A/N: Here's Chapter two everybody! Thanks SO very much to clairemcm for making the VERY FIRST review! I really appreciate what you said! I literlly did a happy dance after i read your review. XD Also thanks to Kattz and songhamitra for your revews!
I know it took me awhile to post this chapter (sorry!) but i'm super busy with school (final exams coming soon near me!) and work! What can I say, I'm only in highschool :P
ANYWAY, this chapter isnt really eventful (i know...) but it's kinda an intro to some of Kazuma's suffering (i guess?) Well i hope you like it! R & R!
~Enate-Doxy-HERO~
Chapter 2!
I waited in Juugo's meeting room or whatever it was called. We sat in an awkward silence as we waited for the crazy girl to get here. No matter how many times it happened, she was always clueless to what her father would call us for. I sighed internally. You'd think that by know she would know there was a mission. That or the fact that all those vacations her friends 'won' were just planned by her old man to get us closer.
I watched as the head of the Kannagi household took a sip of his herbal tea. He looked somewhat worried and frustrated, which meant I could confirm this wasn't going to be a silly set up for Ayano and I; but somehow it seemed to be a bit more serious than a regular mission. I mentally waved that aside telling myself that all that matters was that I would get paid more for this one.
The peace in the room was completely shattered as the long awaited heiress to the Kannagi family slammed open the door and stood there huffing and panting as if she had just sprinted here from her school.
"Is everything alright father?" she asked almost fully regaining her breath. She walked over and sat beside me facing her father. I smirked as she eyed me annoyingly.
"What took you so long?" I said, sounding rude.
"Why you!" she was already fuming. I just smirked at her again.
"Yes Ayano, why did you arrive so unnaturally late?" her father asked with true concern. He was always caring for everyone, always watching over every single person in this family. Even way back then when I was a kid, he was the only one who comforted me, who cared for me, the weak kid who the rest of the family wouldn't let the head of the Kannagi's daughter interact with, or even see for that matter. He was the only Kannagi I had dared to ever fully respect.
"I ran here all the way from school as soon as I was notified that you wanted to see me!" she loudly explained.
I burst out laughing. I couldn't believe it; she really DID run all the way from school!
"Stop laughing Kazuma! You idiot!" she was flaring. I decided to push more of her buttons.
"Oh no, Ayano. Don't get me wrong here. I am actually proud of you being able to run such a distance in such a matter of time." This, no one would ever know, was true. I composed myself as she sat there in shock.
"K-Kazuma, w-what-" she flustered. I made a mental note that she was also cute when she was blushing. Then decided to delete that file from my mind for the greater good; whatever that was.
I cut her off with "I mean you had to burn off that cake fat somehow right?" I half grinned, watching her face change different shades of red as she realized what I just said. Might I say, it was truly entertaining.
"ARGGHHH! YOU-!" I swore I could hear a kettle going off.
"Enough." A loud commanding voice said. That was all it took for the violent Ayano to back down from standing with Enriha inches from my face. She dismissed her weapon and as if she were defeated, sat down. That was odd. She didn't protest against my unholiness or defend her reason. I looked toward her father to signal thanks with my eyes and then...oh. That's why she stopped. That man rarely lost his patient, but when he did, let's just say his calm silence was scarier than the idea of being thrown into the fiery pits if hell. We sat in silence as he cleared his throat.
"I apologize for my lack of patience." he stated calmly.
"Your forgiven." I answered bluntly even though I was probably giving Ayano a heart-attack.
He smiled. We both just ignored Ayano's gaping at how easily I was able to calm the angered beast she feared.
"Anyway, the mission I am giving you today, it's, well a bit more of a challenge then what you two are used to." he told us quietly. He looked down at his tea with a look that made him seem like he was silently arguing with it.
"How father? What could be so powerful?" she questioned him seriously. I must admit I really liked how much faith she had in me, like I was unstoppable. Also how she thought she thought we were the ultimate team. So to say, that was inconveniently not the case. She still had a lot to learn before that could happen.
"It's not that it's powerful Ayano, but our opponent is very cunning. Yes, very clever." Her father stated, nodding his head to himself.
"I don't understand, father. If he's not that powerful than I can easily take him down-" Ayano defended herself.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Her old man interrupted. "Ayano, you probably could handle most of it physically. What you do is you charge for a one shot hit-and-finish; you try to destroy your opponent with one blow. You have a one track mind and you can only think in one way. The enemy however, can think in many different directions and create many strategies at once. He can defeat you slowly without you knowing it, and when you do it'll be too late." Her father concluded.
I looked at Ayano from the corner of my eye. Her eyes were casted downward and she bit her lower lip in frustration. She hated being told she was too weak to win. She hated loosing. She detested not being good enough, and being told all this by her own father was unbearable. That was something that we both shared, it was also a significant similarly that created our bond in the first place. Not that we had a strong bond. Of course not. But we definitely had a bond; I couldn't deny that.
"This guy's way of thinking seems similar to mine, in this subject anyway. Of course though, I'm the better one so why not just let me handle this on my own." I wagered.
"That won't happen, Kazuma. You see, the way this man is, and he knows were to hit you where it hurts, so to say. You need Ayano for this mission as much as she needs you to successfully complete this mission." argued the head Kannagi, hinting something that I probably should have clued into but didn't want to.
"But if this guy's like what you're saying, Ayano will just be in the way. I could easily handle this guy." I replied.
I heard a small quiet intake of breath, and realized what I just had said. It was only a month ago that I had accepted her as my partner. Now I was telling her she would get in my way.
I sighed. "Besides," I continued, looking sideways away from her, "This guy could seriously injure Ayano. I can't have that." I composed myself and finished, "I wouldn't be doing my job as a partner if my partner was down."
This was all hard for me to say, and the fact that I even had to say it, in front of her old man too was, well, let's just say she's gonna get it after this.
"I understand your concern Kazuma, but I'm afraid you two must without any hesitation be together on this mission. It's not just because you should. Kazuma," he looked at me, "I mentioned that you were also at a spear point in this situation." He pressed.
It seemed that the hint from before was unavoidable. I didn't reply to this as Ayano shifted her weight forward, which had me thinking she could guess where he was going with this.
"Well, it seems this man is connected to your personal opponents; Burnhardt Rhodes and Lapis. It seems the two are very close in a sense, I'm afraid." He said this a bit slowly. I could see Ayano glancing at me with what mostly looked like worry. I couldn't figure out the other emotion.
"…Anything else?" I tried to hide the rising tension inside me.
"Yes. It seems that this person has something to do with us Kannagis, mainly you Ayano. We believe it's because you are the heiress. "He said looking at his daughter.
"What about this guy's connection to Burnhardt?" I asked. It was very hard to control my anger.
"We're not sure, but we're guessing that he probably practiced the same arts as Burnhardt. We do know that he works for Burnhardt though." Juugo sighed. He hated throwing us into a fire blinded." Just figured out today that he could be the one who figured out how to resurrect, your friend." He finished hesitantly.
I clenched my fists and glared menacingly at the floor. The memories flashing back, felt as vivid as when they actually happened.
"Was I really born just to be eaten by a demon?"
"With all the power and wisdom f the stars, I seek only for the truth!"
"Do you promise to protect me?"
"…She wished you were dead."
Anger and sadness filled my body. Rage was about to take over my whole being. That bastard! I thought in disgust.
I almost lost it, but then I felt someone place their hand on one of my angry fists. I cooled my expression before I looked up at her. Ayano's eyebrows were knitted in a way that I definitely didn't see often; comfort. She was comforting me already and the mission hadn't been even clarified with us yet. I mentally slapped myself. I was better than this. She removed her hand after assessing my mental state to find me sane, and then she looked at her father.
"Father, can you confirm the mission, so that we may get started?" she asked. It was obvious she was doing this for me. I had calmed down by now and was reflecting on my unnecessary rash inner explosion.
"…Alright." He agreed. He seemed to realize that I was fine by then and anyone could tell he believed I was just a kind person for caring so much a about my resurrected… friend. "Also Kazuma, you will be paid extra for this mission. It truly is more difficult than usual."
I understood he wasn't doing this out of sympathy so I didn't mind his comment. Besides, I was getting extra cash, there's no way I'd pass that offer up.
"Ugh. You money snatching idiot!" mumbled Ayano, who was back to her normal hot headed self.
Juugo started seriously. "Alright, I know there's probably a lot you two want to accomplish, but in this case, I want you two to stick to the main goal of the mission. I don't want you two do anything else besides this."
Your Very Welcome :)
=(") - Penguin!
