MELODY MUSKETEERS (M911 & TTM)
064. A TOUGH DECISION

Lion came out of the donut shop with a donut box that he carried without a bag. His phone rang because his best friend called him.

"Why Ars? I still don't know where Oto is." Said Lion still standing in front of the donut shop.

"Is it possible he's in the next town?" Ask Aramis who is on the side of the road. He just got out of the car and directly contacted Lion.

"It could be like that." Answer Lion. He slipped his cell phone between his right ear and his shoulder because he was currently trying to pick up a doughnut that was in his box. "I will try to ask my friends who are in the cities next door." Lion's words did not sound clear because Lion put a full donut into his mouth.

"Let me know when I get the stupid news." Aramis.

"All of you are stupid, you and Oto are just as stupid, never listen to my words." Said Lion annoyed until his mouth full seen spitting out doughnuts that he ate.

"Lion, I'm going to see Niko." Aramis said at the end of the phone.

Soon Lion understood Aramis's intention as to why his best friend was going to meet Niko. Lion's gaze turned livid.

"I have to do it. When I found out Anna was sick, I became afraid of losing her and thought that it would hurt a lot if I lived without her. What Melo said was true, after I destroyed Niko's dream at least I gave her a little happiness." Aramis. "I'll let Melo be with Niko. I had to do that because I also thought what happened to Anna was due to my sin on Niko."

Lion bit his lower lip trying to hold back his sadness at Aramis' decision. His eyes began to glaze over. All this time he held back his feelings because he knew his best friend did not approve of Melody and Niko's relationship so he still felt fine. But when Aramis said she would agree to it, she immediately felt that there was no support for her, and that made the sadness she was locked in just slip away.

"Yes, I told you before that only the road is open." Lion held his breath so that his voice sounded stable.

"Is it no problem for you? Are you all right?"

"It looks so." Answer Lion.

"You'd better let that girl get close to you." Aramis. "You don't have to constantly avoid it, spend your time with it. You guys seem to have a lot in common it's gonna be easy to like it."

"okay." Lion replied shortly after that hanging up Aramis' phone. Only that word could he let out of his mouth so that his best friend would not know how sad the young man was right now.

Lion walked at a slow pace to the coffee shop where Mona worked. The place is just a few shophouses from the donut shop where he bought the donuts earlier.

"You know how painful it is to live without a loved one but you let your best friend feel it. You shouldn't be my best friend, Ars." Lion murmured with reddened eyes and a stiffened face as the young man was currently holding back his sorrow.

...***...

Aramis and Niko meet at the edge of the lake where Aramis used to fight with people who challenged him. Aramis had already said the intention of him asking to meet with Niko.

"Can you repeat what you just said?" Look at Niko who still grips Aramis.

"I'll give my sister to you." Aramis answered by clarifying his words.

Niko loosened her grip on Aramis and laughed in disbelief.

"You talk as if your sister doesn't want me. Without you even giving it away she's agreed to marry me." Niko's laughter releases Aramis from her clutches.

"Melo knew about the agreement, she agreed because she wanted to atone for my sin on you." Aramis. "If it wasn't for that he wouldn't have agreed."

Niko was starting to look angry. He had no idea about it before. Indeed, Melody's answer when she asked why she agreed to marry him sounded cliche. So that the girl agreed to marry him, which made Niko very angry.

Niko stared very sharply at Aramis who seemed to be unable to say anything more.

"Even you won't be able to do anything more when I've married your sister." Said Niko with annoyance so that what he said became a threat. "You gave it to me to atone for your sins, it means that your sister will be entirely mine. I will make her stay away from all of you, and I will do as I please to her!!"

"What did you say?" Aramis's growl ignited emotions.

"I told you, you can't pull all your words anymore." Niko smiled mockingly. "I'll take him to Russia as soon as possible, so you can't see what I'm gonna do to him."

Niko immediately walked away to her car which was parked far enough away from there leaving Aramis who could do nothing to her anymore.

Angrily Niko kicked her car after hearing that Melody actually knew about her agreement with Aramis and that made the girl agree to marry him. Niko turned on a cigarette and sucked it to quiet her anger and turned to look at Aramis who was about a hundred meters away from her.

About ten thugs walked towards Aramis who was sitting by the lake. Not yet Aramis thought about Niko's words to him earlier, the presence of the thugs diverted his mind.

"It seems like it's your favorite place." Calls a thug.

Aramis turned his head and saw the thugs he used to fight with in that place coming at him again, and with increasing numbers. One of the leader of the thugs was carrying a knife which was a dagger. Aramis immediately stood up to welcome their presence. Although he actually currently did not want to fight but this was beyond his expectations.

"Alright, just go ahead, I'll face you again." Aramis would not.

The thugs immediately attacked Aramis, only the leader with the knife did not attack.

Aramis is outnumbered, though he hasn't fallen yet. He could continue standing as his opponent dropped him. He could also dodge on their attacks. His body and face were already battered, he tried to escape from there knowing the fight against the thugs was different from his fight with his fellow students. Only death will stop the fight against the thugs.

But to escape this time was extremely difficult. Aramis is famous for his fast running ability, but his stamina is depleted due to being spent against the thugs. He should have run away shortly after fighting with them, but he had not done so.

"Do you need help or should I just watch?" Suddenly Niko walks over as Aramis falls down. He laughed at Aramis who was barely able to get up.

The thugs looked at Niko's presence with a hint of fear as Niko's appearance looked nothing like an ordinary person in their eyes.

"Don't interfere or you'll feel the same way about him?!" Calls the leader of the thugs who carry knives. He was standing at a fairly close distance to Niko.

Niko laughed at him, then took out her left hand wearing black leather gloves and stuck it out toward the thug.

"I love life and death fights." Niko smiled.

The other thugs stop attacking Aramis and pay attention to his lead with Niko. While Aramis tried to wake up with difficulty because it was battered at this time.

"What are you waiting for?" Niko asked who was still sticking out her left hand at the thug carrying the knife.

The thug immediately advanced towards Niko and pointed his knife at the young man, but instead of stepping aside, Niko instead pushed the knife with her left hand.

All were shocked as well as the thug who pointed the knife at Niko as the knife stuck into the palm of the young man's left hand, nicknamed the cold-blooded vampire.

...–NATZSIMO–...