A/N: Seeing as the Anime messed up the order of things by a huge margin and wasted a bunch of time, I'll be switching over to mostly using Manga content so that it is more streamlined in terms of progression. The release schedule should remain the same but the four chapter plan may be reconsidered since I am moving over to the manga but that still remains to be seen. Oh yea, this will be ahead of the Anime now so do be aware of spoilers.
Another big change is that I toned down on the evil of Rokuro, he seems to be a bit excessively mean comparative to normal and even I felt that when writing him so I made him more tame this chapter with actual emotions besides pure darkness. Of course, that is not to say he isn't as powerful, I don't intent to nerf him at all so rest assured on that. Sorry if anyone dislikes the change in his personality but I have a reason planned into the story to account for it okay?
Also, the word count, expectedly, was lower than last chapter, it generally is in this type of story for me but I am sorry nonetheless since no doubt some of you expected more. I think I, as usual, made Rokuro too OP though, so I'll try to write more about Benio's struggle to balance it out, make it more interesting than Rokuro kills everything because he is awesome.
Now, on to reviews! If anyone is wondering, I don't put the reviews there to make up words, just always found it inconvenient to have to look for the review in question whenever an author answered reviews without showing the original question or thought. I also have a minimum word count before I allow myself to finish the chapter anyway, five thousand for this story, so chapters shouldn't come out short.
Nyan Cat: Waaaahh! You don't know how I waited for fanfiction of Sousei no Onmyouji! This is great by the way!
Thanks!
3mee: Great fic, I was looking all over for this archive and was so disappointed when I saw there was only one fanfic.
Anyway, the fic is great and I think I'll have to read the Manga in case there's something I missed out. :)
Well the category was just added so will take some time and willing writers for more to pop up. Though, the franchise isn't as popular as I would have hoped. Have fun with the manga.
MiniTeddyBear: I like the idea. Great story so far. Looking forward to the continuation.
Cool, hope you like this chapter.
Arc of Carona: You are awesome for creating the first ever Twin Star Exorcists fanfic!
Nah, you readers are awesome for supporting the story!
SakuraKoi: Oh wow
Is that a good or bad wow? I can't tell…
Nualie: This was a fun read in a "LMAO THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN THE MANGA" way. Which I know is the point, mind you. The idea in itself is interesting... Unfortunately I think you've pissed off a few other fans hahaha. And Rokuro kinda needs more in-characterness to feel like Rokuro ' Even if he's dark, he still should feel more like the same person. That's tricky to pull off, but I'm sure you can manage it.
I shall make a constructive review! *steels self* But on your forum XD
And to the forum it went.
Argentum Solis: Rokuro reminds me of an OC my friend created.
In a good way or bad way? I can't tell tone in writing very well.
unknown: I like it! Though making Rokuro know everything made it a bit bland in my opinion. The tragedy didn't seem to hurt him in the slightest, maybe some flinching and mocks from time to time. Other than that, I really love it! Keep it up!
I like your way of explaining the story.
Adding more Benio to remedy it, there's a reason for the lack of pain from the tragedy which should be covered in a chapter or two. Thanks for the compliment.
doremishine itsuko: This Rokuro is a bit of an asshole but I like your story nonetheless.
Yea, felt that too, tweaking him here to be more natural.
Rokuro brought Ryougo back to the dorm and treated his injuries with the help of some of the other residents. He focused completely on making sure his friend got better, brushing off questions regarding what happened, claiming that making sure of Ryougo's well being was more important at this current point. Once the healers made sure that he was stable, Rokuro watched over the sleeping form of his friend, determined to stay until he had awoken.
People came in to check regularly, usually bringing something for Rokuro such as snacks or a drink. Even Benio came after she returned home and sat next to him for a few moments.
"You seem to care a lot about him…"
"Of course, he's the last member of my family…"
"Didn't you say they were all killed?"
"Ryougo moved out before it happened, he was like an older brother to the rest of us, we were all proud of him when he left to go on missions…"
"Then why did you leave him in danger while assessing me earlier?"
"Idiot, he was never in any danger, I was always ready to act in case you slipped up…"
A silence reigned over the room for a few moments as Rokuro thought back to the times when Ryougo protected him all those years ago, acting as the one responsible whenever they broke anything. Benio, on the other hand, begrudgingly remembered her humiliating outplay by Rokuro and clenched her fists at the thought.
"I had hoped to have you protect him, you know? Ryougo goes on missions often and I can't always be there, seeing as you were said to be one of the strongests, I always kept the possibility of using you as a bodyguard in mind."
"I honed my skills to eliminate Kegare, not play bodyguard!"
"I know that, but knowing him, Ryougo won't accept not being allowed to go on missions, I always kept him safe in the past but since my power has been made known, there's no doubt the elders will force me onto tough missions, if I'm not around, who'll protect Ryougo?!"
"I'm sorry, I never thought of it like that… I just hated how you repeatedly said I was weak, I didn't want to feel like everyone was getting stronger without me… I didn't want to be left behind…"
"Relax, while I do say that you are weak, that is only in comparison to me, there's no doubt you have the dormant power needed to surpass most of the others. While I wouldn't listen to the Chief Exorcist's orders even if he threatened to use force, he is the Chief Exorcist for a reason, I don't doubt that the potential he saw in you was not a misjudgment."
"Then why did you put me down so many times?! What if I had become your enemy?!"
"It's just the way I am… Thing is, once I confirmed you were the real Benio, I had to insult you in the case that I ever needed you. I didn't get this strong just by training, there's a mindset you have to get into before you are ready."
"Ready? You mean you're going to train me?"
"Likely, there's no way I can entrust Ryougo to you as you are now."
"What if I don't want to just be some guard? I want power to crush the Kegare!"
"Then I see no reason for you to be here… Either swear by your honor to protect Ryougo with or leave…"
Not once did Rokuro's gaze meet Benio's during this conversation, his eyes fixed on the unconscious form before him, watching for any signs of recovery. Benio lowered her head, her heart told her to refuse this deal but her mind sought the power it offered and didn't allow her to leave, forcing her to fight an internal struggle within herself. Eventually Rokuro sensed Ryougo shifting and told Benio to leave with her mind still undecided, wanting to have some time alone, to which she complied.
Ryougo awoke a few minutes later and looked around in a daze before he realized he was back home and his eyes settled on Rokuro.
"Rokuro… What happened?"
"It's alright now Ryougo, I took care of it."
"You didn't use your power again did you?"
"Of course I did!"
"You need to stop using that power, it makes you seem like a whole 'nother person!"
"I need power to protect the things I care about Ryougo!"
"Rokuro, your my adorable little brother, the only one I have… But lately, whenever you wield your power, it seems like you're possessed or something…"
"I am not under the influence of anything, that much you don't need to be worried about…"
"Then why are you acting so cold?!"
"For revenge Ryougo, I want revenge on all of the Kegare and I'm going to get it no matter how much of my humanity I have to give up."
"Revenge? You shouldn't discard yourself just because of such a petty thing as revenge!"
"You weren't there Ryougo! You weren't there to see it happen… They were all slaughtered, I will not forgive them for harming my family!"
"Rokuro…"
"Look what those monsters just did to you?! If Benio hadn't arrived in time, you would've been devoured!"
Ryougo was silent, just now realizing how much danger he had been in.
"Ryougo, can you not go out on missions anymore?"
"Huh?!"
"I just don't want you to get into anymore danger…"
"You know that's not possible Rokuro, even if I wanted it…"
"I'm sick and tired of seeing people I care about get hurt!"
Another moment of silence passed as Ryougo's mind processed just what Rokuro was going through.
"Then quit being an exorcist…"
"You and I both know that's not an easy option."
"Why?!"
"Why? Because… Because I want to fight them too! You aren't the only one who was affected by the tragedy!"
"I see…"
Rokuro stood up and prepared to leave.
'He didn't agree, expectedly, of course he wouldn't…"
"But!"
That made him stop, apparently Ryougo wasn't finished.
"I know you're a lot stronger than me, than anyone else… So if you can pull the weight of me, Shinnosuke and Atsushi, I'll talk to the old man about it…"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, I didn't know you were this concerned about me, I can't go out to fight and put myself with peace of mind knowing you would be worried the entire time can I?"
"Ryougo…"
"Heh, now go, I wanna rest for a bit more."
He laid back down to rest as Rokuro left the room but called out one last time before the door's last glimmer of light was blocked.
"Just make sure you turn back into your old self once you're done alright?!"
Seeing a slight shift in Rokuro's shadow, Ryougo smirked and relaxed.
'Now, if I'm actually going to give up on being an exorcist, then I guess I should get a job? Ugh, it feels like I got old and just retired… Though I guess I'm happy if this will eventually get the old Rokuro back...
The next day, Rokuro and Benio were, to the displeasure of the female, heavily advised to stay together in a specially designed home. Arima said something about knowing each other better but yesterday's ordeal had already been quite the revelation. The condescending rude boy she knew actually had a soft side once it came to people he cared about.
The day was peaceful as Benio actively avoided Rokuro wandering around the house, unsure what to feel about him in light of the recent discoveries. Eventually it was time for dinner but there weren't any maids assigned so the two had to find their own food. Benio was on her way to the kitchen when she an enticing scent entered her nostrils and practically entranced her into going towards the source.
"Oi, I've been looking for you!"
She shook herself free of the aromic grip upon hearing someone call out to her and found herself seated across where Rokuro was cooking up a feast.
"Huh?"
Rokuro diced some carrots lightning fast and slid them into the wok while he addressed her.
"What's with the huge mess you left in the living room!?"
Lady finger slices were then added to the mix.
"I was in the midst of preparing for Kegare exorcisms."
The flame roared as egg mix was added.
"That still doesn't explain the volume of garbage there!"
Green peas swiftly joined the pile.
"My belongings from home were shipped over."
The fire was shut and the wok's contents were emptied into a ceramic bowl.
"Arima…"
The oven dinged and it's load was removed as well, a plate of pastries appearing soon after.
"I'll take care of dinner so just get rid of all your stuff, move it to your room or something."
Smoke whistled out of the nearby boiling pot and out of it came a bowl of soup.
"Why do I have to? What if I don't want your food?"
A mess of vegetables of all shapes and cuts suddenly flew into a bowl before being splattered with some sauce.
"Well that's fine by me, but this kitchen is mine so go out and buy something if you want to eat, Ohagi Onna…"
A slab of breaded meat was then laid onto the frying pan.
"Grr…"
A spatula pressed it lightly, causing it to sizzle, then flipped it and repeated the compression.
"No need to get angry, I'm sure you can live on just Ohagi right? Ohagi Onna…"
A flip later and the meat landed on some lettuce with a slight bounce. Benio was no longer able to resist looking at the lineup prepared.
"Hardly, if I ate just Ohagi then I would have an unbalanced diet."
Some softened sardines were then slathered generously with a tomato based sauce and put into a bowl in a circle formation with their tails sticking out.
"Then why don't you go grab a convenience store bento, I'm sure most of them are still open."
Some sticky rice was then patted with salt and wrapped with seaweed to encase a small roll of egg. This happened a couple more times and a plate of four was presented next to the other dishes.
"It would be wasteful if no one ate all your food, as an exorcist, I have to adapt to the situation to conserve resources and the most efficient thing to do would be to eat what has already been prepared rather than spend money on something else."
A blending noise could be heard as some stealthily tossed fruits and veggies were milked for their juices.
"Uh huh… Be honest here, you just really want this don't you?"
Rokuro took off his apron and started setting the table.
"That's preposterous, why would I want to eat that wasteful meal you just made?"
"Wasteful? I daresay that I haven't wasted anything, rather I think I cooked rather little."
"Nonsenc-"
A loud rumbling interrupted Benio as her stomach spoke its mind.
"Just take a seat and eat, you can sort out your junk later."
She hungrily complied and predatorily started snatching up large portions from every plate, piling her bowl high.
"As greedy as you are for Ohagi I see?"
With a stuffed mouth, Benio stared at him and mustered the best serious look she could. Unfortunately, being serious with swollen cheeks was rather difficult.
"At least let me introduce the dishes could you?"
Midway through her eating race, Benio stopped abruptly and narrowed her eyes at the boy across the table chewing happily away.
"You're being too nice."
Rokuro put down his eating utensils and smirked back.
"Heh, well don't get used to it, I'm only doing this since I'm in a good mood."
"Hmm?"
"Ryougo agreed to stop being an exorcist."
"I see, so I am no longer needed?"
"Pretty much, enjoy me no longer being as mean to you, just don't mess up the house while I'm gone killing Kegare."
"I am no maid."
"Well that's what you essentially are, considering you are no longer useful."
"At least do your part for this dinner and clean up, I'm going to turn in early."
Rokuro left immediately, leaving a protesting Benio behind. Defiantly, Benio left the table uncleared, gulped down what was left of her drink and headed to sleep in her room, the mess still present in the living room. She slept easily with a belly full of food, pretty much falling asleep immediately after lying down.
That night, Benio dreamt of her parents, the two exorcists were currently working together to take down a large Kegare similar to the one she fought upon first arriving. They took it down easily with twin blades, her mother wielding ones akin to her current ones. She felt her dream self move, jumping and calling out to her mother joyously, smiling at their success. Just then, she heard a voice behind her, alas, it never reached her as the floor suddenly crumbled.
"Benio, stop! It's dangerous to lean out so far!"
She felt a sense of weightlessness as she fell below the railing. Strangely, this wasn't in her memory and she didn't get hurt much despite the fall. With teary eyes, she cried out for her parents, unable to see them at all. Wandering around the wasteland of crimson for some time, she eventually saw two figures in the distance.
"Benio, come here my child!"
"No, come to daddy instead!"
She ceased her wails and ran towards the two, her tears of despair transformed into tears of joy.
"Papa! Mama!"
They both were kneeling to pick her up as she dashed ahead towards them. However, as she got closer, the image became clearer, they weren't kneeling, they were standing in a pool of blood. She slowed to a halt but they moved closer. Paralyzed in fear, she could only watch in fear as the two forms became ever more detailed and their bloodied, zombified skin was made apparent.
"Come here Benio, daddy wants to hug you…"
"What's wrong Benio? Mommy just wants to kiss you…"
She backed away as much as she could through the thick red liquid but fell back when one of them lurched forward slightly.
"No…"
"Choose…"
"Huh?"
"I'll wait while I count down from ten…"
The world then went dark as Benio violently awoke, completely soaked in cold sweat. She stumbled into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and it seemed she had been crying in her sleep. Coughing as she choked on some of her tears, Benio unwillingly vomited into the sink, a vile mixture of the elegant meal earlier oozed down the drain slowly.
Feeling utterly dreadful, she stripped and forced her pale self into the shower, cold water gracing her skin as the tap was turned on. Benio shivered at the feeling but steeled herself and tried to relax. She cleared her head of all thoughts, mechanically running through the procedure of cleaning herself to keep her mind off things regarding her dream or anything to do with exorcists.
It was then that she felt her heart pulse strongly, she felt the essence of a strong Kegare that was all too familiar to her. She zipped out of the shower, barely drying herself off at all before she donned her clothes and grabbed her twin daggers. In an instant, she leapt out her window and headed towards the source of the disturbance.
"Magano Gate open!"
Upon entering, she saw a large arachnid Kegare and equipped her enchantments. In a single powerful hate filled lunge, Benio tore through the monster and landed gracefully.
'Where is he?!'
Just then, a voice called out from behind her.
"Oi, you're an exorcist right?"
Benio jumped forwards and took a stance, intending to wait and see how the Kegare reacted.
"The Twin Star Exorcists, do you know them?"
"It really is you!"
"Tell me what you know of the Twin Star Exorcists or I'll kill you right here…"
"After all this time… I've finally found you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about but I'll give you till I count down to one to answer my question."
Instead of waiting any longer, Benio dashed to her sides before taking off in another direction in mere milliseconds. She constantly switched paths until she was sure he had lost track of her. Then was when she struck, kicking off strongly and swinging both blades down in an arc to decapitate her prey.
"I will avenge my parents you crushed six years ago!"
"How foolish…"
The Kegare side stepped and drew his arm back before backhanding her two blades, shattering them easily. Then, with that same arm, he flicked her shin and a cracking sound was heard. Benio flinched and didn't see the next attack coming. The Kegare leapt up and smashed his foot against her mask, fragmenting it and sending her flying through two rock outcroppings before she collided against a large mound and fell to the ground.
"This revenge thing you're trying to do, it seems like you just wasted your life if you ask me."
He planted his foot on her bleeding face.
"All it's done is astound me, astound me at how weak you are. Though I will respect your dedication and will reward you with the choice of how to die for being able to entertain me through this display. You have two options, die like your parents did, or die by my foot crushing your head, I'll give you time to think while I count down from ten…"
As the countdown signalling her end continued in the background, Benio could only think of one thing, how much of a failure she had been. There was no denying the fact that she had failed, her enchantments were all destroyed and she was at his whim.
'I couldn't accomplish anything, I only caused trouble for Rokuro who actually stood a chance against Kegare like this… Father… Mother… Forgive me…'
Tears trickled down her face as she despaired at her current situation.
"Three… Two… On-"
He never got to finish his count as a dark gauntlet impacted into his face and sent him soaring backwards.
"Keh, that was disgusting, I can't believe I have to protect you so that Arima doesn't use your death as an excuse to force me to mate with the second strongest immediately before she possibly gets killed."
Benio would have been offended by the remark if she didn't notice that Rokuro's upper arm was covered in the same material as his gauntlet.
"Rokuro? What's with your arm?"
"Huh? Nothing much, just figured I needed to manifest more to deal real damage to that guy."
As if responding to being referred to, the person in question rose from his rocky tomb, spitting out some blood as he did.
"What are you…"
"Just some vengeful exorcist."
"Impossible… No mere exorcist can damage me by such a huge amount with only one attack!"
"Well let's just say I'm special, now come Kamui, show me just how powerful a Basara is!"
"You know too much, I'll beat the truth out of you!"
Kamui stood back up with some difficulty and drew his charm.
"God of Darkness, Legs of Dark-"
He never got to finish his chant as Rokuro sprung forward and landed another punch squarely.
"Oi, you aren't even taking me seriously, use your full strength, or I'll just finish you off here and now!"
"Ugh…"
"I know your capability even as the weakest of the Basara is more than that stunt you were trying to pull so stop playing around and come at me!"
"Very well…"
Gracing the crimson earth with more blood, he drew his charm once more.
"God of Darkness, Armor of Darkness!"
Now surrounded in enchanted gear, Kamui readied himself and pounced at Rokuro.
"Excellent, this will be a good test of my skill!"
Just as his gauntlet was within striking range, Rokuro countered with his own and the two armored gloves clashed in a resounding boom, sending a shockwave out around the two combatants. A winner was clear however, as Rokuro was barely exerting any effort while Kamui was having trouble pushing back the opposing arm. Soon a second boost of force came from Rokuro's upper gauntlet and sent Kamui flying.
Just like with Benio before, he was sent flying through multiple mountains before landing on an infested bridge. His enchantments had worn off by now and one could see the pain in his eyes, that hit would have killed him if his armor had not increased his defence. The hit seemed similar to his own, a shockwave attack that reverberated through the body once it came into contact. That explained why he didn't feel anything when Kamui's attack connected, they cancelled each other out.
"Oi, is that seriously it?"
The limp Kegare looked up to see Rokuro approach.
"I expected more from the one who killed Benio's parents."
Rokuro stamped his foot onto Kamui.
"I won't kill you yet though, go and find the other Basara, tell them I'm waiting…"
With that, Rokuro smashed the stomach of Kamui with his gauntlet and smashed a hole in the bridge, sending the injured Kegare into the watery depths below.
"How…"
"Hmm?"
He turned back to see a limping Benio clutching her left arm, just stunned by how easily Rokuro beat down Kamui. She collapsed after a second, too weak to continue propping herself up. Rokuro dashed over calmly to check if she was alive and found that she had apparently lost consciousness from overexertion and her injuries.
"Great, now I gotta drag your sorry ass out of this place!"
And so, begrudgingly, Rokuro pulled Benio out of Magano and carried her back home to rest. He had realized it after dinner but there was no doubt in his mind that Arima would blackmail him somehow if Benio died, either forcing him to birth Miko immediately with someone else or by exiling him from the exorcists. Sure, he wouldn't really be too worried about the hate but the main concern was that the allowance he received would no longer be provided.
And one couldn't fight Kegare on an empty stomach, he would have to work, taking out even more time from his schedule, he couldn't afford to let that happen. Hence, he was forced to take care of Benio, a burden secretly placed on him by Arima, he was the head exorcist for a reason, cunning was something many would describe him as if they were ever a part of his plans for long enough to see through his playful and childish behaviour.
'After all, if the man was willing to provide an entire house for such an unlikely outcome like the birth of Miko between two polar opposites, who's to say that he would be beyond betting on the more likely outcome of Benio dying and use that to his advantage to pressure me into doing what he wanted?'
Benio awoke the next day in her bed, a letter taped onto her forehead. She tore it off, slightly peeved at the placer's disrespect for her face, and read it.
'Yo Benio, I saved you and brought you back to be healed so you better be grateful! Don't worry about Kamui though, I left him alive in case you wanted to kill him yourself, I won't take that away from you. You owe me one though, so go and clean up the living room dammit! All your stuff is still scattered all over, I would appreciate if I could actually use the couch to rest after exorcisms.
-Rokuro '
She crushed the paper in her hand, obviously less than delighted about once again being shown up by Rokuro. Though she was grateful to an extent, if he never showed up, if he hadn't beaten back that Kegare, she might not be here right now. He was right about one thing though, she was weak, at least compared to the Basara she seeked vengeance on, she needed to get stronger if she wanted to stand a chance at even seeing the Kegare at his strongest.
'The only way to that easily would be Rokuro… He considered training me for the sake of Ryougo but surely he hasn't discarded the notion completely now that Ryougo is going to quit exorcism right?'
She shook her head to get the ridiculous thought out of her head, she wouldn't rely on him to help her, she would seek out how he got his strength on her own, the first thing she needed to know about was his charm. That black charm was beyond the power of anything else she had seen before from her parents or any other exorcist. The one who likely gave it to him would be the old man. She made her way to the dorm to question him about it.
She entered his room after knocking and saw him drinking a cup of tea.
"Oh Benio, how is it with Rokuro? I trust things are well?"
"What kind of charm is Rokuro wielding?"
He stopped short of bringing the tea to his lips at the question, slowly setting it down as he thought of what to say.
"Why do you wish to know?"
"I need to get stronger… Surely some of his strength comes from that charm! Give me one as well!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that… There's only one of that charm, it is a specially created reusable one which was created for Rokuro only."
"Why? What makes it so that only he can wield it?!"
"I'm afraid, that such a question would best be asked to Rokuro himself for it is a rather personal matter..."
"Then is there any way I can get stronger?!"
"Obviously there is, just train daily, though you are already quite strong for your age."
"It's not enough, there has to be a quicker way to get stronger, what did Rokuro do?"
"I'm honestly not sure, I actually had no clue he was this strong until the day you two fought, he was likely training in secret."
"So the only way to find out is to ask him isn't it?!"
"It would seem so."
Benio thanked him for his time and left, intent on training herself to the extreme in an attempt to prove to her mind that there was no need to rely on Rokuro. With a determined mindset and strict diet, she forced herself through over exertive training lasting a week, each passing day she felt it working less and less, the final test of defeating a Kegare like the first one she saw Rokuro defeat was a complete failure, only surviving the encounter due to Rokuro arriving.
"Stop wasting your time, you're only causing trouble to me by getting into these situations…"
She laid broken and exhausted in her bed for the next few days, lamenting her inability to get strong enough to be able to do anything against Kamui. As she slowly healed from her injuries, Rokuro kept appearing in her mind, the key to his mysterious strength shrouded in a thick fog within her thoughts. She awoke on the afternoon of day she would be healed and tried to find Rokuro who evidently wasn't in the house.
She stormed into town to search for Rokuro, going to the area where she sensed multiple Kegare disappearing at a rate only he could achieve. She found him with his gauntlet out like normal and casually smashing in the heads of more Kegare, brutally turning them into the curious black orbs which no doubt had something to do with his strength. Butting into his killing spree with a kill steal, Benio got his attention and asked to speak with him seriously.
"What? Wait till I'm done at home or help me without getting in my way."
Seeing as he likely wouldn't listen, she resigned herself to it and killed off some Kegare further off from where Rokuro fought. They left Magano after that and she walked after him.
"So? What did you want?"
"I need you to train me."
"Huh? I have no need for you anymore, get lost."
She moved ahead to block his path.
"Please, at least until I'm strong enough to take him down, until then I'll do anything you say in exchange."
"Oh? What does this anything constitute then? Surely you wouldn't be willing to strip would you? Such an act would surely be beyond what you are willing to do right?"
To his surprise, Benio removed her garments then and there.
"Oi! Put your clothes back on, I didn't mean it literally! I don't want to be seen as a huge pervert to the town, that causes way more problems than training you!"
She complied and had her head down, face completely red along with Rokuro, now feeling the embarrassment of her actions.
"Ugh, way to put me on a spot, fine I'll consider training you, no harm in more Kegare dying because of me I guess…"
Benio bowed at his agreement, genuinely grateful he didn't reject her.
"I haven't decided yet so stop that."
He saw the pavement darken with liquid.
"Hey are you crying?!"
Rokuro grabbed hold of her shoulders and straightened her up to see her face.
"I'm just, relieved, after that encounter with him, I realized how easy it was for me to die without being able to do anything to avenge my parents… I tried to find out how you got so strong but my pride wouldn't allow me to ask you directly so I trained on my own…"
"You mean how you got so injured this time?"
"Yea, though I thought long and hard and I understand that this is probably going to be my best bet if I intend to be serious about taking him down…"
"Ugh, I'm no good when people cry and I didn't cause it, makes me feel awkward. Just stop wailing for now and continue once we get home could you? I hate drawing attention from the populace so stop or I'll traverse the rest of the way in Magano without you."
Obviously one couldn't stop such an emotional overflow and Rokuro was forced to bring her into Magano with him to avoid the stares of bystanders who looked like they were going to start consoling her.
'So if I leave her alone it also causes problems? Great, this is quite the girl you've bound to me Arima, though I could use this to my advantage if she can be competent enough to be able to defeat Kegare of Kamui's level on her own…'
A/N: Sorry about the food part, got hungry while writing again, gotta stop doing that, wish there was more food in my house that I could eat without preparation. I wish Souma would cook for me, though I might not be able to eat regular food after that so on second thought nevermind. Oh and if anyone is wondering, I have no clue how to factor in Mayura being honest, she made an early appearance in the Anime, though for the record, she doesn't know about Rokuro's personality change for now.
I apologize again to the Anime viewers for switching to the manga but fillers in a twelve Episode series is something I view as unneeded and just a waste of possible adaptation time used solely for the purpose of advertising. Sure it was made to be an advert in the first place, most Anime is, but if it likely isn't getting another season then there is no point in dragging it out… Of course slice of life Anime are the exception, fillers don't really take away anything and actually are a bonus since they fulfill the point of the Anime by themselves.
Another thing, I am writing as I read the Manga so don't expect me to know something that happened in say Chapter Seven while I was writing on Chapter Two. I will try to bridge the information where possible of course, but don't expect a perfect transition when it has to do with already posted content, I'll need to get creative for that. For now though, the story should progress smoothly unless a major plot twist is in the Manga up ahead.
I think this is one of the longest author's notes I've ever written, what am I doing? Is this my mind's subconscious attempt at making up for lack of story content word wise? Anyway, as always, review, favourite and follow if you've enjoyed. Don't forget to check out my other stories, community and poll as well. Story status information can be found on my profile and you can make suggestions on my forum.