Kenshi: Grasp the Heavens

by Seereni

Begins 2 years before the main story. A young boy joins the rising Loki Familia through a display of his skills. His goal? Grasping the Heavens. RATED M for topics in later chapters. IT'S A VERY DARK FIC, OKAY? EDIT: No, there is no concrete backstory on the MC from the beginning, only fragments of it throughout the story.

31. Chapter 27

And I'm back, with Chapter 27.

Took me a long time, too. Almost a whole month since I posted the last (extra) Chapter. Lately I'm finding myself way too short on private time.

Anyway, the story goes on now, and I doubt I'll have any other funny extra Chapters for a while. Not that I dislike writing them, of course, but I also want to finish this story in my lifetime -_-

With that said, not too much going on in this Chapter. Mostly just paving the path for the next Chapter, which will be a little bit more action filled and with some hurt moments, too. Not to the extent of what Fuzen felt when Lili or Ais betrayed him, but a hurt moment, nonetheless.

Decided it's time to reveal a little bit more about Fuzen's past, as well, as I've already kept him this mysterious for some 30 Chapters. I'm actually surprised people still read this fic despite knowing next to nothing about the main OC.

Don't have much more to say, in all honesty. Just go and read the Chapter, and maybe enjoy it in the process. That's up for you to decide, tho.

Kay, see you at the bottom.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that there is now a link for artwork of my boi I commissioned which you can find on my profile. The link leads to a imgur album where both a semi-realistic and a chibi version can be viewed. (I forgot to mention the scar on his neck to the artists, judge me.)

XXX

It was not entirely a shocking scene, at least to the veterans of his Familia.

Though their occupation as Adventurers mostly put them at odds with Monsters, the sight before them was not an unusual one, either.

Yet, as they now looked at the boy standing in the centre of the people, his sword and clothes alike drenched in the blood he drew by right of his prowess, his Captain and Goddess both understood the severity of the boy's lifestyle, a severity the two of them had so far subconsciously relegated.

Now, however, they fully understood:

This was the path he was walking.

This was the path of Fuzen Katsumi.

This was the path of carnage...

XXX

A couple days earlier…

Being one of the Top Familia to be found in Orario, it was not false to say that Loki Familia was loaded with responsibility as well as countless requests for help. Most of said requests they could ignore if their Captain deemed them to be of little importance or benefit. However, there was one exception to this.

Quests issued by the Guild, the organization Finn himself wanted to remain on good terms with.

To date, Loki Familia had neither refused any Quests by the Guild nor failed to accomplish them, and Finn was not about to end that streak.

Thus, when the Guild put in a request directed specifically at them, Finn accepted and quickly put together a group of Second Class members to entrust the latest Quest to.

After their recent expedition into the Deep Floors and the immense expenses in materials and money they expended to make it a reality, Loki Familia's current goal was directed towards increasing their coffers again. While not quite in the red, they could not lie about their financial status, either. It was not looking well. Not to mention the money they had to use because of the recent, unexpected actions of a certain someone...

As such, after a short moment of rest following their lengthy expedition, the members were sent out into the Dungeon once again to earn money. With that in mind, Finn's options regarding whom he could entrust the Quest with were limited, but that hindered him little. His Familia was made up of only the best, after all.

In all honesty, however, there had been little work Finn himself needed to do.

Getting wind of an available Quest, the one Level 4 on stand-by, Alicia, stepped up and requested to be entrusted with this mission.

As a big sister figure within the Familia, Alicia was loved and admired by the less experienced members, and thus once her involvement was made known, many others stepped forward to be allowed a chance at fighting side by side with the Second-Class Adventurer.

From among their ranks, the Level 3 Sharon, Remilia, Claire and Shifon had been chosen by Finn to accompany Alicia, alongside a couple of Level 2's to act as Supporters and back-liners. Healers were however crucial to the mission's success, thus Line and Lefiya were assigned to the team, as well.

Then, after hearing of the nature of the Quest, Fuzen stepped forward as well and asked to be part of the group. Surprisingly enough, however, the role he wished to take during the Quest was not a combat-related one as he usually requested.

Afterwards, hearing of Fuzen's involvement, Tiona rushed to Finn as well, ditching the duties the Captain entrusted her with to Raul and begging to be part of the group.

In all honesty, Finn wanted her to focus on her duties and learn to act as the Executive she was supposed to be, but now that the younger of the Amazon twins had a similar look in her eyes as Tione, he found himself in a predicament. Amazons were nothing if not tenacious, after all.

Thus, he decided to allow her to join the group, at least until he could find a way to redirect this new side of hers.

And just like that, the group came together within record time, ready to set out and fulfil the Quest. In actuality, this Quest had been initially part of Ganesha Familia's responsibilities, as they were the policing force of Orario and the Dungeon, to a lesser degree. However, they had launched an expedition of their own a short while ago, and their best fighters were not available. Granted, they had more members than any other Familia, if one counted the exploration-type Familia, that is, but they were already spread thin. Thus, the Guild decided on to entrust this important mission to Loki Familia instead.

Now, as for the nature of this Quest...

XXX

Bodyguarding, was it…? Alicia thought to herself as she walked in front of the group with Tiona, both of them making up the vanguard of their group. Neither seeing nor sensing any signs of Monsters, the Elf looked over her shoulder at the middle of their formation.

"Hehe, he's so cold and slimy, it feels gross yet exciting at the same time, doesn't it, Eina?!" The short, pink-haired woman voiced excitedly.

"Who the hell are you calling gross, you fugly midget?! I'll eat you!"

Her companion's shoulders stiffened slightly at the threat. "M-Misha, don't anger him…"

"Ehhh…? But he's so cute when he's angry…"

"…? I'll use your bones as toothpicks, midget! I'm not cute, I'm deadly!"

The third of the women, a red-haired Werewolf, sighed in slight exasperation at the carefree attitude of her juniors. "Both of you, we are here for work…"

Indeed, their Quest this time around was centred around keeping the three women, all of them employees at the Guild, safe as they went on with their inspection of the Dungeon. This was also the reason why their group was this large, despite their destination leading only to the entrance of the 18th Floor.

One might question the logic behind sending normal, unblessed individuals to the Dungeon, but in truth, this sort of inspection had it's benefits, both in the short and long term.

After all, the inspection had been unannounced, and thus no one knew the Guild would send their employees into the Dungeon. Unwanted behaviour like a Pass Parade, or the killing of other Adventurers, though such rules did exist, another rule would always come before them: anything can happen in the Dungeon, and only the survivors may tell their side of the story. By sending their people on intermittent inspection, the Guild could at least hope to catch a few such behaviors and address the Familia of such individuals accordingly.

Another benefit would come in the form of more experienced workers. Orario as a city was still recuperating from the losses they took when the arduous battle with Evilus occurred all those years ago. Many Familia lost valuable members, and many Familia disbanded after their Patron Deities were sent back to Heaven.

Thus, the newer factions and their beginner Adventurers were needed. It was crucial for Orario's continued existence as the center of the world that the new Familia survive and grow, that their members Level Up and become the next protectors of Orario the Guild could call upon.

However, such beginners did not possess the luxury of making use of their seniors' experience, for they had no seniors. It fell to the Guild to provide help in the form of Advisors that could teach these greenhorns how to survive, what dangers awaited them and when to fall back to fight another day. But how could the Advisors know what help to provide, when all the knowledge they had of the Dungeon came only from the books they read?

Send them into the Dungeon to experience it for themselves, that was how.

"Tell your midget junior to keep her loud mouth shut, then!" The dragon flared up once again.

Thud!

Then a punch fell on Raiju's head, from no other than Fuzen himself, who sat cross-legged on his familiar's head, clipboard in his left hand and pencil in his right. "Be quiet, leech. I cannot concentrate." He voiced before resuming his work once again.

"B-But my Master, she called me gross…"

"You are slick and gross. Now shut up."

"...Raiju...sad…"

Indeed, it had been Tiona's idea to have the three employees they needed to protect stationed in the middle of their group's formation, and even to have them ride of Raiju in his mid-sized form. This way, even if a Monster were to somehow slip through their ranks, Raiju could easily smash them into the ground with his tail. Secondly, in case they needed to run towards or away from something, Raiju was far faster than the three unblessed women, so having them ride him was a win-win situation in all scenarios.

Not to mention, Fuzen was also within striking distance of the women, and could easily jump into action if necessary.

But it was strange, to both Alicia and Tiona, to see the battle-seeking boy take a back seat by his own choice. It was unusual.

Especially since Fuzen wished to be the group's mapper and draw the routes they took, a role so far removed from his usual combat-related one everyone in their current group needed a moment to process the information when Finn first informed them.

I truly wonder what he's thinking...The Level 4 Elf pondered. Counting Raul and Aki and the others, Alicia had spent the most time with the young boy as far as their Familia was concerned. Their multiple team-ups, the fight against Udaeus, the descent down into the Deeps Floors alongside Finn and the other Executives...Counting all these events, it was indeed not false to say the Second Group and it's members were the ones Fuzen left the most impression upon.

She had actually been present when Fuzen first showed interest in the knowledge of a mapper. At the time, she was eating breakfast with the other girls of the Familia when Fuzen approached their table, asking the Hume-Bunny Rakta if she had a moment. A while later the girl returned to them, having been asked by the boy if she could share her knowledge of mapping with him.

He even went as far as to offer payment for the time she would spent teaching him whatever she deemed acceptable to teach. Naturally, the offer was declined, though Alicia doubted the refusal would make the boy understand better what it meant to be part of a Familia, or better said, of the Loki Familia.

That was already a while ago, when he re-joined Loki Familia following the events that transpired in Altena.

And that was not all, either. Alicia also noticed Fuzen carrying bags of books to his room a couple of times, and Cruz and other members told of times when they woke up during the night to grab a drink or use the toilet, and came face to face with Fuzen, walking around the Manor with a blindfold over his eyes, counting as he walked slow steps.

Normally, Alicia would think little of such behavior. Loki Familia was filled with oddballs, after all.

But this was no ordinary oddball. This was Fuzen Katsumi, the boy who could go toe to toe with Level 5's, however that worked. The Adventurer who could go against Monster Rexes and live to tell the tale. The individual who brought a whole city, and that city's sovereign, to their knees, and managed to walk away afterwards.

And he was planning something.

Those determined yet cold eyes...Alicia thought to herself as she sneaked a peak at the boy sitting on top of his familiar's head...I wonder what they have in their sights, now…?

Not a few moments later, Fuzen raised his head, hazel eyes staring back at her. She always found his eyes interesting, their color changing ever so often. Sometimes, they would be amber, other times, they would be brown with a green outline, and sometimes almost downright golden. In a way, such rare eye color suited him well, especially taking in consideration the myriad of interests he displayed lately.

Not wishing to come off as rude, Alicia smiled lightly as her eyes and the boys' met. In return, Fuzen simply raised an eyebrow at her before going back to his drawing.

It was very Fuzen-like to do, in Alicia's opinion. As someone who spent a fair amount of time being part of the group as the boy, she knew that he disliked unnecessary actions and words. If something was not necessary, then don't do it, and don't speak it.

Keep your focus on your surroundings. That's probably what his short-lived reaction meant...The Elf thought to herself as she looked back to the road ahead of her, slightly relieved to see Fuzen unchanged, even after he had left the Familia a while ago.

However…

"Tsk…"

Who exactly it was, Alicia could not say. She had been focused on the path ahead, and looking back over her shoulder, she could not figure out who tsked by her companions' expressions alone. However, it did not come off as a surprise that someone would do that.

Just recently, Alicia and the rest of the Second Group came together to discuss a matter that seemed to take form within the Loki Familia.

This problem was a wide spread dislike of Fuzen by the rest of the Familia, with only a few exceptions.

It was not something unreasonable either, as much as Alicia disliked agreeing to it. But it was understandable why most of the members besides the Executives and the Second Group held animosity towards the young swordsman.

His actions against Ais, all those months ago. His lone-wolf tendencies, never involving himself with the Familia unless absolutely necessary. The fact that he simply left without any sort of seconds thoughts, then joined the Familia again which came off as a sort of extortion, of using their faction's kindness only for his own gain, in the eyes of many. Then, his choice to affiliate with the East District despite knowing his Familia would be dragged into any mess that would take form from this relationship…

Alicia did understand where the others were coming from. The reasons for their dislike of Fuzen were there, reasons the boy himself shaped with his own hands and choices.

But she also knew...that was not all. The individual known as Fuzen Katsumi was more than that.

As someone who spent a fair amount of time with him in the Dungeon, where danger lurked around every corner, she got to see a side of the swordsman most members of their Familia didn't, and she could say that he was...different. Not in terms of Level or stats, or even Skills, despite not knowing what his Skills were, but rather, in terms of something each living person had. Indeed, no Adventurer could survive long in their profession without it, but Fuzen's was multiplied many times over to heights Alicia didn't even think possible.

Naturally, both the Elf and the other members of the Second Group tried their best to talk to the rest of the Familia, to make them understand the boy was not quite as bad as he might seem. But despite their best tries, seeing was believing. After all, Fuzen was always close to their Captain or part of the vanguard during their expedition, and thus hardly came into contact with the lower-Level members of their Familia. Naturally, it was no secret that the young swordsman had been part of the latest dive into the Deep Floors, acting as a Supporter and Fighter both.

Something like this was unheard of. A mere Level 2, braving the Deep Floors and actually keeping up with First-Class Adventurers, even proving his own worth on a couple occasions.

Thinking about it now, the Elf guessed it was because of how surreal it truly was that others had a hard time accepting this fact, or fully understanding what it meant.

It was also because of this that Alicia had hoped Fuzen would show what he was capable of during their current mission. Regretfully, the boy had other plans, and decided to take a back seat, a choice that probably didn't help to improve the situation at all.

...Everyone knows he is strong. That doesn't need to be proven. If his feats in the Dungeon weren't enough evidence, his little...slip of character a while ago should have reminded everyone what he is capable of. But, his other side...If they could see it for themselves, this scornful impression of him would go away…

Alicia thought to herself as she kept her focus on the surroundings. Indeed, she and her closest comrades had discussed this already, and believed it to be a good option in their goal to improve Fuzen's reputation among their own ranks. They had yet to discuss it with their Captain, but once they did, they were sure Finn would agree and try to help create the opportunity for the plan to be put into motion.

But until then, she could also try on her own.

"Say, Fuzen."

"Yes, Forestlight-sama?" He replied without lifting his head from his drawing.

"I'll talk with the others and make time for us to accompany you into the Dungeon for you to finish this map you are drawing currently. So could you join us in the vanguard until this mission is completed?"

"That won't be necessary." Fuzen stated as he lifted a palm up, declining Alicia's offer. "I could resume my task on my own without problems. There is no need to mobilize valuable Level 4's just for this. I also believe our current fighting force to be more than capable to handle whatever may come our way during our current mission without my assistance."

"You bet we do!" Tiona voiced loudly, lifting her Urga up with one hand, unaware that her reply worked against Alicia's attempt to bring the swordsman

Sigh...That didn't go as planned. I guess waiting for the Captain's help is the better option, after all. Only he can persuade Fuzen into it.

"...Very well. But please do help in case too many Monsters appear. We cannot afford any danger to the people we are protecting."

"Of course, Forestlight-sama. I shall also take an active role in case of slow progress."

"Why so?" Tiona asked.

"I have…something to do on the surface." He answered, but for Alicia and Tiona, both of whom knew him just the slightest bit better, the change in tone did not go unnoticed.

"What's that?" The Amazon, true to herself, cared little for the small details and simply asked as her curiosity increased.

However, Fuzen simply frowned and looked back to his drawing, obviously not wishing to discuss the matter any further. Nonetheless, he was the only one who felt that way.

"…! H-Hey-!" Raiju voiced as he noticed the Amazon jumping up, but was silenced as she landed on his snout, closing the dragon's mouth. Then she leaned forward between his eyes, until her face was close to Fuzen's clipboard on which he was drawing.

"So, what do you need to do?"

"...You are compromising our formation. Get back to your position, Tiona-sama."

"Sure." She voiced. "After you tell me."

By now, the other members also watched the two with interest while still checking their surroundings for any Monsters. It was not false to say that Tiona was probably the only one who got that casual with the anti-social Fuzen. As for the three guild employees, only Misha was fully focused on the two, trying to find out as much as possible about what was going on, no doubt to lessen the boredom that was marching slowly deeper into the Dungeon.

"…"

"Come on, tell me." She pushed on, placing her hand on Fuzen's incomplete map, preventing him from ignoring her.

"...Why do you need to be so persistent?" Fuzen asked as he lifted his face and looked into Tiona's eyes.

"You're too secretive." She bluntly replied. "It isn't about training, you would have mentioned it otherwise. So what are you up to?"

"...I believe that is my business, and mine alone, Tiona-sama."

The Amazon simply shrugged and smirked. "Maybe."

By now, Fuzen's eye began to twitch ever so lightly, testimony to his inner anger starting to pile up. He tried to move the clipboard away, but Tiona pushed it back into his lap again. He tried yet once more, with the same result.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale…

"...Sigh...I've got a date. Whatever that means...Are you satisfied now?"

The news he had said calmly managed to throw off every single Familia member present, each of the girls requiring a moment to process the information he had told them.

"...Hmm...I see." Tiona replied a moment later with an unflinching smile, jumping off Raiju and returning to her position, walking alongside Alicia while humming lightly.

Fuzen simply tiled his head in confusion at the Amazon's quick change of disposition before returning to his unfinished map. It would be a while longer until their current quest would be finished.

XXX

"[I'm telling you, this shirt looks better with these pants!]" One woman voiced as she grabbed a red shirt and a pair of trousers, holding them both up for the others to see.

They took a moment to evaluate the clothes, trying to imagine them on their Master's body, before the silence was broken by another woman. "[Red looks good on the Young Master...But isn't this too macho for him?]"

"[What do you mean too macho?]"

"[Well...he's too young for this kind of image, isn't he?]"

"[...Now that you mention it…]"

"[You're not thinking about this the right way.]" The fourth of their group stated as she crossed her arms across her chest, gaining the attention of the rest of her group. "[Even if it's too masculine, the Young Master's soft, noble facial traits would overthrow the macho element!]"

The others gasped as the realization hit them, understanding these words to be true.

The group of four were the East District victims Fuzen had saved upon his return to Orario from Altena, and they were currently out shopping. The twenty-two women who lived at Fuzen's mansion within the East District split in groups of two to four and scattered all over Orario, checking clothing shops for the right attire for their benefactor, their Young Master to whom they owned everything. The only one who stayed back was Yua, the woman with the most extensive physical damage from years of being a slave in Orario's Entertainment District.

Granted, it hadn't been that easy, either. Upon hearing of this chance to repay her Young Master back, however insignificant it was, Yua was ready to crawl out of bed and into the city to help, and it took a long time for the rest of the mansion's residents to push her back in bed until she fell asleep again.

How this started could be traced back a couple of days ago, during one of Fuzen's weekly meetings with the old man Yamamoto, their Young Master's eyes, hands and words within their District. They had discussed matters regarding the East District's financial status, and Yamamoto then reminded Fuzen of their monthly meeting with the various business owners who were now working for the young swordsman.

And it was then that Fuzen asked for the meeting to be postponed a day, as he had private matters to attend to on that very day. Upon further inquire by Yamamoto, Fuzen stated that he had a date with someone planned for that day.

Naturally, the two women on duty that day had overheard this, and they later spread the word to all the mansion's residents.

After all, this was a chance to finally help the individual who went out of his way to free them from a life of servitude and prostitution. Finally, they could use their knowledge as women to help him.

Thus, the group of twenty-two stormed Yamamoto's office and asked for his help. Confused as the old man was at first, once they began to explain the situation to him, he nodded in acknowledgment.

Indeed, if Fuzen was left to his own devices, he would without a doubt decide to go on this date wearing his usual, plain clothes. After all, upon further investigation by the women, they had found that Fuzen's closet was filled with the same set of clothes he always wore, replacements for when the ones he wore got damaged during training or during his Dungeon diving.

Thus the women decided to go out and buy some appropriate clothes for their Young Master, with financial aid provided by Yamamoto. It would also be a surprise which they decided to tell Fuzen one day before the day of his date, while also helping him to expand his choice of clothes, as each group would buy different clothes from the areas of Orario they went to.

"[Then, this is the one we decide on, right?]" At the question, the remaining three took a moment to ponder, then one by one they nodded. "[Alright. Then, let's buy them in the Young Master's size.]"

"[Mhm.]"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"[...What's his size again?]"

XXX

Finally, that's behind me… He thought as he pushed open the gate leading to his house, then closing them again and locking the entrance. Granted, if anyone were to be sent after him, they would be competent enough to get over something as useless as a fence, but he locked the gates to give his mansion's residents at least some peace of mind.

Once that was behind him, Fuzen walked on, taking a moment to look at the flowers decorating both sides of the stone-paved path leading to the mansion's entrance. They were not something he desired, but rather a product of his residents' hobby. A while ago, after most of them have recuperated to an acceptable degree, Fuzen found most of the women he allowed to live with him at his doorstep, asking for any sort of work they could do.

Had they wished to become warrioresses, he could have created a training regime for them to follow from dawn to dusk, but alas, none had showed interest in following the path of carnage. He found it strange that they didn't, considering what they had gone through, but it was not his place to judge them. Thus, he simply told them to do whatever they wished, gave them a bag of Valis to use however they wanted in pursuit of the work they wished to do and left the matter in their hands.

Before he knew it, his mansion had been turned into a pristine example of tidiness and cleanness, not a single speck of dust to be found within it's walls. The garden, too, had not been spared this treatment. Not a single leaf could be seen on the paved paths, not a single stone was out of place, and flowers had been planted with incredible symmetry throughout the complex.

He didn't like the flowers, in all honesty. Too much color, and their smell which he felt even more profoundly than an unblessed person could be used by hostile people to mask their smell. Luckily, so far Fuzen had yet to meet an individual who could mask their Ki and thus avoid detection by him, but...one could never be too sure.

...The sacrifices I do for others...Sigh...He shook his head and moved on, leaving the flowers as they were.

Once at the entrance, he took a moment to collect himself. He knew from experience that once he made his presence known, they would storm to the entrance, greeting him from all directions.

He wasn't just visiting, either. After completing the Quest he went back to the Twilight Manor and asked Loki for permission to spend the night here instead of their Familia home, a request the Goddess had accepted.

No point in delaying.

"[...I am back.]" He voiced after sliding the door open and stepping inside, taking off his boots and placing them neatly to the side. Then, it hit him.

...No one's here? This is unusual…

He walked on, left hand already grabbing the scabbard of his chisa katana. Usually either his house maid Riko or the women would rush to greet him, but none of them showed up yet. Focusing his senses and expanding the area in which he could sense Ki signatures, Fuzen felt signs of life force on the uppermost floor. Going by their position, they were within his room, moving back and forth as if pressed for time.

In all the weeks he had known the women, they had never entered his room, as per his instructions. That they broke that rule meant they were plotting something. After all, he never did say when he was going to return from his missions, as he could give no estimates considering the nature of the Dungeon.

This meant they used this time to work behind his back.

Yet again someone was plotting something against him.

So, it's treason, then...Very well...

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale…

With a clear mind and a cold look in his eyes, Fuzen began climbing the stairs all the way to his room, pushing his sword out of it's scabbard with his thumb. With silent steps, he made sure to walk up to his room's door unnoticed, slowly reaching for the door knob...

"[No, ours is the best. Even you have to admit that.]"

...Hmmm?

"[Yours? Pfff. Please, as if the Young Master would ever wear such embarrassing clothes.]"

...Clothes?

"[As if your third group is any better. I wonder if you were even trying to help the Young Master for his date...]"

...Date?

"[You...bitch!]" A shouted insult followed. "[How dare you even say that?!]"

Wasting no more time, Fuzen pushed the door open, coming face to face with his mansion's residents. His sudden appearance caused the group to go silent, turning their wide-eyed faces to look at him. "[...What is going on here?]"

A couple of minutes later, now aware of what the women were doing in his room, Fuzen sighed and pushed his sword back into it's scabbard with his thumb. During the time the residents explained what they were doing, Fuzen remained at the door, showing only his right side while hiding his left, the side he was holding onto his sword.

Once he was filled in on what had been going on without his knowledge, Fuzen dismissed everyone from his room and went to his balcony, taking a moment to collect himself, to shed off the veil of immorality he covered himself with after entering the mansion.

...Morons. For something that irrelevant, I almost…I...Sigh…

"...God damn it…Too close..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then looked up at the sky. It was a while yet before midnight would come. His duties for the day were taken care of, but that did not mean he could rest just yet. The daily time was equally limited for everyone, but he could not afford to waste any minute thoughtlessly.

Thus he went back inside, heading for the far right corner of his room. Fuzen then cleaned his brushes, prepared some new colors and then took off the sheet he placed over the canvas. Then lastly he placed the lights inside his room at the right angle, and once that was done, Fuzen took a seat before the canvas and continued from where he left last time.

One hour? Two, at the most. Then I'll need to start the other painting. That crazy Elf woman will haunt me if I don't bring both of them to her tomorrow morning. The opening ceremony is going to be held soon, after all...Sigh...Guess I won't be sleeping tonight again.

"...I wonder if others my age are this busy..."

As he brought his brush down on the canvas in fine, detailed strokes, Fuzen saw the multitude of clothes spread out on his bed from the corner of his eye and shook his head.

Truly. This is…

XXX

"...so stupid…"

He let out a heavy sigh as he stood before the establishment. It was a little past midday, and the time for him to hold his promise had come. The thought brought him little joy. Around this time, he should have been holding the monthly meeting at his mansion to discuss the financial status of the East District with Yamamoto and the other business owners under him.

As luck would have it, the woman chose exactly this day for their date, and thus his plans had to be postponed.

He wanted to simply walk away, he truly did, but he couldn't. He had sworn that he would hold his promise, and nothing could keep him from holding said promise now. His promise was his duty, after all, and he had already come back from the darkness to fulfill his duty. Even if the heavens rained bolts of lightning down on him, it would not be an excuse.

Gods above who had not descended, preserve me…

With yet another sigh, he collected himself and walked onward. To not disappoint his mansion's residents, he decided to wear the clothes they had bought for him. He had not given it much thought, however, and simply chose one of the many sets of clothes left in his room. Thus, he was now wearing a pair of black trousers, a red, almost crimson shirt and a black vest over it. Fastened at his belt was his chisa katana Utegiri. Granted, he would have liked to bring his Eisatsu along, as well, but the women back at his mansion confiscated it.

Are you going on a date or to battle? Is what they asked him.

...All things considered...that is a good question, indeed...

The clothes were highly uncomfortable, however. They stuck to his skin and made it hard to move properly. If the need to fight arose, he'd have to strip down to his trousers alone to fight as effectively as he would in his usual clothes.

Fuzen also thought the effort to be futile, despite it being his fault for not elaborating on the matter further.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He couldn't bring himself to them that the person he made the promise to…

"...I am here." Fuzen voiced after entering the establishment and spotting the woman among the multitude of people inside.

Her ears perked up at the sound of his voice, and she turned around. She looked him up once, from head to toe, then smirked. "That meow are. Take a seat, I'll be done soon." Chloe replied before going back to work.

...was a creepy woman that made his skin crawl.

...Screw my life...Sigh…

XXX

"[...So this is Orario, huh…?]" The traveler asked in a foreign language as he reached the peak of the hill, bringing his head back to look at the Babel Tower reaching high into the skies. "[That's one long tower...Master, you've been here before, haven't you?]"

The second traveler reached his partner's side a few moments later, looking upon the Labyrinth City with cold, detached eyes. "[Once.]" He nodded. "[A couple hundred years ago.]"

"[So why did you left?]"

"[…]"

"[...Ok. I know better than to press on. Say, after I defeat that man, how about staying here for a while, Master? The Dungeon's supposed to be full of Monsters, right? I could use this chance to improve my Status a bit.]"

"[...Let's focus on the matter at hand, first.]"

"[Ok. Defeat the man, get the Relic. Then training.]"

The second traveler did not reply, instead simply pushing onward, his Disciple following just a step behind his Master as they both neared Orario.

XXX

He surprised her, that much she had to confess.

A while ago, he had asked her to go out with him. Naturally, this came off as a surprise to her. She might be small, yes, but nonetheless she was a couple years older than him. Because of that, she would not have ever guesses he would ask that of her.

Obviously, she wanted to decline. Though she had little idea where he was going with this offer, relations between Guild employees and Adventurers were frowned upon.

But the boy was too stubborn, too headstrong.

In the end, Misha had agreed to go out with Seiji, if only to be spared the embarrassment that was the boy performing the dogeza while she was at work.

But now that they were out in the city, Misha couldn't help but smile at the boy's thoughtfulness.

"Naaza-chan, look, look! Isn't that dress so cute?! It would fit you so well!" Misha voiced as she grabbed the Chienthrope's arm and pulled her to the window of a boutique, showing her a dress that caught her attention.

Naaza took a moment to look at the dress, which screamed fanciness all over, then looked back at the pink-haired woman. "S-Surely not...Y-You...think so…?"

"Mhm! You're this cute, so why are you even questioning it?!"

"I-I'm not…"

Indeed, at the request of Seiji, Misha had accompanied the Miach Familia on their day off. The official reason for this was because Seiji wanted to thank his Advisor for all she had done for him, but more than that…

My Captain, she's...well...withdrawn. A lot happened, you see? Seiji had told her this morning, when he went to pick her up form her home.

Oh. Yeah. I heard about Miach Familia… Indeed, the tragedy that befell Miach Familia was well-known among the Guild workers, and often used as an example among themselves.

Mhm. Before I joined, a lot of stuff went...downhill. And my Captain has been affected by all this. Don't get me wrong, I like the Captain...no, I love her! More than I ever thought possible. But...right now, I can't...I'm not the one who can help her. So please, Misha. Could you try and become her friend? Bring out the girl inside of her?

...But why me? Misha asked, curious as to why he choose exactly her. So far, she had had little to no interaction with his Familia besides Seiji himself. How she could help was beyond her understanding.

...You might not be a fighter, but you're pretty amazing yourself, Mi-chan. Just be yourself, that is all I ask.

Though she had yet to figure out what the eastern boy meant, Misha could at least do that much. Just being herself was not hard: she did that every day, after all.

"Girls." Seiji addressed the two from behind, where he walked at a leisurely pace side by side with Miach. "How about we take a break over there?" He then pointed at a cáfe a distance away, further up the street. "My treat, of course."

"Yay, free sweets! Let's go, Naaza-chan!"

Before she even had time to reply, Naaza was yanked away by her arm with strength she did not expect the small girl to have, reaching the cáfe one whole minute before Seiji and Miach.

Then the waiter came, ready to take their orders.

"A cup of black coffee." Miach ordered first.

"Macrons and latte for me!" Misha ordered second.

Seiji wanted to go last, in order to try and make an approximate in his head on how much everything would cost. He did say it was on him, yes, but being a true member of the Miach Familia, he didn't have that much on him. Or at all, better said. Thus he looked over at Naaza and gave her a nod.

The Chienthrope looked down at the floor for a moment, then back up at the waiter. "C-Cheesecake…"

Hearing her order that kind of cake made Seiji's heart skip a beat. As far as he understood, the cheesecake he bought for her last time was the first Naaza had ever eaten, so now that she was ordering it again…

...Maybe the distance between us got shorter, if only by a little bit…?

"Yeah...Same for me." He voiced his order. Damned be the Valis, he wouldn't care about now, not while she was present. "Oh. And two glasses of orange juice."

With that out of the way, the group of four began chatting about the most diverse of matters, from Naaza explaining her frustration over the increased prices of materials she needed for brewing potions, to Misha complaining about her work. As for Seiji and Miach, they didn't have much chance to say anything of their own, but as far as Seiji was concerned, he simply took in the sight of his Captain behaving...normal, relaxed, for once.

Then a couple whispered words reached his ears. "...Thank you, Seiji-kun."

"...Boss? What do you mean?" Seiji replied just as quietly, though there was little reason to do so. Misha and Naaza were so engrossed in their conversation, their words would barely be detected by them.

"For doing all of this. It's been a while...since I've seen Naaza like this."

"...Get used to it then, boss."

"Hm?"

"This is not the last of my efforts."

Miach looked at his newest member, his lips parting as if to say something. Then he closed them again, and simply smiled. "I see."

"Yeah. Leave it all to-….me…?" Looking to his side, Seiji started at a pair of people walking down on the street. He started silently before a smirk began to take shape on his lips. "Hahaha...Well, I'll be damned…"

"What's wrong, Seiji?" Naaza asked as she turned to face him.

"Nothing, Captain. Nothing…"

As expected of my bro, he's already playing in a whole different league than even his older brother. Still, he didn't look even a little bit interested...Hmmm…

"...Gotta be a promise, then. Poor stone-faced shorty…"

XXX

"Look alive, cutie. We're only halfway done with meow promise~"

"...I know. And don't call me that, Rollo-sama."

"Fufufu~"

I wonder if you'd still Fufufu at me if I were to draw my sword on you, you vixen…

Shaking the rather attractive thought out of his mind, Fuzen simply sighed and continued to follow the woman on her half day off throughout the city. By now, despite only being a little over two hours into their date, Fuzen was already holding multiple bags of clothes and other accessories for women. As both of his hands were full, Chloe decided to wrap her tail around his wrist as to avoid losing him in the crowd of people. He insisted that such would not be the case, but the woman did as she wished in the end, and now a part of her was constantly touching him.

Fuzen felt sick to his stomach at the mere thought, let alone at the feeling of this contact.

He could maintain physical contact with anyone for as long as needed...if it was during a combat scenario. In the midst of fighting, one's comfort zones were of no importance. At best, they would be a hindrance. At worst, they could mean one's death.

During combat, anyway.

But now?

He wanted to cut off her tail and strangle the cat woman with it.

Alas, dreams he could not allow to ever become reality. Unless the woman tried to push him any further, that is.

"...How much more do you intend to buy? Is this not enough?" Fuzen inquired as he held both of his hands full of bags up.

"Now, now, cutie. I barely get any time to myself, seeing how Mama Mia works her cats to the bone. Let a girl have half a day to herself, will meow?"

"...Very well."

"Not to mention, that look on your face as you wait silently to the side for me to finish shopping is absolutely priceless~"

"...Sigh…"

Indeed, no matter how much he wanted to cut her, Fuzen could not. The whole reason he was even here was to pay her back for endangering her all the way back then, before his departure to Altena.

That weasel had taken her hostage, and that was something which fell entire on him. It didn't matter whatever he knew her well or not. It also didn't matter whether he himself played an active role in her kidnapping or not.

Someone, a civilian, had been targeted by his enemies in order to get to him. That was the one truth that mattered. That was one of many stains his honour received on that day.

Had he handled the situation differently, maybe the woman would not have come that close to danger.

Had he used different words as the weasel addressed him after leaving the library, maybe Yamamoto would not have come that close to death, to burning alive inside his own restaurant.

Had he not made the mistake of underestimating his enemies…

...Granted, the past cannot be changed. But…

He looked up, at the cat woman's face.

She was smiling as she both hummed and purred a version of a song Fuzen once heard being sung by a bard.

Compared to her blood-covered face back then, cuffed and in danger of losing her life to a low-life's sword…

"...better…"

"Hm? Meow said something?"

"...Nothing."

"Hmm...Meow are a mysterious little cutie, aren't meow?"

However, Fuzen would be lying if he said making up to woman was everything.

After all, unknown to the cat woman herself, he was aware that she had intercepted the people he now knew were sent by Altena, by the weasel, to spy on him. Back then, a couple pieces of the puzzle were still missing, but now that the ordeal was behind him, he had time to think about it, and uncovered more of what had been going on at the time.

Back then, he thought the Altena spies were simply members of other Familia, or even just some Initiates of some martial school tasked with finding his whereabouts. Yet before he had time to move in, the cat woman had killed them all.

That raised the question as to why she was doing it.

What did she have to gain by killing the spies and making an enemy out of them?

Was she part of some sort of organization like Altena that was after his Magic?

Or was she working alone?

To what end?

More questions than answers, as always. It was because of this that Fuzen had been pleasantly surprised when he offered to make up to the cat woman for dragging her into his mess, and she said she wanted a date as a reward.

This way, he could observe her closely without coming off as strange.

Thus, he continued on, following the cat woman as she gently pulled him along using her tail, making their way through the busy streets of Orario. This did not last for long, however, as the usual was about to happen again today.

I see, so this area is a no-go, as well? I should write that down on a map…

In truth, he had seen it coming, through the vibrations in the air. A weird and slightly disturbing new discovery he made, to be sure, but he experimented with it long enough to at least feel something like that coming his way.

Had it been one of the usual, fleshy projectiles, Fuzen would have stepped out of the way, to avoid Chloe getting splashed with the juices from the impact. As the constitution of the projectile was hard, however, he did not evade it. Thus…

Thud.

The apple hit the side of his head, near the temple, and then fell down on the ground with the same empty sound as when it hit him.

"Hm?" Chloe's ears perked up, and she turned to look at Fuzen. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Think nothing of it. Let us proceed." He replied, simply walking forward.

"You damn murderer…"

Though he could pinpoint where the voice came from, Fuzen did not care. He would let it happen. It mattered little.

Or at least, that is what he planned to do.

A moment later, however, he dropped the bags he was holding and jumped forward before the situation could take a turn for the worse.

XXX

"Man, I'm beat~" Chloe exclaimed as she slid the key inside the lock, and opened the door to her room. Like a couple other girls working at the Hostess, she was a live-in employee, having been given a room on the top Floor to use how she wished, and the rent for it was subtracted from her salary.

"I see." Fuzen voiced as he took off his boots at the entrance before stepping inside the room as well, at least a dozen bags in each of his hands.

The room was medium-sized, with a single window on the opposite wall of the entrance. Somehow not surprising to him, the room had a high-class air about it, all of the furniture expensive and fancy. The bed, too, was large, taking almost a fourth of the space within the four walls. It was built of massive wood, with four wooden poles projecting upwards from each end, an ornamented canopy and richly-embroidered hangings.

Looking at it for a long second, Fuzen wondered how she even got that large bed inside the room.

"...Where shall I put the bags?"

"Just leave them on the table. Thanks." Chloe replied as she took a seat on the armchair next to her bed before proceeding to take off her heeled boots. Fuzen nodded and proceeded to do just that. "...Say, cutie."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"Why did you not act back then?"

"Because it doesn't matter." He bluntly replied. "No matter how many fruits and vegetables they throw at me, they will not bring me down. They are weak and I am stronger. That is the truth of the matter. Their fangs will never reach me."

"...But even so, meow shouldn't just let them do what they want. Kick their butts." Chloe voiced.

He could try to explain to her why that was not an option as he was the Successor of the Lightning Sword Style, but he doubted many people would understand what honour even meant in Orario. "...I will do no such thing."

"...Meow are weird…"

"If that would be all, I shall be on my way now. I kept my promise. I followed you for the duration of the day. My duty is done."

"Yeah, it is. Thanks again, cutie. I had a lot of fun today, with one exception, of course." She said as she got up from her armchair and stretched her back, a loud Pop sound following a moment later. "Need to wake up early tomorrow, too...Sigh...A cat needs her sleep, Mama Mia...Twelve hours, at least…"

Stopping halfway on his way to the door, Fuzen looked over his shoulder at the cat woman, then sighed a moment later. Then he turned to face her, and began to unbutton his vest. "Lie on the bed."

Chloe blinked a couple of times as she processed the words, her ears twitching in confusion. "Wait, wait, wait. I may have questionable...interests, but they don't extend that far!"

Tilting his head in confusion, he stared at her for a long second. "What are you on about? Just lie on the bed. Now."

"O-Oh my…"

XXX

"And we're back! Hahaha!" Seiji shouted excitedly as he pushed the door to the Blue Pharmacy open and stepped inside. "Home sweet home!"

"Seiji, you're going to wake up the neighbors.."

"Hahahaha! Sorry, Captain! I'm just excited, is all! We played hard, now it's time to work hard! Tomorrow I'll make twice...nay, thrice the amount of money i usually make! Just watch me!"

"No going overboard and getting injured now, Seiji-kun." His God voiced as he walked past the boy, giving his head a pat. "I'll go and take a bath first, if that is okay with you two."

"Please go ahead, Miach-sama."

"Yeah, boss!"

"I'll go do that, then. Make sure you lock the door." He added before making his way upstairs, leaving Seiji and Naaza alone.

Seiji closed the front door and locked it, before making his way to the counter, where he placed the key. "...Say, Naaza."

"Hm?"

"About today...Did you...you know…?"

"What is it?" She inquired.

"...Actually, nothing. Hahaha! Forget about it." Seiji replied a moment later, waving his hand as if to dismiss what he said previously. "I'll go to my room and clean my sword. Tell me when you are done with the bath." Then he made for the stairs, ready to drop the conversation.

"...I enjoyed myself."

"...Huh?"

"Today. I enjoyed myself. Truly. So...thank you, Seiji." She said with a soft smile, one which Seiji took a long moment to admire and burn into his mind.

She had enjoyed herself.

That meant what he set out to do became reality.

"...I see." Seiji said, then smiled at her, a smile that came from the bottom of his heart. "I'm really glad to hear that, Naaza."

"..."

"Then, tell me when the bath's free." He added as he made his way to his room, feeling more fulfilled than ever.

"..."

As for Naaza, she remained standing on the same spot for a couple more seconds, still looking at where Seiji stood just moments ago. She had been taken aback.

Seiji's smile after he heard her say she enjoyed herself, it was more genuine than anything else she had seen before.

Was it truly possible for someone to be that happy for someone else's joy? As she subconsciously pondered on that question, Naaza failed to notice that her tail began to flutter ever so slightly.

XXX

Having finished work and the well-deserved bath that was mandatory afterwards, Anya made her way to her room. Like a couple other workers, she too was a live-in employee, and thus lived at the top floor of the Hostess of Fertility.

"Another day behind me, nya. Now to hit the bed-"

"Ahhh!"

"Nya?"

Having heard the loud moan, Anya stopped in front of Chloe's door.

"Ahhh! Deeper!"

"N-Nya…?"

What, what?!

"T-That's the spot!"

Whatwhatwhat?!

"You're too loud." Next, Anya heard the voice of the boy Chloe went out with today, also coming from inside her room.

By now, Anya began to sweat even more profusely than during her whole day at work.

"I can't help it, cutie~ This is...This is...Puurrrrr!"

"I-I-I heard meowthing!"

No longer wishing to imagine what sort of dark depravity Chloe had fell into, Anya rushed to her room and locked the door.

XXX

She is actually…

Pop!

"Purrrr!"

...purring?

Pop!

"Purrrrr!"

...Huh. Not my place to judge, I guess.

Shaking the thought out of his mind, Fuzen moved his hands further down the woman's back, on the spot he felt the most tension in. Then he pressed, and yet another popping sound came out, the woman's purring intensifying in the process.

Contrary to what some may have believed, he was in fact simply giving the woman a massage, as a sort of last-second bonus thrown in by him regarding his payment to her.

Using his ability to read other peoples' Ki, Fuzen could pinpoint much easier where the tension in her body was located, and release said pressure either by pressing in the right spot with the right amount of force, or by imbuing his own Ki into her body. The latter was not an easy technique by any means.

However, having gotten acquainted with the way her Ki vibrated and pulsed, he could match his own Ki to her wavelength in order for her body to not reject this intrusion as it would usually try to do.

"This is Heaven, meow~!"

"I am glad to be of assistance, then."

"Cutie, how are you this good at massaging?"

"...Experience."

"Purrrr! Oh, so there is another woman who experiences this bliss? I'm jealous~"

"...No. Was."

"Hmm?"

"...Nothing." He replied, knowing the time was almost up.

Just a bit more...Twenty...Fifteen...Ten...Three...Two...One…

"...It is done."

"Hmm?"

"Half a day. I began counting when you started work today. The time is over now. My duty is fully completed." He voiced as he pulled her shirt back back, then landed a hand chop at her neck, knocking the woman unconscious.

...That's for using me as a lackey, you vixen.

Indeed, true to his obsessive self, Fuzen long pondered on where his promise started and ended. Chloe had said that as her payment, she wanted to have him at her disposal for half a day. However, she had failed to be articulate about her wish.

Had she wished for him to be at her disposal once their date started, then Fuzen would have been bound by his promise for up to two hours past midnight. However, she had failed to be precise in her choice of words, and thus Fuzen decided to start the promise in the morning, when her pub opened their doors.

By now, exactly half a day had passed. Twelve hours that he counted second by second.

His promise was fulfilled.

Sigh...Finally, this is behind me…

How he had managed through the day, Fuzen did not know. Indeed, such activities were not something he was used to. Walking around, shopping, following the woman throughout her day off-work, sharing a meal with her...A waste of time, compared to training which could have brought him even just a fraction of a step closer to his goal. However much time he spent along those civilians, something became clear to him: he would never understand how they worked. How they thought. How they went on living without a goal, without duty to something or someone.

But what confused him the most were the creepy woman's actions mere hours ago.

It was no secret to him that his actions in the kingdom of Magic caused people to fear and despise him, both. He had killed nigh three thousand people, hundreds of which were non-combatants. Collateral damage. Had they listened to his warnings and stayed in their homes, they would have lived. But they didn't listen. They never listened, never thought him capable of what he stated.

He took no joy in their deaths. Weak civilians would not help him in the least to grow stronger. Their deaths were also against his teachings, a stain on his honour. But it couldn't be helped, either. Duty and honour, honour and duty. Two sides of the same coin. And in that instance, the coin flipped over to duty. He could afford no mercy.

Yet, actions always had consequences. It was only logical that from the thousands he killed, some would have family in Orario. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, all of whom were disgusted at the sight of Fuzen walking freely and unpunished on the streets. Some would call him names, some would throw stuff at him, others would gather in groups and boo him away.

He cared little for such antics, and let them do as they wished. Even were he not bound by honour to keep his sword sheathed when faced with threats by civilians, the weak could, at most, only be a hindrance to those stronger than them.

It had also happened today, when he was following the woman around on her so-called date. Fuzen knew it could have happened, thus why he advised the woman not to spend time with him. But she refused. Having performed his duty of warning her about the possible danger, Fuzen did not insist on the matter any longer.

Thinking about it now, he guessed that some part of him wanted her to experience it, with the hopes that is would drive her as far away from him as possible. Then he would no longer have to deal with her.

He thought she would be disgusted like the others once the severity of his actions were made crystal clear to her. He thought she would walk away, maybe even join the mobs in their futile protests against him.

However, she did not.

Instead, she…protected him? Fuzen wasn't sure what the word for it was.

But when the people threw that one apple at him as they walked through the marketplace, the Cat woman jumped on the man who threw it, and had Fuzen not pulled her away by force, he was pretty certain she would have ripped him apart.

But why? What for?

People always looked out for themselves. This was a fact, one he knew to be true from experience. Standing up to those who were against him would put her in a much worse social standing. Being an adult, Fuzen knew the woman was aware of this. There was no way she had done that simply because.

What was she after?

Was she trying to get close enough before drawing a blade on him?

Was she trying to get into his good graces, because he was stronger than her?

Was she after his money?

Was she trying to get on the good side with his Familia?

Was she after his Magic, like Altena?

After his Sword Style?

She was after something. He was certain of that. There was no way that could not be true.

But...Fuzen had no evidence. Not yet.

So until then…

"...I...You...Sigh...Thank you." He whispered softly, though there was little reason to do so, as she was already sleeping soundly. Then he pulled the bed sheath over her, ready to leave the room and let her sleep.

...She smells really nice…

…

…

"...Why the hell did I think about that?"

XXX

Morning came, and with it, the start of a new day.

After the waste of time date the day prior, Fuzen had returned to the Twilight Manor, as he was requested to spend the night there now that he was part of Loki Familia once again. Having opened his eyes at first light, he went through with the same routine as always.

Change into his training attire, grab his swords, kick Raiju to wake up, prepare breakfast, eat it, then go to the garden for some training.

As always, he was the first to wake up, thus he enjoyed some relative quiet, which was always appreciated.

Besides the meeting later on, I got no duties towards the East District to complete today. I'll train for a couple hours, attend the meeting, then go for some more training in the Dungeon. Then finish the map, then the last painting the crazy Elf woman pestered me about...Yeah, that's about it…

And so, he began training, starting by performing a thousand sword strikes, then going over the basics. After the first one and a half hour, he began noticing Ki movement inside the Manor. The others were waking up, one by one, which was something he used to figure out time when he got too engrossed in his training.

Luckily, no one has started pestering me yet...Always appreciated-

"Young Master!"

...Scratch that, I guess...SIgh…

Bringing his sword down, Fuzen walked towards the sound of the voice calling for him. He knew it was Yamamoto, his advisor in matters regarding the East District. What intrigued him more is why the old man was here.

"Yamamoto." He called out to the man after taking a turn at the Manor's corner. The old man turned his head to look in his direction at lightning speed, then rushed to his side. "What is it?"

"Young Master! Someone is here to meet you!"

"...Then give them an appointment for when I am free."

"No, you don't understand, my Lord!"

Catching his breath, Yamamoto began to explain exactly what was going on, and the more he listened, the more Fuzen's eyes widened. By the time Yamamoto finished his explanation, Fuzen's expression was one of pure, cold determination. "...Wait by the front gate."

"...Yes, my Lord…"

Raiju. Wake up. Now.

He reached out to the dragon by means of telepathy, waking the lazy lizard out of his slumber. He had questions, but Fuzen did not answer them. He simply allowed their link to transfer the knowledge he had just gained over to Raiju. In a matter of seconds, the dragon flew out of his room, and headed for where Yamamoto was, having grabbed the Raiju no Yoki from the room, as per Fuzen's mental instructions.

The first person Fuzen stopped to was Loki, which he guessed was in her office. He knocked at her door, and got permission to enter a moment later. "Lil' Fuzen, what can I help you with?"

"My last Status update. Do you have it?" He asked bluntly.

"Hm? Of course, my little swordsman~ I got it right here in my drawer-"

"Grab it. Then follow me."

Needing no further explanation, Loki nodded a second later and grabbed the sheet of paper from her desk. She had known Fuzen long enough to know the boy did not goof around with matters of high importance. Wearing such a serious expression, she knew something was up. "We need the Captain, as well."

Together they headed for Finn's office next, and Fuzen asked the Pallum to follow him, as well.

"Is it something important?"

"Yes."

That was the only answer Finn needed to hear. Giving a solemn nod, he got up from his desk and followed the boy outside alongside Loki. Once there, Fuzen ordered Raiju to transform in his middle-sized form, and jumped on his back. The other three did as well, as together they flew over Orario.

Luckily, by now the city had enough time to get accustomed to the dragon flying above their heads, and the possibility of his sight no longer warranted mass-panic to break out.

Within minutes, they had reached the East District, and then Fuzen's mansion, where Raiju landed inside the garden.

"Fuzen, what is happening?" Finn asked after they jumped off from the dragon's back.

"...They are here."

"Who?"

"...Other competitors. It begins." The boy answered as he took the lead once again, walking from the back garden all the way to the front, where a pair of individuals were waiting for him.

Even from a distance, Fuzen had felt one of the two men's divine Aura. He was a God, and probably the other's Master, as well. A tall individual with tanned skin and broad shoulders and wearing an expression which said much about his no-nonsense attitude, the God was a different sight than the Deities which were spread all over the Labyrinth City.

As for the second individual, he was the exact opposite, as far as Fuzen could tell. His expression gave the impression that the man, probably in his early thirties, took few matters seriously in life. At the very least, looking at his well-trained body, Fuzen could say that at the very least, the man was diligent in his training.

"And who are those two fine men, Lil' Fuzen?" His Goddess inquired. "Tho I know one of them already…"

"...That is what I would like to know."

Giving but the slightest bow of his head, the God stepped forward. "I am Skanda, God of War." He introduced himself bluntly, then giving a head sign for the other man to step forward. "And this is Aaryan Gupta. My Disciple. We have come here from the Indan Empire to challenge the Lightning Sword Style." Skanda then looked down towards Fuzen, his brow raising just the slightest bit. "...Although we expected a man, and not a child…"

"Hmpf. So you are here to challenge me as part of the Long Conflict?"

Skanda looked to his Disciple for a short moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"...Fuzen Katsumi, former Tsuwamono of the Far East's Tsugaru Peninsula, current Tsuwamono of Orario's East District, and Successor of the Lightning Sword Style. I hereby accept your challenge."

"...Say, what's a Tsuwamono?" Loki asked as she slid over to Yamamoto, whispering the question quietly.

In response, the old man looked back at her with wide eyes, surprised that she did not know. "Loki-sama, you are not aware?"

"...No?"

"...A Tsuwamono is a title bestowed by the Emperor upon extraordinary individuals who proved their martial might many times over." Yamamoto began explaining, both Loki and Finn listening with interest. "For comparison, they are something between an Earl and a Viscount in terms of authority at the Imperial Court, and are allowed to extend their personal protection over any province or city of the Far East, as long as it's not already under the protection of another Tsuwamono. The reason the East District now belongs to the Young Master is because of this."

Loki stared at the old man for a long second, her eyes by now fully opened. "Wait. So you mean my Lil' Fuzen isn't just cute...but also a noble?"

Yamamoto nodded, looking towards his Young Master's back with a distant look in his eyes. "...Yes. By right of his prowess, he is."

XXX

I gotta say, casual scenes? Not my forte. Took me way too long to write them.

But at least the Chapter's done. Looks just about how I wanted it to look, as well.

Chloe gave me a lot of troubles, to be honest. Finding a good balance of her character, one which is not too shotacon, and not too playful, either, that was a big challenge. Then again, while I may like it myself, not all of you might think the same.

So give me your thoughts on my try at making Chloe's questionable interest a bit of a positive thing.

Btw, this is probably not going to truly, truly happen, but I'll just put it out here, in case it happens.

I am starting to be really disappointed in Danmachi and the path it is taking. I allowed myself some spoilers regarding Volume 17, and I personally don't like it one bit. However, those were just spoilers. I can't build a true impression on whatever it is good or bad until the translated version comes out.

However, depending on how disappointed I'll be with the path of Danmachi, I might drop this fic for good.

Again, it will probably not happen. This is just the current me speaking, after all.

And if it does happen, it's only going to happen after Volume 17 comes out and I have time to read it. So this possibility is still a while away from becoming reality. I also got the anchor which is the Sword Oratoria LN.

The reason I am even mentioning it this early is because of the two possible paths I see for this fic.

1)Either I finish Fuzen's story before I reach the Volume 17 timeline

or

2)If I truly decide to drop it, and Danmachi as a series as well, then I'll put it up for adoption.

If the 2nd option comes to pass, I want any possible writers who would be willing to take over the fic to know in advance.

But yeah, that's about what I wanted to say. Nothing is going to happen just yet, but in case it does, I don't want to be an asshole writer who drops the information on you all at the last second.

With that said, hope you enjoyed the Chapter, give me your thoughts on it, and see you in the next Chapter.

Kay bye.