"Kisaragi, stay away from me for now. I need to do something first." Selene stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Shion, who was still trembling on the ground, struggling to stand. Her presence was sudden, like ice spreading through the warm air of the market. Rin froze, her heart thudding in her chest. Her mind couldn't keep up, racing in circles as she tried to process what had just happened. How had Selene appeared out of nowhere? And when she kissed Shion?
"Se-Selene… wha… how are you here?" Rin stammered, her voice barely audible. Thoughts collided in her head, refusing to make sense. It was like someone had thrown a handful of stones into a still pond. Nothing stayed in place.
Selene ignored her. The crowd around them seemed to blur as she knelt beside Shion, her movements calm but deliberate. One hand lifted Shion's chin gently, tilting her head, and she smiled with a quiet confidence. Then, before Rin could even think, Selene leaned in. Her lips brushed against Shion's in a quick, precise kiss. It was brief, but Rin felt it echo through the air like a bell striking.
Rin's mouth dropped open. Her knees nearly gave way, and her hands clutched at the straps of her bag. "What in the name of Satan's hell…" she muttered, disbelief choking her words. She couldn't even find the right emotion—was it anger, shock, or something else entirely? Around them, the merchants in the market continued their business, gradually realizing who had appeared. The Ice Queen herself had arrived, and no one dared interfere before they become ice sculpture.
Selene pulled back from Shion, her eyes flashing cold. She lifted a hand and slapped her on the cheek. The sound cracked through the air, sharp and decisive. "Next time I see you too close to my fiance, I won't listen to anyone," Selene said. Her voice was icy. "I'll freeze your heart and shatter it into a million pieces."
Then, without a pause, her tone shifted. It became commanding, sharp, and cutting, aimed at an unseen presence. "Your freedom won't last long. Whatever chaos you're doing is not my concern, but if you try to hurt my Kisaragi, I won't just send you back to the darkness. I'll make you wish you had remained there instead." Selene's eyes scanned the space, though she could not sense the butterfly. She knew it could hear her, and that was enough.
Rin stood frozen, staring at the scene like she had been rooted to the ground. Her mind replayed the kiss over and over. Her heartbeat raced. She couldn't even breathe properly. Selene stood, turning toward her, and for the first time, Rin noticed the faint softness in her expression. The casual way her hands were hidden behind her back did nothing to disguise the intensity in her eyes.
"Why did you kiss her?" Rin's voice trembled, a mixture of accusation and confusion.
Selene tilted her head, a faint, almost playful smile forming on her lips. "I was just taking back what's mine. That kiss belongs to me, and anyone who dares take it… I'll take it back." She paused, letting her words hang in the air for a moment, then added teasingly, "So… looks like you can live without me, huh?"
Rin's anger and confusion melted. Before she realized it, she found herself moving forward, wrapping her arms around Selene. She held her tightly, clinging like she could draw comfort from her very bones.
"How can you be so cruel? Why do you disappear for days? It's so frustrating!" Rin's voice cracked as tears rolled down her cheeks. "If you want to be my first love, you need to be here with me. I needed you, but you weren't there. Do you know how lonely and noisy it was? The only person who could stop them wasn't there!" She buried her face in Selene's shoulder, shivering, letting all her emotions spill out.
Selene's smile softened, her voice gentle but still firm. "How is this cruel? In my defense, you were the one who said you didn't need my company. You didn't come searching for me. You seemed fine without me." She brushed a stray lock of hair from Rin's face, her touch light but grounding.
"I didn't mean any of that!" Rin pulled back slightly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I only said those things so you could tell me where Ice was. But you… you're too cold! If you want my love, you need to show me you'll stay with me forever." Her words trembled, but there was a fire in her eyes, a desperate need for Selene to understand.
Selene's expression shifted subtly. The soft smile remained, but a shadow of seriousness crossed her face. Rin could see it now, could feel it, as though the calm surface of a frozen lake had briefly rippled.
"What do you want to say?" Rin pressed, her voice steadier now. "Do you want my love, or is there some hidden agenda behind that smile of yours?"
Selene let out a soft, almost musical laugh, the kind that made the cold air around her feel warmer. Her voice then turned playful again, changing the topic. "Do you want to go on our fourth date? I've spent weeks preparing it. I came here to take you to our special place."
Rin pulled back, tears streaking her face. Her chest felt tight, suffocating. "I watched someone die in front of me yesterday. Someone died because of me. I couldn't stop it." She swallowed hard, her voice breaking. "And you… you're talking about dates? No more dates. I don't want any. You villainess are too much to handle, it was one and now they are two. That one over there has become worse than you were, and all you think about is a date. I don't care what you do, kill people, freez people or slay them, but i won't go out with anyone!"
Her feet carried her forward before she could think. She stormed off through the crowded market, her tears glimmering in the sunlight that had just broken through the clouds. She left Selene and Shion standing there, the sounds of daily life around them continuing as if nothing had happened.
Selene watched Rin disappear, a small frown tugging at the corners of her lips. She muttered under her breath, almost to herself. "I spent weeks creating your rainbow land…"