A/N: Chapter 13 is finally here. Not very happy with the chapter as a whole, I probably scrapped it at least three times and it is also on the shorter end when it comes to most of my chapters. I must thank my beta for doing a fine job with some of the edits making the chapter more presentable to everyone and I promise next chapter will be better. Something is going to happen and I am going to enjoy it ^.^
I had Yoru, Spear, and even Chelsea focus on their combat training for the last couple of days, and it looked as if the constant hours of work they've been putting in have been bearing fruit. The next few plans I had almost necessitates combat, and if they wanted to stay by my side as per their oaths to me, they had to get into shape. Comparing the three, it's almost as if I was observing a trio forming a rock-paper-scissor situation.
Unsurprisingly, being the only male of the three, Yoru was the physically strongest. His stand-up abilities, based on the Snake style, was almost immaculate. Most importantly, however, his motivation still remained the same as his first day, a trait I had to praise out loud. In a fair fight, he could defeat the two ladies in a one-on-one situation. That said, the emphasis on 'fair fight' was a bit too much for my liking. He's weak to unexpected situations and unorthodox tactics, though with experience, I expected him to overcome that weakness.
"Stand still for a moment, and let me hit you!" Yoru yelled out in frustration.
"That would be counter productive for me." Chelsea replied in turn.
Chelsea easily dodged a combo of punches thrown out by the young boy, before dropping to the ground in an attempt to sweep him off his feet. Yoru saw the attack coming, jumping over it and lashing out with a turning roundhouse kick in retaliation. The auburn-haired assassin managed to bring her arms up in a hasty block before the attack landed, but the force behind the kick still caused her to stumble on her back due to her already lowered position.
A pure assassin, Chelsea was the physically weakest of the three. Her techniques in hand-to-hand and weapons combat were great, her flexibility allowing her to cover for her lack of strength. However, she still admitted to me she's not as comfortable in a frontal assault as her usual methods. This speciality wasn't bad, per se, as her skills as a covert operator was perhaps second to none in this country, but her lack of ability to cope with exposed situations was a cause for concern for me. In a true match, her experience and guile could give her the upper hand against the other two, but this setup put her at a disadvantage.
I saw her swipe at the ground with her open palm, and when Yoru came rushing at her, intent on finishing the match, she used one of the oldest tricks in the book.
"Shit!"
Yoru was blinded as Chelsea threw sand in the young teen's eyes.
Grabbing Yoru's outstretched arm, Chelsea wrapped her legs around the appendage, dragging the younger teen down to the ground. Yoru couldn't even react to the lock and was easily brought down by his opponent. As soon as he tried to break the submission, Chelsea has already put her body into an uncounterable position, about to break his arm with a single snap.
"Yield." Chelsea demanded, a smile on her face.
"Fine, I yield." Yoru grumbled, Chelsea getting off of him as soon as he admitted his defeat.
A glint shot forwards to my face, once, twice, thrice, before changing into sweeping motions into my' flanks and legs. I leaned side-to-side with minimal effort to dodge the thrusts, before lightly parrying the swipes with my Black Keys and sent a fast sidekick as a counter. There's not much power in the blow, but I simply wanted to give Spear something to think, not just charge forwards like a bull.
In a fluid motion, she twirled her spear vertically, easily blocking my kick and embedding the pointy end at the ground. Possibly having seen Chelsea's win over Yoru, Spear used the same trick. She immediately lifted her weapon, sending sand and dust flying towards my face, obscuring my vision somewhat.
Smart, but it wouldn't be enough.
Every time her spear moved, a faint whistle blew itself into my ear, alerting me to its position. Ducking to avoid a wide swing at my head, I stepped forward before she could use the momentum of the attack to launch a lethal combination. I'd taught her how to fight in a super-close range with her weapon, taking some ideas from the Japanese naginata, but my step-in was too quick for her to react.
I placed a palm on her stomach, signalling the end to our spar.
"That's the match." I declared as the dust settled.
As soon as the adrenaline left her body, Spear fell on her butt, sighing, "I thought I had you that time."
"Don't put yourself down," I said, reaching down to help her to her feet. "Keep improving like this, and I have no doubt you'll be able to hit me soon."
She hit my arm playfully at the provocation, before joining her current teammates to assemble before me.
"The sand was good, though," I notified her, receiving a thank-you in return.
Watching the three of them, their general level of strength was certainly impressive. Yoru and Spear still had to polish their minute body movements to match Chelsea, but they're getting there very quickly. Their grappling skill was also laughable, so that's one area they definitely had to improve.
I suspected Chelsea felt she had hit a dead end in improving her skill, but my training proved otherwise. Her figure wasn't suited to a power-oriented style, though, so I had to teach her a workaround to counter that. I had begun to introduce her to some Chinese martial arts concepts, and the flowing nature of it was absorbed like a sponge by her. She complained at the physical exertion, sure, but she persevered nonetheless.
"Chelsea, Yoru, come over here for a moment." I called out to the two of them.
Yoru came over normally, but Chelsea was bouncing on her heels, swaying her hips a bit more. I had to admit, she had that movement down to perfection. It's not too exaggerated, nor too subtle, just enough to arouse the fantasies of most men, even with her slim figure.
"What is it, Shirou?" She smiled seductively, though now it's become an almost daily routine between us. "Finally deciding to get hot and sweaty with me? Very forward, but are you up to perform with these two watching? Not that I mind, of course," Chelsea told me, a foxy smile on her face as she dragged a finger across my chin.
"I have no such inclination, but if you're so eager, then I am sure I can find some time for you," I smoothly replied.
Chelsea was caught off guard for a brief moment, but quickly composed herself, that sly smirk of hers appearing once more. "Oh? It is nice that you are finally taking notice of my needs. Keep this up, and you might finally convince me you know how to treat a woman properly."
'She's still going on with that? I should rectify that fact...' I thought.
"You keep on saying I don't know how to properly treat a woman, but..." I slightly paused, causing Chelsea to look at me curiously, as well as Spear and Yoru. "There are several women that would argue with you on that front. They have all said I know exactly how to treat woman, you know."
I finished with my own sly smirk.
The field was bathed in silence, so much so I could almost hear the grass rustling with the wind.
"WWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!"
A mad blush appeared on Spear's face as her brain finally registered and processed my earlier words. Her face was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and... defeat?
"Oh? Surprised?" Chelsea kindly patted Spear's shoulder, before leaning in to whisper in her ears. "Didn't you say he's 'quite the handsome and charismatic fellow'? Why did you shout?"
"I-I-I did not! Say! That!" Spear furiously denied Chelsea's words.
The culprit was still smiling, albeit with a blush she couldn't hold down in the end, in response to my words. Good.
"Well, you kept on mentioning something that wasn't true. Eventually, I just decided it was time to inform you of the proper facts," I replied, enjoying the reaction from the two girls.
"I don't really get it. If Aniki said that plenty of women believe him to be a gentleman, which he is, why are the two of you getting so embarrassed about it?" Yoru asked, with as innocent of a look as a cute puppy on his face.
"You seriously don't know, kid?" Chelsea said, astonished. "Wow, even at your age, I knew what was just implied. I thought each generation was supposed to get worse and worse. You poor, clueless boy." Chelsea told him with genuine pity.
'Aren't you just a few years older than him?!' I deadpanned in my head.
I was torn. The 'man' side of me wanted to educate him in the birds and bees, claiming it's my duty as a fellow man and his surrogate older brother. My 'Church' side wanted to protect and retain his innocence, refusing to taint him with the indecent knowledge. Ugh, what should I do...?
...ah.
Okay, now that's over, I decided to keep silent. He'll find out soon enough, since he's seen what those bastards at the government did to women. Sooner or later, he'd encounter such situations, and that'd be a good time to make him understand.
The boy simply shrugged at Chelsea's words, and the subject was dropped. The lull gave Chelsea the time to regain her composure, but Spear was still blushing heavily, seemingly not forgiving me for my words. I had to spend some 'private' time with her later...
"Now, let's move on." I cleared my throat before continuing, "Seeing how much each and every one of you have progressed, I'll take you all along with me in this mission."
A sparkle appeared in Spear's eyes, and Yoru sported what could possibly be the world's largest smile.
"It would be counterproductive for me to keep you all here. To truly improve, you also need field experience. I admit, I was thinking of just bringing Chelsea again, but because Esdeath is currently out of commision, now is a good time to bring you along. At the very least, I don't have to worry about a single one of you engaging her."
I saw Yoru's fist pumping silently behind his back, his face still having that grin from earlier. Usually, he's very composed for his age, but I understand his excitement at what can amount to his first field trip. Spear was also silently bobbing up and down, brimming with desire to impress.
Of course, the vixen decided to do her usual teasing.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave the kids here? I wouldn't mind another little... one-on-one adventure with you," Chelsea said, crossing her arms and giving me a playful look, a trademark lollipop in her mouth.
I felt a sudden weight on my left arm, Spear clutching onto it. "Yes, he's sure! Besides, Yoru and I want to show Shirou what we're capable of!"
I internally sighed at the huge opening Spear gave to Chelsea. Really, this girl made it far too easy and desireable to tease her... and not just Chelsea, but Yoru and I had recently poked in a few jabs as well. Being a nice and innocent girl had its perks, and I like her very much, but it's not helping in this situation. Hopefully, they'd cut out the jokes and banters when we're in the field.
I glared at Chelsea for her untimely comment, but she simply shrugged her shoulders and shot me a knowing look.
For a moment, another figure overlapped with her. Black, smooth hair cascading to the ground, darker than the night. Pointy and delicate ears, with a regal but seductive face, her body wrapped in a midnight-black elegant dress which showed her figure...
I blinked a few times to erase the image, focusing back on the present.
"Right, so let me tell you all what we are going to do."
My three companions were all ears.
"With the Empire's weakened state and the constant harassment they are receiving from the Revolutionary Army, now is the perfect time to go hunting."
Yoru seemed to know what I'm alluding at, but Spear and Chelsea didn't have a clue what I'm talking about.
"Hunting for what Shirou? Danger beasts?" Chelsea asked.
"Oh, this is great! We're hunting for some new toys!" Yoru told the assassin, a lively smile on his face.
"Well, I guess that's one way to put it," I said softly. "We're going to be hunting for the Shingu."
Chelsea whistled.
"Wow, I'm impressed. Never expected you to know about those things." A greedy look flashed in her eyes. "I knew you were ambitious, and I like it! However, please tell me you at least have some sort of idea where the Shingu might be?"
"No need to doubt Shirou. Of course he has some sort of plan or idea of where to find them," Spear jumped to my defense.
I held a hand up to calm the girl. "I appreciate you trying to help, but Chelsea wasn't trying to argue or anything, Spear. It's a legitimate question."
I faced Chelsea. "I have a general idea of where they could be located." I patted Spear's head, causing her to blush once more. "Spear's father, former Prime Minister Chouri, has some nice informants that have been able to provide me the general possible location. Once I'm there, I should be able to see if the info is any good."
"Not that I doubt you, because if I've noticed one thing in my short time with you, it's that you somehow always find a way. Just curious as to how you'll know?" Chelsea inquired further.
I lifted a lone finger.
"It's magic."
"Ugh..."
Groaning at the explanation, she accepted it nonetheless. I had explained some basics of Magecraft to her, just the gist of it, but I didn't explain much further to her, or to Yoru and Spear. Since they couldn't use it, and the people in this world couldn't do it as well, there's no sense in teaching them.
"Well, if that's all, we'll be leaving shortly. Pack amenities for at least three days, and I'm going to notify Chouri to set up an emergency line, just in case," I informed them, before turning back to the mansion.
I found him waiting in the kitchen, probably waiting for Spear to finish her training. The last few days, I had him running errands around and out of the capital, building connections and network for people sympathetic to my cause. Most were already affiliated in some way with the Revolutionary Army, but Chouri managed to convince them to invest in me instead, so I gained quite a considerable increase in political power. The speed he did it was only a testament of the man's character, being the beloved former Prime Minister before Honest deposed him.
"Chouri," I called out.
His face looked absently at the window before I greeted him, but instantly snapped to the direction of my voice, a smile blooming on his wrinkled face.
"Shirou!" He exclaimed, opening his arms to gesture for a hug. "Not the person I was expecting, but always a pleasure!"
He heftily patted my back once I threw my arms around him, asking, "What can I do for you?"
I released myself from his embrace.
"We're going after the Shigu, all four of us. I wanted you to hold station here, and act as mission control for emergencies," I told him. "Not for long, perhaps only two to three days, but just in case."
He nodded easily, but still, there's a crunch on his eyebrows. Naturally, of course, since his beloved daughter will be put in danger, even if he trusted me to get her home safely. Being an orphan, I didn't understand a father's emotions very well, so I took his begrudging acceptance in stride.
"You're taking this better than I thought you would," I noted.
A soft sigh escaped Chouri's lips.
"Well, it'll happen sooner or later, I guess," he shrugged. "I won't be around forever, so I can't constrain her forever and spoil her. Besides, it's what she wants as well, so I won't bother arguing against the two of you."
He put a palm on my shoulder, eyes bored straight into mine.
"Just promise me you'll do your best to protect them," he said sternly. "Not just her, but Yoru and Chelsea as well. Those three are the bright next generations, destined to take over after us two hit the dust."
The answer was already obvious before he even finished his sentence.
I nodded assuringly. "I promise."
"Good," he replied, a relaxed smile returning to his face. "By the way, I'm going to run the emergency procedure once more with you in case we got under attack, alright?"
"Fire away."
He took a breath, before explaining, "In the event of an attack, I'll call for you with the tool you gave me, in the same way I summoned you when I was attacked by the Three Beasts. Then, I'll hold station as long as I can, but our lives are the priority, and I'm to retreat as soon and as safely as possible."
I smiled happily in agreement.
When I returned to my students, I was glad the two girls hadn't started bickering again. In fact, all three of them were buzzing with anticipation in their own ways, even the experienced Chelsea. Their cargo was already packed neatly to one side, just enough to not be a hindrance during a long trek. In hindsight, travelling directly after morning practice and so soon after breakfast might be too much of a stretch for them, but I wanted us to camp by nightfall, so the schedule was tight.
"Sorry for the wait," I greeted.
All three of them saluted me back, but Spear's face seemed a bit off. Knowing what she would say, I declared, "Don't worry, Spear, he's fine with you coming along. Make sure you give him a good hug when you return."
Her face brigthened up. "Hehehe, I'll make sure to do that!"
"Good, now," I looked over everyone. "Remember, we'll go on a hard pace, no stops until meal time. We're going to be running the whole way, since other parties might've caught wind of it at the same time as we do. I don't want them to steal our prizes. Clear?"
Spear and Yoru vigorously agreed with me, but Chelsea, as ever, complained with a small voice how much I was a 'slave driver'. Well, it's just Chelsea being herself, so I let it slide.
"I appreciate all of your enthusiasm," I said, smirking at Chelsea's glare.
"Let's go!"
"Shhiiiiiirrrrrrrooooooooouuuuuuuuuu... I'm tiirrreeeeddddddd..." Chelsea whined.
We've been running non-stop for several hours now, right after leaving the mansion. Deliberately taking some detours to avoid being followed, we're running along a thick vegetation, a place where there's no paved roads or signs of civilization. Even for an avid adventurer, I had to admit this route was very harsh, but our training should be able to cope with this much.
So I ignored her.
"Shhiiiiiirrrrrrrooooooooouuuuuuuuuu... I'm hhuuuuunnnnnngggggrrrrrrrryyyyy..." Chelsea whined again.
"Just because I said that lunch was going to be the only stop we make, doesn't mean you can try and start using it as a way for us to stop," I said sternly, slightly annoyed. Again, this was just how Chelsea was.
"Actually, Aniki, I'm starting to get hungry too," Yoru sheepishly added.
Unbelievable, the both of them.
Checking the map in my mind, we should be nearing a small elevation soon. I had been navigating using the contours around, overlapped with the map my informants had created. It served as a double-checking system should something was amiss, with hidden buildings and fortifications being the main target. Something which didn't add up on the map would be very well-concealed here, considering the thickness of the treeline and undergrowth, so it's a method I relied on, since I couldn't maintain Structural Grasping for too long before my mind gave out.
Reinforcing my eyes, I could see a cliff face about one mile away, exactly on the area indicated by the map. So far, so good. No traps, no hidden doors, no ambushes... or as far as I could detect, anyway. I was trying not to rely too much on my Revelation skill, though having it as backup was reassuring, in a sense.
"There's an area we can stop at, about a mile out," I declared to the three people behind.
A triumphant smile emerged on Chelsea's face, while Yoru was embarrassed for inadvertently helping her cause against me. Spear was silent, though her body language spelled relief at the news, signalling it might be the right time to stop anyway.
By the time we arrived a couple of minutes later, the three of them voraciously devoured their lunches, though Spear at least had the decency of waiting for my approval before indulging in her food. While they were eating, I chose to scan the land before me, the high vantage point giving me a good angle for the job.
While nibbling on my sandwich, I note the area around the cliff was more barren than the forest we previously traversed. A gut feeling told me I had made a mistake in choosing this location to stop, since it's far too open for my liking. Thankfully, there's no sign of life as far as I could detect, so we should be safe for the time being.
Nearby, a small mountain range stood out, only about one thousand feet high, if the map was correct. A single large river looped around the complex, shaping the terrain into a rough ring. According to the information I received, the highest peak in this mountain range was my target, standing high and proud to the sky in the center.
I inhaled and exhaled, activating my Skeleton Key. To accurately Grasp an area this large, I needed the boost, partly to protect my eyes and brain from overloading. Since it's a part of my Noble Phantasm, it's quite Prana-intensive, but it served its purpose well.
"Found something you like?"
Chelsea's adorable face appeared in my field of vision, a hand on her hip.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yep!"
Chuckling, I said, "The Shingus are in that area." Pointing at the largest mountain, I explained, "There should be an underground cavern leading to a storage depot or some sort. My Magecraft couldn't penetrate much further, but the mere existence of such a structure is worth the investigating alone, no?"
Chelsea sighed, shaking her head exaggeratedly. "You know, you should answer with 'I don't know... I only see you!' or something, if a girl asked that question..." She smirked, teasing, "A girl likes that, you know."
"But isn't it more fun if I played hard to get? It'd be boring if I respond exactly how you want me to, right?" I smiled. "Besides, a man likes his toys," I countered, referring to my excitement at finding the shingu.
"Fair enough, I suppose, boys and their damn toys..." Chelsea replied in a mock-hurt tone, "Even when there is a beautiful girl before you, you don't give me your time."
"I don't think you could handle time with me," I shot back.
A spark seems to have emerged in Chelsea at my verbal challenge. "We'll just have to see about that then, Shirou. I am a force to be reckoned with."
Chelsea took her lollipop and shoved in my mouth, and left to rejoin the others with a wink.
If I was a lesser man, I probably would have been flustered by her action, but I took it in stride. I had dealt with more arousing teases before, so nothing had changed in the slightest.
I made my way back in time to see Yoru, Chelsea, and Spear ready to advance again.
Oddly, Spear seemed to be nervous, much more than before. She's been calm all the way in this trip, so what's the matter? Did something come up which I couldn't sense?
"S-Shirou... how is it?" She asked me with upturned eyes.
"What?"
"Er... the lunch."
Oh. Oh.
"Ah, it's delicious," I told her, patting her head for the achievement. "You've done really well."
She blushes, but smiles equally brightly.
"What about you, Yoru? Is it good too?" I asked the boy for his opinion.
He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd ask, or that she cared, but it's good."
That comment received a glare from Spear, and a laugh from Chelsea and me.
I gazed upon my three friends and companions.
"We're close. The target's inside that tallest mountain," I pointed out the place to Yoru and Spear, since I had already told Chelsea. "It'd only get even more dangerous from now on, so stay on your toes. Danger Beasts, traps, bandits, you name it. Be prepared."
"Of course!" Yoru exclaimed.
The run to the mountain was uneventful, apart from the exceptional Danger Beasts. I let Yoru and Spear handle them to give them some field experience, and they lived up to my expectations. Yoru liquefied a lion-type Danger Beast's brain through a precise blow to its cranium, and Spear swiftly dispatched a horde of eagle-types with minimal twists and swings of her weapon. Hopefully, once I get my hands on the Shingu, I could find some which suited their styles to give them a boost, or at least had them as inspiration to craft some more Mystic Codes for my two students.
Unfortunately, Chelsea's Teigu actually interfered with her ability to use other weapons. Both Shingu and Teigu were closely personal items, and the use of one was heavily imprinted onto the user's body, burdening them somewhat. Using two at the same time was tantamount to suicide, she told me, since the information overload would quickly turn anyone attempting it insane or in a coma. Instead, she focused on my combat courses, and I had some more armaments for her to try, inspired by assassins in my previous world.
After a while, we arrived at what I presumed was the entrance. Formed of a solid stone wall, it's heavily covered in moss and vines which cracked it on the edges. Still, the mechanism to unlock the door seemed complex and delicate, with a quick Structural Grasping suggested it'd still work perfectly even after all this time. A complex stone tumbler puzzle was installed in the middle of it, about twice as tall as me.
"So, Aniki how are we going to do this? Is there some secret passage that you know how to open? Or are you going to do that Magecraft stuff to teleport us inside?! Teleporting would be pretty sweet, imagine how that would feel! And-" Yoru started blabbering quickly.
'Sorry to rain on your parade, Yoru, but... I'm not some clever archeologist who's passionate about solving these damn things.''
Breathe in. Breathe out.
I rotated my entire body, feet rooted in a firm stance. The rotation traveled up from my feet to my legs, from my legs to my hips, from my hips to my back, and finally to the end of my fist. Reinforcing it to the maximum, my fist shot out faster than a bullet, though not quite passing through the sound barrier.
The door-slash-wall crumbled into rubble with a bang.
Apart from a few scuffs, my hand felt fine. Still, the small injury showed I still have a way to go in Reinforcement, but that's for another time.
Turning back, I saw Yoru with his mouth wide open.
"Or... you could just force your way in. That works too," Yoru remarked softly, eyes empty and hollow.
Spear placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before walking past him to stand beside me. Chelsea followed, but not before flicking the back of his head, causing him to send a glare her way.
The pathway which the door-slash-wall previously hid was crudely carved out of the mountain rocks. Judging from the shape, it's likely to be shaped with explosives, rather than precision tools, making the walls ragged and full of indentations here and there. With no lighting on the inside to illuminate the path, it's reminded me of those horror movies I watched back in my world.
"Come," I called out. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get back home."
With that final note, I took the first step inside the depths of the mountain.