"That was quite easy." I had already changed back to my uniform and was looking over my masterpiece. I honestly did kinda pity the men. I made Shiki-Ouji use taunt over and over until they were all enraged. Then watched as they pathetically tried to hurt me, however after awhile I got bored and had Shiki-Ouji use snap until they all collapsed. Now I'm having deep and meaningful conversations with my persona's while I wait for the cops to arrive.
'I'm telling you, that though all the girls in the phantom thieves of heart were indeed good looking. I would never try to create a harem just for conquest.' "Akira! Just because thou would be deliberately trying to get them for thine self, does not mean there could not be love involved!" "The Marriage between man and woman is sacred you scoundrel! One should find the right lady, spend time to show her you care. Then, once you get married, show her you're ready to go through with the act." "What's wrong with going with my suggestions, if they all agree then what's the issue. Plus, who cares if you have, "fun times" with the lovely lady's! Just use protection and you'll be fine." "Are you sure you are a "gentleman", because it seems to me that someone's less of a treasure thief and more of a chastity thief!" "And it sounds to me that thou's a virgin!" 'Enough! Why do you want to butt into my love life anyway Arsene?' "Because I'm bored and all of the given literature from miss Lavenza's room has all been read." "You read half of the books. The other half you threw to the side." "Those books were all trash!" "Your books are the garbage ones! I've seen your favourite reads, half of them are plot with porn! The other half are the opposite, porn with plot!" "... I stand by what I said."
As my personas argued with each other, I found that the police were rounding the corner. Once they stopped, I made my way over. The first cop spoke. "Well kid. You did us a solid catching these crooks, you said they were after a young woman in a white dress, correct?" I nodded. "Yes, That is correct. I don't know their intentions but I had assumed the worse." He looked at the three fallen foes. "I can see that." The policeman and his squad moved to apprehend them. I noticed the girl in question running towards me. She stopped in front of me, clearly out of breath. "Ha...ha...ha...w-what...is your...name." I smiled "How about we find a place to sit first" She nodded before walking down the street. She tried to keep her composure, but I could tell she was keeping herself from slumping her shoulders.
After we found a bench, she sat down quickly and I followed. Once she got her breath back, she spoke once more. "I would like to thank you again for saving me from those men. They wanted to bring me somewhere. Came up to me with smiles and everything. But I could tell they had other intentions." So she tried to escape after feeling danger, smart. "Oh! I haven't even told you my name yet!" She got up and prepared to introduce herself, but I stopped her. "It's not right for the fair lady to give her name first, allow me." I got up and held out my hand. "Kurusu Akira. Kurusu, being my last name." "Koca Cola. Koca, being my last name." 'This world must have something similar to Japanese culture. Though, it might be a bit different, the similarities when it comes to introduction are still there.' As I thought about how she spoke, I came up with a little test. "Naze byōki ni kansha shimasu ka, anata no namae o shitte īdesu." She was shocked by this. "You know my family's original language!" "What do you mean original?" "Well my family came from another land. My great grandfather still lives there with the rest of our family. While they all know English and our common tongue, great grampa only speaks the other language, making it hard for me to understand. But we go to visit from time to time." I nodded and prompted her to continue. "I was born here and learned English so I could speak with everyone and it kind of makes it hard to learn a language that is barely used anymore. Don't get me wrong, I try my best to learn my original language, though I admit I am not the best at it. I believe it was called… something with a J." She sounded unsure. "I used the Japanese language. It is my main language." "That's the name!" She put her hand to her chin as she started thinking.
After a few minutes she spoke again. "Would you… be willing to teach me how to speak that language?" She had her hands balled up in fists, as if she were imitating a boxer. Her eyes were filled with determination. I started to think about it, as she started fidgeting. "You don't have to if you don't want too. I understand." I will admit she looked cute at the moment. Even if I wanted too, I couldn't refuse. "I was just thinking about how I would tutor you. I haven't exactly taught anything to anyone before." She beamed before bowing. "Thank you so much!" "It's "Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu"!" She nodded "Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu!"
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast restablished the vow of the Hermit arcana, granting thou back the forgotten power. [Hermit lvl 1:?]
She then asked a question that reminded me of my previous task. "Where do you live? I would like to know so we can figure out times to meet up." "Actually…I just got to Atlas today. In fact I was looking for a place when I first bumped into you." She looked down, thoughts probably invading her mind. "How about you stay at my place? We have space! Plus I don't think dad will mind...much." "That would be lovely. I will do my best to earn my keep then."
Haaaa…I am thou, thou art I. Hermit arcana, yay. [Hermit lvl 1: A place to sleep.]
"Great! I'll lead the way." She turned around and started walking off, I followed a few seconds after. "..." '...' "..." "Is she legal?" 'Again with this' "Is every thought of yours perverted outside of battle!?" "Well… have you looked at her?" "That's it!" I began hearing glass shattering and the terrified yells of Arsene in my mind. "Eiha!" "I nullify that!" *crack* "Go to sleep!" "That too!" *clang* "Akira! Help me!" I began to whistle a tune and quicken my pace. *crack* "I have you now!" "Have mercy instead!" "You don't need mercy, only a purification!" What an eventful evening.
As we walked down the shoveled sidewalk, Cola began to ask questions about myself. I told her about my semblance and some bended personal info. I didn't tell her about my highschool life at Shuujin though, not even how I was guilty for a crime I did not commit. She stopped and turned to look at a building. "This is it." It was an odd looking place for sure. It looked like a cross between a dojo and a small American four story apartment, it has a Japanese style but the colour scheme looked like greyed white cement. "It reminds me a bit of home." We walked in and, just like I thought, there was a dojo layout with sliding doors and lit candles, in the centre of the room, a square of worn mats replaced the wood flooring.
"It's quite nice here. I assume the bedrooms are in the back or upstairs, yes?" "That's correct." It wasn't Cola's voice however. "The dojo is the business but any good business owner knows that your business should be close to home." A man jumped down from the rafters. Two things crossed my mind in an instant. One, the building was actually three floors high instead of four. Two, The man with a hulking mass of muscle that you "shido"nt want to mess with was the father that, judging by Cola's last line about him, ate bears for breakfast. "And what better way to do that, than having your business as your home!" He towered over me, a "man" with blackish grey hair and a beard with the longest parts being at his jaw instead of his chin. His clothes were that of a marital artist, white with a black trim and a belt that barely held his top to his his revealed chest. If he had not landed on the mats I would have, without a doubt, been knocked over. "So. Who might you be?"
The man had us sit on the floor. As he crossed his legs. He listened to Cola's story intently before speaking to me. "Well. I believe I must thank you for helping my daughter, I am eternally grateful. However, I can't just let you stay for free. From what Cola has told me, you have no job at the moment and cannot guarantee that you will. So I can only give you one option. Go back home, we have a hard enough time as it is. With just the two of us." "D-dad!?" He stood firm. Even with his daughters begging. Though I could see why he would act this way. Sojiro didn't even let me around his daughter because of how she was at the time, this really isn't different. Why would you let a complete stranger into your house, even if they saved your family, you never know if they have ulterior motives.
"Your father is right Cola." Her head snapped a tad bit too quickly for my liking, any faster and she would have snapped her neck. "He can't just let a random person come in here to stay, when he only has enough food and money for two." She began negotiating. "Y-you could do chores; dishes, sweeping-" "But that wouldn't solve the problem. Sure I could do chores, but why would you go out of your way to take care of some random outsider?" Her father nodded. "Precisely. So I'm sorry my daughter, but I can't let him stay." She was hesitating to speak, she had her mouth open but nothing came out. She stopped trying to speak and decided on a dejected silence. Which I broke to make a point. "There are only two ways I see myself staying here. If I had enough money to support myself, as well as enough to add to his bank account." He nodded to confirm I was correct. "Or If I am someone he trusts, someone he could go through thick and thin with. Though maybe not just someone he trusts, but someone he respects as well. If I were trusted and respected, he would probably make an exception." He smiled at that. "You're damn right! Money doesn't matter if they are like family!" 'Well said.' "Too bad I don't have either." I looked over to Cola who looked depressed, she had a look that said she wanted it to be over.
Arsene spoke up however. "Akira. I don't mean to get in the way but... I can't stand to see the lady upset. I ask, why hasn't thou put up a fight?" 'That's because this isn't the battle.' "Is that so?" I got up and walked to the end of the mats opposite to . "Well at least not yet." Coca and her father looked at me, Coca with surprise and her dad with interest. "Oh? And how would you go about getting them?" "Well… this is a dojo after all." Both of them were speechless, the silence only broken by the laughter of her father. "Hahaha! Are you challenging me!?" "Well if I've learned one positive thing from fighting, it's that they help the opponents understand one another in the end. Plus it will prove that I am willing to work for what I wish." He started to think, smirk still visible on his face. "Coca! Clear the field!" She ran over to me with concern written all over her face. "You don't have to fight!" I sighed. "Please Miss Kola, clear the field." She frowned before getting off the mats.
called out to me. "Young man! In order for you to win, you must knock me down! In order for me to win, I need to make you unable to fight! That should make it fair! Now, there are weapons in the door to your right. Choose the weapon of your choice." I shook my head. "No thank you." "Confidant are ya?" "I said that this was a dojo. Most people fight hand to hand during martial arts matches." "Underestimation it is then." He breathed in a long and slow breath. Then took stance, making a strange, strong energy blast through me. Burning my lungs as the pressure on my joints increased.
[Playing: Willpower.]
"Akira! Do not take this opponent lightly! He has aura!" Arsene spoke up 'That super power thing?' "Yes! Be on guard, we don't know his capabilities or his semblance! Play a close hand and use your semblance as a surprise!" 'Got it!' "We should warn you master. If you wish to keep your identity secret, we will be unable to help you to our full capabilities. The power we give you will be lessened, the elemental resistances will be weakened and you will be unable to use skills." 'Thanks for the info Shiki-Ouji.' My attention was brought back to my opponent. "My name Koca Zerou. Koca, being my last name." "My name is Kurusu Akira. Kurusu, being my last name."
I used my third eye to see what I am dealing with. Zerou glowed a bright red, indicating he was going to be tough to fight, let alone beat. But should I play my cards right, I will be able to come out victorious. But before I could even move, a cage made of wood came down from the ceiling, stopping use both from leaving the mat floor. My third eye also changed to a more familiar format.
[Zerou Hideyoshi Koca]
[Phys-?/Gun-?/Wind-?/Elec-?/Fire-?/Ice-?/Psy-?/Nuke-?/Curs-?/Bles-?]
He closed in on me in a matter of seconds and threw the first punch. I just barely dodged it before I did a combat roll out of the way. I tried to attack him before he could turn around, trying my luck with a jump kick. Only to get batted away with his arm. Catching myself with one hand, I flipped so I could land safety. Zerou was already there with a left hook at the ready. 'Crap! Shiki-Ouji!' The punch knocked me back a few feet, even though I had physical resistance, it still hurt. Before Zerou could get another hit in, I flipped myself over him and gave a swift kick to his lower spine to propel myself backwards, but the effect wasn't all that great. He barely moved a muscle from the impact. He turned and charged towards me again before he jumped, trying to punch me from the air. I rolled under him and fell into his shadow. He turned around to search for me but I reappeared behind him and met his jaw with my fist as he turned. He looked up again with a smirk.
"You're quite agile kid, I'll give you that. However, so am I." His hair began to glow blue at the ends and similar blue markings started to glow beneath his shirt. He moved much faster than before, kicking me in the stomach then uppercutting my jaw. I hit the ceiling and landed on one of the beams in the rafters. He was also up there by the time I pushed myself up. This was getting ridiculous! He jumped over to me beam by beam at an alarming rate. The punches that followed came in quick succession. I was hit a few times before I flipped him over me and down to the floor, while he made a perfect landing.
Using this chance, I jumped into the shadows of the ceiling before he looked back up. "You can't hide from me!" His hair and markings began to glow brighter, making it bright enough to trap me in the roof. He got back up to the rafters in a quarter of a second, leaving a light trail on the wall to his body. Little did he know, his light had made the beam above him create an exit for me. I used this time to ambush him. Flinging myself feet first into his face and down to the floor. I had successfully downed him.
He got up with a frown on his face and made his way towards me. But stopped when a certain young woman came in between us. "He won fair and square! You can't hit him anymore!" He gave a deadpan stare. "Sweaty, I'm not going to hit him. So what if he used his semblance to make surprise attacks. I may dislike it, but in reality, you must use any means necessary to win when it's a life or death situation. I will admit I am angry, but not at Akira, I'm angry at myself for falling for the attacks. I'm just trying to thank him for a good match." She nodded and moved out of the way to let her father extend his hand. "Put your hand away." "Excuse me!?" I walked back to my original starting place. "In reality, enemies won't be beaten when they simply fall down either. You catch my meaning?"
He stood there, still as a stone with his hand still outstretched. He slowly balled his fist as his arm starts to shake, a savage smile replacing the one from the previous round and in his eye, I saw a storm with dancing lightning in them. His body went from shaking to vibrating, his hair fully became a light blue and his entire body started giving off sparks. I finally figured it out, his semblance is acceleration, and as he gains speed, so does the static. Should I be right, I won't be able to handle his onslaught without the proper speed. 'Arsene!' But I was already being hit, I could only block one out of ten punches he made. I was losing consciousness quickly. He stopped and brought back his fist, before he threw what looked like five punches at once. I hit the wall but kept myself propped up against it.
The sound of wild electricity stopped and the large man walked towards me. Cola spoke up with a nervous tone. "Did he gain your trust?" He looked at his daughter. "No. He did not. He is overconfident, does not use his semblance as much as he could and his hand to hand combat is that of a novice. If I'm being honest, his whole fighting style is flawed, he should train with something that works better with that semblance of his." She looked down with a sad smile. "I see…" "Or at least that would be the case if it was true." "Huh" "Though his actions would be taken as overconfidence, the look in his eye told me he knew that he would not win. And even though his hand to hand is subpar at best, I could tell that you were more proficient in another kind of combat style. Tell me Akira, what is your weapon of choice?" I pushed off the wall and steadied myself. "A knife and a pistol." He gave me a heart filled laugh. "That would make more sense. Sneak attacks are much more effective with piercing weapons than blunt force. Plus with your agility and durability, you would most definitely be on par with the much more skilled hunters and huntresses in training. I'm not joking either, second year hunters and huntresses in training are almost always hit by my first punch and third years can't even keep up with with my second stage of speed." Cola spoke up once more. "Does that mean you were joking about the trust thing?" "No. That was true… but you don't always trust people in your family, do you?" She had a look of shock on her face. "What!" "Trust comes into play once the people in question have been together for some time. I don't trust him, but that does not mean I don't respect him." I smiled at that. He reminds me of Sogiro so much, he's kind hearted, even under his intimidating outer shell we call skin. "Truly an honorable gentleman." "Indeed. He has all the things a lord should have personality wise."
Cola jumped into her father's arms and gave him a hug. "Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu!" Zerou lifted her above his head. "You're finally learning Japanese!?" She nodded. "Akira taught me." He put her down and walked up to me. I then found myself in a bear hug with a crying man. "You have d-done me a *sniff* great service *sniff* Waaaah!" After I had escaped and popped my spine, I was surprised by another hug, this one, much more gentle. "You did it!" She let go and made way for one of the sliding doors. "I'll show you where your room is." I quickly followed after her. 'You are awfully quiet right now Arsene.' "I agree. Did I hit you too hard?" "No words can describe my happiness right now."
Once we made it to the room she opened it and walked in. As I walked in, I admired the simple yet comfortable feeling of the room. It looked like an office space, with a bookshelf in the wall, a desk and a filing cabinet. The look, however did not change the fact that there was now a bed and dresser in the corner, out of place, yet likeable. "This is your room. We will provide new sheets every now and then but it is up to you to change them." I nodded and put my bag down. "Now let's go have dinner, I'm a tad hungry." I nodded then proceeded to the kitchen with Cola.
When I got down the stairs, ready to eat, I will admit I wanted a feast. But what I found was not a feast. Instead it was random fast food leftovers that were strung across the counter. "May I ask why there is a bunch of junk food on the table?" She chuckled nervously while tapping the points of her fingers together. "Well my Dad doesn't know how to cook and I am kind of clumsy in the kitchen. So we order out so we don't waste money on "trying" to cook. This is why it's hard to support ourselves, even if we wanted to save money by cooking our own foods, we can't." I nodded. They are being weighed down by their inability to cook and have to resort to wasting money. "How about this? You guys leave the shopping and cooking to me. I know my way around a kitchen and have been told by many people my cooking is good." She jumped in front of me and grasped my hands, another flare of determination and hope in her eyes. "Would you really!?" "Oh course." She jumped with excitement. "Thank you so much! Dad did you hear tha-dad?" Cola and I looked around for Zerou but couldn't see him. Until we looked down on the floor. "Dad!" We helped him get back on his feet and lead him to a chair. "Are you ok?" He gave her heart filled smile. "Oh course I am! I'm just old, my back just hurts from the battle we had." She sighed with relief before her eyes shot open and turned into a glare. "You haven't had your pills, have you?" He crossed his arms and pouted. "I don't like them! They make me feel old. Besides I lost them." Cola's face became sickening sweet as she pulled out a small bottle out of her pocket. "Well it's a good thing I asked the doctor for extra then, isn't it." Zerou tried to make a break for it. "You'll never catch me alive!" But He was stopped when Cola jumped on him. "Take your pills!" "Fuck no!" "Take your damn pills!" "Screw you!" 'I think I'm gonna like it here.' That was my last thought before, I listened to the Koca family argue into the night.
—
[Akira Kurusu] lvl 50
[Melee attack] 250
[Ranged attack] 300
[Defence] 0-50
[Money] 4.25-0.50
[Skills] Lvl 1 death: trainee armoury.
[Arsene] Lvl 50
[Eiha, Cleave, Sakunda, Dream needle, Adverse resolve, Maeiha]
[Strength] 40
[Intelligence] 49
[Vitality] 33
[Agility] 60
[Luck] 27
[Shiki-Ouji] Lvl 21
[Tarukaja, Taunt, Snap]
[Strength] 21
[Intelligence] 11
[Vitality] 15
[Agility] 16
[Luck] 13
For those who wanted to know, it did not change.
Thank you so much for reading the third chapter of this story and let me say. This chapter was really difficult to bring together. I knew what I wanted and what I needed to get across in the chapter but didn't know how to put it together properly. I also felt that there was a lack of character body language and will work on that aspect in later chapters. Thanks once more and as always, send me suggestions, my grammar and spelling mistakes as well as criticism. One last little tidbit though. I am Canadian and spell without putting (,) these in front of the word and all the time.