It had been a week since MON's trip to the gym and in that time, Lala had completed her induction into MON. Though not fully trained, she was officially a member of MON's Squad Alpha. She was happy to be working with her Love, though she was somewhat disappointed that she wasn't assigned to Squad Bravo, though Ms Smith had insisted that the squads had to be balanced to teams of five. Despite that slight disagreement though, Lala's induction had been well received by the rest of the team, especially by a certain blonde hybrid. It wouldn't be long till Yuuto and Lala could move in together, though they had to wait for the dullahan's exchange transfer papers to be processed first, at the very least they could now date openly with his new 'Hybrid' status. Things were looking up for the couple.
With all the hard work that the MON team had been through lately, and with the young reaper joining them, Ms Smith thought it'd be a good time for them to have a short vacation and she had plans for the team to stay at the Sno Ball Resort, which was an onsen situated in a small resort town not far from the outskirts of Tokyo. The government agent was fortunate that she was able to coerce Kimihito and his homestays to scout out the hot spring resort some time ago, and they had plenty of good things to say about the place.
The group were well on their way to their destination, with Ms Smith driving down with the majority of Squad Alpha. A few miles down the road behind them just outside of the resort town, Squad Bravo was on their way to the onsen with Raia at the wheel, Yuuto in the front passenger seat and finally Blare, Lala and Kasumi in the back seats, though strangely enough, Kestria was nowhere to be seen.
"So, how much farther till we get there?" The hybrid asked out of curiosity.
"I'd say about two or three miles at most. I'm sure the others should be there by now." The mummy answered as she kept her focus on the road.
"Hm, guess it won't be much longer then."
"Hey, Stud," Blare interjected. "what's the big deal with onsens anyway? Aren't they just really big baths?"
"They're more than just that. They're formed from natural hot springs, and they're not that common outside of Asia. There's something unique about bathing in the warmth of natural mineral water outside, especially on a summer's night. It's one of the most relaxing things you'll ever get to experience." He replied, making it sound almost magical.
The hellhound smiled at the thought. "Wow, sounds kind of romantic when you put it like that."
"Aye, the thought o' resting me weary bones in such a place with me Love truly epitomises me ideal paradise." Lala added with a dreamy look on her face, already imagining herself and Yuuto cuddled up together in the warm waters.
"I can attest to that." The empusa of the group interjected. "I used to spend many an evening in one of the hot springs that resided on the border of my home and Mt Fuji, though this will be my first time going to a human run hot spring resort."
As the girls chatted amongst themselves, Yuuto opened his side window and stuck his head out to look up at the sky. About fifty feet above the SUV, Kestria was soaring in the warm summer air without a care in the world.
"Hey, Kes! You doing okay up there?!" He shouted to get the harpy's attention.
Kestria looked down at him with a wide smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm good! You couldn't ask for a better day to fly!" She yelled back at him as she performed some acrobatics mid-air.
The blonde smiled back at her before he pulled his head back in. "Well, someone's definitely in high spirits." He muttered to himself.
"Yeah, flying tend to put her in a good mood, it's kind of a coping mechanism for her." Raia interjected with a smile curling onto her own lips.
"Oh, so kind of when you go out riding on your Baby whenever you get moody then?" Yuuto teased with a smirk forming on his own lips.
The mummy's lips pulled into a sinister smile as she let several straps of wrapping extend from her. "Oh, sorry Medjay. Did you say something?" The asked in a sinister tone.
The hybrid panicked as he reflexively triggered his devil mode, sensing the immediate danger next to him. "Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" He exclaimed as he held his hands up in front of him, waving them apologetically.
Raia now had a smug look on her face as she retracted the straps of wrapping. "Oh, my bad. Must've been hearing things again."
The blonde let out a sigh of relief as he reverted back to his base form, glad that he barely avoided being on the receiving end of her wrappings.
Blare could be heard snickering to herself from behind him, much to his annoyance. "Geez, Stud. You're so whipped." She teased with a grin on her face.
"Yeah, you try saying that in my position, Trouble…"
"Me Love, it bewilders me why ye wish tae tempt danger so casually. Surely ye realise the consequences o' yer actions." Lala interjected with a look of worry on her face.
"Hey, don't blame a guy for trying to have a bit of fun, will you?" He tried to defend himself, though his girlfriend didn't seem satisfied with his response.
Just then the group noticed that as they got further into the town, the summery scene around them slowly changed to that of a winter wonderland. Their eyes widened in shock as they now found themselves in a mild blizzard.
"What the fuck is going on outside?!" The hellhound exclaimed as she looked out the window. "It's supposed to be summer still, right?!"
"Well, this is certainly unexpected." Kasumi commented as she did the same.
"It appears that we have descended intae the circle o' Treachery." The young reaper added in chuunibyou fashion.
"Hold up, I think Ms Smith mentioned that there's a yuki-onna working at the onsen we're going to." Yuuto explained to the group. "They possess powerful ice magic, powerful enough to affect the environment around them just by being there."
"Well, that must mean that we're getting close then." Raia added as she began to drive more carefully in the now icy conditions.
"And here I left my jacket at home…" The shinobi complained to herself.
Just then they felt something land gently on top of the SUV, which was immediately followed by the rapid tapping of claws on the roof of the vehicle. "HEY! LET ME IN ALREADY!" The raptor harpy squawked loudly. "I'M FREEZING MY ASS OFF OUT HERE!"
"Alright, just don't damage the paintwork!" The mummy shouted back as she opened the sunroof for her.
With the roof now open Kestria wasted no time and jumped in as quick as she could and landed on Yuuto's lap, eliciting a grunt of pain from the hybrid. "Oh, sorry, Hotshot. You okay there?" She asked with worry as she looked back at him, her body shivering from the sudden cold.
"Yeah, I'm good. Though I'm more worried about you right now." He replied in a concerned tone.
"I'll be fine, just need a minute to warm up," She said as she leaned back against him and wrapped her wings around herself. "though this should help a little."
"Okay, but don't get too comfy. We'll be there soon." He said as his cheeks went bright red with the raptor harpy snuggling up to him.
In the back-seat, Lala was pouting to herself as Kestria snuggled up to her boyfriend. "Kestria, ye would do well tae nay get too familiar with me Love." She said in an annoyed tone.
The avian woman couldn't help but look back and smirk at the dullahan from her warm and comfy seat. "Oh, is someone jealous?" She asked in a teasing tone.
Suddenly the car came to a halt and Kestria was flung forwards, crashing onto the dashboard in a daze. It had also resulted in Lala's head toppling from her shoulders and onto her lap.
"We're here," Raia announced to the group before looking towards the harpy. "and try to behave yourself, will you?"
"…Duly noted…" Kestria replied as she tried to recover from her dazed state.
Apart from the mummy, everyone got out of the car and found themselves standing in front of what looked like an Edo-period inn, and the whole building and surrounding area was covered in snow. In fact, it wasn't just the inn but the entire area for about a mile was covered in several inches of fresh snow, which was peculiar for late-August.
"This has to be a dream, right?" Blare questioned as she began to shiver uncontrollably.
"I wish I could say it was." Kasumi replied as she wrapped her arms and sickles around herself in a desperate attempt to keep herself warm.
Yuuto got everyone's luggage from the back of the SUV, trying his best to keep himself from shivering. "Geez, didn't think it'd be this bad." He complained to himself before shutting the boot of the vehicle.
"I'll park up the car, so get yourselves inside and warm up." Raia said to the group before she drove off to find somewhere to park.
Blare, Kasumi and Kestria wasted to time as they rushed for the building's entrance with their luggage in hand or wing in the harpy's case. "You don't have to tell us twice!" The hellhound yelled as she sprinted for the building ahead of the others.
Yuuto and Lala were left standing there with their own luggage as they shivered in the cool air. "M-M-Me Love, I b-b-b-believe we should also make haste f-f-fer this sanctuary." The young reaper struggled to say as she held her head in her arms for warmth.
"Yeah, probably a good idea." As they were about to head for the warmth of the inn, the hybrid saw two rather large snowmen to his right, though what confused him was the fact that they looked like they were shivering. "What the hell?" He muttered to himself as he went to investigate.
"W-W-What is the matter, Y-Yuuto?" The dullahan questioned as she followed him.
"I'm pretty sure snowmen aren't supposed to AAAAHHHH!" He yelled in shock at what he discovered.
The two snowmen in question weren't actually snowmen but in fact the shivering forms of both Zombina and Tionishia with the tops of their head and their backs covered in snow. For some reason, the pair were waiting out here for them, though the hybrid couldn't think of any good reason for them to do so, especially in these frigid conditions. Zombina was only wearing her black tank top, green denim short shorts and her black army boots, while Tio was only wearing her blue summer dress and a pair on tanned sandals.
"H-Hey, B-B-B-Beesh," The redhead stuttered as her body shuddered uncontrollably. "w-w-what took you guys so d-d-d-damn long?"
"S-S-Sweetie?" The ogress interjected as she did the same. "D-Do you mind helping us b-b-back inside. I d-d-don't think I can m-move…"
"The hell are you two doing out here?! You're going to freeze to death!" Yuuto shouted out in annoyance.
"B-B-But I'm already-" Zombina started before being immediately cut off by the hybrid.
"This is no time for your wisecracks, Zee!" He exclaimed as he put his luggage to one side on went to lift the undead woman into a princess carry. "We need to get you inside!" As he did so he noticed Lala glaring at him as she was overcome with jealousy. "Babe, this isn't the time for you to get jealous! I really need your help getting them back inside right now!"
"But what about our luggage?"
Before he could say anything else, Raia had come back to the front of the inn with her own luggage in hand. "Hey! You guys okay over there?!" She shouted as she quickly made her way to the group.
"Oh, Raia, great timing." He replied as he calmed himself down. "Can you help Tio back inside please?"
*Sigh* "If I must," The mummy started as she extended a number of her wrappings and wrapped them tightly around the towering busty blonde. "but you owe me one, Medjay." She added as she gave him a suggestive smirk.
Yuuto didn't like what she was implying, but he really needed the help right now. "Thanks, Raia." He replied before returning his attention back to his girlfriend. "Lala, do you mind bringing my luggage in with you please?"
"Of course, me Love." She answered as she went to get his suitcase.
"And sorry for shouting at you earlier. I guess I should be a little more considerate about your feelings…" He said to her as his cheeks went red.
"Nay, it is alright. Ye were only concerning yerself with the wellbeing o' yer friends. That is the kind o' mortal ye've always been." She replied as her own cheeks went bright red, trying to hide her embarrassed face behind her scarf.
"Th-Thanks for doing this, B-B-B-Beesh. Y-Y-You're a real lifesaver." Zombina said as she was still shivering in his arms, though not as much as before thanks to his body heat.
"I think you mean un-lifesaver, Zee." He joked as he smirked down at her.
"Heh, now who's the wisecrack?" She replied with a wink.
"It doesn't matter. Come on, let's get ourselves inside before we all freeze up out here."
With that, the small group started to make their way into the warm confines of the inn. As they went inside, they found themselves in the front lobby area, with a small section they stepped into being ten square feet of foot mat with a large wooden shoe rack to the side with the rest of the room being covered in wooden panels, slightly elevated from the foot mat area. Manako, Doppel and Kuroko were waiting by the front desk, while Blare, Kasumi and Kestria were lying on the floor with satisfied looks on their faces for whatever strange reason.
"Zombina! Tio!" The monoeye exclaimed in horror at seeing their nearly frozen forms. "Are they alright?!"
"They will be once we get them warmed up." The hybrid answered before he looked down at his three squadmates lazing around on the floor. "And you three, do I even want to ask why?"
"Didn't you know, Stud? They have heated floors here, and it feels amazing." Blare replied in a dreamy tone as she nuzzled her cheek against the wooden floor.
"Indeed, I believe it'll be sufficient enough to thaw out Zombina and Tionishia." Kasumi added as she was curled up on the floor, not wanting to move an inch.
Yuuto looked down at them in annoyance, then glanced back at Zombina's shivering form still shaking in his arms. He sighed to himself before he placed the zombie on the wooden floor, making sure the army boots she was wearing were still in the foot mat area. Raia used her wrappings to lift the ogress and placed her on the wooden floor as well.
"Hopefully that should do for now." He said as he wiped the back of his hand across his forehead.
Almost immediately the two women's faces lit up with joy as the heat from the floor permeated through their bodies. "Damn, the heated floors are awesome!" Zombina exclaimed excitedly.
"Ah, that feels so much better~" Tio added with a content sigh.
Suddenly the redhead came up with a devious plan and looked up at the hybrid seductively. "Hey, Beesh. You mind helping a girl out and take my boots off for me? Still finding it hard to move right now." She said to him in a sultry tone.
He responded to her request by throwing a pair of slippers at her. "Do it yourself once you've warmed up enough, plus, I don't ever remember being your slave." He replied in an annoyed tone.
The zombie let out a gut-wrenching laugh at his reaction. "I was only teasing you know!" She exclaimed with a toothy grin.
Kuroko was leaning against the front desk with a look of annoyance on her face due to how the two squad captains were behaving. All she wanted to do was relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Hell, she even made the effort to dress up casually for once in her life, wearing a black mini dress underneath a blue button-up shirt which she left undone apart from where she tied the two bottom corners in a knot, as well as black knee-high socks, a pair of black ankle boots, and even a pair of black framed glasses that gave her that air of maturity. Despite that though, she knew peace and quiet was still going to be hard to come by with the members of MON around.
*Sigh* "Honestly, I can't take you two anywhere together without you causing a fuss." Ms Smith interjected in a frustrated tone. "It's like looking after a pair of teenagers sometimes."
"Well, at least there's never a dull moment with us around!" Zombina exclaimed jovially despite her superior's bad mood.
"C'mon Smith, let them enjoy themselves a little," Doppel spoke up from next to her. "we spend all our time either cooped up in an office or fighting for our lives. I think we've earned the right to let our hair down."
The government agent let out another frustrated sigh. "I suppose you're right, as long as they don't cause any property damage that is."
At that moment a short young man wearing a grey yukata with a black overcoat, as well as a dark grey scarf and woolly hat and a pair of black framed glasses appeared on the other side of the front desk with a polite smile on his face. "Sorry for the wait, Ma'am," He said as he gave her a respectful bow. "we still have the two large rooms available at the far end of the inn. They can accommodate up to six people each if needed."
Kuroko's mood instantly perked up at the good news. "Ah, excellent, just what I wanted to hear. We'll take them."
"Of course, Ma'am." The young human replied.
Just then a young woman with pale blue skin appeared from the same side of the front desk as the young man. She had long white hair which was tied back into a long ponytail with what looked like a large snowflake made of ice, and her pupil-less eyes shimmered a deep blue as she glanced towards the young man next to her. She was wearing a sky-blue yukata which had a snowflake design on it, as well as a large black obi wrapped around her waist. The woman towered over him as she stood to his side.
"Dear, would you like me to show our other guests to their rooms while you deal with the payment?" She asked as she looked down at him with slightly reddened cheeks.
"Oh, Yukio." The young man replied as he glanced up at her, mildly surprised by her sudden appearance. "Yes, that would be a great help, thank you." He answered as he gave her a warm smile.
Yukio smiled back at him as her cheeks went a brighter shade of red. "Of course, I will do that now." She replied with a bow before she made her way to the other side of the front desk to greet the MON agents. "Welcome to our resort." She started as she knelt down on the floor and gave them a polite smile before bowing to them. "I am Yukio, the proprietress of this resort." She added as she rose her head to them and stood to her feet once more.
Kestria sat up from where she was lying on the floor and stood up as she quirked an eyebrow at the yuki-onna. "So, I take it you're the one responsible for all this snow?"
Blare and Kasumi shot up to their paws and feet respectively, the pair of them now staring at the snow woman with looks of awe on their faces. "Wow, that's really amazing that you can do that!" The hellhound exclaimed in amazement as the empusa next to her silently nodded in agreement.
The yuki-onna's cheeks went red with embarrassment before she gave the group a deep bow. "Oh, I do apologize for any inconvenience the weather might have caused you. Unfortunately, as a yuki-onna the cold follows me wherever I go, so please bear with the weather as best you can during your stay here…" She said to them as she straightened herself out.
Lala placed a hand over her face with her fingers spread as she locked eyes with her. "I see, tae possess the power over frost is both a blessing and a curse. It truly is a tragic fate. Ye have me condolences, Ice Witch." She said in her typical chuunibyou fashion.
"Hey, don't go randomly calling people you've just met witches." Yuuto told the dullahan in an annoyed tone.
Yukio smiled at the interaction between the pair before she recomposed herself. "Well, if you would all like to follow me, I will guide you to your rooms." She said to the group as she started to head for their destination.
Everyone else gathered and started to follow the proprietress, though Ms Smith stayed behind to sort out the expenses. The government agent was happy to foot the bill as company expenses though, seeing as it was technically a company vacation.
Shortly after, the group found themselves outside one of the rooms as the yuki-onna opened the traditional Japanese sliding door to reveal an extremely large room which was covered with tatami mats on the floor. It also had a sizable Chabudai table, large enough to seat six people, as well as a long conservatory area that ran alongside the room and a small bathtub build into the floor at the far end of the room.
"This is the first of our large group rooms." Yukio explained. "The other room is identical, so please feel free to organize yourselves as you wish."
"Holy crap, it's massive!" Blare exclaimed in amazement before rushing inside. "I call dibs on this one!"
"Didn't you just hear? She said they're exactly the same." The hybrid told her.
"Looks like this will be Bravo's room then." Kestria spoke up as she made her way into the room.
"Now this is what a call a room." Raia said as she followed the raptor harpy inside.
"Well, it certainly looks adequate for our needs." Kasumi added as she made her way into the room.
While the members of Squad Bravo organized themselves, Lala grasped at her boyfriend's free hand and held it tightly. "Me Love, if it is nay bother tae ye, I would beseech ye tae allow me tae share the same plane o' existence as ye." She said as her cheeks blushed bright red.
"The hell did Headless just say?" Zombina asked with a bemused look on her face.
"She said she wants to be in the same room as me." The hybrid of the group answered nonchalantly.
"And how would you happen to know that, Romeo?" Doppel questioned in a teasing tone.
"…It's a long story…" He trailed off as he thought back to his middle school days, remembering the times he put up with Kimihito's Chuunibyou phase. He then turned his attention back to his girlfriend. "Anyway, I don't mind if you want to bunk up with us, Babe." He told her, giving her a warm smile.
The young reaper beamed up at him before planting a kiss on his cheek. "It feels me being with joy tae hear ye say that." She replied as she looked at him with loving eyes.
"Sorry to interrupt," The proprietress said to grab their attention. "but just to make sure you are aware, there are plenty of yukatas and futons in the cupboards to the left of the room. You will also find plenty of towels in there as well should you wish to use the hot spring or any of the baths during your stay here."
"Good to know," Yuuto replied. "can't wait to dip in and have some alone time. Speaking of, which side are the men's baths here?"
"Oh, did no one tell you?" The yuki-onna said with a quizzical look on her face. "This onsen is mixed bathing only."
Manako's face went bright red with a look of shock on her face. "M-M-M-Mixed bathing?! M-M-Ms Smith never mentioned that!" She exclaimed in an embarrassed tone.
"It's okay, Mana-chan," Tio interjected as she placed a hand on the monoeye's back. "It's not that big a deal."
The hybrid's eyes widened in surprise. "…Come again?"
"You see, in order to fit all the different bathing facilities, we had to combine the old women's and men's bathing areas in order to make room for everything. I hope this isn't an inconvenience for anyone." Yukio explained plainly.
"Nah, I'm sure we'll be fine!" Zombina exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Sp-Speak for yourself!" The monoeye interjected. "I-I-I'm sure Yuuto doesn't want to be stuck bathing with us when he's trying to relax!"
"Or maybe you're too embarrassed to see his hot bod." Doppel teased with a cheeky grin on her face.
"D-D-Doppel!" Manako shouted as her whole face was crimson now.
"...Well, I'm sure it won't be a big deal, I hope…" Yuuto said as his own cheeks went red.
"Very well," The yuki-onna replied. "Should you or your group require anything, please feel free to let us know right away." She then turned her attention to the members of Squad Alpha. "If you would like to follow me, I will show you to your room."
"Sure! Thanks a bunch, Frosty!" The redhead replied with a massive grin on her face. As they were leaving, she turned back to wave at Yuuto and Lala. "See you two in the hot spring later! Don't keep us waiting!"
"Yeah, see you there, Zee." He replied with a wave of his own hand. As he turned back to this girlfriend, he noticed that her entire face had gone bright red. "You okay there, Lala?"
The dullahan was struggling to keep herself composed as the image of her boyfriend in a near clothe-less state danced around in her mind. "I-I am fine, me Love. Th-Th-There is nothing tae worry yerself over." She replied in an embarrassed tone as she tried to avoid eye contact with him.
The blonde smirked to himself as he patted the top of her head gently. "Alright then. Let's get ourselves inside and sort ourselves out." He said as the pair walked into the room together.
As he shut the sliding door behind him, he saw Blare and Kestria sprawled out on the tatami mats, while Kasumi and Raia were busy unpacking their luggage. The hellhound looked back up at him while she was lying on her back and gave him a massive grin as her flame lashes burst into life. "Hey, Stud. You've got to lie down here for a sec. these tatami mats are so comfortable."
"As nice as that sounds, some of us still need to unpack, Trouble." The hybrid replied as he held his suitcase up for emphasis.
"But there's plenty of time for that!" She answered enthusiastically. "We're here to relax!"
"If anyone needs to calm down and relax, it's you." Raia interjected in an annoyed tone.
"Hey, Hotshot," Kestria spoke up and looked at him while she was lying on her stomach on the floor, kicking her talons up behind her. "I hear that you'll be joining us in the hot spring later." She added as she gave him a suggestive look and a teasing smirk.
"Wait, you are?!" Blare shouted excitedly. "This trip just got more awesome!"
"That is certainly a bold decision coming from you, Senpai." The shinobi of the group added with slightly reddened cheeks. "But if that is what you desire, then I will not oppose it."
"Well, I'm looking forward to your company, Medjay." The mummy added with a smirk on her lips.
"…Well, I'm kind of out of options seeing it's mixed bathing only here…" He replied as his own cheeks went red.
Blare shot up to her paws and pumped her fists in excitement. "Finally, we get to see how toned Stud really is!"
Yuuto instinctively triggered his devil mode as he gave the hellhound a disapproving look. "Don't go getting any ideas." He warned her in a stern tone.
"I bet Grim is looking forward to it the most, aren't you?" The raptor harpy asked as she directed her attention towards the dullahan.
Lala tried to hide her reddened cheeks behind her scarf as she tried to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room. "W-Well, I-I-I canna say that I do nay desire such an outcome." She replied in an embarrassed tone.
"See, Hotshot? Don't go disappointing your girlfriend now." She added in a suggestive tone. "And besides, I bet you're excited to see us all naked too."
"What kind of pervert do you take me for, Kes?" He asked her in an annoyed tone as sparks of chaotic energy intensified around him.
Kestria couldn't help but giggle to herself. "Oh, don't get all embarrassed. It's only natural after all." She teased.
The hybrid let out a defeated sigh as he resigned himself to being the MON girls' eye candy in the foreseeable future. "It just had to be mixed bathing, didn't it?" He complained inwardly to himself.
Not long after, once it had gotten darker outside, all the girls had congregated at the outdoor hot spring of the resort. The pool itself was surrounded by an outcropping of smooth stones which itself was surrounded by snow-covered foliage. Part of the pool was also covered by a large wooden shelter in case the snow started to fall again. The women all relaxed as the steaming water helped soothe their aching bones.
"Ah, this is heaven~" Blare said with a sigh of satisfaction. "This water is doing wonders for my skin and fur~"
"Indeed, you can feel the tension in your muscles and carapace just seep away." Kasumi added as she got herself comfortable.
"Yeah, not all of us have carapace, you know."
"This is the best!" Zombina shouted as she floated on the surface of the water. "I can't believe you didn't take us to one of these sooner, Kuroko!" She added as she directed her attention towards her superior.
"Well, it's just been a busy few months since we started the MON initiative, but it's all been worth it by all accounts." The raven-haired human responded as she basked in the warm waters.
"Yeah, it's been a fun and exciting few months, hasn't it?" Tio added as she relaxed at the centre of the spring.
"True, but we've certainly had our ups and down in that time, and Yuuto seems to have seen the worst of it." Manako replied with a look of concern on her face.
"Maybe, but Romeo's come out better for it," Doppel said as she draped her hair outside of the spring. "I mean think about it, he has a girlfriend now, and he has devil powers on top of that."
"Yeah, who would've seen that coming?" Kestria added as she rested her breasts and wings on the edge of the pool. "At first I thought he was just another guy to tease and have fun with, but now he's probably the biggest badass out of all of us."
"There's no denying that," Raia agreed as she rested her back against the edge of the waters with her wrappings rolled up into a large ball outside of the pool, only connected to her by a strap wrapped around her forehead which also conveniently held her hair up. "but still, he's still human at the end of the day, despite his unique quirks. Though I wouldn't have Medjay any other way." She continued as a warm smile formed on her lips.
Lala was sat not too far from her hellhound and empusa co-workers with a towel wrapped around her neck in place of her scarf and her hair tied in a bun. "Yuuto is truly an incredible mortal when ye think upon it." She started as her cheeks went red thinking about what they had been through together up till now. "Sometimes I find it hard tae believe that the Fates allowed me tae form a pact with such a person." She added as a loving smile crossed her lips.
"Speaking of Stud, where is he?" The hellhound asked as she looked around for her squad captain.
"I bet he's too embarrassed to see all of us in the nude." The doppelganger teased with a grin on her face.
The zombie of the group suddenly shot up to her feet and started shouting towards the changing area. "Hey, Beesh! Get your ass out here, the water's great!"
"I think I'll wait till you girls are done!" The hybrid shouted back from inside the changing rooms. "I'm sure you don't want a guy intruding on your privacy anyway!"
A sinister grin crossed the redhead's face before she directed her attention towards the canine liminal. "Blare, you know what to do."
Blare nodded enthusiastically before she shot up to her paws and made ready to get out of the spring. "Stud! If you don't come out now, I'll drag you out here myself!" She shouted with a massive grin on her face.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Yuuto eventually relented and complied. "Alright, I'm coming out! Just let a guy get mentally prepared!"
After a moment he eventually came out of the changing room, wearing only a towel around his waist to cover his modesty. His face was bright red, embarrassed by the situation that he now found himself in. All the women in the hot spring had their eyes glued to him, admiring his toned but not overly muscular form.
Blare let out a wolf whistle upon seeing her squad captain almost fully undressed. "Damn, that's one hell of a six-pack you got there." She commented as she stared at his abs.
"Hey, my eyes are up here." He replied in an irritated tone, trying to resist the urge to trigger is devil mode.
"You can't exactly blame her for staring, Bishie-kun." Ms Smith interjected as she also looked him over. "It's no wonder you have women fawning over you." She added as she gave him a suggestive wink.
"And why are you even wearing a towel, Beesh?!" The zombie shouted. "It's a hot spring, so strip!"
The hybrid just stared back at her disapprovingly. "I think you'll find it's perfectly acceptable to wear a towel in a mixed bathing area."
"Oh c'mon, you get to see all of us naked. It's only fair that you show off your stuff too." She replied as she crossed her arms under her breasts and gave him a cheeky wink.
"That's your problem, not mine." He replied in an annoyed tone.
"To be honest, Hotshot, I'm surprised you're not freaking out over seeing us all in the nude in the first place." Kestria said with a bemused look on her face.
"I think he's gotten used to it from hanging out with Pel-chan so much." Tio commented with an innocent smile on her face.
"You can thank me later, Romeo." Doppel added as she gave him a cheeky wink.
"I think he's not freaking out because no one is wearing any lingerie for him." Raia said in a suggestive tone.
"…Just stop already…" Yuuto groaned out loud.
He then glanced over to Lala to find that she hadn't said a word since he came out of the changing room. He saw that she was frozen in place, unable to break eye contact with him as her whole face went bright red.
"Hey, Babe. You okay over there?" He asked in a worried tone.
The young reaper shook herself from her stupor at his prodding. "I-I-I am well, m-me Love." She said before quickly breaking eye contact with him out of embarrassment. "I-I apologize if me staring is afflicting ye."
The hybrid couldn't help but smirk at her. "It's okay, I don't mind if it's you. Besides, I guess I'm making too big a deal over this anyway." He replied as he rubbed the back of his head nervously, though he didn't notice that one of Raia's wrappings had wrapped itself around the corner of his towel.
Lala looked back and smiled at him shyly. "Then mayhap ye will join me in this tranquil space." She said as her cheeks went a brighter shade of red.
"I'd be happy to."
Just as he was walking towards her, he felt a slight tug on his towel and before he knew it, it had dropped to the ground. He froze in place as he felt his manhood being exposed to the cold air, and to the glares of all his work colleagues. All their faces had gone bright red, but their reactions had differed. Manako had gone pale at the sight, her singular eye widened in shock as she was unable to utter a single word. Tio and Kasumi looked on with curious yet surprised looks on their faces. Kuroko, Doppel, Kestria and Raia all had smug looks on their faces, impressed by what they saw. Zombina and blare looked visibly excited by the sight of his shaft. Lala was frozen in place once more with widened eyes and reddened cheeks, not expecting the sudden reveal of his manhood. Yuuto had gone bright red himself, being embarrassed beyond all belief.
"Holy crap, Stud! You're packing!" The hellhound shouted in amazement.
"It certainly is impressive, Senpai." The empusa added as she was unable to break her gaze.
"Well, you certainly are gifted in more ways than one, Bishie-kun." The government agent commented as she couldn't help but stare at the specimen in front of her.
"And to think, Grim. You get that all to yourself." Kestria teased as she glanced towards the dullahan with a mischievous look on her face.
Lala was left speechless, unable to look away from her boyfriend's member in all its glory. If she wasn't excited enough about moving in with him before, she certainly was now.
"See, it wasn't so hard, was it?" The redhead asked as she grinned proudly at him.
"I believe you've gotten full marks from all of us, Medjay." The mummy said as she looked at him with a smug look on her face, proud that her attempt to expose him was successful.
In that instant, the hybrid triggered his devil mode, annoyed beyond all belief at his undead squad mate's ploy. The sudden transformation shocked a fair number of the girls, especially Raia who would soon be the target of his retribution.
"Wow, that energy of yours really does spark from everywhere." The doppelganger commented in a suggestive tone.
"Not now, Doppel." Yuuto spoke up in an irritated tone as he sent an angry glare her way.
Doppel flinched as he looked her way and kept quiet, now realising the gravity of the situation.
Satisfied, he then focused his menacing glare towards the mummy of the group. "Did you enjoy your little stunt, Raia?"
The woman in question started to panic as he held up her hands in front of her protectively. "Hey, I was only joking around. No need to do anything rash." She replied in the most innocent tone she could muster as she smiled back at him, trying to hide her worry.
Yuuto gave her a sinister grin in return. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not that cruel. But just so you know, I will remember this." He told her in a sinister tone.
Raia was someone that was normally calm, collected and in control, but with how her squad captain was acting right now she couldn't help but feel intimidated by what he said. It was almost as bad as the aura Ms Smith would emit when she was in a foul mood. Humans could be terrifying when they wanted to be, and it seemed that hybrids were no exception.
After a moment the blonde hybrid took a deep breath and reverted back to his base form before breathing out slowly, now acting more rationally than he did before. "Sorry about that, I just needed to vent." He said apologetically to her.
Everyone in the hot spring was surprised by his sudden shift in attitude, not expecting him to calm down so quickly after what happened, though they were grateful that his transformation didn't do any real damage. Surprisingly though, Manako was the first to speak up. "Yuuto, are you alright? You looked like you were out of it for a moment." The monoeye said in a worried tone.
"Yeah, it's not like you to act out like that." Kestria added with equal concern.
Yuuto broke eye contact with the group as his cheeks went red, now embarrassed by his sudden outburst. "I'll be fine, but I will admit that I'm struggling to keep my emotions under control since I awakened. I can't help but act hostile it that form, I guess it's like a defence mechanism or something like that, but I know it's no excuse for me to behave the way I did…" It was clear by the tone of his voice that he was upset by what he had done in that brief moment of anger.
"Kazama, I understand that you're going through a great deal right now," Kuroko spoke up in a serious tone. "I will admit this is my first time dealing with a hybrid and I can't say that I truly understand what exactly you must be feeling, but know that you're free to talk to me if you feel like you need any assistance. Your wellbeing, as well as that of everyone in MON, is important to me, so don't be afraid to speak up if something is bothering you, okay?"
"Yeah, we're all here for each other. We're a team after all." Tio added in a more positive tone.
Zombina was the next person to speak up. "Beesh, remember what I told you when you first joined MON? You can always count on us, no matter what." She said with a warm smile on her face as she gave him a thumbs-up.
The rest of the girls nodded in agreement, which helped put the hybrid at ease.
"…Thank you, all of you. I don't know what I'd do without you girls sometimes…" He said as he started to get emotional. "I just wish I could get a better handle on all the devil BS already."
As he said that, Blare stepped out of the spring and moved up behind him before she placed her padded hands on his shoulders. "We can worry about that another time." She started in a comforting tone. "We came here to relax, so let's get to relaxing already." She added as she gave his shoulders a comforting squeeze, careful not to let her claws dig into his skin.
The hybrid let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the tension had been lifted for the time being. "I think that's the best idea I've heard all day." He replied as he allowed her to guide him towards the hot spring.
He soon stepped into the steaming water and sat next to his girlfriend as he rested his arms on the side of the pool. He looked towards Lala to see that her cheeks were still beet red as she kept her gaze on him.
"Lala, are you alright?" He asked in a worried tone.
The young reaper shook herself from her stupor once more and gave him a loving smile as she wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed her bare chest against him. "I am well, me Love, but I wish ye tae know that even in the end times, I will always be by yer side, come what may." She answered before she planted a kiss on his cheek.
Yuuto couldn't help but give her a loving smile back as he wrapped his arm around the back of her neck and gently placed his hand on top of her head. "Right back at you." He replied as he rested his forehead against hers before the couple started nuzzling their noses against each other with happy smiles on their faces.
As they were doing that, Blare dipped herself back into the hot spring and took a seat to the other side of her squad captain. "Hey, don't go forgetting about the rest of us." She interjected in a teasing tone.
The pair stopped their affections for a moment as the blonde hybrid looked back at the hellhound with a smirk on his face. "Like I could forget, Trouble." He answered as he placed his other hand on top of her head and started rubbing her cropped ears gently, causing her cheeks to go bright red as she smiled to herself at the affection she was receiving.
"Now that's more like it." Zombina commented with a massive grin as she stretched her arms. "It's about time we had a real vacation!" She exclaimed as she fell backwards into the hot spring, causing a big splash that hit both Kestria and Raia.
"Hey, watch the wings!" The raptor harpy yelled as she desperately tried to keep her feathers dry.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" The mummy shouted in irritation. "I swear if you get any of my wrappings soaked there'll be hell to pay for!"
The zombie shot out of the water with a massive grin still plastered on her face as she let out a gut-wrenching laugh. "Quit being such a downer, Wraps! Try to have some fun!"
Kestria looked back at the redhead, ready to give her a piece of her mind, but her train of thought got derailed as she noticed something off about her. "Um, Zombina? Where's your other boob?" She asked with a look of confusion on her face.
The zombie looked down at her chest to find that the stitches of one of her breasts had come undone and was now missing, leaving a gaping hole where it once was. "Whoops!" She said out loud as innocently as possible as she did her best to cover the massive wound with her hands. "I wonder where that could've gone?"
Yuuto, Lala and Blare were suddenly surprised as the missing breast floated to the surface right in front of them, which caused the hellhound to let out a panicked yelp. "What the fuck is that?!" She yelled in horror as her flame lashes ignited from the corners of her eyes.
The hybrid let out an exasperated sigh. "For the love of God, Zee. Can we not go anywhere without something falling off of you?" He asked the redhead in an annoyed tone.
"Sorry about that, Beesh." She replied with her signature grin as she walked up to and retrieved her detached breast. "Though, I would appreciate it if you helped me sew it back on." She added in a more seductive tone.
"Yeah, that's not happening." He responded as he furrowed his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, c'mon, help a girl out!" She pleaded as she thrust the mound of flesh in front of him, but he grabbed her wrists and tried to push it away from himself.
"Get someone else to do it then!"
"Cease yer transgression, Captain!" The young reaper interjected. "Me Love does nay wish tae involve himself in the necromantic arts!" She added as she tried to help her boyfriend push the breast away from them.
In the struggle, it was pushed towards the hellhound, much to her displeasure. "Hey, quit it! I don't want your mutilated tit!" She yelled in an annoyed tone.
Back at the other end of the hot spring, Ms Smith sigh to herself in frustration at the four MON agents' antics. "So much for my peaceful and quiet vacation." She muttered to herself.
Though the agents of MON had been through some hard times recently, at the end of the day they knew they could count on each other when it mattered. At the very least there was never a dull moment with this group of talented misfits.
A/N: Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.
Had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter, especially with all the possible fan-service in it. Though to my surprise, I managed to fit in a bit of emotional development with Yuuto near the end which I hadn't originally planned on, but I think it'll add more to the chapter, as well as his character in general. As for the vacation itself, I'll be basing it on the events of Volume 8 of Monster Musume, only with MON and my characters instead of Kimihito's group, so you can expect the trip to the farm and the shrine in the next few chapters.
As always, follow and favourite if you haven't already, and feel free to drop a review or any suggestions you may have.
Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you next time!