Ey.
It's me again, with Chapter 26.
There's a couple things I want to go over before we start, however.
First, it's been brought to my attention that when Fuzen is around, all the other characters in the story seem to lose half their intelligence.
After re-reading a couple major parts of the story, I am now aware that this is true, to a certain degree. So yeah, sorry for that. I'll try to improve and balance it out, but please remember that I am not the author of Death Note, either. Writing big brain moves like that isn't something I am very good at.
Secondly, the "brown-haired man" I mentioned at the end of last Chapter is, indeed, Albert. However, he actually has black hair. So yeah, sorry for that mistake, too.
Thirdly, and also lastly, it may seem that this story is no longer focused on Fuzen and his quest to grasp the Heavens. If you also believe this, then...I am glad, for that means I managed to write the story as I intended to until now.
I mean, yes, Fuzen taking over a whole mini-District of Orario, caring for the people there, combined with the very last line in the previous Chapter, all these things may seem like he is no longer focused on his own true goal.
Whatever you also think this to be the case or not, well, that is up to you.
However, I believe I have not disappointed with the Altena "Arc", and I don't plan to disappoint with this next major "Arc", either, you know?
But the path there needs to be paved first, would you not say?
That's about all I can say for now.
With that behind us, go and read my Chapter now.
And don't forget to enjoy.
Kay bye.
XXX
"Lightning Sword Style:" He waited for the trident thrust without blinking, then at the right moment, proceeded with a thrust of his own sword, using the exact required amount of strength to deviate the enemy attack's direction to the side, then let the tip of his katana run along the length of the trident as he took a step closer to the Merman, then slashing in an arc as he moved his body to the left side, decapitating the Merman in one attack. "...Veering Lighting."
Most techniques with a weapon could be compared to unarmed techniques, as well. In this case, Veering Lightning was similar to how someone might throw a jab, deflect the opponent's punch to the side, then attack right afterwards with the same arm.
Next is...a group of three, huh?
Quite so, from the corridor to his right, a group of three more Mermen rushed towards him. He had three to four seconds until they would reach him.
Narrow path. Multiple enemies. Can pick them one by one. Then the best technique would be…
Inhale.
Exhale...
"Lightning Sword Style:" Fuzen held his sword downwards in front of him, then began to move it left and right at a slow pace as he walked towards the screeching enemies. The first enemy launched himself forward, trident coming in a sweeping motion from the boy's left side.
Inhale.
*CLANG!*
With a sound resembling Gareth's sundering and heavy attacks more than Fuzen's quick strikes, the trident was forcefully pushed to the side with the width of the katana, the counter strong enough for the Merman to lose his footing and lean backwards. Not a moment later Fuzen was upon the Monsters, changing the direction of the sword he just countered with, and bringing the blade upon his foe. Once the Monsters was cut in two from the shoulder down, the boy jumped backwards to his original position, sword once again moving left and right at a slow, rhythmical pace. Then the remaining two Monsters met the same end. "...Ebb and Flow."
Exhale…
With that, his side has been cleared, and he sheathed his sword again.
Of course, the Monsters here in the Lower Floors were little challenge for him anymore, even with half of his power gone, but the Mermen were humanoids wielding weapons with greater dexterity than Orcs or any previously encountered Monsters, so they served both as a way to gain Excelia while also practicing his Sword Style against somewhat intelligent and armed enemies.
"...Some tougher enemies would be welcome, though...Sigh…"
With how busy life was for him at the moment, Fuzen had little time to spare for going any deeper into the dungeon than the current Floors, so the most he could do was to keep his skills sharp by fighting weaker Monsters than what he desired.
"Guess I should check on her, too."
Using his latent ability to sense the Ki of others, Fuzen nodded and walked on, taking a right further ahead then walking down that corridor.
Every Ki user was able to sense the life force of other living beings in their vicinity, however, the radius they could do so and the clarity of who they were sensing varied from individual to individual.
Fuzen himself could sense everything in roughly a one hundred meter radius when fully focused.
His Mistress, as far as he had been told, could sense the Ki of others in an area five times greater than his own: roughly five hundred meters, however, only when fully focused on this one task alone.
After all, focus was needed for the full potential of this ability. Fuzen's own radius was reduced by some seventy percent when in the heat of battle, where he had no time to focus on anything else but the fight.
Interestingly enough, Monsters in the Dungeon had no Ki which he could sense. Was this because they were not truly living beings, their life force coming solely from the Magic Stones within their bodies?
Fuzen believed so. After all, from humans to animals and even insects, everything that lived and breathed was shrouded in a faint shroud of life force, of Ki. The only exception to this were the Deities who were timeless and immortal. And there was no way Monsters were anything similar to Deities, that being the reason Fuzen didn't see them as living beings, and why their screams bothered him little.
...Around the corner. Yeah, this signature is her. After all-
"Eyyahhhh!" The girl's scream echoed throughout the corridors, followed moments later by the anguished screams of the Monsters she was facing.
...Yes. Pretty much unmistakable.
"Take that! You want more?!"
"I believe the Monsters have already experienced enough, Tiona-sama, if them turning into ash is any indication."
The Amazon quickly turned around and beamed with what Fuzen would associate with joy, if the books he read a while back were anything to go by. Why the girl did so, he could not tell.
"You done on your side, Fuzen? Damn, that was quick!"
"Obviously." He replied bluntly. "And it seems you decided to stick around, as well."
"Well, I wanted us to fight together, but you ran away again…" The girl voiced with pouted cheeks, throwing a mean yet otherwise harmless stare his way.
"...I have no time to get distracted by Tiona-sama during the limited period of time I can still train nowadays. I have told you this the very first day you wished to tag along."
Quite so, Fuzen had re-joined the Loki Familia, the very day after he broke into Loki's room in the middle of the night.
It has not been an easy undertaking, and it required many people to clarify everything: Fuzen, Loki, Finn, Yamamoto as well as a couple of the business owners who were now working under the boy himself. They had all met at a restaurant in the 6th District, and the talks began.
Loki and Finn were absolutely baffled at what had transpired in the East District, as well at the fact that their former swordsman now was responsible for a big part of the District's economy. They had been shown the changes Fuzen made to that part of town, and were also told of what lead to those changes, up to a certain point
It also made matters, in all honesty, far more difficult for Loki Familia.
Someone who joined a Familia shared that Familia's past and the consequences that came from that link. At the same time, they also became an extension of their Patron Deity's will, and thus most actions they took could and would reflect upon the Familia as a whole. Thus, Fuzen was, for all his power and Magic, more of a hindrance to the Familia than anything else.
He had destroyed the capital of a country, caused the death of some of their civilians and was now the informal ruler of a part of Orario.
If he were to join, the consequences of his war with Altena would be extended upon the whole of the Loki Familia, not to mention that any fight he started in order to keep his East District safe would also reflect back on the Familia, and thus any such enemies of Fuzen would immediately become Loki's enemies, as well.
After two hours of explaining the situation and talking on the matter, as well as how Fuzen joining them would affect the East District, Loki made her decision.
And that was to accept him into the Familia.
In all honesty, despite his...excitement back then when he broke into her room, Fuzen was actually taken aback by her decision. For some reason, he expected, nay, he knew they would not accept him. And yet, he was proven wrong.
Why? That is what he asked the Goddess, his anger for once taking over his otherwise tempered mind. I'm more trouble than I am worth. I'll make you a dozen, no, three dozen more enemies by joining you. All the hate Altena has for me will extend to you, as well. I'll bring ruination upon the Familia you have build carefully from the group up! You're a moron, but you're not dumb, Loki-sama! You should-, no, you know this to be true! So...why? Answer me. He shouted at the Goddess, even slammed his fist down on the table and cracking it halfway during his shouting.
Then her answer came, an answer accompanied by a smile, and the boy felt his eye twitch in response, only his bangs hiding the reaction from the sight of everyone else present.
Nonetheless, he accepted the deal, and became part of the Loki Familia once again.
That has been roughly one month ago, a month in which he prepared much for his goal, the clarity he gained on that night guiding his actions.
Everything is moving at an acceptable rate. The opening ceremony for that thing will be held soon enough, as well. Then the lectures about that other matter. Afterwards, the monthly meeting for the reports on the District's economy. Then, that other thing-
"Hey." A voice shook him from his thoughts, and looking up, he was met with a pair of dark-green eyes just inches away from his face. "Earth to Fuzen?"
"...I apologize. It seems I drifted into thought." He bowed his head and apologized, then walked past the girl and moved forward. "I will be on my way, then."
"H-hey, wait for me!" The Amazon shouted and rushed to reach his side, then extended a hand which held a small bag towards the boy. "Here."
"...Hm?"
"Mermen Scales. You were looking for those Drop Items for the last week, weren't you? I...w-well, I found some, and I don't need them, so...y-yeah. Take them!" She blurted the last part out and turned to look away, arm still stretched towards Fuzen.
"Hmmm…"
...Taking in consideration the bag's size, there must be at least two dozen scales in there. How has she managed to gather so many in only one day? I've been at it for longer than a week and barely got four. Granted, I could buy them, but I've already spent so much in the last couple of months...But then again…
"...It is appreciated, but I will politely decline." He replied at last, pushing her hand back towards her.
"E-Eh, but why?"
"Because if I accept this, you will require a favour out of me. A request for us to engage in battle, no doubt." She looked over at the cooper-skinned girl, noticing her flinch at his words. "Hit the nail on the head, did I? Alas, I have no time for such matters."
"...Ahh, man...Spent a whole week farming them, too…"
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. Nothing…"
"...I see."
Obviously, being so close to her, he had heard her mumble loud and clear. A whole week, you say? Is she in that much need of leverage over me? What for? Why? To what end? Hmm...As I suspected, this girl is up to something…
Quite so, Tiona has been sticking to his side ever since Fuzen re-joined the Loki Familia, pestering him even more than she did in the whole year he spent at the Twilight Manor before leaving the Familia. Whatever he was taking a walk, going into the Dungeon or learning the subjects he needed to understand before the year was up, Tiona was always there.
Surprisingly enough, however, she was not like before.
No, unlike the last time he was part of Loki Familia, Tiona was no longer loud nor did she try to push her own ideals onto him. Instead, she simply...watched him.
Granted, Fuzen was no longer annoyed now that she kept quiet, but...it was eerie. Very much so, in fact. Not to mention highly suspicious.
"Say." The girl spoke, drawing his attention to her. "You've...grown, haven't you?"
"Hm? An interesting question. I have, indeed, grown a little in the past couple of months, yes. My proficiency in battle has increased thanks to the extended reach I now possess."
Though he still had a while until he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the older girl besides him, Fuzen had experienced a growth spur recently, and was now a couple of centimetres taller, standing at roughly 143 centimetre in height.
"...I-I see. So...uhh...has anything, like, changed?"
"...A peculiar question. Why do you wish to know?" The boy inquired as he narrowed his eyes, suspicion already rising within him.
"Ah, well, you know. It's that, right?"
"...And what would that be?"
"Amazons. Right. We don't have any males, yeah? So it's just out of curiosity!"
...She makes a fair point, I suppose…
"...Has something changed, was it? Hmm...can't say I feel anything different, no. Physically or otherwise."
"Nothing at all…?"
"No, I still feel the same as before."
"And...what's that?" Tiona asked in anticipation.
"Like I have not yet grasped the Heavens."
Tiona's shoulders dropped slightly at the answer, despite her not having expected must to begin with. "Oh...I see."
"Is something the matter?"
"Nothing, nothing…"
"...I see. Then, I shall go on ahead." The boy stated with a nod.
"Wait, what?"
"I have other matters to attend to on the surface. Thus, I will be going on ahead."
"Hey now, I'm not that slow either, you know? No need for you to treat me as if I'm some sort of dead weight." Tiona replied with a sigh, more baffled at Fuzen's lack of tact than she was annoyed.
"...If that is what you believe. Usually, my code would dictate that I remain close to others and protect them while danger lurks close by, but seeing how Tiona-sama is as strong as she is...I have little to worry about."
"...For some reasons, the way you said that really irked me…"
"It did? I see..."
"...Sigh...Anyway, quickly reach the surface, that's the task right? Then, let's race there! Winner gets a favour over the loser! What'cha say?"
"I have little need of favours. Nonetheless, as the Successor of the Lighting Sword Style, I shall not lose."
The Amazon laughed and gave the boy a heavy pat on the back, one he felt despite his enhanced state of being. "Look at that! For a wuss, you are pretty competitive, aren't you?"
"...There can be no competition if the winner has already been decided, can it? So no, I am not competitive, Tiona-sama."
"...Oh. Ohhh...So that's what we're playing, are we? Alright, alright…" Tiona smiled and impaled one end of her Urga into the ground, then going for a few stretches before picking up her weapon again. "Ready?"
"What's that one western saying again…? Ah yes: ladies first."
"Pfff...Go!"
A moment later, Tiona took off running, already making for the shortest route to the Floor above. Indeed, her weapon's weight did slow her down a bit, however it was not nearly enough for her to fall behind her sister or any of the other Level 5's either. Indeed, her movements were so fast, in fact, Level 1's and 2's could hardly hope to ever see her for more than a single second before she passed them by.
All right! I'll win this race! The girl motivated herself as she increased her speed, cutting down the handful of Monsters which appeared in front of her as she changed corridors in a single strike of her gigantic weapon. What should I ask for? A fight, maybe? Hmm...But we already spar from time to time...Ah well, I'll think about it when I get there!
A couple of moments later, she realized "...Hey, where's-? Kyaah!"
"Much to learn, you still have." Came the reply from behind her, causing the girl to flinch and jump up. Fuzen used this moment of distraction from Tiona's side to get ahead of her. "Alas, such is the truth. Have a safe trip back to the surface, Tiona-sama."
With his Lighting Drive technique, he rushed on ahead, his back growing ever smaller to the girl behind him.
...Ahh, man...He left me behind again. I wonder if this is what Tione usually feels…
XXX
"Buhahahaha!" The laughter echoed throughout the Blue Pharmacy, it's volume by now a familiar sound to those passing by the home of the Miach Familia.
"Stop laughing, Seiji."
"Buhahaha, no can do, Cap!"
"We are literally checking your wounds. What is even funny about it?"
"Nothing, hahaha! But it's better to laugh than to complain about pain, isn't it?"
Currently, Seiji was sitting on a chair as Naaza and Miach inspected the wounds on his upper body. Naturally, they could have just allowed him to simply use a healing potion. But the reason behind the inspection was another one.
Indeed, the reason why the two inspected his wounds was to figure out if their decision to allow his deeper diving into the Dungeon had been the right one or not.
"A couple scratches, a few lacerations, some bite marks…" Naaza frowned and looked up at the boy. "How come you always get bitten?"
"Hahaha, I dunno!" Seiji simply shrugged in response. "Guess I'm just as appealing to the Monsters as Captain is to me. Hahahaha!"
Naaza simply sighed at the words, by now having gotten used to his day-long compliments, be they at first light or throughout the day. Initially she had believed ignoring his compliments would make the boy understand she could not return his feelings, even if they were but the crush of a boy his age. However, Seiji had been a member of her Familia for a while now, and yet this time did little to change his approach with her.
Maybe I should just tell him directly…? Would that be less painful for him…?
"Well, all things considered…" Miach spoke, interrupting Naaza from her thoughts. He had just finished inspecting his latest member, and gave a nod. "Injuries are unavoidable as an Adventurer, so of course, this much is to be expected, painful as that is to accept. Even so, you did well, Seiji-kun." Miach voiced as he placed his palm on the boy's shoulder, his ever-present smile feeling even kinder than usual.
"...O-Of course I did well, boss! Who do you think I am? Hahaha!"
"Ah, Seiji's blushing." The Chienthrope stated with a smirk as she noticed the slight redness in the boy's cheeks. "He's blushing and trying to hide it by being boisterous."
"H-Hey, that's ain't true!" He quickly dismissed the statement before letting out a Tsk, scratching the back of his head. "...I ain't blind, you know? I'm aware now that you two were...well, worried and stuff. About me, I mean. And a man shouldn't make others worry about him, right? So...yeah."
The other two stared at him in silence for a long moment, surprised at his quick growth and the consideration he showed for his Familia. "...Thank you for thinking of us as well, Seiji-kun."
"Of course, boss!"
"You still got pretty banged up, though…"
"Now, now, Cap. I gotten better, yeah? I mean…" Seiji then reached for the inside of the pouch stripped to his belt, and took out two healing potions. "I haven't even used all my daily potions, after all. Neat, huh?" He added with a smirk.
For Miach and Naaza both, this realization came as a great surprise. Being a medicinal-type Familia, they both decided to support their newest member the best they could, and thus equipped Seiji with potions for all situations he might encounter. However, it was only the healing potions that had a daily limit, and that was four, with the fifth being a high-tier potion he was allowed to use only in a real pinch.
The reason for this limit on healing potions was no other than the boy's great lust for battle, and to hold him back from doing anything too reckless. Nonetheless, he had been allowed to dive into a new Floor a short while ago, and despite the increased challenge, Seiji had managed to get by on two potions alone. Naaza and Miach both were pleasantly surprised at this.
"...Good work, Seiji. Seems like you are pretty cool-headed, after all."
"Course I am, Cap! Anyway, with that said, how about updating my Status, boss?"
Miach nodded and grabbed a stool, moving behind the boy and beginning the process of updating after stabbing his finger with a needle, letting his blood drop on Seiji's back. "…My, my. Looks like you were doing your best out there."
"Did I improve?" Seiji asked.
"Of course you did. Now just to update the changes...There we go." Using his divine authority, Miach solidified the changes in Seiji's Basic Abilities using the Excelia the boy earned through his hard work, then placed a sheet of paper on his back and copied the Status into the language of the mortals.
"Lemme see, lemme see!"
"Hmhm, here you go."
Seiji Okita
LV 1
STR G 205 → 211
VIT G 270 → 279
DEX H 192 → 195
AGI H 180 → 188
MAG I 0 →
Overall, an improvement of twenty-six points across all Basic Abilities. It wasn't bad by any means, so of course Seiji was happy about the improvement, but...it wasn't exactly what he had hoped for, either.
He wanted more.
Much, much more.
A Skill would have been nice, too, but Seiji had little hope he would receive one while still a Level 1.
"...Guess I still have a long way ahead of me, huh?"
"You are growing at a much higher rate than other Level 1's, Seiji. You should be glad." Naaza expressed after taking a quick glance at his Status. "Usually it takes months upon months for Adventurers to reach rank F or G in their Basic Abilities. Granted, yours were already a bit developed when you joined us, but you have only been a member for the better part of two months, and already have two rank G Abilities. That's pretty amazing."
"Praise from the Captain, huh? I could get used to it, hahaha!" Seiji replied with a short laugh, then looked over the Status again with a focused look on his face. "...Cap, you are Level 2, right?"
"Hm? Yes."
"...Then I need to become a high Level 2 or Level 3 first, huh…? Damn." He squeezed the piece of paper with his Status on it in his hand, a mad grin splitting his face in two. "Well, now I'm motivated...Hehehe." Seiji then unscrewed the lid from one of his remaining potions and gulped it all in one go, his wounds a distant memory in but a couple of moments. "Well, sorry but I'll have you wait a bit more, Naaza."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"...You'll know when the time comes, Cap. Anyway, I should be on my way."
"To the Guild?" His God inquired.
"That, too. I'll drop by the workshop first." He pointed at his curved greatsword leaning against the wall by the entrance. The blade was stained with thick blood, and multiple dents could be seen across the side of the sword, indicating it was in need of maintenance. "My piece ain't the beauty she once was anymore. Got pretty damaged today, too."
"How come?" Naaza asked next.
"She's big but also wide, yeah? I can use it as a sort of shield as well, at least against frontal attacks. Those Needle Rabbits kept jumping at me trying to skewer me, so I blocked a lot of them today with it. Not to mention those better versions of Goblins and Kobolds. They're quick, those buggers, thus it's hard to evade them all. Gotta block a lot."
"...I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but...why such a big sword? I mean, Adventurers are strong enough to wield gigantic weapons with ease, but as a Level 1…"
"Hahaha, there's couple of reasons for that, Cap! Firstly, big weapons are cool!" Seiji stated as he spread his arms to his side, letting out yet another thunderous laugh. "The stuff of legend, ain't they? Would be weird if some legendary dude or dudette were to wield something lame like knifes, right? So yeah, big weapons rock! Hahaha!"
"...That reason is even more lame…"
"...But jokes aside, it's also because of training."
"Training?"
"Yep. I was very weak until a short while ago, yeah? Puking blood and so on all day. So I thought, if I can't train for long, might as well maximize the short time I can, right? Thus I asked that runt to go buy me the biggest sword from the nearest town with the little money I had left from my parents. Granted, the weight alone probably cut the time I could have trained in half on it's own, but meh, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, no?"
"...That's a very respectable mindset, Seiji-kun." Miach stated with a slight nod as he listened with great interest.
"I know, isn't it? Hahahaha! And well, if I had to name another reason?" Seiji walked up to his sword and lifted it with one hand, looking over the blade as a smile creped on his lips. "It's a sort of friendship token, I guess?"
"Token, you say?"
"Well, yeah. I did say I asked that unpleasant runt to go buy it for me, yeah? Well, the money I had back then was the equivalent of what, two or three thousand Valis? You can barely buy beginner equipment with that. And yet, the runt came back with this sword. It was freshly forget, too. Could still smell the blacksmith's sweat off of it and all that."
"Haha, that does sound a bit too expensive for a couple thousand Valis, yes." Miach laughed as he linked the loose ends of the story together.
"I know, right? Funniest part was, when I asked him how he got his hands on such a fine blade, that runt was like : Uhhh...It was on sale." Seiji told as he imitated his friend's monotone voice and unchanging expression. "Buhahaha! Weapon shops don't have sales, you idiot, they have discounts!"
He had another good laugh then strapped the sword to his back, the weight still a bit too heavy yet at the same time familiar to the boy. "...With that said, boss, I do have a favour to ask."
"What is it?"
"Well, I already exchanged the Magic Stones I gained today back at Babel, but it's probably not going to be enough. Could I...well, have some more money for the repairs?"
"Seiji, a Familia helps and support each other. There are no favours to ask for." Miach told the boy as he walked past him, patting his shoulder once. "Knowing your weapon won't fail you when you need it most will also put my mind at ease, you know? Now wait here a bit, I'll go get the money."
Once the Patron Deity was gone, a moment of silence fell over the room and it's remaining two occupants, rare as it was for the boy to allow awkwardness to take form when he was present.
"...I'm sorry."
The apology was sudden and unexpected, taking the Chienthrope girl by surprise. "...What for?"
"...This Familia is already in debt, and here I am, getting my equipment carelessly damaged and requiring money...So...well, sorry."
...Oh...So that's what this was all about. Hmhm, I guess this is what I believed back then, as well…
"Seiji, you do realize the only reason Miach-sama can lend you money is because of you, right?"
"...Huh?"
"Before you joined, we only had enough money to somehow scrape by. In a way, Miach-sama is simply giving you your hard earned money back. Don't think on it too much." She told the boy, speaking from the experience of having such thoughts, as well, back when she was still an Adventurer herself. Then she smiled. "You're doing good, Seiji."
…
Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump!
Thump-Thump! Thump-Thump!
With the deafening sound of his own heartbeat throbbing in his ears, Seiji felt his face on fire as the words of praise echoed in his mind, over and over again. Luckily for him, Miach walked in soon after with a bag of Valis, which Seiji grabbed with a quick Thanks! before storming out of the pharmacy and running at full speed towards his next destination.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I knew it, of course, but…! But…!
"She's hot! Way too hot! Hahahahaha! My heart is about to jump out of my chest, damn it! Buhahahaha! This is...being alive! Hahahaha!"
Ignoring the looks he was getting from the people on the street he was running down on, Seiji laughed and laughed, then laughed some more, all the way up to the Guild. Then, he laughed some more as he approached the counter. "Hahahaha, make room, make room, Seiji Okita is here! Hahahaha!"
Though he had not been in Orario for long, Seiji managed to gain a reputation by now, thanks in no small part to his personality and inhuman levels of loudness, but mostly because of his Dungeon escapades, the feats which earned him his unofficial moniker.
"Hey, Maniac. Something good happen?" One Adventurer Seiji met once in the Upper Floors asked from two waiting lines away.
"Hahaha, I'm alive, still got two legs and two arms, my heart is beating for my own sake as well as that of others...I'm more than just good, mate, I'm ecstatic! Buhahaha!"
His reply got a couple of laughs from the nearby Adventurers, as it always did. Unknown to the boy himself, however, it also managed to get a couple chuckles from the receptionists up ahead.
Before long, it was his turn to step forward, and he informed the receptionist of the reason for his visit, then got sent to a numbered booth to wait. This was by far his least favoured part of coming to the Guild, especially since his Advisor was usually in no rush to show up.
Thus, he crossed his arms and sighed.
One minute.
Three minutes.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Thirteen minutes.
Eighteen minutes.
It was only when thirty minutes passed that he heard his Advisor's rushed steps making their way towards his booth.
Well...finally.
"I-I'm so sorry for the wait, Okita-kun!" The pink-haired girl, Misha Floot, apologized as she bowed once towards Seiji before taking a seat opposite of him, a clipboard with papers in her hand and a pen in the other. "Truly, sorry! My work kept me occupied…"
"Hahaha, think nothing of it! However, it seems your work left it's mark on you…" Seiji cleared his throat before tapping his cheek to the woman. She imitated his movement, then felt the slightly dry line of spit on her cheek, her face quickly turning red in embarrassment as she wiped herself clean.
"U-Uhhh...please, pretend you didn't saw this...Please…"
"Hahaha, sure! You'll have to do me a favour for it, though."
"A favour?"
"Yeah! But more on that later. Shall we go over my report?"
"Yes. I'll write down all the important parts, so please just proceed to tell me how your first trip to the 8th Floor was."
Wasting no more time, Seiji proceeded to casually tell the woman how his trip was, what kind of Monsters he encountered, as well as the difficulty of the new Floor and how many potions he needed to use. Overall, once his report came to an end a couple of minutes later, his Advisor had been as surprised as his Familia on how well he had done.
"That's...pretty amazing, Okita-kun. Usually it is recommended to have Basic Abilities at Rank E for the 8th Floor, yet you did amazing even with lower ranked Abilities. I was against it at first, but…"
"Hahaha, pretty amazing, ain't I?" He asked with a laugh.
"Well, usually people with former training do much better in the Dungeon than completely fresh newbies. Seems like your hard work paid off, didn't it?" Misha asked as she finished her notes, making sure to memorize every change about her advisee. "And a total increase of twenty-six points across the board, huh? Somehow, that's hard to believe. You didn't sneak down on the 9th Floor, did you?" She added with a mean look thrown his way.
"Geez, of course not. My God would have seen through it if I tried to lie, you know? Miach's a chill boss, but he ain't one I want to anger, after all."
"...Guess that's true. By the way, you said your weapon got damaged, didn't you? Do you have a blacksmith you can rely on or should I recommend one to you?"
"Nah, it's fine. In truth, there's one...weapon fixer I'll visit after I'm done here."
"Weapon fixer?" Misha asked with a raised eyebrow. That was indeed a strange way to call a blacksmith. "Not a blacksmith?"
"Well...let's just say this person is more interested in repairing weapons than crafting them. It's no bother, however. It's not like I want a new weapon, just want mine hammered straight and sharp a bit. It's cheaper, too, all things considered."
"I see...Well, if you are absolutely certain you can trust this person…"
"Yeah, don't worry, Mi-chan. Hahaha!"
"...You realize I am older than you, right?"
"So what? Mi-chan is small and cute, so Mi-chan will remain Mi-chan. Buhahahaha!"
As Seiji laughed without a care, Misha felt the blush from earlier return to her cheeks. Despite the past couple of weeks of getting used to the boy, his direct, if not outright brutal, honesty was something she still could not bring herself to get used to. "P-Please don't say thoughtless things like that all of a sudden, Okita-kun…"
"Buhahaha! It's what I think, and I'm not about to be dishonest about my thoughts, Mi-chan! Anyway, we're done with the report, right?"
"Yes, we are…"
"Then, now it's time for that favour I wanted to ask of you, as a reward for not whistling to your superiors that you slept on the job."
"Getting blackmailed by a kid...Sigh...What is it you want?"
Seiji smirked as he leaned forward on the table towards her, a smirk most cunning which the Advisor would normally not associate with someone as honest as Seiji. "How about going on a date, Mi-chan?"
"...Wut?!"
A couple minutes later, Seiji walked out of the Guild with the same smirk on his face, having already planned everything with his Advisor. With that behind him, Seiji took the alleyways as a shortcut towards his next stop, which was pretty far away. The Guild was located in Orario's 7th District, while the place he was about to visit was located in the 2nd District.
He decided he did not want to waste too much time, however, and as such Seiji began a brisk walk, the change of pace allowing him to arrive some half an hour after leaving the Guild.
The sound of a hammer falling upon metal resonated from inside the shop, but he walked in anyway. Though he had little desire to interrupt them during work, in all honestly, blacksmiths were peculiar individuals who never stopped working, and as such, waiting for a right time would be the very epitome of idiocy.
"Hahahaha, Seiji Okita is here!" The boy announced as he walked inside then took the left hallway and then pushed the door at the far end open with a forceful push. Obviously, a little scare like this was not enough to break the blacksmith's focus, and the hammering did not stop in it's rhythmical ambience which defined the workshop.
Damn, she's focused...Seiji thought as he spared a glance at the back of the blacksmith, Tsubaki of the Hephaestus Familia. However, his business was not with her, despite this being her workplace. Instead, Seiji moved to the end of the room, and waved. "Hey there!"
"...You've grown stronger." Fuzen stated as he looked up for a single moment, scanning Seiji from head to toe before returning to his task of sharpening an axe at the grindstone.
"Hahaha, I know right? Just look at those guns, bro!" He then proceeded to lift up his sleeve and flex his arm. Indeed, being both older and taller than Fuzen, Seiji showed some small degree of defined musculature, though it was still far from what he desired to achieve.
"I am not interested in your muscles. Also, I've told you to stop addressing me like that, bro."
"Hahaha, no can do, bro!"
"Mhhh...There can only be one reason for why you have come here." Fuzen voiced as he lifted the axe and inspected it's edge. Unsatisfied with the work so far, he brought it to the grindstone again and continued sharpening it. "Leave your weapon over there and go."
"Man, you cold! Hahahaha! Anyway, how long until it's done?" Seiji asked, drawing the blade from his back and holding it to Fuzen for inspection. The younger boy scanned the sword for a long moment, then nodded.
"I'm here only for three or so hours per day, and Collbrande-sama also has other tasks for me to perform...Two days. Come and pick it up around this time in two days."
"Gotcha." Seiji nodded, then laid the sword down on the table near Fuzen along with the bag of Valis he brought for the repairs. "Then I'll leave it to you."
"Mhm. Here." Fuzen then took out the sword at his hip and threw it towards Seiji.
"What's this?"
"...Your weapon replacement?" Kenshi said with a mocking tone, slightly annoyed that his associate even needed to ask. "Or are you going to pummel the Monsters in the Dungeon to death with your fists until your weapon's repairs are done?"
"Oh. Sweet!" He half-drew the sword from it's scabbard and looked at the edge of the sword, immediately noticing how sharp and well-maintained it was. "And damn, it's light! I barely feel it's weight! Hahahaha!"
"That katana, Eisatsu, and this chisa katana, Utegiri, came together as a set at the price of ninety million Valis. If you so much as think of using it like that chunk of metal you call a sword, I'm cutting you down."
"Hahaha, have some more faith in me, you unpleasant blank-faced mental geezer! Of course I ain't gonna use it like that!...Probably…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing!"
"...Hmpf. Also…" Getting up from his chair and leaning the axe he was sharpening against the wall, Fuzen walked to the far end of the workshop and opened a drawer, then once again threw something in Seiji's general direction. After catching and inspecting it, Seiji raised an eyebrow in confusion. It was a gladius, a one handed sword.
"What's this for?"
"Take it. Collbrande-sama refused to teach me unless I crafted any one weapon, and that's the result of that." Fuzen informed as he made his way back to the grindstone, a unique sort of concentration visible in his eyes, one which Seiji never saw in him until now.
"You can't learn to properly maintain weapons until you've put work and sweat into making a weapon yourself, after all." Tsubaki spoke for the first time since Seiji walked inside the workshop, yet not stopping her work for a single moment.
"...Well, it's as the Master Smith said."
"...Hahaha. Giving me your scrap now, huh?"
"...Scrap...you say? Well, if you think so, sure. I don't care either way."
The words raised suspicion within Seiji, and so he with another look at the weapon in his hand, he decided to take a look at it. He grabbed the scabbard with one hand and the hilt with the other. Then he pulled it out, only to be met with his own reflection staring back at him.
"...The heck?! This...is a good weapon?!" He shouted as he fully drew the gladius and gave it a couple of quick swings, pleased with how it felt and cut through the air. It was a short blade, longer than a baselard but still smaller than a normal two-edged sword or katana.
"...Obviously." Fuzen replied. "I wasn't going to give you a noodle attached to a hilt, Seiji."
"Pfff...Noodle...Hahahaha! But damn, jokes aside, this is a fine weapon!"
"Yes. It's steel coated in an alloy made from the minerals found on the Upper Floors. It's nothing compared to what any blacksmith with a couple of months of experience under his belt could craft, but well, it's better quality than the Guild starter weapons, at least."
"You are either too modest or too ignorant, Fuzen." Tsubaki spoke up again. "It is better than what a beginner blacksmith could craft. Ain't no reason to give the boy false information about a weapon."
"...Well, shit, really? And you're...giving me this? Why?"
"Got no use for it. I have my swords, and my Familia takes good care of it's members. Thus they are all equipped with better weapons than that sword. Honour dictates I give a the weapon I crafted to one who is in need of it, and well, you are in need of more than just one sort of help…"
"Hahahaha! Well then, I won't say no! Thanks, dude!"
"I'm not anyone's dude."
"But what about price?"
"It's free. Taking it off my hands is payment enough."
"But…I can't-"
"Seiji." Fuzen voiced as he looked up, his eyes meeting Seiji's. "You are the idiot who decided to join a Familia in debt, so are you in any position to decline something that's free? Trying to bargain for a price when there could be no price to be paid simply puts more pressure on your Familia and it's low income. Think first, then speak."
He took a moment to allow the words to sink in, and realized they hurt more than they should have. Indeed, he too had previously been a son of Hachiman, and honour was high up the ladder of important things to him, as well. But, even with that said…
...Naaza and boss are more important to me right now…
He sheathed the sword and fastened it at his hip, on the right side, it's weight lighter than that of the katana on his left hip which Fuzen allowed him to borrow for the time being.
"...Thanks. Truly."
"Think nothing of it."
"Hahaha! Ok! But say, dude, why the sudden interest in blacksmithing? You wanna Class Change?"
"I said I'm not anyone's dude, bro." Fuzen replied with a twitching eye. "And of course not. The knowledge I am gaining here under Collbrande-sama is simply yet another stepping stone needed on my path."
"You mean…?"
"This is required for me to grasp the Heavens." Fuzen nodded. "It is required for the next step towards that goal, to be more precise."
"Hmmm…? Can't see how practicing maintenance on weapons would help you in that endeavour...But meh, I'm sure you know what you're doing! Buhahaha!"
"...If that is all, be on your way. Come back in two days."
"Ok, gotcha! See you around! Have a good day, Tsubaki-san! Hahahaha!" And so, with the same laughter with which he entered the workshop, Seiji rushed out and onto the main street.
I'm feeling excited all of sudden! Hahahaha!
Throwing a glance at the swords at his hips, Seiji smirked.
Then he ran off towards the Dungeon.
XXX
"So that's the one they call Self-Parade Maniac, huh?" The woman asked after her work was finished, getting up from her forge and grabbing a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off her body.
"Mhm."
"Lively boy, isn't he? With all the laughter." Tsubaki voiced as she approached Fuzen, grabbing the nearby axe he took care off and inspecting the work he had done on it. Surprisingly enough, he had done good. Very much so, in fact. "You two are like polar opposites."
"Mhm." Fuzen nodded again, not lifting his head to look at the master smith. He was too focused on the spear she had entrusted to him.
"You did good on the axe, Fuzen. No one would believe that is the work of someone with only three weeks of experience. Part-time experience, at that."
"Mhm."
Oh, boy. And I thought I was awkward with people…
Shrugging at the boy, Tsubaki's eye fell upon the blade Seiji had left on the table, and walked up to it, interested at what sort of weapon he was using. Once at the table, she lifted the blade with one hand and inspected the blade.
...Oh, the famous alloy they use in the Far East. This brings me back...The weight is well-balanced. Nice grip, too. And the curvature on the edge is very good. As for the forging style…
She focused and inspected the work put into the blade. Though the quality of a weapon was defined by the materials used in it's creation, every blacksmith had a little...something, a little part of themselves they put into their work which allowed for those with enough talent to tell apart one sword from another.
Hmm...This style of forging...I've seen it before somewhere…
"...Ohh. Say, Fuzen."
"Hm?"
"This sword. It's pretty similar to the gladius you forged-"
Whoosh!
The projectile flew her way, slow enough for her Level 5 instincts to pick it up and step out of the way, yet fast enough to take her by surprise. Then it made a loud sound as it hit the wall in front of her and remained impaled, it's handle swinging up and down for a while until it stopped.
"The spear's done." The boy behind her informed casually.
"...I can see that." Tsubaki nodded as she slowly turned to look at the boy and his blank-face. "Good work."
"Thank you. Kindly pass me the sword, if you would."
"Sure thing." Tsubaki nodded once, and then...
WHOOSH!
BANG!
...she threw the sword roughly five times faster and stronger at him, the wall behind the boy exploding into countless pieces of debris as a cloud of dust spread throughout the room.
"...A little bit of an overkill, would you not say, Collbrande-sama?" Fuzen asked as his whole upper body leaned to the opposite side from where the sword hit the wall.
"What can I say? You got a girl all excited over here. Not many have the balls to do what you just did."
"They don't? I see..."
"Hahahaha!" She let out a loud laugh, similar to one of Seiji's. "You're lucky I like you, Fuzen!"
"I am?"
"Yes. Now, get on to work. We can't have that friend of yours wait too long, right?"
"He's not my friend. He has now become an associate."
"Oh? Well, not like it's any of my business."
"Indeed."
"Mhm. Also, make sure you fix the wall."
"Wait what?"
XXX
She was feeling excited as of late, to say the least.
Which was strange, even Ais had to acknowledged that.
But it didn't truly matter. He had re-joined her Familia again, and she could now once again spar against the boy. She could once again measure herself up to him.
However, that was not everything, either.
She also felt excited about the fact that he longer hated her.
Of course, this didn't mean much has changed. Far from it, in fact. But, at the very least, nothing worsened, either. And though she was not exactly the best person to say this, her own lack of social adaptiveness considered, Ais could sense...something changing.
Looking up at the sky, Ais noticed the sun going down and decided to move up her training stop to the side of the Manor which allowed her to view the entrance gates, as well as anyone leaving or entering their premises.
With that done, she continued her training, which as of lately focused more on the speed of her swings. She believed this to be a major reason as to why she lost to the boy.
If I can swing faster than he can react, I will win!
Since Fuzen had re-joined the Loki Familia again roughly one month ago, they had engaging in a couple of sparring sessions. Not too many, as the boy was surprisingly busy with matters, as he called them, but enough for Ais to noticed that not even the increase in Basic Abilities following their dive into the 56th Floor was enough to allow her to win.
Who even heard of a Level 2 that strong? She asked herself as he continued practicing her swings, slightly annoyed after remembering the fact she never won against him.
Levels were what dictated the strength of individuals, and they have done so for the last one thousand years. A Level 1 could not hope to defeat a Level 2: the difference in abilities was simply too great. That is what everyone knew to be true, what she believed to be true.
"...It's infuriating."
It was as if he was laughing and mocking all the years of training she had went through, all the pain she suffered to become strong-
"...No." Ais shook her head, displeased with where her thoughts were heading towards. "If he can win...it simply means he trained more…"
After a moment of focusing her mind, Ais resumed her training, all the while keeping an eye on the gates of their Manor. She trained, and trained some more, until the sun went down and the night began to fall over the city.
He's...late…
Though she knew the boy was free to do as he wanted with his time, Ais was nonetheless slightly disheartened at the thought of not sparing with him. Though Fuzen was much more talkative than her, he said little unless asked or addressed. Communication between them was vague, to say the least.
However, there were multiple ways to communicate, and sword fighting was one of them. When clashing swords, Ais could, little by little, learn more about someone, for their true selves showed in their swordsmanship.
It was through fighting that Ais learned the most about the boy, and it was through fighting that Fuzen himself learned the most about her.
Faultless dedication.
That is what the Sword Princess learned of the boy through their sparring session. There was probably no one in Orario, or perhaps even beyond the Labyrinth City, who dedicated themselves to a single something as much as the boy.
It was through training she could not even imagine the difficulty of, it was through faultless dedication to his sword style that the boy had reached a nigh-peerless state of mastery over the sword, a mastery Ais had not yet managed to reach, nor see the starting line of.
In all her life, there had been a single individual Ais knew off who could compete with the boy, a single man who could probably last long enough against the eastern swordsman to have a chance at winning.
Dad...Could he win against Fuzen…?
It was then, as she wondered about what the outcome between her father and the boy fighting each other would have been, that she noticed someone walking through the gates with the corner of her eye.
She looked in his direction, and he did the same.
Stare…
Stare…
As he approached, she slowly narrowed her eyes, and he did the same, both starring at each other for the duration of the boy's approach. Then he stopped just before the stairs leading inside, and they stared at each other some more. It was then that Ais noticed that Fuzen was covered in dust and...stains of cement?
"...What...happened?" She inquired.
She shrugged with a sigh, apparently annoyed at being reminded. "...Construction work."
"Oh…"
"Yes."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"...One round." Fuzen stated after a couple more seconds of silence between them. "It's late and my schedule has been messed up. I'll fight you for one single round."
"Yes, please!" Ais replied with excitement in her voice, her eyes almost on the brink of sparkling.
Wasting no more time, she walked towards a wider area of their garden, Fuzen following shortly behind her, then turned around to face him once enough distance was between the two of them. She immediately drew her rapier, the memories of the of time Fuzen kicked the blade back in it's scabbard and ending the fight in two moves still vivid in her mind.
"...Hm? What happened...to your other sword?"
"Eisatsu? I gave it to someone in need for a couple days." Fuzen replied as he bend his knees, taking his stance. "It matters little. This short sword is all I need."
"...That's...slightly infuriating to hear…" Ais voiced.
"And? What are you going to do against it?" He asked in return, face as devoid of emotions as always.
As of late, he was much more provoking during their sparring, Ais noticed. Was there some sort of reason behind it? Ais pondered on the thought, but couldn't truly come up with any good reasons for it.
"...Let's start."
Fuzen nodded, and bent his knees even deeper, right hand firmly holding the hilt of his sword.
She knew he would attack, and so, she decided to break off his concentration by attacking first. A step forward, and the distance between them had been halved, her Level 5 Status allowing her to easily do so.
Then she slammed her foot into the ground and jumped back, just barely avoiding the blade coming towards her neck.
Quick-draw? No, he's not sheathing the sword again! Looking away for the blade which Fuzen held horizontally to his side, just barely fast enough to block the thrusting attack he performed with the scabbard he now held in his off-hand. She gathered her strength and pushed him back.
Not wasting the opportunity, Ais dashed forward at lightning speed before Fuzen could regain his balance, a dozen strikes launched at him. The boy managed to reflect all of the blows to the sides, but Ais could feel it.
Unlike before, I am pushing him back. Then…!
Waiting for the right moment, Ais performed a faint, an upwards slash to make Fuzen take a step back, then linked her movement with the next attack, a downwards slash with both hands.
Fuzen brought both his sword and scabbard above his head, intercepting the attack. As Ais thought, he bend his knees and with a grunt, pushed her sword back. But she had already expected this from him, and jumped back a fraction of a second before his push, all in order not to lose her balance from the counter force.
Ais then brought her sword arm back before launching a powerful thrust towards Fuzen's face. He was in a weak position, both his sword and scabbard to his sides after pushing back the downwards slash from Ais. There was no possible way he could avoid or block the attack, Ais knew that much.
"I win!" She shouted, for once victory within her grasp.
Clang!
"Gah-!" Ais staggered as Fuzen delivered a powerful low kick to the side of her right knee, bringing her momentum to a halt. She was shocked: her attack had been good, with no room for evading. So then…
"...What?" She muttered as she looked up ahead, and noticed her rapier half-way inside Fuzen's scabbard.
He had countered her attack by thrusting his own scabbard forward at the same time, locking the blade inside the sheath. Granted, her rapier was straight, while the scabbard had the distinctive curve of the eastern sword, but nonetheless half her blade was now sheathed, rendering it useless.
Who even...comes up with that…? Ais took a moment to understand what transpired, then realized they were still fighting. Fuzen had simply allowed her the moment of laxity, but his eyes were still focused. I need to make some distance!
She jumped back, and so did Fuzen. She tried to bring her arm back and take her sword out of the scabbard, but Fuzen pushed it forward, mimicking her every move, not allowing her to regain her sword. After landing back on her feet from the jump, Ais did the only thing she could think of: she lifted her left foot, ready to launch a kick at the boy's ribs.
He had seen through her tactic, however, and planted his right foot between her legs, then slammed his shoulder into her torso, the force behind his forward charge enough to throw Ais to the ground, where she felt the cold edge of his sword pressing against her neck.
"...Do you yield?" He asked, monotonous as always. However, in this particular moment, his tone managed to anger Ais, more so than ever before.
"...I lose."
"Mhm." Fuzen gave her a nod and lifted his sword, then pulling the scabbard and freeing her rapier.
"Mhhh…"
The sound she produced gained his attention, and Fuzen looked at her, his eyebrow raising along with him confusion. "...Are you...pouting?"
"I'm not." Ais replied quickly.
"...No, I am sure you are…"
"I'm not pouting!"
"...I see." The boy voiced a moment later, scratching the back of his head. "My mistake, then…" He then extended his hand to her, and Ais took it after a moment, lifting herself back up with his help.
"...How?"
"Hmm?"
"How...can you be so strong?"
"How, you ask…?" Fuzen repeated the question. "...I'm not strong, though."
"Liar."
"...I truly am not, however? There are stronger individuals out there."
"Like who?"
"My Mistress, obviously." He replied.
"...And?"
"And what?"
"No one else? Stronger than you, I mean." Ais inquired.
"Of course not. I am the Successor of the Lightning Sword Style."
"Then that means you are strong!" Ais voiced with the slightest increase in her tone.
"...As much as I would like to debate with you, it is late and I have other matters to attend to. We shall end this discussion here." Fuzen said with a sigh, no longer wishing to discuss the matter with her.
"...Just how strong is your Mistress, then?"
Fuzen looked her in the eyes, the looked downwards, rubbing his chin for a couple of moments as he pondered on how to explain it to her. "How strong, you ask...Hmm...She is a calamity which can cut the oceans, the skies and even continents in two if she so desired? Something like that."
"...That's...hard to believe."
Fuzen pointed a finger in her face, his expression no longer as soft as before. "Yet it is the truth, and you will accept it."
"...Ok?"
"Mhm. Now then...Why do you think you have lost yet again?" Fuzen asked her as he crossed his arms, a expectative look in his eyes.
Ais took a moment to think about the reason, however it was hard. Realistically, there was absolutely no way he should have ever won against her. Thus, she could only come up with a single answer. "You have...better Techniques?"
"...That is part of it, yes, but not the main reason. Think harder: what did you do during this short spar? What did you think about?"
"What did I...think about…?"
"Yes. I believe you can find your reason by answering that question first."
"Hmmm…."
"…"
"Hmmmm…"
"...You should have figured it out by now." Fuzen voiced yet again a couple moments later, slightly displeased with how long Ais needed to come up with an answer.
"I can't...think that fast, Fuzen."
"...You can't?" The boy asked, actually surprised at this revelation. "I...see."
"...I can't...figure it out. Could you...tell me?"
"I see. Indeed, being honest about one's own mistakes can be tricky. I shall help you out this one time. In fact, the reason-" Fuzen stopped mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes at the girl as he slowly tilted his head to the side. "No."
"...No?"
"No. I don't remember becoming your teacher. I have no reason whatsoever to tell you anything. Have a continuous good day, Wallenstein-sama." Wasting no time, Fuzen turned on his heels and walked back towards the Manor's entrance.
Guess he's right...He has no reason to tell me…
As that thought crossed Ais's mind, Fuzen stopped mid-way, turning around to look at her. "Hey."
"Hmm?"
"That faint you performed back there…"
"...Yes?"
"...It was...pretty good….or something…"
Her eyes shot wide open at the words she had just heard, surprised something like this would ever happen. After all, as far as she knew, the boy never praised anyone, her included. "...Oh...I see. Thanks."
"...Mhm." He gave a nod, then walked away once again. A couple steps later, however, he stopped again, grabbing his head with both hands. "Shut up, it's my fricking mind, not yours…"
"Fuzen? Is everything alright?"
"...It's mindset, okay?!"
"W-What?" Ais asked, confused at the sudden change of personality the boy was showing.
"Your reason: it's mindset, ok?!"
"Oh...But I thought you said-"
"I know what I said! I've changed my mind, ok?!" With that blurted out, Fuzen turned his back to Ais and then ran away from her at incredible speed, leaving the girl with but a cloud of dust in his place.
"...Thank...you?"
She was grateful for his help, confused as she was to how said help had been delivered.
Allowing herself to be a little optimistic, Ais asked herself if maybe this was even a sign of some sort, that things were progressing forward for her and the boy.
XXX
Stupid fricking everything…
Having run inside the Manor, Fuzen made for his room, grabbing a change of clothes and then heading for the bath where he was currently scrubbing the dried cement off his skin with more force than what was necessary. Luckily enough, there were no other members currently in the baths, so he could at the very least think in relative peace.
...Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever coming to the baths and someone being here...Huh…
He looked himself once over, and seeing no other spots with cement on him, Fuzen grabbed the basin full of water by his side and emptied it on himself to wash away the foam produced by the soap and his persistent scrubbing. Once that was behind him, he got up from the stool and walked inside the gigantic bath in the middle of the room, large enough to fit twenty or so people with little difficulty.
Though taking it easy would go against his teachings, Fuzen allowed himself a moment of unwinding, stretching his arms to either side of the bath rim and closing his eyes, allowing the warmth of the water to alleviate the different kinds of stress he was experiencing.
...My body has been trained to superhuman limits, but all this work piling up is tiring me out mentally, and that affects my physical performance as well...Sigh...I wanna go to the woods and live alone for a year or two, away from the people...Though that's obviously not an option…
Though his own eyes were closed, Fuzen could mentally see through his second pair of eyes, and noticed the lizard at work back in the Eastern District.
Having joined the Loki Familia again, he was required to live at the Twilight Manor, and this meant that he could no longer spend as much time in the District he was now the guardian of. But, thankfully enough, this matter had an easy solution, and that was to simply place Raiju there to act as his eyes, ears, hands and legs.
Everything the dragon saw, Fuzen saw it, too. This link which only they knew of was, to date, one of the greatest advantages Fuzen had. Through this link, he could also take care of the Eastern District without violating the requirements of his Familia.
Surprisingly enough, Raiju also did his new job well. He patrolled the streets of his Master's district, listened to the people and their worries, made sure everything was running smoothing and acted as his Master's voice while Fuzen was away. The last point, he performed quite literally, as Fuzen listened through his ears in real-time and mentally told the dragon what to say, word by word.
In exchange for this, Raiju was allowed to eat wherever he wanted and however much he wanted, all the payment subtracted from the monthly quota the shops had to offer Fuzen. If Raiju ate over that quota, then Fuzen would pay the respective shops what they were owned. Besides this, the dragon was also allowed to make full use of Fuzen's mansion, albeit only while in his small dragonoid form. After all, the last thing Fuzen needed were the female occupants at his house to feel threatened by his lizard's humanoid, male form.
...Sooo...What should I do with them, Master? The lizard asked as he was munching on some takoyaki, a group of four young boys, at most a couple years older that Fuzen himself, on their knees in front of the tall dragonoid, all of them sweating from fear.
Indeed, while Fuzen was exchanging blows with Ais, he observed Raiju catching the four boys trying to steal from a vendor and intervened, quickly catching them and beating them up, holding back just enough for them to not fall unconscious. Fuzen also listened to their explanation, and knew all of them were street urchins living in the District.
...Usually, I would have them cut off their own hand for stealing, but…Ah well, they are under my care.
So what then, my Master?
Community work, six months. I want the streets to sparkle. Bring them to Yamamoto and have him assign them areas to work on. They are to be paid 400 Valis per day each.
Sure thing, my Master, but what about-?
The house of 3rd Street. It's been abandoned for a while now, they can have it. It's up to them to repair it if they want.
Ok, my Master. I'll take care of it. Enjoy your bath~
Get the hell out of my mind already, you fat lizard.
Having lived with the lizard as part of him for a while now, Fuzen could now push Raiju's voice and thoughts in a part of his mind where they did not echo quite as loudly as they did in the beginning, though they were by no means completely nullified.
Doing just that, Fuzen left the bath roughly two minutes after going inside, drying himself with a towel before moving to the changing room and putting on his clean clothes before making for his room.
Relaxing as the bath was, it was simply a waste of time in the end, bringing him no closer to his goal. Instead…
"...Gosh, I hate seeing you…" Fuzen muttered as he opened the door to his room, still the same room as before, and seeing the thick book on his desk. Still, he knew he was in need of it's knowledge, and so he closed the door with a sigh before taking a seat at the desk and opening the book on the page he stopped last time. He was barely one fifth through the whole book.
...From the look of the sky, it's roughly 9 pm. I'll learn until midnight, then wake up at 3 am. Yeah, sounds like the best distribution of time.
Fuzen rubbed his neck and began to read. The book, to the surprise of Loki who once walked in on him while reading, was a book which focused on ecology, both the one found on the surface as well as the flora found in the Dungeon.
Loki even asked him why he was showing interest in something like that all of a sudden.
His answer had been vague, at best:
Because it will help me reach the next step towards my goal.
And that is why he read, despite having no true interest in the matter.
...Still, it seems the more time I spend around Ais-...around Wallenstein-sama, the more turbulent she becomes. Fuzen thought to himself as he flipped the page to the next one. I did not initially believe the embers would light off like this. Her voice is becoming more prominent, as well...Sigh…
It was always like this when he spent time with the Sword Princess, her unique Ki and signature resonating with the part of Fuzen which was not originally his. And, despite his best efforts, the presence became ever more turbulent, ever more agitated when she felt Ais's presence, struggling against Fuzen's mental barriers to get out.
And when she won?
How is Ais?
Is she doing alright?
Is she eating well?
Did she make friends?
Has she experienced love?
Did she find a place to call hers?
Is she happy?
All sorts of thoughts began to shroud his mind, all his focus and attention directed only at the golden-haired girl and her well being, the embers of the woman trying to subconsciously make Fuzen care for the girl in her stead.
Having thought of the girl again, the presence began to awaken, trying to break through the blood prison Fuzen threw her in to drown. She fought and struggled, but with great mental efforts, Fuzen managed to push her back once again, drowning her in the sea of blood. "...You're dead, so stay dead, Aria. I'm not kind enough to let you take over. I'll kill you a thousand times over if I have to."
Shaking his head, Fuzen focused once again on his book despite the incredible painful headache he experienced after each struggle against the embers and memories of a woman now dead for over a millennia.
"Sigh...I wonder if staying dead would have been the better outcome...Damned be my incredible yet bitter luck and whoever is responsible for it…"
Fuzen muttered as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, then flipped over to the next page, simply biting through everything life was throwing at him all for the sake of his goal.
Subconsciously, however, without even realizing it, he was worrying about one detail.
I wonder how much longer I can stay sane…?
XXX
Yeah, overall a pretty chill Chapter, not much going on, just a bit of an insight into what Fuzen is up to now. Hope it was at least not boring.
But Author, what the hell? Repairing weapons? Reading about ecology? Where's grasping the Heavens anymore?
I hear some of you ask.
Still, before anything else, don't forget that just because Fuzen decided to take a "back seat" for a while, it doesn't mean other people are of the same mind nor that they will respect his decision, you know?
And yeah, that was a hint just there.
Next Chapter will be more action-based, but not entirely, either.
Ah yes, as a little bit of spoiler, Chloe will appear again, too.
Hmmm...that's about it. Not much else to say.
By the way, do you guys find it weird that my Author Notes are always only directed at the people who are reading in the present, but not at people who might read this story in 1 year or so?
Ah yes, if you have any theories as to why Fuzen is doing all those things not related to sword fighting, please do NOT write it in a review. In case you are right, I don't want other readers to get spoilers in any way, form or shape.
Kay bye.