! Who said that I wanted to be his sister?! I don't want to be just a family!" Desira shouted, her face wrapped in anger. "I want to be his woman! His lover! His wife!"