THanks for the reader and reviewers. Since I realized that not many of you read the top note, so I just have to say Happy Reading!!!
Beta credit goes to Miki230! Thank you!
Chap 7
Madoka volunteered to be the first. Rei took the bamboo sword from her and stepped some steps behind and made quite a distance for both of them. "Let's make this fun, Rei-kun." Madoka winked at him. Rei noticed the grin that was well hidden behind that smile. Looks like Madoka was waiting for this opportunity. To test how strong he was.
The other three stepped aside. Mai stood beside Noll. "Hey let's make a bet! If Rei won, take me for a walk!" She said.
Noll looked at her in confuse. Why should he take her bet? But he was quite certain that neither Madoka nor Lin would lose to him. "If I win, I will..." He paused. What could he ask from this girl? She barely had anything but it was quite fun to annoy her like Madoka did. He found it was amusing but he didn't want to admit. Noll thought about Mai in dress again. "You will use dresses for a day." He smirked. "Long ones."
"HEEEE!? I hate dresses!" Mai protested.
"Well, that's my term." He said in -take it or leave it- tone.
"Hm, I have no problem. I am fully trust Rei that he would win." Mai pouted.
Madoka took her bamboo sword out. "I will go easy on you." Madoka said.
Rei examined the borrowed bamboo sword and swung it once to test the length of the sword. "I hope you will." Rei replied in a tired tone.
"Ready?" Gene asked. The two nodded at him. "Start!"
Madoka moved very fast and strike first. Rei calmly took a step and evaded Madoka's attack. She looked surprised but she thought that it was just luck. She strike again but Rei evaded easily. Madoka was thrilled over the boy. He was quicker than Gene, she noted. She did a little trick of eyes and attacked again but met the same fate. She didn't realize that she was getting quicker and quicker in every attack. She was only aware that she was became more and more excited to bring this boy down.
Rei realized that fact though. Her attack was getting sharper. Actually they choose a bamboo sword to prevent anyone to get hurt but with such a speed, even a bamboo sword could kill. The killing aura that was controlled well for most of time seemed snapped because she was too irritated by his constant defend without offend.
Rei found out that they were indeed tested his power and ability from this training. Rei thought to let her win and finish this stupidity but suddenly he snapped when he heard voices. Those voices made him changed his decision. He knew that it was not real, the voice came from the back of his mind, but he felt that he couldn't ignore that.
Madoka raised her speed more. Rei started to get a trouble to follow her pace. She was great and fortunately she was reckless. Rei took a deep breath and started to accumulate strategy in his mind. He must finish this very fast. And he would win. He should win. No, He would HAVE to win.
He noticed that Madoka was going to raise her pace again and he didn't think it would be good for him. He must take her down now or never. Rei took a stance, barely dodged Madoka's attack and hit Madoka on her neck. The bamboo sword on her hand dropped and she fall down. Madoka looked panicked as she couldn't stand up. "There's a cerebellum near your neck, so your balance waved. It would recover in matter of minutes." Rei said calmly despite of the voice he heard making him a bit uneasy. The voice drifted away from his mind. Rei took a relief breath. 'That was a close one.'
Gene could not believe what he saw. Madoka, his mentor, his butler, his protector, his nanny, the one who he dreamt to win over, lost in a hit by a boy which was no older than him! He felt insulted. Was Madoka holding back? She was always holding back when she fought him but would someone who was holding back -Gene glanced at the poor tree which became a victim of Madoka's bamboo sword- would it make such a mark?
Noll stared at mark that could match Bear's claw then back at Madoka who had a trouble to stand up then to the gray haired boy who defeated her. No way...
"See! I told you he will win!" Mai said happily, completely unaware what the other thought.
Madoka couldn't feel her legs at all. Lin and Gene helped Madoka to the chair for a rest. Lin seemed get a spark of interest to defeat the young man. "Start!" Gene shouted.
The two didn't start immediately like Madoka did. They took some distance and found some opening to each other. Lin made the first move. He summoned his shiki easily without any incarnation and made it sneaked to Rei's side. Lin's shiki shot him with an incredible speed. Rei took two steps back and the tree which got the impact from the shiki fall down. This time, Rei attacked Lin with his bamboo sword. Their sword met with a loud 'thud'. Lin had a bit advantage because he was taller. He pressed Rei forcefully.
Rei looked troubled but he smiled. There was an opening and he noticed that. He loosened his grip to the bamboo sword and the sword fall down along with a surprised Lin. Rei made 180 degrees turning and kicked Lin hard on his stomach. Lin managed to raise his bamboo sword and took the impact just fine. Rei groaned inwardly. He twisted his knee and gripped the sword. Lin was lost his grip because of the sudden pain that was inflicted when Rei twisted his knee which made the bamboo sword twisted too.
'Body combat.' Both thought. Both wasn't someone who fond in that one but they seemed don't have such a luxury to choose. Lin's shiki shot from the side and Rei jumped high to dodge it but it hit his thigh because it was faster than his jump. He sighed, it would leave a bruise. It would be very troublesome. He knew that Lin wasn't even give his best yet and he didn't wait for it. Lin was more controlled. If he was thrilled or irritated like Madoka was, he didn't show it.
Rei avoided a flying kick than Lin gave. He jumped backwards. Lin was not a low class fighter nor a high class. He was certainly a special class. Even his hand could make Rei bleed if Lin meant to. The voice in his head told him to make this a bit bloody but a glimpse of brown haired girl snapped him. Rei didn't want to spill blood, not his blood or Lin's blood, there. It was too risky for that too naive half vampire brunette. "Can we call it a tie?" Rei asked when his feet touched the ground once more.
Lin took his shiki back and nodded at him. "I think we can." He answered.
This time, both twin and Madoka looked at them in surprise. No one ever made a Lin Koujo called a fight to tie without fighting to bleed since he won from Martin Davis, his teacher. Not even Madoka! But Madoka had lost from that boy so...
Their thought was disturbed by a loud cheer by Mai. "One win and one tie! I win! Noll, you have to take me for a walk!" She said.
Noll groaned. He lost the bet and lost the chance to... Noll shook his head to get rid the thought. Gene agreed to come along after Madoka got better.
Mai went to Rei and asked if he was okay. Rei smiled at her. "We who have staked our life for years won't lose to someone who was always in peace, Mai." He answered. 'Even I'm sure that if we fought as an enemy, I would get more than a serious wound. And I'm not looking forward it. The sooner we leave, the better. But...'
"Somehow I felt like you are understimate them." Mai said with a scowl. "You shouldn't do that, Rei. They are good human!"
Rei flicked Mai's forehead. "Stop using the term human to mention them. Use 'people'." Rei said. "And no, I'm not understimating them. They are underestimating me, at least that's what Madoka-san did. Lin-san was more wary about me. If they had been serious since the fight began, I may not stand a chance."
Mai rubbed her forehead irritated. Rei was always doing something she hardly could understand. After a while, they went to some places in the village. Madoka glanced warily at Rei sometimes. Seemed like her worriance got deeper since she lost. Maybe they couldn't protect the twin in case the two plotted something.
They had shown her many strange and funny places, Mai thought. Rei would teach her in a whisper if no one noticed. He really didn't need Mai to mention a guild as a bear cave again and caused a dumb look from the other.
Madoka found that Mai had good eyes. She could tell apart which was Gene or Noll without mistaking them. She didn't know about the other boy since he never bothered to call them by their names. She remembered how difficult to tell the difference between the twin before they showed their attitude.
Mai, in the other hands, didn't understand why Madoka or Gene praised her. She was walking to the garden while thinking about that. She was enjoying the scenery. The garden was well-treated. It was very different from the one in the mansion. She found someone sat under the tree while reading a book.
"Noll!" She called.
Noll looked up and back to his book again. Mai pouted at him. She went to sit beside him. She stared at the book over Noll's shoulder and looked at Noll before staring again and she repeated the action until Noll finally snapped.
"What?" He asked.
"No... I just... that book is about occultism and it is strange for someone like you to learn about that. I thought you didn't believe those things." Mai said.
"I didn't believe vampire exist until I was attacked. What if something like this." He pointed at the book. "Exist and I am attacked by those in this book too?"
Mai laughed. "I know that! Uh... better hurry than sorry!"
Noll looked at her ridiculously. "I think you meant 'better worry than sorry'." He sighed.
Mai blushed a bit. "Ah yes..." She made a mental note not to use phrase again. "You don't have to worry about occultism, Noll. It is fully made. Rei told me that!"
"There are some spells here too, maybe it would effect those vampires." Noll implied.
Mai tsked. "The elfe would be affected if the spell casters were really doing it correctly. It may go crazy and became ashes. But the upper class of vampire would only found it annoying and made a headache. Besides, the spell in that book is too long and too fishy. You may ended up being eaten before finishing the chant."
"You know a lot about vampires."
"Yup! Rei taught me since I was young. I ever seen a book which contains spell to engage vampires but it was written in a strange language and Rei said that there was other language available but it was still very complicated." She smiled at him.
Noll listened thoughtfully. He felt like a dumb for reading books like these but he found that these books were interesting too. He usually didn't like anyone disturbing his read but for some reasons, he actually enjoyed her company. Not that he would admit it.
"Oh, talking about strange thing. I want to ask you something." Mai stated seriously.
"What is it?" Noll asked.
"Madoka and Gene said that I had good eyes because I could tell you and Gene apart. Why is that?"
Noll closed the book. "Many people would mistake us since they claimed that we were too much alike. Even our parents thought so. But you could tell us apart since the first time and they thought that was great." He said.
"They should say I have a good nose instead eyes. You two smelled different..." Mai muttered.
Noll couldn't believe what he had heard. "Pardon?"
Mai realized that she had said something strange. Humans didn't have a great smelling like vampires do. "I said that you two looked different somehow!" She laughed awkwardly.
'Did I just hearing things?' Noll thought. He dismissed the thought. Maybe he was just hearing things.
It was the third day they stayed in the village and they arrived at the west gate. "What is that?" Mai asked. She pointed at the temple.
"It's a temple. Here is a religion ground. It has many religion belief taught here and they helped each other even their belief is different." Gene explained. "I know some of them."
"Really? Can we go inside and look for a while?"
"Sure, why not?"
They went in and John greeted them. He called Houshou and Ayako to join them. Madoka introduced Mai and Rei as the twin's savior happily but seemed be too happy to be normal. Lin, in the other side, still gave a wary look to Rei.
"I can't believe that hunters still exist!" Houshou said in amazement.
So there were some humans that still acknowledge vampire and fought them, Rei thought. But he was sure that they wouldn't tell it to anyone because it would only make a worry casted throughout the village. "Unfortunately Takigawa-san, we are not hunter. We are just traveler." Rei humbly said.
"But to kill Elfe in one hit, it's incredible!" Ayako praised.
"Not really, Rei could kill more than five in one swift!" Mai added.
Rei pinched Mai's back hard. Mai stifled a cry of pain. She gave a pleading look to Rei. 'Okay, I know I can't say much about us so please let go!!!!' She said with her eyes. Rei took his hand back and Mai rubbed her back with a pout.
"How long has you travelled?" John asked.
"I lost count of it." Rei answered calmly.
"Have you killed any vampire?" This time, Gene asked.
"I have."
"I'm still curious where is your hometown."
Mai tilted her head slightly which Rei wanted to close her mouth because he knew that she was going to do something stupid! "What is hometown? Is it a person's home which was as big as a town?" Mai asked. They all stared at her wide-eyes.
Rei chuckled lightly. "I think they don't understand about your joke, Mai." He said like he was amused. "Sorry but either me or Mai didn't want about it so once again I'm sorry to say this but can't we get another topic to discuss?" He changed the course of conversation swiftly.
They smiled sheepishly. Houshou apologized to Mai because he really thought that Mai was a primitive person who didn't know what hometown meant. They talked a bit about their temple and the village. Mai looked very eager to hear it but Rei was completely opposite.
"Speaking of which, where're your parents, Noll?" Ayako asked. "I know Luella-san won't leave her guest even only for an hour." She grimaced at the first time they met. Luella didn't leave her unless for sleep and bath. She really liked welcoming new people.
"Gone to Lunar village. We heard that they have been suffered a lot since the last barbarian attack and still need some helps. The oldest son of the duke took over the guild and he asked for some neighboring village for some advices and renew their co-work contract. Father and Mother went there with some people to lend a hand." Noll answered.
Houshou eyed the newcomers. The girl seemed okay, she was talking cheerfully and eager to hear Ayako's story about the Davis village but the other one seemed very suspicious. He looked very wary about his surroundings. He looked very controlled but he didn't hide the fact that they were armed. If he were the one in his place, Houshou thought, he would show them that he was weaponless so that they would think that he was harmless.
John offered them to look around and they went out with the twin and Ayako. Madoka and Lin were staying because Houshou hold them.
"Lin-san, Madoka-san, don't you feel strange about that Rei person?" Houshou asked.
"In fact, we are. He defeated us once today." Madoka said. "We mustn't take him lightly. He could be dangerous threat to both twin and the village."
"I told you that the elfes which were attacking this village have a head, didn't I?"
Madoka and Lin nodded. The silence told the agreement between them. "It won't hurt to hear Ayako's report later. A vampire, no matter how strong they are, is not very fond to hear the spell of religion. Martin Davis-san is very clever. Once he knew that fact, he built these temples around the possible entrances." Houshou said.
Madoka and Lin agreed on that. Martin Davis was known due his intelligence and swordsmanship. Noll was the one who inherited most of Martin's ability. The three were enjoying the simple chatter. All they had to do was to wait.
Mai looked around in interest. She didn't understand anything that the men chanted together but it looked funny when they chanted in the same time. She wanted to ask but Ayako warned them to keep their voice down so she decided to ask her later. She also crossed a place where men were sitting and closed their eyes meditating (which Mai thought that they were sit sleeping).
Gene and John were chatting commonly. John spared some glances to Rei. He wondered if he was caught but since Rei didn't show anything so he might haven't noticed it. Gene knew that but he shrugged it off. Maybe John was taken interest to him...
Noll was certain that Rei was tenser than usual since they left the room. He stayed on guard but acted indifferent. He noticed that Lin and Madoka were acting specially on guard around Rei and it was more seen after Rei defeated both of them. He calculated every possible answer for who they were. It was certain that they were not just travelers. They were not lie at all but they were also not honest to them. Rei seemed close more doors than Mai and it made him uncomfortable. For some parts, Rei seemed locked Mai's door too that made them impossible to unlock the door by asking Mai.
Mai enjoyed being in the middle of humans. They didn't say anything at all but they all were nice. They smiled to her and gave a nice aura. It was far better than that place. Mai looked at one of trees there. She frowned at the little red things that were hanging on the branch.
"Ayako-san, what is that?" Mai pointed at the red things.
Ayako followed the direction. "Oh, those are apples." She answered.
"Apples?" Mai's smile brightened.
"You like apple?"
"Yup! Rei brings it sometime when he found it!"
Noll and Gene shared a knowing look. 'So that time was...' They thought.
"Can I have it?" Mai asked hopefully.
Ayako looked at her apologically. "Unfortunately we have harvested today's apple and you have to wait tomorrow to get some. But we can go to market place to buy some!" She quickly added when she looked at Mai's disappointed face.
"Market place..." Mai tried to remember what 'Market place' meant. She heard something like that but she forgot. 'Must be somewhere I can get apple from...'
Ayako and John accompanied them to the market place but in the middle of the road, suddenly Rei excused himself. He said that there was something that he forgot in the temple so he left Mai in their care. After he left, Ayako nodded to John. John went to follow Rei.
Mai became worried. Rei was rarely ever left her and it was the first time he left her with someone that they just met. Well, it was the fourth day but still... She remembered that Rei even get into a verbal fight with Madoka for some hours straight. It was strange that he would leave her like this.
"John is going after him. Don't worry, Mai." Ayako reassured.
Mai nodded weakly. "I wonder if Rei is alright. He is paler than usual and he seemed to drift off somewhere..." Mai said.
"Ooh, so he is paler... I thought that it was his usual skin color." Ayako looked at her back and narrowed her gaze before continue her way with the other three.
Noll was looking at Ayako suspiciously. They were evidently watching over the two. Were these two dangerous? They were warier about Rei than Mai. He knew that Lin and Madoka were becoming more devastated since the training. Mai one hundred percent wasn't aware that they were watching over her but a person like Rei should have been aware of that fact. It was either he was pretend to not care or he really didn't care about being watched.
Noll accumulated the probability what they probably were. If they were robber, spy, or assassin, they didn't have to be too wary like that. Mai was certainly too innocent and too obvious to be something like that. They wouldn't have to take them to the look at the religion place or listen to the chanting... Wait, listen to the chant and spell? Noll looked at Ayako knowingly. So they were wary incase one of them was someone who manipulated the monster. In the other words, vampires.
He ever heard that those vampires who manipulated those monsters were strong but that also would result a lot of bloodlust. What if the reason that Rei got pale was because he needed blood or because he heard the spell or either of them?
Noll felt uneasy. Like there would be something happen and it wasn't a pleasant feeling too. He looked around but no one seemed felt the same as him. Maybe he was exaggerating over his own thought. He sighed and tried to ignore his uneasiness.
Suddenly Mai stopped at her track. Ayako also stopped. "Mai?" Ayako asked. "What's the matter?"
Mai trembled slightly. "Smell of blood..." She closed her mouth. "Oh no..." She gave a sharp turn and run to where Rei retreated to. 'I can't...'
Noll immediately ran after her. Gene and Ayako were almost run after them if not a loud scream was heard from the market place. Their eyes widened at the numerous monsters that flying around the marketplace.
"Let's leave Mai to Noll." Gene said. "We need to help the villagers first."
Ayako nodded in agreement. "Please be safe..." She prayed silently.
Omake
Anyone wondering why Mai thought the guild was a bear cave?
Mai looked around that place. There was a lot of wood and some big men punching it. Unlike Lin who was tall and lean or Madoka, those men were very muscled and their body was big!
So she said it. "What are those bears doing?" And she earned some angry glares and confused with amused looks. "Oh, this is a bear cave, right?"
"Mai, it's not bear. Those are pandas." Rei muttered sarcastically.
Unfortunately that time, Mai found a man whose eyes were swollen. "Oh yes, you're right. Those are Mr. Pandas! But what are they doing in this bear cave?"
Rei suddenly wished earth could swallow him at that time.
End of omake
Thanks for the reviewers:
Moons-Chan: I won't answer that. Found it by yourself. I'm such a teaser, eh?
miki230: I made a bit change here, is it good?
Krisaku:Yup, you're right about the title. I didn't make bloody scene here. Maybe later...
Raito, Rein, Shion:
Aoi: I'm seventeen last september. Speaking of projects, I haven't done it yet too. AND I haven't been budged by my friends yet. I wonder what happened with them... Oh, have you tried to do what I suggested to you? (Devil wings devil wings)
Kazahaya: NOOO! Run, Raito!!!
Ryou: If you haven't finished your work by this saturday, you are the one who I would hanged on.
Kazahaya: BUT SATURDAY IS TOMORROW!!!!
Ryou: So? (smile)
Kazahaya: Gulp! Where is my pen?
Kaydreams: If he didn't remember about Mai, maybe he would but fortunately he did remember.
