And I'm back, with Chapter 29.
Sigh…
I wanted this to be 3k words long. A short chapter, you know?
3k words. That was the goal.
It's 8.8k words long O_o
You all better appreciate my obsession with attention to detail, it's only because of that trait that you get a normal length Chapter instead of the asshole-short one I was planning to present you with.
Anyway, moving on.
This Chapter is just Fuzen. No changing the POV to anyone else except at the end. It's all just Fuzen thinking to himself.
It is also the first time in 29 Chapters I'm showing you a lot more about Fuzen as a character, and his many downsides as a person. I think it's only fair after almost 30 Chapters to allow you to see more of the OC.
Also, regarding my last Chapter, as always the feedback was only positive. Dunno what you all like about this story so much, but damn do you like it. Actually, among the 400+ reviews this fic has, there are only like 9 which are negative, and 5-6 of those are from the same dude. So yeah, thanks for that.
It is only because of you all that this OC-centric story (a trait that usually makes it a shitty, unpopular one) has reached about 1/3 of the reviews, followers and favourites of stories as popular in the Danmachi fandom as "Heroes", for example, and 70k views to boost.
At this point in time, I think you the readers love the story more than I do.
As a sort of "thank you" gift, I added a new something on my profile for you all to see and enjoy. It's about Danmachi artwork requests.
You'll see everything explained on my profile. I am also only going to put this info in here and not in the 1st Chapter or something, because I want only my loyal readers who read up to this point to know about the "thank you" gift from me.
And yes, I already verified with two other people: the links work this time, on both PC and phone. They really do.
Ok. That's about it. See you at the bottom.
XXX
Stupid.
He thought to himself, the events from earlier still flashing in his mind over and over again like a broken record.
The words of the foreign God.
The duel.
His inner turmoil as his sword clashed with the opponent's.
The only Lightning Sword Style technique he used, which decided the duel.
And of course, the flash of silver that interrupted what should have otherwise been routine for him.
...Idiot.
He shook his head and took another small sip of his tea, which had turned cold by now. The duel had been earlier in the morning and it was only one or two hours until midnight right now, going by the moon on the sky which he observed from the porch he was sitting on in the back of his house, overlooking the gigantic garden.
Following his victory he had instructed Yamamoto to help the God Skanda with the burial of his now dead Disciple, in a sort of try at being at least respectful towards his loss. His Familia quickly rushed to his side, the High Elf wishing to use her Healing Magic on him.
He had refused, both healing Magic and the usage of potions.
Though this baffled his Familia and Deity, the reason was not all that hard to understand, in Fuzen's opinion.
The man named Aaryan had managed to injure him. That it was through the use of underhand tactics, it mattered little. Despite Fuzen having disarmed him and being in control of the situation afterwards, the man had nonetheless launched a desperate final attempt to win and come out victorious.
It had failed, obviously, but he nonetheless saw his attempt to the end. His assegai found it's way into Fuzen's chest, which was an amazing feat in of itself. Hardly any humans had managed to touch the boy in all his years of life.
With that said, despite being a honourless dog, the man was worthy of leaving his scar on his body. The wound was too fresh as of now, any attempts to heal it with Magic and potions would result in a complete recovery.
As a testimony to that man ever existing, Fuzen's pride could not allow that. Naturally, he did use herbs and ointments he knew to be effective in boosting one's natural regenerative abilities, which he had learned about during his initiation into the Lightning Sword Style, once he arrived at his home, but nothing else besides that.
Thus he brushed their attempts to help him aside and simply asked his Patron Deity for one or two days of leave from the Familia. Loki had agreed to this, and so after bowing his head to the others, he made to leave.
He realized this duel had changed his Familia's opinion of him forever, and that nothing would ever again be the same as long as he was part of Loki Familia.
It had not been the first time in his life Fuzen had killed a man or woman, nor would it be the last time. It was, however, the first time he killed a man in front of his Familia. Looking up slowly as he passed them by, he noticed the change in their eyes as they looked at him, covered both in his blood and that of his opponent.
He could not make up exactly their expressions. He could figure out simple ones like anger, or sadness, or joy, but not the more subtle and complex ones. But he knew they looked at him with new eyes, whatever fantasies they had about him as a person now shattered into pieces as the duel had come to an end.
The Captain and Loki had shown the least change in how they looked at him, though it was still visible to him. Regarding Ais, he could not tell. The girl's expression was hard to read at any given time and Fuzen realized she was very similar to him in that regard. Nonetheless, something had changed in her eyes as she stared at the headless opponent in the distance, then turned to look at him.
The Amazon twins had the least noticeable change, though Fuzen did notice that the younger of the sisters lacked her usual enthusiasm and liveliness by the time he passed her by. Instead, something akin to...reminiscence, perhaps, could be seen in both of the twin's eyes, as if they were looking back into the past. He couldn't say for sure, however.
His former Second Group acquaintances had the most realistic reactions regarding the duel, reactions he had expected: worry and fear. He knew that Raul would never look at a bloody scene like that indifferently, and he had been right. Aki herself stood cross-armed, looking almost uncomfortable for some reason.
As for the girl, Line, he didn't even need to look her way. He could feel the fear in her Ki, pulsating and growing. She was far too gentle for this messed-up world, Fuzen understood.
And Riveria...Just remembering her looking at him made him bite his lip until he began to bleed, the metallic taste merging with the one of the cold tea still fresh in his mouth. He couldn't bare imagining those emerald green eyes looking at him like...like that, so he quickly sealed her face from his mind under layers upon layers of mental walls
Have you not had enough?! Then the words the silver-haired yelled at him echoed in his mind filling the void left by Riveria, bringing out emotions in him he had tried to keep under control.
Crack!
Losing control of himself for a split second Fuzen crushed the ceramic tea cup he held in his left hand, the shards biting into his skin and flesh as he continued to grip them harder and harder, the cold tea intensifying the pain.
Not enough...you say? Do you think me some blood-thirsty murderer, too? Is that the impression I gave you? Is that the only impression I can give? That asshole you so willing jumped in front of to help and protect, do you think he would have taken a spear to the chest for you, you stupid moron?
Have I not had enough, you ask…? What the hell do you know about duty, you wixen? You don't have to fight for your duty. Your patients come to you when they need you, not the other way around. Don't talk like you know everything, moron.
He was...he didn't know exactly what. Disappointed, maybe? He was disappointed in the girl. Fuzen understood that she was a Doctor, and that she walked a different path. Yet even that was not an excuse in his opinion.
It was only logical and sane that when you see two men, both of them leagues above you in power and strength, killing each other in the distance, you don't jump between them, no matter what your role and trade in life is.
Yes, he was disappointed in her.
Very much so.
Yes.
He was disappointed in her. But…
Even more so than that, he was disappointed in himself.
"...I hesitated…"
Indeed, when he noticed the man reading his attack from behind Amid, he hesitated.
For a single moment, his mind didn't focus on how he could get her out of harm's way. Instead, he weighted them.
His impeccable record as a fighter in the Long Conflict against her life.
Was she truly worth it? Was she worth the stain saving her would bring upon his martial school? Was she worth showing to the world he lived in that Fuzen Katsumi, appointed Successor of the Lightning Sword Style, was in fact not invincible? To show that a blade could still pierce him?
That he chose to push her aside and take the attack for her was a decision he had made on the spot.
The reason for which he was disappointed in himself is that he didn't know. Even now, all those hours after the duel ended, he still didn't know if his choice had been the correct one.
Choosing her before his martial school...how could he justify this choice?
She might not have died, even if he didn't intervene.
He took the spear to the chest and somehow it had damaged neither his lungs nor his heart, instead passing through his mediastinum. Granted, a couple of veins had been slit in the process, but he quickly used his Ki to lower his blood flow, avoiding internal bleeding as much as possible.
She might have survived the attack without dying, too.
Despite her non-combatant skills, she was nonetheless human blessed with a Falna. Injuries that were fatal to unblessed individuals were not fatal to blessed ones.
Not to mention, she was a Doctor, and Riveria had been present, too. Healing could have been applied quickly, so the chances of her dying had been minimal, at best.
Indeed. Nothing at all pointed at her possible death. He could have simply left her be without having to worry that she would die. He could have jumped to the side to avoid the underhand attack himself, then jump in to finish the opponent before making sure Amid received medical treatment.
That is what he should had done. It was the most logical move, where both his record and her life could have been assured.
Yes, that would have been the best option.
…
…
…
But what if the attack had pierced her heart?
The question popped inside Fuzen's mind as he was about to nod to himself. He unclenched his fist, his knuckles had turned white by now, and stared at the blood pouring down into the ground below.
Then...this would have been her blood. On my own hands…
...Why the hell do I even care?
"...I don't get anything anymore…" He let out a long sigh, letting his head rest in his uninjured hand. Why did such a simple, routine event for him bring so much confusion along all of a sudden?
He couldn't tell.
A few moments later he heard footsteps coming towards him from the corner to his left, and as he had expected from the Ki signature, the oldest resident of his house peaked her head from around the corner. "Did something break…? I'm sure I heard...Ah, Young Master!"
"Yua." Fuzen gave her a short nod, recognizing her presence. "It is late. You need your sleep."
Instead of doing as he requested, the woman simply let out a small chuckle, then approached him slowly. Though she was far from back to normal, Amid's regular treatment and the exercises she recommended her to perform daily had improved her health. Some lustre had returned to her long, black hair and her skin looked healthier, though it was still far from what the skin of a twenty-seven year old woman should look like.
Recently Fuzen also had Yamamoto bring the women to a good dentist in the central part of Orario, where their teeth had been taken care of, the boy having paid for all of their treatments. For Yua herself, she received new teeth, and could now talk and eat normally, as well as smile once again.
Slowly but surely, just like the rest, she was getting better.
...Whatever worth that is…
"Please don't worry about me, Young Master. I can finally walk around, it would be a shame not to use this chance to…"
Drip.
"Hmm?" Hearing the sound of a drop of something falling onto the stones below, Yua squinted her eyes and looked closer at the source from where the sound came. "Ah. You're hurt…"
"This?" Fuzen asked as he lifted his hand, the many broken shards sticking out of his palm and fingers. "It's nothing. I'll just pull them out-"
A single moment later, he reached for the sword that was supposed to be fastened at his hip, but realized that he left them in his room before coming to sit on the porch.
The woman had rebelled and shown her true colours, as Fuzen had expected she would. She had lunged at him, grabbing him under the armpits, no doubt to try and keep him from drawing his sword.
It was futile, for he still had his Magic. He would fry her to death before she could hope to do anything more. Granted, projecting Raiju's lightning Magic through his own body meant he would sustain some injuries as well, but that mattered little. He would fry her to death, and then everyone else, too.
"I'll kill -"
"We need to treat that immediately." Yua stated, cutting Fuzen off before he could complete his threat. Then she lifted him off as if he weighted nothing and carried him away.
"...Wait what?"
"There's a first-aid kit in the kitchen. I'll have that wound taken care of in a moment, ok?"
"...Woman. Unhand me."
"Just hold on a little longer, Young Master."
"...Hey. Listen to me. Hey."
"Does it hurt? What am I even asking, of course it does…"
Twitch.
Twitch.
"...I'm a fricking swordsman, you wixen. I'll show you a world of true pain if you don't unhand me immediately…"
"Did you say something, Young Master?"
He was about to give her a piece of his mind as the answer, but then realized something as he looked at his feet dangling above the ground and the scenery passing by at a fast pace. "Aren't you...supposed to be physically weak?" He asked as the woman help him up by the armpits and rushed to the kitchen.
She looked down, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking up ahead once more. "Does that even matter now, Young Master?"
"…"
Once they arrived at the kitchen, she placed Fuzen on a chair in one single movement then rushed on to search for the first-aid kit she knew was somewhere in a drawer. As she searched the room one-minded, Fuzen stared at her, following her every movement with his eyes.
"Here it is!" She exclaimed as she found the wooden box containing bandages, disinfectant, band-aids and everything else one might need for injuries sustained at home. There were even two Low Tier potions inside small vials placed within the box, in case of knife injuries sustained within the kitchen. "Now, let me see that hand…"
She then reached out and grabbed Fuzen's left hand, turning it up to look at his palm, wincing as she saw the shards biting into his flesh. "Gods...how did this happen?"
"…"
Yua looked up, her onyx-black eyes scanning his face for a moment. Knowing by now that her Young Master was not a very vocal one, she accepted the silence and then took out a pair of tweezers from the kit. "I'm going to start now, Young Master."
"…"
The older woman began slowly, bringing the tweezers up to one of the four shards impaled in his palm. She grabbed the end which stuck out as gently as she could, then tried to pull it out. It didn't work the first time however, the shard piercing deep inside the flesh.
"…"
"I'm sorry. This will hurt just a bit longer, Young Master." The woman voiced as a frown formed on her brows, unhappy with the time it would take to take them all out.
Meanwhile, Fuzen simply stared at the woman, then at the her hand holding's his.
He stared at the contact between them, and he felt sick.
It was stomach-churning, the kind of feeling sick that started from the core and spread to everywhere else. The kind of sick where he felt the contains of his stomach threaten to escape him.
It went up to his throat, then back down, up again, then down again, the process repeating itself a couple of times. Only through sheer will did he keep it from leaving his body.
Inhale…
It's alright. Just deal with it. It's all part of the plan. Follow the plan.
He thought to himself as he began to use a breathing technique to calm himself and clear his mind of the thoughts that being touched by a former prostitute brought forth.
Then he felt her thumb rubbing over his, slowly and gently.
Exhale…
And it made his skin crawl.
"I hate you."
"Hm?"
Not caring about the woman's confusion, he pulled his hand away and grabbed one shard with his thumb and index finger, slowly pulling it out before letting it fall down to the floor.
Clink!
"I hate you. All of you, but you above all the others." He continued, not bothering to look at the woman before him. "You make me sick."
Clink!
"You are not people. You are less than me, less than humans. You are tainted, so much so merely being touched by you makes me want to vomit."
Clink!
"You won't get a single drop of pity from me. You didn't have a say in how events turned out for you...yeah right. Do you truly think that to be an excuse? You simply keep quiet as others throw you into the pits of hell, as they have their way with you, with your gift as a woman, and you just take it all in. Literally."
Clink!
"Fight, god damn it. Punch. Kick. Scream. Bite. Struggle until you can't, and then struggle some more, and more, and more, and more, and more...But of course, you do not. You never lift your hand and you never bare your fangs at those who do you wrong, but you have have the audacity to bite the hand that comes to your rescue. To try and taint the sword that is drawn for your sake, and your sake alone. You make me sick."
Clink!
"You wait, and wait, and wait some more without ever doing anything to change your own fate. You wait and simply expect divine help to come down from heaven and help you when the only one to blame for your situation is you, yourself. Do you think the world to be full of sunshine and rainbows? It isn't, Yua. The world is a dark, and nasty, and very cruel place. Had you known this truth from the start, you would not have remained as weak as you are."
Clink!
"But you didn't know. You chose not to know it. Thus, you allowed the vermin to taint you, to transform you from a flower into a rotten carcass of your former self. A carcass that exists only to hurt itself as well as others. That is why you make me sick. You chose not to know the truth, nor did you take any actions to change your fate, then you simply waited for help just so that you may remain a tainted carcass. If you're going to be that weak-willed, then at least cut open your own belly or bite off your own tongue and spare yourself the misery, damn it..."
Clink!
One by one, he pulled every single shard out of his palm and fingers, throwing them all fall to the floor. Before long, he had pulled them all out during the moment of silence between the two. "I will say it again." He added, letting the last shard fall to the floor, then lifting his head to look at the woman before him. "I hate -….What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Fuzen asked as he noticed the smile on Yua's face, a smile that was present despite everything he told her. Her eyes showed little joy in them, but she was still smiling. He couldn't understand it, not one bit. "Why are you smiling? Have you gone completely bonkers-...insane?"
"No…" She replied, shaking her head. "I'm smiling because I am happy."
"...I see, so you are a masochist."
"No…" She shook her head once again, a chuckle escaping her. "You hate women like...like me. I understand. And that is why, I am happy."
"...You make no sense whatsoever, woman." Fuzen voiced, already irritated. "What are you going on about? Are you mocking me?"
"No, not at all." Yua replied, her smile still present, a smile that angered Fuzen more and more with each passing second.
Don't...Don't smile at me. Hate me, damn it. Hate me already, so that I can truly hate you back…
"You're strong." Yua's words shook him out of his thoughts, a frown taking shape on his brows as he stared at the woman and waiting for her to continue. "If those...men, the ones who forced me into it, the men whom I hate were to be hurt and broken and in need of help, I wouldn't be able to help them. I hate them too much for something like that…"
She paused for a short moment and Fuzen could see the hatred in her eyes as she looked down at the floor, but then it disappeared just as quickly as Yua raised her head and looked at Fuzen. "But you are different. You hate me, and the others as well, but even so you came to help us. Our Young Master helped us, and clothed us, and cared for us...Look."
She then pointed at her face as she raised the corners of her mouth in a gentle, warm smile. "I have teeth again, and I can smile again too, Young Master. This is all thanks to you. The same goes for the others, as well…"
Fuzen looked at her and her goofy smile for a long moment, his lips parting as if to say something in return. Then he closed them again before a long sigh escaped him. "...As if I care." He turned around and grabbed the bandages from the kit, unwrapping the roll and covering his hand with them. In truth, he could use one of the low-tier Potions, but then the healing effect would also extend to the wound on his chest, something he could not allow for at least another two days.
"You have...been through a lot, haven't you, Young Master? Because of a woman like me?" The question came out unexpected, catching even Fuzen off-guard for a split moment. Yet as always, he shrugged it off.
"...That doesn't concern you."
"You took such good care of us when we first arrived at your residence. Making sure the food was the right temperature, making the rounds to check on everyone daily, even keeping guard outside the rooms of the girls who couldn't sleep...You are very attentive and good at taking care of others." The woman continued despite the look Fuzen gave her as he continued to bandage his hand. "And still, despite that, this is the sight of someone who only ever took care of their injuries by themselves…"
Just then Fuzen ripped off the bandage with his teeth, having finished patching himself up. A moment later he jumped down the table Yua had placed him on, scanning the woman for a single second. "I am not your son." He added coldly.
"…"
"Stop projecting your motherly instincts my way. It is unneeded and disturbing and I don't appreciate it at all."
Yua smiled sadly again, nodding once to his words. "...Yes, Young Master."
Satisfied with her answer, Fuzen turned around and began to walk, ready to put this whole deal behind him.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps…
Then he stopped, looking up at the ceiling before letting out a long sigh. "How many did you lose?" The boy asked, his back still turned to the woman.
His question shocked her, memories she buried deep inside surfacing once again. For once since the conversation began, it was Yua that was feeling sick. Nonetheless, she gathered what inner strength she had, pushing herself to answer. "...Three."
"...Did you make graves for them yet?"
"...No."
"Of course you didn't. Sigh…" He reached for the inside of his clothes and took out a card made of silver printed by the bank, placing it on the table to his right. That silver card was worth ten thousand Valis when exchanged. "Make some graves for them. People like you can't be trusted with matters like this. I will remember them in your stead."
Having said everything that was on his mind, Fuzen walked on and left the kitchen. As for his next destination, he wasn't sure exactly, but everywhere was fine as long as it wasn't here.
"Thank you." A whisper came from behind him, but it mattered little.
"I really wouldn't thank me, were I in your place."
XXX
Midnight came, and with it the time to close the establishment. For the girls working the night shift, this was a godsend. Their establishment served both civilians during daytime and Adventurers during the night, and it was not an understatement to say that working during the night was far more stressful, with the many Adventurers getting drunk and thinking they owned the very world.
"It's finally meower, nya…" The brown-haired Cat girl muttered under her breath as she walked down the couple stairs leading to the Hostess of Fertility, grabbing the wooden sign with the menu on it then turning to go back inside.
All that was left now was to bring the sign inside, wipe the tables and the floor, wash the dishes and then they could finally hit the bed-
"Evening."
"Nyaaaa!"
Taken by surprise and confused as to how anyone could get that close to her without her noticing, Anya turned on her heels and with the width of the wooden sign in her hands, she performed a sweeping horizontal attack.
Fuzen, with one too many things on his mind, failed to notice the attack until it was too late, one single word escaping his lips as he traced the attack with his eyes. "...Ah."
The sign hit him across the face and the boy was sent flying to the side, sliding face-first across the ground for a good two or three meters.
"...N-Nya?"
For a moment Fuzen remained motionless, making Anya fear that she just killed him. Then he stood up, wiped his face with his sleeve and then spit half a mouthful of blood before turning to face the baffled Cat girl. "Evening."
"Don't just act like meowthing happened, nya!"
He simply raised a hand as he shook his head. "This is but karma. I had it coming, believe me."
"…? You're weird, Swordy."
"I am not. And who the heck is Swordy?"
"You, who else?"
"...Mmm." Not feeling like entering a debate, he simply grunted and let it go this time around.
"So, what are meow here for?"
"…"
That was a good question, indeed. After his conversation with Yua, Fuzen left his mansion and simply walked around, with no set destination in mind.
He walked around the East District, then he walked around the Babel. Before he knew it, he had arrived before the Hostess of Fertility, where his legs stopped walking any further on their own.
What am I here for...was it?
He stared at the Cat girl for a long moment, then towards the entrance of the Hostess of Fertility where the sounds of the waitresses working could still be heard. "...I dunno."
"Hm?"
"...Rollo-sama. Is she here?"
"Yes, nya! Do you need her for someowthing?"
"...Yes."
Anya nodded and made a hand sign for him to follow her as she walked back inside. She placed the sign next to the door, then looked around the room. "Hey, Chloe!"
The black-haired girl looked up from the far side of the room, where she was cleaning a table where a rowdy group of Adventurers spilled their drinks. "Hmm? What is it?"
"Someone's here to see meow."
"At this hour…?" She whispered to herself in confusion, yet as soon as she saw Fuzen walk in through the door her tail shot up, all the fatigue which had piled up throughout her shift going away in but a single moment. "Kitten!" Chloe then rushed to the front to meet him, no longer caring about her cleaning duties.
"...What's with Cat People and absurd nicknames…? Sigh..."
"What's this, what' this~?" Chloe asked on an overly sweet tone, covering her smirk with a hand. "Kitten came to seek me out on his own, this late at night? Now why could that be...~?"
The fact that she was formulating her sentences to sound like some sort of blackmailing scene from a novel did irk Fuzen, but he had done and said enough for a day. "I need…"
"Hm?"
"I said I need…"
"What? Do meow need something from me?"
Why does everyone keep asking difficult questions today…?
He took a moment to think about it, his eyes darting to the floor.
What did he need her for?
Her experience?
No, he was not in need of any kind of experience from anyone else.
Her strength?
No, while the woman was strong herself, he was stronger than her.
Her wits?
No, he was far smarter than her, he knew this from the little interaction the two have had so far.
Her status?
No, he was the Tsuwamono of the East District. His status, as unrecognized as it was in the west, far outclassed hers.
Then what was it that he came here for?
No matter how many attributes he thought of, none of them were what he came here for. Nothing she could offer him was needed, nothing at all.
…
…
...
No, there was one thing. The one thing he felt ashamed about and pushed to the very back of his mind, but probably also the same thing he came here for.
"...I...I need...I have need of you." Fuzen voiced as he looked up, meeting the woman's forest green eyes. "May I have...a moment of your time...or something like that?"
Chloe's ears perked up as she processed the question and took in Fuzen's expression. To most people, it would look as if he was the same Fuzen as always, but to Chloe herself thanks to her...peculiar interest, she could notice finer details that would escape others: the look in his eyes, the conscious struggle to keep the corner of his mouth from twitching, the desire to turn his head and look elsewhere but at her, noticeable from his stiff shoulders and the neck…
He was embarrassed. And for someone with her interests, that made her feel certain ways…
"Meow can have more than just a moment of my time, Kitten." She replied with a chuckle before turning around and rushing up the stairs. "Gimme just one moment to change! And thanks you all for taking over for me!"
"Nya!? Who do meow think is taking over for you?!" The other Cat girl in the room yelled out.
"Just leave it, Anya." Lunoire voiced. "You know how she is when they are involved. We will just tell Mama Mia tomorrow and let her take all the punishment for slacking off." The Human girl added with a grin.
Hearing how his sudden intrusion might cause troubles for the girl later on, Fuzen walked up to the woman he believed to be the most responsible. "Excuse me."
"Yes? What can I do for you?" The Elf called Ryuu asked.
"I do not want to cause trouble for Rollo-sama or any of you. Might you give this to the owner and ask her if it is enough to compensate for taking away her waitress during work?" Fuzen then reached inside his clothes and pulled out a gold plate, likewise printed by the bank, which was the equivalent of one hundred thousand Valis when exchanged.
The Elf froze for a moment upon seeing the gold plate. She understood immediately that the boy had no realistic concept regarding money. He took her moment of silence for disapproval, however, and thus pulled out four more plates. "If one is not enough, I have more…"
"No. No, one is enough. One is even more than enough…"
"I see...Then please, give this to the owner. Thank you again."
Bowing his head once after the Elf accepted the payment, Fuzen said his goodbyes to the other workers as well before proceeding to wait outside.
It was a slightly chilly night, with the moon shining dimly on the ground below as countless stars were visible besides it on the canvas which was the night time sky. At this hour, most people were already long asleep as to gather their energy for the day to come.
And yet, here he was, awake and meeting women for reasons not familiar with him.
...What the hell am I doing…?
XXX
"Soooo…"
"…"
"...Any specific place...you want to go?"
"…"
"...Yes, very helpful...Sigh...You're strange, Kitten." Chloe stated as she walked besides Fuzen, the boy having been silent ever since they left the Hostess roughly ten or fifteen minutes ago.
Where are we going? Chloe had asked after she changed and went out to meet him.
Just walk. Had been his reply.
Ever since he had not uttered another word, simply staring at the sky as they walked down the now empty streets of Orario, occasionally stealing a glance at the woman to his side when she was not looking at him.
He didn't know himself what the goal of this walk he himself proposed was supposed to be. It was a waste of time, for him and Chloe alike. He could use this time to train, or learn, or finish his paintings before the crazy Elf woman would burst into his room to seek her beloved art. He could do so much more with this time...and he choose to spend it on a stupid walk.
The woman he sought out didn't complain either, however, and this made it even more awkward for him. Had she complained he could put an end to the waste of time, apologize and then head back home. But she had not complained, and as the one requested her presence Fuzen could not bring himself to end it now on his own.
They walked for a couple more minutes in complete silence before Fuzen spotted something he was thinking about, and lifted his finger to point at it. "Say. Do you want to sit down?"
"Hm?" Chloe followed his finger which pointed at a park further in the distance and then nodded once. "Sure."
"Mh."
Doing just that, the two walked up to the small circular park with four benches positioned around a water fountain shaped as a woman holding a vase from which water poured down. They took a seat and yet another couple of minutes of silence followed.
"...Do meow...want to talk about something with me, Kitten?"
"...I...don't know…"
Chloe looked at his face for a long second, then continued. "I think meow do. You're part of Loki Familia, are meow not? And still, meow came seeking me at this late hour instead of them."
"...I see. When you put it that way…"
Indeed, she was right. He could have gone to his Familia instead. But thinking back on how his Familia members looked at him after he cut off Aaryan's head...He believed it to be a bad idea at the moment.
It had changed.
Despite that action being one he performed countless times before, the fact that they had been present changed everything.
But…
Fuzen slowly looked up at Chloe, meeting her feline gaze. She hasn't. Not yet.
"...I killed a man today." He stated boldly, staring intensely at Chloe and her reaction upon hearing the words.
He had expected to see the same things he had seen earlier: fear, disgust, hate or worse of all, that damned pity thrown his way. He had expected at least one or all of them from the woman.
He had not expected her to simply nod with a straight face. "I see. Do meow want to talk about that, then?"
"...Don't you like...hate me now? Fear me? Something, anything?" He inquired.
"...No? Why would I?"
"Why would you not?"
"Because it's not my place to judge you?" She replied with a question of her own. "And also, I don't really have a right to do so, either."
"...I could kill you."
"Hm?"
"Right here, right now. I could kill you. Faster than you could react. You are strong, I can tell from the way you walk, and the way you look at your surroundings, and the way you took care of those people who were observing me back then, but I am stronger than you."
"Hmhm...I know."
"…?"
"Remember the time meow saved me from that abandoned house?" She asked and Fuzen nodded. He remembered it, all right. To this day he was still glad he arrived there before anything worse could have happened to the woman besides him. "I was there when meow cut down those three men like it was nothing. They got the drop on me and managed to defeat me, but meow cut them down in a heartbeat. Oh, I'm Level 4, by the way." She added, making a V sign as she flashed a smirk at him.
"...It's not just the sword. I could fry you to death, too." He stated, bringing his palms together for a moment before slowly taking them apart, electricity crackling between his palms and fingers. "I don't need any chant. I could touch you now and electrocute you to death."
"Probably, yes. Altena was a pretty good demeowonstrating."
"...Then thinking about it logically and rationally, you should at least fear me now."
"I don't, nya."
"…"
Fuzen knew that to be a lie. He knew he should have inquired more about the why, the how, the where. Once he did, her lie would be exposed and then he would have the evidence that she simply lied in order to get through his defense. He would then have the evidence that she was the same, too.
But, despite knowing he would regret it sorely later on, he decided not to. For once, for reasons unknown to him, he decided to not expose the lie, nor the mask. "...I see. So you don't...fear me? You are not disgusted with me?"
"Nope."
"...I see."
"Mhm!"
"...Mhm…"
With that, the conversation had come to an end. He should have inquired more, he should have exposed more, this he knew. But just for today, that would be enough.
"Now, was that everything meow wished to talk about?" Chloe asked after a couple of moments of silence, and Fuzen nodded in return. "Ok. Because you know that I need to punish meow now, right?"
"...What for?"
"You just threatened me, a fair maiden, with death. Twice. That is very rude, Kitten. Very, very rude."
"...Oh. I see. Very well. That is acceptable."
"Glad you agree!"
"Then, will it be a slap or a punch? Do you have a specific side you wish to hit?"
"Now, it wouldn't be a punishment if I were to tell you beforehand, would it?"
"Is that how it works?" Fuzen inquired. "I see...Then, please proceed whenever you feel like it."
"Ok. Close meow eyes, then. Double the pain if meow don't see it coming, right?"
"Oh. Indeed. You speak as my former instructor did. Then..." Fuzen nodded and closed his eyes, ready to take the punishment.
"Meow ready?"
"Myes-...Yes."
"Heh. Good. Because it is time for me…"
With his eyes closed, he could not tell what she would do, but he could hear her getting closer to him.
Chu!
However, it had neither been a punch nor a slap that came his way. Instead, something soft and warm, and slightly wet, too, pressed itself against his cheek. Though it felt somehow pleasant, it also felt disturbing for some reason, so Fuzen decided to open his eyes.
"…? Ah…"
At the sound of his exclamation, Chloe pulled away and broke her kiss, licking her lips a moment later. "...to mark you, nya- Ghaaa!" Then she felt a fist burrowing itself in her stomach, taking her breath away. Literally.
"Don't...touch me." Fuzen stated matter of factly, removing his fist from her abdomen, and following that Chloe fell down with her head on his lap. "...Ah. Sorry. Again." It was not the first time this happened, but even so, Fuzen would it hard to regulate his power when the woman did those unpleasant things, and thus he always hit her with his full power resulting in her getting knocked out.
"...Sigh…"
With no other option left, Fuzen stood up and placed the woman on his back before making his way back to the Hostess of Fertility. By now, he had grown enough that the woman's feet no longer dragged on the ground, though it was only by a very small margin that they didn't.
Really...I don't even know what to think of you, Rollo-sama. You are just as disturbing as you are not...Yeah, you're weird…
Walking on with only his steps and her soft snoring as the sources of sound, Fuzen looked down at Chloe's head resting on his shoulder. She was sleeping peacefully, and unsurprisingly enough, she looked like a cat when sleeping, a soft smile present on her face.
For a single moment, she let out a soft purr, and that is when Fuzen felt it take shape in his mind and shortly after, in his words.
"...Gentle eyes that see so much,
Paws that have the quiet touch,
Purrs to signal all is well
And show more love than words can tell.
Graceful movements touched with pride,
A calming presence by our side.
A friendship that will last and grow-
Small wonder why we love them so…"
"...Mmm."
XXX
Before long he had arrived back at the Hostess, and once again he was required to explain why he brought Chloe back home unconscious. Luckily, just like before, her co-workers had not been mad at him for doing what he did, and simply took away Chloe while thanking him for bringing her home.
His conversation with her had been...something.
Fuzen could not exactly attribute a good quality or a vice with it. He had, after all, no experience with such things like talking or conversing in lengthy discussions. Had it been a mistake? Had it been a good thing? Did he get anything out of it more than just wasted time?
He didn't know.
But, at the very least, he could say that his thoughts were no longer as scrambled as before, for some reason.
And now?
Now, he was sitting on the edge of a building located in the East District, watching over the sizeable portion of town, over the people leaving and entering the restaurants that had yet to close, watching over the people making their way home, watching over them all.
He understood now that nothing would ever be the same anymore.
His Familia members would no longer look at him with the same look of respect and awe.
His Second Group members would never again ask him to accompany them into the Dungeon, then doing their best to keep up with him as he took point.
Tiona would no longer pester him day and night with requests to fight her, every single day.
Ais would no longer challenge him to sword-fighting, then pouting later when she lost while trying so childishly hard to hide her frustration.
Riveria would no longer approach him every now and then, asking him if he wished to join her for some tea, a request he would decline so often until the High Elf snapped and forced him to join her, anyway.
The women living at his place would no longer prepare breakfast and wait patiently until he woke up on the days he was not staying at the Twilight Manor, then eating only when he took the first bite.
They would no longer bicker among themselves as they tried to pick clothes for him to wear, or overwhelm him with greetings on the day he stopped by just to check on things.
As for Amid…the same thing applied there, as well...
Why?
Because words spreads, and in Orario, words spreads faster than anything.
Though only a couple of his Familia members had been present on the day of the duel, they would spread the word to those who were not present, as well. And although he only told Yua he hated her, she would no doubt spread this new information he allowed to slip past him to the others, as well.
And them?
The people down there, who accepted him as their Young Master?
Who put their faith in the fact that he would look out for them, as their Tsuwamono?
He pitied them, for they did not understand what they were to him.
Following his death in Altena, Fuzen had realized that he needed to prioritize the threats like the weasel Treasurer more. Those who would follow after the weasel could very well be stronger, richer, more influential, harder to defeat and kill.
He also understood that as a sole individual, he had taken too great a risk when he decided to wage war on Altena. He had been just simply because he won. Had he been defeated in some way, then he would have been the one in the wrong.
Thus, throwing away the last embers of honour which were snuffed out along with the many innocent people that died upon his attack on the capital Al-Dale, he brewed up this plan.
No longer having any honour left in him, he decided to take up the mantle of Tsuwamono once more, despite throwing it away by his own accord in the past and vowing never to use it again.
Thus he took over the East District, the only place in Orario where his title had any weight behind it, and took them all under his wing.
Why?
Because in this way, he could both minimize and localize the area where future threats with far-reaching influence would strike in order to get at him.
When he had been alone, that weasel went for everything: his Familia, the city, even the Doctor that he visited regularly and the waitress that had little to do with him at the time. It had been his lack of insight that allowed for that to happen.
But now, he could avoid it.
Between a Familia with high-Level individuals and a part of Orario where only civilians resided, any person with a fragment of sanity left in them knew which of the two targets were easier to attack in order to try and hurt Fuzen himself.
His promise was not a lie, however.
He would protect and improve the East District as much as he could.
Be it for another six months, a year, five years or even ten years, he would fulfil his duty to them, without fail.
And then, in return, when the time came they would fulfil their role for him.
They would become bait which would attract his enemies, and they would suffer and die for his sake. And then, unlike when he attacked Altena with only his fury as justification, he could strike at any enemy, no matter how strong or influential they were, because he would have a reason to justify him doing so.
...You hopeful fools. Why can none of you...ever see through my lies…?
The question flashed in his mind as he looked over the city and foresaw how it would look when the District would fulfil it's role for his sake.
...Those buildings over there, they will burn with black smoke, as did Yamamoto's restaurant before. Those wooden buildings over there as well, probably. The streets down below will be filled with the corpses of the fallen. Blood will cover both the walls and the streets: everything will be painted red. Over there, some children will cry and wail for their dead parents. In this side, some parents will cry as they hug the corpses of their children close to them. And throughout the East District, cries of help asking for me will echo from every corner...Yeah…
"...You stupid fools...Sigh…" He stood up, and gazed once more at the part of town. It would not remain like this for long.
I wonder if Chloe's answer to my question will remain the same, once she finds out…Yeah, right.
He also remembered Amid uttering the words that make him sick to his stomach when she first began to come to the East District to provide check-ups and treatment to the women living at his place.
She had heard from them what Fuzen had done for the District and the women he had saved from years of prostitution. She had also heard about the plans already set in motion to improve the District's economical and structural development from Yamamoto, who boasted about it quite shamelessly.
You're...a really kind person, aren't you? She had asked him as he escorted her out of the District on that day. That question remained unanswered to this day.
"...Heh. What a stupid, stupid charade…"
Fuzen shook his head and then jumped down from the building, landing onto Raiju's back as the dragon flew by as per his earlier command.
"It's time for your punishment. You had a simple job of keeping everyone away from my duel, and you still failed."
"...Yes, my Master."
"To the Dungeon. I will have you get killed until you have no Ki left to regenerate."
"...Yes, my Master."
...It was the right choice, my Master.
What was, lizard?
Letting Amid slip past me.
And almost getting her killed in the process? Truly, you have the brain of a lizard.
She wasn't in any danger, my Master.
Oh? And how can you be so sure of that?
Because you were there, my Master.
…
You'll thank me later.
That will not happen. Now shut it, and head to the Dungeon.
"...Yes, my Master…"
Flying on Raiju allowed Fuzen a bird-eye view of the city, and from his height he could see both the Twilight Manor and the home of the Dian Cecht Familia. But he could no longer see them with the same eyes as he did before.
He had multiple choices to choose from regarding the events which made up this fateful day, and Fuzen had made his choices.
One could say he had reached a certain point in his new life in Orario earlier on this day and throughout it as well, and he chose to go with the same path he chose before.
Indeed, he had reached a point of no return, and walked through it as he had walked before...
XXX
Sometime earlier, the Dungeon…
She wasn't sure what had happened.
By the time the first cry reached the group as a whole, two were already dead.
They were not a very large or well-known Familia, but the Guild still gave their Familia a C ranking. They only had three Level 1's among their ranks. Six others, her included, were all Level 2, all of which had at least E Ranks in their Attributes. Their mage had just managed a Level-Up to Level 3, gaining a new Spell in the process. Lastly, their Captain, an Elf just like her and her lover of two years, was their heavy hitter: a high-Class Level 3.
They had gone through much over the years, meeting many challenges and overcoming all of them as a Familia, growing stronger in the process. Finally, they began to become known, to make a name for themselves, to become relevant in the city of Orario.
And now, it was all gone.
He had appeared before them as they were about to make their way into the 24th Floor. He gave them just enough seconds for the Captain to give the signal to stop advancing, then began to advance on their location with ever increasing speed.
Before all of them could draw their weapons, he was upon them. He kicked their Captain away like he was nothing first. That alone sent the rest into a state of carelessness. He advanced on the first two, the closest to him. With a single sweeping kick, their heads had been cut off before they could as much as raise their weapons.
That was when the first scream echoed throughout the Floor. It had been snuffed out in mere moments.
Anger overtook her: anger at seeing her lover hurt, and her Familia members getting killed off one by one. With a scream of pure rage, she drew her halberd and rushed the man. Behind her she heard someone yelling at her to pull back.
She did not.
Instead, she jumped and brought down the halberd upon the man. It was a second-tier weapon, and sharp to boost. It should have cut him just as it did countless Monsters before.
But it didn't.
The man had simply raised his forearm and blocked the blade with his skin alone, and no matter how much force she put behind the attack, it could simply not pierce through. In that moment of shock a kick came upon her. It hit her left arm and side and she had been sent flying.
Every bone in her arm and her shoulder had been pulverized, as had been her ribs. She could tell because the pain had been so immense for a single moment before it disappeared for good.
By the time she managed to turn around on her back, all the screams and sounds of fighting had died out. She could not move her head, but with the corner of her eyes she saw her comrades, all of whom were alive just minutes ago, dead and spread all around her.
Their Captain too had been killed.
She couldn't even bring herself to cry, the shock at how fast their world had been turned upside-down was too great.
Then she saw the man approach her, having noticed she was the only one left still drawing breath. He stopped to her side, observing her for a single moment. Then he raised his foot.
...This is...too unfair. Damn it...Damn it...Damn it...Goddess...Help me-
Then the foot came crashing down, blood and gore spreading all around where the woman had been laying on the ground.
Then silence followed, a silence as eerie and disturbing as the Dungeon itself.
The man looked around, trying to spot anyone who was still alive, who could still get up and fight. Alas, he had killed them all, and none remained alive. He looked down as his hands covered in blood, then shook his head a moment later.
"This cannot be everything...Orario."
Curling his hands into fists, the man left the bloody scene he himself created and made his way deeper into the Dungeon. All the while, his tail flung limply at his back, a tell of his disappointment at the group he had just slaughtered...
XXX
Yeah, that's about it.
That's like, a tiny part of Fuzen without filters.
Now much else to say besides that, to be honest. This Chapter is meant to give you, the readers, more hints about the OC. Of course, as always, I tried my best to hide the hints here and there, not shoving them in anyone's faces.
I would have a request, however.
With this Chapter and with the omake ones as well, you all had over 30+ Chapters time to get used to Fuzen.
If it were possible, I would like to hear about what each of you think about his as a character.
His good and bad sides, why he is the way he is, what he symbolizes, what you like about him and what you don't, stuff like that, you know?
Naturally, I already know his past and everything that happened to him which defines the current Fuzen. But over the span of 30+ Chapters, I've also given out hints about him and tried to reveal, little by little, more about him as a person and as a character.
And now I would like to know what the readers who were here for the whole ride so far think of him.
Knowing how you perceive him so far will help me understand which of his characteristics I fleshed out enough, and which ones I haven't.
In reality, this is just me hoping you will help me write a better story, for your enjoyment. So I would be really thankful if you could take a couple minutes when you have time and help a bro out.
But yeah, that's about it.
Hope you stay tuned for more and that you enjoyed the Chapter.
Til next time.
Kay bye.