A/N: FINALLY! I'm done with this chapter!

Sorry for the long wait everybody! It's been a very busy time for me lately, as I moved houses and started taking classes again AND got myself a new job.

I also had to rewrite this chapter twice because I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go in, but I'll go into details about that later.

Enjoy!


Chapter 6: Hitting the Gym

"I know a great spot that you two can go to make your magic stronger," said Hiromi.

Diana stared at her for a moment. "...you do?" she asked, "But how?"

"I told you! This is my property," reminded Hiromi, "I know everything that happens here, even the stuff you try to keep secret."

That last line made Diana's skin crawl, not helped by Hiromi's smile, which was becoming far less reassuring with every word.

"Would you like me to tell you about this spot?" Hiromi asked.

Diana looked over at the buffet and saw Akko still mulling over which cake she wanted. "Well, do you?" Hiromi asked, again.

Diana gulped. She had a ton of questions, but she figured there was no way Hiromi would give her a straight answer. Plus, with Akko coming back any second, she didn't have much time to make something up.

"Y-yes, okay! Tell me!" she pleaded.

"Ah-ah-ah," joked Hiromi. "I'll tell you, but...on one condition!"

"O-okay?" Diana asked, nervously, "And what would that be?"

Hiromi then leaned in closer towards Diana. She held her hand up and whispered something in Diana's ear. Diana's eyes grew wide and she began to worry.

"That shouldn't be too hard, right?" Hiromi asked, leaning back.

"Hiromi...t-that's impossible!" stuttered Diana. "Akko is nowhere near good enough to do something like that!"

"If you go to this spot and practice, you both will be," Hiromi said cheerfully. "So what do you say?"

Diana hesitated. She looked over at the buffet and saw that Akko was about ready to walk back over to them.

"A-Alright! We'll do it!"

"Oh, wonderful!" Hiromi said, clapping her hands together, "I think it'll be a real treat for everyone!"

Hiromi leaned in closer to Diana. "Okay, here's where the spot is," she whispered.

"I'm back!"

Hiromi quickly jumped back into her seat as Akko returned carrying three plates of ice cream and cake. She quickly held her finger up to her lips, secretly telling Diana to keep quiet about the secret spot. "Here!" Akko said, kindly offering each a plate. "I got us some cake and ice cream!"

"Oh, Akko! You shouldn't have!" Hiromi said, taking the plate from Akko.

"Here Diana! You take one too!" Akko said, offering a plate to Diana.

"Ice cream? But I haven't finished my salad yet," replied Diana.

"Salad?" Akko asked, indignantly. "All you've been doing so far is eating salad. And that's making you depressed!"

Akko then scooped up Diana's salad and chucked it into a nearby trash can. "Akko!" scolded Diana.

"Come on, Diana. It's summer! Summer isn't for salads! It's for ice cream!"

"She's right, you know," said Hitomi.

Hitomi then nodded at Diana, signaling her to take the tasty treat Akko was handing her.

Diana took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "I suppose this is the right weather for some dessert," she said, taking the plate from Akko.

As Akko took her seat, Hiromi got up from hers. "Unfortunately, I have to get back to work," she said. "I think I'll give this to Aimi at the front desk. I'm sure she will love it."

"But wait!" Diana said. "You didn't tell me-"

"Oh, don't worry," Hitomi said. " Aimi will come by later to check on you two!"

Hiromi then winked at Diana. Akko looked on in confusion. "Uh, did I miss something?" she asked.

"Never mind that," Hiromi said, trying to change the subject. "You two go and enjoy yourselves! I'll see you around."

Hiromi then left the two by themselves. Diana was left still feeling confused. She had so many questions about nudist magic, where the "secret spot" was, how Hiromi really knows about either of the two, and whether it would really help Akko, especially with what Hiromi was asking of the two.

"Hurry up, Diana! Your ice cream is melting!" Akko said, snapping Diana out of her funk.

"Oh! Right…" Diana said. She quickly began eating.

The two sat at the table eating their desserts. For a moment, things were quiet. They didn't say a word to each other. They simply enjoyed their desserts in tranquility.

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew through the resort, rustling the leaves of the palm trees. The wind also caused a nearby wind chime to swing back and forth, creating a lovely melody that soothed Diana's frazzled mind.

"This is…nice," breathed Diana, as she took another piece of cake. "It's so peaceful and relaxing."

"It is, isn't it?" agreed Akko. "This is what I always imagined the perfect summer to be! Eating ice cream under the hot sun, looking out towards the beach, feeling the cool sea breeze…"

"And being completely naked?" joked Diana.

"Uh, y-yeah…," murmured Akko. "If only I knew being naked made it so much better…"

Diana could only laugh. She looked to be genuinely enjoying herself, which greatly surprised Akko. "Wow," she said, "this might be the first time I've ever seen you so friendly. Usually you're always so serious."

"Uh, but of course," Diana said, hastily reverting back to her usual self. "It's only natural to take practicing your magic seriously!"

Diana's serious demeanor quickly faded again as she smiled again, her face turning a very faint shade of red. "But…you're right," she admitted. "It has been a while since I last took it easy, as you would say."

"You're like a completely different person when you're relaxed," Akko said, kindly. "Maybe you should slack off more often!"

"Don't be silly," scoffed Diana. "Slacking off is the last thing either of us should be thinking of."

Akko could only giggle.

The two looked out towards the horizon. The sun's rays bounced off the sea, making the waves glimmer brightly. "Y'know, I said earlier that this place didn't suit you," said Akko, "but I have to admit, you sure know how to pick'em. Because I can't think of a better view than that!"

"...yeah," smiled Diana.

Little did the two know, Hiromi was watching them from afar. She couldn't help but swoon a little bit at the sight of them getting along. "They certainly are an odd couple, but they're adorable nonetheless," she murmured to herself.


After lunch, Akko and Diana left the restaurant and started making their way back to their room. Diana wanted to collect some of her stuff before heading down to the beach.

"Ah!" sighed Akko, as she patted her stomach. "That was the most delicious food I've ever had!"

"I'm still amazed you managed to put it all away," replied Diana. "You remind me of that girl with the pink hair. The one who is always sneaking food in class. What was her name again?"

Diana looked back towards Akko…and saw that she had disappeared! "Uh…Akko?" she asked, as she frantically looked around for her. "Akko!"

"Whoa! Check this out!" Akko said, excitedly.

Diana saw Akko standing just a few feet away from her, looking through a large glass window. "What is it?" she asked, quickly joining Akko at her side.

"Look at all these women working out!" Akko said, excitedly.

Diana then took a look inside to see what Akko was talking about.

The two peered inside and saw a lot of nudist women exercising. Some of them were running on treadmills while others stuck to doing basic stretches. But the ones that really caught Akko's attention were the women who were truly testing their strength by lifting weights and furiously punching the punching bags.

"Looking to burn off a few calories, are you?" Diana asked. "You did eat quite a big lunch, so I suppose…"

Diana's voice trailed off when she saw that Akko had disappeared from her sight again! She looked inside the gym...and saw that Akko had already walked inside, making her way towards the bodybuilders! "Akko!" she shouted. She quickly ran inside, chasing after Akko.

As she stepped inside the gym, Diana quickly covered her ears as she was blasted by the sounds of loud music and gym equipment clanging.

Diana looked all around until she spotted Akko in the back of the gym staring at the weightlifters. She hurriedly walked over to her and grabbed her by the wrist. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Akko didn't respond. She was too mesmerized by watching everyone lifting massive weights, many of which weighed well over 50kg.

"Hello! Akko!" Diana yelled into her ear, trying to snap her out of trance.

"They are all so strong," praised Akko. "Look how muscular all these women are!"

Indeed, with no clothes on, many of the weightlifters could show off their impressive physiques, such as their massive biceps, well-toned thighs, and even six-pack abs. Akko and Diana had never seen anyone with such amazingly rugged bodies, let alone women.

"Yes, yes, they are quite the Amazonian specimens, now let's go!" Diana said, trying to escort Akko.

Akko then caught a glimpse of another nude bodybuilder. "Whoa! Check her out!" she gasped. She darted towards her, leaving Diana behind again. "Akko, where are you going?!" she scolded. "Must I put a leash on you?!"

In the corner was another weightlifter, with bright orange hair, blue eyes, and a firm, toned body. The only clothing she wore were pink shoes and a pink sweatband. Out of all the women weightlifters, she was lifting the heaviest barbell of them all. Each side held three equally-massive weights, totaling up to a whopping 180kg!

Akko's mouth dropped as the red-headed woman squatted down with the barbell across the back of her neck. The woman took several deep breaths as she slowly pushed herself to stand upright again.

"One hundred…and ninety…seven…" she counted.

Akko couldn't help but notice that everytime she squatted for another rep, her perfectly-rounded buttocks stuck out. She also had a plump bust and a flat stomach, unlike the others weightlifters.

As much as her strength impressed both Diana and Akko, Diana was more impressed by how still remained rather feminine.

The red-head continued counting each squat she did. "One hundred…and ninety…eight. One hundred and…ninety nine!"

As she went for number 200, her breathing became more labored and her limbs more wobbly. Her face grimaced as she struggled to stand upright. It looked as if she was going to pass out!

"Come on! You can do it!" cheered Akko.

"Akko, you're ruining her concentration!" scolded Diana.

"Don't give up now! Just one more! Push yourself!" continued Akko.

With one last inhale, the redhead slowly but surely stood upright again and hoisted the weight over her head. "Two…hundred!" she shouted, valiantly.

She placed the barbell back onto the metal rack and then slapped her thigh triumphantly.

"Whooo! Oh yeah! Thunder mama does it again!" she boasted.

It was then that she finally noticed Akko and Diana. "Oh…hey there!" she said, kindly. "You guys enjoyed the show?"

"You're incredible!" praised Akko.

"Tell me something I don't know," bragged the redhead. "You did make a pretty good spot, though."

She then wiped off the sweat from her body, including from under her cleavage, which made Diana blush. "My name is Nora," she said, introducing herself.

"I'm Akko!" Akko said, happily.

"Akko, eh?" Nora replied. "Never seen you before."

"Um…yeah, that's because…this is my first time here," explained Akko. "At the resort, that is!"

"Oh neat! It's been a while since we've had a first-timer."

Nora then turned to Diana. "You a first-timer too?" she asked.

"Uh, well…" said Diana, nervously.

"Actually, she's a regular here!" finished Akko. "She's the one who introduced me to nudism."

"Oh really?" Nora asked, suspiciously. "A regular, huh? Weird, I've never seen her here."

Diana froze up. "Are you sure?" Akko asked, worriedly.

"Positive," affirmed Nora. "But then again, I'm usually always here in the gym. And she doesn't strike me as someone who would ever work out to the max."

"Uh, yeah! That's right!" Diana said, frantically trying to uphold the facade. "I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this! With the loud music and the...sweating profusely."

"Meh, it's your loss," shrugged Nora. "But you're really missing out on getting guns like these!"

Nora then turned around so that her backside faced the two. She flexed her arms, producing generously-sized muscles on each arm. In addition, her back muscles tightened. Akko's mouth dropped upon seeing Nora's improved physique. While the other weightlifters were impressive, there was something about Nora that truly wowed Akko. "Whoa…" she gasped.

"You can say that again," said Diana.

"You like it? Here!" Nora said, offering her arms to the two. "Give them a feel!"

"Oh, I don't think that's appropri…"

Diana didn't even finish her sentence before Akko wrapped her hand around Nora's arm. She was blown away by how firm it was. Try as she might, Akko couldn't make a dent in her arms. "That's incredible," praised Akko, "I can't even pinch them because they're too strong!"

"That's nothing," Nora said to Akko. "Try pinching my butt! Now those are true buns of steel!"

Diana choked. Her face turned red. "Now that is most certainly not appropriate!" Diana shouted, hysterically.

Despite Diana's objections, Akko took up on Nora's offer and pinched one of her butt cheeks. Much like with her arms, Akko wasn't able to sink her fingers into the flesh of Nora's rear. She nearly broke her thumb trying to do so!

"That's amazing," she said, completely awed, "it's like you're a real-life ironwoman!"

Akko then turned to Diana. "Diana, you have to try this!" Akko said, excitedly.

"I'd rather not, thank you," refused Diana.

"No really! It's like trying to pinch a rock!" added Akko.

Diana only grabbed Akko's shoulder and pulled her away from Nora. "I-I'll take your word for it," Diana said, trying to keep her composure.

Akko then looked down at her arms. Compared to Nora (and everyone else), Akko's arms were very thin and lanky. Akko couldn't help but feel a little upset.

She lifted her right arm and tried to flex her muscles, but her arm remained the same. She tried again with her left arm, but again, she had no muscle to show off.

Diana watched as Akko tried to flex both of her arms. Akko scrunched her face as she pushed herself as hard as she could. "Akko, you're not seriously thinking of getting into bodybuilding, are you?" Diana asked.

Akko sighed as she gave up trying to show off any muscles. She then looked at Diana. "Diana, can you flex your arm for me?" she asked, kindly.

"What for?" Diana asked, annoyed.

"Come on, please!" begged Akko.

Diana rolled her eyes and lifted her arm up. Her arms weren't any more muscular than Akko's. "Is this what you want?" Diana asked.

Diana was caught off-guard when Akko began gently squeezing her arms. Diana snapped her arm away. "Okay, I get it!" she said, frantically. "I'm not a big muscle lady like everyone else! I'm okay with that!"

Diana regained her composure. "I don't think big muscles and six-pack abs suit either of us," she said. "Or any of these women, really. It just looks...unnatural."

"Hey, watch it," Nora said sternly. She pointed her finger at Diana. "Remember nudist rule number two."

"Nudist rule number two?" Akko asked, curiously. "Isn't that the one about liking your body for what it is?"

"That's rule number one," said Nora, "Rule number two is doing the same thing...but for everyone else. Basically, no making fun of how anyone else's body looks, whether they're fat or overly-muscular or have no muscles at all!"

"I'm just saying…" stammered Diana.

"Hiromi believes there's no such thing as a "natural" body," continued Nora, "Everyone is different. That's one of the big things that people really like about nudism, especially when it comes to exercise. Here, everyone can work out in the nude without people making them feel bad by gawking or laughing at them."

She then lightly smacked Diana's stomach. Although to Diana, it felt more like a punch to the gut. "A regular like you should know better," scolded Nora.

"Yeah, she does that a lot," mentioned Akko, "especially at our school."

"I do not!" protested Diana.

"W-Well...your friends, Hanna and Barbara, certainly do!" rebutted Akko.

"And you're any better?" argued Diana.

Nora was quick to interject to keep the two from falling into a full-blown argument. "In any case, I'd watch my tongue if I were you," she warned, "You don't wanna end up like that blue-haired girl, do you?"

"What blue-haired girl?" Diana asked, worriedly.

"I forget her name," began Nora, "but a few months ago, some girls came and visited the resort. One of them was a girl, who, I won't lie, was quite pretty. Long flowing blue hair that went down to her waist, big boobs that defied gravity, a perfectly-round butt that was smoother than a newborn's. But man...she was so rude and so obnoxious!"

"Why? What did she do?" Akko asked.

"She kept calling herself a goddess and she went around rubbing it in everyone's faces. 'You ladies should be grateful to have a beautiful goddess like me grace your presence,' she would say. 'All shall worship my big melons?! Yours are mosquito bites compared to mine!'"

Akko was horrified to hear someone be so insulting to people. Even Diana was shocked by this girl's attitude. "To make a long story short," continued Aqua, "she came into the gym, mouthed off to some people, challenged a kickboxer to a fight, and lost miserably. I'm pretty sure she's banned now since we haven't seen her or her friends since."

"A fight?!" Diana asked, shocked. "Here?! Like an actual fight-fight?!"

Nora couldn't help but laugh. "I gotta admit, it was pretty funny seeing Miss High-and-Mighty suddenly on her knees crying and begging for everyone to not hurt her."

Both Akko and Diana gulped. "W-Well, you don't have to worry about me," Akko said, intimidated by the women around her. "I would never ever say such awful things to someone."

"I know you wouldn't," Nora said to Akko. "You seem like the kind of person who wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings. At least not intentionally."

Nora then looked at Diana. "But her though," she said, eyeing Diana with a fierce glare.

Diana began sweating like crazy as she could feel Nora looking at her and scanning her, trying to analyze even the smallest details of her body language. After dealing with this with Hiromi and now Nora, Diana was beginning to feel as if the whole resort was coming after all.

Then...Nora regained her cheerful demeanor. "Say, speaking of kickboxers," she said, cheerfully, "how about I introduce them to you girls?"

"Uh...no thank you," Diana said, quickly. "A-actually, we were planning on going to the beach. Right now!"

"Yeah! We should get going!" agreed Akko.

And with that, both Akko and Diana left the gym in a huff. "Okay! Nice meeting you guys!" Nora said, waving at them. Nora then made her way over to the showers.


TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Originally, after Akko and Diana had their dessert, I had written the chapter for Akko and Diana for them to head to the beach only to get distracted by the women in the gym. I got 90% of that chapter done, but then I felt unsatisfied with it. So I then rewrote the chapter so that Akko and Diana would head straight for the beach.

But then I wasn't feeling satisfied with that story either! And so I revisited the "gym" story, felt more inspired, and...well, here we are! The next few chapters will be Akko and Diana exploring the resort and meeting the regulars. After all, they have to wait until sunset to visit the "secret spot."

And yes, Nora may or may not be named after a similar character from another popular series. In fact, she could even be that same character! I'll leave it to you guys to decide!