Sorry for taking so long again...recently life is so busy...and I might continue not to have a regular updates thanks to the holiday months are coming... So thanks for all the reviews and patient on me~ =D

And also, good to know that the previous chapter wasn't as M-rated as I thought… yay~

aira2889: Let's see…when I check Mayu's profile it says she was 15 years old… and for most character I used their original age so yeah, Mayu is 15…. O_o
XD I think I've laughed the whole day after reading your prediction of Mayu killing eggplant... But sadly, Mayu didn't killed the eggplant as you think so~ she kill….ops, I almost say the spoiler?

Storm: XD" sorry~ and that was half of my purpose (for scaring), but rest assure, that was just Mayu's fantasies with Gakupo, and nothing will past that M line! I made sure of that! And the newcomers…. They are playing a big role in this arc, that's all I could say~ XD

lolli-dragon12: XD thanks for the encouragement! Miku will be entered in almost late part of the chapters...most likely after Meiko and Iroha's entrance… So just look forward for that? =D"

Aquamirandallen1: =D thanks! And Mayu will really go yandere in the end but… I shall try to keep the blood hell she caused as mild as possible… And of course! Kaito still need another point to prove he's as strong as Gakupo, so that I try to insert in some day. I couldn't resist to see both of their fights plus Kaito's thieving~

Chapter 34

Staring at the full moon of the night, the black hooded figure sighed.

He is late…. He thought, hands over his sword. Under the moonlight it was reflected to be a pearly white sword hilt. Just how long I'm going to wait? Gaku and others are so going to kill me now if I'm late any further….

A sound of rustling brushes broke off the silence, and minutes later a young man looked in mid-twenties merged out of it. With the help of the moonlight it showed a young man with a cherry-red hair so long that reached his waist, and it was tied in low ponytail. Wearing a light grey long sleeves shirt and equally grey pants, he approached the hooded figure and greeted. "Sorry, did I make you wait long?"

"Yes you did. Pray tell me it was a punishment from you for disappeared for three long years…." The hooded young man spoke, easing his stance and smiling at the newcomer, who shook his head and smiling back at him mischievously.

"Now Kaito, do you really think that for disappearing on us we would just give you this small punishment? That's will trash our reputation of been the strongest Bandit in the Kanto area, wasn't it?"

In Igins, even the King might hold the overall power of ruling the country, most of the time it was actually rule by the nobles in the area or, in this case, bandits. For one big country like Igins it was spilt into twenty-three sectors, and the sector near the country, Terra, was called as Kanto area, which was governed by the young noble bandit, Ted Kasane, and his sister Teto Kasane, leading their group, the Whirlwind. Even as a brunch of so-called ruthless bandits, they had only robbed those corrupted nobles and governments, and shared out the loot to the poor. Because of these no citizens in that area willing to report or act as witness of their doings, and this helped them greatly to cover any tracks they made. Lately there are rumors that the last Head of the Nekomura, the assassin family, was going to hand his only daughter in marriage with Ted Kazane.

Laughing sheepishly, Kaito pulled down his hood, revealing his blue hair. "Well… how were the requests I had made?"

"First off, Iroha is really angry. You might want to brace yourself when you meet her. But she agreed to take your friend as her new student only if you continued to train with her.

"'What the hell that idiot of the idiots is thinking! I haven't approved him to be officially graduated from me and he practically disappeared! Did he really think that he is really good enough to leave? That stupid, good for nothing student!' There, that's was her full sentence I had passed it to you." Ted said, smirking at Kaito who looked paled after hearing.

"Well… I guess I'm somehow deserves it….." Kaito remarked, scratching his head and embarrassed.

"And that's not all…. Seriously if you didn't contract us any sooner we're going to pull all our men and searched you at the disappeared village in Terra. Pray telling me how the heck did you managed to 'disappear' along with the village destroyed by the god? Almost all of my men didn't remember you at all except me, my sis, and my advisor Dell. Meiko nearly cried because of that…."

"I'm truly, really sorry, but that will be a story of another time. And speaking of Dell, I thought he should be the one coming, since you are the leader and everything?"

"Well, I would like to confirm myself that you're still alive after for so long." After saying that, he hugged Kaito, patted his back. "Glad to see you ok, bro'."

"Hmm, thanks." Returning the gestured, he pulled away and asked, "So about the other requests…"

"Well, about your wanted posters send by us it will be all remove after another two days, so you and your friends can travel without being hinder by you, if that's what you mean. But Iroha had proposed a condition that by swimming, by flying or anything you must reached where she is within a month. Failed to do so you can…. Let's say she will start her killing job on you, then." Ted said, pulling the most impressive face that on one could tell if he was joking or it was the real thing, which Kaito swore to himself that he felt a chill after Ted spoken that.

"However…." Braced himself to hear what next 'death penalty' planned by Iroha or Ted, what surprised Kaito the most was the worried glance from Ted. "Are you sure you are going to look for that 'forbidden sword'? I mean what happen to your original goals?"

"….I must be so out of loop that I don't know how 'forbidden' that sword was….. What I know is that was one of the requests asked by an old man before his deathbed, and sad to say I had promised him. Thus besides my original goals, I'm going to look for any news regarding that sword. That and protect the twin children. So unless you are going to tell me, or I've to look for other source of information regarding Diosina Espada one way or another…"

Sighing at his stupid stubborn friend, he decided to humor Kaito by giving him the information he wants. But not before finishing his other goals of meeting him personally instead of letting his underlings to pass the message.

"Bring me to see your so-called 'friends'. After that I will tell you everything I know about Diosina Espada." After all, who wouldn't be curious to see the loner Kaito's acknowledged friends?

~.~.~.~.~.

Why he was here again? Len mentally sighed, and winced once again went one of the ladies they had helped had called him 'cute' again. No, please don't call me cute…. Or I will lose the bet with Rin….

-one hour ago-

"Gumi, what's up with this red dress? You know I never like red compared to other colors?" Rin asked, holding out the red dress from the luggage they brought.

Stared at the dress wide eye, Len silently cursed at Gumi. 'Why the heck she keeps that dress for?' He thought, before Gumi looked a little pale and replied nervously.

"Oh, that was a dress… made from my mum! Right, she had made the size a little too small but I can't bear to throw away and…."

Just right in that moment, Gakupo came into the room with some groceries he had bought and almost immediately, Rin ran towards Gakupo and hold up the red dress and asked, "Gakupo! Did you have any idea about this red dress?"

Putting down the goods on the wooden table and take a short look at the dress, he nodded his head and replied, "Yup, Len had worn it before because he wants to hide his identity…."

Grinning in triumph and ignored that Len had face-palmed and muttered "idiot Gakupo", Rin turned towards her twin. "I KNEW IT! Come on Lenny, wear it again~"

"….No, why should I?" Len panned. "Besides I was hiding my identity when I was walking on streets at Naos. And I don't want to wear it again…."

"But I want to see~ Just once more for my sake ok?" Rin pleaded him again, giving him the most pitiful looking puppy face on him. However…

"No, and it's final. How can a cool looking guy like me wear dresses just because his sister wants too?" Len remarked, which Rin disagreed immediately.

"You, COOL-LOOKING? Come on Len, you are a shota through and through. I think if you walk on the streets everyone will call you cute instead." She said, and this gave Gumi an idea.

"Although I have totally no idea what's a shota means but how about this, Len will go out with us walking around the town, and have the lady citizens here to judge. If he manages to collect at least five ladies of not calling him 'cute', he can choose not to wear dresses for a month. But by the end of the day he didn't meet the minimum winning mark…"

"He gets to wear dress for the rest of the month? Yes~ I love the idea~"

"….Well, make it just one day, because I think Lenny doesn't want someone to see him wearing dress, and I think he will kill himself first before wearing it in front of him…." Gumi said, which drowse Rin spirits a little, but she picked up quickly.

"Meh, whatever. So that means Kai-nii had yet to see him in dress? Sounds like a good blackmail material to me too~"

"Hey, do you guys realize I'm here?" Len complained, making the girls turning their attentions on him. "And I disagree on the match."

"Come on Len, it's advantageous to you." Patting his back, Gakupo joined in the conversation.

"If you win, for one whole month Rin wouldn't pester you to wear any dress. Even if some unfortunate things happen and you happen to lose, you just wear dress for a day. Plus five girls, it really wasn't that hard at all…unless you don't have confidence on yourself?"

Brushing Gakupo's hand away and scowled, he yelled at the top of his voice, "OK! I WILL DO IT! HAPPY! ?"

-Back to present-

Sighing hard once more, Len took a turn to the left, ignoring what Rin was talking at. Anyway what else she will be talking to him besides she is winning and….he didn't want to know the rest.

"I say, ARE YOU EVER HEARING WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?" Slapping his back hard, Rin screamed at Len.

Weather he was just plain unlucky or it was Rin's fault, he tripped on a pebble when Rin had hit him hard that he fell forward. Frantically, he tried to grab something nearby, something seems soft on surface, hard on the thing he held onto to balance himself…..and torn off from the soft surface along the way.

After he had balanced himself, he was about to thank and apologize to whoever he had hold onto when someone giving him a hard, tight slap across the face, leaving an angry mark behind. Stunned, he looked slowly at a flustered blond girl holding her chest area protectively, with a tear threatening to fall anytime soon.

"HOW DARE YOU! No one but Gakupo-sama is allowed to touch there! You little, pervert shota!" The Girl yelled, before she turned and ran away.

Recovering from the shock and ignoring Rin's cries, Len ran after her, yelling along the way.

"Wait up! I'm really sorry whatever I had done…..Hey…"

Running after the girl and picking up the books that she had thrown at him, Len half yelled his apology, half panting for almost running out of stamina, until both stopped at the most rural area of Karas Town.

"Stop chasing me, pervert shota!"

"And like I say, I'm really sorry!"

Facing each other 10 feet away, both panting and grasping of breath, until Len was the first to recover. Walking towards her real slowly, as not to alarm that girl, he continued, "I don't mean to….grab there. But along the way I think I had accidentally torn off something on your clothes…."

After he made sure she had not attack him or start running off again, he carefully dropped the books on the ground and open his hand, which he had gripped tightly : a small blue flower brooch, with a name "Mayu Usano" written on it.

"Here, I only want to return the things I had accidentally taken….from the embarrassment time." He said, trying hard not to blush when thinking back what he could be touching at.

It shoulder, it's just her shoulder… He thought, trying to reassure himself while the blond took the brooch from him and back away fast.

"W-well, you have returned my things, so now go away!" She said, one hand grasping the flower brooch and the other hand, which Len only noticed now, hugging a stuff rabbit tightly. "Go away now before I ask Mimi to punish you!"

Before Len could say anything, which later he sworn that some ultimate bad luck must be following him without knowing, a sharp snarling noise interrupting him, and suddenly something enomorous swopped down at them, that Len had pushed away the girl from danger just the nick of time, and only scratched part of his shoulder.

His bracelet, the gift of Forresta, shining brightly and with its power, Len called upon some roots surrounding the area to bind the creature that had attack them, before he drawn out his sword.

On a better look, it was actually a gigantic eagle about 10 feet tall with blood red feathers. Howling and waving its unbind wings, it struggle out of the roots and sending a strong wind along, blowing them far apart.

"Fire Ball!" Len yelled, releasing 3 balls of flame towards the bird after balanced himself, which sadly the attack missed

"Wait, don't use fire attacks!" The girl yelled, before Len could send another flame attacks at the bird.

Thinking fast, Len gathered the power of the light on his sword and stared at the eagle, which had flying up high and swooped down towards at him.

Right in the moment before the bird could use its claws to attack, Len swing his sword.

"Light Wave!" He yelled, sending beams of wave towards the enemy, which deflected the attacks easily.

As quick as possible, he dodged the attacks while sending a few more roots at the eagle.

Frusted at Len's attempts, the blond girl yelled at him. "Baka Shota! That's a Grunda, an eagle found in desert areas and it's strong against Light and immune towards fire attacks! Have you even study the tributes of the monsters?"

"I'm not shota, it's Len! And thanks for the advice!" He yelled back, doing a quick check on his Element necklace that Kaito had made for him before during the journey towards Karakura Village. Right now he still owned a Fire stone, which was surprisingly durable as he had used it since the very first journey, an Earth stone, a Water stone and a Lightning stone.

Coming up a plan, he tried a lightning spell he had always seen from Gakupo. Light sparks gather at the sword edge, with his necklace shone in a brilliant yellow.

"Thunder Beam!" He cried, pointing his sword at Grunda, which hit it successfully.

Squawking and howling in pain, Grunda fell on the ground, unmoving and paralyzed.

Letting out a breath he never remembering of holding it, he was about to keep the sword when he realized his sword had broken, due to unable to withstand the power of lighting he had used a moment ago. 'Just my luck….' He thought, keeping it away.

"Well, as a shota, you look cool just now" The blond said, walking towards him. Holding up her hand, she introduced herself, "I'm Mayu, and thanks for helping me."

"Well, I just told you I'm not shota…." He muttered, while took on her hand for a greeting. "I'm Len, and sorry about that just now."

"Oh that." Removed her hand and hugged her stuff rabbit, Mayu replied, " Well, since you are a shota, maybe I forgive you this once, but no more ok? Or else…."

Pushing her rabbit right up to Len's face, she continued, "I ask Mimi to punish you!"

Sweat dropping, Len just laughed nervously. "Anyway…. I told you I'm Len, but why you are keep calling me a shota? And what's 'shota'?"

"Wait what? You don't know? That's the most awesome phase invented in the Harmonia and a most common used phase in Igins and…"

"And for your knowledge Mayu-san, I'm not from Igins, so I don't know the wonderful phase you are talking about." Len replied dryly, which Mayu pouted at him for interrupting her.

"Ok, so cool-shota-san-who-is-not-from-Igins, 'shota' means a cute looking young boy(1). Satisfied?" She commented, looking at Len whose face had gone a little pale. "And from your looks, you are under thirteen, right?"

"…..I'm about to be FOURTEEN." He said, now finally knows what Rin's been calling him about - - - A cute brother, most likely.

Picking up her things dropped on the ground, she remarked at the stoned Len, "Hey, since you're always at Gakupo-sama's side, maybe we will be meeting again very soon. So bye~ kakoi(2) shota Len~"

Note:
1. My own interpertion of Shota
2. hope i did get the right romaji... anyway it means 'cool'

Right... Let's hope that i could get my next chapter done somewhere before Year 2013 comes...anyway see you in next update! =D