Chapter 4: Both Sides of the Coin: February 2026
"So you're participating in the tournament after all?" asked Jin. Luna nodded her head in response. "It's not like it would hurt to try it out." she said. "I thought your reasoning would be for the prize pool. I heard the amount of gold you get at the end is pretty ridiculous, something like 30,000 I think." "I don't really need it, I have plenty of money." "I suppose so, I just thought you would like some more now that it converts over." "What converts?" asked Luna. "The money. They announced a couple of days ago that the gold earned in this game can be converted to yen, they're taking the feature from a game called GGO." explained Jin. "I never heard about that. I can turn this stuff in for real cash?"
"Yeah. I don't know the conversion rate but I imagine some people like your friend Megaris will be able to live off of it with his business." Luna pondered for a second as she thought about the amount of money she might have if she transferred all of her in game gold. "I might finally be able to move out then." said Luna, thinking aloud. "Planning on leaving home?" asked Jin. "I was but I don't make enough money at the cafe and since I'm still going to school I can't get a full time job so I wrote it off. This however, might make it possible." "I always forget that you do have a job here so maybe. You probably have more money than all of us combined considering you don't really spend it either."
"Either way." said Luna, shaking her head. "I'm not doing the tournament for the money." "For the popularity then?" asked Jin. "I'm doing it because I enjoy it. Is fame and money all you guys ever think about?" "Not all the time, just most of the time. It would be nice to get a place in the capital instead of Hilor and the extra money would help a lot. Maybe if you pitched in we could move tomorrow." hinted Jin. "Sure, how much would you like?" she asked, smiling. "Well, if it's going to be that easy, fifty or sixty thousand would be great." "Of course, i would be happy to help with that." Luna opened her inventory and pulled out a bag of coins before tossing it to her brother. "There you go, my contribution." she said, standing from the sofa she was resting on.
Jin opened it and poured five or so gold coins into his hand. "Ha ha, very funny, Luna. Is this really all you can do?" "I thought you were the one joking, my apologies for not taking you seriously. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to." she said, bowing her head and vanishing into a beam of blue light. When she opened her eyes, she slid the helmet off of her head and placed it on the nightstand. Shu leapt after her as she walked over to her computer desk and sat down. She spent the next hour or so researching the conversion that Jin had discussed with her before heading down for dinner with her parents. Luna was quiet as she mulled over the numbers in her head but was soon pulled back to reality at Akira's voice.
"Something wrong dear?" she asked. "Uh, no it's nothing." said Luna. After a second she looked back to her mother and put her fork and knife down on her plate. "Actually there was something I wanted to talk with you two about." "Let's hear it." said Enji as Luna paused for another second. "I wanted to move out, into my own place." Enji nearly choked as he was taking a bite of his dinner while Akira simply smiled at her. "Move out?" she asked. "Yeah. I've been looking for apartments over the last month or so and I recently found out I can afford a place I had been keeping my eye on." "Affordable how? You only work a part time job?" asked Enji. "Jin told me that the money in that game I play can be turned into yen so after researching it a bit, I easily make enough there to live off of."
"How so? I won't approve of this unless I know you will be able to handle it." he said. "I actually work in the game as well. People pay me to help them on quests or various other things. If you are still cautious about it, you can ask Jin and he'll vouch for me." she answered. "Can I ask why you want to leave?" asked Akira. "We aren't being too invasive or anything right?" she asked. Luna quickly shook her head. "Of course not. It's just that I'm going to be nineteen soon so I thought it was time to move out. Plus the apartment is closer to my school so I won't have to ride a train every morning to get there." explained Luna nervously. Enji and Akira both looked at each other before turning back to her.
"If it's what you want to do then we'll help in any way we can." said Akira. "Really?" asked Luna. "I think it might be good for you so I'm with your mother. If it becomes too much then you can always come back here but I like the idea of you trying to be more independent." said Enji. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." said Luna. "When did you want to do all of this?" asked Enji. "Maybe next week. I want to get the apartment before it's rented out to someone else." "Alright then. We'll do everything we can to help." said Akira. After her bath Luna jumped into bed next to Shu and crossed the fourth of February off of her calendar and soon fell asleep.
The next day after school she ran home and logged into Somerant where she met with both Jin and Tami inside their wooden abode. "Ah, you're finally here." said Jin. Tami walked over and hugged her. "Nice to see you, Luna." "You too." Luna grabbed her jacket from the hook and walked with Jin and Tami to the warp gate. The capital was much more crowded than usual and decorations were thrown anywhere it was possible from the storefronts to the cliff sides surrounding the city. An exciting music track filled the air as NPC bands played along with it throughout the streets. "They're really going all out for this thing." said Luna, examining every bit of the festive surroundings.
The arena she had fought Zin in before now had seating areas surrounding it and an NPC standing in front of a gate to admit players. Jin and Tami handed over blue tickets and received blue wristbands in return. Luna showed her coin which brought up a menu in front of her. The words "Spectator" and "Participant" showed up in two pushuable icons. She tapped the participant button which turned the coin a pitch black as it was placed back in her hand. Luna followed Tami and Jin to their seats and sat with them to await the start of the matches. Over the next half an hour the seats filled up and players spectated from the tops of the encircling buildings. A hybrid man with wolf-like features similar to Luna walked onto the stage. He brushed his short dark red bangs out of his eyes and examined the crowd.
"Welcome everyone to Somerant's first annual Phoenix Tournament, the festive player run battleground where any and all skilled players can fight to their heart's content! I would like to introduce myself as I will be one of your commentators for the duration of the festival! My name is Hitikara, I am nineteen and very single for any interested parties out there! Now onto the rules and description of the tournament. First off, the festival will last two weeks total starting today on the fifth and will end on the nineteenth. Second, the participants will have one of two colored coins, one being red and the other being black. These will determine the bracket you are fighting in. Once both the red and black coined brackets are down to one person each the final fight will be commenced.
Third, these fights will not be to the death as the loss of levels and progress feels kind of against the fun atmosphere that is wanted for this event so the battles will end when either party is at twenty five percent health. For the final rule, healing magic and or items aren't allowed in the fight excluding potions. No recovery items can be consumed while on this stage and that includes buffs as well but for a side note, poisons are permitted to be used so best of luck to those sneaky bastards. Now that all of the rules are out of the way I recommend participants peek in their journals for their first match and to the viewers, prepare to enjoy yourselves as this will be a long joyous ride." The man finished his speech and stepped off the stage for another fifteen minutes before returning to announce the first two fighters.
The first name that was called was one that Luna recognized as the boy named Stile whom she helped in that alley back in Hilor. A boy with short grey hair walked onto the stage wearing black colored clothing and had two bamboo looking sticks that were shorter than longswords but longer than daggers held in his right hand. He swept some loose hair behind his right ear and waved to the crowd with a wide smile on his face. "What are those?" she asked, pointing at the weapons he was holding. "Think of them like batons or something similar. Not many people use them and even fewer use two at once but to each their own I guess." explained Jin. Luna stared inquisitively at the boy as a black haired boy approached him. She didn't pay any mind to the opponent as she remained focused on Stile.
It baffled her that the boy who was being robbed in the alley would be able to fight in this tournament especially since he had revealed that he was a new player. A loud firework exploded in the air and two floating red coins were left behind when the smoke cleared, a name written on each one. The left read "Stile" while the right one read "Hazel". "Are you two ready?" asked Hitikara. The two nodded and readied themselves for the fight ahead. Stile held one baton in each hand as he stared at the armored sword user in front of him. "Fight!" yelled Hitikara before leaping out of the way. Hazel charged forward and as if he saw the attack coming, Stile easily avoided it and hit Hazel's gut with the right baton as he passed by him.
Hazel swiftly turned and slashed horizontally which Stile then used his left baton to block and move out of the way before striking Hazel's face with his right weapon. Stile then hit Hazel's right leg knocking him down to one knee and then brought his left baton across the left side of his face, knocking Hazel onto his back. Hazel stared angrily at the still smiling Stile as he held his mouth, grunting while he returned to his feet. As Hazel swung again, Stile knocked it away and moved close to Hazel's chest before turning around and hitting his face with the back of his elbow. Stile then quickly grabbed the outstretched right arm of Hazel and flipped him over his shoulder onto the ground. Stile wrapped his arms around Hazel's neck to place him in a rear chokehold and after a few seconds a loud buzzer went off and Hazel's red coin shattered in the air. The crowd clapped and applauded as Stile bowed to them and another firework exploded spelling "Victory" in the air.
"That was rather interesting." said Jin. "That was skillful." muttered Luna. "Not a single skill activated, no magic used, just pure skill and comfort with those weapons." she continued. Luna couldn't take her eyes off of him as he walked from the stage, both weapons held in his right hand again. "Do you know him?" asked Tami. "I helped him with something last month but I don't know why he let that happen if he was capable of defending himself." She kept gazing back at him as the matches went on and after several more fights, she heard her name. "For the next match, the hybrid Luna versus the human Gilly!" Luna walked out of the bleachers and walked to a white line that was carved into the stone on the stage. A similar line was a few feet away, parallel with her own where a black haired woman was stopped and staring at her. Luna leered at the girl from under her hood and placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger, pulling it slightly from its sheath.
Two black coins appeared out of the smoke of another pyrotechnic showing their names. "Are you ready?" asked Hitikara. "Yes!" said both of them as Luna removed her blade from the black cover on her waist. She lowered her stance and glared as the girl held her sword out in front of her. "Fight!" yelled Hitikara. Luna rushed forward and rolled under an incoming swing of the silver longsword. She kicked back at the girl's leg causing her to drop to her knee. Luna kicked again at her back, propelling her into a roll forward. After launching to her feet she turned and saw Gilly standing up as well. Gilly still seemed calm and retook her stance as she stepped towards Luna. Luna rushed again tempting Gilly into another swing which Luna stepped to the right to avoid.
Luna stabbed down into Gilly's right arm and grabbed hold of it with her left hand before pulling her to her knees. Luna swiftly pulled the blade out and sliced towards Gilly's throat leaving a large cut behind as droplets of blood hit the stone beneath them before evaporating into a red mist. A loud buzzer rang out and Gilly's coin shattered in the sky followed by the loud bang of a firework. "Here." she said, reaching her hand out to Gilly who accepted it. "Thank you." she said as Luna helped her to her feet. "No problem, thanks for the fight." said Luna, smiling. "If you want to call it that." joked Gilly before waving to the crowd and leaving the stage. Luna returned to her seat with Tami and Jin as they watched the last three fights of the day.
After a final victory message was shot into the air, Hitikara shook the final victor's hand and turned to the applauding onlookers. "That will do it for today! Tomorrow will be a day of rest to allow the combatants to enjoy the festivities that will be taking place and we will continue the matches the day after. To all of the defeated participants, thank you for the effort and entertainment, and to the many victors, rest up and prepare for the next round. Goodnight everyone and remember I am free for dinner if any of you would like the opportunity." Multiple laughed in the stands as he walked off the stage winking at a group of giggling girls in the front row. "I doubt he'll ever get anyone with that kind of attitude." said Jin. "I don't know, he kind of reminds me of you and look at the girl you snagged." said Luna, nodding at Tami.
"He's nothing like me. I'm a lot more charming than he is. Right, honey?" "If it helps you sleep at night then yes Jin, you're the most charming person I know." said Tami, smiling at him. "Don't flatter him too much, "Honey", or his head won't fit through doorways anymore." said Luna. "I take anything I've said about you back, Luna, I kind of miss the old you." stated Jin, crossing his arms. Luna laughed and shook her head as she stood from her seat. "You know I love ya right?" she asked. "I'm sure you do, in your own special way." answered Jin. "I'll catch you two later, I want to talk with that Stile guy real quick." "Bye, sis." "See ya Luna." Luna waved at them and took off out of the stands.
She walked over to where she saw Stile sitting and noticed him talking to another guy with dark blonde hair. "Do you mind if I interrupt?" she asked, approaching them. "Kind of." "Not really." the two said simultaneously. The blonde boy gave Stile a dirty look but was met with a smiling face. "I owe her, let it slide this time." pleaded Stile. "Fine then. I swear it's always because of a cute girl." he muttered as he walked away. "Don't mind him, he's always like that. Can I help you with something, Luna?" he asked. "I wanted to compliment you on your fight. I had no idea you were that good." "It's nothing special which by the way, congratulations on your victory as well. I never would have thought of something like that roll and kick you did, very creative." "I appreciate the compliment as well but I did have another reason for talking with you." said Luna.
"If you were able to fight like that, why did you let those guys harass you in the alley?" He simply nodded for a moment before opening his mouth. "I didn't want to fight them. They would have left me alone after a minute or two. People like that get bored easily if their prey doesn't fight back. I do thank you for showing up when you did though, it was pretty cliche to pretend to be with me but I guess it worked out in the end." "I learned that the simplest things are usually the most effective with people like that." said Luna. "It helps when you have a reputation to throw around as well right?" he asked. "Don't mention it please, I really do dislike the whole thing. Anyways, that's all I was curious about so I guess I'll see ya later." "Hang on a sec." said Stile as Luna turned to walk away. "Yeah?" she asked.
"You wouldn't happen to be free for dinner would you?" "Asking me out so soon?" "I just thought we could talk some more." he said, smiling. "I suppose I can spare a moment to just talk. Where are we going?" she asked. "A small place I found after leaving that armorer last month." He walked ahead, leading Luna up the mountain side paths to a little restaurant cut into the cliff face. After they ordered their food and made it too dessert Luna remembered another thing that she was curious about. "I recall you mentioning a friend that "invested" in you to be in the tournament, was that the blonde guy from before?" she asked. "Yeah it was. I don't know if it's allowed but he bet a bit of money on me to win these fights and with me being a new player he said a lot of people took him up on it."
"How did he know you would win like that?" "He's known me for a long time and we play all kinds of games together like ALO and GGO so he's aware how good I am. I don't normally like being a part of his hustling but once you told me I could fight with that coin I had to accept it." "So you were going to turn him down?" inquired Luna. Stile nodded as he had just taken a bite of the cake in front of him. "He didn't tell me his intentions but once you told me about the coin it became clear. Honestly I should have seen it coming but oh well, water under the bridge. Now instead of my interrogation I would like to swap it around." he said. "Alright, ask anything you like." she stated. "I want to start with something strong so… Do you like me?" he asked.
Luna giggled and took a sip of her tea. "Maybe as a friend but I don't really roll that way." said Luna. "Oh really? So you're into girls then?" "Is there a problem with that?" "Not at all. It's just interesting. Okay then… What's your favorite color?" "Really?" asked Luna. He nodded and smiled at her. "Just trying to get to know you." "Black and white are about tied." "I should have guessed the black by your clothing I suppose. Then the final question, what's your favorite thing about life?" "You really are all over the place." said Luna. "I want to cover a wide range." Luna laughed as she pondered for a moment. "If I had to pick it would be just experiencing it. The ups and downs that occur and everything in between. I look back on everything I've experienced and while some of it is sad or it hurts to think about, it made me who I am now and it really intrigues me. If one thing was out of place or one coin landed on heads instead of tails, so many things might be different.
I think that is what I enjoy about life. The winding roads and the possibilities that have passed and that are yet to come." explained Luna. "Really deep, Luna, I like it. I have to say that I didn't expect that kind of answer." "And what did you expect?" "Nothing in particular, that just surprised me. Can I ask one more question?" "On top of that one just now, I suppose." said Luna. "You mentioned your ups and downs, will I ever get the chance to hear about some of them?" he asked. "Maybe someday." A beeping sound in her ear interrupted her train of thought. "My alarm." she gasped. "I have to go, sorry about leaving so suddenly but I have some homework I need to get done before tomorrow." "Of course. I'll talk to you later?" "We'll see." said Luna, standing from her seat. "Bye." she waved and took off out the door.
After school the next day, Luna arrived at the dojo where she saw Yumi already sitting in the crowd of students, a bandage covering her cheek. Luna took a seat next to her but remained silent while the teacher began his lessons for the day. Once the class had ended Yumi stayed sitting while the other students began exiting through the door. "What happened?" asked Luna as she was pulling her jacket on. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." "Something is obviously happening, why won't you talk about it?" "Because it's none of your business. How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone before you get it? I. Don't. Want. Your. Help. Got it?" She threw her bag over her shoulder and stomped past Luna. Luna slumped into a chair before staring up at the ceiling.
"Can I help you with anything, Mirahai?" asked the teacher. "I'm trying to get closer to Yumi but it doesn't seem to be going that well." "She tends to keep her distance from the other students as well so I wouldn't take it personally. I think she's going through a lot at home so it's best to give her some space." "Do you know anything about what's going on with her?" asked Luna. "I know someone in her family passed away last year but that's all I know. Here's some advice for you, try to be less pushy. Open up to her with something relatable and if she doesn't take the bait, leave her be. The only thing your current tactic will do is push you two further away." "It worked on me but I guess she was better at it than I am." muttered Luna. "What was that?" he asked. Luna shook her head and stood from her seat. "Thanks for the advice sir. I'll take it to heart." Luna ran out the door in a hurry to catch up to Yumi.
"Wait up!" she called out. Yumi ignored Luna's request and started walking faster. "Will you just wait a moment?" said Luna, panting as she caught up to her. "I swear, you either have a very thick skull or you're deaf.." "It's neither, I just wanted to apologize for being so nosy. I'm still kind of new at this whole friend making thing and I'm sorry for screwing it up." "If I accept your apology, will you leave me alone?" "I want you to listen to what I have to say and then if you still want me to, I'll stop bothering you as much." "Fine, what is it you want to waste my time with?" "I want to tell you the reason that I'm so intent on getting to know you. It's that look in your eyes, the sadness and anger. I want to help you get past whatever you're going through because I know what it's like to feel how I think you are feeling." "Is that all?" asked Yumi, scowling at Luna.
"Everyone gets angry or sad, that doesn't mean you understand what I'm going through." "I might have a better understanding than you think. I lost someone not that long ago, she was the closest I've ever been to a person and she suddenly died right in front of me and I was powerless to stop it." Yumi stood silent as she stared into Luna's saddeing eyes. "The grief ate me up inside, I wouldn't eat or sleep, I would always fight with the people trying to help me. Honestly every day is still a struggle but it has been getting easier thanks to my friends and family supporting me. I want to help you in the same way that the people in my life, including the friend that I lost, helped me. If you still want to walk away and ignore me then fine, I'll go away and we don't ever have to talk again but my offer will always stand if you want someone to lean on."
Yumi stayed quiet as if she was at a loss for words. "I was right, you don't fully understand." she said quietly before turning to walk away. "Keep your word this time and go away." "What is it that I don't get? Please tell me at least that." requested Luna. "What?" "You said fully, right? That means I'm partially correct, what is it that I don't understand?" "Why do…" "There you are!" yelled an older woman walking quickly towards the two girls. Her hair was a glossy black and her eyes were a dim green. She grasped Yumi's arm tightly and began pulling her. "Let's go, you kept me waiting for thirty minutes and I found you talking to some girl. Go!" she said, pushing Yumi ahead of her. An overwhelming anger was causing Luna's blood to boil as she began stomping towards the screaming woman.
"Hey!" yelled Luna as she got closer. The woman turned and suddenly struck Luna's mouth with the back of her hand, knocking her to the ground. The taste of iron filled her mouth as blood dripped from her busted lip. "Luna!" yelled Yumi, running back over before her arm was grabbed again. Yumi let out a gasp of pain as she was thrown back in the opposite direction. "Get to the car." growled the woman before turning back to Luna who was wiping blood from her mouth. "Stay away from my daughter or next time it will be worse than a cut lip." threatened the woman before moving in the direction Yumi was walking in. Luna cupped a hand of snow and took aim but suddenly dropped it back to the ground and tried to calm herself. She stood up and watched as the two got in a car and took off down the road.
"What happened to you?" asked Akira as Luna walked in through the door. "I missed a block during a sparring match and got kicked. It's nothing serious." "She's been through worse, I'm sure she'll be fine." said Enji who was standing behind Akira. "It doesn't matter what she's been through, look at her." "He's right, Mom, I'm fine." said Luna, nudging her mother back a bit. "I'm gonna take a bath real quick before dinner." After dinner was over she logged back into Somerant where she found Zin lying on the couch with a book in his hands. "Pretty late tonight aren't you, Luna?" he asked. "Maybe you were just early." she said, pushing his legs off the couch so she could sit. "I was comfortable." he pouted. "And now I am as well so thanks for sharing this with me." "I've said this before and I'll say it again, your new attitude really gets on my nerves sometimes but don't worry, I still love ya." he said.
"It's not really new at this point is it? Besides I've always kind of been like this, all you have to do is ask Tami and she'll tell you." "You've definitely got worse though, I think we might have been a bad influence on you." said Zin. "Or maybe you were the one I needed." she replied. "True enough, you are more entertaining to have around. Now if only we can improve your brother, then we'll be in good shape." "What's wrong with him?" "He's too much like me. Don't you get it, Luna, a group needs balance but this one has too many similar people. You vary a bit because it always sounds like you're insulting someone, Heti is the straight laced guy with a boring sense of humor, but then you have Karst, me, and Jin who are all way too alike."
"Wouldn't you have to change Karst then as well?" "It's far too late to change him, I've already corrupted him too much." "I assure you, Jin is the same way. He's been like that for as long as I can remember so your dream team of variety is kind of up in flames." said Luna, smiling at him. "Well, damn. At least I have Remi, she's a bit different." "Isn't she kind of like Heti though?" stated Luna. "What is with you? Do you have to ruin everything?" "It does always put a smile on my face so yeah, I think I do." said Luna, jumping up from the couch. "Thanks for cheering me up, Zin, I knew I could count on you." she said before walking to the door. "Anytime, Luna." sighed Zin, returning to his lying position on the couch.
Upon leaving the cabin, she traveled to and through the warp gate so that she was now at the capital. Brightly colored banners were stretched from building to building and flags with phoenix crests on them were tied to poles and balconies. Fireworks were lighting up the sky and dozens of stalls were set all along the streets selling various foods and equipment. Luna walked through the crowds of people, examining all that the merchants had to offer. One stall in particular had various accessories for sale that caught her eye, one of which being a blue rose charm that rested on soft velvet padding inside a glass container. "Looking to buy it, miss?" asked the man running the stall. "No, just looking." she said, staring at the metal rose. "I will for her." said a familiar voice from her left.
"Ah, a couple. How romantic." said the man, pulling the tiny charm from the case and handing it over to the boy. "I'll take that as well." he said, pointing at a black choker that had a small spot to hook the charm onto. "Can I put it on for you?" he asked. "Of course. Come on dear, hurry up." she said, raising her shoulder length white hair out of the way so he could see. As he moved closer, she let go of her hair and looked back at him. "Did you really expect that to work?" she asked. The boy swept some loose hanging grey hair behind his ear and smiled at her. "It was worth a try, you can still have it though." he said, holding it out to her. Luna turned around and took it in her hand, still staring at the rose pendant. "Does it mean something to you?" he asked. "It just brings back some memories. You didn't have to do this, Stile." she stated, looking back into his eyes.
"I couldn't help but buy the thing when I saw how you were looking at it." he said. Well then, thank you I suppose." Luna put the choker and pendant into the bag on her side before continuing her stroll through the streets. "Would you mind if I tagged along?" asked Stile. "Is there a particular reason that you want to?" she asked. "I just wanted to hang out with you. I have no malicious or indecent intentions, I promise." he said, placing his hand over his heart. "Alright then, come on." she said. "So, how has your day been?" he asked, while they moved down the crowded streets. "I would classify it as rather productive." she answered. "That's good then." he said before becoming silent again. "Ran out of topics?" she asked. "Kind of. Got any?" he asked.
"Why don't you answer your own question?" suggested Luna. "Right, I forgot to do that. Hmm, my day wasn't too bad. After work today my blonde haired friend that you saw yesterday took us out for some karaoke and ramen. After that I got on here and saw you which was a nice bonus to finish off the day." Luna let out a quiet laugh. "When will you stop with the flirting?" "Does it bother you?" "Not really." "Then I'll most likely keep it up. I think it might work out some day and I would beat myself up if I gave up before then." "You'll be waiting a long time if it's me you're after." "But it's not impossible?" "I liked a guy before so there's a small chance but don't get your hopes up. Love isn't really my thing at the moment, I'm not really wanting that right now." "Alright, if you say so." he said.
The two continued their adventures going from stall to stall until being stopped by a girl selling clear bottles of liquid. "Hey you two, care to try some kopiri water?" "What is it?" asked Luna, grabbing a cup of it from the table. "It's a drink made from mixing water with ground kopiri root. It's a special root that only grows in the north sections of Somerant." Luna took a small sip before finishing off the glass. Luna bought a bottle and the two of them split off from the festivities to find a quiet spot to rest their feet while they drank. After ten or so minutes, Luna's face was growing hot as her mind began going a little fuzzy. "Is something off about this stuff or is it me?" asked Stile, examining the clear bottle Luna had bought. "It's kind of getting hot out here right?" said Luna as she swept her hood down and unzipped the jacket. "You feeling alright, Luna?" "I'm feeling great but I feel really warm all of a sudden." She slid the jacket off and dropped it next to her before looking at Stile who was opening his journal.
A pen appeared in his hand and he began writing a message. "You're into the whole alchemy thing right? What's the properties of the kopiri root?" Within a few seconds a message came back. "It's used in healing potions but if mixed with water it becomes something like a strong alcohol mixed with an aphrodisiac, it's quite popular among couples here from what I've read on the forums." Luna grabbed the journal from his hand and dropped it onto the ground before moving close to him. "I think you're getting a little close, Luna." "So what? I didn't expect you to have a problem with it." she said, moving her face close to his ear. He slid back a bit and in turn, Luna inched closer. She kissed his cheek twice before moving towards his mouth.
"Hold up. I thought you said you weren't looking for love." he said, his voice growing panicked. "I just want to have a little fun." she said before kissing him. He gently pushed her away. "Get a grip." Luna undid the two buttons near the collar of her shirt and took it off as she leaned towards him again, her bushy white tail swaying with excitement behind her. "We can't do this." he said, grabbing her shoulders. "I know you want it, come on. I've never been with a guy before so I'm rather curious." she stated, her voice quiet yet alluring. Stile hastily looked around to see if any people were watching and grabbed Luna's jacket off of the ground. He threw it over Luna to cover her body and helped her to her feet.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he checked around the corner for other players. "Hot." she muttered. Luna pulled him close and kissed him before knocking him to the ground. She laid on top of his chest and kept her lips pressed against his. He tried to push her off but a sudden jolt of electricity ran through his arms. Bright blue sparks arced off of her body as she forced her tongue into his mouth. Every time he tried to get away, the shocks became more intense. She reached her hand down to his waist and began unbuttoning his leather pants. "Stop!" he said, finally freeing his mouth from hers but his words fell on deaf ears. She was breathing heavily and her face was bright red, her body was radiating an overwhelming warmth as she reconnected her lips with his.
The two of them were just around the corner from the ongoing festival, just barely hidden in an alley. Her body sparked more often as a numbing sensation began coursing through him, starting at his mouth. She pulled away to catch her breath leaving a small line of saliva between their mouths for a second. "Come on, let's have a little fun." she whispered, guiding his hand towards her breasts. "You need to get a hold of yourself, this isn't you." he said. "Who else would it be if it wasn't me?" she asked, giggling at him. "I meant you're not all there in the head at the moment. Calm down and think about what you're doing." "I have and I know what it is that I want. I'm offering it to you so why are you turning it down?" "Because I know you'll regret it when you sober up. Put that jacket back over yourself and I'll find somewhere for you to sleep this off."
A sudden shock caused his body to jump and Luna's yellow eyes glowed in the dark of the alley as her body illuminated with blue particles. "I want this. Please give it to me." Her voice was almost desperate causing a conflicting feeling to rise up in Stile's chest. She pressed his hand against her chest and he gently squeezed her left breast. Luna let out a subtle moan as she moved her hand back down to his waist. Now the two of them were breathing uncontrollably and Luna was moving frantically to pull his pants down. Stile suddenly halted his movements and pushed Luna off of him just fast enough to avoid being shocked. A trail of lightning ran between the two as she fell. Once Luna hit the ground, the arcing string vanished and she gazed at him with her brightly lit eyes. She crawled towards him and tugged on his pants as she got close.
He moved back again before scrambling to his feet. She began taking off her bra as she sat on her knees before her leather jacket was dropped over her. Stile positioned it to cover her chest and helped her to her feet. "Look, if you want to have sex then we'll need to find somehwere private. We can't do it out in the open alright?" he whispered. Luna's body shivered as his breath hit her ears and her knees felt like they were going to give out. She nodded swiftly while clinging tightly to him and nudging her head against his arm. The first place that came to mind was one of the local inns so that's where they went. He guided her through various alleys to avoid the crowd of players until arriving out front of a tavern. He zipped up Luna's jacket and after entering, rented a room for the two of them. Once inside, Luna threw the jacket off and pushed Stile onto the bed. She crawled on top of him and began making out with him again. She took her bra off and threw it aside as her tongue wrapped around his.
She grinded her lower body against his leg while letting faint moans escape every time their mouths separated. Soon he began to lose his sense of reason as the heat of the moment and the drinks he had earlier were starting to fog his mind. He began undoing his pants and sliding them off. After his pants were lying on the floor, he grabbed her and laid her on her back before pulling his shirt off. Luna was squirming with anticipation as her body grew hotter and more desperate for relief. He pulled her pants off of her and grabbed her waist, pulling her into a sitting position with her legs wrapped around him. The room was soon flooded with the sounds of pleasure and after a while it fell silent once more.
When Luna woke up, the room was lit by only moonlight and void of all sound except the quiet breathing of the boy next to her. She looked over and saw Stile lying naked next to her before examining herself. She too was naked and her clothes were lying on the floor. A tingling feeling still rushed over her body as her every move caused a twinge of pleasure. Faint flashes of the night's events broke through her hazy thoughts as her face grew hot. The clock on the nightstand read "2:34". "You up?" asked Stile who was turning over to see her face. "Y-yeah." she stuttered, unaware of what exactly she should say. Should she apologize or should she be angry or ashamed. Her feelings were jumbled up and she had no clue about what to do next in this situation.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop. This wasn't my intention when we came here. I was going to leave you alone for a bit and let you fall asleep or something. I didn't want it to escalate like this." said Stile. "I've never been with anyone before and when you threw yourself on me, I just couldn't fight it any longer." he added. Luna stayed silent for a moment as she remembered the way she forced herself on him and how she was the one that instigated the events in the room despite his efforts to stop it. "I should be the one apologizing." she mumbled. "You tried to stop but I didn't let you." "It's alright. I thought you would be disgusted with me." said Stile. "I have no reason to be. You just did what I asked." "Was it any good?" asked Stile nervously. "It was." she muttered. "That's good to hear, it felt great for me too." he said. Luna could see a slight smile on his face but couldn't think of what to say next. "This doesn't have to mean anything in case you're worried. I understand that it was the drink and that you just wanted to let loose a bit. I wouldn't be hurt if you wanted to leave and forget it ever happened."
"I don't quite know how I feel about it yet but I know I don't want to forget this. I do appreciate your understanding about this and I'm sorry if I led you on at any point." "Stop apologizing okay? If anything, I should be thanking you. You gave me a special night with an amazing girl that I never would have had otherwise." Luna smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "I do have to go, I have to log out and sleep in my own bed." "I suppose I should too. It was nice doing this Luna." "Yeah, goodnight." she mumbled before disappearing into a blue light. She reawoke on her bed and slid the AmuSphere off before returning it to the nightstand. She covered her eyes with her arm and let out a long sigh as more and more of the night rushed back into focus.
Her face was hot and she was sweating profusely so she grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. After a quick bath she returned to her bed but couldn't fall back asleep. Embarrassment and a bit of shame washed over her as she wondered what their relationship would be like now. She didn't love him but after something like that, what would it be like when they saw each other next. The looming thought almost made her skip signing back into Somerant later that day but she pushed past her worries and found herself standing just outside the inn she had woken up in several hours before.
Even an hour before the continuing matches, players were flooding the streets and the noise of countless conversations and arguments filled her ears. Her body felt sluggish and her head remained a little hazy from the powerful drink she consumed. Small twinges of erotic peasure still ran up her spine as she moved but she did her best to ignore them. "Morning, Luna, I didn't think you would be here so soon." said Karst who was standing next to Zin and Remi. "Can you keep it down a bit please?" asked Luna, holding the side of her head. A throbbing pain bounced around her skull and every sound felt amplified and piercing as it entered her ears.
"I wasn't even being loud." said Karst. The roaring crowds echoed in her eardrums resulting in a pulsing pain that caused her to wince and cover her furry ears. She put up her hood and pulled it tightly against her head. "You're hungover?" asked Zin as he walked up to examine her. "I thought you didn't drink." he said. "I don't." she answered, her voice raspy and more quiet than usual. "You definitely did though, this game does a splendid job at replicating the effects of alcohol and you're showing signs of a hangover. Do you feel sick at all?" "Just a migraine." she replied. "I guess that's good to know you still feel it after logging out." said Karst. "I heard that it's like a status ailment that sticks with the avatar for a bit the next day." explained Remi. "Where did you hear that?" asked Zin.
"The forums. I looked into it because of how much you and Heti drink. The developers said it was added for realism and as a discouragement for reckless drinking." Luna's whole head was splitting as even the light hitting her eyes felt like stabs to her head. "I'm going to sit down for a while." she said, moving to find somewhere out of the sun and away from the hundreds of players. "We're going to talk about this later, Luna, I am rather curious about it." said Zin as Luna took off for the city gate. After entering the surrounding forest, she sat under the cool shade of a tree and opened her character menu. A small icon that had the picture of a head with swirls around it sat in the upper corner near her health bar. She tapped it and the name read "Hungover". Under that a timer was there which had the numbers "2:45:57" that ticked down every second she stared at it. "Almost three hours of this." she sighed before resting her head against the tree.
Some time passed before a notification beeped in her ear causing her to jump. A message icon appeared in her view and upon tapping it a letter appeared. "The matches are about to start, you need to get here soon if you want to participate." "Be there soon, Zin." She hit the send button on her reply and stood up from the ground. As Luna arrived back at the tournament grounds she saw Stile talking with the blonde guy from before and taking their seats in the stands. She moved to sit next to Karst, Zin, and Remi as they waited for the names to start being called. "Feeling any better?" asked Remi. Luna slowly shook her head and pulled her hood further over her face to keep the sun from her eyes. "I don't know if you should fight like this." stated Zin. "I have to, it won't wear off for over an hour and I won't forfeit the match." she said, keeping her voice low. "I'll just have to finish it quickly." she muttered.
Four fights came and went until Luna's name was called. As she walked onto the stage, a hooded man appeared in front of her. The bang of the fireworks were like gunshots next to her ears causing her to cover them. Two black coins appeared from the smoke and Luna placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger. "Are you ready?" asked Hitikara. Luna nodded slowly, keeping her hood far over her face. She pulled the dagger an inch from the black wooden sheath as lightning filled the space between them. "Fight!" No sooner than the words dissipated in the air, Luna was on the other side of her opponent leaving a string of bright blue lightning behind her. A large wound was slashed through the guy's throat with a similar colored static pouring out of it. He dropped to his knees, as his health sank lower and lower. She moved behind him and wrapped her arm around his neck before stabbing into his chest to drain the health the rest of the way to twenty five percent.
The crowd erupted which caused Luna to drop her dagger as she covered her ears. A loud explosion echoed around her as the victory message was shot into the sky and Hitikara clapped while nearing her. "Congratulations on your victory, Luna. If you would, please exit the stage over there so we can continue." She kept one hand over an ear as she picked up the knife and walked off of the stage. "Luna!" yelled Stile as he ran up to her. "H-hey." she stuttered. "What's up with you?" he asked. "Headache." she muttered. "That seems worse than a headache." "Hybrid's hearing is amplified, it's a race bonus." explained Zin as he approached. "That combined with the after effects of whatever she did last night must be pretty hard to deal with." he added. "It is so if you don't mind, I'm leaving for a bit." she said, moving past them. "Wait up." said Stile. "You still have a match. I'll come back once this wears off." she mumbled before taking her leave back into the forest.
"Can we talk?" asked Stile, kneeling down next to her. "Don't you have a fight?" "It's over, I just won a second ago and came to see you." "How did you find me?" she asked. "I have the tracking skill and followed the trail you left behind. Is it alright if I sit?" She nodded but kept her face hidden. "I know I said it this morning but I am sorry for what I did." mumbled Luna. "I told you to not apologize." "I'm sorry because I don't want it to become a thing. We're just friends and I don't want anything more and as good as it was, I don't want it to happen again. Not like that at least." said Luna. "I also remember telling you that I understand how you feel. Here, I brought this for you, drink it." he said, handing her a bottle. "It's a potion to help with the kopiri side effects. Marcus made it for me so I could give it to you." he stated upon seeing Luna's skeptical look. She slowly swallowed it down and checked the timer under her health bar. It was at one hour but rapidly dropped down to zero and faded away.
Her body felt normal and light and her migraine began fading. "Better?" he asked. "Yeah, thanks." "No problem, I'll tell him you appreciated it. He finished making it just after your match started or I would have given it to you sooner so sorry about that." "It's fine." she said. They sat there in silence for a moment, Luna looking away from him. Stile however, couldn't keep from gazing at her. He tried but couldn't keep the image of her from the previous night. Luna too was having flustered thoughts as she remembered the things she had said and done with him. Both of their faces were red and an awkward ambiance filled the vicinity around them.
"It's kind of hard to not think about it right?" he asked nervously. "A little bit." she muttered in response. "I'm gonna head back to the arena for a bit. Make sure you tell your friend I said thanks for me." said Luna, standing up and walking back through the tree cover. She arrived back at her seat where Zin and the others were waiting for her. "I'm feelin better now." she said, just as Zin opened his mouth to speak. "I'm gonna head back to the cabin and logout, I have to go somewhere so I'll see you guys tomorrow maybe." she said. "Maybe?" asked Karst. "I might need a little break for a day. Last night kind of wore me out a bit and no I won't tell you anything." she said, interjecting before Zin spoke again. "Love you guys, see ya later." said Luna before teleporting back to the cabin.
After waking up in her room, she got changed and headed to the dojo again. She sat through the entire class waiting for Yumi to show up but she never did. She had the feeling that she wouldn't show up to every class but was still disappointed nonetheless. "Waiting for her?" asked the teacher as he took a seat next to Luna. "Yeah." "Her mother called and said that she wasn't feeling well today but she might be back tomorrow." "I have somewhere else to be tomorrow but thanks for the heads up. It was a nice class as usual." she said, standing from her chair. "Thanks, I try to make it entertaining." He waved as she bowed and took off out of the door. She glanced back and saw a wicked grin on his face as he stood and walked away. The sight of it caused shivers to run down her spine as images of the red eyed man filled her thoughts. She put it off as paranoia and that she was just seeing things and kept walking until she arrived home.
She spent most of the next day with her parents, dealing with her moving out. They spent the day getting the apartment and preparing for Luna to move in there at the start of the next week. After arriving back home, she stayed off of Somerant like she said she would and instead drew in her book or read various novels she had shelved for some time. The time away from everything that had happened was a relaxing change of pace for her and she enjoyed every second of it. A little before bed she saw the wicked smile that appeared on her teacher's face again. The image of it haunted her as she laid there staring at the ceiling. "Was I seeing things? What does it mean if I wasn't?" she asked aloud as she rolled onto her side.
Over the next week she kept going back to the dojo whenever she got the chance but Yumi was never there. Luna moved into her apartment and the tournament was getting close to wrapping up by the time she had seen Yumi once more. It was late afternoon on the eighteenth of February when she saw Yumi entering the dojo just as Luna was packing her things into a bag. Her arm was wrapped in bandages and her face and throat had bruises covering them. Luna went to call out to her but stopped when she heard the teacher's voice echo in the room. "Ah, Yumi! It's good to see you again." he said, walking over to her. Luna found a corner to hide around as she listened to the conversation.
"Where is your mother, she was supposed to be here by now?" he asked. "She told me to come tonight instead." she muttered. He wrapped his large hand around her throat as a gasp of pain escaped her swollen lips. "You think I want some broken thing like you? Huh? She owes me and she decides she can do what she wants? What a heartless woman she is." he growled, squeezing tighter. Luna clenched her fist and gritted her teeth but decided to wait before revealing herself. "S-she said she w-wasn't feeling well." gasped Yumi, struggling to take in any air. "Oh, is she sick? Your whole family is sick. From your rotten dead father to your whore of a mother and to you, the result of an abusive woman who couldn't care less about your well being. Do you realize why she sent you here tonight? What it is that I wanted from her?"
Yumi nodded her head. "Fucking pathetic." he said, throwing her onto the ground and spitting on her. "Do you have the money at least?" he asked while taking off his belt. Yumi shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "This is the last straw, Yumi. After I'm done with you, I'll be visiting your mother and this time I won't be as kind. Do you like the idea of not having any parents anymore? I think that would make an excellent gift, though you will be picking up her debt after all so maybe it's more of a fitting punishment." He swung his belt and struck her face leaving a large red mark on her cheek before knotting it around her wrists. He grabbed a clump of her dark brown hair and leaned next to her. "You know, that Luna girl has been acting pretty curiously around me the last few days and I'm beginning to grow more interested in her. I'm quite surprised that you didn't warn her about all of this, the mess your family is in. I think pushing her away has had the opposite effect than what you originally desired."
"Leave her alone." muttered Yumi. He backhanded her hard enough to knock her to the ground. "Who are you to tell me what to do? Do you care about her all of a sudden, is that it?" Yumi remained silent but her expression told him everything. "She's been nice to you so you're developing feelings. Isn't that just adorable. A broken useless doll falling for someone like her. I'll make sure you're the first person she sees when I break her too." Yumi squirmed in anger at those words but was hit again. Her eye was growing darker and became swollen to the point where it wouldn't open. He grabbed her hair again and yanked her towards his waist. "Grab it." She refused to move and jerked her head away.
"Grab it or I'll rip this hair out of your head." he snarled while yanking harder. Yumi let out a scream as she lifted slightly off of the ground. A sudden book hit the teacher in the face causing him to release his grip on Yumi. Luna's face was contorted with fury and her teeth were bared as she stared into the teacher's eyes. "Come here, Yumi." she said to Yumi. She didn't move and instead shook her head. Luna gave an inquisitive look but the teacher's sudden laughter caused her gaze to return to him. "She won't move because she knows what will happen. Normally I would let you off but you've seen too much now. It looks like I'll have a new friend for you much sooner than I expected, Yumi." he said, turning his attention to her for a moment. "No, leave her alone!" yelled Yumi. He kicked her face, knocking her out on the floor. A small amount of blood dripped out of her mouth.
"You bastard!" yelled Luna. "You just don't understand yet. I'm not the bad one you see?" "And she is?" asked Luna. "She is an unwanted complication in the original deal but so far she seems more dependable than her mother. I'll tell you everything soon enough Luna but for now I'll give you a choice. You can't leave, not after what you saw, but I will offer you the chance to come with me willingly. If not, then I will drag you back there as a beaten and broken body." "You'll be lucky if I don't kill you for what you've done." "Oh, talking big now huh, girl? You don't have what it takes and quite honestly, I'm better than you." Luna's anger was growing more uncontrollable as she glanced from his malicious smile to Yumi who was lying on the ground, lifeless and broken. He rolled up the sleeves on his buttoned shirt while Luna readied herself to move.
She ran forward and was met with a sudden punch. She dodged the punch but was kneed in the gut so hard it knocked her off of her feet and sent the air from her lungs. She rolled on the ground gasping for breath while he punched a few times in the air, stretching his limbs. "I was a world champion in Muay Thai when I was younger, some self taught tiny frail bitch isn't going to beat me so easily. He was standing behind her and leaned down to pick her up when Luna kicked back at his knee causing him to fall onto the other. She kicked back at his face before rolling forward and placing her hand over her chest as she glared back at him. Her breathing was shallow and it was a struggle to inhale for a moment. "I'll give you some praise on that but it was rather unorthodox." He stood up and straightened his shirt while Luna caught her breath.
She kicked off the ground again and rushed forward. As he punched she dodged around his hit until she was behind him. The second she was able, she jumped up and grabbed around his throat while wrapping her legs around his body. She used all of her weight and momentum to pull him to the floor. He began to turn over and stand up with her hanging there before he grabbed her hair and flipped her over him. Luna landed on her stomach and felt a burning pain from her scalp. A handful of hair was grasped in his shaking hands and was dropped in front of her. He went to kick her but she rolled away from it at the last second and remained close to the ground on both hands and feet.
Her position was like a wolf preparing to launch at it's opponent. "What do you hope to accomplish with an awkward stance like that?" he asked, mocking her as he laughed. As he moved closer, she darted forward with her body as low as she could keep it. He did a roundhouse directly at her face but she slid and kicked up at his gut. He stumbled a bit before she kicked his knee again, dropping him and then used both hands to propel another kick to his face. He flew down onto his back but remained laughing as Luna stood back up. He spit a decent amount of blood onto the ground before standing up again. "I'm impressed, it worked better than I thought it would." he said before spitting again. She didn't take another stance as he moved closer to her.
He threw another punch and as Luna avoided it again, he lunged and wrapped his hands around the back of her head. He thrust his knee into her stomach twice causing her to drop to her knees, gasping for air when he let go. He moved back a step and then hit her with a rising knee to her face, knocking her onto her side. Everything was spinning and she couldn't breathe as the feeling of a warm liquid trickled down her face. "It doesn't matter how fast you are when I'm stronger. I'm sorry to say it but if I can stand after your attacks then you're finished." he said, smiling down at her. She began crawling when a sudden hit to her ribs caused her to fall flat again. "Pitiful, you are so good too. What a waste." Luna looked at him as he leaned closer to her. She spit blood into his eyes before spinning to sweep his legs. As he was sitting up, she wrapped her legs around his throat and put as much pressure to block off his breathing.
She was however too tired and he was able to spread her legs apart and get out of it. Yumi suddenly ran up and jumped towards him with her knee connecting with his head, knocking him to his side as she fell onto the ground. Luna struggled to her feet and moved to help Yumi when her leg was suddenly pulled out from under her. She hit the floor hard and was turned onto her back where she saw the teacher crawling on top of her, blood seeping from his forehead where Yumi's knee hit. He punched her hard in the face and grabbed her throat. She punched and kicked but couldn't break free from his overpowering strength. Yumi ran up and attempted another kick but he released Luna and caught her in mid-air before slamming her to the ground. As he moved from Luna to Yumi, she unzipped her jacket and took it off before wrapping an end around each of her wrists.
She formed it into a rope and snuck up to him as he punched Yumi. Luna wrapped the jacket around his neck twice and continuously kneed and kicked his back while pulling on the jacket as hard as she could. There wasn't just anger in her eyes any more. It had changed. There was now the same murderous feeling that she had when Clair died or when she was limping towards the man with red eyes when he had attacked her at home. There wasn't a want to survive or any other thought. It was just about taking out the enemy that was standing in front of her. It was a feeling that she felt many times in SAO and one that she never liked feeling, the animalistic rage that haunted her. She believed it was succumbing to her natural basic thinking and she didn't like the monster that she thought this was.
After several more hits to his back, she threw herself to the ground and pulled harder and harder until a loud screaming pain filled her muscles and she felt like they would explode if she pushed them any further. His movements were becoming more frantic and soon became weak. Luna didn't let up on her grip until his whole body went limp and she felt no resistance any longer and even then she still pulled. "Let go, Luna. Don't do this, you've won." Clair's voice filled her mind as she continued to squeeze. "Let go, now! You'll kill him if you don't." Clair's voice became distorted and turned into Yumi's as it continued to pour in her ears. "Stop! Let go of him!" Yumi was tugging on Luna and yelling at her.
She opened her eyes and released the jacket, allowing the man's limp body to fall to the ground. Yumi rushed to check his pulse and fell back, relieved. Luna moved back and curled up, her whole body was shaking and pain exploded in every possible area. Her face and hair was soaked in blood. Her hands were still clenched into fists to the point where her fingernails were digging into her skin causing her palms to bleed. She looked over at Yumi who was lying on the ground panting heavily and looked back down at her hands as she struggled to open them.
The adrenaline coursing through her body began to fade as her head and chest injuries became more apparent to her. She fell back onto the ground and stared up at the ceiling with the only sounds being their heavy panting. Luna still felt dizzy as her head throbbed. "Why go through this for me?" asked Yumi. Luna couldn't get any words out as her eyes were growing heavier by the second. "Hey, hey stay awake, Luna." Yumi scrambled over to her and gently slapped her face and shook her body. "Wake up, stay with me." she said. "I'm fine, I just want to close my eyes for a second." The words slurred as they escaped Luna's lips. "You can't, keep them open." She used every bit of strength she could muster to drag Luna to the nearest wall and sat her up. "Hey, stay up okay? I called the police. Just stay awake." Luna kept drifting in and out of consciousness while Yumi did her best to keep her up.
Several minutes passed before the sounds of sirens filled the room with flashes of blue lights flooding in through the windows. "They're here okay? Hey, come on." said Yumi shaking Luna awake. Everything from the police entering to the quick ride to the station all seemed like a blur to Luna. Her and Yumi were both sitting on a bench in the police station remaining silent for a while. As Luna's thought began to reorganize she looked over to Yumi and smiled at her. "I'm sorry I broke my promise." "Forget about that, are you okay?" she asked. "I'll be fine." Luna leaned back against the bench. "Luna!" yelled Akira as she rushed to her daughter and wrapped her in a hug. "Ah! Gentle please." gasped Luna before being released. Akira grabbed her face and began examining it. "You're a mess, what happened to you?" "I'll be fine, Mom. Calm down." Luna's voice was deep and quiet as she didn't even have the energy to talk. Every breath felt like a chore as her mouth produced words.
"It's my fault." said Yumi. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to get her involved." she continued, tears soaking her light blue eyes. "She didn't want me to but I chose to. Don't blame her." "Ms. Kisama, your mother is here waiting for you." "You don't have to go with her." muttered Luna. "What? Of course I have to, where else would I go?" "After she let that man do that to you, you would still go to her?" "I have nowhere else to go." said Yumi. "Live with me." Everyone went silent to Luna's offer. "Live with you? I…" "I want you too. I have plenty of space and I can't let you go back to her. I don't know the whole situation but after this, I'll use force if I have to stop you." stated Luna, determination in her eyes.
"I… I don't know what to say." said Yumi. "Say yes." "I've been nothing but rotten to you and you would still do this?" "Maybe it's because I hit my head a little too hard but yeah, I will. I want you to stay with me and I beg you to say yes." "I don't know, what about my mother?" Luna let out a sigh and with Akira's help, she stood up from her seat. "Yumi." she said. Once Yumi looked up at her, Luna pulled her body close to her own. "Let me help you. Your whole body is beaten and bruised and I know who caused it. You can't go back to her." "I don't know if she can handle being alone." "I couldn't tell you but I do know that you don't deserve any of this. Let yourself be separate from your mother. Live your own life. If you want to still go, I'll let you go and you can leave but I'm begging you to come with me."
"Yumi! Get over here now! You have a lot of explaining to do for this!" yelled her mother as she stomped across the polished floor of the station. Luna let go of Yumi and stood in between the two of them. Before Yumi's mom could get any closer, Akira stepped in front of her. "Explaining? Look at her and you're what, going to punish her for this?" asked Akira. "Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you or that nosy daughter of yours. You have no idea the trouble this caused for us so yes, she is getting punished once we get home. She'll be lucky if she's able to walk out of that house for the next month." Akira raised her hand and smacked the black haired woman across her face. "You should be ashamed to call yourself a mother. She deserves better than you." Yumi's mom slapped Akira back and spit on her before two cops rushed over and held them back from each other. "You don't have a clue! Your perfect life with your perfect family! You don't understand anything and you still intend to call me a bad parent! Fuck you!" yelled Yumi's mom at the top of her lungs.
Her words echoed throughout the station and Yumi shuttered at the raised voice. "It's okay." said Luna, wrapping her arms around her. She nudged Luna off of her and walked up to her mother. "I-I'm leaving." "What was that?!" "I'm leaving!" yelled Yumi. "You ungrateful, undeserving, little bitch! Leaving me, who has been taking care of you all of these years? Leaving the only family you have left?" She spit at Yumi after shaking herself free of the cops. "Good. I don't ever want to see you again, understand that? Go wherever the hell you want!" she yelled with tears flowing from her eyes. Yumi stood there with a sense of dread and anxiousness. She turned back to Luna with saddened eyes. "Did I do the right thing?" "I think so." said Luna. "You need to stand up for yourself." she added. Akira rushed over and took Yumi in her arms.
Tears began pouring down her face as she fell to her knees. "Mrs. Mirahai, we need to have a word in private." said an approaching officer. Akira stood up and patted Yumi's head before following the officer into an office down the hall. "So you will move in with me?" asked Luna. "Y-yeah. If you'll have me." Luna smiled at her and sank back into the chair. Several minutes later Akira and the officer returned to the sitting area. "Ms. Mirahai, a word please." Luna sat up and followed him into the room. He pulled out a folder and began going through it. "The SAO incident, the attack at your home that left you hospitalized, and now this. You have a tendency of finding trouble don't you Mirahai?" "Yes sir." answered Luna. After a sigh he continued on. "My name is Chiro Katagari but you can call me Chiro if it makes things easier. First off I would like to say that you aren't in any trouble so don't be afraid to be upfront or honest about anything, understood?" "Yes, sir." said Luna.
"Alright, I would like you to explain the situation that you saw and or participated in." Luna explained everything she had heard the man say as well as the events that followed, describing their fight and how Yumi and Luna had beaten him. "He's not dead right?" asked Luna. "No, he's not but he came pretty close to it and you caused some serious injuries. I know you didn't have a choice, I already told you that you're not in any trouble for your actions. Thank you for being honest with me about the whole thing, it helps more than you know. I already have an EMS waiting to take you to the hospital to get checked out. After I talk with Ms. Kisama, you two will be transferred there for treatment."
"She's not in any trouble right? I take full responsibility if she is." "If she was, it's not something you could take the fall for. From my understanding, her family is mixed in with a bad crowd and her involvement might cause issues. Look, worry about yourself for a moment and go be with your mother. She's worried sick about you. I'll walk you out." he said, standing from his desk. The two of them walked back into the seating area and he called for Yumi to follow him. Her expression was one of worry and fear as she walked past Luna. Luna and Akira sat there for twenty or so minutes before the two returned. "Ms. Mirahai, come with me and I'll take you to the EMS for transit." he said. Luna and Akira both stood up and followed Chiro to the parking lot where an ambulance was waiting. Luna was already quickly looked at once they had arrived and had a bandage wrapped around her head but even she thought it would be a good idea to get thoroughly checked.
The three climbed in the back and were transported to the hospital where after another hour or so, Luna fell fast asleep in the clean white bed. When Luna woke up the next day the room was empty. Akira's bag was placed on a chair in the corner of the room but there was nothing besides that. "How many times am I gonna wake up here?" asked Luna, staring around the room. "You're up, how are you feeling?" asked Yumi as she walked into the room. "No worse than you I'm sure." replied Luna, flashing a faint smile. "I'm s…" "Don't apologize to me, Yumi. This happened to me because of my choice to intervene and I would make it again if I had to." Luna sat up and slowly got off of the bed. "Come on, let's go for a quick walk, I want some fresh air." she said, grabbing Yumi's hand as she walked by.
"Should you be moving around?" asked Yumi. "It's mostly my face that hurts and last I checked, that doesn't affect my walking." Luna sat on a wooden bench just outside the hospital and gestured for Yumi to take a seat next to her. "Are you positive you want to move in with me? I hope you gave it some thought and it wasn't just because I asked you to." questioned Luna. "I have and I still want to. It's time for me to start living for myself and not for my family and I think living with you will be a good first step. I've also been giving the fact that we don't really know each other that well some thought so I would like to fix that." Yumi cleared her throat and held out her hand. "Yumi Kisama, it's nice to meet you." Luna smiled and shook her hand. "Lunasara Mirahai, likewise." "Luna! What are you doing out of your bed?" yelled Akira, storming towards them.
"Getting some air, calm down a bit." "The doctor said specifically to remain in bed until he's cleared you." "Fine, fine." said Luna, standing up from the bench. "Yumi dear, you should get some rest as well." suggested Akira, helping her to her feet. "Of course, Mrs. Mirahai, sorry." "That's alright, I'll walk with you back to your room. Luna, I'll be stopping by once I get her back so stay there. I also left your phone on the bed like you asked." "Thanks, mom, see ya in a bit. Later, Yumi." Luna waved and headed back into the building ahead of them. After returning to her room she checked her phone which had several text notifications on the lock screen.
She dialed Jin's number and put the phone on the table next to the bed with the speakerphone activated. "Hey, bro, what's up?" asked Luna. "Where are you? The tournament starts soon and yours is the final fight." "Oh, who am I fighting?" "That boy you talked with the other week, I think his name was Stile or something like that." "Ah, tell him I said congratulations on the victory. I'm not going to be able to make it today." "Why, what's going on?" "I can't believe mom hasn't told you yet, I'm in the hospital again." "What? Are you okay? I'll be right over so just stay there." "Calm down, I'm fine. It was just a little fight so there's no need to rush over, I'll probably be out of here today anyways so don't worry about coming." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I am. Enjoy the festival with the others and tell them I'm sorry for not making it and I'll talk to you later."
"Hang on a sec, Lu-" Luna ended the call and put her phone back onto the table. "Did you just hang up on him?" asked Akira, closing the door behind her. "Yeah. I'm starting to get a headache and I don't need his worrying and nagging adding to it." Akira sighed and sat down in a chair next to Luna's bed. "You didn't tell him about me being here?" asked Luna. "I didn't? I guess it slipped my mind with everything happening." "And Dad? Did you tell him?" "Him I did call. The second the police called me I talked to him. He had to work and couldn't leave but be sure that he wanted to." "I know he did." Both Luna and her mother sat there for another hour or so until the doctor walked into the room.
"Alright Ms. Mirahai, you'll be free to go soon but I wanted to give you an update on your injuries real quick. Obviously the bruises and everything will heal soon enough with no permanent scarring or damages. The cut on your head didn't need stitches despite how it seemed so you lucked out on that. You also lucked out on your chest. I don't know how but you scraped by without any other injuries to your ribs besides some pretty nasty bruising so congratulations on that front. That covers everything so I believe you should be fine to go home." He smiled at her and left the room. Luna waited for Yumi to be released before Akira took them home.
"Thanks for the ride, Mom." said Luna. "No problem. Make sure you come visit soon or your father will be worried and you can bring Yumi if she wants to come." "Will do." Luna grabbed her bag from the back seat and closed the door. "Oh and, Luna, try to stay out of any further trouble, please. I don't know how much more of this I can take." "I'll try. Love you." Luna waved as the car took off down the road. She led Yumi up the flight of stairs and into her apartment which was still pretty void of furniture. "Sorry if it's too empty for you, I just moved in." "It's fine." said Yumi, gazing around her new home. "Your room is the one on the left once you head into the hall." said Luna. Yumi nodded and proceeded to the empty room."We'll figure something out as a bed until we can buy one." stated Luna, entering behind her. Instead of saying anything in return, Yumi wrapped her arms around Luna. "Thank you."