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FICTION

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Chapter 42: Cooking Drama

If there was something that Kuroka started to love quite dearly in her new daily life, it was the chance of having a good sparring buddy to keep things incredibly interesting. While Bikou was particularly strong and funny with his mid-battle bantering, he lacked something that only Akua seemed to have.

The professional assassin was quiet, replying to offensive slurs only when she found these 'overboard' or 'too crass'. The battle-flirting was certainly limited, but the lack of words was compensated by the active presence of action.

Sure, the first spar they had turned to be a disastrous battle of attrition that ended up with both girls punished for their 'enthusiasm' but it gave both to the Nekoshou and the Vampire something to learn from.

Resourcefulness, high-adaptability, their connection transcended mere similar appearances and stemmed in their fighting abilities. Their second spar was moderated, a test of sort to see if they could be able to find some middle-ground for their training.

It was oddly relaxing for a fight and it concluded once the time limit they had planned prior to the match expired. Their mutual testing became more apparent during their third and fourth training sessions as both started to explore what unique skills could best be used to deal against the other.

Kuroka's magical arsenal, Youjutsu and Senjutsu were carefully used to see which could bypass Akua's swift and reactive guard, the fellow brunette's flexibility giving no little trouble at the Nekoshou but still urging her to try and try again as some good results were yielding too.

The vampire's experimentation was different than the cat-girl as her fighting style was a mix of multiple Eastern martial arts, both Chinese and Japanese. Thus her physical attacks were a chaotic variety of hits that pushed Kuroka to carefully analyze the situation while avoiding direct confrontations.

It was an equalized fighting, a compromise of two clashing sides that were keen to not incur in the wrath of the leader of the organization.

The Nekoshou still shivered at the memory of her sister's kind hands while nursing her up and how a certain blonde kitsune would join in the tort-kind and helping attempt of her Imouto while following Koneko's wise words.

Akua was left to deal with Kahlua and she soon learned that what the tanned vampire knew about healing someone was… applying bandages. Several giggles and rolls of bandages later, the dark-haired girl found herself tied up like a mummy and unable to move for the rest of the hours set before she could get some real help.

Of course Hoitsu was terribly amused by the end of the punishment much to the humiliation of both girls, but after that they knew that if they moderated their attitude during spars… they could gain something interesting out of each other.

Especially from the post-fight chatting.

They would spend some of the time after the training to talk about… random things. Nothing too personal or anything, but somehow they would end up talking about their sisters.

Both women had uneasy relationships with their sisters, Kuroka having to deal with the cold edge in Koneko's voice while referring to her and none of the things she was trying seemed to be giving her anything positive, while Akua's warm relationship with her siblings was only returned to the fullest only by Kahlua, the rest of the family mostly uneasy to deal with the dark-haired assassin.

But it was right as they chatted about this topic that someone decided to butt in unannounced.

Smiling widely as her tails waggled mischievously, Kunou grinned as she stopped right in front of the two older females. "So you want to make up your relationship with your siblings?" At their nod she giggled. "Then I know how you can do it!"

…

"Didn't you say that you disliked me, Kunou-chan?" Kuroka asked with a suspicious tone and the blonde let out a sheepish look.

"I-I don't like how you were annoying Niichan, but I think that if you focused on Ko-senpai you will be able to… not annoy him too much." The little girl reasoned, then she turned to look at Akua. "And I know that you are a caring Neesan from Kahlua-nee's tales. That is why I think you should give it a try."

"And… that is, Kunou-san?" The vampire asked cautiously, feeling like something terrible was going to happen-

"A cooking challenge!" She exclaimed full confident in her plans. "If Kuroka makes Ko-senpai's favorite food and Akua-san did the same with her sisters back at that school, you will have a good gift to offer them!"

…

"But why a challenge?" The Nekoshou questioned out of curiosity. "Couldn't we just prepare the food calmly and carefully and-"

"Well, Niichan was going to be there and I thought that you both would have liked to show him how-"

"A challenge is our best chance, Akua-san." The woman stated determinedly. "Obviously for the Greater Good."

"I-Indeed?" The Vampire looked confused but she accepted nonetheless the offer for a handshake from the fellow dark-haired beauty. "I mean, it would be nice and… I wonder if Hoitsu-san-"

She didn't finish that sentence but her cheeks gained a brief blush.

"Then we are settled with the challenge." Kunou affirmed with a bright smile. "After you finished with your shower, we shall meet up by the kitchen and prepare for the lunch event."

"Lunch?" The assassin paused a moment with a confused look. "But if I want to send the food to Moka and Kokoa-"

"We can put some seals to keep the food warm and well-conserved." Kuroka smiled widely, patting her rival's shoulder. "May the best chef win, then… Akua-chan."

And yet for some reason, Akua felt irked at the words that were usually meant to encourage people now that they were sprouted by the Nekoshou's lips.

It sure was going to be an interesting… match.

'I'm impressed that you aren't going to be part of the Jury.'

I think the focus of this challenge isn't me and, if I was one of the judges I would end up ruining their chances.

'Still, I think that they will be a little angry at knowing you will be a mere spectator.'

They will have someone 'close to me' that will act at a pseudo-judge.

A few seats away, Shiranai smiled as he answered the Infinity Dragon's question about the event.

"So… what am I supposed to do here exactly?" Ophis asked with a curious tone, her eyes looking at Shiranai as the well-dressed smiled happily.

"Kuroka-san and Akua-san are going to compete in a cooking match and you will be one of the judges."

"So I will try their food? Can I eat it?" The goth girl asked with some little hope, getting a little head-pat just because she looked so adorable.

"Just the portion you are given. After that we will have normal lunch so you will have something else to eat." The young man explained and the girl smiled a little, nodding contently at the deal.

The jury was made by Ophis, Kahlua and Koneko as Kunou happily accepted the role as the announcer of this… event.

The kitsune smiled as she stood by the small podium near the little table where the three judges were going to grade the food given to them.

The two contestants were already donning aprons and had their own evenly-divided space in the kitchen so that no issue would be caused over the subject.

They had little rules and limitations about the food as to offer them the chance to offer their best dishes and… then it all began with Kunou's presentation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today we're here to see the fiery clash of two pretty and determined girls trying to make a stand for their ideals with their skills in cooking delightful food." The blonde stated loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Baki snorted as Kozue giggled by his side at the cute opening, Teru and Shu keeping quiet but seemingly interested over the even while Mob… continued to stare with a strange look at Ophis.

'It could be because they share a similar affinity in Magic.'

They do? I thought Mob was-

'He isn't making use of magic, but the power he can use is fairly similar in nature to Ophis'. I think that is a strong reason to be concerned and… interested.'

...You mean that he is attracted to her?

'And she could be too, just not as potently and specifically as the boy is as she is a superior being.'

Now that was… some big news, yet my attention quickly shifted back to Shiranai and… I saw the man staring steely at Mob, the boy suddenly averting his stare away with a minor blush.

This was going to be either a very amusing escalation or something to be concerned with in the near future…

My attention turned once more at Kunou, the girl beginning to describe the two challengers.

"A proud Nekoshou that strive in pure chaos, Kuroka Toujou has been living on her own hand-made food for years now because she found herself standing at odds with the Underworld's law. A cheerful individual that know how to give quick jabs while appearing friendly, she sure seems ready to dispense some delightful cuisine today."

There were some clapping, the blonde smiled and nodded at the small crowd before continuing.

"On the other side of the kitchen we have the elegant example of precision and caution, this young woman is well-versed in Chinese and old-style Japanese cuisine, but today Akua Shuzen will delight us with a daring move that represent the lovely devotion she directs every moment of her life to her family, something a little more western."

Kahlua clapped louder than before, causing her older sister to blush a little more than before as the pressure was now real on her.

"Without further ado, I proclaim the beginning of this glorious match of hearts." Kunou turned around and faced the two girls. "You may go!"

At the girl's sign to begin, they blitzed to the ingredients they had settled on the table and started to go through the first steps of their cooking plans.

But much to my surprise, the attention of the little announcer shifted away from mere commentary and focused on… the spectators.

Baki and Kozue replied politely at the questions regarding the match, keeping themselves neutral while bantering friendly with Kunou about her current role.

Then it was the turn of the two Naruse sisters. Mio was polite herself but the moment Maria started to talk, things got… strange.

"Kuroka-sama will obviously win." The silver-haired half-succubus replied with a small smile. "She is my newest idol and I know she will win this challenge-" She paused and glanced right at me with a bigger grin. "Like she will win other important rewards."

I shivered at the ominous proclamation and the redhead decided to pinch the cheeks of her younger sibling to show her… disappointment over the tones used by the younger girl.

"What about you, Suzuki-san? What are your thoughts over the-" Kunou tried to ask but was interrupted by the boy.

"Pass." Sho sighed tiredly. "I don't wish to contemplate who is going to win. I think I will reserve my judgment to when the food is delivered."

"Understood." The kitsune replied while keeping her cheerful tone up and moving on the blond boy sitting beside him.

"And what about you, Hanazawa-san?" She asked and getting a nod from him.

"I think… it will be a close draw." Teru declared calmly and with some conviction within his words. "The two ladies have two different cooking styles but I think their skill level is almost the same."

"A draw?" The girl hummed quietly before nodding. "I guess that could be one of the results and… what about you, Kageyama-san?"

The dark-haired teen blinked in surprise, appearing suddenly quite nervous.

"I-I think w-what matters is… why they are doing it." He stuttered a little, showing a shy face at being at the center of so much attention.

"You mean that no matter the result, they would still win?" The blonde guessed and her smile doubled at his nod. "That is a very nice thought, Kageyama-san."

He blushed and politely accepted her kind words.

Kunou then turned to the very last spectator and I sighed as she sat down on my lap.

"Who do you think is gonna win, Niichan?" She asked with a hint of curiosity and I blinked.

"I think they will both, Ku-chan." I started with a small smile. "You see, the most important thing is that they do well and feel happy with the results."

The girl nodded. "That's nice too." She rested on my chest as the competition went on for a while.

Until now I have been distracted by the cute announcer to see what was going on in the kitchen and… I was impressed by their good behavior.

Both were focused on their own dishes to try and sabotage the others, thus the chances of this ending well were… quite good.

The full hour ended with both girls having their dishes fully completed, the two appearing a little winded by the pressure but seemingly happy with what they managed to accomplish.

The food was divided in six plates, three for each, and served to the judges as the commentary about it began.

"An interesting choice, Kuroka-san, what did you decided to prepare today?"

The dark-haired Nekoshou smiled tiredly. "I decided to bring… an old recipe that my mother was keen to prepare once in a while."

The comment made Koneko stop a moment to stare at the plate, her eyes fixed on the dish for a little while before slowly nodding.

"I decided to prepare home-made takoyaki with a personal touch, a sprinkle of sugar added to the mixture of green onion and Beni Shogo. Mom decided to add it to the recipe because-"

"I didn't like it too spicy." The silver-haired girl finished quietly, her eyes still fixed on the food. "Mom was… kind enough to add some sugar to the mixture just to make sure I wasn't left out."

Her older sister sighed. "I remember being a little annoyed at the change but… I decided to let my little sister have her favorite food too." The young woman said while approaching the girl, noticing some tears building up and… they hugged.

There wasn't any particular noise other than some quiet sobbing, possibly because the food did… spark some unpleasant memory about the person the girl was thinking about. Kunou kept quiet as she knew that her 'senpai' needed some time to recover and the rest of the spectators shared this very thought all together.

The two seemed to share some whispered words before ending the embrace and Koneko proceeded to take a slow bite out of the first Takoyaki. She munched calmly and… then nodded.

"Y-Yes, it's- it's just like mom used to make them." The girl commented sadly but still smiled at her sister. "S-She would be proud."

"I-" Kuroka froze at the judgment and blinked, surprise and shock evident but the most curious of details was… the warm smile she directed at her younger sibling. "T-Thank you, Shirone-chan."

They both nodded at each other while the rest of the judges started to speak about the plate.

"It's… really good~!" Kahlua stated with a big smile, her cheeks bigger than usual as she went to try and devour three Takoyaki at once. "Can you make more of those next time, Kuroka-san?"

Ophis hummed happily, Shiranai eating calmly half of one of the two treats offered to the Infinity Dragon. "Delicious." She commented curtly.

The Nekoshou smiled, her cat ears twitching at the praisings she was receiving and then… turning her stare right at me.

Oh no-

Kunou jumped off my lap and freed the way as I was tackled up by a cat-eared missile once more!

"Gah!- why?"

She didn't speak, merely giggling and nuzzling on my chest as I tried to recover from the not-so-negligible pain coming from tanking a Nekoshou-sized cannon ball.

But the challenge was far from over and soon Kuroka moved out of my lap and into the seat beside mine, her head resting on my shoulder as we both looked at Akua.

The vampire was glancing our way for some moments before she returned her attention to the judges.

"What are you bringing up to the competition, Akua-san?" Kunou asked quietly and the young woman nodded.

"I decided to try my hand and… attempt to realize something a little less Eastern-based." She gestured at the dish on the plate and continued to explain. "This is a Salisbury steak with tomato sauce and french fries on the side."

Kahlua looked awed as she stared at her share. "If I remember correctly Moka-chan did say that she likes tomato juice and- I think Kokoa said she loved the food from that… fast food place."

The dark-haired girl nodded. "This is why I decided to bring this dish and see if I managed to get it right." She closed her eyes. "I want to offer both Moka and Kokoa a gift that is genuinely good and meaningful."

The tanned vampire nodded and took a bite out of the steak. Her eyes widened and she looked… the happiest. "This is sho good!" She grinned ear-to-ear and nodded.

"This is… really good." Shiranai commented, Ophis nodding in agreement.

"The potatoes were sweet, I like them." Koneko mused quietly and focusing on her share.

"Thank you." Akua replied with a small smile and… then turned at me.

I braced for any possible tackle but she merely walked towards me and stopped right in front of me.

"Can I..." She didn't finish the request that I let out a tired sigh and nodded.

"Fine, but just for few moments and-!"

She sat on my lap alright but her face was directed at mine and she was closing up towards my lips- N-No wait, she is going for-

Capu-chu~!

-my neck!

'Seriously, I thought you would have been a little more careful about this little habit.' Apophis chided quietly. 'It did seem like a running gag back at that school.'

O-Oh, just shut up!

Their temporary shelter was a small unused house with several rooms to make use of, a boon offered to the Church years ago that they hadn't make use of until now.

After Irina left to buy some food for lunch, the short-haired girl decided it was time to continue with her tasks.

Xenovia coughed a little as she slowly got up from the floor and returned to target the auto-regenerating training dummy. Tightly held in her hands was a simple wooden long-sword, her stance perfected after so many years of training under Griselda Quarta.

Talking to her was… interesting, the woman approved of the plans the girl had for during her stay in this city and voiced her surprise at the current disposition of the Devil Faction's leadership.

Odd, but not truly shocking as Xenovia thought it to be as there were some regions governed like this.

Once more the kind woman was keen to remind her how tact was a must in this delicate mission as she was walking a fine line to start a new war. She knew this, she was calm.

SHE WAS CALM.

The girl yelled in frustration while throwing the training weapon to the ground and then she fell on her knees. Everything was turning complicated in her life.

It has been a dreadful crescendo ever since she received Durandal, bestowed by this honor after revealing her natural gift with swords. It didn't matter the size or the shape of the weapon, if it was a sword she was quick to pick up some pattern and own the blade, make it hers.

But while common swords were easy to control, Durandal seemed to dislike her. Sure, Xenovia was able to use its powers without much of an issue but… every time she wielded it in a fight, may it be a real one or a spar, it just felt like she was doing something wrong.

It wasn't the posture, nor the stance and the steps of the attack and the defense. She felt… lethargic, as if facing some opposition from the blade, sheer refusal to be held by the girl.

And the worst thing was that the only advice she received was a just word: Patience.

For five long years she faced that simple notion, trying to understand the sword and try to compromise with it.

But how was she supposed to compromise with something that didn't communicate back?

A scowl was plastered on her face as she slowly got up, forfeiting the training weapon on the floor and making her way back to the room that was the temporary living room.

A messy place filled with two long couches and several closed cardboard boxes. She rested for just ten minutes, unable to catch real sleep as the unpleasant sensation of being still sweaty kept her from finding some peace.

Her next stop was the bathroom, quickly ditching her clothes after closing the door behind her and soon… warm water washed over her full body.

She decided to take it slowly, her mind at ease in the bathtub and soon her mind stormed her with questions, ideas and… doubts.

Hesitation wasn't acceptable as a noble paladin of the Church… but even someone as devoted as hers couldn't help but think at her childhood.

Taken as an apprentice by Griselda since she was four, her life had improved from the poor conditions of being an orphan growing in the streets but it was all compensated by the hours spend studying and training.

Just a few instances were of fond moments of relative peace and her guiltiest pleasure manifested in the form of a simple but weighed question.

What if she was granted the chance of living a normal life?

A life without being pressured in her role, without the heavy burden of her job and the constant threats all around her. It was an idyllic thought that she was scared to even confide to Irina.

They lived in two different worlds, no matter how close they were. She was voluntarily joining the difficult work, her determination long-proven to hers while also becoming a strong reminder of how things could have been.

Her thoughts scrambled, her eyes blinked thrice as a new wave of water washed over her head, cleaning off the shampoo she had brought to the bathtub.

Away from the dreamy and hopeful world she would have loved to live happily and without any heavy thought, her logical mind powerfully stood up and urged her the major reason she continued to go along this path.

Duty.

A duty to herself and her promises.

A duty to her mo-Griselda. (Blasted Lord Hoitsu for making her address her as such.)

A duty to the Church and…

...a duty to Irina.

The girl believed in her, her first and closest friend was always by her side in times of needs and…

It would have been right to just spit at her support. It felt wrong, vile to even think to do so.

The righteous path is never meant to be the easiest one, but for the sake of those believing in her and for the sake of believing in the Lord, Xenovia Quarta accepted the burden with a proud smile and soul.

Silently, the girl let the unclean water go down the drain and took the towel she had just outside the tub, her hair receiving a quick drying process before it was her arms', legs' and torso's turn.

The young woman left the bathroom with a determined smile and-

"X-Xenovia! Put on some clothes!" Irina shouted at her as she turned around to see her clotheless form.

But why would she be that much scandalized even after so much time spent together? Weren't they both girls?

AN

The more I write Xenovia, the more I feel a little voice inside my head trying to give her a Shirou-esque mindset. I found it odd how she seemed to appear just like the protagonist of Fate Stay Night and how she is just… that dense.

Plus the whole Shirou's red hair and Xenovia's blue hair.

A bit above this segment I also hinted to a little opening about Kuroka and Koneko that I will explore next chapter. It's time to bring an end to the distance with the only thing that works in those cases: The truth!

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